Weekend Recap & Dinner at Oleana
Before I get to today’s post, I first wanted to say THANK YOU for all of your comments on my one year blogiversary. You all seriously made my week and I’m so honored to be a part of such a wonderful community. Okay, onto the weekend…
Between my wedding anniversary, two birthdays, my aunt visiting from Toronto (hi, Aunt Jane!), and a handful of other commitments, I spent all of thirty minutes in my kitchen. I received an email from my mom at 7am on Saturday morning that my pumpkin post had given my aunt a serious craving for pumpkin donuts. And really, who am I to deny that craving? I made those minutes count in the kitchen and baked up a batch of pumpkin donuts, using spelt flour in place of wheat. It was my first time baking with spelt and I was nervous it would be too heavy, but the donuts turned out perfectly – light and with a great crumb.
I always get a little anxious when I bake for other people, but considering that all of the donuts were gone by the end of the weekend, I think it’s safe to say that my family liked them.
Another highlight of my weekend was spending a couple of hours on Sunday at the Boston Local Food Festival. The food festival had a great turnout, although I felt like the vegan options were sort of lacking. Maybe my expectations were just off, but I had hoped to see less meat, dairy, and eggs and more veggie options. Thus, I drowned my sorrows in a maple syrup cotton candy.
There’s just something about eating cotton candy that makes me feel all giddy and like a kid again.
Fortunately, all was not lost on the foodie front that day. Aaron and I celebrated our anniversary with dinner at Oleana, Ana Sortun’s Eastern Mediterranean restaurant in Cambridge. We had eaten here once before and declared it one of the best meals of our lives, and Sunday’s dinner was even better. I don’t have photos to share because it seemed inappropriate to bring out my camera, but if you live around Boston or are planning a visit, you must eat at Oleana. It’s a little pricey, but the food is incredible. The produce is organic and comes from Siena Farms in Sudbury (owned by Ana’s husband and named after their daughter), and the flavors are complex, rich, and full of spice, without being heavy.
There are several vegan mezze on the menu, as well as a vegan entree that’s not listed. Ask for this entree. It varies according to the season and what’s available, and the Chef puts together a plate that I can only describe as my version of vegetable heaven. I was in love with the garlicky greens and flattened potatoes with lemon and oregano, as well as the kale salad with apple, almonds, watermelon radish and tahini dressing. I need to attempt to recreate that salad at home.
Chef Sortun also has a Middle Eastern bakery called Sofra in Cambridge, inspired by Turkish, Lebanese and Greek flavors. You can bet that’s next on my list.
So…how was your weekend?
