We baked up white chocolate fudge with nuts and dried fruit as well as gingerbread whoopie pies to give to family over Thanksgiving. The whoopie pies rocked my world. It seems like others had the same reaction ;).
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
East African Hot Sauce And Whoopie Pies
I made chicken wings with the hot sauce my sister-in-law sent. They were yummy and unlike any others we've had. The dates in the sauce give a bit of sweetness and thickness while the jalapenos and tamarind provide zing and pep. We'll use the bottle up soon, I'm sure.
We baked up white chocolate fudge with nuts and dried fruit as well as gingerbread whoopie pies to give to family over Thanksgiving. The whoopie pies rocked my world. It seems like others had the same reaction ;).
We baked up white chocolate fudge with nuts and dried fruit as well as gingerbread whoopie pies to give to family over Thanksgiving. The whoopie pies rocked my world. It seems like others had the same reaction ;).
Monday, November 14, 2011
There Are No Words...
...which is why I have pictures:
And now for what we did during our STUPENDOUS culinary extravaganza weekend up in New York (Hyde Park and Manhattan). Friday: Everready Diner, CIA tour, drinks at American Bounty (one of the student restaurants), dinner at Medici (another student restaurant); Saturday: "CIA Favorites" class (I'm planning to return asap to take another course; it was quite an experience), drive to NYC through fall foliage, Palace Hotel, Burp Castle, Lakeside Lounge, St. Regis King Cole Bar, Chef's Tasting Menu at La Bernardin; Sunday: Jane for brunch. Plus we got two cookbooks at the CIA: "The Professional Chef," which is the students' primary textbook, and "The CIA Cookbook." AND we received a copy of the menu at La Bernardin. The courses were so intricate, I couldn't remember everything we ate even right after we left. Now I can stare longingly at the menu and salivate, remembering how AWESOME it was. (BTW my favorite dish was "Crispy Black Bass with Pickled Cucumbers and Black Garlic-Persian Lime Sauce.")
Next up: a report on Sadia's Gourmet sauce, sent to us by my sister-in-law, direct from Minnesota. (She works for Sadia.) Think I'll try it with chicken wings.
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| Lisbon |
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| Cervejaria Ramiro |
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| frango assado |
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| Ginjinha shots (cherry liqueur) |
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| Salema fishing boats |
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| neon orange caiphirinas |
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| When in Portugal, drink Sagres lager. |
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| Perhaps he caught some of the ingredients in my fish stew... |
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| afternoon snack |
And now for what we did during our STUPENDOUS culinary extravaganza weekend up in New York (Hyde Park and Manhattan). Friday: Everready Diner, CIA tour, drinks at American Bounty (one of the student restaurants), dinner at Medici (another student restaurant); Saturday: "CIA Favorites" class (I'm planning to return asap to take another course; it was quite an experience), drive to NYC through fall foliage, Palace Hotel, Burp Castle, Lakeside Lounge, St. Regis King Cole Bar, Chef's Tasting Menu at La Bernardin; Sunday: Jane for brunch. Plus we got two cookbooks at the CIA: "The Professional Chef," which is the students' primary textbook, and "The CIA Cookbook." AND we received a copy of the menu at La Bernardin. The courses were so intricate, I couldn't remember everything we ate even right after we left. Now I can stare longingly at the menu and salivate, remembering how AWESOME it was. (BTW my favorite dish was "Crispy Black Bass with Pickled Cucumbers and Black Garlic-Persian Lime Sauce.")
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| main building |
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| "Wearing" a toque |
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| cafeteria |
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| 1/2 of what our class made |
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| the other 1/2 |
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| buffet! |
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| King Cole Bar mural by Maxfield Parrish |
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| La Bernardin |
Next up: a report on Sadia's Gourmet sauce, sent to us by my sister-in-law, direct from Minnesota. (She works for Sadia.) Think I'll try it with chicken wings.
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
I've had no time over the past couple months to seriously blog. There was Miami, Portugal, family and friend visits, my brother's spectacular wedding... But now I'm back in effect with several things to report and also news of exciting this to come.
First, I roasted yams in the oven a while back, scooped out the flesh, and stirred it with butter, turmeric, and fenugreek. I call them India-Inspired Yummy Yams.
Yes, we went to Portugal again. We missed it tremendously since 2008 so we decided to return for a spontaneous long weekend. We ate amazing seafood every day but one when we had the traditional frango assado (Portuguese roast chicken with fiery piri piri sauce). Photos will come eventually. If anyone wants trip tips, let me know. I can talk endlessly about Lisbon and the southwest coast.
