My Devotion to the Saltine

…. The Saltine

One word. Big Impact. We have grown up on them; they were a quick and easy carb fix for most. In my own life, however, the word I would associate most with Saltines is panic attacks. Yes, you heard correct.

Since childhood, my biggest fear in life is getting “sick”. I truthfully don’t like any aspect of feeling queasy and the uncertainty of what’s to come. Well, whenever I felt sick, Saltines were my “go to” food. I’m sure it did NOTHING to calm my stomach, if anything it probably made me feel a bit more like a lead balloon. Regardless, it made me feel better for whatever the reason may be. 

 

OK so the picture is A BIT dramatic, but you get the point..

Currently, there are HUNDREDS of variations of crackers; to name a few… Oyster Crackers, Sociables, Melba Toast, Wheat Thins, Triscuits… the list goes on.

 

 The point of the matter is this: Melba Toast tastes like a combination of burnt white bread your brother screwed up making while drunk and stale crackers. Oyster crackers are not even COMPARABLE, seeing as that they are MADE to be used in conjunction with soup, not as its own entity. Wheat Thins would be good if they didn’t pack in “illegal saturated fats” into the tiny “healthy squares”. Triscuits, well, they are just plain tasteless. You get the point. There is only ONE real type of cracker, and that’s the Premium Saltine. It will forever be sacred to me and well, my stomach.

…. Baby It’s Cold Outside

Last winter, my parents had planned on flying into Boston to meet my boyfriend at the time. It’s a big deal as all of you could imagine so I wanted the restaurant selection to be PERFECT. After browsing MenuPages.com for hours, I came across Hammersley’s Bistro located on Tremont Street.

Here are some of the Winter Menu standout dishes we had (….and have had many times since then) 

Grilled Mushroom and Garlic Sandwich on Country Bread 

Spicy Halibut and Clam Roast with Bacon Braised Greens, White Beans and Black Trumpet Mushrooms 

Roast Chicken with Garlic, Lemon and Parsley 

Bananas Foster Bread Pudding with Butterscotch Rum Sauce  

* One more little tidbit…  Over the summer, the highlight of Hammersley’s is definitely their additional outside seating options Just hope it’s not buggy or scorching hot.

Why Can’t There Be Gourmet Markets Everywhere?

So,

I found a little boutique bread shop about six months ago called, “When Pigs Fly“. I’m sure all of you recall. Well, if you don’t I’ll be happy to refresh your memory. It’s located in Coolidge Corner, and offers various types of  freshly baked bread. I think that cultured cities such as Boston, for example,  should have these unique grocery stores. I know the economy is in the SLUMS, however, it adds charm to cities.

In Miami, instead of the horrendous grocery stores such as ACME, Star Market, and Genardi’s, they have a market called EPICURE. I was hesitant only at first because of it’s location next to Lincoln Road. I thought perhaps they offers “gourmet chocolate coffee beans” and “strawberry preserves with a hint of mint”. Instead, I was pleasantly surprised with what I found inside.

I was able to (as per usual) sneak in a few photos of some the highlights. 

Yes, ladies and gents this is an entire refrigerated section of the market that features prepared canned fresh soups, including Matzoh Ball Soup??? I am sold. There are over 30 soups available created in house. Smart move, Epicure, smart move.

Here we have ALL homemade pastas, as opposed to the generic brands that every other market offers. The bags are even beautiful….. and biodegradable I’m sure. 

Other than the cranky woman ringing me up that joked I looked 13? I had a wonderful experience and highly recommend more cities that consider themselves to be “cultured” incorporate more of these unique markets.

Oh, Sonoma

…. I truthfully love going into William & Sonoma. It’s comparable with the days my parents used to take me to Pier 1 Imports in the Hamptons and let me wonder ( Ok so I wasn’t exactly the TYPICAL little kid who enjoyed FAO Schwartz, but still)

W & S is beautifully decorated and offers virtually every piece of cooking equipment one would want. I (illegally, shhh) snapped photos of this Food Wonderland while browsing the aisles in the store located on Lincoln Road in South Beach.

Exhibit A

Exhibit B