My eating habits have been ridiculous lately. Not only have my at-home kitchen concoctions largely consisted of variations on “I can’t believe it’s just Ramen”, but the few meals I’ve eaten out have been at diners, chains, bars and (gasp!) fast food joints. Ranging from the painfully mediocre to the admittedly delicious, my experiences in slothful dining have been varied, though they all have involved fried potatoes of some variety. Here’s a roundup.
Guilty pleasure: Yeah, yeah, the savvy foodie will turn his nose up at a chain like Bennigan’s, but I completely scarfed down one of its unholy appetizers, the Bleu Cheese Chips. The thick cut potato chips were coverd with gobs of Montery Jack and Bleu Cheese melted on top. I consumed them compulsively. I’m not proud of this, but it’s a fact.
Fine, but forgettable: Hitting happy hour at Bailey’s Pub & Grill in Arlington, I was pleased with their $2.50 beers and skeptical of the menu. The bacon-and-blue burger I ordered was inoffensive, but hardly memorable. Crispy fries, though.
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07Jul
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05Jul
It’s F-R-E-E!
That’s right, those spunky fools at California Tortilla are opening up another DC area location. You know what that means; free burritos! Here’s the scoop: The new Burnt Mills California Tortilla, located in the Burnt Mills Shopping Center (opposite Trader Joe’s) at 10721-A Columbia Pike in Silver Spring, is giving away a free specialty burrito and soda to those who attend their Grand Opening tomorrow, July 6, between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. and 5 p.m.- 8 p.m.
Not only that, but the first 10 people in line at 11 a.m. get a free burrito every week for a year at the Burnt Mills California Tortilla and the next 20 get a free burrito every week for a month!
Speaking of CalTor promotions, July is free cup month. Just bring in a big ol’ plastic refillable cup from another restaurant to any California Tortilla location and they’ll exchange it for one of their much groovier 32oz. plastic cups and a free soda that day. Plus, refills are only 99¢ on any visit after that. Not as good as their free popsicle or free DC Improv promotions, but still not too shabby.
–Entry by guest writer SouperAvram. -
05Jul
When it comes to potato chips, I generally think of them in four flavor categories: Regular, Sour Cream and Onion, BBQ, and Probably Inedible. Perhaps the tides are turning, but can chips flavored with Norwegian Lobster and Tientsin peppers really be good? Too many times have I been fooled by a New Flavor!, like “Spicy Salsa” or somesuch, that turns out to be all sugar and no spice.
A recent report from the UK says that the market for spicier, more exotic flavors is increasing rapidly, due to a more world-wise population with more adventurous tastes. I certainly hope that this is true, because I cannot wait to try Sage or Cantonese Black Bean flavored chips. Yum!
I cannot wait for Cantonsese Black Bean chips to hit my local vending machine. -
02Jul
For me, iced tea defines warm weather. In my house growing up, the first really warm, sunny day of spring meant a big glass jug of water and tea bags went out on the front porch, and came back, poured over ice, as the first hint of summer. There’s sweet tea too, but that was always a not-at-home treat, as my parents (and now me) are not big on keeping sweets in the house.
Over the years, the recipe has evolved, from early years of Red Label or Orange Pekoe, to the high school staple of 50-50 Earl Grey and Darjeeling, to my collegiate blends of gunpowder and jasmine. Today, I made my first jug. That is, the first jug I’ve made in my own jug on my own stoop. Consequently, I decided to try a new recipe.
I used:
1 L purified water, in a glass pitcher
2 bags Ten Ren Hibiscus Spice tea
4 bags Twinings Darjeeling tea.
Put in sun for three hours. This mix has the sweet, citrusy flavor of hibiscus without being overpowering, although next time I think I’ll add another bag of that if for no reason other than getting more of its amazing crimson color. -
02Jul
I explored the new Tivoli Giant last week, and while there I called RJ to tell him he had to come by. He did.
One of the many things I bought on my trip was a jar of Jaipur Biryani paste, because well, it sounded good. The instructions on the jar involve frying chicken and tomatoes and onions, which was just not what I wanted to do this afternoon. This all in mind, I made my trip to the Soviet Safeway for more ingredients, and came home with about 1.75 pounds of chicken drumsticks and no further ideas. So, I looked around my kitchen, and found a couple of sweet potatoes. Wrc had suggested broiling chicken and potatoes with biryani to me a while back, so I decided to give it a shot.
First, I peeled and sliced the potatoes into circles, about ½ inch thick. I oiled them and spread about a total of 1.5 teaspoons of the biryani paste over them. It smelled good, but I wanted more, so I ground up about 8 allspice seeds and sprinkled that over top. I threw them in the oven at high heat for about five minutes (uncovered), as I gave approximately the same pre-treatment to the chicken. The chicken got salt and pepper instead of allspice.
I added the drumsticks to the potatoes, mixed it all around, adding some olive oil to the preparation dish to dissolve the remaining biryani, and pouring that over the chicken and potatoes. Now I switched the oven to broil, covered the dish with foil, and put it in on the top shelf. Flip the chicken and stir after 15 minutes. Cook another 20.
This turned out really tasty, but there are a couple things I’ll do differently next time: buy some naan, usebetteractually good quality chicken (i.e., not from the Soviet Safeway), add broccoli or cauliflower, and add more allspice and hot pepper. -
01Jul
So you love to write. You love to eat. You’re dying to find a way to combine your obsessions.
Sounds like you’re a great candidate to be a DCFüd writer. This month, our website is eagerly looking for new voices to add to our staff.
Say you’ve tried out a new restaurant and think Tom Sietsema is crazy for giving it 2 stars. Or you’ve got a great family recipe you’re just dying to share with the D.C. community. Or you just have a really passionate opinion on which local joint serves the best falafel.
Our style is informative, but casual. If you think you’d like to write, just toss a couple writing samples, or a few story ideas, to dcfud.writers@gmail.com. We’re hoping to hear from you!
