Foodie on the Run

Eastern European Christmas Traditions

2010-12-15T09:30:00.000-05:00

One of my colleagues (and a fellow Baltic-state family lineage) shared the following article from the NYTimes about the Estonian House in NYC and their traditional blood sausage making "party" in preparation for Christmas. As someone who has worked to learn traditional Lithuanian cooking, I'm excited to see the same attempt to pass on these culinary traditions in the Estonian-American community. Not to mention, finding another ethnic group that uses beets as a staple in their menu is aces with me!

This Ain't No Starbucks

2010-12-12T20:53:00.001-05:00

First I must disclose that I am no longer a coffee addict. I do enjoy the taste of coffee but haven't drank it on a regular basis in Lord knows how long. However, this departure from the caffeinated beverage did not prevent me from trying Rim Cafe in South Philly. At the recommendation by a third degree relationship, I willingly accepted the invitation. The experience was beyond what I ever could have expected.

When I was told of the place I figured it was just a hyped up coffee joint. Located in the Italian Market in South Philly my expectations were moderate to say the least. But what I experienced once I met Rene (the owner) life just has not been the safe. First, you have two basic options: coffee or hot chocolate (the volcano). Given my adversity to coffee, I went the hot chocolate route. What came to be from that is just simply to hard to explain in words... even for me.

The most extraordinary part of the experience was the homemade chocolate by Rene. I made the mistake of asking him where he got his chocolate... oops. He makes it himself. My hot chocolate was everything but just hot chocolate. The glass was first filled with whipped cream and then steaming chocolate was poured on top. Rene proceeded to top my drink with shavings of about nine different chocolate "flavors". There was no, "yes, I'd like the pistachio chocolate but hold on the kiwi..." Rene shaved it all. My favorite flavor was his "God Only Knows" flavor... apparently he was drunk when he made it. Loved this place even more at that point.

The hot chocolate was delectable yet not the over-rich that I was expecting. Rene's personality paired with his penchant for photography (he is amazing - he even made me look good) made the experience. Sure, the cost is not your McDonald's special but if you find yourself in Philly, I highly recommend making the trek to Rim Cafe. Not to mention, you can pair it with a trip to the DiBruno's Italian Market location just a few blocks down.

Dominos Cool New Feature

2010-10-19T18:48:00.001-05:00

On a recent business trip I decided to order pizza instead of head out for dinner. I was sorely disappointed when I found out the local Papa John's stores did not deliver to my hotel (out of the chain pizza joints Papa John's has been a longtime favorite). So, not to be disuaded by the lack of deliverability, I checked out Dominos. I hadn't had Dominos in forever but at this juncture, pizza is pizza.

I was pleasantly surprised by all the features Dominos offered - several different dough styles (I tried the Brooklyn), sauce options and of course, plenty of topping options. But I think the coolest feature was the timeline that shows the progress of your pizza - the prep, the cooking and when it leaves the store. At each stage a voice alerts you to the newest stage of your pizza. At first I thought this was a little silly and unnecessary (kind of like the backup cam in the car I bought last year - now I love it). However, have you ever ordered pizza (or Chinese for that matter) and wondered, after what seems like the 45 min delivery they promised, "what has happened to my pizza"? I know I'm not the only person who has either had a way too long of a wait for their food (two hours for Chinese once) or called the store to check on the order and they simply just didn't have a record of your order.

It's amazing how the little things matter and because of this little thing, I may just order from Dominos again.

As for the whole raw diet departure this pizza brought me, that's another story for another day.

Ani Phyo Does it Again

2010-09-26T16:07:00.000-05:00

I'm going on week three of the raw diet and can say that it has been pretty easy to stick to. However, I knew that I needed some variety beyond the typical foods I've enjoyed. Breakfast and snacks have been the biggest challenge since I haven't had a lot of choices. It has been pretty much fresh juice and/or apple slices with peanut butter. While not terrible, I knew it was going to get old, fast.

Several months ago I purchased Any Phyo's "Raw Food Desserts" just because I wanted to have as much material on raw food as possible. However, I never really took the time to read it since I'm not much of a dessert person. This afternoon I am so glad that I did! I discovered her recipe for "breakfast toast" which I cannot wait to try. But it is the "Banana Bread Biscuits" that caused me to write this post.

If the "batter" is any indication, these things are going to be good! With a mix of nuts (I used walnuts instead of her recommended cashews), ripe bananas, vanilla and pecans - the taste was beyond delicious. Imagine real banana nut muffin batter but without the salmonella ridden raw eggs. The ripe bananas provided a tremendous amount of sweetness and the vanilla extract provided that home-baked taste.

The "biscuits" are currently in the dehydrater and it'll be about 6-8 hours before they are ready. The big bonus of this is that the biscuits will, according to the book, will keep for several days (or longer) in the fridge - depending on how dehydrated they are. As I've discovered with raw food is that it doesn't keep for more than just two-to-four days. There are days that I come home and simply just don't want to "cook" so things like these biscuits and other recipes in the dessert book will come in handy over the coming weeks.

Yes, Beets Again - But This Time its Raw!

2010-09-23T18:45:00.000-05:00

A few months ago I took a stab at the "raw" diet - a lifestyle changing cuisine that I immediately enjoyed. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to stick with the diet for a number of different reasons. However, a couple of weeks ago I returned to the "raw" life and must say that I haven't felt better.

While there are challenges to eating "raw", especially for someone like me who travels a lot, it is surprisingly tasty and fulfilling. I've relied heavily on Ani Phyo's cookbook, "Ani's Raw Food Kitchen"; a great start to eating "raw". Of course, not every recipe fits my fancy (such as the sweet corn chowder) but many have (the real cheezecake and the Thailand Tom Kha Gai soup). Tonight I branched out a created my own recipe.

As everyone knows, beets are my favorite veggie. I love beet soup both hot and cold. So today I attempted a "raw" version of my favorite soup. I have to say, it tasted great and I just had to share the recipe for the fellow beet lovers out there!

Ingredients
2 large beets
2 medium carrots
Juice of 1 lemon
2 stalks of celery
1 ripe avocado
1 medium cucumber, peeled
Fresh dill (handful)
2 cups of water
Salt and pepper to taste

Put the beets and carrots through a juicer, using only the juice (however, using the pulp is up to you and your tastes).

Add the lemon juice, celery, dill, avocado, water and beet/carrot juice to a blender and blend until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste.

If you don't have time to chill the soup in the fridge, add a couple of ice cubes to the bowl of the soup - the soup is best enjoyed cold.

Beets Fresh from the Garden

2010-09-06T17:43:00.000-05:00

This year I decided to try beets in my garden. I only had a small plot of garden area left so I threw in a bunch of seeds. Amazingly enough, they grew despite the hard summer we've had! Today I picked the first of the full size beets and made my favorite salad - Lithuanian beet salad. Of course, anything from my own garden will always taste better in my personal opinion but truly, fresh beets from the garden are delicious. I also did one other thing different (other than grow my own beets) and that is add diced Tony Packo's Sweet Hots pickles instead of traditional dill pickles. The Sweet Hots made the salad, which says a lot since I love this salad no matter what. Hopefully later this week I can start on the hot pepper jelly!

Dining Out in Philly

2010-08-29T13:20:00.001-05:00

Chef's tasting menu

I can't say enough about my Friday night out with a great girlfriend of mine from DC. She was in town for work so we took advantage of proximity and indulged ourselves at Amis Trattoria (412 S. 13th Street, Philadelphia). Since we are both "foodies" I took the liberty of asking for the chef's tasting menu that evening since there was so much I wanted to try but didn't want to commit to some of the more adventurous offerings on the menu. We pretty much had to roll ourselves out of the restaurant following the meal as the plates were more than generous and five courses were well worth the money ($85pp plus cost of wine). To the right is the menu for the evening.

I'd say there were three categories of food for the evening: the most adventurous (lamb's tongue); the most unique (mortadella mousse) and the most tasty (eggplant Parmesan lasagna).

First the lamb's tongue... this was my first foray into this um, "cut" of meat. Lori described it best when she said it tasted and had the consistency of fried corned beef. I couldn't agree more. Coupled with the pickled onions, it was better than I ever thought such a dish could be. The mortadella mousse was outstanding. Something I would never consider "moussing" it had the saltiness of the mortadella meat with exactly the right consistency to accompany the toasts. This is something I'll likely try at home as it would be a great alternative to salmon mousse hors d'oeurves for the non-fish people out there. The last category was certainly the hardest for me to consider since EVERYTHING tasted amazing. The roasted lamb shoulder was beyond words - I just wish I wasn't so full by the time we hit the fourth course. I chose the eggplant Parmesan lasagna for this category simply because it was the absolute lightest lasagna I've ever had and incorporated the taste of eggplant without the thick heftiness of the slabs you normally get. Instead of slice of eggplant the chef pureed the eggplant into what I assume was the ricotta cheese mixture. It was excellent.

I also found a new favorite wine during this dining experience... Villa Calcinaia, Piegaia Rosato di Chianti, 2009. Essentially this was a rose Chianti and what a wonderful wine. With such hot weather this summer I've explored roses more than ever since even the lightest pinot grigio seemed heavy in the heat. I really enjoyed this wine that presented a tart cherry taste keeping the taste nice and dry. I enjoyed a glass pre-dinner and it paired well with our second course that included the charred prosciutto wrapped figs, lamb's tongue and braised squid.

If you're looking for a varied menu with an energetic atmosphere, Amis is a wonderful location to check out. The staff were incredibly accommodating (doing the chef's menu for us on a Friday night) and very friendly. I think the only challenge I had with the restaurant was the wood design of the table... I know this sounds odd but the "stripes" of the table tended to disorient me, especially after a couple of glasses of wine. If you are easily disoriented with stripe patterns my recommendation is to keep your head up. The food is well worth it.

