DCFüd readers can now get $20 off of a $60 or more purchase from Relay Foods! Just click on the image below (or on the right side of the website) or use this link: https://www.relayfoods.com/friend/JXDVAG. They have convenient pickup spots and also deliver.
-JAY
When one usually thinks of Irish food, we tend to focus on the stereotypical corn beef and cabbage and shepherd’s pie fare. However, after being here for the past two weeks I can happily report that the Irish are definitely not getting enough credit.
Although my home base has been in Cork city, I have also traveled to Dublin and some of the surrounding Cork county area thus far. Cork city is apparently known to be Ireland’s Restaurant Capital. I can definitely see why. Since they’re a waterfront area, their seafood market is as fresh as can be. My first night here we ate at a restaurant where we literally saw the boats coming in and unloading the night’s menu items. So far I’ve found that seafood chowder is a staple item here, which surprised me. There is also the ubiquitous fish and chips on almost every menu. And there are also a variety of other more unusual takes in seafood preparation including my favorite, the scallop, prawn and salmon burger I had at Electric Fish Bar my first night.
Another pleasant surprise I discovered is that Ireland has got to be one of the most Celiac friendly countries. They literally have gluten-free menus almost anywhere I go. And the gluten-free items I’ve had are mouth-wateringly delicious! I seriously have never had more gluten-free bread in my life. I’ve been able to have gluten-free paninis, pizza, cupcakes you name it. It’s right at my finger tips. You even go into local grocery stores such as Tesco, and they have entire aisles devoted to gluten-free items.
The Irish are also light-years ahead of us in the farm to table mentality. Instead of it being the novelty it is in the states to have all organic menus, it is the norm at almost any restaurant you walk into. It has been rather refreshing to have such fresh ingredients on my plate for almost every meal. Even eating at what I would consider to be a pub type locale, I was able to have a farm fresh steak with green beans and mashed potatoes at Oliver Plunkett. Even my green beans were nicely crisp and definitely straight from the farmer’s market.
Overall, I strongly recommend putting Ireland on your list of locations to visit. Not only will you be entranced with its rolling green pastoral settings and quaint fisherman villages, but you will also get to enjoy some really great food. Oh and I think there might some good drinks to be had as well…
-JPM (Joyana, AKA Joy)
Some Of The Best Baked Goods We’ve Eaten Recently:
Kyle Bailey and Tiffany MacIssac shared their GBD doughnuts at Graffiato’s May Industry Takeover Night. Some of my favorites were the Key Lime Curd Filled Brioche, Grapefruit Campari, Peanut Butter & Jelly, and Chocolate Creme Filled Brioche.
My friend Patricia King owns a gluten free bakery in Easton, MD called Patisserie Patrice. She sent me two kinds of bread, a Strawberry Granola Bar, and a Snickerdoodle, all of which were gluten free and delicious. She did a great job with the textures on everything, especially the granola bar (which is addictive).
A Bit More sells a wide variety of regular and gluten free baked goods at the Kingstowne Farmer’s Market (Fridays 4-7pm). Our favorite items (that contain gluten) are the Triple Chocolate Rocky and blueberry lemon scones, while our favorite gluten free items are the Glazed Pecans, Granola Bites, Pumpkin Spice Bread, and Brownies.
Bonjour La Parisienne (which needs to update their website) also sells at the Kingstowne Farmer’s Market. Everything is “a unique recipe,” which means that he threw something random in it and that it somehow works. I did not try the Challah bread (which contains pumpkin puree), but the blueberry muffins (which I think either contain yogurt or sour cream) and the chocolate chip cookies are decadent and amazing. Seriously! I did not ask what the secret ingredient in the cookies are. Next time I’ll try the Cinnamon Buns.
Edit: (5/17/2013) Maybe the guy from Bonjour La Parisienne was kidding last week about the pumpkin puree. Apparently pumpkin is not an ingredient in the challah.
Edit: (5/26/13) Apparently, pumpkin IS the secret ingredient in the challah but only one of the 2 Greek-accented guys who run the stand knew (and pumpkin is NOT mentioned in the ingredient list). They need to update the ingredient list before the one person in VA who is allergic to pumpkin buys a loaf.
-JAY
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Cy has been talking about all these stories he has been running across where the consumer is buying food items that are misrepresented. A few examples are fake honey, calamari (we hope this one is not true because it is nasty), and lemon juice. The big story that we keep hearing again and again is how often you are told you are buying one kind of fish (at a fish store or sushi bars) when you are actually purchasing another. A fish (escolar) that is often substituted for white tuna in sushi bars, can even cause “serious digestive issues.”
From Dr. Oz:
“As part of our campaign, Oceana conducted DNA testing of seafood meals in multiple cities across the country to get to the bottom of how much bait and switch was occurring. What did we find? Everywhere we tested, we found seafood fraud: 39% of seafood tested in New York, 55% in Los Angeles, 31% in Miami, and 48% in Boston (including testing by The Boston Globe) were mislabeled as entirely different types of fish than listed on the label. ”
Oceana sent me their DC-specific story.
-JAY
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“Oceana Study Uncovers Widespread Seafood Fraud in Washington, Nationwide
26% of Seafood Mislabeled in D.C. Grocery Stores, Restaurants & Sushi Venues
WASHINGTON—Oceana, the largest international advocacy group working solely to protect the world’s oceans, uncovered widespread seafood fraud across the United States, including in the nation’s capital, according to a new report released today. As part of one of the largest seafood fraud investigations in the world to date, DNA testing confirmed that 26 percent of the 105 seafood samples collected by Oceana in Washington, D.C., and one-third, or 33 percent, of the 1,215 fish samples collected nationwide were mislabeled, according to U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidelines.
The products we’ve been addicted to lately include two crackers (Z Crackers’ (Garlic & Basil), and Snack Factory’s Pretzel Crisps (Everything)), one Italian Soda (San Pellegrino’s Aranciata Rossa (Blood Orange)), some peanuts (Feridies’ Virginia Peanuts (Red Skin)), and a cookie mix (Cobblestone Kitchens’ Gingerbread Cookie Mix).
Z Crackers are from Brooklyn and are handcut. They have a good texture and go well with cheese. Several varieties of them are sold at Arrowine. We tried the Garlic & Basil flavored crackers; next time we will probably purchase the Cayenne & Cumin variety, since it sounded good as well.
Snack Factory Pretzel Crisps are thin crunchy pretzels/crackers but have a bagel topping (everything). They 
are supposed to be good with cheese, but we just eat them straight out of the bag. World Market carries several varieties of this snack.
You can find San Pellegrino‘s Aranciata Rossa everywhere (including Supermarkets). All the flavors are good, but we have been leaning towards the Aranciata Rossa (Blood Orange) lately.
The Feridies peanuts are yummy (salty, crunchy, and delicious). A variety of Feridies‘ products are sold at Arrowine, including the cashews.
Finding this particular Cobblestone Kitchens product, the Gingerbread Cookie Mix, is tricky. We have only found it at TJ Maxx, and have not been able to find it online. You can, however, find their gingerbread house 
mix online. The cookie mix is nice because you roll it out with your hands, and because the icing mix is included as well. The cookies and frosting are very tasty. We don’t own a rolling pin, so we used a wine bottle covered in plastic wrap to roll the cookies out.
-JAY
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Today was one of two soft launches for Whole Foods Foggy Bottom‘s new addition, the vegan and gluten free prepared foods venue, DC Dosa. Today’s soft launch ends at 2pm, but there will be another in January, as part of their Wine Down Wednesday Happy Hour (on January 9th from 5-7pm). It was great that I got to try their dosas for free today as part of the first soft launch. Take advantage of the soft launch on the 9th, although the menu will differ from what I tried today.
-JAY
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I was reading the Washington Post Express on the metro today, and realized that I won Friday’s Reader Caption Contest! They used the caption I wrote for this picture of Joe Biden pie shopping in the new Washington, DC Costco.
-JAY
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CoCo Sala has brought back my favorite of their seasonal chocolate barks, Pumpkin Seed Brittle Bark. They carry their chocolate store, on their website, and at Union Market.
Last year’s DC Lamb Jam was awesome. Below is a message (found in my inbox) from Fans of Lamb DC.
-JAY
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From now through December 14, fans of lamb are invited to post their ewe-nique family recipes plus a quote about why they love American Lamb on the American Lamb Board’s Facebook Page, www.facebook.com/
How you can participate:
Chefs and Shepherds
Send us your lamb-tastic family favorite recipes! We’ll post them on our social media channels crediting you, and we’ll also use them to reach out to local media sources to get home cooks loving lamb this holiday season. Additionally, we’ll reach out to lamb-loving chefs to pick a grand prize winner. If you’d like to help us, please let us know.
Bloggers and Home Cooks
Enter our contest! Post your recipes on our Facebook page, www.facebook.com/AmericanLamb, or on Twitter or Pinterest using the hashtag #AmericanLambFamilyRecipe. We’ll re-post each recipe onto our Facebook page, and you’ll be entered into our contest to win a weekly cut or a grand prize gift certificate.
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In my inbox from Cocova.
-JAY
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Ben Rasmussen of Potomac Chocolate will be appearing with chocolate samples on September 12th at Cocova.
Potomac Chocolate Meet the Maker and Premiere Launch Tasting
Wednesday 9/12/12
5:30pm to 7:30pm This is a free event open to all
“Come and meet Ben Rasmussen, owner of famed Potomac Chocolate, as he premieres his newest creation with us. Be among the very first to taste his new Peru Bar. We have been anxiously awaiting this new addition to his chocolate bar lineup, and you can be among the first in the world to try it!
Although Ben has only been making chocolate for two years, he has wowed the world of fine chocolate with his artistry and is also a winner of the Academy of Chocolate Silver Medal in 2011.
Ingredients in Ben’s bars: cocoa beans & sugar. Period. That is why he is so good, and why his bars are so enjoyable.”
Cocova is also having free sample days on these Saturdays:
September 15, October 20, and November 17 at 3pm – 6pm.
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