petit poule

happy trails

2010-10-06T10:13:00.004-10:00

Yep, that's me in the white dress. And the tall one next to me, that's my husband. We walked down the aisle to Journey after we said our I do's. It was overwhelming and incredible and we're both pretty much walking on air these days.

So, anyway: Changes. I'm retiring this blog. It'll stay up, but no new posts from this one.

...

While I was writing about some awesome champagne poached pears I made last Sunday, I realized that it was time for something new. Though I loved every single thing about those sweet little pears, it felt too heavy to write about the ingredients, and it felt too heavy to write about the process, and for whatever reason...in that moment I was returned to a very unhappy place -- so, that's it! Time to move on.

Thanks for reading all of my cheese-and-butter-laden recipes. Not sure if I'll take up again soon, but if I do, you'll know it.

Thanks for everything, & cheers.

M

souk

2010-07-12T10:54:00.003-10:00

Souk
1208 H Street Northeast

Washington, DC 20002
(202) 658-4224

We popped into Souk last night after finding out the wait at Sticky Rice would be prohibitive to our growling bellies...It's Moroccan tapas. Or, I should say "Moroccan" "tapas." Having had the distinct pleasure of visiting Morocco at the ripe age of 19 to visit my brother for 3 days, I now consider myself an expert on all things Moroccan.

No, not really. I'm not sure what was Moroccan about Souk aside from maybe the pillows. It seemed more like Lebanese fare to me -- kibbeh, kafta, baba gannouj, and the like. We ordered five tapas - large portions for being called small plates. Each of them more average than the last.

It's a good deal at Souk (bill was $35, no drinks), but it's not much else. The kibbeh were too bready, too hamburgery. The kafta was dry and ill-seasoned. The seasoned feta needed the most editing -- a crumbly mess of dry feta and zaatar was not only near flavorless, but baffling. (As a foil, the "crazy feta" which is more or less the same thing at Cava Mezze on 8th street is divine). Second worst was the baba gannouj -- all. wrong. Raw-ish eggplant threads in a milky mixture. No sign of tahini. No sign of roasted eggplant.

SO if you're on H Street -- skip Souk, there's no magic there. Wait it out at Sticky Rice, drop into Taylor Deli for a sandwich, or belly up to the bar at Granville Moore's. Souk...well, Souk sucked. If you like Lebanese mezze, try Neyla in Georgetown or try Cava Mezze on 8th Street.

Grade: D (Won't recommend, won't go back, didn't get food poisoning or go broke eating there).

chesapeake room

2010-06-24T03:42:00.005-10:00

After much anticipation, a new sister restaurant to our favorite Lola's and Molly Malone's opened up on Barracks Row. We waited months to try out the Chesapeake Room, lured by wingback chairs on a large patio and promises of summertime Chesapeake Bay fare. After trying it out for dinner last night -- all I can say is: Hm.

It wasn't BAD...but it wasn't...how to say, worth the $90? To start, after seeing several tables open on the patio when we walked up -- we were told we'd have a 30-45 minute wait. Not a huge deal, but sort of confusing. To continue on that theme, the menu is baffling. Straight up weird. Fried oysters AND wild boar bolognese with pappardelle AND sea food salad and...a bison burger? It's completely strange. ...But it all looks good.

Our waiter recommended the roast chicken and the pork chop, the latter which we've heard rave reviews about but opted out of last night. I ended up splitting some fried oysters with Mr. Tank, while I enjoyed a disappointingly watery cocktail called "Like The Chef" which is lemonade and sweet tea vodka. He ordered the roast chicken breast (which, frankly, looked more like roast breast of game hen), and I had a salad. My salad was great -- but again, puzzling: greens, fennel, duck confit, smoked chicken?, haricot verts, tomatoes, and dried cherries.

All of this is not to deter you, my six readers, from trying out this patio next time you're on Barracks Row. I recommend going late, for drinks on the patio -- and don't miss the fried oysters, they were really delicious. But don't expect to find any crab cakes. Why would they serve crab cakes at a place called the Chesapeake Room, anyway?

High points: Cocktail menu, patio
Low points: Strange food menu, odd decor indoors (think: sailboat meets Red Lobster)

I'll go again, but probably not for dinner. The cost of mediocrity is disappointment, after all.

Grade: C- (Food is only ok, pricey. Go for the oysters and the outdoors and that's it.)

Ted's Bulletin

2010-05-10T03:49:00.004-10:00

Ted's Bulletin, a retro diner-esque eatery, opened last week on Barracks Row on Capitol Hill. This place seemed to appear out of nowhere - but after yesterday's lunch, I can safely say this one will be around for a while. Walking in Ted's is like walking into someplace your grandparents may have enjoyed. They have salvaged some of the original decor from Philadelphia's Civic Center to decorate this place - which is just...the most delightful departure from the tired martini decor that seems to invade most new restaurants these days. They serve shakes AND alcohol AND pastries in the bar/waiting area. There's even a walk-up pastry counter on 8th Street. Each pastry is hand crafted, including such delights as snickerdoodle cookies, chocolate chip scones, croissants, and even homemade strawberry pop-tarts. So, save room for dessert.

The menu is divided into salads, sandwiches, supper, and sides. Yes, supper. There you will find such hearty fare as herb roasted chicken, meatloaf, country fried steak, four cheese lasagna, and ribs. I will be back until I can try all of their entrees (priced reasonably from $14-24). However, I chose something from their sandwiches menu: I couldn't resist the grilled cheese and tomato soup ($9). The salty bread was grilled perfectly with a creamy layer of good old American cheese in the middle. The tomato soup was seasoned just right - tangy, just the right amount of salt, and very slightly herbal.

Now, Ted's isn't without its faults. For instance, I had been drooling over their hand-cut french fries speckled with sea salt since I caught a glimpse of them when we went in. Imagine my disappointment when they ran out of these fries, and instead served me a plate of wan ore-ida shoestrings. We also ordered a side of macaroni and cheese with andouille -- and not a trace of andouille in the thing. I'll chalk it up to the newness of things, and let it be at that.

Other reviews I've read on Ted's tout their milkshakes as among the best they've had. I may try one out on my next visit, if only for the novelty of eating ice cream out of a soda glass. Ted's opens early (7 a.m.) and closes late. You can get breakfast all day. If you're looking for a good, solid place to eat -- try Ted's. I promise you won't be disappointed -- this place is for real, and real good.

cobb salad

2010-04-29T01:56:00.002-10:00

Sometimes, the stars align...and magic happens. The other night, I happened to have 80% of the ingredients for cobb salad...with a quick stop to Eastern Market for chicken and avocado, I was all set to make magic happen. (And--oh yes, there's bacon in this salad, it's under the chicken.) Now, anyone can make a cobb salad. The instructions here are how to make the best cobb salad (with very crisp bacon, perfectly cooked egg, and tender chicken). With just a few simple tricks this salad is transformed from a bar menu snore to a weeknight victory.

Cobb salad
Serves: 2
Prep time/cook time: 40 minutes

You'll need:

2 heads of baby romaine lettuce
2-3 oz. blue cheese, crumbled
4 slices bacon
2 chicken breasts
2 eggs
1 very ripe avocado
12 cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 C. dressing of your choice
Olive oil
Salt & Pepper

First, preheat your oven to 375. Lay your chicken breasts on a foil lined baking sheet, brush your chicken breasts with olive oil, and season both sides of the chicken liberally with salt and pepper. Roast, uncovered for 40-45 minutes, depending on how big your ...um....breasts...are...

Next, wash and dry your romaine leaves. Chop the romaine (I like mine in 1/4" ribbons). Portion the romaine out into two big salad bowls or plates, and place those plates with the lettuce in the refrigerator until you're ready to assemble your salad.

For perfect hard-boiled eggs -- place two cold eggs in a small pot, fill with cold water, cover, and bring pot to a boil. As soon as the water boils, remove the pot from the heat, and set a timer for 9 minutes. After the 9 minutes are up, rinse the eggs in cold water, peel, and slice.

Bacon can be tricky and messy. Here's a trick for perfect bacon every time: Lay bacon in a single layer on a foil-lined baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until bacon is looking like it's almost ready. Then, take the bacon out of the oven, place on a plate lined with paper towels, and microwave for 1 minute. Voila - extra crisp bacon, extra easy. For this salad, chop your bacon once it's crispy.

After 40-45 minutes, check on your chicken. Remove it from the oven, and place a foil tent over the pan for 10 minutes. The chicken will continue to cook, but this also allows the juices to re-distribute within the meat, so you won't end up with dried-up chicken bits on your salad.

When you are ready to assemble, remove your greens from the fridge. Dress them to your liking. In rows, place the tomatoes, then the egg, then the blue cheese, then the bacon. Dice your chicken and place that in another 'row' on top of your greens. Finally, just before you are ready to serve -- cut an avocado in half, score it into cubes with a knife, and scoop out 1/2 avocado on top of each salad (season with salt and pepper if you wish).

Enjoy!

carboloading

2010-04-27T02:07:00.002-10:00

First, an apology about the photography on this site. I'm using my iPhone. Enough said. Still, I hope the photos don't discourage you from the recipes, which -- scout's honor -- are solid! Here's a recipe for spaghetti carbonara. This is the exact recipe I learned in Rome (well, almost -- that recipe included peas, which I didn't have last night). Here you go!

Spaghetti Carbonara
Serves: 2.5
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes

You'll need:

1/2 lb. spaghetti
4 egg yolks
1 C. fresh grated parmesan cheese
5 strips bacon
1/2 C. pasta water
1/2 T. black pepper

First, preheat your oven to 375. Bring a large pot of water to boil, and salt it generously. Place 5 strips of bacon on a lined baking sheet for 10-12 minutes until bacon is crispy. When bacon is done, drain it well and chop it.

When water is boiling, cook pasta according to package directions.

Meanwhile, separate 4 eggs -- place the yolks in a large bowl. Next, grate 1 C. parmesan cheese over the egg yolks. Add 1/2 T. black pepper. Whisk well. This will be a pretty sticky mixture.

When the pasta is done, turn off the heat. Don't drain the pasta water -- use 1/2 C. and slowly (slowly) trickle this 1/2 C. into the egg mixture while whisking rapidly. You don't want scrambled egg pasta, so this is a very important step. When the eggs/cheese have been tempered, use a tongs to transfer the pasta from the pot to the egg mixture. Mix well, taste, and adjust seasonings to your liking. This is also the part where you would add 1 C. frozen peas if you felt like keeping with the tradition.

To serve, pile up a big mound in a bowl and top with more parmesan and chopped bacon. You will marvel how five ingredients (two of which are breakfast items) can become such a decadent, flavorful, satisfying dinner! Enjoy.

old school, new school

2010-04-25T03:16:00.006-10:00

The old new school: Julia Child chefing on the set of "The French Chef"

The new new school: Canadienne Laura Calder posing with some vegetables.

The Food Network has done a lot for the home chef, there's no denying that. From tent-clad Ina Garten to "chi-potol-ay" slinging Bobby Flay -- there are many loyal followers of their personalities. Like all good things, the Food Network is growing up, and it's growing out of its old, easy ways -- enter the Cooking Channel, the newer, more honest, more hand-wrought spin-off of the Food Network.

What am I talking about? Gone will be the days of packet-opening, corner-cutting chefing. The focus now will be on the basic question that has permeated food discussions for the last ten years: where does our food come from? Peppered in, too, are new, more authentic instructional cooking shows -- no more Italian Americans cooking Italian food -- Cooking Channel is giving us a REAL Indian cooking real Indian food, a real Canadian cooking French food! ...Wait, what?

Nobody has dared touch French Cooking since our darling Julia Child entered the American kitchen with her show, "The French Chef." Sure, Ina Garten will walk us through a sole mariniere, or an apple tart tatin (and surely her methods are no less authentic!), but we've been missing the French Chef in our TV diets. No more, thanks to the Food Channel's daring choice of Laura Calder - a trained journalist whose focus shifted to food. She'll be gracing our living rooms with "French Food at Home" -- a nice homage to our friend Julia, who wanted nothing more than the average American to enjoy the pleasures of French cooking in the comfort of their homes.

The cooking Channel will debut on May 31, but Ms. Calder's show has aired for years in Canada, making for plenty available YouTube clips! On the Cooking Channel - will she endear us all by flipping an omelet directly onto her hot plate? Or will she disappoint with uninspired standbys? Can't wait to find out.

More reading:
Newcomer to Food Television Tries for a Little Grit (NYT)

10 things that are always in my pantry

2010-04-22T11:02:00.006-10:00

1) Black pepper. Don't underestimate the power of this spice!
Favorite dish featuring black pepper: spaghetti cacio e pepe

2) Whole wheat penne pasta.
Favorite penne pasta recipe: penne arrabiata.
3) Which brings me to my third ingredient of choice -- pepper flakes. I put pepper flakes on pasta (any pasta), on soup (in any soup), on pizza, thai takeout...pretty much everything except my oatmeal.
4) A block of Parmesan cheese is always in my refrigerator.
Favorite thing to do with parmesan: on top of lemon pasta. See #5.

5) Lemons. Always in my fridge. Great to make chicken piccata, lemon pasta, or put in your water if you wanna.
Favorite lemon recipe: Lemon Spaghetti.
6) Olive oil. Extra virgin. Everybody should have this in their kitchen. My favorite thing to do with olive oil is to drizzle it over charred bread, after it's been rubbed with a clove of garlic. Sprinkle with salt and you have REAL garlic bread.
7) Crushed tomatoes. Perfect in arrabiatta sauce (mentioned above)...or for a hundred other things. Try this out next time you're making simple spaghetti: Pour can of crushed tomatoes in a sauce pot. Cut an onion in half, remove peel. Drop onion halves in crushed tomatoes. Add 1/2 t. salt. Simmer for 30 minutes, longer is better (lid on!). Just before serving, remove onion from sauce, discard (or eat!), and stir in 4 T. butter to tomatoes. Toss with hot spaghetti, and be prepared for about a million compliments.

8) Canned albacore tuna in water. Great on salad, or mixed in with some roasted tomatoes for a quick puttanesca sauce. Not a gourmand item, no, but cheap, easily available, and good for a million different things. Try sauteeing it with a couple cloves of garlic in 1 T. olive oil. Add some tomatoes, cover, let the tomatoes burst. Add some red pepper flakes, capers, and toss with pasta -- easy!

9) Bread crumbs. Try this: Pour 2 T. olive oil in a skillet over low heat. Pour in 3/4 C. bread crumbs, stir 'til oil is absorbed. Watch carefully as they brown, remove when fragrant and toasted. Grind black pepper into the crumbs. Toss with hot spaghetti and top with parmesan -- enjoy some carb on carb crime.

10) Good French sea salt. You need it. For everything.

tortellini soup

2010-04-21T08:13:00.003-10:00

It's going to be raining in Washington, D.C. for the next six days. I've had a cold for the past seven. This whole thing is really not looking up for me -- but I tell you what I just did over my lunch hour: I made really awesome tortellini soup. That's right, in 1 hour, I went to the store, got the ingredients (all five), went home, and in a half an hour, I was enjoying a piping hot bowl of soup. Now I feel invincible. Try it:

Tortellini Soup
Serves: 6
Prep time: 10 mins
Cook time: 10 mins

You'll need:

1 package cheese tortellini (I used about half of a "family sized" Buitoni package)
1 box organic chicken stock
1 28 oz. can chopped tomatoes
8 oz. baby spinach (pre-washed if possible)
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 T. olive oil for sauteeing

Optional:
-Red pepper flakes, salt for seasoning
-Parmesan for sprinkling on top
-Basil for sprinkling on top

Easy easy directions:
Chop the onion, chop the garlic. Heat 1 T. olive oil over medium heat, sautee until soft, about 8 minutes. Add the chicken stock, and the tomatoes (with juices). Let them come to a simmer. Add spinach, and finally, add the tortellini. Simmer for 8 minutes with lid half-on, add water to pot if too thick. Check seasonings, adjust, and serve.

urb garden

2010-03-18T10:25:00.003-10:00

Another new adventure! I planted some herbs in my kitchen. I had a west-facing window. I got some pots and some dirt and some seeds from the hardware store. I planted them, watered them every day, and three weeks later, here they are! From left to right, you'll see: cilantro, rosemary, thyme, and basil (purple and large-leaf Italian). Taking a page out of Nonnie's book, again, I'm hoping to have a healthy harvest all summer long from my herban urb garden.

health/food

2010-03-18T10:14:00.002-10:00

Not hugely creative, here, but I had to share my latest favorite lunch. Tuna & white bean salad, inspired by standby Senate-side eatery Neb's.

Despite my budding future plans to open a pommes frites shop in DC, I have a distinct fear of mayonnaise. Most tuna salad uses mayonnaise. Therefore, I don't eat much tuna salad. Neb's is different, they don't. This is a great salad that is packed with protein and fiber, and it definitely won't break the bank. Hope you enjoy!

Tuna & White Bean Salad
Servings: 1

For tuna salad:

1 can white albacore tuna in water
1/4 C. white beans, drained (cannellini)
1 t. capers
1 t. mustard
1 t. balsamic vinegar
Greens (3-4 oz.)
Tomatoes
Other toppings as you like (i.e. bell peppers, kalamata olives, tomatoes)

Dressing:

1 T. olive oil
1 t. balsamic vinegar
Salt & Pepper

In a bowl, combine tuna, cannellini beans, capers, mustard, balsamic vinegar. Mix well until combined. Dress greens with olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper, top with tuna, add other toppings as you like. I eat this salad with a few stoned-wheat crackers - tuna & white beans make a great topping for those, too! Enjoy.

Spreading the Gospel of Pioneer Woman

2010-03-10T12:26:00.006-10:00

I first learned about Pioneer Woman through my friend Hilary who can do it all: blog, chef, plus hold down a sweet life in NYC. So began my love affair with PW. I came for the carbonara, I stayed for the love story. I've been hooked ever since. Last weekend I attended a ladies-only brunch affair (read: mimosas, mimosas, mimosas, maybe a bar crawl). I brought Pioneer Woman's French Breakfast Puffs (mostly because they looked like the most feasible thing to make without a stand mixer, which I don't own. Yet.) So, In an ode to PW, here's her recipe, with some sad, low-res iPhoto photos:

First, you have to measure the flour, baking powder, nutmeg, and salt. Mix 'em up. That was a boring picture. Then you have to mix together (shudder) Crisco and sugar. That was an unappetizing picture. Then you have to cream them together while gradually adding milk, which is what I was doing here.

And then add some more flour, stir until your arm gets tired/batter is smooth.

This seemed to match the photo in PW's coobook, so I called it quits. At this point in real life behind the lens, Bram was annoyed I wasn't paying any attention to him, so he popped into the kitchen wearing an outfit that matched mine. Nobody tell him he's not funny.

Then I measured everything into mini muffin tins. The real recipe says to use regular sized muffin cups but I really don't like big muffins so I put the kibosh on that one. The next few parts are the best:

Bake for 18-20 minutes in a 350 oven. The nutmeg smells amazing at this point.

Then, while they're still warm, dunk them into a vat of melted butter. After that, roll them around in a vat of cinnamon sugar. It was a messy job, but someone had to do it.

In conclusion, these were pretty good if you like butter and cinnamon sugar and muffins, which apparently all women like as I learned at the ladies'-only brunch.

Here's the real recipe with better photos and fewer stories about Bram:
http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2007/12/french_breakfast_puffs/

Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Servings: 12

Ingredients

3 cups Flour
3 teaspoons Baking Powder
1 teaspoon Salt
½ teaspoons Ground Nutmeg
1 cup Sugar
⅔ cups Shortening (Crisco)
2 whole Eggs
1 cup Milk
1-½ cup Sugar
3 teaspoons Cinnamon
2 sticks Butter

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease 12 muffin cups.

In a large bowl stir together flour, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg. Set aside.

In a different bowl, cream together 1 cup sugar and shortening. Then add eggs and mix again. Add flour mixture and milk alternately to creamed mixture, beating well after each addition.

Fill prepared muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until golden.

In a bowl, melt 2 sticks butter. In a separate bowl combine remaining sugar and cinnamon. Dip baked muffins in butter, coating thoroughly, then coat with cinnamon-sugar mixture.

An Ode to Nonnie on Superbowl Sunday

2010-02-07T07:35:00.003-10:00

Happy Superbowl Sunday! To my knowledge, my Nonnie never cared about football, or was ever really part of the football-watching culture in general, however, if she knew what kind of a food following these kinds of occasions provided -- she'd be all about it. We're hosting tonight, and for the occasion, I'm making meatballs. If you live near me, you've probably eaten one of these numbers at some point, and if not, I'm sorry. But you can make them yourself!

Check it out -- my cousin and I (mostly my cousin) published all of our Nonnie's handwritten recipes. We couldn't resist throwing a few of our own favorite recipes in the mix, and you can find them all in this wonderful volume:

For $20 (plus $5 shipping), you can bring Nonnie into your kitchen -- and trust me, there's NOTHING like Nonnie in the kitchen.

Here's the meatball recipe I'll be using today, just to whet your appetites:

Meatballs

You’ll need:
Equal parts beef, pork, and veal –totalling 2.5 lbs.
1 onion, grated
3 cloves of garlic, crushed
½ to 3/4 C. cup plain bread crumbs
2 T. tomato paste
1 T. dried oregano
½ C. chopped flat leaf Italian parsley
½ C. parmesan
1 egg

Sauce:
1 28 oz. can crushed San Marzano tomatoes
1 small can chopped San Marzano tomatoes
1 cup good red wine

Method:
Mix meat lightly, just until ingredients are combined – careful not to overmix. Make into balls the size of golf balls – and sautee in batches until browned. Transfer to a baking pan. Deglaze pan with wine, add tomatoes & salt to taste. Pour sauce over sautéed meatballs in baking dish, cover with parchment paper then tinfoil, and bake at 300 degrees for 2 hours (or more, if you're a glutton for punishment--your house will smell too amazing to wait to eat these). Enjoy on their own, with your favorite pasta, with garlic bread, or in a bun as a sandwich!

Salute!

the more things change...

2010-02-07T07:30:00.002-10:00

The more they stay the same.

Yep, still watching the Food Network as much as time allows. And, still hating on Sandra Lee. She cooks like a B-rate caterer, and drinks like one too. There's really no need for her to be on TV. Yuck.

pulse?

2010-01-11T05:54:00.004-10:00

That's the theme for 2010. I can't believe it's 2010. An apology if you've actually been trying to follow this blog - you know, clicking the link, hoping for something tasty, and disappointed to find the same "Vini, Vidi, Vace" post for months. Here's the thing - I moved 3 (yes, three) times in 2009. That's three times signing up on usps.com and changing my address. Three times changing all my billing information for every single account. Three times hauling my belongings all over the District of Columbia. And, in none of these places did I ever hook up the internet. So, I'm finally settled and I have a really lovely little kitchen to cook in, and I'm newly engaged, and I'm all kinds of happy to get on with my life. And my internet's getting installed on Friday.

Usually I like to do a review of the ups and downs of the past year...but, in the vein of starting things on a positive note, I'm going to give you a list of my 2009 highlights:

-Along with my really wonderful cousin and aunt, published a cookbook!
**visit www.nonnieskitchen.com if you're interested in ordering one.

-My best friend asked me to marry him

I'm still cooking - but less, as I don't have a dishwasher who isn't also my fiance. I moved near Eastern Market - my favorite is taking $10 to the market and finding out what I can make for dinner with it - there have been a lot of roasted chickens with sweet potatoes and parsnips. You can't beat it, really. Anyway, I'm back with my cookerings, can't wait to have the internets turned on in my apartment. As always, thanks for visiting the blog, and cheers to 2010.

vini, vidi, vace!

2009-05-07T09:42:00.004-10:00

Vace Italian Deli
3315 Connecticutt Avenue
NW Washington DC 20008
(202) 363-1999
www.vaceitaliandeli.com

What's better than a couple good friends, a rainy day, a great movie, and a couple yum-azing pizzas? Almost nothing, that's what. Go, see, and eat some pizza from Vace!

Crust: Not thin, not thick. Strikes the perfect in-between balance.
Sauce: Slightly sweet, just like I like it.
Cheese: Ample, fresh, gooey.
Toppings you shouldn't miss: Pepperoni - sliced fresh from their deli.

Thanks, CC, for showing me some of the District's finest!

