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