Wahoooob

Laaaaaaaazy

2007-01-10T21:12:00.000-05:00

Okay, so I'm too lazy to write anything. So instead, some pictures of food cooked the past few weeks:

quasi-loco moco

cornbeef-arugula-mozzarella / pastrami turkey-arugula-mozzarella

cranberry scones

Home Cookin'

2006-11-15T21:03:00.000-05:00

A throwback to my past: Walnut Chicken

1 lb chicken breast, cubed and marinated in soy and sesame seed oil
1 cup walnut pieces
hosin and sirracha to taste

In a large sautee pan, toast the walnuts over medium-high heat, stirring frequently until browned and toasted. Remove from pan. Add chicken and sautee over high heat, covering once the chicken is seared. Cook until chicken is cooked through. Lower heat and add approximately 2-3 tablespoons of hosin sauce. Return walnuts to the pan. Add sirracha to taste. Stir ingredients to coat and cook until heated through.

Now featuring...

2006-11-09T09:27:00.000-05:00

So while this isn't the best photo ever, apparently it was good enough to get selected for Honorable Mention in Food & Wine's photo contest. Some of the photos are great, but some are pretty meh. That's right. m-e-h. MEH.

Go us!

Look familiar?

2006-10-30T20:16:00.000-05:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!

Arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

2006-09-08T09:08:00.000-05:00

Coming soon to Downtown SS: Piratz Tavern.

Featuring Caribbean cuisine and unexpected events (or so their website claims). Let's hope their penchance for all things pirate don't end up in Davy Jones' locker... we need places like this to offset the downtown Silver Sprung sprawl.

Mid-Week Easy Cooking

2006-08-24T20:37:00.000-05:00

Season 1/3 lb ground extra lean turkey to taste with rosemary, garlic, red pepper flakes and fresh ground black pepper. Sautee until turkey is cooked through, careful not to overcook.

Boil water and cook pasta of choice until al dente. Strain. Mix with turkey.

Garnish with fresh basil and grated pecorino romano.

EAT!

Boys and their toys

2006-08-18T07:55:00.000-05:00

Stay tuned for some new fabulous food pictures, thanks to my new toy:

Sony DSC-H2, 6 MP, 12x optical zoom

Of course, I have to figure out *how* to use it first. I knew there was a reason Mom sent me to photography class during summer school.

Mid-Week Easy Cooking

2006-08-17T18:48:00.000-05:00

Chicken and tofu with Korma Simmer Sauce

1 jar Korma Simmer Sauce (from TJs)
1 package tofu (firm or soft)
2 packages split chicken
2 tablespoons grapeseed oil

1. Trim excess fat from chicken. Split into breasts, thights and drumsticks. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Remove tofu from packaging and drain excess water using a kitchen towel. Slice into bite-sized pieces.
2. Heat a deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook until skin is golden brown on both sides.
3. Add simmer sauce to skillet. Add water to almost submerge chicken. Add tofu. Stir to combine and slgihtyl cover.
4. Simmer until chicken is cooked through.
5. Serve ladled in large bowls or over rice.

Balducci's - 20% off coupon

2006-08-11T10:46:00.000-05:00

Balducci's is a gourmet grocery store in the Mid-Atlantic/Northeast region. Through September 30th, get 20% off your entire purchase with this coupon.

While I hardly make enough money to do my weekly grocery shopping there, Balducci's is a good source for some hard-to-find specialty foods and products.

Ray's the roof

2006-08-02T23:52:00.000-05:00

For all you fans of Ray's the Steaks (no, not owned by Ray, but Michael Landrum), his new outpost in Silver Spring is open today for business. Ray's the Classics, featuring Chef Michael Hartzer, will be the pre-eminent Modern American Grill in the DC Metro area.

Bienvenido a comida

2006-08-01T19:12:00.000-05:00

Somehow, my mother's penchant for replacing good 'ol ground beef with turkey has infiltrated my DNA.

Turkey Empanadas

1 pound extra lean ground turkey
1 large onion
3 tablespoons smoky paprika
1 tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon pepper
4 hard boiled eggs
~10-12 green olives
grapeseed oil
2 cups cooked rice, cooled
2 packages frozen pie dough

Heat large pan. Add some grapeseed oil and sautee onion until slightly translucent. Remove from pan. Add oil and turkey. Season with pepper and break turkey into small pieces. Add paprika and cumin and mix. Cook until turkey is just cooked through, careful to not overcook. When turkey is almost done, add rice and mix. Remove from heat and cool. Dice egg and olive into small pieces. Mix with turkey.

