• 24Jun

    Free Empanadas in Dupont Circle tomorrow

    This just appeared in my inbox.

    -JAY

    ——————————-

    PANAS GOURMET EMPANADAS OPENS JUNE 25 IN DUPONT

    Free empanadas from 11 am – 1 pm to mark opening day

    Empanadas, the favorite Latin American treat, come to Dupont Circle June 25 when Panas Gourmet Empanadas opens at 2029 P Street NW.  To mark the opening day owner Federico Garcia Lopez will offer one free empanada from 11 am until 1 pm.

    Panas specializes in Latin fusion gourmet empanadas, the crescent-shaped turnovers, stuffed with a variety of well-seasoned meats, vegetables, spices, fruits, and sweets. Signature recipes are inspired by the Latin Fusion cuisine; a culinary concept that combines traditional and modern gastronomic techniques with different ingredients from across the Americas.

    The term “panas” is a unique abbreviation for the word empanadas. Coincidentally, the term “panas” also means “friend” or “buddy” in several Latin American countries, which is befitting to the Panas concept of friends coming together and eating empanadas.

    The 1,100 square-foot restaurant is tiny with just 13 seats and bright with a mustard colored wall highlighted with green field turf. Serving in-restaurant, carry-out and delivery the Panas menu includes $2 empanadas ranging from meat, pork, chicken and ham filled delicacies like the Chipotle Steak with shredded sirloin steak, onion and chipotle sauce to vegetarian selections like the Popeye with sautéed spinach, onions, raisins and goat cheese. Side salads with a Latin flair are also on the menu – the primavera with red pepper, corn, cilantro and black beans is a favorite as is the jicama salad with lettuce, mango and carrots.

    PANAS GOURMET EMPANADAS 2029 P Street NW, Washington DC 20036

    202-223-2964 Open 7 days, 11 am – 11 pm, M-Sat; 11 am-9 pm, Sun. Free delivery!

    [ad]

    Permalink Filed under: Events, Restaurants Tags: , , , , , No Comments
  • 24Jun

    New Potatoes: Risotto Style!

    By Guest Blogger Jessie Lin

    It’s a little bit early in the season for full-grown potatoes, so right now the ones being harvested are called new potatoes.  These potatoes are gathered while young and small; they have a sweeter taste and are firmer than regular potatoes.  Their skins are flaky, therefore it’s great to cook with the skin on.

    I was watching a cooking show the other day, and the host was cooking up a potato risotto.  I thought the idea was ingenious.  I went to my pantry and fridge, grabbed the ingredients that I thought would suit the dish and went to work.

    For 2 Servings

    Ÿ         4 – 6 new potatoes (depending on size) cut into small pieces

    Ÿ         1 portabello mushroom (other mushrooms would work as well), sliced

    Ÿ         ¼ cup of milk or cream

    Ÿ         ½ cup of homemade stock (I used beef stock)

    Ÿ         1 spring onion, roughly chopped

    Ÿ         1 tsp of red pepper flakes

    Ÿ         several sprigs of fresh rosemary

    Ÿ         A hand full of kale (or any greens of your choice), roughly chopped

    Ÿ         2 TBSP Olive Oil

    Ÿ         2 cloves of garlic

    Ÿ         Salt and pepper to taste

    Directions:

    Sautee the garlic and spring onions in olive oil until the spring onions are soft.  Add the potatoes, milk, and half of the stock into the pan.  Keep stirring until the liquid dries up, and then add the other half of the stock.  Stir until the potatoes and soft and tender, about 15 to 20 minutes.  Add the handful of kale, and cook until the kale has wilted.  Add the red pepper flakes and stir until the juices are gone.  Plate it and sprinkle with fresh rosemary, or any other herbs of your choice.

    This is a very hearty dish that’s a little different to the more tradition ways of cooking potatoes.  There are many variations that this dish could be made.  For example, oyster mushrooms would probably work better than portabello mushrooms.  What made this dish particularly flavorful was the homemade stock.  I paired my meal with a nice glass of pinot noir.  What a nice way to end a long day!

    Permalink Filed under: Recipes Tags: No Comments
  • 23Jun

    Rocklands Blue Plate Special: Trailer Park

    Ate at Rocklands (Arlington) last night, and while they have not always been consistent in the past, the blue plate special I ordered was good.

    Trailer Park is pulled pork over cornbread with their fresh slaw on top, and 2 sides and a drink: $9.99.   I chose rice and beans as one side, and collards as the other.   I also chose sweet tea. Everything was good and it’s a great deal (and a lot of food) for $10. Not sure how often they offer it.

