Audrey and Jon blogs

Food Hacking Link roundup

Jon — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 16:31:04 +0000

Making flavored (smoked, sweetened) salts: http://www.americastestkitchenfeed.com/holiday-handbook/2011/12/3-delici...

Dry-age your steak at home: http://lifehacker.com/5865849/dry+age-steak-at-home-for-steakhouse+quali...

Ice cube trays and nigiri: http://lifehacker.com/5859069/make-nigiri-sushi-quickly-in-an-ice-cube-tray

Shuck Local - the business behind a good Rappahannock Oyster: http://www.welovedc.com/2011/12/15/we-love-food-rappahannock-river-oyste...

Thailand Theasers

Jon — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 02:51:12 +0000

Some photos from our Thailand trip!

Food Links: Bacon Hacking, Beer Politics, More Politics

Jon — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 21:17:24 +0000

Eight bacon "hacks" : http://lifehacker.com/5837068/8-essential-bacon-hacks (best hack: bacon cups). OK, one more bacon hack: homemade bacon salt: http://lifehacker.com/5838933/make-your-own-bacon-salt . OK, last bacon hack, a Cooks Illustrated method for using bacon paste (their term, not mine) to help chicken kabobs: http://www.101cookingfortwo.com/2011/04/bacon-coated-chicken-kabobs.html

Another fun hack (or a disaster) - sous-vide cooking salmon in your sink: http://lifehacker.com/5830856/cook-salmon-sous+vide-in-your-kitchen-sink...

4-day Cabin Plan

Audrey — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 18:23:13 +0000

Jon and I have found a great rental "cabin" about 1.5 hours outside of DC (not giving our secret away!). We go there about once or twice a year to unplug and relax. We invariably have a great time.

Each time we go, we plan a menu and bring everything we need to execute it. To help with future planning, here's the menu and basic shopping list we used this time.

Lunch D1 (optional): Stop at Ashby Inn

Dinner D1: Grilled fish with grilled sides and salad

The Georgian

Jon — Sun, 24 Jul 2011 19:33:57 +0000

In DC, we are at the peak weeks for stone fruit. Peaches, nectarines, apricots, plums. If it's a drupe, it's in season. For those of us with generally laughable growing seasons, this is pretty exciting. So, well, we might have gone a bit overboard in buying the past few weeks. We bought Marvin out of apricots the first week he had them to make jam for the winter, and keep ending up with, well, more peaches and nectarines than most sane people would try to tackle in a week.

A Tasty Breakfast

Jon — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 00:28:18 +0000

We came to the realization that if we want to preserve treats from this summer for the winter, then we need space to do that. We've done pretty well on our house-canned goods, but lacking a Freezer of Unusual Size (I don't think they exist), this meant we had to find uses for some items stored away in there currently.

Menu for the week of June 26

Jon — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 23:20:44 +0000

Sun: grilled whole rainbow trout, stuffed with lemon and rosemary, brushed with garlic scape pesto, with quinoa, grilled squash, and side salad of purslane and seabeans.

Mon : artesenal pizza w/salad on top
Tues: Gnocci in a brown butter sauce and side veg
Wed : Composed Salad w/ tuna
Thus: H St. / Art Walk
Fri : Baguette slices with heirloom tomatoes and fresh mozzarella, cured meats, cheese, olives, pickled mushrooms...

Paris Restaurants

Jon — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 21:54:45 +0000

Jon's uncle is an art historian, and spends a lot of time in Paris. Thus, he also has a list of favorite nearby restaurants which the whole family has been curating and improving over the years. Here are some of our favorites from when we spent New Year's in Paris:

For the Record: Komi 5/28

Audrey — Sat, 04 Jun 2011 09:58:54 +0000

1. House-made brioche with smoked trout roe and greek yogurt
2. Cured salmon with squid ink toast and raw pacific mexican whitefish with green tomato
3. Raw scallops two ways - with coconut milk and with crumbled pistachios
4. Burrata with asparagus and lemon breadcrumbs
5. Egg ravioli with ramps and dried tuna flakes
6. One-bite spanakopita
7. Smoked fois gras with pea purée
8. House-made half smoke with spicy tomato chutney, half sour pickle and beer
9. Warm date stuffed with marscspone topped w olive oil and sea salt

Spring Menu: Week of May 21

Jon — Fri, 27 May 2011 18:22:33 +0000

Sunday night: grass-fed steak from Canales meats in Eastern Market

Monday: Fiddlehead fern salad with baked potato

Italian Week: Menu for the week of May 15

Jon — Sun, 15 May 2011 18:27:18 +0000

Sunday: Pizza with red sauce, fresh mushrooms and mozarella

Monday: Salad night

Tuesday: Spaghetti with lamb-sausage meatballs

Wednesday: Italian-style tapas featuring virginia cured ham prosciutto and pistacho pesto

Thus: Salad and Leftovers night

Menu: Is it spring yet?

Jon — Sat, 05 Mar 2011 02:28:28 +0000

OK, this winter thing is getting a bit old. This was eat-down-the-freezer week, 'cuz once fresh food is available again, it won't be a high priority.

