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'*~

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-

Look Before You Buy (Come Here Little Ducky)

This post should have been up last Sunday, but I was a little busy (and a little lazy) this past week. That, and I was initially unsure of how traumatized some of our readers might be by the photo to follow. Be prepared.

Last Saturday, Robin, Mike, and I ventured to the Strip District for a little shopping adventure. We failed to include photos of the Vietnamese shop, but I did make some purchases there: some spicy/sweet beef jerky and a Peking duck for my great Uncle Bob. My uncle was reminiscing about the Strip District and mentioned that you could buy a very good Peking duck at a Chinese food store. Imagine my delight when I came across two drumsticks sticking out of what seemed to be an over-sized Chinese take-out container. I came home with my duck, and while I was out the next day, my mother stuck it in the oven for dinner. I came home, opened the oven door, and found this staring back at me:

Holy crap.

I do not have a problem with leaving a face on the food you're about to eat. When eating meat, you have to realize that you are eating something that was once a living thing. But I did not realize that, when roasted, the face of a duck becomes the face of the ride of Satan. The equine qualities lend themselves to a scene from "The Brother's Grimm;" I half-expected the thing to rise and swallow me whole.

How did the freaky thing taste? The flesh was rather greasy which was to be expected with duck meat, but I was especially disappointed to note that the proportionate of meat to fat was pretty small.

Not a good meal, but a fun time.

Let's Strip

Today, Biz, Mike, and I went to the Strip District. Our first stop was La Prima, where Biz knows EVERYONE who works there.

I have been going there since I was in 6th grade, so it's kind of a given. At 11, I was getting il cioccolato (hot chocolate) ... now it's a doppio macchiato made with skim (a double espresso marked with skim). What can I say? I'm hard-core.

There's Biz, shmoozing at La Prima counter.
She makes such attractive faces, I thought this one was blog-worthy.
I have a large repertoire of expressions - stay tuned for the blog long enough and you might see them all.

Next stop was Reyna's Mexican Foods; I always get amused going in there. I think they should have parties down the aisles and give children bats with which to hit the pinatas. Robin made the point that you have to be careful though. Not because candy will fall on your head but because some of the items on their shelves are past the expiration date. Bad past experiences, so check labels before you buy!

Pinatas in honor of Cinco de Mayo at Reyna's.
... Robin's confused, those pinatas are always there - the Mexicans know how to party.

No, there were WAY more pinatas today than usual. Reyna's was particularly festive today.

Good stuff. (My favorite Greek food store and the best place to buy my daily breakfast - Fage yogurt)
Not good stuff. St. Patrick's Day is WAY over.

I was oddly fascinated by the sign posted at the exit to Stamooli's. The Mexicans know how to party... the Greeks know how to have a funeral?...

We stopped at the Penn Ave Fish Company for lunch (Mike and I ate, Robin hung out and watched Henry the fishmonger). This is my personal favorite place to get fish in Pittsburgh - so fresh and so delicious.

What can I say? I like the mongers.

Henry, washing fish guts at the Penn Avenue Fish Company. Robin makes it sound so unappealing, what remains following the removal of fish entrails is an incredible piece of fishy flesh.

The process is unappealing. Henry is very appealing.
Henry held a tail-less shark up for us when we said it was for the blog. Oh the power of running a food blog.
Biz and Mike having sashimi for lunch at the Penn Avenue Fish Company.
Mike looks like he's very angry in this picture. Or like he's going to steal my fish.

Not included in this post are our visits to Penn Mac and the ever-prominent cheese counter, Mancini's Bread (where I bought Sarah, my sister, cinnamon sugar butter) , an antique stand, and a Vietnamese food shop.

-Robin- and ~*'Biz'*~

HOW TO: use grocery shopping to procrastinate

In my 21 years on this Earth, I have learned myriad tidbits of idle truths, two of which are:

1. "Nothing exists in itself." - MOBY DICK
2. There are people who procrastinate (and for whom it is absolutely necessary), and there are those who do not.

I am one of the first.

This is why after brunch with Robin (post to follow), I decided instead of doing any work whatsoever, I would go to the EastEnd Food Co-OP. Hence,
How-To: use grocery shopping to procrastinate, a photo journal (and an excuse to take pictures in the East-End Food Co-OP)

1. Decide it is absolutely necessary to go grocery shopping, even though you have no idea what you possibly need.

2. Arrive at grocery store:

TA-DA! (I have no idea who that person in the picture is.)

3. Peruse the shelves, exploring the possibilities of things to be made...

(bins of things... like pasta? and unrefined aminos?)

4. Decide to not make anything special and instead check-out with a bunch of fruit, endamame, cereal, goat milk, and some vegan pancake mix. (Re-creations of Kiva Han's vegan pancakes soon to follow.)


... and you've just wasted much more time than was possibly necessary for a Sunday afternoon.

But you enjoyed it...


~*'Biz'*~