Gusto Fall 2018

BOSTON COLLEGE'S FOOD MAGAZINE

FALL 2018

gusto

FOOD, PLACES, PEOPLE

APPLE GALETTE

PUMPKIN RISOTTO

HAITIAN PORK GRIOT TWO SISTERS AND THE SOUL

ON FOOD SHOPPING

SPYCE KITCHEN

CAFE LANDWER

THE PUBLICK HOUSE

FROM THE EDITOR They told me I could put whatever I want here, so here are my favorite tacos ever, from @guisados

We chose the name Gusto because three of its meanings correspond with our three core beliefs:

To eat is to return to a state of contentment. To cease to feel

1. That anyone can cook, according to the large and lovable Auguste Gusteau from Ratatouille,

hungry is to quell more than just the need to survive. It’s to feed the functions that allow us to be human. Every omelet at Mac, every bowl of Mac N Cheese from the Ratt, every cup of tomato soup on a lethargic day - every bite has a world of meaning behind it.

So why read about other people’s experiences with food?

2. That food, and the experience of eating, should be thoroughly enjoyed (sí, me gustó), and,

Because becoming more cognizant of the context behind what we put into our bodies, what we so often take for granted, can give us back some of the humanity we lose in the doldrums of our duties.

All I can hope for with this endeavor is that we evoke the unique strand of candid joy that a sobremesa with loved ones

3. That whatever one does, one should do it with vigor.

brings. If we've done that, and hopefully made you salivate a bit along the way, we've achieved all we set out for.

Nico Borbolla Editor-in-Chief

gusto gusto gusto gusto gusto gusto Editor-in-Chief Creative Director

Nico Borbolla Carolina Gazal

Editorial Associate

María Clara Cobo

Business Manager

Madison Polkowitz

Recipes Editor Restaurants Editor Essays Editor

Emily Stevens Michaela Santillo Claire Madden

Copy Associate

Kayla Causey

Faculty Advisor

Lynne Anderson

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Pumpkin Risotto

By Emily Stevens

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Spyce Kitchen

By Michaela Santillo

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On Food Shopping

By Claire Madden

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Country Roads

By Ileana Lobkowitz

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Cafe Landwer

By Michaela Santillo

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Apple Galette

By Emily Stevens

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Pomegranate Paloma

By Emily Stevens

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The Publick House

By María Clara Cobo

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Two Sisters and the Soul

By Meg Loughman

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Haitian Pork Griot

By Djanan Kernizan

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Crostini

By Emily Stevens

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Lucy Ethiopian Cafe

By Madison Polkowitz

Questions, comments, suggestions? Want to get involved?

Email bcgustomag@gmail.com

RISOTTO CON LA ZUCCA Recipe by Emily Stevens Photos by Madison Polkowitz This risotto is inspired by a recipe Michaela Santillo, our Restaurants editor, brought back from her time abroad in Italy. Nothing says fall like pumpkin, and the addition of cranberries and goat cheese put an American twist on an Italian classic.

Ingredients 4 cups chicken broth (can substitute vegetable broth) 1 cup canned pumpkin purée (note: not pumpkin pie filling) 1 shallot, minced 2 tbsp. butter 1-tsp. salt 1 tsp. fresh thyme, roughly chopped 2 tsp. fresh rosemary, chopped 1 ½ cups Arborio rice 1 tsp. white wine vinegar ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese 1 tbsp. parsley, finely chopped ¼ tsp. nutmeg Black pepper to taste 1 oz creamy goat cheese

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¼ cup pine nuts ¼ cup dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Finely chop the shallot and herbs, and measure out the ingredients ahead of time. Spread pine nuts onto a baking sheet and place into a preheated oven for about 12 minutes, checking frequently and stirring halfway through. Remove from oven when golden and fragrant.

Heat a medium sized saucepan on medium heat and whisk to combine the stock and the pumpkin puree. Keep stirring occasionally for about 5 minutes or until small bubbles start to form. Reduce heat to low, cover, and set aside.

In a large saucepan on medium heat melt the butter completely and heat until the foam subsides and the butter browns slightly. Add the salt and shallot and cook until the shallot softens and becomes translucent, 2-3 minutes.

Add the thyme and half the rosemary as well as the rice and stir cooking for a minute longer.

Add the white wine vinegar, then, using a ladle, add one scoop of broth to the pot with the rice and cook, stirring intermittently, until all of the liquid has evaporated. Continue to add ladles of broth, allowing the liquid to evaporate before adding more. As more broth is added the rice will expand soaking up the liquid. This process will take about 25 minutes—be patient!

When all of the broth has been added taste the rice- it should be soft, creamy, but maintain firmness. When it is done remove the pot from heat. Stir in the Parmesan, most of the parsley, freshly cracked black pepper, and nutmeg.

Adjust seasoning to taste.

Plate and top with goat cheese, toasted pine nuts, cranberries, and remaining herbs. Pair with a glass of wine and prepare to see pumpkin in a whole new light.Â

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I have loved many grocery stores in my life. They have been tucked into a street corner and have taken up an entire parcel of land, are painted cobalt or eggshell, are either sterile or a bit grimy. They always hunker, loud or unassuming, in the center of a town or city, people always streaming in and out to nourish themselves and their families.

They whisper or shout at us about their world-class produce or freshly warmed breads, their community connections, everything. We are asked to come in and provide for ourselves and for the people around us, if only by buying some semi-sweet chocolate chips or clementines.

I do not think I have ever seen food shopping as a chore. When I was younger, maybe eight or nine years old, our most coveted nighttime activity was going to the grocery store. One or two evenings a month, when the moonlight had begun to curl around the trees and our dinner plates had long been cast into the sink, my parents decided that our ingredients had dwindled too fast, and that my father was to go to the Stop and Shop that night. One of my sisters and I would be chosen to go with him—whoever was chosen would slip on shoes and bound into the car, rocketing over the hills along the river to the store to get cereal or cheddar cheese or cocoa powder.

