autumnal clichés

there's nothing like living in houston texas, for nearly a decade, to make one appreciate the splendor of the 4 seasons. when we were living in houston, carl's friend michael (of mike & patty's fame) once sent him an email in october that facetiously suggested he must be enjoying all the wonders of fall: bulky sweaters, apple picking, the rosy-cheeks of the school children...
it's still hot and sticky down there, well into october, but now that we live in the mid-west, we actually do get to experience these seasonal markers. for instance, on sunday, we went apple picking.



the trees were low, and easy for little ones to reach, but since the coveted jonathan variety was almost gone, we still got to do a little bit of searching, to find those precious few that remained. then we filled our bag with golden delicious, and red delicious, and topped it all off with a caramel apple from the quaint little country store.



we used most of the bag for applesauce, which we canned last night. cosmo went through so much of that last winter, i think we'll need to do another batch.



it is so simple: just cut apples in quarters, stick 'em in the biggest pot you can find, with a little bit of water. cook until soft enough to mash with a potato masher (stirring to prevent scorching), then run them through your handy-dandy food mill, to remove the skins and seeds. after that, you just ladle the sauce into the sterilized jars, add a little lemon juice on top (to prevent discoloration), seal the jars, and put into the boiling-water canning bath for 20 minutes. that's it. pure, homemade, nothin-but-apples-applesauce. yum.



we have also been gleaning the fallen pears from a lovely neighborhood tree. one night, we made a crisp, from the pears, plus some black raspberries we had from earlier in the season. it was heavenly. we'll probably try some pear chutney, or perhaps pear butter? any other pear ideas out there?

mike & patty's

as promised, i will now fill you in on the best little sandwich shop i've ever encountered. since carl's dear friend micheal is one of the owner's of this adorable new hot spot in bay village, it was one of our prime destinations for our day in boston.


a quaint corner store front, johnny cake brand corn meal!
rave reviews for mike & patty's are all over yelp, carrots 'n' cake, among other places on the web, so don't just take my word for it. but believe me when i tell you that the croque madame sandwich michael prepared for me that day, completely spoiled me for the rest of the trip. every time we stopped for a bite to eat on the road home, all i could think about was gruyere and tangy dijon-crème-fraîche-collard-greens, permeated with soft yolk, on perfectly toasted, multi-grain, artisan bread...i will never forget that sandwich! i'm craving it now, but won't ever attempt to reproduce it. i know my culinary limits. oh, and the sandwich came with a tasty and refreshing celery root salad. from what i understand, everything on the menu reaches such heights! those who are lucky enough to have discovered this place, are willing to crowd themselves in, and wait their turn, day after day, for another tasty morsel from mike and patty's affordable breakfast and lunch menu.


outdoor seating, carl looks on as michael works his magic.

the place is tiny. it is little more than a stand, really. there is one long, high table and a counter inside, plus at least one table on the sidewalk. but oh! what they can do in such a small space! during peak times, i hear there's often overflow out into the streets of this charming neighborhood. take-out is always an option, but you'll probably want to eat your sandwich hot, so just pull up a curb and dig in!


that really is a thumbs up! heather + donuts

we arrived just around closing time, so we had the run of the place. carl was thrilled with his sandwich (something involving pulled pork and jicama slaw?), and heather kindly set cosmo up with a bowl of fresh blueberries, and sent us off with a bag of muffins and homemade donuts for breakfast.


peekin' in through the window

cosmo and i also had the exclusive privilege of visiting the employees-only bathroom, down in the basement. we descended through the cellar door, in the floor of the micro kitchen, down some treacherous spiral-type stairs to the crowded storeroom. then we found the step ladder leading up to the itsy-bitsy water closet. all the necessities were there, it was completely sanitary, and cosmo enjoyed being able to (finally!) check out where it all goes, thanks to the exposed (ancient) plumbing, and the ol' timey, elevated toilet tank.


the cellar door

we had some trouble finding church street, and asked a taxi driver. he didn't know, but a guy on the street overheard us and said, "are you looking for mike and patty's?" he told us how to find it, and highly recommended it. considering they have been open less than a year, they've already established quite a reputation. not surprising, the chef, michael fitzhenry, is nothing short of a culinary genius. a breakfast/sandwich shop may seem limited and simple, but whatever fitzhenry takes on, he hones to complete perfection. he goes to great lengths to use the finest ingredients, including organic eggs, and his unforgettable creations will blow you away. his loyal following at his former gig, formaggios, will attest to that.


cosmo, on church street

if you find yourself in the boston area, take the T to the new england medical center stop, and take the short walk (or bike ride) over to 12 church street, for the best sandwich of your life.