Know Full Well

This Is Awesome!

2012-02-01T18:33:00.000-05:00

Check out this visually stunning chart of cocktails.

Cool Web Discoveries

2012-01-28T12:15:00.001-05:00

Find. Eat. Drink.
Good Food Preservation
Eat Your World
With Love, From Brooklyn (not just food)
Pantry Confidential
Rabelais

So True!

2012-01-19T12:21:00.000-05:00

Check out this video that pokes fun at the craft cocktail movement.

Hate This With A Passion!

2012-01-13T12:46:00.002-05:00

I mean, c'mon! Sabering a bottle of champagne with an iPad? Wtf.

Love These Too!

2012-01-11T11:52:00.000-05:00

From Saveur's 100 list for 2011:

Zahav in our old stomping grounds

La Bernardin, in which we recently had the pleasure of partaking (Note: I love it in the video when Eric Ripert's just sitting at a table. I kinda adore him :)

Food-blogging camera lens recommendation

Love This!

2012-01-04T14:24:00.002-05:00

Hope you love this video too. If so, consider checking out Kinfolk's e-zine.

Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes

2012-01-03T14:04:00.005-05:00

Changes are afoot at the KFW household. We just bought a house in Eastern Market/Capitol Hill neighborhood, which we are renovating before we move in a couple weeks. When things settle down, I'll get back to blogging. Until then, happy new year everybody!

East African Hot Sauce And Whoopie Pies

2011-11-29T20:20:00.001-05:00

I made chicken wings with the hot sauce my sister-in-law sent. They were yummy and unlike any others we've had. The dates in the sauce give a bit of sweetness and thickness while the jalapenos and tamarind provide zing and pep. We'll use the bottle up soon, I'm sure.

We baked up white chocolate fudge with nuts and dried fruit as well as gingerbread whoopie pies to give to family over Thanksgiving. The whoopie pies rocked my world. It seems like others had the same reaction ;).

What If Virginia Woolf Had Been A Food Writer?

2011-11-29T16:38:00.001-05:00

Well, this is what she would have written.

There Are No Words...

2011-11-14T09:31:00.001-05:00

...which is why I have pictures:

Lisbon

Cervejaria Ramiro

frango assado

Ginjinha shots (cherry liqueur)

Salema fishing boats

neon orange caiphirinas

When in Portugal, drink Sagres lager.

Perhaps he caught some of the ingredients in my fish stew...

afternoon snack

And now for what we did during our STUPENDOUS culinary extravaganza weekend up in New York (Hyde Park and Manhattan). Friday: Everready Diner, CIA tour, drinks at American Bounty (one of the student restaurants), dinner at Medici (another student restaurant); Saturday: "CIA Favorites" class (I'm planning to return asap to take another course; it was quite an experience), drive to NYC through fall foliage, Palace Hotel, Burp Castle, Lakeside Lounge, St. Regis King Cole Bar, Chef's Tasting Menu at La Bernardin; Sunday: Jane for brunch. Plus we got two cookbooks at the CIA: "The Professional Chef," which is the students' primary textbook, and "The CIA Cookbook." AND we received a copy of the menu at La Bernardin. The courses were so intricate, I couldn't remember everything we ate even right after we left. Now I can stare longingly at the menu and salivate, remembering how AWESOME it was. (BTW my favorite dish was "Crispy Black Bass with Pickled Cucumbers and Black Garlic-Persian Lime Sauce.")

main building

"Wearing" a toque

cafeteria

1/2 of what our class made

the other 1/2

buffet!

King Cole Bar mural by Maxfield Parrish

La Bernardin

Next up: a report on Sadia's Gourmet sauce, sent to us by my sister-in-law, direct from Minnesota. (She works for Sadia.) Think I'll try it with chicken wings.

2011-10-25T18:28:00.000-04:00

I've had no time over the past couple months to seriously blog. There was Miami, Portugal, family and friend visits, my brother's spectacular wedding... But now I'm back in effect with several things to report and also news of exciting this to come.

First, I roasted yams in the oven a while back, scooped out the flesh, and stirred it with butter, turmeric, and fenugreek. I call them India-Inspired Yummy Yams.

Yes, we went to Portugal again. We missed it tremendously since 2008 so we decided to return for a spontaneous long weekend. We ate amazing seafood every day but one when we had the traditional frango assado (Portuguese roast chicken with fiery piri piri sauce). Photos will come eventually. If anyone wants trip tips, let me know. I can talk endlessly about Lisbon and the southwest coast.

I had the best raw oysters - hands down - this past weekend in Rehoboth Beach, DE: Bagaduce oysters from Maine.

Tonight is Whitlow's all-you-can-eat snow crab legs as soon as the hubby gets home. I'm going to eat my weight in crab.

Coming up this weekend: road trip to NYC with my best friend and her beautiful baby to bid adieu to our college friend who's moving to Singapore. Sadness! But I see a big trip in our future...

Finally, next weekend is going to be a culinary extravaganza. We're driving up to Hyde Park on Friday for a campus tour and dinner in one of the CIA's student restaurants. Saturday's my class followed by dinner down in NYC at - wait for it, wait for it - Le Bernardin. Oh, Eric Ripert, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways: caviar, tuna, lobster, turbot, hiramasa, black bass, etc.

Tonight, Tonight

2011-10-25T11:53:00.000-04:00

I haven't posted since mid-August. Sad. Shame on me. I'll redeem myself tonight. But, for now, check this out. I could go for one - how about you?

Please Vote For Arcadia

2011-09-21T18:43:00.002-04:00

Per an email from Arcadia:

"Arcadia Farms, a program under the DC non-profit Arcadia Center for Sustainable Food and Agriculture, has entered to win a $65,000 grant through Nature's Path Organic 'Gardens for Good' contest.