Second Course: Braised squid (bottom left), charred prosciutto
figs (middle), lamb's tongue (right) and the risotto balls at the
top.

A Local Toledo Favorite

2010-05-17T20:48:00.001-05:00

I've said this time and time again; the best part of my job is visiting parts of the United States that I would typically not have a chance to visit. The reason why this is so important to me is because I get introduced to local favorites, more specifically local food.

While I indulged myself in the best barbeque in the world while traveling to Kansas City, Kansas over the last year, nothing prepared me for today's delight: Tony Packo's in Toledo, Ohio. Throughout the course of the day's meetings my colleagues raved over the Tony Packo hot dogs, complete with the Tony Packo chili. While I enjoy a good hot dog and am game for a good chili dog, it wasn't until they mentioned chicken parikash that I almost fell over in glee! Hungarian paprikash? There's a restaurant in America that serves this delicious, homecooked, Eastern European comfort food?? I had to go. Lucky for me, my colleagues agreed!

To say the experience did not disappoint would still not do the experience justice. At first glance at the menu I discovered cabbage rolls. I swear I died and went to holubki heaven! I had the pleasure of meeting Tony Packo himself... well, the third generation version who now runs the restaurant group in Toledo. After treating ourselves to an appetizer of fried pickles, Tony ordered us a feast. Chicken papikrash, chili dogs (complete with smoked sausage he orders out of Dearborn, Michigan), chicken and traditional style chili and sides of Tony's sweet hot pickles (more on that later) and chicken sandwiches. It was a feast that would have made the Romanovs jealous. The chicken paprikash was perfect - chicken that melted in your mouth and a sauce that wasn't overburdened with too much cream. It almost felt... healthy! Almost.

The chili was incredibly tasty (both versions) and truly made the chili dogs along with the great texture of the sausage. We didn't even make it to the chicken sandwiches before we just simply overstuffed ourselves. Warning: if you find yourself making the trek to Tony Packo's, make sure you come very hungry.

But back to those sweet hot pickles... I think they are simply the best pickles I've ever had (and yes, they run alongside or perhaps even beat Philly's Di Bruno Brothers half sours). This blend of pickles and banana peppers gave a fantastic crunch - it was love at first bite. The name of the pickles say it all for the taste: it starts off sweet with a hint of hot and you complete your chew. These were so good I purchased a jar of them before leaving the restaurant. Is your mouth watering yet? Don't worry - you don't need to make a midnight roadtrip to Toledo to get your own jar of these beauties; they are available online.

I can't wait for my next visit to Toledo so I can once again indulge myself in the ultimate comfort food for this Lithuanian-Slovak halfbreed.

Can the Real Scrapple Please Stand Up?

2010-04-25T22:30:00.000-05:00

It has been almost two and a half years since I moved to Reading, Pennsylvania and today was the third time I attempted scrapple. Early in my move to this area I ordered what seemed to be a "local" staple and to say I wasn't impressed would be an understatement. Not that it didn't taste good... it was more that I wasn't quite sure what it consisted of. Upon further research, the technical definition of scrapple is quickly summarized into: a mix of mushed pork parts, mixed with flour, cornmeal and spices. It is served "fried" and well, that's where my dilemma lies.

What exactly defines "good scrapple"? I've seen it in the grocery stores but have not purchased it since I think the mere presence in the house would infuse my body with cholesterol. But I have had it now three times in restaurants yet I just simply cannot acquire a taste.

The first time I had it was in a hotel restaurant in Philadelphia. It was somewhat dry and what prevented me from automatically loving it was that I just simply had no idea what I was eating. The second account of scrapple was so uneventful that I don't recall when or where or how it tasted. Not a good sign. Today, I ordered it at the West Reading Diner and was encouraged by its presentation... very crispily fried on the outside... who could dislike that?? But then I bit into it and the texture almost killed me (as texture often does). The taste was good - crispy outside with salty porkishness. But the texture was that of something hard to describe but the best I can do is: melted yet slightly coarse pork fat. The one good thing today's scrapple had going for it was the pancake syrup it was served with.

So, I go back to my question - would the real scrapple please stand up? What can one expect from "good" scrapple? What is it that keeps such a thing on the menu? Or, should I just resign myself to the fact that the stuff is simply gross, full of bad stuff for my body and I should just stick with my known demon called bacon?

For the record I did consider ordering "pork roll" of the menu in attempt to try something new. However a quick search on Google on the iPhone revealed it struck a similar resemblance to ham and well, we all know how I feel about that.

Bicycle Snob Revealed

2010-03-30T09:58:00.000-05:00

Yes, I have finally made the leap into the world of Twitter. It has begun more as a research project for work as a few of our departments consider a foray into the social networking world. Over the years I always thought of myself as pretty well informed and one who received information relatively quickly through my various networks of friends and business contacts. However, I never knew that I would find such interesting information such as NYC's bike snob revealed! By the Wall Street Journal nonetheless!

I hadn't heard about the bike snob until today but it has put a finer point on the speed of information in today's world. It has also allowed me to skim that information at an unprecedented pace - something essential in my non-stop schedule. But the question for today is... do I now take an even greater leap and install Twitter on my iPhone? Hmmmm....

Raw Chili - Surprisingly Delicious

2010-01-18T20:26:00.001-05:00

Tonight I finally made the departure from Ani Phyo's raw cookbook to Matthew Kenney's "Everyday Raw". While it was Ani's cookbook that intrigued me to try this whole raw thing I have confidence that I will continue to find new and interesting recipes that will prepare me to start developing my own raw recipes down the road.

I need something easy to make but something that actually satiated me.... i.e. I didn't just feel like a salad or the "garden pate" I made last night. So after a quick perusal of Kenney's book landed me on "chili". Below is an adapted version of his chili recipe that basically helped me use what I had in the house:

1/2 cup minced celery
1/2 cup minced sweet onion
1 cup blanch almonds, chopped
1 cup chopped carrots
1 fresh tomato
1 can of kidney beans (I used the canned kind so not totally raw but didn't have the 24 hours to wait to hydrate dried ones)
1 1/2 cups of sun-dried tomatoes, soaked for about 10-15 minutes
2 cups of water (to soak the sun-dried tomatoes in and then use for the soup)
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup nama soyu
1 clove garlic
2 teaspoons of chili powder (I added more for the spice)
1 tbsp of cumin
1 tbsp of rice vinegar
1 tbsp of agave syrup

In a blender use "chop" to chop the onion, garlic, carrots and celery. Empty into a bowl. Add the chopped raw almonds to the bowl. Put the rest of the ingredients in the blender and puree (including the water that you soaked the dried tomatoes in). Add to the bowl and combine with the chopped vegetables.

Spoon serving into a bowl, add chopped green onions if you have them and add soy-based sour cream.

The First Raw Attempt - Pretty Darn Good

2010-01-11T21:55:00.000-05:00

You can't imagine how excited I was this morning when my new cookbooks arrived at my office. Yes, these are the raw cookbooks I ordered while awaiting my flight out of Cancun last week. I couldn't wait to try out one of the recipes from Ani Phyo's "Ani's Raw Food Kitchen". After a quick workout at the gym and a lengthy perusal of the grocery store's organic section I finally made it home and got to work in the kitchen.

The recipe I chose to try tonight was the one featured on Andrew Zimmern's Bizarre Foods - Rawzania. Just a look at the recipe showed that it had the potential to be flavorful but I admit I was still dubious. The result? Flavor beyond belief! What impressed me most was Ani's "Italian Cheez" a mock version of cheez made right here in the kitchen. A puree of nuts (I used hazelnuts and almonds instead of the macadamia nuts the recipe called for), lemon juice, spices and water made the texture and even the taste rival that of a real ricotta cheese. The texture was dead on and the creamy blandness of ricotta cheese was easily replaced by this raw and non-dairy substitute.

One thing I did learn is that when "cooking" raw you can't be as liberal with things like onions and garlic as you would when you cook them. Well, correction... you can be liberal but know that you are going to taste everything "as is". Of course, as typical of me, I added a couple of extra cloves of garlic to two parts of the recipe and man, could you taste it! I love garlic so it didn't bother me but if you aren't a fan I'd suggest sticking to the recipe.

The most surprising part of the recipe is that I was actually full. Really full as though I just ate a lasagna complete with noodles and meat. One thing I loved about the raw marinara sauce, other than the savory tastes with bits of sweet (from the dried figs I added in substitute for dates), the sauce could easily be added to pasta and browned meat for any non-raw eater in the household and it would be equally delicious.

While I have two other books by two other authors, I think I've been spoiled by Ani Phyo. I can't wait to try the next major recipe after I finish the leftovers of tonight's Rawzania over the next couple of days.

A Late Start to the New Year

2010-01-10T14:18:00.000-05:00

I had the fortune of having a pretty extended vacation at the end of the year. It actually extended right into the New Year itself. I head home today and will be back in the office tomorrow - probably the first time in about three weeks. Essentially I'm starting my New Year a little late but my goals for the year are still goals.

The first goal for the year is to do more community service and volunteer work. I've already signed up for a committee assignment for an upcoming event at a local charity organization. I hope to continue projects such as this throughout the year but as always, schedule permitting.

The second goal is to expose myself to new food and cooking techniques. I know this sounds a little obscure and quite frankly questionable given the reach I already have (and the strange foods I don't hesitate to eat). However, after watching an episode of Andrew Zimmern's Bizarre Foods over the holidays, I realized there is a culinary place I have yet to explore. And no, it's not bugs and live slugs. In his Los Angeles episode he visited Ani Phyo, a well-known "raw" chef. While I have no intention of "going raw" I am curious of the recipes and the resulting products.

