It’s been awhile since our last “Meet the Trucks” interview.  This week we are dusting off the cobwebs and giving you an inside look at Compliments Food Truck! Compliments would not exist without a young couple’s mutual passion for food.  Bobby and Kim, Compliments owners, chefs, and entrepreneurs, met one summer while Bobby was working as a realtor and Kim as a manager of a busy café in Downtown Boston.  Their paths first crossed when one of Bobby’s clients brought Kim along to go apartment hunting.  Soon after meeting they decided to open a business together.

Bobby and Kim’s busy schedules kept them apart during the day.  Their food truck idea was born one summer day on the beach.  Once the idea was born they would never look back or feel hungry again.  Their experience with Roxy’s Grilled Cheese Food Truck, along with the “grease trucks” that frequented Kim’s campus during her time at Rutger’s University, ignited the idea to open a food truck of their own.

Compliments’ engine was slow to start.  After weighing many options, the two chose the route of the good old American Dream.  They bought an empty truck on eBay with the help of family, friends, and sponsors and began building what would be their new beginning.

After months of ordering parts, researching licensing, and refurbishing the truck, Compliments was just about ready to hit the road.  The truck, designed and painted by Bobby and Kim’s friends, made its grand opening at 1842 Beacon Street.  Compliments was a part of Brookline’s Food Truck Pilot Program this past year.  The truck can be found vending throughout Brookline and also at many special events in the area.  Aside from Bobby and Kim’s smiling faces, inside the truck you can find local, fresh, and downright delicious items.

Everything that comes out of the truck is made fresh to order. The “Waited All My Life” hand cut fries are one of their most popular items.  It’s not easy to find a sandwich quite as delicious as the “Falling in Love,” an apple, honey, and goat cheese sandwich.  To view Compliments’ website, click here.

Twitter: @complimentsfoodFacebook: www.facebook.com/ComplimentsFoodTruck

We recently saw this delectable Pink Popcorn Balls on Cara’s Cravings, one of our favorite blogs! These were made for the Power of Pink Breast Cancer Awareness Challenge… a creative way to use Pink and raise awareness.

To read the full blog post, click here.

There is a lot of great Grilled Cheese in Boston and it is certainly a popular topic of discussion at our office… and always a hot commodity at our festivals! With that in mind, we’re super pumped about the 2nd Annual Battle of the (Grilled Cheese)  Sandwich on National Sandwich Day this Saturday. The battle is between two brick and mortar shops, Chez Henri and All Star Sandwich Bar, and Roxy’s Grilled Cheese food truck, which is the reigning champ after winning last year’s battle with their Mighty Rib sandwich.

Bostoninno has all the information here as well as a slideshow of their picks for the 10 best grilled cheese sandwiches in Boston!

We can’t wait to put a spin on one of our favorite traditional cookies – the Oreo! There are many variations of Oreo cookies out there, but you’ve never seen one like this before.  What we have here are Oreo Cookies & Cream Cupcakes.  This recipe, first seen on My Sweet Life, received rave reviews.  It is simple to make, and these treats are likely to put a smile on everybody’s faces involved. To view the original blog post and recipe click here.

It’s National Pasta Day! Who doesn’t love pasta?  It tastes great, looks great, and can be made a countless number of ways.  Grab a pot, fill it up, and make your favorite pasta dish! For pasta enthusiasts, a noodle is not just a noodle. Here’s some information to distinguish one type from the next…

Long stranded

Spaghetti is known the world over. Substantial and satisfying, it is the standard for pasta. Thinner spaghetti is spaghettini, which means little twine. Still thinner is vermicelli, little worms. Capellini, thinner yet, is little hairs. The finest of all, coiled capellini d’angelo — angel hair — is used in soups, in light seafood dishes and with finely cut ingredients.

Bucatini is pierced, a thick hollow spaghetti. Fusilli lunghi is long curled spaghetti, and fusilli bucato is both waved and pierced. Ziti and zitoni are long pasta tubes. This long tubular pasta is also called bridegroom’s pasta.

