• 05Nov

    Delighted with the Secret Life of Food…

    The Secret Life of Food was a delightful event hosted by the National Press club featuring Shirley Corriher and Susan Delbert. Shirley is a biochemist and winner of the James Beard Foundation award who just happened to write a couple practical and tasty books; Cookwise: The Hows and Whys of Successful Cooking and Bakewise: The Hows and Whys of Successful Baking. Aside from her impressive resume she is a delight to listen to. Her insightful and witty anecdotes about food and why it acts the way it does when interacting with other foods were both educational and entertaining.

    She covered such varied topics as why potatoes won’t get soft during the baking of an au gratin to why some crème brûlées come out like scrambled eggs instead of custard. The first issue has to do with acid from such sources as vinegar and the second due to the use of beet sugar versus cane sugar in the brûlée. Her animated storytelling was engaging considering most of what she was speaking on was heady science topics pertaining to food. Overall, the evening was a hit with demonstrations explaining how to fix a rock hard mess of chocolate in a pan by adding water and so much more delivered to a packed room. I am hoping she will do more events such as this in promotion of her books. I know I will be in attendance.

    As one would expect of such an event there were appetizers provided as well as Sangria and a cash bar. The Sangria was lovely with large chunks of apple inside that were particularly flavorful. The buffet-style offerings included mini spanakopitas, or spinach pitas, raspberry goat cheese tarts and deep fried ham and cheese balls. The spanakopitas were light and flaky filled with a mixture of spinach, feta, egg and herbs. It was a touch heavy on the dill for my liking but otherwise they were lovely, buttery and delicious. The tarts were a particular favorite of mine with a melt-in-your mouth crust topped with raspberry preserves and a touch of tangy goat cheese that blended perfectly. Luckily they made up for the more bland ham and cheese balls. The could have used a bit more seasoning in my opinion.

    But putting aside the sampling of foods, this was a night well worth finding parking downtown and trying to locate the entrance to the National Press Club. The levity, information and engagement provided by Shirley and her lovely assistant Susan Delbert were the jewels of the evening by far.

    -AMQ

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  • 03Nov

    Reminder: Wednesday is DC Food Blogger Happy Hour!

    November DCFBHH Cover-2The next DCFBHH is hosted by me (Jason) at Fishnet DC (a new seafood restaurant) in Shaw on 11/5, 6pm-8pm. It is located at Shaw metro, next to Uprising Muffins.

    Please RSVP here, and keep your RSVP updated. Here is their menu and beer menu.

    -JAY

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  • 20Oct

    Tasty Treats At Taste Of DC

    Taste of DC is an annual event in DC that brings together community, restaurants, food trucks, musical acts, other vendors and food demos together to benefit a local charity, this year, the Capital Area Food Bank. The two day festival was held October 11th- October 12th, 2014. I attended on October 12th. Taste of DC featured over 40 restaurants, over 50 types of beer and over 50 types of wine were available for sampling. There was also live music, cooking demonstrations, and raffles. A separate ticketed event within Taste of DC, Heritage BBQ Cochon 555 was also going on. Five local superstar chefs created their version of a globally influenced menu featuring whole heritage breed pigs. Each made six dishes. Competing chefs: Scott Drewno (the Source by Wolfgang Puck), Erik Brunner-Yang (Maketto), Kyle Bailey (Birch & Barley), Joe Palma (Bourbon Steak), George Pagonis (Kapnos). Ten other chefs also prepared BBQ items. I’m sure that this was an amazing experience.

    Crowd at Taste Of DC.

    Crowd at Taste Of DC.

    The event was heavily attended, packed with people who appeared to be enjoying themselves. I think in order to have a good time at this event, you need to come hungry, be prepared for a large crowd, wear comfy shoes as the festival stretches over five blocks,  and come with cash to score some small plates, and beer and wine samples. Beverage tickets are $1 each (there is a special deal if you preorder online to save some money on beverage tickets). The samples for food mostly range anywhere from $3-9. Yes, for some items this seems steep. However, it is cheaper than an entrée, and allows you try a variety of items. I brought my husband with me to help me taste test some of the offerings. Part of how we decided which dishes to try depended on how quickly lines were moving. I had a great time at the festival and enjoyed trying so many delicious and different foods in one place.