I purchased three "raw" cookbooks to get me started including Ani's "Raw Food Kitchen". I expect that the books will be delivered next week so I can get started on this new experience. The raw "lasagna" that Ani made on Andrew's show really looked delicious, especially the raw marinara sauce she prepared. I don't expect I'm going to love everything - the dehydrated seed pasted that substituted for bread certainly did not look appetizing - but my mind is open and quite frankly, my expectations are low. However, one never knows what she will find. Stay tuned!

A Return Back to the Functional

2010-01-07T15:55:00.000-05:00

Since moving to Pennsylvania two years ago I've been publishing on my private domain through the use of iWeb. While I have loved the flexibility in design of iWeb I have not enjoyed the fact that I could not publish from afar... i.e. I needed my mac if I was to publish and that just became impossible.

Unfortunately, there were many things over the course of the last six months that everyone would have enjoyed reading about as I've traveled to places where most would never think to venture but would if they knew there was something to experience.

I guess it is apropos that I am beginning the next generation of FoodieontheRun from an airport in Cancun. Sitting at Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville, sipping the Cadillac margarita and trying to get myself set up for a more mobile FoodieontheRun for 2010. While it did take me about 30 minutes to get the WiFi up and running I do feel like I'm in great shape to make this project more flexible for my schedule now that I am vacationed and rested. However, it doesn't mean my technically challenged self won't preclude me from being a little delayed in being 100% mobile-ly operational but hey, I got the WiFi to work, didn't I?

One of my resolutions for 2010 is to not lose sight of the projects and hobbies I love. While certain ones will still remain on the backshelf, I want to make the ones to focus on as user-friendly to my schedule as possible. This is one of them.

Happy New Year and here's to a hopefully successful... or at least up-to-date.... year of dining and travel experiences.

Roasted Tomato Soup (from "Now the Tomatoes")

2009-08-16T16:11:00.001-05:00

This recipe is a hybrid from two different recipes I recently read. One recipe was for a roasted tomato soup... the other for a creamy tomato soup (using white potatoes for the “creaminess”). This soup turns out delicious and can also be frozen. The best part is that it is a creamy soup but without dairy. It makes about 8 servings.

One thing I’d like to make note of is the type of tomatoes I used. I planted salsa tomatoes this year which are very similar to roma tomatoes. However, I find them to not have the same kind of flavor or texture that the roma tomatoes have (they tend to be harder and not as flavorful). You can use roma tomatoes if that is your preference but for my recipes I’ve used all kinds of tomatoes: steak, seedless (similar to the hothouse type you find in the grocery store) and black truffle tomatoes. I find the sweeter tomatoes taste incredible after roasting.

Ingredients

3 lbs fresh tomatoes

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes (chopped and not in oil)

Dried basil and oregano

1/2 medium red onion

2-3 peppers (optional, sweet or hot based on your tastes)

6 cloves of garlic

6 cups chicken stock

1 lb white potatoes, peeled (do not use russet potatoes)

Salt & pepper to taste

Roasting the tomatoes

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Core and cut the tomatoes in half vertically. If the tomato is really big, cut it into quarters. Cut the red onion into large chunks. If you are adding peppers, halve and seed them, removing the membrane and stems. Put the tomatoes, peppers, onions and garlic into a large bowl. Sprinkle the dried basil, oregano, salt and pepper across the mix of vegetables (I typically like to put a light coat of each spice across to achieve the proper flavor).

Pour the olive oil and vinegar over the vegetables and mix to coat the veggies well. Place the vegetables in a large Pyrex dish in preparation for roasted. There should only be a single layer of veggies for the roasting process. If you don’t have enough room in the dish, use a second or prepare to do the roasting in two batches.

Place the veggie mix into the oven and roast them for 30 to 45 minutes. Mix them at least once during the roasting time. They are done when the edges begin to brown and the tomato skins become wrinkled (see the photo above). Remove them from the oven and let cool. Once they are cool enough to touch, peel the skins from the tomatoes by hand. The pepper skins may be done enough to peel but if they aren’t you can leave them in tact.

The Soup

About halfway through the roasting process, bring the six cups of chicken stock to a boil. Add the peeled potatoes to the boiling stock and boil until fork tender. If the potatoes are done before the tomatoes, simply remove them from the heat and let stand until the tomatoes are done.

Add the roasted tomatoes, sun dried tomatoes, onions and garlic to the stock with the potatoes. Use a hand blender (also called an immersion blender - see the graphic to the right) and blend the soup until creamy. It is now ready to serve!

Substitutes and Add-ons

The best part of this time of year is that there are tons of treats in the garden and at farmer stands. You can add whatever might be fresh to the soup (i.e. zucchini and peppers) but aren’t integral to the soup itself.

If you have fresh basil and oregano, by all means use it! Same thing with fresh dill - it would be a nice addition to the soup.

Have an extra lemon sitting around? Use the juice of the lemon instead of balsamic vinegar for your acid. Or, you can do half and half.

Don’t have fresh garlic? You can use granulated or roasted garlic powder instead. Do you like thyme and rosemary? Add those into the mix of spices you use on your tomatoes for roasting. If you don’t have a red onion (or don’t like them) use a yellow or sweet onion instead. Personally, I think the red works best because when roasted it gives a nice sweet taste... but to each his own.

Now the Tomatoes

2009-08-16T16:09:00.001-05:00

Early in the season it was the zucchini (which were seriously curtailed due to an attack of powdery mildew a couple weeks ago while I was traveling). Now, I’ve got tomatoes. With 21 plants planted by me plus all the plants that came up from seeds from last year’s plants, I have enough tomatoes to feed an army. I’ve given many away to neighbors and friends. I’ve also taken a page out of my mother’s play book and have blanched them and put them into the freezer for “fresh” stewed tomatoes for the summer (versus the canned variety).

I’ve also learned another technique: roasted tomatoes. This came as an idea I got from an online recipe for roasted tomato soup. Not only have I prepared roasted tomato soup for the freezer but just simply put the roasted tomatoes in the freezer for use later in the year. It provides a little more flavor than just the blanched tomatoes.

I know... not a particularly interesting blog entry but I promise you, the new recipe for creamy roasted tomato soup is well worth it!

Another Cucumber Solution (suits Zucchinis too)

2009-07-28T16:17:00.000-05:00

Yes, I’m still on a quest to do SOMETHING with all these zucchinis and other yummy veggies coming out of the garden. I haven’t been inundated with tomatoes (yet) although the cherry tomatoes are starting to roll in en masse.

I tried two recipes this evening and both turned out great. I of course had to make a couple of adjustments to each recipe to meet my diet restrictions (no dairy) as well as my own tastes (I like it spiiiicy). I am finally rid of many of my zucchinis prior to this experiment tonight to a wonderful non-profit organization here in Reading, PA.

But back to the recipes.... I highly recommend both. Provided are the links with commentary on the adjustments I made to each.

Spicy Cucumber Soup

Foodie adjustments: milk replaced with Tofutti sour cream (soy-based); vegetable broth can be switched chicken broth; Thai Kitchen red curry paste is used in lieu of curry powder, cayenne is replaced with Galangal to keep with the Thai theme. If you have no tolerance for spicy food, eliminate the crushed red or Thai red peppers from the recipe. Also, to keep it mild, use the Thai curry paste (use yellow curry for an even milder taste) instead of the curry powders or the Indian curries.

Creamy Zucchini Soup

Foodie adjustments: skipped the butter (even though I have found a great soy-based butter but it has the same amount of calories as real butter); chicken broth instead of vegetable broth, added some smoked paprika (from Penzey’s); and use the Tofutti sour cream instead of milk.

Oh, and a great cookbook to check out for those with an abundant garden is: Too Many Tomatoes, Squash, Beans and Other Good Things: A Cookbook for When Your Garden Explodes.

Another Cucumber Solution (suits Zucchinis too)

2009-07-28T13:56:00.000-05:00

But back to the recipes.... I highly recommend both. Provided are the links with commentary on the adjustments I made to each.

Spicy Cucumber Soup

Creamy Zucchini Soup

Oh, and a great cookbook to check out for those with an abundant garden is: Too Many Tomatoes, Squash, Beans and Other Good Things: A Cookbook for When Your Garden Explodes.

The Day I Should Have Stayed Home

2009-07-20T13:58:00.001-05:00

Generally I’m a pretty lucky girl. I don’t really have a lot of bad luck or days where everything just seems to go wrong. That doesn’t mean I don’t have bad days but there is a difference between bad days that are caused by others and those that are caused simply because I got out of bed. Today was one of those days.

My morning began with a 7 am business meeting that was punishment in itself for a Monday. After pulling into the parking lot of my office I opened the back door of my vehicle only to have my bag tumble out sending my laptop skidding across the parking lot. Wonderful. Luckily there was no damage.

Then, after pouring my coffee and settling into the work day, I mistakenly send an email to the wrong person. While there was nothing dramatic to the email (no intense secrets revealed, no catty remarks made), it none the less made me feel like a complete idiot. When I realized my mistake I smacked my forehead in a “d’oh” sort of fashion. Of course, I didn’t know my own strength and left a mark on said forehead.

Shortly after the email incident I flung myself in my roller chair across my office floor to seek something out of a filing cabinet. Of course, I forgot I was listening to my iPod and as I flung myself, so went the iPod. Of course, in an effort to save the flying iPod I reverse my chair roll to head in the direction of the iPod. And ran over it with my chair. Did I mention that the earphones were still in my ears? Yes... and now the end of the earphones were wrapped around the wheel of my chair.

And all this before 10 am.

As the day progressed the seemingly bad karma passed. Whatever spirit I pissed off seemed to find someone else to screw with.

With the morning a mere memory I decided I’d head out for a short 8 or 9 mile bike ride when I got home from work. Easy enough, lots of hills to make the ride worthwhile... then came the spill. I won’t bore you with the details of my fall since it was just a klutzy move on my part (last minute decision to unclip, panic, fall to avoid rolling into oncoming traffic). Alright, I had to give a little detail. On a scale of 1 to 10 I’d put this one around a 7 or 8 (10 would be a broken bone). Why the high score? I was pulling gravel out of my back when I got home. The final damage will be assessed tomorrow as I am now icing my knee in the hopes that it is just a little banged up and not twisted or sprained. Admittedly, I am limping.