"Three winning farms will be selected from the top ten finalists, so please vote for us on Facebook: http://goo.gl/mIoV4 ... you can vote multiple times (upwards to 30 or more) simply by clicking the 'Vote' button until it turns to 'Voted,' so please vote frequently and share with friends!

"A 'Gardens for Good' grant would allow us to:

"1) Expand our farm to grow food exclusively for the Arcadia Mobile Market, a retrofitted school bus that distributes produce to low-income, Washington DC-area residents who lack access to healthy, affordable food options. Funding will specifically help us staff and develop this farm expansion, as well as support our 'matching dollar' programs and the acceptance of federal food assistance (such at SNAP, WIC, and SFMNP), thereby increasing the purchasing power of our underserved neighbors.

"2) Expand our interactive farm field trip programming for urban youth. Arcadia’s D.C. Farm to School Network serves Washington, DC students by coordinating educational field trips to Arcadia Farm and interactive school visits by the Mobile Market. These activities help to connect D.C. schoolchildren with the food system, thereby expanding their understanding of where food comes from and healthy eating choices. Funding will specifically help us staff our educational outreach programs, and bus students to Arcadia Farm from schools who otherwise lack transportation funds.

"Our entry is listed under Benjamin Bartley, the Mobile Market Manager for Arcadia.

"Thanks for voting for a more equitable and sustainable food system in our nation’s capital!

"Thanks!!!!

"Mo and the Arcadia Team"

Click For: Good NYT Article

2011-08-30T16:43:00.003-04:00

2011-08-28T20:02:00.001-04:00

Well, I don’t have a DC Beer Week report because we couldn’t make it to any of the events. Boo hoo. I, however, hit our favorite neighborhood bar, Galaxy Hut, solo to at least partake in beer drinking during its namesake week. We love this no-frills spot for its constantly rotating taps, snappy hot dogs, and piles of tater tots. I got a couple inconspicuous pics of the taps and bartender thanks to my new-ish iPhone. (I should take this opportunity to mention that the first photo looks the way it does thanks to the Hipstamatic app. Awesome, right? You’ll notice it in previous posts too.)

The peppers from the balcony garden are in full effect now. Coming in strong. And boy are they hot. Like habanero hot on the Scoville Scale. But boy are they fantastic.

I’m kinda off-kilter recently so that’s all I got going on right now. Here’s a few cool sites to check out. Next time I’ll have something more substantive to share.

FoodCorps
The Canal House
The Lexicon of Sustainability
Handwritten Recipes
Art of the Menu

P.S.

2011-08-14T17:42:00.000-04:00

Forgot to mention that I checked out the National Archives' "What's Cooking, Uncle Sam?" exhibit on the government's effect on the American diet. Small but packed with lots of interesting and eye-opening things.

Gazpacho, Hummus, Scones, And More

2011-08-14T17:36:00.001-04:00

I cooked a lot this week, especially yesterday. It was such a stormy day out, it just made me feel like staying in and hunkering down in the kitchen.

First I made Cook's Illustrated's creamy gazpacho recipe. The key is salting the veggies and letting them sit for an hour before pureeing them. This draws flavors out of the cell walls - and produces one heck of a soup. I could've eaten the whole vat of it in one sitting.

Then I whipped up Zahav's Israeli hummus recipe. Zahav is one of our favorite restaurants in Philly. Chef Michael Solomonov makes THE BEST hummus.

Finally came strawberry and basil scones from Better Homes and Gardens. They get a double dose of strawberries - both fresh and dried. The basil really complements the berries well.

Earlier this week I cooked asparagus with parmigiano. I'd never thought of combining the two before, but now it's like my second favorite preparation after curried. And I baked portabellas stuffed with chopped squash and tomatoes. 400 degrees for 35 minutes - what could be easier? So fresh and summery.

Next up: DC Beer Week. Expect a full report!

Rockin' Saturday In The Kitchen

2011-08-13T18:33:00.000-04:00

Listening to MMJ, trying to prolong last night's kick-ass show, while cooking up a storm in the kitchen: gazpacho, scones, and more.

Busy Weekend

2011-08-08T19:31:00.000-04:00

Here's where we hit this weekend:

Smith Commons
Biergarten Haus
Birch and Barley
Blackbyrd Warehouse
Earl's, Arlington
Peregrine Espresso
Eastern Market
Bar Dupont
Sushi Taro
Whitlow's on Wilson, Arlington
American Ice Co.
The Big Hunt

All in DC unless otherwise stated.

Sushi Taro does it right

Check out that prawn in the background

Bounty

2011-08-02T22:46:00.000-04:00

Yay for the balcony garden. It's like the little engine that could, chuggin' along even though the pots are fairly small and they don't get as much sun as they should. I've gotten more tomatoes and arugula since I've last reported, more herbs than I know what to do with (not really :), and soon I'll have peppers to pick. The lemon cucumber hasn't gotten one cuke on it yet, just a lot of flowers. Come on already!

Volunteering at the farm is going swimmingly. I love it. I feel a real sense of accomplishment every time I come home and see the dirt spiral down the shower drain. This week I left with a bag of yellow and zephyr squash and Roma tomatoes. I'd picked more than 30 pounds of the stuff so Farmer Mo gave me some of the bounty to enjoy.

And now a few updates:

I received Mad Men-style Old-Fashioned glasses from my bro and his fiancee. They're going to see their fair share of use, let me tell you.
Anybody watch the "No Reservations" special last night on El Bulli's recent closing? It's very well done. Ferran Adria is inspiring. Wish I could have made it to Roses.
Our latest outings were to Blackbyrd Junction and Lost Society on U Street. Seems like it's the place to be these days. Probably going back this weekend.

