You've probably seen this done many times and never done it yourself. It couldn't be easier or tastier or say "Summer!" any louder.
We went to the Central Market this weekend near the intersection of Florida and New York Avenues in The District. It's a loud, industrial, dirty, primarily wholesalers market that covers about eight city blocks. We didn't see the entire thing -- it's just too big and some places are not open on the weekend, but there were a few interesting things that stood out. One of them is a West African grocer and butcher. The butcher counter was absolutely packed and all you could hear was the din of Bantu (maybe?) over the butcher's saw cutting goats. The second thing that we liked was a vendor called The Mexican Fruit Stand (I think that's what it's called). Kind of a mini-green grocer, all fruits and veggies from Mexico. We bought a crate of corn on the cob and some lovely tomatoes. I spent most of Sunday shucking and boiling and de-cobbing corn to have in the freezer for the winter.
I saved out a few ears of corn to eat this week. Last night I grilled corn and made herb butter for it. This is how it goes:
~1 stick of organic unsalted butter
good quality chili powder to taste (I used one that wasn't very spicy but had a good chili pepper flavor - something I found in a latino grocery)
a pinch of kosher salt
a handful of chopped fresh cilantro
a squeeze of fresh lime
Chunk up the butter and dump everything in the food processor. Whiz around until everything is well incorporated. Plop out onto a piece of wax paper and roll/shape it into a log and refrigerate until ready to serve on hot, grilled corn on the cob. Serve with an iced cold Margarita. :) It (the buttered corn or the 'rita) is a great southwestern accompaniment for grilled flank steak. It would be great to garnish a nice charcoal-grilled steak with a little pat of this as well. Does this herb butter on corn scream summer to you?! It does to me! Woohoo, summer has arrived!
14 May 2007
03 May 2007
Eating Out Over and Over Again
The night I came home from Vegas we at out. The next two nights I ate salads for dinner at home. They were pretty good salads, if I do say so myself. The first night I had a grilled tuna medallion coated in yellow miso paste and grilled very rare sliced thin over an Asian themed salad. The second night I had a very rare grilled tuna medallion of Southwestern flavors (chili powder and cumin) over a Southwestern themed salad. Then we went out to eat Wednesday night, Thursday night, Friday night, Saturday night, cooked a big lamb fest at home on Sunday night, ate out again on Monday night and Tuesday night. Whew. It was literally eating out over and over again, or at least that's how it felt.
The ones worth talking about:
Friday night we ate out at Euro Bistro in Herndon
Saturday night was The Melting Pot in Arlington
Monday night was Ardeo in Cleveland Park, DC
Tuesday night was Oyamel and then Titus Andronicus at The Shakespeare Theatre
Euro Bistro -- It says Euro, but has a definite Austrian/Tyrolian focus as you can tell by the daily specials menu typed on a sheaf of paper, and an Asian fusion flair on its regular menu. I would highly advise ordering from the specials menu. You won't be disappointed. In fact, without fail, order the Sauerbrauten. This is a very tender piece of beef in a slightly sweet and sour sauce served with spaetzle (potato noodles) and red cabbage. This is not what I ate on Friday night but have had it there before and it is excellent. If you like white wine, get the Anton Bauer Greuner Vetliner, which is full bodied enough to have with a meal, dry enough to pair with just about anything.
The Melting Pot -- we ordered "The Big Night Out" and surprisingly did not feel disgusting when we left about two and half hours after arriving. Cheese fondue, salads, main course variety of meats, chicken, shellfish and vegetables in broth fondue, chocolate fondue (actually pecan, caramel, and chocolate) for dipping strawberries, bananas, pineapple, pound cake, brownies, marshmallows, and cheesecake. Yummy yummy in my mouth and tummy! This is a meal event where you need to take your time and enjoy the food and the companions you're with. If you were a big fondue-er in the '70s, you will feel like reminiscing.
Ardeo -- modern American cuisine, menu heavy on fresh fish. The peaky-toe crab appetizer served with micro cress and geletinized mango (or something like that) was tasty. The halibut served over a pancake of fresh English mallow peas in a buttery foam sauce was very good. Nice decor, very unobtrusive excellent service. There is nothing distracting about this place. Next up would be the one right next door called Bardeo, a wine bar and cafe with a completely independent menu.