    -JAY

    Permalink Filed under: Restaurants Tags: , , No Comments
  • 21Jun

    Leg of Lamb With Friends

    By Guest Writer LMB

    I don’t usually cook much red meat.  Don’t get me wrong, I love to eat it, but the roasts and shanks and shoulders that taste so good require several hours to prepare and a group effort to consume. Neither of which is generally readily available to me.

    But this week, I’m at the beach with a group of friends, so I have both the time and the audience to prepare some delicious oversized animal body part.

    Someone suggested leg of lamb.  An excellent proposal.  But, as I was pondering how to prepare the roast, my mind immediately jumped to the toxic green-colored mint jelly product that my mother always served with her lamb.  And then I got an idea.

    I had recently picked up Monica Bhide’s newest Indian cookbook, Modern Spice, and was entranced by the sound of many of her chutneys.  I had brought the cookbook to the beach, hoping to have a chance to try out one or two of them.

    So our meal was decided: Roast Leg of Lamb with Mint-Cilantro Chutney (and a jar of the toxic green mint jelly for old times sake.)

     Lamb with Mint-Cilantro Chutney

    Roast Lamb

    • 5 lb boneless leg of lamb
    • 3-4 tblsp rosemary
    • 2 cloves garlic
    • ¼ cup olive oil
    • 1 tsp salt

    Peel and slice garlic.  Cut slits in the top of the lamb.  Insert garlic slices into the cuts.  Pour olive oil over the lamb.  Sprinkle with salt.  Coat the lamb with rosemary.  Loosely cover with plastic wrap or aluminum foil wrap and let sit in the refrigerator for 30 to 60 minutes.  Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking.

    Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Place lamb on a rack in a broiler pan.  Put lamb in oven and immediately reduce the heat to 325 degrees.  Roast the meat 20-30 minutes per pound, 20 minutes for medium rare and 30 minutes per pound for medium-well done meat.

    Let meat rest for 10 to 15 minutes before carving.

    While meat is cooking, make the chutney.

     

    Mint-Cilantro Chutney

    Adapted from Monica Bhide’s Modern Spice

    • 1 cup cilantro, leaves and tender stems, packed loosely
    • 1 cup mint leaves, packed loosely   
    • ¼ onion, chopped
    • 2 Tblsp lemon juice
    • ½  tsp salt
    • 1-2 Tblsp water

    Combine all ingredients in a blender, or in a bowl if using a hand blender, and blend to form a  smooth paste.  Cover and refridgerate for at least 30 minutes.  Serve chilled.

    Permalink Filed under: Ingredients, Recipes Tags: , , , , 1 Comment
  • 19Jun

    Long Wait For Flavorless Chimichurri

    El Patio in Rockville

    Empty Tables

    I grew up on Argentine food and loved going to this type of place black home in Queens.  It is a small Argentine place with a large menu of Argentine specialties: parillada (mixed grill), empanadas, and even facturas (pastries)  I’ve even been to this place a bunch of times…several years ago.

    However, last night (a Friday evening) we were treated atrociously (by the hostess).  Of over 100 articles, I have written one bad one, my 2nd article, and was a health concern that has since been corrected at the restaurant in question.  For me to write about a bad experience, it has to be really bad, since I don’t write about mediocre experiences.

    My friend and I arrived on a Friday night and the place was really busy but had 4 free tables. we waited 20 minutes even though we could see the empty tables, so asked why we were waiting, and were told that we couldn’t be given tables for four. They made us wait and wait and wait (even when we made motions to leave) and then gave us a tale for two and right after us seated an Argentine couple (I speak broken Spanish and my friend is from Trinidad) in a table for four not a minute later right next to us.   We kept looking at the table next to us because we were upset at having to wait all that time for a table for two but not being treated the same as the other couples.  The waitress then moved us to a table for four.  Too little too late.

    The only reason we stayed is because I REALLY wanted Argentine food and have eaten there many times before.

    I recommend that parties of two avoid this restaurant, unless you speak Spanish fluently or are already a known customer.  But, let’s also talk about the food.

    The only exceptional item we ate was the fried traditional beef empanada (my recipe for the same thing is here).  It isn’t in the front case and is much better than the ones I remember getting there years ago.   The fries were barely warm (not fresh).  We ordered the mixed grill (parillada) for 2 ($35).  The blood sausage (morcilla), chilchulines (intestines), sweet breads (molleja) were good. I would have preferred they gave us one normal sized chorizo to the two teeny ones since the chorizos were all crunch and not juicy; the chorizos were still good though.  One of the cuts of meat was over cooked, and both (being a bit bland for beef in an Argentine restaurant) needed to be be marinaded in chimchurri; while they actually might have been marinated in chimchurri, the chimichurri at El patio was thin, and flavorless.

