Adventures in Shaw

New Home for My Adventures

2008-04-12T10:12:00.005-04:00

Although Blogspot has been very good to me, I have been a bit frustrated with the lack of customization when it comes to my design layout. Looking at other blogs that I admire, I noticed a common theme: they all used WordPress. So, in a very bold move, I have moved my beloved blog over to WordPress also. Usually I would simply add a link in the text to direct you to a site. However, because moving a blog site is a big step, I want to make sure those who read my blog on blogspot know how to get to my new blog site. So without further ado (and with the obligatory triumphant horns in the background), I present my new blog address:

http://adventuresinshaw.wordpress.com/

For those fellow bloggers who have been kind enough to place a link to my site on their own, much, much love (and also please update my link...smiles). All of my new blog entries will be at my new site, so this site will only serve as a bit of a redirection guide. Hopefully this move is met with cheers and not jeers. But either way, I hope you all follow me to my new home!

P.S.

The title to this entry also serves as a link to my new blog home. Just trying to make it easy for you guys!

Lovely, Lovely Sam'ich!!

2008-04-11T15:57:00.007-04:00

This morning I got up with the idea I would run along Hains Point for a change of pace. I usually run around the National Mall, but since it was such a lovely day, I figured why not a different path? It took me a bit to actually reach Hains Point and once I did, I realized I had made a grave mistake. As City Girl DC blogged about a week ago, there were strollers and confused tourists EVERYWHERE! It was like an obstacle course, but Mark Summers wasn't there to Double Dare me. To add insult to injury, my allergies immediately started acting up, so my breathing became very labored. Add it all up and I only got in an almost 2 mile run.

The entire way back home, I kept thinking about the wonderful ingredients I got yesterday from the farmer's market and what I was going to do with them. And I came up with the idea of using some leftover parsley pesto I made last week as a base for a great Spring sandwich. Using the bread I got from the market, along with some fresh mozzarella and tomatoes, I created the work of art pictured above. Bonus points: the sandwich was light enough to leave plenty of space for a Ben's Chili Half-Smoke tonight at the game! Mmmmmmm, chili dog.

Spring's Oh So Delicious Bounty

2008-04-10T23:34:00.010-04:00

As if the wonderful flowers and less than arctic chill in the air weren't enough indication of Spring, last week marked the first official week of the full growing season for many farmer's markets throughout the DC area. And to say I was excited is an understatement. Anyone who knows me is aware of my almost obsessive love for fresh produce. I get as giddy as a school girl when I am presented with the opportunity to peruse aisle after aisle of various fruits, veggies, herbs and the like. So this past winter was a bit hard for me (really, how many ways can I cook potatoes?).

All of this was forgotten when I headed over to the Penn Quarter FreshFarm Market on my lunch break with my friend James. Because I also frequent the Dupont Circle FreshFarm Market, I was familiar with several of the vendors. I happily bought some sinfully aromatic basil from Endless Summer Harvest (I always buy tomatoes, peppers and squash from them when they are in season), which I will be using in the next few days for a basil cream pesto sauce and a great basil, roasted garlic and tomato hearth bread (stay tuned...). Over at Togio Orchards I got some nice cherry tomatoes, which I have already used some of in a great mesculin mix I got from Sunnyside Organic. Also at Sunnyside I found very colorful rainbow chard that even James admitted was beautiful.

And finally (and definitely not least), I stumbled upon carb heaven: The Ovens at Quail Creek Farms. Not only did they have very tasty loaves of bread (I got a multi-grain that I can verify is nut-erific...yup, it was so good I had to make up a word), they had divine croissants, muffins, cookies and (wait for it) hazelnut fuckin' brownies! I resisted the temptation to buy the brownies, but did give into the croissants. They will make for great breakfasts this weekend...or maybe a good croissant chocolate pudding (an idea I have been mulling in my brain since trying a similar dish at Fado this past winter...it's no longer on their menu, so don't go lookin' for it). Either way, I already ate one of these flaky gems with Nutella for dessert tonight. I was too lazy to make chocolate brownies, so I improvised...with lip smackin' results!

You may ask why I hit the farmer's market when I belong to a great CSA. Both myself and my friend Greyhound Celebrity (whom I split a share with from Star Hollow Farm) will be out of town for most of the upcoming week, so we decided not to get a share this weekend. But I wanted to do a bit of cooking for the few days I will be in town before heading to New Orleans for a conference (I know, I know I have such a hard job). So this weekend will be spent in the kitchen when I'm not cheering on my beloved Braves at the new Nationals Park or going for my runs around the Tidal Basin. So all these ingredients you see now will soon turn into wonderful dishes I will happily share in upcoming blogs! Oh and I will be taking my trusty Canon with me to NOLA (my friend Daphne's nickname), so stay tuned for tales of amazing food, wonderful music and gorgeous architecture!

Southern Comfort

2008-04-05T21:00:00.008-04:00

I woke up on Saturday morning feeling a bit homesick...possibly because I'm used to having family around on my birthday. Either way, I wanted to feel closer to home and nothing says the South like buttermilk biscuits. I happened to have some buttermilk left over from my adventures in Red Velvet Cupcakes, so I didn't have to schlep out to the grocery store to fulfill my Southern fix.

The thing about buttermilk biscuits is they're deceptively easy to make. A lot of people are afraid to try their hand at them because they've had dry or flavorless biscuits more times than Paris Hilton has been tested for an STD. But here's a little secret: good buttermilk biscuits require only seven ingredients, most of which you probably already have in your kitchen.

2 Cups All Purpose Flour
1 Tablespoon Baking Powder
1 Tablespoon Sugar
1 Teaspoon Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
4 Tablespoons Shortening (can substitute cold butter instead), cut into squares
1 1/2 Cups Buttermilk
2 Tablespoons Melted Butter

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Grease a round 9 inch cake pan and set it aside. Sift together the flour, baking powder, sugar, salt and baking soda. In a food processor, combine the sifted dry ingredients and the shortening, evenly distributing the cubes of shortening amongst the flour mixture. Pulse the ingredients repeatedly until they form a dry crumble consistency. Slowly pour the buttermilk into the food processor and resume pulsing until a soft, wet dough is formed. Gently scrape out the dough into a nonstick bowl.

