D'oh! Free donuts!

If the Springfield of Simpsons' lore really was Springfield, Virginia, I know where Homer would be tomorrow.

According to the DC Examiner, one of the two DC-centric daily commuter papers fighting tooth-and-nail for your free readership, the Fractured Prune donut shop in DuPont Circle will be giving away free samples of their delicious, baked-while-you-wait wares, from 4 - 8 pm on Friday, December 1st.

Never heard of the Fractured Prune? You must be one of them Dewey Beach people. The Prune has been a welcome addition to the Ocean City sugar scene, quickly ranking with Dumser's and the Candy Kitchen as must-stops while at the beach. They take the best ideas from Cold Stone Creamery (the wide array of toppings and fillings) and leave out the worst (knock off the damn singing and make my friggin' waffle cone!). It's a Build-Your-Own-Donut. Those who have tried the Prune's dough-with-the-Os can attest to their warm cakey delights, customizable to your heart's content. The picture with this story is the Sundae, but French Toast is my favorite...or the Reese's Cup...or the Morning Buzz...or...

For some ideas of what kind of donuts you can have, check out this link. I apologize in advance if you gain weight.

Thanks to FUD friends Liz and Duane for the catch!

Excellent El Paso

What makes for a good Mexican restaurant experience? My own criteria is hardly objective. If it's Salvadoran-influenced, I'll probably be a fan. If the dishes' only defining characteristics are excessive amounts of cheese, I'm disinterested. Salsa is more pureed than chunky and pico de gallo-esque. Corn tortillas (crispy or otherwise) trump flour offerings. Words like "barbacoa" and "carnitas" bring me joy – and I'm not talking about in a Chipotle setting.

This gives you an indication about my preferences (or prejudices). And while El Paso Café in Ballston would probably earn raves from any fan of Mexican food, I essentially like it because it fits my style. Plus, the cozy atmosphere and generous margaritas are another bonus.

The place makes a mean pupusa – arguably not up to the standard set by Samantha's in Silver Spring, but inarguably delicious, particularly the pork and cheese variety. If you're not a fan, their queso makes for a fine starter as well. Other offerings of deliciousness included the delectable lobster tacos (a special; loved the accent of avocado), and the carnitas, which while a little on the sweet side, were wonderfully savory.

Service was a little spotty (we had table bets going on whether our waitress had registered my desire for a beer in a boot-shaped glass that I saw at another table, or would honor my friend's request for water – she hadn't, in either case), and the awkwardly placed bar with no stools in the middle of the restaurant doesn't make for a comfortable situation when you're waiting for a table. But when you're picky about Mexican food and find a spot you like, you tend to overlook these tangential qualms. El Paso Café is worth a shot.

Plus, they have strolling mariachis. What more do you need?

El Paso Cafe
4235 N Pershing Dr
Arlington, VA 22203-3202

The Cajun Wars

Bardia's New Orleans Café of Adams Morgan is the best casual Cajun place in the city. Without any peer, without even any near competition. But having said that, the hands down best casual Cajun outside of the city is Bethesda's Louisiana Express Company. Which is better? I dare not speculate. There would probably be some kind of explosion or something.

The preeminent decorations inside this bare-bones eatery are awards. The walls are papered with them. And although a decade or more of Washingtonian readers could easily have been mistaken, this time they struck gold. The savory, spicy smell of jambalaya smacks you in the face as you enter, and ensures you your own seat on the metro when you leave .

I tried the shrimp bisque which arrived steaming and smelling of ripe tomato. AMG dove for a his iced tea at first bite, so I got to polish it off myself with a one of the city's most perfect, buttery biscuits. The french fries, red with chili powder, were hot and good. Poached Eggs Creole came on a bed of fried grits and perfect andouille, and the catfish po' boy was crunchy and moist and huge. The final bill…under $30.

Was it possibly better than Bardia's? Better to not think about it

A Thanksgiving Haiku or Two

I call this collection "Odes to a Food Allergy."

the turkey divine
but why did somebody put
mushrooms in stuffing?

and

chop them way too small
`shrooms invisible to eye
make me Shiitake.

Of all the foods to be allergic to, it'd have to be something that can be disguised like an Eastern Bloc spy. Ugh... I practically starved during the portobella boom a few years ago.

And, just to add insult to injury, I attended a weddding Saturday where the fliet mignons were covered in a delightful steak sauce...made of mushrooms. A tell-tale bit of mushroom would have been enough to scare me away to the lemon caper salmon, but no bits of `shroom could be found.

I'm guessing I'd have been a bad Smurf.

Out Of The Deep-Fryer & Into The Frying Pan

After another Thanksgiving, I thought I’d ease everyone back into the daily grind with something unusual for this web site: a culinary op-ed of sorts. Recently, the people in charge of New York City have begun a debate on whether or not to ban trans-fatty acids in restaurants. In order to understand the implications of this, it is necessary to know a little bit about what trans-fatty acids are, and why officials would want to ban them.

