It’s summer in America. And yet… 

Where are the fireworks? 

Where are the baseball games? 

Where are the friend Twinkies?!

Though the esplanades, parks, and even fairgrounds may be closed, diehard fans of great American pastimes can get their fill of at last one part of an All-American Summer- and do so without ANY health risks!

In his new book, Fair Foods: The most popular and offbeat recipes from America’s state and county fairs, Cheesecake Bibleauthor George Geary goes WAY beyond the realm of his previous book to offer a compendium of classic carnival cakes, party portions, and festival foods. From fare faves like the caramel kettle corn, “grande” nachos (which can be sized according to the number of eaters and their apettites), and the potentially oxymoronic (but always delicious) “All-American” French Fries to the more outlandish offerings like bacon-wrapped potatoes (sorry- “taters”) with buttermilk dill sauce, maple bacon donuts, and ten-pound cheese buns, the award-winning chef, food educator teaches everyone about how to make some of their fair faves and even branch out into unknown gustatory galaxies, including (of course) an entire section on deep-fried foods that includes such drippy delights as candy bars, cola, and even butter (stick optional for those of you from MN). And these are just the warm-ups! For the “main event,” Geary rattles off recipes for Coney Island chili dogs, coconut-macadamia-crusted shrimp with honey pepper sauce, the deadly doubles of cheeseburger donuts and PB&J cheeseburgers, and the ever-popular BBQ turkey leg. No matter which food(s) you choose to make, what better to wash it all down with than a tall, cool glass of 1890’s lemonade (or “Adult” lemonade, a favorite of many fair fans who partake of the fairs with their families in tow).

And then (if you are still reading and not passed out just from looking at the amazing and authentic images of all the great fare fair), there is dessert! In this final section, Geary again runs the gamut from All-American apple pie (a patriotic summer staple even if you are not at the fair) and funnel cakes to make-at-home snow cones, the world’s gooiest cinnamon rolls, and, in a final proof that the bacon thing is still alive and well, even though some of its fans are not, chocolate-encased (not just covered, mind you!) bacon.

So while we all may miss the heat, crowds, noise, and costs of a realcounty fair (Wait a minute-), Geary’s latest gets us as close as we can without needing to park, pay, or puke (at least not in public).

Thanks for a great taste of summer, George!

(www.santamonicapress.com)

Just because the Government says we have to stay in does not mean that we cannot take any sort of trip!

Case in point- My family and I enjoyed an authentic visit to Mexico the other night thanks to the culinary wizards at Sol Azteca (www.solaztecaboston.com).

While we missed the authentic décor and live music that a real visit to the restaurants in Newton and Boston offer, streaming Mariachi music and having my daughter bring her stuffed Frida Kahlo made it almost as fun.

What mattered most, however, were the delicious foods and the people who made them with authenticity, care, and plenty of nitrile gloves.

Sol Azteca is one of the few places in the Boston area that offers authentic nopales(cactus) and it is a treat every time! Our girls were nice enough to share their chilaquiles (tortilla casserole) – which were the best I have had this side of Tejas– and we all enjoyed Sol Azteca’s fresh and flavorful guacamole, which had just enough onion pepper, cilantro, and jalapeno to complement their crispy, hearty chips.

For mains, my wife had a smoky-sweet moleenchiladas and I had a heaping plate of chiles rellenos(green chilesstuffed with thick, melty cheese and vegetables, raisins, and white wine) from their extensive vegetarian menu.

Speaking of white wine, Sol Azteca also offers amazing beverages, including their signature margaritas (especially their Sol Spicy and Colorful Ghost varieties), specialty cocktails like the rum-based Day of the Dead and gin-y Madame Rivera, as well as homemadesangria, sparkling shelves of tequila,andwines from both sides of the border (all of which can help shut-in parents get a little stronger sense of vacation while they enjoy their meals!). And while the manager had to say “Yes, we have no bananas” when I asked for a dessert plate of plantains in their amazing rum-caramel sauce, the vanilla flanwas equally delicious and made for the perfect finale to our Mexican vacation.

So when you get hungry for some delicious, fresh, authentic food cooked and served by neighbors who are also trying to make it through these difficult days and when you are ready to celebrate a return to normalcy, Sol Azteca is un gran elección.

With the many chains that have added to the overwhelming congestion in the South End Seaport, it is both fitting and welcome that the premiere spot that was once home to the iconic Pier 4 is now home to a home-grown (and home-growing) star like Kristin Canty, who was eventually convinced to bring her spectacular farm-to-table (both of which she owns, by the way) concept from Concord to Boston.

As befits its home, the result- Woods Hill Pier 4 – is nothing short of Revolutionary!

While it is more than possible to get a steak, a cake, a great drink, or anything in between in the Seaport, where else can all of these be enjoyed secure in the knowledge that every ingredient was hand-picked and that most came from the owner’s own farm? That is the magic of Woods Hill Pier 4!

While the location is still the best in the area and overlooks both the ICA and the harbor (as well as many area residents who seem to enjoy letting their dogs run on the harborside lawn that will hopefully yield to patio seating come warmer days and nights), it is the food and locally-sourced service that will surely bring you back to Woods Hill Pier 4. Though the menu changes regularly as the seasons dictate new layers of freshness at Canty’s farm, some of the early favorites that will hopefully linger are the charred broccoli with cheddar and smoked garlic aioli, any of the house-made pasta dishes, the crispy lamb ribs, the dry-aged farm-fresh duck platter for two, and Pier 4 caviar service which makes for a fun and celebratory taste of the classic days of Anthony Athanas. Among the other Athanas Family tributes are Chef Charlie Foster’s new take on lobster Newburg and the timeless popovers that accompany it. There is also an Anthony’s Vesper on an extensive drink menu that is arranged by region and flavor and often includes pictures of the appropriate glassware. Speaking of drinks, while the alcoholic options are plenty, there is also a strong selection of sophisticated sips that make very well due without, like the Coco Fresca, Cucumber Collins, and a Shrubby Temple that is not just for the kiddies.

So while I often sing the praises of suburban places that are worthy of downtown real estate, this script-flipper is perhaps even more welcome as it shows definitively that the Boston area need not look elsewhere for amazing food downtown.

www.woodshillpier4.com

Fitness books and books about how to keep families healthy and strong are almost as common today as diet fads and therapists, but when a book comes from the American Academy of Pediatrics, it deserves at least an extra bit of notice!

Natalie Digate Muth is a dual-certified Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics, an expert on obesity and sports dietetics, and a registered nutritionist with a Masters in public health, so she knows a thing or two about health and fitness – both for the body and for the family. In this rather slim but comprehensive volume, Dr. Muth shares her own stories and the tools she and her family used to improve their senses of well-being and togetherness. In just 30 days, Dr. Muth’s plan can get every member of the family on the road to better health and, in the process, help them bring their often divergent roads together so they are all headed in the same direction so they can continue to stay healthy and stay together long after the 30 days are done. 

After establishing their baselines of activity, sleep, screen time, stress, and other vital factors, Dr. Muth asks each family member to perform an self-analysis of their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (a.k.a., a “SWOT” analysis), encouraging all of them family to be honest with themselves so they can more effectively communicate with and support each other. Once these stapes have been taken, Dr. Muth suggests establishing clear and reachable goals that are amenable to all participants and then offers helpful tips such as her five-step nutrition and meal makeovers and “6S” avoidance list, which includes sugary drink, snacks, sweets, screen time, sleep disruptors, and slick sales pitches. The book even offers recipes and reinforcements to support the plan and the people taking part in it.

So while fitness guides and family planners may be a dime a dozen, this family-friendly fitness plan is one for which everyone can put their two cents in!

www.aap.org

For the past few years, whenever my family is invited to a friend’s house for a meal, we dip into our favorite cookbook- The Forest Feast– and find something that is easy, fresh, healthy, and delicious that all of us can take part in making. The book (which is now an entire series) was created by Erin Gleeson, a photographer and mom who understands what it takes to attract people to a plate and how to help them make their own dishes that delight. Using the original book and The Forest Feast for Kids, our efforts from the Forest Feast has inspired many of our friends to get copies and to try their own hands at beautifully-presented clean cooking.