Birthday Weekend

2011-07-25T22:12:00.004-04:00

For my 30th birthday, the hubby went all out. What a guy I have! He took me to the Gibson for drinks on Saturday night. We had two cocktails each with truffled nuts and marinated olives. I can't remember the name of my first drink, but it involved gin, champagne, raspberry syrup, and three types of bitters. For the second one, I went off-menu. I asked for rye and the Italian artichoke liqueur Cynar, but I left the quantities up to the bartender. She combined them with a bit of honey and added a salted rim. Awesome! I mean, she made the drink, but I came up with the main ingredients so I'm giving myself the credit for this one.

We followed drinks with the five-course tasting menu at Palena. It was fantastic. He'd even arranged for a candle to be in the first dessert course. How lovely! We'll definitely return.

Then, yesterday, on my actual birthday, I had breakfast in bed followed by a surprise Skype session with my fam, arranged by the hubby. They sang me "Happy Birthday" and I blew out the candles on the giant cupcake the hub had procured. Seriously, WHAT A GUY! We spent the rest of the day watching TV and hanging out. It was way too hot to do anything outside. (And it's not even August yet - yikes.) Anyway, after a day of leisure, we decided to do our red sauce and Godfather tradition - the best way to end any day in my opinion.

Or so I thought. He handed me an envelope last night. Inside my birthday card was a certificate to attend a class at the Culinary Institute of America. I nearly fainted. I CAN'T WAIT!!!! Will keep you posted as it gets closer to the fall date. OMG!!!!!!!!

On an unrelated note, I made bacon and jalapeno cornbread tonight with a gigantic pot of chili. Good eatin'.

Wine glasses at Palena

2011-07-23T10:00:00.000-04:00

The makings of a good cocktail

Port Peachy

Sundry Updates 2

2011-07-18T16:59:00.001-04:00

The garden's doing great. More tomatoes. A handful of peppers. Arugula. Lots of herbs. And while there haven't been any cukes yet, there's lots of flowers ready to turn.
This weekend we hit up three DC hot spots - all with outdoor seating. And since it was so nice (meaning hot but not swamp-like as usual), we basked in the sun at each spot. First, we had barbecue and German beer at Standard then a drink at American Ice Co. then another drink a Local 16 after a long walk from U Street to Adams Morgan.
I've been experimenting with white port in cocktails. I made one with white port, St. Germain liqueur, lime, and tonic. Next I'm going to try one with white port and muddled peaches. Sounds good, huh?

Food Supply Infographic

2011-07-18T12:26:00.001-04:00

This National Geographic infographic displays the disturbing reduction in produce variety over the past 80 years.

Miami, Ocean City, And The World Wide Web

2011-07-13T21:27:00.000-04:00

We took a couple spontaneous weekend beach trips recently: first to Miami then to Ocean City, Maryland. Two words: seafood galore. Plus we visited the home of Dogfish Head beer and a saltwater taffy mecca.

Also, as usual I've been collecting food- and drink-related websites. More like hoarding them really. It's time to share:

Amishland Heirloom Seeds

NYPL, The Menu Collection Research Guide

Vegetable Garden Planner

Stuff Parisians Like

Food Curated

Food in Literature and the Arts

4th Of July Tomato On June 28th!

2011-06-28T17:52:00.000-04:00

It was good :)

Boba, Lentils, And Hybrid Mojitos

2011-06-26T20:14:00.000-04:00

Strange combination, no? Let me explain.

I had the boba - strawberry-flavored - at the frozen yogurt shop, Red Mango, tonight. They, along with gummy bears, topped my coconut yogurt and made me smile my whole walk home. I love the way they pop in your mouth like dessert caviar. If you aren't familiar with boba, they're small, soft yet chewy tapioca balls commonly found in bubble tea.

The lentils - green ones to be exact - appeared in a very fresh and light salad I made recently with asparagus, black beans, red peppers, and herbs. It was drizzled with a lemony vinaigrette. Definitely going to make more of this kind of salad this summer. It's hard to eat anything hot during the oppressive DC summer.

And as for the hybrid mojitos, which I'm having one of right now actually...they have lime, mint, and rum but no sugar and tonic water instead of soda. I like the bitterness, though they're not super bitter. The apple mint from the garden and rum help with that.

Time to enjoy my beverage and relax with some John Coltrane and the NYT.

Greenery = Yay!

2011-06-20T09:16:00.000-04:00

Maine In Pictures

2011-06-14T20:45:00.000-04:00

Lupines

Red's Eats, Wiscasset

Lobster rolls at Red's with fried zucchini

Lobster traps near Red's

Seafood for sale out of a parked truck, Camden or Rockland?

Razor clam shell, Lincolnville Beach

Francine, Camden

Clam chowder, Bayview Lobster, Camden

Cappy's, Camden

Shepherd's pie at Shepherd's Pie, Rockport

Rare beef salad at Shepherd's Pie

Plants for sale, Chase's Daily, Belfast

Taps, Great Lost Bear, Portland

Two tasters and menu, Great Lost Bear

Mounted bear head, Great Lost Bear

Thurston's Lobster Pound, Mount Desert Island

Harbor, Thurston's, MDI

Coastal Maine Vacation

2011-06-14T19:19:00.001-04:00

I highly suggest heading to coastal Maine for a getaway. We've been there three times and have enjoyed every second of it. This time the highlight was hiking in Acadia National Park, though the eats were a very close second! Here's the list followed by my hubby's awesome pictures:

J's Oyster, Portland - salty portside bar (yes, it's the one Anthony Bourdain visited)
Red's Eats, Wiscasset - overstuffed lobster rolls and fried zucchini with ranch dressing
Francine, Camden - still kickin'
Waterfront, Camden
Primo, Owl's Head/Rockland - yummmmmmmy; another Bourdain stop
Bayview Lobster, Camden - best clam chowder ever
Cappy's, Camden - Sebago blueberry beer
Shepherd's Pie, Rockport - Owned by the same people as Francine and it shows in the more casual fare.
Camden Cone - blueberry ice cream
Zoot Coffee, Camden
Chase's Daily, Belfast - veggie delight
Finback Alehouse, Bar Harbor
Cafe This Way, Bar Harbor - splendiferous scallops
Thirsty Whale, Bar Harbor
Lompoc Cafe, Bar Harbor - preserved-lemon deviled eggs on a shady terrace anyone?
Thurston's Lobster Pound, Mount Desert Island
Atlantic Brewing Co., MDI - lots of free samples after the tour
Leary's, Bar Harbor - shoutout to Rob, the lovely bartender of this Irish pub
Fathom, Bar Harbor - zucchini gnocchi topped with what seemed like a ridiculous amount of lobster and brown butter sauce
Dog and Pony, Bar Harbor - Get your Philly soft pretzel fix in the gazebo.
Mache Bistro, Bar Harbor - romantic French spot
Sarah's, Wiscasset - competing lobster roll joint; Red's wins
Great Lost Bear, Portland - huge beer selection
Fore Street, Portland - best meal of the trip; I'm still salivating.

Lobster And Lupines

2011-06-03T17:23:00.000-04:00

To come: a full report on our Maine vacation, including Portland, Camden, and Bar Harbor among other stops.

Sundry Updates

2011-05-22T16:58:00.001-04:00

I just wanted to use the word "sundry." It's a good one, right? Anyhow, I have a random list of updates. Here goes:

I went to a Museum of the American Cocktail class again. King Cocktail himself, Dale DeGroff, hosted the event at the Warehouse Theater (connected to the Passenger). There was lots of storytelling, some stream-of-consciousness reminiscing, and - entertainingly - guitar-playing and singing. Oh and drink tasting. It was a pretty good Monday night.
We had drinks at Marvin last weekend. Yet another go-to DC bar to nip cocktail hankerings in the bud. We'll be going back. We're going to hit American Ice Company the next time we're in the U Street area, too.
I found a few really nice coffeeshops in the District that I've been frequenting. Who knew that DC was a cocktail destination and a coffee town? So far I've been to Mid City Caffe, Peregrine, and Pound. Ebenezer's and Sidamo are up next.
I sharpened our knives last week with the Chef's Choice AngleSelect electric knife sharpener we received for Christmas and I just wanted to put in a much-delayed plug for this easy-to-use device. It even has separate slots for sharpening Asian vs. European/American knives. Using this every 3-6 months or so is no substitute for at-least-weekly honing however. I don't mean to be preachy, but it's true.
Volunteering at Arcadia's going great as you can see. That's me on the right weeding away.

This is totally un-KFW, but we saw the Fleet Foxes last night. If you don't know this band, go to iTunes right now and download their new album, buy the CD, or run to your nearest record store to get the vinyl. We've seen them three times and they never disappoint. Their music just keeps getting better and better and their live shows are unbelievable. I guess my favorite song from the album is fairly KFW now that I think about it:

"...If I had an orchard, I'd work till I'm raw
If I had an orchard, I'd work till I'm sore
And you would wait tables and soon run the store..."
- From "Helplessness Blues" by Fleet Foxes

2011-05-16T16:22:00.000-04:00

Balcony at night (gorgeous, no?)

Sole and asparagus curry (with bread to sop up the sauce)

Garden Reorganization

2011-05-14T14:31:00.000-04:00

I've made some changes to the garden since my last post. I planted the last of the arugula seeds and harvested all the radishes. I had to replant one of the two chiles as well as the cucumber and parsley. (The seeds hadn't sprouted.) I decided that the balcony doesn't get enough full sun to support growing a tomato plant from seed so I bought a "4th of July" seedling at the farm market. It's an early and often tomato variety. I filled out the rest of the balcony space with apple mint, Genovese basil, and oregano. Two rosemary plants, cilantro, and lavender are still lookin' good.

Next post I'll have photos of the greenery along with some of this weekend's foodage.

A Salad From The Balcony

2011-05-03T20:58:00.000-04:00

I harvested the first makings of a salad from the balcony a couple days ago. It consisted of a whole mess of arugula and a bunch of radishes. We gobbled it up so fast that I couldn't get a photo. I'm sure there will be many more, though, so pictures will come. Next time there'll be herbs to include and eventually cucumbers, peppers, and tomatoes.

Baby Radishes

2011-04-27T21:27:00.000-04:00

In the sink, before rinsing then eating with fleur de sel

'Tis The Season

2011-04-24T11:47:00.000-04:00

...for asparagus with green curry by the way. Need I say more?

Layer Cake Finally

2011-04-24T11:40:00.000-04:00

I did it! I made a layer cake, and it didn't suck. In fact, it was pretty good, if I do say so myself. I felt ok enough about it that I brought it to my best friend's house as a gift. Maybe I don't have a black thumb when it comes to baking. There's just one teensy weensy problem: It was supposed to be three layers and it didn't come out tall enough to get three; I did two and put the rest of the curd on top of the cake like a glaze. Thinking about it now, I'm pretty sure I didn't beat the egg whites long enough; if I had, I think the cake would have had more body to it. Oh well. Try, try again!

Have A Snack On Hand

2011-04-18T16:57:00.001-04:00

If you love this photo, check out Edible Selby, brought to you by photographer and illustrator extraordinaire Todd Selby. I have his book, The Selby Is In Your Place, so, when I heard he was documenting chefs, cooking, and all things edible, I knew I had to visit the site. I think you'll find the shoots unexpected but beautiful and hunger-inducing.