Normally, fat comes in four types: saturated, polyunsaturated, monounsaturated, and trans fatty acids. Saturated fat (such as butter, coconut oil, and palm kernel oil) is solid at room temperature, and is generally quite bad for you, in that it has been shown to be correlated with heart disease. Unsaturated fats are liquid at room temperature (olive, canola, soybean, corn, and vegetable oils), and while still bad for you, are less bad than saturated fats (although the fat content in your diet should come from unsaturated fats as much as possible).

The trouble is that all the flavour and goodness in various recipes comes from saturated fat. Some enterprising companies have discovered that if they add Hydrogen to an unsaturated fat like vegetable oil, it takes on properties that make it behave like a saturated fat (in terms of taste, texture, and body). These hydrogenated or partially-hydrogenated oils (which are sold as margarine, vegetable “spreads,” oleos, and shortening) are also called trans-fatty acids (or TFA for short).

Recently, authorities have become concerned because of a link between TFA’s and a number of health problems. TFA's have been shown to raise the level of LDL ("bad") cholesterol, while lowering the level of HDL ("good") cholesterol, which leads to an increased risk for heart attack and stroke. Also, there seems to be a correlation between TFA consumption and obesity levels. The federal government, which is in an excellent position to enforce such a ban nationwide, has been silent on this matter, so some municipalities have started to take matters into their own hands. New York City, as the first major city to consider this, is being watched very carefully. Fast-food restaurant chains such as McDonald's, Burger King, and Wendy's, worried about potential drops in profit margins, have already (supposedly) started investigating alternatives for their fried foods.The proposed ban would only encompass restaurants. People would still be able to purchase margarine, shortening, etc. for home use.

As a professional chef, I am opposed to this sort of regulation for two reasons. First is because it’s badly written legislation that unfairly targets restaurants. Only restaurants would be subject to a ban on ingredients that are otherwise perfectly legal to use. Restaurants generally use a shortening in their deep fryers because it’s cheaper to use, and it doesn’t have to be changed as often as oil (and believe me, changing the oil in a commercial deep-fryer is not trivial). As such, the practical implication of this ban would be to quadruple the cost of anything fried.

The second reason I am opposed to this ban is because I really believe that it is not for a government to regulate what I eat. I am an adult, and I should decide what level of risk I’m comfortable with. I understand that there is a large amount of obesity in our society, but at the end of the day, people are responsible for their own diets, and for their level of activity (or lack thereof). What will happen if this ban comes to pass is that restaurants will most likely revert to using saturated fats such as butter, which is why the American Heart Association does not support the ban as it is currently written.

This sort of regulation first started in the late 1970’s when officials were concerned about Peking duck (which requires that the duck is hung to dry for half a day). It then moved to artisanal sausages and salumerias, and now to TFA’s. As a result, a lot of old-style artisan work is being lost. I admire the New York City government’s intentions, however the practical implications would be to shield people from one danger, while exposing people to another. Where does this end? If they come after Five Guys next, then my friends, the terrorists have truly won.

Got an opinion? Post a comment, or send an e-mail to dcfud.writers@gmail.com. For more information on TFA's and their health implications, check out the American Heart Association's web site.

Where To Eat in Arlington When You Are Nearly Broke VII

For those of you that have eaten your way through the previous six articles in this series, here is the next installment. The prices I mention are after the discounts (and before tax and tip).

I mentioned the Ballston Front Page’s Wednesday burger night in the fourth installment. I recently looked at their website and read about their free Thursday night (4-7pm) taco bar, which is at the bar. They also have $3 import beer bottles that evening, and DJ Smokey at 10pm. The Front Page also has selected half price appetizers Mondays through Fridays between 4-7pm.

I have yet to check the place out…but sushi bargain hunters may want to try the Ballston Mall’s Asahi Kaiten Sushibar for $2 a plate (which consists of 2 pieces) conveyor sushi lunch on Mondays through Fridays. This is a place where the sushi rotates on a conveyor…and you grab what fancies you. They also have six different bento box specials for lunch Mondays through Fridays at $8 each. Happy Hour drink specials are half price beer and cocktails on Mondays through Fridays from 3pm-7pm and Saturday from 4pm-7pm.

Several of us enjoyed the lunch buffet last Sunday at Sangam in Ballston. They had a good selection of Indian food, especially for $8.95 per person.

I will say this...between the Chocolate Show (that DCFUDie ZAF wrote about), Sangam's lunch buffet, and DCFUDie Ray's Thanksgiving spread yesterday...I think I've finally learned to pace myself...when it comes to eating huge meals. I wonder if I could do that at a churrascaria. :)

The Front Page (Ballston)
4201 Wilson Boulevard
Arlington, Virginia
703 248-9990

Asahi Kaiten Sushibar
671 North Glebe Rd. Unit 1248,
Arlington, VA, 22203 (Ballston Mall)
703 248-0777

Sangam
1211 N. Glebe Road
Arlington, VA 22201
703 524-2728 / 2711

Where To Eat In Arlington When You Are Nearly Broke I

Where To Eat In Arlington When You Are Nearly Broke II

Where To Eat In Arlington When You Are Nearly Broke III

Where To Eat In Arlington When You Are Nearly Broke IV

Where To Eat In Arlington When You Are Nearly Broke V

Where To Eat In Arlington When You Are Nearly Broke VI

Feast on a Dish from the Southern Cone

I must confess that Chile has been on my mind lately. Not the food. The distant string bean-shaped country where I spent my study abroad. Maybe it’s because I’ve taken up Latin dancing again. Maybe it’s because I’ve been serving up my Chilean favorites at my parties and my guests have been, well, eating them up.