The latest in the series is The Forest Feast- Mediterranean. Taking as many cues from the beauty of this region as from the proven benefits of its legendary diet, the book offers everything from a suggested travel itinerary and suggested menus to samples of the spectacular sweet and savory surprises you will find throughout your trip (even if you only get as far as the local farmers market). 

From snacks like burst tomatoes and torn Mozzarella, stuffed figs, and an all-veggie charcuterie to drinks like the Provence-inspired lavender lemonade and the Spanish Cava Sangria to a rainbow of salads and sides featuring such healthy treats as honey-fried eggplant, cucumber capponata, and quinoa and fresh fruit, to a small plates menu that easily tops your favorite tapas bar and a pasta menu that rolls on longer than homemade fusilli, The Forest Feastis just that- a lush collection of combinations that will draw you in until you are happily lost among the tasty trees.

www.theforestfeast.com

Latina opens to rave reviews (including this one)!

By Matt Robinson

Though Acapulco’s recently closed and the former site of the dearly-misses Tu y Yois now part of Beth Israel hospital, Needham has ben getting its Latin groove back recently with the immigration from Whitman of the muy autenticoHungry Coyote and from Dedham of Pancho’s and the re-emergence of the corner spot once held by local legend Rachel Klein that recently opened as Latina Kitchen and Bar (https://latinakitchenbar.com).

With its comforting and gently tropical natural décor and easy-to-move-through space (a space that includes a couch-y front lounge and bar area and an open kitchen with fireside seating, as well as a long row of benches and tables for all your larger fiesta needs) and authentic Venezuelan-inspired Latin food and drink, Latina is a great place to drop by for a cerveza or creative cocktail and a pequeña mordida (small bite), to host a family event or just to bring the family for a taste of why our neighbors south of the border need to be welcomed with open arms (and mouths). And while the kids’ menú may not be all that imported (offering, as so many places do, selections such as chicken fingers and pasta), there is p,enty on the main menu to help expand even the pickiest of palates.

The front-area bar is overhung with ivy and flora as well as a single flat screen that is available without being overwhelming. Instead, most guests focus on the tequila selection and the reposado tequila-based sangria that sits reposad-ing in a tall glass pitcher. Lining each side of the TV are columns that double as wine racks, each of which holds plenty of bottles of red, white, rose, and even sparklers from all over. While the beer list is mostly domestic, it does offer some imports, though not many from Latin America. That flavor comes through most in the cocktail list, which also includes a Cuban ginger with Santa Teresa rum, an egg nog-y coquito with Bacardi, condensed milk, coconut, and spices, a grapefruit Pisco sour with egg white, a Pisco paloma (white Pisco) with club soda and lime and grapefruit juice, Mojitos in either shades of strawberry or pineapple, and a set of margarita that range from sweetly tropical to satisfyingly tongue-torching.

To go along with these inspired imbibements, Latina offers a wide range of food flavors that starts with such signature treats as fishy sancochosoup that will put mussels in your mouth (if not on your body) and  a Latina salad with hearts of palm, avocado, and citrus supremes and can come to a delicious end by way of dulce de leche-filled shortbread cookies, Vezeuelan flan, or their famed chocolate tres lechescake. In the middle are such satisfying selections as a Gaucho rib eye with a tangy chimichurri, plantain gnocchi with a short rib ragout, Peruvian roasted chicken, a heaping portion of arroz con mariscos(rice with seafood) that includes lobster, scallops, shrimp, mussels, AND calamari, and an Argentinian parrilla(grill) of black Angus beef, grilled sweetbreads, chicken, and TWO kinds of sausage! If you want to try your hand at Venezuelan or just get tastes of more savory sensations, the small plate menu offers ceviches(cold servings of foods that are “cooked” in their own natural juices) with tuna, lobster, or mushroom (the last of which is called an escabacheas it is vegetarian) and two-packs of tasty baked empanadasturnovers) that can come with beef, chicken, lamb, or veggies, as well as perfectly-uncooked beef carpaccio, cheesy cauliflower gratin, house-marinated olives, more mussels, rock shrimp with green plantains, charred octopus, Venezuelan cheese sticks, yucca fries and more diversely-delicious delights.  

So for those of you who have waited for the latest taste sensation in Needham to open or those who live here who have been eager to return to the site of many past pleasant dinners, Latina is sure to be a great destination again and again!