tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-66802251876109750432011-11-28T04:47:36.966-05:00A Washingtonienne's Gastronomic (Mis)AdventuresROGANISTAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16598965318563065940noreply@blogger.comBlogger2341100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680225187610975043.post-17003483883837838292010-08-24T22:26:00.000-04:002010-08-24T22:26:29.842-04:00

Reprinted from DiningDC: Food Truck Enthusiasts all over the Washington, DC area are joining together in an effort to save DC’s Food Trucks and they need your help urgently! According to the “Yes on Title 24” website, “Some very powerful businesses are lobbying the City Council to prevent us from serving you where you work. The DC Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (DCRA), on the

ROGANISTAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16598965318563065940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680225187610975043.post-57061432084023928482010-05-15T23:34:00.003-04:002010-05-16T09:37:49.477-04:00

So last night G and I "celebrated" our engage-a-versary with some flank steak, boxed mashed potatoes and a salad. I hadn't gone 'real' grocery shopping in a while, since G was away on business. I must say, I LOVE the challenge of putting things together out of nothing more than what we have on hand. Sometimes disparate ingredients and improvisation results in the most

ROGANISTAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16598965318563065940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680225187610975043.post-4788953992268158762010-05-05T10:20:00.001-04:002010-05-16T09:35:46.487-04:00

This cake is such a big cheat. It's made with boxed cake mix, Cool Whip and boxed pudding. As you know, I don't bake, so this was right up my alley. And the results were fantastic. Everyone from the party wants the recipe. So, if you're feeling a little Sandra Lee ("semi-homemade"--that is an awful show, by the way) then this is the recipe for you. This is my MIL's recipe

ROGANISTAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16598965318563065940noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680225187610975043.post-65291827663884780842010-05-03T18:57:00.002-04:002010-05-03T22:56:20.576-04:00

We woke up really early (like 6:30 am) Sunday morning to do the remaining prep work for Michelle and Graham's brunch. It was worth it. Everything turned out well and the happy couple was ecstatic. They were also pleasantly surprised by the slight nod to Spain (Michelle studied in Spain for a year, and also brought along her friends visiting from Galicia). Remember the potted hydrangea? The happy

ROGANISTAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16598965318563065940noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680225187610975043.post-73039266417055389212010-05-01T16:13:00.001-04:002010-05-03T22:51:18.763-04:00

Today's a gorgeous day here in DC! It's in the 80s and breezy. G went golfing this morning and after he returned, we walked down to Hank's for a little brunch. I had told G that I want to get in as much of our sidewalk-culture neighborhood as possible before we move. I love it so (in spite of our craptastic neighbors). Everything is so accessible and within--yes--walking distance, and there are

ROGANISTAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16598965318563065940noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680225187610975043.post-69874399392384316332010-04-29T08:33:00.001-04:002010-05-03T22:53:06.087-04:00

 The other weekend, we went to an open-house and the realtor had the best chocolate chip cookies sitting out. They were crispy-edged, gooey-centered (a bit raw I think). So I came home and made some. They weren't as good. I even looked up "soft chocolate chip cookie" recipes. I'm not a baker, as you know, so there's probably some key technique that I'm missing. They turned out delicious, but

ROGANISTAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16598965318563065940noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680225187610975043.post-22803482933705603572010-04-16T11:13:00.001-04:002010-04-16T11:30:27.406-04:00

G and I went to Madrid for a brief visit last week.  (Got back Monday afternoon.) Weather was warm (in the 60s) during  the day and cool at night (40s and 50s). We had both been to Madrid and various parts of Spain before, so we were not pressed to visit every attraction. Just took in some museums, leisurely walks around our quiet neighborhood, long siestas, and fantastic restaurants. With good

ROGANISTAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16598965318563065940noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680225187610975043.post-46288109796121557202010-03-22T19:21:00.001-04:002010-03-22T21:15:37.681-04:00

As you may or may not know, I'm obsessed with macarons. My whole wedding was planned around Laduree. Our French friends have, on more than one occasion, smuggled in French Laduree macarons for my eating enjoyment (Ms. Quiche on Weddingbee even tried to get them for me when she was in Paris). I actually made them as favors for my wedding--which is a ridiculous feat, since a) I don't bake and b)

ROGANISTAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16598965318563065940noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680225187610975043.post-66088181912293493162010-03-16T15:50:00.005-04:002010-03-16T15:56:07.570-04:00

They're young, they're broke, and they pay for organic salmon with government subsidies. Got a problem with that? Read about it here. What are your thoughts?

ROGANISTAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16598965318563065940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680225187610975043.post-85292898909722568162010-03-16T14:42:00.002-04:002010-03-16T14:44:20.816-04:00

I'd like to preface by saying I'm neither hippy nor dippy (okay maybe just a little of the latter). But on the heels of my humane meats revelation and sustainable farming, I think this is a good idea. So come!! There's art to boot? How can you beat this? The first “Green hour” event is happening this Thursday and next (March 18 and 25) at The Phillips from 5:00 p.m. to 8

ROGANISTAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16598965318563065940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680225187610975043.post-23430032365025845722010-03-07T12:59:00.003-05:002010-03-08T00:50:56.091-05:00

I made  olive oil cake this weekend. We had a bunch of fresh pineapple from my mom, and it had to be eaten.  I pureed it and made a sauce and baked* the cake as a delivery system for the pineapple. It turned out dense with a slight crust, more like a scone or torte than a cake. It wasn't too sweet, and went really well with the pineapple. The cake recipe called for  3/4 cup of good olive oil--

ROGANISTAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16598965318563065940noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680225187610975043.post-2301942905550044652010-03-04T17:09:00.010-05:002010-03-05T02:06:28.548-05:00

At Tim's dinner party, we met several new people, including Cynthia, who is a photographer and foodie. She's trying to combine her two passions into a documentary piece of work on humane meat harvesting. I wasn't sure what she was talking about, but my curiosity was piqued enough to join her at a wine dinner showcasing her photography and Eco-Friendly Foods at our most favorite of wine-bar

ROGANISTAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16598965318563065940noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680225187610975043.post-59998344870822986572010-03-03T02:18:00.004-05:002010-03-03T12:32:47.549-05:00

Tim, art collector, oenophile and foodie extraordinaire hosted (the weekend before last--I've been behind in my posting) a little dinner party to celebrate Gesche Würfel and her show at Civilian Arts Project. It was also an opportunity to introduce G and artist, Barbara Liotta , to discuss Chinese art (and her upcoming trip to Beijing). But generally, it was just a random reason to bring together

ROGANISTAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16598965318563065940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680225187610975043.post-13022091426002286172010-02-15T22:42:00.002-05:002010-02-16T09:51:07.830-05:00

We ate our weight in braised meat this weekend. Friday night we met G's family at Corduroy where we celebrated belated birthdays for the ladies.  I LOVE Corduroy. It's our occasion place, and where we had our proposal dinner. Birthday Friday I had the braised pork belly, G had the beef cheeks. Art Saturday Saturday we went to David and Laurie's (our gallerist friends) to pick up the Lou

ROGANISTAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16598965318563065940noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680225187610975043.post-56142291520709565382010-02-09T15:56:00.007-05:002010-02-11T02:02:15.567-05:00

Again with the snow. We're supposed to get 10 MORE inches this evening. Offices were closed for the second time this week.  There's only one thing left to do: make soup. I love the ideas guy who thought of packaging leftover bits of vegetable together. It's brilliant because you don't have to think too much about what to get and it's the perfect amount. In this pack was parsnip, onion, turnip,

ROGANISTAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16598965318563065940noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680225187610975043.post-66978528387438095702010-02-08T11:43:00.002-05:002010-02-08T22:19:00.581-05:00

I'm not a fan of football. Didn't even know who was playing (let alone what this Who Dat? business was about--but congrats, Saints, congrats). It was a lazy Super Bow-el Bowl Sunday in the DCEat home. Lots of eating and staying in. A (rare) big breakfast morphed into a lazy lasagna dinner. And G claimed the only reason to stay tuned was to watch the half-time show...when you turn it up real loud

ROGANISTAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16598965318563065940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680225187610975043.post-59572843728107382462010-02-07T15:07:00.002-05:002010-02-07T16:22:29.868-05:00

SnOMG! We survived Snowpocolypse, Snowmageddon, Apocolypse S-Now! Panic! Hunger! Falling skies! Craziness!     A ton of snow on our roof!; our blanketed street; a walk in the street; lunch at Saint Ex (it was open!)--had the pupusas and fried green tomato BLT (and fries)--DELISH; monument snow sculpture at True Hardware (it was open, too! Whole Foods and Logan Hardware were not); droopy

ROGANISTAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16598965318563065940noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680225187610975043.post-54322624400414574142010-02-05T23:23:00.010-05:002010-02-06T11:21:48.489-05:00

National Weather Service has upgraded the Winter Storm Warning to a Blizzard Warning, beginning at 10PM tonight,and continuing until 10PM tomorrow. The Winter Storm Warning will remain in effect until 10PM. A Blizzard Warning means wind gusts will exceed 35 mph, snow is likely to be extremely heavy, and visibility will be reduced below 1/4 mile. Please make sure to secure all loose objects on

ROGANISTAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16598965318563065940noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680225187610975043.post-13313208639597478092010-02-04T16:08:00.004-05:002010-02-04T16:38:48.497-05:00

Swiss friend, Marcus Benz, (from G's Beijing days) stopped by for dinner on his way through Washington on business the other night. We thought we'd give him a traditional American meal (which we don't typically eat ourselves, but whatever) of pot roast, mashed potatoes, and brussel sprouts. In return, he brought us a winter snowstorm and sweets (Swiss pralines and his wife's cd of her music).  

ROGANISTAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16598965318563065940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680225187610975043.post-17663080914668613732010-01-28T19:26:00.004-05:002010-01-29T16:01:57.336-05:00

I love the wine country lifestyle: casually, understatedly elegant. We made a trip out to Napa and Sonoma over the long MLK weekend. We stayed in Santa Rosa at an average Hyatt using G's points. It was a good location being the middle between the two valleys. We were also lucky that G's friend, who runs Copenhagen Wine, was/is well entrenched in the wine business. Through him and his local

ROGANISTAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16598965318563065940noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680225187610975043.post-71483432590047053352010-01-26T15:24:00.001-05:002010-01-26T15:32:04.040-05:00

Saturday evening, we went to see DC's own Thievery Corporation at 9:30 Club. It was packed and not as enjoyable as last year, but still good.  On Sunday I had lunch with my mom and worked on some Etsy stuff with her. And this evening, G picked up a pizza from the new Homemade Pizza Company that just opened up down the street.  (They sell unbaked pizzas that you bake yourself at home.) We got

ROGANISTAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16598965318563065940noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680225187610975043.post-48770468543524883472010-01-26T14:32:00.000-05:002010-01-26T15:30:35.321-05:00

Ahhh, Charleston, now that's more like it. We did a quick trip over to this magnificent port city. Beautiful Georgian architecture everywhere. We stayed at the lovely Governor's House Inn.   We stayed in the Middleton Suite, which was utterly magnificent. The beautiful home of Edward Rutledge--one of South Carolina's representative to the First Continental Congress, and the youngest

ROGANISTAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16598965318563065940noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680225187610975043.post-31296083022519383542010-01-22T15:17:00.000-05:002010-01-24T18:40:34.387-05:00

  Halfway between Hilton Head and Charleston is the utterly quaint town of Beaufort. We stopped in for lunch at Wren (formerly known as Sea Island Gourment and Wine market). Funny thing, we had an old address for the establishment, and were saddened to find it closed. As we walked along the town's main street, we decided to stop in a bistro. Turns out the bistro was the new incarnation of our

ROGANISTAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16598965318563065940noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680225187610975043.post-14063769976999323492010-01-21T15:12:00.005-05:002010-01-21T15:35:26.636-05:00

From Hilton Head, we made a day-trip to sassy Savannah, took a quick buggy tour of the gorgeous squares, and completely avoided the very commercial and tourist-driven City Market. The house from Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil and the house from Something to Talk About  There are 20-something beautiful squares in Savannah. Each has a church and its own character. Movie sets and

ROGANISTAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16598965318563065940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680225187610975043.post-34452956929131099842010-01-20T10:19:00.000-05:002010-01-20T13:36:20.123-05:00

After all the Christmas festivities at G's parents' house, we hit the road to Hilton Head! His parents gave us a week at their timeshare on the lovely South Carolina island, and we relaxed fully. It's a little bit like a suburban planned community on the beach. Everything is very planned. Not exactly our taste, but, again, it was nice to spend the time relaxing and enjoying the relatively warmer

ROGANISTAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16598965318563065940noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680225187610975043.post-64426913110333622612010-01-20T00:30:00.002-05:002010-01-20T01:17:48.542-05:00

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ROGANISTAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16598965318563065940noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680225187610975043.post-64480636242895445392010-01-19T14:58:00.000-05:002010-01-19T14:58:54.752-05:00

This Friday, January 22, one of the U Street area’s most popular restaurant/bars, Local 16, and a local charity group, Do Good, Feel Good DC (DGFG), will host “Friday for Haiti” to benefit Oxfam America’s Haitian Earthquake Response Fund. The cause is especially personal to DGFG because one of their members was born in Haiti and his family is among those in need of help. Below are links to the

ROGANISTAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16598965318563065940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680225187610975043.post-50697239743595372212010-01-07T21:52:00.002-05:002010-01-08T14:24:19.465-05:00

The few days before Christmas, we were busy gathering and packaging gifts, making our holiday cards... and watching the TBS A Christmas Story marathon (The jaded "Ho, ho, ho" of the department store Santa crystallized our sentiments exactly!). We also had the very last meal made of the leftover Festivus ham: ham and bean soup. {Click on recipe to print} Ho. Ho. Ho.

ROGANISTAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16598965318563065940noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680225187610975043.post-25299890104030524672010-01-06T22:33:00.001-05:002010-01-07T22:38:33.650-05:00

On the opposite end of the spectrum from the (joyfully frenzied) Christmas brunch at G's parents was dinner with my mom. My sister and her boyfriend stopped in for a few hours en route to St. Thomas over Christmas. We had a nice, very quiet visit with them at the house. We had a non-traditional menu of all-Vietnamese food (at my and my sister's request). I loved it. Everything was so bright,

ROGANISTAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16598965318563065940noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680225187610975043.post-10808508514678695882010-01-06T16:00:00.028-05:002010-01-07T09:46:29.615-05:00

Christmas day with G's family was spent eating brunch, drinking, opening presents, eating, and opening more presents. It was exhausting! Parmesan puffs Cheese and crackers The house was very festivly decorated. The kids made me this jade necklace. Impressive, no? Brunch of egg and sausage casserole and potatoes au gratin  Kitchen sink holiday bread. At least that's what I call it.

ROGANISTAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16598965318563065940noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680225187610975043.post-71373901765981655702010-01-06T00:29:00.004-05:002010-01-06T14:26:09.650-05:00

We celebrated the third annual L'Auberge Chez Francois family dinner the day after our big Festivus party. L'Auberge is definitely NOT our favorite. It's really tired and old; the Alsatian cuisine stodgy (read: heavy, fatty, and full of calories), and the execution is just okay (not bad, just okay). But the clientele, which is mainly older (as in the average age is like 67), love it. And G's

ROGANISTAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16598965318563065940noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680225187610975043.post-4667383633733351502009-12-18T11:34:00.004-05:002009-12-18T14:07:47.365-05:00

I love figuring out meals of random things in the pantry. I haven't been to the grocery store because we have all the leftovers from the party. But we're tired of them. And, we'll be dining out all weekend (it's G's birthday), so double the reason to just eat what's in the cupboards and fridge. I was dying for some spaghetti and meatballs, inspired by the cover of the latest Bon Appetit, where

ROGANISTAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16598965318563065940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680225187610975043.post-29390364779535636982009-12-16T21:48:00.003-05:002009-12-17T16:09:21.332-05:00

I don't like casseroles, but party leftovers necessitate the baked meal in a dish. As I mentioned previously, we'll be eating Festivus scraps for the rest of the week. Last year it was the same thing: desperate for different ways to eat the truckload of remaining ham, we mixed a bunch of stuff together and put it in the oven. Herein, I'll call this Festivus casserole. Similar to mac n'

ROGANISTAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16598965318563065940noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680225187610975043.post-64232459997188798352009-12-15T00:24:00.002-05:002009-12-17T15:36:04.397-05:00

Good thing about parties, you get to eat the leftovers for dinner...for possibly a week. Tonight we had the rest of the opened wine. We purchased several cases and opened 18 bottles; most people seemed to like the sparkling the best. Anyway, we ate some ham, gougères, puff pastries, shrimp, mini cheeseburgers and some dessert (leftovers from dinner with G's parents' Sunday night).  Sigh, holiday

ROGANISTAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16598965318563065940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680225187610975043.post-69007078994434417112009-12-13T23:48:00.002-05:002009-12-15T14:57:07.764-05:00

Our third annual Festivus went very smoothly. We went really simple on the food this year. Served sparkling, a red, and a white. And various beers. No liquor. I think people were still well-satisfied. 2007 Grand Veneur Côtes du Rhône , 2008 Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc, and NV Gloria Ferrer Sparkling Some last minute preparations as we waited for our helper. (Turned out she was a last

ROGANISTAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16598965318563065940noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680225187610975043.post-683174781617968432009-12-11T01:25:00.001-05:002009-12-11T01:26:01.420-05:00

Friend and guest blogger, Ellen Yoshi Tani, provides this bit of awesome: PIE OF THE TIGER So, we were all sort of taken by this Tiger Woods downwards (or upwards) spiral of a scandal. In honor of his burgeoning harem, in honor of a man who wants to have his cake and eat it too, we made some meat pies. Bad jokes were thrown, tails were grabbed, and golf clubs stayed in the closet (ha).

ROGANISTAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16598965318563065940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680225187610975043.post-11476215627092985532009-12-10T14:11:00.001-05:002009-12-10T14:12:10.310-05:00

You know I've always liked Brasserie Beck, Robert Weidemeier's fashionably more democratic answer to Marcel's. Now he's gone and done the small bite pull-up a la Atelier Robouchon or, more familiarly, Mini Bar. Check what Urban Daddy said: This summer chef Robert Weland personally presided over his grill in the courtyard, and now that the weather's turned brisk, he's wisely moving indoors.

ROGANISTAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16598965318563065940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680225187610975043.post-80344372946826576122009-12-08T00:28:00.001-05:002009-12-08T19:40:11.206-05:00

We went to a neat little celebration Saturday. Despite the snow we ventured to toast Salta.   She just published her first book and her proud husband, Jeff, threw her a party. Salta is from Kyrgystan, a country in central Asia which is one part Russian and one part Asian (it seems). It's really fascinating the confluence of cultures and physical morphology of the people! Salta is quite

ROGANISTAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16598965318563065940noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680225187610975043.post-21457266619112942452009-12-07T16:45:00.002-05:002009-12-07T16:46:46.240-05:00

{source} A few years ago, I had the pleasure of meeting Ris Lacoste (formerly of 1789) at a chef cook-off thing. She's very nice and tremendously accessible...much like the menu for her new restaurant that opens today, Ris. It's located in a great space in the West End...and by the way, our friends David and Laurie Adamson, procured all the artwork. Being billed as an all-purpose-neighborhood

ROGANISTAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16598965318563065940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680225187610975043.post-71088213645549680432009-12-07T15:14:00.005-05:002009-12-07T16:18:53.323-05:00

Last night we went to Aug and Cécile's for dinner. They served left-over capon. You know, capon, castrated rooster. Funny thing, for people (me, G, and Cecile) who don't eat chicken, this bird needed to be pretty good. And it was. Capons are roosters that have been castrated at a young age. They are fatter, more tender, and less muscular than their fully male counterparts, and they're hard to

ROGANISTAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16598965318563065940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680225187610975043.post-61426491247986400442009-12-03T16:22:00.004-05:002009-12-03T16:54:53.490-05:00

Leftovers. Of course. G's mom gave us a bunch of turkey (dark meat and bones, included) after Thursday's meal. My sister, who stayed with us, and I ate most of the meat (oink, oink) when we got home that same night (as we sat on the floor by the fireplace catching up)!! What was left (which was not much), I put into a soup the next day and we ate with Linden Avenius. Here's the

ROGANISTAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16598965318563065940noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680225187610975043.post-42970504593081315672009-11-27T18:10:00.002-05:002009-11-29T23:33:35.674-05:00

We gathered at G's parents'--the first year we've all been together for Thanksgiving.  For the last two, we've been in China. Sister and mom got back from the Bahamas the night before. G's brother and his family came (and brought Legos). Joe, the son of G's dad's childhood friend (in Washington temporarily and flies Marine 1 for the President), joined us with his girlfriend.

ROGANISTAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16598965318563065940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680225187610975043.post-29998759563525989312009-11-25T01:38:00.002-05:002009-11-25T12:20:55.614-05:00

As promised: the last of the successful weekend meats. This time it was roast lamb shoulder with ratatouille, green salad with blanched green beans and lemon dressing, cheese and almond pear tart. For a party of seven. (a starter of olive oil, avocado and pistachios on grilled bread) We had Cecile, Augustin, Deb, Martin and Henry over. Anyway, it was not too unlikely of a gathering. It was a

ROGANISTAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16598965318563065940noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680225187610975043.post-12934348335492100772009-11-24T00:34:00.000-05:002009-11-24T00:34:22.947-05:00

The pork recipe I made for Eileen was so good, I thought I'd do it again...the next day. G came back from a week of business travel and what better way to welcome him home than with strange Eastern aromas. Again we started off with the spring rolls (see recipe here) and moved on to the clay pot pork. I still had a bunch of the herbs left over and I asked him to pick up some more pork loin on

ROGANISTAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16598965318563065940noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680225187610975043.post-53787820500273455362009-11-23T12:50:00.004-05:002009-11-23T13:29:18.885-05:00

Thursday night I made a little birthday meal for my friend, Eileen. She said she wanted to have Vietnamese food.  I had never really made anything authentically Vietnamese before, but thought it shouldn't be all that difficult.  So I chose a popular braised pork dish. Clay pot pork, is a traditional rustic dish made with a fatty cut (which lends so much flavor), a smokey caramel (not butter),

ROGANISTAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16598965318563065940noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680225187610975043.post-51037030245485399942009-11-22T23:59:00.001-05:002009-11-23T13:22:57.924-05:00

[Warning: look away vegetarians, vegans, and others who are really missing out...lots o meat ahead] It's late Sunday night. I feel really proud. You see, I've had a lot of celebratory food in the past several days, all of which I made myself. And each dish turned out well, if I do say so... Sure I feel bloated and sluggish right now, but I'm still happy for the successes. They're worth it.

ROGANISTAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16598965318563065940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680225187610975043.post-26186007525667532542009-11-17T03:00:00.001-05:002009-11-17T13:11:24.692-05:00

We toasted to yet another (again?) special occasion for our fave Frenchies, Cecile and Augustin: they just came back from Paris, fresh from their civil wedding ceremony. They told us of the pompous deputy mayor who officiated. It was very hilarious! All I remember is that he put on a show which included broken English and utterances of "New York! New York! New York!" as well as his posturing as

ROGANISTAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16598965318563065940noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680225187610975043.post-7530301808928934802009-11-14T19:10:00.003-05:002009-11-15T18:00:15.953-05:00

We spent Friday evening with G's parents at the Army Navy Country Club annual wine dinner. It was cute and the old, tired club made a good effort. The menu was decent, but the wine was fantastic.  The showcased vintner was Huneeus. They paired outstanding wines with each course. The Huneeus family has roots in Chile, but is now established in Napa. At the display table: Veramonte Sauv Blanc (

ROGANISTAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16598965318563065940noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680225187610975043.post-9528856909616325832009-11-08T20:45:00.003-05:002009-11-08T21:26:59.425-05:00

Tim and Françoise gave us their tix to the French Embassy Champagne tasting Saturday night -- a pretty nice event.  Tattinger, Pommery, J. de Telmont were among many that were represented, along with some great restaurants. With the tix were passes to the after party at Napoleon.   pâté de campagne from Bistro Lepic Our neighborhood chocolatier, ACKC   Pommery demonstrates how to pop a

ROGANISTAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16598965318563065940noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680225187610975043.post-27434751143930751712009-11-04T22:52:00.011-05:002009-11-05T01:13:01.969-05:00

What, you don't know what la Paulée is? Paulée is a Burgundian celebration (in this case, dinner) around grape harvest time to which guests contribute a memorable bottle of wine (Burgundy, bien sur). And who else but Tim and Françoise would host such an evening? So it was the traditional BYO plus...Halloween. Don't you love the juxtaposition of kitsch and oenophelia? Anyhoo, the place was

ROGANISTAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16598965318563065940noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680225187610975043.post-63330985576757494312009-11-03T20:45:00.004-05:002009-11-24T00:29:32.545-05:00