One of them, DCFUD’s own Mad Rambler Jason, encouraged me to take on a daunting culinary task (at least for me): write out the recipes for my Latin creations. One of my specialties has always been tomaticán, a traditional, spicy Chilean dish. Tomaticán –and just about any other Chilean dish – is often paired with pisco sour, a concoction made with pisco, the Chilean national drink. I’ve come up with my own twist for both food and drink and am printing them the first time for DCFudies.

PORTER SIRLOIN TOMATICAN
(makes six - eight servings)

• 17 Roma tomatoes (chopped)
• 1 can of whole peeled tomatoes (approximately 28 oz.)
• 3 cans of whole kernel corn (approximately 15 oz)
• 1 heaping tbsp pepper.
• 3 large yellow onions (chopped)
• 1 ¾ lb of porter sirloin steak (chopped)

Start by tossing the chopped tomatoes in a large pot. Add the whole peeled tomatoes and pepper. Tomaticán is supposed to be hot and spicy. So if you don’t get enough of a hot foot when tasting it, add more pepper to your liking. Let the tomatoes simmer on medium for about five minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the corn and onions. Let the pot simmer for about five more minutes and continue to stir. Add the chopped sirloin and lower the temperature to low. Heat the tomaticán for 15 minutes (or until the sirloin is cooked), then remove from the stove. Voila … now it’s onto the pisco sour.

PISCO SOUR MAPUCHE
(makes eight servings)

The Mapuche were known to the Spaniards as the fierce Indian tribe that inhabited Chile during the Age of Discovery. The Mapuche more than gave the Spaniards a run for their money, they held them off and the Europeans never defeated them. You could say the Mapuche really gave the Iberians a kick in the – well you get the idea. This drink is a homage of sorts to the Mapuche, who still may be found in Central and Southern Chile. Most people make pisco with lemon juice. I make it with lime. Before you get grossed out by the idea of using egg whites in a drink just remember that it’s not much different idea than eggnog. If the thought of putting raw eggs in your drink grosses you out. Then use Egg Beater egg whites like I do).

• 12 oz pisco
• 6 oz limejuice
• 8 tbsp egg white
• 8 tbsp sugar
• 1 lime flavored cherry (per glass of pisco sour Mapuche, after drink is poured.
• 13 chocolate chips.
• 15 ice cubes
• 6 oz Code Red Mountain Dew

To make the drink add all ingredients to a blender. Blend until the ice is chopped and white foam is floating to the top. Pour six to eight ounce of the pisco mix in a glass and add one lime-flavored cherry. You’re all set for a Chilean dinner party. Dinner is usually served close to 8 PM in Chile, but I usually can’t wait that late. Dine when your guests arrive.

This post is by Guest Bogger Jay D. Krasnow. Thanks Jay!

Le Poisson, Le Poisson!

As I mentioned before, the boy and I attended a "Cooking for Two" class at L'Academie de Cuisine recently, which was my anniversary present. (He's good, huh? Make your girlfriend a) squeal with excitement AND b) a better cook!) I chose the seafood-themed class, as I am a sucker for ...well, anything with suckers, and the menu looked unbeatable: clams casino, honey-cured grilled salmon steaks, and a crab and corn chowder. Oh, and FLAN, because fish belongs everywhere except dessert. Yes, you can quote me on that.

Now, L'Academie runs a professional school, but we had signed up for the recreational one, so we stroll in to the chem-labish classroom at the Bethesda location right at the appointed time, expecting a relaxed evening of chopping and stirring and savoring lovely smells like we do at home. FYI for anyone planning to sign up for a class there: "recreational" is not the same as "relaxing." Oh, no.

Don't get me wrong. You will absolutely love it, but you'll be lucky to keep up with the instructor for the first hour of the three-hour class. She will show you how to stuff a clam (with the aforementioned compound butter), and you had better do it NOW, because soon as she's done, she's showing your partner how to "walk" a knife through an onion. Not that she was rude about it; she just worked fast and wanted us to learn as much as we could. (One small problem--if you don't do exactly as the instructor says, an assistant may come over and do it for you. I practically had to wrestle my knife out the hands of a very sweet woman who started out showing me how big the pieces of celeriac should be, and then tried to chop all my root vegetables for me.)

