A visit to Medford and Bistro 5

By Margarita Martinez   |   Tuesday, May 14, 2013   0 comments.

Most people don't think of Medford as being a culinary destination, but that just adds to the hidden gem appeal of Medford businesses. There is a Modern Pastry location, so those in Medford do not have to endure the North End crowds in order to get great cannoli. If you live in New England and cook Japanese food, then you probably know about Ebisuya Japanese Market, which is a great place to get Japanese ingredients and imports, such as Japanese candy and magazines.


 (Patricia Alvarado Núñez/WGBH)
And there is Bistro 5, an Italian restaurant owned by Chef Vittorio Ettore. Right off of the West Medford stop on the Lowell Line, this restaurant truly feels like stepping into another place and time. The lush gold and red colors and fabrics create a very moody and intimate experience perfect for enjoying the food of Tuscany. The ambience and food make you feel a bit like you're at Carnival, but without the crowds, floats, and parties.

 (Patricia Alvarado Núñez/WGBH)
Like most Americans, I love Italian food. When I speak to people about Neighborhood Kitchens and ask for restaurant suggestions for our show, the most recommended type of cuisine is Italian. I prepare Italian food often, grow lots of basil and tomatoes, and keep lots of good olive oil, pasta, garlic, and vinegar on hand to quickly prepare delicious Italian-style meals - imagine my excitement at traveling to West Medford to learn how to cook Tuscan food with Chef Ettore!


 (Patricia Alvarado Núñez/WGBH)
I loved his tips for making risotto and biscotti. These are items that I make at home, but I learned about the heritage of these dishes and how to make them better from Chef Ettore. For instance, while I have made biscotti, at Bistro 5 I learned how to made cantucci, a drier form of biscotti enjoyed in Tuscany. I am also used to enjoying my biscotti with espresso, but this time I enjoyed it as a lovely dessert by dipping it in a sweet glass of vin santo.

Chef Ettore, a chef with a joyful passion for life and food, truly knows how to include people in the process of cooking great cuisine. Along with Bistro 5, Chef Ettore owns A Tavola in Winchester just north of West Medford. In Winchester, Chef Ettore runs a “Seed to Plate” program at Ambrose Elementary School. He has a garden at the Sandborn House Historical and Cultural Center where he teaches 4^th and 5^th

 (Patricia Alvarado Núñez/WGBH)
grade students how to plant, harvest, cook with, and compost ingredients. The program culminates with a meal prepared by Chef Ettore and the students and shared with the teachers, parents, and students using ingredients grown throughout the year. It is obvious that Chef Ettore wants to pass on to the younger generation a passion for food, from eating it to growing and sourcing it, just as his family and community did for him while growing up in Tuscany. Those of us who participate in his “Seed to Plate” program and visit his restaurants are reaping the rewards.

Pho Le's Vietnamese Mango Salad - Goi Xoai

Sunday, May 12, 2013   0 comments.

One of the most popular salads sold at Pho Le is made with very firm, green mangoes marinated in a garlicky, pungent fish sauce.




Goi Xoai (Green Mango Aalad)
 
Ingredients
 
Salad
1 green mango
¼ lb peeled and deveined shrimp
5 Vietnamese coriander leaves
1 tbsp fried shallots
Chopped peanuts
 
Fish Sauce
2 tbsp fish sauce
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp garlic chili sauce
1 tsp minced garlic
Thai chili pepper

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Learn to Make Tofu Xao Sa Ot

Friday, May 10, 2013   0 comments.

Watch Neighborhood Kitchens 205: Recipe Tofu Xao Sa Ot . See more Neighborhood Kitchens.
 

Pho Le owner Duyen Le teaches Margarita a favorite way to work with tofu, called Tofu Xao Sa Ot.

A Visit to Fields Corner and Pho Le

By Margarita Martinez   |   Monday, May 6, 2013   0 comments.

Pho Le, owner Duyen Le (Patricia Alvarado/WGBH)

Fields Corner in Dorchester really is the destination for Vietnamese cuisine in the greater Boston area. This neighborhood offers the widest and most concentrated selection of Vietnamese food throughout Boston, from places where Banh Mi is ordered at a counter to more formal restaurant experiences with table service. There are also Asian markets where all the ingredients for a Vietnamese meal can be found, including freshly baked baguettes, freshly caught fish, exotic fruits and vegetables, and the more esoteric banana flower fruit. I loved exploring the neighborhood with my terrific tour guide Pham Nam, the director of the community development corporation Viet-AID.

After our market visit, Nam took me to the Vietnamese American Community Center, which opened in Dorchester 11 years ago through the help of Viet-AID. It is the first Vietnamese American community center in the United States. The well-maintained facility houses classes for children and adults, including instruction in business, the Vietnamese language, ballroom dancing, and preschool. When I stopped by the community center the after-school program was in session. I was most taken by the fact that while the majority of children receiving after-school homework assistance or reading books from the center's library were of Vietnamese descent, it was still a multicultural group of children from the community. While one of Viet-AID's missions is to strengthen the Vietnamese community and preserve Vietnamese culture in the greater Boston area, another core value is to bolster the Fields Corner community as a whole by providing services and a safe space for all members of the Fields Corner community.

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Tres Gatos' Lamb Bocadillo with Chimichurri Sauce on Potato Rolls

Sunday, May 5, 2013   0 comments.

Tres Gatos brings the flavors of Spain's tapas to Jamaica Plain. This recipe is Chef Sanchez's own take on the humble but popular bocadillo.


 
Make the potato rolls in advance so that when you are ready to grill your meat and shallots, the rolls can be cut open and ready to quickly grill before filling and serving.

Potato Rolls

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A Visit to Tres Gatos in Jamaica Plain

By Margarita Martinez   |   Thursday, May 2, 2013   0 comments.

There are only a few Boston neighborhoods other than Jamaica Plain that have such diverse people and offerings of things to do. There are parks to visit, including Jamaica Pond, Franklin Park, and the Arnold Arboretum. Although we shot this episode in the winter, these are some of my favorite places to visit in the spring and summer. And what better thing to do on a warm day than go for ice cream at the original J.P. Licks. Right near J.P. Licks on Centre Street is a natural foods market, a kitchen supply store, a yoga studio, bistros, cafes, and so many cute, creative, and distinctive businesses. One such place is Tres Gatos.

Part music shop, part book store, and part tapas restaurant, Tres Gatos is a unique treasure. I don't know of another place in Boston where one can purchase a Charles Mingus record, an Alabama Shakes CD, and David Mitchell's Cloud Atlas, all while enjoying churros and chocolate. Sales of CDs, records, and paper books have been down for the past decade, but Tres Gatos owner David Doyle, like so many other book and music enthusiasts, believes that there is still a market for these types of shops. I, too, miss the feeling of community when visiting independently-owned book and music stores. Purchasing books, music, and movies online is void of the pleasure of browsing items in person and talking to store owners and managers about what they recommend for a good read and listen. Doyle has come up with an excellent solution for making a music and book store profitable in the digital age: hire an amazing chef and open up a lovely and intimate tapas restaurant in the same location.

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About Neighborhood Kitchens

Building on a 34-year history of producing Latino and multicultural programming, WGBH’s award winning La Plaza team has a new offering — Neighborhood Kitchens, a series about the exploration of culture through food. Every week the show offers a unique window into immigrant communities in New England.

Saturdays at 4pm and Sundays at 6:30pm on WGBH 2
Fridays at 7:30pm on WGBH 44

Margarita Martinez
Margarita grew up in the Bronx and Ossining, NY with a Puerto Rican father and a Franco-American mother. From making her first empanada as a teenager visiting Argentina to her lifelong search for authentic Mexican food in the Northeast, Margarita has always had an insatiable appetite for Latin American food. Margarita is also passionate about acting and music. She graduated from Tisch School of the Arts at NYU with a BFA in Drama.

On the Go

In each episode, host Margarita Martínez visits a different ethnic restaurant and learns three delicious recipes from the chef. She also explores the restaurant’s neighborhood, discovering hidden gems along the way. Join her as she learns about new ingredients, new cultures, and new neighborhoods. ¡Hasta pronto!

  Watch: Full Episodes

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  Follow: @NKitchensWGBH

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Find a Neigbhorhood Kitchen

Margarita's Neighborhood Visits

»Boston's South End:
    Orinoco and Teranga
»Boston's Back Bay: Casa Romero
»Boston's North End: Taranta
»Roxbury: Merengue
»Boston's Beacon Hill: Scampo
»Cambridge: Muqueca and Oleana
»Boston: Bristol Lounge
»Somerville: Dosa Temple
»Lawrence: Cafe Azteca
»Lowell: Simply Khmer
»Fresh from the Fish Market
»Jamaica Plain: Tres Gatos
»Dorchester: Pho Le

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Topics

• Neighborhood Kitchens
• NK Recipes

 

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