A dramatic end to a dramatic day... I wonder what Tuesday has in store for me?

Oh, and to the jerk in the Honda Pilot that gunned his engine in frustration at having to share the road with me and add an extra five seconds onto your five minute commute home? You scared me and even made me cry a little. No you didn’t. Save your “gunning” when you actually drive something impressive... like a Porsche.

More on Zucchini

2009-07-18T13:59:00.001-05:00

In an effort to continue seeking recipes to use the never ending supply of zucchini in my garden, I looked to FoodTV this week.

There are two recipes I must highlight as they were both excellent. Of course, for both I modified based on what I had handy as well as to my tastes.

The first recipe is a zucchini vichyssoise (zucchini-potato soup). I have only tried it hot since I just finished making it and I’m looking forward to trying it cold as it can be served either way. There were a couple of changes I made to the recipe: I added fresh dill (about four large sprigs, snipped) and fresh parsley (about two large sprigs, snipped). I did forgo the heavy cream since adding about an extra cup of potatoes gave the soup the heft it needed.

The second recipe were zucchini and squash cakes. I did not have squash so I just used extra zucchini to make the cakes. These would be great as an appetizer if made small and bite size. The cakes are also easy to freeze and can be taken out as many as you want at a time.

More on Zucchini

2009-07-18T13:59:00.000-05:00

In an effort to continue seeking recipes to use the never ending supply of zucchini in my garden, I looked to FoodTV this week.

There are two recipes I must highlight as they were both excellent. Of course, for both I modified based on what I had handy as well as to my tastes.

You Can Grill Anything!

2009-07-12T14:02:00.001-05:00

With what seems like a never ending supply of HUGE zucchinis, I’m trying everything possible to use these prolific veggies and in as many ways possible.

Today, I decided to strike up the charcoal grill. The grilled zucchini and vegetables turned out great, along with grilled corn on the cob (fresh from Delaware) and grilled haddock fish prepared with lemon and dill.

Grilled veggies are simply delicious. I have to give props to my friend Trimble who introduced me to the concept... yes, Trimble taught me something in the kitchen! She and her hubby prepared a delicious grilled meal one night for dinner, complete with grilled red peppers. At that time I didn’t realize how easy it was to grill veggies. I’m not really sure what my mental block was but ever since then, grilled veggies have been a staple in my diet.

The great thing about grilled veggies is that you can make a lot and they are good in the fridge for at least five days and can also be frozen for later consumption.

Anyways, I’ve finally figured out a grilled veggie recipe that I really enjoy... check it out here. In this particular mixture I used zucchini (of course), green tomatoes, red peppers, pinot noir peppers (from the garden), Hungarian wax peppers (also from the garden, adds a little spice) and onions.

Martha Stewart “Living”

2009-07-12T14:01:00.000-05:00

I wish I could provide a link but Martha Stewart’s Living August edition is not yet posted online. I had the chance to read through most of it today and I have to say, it is one of the better editions I’ve read since I’ve had the subscription.

There is an interesting history on cocktails in America (yes, another great American innovation) as well as some great late summer gardening tips that I’m definitely going to use for fall harvest.

Anyways, if you remember, grab a copy of the August edition once it hits news stands!

Foodie Relocates!

2008-01-10T23:03:00.000-05:00

I know, I know. I've really gone dark since September... but I tell ya... it was for good reason!

After my last race of the season (the inaugural Annapolis Olympic Tri) my work travel schedule didn't let up. On top of that, I then considered a job opportunity that was presented to me that had me back and forth to Pennsylvania for several weeks.

So here I am, January 2008. The presidential primaries are of interest but not of concern. I have officially left the beltway and taken up residence in a small borough of Reading, PA. Where the heck is Reading?? Well, about an hour and a half northwest of Philly and about two hours southwest of NYC. It was a good job, what can I say??

Needless to say, during my scope of the area I seriously considered what this move could do to my Foodie on the Run content. Will it hinder or provide new opportunities? Will it deprive me of my alter-ego's quest for good food and invigorating competition? The simple answer is "no."

In just two short weeks, I have discovered all that I love dearly (as it relates to food of course). Diners. Hole in the walls. Places called "Victors" complete with neon signs. REAL Italian food. God it's great to be back in the northeast!

I have plenty in store to give you the skinny of eastern PA - stuck between the city lights of Philadelphia and the quaint quilt makers of Amish country in Lancaster. Foodie has left the city but boy oh boy... what adventures lie ahead!

The Triathlon Season Is Done!

2007-09-17T09:42:00.000-05:00

Gosh, there is so much to catch up on since my last post in April! I've been MIA, I know... my work schedule has been beyond ridiculous - to the point where I've had to miss a couple races this year just to let my body rest. However, I did accomplish my goal this year of completing an Olympic distance triathlon last weekend at the inaugural Annapolis Triathlon.
I'm running short on time but wanted to post a couple things.... awesome race. Would highly recommend it. Loved the course (the bike was a real challenge), the organizers and volunteers were great and the people of Annapolis were very supportive and hospitable.
Before I sign off and get myself back to work, here's the down and dirty of my results.... not the best in show, that's for sure but I'm pleased with completing this kind of distance only a year after running my first sprint triathlon.
In the 1.5km swim, 38km bike and 10k run I finished the race with a time of 3:26:25. My splits were: 39:50 for the swim, 1:28:23 for the bike and 1:10:02 for the run. Overall placement not that impressive but I'll take it.... 60th out of 75 in my age division and 314 out of 377 women overall. Now I know what to work on for next year....

Virginia Races

2007-04-29T16:06:00.000-05:00

I just realized I never posted this link - it's a good compilation of multisport races throughout Virginia: http://www.trifind.net/nf/va.html

Tri Number Two Down

2007-04-29T09:58:00.000-05:00

My second triathlon of the season is now over - I can't believe the season is going so fast! Today's race was the Worldate Sport & Health Club Super Sprint Triathlon in Herndon, Virginia. A 300 m pool swim; 18 mile bike and 2 mile run. I didn't realize how long the bike ride was until Friday when I checked the course - yikes!!
The volunteers were great and the transition areas were really well run. The swim was a bit of a catastrophe with the snake format they used - the lanes were pretty narrow and people were just on top of each other; partly because people didn't provide accurate times and partly because slow swimmers, even though advised over and over, chose not to let people pass at the wall.
The bike was a killer - the distance was a real challenge and it took me a while to get my legs back during the run. While I don't have my official time yet, hopefully it will be posted in the next day or so, I think I completed the race in about 1:40:00. Not bad for a total 20.5 mile race considering my first tri at Dewey last year at half the distance I finished around 1:32:00.
Congratulations to all of the racers this morning - it was an early one, that's for sure!

Sushi Go Round

2007-04-15T08:29:00.000-05:00

Looking for good sushi with good service at a reasonable cost? Check out Sushi Go Round at Gallery Place/Verizon Center. Had some really tasty sushi rolls, including one that incorporated salsa and ginger - creating a really unique taste.

The service was great, especially after the horrible service we received at the District Chop House down the street (a place that is typically dependable with good service).

I wish that Capitol Hill or Barracks Row/8th Street had a sushi bar. There is one, Kyoto sushi, across from the Heritage Foundation but it doesn't serve alcohol.

Foodie on the Fly

2007-04-15T08:02:00.000-05:00

As you can see, it's been a little while since I posted . . . my work schedule has been a little insane and I've been doing quite a bit of traveling. I had a surprisingly pleasant flying experience on Friday that I simply must mention. For the first time in years, I flew Continental from DC to Austin this week - what a great flying experience. They served food on the plane at no additional cost and did two beverage services during the flight from DCA to Houston (my connection). This is something one rarely sees on commercial flights these days.

I have been a long time, loyal USAirways customer, since 1993 to be exact. I've been a member of USAirways Dividend Miles since around 2002. Do you know how many times I was provided "preferred" status as a customer even though I flew 2-3 times per month over a 1.5 year period? Never. I only received preferred status after taking a personal trip to Europe that gave me free upgrades over a six month period.

Airmiles aren't my only beef . . . these days, USAirways service has become progressively worse and I am sincerely disappointed in the service I received on my recent trip to Phoenix. The attendants were rude and the boarding process completely unorganized (they gave my seat away to another family and didn't care that I lost my seat beside my husband). Gee, thanks.

Compare that to Continental and its OnePass program. . . I signed up for it on Thursday, the day before I left to come back home. Given the distance I was flying it was silly not to sign up for the pass and accrue the miles. Well, to my pleasant surprise, I was automatically granted Elite Access and received pre-boarding privileges and priority bag handling (my bag was the third out at baggage claim). Now that is what I call service. I will certainly try to fly Continental again if given the opportunity. Perhaps it's time for me to adjust my loyalty from USAirways to an airline that actually knows service.

Marathon Complete!

2007-03-25T09:43:00.000-05:00

Well, I finally did it – I finished my first marathon today! Let me just say that I am glad it’s over! It was such a great feeling to cross that finish line; I thought I would never get to it.

There were a couple of things working against me on this race . . . first, I had to leave town on business unexpectedly on Tuesday and got little more than five hours of sleep each night not to mention the inability to properly carb load. I was in the South so GREAT food but not marathon friendly.

A special thanks to all of my friends who sent me notes of best wishes and my buddies Trimble and Jon who came to watch (after completing the half marathon). A very special thanks to Lynda for the “foodie” shirt – I’ll be sure to post a photo with me in the shirt once they are online.

The Wirefly National Marathon was a good event – quite well organized and a good turnout for the not so great weather we had this morning. However, I look forward to returning to my triathlons – I find them much more enjoyable.

