Boston Beanie Baby and Doro Wat What?
A few months back, I threw my sister a baby shower. I’m showing off this is the hand-sewn quilt I made for the Kid. Well, logic would follow that several months later, a little person has since emerged. So off I went to Boston to meet him for the first time.
Bostonians are a loyal people. They are crazy passionate – yes, that’s a Patriot‘s mobile and if you look carefully, yes, that’s a giant Tom Brady wall decal. The Kid – now nicknamed Bean Sprout aka Beanie Baby – already pledged his fan loyalty before he was even born. Beanie Baby is growing like Jack’s beanstalk and I’m COMPLETELY unbiased, but he is one adorable kid. And the Beanie Baby knows it.
Like other Bostonians, Beanie Baby is likely going to grow up also crazy loyal to his cultural heritages. As the offspring of two very ancient, very loud cultural heritages, he doesn’t have much choice. Boston, as many of you know, is an amalgam of cultures and ethnicities, full of old and recent immigrants who hold onto the foods of their Mother Land – even if it’s generations later.
Cake Mountain Man and I headed up to the North End, Boston’s Little Italy. Formally separated by an ugly green highway before the ridiculously expensive and corrupt but forward-thinking Big Dig (who thought about urban greenspaces back in the 80s?) that I recall from my childhood, it is now flanked by a beautiful greenway that is filled people picnicking, throwing frisbees, and strolling between Faneuil Hall.
We stopped at Bova’s, the 24-hour bakery known for its Italian bread for over three generations (I told you, Bostonians are loyal).
I’m pretty sure I had the best Italian sub ever.
Then it was across the greenway to the famous Haymarket. This is not your farmer’s market with $10 tomatoes and $20 goat cheese. This historic open-air market has seen a resurgence since the Big Dig has made it accessible and pleasant once more. Haymarket, open Fridays and Saturdays, is not for the meek.
Many of the vendors have been doing this for generations. Like true Bostonians, they work honestly, fast, and to outsiders – brusquely. These are bargain deals for the locals because there is no middleman. It’s a GIANT marketplace and vendors and stalls selling local cheeses and halal meats vie for your attention – and they will shout at you to stop by and buy their produce. You better bring small bills because this is no place to flash your $50s – they will just refuse your money.
I remember as a kid, you could go near the end of the day and you would be able to purchase a crate of corn or peppers for $3. Even though some of them would be bruised, you’d still end up with plenty for cheap. Those prices are crazy awesome – and yes, those cherries DID taste like candy!
Next was Chinatown, one of the largest and oldest dating back to the 1800s. It used to be intermingled with the Red Light District, and now intermingled with hole in the wall noodle shops, live poultry stores, and bubble tea bakeries. One of these special places is the Gourmet Dumpling House, a must if evidenced at all by its lines outside the street.
Their xiaolongbao, or little juicy dumplings, are…. You just eat them. They are too good for words. They pop in your mouth and this burst of juice…mm.
Culinary tour aside, I wanted to cook a few meals for my sister and put them in her freezer since she and her husband don’t cook (I’m not saying she’s a bad cook, she just doesn’t know how. She asked me how to boil water at 26). Going on the notion of Boston’s rich cultural diversity, I decided to do adapt my own version of doro wat, a traditional Ethiopian stew.
Doro wat is made with berbere spice – you can find a recipe for it here, though I am spoiled and have a jar of a homemade one from a friend of mine. It’s spicy with good things like cumin and coriander and paprika, complex layers of flavor and just gorgeous. It’s also traditionally made with niter kibbeh, Ethiopia’s clarified butter.
My sister lived on frozen meals and take out for years (how are we related?), whereas proximity to a farmer’s market is a must for any place I live for me. So I pushed my agenda with fresh eggs (love the blue shell), my own tomato sauce, and fresh chicken thighs to add to my Doro Wat What (recipe below).
I can’t wait to introduce the Beanie Baby to culinary travels and fresh food.
Doro Wat What
Doro Wat What
1 pound chicken thighs (juicier meat), deboned or boned
1 jar fresh tomato sauce (take 5 fresh tomatoes, onions, garlic, thyme, oregano, rosemary, salt and pepper and cook down until mushy- don’t use paste so it keeps the liquidy quality)
2 TB fresh ginger, minced
2 cloves garlic minced
1/2 cup water or chicken stock
3 heaping tsp of berbere spice (more or less according to heat preference)
2 hard-boiled eggs
Oil (or clarified butter)
1. Heat oil in Dutch oven. Add ginger and garlic and saute for 2 minutes until fragrant
2. Add heaping teaspoons of berbere spice until fragrant – add a bit of water
3. Add chicken thighs (can keep boned or cut into pieces) and brown on all sides
4. Add tomato sauce (you can throw in fresh tomatoes and herbs here if you don’t have a jar available)
5. Add stock or water to cover chicken
6. Boil and then lower heat to medium and simmer for 20-25 minutes
7. Slice eggs and mix into stew
8. Serve over steamed white rice or with flatbread
Category: Africa, Main Dish - Land and Sea, Recipe Vault, Travel & Culture
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With a flair for spontaneity, pizzazz, creative excellence and her own unique sense of aesthetic grace and perspective, we have our very dear friend, Belinda (or B, to some of us). Although an incredibly accomplished professional and career woman, B’s down-to-earth approach and demeanor transcends all scenarios, communities and people. She manifests, in her day-to-day, the essence of the word “Zomppa” as demonstrated by her extraordinary commitment to creating sustainable and positive change for us and future generations to come. She’s asked for a dog every year since she was five. Check out Belinda’s work on global education research and coaching: www.hummingbirdrcc.com or more about her portfolio www.belindachiu.com.Comments (31)
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Such simple nice recipe! Well, it’s in my list to do. Thanks! Sounds like you’re having a wonderful trip. Have a great day.