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ON FOOD SHOPPING

BY CLAIRE MADDEN There was something inherently magical and irresistible about the grocery store at night—something tangibly different. It was not the same space as in the daytime, with the sunlight filtering in through hulking window panes onto dull oranges and fluorescent-yellow cake mixes, not clogged with people wandering up and down the aisles to decide between two types of olive oil. During the daytime, the Stop and Shop was a stretching and teeming place, crowded with voices and elbows and overpriced almonds. At night it was quiet and glittering, the floor just waxed and the overhead music turned moody and slow. My father and I would move through the aisles leisurely, tiptoeing along to inspect the ripeness of stacked bananas, or determining whether the package of Dutch chocolate cookies we were cradling had any broken pieces. No one tried to rattle past us with a wobbly cart and a whispered caution, or brazenly reach in front of us to grab the last good block of parmesan. I was always in the way during the daytime. At night we chose our foods with ease and care, gingerly deciding which would have a home in our cabinet, which foods my baby sister would spread across the floor.

The deli counter never had a line in the evening, so our samples of Swiss cheese and turkey were immediate and cherished.

During these nighttime trips, I was allowed to choose one sweet from the international food section. Stop and Shop had carved out a quarter of an aisle as a lackluster grouping of various ethnic products, and my favorite Irish chocolates were given just a sliver of this area. I was given the choice between a saccharine Dairy Milk bar, buttery Digestive biscuits, or a chocolate Aero bar pockmarked with bubbles. I nearly always chose the Aero bar, neatly snapping off one section to share on the winding way back home.

As lovely and thrilling as these night food shopping trips were, more frequently we went food shopping during the day, with each of my sisters and I given two or three items to track down in the cramped and towering aisles. When my father moved to the city, we took the subway to Grace’s Marketplace and Food Emporium along the churning East River. These stores, packed so tightly into the building that I thought the ceiling might buckle, always hummed with shoppers. There was no leisure or deliberate inspection—you were to move swiftly in and out. In Grace’s, the lines for the butcher or the bread and cheese counter had no clear beginning or end, so it was best just to squeeze yourself into a corner by the cheese twists and handmade pastas and crane your neck to look at the towering shelves while the crowd thinned. The air was always slightly frenetic, with business people and parents and students trying to make just the tiniest dent in the city and then feed themselves and their families.

These kinds of shops were where you could see the ways in which people nourished themselves—in Food Emporium and in the Gristedes near my father’s apartment, people’s hunger was on full display. You could tell when someone was throwing a dinner party—a gleaming jar of olives, a pound of briny shrimp, pâté and water crackers—or needed a moment to themselves—luxurious chocolate ice cream, a single serving of tomato soup, a bottle of white wine. When my father moved to New York, we used to buy pizza dough and Hunt’s tomato sauce, potatoes, and Nestle hot chocolate mix for my younger sister. The checkout clerks rarely commented on anyone’s purchases, just nodded at the many tubs of hummus or bottles of diet soda.

I don’t know why I am so taken with the way people grocery shop—I think I like the observation and possibility that comes with seeing people carefully or haphazardly take food off the shelf. You can see what someone is buying and you can imagine what their life must be like, at least a little bit. You can look at the ingredients and meals they haul up to the cash register and see who they are through the food they eat—what it is, how much, if they seem resigned or frantic or excited about what they are buying. It extends to where people shop, too—if someone is shopping religiously at Whole Foods or Star Market, you can imagine their tranquil morning of green smoothies and collagen or hurried scrambled eggs before class.

I think if one were to examine my life through my grocery shopping, they would not look at the sugary squares of Cadbury chocolate or my swift dodging of city shoppers, but my almost ceaseless failings at shopping for myself alone.

One might look at the half-full boxes of crackers that I meant to decorate lavishly with a swipe of brie, or the unopened bag of frozen vegetables leaning against the freezer wall.

I have tried to carve out a place for myself at the closest Trader Joe’s, enticed by their vibrant packaging and impeccably written chalkboard signs. Here, I have tried to be conscientious and scrutinizing about my food shopping, to be an adult. I do my best to blend into the colorful and vibrant store in Coolidge Corner, less claustrophobic but still teeming with people. I am nearly always in the way. I am in the way of the cruciferous veggies, blocking the peanut butter, almost shoved out of the way of the brie and Romano cheese, too close to the dark chocolates. People always seem to know exactly what to buy here— they comb deliberately or aggressively through the aisles, with chicken breasts and sweet potatoes ready to meal-prep and thick strands of farfalle paired with a jar of pesto.

These shoppers have figured out what it is to nourish themselves, to first choose how and where to buy food for themselves, and then to discern from the soaring and overwhelming shelves and stacks what you can feed yourself. It is something wholly astonishing and breathtaking. It is suddenly an enormous responsibility, essentially carrying your own nutrition along with you to the grocery store. It has taken me weeks and probably hundreds of dollars to figure out what I should and should not buy—I have spent far too much money on a chicken tikka masala microwave dinner and a box of raspberry lemonade, and then forgotten to buy eggs or frozen fruit that will not go bad when I do not eat it within the week. I have learned that you must buy a dark bottle of olive oil, salt and pepper to sprinkle over almost everything you cook for dinner, and at least two bags of spinach or kale to have some semblance of health in a half-hearted pasta dish. I gravitate toward the peanut butter every time I go to the grocery store, chunky with the crimson lid—it can be spread sparsely or luxuriously across a piece of toast or spooned into yogurt, or eaten late at night with a cluster of dark chocolate chips. I have gathered just enough eggs and sweet potatoes and ice cream to keep myself content, to make my kitchen feel like mine. I still cannot really cook, but I can grocery shop for myself, during the day and after dark.

There is one grocery store in the smattering of towns I grew up in whose commercials say "come home" to its customers, and I think that when we grocery shop we are coming home, we are creating ourselves.

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CAFE LANDWER REVIEW

BY MICHAELA SANTILLO

Photos by Madison Polkowitz & Carolina Gazal

Giving Israeli Cuisine A Home In Boston In the months prior to its opening, Cafe Landwer enticed me with its large glass windows, bold yellow letters, and industrial charm As soon as it opened, I grabbed some friends and decided to give this inviting addition to Brookline a try. Right across the Reservoir T-Stop, this charming cafe stands out amidst the mostly subdued Cleveland Circle.