Saturday: We team-cooked with Joe and Erin on a quest for a tasty, fancy pescetarian mean. We ended up with Jose Andres' Tuna Stew with an olive oil and egg yolk foam.

Monday: Shrimp and grits with turnips

Menu: Winter Desperation Week

Jon — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 02:24:54 +0000

In which we bring out the big guns to defeat the last few months of winter vegetables.

Sunday: guiness cottage pie

Monday (prepared on Sunday): Mike's Potato Soup

Better Late than never: Where to Eat in Argentina

Jon — Sun, 06 Feb 2011 16:12:50 +0000

We came, we saw, we had steak.

We arrived in Buenos Aires early in the morning. After taxi'ing in to the city, we were overjoyed to find our room at Miravida Soho, a small boutique hotel in Palermo, ready for us to take a nap in. We re-emerged around lunchtime and explored downtown - the obelisk, the congress buidling and the Casa Rosada. We retreated back on an Orange-line-at-rush-hour-plus packed subte (The subte system is great - just don't take it with the flow at rush hour!). We chilled at the hotel, talked to its new owner, had some excellent wine (Los Cobos' Felino line) and sought out some recommendations for our first dinner in Bs As. We were recommended to Don Julio, which largely flies under the radar of the tour books, is a bit kitschy, but remains the best steak, along with the best service we had in Argentina - which is no easy feat, especially in combination.

The rest of our time in BsAs would be cold and rainy, but we managed to explore the cute and hip shops of Palermo, the trendy and arty Retiro, the city-like Recoleta Cemetary, the botanical and Japanese gardens during a break in the rain, the crazy San Telmo sunday markey... and - mostly - eat.

Buenos Aires is a foodie town. From the humble and heart-clogging choripan (mild, fatty chorizo sausage, split, grilled, and slapped in a bun with chimichurri and other sauces) to a five hour molecular-gastronomy-inspired lunch (ok, really only four and a half hours), BsAs has you covered.

Menu: Asian week

Jon — Sun, 06 Feb 2011 08:00:00 +0000

We started the week with some oysters from BlackSalt, and then dived in to a full asian-inspired week.

Sunday was roll-your-own sushi, and we got playful with some fried wonton wrappers and seaweed salads from BlackSalt

Monday was steam buns using some leftover ham from the previous week, and steam buns frozen after making waaay more than we could eat in this recipe

Menu: Southern Week

Jon — Sun, 30 Jan 2011 14:54:28 +0000

Sunday was glazed ham, using an overly complex glazing recipe which I'd not revisit. The addition of cardamom and other spices was intriguing, but over the top in the end.

Monday was gourmet mac-and-cheese, abusing the "cheese ends" bin from the grocery to great effect.

Tuesday was audrey's shrimp louis salad

We had various combinations of leftovers and winter veggies (brussel sprouts, kale, etc.) the rest of the week.

We're really tired of winter veggies.

Menu: Mediterranean

Jon — Sun, 23 Jan 2011 08:00:00 +0000

Sunday started us off with Braised Lamb Shank

Monday got us making all our various Mediterranean dips, and so Monday was dip night - tzatziki, drinker's choice, and hummus

Wednesday was shrimp saganaki

Thus we had brick chicken with salad and dips and grapeleaves.

Friday we went out the the Columbia Room and Coco Sala.

Menu: Mexico Week (January)

Jon — Sat, 15 Jan 2011 14:26:56 +0000

After getting back from a fantastic, super-long weekend away for the wedding of some close friends in Mexico, we wanted to keep the ball rolling with a week of Mexican-inspired dishes.

We spent the weekend gathering ingredients (thanks mostly to the mega mart at University and Piney Branch)

Lacquered Chicken in Classic Red Mole inspired by Rick Bayless, using this Mole recipe

And the wedding photos!

Jon — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 03:30:17 +0000

Here's some of the amazing professional photos we got from Paul and Leanne:

Argentina Photos

Jon — Sat, 08 Jan 2011 01:28:43 +0000

You know, a lot of people asked us "why Argentina??" We hope this answers any questions like that.

Hiking at Great Falls

Jon — Wed, 24 Nov 2010 13:10:06 +0000

(Click for the slideshow)

Rally to Restore Sanity

Jon — Tue, 02 Nov 2010 13:14:11 +0000

(Click for the slideshow)

The first fall menu

Jon — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 12:13:55 +0000

This past week was undeniably a fall week, and the best food options at the market reflected that.

Mon - Butternut Squash and ginger soup with a sage foam, alongside kale wilted with pancetta, dried cranberries and pecorino cheese
Tues - homemade butternut ravioli with a brown butter sauce and broccoli
Wed - More soup!
Thus - baked sweet potatoes and salad

Rochester

Jon — Sun, 10 Oct 2010 13:30:28 +0000

We traveled up to Rochester for a wedding of some good friends, driving with some other good friends and stopping in Pennsylvania along the way.

(Click for a slideshow)

Teaser Wedding Photos

Jon — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 12:17:02 +0000

Some awesome wedding photos thanks to our families and friends: