Christmas Cookies Galore

Peanut Blossoms cooling down

Peanut Blossoms, Mint Chocolate Cookies, and Pfeffernüsse (German spice cookies) to be devoured with eggnog

Merry Christmas To All And To All Several Cookie-Filled Nights

There are Christmas cookie pix to come, but for now check out this cookie-themed photomontage. Happy Holidays!

Weekend In The Big Easy

Our last-minute trip to NOLA included a lot of eating and, there being Bourbon Street and all, a fair amount of bar-hopping. We managed to visit Jackson Square and the St. Louis Cathedral plus Tulane and Loyola, but mostly we consumed. Here's where:

• MiLa - Highlights were duck pate and pork cheek ravioli.
• Pat O'Brien's - Hurricanes! (Plus we had Hand Grenades from one of the many bars along Bourbon St. that sells the neon green drink.)
• Cafe Du Monde - For chicory coffee and beignets of course.
• Bon Ton Cafe - Where the locals go for lunch.
• Carousel Bar - Disorienting but fun!
• Tonique - The bartenders are tops. They do old-timey cocktails like Aviations and Sazeracs, though they'll make up drinks on the spot, too, if you provide them with a base spirit. In my top 3 for cocktail bars.
• Restaurant August - Two words: Mangalitsa pork.
• Central Grocery - One word: muffuletta.
• Crescent City Farmers Market - There's a knife sharpener! I've never seen one at a farm market before, but what a grand idea.
• Luke - Beer and shellfish a la John Besh.
• Cochon - I had fried rabbit livers on toast and a ham hock served over smoky greens and black-eyed peas. The hubby had seriously lacquered ribs served with house-made pickled watermelon rind and a kind of pulled pork loaf. They get whole pigs and they break them down to use all of their piggy goodness. GO HERE!!

Nawlins Spontaneously

Coming up after Thanksgiving: a report on our spur-of-the-moment New Orleans trip. We saw a ton - mostly in walking from restaurant to bar, restaurant to bar... ;) Needless to say it was a fantastic weekend! "Laissez les bons temps rouler."

Happy Turkey Day, everybody.

Follow-Up

The four-hour set time my hubby mentions at the end of the video is the Cook's Illustrated-recommended set time for after a pie comes out of the oven. When I saw that I said, "Yeah, right, they must be joking." I could never let a freshly-baked dessert rest that long without at least tasting it let alone eating a giant piece. Who's with me?

My Pie's Only A Cobbler

Well, I tried my hand at baking a pie. I don't know what I did wrong, but the dough discs came out very soft such that I couldn't roll them with a rolling pin. I decided to still make the "pie" by pushing the dough into the bottom of the pan, pouring in the blueberries, then topping it with dollops of the rest of the dough. Cobbler! It's yummy, but not exactly what I was looking for. Better luck next time - maybe next week.

(By the way, yes, the blueberries are from South America. I went rogue - aka not local - this one time because blueberry pie is my and my hubby's favorite pie.)

Check out this silly video:

Happy Halloween

I have a number of updates for you today. I realized in reading back over some postings that I haven't been very good about updating.

But before I do that I have to relay what I made this week. I cooked up the motherload legume and veggie stew, which saw me through three lunches and three dinners. It had a medley of dried beans, fresh Romano beans, purple bok choy, Romanesco broccoli (these last three from the Dupont Circle market), garlic, onions, potatoes, and tomatoes. I think that's it, though I feel like I'm forgetting some ingredients. Oh, aleppo pepper, which I've been looking for and finally found.

And I whipped up a pineapple upside-down cake in my cast iron skillet because I'm trying to get better at baking. Next I'm trying my hand at pie, probably the Cook's Illustrated method, then a layer cake. I should mention that we're not eating all these sweets by ourselves.Not that there's anything wrong with that ;). I've been good about sharing at the office.

Onto the updates:

• I never gave a report on the cooking classes I've taken thus far. Well, actually, I guess I did on the knife skills one, but I never mentioned that the other two I'd signed up for were cancelled. Boo hoo. And, of the two I recently registered for, only one has happened; the other (Pasta 101) is in a couple weeks. The Fall Beer Dinner was lots of fun. We made mussels in beer with bacon and cheddar breadsticks; grilled veal chops with a beery mushroom saute; beer-battered potatoes and onions; haricot vert; and apple and amber beer crisp with raspberry crème chantilly. Drooling?

• I'm still volunteering at DC Central Kitchen as often as I can. I try to do it every week, but it's so popular with big volunteer groups (think: office teambuilding activity) that it's hard to get in! I'm not complaining. I'm just happy that they're getting the help they need to prepare all the food - 4,000 meals every day!!

• Lastly, I guess you figured out that I didn't make the cut to be on Mad Men. Sigh. Big sigh. Tear. Many tears. Waaaaaaaaa. Oh well. I hope Roger waits for me (and that the show's on the air for another couple years) because I haven't given up on that drink.

Photos From My 'Busy Days'

Browning the goat plus mise en place

The stew ready to eat

Salted-caramel goodness

Pear-ginger puree pre-6 hours in the oven

Nice and leathery

Busy Couple Days In The Kitchen

I've had a busy couple days. Thank goodness it was in my kitchen. Cuz if you gotta be busy, it's best to be busy cooking. That's my opinion anyway.

Yesterday I made "Salted-Caramel Budini." That's Italian for puddings. The recipe is courtesy of Tasting Table, adapted from Marcie Turney of Barbuzzo et al. in Philly. I didn't have four 8-oz. ramekins so I made eight 4-oz. ones. I've already had two of them, and I plan on eating another for dessert tonight. They're my new favorite dessert, and I'm pretty sure they'll become yours, too.

Last night I whipped up a batch of pear and ginger puree to make "Pear-Ginger Leather" today. It's still in the oven after almost three hours. Think it's going to take at least a couple more to completely dry out. Will let you know how it turns out. Next week I'm making "Plum-Cinnamon Leather." I found the recipes here.

Also cooking up now is goat shoulder stew. I found the goat at the Dupont Circle farm market this weekend. It came frozen so I defrosted it in the fridge the past couple days. I got it nice and brown on all sides in my Dutch oven. Then I set it aside while I sauteed some chopped onion. I added it back in along with garlic, carrots, potatoes, beef stock, water, bay leaves, salt, and pepper. It's been on the stove for two hours and it'll probably be on at least a couple more. Will definitely report back on this. I have very high hopes considering the AMAZING smell filling our apartment right now.

I'm realizing that I haven't spent any time on KFW writing about kitchen tools and cooking techniques. Allow me to start remedying that. The above recipes are brought to you by tempering, the Silpat, and the Maillard Reaction respectively.

Photos to come...

Lastly, I have an update. Our balcony garden didn't yield nearly as much as I'd hoped. Blame it on not having as much full sun as I'd originally thought. Out of 13 pots we got arugula and spinach, a couple radishes, no cucumbers or tomatoes, one (yes, one) tiny pepper, and herbs galore. Better luck next year (which seems to be what I've said the past few years; gotta turn this black thumb green).

Paella Pic

Green For Green

Wish I would've been invited to this!

A Spanish Feast

Tonight I'm cooking a Spanish feast for my hubby just because. We're starting off with Spanish olives, cheese, and of course wine. I picked out a rubi (rose) from Penedes. Then I'm making an arugula salad with a garlicky dressing spiced up with paprika and cumin. The base will be Spanish olive oil and sherry vinegar with a bit of lemon juice. The main event is a chicken and seafood paella. I don't have an actual paella so I'm just using my beloved, gigantic Dutch oven. I'm pretty sure it will still turn out scrumptious. Anyway, I'm basing my dish on a recipe from Food and Wine that serves 12. Obviously I'm decreasing ingredient quantities, but I'm also making it my own by using proteins we'll both like: chicken thighs, sole, bay scallops, and pancetta. For dessert I made individual flans flavored with lemon and cinnamon. Maybe we'll step over the border and end with a little port. I'll be sure to take pictures.

Brooklyn Tidbits

We made a spontaneous trip to New York recently for my hubby's bday. Spent most of our time in fantabulous Brooklyn. There was a lot (really more like a whole hell of a lot) of eating and drinking involved.

The best grub we had - by far - came from Fette Sau in Williamsburg. It's a cross between an alley and a garage, and it's putting out A-maaaazing BBQ. And it has the largest selection of American whiskey in NYC plus craft beers by the gallon. What more proof do you need, people? Go here!

My souvenirs consisted of this and this.

The former's for bringing lunch to work - in style. And the latter's for making a spin-off of the 1930's martini I mentioned here.

Wanna Go To South Beach?

Enter for your chance to win a trip to next year's Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival. I just did.

Eric Felten's 'How's Your Drink?'

I just read Eric Felten's How's Your Drink? Cocktails, Culture, and the Art of Drinking Well (2007). I liked it, and now I'm thirsty for more. It referenced a lot of old cocktail books that I want to find. It had a lot of cool quotes that I want to remember. And a lot of recipes to try. I thought it a good idea to share some of this stuff, though this is no substitute for actually reading it. There's lots more where this comes from.

Books
Bartender's Guide by Jerry Thomas (1862)
New and Improved Illustrated Bartenders' Manual by Harry Johnson (1882)
American as I Saw It: Or America Revisited by Ethel Alec-Tweedie (1913)
The Savoy Cocktail Book (1930)
Shake 'Em Up by Virginia Elliott (1930)
The Gentleman's Companion: An Exotic Drinking Book by Charles H. Baker, Jr. (1939)
Crosby Gaige's Cocktail Guide and Ladies' Companion by Crosby Gaige (1941)
Standard Cocktail Guide by Crosby Gaige (1944)
The Roving Bartender by Bill Kelly (1945)
Bartenders Guide by "Trader" Vic Bergeron (1947)
Handbook for Hosts by Esquire (1949)
Fine Art of Mixing Drinks by David Embury (1961)
On Drink by Kingsley Amis
The Spirits of America by Eric Burns
The Hour by Bernard DeVoto
Martini Straight Up by Lowell Edmunds
Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails by Ted Haigh
John Barleycorn by Jack London

Quotes
"In the world of potables, the cocktail represents adventure and experiment. All other forms of drinking are more or less static. Beer drinkers lead a dreary and gaseous life. The cocktail contriver...has the whole world of nature at his command." -Crosby Gaige

The cocktail hour to Bernard DeVoto is "the violet hour, the hour of hush and wonder, when the affectations glow again and valor is reborn."

"My best advice is to make every drink as though it were to be the best you've ever made and you can't do this if you don't measure." -"Trader" Vic Bergeron

Lowell Edmunds describes the martini as a "sacramental drink that unites in spirit even those who have never met."

Drinks
- A Martini with a couple drops of orange bitters as it was drunk in the 1930s
- A Dandy Cocktail involving rye (yay!) and red Dubonnet, which I've never had
- A Florodora, which is gin and framboise with ginger ale and some lime juice
- A Bacardi Special with white rum, gin, lime juice, and real grenadine like this
- A Cantarito involving tequila and grapefruit soda with fresh citrus fruit
- Gin shaken with rosemary
- Whiskey and sparkling wine, and I'd probably add some Drambuie

It's That Time Again

To register for classes at L'Academie de Cuisine. This time I signed up for two: Pasta 101 and the Fall Beer Dinner. I'm especially excited about the second one because I'm taking it with my hubby - and of course because beer's involved.

Will be sure to report back. Oh and, by the way, next up will be something of a book report on How's Your Drink by Eric Felten. I dogeared like 50 pages so there's a lot to share.

Concocted Amalgamations

I've been making weird amalgamations, strange concoctions, whatever you want to call them this week.

Last night I pulled out ground beef, broccoli, and Kashi's pilaf made with their "Seven Whole Grains on a Mission." I ended up with a stir-fry of sorts after adding soy and sriracha. Pretty good one, too.

Tonight I whipped up a casserole. As an aside, I was talking with my brother while it was baking in the oven and I said, "Hold the phone a sec - I have to check on my casserole." Now if that doesn't sound like Betty Draper I don't know what does. Ha ha. "Mad Men" on the brain. Anyway, I grabbed a prepared tube of polenta, a yellow squash, and a giant tomato. I layered them in a baking dish along with olive oil, pesto, parmigiana, fresh basil, dried oregano, and of course salt and pepper. Not bad!

I wonder what I'll come up with tomorrow...

FYI: I had one of the carrot chiles from the balcony with dinner tonight. Not too hot - just right.

Love It Or Hate It?

I can't decide whether I love or hate this place. Is it the "next best thing" or too gimmicky? I see a trip north in my future--for research of course ;).

War-Era Food Posters Exhibition

An exhibition of war-era food posters from the collection of the National Agricultural Library, right here in Washington, DC! I'm hoping to make it before it closes (Aug. 30):

Online Exhibition
Press Release

I'm Going To Be On 'Mad Men'

HOPEFULLY!

If you know me and don't mind, please go here, search for me, and cast your vote.

Apparently you can vote once a day through the duration of the contest, which ends Sept. 17.

I really, really appreciate it. As most of you know, I'm obsessed with "Mad Men," so my participation in this casting call was not subject to negotiation. Winning would be quite nice, too ;)

Imagine having a martini with Roger Sterling...

Food On The Web

Check out my latest web discoveries:

Zingerman's Deli
Crop Mob
Sweet Preservation
Restaurant-ing Through History
Sharpen This
Sustainable Food Jobs
TasteSpotting
Rural Bounty
World-Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms
Sustainable Table

There's hundreds more where these come from. I've been developing an archive. Drop me a line if you're interested in something in particular. I can probably help you out.

Homemade Mozzarella And Lobster Ravioli

We spent Saturday in the kitchen. First we made mozzarella for a caprese salad with farm-market tomatoes and balcony-garden basil. And it actually came out this time. Next we made pasta dough then, while that was resting for an hour, we whipped up the filling: cooked, chopped-up lobster tail, ricotta, minced garlic, finely chopped oregano and parsley, and a little butter, lemon juice, and brandy. While the filling cooled, we made sheets out of the pasta dough using our mixer's pasta attachment. Then we laid out one sheet, filled it with filling, laid another sheet on top, making sure to push all the air bubbles out, and cut. We repeated, repeated, repeated until we had way too much for one meal -- but that's a-okay cuz it'll make for a second (and potentially a third) down the road. Oh and we topped the cooked ravioli with a bit of brown butter. Decadent and delicious.

You'll notice in the photo below showing the ravioli on a rack prior to boiling that some of the ravioli are oddly shaped. These blobs are the first ones we made. Our second, third, and fourth attempts resulted in actual squares.

Braciole And A Balcony Garden Update

We made braciole on Sunday. That's the Italian version of the French roulade. Ours was flattened-out flank steak rolled around a paste of herbs, garlic, and breadcrumbs. First we seared it on our tiny electric (and balcony-friendly) grill then we braised it in the oven in tomato sauce for hours. Mmm, mmmmm, mmmmmm... Speaking of the balcony, the garden's still putting along. It doesn't get full sun all day so things are a bit stunted, but hopefully we'll get some harvestable goods before summer ends. So far there's been arugula and French breakfast radishes. I'm crossing my fingers and toes that the Silvery Fir Tree Tomato plant has a growth spurt soon. I really want to try those.