    Useless chimchurri is incredible because it is so easy to make chimchurri – mix chopped fresh garlic and chopped fresh parsley with red wine vinegar, salt, and a little oil , and if you want to get fancy you can add some other fresh herbs or some shallot.  This was the worst chimichurri I’ve ever had (and I’ve been t many Argentine and Uruguayan restaurants) and is worse than the time I got chimichurri out of a jar.  Also, it is served in lttle tiny plastic containers (only about 1/2 full), so we had to continuously ask for more. It should be served in big containers that sit at the table (like the condiments in some Chinese restaurants) – people would just serve themselves throughout the evening.

    The waitress was pleasant, so we tipped normally – the problem with the establishment and food are not her fault.  She isn’t the one who made us wait even though table for 4 were available and then seated another group of 2 in a table for four immediately after us.

    BTW, another couple stated that they were told they couples have the chef’s specials because the chef was on break.

    Included is a picture of some of the empty tables the hostess refused to seat us at.

    -JAY

    Permalink Filed under: Restaurants Tags: , , , , , , , , No Comments
  • 18Jun

    Tofurky Vegan Franks for $1 Each All Summer Long

    Debbie Miller passed this to us.  We do have vegan readers too…or is that just Debbie? 😉

    -JAY

    ————

    Dear PCRM supporter,

    Three hotdog vendors in downtown D.C. are selling Tofurky vegan franks all summer long and they’re only $1 each!

    Some of these vendors have been selling exclusively all-beef hotdogs for nearly 20 years and this is the first time they have ever tried vegan dogs. Please visit these vendors, and let them know how excited you are that they are selling veggie dogs and that they should sell them year-round.

    Here are the locations:

    • 734 17th St., N.W., Washington, D.C. (Cross street: Pennsylvania Ave., N.W.)
    • 82 Massachusetts Ave., N.E., Washington, D.C. (Cross street: 1st St., N.E.)
    • 304 12th St., N.W., Washington, D.C. (Cross street: Constitution Ave., N.W.)

    Once other vendors see that there is a high demand for veggie dogs, they will begin to sell them too—so be sure to take your friends, family, and co-workers with you!

    Have a healthy, happy summer!
    Andria Matrone
    Membership Assistant
    Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine

    Permalink Filed under: Etc Tags: , , , , , , No Comments
  • 17Jun

    Fried Fried (Fried) Veal Burger Recipe

    I used a version of this (and came in 2nd place) at So You Think You Can Grill at The National Harbor Food & Wine Festival last weekend using Himalayan sea salt, Blue Ridge Dairy smoked Mozzarella, Farmer’s Market Eggs, and Whole Foods veal.

    Too complicated for 45 minutes with a small grill and a small frying pan, though – it was difficult to manage all the components in the contest setting, but it was still fun. I did win prizes though. 🙂

    This is actually a picture of the stovetop version (and also has lettuce) – I’ll update with pictures from the contest soon. The crowd was great. Thanks for the support.

    Oh, and Lisa Shapiro was was one the judges.   Was it better than judging Pizza Mart vs. Jumbo Slice, Lisa? 😉

    Fried Fried…Veal burger! (If it’s stove top, it’s Fried, Fried, Fried):

    -2 lbs ground veal (Giant sells it, or ask your butcher to make some).
    -4 extra large eggs
    -2 medium Yukon gold potatoes, slices into rounds
    -One smoked mozzarella (Clarendon and Penn Quarter market have a mozzarella vendor that carries it. Many supermarkets have it as well.)
    -4 buns, on the large side. Seeded or not.
    -kosher (or sea) salt and freshly ground pepper

    Make four 1/4 lb burgers with a small chunk of smoked mozzarella inside each. I used chunks the size of the upper digit of my thumb, but in a ball shape. The important thing is that the cheese must be completely surrounded by meat (well sealed).

    Cook the burgers in a pan (with a little olive oil) or on the grill.  Kosher or sea salt and fresh ground pepper prior to cooking. Cook them to your desired level of doneness…but I cook them medium or so.

    In another pan (at the same time) fry the potatoes (sliced in rounds) until golden brown. Salt them.

    Fry the eggs. You want the yolks to be fluid -over easy or sunny side up – also use a little salt.

    Slice and toast the rolls.  Place the burgers on the bottom, then the fries, then the fried egg goes on top.

