Well lookit that, DCFUD is in today’s express talking about our list of DC wireless hotspots. Just for the record, the long address they printed isn’t necessary – you can reach us at www.dcfud.com.
Thanks Express, Yay!
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17Feb
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16Feb
The objective here is to find a substitute for those boxed rice pilafs I buy in the store when I need a quick meal. They are tasty but seem unnecessary, given that I keep all the basic ingredients in my kitchen.
1 tsp poultry seasoning
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp olive oil
2 c vegetable broth
1 c water
1/2 c lentils
1/2 c brown rice
almonds
Bring vegetable broth to a boil, add olive oil, almonds, and seasonings, cook for 10 minutes. Add lentils and cook for 10 more minutes. Add the cup of water and the rice, return to boil, cover, and cook until all water is absorbed, at least 10-15 minutes.
If you have more time, you can always use freshly chopped onions and garlic instead of the powdered versions. The advantage of the dried seasonings is convenience and speed, but, you know, fresh is preferable. -
16Feb
Hallmark is much maligned for giving sappy clich -
16Feb
Alright folks, this is it.
Under the very bad influence of rj3 and an inability to fit into my awesome leather jeans amg and zaf have decided to become less round. Are we going to excercise more? No. Are we going to reduce caloric intake? No. Are we going to amputate a limb? Maybe.
That -
15Feb
For those of us without a car, Old Glory in Georgetown is probably the best “metro-accessible” place to go for barbeque within the city limits. True, that’s not saying a lot – DC is in total only 69 square miles – smaller than some New Jersey malls – and barbeque is hardly city food. Nevertheless, a few days ago found us in Georgetown demanding some pulled pork and it was either that or subvert our cravings to yet another Ben and Jerry’s run.
The interior is relaxed, rough-western style. It’s cute without dipping so far as a TGI Fridays or Cracker Barrel. Tables on both floors are equipped with abundant napkins and hot sauces.
On this particular trip, wings came first. Wings always come first. This place knows its wings and does them well – either as traditional buffalo wings or as buttermilk marinated pit-grilled wings. Sweet tea was acceptable, but not great. Next, we grabbed a OG Combo – one dish easily does for two – and chewed our way through a lackluster barbequed chicken, a soggy, tasteless pile of Carolina Pulled Pork, and a dry but very tasty couple of slices of Hand Sliced Brisket.
I can’t say it’s the epitome of a culinary experience, but Old Glory will get you full and satisfy a barbeque craving that’s looking for quantity over quality. I hear the bar is great, but can’t vouch for it personally – anyone who wants to give it a shot will have to crowd surf over a fashionable barricade of Urban Outfitters-clad college kids. Anyway, the wings are good. -
14Feb
The controversy over Splenda is taking D.C. by storm, and we’re not just talking about our website.
The Center for Science in the Public Interest, the National Grange and the U.S. Sugar Association held a press conference at the National Press Club downtown this morning to discuss concern among consumer groups about Splenda’s advertising claims.
In a statement, CSPI executive director Michael Jacobson calls Splenda’s advertising claims “misleading” and says the company should be more upfront about the substance’s relationship to sugar.
“Splenda’s artificiality may present a marketing challenge, but that’s not an excuse to confuse consumers and lead them to believe that Splenda is natural or in any way related to sugar,” Jacobson said in the release.
Our Splenda-obsessed writers will keep you updated on the fallout from this latest segment of the saga. -
14Feb
This recipe is in tribute to the book Masters of Deceit: What the Communist Bosses are Doing Now to Bring America to its Knees, a 1957 rant against socialists in America and their use of pornography, atheism, and minority civil rights (among other nefarious activities) to prepare us for the Soviet takeover.
It contains useful hints on identifying which of your friends may be a Russian spy and what you as a loyal patriot should do if your local newspaper is taken over by fanatical comrades. The author? Everyone -
13Feb
Technically, minestrone is any thick soup containing vegetables, beans, and pasta or rice. This variation is seasoned not with the usual Italian herbs but with worcestershire sauce and chili powder. Veggie worcestershire sauce may be found for those who don’t care for anchovies; I get mine at Whole Foods, it’s got a fearsome-looking wizard on the label.
6 c water
2 c tomato juice
2/3 cup cooked beans (navy beans, kidney beans, garbanzos all work fine)
1 coarsely chopped onion
1 Tbsp salt
2-3 Tbsp worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp chili powder
2 bay leaves
2 Tbsp lemon juice (optional)
carrots, potatoes, peas, green beans, corn, whatever
macaroni
If you use dried beans, pre-soak them overnight. Cook the beans at least an hour, then add tomato juice, onion, and seasonings. Cover and simmer somewhere around 30 minutes. Add veggies by texture (carrots first, peas and corn last), cover and simmer for another hour. Add the lemon juice and macaroni in the final 10 minutes. This soup tastes better the day after it is prepared. -
12Feb
Thanks lots to Skunkeye for this link about the firing of Walter Scheib III, the White House Chef.
Apparently, he was already angry about being told that using French recipes and cooking techniques is “unpatriotic”… and being forced to “honor the brand names represented by more than a dozen top GOP and Bush campaign donors” during his inaugural meal.
Alright, the above article is satire, but it is confirmed he’s leaving becasue of “stylistic differences with the first lady”. She prefers barbequed possum
This guy is my new hero. -
12Feb
Last weekend, I attended a surprise birthday dinner for one of my coworker friends. His wife made all the arrangements, and it almost worked, except that another co-worker, not even involved in the event, told him ‘happy birthday’ on Friday, tipping him off (with the help of a number of suspicious phone calls) that something was up. Oh well. He was still surprised to see us all waiting for him at Panache.
I’d never even heard of this place, rather new and tucked away as it is on DeSales Street, behind the Mayflower. The dining room is lovely, bar to the right and a comfy looking booths (clad in gorgeous bright red, against cream, almost caramel, walls). Our large party sat in the back, right in front of a rather prominent DJ booth, containing a DJ who kept a nice loungy-house thing going the whole evening. As the hours passed, the music got louder and the lighting dimmer; the music was good, but a bit much sitting so close to the speakers. At about 10:30, they started clearing empty tables to create a dance floor.
Time to order drinks. The waiter apologizes that they are out of my first choice, the Estancia PInot Noir, and my second, the Innominato Toscano. So I order a vodka tonic, which he has. He is also out of all the red wines except two, a Fruilvini Merlot and the house Cabernet Sauvignon. At $6 a glass for house and $9 for select, I’d have hoped they would have more selection in stock. Perhaps there was a snowstorm I didn’t notice.
Then, one of our party noticed something strange at the bar behind us. I turned, and at first wondered why such a messy drag queen was in such a nice place. Upon closer inspection, the big hat and hoop earring were those of a pirate costume, not a female impersonator. So, said member of our party got up, and asked the pirate to be in a picture with the Birthday Boy. The pirate agreed, and also told us why he was so attired: he told his friend that, if his friend found him a pirate costume, he would wear it out on the friend’s birthday. The friend found him a pirate costume, and it was his birthday.