Credit: Todd Selby (Edible Selby)

KFW Test Kitchen

2011-04-17T16:38:00.000-04:00

I tested a few recipes recently that I plan on making many more times.

First up: Moroccan Carrot Soup courtesy of Bon Appetit. It was scrumptious and easy. Can't wait to try it with the farm market's multi-colored carrots.

Next was Chocolate Raspberry Clafoutis, also from Bon Appetit. Sooo chocolatey. I recommend topping it with chunks of Ghirardelli's Dark Chocolate with Raspberry candy squares. These boost the raspberry element and they're not too sweet. FYI: A clafoutis is a French dessert of cherries (typically) suspended in a pancake-like batter. I'd like to try it with strawberries.

Finally, I tried out what I'm calling the Effervescent Greyhound - a cocktail consisting of the usual Greyhound recipe (except with gin instead of vodka) topped with a bit of ginger liqueur and sparkling wine. Here's the recipe:

1 1/2 oz gin
5 oz fresh-squeezed grapefruit juice (or high-quality bottled)
1/2 oz Domaine de Canton
Sparkling wine or champagne to top-off

Add first three ingredients to cocktail shaker filled with ice and shake. Pour into chilled champagne or wine glass. Top with sparkling wine or champagne. Garnish with twist of grapefruit rind.

Feel free to play with this. I've added lime and orange in different quantities and I've even toyed with agave.

Couple more things of note:

I'm a huge fan of this article. It gave me a lot of ideas, which I've been putting into practice. The most successful so far was roasted salmon with Thai flavors served with blanched asparagus. Drool...

We were back in Philly recently for a quick visit. We hit Koo Zee Doo, a new-ish Portuguese BYOB in NoLibs. Deleitoso! It made us long for Portugal. Has it really been nearly three years since we were there? Think it's time to return.

The Garden Abounds

2011-04-17T15:39:00.000-04:00

Well, not really, I guess, but it's looking pretty good so far. I just had to fit in a Big Lebowski reference for some reason. And now I know what I'm doing this afternoon...

Anyway, here's a short video of the pots. The ones that just look like dirt actually have one or two tiny sprouts in them - no lie. And the radishes and arugula are going crazy. The tall stuff in the background is a transplanted rosemary plant. It lasted all winter out on the balcony and now it's thriving.

In the same vein, I finally found a new place to volunteer on Mondays: Arcadia Center for Sustainable Food and Agriculture, which I've mentioned before on KFW. I'm tilling the fields of Alexandria, VA, and loving every minute of it, but - most important - it's all for the greater good. I'm hoping to help out with the Mobile Market, too, but Arcadia has to raise enough money to get it on the road first. Six days to go!

Stay Tuned

2011-04-12T22:31:00.001-04:00

There's so much to come in the next few days: gardening success 11 stories up, tilling the fields of Virginia, recipes to share, and a Philly gem. Please stay tuned!

Hanky Pankys And Samosas

2011-03-26T18:19:00.000-04:00

What do these two things have in common? Not much except that I learned how to make both of them this week (the first's a cocktail, the second's an Indian appetizer).

Nawlins' Museum of the American Cocktail sponsored Tuesday night's "Great Cocktails of the Great Hotel Bars" at the Tabard. Philip Greene (of the MOTAC), Derek Brown (of the Columbia Room), and Chantal Tseng (of the Tabard) discussed the Savoy in London (Hanky Panky), the Biltmore in Phoenix (Tequila Sunrise), the Roosevelt in Nawlins (Ramos Gin Fizz), the Algonquin in NYC (Algonquin), the Seelbach in Louisville (Seelbach), and the Moana in Honolulu (Royal Hawaiian).

My favorite drink of all time is the Sazerac, followed closely by a dry martini. I never had a third fave until now: the Hanky Panky cocktail. Check it out.

I'm signed up for the next MOTAC event at the Columbia Room. It'll be hosted by the legendary Dale DeGroff. I'm psyched.

Last night the hubby and I took Indian cooking at CulinAerie. We'd never been there before. It was different than L'Academie in that each couple had their own station to cook at and all their own mise en place and supplies. I didn't like it as much because 1) we didn't cook as much; the instructor and his assistants prepared a lot for us ahead of time or on the spot while we watched, 2) we cooked over a tiny portable gas burner, not at an actual stove, and 3) the class size was big (close to 30). I'd go back though. It was still fun, the instructor was good, and we got some easy but flavorful recipes out of it.

The menu included Mumbai dal (lentil soup) with basmati rice, crab samosas, butter chicken with naan (flat bread), and carrot halwah (pudding) with chai. Our favorite part of the night (besides eating everything and the seemingly endless supply of wine) was making the naan. Usually naan is cooked in a 900-degree tandoor (oven), but we made it in a pan. Surprisingly authentic looking and tasting. And we had some dough leftover so we brought it home to freeze and make later.

If anybody wants any of the recipes just let me know. I'm being lazy right now and not typing them in. In fact, it's 6 p.m. on a Saturday and I'm sitting here on the couch in my pink housecoat and granny slippers drinking tea and talking to my cat. Yikes. At least I'm listening to cool music (Twin Shadow).

The layer cake might happen this week. We'll see.

The Garden Is Growing. Oh My!

2011-03-26T16:37:00.001-04:00

In just a couple weeks' time the garden is growing. All but the chile peppers have sprouted. (I wasn't expecting these to sprout yet though anyway; they have a longer germination period.) The arugula started first, followed closely by the radishes. Then came the herbs, cucumber, and tomato. I'm so excited. Everything looks healthier this year too. (I suspect it's the potting soil and also the fact that I soaked a few of the seeds overnight before planting them to give them a little boost.) Maybe we'll actually get some bounty from the balcony. Here's some pics of planting day:

DC's 1st Mobile Market Needs Your Help!