Oyamel -- another Jose Andres small plates house, it doesn't disappoint. Recently re-opened from its move from Crystal City to the theatre area in DC proper, Oyamel serves Mexican antojitos, or appetizer sized dishes including individual small soft tacos. Be brave, order the grasshopper taco -- roasted brown and crunchy, they are hardly recognizable by not-so-close visual inspection and have a wonderful lemony citrus finish, like a good glass of French sauvignon blanc. There is almost nothing else "weird" or "creepy" on this menu. Oh, if you're drinking, order the Classic margarita made with Herradura Silver tequila. If you like a less sweet drink, ask for Cointreau in it instead of the Triple Sec that comes in it. To chronicle what else we ate...
We were too crunched for time to order dessert. Have to save something for next time!
Titus Andronicus -- brutal and compelling, it tells a story of death and dismemberment not only in the physical sense but also in the emotional and societal sense. It is a timeless story as all of Shakespeare's works seem to be. In this stage production, Aaron steals the show, and there are some disconcerting even distracting misplaced things like Ninjas and modern suits and ties. I know this is to reflect the agelessness of the story but it's entirely unnecessary for a sophisticated Washington audience. While the story is serious and sorrowful and regretful and revengeful, the director and cast do well at inserting light-hearted moments and you are not afraid to laugh out loud. (Although the script itself is edited in the film version simply called Titus, rent it and watch it. It features excellent performances by Jessica Lange and Anthony Hopkins. ) This one is all about revenge with an absence of consciousness and next up is Hamlet, which is all about revenge with a conscience. We're seeing that in June.
No more eating out for a while if I can help it. Back on the healthy eating bandwagon.
The ones worth talking about:
Friday night we ate out at Euro Bistro in Herndon
Saturday night was The Melting Pot in Arlington
Monday night was Ardeo in Cleveland Park, DC
Tuesday night was Oyamel and then Titus Andronicus at The Shakespeare Theatre
Euro Bistro -- It says Euro, but has a definite Austrian/Tyrolian focus as you can tell by the daily specials menu typed on a sheaf of paper, and an Asian fusion flair on its regular menu. I would highly advise ordering from the specials menu. You won't be disappointed. In fact, without fail, order the Sauerbrauten. This is a very tender piece of beef in a slightly sweet and sour sauce served with spaetzle (potato noodles) and red cabbage. This is not what I ate on Friday night but have had it there before and it is excellent. If you like white wine, get the Anton Bauer Greuner Vetliner, which is full bodied enough to have with a meal, dry enough to pair with just about anything.
The Melting Pot -- we ordered "The Big Night Out" and surprisingly did not feel disgusting when we left about two and half hours after arriving. Cheese fondue, salads, main course variety of meats, chicken, shellfish and vegetables in broth fondue, chocolate fondue (actually pecan, caramel, and chocolate) for dipping strawberries, bananas, pineapple, pound cake, brownies, marshmallows, and cheesecake. Yummy yummy in my mouth and tummy! This is a meal event where you need to take your time and enjoy the food and the companions you're with. If you were a big fondue-er in the '70s, you will feel like reminiscing.
Ardeo -- modern American cuisine, menu heavy on fresh fish. The peaky-toe crab appetizer served with micro cress and geletinized mango (or something like that) was tasty. The halibut served over a pancake of fresh English mallow peas in a buttery foam sauce was very good. Nice decor, very unobtrusive excellent service. There is nothing distracting about this place. Next up would be the one right next door called Bardeo, a wine bar and cafe with a completely independent menu.
Oyamel -- another Jose Andres small plates house, it doesn't disappoint. Recently re-opened from its move from Crystal City to the theatre area in DC proper, Oyamel serves Mexican antojitos, or appetizer sized dishes including individual small soft tacos. Be brave, order the grasshopper taco -- roasted brown and crunchy, they are hardly recognizable by not-so-close visual inspection and have a wonderful lemony citrus finish, like a good glass of French sauvignon blanc. There is almost nothing else "weird" or "creepy" on this menu. Oh, if you're drinking, order the Classic margarita made with Herradura Silver tequila. If you like a less sweet drink, ask for Cointreau in it instead of the Triple Sec that comes in it. To chronicle what else we ate...
- Nopalitos - a salad of the cactus leaves with tomatoes in a lime dressing
- Camarones al epazote - shrimp cooked in tequila, shallots, adobo, and epazote - a kind of petroleum smelling herb that is native to the south of Mexico and gives American Mexican food a more authentic Mexican flavor, especially refried beans.