Though you now know it as Cafe Landwer, the chain started as Landwer Coffee in Germany in 1919. After fleeing the Nazis to Tel Aviv in 1933, Moshe Landwer created Israel’s first coffee chain.

In 2004, Cafe Landwer became the company’s first foray into casual dining, with the Cleveland Circle location being the United States’ second. Although it’s now operated by Federman and Sons, it’s still deeply rooted in its core as an Israel-based chain boasting a variety of flavors that don’t typically appear in a conventional Boston brunch. Tradition and quality are at the heart of the company, and it shows. But don’t be fooled—traditional does not mean boring. While they have classics like Shakshuka and the Landwer Breakfast at locations around the world, they make sure to stay locationally relevant by providing in-vogue offerings, like their açai bowl and Nutella latte.

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The menu incorporates an extensive range of other dishes that explore classics in a new and enticing way. I’ve had more than a few açai bowls in my time, but Landwer’s rendition stood out. Beyond the delightful aesthetics that the parallel lines of perfectly crisped coconut, chia seeds, banana, and granola offered, the super-berry base provided a powerful and energizing foundation for the bowl.

Biting into the pancakes was like resting your head on your favorite pillow: a perfect mix of stable and airy. These served as an ideal base for the accoutrements: Nutella, whipped butter, maple syrup, and fresh fruit. The Smoked Salmon & Cream Cheese mini breakfast sandwich served this pleasing pairing on a bun, which was a refreshing swap for the expected bagel base.

A seemingly simple tomato-based baked egg dish, the Mediterranean Shakshouka shocked me with its bold flavor.

The tomatoes had an element of umami only achievable through a low and slow roasting process; the crumbled feta’s acidity cut through this flavor masterfully. The poached egg was cooked through just enough: solid whites while maintaining the runny yolk that broke when I plunged my bread into it.

The Landwer Breakfast and Vegan Breakfast are parallels of each other, with the necessary swaps to make the vegan dish fulfill its name. Each of the included dips offers an unique flavor: the tahini with salsa had twangy punch, the eggplant & tahini spread provided a more subdued blend, the cream cheese provided a more plaine palate pleaser, and the labneh with za’atar & chickpeas had a refreshing cleanliness. As a non-vegan, I was wary of the vegan yogurt with fruit jam. To my surprise, the consistency was smooth. The root salad that accompanied the dishes has a sweet balsamic vinaigrette. The chickpea flour quinoa omelette was a perfect substitute, nay, the preferred substitute, and the classic omelette actually fell short in comparison.

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"Unpredictability is a daily ingredient."

Peter LaFarge General Manager, Cafe Landwer Cleveland CircleÂ

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Our visit involved a pleasant conversation with the General Manager as well as our well-informed waiter. The passion that came from both of them was palpable, and came through in the service and quality of food. They’ve even decided to have chefs come in from Israel to spice up the menu with some new dishes that I can’t wait to return and try. The meal itself was a flavorfilled odyssey. My taste buds went on a journey similar to Moshe Landwer himself: started in Europe, settled in Israel, and then went on to discover new things in North America. As you adventure through Cafe Landwer's menu, be sure to taste what makes them unique; though their açai bowl and omelette were decent, it's ultimately their speciality dishes that capture the heart of both the restaurant and the customer.

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POMEGRANATE POMEGRANATE PALOMA PALOMA COCKTAIL COCKTAIL Recipe and Photos: Emily Stevens

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This vibrant twist on a Mexican classic combines seasonal pomegranates with juicy grapefruit and ginger beer. This cocktail is great with or without tequila and is an excellent way to try your hand at mixology.Â

Ingredients: 1 grapefruit, thinly sliced 1 pomegranate 1.5oz (or 1 shot) of Tequila 4.5oz (3 shots) Grapefruit Juice 1.5oz pomegranate juice 1.5oz ginger beer or ginger ale 1 oz lime juice Sugar

Start by slicing the grapefruit and pomegranate. A trick to remove the pomegranate seeds is to cut the fruit into quarters and let sit in a large bowl of water for 1-2 minutes. After this, the seeds should push out of the fruit easily.

For the sugar rim, run a slice of grapefruit around the rim of the glass and dip into coarse sugar poured onto a plate. Fill the cup with ice and add tequila, grapefruit juice, ginger beer, and lime juice. Stir to combine and top with pomegranate juice, a grapefruit wedge, and a spoonful of pomegranate seeds. Cheers!

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TWO SISTERS AND THE SOUL

BY MEG LOUGHMAN

Gravy, transcendence, and Sunday afternoons in Mississippi

Growing up in the Bible belt, nestled deep in the southern crooks of Mississippi’s bayou-speckled coastline, being Christian was an unspoken assumption. For years, I didn’t even realize there were people who weren’t Christian; some of my most formative years were spent in this world of perpetually being late to church on Sundays, where “Jesus camp” was a summertime staple and ‘atheist’ may have just as well been a curse word. But in such parts of the Deep South, this common belief in an all-powerful, all-loving God is a thread that strings everyone together—a thread strong enough to keep some semblance of hope in the most impoverished areas of the country, to breach the sting of racism past and present. And I say this even now, after my own break-up with Christianity and falling-out with the conservative Catholic teachings of my youth. In fact, I believe there are very few things that can transcend the gaping wounds in the sticky hot Mississippi South—God is one of them, but I’ll be damned if a good meal isn’t the other.

I remember my first truly transcendent culinary experience like it was only weeks ago. Of course, it wasn’t any Michelin star-studded dining establishment —probably not even a place that high-brow critics would look twice at (though a decent chunk of lucky locals and tourists know the truth and often take to Yelp to sing its praises). But, on that warm and sunny afternoon in Jackson, I thought the heavens had cracked open and poured into this one rickety Victorian home-turned-buffet restaurant right off Congress Street by the State Capitol. Two Sisters Kitchen was the place where I first felt that food could be not just blissful, but wholly transformative, and that its powers of unification were not to be understated.

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It was the middle of March. Or maybe the end.

I was in high school, brought three hours north to Jackson by a less-than-successful scholarship interview and leaving it even more riddled with nervousness about my impending college decisions. But, as my father and I stepped onto the former home’s front steps, the air swelling with the aroma of yeast rolls and okra and fried chicken, we stepped out of any temporal confinements and entered into a strange, glowing vignette of the present moment. We had just barely beat the inevitable post-Church flongs, settling into a sunwarmed spot on the patio before ordering our sweet iced teas and beelining for the buffet.

There’s something about Southern food that truly does heal and nourish the soul. I piled my robin egg-blue plate sky high with fried okra, sweet cornbread, rice and gravy, green beans, and buttermilk biscuits. The list goes on: chunky mashed potatoes, bread pudding, award-winning fried chicken, and some mysterious casserole that I could have eaten every day for a month. And then there was the creamed corn—my dad and I couldn’t shut up about it the whole drive home (I specifically remember him saying “I think God reached down and scooped this creamed corn onto my plate.

Seriously.”). One man sat perched in a shady corner of the back patio, his saxophone oozing with velvety afternoon jazz, and everybody—me, my dad, the Churchgoers in their Sunday best, the woman who nearly passed out from her meal and was fanning herself on the front steps—we all sat together, sharing in that warm, woozy fullness that is at once uncomfortable and purely blissful, soaking in every second.

A couple of months ago, I had the misfortune of stumbling upon a Facebook article shared onto my timeline bearing the bad news that Two Sisters Kitchen was closing down for good. My heart broke a little for that sacred place—a rare corner of the world where time slows to a lazy crawl, where all kinds of folks come together in a sort of fellowship over the near-transcendent beauty that is a warm patio and a heaping, steaming plate of real Mississippi soul food. I could hardly believe that I’d never again dip my fork into a bowl of that doughy peach cobbler, that I’d never again taste the sweet and savory nectar of that miraculous, mysterious chicken casserole.

The truth is, though, that there will always be another diamond-in-the-rough Southern food joint that goes heavy-handed on the salt and sugar in all the right places. Two Sisters Kitchen is not an anomaly, by any means, but its closure still compelled me to look back on what made it so damn special in the first place. Suddenly I found myself confronted with these nostalgic intricacies of home, and how they had become so dreamy and distant to me as I dwelled in my very different present-day Boston reality.

When I first arrived at Boston College, I found myself as the spokesperson for what life in Mississippi is really like. Sentences like “Wow, I’ve never met anyone from Mississippi before!” became commonplace in small talk and introductions—I was fascinated by the sheer volume of my peers who really knew nothing about the present-day realities of my home state. For the past three-going-on-four years, I’ve become something of an expert at conveying my experiences in the Mississippi public education system, in one of the most religious parts of the country, and, perhaps most notoriously, in a state still bogged down by its problematic history and racist realities (for Christ’s sake, there’s still a Confederate flag in our state flag).

"I piled my robin egg-blue plate sky high with fried okra, sweet cornbread, rice and gravy, green beans, and buttermilk biscuits.

The list goes on: chunky mashed potatoes, bread pudding, award-winning fried chicken, and some mysterious casserole that I could have eaten every day for a month."

What surprised me most of all, however, was not some kind of stark departure in my upbringing from that of my friends’—instead, I found that many people warped the South (and Mississippi, especially) into some faraway land untouched by modernity and riddled with deepseated hatred and racial tensions. A declaration of my hometown was often met with a response of shock tinged with pity. Now, I won’t go so far as to say that Mississippi doesn’t have more than its own fair share of problems—as I grew older, I became disillusioned by the hyperreligious, ultra-conservative norm, and I couldn’t wait to run off to some ivy-covered northeastern college and get away from it all. But as I settled into life in Chestnut Hill, surrounded by bleeding-heart liberals in their comfortably pristine all-white neighborhoods, I began to realize that Mississippi’s demons aren’t all too different from anyone else’s.

Of course, the two don’t always go hand in hand; not all Mississippians are Christians. I’d argue, though, that most of us know a thing or two about a real comfort food buffet. The cuisine of our home state—food born out of the struggles of slavery, from the impoverished lowlands of the Mississippi Delta—is one thing that repeatedly proves to have the power to unite us all together. At a place like Two Sisters Kitchen, Sunday mornings and soul food could bring about a harmony in diversity that many people would never associate with a place like Mississippi.

There’s a phrase that Southern folks use when someone has opened up to let the love of the Lord enter into their life, when they’re ready to drop everything and give themselves to God: it’s called getting “saved.” One reason I fell out of the religion that once steeped every facet of my life was a slowbut-steady realization that I’d never had a moment where I felt “saved,” that I found my prayers and rituals were empty and felt like there was nobody listening on the other end of the line (cue a well-placed "Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret" reference). Maybe I have yet to experience some higher reality through faith, and maybe I never will. But if I know one thing for certain, it’s that we were all transcended from the present earthly moment and held there, suspended in some transient space, on one sun-washed afternoon on the back patio of the formerly known Two Sisters Kitchen —“saved” at once by our common humanity and by the smoothness of live jazz and sweet tea—bellies full, but souls even fuller.

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PEAR AND RICOTTA CROSTINI WITH HONEY, BACON, AND THYME

Makes approximately 15 Crostini Ingredients 2 ripe pears, thinly sliced 4-6 ripe mission figs, thinly sliced 1 French baguette 8oz. Ricotta cheese 3 tbsp. honey 3 sprigs fresh rosemary, roughly chopped 4 slices raw thick-cut bacon ¼ cup walnuts, roughly chopped Salt and pepper to taste Olive oil

This quick appetizer is the perfect way to impress family and friends this holiday season and prove to them you’ve been doing more than just eating at the dining hall. Seasonal pears shine next to creamy ricotta cheese and crispy bacon.

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Re cip ea nd Ph oto s

by Em ily Ste ven s

THE PEAR NECESSITIES Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Start by slicing the baguette into approximately half-inch rounds. Spread slices out on a baking sheet and brush both sides with olive oil. Bake in oven for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned and crispy.

While the bread toasts, cut the bacon into ½ inch strips and place in pan on medium-high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until crispy and cooked through, then transfer to a bowl and drain the fat.

Swap out bacon for roughly chopped walnuts or pistachios to make this recipe vegetarian friendly.

Transfer ricotta into a medium bowl with the rosemary, salt, and black pepper. Stir until all the ingredients are combined and the ricotta is a spreadable consistency.

