• 17Oct

    The One, the Only, the Irrepressible Shirley O. Corriher

    ShirleyCorriher“The NPC Events Committee is offering an exciting opportunity to see the One, the Only, the Irrepressible Shirley O. Corriher in action at The National Press Club next Wednesday, October 22 at 6:00 PM!! Shirley is a James Beard Award-winning cookbook author, renowned cook/baker and television personality.

    Even better, Shirley is teaming up with NPC’s Executive Chef Susan Delbert, who is preparing five delicious appetizers and sangria for you to sample. After tasting the sangria and appetizers, Susan will explain how they were prepared and Shirley will simply and humorously discuss the science involved.

    Open to the public with registration required. Admission is$10.00 for members and $15.00 for non-members includes appetizers and a glass of sangria. There will be a cash bar for additional drinks.  Registration:http://www.press.org/events/secret-life-food.”

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  • 16Oct

    TVFN Star Season 11 and Beat Bobby Flay Are Casting

    TVFN star castingReady for your shot on TV?

    Submit a Home Video for TVFN Star by November 25th, 2014. Visit www.FoodNetwork.com/Casting for additional open call details, instructions on how to submit a home video, and for more information. E-mail: FNS11Casting@jenscasting.com.

    For Beat Bobby Flay, go to www.JSCasting.com or  email BeatBobbyFlayCasting@gmail.com.

    They cast other food shows (and Ink Master) as well.

    -JAY

    Beat Bobby

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  • 15Oct

    Commence Chocolate Hoarding!

    wonka“Chocolate prices will likely go up — possibly by as much as 20% — due to the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, which produces 70 percent of the world’s cocoa beans.” Here is the related CNN  article. Thanks “Need To Know NYC” for the heads up.

    Don’t say I didn’t warn you!

    -JAY

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  • 14Oct

    Next DC Food Blogger Happy Hour is November 5th at Fishnet DC!

    November DCFBHH Profile-1The 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. You can take a look at their menu or beer menu if you would like.

    -JAY

     

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  • 13Oct

    Organic Tequila, Roasted Pig, and Wrestling Masks

    Organic tequila, roasted pig, and wrestling masks: Need I say more?

    Last week at Oyamel’s menu preview of their upcoming Day of the Dead Celebration event, I entered Oyamel’s establishment and found festive bartenders donning wresting masks while pouring Oyamel’s specialty Day of the Dead cocktail drinks. I knew it was going to be a good night.

    But what exactly is The Day of the Dead? It is a Mexican holiday tradition that recognizes Mexican friends and family members who have passed away. This year, Oyamel honors El Santo, or Rodolfo Guzman Huerta, an actor and Mexican folk icon, but he is best known as Mexico’s legendary luchador wrestler.

    Oyamel’s Head Chef Colin King recently came back from a trip to Mexico and personally created the Day of the Dead menu items inspired by El Santo’s favorite dishes. They are as follows:

    Puerco en Chile Morita:
    Local pork spare ribs that are braised and lacquered in a chipotle chile morita salsa. The balance between the subtle yet steady flavors of the pork and the exceptionally fresh salsa was very well executed. This was one of my favorite dishes from the night.

    Bistec con Pasilla:

    This local hanger steak is placed over a sauté of cactus paddle, sweet potato, and seasonal squash mixed in with salsa pasilla negra, a cured egg emulsion, and pickled chile dressing. It was cooked beautifully with the right amount of rareness in the meat and the flavors are a bit louder than the Puerco en Chile Morita but rightfully so.

    Ancas de Rana en Mole Verde:

    Cured frog legs coated in a crispy batter served over a green mole of tomatillos, sesame seeds and serrano chilies with a frisee salad. I was not particularly fond of the batter but once I got through it and indulged into the frog leg, I must say, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: it tastes just like chicken.

    Huatape de Hongos:

    The locally foraged wild mushroom is served with a green chileatole consisting of epazote, sorrel, and jalapeno. This was surprisingly a favorite of my boyfriend (who attended the menu preview with me). This is a delicious vegetarian choice (or any choice for that matter).

