Mie and Yu, Lebanese Taverna and La Madeleine

Dc was wonderful! I had a blast seeing old friends, eating good food and going to a couple of shops and museums along the way. Since I love to eat and love to take pictures of the food I eat nearly as much, here is a breakdown of the culinary trip I took, the great, the good and the just ok.

The good: the eggs benedict at Mie n Yu were very good (the hollandaise sauce was one of the best I've had), the roasted potatoes were crisp, though the tasso ham was a bit overcooked for my taste. Big points for a perfectly poached egg!

The Ok: Mie n Yu chorizo stuffed dates wrapped in bacon, too sweet, too seasoned, too much going on...gotta say these were just ok (served with non-spicy harissa! too bad a little kick may have helped this dish)

Not sure: I didn't try the shwarma but since we don't have any restaurants that make it in my area, I thought I'd take a pic, Lamb on the left, chicken on the right...will have to try it on my next trip.

The great: Lebanese Taverna, FATTEH BLAHMEH, one of my favorite dishes ever! The menu description states the following: seasoned chunks of lamb layered over chick peas on roasted Lebanese bread, smothered with warm yogurt sauce, pine nuts and garlic. The lamb was perfectly tender, the yogurt sauce creamy and tangy, the pita crisp and the pine nuts, radishes and chickpeas added the perfect ballence, just wish pomagranates where in season as they usually top the dish with seeds. MMMMMMMMMMM.....

The good: Halum cheese with tomatoes, cucumbers and olives. Good but not the best, a little oily if I am perfectly honest (wish I'd gotten the hummus).

For dessert, our amazing waiter, Jorge brought us a complimentary dessert, baklava? with pomegranate syrup and vanilla ice cream. The service and food at the Lebanese Taverna can't be beat and I will definitely be back to their DC location on my next trip...I may also try to make the fatteh blameh on a later date!

The ok...La Madeleine. I had the chicken salad sandwich, sundried tomato pasta salad, caesar salad and a parfait (wasn't supposed to be this much food but someone messed up my order!). The caesar salad and parfait were very good but I didn't like the overly mayo'd chicken salad or the super creamy pasta salad. The croissant was very good but I don't think I'll be back to this place as there are waaaayyyyy better choices in DC for lunch.

Another picture of the sandwich and pasta salad both were a bit of a let down :-(

DC was fun, I loved the food, the shopping, the time I spent with friends and trying new things, be them great, good or just ok. Hope you liked my tour d' DC xo J

Our Italian Restaurant...

Our favorite Italian Restaurant in Norfolk is Razzo in our neighborhood, Oceanview. This intimate and delicious restaurant is lit with dim sconces, has booth seating and a great roasted garlic app....oh and did I mention their dessert is to die for? Love it!! If you're ever in the area check it out...it really is "our Italian restaurant."

Cherry cheesecake with a Godiva whipped cream....amazing!~

Roasted garlic app (or what's left of it) with goat cheese, peppers, olives, roasted garlic and capers served with crostini...mmmmm

Veal parm, very big and very good, crunchy exterior, moist veal, wonderful sauce and fresh mozzarella, perfection! I also love their red sauce (think its a marinara?).

Bowl of pasta w marinara, I could just eat a bowl of this, good balance of garlic, tomato and basil that compliments the perfectly al-dente pasta.

Veal Francese, pounded veal, butter, caper, lemon sauce, breadcrumb pasta-perfect for soaking up all the wonderful juices from the dish!

I don't have a photo of my favorite dish at Razzo, stuffed eggplant (and I hate eggplant usually, but this place has made me a lover of at least this preparation) with ricotta, artichokes and fresh spinach stuffed between 2 layers of fried eggplant, then topped with more cheese and their wonderful red sauce, it's a party in your mouth :-). J loves the antipasto plate and the chicken parm and we both love the cheesecakes (usually a different one every week handmade by the chef.) Try Razzo sometime but SHHHHHH just don't tell too many people about it!

Marsala mushroom burgers

J and I decided to make burgers on a warm Virginia evening and needing to use up mushrooms and bacon, I decided to make marsala mushrooms to top the burgers. These were the best burgers I have ever made and I hope you try the recipe too :-)

Meat:

1 lb Ground sirloin

1/2 chopped small sweet onion

2 tbls hoisin (chinese bbq sauce you can find in the Asian section)

1 tsp salt and pepper

*mix all ingredients to combine (make sure not to overwork the burger meat) make patties and dust w. a little more sn'p grill on high temp for aprox 3-5 min per side (depends on thickness and how done you want them to get).

Mushrooms:

1 whole container button mushrooms sliced

2 green onions chopped

1 tbls butter

2-3 tsp marsala or sherry

salt and pepper to taste

*saute butter until just melted, add mushrooms and let brown (don't season until they are brown or they will leech out too much liquid) add green onions and let soften. Deglaze the pan with marsala, cook out alcohol (about 1 min) then take off the heat and wait for the burgers.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

I like my burger done medium and I topped this burger with a garlic/mustard aioli I bought at Trader Joes, a little mayo (Hellman's), fresh tomatoes from Voula's garden, cheddar cheese, center cut bacon and dill pickles. Let me know if you try it/like it!

Julia

Back in the salmon again

It's been too long since my last post and because of this I felt that the subject matter had to be perfect before posting. This salad topped with gorgeous sockeye salmon seemed like the perfect reintroduction to my blogging past. I hope you like the pics and that you eventually try the recipe :-)

Much love, missed you all and happy eating!

Julia

Sockeye Salmon Salad "Francaise"

**For the salmon and glaze

2 fillets beautifully fresh salmon

2 tbls french dressing (I used honey french)

1 tsp grainy mustard

1/4 tsp garlic powder

salt and pepper to taste

***for the salad

mesclun greens (to taste)

hand full of frozen Haricot vert (baby green beans)

1/4 c frozen baby peas

2-3 small boiled potatoes (cubed)

any other veggies you like that you have around the house

1 fried or poached egg (over medium if fried and boiled soft if poached)

goat cheese to taste

3-4 rashers cooked bacon

*******

Glaze salmon and put in a preheated 450 oven. Cook for aprox 5 min (checked to make sure the salmon isn't cooking too fast and that the glaze is setting), reglaze and broil for aprox 1 min. Boil potatoes, peas and haricot vert for aprox 5 min (while salmon cooks) drain and leave until you are ready to assemble the salad. Let salmon rest while you assemble the salad. Top the salad with a little goat and french dressing (or any dressing you like) cooked salmon, egg and bacon. I serve this with a little crusty bread and a nice Chardonnay or my new favorite, an Argentine Torrontes (wonderfully floral and matches beautifully with the veg, sweet vinaigrette and buttery salmon. The acidity also cuts through the egg and bacon fat).

Tip: I cook the bacon in the broiler while the salmon is cooking, just keep and eye on it and to reheat store bought bread, I put it in the oven (turned off) until I am ready to serve dinner.

Shrimp and pea risotto with pine nuts

I was browsing blogs and came upon a recipe that looked delish so I decided to make it. The recipe was on the singleguychef.blogspot.com and was for shrimp and lemon risotto. Since I didn't have lemon on hand, I improvised by adding more wine, a little heavy cream and made a toasted breadcrumb, pine nut mixture to add more texture to the dish. The final result was good and I will keep this dish in my cooking "repertoire."

Shrimp and pea risotto with toasted pine nuts

1 c arborio rice
1/2 lb shrimp (peeled devained)
3 scallions cut
2 large pats butter
4-5 cups stock (I add the shrimp shells and boil down for about 10 min then strain and use in risotto)
1/2 c white wine (dry)
1 clove garlic
1/2 c baby peas (take out of freezer when you start to cook)
1/4 c pine nuts (I toast these in a pan with my bread crumbs)
2 tbl cream
1/4 c parm
1/4 c bread crumbs (I used italian and added a little butter to the pan to help toast)
salt to taste (I didn't add pepper since there were so many delicate flavors in the dish)
*simmer stock in a sauce pan and keep warm throughout the cooking process. Saute 3/4 of the scallions in 1 pat of butter for 1-2 minutes until just soft. Add garlic and cook until tender but not brown. Add rice and let cook in butter garlic/scallion mixture for about 2-3 min on med heat until the edges become translucent. Add wine and cook until absorbed (about 1 min.) Begin adding stock 1/2 cup to 3/4 cups at a time. Stir until liquid is absorbed and keep repeating until rice is done (about 25 min.) When risotto is just al dente and still needs 1 more cup of liquid, add 1 more splash of white wine, partially frozen peas (take them out of freezer at the beginning of cooking) and shrimp. Cover and reduce heat to very low. Let cook for 5 min. Add cream, remaining scallions and parm. Plate and add toasted breadcrumbs/pine nuts on top. Serve hot with crusty bread and a big salad!



shrimp and pea risotto with toasted pine nuts

Little Creek Diner in Norfolk

J and I went to the Little Creek Diner on Halprin Dr. in Norfolk for breakfast this morning. I'd heard about this place from a patron at another local establishment that we go to for breakfast quite often (Charlie's also in Norfolk.) At the diner, I ordered the MonteCristo sandwich w. a fried egg and home fries. J had 3 scrambled eggs w. a thick and juicy slice of ham, home fries and toast. Everything we ordered was delicious! The french toast on my sandwich was crispy, had a hint of vanilla and perhaps cinnamon? The melted swiss was delicious and the turkey complimented both beautifully. I added a fried egg just to make the sandwich extra rich and thought that it was a good compliment to a great classic sandwich. Though they don't use real maple syrup (don't think there are any restaurants in our area that do :-( ) the provided syrup on the table made this dish a sweet/savory delight. The home fries that accompanied were simply prepared; cooked then griddle fried until crisp and crunchy on one side. I would def recommend this place for breakfast. I haven't had lunch here but they have all the diner classics from melts to open faced turkey sandwiches. The Diner is owned by a Greek family (read somewhere that the family also owns the Ship's Cabin) and they have a lot of good specials and an enormous menu. Both the size of the menu and types of food are the closest I have come to a traditional northern style diner fare. The decor and ambiance are a bit shabby but the coffee is hot, the food and service are great and the cops, blue haired ladies and locals sitting at the counter make this place a favorite locals joint in my book. I foresee many more meals to come at this local treasure; we'll be back soon!

Winter in Buenos Aires

My husband and I traveled to several countries in South America in the summer of 07 and one of the places we had the pleasure of visiting was Buenos Aires. We stayed in Palermo Viejo and ate like royalty. Our meals included amazing pasta, pizza and of course wonderful asados. I felt like recreating a diner we had at a parillada there. Though this steak brings back memories, it is NOTHING like the diner we had in Palermo at a Parillada down the street from our BNB (Estilo Criollo). This is a pic of my steak with chimichuri salad and scalloped potatoes with smoked gouda. The steak (sirloin) was pan fried then finished in the toaster oven (see the steaking my claim post for the recipe) and the salad was very easy and a perfect accompaniment to the juicy steak and the rich potatoes. I used smoked gouda to invoke the smokiness of the wood grilled meat. The final result was delicious and the recipe took me back to a wonderful evening and an amazing meal I had with my boy.

Chimichuri salad

1/2 English cucumber sliced then halved

1 ripe red tomato

1/4 c parsley chopped

1/2 sweet onion chopped

olive oil (extra virgin)

red wine vinegar

1/4-1/2 tsp garlic powder

salt and pepper to taste

Add all ingredients in a bowl and mix together. I didn't give exact measurements for the oil and vinegar because the quantities really are a matter of taste. I like my dressing really sharp and salty so I add a lot of vinegar and salt to most every dressing I make. Taste your dressing as you go it and make it how you like it.

Below is a pic of the asado we had including lamb, suckling pig, chorizo (Argentine, not Mexican), morsilla (blood sausage...delicious!), molleja (sweetbreds), rinones (kidney) and chinchulin (intestine...see saltshaker for a description, website below.) To accompany the meal we had papas a la casulette (scalloped potatoes), chimichuri and eggplant tepenade (I hate eggplant but have heard this preparation is good.)

In case you couldn't tell, I love red meat. I love organ meat. I love chimichuri and I love parilla! If this isn't a beautiful sight, I don't know what is....the best meat in the world comes from Uruguay and Argentina (and the south of Brazil.) It is true that I may be a bit biased having grown up in the region, but don't take my word for it; go there, eat there and come back with your feedback, Id love to hear it. In this pic you can see the parillero cutting up sections of perfectly grilled meet. I'd like to think he's cutting pamplona (a beautiful rolled and stuffed meat) or molleja (sweetbreads.) Notice the cooking method...only wood fire here with sizzling embers to capture that smokey flavor throughout the meat. The final result is a lot like bbq but in my opinion, better!

In this, the second photo you can see the cooking method better. On can see what looks like a suckling pig (my favorite thing in the whole world) or perhaps a young lamb roasting over the flames along side delicious hunks of asado de tira (shortribs cut thin), the cut of choice in Uruguay. On the right hand side is a rotisserie with chicken breasts and pieces, pamplona and any other meats needing to be slowly basted in their own juices until the moment they are perfectly tender, juicy and succulent MMMMMMMMMM! For more info on food from Argentina and Uruguay check out http://www.saltshaker.net/20060218/chotos-pamplonas-chaja
This is a pic of the meal we ordered before it was consumed and savored. Ps. J had no idea what I had ordered for him to eat and was so happy to try all the wonderful "sausages", etc :-) the first thing he tried was the kidney....said it tasted like a urinal cake and wondered why you squeeze yellow lemon juice over it...guess kidneys aren't for everyone!

Final photo of the steak with chimichurri salad. Hope you try it and love it!

besos!

Julia

pps. as per wonderful father's request, I am adding this comment "I WANT TO THANK MY DAD THE ADVENTUROUS MISSY THAT HE WAS/IS, FOR INTRUDUCING ME TO THESE CUISIONARY DELIGHTS. " DO YOU KNOW THAT THERE ARE MISSIONARIES THAT HAVE LIVED FOR 40+ YEARS IN THESE COUNTRIES, ETC, THAT HAVE NEVER EVEN TRIED THESE FOODS??? ? I TOO, COULD HAVE GROWN UP DEPRIVED ETC, IF IT WERE NOT FOR HIM, ETC ETC" Love you dad!

To add bacon or not to add bacon, that is the question

And as you can see, the answer to this eternal and existential question is always YES! Bacon makes everything better and I prove this point with my bacon mac and cheese. This creamy artery clogging concoction was perfect! Got the recipe from the food network website (Tyler Florence's ultimate mac and cheese) but modified it to make it mine. My recipe included De Cecco casareccia pasta, Mexican cheese blend, bacon and garlic. Here's the full monty just for you :)

Julia's Bacon Mac and Cheese

1/2 lb pasta of choice, cooked slightly under al dente drained

2 c milk

2 tbl flour

1/2 stick butter

1 pkg shredded Mexican cheese blend (not taco cheese!)

1 clove garlic

3 rashers bacon cooked and crisped

salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 then cook pasta. In a separate pot (medium to large) make a roux from the flour and butter. Allow mixture to cook for about 1 min. Heat milk in the micro w. the clove of garlic, discard garlic then add milk slowly into the roux stirring constantly. Season to taste then add in 3/4 of the cheese to make the sauce. Add cooked pasta to the sauce, mix to combine then place in a casserole dish and top with remaining cheese. Let casserole cook for about 15-25 min until cheese is melted and everything is hot and delish. Take out of oven, top with crisped bacon and let cool for 5-10 min then enjoy!

With the mac and cheese, I served oven roasted tomatoes, basil pesto tilapia and a delish salad with the same baby yellow tomatoes and organic romaine lettuce...truly and indulgent diner!

Perfect braised shortribs....

