Quick Meat & Vegetables. Butterflied Pork & Succotash

I don't know what succotash really is. I just have the impression that it's some starchy vegetables and maybe some legumes. Perfect for the frozen peas, corn, and lima beans I had, as well as the can of black eyed peas that my mother said should have been eaten New Year's for good luck. Yeah. Threw them all into a pan of olive oil with some shallots and fresh herbs. Let them cool for a bit and tossed them with some Champagne vinegar and sea salt.

Mr. Roganista needed some meat to go with that. So we made a quick trip to Whole Paycheck to grab some weird butterflied cut of pork. I marinated in whatever I had on hand: dijon, olive oil, garlic, Worcesteshire, and rosemary. Seared them and then finished them in the oven. Put the meat on top of the "succotash" interpretation. In all it took about 30 minutes. I think Rachel Ray would be proud.

Had a nice bottle of Woodenhead Pinot with the meal. Pork and pinot go so lovely together...

San Pellegrino 6 Pack - That's it

I'm back after a long hiatus. Yes, I have a life to live (and part of that life is being lazy). Oh yeah, and Hong Kong, Pittsburgh, dinner parties for clients, obscure artist concerts, point to point races, looking at Lord Palumbo's acquisitions, ridiculous certification exams (no, I'm not in IT, thankfully--don't judge me), and leftovers for art friends are included in said life. So all I have to say right now is that all I got is: I really love the S. Pellegrino 6 pack of 8.5 oz bottles. They are the perfect size to fill a tumbler stylishly a third full with a round of lemon. Do it. You'll look cool. And Pellegrino is better than Perrier for the bigger bubbles and less sodium feel.

Talk to you later. Promise.

Monday Night Pantry Meal: Leek and Shitake Risotto with Tarragon and Tomato Shrimp Sautee with Ferrari Carano Fume Blanc

Okay, it's not completely from the pantry, but I had everything on hand. Keeping frozen shrimp is a great idea. They thaw easily and they're super versatile. Risotto can be doctored up in a million different ways. You just need arborio rice and some chicken stock. I have dehydrated shitake mushrooms and always have tomato and garlic. You just add other ingredients that you might have around that are relatively fresh. In this case, I had tarragon and leeks.




I made this up as I went along.

Leek and Shitake risotto













2 leek bulbs (white parts) chopped
1/2 cup shitake mushrooms, chopped
1 cup arborio rice
32 oz box of chicken stock (Kitchen Basics is good)
1/2 cup white wine (used Sauvignon Blanc that I was drinking)
pinch grey salt
pat butter
1 tbs olive oil

-heat oil, sautee/sweat the leeks. add the rice and stir to coat each grain with the oil and leeks til transluscent. add a quarter cup of stock at a time, continuously stirring until absorbed, then add more. add mushroom, wine, salt, and butter with the last quarter cup of stock. the grains should be fattened and somewhat soft (but not mushy) and the whole thing should be the consistency of somehwat runny oatmeal.

Tarragon and tomato shrimp sautee














1 cup shrimp
1 bulb garlic, minced
1 tbs fresh tarragon, chopped
1 tbs olive oil
pinch grey salt
couple grinds of fresh pepper
1 small tomato, chopped
1/4 cup dry white wine
pat butter

-toss first six ingredients in bowl until shrimp are coated. let sit for a second and attend to the risotto. heat pan on medium, throw in the shrimp, sautee til pinkish. add tomato and wine, then finish with pat of butter.

Served this with my fave, Ferrari Carano Fume Blanc (this is basically Sauv Blanc grapes). Pretty cool, quick Monday night meal!

Chilly Outside, Chili Inside

No snarky commentary tonight. I'm lazy and it's raining (get the spurious correlation?). I'm digging back into my backlog of content to give you chili. This is a health(ier) interpretation of the good old stand-by: Turkey chili with avocado, green onion, cheddar and sour cream over mac noodles (kind of a take on Cincinnati style chili, which is served over spaghetti). Yum.