- Machuco relleno de frÃjol con salsa de coco - a fritter of plantains stuffed with refried black beans and topped with coconut sauce - this was terrific
- Pescado Mexicano al Cambray - fish tacos
- Tacos de Chapulines - grasshopper tacos
- a mushroom salad special of the day
- a chili pepper stuffed with a stewed meat served at room temperature - maybe one of my favorites-- it's circled in red on the menu
- another special of the day - grilled baby corn served with crema sauce
We were too crunched for time to order dessert. Have to save something for next time!
Titus Andronicus -- brutal and compelling, it tells a story of death and dismemberment not only in the physical sense but also in the emotional and societal sense. It is a timeless story as all of Shakespeare's works seem to be. In this stage production, Aaron steals the show, and there are some disconcerting even distracting misplaced things like Ninjas and modern suits and ties. I know this is to reflect the agelessness of the story but it's entirely unnecessary for a sophisticated Washington audience. While the story is serious and sorrowful and regretful and revengeful, the director and cast do well at inserting light-hearted moments and you are not afraid to laugh out loud. (Although the script itself is edited in the film version simply called Titus, rent it and watch it. It features excellent performances by Jessica Lange and Anthony Hopkins. ) This one is all about revenge with an absence of consciousness and next up is Hamlet, which is all about revenge with a conscience. We're seeing that in June.
No more eating out for a while if I can help it. Back on the healthy eating bandwagon.
what I ended up cooking
My last post was about what to cook for the family Sunday night. Had a lot of trouble deciding and so we went with three of the four starters that I had under consideration. We had rillettes and cornichons (see my earlier post about that), not your average spinach dip with crudite, and mushroom spread on baguette toasts (see earlier post about New Year's Eve snacks for those two). We served a South African sparkling wine with all that called Krone Borealis. If the cork hadn't popped itself out of the bottle, it would have been pretty bubbly but as it was, it ended up being kind of frizzante instead, but dry and clean. I think we picked this up at the sparkling wine tasting at Cleveland Park in December for about $25.
For the main course we had grilled lamb kebobs; zucchini, yellow squash, vidalia onions, and campari tomatoes; basmati rice mixed with grilled corn and fresh mint; and a yogurt sauce (my version of tsakziki). We got a leg of lamb cut into kabob sized pieces from the Lebanese Butcher. I marinated the meat in a little extra virgin olive oil, salt, pepper, fresh rosemary, and minced garlic, then skewered them and grilled them outside on a charcoal grill. For the veggies, I cut the zuchs, squash, and onions all into think rounds, tossed with a little extra virgin, salt & pepper, and rosemary, and skewered them. Since I didn't have enough room on the grill with all that meat, I put them under the broiler until they were just fork tender. I didn't skewer the tomatoes, but gave them the same treatment. For the rice dish, I grilled 4 cobs of corn the night before so that some of the kernels were charred slightly with grill marks, then let them cool and cut the kernels off the cob. After the basmati rice was done cooking and still hot, I tossed the corn and rice together (used about 3 cups uncooked rice -- whatever that turns out to be when cooked) with a good pinch of salt, half a stick of softened unsalted butter. At the very end, stir in a big handful of chopped fresh mint leaves and serve room temperature. (This is a very summery dish and great to take to a picnic or cookout. It's easy and since it doesn't have mayo, can sit out and there's no fuss about what temperature you serve it. It's lighter than other starchy dishes you could take and it will be a big hit. Everyone loves this dish.) Finally, the yogurt sauce: about 1 cup of good quality low fat yogurt, the juice of one whole lemon, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, salt, a whole medium sized juicy cucumber sliced paper thin (maybe best to use a mandoline for those not very skilled with a knife), a generous 2-3 cloves worth of minced garlic. This is good with the rice, the veggies, and the meat!
For wine with the meal we offered 2006 Bellevue Sauvignon Blanc from Touraine for the white wine drinkers and Yarraman Estates Hell Raiser Cab-Merlot blend for the red wine drinkers. The white is grapefruit all the way. The red was pretty light and fruity and paired well with lamb. The lamb itself probably could have stood up to something stronger but with the summery vegetables and rice, the light red was just the right match in my opinion.
For dessert we had chocolate panna cotta (see an earlier post for the recipe) topped with fresh whipped cream and coffee. The panna cotta was just about a disaster. I made it the same way I had done it a few weeks before and set it in the fridge to congeal. When I checked it after about 2 hours, it looked like chocolate soup not pudding! So I dumped all the contents of the ramekins back into another saucepan and warmed it up, stirred in some extra gelatin and poured that back into clean ramekins, set it in the fridge and crossed my fingers. Well... the result was a very thick, overcooked custard instead of a pudding. Oh well, everyone still enjoyed it, I think mainly because it was good and chocolately but not too sweet. Anything would be good with freshly made whipped cream anyhow.