    I combined some of my favorite things (burgers, fries, fried eggs)…and happened to have farmer’s market mozzarella on hand.  I like the textural differences in this sandwich.

    -JAY

    Permalink Filed under: Events, Ingredients, Recipes Tags: , , , , , , , , 2 Comments
  • 16Jun

    Healthy Summer Entertaining

    By Chef Michael Kiss of Whole Foods – Arlington.

    He has a cooking class next Tuesday: 29 1/2 minute meals – Steak House Salad.

    -JAY

    ————————–

    Let’s Party! I love getting the garden all cleaned up, the deck all swept off and of course getting the menu prepared for amazing little bites of fun. It doesn’t matter if you have acres of land or a little patio or even nice access to urban green space, it all counts as outside!

    When it starts to get hot, we don’t want to make things hotter by heating up the kitchen. We also don’t want make heavy food that will make us feel even heavier in the heat and humidity. I want to show you 3 little dishes today that are like taking your tongue to the pool for the day. Refreshing is the order of the day!

    Vegan?!? Are you sure?
    Recently at our house Katie, my wife, has gone vegan. She is amazing and has really put a lot of thought and effort into changing her lifestyle. I have been very supportive and took on the challenge to learn how to cook a whole different way. It has been really fun and rewarding!

    One of our newest finds is a recipe for vegan deviled eggs, think of it as a hand held mini potato salad. And with great products like “Veganaise” you can still get classic taste and textures without the animal products.

    Katie’s Vegan Deviled Eggs
    Makes 12
    6 small red new potatoes
    2 to 3 Tbs. veganaise
    ½ tsp yellow prepared mustard
    Salt and pepper to taste
    1 tbs. minced onion
    1 tbs. minced celery
    1 tsp chopped dill pickle
    Paprika for garnish

    Boil potatoes in a sauce pan until tender. Drain and let cool. Carefully slice in half and with a melon baller or a measuring spoon and gently scoop out the space for the “yolk”. I just make 1 small round scoop near one end.
    Next mix together the potato scoopings with the rest of the ingredients and mash it until it makes a thick deviled egg yolk like mixture.

    Using a spoon or a pastry bag, mound a small bit of the “yolk” into the potato hollows. Shake a little paprika over top for that classic garnish.

    Inspiration comes at the oddest times.
    Sometimes I know for weeks and weeks what I am going to teach for a particular class, and sometime it hits me the morning of class. This recipe is the latter. I was thinking of making a great Asian flavor inspired tuna tartar tonight, but then I thought “what would make a great seasonal add in?” I started thinking watermelon and peaches. Then I thought let’s kick the tuna out and make a vegetarian tartar.

    Peach and Melon Tartar
    1 peach peeled, pitted, and diced into ¼ inch cubes. (add a small squirt of lemon juice to help keep them from browning)
    1 C. watermelon dice into ¼” cubes
    1 tbs. minced chives
    1 tbs. minced cilantro
    1 tsp prepared rice wine vinegar(sushi vinegar)
    ¼ tsp toasted sesame oil

    Gomasio for garnish
    Rice crackers for serving

    Gently toss together all the ingredients keeping the cubes of fruit as perfectly shaped as possible.
    Heap a small spoonful on a rice cracker and garnish with a shake of gomasio.

    Party with Friends as often as you can!
    Katie and I are very excited to go visit our friends this weekend for a summer fun day! We are extra excited that she is making one our favorites of her many fantastic dishes. Sunshine, friends, and a round of mini golf or two, now that is summer living!

    Amanda’s Fresh Cherry Salsa
    2 C. Fresh Cherries pitted, roughly chopped
    3 Tbs. chopped fresh Cilantro
    ½ tsp chopped jalapeno (optional)
    2 Tbs. chopped red onion
    1 tsp fresh lime juice
    Salt and pepper to taste
    Plantain chips for dipping

    Gently toss together all of the ingredients, taste and adjust seasoning. Let stand and come together for at least 10 minutes.
    Enjoy with plantain chips and some sangria.
    Is it the weekend yet?!?!

    I hope you are inspired to call up some friends and make plans this weekend.

    Eat Well!