Flat ribbons

Spaghetti alla chitarra is thin square-sided spaghetti made from pasta that includes egg to give it sturdiness. It is cut on a frame of wires. The pasta sheet is laid across and the frame is then “strummed” to cut the pasta. Therefore, it is called guitar-style. Ciriole is a similar but thicker pasta.

Fettuccine are ribbons and very popular pasta. They are often served with rich and creamy sauces. Tagliatelle are thinner ribbons, and the name means little cuts. They might be served with a rich ragu. Lasagna is wider than fettuccine and often has fluted edges.

Pappardelle are thick, flat egg noodles served with a meat sauce, especially one including game. Linguine are little tongues. They famously go with clams but are also served with rich tomato sauces. Mafalde are rectangular ribbons that have been cut short. They are named after heroic Princess Mafalda of Savoy.

Short and shaped pasta

Cannelloni are tubes made to be stuffed and baked. The name means small canes. Manicotti are for stuffing, too. They are ridged, and their name means little muffs. Rigatoni are ridged, slightly curved tubes. The name means lined ones, and they are an ideal shape for catching full-flavored sauces.

Cavatappi are corkscrews. From southern Italy, their charming open spiral is very versatile. Fusilli are also coiled but more tightly than cavatappi. A triple-coiled spiral gives them the name little spindles. Gemelli means twins. Their form is a double-twisted tight spiral.

Penne are tubes with diagonally cut ends. The name means pens, in the sense of old-fashioned quill pens. Penne rigate are ridged pens. Both shapes cling to sauce well.

Clever pasta shapes

Conchiglie are shells. Conchiglioni are large shells that are often stuffed. Farfalle are butterflies, though some call them bow ties. They go with lighter or creamy sauces. Lumacone are snails, deep round shells that are often stuffed as well.

Intricate fiori are very abstract flowers. Rotelle are little wheels. Lanterne are gracefully curved and ridged. The name means lanterns, though the resemblance might be hard to see. Radiatore truly look like old car radiators and are shaped to catch and hold the hearty sauces served with them.

Stuffed pasta shapes

Ravioli need no explanation. A round ravioli with a fluted edge, though, is called a girasole, a sunflower. A square of pasta gathered up around a filing is a sacchette, or purse.

Mezzaluna are half moons, small turnover pasta shapes. Tortellini are small stuffed pasta pillows shaped in a ring and are usually served in broth. Tortelloni are somewhat larger.

Small pasta: pastina

Orzo, a pasta shaped like rice, actually means barley. Funghini are small mushroom shapes, and Acini de pepe are peppercorns. All these shapes are often served in broth.

Stelline, also served in soup, are small pierced stars. They are often a child’s first pasta.

In general, long shapes are bathed in sauces, short shapes are baked or go in thick soups, and small shapes go in broth. There are many exceptions to these rules, though, and many more shapes and styles of pasta, every one worth tasting.

Happy National Pumpkin Pie Day! It is no surprise that pumpkin pie gets its own day. Pumpkin pie induces nostalgia for past fall seasons and Thanksgiving feasts.  It is cheesecake-like in its consistency, but pumpkin pie is definitely in a league of its own.  There’s nothing like it! Cook’s Illustrated claims to have the Best Pumpkin Pie with Homemade Brandied Whipped Cream Recipe. Follow this recipe posted on The Delicious Life Blog!

Cake, cake, cake, cake, cake, cake…

Rihanna’s song rings true today because it’s National Dessert Day! That’s right. It’s not even your birthday, but you’ll want to indulge today. We’re highlighting a couple of different desserts for your choosing since we know everyone has a different palate when it comes to sweets.

We saw these Halloween-appropriate brownies on the Cupcakes and Cashmere Blog!

Click here for the original blog post and recipe.

If chocolate’s not your thing and you’re searching for something a bit more seasonal to hit the spot, try these mini pumpkin pie bites we saw on Bakerella!

Click here for the original blog post and recipe.