A very good friend gave me the perfect gift for my birthday, a gift card for William Sonoma. From the moment I opened the card, I knew what I wanted, my own Le Creuset dutch oven...the hard part was settling on a color. I really wanted steel but they didn't have the size I wanted in stock so I ended up with a beautiful red oven and decided to make my first dinner in in it that night. I went to my grocery store and found great looking short ribs. I had my butcher cut the ribs I'd picked out from the case in half to make them smaller and easier to eat then brought them home and made Tyler Florence's Bistro style short ribs recipe from Foodnetwork.com. I served these with golden mashed potatoes. This recipe is definitely a keeper and will remain a favorite in our house.

Ingredients

Short ribs:
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 pounds short ribs, in 1 long piece or at least in pairs
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 medium onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1 large tomato, quartered
3 ribs celery
1/2 head garlic, peeled
1/4 bunch fresh thyme
1 1/2 cups dry red wine
2 cups low-sodium, organic beef stock
4 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

Directions
Preheat a cast iron grill or outdoor grill.
Season the short ribs with salt and pepper, drizzle with a little extra-virgin olive oil, and brown on all sides.
Place the onion, garlic, celery, carrot, and tomato into a food processor and blend until you reach a consistent, smooth pulp.
Take a large Dutch oven and place over medium-high heat. Add a 3-count of extra-virgin olive oil and add the thyme to infuse the oil. Next add the vegetable pulp, season with salt and pepper, to taste, and cook for about 10 minutes. Pour in the red wine and stock and bring it to a boil. Using tongs take the ribs and nestle them into the braising mix; the liquid should just about cover the meat. Place the lid loosely on top, reduce heat to a simmer and cook until the meat is very tender, approximately 2 1/2 to 3 hours.
When the ribs are about finished, remove about 1 to 2 cups of liquid and strain into a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Heat the sauce until slightly reduced and thickened, about 5 minutes.
braised shrot ribs with orzo risotto







The next day I put the leftovers over polenta (me) and orzo "risotto" (J) then baked them in the oven with a little parm. They were amazing! If you have a dutch oven and a couple hours to kill I definitely recommend this recipe!


Ps. I LOVE my Le Creuset!

short ribs with polenta

The perfect root beer float

Root beer is one of my favorite things. I love the complexity of flavors, the fizzyness and how it goes well with cheesesteaks, Thai food and of course, ice cream. We have a local restaurant (Doumar's) that makes the best root beer shakes...I literally have dreams about these shakes and now I have the tools to make the
best root beer float at home. It all starts with the best root beer. In my opinion, Weeping Radish Brewery makes the best root beer I have ever tasted. They actually brew the beer and the flavor is so clean and crisp it could almost make you weep. though this libation is wonderful on its own, a little vanilla ice cream makes it sing. Here are the pics to prove it. If you are ever in the Outer Banks of NC or in the Hampton Roads area, try and find this delicacy and you will understand what I mean. If your not in the area, hopefully these pics will make you salivate and remember hot summer days, being a kid and having one of the easiest and tastiest deserts on earth, the root beer float.

A hurricane breakfast

Hanna came and went, and I am glad to say that we were lucky. Our house had no wind damage and I was able to take my first nap in years, due to the wind! Because we were sequestered indoors due to the weather, I decided to make us a hearty breakfast with items on hand (sourdough bread, eggs and milk from the farmer's market, maple syrup and smoked cheddar from Vermont and local nitrate free bacon). Breakfast was delish and I really was happy with the sourdough french toast. Sorry there are shells in the pic (took this on the dining room glass-top table.) Since I am sure most of you know how to make scrambled eggs and bacon, I am only including the french toast recipe. Hope you like it!

XO J

Sourdough french toast

1 egg

1/2 c milk or half n half

2 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp cinnamon

5-6 slices sourdough bread (preferably 1-2 days old)

mix all ingredients together reserving 1 tsp of sugar, until well blended then let bread soak in wet mixture for about 10-15 min. (I use this time to begin and complete prep on the other meal components). When bread is moist, top with remaining sugar then place slices on a hot buttered griddle and allow to cook for about 2-3 min per side. Butter the bread then serve with sliced bananas and warm Vermont maple syrup.

Tales of a bad, bad blogger

I have been a bad, bad blogger...my job started again this week and because of this and other odd occurrences in my life, I have not had time to write....I apologize and promise to do better! I am posting pics of a diner I made last week for my wonderful husband, J. He and I went to our local 5 points farmer's market and picked up some really great purple and gold oyster mushrooms from a local grower, some wonderful nitrate-free bacon, potatoes, tomatoes, etc. I am sad to say that the market is still quite small and I really wish they would add some local seafood but all in all, they had a decent variety of fresh ingredients. Here are a few of the dishes I made.... an oyster mushroom chicken marsala over rustic root veggies (yellow potatoes, scallions and carrots with Yoder milk and garlic butter). The addition of Yoder Dairy garlic butter really made the dish....here are the pics, enjoy!

I also found some really fresh hothouse cukes and organic carrots and made them into a salad w. sesame vinaigrette with our standby quick dinner favorite, sashimi tuna w. sesame coating. To jazz the dish up, I also added sesame shrimp with a sour apricot sauce. Loved the sauce and the fish was wonderful...if anyone has ideas on how to jazz up the rice, I am all ears...I have tried fried rice but am in a bit of a creative slump when it comes to asian rice dishes. The apricot sauce for the shrimp was a mixture of rice wine vinegar, dijon mustard and apricot preserves....delish!

An attempt and non-baked baking :)
I am not a baker. I burn toast, I overcook pie crust, I have actually had things blow up in the oven, therefor I choose to make non-baked deserts...here is my attempt at a cheesecake (that turned out really good, surprisingly!) For desert, I made an almost sugar-free strawberry cheesecake. This recipe was super fatty, super easy and super good! I did cheat by using a pre-made graham cracker crust (the almost part).

Almost sugar-free strawberry cheesecake

1 block cream cheese softened

1 small container sour cream

1/4c organic milk (the other stuff freaks me out a bit but can use whatever you like)

1/4 tsp vanilla (or any flavor you like)

1/3 c splenda (or to taste)

8-10 strawberries sliced

1/2 c fruit spread melted in the micro (no sugar any flavor you like)

1 graham crust

mix together cream cheese and sour cream with milk to soften the mixture. Add milk a little at a time to incorporate. Add splenda and vanilla and mix to incorporate. Pour mixture into the crust and top with sliced strawberries. Paint fruit spread (jam, etc) over the top of the berries and the pie to completely seal and coat. Chill for at least an hour then serve cold....MMMMMMM!

Gino's or Pats, That is the question....

Ah Philly, city of great history, beautiful buildings, home of the liberty bell, the Italian market and who are we kidding? CHEESESTEAKS!!!! I don't think there is a more perfect food and to prove my point, I will be adding some pics from the taste test J and I did this week (just got bk from vacation.) On Sunday (11th?) pm J and I had reservations at Little Fish, but due to a miscalculation on the Philadelphia turnpike (sad and long story) we didn't make our reservations....what was a girl to do, starve? Not this girl....We headed straight for the meccas for cheesesteaks Pat's and Gino's. These two establishments have been feuding for years for rights to the best cheesesteak in Philly, and both have die-hard fans so we decided to try them both and to make sure our test was fair, we ordered the "wiz-wit" and a root beer (seemed to also be the locals drink of choice) to accompany at both locations . Both steaks were great, though Pat's bread (in my opinion) and amount of "wiz" were better, the meat at Gino's was far superior and made for a better dinning experience. Jason liked the bread at Gino's because it was crustier and I liked the soft bread better but think this is really a matter of personal taste. Both had delish, well caramelized onions. Final results...order a cheesesteak at Gino's with extra wiz.


ps. Was told that the cheese fries are good and a quick locals tip: the heart-attack also sounded great (cheesesteak w/ all the cheeses!)...think I'll order that next time, but with a diet coke ;-)

cheesesteak at Gino's (J liked this bread texture more)

cheesesteak at Pat's (see the wiz? it's a beautiful sight!)