It's My Birthday and I Will Eat What I Want To

Yay, it's my birthday and I'm (none of your damn business) years old!  If there is one day out of the year I let myself eat anything I want (and there isn't, it's most days actually, but I digress,) it's today!  Where will I go?  What will I devour?  No clue. I might head over to Mussel Bar, even though I'm likely to face a 90 minute wait on a Friday, but I don't care.  I love moules frittes!  Right now I'm actually more concerned with my cake (or just dessert in general.)  I love a great pumpkin cheesecake on my birthday.  You can't beat it.  One year I had a fantastic one at Chef Geoff's.  I might have to call and see if they have it.  Love that place.

I'm also a huge fan of Max's Best pumpkin ice cream.  It's to die for!  I love Max's ice cream.  I used to live in Glover Park and loved going to Max's.  I think it's the best in DC.  I miss that neighborhood!

If anyone wants to make me a cake, the Internet Food Association's blog has a recipe posted here.  If not, feel free to send me your recommendations!

If you're planning on grabbing some dessert yourself, here are some places to check out:

Co Co. Sala
929 F. Street, NW

ACKC
1529C 14th St, NW

Dangerously Delicious Pies
1339 H Street, NE

More Modern Kitchen Gadgets

So I've been surfing the interweb again for cool, modern kitchen gadgets and came across some of these funky finds:

Rubik's Cuet Salt & Pepper Shaker
Uncommon Goods- $15

Penguin Corkscrew
Uncommon Goods- $10

Hopside Down Drink Glass

Modern Gadget- $27.50 (yes, that's for one glass)

And for my personal favorite...

Vino Mug
Chiasso- $18



I'm going to need a bigger kitchen.

Boneless Pork Loin Chops with Curry Butternut Squash Puree

It's Autumn! This is absolutely my favorite time of year, and not just because my birthday falls near the beginning of the season (we will not speak of that.)  I love the cooler night air, the leaves turning gold and red and, of course, the harvest of beautiful earthy vegetables. 

Unfortunately, it's been more than a bit dreary on the east coast the last few days.  I am staring out the window now at the at the billions of rain drops plummeting to the earth as if they had a personal vendetta for Montgomery county.  Rain jerks.  Even my dogs feel the general malaise, slumbering  all day long with occasional sighs and grunts of boredom and cabin fever.  What better on a day like this than comfort food?

Here is a recipe I whipped up that might take the dampness out of your bones and brighten your spirits. 

Ingredients (serves 2):
PORK:
2 boneless pork loin chops, thick cut
2 tbsp. butter
1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and pepper to taste

SQUASH PUREE
1 butternut squash
1 tsp. Kosher salt
1 tsp. curry powder
1 tbsp. butter
1/4 cup chicken stock (warmed)
Extra virgin olive oil

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.  Skin the butternut squash and slice into 1 inch cubes.  Coat them in a bowl with the olive oil then mix with Kosher salt and curry.  Spread out on a baking sheet and roast in the oven for 20-25 minutes until tender.

Heat olive oil and butter in a large skillet on medium high heat.  Season the pork on both sides with Kosher salt and pepper.  Place in the pan and cook for about 6-8 minutes on each side, depending on the thickness of the chops. (Pork is not something you want to under or over-cook. There is very little chance your cut will be exactly the same as what I bought so I recommend using a meat thermometer. The pork will be done when the center reaches 155 degrees.)  Remove the pork and rest on a cutting board while you prepare the squash.

In a large bowl or mixer, puree the squash with the chicken stock and butter until smooth. Season with additional salt and pepper if necessary (always taste your food before serving!)

*NOTE: In the picture, I served with red-wine braised shiitake mushrooms. I didn't include them here because I didn't think they added to the dish.  My husband disagrees. I'll leave it up to you...

MUSHROOMS:
2 cups shiitake mushrooms
2 tbsp. butter
1/8 cup dry red wine
Salt and pepper to taste

In a skillet on medium heat, saute the mushrooms in butter until soft. Add red wine and reduce. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Taylor Gourmet...But Not Really

Last weekend I was doing some shopping in Bethesda and wanted to grab a quick sandwich for lunch to bring home.  I heard the new Taylor Gourmet was really good and I have seen the place look packed before so I thought I'd give it a shot.

The menu definitely has a lot to offer with over 20 signature hoagies as well as chicken cutlet and vegetarian sandwiches. I decided to get the Race Street hoagie which has turkey, prosciutto, pesto and mozzarella.  It was a great combination of ingredients but there was one major, MAJOR flaw...I couldn't get through the bread.  The hoagie was so thick and hard it was like gnawing on a hockey puck.  I actually had to use all of the strenth in my jaws as well as my biceps to rip through this bread.  If I wanted to feel barbaric, I would have gotten a damn turkey leg at the Renaissance Festival or go to Medieval Times. This was obnoxious. It was so bad that I actually got slices of my own bread and transferred the toppings- which were just ok.

I'm sorry Taylor Gourmet, but epic FAIL. I give you 1 fork out of 5. Thumbs down.

Post-Race Brunch in Philly

This past Sunday my sister-in-law and I ran in the Philadelphia Rock n' Roll Half Marathon. It was a beautiful day and we ran for a great cause, raising money to support research for MS. After burning about 1300 calories and nourishing our bodies with Cytomax and Gu, we needed a proper brunch to celebrate. We cleaned ourselves up and headed to Bar Ferdinand on North 2nd Street.

The interior had an unmistakable Spanish charm, with lace-draped chandeliers and dried roses hanging around the bar. We chose to sit outside and enjoy the sun and fresh air. While sipping on bloody mary's and white sangria cocktails, we decided to start with some tapas for the table. We ordered Croquettes filled with serrano ham and charred scallion along with puff pastry triangles filled with dates, bacon and cream cheese. The croquettes were crispy on the outside and gooey on the inside. They were cheesy, salty and rich. The pastries were a perfect combination of salty and sweet- the dates were balanced with the salty bacon and flaky crust. Two fantastic ways to start a meal.

For brunch they offer a special- your choice of one of three 4-course menus for $15. Awesome deal! I ordered the eggs benedict with saffron hollandaise, potatoes with spicy tomato aioli, house-made Spanish bacon and bruschetta with spicy tomato sauce. The potatoes were golden fried and the sauce gave them a great little kick. The crisp, salty bacon was about as perfect as bacon could ever be and the benedict was outstanding. The eggs were beautifully poached into these perfect little orbs. I cut into them and the yolk poured out like tasty lava. I am VERY particular about my eggs, too. If I see one HINT of uncooked egg white, I won't touch the dish. These were perfect. The hollandaise was incredibly rich and smooth.

As full as I was, my sister-in-law was telling me the cupcake shop on the way back was featured on Oprah as one of her favorites. Of course that means I had to get one for the road. We stepped into Brown Betty Dessert Boutique a few doors down where I grabbed a red velvet cupcake to go. When I got home, it was smushed, but it didn't matter. One of the best cupcakes I've had to date. It was moist, rich and the icing was creamy but not too sweet. So worth the calories! What a great end to a great day! Many thanks to my family, my tutu-sporting running partner, friends and to all those who donated to I Run to Stop MS!

Oceanaire Seafood Room

The other night we went to dinner at Oceanaire by Metro Center in honor of my friend Suzi, who had back surgery on Friday. (Speedy recovery Suz! French martinis are waiting!) Speaking of French martinis, Suzi and I both started with those while we looked over the menu. I love French martinis, I really do. The problem is most places don't have a clue how to make a good one. Oceanaire does, which means I had two.

For appetizers, we ordered fried asparagus and Caesar salads. The Caesar wasn't bad, I just a bit light on dressing which means light on flavor. The asparagus was pretty good, not too greasy.

For an entree, I ordered the cornmeal crusted trout. It had a perfectly crispy coating and the inside was tender, flaky and moist. I would definitely order that again. We all agreed to split the sauteed spinach with garlic, Au Gratin potatoes and hashed browns a la Oceanaire as the sides for the table. The spinach could have been skipped. I love garlic spinach, but again, this one lacked flavor. The potato dishes, however- they were full of it. The hashed browns came out on a plate that appeared to be holding a giant tater tot. How can that NOT be good? The Au Gratin potatoes were incredibly creamy and cheesy- all top-notch things in my book.

Overall, the food was pretty good and the service OK. It isn't the absolute best food I've ever had, but I am also partial to completed dishes as opposed to steakhouse-style menus with staple dishes and family style sides. That being said, I had a good meal although I wouldn't make a habit of going there as it's a bit on the pricey side.

Assaggi Mozzarella Bar

Recently I joined a couple of girlfriends for dinner in Bethesda at Assaggi Mozzarella Bar. The menu concept is northern Italian and specializing in different mozzarella's paired with condiments. The menu is very traditional, with multiple courses.

For the first course, we split an assorted tray of cured meats and mozzarella di buffala. The cheese was very fresh and it was a great way to awaken our palates. I chose a beet and goat cheese salad for the next course. It was sweet and rich. I would have been happy with that as my meal.

After nibbling at our first and second courses and sipping our champagne cocktails, we ordered our entrees. I couldn't decide (shocker) between two pastas so they offered to give me two half orders. Done! I ordered the Bigolo-a thick spaghetti with a duck and porcini mushroom ragu- and the Orecchiette which had mild Italian sausage, green peas and Parmigiano Reggiano.  Both of these pasta dishes were quite delicious, although the Orecchette was by far my favorite. It was somehow rich and light at the same time, even though there was no sauce. The sauce was simply the oil from the sausage. The duck pasta was also delicious, however the thick spaghetti could have used just another minute in the water- a little too al dente for me. I would recommend either dish.

The food was really pretty good and the atmosphere...well...quiet. The service was excellent and we had a great time. If I were to go back, I would definitely stick to one course and take it easy on the drinks. The cocktails will drain your wallet at around $15 a pop and all of those courses add up. At around $270 for three girls, I would say keep this in mind when ordering and try not to listen too much to your grumbling stomach.