Once the bread has been removed from the oven and cooled slightly, generously spread each slice with the ricotta mixture. Top with your choice of ingredients: pear, bacon, a drizzle of honey or fig, walnuts, and honey.

Repeat for each crostini.

Serve immediately, sit back, and wait for the compliments to pour in.

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SPYCE KITCHEN

By Michaela Santillo

The Future of Fast Casual?

MIT Engineers, a French Chef, and the hunger for success: the three key ingredients for the new, robotic restaurant Spyce Kitchen. Biting into the first morsel of my machine-made bowl at Spyce in Boston’s bustling Downtown Crossing, I could not feel further from my species’ roots as a hunter-gatherer—and I love it.

Contrary to what the image of a “robotic restaurant” may conjure, Spyce employs a number of real, human workers.

Smiling and welcoming, the garde expedites the process by ushering customers in and helps with the orders. Beyond simply ensuring that the process goes along smoothly, they’re there to answer any questions about the concept, the process, and the product. It turns what could been an overwhelming and stressful process into a relaxed and well-informed one.

Especially when contrasted with the pressured on-the-spot ordering at most fast-casual restaurants, this efficient process offers the customers a more streamlined experience.

Though humans are used for ingredient portioning and garnishing, everything in between is completely automated.

The robotic kitchen includes seven cooking woks, five hoppers, and a runner. According to the restaurant, its robotic kitchen is able to serve up to 150 meals every hour. This rapid speed, however, doesn’t take away from the experience of the meal. The involvement of MIT Engineers' minds is clear in the exact timing of the process; the bowls are cooked just the right amount for the ingredients to mingle without blending into a monotonous mash.

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Spyce celebrates food as a source of nourishment as well as creativity. Thanks to the expertise of Michelin-starred chef Daniel Boulud, the bowls are thoughtfully crafted. What a place like Spyce has the ability to do thanks to its incredible efficiency is refocus labor costs into sourcing quality ingredients and allowing each bowl to taste of its own distinct terroir, be it Latin-American, Moroccan, or Asian.

In our hyper individualized culture— where personalization is the norm—these customizable bowls fit right in. Throughout the ordering experience, the customer is offered a plethora of options to make the bowl vegetarian, pescatarian, vegan, or gluten-free. Still, it’s hard to see your food be prepared by a robot and not feel a tinge of dread.

Food is, after all, a cornerstone of what makes us human. Our ability to elevate our food using complex techniques and combinations of ingredients is a key facet of our rationality. What happens when all of that is being done faster, better, and cheaper by machines? No matter what you may think, these bowls aren’t “made with love.” They’re made with cold, hard steel in practice and cold, hard cash in mind.

At the core of the company is the desire to provide good-tasting, nutritious meals at affordable prices. Boston, with its student population of 150,000, seems like the perfect place to pilot this type of model. Due to the ever-present rapid pace of life in the city, fast-casual dining has become ubiquitous, and automated machines taking over the process may not be the dangerous leap forward it might resemble. Rather, it could be that in terms of ameliorating the product for the consumer and the profits for the producer, this is the logical next step.

Simply put, to eat a meal with Boulud’s name behind it at the price of $7.50 would not be possible without these Faustian robo-cooks. Still, despite all my doubts, the bowl tasted great. So while there’s no way to tell what the future holds, I can only hope it tastes something like what Spyce has cooked up.

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TAKE ME ME HOME, HOME, TAKE My introduction to Indian food was a pretty average chicken tikka masala from Tandoor, a respectable establishment in my neighborhood that prides itself on providing customers with “an aromatic dining experience.” Tandoor was convenient to pick up on a busy day and varied the monotony of fajitas, pasta, or stew that rotated our family dinner menus. It came in metal tetra pack containers, scribbled with “rice biryani” or “extra garlic naan,” (at my brother’s behest).

I’m not sure when my fascination for India first began. I had no tangible connection to the country, yet I had this itching desire to learn more about it beyond the realm of food—a feeling I knew wouldn’t be satiated by Tandoor, no matter how buttery the naan. My yearning led me to go on a creative writing workshop in India where I was met with an authenticity that I craved and an experience I couldn’t predict.

Titu is a renaissance man. There is seemingly nothing he can’t do. Throughout our month-long trip, he played the role of guide, teacher, and sometimes chef. On this particular night, he played the host: inviting a group of 12 college students and a professor to his home for dinner.

The walk to Titu’s house was a leisurely one, a mere 10 minutes down the winding gravel road we took from our abode, nestled in the hill station of Mussoorie, India.

Enveloped by a canvas of thick pine forest and the distant horizon of the Himalayas, we veered off the main path as Titu led us down the mountainside forming the road. We made our way down a dangerously steep set of makeshift stairs to a collection of dilapidated metal storage sheds. They were morphed and crested into the earth as if they were one.

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BY ILEANA LOBKOWICZ

Titu’s home was lined with a walkway covered by an awning—big enough to shield from the region’s unexpected rainstorms while still revealing the breathtaking view. We took off our shoes outside and entered one of the several compartment-like rooms.

We were welcomed by a small woman with piercing brown eyes, sheathed in a sari that draped her body in delicate layers. Titu’s mother imprinted a red bindi on each of our foreheads as we formed a procession as if meeting a head of state. We were presented with a basket

of shawls from which we were to choose—a gift from host to guest.

We were gestured to settle on the floor, lined with unmatched carpets and small pillows. The looming loft where Titu slept suspended above us as we crammed ourselves in a conglomerate of crossed legs and touching elbows. Being a dinner guest in a different culture invokes feelings of anxiousness and humility. I felt an obligation to remain respectful to unfamiliar traditions while also appreciating the novelty. There was something equally satisfying about not knowing what I was going to be served. I sat in a kind of culinary trepidation as the smells teased my senses.

COUNTRY COUNTRY ROADS ROADS A number of Titu’s family members came in and out—all active participants in the cooking which simultaneously took place in the other room. I was ravenous and slightly uncomforted when we were informed dinner was typically served at 9 or 10 p.m.

