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Enjoy Restaurant Week Boston in Dorchester! Mar. 14 - Mar. 26

My Dorchester - 0 sec ago

March 2010 celebrates the 5th anniversary of Winter Restaurant Week Boston® when restaurants will be serving the prix fixe meals guaranteed to chase away the winter blues from Sunday, March 14 through Friday, March 19 and Sunday, March 21 through Friday, March 26, 2010.

Diners will enjoy 2-course lunches for $15.10, 3-course lunches for $20.10 and 3-course dinners for $33.10 throughout Dorchester, Boston, Cambridge, the suburbs and beyond.

More Dorchester Restaurant Information
>>Read More

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even plants get recycled

Dotmass - 5 hours 53 min ago

If you see folks digging up some trees or plants in Peabody Square, they are saving them in advance of a major overhaul. We hear gardeners in the neighborhoods around the Square are pitching in to recycle worthy perennials and shrubs.

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Win Big with the Dorchester Day Essay Contest, Due Mar. 12

My Dorchester - Fri, 03/12/2010 - 4:26pm

The Dorchester Day Celebration & Parade Committees are hosting an essay contest open to all Dorchester residents in the 6th through 10th grade. Learn about famous Dorchester residents while competing for an awesome prize!

Please fill out the registration form on the flyer and mail it with your essay to the committee chair. The entry and essay must be postmarked by March 12th to be considered for a prize. The essay must be written on either Edward Everett or Lucy Stone. Essays must be between 500-600 words for the 6th through 8th grade and 800-900 words for the 9th and 10th grade students. >>Read More

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Keep up with Dot. Ave. construction news

Universal Hub on Dorchester - Fri, 03/12/2010 - 4:21pm

The state Department of Transportation has set up a Web site with info on its $15.6-million, two-year intersection project along the busy road.

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Help Get Money for Biking: Call Congress Today!

Dorchester Environmental Health Coalition - Thu, 03/11/2010 - 4:37pm

From MassBike at the National Bike Summit in Washington, D.C. - Last week, Congressman Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) introduced a groundbreaking new bill to support bicycling and walking: the Active Community Transportation Act (H.R.4722) creates a competitive grant program with $2 Billion to help communities build bicycling and walking networks. For the first time, communities [...]

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Zipcars are in Dorchester! Use Our Map to Locate Them

My Dorchester - Thu, 03/11/2010 - 4:34pm

Did you know that you can reserve a car for an hour, a day, or a night in Dorchester through Zipcar? There are cars located by UMass Boston, Ashmont, Savin Hill, and down Dorchester Ave.

Click here to see where all the Zipcars are located in your neighborhood, and get more information about signing up for a Zipcar membership. Find the map under the "Dorchester Guide" tab at the top of our site.

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I Still Buy CD's

Mattoo's Place - Wed, 03/10/2010 - 9:00pm

I support music and the artists. I also believe like cassette tapes, CD's will soon no longer be available able for consumers. Why not pick up my favorite albums or albums people with good taste suggest? Maybe in a 20 years if I have kids and stuff like that they will go through my collection like wow, Mattoo really had these CD's!

Oh yeah, the photo on the wall, I took that picture on Fulton Street in Brooklyn.

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Who Do You Think Is Happier?

Mattoo's Place - Wed, 03/10/2010 - 8:56pm

These cars were parked a few steps from each other. I thought it was interesting!

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Thank You Lupe: This is Why You Are In My Top 5

Mattoo's Place - Wed, 03/10/2010 - 8:45pm

I didn't know whether to cry or to smile after seeing this video. A song I've been playing for months, Lupe, Kenna, Mike Shinoda thank you for putting together this beautiful ode to a struggling and recovering country. "We will rise" . I hear & see pain & triumph in the resurrection video. A video I needed to see as a constant reminder to pray and give back. Also a reminder that things will get better, with such history and a resilient nature, things have to get better. Once again, Thank you.

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Dot block rebellion

Dot Matrix - Wed, 03/10/2010 - 6:10pm

Like many things, it's not entirely clear to me what's going on at Four Corners this Saturday (March 13) at 5PM.  Though the Four Corners Action Coalition has organized something they call a rebellion, it seems to be a more usual protest, albeit one that includes a walking tour and a multimedia performance art piece.

And that is what makes Dorchester one of Boston's more surprising places.  Better known for criminal transgressions, Dorchester is a place of remarkable creativity.  The neighborhood has been remaking itself continually since it agreed to be annexed into the greater metropolis. No one will be taking a duck tour to Four Corners anytime soon and not just because it's not near the water.  That doesn't mean it's not a vibrant community in which people tangle the weft of their lives into the woof of the surrounding infrastructure.

21 Bullard Street is located on the slopes of picturesque Mount Bowdoin.  While the neighborhood may have seen more spendthrift days, the community is alive and well and rallying.  If you are interested, and you should be, the tour starts at this address at 5:00 and ends at the same place.  Food, music, video and insight will follow.

Thanks to Boston Indymedia for the tip off.

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A Journey Through Caribbean Folklore, A Free Play, Mar. 13

My Dorchester - Wed, 03/10/2010 - 2:21pm

A Walk with Nanny: A Journey Through Caribbean Folklore
Meet Nanny, Jamaica's only female heroine in this fun interactive play for children and families.

Quintessence Edutainment presents: "A Walk with Nanny: A Journey Through Caribbean Folklore" a fun 45-minute educational and highly interactive play. Unique, emphasizing core values, tradition, responsibility, leadership, teamwork, overcoming the loss of family, all while giving a brief history lesson.

This play focuses on Nanny, Jamaica’s only female heroine, and her journey from Africa to Jamaica. This is a storytelling adventure with song, dance, and drumming centered on traditions and values. >>Read More

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Just How I Feel Right Now

Mattoo's Place - Wed, 03/10/2010 - 10:25am

Behind Bars

Right now I feel imprisoned

I just want to get up and go do things.

I just want to be active, like right now.

I have that urge to be on the move, running errands, trying something new, getting on the road and just be out and about

I am stuck behind this desk recieving stupid emails that could have easily been answered if the reps did their research instead of looking like complete idiots.

The jail I’m in because of this cost of living. I have to be imprisoned for the best 8 hours of the day 40 hours a week just for the ends to meet.

I just want to be free

- Me

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8th Grader Writes a Beautiful Sonnet about Haiti

State Rep. Linda Dorcena Forry - Wed, 03/10/2010 - 10:20am

Last month I was honored to participate in a Haiti relief benefit concert hosted by Harvard University.The Harvard for Haiti concert featured performances by artists of all kinds, including musicians, dancers and poets. Though I am certainly not a poet, I read a sonnet that an 8th grader from Dartmouth named Molly Nichols, sent into my office.

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Former aide to Jack Hart throws ring in South Boston state-rep race

Universal Hub on Dorchester - Tue, 03/09/2010 - 11:22pm

Nick Collins, more recently a business marketing consultant, announced today he is running for the 4th Suffolk seat being vacated by Brian Wallace.

I look forward to a spirited conversation regarding the challenges facing our community and how we intend to address them. My hope is to be the leader who will bridge what is great about our past to the promise of our future.

Other Democrats considering the seat include Michael McGee, Jeffrey Poreda, Jake Bombard and Mark McGonagle. Patrick Brennan is running as a Republican in the district, which also includes a small part of Dorchester.

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Boston Ballet Free Performance, Mar 12

My Dorchester - Tue, 03/09/2010 - 3:29pm

Boston Ballet, in partnership with the Mayor’s Office of Arts and Tourism and Special Events, and Boston Public Schools, present two free, interactive performances featuring Boston Ballet company dancers, Boston Ballet II dancers, and Boston Ballet School students at The Strand Theatre in Dorchester, MA on Friday, March 12, 2010.

The 4:30pm performance is free and open to the general public, while the earlier 10:00am performance is just for BPS students.

The performances, developed specifically for The Strand Theatre, will feature a dynamic introduction to a variety of dance forms through an interactive and diverse program. The performance will include contemporary dance, classical ballet, and new works created for The Strand Theatre. >>Read More

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Mattoo's Place - Tue, 03/09/2010 - 3:07pm

Intelligence is the strength of the mind. The weak slip through the cracks. - Me

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We Miss You BIG

Mattoo's Place - Tue, 03/09/2010 - 11:29am

March 9th ‘97 is the year The Notorious B.I.G died

Today we remember him! Today I will have Biggie in heavy rotation.

Top 5 dead or alive. To me, the best to ever do it.

Honest, witty, clever, and his flow was like none other. Stark imagery from Bigs vivid street lyrics made him a great with only two albums. Your music lives on.

We love you BIG!


"Big was a super influence, he made Puff believe he can rap" - Me

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Kabobs come to Dorchester

Universal Hub on Dorchester - Tue, 03/09/2010 - 11:23am

Remember when no self-respecting neighborhood could be without a Thai place? Middle Eastern food seems to have taken pad thai's place as the sign of happening 'hood (can you imagine that West Roxbury is about to get its second kebab place? Roslindale, take notice). Dottie Hottie reviews Chateau Kabob, 789 Adams St.. Her verdict: Shows promise, but needs more work.

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Welcome to the ‘hood, Chateau Kabob

Dottie Hottie - Tue, 03/09/2010 - 10:30am

The banner has been teasing the Dottie Hottie for months. CHATEAU KABOB! COMING SOON! Finally, the banner was exchanged for a light-up sign: OPEN.

Hurrah! The Dottie Hottie fam scurried down the Adams St. hill to bid welcome to the newest ethnic eatery in Adams Village.

At first blush, the place, just a couple doors down from Adams Fish Market, smacks of clean. There are about a dozen tables, all clean at 6 p.m. on a Monday, the freshly painted walls are bright, and the flourescent lights above are, well, a bit sterile feeling, but at least the joint ain’t shady.

The menu itself is pretty expansive, with every kind of Middle-Eastern cuisine for the noshing: baba ghanoush, hummus, yogurt, falafel, pita sandwiches, lamb and beef and chicken kabobs. Ample veggie offerings, too.

Our small take-out order took a bit of time (read: a good 20 min) to prepare. The Dottie Hottie thinks the kitchen squad needs to speed things up to meet the expectations of bustling Boston.

As for the food, there is still some major room for improvement. Falafel balls were large but dry. Beef kabobs were tender and evenly cooked but not very flavorful. The roasted veggies were absolutely delicious but the portion was skimpy. A kebab dinner for $14 should at least pile on the veggies, no?

The Dottie Hottie inquired about an alleged lunch buffet that the Chateau had advertised. The Chat management indicated that, in order to meet code, certain accommodations must be met. So it’s clear the Chat is still getting its act together. We’ll give you a couple of months to bring quality up to snuff. We’ll revisit the kababeria in due time.

Chateau Kabob Restaurant
789 Adams St.
Dorchester, MA 02124
(617) 379 - 2433
(617) 379 - 2434
FAX (617) 379 - 2436
Abe@ChateauKabob.com

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Laziness and Lettuce

Good and Plenty - Tue, 03/09/2010 - 8:02am

Is it so hard to spit out watermelon, grape or orange seeds? 

Is it really that difficult to make a peanut butter & jelly sandwich for your child or, better yet, teach them how to make one themselves?

What’s so tough about rinsing and tearing lettuce to make your own salad?

And ice tea…ice tea is one of the simplest, most straight-forward things to make.  (Tea (loose or bagged), water, sugar (or not), lemon (or not), ice.)  What’s so hard about that?  You don’t have to watch the water boil, in fact, if you watch it, it’ll seem to take forever to boil. Put the water in a kettle, step away and do something else.  The kettle’s whistle will tell you when the water’s done.

Think about it.  We can purchase:

• Salad mixes.
• Pre-packaged, frozen, pb&j sandwiches (Crustables)
• Hard-Boiled peeled eggs (BornFree)
• Seedless watermelon.
• Seedless grapes, oranges, etc.  (I guess no one’s figured out seedless apples although you can buy apple slices already cut at the supermar,)
• Prepared ice tea.
• Instant oatmeal or grits -Blech. 

Called convenience.  Touted in commercials which scream - "too busy to cook" over and over as a mantra.  Laziness and lettuce.  Triflingness (is that a word) - who's really too busy to make a PB&J sandwich?  How about teaching the child or children how to make one for themselves?

Several years ago, I saw an interview with then-hot fitness guru Susan Powter,  She talked about how many fat people were lazy;  too lazy to peel an orange which she said took more effort than tearing opening a bag of chips or something.  Her phrase stuck in my mind because at the time, I realized that I had become that lazy. It was easier to snack on crackers than to peel anything and chop, well, no. That got me on the road to eating more fruit.  I also gradually stopped buying crackers.  Goodbye Ritz.  So long Town House and Waverly wafers.  Much, much easier to resist when they’re not in the cupboard. 

One night last summer, after a day on the computer, I had the urge to quickly fix a peanut butter and jelly sandwich after my husband called and said he wouldn’t want dinner because he’d had a long lunch.  (Cooking dinner and eating with him is one of our shared pleasures except when it’s not.) 

“You’d cook for him, why not make something nice for yourself,” my internal voice said.

Then I heard Susan Powter's voice in my head.  “Lazy, girl,” she bellowed.  So, instead, I made a salad with lettuce, red onion, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, avocado and 5 shrimp that I sautéed with a little olive oil and herbs.  (I would have had all 5 shrimp on my salad except that hubby came home and, despite having said an hour before that he wouldn’t want dinner, smelled the shrimp, saw the salad, so I ended up sharing with him.)

I’d already cleaned and torn up half a head of red leaf lettuce so the salad assembly was easy.  I do this every few days in the summer.

Best way I’ve found to clean lettuce:

Submerge the lettuce in a big bowl of water, changing the water twice.* Then I give the greens a spin in the salad spinner a few times.  Then I lay then on a flat-weave cotton dish towel  - patting them dry of any small bits of moisture that are left.  I put the cleaned lettuce into a container with a tight-fitting lid and it keeps nicely for 2-3 days.

Anyway, no laziness and lettuce here.  No food saintliness either.  Sometimes, especially for breakfast, I will succumb to the lure of a PB&J but, as often, a big bowl of oatmeal with brown-sugar prepared with old-fashioned oats is what I do.  (I haven’t yet tried steel-cut oats.)

Ain’t nothin’ to it but to do it!

*(Can I save this water to water plants with?)

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