This is where you get to have fun: flour your hands thoroughly, pinch off some dough and form it into a ball. Pat down the ball to form a biscuit shaped disc and place it in the cake pan. Repeat this for the rest of the dough, trying to keep each biscuit relatively the same size. Make sure to flour up your hands well before forming each one. Brush the tops of each biscuit with the melted butter carefully. Bake in the oven for 12-17 minutes or until they are golden brown. Remove the pan from the oven and place a plate over it. Flip the pan upside down, holding the plate securely to the pan. The biscuits should come out and onto the plate easily. Gently rip each biscuit away from the others, slather it with butter or jam (or both!) and enjoy. Preferably with a breakfast meat of some kind: you can't have a good Southern breakfast without a dead animal on the plate!

Push It To The Limit...

2008-04-04T21:13:00.008-04:00

On March 30, 2008, I got up at the most unpleasant hour of 6:30 am to run...outside...in the cold. The Fourth Annual Scope It Out 5k (rather unfortunate name for a colon cancer benefit race, I know) was my very first competitive race and was the embodiment of how far I had come fitness wise. Four years ago, I couldn't walk up a flight of stairs without getting winded. So to dare to run a 5k was a huge deal for me. When I arrived at the course, I saw a huge inflatable colon that you could walk through and immediately started laughing. I am all about colon cancer prevention and awareness (had my sister not gotten a colonoscopy early, her cancer may not have been treatable), but a balloon colon was too much for me at that ungodly hour.

This being my first race, I was unsure how other, more experienced runners would treat the novice runners. But I had nothing to worry about as everyone was very nice and encouraging when they learned it was my first race. And it never hurts to see so many cute boys in running shorts. But it was f%#&^cking cold and I was still very tired, so honestly the last thing on my mind was flirting...it was making sure I didn't pass out during the run and get trampled on by the other participants. I ran with the 10:00 minute mile pace group and started off slow. All along the course were volunteers providing water and giving encouragement. I must give these people a huge hand because their cheering and smiling faces really kept me going. I made it to the 2 mile mark without a problem, but started to get a little weary around 2.5 miles. But when I rounded the corner and could see the finish line in sight, a huge rush of adrenaline overcame me and I sailed my way to the finish. Even better, my friend James was on the sidelines near the finish line, shouting my name, giving me the last bit of encouragement I needed. And as hokey as it may sound, tears welled up in my eyes as I ran across the finish line. To actually finish this race was a huge accomplishment for me...and for the person I have become.

Note: pictures from http://www.runwashington.com/news/mar08scopeitoutrpt.html.

This Just Proves It....

2008-04-01T23:37:00.000-04:00

A man will have sex with anything....There's not much else to add to this story. Just read it and weep...seriously, all you can do is laugh so hard you cry.

Ode to Joy

2008-03-31T10:11:00.004-04:00

Still being a relatively new blogger on the block, I look to other sites for inspiration. One site I visit regularly is Joy the Baker, the blog of a fantastic California baker. Not only are her recipes fantastic (I've made several of her creations with delicious results), her photographs are mouth watering. And to top it off, she frequently posts about my favorite dessert: Red Velvet cupcakes. In the South, Red Velvet isn't just a cake, it's a religion. And since moving to DC, I've had a hard time finding a cake worthy of being called Red Velvet. A few weeks ago, Joy posted the recipe for Red Velvet Whopper Cupcakes and I was a goner. From the first look at Joy's pictures, I knew I had to make them.

I would never think to fiddle with the recipe of a daring baker, but Joy's recipe didn't include the one thing most Southern red velvet cupcakes require: shaved bittersweet chocolate. Tossed into the batter along with the flour mixture, four ounces of chocolate shavings make a huge difference in red velvet cakes. I like to think the shavings melt during the baking, giving the batter that extra bit of moistness. Either way, all you need to do is grate 4 ounces of a bittersweet chocolate bar and add it to the batter along with the flour mixture (see Joy's recipe, linked above).

And as you may notice, I didn't use the traditional cream cheese frosting for my cupcakes. My little twist: chocolate cream cheese frosting. To make, simply cream together 8 ounces of cream cheese and one stick of unsalted butter (both at room temperature) with a stand mixer. Then add a 1/2 cup of cocoa powder, a teaspoon of vanilla extract and four cups of sifted powdered sugar. Be careful to add the sugar slowly, especially if you have a lower powered stand mixer. Since the frosting recipe is easy to make, don't start it until the cupcakes are cool and ready to be frosted.

Although I may have tweaked Joy's original recipe, I did so only with the utmost of respect. And if I do say so myself, the results were unbelievably delicious! In the immortal words of Homer Simpson, "Mmmmmm....cupcakes".

We've Come a Long Way Baby....Right?

2008-03-30T11:35:00.000-04:00

A friend of mine sent me an article from 1943 entitled Eleven Tips on Getting More Efficiency Out of Women Employees a few weeks ago. The article was allegedly published in Transportation Magazine to help male supervisors deal with the sudden influx of female employees during World War II. Given the year it was published, I didn't take offense to it as I read it (although the comment that "Husky girls - those who are just a little on the heavy side - are more even tempered and efficient than their underweight sisters" really stuck in my craw). Some of the other gems in the article:

"Retain a physician to give each woman you hire a special physical examination - one covering female conditions...[the physical] reveals whether the employee-to-be has any female weaknesses which would make her mentally or physically unfit for the job". I laughed hysterically when I read this...partly because I have used the whole "female problems" excuse before to get a day off work after a late night out.

Other gems:

"Give the female employee a definite day-log schedule of duties so that they'll keep busy without bothering the management for instructions ever few minutes". Apparently our pretty little heads can only hold so much information before we get confused and wander around aimlessly in search of a big, strong man to explain it all to us (preferably with pretty pictures).

"Give every girl an adequate number of rest periods during the day...a girl has more confidence and is more efficient if she can keep her hair tidied, apply fresh lipstick and wash her hands several times a day". I hate to admit it, but I'm less productive when I'm having a bad hair day. But with a mirror and hand sanitizer at my desk, I'm good.

"...Let the inside employee change from one job to another at some time during the day. Women are inclined to be less nervous and happier with change". Ignoring the "inside employee" bit (that's one step away from the house and field slave labels used in the fun ol' South), this sounds like good dating advice. If I switch up the guys I date more often, I'm less likely to get bored...and according to the article, I'm much happier with change, right?

And last but not least:

"Pick young married women. They usually have more of a sense of responsibility than their unmarried sisters, they're less likely to be flirtatious, they need the work or they wouldn't be doing it, they still have the pep and interest to work hard and to deal with the public efficiency". So single women are vapid whores who are only at the workplace to slut around? If that's the case, I'm totally in the wrong office...

I can't help but laugh at the old mindset towards women employees. But when you really think about it, how far have women come in the workplace? I have female friends who tell me horror stories about their male supervisor's male chauvinistic attitudes. But get this: the older women in their offices tend to be just as backward in their thinking on females in the workplace. One friend told me an older woman in her office suggested she was a woman of "loose morals" (not my words) because my friend chose not to wear stockings...in summer...in South Georgia! And then there is the paradox of being aggressive in the workplace. If a man goes after what he wants, he's considered a "go-getter". If a woman does the exact same thing, she's a bitch. Some of the most successful women I know have basically sacrificed their social life in order to achieve her career goals.

Finding that balance between career and social life is hard for all of us, but particularly so for women. Yes, we've made some serious strides as a gender in the workplace, but articles like these make me wonder just how far we've really come...

Carbo Loading...

2008-03-29T21:24:00.008-04:00

As I mentioned previously, I am running the Scope It Out 5k on Sunday. Since this is my very first race, I asked some more experienced runners for tips. The two things I heard over and over again: rest the night before and eat a good amount of carbs. The tip on carbs resonated in my head as I did my weekly grocery shopping at Whole Foods. I had planned on trekking all the way to Trader Joe's to get one of their spelt grain products for my dinner. But I was ever mindful of the "rest the night before" advice I had received (read: I was too damn lazy), so I looked around Whole Foods for a good substitute.

While trying to navigate the crowded aisles (and let me just point out here, I saw a kid attached to what could only be described as a leash...yeah, now we have to leash the future leaders of America), my eyes caught a package of orzo. Not wanting to do an excessive amount of searching, I grabbed the package and left before I hurt anyone. I wasn't really sure what I was going to do with the orzo...I just knew I had to get out of Whole Foods before I went postal on the myriad of tourists aimlessly wandering the aisles (wow, I haven't even been here a year and I'm already complaining about tourists).

When I got home, I pulled out some chorizo I had bought the night before, along with a red onion from my CSA, some sun dried tomatoes, garlic and Parmesan cheese. I cut up half of the onion and minced about three cloves of garlic, setting both aside. Next, I started boiling the water for the orzo, which only requires about 8 to 10 minutes of cooking time once the pasta is thrown in the (preferably salted) water. I then squeezed the chorizo out of its casing and into a heavy skillet, using a spatula to break apart the chunks of sausage. I tossed in the onion and the garlic, along with some dried basil I got last week from my CSA, and cooked it until the chorizo was done. I drained the orzo and then tossed everything together in a mixing bowl. When I was ready to eat, I sprinkled a bit of freshly chopped basil and parmesan cheese on top. As a side dish, I blanched some red swiss chard and then tossed it lightly with a red wine vinaigrette I made the previous night. It was a quick and easy meal that (hopefully) will help me prepare for my morning race. I'll be sure to let my dear readers know if I made it across the finish line (or passed out at the first water station).

Adventures in...Lighting

2008-03-28T22:12:00.021-04:00

I think I've become hooked on photography (which is better than say, being hooked on crystal meth) and I'm completely fine with it. Unfortunately, when it comes to food photography, I have one major problem: I live in a basement apartment. The lack of windows means I do not get good natural light, so I'm forced to rely on the lighting in my house. And as those who shoot food know, household lighting does not provide quality shots (see the picture of the salad to the left and the cheesecake below).

I knew I needed some sort of photographic lighting, but wasn't willing to spend hundreds of dollars on an effective set. So when I learned about the more affordable Lowel Ego Fluorescent Lights, I was intrigued. The Steamy Kitchen blog waxed poetically about the effectiveness of these simple lights, but I was skeptical. How good could a lighting system that was basically a lamp shade and two fluorescent bulbs truly be? Tack on how cheap they were ($88 each) and my inner cynic reared its ugly head. But since my birthday is coming up (oh yeah, I have no shame...I tell the homeless guy on the corner my birthday's coming up as I buy a copy of Street Sense), and the lights were so inexpensive, I decided to roll the dice and buy one.

You can purchase either one light or a kit that includes two light sets, a bounce card, a plastic sweep system and an assortment of colored paper to use as backgrounds. Because I was still unsure of the quality of the lights, I opted to purchase just the one light set (which also comes with a bounce card). When it arrived, I pulled out the various parts and immediately thought I'd made a mistake. The light box seemed to be made of a material that really was tantamount to a lamp shade and didn't seem sturdy. But on the plus side, the assembly instructions were easy to follow and it only took about ten minutes to put the light set together. Once it was assembled, I set up the light, a salad and the bounce card and turned out all the other lights in my apartment.
From the beginning, I got a bad feeling; the images on the LCD screen had a slightly bluish-green tint to them. I had no f%#!ckin' clue why the lights were giving off such an odd hue and I was getting frustrated. Okay, I was getting pissed. Yeah I didn't spend a lot of money on the lights, but I was still looking so forward to getting some quality lighting and it seemed my satisfaction was to be delayed. Out of desperation, I started playing around with the settings on my camera and ran across a fluorescent manual setting. I switched to it, put the camera on my tripod and looked at the salad through my LCD display again. And I was BLOWN away! The difference was phenomenal! Not only was the bluish-green tint gone from the pictures, they were crisper and clearer than the other pictures I had taken. I still need to play around with the level of exposure in my shots, but I am definitely on the right track! Over the next few weeks, I will be learning more about exposure and camera settings in order to get even more out of my shoots (this includes pumping all of my photographer friends for tips...). I highly recommend these little wonders for anyone who wants to add another dimension to their food photography...and did I mention they were cheap? I see another visit from the UPS man coming up soon...

Hope Springs Eternal

2008-03-27T22:57:00.001-04:00

I have been unbelievably busy the last few weeks, leaving me with little time to cook, let alone write. So I must first apologize for the lack of adventure chronicling. During my time away from the computer, I have taken my beloved Canon with me to capture the awakening of DC from its winter slumber. With the Cherry Blossom Festival right around the corner, I spent a day last weekend out with friends enjoying the unexpectedly beautiful weather. This is hands down my favorite time of year (outside of Christmas of course), when nature shakes off the doldrums of winter and brings forth a bounty of flowers, fruits and vegetables. It doesn't hurt that my birthday falls in April! But most of all, I love the feeling of hope that comes with spring...and right now I need some hope.

To me, DC is one of the best places for a single woman to live because there isn't any pressure associated with being single. In fact, the most interesting and fulfilled women I know are single by choice. I had embraced this philosophy to its fullest this year. Because of this, I discovered great new friends and found a few new passions. By chance, while running from classes to work to dinner with friends, I fell into dating a man who shared my love of food. Unfortunately, it didn't work out and I was left feeling a little lost. Not because I was so invested in the guy, but because it was the first time in a while that I allowed myself to even contemplate a relationship. I was already a bit guarded (okay jaded) about dating to begin with, so this recent fling may have put the death nail in my inner romantic's coffin.

But like with the flowers blooming in spring, my faith was restored in love when I went over to a friend's house for dinner. Seeing him and his wife's relationship was refreshing. It isn't one of those sickly sweet, bad romantic comedy sort of relationships. They make fun of each other, but never in a demeaning way...they laugh with each other. But they are also very genuine people who are comfortable enough in their relationship not to make those around them feel like a third wheel. I may not be in the midst of a sweeping love affair now, but seeing this relationship gave me hope that there are nice guys out there (who aren't gay, mind you) and stable, loving relationships aren't just the stuff of poorly written Studio Canal productions.

A Good Strong Lead

2008-03-26T19:43:00.000-04:00

I have been taking tango lessons for almost two months now and can honestly say I'm hooked. The dance of tango is an intimate, spontaneous act that requires absolute trust in your partner's abilities. And as I have mentioned before, I have issues allowing the guy to lead. But two weekends ago, I took an intensive beginner's workshop through the Washington DC Argentine Tango Marathon festival, which was highlighted by the amazing instruction of Josh Rigley. Throughout the entire workshop, something became more and more evident: a good, strong lead is paramount. Because tango is an improvisational dance, the only way the follower (usually the woman) knows which steps to take next is through physical cues given by the man. If he wants her to move her left foot, he must signal this through gentle pressure on her left side via his chest. If his signals are not clear, the woman has no way of knowing what step to take next.

This same lesson can easily be applied to my dating life. Without the right signals from a guy, I have no clue what to do next. I can understand if a guy is too shy to make the first move, but once that hurdle is passed (and the woman has expressed interest), the guy should be more clear about his interests. Truth be told, I tend to be a bit impatient (that's the Aries in me...something I'm working on...really, I'm totally working on it). I freely admit one of my biggest dating problems is my fickle nature and short attention span. So if I'm not getting any clear signals from a guy, even if I'm completely into him, I will eventually move on. While I agree it is important to take it slow and maybe keep your feelings close to the chest while getting to know someone, there should also be some signs to let the other person know you like them. Because if the man doesn't give his partner a good, strong lead, she just may walk off the dance floor (and away from him) for good.

Peanut Butter & Chocolate Swirl Cheesecake

2008-03-09T23:20:00.014-04:00

My favorite candy, hands down, is Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. When I was little, if I was really good (which wasn't often), my mother would let me get a package of them. I would slowly savor each bit of the cups...mostly because I knew it would be a while before I was well behaved enough to get another. For a time, I even took to hoarding them under my bed...until the trail of ants pointed my mother straight to my hidden stash. So when I saw that the Cookthink: Root Source Challenge ingredient was peanut butter, my thoughts immediately went to ways to recreate my beloved peanut butter cups. Since I'm an old hand at making cheesecakes, I decided to add that into the mix to come up with a Peanut Butter and Chocolate Swirl Cheesecake.

Crust Ingredients:

15-20 Keebler Peanut Butter Cup Cookies (enough to make 2 cups of crumbs)
4 Tablespoons Butter, melted

Cheesecake Ingredients:

4-8 Ounce Packages Cream Cheese, softened
1 Cup Sugar
1/4 Cup Cornstarch
1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract
2 Large Eggs
1/2 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream
1/2 Cup Chocolate Ganache (recipe below)
3/4 Cup Creamy Peanut Butter

Chocolate Ganache Ingredients:

5 Ounces Bittersweet Chocolate
1/2 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream

Topping Ingredients:

Remaining Chocolate Ganache
Mini Reese's Peanut Butter Cups

Preheat oven to 350

For the crust, pulverize the cookies in a food processor. Pour the cookie crumbs in a bowl and add the melted butter. Stir until all the crumbs are moistened. In a greased, 9 inch springform pan, press the crumb mixture into the bottom of the pan, covering it completely. Place the pan in the oven for 5 to 10 minutes. You want the crust to be a bit firm, however, watch the crust closely to ensure it doesn't burn. Remove the crust from the oven and allow to cool completely.

Next, make the ganache. Place the heavy cream and chocolate into a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir constantly until the chocolate is melted. Remove from heat and set aside.

For the filling, place the cream cheese and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Cream until well blended and then slowly add the corn starch and vanilla. Continue beating, adding one egg at a time. Add the heavy whipping cream and peanut butter, mixing until the peanut butter is evenly incorporated.

Pour half the batter into the crust and then pour 1/4 of the ganache onto the top of the batter. With a butter knife, make chocolate swirl patterns in the cheesecake batter. Pour the remaining batter into the pan and then pour another 1/4 of the ganache onto the top of the batter, making swirl patterns again.

Place the pan in the oven, baking the cake for 70 to 75 minutes or until the center is firm. Remove the cheesecake from the oven and allow to cool to room temperature. Then refrigerate the cake for at least 4 hours.

Right before serving a slice, drizzle it with ganache and decorate with mini Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. From the first bite, I tasted my beloved Reese's Peanut Butter Cups...and I didn't have to be good to get it!

As a side note, the lawyer-like presence in my life suggested I credit photographs not taken by yours truly. So thanks must be given to my private photographer Food Guy for capturing my beloved stand mixer in action!