    Pescado Veracruz:

    Now this was one of the more popular items of the night. The wild-sourced snapper was tender and juicy in a Veracruz-style sauce that consisted of tomato confit, caramelized pear onion, garlic, capers, and olives. Another favorite of mine other than the Puerco en Chile Morita.

    Mole de Olla con Rebo de Res:

    This was my third favorite dish of the night. The locally sourced braised oxtail is succulently tender and complemented by a vegetable stew served with pickled vegetables. The tang from the pickled veggies was an excellent choice to balance the braised meat.

    But that’s not the end of the Day of the Dead menu specials! Oyamel’s Beverage Manager, Jasmine Chae, is responsible for specialty cocktail drinks that complement El Santo’s movies featuring El Luchador, a clean-tasting organic tequila made by David Ravandi. El Luchador itself was inspired by the famous masked wrestlers of Mexico so it only makes sense that they are also the official sponsor of this event.

     El Santo Contra los Zombies or Santo vs. the Zombies:
    Inspired by the movie Santo vs. the Zombies, the Zombie cocktail rounds up El Luchador Organic Tequila, 123 Organic Tequila Blanco, 123 Organic Tequila Añejo, D’Aristi, orange liqueur, orange, lemon, and pomegranate in a nice large cocktail glass. For those who appreciate the sweetness of fruits without compromising its cocktail kick, this Zombie is for you.

    Santo en Atacan las brujas or The Witches Attack:

    Inspired from Santo’s role in the film The Witches Attack, this simple yet refreshingly delicious cocktail was my favorite choice of poison for the night. The Witches Attack consists of El Luchador Blanco Organic Tequila, grapefruit-lavender mint syrup, and soda. It’s dangerously good; you have been warned.

    Now that you have a sneak peak at what is to be offered at Oyamel’s Day of the Dead Celebration Event, you can purchase your tickets at: nvite.co/oyameldotd. (Editor’s note: This link did not work for me, so I’ll followup for the correct one.)

    The event will be held at Oyamel (401 7th Street NW, Washington D.C.) on Monday, October 20, 2014 from 6pm to 9:30pm and tickets are $60. Specials remaining will be available from October 20th to November 2nd.

    Salud!

    -EHY (Elina)

    Oyamel on Urbanspoon

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  • 09Oct

    Party with Guacamole like it is 1984

    Rosa Mexicano is celebrating its 30th anniversary with a special 3-course anniversary menu, Desde 1984. The current special menu is available through October 12th. In the restaurant’s words: “From the traditional Tamal con Huitlacoche en Cazuela (cornmeal topped with mushroom and salsa ranchera, served in a traditional cazuela); to the Crepas con Camarones (crepas filled with shrimp, covered with a chile pasilla sauce and sprinkled with cheese), Rosa Mexicano will revive menu classics via rotating Desde 1984 specials for an entire year; offered as a $30 menu or a la carte.”

    Last night, Cy and I sampled the dishes from the current Desde 1984 menu (as well as their wonderful table-side-prepared guacamole).  I could not actually try the  Tamale con Huitlacoche en Cazuela or the steak’s mushroom topping because of a (mold/fungus) allergy, but Cy tried them. One of the dishes included a brown rice that was way too crunchy for me, but I think it was brown rice different variety than I am used to.

    Our Favorites:

    The Guacamole! This is made for you table-side.

    The Margarita Rosa (Pomegranate and prickly pear-infused El Jimador blanco, pomegranate, lime and organic agave nectar) was a great drink, but the two that I was served were inconsistent as far as alcohol level and components (and one didn’t have the pomegranate seeds). You still definitely want to try this Margarita.

    The Empanadas de Jaiba (crispy corn empanadas filled with jumbo lump crab meat, served with avocado-tomatillo salsa) are addictive.

    The mole sauce from the enchiladas!

    Crepas con Camarones was a really flavorful shrimp crepe dish with an exceptional (chile pasilla) sauce. This was the favorite dish for both of us.