After the first hour or so everything slows down, the assistants pour the wine, and THEN you get to relax and savor lovely smells (for awhile, until the next big rush). They will do some things for you, but these were all small things that would have been impractical in large groups but easy enough in your own kitchen (for instance, we didn't get to mix our own marinades for the salmon steaks). Everything else is done at your workstation by you and your partner, including, of course, the eating. I think that was most people's favorite part, but mine was all the actual cooking, with the boy, of course. Chop! Stuff! Grill! Roast! Do dates get any better than this? I doubt it. (Unless you stuff them with gorgonzola.)

R.I.P. Eatzi's

One less reason to chug up Wisconsin Avenue in Rockville - convenient gourmet food and wine shop Eatzi's is closing its doors with little-to-no-warning, just in time to ruin many a Thanksgiving dinner. Today might be the last day the charming place north of White Flint Mall has left, as management and staff were notified of the closure yesterday.

I'm sure there will be more to this story, and hopefully the displaced staff can find work at other local markets - though Eatzi's relative convenience to Metro rail and bus routes will be hard to replace.

Geez, former Eatzi's folks....happy holidays? Good luck in getting new gigs.

Waiting for the South to Rise

I have been putting off the review of Acadiana. What started as minor procrastination has now turned into a full blown case of denial. Why can't I remember what I ate? Did I even go? Fact is, while great spots are easy to write up, and really bad ones are even easier, I'm not really sure what to say when the restaurant is neither. It's tough to do a review based off the fact that the calorie consumption within its premises allowed you to live one more day.

As the latest effort from the rapidly expanding Passion Food empire, Acadiana arrived a year ago with the road well-paved. DC Coast and Ten Penh are both reasonably tasty staples, and the lovely Ceiba is still where I take out-of-town relatives lookin' for latin. But for a small town, we do already have Vidalia, B. Smith's, Georgia Brown, Indigo Landing, and even the new Crème …did DC really need another neo-Southern place? Well, definitely- I mean, you really can't have too many versions of this awesome cuisine- but I find this iteration to be forgettable.

The interior is pretty and subdued in grey and wood... with diner-style booths. Which means the general effect is of a very elegant TGI Friday's. The service was almost unnervingly alert. The best taste of the night came at the very beginning - amg fared well with a Mint Julep and I with a tasty Sazerac (a mix of, among other things, fake absinthe and whiskey) which, come to think of it, might have something to do with my poor memory of the rest of the night. Did we order wine then? I think so, but who knows! It must have been the Sazerac.

The trio of soups - turtle, crab, and gumbo, were acceptable with the crab's crunchy corn and hearty flavor winning the bunch. On suggestion, the fried green tomatoes were delicate and delicious, although I'm not sure I'd bother ordering them again. A trio of deviled eggs were fabulous, but only because I bloody adore deviled eggs. A less biased head would probably rate them at on par with very nice wedding Hors d' Oeuvres.

Jeff Tunks has never gotten the hang of main courses, so I usually stock up on appetizers and split an entrée. It was a special; this time there's a memory of an enjoyable whitefish in…sauce. I can't tell you more 'cause I just don’t know. Come on Acadiana, there's potential here but you need to give me something I'm still going to remember three weeks later.

Roadtrip: The New York Chocolate Show

Chocolate is the new coffee, stated the girl across the table from me, and I had to agree. What Seattle yuppies did for America's taste in coffee, and Whole Foods did for everything else, someone, even as we speak, must be doing for chocolate.

When did it happen? Certainly some time before Max Brenner of Chocolate by the Bald Man brought his first chocolate café's to NYC. And well before Lindt declared chocolate tasting on par with wine tasting with its sophisticated Excellence 99% Cacao Noirissme chocolate bar in 2005. In fact, by the time that Hershey recently jumped on the bandwagon with their belated and dubious Cacao Reserve line, the concept was already in danger of becoming mainstream. Where once we had pharmacy racks of gritty brown wax, now for the first time we have solid organic tablets that snap when you break them, and liquor-infused balls of rich, melting ganache.

And that was how I found myself sitting in Stout, an absolutely terrible midtown sports bar, picking at a salad, trying to stave off what can only be called a 'sugar hangover'. The last 24 hours had been spent wallowing in the Ninth Annual Chocolate Show in New York, a testament and showcase to America's slow maturation of chocolate taste.

For three days this last weekend, those willing to wait in the three hour line were rewarded with chocolate sculptures and chocolate cosmetics, and representatives of the Ivory Coast. Demonstration kitchens allowed pastry chefs like Bill Corbett of Dona to show off their chocolate recipes, while the kiddies tried chocolate painting. And yes, there was a fashion show of chocolate clothing, and tastings of bizarre concoctions like chocolate and mushroom bars, and chocolate book signings, and there was even one lone chocolate cupcake vendor, but none of that really mattered because what people really come for is the chocolate exhibitors.

The Chocolate Show is the J-date of the brand-name chocolate distribution world. If it's a small chocolatier's dream to someday be picked up by Dean and Deluca or Whole Foods, this is the place to make it happen.