Much to my selfish delight, a tray of piping hot masala chai appeared before us. I gratefully wrapped my fingers around the teacup as if caressing it. I let the steam penetrate my face with a cloud of cinnamon, cardamom and peppercorn. Wide-eyed and curious, I lifted it up to my nose before I took my first sip. The complexity of spices infused in the black tea created a nuanced tasting journey on my palette—from unexpectedly spicy to a nectarous sweet. The milky tea traveled through my veins, pumping chai instead of blood. A plate of tea biscuits and masala chai-spiced chips accompanied the tea. The spice blend, I would soon discover, was no longer limited to its tea roots, but was rendered a flavoring for the most unlikely of foods. The teacups were filled the rest of the night, like bottomless coffee at a diner.

After rummaging through a box, Titu pulled out a large black album. He opened it and showed us old pictures of him and his family, some torn at the edges but discernibly taken in the very mountains that had become our temporary home. Continuing his showand-tell efforts, Titu revealed an old black speaker that he said he found in the trash and then fixed. He plugged in his phone and scrolled to play what was purportedly the “only American song” he had.

Suddenly, the familiar tune of John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads” started to play. We began to sing together, all sways and smiles, a song that felt so out of place yet so deserving of that moment. I knew it would be stuck in my head for the next week, and I was wholly okay with it.

Our kumbaya camaraderie continued as Titu recollected some of his impressive hiking feats, including carrying a woman on his back for 13 days when she was on the verge of death. In between oohhs and aahhs, a new aroma encircled the room—a kind of warm ambrosia that felt like it was sent from the Hindu gods rather than their Greek counterparts.

Plates and bowls of food began to appear in impressive mounds. A table visibly too small was placed in the middle of the room. We collectively stood up to help arrange the platters, our incentive to be useful more of a nuisance as we bumped into each other, distracted by the heaping pile of steaming hot roti, a traditional flatbread made with whole-wheat flour and water.

We were beckoned to grab a plate and serve ourselves. We hungrily encircled the table as Titu tried to translate the menu in broken English. One end had a bowl of fluffy white basmati rice, an Indian staple as common as bread and butter. Each grain retained its shape, perfectly intact and not mushy—an accomplishment that deserves as equal praise as al dente pasta.

No meal in India is ever complete without dal, a nourishing lentil stew that is both hearty and wholesome—the plant-based protein for most vegetarians. Every spoonful tasted smoother and creamier than the next. The most memorable dish, however, was the medley of pumpkin squash: little golden nuggets lightly fried with cumin seed and turmeric. It was spicy yet sweet from caramelization. Some of them were mashed and others stayed whole in shape. I was mesmerized by the potency of its golden-orange hue. I savored every bite, chewing slowly and thoughtfully so as to remember the taste I would hope to recreate, though I knew it was impossible.

We all ate in emphatic delight, sopping up the lingering sauce and rice pellets with pieces of torn roti, wiping the bottom of our plates clean. I looked around as we all sat in this tiny room, filled with random trinkets and unmatched carpeting, sipping what was left of our now cold masala chai.

This was nothing like eating Tandoor with my family out of takeout containers, but it still felt like home.

A mist now hung over the valley, letting in a breeze tainted with the scent of weed that grew as wild and free as grass in India. Convinced I was second-hand high, my belly full of dal, my heart warm with John Denver, I sat a contented dinner guest—relishing a fullness that I knew wasn’t just from the food.

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Freshly Picked Apple and Cranberry Galette I’m going to be honest. When I remembered that I had to make pie crust from scratch on a Tuesday afternoon in October I was far from elated. The entire day I considered backing out; maybe I should choose a different recipe? I thought; would it be so bad if I used the storebought stuff? I asked friends. Even my mother, the home cook I aspire to be, told me that making your own pie crust “just isn’t worth the effort.” Yet there I was a few hours, later rolling out dough on my floured Vouté countertops.

I can pretty confidently say I was the only student on campus making pie crust during midterm season. At some point this recipe became less about making an Apple Galette and more of a mission to answer a simple question: is making your own pie crust worth it? To me and my mother’s surprise, the answer was undoubtedly yes.

This homemade crust recipe comes out flaky and buttery like a croissant. It was the first time I have ever eaten a slice of pie and been more interested in the crust than the filling. Don’t get me wrong, the version with store-bought crust was still tasty, but homemade crust wins this round.

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Recipe and Photos: Emily Stevens

Filling: 3-4 apples sliced thinly ¼ cup fresh cranberries 1 tbsp. Orange juice 1 tsp. orange zest 1 tbsp. brown sugar 1 tsp. cinnamon ½ tsp. nutmeg Crust: (may substitute store-bought) 1 ¼ sticks Butter, cubed and cold 1¼-cup flour 1 Tbsp. sugar 1 Tsp. salt 4-6 Tbsp ice-water Sugar to sprinkle on top 1 egg whisked Begin by whisking flour, sugar, and salt together in a large bowl. Add cold cubed butter, toss with the flour, and use your hands to flatten and break up the butter. Continue until a sandy mixture forms with some remain chunks of butter. Add the ice water in increments to the bowl mixing and kneading lightly until a shaggy dough forms. Turn onto a floured surface forming into a round disk, wrap with plastic wrap, and let chill in the fridge for at least an hour.

Preheat oven to 375. While the dough is chilling, slice apples adding to a large bowl. Fold in orange juice and zest, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and brown sugar. Mix in the cranberries and set aside.

Remove chilled dough from fridge and roll out onto a baking sheet fit with a sheet of parchment paper. This galette can be made in circular or square shape depending on preference. Arrange apples and cranberries in the center of the dough leaving a 1-2 inch border.

Fold edges of the dough over the fruit on all sides. Brush the crust with a beaten egg and sprinkle with coarse sugar.

Bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and apples are cooked through. Let cool before eating and serve with vanilla ice cream.

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Words & Photos: María Clara Cobo

THE PUBLICK HOUSE A Traditional Temptation 23

Before house-made infusions of muddled herbs and huge plates scattered with colorful, high-fiber ingredients became trendy, The Publick House welcomed Bostonians to experience the art of the golden Belgian craft-beer and crispy, greasy, carb-loaded dishes.