Ow Ow Ow

2007-03-11T22:32:00.000-05:00

Something I remember all too vividly in my past long distance running days was the impact on my feet and toes. I broke my foot training (and then racing) in my first 10 miler, I have lost toenails and have experienced the general foot pain of being a runner.
Well, I thought I was doing well in this round of training for the marathon. I lost one toenail, but a small one and not a big deal. Yet, the 20 miler just kicked me and my toes to another realm.
I think the hardest thing for female athletes is losing toenails - we need our feet to look nice and feminine. When you're doing long distance training - no such thing.
Not writing to complain about my own ailments but just trying to be a resource to others because I know how lost I've been when my toe is throbbing. Check this out.

Can a Girl Find a Good Italian Restaurant in this City??

2007-03-11T08:06:00.000-05:00

In preparation for the marathon (and yesterday's 20 mile training run) I've had to seek out more carb-tastic restaurant options in this city than I have in the six years I've been here.
It's a no brainer that Italian restaurants are my best best; offering a variety of pastas and sauces. There are of course my favorite Italian places around town namely Spezie (at 18th & L) but I've had to expand my reach away from the rich, pricey places to more traditional Italian style restaurants at more reasonable prices. So this week I was on the hunt . . .
First we hit Bistro Italiano, located on D Street NE within walking distance of Union Station and located behind Schneider's (who, by the way, now carries 44 Degrees North huckleberry vodka). Since we moved to the Hill over three years ago, I've been wanting to try the quaint looking restaurant but always seems to forget it was there when choosing a neighborhood eatery. I should have kept it that way. I thought the quaint place would be some serious homestyle Italian with ambiance to go with it. The food was moderate but nothing to write home about (especially not my home town with all of its Italian influences). The dinner was further ruined because of another diner who chose to belch out loud and clean his teeth by loudly sucking his saliva through the cracks in his teeth - talk about unappetizing. I know the restaurant couldn't control this diner and his bad table manners but I just couldn't bear listening to it any longer and left.
Then on Friday night, we set out for a good dinner out and headed up to the Woodley Park neighborhood. We ducked into what looked like a tasty, quaint Italian place by the name of Trattoria Italiana (which came up Suabe Grille, Washington, NY on our bank statement). The decor in the place was cute and inviting - it certainly looked like an Italian restaurant. But then the faint sound of music grew louder in my ears - and it wasn't accordions and cries of "o sole mio" but rather some Middle Eastern genre that was better suited to the Lebanese Taverna two doors down. I could overlook the music but couldn't get past the sound of the wait staff cleaning out encrusted salt shakers at the bar next to my table. Scrape scrape scrape, bang bang bang, tap tap tap. Seriously? We finished our glass of wine and departed.
We ended up at a favorite of ours - the Sake Club. I got my carbs via the rice of my sushi and the Kirin Ichiban I relished. We've eaten at the Sake Club about three or four times now and have never been disappointed. Diners have a choice of traditional sushi, more experimental sushi (like their curry mango softshell crab roll - yum) and then some traditional and non-traditional Asian entrees. I tried the Tako Salad this time around (octopus salad with red onion, chives and lemons and lemon juice) - incredibly tasty and for the faint of heart, the tako tasted just like chicken.

DC Food & Wine Festival

2007-03-10T19:55:00.000-05:00

After hearing so much about the DC Food & Wine Festival, my husband and I decided to stay in town, purchase the tickets and attend.
It was disappointing.
The variety of wines on display and available for tasting was everything I expected. However, if we could only GET to the tables, it would have been that much better!
The event was held at the Ronald Reagan International Trade Building - one of my favorite venues in the city; but it was a venue that was WAAAAYYYY too small for the number of attendees and exhibitors. Everywhere we turned everyone complained about how crowded the event was. We couldn't agree more. What's worse is that people had no respect for others and would just cut in line and be simply obnoxious. The later it got, the more wine people drank, the more obnoxious they became.
The highlights of the event were certainly the wines that we did have a chance to experience. Wines of note:

Oyster Bay Wineries (New Zealand): I sampled the Sauvignon Blanc and while some in the crowd weren't overly enthusiastic, I found it really refreshing. It was tangy and fruity - something that would compliment a hearty fish or citrus-flavored poultry well.
Andretti Wines (California): We tried both the Chardonnay and the Cabernet with Petite Syrah. The Chardonnay was light and not oaky at all (overly oaky Chardonnays have pushed me away from the blend for the past few years). Highly recommend it. The Cabernet with Petite Syrah was also tasty, and probably would have tasted even better had it been paired with the right foods for a proper accompaniment.
Hunt Cellars (California): Certainly the highlight. We received a treat tasting (a friend of mine was working the booth), the old vine Zinfandel. Nothing short of OMG. We then tasted the Red Rhapsody - very light and something I would certainly stock in my house. We then had the Cabernet (I think also a Syrah blend). A really big wine and if I had a steak along side it, it would have been fabulous.
Diamani (Portugal): It was near impossible to get to the Portuguese tables, but when we finally did there was quite the display of Tawny Ports. My husband took the ports (I'm not a big Port fan) and I chose the Diamani Chiati. Light enough for an evening of drinking but not a whole lotta taste. I also tried the "white wine" under the name of Familia - that was a really nice white table wine that is fresh, but again, no bold tastes here. According to the folks at the table, you can purchase the white wine from Best Cellars.

In the tumultuous crowds we had the opportunity taste others but none of them were anything to write home about. The one interesting wine was the Meads wine - wine made strictly from honey (no grapes). I had the "peach" which was a semi-dry, not too bad and would make for good dinner conversation. Bryan had the apple and it tasted like two-week old apple juice. We stopped by the South African tables - a region I typically like. The wines we were able to actually access were not up my alley. The Alsace region Gewurtz sample was tasty but that is to be expected.

Glad we went but not entirely happy about the crowds. I hope that they look to change to a larger venue next year otherwise I think I'll head to the beach instead.

20 Miles - Personal Best

2007-03-10T13:53:00.000-05:00

A personal best distance once again! The marathon is two weeks away and I did the 20 mile run today (I'm a week off because I ran the indoor triathlon last weekend).
I feel good - ran it faster than I anticipated so I think I'm in good shape to run the marathon in my target time (4:30) or at least darn close.

One fun note to mention - I ran by the NY Knicks today, coming out of the Four Seasons... they gave me a shout out (you go girl!) as I ran by them and their bus. They're my new BFFs.
Now off to the DC Wine & Food Festival - more details on that to come!

Route

Route:	DC 19.8	Elev. Avg:	0 ft
Location:	Washington, DC	Elev. Gain:	+0 ft
Difficulty:	0 / 5.0	Up/Downhill:	[+0/-0]

Map

Washington, DC

Posted from bimactive.com

First Race of the Year - DONE!

2007-03-04T15:42:00.000-05:00

I am so pumped - today was my first race of the season! I can't say enough great things about the staff and volunteers at Lifetime Fitness in Centreville, VA - they were just simply great. They motivated, they were friendly and offered a little bit of humor at the toughest times in the race.
This was not like most other triathlon races - it was done completely indoors. This is the first of its kind that I've done and I think it was really an awesome experience. It challenged me in a different way then traditional races do. It also taught me that I could and should push myself much more than I do.
Anyways, official results are not going to be posted until Tuesday but unofficially, here's my final tally:
Swim: 18 laps (25m pool)
Bike: 9.7 miles (in 30 minutes)
Run: 2.02 miles (in 20 minutes)
Special kudos to my racing buddies Lori and Angela - they kicked BUTT today!!

One Week to Race Day

2007-02-18T06:49:00.000-05:00

So, the past couple of weeks have not been good training weeks for me - between the cold and being sick, I've pretty much been latent on the training program. However, I think there is hope for me. As I mentioned in a previous listing, I am running the Lifetime Fitness Indoor triathlon next week - what I failed to mention is that I'm a little nervous. I'll be fine on the run but up until yesterday I hadn't been on my bike for a good month and a half nor had I come close to a swimming pool.
I jumped in the pool yesterday to get used to the water again - it felt great. Plus, I got to try my new Orca tri-suit! Woo hoo! Swimming is my least favorite event in the triathlon simply because swimming is really hard for me. I can swim, but I'm not fast. The one thing I do like about swimming is that because I focus so much on my form and speed, it really gets my mind off of everything else. There aren't too many things in life that can keep my mind so focused.
The bike on the other hand didn't feel all that great. Perhaps it was just the type of stationary I was on in the gym - it wasn't a spinning bike or my bike on its trainer. I'll just chalk it up to that and spend a little more time this week on the bike to make sure that I am comfortable.
The best thing of all for this upcoming week? Carb load!!! YAY!!

Wrap Yourself in the Flag - and Bacon!

2007-02-13T21:28:00.000-05:00

As you may recall, I entered the Carnivore Project's meat bracket competition a few weeks back - my shellfish entry losing to lobster by only a hair (perhaps it was an antenna). Anyways, while I did not jump back into the competition, my friend Heather over at baconunwrapped.com has made it to the quarter finals!

In this round - she is up against "sausage" whose champion is a chap from the UK (or maybe he's British living in Germany - whatever). Anyhoo - this entry is different from any of his previous. He has entertained the masses enthralled with the meat bracket by his dry wit and humor. However, this time he stepped over the line. He wrapped his sausage in anti-American sentiment and those of us on this side of the pond take offense to such nonsense.

I commend Heather in her high-road, pure approach. Bacon is American and dammit, Americans know how to use their bacon! So, whether or not you truly do feel that bacon is the superior meat, I ask you in the name of the flag, that you support Heather and her effort to show that bacon is the superior meat. Even if you are a tof-acon or turkey bacon fan - we consider you part of the family!

Not only does Heather provide great visuals; she sets her montage of pictures to Neil Diamond's "Coming to America." Awesome. As a person who will become an American this year, it brought tears to my eyes. I will wrap myself in the flag and a slab of thinly sliced bacon. VOTE HERE!!!!