    We started out on Restaurant Row:

    Macon Bistro & Larder:

    Biscuit with pepper jelly and ham: The flavors were on point, and the biscuit was perfectly buttery and flaky, but I would have liked it better if it was warm.

    Burnt Ends with watermelon salad: Smoked brisket ends with honey- chipotle bbq sauce, watermelon, and greens was a really great symphony of sweet and salty and texturally balanced, with soft meat and crunchy watermelon. I had to beg for a bite of this because my husband loved it so much.

    Deviled Egg. The deviled egg topped with bacon, scallion, and roasted red pepper. It was good, but it suffered a bit from having been sitting for a few moments (the bacon got a little mushy).

    Luke’s Lobster
    This miniature lobster roll broke my heart when it was all gone. The roll was really great bread, with a generous buttering. The lobster was fresh, sweet and perfectly cooked.

    Pete’s New Haven Style Pizza
    Neither my husband nor I had ever had New Haven Style Pizza before, and did not know what to expect.
    We got a mini slice of sausage, meatball, and prosciutto pizza. The crust was thin and crispy. I’m normally in the deep dish camp, but I loved this. The toppings and sauce were very good as well.

    Dolce Sweets
    I have to recommend Dolce Sweets for giving bites (a literal bite) away for free, as they were the only restaurant doing that. I very much enjoyed their tres leches cake and rice pudding. Both were perfectly balanced and not too sweet. (Not pictured)

    District Donut
    My husband loves donuts, and therefore waited in a line that took half an hour for him to score us some donuts. We tried the vanilla bean and the brown butter donuts. They were incredibly good, the dough light and airy, and the glaze was sweet but not cloying. They were excellent, and I would stand in line to eat them again.

    Food Trucks

    AZN

    This was one of my favorite things all day. For $3.00, I got a Ssam, a spicy pork lettuce wrap. The meat was tender, spicy, and delicious, and a fantastic deal.

    South Meets East
    This food truck makes really fabulous and fresh soft tacos and burritos. You can get Southwestern style, Bahn Mi, or Bacon Tomato and Avocado taco. All of them are fresh and very good, but my heart belongs to the Bahn Mi taco. Tender pork is slathered in pickled vegetables and it is a beautiful thing.

    Borinquen
    I polled a few people about what they were eating and what they liked the best. A young lady and her friend said they loved the empanadas from Borinquen. I tried a chicken empanada. The dough was soft and flaky, with chicken tender on the inside. Another good value at only $3.00

    Snowcream shavery
    I loved this food truck, which is actually a bus. Customers come aboard the parked bus), overhead lighting and upbeat music give it a kid friendly club feel. At the back of the bus, you order your snow cream and toppings. I got a mango snowcream with mango on top, and a Thai tea snowcream topped with mochi. The end result was a flavorful shaved ice/flavor/ and condensed milk treat with toppings on it. The snowcream is really delicate in your mouth, light and delicious.

    -JHC

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  • 17Oct

    The One, the Only, the Irrepressible Shirley O. Corriher

    ShirleyCorriher“The NPC Events Committee is offering an exciting opportunity to see the One, the Only, the Irrepressible Shirley O. Corriher in action at The National Press Club next Wednesday, October 22 at 6:00 PM!! Shirley is a James Beard Award-winning cookbook author, renowned cook/baker and television personality.

    Even better, Shirley is teaming up with NPC’s Executive Chef Susan Delbert, who is preparing five delicious appetizers and sangria for you to sample. After tasting the sangria and appetizers, Susan will explain how they were prepared and Shirley will simply and humorously discuss the science involved.

    Open to the public with registration required. Admission is$10.00 for members and $15.00 for non-members includes appetizers and a glass of sangria. There will be a cash bar for additional drinks.  Registration:http://www.press.org/events/secret-life-food.”

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  • 14Oct

    Next DC Food Blogger Happy Hour is November 5th at Fishnet DC!

    November DCFBHH Profile-1The next DCFBHH is hosted by me (Jason) at Fishnet DC (a new seafood restaurant) in Shaw on 11/5, 6pm-8pm. It is located at Shaw metro, next to Uprising Muffins.

    Please RSVP here, and keep your RSVP updated. You can take a look at their menu or beer menu if you would like.

    -JAY

     

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  • 13Oct

    Organic Tequila, Roasted Pig, and Wrestling Masks

    Organic tequila, roasted pig, and wrestling masks: Need I say more?

    Last week at Oyamel’s menu preview of their upcoming Day of the Dead Celebration event, I entered Oyamel’s establishment and found festive bartenders donning wresting masks while pouring Oyamel’s specialty Day of the Dead cocktail drinks. I knew it was going to be a good night.

    But what exactly is The Day of the Dead? It is a Mexican holiday tradition that recognizes Mexican friends and family members who have passed away. This year, Oyamel honors El Santo, or Rodolfo Guzman Huerta, an actor and Mexican folk icon, but he is best known as Mexico’s legendary luchador wrestler.

    Oyamel’s Head Chef Colin King recently came back from a trip to Mexico and personally created the Day of the Dead menu items inspired by El Santo’s favorite dishes. They are as follows:

    Puerco en Chile Morita:
    Local pork spare ribs that are braised and lacquered in a chipotle chile morita salsa. The balance between the subtle yet steady flavors of the pork and the exceptionally fresh salsa was very well executed. This was one of my favorite dishes from the night.

    Bistec con Pasilla:

    This local hanger steak is placed over a sauté of cactus paddle, sweet potato, and seasonal squash mixed in with salsa pasilla negra, a cured egg emulsion, and pickled chile dressing. It was cooked beautifully with the right amount of rareness in the meat and the flavors are a bit louder than the Puerco en Chile Morita but rightfully so.

    Ancas de Rana en Mole Verde:

    Cured frog legs coated in a crispy batter served over a green mole of tomatillos, sesame seeds and serrano chilies with a frisee salad. I was not particularly fond of the batter but once I got through it and indulged into the frog leg, I must say, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: it tastes just like chicken.

    Huatape de Hongos:

    The locally foraged wild mushroom is served with a green chileatole consisting of epazote, sorrel, and jalapeno. This was surprisingly a favorite of my boyfriend (who attended the menu preview with me). This is a delicious vegetarian choice (or any choice for that matter).

    Pescado Veracruz:

    Now this was one of the more popular items of the night. The wild-sourced snapper was tender and juicy in a Veracruz-style sauce that consisted of tomato confit, caramelized pear onion, garlic, capers, and olives. Another favorite of mine other than the Puerco en Chile Morita.

    Mole de Olla con Rebo de Res:

    This was my third favorite dish of the night. The locally sourced braised oxtail is succulently tender and complemented by a vegetable stew served with pickled vegetables. The tang from the pickled veggies was an excellent choice to balance the braised meat.

    But that’s not the end of the Day of the Dead menu specials! Oyamel’s Beverage Manager, Jasmine Chae, is responsible for specialty cocktail drinks that complement El Santo’s movies featuring El Luchador, a clean-tasting organic tequila made by David Ravandi. El Luchador itself was inspired by the famous masked wrestlers of Mexico so it only makes sense that they are also the official sponsor of this event.

     El Santo Contra los Zombies or Santo vs. the Zombies:
    Inspired by the movie Santo vs. the Zombies, the Zombie cocktail rounds up El Luchador Organic Tequila, 123 Organic Tequila Blanco, 123 Organic Tequila Añejo, D’Aristi, orange liqueur, orange, lemon, and pomegranate in a nice large cocktail glass. For those who appreciate the sweetness of fruits without compromising its cocktail kick, this Zombie is for you.

    Santo en Atacan las brujas or The Witches Attack:

    Inspired from Santo’s role in the film The Witches Attack, this simple yet refreshingly delicious cocktail was my favorite choice of poison for the night. The Witches Attack consists of El Luchador Blanco Organic Tequila, grapefruit-lavender mint syrup, and soda. It’s dangerously good; you have been warned.

    Now that you have a sneak peak at what is to be offered at Oyamel’s Day of the Dead Celebration Event, you can purchase your tickets at: nvite.co/oyameldotd. (Editor’s note: This link did not work for me, so I’ll followup for the correct one.)

    The event will be held at Oyamel (401 7th Street NW, Washington D.C.) on Monday, October 20, 2014 from 6pm to 9:30pm and tickets are $60. Specials remaining will be available from October 20th to November 2nd.

    Salud!

    -EHY (Elina)

    Oyamel on Urbanspoon

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  • 09Oct

    Party with Guacamole like it is 1984

    Rosa Mexicano is celebrating its 30th anniversary with a special 3-course anniversary menu, Desde 1984. The current special menu is available through October 12th. In the restaurant’s words: “From the traditional Tamal con Huitlacoche en Cazuela (cornmeal topped with mushroom and salsa ranchera, served in a traditional cazuela); to the Crepas con Camarones (crepas filled with shrimp, covered with a chile pasilla sauce and sprinkled with cheese), Rosa Mexicano will revive menu classics via rotating Desde 1984 specials for an entire year; offered as a $30 menu or a la carte.”

    Last night, Cy and I sampled the dishes from the current Desde 1984 menu (as well as their wonderful table-side-prepared guacamole).  I could not actually try the  Tamale con Huitlacoche en Cazuela or the steak’s mushroom topping because of a (mold/fungus) allergy, but Cy tried them. One of the dishes included a brown rice that was way too crunchy for me, but I think it was brown rice different variety than I am used to.

    Our Favorites:

    The Guacamole! This is made for you table-side.

    The Margarita Rosa (Pomegranate and prickly pear-infused El Jimador blanco, pomegranate, lime and organic agave nectar) was a great drink, but the two that I was served were inconsistent as far as alcohol level and components (and one didn’t have the pomegranate seeds). You still definitely want to try this Margarita.

    The Empanadas de Jaiba (crispy corn empanadas filled with jumbo lump crab meat, served with avocado-tomatillo salsa) are addictive.

    The mole sauce from the enchiladas!

    Crepas con Camarones was a really flavorful shrimp crepe dish with an exceptional (chile pasilla) sauce. This was the favorite dish for both of us.

    As far as dessert, Cy leans towards the Crepas de Cajeta (Crepes folded and served with a rich caramel sauce) and I lean towards the Tres Leches de Zarzamoras (sour cream pound cake soaked in three milks, topped with blackberry-hibiscus glaze and tasted meringue). It is not unusual for us to favor different desserts.

    -JAY

    Disclosure: From time to time, we are given free items, meals, or entry to events.

    Rosa Mexicano on Urbanspoon

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  • 07Oct

    Lettuce Entertains at Wildfire

    On September 30, 2014 I had the pleasure of attending A Taste of Lettuce DC, a spectacular four course dinner featuring the different flavors of Lettuce Entertain You Restaurants, Wildfire, Joe’s, Big Bowl, Mon Ami and Community Canteen. The event was held at Wildfire, Tysons Galleria and included cocktail and wine pairings. The Executive Chefs from each restaurant provided a few words about their dishes, and I have paraphrased their comments in the descriptions below. It was a fantastic evening filled with delicious food and drinks. I will definitely be coming back to all of the Lettuce Entertain You Restaurants for more, and will be sure to attend other tasting menus with pairings. The Lettuce Entertain You Restaurants hold special events monthly.

    Hors d’oeuvres by Mon Ami Gabi:

    Chicken Liver Crostini with red wine mustard. This dish featured a crispy toast round with zingy mustard, creamy and light-as-air chicken liver, and was topped with a sliver of cornichon. The flavors were balanced well: a sour, salty, and slight sweetness from the chicken liver, and a slight warming spice from the mustard. The texture was very pleasant as the cornichon and crostini provided crunch while the chicken liver was soft in texture. The chicken liver and country pate Crostini are signature dishes of rustic French cooking, which is the essence of the cooking at Mon Ami Gabi.