In the mid 1800s, Irish pubs started to become popular in the United States, with around 46 percent of all immigrants coming from Ireland. Newcomers, fleeing from the potato famine that took over their country, often visited pubs, which served as places for entertainment in order to cope with their struggles as they settled in a new country. Irish pubs then became centers of community and entertainment, a tradition that has long lived to this day.

When looking for an Irish pub in Boston, the problem is not so much finding one as it is deciding on which one to visit. Our small corner of the country has over one hundred medieval-looking pubs scattered amidst the modern buildings of the city. This is precisely why it is extremely important to know how to choose your bar. It might be tempting to step inside the overcrowded pubs that line the streets of Faneuil Hall and the Financial Center. But if you venture on the C line, you’ll be pleasantly surprised when you find The Publick House.

The dark oak-bar and the arched windows, make this temple of beer seem like a treasured antiquity, but the Brookline pub has skillfully created an authentic culinary scene, drawing a stream of hungry customers through its blackbordered doors for the past fifteen years.

At the Publick House, beer geeks and football fans alike hustle to find a spot. A wall, stacked with bottles full of different tones of amber liquid, looms over the tightly spaced tables, dimly lit by a faint candle. Laughter and conversations overpower the music. Loud voices swirl to the beat of the waiters’ rushed steps, moving from table to table, making sure to keep the plates and glasses full.

No matter the time, the Publick House seems to encapsulate the entire city of Boston in one place. I looked around the busy tables. A family wearing BC sports gear passing around a hot skillet whose barbecue infused scent roamed its way around an old couple eating side by side, hunched over their meals as they studied the piles of ingredients stacked inside their burgers. A group of young men collapsing with helpless laughter as they sipped on their heavy glasses of beer, next to a couple who seemed to be struggling to hear what they had to say. Yes, the noise level can be high, but it’s an essential part of the ambience.

Although the restaurant is renown for its craft-beers, you won’t see shots or pitchers here, just as the the vigilant sign perched above the back bar says. Awarded 2010 Best Beer List by Boston Magazine, the Publick House offers nearly 200 different types of beers and ale, the vast majority of them from Belgium and Germany, and as tasty as the food they are served with.

As iron skillets, loaded with mysterious mixtures of food, dripping hot cheese off of their sides, made their way out of the kitchen, it was impossible to choose what to order. The menu is divided by sections, including an entire section dedicated to add-ons. However, the appetizer section is the best reflection of the Publick House’s cuisine. Most dishes are an ode to potatoes and cheese, making everyone surrender to the temptation of breaking the streak with their healthy-eating habits.

The monks frites had my name written all over them, and were definitely one of our favorites. Hand-cut Yukon potatoes are double-fried until golden brown, served in a traditional Belgian paper cone, dusted with sea salt and come with a choice of two dressings. We ordered the truffle ketchup and the blue cheese dip. Steam rose from the velvet-red ketchup container and cheese oozed from the inside of the blue cheese. I couldn’t resist to combine both flavors, saturating the potatoes in the rich and gooey sauces. The warm mixture was pure ambrosia in my mouth, so delicious that I even dared to double dip the chip.

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We followed our server’s recommendation for our next selection from the appetizer section: a short-rib stew on an iron skillet. I was pretty skeptical of this particular dish because by the description, it seemed as if the chef had tossed every single ingredient in the kitchen: oven roasted potatoes and seasonal vegetables blended with slow-cooked short rib immersed in sweet barbeque sauce and topped with a fried egg. I was disappointed when I cut through the yolk and the drool worthy goodness of a perfect fried egg didn’t appear. But even though the egg was a bit overcooked, the thin slices of meat were fabulously succulent and tender, melting in my mouth with the crunchy crust of the potatoes.

The harvest salad was the ideal half-time star of the show.

A pile of greens laying next to a steaming short-rib skillet and golden fried potatoes, this salad still managed to appeal to our tastes. The combination of the dark and leafy arugula, tossed with fresh apples, dried cranberries, blue cheese and roasted walnuts was a refreshing break from the overwhelmingly heavy start. Still, we could not leave without having a bite of the famous Publick House Burger. Unlike the other dishes, this one allows customers to create their own burger, stacking it up with all of their favorite ingredients. In fact, there is an entire section in the menu devoted to list all the different ingredients you can add to it. There is an ample selection of dressings, including bacon horseradish aioli, and a Wostyntje beer mustard to bring you back to the award-winning beverage that has earned the restaurant its fame. A few extras, such as caramelized onions, grilled Portobello and avocado are also available to decorate your beef patty. Despite all the possible add-ons, I think the burger itself was neglected in the process; the beef didn’t have a lot of personality, as it was missing a touch of seasoning.

Nevertheless, when I took my first bite, it exploded with a chindripping juice that marked my satisfaction.

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Few Irish pubs are packed on a late Saturday afternoon. The Publick House is definitely one of them. It normally comes alive every day from the moment the clock strikes 5 p.m., offering their neverending selection of craft-beers and their potato-loaded dinner menu. However, weekends are special at the Publick House, since they are open for brunch until 4 p.m. before the dazzling Boston nightlife takes over the casual lunch scene.

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RECIPE BY DJANAN KERNIZAN AND EMILY STEVENS

HAITIAN PORK GRIOT

"To me, the term Griot translates to family, home, and my ethnic roots. Growing up, my mother cooked Griot every Thanksgiving and Christmas; it was a holiday staple in my household. I have vivid memories of her spending hours in the kitchen marinating the pork in different spices and vinegar, in order to create a meal full of love, flavor, and culture.