Some of them already have; most of the high-class bars in Aisle 10 were first discovered here. And that means the urgent explanations and smiles at each booth weren't just from lack of bathroom breaks; each carefully sliced sample had the potential to turn into a business card and a steady supply contract. For a small artisnal chocolate maker, that means a lifeline of money to develop into a larger artisanal chocolate maker, hopefully without sacrificing the artisanal part.

But with so many exhibitors, hopeful tasters didn't need the to be a corporate scout to tell the incredible from the merely brown. Good chocolate should be crisp and flavorful, smooth and glossy, with no trace of grittiness. It should melt on minimal contact and leave no bitter aftertaste. A perfect example: show standout Rechiuti, serving up plate after plate of jasmine and raspberry truffle slices, swapping business cards and promises to talk further almost as fast as they sold their $5 mini-boxes.

At Serendipitea the samples of fragrant chocolate tea infusions spilled out across the table, while next door, Sweetriot waved around signs and chocolate-covered cacao nibs. As the new cool thing, tea flavoring was also the theme at L.A. Burdick Chocolate where a tea-infused dark chocolate sat next to glossy catalogs and small white chocolate penguins and mice. On the other side of the hall, Gustaux distributed some truly outstanding simple truffles, and Romanico's Chocolate bravely touted it's low-sugar version.

Those taking a break from pure chocolate could buy a perfectly spiced fig dipped to look like a pumpkin from John and Kira's, or try desert wine tasting from the ever-pleasing Quady liquors. Not cutting-edge enough? Coppeneur offered small, crunchy cocoa pods dusted with chili powder.

Some of the better-known manufacturers were already reaping the benefits of a larger operation and brand name; the Japanese chocolatiers Mary's attracted an absolutely rabid crowd. By early Saturday afternoon they had sold out of golden sesame and sweet potato truffles; and their black sesame seed and green tea ganache was rapidly disappearing. Behind the protective glass, harried pastry chefs struggled to fill orders of their popular seasonal flower line - violet, Japanese plum, lily of the valley, and iris.

For minimalist quality, the strong favorite in pure chocolate seemed to be Felchlin, with their hand-collected wild cocoa bars retailing at $20 each. Closely following them in taste and popularity, Michel Cluizel Chocolates traded their spicy, full bodied samples and catalogs in equal numbers.

I stumbled from the Metropolitan Pavilion in a stupor, vitamin deficient and babbling of cocoa consistency and flavor infusions. Luckily, there was time to find a salad before the inevitable sugar crash and coma set in.

Much thanks to fud writers amg and jay for being good sports.

Talkin' Turkey

Thanksgiving is less than ten short days away. It's a time for many of us to go back to our hometowns, eat a nice dinner with our family and sit down to converse with our loved ones next to a roaring fireplace.

Sure...if you were born in a greeting card.

Truth be told, most of us shove copious amounts of poorly-cooked food down our gullets, play some football with Uncle Mel and his 5 demon offspring in the front yard, sit in uncomfortable silence as Aunt Louise decides that now - during the halftime show of the Cowboys' game - is the time to come out of the closet in front of a completely unshocked family, but much to the dismay of Grandma, who just thinks she hasn't found the right man yet, and then plan on waking up at 5 in the morning to take advantage of the Black Friday specials at the mall.

OK, maybe that's just my brood, but, let's face it, lots of us have families less like the Huxtables and more like the Griswolds. And our Thanksgiving dinners have more in common with Paula Zahn than Paula Dean. So, here's a quick survival guide for Thanksgiving `06.

1) Let the neighborhood grocery store do the cooking for you. Giant, Magruder's, Wegman's , Shopper's, Bloom - they can all prepare a meal for you and your guests, ready to heat and serve on Thanksgiving Day. It's often a little bit pricier than making it yourself, but, it's also a lot less prep work and clean-up time. If you want something a little less traditional, try swinging by the local Asian market, like Great Wall off Gallows Road, for a roasted duck or crispy fish.

2) If the idea of Safeway cooking your bird frightens you, at least follow their recipe. The Two-Hour method of cooking a turkey is a fantastic way to ensure a crispy skin and juicy meat, and still make it thoroughly cooked. Gone are the days of slow-roasting a bird all Wednesday night to eat Thursday afternoon - just follow Safeway's handy reference chart to match the cooking time with the size of your turkey.

My only suggestion would be to use a heavy-duty cooking bag. This will trap in the juices from the meat and will make your broiling pan a lot easier to clean.

Plus, don't stuff your stuffing in the bird. It slows down the cooking process for both the stuffing and the turkey, and can spread bacteria. Simply use a baking pan separate from the turkey to cook your glorified Stove-Top.

3) Just go out for dinner. McCormick and Schmick's locations serve a legendary Thanksgiving spread, as do several of the downtown hotels and restaurants. This might also be a great time to get prime seats in a hot ethnic eatery. Remember that Thanksgiving evening is a big going-out night, and that many bars will fill up with folks who've had about as much family as they can handle for the day. Get your grub early, and you should be fine.

And, if you need to go home and have zero control over the meal...

4) Remember that xanax is not just for breakfast anymore. Sneak a pack of Ramen noodles in your suitcase, and dress it up with some of the more edible leftovers.

When you get back to the area, stop off at Summer's by the Courthouse Metro. Besides being a fine place to watch both football and futbol, they make one of the finest turkey burgers you'll ever have. Perfectly seasoned, not over-cooked - when was the last time anybody gushed over a turkey burger? This is one seriously good sandwich, and should be enough to cure your turkey jones.

Why did no one tell me about this before?

A couple of weeks ago, the boy and I attended a "Cooking for Two" class at L'Academie de Cuisine. I'll be posting more on that later, but first, here's the most important thing we learned; the highest and best use of your freezer....

Compound butter. It's butter, bacon, garlic, shallots, and parmesan cheese, all mixed together. You can whip up a batch in ten minutes, then you stick it in the freezer and cut off hunks of it for literally whatever you want. So far I have had it on a baguette, and also mixed it with rosemary and stuffed it under the skin of a roasting chicken. The instructor at L'Academie also recommended we melt it and toss it in cooked pasta. I plan to never be without it again.

2 sticks softened, salted butter
At least half a cup of parmesan cheese
1 shallot, finely chopped
3 strips bacon, cooked until crisp and finely chopped
2 cloves garlic (use a press)

Mash it all up, then stick it all in a food processor if you like. I didn't, and the texture was fine. Also, I didn't use salted butter, so I had to toss some salt in later.

Urbana (bana fo fana)

Someone with Savant Syndrome might be able to tell you on what day of the week the civil war started and then count back from it in prime numbers, but might not be able to tie her own shoes. If you fall into this category, there may be a position open for you at Urbana Restaurant and Wine bar. How else can we explain somewhere so perfectly beautiful, with such incredible wine, such absolutely lovely servers, such tasty appetizers... and such disappointing entrees?

I had been here a number of times before to luxuriate in the bar, a low, warm room filled with velvet pillows and couches. To call its design 'pretty' misses a perfectly good opportunity to use the word 'Voluptuous'. There I munched my way through an scallop ceviche and a roast quail with wild mushrooms on what seemed to be a light pumpkin casserole. I washed it down with a cinnimony qupe syrah and thought that life was pretty damn good.

A week later, when finally sitting down at one of Urbana's wooden dining room tables, both appetizers were still as perfect as calculating pi to the nth decimal place. But the only other success of the evening was an acceptable pork chop with Brussel Sprouts. Both orders of the lobster pasta were overdone and the carpaccio was uninteresting. The duck fat fries promised something outrageous; instead they were just a reminder that horse is really the way to go if you want to advertise an unusual frying agent. Gordon Biersch has better.

The wine was great, but there was a little trepidation in ordering it. Perhaps it was only our night, but the waiters seemed to be having an unusually difficult time in keeping things upright. Every five minutes there was a crash from the kitchen or bar area; the sound of splintering china was practically this meal's soundtrack. At one point, a tray of airborn glassware jumped ship near our table to soak everyone's back.

A plum tart was alright; in fact, the whole meal would have been fine had it not been for the hefty price tag. As it was, we were left with a vague feeling that we'd been the victim of a bait-and-switch... And wet blouses.

Beyond the Matzo

Jew Food! It ain't just matzo balls and ...more matzoh! And while that doesn't discount the possibility that it may be just latkes, Claudia Roden thinks otherwise. And to prove it, she's speaking (and possibly demo-ing?) at the DC JCC about her latest book Arabesque: A Taste of Morocco, Turkey, and Lebanon.

Disclaimer: I was given a copy of her lovely "The Book of Jewish Food" when I moved into my first apartment. I still get all faklempt thinking about it. So.

Claudia Roden on Cuisine and Culture
Tuesday, November 14th, 7:30pm
Washington DCJCC (16th and Q st., NW)
For tickets, see nextbook.org or call 888-219-5222.

Well, they are chocolate doughnuts now!

Ok…I have had chocolate on my mind this week. This is probably because I’ll be in New York City for the Chocolate Show this weekend, as will fellow DCFUDies ZAF and AMG.

So…what did having chocolate on the brain mean this weekend? I dragged a couple of friends into Churreria Madrid in Adams Morgan for churros con chocolate, which consists of a plate of doughnuts and a cup of hot chocolate to dunk them in. These are not long straight churros like Mexican or Argentine churros. The churros are what I remember from visiting Spain, but the hot chocolate is actually thicker there. Churros con chocolate are still a nice treat though.

The restaurant has entrees and tapas…and maybe I’ll try them sometime. For now, I sit on the main floor at the bar tables and dunk away. They do have an upstairs dining room as well.

Churreria Madrid
2505 Champlain Street NW
Washington, DC
202 483-4441

Political Bourdain

Chatting one day with Baylen Linnekin, founder of the painfully irreverent blog To The People, we discovered our mutual admiration for chef-writer-traveller extraordinaire Anthony Bourdain. Baylen immediately began to make an impassioned case that Bourdain is the best popular example of someone living a libertarian lifestyle today. It made sense. Bourdain is a libertine who supports open borders, praises globalization, and advocates personal choice whether it comes to tobacco, fois gras, or pot. Now I understood why I liked Bourdain so much.