Add Another Tri to the List!

2007-02-12T11:31:00.000-05:00

Well, my racing friend Lori just cajoled me into another race for this year - one that is only a couple of weeks away. Sponsored by Lifetime Fitness Club in Centreville, VA it is an all indoor race that allots 60 minutes to each competitor to finish all three events. Winners are decided by the distance you cover according to the stationary machine computers and how many laps you complete in the pool. It looks like a pretty fun event and I entered hoping it will give me a little motivation boost as the marathon nears.

A Regional Foodie - New York, Baby!!

2007-02-11T11:14:00.000-05:00

I have to do a shout out to a new blog that I recently found out about - it's written by a friend of mine who only just revealed her secret life as Larchmont, New York's resident blogger on everything Larchmont. It's funny, we've known each other for years and yet only found out about each other's blogs a couple of weeks ago. In a way, I think some of us see our blogger lives as a guilty pleasure.
Anyways, she too is a fellow runner and a foodie to the degree that I only aspire to achieve. She always knows THE places to go whether we're in NYC or DC. Anyways, if you are a New Yorker (Westchester County dweller to be exact) you gotta check out LyndaLarch10538.

A Culinary And Running Partnership

2007-02-11T11:06:00.000-05:00

Ah, people after my own heart and the very essence of why "Foodie on the Run" exists! This month's Runner's World had a small feature on two Falls Church, VA chefs, Jonathan Krinn and Jon Mathieson, who have taken to a second love: running. Between the two of them, they have lost 100 pounds and will be sharing space with me at the National Marathon. While I haven't had a chance to try their restaurant (2941 Restaurant) I might make the trek beyond the District limits and try it out sometime. Good luck guys! Click here for the article. . . .

Flu Season Killed the Running Star

2007-02-10T12:05:00.000-05:00

Okay, so I'm not a running star, but flu season did just kill me this week. There are a lot of challenges that come along with training through the winter for an early spring marathon - namely the weather. In DC this year, we've been really lucky up until a couple weeks ago, enjoying a very mild winter that has been GREAT for running. However, even when the temperature turned bitter, I surprised myself and did well with an 8 mile run in 28 degree weather last Sunday.

Then it hit . . . the flu. At first I thought it was a cough/congestion as a result of running in cold weather. Not an abnormal side effect. But it lingered. I took it easy - got home relatively early from work, went to bed early . . . to no avail. I've been laid up in bed the past three days, unable to eat and barely able to sleep. Today I'm feeling a little more human but I still have a ways to go. The only upside: the lack of eating (or being able to eat) has gotten me closer to my goal race weight a lot faster.

If I wasn't already nervous about the March 24th National Marathon , now I'm REALLY nervous since I missed this past week of training and I can't do my 18 miler this weekend, not to mention what I've lost in fitness from being sick. I intend to hit the elliptical tomorrow - aiming to get at least an hour in, to get my muscles moving again. I'll let you know how it goes. . .

Spark People: Nutrition & Fitness Site

2007-01-28T10:11:00.000-05:00

I just came across this site during a quick morning calorie count search at Ask.com. I haven't had time to check out the site to a great extent but it does look interesting. I like it because you can type in a food and it will come up with the nutritional information of whatever food you enter (instead of having to search through tables and grids like other sites). If you're curious, I was looking up calories of egg whites versus regular eggs. My husband has a cholesterol issue (it's in his genes) and chooses egg whites over the full egg. I, on the otherhand, don't have a cholesterol issue and am okay with eating the full egg - plus, I'm not a huge fan of just egg whites. However, I found that even the calorie count for three egg whites is considerably less than one egg with the yolk. One egg with its yolk has 70 calories while three egg whites has only 51 calories. Interesting . . .
Anyways, if anything, this site has a good tool in its calorie counter - it's a free sign up.

Personal Running Best

2007-01-28T08:47:00.000-05:00

Yesterday proved to be a great day simply because I broke my personal record on running distance - just over 15 miles! While I am not completely enjoying the marathon training at this point (my body hurts and the training is challenging), days like yesterday show me that I can do this. It also puts into perspective that I am human and my body will hurt when I push it to do things that it really isn't meant to do.
I kept the pace quite slow (around 12 min/mile) however, the most steady I've been able to keep. While this is frustrating, I am gaining hope on speed ability just based on the speed I am completing my 8 mile distances at. The marathon is now two months away.

Activity

Route:	DE Coast Run - 16 mile	Elev. Avg:	4 ft
Location:	Fenwick Island, MD	Elev. Gain:	+7 ft
Date:	01/27/07	Up/Downhill:	[+85/-78]
Time:	01:04 PM	Difficulty:	2.4 / 5.0

Weather:	Fair
	56F temp; 32% humidity
	56F heat index; winds SW 8

Performance

Distance:	15.25 miles	Goal:	15.47 miles
Time:	3:15:02	Goal:	15.47 miles
Speed:	4.69 mph	Attained:	98%
Pace:	12' 47 /mi
Calories:	1774

Map

Fenwick Island, Maryland

Pace (min/mile)

Posted from bimactive.com

Meat Bracket: The Results are In

2007-01-22T08:37:00.000-05:00

Well, it was a hard fought and very close battle and I hate to disappoint, but shellfish lost to lobster this weekend. I guess the bracket was a little like politics - the masses picked the prettily packaged, better name-id candidate over the independent, substantive, out of the box type challenger.

Shellfish v. Lobster came out of last week's meat bracket as having received the most votes (thank you to all of my friends and family who voted). I will be tracking which ones of you voted for lobster out of spite towards me (just kidding just kidding). The final tally was 51.7% for lobster and 48.3% for shellfish with over 151 votes cast.

I kept my tactics and campaign clean, but I guess there is something to be said about "going negative." I'll keep that in mind in the next competition.

HANK'S OYSTER BAR

2007-01-21T08:58:00.000-05:00

Wow - what a great way to end the meat bracket week! A group of us headed to Hank's Oyster Bar last night for dinner and what a dinner it was. Seriously. There were probably about seven different fresh oysters on the menu for the evening - something that demonstrates a true oyster bar and not some imitation.

The menu offered very uncomplicated fish and shellfish preparations and the portions were a perfect size. We started the dinner with sake oyster shooters, the first time I've ever had one. It tasted like a Bloody Caesar (a form of the American Bloody Mary but uses clamato juice instead) and had just the right amount of spiciness.

Next in the line were the oysters on the half shell - a personal fave as you know from the meat bracket entry. At my friend's suggestion, I tried the Kumomoto oysters from California. Whoa. Probably the smallest oysters I've ever seen but seriously tasty - best described as "buttery."

For my entree, I had the bouillabaisse and once again - incredibly good. Well portioned and tasty. The one thing I found interesting was the chef's use of dill. I really enjoy dill but outside of eastern European households you don't see it too much. It added a great flavor to the tomato based broth. My husband's lobster roll dinner was equally good - keeping the lobster relatively free of mayo (thank you!).

So, yes I've raved about this restaurant and I highly recommend it. There are unfortunately a couple of downfalls. The restaurant does not take reservations (had about a 40 minute wait). The restaurant space is pretty small and the bar area very crowded. The bar area spilled into the dining area so unless you are fortunate to score a table in a far corner, you'll have guests in waiting hovering over you while you eat.

Active.com - Using a heart rate monitor to improve fitness

2007-01-20T16:34:00.000-05:00

Finally, a very simple explanation for heart rates and what they mean when you are training. So many of the examples given in various articles are too complex and don't answer the simple questions like, what does my heart range mean.

I actually used a heart rate monitor when I begain training again last year. It was useful for a couple of reasons: first, it provided me motivation - I knew when I had to work harder and felt good when I knew I did work hard; and second, it has shown my steady progress - heart rate zones have dropped considerably since last June, indicating that my heart is more efficient and perhaps even more healthy than seven months ago. I strongly urge you to invest in a heart rate monitor whether you are an athlete or just trying to gain some level of fitness. I use the Polar F6 - it uploads to my computer but is not super complex like some of the other models. It also calculates how many calories I burn in a workout - giving me a better idea of what I can take in food wise each day (or how much I need to burn!).

Bad Service = Bad Taste

2007-01-20T15:29:00.000-05:00

Talk about killing a great lunch with an inappropriate move at the end of the meal. The other day, my work team and I took a co-worker out for her birthday lunch. The restaurant? I Ricchi on 19th Street in Washington, DC.

This is the second time I've eaten there, both times for lunch. They describe their menu as Tuscan and it really is a good menu. The food is equally delicious. The service however was lacking - not because they were responsive but because the "upsell" began as soon as we were seated. The waiter proceeded to take us through the option of eating family style instead of with individual portions. No big deal, I thought, other than we were on a timeline and had to be back for meetings. We each ordered our appetizers and entrees and I think all of us enjoyed our respective lunches.

Then came the bill. I was a little shocked at the price but again, no big deal. I tipped the waiter 17% and handed him back the signed check. He then came back to me, telling me that they required a 22% for parties of six or more (there were five us after a colleague had to leave after the appetizer). I was a little confused and thought that he was trying to tell me that I had tipped him too much and that they had added the gratuity in already. Then I realized that he was telling me I tipped him too little. I asked him for the manager and he came back to me with the menu where it stated that an automatic gratuity was required for parties of 8 not 6. I pointed this out to him - he told me, [paraphrase] "that's okay, that's okay - we didn't include it, but 22% would be appropriate." Excuse me??? In front of my guests no less.

Anyways, it was ironic that we had just had the conversation during lunch about bad service and waiters who pull stunts like this. I was saved from the embarrassment of the situation because we had just had this conversation. At such a classy restaurant, I could not believe that this could happen. Truly disappointing. Perhaps there was a language barrier between me and the waiter but regardless - a tip is what it is - a tip. Based on service. At the diner's discretion. I will not go back there again which is really unfortunate since I really do like the food.