Paris Redux

Photos finally. (By the way, I'm having trouble with captions in Blogger. If you want to know what something is, leave a comment and I'll get back to you. Sorry!)

Temporarily Insane

How did I forget to mention all those Parisian pastries and chocolate? Don't worry, the photos are coming.

Back From Paris, Full And Fuller

Coming up this week: photos from our fantastically fabulous French vacation. Did I mention it was fabulous? It was just last weekend, I know, but, OH!, I'm missing it already. Our hotel was unbelievably grand. The sites--especially the Versailles gardens--were breath-taking. The wine, well, it was pretty good ;) with food to match.

Our first night we hit La Cloche des Halles, a wine bar in the 1st arrondissement, followed by a brasserie we passed during a walk in the 2nd. We went ultra-traditional--a ginormous Nicoise salad for me and croque monsieur for the hubby. Nothing life-altering but still tasty. Rose wine abounded.

On our anniversary day, after a buffet breakfast fit for a king or queen (at the hotel), we set off to explore. Ile de la Cite, Left Bank, Notre Dame, Sainte Chappelle, Sorbonne. Pre-lunch drinks on a cafe boat docked in the Seine then lunch at a cafe on the Boulevard Saint-Germain close to the original Shakespeare and Company bookstore. Goat cheese rounds on toast with a side salad and, of course, more vin, topped off with ethereal Berthillon ice cream (coconut and vanilla bean scoops). Nap then what else? Food. We decided to go classic. A La Petite Chaise is about as classic as it gets, being founded in 1680. First things first: aperitifs of a pernod for me and martini for the hubby. Bordeaux for two. Escargot and crab terrine. Filet mignon in green peppercorn sauce and rack of lamb with roasted potatoes. Creme brulee and white chocolate mousse. Whoa. We walked it off down the Champs-Elysees, nearly to the Arc de Triomphe before the sky opened.

The next day we conquered the Louvre. Well, not really. I bet we saw like 5 percent, but it was overwhelming just the same. Overwhelming and amazing. The other highlight of the day was Au Trappiste, the Belgian beer joint we stumbled on. Come to think of it, this day had a lot of highlights. Before dinner we checked out the oldest covered market in Paris, Les Marche des Enfants Rouges. Nearly all the vendors were closing up shop, but we caught a glimpse of greatness. Then a walk around Place des Voges and the Bastille. Then the best dinner of the trip: Les Philosophes in the Marais. For me: tomato tart, red snapper over sauteed vegetables with tomato confit, and chocolate mousse. For him: cheese and tomato salad, boeuf bourguignon, and creme brulee. All with a scrumptious 2005 Cotes du Rhone.

On our last day we started early, making it to the outdoor market on Rue Montorgueil--perhaps one of the best I've seen. Apparently it's the last vestige of the great Les Halles market. We saw a paella cooking away, rotisserie chickens to go, oysters a plenty, white asparagus for giants, just-skinned, glistening rabbits, torpedo-shaped, ruby-slipper-red strawberries, mounds of pre-cut raw fish of all kinds pre-mixed for bouillabaisse. Wow. I could have stayed and stared all day, but Versailles was calling, and it was definitely my favorite site of our vacation. I honored its enormity with a sizable sandwich for lunch. Really I don't think I've ever consumed that much bread in one sitting. It was an entire baguette split lengthwise and filled with butter, cured ham, and cornichons.

Full and fuller indeed.

Look Out, Paris. We're Coming To Eat You.

Be back next week with tales of our adventures--gastronomic and non--plus a plethora of pics. Thanks to everyone who sent ideas our way. Au revoir.

As A Follow-Up

Alton Brown, formerly my favorite TV chef, is a sellout.

Articles Of Interest

The Hard Sell on Salt - including the multimedia offerings and reader comments

Secret Ingredient in Ancient Mortar: Sticky Rice - I was ecstatic to see something archaeological get a lot of news coverage!

Paris Etc.

We're going to Paris! We've never been (well, unless a six-hour layover at Charles de Gaulle counts), so we're thrilled. Already plotting our many food and drink stops. Here's a few we're planning on getting to:

Marche des Enfants Rouges
La Patisserie des Reves
A La Petite Chaise
Atelier Maitre Albert
Restaurant Jadis

And I thought I'd share a few sites I stumbled upon recently:

Foodzie - for goodies
Yummly - for recipes
The Perennial Plate - online documentary series

West Coast Whirlwind

We just spent three and a half days in LA and San Fran for my hubby's step-brothers' graduations--one from college, one from law school. (Congrats again, guys!) It was a whirlwind tour filled with ceremonies, festivities, and a lot of eating. And just to boost the zany factor even more...We drove between LA and San Fran, encountering lots of food-related stuff along the way. Here's a list of everything foodie from our West Coast celebration:

• Fish tacos at Manhattan Beach
• Coconut ice cream with fresh mango chunks on top
• Duke's Malibu: tiki joint practically in the ocean
• Endless orchards
• Giant wooden cutouts of farmworkers propped up in the fields along the road
• Castroville artichoke farms
• Gilroy garlic advertisements
• Factory/Industrial farming and animal feeding operations (sadly)
• La Bicyclette restaurant, Carmel-by-the-Sea: asparagus and morel lasagna, which I declared at the table to be one of the best things I've ever, EVER consumed
• Really tasty and inventive tapas at Andalu, San Fran
• Shopping at SF's Rainbow Grocery, scooping up as many beautiful, local vegetables as the cart would hold
• Cooking a feast with two of my favorite women in our SF kitchen with a view (below): crudite platter, grilled chicken and salmon, baked portabella mushrooms stuffed with quinoa and veggies, roasted zucchini, and mixed greens salad
• A giant orange gummy bear
• As much avocado as I could get my hands on
• As much CA wine as I could drink
• Picking lemons from the tree in our SF garden (thanks for the pic, Mom!)

Lettuce Wraps

We felt bulgogi-ish last night so we marinated some sliced skirt steak for about a half-hour in sesame oil, soy sauce, lime juice, sriracha, grated garlic and ginger, Asian five spice, salt, and pepper. While it was marinating we made some germinated brown rice and sliced up the veggie toppings: red pepper, carrot, and cucumber. Then we very quickly cooked the beef in a super-hot grill pan. (A wok could've worked, too.) Done! We wrapped up our rice, meat, and veg in bibb lettuce cups and topped with a splash more of soy sauce and a lot of sriracha.

If you click on the above link you'll see why I say bulgogi-"ISH." Hardly traditional but certainly inspired by the classic Korean dish.

Also, Saturday was the knife skills class at L'Academie de Cuisine and I have to report that my technique now qualifies as mad phat. Well, probably not, but it's definitely better. The class was fantastic, the instructor knowledgable and entertaining. Highly recommended for anyone looking to hone (get it? ha!) their skills.

May Flowers Bring:

A prolific week of recipes, ruminations, etc. But first, the Washington Post's two leading stories today:

D.C. Council Launching Campaign Against Childhood Obesity
Oil Spill Threatens Gulf Region's Ecosystem and Fishing, Tourism, and Shipping Industries

I was thrilled this morning to see these very important stories above the fold, especially the latter one. This one's deserving of loads of print and airtime, as far as I'm concerned. I mean, what the hell is going on down there? The most recent report says that it could take 90 days before this is solved! "In that time, lots of oil could spread." Thanks for the insight, Mr. Salazar. Let's hope not. You and the Prez better get on those geniuses at BP for the sake of the environment AND the livelihoods of the Gulf region's residents.

Now onto cocktails. I should preface this by saying I'm usually pretty old-fashioned when it comes to libations, but I came up with two this week that don't fit that bill, and I'm OK with that. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did ;)

First, the Candied Lavender Martini. Make lavender-infused simple syrup by combining 1 cup sugar, 1 cup water, and generous pinch of dried lavender. Bring to boil, stirring, until sugar has dissolved. Allow to cool and strain. Place some ice in martini glass and set aside. Put ice into cocktail shaker. Pour in 1 ounce of Drambuie and 2 ounces of gin of your choice (not Hendricks). Shake well. Remove ice from serving glass and, using strainer, pour into glass. Drizzle in syrup to taste. Garnish with sprig of fresh lavender if you wish.

Second, the "Altered State," which is a Negroni-Greyhound combo. Place some ice in old-fashioned glass and set aside. Put ice into cocktail shaker. Pour in jiggers (1.5 ounces) of gin of your choice (not Hendricks), sweet vermouth, Campari, and white grapefruit juice (not "cocktail"). Shake well. Using strainer, pour into glass. Top off with 3 ounces of tonic water. Finish with squeeze of lime. Stir. Garnish with lime wedge.





Now onto grub. It was a varied week: seared scallops on Monday night; paneer with vegetables on Tuesday night; martinis and filet mignon on Friday night; Italian sausage sandwiches, of course with peppers and onions, at Merriweather Post Pavilion pre-My Morning Jacket (our fifth time seeing our favorite band) last night; and brunch today at the Hay-Adams--just because--complete with one of their famously strong Bloody Marys.

For the paneer dish, I sauteed onion, garlic, and ginger then added cauliflower, asparagus, and peas with canned diced tomatoes and garbanzos. Seasonings were garam masala, bay leaf, lime zest and juice, salt, and pepper. I cooked the veggies until tender and added the cubed paneer to warm through. (You could use extra firm tofu if you can't find paneer cheese.) It was hearty enough to eat without rice, but you definitely could serve it over basmati.



And lastly, a couple of garden pics:

Cooking 101

I'm going back to school--not full time; I couldn't handle that. Though if I were to go back for something full time, it certainly would be cooking. But not yet. Maybe not ever. We'll see...

I'm doing three classes at L'Academie de Cuisine in Maryland over the next few months: "Basic Knife Skills," "Tropical Fruits and Flavors," and "Market Basket Dinner for Two"--this last one with my better half.