"Baylen," I said, "you should write an article on this. Heck, Bourdain's on book tour--shouldn't be to hard to score an interview with him." At that my friend's fanboy eyes widened. Fast-forward three months and here's Baylen's piece (along with audio of their 40-minute conversation) in the new issue of Doublethink, a D.C.-based print quarterly I work with.

The verdict? Like a lot of folks, Bourdain's a libertarian even if he doesn't know it yet.

This post is by Guest Blogger Jerry Brito. Thanks!

Tasty Memories of DC

As I am in the process of packing up my life to move down to Savannah, Georgia, I have been taking some time out to visit my favorite restaurants and bars in the DC area. I am sad to leave this area for many reasons, and I must admit that one of them is the great international food selections.

PHO 75
I think that my number one most frequented restaurant in Arlington is Pho 75, hands down. I eat there about once a week, more in the colder months. I have already been searching for a pho location in Savannah, and I am not sure I have found one, but I am just dreading leaving this Arlington joint. The aroma of their soup can be smelled from outside the door, and I am always drawn to the same selection, a small plain with vinegared onion. Mmmmm......I can admit that I am looking forward to eating there the next two weeks while we pack up the kitchen. At under $6.00 a meal, who can deny themselves that treat? Plus, it's gluten free!

LA TASCA
What can I say? I ate there mostly before I went gluten free, but they have some delicious 'gf' options too. The jamon serrano y queso manchego, patatas bravas con ali-oli, queso manchego, and champinones al ajillo are just a few of my favorites. The amazing food and multiple sangria selections made for great happy hour and birthday meeting places. I miss LaTasca already! Maybe I will be visiting there this week!

TASTE OF MOROCCO
I had wanted to dine here in Clarendon before we flew to Morocco over the holidays last year, but my boyfriend suggested that we wait and return after having 'real' Moroccan food. So we did. And let me tell you, a Taste of Morocco matches the dining experience we had in Fes almost exactly down to the menus and serving plates. I have dined at Marrakesh in DC, and, although I had a great time there, was a little disappointed in the quality of their food. The Clarendon location has impressed me every time I have been there. The wine served was the exact wine that I had puchased by the bottle in Morocco (for 60 dirhams, roughly six American dollars). The wine served here is $20 a bottle, which is pricy for me, but SO worth the memories. The bastilla is so flaky and moist, unlike the drier version we were served at Marrakesh. I have already found a Moroccan restaurant in Savannah, Casbah, and I am excited to sample their cuisine. You might find me at Taste of Morroco next week! Just talking about the bastilla makes my mouth water and crave some mint tea!

BANANA CAFE AND PIANO BAR
Believe it or not, I do have many favorites in DC, and the Banana Cafe and Piano Bar is always a great place to go in the summer. I LOVE their ceviche, and I have created a recipe of my own (posted earlier this year) that comes pretty close to theirs; atmosphere not included. I am also a HUGE fan of the stuffed yuca. I had never had stuffed yuca before dining here, so I do not have a comparison, but it is one of my favorite meals. Or, was one of them before going gluten free (the yuca is fried). Another perk of this locale? The piano bar!

GHANA CAFE
The Ghana Cafe started out as our number one pick in the DC area. We loved the small location, the friendly service and the huge Club imported beers. We had gone there a few times and when we returned a month or so ago, the friendly service was gone, the beer was very expensive, and they didn't have anything we asked for. My fried plaintains and peanuts seemed to lack love as well.

A few other place of note, Hotel Washington has a great rooftop terrace for watching sunset and catching up with friends. Tapatinis is always a fun hip place to go sample new martinis. Five Guys, I can not forget about Five Guys. We often talk about how profitable we could be opening up a location in Savannah.

There are so many places that I love here; my head is now filled with about 30 more 'favorites'. So perhaps I will make this a series....all I know is that I am really going to miss the big buffet of DC food selections! For now...back to packing....perhaps I'll stop for some pho first....

Citronelle: the Verdict

Someday I hope to find myself lounging in my $2 Million Dupont flat sipping something expensive. I shall turn to my sexy and well-dressed significant other, gesture with an impeccably manicured hand and say, 'Dahling, I rather fancy stopping off at Citronelle this evening'.

But until I can stop spending all my hard earned cash on comic books and Chipotle, I have to get to Citronelle the usual way: By finding a special occasion, booking a month in advance, and then drooling all over my keyboard as I count the days off my calendar. Last week after much anticipation they finally hit zero, and for the first time I finally got to experience this much-talked about bastion of food-happiness.

Right now Citronelle is listed as #12 in the US by the often trustworthy Gourmet Magazine, beating out The Inn at Little Washington as DC's finest contribution to dining. And while I might argue that our finest contribution is, in fact, Joe's Noodle house on Rockville Pike, I can't find fault with the idea that Citronelle is bloody good . (Incidentally, #1 right now belongs to Chicago's Alinea - I hear it's like Minibar, but weirder. Any rich Chicagoans need some arm candy for the weekend?)