A big thank you to the food trucks, foodie corp volunteers, and everyone else for coming out this past Saturday! Set in the midst of Framingham’s Shopping Center, Shoppers World, resided our beloved food trucks, a DJ, sample tastings, and more.  We are very grateful to have shared this beautiful Fall Saturday with all of your smiling faces and hopefully by the end of the day, full bellies, on Saturday.  Check out this video, which highlights The Framingham Food Truck Festival!

Cauliflower Fritters from The Dining Car Food Truck

To read more about The Framingham Food Truck Festival, click here.

We hope to see many of you on October 20th for the Newport Food Truck Festival! Click here for more information.

Apple season is officially here, why not try something new with your peck of apples sitting on your counter top?! This week we’re craving apples recipes as a whole, especially the caramel apple cupcakes shown below!

Image courtesy of the Girl Who Ate Everything and the recipe can be found here.

Today is National Vegetarian Day! Luckily, you do not have to be a vegetarian to celebrate like one. Everyone can enjoy a vegetarian meal such as,

Homemade Potato Chips from Compliments Food Truck

Crispy Cauliflower from The Dining Car

And much more… yum! Want to try some of these delicious meals? Stop by the Framingham Food Truck Festival this Saturday, October 6 and visit our vegetarian friendly trucks.

Bon Me
Boston Super Dog
Chubby Chickpea Mobile
Compliments Food Truck
The Dining Car
Grilled Cheese Nation
Roxy’s Grilled Cheese

Plus for the Pescatarians, we’ll have lots of seafood trucks as well!

Want more information on the Framingham Food Truck Festival this Saturday? Click here.

We decided to take it healthy and local this week with our weekly craving… and voila, we came across this great photo we have of the Broccoli Salad by the Compliments Food Truck! Operated by a local couple (Allston represent!), these guys serve up a lot of buy-local items and healthy fare, plus a lot of gluten-free and vegetarian options! Haven’t checked them out yet? Fear not… they’ll be at both the Framingham Festival on October 6th and the Newport Festival on October 20th. They’ll also be on the Howie Carr Show on WRKO next Friday at 4:00PM.

In honor of National Pancake Day, which was last week, we thought we would share this mouthwatering, fall-inspired pancake recipe found on Healthy Food for Living.  The inspiration for this recipe came from Starbucks’ popular Pumpkin Spice Latte. This is a great, and healthy, way to start off your day. These pancakes are only 330 calories per serving and are high in protein and fiber.

Ingredients:

•  1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 1 tsp cane sugar
• 1 tsp brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• tiny pinch salt
• 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1/4 tsp espresso powder
• 2 Tbsp buttermilk powder
• 1 egg white
• tiny splash pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup brewed coffee or decaf, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup pure pumpkin puree

Directions:

1. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cane sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, pumpkin pie spice, espresso powder, and buttermilk powder.
2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the egg white, vanilla extract, coffee, water, and pumpkin puree.
3. Stir dry ingredients into the wet just until moistened.  Set aside to rest.
4. Heat a large nonstick skillet or griddle over medium heat. Coat with cooking spray.
5. When hot, spoon the batter into the skillet by the 1/4 cupful.
6. When bubbles appear on the surface of the batter, (about 1-2 minutes), the pancakes are ready to be flipped.
7. Flip pancakes and let cook for another minute or so, or until golden brown.

Click here for the original blog post.

Music, horse races, families, and beautiful weather!

We couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful day for The Suffolk Downs Food Truck Festival this past weekend. Thanks to everyone who came out – this was our biggest festival yet!

And for those of you who missed it, our next festival is scheduled for October 6th at  Shoppers World in Framingham, MA. The food truck line-up will include Away Cafe, Bon Me, Boston Super Dog, Captain Marden’s Cod Squad, The Chicken & Rice Guys, The Chubby Chickpea, Compliments Food Truck, The Cookie Monstah, Grilled Cheese Nation, Lobsta Love, Redbones BBQ, and more.

Click here for more information about the Framingham Food Truck Festival

We saw this beautiful Purple Ombre Sprinkles Cake on Raspberri Cupcakes and just had to share this delectable image!

To read the entire blog post and view the recipe, click here!

We just love the look of these flavorful and colorful Taco Roll-Ups!