You Knew I Was Coming Over . . . So Why Didn't You Cook?

Today's National Apple Pie Day

noreply@blogger.com (dweiums) — Fri, 13 May 2011 17:50:00 +0000

Jeez, that's stupid. Who gives a ______? Oh, yeah. Apple growers.

Anyway, it's warm and the farmers markets are in full effect. Skip out and kiss an apple pie . . . donut, I mean. Dunkin Donut is giving away $50 large to folks who figure out what variety of apple they use in their sugar bombs today.

Is this what National Apple Pie Day is all about?
Really?

Photo courtesy of Skiptomylou.org

I'd wager not. And to prove it here's a link to a hot, steamy rustic apple pie recipe I found on Skip to My Lou. Okay maybe its really an Apple Crostata, but if you make it I am sooooo coming over to your house!

The recipe is adapted from Ina Garten - you know, the contessa. It's all five-starry over at the Food Network site. Cindy at Skip to My Lou eased it up a bit with purchased pie crust, but I wouldn't throw it out the kitchen for cutting corners. It just means you will be able to make it quicker so I can come over to taste it right after work. WhaddaPal!

For ingredients we're looking at:

about 6 cups thinly sliced apples
1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

For the topping:

1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup granulated or superfine sugar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) cold unsalted butter, diced

Heat the oven to 450 degrees F (it's a bit chilly today anyway).
Peel,core, and slice the apples. Toss the slices with the first mixture. Cover the dough with the apples leaving a 2 inch border.

Combine the flour, sugar, salt, cinnamon, and allspice in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture is crumbly. Pour into a bowl and rub it with your fingers until it starts holding together. Sprinkle evenly on the apples. Gently fold the border over the apples to enclose the dough, pleating it to make a circle.
Bake the crostata for 20 to 30 minutes, until the crust is golden and the apples are tender. Allow to cool. Serve warm or at room temperature.

See? That was easy. Thanks Cindy! She's got a few more pics on the site to help you through. I swear I would make it myself but my kitchen doesn't have a sink right now. Or cabinet doors. Or a counter. Or running water.

What time is dessert?

Magnum - Ice Cream Treat or Condom?

noreply@blogger.com (dweiums) — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 17:20:00 +0000

Is anyone else troubled that there's a new ice cream bar that's named after a condom?
Magnum.

That's not even subliminal!

I'm not even going to get into the different flavors, the model they have licking the pops on the new commercial, the "film" by Karl Lagerfeld, or even the tag line "Discover the many pleasures" and "Rachel Bilson discovers that pleasure is hers for the taking . . ."

Okay, maybe I might go into the flavors. It's easy to be seduced (now, is that the right word?) by promises of deep, dark chocolate. The flavors are :
Dark
White
Almond
Double Caramel
Double Chocolate and
Classic.

Even though we know this is Unilever, they keep mentioning Belgium chocolate and have those artsy-fartsy "films" promoting the bars.

So what do you think? Have you tried one yet (I mean the ice cream bar)? Will this summer find you with sweet cream dripping from your lips by virtue of Magnum a la Rachel Bilson? After all, it is a big bar. I'm just glad they had the good taste (?) not to shape it obviously.

Drop a line and tell me what you think.

http://www.magnumicecream.com/default.aspx

Mmmm . . . Pasture to Plate at Glasbern Inn - Now That's a Happy Birthday

noreply@blogger.com (dweiums) — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 21:37:00 +0000

Our Gatehouse suite

The last time I stayed at Glasbern it was over six years ago and I remembered the accomodations over the meals. Now this great country retreat has a world class chef helming the multiple kitchens so it's a great time to return (uh, and it's my birthday).

