Whether it's hand-cut donuts from the local bakery to the 10th PB&J sandwich with flecks of sand from the beach, everything tastes better on vacation. It could be the boost in vitamin D, the extra afternoon nap, or having ditched your watch on day one of vacation. There is one dish that the whole family goes bonkers for - on or off vacation. Fish Tacos.

It certainly helps when you can stop by the local fish market around the corner and pick out fresh fish caught that morning. I've also made these with frozen Mahi Mahi from Trader Joe's and they taste great too. My boys love fish tacos as it gives them a chance to top it with their choice of toppings. My favorite toppings are ChopChop's Purple Cabbage Slaw and Avocado and Mango Salsa. The flavors are bright and fresh, a perfect complement to sun and surf-filled days. Or a perfect way to transport you to the carefree days of summer. And who wouldn't love that?

Click here for ChopChop's recipes for Fish Tacos, Purple Cabbage Slaw and Avocado and Mango Salsa. And I highly recommend Corn and Wheat Tortillas from Trader Joe's. They are the perfect size for soft tacos and do not fall apart like corn tortillas often do. Plus they are delicious.

There are so many things I love about Summer - long days, warm temperatures, the kids playing outside (instead of underfoot in the house), grilling, farm stand produce, and summer cocktails just to name a few. As much as things seem to go at a more leisurely pace during the summer months, I still feel the need for quick and easy weeknight meals. Grill up some chicken and veggies with a loaf of fresh bread from the market and dinner is done.

To make things a little interesting, I make this homemade spice rub that goes great on everything. It's not too spicy or salty. It elevates whatever you're grilling, plus it is super simple to pull together. Make a batch and store in an air-tight container. This stuff comes with us when we go away on vacation. It's that good.

All-Purpose Spice Rub
Adapted from Martha Stewart's Everyday Food

INGREDIENTS
Makes 1 1/4 cups (enough to season 5-10 lbs of meat, poultry or seafood). We think it works best with poultry.

• 1/3 cup sea salt
• 1/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 1/4 cup Hungarian paprika
• 2 tablespoons dried oregano
• 2 tablespoons dried thyme leaves
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

DIRECTIONS

1. In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients, using your hands to break up the sugar. Store in an airtight container, away from heat and light, up to 6 months.

So after three days in the City of Lights, we headed to the Italian Riveria to a truly magical place on earth: Cinque Terre. Cinque Terre or "The Five Lands" is composed of five towns built into the hillsides and is part of the Cinque Terre National Park.  These town are only accessible by train, trail or ferry, which help it keep its rustic charm. But even though it may seem remote, tourists flock to this corner of Italy. Despite the fact that at times it felt as if we were on some movie set with lots of tourists and newlyweds, it was breathtaking on every turn. And the food?

Fried Seafood Cone in Manarola

Woman making fresh pasta early one morning in Monterosso al Mare

"We don't sell these lemons. We squeeze them for the slashy"

Butcher sign in Manarolo

Bruschetta with pesto, tomatoes and olives and sangria on the beach. Sigh.

Sun-dried tomatoes at the local market in Montorosso

So badly wanted to take all this cheese home!

Porcini Mushrooms

This hidden street led us to one of our best meals on our trip...

Dumplings filled with cheese and pears and Gnocchi with zucchini and prawns.

One of several hillside restaurants we passed on our hikes through the villages.

Vernazza - the jewel of Cinque Terre. Not food, but gorg.

Outside of our favorite Gelateria. Had no idea what we were ordering, but all so good.

Gelateria owner - sweetest man ever. And so evil too with his tasty gelato!

Amazing antipasto in Pisa

There are so many more photos (like, obnoxiously so) I took on this trip. I barely saw anyone hurrying about with their to-go coffee cups. No one was sitting in a cafe with a laptop or nose to their smartphones. Locals were engaged in conversation over good coffee or wine. Parents were attentive to their (well-dressed) children over fresh fruit and bread. Both Paris and Cinque Terre are magical places and made me stop and take stock in what is truly important: good friends, good health, family, and of course good food. Now excuse me while I make myself a cappuccino. 