Meat Bracket Entry - Shellfish

2007-01-14T19:12:00.000-05:00

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I chose shellfish as my "meat of choice" for a couple of different reasons. One, because I love shellfish and could probably eat it every day. Second, is that so many people are afraid of it - they don't know how to cook it, order it or eat it. Other than those who are allergic to it, I hope that my entries will bring you one step closer to trying out the tasty crustaceans and mollusks.

To make you more comfortable around shellfish, I have made my first entry into the bracket a (what I think is) humorous poem about the funky little critters. I urge you to vote to advance me to the next round so you can see some tasty recipes and more of my humor. Click here to vote early and often!

Shellfish a la Dr. Seuss

Is a mollusk a mussel, a crustacean or clam?
Does it go with butter, wine, whiskey or ham?

When you eat it do you eat it raw or cooked?
I once saw a raw scallop’s heart beat from the plate as we looked.

Do you steam the buggers or do you bake?
Do you put them on your toast or do you bake ‘em in a cake?

What do shellfish do in the water while alive?
Do they swim, scuttle, sit there or dive?

And who was the first guy to eat these darned things?
He must have been hungry when his wife left him on a shoe string.

Did he know to steam it or did he just use a hammer?
Did he live in Scandinavia or the gulf shores of ‘bama?

According to legend these things are true:
Raw oysters make you horny and seafood raises your IQ.

I like my shellfish raw, boiled and baked
On the halfshell, in a stew and in a crab cake.

You can do ‘em casino style or like a Rockefeller,
Curried, caked, braised or steamed with butter.

Linguine with clams is a personal fave,
But raw oysters with horseradish is something I crave.

Shrimp and crab go good in a dip
Barbeque scallops are tasty on a toothpick

Shellfish preparation might be a daunting task
Never fear the raw oyster, just swallow it fast.

Italians eat them saucy, the English rather bland
Maine-rs bury theirs in the beach sand.

No matter what your taste or affection for fish,
The ones with the shell always make a great dish!

Credits to: Greco's Gourmet; Captain Compassion; and Bigoo.ws

Restaurant Review - The Bombay Club (815 Connecticut Avenue NW)

2007-01-12T08:44:00.000-05:00

Twice a year, many of the DC restaurants participate in Restaurant Week - an attempt to bring people out to dine during the two slowest times of the year (right after the Christmas holidays and in August when everyone is on vacation).

I have not gone out for restaurant week in the six years I've been here, largely due to lack of planning or business travel. But this year my husband was on the ball and booked us at The Bombay Club in downtown DC, just a couple blocks from the White House.

I wasn't sure what to expect - I don't think that I have ever been to an Indian restaurant that would be considered fine dining, or anything above "eatery" status in my book. I was pleasantly surprised by the decor, ambiance and quality of food last night.

My dinner choice came from the regular menu rather than the restaurant week menu - my choice being lamb vindaloo - a spicy curry dish. I chided my waiter for not having it made spicy enough for me and he promised that the next time I dine there he will bring his own chili peppers from home to make it spicy enough.

The food was not presented in a fancy or ostentatious manner - and I liked that. It was simple, well-prepared food with my dish of curry and a plate of basmati rice. The portions were proper and not extravagant - something that is less and less likely to come by these days. Outrageous size portions in restaurants is quickly becoming a pet peeve of mine; not only are they waistline busters, they are just simply wasteful.

We paired our dinner with a bottle of red wine (I unfortunately forgot to write the name of the wine down - it was wonderful - a Shiraz varietal). The final bill was definitely reasonable (about $60 pp) and our appetites satisfied. The only downfall of the restaurant was that I felt a little rushed and not given the proper time to "dine" versus just eat.

All in all a good experience and if you like Indian food, this is a place to check out.

Definitely Some Perspective

2007-01-09T21:57:00.000-05:00

To add to my entry on portions and eating smart . . . the folks at fitpod.com carried this article today:

What Does 200 Calories Look Like?

I'm glad to see that a tasty helping of bacon is not too damaging to calorie control. Of course, I'll be staying away from the teaspoon of peanut butter but certainly won't be substituting it for a bowl full of steamed broccoli. I like broccoli but that is just too much!

Meat Bracket

2007-01-05T10:04:00.000-05:00

My new friend Jared over at the Carnivore Project is doing his own version of March Madness with the Meat Bracket. I'm taking the shellfish category and I can't wait. And just so I don't have any definition screw ups again (like on the bourbon issue), I've checked Wikipedia for the definition of shellfish. The competition begins the week of January 15th.

So How'd I Do It?

2007-01-05T08:48:00.000-05:00

I have had a few inquiries as to the process that I used to make the bacon bourbon (Tennessee Whiskey). While I don't have my process patent application filed, should any big company choose to replicate my process I beg of you to be a good corporate citizen and share in your success with the process and ensure my safe, comfortable retirement since I surely won't be able to rely on social security.

What's needed:

Mason canning jars (I used the two quart size)
Bourbon of choice
Bacon of choice
Coffee filters

The process:

I fried the bacon - used about 7 pieces in total (make extra so you have some bacon snack love for yourself). Drained the fat and absorbed as much of the grease as possible with paper towels.

After the bacon cooled, I placed the 7 pieces into the jar and added the bourbon, filling the jar almost halfway up.

Placed the jars in a cool, dark place (my underground storage space at my house) for 3 days. Each day you need to shake up the jars to make sure that the flavor is dispensing throughout the liquid. You can infuse for a longer period up to five days - you basically need to rely on your smell to determine when the flavor has been infused enough.

When you reach the desired flavor level, you're ready to filter the bourbon. I would recommend using another clean mason jar for this. Take the coffee filter and fit it inside the mouth of the jar and screw on the jar fastener (not the lid part). This way, you'll secure the coffee filter to the jar and pour your bourbon without hassle.

Pour the bourbon into the filter and continue to do so until it is emptied out of its infusing jar. I went through three filtering processes when filtering mine simply because I wanted to get the liquid as clear as possible and free from the fat solids produced by the bacon.

I threw away the bourbon drenched bacon (again, I was so sick of the smell and taste of the Jack that I just didn't want any part of it any more) but I think that it could probably be used in a sauce or stuffing and would likely add a pretty interesting flavor.

If anyone else should try this experiment I would love to hear about it - I wish you success!

Correction

2007-01-05T08:42:00.000-05:00

Thank you to Everyday Ordinary and a note from my friend BLT4Me . . . this experiment had a slight flaw . . . Jack Daniels is in fact not bourbon, it is Tennessee Whiskey (http://www.jackdaniels.com/faq.asp). While the main ingredient distinction may have been flawed, I'm not sure a change to an actual bourbon (like Maker's Mark) would help the taste factor. I do plan to retry the experiment for cooking purposes and will use a proper bourbon next time around.

Bacon Bourbon - The Results are In!

2007-01-04T12:18:00.000-05:00

Many thanks to my buddy BLT4Me over at Baconunwrapped.com for her impartial taste test of the bacon bourbon. She was certainly a qualified and trusted judge - plus her palate was clean. I couldn't get rid of the bacon bourbon smell for about two days after the filtering process and thus it ruined my palate. Here's just a sample of what BLT4Me had to say . . .

The smell of the Maple Bacon Bourbon was much more pleasant to me, so I decided to try the Applewood Bacon Bourbon first with the hopes of ending on a higher note. Drinking straight Jack Daniels probably didn't enhance the experience, but the taste of the Applewood Bacon Bourbon was incredibly overwhelming, just like the smell. You could absolutely taste the bacon. And that's about all I have to say about that. Read m ore . . .

I can't say that I disagree. This was certainly a fun experiment and I look forward to the next. I don't think that bacon bourbon is completely lost for a couple of reasons. . . . I think it will have a good use in cooking perhaps as a steak marinade or as a sauce ingredient. Also, perhaps a better quality/tasting bourbon like Maker's Mark or Knob Creek might fare better in the infusion experiment. I can't drink Jack straight to begin with - adding bacon doesn't make it any more palatable.

Thank you to everyone for their help and encouragement - I can't wait for the next experiment!

Restaurant Review - Posh (730 11th Street NW; Washington DC)

2007-01-03T19:22:00.001-05:00

Now that is some shrimp! My friends shrimp appetizer at Posh in DC.

Update (Post-meal review):

On a whim, my friends and I decided to do dinner at Posh last night, following its mention in the Washington Post "Reliable Source" column. Apparently this was a place to be "seen" on New Year's eve - silly me, I chose a house party. Sorry Clinton - I'll catch you next year!

I digress . . . the best feature of the restaurant is its decor. Loved it. It had a very 1940s feel with era-similar music. It featured a jumbotron-like movie screen (apparently they screen movies there on occasion) as well as a pretty significant stage set for live entertainment.

As for the food and dining experience. Perhaps it was just a symptom of the slow week in Washington, perhaps it is something deeper than that but while the service was pleasant and helpful, it was painfully slow - even for our bar orders. There were all of maybe six tables occupied in the whole place yet it took forever and a day to get our drinks and food.

I was truly excited by one item on the menu - escargots. It is something you don't see too often on menus any longer . . . perhaps its not in style like it once was in the '80s. It was quite tasty with lots of garlic but not drowned in butter. I received a very generous helping of the little beasties and they were served outside the decorative shells. Not a bad thing but I always like the risk of potentially launching a beastie into the drink of unsuspecting diners!

In the photo above you can see the MEGA shrimp cocktail they present as an appetizer - the fork is placed beside the shrimp presentation just to give you some perspective in size. While my friends thought that the presentation was a little over the top, I thought it was cool and very neat with the dry ice smoke, ice block dish and huge martini glass. While only two shrimp are served, the waiter advised us that it equaled a 1/2 lb. of shrimp. I hope my one friend doesn't have a cholesterol test any time soon.