I can't wait. I actually had picked 15 out of the course catalog initially, but these things add up (way up) so I narrowed it down. If it works out, I'll definitely keep at it. There's so many basic techniques and standard recipes I want to learn. There's also a lot of specific things I'd like to familiarize myself with like French macarons and oyster-shucking and Thai curries. Believe me I could go on forever.

One additional item to report: I'm now volunteering at the DC Central Kitchen and loving it. I sincerely canNOT wait until the next time. What an amazing organization. What an unbelievable experience.

Lavender martinis and lots of photos coming this weekend.

P.S.

The cat ate the carrot chile pepper shoot. Wtf, right? I replanted this one, too, but forgot the pep talk. Hopefully this seed's super-motivated.

Green Alert 2

So far the balcony garden's looking good. There's lots of green--tiny green--but green nonetheless. We have two pots of arugula, two of spinach, one of French Breakfast Radishes, and the lemon cucumber's really taking off. Sadly the tomato sprout died, but I've already replanted it, offering words of encouragement whilst sowing the seed. Hey, I'll try anything to get some good grub out of this garden. Voodoo's up next should the cucumber decide to peter out.

A "hurry-up-summer!" cocktail recipe involving lavender plus a bunch of pix of a bunch of different things (eloquent, aren't I?) coming up next post.

April Showers Bring:

• The first gin and tonics of the warmer months--I'm fancying mine these days with Hendrick's gin, Fevertree tonic water, and cucumber slices instead of lime.
• The first radishes of the season at the Saturday farm market--dipped in a pile of mixed kosher salt and fresh ground pepper. I also plan to eat them the French way--with good butter and fleur de sel.
• The gobbetti with kale puttanesca sauce I apparently need when it's overcast and a bit chilly (well, compared to the 90-degree weather we had last week).
• Fifteen pots on our balcony this summer brimming with herbs, lettuces, and vegetables (fingers and toes crossed).
• Fast-moving, ominous, gray clouds outside my windows--really, why are they moving so fast, and why do they seem so low in the sky? It looks like something out of The Wizard of Oz right before the twister hit.
•  The Thai New Year (today actually), which makes me salivate just thinking about one of my favorite soups: tom yum goong.

Green Alert

We have two additional tiny plants:

Silvery Fir Tree Tomato
Bulgarian Carrot Chile Pepper

I moved them outside today (since it's going to hit near 90 degrees--in early April!) so hopefully the sun's warmth will spur the rest on.

No recipes this week sadly. The kitchen's off limits until the cabinets are put back up. Don't ask. Next week--hopefully.

Random Points Of Note

In no particular order:

• I'm reading Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies by Jared Diamond (2005), and it's fascinating and breath-taking and freaking amazing, and I wholeheartedly recommend that everyone on the planet read it. There's so much in it about hunting-gathering versus agricultural societies and just food procurement/production and consumption in general that I thought it worth mentioning on KFW. Check it out on PBS, where it apparently aired as a show (I had no idea, darn); you can get synopses and even video (hooray).

• We have a tiny lemon cucumber plant! It's the first out of the 13 goodies we're attempting this year. Fingers crossed they'll all germinate relatively soon indoors so we can move them out onto the balconies.

• I thought I'd share tonight's chicken-thigh preparation. Bone-in, skin-on thighs of course. Rub with your favorite spice mixture--both sides. Broil skin side down for 12-16 minutes using the lowest oven rack. Broil skin side up for 10 minutes on this same rack. Brown on the top rack for one minute. Internal temperature should register at least 160 degrees on a probe thermometer. E-Z.

Last Night's Dinner: Greek 'Ratatouille' Casserole

Inspired by the "Vegetable and Garbanzo Bean Casserole" in Vefa's Kitchen, which I'm cooking my way through at a snail's pace, I made "Greek 'Ratatouille' Casserole" last night.

Just as it sounds, it involves tomato, zucchini, eggplant, and bell pepper, and I add portobello mushrooms and garbanzo beans, too. Chop everything up but the beans and put it all (except for the tomatoes; reserve them) in an oiled (or buttered) 2.5-quart casserole dish. No need to go too small--chunky's fine--but definitely try to make everything approximately the same size. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil.

Whip up a super-quick chunky tomato sauce by sauteing onions and garlic in olive oil then adding the chopped tomatoes and some oregano, red pepper flake, salt, and pepper. When done (about 15 minutes) pour over top of your veggies.

Bake the casserole uncovered in a 375-degree oven for about 50 minutes. Sprinkle on some grated cheese, preferably kefalotyri, but Parm works fine.

We ate it with flatbread, cheese, olives, and a side salad, but you could try spooning it over bulghur or orzo to make a complete meal.

Bouillabaisse As Reward

We worked hard this weekend. Unpacking (yes, still), decorating, cleaning, painting. One day it will end and we'll sit back and soak in a completed apartment, but until then we'll work hard and reward ourselves with good grub. Like the bouillabaisse I made last night. I could get used to this pattern.

Thanks, NYT.