    As far as dessert, Cy leans towards the Crepas de Cajeta (Crepes folded and served with a rich caramel sauce) and I lean towards the Tres Leches de Zarzamoras (sour cream pound cake soaked in three milks, topped with blackberry-hibiscus glaze and tasted meringue). It is not unusual for us to favor different desserts.

    -JAY

    Disclosure: From time to time, we are given free items, meals, or entry to events.

    Rosa Mexicano on Urbanspoon

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  • 08Oct

    In Pursuit of the Perfect Piece of Pig

    The Southern Foodie’s Guide to the Pig is perfect for people who are obsessed about everything pork, people who will sacrifice a day in the pursuit of the perfect piece of meat. Chamberlain spent over a year researching the most delectable ways of preparing pork. The book is broken down by parts of the pig, as well as a geographical travel guide, including recipes from the most lauded barbeque restaurants in the south. The book includes a myriad of brines, marinades, rubs, and sauces, as well as a few side dishes that pair well with pork. Just reading this book and looking at the pictures will get your mouth watering. Pro tip: Most of the recipes in this book require you to let something sit overnight, and or cook it all day. You must plan ahead, but it will be worth it. I tested two recipes from this book and found both to be very good. I cannot wait to utilize the travel guide and dine at some of the restaurants showcased in the book. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves pork, barbeque, and foodie road-trips.

    Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q Championship bbq pork butt

    I tested the Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q Championship bbq pork butt recipe, which includes an injection and a dry rub. I injected my pork butts with the concoction of juices, salt and sugar. I learned very quickly that most of my injection would not stay in the muscle tissue, and would seep its way out. The recipe has a technical flaw in that in the left column where it lists ingredients it states 2 cups of barbeque sauce, but did not include the sauce in the directions. I added it to the rest of my dry rub (as it was listed under the dry rub ingredients). I am fairly certain that this is what the recipe intended for me to do, as the end result seemed right. I rubbed the dry rub over my pork butts and then got my grill going with some mesquite wood chips in the smoker box. If you do not have a grill or a smoker, you can roast your pork butt in a very low oven (between 200- 250 degrees).

    If you are using a smoker box in a grill, prepare to add an hour or two to your total cook time as you will be losing heat every time you put new wood chips in. I cooked two 6 lb pork butts using indirect heat in my grill with my smoker box over my one lit burner and it took 12 hours to cook. It was worth every minute of cooking time. The pork had a nice subtle smoky flavor and a beautiful crust from the dry rub. The meat was very moist, though did not taste particularly like the juices in the injection. The spice rub added great flavor, but did not overpower the flavor of the pork. Once you have your meat cooked and rested, you can slice it, pull it, or chop it. You can add your favorite barbeque sauce to the meat, if you like something saucier. As a side note, this meat freezes and reheats well.

    Sausage Cornbread
    This book features a few cornbread recipes. The sausage cornbread piqued my interest because I like sausage and cornbread, so I figured that I would enjoy the combining of the two. This cornbread was less bread and more a vessel for cheese and meat. The end result was slightly sweet but mostly salty cheese and sausage enveloped in bits of corn and golden yellow cornbread. I found that ultimately the cornbread tasted good, but I had issues with the amount of cheese in the dish. In my opinion, it was a little too cheesy for my tastes. I wanted to taste the sausage and cornbread more, and the cheese obscured that somewhat. I would make it again, but maybe tweak it to my tastes. However, I found it to still be a delicious dish, and it is hearty enough that you could serve it as a main course or as a hefty side.

    -JHC (Jennifer)

    Disclosure: From time to time, we are given free items (like this book), meals, or entry to events.

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  • 07Oct

    Lettuce Entertains at Wildfire

    On September 30, 2014 I had the pleasure of attending A Taste of Lettuce DC, a spectacular four course dinner featuring the different flavors of Lettuce Entertain You Restaurants, Wildfire, Joe’s, Big Bowl, Mon Ami and Community Canteen. The event was held at Wildfire, Tysons Galleria and included cocktail and wine pairings. The Executive Chefs from each restaurant provided a few words about their dishes, and I have paraphrased their comments in the descriptions below. It was a fantastic evening filled with delicious food and drinks. I will definitely be coming back to all of the Lettuce Entertain You Restaurants for more, and will be sure to attend other tasting menus with pairings. The Lettuce Entertain You Restaurants hold special events monthly.