Cheers, kristy
Doro Wat What sounds like a neat dish, must try it! Those dumplings also look so good!
I love the quilt…talented, funny, thoughtful, and a good cook! What is cake mountain man thinking!!!??!
Such great photographs
Fabulous, fabulous, fabulous–I love this article–the tour and story had me totally captivated. The photos are gorgeous as well. It made me want to visit Boston again and see it through your eyes. The recipe looks fantastic, for anything with hard-boiled eggs as a garnish/ingredient has got to be good.
That’s such a beautiful quilt you made! Love your dish, too. Looks very delicious. Love all the food here….drooling
That recipe sounds delicious! And that Italian sub has me drooling =)
I love this post! That sub – oh my goodness gracious me!
And the baos, blue eggs and dora wat. I adore chicken and eggs in a good gravy so I am busy smacking my lips reading this recipe. Delish looking – what excellent color!
PS – Quilt is pretty darm adorable too
Ciao, DEVAKI @ weavethousandflavors
Fantastic dishes and wonderful food-journey! I’m hungry for those dumplings..
Cheers,
Gera
WOW! I can’t believe you made that quilt! Amazing!
Back in 1993 (ages ago), hubs and I visited Boston and we fell in love with the city. Eating at a restaurant in Little Italy, we discovered “family style” eating really means big enough for a family. Some local told us in Chinatown not to eat at the place we were deciding upon “because, you know, this is REAL Chinese food, not Americanized Chinese food”. We promptly went into the place and had some of the best Chinese food evah! Never mind the chicken hanging in the window.
All the historical stuff was pretty cool, but the people watching, the weather, the public transit, everything was just so different from where we live. I can’t wait to return, you’re lucky to live there!
Doro Wat What…that’s a fun name!
I love these buns from the China town!
What a beautiful quilt but that dish sounds yummy too. Fall has hit here early in Seattle and I’m eyeing a pot of warm, rib sticking yum like that! Thanks for linking up to Simple Lives Thursday.
Wonderful post! I LOVE markets like this. What a unique dish!
That quilt is absolutely adorable! And all the food looks so good…I miss Boston!
Just reading your post put me into serious daydream about my last trip to Boston. What a great city…and the food….
The Beanie Baby will think you are the greatest when you take him to eat all of that great food.
Wow! Great travelogue. That quilt is gorgeous. I can’t believe it’s hand made!
P.S. I love Easter egg chickens.
P.P.S. Go back and get me a bushel of those 7/$1 peaches to can, mmk?
I like the quilt. The fact that it’s specially hand-sewn by you made it all the more special, isn’t it?
Thanks for all your comments!
Kristy – this one is super simple and freezes so well!
5 Star – those dumplings are ADDICTIVE
Tsering – haha! Ask him!
Liz – thanks, yup, eggs are pretty much good for everything
MaryMoh – thanks so much. I get hungry thinking about it too
Girlichef – trust me, that sub is worth the drool
Devaki – =) I know you would enjoy these foods with me
Gera – all you need is a good spoon to catch all those juices
Simply Life – thanks! I don’t make many of them because they take a while b/c they are HUGE. The animals on this are adorable, I admit
Paula – I’m glad you found the “real” place to eat. Definitely go back for a visit – it’s changed so much
Angie – I ate way too many of those buns
Sustainable – lucky for cool weather – this is definitely a recipe to try for the fall
Sommer – me too! They are so fun to just wander
Jeanne – thanks. Boston is such a fun food city
My Man – he better think I’m the best aunt!
Amy – and a bushel of cherries! =)
Little Tikes – he better appreciate the cramped and poked fingers. I love doing them, though. Your beds are adorable!
That dish sounds delicious and looks wonderful and i love the cooked egg.
cute baby mobile, love the dumplings and that sub..wow
sweetlife
Doro Wat What? How cute and sure looks delicious…love it with the hard boil eggs in it
Great post! Your Doro Wat What is definitely going on my list. I also just love saying it.
What a great quilt you made for Beanie Baby! When my son was born, a friend commissioned a quilt for him from her mother-in-law and it’s a wonderful treasure. Sadly, when my daughter came along, the quilt-maker was helping her husband through chemo, so no quilt for her. I still have it on my list of things to remedy somehow!
That looks delicious, loved the baby blue egg shell, how adorable.
Lordy Lordy Lordy!! That Italian Sub looks luscious beyond belief!! And those dumplings?? What I wouldn’t do for one right about now!! Love your site!!
Beautiful quilt, wonderful recipe, oh my, those xiaolongbao *sigh* and that sub! Love that egg shell blue – it’s only my favourite colour, ever
What a beautiful quilt…and I love this dish
I am insanely jealous. Babies? Cheap Farmer’s Markets? Blue Eggs!? Take me with you next time. Please, please, please!
What a great post! those dumplings look great. And the doro what what is amazing. I can’t believe you can by 7 peaches for a buck!
OMG, that italian sub makes me want to jump on a plane back to the east coast this instant! and the XLB!!! these are a few of my favorite things….gracious, you’ve got me singing. (btw, gorgeous quilt — that is one lucky baby to have you as an auntie!)
I think it’s just fun to say, “Doro wat what” over and over. It’s so nice of you to cook extra meals for your sister. I am sure she will appreciate it on hectic nights.