...Not Grey Gardens -- mom's garden. It's November (already?); summer has definitely gone, but there were a few stragglers in the garden. Cherry tomatoes (still green), long fibrous tendrils of dill, beaming red chili peppers.Mom sauteed the likes of them with beef and onion this past Sunday (and sent me home with these remnants of the summer). I had them for dinner this chilly Fall night.Should

ROGANISTAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16598965318563065940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680225187610975043.post-44477852262780464292009-10-31T15:30:00.004-04:002009-10-31T17:00:16.672-04:00

Last night I had Shepherd's Pie (that's Shepherd, not Cottage, meaning lamb not beef) at the ready for the little charmer's homecoming. (Made it the night before). We enjoyed the peasant fare with a Bourdeaux...  ...and we toasted our five-month-aversary with Cognac and the cupcakes.   Later, Cecile and Augustin stopped by with a surprise... Laduree Macarons! This is the second time they've

ROGANISTAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16598965318563065940noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680225187610975043.post-41192375373350405342009-10-30T12:17:00.006-04:002009-10-30T12:39:09.451-04:00

The little charmer comes home from Topeka today. Thought I'd suprise him with some cupcakes. They were supposed to be red velvet--should have added more food coloring. (They look more like cocoa mini muffins). However success was had with the heart-attack-inducing cream cheese frosting with its butter and sugar.  Quite yumz. Have you heard? I hate baking, and rarely do it. But lately I have been

ROGANISTAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16598965318563065940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680225187610975043.post-4587509124802151362009-10-25T22:04:00.003-04:002009-10-25T22:11:24.931-04:00

Bill and Pat invited us to their latest gourmet club dinner. The theme was Julia Child and French cooking. There is no joy in French cooking, only French eating. But B&P performed and executed effortlessly. (I think my contribution of a carmelized salmon potato app wasn't so good). We started with some Veuve   The gracious hosts...     Members of the gourmet club   The salmon potato

ROGANISTAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16598965318563065940noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680225187610975043.post-6870872685925099192009-10-24T12:35:00.008-04:002009-11-24T00:43:41.964-05:00

Thursday: Lady-like birthday night out... The teenager drank whiskey. Then got up the next morning all bright-eyed to eat a Potbelly's breakfast sandwich. The Zola, aka the White Knight, was cheap and sweet. Appropriate. On antibiotics, Lips had to leave early (and is most likely preggers).   Lamb sliders   Lobster mac    Gorgonzola frites  Mi dang. ....ended with a

ROGANISTAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16598965318563065940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680225187610975043.post-2741970255022398142009-10-19T22:13:00.009-04:002009-10-23T16:27:09.969-04:00

I turned 37 Friday. G planned a wonderful long weekend in Québec. It was a surprise that he had been working since August, researching hotels (we stayed at Chateau Frontenac) and dining (we ate at Toast and La Champlain). We had delicious impromptu little snacks and lunches and savored things like croûton spécial, caribou pâté, lemon-butter-and-honey crêpes, chausson aux pommes. We went to the

ROGANISTAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16598965318563065940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680225187610975043.post-51216626656185515372009-10-15T11:52:00.011-04:002009-10-15T12:13:59.198-04:00

Previously, I talked about how Restaurant Week may not be worth it. Well how about Restaurant Week every week (Sunday through Thursday)? Dino's does that. Three courses, $35 (app, main, dessert with an after dinner drinky poo). But the best part is that most of the menu is open to the promotion. They even have a Menu de la Serra which is $25 for three courses (but the main is a pasta and no after

ROGANISTAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16598965318563065940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680225187610975043.post-23067040542897702522009-10-14T14:19:00.011-04:002009-10-15T07:33:57.872-04:00

This is a long over-due follow-up to last month's Restaurant Week. We went to Taberna del Alabadero and it was pretty good. With the exception of a few establishments, most places do an abbreviated menu for the week. Taberna was no exception. We rarely go out for this promotion for that very reason, but G figured as long as they take corkage, and they're good on regular nights, then an

ROGANISTAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16598965318563065940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680225187610975043.post-86825894361056347212009-10-14T12:47:00.004-04:002009-10-14T12:59:26.384-04:00

Yep, another pantry meal. When you're either too lazy or too poor to go grocery shopping, getting creative (or back to basics) with what's in the fridge and pantry can yield quick and yummy results. Sautee the bacon in a little olive oil and add garlic.Beat together two eggs and add grated parmesan. Meanwhile, boil the pasta (along with, if desired, broccoli or whatever green cruciferous veg you

ROGANISTAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16598965318563065940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680225187610975043.post-33594645248081974472009-10-13T15:12:00.007-04:002009-10-13T15:42:17.128-04:00

Sunday was one of those confusing Fall days -- all bright, sunny, and slightly warm. It was too hot to eat a braised crown roast, but the changing leaves cued our palates for the taste of cinnamon and warm apples.Mom whipped up the best compromise. A cool Vietnamese noodle salad, which included herbed greens, grilled beef, and rice noodles topped with an unctuous and spicey fish sauce. Perfect

ROGANISTAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16598965318563065940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680225187610975043.post-48191341799853190432009-10-10T21:25:00.012-04:002009-10-11T09:38:26.205-04:00

G was all over the big sale at Schneider's warehouse this past Saturday. To celebrate 60 years in business (still in the family, run by Max Schneider's two grandsons), the Capitol Hill purveyor of fine wines and spirits hosted a little party and tasting along with great a sale at their 15,000 square foot, temperature-controlled warehouse in northeast.Next door to this seafood warehouse...The line

ROGANISTAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16598965318563065940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680225187610975043.post-27703781806950252142009-10-10T20:24:00.009-04:002009-10-10T20:53:53.181-04:00

It's always interesting to see what food is served at cultural events. The other week we went to the opening party for Edward Burtynsky's 'Oil' photography exhibit.The Corcoran GalleryBurtynsky talking about his workSteak fries with fetaCruditesGrilled cheese fingers(?)Beef skewersPolish sausage chunksSalmon skewersFree food (even bad free food) gets people all riled up. We stopped eating after a

ROGANISTAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16598965318563065940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680225187610975043.post-68923805693104739372009-10-08T19:29:00.007-04:002009-10-08T19:43:13.153-04:00

More sad news, Ben Ali, the founder for eponymous Ben's Chili Bowl (which celebrated its 50th anniversary last year) passed away last night in his sleep. He was 82.There will be a memorial service for him on October 16th at 12 noon at the Lincoln Theater (next to Ben's) at 1215 U Street, NW. I'll be out of town for myb-day weekend, otherwise, I'd be there!See my other Ben's-related posts here,

ROGANISTAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16598965318563065940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680225187610975043.post-57475947539237241092009-10-05T12:19:00.005-04:002009-10-05T12:30:05.746-04:00

Another victim of the economy, Conde Nast decides to shutter one of its most prestigous titles, Gourmet. It's a little bit of a shock since its editor, Ruth Reichl, is such a powerful player in the foodie world. But alas, print media in general has been suffering, and after 25% across the board budget cuts, Conde decided to retire the magazine after a McKinsey study's recommendation. Read more

ROGANISTAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16598965318563065940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680225187610975043.post-53487912795147211512009-09-24T16:27:00.003-04:002009-09-24T16:32:08.461-04:00

Cari over at NBC reminds me to urge you all to vote for DC's best cupcake at NBC Washington's Golden Local. Will it be the giant dreaminess of Baked & Wired or the twee lusciousness of Georgetown cupcake?Sidebar: I took a little hiatus from posting, but I assure you, there is a shiiite load of content that I need to unload. See you soon!

ROGANISTAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16598965318563065940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680225187610975043.post-85018175921693710512009-08-24T23:00:00.003-04:002009-08-27T13:59:23.042-04:00

Washington, DC Summer Restaurant Weekis August 24-30, 2009.Nearly 180 of metropolitan Washington, DC's finest restaurants offer awe-inspiring, multi-course meals prepared especially for this gourmet event.Destination DC and the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington are proud to present the 15th Washington, DC Restaurant Week from August 24-30,2009.Lunch: $20.09 for a three-course

ROGANISTAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16598965318563065940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680225187610975043.post-11196157412812360212009-08-18T13:24:00.023-04:002009-08-19T14:19:45.913-04:00

Sister restaurants, Avec and Blackbird are located next door to each other. Chicago is only an hour and a half plane ride, yet worlds away when it comes to dining. I love DC, but Chi-town is a real city with its skyscrapers and distinctive food culture. They have hot dogs and pizza styled after their town...and they love their tater tots. (Do we have DC-style food?) But it's the fine dining that

ROGANISTAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16598965318563065940noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680225187610975043.post-4715235171993534022009-08-18T13:07:00.022-04:002009-08-18T16:04:03.251-04:00

G has been in Chicago for business. I flew there for a little visit Friday night. En route in the cab, I called him to tell him about the traffic and the fact that I had a minor headache with a touch of hunger.He was so sweet to have fries and Champagne when I arrived. Fried potatoes and bubbly is the best treatment for a headache.And in the room, the hotel supplied apples and MACARONS! More

ROGANISTAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16598965318563065940noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680225187610975043.post-86450354369377956102009-08-13T23:22:00.011-04:002009-08-18T13:42:51.107-04:00

As you know, my obsession with macarons, Laduree macarons, is deep, shameless and abiding. So it is no trivial matter when someone presents to me said macarons. First of all, they cannot be shipped to the US because of their extreme perishability. Second, and relatedly, it's hard to get them into the country because they're considered a fresh food item, and thereby are not allowed through

ROGANISTAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16598965318563065940noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680225187610975043.post-82989313641206967662009-08-13T14:26:00.005-04:002009-08-13T14:46:25.582-04:00

Harry’s Tap Room to donate $5 to DC Central Kitchen for every $35.09 dinner purchased during DC’s Summer Restaurant Week, August 24-30, 2009."Restaurant Week is such a great celebration of the tremendous restaurants in our region and we get so busy that week, we decided we should do something to celebrate our patrons this year. As thanks for choosing Harry’s, we will provide our guests with the

ROGANISTAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16598965318563065940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680225187610975043.post-36157924964659569022009-08-10T13:22:00.015-04:002009-08-10T15:30:12.768-04:00

A couple Fridays ago, we met G's parents at the Army Navy Country Club for one of their themed dinner nights. It's old school. Not luxurious or swanky. But definitely sweet. It's actually one of the best kept DC secrets. Located in Arlington, near Pentagon City, it has great views of downtown DC and the monuments...On this night the theme was an island-style clambake. We got cute little "beggars

ROGANISTAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16598965318563065940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680225187610975043.post-22609926897006654992009-08-07T03:42:00.003-04:002009-08-07T12:46:25.289-04:00

My friends teased me with, What's wrong with you? When I said I'd gone to Arlington for dinner. (Mainly because we live downtown near so many great restaurants.) However, Tuesday night, I ventured out to Clarendon to meet up with a friend at Eventide.To be honest, I wasn't excited. But that quickly changed when I waited for my friend at the downstairs bar and had an Argentinian sparkling

ROGANISTAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16598965318563065940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680225187610975043.post-46697164363284443672009-08-06T11:08:00.009-04:002009-08-06T16:59:14.474-04:00

No, not a sauce for your summer cold. A cold sauce of stuff from the garden. Yep, more tomatoes and basil. What can I say, that's what's growing. And free from the garden. Good for the lazy and recession-minded.Years ago, when I was watching Jamie Oliver, I got a quick lesson in an "easy peasy" summer sauce. It requires no cooking, and is so full of flavor, you'd step on an old lady for it (to

ROGANISTAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16598965318563065940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680225187610975043.post-24634137565846873832009-08-05T09:10:00.007-04:002009-08-13T12:15:17.426-04:00

Garden-fresh is so nice. Whatever my mother has growing in her lovely kitchen garden, I'll turn into something. I picked these lovely little squash blossoms the other weekend.Squash blossoms (the flowering part of a zucchini or squash vine) are a treat generally unavailable to all but home gardeners and habitués of farmers markets. They’re so extraordinarily perishable that few supermarkets

ROGANISTAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16598965318563065940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680225187610975043.post-1650895561163463442009-08-04T11:52:00.014-04:002009-08-04T14:33:11.800-04:00

Today, August 4, is President Barack Obama’s birthday, and Dominos is encouraging anyone that shares the President’s birthday or any August birthday, to go into their local Washington, DC Dominos and get a *free* Chocolate Lava Crunch Cake, their newest dessert! You know you love free. Click here for participating restaurants. Source: Associated PressDomino’s will be celebrating August birthdays

ROGANISTAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16598965318563065940noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680225187610975043.post-28463197516669965462009-08-03T13:54:00.014-04:002009-08-04T12:15:43.297-04:00

We visited with our friends, Travis and Suzi (the ones who hosted a dinner in our honor before the wedding), at Twilight Polo Saturday evening. During the summer, arena polo is played every Saturday in Great Meadow. Travis and Suzi raise polo ponies and are involved in the community. There grandson, Wyatt, plays and is apparently very good given he's only 13.This particular evening, Suzi made

ROGANISTAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16598965318563065940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680225187610975043.post-40240957945176553142009-08-03T12:47:00.016-04:002009-08-03T17:22:09.396-04:00

On Saturday we took in the big sidewalk sale event in our Logan Circle neighborhood. In its 10th year, Dog Days of August Sidewalk Sale celebrates DC's hottest shopping corridors: 14th and U streets. MidCity shops, galleries and restaurants took their wares to the sidewalk, featured performers welcomed shoppers to what has been hailed as one of DC's most unique and dynamic retail zones.We even

ROGANISTAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16598965318563065940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680225187610975043.post-43204884033305212182009-07-30T19:44:00.009-04:002009-07-30T20:37:22.455-04:00

I've been eating snacks (more specifically hors d'oevres) for dinner  this week - G is out of town on business.Tonight, my salt-craving was sated with this bit of porcini pate (paste) with a sprinkle of caper salt on water crackers. We got these fun little jars of delicious from the eponymous Italian Store in Arlington a couple weekends back. That place is pretty fabulous.

ROGANISTAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16598965318563065940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680225187610975043.post-55945769449960125472009-07-28T11:23:00.015-04:002009-07-28T23:13:48.232-04:00

After we left the "Romanticism" opening, we headed over to the Hirshhorn "After Hours" event, where we met our friends, Sean and Candy. Hosted four times a year, it's a sort of museum soiree in the courtyard area. The music was booming, the pink neon glow lent an air of clubiness, as did the pink vodka mojitos. There were several bars set up with a limited array of drinks, including beer, wine,

ROGANISTAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16598965318563065940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680225187610975043.post-49199054912553480902009-07-25T11:38:00.012-04:002010-02-16T09:41:43.486-05:00

Laurie and David Adamson held a private opening of Lou Reed's photographic work last night. "Romanticism" is Lou Reed's third photo collection, the subjects are various landscape and architectural motifs encountered and documented in travels through Scotland, Denmark, Spain, Rome, China and Big Sur in California. It's pretty decent stuff - we are purchasing one small piece along with the book of

ROGANISTAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16598965318563065940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680225187610975043.post-34553904684399937752009-07-24T15:36:00.008-04:002009-07-24T16:04:33.403-04:00

Dear Roganista:You often write about "pantry meals". What do you consider a pantry meal? What's your favorite?- Hungry in Ashburn*****************Dear HIA:A pantry meal is the product of an improvised, make-it-up-as-you-go recipe created by pulling together whatever ingredients you have in your pantry, refrigerator, or freezer. Of course the ingredients should make sense together, but sometimes

ROGANISTAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16598965318563065940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680225187610975043.post-30040206645377864022009-07-20T14:24:00.020-04:002009-07-24T08:58:07.349-04:00

As I mentioned in my previous post, we stopped by ACKC (Artfully Chocolate, Kingsbury Confections), a "cocoa bar" that serves hand-made chocolates and other sugary treats (as well as drinks) in a cafe setting. (They somehow blend art into the mix as well.) Brightly colored in pink and yellow with bistro seating inside and outside along the sidewalk, the shop is vibrant and cutesy. It reminds me

ROGANISTAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16598965318563065940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680225187610975043.post-25794018060861769912009-07-18T13:59:00.017-04:002009-07-19T21:50:35.022-04:00

In my last two posts, I made reference to pizza. It made me realize that I had not had American pizza in quite a while (the big slice I had at my bachelorette night doesn't count as pizza...or food).So we walked over to Posto Friday night. The new-ish neighborhood Italian place--brought to you by the guys over at the swanky Tosca (not to be confused with the La Tasca chain)--is their more

ROGANISTAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16598965318563065940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680225187610975043.post-52196378984807508302009-07-17T11:36:00.013-04:002009-07-18T11:06:55.181-04:00

In this edition of Food Advice Friday, reader, Cary, asks:"Cost and availability of ingredients aside, when planning a special meal, is it best to tailor the menu around a particular wine choice, or to choose the wine based on the menu?"Dear Cary,When is cost and availabililty of ingredients ever an "aside"? Parameters are always part of the equation. No, life's not fair. But I like parameters,

ROGANISTAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16598965318563065940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680225187610975043.post-88929400408350526912009-07-16T12:49:00.011-04:002009-07-16T18:55:43.802-04:00

It never fails: Leftovers after a party. But it's great when they're nice leftovers. For the "Italian Summer" party, our friends, Eileen and Jeff brought over three different loaves of fresh-baked artisan bread. Of course there was so much food, we didn't even touch two of the loaves. So for dinner Monday night, I decided to make a sort of open faced sandwich/steak pizza with the leftover meat

ROGANISTAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16598965318563065940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680225187610975043.post-41773294562335160522009-07-16T12:05:00.012-04:002009-07-16T16:28:50.793-04:00

Happy belated Bastille Day (it was on the 14th - "le quatorze juillet" in common parlance). I just wanted to pass along this little snippet. SourceOne of my all time favorite bloggers over at Tongue in Cheek wrote about her Bastille Day (she's an American living in France). It was celebrated in a simple, magnificent foodie way: "Celebrating Bastille Day in the South of France -The fire was set

ROGANISTAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16598965318563065940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680225187610975043.post-77765694066595951832009-07-15T16:30:00.006-04:002009-07-15T17:07:01.107-04:00

Buffet ThaliWhere: Raw Silk Indian Restaurant & Lounge, 719 King Street, Alexandria , VA 22314, 703-706-5701When: Monday, July 27, 7 PMWhat: 4-courses of Indian fare paired with Chilean & South African wines.- CASABLANCA NIMBUS SAUVIGNON BLANC (CHILE) served with Lentil Soup & Raita- CALCU ( CHILE ) - Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenere & Cabernet Franc blend served with Papri Chaat & Chicken Wings-

ROGANISTAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16598965318563065940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680225187610975043.post-64666171258014953952009-07-15T10:07:00.014-04:002009-07-16T12:43:24.368-04:00

I love pesto. It's easy and yields a lot of flavor for a minimal amount of effort (unlike artichokes-- again, more on those later). I especially love it because you don't have to be exacting and you can use all kinds of different substitutions and additions. No cooking; just blending. I made it as a sauce to top the flank steak we served for our "Italian Summer" dinner party.Here's how it went

ROGANISTAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16598965318563065940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680225187610975043.post-91213949902713608392009-07-13T11:54:00.029-04:002009-07-15T17:08:33.906-04:00

We had some friends over for a little dinner party this Saturday. I themed it "Italian Summer" as a bit of a nod to our italian foodie honeymoon. This was the first party we hosted after coming back from our vacation, so it seemed appropriate.The menu consisted of (ostensibly) easy and light dishes including a linguine with a tomato and watercress "raw sauce", a grilled flank steak with fresh

ROGANISTAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16598965318563065940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680225187610975043.post-87784502608772263392009-07-12T22:29:00.013-04:002009-07-13T16:36:48.343-04:00

Last week, while visiting my mom, she and I picked tomatoes from her garden.Then she pointed out this small nest. It was built on a surprisingly low branch of a Japanese Maple in her yard.This was what was inside. A beautiful blue egg and a hatchling! So fragile:This week, I came back, curious to see what remained. The mother bird flew away when I came outside last week. I was worried she

ROGANISTAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16598965318563065940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680225187610975043.post-22809107993213172052009-07-11T02:35:00.004-04:002009-07-11T13:31:31.507-04:00

SourceWe went to the quiet little restaurant, Equinox, Thursday night to celebrate Augustin and Cecile's engagement! Chef Todd Grey walked around talking to the guests/patrons as we waited for the happy couple. He's a really nice, gregarious man!The menu looked great, and it apparently changes often, if not daily. You get the interesting choice of four or six mix and match courses. Say, if you

ROGANISTAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16598965318563065940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680225187610975043.post-31210999085395292802009-07-10T16:08:00.012-04:002009-07-13T17:01:52.984-04:00

I'm introducing a new series: Advice Fridays. Ask me anything related to food, where to eat, or what to serve your new boy/girlfriend/spouse/summer fling for dinner.Email me at roganista@gmail.com to, seriously, ask anything!The first query comes from a friend about date night with her husband:hi !need some help... i told [my husband] that i would plan 'date night' tonight and i haven't a clue

ROGANISTAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16598965318563065940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680225187610975043.post-21424393304769965442009-07-09T14:56:00.044-04:002009-07-15T17:08:11.357-04:00

On Sunday, the 5th, we went Deb & Martin's house in Tenleytown. As one of our favorite gallerists, we were eager to see their art collection, which includes some Warhols (not posters, kids, originals)! But beyond being art aficionados, they also love food and wine, and have a cellar to boot. So at their last minute invitation, they convened several couples, all of whom store/cellar great wines

ROGANISTAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16598965318563065940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680225187610975043.post-66386977337308338792009-06-26T12:55:00.003-04:002009-06-26T13:04:40.350-04:00

We got back from our wedding/honeymoon last week. I have so much to catch up on, including all the food photos I took on our Italian food extravaganza. We managed to eat at two Michelin-starred spots, and one "best restaurant in Parma". Surprisingly, I've only gained two pounds. I'm now at 100.It must be the cold that I have. Or the fact that I broke my camera 1/3 of the way into our two-week

ROGANISTAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16598965318563065940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680225187610975043.post-53540598822081358172009-05-25T23:47:00.004-04:002009-05-26T13:03:26.653-04:00

I finished the last batch of the macaron favors right before I left to go for our emergency dance lesson Saturday.Yes, that's right. I'm making macarons for our wedding favors!!!! Why would a girl who is notorious for not baking decide to bake one of the most difficult pastries in the world for her favors?Because I love them and I'm obsessed with Laduree. By now everyone knows I love macarons.

ROGANISTAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16598965318563065940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680225187610975043.post-76186085168996293532009-05-11T00:51:00.003-04:002009-05-20T15:43:43.108-04:00

Our great friends, Travis and Suzi, hosted a (non)shower dinner for us at their rustic country restaurant, the Heart in Hand, Friday night.It was so lovely!!! There were about 30 people and the fun part was that it was kind of like a neat run-up to the wedding. I gotta say, even with only 30 people, it was hard to get around to saying hello to everyone (given it was only two hours or so). To

ROGANISTAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16598965318563065940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680225187610975043.post-37769807413140151882009-05-05T20:03:00.012-04:002009-05-06T21:15:21.514-04:00

I got this hilarious message from my friend, Alissa, today. She was to be married next week, but, as you'll read, she had to stop the prom wedding train. PROM WEDDING!It reminded me of why we were so adament about having only 80 people. We want to serve good food and wine in a somewhat intimate setting where we can talk with guests. We received the last of our rsvp's today, and thankfully, it's

ROGANISTAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16598965318563065940noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680225187610975043.post-50675014563881215822009-05-02T14:33:00.018-04:002009-05-02T17:38:21.130-04:00

G and I went to the gym this morning. I ran five miles (but should have done more--I'm getting married soon, you know). We went to Whole Foods, picked up a bunch of random stuff, came home, and ate a mini baguette and butter with some pressed coffee.{It's been overcast all day, but still warm and nice and our orchids are doing well.}Later, I wrote a thank you note to Robert for his gift of dinner

ROGANISTAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16598965318563065940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680225187610975043.post-90097476948741711342009-04-29T10:30:00.035-04:002009-04-29T16:09:06.513-04:00

When we got this invitation from Tim and Francoise to their wine tasting party, we knew it would be something special. (And it wasn't cause of the fancy flyer.)Check out their collection of the H.de.B glasses. Each year there's a different image. (We used these at the party--a good way to remember which glass belonged to whom.)Tim has a fetish for Burgundy and has a sick (read: amazing) wine

ROGANISTAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16598965318563065940noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680225187610975043.post-61516970563084433032009-04-27T11:50:00.003-04:002009-04-29T15:26:16.273-04:00

I should be ashamed of myself. I had low expectations for my bridal shower. As you may know, there was a little bit of tension in the planning of it. I had felt that my BMs weren't into it, and I was over it. So this weekend when I arrived at my mom's house with my friend Michelle (to whom I protested), I was VERY surprised and seriously humbled by the huge effort everyone made on my behalf.My

ROGANISTAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16598965318563065940noreply@blogger.com1