DC

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

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)

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)

DC's Signature Drink

Jon — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 19:42:50 +0000

Did you know that DC has a drink, and that July is its month?

WeLoveDC gives you all you need to know about the Rickey.

DC Migration paths

Jon — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 13:49:23 +0000

Amazing map of where people come from - and leave for, looking from DC via DCist.com:

The Secret Power of the DC Music Scene

Jon — Sat, 22 May 2010 13:32:46 +0000

I got introduced to the Thievery Corporation in Venezuela, never imagining that I'd one day see them live in their hometown of DC (or hear them used as music in every hip restaurant in DC and the West Coast. DC, for not being as in-your-face with its music scene as Austin, has a surprising amount of influence.

I've spoken about the Amen breakbeat before, and probably made you watch this video, but it explains how a beat by DC funk band, The Winstons, is in almost every electronica and drum-and-bass song out there: http://dcist.com/2009/12/how_a_dc_bands_beat_conquered_the_w.php

Taking Locavorism a bit too far?

Jon — Sat, 22 May 2010 12:56:48 +0000

This takes locavorism to its logical end: http://www.welovedc.com/2010/02/24/deer-hunting-for-locavores-class-review/

This takes local tacovorism to new heights: http://dcist.com/2010/03/desperately_seeking_tacos.php

Arganica deal with Deals for Deeds!

Jon — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 23:38:44 +0000

If we didn't live so close to Eastern Market, we'd be ordering from Arganica pretty much every week. If you consider yourself a locavore in DC, they are the best source for a lot of the more difficult items to source at your local farmer's market, and the flour you can get from them is out of this world. Don't even get me started on the yogurt with the layer of cream on top they have. Arganica is a local business which is like a meta-CSA - you get local yumminess, what you order, delivered to your door, and support a local business who's changing the way you interact with your food. It's made of win.

And if you also support another local DC business, http://www.dealsfordeeds.com/ (think Groupon for Good), you get a 3 month membership for $40 - half off! Try it. You'll like it.

Closing out Winter, Welcoming Spring

Jon — Sun, 18 Apr 2010 22:57:39 +0000

Last night, we had some friends over, serving our Pumpkin Raviolli using up the last of our pumpkin puree with an awesome beet-blood orange-fig chevre salad, fresh bread courtesy of the guests, and good wine and conversation courtesy of all involved. For dessert, I finally attempted my grandmother's strawberry shortcake, whipped-egg-risen cakes and all. It turned out well, but still a bit eggy (I used farm fresh eggs).

We ended the night with some creative Manhattans, and all was good.

Tonight, we continued on the celebrate-spring trajectory with a seared steelhead filet (with parsely, chives, lemon zest and a dusting of garlic and sage powder) served alongside some fiddle-head ferns which I blanched then sauteed with already-carmelizing onions and mushrooms in bacon fat. To both dishes, a dash of white wine was added.

In other words, I'm very happy it's spring. We've begun haunting the various nearby farmer's markets for any sign of garlic tails.

Eat Local in DC: Linkdump

Jon — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 17:52:02 +0000

The Hill is Home put together a great set of links for eating locally: http://www.thehillishome.com/2010/04/eating-locally/ with a hat-tip to our favorite vendor, Arganica: http://arganica.com . WeLoveDC takes local to a whole new level with what can best be described as lawnmower salad: http://www.welovedc.com/2010/04/13/truly-local-eating-a-homegrown-salad/

If you're road-tripping and want to keep things "local" , there's a great resource to find local favorites via boingboing

On Beer

Jon — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 19:39:42 +0000

A periodic table of beer: http://www.reddit.com/r/beer/comments/aejzk/periodic_table_of_beer_styles/

How a Beer becomes a law. Er, legal, in DC: http://www.welovedc.com/2010/01/04/where-is-your-favorite-beer:

DC To Arlington: You can come back, but it won't make us happy.

Jon — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 16:36:15 +0000

It turns out the Virginia's retrocession of their original land grant to the District (now Alexandria and Arlington) may not have been constitutional. Via the DCist:

DC Blog post round-up

Jon — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 15:12:44 +0000

The KC Pit BBQ truck makes the proudest, biggest-belt-bulked, thereifixedit-stylin' Texan BBQ master weak in the knees, by the Washington City Paper's rundown on it's specs, including walk-ins (freezer and fridge, dry storage, plasma TVs and a "separate, customized wood-smoke pit hidden behind the massive 18-wheeler."

History: Proto Eastern Market

Jon — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 23:21:12 +0000

http://www.thehillishome.com/2009/08/lost-capitol-hill-eastern-branch-ma...

With the reopening of Eastern Market, it seems only right to look at the pre-history of what is again the center of our neighborhood. Long before Cluss built his masterpiece, there was another market, one which L’Enfant had planned into his earliest drawings of Washington DC: Eastern Branch Market.