    Hors d’oeuvres by Mon Ami Gabi:

    Chicken Liver Crostini with red wine mustard. This dish featured a crispy toast round with zingy mustard, creamy and light-as-air chicken liver, and was topped with a sliver of cornichon. The flavors were balanced well: a sour, salty, and slight sweetness from the chicken liver, and a slight warming spice from the mustard. The texture was very pleasant as the cornichon and crostini provided crunch while the chicken liver was soft in texture. The chicken liver and country pate Crostini are signature dishes of rustic French cooking, which is the essence of the cooking at Mon Ami Gabi.

    Country Pate Crostini with grain mustard. This was very similar to the chicken liver crostini, in flavor, texture and appearance. The biggest difference was the pate was a little denser than the chicken liver, but was still very light.

    Salmon Tartare on Gaufrette Chips. I really enjoyed the simplicity and playfulness of this dish. It was composed of raw chopped high quality and high fat content salmon atop a plain potato chip. The salmon had a wonderful soft buttery quality and this worked so well with the crunch and salt from the chip. I will have to take a visit to Mon Ami Gabi to eat more of this.

    Mini Mushroom Quiche Tartlets. The tartlets were soft and fluffy. They were well balanced and did not have a strong mushroom flavor.

    Wine pairing:

    Ruffino Prosecco DOC: A sparkling dry white wine with delicate bubbles, soft notes of apple, pear, and citrus, with a fruity and floral bouquet. I found this to be a delightful pairing.

    Second Course by Big Bowl:

    Thai Crab & Corn Soup. This dish featured sweet lump crabmeat, local corn, coconut milk and Thai Chili. It was moderate in spice, complementing the sweetness from the corn and crabmeat and the richness of the coconut milk. A beautiful kefir lime flavor and aroma permeated the dish, adding a little sour flavor to make the dish sing. I was pleased when I saw some kernels of corn still together, letting me know that whole ears of corn were utilized for the dish. The chef informed us that the chicken stock that is the base for the soup is homemade. I was not at all surprised that this was the case because it was clear from the soups wonderful flavors that no shortcuts were taken. Now that fall is upon us, I’m looking forward to heading to Big Bowl on a crisp day to warm up with this soup and to try others.

    Cocktail Paring:

    Limoncello Tini: This drink was sweet and sour, featuring Limoncello flavor. The acidity of the drink was nice, but the sweetness was just a little overpowering paired with the soup. I would have personally preferred this drink on its own or with dessert. Read the rest of this entry »

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  • 27Sep

    Paladar Latin Kitchen & Rum Bar Launches in Gaithersburg

    Paladar Latin Kitchen & Rum Bar just launched its third location in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. The new addition is at Downtown Crown in Gaithersburg, MD, and features Executive Chef. Gregory Webb. I was present at the opening event benefiting the wonderful charitable organization, Manna Food Center. We also covered the Tysons Corner launch.

    I tried several different mojitos, with the Peach Basil Mojito being my favorite and the Mango Cilantro my second favorite. They actually incorrectly made my Strawberry Mojito (minimal alcohol and a lot of fizz but this was the night before their actual opening and it was very busy), but when the Bar Manager remade it for me, it was good too.

    With house-made chips (made from various vegetables) we were served 3 different guacamoles (traditional, spicy, and mango/garlic), all of which were great. I was surprised at well the mango/garlic version worked, since I was skeptical at first.

    My favorite entrees were the Rum Glazed Cuban Pork (served with coconut mango rice, black beans  and fresh pico de gallo) , Grilled Skirt Steak Churrasco (served with chimichurri, sofrito rice and pinto beans), Mojo Marinated Atlantic Salmon (served with well-executed sauteed zucchini and truly great yucca spaetzle), and Coconut Curry Vegetables (a vegetarian dish I tried one or two bites of).