I had the best raw oysters - hands down - this past weekend in Rehoboth Beach, DE: Bagaduce oysters from Maine.
Tonight is Whitlow's all-you-can-eat snow crab legs as soon as the hubby gets home. I'm going to eat my weight in crab.
Coming up this weekend: road trip to NYC with my best friend and her beautiful baby to bid adieu to our college friend who's moving to Singapore. Sadness! But I see a big trip in our future...
Finally, next weekend is going to be a culinary extravaganza. We're driving up to Hyde Park on Friday for a campus tour and dinner in one of the CIA's student restaurants. Saturday's my class followed by dinner down in NYC at - wait for it, wait for it - Le Bernardin. Oh, Eric Ripert, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways: caviar, tuna, lobster, turbot, hiramasa, black bass, etc.
First, I roasted yams in the oven a while back, scooped out the flesh, and stirred it with butter, turmeric, and fenugreek. I call them India-Inspired Yummy Yams.
Yes, we went to Portugal again. We missed it tremendously since 2008 so we decided to return for a spontaneous long weekend. We ate amazing seafood every day but one when we had the traditional frango assado (Portuguese roast chicken with fiery piri piri sauce). Photos will come eventually. If anyone wants trip tips, let me know. I can talk endlessly about Lisbon and the southwest coast.
I had the best raw oysters - hands down - this past weekend in Rehoboth Beach, DE: Bagaduce oysters from Maine.
Tonight is Whitlow's all-you-can-eat snow crab legs as soon as the hubby gets home. I'm going to eat my weight in crab.
Coming up this weekend: road trip to NYC with my best friend and her beautiful baby to bid adieu to our college friend who's moving to Singapore. Sadness! But I see a big trip in our future...
Finally, next weekend is going to be a culinary extravaganza. We're driving up to Hyde Park on Friday for a campus tour and dinner in one of the CIA's student restaurants. Saturday's my class followed by dinner down in NYC at - wait for it, wait for it - Le Bernardin. Oh, Eric Ripert, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways: caviar, tuna, lobster, turbot, hiramasa, black bass, etc.
Tonight, Tonight
I haven't posted since mid-August. Sad. Shame on me. I'll redeem myself tonight. But, for now, check this out. I could go for one - how about you?
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Please Vote For Arcadia
Per an email from Arcadia:
"Arcadia
Farms, a program under the DC non-profit Arcadia Center for Sustainable
Food and Agriculture, has entered to win a $65,000 grant through
Nature's Path Organic 'Gardens for Good' contest.
"Three winning farms will be selected from the top ten finalists, so please vote for us on Facebook: http://goo.gl/mIoV4
"A 'Gardens for Good' grant would allow us to:
"1) Expand our farm to grow food exclusively for the Arcadia Mobile Market, a retrofitted school bus that distributes produce to low-income, Washington DC-area residents who lack access to healthy, affordable food options. Funding will specifically help us staff and develop this farm expansion, as well as support our 'matching dollar' programs and the acceptance of federal food assistance (such at SNAP, WIC, and SFMNP), thereby increasing the purchasing power of our underserved neighbors.
"2) Expand our interactive farm field trip programming for urban youth. Arcadia’s D.C. Farm to School Network serves Washington, DC students by coordinating educational field trips to Arcadia Farm and interactive school visits by the Mobile Market. These activities help to connect D.C. schoolchildren with the food system, thereby expanding their understanding of where food comes from and healthy eating choices. Funding will specifically help us staff our educational outreach programs, and bus students to Arcadia Farm from schools who otherwise lack transportation funds.
"Our entry is listed under Benjamin Bartley, the Mobile Market Manager for Arcadia.
"Thanks for voting for a more equitable and sustainable food system in our nation’s capital!
"Three winning farms will be selected from the top ten finalists, so please vote for us on Facebook: http://goo.gl/mIoV4
"A 'Gardens for Good' grant would allow us to:
"1) Expand our farm to grow food exclusively for the Arcadia Mobile Market, a retrofitted school bus that distributes produce to low-income, Washington DC-area residents who lack access to healthy, affordable food options. Funding will specifically help us staff and develop this farm expansion, as well as support our 'matching dollar' programs and the acceptance of federal food assistance (such at SNAP, WIC, and SFMNP), thereby increasing the purchasing power of our underserved neighbors.