Irish Cuisine: Not An Oxymoron

Since tomorrow is St. Patrick's Day I thought I'd do a mini-post on the food of Ireland. I'm not talking potatoes and cabbage (though colcannon definitely is one of my favorite comfort dishes, and this is a great recipe). I'm talking about Irish food now. I think there's a pervasive misconception of Ireland, that it's a culinary backwater, that only overcooked and flavorless food exists there. Wrong! And they're not damning tradition either. Read on:

Saveur 5-part article
Food and Wine "Eyes on Ireland" article
Food and Wine "Why Irish Chefs Love County Cork" article
Food and Wine "A Donegal Son Returns" article
Anthony Bourdain's "No Reservations" in Ireland

Up later this week: a post on cooking my way through Vefa's Kitchen

On The Best Gift Ever And Celeriac

No catchy title this time. Not that they're ever really "catchy." They're just usually less blah than today's. Well, at least it's vaguely descriptive. Anyway...

What's the best gift ever, you ask? The Moleskine Recipe Journal I received just-because from my hubby. Check it out.

I'm obsessed with it, and I highly recommend it to anyone who thinks about food and drink more than "normal." What is "normal"? Probably less than practically every waking minute :)

Now onto celeriac, or celery root as it's also known, though I prefer the former. I don't know why, but to me it sounds like it always should be said by Sean Connery (in his James Bond days of course). My imitation does just fine though.

Most recipes call for mashing it like potatoes or eating it raw in salads. Tonight I'm taking the middle ground and I'm going to parboil it then saute it with onions and garlic. I'll finish it off with salt and pepper (duh!), some dried herbage--probably parsley since the root tastes a bit like it--and a pinch of heat (red pepper flake or cayenne pepper).

Word to the wise: When working with celeriac, don't forget to put your cut-up pieces in acidulated water. Otherwise they'll discolor.

That's all today. Time to fix me a drink.

Coming Right Up...

...a post! Imagine that. We moved into our new place so life has been hectic recently. Look for one on Friday or Saturday complete with recipes, ruminations, etc.

Mount Vernon Distilling Rye Whiskey, Be Still My Heart

My recent archaeological volunteer work at George Washington's former home, Mount Vernon, alerted me to the existence of a working distillery on the property. I did some research on their website and discovered that you can visit it, though there's conflicting information re. whether you can purchase or even just sample the whiskey. I'll have to give them a call to find out for sure. Even if you can't bring home the goods or try them, it's still really cool that you can see a reenactment of the 18th-century techniques in action. When I visit I'll be sure to report back.

Check out the info here and here.

I also should point out that Washington distilled rye whiskey--my favorite--and that's what they're distilling today at Mount Vernon. For those of you who haven't converted to the Blessed Church of Rye check out the Wiki page and this and this because I don't work enough Mad Men references into KFW.

Recent Dinner Recipes

Here's what I put into the soup and the baked tomatoes we ate recently:

Latin Chicken and Rice Soup

Ground chicken
Chopped onion
Minced garlic
Minced Anaheim, jalapeno, and poblano peppers
Canned pinto or black beans
Cumin
Salt and pepper
1/2 low-sodium chicken broth, 1/2 water

Brown chicken and remove from pot. Drain most of grease and cook onion, garlic, and peppers until soft. Add rest of ingredients, including chicken, and simmer. Serve over germinated brown rice. Top with cubed avocado and finely chopped cilantro.

Baked Tabbouleh-Stuffed Tomatoes

Tomatoes (tops sliced off, insides scooped out) *Preferably greenhouse-grown if out of season where you live
Cooked bulghur
Minced onion or scallions
Finely chopped Italian parsley
Grains of Paradise
Salt and pepper
Olive oil
Lemon juice

Mix all ingredients in bowl and stuff tomatoes. Bake for 15-20 minutes at 400 degrees. If you wish, remove tomatoes 5 minutes early, top with grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, and return to oven for remainder of time. Serve 2 per person or 1 if your tomatoes are large. Enjoy alongside a greens salad for a light dinner or with a steak if you're a hungry hippo like me :).

Up Next: Recent Dinners

Latin Chicken and Rice Soup:

 

Baked Tabbouleh-Stuffed Tomatoes:

Komi The Incredible

Here it is folks: The 38-seater was Komi, and it was one hell of a meal--an experience really. 13 courses + 5 wines = 1 incredible, unforgettable Friday night!

As I've mentioned before on KFW, I'm obsessed with all things Greek ever since spending a summer there back in 2002, and Johnny Monis' Komi is no exception. Opened in 2003, this tiny restaurant puts out modern Mediterranean (mostly Greek-inspired) fare. Absolutely beautiful, creative, delicious, ethereal fare. (That last line forming A through F was completely unintentional, I swear.)

Anyway, I'll share a few of my absolute favorite courses so as to not reveal too much. Don't want to spoil it for anybody. The degustazione progresses from raw fish to a salad and light warm mezze to pasta to the main event, which is followed by cheese, a deconstructed cocktail on a spoon, then dessert--at least on the night we were there.

Of the raw fish, the standout for me, though honestly the 5 preparations were all magnificent, was scallops 2 ways. One consisted of a spoon filled with ceviche-esque scallop chunks; the other resembled scallop paillard or even scallop salami (in other words, flattened), rimmed with coarse-grain mustard and topped with a truffle shaving. Seemingly unusual. Really just exceptional.

