"the boston globe" news and stories

• The Glob (as some locals affectionately call it) hits Paris and uncovers a Hidden Kitchen around the bend from the Louvre.
• Classic Goldfish crackers have gone graham. Imagine trying a s'more with those!
• The ins and outs of Dogfish Head Brewery, where beer is amped up with everything from vanilla beans to chicory.
• Two posts of food tips for travelers on the road, including the perks of ordering hot water at an eatery.
• An interview with Arthur Ntasios, owner of the Aegean Restaurant.
• The background of the appley Italian Torta di Mele and a recipe to boot.
• A local pork-off showcases some pretty interesting porcine cookery, including Buttermilk and Lard Sorbet.
• C. E. Restaurant's old-fashioned treats and golden chicken are reviewed, as is the Beacon Hill Bistro.
• A look into cornish pastry at Pie Bakery and Cafe and a schedule of Craft Brewers Conference events.
• Recipes: Pancetta-Wrapped Pork Loin, Roast Turkey Breast, Orzo Salad, Onion Jam and Goat Cheese Toasts, Tacos con Carnitas, Toasted Peanut and Chick Pea Soup
  

With all the concern about this month's E. coli outbreak caused by fresh spinach, I have been operating under the assumption that one should avoid all spinach both cooked and raw. Given my meat intake, avoiding Popeye's favorite veggie in all its forms is no big deal for me.

I was ordering dinner at one of my favorite Chinese restaurants the other night when I found myself craving some greens to go with my short ribs. Without a second thought, I asked the waiter for a side of baby spinach with garlic. As he returned to the kitchen it dawned on me that I had ordered greens that might be harboring E. coli. Rather than change my order, I threw caution to the wind. The bright green baby spinach leaves studded through with tiny pieces of garlic and sitting atop a shallow pool of their cooking liquid were delicious.

As I walked home I was more than a little concerned that I might fall ill with cramps and perhaps worse. As you may now have guessed nothing of the sort occurred. The reason, as I just learned from an article in The Boston Globe this morning is that cooking destroys E. coli in spinach. So eat your greens with gusto, as long as they're cooked, that is.

Source

• Need a steamer? Use the magical power of foil to turn your oven into one. 
• There are no rules for after dinner drinks.
• Bite-size burgers are unbelievably cute!
• It's winter, so you need the vitamin C. The Globe taste tests a bunch of different orange juice brands.

There are many things I've never really thought of doing for a living. Math teacher, airplane pilot, personal masseuse for Star Jones. And I guess you can add pickle maker to that list, too.

But I love pickles, so this Boston Globe piece about two small, Boston-area pickle companies was rather interesting to me. Sometimes we think that there's no way that anyone could compete - or even thrive - in a world filled with large, well-known food companies, so it's great to see companies like Real Pickles and Moonbrine Pickles actually making it.

Like the article says, I never considered pickles as a job or as a means to social change, but they sure are tasty.