Recipes

Monday, April 26, 2010

Weekend: Slowfest and Bootcamp

Funny, those things (Slowfest and Bootcamp) are pretty much polar opposites!

Friday night Brian and I attended Slowfest in Boston’s South End. This was a festival of local food and “session beer”. I had never really heard the term “session beer” before, and I think it’s something that is just starting to become popular now. Basically, session beer is a beer that has an alcohol by volume (ABV) percentage of less than 5%.

Here is a definition from beeradvocate.com

“session beer
n.
Any beer that contains no higher than 5 percent ABV, featuring a balance between malt and hop characters (ingredients) and, typically, a clean finish - a combination of which creates a beer with high drinkability. The purpose of a session beer is to allow a beer drinker to have multiple beers, within a reasonable time period or session, without overwhelming the senses or reaching inappropriate levels of intoxication. (Yes, you can drink and enjoy beer without getting drunk.)”

In the past when I’ve attended beer fests with the boy, there are usually lots of high ABV beers and other “extreme” beers, as that’s been the big thing lately. As someone who can get buzzed off a few beer samples (oh how things have changed since college), I think session beers are just what I need!

I tried various beers on Friday, but I have to admit I was more there for the food :)

IMG_9131

Some highlights…

When Pigs Fly Breads: Red Pepper Hummus with Sesame Seeds & Garlic Bread

IMG_9128

Yeah this bread tasted JUST like hummus…but in bread form.

IMG_9129

Cheese! Various cheddars from Whole Foods

IMG_9130

Gelato #1 – Firenze Artisan Gelato…my first sample was the Watch City Chocolate Porter Gelato.  Chocolate+Beer+Gelato = awesome!

IMG_9136

From The Independent restaurant in Somerville (my old apt was so close to this place): roasted pork and cole slaw on an Iggy’s brioche bun!

IMG_9137

So good!!

Pizza and organic salad from Stone Hearth Pizza (they brought in little portable grills to freshly bake their pizza’s)

IMG_9138

IMG_9139

The dressing on this salad was awesome!  It was a mustard-apple cider vinegar vinaigrette!  So good!

IMG_9140

Gelato sample #2 – Lemon Sorbetto

IMG_9141

Perfect refreshing bite at the end when I was getting so full!

The best thing I had there, and of course no picture, was a Burrata cheese made by Fiore Di Nonno

Out of Somerville! This cheese was fresh mozzarella stuffed with MARSCAPONE! O.M.G. So creamy and delicious! I went back a few times for this cheese!

I think my favorite beer of the evening was Grey Lady by Cisco Brewers which is their Belgium White Ale…it was so refreshing! I’ll have to find some of this beer for the summer.

IMG_9133

 IMG_9132

After that I was in need of a good sweat session! Saturday morning I had signed up for a Bootcamp Blast!

These are great because you just sign up by the day before whenever you want to join. It’s an intense 90min outdoor workout.

Before bootcamp I had a muffin and coffee for some energy. I wanted one of my Berry Muffins but didn’t want the cheese inside (dairy + exercise usually is not good with me)…so I scooped out the goat cheese and added some almond butter!

IMG_9143

IMG_9142

Delicious!

IMG_9145

Bootcamp was just what I needed…the weather was GORGEOUS! Sunny and just about 70 degrees. This one wasn’t as cardio intense as I remember the last one I did to be, but I still burned 600 calories and my abs and legs are still nice and sore today :)
This reminds me that I need to re-focus my abs workouts…I haven’t felt sore abs in far too long.

Post workout I had a late breakfast/early lunch.

IMG_9148

IMG_9149

Egg Sandwich with ham, cheese, and tomato. Plus a side of fruit

  • Watermelon
  • Kiwi
  • Banana

Watermelon just tastes like summer to me.

IMG_9150                 

That’s my Friday/Saturday…I’ll save Sunday for later. 

7 comments:

  1. The food at the fest looks out of this world! Hummus in BREAD FORM? That sounds incredible. Beer gelato?? And lots of cheese? I'd be in heaven! Glad the workout went well. Enjoy your week

    ReplyDelete
  2. Looks like such a fun way to spend the weekend- I don't know what would have been better- the beer buzz that takes you back to college days or the food that looked insanely good!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I'm so jealous of that workout. I love high intensity fun workouts like that. The fruit salad looked amazing. I can't wait for watermelon. I'm very picky about melon so I'm waiting until summer.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Looks like a fun weekend! And I'm curious about that hummus-bread. Interesting ;)

    GORGEOUS berry muffin // almond butter // fruit plate. The epitome of the perfect breakfast. Plus coffee of course!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Thanks for sharing about the season beer! I never knew about that. I assumed it was like made out of in-season barley or something. What is a christmas beer then?
    Katherine

    ReplyDelete
  6. Looks like it was a fun event and I'm wanting that breakfast right now! :)

    ReplyDelete
  7. ooh, burratta is AMAZING :) and hummus bread? sold!

    ReplyDelete