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Monthly Archive for August, 2008
Took a quick blast from Hillsboro down to Boston and then to mid-Massachusetts to run errands with my dad today. He lives and moves around in a small motor home, so much cheaper to use my Toyota Matrix and less fuel zipping through the to do list.
We came back up through Lowell and decided to stop in Nashua for dinner. Last year sometime, Roger and I stopped into The Peddler’s Daughter, an Irish Pub right in downtown Nashua, but after we’d already eaten somewhere else. After you’ve followed us for a while, it will be evident we are “pub rats” - suckers for welcoming pubs anywhere that have comfortable seats at the bar and pleasant, if not jovial, bartenders.
No the usual pairing, I agreed to be seated at table (so civilized!). They also have deck seating around the perimeter of the building. the bar is centered with tables, booths, and high tables scattered along the walls.
Pops chose the beer-battered fish & chips. It comes served in newspaper and is just fish and potatoes, no slaw. The batter is slightly crispy and seasoned lightly. The fish tastes fresh; don’t want no stink’n frozen fish. The hand cut fries are okay although a bit soggy, and steak fries of thick chips would be better to my taste.
The best part, almost, about this choice is that it is served with homemade ketchup (my ingredients guess: crushed tomatoes, pickling spice, cayenne, and a bit of brown sugar cooked down until thick) along with some great tartar sauce. Both are delivered to the table in glass jugs with serving spoons, cold from the fridge.
I chose the pan-roasted salmon and was very happy. It was seared on the outside sealing moisture and locking down a delicate rub. Nice and tender and rich; the portion seemed smallish to me at first, but by the time I finished I was stuffed. It comes served with boxty, a traditional Irish pancake. This one was about four inches in diameter and a half inch high, with the consistency of a nice croquette. The plate also came with a salad of mesclun mix drizzled with lemon vinaigrette and adorned with radish, green peas, and corn.
Washed down with nice cold Sam Adams Lager this was a great dinner for both of us. The only complaint was with our waitress. She did a fine job of making recommendations, bringing food and drinks swiftly and checking in on us occasionally, but she let us over tip her in an outrageous way without double-checking our intentions. We’d made use of an Entrainment Book 2 for 1 discount coupon, and it was obvious we tipped based on the full amount. Instead of the 18% calculated on the actual dinner value, she walked away with an extra $12 (30%) since we forgot to subtract the value from our total. It was as if we never had the coupon. Oh well.
I’ll drag Roger back, ’cause there are lots of other good options to sample and evaluate: Shephard’s Pie made with ground lamb, Guinness Braised Beef Stew, and Home-Style Meatloaf. I’m also really curious about Crepes and Brown Bread Ice Cream… yeah, baby.
What a treat! Today we went to Otter Brook Park in Keene to attend a BBQ cookout in honor of my nephew Kenny Siegel’s graduation from college. Kenny has been studying Hospitality Services and is on his way down to Florida for an internship at one of the Disney hotels. Way to go Kenny!
Anyway, when we got there, we were introduced to Chef Aaron Pouliot of the Twin State Smoke Company. Aaron was set up there with the biggest smoker I’ve ever seen. It was a huge, 1500 lb. Lang Smoker Cooker on it’s own trailer. This thing was awesome, with a big fire box at one end and large access doors on either side. You could easily feed about 100 people with this thing without breaking a nail.
There were only about 40 people expected on this day, and nobody left hungry…that’s for sure. When we arrived, Aaron was already under way with several racks of pork ribs warming up in the smoker. The ribs were prepared with a dry rub, and Aaron was burning cherry wood in the firebox. This tank of a smoker was about 6 feet long and had two thermometers at either end so the cooking heat could be carefully monitored (there’s about a 25 degree difference in temperature from one end of the smoker to the other, and the chef made good use of that—shifting meat around to balance the timing).
Standing around that day, waiting on the meal bell, our anticipation was pushed into over-drool by the smell of that cherry smoke mixed with the cooking meats. With mostly college age friends-of-Kenny attending, the spread was prepared for big appetites. Aside from the ribs, Aaron was preparing enough buffalo wings, hot-dogs, and hamburgers to feed a regiment. Not to mention the pot-luck dishes that guests were bringing. Whew!
Naturally, once we were allowed to line up with our plates, the ribs were the first to go. And they were well worth the wait. The meat was tender and pulled gently from the bone. And the rub complemented the smoking perfectly. It allowed you to really appreciate the flavor and texture of the meat.
I love ribs and all kinds of sauces with them. But it’s not often enough that you get the straight deal… Good meat with an understated garnish and pure smoky goodness. It was heaven. my only disappointment was that I didn’t have the appetite of my nephew.
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- Chef Aaron
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- The Lang Smoker on wheels
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- Ribs being smoked
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- Burgers on the fire pit
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- Buffalo chicken
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- Chicken and ribs in the smoker
Roger and I adore Mexican food. At home we often cook with cumin, chili powder, chiles of all kinds, lime, corn, beans, and cilantro. My husband has become a fiend for chipotle flavored anything. And we both like it hot.
My complaint with most Mexican restaurants is that they glop up everything with cheese. It isn’t always traditional and it tends to make most dishes to heavy.
So, we enjoy visiting Tio Juan’s Margarita’s in Concord (we sometimes pop into the Manchester and Lebanon locations) for three reasons:
- Icy cold Dos Equis Amber served with two wedges of lime in a nice big 20-oz glass
- Their spicy salsa and warm chips. The salt spice balance is just right and the chips the perfect vehicle.
- Fish Tacos
I don’t think I was aware of fish tacos until a few years ago, but how can you go wrong wrapping anything hot and spicy in tortillas.
The Fish Tacos at Margaritas are two white corn tacos filled with flaky, crusted (crushed tortilla dip before cooking) talapia and home-made corn salsa and shredded red cabbage. They come with a side of chipotle mayonnaise.
The challenge is to get both down without the second one falling apart in your hand. Hey, life is filled with challenges. If you fail, drown your sorrows in a second 20-oz Dos Equis. Poor baby.