The "Clean Out My Refrigerator" Recipe

2008-03-09T20:18:00.008-04:00

The wonderful bounty from my CSA was starting to clog up my refrigerator. I started pulling out brown bags (our farmer uses brown bags in lieu of plastic bags to package our produce), trying to figure out what to do with the things I had left. I hate to admit it, but I tend to be a slave to recipes. It's rare for me to come up with something completely out of the blue. But my recent foray into food blogging has given me a sense of culinary bravery that I didn't have before. So I looked at everything I had and came up with a sort of potato hash. And the results were a delicious accident!

4 Potatoes (I had two gold and two purple ones)
White Mushrooms (I had about six), sliced
1/2 Red Onion, sliced to preserve the ring shape
Large Parsnip
4 Ounces Sharp Cheddar Cheese, grated
Several Pats of Butter
Salt and Pepper

Preheat oven to 350

After peeling the potatoes and parsnip, grate all of them into a bowl. If you have a multi-surface grater like mine, use the side with the largest grating holes (I don't know the technical term, but you get the drift). Slice up the onion, placing half in the bowl with the shredded potatoes and parsnip. Toss in the sliced mushrooms and a majority of the grated cheese (reserve some for the top of the dish). Salt and pepper to taste and place the mixture into a casserole dish (I used a square Pyrex dish). Top with the remaining onions and cheese, dotting with several pats of butter. Place in the oven for about 25-30 minutes or until the top is golden brown.

I made this fairly quickly...and while talking to my landlord. I had no clue if it would even taste good, but even my landlord agreed it smelled amazing. So I scooped out a bit and gave it to him...yeah, he was my tester! And he loved it! When I finally was brave enough to try it, I was very pleasantly surprised...the sharpness of the cheddar was a fantastic compliment to the red onions (which had carmelized thanks to the butter). This would make a great side dish or you could add some shredded ham to make it a main dish. I was pleased as punch that something I made on the fly tasted so good (my landlord even scraped the Pyrex dish to get every last bit). So yeah, I'm giving myself a little high five...now for some gelato and pound cake!

Baking Heaven...Part 2

2008-03-09T19:44:00.010-04:00

Saturday morning I indulged in a simple, but amazingly delicious buttered pecan oatmeal. When I woke up on Sunday, my first thought was how to top my great breakfast from the day before. And since I needed a consolation prize for losing an hour of sleep, I decided to make blueberry muffins. As I was pulling out the ingredients for the muffins, I realized I had some leftover cream cheese from the pound cake. I grabbed that too, thinking if the cream cheese can make the pound cake moist, it will really give the muffins an added richness!

1 Cup Fresh or Frozen Wild Blueberries
4 Ounces Cream Cheese, Softened
2 Cups Flour
3/4 Cup Sugar
1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder
2 Teaspoons Lemon Juice
3 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
1/4 Cup Melted Butter
1/2 Cup Milk
2 Eggs
Smidgen of Salt
A Good Handful of Walnuts

Preheat oven to 400.

In a small bowl, toss 1/2 cup of the flour and the blueberries together. Set this aside. Blend together the cream cheese, vanilla and lemon juice in a mixer. While this is mixing, sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda and baking powder. Put this mixture aside and add the eggs to the cream cheese mixture. Continue mixing until the eggs are blended into the cream cheese mixture.

Put the mixer on the lowest setting and slowly add the flour mixture. Be careful because the mixture will thicken quickly! Once all of the flour is in, add the butter and milk and increase the speed by one setting. Once this is all well blended, remove the bowl from the stand mixer. Fold in the blueberries and walnuts (the amount of nuts you add is a personal preference...I love a lot of nuts in my muffins, so I added quite a bit). Place about 3/4 cup of batter in paper lined muffin tins. The batter is enough to make about 12 nice sized muffins. Bake for 15-20 minutes and eat as soon as they come out (well, let them cool a bit so as to avoid burning the roof of your mouth...I learned this the hard way). The muffins were quite delicious, especially with a cup of tea and the Sunday morning political shows (I already mentioned I was a geek, so that last part shouldn't surprise you).

Baking Heaven...Part 1

2008-03-09T18:55:00.013-04:00

For the last few days, my hip has really bothered me...blame the tango or the running (or both for that matter). But this weekend, the baking and cooking bug really hit me. So I improvised and sat on a barstool while doing most of my prep and cooking. Surprisingly, it worked out really well and I was able to make some fabulous treats (much to my housemates delight).

Since moving up to DC, I have had a hard time finding a really good, dense, flavorful pound cake. In the South, pound cake is almost a religion. Families pass down their pound cake recipes from one generation to the other and they are guarded more fiercely than the president. As I was going through my favorite blog, I found a pound cake recipe that I knew would satisfy my Southern palette. How did I know this you may ask? Because one of the main ingredients was cream cheese...delectable, full fat cream cheese. A great pound cake requires a lot of fat, so any recipe with cream cheese was fine in my book. Although the recipe I was following had a blueberry topping, I opted to instead make a vanilla bean gelato to top the pound cake. For the pound cake recipe, see the link above (the mise en place is pictured here). The gelato, however, was mostly something I created from a base gelato recipe.

10 Egg Yolks
1 Cup Sugar
1 Quart Milk
Vanilla Pod
Salt

As always, I am a strong believer in having all of your ingredients measured out before starting the actual cooking. So make sure to separate out your eggs and measure your sugar and milk. Cut the vanilla pod lengthwise and scoop out the beans.

From the quart of milk, measure out 1/2 cup and set aside. Place the remaining milk in a saucepan, along with the two halves of the vanilla pod and the beans. Add a dash of salt and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring frequently to try to avoid a skin forming on the top of the milk. Remove the mixture from the heat and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk the egg yolks and sugar together until combined. Add the reserved 1/2 cup of cold milk to the egg mixture, whisking until blended. Pour the warm milk and vanilla into the egg mixture, continuing to whisk slowly to keep the mixture from spilling out of the bowl. Once combined, pour the mixture into a large saucepan and place it on low heat for about 15 minutes. Again, make sure to stir frequently to avoid that icky milk skin.

Pour the mixture through a sieve and allow to completely cool before placing in an ice cream maker. Follow your ice cream maker's instructions to get the mixture to a good gelato consistency. For my model , I poured the mixture into the frozen mixing bowl and churned it for 25 minutes.

Once I made the gelato and pound cake, I decided to make it a bit of a sundae with walnuts. I cut a slice of the pound cake, halved it and placed it in a bowl. I scooped out some gelato and decorated the dish with walnuts. If I had whip cream, I would have added that as well! I finally had some REAL pound cake, making this Southern girl happy as a peach!

The Mating Rituals of Geeks...

2008-03-09T09:57:00.004-04:00

I admit it: I'm a geek. I read incessantly (even at the breakfast table, I'll read the cereal box if there's nothing else around), cried openly during the battle scene in Lord of the Rings, get giddy at the site of a museum (much to my big sister's chagrin) and can easily quote the Simpsons at the drop of a dime. The thing I love about DC is I'm the norm, not the outlier. My office is teaming with geeks and I couldn't be happier. In other cities, I've been told by guys if I want to keep a man, I need to "dumb it down" (yeah, right...I'll get right on that). So it was very refreshing to discover that guys find intelligence a turn on in DC.

All this being said, I was still fairly surprised when a guy told me recently that my glasses were hot. Yeah, hot...seriously? I mean, I spend hundreds on contacts so that my beautiful brown eyes aren't hidden behind some plastic lenses. And now you're telling me my glasses are hot? Granted, I find a guy in glasses to be unbelievably sexy, but I thought that was just my own little quirk. However, I had no idea any guy out there would find my simple black frames to be sexy. Even if he's the only guy in the universe who finds my lenses to be a turn on, it lets me know that DC has the best pool of guys for a geek like me....mmmmmm, geeks....

Bread: My New Partner...

2008-03-08T14:38:00.019-05:00

About a week ago, on one of my favorite food blogs, I came across a culinary challenge I couldn't resist: a French bread recipe from Julia Child. I'm not sure why I thought this was a good idea, but once the idea was in my head, I couldn't shake it. So with an overly optimistic heart and my beloved Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer (I nicknamed her Big Red...yes, I've named my stand mixer), I pulled out the recipe and put on my apron.

It started out easy enough, especially since I gathered all of my ingredients together before tackling the instructions (this culinary practice is called mise en place). It also helped to have a stand mixer with 525 watts of power (now you see why I named her Big Red). I made it through to the first rise without any real issues and I was quite pleased with myself. The dough was fantastic looking and I had really taken my time to follow the instructions precisely. It was almost therapeutic. I even made it through the second rise without any big hiccups...but by this time, I had been working on the bread for almost 7 hours!

Now I am not the most patient of people, nor am I one to stand still for very long, so 7 hours is a HUGE commitment. This wasn't a recipe, this was a relationship...and a needy one at that! But I was bound and determined to finish the recipe, especially since my dough still looked so very wonderful. I had actually developed a crush on it, so I wasn't going to let it down! By the time I got to the forming of the dough, I chose to do two nice sized baguettes, but opted to skip the instructions to create a home bread oven. I happened to have a French bread pan, so I carefully placed my loaves into the pan and placed them in the oven. When the smell of fresh bread filled my small basement apartment, I realized all the work was worth it. The recipe explicitly says not to tear into the warm bread right out of the oven, but I couldn't resist! Since I had two loaves, I figured I would be naughty with one of them and tear into it. As soon as I popped a piece into my mouth, I knew all the hours I placed into this bread were well spent. It was hands down one of the best loaves of bread I have ever tasted. Slathered with some wonderful, homemade butter from my CSA, I sat there in my kitchen savoring every little bit of this needy, needy little loaf.

3 Words: Christian is Fierce!!!

2008-03-07T21:49:00.002-05:00

I had to give a little space to the huge talent that is Christian...May the fierceness be with you!

Wonderful Ambiance Does Not a Great Restaurant Make...

2008-03-07T17:13:00.012-05:00

For the last week, Station 9 has been doing a five course tasting menu event. I received an email last week informing me of the tasting, which piqued my interest. So last night, I hailed a cab to make my way to the recently restored old post office on U Street. I'm not sure about other women in DC, but for some reason, cab drivers tend to hit on me...a lot. So I thought nothing of the lascivious looks the driver was giving me on the way up 14th Street. When we finally arrived at the restaurant, I gave him the fare and was waiting for some change back, when the guy squeezed my calf! I was so shocked, I let my immediate reaction fly: I swatted his hand and said "What the fuck?!?!" He smiled, gave me a wink and I got out of the cab before I maced the idiot. I did, however, have enough wits about me to remember his name and license number. But I wasn't going to let Grabby McGrabberson ruin my night...

I got there a few minutes before my date, henceforth referred to as Food Guy. I sat in the lovely lounge area after checking in with the hostess at the front desk. The atmosphere of the restaurant is very mellow: low lighting, comfortable (but stylish) furniture and a dark, but sensual color scheme. For the ambiance alone, this is a good scene for a seduction. There were already several couples drinking at the bar, dangerously close to one another (credit to Sheryl Crowe for this line). When Food Guy arrived, we got a couple glasses of Pinot Grigio and sat on one of the many couches stationed throughout the front bar area. Everything about the restaurant's layout encourages conversation and nice, dirty flirting (both of which I happily engaged in).

At 8, we headed to our table and to a less than stellar menu (not to mention our vanishing waitress). The tasting menu had five courses, but there was no cohesion in the dishes. When I looked at the choices, I felt as if someone cut and pasted them from five different restaurants. And I know this is going to sound odd, but none of the entree options matched the ambiance of the restaurant. And I can honestly say none of the dishes knocked my socks off.

For the first course, I had doughy udon noodles in a chicken broth overpowered by cilantro. The second course of pulled pork was good, but the dish was lukewarm. Food Guy's dish of braised oxtails (something I haven't tried before, but he was more than happy to share) was also flavorful but tepid. In between these dishes, our waitress appeared maybe twice (both times only after we had flagged her down). Granted, she was friendly...when she was around. Somehow we were served the main dish, a braised lamb, before the salad course. Food Guy liked the lamb, but I found mine to be a little too chewy (and burnt on some parts). The wine service that was paired with the main dish didn't materialize, so once again we had to flag down our waitress and ask for it. We also mentioned the missing salad course, which was presented shortly afterwards. For some odd reason, the salad was served in a sort of puff pastry cup (the same cup used for my pulled pork dish), which in no way complimented the crisp, clean tasting greens. The final course, however, was the best course: dessert. I had the apple tart and Food Guy had a banana eclair. I especially loved the tart's sweet crust, something I will try to replicate during berry season.