Well, that was Sunday night. We ate out on Monday night and Tuesday night as well so I will have entries on those shortly.
For the main course we had grilled lamb kebobs; zucchini, yellow squash, vidalia onions, and campari tomatoes; basmati rice mixed with grilled corn and fresh mint; and a yogurt sauce (my version of tsakziki). We got a leg of lamb cut into kabob sized pieces from the Lebanese Butcher. I marinated the meat in a little extra virgin olive oil, salt, pepper, fresh rosemary, and minced garlic, then skewered them and grilled them outside on a charcoal grill. For the veggies, I cut the zuchs, squash, and onions all into think rounds, tossed with a little extra virgin, salt & pepper, and rosemary, and skewered them. Since I didn't have enough room on the grill with all that meat, I put them under the broiler until they were just fork tender. I didn't skewer the tomatoes, but gave them the same treatment. For the rice dish, I grilled 4 cobs of corn the night before so that some of the kernels were charred slightly with grill marks, then let them cool and cut the kernels off the cob. After the basmati rice was done cooking and still hot, I tossed the corn and rice together (used about 3 cups uncooked rice -- whatever that turns out to be when cooked) with a good pinch of salt, half a stick of softened unsalted butter. At the very end, stir in a big handful of chopped fresh mint leaves and serve room temperature. (This is a very summery dish and great to take to a picnic or cookout. It's easy and since it doesn't have mayo, can sit out and there's no fuss about what temperature you serve it. It's lighter than other starchy dishes you could take and it will be a big hit. Everyone loves this dish.) Finally, the yogurt sauce: about 1 cup of good quality low fat yogurt, the juice of one whole lemon, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, salt, a whole medium sized juicy cucumber sliced paper thin (maybe best to use a mandoline for those not very skilled with a knife), a generous 2-3 cloves worth of minced garlic. This is good with the rice, the veggies, and the meat!
For wine with the meal we offered 2006 Bellevue Sauvignon Blanc from Touraine for the white wine drinkers and Yarraman Estates Hell Raiser Cab-Merlot blend for the red wine drinkers. The white is grapefruit all the way. The red was pretty light and fruity and paired well with lamb. The lamb itself probably could have stood up to something stronger but with the summery vegetables and rice, the light red was just the right match in my opinion.
For dessert we had chocolate panna cotta (see an earlier post for the recipe) topped with fresh whipped cream and coffee. The panna cotta was just about a disaster. I made it the same way I had done it a few weeks before and set it in the fridge to congeal. When I checked it after about 2 hours, it looked like chocolate soup not pudding! So I dumped all the contents of the ramekins back into another saucepan and warmed it up, stirred in some extra gelatin and poured that back into clean ramekins, set it in the fridge and crossed my fingers. Well... the result was a very thick, overcooked custard instead of a pudding. Oh well, everyone still enjoyed it, I think mainly because it was good and chocolately but not too sweet. Anything would be good with freshly made whipped cream anyhow.
Well, that was Sunday night. We ate out on Monday night and Tuesday night as well so I will have entries on those shortly.
27 April 2007
What to cook?
We are having the family over for dinner Sunday. What to cook? The weather is supposed to be sunny and warm, so it might be a good day to grill. On the other hand, I want something easy so that I don't have to 1) work hard all day and 2) can spend time with my guests instead of preparing dinner.
Some options I'm considering.
For starters, one of the following:
- crudite and not your average spinach dip
- cheese, crackers, nuts, fruit
- baguette toasts with mushroom spread
- pate and cornichon with crackers
For main course, one of the following:
1) fried chicken with potato salad and collards
2) pork loin roast with hashed sweet potatoes and creamed spinach
3) fish fillets sauteed with tomatoes, capers and olives, served with orzo tossed in lemon butter, and grilled asparagus
4) lamb kebobs, grilled zucchini and yellow squash, and rice mixed with grilled corn and mint
For dessert, one of the following:
- vanilla ice cream with bananas flambeed in rum and brown sugar (Bananas Foster)
- brownie with ice cream
- mixed berry clafouti
- sour cream cake with mixed berries
- strawberry shortcakes
- chocolate panna cotta
What do you think?
Some options I'm considering.