    Permalink Filed under: Recipes Tags: , , , , , No Comments
  • 15Jun

    Rhubarb: The Mysterious Red Plant

    By Guest Blogger Jessie Lin

    A few months ago, I had no idea what rhubarb is. I’d never seen it or tasted it. I first came across it during my trip in France.  At the market in Macon, I came across a jar of jam that was labeled “Rhubarb”, and I asked (in French) the vendor what rhubarb was. He tried to explain it, but at the very end, I still hadn’t a clue what it was. When I came back to the States, I started seeing it in every farmer‘s market I went to. At first I didn’t know what to expect out of this long-stemmed celery like item, so the thought of cooking with it never even crossed my mind. Maybe it’s the season for rhubarb; I started seeing recipes popping up left and right. I had my first taste when my friend made a Strawberry and Rhubarb pie.  My second taste came when I tried a compote at the last restaurant I worked at. It’s kind of hard to describe the taste. I did some research on rhubarb, and apparently it is classified as a type of fruit in the United States, although it looks nothing like it. The leaves are toxic and the stems are too sour to eat on its own. Therefore, the most common way of preparing rhubarb is for desserts, a sugary compote, or jam.
    I finally was brave enough to buy rhubarb during a visit to Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The market was selling it for a decent price, so I decided to try it out. I made a rhubarb compote that turned out to be delicious. I don’t like things too sweet, so I went heavy on the lemon juice and used less sugar, but you can experiment with the amount that you want!

    Here’s my recipe:

    • 2 stems of rhubarb chopped into 1/2 inches
    • 1/2 cup of red wine
    • juice of 1 whole lemon
    • 1/4 cup of sugar

    Put everything in a pot and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the rhubarb starts to peel, and you’ll definitely know when that is, cause it caught me by surprise. After that’s all thickened up, let it sit until it cools.
    I served it on top of ice cream, which turned out to be a great combination. The sourness from the compote complemented the sweetness of the vanilla ice cream. It’s also good on top of yogurt, bread, or as a dessert filling.

    In my second compote, I added 2 shots of bourbon instead of the wine, which adds a different kick to it.

    Experiment with this wonderful “fruit” while it’s in season!

    Permalink Filed under: Recipes Tags: , 2 Comments
  • 14Jun

    Experimenting with Swiss Chard

    By Guest Blogger Jessie Lin

    Experimenting with Swiss Chard

    One of my goals starting this spring season is use as many local ingredients as I can in my cooking.  Luckily for me I have a Farmer’s Market that is about a 15 minutes walk from my apartment.  I am also a part of a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program which for $120 gets me a half share of food every week including fruits vegetables and legumes for 8 weeks.

    This is an exciting challenge and opportunity for me.  Using what is local and in season allows me to be creative and alter recipes that I have with some ingredients that I have never used or seen before.

    For my first share of CSA, I picked up some Swiss Chard.  This leafy vegetable looks almost like the skinny cousin of rhubarb.  It’s has red stems and has similar characteristics to that of spinach, although the two plants are unrelated.  Swiss chard can be used in both savory and sweet dishes.  In France, it is often cooked with eggs in dishes such as frittatas.

    I bought some ramekins the other day, so I’ve been craving to make a baked egg or soufflé type of dish.  I came across a spinach baked eggs recipe the other day which called for onions and spinach as its main ingredients.  Since I only had Swiss Chard and some green onions that I got from the Farmer’s Market, I decided to improvise.

    I first sautéed a bunch of green onions with some garlic and olive oil.  I then chopped off the leafy parts of the Swiss Chard.  After the green onions softened, I added the leafy chard into the pan.  After that’s cooked, I added about 2 TBSP of milk (heavy cream would work better, but since I didn’t have any, I turned to my handy milk carton.)  Turn off the heat and put the vegetables in a butter ramekin.  Make a little well and crack an egg on top of it.  I baked it at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes.
    The dish came out bubbling.  I sprinkled some paprika on top of the finished product just to give it a nice presentation.

    Taste test:  The egg whites were a bit over cooked, so I should probably reduce the baking time to 10 minutes next time.  The yolk however, was perfectly cooked.  The sweetness of the green onions complemented the Swiss Chard.  It was nice and creamy.

    This is a very simple dish that you can try with different variations.  Any leafy vegetables would do.  Try it with buttermilk, heavy cream, or whole milk.  Everyone has different taste buds.  What might taste good to me might not be for you.  This is one of the joys of cooking; we can alter all the ingredients to our liking!

    Ingredients for 2 servings:

    • One bunch of green onions

    • 1 clove of garlic

    • 1 TBSP Olive Oil

    • Half a bunch of Swiss Chard (Leafy paft only)

    • 2 TBSP of heavy cream or whole milk

    • 2 Eggs (one for each ramekin)

    • 1/2 TBSP butter (for greasing ramekins)

    • Salt and Pepper to taste

    • Dash of Paprika

    Permalink Filed under: Recipes Tags: , , No Comments
« Previous Page Next Page »

Categories

Archives

Pages

Blogroll