The event this April 21st is their five course Pasture-to-Plate Wine Dinner
hosted by Executive Chef Jason Hook and Wine Expert Terry Balent
featuring course-by-course wine pairings. I'll stop drooling now. Maybe. Here's the menu tonight (asterisked items are from the Glasbern farm):

Pork Belly* - baby octopus, heirloom tomato salad + ramps*, chorizo emulsion - paired with 1999 Grgich Hills Cabernet Sauvignon

Parmesan Foam - english peas + tendrils*, mint, sweet yellow curry - paired with a young Beaujolais

Day Boat Halibut - marcona almond crust, lychee nut, black cumin-truffle jus - paired with 1999 Dominus Napanook, Red Bordeaux Blend, Napa Valley

Leg of Lamb* - white asparagus, maitakes + swiss chard*, farm egg bearnaise* - paired with 1986 Bordeaux, Chateau Mouton Rothschild

Chocolate Cake - peanut butter ice cream - paired with 1976 Schloss Eltz Beerenauslese, Eltviller Sonnenberg Riesling

I really can not wait. It's a good thing the restaurant is only a few steps up the hill from our suite. I'm on my way now. I'll report back with pics.

Glasbern
A Lehigh Valley Country Inn
2141 Pack House Road,
Fogelsville, PA 18051
innkeeper@glasbern.com
610-285-4723

.

Food and Love . . .

noreply@blogger.com (dweiums) — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 17:25:00 +0000

Love and food - can they ever be really separated?

Today I'm thinking of the magnificent love of food and each other shared by Paul and Julia Child. If not for him, would we have ever been graced with the talents of the former Ms. McWilliams? One will never know. However we do know that they shared a sensual zest unlike many others and reveled in it until the end.

While a bit hokey for these days, I share with you below a sonnet written by Paul for Julia on her 49th birthday. I've got to admit - comparisons between rounded bottoms and scrambled eggs are crazy funny, but I think we all know what fueled this piece.

Birthday 1961

O Julia, Julia, cook and nifty wench,

Whose unsurpassed quenelles and hot souffles,

Whose English, Norse and German, and whose French,

Are all beyond my piteous powers to praise --

Whose sweetly rounded bottom and whose legs,

Whose gracious face, whose nature temperate,

Are only equalled by her scrambled eggs:

Accept from me, your ever-loving mate,

This acclamation shaped in fourteen lines

Whose inner truth belies its outer sight;

For never were there foods, nor were there wines

Whose flavor equals yours for sheer delight.

O luscious dish! O gustatory pleasure!

You satisfy my taste buds beyond measure.

PAUL CHILD

Winging It: Flav's Fried Chicken - You Know You Want Some!

noreply@blogger.com (dweiums) — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 07:12:00 +0000

Posted this the other day on Digital Chicken: Flav's Fried Chicken - You Know You Want Some! While I'm not a 'Flava of Love' fan, I still bounce to '911 is a joke' and truly miss Public Enemy. The clock lassoed Flav was an interesting juxtaposition to the serious Chuck D. Fast forward twenty years (yikes!) and the timeless one is hawking 99 cent wings and more in Clinton, Iowa. Only in America. Who would have thought that the rapper's version of a rodeo clown would have a culinary degree or food service experience?

I know - truth is stranger than fiction. Read more about FFC here: Digital Chicken: Flav's Fried Chicken - You Know You Want Some!

Why Come?

noreply@blogger.com (dweiums) — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 11:32:00 +0000

It's called a 'Pork Butt' when it's actually the hog's shoulder?

Victoria Reynolds Slice of Grace-Pork Butt, 2008 11 x 8.75 Inches Oil on panel

Some even try to blame it all on Massachusetts by calling it 'Boston Butt'. What exactly are they saying? Someone does know his shoulder from his butt? Well, some intrepid butcher decided that the bottom of the shoulder should be referred to as the 'butt' and the lower part as 'picnic' (what the ?).

But I'm Not a Butt!

It is a low cost, highly marbled cut of meat used frequently for pulled pork and kabobs. Oh yeah, don't forget there's a bone in this butt.

So what would you rather it be called? Shoulder roast? Shoulder steak? Shoulder butt roast? Dinner?
Go figure . . . the leg is the ham - no 'leg of hog' or 'piglet leg'.

Do you have a seemingly inexplicable "Why Come?" food name or label? Leave a comment or contact me with your latest foodie conundrum.

What Was I Thinking????

noreply@blogger.com (dweiums) — Sun, 24 Oct 2010 20:03:00 +0000

I couldn't escape from work in time to grab a quick bite at the National Harbour. We left too late for dinner before last week's Cirque de Soleil OVO performance and had to eat in the big tent. Six dollar hot dogs and popcorn, ugh.

I opted for a glass of wine and one of two sandwiches offered: chicken wrap or mozzarella panini. I chose the weak panini. Husband and daughter got the hot dogs and said they weren't the best (mentioned something about the Ikea hot dogs tasting better). Circus food - whaddya expect?

One great feature was the refillable metal water bottles that benefited the One Drop foundation (making a difference in the cause of water). A wonderful way to get a drink and be doubly socially responsible.

Great performance, but boy was I hungry!

It's Always Sweeter When It's Cheaper

noreply@blogger.com (dweiums) — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 19:31:00 +0000

I have been adding omega fatty acids to my diet for over 6 years. A favorite has been Udo's Oil, which has a rich, nutty taste and is very easy on the taste buds. When I don't forget to add it to my salads or smoothies, it has a definite good impact on my HDL and LDL cholesterol levels.

Recently I've discovered a new choice that seems too good to be true - Barlean's Omega Swirl. It's ab-so-lute-ly marvelous in a cup of Greek yogurt. And does it make great smoothies or what!?! No hyperbole here - even my husband likes it. In fact, he prefers the pomegranate-blueberry swirl.

Oh, did I forget to mention the yummy flavors? There's lemon zest, strawberry banana, orange cream, and now they are introducing two new flavors: pina colada and mango peach.

Not sure you can believe all of this excitement about a product that is supposed to be good for you? Don't take my word on it, try out a sample. Click here to order a sample of Omega Swirl.

If you've tried it before and are interested in trying out the new mango peach flavor at a discounted price (and free shipping), visit the Barlean's Blog. A sneak peek at $9.95 for a full sized bottle might just make you a believer.

This is the best thing that has happened to me since I found chocolate calcium supplements and gummy bear vitamins.

DC Restaurant Week Again . . .

noreply@blogger.com (dweiums) — Sat, 21 Aug 2010 15:54:00 +0000

http://washington.org/restaurantwk/

Make Reservations at Open Table

Made last minute reservations at Lia's on Willard Avenue in Chevy Chase for tonight. It's our first time there, so we are looking forward to it. It's a Chef Geoff brand - a local DC area restauranteur - there are several establishments dotted in and around the beltway. This one specializes in contemporary Italian cuisine.

D.C.'s 2010 Restaurant Week

noreply@blogger.com (dweiums) — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 16:21:00 +0000

D.C.'s 2010 Restaurant Week looks to be one of the best yet. This year, the official event lasts from August 16-22, but with the economy the way it is, some restaurants are extending these specials by another week or longer.

This biannual event is fantastic for those looking for fine dining on a budget. When else can you go to the area's finest restaurants and find three-course lunches for just $20.10 or three-course dinners for $35.10? Some are offering special menus, while others are offering these amazing deals on everything in the house.

With all the variety, we’ve separated participating restaurants by cuisine to make deciding just a little easier. You can also click on each restaurant for more information. And keep in mind, the best restaurants book up fast, so make a reservation now!

Eggplant Everywhere and Not a Bit to Eat . . .

noreply@blogger.com (dweiums) — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 13:45:00 +0000

Mediterranean paninis and Baba Ghanoush aside, what to do with the past weeks' glorious purple bounty? Clagett Farm's CSA has blessed us with some of the best aubergine I've tasted in years, but I'm quickly running out of creative culinary steam.

What is even worse is that I've packed up most of my cookbooks because my kitchen is about to be remodeled - ARGGGGH!

My favorite quick way to deal with eggplant is to grill it along with zucchini, tomatoes, and mushrooms and make a smoky ratatouille. Yum. Thinking about the last time I cooked it and totally rocked it out with a bit of chipotle pepper. To quote Emeril "Oh yeah, babe." Try it, you won't be disappointed.
My next favorite way is in one of many Indian styles - I'm a sucker for cumin and coriander. Here's a strictly informal recipe:

Spice is a matter of taste - use with discretion, but whip it up when necessary!
Mix the following in a small bowl (about a teaspoon each) and set aside:

Cumin
White pepper
Garam Masala
Tumeric
Cayenne pepper (what's life without a little spice?)

Cut the eggplant into cubes
Heat olive oil hot, but do not burn ( I use my wok or deep cast iron pan)

Cooking very quickly:
Throw in cumin seeds and toast quickly,
Add a bit of crushed coriander (just to make breathing unbearable)

Cool it down with a little fresh minced ginger, chopped onions
Add minced garlic, chopped and seeded tomato
Add half of your spice mixture (just in case you made too much)
Simmer and Stir - this shouldn't last over 2 to 3 minutes.
Add in the eggplant
Cook until tender about 10 minutes,
add more of the spice mixture if you dare
Throw in a bit of chopped fresh cilantro (if it doesn't make you gag)
and salt to taste.

In case you are struggling with measurements (something I just refuse to do), here are my veggie ratios for this recipe-like-thingy: 1 huge, mammoth eggplant (or 2 medium or 3 to 4 small) to 1 large, ripe tomato to 1 medium red onion to 2 cloves garlic to a half inch of ginger. Yup! That's just about right.

Wait a minute - this is so good I could eat this daily with a bit of brown basmati rice, bhindi masala (just wait for the best okra harvest) and garlic naan.

Do you have any quick and yummy eggplant recipes? Got a link to a chef with the best? Leave a comment and don't forget to make extra 'cause you know I'm dropping by!

Bring on the Bhurta!

Why Come?

noreply@blogger.com (dweiums) — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 17:15:00 +0000

They call them 'ox tails' and they are really the tail of a cow?

Colitas de Res (Ox Tails), oil on canvas 14"H x 18"W Sergio Lobato - Meat Paintings in oil

Watching Pat & Gina make Oxtail stew on At Home With The Neely's . . . they just might get me to try this out (although the thought of eating a tail creeps me out). I do know hubby would tear it up.

Are You Missing Asian Festival DC 2010 in Reston, VA this Weekend?

noreply@blogger.com (dweiums) — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 18:16:00 +0000

It's free and this years focus is on the Phillipines. You are bound to cop some good filipino bites this year. Check it out: http://www.asianfestivaldc.com

Hmmm . . . another D.C. festival in VA.
Go figure.

Foodies Paradise - Restaurant Week

noreply@blogger.com (dweiums) — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 17:11:00 +0000

All praises due to the intrepid inventors of that period of time deigned 'Restaurant Week'. An epicureans dream week, a dieters kryptonite. Alas, I wish I were able to visit all of the cities throughout the nation that participate, however my meager income keeps me tethered to the eastern regions. The District of Columbia's week to savor the best is normally in January. What to do the rest of the year? I stare longingly at OpenTable.com's list of participating cities, hopelessly wishing for a fifteen dollar bus line to Sacramento and Miami.

All is not lost! I am a three and a half hours drive from the big apple. Surely, I can make it up there to partake in this epicures' holiday, especially since it has been extended.

I've been food envious of Darcel as he has navigated through the city's cuisine on the NYC Go blog. I am definitely going to make the excuse of escorting my niece up to NYU for her sophomore year to get to this feeding frenzy.

She'd better get back to school soon, I'm hungry.

Food Network Atlantic City Food and Wine Festival Next Week

noreply@blogger.com (dweiums) — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 03:10:00 +0000

It's an all-out hog-out with your favorite Food Network stars in Atlantic City. The Food Network Atlantic City Food and Wine Festival provides four days of tasting and sipping events including the ultra shi-shi-poo-poo thousand dollar private dining experience with chef Marcus Samuelsson.

You still have time to grab a travel package at $785 and up (which will get you into the sold out Neely Gospel Brunch) or go a la carte for individual events that start at $30. It's a great way to hang out at the shore, make the rounds at all of the casinos, and of course satisfy your epicurean urges. I certainly would have gone this year had I not bought theatre tickets for that Sunday. Ahh . . . next year.

National Junk Food Day - A Time for Celebration?

noreply@blogger.com (dweiums) — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 23:40:00 +0000

Seems just a might bit odd to celebrate the hot and greasy, the cold and cheesy, the fast and sugary. But why not? There's bound to be a food that, though pronounced junky - you just cannot resist. You know it . . . Own up!

While you're pondering your life of uber lipids, take a look at the semi-celebratory sites below:

ESPN Mike And Mike: National Junk Food Day video

3 Celebrities Who Should Celebrate National Junk Food Day from The Stir blog

OC's guide to you-know-what day

Pizza and ice cream - where you at????

My personal favorite:
Celebrate with 2300 calorie macaroni and cheese quesadilla

5 Buck Food Find From the Baltimore Sun

noreply@blogger.com (dweiums) — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 20:12:00 +0000

Always on the lookout for a bargain eat fest, I found this page from the Baltimore Sun Online Metromix.

The photo above shows Bananas Tempura at XS. Here's the rundown:

Banana tempura at XS
The bill: $4.75

The dish: Bananas dipped in batter, then fried tempura-style, served with whipped cream and berries

The scoop: XS's fried bananas have a great flavor if you like your bananas hot and with a strange consistency. And, we do. Being the sugar junkies that we are, however, we'd have liked to see a little bit more of a dessert treatment on these. Maybe a chocolate syrup accent here, a cinnamon dusting there, a honey dip on the side. Just a suggestion.

Get your money's worth? Aww, hell yes!—Amanda Krotki
Credit:Amanda Krotki

You can submit your own $5 food finds using this submission form.

My Garden is Made for Mojitos

noreply@blogger.com (dweiums) — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 16:18:00 +0000

Okay, so I don't have a lime tree and the back forty (feet, that is) isn't sporting any sugar cane. None of this matters since I've got the 'runaway mint front garden from hell'.

Yes, mint is a weed. I didn't even plant the stuff. When I moved into this place nine years ago, the front was a mix of trailing roses with no place to go and a massive mint plantation. I pulled up all of the mint and the stinking roses, planted daylilies, hostas, tulips, daffodils, and columbine. So what do I get to show for all of that hard work? MOUNTAINS OF MINT!!!!!

The stuff is the ultimate in organic gardening - I never fertilize or water it or use any sort of pesticides. I thought if left entirely alone it would wither and die. No such luck. I give it to neighbors. I give it to family. I give it to strangers. I dry it for tea. I give up.

So yesterday was my brother-in-law's birthday - my gift? Mojitos. I generally don't like all of the sugar content, so I asked the local liquor store owner how I could use less. His response was that adding tonic water (which has sugar in it) would replace the granulated sugar and add a bit of a fizz. Normally I just add club soda. Great. So here is my almost recipe - since I never measure anything. I just add until it tastes good.

3 limes
A mess of mint leaves
2 tablespoons of sugar
Bacardi white rum
Tonic water

Place the leaves and sugar in a bowl, squeeze the lime juice into said bowl. Find something with a rounded bottom to grind the sugar, mint and juice together. My bro-in-law didn't have a mortar and pestle, so I used a smaller bowl to mash it up - worked just fine.

Fill a small pitcher with ice. Pour the mash over the ice. Add 1 cup of tonic water. Add rum to your taste. If your taste makes the rest of the party screech "OMG! This is too alcoholic!" it may be a bit too concentrated. Add as much tonic water as you need to lighten the drink for normal folks (just add a couple of extra jiggers in your own glass).

A good time was had by all. I'm so glad my daughter is driving now.

Freebie Fridays

noreply@blogger.com (dweiums) — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 18:43:00 +0000

Slurpees
July 11 or 7/11 - Free Slurpee® Drinks = Live Music To Their Ears
7-Eleven® Celebrates 82nd Birthday with Biggest Slurpee Bash Ever
5 Million Free Frozen Drinks and Access to Live Nation Concert Tickets

Books
FreeRead Until July 31st - Peter Sheahan's Flip - How to Succeed by Turning Everything You Know on Its Head

Short Stories: Read Stafford Battle's (AfroCyberspace) story 'The Lynching' in issue nine of Expanded Horizons http://ow.ly/gV2l #22ndCenturyPress

Tor Books Short story

Starbucks Ice Cream:
http://email.starbucksicecream.com/cgi-bin23/DM/y/hfvR0G56yo0HZB0UMf0EZ

Father's Day At Clyde's Chevy Chase

noreply@blogger.com (dweiums) — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 15:42:00 +0000

I have to admit that when I received the email that the family was going to convene on Daddy's Day at Clyde's, my heart dropped a bit. I really wasn't up to a chain restaurant experience, hoping instead for a foray into a new culinary venue.

I was pleasantly surprised - while the service was a bit confusing (we got there at the end of brunch and our wait staff changed mid-meal - the food was very fresh and tasteful, not to mention reasonably priced. I am used to visiting Clyde's in Georgetown and Columbia - two diametrically opposed locations. I have never been over impressed with either. It's usually for a lunch with clients that demand American fare and I find myself with the same appetizers and a burger. Yawn.

Yesterday was different. While our starters did contain our obligatory fried calamari and oysters (some family members won't leave home without 'em!), we branched out a bit with the Sesame Crusted Tuna Tataki which was served with seaweed salad, pickled carrots and onions, cucumber, Sriracha sauce, and wasabi vinaigrette. Yum. The sushi grade tuna worked well with the pickled veggies and I found myself eating most of those as my husband and others devoured the tuna.

Although there were nine of us, we only ordered five different entrees:

Maine Lobster (all the dad's ordered this for some reason) with French fries, cole slaw and the obligatory lemon butter,
Crab Cakes with asparagus, roasted potatoes and mustard aioli,
Smoked Baby Back Ribs
Trout Parm - Parmesan crusted trout, green beans,roasted potatoes with a bit of hollandaise, and the Prix Fix special
Grilled Rockfish with crab salad and guacomole, Shrimp cocktail and Blueberry Strawberry Crumble for dessert.

My sister-in-law could not believe the size of her Trout Parm, so she spread half of it around the table. It was very good with a fried parmesan taste. My stepdaughter and I ravaged my husband's lobster, but he didn't mind since he really liked the crab salad and grilled rockfish from my plate. The three shrimp in the cocktail were huge and more than enough to share with other diners. As you can see, we are really into the 'family style' sharing thing - no plate is safe. Unless it is my father-in-law. No one got a hold of his fried oysters. I loved my rockfish - it was so flavorful without being over seasoned. Nothing was overcooked and portions were more than enough. Dessert was okay. I was more than glad to share the Blueberry crumble. It really didn't leave an impression. However, the Sinful Chocolate cake my sister-in-law ordered was good but not overwhelming. All in all, it was a pleasant afternoon and I will certainly return when I'm in the area and just am not feeling a hot stove (hmmm, isn't that always?). Clyde's of Chevy Chase 5441 Wisconsin Avenue, Chevy Chase, MD 20815
Phone: 301.951.9600

Safeway's 17th Annual National Capital BBQ Battle

noreply@blogger.com (dweiums) — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 15:39:00 +0000

America's Food & Music Festival - Historic Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington, D.C.
June 27th & Sunday, June 28th, 2009 - www.bbqdc.com
WASHINGTON'S BIGGEST TASTE EVENT -
A SMOKIN' GOOD TIME FOR A GREAT CAUSE
Celebrate the first weekend of summer at the Safeway Barbecue Battle, with great food, fun, music, and entertainment for all ages. America's best BBQ tastes even better along with great music and there will be plenty of both including tasty barbecue of all kinds from top vendors, great bands like Chuck Brown, Marcus Johnson, Phaze II, Art Sherrod Jr. and many more. Don't miss the free food samples in the Safeway Sampling Pavilion, cooking demonstrations, sports entertainment, high-stakes BBQ contests and much more action throughout the weekend. While tens of thousands of Washington area residents and visitors to the Nation's Capital enjoy the festivities, the Barbecue Battle event is the largest annual fundraiser for the Boys & Girls Clubs in Washington and has donated over one million dollars to this worthwhile organization in past years.
With so much to eat, see and do, the Safeway Barbecue Battle has garnered many awards over the years including being voted a "Top 10 BBQ Event" by The Travel Channel and Discovery.com.
For more information please visit www.bbqdc.com
or call (202) 828-3099.
We'll see you at the BBQ!

2nd Annual Food & Wine Festival - June 6 & 7, 2009 at National Harbor

noreply@blogger.com (dweiums) — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 12:51:00 +0000

For those who love great food, wine, beer, spirits, music & fun!
Rain or Shine
2ND ANNUAL FESTIVAL
Show Hours:
Saturday, June 6, 2009: 12 noon-Sunset (8:00 p.m.)
Sunday, June 7, 2009: 12 noon- 6:00 p.m.

Your general admission ticket includes:
Food, wine, beer and spirits tastings
Attendee bag and wine glass
Access to seminars, chef demos and workshops
Ability to enter our Country Fair Baking Contest with Big Prizes
Ability to participate in our Dine Around (extra charge)
Ability to participate in our Very Special Private Events (extra charge)
Featuring:

A Trio of Former Top Chef Contestants:

Carla Hall, Alchemy Caterers
Ariane Duarte, CulinAriane
Spike Mendelsohn, Good Stuff Eatery

Also:
Renee Catacalos, Edible Chesapeake, Maryland
Chana Brissett, RSVP Catering, Fairfax, VA
Timothy Dean, Timothy Dean Bistro & Jazz
Barbara Fairchild, Editor-in-Chief, Bon Appétit
Matt Lewis & Renato Poliafito, Baked, Brooklyn, NY
Patrice Olivon, L'Academie de Cuisine, Maryland
Suvir Saran, Dévi, New York City
Miran Shim, Inside Park at St. Bart's, New York City

http://www.foodandwinenh.com/

Graduations mean . . . cake?

noreply@blogger.com (dweiums) — Fri, 08 May 2009 21:35:00 +0000

April showers bring muddy May graduations. I shouldn't be so ungrateful - after four days of rain we were blessed with muggy heat and sun for the day's celebrations at Howard University. There were tents everywhere in the event a wayward shower came our way.

The College of Medicine had quite a crowd and spread under their canopy. The caterer served up more dishes than I could count (I was too busy schmoozing anyway). There were mini Jamaican beef patties and several other meat dishes which I missed. The salads included mozzerella and grape tomato along with a really good cucumber/cilantro combination. It was so good, it inspired me to duplicate it (more on that next week). This reception served as my initial grazing ground for the day. Later on there was my niece Leandra's luncheon at Utopia on U St.

The art-filled Utopia was a great choice because of its proximity to Howard after she received her Masters in Social Work. We enjoyed Blackened U-Street Shrimp (eh, so-so), Mozzarella de Pomodoro (my second of the day),Mussels marinated tomato white wine sauce (not bad) and mussels in a lemon caper cream sauce (fantastic! I wanted to sop the sauce with everyone elses' bread) and a boring hard Herbed Bruschetta.

I ordered the Spinach & Mozzarella sandwich which turned out to be dull and uneventful. Luckily we spent a lot of time toasting Leandra's achievement with Dom Perignon 2000 - not the best year but smooth enough for the non-drinkers in the party - to ignore the barely seasoned sandwich. My husband had a philly cheese steak that was long on roll and light on the steak. Other diners were pleased with their entrees blackened catfish and jambalaya.

The high point of the meal was the Strawberry Kiwi cake created by Desserts by Gerard. The whipped cream frosting with embedded strawberries surrounded a cake with a wonderful texture - not too fine and not too large and crumbly. The sweet and fresh creation was the perfect ending to five glasses of champagne (Well, I wasn't driving!).

Local Flavor - Carolina Kitchen Bar and Grill

noreply@blogger.com (dweiums) — Fri, 01 May 2009 15:55:00 +0000

Last night we stopped at the new Carolina Kitchen Bar and Grill in Hyattsville.

Sigh.

Kwiq revu: Average chain restaurant with typically disjointed design and cuisine. I felt like I was eating my entree from a relish tray (see photo). The waiter forgot our appetizer and in true chain fashion gave nothing but an apology and a promise to remove the item from our bill.