"2) Expand our interactive farm field trip programming for urban youth. Arcadia’s D.C. Farm to School Network serves Washington, DC students by coordinating educational field trips to Arcadia Farm and interactive school visits by the Mobile Market. These activities help to connect D.C. schoolchildren with the food system, thereby expanding their understanding of where food comes from and healthy eating choices. Funding will specifically help us staff our educational outreach programs, and bus students to Arcadia Farm from schools who otherwise lack transportation funds.
"Our entry is listed under Benjamin Bartley, the Mobile Market Manager for Arcadia.
"Thanks for voting for a more equitable and sustainable food system in our nation’s capital!
"Thanks!!!!
"Mo and the Arcadia Team"
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Well, I don’t have a DC Beer Week report because we couldn’t make it to any of the events. Boo hoo. I, however, hit our favorite neighborhood bar, Galaxy Hut, solo to at least partake in beer drinking during its namesake week. We love this no-frills spot for its constantly rotating taps, snappy hot dogs, and piles of tater tots. I got a couple inconspicuous pics of the taps and bartender thanks to my new-ish iPhone. (I should take this opportunity to mention that the first photo looks the way it does thanks to the Hipstamatic app. Awesome, right? You’ll notice it in previous posts too.)
The peppers from the balcony garden are in full effect now. Coming in strong. And boy are they hot. Like habanero hot on the Scoville Scale. But boy are they fantastic.
I’m kinda off-kilter recently so that’s all I got going on right now. Here’s a few cool sites to check out. Next time I’ll have something more substantive to share.
FoodCorps
The Canal House
The Lexicon of Sustainability
Handwritten Recipes
Art of the Menu
The peppers from the balcony garden are in full effect now. Coming in strong. And boy are they hot. Like habanero hot on the Scoville Scale. But boy are they fantastic.
I’m kinda off-kilter recently so that’s all I got going on right now. Here’s a few cool sites to check out. Next time I’ll have something more substantive to share.
FoodCorps
The Canal House
The Lexicon of Sustainability
Handwritten Recipes
Art of the Menu
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Gazpacho, Hummus, Scones, And More
I cooked a lot this week, especially yesterday. It was such a stormy day out, it just made me feel like staying in and hunkering down in the kitchen.
First I made Cook's Illustrated's creamy gazpacho recipe. The key is salting the veggies and letting them sit for an hour before pureeing them. This draws flavors out of the cell walls - and produces one heck of a soup. I could've eaten the whole vat of it in one sitting.
Then I whipped up Zahav's Israeli hummus recipe. Zahav is one of our favorite restaurants in Philly. Chef Michael Solomonov makes THE BEST hummus.
Finally came strawberry and basil scones from Better Homes and Gardens. They get a double dose of strawberries - both fresh and dried. The basil really complements the berries well.
Earlier this week I cooked asparagus with parmigiano. I'd never thought of combining the two before, but now it's like my second favorite preparation after curried. And I baked portabellas stuffed with chopped squash and tomatoes. 400 degrees for 35 minutes - what could be easier? So fresh and summery.
Next up: DC Beer Week. Expect a full report!
First I made Cook's Illustrated's creamy gazpacho recipe. The key is salting the veggies and letting them sit for an hour before pureeing them. This draws flavors out of the cell walls - and produces one heck of a soup. I could've eaten the whole vat of it in one sitting.
Then I whipped up Zahav's Israeli hummus recipe. Zahav is one of our favorite restaurants in Philly. Chef Michael Solomonov makes THE BEST hummus.
Finally came strawberry and basil scones from Better Homes and Gardens. They get a double dose of strawberries - both fresh and dried. The basil really complements the berries well.
Earlier this week I cooked asparagus with parmigiano. I'd never thought of combining the two before, but now it's like my second favorite preparation after curried. And I baked portabellas stuffed with chopped squash and tomatoes. 400 degrees for 35 minutes - what could be easier? So fresh and summery.
Next up: DC Beer Week. Expect a full report!
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Rockin' Saturday In The Kitchen
Listening to MMJ, trying to prolong last night's kick-ass show, while cooking up a storm in the kitchen: gazpacho, scones, and more.
Monday, August 8, 2011
Busy Weekend
Here's where we hit this weekend:
Smith Commons
Biergarten Haus
Birch and Barley
Blackbyrd Warehouse
Earl's, Arlington
Peregrine Espresso
Eastern Market
Bar Dupont
Sushi Taro
Whitlow's on Wilson, Arlington
American Ice Co.
The Big Hunt
All in DC unless otherwise stated.
Smith Commons
Biergarten Haus
Birch and Barley
Blackbyrd Warehouse
Earl's, Arlington
Peregrine Espresso
Eastern Market
Bar Dupont
Sushi Taro
Whitlow's on Wilson, Arlington
American Ice Co.
The Big Hunt
All in DC unless otherwise stated.
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| Sushi Taro does it right |
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| Check out that prawn in the background |
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Bounty
Yay for the balcony garden. It's like the little engine that could, chuggin' along even though the pots are fairly small and they don't get as much sun as they should. I've gotten more tomatoes and arugula since I've last reported, more herbs than I know what to do with (not really :), and soon I'll have peppers to pick. The lemon cucumber hasn't gotten one cuke on it yet, just a lot of flowers. Come on already!
Volunteering at the farm is going swimmingly. I love it. I feel a real sense of accomplishment every time I come home and see the dirt spiral down the shower drain. This week I left with a bag of yellow and zephyr squash and Roma tomatoes. I'd picked more than 30 pounds of the stuff so Farmer Mo gave me some of the bounty to enjoy.
And now a few updates:
Volunteering at the farm is going swimmingly. I love it. I feel a real sense of accomplishment every time I come home and see the dirt spiral down the shower drain. This week I left with a bag of yellow and zephyr squash and Roma tomatoes. I'd picked more than 30 pounds of the stuff so Farmer Mo gave me some of the bounty to enjoy.
And now a few updates:
- I received Mad Men-style Old-Fashioned glasses from my bro and his fiancee. They're going to see their fair share of use, let me tell you.
- Anybody watch the "No Reservations" special last night on El Bulli's recent closing? It's very well done. Ferran Adria is inspiring. Wish I could have made it to Roses.
- Our latest outings were to Blackbyrd Junction and Lost Society on U Street. Seems like it's the place to be these days. Probably going back this weekend.
Monday, July 25, 2011
Birthday Weekend
For my 30th birthday, the hubby went all out. What a guy I have! He took me to the Gibson for drinks on Saturday night. We had two cocktails each with truffled nuts and marinated olives. I can't remember the name of my first drink, but it involved gin, champagne, raspberry syrup, and three types of bitters. For the second one, I went off-menu. I asked for rye and the Italian artichoke liqueur Cynar, but I left the quantities up to the bartender. She combined them with a bit of honey and added a salted rim. Awesome! I mean, she made the drink, but I came up with the main ingredients so I'm giving myself the credit for this one.
We followed drinks with the five-course tasting menu at Palena. It was fantastic. He'd even arranged for a candle to be in the first dessert course. How lovely! We'll definitely return.
Then, yesterday, on my actual birthday, I had breakfast in bed followed by a surprise Skype session with my fam, arranged by the hubby. They sang me "Happy Birthday" and I blew out the candles on the giant cupcake the hub had procured. Seriously, WHAT A GUY! We spent the rest of the day watching TV and hanging out. It was way too hot to do anything outside. (And it's not even August yet - yikes.) Anyway, after a day of leisure, we decided to do our red sauce and Godfather tradition - the best way to end any day in my opinion.
Or so I thought. He handed me an envelope last night. Inside my birthday card was a certificate to attend a class at the Culinary Institute of America. I nearly fainted. I CAN'T WAIT!!!! Will keep you posted as it gets closer to the fall date. OMG!!!!!!!!
On an unrelated note, I made bacon and jalapeno cornbread tonight with a gigantic pot of chili. Good eatin'.
We followed drinks with the five-course tasting menu at Palena. It was fantastic. He'd even arranged for a candle to be in the first dessert course. How lovely! We'll definitely return.
Then, yesterday, on my actual birthday, I had breakfast in bed followed by a surprise Skype session with my fam, arranged by the hubby. They sang me "Happy Birthday" and I blew out the candles on the giant cupcake the hub had procured. Seriously, WHAT A GUY! We spent the rest of the day watching TV and hanging out. It was way too hot to do anything outside. (And it's not even August yet - yikes.) Anyway, after a day of leisure, we decided to do our red sauce and Godfather tradition - the best way to end any day in my opinion.
