seasonal

Seasonal Chocolate Pop-Up Shop in Harvard Square

Published on December 18, 2016December 18, 2016 by The Crimson CraveLeave a comment

By Allison Kao ’20

I found heaven tucked between a Starbucks and pizza parlor.

Its name? Somerville on the Charles – a charming chocolate pop-up shop that is making its winter home on Harvard Square’s Church Street, keeping the space normally occupied by Lizzy’s Ice Cream cozy during the colder months.

The shop, which is open 11am to 11pm, seven days a week from December to February, is a collab between Gâté Comme des Filles and Somerville Chocolates, each run separately by chocolatiers Alexandra Whisnant and Eric Parkes.

While the storefront only spans the width of a door and window display, its quaint, unassuming appearance by no means embodies the bold flavors of its chocolates.

There are two main types of treats – French-style bon bons (provided by Gâté Comme des Filles) and chocolate bars (provided by Somerville Chocolates). Bon bons are creamy ganaches hand-dipped in a thin chocolate coating. With only two ingredients, cacao and sugar, the bean-to-bar chocolate brings sweetness down to its core raw goodness. The shop’s most popular items are the Hawaiian chocolate bar and honey-walnut and vanilla bean bon bons.

Everything is made in small batches, so flavors rotate daily. In addition, ingredients are chosen with great care – in fact, the honey, peppermint, and thyme are all sourced from right here in Cambridge.

Somerville on the Charles also offers to-die-for brownies and a rich, decadent mousse that’s scooped into cones like ice cream (what more could you ask for?!).

And if you’re looking for a holiday gift, check out the 4-piece giftbox or a combination of the Nicaraguan and Hawaiian chocolate bars.

At least for the next three months, I know where I’ll be going to satisfy my sugar fix.

“Fall” In Love: With Pumpkin Pie (Or Something Like It)

Published on November 16, 2015January 25, 2016 by The Crimson CraveLeave a comment

by Angela Yi ’19

This week, I had a desperate desire to have a fall classic: the pumpkin pie. I like to think of pumpkin pie as the taste of fall. Its sweet taste packed in a squishy orange gloop of heavenliness evokes the sensation of autumn. As I walked through the changing trees and piles of fallen leaves in Harvard Yard, my cravings for some pumpkin pie only grew. And so, I got out my phone, and – like a true foodie – immediately searched “best pumpkin pie” on my trusty Yelp app.

The first pastry shop, Petsi Pies, listed on Yelp looked very promising. It had 4/5 stars out of 234 reviews, and the ones specifically on the pumpkin pie were positive. Best of all, it was only an eight-minute walk away. Unfortunately, Petsi Pies closes at 6:00PM, and my schedule for this week didn’t allow me to leave Lamont (AKA the Pit of Despair) until much later.

Lamont pumpkin pie. Not the best, but enough to satisfy cravings for a night.

And so, despondent, I went out for a brief walk around Harvard Square and – lo and behold! – I saw that Pinkberry had new seasonal flavors out that included pumpkin pie. I’d never had a pumpkin pie-flavored froyo before, but I was desperate so I entered the store and had the pumpkin pie frozen yogurt for the first time.

I was pleasantly surprised. I’d feared the worst – that it would taste like a pale, cold imitation of my favorite fall dessert – but it actually wasn’t that bad. In fact, it was a nice blend of the best things about froyo and pumpkin pie.

Pinkberry’s pumpkin pie froyo with toasted almonds and milk chocolate crunch toppings.

My cravings were sufficiently satisfied that night, and I learned to not be afraid to try new things. But next week, I’m looking forward to having a huge slice of some delicious, resplendent, and simply amazing gloop of heavenly wonder.

In Defense of the Pumpkin Spice Latte

Published on October 19, 2015 by The Crimson CraveLeave a comment

by Richa Chaturvedi ’18

Growing up in southern California, fall was never really a thing for me. When temperatures dipped into the 60s, we would bundle up in our leggings and uggs and head to class. The leaves never changed color because most of the trees were already dead (thank you California drought) and the ones that weren’t were palm trees. But there was one thing that meant fall had truly arrived: the pumpkin spice lattes.

Pumpkin spice lattes, or PSLs, are fall’s gift to earth. In the last decade, Starbucks has sold over 20 million of them. They’re everything wonderful and make everything okay. This year, for the first time ever, they even contain real pumpkin. But they are constantly attacked, which begs the question: why?

What’s wrong with enjoying a fall-flavored latte on a cold day? Why is it an offense to drink a coffee the same color as the leaves on the ground? I think people are entirely too critical. Pumpkin spice lattes aren’t basic because more than one people enjoy them. I’m not going to find coffee at some alternative venue with about three regular customers. It’s out of the way and, frankly, I don’t want to.

To those who say that PSLs disrupt the true taste and flavor of coffee I say the following: did it ever pretend to be coffee? Is it named as such? As far as I can tell, coffee is coffee and pumpkin spice lattes are pumpkin spice lattes. There’s a distinction there. PSLs aren’t trying to be something they’re not – rather, pumpkin spice lattes are wonderfully individual.

And so am I. So the next time I’m late for class because I got stuck behind a long line of PSL enthusiasts at Starbucks, don’t judge me. Be jealous of me because I’m sipping on a slice of heaven.

Apple Cinnamon Bread

Published on October 19, 2015December 18, 2016 by The Crimson CraveLeave a comment

by Michelle Chiang ’19

There’s something fundamentally satisfying about baking – the textures under your fingertips, the aromas caressing your nose, the flavors cartwheeling over your tongue. In the hectic, intellectually taxing routines of college life, it’s immensely therapeutic to create something tangible with your hands.

While many recipes require fancy equipment, expensive ingredients, or labor-intensive techniques, there are just as many – if not more – recipes that are cheap, easy, and relatively quick. There’s really no excuse not to bake, especially when you can get ingredients free of charge from the dining halls.

Here’s a simple recipe for a sweet time with friends!

Apple Cinnamon Bread (recipe adapted from Apple Cinnamon Bread from Two Peas and Their Pod)

This recipe will be featured on Well-Being Secrets, read about the health benefits of apples and make this awesome recipe: Link.

Serving Size: one 8×8 pan

Cook Time: 40-55 minutes

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp cinnamon

2 large eggs

1/4 cup canola oil

1/4 cup applesauce

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup sugar

3 medium-sized apples, peeled and diced

1/2 cup pecans (optional)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Mix the ingredients very, very well.
In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, oil, applesauce, and vanilla until smooth. Add in the sugar and mix until well combined.
Slowly add in the flour mixture and mix until well combined. Gently fold in the apple chunks.
Pour batter into prepared pan. (Optional: Arrange pecans on the batter. Sprinkle cinnamon and sugar over the top.)
Bake in 8×8 pan for 40-55 minutes, or until golden and a toothpick comes out clean. (Start occasionally checking it after 30 minutes.)

Enjoy!

“Fall” In Love: With Everything Pumpkin

Published on October 19, 2015 by The Crimson CraveLeave a comment

by Angela Yi ’19

When I was four, pumpkin was my least favorite vegetable. It has since become one of the best; a seasonal flavor I can’t pass up. Pumpkin chai latte, pumpkin spice, and the classic pumpkin pie – I can eat those all day long. So this weekend, I made it my mission to go to three different eateries and try out their pumpkin-themed desserts.

Every day is J.P. Licks Day. Above is a waffle cone with pumpkin custard and white coffee chunk.

My first stop was, of course, at J.P. Licks. Its location right across from the Yard is both a blessing and a curse; whenever I want ice cream, I don’t have to walk far to get some, but its closeness always tempts me every day.

I had a small in a waffle cone of two of J.P. Licks’ Flavors of the Month: pumpkin custard and white coffee chunk. The white coffee chunk was a delicious blend of coffee and chocolate – two things that I can never resist. The pumpkin custard was good, but I felt like the pumpkin flavor wasn’t strong enough.

Then, I walked over to Tealuxe to have some fall-themed tea and tea cake. I had the chaider, a blend of hot apple cider and cinnamon chai. It definitely warmed me up from the cold weather outside. But, I saved my Pumpkin Tea Cake to eat at my next stop:

Also located at 0 Brattle St., Sweet has simply amazing cupcakes that everyone should try.

Sweet, a cozy bakery filled with some of the best cupcakes I’ve ever had, ended my day on a high note. They had a nice variety of fall-themed desserts, and at least three different kinds of pumpkin flavored cupcakes. I ordered the pumpkin pie cupcake, and relished every bite of it.

Tealuxe’s Chaider and Pumpkin Tea Cake & Sweet’s Pumpkin Pie cupcake.

The pumpkin is one of fall’s greatest classic flavors, and my mission to find delicious pumpkin-flavored desserts clearly demonstrates why it remains popular season after season.

“Fall” In Love: A New Series About Uniquely Fall Food and Drinks

Published on October 17, 2015October 17, 2015 by The Crimson CraveLeave a comment

by Angela Yi ’19

The breeze is blowing, the leaves are taking on lovely red and gold hues – and the delicious scent of cinnamon and pumpkin are wafting in the air. Autumn has finally arrived, and with it are new, seasonal food and drinks.

Pumpkin Spice, Apple Cider, and Caramel Apple are only a few of the numerous flavors that are available only during the fall. And I’m going on a mission to try as many seasonal pastries, drinks, ice cream, cakes, pies, anything and everything that I can – and fall in love with each and every one of them.

Autumn is definitely my favorite season. The weather is in the perfect balance of hot and cold, and fall fashion is indisputably the best fashion. Coats, booties, tights, scarves – the possibilities and outfits are endless.

But most of all, the fall-specific menus many restaurants and cafes have makes autumn the real winner. The only detraction is that these foods are available only during a few months of the year. But, this exclusivity might be what makes Pumpkin Spice – and all the other fall flavors – impossible not to love.

Fall in Love with Fall at Crema

Published on September 27, 2015September 27, 2015 by The Crimson CraveLeave a comment

by Audrey Thorne ’19

September 21st has passed and you know what that means: it is officially Autumn. The leaves are changing colors and falling off the trees, the Halloween decorations are making their way into storefronts, and Crema has put out their Autumn themed “Fall in Love with Our Seasonal Drinks” sign.

The sign boasts maple lattes, warm apple cider, and chaider (chai cider). On a chilly Wednesday morning, I waited in the long line of Crema-lovers to make the season change official.

I decided to opt for the first of the suggested fall beverages, a maple latte. As someone who has no sweet tooth, I was nervous about how sweet my maple latte would be. It finally arrived with a beautiful white leaf drawn into its maple brown surface. I was pleasantly surprised upon my first sip. This latte hits you first with a rich coffee flavor that gets sweeter and lighter until it becomes a maple aftertaste. As someone who generally does not make it through an entire small coffee, I was surprised to finish my entire latte in under ten minutes. It was flavorful, but not overwhelming, and left a taste in my mouth that left me wanting more. It will definitely be my go-to drink of the season!