• 12Nov

    Bobby Flay and 9 and 3/4 Year Old Discuss Doneness

    I recently attended the Metropolitan Cooking & Entertaining Show. Above are some pictures of the show’s highlights.

    Bobby Flay was the show’s headliner Sunday evening. He is great with kids.

    A girl was at the microphone to ask a question.

    Bobby: “How old are you?”

    bobby_flayGirl: “Nine and a half.”

    Bobby: “When is your birthday?”

    Girl: “February”

    Bobby: “That isn’t nine and a half; you are nine and three quarters. What is your question?”

    Girl: “How do you like your burgers?”

    Bobby: “Medium rare to medium.”

    Girl: “We went to Bobby Flay’s Burger Palace and my father… (she is getting angry) MADE me order MEDIUM WELL. I wanted medium rare.”

    Bobby: “Is your father here?” (No.) “Is your mother here?” (Yes.) “Get your mother for me.”

    Bobby: Asks mother: “What is this I hear about her father making her eat medium well burgers?”

    Mother: “I think he sees it as a food safety issue.”

    Bobby: “It’s Bobby Flay’s Burger Palace, it’s safe! Let her have the medium rare burger.”

    Another kid (also a girl) asked him if he is going to do the next season of Worst Cooks in America. He said that it is really Anne Burell‘s show and that he wouldn’t be hosting with her this year and the kid was on the verge of tears.

    Bobby: “Don’t cry! Tyler Florence will be co-hosting this season.”

    The kid: “Tyler Florence?” And she brightened right up.

    Bobby: (Faking jealousy:) “You don’t have to be so happy about it. (To the audience:) “She likes Tyler.”

    -JAY

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  • 07Nov

    Catch Fresh Seafood at Fishnet

    I recently hosted DC Food Blogger Happy Hour at Chef Ferhat Yalçin’s new restaurant, Fishnet DC. All of Chef Ferhat’s dishes were excellent, and it was nice of him to make my a scallop without mushrooms (since I am allergic). I definitely want to go back and try more dishes.

    Chef Ferhat Yalçin working with salmon.

    Chef Ferhat Yalçin working with salmon.

    You also can’t beat $3 craft beer on tap at Fishnet’s happy hour (4-6pm and 9-10pm). The HH beer selection includes:

    • Weihenstephaner Hefe-Weissbier
    • Stone IPA
    • Bell’s Amber Ale
    • Avery White Racsal
    • Port City Porter
    • Oskar Blues G’Nkight Imperial Red IPA
    • Lagunitas A Lil’ Sumpin Sumpin

    -JAY

    Fishnet on Urbanspoon

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  • 06Nov

    East Meets Western Brunch

    Ping Pong Dim Sum Brunch

    Ping Pong Dim Sum introduces their new brunch menu with an eastern flare.  Dim Sum is already considered Chinese-style brunch but fusing it with the western brunch style makes it a Ping Pong brunch to remember.  Dupont Circle’s location introduced their newest East West Brunch dishes and cocktails in late October. They flew their Beverage Director, Daniele Ziaco, from London for a quick mixology lesson on how to make one of their signature cocktails, Lemon Grass and Lime,  a complicated cocktail of 5 different ingredients (vodka, lychee sake with fresh lemongrass, lime and lychee juice).

    Daniele Ziaco, Beverage Director of Ping Pong Dim Sum

    Daniele Ziaco, Beverage Director of Ping Pong Dim Sum

    Ziaco brings 15 years of experience to Ping Pong, and has developed regional bar programs in Europe, the Middle East, Asia and the Americas. Before joining Ping Pong’s first store in London in 2006, Ziaco managed the bar programs in London for the critically acclaimed Hakkasan restaurants by Alan Yau. Born in Tuscany, much of Ziaco’s inspiration for his methodology, and appreciation for quality and freshness, comes from his childhood in Italy.​

    Ping Pong Bubble

    Ping Pong Bubble

    My favorite cocktail of the night was their Brunch Champagne with Bubbles.  Think of it as an adult beverage Bubble Tea although instead of your typical tapioca bubbles it’s filled with poppers.  And if you’re unfamiliar with poppers, I highly suggest that you go out and try them.  It’s unlike it’s tapioca counterparts because instead of being a solid ball of tapioca, the center is filled with fruit juice; the skin encasing the juice is so light that when bitten, a burst of juice fills your mouth.

    Egg & Cheese Spring Rolls

    Egg & Cheese Spring Rolls

    But now for the important part…the food!  I’m not a huge fan of western brunch foods as I’m not really a breakfast person, but these dishes really did wow me.  So here’s a take on my favorite dishes on the menu.  Let’s start with their egg and cheese spring rolls, which is a fried egg roll wrapper filled with scrambled eggs, sharp white cheddar, peppers and spring onion, and served with a five-spice tonkatsu sauce.  This dish will make you rethink your breakfast burritos.

    Chicken & Green Tea Waffles

    Chicken & Green Tea Waffles

    Next up is their chicken and waffles.  Who doesn’t like chicken and waffles, but how about green tea flavored waffles with an Asian spice kick?  It is a sweet and savory matcha made in heaven (see what I did there?)  Matcha green tea belgian waffles topped with sesame seed crusted fried chicken with lemongrass and ginger maple syrup!  Doesn’t the description alone get your mouth watering?  It has mine watering so much that it makes me want to drink the syrup.

    Black Mango Tea French Toast

    Black Mango Tea French Toast

    Do you have a sweet tooth for breakfast?  I certainly do.  In my non-executive chef mind, an eastern French toast would just be French toast with some Asian Fruit compote. but this is why I’m not an executive chef.  This French toast is no ordinary french toast; it’s a mango black tea steeped brioche French toast  topped with exotic fruit and served with a  ginger maple syrup. It’s that ginger maple syrup that brings you to tears of happiness.

    Char Sui Bun

    Char Sui Bun

    And my final top dish would be the Char Sui Buns, an ultimate favorite dim sum dish of mine made up of honey roasted pork in a mantou (fluffy white Chinese bun).  Although I don’t feel that Ping Pong’s rendition beats the original version, it is rather tasty and I’m a fan of the open face mantou.

    So with all that’s said and eaten, I highly suggest that you grab some friends and run, don’t walk to the nearest Ping Pong Dim Sum and have yourself a East West Brunch.

     

    OTHER ITEMS ON THE MENU:

    Dumpling

    Dumplings

    Sichuan Hanger Steak "Loco Moco"

    Sichuan Hanger Steak “Loco Moco”

    Shanghai Shrimp and Grits

    Shanghai Shrimp and Grits

    Pork Belly Bun

    Braised Pork Belly Bao Sliders

    Sesame Beef and Sweet Chili Meatballs

    Sesame Beef and Sweet Chili Meatballs

    Edamame Dumpling

    Edamame and Truffle Dumpling

    Wild Mushroom Puff with Sweet Potato

    Wild Mushroom Puff with Sweet Potato

    Assortment of Steamed Items

    Assortment of Steamed Items

    Chinese Chocolate Sesame Donuts

    Chinese Chocolate Sesame Donuts

    Mochi Ice Cream

    Mochi Ice Cream

    -ADT

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  • 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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  • 28Oct

    STK…More Than Just a Steakhouse

    In celebration of Howard Homecoming weekend, Moët & Chandon hosted a brunch at STK Steakhouse & Lounge location in Dupont Circle.  It was an event for the beautiful and not your average brunch crowd.  Set up as more of a nightlight lounge, the complimentary champagne was flowing generously for the first half of the event.  Passed  hors d’oeuvres from STK’s brunch menu poured from of the kitchen.  Although they have your typical brunch items such as steak and eggs on their menu, you’ll find it to be anything but average.  My favorite on item by far was their Grilled Cheese and  Smoked Bacon. Who doesn’t love a grilled cheese sandwich but add some bacon to it and it’s a little piece of heaven.  However they didn’t place the back inside of the sandwich, the strip of bacon was placed on top which maintained its juicy crispiness.

    MoetMy second favorite was their smoked bbq which had a nice sweetness to it with a slight tanginess to the sauce topped with a little bit of blue cheese this little morsel gave you a nice taste of the south.  I am a big fan of Tuna Tartare.  It’s a dish that I normally have to order if it’s on the menu but most restaurants leave me disappointed.  STK’s unfortunately left me in the disappointed state.  Although the tuna was fresh, their soy honey emulsion left little to be desired.  It sounds amazing but it lacks flavor.  Their Glazed Sea Scallops tasted a lot like a ceviche, however, there was nothing to help balance out the overwhelming vinaigrette dressing.  The Chicken Skewers lacked flavor and were on the dry side.

    I ordered the Blue Crab Potato Fritters off of the menu and although the flavor and texture was out of this world.  The blue crab was lacking.  It was a nice crisp fritter that tasted more like a potato fritter than blue crab with potato, and the pepperonata sauce that accompanied them was a pleasant addition

    Overall the experience was pleasant; it’s definitely not your average steakhouse but a great hangout spot for young professionals.  Mix.  Mingle.  Drink.  That’s what STK ‘s brunch environment is best for in my opinion.

    -ADT (Angie)

    Click to add a blog post for STK on Zomato

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  • 24Oct

    Become one With Your Grill

    Bollywood Beer Can Chicken.

    Bollywood Beer Can Chicken.

    Read Grilling Like A Champion, and become one with your grill. Perfect for the novice or experienced griller looking to expand their repertoire. The book, edited by Rudolf Jaeger, is a great reference book. It  contains an equipment guide, information on fuel types, cooking times and temperatures by cut of meat, a spice and herb guide to help with recipe development, and cooking techniques for grilling and smoking. The photographs of the food in the book are honest representations of the recipes.

    Grilling LIke A ChampionThe book also contains over 100 delicious, international recipes, many that you might have made before with alternative cooking methods (in the oven or on the stove top), but have been adapted for cooking outdoors (including oven, rotisserie, dutch oven, wood-fired oven, charcoal/gas grills, smoker, and wok). Part of the charm of this book is that it pushes the limits of what you ever imagined cooking on your grill (or via other outdoor cooking methods). The book contains recipes for appetizers, main courses, sides, and desserts. Dishes that you’ve only ever made on the stove-top or in your oven are now presented to you in grill-able form. If you do not own a wood stove, or a smoker, you can easily use the recipes in an indoor oven or a grill with a smoker box. I tested the Bollywood Beer Can Chicken recipe. This was a solid recipe, utilizing  flavorful curry, coconut milk, spices, and beer (I used an IPA for mine). The end result was a delicious, moist, tender, flavorful chicken (pictured below). I was very pleased by how delicious the chicken turned out. I am looking forward to trying  more of the recipes in the book.

    -JHC (Jennifer)

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  • 22Oct

    Explore the World of Beer of Beerology

    beerologyBeerology is like a great  friend who holds you by the hand and leads you into the grown up world of beer. The author, Mirella Amato is a Master Cicerone, a beer version of a sommelier (there are less than 10 people holding the same title in the world). She knows her beers inside and out, and shares her knowledge in a very personable way. Amato guides you through different styles of beer, breaking down flavor profiles and even what to pair your beer with.

    The book is easy to read, informative while being fun. Without getting mired in the details, this book explains how each variety is made and includes a short explanation of how the beer in question ends up with it’s particular flavor profile. This can really help you identify what you enjoy or dislike about particular styles so that you can seek out beers that you are more likely to enjoy. Your experience with beer might have been limited to one or two varieties or even a single brand, but after reading this book you may dare to try something new and might discover that you love something very different from your go-to beer.

    There is great value in this book for the beer connoisseur as well, as it provides suggestions for brands and pairings that you may not have tried (or even heard of), and also vocabulary to describe what you are drinking. As a beer connoisseur and home-brewer, I found the food pairing ideas to be revelatory. I had never thought about beer in the same way as I had wine, as something to be enjoyed with food, and it was a great way to re-frame how I think about beer.

    Some other takeaways:

    The book helped me to understand why I love Belgians, Stouts and Porters, Sour Beers, Saisons, and why I dislike IPAs. Prior to reading this book, I believed that I disliked IPAs only because of how hoppy and bitter they tend to be. Belgians, Stouts, and Porters have more malt characteristics in them and fewer hops compared to IPAs.The book provided enlightenment for why the hops in my favorite beers did not bother me . I discovered through Amato’s  explanation the difference between old world and new world hops. Old world hops are softer, less bitter and more about aromatics, my favorites being ones that taste like citrus and floral notes . New world hops are more aggressive and can be very bitter and are used for flavoring the beer.  IPAS that are made with old world hops are ones that I  may actually enjoy, rather  than the new world style hop infused IPAs. Before reading this book, I did not know much about how beers age . There are some good suggestions for what beers to age and how to age them.  Beers, like wine change with age, and some are designed to be able to be aged. The IPA I find overly hoppy today might taste really good to me in a year or two, because according to Amato, the hop notes fade with time and the malt flavors get intensified. After reading this book, I’m going to have to have to try some old world style IPAs and give them a shot.

    Beerology is a fantastic read, and I highly recommend this book for anyone who is looking to expand their beer horizons. It is also great for someone who is trying to help a less experienced beer drinker explore the world of beer.

    -JHC (Jennifer)

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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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  • 19Oct

    DCFüd Wants You!

    The good news is that some of us are over-employed. (That’s good, right?)

    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! Found a great new restaurant? Do you have recipes to share? Have you discovered the best wine, restaurant, food truck, or (restaurant) restroom in DC? Do you want to compare 5 different restaurants’ BLTs? Need some hipster cred? Maybe cover an occasional food event? Writing experience for your resume? Articles for your Portfolio? Passionate about food? Then we want you for DCFüd. Send writing samples to jay@dcfud.com, along with few ideas you’d like to write about. It’ll be crazy!

    Also, please welcome our newest additions, Angie (ADT) and Jennifer (JHC) who owe us bios. 🙂

    -JAY

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