NPR's $10 Recipe Challenge

2009-05-07T09:31:00.004-10:00

Forget Sandra Lee - NPR's got the money-saving, food-making game all wrapped up. Check out this awesome list of $10 recipes (including a decadent Mac-n-cheese by the Neelys, a skate dish from a former Navy Chef, and Jose Andres' family favorite stew):

How Long Can You Go? $10 Meals

Thanks, H, for sending this my way!

From a post I did a while ago, "Ten Meals for Ten Bucks," here's one of MY favorite $10 recipes!

LEMON PASTA

What to buy:

Barilla PLUS Thin Spaghetti, 1 lb. $1.75

1 5 oz. pkg. Stella Parmesan - $4.49

3 lemons - $3.00

Total: $9.24

What to do: Put a large pot of water on to boil, and add at least 2 T. salt into the water. Meanwhile, grate the entire block of parmesan, and juice the lemons, taking care to remove any seeds. While the pasta is cooking, whisk together the lemon juice, plus 1/4 C. olive oil, plus 1 t. salt and plenty of black pepper. When the pasta is al dente (about 9 mins), don't drain it - instead use a tongs to move the pasta from the boiling water to the bowl with the lemon juice/olive oil. When pasta has been combined with lemon juice and olive oil - add 1 C. pasta water into the bowl. Toss until absorbed (2 mins), then begin to incorporate about 1/2 the grated parmesan (you can use the other half of the parmesan to top each individual plate, if you like a lot of parmesan, which I do). Enjoy!

sunday at noon: more sandra lee

2009-05-05T11:55:00.004-10:00

THANKS Food Network! Just what I have always wanted...MORE SANDRA LEE. I've been thinking for a long time: if only I knew of more ways to throw myself at my dinner guests while serving them near inedible food and toxic cocktails...

This Sunday at noon, the Food Network is debuting a second show hosted by Sandra Lee. This time, it's called "Sandra's Money Saving Meals." I'm all about saving money on food, so, under most circumstances I feel like I'd be all about watching this show.

As I have documented in the past, I really can't explain how much Sandra Lee bothers me. If you're new here (welcome!), this should help explain it: I just did a search for Sandra Lee on YouTube. The following "suggested searches" came up:

sandra lee drunk
sandra lee semi-homemade
sandra lee hot
sandra lee bikini
sandra lee cake
sandra lee beach
sandra lee cocktail

Le sigh. Anyway, I am curious to see what this new show is all about, and whether or not it will soften my harsh views on her or fan the flame...The only thing I think Sandra Lee likes is, well, more Sandra Lee.

pasta with brown butter & parmesan

2009-05-04T10:13:00.006-10:00

I'm not doing my butt any favors with this one - but the simplicity and just plain YUM of this pasta are worth sharing, swimsuit season be damned. This is one of those recipes that I remember eating when I was knee high (with alphabet pasta and parmesan from a can)...except this version uses an upgrade on all the ingredients, and a simple twist on one ingredient. These small changes produce something that is at once complex and familiar, elegant but comforting. Enjoy...

Pasta with brown butter & parmesan
Prep time: 0
Cook time: 10 minutes
Serves: 2

You'll need:
8 oz fettucine or spaghetti (DeCecco fettucine in the nests is my favorite)
4 T. good quality creamery butter
1/4 C. parmesan, fresh grated

Here's how:
First, put a pot of water on to boil. Once the water is at a rolling boil, add 2 T. salt. Boil pasta according to package directions (if using fresh pasta, this will only take 2-3 minutes, dried will take longer).

Next, in a skillet over low heat, melt the butter. Let the butter foam. Swirl it around once or twice, then put the butter back on, and let the butter foam again - this time the foam should be golden yellow (will take about 6-7 minutes for the butter to go from solid to golden)... When you see this foam, remove the pan from the heat - you should be able to smell it now. If you burn or over-cook the butter, discard it and start over.

When the pasta is ready, use a pair of tongs to transfer the pasta from the boiling water to the pan with the brown butter in it. Toss lightly. Place in serving bowls, and top with a few T. fresh grated parmesan.

Simple, simple, simple, mmmmmm...

fat kid treats

2009-04-24T03:56:00.007-10:00

Midnight Snacks with Vanessa: Round 4,432,589,932.

Vanessa and I lived together in Rome. We caused a ruckus, regularly. She came to town and her flight got canceled, we did what we do best. Here's just one of the many fat kid treats we could've created.

Supplies: Whole wheat honey flavored English Muffins, chocolate chips, chunky peanut butter. Major bonus points if your chocolate chips are celebrating their 3rd anniversary and you found the English Muffins in the bottom of your refrigerator. Step 1: Use a fork to split open the English muffins. Put them on a sheet pan. Butter them (preferably with butter that comes out of a tub, a huge tub), and bake them for 10 minutes.

Next, peanut butter [jelly!] time! Spread peanut butter on top of toasted buttery English muffin halves. Peanut butter is HILARIOUS.

Oh, and find a banana that has approximately 1 more day in its life before it looks like a fossil. Slice it up. Put it on top of the peanut butter and English muffin.

Sprinkle your finest aged chocolate chunks over the bananas...

Yeah, keep going.

The room should look like this. If it doesn't: midnight snax, ur doing it rong.

Put the English muffins and the banana and the chocolate back in the oven for a few minutes until the chocolate looks shiny. That means it's melty. Mmm...melty. Oooh, and sprinkle some cinnamon over the top of it. Because cinnamon is delicious.

Eat. Share. Watch out for rogue Kardashians, overly friendly squirrels, and lastly, I definitely don't recommend any strenuous activity such as Dance Dance Revolution.

These are seriously delicious. We need your help. What should we call them?
1) Fat Kid Treats
2) Chunky & Mullet's Midnight Moonpie
3) ___________ [write your own]

Leave your suggestions & email address in the comments...winner gets a prize.

caprese pasta salad

2009-04-19T05:31:00.004-10:00

The time has finally come, friends. The return of the backyard BBQ season is easily one of my favorite times of the year. Yesterday, with 83 degrees!, was the perfect opportunity to partake. A long stroll on the National Mall followed by some Eastern Market grocery shopping is just what the doctor ordered. This easy, wonderful pasta salad will be a welcome addition to any BBQ you may attend:

Caprese Pasta Salad

Serves: 6

Prep time: As long as it takes for water to boil.

Cook time: 5-10 minutes.

Ingredients:

1 pint grape tomatoes, rinsed, halved
1 container ciliegine mozzarella, chopped
6 oz. pesto
1 lb. fusili pasta

Because this recipe has only four ingredients, it is important that you buy very good quality of each ingredient (and thanks to JCO for procuring these ingredients!). Moving on:

Put a pot of water on the stove to boil. Halve the tomatoes, and chop the mozzarella. Season with salt to taste. Cook your pasta in boiling, salted water, according to package directions, drain, and rinse with cool water until pasta is no longer hot. Drain again well. Add to bowl with mozzarella, tomatoes. Add pesto, and toss to combine. Check the seasonings, then salt to taste. Enjoy!

Eastern Market

306 7th Street, SE (Between Pennsylvania and Independence, on 7th Street, SE)

Washington, D.C. 20003

www.easternmarket.net

friday lunch WIN

2009-04-17T09:47:00.004-10:00

La Loma

316 Massachusetts Ave NE
Washington, DC 20002

(202) 548-2550‎

A longtime hill staffer favorite, there is nothing better than the first noontime recess margarita. Oh, sweet, sweet goodness...Don't miss: Fajitas al carbon, quesadillas, and of course, their margaritas.

i could cry

2009-04-16T16:22:00.003-10:00

Today, I went shopping at Safeway, planning to buy groceries for dinner (herb grilled chicken, Israeli couscous, and zucchini)...I showed up and ... the place was nearly empty. Shelves, vacant. Freezer section, empty. It was as if I had walked into ...Soviet Safeway. But what of my beloved Social Safeway! What of the Georgetown students, the wealthy older women, the erstwhile eye candy?

As I checked out, here's what I learned...
Me: So, what's with the empty shelves?
She: Um, the store is closing.
Me: WHAT?! FOREVER!?
She: For like a year. They're renovating.
Me: [Speechless, tears coming.]

OK. So, Social Safeway is closing for a year (and despite living a mere two blocks away and shopping there almost every single day, I may be the last person to know this). This is incredibly lame. Where will I buy thin cut chicken breasts? Quaker oatmeal? COFFEE MATE!? I may not survive.

Photo: That sign cracked me up. For days. Not only because of the obvious "Jan. 23th! ONLY!" but also the meatloaf. Also, if you look closely - it was posted above some sort of artificially colored gelatin-esque substances and mayonnaise-based foods. How apros pos...

Anyway. Here's what's happening: www.socialsafeway.com. Oh, and you best believe I signed up for the mailing list/updates. If you need me, I'll be quietly crying in the corner, near our empty fridge...

just for the halibut: in which i try new things

2009-04-15T03:56:00.007-10:00

L to R: Lemons, Cilantro, Feta, Tomatoes, Olives, Shallot, Quinoa, Halibut, Black Beans.
Oh, and wine.

Salad, halfway there...

Ta-da! The finished product...None too photogenic, but plenty tasty.

For as much as I talk, you'd think I'd be more adventurous in the kitchen. I'm not, and there are a couple reasons for this: 1) I am a creature of habit and comfort, 2) There is an unsaid 1-strike-and-you're-out policy at my house. Meaning, if I make something once and it doesn't turn out well - I can forget about making it again. Le sigh.

Last night, I decided to pull out all the stops and try my hand at cooking fish and quinoa (thanks for the push, JCO!). Knowing I had but one shot at this - I did my best to find recipes that use a ton of fresh flavors we already know and love. I found a couple of good recipes, and of course completely messed with them to make them my own. Original recipes, and my method, below:

Original Recipes via Epicurious.com:
Black Bean And Tomato Quinoa Salad
Halibut with Chimichurri

OK, now, a couple of points:

Quinoa - BUY THIS! It's super healthy, has a mouth feel like couscous but tastes better.
Halibut - Buy fresh. Should be firm, and not smelly. Cook skin-on, then peel skin off before serving.

OK, now for the good stuff:

Quinoa Salad with Sauteed Halibut & Chimichurri
Serves: 2
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes

For the fish:

2 halibut steaks, 6-8 oz. each
2 cloves of garlic
1/4 C. really good olive oil
1 shallot
3/4 t. red pepper flakes
1/4 C. lemon juice, fresh
1 T. cilantro
1/4 C. chopped green olives
1 t. salt
Pepper

To make chimichurri, combine olive oil, lemon juice, pepper flakes, chopped cilantro, finely chopped garlic, and finely chopped shallot in a dish. Whisk to combine. Salt to taste. Let sit for 20 minutes. Before pouring over fish - add chopped olives. (Not in original recipe, but I like the bitter saltiness of the olives).

To cook the halibut, put 1 T. olive oil in bottom of nonstick skillet (if using grill, be sure to oil the grill racks AND the fish). Season the non-skin side of the fish with salt and pepper. Place fish in skillet, non-skin-side down first, for 4 minutes. Turn to skin-side-down, sautee for an additional 4 minutes, or until fish is no longer opaque. You may finish this in the oven, by covering your skillet and putting in a 300^ oven for a few minutes.

For the Black Bean, Tomato, & Quinoa Salad
Serves: 2 (main course)

You'll need:

1 cup quinoa
2 cups water
1/4 C. olive oil
1/4 C. lemon juice
1/4 C. chopped cilantro
2 cups chopped tomatoes
1 sm. can black beans, drained and rinsed
Feta, if you want
salt & pepper to taste

First, put a pot of water on the stove to boil (like rice, quinoa uses a 1:2 quinoa-to-water ratio). Salt the water before you put the quinoa in.

Next, chop tomatoes and cilantro. Drain and rinse black beans, stir to combine. Make the dressing with cilantro, lemon juice, olive oil, and salt and pepper.

When quinoa is done cooking, about 15 minutes, (should be soft but not mushy when you bite it), fluff it with a fork, and then stir to combine with beans and tomatoes. Add dressing, stir.

To plate! Make a bed with quinoa salad. Add feta if you want. Place fish on top of quinoa salad. Spoon chimichurri sauce over top. Garnish with lemon wedges. And then take a deep bow for making such an awesome meal.

chicken parm

2009-04-14T05:58:00.005-10:00

Chicken Parmesan, which is almost neither of those things, is still a comforting way to end a long, cold Monday. So, that's just what we did.

Chicken Parmesan
Serves: 4
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes

You'll need:

4 chicken breasts, pounded to 3/4" even thickness
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup flour
Salt/Pepper
2 T. oregano
3 cups Panko Breadcrumbs
6 oz. mozzarella (part skim/low moisture) cheese
4 T. parmesan cheese, shredded
1 lb. spaghetti
32 oz. tomato spaghetti sauce*(like Prego)
4 T. olive oil to sautee

*This is one of the rare occasions when I will suggest using your favorite pre-made spaghetti sauce instead of making your own with crushed tomatoes. Partly because it's easier, and partly because this dish is all kinds of inauthentic Italian, and it's fun to keep with that theme.

To make:
1) Pound chicken breasts to even, 3/4" thickness. Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 350 degrees, and put a pot of water on to boil.

2) Lay out 3 dishes for breading: flour (seasoned with salt, pepper, and oregano), egg, and panko.

3) Bread the chicken breasts - dip in flour, shake off excess, dip in egg, then in panko breadcrumbs. Important: Let chicken stand for 10 minutes after breading or else your breading will end up in your pan and not on your chicken.

4) Sautee your chicken in olive oil until crust is golden, about 4 minutes per side. Do NOT crowd the pan, cook in batches.

5) On a baking sheet, lay browned chicken out in a single layer. Top each piece with 2 T. spaghetti sauce, plus 1/2 C. mozzarella cheese, then 1 T. parmesan cheese.

6) Bake chicken in 350 oven for 10-15 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly and melted.

7) Cook pasta according to package directions in boiling, salted water, drain, and mix with spaghetti sauce.

8) To plate: Put spaghetti in bottom of dish. Top with baked, cheesy chicken. Top with more parmesan, if you like. Eat. Yum. (We paired this with a nice Chianti, which was definitely pronounced with a hard "a").

good read: my life in france

2009-04-13T07:06:00.004-10:00

My Life In France
By: Julia Child, Alex Prud'Homme
Available on Amazon.com

A love story, Julia Child's My Life In France takes readers on a stroll with her from her humble beginnings as an earnest homemaker through the ardor and impediments of writing her first cookbook, "Mastering the Art of French Cooking." You'll wonder at her vivid and blissful descriptions of French food (love at first bite!), and laugh with her about her trials as a very tall, indelicate American girl in Paris. If you're looking for a springtime pick-me-up, pick up a copy of this book. Her enthusiasm is absolutely contagious. Bon apetit!

ulah la

2009-04-13T06:07:00.006-10:00

Ulah Bistro
1214 U Street, NW
Washington, D.C. 20009
(202) 234-0123
www.ulahbistro.com

Chic Ulah Bistro sits right across from local favorite Ben's Chili Bowl. The prices are right, and so is the food. I had a chicken and artichoke pizza which was a beautiful thing: big pieces of grilled chicken with tender artichoke hearts and -oh yes- dollops of cream cheese. I am daydreaming about it, still. Don't miss their many brews, their hot, buttery fries, delicious pizzas (big enough to share!) and burgers (turkey, too!), and best of all - the people watching at Ben's across the street.

Thanks, LD and ST for the tip.

happy easter

2009-04-12T05:19:00.003-10:00

mini mac and cheese bites

2009-04-09T07:49:00.003-10:00

I used B's birthday yesterday as an excuse to make these - brilliant, brilliant, brilliant. I can't take credit for this idea - found them here, original source (to whom many thanks are owed) here. Anyway - baked mini mac and cheese bites? Does it get any better? No, no it does not.

I made mac and cheese my usual way, but halved the recipe (for 24 bites). You'll definitely need more if you're making these for a party.

You'll need:
8 oz. elbow macaroni
3 oz. cheddar cheese
1/2 C. grated parmesan cheese
3 oz. fontina cheese
1 C. 2% milk
2 T. butter
1 T. flour
1 t. dry mustard
1 t. black pepper
Sprinkle of cayenne

Cook pasta in boiling, salted water until done - 7 or 8 minutes if using Barilla Plus elbows. Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 350 degress.

To prepare your mini-muffin pan, melt 1 T. butter in small dish, brush inside cups. Sprinkle bottom of cups with some grated parm (probably 2 T. total).

To make your roux for the mac, melt remaining 1 T. butter over low heat. Add 1 T. flour, whisk. Add dry mustard, 1/2 t. salt, pepper, and cayenne. Whisk until a paste. Slowly add milk, whisking. Bring to a bubble. Gradually add in cheese, stir until combined.

Combine cheese sauce and pasta, stir well. Drop by Tablespoonful into mini-muffin pan. Top with more parm. Bake for 15 minutes or until edges begin to brown.

When they are done, let them cool for a few minutes before popping them out (that way the cheese won't melt all over the place, they will hold their shape better, and bonus, won't taste like molten lava in your mouth!)

Enjoy.

P.S. What detox diet...?

spring cleaning

2009-04-01T05:40:00.003-10:00

About this time every year, I start to feel all the macaroni and cheese, meat sauce, and other starch-and-fat-laden foods that have kept me warm and fat and happy all winter. I always try to eat in moderation (Eat a twinkie? Eat a carrot too), I like to get a jump start on my health with the beginning of the season. With great pleasure, I present to you my favorite detox diet (with great thanks to my great friend, CC and her mom whose health and vitality I envy!):

Detox Diet
Day 1: Whole Grains, Fruits, Vegetables, Vegetable Juice
Day 2: Vegetables, Vegetable Juice
Day 3: Vegetable Juice
Day 4: Vegetables, Vegetable Juice
Day 5: Whole Grains, Fruits, Vegetables, Vegetable Juice

It's short, it's straightforward, and it's quite easy to stick by. The goal isn't to be on a restrictive, low-calorie diet - the goal is to eliminate things that are hard for your body to digest (i.e. starch, dairy, meat). Since you'll be eating so much fresh produce, your body will still get plenty of nutrients, so it doesn't leave you particularly tired or low-energy. I will typically have a cup of coffee in the morning and a glass of wine at night, because if I didn't, I'd go nuts.

Here's a sample menu:
Day 1: Vegetables, Fruit, Whole Grains
Breakfast: Oatmeal/Cereal, Coffee
Lunch: Salad with whole grain crackers, olive oil
Snacks: Apples
Dinner: Whole wheat pasta arrabiata, & salad

Day 2: Vegetables & Vegetable Juice
Breakfast: Vegetable Juice & Coffee (or, sliced tomato with salt & olive oil)
Lunch: Big salad w/ Vegetable Juice
Dinner: Roasted tuscan cauliflower, sliced tomatoes

Day 3: Vegetable juice
V-8

Day 4: Vegetables & Vegetable juice
Breakfast: Tomato, Vegetable Juice, Coffee
Lunch: Big salad w/ vegetable juice
Dinner: Eggplant arrabiata, salad

Day 5: Vegetables, Fruit, Whole Grains
Breakfast: Oatmeal, Coffee
Lunch: Salad with whole grain crackers or veggie sub on whole wheat bread
Snacks: Apples
Dinner: Whole wheat pasta primavera, salad

Remember, don't go on any diets unless you're in good physical shape. Check with your doctor if you have questions. And...good luck!

i have no shame

2009-03-16T09:37:00.002-10:00

Did you know you can buy these things at Staples? I've been looking for canned cheese balls forEVER, due to our local grocery stores exceedingly discerning taste, we have not been able to find them. Yeah, so I bought these on Saturday. Along with some print cartridges. And, some paper. Cheesy poofs, ink, paper...Thanks, Staples, for always having just what I need.

strange bedfellows

2009-03-16T04:00:00.004-10:00

Chocolate + Short Ribs + Pasta

Sounds weird, but it was pretty awesome. I have to hand it to Giada, she knows what she's talking about. Here's Giada's recipe (which we followed pretty much to a t, except that 1) we braised ours for 7 hours, needed that much time. 2) added 1 28 oz. can of chopped tomatoes at the end for brightness):

Ingredients

* 3 tablespoons olive oil
* 2 ounces chopped pancetta (about 1/2 cup)
* 2 1/2 pounds short ribs
* Salt
* Freshly ground black pepper
* 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
* 1 medium onion, chopped
* 1 carrot, chopped
* 1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves
* 2 cloves garlic
* 1 (14-ounce) can tomatoes (whole or diced)
* 1 tablespoon tomato paste
* 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves
* 1 teaspoon dried thyme
* 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
* 1 bay leaf
* 2 1/2 cups beef broth
* 3/4 cup red wine
* 1 pound fresh or dried tagliatelle
* 4 to 6 teaspoons shaved bittersweet chocolate

Directions

Place the olive oil in a large heavy soup pot over medium heat. Cook the pancetta until golden and crisp, about 4 minutes. Meanwhile, season the short ribs with salt and pepper, and dredge in the flour. Using a slotted spoon, remove the pancetta from the pan and set aside. Add the short ribs to the pan and brown on all sides, about 7 minutes total.

Meanwhile, combine the onion, carrot, parsley and garlic in a food processor and blend until finely minced. Then add the tomatoes and tomato paste and pulse.

Once the short ribs are browned, carefully add the mixture from the food processor to the pot. Return the pancetta to the pot and stir. Add the rosemary, thyme, oregano, bay leaf, beef broth, and wine. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Remove the lid and simmer for another hour and a half, stirring occasionally. Remove the meat and bones from the pot. Discard the bones. Shred the meat and return it to the pot. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 3/4 teaspoon pepper, or to taste.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes for dried pasta and 2 to 3 minutes for fresh. Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Add the pasta to the pot and stir to combine. Add the reserved pasta liquid 1/4 cup at a time, if needed, to moisten the pasta. Transfer to serving bowls, top each bowl with 1 teaspoon of chocolate shavings. Serve immediately.

best friends

2009-03-09T04:11:00.001-10:00

return to our roots

2009-03-06T05:29:00.008-10:00

Last night's meal was at Agraria on the Georgetown Waterfront. Reviews weren't stellar, and I've definitely fallen victim to paying way too much for not even close to enough quality on the waterfront, so I was hesitant about Agraria. Happily, all my fears were unfounded, and our group enjoyed an hours-long meal, relaxing at the bar...

Agraria: Developed by the North Dakota Farmers' Union, Agraria serves original, modern dishes inspired by ingredients that are farmed using sustainable methods in a contemporary and comfortable setting.

AGRARIA
3000 K St NW # 101
Washington, DC 20007
(202) 298-0003‎
www.agrariarestaurant.com

Don't miss: Tuna & Salmon Tartare, Salads.
We enjoyed: Seared Scallops, Grilled Salmon, Butternut Squash Ravioli, and I had the Grilled Polenta (which came with a lively caponata, steamed spinach, and a peppery arugula oil)
Best qualities: Waterfront location, fresh ingredients, quiet atmosphere, fantastic bar.

foodie phobias

2009-03-04T10:34:00.013-10:00

Anthony Bourdain's "No Reservations" episode in Spain struck a chord with me. At one of Spain's most progressive restaurants, he is offered two menus: "Control" and "Surrender." He chooses "Surrender" - and says "Cooking is about control...eating is about surrender."

Admission: I might be a little bit of a control freak in the kitchen. (Read: I have major issues). But until I heard Bourdain say it, I hadn't thought of it that way. It's a known fact among my close circle of friends that my foodie phobias and quirky eating habits are endless (i.e.: will not eat paella, the meats fight; will not eat ground beef in public places, surface area of raw meat seems too risky). Worst of all of these is that I have a hard time eating at friends' houses--even though I make them eat at my house all the time. I don't know, really, when this started, or even why. But it did, and it's sad.

Until today, I thought I was more or less alone in these feelings (general guilt for fear of said friends thinking I think they're incapable -- I swear, not the case, I'm just weird...). The following article poses the idea of communal-ish cooking in the name of economy and convenience (and local products! and sustainability! or something!) ANYWAY, it set off a chain reaction on the interwebs which I identified with. For your time-wasting/human interest pleasure, here are the stories:

The Ethicurean: Learning to Share, "Dinner at your Door"

"The concept is that if four families split the workload of four nights of cooking, so that only one family cooks each night, then each family will benefit. The family whose turn it is to cook may expend extra effort on their co-op cooking night than they would when cooking for themselves, but each family will gain three days of luxury time and the benefit of homemade meals delivered to their doorstep."