The next standout was Caesar salad in a crouton. Biting into it released a burst of Caesar dressing. Amazing!

And last but certainly not least: a heaping pile of suckling pig meat for two, served with 5 toppings like tzatziki, housemade hot sauce, and pickled cabbage plus a side of puntarelle and rutabaga.

If you want to salivate some more, check out what the press is saying:

Food and Wine
The Washington Post
The Washingtonian

'Big Food'

Visiting family prompted a weekend of "big food," as we like to say. No complaints here!

Friday
My bison ribeye almost made up for the slow service at DC's Cashion's Eat Place (though other members of the party were not as impressed with their supposed veal, which tasted more like bland chicken). Oh well! The occasion was still joyous and the company couldn't be beat.

Saturday
Breakfast at Whitlow's on Wilson in Arlington...I had a decent lox and bagels platter, but I should have gotten one of the egg dishes because these come with yummy garlicky homefries. Next time.

Sausage cheese balls (yes, the Bisquick recipe) because we didn't have them on Christmas, as is customary...We mixed it up, however, by using gluten-free biscuit mix, hormone-free shredded cheese, and organic sausage, proving it's ok to mess with a good thing.

Spaghetti--well, actually fusilli--dinner with homemade meat ragu (my best one yet, if I do say so myself) and a salad with mandolined fennel and radishes followed by lemon poundcake topped with blueberry sauce...Wine may have made an appearance, too ;-)


Coming up: Latin chicken and rice soup tonight, baked tabbouleh-stuffed tomatoes (greenhouse-grown, of course) tomorrow, and Friday evening's potentially most incredible meal ever (hint: 38 seats)

How Could I Forget Lemon Cucumbers?

Temporarily insane, I guess.

Balcony Gardens Of Bygone

Believe it or not we’re moving again. Not to a new city (the second in less than six months--I couldn’t deal with that) but to a new apartment just blocks away.

While we’re not thrilled at the idea, it does have its ups--namely two balconies both gloriously sunny. I’m ecstatic! After no sun in Philly and no outdoor space (not to mention missing the growing season) at our current place, it’s finally time for a garden. I don’t care if it’s only January, I’m thinking ahead and planning it now.

Nothing’s set in stone yet, but I’m looking at having basil, cilantro, mint, Greek oregano, Italian parsley, rosemary, and lemon thyme; arugula and spinach; a few different tomatoes (I'm leaning towards container-friendly varieties like Silvery Fir Tree); and peppers both hot and sweet.

I’ve really been enjoying browsing (and drooling over) the following websites:

Heirloom Seeds
Herb Society of America
Native Seeds
Plants for a Future
Seeds of Change
Seed Savers Exchange
Southern Exposure Seed Exchange
Vegetable Varieties for Gardeners

I’m fascinated by heirloom seeds and thereby heirloom products. I like the idea of growing something ancient or, if not ancient, at least from a time before, ancestral if you will. (I’m an archaeologist after all.) Additionally, I love the idea of preserving these crops, perpetuating them. I can't wait to get started. Maybe I won't have the balcony gardens of Babylon, but they'll at least be...well...bygone.

Recent Thoughts

More than usual I've had food on the brain recently. I guess it's because of the holidays. Being with the people who inspire me. And eating a lot, A LOT. So here's some of my thoughts:

• O, olives...I love them, but I usually stick to three kinds: picholine, Kalamata, and oil-cured black. This year I want to branch out. And I also want to make my own marinades for store-bought ones. I've been thinking about a citrus marinade, an herby one made predominately with Greek oregano, a spicy one maybe involving sriracha or harissa, and a smoky one with a vinaigrette that includes bacon fat.
• Fresh, local, natural, organic, seasonal, sustainable... They're not just buzz words. They're words to live by. I'm trying my best, and when I fall down, I get back up and try even harder. Why? Because I want to know where my food comes from and the people who provide it.  And I want my children to know, too. This includes eggs, milk, and meat. I want to eat the way my grandparents ate. Hopefully my kids won't have to look that far back.
• I thought it prudent to note that even though a number of the recipes on this site serve two people, this is not hard and fast. I tend to cook for two, but I think the recipes are pretty fluid so definitely experiment with increasing quantities to feed a family or a crowd.
• I was going to sign us up for a CSA this year, but I decided that with all of the local farm markets, I'd hold off. After all, I've only been here a few months so I haven't experienced all the seasons at our markets. I doubt I'll find them lacking. Though maybe one day when I have less time to browse, and want the convenience of a weekly CSA basket, I'll sign the dotted line.
• I realize I haven't ever discussed techniques or kitchen tools/utensils, so that's coming up this year. (KFW just celebrated its first anniversary last week so...yay!)
• In case you haven't noticed, desserts are not my thing--cooking them, I mean. Eating them's a different story. I prefer to leave the hard science of baking to someone else. Though maybe this year I'll whip up a few recipes--easy ones.
• There aren't many things I won't eat. In fact, the only one I can think of is Jell-O. Just thought I'd share.
• I'll end with a quote I fell in love with recently: "If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world." --J.R.R. Tolkien