    Country Pate Crostini with grain mustard. This was very similar to the chicken liver crostini, in flavor, texture and appearance. The biggest difference was the pate was a little denser than the chicken liver, but was still very light.

    Salmon Tartare on Gaufrette Chips. I really enjoyed the simplicity and playfulness of this dish. It was composed of raw chopped high quality and high fat content salmon atop a plain potato chip. The salmon had a wonderful soft buttery quality and this worked so well with the crunch and salt from the chip. I will have to take a visit to Mon Ami Gabi to eat more of this.

    Mini Mushroom Quiche Tartlets. The tartlets were soft and fluffy. They were well balanced and did not have a strong mushroom flavor.

    Wine pairing:

    Ruffino Prosecco DOC: A sparkling dry white wine with delicate bubbles, soft notes of apple, pear, and citrus, with a fruity and floral bouquet. I found this to be a delightful pairing.

    Second Course by Big Bowl:

    Thai Crab & Corn Soup. This dish featured sweet lump crabmeat, local corn, coconut milk and Thai Chili. It was moderate in spice, complementing the sweetness from the corn and crabmeat and the richness of the coconut milk. A beautiful kefir lime flavor and aroma permeated the dish, adding a little sour flavor to make the dish sing. I was pleased when I saw some kernels of corn still together, letting me know that whole ears of corn were utilized for the dish. The chef informed us that the chicken stock that is the base for the soup is homemade. I was not at all surprised that this was the case because it was clear from the soups wonderful flavors that no shortcuts were taken. Now that fall is upon us, I’m looking forward to heading to Big Bowl on a crisp day to warm up with this soup and to try others.

    Cocktail Paring:

    Limoncello Tini: This drink was sweet and sour, featuring Limoncello flavor. The acidity of the drink was nice, but the sweetness was just a little overpowering paired with the soup. I would have personally preferred this drink on its own or with dessert. Read the rest of this entry »

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  • 27Sep

    Paladar Latin Kitchen & Rum Bar Launches in Gaithersburg

    Paladar Latin Kitchen & Rum Bar just launched its third location in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. The new addition is at Downtown Crown in Gaithersburg, MD, and features Executive Chef. Gregory Webb. I was present at the opening event benefiting the wonderful charitable organization, Manna Food Center. We also covered the Tysons Corner launch.

    I tried several different mojitos, with the Peach Basil Mojito being my favorite and the Mango Cilantro my second favorite. They actually incorrectly made my Strawberry Mojito (minimal alcohol and a lot of fizz but this was the night before their actual opening and it was very busy), but when the Bar Manager remade it for me, it was good too.

    With house-made chips (made from various vegetables) we were served 3 different guacamoles (traditional, spicy, and mango/garlic), all of which were great. I was surprised at well the mango/garlic version worked, since I was skeptical at first.

    My favorite entrees were the Rum Glazed Cuban Pork (served with coconut mango rice, black beans  and fresh pico de gallo) , Grilled Skirt Steak Churrasco (served with chimichurri, sofrito rice and pinto beans), Mojo Marinated Atlantic Salmon (served with well-executed sauteed zucchini and truly great yucca spaetzle), and Coconut Curry Vegetables (a vegetarian dish I tried one or two bites of).

    The Coconut & Caramel Flan and the Sweet Potato Donuts were delicious and expertly executed! I could see myself ordering both of them often. The Mexican Chocolate Cake looked great, but they ran out of it before we were served dessert. The Paladar Churros were a crunchy style of churro (and I prefer more of the classic texture).

    The restaurant has a great corner location. The outside bar area was designed well. There are also bar tables, and on the other side of the building, a patio seating area with a great view of a nature preserve.

    This is definitely a restaurant checking out! There are also Tysons Corner, Annapolis, and Rockville locations.

    -JAY

    Disclosure: From time to time, we are given free items, meals, or entry to events.

    Paladar Latin Kitchen and Rum Bar on Urbanspoon

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  • 19Sep

    Recent Favorites

    Below are some of the best things we’ve eaten recently:

     

    -JAY

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