...That post sparked this skeptical response from Mark Bittman, NYT Food Columnist:

New York Times: "On Cooking Together"

"These days, people who are interested in cooking have a better sense of what’s good and what’s not. But I still think cooking is best learned and executed by a single person, or maybe a couple, and that there is no way that a group of, say, four families –- unless they’re exceptionally close and well-suited to each other –- could possibly cooperate long-term on a project like providing cooked meals for each other regularly."

...which sparked this Jezebel response!

Jezebel: "When A Food Control Freak's Worst Nightmare Becomes A Reality"

"The reality sounds...messy. Beyond vaguely frightening notions of commune-style dumpster-diving (which I'm very sure has nothing to do with the actual book), such concepts strike fear into the heart of the kitchen control freak. To such, ahem, people, there is nothing more frightening than being at the whims of another's tastes and palate."

"And to me, my bowl of oatmeal, my cup of soup, my dinner are practically sacramental: one area over which I can exercise my own tastes and whims."

Yeah...well, neuroses love company, right? Heh. Anyway, I do feel really bad about being a control freak in the kitchen, and I am making an effort to relinquish these tendencies. So, I apologize to my friends if I've made you feel like a lesser chef. I want to be better, and as Sadie at Jezebel concludes:

"[W]e are obviously the ones who need exactly this sort of thing: relinquishing control, learning to share, growing and changing with the aid of freer spirits."

To my friends: I hereby resolve to be more open to new kitchens, less prone to declare meats fighting, and freer with my praise of your many many skills.

currently reading

2009-03-04T08:26:00.006-10:00

Heat
By Bill Buford
New York Times Review
Bill Buford takes a stab at chefing (from kitchen slave and up) in Mario Batali's kitchen at Babbo in NYC. Highly engaging account of his failures and successes.

Thanks, Julie, for lending me this gem for my trip home.

on the road

2009-03-04T07:58:00.007-10:00

Went home over the weekend, and indulged a bit. Of course, there was awesome food at home (Aunt Lil & Lorraine's Manicotti, home cooked breakfasts, and my never-empty wine glass, coffee cup)...But, when I wasn't eating there, we ate kind of here-and-there, and I made some interesting choices which left me doubled-over in discomfort the entire trip home. But, I have to say, it was worth it. I don't have a sweet tooth, per se, but I do have a fast food tooth(?) that needs to be satisfied every now and then. Below, a sampling of my food on the road. P.S. Don't judge:

Arby's Chopped Salad: Farmhouse Crispy Chicken
I ate two of these puppies (different days). Here's what it is: bacon, fried chicken, cheese, Ranch, and some iceberg lettuce. Props to Arby's for making the best bacon in any fast food establishment.

This lovely garnish topped my "Southwestern Chopped Salad" at Mesa Verde in the Denver airport yesterday. I am relatively sure this is what sealed my fate for a flight o' pain last night.

Ah, Holdrege Pizza Hut buffet, you never let me down. Usually they have this awesome BBQ pizza that I don't think they sell at other locations, but they didn't have any this time around. BUT-they did have some new Pasta Hut creation - I think this is the mac and cheese with ham variety. Annnnd, it was awesome. I'll be ordering this to a Friday night at my house and not admitting it to anyone in the VERY near future.

I'll be back to cooking shortly. In the meantime, I want to leave you with this messsage: there's nothing wrong with eating two fried chicken salads, a Pizza Hut buffet, and a Bloomin' Onion all within 24 hours. I lived to tell you about it, didn't I?

remembering nonnie

2009-02-25T05:13:00.006-10:00

Nonnie, you'll live on in our hearts and our kitchens. You've inspired us all to live better lives. We love you, and we'll miss you, but you're only a story and a recipe away from us now. Salute...

Mary Cellucci Tringe
8/8/1913-2/25/2009

depression, meet youtube

2009-02-24T13:23:00.005-10:00

Last night, I called my grandma, as I try to every week. We got to talking about work, my job, my brothers jobs, and she paused pensively, and remarked what interesting times these were. She told me about when she grew up in rural Nebraska, when the crops were dying and the grasshoppers and dust destroyed everything - how hard things were for her. She feels like she missed out on a lot of her childhood because her family went through such hard times when she was so young. Her dad, along with most every one of her neighbors, lost their farm during the depression. She remembers having to ride her bike all the way into town, with a basket full of eggs, which she would trade at the store for sugar, or flour, or whatever they needed. She went on to remark how much different the recession is now, and what kind of people it's affecting.

But - so interesting. We grew up hearing these stories, and it's taking a massive economic meltdown to make them ring true, or at least that's the case for me. That's why I find the link in today's post so interesting - 91-year-old Clara the cook, has a small web series on YouTube with instructional videos about what her and her family ate during the Great Depression. Pasta with peas, egg drop soup, baked bread. Hope you have a few minutes to watch.

Here's CLARA:

If you're anything like me, then maybe hearing Clara's stories remind you of your own Grandmother. And, like they always reminded us, we could learn a thing or two from them.

Via.

new toy!

2009-02-23T11:43:00.006-10:00

Squee! I'm so excited. Here's my new Mario Batali enameled cast iron pan. I've been wanting this thing forever - can you imagine the possibilities? Braised short ribs. Stew. Risottos galore. Last night, on its maiden voyage, we tried out a hearty shepherd's pie. Here's the recipe:

Shepherd's Pie:

1/2 C. olive oil
2 lbs. extra lean ground beef, browned, drained
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 onions, diced
4 carrots, diced
1 heart of celery, diced
1 C. frozen green peas
1 C. frozen white corn
Salt/Pepper
1/4 C. flour
8 oz. beef stock
6 oz. Guinness
1/4 C. Worcestershire

Topping:
2 lbs. new white potatoes, boiled, smashed
8 oz. sharp cheddar
1 C. heavy cream
4 T. butter
2 T. salt

For the pie, heat the olive oil in the bottom of your skillet. Add onion, sautee until translucent (10 mins). Add carrots, celery. Sautee 10 minutes, until beginning to soften. Add browned ground beef. Stir well to combine. Sprinkle flour over top of mixture, stir to combine. Add Guinness, to deglaze pan. Stir, until sauce thickens. Add beef stock, a little at a time. Add worcestershire, salt, and pepper to taste. (We also added a bit of balsamic and some Frank's hot sauce, because, why not?). Make sure the base tastes good on its own. At the very end, add peas and corn. Stir.

Topping: Combine potatoes, butter, cream, and cheese, salt, and pepper, and mash until combined to your liking. Spread in even layer on top of the beef mixture. Drag fork over top to create ridges.

BAKE: 350-375 oven for 1 hour, until top is golden brown and pie is beginning to bubble around edges. Dig in.

sick day :o(

2009-02-20T08:22:00.004-10:00

It's a sick day on Reservoir Road, folks. Since this is the tenth time I've made this soup this season (it's a long winter indeed, Miss Ingalls Wilder), I figured I'd post it here, along with my other favorite remedies. Bearing in mind that I'm a known hypochondriac and I have no medical knowledge whatsoever, here's to you, and your health:

Recipe for a Sick Day
-1 packet Emergen-C, dissolved in cold water
-1 bottle Gatorade
-1 bowl Chicken Soup (recipe follows)
-Tea
-OJ
-Sleep

Not Quite Grandma's Chicken Soup But Easy Enough That You Can Make It While You Are Sick:
Serves: 4-6
Prep time: 5-10 mins
Cook time: 30-40 mins

You'll need:

2 T. olive oil
4 large carrots, peeled
4 ribs celery
2 yellow onions
5 cloves garlic
1 bay leaf
fresh thyme
1 t. turmeric
1 lemon
8 oz. egg noodles of choice
2 boxes Kitchen Basics chicken stock
1 rotisserie chicken

Directions:
1) Dice onion, and crush or finely chop garlic. Sautee for 7 minutes in olive oil on low heat until translucent.

2) Dice celery (including tops of celery), carrots, add to pot. Sautee for 5 minutes until beginning to get tender. Add 1 box chicken stock. Cover pot, keep on low while you...

3) Cut out breast meat from rotisserie chicken, discard skin (reserve dark meat for snacks for the healthy people, or add to soup if you wish). Dice the breast meat in 1-2cm. cubes. Add to pot. Add 2nd box of chicken stock, 1 t. turmeric, 1 bay leaf, and a few sprigs of thyme. Stir to combine, then simmer on medium-low for 20-25 minutes.

4) Remove thyme sprigs, remove bay leaf. Add noodles, cook until done, stirring often. Just before serving, add juice of lemon.

Enjoy! And, feel better.

eat your vegetables

2009-02-19T05:33:00.003-10:00

Because they are DELICIOUS...especially with this insane garlic bread.

Salad:
6 oz. mixed baby greens
1 sm. can yellow corn
1 jar roasted red peppers
1 pint cherry tomatoes
1 jar pimento-stuffed green olives
5 oz. fresh mozzarella

Dressing:
3-4 T. fresh squeezed lemon juice
3 T. olive oil
Salt & pepper to taste

Chop red peppers, olives. Drain corn, mix with greens, olives, mozzarella, tomatoes, and red peppers. Toss, eat, be happy.

On to the less healthy stuff, the garlic bread. I first saw this recipe on Emeril's page, but I've since seen it used by Mario Batali, and most recently in Gwyneth Paltrow's always-enlightening (can you hear my snark from there? ...good.) weekly newsletter, "Goop." Here you go, from Emeril and Mario and Gwyneth and me to you, with love.

Garlic Bread:
1 baguette
5 T. butter
1/2 Parmesan Cheese
2 T. chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley
4 garlic cloves

1) Melt butter in microwave. Crush garlic cloves into butter, then mix well. Add cheese and parsley to butter, mix. You should now have a paste.

2) Cut baguette as you would normally for garlic bread (I cut it in half, then split those halves open, making four gigantic pieces).

3) Slather garlic/parmesan/butter/parsley paste over bread.

4) Bake at 350 for 10 minutes.

5) Indulge.

what zone? the calzone!

2009-02-17T16:16:00.004-10:00

Calzones: Pizza, folded, and baked. I'm giving you three recipes for it, all of which should be mixed with the cheese base. The BEAUTY part about these, is, you can fill 'em with whatever you wanna fill 'em with, and it'll probably taste like awesome. Here's what you do.

Cheese base:
1 C. ricotta (Part Skim is fine)
1 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
1 C. provolone/mozzarella shredded
1/4 C. parmesan or romano, shredded

Fillings:
Pepperoni
Sausage & Mushroom
Vegetable

Pepperoni:
Open package of pepperoni, place in skillet over low/medium heat. Cook for 5-10 minutes, stirring often. Remove with a slotted spoon, drain on paper towel. Discard grease. Mix with cheese base.

Sausage & Mushroom:
In a bowl, mix pre-sliced cremini mushrooms with 1/4 C. olive oil, 3 T. balsamic vinegar, 1 t. rosemary, plus 1/4 t. salt and the same amount of pepper. Spread on baking sheet - roast mushrooms in 400 oven for 20 minutes until bottoms are beginning to get brown.

Meanwhile, break up 1 lb. spicy italian pork sausage in a skillet. Sautee over low/medium for 10-15 minutes until browned. Drain on paper towel and discard grease.

Combine sausage and mushrooms with cheese mixture.

Vegetable:
Steam 10 oz. fresh baby spinach. Chop 1/2 C. sundried tomatoes. Chop up can of artichoke hearts. Mix with cheese and get ready for yuuuuuum!

OK - so for the dough...I happen to be dough-inept, so I buy the frozen kind and let it thaw then I roll it out really awkwardly but what I think is good enough...into about a 15 inch circle. Place cheese + _________ mixture in middle of dough, then fold over, and press edges together well. Try this trick: put your thumb on the edge, push down, and using your other hand, bring a tiny bit of dough over your thumb then slip your thumb out. Repeat for the entire edge, looks sort of "braid"-ish. Don't forget to make slits in the top of your calzone with a paring knife, or else you will have a pizza explosion in your oven. (No, that's a lie but it might not turn out great, so remember to make the slits).

BIG TRICK ALERT:
To get a good, pizzeria-style crust on your 'Zone - do this: Heat your oven to 425 degrees. Place your pans in the oven while it preheats. When your oven and pans are preheated, take the pan out of the oven. Pour olive oil (1/4 c.) on it. Gently, carefully place your calzone on the hot baking sheet, and place it back in the oven for 15-18-20-25 minutes until done to your liking.

Sauce, baby, sauce:
1 28 oz. can chopped tomatoes
1 shot premium vodka (no, 2, you can drink one)
1/4 c. heavy cream
1 t. salt

Stir, simmer on low for 10 mins, or until heated through.

ENJOY with a glass of vino and your friends. Ooh la la, CALZONES!

all apologies

2009-02-17T16:10:00.005-10:00

I haven't posted in a long time. A really, really, really long time. Since Bush was in office! We've kept cooking at 3345 Reservoir Road (Thanksgiving! An Election Night party! An Inauguration gathering!)...but, my job schedule picked up, we did some traveling over the holidays, my iPhone broke, and I had to walk uphill to school in the snow 15 miles both ways.

Anyway, I thought it was an interesting exercise to chart the peaks and valleys of the past year, as well as where I've been.

2008 In Travel (asterisks indicate traveled there more than once):
Omaha, NE*
Montpelier, VT*
Aspen, CO*
Los Angeles, CA
Outer Banks, NC*
Barcelona, Spain
Minorca, Spain
Mdina, Malta
Taormina, Sicily, Italy
Palermo, Sicily, Italy
Rome, Italy
San Francisco, CA
Sebastopol, CA
Haena, Kauai, HI
Kapalua, Maui, HI
Walnut Creek, CA
Napa, CA

Strikes & Gutters:
13 law school rejection letters
1 law school acceptance letter
1 new baby (Kiva!)
1 brother graduated (Mike!)
1 dog, briefly adopted and given back.
1 election won (Mark Pryor, AR)
1 election lost (Ronnie Musgrove, MS)
1 New President
1 new haircut
6 new pairs of shoes
34 blog entries
For the first time in 6 years...0 changes in address!

Now, back to the food biz. Let's eat, I'm FAMISHED.

(Pictured: Our New Years' Eve activity: Family Guy, a bottle of Clos, and enough cold meds to tranquilize a horse...) Happy 2009.

DC Bar Exam

2008-10-27T06:19:00.008-10:00

No, not the law kind, the drinking kind. Information follows photos:
Old Europe
www.old-europe.com
2434 Wisconsin Ave NW
Washington, DC 20007
(202) 333-7600
My dad's favorite spot, and mine too (Octoberfest brew is DELICIOUS.)
Order: Oktoberfest & Schnitzel
Wear: Leiderhosen.

Granville Moore's
www.granvillemoores.com
1238 H St NE
Washington, DC 20002
(202) 399-2546
An old-style mussel shack on gentrifying H Street, NE. A converted barber shop. Just charming.
Order: Belgian beer & moules frites (don't miss the truffle aoli).
Wear: Your favorite hipster costume.

Russia House
www.russiahouselounge.com
1800 Connecticut Ave NW
Washington, DC 20009
(202) 234-9433
Can be a bit Euro for my taste, but for the most part, a fun escape.
Order: Vodka, clearly.
Wear: Fur.

tastespotting

2008-10-21T09:35:00.007-10:00

It's time for me to eat some budget crunch, so no culinary masterworks are in the plans for this week. That doesn't mean a girl can't dream though, right? Check out the gorgeous culinary photography at my new favorite website, Tastespotting. Be warned: You'll get hungry.

Thanks, Shelby, for sending this my way.

guest blogger: sarah!

2008-10-16T04:36:00.009-10:00

Editor's note: Sarah was the reason this blog even exists. I'm so excited she was willing to guest blog her wonderful meal from last night! Without further ado, here's Sarah!

'Tis the season for squash... And for last night's debate, we wanted something warm and satisfying to keep out the first gusts of Nebraska's winter winds.

Topping everyone's list of go-to butternut squash recipes is usually soup. Butternut squash soup is certainly one of my favorite winter comfort foods (nothing beats my mom's), but I wanted to try something a bit more substantial. This dish combines sweet, creamy squash -- cubed and roasted to retain some structure -- with chicken seared with a dusting of ground sage and a decadent white wine sauce laced with nutty roasted garlic. It's not a quick meal, but take care of the unwieldy squash prep and tedious cheese grating in the morning and you can toss the dish together fairly quickly when you return at the end of a long day.

My girlfriends and I enjoyed this dish with a big loaf of soft Vienna bread torn into chucks and washed it down with big glasses of good Chardonnay. Take the extra garlic you roast with the squash and mash it with some softened butter for the bread.

Wint'ry Mix

Serves: 4-6
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes

You'll Need:

1 butternut squash (1 1/2 - 2 lbs)
3 chicken breasts
1 lb fettucine
1 bulb garlic (yes, the whole bulb...you'll be glad you did!)
1-2 cups fresh grated parmesan
1 T. ground sage
2 T. fresh sage
1/4 C. flour
6 T. butter
3 T. olive oil
1/2 C. dry white wine
1/2 C. to 1 C. chicken stock
Salt and Pepper

Remove the tough outer skin of the squash with a sharp knife and cut the flesh into 1/2 in. cubes. Toss in a tablespoon of the olive oil and a generous amount of salt and pepper. Spread the squash evenly in a big baking dish. Slice off the top of the garlic bulb and drizzle with a touch of oil. Wrap the garlic in foil and nestle the packet amongst the squash cubes. Place the baking dish in a 350 degree oven. The squash will take 30 minutes or so to soften turn it once about halfway through. You'll have to leave the garlic in a bit longer...45 minutes to an hour. Just take the garlic out right as you're throwing everything together.

At some point (now is probably as good a time as any!), start the process of bringing your pasta water to a boil.

To prepare the chicken - Heat the remaining olive oil in a large, high-sided skillet over medium high heat. Dust each side of the chicken with a little ground sage and sprinkle with a generous amount of salt and pepper. Dredge the chicken lightly in flour and add to the pan. The flour will help form a lovely dark golden crust on the chicken and will help thicken the wine sauce when you deglaze the pan.

I cooked the chicken for about 6 minutes for each side, then turned the heat down to medium, put the lid on, and did another 4 minutes per side to ensure the chicken was cooked through. The result was plump, flavorful chicken that was tender and juicy inside and slightly crispy outside. Set the chicken aside to cool a bit and return your pan to the stove.

Now is a good time to add your pasta to the pasta water (which is hopefully now boiling). Don't forget to add a generous amount of salt to the pot.

Add a half a cup or so of wine to the pan and scrape up all the chicken bits in the pan. Let the wine reduce a bit, 3-5 minutes or so at a good simmer. Add the chicken stock and let the mixture cook down to a thin, but substantial sauce. When everything has reduced down add a tablespoon or two of the butter to give the sauce a rich depth and silky texture. At this point you can take the garlic out and carefully (I used a dish towel to avoid burning myself) squeeze out two or three cloves of the garlic into the sauce. Mash lightly with the back of your spoon and stir it in.

[Note: the following component can be omitted if you're really counting calories] In a small saucepan, melt the remaining butter (half a stick). Add the fresh sage and let the butter brown to a dark, caramel-colored sauce. This will be your brown butter drizzle.

Okay, time to toss everything together! Slice the chicken, find your squash, drain the pasta, and add everything back to the dry pasta pot. Add the parm, reserving a bit for topping, and toss with the pasta mix to melt and distribute. Pour the wine sauce over the mix and toss lightly once more. Plate the pasta, serve with a hunk of bread, and drizzle the plate with a bit of your butter mixture. Sprinkle with cheese and ENJOY!

*Image courtesy: www.krissa.org

gnocchi

2008-10-13T14:56:00.011-10:00

In fourteen-hundred-and-ninety-two, Columbus sailed the ocean blue. And then he got lost, went to the Bahamas, and began to rampantly destroy indigenous cultures. Nonetheless, most states in the USA continue to celebrate this Monday holiday and the great (if storied) Italian, Cristoforo Columbo. I decided to use my Columbus Day to explore my own roots...

Several hundred years later, my fathers family immigrated to the United States from Italy. They did not get lost, but their last name did. That is why we are the Tringe family, not the Trinca family (God bless you, Zio Lorenzo). My father's family settled in the Northeast and, like many Italian families, carried on their strong family traditions from the old country.

One great memory I have of my Nonnie is of her making gnocchi at her kitchen table in Norwich, CT. She was fast. She had, what seemed to me, thousands of gnocchi in front of her. I remember trying to help, but having two left thumbs, mostly mutilated the dough (some help!).

Some years later, she hand wrote a cookbook for each of us grandkids. Nonnie, having dropped out of school at age 13 to go work in a factory, has remarkable handwriting and perfect spelling. She had grown up translating English to Italian for her non-fluent parents. The cookbooks she wrote for us are a treasure. So, here's to you, Nonnie, and all that you did for us and for helping us carry on our heritage.

Gnocchi, or, "Yonks," (according to Nonnie's cookbook):

RECIPE
Serves: 6
Prep time: Hours
Cook time: 2 minutes

You'll need:
4 lbs russet potatoes
5 egg yolks
1 C. - 2 C. semolina flour
2 t. salt
1 t. pepper

Bake the potatoes in a 350 oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes until done. Let cool for 30-45 minutes, then scoop the flesh into a potato ricer (discard the skins or fry them later). Rice the potatoes (alternatively, you can mash them well, but a ricer or a food mill is best). Add salt, pepper, egg yolks, and sift in 1/2 C. flour. Fold to mix (do not overmix). Add flour again. Fold to mix. Sift in more flour until dough is not delicate but not tough. (If mixture is too dry, add another yolk. If too wet, add more flour. This is an inexact science).

Divide your dough into four parts. Each 1/4 lump of dough will make two long "ropes." Roll the ropes into 1/2" to 3/4" width, then slice into 1" long pieces. (You will need more flour to prevent sticking as your roll, plus more flour to dust over the drying gnocchi). Dry on parchment-paper-lined baking sheets for at least 1/2 hour before cooking.

You can freeze gnocchi on baking sheet for 48 hours, then move them (still frozen) into a storage container. Should keep for up to 1 month.

To cook: Boil and salt a large pot of water. Gently add dumplings. Remove them when they float. Dress with sauce, and enjoy.

Classic Gnocchi Sauce: San Marzano tomatoes (crushed), fresh basil, fresh mozzarella. Salt to taste.

juicy couture

2008-10-12T04:35:00.006-10:00

West End Bistro by Eric Ripert

1190 22nd Street, NW

Washington, D.C. 20037

(202) 974-4900

www.westendbistrodc.com

All major credit cards accepted

Valet parking available at the Ritz Carlton ($8)

*Reservations recommended, or bar seating is available & a great option.

I know, I know, our economy just tanked. It's really not the best time to be dining at the Ritz Carlton, maybe. However, with a couple smart decisions with the menu, you can get in and out of there (with drinks!) for not much more than you'd pay for take-out. That's a good deal!

Chef Eric Ripert, the acclaimed 3-star Michelin chef at New York's Le Bernadin fame, opened the West End Bistro in DC with an emphasis on fresh, local ingredients and a menu that focuses on homestyle favorites like burgers, flatiron steaks, rustic pasta dishes, and hearty soups and stews.

We read some time ago that Ripert's Bistro offered the best burger in DC. Finally, last night, we decided to investigate. We both ordered beers ($5, chilly & poured just right in a frosty pilsner glass) the classic burger (a splurge at $18), skipped the appetizers, and ordered a very naughty side dish of macaroni ham & cheese for two ($10).

The burgers arrived, along with a bubbling cast iron mini-skillet of macaroni & cheese, about 20 minutes after we placed our order. While we waited, it was fun watching the West End Bistro crowd mill about on a Saturday night. All the typical characters were there: the attractive singles, older gentlemen browsing the crowd, and a few hipster-chic trust fund babies thrown in the mix.

But let's get back to the burgers. Thick and juicy and cooked just exactly right, the beef was decadent and beyond fresh. They're served with cheese on a buttered, toasted brioche bun with pickles, onions, tomatoes, mustard, and Boston Bibb lettuce. There is simply nothing wrong with it! The vegetables have been sliced paper thin, so you get all the flavor with none of the bulk.

We really had no business ordering macaroni and cheese alongside the burger, but I simply can never turn the stuff down, especially when the recipe comes from a 3-star Michelin chef. And I was glad we didn't turn it down: the al-dente elbows were creamy and cheesy, and the bits of ham throughout were downright decadent. The buttered breadcrumb top was bubbly and crispy and browned, and in a word: perfect.

We were more or less incapacitated after this doozy of a meal, but both of us agreed that it was a worthwhile splurge. By ordering beer and steering clear of the pricier menu selections (which I'm sure are completely incredible), and sticking with the known masterworks, we got away with a $60 tab. A worthwhile splurge indeed. We'll be back for more.

party animal

2008-10-08T06:29:00.005-10:00

'Tis the season for swing states, absentee ballots, and of course, DEBATES! Last night we invited a few friends over for some friendly sparring during the most recent presidential debate. We planned a very fun (and we thought, funny) menu to go along with the show. Whether you're a McCainiac or you just can't get enough of Obama, you'll enjoy these treats. Here's what we ate:

"Nope-it-ain't-Moose-Burger!" Sirloin Sliders

A very easy and fun way to eat burgers. Two pounds of ground sirloin should make about 20 sliders. Top with cheese, bacon, lettuce, tomato, onion, mustard and ketchup.

Iceberg "Wedge Issue" Salad

Chop up a head up iceberg lettuce and mix with bacon crumbles, blue cheese crumbles, tomatoes, and a light dressing of balsamic vinaigrette. Easy!

"Okie-Dokie-Artichokie!" Spread
Mix two cups of chopped canned artichoke hearts with 1/2 c. sour cream, 1/2 c. cream cheese, and 1/2 c. mayonnaise, 1/2 c. grated parmesan. Stir in 1 c. fresh chopped spinach. Crack plenty of black pepper, stir to combine, top with more grated parmesan and bake in a 350 oven until bubbly. Serve with Red, White & Blue Tortilla Chips.

"Can't-We-All-Just-Get Along?" Red & Blue Mixed Berry Crumble
(Thanks, Caitlin!)

Berry filling:

3 C or more fresh or frozen (thawed, drained) blueberries
3 C or more fresh or frozen (thawed, drained) raspberries
3T white sugar
3T all-purpose flour
1 t cinnamon (if desired)

Crisp topping:

1 1/4 C all-purpose flour
1 1/4 C old-fashioned oats
3/4 C packed brown sugar
1 stick butter
1 t cinnamon
1 t nutmeg

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place berries in 9" pie or square glass baking dish. (Berry layer should be between 1.5 to 2" thick, or 3/4 the way up the side of the pan.)

2) Sprinkle berries with 3T flour, 3T white sugar, and 1t cinnamon. Gently fold dry ingredients into the berries until moistened and evenly distributed. Smooth surface of berry layer.

3) In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg.

4) Cut chilled butter into 8-10 chunks and drop into dry ingredients. Use either a pastry cutter, two forks, or your hands to fully combine all ingredients until butter is evenly distributed throughout dry ingredients, and the mixture is slightly moist and crumbly.

5) Sprinkle crumbly topping evenly over berries.

6) Place into the oven. Bake for 30-40 minutes, until top is golden brown and berry juice is bubbling through. Cool for 20-30 minutes. Serve warm with homemade whipped cream.

We enjoyed snacking throughout the debate, and will definitely plan to do it again. Perhaps a Maverick cocktail is in the works? Or maybe a Baked Alaska? Lots of other great debate party food ideas can be found here.

*graphic courtesy of lexlibertas.com

the far east in northwest DC: shanghai teahouse

2008-10-06T04:07:00.005-10:00

Shanghai Tea House
2400 Wisconsin Avenue
(202) 338-3815
Accepts credit cards: Yes
Price Range: $$ (out of 4)

After I read this review by Tom Sietsema in the Washington Post, I knew this was a place I could get excited about. We visited Shanghai Teahouse in Glover Park around 7 last Friday night. The restaurant is on the small side, and service is dicey at best (think: confused waitresses, uninformed kitchen staff, and long waits for getting water and your check), but the food is awesome and affordable. I can forgive the rest!

Thanks to Tom Sietsema's advice we knew to skip the General Tso's Chicken and dine on dumplings instead. We ordered hot an sour soup (one word: intense.), an order of boiled lamb dumplings, an order of boiled vegetable dumplings, and an order of pan fried vegetable dumplings, as well as some spring rolls and scallion pancakes.

The boiled vegetable dumplings were the star of the night. The dough was delightfully chewy, and the filling was gratutiously garlicky (perfect!). The pan-fried version of the same dish were just average. The lamb dumplings were a real treat - the lamb was prepared perfectly (very lean and tender) and paired with tangy ginger, cabbage, and carrot. Oh, yum!

The scallion pancakes were delicious, but then, I've long been a fan of this oily, savory bread treat and, for me, they can do no wrong. The menu does have something for everyone in case you are a person who does not enjoy dumplings or scallion pancakes, and bonus: all their food is completely MSG free.

Their tea menu is long and wide with great descriptions for each. As with the food menu, I took my cues from Sietsema's review and ordered the snow pine tea. As I sipped it from my tiny, thermal, double-glass teacup, its fragrance wafted up to me like a delicate perfume. It was the perfect digestive as we ate platesfull of dumplings. I liked it so much, I may (maybe, maybe) forego my usual glass of wine with my next big meal!

Do go, forewarned about the service. Stick to the dumpling menu, and be adventurous with the tea selections. Enjoy your trip to the far east in Northwest DC!

chicken paillard

2008-09-29T09:48:00.004-10:00

In spite of it's recent political reputation, I encourage you to go ahead and drink your wine, and eat your arugula, and try out a great French classic, elitism be damned! Everyone from Rachel Ray to Julia Child (great equalizers, both) have favored this quick, light meal, so I thought I'd give it a try last week. It was fantastic!

Paillard (Pie-YARD) just means "a thin cut of meat that is cooked quickly." You can use chicken or veal for this, and if your cuts aren't thin already, you can pound them thin fairly quickly with a big mallet, a heavy (non-glass) jar, a frying pan, or a rolling pin. The ingredients and method that follow are the ones that I used and recommend, but I'm sure there are lots and lots of great variations. Leave your suggestions in the comments! I really liked this recipe, which I adapted from Tyler Florence's "Ultimate Chicken Paillard" on http://www.foodnetwork.com/. The lightly flavored chicken has a deliciously crispy coating, and it pairs well with assertive, peppery arugula and a tangy lemon vinaigrette. The parmesan shavings round out the flavors with robust nuttiness.

Chicken Paillard

Serves: 4

Prep time: 20 minutes (1o minutes active, 10 minutes inactive)

Cook time: 10 minutes

You'll need:

4 chicken breasts

2 C. panko bread crumbs

1 C. flour

2 eggs, beaten well

1/2 C. olive oil (1/4 C. for vinaigrette, 1/4 C. for cooking)

1 bag baby arugula

1 5-oz wedge parmesan cheese

2-3 lemons

Salt & Pepper

First, place your chicken breasts between two layers of plastic wrap OR one-at-a-time into a large freezer bag (will make pounding less messy). Pound out to an even thickness, about 1/3 in. thick. (If you use good-sized chicken breasts, the end product may be as large as a small dinner plate.) Pound well, but be careful not to over-pound, or your chicken will fall apart.

Next, assemble your "breading station" thusly with three separate bowls: 1 bowl with flour, salt, and pepper (1 t. each), 1 bowl with your beaten eggs, and 1 bowl with your panko and 1/4 C. grated parmesan, salt, and pepper (again 1 t. each). First flour the breasts, then dip in egg, then coat well with panko. IMPORTANT: Let the breading "set" by placing paillards on a baking sheet in the fridge for ten minutes. This will help the breading not to fall off when you saute it. Repeat for each chicken breast.

When your paillards are chilling in the refrigerator, make the vinaigrette (but don't toss with arugula until the last minute). Whisk together juice from 1 lemon, plus 1/4 C. extra virgin olive oil, plus 1 t. salt and 1 t. pepper). Set aside.

To cook the paillard, heat 1/4 C. olive oil on medium heat in a large frying pan. Gently place your paillard in the pan, working in batches if necessary (this dish does not need to be served piping hot, is completely delicious warm or room temperature). Let it cook uncovered and undisturbed for two to three minutes per side, then turn. These cook quickly, but it's also important to let the breading get nice and golden.

When you're ready to serve, toss the arugula greens with the vinaigrette. Place one chicken paillard on a plate, and top with greens. Garnish with parmesan shavings and lemon wedges.

Wine, anyone?

Since this is a light, chicken dish, I'd pair this with a nice bright Sauvignon Blanc or Sancerre. Both have nice citrus notes which will complement the lemon.

herbal renewal

2008-09-23T05:28:00.012-10:00

Back in the cold, dark days of college, I used to really enjoy getting dinner at a place called Bhindi Bazaar at 95 Massachusetts Avenue in Boston. One of the things I loved to eat there was the awesomely tangy and spicy chicken cafreal, which is a Goan dish of chicken bathed in a green, cilantro-based curry. I have agonized about not being able to find cafreal on many restaurants' menus, and when I do, would it be the same? Imagine my delight when, last night, I found a recipe online claiming to be Bhindi Bazaar's recipe for chicken cafreal. Joy! I decided to follow it verbatim to test the results...and the verdict is: pretty, pretty, pretty good. There are a couple of things I will tweak next time to make it better, but this recipe will be a staple in our files from now on (my adjustments included in recipe below).

A quick bit of information, in case you wanted some: this recipe uses cilantro and turmeric. Both are known anti-inflammatory agents. I read somewhere, too, that cilantro has antibacterial powers. So, eat up!

Chicken Cafreal
Serves: 4
Cook time: 20 minutes
Prep time: 20 minutes

You'll need:
1.5 lbs. chicken breasts, diced to 1 inch pieces
2 onions, diced
2 tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1 large bunch of fresh cilantro
4 garlic cloves
2 C. fat free greek style yogurt
1 t. turmeric
3 t. ground coriander
1 t. ground cumin
1 lemon, juiced
2 limes, juiced
5 T. olive oil
4 green chiles (jalapenos) de-stemmed and de-seeded, roughly chopped
1 inch ginger, peeled and chopped or grated
Salt

Part 1: The Chicken
Dice the chicken into one inch cubes. Measure 1/2 C. greek style fat free yogurt into a bowl, and add 1 t. turmeric. Salt, and stir well with a fork to combine. Toss in chicken, turn to coat, and refrigerate for 30 minutes to marinate.

Part 2: The Tomato and Onion Base
Peel and dice your onions, and sautee them with 3 T. olive oil over medium heat for a few minutes until they are translucent. Peel your garlic and either chop or crush it into the pan with the onions. Next, chop your peeled tomatoes and add them to the pan. Stir, then add 3 t. coriander and 1 t. cumin, plus 1 t. salt, plus your ginger. Sautee for an additional 5 minutes, until onions are translucent and mixture is fragrant. Turn off heat and allow to cool for 10 minutes. Place in food processor or blender and mix on high for 1 minute until completely paste-like.

Part 3: The Green Curry
Roughly tear or chop the entire bunch of rinsed cilantro, and put it in your food processor or blender. Add the juice from the lemon and limes, plus the 4 green chiles (I used jalapenos, de-seeded). Add 2 T. olive oil, and blend or process on high speed for 1 minute or more until mixture is completely paste-like.

All together now:
In a deep skillet, add the onion and tomato base, and turn heat on low. Remove your chicken from the fridge, and place into onion and tomato base. Stir to combine, then cover and let simmer with the LID ON for 15-20 minutes. Occasionally lift lid and stir chicken. Meanwhile, add 1 C. yogurt to your green curry mixture, and stir well to combine. When chicken is cooked through, take skillet off heat. Add green curry and yogurt mixture, and stir until heated through. Taste, and adjust seasonings before serving.

Serve over cooked white basmati rice, with a tall, cold Kingfisher beer.

retro feast

2008-09-15T04:44:00.008-10:00

Have you been watching AMC's latest and greatest, Mad Men? If not, you should. It's a show about a group of Advertising Executives working on Madison Avenue in the 1960's. They called themselves the "Mad Men." The producers make every effort to capture and re-create the essence of the sixties, from the music to the products to the fashion (oh, the fashion!), right down to what these folks order in restaurants (Oysters Rockefeller. Gin Martinis. Ceaser salad. Steak Tartar.). Last night, I was inspired to create a little retro feast while we watched our favorite show. On the menu? Meatloaf and gravy, mashed potatoes, asparagus, and red wine. Mad Men airs on AMC at 10 p.m. EST on Sundays.

Betty Draper's No Salt Meatloaf

Serves: 6

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 55 minutes

You'll need:

1 onion

2 cloves garlic

1 green bell pepper

1 lb. gound beef

1 lb. ground veal

1 C. ketchup, divided (1/2 C. goes in the mix, the other 1/2 C. goes on top, later)

1/4 C. tomato paste

1 egg

1 C. bread crumbs

1 t. dried thyme

1 t. dried oregano

1 t. ground pepper

1 T. olive oil

First, preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Next, chop your garlic, onion and bell pepper in a fine dice, and sautee in olive oil for 20 minutes or until beginning to brown. While your vegetables are browning, measure the rest of your ingredients into a large mixing bowl. Mix your meat, breadcrumbs, herbs, egg, and tomato products until combined. Add the vegetables and stir to incorporate. Put in a loaf pan, top with remaining ketchup, and bake for 50-55 minutes.

You-don't-want-to-know-what's-in-these Mashed Potatoes

Serves: 6

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 40 minutes

You'll need:

2.5 lbs. potatoes (your favorite kind, I use white organic)

3 T. butter

1/2 to 1 C. whole milk

1 C. sour cream

3 oz. cream cheese

2 cloves garlic

1 T. salt

1 t. ground pepper

First, scrub your potatoes well. Chop them into quarters, then drop them into a large pot of cold water. Cover, and turn the pot on high heat. The potatoes should be fork tender in about 30 minutes. Drain the water from the potatoes, and crush two garlic cloves in with the hot potatoes. Cover, let stand for 5 minutes. Gradually add the other ingredients while smashing potatoes with a wooden spoon or a potato masher. Adjust seasoning and milk to taste.

Good Gravy

Prep time: N/A

Cook time: 10 minutes

You'll need:

2 C. beef stock

1 T. butter

1 T. flour

1 T. corn starch whisked with 1 T. water (slurry)

Plenty of cracked black pepper

First, melt butter. Next, whisk in flour. When paste turns golden, add beef stock, gradually, whisking to remove lumps. When you have added all your beef stock, let simmer over low heat until it begins to thicken. If not thick enough, gradually add some cornstarch slurry, whisking well to ensure it's smooth. Crack plenty of black pepper, whisk to combine, and serve over meatloaf.

Green-with-envy Asparagus

Serves: 6

Prep time: 2 minutes

Cook time: 20 minutes

You'll need:
1-2 bunches fresh asparagus
2 T. olive oil
Salt & Pepper

First, spend a couple minutes rinsing your asparagus in cold water, and snapping off the woody ends. Next, lay them in a single layer on a baking sheet with edges, and drizzle 2 T. olive oil over the stalks. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and roll them around a bit to ensure even oil coverage. Pop the stalks in a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes. Serve hot, on the side.

Don't forget your favorite bottle of red wine. I'm not sure, but I get the feeling that Betty Draper is a Pinot Noir kind of girl.

ratatouille (rat-ta-too-ee!)

2008-09-11T04:22:00.010-10:00

Save for once back on Capitol Hill after too much scotch on a chilly day...I haven't had homemade ratatouille. America re-discovered the joys of this hearty stew thanks to the magic of Pixar, and last night, I decided to give it a go. Having eaten it enough times in various restaurants (a good vegetarian standby), I knew enough to taste the difference between ratatouille the right way, and ratatouille the lazy way. A good ratatouille highlights the best flavor from each vegetable, and blends them using herbal under and overtones.

Ratatouille

Serves: 4

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 1 hour

You'll need:

Olive oil
1 Onion
5 cloves garlic
1 medium/large eggplant
2 zucchini
1 yellow squash
1/2 28 oz. can peeled whole tomatoes
1 t. fresh Thyme
1 T./10 leaves Basil
1 t. Dried Oregano
Salt & Pepper
Jarred or homemade Pesto (I like Torino brand)
Goat Cheese (5 oz.)

First, wash all of your vegetables. Peel the onion and the garlic. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Dice your eggplant into 1-inch cubes, then toss eggplant with 1 T. salt, and put in a strainer over a bowl for at least 30 minutes. (The salt helps the eggplant lose moisture so it will brown more readily/evenly when you roast it).

Next, chop your onion and your garlic. Heat 2 T. olive oil in a large pot over medium/high heat, and add your chopped onion and garlic. Let these brown for about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, cut your zucchini and your squash in 1 cm. cubes. When your onions are brown, add the squash and zucchini.

Brown your zucchini and squash with the onions. This should take another 15 minutes, then you should take your pot off the heat before the vegetables become mushy.

Returning to your eggplant, press down on it firmly to get as much moisture as possible out of the pieces. Quickly rinse under cold water, and squeeze again to dry. Spread them in a single layer on a baking sheet with edges, and continue to pat dry with a paper towel or a kitchen towel. Next, drizzle with a liberal amount (3 T.) olive oil and toss until evenly coated. Finally, put in oven for a total of 30-35 minutes, turning once to roast.

When your eggplant chunks are getting near-done, return your attention to your pot of onions, zucchini, and squash. Return pot to medium-high heat, and stir, adding 1 T. olive oil to coat vegetables. Add 1 t. chopped thyme, 1 T. chopped basil, and 1 t. dry oregano, stir to combine.

Open your can of tomatoes, and add 4-5 tomatoes to the pot, along with some of the canning liquid. Break them up with your wooden spoon, and salt to taste. Your pot should look more stew-like now.

When your eggplant chunks are browed, remove them from the oven and add them to the stew pot. Stir to combine all ingredients, and let it continue to cook for an additional 5 minutes. By using separate cooking processes for the vegetables, you ensure that you get the best flavor from each vegetable.

To serve: Put 1 T. pesto in the bottom of each dish, and spread it around to coat the bottom of the dish. Place 2 C. ratatouille in each bowl. Add another T. pesto on top, plus 1-2 T. goat cheese. Serve with a rustically torn piece of french baguette, and a big glass of your favorite red wine. Bon apetit!

The pesto, though not traditional, highlights all the herbal notes from the ratatouille and adds a deep earthy, nutty undertone - it really is the perfect complement. I won't eat ratatouille without it!

tangeringe beef

2008-09-05T05:54:00.006-10:00

My go-to dish at Chinese restaurants has always been orange peel beef. Last night was my first attempt at re-creating the magic at home - and I found out that not only is it surprisingly easy (near foolproof), it's almost a dead-ringer for any restaurant dish.

The recipe I ended up with is adapted from Food Network's Guy Fieri's files - I like his style in the kitchen - adventurous, but not pretentious. So, I encourage you to try it out, I don't think you'll be disappointed!

Tangerine Beef

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cook time: 20 minutes

You'll need:

1.5 lbs. flank steak

4 T. soy sauce (I used Tamari, I like the deep flavor)

1 T. corn starch

Sauce:

2 T. soy sauce (again, Tamari is good)

2 T. hoisin sauce

2 T. olive oil

2 T. honey
2 T. dry sherry

1 T. hot chili paste

1 clove garlic, crushed

1 T. ground ginger

1/4 C. fresh squeezed tangerine juice

1/2 t. tangerine zest

Garnish:

3 Scallions - chopped

For the meat marinade: Whisk together soy sauce and corn starch. Slice flank steak across the grain/on the bias into very thin slices. Toss flank steak with soy sauce/corn starch, and let marinate in fridge for at least 20 minutes.

For the sauce: Whisk together all the ingredients and set aside.

To cook the beef: Heat 2 T. oil in a deep skillet for 2 minutes, until it's very hot. First, sautee the beef. once you put it in the pan, let it sear for at least one minute and up to two before tossing. (Tongs are helpful when working with strips of beef). When you are happy with the level of caramelization on the beef, give the sauce a quick stir and add it to the sautee pan. Sautee until sauce reduces slightly, or until you are happy with the done-ness of your beef. And that's it!

I served this last night with whole grain rice, as well as a very simple, colorful salad of red cabbage and shredded carrot, tossed in Ken's Lite Asian Ginger Sesame dressing - delicious, and healthy.

For the salad, either finely chop or use a mandolin to slice half a head of red cabbage into a deep bowl. Toss with shredded carrots (you can buy carrots pre-shredded at the store, or do it yourself using a cheese grater at home). Toss with 1/4 C. Ken's dressing - and chill for 30 minutes.

restaurant week: dc

2008-08-12T06:52:00.004-10:00

Washingtonians, unite! It's that time of the year: the dog days of summer, recess, and most importantly, restaurant week. There's still time to make your reservations for a table in any of the participating restaurants to enjoy a three-course meal for just $35 per person. (Lunch reservations will run you a cheery $20.08).

My handsome date and I enjoyed a table for two at Georgetown's charming Mendocino Grille last night (Sister restaurant on the Hill is swanky Sonoma). I enjoyed the bibb lettuce salad, the grilled heart of palm on a bed of ratatouille and rapini pesto, and the coconut and lemongrass sorbet. Service was good, restaurant was happily abuzz but not too crowded. Food was delicious!

A few personal thoughts on restaurant week: It's liberating to be able to go to any of the participating restauarants and know that you will be eating three courses and not paying more than $35. But - if you're like me, sometimes you want appetizers and salad, or salad and an entree, or any combination of courses as your meal. RW imposes different rules on you, like eating dessert (something I rarely choose to do at a restaurant), or appetizer or salad (but not both). It can also work out that the restaurant will tack on surcharges for some "premium" menu items. In that case, it can happen that ordering from the pre-fixe restaurant week menu will run you more than just ordering off the menu a la carte. Just something to consider when making your reservations and your menu selections!

Another thing to consider is whether or not you'll want wine with dinner (I did). I had a single glass, at $9. Somehow - our bill ended up at $118.00. Not quite the restaurant week bargain we'd hoped for, but a really lovely meal nonetheless.

SO, with that cautionary tale - go forth and enjoy your reservations.

ginned up

2008-08-01T04:42:00.003-10:00

Lemony Snicket*

Makes: 1

Prep time: 1 minute

Cook time: n/a

You'll need:

-Bombay Sapphire
-Pellegrino Limonata (carbonated lemon water)
-Ice

Pour one to two shots of gin over ice. Add half a can of San Pellegrino Limonata. Stir gently. Enjoy! Perfect for the hot, dog days of summer.

*Named for Stef's favorite movie. Enjoy slowly to ensure there are no unfortunate events following.

sage advice

2008-07-28T09:52:00.003-10:00

This summertime winner is adapted from my very favorite summertime cookbook, "How to Grill," by Steven Raichlen. If you don't have a copy, and if you like to grill, go pick one up for about $15 on Amazon.com. You won't regret it, and you'll learn a lot.

Grilled, Stuffed Pork Chops with Sage

Serves: 6

Prep time: 15 minutes

Grill time: 14 minutes

You'll need:

6 boneless pork chops

12 fresh sage leaves

4 oz. Prosciutto

6 oz. Fontina cheese

1/4 c. olive oil

Salt & Pepper

toothpicks (soaked in 1 T. olive oil)

First, prepare your pork chops by using a paring knife to cut a big, deep pocket in the pork chop. (As big as you can cut without slicing the chop in two). Next prepare your fontina by cutting it into pieces that are about the size of your pinky. Wrap the fontina in a piece of prosciutto, then take the prosciutto-wrapped fontina and stuff it inside the pork chop pocket. To close the chop, secure the open seam with two to three olive-oil-soaked toothpicks (olive oil helps the toothpicks not to burn up on the grill). Next, brush both sides of each chop with a generous amount of olive oil, and season with plenty of salt and pepper. Lastly, press 1 sage leaf onto each side of each chop. The fire from the grill will create a wonderful flavor and aroma in your chop.

To cook: Heat your grill on medium heat for five minutes with the lid on. Place your chop on the grill for 6-7 minutes per side. (If you want gorgeous grill lines, place your meat at a 10 o'clock angle for 3 minutes, then rotate to a 2 o'clock angle for three minutes each side).

The cheese and prosciutto help this chop to be flavored well and not-too-dry. If you think the pork wants a sauce, and think you could get away with something as decadent as sage butter during swimsuit season, by all means, sauce on! (Sage butter: 6 T. butter, melt in a saucepan over low heat until beginning to brown, add 5 sage leaves to butter for 1 minute, stirring constantly, remove from heat as soon as brown color deepens to tan).

Serve with: A crisp sauvignon blanc, a salad of mixed greens and a lemony dressing, and all of your favorite people.

see you tamari

2008-07-09T05:14:00.006-10:00

Tamari is a Japanese soy-sauce. It's got a cleaner flavor than regular soy sauce, and had a starring role in last night's dinner. Here's a great recipe for teriyaki chicken bowls - using Tamari to make your own teriyaki!

Teriyaki Chicken Bowls

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cook time: 45 minutes

For the rice bowls, you'll need:

1 C. whole grain brown rice
1 head napa cabbage
1 white onion
1 lb. chicken (boneless, skinless breasts)
1 C. teriyaki sauce *recipe below
2 T. tamari
1 t. chili paste
3 T. olive oil

First, make the teriyaki sauce (~15 mins). Measure 1/2 to 2/3 C. in a plastic bag, and marinate your chicken for 20-30 minutes.

While your teriyaki sauce is coming to a bubble, make rice according to package directions. If you're using whole grain rice, which is far superior to his pasty brother white rice in both flavor and nutrition, the cooking process should take about 45 minutes.

Next, slice your onion, and set it aside. Then, shred the entire head of napa cabbage. Heat 3 T. olive oil in a large pot (pasta pot works well), and add the onion. Stir the onion until beginning to brown, then add the cabbage, plus 1/2 C. water, and cover for 5 minutes. Add 2 T. tamari plus 1 t. chili paste and stir to combine. Continue cooking on medium heat, until done to your likeness (can be very crispy, or very wilted - whatever you like).

When your chicken is done marinating, heat your grill/pan, and cook the chicken. Use 1/2 C. teriyaki sauce to baste while cooking, turning every 3 minutes or so for 15-20 minutes, depending on the size of your chicken and the heat of your grill/stove. When your chicken is done cooking, take it off the heat and let it rest for a few minutes, then slice it into very thin slices accross the grain.

To assemble your rice bowl: Measure 2/3 C. cooked rice in the bottom of the bowl. Next, add two tong-fulls of cabbage and onions on top. Next, add some sliced chicken. Top with a small ladle-full of teriyaki sauce, plus hot sauce to taste. Enjoy!

For the teriyaki sauce, you'll need:

1/2 to 2/3 C. tamari
1 1/2 C. water
4 T. brown sugar
3 cloves very finely diced garlic
1 T. ground ginger
1/2 C. water plus 2 T. corn starch, well mixed, to be added at the very end*

In a small saucepan, combine your tamari, water, brown sugar, garlic, and ginger. Whisk well over low heat, until sauce bubbles. Continue to whisk for 10 minutes, then add the corn starch slurry, and whisk well until thickened. (If too thick, add more water or tamari).

Note: This recipe yields +/- 2 C. sauce. You'll need 1 cup for marinade and 1 cup for topping, so divide it into two parts when it's done cooking.

For a tasty dessert:

Grilled Pineapple Rings

Take one whole pineapple, cut the top off. Then, cut the bottom off. Then, cut off the spiky sides, 1 strip at atime. Next, cut your pineapple into 1/2 inch slices. Use a biscuit cutter (or a knife) to remove the woody center. Grill on medium heat for 3 minutes per side. Enjoy!

hot dog!

2008-07-02T08:06:00.004-10:00

We've all been there - standing in front of no less than 20 different kinds of hot dogs before a BBQ. You want to buy the ones that will taste the best. Or should you get vegetarian hot dogs? But what do those taste like? Nathan's? Hebrew National? Oscar Mayer? The options are many, and dizzying.

Just in time for the 4th of July, we've got some answers! Ben and I took a recent Saturday afternoon to execute a blind hot dog taste test. We got the idea after we watched a sort of historical documentary piece about hot dogs/frankfurters/wieners on the History Channel. We grilled each of the hotdogs until they were an even done-ness, put them in a toasted whole wheat bun, and each got a stripe of mustard. Add a blindfold, a makeshift ratings system, and here you go:

Here's how the ratings worked:

5: Highest, ideal.
4: Pretty good; not perfect, but pretty, pretty, pretty good.
3: Take it or leave it.
2: I guess I'd eat this if someone made me
1: I never want to eat that again.

We tasted all the dogs in the photo, here's how they ranked:

Oscar Mayer

Rating: 3.5

You know the song. I won't sing it. In the blind test, these dogs stood up as a pretty decent standard. They were really salty, which I think is something most people crave when they think of a hot dog.

Nathan's All-Beef Franks

Rating: 5

Great hot dog - they were seasoned really well, and the grill charring was a complement to the overall flavor. I'd recommend these to any griller. From the first bite, this was the standout dog in the crowd.

Tofu Pups

Rating: 1.5

First, to be fair, these probably are not meant to be grilled. When I was grilling it, it cooked about as well as a plastic bag would. The yellow-ish color was a little off-putting as well. The consistency of these were pretty gross, with tofu being a prominent flavor. I expected to really like these, but couldn't bear more than a couple bites.

Smart Dogs

Rating: 2

If you had to grill a veggie dog, make it a Smart Dog. It won't taste like meat, but it won't taste like tofu, either, which is important. These were seasoned well and stood up to the grill a little better than the tofu pups.

Ben's and my scores were averaged.

We know it wasn't the most comprehensive taste test, but given that there were only two of us...we felt like we got a pretty good grasp on the standards. Stay tuned for more taste tests of your favorite junk food. Any suggestions?

tomato soup

2008-07-01T15:04:00.003-10:00

Chalk this one up to being another San Marzano miracle, but this was some great soup!

Tomato soup:

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 15 minutes

Serves: 4

You'll need:

1 - 28 ounce tin San Marzano stewed tomatoes
1 jar roasted red peppers (10-12 oz.)
6 leaves basil
4 cloves garlic
2 T. olive oil
1 and 1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. red pepper flakes

Special equipment: blender.

First, peel and finely chop the garlic. Next, heat your 2 T. olive oil in a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and stir until golden. Add your red pepper flakes and cook for another minute. Next, add the stewed San Marzano tomatoes - use your spoon to break them up a bit. Then, tear the basil into the pot, and stir. Last but not least, season with salt. Cover, and let simmer for 10 minutes.

To puree the soup, use your blender. Pour the soup (can still be hot) into the blender - but either leave one corner of the lid up, or take out the plastic center part - and cover with a double layer kitchen towel (if you don't you'll create a tomato explosion inside your blender by emulsifying hot liquids in a small space--trust, don't do this!). Blend on low speed for 1 minute. Pour back into your saucepan and heat over a low flame before serving.

To serve: Ladle tomato soup into bowls. Top with a crouton, a curl of parmesan cheese, and a basil leaf. Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy!

secret sauce

2008-06-23T15:27:00.007-10:00

Here's one to pack away in the "family secrets" recipe file. A simple tomato sauce perfect for really, just about anything. Since there are so few ingredients - it's important that you use a really good quality everything, most importantly, the tomatoes. I use San Marzano tomatoes...if you've never heard of them, here's what Wikipedia has to say:

"The story goes that the first seed of the San Marzano tomato came to Campania in 1770, as a gift from the Kingdom of Peru to the Kingdom of Naples, and that it was planted in the area that corresponds to the present commune of San Marzano. They come from a small town of the same name near Naples, Italy, and were first grown in volcanic soil in the shadow of Mount Vesuvius. The volcanic soil is believed to act as a filter for water impurities. Compared to the Roma Tomatoes with which most people are familiar, Marzano tomatoes are thinner and pointier in shape. The flesh is much thicker with fewer seeds, and the taste is much stronger, more sweet, and less acidic."

...So, there you have it (the story anyway). Here's the recipe:

Tomato Sauce

Serves: 1 lb. of pasta
Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 15 minutes

You'll need:

Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Garlic Cloves (3)
Basil Leaves (6-10)
One 28 oz. tin San Marzano tomatoes, peeled, whole
4 T. butter

Special equipment:

2 saucepans
1 strainer
wooden spoon

First, slice the garlic cloves. Then heat 1/2 C. olive oil over medium heat for 1 minute. Add garlic cloves. When garlic is blonde, add the basil leaves and cover immediately (will splatter). Let the basil fry for another 2 minutes while you open the can of tomatoes. When you are ready to add the tomatoes to the saucepan with the olive oil and garlic, take the pan off the heat. Break the tomatoes up a bit in the pan, cover, replace pan over a low flame for another 5-10 minutes. The next step is straining the sauce. Put your strainer over a clean saucepan, and pour sauce into strainer. Use your spoon to push the sauce through the strainer. Get as much sauce as you can through, but don't feel bad if you have lots of solids left (I had almost 3/4 C. basil leaves, garlic, and tomato stems). Put the strained sauce back on the stove, over a low flame. Stir, season with salt to taste (probably 1t. to 2t.). Next, cube the 4 T. butter, and add them to the sauce. Stir until smooth.

The secret, aside from the tomatoes of course, is the butter. By infusing the sweet tomatoes with basil, olive oil, and garlic flavors, then straining it and and adding butter - you get a wonderfully rich sauce that is perfectly smooth. This thin sauce is perfect for long pasta, like angel hair. Don't forget fresh grated parmiggiano over the top of your pasta and sauce, and a nice Chianti.

georgetown cupcake

2008-06-21T06:33:00.005-10:00

Sprinkles, I think, is to blame/credit for the nationwide cupcake bonanza that's piqued the interest of even the tiniest sweet tooth. Today, I visited one of the two cupcakeries that have gained a wide-reaching fan base in Washington, D.C.

Georgetown Cupcake

www.georgetowncupcake.com

1209 Potomac Street

Washington, D.C. 20007

This tiny outpost, located adjacent from the Shops at Georgetown (across the street from Dean & DeLuca on M) draws admirers from far and wide for their tiny confections. At $2.75 a pop, it's a splurge, but one bite into their lemon berry cake and you'll know it's worth it. They serve about a dozen flavors every day, plus chocolate and vanilla. I got a half-dozen of these in mocha, lemon berry, vanilla squared, chocolate banana, and chocolate mint. I polished off the lemon berry buttercream in no time flat - I can't wait to try the rest! (Photo is of Georgetown Cupcake's finest).

Cake Love

www.cakelove.com

1506 U Street, NW

Washington, D.C. 20009

(202) 588-7100

Lawyer-turned-baker Warren Brown started his empire with this store in the late 1990's. His cakes and confections won him the favor of an untold number of Washingtonians, not to mention a new national fan base thanks to his show on the Food Network, "Sugar Rush." If you don't have a sweet tooth yourself, this is the perfect spot to buy a box of four as a thank-you to someone who was nice to you!

ten things to do with ten bucks

2008-06-19T09:06:00.007-10:00

Are you feeling the pinch of our crap economy? Yeah, me too. But I'm still hungry. No bother, just time to get a little creative. Here are ten ideas for what you can do with ten bucks at the grocery store. These recipes assume that you own olive oil, salt, and pepper. Otherwise, everything you'll need for the recipe is included in the price. Each of these recipes serve at least 4 people/make great leftovers. Enjoy! (Prices according to Georgetown Safeway).

1. BROCCOLI CHEDDAR SOUFFLE

What to buy:

6 eggs - $1.29

1 quart 1 % milk - $1.79

Lucerne 8 oz. Shredded Cheddar - $2.50

16 oz. frozen, chopped broccoli - $1.69

20 oz. shredded frozen potatoes - $2.00

1 sm. yellow onion - $0.70

TOTAL: $9.97

What to do: This is a great one for your cast iron skillet. First, chop the yellow onion, and add it to your skillet with 1 T. olive oil. Sautee for 5 minutes, until soft and beginning to brown. Next, add 2 C. frozen hash browns and another T. olive oil, mix with the onions, and cover and let cook for 5 minutes. While that's cooking, thaw out your broccoli in the microwave. Preheat your oven to 350. Next, crack all six eggs into a large bowl. Whisk well, and add 1 C. milk, whisk. Add all 8 oz. shredded cheddar, and all the thawed, drained, and chopped broccoli. Add 1 T. salt, and 1 T. pepper. Stir well. Uncover your cast iron skillet and check on the potatoes. Do not salt the potatoes while they are cooking. When your potatoes begin to brown, turn off the heat, and spread potatoes/onions in an even layer on the bottom of your skillet. This will form the "crust" of your souffle. Pour the entire egg/cheese/milk/broccoli mixture over the potatoes. Put it in a 350 oven for 45 minutes, or until the top is uniformly brown, and center is only slightly jiggly.

2. LEMON PASTA

What to buy:

Barilla PLUS Thin Spaghetti, 1 lb. $1.75

1 5 oz. pkg. Stella Parmesan - $4.49

3 lemons - $3.00

Total: $9.24

3. PENNE AL'ARRABIATA

What to buy:

Barilla PLUS Penne Pasta, 1 lb. $1.75

1 32 oz. can CENTO Crushed Tomatoes - $2.49 (Get good quality crushed tomatoes)

1 Head Garlic - $1.25

McCormack Red Pepper Flakes - $4.20

TOTAL: $9.69

What to do: Put a large pot of water on to boil, and add at least 2 T. salt into the water. Meanwhile, peel and crush or finely chop about 6 cloves of garlic. In a saucepan, heat 3 T. olive oil. Put the garlic in there and cook until just beginning to blonde - then add 1 t. pepper flakes (2 t. if you want it really hot). Sautee another 1 minute. Then remove it from the heat. Next, put your pasta in the boiling water - and cook until al dente or better, about 11-12 minutes. While your pasta is cooking - remove the garlic and pepper flakes from the heat. Next, open your can of crushed tomatoes, and add it to the saucepan with the garlic and pepper flakes. Add 1 T. salt. Mix with a spoon well, and replace over low heat - and COVER it! (It will splatter). Let the flavors of the sauce combine while your pasta cooks. When your pasta is done, drain it, and mix it with the tomato sauce. The end.

4. HOMEMADE MAC & CHEESE

What to buy:

Barilla PLUS Elbows, 1 lb. $1.75

1 quart 1% milk - $1.79

Lucerne 8 oz. Shredded Cheddar - $2.50

Lucerne 16 oz. Butter - $2.50

Flour (5 lb. bag is $1.29)

Total: $9.83

What to do: Not so healthy, but definitely delicious. First, put a large pot of water on to boil. Put at least 2 T. salt into the water once it's boiling. Next, melt 3 T. butter in a saucepan. Add 3 T. flour, plus some salt and pepper. Whisk well until golden - but not brown. Slowly begin to add the milk, a little at a time. Whisk constantly. You will use about 3 C. milk. Put your pasta on to boil for 10 minutes, and preheat your oven to 350. Mix the entire 8 oz. bag of cheddar into the milk sauce, and whisk until it is melted. When the pasta is done, drain it, and mix it with the cheese sauce. Put in oven-safe pan and bake at 350 for 25 minutes, until top is golden. Yummy.

5. ZUCCHINI CARPACCIO

What to buy:

2 green zucchini - $1.24

2 yellow squash - $2.24

2 lemons - $2.00

Fresh Thyme - $2.00

Total: $7.48

Rinse off your zucchini. Strip thyme leaves off the stems and run a knife through them to release the flavor. Chop the bottoms and tops off the green zucchini. Thinly slice, vertically - you don't want little round discs, you want long ribbons. Take care to slice them thin and well, that is what makes this taste so good! Repeat with the yellow squash. To serve - alternate green and yellow pieces - then squeeze the juice of two lemons over it. Drizzle liberally with olive oil. Liberally salt and pepper. Sprinkly thyme leaves over the top for garnish and extra flavor. Beautiful, simple, and healthy.

6. SAUSAGE, PEPPERS, & ONIONS SUB

What to buy:

Hot Italian Sausage - $3.50

1 large onion - $1.29

2 bell peppers (any color) - $2.00

Hoagie rolls x 6 - $2.50

Total: $9.29

What to do: First, peel and chop the onion. Next, slice the bell peppers. Sautee with 2 T. olive oil for 10-15 minutes until they start to caramelize. Do not salt while cooking! Meanwhile, pierce the sausages with a fork, and put in a sautee pan over low heat. Cover while cooking - they will splatter. Next, cut the tops out of your hoagie buns, and put them in the oven for a few minutes until they're toasty. Don't forget about them! Nobody likes burned buns. When your buns are toasted, your veggies are getting caramelized, and your sausages have a nice dark brown sear on them (should cook for 10 minutes), you're done. Put sausage in bun, top with peppers and onions. Takes you right back to the stadium!

7. CHINESE PORK DUMPLINGS

What to buy:

6 eggs - $1.29

Ground Pork, 1.25 lb. - $2.99

1 head Green Cabbage, $1.38

Won Ton wrappers - $1.50

Chicken Bouillon Base (powder) - 4 oz., $3.50

Total: $10.66

What to do: finely chop the cabbage - should be in shreds. Mix with ground pork, and one egg. Add 2 T. chicken bouillon powder with plenty of black pepper. Mix thoroughly with your hands. To fill the dumpling wrappers - use 1 t. pork/cabbage mixture per wrapper. Wet the edges of the wrapper with water on your finger to ensure a good seal, and fold in half on the diagonal (end shape: triangle). When your'e ready to cook these - put 1 T. olive oil in the bottom of a nonstick skillet and fry over medium heat for about 4-5 minutes per side. Cover during cooking to make sure the pork is thoroughly cooked. This is a bit of a process, so it's a good project to do with someone else.

If you have leftover dumplings - you can freeze them and cook them later. Make sure that when you put the uncooked dumplings in the freezer - they are not touching each other at all - or else they will freeze together and not be useable. Separate layers of dumplings with plastic wrap. (After you freeze them not touching for 2 days, you can transfer the frozen dumplings into a storage bag...once they're frozen, they won't stick together).

8. BLUE CHEESE, PEAR, & CARAMELIZED ONION PIZZA

What to buy:

Blue Cheese Crumbles - $3.59

Pillsbury Pizza Dough - $3.19

1 bosc pear - $1.00

1 large onion - $1.29

Total: $9.07

Peel and slice the onion. Combine with 1 T. olive oil in skillet, and sautee until caramelized, or about 15 minutes (maybe more). Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 and roll out pizza dough onto a non-stick cookie sheet. Spread with fingers until a uniform thickness of about 1/2 inch. When the onions are caramelized, sprinkle 1/2 the blue cheese on the pizza dough. Slice the pear into thin slices, and top the pizza with the pear slices and the caramelized onion, and finally with the remaining blue cheese. Drizzle a small amount of olive oil over the entire pizza, then bake it in a 350 oven for 15-17 minutes, until crust is golden.

9. BRUNCH: HERBED EGG WHITE OMELETTE, ROASTED ASPARAGUS

What to buy:

Lucerne "Best of Egg" - 16 oz. $3.00

1 pkg. fresh thyme or dill - $2.00

1 bunch fresh asparagus - $4.99

Total: $9.99

What to do: Preheat oven to 350. Rinse and snap off tough ends of asparagus. Toss with 1 T. olive oil, and salt and pepper. When oven is ready, pop in the asparagus - they will roast for 20 minutes. Next, rinse off the thyme or dill and strip leaves off the stem. Run a knife through them - they are tiny, but this is the best way to get all the flavor. Put 1 t. olive oil in omelette pan. Whisk together 1 t. chopped thyme and 1/2 C. egg whites, plus salt and pepper. Pour in omelette pan - cover and let cook for 4 minutes or until done. (You may need to flip it, cook for another 2 minutes on the other side). Serve omelette with roasted asparagus on the side, or tucked inside the omelette.

10. SPINACH SALAD WITH STRAWBERRIES & ONIONS

What to buy:

6 oz. baby spinach - $3.49

1 small Vidalia Onion - $1.29

1/2 lb. strawberries - $2.00

Ken's Lite Asian Ginger Sesame Soy Dressing - $3.49

Total: $10.27

What to do: Slice vidalia onions in very thin slices. Rinse and slice the strawberries. Toss with spinach, and 1/2 C. Ken's dressing. Absolutely wonderful!

tapas feast

2008-06-19T08:21:00.007-10:00

This is my favorite kind of post. The kind of post where I can review, and offer recipes. During our recent travels abroad, we enjoyed a tapas feast in Barcelona. Here's the original restaurant information:

Ciudad Condal

Rambla Catalunya 18

Barcelona - Spain

+34 933 181 997

While the dollar is suffering, this place is a hungry travelers dream come true. We feasted on just about everything on the menu - and managed to rack up a manageable 79Euro tab. (There were four of us and they had to roll us out by the end of it...not bad!). I especially enjoyed the briney olives, the delicious sangria and the patatas bravas. When we got home - you can bet I did my best to re-create our Catalunyan feast...and you can bet that tapas night is a new tradition at our house!

First things first, the potables:

Sangria:

(1 pitcher)

1 bottle rioja red wine
2 C. fresh orange juice
1 C. ginger ale
1/2 apple, cut into tiny pieces
1/2 orange, cut into small pieces
1 lemon, sliced thin
1/2 (or so) C. dark rum

Stir, with ice, until it's really cold! Garnish each glass with an orange and get ready for a treat.

Now, for the edibles (for 4):

Patatas Bravas

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 1 hour

Serves: 4

You'll need:

4 potatoes (medium sized, I used organic white potatoes)
1 T. olive oil
Salt & Pepper

For the sauce:

1/4 C. olive oil
3-4 cloves garlic
2 t. chili flakes
1 small can tomato paste (I like Cento)
1/2 C. mayonnaise

For the potatoes: Preheat oven to 350. Dice the potatoes into 3/4" cubes. Coat with about 2 T. olive oil, liberally crack black pepper over them. Bake at 350 for about 1 hour or until tender and starting to brown.

For the sauce: Clean and chop the garlic. Add 1/4 C. olive oil to a small saucepan, heat for 1 minute over medium heat. Drop in the garlic, let it blonde (about 1-2 minutes). Add chili flakes, stir over heat for 1 minute more. Remove from heat before garlic burns, and add tomato paste. Whisk until combined (if the mixture is too "tight" - add a couple T water to loosen). Put over low heat for 20 minutes while flavors combine. Season to your liking. Then, let it cool. When you're ready to eat the potatoes, mix the tomato paste mixture with the mayonnaise.

If you want to get really fancy - you can scoop the sauce into a plastic baggie, snip off one tiny corner and drizzle the sauce over the potatoes. Me? I was far too eager to eat them to take the time...

Tomato Bread

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 5 minutes

Serves: 4

You'll need:

1 baguette or something similar
1 ripe tomato (medium-sized)
1-2 large cloves of garlic
olive oil
salt & pepper

This couldn't be easier. First, slice the bread into 1/2 inch slices, and toast them (either in an oven or a panini press). When they are nice and crusty, they're done. Next, peel the garlic-but leave it whole. Cut one tiny end off the garlic - and rub the raw garlic clove across each piece of bread a few times. Next, cut the tomato in half. Rub the raw tomato on each piece of bread too - should give it a nice pink hue. Next, arrange the breads in a single layer on a plate - and drizzle olive oil over the whole platter. The last step is a little salt and a little pepper on top of each slice - and you're done!

Garlic Sauteed Mushrooms

Prep time: 2 minutes

Cook time: 20 minutes

Serves: 4

You'll need:

2 containers of pre-sliced white mushrooms
3 garlic cloves
3 T. olive oil
salt & pepper

First, dice the garlic. Next heat some olive oil in a skillet. When the garlic is blonde, drop the mushrooms in - stir to coat with olive oil. Stir occasionally for about 15-20 minutes until the mushrooms are sauteed to your liking. When they are done cooking, season with salt and pepper to your liking, and enjoy!

...And that's pretty much it for the cooking part! Take some help from the store on this one - and go find a couple blocks of good cheese, some mixed olives, and some prosciutto to enjoy along with the tasty things you made. Enjoy your tapas feast with no less than two glasses of your delicious sangria.

roman holiday

2008-06-19T05:08:00.005-10:00

Ah, Rome. As was mentioned in a recent NYT Frugal Traveler, Mark Twain writes this in "Innocents Abroad," on Rome:

“What is there in Rome for me to see that others have not seen before me? What is there for me to touch that others have not touched? What is there for me to feel, to learn, to hear, to know, that shall thrill me before it pass to others? What can I discover? Nothing. Nothing whatsoever.”

With all due respect to Mr. Clemens, I'd like to disagree. There are things left to discover! There are things yet to learn, to feel, to hear...mainly, in restaurants. A word of caution to the savvy traveler - the Euro/Dollar exchange is painful right now. So - go forth with your appetites and savor every bite.

Dal Bolognese

Piazza del Popolo 1-2

06-36-114-26

This white-tableclothed post is my very favorite kind of place. It dresses up and serves a great number of elegant Italians - but the menu is as comfortable as they come, simple food made with only the best ingredients. We liked it so much, we went twice in one day. And don't be disappointed when I tell you I ate the same thing twice - it was just that good. To start, I enjoyed the caprese salad - with milky fresh mozzarella slices and fat, ripe slices of red tomato. Just a drizzle of olive oil, some fresh cracked black pepper and sea salt - perfection. Ben snacked on the prosciutto di Parma twice that day - it was, of course, perfectly sliced. The flavor was brighter than most prosciutto flavors - something a little peppery. I just loved it when he gave me a taste. For dinner, I enjoyed the spaghetti cacio e pepe, which must be the simplest food in the world. It's salt and pepper spaghetti, served with plenty of grated pecorino cheese on top. The hearty strands of spaghetti were coated in grassy olive oil, pecorino, and pepper and made each bite a real delight. Ben enjoyed the tortellini con burro e parmiggiano - another simple classic. The tortellini were filled with bites of pancetta, topped with plenty of butter, and as much parmesan as you like. Really, totally delicious stuff.

Sabatini

Trastevere

Piazza Santa Maria 13

Set up shop on a weekend evening at a table in lively Piazza Santa Maria. Sabatini offers wonderful outdoor tables and a menu chock-full of Roman Specialties (don't miss: the artichokes!). We had an 8:00 reservation - which is an early dinner for most Romans. We watched over wonderful appetizers of stuffed zucchini flowers, prosciutto, and carciofi, as the Piazza transformed from a sleepy public square to a lively public stage - complete with a street performer who grew his audience from 10 to 50 by the time we left. We really ate our hearts out here - as for me, I started with the pasta con vongole, and ended with the lovely veal piccata. We sipped on a local chianti, and enjoyed steamy cappucini after dinner. Trastevere is the spot for Roman nightlife, as we found wandering a couple blocks down for a drink after dinner. As one online reviewer noted of Sabatini - order carefully or your bill can triple before your eyes...

so cal tables

2008-06-19T03:31:00.007-10:00

I'm guilty of not really liking L.A. I'm guilty of thinking it was a cesspool for bloated egos and powertrips (wait, maybe I'm thinking of D.C.). Regardless, the scales fell from my eyes on my last trip out there for brother Mike's graduation from USC film. Congrats, Mike! (You can see the award-winning film he produced here and here.) In between graduating and managing our entire family, he chose some fantastic tables to share with us while we were there. Throughout my four day trip, we dined high (Geoffrey's) and low (In & Out). Here are my favorites:

Dusty's

http://www.dustysbistro.com/

3200 W. Sunset Boulevard

Los Angeles, CA 90026
(323) 906-1018

We enjoyed a fantastic brunch here one morning. Don't let the name or the Mickey Rourke posters on the wall deter you from their fabulous and extensive menu. The generous portions and the paper-placemat-menu make this place an instant favorite. I enjoyed a croque madame for brunch - this giant, ham-and-cheese-filled sandwich arrived to me with an abundance of fresh organic greens. I loved it! I'm not one to advocate dieting - so I figure that if you eat a giant sandwich with ham and cheese and bechamel, you should eat a salad of equal size to balance things out. Dusty's agrees with this. Go, bring your friends, and spend a morning in what will be your new favorite place.

The Alcove

http://www.alcovecafe.com/
1929 Hillhurst Avenue

Los Angeles, CA 90027

(323) 414-0100

Another wonderful spot for brunch, this organic coffee and tea house doubles as a gourmet wine and cheese shop. Hand-painted tables await you and your friends on a sunny brick patio in front of the cafe. You pay before you eat (and order at the counter inside), but efficient waiters and waitresses will bring you your omelettes and crepes and take your plates away when you're done, making this an ideal spot to either dine and dash, or hang out for hours without having waiters trying to shoo you out the gate. I ordered an omelette with onions and swiss cheese - you can get nearly any combination of fillers your heart desires. My omelette came with two hefty slices of freshly baked wheat toast. And, if you've got a sweet tooth, you won't believe their crepes! Smartly presented folding in quarters on a long slim plate, these crepes were more than an eyeful. Filled with nutella, banana reduction, and mixed berries, everyone was eager for a forkful! Everyone at our table enjoyed their house mimosas - each comes with a personal split of bubbly with a pitcher of fresh-squeezed orange juice. An elegant yet relaxed way to begin any day!

Geoffrey's

http://www.geoffreysmalibu.com/

27400 Pacific Coast Highway

Malibu, CA 90265

(310) 457-1519

The perfect place to spend an evening dining out. Geoffrey's is situated atop a cliff, overlooking the Pacific. You're sure to catch glimpses of the rising moon, and maybe, if you're lucky, a couple of stars. (How apropos - we saw an actor who was in the originial 90210.) We started out with a panoply of appetizers, including their deliciously gooey baked brie. For dinner, I moved on to the most wonderful seared scallops I have ever had the pleasure of tasting. Each of the five day boat scallops was perfectly golden brown on each side - served with a rich, salty fois gras risotto and a bright pomegranite reduction. Sadly, (and probably because I was so late in getting there!) they had run out of the kobe beef filets that night, but judging from the high quality of the rest of their menu, I'm sure it would be delicious. The atmosphere at Geoffrey's was full of rich laughter, the open fire pits around the seating area made the whole experience warm and wonderful. I can't wait to go back.

La Valencia Hotel

http://www.lavalencia.com/

1132 Prospect Street

La Jolla, CA 92037

A road trip to visit my favorite friends from Rome brought us to San Diego. Though I didn't enjoy any meals or stays at this picturesque spot, it was the perfect place for a mid-afternoon pick-me-up at La Jolla beach. Located on busy Prospect street, and overlooking the extra blue Pacific, you can't go wrong ordering a coffee, a beer, or a cocktail on their patio. Thanks for showing it to me, VT!

Lastly, but most definitely not least, my beloved:

In-n-Out Burger

http://www.in-n-out.com/

No road trip in California would be complete without a stop to In-n-Out. My favorite thing is a grilled cheese, animal style, with animal style fries to split. I could (and shh, have) eaten this for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Ben's favorite is a double double, of course. The best part, aside from the prices, is that everything is made in a spotless kitchen, right in front of you, when you order it. Nothing frozen. Amazing. Delicious!

rave: ben's chili bowl

2008-05-11T10:36:00.006-10:00

Nationals Stadium opened on the last day in March of this year. We trotted out to some sweet seats last Friday night to watch the Marlins play the Nationals. The highlight of the game wasn't the baseball (read: at least 20 fly balls were hit)...it was the ball game food. Out at RFK stadium, the best food you could get was at a place called the "District of Chicken" -- so, you could pay $7 for a few chicken strips. Meanwhile, the entire stadium reeked of fried chicken. Hmm...

Though the new Nats stadium hasn't yet developed its own smell, they have added a Washington, D.C. late-night staple: Ben's Chili Bowl. Full disclosure: I didn't visit the real/original BCB until AFTER I had eaten it at the Nats Stadium. Moving on, there are about 4 things on the menu at Ben's:

Chili Cheese Half Smoke
Chili Cheese Burger
Chili Cheese Fries
Vegetarian Chili

I've tried three out of four of these (shame, shame...) and my parter in crime, Ben, finally tried the Chili Cheese Burger last Friday at the game. Though he woke up the next day with a burning sensation in his stomach, he seemed to really enjoy it while he was eating it.

I tried to behave, and ordered a bowl of Veggie Chili at the game, instead of you know, cheese fries and a hot dog. I ate the Veggie Chili in about 1 minute, shrugged, and moved on to eating a half an order of Ben's chili cheese fries. The Veggie Chili wasn't very warm (maybe just my bowl?), so that made it sort of unappetizing...and it was a little too sweet for my palette. Meh. I guess ordering the Veggie Chili at Ben's is like going to a nice steakhouse, and ordering a salad. Not really worth the trip, you know?

Next time you're in DC, at the baseball game or at the original location - try out Ben's Chili Bowl. To get the full effect, skip the burger -- order some chili cheese fries and a half smoke. And don't forget the Pepto Bismol.

southern comfort

2008-05-09T04:31:00.004-10:00

Do you ever just want to curl up after a long, rainy day, with some meatloaf and your own personal vat of mac & cheese, and watch three hours of network TV? No? ...I am shamleless. Nonetheless - these recipes (adapted from the latest and greatest addition to the Food Network Family - the Neelys!) are sure to satisfy you on a glum day. Sometimes comfort food is the only cure...

BBQ Turkey Meatloaf

Serves: 4, at least

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 1 hour

You'll need:

1.3 lbs. lean ground turkey

1 C. chopped red onion

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 T. olive oil

3 T. soy sauce
1 T. worcestershire sauce

1 egg

1 C. bread crumbs

1 1/2 C. BBQ sauce

1 t. paprika

1 t. Old Bay Seasoning

1) Chop the onion and bell pepper. Add to skillet with 1 T. olive oil, and sautee until tender and starting to brown.

2) Combine the turkey with the egg, bread crumbs, 1 C. BBQ sauce, Old Bay, paprika, soy sauce, and worcestershire sauce.

3) When the peppers and onions have cooked, combine them with the meat mixture.

4) Bake in a 350 oven for 30 minutes, then top with remaning 1/2 C. BBQ sauce, and return to oven for another 20-30 minutes.

Classic Mac & Cheese

Serves: 4

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 30 minutes

You'll need:

2 C. dry elbow pasta

3 T. salt (to cook pasta in)

2 C. whole milk

2 T. butter

1.5 T flour

1 t. dry mustard

1/2 t. cayenne pepper

2 C. cheese, shredded (your favorite kind)

1/2 C. breadcrumbs or crushed chips or crushed crackers (topping, the best part)

Paprika (for garnish)

4 oven-safe, individual-sized bowls

1) Boil water for pasta. Salt the water with 3 T. salt. When you drop in the pasta, begin to make the roux...

2) Melt butter in small saucepan. Whisk in flour, dry mustard, and cayenne pepper. Gradually add the 2 C. milk, whisking well so there are no lumps. Gradually add the cheese, whisking well, and reserving about 1/4 C. of the cheese to put directly on top of the macaroni.

3) Drain your macaroni when it has cooked, and combine with the cheese sauce. Stir for 1 minute, until completely combined. Taste, and adjust seasonings as necessary (salt, pepper, etc).

4) Ladle the macaroni and cheese into 4 individual oven-safe bowls. Top with remaining shredded cheese, and crumb topping.

5) Bake at 350 for 30 minutes, then sprinkle paprika over the top just before serving.

And, finally, something green:

Garlicky Lemony Beans

Serves: 4

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 5 minutes

You'll need:

A bag full of fresh green beans

1 lemon

2 cloves of garlic, chopped

1 T. olive oil

Salt

Pepper

1) Trim the ends from the green beans, then blanche them briefly in a pot of boiling water. (2 minutes).

2) Drain the green beans, and add 1 T. olive oil to bottom of pan. Over medium heat, add the garlic, and then add the green beans back in.

3) Add the juice of one lemon, as well as the zest from 1 lemon, to the bean pot. Stir well.

4) Turn off heat, and salt and pepper the beans.

Enjoy with a hearty dose of 30 Rock, Lost, and The Office. :o)

rave: coffee mate

2008-05-08T04:55:00.004-10:00

It started in the summer of 2003. The first summer I lived in my brother and sister-in-law's guest bedroom during my first internship in DC. The summer after my freshman year of college, the year I became a coffee-drinker. I've tried to quit, but can't. Instead, I've brought others down to my level.

This morning, I made coffee as usual. Unfortunately, Ben beat me to the punch and used the last few drops of coffee mate for his own travel mug. This is not the first time I have come face-to-face with my addiction. I angrily poured my coffee, black, into some travel cups, and added a few ice cubes so that when the time came to actually drink my coffee--I didn't have to taste it. I could just swallow it really fast. Normally (i.e. days that we have Coffee Mate), I bring my mug full of sweet, creamy, caffeinated goodness into work and savor it for the first couple hours. So, you will understand when I say that I had a rough morning today.

Are you, too, addicted to this stuff? Lord knows it's made of plastic and sugar and diabetes, and yeah, it's really bad for you, but I really can't quit. Here's the conversation we had, once we both got to work today:

ktringe (10:01:05 AM): how's your coffee, meany?
BenK (10:46:03 AM): its good
BenK (10:46:10 AM): I'm not mean
BenK (10:46:18 AM): I thought you poured yours already
ktringe (10:46:42 AM): no you didn't
ktringe (10:46:50 AM): how many cups were brewed?
ktringe (10:46:52 AM): 12.
ktringe (10:47:00 AM): how full was it when you poured yours?
ktringe (10:47:03 AM): 12 cups full.
ktringe (10:47:19 AM): oh well.
BenK(10:48:20 AM): no it wasnt
BenK (10:48:26 AM): it was less than that
BenK (10:48:33 AM): I get more tonight
BenK(10:48:37 AM): grump
ktringe (10:48:52 AM): you would be too!
BenK(10:48:57 AM): no
BenK (10:49:03 AM): I've dealt with it before
BenK (10:49:12 AM): I just use lots of sugar
ktringe (10:51:01 AM): i admit i have a problem.
BenK (10:51:54 AM): you are addicted
ktringe (10:52:09 AM): i acknowledge that
ktringe (10:52:13 AM): so are you
BenK (10:52:45 AM): no I'm not
BenK (10:52:53 AM): I can quit whenever I want
BenK (10:53:01 AM): and just do it on the weekends

Sigh...resistence is futile.

grill marks

2008-05-07T04:48:00.004-10:00

Lighten up! Summer's here. Here's a great, quick menu for any night of the week - perfect for company, too!

Herbed Lime Chicken

Serves: 2

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 10 minutes

You'll need:

1 bunch fresh cilantro
1/4 C. fresh mint leaves
1/4 C. fresh basil leaves
5 cloves garlic
2 limes
1 T. salt
2 T. olive oil
1 lb. thin sliced chicken breast

1) Juice the limes, and add 1 T. salt. Mix well.

2) Place chicken in lime and salt marinade for ten minutes.

3) Peel the garlic cloves, then combine them in a food processor with the mint, cilantro, basil, and olive oil. Pulse until mixture is paste-like.

4) Drain the lime marinade from the chicken, and slather on both sides with the herb paste.

5) Grill on med-high heat for 4 minutes per side, or until done.

Marinated Zucchini & Summer Squash

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 12-15 minutes

You'll need:

2 yellow summer squash
2 green zucchini
1/4 C. white wine vinegar
Juice from 1 lemon
5 fresh thyme sprigs
2 cloves garlic, well minced
3 T. olive oil
1 t. salt
1/4 c. shredded parmesan (for garnish)

1) To prepare the squash and the zucchini, first wash well, then slice on a diagonal: "/ /"

2) Whisk together the vinegar, the lemon juice, minced garlic cloves, olive oil, salt, and thyme.

3) Pour the marinade over the cut squash and zucchini, let marinate for at least 10 minutes, up to an hour.

4) Grill the squash and zucchini on a med-high heat for 4-5 minutes per side, or until nice dark grill marks appear.

5) To serve: Arrange the zucchini and squash in an alternating pattern (i.e. green, yellow, green, yellow, etc.). Sprinkle parmesan over the top, and enjoy!

These two things were so light, and so tasty. They paired very well with:

Rice Pilaf

Salty Dog Cocktail

Recipe for Salty Dog: 1 part vodka, 2 parts grapefruit juice, ice, and a salted rim. Add twist of lime, and you're set!

sushi taro

2008-04-29T03:16:00.004-10:00

Sushi Taro
1503 17th Street, NW (Corner of P Street).
Washington, D.C. 20036
(202) 462-8999
http://www.sushitaro.com/

Until last night, I hadn't enjoyed sushi in Washington, D.C. Every time a craving struck, I'd look on Google and read reviews of local favorites. The reviews were underwhelming at best... You know how it is - you don't want to end up at the wrong sushi spot! Happily, Ben got a tip from an insider to head to Sushi Taro, which is located above (yep) the CVS at the corner of 17th and P.

A small and unassuming door leads you up above the Pharmacy into a narrow and crowded stairwell with many other hungry Washingtonians. Reservations are hard to come by, so don't show up with a large group without being prepared to wait an hour. Also - they don't have a bar to use while you wait, but there are plenty around the corner and the host seemed accomodating if your party wanted to leave and come back.

Fish arrives on Sunday, so Monday is the best day to go. Rumor has it, Sushi Taro operates as the fish supplier for sushi restaurants around the city, but they keep the best cuts for themselves. I can say that while this spot was no Nobu, it certainly seemed reliable, prices were great, and the food was delicious.

Sushi Taro offers several different kinds of seating: at the bar (the best place, in my opinion), on the floor "Japanese style," and at a table. We were lucky enough to nab a spot at the bar (dinner AND a show!). Their list of menu items was impressive - and they do occasionally carry the elusive blue fin tuna as part of their specials (they were out last night). We took part in a wide variety of delectables, starting out with their rich miso soup and their smooth, round hot sake. Below is a list of what we had, and a makeshift rating system...

In sum:
**** = Great, don't miss it!
*** = Very good.
** = Good, but forgettable...
* = Skip it.

We had:
Crab nigiri - $7: ****
Medium fatty tuna nigiri - $6.75: **
Spicy tuna rolls - $5: ****
Tuna nigiri - $4.50: ***
Toro nigiri - m.p.: **
Eel & cucumber roll - $5.50: ***
Shrimp tempura roll - $5.50: **
Bonito sashimi - $12/5 pc.: **
Yellowtail sashimi - $12/ 5 pc.: ****
House Hot Sake - $7/large: ****
Miso soup - $1.75: ****
Edamame - $4: *

To sum up, don't miss the yellowtail sashimi, crab nigiri, the spicy tuna rolls, the hot sake, and be sure to treat yourself at the beginning with a piping hot bowl of their delicious miso soup. Enjoy this great spot as much as possible!

eggplant arrabiata

2008-04-14T12:56:00.004-10:00

Want something healthy, spicy, delicious, and super satisfying for dinner? Try this! It's a great, healthful alternative to two of my favorite things: penne al'arrabiata, and eggplant parmesan.

Eggplant Arrabiata
Serves: 2
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes

You'll need:

1 large eggplant
4 cloves of garlic
32 oz. can crushed tomatoes
3 T. olive oil
Salt & Pepper
Crushed red pepper flakes
Parmesan
Fresh Basil

1) Pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees.

2) Cut the eggplant into 1/2 inch slices. Then, cut the slices in half (so it looks like a half-moon).

3) Lay the eggplant slices in a single layer on a baking sheet. Liberally season one side with salt and pepper, flip, and season the other side.

HEALTHY TIP: Measure your olive oil using a measuring spoon! At 120 calories per tablespoon (even if it is the "good" kind of fat...) it's good to be careful.

4) Using 1 T. olive oil, carefully drizzle a few drops over each piece of eggplant. Don't worry about getting them completely covered - eggplant is like a sponge. Turn your eggplant over, and drizzle another 1 T. olive oil on the other side.

5) Bake your eggplant at 400 degrees for 25 minutes, turning once. (You may wish to lightly broil your eggplant at the very end, I recommend a low broil at 3 minutes per side to get them golden brown.)

6) Measure 1 T. olive oil into the bottom of a saucepan. Turn on low heat.

7) Peel, and finely chop garlic. Drop into the hot oil, taking care not to burn the garlic.

8) When the garlic turns "blonde" (the stage before browned), add 1 t. crushed red pepper flakes. Stir carefully for about 1 minute over low heat.

9) Add your can of crushed tomatoes, and salt to taste (Usually, I use 2 t., sometimes more). Stir, then cover and let simmer until your eggplant are browned.

10) Using your vegetable peeler, "peel" your parmesan cheese block, creating nice long ribbons.

11) Roughly chop a few basil leaves.

12) When your eggplant is browned, you're ready to eat. To plate: Pour a ladle full of sauce on a plate. Top with eggplant. Ladle more sauce over the top, then top with parmesan ribbons and chopped red basil.

This is really a winner - and so affordable! I think I made this whole meal for about $8.

rant: sandra lee

2008-04-04T10:02:00.007-10:00

Re: Sandra Lee, host of "Semi-Homemade" on the Food Network
http://search.foodnetwork.com/food/recipe/sandra+lee/search.do?searchString=sandra+lee&site=food&searchType=Recipe

Anthony Bourdain, on Sandra Lee: "Pure evil. This frightening Hell Spawn of Kathie Lee and Betty Crocker seems on a mission to kill her fans, one meal at a time."

Hard to disagree with him. I get it. There are a lot of women (and men!) in America who would just as soon not do much work and really impress their friends with what they cook. That is something that appeals to me immensely. Sandra Lee purports to embody this ideal - in so doing, she becomes a complete abomination of carefree cooking and effortless entertaining. You want effortless entertaining? Open a box of crackers, a package of cheddar, slice an apple, and pour a bottle of your favorite wine. Sandra lee would have you pouring seasoning packets, going to your craft store to arrange your "tablescape" (the word alone makes me twitchy), mixing crafty "cocktails" (I don't know anyone who would touch one of these potent potions with a ten foot pole, but that's another post altogether).

As I write this, her voice is blaring over my left shoulder in a saccharine voice saying, "Welcome back, today is all about really cute cakes that are super simple." You've all been in a situation where you're at dinner, or an event, or even at the bar and there's that one person who just doesn't shut up about how great they are? That's her. Sticking a blue maraschino cherry on top of a cupcake on top of a cake? It's frustrating to me that she is still able to maintain her half-hour spot on the Food Network every day. Admittedly, The Food Network exists because of, and is patronized primarily by, people who have too much time on their hands-but shouldn't those people be treated to watching someone who loves what they do, and who they do it for?

For me - loving food starts with loving people. I'm not convinced she loves either.

...There, I said it.

baked ziti

2008-03-05T06:31:00.003-10:00

Is it cold where you are? Do you want to curl up in front of the fireplace with a glass of wine and a good movie? Try this gut-buster...What it lacks in healthfulness, it makes up in heart and soul. Yum.

Baked Ziti with Sausage and Tomato Cream Sauce
Prep time: 20 minutes
Bake time: 30-45 minutes
Serves: At least 8

You'll need:

4 links spicy Italian Sausage
1 lb. Ziti or Rigatoni (I prefer Rigatoni)
1 large can crushed tomatoes
1 small container part-skim Ricotta cheese
1 large onion
3 cloves garlic
1 lb. mozzarella/provolone shredded cheese blend
Salt & Pepper

1) Sautee the sausages until browned in a skillet. While the sausage is browning, put a large pot of salted water on to boil, and slice the onion and garlic.

2) When the sausage is done, drain the fat from the pan, but don't clean it. Add the garlic and sliced onion to the same pan, and cook until caramelized, or for about 15 minutes. (You may need to add a touch (1 t.) of olive oil if the onions are sticking to the bottom of the pan or burning before they are caramelized).

3) When the water is boiling, add the pasta and cook until al dente. While the pasta is boiling, slice the browned sausages into 1/4 inch slices, and add to the onions and garlic. Continue to cook over medium heat.

4) Combine the ricotta cheese and the crushed tomatoes. Add 1 T. salt.

5) Drain the pasta, and combine with the ricotta tomato sauce, and the sausage and onions. Stir well until all ingredients are evenly incorporated.

6) Put this mixture in a 9x13 baking pan, and top with your desired amount of mozzarella/provolone. You can use the whole pound, if you're into that.

7.) Bake, covered, in a 350 oven for 15 minutes. For the last 15 minutes, uncover, and continue to bake at 350.

Enjoy with:

A glass of wine
A big appetite

lettuce wraps

2008-03-05T06:23:00.003-10:00

Looking for something quick and healthy? You'll love these tasty lettuce wraps...

Lettuce Wraps with Beef
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes
Serves: 4

You'll need:

1 to 1.5 lb. super lean ground beef

1 head Boston Bibb lettuce

1 onion

2 cloves garlic

1 T. olive oil

1/2 C. hoisin sauce

1 T. ground ginger

2 T. soy sauce

1 T. chili paste (if desired)

2 T. rice wine vinegar
1 bunch green spring onions (chopped and added to the beef at the last minute before serving)

1) Chop the onion into a fine dice. Grate the garlic, or crush it, or chop it. Sautee the chopped onion and garlic in a large skillet with 1 T. olive oil. Sautee until carmelized, or about 15 minutes, stirring frequently.

2) Add the ground beef to the onions, and sautee until browned, about 10 minutes.

3.) Carefully wash, dry, and separate the Bibb lettuce leaves.

4.) Add the hoisin sauce, the ground ginger, the soy sauce, the chili paste, and the rice wine vinegar to the beef and onion mixture. Stir, and let the sauce reduce for about 5 minutes. Chop the spring onion, and add it to the beef mixture at the last minute.

5.) Spoon the beef mixture into a lettuce leaf, roll it up, and enjoy!

You may like this with:

White Rice

Vegetable Dumplings

A dry sake

Your favorite people

Enjoy!

filomena

2008-03-05T05:43:00.002-10:00

Filomena
www.filomena.com
1063 Wisconsin Ave NW
Washington, DC 20007
(202) 337-2782

Love was all around last month, which brought me back to Filomena twice in the same month. I am smitten. When I saw the Rubensian "Pasta Mammas" hand-crafting little doughy bits at the top of the stairs ... it was love, at first bite.

Everything is perfection. Not in a really elegant way, but in a really handmade-with-love way. It reminded me of my grandother's dining room - with kitsch and all. It's a truly hospitable place - they don't serve you bottles of wine, de-corked in front of you - instead they serve accessible caraffes of delicious chianti, merlot, what have you. Portions are gargantuan, and meant to be shared.

I really cannot say enough good things about this place - so I'll talk about what I've eaten:

Arancini
Just like in Rome. Fried risotto balls with some sausage and cheese inside? Yes, please!

Antipasto Misto
Paper-thin prosciutto, hand-cured olives, roasted red peppers, and generous chunks of parmigianno and gorgonzola. These flavors transport me right back to Italy.

Insalata di Lattuga
Buttery bibb lettuce and tart endive with the wonderful salt-brined olives and a creamy lemon vinaigrette...Could be a meal in itself, if you wanted...but you'll want more.

For entrees...
Gnocchi alla Mamma
Handmade potato dumplings in a homemade meat sauce...Too good to be true? Not at Filomena!

Cavatelli
Creamy sauce, creamy dumplings. Not for the faint of stomach!

Penne con Salsicce
Homemade sausage with plenty of fennel, and penne cooked al dente.

Somehow I have been able to resist dessert at Filomena both times I went, in spite of their persuasive cheesecakes near the entrance. But it's not over yet - they'll give you a gratis digstif - either a buttery amaretto or a more assertive sambuca con mosca. Con mosca means "with the fly," and it refers to three coffee beans that float on top...one for health, one for luck, and one for love...

Cin cin...

chicken marsala

2008-03-05T05:17:00.002-10:00

The aromas coming from this dish will keep you coming back time and time again. It's simple, it's healthy, and most importantly, it looks, tastes, and smells divine. Traditional chicken marsala uses more of a gravy-like sauce. This recipe has a thinner, healthier sauce that does not lack one ounce in flavor. One serving is about 350 calories! Hooray!

Chicken Marsala
Serves: 4
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes

You'll need:

4 chicken breasts
4 portobello mushroom caps
1 onion
1 T. thyme
1 C. dry red wine (Chianti, Merlot work well!)
1/4 C. brown sugar
1 C. chicken stock
Salt & Pepper
Olive Oil

1) Clean the portobello mushroom caps, brush either side with olive oil, and set aside.

2) Season each side of the chicken breasts with salt and pepper, and put them in a skillet with 2 T. olive oil. Let them cook for 3-4 minutes, undisturbed, on either side. (They won't be finished cooking in this step - you'll finish them later though!) When they are finished cooking, set them aside on a plate...

3) Chop the onion into a fine dice. Sautee the onion with 2 T. olive oil in a large skillet or a pot. (You will eventually combine the chicken breasts with the onion, so you will want the skillet to be able to fit all of it.)

4) Add the brown sugar to the onions, and stir until it dissolves.

5) Combine the red wine, the chicken stock with the onions and the brown sugar. Let it simmer on low heat for about 5 minutes, until it reduces slightly.

6) Measure 1 T. dried thyme into your palms. Using your hands, rub the thyme to release its aromas, then put it into the pan with the onions and wine and chicken stock. Stir to combine. This is a good time to taste the sauce and adjust the salt to your liking.

7) Add the chicken breasts to the sauce, and cover. Cook for at least 10 minutes, and up to 30 (covered).

8) While the chicken finishes cooking in the sauce, retrieve the portobello mushroom caps that have been brushed with olive oil. Use your broiler to cook these for 5 minutes per side, until the mushrooms are tender.

9) When you are ready to serve, place a mushroom cap, ribs up, on a plate. Place a chicken breast on top of that, and spoon the onions and sauce over that. Enjoy!

You might like to serve this with:

Roasted Cauliflower
Cous Cous
The rest of the red wine

serious supper

2008-03-05T05:08:00.002-10:00

I'm back! I've been busy studying and filling out applications...but I'm back, just in time for spring.

We had some friends over last night to watch the Texas, Ohio, Rhode Island, Vermont primaries...and we made a killer dinner in the meantime. It was a delightful departure from a savory steak sauce - and the best part - it's easy!

Filets Mignon with Goat Cheese and Balsamic Reduction
Serves: 4
Prep time: 25 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes

You'll need:

4 filets mignon, 6 oz. or so apiece (about an inch thick)
3 oz. goat cheese
1 1/2 C. balsamic vinegar
3 T. sugar
2 T. butter (to rub the steaks with)
Salt & Pepper

1.) Combine balsamic vinegar and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Simmer uncovered for 15-20 minutes, until the vinegar has reduced to 1/2 C. or less.

2) Rub the steaks with butter on either side, and season with salt and pepper.

3) Broil the steaks for 3 minutes per side (medium rare) or 5 minutes per side (medium well).

4) Top the steaks with crumbled goat cheese, and put them back under the broiler for another 1-2 minutes until the cheese just begins to brown.

5) Serve the goat-cheese topped steaks with a healthy drizzle of the balsamic reduction on top.

Try this with:
Garlicky green beans sauteed with balsamic vinegar
Roasted potatoes with garlic and rosemary
Simple greens with dijon vinaigrette
Your favorite red wine
Your favorite people

Buon appetit! XO

simple chicken piccata

2007-11-13T06:39:00.001-10:00

Good enough for company, easy enough for anytime.

Chicken Piccata
Serves: 6
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 45 minutes

You'll need:

2 lemons

2-3 T. capers

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1/4 C. flour

1 C. chicken boullion

1 C. white wine

1 clove garlic, crushed

3 T. butter

2 T. olive oil

Salt & Pepper

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Liberally season each side of the chicken breast with salt and pepper.

3. Dredge chicken in flour, and shake off excess.

4. In a large frying pan, heat the 2 T. olive oil. In batches, sautee each chicken breast for 2-3 minutes per side. When you put the chicken in, let it cook for 2 minutes--undisturbed--on both sides. (You won't need to cook these through, they'll finish in the oven. Important part is to get a nice brown crust on the outside of the chicken.)

5. When chicken has browned, transfer to a 9 x 13 baking dish.

6. In the same pan that you fried the chicken, crush 1 large or 2 small cloves of garlic. Careful not to burn these - cook until fragrant, or about 10 seconds.

7. Next, pour 1 C. white wine into the bottom, and stir with a wooden spoon, scraping any drippings that may be there from frying the chicken, and incorporate the garlic. Let the wine bubble and reduce for 10 minutes.

8. Meanwhile, take the juice from one lemon, and set it aside. Slice the 2nd lemon into 12 thin slices. Remove seeds from the slices, and set aside.

9. Add the chicken boullion/broth to the wine sauce mixture, and let it heat through. Add the lemon juice, and let the flavors simmer for an additional five minutes.

10. While the sauce is cooking, top each browned piece of chicken with two slices of lemon.

11. Turn off the heat, and stir in the capers, and the 3 T. butter. Spoon the sauce carefully over each piece of chicken. (It will eventually collect in the bottom of the pan, which is perfect.)

12. Cover your baking dish with tin foil, and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Your chicken will come out moist and tender and wonderful.

Enjoy with some Sauvignon Blanc, white risotto, and a salad with dijon vinegarette!

classic stuffing

2007-11-06T10:49:00.001-10:00

Stuffing, the much-overlooked, oft-overdone Thanksgiving staple...Taken out of the turkey, this is a great addition for every table.

Here's a great recipe for a classic:

Classic Stuffing
Serves: 4
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 45 minutes

You'll need:

1 baguette
1 onion, diced
4 ribs celery, diced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
6 T. butter
2 C. chicken broth (made from boullion)
1 T. dried sage
1 T. dried thyme
1 T. black pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Cut or tear bread into 1-inch (or smaller) pieces. Put in a pan in the oven, and toast until just beginning to brown - about 10-15 minutes. (They should be almost as hard as croutons when you take them out).

3. In a large pot, melt 2 T. butter. Add crushed garlic, diced onions and diced celery, and sautee for 10 minutes, or until soft and beginning to brown. Stir in thyme, sage, and black pepper.

4. Dissolve two boullion cubes in 2 C. hot water.

5. In the large pot, add the remaining 4 T. butter. When the bread is done toasting, add the bread cubes to the pot, and stir well to incorporate with onions, celery, herbs, and butter. Stir constantly, so as not to burn the bread cubes.

6. Slowly add the boullion, and stir gently to incorporate. If you overmix the bread and onions/butter/boullion, you'll end up with bread pudding. Careful!

7. Transfer the mixture into an oven-safe baking dish, and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Enjoy with some gravy or cranberry sauce on turkey day!

warm spiced apples a la mode

2007-10-26T04:32:00.000-10:00

This is a real gem of a recipe, and totally perfect for fall. It smells and tastes like all the best parts of apple pie, but no fuss. As a bonus, you might have everything you need in your kitchen already!

Warm Spiced Apples a la Mode
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 6 minutes
Serves: 4

You'll need:

4 apples
1 T. cinnamon
1 t. nutmeg
1 pinch salt
1/2 C. light brown sugar
Juice from 1/2 small lemon
3 T. butter
3 T. dark rum
Pint of Ice Cream (dulce de leche, creme brulee, or a good vanilla bean)

1) Juice 1/2 lemon into a bowl, and combine with sugar, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon.

2) Core the apples, and cut them into bite-sized pieces. Toss well in sugar mixture. (You can peel the apples, but I didn't, and they turned out great!)

3) Melt the butter in a skillet over medium-high heat, and add the apples.

4) Cook the apples for 5-6 minutes, until soft, then carefully add the rum.

5) Cook 1 more minute, stirring constantly. Turn off heat, and let the apples cool for 10 minutes.

6) Scoop ice cream into 4 bowls, and top with the warm spiced apples. If you like, add some crumbled granola.

Enjoy with company or alone, and be sure to take all the credit for this brilliant, delicious, and simple dessert.

soup season

2007-10-25T07:44:00.000-10:00

We covered the ubiquitous kitchen staple, broccoli cheddar soup, in the last post. Let's move on to a new hearty fall vegetable...cauliflower!

Cauliflower Soup
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Serves: 6

You'll need:

2 T. butter
2 T. olive oil
1 lg. head cauliflower
1 lg. onion
2 cloves garlic
3 C. chicken stock
1 C. whole milk
+/- 1/2 C. shredded parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper
Blender

1) Chop the cauliflower (including stem, but not grean leaves) into bite-sized pieces. Set aside.

2) Slice the onion, and smash the garlic.

3) In a large soup pot, melt the butter over medium heat and combine with 2 T. olive oil. Add the onions and the garlic, cover, and let them "sweat" - until they are translucent, but not browned. (~5-6 minutes).

4) Add the chopped cauliflower to the soup pot. Then add all three cups of chicken stock. Stir, then cover and let cook over medium-high heat for 15-20 minutes, until the cauliflower is soft and falling apart.

5) When the cauliflower is very soft, turn the heat off, and let the mixture cool for 5-10 minutes. Then, put the cauliflower mixture in the blender** in batches, and blend over low speed until smooth.
**When putting hot liquids in a blender, be very careful. Make sure the blender is no more than half-full, and if possible, leave one corner of the lid loose, and cover with a kitchen towel. If you don't the hot liquid will create a small combustion.

6) After the cauliflower, onions, garlic, and chicken stock have been blended together until they are smooth, put it back in a soup pot on low heat. Slowly stir in 1 C. whole milk, and gradually add the parmesan cheese.

7) Taste, and adjust salt and pepper, cheese, as you like. Enjoy with sourdough toasts, and a glass of a thick, chilly, chardonnay.

Buon appetit!

mmm mmm good

2007-10-18T05:42:00.000-10:00

This soup isn't quite Campbell's! Don't get me wrong, I grew up on canned soup. It's getting cooler quickly, and it's getting darker earlier. Nothing can soothe away a long day like a big bowl of hearty soup. One of my favorites, broccoli cheddar soup, couldn't be easier.

Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Serves: 6
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Special equipment: Blender

You'll need:

2 lbs. fresh broccoli crowns
3 C. chicken stock
4 C. 2% milk
3 T. butter
1/2 C. flour
16 oz. sharp cheddar, grated
Salt & Pepper
Small sour dough wheels (optional, for serving in a bread bowl).

1. Chop the broccoli crowns (I use the stemps and the florets) into bite-sized pieces.

2. Place the chopped broccoli pieces in a large pot, and cover with water.

3. Cover the pot with a lid, and place pot on high heat for 10 minutes until the broccoli has been par boiled (it will turn bright green).

4. Drain your broccoli in a strainer and run tap water over it to cool.

5. In the same large pot (now, broccoli-free), melt 3 T. butter. Whisk in 1/2 cup flour, gradually, to make a paste. Whisk in 1 C. milk, and make sure everything is blended smoothly. The roux will thicken your soup. Cover, and put over low heat.

6. Place 1/2 of the boiled and chopped broccoli into a blender. Add 2 C. Chicken stock, and blend on low until smooth. Pour into soup pot.

7. Place the other 1/2 of the boiled and chopped broccoli into the blender and add 2 C. milk. Blend until smooth, then add that into the soup pot.

8. Blend the broccoli mixtures well in the soup pot, and add the remaining milk and chicken stock. Add the shredded cheddar and stir constantly until melted.

9. Taste the soup, and season to your liking. I let my soup cook for a while longer (10 mins) to make sure everything is blended together, before serving it in a bread bowl.

Broccoli, Mmm mmm good.

zuni roll

2007-10-09T03:26:00.000-10:00

Craving a taste from one of my favorite spots in Boston, Parish Cafe (known for their award-winning sandwich menu), I ventured out to create one of their masterpieces: the Zuni roll. It's embarassingly simple, but a great crowd pleaser and the perfect alternative to the club sandwich.

Zuni Roll
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 5 minutes
Special Equipment: Panini press, or two frying pans (one large, one small).

For each roll, you'll need:

1 Large flour tortilla

Dill Havarti

Smoked turkey breast (from the deli); +/- 5 slices per roll

Bacon (2-3 slices per roll)

For the sauces (if desired):

Smoky chipotle salad dressing

(1/2 C.) Cranberry sauce (canned whole berries) + (1/2 C.) sour cream, blended well.

1. Cook the bacon to your desired level of done-ness, and set aside.

2. Slice the havarti cheese into 1/8 inch (thin) slices, and put them in a line down the center of the tortilla.

3. Place 4-5 slices of turkey on tortilla.

4. Place 2-3 strips of bacon, lengthwise, on the tortilla.

5. Roll it up!

6. If you have a panini press, place the roll seam-side-down on the press, close it, and wait until you hear a sizzle, or until there are brown grill marks on the tortilla (~5 minutes). If you do not have a panini press, use two frying pans as a "press" by placing the zuni roll in the larger of the two pans (bottom), place the smaller pan on top of the zuni roll, and weight it with a large can of soup or tomatoes. You will need to turn the roll to grill both sides.

7. When the roll is done, cut with a sharp diagonal line, and serve with either (or both!) chipotle dipping sauce or cranberry sauce (*I recommend the cranberry!)

Serve with french potato salad (Recipe in previous post: April 2007, "The French Do It"). Be sure to stop by Parish Cafe next time you're in Boston...and enjoy!

benny's mac

2007-09-28T04:55:00.001-10:00

Watch out for this one - it's a real gut buster. It's mac-n-cheese, all grown up.

Benny's Mac
Serves: 6
Prep time: 25 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes

You'll need:

1 lb. box "Gemelli" pasta
1/2 lb. thick-sliced bacon, chopped into pieces
4 oz. Gruyere cheese
4 oz. Havarti cheese
2 onions, sliced thinly
1/2 C. dry white wine
1 pt. milk
8 oz. chicken broth
2 T. butter
2 T. flour
Pinch of nutmeg
1 T. dijon mustard
Salt & Pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Heat 1 T. olive oil in a skillet, and add chopped bacon. Fry until crispy. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel. Do not discard grease.

Bring large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta when at a rolling boil, and cook for 12 minutes, or according to package directions.

Add sliced onions to bacon grease, and sautee. When they are beginning to brown, add 1 C. white wine, and reduce completely.

Grate equal amounts of gruyere and havarti, so you have 2 1/2 Cups.

Melt butter in saucepan over low heat, add flour, and whisk well to make a paste. Whisk in 1 C. milk, and 1 C. chicken broth. Add nutmeg, dijon, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir in a figure 8 motion, and let thicken for a few minutes. If too thick, add more chicken broth or milk.

Add 2 cups grated cheese, gradually, to roux. When completely incorporated, turn off heat.

Combine drained pasta, browned onions, and cheese sauce, in a large baking dish. Sprinkle remaining cheese over the top of the pasta and bake until top is bubbly and brown.

Serve with bacon on top. Enjoy with a long movie and the rest of the bottle of wine. Buon appetit!

butternut squash lasagna

2007-09-25T07:16:00.000-10:00

Fall is in the air!

Butternut Squash Lasagna Rolls
Serves: 6
Prep time: 40 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour

You'll need:
12-16 lasagna noodles
1 pint whole milk
1 T. butter
2 T. flour
3/4 C. loosely packed basil
1 container fresh mozzarella
1 bag shredded mozzarella or provolone
1 - 2 lb. butternut squash
Pecorino cheese, grated
2 T. olive oil
1/2 C. water
Nutmeg
Salt & Pepper
Food proceessor or blender

1. The first thing you'll want to do is get started on peeling, seeding, and cubing your squash. You'll want to end up with 1-inch cubes.

2. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

3. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet, and add the butternut squash. Coat with olive oil, then pour in 1/2 C. water. Cover, and let simmer until the squash is soft (~20-30 minutes). Stir infrequently.

4. Next, heat a large pot with water to partially cook the lasagna noodles. (Cook each batch of 5 or 6 noodles for about 7 or 8 minutes...until they are pliable, but not quite cooked through). Lay them out on parchment paper to cool until they are ready to be rolled!

5. To make roux: In a saucepan over low heat, heat the butter until it is melted. Add the flour, and whisk until a paste forms. Slowly add the milk, while whisking, to ensure that everything is well-blended. Add 1/8 t. nutmeg to the roux. Grate pecorino into the roux for 30 seconds or so, and whisk well.

6. When the squash is soft, turn off the heat. Add salt and pepper to taste, then let cool for 5 minutes. I would recommend using a food processor for this next part, but if you need to use a blender instead then be sure to take the "cap" insert out of the lid and place a paper towel over instead. Hot substances in blenders are tricky, and the last thing you need is a squash explosion!

7. Add the squash to the blender/food processor, and blend until smooth. Taste, and adjust seasonings by adding additional salt and pepper to your liking. *You may also want to add 1 T of brown sugar, depending on your taste!

8. Remove the puree from the blender or food processor, and set aside to cool.

9. Go back to the roux, and taste to make sure everything is blended and seasoned to your liking. Add the roux and the basil leaves to a blender, and blend until smooth.

10. In a baking pan, add 1/2 the roux to the bottom of the pan, making sure it is spread evenly. Put a couple of handfuls of shredded cheese on top of that to make a bed for the pasta rolls.

11. Make the rolls one at a time -- spoon 1-2 T of sqash on one side of a lasagna noodle. Roll it up, from one end to the other. Place seam-side-down in lasagna pan. Repeat for as much squash mixture as you have!

12. When all your rolls are made, sprinkle another handful of shredded cheese over the top, then pour the remaning basil roux over that. Top by placing slices (or little balls) of fresh mozzarella over that.

13. Cover with tin foil and bake in a 375 degree oven for 30-40 minutes. Remove tin foil, and broil for 3-4 minutes until top is brown. Remove from oven and let sit for 10 minutes before serving.

Enjoy for fall!

Thanks, to Sarah, for this recipe!

runza

2007-09-14T03:05:00.000-10:00

Runza, every Husker's staple, has not yet spread its wings to the right or left coast. Here's a recipe to tide you over until the next time you land at Eppley...

Runza
Makes: 6 Runzas
Prep time: 40 minutes
Bake time: 40 minutes
Cool time: 20 minutes

Clearly, this will take some time, but the end product is worth it. You'll need:

1 lb. extra lean ground beef
1/2 head cabbage, shredded
2 onions, finely sliced
1/2 C. Water
2 T. olive oil
1 roll Pillsbury prepared pizza dough (in the refrigerated section at the store)
12 Velveeta cheese slices
Parchment paper
2 T. Garlic Salt
3 T. Pepper
3 T. Salt
3 T. butter
Pastry brush

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

2. In a medium skillet, sautee the ground beef until brown (~10 minutes). Drain grease if needed.

3. In a large skillet, mix the shredded cabbage and the finely sliced onions, 1/2 C. water, the 2 T. olive oil, and sautee over medium heat until soft and beginning to brown (~20 minutes).

4. To the ground beef, add 1 T. garlic salt, 1 T. salt, and 2 T. ground black pepper. Mix well.

5. To the cabbage and onions, add 1 T. garlic salt, 1 T. salt, and 2 T. ground black pepper. Mix well, and don't forget to taste to see if the seasoning is right. Add more salt/pepper if necessary.

6. When the cabbage and onions are seasoned, soft, and starting to brown, add the ground beef, and stir to blend thoroughly. Add seasonings to taste. Let cool for 10 minutes.

7. On a floured surface (or on parchment paper, or a sil-pat), roll out the pillsbury dough, making sure it is an even thickness. N.B. Don't make the dough too thin. It should be about the right thickness when you take it out of the package.

8. Use a pizza cutter to cut the dough into six equal pieces, approximately 4 x 6 inches, unstretched.

Now for the important/tricky part: Runza Assembly...

9. Place a piece of parchment paper on your baking sheet. This is an important step! If you don't use parchment paper, your Runzas may come out soggy or burned on the bottom.

10. On a flat surface, take one of the cut pieces of dough, and lightly roll into a rectangle. (Picture using your rectangle in 1/3's...use the middle 1/3 to place your filling, and each 1/3 on the top and botton will help you close your Runza later).

11. Place one slice of Velveeta in the middle of the rectangle. You may have to fold your piece of cheese in half so it fits.

12. On top of the cheese, place 1 C. cabbage, onion, and beef filling. Take care that your filling does not spill onto the edges, it will be difficult to close your runza if it does.

13. Place another slice of cheese on top of the filling...then close the runza by folding the bottom 1/3 of your dough up and over the filling and cheese, then the other 1/3 of the dough on top of that. Seal the edges by pressing firmly but gently on the remaining open parts.

14. GENTLY lift your Runza onto the parchment paper, turning it over so that the seal is on the bottom. Repeat for remaining dough/filling.

15. After you have assembled all your Runzas, and before you put them into the oven, glaze the top of them with melted butter. The best way to do this is using a pastry brush. You may need to re-glaze them 20 minutes or so into the baking process.