(I'll write about the disaster that was our weekend dining experience at BLT Steak later this week.) For now, enjoy this:

Goes great with this '99 Simi Cabernet:

Nip Night: Soba Noodle Salad and Sesame Grilled Salmon

I don't like Japanese food, save for sushi and tempura. Otherewise, it can be a scary combo of bland and vomitous. But tonight, I decided to try a milquetoast version of a Japanese-inspired menu, including soba (buckwheat) noodle salad and sesame grilled terryaki salmon. First of all, as you may know, I think salmon is JV and I kind of have a like-hate relationship with it. But for a Tuesday night dinner, doctored up, it can be pretty fine. What made this dinner special was the layering of fresh ingredients. Instead of using store-bought, thick, gooey, corn-syrup terryaki, I combined a little brown sugar, ginger, garlic, and light soy. For the Soba noodles, similarly, I used light soy, sesame oil, garlic, and lime zest with ribbons of fresh herbs including (not so Japanese, but fragrant) basil , cilantro, and mint. There was a lot of chopping, including julienn-ing sweet red bell pepper and shredding of other vegetables. But the point is, despite all this chopping and assembling, the meal was quite simply fish and noodles. It came off well due in large part to the dressing and marinade. If you want an interesting flight of foreign fancy without (unlike the title of this entry) offending your mate/partner/spouse/dinner companion, try this--a far cry from fish sticks and Kraft mac and cheese:

Soba Noodle Salad (you can half this recipe, it serves 6):

4 ounces soba noodles, or whole-wheat spaghetti

1 large shallot, very thinly sliced

1 1/2 cups shredded carrot 1 red pepper, julienne

1/3 cup shredded fresh basil leaves

1/3 cup shredded fresh mint leaves

1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Dressing:

1/4 cup rice vinegar

1 teaspoon sugar

1 tablespoon walnut oil (or canola oil)

1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

1 teaspoon finely minced garlic

1/2 teaspoon chili flakes
1/2 teaspoon lime zest

1 teaspoon lime juice

1/2 teaspoon fish sauce, or 1 teaspoon low-sodium soy sauce

Salt

6 large Bibb lettuce leaves

Boil noodles according to package directions. Drain and cool. In a medium to large bowl, combine noodles, shallot, carrot, pepper, basil, mint, and cilantro. Combine all dressing ingredients, season with salt to taste, add to noodle mixture, and toss lightly.
Snap off Bibb lettuce leaves and wash and dry. To serve, scoop spoonfuls of noodle salad into the lettuce leaves.

Sesame Terryaki Salmon:

1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons dry sherry

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

2 garlic cloves, crushed with a garlic press or minced

1 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

2 4-oz Salmon filet

2 teaspoons sesame seeds

Combine the soy sauce, sugar, sherry, vinegar, garlic, ginger and red pepper flakes and stir until the sugar dissolves. Transfer to a resealable plastic bag and add the salmon. Seal the bag and marinate the salmon in the refrigerator, turning once, for 1 hour. The salmon can be marinated for up to 4 hours.

Heat the broiler to high. Arrange the salmon on a broiler pan skin side down and broil until brown and crispy, 4 to 6 minutes. Flip the salmon and broil until almost cooked through, about 4 minutes longer. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and cook until the seeds turn golden brown or another minute longer.

*A light-bodied red, such as a pinot noir goes well with this meal. Try Abiouness from Carneros.

What-Washington-Eats Wednesdays: Alberto Gonzalez

Though Al was spared a final no-confidence vote in the Senate a couple days ago, there is hardly relief in sight for the Attorney General. The Justice Department today announced an internal investigation into his politicization of the department, including his role in the firings of nine U.S. attorneys. Forget about food. I don’t think Al has eaten in a while. His nourishment most likely comes in liquid form. What would this Harvard Law-educated grandson of illegal immigrants drink? Something stiff, yet classic. Perhaps a GIN martini (see recipe below). (Vodka is for green apple martini’s and glow sticks.)

Gin is basically refined vodka. They start the same way: by distilling grain. But gin has the added benefit of juniper berries, which impart an aromatic flavor. Forget the Beefeaters. The AG needs to take it up a notch with some artisanal gin...like:

-No. 209 (San Francisco). Gentle with bergomot peel and citrus.
-Plymouth (England). First recorded martini recipe was made with this brand.

-Hendricks (Scotland) Exotic. Infused with cucumber and flavored with rose petals.
-Citadelle (France). Only gin distilled with 19 botanicals. Handcrafted one cask at a time.


