Trouble With Toast

Before I get to the insurmountable task of recapping the AMAZING food blogger potluck, I feel that I must comment on Saturday’s goings-on. I have to admit, I had heard such wonderful things about last year’s Shamrockfest that I was practically expecting winged angels to feed me beer-flavored ambrosia whilst fanning my glistening brow (while soothing Celtic music played in the background, of course). That didn’t so much happen.

Instead, I drank a lot of beer (seriously, lost count after about 8), ate a stadium dog faster than I have ever eaten anything in my life, and ended up spraining my left ankle. Other than that last little faux pas (which has placed me in crutches, due to the fact that said ankle is swollen and bruised beyond recognition), the day was a TON of fun. The event was a little unorganized, and the beer lines were incredibly long in the beginning (and we were in the VIP area, so we weren’t expecting that), but the weather was phenomenal and I think I speak for my entire crew when I say that we were all happy to be there together, reveling in the spirit of St. Patrick’s Day.

Anyone have any good, non-scandalous Shamrockfest stories to share? I’d certainly be interested to hear about the non-hot-dog food offerings.

* Actual shirt worn by MANY runners at last weekend’s St. Patrick’s Day 8K. Sheesh.

Despite my partial Irish heritage (my grandmother’s maiden name is Halligan), I’ve never gotten really jazzed about St. Patrick’s Day. One year I went to Savannah, GA, with some buddies–they go ALL out down there, making it the second-largest celebration in the country, after Chicago (I think). Other than that, the holiday usually passes without me noticing.

This year, however, will be different. In addition to eating Irish Beef Stew at Sunday’s Food Blogger Potluck (yay about that, by the way), I will be spending tomorrow at Shamrockfest. My friends who went last year said it was a really good time, so I’m definitely looking forward to it. I just hope the Irish part of my liver decides to show up.

Have a great weekend, and Happy St. Patty’s, everyone!

Last week, I voyaged to Georgia for some job-hunting and some reliving of my college years (note to self: you are NOT 20 anymore).  Since I’ll be moving to Atlanta in about three months, I was excited to start living and learning the culinary scene in and around the city.  Here’s the report:

In Atlanta proper, I didn’t get a chance to do TOO much exploring (since I was staying with my parents in Lawrenceville).  However, I did confirm that the best burger in the city is still at The Vortex.  When I was a teenager, going to the Vortex was a rare treat usually reserved for pre-concert fun (I distinctly meeting a bunch of fellow Sarah McLachlan fans at the midtown location prior to Lilith Fair one year–don’t you dare judge me).  The atmosphere has sort of a kitschy-with-an-attitude kind of vibe, and the food is awesome.  I had a bison burger with swiss and mushrooms, cooked medium rare, and I absolutely inhaled it.  I was tempted to go for the tots, but I remembered that the Vortex was famous for its creamy, bacony potato salad–and I was glad I opted for that particular side item.  So much deliciousness on one plate!  The kicker, though, was that I was able to order a Sweetwater 420 (quite possibly my favorite beer ever) on draft.  Heaven.  Some tourists saw my deliriously happy post-feasting face and said, “You look like you know what’s good here!”  Tee.

In Lawrenceville, it’s easy for a food fiend to be discouraged by the sea of chain restaurants on nearly every corner.  There are some real gems, though, if you have the patience to look for them.  One of my favorites is the Kirin House, a little hole-in-the-wall Japanese place near my parents’ house.  They have some hibachi tables, but I have no idea if their cooked food is any good–I always get sidetracked by the sushi bar.  It’s teeny tiny, with only about 8 seats and one sushi chef, but the fish is incredibly fresh and the “special” rolls are all really tasty, creative, and beautifully presented.  It’s always a highlight of a trip home (along with Chick-fil-a, which is a sacred and yummy Southern tradition)!

In Athens, I’m never sure whether my affinity for certain places has to do more with truly good food or just college nostalgia.  Either way, I ate pretty well while I was visiting my alma mater.  At the Five Star Day Cafe, I had a great breakfast of a “scramble” (eggs with cheese, veggies, and ham), a potato cake with sour cream and corn relish, a chocolate chip muffin, and coffee–all for less than $10.  I enjoyed another great breakfast (and a killer chocolate milkshake) at the Grill, which is a campus landmark.  The only disappointment was Uncle Otto’s, which used to be called Achim’s, where I got a chicken “k-bob” and fries.  It was passable, but it was nowhere near as good as I remembered it–the chicken was dry, the sandwich was oversauced, and the fries didn’t taste delicious and fresh-cut like they once did.  Two out of three ain’t bad, I guess.

I also visited Athens’ culinary pride and joy, 5 & 10.  However, due to the buzz surrounding that particular establishment, it probably deserves its own post.  Look for that sometime within the next couple of days.

All in all, though I’m excited about moving back home, I’m torn in my feelings about the food.  I don’t doubt that there are great places to eat in Atlanta, but after living in DC for three years, I have to admit that I’m pretty spoiled.  Hopefully, with enough persistence, I’ll be able to find the folks who are devoted to making the Atlanta culinary scene as diverse and dynamic as the city itself.

Though I have much to report from my recent jaunt to Georgia (including a review of 5 & 10, the most recent recipient of the “Best Restaurant in Atlanta” title), I wanted to quickly plug a non-culinary event that I’m hosting.

Tomorrow night (Tuesday 2/26), please consider joining me and my friend Heather at Chi-Cha Lounge for a Happy Hour to support the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer!  Heather and I met at the event in 2007, and we’ll be walking and tenting together this year.  We each have to raise at least $1,800 to participate–and that’s where YOU come in!

A $10 donation at the door gets you happy hour specials till 10 PM–and the opportunity to mix and mingle with me.  :-)  You’ll also get an incredibly warm and fuzzy feeling from supporting such an important cause.

Once again, Chi Cha Lounge, tomorrow night, 6-10 PM, $10, happy hour fun.  Please bring as many other guests as you like–more people means more money, and more money means more work towards finding a cure for breast cancer.  More money also means more cheap drinks–and who couldn’t use THAT on a Tuesday evening, eh?

Hope to see you all there–let me know if you have any questions.  Thanks for your support!  We will return to your regularly scheduled foodie programming tomorrow…

In a former life, I was a “regular” DC blogger–I wrote about whatever tickled my fancy, and I frequently attended happy hours organized by various individuals in the community.  When my writing became unfocused and unfulfilling, I shut down my old site and made the move to food bloggery.  I really enjoy writing on this site, and I love that I’m learning a lot about all things culinary, but I do miss interacting with other like-minded bloggers and meeting wonderful new people.

During a recent chat with Lemmonex (frequent commenter and writer of the highly informative and entertaining Culinary Couture), we decided that it was time to organize a get-together for the DC food blogging community.  So, without further ado, we present to you…

“Blogger Buffet: A DC Foodie Funfest”

!!!!!!!

Okay, once you contain your excitement, here are the (somewhat limited at the moment) details: we would like to host a potluck where DC food bloggers can meet, greet, and eat!  We can share recipes, trade tips and tricks, and gossip over which local chef we’d most like to…um…eat with.  Yeah.

We were thinking early- to mid-March, and either of us would be happy to host the shindig (as long as attendance isn’t more than about 10–we have roommates and small apartments).  We can dole out course assignments (which will, of course, be flexible) once we’ve gauged interest.  So tell us your interest! 

We think this could be really fun, so definitely let me know in the comments if you want in.  If you have a big, Metro-accessible house that you’d like to offer up, all the better!  We really hope you’ll join us for food and friendship.  Looking forward to hearing from everyone!

One night, while snuggling with my cat, I watched three consecutive Food Network programs about cheesecake.  After learning all about New York cheesecake, Chicago cheesecake, Italian cheesecake, Pennsylvania Dutch cheesecake, and even cheesecake made and sold by the nuns of New Skete, I was left with a very important question…

Which cheesecake is the best?