16. Your Runzas are done when the tops are golden brown. Remove from oven and let them cool for 20 minutes, then enjoy!

Go Big Red!

eat it, everyday

2007-09-06T06:14:00.001-10:00

On a recent cross country flight, I wandered into the airport's Hudson News store--for what else than however many magazines my $10 could buy. I ended up with a fine selection of cheap tricks: US Weekly for my gossip fix, Everyday with Rachel Ray for my foodie fix, and something else, I forget. In any case, after reading Everyday I was was particularly inspired by her sit-down dinner with Italian cooking legend Mario Batali, who gave her a gem of a recipe to work with. I tried it last night, and it's molto delicioso! Here it is:

Tuscan-style Cauliflower
Serves: 6
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 30-40 minutes

You'll need:

1 32-oz. can crushed tomatoes (Cento brand are my favorite)
1 large head fresh cauliflower
2 cloves garlic
1 yellow onion
1/2 C. chopped calamata olives
1/2 C. water
2 T. olive oil
2 T. butter
Salt & Pepper
1 t. dried thyme

1. Cut the cauliflower into 1-1 1/2 inch florets. Rinse, and set aside.

2. Cut the onion in half, then slice it.

3. In a large pot, melt the butter and the olive oil together over low heat. Crush two cloves of garlic into the butter/oil, and stir until golden (blonde).

4. Add the onions, and sautee until translucent and starting to brown, or about 10 minutes.

5. Add the can of crushed tomatoes, some salt and pepper to taste. Heat through, about 2 minutes, then add the cauliflower florets. Stir to coat, the cover.

6. Let sit on M/L heat for about 10 minutes before stirring.

7. Add the 1/2 cup of water, and the chopped calamata olives, and stir to incorporate. Cover again, stirring occasionally, for another 30-40 minutes, or until cauliflower is tender to your liking. Top with grated parmesan, if you must!

This would be a fantastic complement to a nice roasted pork loin dish... and you should eat it, everyday!

for love & onions

2007-08-27T09:09:00.000-10:00

"Life is like an onion.You peel it off one layer at a time; And sometimes you weep."
-Carl Sandburg

Seven Onion Soup & Parmesan Bread

Seven Onion Soup

Serves: 6
Prep time: 20 minutes (slicing)
Cook time: 40-45 minutes

You'll need:

4 strips of bacon
4 T. butter
2 Yellow Onions, sliced
1 Red Onion, sliced
1 White Onion, sliced
2 Leeks (white part only, be sure to rinse well after slicing)
6 Shallots, sliced
1 bunch spring onions, sliced
Chives (for garnish)
1 box beef stock
1 beef boullion cube
1 Bay leaf
1 T. dried thyme
1 C. red wine
1/2 C. heavy cream
1/3 C. all purpose flour
Salt & Pepper
1 T. balsamic vinegar

1. In a large pot over medium heat, sautee the bacon until crisp. Remove the bacon, but do not discard the grease.

2. Meanwhile, use a mandoline or a chef's knife to finely chop the red onion, the yellow onions, the white onion, the shallots, the leek, and the spring onions.

3. Melt the 4 T. butter with the bacon fat. Add the onions, the thyme, the bay leaf, and 1 T. salt, and 1 T. pepper. Sautee, stirring often, until translucent (~10 or 15 minutes).

4. When the onions are translucent, dust with 1/3 C. flour. Incorporate the flour into the onions, and let cook until golden (~3 minutes).

5. Add the beef stock, and bring to a boil. Add the boullion cube, the balsamic vinegar, and the wine. Salt & pepper to taste.

6. Lower the heat and simmer the soup for 40 minutes, stirring and tasting often. Right before you serve it, stir in 1/2 cup heavy cream so it is just heated through.

7. Garnish with crumbled bacon and chives, if you wish.

Parmesan bread
Serves: 6
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes

You'll need:

1 fresh baguette
4 T. butter at room temperature
3 cloves garlic
2/3 C. grated parmesan cheese
2-3 sprigs of parsley, chopped

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

2. Cut the loaf of bread in half (the long way), and then each of those 'loaves' in half (to open them). You should have about 4 equally sized pieces of bread.

3. Use a garlic press to crush the peeled cloves of garlic into the room temperature butter. Use a spoon to stir them to incorporate.

4. Add 1/3 C. grated parmesan cheese into the butter.

5. Add the parsley into the butter. Stir until all ingredients are smoothly incorporated into the butter. Divide it into 4 equal parts, and spread 1 part on each of the 4 pieces of baguette.

6. Sprinkle the remaining parmesan on top of buttered bread, and bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes until cheese and butter have melted, and tops are golden.

7. Enjoy with your soup and a nice, big glass of red wine!

little dumpling

2007-08-23T09:32:00.000-10:00

Pan-Fried Vegetarian Dumplings
*The shortcut way...

Serves: 2 (16 pieces)
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes

You'll need:

Dumpling wrappers (available at your local grocery store, in the refrigerated section)
Frozen mixed vegetables (~10-12 oz., Birdseye are good)
Hot sauce (Rooster sauce is my favorite!)
Soy Sauce
2 T. butter for sauteeing
Glass of water
A teaspoon

1) Thaw out & drain the mixed vegetables well.

2) Place vegetables in food processor, or chop well with a knife. (If you process these in a food processor, make sure NOT to over-process. You want the final product to have the consistency of diced onions, NOT mashed potatoes).

3) Place veggies in a bowl. Add 1 T. hot sauce, 1 T. soy sauce.

4) On an open work area, create an assembly line including one "work area" where you make the dumplings, and a place for the completed dumplings to rest until it's time to cook them. Be careful not to stack them, they are delicate when they are raw!

5) Take one sheet of dumpling wrapper. Wet your finger in the water bowl, and run it around all four edges of the square (does not matter if the middle of the wrapper gets wet, so long as the edges are.

6) Place a teaspoon of filling into the center of the wrapper. Be sure not to overfill the dumpling wrapper (even though it's tempting)!

7) Draw up two opposite corners of the wrapper, and press together to seal. Then seal the edges, taking care to press firmly on all edges. The water should seal the dumpling wrapper together. (Should be a triangle when you are done.)

8) Repeat for as many dumplings as you like! I recommend about 8 per person.

9) When you are ready to cook the dumplings, melt 1 T. of the butter over medium heat in a non-stick fry pan. (You should cook them in batches to avoid overcrowding, so you will use the rest of the butter in a later batch).

10) When the butter has melted, place the dumplings in the fry pan. Careful! These little guys cook quickly (about 1-2 minutes per side). Flip them once, and make sure they are golden on each side, then take them out to cool.

Serve with either sweet and sour sauce or ponzu sauce! Enjoy!

on a lighter note

2007-07-25T04:01:00.000-10:00

Summer is here. Well, it's almost gone, but it's still here. And it's not too late to show off that hourglass figure! (HA!). Taking a break from my usual comfort food shenanigans, I've declared that this week is salad week. Mmm...check out these salad & side recipes for a totally tasty and satisfying experience (guilt-free!):

Goat cheese & Pear Salad, with Lemon Pepper Chicken
Prep time: 20 minutes
Serves: Two

You'll need:

3 oz. goat cheese
2 pears
cherry tomatoes
1 carrot
1 8-oz. package spring greens
1 lb. chicken cutlets
4 T. lemon pepper seasoning (McCormack is great)
2 T. balsamic vinegar
2 T. dijon mustard
2 T. olive oil

1) Liberally season the chicken cutlets with the lemon pepper seasoning.

2) Sautee the cutlets in 2 T. olive oil until done (~15 minutes).

3) Meanwhile, whisk together the mustard, the balsamic vinegar, and the olive oil to make a vinaigrette.

4) Toss the spring greens with the vinaigrette. Arrange greens on a large plate.

5) Using a vegetable peeler, shave carrot on top of greens.

6) Slice your pear, and arrange on the outside of the plate.

7) Arrange tomatoes and chunks of goat cheese around the plate.

8) Top with chicken cutlets, and voila!

Broccoli Soup
Prep time: 15 minutes
Serves: Four

You'll need:

2 heads of broccoli
1 box chicken broth (Swanson's?)
Salt, balsamic vinegar, cayenne, for seasoning.
**If desired: Heavy cream.

1) Cut broccoli (including stems) into large chunks.

2) Bring water to a boil.

3) Boil the broccoli for 10 minutes, until tender and bright green.

4) Using a blender or a food processor, blend together the broccoli and the chicken broth for 1 minute until smooth.

5) Placing soup back on stove, season to taste with balsamic vinegar, cayenne pepper, and salt.

6) If desired, add heavy cream (sparingly) to soup to thicken.

Serve with: toasted ciabatta triangles. Yum!

Fattoush
Prep time: 20 minutes
Serves: Four

Are you ready? This ranks among the more epic salads I've eaten. Long ingredient list, but simple instructions...

You'll need:

2 bell peppers (one red, one yellow)
1 bunch of spring onions
1 cucumber
1 box cherry or grape tomatoes
1 8-oz bag hearts of romaine
2 carrots (for shredding)
Handful of fresh Mint
Handful of fresh Parsley
Handful of fresh Cilantro
Kalamata olives (pitted)
Feta cheese
1 bag pita chips (plain-I love Stacy's brand)
Juice of 4 lemons
1/4 C. extra virgin olive oil

1) Chop the feta, peppers, cucumbers, spring onions into bite sized pieces; then shred the carrots, using a vegetable peeler.

2) Finely chop the herbs. Add them to the salad.

3) Add the olives (to your liking), tomatoes, lettuce, and pita chips. Toss well.

4) Juice the lemons, and whisk well with equal parts of olive oil. Pour the dressing over the salad, and toss well. Let sit for 10 minutes, and enjoy!

Spiced Turkey Kafta
Prep time: 10 minutes
Serves: Four

You'll need:
1 lb. lean ground turkey
1 handful fresh mint
1 handful fresh parsley
1 handful fresh cilantro
1/2 C. thick plain yogurt
2 T. grill seasoning (You can use whatever you have, I used lemon pepper seasoning and it was great.)
4 small pita pockets
2 T. olive oil

1) In a food processor, chop the herbs.

2) When they are chopped, blend them with the yogurt.

3) Add the turkey to the yogurt, and mix well.

4) Add the grill seasoning, and blend with turkey.

5) Form into patties, and cook thoroughly. Slice the top off the pita pockets (you can brush olive oil on the pitas and grill briefly to make them extra tasty) - and enjoy!

sweet tart

2007-07-17T04:25:00.000-10:00

"If I had a penny for everything I loved about you, I would have many pennies."

-Waitress

After watching Waitress, and being totally inspired by Keri Russell and her beautiful and innovative pies, I just had to try my hand at making one. Instead of making a sweet pie, I opted for a savory one after getting a tip from Real Simple magazine, on "Great Recipes for Summer Tomatoes."

Tomato Tart
Prep time: 40 minutes
Bake time: 40 minutes
Serves: 6

You'll need:

1 - 9 inch pie pan (mine was Pyrex for about $6, works great!)
Frozen Pastry Dough (Pepperidge Farm worked well!)
Butter (~2 T. for greasing the pie pan)
6-7 Roma tomatoes, seeded
2 T. Balsamic Vinegar
2 T. Olive Oil
2 Cloves Garlic, crushed
6 or 8 Basil leaves, torn
1 - 3 or 4 oz. container of Chevre (dental floss for slicing)
3 or 4 oz. Fontina Cheese
Salt & Pepper to taste

1. Remove pastry dough (1 sheet) from freezer. Place between two damp paper towels to thaw. (Should take ~20 minutes until it is pliable).

2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

3. Halve the tomatoes, and remove their seeds by gently squeezing them over the sink.

4. Roughly chop the tomatoes into 1 inch pieces.

5. In a medium bowl, combine chopped tomatoes, torn basil, crushed garlic cloves, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and salt and pepper. Allow to marinate for 10 or 15 minutes.

6. Grease the pie pan WELL using butter.

7. When the pastry dough is pliable, unfold it and use a rolling pin to make it an even thickness (should be about 1/4 in. thick).

8. GENTLY place the pastry dough into the pie pan, taking care to release any air bubbles. Trim the excess pie crust using a paring knife.

9. Using dental floss, make thin slices of the chevre, and line the bottom of the pie crust.

10. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the chopped tomato mixture into the pie crust (on top of the chevre). Try to minimalize the liquid that gets into the pie crust (it's ok to have some, but you don't want tomato stew).

11. Next, grate the fontina cheese over the top of the tomatoes. You should have a nice, even layer when you're done.

12. Finally, brush any exposed pastry dough with butter to prevent burning while it bakes.

13. Place your tart into the 375 oven for about 35-45 minutes (until the pastry is brown and flaky, and the cheese on top becomes golden.

14. When you take your tart out of the oven, let it cool for about 15-20 minutes-you'll have six lovely slices to show off!

Serve with:

Lemon pasta (see post "When Life Hands You Lemons")
A tossed spring mix salad with shaved carrots & balsamic vinagrette
Chilled Chardonnay (Simi is especially nice).

that's amore

2007-06-13T11:14:00.000-10:00

"When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie..."

-Dean Martin

Confession: I'm terrible at making pizza. I can make a mean tagine. I can make a burger that will knock your socks off. I can craft a sauce you'll dream about for a year; but ever since I can remember pizza has been impossible.

Maybe it's because I have such high expectations for my pizza, having lived in Rome and in Boston. Or that I know the best pizza comes from il forno al legno (a wood-fired oven), and that I could never, ever recreate that effect. Maybe because I fell in love with the pizza in Boston's Upper Crust (http://www.theuppercrustpizzeria.com/). Maybe all my aspirations have stunted my talent...

I have tried dough from a box. I have tried buying dough from a pizza store. Once, I admit, I even caved and bought a Tombstone pizza and put my own toppings on it. Gross, gross, gross. I had a thought once, stewing over my inability to make pizza, and blaming it all on faulty dough; that someone like Kraft ought to make a product (much like the cookie dough tubes) -- that would be pizza dough inside, instead. Keeping in mind this may violate the spirit of the art for the connoisseurs, I sure would enjoy taking credit for a chewy, salty crust.

Giving up on my million dollar Kraft dough idea, I wandered down the Italian foods aisle in the grocery store last night. Bombarded with a nearly infinite selection of sauce, I rebelled in my head, opting instead for fresh tomatoes. Fresh basil. Fresh mozzarella. Reluctantly, I chose a Boboli thin crust pre-made pizza crust as my canvass. And then, I had a beautiful idea and created what would be one of the more epic pizzas I've sunk my teeth into. Here's how:

Serves: 2

Cook time: 15 minutes

You'll need:

Boboli "thin crust" pre-made pizza crust
1 container of small cherry tomatoes, halved
1 container of fresh mozzarella, sliced
5 basil leaves, chopped
2-3 T. salted butter, melted
3 cloves garlic, pressed
Olive oil, salt, and pepper

1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2) Melt the 2-3 T butter in the microwave.

3) Press 2 cloves of garlic into the melted butter. Stir well.

4) Spread garlic butter all over the crust.

5) Bake crust with butter for 5 minutes in a 400 degree oven. (You should place the crust directly on the rack. Crust may bubble up when heated).

6) Slice mozzarella into 1/4 to 1/2 inch slices. You'll want enough to cover the whole pizza.

7) Halve 1 cup of small tomatoes.

8) Chop basil.

9) Remove crust from oven.

10) Top pizza with mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil. LIGHTLY drizzle olive oil over the top. Salt and pepper the pizza.

11) Bake pizza in the 400 degree oven for 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted and starting to bubble.

The secret, in case you haven't discovered, is the garlic butter. Enjoy with a glass or so of a nice red wine, like Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, and your sweetie. Because when this pie hits your lips...that's amore!

lebanese blonde

2007-06-11T16:12:00.000-10:00

I've touched this place before

Somewhere in another time

Now I can hear the sun

The clouds drifting through the blinds

A half a million thoughts

Are flowing through my mind

-Theivery Corporation, "Lebanese Blonde"

Neyla
www.neyla.com
3206 N Street, NW
202/333-6353
$$$

Around the corner and tucked behind Billy Martin's tavern in Georgetown, you'll find a most wonderful oasis in Neyla, a Lebanese grill filled with posh people-about-town, pundits, and other pols. Save the politics for later, and enjoy what they have to offer your appetites.

Brightly colored chiffon drapes from one end of the ceiling to another for a truly exotic feel inside this place. Sip one of their "house mojitos" (they're citrus, not mint), but watch out to have too many. At $9 a pop, you'll be lucky to have enough dough for dinner.

When you arrive, they'll give you a nice plate of homemade yoghurt, olives, and bread with zataar (a traditional Lebanese mixture of herbs...notable for it's desirable effect on the brain and memory--or so they say). I could be happy with this alone, but don't stop there. Indulge your senses, and proceed to the menu, and the mezze.

At first glance, their menu may seem dizzying. If you're not familiar with Lebanese food (or even if you are, for that matter), don't miss their "Lebanese Tasting" for two -- which for $30 includes a hearty array of their favorite mezze -- including tabbouleh, hummus, baba ganouj, stuffed grape leaves, chicken schwarma, beef kibbeh, and for the extra naughty...cheese rolls (manchego cheese rolled in filo dough and baked).

Don't order yet. Finish your Tasting...then ask to see a menu again. At this point, I'm guessing you're feeling fat, happy, but ready to keep eating the wonderful flavors of Lebanon. Don't miss their beef kafta -- it is truly something else. Split an order of that with your date, then each of you should pick another mezza to eat for dinner. You'll save a couple dollars, and you won't want to explode at the end of it all. After eating there literally half a dozen times, I promise that this is the best and smartest way to order. Your waiter might look at you quizically, but smile kindly and ... trust me.

When you dine there, you may be visited by the flower peddler. He has been around to sell me flowers each and every visit I have been there, no doubt he is as perennial as the grass. Smile at him and politely decline his offer, though, unless you're ready to fork over a couple of Franklins for some half-dead flowers for your honey. It might seem sweet in the moment, but resist if you can.

In'sh'allah, you'll enjoy this spot as much as I have.

napoleon complex

2007-06-11T15:56:00.000-10:00

"An army marches on its stomach."

-Napoleon Bonaparte

Cafe Bonaparte
www.cafebonaparte.com
1522 Wisconsin Avenue, NW
202/333-8830

A taste of Europe right here in quaint little Georgetown...what could be nicer for a weekend brunch? Omelets are named after artists...it was love at first bite.

Not once, but twice, this weekend I enjoyed brunch at Cafe Bonaparte (it was really that good). The silver coiffered ceiling...the crimson walls...the tiny tables and perfectly portioned omelets and crepes could not have made for a nicer experience.

We started with a bloody mary--peppery, tart, thick, and boozy, these bloody marys were a step above the rest. They use a british mix, then add their own touch with fresh cracked pepper, lime juice, and an olive garnish...shaken once, before poured into a perfectly cyllindrical glass that makes drinking them purely delightful. At $7 apiece...go ahead and have two.

In addition to their wet bar, they've got one doozy of a cafe staff (in the old European sense). For your sweet tooth, they'll spoon Nutella into an espresso cup, top it with a single shot of espresso and some whipped cream. Dining like this on a Sunday morning is both heavenly and sinful.

For brunch, take note of all of their artistically crafted omelets and crepes...there is one for every appetite on the menu. My recommendation, though, is to listen carefully for their special of the day. Each weekend day, they craft an omelet of several carefully selected ingredients into a wonderful, savory, piece of breakfast that is almost too good looking to eat.

Turn the page from their brunch menu, and you will find a dizzying array of savory crepes and other entrees. They have an entirely separate menu for their sweet crepes and other patisserie.

I'll let you discover the rest on your own...you won't be disappointed. Cafe Bonaparte is truly Napoleon, dynamite.

go fish

2007-04-24T05:46:00.000-10:00

I love pasta. I love tomatoes. I love Mediterranean food in general, and as the New York Times pointed out in the article attached to this recipe, anchovies are loved in almost every country -- except for ours. What's not to love about these savory little filets? I'll tell you -- because the NYT told me, and I've confirmed it.

They claim that the population does not enjoy anchovies because they are buying the wrong kind (the kind that is packed in tins in oil), and that to really enjoy anchovies, you need to buy the right kind. What's the right kind? That's easy: the kind that comes in a glass jar, packed in Spanish or Italian olive oil.

This recipe will entice even the most staunch anchovy-hater you can find...enjoy:

10-15 whole cloves peeled garlic
1/4 C. extra virgin olive oil
1 T. crushed red pepper flakes
10 anchovy filets (more or less, to your liking)
10-12 oz. cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
1 lb. tubular pasta (penne rigate, rigatoni, etc.)
**Good to have on hand: tomato paste.

1) Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, then add pasta and boil until al dente (~10 minutes).

2) Heat the olive oil on medium heat in a skillet for 1 minute.

3) Add the garlic cloves, and brown lightly.

4) Add the anchovy filets, and stir until filets have dissolved.

5) Add the red pepper flakes and incorporate into the oil.

6) Reduce heat to low, then add the halved cherry tomatoes, and simmer for 10-15 minutes, until pasta is done.

7) If you wish, add 1 T. tomato paste + 1/3 C. pasta water, to make the sauce go further.

When the pasta is al dente, mix with the sauce. The anchovy filets will have dissolved to create a deeply savory flavor for the tomatoes. The garlic cloves will have softened completely, and are fragrant and sweet. I promise, this is going to be a new favorite! Go fish!

the french do it

2007-04-23T12:15:00.000-10:00

If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.

-J.R.R. Tolkein

There is nothing complicated about this meat and potatoes French feast. It is good and satisfying food, and it is boldly flavorful. I can think of nothing nicer than impressing your guests with this devilishly simple and good meal. Enjoy...

Steak au Poivre
Serves: 6

You'll need:

6 - 6 oz. filets mignon

For the sauce:

2 C. beef stock
1 cube chicken boullion
1/2 C. heavy cream
4 T. butter, cut into 1 T. pats
3-4 T. cracked black peppercorns
1 C. red wine, or 1/4 C. sherry

For the sauce:
1) Melt 1 T (1 pat) of butter over medium-high heat, until it foams.

2) Add the peppercorns, and stir.

3) Add 2 C. beef stock + 1 cube chicken boullion.

4) Boil until the liquids reduce some (about 8 or 9 minute).

5) At the same time, add 1/4 C. cream and 1/2 C. wine (this allows the cream to cook down some).

6) Allow the sauce to boil and reduce further.

8) Place the filets on a broil pan, with your broiler on high broil, for 3-4 minutes per side if you like medium-rare steaks.

9) Taste sauce, add additional wine or cream to your liking.

9) When the steaks are done to your liking, serve them with 1-2 T. au poivre sauce. It's potent stuff, so a little goes a long way, but is a simple and fantastic complement to a nice cut of red meat.

French Potato Salad
Serves: 6

You'll need:

2 lbs. red potatoes (I like the waxy, small ones)
3-4 cloves garlic
2 T. Dijon mustard
1/2 Red Onion, chopped
1/4 C. Olive Oil
2 T. Balsamic Vinegar
1 T. White wine or champagne vinegar
2 T. Parsley
2 T. salt
1 T. black pepper

1) Boil the potatoes until edible but not mushy, let cool, and chop into 1 inch pieces.

2) Skewer the peeled garlic cloves and poach them whole in the boiling potato water. (4-5 mins).

3) Chop the onion and the parsley finely.

4) Remove the garlic, and when it cools, press it through a garlic press...then add:

5) Mix the onion, parsley, vinegars, oil, mustard, salt, and pepper.

6) Lightly toss the potatoes with the onions, parsley, oil mixture.

7) Refrigerate for up to overnight, allow it to come to room temperature before serving.

favorite enchiladas

2007-03-08T06:53:00.000-10:00

You'll need:

12 small corn tortillas
1 container sour cream (reduced fat is fine)
2 packages shredded cheese (monterey jack, cheddar)
1 lb. chicken (~2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts)
1 Onion, chopped
1 can green chiles, chopped
16 oz. enchilada sauce

1) In a saucepan, bring water to a simmer. Simmer chicken breasts for 20-25 minutes, until done.

2) In a skillet, sautee chopped onion on low heat until translucent. Stir in green chiles when the onions are nearing done.

3) In a medium sized mixing bowl, mix together 1 package shredded cheese and ~1 C. sour cream.

4) When the chicken is done, rinse with cool water, then shred or chop.

5) Mix chicken with onions and chiles, then mix with sour cream and cheese.

6) Cover the bottom of your baking pan with enchilada sauce.

7) Warm the corn tortillas in damp paper towels in the microwave for 30 seconds, or until malleable.

8) Put 2 T. chicken mixture inside each tortilla, roll, and place seam-side down in baking pan. Repeat until you're out of tortillas/mixture.

9) Cover the enchiladas in more sauce, then top with remaining package of shredded cheese.

10) Bake in a 350 degree oven for 20-25 minutes or until top is bubbly.

Serve with:
Spanish Rice
Refried Beans
Guacamole
Margaritas

One bite and you'll see why these are my favorite enchiladas...