Thursday Sips & Nibbles

I am back again with a new edition of Thursday Sips & Nibbles, my semi-regular column where I briefly mention some interesting wine and food items that I have encountered recently.
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1) Last evening I dined at Toro, a Spanish tapas restaurant in the South End, and its quality remains at a high level. The place was quite packed, even on a Wednesday evening though fortunately I did not have to wait for a table. Ate a variety of tapas, including some of their specials such as pork butter on crisp toast. The Uni Bocadillo, a pressed uni sandwich with miso butter and pickled mustard seeds was delicous, with an interesting taste of creamy saltiness. The Mollejas, crispy veal sweetbreads with blood orange and cinnamon, were also very tasty, with a different flavor than I have had before on sweetbreads but which worked well together. And of course the Maíz Asado con Alioli y Queso Cotija, grilled corn with alioli, lime, espelette pepper and aged cheese is a decadent delight and always well worth ordering.

2) The new Flour Bakery in Central Square, Cambridge, is now open. It is located at 190 Massachusetts Avenue, next to Central Bottle, and though I have not been there yet, I am confident it will live up to the quality of the other two Flour Bakeries. I look forward to visiting soon.

3) I should also mention that Chef Joanne Chang has a new cookbook due out this September. Flour: A Baker's Collection of Spectacular Recipes is due out September 29 and is available for preorder on Amazon at a good discount. The book normally sells for $35 but on preorder, you can get it for only $23.10. I am excited as Joanne's banana bread recipe will be in the book, which is one of the best banana breads I have ever had. Just the right moistness and lots of rich banana flavor. Yum! I will definitely be buying this book.

4) Last week, I took a Saké Professional Course and I will be posting about it in much more detail in the near future. But I did want to mention that I passed the exam and now am a Certified Saké Professional. This is a course I strongly recommend if you really want to learn about Saké.

5) My own introductory Saké class, Chilling with Saké, will be held on July 15, from 6-8pm, at the Boston Center for Adult Education. You will learn the basics of Saké and get to taste some interesting Sakés. Sign up ASAP as spaces are limited. I hope to see some of my readers there.