My parents grew up eating this dish in Haiti, and I feel a deep connection to my Haitian culture and to my parents whenever my mother cooks it in our New York City home. Griot is more than food to me. It is a vessel that allows for some of the people I love the most in this world to come together, to eat, to share our stories, and most importantly, to love." - Djanan Kernizan

with Fried Plantains and Pikliz PHOTOS BY EMILY STEVENS

Pork Griot Pikliz 3lbs pork shoulder- ask the butcher to 1 cup chopped cabbage cut it into 2” cubes 1 cup shredded carrots Juice of 3 ½ limes ½ Vidalia onion, thinly sliced Juice of 1 orange ½ red bell pepper, thinly sliced Juice of 1 lemon 1-2 scotch bonnet or habanero 1 garlic clove, finely chopped peppers (depending on heat 1 heaping tbsp. chopped flat leaf parsley preference) 2 scallions, chopped 3 whole cloves ½ Vidalia onion diced 8 whole peppercorns 1 red pepper diced 2-3 cups white vinegar 1 green pepper diced 1 whole clove of garlic 1 tbsp. Worcester sauce 1-2 scallions thinly sliced

1-2 scotch bonnet or habanero peppers Fried Plantains 5 sprigs of thyme, remove leaves from 2 green plantains cut into 1” rounds stem 6-8 cups hot water ¼ tsp. Lawry’s seasoning salt 1 tbsp. salt 1 tbsp. tomato paste Canola oil 1 packet Sazon Goya seasoning

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Prep the Pikliz the day before you plan to serve this recipe.

Prepare all of the ingredients and chop the habanero or scotch bonnet peppers thinly, being careful not to touch your eyes (wear gloves if possible). Combine all of the vegetables and spices in a bowl, transfer to a Mason jar, and cover with vinegar. Store in the fridge for at least 24 hours before serving.

For the marinade: Combine all of the griot ingredients except the tomato paste and Sazon Goya in a large saucepan or dutch oven.

Cover with a lid and place in the fridge to let the pork marinate for at least 6 hours.

After marinated, place the pot on the stove over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook on medium low for 40-50 minutes testing for tenderness after 40 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375.

When the meat is tender remove pieces with a slotted spoon and spread out on an well oiled baking sheet. Drizzle with additional oil and bake until the outside of the pork is crispy- about 20 minutes. Use a ladle to transfer about a third of the broth from the large pan to a smaller saucepan. Place over medium heat and add tomato paste and Sazon Goya. Let this reduce on medium low to a sauce until the meat and plantains are done cooking.

While the pork is in the oven heat a high-sided skillet with 1-2 inches of canola oil on medium-high heat. Â Prepare a large bowl of hot water and salt. When the oil is shimmering, work in batches and use tongs to add the sliced plantains. Fry each piece for about 2-4 minutes until golden. Remove with tongs and smash between two plates before soaking in salt water for a minute each. Remove from water and refry in the oil for 1-2 more minutes. Place finished plantains on a paper towel lined plate to drain the oil and sprinkle with salt.

Serve the plantains, pikliz, and griot together on one plate.Â

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Lucy Ethiopian Cafe Words & Photos: Madison Polkowitz

Tucked above the Green Line’s Symphony Station is an unassuming restaurant that has been pleasing its customers with traditional Ethiopian fare for the past eight years. Named after the 3.2 million-year-old collection of fossilized bones, famously and affectionately known as Lucy, Lucy Ethiopian Cafe pays tribute to its roots and history through its distinct atmosphere and flavors.

Upon entry, you are greeted with mustard yellow walls and the aroma of Ethiopian spices.

Woven baskets, clay coffee pots, bright painted pictures and wicker chairs — all evocative of the traditional African decor — adorn the space. A white-board prominently displays common phrases and words in Amharic, one of eighty-three languages in Ethiopia. Composed of two small dining areas, the interior is a welcoming balance of foreign and familiar, enticing the customers to engage all of their senses and enjoy the immersive nature of eating Ethiopian cuisine.

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The menu, though initially simple, provides a sufficient range of traditional dishes and possible combinations. Popular with vegetarians and meat-eaters alike, Lucy serves breakfast options, appetizers, entrées, and speciality drinks. Sensing us overwhelmed, our waiter suggested the best way to try a variety of food: the Vegetarian Combo for Two and a beef dish called Lega Tibs. Served in a large, round, family-style platter, the combo contains the seven vegetable options on top of injera, a sourdough-risen flatbread and staple to many Ethiopian meals.

Made to eat with your hands, using the injera to aid the process, the dish consists of miser wot (red lentils), gomen (collard greens), tikile gomen (cabbage and green beans), dinch wot (potatoes, green beans, and carrots), kit aletcha (split peas), timatim fit fit (mixed injera and diced tomatoes), and simmered spinach. Separating each vegetable are more rolls of injera, encouraging its use, skipping the fork and knife. Each vegetable has its own unique preparation, providing a contrasting combination of flavors.

Starting with the injera, the spongy, crepe-like bread is made from teff and wheat flour, with a hint of lemony afternotes. The green vegetables – the collard greens and spinach – are simmered in a mild blend of seasons and herbs, providing freshness and texture to the dish. The yellow vegetables — potatoes, cabbage, and split peas — each bring a unique angle to the dish. The potatoes, simmered with green beans and carrots in a mild sauce, were hearty but not overbearing. Out of all the vegetables, this was my least favorite, perhaps due to its overly simplistic seasoning.

Conversely, the cabbage was a people pleaser. The buttery sauce was a perfect match for the crunchy, slightly acidic vegetable. The split peas, cooked in a ginger and garlic sauce, were also enjoyable, especially when soaked in the injera. The red options – the lentils and tomato mixture – were also favorites of mine. The tomato mixture, soft, citric, and combined with onions, garlic, jalapeno, olive oil, and lemon juice – provided some much needed variance in flavors, reinvigorating the palette.

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Though Ethiopia is proudly known as the origin of coffee, the must-try at Lucy is the Peanut Tea. Available hot or cold, the tea is a rich combination of peanuts, milk, and honey. The hot version is reminiscent of a warm frothy milkshake – the perfect drink for a brisk, autumn day or evening. The Traditional Tea is also an excellent choice for fans of some spice, as it is infused with ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves. If you are in the mood for strong coffee, however, Lucy offers the option of ordering solely a cup until 4:30pm (after then, you are required to also order food).

Next time that you are looking for a meal out of the ordinary, or perhaps one to bring you back to your roots, take a step inside this hidden gem. Prior to eating at Lucy, I did not think of Ethiopian food as having its own community in Boston. Now, it has opened my mind to not only cultural cuisine, but also the diverse cultures that inhabit this northeastern city. Lucy is a reminder that food is not homogenous and that it should be a shared experience. It is a moment when people have the opportunity to break away from the routines of everyday and break bread – quite literally.

GUSTO MAGAZINE

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