2011-03-16T22:59:00.000-04:00

Help get Arcadia's Mobile Market on the road this summer by pledging here.

On Pork, Cocktails, Seeds, and Growlers

2011-03-13T13:08:00.001-04:00

We got our Philly fix this week by going to Taylor Gourmet. All their sandwiches are named for streets in the City of Brotherly Love so, by just looking at the menu, we knew we were in for something good. We both got the Pattison Ave. sandwich: pork, broccoli rabe, and provolone on warm, soft yet crusty rolls. Just the right amount of grease cut by the bitterness of the rabe and the saltiness of the cheese. Good God was it good.

There also was a second visit to the Columbia Room. And, yes, there will be a third (and so on). This time Katie took care of us. I felt pear-y so I asked her to use pear liqueur in some way. She whipped up a champagne cocktail using pear and ginger liqueurs and ending with a bit of citrus. Nice. I followed it up with a gin cocktail. I’d never tried Junipero gin before so I asked for something made with that. Essentially Katie made me a martini sweetened with agave. It came in a champagne glass--not a flute, but a wide-mouthed one like people drank champagne out of in old movies--with a giant hand-cut ice cube. Really nice.

The next night I created my own, but I made a huge mistake--the biggest mistake you can make when mixing cocktails. I didn’t measure. I’ll have to try to recreate them. If I succeed, I’ll be sure to note the measurements. For the first one, I muddled rosemary (from the balcony garden), ground ginger, cane sugar, and grapefruit bitters. To that I added fresh orange juice and gin. Whoa was that wonderful. Then, in honor of Karl Pilkington (we were watching An Idiot Abroad), I whipped up gin, Pimm’s, Peychaud’s Bitters, fresh orange juice, and agave. Wowey zowey.

Today I’m planting our balcony garden: cilantro, flat-leaf parsley, Bulgarian Carrot chile peppers, Silvery Fir Tree tomatoes, French Breakfast radishes, Lemon cucumbers, and arugula. Here’s hoping for a greener thumb this year.

Oh, one more thing…We got our own growler from Falls Church’s Mad Fox Brewing Co. They make THE BEST IPA called Orange Whip, though they didn't have it the day we bought our growler so we got the pale ale. We plan to keep it full at all times (as often as possible with Orange Whip).

I lied. There’s still one more thing: I missed the tart workshop at L’Academie because I was sick that day (darn), but our Indian cooking class is coming up next week. So is a third class I signed up for at the Tabard Inn: a cocktail history one co-hosted by Derek Brown from the Columbia Room. Yay!

Long Time No Blog 2

2011-03-07T11:21:00.000-05:00

I've been under the weather the past couple weeks, but now I'm back and ready to blog. A longer post will follow this one, but in the meantime I want to share an awesome website with you:

Good Food Jobs

Check it out. If you're like me and you're awed and delighted by the rapid and steady growth in farming, restaurant, bar, coffee shop... jobs in recent years, you'll want to check out this site and sign up for the weekly e-newsletter. They're providing a service that no one else is and they deserve to be recognized!

Long Time No Blog

2011-02-22T22:44:00.000-05:00

I have no excuses. I just was uninspired for a little while there. Now I'm back with lots to report.

The hubby and I went to Pizzeria Orso, which is touted by some as having the best pizza around, and since we're partial to Neapolitan-style we thought it imperative to check it out. The hubby had pepperoni and I had white pizza topped with clams, capers, and hot red pepper flakes. Both were really good but not the best. I think they lacked salt, mine especially, and the clams were a little off-tasting. Two Amys still tops our list, though we have yet to try Pizzeria Paradiso and Seventh Hill Pizza (owned by the same people as one of our favorites, Montmartre).

We had the pleasure of going to the Columbia Room speakeasy inside the Passenger bar. Derek Brown is the barkeep and, since there's only 10 seats, you get to interact with him one-on-one. In my case, this meant discussing Italian aperitivos like Aperol and Campari and getting free samples. We did the fixed price option, which meant three drinks and two small plates. It was so amazing that I made a second reservation the minute we got home.

In the realm of recipe-testing, I decided to give homemade mozzarella another chance. Fail! I even had the hubby check that I was reading the instructions correctly. I was so we concluded that one of the ingredients is old or bad. The milk was fine so I blame either the citric acid or the rennet tablets. I plan to order fresh stuff soon to try, try again.

Now that I'm re-inspired, more cooking and some baking to come, including that layer cake I mentioned a while back.

Finally, I have to relay this...I'm not tooting my own horn...One of my yoga instructors told me out of the blue that he bets I'm "amazing" in the kitchen, that he just has a feeling about it. This was without knowing about my love of food or this blog or anything. I don't have a clue how he arrived at his conclusion. Maybe during meditation I chant "lamb" instead of "om." All I know is this made my day, well, my week (or more) actually.

My Week In Cooking 3 Plus Some Updates

2011-02-05T13:25:00.000-05:00

First up were fish tacos with tilapia, black beans, shredded cheese, and cilantro topped with a squeeze of lime. We used blue corn hard-shell tacos. I made the tilapia on the stovetop, not really making any attempt to keep the fillets together. I flaked the fish up in the hot olive oil and stirred in my spices: cayenne, cumin, garlic powder, oregano, paprika, salt, and pepper.

Next was chicken pot pie from Cook's Illustrated, which was good in very small quantities. SO rich! I actually woke up in the middle of the night after we made this for dinner. I was so full I felt sick to my stomach. Not a rousing endorsement, I guess, though it also could have been because of what me made for dessert.

