Caffe Vittoria

Step into this quaint cafe in Boston's historic North End and feel yourself transported back in time. This was the first Italian cafe in Boston when it was established in 1929. Today it has four levels of seating and three liquor bars where clientele can relax for the night over a cup cappuccino or cafe mocha. It is a great place to go with friends after dinner for dessert and a hot drink on a cold winter night in Boston. The cannolis, eclairs, and gelati are delicious. I recommend trying the peppermint chip and cotton candy gelati. And above all do not forget to ask for a cup of hot chocolate since Caffe Vittoria has the best hot chocolate in town complete with a thick layer of rich foamy white whip cream. Bring cash to pay for these treats because they do not accept credit cards as is the trend in the North End. Bon appetite!

The cafe's website: http://www.vittoriacaffe.com/index.html

Guacamole

I feel a little ashamed to admit it, but I had never tried real guacamole until my sister made it for me this past summer. Since then I fell in love with the dip because it goes well with tacos or salsa and chips. I also just discovered these new whole wheat crackers at Whole Foods that are delicious with Guacamole. They are called Carr's Whole Wheat Crackers. Here is how I make guacamole, but you are more than welcome to experiment with different ingredients yourself.

Ingredient List:

3 avocados (for the purpose of this demonstration I only used one avocado but to make enough for guests use three avocados)
A tomato
An onion
A garlic clove
Salt
Pepper
Cayenne Pepper
A lime

Note: Using avocados that are perfectly rip will result in the best guacamole dip. Avocados are ripe when they are dark green and the insides feel soft when you squeeze the avocado.

Finely dice up the onion, tomato, and garlic clove into the smallest pieces possible. Then carefully cut the avocados in half and remove the seed. Cut horizontally and vertically across both halves of the avocado to make it easier to remove the insides.

Then scope the contents of the avocado out into a dish and mash it up with a fork or spoon. It is okay to have a few chunks in the dip, but I like a smoother texture for my guacamole so I try to get the chunks out as much as possible.

Next slowly add the chopped up bits of onion, tomato and garlic clove to the avocado. Mix the ingredients in thoroughly to get an even consistency and flavor. The way I judge how much tomato, onion, and garlic I should add is by tasting the mixture as I am making it. If you think it needs a bit more garlic then add more garlic if you think it needs more onion then add more onion etc. etc. This technique allows the cook to individualize the recipe. Then squeeze in a few slices of lime if you are using three avocados and one slice of lime if you are only using one avocado. Add salt, pepper, and Cayenne pepper for flavoring. Once again taste the mixture as you are making it to judge the amount of seasoning you want to add. Enjoy the guacamole!!!!

Here are some links to websites for other guacamole recipes:

http://www.elise.com/recipes/archives/000159perfect_guacamole.php

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_20356,00.html

http://www.willsavocados.com/index.php/guacamole-recipes

Tacos!!!!!

Although I'm sure everyone has made tacos at least once in their life, I still find that it's a fun experience to share with others which is why I am including a segment about it on my blog. The ingredients are cheap and easy to find and it's a meal that takes little preparation and tastes great. There is really no right or wrong way to make tacos but here is how I do it:
Here is a list of the ingredients you will need:

Taco Shells
A tomato
An onion
A green pepper
A half pound of hamburger
Salsa
Lettuce
Shredded Cheese (preferably a three cheese packet)

First dice up the green pepper, onion, tomato, and a few pieces of lettuce on a cutting board. Break up the hamburger in the frying pan and cook over medium heat until slightly brown. Add onions and peppers to the hamburger and then fry the contents up together until the hamburger is well cooked and the onions are caramelized.

Lay out three taco shells on a plate. Add the hamburger first then shredded cheese over the top of the hamburger. Put in the microwave for twenty seconds to melt the cheese. Then add the lettuce, tomato, and salsa over the top of the taco. You may also want to substitute the salsa with guacamole sauce which I will explain how to make in my next post. Enjoy your tacos!!!!