Gin Martini Recipe:

Ingredients
6 ounces of freezing gin.
5 drops of dry vermouth.
2 small twists of lemon rind.
2 Picholine olives.
The mix
Fill a glass martini shaker about 3/4 full of cracked, clean ice.
Pour your gin into the shaker and let stand for sixty seconds. Count down from sixty to zero.
Approach your shaker with caution, and lovingly apply the lid.
Shake, shake, shake. About fifteen, vigorous, diagonal shakes should do the trick.
Put that shaker down and get two well chilled martini glasses from the fridge or freezer. Allow the shaker to rest for about another sixty seconds.
Into each glass drop two drops of vermouth (the fifth drop is just for good luck).
Each glass gets a twist and an olive (the olive is optional--though we love em).
Strain your very chilly gin into each glass.

*This Wednesday series is dedicated to what (in)famous Washingtonians eat.

Brasserie Beck: Bill Knows Beer!

At the newly opened Brasserie Beck on 11th and K, you’ll find (quite possibly) the most knowledgeable and gregarious beer barista this side of Belgium. His name is Bill Catron and his level of expertise and knowledge of the drink is like nothing I’ve ever seen, save for wine sommeliers. In fact, he’s something of a beer sommelier (Bill, if you’re reading this, instead of “beer specialist” your card should read “beer sommelier” or “beer maestro”).

Brasserie Beck is Chef Robert Weidmaier’s (of elegant Marcel’s in the West End) down-market answer to good Belgian eats. There are the moules frites and l’onglet…all that good stuff. It’s casual and airy and styled like a big train station. But let’s focus on the beer. There are 50 choices, all Belgian and as nuanced and sophisticated as any wine.

Bill explained and had us taste (in specialty glasses specific to each beer) everything from the rare-in-America, rich and and slightly acidic Duchesse De Bourgogne---which, as he puts it, "doesn't suck," to the light Delirium Tremens (my favorite beer) and educated us on everything in between. He talked about the triple fermentation, the difference between white beers and wheat beers, had us taste an apple beer, and so on. Honestly, it's all a little fuzzy now, if ya know what I mean, but one thing is clear: Bill knows beer.

Questions? He’s got answers. Write him at beer@beckdc.com

"They'd love you in Asia because you have big eyes"

What? Yeah, someone actually said that to me last night. First, I don't have big eyes. Second (and perhaps related), they ignore me in Asia.

This is what happens when you have one too many Japanese beers on a beautiful evening on the rooftop deck at Perry's: There's a stretch for connections to all things Asian. Like the menu...there's a Japanese touch, although most of it is nouvelle American. They have pretty decent sushi and the crowd is always lovely. This evening there was a group of Norwegians. They're really beautiful people. Seriously. (I digress.) It's a great place to go even if you just want drinks. They have an extensive beer and wine menu and the service is very friendly.

But if it's food you want, check out my "review" of their mussels here. Also, here's what starchefs.com says about Perry's very talented sushi chef, Noriaki Yasutake:

Noriaki Yasutake, the inventive sushi chef at Perry’s, was inspired to follow a culinary path by his father, a sushi chef who owned and operated the family restaurant in Fukuoka City, Japan. At 18, Yasutake came to the US to pursue his training and continue honing his craft as a sushi chef by working for his uncle at Matsuba in Bethesda, Maryland. From there Yasutake went on to work in New York with mentor sushi chefs Haruo Ohbu at Inagiku Restaurant and Hiroshi Nakahara at Bond Street Sushi. Yasutake took home second place in the World Sushi Olympics in London this October with his Fish and Chips Roll, a dish that expresses his evolving style. The Roll is built from a crispy tempura batter intensely flavored with dashi, rolled in fragrant shiso and nori and topped with a quenelle of fluke tartare. The roll is garnished with a wasabi tartar sauce, sweetened with pickled ginger rather than the traditional chopped cornichons. For an extra crunch Yasutake garnishes the roll with two impossibly thin and crisp potato fries.

Modern Dance and Martin's Tavern

We went to see my dance instructor, Maurice Johnson, perform with El Teatro de Danza Contemporanea (a modern dance company) at the Gonda Theater on the Georgetown University campus last night. Though I'm a dancer, I'm not a dance critic, so I won't give up any judgments. But it was great watching him and the other talent run, spin, pose, and girate in all their powerful athleticism.