    The Coconut & Caramel Flan and the Sweet Potato Donuts were delicious and expertly executed! I could see myself ordering both of them often. The Mexican Chocolate Cake looked great, but they ran out of it before we were served dessert. The Paladar Churros were a crunchy style of churro (and I prefer more of the classic texture).

    The restaurant has a great corner location. The outside bar area was designed well. There are also bar tables, and on the other side of the building, a patio seating area with a great view of a nature preserve.

    This is definitely a restaurant checking out! There are also Tysons Corner, Annapolis, and Rockville locations.

    -JAY

    Disclosure: From time to time, we are given free items, meals, or entry to events.

    Paladar Latin Kitchen and Rum Bar on Urbanspoon

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  • 24Sep

    Mosaic District’s newest addition: True Food Kitchen

    Drinks

    Thai Grapefruit Martini (left) and Spontaneous Happiness (right).

    True Food Kitchen has finally opened their first Metropolitan D.C. location in the Mosaic District. Their food philosophy stems directly from their restaurant name: true, healthy, and wholesome foods. Their direction: follow an anti-inflammatory diet that is inspired by the renowned Dr. Andrew Weil. True Foods Kitchen does not use high fructose corn syrup, their produce, meats, and veggies are locally sourced, nothing is processed, and all their milk, butter and eggs are organic.

    I must say, as a huge advocate and fan of clean and healthy eating, True Food Kitchen does an excellent job of delivering fresh and delicious foods. From the menu tasting I attended last week, I was extremely pleased with the quality and flavor of each dish in the 3-course tasting.

    Drinks: Thai Grapefruit Martini & Spontaneous Happiness

    The Thai Grapefruit Martini is a tangy mixture of Prairie Organic vodka, Thai basil, and grapefruit. Would I get it again? Probably not, just because it was a bit too strong on the grapefruit side for me. But if you love grapefruit, go for it. What would I get on my next visit? Spontaneous Happiness. Now this beauty is a concoction of ginger and vanilla infused shochu, St. Germain, and lime. This is a very clean drink that delivers each ingredient without overpowering one another. Mmmmm…

    Appetizer: Autumn Ingredient (Salad)

    Light and refreshing horseradish vinaigrette dressing? Check.
    Roasted Brussels sprouts and cauliflower? Check.
    Squash, mulberry, white beans & pomegranate? Check.

    The salad sounds simple but the flavors of these ingredients combined are complex and sinfully delightful. The horseradish vinaigrette was the key component in keeping the salad unified. It was slightly oily at first and halfway towards working on the salad, the vinaigrette slowly became tangier. The transition was subtle and worked so well. I can honestly say this has now become one of my favorite salads to eat out.

    Entrée: Grilled Steelhead Salmon

    The wild salmon was not particularly large in size but rich in freshness and natural flavor. The salmon cut was thick, from which I picked out a few bones (it did not bother me one bit because that just goes to show how fresh and wild their seafood quality is). The entree arrived with smoked onion quinoa, roasted beets, arugula, cilantro, pumpkin seeds and cotija that paired perfectly with the salmon.

    My friend tried their Grass Fed Bison Burger (see photo) and gave it two thumbs up. I trust her taste buds so I will be giving this burger a try next time.

    Dessert: Coconut Banana Pudding

    This devilishly sweet concoction of coconut, bananas, and chia seeds is one of the best tasting puddings I have had in an extremely long time. It’s slightly sweet, very cool and refreshing. This was the perfect way to end lunch.

    Would I go back? Absolutely! I love restaurants that flow with wide-open spaces and are not afraid to play with color (i.e. their open kitchen and lime green upholstery). Also, I love how environmentally friendly they are; they have bright yellow chairs made from recycled plastic soda bottles and hardwood floors made from reclaimed wood.

    True Food Kitchen is now open to the public so try them out! They are located across from Target and the Angelika Film Center in the ever-growing Mosaic District.

    True Food Kitchen, welcome to the D.C. area!

    -EHY

    True Food Kitchen on Urbanspoon

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