Cannoli cheesecake from Gourmet. Yes, another very rich dish. Perhaps we should have made them on different nights. Anyway, it was pretty good, but I'd take regular old cannoli any day. Every day in fact.

In terms of updates, I'm currently looking for a new place to volunteer. DC Central Kitchen has been very difficult to get into, and I really liked it there! Well, there's lots of other kitchens, farm markets, community gardens, etc., that can use help. I'll find the one with the best fit then spend my Mondays there.

I got the spring course book for L'Academie de Cuisine. I signed up for a tart workshop. I also decided to try Culinarie cooking school in DC. The hubby and I are taking an Indian cooking class. Can't wait for that!

My Week In Cooking 2

2011-01-27T18:41:00.001-05:00

I had a second week of mucho kitchen-time.

First I made a chowder with salmon and bay scallops. I'm not usually one for cream-based soups, but this was good. I browned pancetta then I added diced onions, a few smashed garlic cloves, and quartered new potatoes. I cooked these for a little while with the spices (Old Bay, paprika, piment d'espelette, cayenne, bay leaf, salt, and lots of pepper) then I poured in clam juice, milk, water, and a bit of cream. When it came to a simmer I added the salmon (I bought a fillet, skinned it, and chunked it up), scallops, and frozen corn and peas. In minutes the chowder was done, giving us several meals.

Next up: Cardamom-Scented Oatmeal Pancakes with Cherries and Almonds. The NYT recipe calls for apricots, but Whole Foods was completely out of them. I love dried cherries and they turned out to be a good substitute, I think. We don't usually eat a very carby breakfast, but these were great. Oatmeal's really good for you after all!

Followed by Spinach and Pork Thai Noodles. I cooked up ground pork in one pan while I sauteed the veggies and aromatics in sesame oil in another. These were garlic, ginger, scallions, and a ton of fresh spinach. When these were soft I added the pork along with soy sauce, five-spice, dried basil, salt, and pepper. I let this simmer while I boiled the rice noodles. I served the spinach and meat mixture over the noodles topped with cilantro and mint. One of the best things I've ever made - so flavorful!

And, finally, tonight I'm whipping up fish tacos. Yesterday's snow inspired me. I'll let you all know how they turn out.

My Week In Cooking

2011-01-21T17:33:00.000-05:00

I accomplished a lot this week - mostly in the kitchen - and it ain't over yet. Monday night I made a quick version of beef Stroganoff with some leftovers, and yesterday I whipped up my crazy tabbouleh (enough to feed all of Syria) and a gnocchi casserole. There'll be more stove-time this weekend, too.

The beef Stroganoff started off with stir-fry meat, which I browned. Then to the high-sided saute pan I poured in vegetable stock and heavy cream, seasoned with salt and pepper. (Nutmeg would have been a good addition, as I think about it now.) When it came to a simmer, and I knew the beef was done, I threw in cooked farfalle pasta and steamed carrots. Stir, stir, voila! I had mine topped with grated Pecorino Romano.

My tabbouleh includes all the usual suspects plus several unconventional ones. Cooked bulghur with chopped parsley, cucumber, tomato, and onion tossed with lemon and olive oil probably sounds familiar. What makes it "crazy" is the addition of garbanzos, yellow bell pepper, mint, garlic salt, and grains of paradise. I should have added some heat, too. Maybe minced jalapeno. Darn! Next time for sure.

The gnocchi casserole was one of the richest things I've ever made, but that's what you want on a really cold night, right? I defrosted then simmered pasta sauce I'd made a while ago. To that I added a whole bag of defrosted and drained spinach. I returned the mixture to a simmer. Then I boiled up a package of gnocchi. After draining, I spread out the gnocchi on the bottom of an oiled casserole dish. I topped it with the spinach mixture, dollops of ricotta, and shredded mozzarella. After 15-20 minutes in a 375-degree oven, I had myself one hot, gooey gratin.

Waiting for bulghur

Gnocchi at a rolling boil

Mmmelted cheese!

Dinner is served.

Lamb Tagine-Style

2011-01-15T11:48:00.001-05:00

I say "tagine-style" because I made it in a Dutch oven and, like paella, tagine means both the cooking vessel and the dish. I actually have a tagine, but it only holds enough for two people and I was cooking for three a few nights ago.

I started by browning off lamb stew meat seasoned with salt and pepper. Then I threw in diced onions and a couple garlic cloves (whole but a bit smashed). When the onions started to turn translucent I added about 2.5 tbsp of ras el hanout, a North African spice blend. Mine contains paprika, cumin, cinnamon, ginger, coriander, turmeric, black pepper, cardamom, allspice, mace, white pepper, rosebuds, nutmeg, cloves, saffron, and bay leaves. It's commonly used in tagines. I toasted the ras el hanout a bit then I added cut carrots and potatoes and a can of diced tomatoes. Tomatoes are sometimes used in traditional tagine recipes, but carrots and potatoes are not so my recipe's more along the lines of an Irish lamb stew or something. Anyway, I poured in about half a container of unsalted vegetable stock, stirred it, and let it simmer for nearly four hours. It would have been fine to eat after two though. Until I served it I kept checking the seasoning, occasionally adding salt and pepper. Ta da!

Next time I want to try this Paula Wolfert recipe.

Tagines are pretty simple because they're really hard to screw up. You just add all the ingredients and basically forget about it except for the occasional stir. And you clearly don't need a tagine to make one, though they are beautiful!

Christmas Roundup And New Year's Resolutions

2011-01-10T22:17:00.003-05:00

Christmas gave me a lot to be thankful for. A Le Bernardin gift certificate (HOLY COW!). A Mauviel copper cookware set. Eight more wine glasses. The Chef's Choice AngleSelect electric knife sharpener. Lots of cookbooks. An old-fashioned stovetop popcorn popper. And lots of pantry staples and kitchen tools.