Before the show, we had a drink at Paolo's. I'm not a big fan of the food there. It's typically uninspiring. So we held off and had dinner after the show at the great Washington landmark, Martin's Tavern. I say "great" not for the food, but for the tradition and legacy of the place. It's a Georgetown institution. Since 1933, the tavern has served every President from Truman to GWB. Parents and children come to celebrate their alma mater and the spirit of olde G-town. The menu has remained consistent through many culinary trends and fads. People continue to return to the classic American fare of great steaks, chops, seafood, fresh pasta and the good old-fashioned comfort food that is the hallmark of the Tavern.

The menu is extensive and is mainly comprised of pub and tavern mainstays such the Hot Brown and Welsh rarebit. We started with oyster stew (which was good, heavy with cream and large, fresh oysters) and the crab-stuffed mushrooms. I didn't love the mushrooms. They were bland. This time of year they offer soft shell crabs. So delicious. I had two, pan-sauteed and topped with a lemon caper sauce. The sauce was a little bit awful, but the crabs themselves were extremely fresh and of great quality. They were served simply with steamed spinach and white rice. I also had a half bottle of Elk Cove Pinot Noir '05 from Oregon. Not bad. I like that they have half bottles. The one highlight was the bread pudding we had for dessert. According to the menu it was voted the best DC dessert in 2005! I guess I'd say it's up there. A large cube of cinnamon and raisins packed goodness was drenched in their house-made bourbon and butterscotch sauce. Yummy. So, aside from this one dessert, the food is not terribly amazing, but the outdoor seating is great for people watching. And you have to go at least once to experience the history.

Can I Have Four Beers?

Delirium Tremens blond beer (at Pizza Paradiso)

http://www.delirium.be/

Samuel Smith's Pure-Brewed Lager (at Lebanese Taverna)

http://www.merchantduvin.com/pages/5_breweries/samsmith_pure_brewed_lager.html

Asahi (at Tono Sushi)

http://www.asahibeer.co.uk/flash.html


Stella Artois (at Bistro du Coin)

www.stella-artois.com

California Wine Country Cuisine on Capitol Hill

Like its sister restaurant, Mendocino, in Georgetown, the spare but stylish Sonoma Restaurant and Wine Bar on Capitol Hill is like a slice of California wine country. There's, of course, an extensive menu of wine. The list is basically divided up into "old world" selections--which are mostly Italian--and "new world" which are almost all Californian with a sprinkling of Oregonian and Virginian.

Staying true to its name, the menu at Sonoma offers plenty of great wine country cuisine, the hallmarks of which include light, fresh, and local ingredients. No wine bar would be complete without cheese, and this place delivers an extensive array of cheese--for starters or dessert--that includes cow, goat, sheep, and blue.

Everything, including the service, last night was excellent.
Firsts:

Amish chicken patte (very light and fluffy, mousse-like)
black risotto with calamari and prosciutto (can be undercooked sometimes, but beautiful flavors--their take on the classic Spanish Arroz Negro Con Calamares)
sicilian oil-packed tuna (their version of the salad nicoise--too salty, not a highlight)


Seconds:

quail with--what I think was --(beautifully fragrant/herby) micro sorrel with flowers, polenta cakes (the quail was grilled perfectly, remained juicy and firm but tender)

free range lamb loin with cannelini bean puree, pea shoots and minted yogurt (medium rare and delish)

Wine:

Cosentino "The Zin" (had Cosentino Cab Franc at Mendocino, which was equally good)

Dessert:

Panna cotta with some sort of blood orange syrup

Good tea:

Harney & Sons jasmine (really fragrant with hibiscus)


Obviously I broke my salad streak from last week. It was worth it.

Tequilaccinos and Immigration Research

I know, I've been really bad about posting...what with the winter malaise and the new job (doing immigration policy research) and all. The past few weeks have been really bad weather-wise and the only two things that staved off the depression and frigid temperatures (not to mention served as a thematic nod to my new gig) were scrumptious gigante vegetarian nachos at my neighborhood sexy Mexy restaurant, Merkado, and a walk home to my place to make capuccino spiked with Tequila (aka Tequilaccino--see recipe below):

2 shots espresso

2 shots tequila

place ingredients in cup, mix, sip (FYI: Don Julio is to be sipped. Always.)

Now that it's not so violently cold out, I will be sure to post more often (and drink less distilled spirits).