Or so I thought. He handed me an envelope last night. Inside my birthday card was a certificate to attend a class at the Culinary Institute of America. I nearly fainted. I CAN'T WAIT!!!! Will keep you posted as it gets closer to the fall date. OMG!!!!!!!!
On an unrelated note, I made bacon and jalapeno cornbread tonight with a gigantic pot of chili. Good eatin'.
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| Wine glasses at Palena |
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Monday, July 18, 2011
Sundry Updates 2
- The garden's doing great. More tomatoes. A handful of peppers. Arugula. Lots of herbs. And while there haven't been any cukes yet, there's lots of flowers ready to turn.
- This weekend we hit up three DC hot spots - all with outdoor seating. And since it was so nice (meaning hot but not swamp-like as usual), we basked in the sun at each spot. First, we had barbecue and German beer at Standard then a drink at American Ice Co. then another drink a Local 16 after a long walk from U Street to Adams Morgan.
- I've been experimenting with white port in cocktails. I made one with white port, St. Germain liqueur, lime, and tonic. Next I'm going to try one with white port and muddled peaches. Sounds good, huh?
Food Supply Infographic
This National Geographic infographic displays the disturbing reduction in produce variety over the past 80 years.
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Miami, Ocean City, And The World Wide Web
We took a couple spontaneous weekend beach trips recently: first to Miami then to Ocean City, Maryland. Two words: seafood galore. Plus we visited the home of Dogfish Head beer and a saltwater taffy mecca.
Also, as usual I've been collecting food- and drink-related websites. More like hoarding them really. It's time to share:
Also, as usual I've been collecting food- and drink-related websites. More like hoarding them really. It's time to share:
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Boba, Lentils, And Hybrid Mojitos
Strange combination, no? Let me explain.
I had the boba - strawberry-flavored - at the frozen yogurt shop, Red Mango, tonight. They, along with gummy bears, topped my coconut yogurt and made me smile my whole walk home. I love the way they pop in your mouth like dessert caviar. If you aren't familiar with boba, they're small, soft yet chewy tapioca balls commonly found in bubble tea.
The lentils - green ones to be exact - appeared in a very fresh and light salad I made recently with asparagus, black beans, red peppers, and herbs. It was drizzled with a lemony vinaigrette. Definitely going to make more of this kind of salad this summer. It's hard to eat anything hot during the oppressive DC summer.
And as for the hybrid mojitos, which I'm having one of right now actually...they have lime, mint, and rum but no sugar and tonic water instead of soda. I like the bitterness, though they're not super bitter. The apple mint from the garden and rum help with that.
Time to enjoy my beverage and relax with some John Coltrane and the NYT.
I had the boba - strawberry-flavored - at the frozen yogurt shop, Red Mango, tonight. They, along with gummy bears, topped my coconut yogurt and made me smile my whole walk home. I love the way they pop in your mouth like dessert caviar. If you aren't familiar with boba, they're small, soft yet chewy tapioca balls commonly found in bubble tea.
The lentils - green ones to be exact - appeared in a very fresh and light salad I made recently with asparagus, black beans, red peppers, and herbs. It was drizzled with a lemony vinaigrette. Definitely going to make more of this kind of salad this summer. It's hard to eat anything hot during the oppressive DC summer.
And as for the hybrid mojitos, which I'm having one of right now actually...they have lime, mint, and rum but no sugar and tonic water instead of soda. I like the bitterness, though they're not super bitter. The apple mint from the garden and rum help with that.
Time to enjoy my beverage and relax with some John Coltrane and the NYT.
Monday, June 20, 2011
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Maine In Pictures
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| Lupines |
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| Red's Eats, Wiscasset |
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| Lobster rolls at Red's with fried zucchini |
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| Lobster traps near Red's |
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| Seafood for sale out of a parked truck, Camden or Rockland? |
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| Razor clam shell, Lincolnville Beach |
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| Francine, Camden |
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| Clam chowder, Bayview Lobster, Camden |
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| Cappy's, Camden |
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| Shepherd's pie at Shepherd's Pie, Rockport |
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| Rare beef salad at Shepherd's Pie |
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| Plants for sale, Chase's Daily, Belfast |
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| Taps, Great Lost Bear, Portland |
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| Two tasters and menu, Great Lost Bear |
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| Mounted bear head, Great Lost Bear |
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| Thurston's Lobster Pound, Mount Desert Island |
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| Harbor, Thurston's, MDI |
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