But I'm most thankful for all the time I had with my hubby and my family. It was really marvelous. I even got to spend New Year's Eve with my bro and his fiancee out on the west coast. The highlight was a four-hour trek through the Santa Monica mountains, including ascending two summits. And I even rock-climbed. Check out the views:

Up this year: even more posts than 2010. My goal for '10 was to beat '09 and I did it by 18 posts. So this year I want to beat that and do it by offering more recipes than ruminations. Not necessarily all original recipes but, rather, I plan to do a fair amount of recipe-tweaking. I certainly have enough cookbooks to do so: 55+! 2011, here I come.

Christmas Cookies Galore

2010-12-28T21:51:00.000-05:00

Peanut Blossoms cooling down

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

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

2010-12-23T17:21:00.000-05:00

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

Weekend In The Big Easy

2010-11-30T17:14:00.000-05:00

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

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

Nawlins Spontaneously

2010-11-22T16:12:00.000-05:00

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

Happy Turkey Day, everybody.

Follow-Up

2010-11-11T18:55:00.000-05:00

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

My Pie's Only A Cobbler

2010-11-11T18:47:00.000-05:00

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

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

Check out this silly video:

Happy Halloween

2010-10-31T15:54:00.000-04:00

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

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

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

Onto the updates:

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

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

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

Photos From My 'Busy Days'

2010-10-21T19:16:00.003-04:00

Browning the goat plus mise en place

The stew ready to eat

Salted-caramel goodness

Pear-ginger puree pre-6 hours in the oven

Nice and leathery

Busy Couple Days In The Kitchen

2010-10-19T18:45:00.000-04:00

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

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

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

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

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

Photos to come...

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

Paella Pic

2010-10-04T15:11:00.002-04:00

Green For Green

2010-09-26T17:49:00.003-04:00

Wish I would've been invited to this!

A Spanish Feast

2010-09-26T17:26:00.000-04:00

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

Brooklyn Tidbits

2010-09-23T19:30:00.000-04:00

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

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

My souvenirs consisted of this and this.

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

Wanna Go To South Beach?

2010-09-23T16:06:00.000-04:00

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

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

2010-09-21T22:19:00.000-04:00

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

It's That Time Again

2010-09-08T23:10:00.000-04:00

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

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

Concocted Amalgamations

2010-09-01T21:28:00.000-04:00

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

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

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

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

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

Love It Or Hate It?

2010-08-19T19:33:00.000-04:00

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

War-Era Food Posters Exhibition

2010-08-11T18:10:00.000-04:00

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

Online Exhibition
Press Release

I'm Going To Be On 'Mad Men'

2010-08-02T13:13:00.000-04:00

HOPEFULLY!

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

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

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

Imagine having a martini with Roger Sterling...

Food On The Web

2010-07-28T18:43:00.000-04:00

Check out my latest web discoveries:

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

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

Homemade Mozzarella And Lobster Ravioli

2010-07-19T11:02:00.000-04:00

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

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

Braciole And A Balcony Garden Update

2010-07-14T21:56:00.000-04:00

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

Paris Redux

2010-07-06T17:26:00.000-04:00

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

Temporarily Insane

2010-06-20T21:26:00.001-04:00

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

Back From Paris, Full And Fuller

2010-06-20T21:15:00.000-04:00

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

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

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

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

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

Full and fuller indeed.

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

2010-06-08T14:59:00.000-04:00

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

As A Follow-Up

2010-06-03T07:32:00.000-04:00

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

Articles Of Interest

2010-06-02T22:46:00.001-04:00

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

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

Paris Etc.

2010-05-24T21:24:00.000-04:00

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

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

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

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

West Coast Whirlwind

2010-05-19T19:55:00.001-04:00

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

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

Lettuce Wraps

2010-05-10T14:45:00.000-04:00

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

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

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

May Flowers Bring:

2010-05-02T21:18:00.001-04:00

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

And lastly, a couple of garden pics:

Cooking 101

2010-04-26T22:30:00.000-04:00

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

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

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

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

Lavender martinis and lots of photos coming this weekend.

P.S.

2010-04-21T21:32:00.000-04:00

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

Green Alert 2

2010-04-21T21:15:00.000-04:00

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

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

April Showers Bring:

2010-04-13T20:53:00.001-04:00

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

Green Alert

2010-04-06T10:54:00.000-04:00

We have two additional tiny plants:

Silvery Fir Tree Tomato
Bulgarian Carrot Chile Pepper

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

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

Random Points Of Note

2010-03-31T22:37:00.002-04:00

In no particular order:

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

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

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

Last Night's Dinner: Greek 'Ratatouille' Casserole

2010-03-23T22:23:00.000-04:00

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

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

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

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

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

Bouillabaisse As Reward

2010-03-22T16:22:00.001-04:00

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

Thanks, NYT.

Irish Cuisine: Not An Oxymoron

2010-03-16T18:15:00.000-04:00

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

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

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

On The Best Gift Ever And Celeriac

2010-03-07T17:29:00.002-05:00

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Coming Right Up...

2010-03-01T16:00:00.000-05:00

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

Mount Vernon Distilling Rye Whiskey, Be Still My Heart

2010-02-07T16:52:00.001-05:00

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

Check out the info here and here.

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

Recent Dinner Recipes

2010-02-05T20:01:00.000-05:00

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

Latin Chicken and Rice Soup

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

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

Baked Tabbouleh-Stuffed Tomatoes

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

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

Up Next: Recent Dinners

2010-02-03T19:54:00.000-05:00

Latin Chicken and Rice Soup:

Baked Tabbouleh-Stuffed Tomatoes: