• 13Oct

    I know you’re reading this and looking out at your small (or large) patch of land and wondering what you’re going to do all winter long with nothing to look at.  Well, snap out of it!  I’m here to tell you there IS something you can do.  You can plant!

    P.S. it’s bulb season, but I’m sure you already knew that! Putting the daffodils and tulips in the ground now, with a wee bit of fertilizer, will produce beautiful Buckets (that’s Bouquets) in the spring!  But while they may look good on the table, we can’t eat them.  So dig ye some holes, and fertilize with aplomb.

    It’s time for strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries.  The cool night air and the hot sun in the morning make the perfect combination of growing goodness.  And listen, I live on a farm now, I should now!  Or at least the 150 year old farmer in the John Deere trucker hat telling me this at the local feed store should know!  He’s 150 after all!  With these plants, you get the watering out of the way in the fall.  They should be watered quasi-regularly until the first frost.  But after that, you’ll be saved the crazy watering of the spring.  And just so you know, you should chop off all the flowers on your strawberries the first year so they can focus on their root growth.  Doing this in the fall, you can let them bloom away in the spring!

    It’s a rough world out there.  A dangerous world.  Bumblebees are crashing into police cars for goodness sake!  Control what you can.  Plants are easy.  Water and fertilize.  People say they kill plants.  Plants are like children.  And many of those people have children.  Think of the summer benefits – strawberry shortcake, blueberry crumble, and raspberries for salads! Jack Frost may be on his way, but Mother Nature is still the Heavy Weight champion.

    AEK

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  • 12Oct

    The good news is, some of us are over-employed (that’s good, right?).  Some of us have even moved away from the DC area *gasp* (you know who you are).  🙂

    But the bad news is a dry spell for the FUD at the moment.  So, to
    counteract this terrible state of affairs, we are looking for…..

    A FEW NEW WRITERS!!
    Were you annoyed by a restaurant?
    Do you have some random recipes to share?
    Have you discovered the best wine, restaurant, food truck, or….restaurant restroom in DC?
    Do you want to write a comparison article for a particular item or dish?
    Need some hipster cred?
    Then we want you for DCFUD.  Send any sort of writing sample to
    jay@dcfud.com, along with a couple ideas you’d like to write
    about.  It’ll be crazy!

    Permalink Filed under: Etc No Comments
  • 07Sep

    Check out the official site.  They only have 3 DC Trucks listed…Pedro & Vinny’s, DC Slices, and Fojol Brothers

    I voted for the one I think is a best fit of the three for the show.  

    Vote away….and maybe we can get a DC Foodtruck in the next season of the show.

    -JAY

  • 18Aug

    You don’t need to be a state to have a fair!  Don’t believe me, there are deep-fried Oreos and funnel cakes aplenty being served just 20ish miles over the border in Gaithersburg, Maryland.   The Montgomery County Agricultural Fair is the quintessential fair – animals, foods, rides, and all the country a city boy could want!

    Looking to take on a new hobby?  Stop and watch the intricacies of judging the perfect shorn sheep.  Trying to teach your children about child-birth?  Visit the birthing tent and see the miracle of life itself!  (Mind you, cows are the mothers at this fair!)  Want to get your pre-teen hooked on gambling?  Then the pig races are the place for you!  Opportunities and excitement abound!

    I personally enjoy shoving grease-soaked carnival treats in my mouth while watching the rides.  The twirly ones make me nauseous…but I keep eating.  I like being heckled by the keepers of the game booths – an odd mix of surly older folks and those who could probably star in one of A&E‘s many reality shows.  No where else on earth can one get so excited to play a game for $2 and receive a cheap stuffed animal that will either meet the dog later that night or pass on to one of our nation’s many land-fills.

    But wait, this is a food site…so let’s talk food.  Turkey legs, ice cream, cotton candy, sausage, lemonade…it’s not high-brow, but it’s darn tasty.  The stuff you know you shouldn’t eat and regret later. But while you’re chomping, heaven does indeed seem to be a place on earth!  And where else can you eat a hotdog in front of a pig?  Or a hamburger while staring a cow in the face.  There is a circle of life and it’s at the fair!

    So, download some “Meet Me In St. Louis” and get out to the fair!  Eat something with the sweet smell of manure in the air.  Do it, if you dare!  You may even see a mare.  Ok, enough already.  Montgomery County may not be a state yet, but we sure do love our farms and support our 4-H!

    AEK

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  • 13Aug

    More info on this contest is avilable in this Modern Domestic post.

    -JAY


    Inside the heart of every baker lies the soul of a diva. A competitor. A little voice that says “my cupcakes are the best.” Or maybe that’s just some of us.

    But admit it – I bet you make some pretty damn good cupcakes. So it’s time to show them off. The DC State Fair, which will be held on August 28th as part of Columbia Heights Day, is holding a cupcake contest. It’s where DC’s bakers can really strut their stuff and show what they can do with a mixer and a piping bag. Be creative and have fun with it!

    The winner of the cupcake contest will win fame, glory, and a delicious prize box of treats from Treet.
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  • 06Aug

    In my inbox:

    -JAY
    ——————————————————-

    Hi JAY,

    Hope you’ve been enjoying your summer—and have been able to make it out to a Silver Diner to check out their Fresh and Local menu!

    We have a really exciting Facebook promotion launching on Friday August 6th that I thought you might be interested in. To help other people get a chance to try out the new Fresh & Local menu you tried at our event, Silver Diner is offering everyone who “likes” them on Facebook a $10 off coupon. We tried to keep it nice and simple, “like” Silver Diner on Facebook, enter your email address into the form and get your coupon emailed to you once we reach 5,000 fans.

    And, when a fan redeems their coupon they can sign up for the Eat Well, Do Well rewards program, which donates a portion of Silver Diners profits to support local school lunch and fitness programs. In fact, Eat Well Do Well is getting ready to make a big donation this fall, $30,000 to area schools during Farm to School Week!

    We would love if you could help us out and let your readers at DC Fud know about the promotion! It will be going live at www.facebook.com/SilverDiner on Friday.

  • 29Jul

    In my Inbox:

    Michael just sent us this. 🙂

    -JAY

    —————-

    August 3rd – Veggie Burger Bonanza. Do you relish the thought of learning how to make your own veggie burgers? Join Chef Michael Kiss in this fun and informative class on how to put the flavor back in the bun. No moo, No cluck, and definitely no duck, just wholesome plant oriented burgers that are way better than anything from a frozen box. Vegetarian class.

    August 10th –  29 ½ Minute Meals. It’s a busy life folks, and sometimes we feel hopeless to maintain a healthy lifestyle for us and our families. If you can find 29 ½ minutes Chef Michael Kiss will show you how you can eat healthy and delicious food that most importantly is fast to prepare. This week’s dinner in a flash; Peanut Tamari Tofu wraps with Thai hummus. Stop for a moment and chew! Vegetarian class.

    August 17th **NEW SERIES** Hungry for Knowledge. In this new series, each month, Chef Michael Kiss will review and discuss one of the many dietary lifestyle books we have here at Whole Foods Market. In this non-bias exploration of all things food we will cook some of the recipes from the book as well as offer a 5% discount off the purchase price of the book of the evening. Our first book we will explore is “The Engine 2 Diet” by Rip Esselstyn. Rip is an Austin TX, firefighter that has developed a plant strong approach to healthy lifestyle. Vegetarian class.

    August 24th – Melons 101. Summer isn’t summer without a big ol’ wedge of watermelon, the juice dribbling down your chin and the fun spitting the seed further than your friends. In this informative class Chef Michael Kiss will show you the right way to pick the best of the season but we will also prepare a few dishes that might surprise you when you taste them. Sweet and savory dishes that all include melon in the ingredient list; this will definitely be a class with a rind. Ur,um… I mean appeal.

    August 31st – How to cook like a chef-Gazpacho Mania. This summer one of the hottest trends in cooling down is gazpacho. There are so many variation and new ones being invented by talented chefs every day. Join Chef Michael Kiss as we investigate what makes a classic gazpacho as well as learning how to get funky with nuvou gazpacho variations. Get excited for the flavor flamenco dance on your tongue. O’le! Vegetarian class.

    Classes begin at 7:00 PM. All Whole Foods Market Cooking Classes are free of charge. seating is limited to first come, no registration required. veggie burgers ready to go in the oven! I feeling healthy today![ad][ad]

  • 29Jul

    I’m not sure why, but I’ve always associated eggplant with winter; the illusions of our global market, I suppose, since the purple blobs are actually in season right now. I picked up a few lovely looking baby ones at the farmer’s market the other day, and have been mucking about with them, trying to do something interesting. Turns out, so far, that classic (or at least classic-ish) works best.

    The main thing I’ve learned is that purging is absolutely essential: the final product is much less greasy and grainy, with better flavor. Purging goes like this: you slice the eggplant, salt it pretty generously on both sides, and leave it in colander for just over an hour. The salt draws out some of the moisture from the outside layer, making it firmer and sealing the insides. Then, you rinse the eggplant (very well, you don’t want all that salt in your dish), and dry them with paper towels (I squeeze them a bit to be sure). Then cook them. This is especially critical if you’re frying, but important in other prep too, for eggplants. Also works on plantains, tomatoes, etc.

    My best dish this eggplant week was, as I said, simple and fairly classic. I used:

    1 Italian eggplant, sliced into circles ~1cm thick, and purged
    3 large cloves finely minced garlic
    1.5 tbs herbes de Provence
    1/2 tsp cayenne
    Olive oil
    Salt
    Fresh black pepper

    While the eggplant is purging, grease a tray with some oil, and make a dressing from the garlic, herbs, cayenne, and about a tablespoon of oil. Preheat your oven to 425. I actually made this in my toaster oven, because it’s bloody hot these days and I wanted to minimize the heat in my kitchen.

    Once purged and dry, arrange your eggplant on the tray, and top each slice with your dressing (which should be very thick…almost a rub). Throw that in the over for about 25 minutes, or until the tops are a little bit browned and crispy.

    Serve as hors d’oeuvres, side dish, or even as a whole meal if you make a larger batch.

    – MAW

  • 21Jul

    Attention Mother Nature…you may think you’re super smart, the mastermind of earth and all her bounty, but I’m on to you.  Sure your plants are busy all summer, like a video editing machine at the RNC, but I know the truth.  I may make fun of those folks playing poker with sunglasses, but I have learned to recognize a bluff when I see one.  And winter is yours!  I knew my years of watching Little House on the Prairie and The Waltons would not be in vein.  I have captured your sunny, sweet flavors, your ripe fruits and your succulent vegetables.  I am canning.

    Cunning, I am.  Witty?  Well, thank you sir.  A decent cook?  Better than decent.  But I needed some help on the beginning of this journey.  My Fodor’s?  My Frommer’s?  My Bible: the Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving.  True, many a fruit and vegetable are not in plentiful enough supply to start canning like a madperson yet.  I started this odyssey after the blueberries came and went (I was actually perfecting my blueberry pie recipe – cream cheese crust – a toddler couldn’t mess it up!) and, minus the fresh fruit, I hate all things strawberry.  But keep the faith!  Peaches are coming, zucchini are growing, and cucumbers are right around the corner.

    While waiting for the harvest,  I have been practicing.  Lord knows, I’m not going to mess up on a 20 pound batch of peaches!  Today, I tested a yellow tomato and honey butter – hard to find yellow tomatoes?  Yes!  But they won’t be in a few weeks.  And if you’re afraid of the canning process…testing gives you the opportunity to perfect your technique.  It can be intimidating.  The heat, the sterilizing, the crazy amounts of sugar!  I realized very quickly I need a larger pot.  And more canning jars.  Luckily, the jars can be purchased at any Walmart or True Value these days.

    Do I really know if the rich flavor of that gorgeous peach will be preserved in a glass jar when I pop the seal on January 16th?  I have no clue.  But I’m an optimist and believe in the power of Mother Nature.  And I can be sure they’ll be better than the peaches I find in Giant on aisle 9 drenched in a sweet syrup.  I dare you to try it.  I’m sure there are a bunch of secretive canners out there – be proud, be brave, and in the winter, when roots vegetables are the kings and queens of our dinner tables, the peaches, plums, and preserves of summer will be the envy of all our dinner guests.

    AEK

  • 06Jul

    Found this on Craigslist.org.

    -JAY

    —————–

    Restaurant Writers – no food restrictions (D.C., Crystal City, Bethesda)


    Date: 2010-07-06, 1:11PM EDT
    Reply to: job-awkvh-1828396460@craigslist.org [Errors when replying to ads?]


    i-SPY hospitality provides mystery shopping services for restaurants in Wash D.C., NYC, Philadelphia, and Atlantic City, NJ.

    We are looking for restaurant “shoppers” in the D.C. and surrounding areas, with superior WRITING and MEMORY skills and the ability to follow succinct instructions, and an interest in DINING OUT.

    To be considered, you must have NO diet restrictions (food or alcohol) whatsoever (sorry, no vegetarians).

    You MUST be flexible dining in D.C., Bethesda, MD and Northern VA.

    You MUST be able to commit to at least ONE meal per month.

    You MUST be comfortable writing, in a professional, grammatically correct manner.

    Our shoppers are reimbursed for dinner for two, plus paid $15.

    Following the meal they are required to write about 3 to 4 pages of narrative, which takes about 2.5 hours, and due within 24 hours.

    Potential shoppers are required to fill out an application on our website http://ispy4u.net/shoppers.htm AND an Independent Contractor’s Agreement, which you will be forwarded after we receive your online application.

    We are having training meals 7/22 and 7/23 in D.C. to determine if candidates are a match; candidates will be introduced to the process, provided a writing sample of what is expected and then asked to write a sample narrative after the meal, due within 24 hours of our meal.

    The following is what makes a successful mystery shopper?
    1. Superior retention and writing skills.
    2. Ability to pay strict attention to detail.
    3. Follows instructions.
    4. Enjoys personal interaction in a social setting.
    5. Reliable to follow through on committed assignments.

    marc kravitz
    i-SPY hospitality audit services
    ispy4u.net

    marc@ispy4u.net

    • Location: D.C., Crystal City, Bethesda
    • Compensation: $15
    • Principals only. Recruiters, please don’t contact this job poster.
    • Please, no phone calls about this job!
    • Please do not contact job poster about other services, products or commercial interests.

       
       

    PostingID: 1828396460

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