Preheat oven and thaw pie dough. Cut dough into ~6"x6" size. Add cooled filling mixture to dough squares and fold, sealing the edges. Poke 2-3 holes in each empanada, then cover with egg wash. Bake according to pie crust directions (~20 minutes @ 425)

Mooo..vin' on up for some free StonyField Farm Yogurt

2006-07-28T15:31:00.000-05:00

Yogurt is good for you. It's even better for you when it's free.

Vote here with a simple click and receive a coupon for a FREE cup of Stonyfield Farm yogurt. Not only is it good for you, but it's good for the Earth as well. A percentage of Stonyfield Farms profits will go to the following:

Active in more than 40 countries, Conservation International works to protect wild and biologically diverse regions within Africa, Asia, Central and South America and the Pacific Islands. One of Conservation International’s strategies is to help farmers in these regions implement best practices for biodiversity conservation.
As a partner to more than 700 local watershed protection groups, River Network protects and restores rivers, lakes and streams for the benefit of people and wildlife across North America.
With its hands-on educational programs, the National Gardening Association educates kids and adults about the vital connections between people, plants and the environment. Bid with Your Lid donations will help fund the association’s Adopt a School Garden program, which brings hands-on gardening programs to schools with limited resources.

(Limit one vote and coupon per email address, coupon is redeemable for 14 days after download and not redeemable in Canada).

5 Alarm: Free Chili Dog! Today Only

2006-07-27T11:31:00.000-05:00

Chili dog? In the middle of the summer? But it's hot you say? It's FREE I say! (with purchase).

From Hard Times Cafe:

That's right, this Thursday July 27th is National Chili Dog Day and anyone and everyone gets a FREE Chili Dog (with any purchase) compliments of your friendly neighborhood Hard Times Cafe!
Did we say FREE??? Yep, we sure did. Just come in and buy anything and we'll give you a Chili Dog topped with cheese, onions and your choice of Chili!

Movie Night! 2 Free tickets to An Inconvenient Truth

2006-07-27T11:22:00.000-05:00

Tree hugging hippie? Angry Republican with nothing else to do on a Friday night? Spend some quality time with Al Gore and "An inconvenient Truth" for free!

Visit http://www.fandango.com/, and find a theater near you playing the film with online ticketing. Proceed through the order processes. When asked if you have a promotional code, enter one of the following codes:

AnInconvenientTruth1
AnInconvenientTruth2
AnInconvenientTruth3

Voila! Back a eco-friendly snack of hempseeds and organically grown, free range berries and enjoy!

note: this offer may expire at any time, so don't delay!

Tastings

2006-07-25T13:54:00.000-05:00

I enjoy wine. Am I an enophile? No. Do I have $25 to spend on a bottle of nice wine every week? No. Do I relish in a good bargain? Yes.

I enjoy looking for "good value" or something a little different to try. Some are good, some are not so good. But it's always fun. So I present to you my "Wine of the Week", along with my amateur tasting notes.

2003 Chateau La Grange Clinet Premières Côtes de Bordeaux - $12
A nice, medium body with good fruit flavors. Decent finish. 60% merlot, 26% cabernet-sauvignon and 14% cabernet-franc.

I tend to shy away from French wines simply because all of the "Chateaus". Overall, a good buy at $12.

Summer Rolls

2006-07-24T07:47:00.000-05:00

Summer Rolls:

8-10 large shrimp, peeled and de-veined
1/4 cup julienned cucumber
1/4 cup roughly chopped cilantro
1 package Japanese rice noodles
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
Vietnamese rice paper
Hosin-peanut sauce (see below)

1. Place shrimp in boiling water, simmer until bright pink, about 3 minutes (will vary with size). Immediately ladle shrimp into ice water to stop cooking. Return water to boil. Remove shrimp from water and slice in half when cool.

2. Place Japanese noodles into boiling water and cook per package instructions. Run under cold water to cool noodles. Drain and toss with vinegar. Salt to taste.

3. Fill a shallow dish with warm water. Inspect rice paper for any cracks. Soak one at a time in warm water until soft (approximately 30 seconds).

4. Place rice paper on a plate. Starting ~1.5 inches from the edge, arrange four shrimp halves in a line. Add hosin-peanut sauce. Layer with cucumber, cilantro and Japanese noodles.

5. Lift the bottom edge over the filling. Push the edge back under the filling tightly, and roll once. Roll a second time, fold in the edges, and complete rolling.

6. Slice rolls on a diagonal, drizzle with Hosin-peanut sauce and garnish with cilantro.

Hosin-Peanut Sauce:

2 tablespoons hosin
2 tablespoons crunchy peanut butter
1/2 teaspoon peanut oil
1/2 teaspoon fish sauce
sirracha (to taste)
water

Combine ingredients and stir. Slowly add water to reach desired consistency.