After deciding that my lack of a Kitchen-Aid mixer prohibited me from making various cheesecakes in order to determine the winner, I turned to the internet and mail-ordered a host of cheesy, cakey treats.  Specifically, I ordered one plain New York-style cheesecake (from Junior’s), one plain Chicago-style cheesecake (from Eli’s), and one plain Italian-style cheesecake (from Veniero’s).

The New York cheesecake (made with the traditional combo of cream cheese, heavy cream, eggs, and sugar) was dense, rich, and crumbly.  I was expecting either a graham cracker crust or no crust at all, but the cake was actually sitting atop a shortbread crust of which I was not a fan.  The flavor of the cream cheese filling was really good, though–not too cheesy, not too eggy, not too sweet.  The texture was a little too thick for my liking (it had a tendency to stick to the roof of my mouth), but it wasn’t grainy.  Overall, Junior’s represents the cornerstone of classic cheesecake.

The Chicago cheesecake (made with cream cheese, sugar, eggs, sour cream, vanilla, and salt) was absolutely delicious–simultaneously sweet and tangy with a surprisingly smooth, silky texture.  This cake sported a shortbread crust as well, but I much prefered it to the New York version.  I also liked the fact that the Chicago cake (which reminded me more of a custard pie) didn’t leave any discernable cheesy aftertaste, which I did get a bit of from the previous specimen.  Overall, Eli’s was my favorite of the bunch–I’ve never had such a light cheesecake with such impressive, deep flavor.

The Italian cheesecake (made with fresh ricotta and whole eggs, among other things) was, in my opinion, the least impressive of the lot.  It looked fantastic, with its wonderfully browned crust and fluffy interior.  However, the cake was incredibly dry and tasted way too heavily of eggs.  My sister posited that perhaps the bakery wasn’t the best, as she remembered having moist, delicious, Italian-style cheesecake in San Francisco.  Whatever the case, Veniero’s was the clear loser in this dessert battle–I don’t think anyone ate more than their first bite or two.

There you have it–at least in my house, the Windy City cheesecake reigned supreme (though the New York cheesecake was a very close second).  T-minus five months until I obtain my very own (pink) Kitchen-Aid stand mixer and attempt to replicate these delicious delicacies!

Thanks to some VERY generous folks at DonRockwell.com, Vidalia, and CityZen, on Monday, December 17, I found myself celebrating the end of a trying workday by attending a Wagyu beef tasting.

For the uninitiated (which I was before this event), Wagyu refers to certain breeds of Japanese cattle. The meat from Wagyu cattle is known for its intense marbling, rich flavor, tenderness, and juiciness. Because of the Wagyu cattle’s genetic predispositions and its special diet (which, I’m told, includes sake and tummy massages), Wagyu beef contains high percentages of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. It also has a superior ratio of monounsaturated fats to saturated fats than other beef.

The quality of Wagyu beef is determined by a 12-point marbling-score scale. Using the scale of Wagyu marbling scores, USDA prime beef would have a ranking of about 5 to 6. I believe the beef we were presented with at Vidalia was scored a 10. In other words, it was the good stuff!

After Chef R.J. Cooper showed us the whole, raw slab of beef, we were treated to our first presentation–carpaccio, served with sulfuric salt and an arugula salad (both on the side). The visual was stunning, with alternating stripes of bright red meat and pure white fat. The meat was incredibly tender and rich, though the flavor didn’t blow me away (until I paired a bite with the sulfuric salt, which created a fantastic taste combination reminiscent of steak and eggs).

Next came the real treat–Chef Cooper seared the meat perfectly rare, and it was served with Chef Eric Ziebold’s famous garlic fried rice. The food on that plate was so incredibly delicious, I’m afraid I don’t have the proper words to do it justice. The flavor and texture of the Wagyu was intensified by the heat, and each bite was amazingly buttery and decadent. Imagine the best steak you’ve ever had–moist, juicy, flavorful, impeccably cooked, and infinitely satisfying. If you multiply that sensation by 100, you might approximate the perfection that was contained in those few ounces of beef. Oh, and Chef Ziebold’s fried rice was pretty frickin’ good, too.

I left the restaurant unsure of whether my happily tipsy feeling was being caused by the wine (a fantastic tempranillo recommended by some newfound friends at the bar) or the magnificent meat. Would I shell out the requisite hundreds of dollars per pound to indulge in Wagyu once again? Not at my current pay grade–but I will certainly treasure the opportunity to try such a delicacy, especially when the experience was shepherded by such a gracious culinary community as we have in DC.

Pictures can be found here and here (I was a dunce and forgot my camera).

Whew…Las Vegas is an exhausting city, especially when you’re fortunate enough to eat like I did! Here’s the report from the field…

For lunch on my first day, I went to Burger Bar (in Mandalay Place). In terms of atmosphere, it is virtually indistinguishable from any other sports bar or mall restaurant. While there are a few “set” recipes (such as the Surf ‘N Turf burger, which features Angus beef, lobster, and asparagus), the fun at Burger Bar lies largely in the diner’s ability to customize. I opted for the Kobe beef burger (which was $16), cooked rare and topped with swiss cheese, caramelized onions, and oyster mushrooms (these ranged from about sixty cents to two dollars). I also added a side of sweet potato fries (I believe they were just under $3). The burger was absolutely enormous, and it was more or less tartare-style with just a touch of great-tasting char around the outside. The combination of toppings worked well together and added some dimension, but they didn’t mask the wonderful flavor of the beef. The sweet potato fries were good and crunchy, but they weren’t anything particularly special. I also didn’t eat much of the whole wheat bun I had chosen—next time, I’ll just pass on the carbs and save room for dessert. Service was mediocre (I waited almost 15 minutes for someone to acknowledge my presence at the bar), but the draft beer list was surprisingly varied (most domestic drafts hovered around $5).

Next was dinner at L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon (in the MGM Grand). The trick is to get a seat at the bar and watch the food being prepared. I was right in the center of the madness, with views of nearly all the kitchen stations, and I enjoyed watching the controlled chaos of such an esteemed kitchen. I indulged in the 9-course tasting menu ($135), and it was absolutely phenomenal. Personal highlights included butter-poached oysters, pumpkin soup with chestnuts and homemade croutons, free-range quail stuffed with foie gras and glazed with acacia honey (served with truffled mashed potatoes that included three huge slices of the exotic mushroom—heavenly), and papaya puree with banana ice cream. Service from my individual waiter was somewhat lackluster (he seemed disappointed that I wanted tap water and only ordered one glass of wine—which, consequently, was $22), but the “supporting cast” of servers assistants did a great job of enhancing my experience. Also, the sommelier stopped by to chat a few times, and he was incredibly gracious and friendly. He even brought over a sample of a rare desert wine for me to try, as he noted that it worked quite well with my final sweet course. Overall, it was a delicious and inventive French culinary experience.

Even though I got a late start on Thursday morning, I knew that my breakfast had to be at Bouchon (in the Venetian). I had heard great things about the bistro and bakery, and I hoped it wouldn’t let me down. When I arrived at about 9 AM, the place was bustling. I took a seat at the bar and waited about 10 minutes for someone to greet me with a menu. I knew immediately what I wanted to order—French toast, a side of sausage, and coffee—and my food was rung in at 9:15. As I caffeinated myself, the minutes ticked away and everyone around me received his or her food. At 9:50 AM, I still had nothing to eat, and I asked the server to check on my food and put it in to-go containers (I had to be at work at 10 AM). Finally, just a few moments before ten, my breakfast appeared from the kitchen and I bolted to my conference. I didn’t take my hunger-stoked anger out on the waitress—after all, it wasn’t her fault, and she kept my coffee full. However, I will be hesitant to return to Bouchon without much more time to spare. That said, the French toast was divine; the brioche was layered with apples and custard, and it had just the right amount of sweetness. The sausage was spicy, house-made, and absolutely out of this world. If the food was that good on the run, I’d absolutely like to taste it while relaxing in the charming atmosphere of the bistro itself.

I knew that I had to venture off the strip for one meal, and I knew exactly where that meal was going to be. So, after work on Thursday, I hailed a cab and told him to rush me to Lotus of Siam (located on East Sahara Avenue). I told my server about my peanut allergy and told him to pick me out an appetizer and an entrée that would represent the best the restaurant had to offer. To start, I had prawns that were wrapped in bacon, fried (in what tasted almost like egg roll batter), and served with sweet and sour sauce. Meaty and full of flavor, I would definitely order them again. For my main course, I had the drunken noodles with sea bass—and oh my gawd, that stuff was incredible. The fish was lightly fried and crispy on the edges, but velvety smooth on the inside. The noodles were tender and intensely flavorful, especially when paired with the peppers and basil leaves that accompanied them. I asked for the dish medium spicy, and it was the perfect amount of heat—it challenged my palate, but it didn’t obscure the wonderful flavor of the delicate fish. After all of that food and two Singha beers (I had forgotten how good they were), I was as full as I’ve been in a while. But any stomach stretching was 110% worth it, as Lotus of Siam was the highlight of my Las Vegas dining.

There you have it–hope that helps any future Vegas-goers! Back to my regularly scheduled diet…

As soon as I caught the lengthy-but-clever subtitle of David Kamp’s book, which read, “The Sun Dried, Cold Pressed, Dark Roasted, Extra Virgin Story of the American Food Revolution,” I knew it would be a good read. I was not disappointed; The United States of Arugula is a fast-paced, intricately-researched, often-hilarious romp through the American food industry and its colorful history.

Kamp begins by introducing readers to “The Big Three”—also known as James Beard (the “father of American gastronomy”), Craig Claiborne (New York Times restaurant critic and food writer), and Julia Child (beloved Amazonian chef, cookbook author, and television personality). As the cast of characters grows to include disciples of Beard, Claiborne, and Child, the book journeys from New York to California and back again, not only describing how Americans went from Jell-O molds and Spam to foie gras and sushi.

From Francophilia to “New American” cuisine, Kamp does a wonderful job of chronicling this country’s great culinary voyage. His footnotes (which are often more interesting than the text itself) give fascinating glimpses into some of the peripheral characters and ironic coincidences that popped up throughout the years. He also strikes a fair balance between discussions of restaurant dining, home cooking, and retail food operations (interspersing stories about the likes of Dean & DeLuca, Williams-Sonoma, and Whole Foods with tales of bistro kitchens and cookbook recipes). Perhaps most intriguingly, Kamp includes a healthy dose of gossip about the power players on the U.S. culinary stage (it’s no surprise that many of the early food personalities were closeted gay men, but who knew that Chez Panisse was such a den of iniquity). Some hard-core epicureans might not appreciate the seedy stories and non-food-related lore, but I think it adds a human touch to some of America’s favorite culinary icons.

In Kamp’s discussion of American food history, no one is safe—from The Frugal Gourmet to The Food Network, from Moosewood to McDonald’s, from Batali to Boulud—and everyone’s influence on the current culinary state is analyzed. In the end, though, the note is positive—after all, we are eating better and smarter than ever before (despite a still-troubling rate of obesity and other food-related health problems).

Whether or not you agree with Kamp’s conclusions, chances are that you’ll enjoy the road he takes to get there. I wholeheartedly recommend this book—you’ll absolutely eat it up.

At the beginning of the year, I started eating lunch in our office’s small break room. One of the secretaries chowed down with me, and I noticed that her leftovers always looked and smelled great. When I asked her how she had time to cook (she has more kids and grandkids than I can count), she confessed that she “dished.” As in Let’s Dish!, a rapidly growing chain of retail meal preparation stores.

According to its website, “Let’s Dish! is an innovative store where you can make (or pick up) family-friendly dishes designed to be frozen and cooked when you need them.” Even though many of my colleagues raved about the food and the experience, I was a bit hesitant to jump in. After all, I love to cook—wouldn’t “dishing” be like cheating? I don’t have any kids (unless you count my boyfriend), so I felt like the concept wasn’t really designed for me. Nevertheless, in the interest of investigative blogging, I accompanied one of my officemates to a Let’s Dish! session in Fairfax, Virginia.

The first thing I noticed about the store was its operating room-esque cleanliness. “Wow,” I thought, “my kitchen usually looks destroyed before I’m even done chopping onions.” That is definitely one of the plus points of “dishing”—there is absolutely no clean up. If you spill all over the floor or the table, a staff member appears and takes care of the mess for you. Brilliant.

There are about 15 meal options each month, from which you can choose 4, 8, or 12 in advance. The packages cost $100, $180, and $240 respectively (which works out to $4.17, $3.75, and $3.33 per serving). Each meal equals six servings, and they can be split into two servings of three for smaller families (which is what I did, since it’s just me and the man). All of the meals can be grilled, broiled, baked, or sautéed—there is no microwaving involved. I chose an 8-meal package, and after tying my apron and bandana, I was on my way.

There is one station per meal, and all of the ingredients (which are either fresh or flash-frozen) are lined up logically with an appropriately sized measuring cup or spoon. The instructions are clear, and there are separate recipes for those who want to split their meals. Over the course of about two hours, “dishers” move from station to station (depending on what meals they selected), putting together the ingredients, storing everything in plastic and foil, and labeling the completed meals.

The dishes I chose for my first session were Chicken Casablanca, Frozen Strawberry Margarita Pie, Louisiana-Style Jambalaya, Pasta Pomodoro (vegetarian—I doubled up on this one), Sicilian Tilapia, Spring Vegetable Crostini (vegetarian), and Tropical Shrimp and Noodles. All of the meals were pretty darn easy to put together, and the ingredients were quite impressive in their quality. More importantly, I had a lot of fun and I didn’t have to chop or clean anything. I still wasn’t convinced, though. The real test would be cooking the dishes in my kitchen and then tasting them.

With the exception of the Tropical Shrimp and Noodles (which I knew I probably wasn’t going to dig, since it had mango and coconut in it, and I like neither mango nor coconut), all of the dishes were tasty. Some—like the Chicken Casablanca, Sicilian Tilapia, and Spring Vegetable Crostini—were downright delicious. I couldn’t get over how tender the meats were and how fresh the veggies tasted. The 48 servings of food lasted about two months, so I feel like I found a good balance between cooking from scratch, heating up the pre-made meals, and dining out. The meals that could be cooked straight from the freezer without thawing were wonderful when I ran out of the house without defrosting anything.

Since I was pleased with my first Let’s Dish! experience, I brought my culinarily challenged significant other with me to the next session. We had a great time making meals together, and he was impressed with how good everything looked and smelled. He also commented that, for the amount of food you get, Let’s Dish! is a pretty good deal. This time, we made BBQ Pork Tenderloins, Calypso Chicken with Grilled Pineapple (two of these), Spinach and Black Bean Enchiladas, Design-Your-Own Calzones, Southwestern Grilled Pork Chops with Black Bean Salsa, and Spinach Ravioli (two of these as well). So far, we’ve tried the enchiladas, which were VERY tasty; the calzones, which were pretty standard, but good; the ravioli, which was yummy and spicy; and the chicken, which had awesome flavor and was even better with the pineapple.

In addition to convenience, Let’s Dish! offers a healthful approach—most of the meals have been reasonable in caloric content without leaving me feeling hungry. My boyfriend and I are on a low-fat diet right now, and we’ve been able to choose dishes where the fat content doesn’t exceed the 15 grams that we’re allowed per meal.

While I wouldn’t go to Let’s Dish! more than once every 2-3 months, and while I do still love to cook and bake from scratch, I think the concept is an interesting and successful one. It is nice to not have to think about menu planning every day, and it is wonderfully un-stressful to have certain dishes prepped and portioned in advance. Does anyone else have experience with this type of business? What did you think?