This Carolina Kitchen is a huge expansion over their Largo, MD and Silver Spring, MD origins as it is much larger and includes a bar. We missed the 5-7pm happy hour and ducked in for a quick meal on 'No-Cook Thursday' since my in-laws have been raving about the place.

The cuisine is typical 'soul' type food with a splash of seafood - a must-have in the DelMarVa area. The appetizer menu had "country favorites", "southern seafood", and "Rocky Mount Wings", but not many items that were not deep fried. We initially ordered calamari, but changed the order to cheese & bacon cajun fries because it just seemed so decadent. They never arrived.

Immediately after seating in what must be dubbed "the King Kong" room because of its decor (model planes, King Kong poster and black and white photographs - what does that have to do with country kitchen cooking?) we received a plate of extremely light cornbread. It was sweet cornbread - my yankee preference, and came drizzled with honey and butter. Mmmm good. Must be the first time I have eaten cornbread with a fork.

We received our drinks, iced tea and lemonade, very quickly. I was hoping for that down home, fresh squeezed taste, but had to settle for the mix. I must admit that when I emptied my glass, it was quickly refilled.

I ordered the vegetable plate that let you choose three sides and my husband ordered the Southern Fried Pork Chops, which come with rice pilaf and two sides. North Carolina transplant that he is, he thinks he can combat swine flu by eating more pork. No pig is safe.

If you are hungry, you will definitely leave here satiated. My spouse had two large chops smothered in gravy over rice with bowls of collard greens and macaroni & cheese. He was able to eat most of one chop, the rice and a bit of each of the sides. There seemed to be an entire meal left.

I had the greens and macaroni & cheese and black eye peas presented on a long plate. That felt really weird. It gave me the feeling that there were dozens of sides sitting under hot lamps waiting to be thrown onto waiting relish plates. I certainly hope not. Some work needs to be done on the veggie plate presentation.

Thankfully there was hot sauce on the table because the greens and peas were lighter on the seasoning side than I prefer. It was all steaming hot - the mac & cheese was creamy with an extra layer of cheddar melted over the bowl.

Meal and tip weighed in at $40 for two without alcoholic drinks or dessert, and of course minus the appetizer. This is average these days for this type of restaurant. Considering the type of food, it might be better served at home. This is not the place to visit if you are dieting or on food restrictions - the lure of fried foods is strong.

While this is not on my go-to list, we will probably re-visit because my in-laws love the place. For some reason, seniors love getting large amounts of food. However, I do think I will return on my own to check out the happy hour - $3.99 martinis & cocktails and $2.99 draught beers Monday through Friday. Maybe then I'll check out that old, traditional southern bar menu favorite - spicy thai chili wings.

Chickpeas and Spinach - How Can You Go Wrong?

noreply@blogger.com (dweiums) — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 20:33:00 +0000

I caught chef Jose Andres, owner of some of my favorite D.C. restaurants, yesterday on All Things Considered show on NPR. He was participating in the "How Low Can You Go" $10 or less meal for a family of four recipe challenge.

His entry was a dish his wife made for him as newlyweds - Moorish-Style Chickpea And Spinach Stew. Obviously low cost, especially when you use dry beans, this combination is great with an number of spices. I particularly love Indian chickpeas with a side of palek (spinach). For our herbivores it's an easy task to leave out the fried egg that is added almost as a garnish and still have a really tasty meal.

I was going to try this today, but the 90 degree weather in the nation's capital is keeping me on an all sorbet and salad diet this week. Perhaps later when it cools down and acts like a real April (before May gets here Thursday)?

In the meantime, here is the recipe straight from Tapas: A Taste of Spain in America by Jose Andres, published by Clarkson Potter.

By the way, this competition is not only for celebrity chefs - you can submit your own recipes in 'How Low Can You Go' The challenge: Feed a group of four for less than $10. Bonus points for dishes that seem more expensive. All Things Considered will talk to the creators of some of the favorites and may feature them on the radio.
Listen Now to Andres on NPR