For starters, one of the following:
- crudite and not your average spinach dip
- cheese, crackers, nuts, fruit
- baguette toasts with mushroom spread
- pate and cornichon with crackers
For main course, one of the following:
1) fried chicken with potato salad and collards
2) pork loin roast with hashed sweet potatoes and creamed spinach
3) fish fillets sauteed with tomatoes, capers and olives, served with orzo tossed in lemon butter, and grilled asparagus
4) lamb kebobs, grilled zucchini and yellow squash, and rice mixed with grilled corn and mint
For dessert, one of the following:
- vanilla ice cream with bananas flambeed in rum and brown sugar (Bananas Foster)
- brownie with ice cream
- mixed berry clafouti
- sour cream cake with mixed berries
- strawberry shortcakes
- chocolate panna cotta
What do you think?
23 April 2007
Vegas, Baby
Just got back from 3 days in Las Vegas. Five of us were celebrating the 35th birthday of a very good friend. As the tv commerical will tell you, "What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas." But I can tell you a few things:
1) See "O" at the Bellagio. It will be worth every penny you spend for the tickets. It is a complete enchantment. This is a production of the Cirque du Soleil for which they created and built a special stage. The stage in and of itself is fascinating. Sometimes it's simply a solid surface and other times it gives the illusion of people walking on water and other times, it is deep enough to entertain high divers and scuba divers!
2) Trattoria del Lupo at the Mandalay Bay serves excellent pizza and pasta by the chef and restauranteur, Wolfgang Puck. Through the glass window you can see the fresh pasta hanging like laundry from the drying racks. The prices are very reasonable.
3) The Buffet at The Wynn. I'm not usually one who enjoys a buffet but this is exceptionally good featuring standing rack of lamb encrusted in spices, prime rib, a Chinese station, an Italian station, a cold seafoods station, a dessert station (with loads and loads of bite sized selections), and more that I'm sure I've forgotten. It is $40 per person but take your time and enjoy it and get your money's worth.
4) Shopping at the Venetian -- many of the stores you would see in an upper-middle class mall but with a canal and gondolas and opera singers and street performers. When you walk into the shopping area, look up. The lighting and the painted ceiling will convince you that you are outdoors. Secondly, take a deep breath, and that too will convince you that you are outdoors. The air seems like fresh outdoor air, not the typically stale air inside a mall.
5) The fountain water show in front of the Bellagio is fantastically beautiful. The streams and jets of water dance in coordination to the music and runs every half hour in the evenings. It's romantic. Especially when the vibrant crescent moon hangs just so in the sky, just left of center of the hotel itself in the background on a clear and lovely evening.
6) Pamper yourself at The Bathhouse spa at The Hotel at Mandalay Bay.
The rest, I'm afraid, really needs to be left unsaid. ;-)
1) See "O" at the Bellagio. It will be worth every penny you spend for the tickets. It is a complete enchantment. This is a production of the Cirque du Soleil for which they created and built a special stage. The stage in and of itself is fascinating. Sometimes it's simply a solid surface and other times it gives the illusion of people walking on water and other times, it is deep enough to entertain high divers and scuba divers!
2) Trattoria del Lupo at the Mandalay Bay serves excellent pizza and pasta by the chef and restauranteur, Wolfgang Puck. Through the glass window you can see the fresh pasta hanging like laundry from the drying racks. The prices are very reasonable.
3) The Buffet at The Wynn. I'm not usually one who enjoys a buffet but this is exceptionally good featuring standing rack of lamb encrusted in spices, prime rib, a Chinese station, an Italian station, a cold seafoods station, a dessert station (with loads and loads of bite sized selections), and more that I'm sure I've forgotten. It is $40 per person but take your time and enjoy it and get your money's worth.
4) Shopping at the Venetian -- many of the stores you would see in an upper-middle class mall but with a canal and gondolas and opera singers and street performers. When you walk into the shopping area, look up. The lighting and the painted ceiling will convince you that you are outdoors. Secondly, take a deep breath, and that too will convince you that you are outdoors. The air seems like fresh outdoor air, not the typically stale air inside a mall.
5) The fountain water show in front of the Bellagio is fantastically beautiful. The streams and jets of water dance in coordination to the music and runs every half hour in the evenings. It's romantic. Especially when the vibrant crescent moon hangs just so in the sky, just left of center of the hotel itself in the background on a clear and lovely evening.
6) Pamper yourself at The Bathhouse spa at The Hotel at Mandalay Bay.
The rest, I'm afraid, really needs to be left unsaid. ;-)
13 April 2007
Two meals this week
I last left off talking about Easter weekend and everything we had to eat and drink... well, not everything. I made dinner Sunday night. I don't know what to call it. It's was a baked rigatoni in bechamel with lots of vegetables.
To start out, I had chopped, blanched and shocked a whole head of broccoli, including the stems (trimmed and peeled the woody parts off first) and a bunch of asparagus. I put a box of frozen chopped spinach in the microwave for a couple minutes and cooked half a box of rigatoni. Once all that was prepped, I started a bechamel in a large pan. Bechamel is basically a roux with milk or cream. I livened mine up with a finely minced onion and some pasted garlic (used the mortar and pestle for this), made golden in the butter (about 1/2 stick) before adding the flour (about 1 1/2 Tbsp). After the flour is incorporated and absorbed well by the butter, no longer raw, add milk or cream (about 2 cups maybe?) until it thickens over med-low heat. I made mine not too thick by using little flour because, once off the heat, I added fresh ricotta cheese, which really thickens it up. To the sauce, I tossed in the broccoli, asparagus, spinach, pasta, and a hearty handful of frozen peas, salt and pepper, and mixed it all up with a wooden spoon. Put the whole mixture into a sprayed baking dish, and topped with a blend of freshly toasted bread crumbs and parmesan cheese. I put that into a hot oven for about 35 minutes and served it piping hot. And while I would normally think of pasta and bechamel as heavy and rich, it didn't seem so with all the veggies that were in it. This makes enough for 6-8 generous plenty portions. But think about that -- 1/2 a box of pasta for 8 portions and the rest is veggies.
Yesterday I knew I needed to cook but didn't really know what to make. I needed something super quick and easy because I was going to the gym in between work and home. I found a recipe on Everyday Food and, as I usually do, I adapted it.
Mediterranean Pita Pizza
4 six-inch pitas, split open
store bought hummous (or make your own; I used a roasted garlic flavor, store bought container)
3/4 lb ground lamb, browned and drained
12 kalamata olives, pitted
1-2 yellow bell pepper, sliced
couple handfuls of chopped flat-leaf parsley
feta cheese, crumbled
Preheat oven to 425 and spray two cookie sheets with spray oil. Lay the pitas cut side up on the cookie sheets. Spread each pita half with hummous, scatter on the bell pepper slices, kalamatas, lamb, parsley and cheese. Pop into the oven for about 15 minutes or until the pitas are crisp and the toppings are warmed through. Don't go by whether the cheese has melted or not because feta doesn't really melt. Makes 4 servings.
A good addition (or substitute for another item, such as the parsley) to this would be a box of frozen chopped spinach, thawed with all the water squeezed out. If you don't like lamb, you could use lean ground beef, turkey or chicken. If you like eggplant, substituting babaganoush for the hummous would be another good version of this. Adapt it. Make it your own.
To start out, I had chopped, blanched and shocked a whole head of broccoli, including the stems (trimmed and peeled the woody parts off first) and a bunch of asparagus. I put a box of frozen chopped spinach in the microwave for a couple minutes and cooked half a box of rigatoni. Once all that was prepped, I started a bechamel in a large pan. Bechamel is basically a roux with milk or cream. I livened mine up with a finely minced onion and some pasted garlic (used the mortar and pestle for this), made golden in the butter (about 1/2 stick) before adding the flour (about 1 1/2 Tbsp). After the flour is incorporated and absorbed well by the butter, no longer raw, add milk or cream (about 2 cups maybe?) until it thickens over med-low heat. I made mine not too thick by using little flour because, once off the heat, I added fresh ricotta cheese, which really thickens it up. To the sauce, I tossed in the broccoli, asparagus, spinach, pasta, and a hearty handful of frozen peas, salt and pepper, and mixed it all up with a wooden spoon. Put the whole mixture into a sprayed baking dish, and topped with a blend of freshly toasted bread crumbs and parmesan cheese. I put that into a hot oven for about 35 minutes and served it piping hot. And while I would normally think of pasta and bechamel as heavy and rich, it didn't seem so with all the veggies that were in it. This makes enough for 6-8 generous plenty portions. But think about that -- 1/2 a box of pasta for 8 portions and the rest is veggies.
Yesterday I knew I needed to cook but didn't really know what to make. I needed something super quick and easy because I was going to the gym in between work and home. I found a recipe on Everyday Food and, as I usually do, I adapted it.
Mediterranean Pita Pizza
4 six-inch pitas, split open
store bought hummous (or make your own; I used a roasted garlic flavor, store bought container)
3/4 lb ground lamb, browned and drained
12 kalamata olives, pitted
1-2 yellow bell pepper, sliced
couple handfuls of chopped flat-leaf parsley
feta cheese, crumbled
Preheat oven to 425 and spray two cookie sheets with spray oil. Lay the pitas cut side up on the cookie sheets. Spread each pita half with hummous, scatter on the bell pepper slices, kalamatas, lamb, parsley and cheese. Pop into the oven for about 15 minutes or until the pitas are crisp and the toppings are warmed through. Don't go by whether the cheese has melted or not because feta doesn't really melt. Makes 4 servings.
A good addition (or substitute for another item, such as the parsley) to this would be a box of frozen chopped spinach, thawed with all the water squeezed out. If you don't like lamb, you could use lean ground beef, turkey or chicken. If you like eggplant, substituting babaganoush for the hummous would be another good version of this. Adapt it. Make it your own.
09 April 2007
The Food and Wine Frenzy that was the Weekend
I love my brother-in-law and his wife and I love it when they come up from Charlotte, NC to visit us, but thank goodness the visits are usually short! No offense to them but, my god, we eat and drink a lot whenever they visit and by Monday I just feel like I need to fast and detox. They got a late start on Friday and didn't get up here until late, so we didn't get a chance to go to dinner together -- maybe a good thing.
As it turns out, our favorite wine store in Cleveland Park was having a tasting on Friday, as they always do, so we decided to pop in there and see what was going on and we needed a few bottles to restock for warmer weather anyhow. We tasted some beers from Bells Brewery (bought a 6-pack of the Amber Ale) and then about three wines from the very southwestern tip of Australia and two wines from the southeastern area of Australia. The two Yarraman Estate wines we tasted were both very nice and at a very nice price so we bought a bottle of each. The white was a combo of Semillon and Verdelho: dry, crisp, tart. Not quite as grapefruity as a NZ Sauvignon Blanc but very kiwi and citrus. The red was a combo Shiraz Merlot. With a couple good swirls of the glass, the tannins faded into the background and was smooth all the way. We then proceeded to buy another 16 bottles of various recommendations from Tony and things we have tried over the past year or so and know we love. And then we went for a late Vietnamese dinner.
Saturday I worked out and skipped lunch. The rest of the fam went to a place in Pentagon City that specializes in crepes. In the afternoon, we met up at the new Whole Foods Market in the Fair Lakes area of Fairfax, VA in the wine loft. The place is pretty cool but you can spend a fortune in there just tasting what's available. Select your wine, decide whether you want a one-, three-, or five-ounce tasting. Stick a glass underneath the spigot, insert your wine bar debit card, and press a button. It runs the gamut from very inexpensive to very (insanely) expensive and makes for a fun afternoon, as long as you don't have to drive!
Everyone came over to our house after that and we had some nibbles. My father-in-law had recently purchased a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon rated 98 points which he spent $100 for and he very graciously wanted to share it with all of us. So we each had a little bit of it with him. After a few minutes in the glass, it was delicious and lovely. I didn't write it down because I personally couldn't bring myself to spend that much on a bottle of wine. I've had others that were that good (to my tastes anyway) for about $20. I believe in affordable wine, especially for everyday drinking.
For nibbles we had:
- blanched and shocked asparagus spears with homemade mayo to dip in
- "Cheap Trick" cheese (I like to call it that but I got the idea from Jacques Pepin's Fast Food My Way) which is a blend of all the little bits of leftover cheeses you have in the fridge with a spoon of cream cheese, a little honey and some lime juice, brought all together in the food processor and then pumpkin seeds and dried cranberries folded in and spread on crackers
- toasted baguette slices topped with tapenade
We then all piled in the car and went to dinner. Yes, we ate again. Bamian, located in the bustling Bailey's Crossroads area, is a wonderful Afghan restaurant serving up delicious traditional foods including little dumplings filled with meat and covered in yogurt sauce with fresh mint, a bread pastry filled with savory and creamy potatoes, grilled lamb ribs, and stewed pumpkin. We had a delicious meal, courtesy of the parents - thanks again! We four "kids" then went off to a place called My Bakery, a Bolivian cafe. We ordered one pastelito to share and coffee and tea. A pastelito is kind of like a beignet if you have ever been to New Orleans, but it has cheese inside, so you get this wonderful combination of savory (salty from the cheese) and sweet from the dough and the powdered sugar, along with the crispy, crunchiness and heat from the whole thing being fried. Good thing we shared.
Oh yeah, then there was Sunday, Easter Sunday. It's our family tradition to eat lunch at a Greek restaurant on Easter Sunday. For the past few years we have very much enjoyed the Athena Pallas restaurant. They serve traditional Greek Easter bread, the special Easter soup (which I think is kind of an avgolemeno [egg-lemon] soup with the addition of organ meats of chicken), a roasted lamb, grilled sea bream, roast suckling pig and various other specials for Easter. I ordered the Greek Salad for my main course and just had one bite of the galaktibouriko, a phyllo pastry stuffed with fresh custard and drizzled with orange blossom honey and nutmeg.
And there ended the feeding frenzy that was Easter weekend 2007. Well, not really because I made dinner. That entry is for another day.
As it turns out, our favorite wine store in Cleveland Park was having a tasting on Friday, as they always do, so we decided to pop in there and see what was going on and we needed a few bottles to restock for warmer weather anyhow. We tasted some beers from Bells Brewery (bought a 6-pack of the Amber Ale) and then about three wines from the very southwestern tip of Australia and two wines from the southeastern area of Australia. The two Yarraman Estate wines we tasted were both very nice and at a very nice price so we bought a bottle of each. The white was a combo of Semillon and Verdelho: dry, crisp, tart. Not quite as grapefruity as a NZ Sauvignon Blanc but very kiwi and citrus. The red was a combo Shiraz Merlot. With a couple good swirls of the glass, the tannins faded into the background and was smooth all the way. We then proceeded to buy another 16 bottles of various recommendations from Tony and things we have tried over the past year or so and know we love. And then we went for a late Vietnamese dinner.
Saturday I worked out and skipped lunch. The rest of the fam went to a place in Pentagon City that specializes in crepes. In the afternoon, we met up at the new Whole Foods Market in the Fair Lakes area of Fairfax, VA in the wine loft. The place is pretty cool but you can spend a fortune in there just tasting what's available. Select your wine, decide whether you want a one-, three-, or five-ounce tasting. Stick a glass underneath the spigot, insert your wine bar debit card, and press a button. It runs the gamut from very inexpensive to very (insanely) expensive and makes for a fun afternoon, as long as you don't have to drive!
Everyone came over to our house after that and we had some nibbles. My father-in-law had recently purchased a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon rated 98 points which he spent $100 for and he very graciously wanted to share it with all of us. So we each had a little bit of it with him. After a few minutes in the glass, it was delicious and lovely. I didn't write it down because I personally couldn't bring myself to spend that much on a bottle of wine. I've had others that were that good (to my tastes anyway) for about $20. I believe in affordable wine, especially for everyday drinking.
For nibbles we had:
- blanched and shocked asparagus spears with homemade mayo to dip in
- "Cheap Trick" cheese (I like to call it that but I got the idea from Jacques Pepin's Fast Food My Way) which is a blend of all the little bits of leftover cheeses you have in the fridge with a spoon of cream cheese, a little honey and some lime juice, brought all together in the food processor and then pumpkin seeds and dried cranberries folded in and spread on crackers
- toasted baguette slices topped with tapenade
We then all piled in the car and went to dinner. Yes, we ate again. Bamian, located in the bustling Bailey's Crossroads area, is a wonderful Afghan restaurant serving up delicious traditional foods including little dumplings filled with meat and covered in yogurt sauce with fresh mint, a bread pastry filled with savory and creamy potatoes, grilled lamb ribs, and stewed pumpkin. We had a delicious meal, courtesy of the parents - thanks again! We four "kids" then went off to a place called My Bakery, a Bolivian cafe. We ordered one pastelito to share and coffee and tea. A pastelito is kind of like a beignet if you have ever been to New Orleans, but it has cheese inside, so you get this wonderful combination of savory (salty from the cheese) and sweet from the dough and the powdered sugar, along with the crispy, crunchiness and heat from the whole thing being fried. Good thing we shared.
Oh yeah, then there was Sunday, Easter Sunday. It's our family tradition to eat lunch at a Greek restaurant on Easter Sunday. For the past few years we have very much enjoyed the Athena Pallas restaurant. They serve traditional Greek Easter bread, the special Easter soup (which I think is kind of an avgolemeno [egg-lemon] soup with the addition of organ meats of chicken), a roasted lamb, grilled sea bream, roast suckling pig and various other specials for Easter. I ordered the Greek Salad for my main course and just had one bite of the galaktibouriko, a phyllo pastry stuffed with fresh custard and drizzled with orange blossom honey and nutmeg.
And there ended the feeding frenzy that was Easter weekend 2007. Well, not really because I made dinner. That entry is for another day.
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