UCC Reunion in DC

Biz came down to DC to spend the weekend with me this past weekend! We had Thai Food at Pho Siam on Mt. Vernon Avenue Friday night. (Note: Pho Siam reeks of floor cleaner- at least its clean? - but the food is delicious.)

I have a theory on this: a never-ending cycle of cleanliness. Asian restaurants do a high order of take-out business, so they constantly re-clean an already clean restaurant, creating a pervasive Clorox odor which in turn deters people from having a sit-down meal, making them re-clean an already clean restaurant yet again. Ha. Back to regular weekend news. (Biz)

Saturday morning we went to the farmers market by my apartment. I bought blueberries, some
yellow nectarines, and the most delicious blackberries. They were the kind of blackberries that burst tart sweetness into your mouth when you bite into them. We ate them for breakfast both mornings and I finished them last night while watching Knocked Up on dvd in my empty apartment.

Biz bought a green pepper, some fantastic looking apricots, and apples. Post-market we swung by Cheesetique. Biz of course, bought lots of cheese (because Biz loves cheese). I believe she bought provolone, some sort of goat's milk cheese, and one with dried mangoes in it. Biz- a little help here for the readers on what kind of cheese you bought?

Right, I ended-up buying a little Stilton with mango and ginger and a more aged goat cheese (I forget the name). I'm surprised they sold the cheese in such small pieces (1/5-1/3 lb), most places won't let you buy less than 1/2 lb. I also got a piece of provolone from their $1.99 cheese bits bin. An awesome idea: I'm guessing when the larger blocks or wheels get too small, they sell the pieces.

We also picked up a walnut raisin boule, which made a delicious breakfast as well. Below is an artistically arranged photo by Biz of some apricots, apples, and blackberries from the farmers market with the boule.

Biz's breakfast plate Saturday morning, mango Stilton, blackberries, and walnut raisin boule.

Biz and Robin, Saturday evening at Busboys & Poets post-dinner.

After an afternoon trip to the East Wing of the National Gallery of Art to see an exhibit on Afghan treasures, Biz and I enjoyed dinner and dessert (and coffee- and wound up waddling around, I still feel full) at Busboys & Poets. We walked from the U Street/Cardozo area to Adams Morgan, where we browsed in the Idle Time Bookstore. (I bought the new Terry Pratchett novel, Making Money, and a book of Italian short stories side-by-side with the English translation. )

We walked to the metro via Dupont Circle, where Biz bought some wine at Bestcellers. (Officially my favorite wine store; too bad I don't live in Washington DC. They have wines arranged by flavor feel: fizzy, fresh, soft, luscious, juicy, smooth, big, or sweet.)

Hopefully Biz and my next rendez-vous will be in Pittsburgh before she leaves for Ireland, but if schedules do not permit, expect independent updates from us until we are able to have a grand reunion in Dublin at some point this fall. A vegetarian, Irish Thanksgiving, perhaps? We shall see...

In the meantime, find a friend and enjoy some very happy eating!

-Robin- and ~*'Biz'*~

Family Cookout

I've been trying to figure out what is really important in my life recently. This self-realization process of understanding my priorities has lead me to discover that I love my family. A whole freakin' lot. Last week was my grandfather's birthday and today my grandparents threw a small cookout in honor of him.

Below are a few snapshots from that I think capture the day, the classic backyard family cookout.

My father is extremely goofy and a pretty good grill master.

Amanda, protecting the food from the inevitable flies.

My plate, complete with 2 veggie burgers, corn, and pickles.

I hope your summer finds you enjoying time with your family, somewhere near a grill.

Happy Eating!

-Robin-

More Plums Means Cobbler

I called Biz today while I was walking home from the public library after work. We had a conversation about the Methley plums I bought at the farmers market on Saturday. I wanted to figure out what to do with them before they go bad.

Biz and I discussed my options for making a cobbler and the possibility that the plums may give off a bit more liquid than other stone fruits. I came home and fixed Amanda some dinner (leftovers of veggie sloppy joe's and a salad, nothing fancy) and started on my cobbler-ing.

To Do:

Wash and halve a pint of Methley plums, make sure to remove the pits. Place them cut side up in the baking dish.

In a separate bowl, combine 2 cups of oats, 2 tablespoons of margarine, 1 tablespoon of vanilla, 1/4 cup brown sugar, and 1/4 cup of water. I'd suggest melting the margarine to make it pourable. Use enough water to completely moisten the oats.

Pour the oats over plums and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes until the oats are fully cooked and starting to become a crispy topping.

Notes:

These plums were REALLY tart! Amanda and I enjoyed their tartness and the contrast with the topping, but if you don't like really sour plums, I'd suggest sprinkling a little brown sugar or honey over them before you put the topping on.

We also ate most of this cobbler while watching part of Gandhi, which we have currently on Netflix. The cobbler goes well with Ben Kingsley.

Happy Eating!

-Robin-

My Thai Choice in the DC area

In Pittsburgh, it's the Green Mango in Regent Square. In New York, it's a hole-in-the-wall place Emily found in Queens. In DC, it's .... well I've been hunting.

It is not: Pho Siam, Thai Peppers, or Old Town Thai (although I would get take out from Pho Siam or eat at Old Town Thai if I were on a date that was not going so well).

I'm looking for the place to take people that says "this is the GOOD Thai place in the DC area and I found it".

So Casey (law student/East End Food CoOp lover/pretty all-around amazing guy) and I had dinner at Mai Thai last night in Old Town Alexandria. Casey is one of my favorite people to share a meal with, not just because he's great company, but because he really really appreciates what he's eating. He's a total foodie.

Mai Thai is located at the very end of King Street, right infront of the water. We had the option of sitting outside (way too hot for that!) downstairs near the bar, or upstairs near the large windows that look out over the river. We decided on upstairs of course.

The service was ridiculously fast. We didn't drink but their cocktails looked impressive and relatively inexpensive (around $6 each). Here's what we got:

Casey ordered the Crispy Duck.

I order the Pad Thai Tofu.

Both of our food was incredible, very well balanced and generous on the tofu/duck. I had so much food that I wound up taking half home because I was stuffed and Amanda ate it for me. The atmosphere is bright and youthful in Mai Thai, it's a great Friday evening choice. I have plans to go there many more times in the future.

So if you find yourself in Old Town, take a stroll down King Street and indulge at Mai Thai.

Happy Eating!

-Robin-

Cherry Pie am America (And You Can Too!)

I made a cherry pie this past 4th of July. I know I should have made it for the holiday, for patriotic reasons (I personally think cherry pie looks more American than apple... what kind of tree did George Washington chop down again?), etc. but to say I did would be a lie.

Hehe...

ahem.

yeah.

The real reason I made cherry pie this past 4th of July is because my sister loves it (she was leaving for New Zealand in a couple of days), I was in the mood to try O'Connor's pie crust recipe, I hadn't baked in a while, and I wanted a summery pie. I decided to use fresh cherries because a bag I had bought wasn't sweet enough to eat out of hand. Never having used fresh cherries in a pie before this would be an adventure in whether or not the flavor was worth the pitting and the price.

I used a filling recipe from epicurious.com for cherry turnovers in combination with the "Perfect Pie Crust" recipe from "Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey." I won't put either recipe here, but the link for the filling is above and here are some general things to keep in mind and look for in a crust recipe:

1. Using butter and another kind of fat. Butter gives you a really lovely taste, but can sometimes make the crust hard and difficult to work with. Lard gives a really flaky crust, but you sometimes get a leftover animal-fat flavor (good for fall pies). Crisco is easy to handle but is somewhat flavorless. Usually I do a combo of Crisco and butter, but O'Connor uses solid coconut oil and butter. The flavor for this is fantastic, and fits well with summer.

Also - any crust with butter: keep in mind that it will try to fall over the dish in the oven. It kind of creeps out of the dish like a delicious avalanche. Put a baking sheet under the pie plate while cooking it or risk a very smoky oven.

2. Acid or egg. O'Connor uses both, and these create a kind of tenderizing safeguard for if you work the dough too much.

3. Freezing the fat. Always do this, or at least have everything very cold. I usually cut the butter/Crisco/coconut oil/lard into 1/4 in squares and stick them in the freezer for 30 minutes.

4. Cream. The only thing I changed about O'Connor's crust recipe was to use cream instead of water to bring the dough together. I like the flavor that cream lends to a crust, and it's a family thing. Do not add the acid to the cream until the last second! Otherwise, the cream will curdle.

5. Do not overwork the dough! Ever! My favorite method is with a food processor. First blend the dry ingredients. Then pulse in the fat until you get a sandy meal as the texture. Then add the cream/acid, just pulsing until everything comes together. Then refrigerate the dough for at least 30 minutes.

There you go. Some crust tips in a nutshell.

Overall results for the pie: I'm a huge fan of the crust, but I think there are some times when the slight coconut flavor wouldn't work. (Ex: mincemeat pie, apple pie, etc) The filling was a little runny, but I should have expected that with a turnover recipe (also, Sarah cut the pie right after it came out of the oven). You could taste the difference between the fresh and canned cherries. These had a brighter, less fake-syrupy taste. I like it, but I think I could be saved a lot of trouble by just using frozen cherries and making my own syrup.

my own little cherry pie sundae with vanilla bean ice cream and creme de cacao whipped cream

The fam seemed to like it though.

~*'Biz'*~

bonus pic of chief brody after he had the snip-snip. poor brodes.

Vague Text Message Dinner

Since I was going to be home at a decent time (for once!) this evening, I texted Amanda from work to see what she wanted me to make for dinner. Her response text said "something nutritious, full of veggies, maybe some brown rice?". So with those rather loose guidelines and the leftovers in the fridge, I made dinner.

Something Nutritious

Half a package of tempeh, cut into cubes
(Marinate: lemon juice, soy sauce, ground black pepper, salt, minced garlic, sesame seeds, cilantro)
3/4 cup whole wheat couscous
2/3 cup snow peas, halved
1/2 yellow squash, cut into thin half moon silvers

To Do:

In a Ziploc bag combine the marinate and the tempeh cubes. In a skillet, heat the snow peas, yellow squash, and the couscous. Add the tempeh last and cook until brown and heated through. Serve to your very hungry roommate for a filling dinner.

Yeah, I was pretty impressed by how this photo turned out with the sunlight streaming in the dining room window.

Like most of my recipes, this is really just what I had in my fridge; it can be modified with whatever grains, veggies, and protein-sources you have on hand.

Happy Eating!

-Robin-

An Afternoon in Naptown

Amanda (current roommate/UCC contributing editor/basically my big sister) and I took advantage of our guest-less apartment and the long weekend by taking an afternoon trip to Annapolis today.

Annapolis, the capital of Maryland- and little known fact- the capital of America very briefly before Washington DC - is only an hour's drive from where we live.

Capital building in Annapolis.

Mostly Amanda and I just strolled around the dock, checking out shops and taking pictures and enjoying the quaintness of the brick streets and old houses.

We had lunch at my favorite place: Chick and Ruth's Delly (165 Main Street, http://www.chickandruths.com/). It's been a family owned Jewish delicatessen since 1965. It has a very firm place in my family's history and in my heart and I wanted to share it, in all of its delicious craziness and glory, with Amanda.

We arrived around 1pm and it was completely packed. We squeezed into a little two-seater table and debated our food choices. Amanda marveled at the bright yellow and orange paint job, as well as the bagels hanging from the ceiling. Here are a few snapshots of what we ordered:

Fruit cup, that way my mom can't say I didn't eat anything healthy today.

Amanda got a fried crab cake wrap. This was Amanda's first Maryland crab experience. She thought it was pretty tasty.

Chick and Ruth's is famous for their Delly Potatoes. I got two orders.

Yes, those are homemade pickles. And they're amazing.

That's a real bagel hanging from the ceiling. They're all over the Delly, but I forget the funny story that goes along with that. I'll have to ask my mom.

I look very Jewish in this Jewish Delly, eating this kosher pickle.

After lunch, Amanda and I wandered into The Cook's Revenge (197 Main Street) a gourmet cookware shop. We wound up buying a Franmara Capitano Professional Waiter's Corkscrew, because as I learned when we had guests a few weekends ago, we do not own a corkscrew. Which, for aspiring lushes, is a problem. Problem now solved, thanks Cook's Revenge. Here are a few shots from inside the store, which I highly recommend going to if you're in need of fun, mildly useless cooking gadgets and are in downtown Annapolis.

Lots of fun kitchen gadgets.

There is a fabulous painting of Julia Child that hangs in The Cook's Revenge.

Amanda, choosing a corkscrew for our apartment from a wide selection of fancy corkscrews.

So that was our day, culinarily-speaking in Annapolis. More recipes, restaurant reviews, and interesting day trips are on their way!

Happy Eating!

-Robin-

Chocolate Plum Upside Down Cake

Yesterday morning's farmers market yielded a generous $5 pint of what I think are Elephant Heart Plumes. I was trying to decide what to do with this delicious find when I realized that I wanted chocolate. So I hunted for recipes for that involved chocolate and plums. I found this recipe on Simply Recipes and I did some modifications to vegan-ize and chocolate-ize the recipe to my liking.

Here is the result:

This is a terrible photo of a very delicious cake. The upside down part did work very well, it was mostly a chocolate cake with plums and yummy sugary syrup sauce underneath.

Chocolate Plum Upside Down Cake

1 1/4 sticks of soy margarine, softened

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 pint of plums

5 tablespoons of soy milk with 2 teaspoons of lemon juice (vegan buttermilk)

3/4 cup flour

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 "egg" - I used egg replacer

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

To Do:

Melt 3/4 stick of margarine, add the brown sugar and combine in the bottom of a round baking dish.

Cut and pit the plums, add them to the margarine-sugar mixture cut-side down in the dish.

In a mixing bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder.

In a separate bowl, cream together the rest of the margarine, sugar, "egg", and vanilla extract.

Add the "buttermilk" to the creamed sugar mixture and incorporate. Pour wet ingredients into the flour mixture until cake batter is formed.

Pour the cake batter over the plums, which may be thick and therefore have to be spread with the back of a spoon a bit to cover over the plums.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Notes:

This was freaking delicious. I'm not a baker and I'm sure I erred in trying to prepare this, a more experienced baker (like Biz!) would probably create something even tastier.

Once the cake cooled, the bottom of the cake became very moist as the thick plum syrup sauce got into the cake. I'd suggest making it a day early and letting that syrup sauce seep into the cake before you serve it. A nibble of the cake a day after I made it. Sorry for including another cleavage shot on the website, but this was the best image of the cake I had!

Happy Eating Everyone!

-Robin-