ILLY Coffee - Smart Financial Stewardship

David Bach, financial guru and author of the annoying "Finish Rich" series of books, coined the term "Latte Factor." He describes the concept as follows:

The Latte Factor® is based on the simple idea that all you need to do to finish rich is to look at the small things you spend your money on every day and see whether you could redirect that spending to yourself. Putting aside as little as a few dollars a day for your future rather than spending it on little purchases such as lattes, fancy coffees, bottled water, fast food, cigarettes, magazines and so on, can really make a difference between accumulating wealth and living paycheck to paycheck.

$5 per day (the average cost of a latte and a muffin) x 7 days = $35 per week;
$35/week = $150/month ;
$150 per month invested at a rate of 10% annual return =
1 year = $1,885 ; 2 years = $3,967; 5 years =$11,616; 10 years = $30,727; 15 years = $62,171 ; 30 years = $339,073; 40 years = $948,611
Take action today!

SO I'M TAKING ACTION TODAY (!) BY BUYING THIS $15 CAN OF ESPRESSO TO MAKE AT HOME IN MY MR. COFFEE--I'M GOING TO BE RICH, B*TCHES, RICH!

(I may still indeed retire dependent on the crumbs of Social Security, but at least I'll have good coffee to go with them.)

Another Reason Not to Drink TANG

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/07/AR2007020700618.html

2004 Cabernet Franc at Mendocino Restaurant

I don't know why I enjoy Cab Franc so much. Well, at the new-ish Georgetown wine bar, Mendocino, Steve and I savored a very nice CF from Crystal Valley Cellars. It was bottled under the name Cosentino. A 2004, it was smooth and creamy. Went better with Steve's venison chop than my cod and brussel sprouts.

Despite the negative reviews, the service was great, clientele older and more urbane, and food upwardly marginal. Though not innnovative, the menu was at least accessible and of good quality ingredients. Great selection of wines--many from California--offered by the glass, half bottle and full bottle, and range in price from 8 per glass to 600 per bottle. I'd go again.

http://www.mendocinodc.com/

http://www.cosentinowinery.com/cosentino/index.jsp

Australia-Qupe Syrah 2004 at Urbana

Rich and full-bodied syrah. Had with bluecheese, prosciutto and pear pizza at Urbana. Food and wine: not bad; venue: not good. Urbana=lame and contrived. Skip this place if you actually want a selection of wine and atmosphere.

The ad copy for this restaurant reads "Urbana Restaurant and Wine Bar: A destination in and of itself...where the subterranean restaurant, reminiscent of a Tuscan wine cellar brings to life an imaginitive menu..." Translation: basement Olive Garden with large selection of four wines, where khaki-cladded warriors and fans of the OC meet to discuss IT and HR (and Harry Potter).

http://www.urbanadc.com/

Australian-The Lucky Country Shiraz Cab 2003

Matt gifted me six bottles of awesome reds:

Had this one last evening.

The Lucky Country Shiraz Cab blend Barossa Valley 2003, really rich and fruity

Value Wines from Paul's

Bought 6 bottles from Paul's yesterday. Paul's is a no nonsense wine and liquor store in Friendship Heights (right below my dance studio). By far, this place has the best selection and most knowledgeable staff around, not to mention great deals. Check this place out (unless you love Disneyland and the mall--in which case, you should just head to Best Cellars).

http://www.paulsdc.com/index.php

Opened a Penfold's Kanoonga Hill Shiraz Cab blend. Nice, smooth, understated. Notes of vanilla.

Purchased:

2 Penfold's Kanoonga Hill Shiraz Cab 2004
1 Rosenblum Zin Vintner's Cuvee (a concept where the vintner combines grapes from different areas--a starter, table wine) very nice and inexpensive
1 Ravenswood Zin Vintner's Blend 2004 (again, combining grapes from different areas--comparable to the Rosenblum)
1 (Marquis) Philips Shiraz 2005 (Wine Advocate rating of 91 points)
1 Ferrari Corrano Fume Blanc 2004 (Of course I always go for this reliable screw top. Barrel aged, light but with a hint of oak, a unique style not found in a lot of California whites)

Date Reds

2004 Hendry Block 7 Zinfandel at Matt's : Very fruity, notes of black cherry, hints of vanilla--Zin is so reliable (and that's RED zin, Simians).

2004 Minervoise Chateau Cuvee Grenache Cab Syrah blend at Cashion's : Extremely smooth, oaky finish--drink these blends early.