Although the meal was less than stellar, I would suggest Station 9 as a great place to grab drinks with friends and conversate. And since I was fortunate enough to have a great dining companion, the food didn't spoil the overall experience.

Adventures in...Post Office Hell

2008-03-05T22:53:00.014-05:00

With my foray into the blogosphere, I quickly discovered my need for a quality camera. With this in mind, and after my first less than stellar camera purchase, I turned to other blogs that had pictures I truly liked. One of them, Kitchen Wench, suggested the Canon Powershot G7, a point and shoot camera with some very serious custom setting features. After doing some additional research on this model, I found it would be the best one to suit my needs. I purchased the camera and it was shipped last Tuesday. Imagine my surprise to find a delivery attempt notice on my door two days later. The notice was very vague, not giving me any instructions as to what I should do next. So I signed the notice, checking the box that said it was fine to leave the package at my doorstep.

The next day, breathless with anticipation, I came home...to no package. However, the notice was conspicuously absent. Fearing I may have been the victim of a package-napping, I called the post office "customer service" line and was told the carrier probably didn't have the package with him that day and would deliver it on Saturday. Well, boys and girls, guess what I came home to on Saturday after a day out with friends? Anyone? Anyone? If you said "no package", give yourself a cookie. So again, I called USPS's customer service line and I was told that, no I would have to wait until Monday for a redelivery. By this time, I was getting just a little bit annoyed, but I put my faith in the postal service and anxiously waited until Monday.

Since I have a tango class on Monday nights, I asked my landlord to check and see if a package was on my doorstep. When he called to say there was, yet again, no !%@$&@!#$@ package, I called the @$%#$%&^$%#&^%*@&^% USPS customer service line...AGAIN! For once, I finally got a semi-intelligent person on the other line and was told since the package is insured, it cannot be left without a signature. I would have to make my way to the Northeast DC processing center to get my camera. I spoke with a supervisor at the processing center (again a very helpful USPS employee...a rarity I soon discovered) and he assured me the package would be waiting for me at the center. He even gave me fairly useful directions to the center. So with this information in mind, I enlisted a co-worker to tag along with me to Northeast DC.

The center is located in a less than ideal part of DC, so I wasn't surprised to see a heavy amount of loitering and beer bottles littering the ground. I was, however, surprised at how well guarded the processing center was from the metro station. In fact, a VERY long fence enclosed a majority of the center, forcing me and my companion to trek almost to Maryland to get to the entrance. Once we finally made it to the door and got in line, the full stereotypical government employee experience began (and this is coming from a government employee).

Once at the front of the line, I told the clerk I was there to pick up a package. Without missing a beat, she pointed me to the mythical blue door around the corner. She instructed me to ring the doorbell near said door and wait for an attendant. I did as instructed...and proceeded to wait a good 15 minutes for anyone to respond. By the time the door was opened (and after a lot of doorbell ringing), a total of four people were in line. Even worse, the door was answered by a lady who I am almost positive was old enough to have been Shakespeare's transcriptionist. I wasn't sure how this woman was going to pick up a piece of paper, let alone the package holding my camera. Since I wasn't the first in line, I waited patiently while she asked the guy in front of me to describe his package. I didn't realize we needed a sketch artist's rendering of our packages to get them. By this time, I was fairly steamed, so when I finally got to the front of the line, my fuse was pretty short. When Methuselah asked me what my package looked like, I had had it. I told her it looked like a box, which didn't go over to well with her. She trudged along to the back and I waited...and waited...and waited. When she finally returned, she informed me my package was on the other side of the processing center and I'd have to call a number to have the package brought over to the customer service area. My first thought: why do I have to go find a phone to call for my package when you are literally an eyelash length away from a phone yourself? My second thought: I shouldn't assault old people. With the last shred of civility in my body, I went over to the phone and called for my package. I was told it would be a few minutes and to wait at this all important blue door.

About five minutes later, the aforementioned helpful supervisor came to the door. He had a piece of paper with notes from our previous day's conversation...but no !@#$%^&* package. That's when he informed me he had placed my package right next to the area behind the blue door with a note informing the carrier I would be picking it up at the processing center. But apparently my carrier is illiterate, as he took it out to be delivered. The supervisor obviously sensed my impending rampage and offset it by allowing me to sign for the package at the processing center. The carrier was allegedly told to leave the package at my doorstep and the supervisor apologized profusely. As I was walking back to the metro (did I mention we had to climb down a high pile of rocks to get back to the metro station), all I could think is "Now I see why Michael Douglas flipped in 'Falling Down'". But just as the nice postal supervisor promised, my package was in fact at my doorstep that evening.

Hopefully the near arrest on murder charges translate into great photographic evidence of my adventures in Shaw. In the coming weeks, I will (hopefully with a little help from my blog friends) become more familiar with the camera settings in order to capture the best pictures possible. So be patient as I'm still in a photography learning curve. But in the meantime, here's the blog debut of the Diva as an example of my new Canon Powershot G7.

Hello Lovah....

2008-03-05T21:36:00.006-05:00

I have always been an agent for supporting local shops and restaurants, but there is one big box store that holds a special place in my heart: Target. The only thing I hated about moving to DC was the fact that there was no Target in the city. I am not a fan of schlepping out to the 'burbs (yep, I am a District snob), so I haven't been able to frequent my long lost love as much as I would like...until now.

With palms sweating and my heart aflutter, I made my way to the new Target in Columbia Heights this evening after work. I must first tell you that I have been counting the days until I could be reunited with the wondrous Bullseye. So to say I was giddy with excitement all day at work would be an understatement. To finally see that beautiful Target logo shining down at me was almost more than my heart could take. Trust me, I was more excited about going to this store than I have been about a large majority of my dates. Sad, but true.

When I finally crossed the store's threshold, I felt as if I'd come home. The endless aisles of giant sized containers of household goods, the funky and stylish knick knacks lining rows of shelving, the oh so wonderful wall of kitchen gadgets...it was almost too much for me to take. As I stumbled around my 2 story mecca, a co-worker helplessly watching me shamelessly declare my love for the Target mascot, it never occurred to me what this new store means for Columbia Heights.

The neighborhood has gone downhill since the DC riots following Dr. King's assassination. As my very helpful cab driver told me (and he was super helpful...he even carried my bags to my door!!!), over the last ten years, there has been a concerted effort to restore Columbia Heights to its once glorious luster. But, according to my cabbie, the level of crime still existent in the Heights has made it very difficult to attract shoppers and diners. As we were driving down 14th Street, he pointed out the "bad spots" of Columbia Heights, including the (and these were his words) heroine corner. In fact, as we were waiting for the light to change, he pointed out a drug deal in progress (talk about a full service cab ride).

Both Chief Lanier and Mayor Fenty promise a strong police force to make the entire DCUSA complex a safe place to shop and dine. But considering the Chief's previous efforts at "all hands" policing, I question just how safe shopping at night will be for a single girl such as myself. But considering I already am braving the gentrification of Shaw, I'm willing to brave another neighborhood in transition...especially if it means more purchases like these fabulous glasses and flatware!

Gentrification on Aisle Nine...

2008-02-27T22:13:00.008-05:00

Considering my love of food and cooking, I am fairly discriminating about where I buy groceries. Although I get most of my produce from my CSA, I still have a need for various other provisions. Unfortunately, I live in Shaw, which really only has one grocery store: Giant. To say this Giant leaves a lot to be desired is an understatement. Not only is the selection less than ideal, the employees act as if they are doing you a favor by checking you out (and let's not even go into the conversation I overheard between two cashiers about the cheapest place to buy weed). This is why I walk almost 9 blocks to go to Whole Foods. An inconvenience, but at least I get a better selection of produce and other grocery items. Because Giant is the only close grocery store in Shaw, I believe management has no motivation to improve service or selection. This, however, may change soon.

A new mixed use complex is opening up at the corner of 5th and K called City Vista. The complex includes a Busboy and Poets, Results Gym, 5th Street Hardware (from the same people behind Logan Hardware) and the piece de resistance, an Urban Safeway. A new concept in the Safeway chain, the Urban Safeway has been billed as the affordable Whole Foods. The buzz in the neighborhood is that this new store has already started recruiting college students as employees in an attempt to create a more upscale atmosphere.

I run down 5th street on the weekend, so I have been anxiously watching it's progress (okay, so I press my nose against the glass and cry out “Give me fresh greens”…and then the construction men comment on my ass). I have not once thought of this new grocery store as anything other than a great new option for Shaw residents. However, in line at the Giant tonight (I needed cat food…you try going home to an angry 10 pound cat without any food for her), I overheard this older woman complaining about the impending Safeway. Her exact words: “See, these damn White folks are too good to shop with us, so now they’ve got their new fancy place [said with a mock snooty accent].”

Something as simple as the opening of a new grocery store seems to be a symbol for the more overarching issue of gentrification in Shaw. Many of the more longstanding residents see the grocery store, and the other new restaurants and shops moving into the Shaw area, as a threat to their neighborhood’s identity. As more and more professionals move into Shaw, clashes over its future have increased between the new and the old. In fact, Shaw ANC meetings have made their way onto Youtube because of their contentious nature.

While no one wants to say it, I can tell you that a lot of the old residents are Black, while the new residents are a majority White. The new residents just want better options for their shopping needs, but the Black residents see it as an affront to their sense of self. They’ve shopped at this Giant for years, so why isn’t it good enough for these new (mostly White) residents? They’ve eaten at this same cheap Chinese restaurant for years, why must we have all these exotic new restaurants and “fancy” foods? Why? Because the demographics of the neighborhood are changing, which invariably means a change in the services offered. But no one likes change, especially if it could mean they will be forced out of their affordable housing. Me? I just want a grocery store that doesn’t smell like the outdoor bathrooms after a rock concert.

Email as the New Love Letter?

2008-02-24T10:04:00.006-05:00

A friend of mine read my rant (his word, not mine) on dating in the District and felt the need to defend his species. He pointed out that women and men view the telephone in strikingly different terms: men see it as a means to quickly communicate information and women see it as a means to analyze every single detail of their day. I really couldn't argue very much with this point, as I've been known to sit on the phone with friends and watch Project Runway (discussing, of course, the fierceness that is Christian).

This got me to thinking about my previous experiences with men. After the initial few conversations with a new guy, the telephone time does seem to get progressively smaller and smaller. In fact, one guy I dated only called me twice the entire six months we were together. Everything else was either a quick text or an email (he was, I must admit, an amazing writer, so I let him slide a bit on the phone). It was a bit disconcerting at first since I had a boyfriend who never called me. But after talking about it and realizing he just hated talking on the phone, it didn't bother me so much. Especially since he made a conscientious effort to spend actual face time with me - way better than phone time! And why would I force someone to do something they so obviously hated just to satisfy my love of the telephone?

My aforementioned friend continued his argument by claiming both email and text could be very effective means of wooing a woman. Instead of saying something idiotic via telephone, a guy could take the time to collect his thoughts and express his feelings before hitting the send button on an email. In fact, both he and his wife still have all of the emails from their pre-marriage courtship. His wife has also said he really wrote his way into her heart, even if he didn't use pen and paper. Hmmmm....email as the new love letter? Interesting thought indeed.

Adventures in....Food Photography

2008-02-24T07:14:00.004-05:00

I am relatively new to this blogging thing, but even more so to food photography. Before yesterday, I didn't even have a digital camera. I went to Penn Camera and explained I wanted to be able to get quality shots of food to be published on my blog. I also pointed out I was a beginner, so too many bells and whistles would just leave me on the floor in the fetal position crying for my mother. The salesman suggested the Olympus FE-310 because it had a mode for cuisine. I purchased the camera and happily headed home to start my previous blog entry.

I now wish I had waited for the advice of a more experienced food photographer before heading out to Penn Camera. The camera is easy to operate and does take great shots of everything else. However, in the cuisine mode, there is this weird yellow hue, faintly reminiscent of the documents you'd find in the National Archives. After playing around with the settings for the majority of the day, I have come to the realization that I need another camera. So the Olympus will be returned to Penn Camera on Monday (or sold on Craigslist...for some reason I am completely lazy about store returns but will put something on Craigslist at a moment's notice). In the coming weeks, with a little guidance, I hope you will see an improvement with the quality of my pictures. Until then, please be patient as this is still a work in progress. If anyone has any suggestions on cameras or my blogging style in general, don't be shy! I welcome any and all thoughts, musings and critiques!