Amg and I arrived to a very brief wait and a very large table in that order. But besides needing smoke signals to communicate, the room was warm and happy with an open kitchen, glowing panels, and more gray hair than a Russian Blue. We had just missed the tasting menu by a few minutes, but the lovely waiter let us order an extra course. In hindsight, there's no way we could have eaten an entire tasting menu. After a while it just comes down to a matter of volume.

The food at Citronelle is superb. And the food at Citronelle is witty- that's not a word I'd usually use to describe a meal, but how else do you explain cous cous, dyed with squid ink to look like caviar, served over raw egg and flattened lobster in a tin? Or how about a soft cheese soufflé set in the middle of a smooth, rich mushroom soup? Or a thick, juicy cut of duck done 'Tutti Frutti' (the name says it all). Or a desert made of small items shaped to look like breakfast dishes? If you can think of a better word, let me know.

And even had the food been TGI Friday's, with a staff like this I'd happily eat crappy quesadillas every night just to be back under their care. Waiters came over to discreetly make sure that everything was perfect. Waiters came over just to say hi. Waiters came over to give us a 7th round of perfect bread. Waiters came over to keep me company when amg got left the table for a moment. The Sommelier took our wine inexperience as a personal challenge, and it was only after ten minutes of amusing anecdotes that we suddenly realized that he probably had other tables to deal with.

Anyway, go to Citronelle. It's worth it. Even if it means having to do it on more than 2 hours notice.

Fall Curry

Like Borat says, “In my country, we have a problem…” That problem is that people seem to think that pumpkins are only for Halloween, and even then only for Jack-o-lanterns. People make ‘pumpkin pies’ with canned processed pumpkin-product too, but that doesn’t count and is not anything I will address today. I make a killer pumpkin pie from scratch, but have not done so recently. I am lazy.

I love pumpkin as a food, and today at the Dekalb Farmers Market, possibly aka ‘Valhalla,’ I could resist neither the $1.29 ‘pie’ pumpkins, nor the on-sale stewing beef at $2.00 a pound. I also had at home a box of S&B Golden Curry mix (Hot), which I’d been itching to try out. Loosely following the directions on the box, I did the following:

To a large saucepan add:
- One large Vidalia onion, chopped.
- One Serrano pepper, chopped. Actually, I would have preferred more heat: use three.
- One and a half pounds of stewing beef. Next time I may use goat, as its stronger flavor may benefit this dish.
- A drizzle of sesame oil.

Sautee all that until the meat is browned - about 3 minutes. Then, add:
- the meat of one medium ‘pie’ pumpkin (cubed)
- five cups of water
- one cup of beer (I used Kirin Ichiban)
- Some celery salt,
and turn up the heat until the liquid boils. Reduce to a simmer, and stir occasionally until the meat is done and pumpkin is tender (about 13-15 minutes).

Now, remove the pot from the heat, add the curry paste, and stir until it dissolves. Put it back on the burner, and simmer 5-6 minutes more, at which point add a few tablespoons of tapioca starch (or your thickener of choice), stir, and simmer a few minutes more.

Serve over rice…I used brown jasmine, which was lovely.

As I suggested, I think I would have liked this spicier, but that’s a matter of taste, and overall the mix works really well. Using pumpkin this way is exceptionally tasty, and may surprise diners not accustomed to the gourd outside of pies and without candles inside.

My Appetite is Penta-Gone

The Pentagon is a lovely place to visit, but I sure don't want to eat there.

It's like a better-armed Smithsonian. There are some wonderful displays on NATO, various weapons systems, the USO, artifacts from several wars. And, as the building is so massive, there are plenty of dining options - McDonald's, Sbarro's, KFC, some sandwich places, etc... It practically covers the whole range of chow from "fast food" to "microwaved."

At least there's plenty of little coffee shops around. You'll definitely stay awake while going hungry. There's an Au Bon Pain, but not a full-service location, meaning some bagels and coffee. Un très petit Au Bon Pain, s'il vous plait. An Au Bon Pain at 1/8th scale.

If fried meat is your thing, then the Pentagon has your back. Besides having more fast food places than a Midwestern truck stop, the Pentagon features Dominic's of New York. Dom's offers cheesesteaks, burgers, sausages and paninis, but can also leave you (and your G.I. tract) wondering "why did I eat there?" for hours afterwards. At least their breakfast biscuits rock, but I think I read that man can not live on bread alone. Probably from Dr. Atkins or something.

All this does is make the restaurant park at Pentagon Row look that much better. Thaiphoon, Champp's - heck, even the international foods section at World Market - somebody, anybody, help!

Pentagon employees and contractors - what say you? Where do you dine? Slap on the running shoes and make a bee-line to the Blue Line to a Breadline? Some secret little kiosk tucked away in a hidden corridor? Brown bag? How do you do it?