Why, hello! Yes, it's me! And yes, I'm still blogging! I have been away from umommy for sometime thanks to a busy work schedule (like 14-hour a day work days). I'm hoping work will slow down to a normal pace as I've missed this little corner of my world.

And speaking of corners of the world, the other reason I've been absent is that I've just returned from a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Europe with one of my best friends. Just the two of us. No kids. It was heaven.  Eight days of exploring and eating our way through Paris and Cinque Terra, Italy. I'm still pinching myself wondering if it was all a dream.

Rather than go through the mundane travel details, I thought I'd share the culinary highlights of our trip.  It was eye candy on every corner (I gave my DSLR and iPhone camera a good workout). Particularly when we stumbled on the markets on rue Montorgueil in the 2nd. So without further adieu (I'm so french!), here are some of my favorite food moments during our first part of our trip: Paris

Paninis on almost every street corner

Fell in love with storefronts and signs, including this boulangerie

All the produce looked like this on Sunday

 

Fromage of course!

Passed on escargot, but you gotta love this restaurant sign

Chocolate eclair from world-famous Stohrer

Duck confit, foie gras, and more

 

Had one of our best meals at a tiny food stall in Le Marche des Enfants Rouges, the oldest covered market in Paris.

Just love how everything is displayed with care and flair

Cafe au lait has changed the way I look at coffee

Rain gave us a perfect excuse to tuck into a cafe and sip delicious wine

It has taken me a few days to process everything that has happened over the past week and what was undoubtedly the longest day of my life...

Monday kicked off what was supposed to be the start of a busy but typical April vacation week for the kids. As with every Marathon Monday, we took the boys to watch the Boston Marathon at mile 23, the same spot we've been going to for the over 10 years. We cheered the elite runners and first wave of athletes with Half-Assed Mama and her kids before grabbing burritos at Anna's and headed back home around 2pm. And little did we know, just 3.2 miles up the road and 50 minutes before bombs that would rock the city to its core.

That week, I found myself wavering between feelings of sadness, anger and pride, reflecting on the stories I read from eyewitnesses at the finish line. The kids continued with their vacation activities, blissfully unaware of the Marathon Bombings - until Wednesday night when we grabbed dinner at Dorado...

My 7-year-old was sitting across from me eating his dinner when I see his eyes start to fill up with tears and a look of horror on his face. That's when I remembered there was a TV behind me and he must have seen footage from the bombings. I quickly suggested we go for a walk.

W: I saw explosions on TV. It was at the Marathon in Copley Square!
Me: Yes. It was terrible. There were two explosions near the finish line.
W: But no one was hurt, right?
Me: Unfortunately, yes. There were a lot of people that got hurt.
W: Oh no! But no one died, right?
Me: Unfortunately three people died.
W: That's so terrible! (sobbing)
Me: I know. It is. But it could have been much, much worse. There were a lot of people there to help. And the police are doing everything they can to find out what happened and to make sure it doesn't happen again. And we are going to do everything we can to keep you safe.

He took it pretty hard and struggled with sleeping the next few nights. My heart ached for him as I knew, like everyone else in Boston, Monday's bombings would forever change the way he looked at the Marathon. And then came Friday...

Cut to 2:30AM Friday morning. My husband's phone chirps from a text followed by the ringing of our landline. He stumbles to get the phone and hands it to me while he retrieves his cell. That's when I hear, "This is a message from the Watertown Police Department... There is currently an incident occurring...  STAY INSIDE." My heart is racing as the message is repeated. My husband says it's a text from his friend out in Montana asking "WTF is going on?!" He goes online and reads me the headline about "MAYHEM IN WATERTOWN." OMG. I'm terrified and run to grab the iPad to see for myself.

From 2:30 on, I frantically refresh my Twitter feed and Boston.com page and learn about the events as they unfold just a few miles from our home. I do not want to turn on the TV as I don't want to wake the kids. I find a site streaming the Watertown police scanner, so I listen to hear a first-hand account of what is now an unprecedented manhunt that shutdown a major city and forced residents to stay indoors for over 20 hours.

I am terrified for the rest of the day, with words such as "LOCKDOWN" and "SHELTER IN PLACE" keep me on edge. We decide not to tell the kids for fear it would frighten them. We pretended it was a stay-at-home day, complete with movies, games, play dough, books and baked banana bread. All the while, praying my family would not be subject to a home search by the SWAT teams swarming our neighborhood or worse, gunfire, explosions, or a hostage situation... it was all too much to bear.

Finally at 6pm, the lockdown is lifted and that's when we decide to pack the family up and head to NH to stay at my mother-in-law's. We are less than a mile from the house when emergency vehicles scream past our car and I can hear a helicopter fly overhead. Something was going down and I wanted nothing more than to get the hell out of town.

That's when the texts come streaming in and phone calls asking if we are close to Franklin Street. We live just down the road from Franklin Street, but thankfully on the highway and nowhere near what would end up being the location of the now infamous boat in the driveway in Watertown.

I felt like I had to write this as a way for me to process what happened and to move forward. I am so thankful for everyone that reached out to us on social media and by phone to make sure we were okay. It truly helped knowing everyone was looking out for us while we feared for our lives for over 20 hours in our home. And as Half-Assed Mama reminded me, as horrible as this past week has been for the people of Boston and the surrounding communities, there are other parts of the world that live in constant fear for their lives. I am so grateful on so many levels.

I have been able to spare my children from learning about the horrors of 9/11 and Newtown, doing my best to protect their innocence for as long as I possibly can. But this was too close to home. Way too close. We told my 7-year-old, in the most basic terms, what happened on Friday:

"We were on lockdown yesterday, just like you practice in school. They needed to find some bad guys and the only way to do that was to shut down the city. They found the bad guys hiding in Watertown and hopefully nothing like this will happen again. There were a lot of brave men and women that worked really hard to catch them and keep everyone safe. Let's remember to thank them. Always." 

I'm taking a quick break from the kitchen to share a really great event that's happening TOMORROW at the Pru (or Shops at the Prudential for non-Bostonians):

In the past few years, our collective strength has been put to a test due to some tragic events, both natural and man-made. Whenever these things happen and I struggle with how to explain these events to my kids, I always remember Mister Rogers and his "look for the helpers" message. I don't even want to imagine what our world would be like without these helpers.

So here's our chance to make a difference and be a helper. The Volunteer Expo is an informal event featuring over 50 local organizations. The event will give Bostonians an opportunity to learn more about the diverse range of organziations in the community and ways to give back. Consider volunteering as a family as a way to spend time together and connect with your community. And if you forget where the Volunteer Expo is taking place, just look for blue and orange in the Boston skyline - The Pru will be lit in those colors to celebrate volunteerism and the volunteer expo.

It has been a crazy few weeks around here (thus the lack of blog posts - gah!). Between work, special projects, school commitments, after-school activities, birthdays, holidays, vacations... I'm afraid I haven't had the time to blog as much as I would like. But that doesn't mean we haven't been testing new recipes, plus going back to some tried-and-true ones.

So on a particular busy weeknight, I like whipping this up. It takes less than 30 minutes from start to finish. Plus it's a perfect recipe to involve your kids. Read on to see why!

Shrimp, Tomato, and Basil Pasta
Adapted from Everyday Food: Great Food Fast

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/2 pounds of medium , peeled and deveined uncooked shrimp
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 can (14.5 oz) diced fire-roasted tomatoes (plain diced tomatoes works too)
• 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
• 3/4-1 lb spaghetti 
• 1 1/2 cups packed fresh basil leaves, torn into small pieces

kids love tearing the basil into small pieces

• 1/4 cup olive oil or canola oil
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1.5-2 lbs fish fillets (we prefer flounder or sea bass, but almost any firm fish will do)
• 4 fingerling potatoes, sliced thin
• 1 lemon, thinly sliced 
• 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced 
• Green veggies (baby bok choy or chinese broccoli is a favorite), parboiled
• Chopped fresh herbs (parsley, chives, cilantro)
• Sesame oil (optional)
• Sliced ginger (optional)
• Salt and pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Pour olive oil into measuring cup and add red pepper flakes.
2. Prepare four 15 x 15-inch squares of parchment paper (or foil) and place one fish fillet on top of each sheet. 
3. Top each with a few slices of potato, lemon, onion, veggies, ginger (optional) and drizzle with spicy olive oil. Top each packet with fresh herbs, a dash of sesame oil (optional) and season with salt and pepper. 
4. Wrap each into parchment packets. There are many techniques to do this, including twirling the ends to look like hard candy, to calzone shaped or pouches similar to how a they wrap up a sandwich at the deli. Pull up the sides together than roll down the ends until it lays flat on the fish. Fold overhang underneath bundle. Then place fish packet on cookie sheet. 
5. Slide the packets onto a cookie sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve one present per plate. Be careful when unwrapping as the steam will be HOT. 

Ginger scallion noodles w. quick pickles, roasted cauliflower and nori

"Koreans are notorious noodle eaters. I am no exception." 

This is David Chang's opening words in his best-selling cookbook, "Momofuku." For those unfamiliar with this James Beard award-winning chef, Chang came onto the NYC restaurant scene back on 2004 and hasn't looked back since. He has catapulted to celebrity chef status, with 11 locations world-wide, and a media empire of his own.

"Momofuku" is the story behind his culinary empire. Oh yes, there happens to be some recipes too. And not just your typical recipes for the home cook, but also some scare-you-out-of-your-pants recipes that require a blowtorch and procuring transglutaminase. It the kind of cookbook that you can’t put down, not only for the photographs, story (and profanity), but the sense for Chang’s love of good food.

So when I read the first sentence, I did two things: 1) corrected him by adding the Chinese are also notorious noodle eaters and 2) found the one noodle recipe that I can make easily and have my boys scoff up quickly.

Momofuku’s Ginger Scallion Noodles are insanely easy to make. All you need is a ton of scallions and ginger (duh), some oil, soy, vinegar and salt. Combine it with some good Chinese egg noodles and you too will be joining the ranks of Koreans and the Chinese as notorious noodle eaters. Don’t forget some hoisin to finish – this is key!

Click here for the recipe. 

It's a new year, which usually means recycling the same New Year's Resolutions for me. And as always, one of my resolutions is to be a better cook. And like all resolutions, I have good intentions to make them, but often end up ignoring them. Oops - there goes my "Don't Procrastinate" resolution.

Until I saw that Jenny from Dinner: A Love Story had threw the gauntlet. She was challenging herself and her readers to make seven new meals in seven days. And to make it a little easier, she suggested doing this challenge over 14 days. Seven new meals in two weeks?  Not only would it challenge me to be a better cook, but get my kids to try new things and be adventurous. Actually, that goes for all of us.  Yeah, I'm game.

So how is it going so far?

Monday, January 7th:

DALS Tuscan Minestrone

Wednesday, January 9th:

DALS Greek-Style Shrimp with Feta

Friday, January 11th:

Bon Appetit Orange Beef w/Broccoli & Mushrooms

Sunday, January 13th:

Jamie Oliver's One-Tray Bake

Tuesday, January 15th:

DALS Weeknight Bolognese

We made a Wild-Rice Stuffed Acorn Squash for dinner tonight (but forgot to snap a picture). So that leaves one more new recipe before Sunday. What to make, what to make...