As for the entrees. . . . two of us had the stuffed rockfish and the other had the pork tenderloin. My take on the rockfish . . . good taste but too much stuffing. The crazy amount of the artichoke stuffing and bread overtook the taste of the fish. Perhaps if you don't like the taste of fish, that would be a good thing but for me, I like the taste of fish. While I didn't taste my friend's pork tenderloin (her assessment: average) I have to admit that the presentation was somewhat lackluster and almost unappetizing. It was served with apples and sweet potatoes that pretty much looked like an unending pool of brown and orange mush. Good for babies not good for the supper club crowd.

We decided to indulge and sample the chocolate sushi desert and were really looking forward to it. Unfortunately, we were disappointed once again. The sushi ended up being what seemed like a block of chocolate fudge with christmas cake fruit type things lodged inside. I am not a fan of the candied fruit so I won't fault the chef for its taste but the heavy fudge was just too dense for an end of meal desert.

According to the website, the place becomes a night club with DC's finest DJs. Perhaps that is more their niche than the suppoer club it calls itself. As a first impression, the restaurant/club is seeking to impress everyone with their "kitchy" concepts like the pop rocks rim on my martini, the "Level II" VIP seating area, the decor and ambience rather than quality of service and food.

Footnote: While this has nothing to do with the restaurant itself, I was totally turned off by the young couple sitting in the booth beside us (and directly in my line of view). The dude wouldn't stop grabbing his girlfriend's chest and she wouldn't stop him from doing it! Get. a. room.

Foodie on a Diet?

2007-01-03T10:49:00.000-05:00

Okay, this past holiday season was probably my most active and I am quite proud of myself and how I kept up with my training schedule. I logged 23 miles the week before Christmas and another 18 the following week. Yet, I still put on a couple of pounds . . . so much for trying!

Does that mean I'm on a diet? Uh, no. However, it does reinforce my need to make smart choices. While I am registering myself in the Athena category for races this year, I still would like to shed a few pounds to make me a little lighter on my feet and on the bike.

I don't do diets. The last time I did a diet was when I had to make weight for my lightweight rowing team in highschool and college - it sucked. Standing at 5'8", it's hard to be lightweight anything except a supermodel that starves herself (and I'm certainly not that). My career and life does not allow me to munch solely on alfalfa sprouts. I don't have time to pour over calorie counting. I do however, know what is generally a "good" choice in a restaurant and one that will make me feel guilty.

I've been out with various people on so many occasions that have been on a diet or "watching what they eat." It's amazing how many people are truly misinformed about the calories and fat of their restaurant food. Just because it has the word salad in the name, doesn't mean its low-cal. I'm interested to pick up Charles Platkin's new book, "The Diet Detectives Count Down".

"A half-pound of prime rib will cost you 230 minutes of yoga. A Starbucks Caramel Macchiato is 38 minutes on the bike _ add 81 minutes if you grab a piece of coffee cake. You'll have to walk 173 minutes to burn off a Whopper from Burger King."

Ugh.

However, like I said, I don't do diets. I like food and I'm not going to stop enjoying it. I can however, make smarter choices. While Dr. Platkin has more letters behind his name and is an authority on public health . . . I am an average person living a regular life and will not succomb to food nazis and their utopian world free of, well, taste.

These are some basic rules I live by when making decisions at a restaurant or a banquet dinner:

Avoid cream sauces. If it's a plated banquet dinner, scrape it off.
Choose protein over pasta. Most pasta dishes will have a cream sauce or so much stuff to make it taste better it's just not worth the calories - plus the portions tend to be huge.
Salad doesn't automatically mean healthy. The dressing can kill you plus all the extra stuff that makes it feel like a meal (bacon, eggs, ham, etc.). Choose vinaigrette or simply ask to have oil and vinegar on the side.
Eat your vegetables first. This is especially useful at set banquet dinners when you don't have a choice in menu. Eating your veggies fills you up and will limit your intake of the starches and sauce drowned meat.
Don't skip desert but choose it wisely. Choose fresh fruit over the chocolate layer cake. If you must have that chocolate - perhaps you can share it with your dining guest so that you don't eat the whole thing.

Happy eating!

Cookbook Review - Giada De Laurentiis

2006-12-29T19:26:00.000-05:00

I try to be as healthy as possible when cooking - something that is always a challenge. I am not willing to compromise taste for fewer calories. I'd rather spend more time at the gym to work it off than to eat something less than tasty.

However, I am not against substituting low-fat or low-cal alternatives if it doesn't compromise the outcome on my dinner plate.

I just bought a new cookbook yesterday, "Giada's Family Dinners" by Food Network's Giada. My husband and I were pleasantly surprised for a number of reasons. We tried four recipes from the book last night:

1. Marinated Zucchini
2. Stuffed Artichokes
3. Herbed Cheese Polenta
4. Tilapia with Citrus Bagna Cauda

Each of them were incredibly easy to prepare even though the stuffed artichokes took a little more time to prepare (don't worry, she warned me in the book). What struck me about this book is the use of ingredients for incredible flavor but limited calories and fat content! In these recipes, Giada uses an abundance of lemon juice and fresh herbs - including rosemary, garlic, and thyme. Really refreshing taste!

The measurements were accurate, the portions proper and the preparation quite easy.

I had quite a bit of of the stuffed artichoke stuffing left over so I simply used it, along with the leftover bagna cauda citrus sauce for a pasta sauce for tonight's dinner. I've got a long distance training run tomorrow morning (10 miles, 12 if I feel spunky) and need the carbs tonight.

I can't wait to try the rest of this book.

2006-12-27T20:31:00.001-05:00

The makings of bacon bourbon. Results will be posted in 3-5 days.

Bacon and Bourbon? Seriously?

2006-12-22T11:51:00.000-05:00

From our friend over at bacon unwrapped . . .

Drunk Bacon
There is an article in this month's Food and Wine that discusses the latest trend of infusing bourbon with different flavors, including bacon. If anyone knows of a bartender who makes such a concoction, let me know!
posted by BLT4ME at 9:12 PM

Pure heaven. Can't wait to try this one out!! I'll report back once I can hit the testing lab (late next week).

Tasty new wine

2006-12-21T15:43:00.001-05:00

An unfortunate name for a tasty wine. A great gift for your girlfriends who get the joke. A www.gratefulpalate.com product. Wine name is: Bitch. A Granache.

Christmas Baking and Drinking

2006-12-09T18:26:00.000-05:00

Believe it or not, you can do both and not hinder your ability to provide a good Christmas cookie product. Well, I can't vouch for your own drinking/baking habits but for us, we achieved success.
My husband and I both had Christmas cookie baking obligations for our offices - mine was a bake-off and it took place last week. His is just a "cookie exchange" that takes place Monday. Obviously his event is instigated and condoned by people who fear competition - unlike the firm of "Type A's" that I work in (myself included).

So, what the heck are we baking???

Well, my recipe, while good and delicious was more appropriate for a seated dinner and would have been better appreciated by pastry art connoisseurs, so I don't think I won the office competition. Pretty simple recipe - pastry filled with chocolate ganache filling. Simply put, you can make the ganache filling ahead of time and then buy puff pastry from the freezer section of your grocery store. Cut the pastry into strips, bake, split, fill with ganache, sandwich split pastry and voila - pastry filled with chocolate ganache.

My husband's entry to the "cookie exchange" is ten times better - the Margarita ball! Since everyone seems to have caught on to the rum ball frenzy, we took it to another level tonight. Searching one of our favorite recipe websites, Allrecipes.com, we found this great margarita ball recipe. The presentation is awesome! We don't have our's in presentation form yet (it's Saturday) but here's a glimpse at my husband in action . . .
While the summer may be long gone and next summer is barely in the headlights, we have found a way to incorporate tequila into our life, once again. However, the tequila required for this recipe is not quite as spendy as the Patron we required in the Scizzor's during the summer at the beach.

Since this is my first season of any kind of "Christmas cookie" baking, I've discovered that Christmas cookies are not that difficult to make. Time consuming? Yes. Challenging - not really - or at least you can find your way through easy recipes that make you look like a superstar - and that's what Christmas baking is all about, right? Hah!
Merry Christmas!

1,000,001st Reason to Drink

2006-06-13T21:07:00.000-05:00

God, I need a drink. Who gave this chick a recording contract????
Paris Hilton - The Stars Are Blind.

More like the Stars are DEAF!

New Zealand Wine

2006-06-11T15:21:00.000-05:00

Australian and New Zealand wines have certainly earned their respect amongst wine imbibers, including myself. There are certain wine areas that to me, guaranteed are going to give me a good wine to bring to a host without embarrassment. Those that know me know that I am not oversold on Californian wines - not saying they are bad wines, just saying that I cannot take a chance on them because God knows what I'm going to get.

There are a few places that I will take a chance on without hesitation - Washington and Oregon state wines, Niagara whites and Italian everything except for Italian Chianti's below $10. A recent gift from my good friend Greg in Illinois keeps with my mantra that anything from New Zealand is safe - including the red he sent me: Akarua Pinot Noir 2002. Admittedly, I was a little stunned at the screw top, but I reminded myself of the sage advice of Professor Bainbridge and how screw tops are not blase but are the appropriate and smart alternatives to the ever diminishing cork and the nasty, do nothing for taste but allow oxygen, plastic composite stoppers.

With a little "pop" Akarua was alive and I highly recommend it for those who are a little shy around reds, never totally sold on the "house" red and traditionally go with the house white for safety. It is light with an interesting taste that certainly makes you want more. There is no heavy oak here - just my style. Cheers Greg!

The Drink of the Summer

2006-06-09T18:00:00.000-05:00

Before I begin, I do have to give props to my friends Scott and Wes for this recipe. They call it the "scizzor" - I'm not really sure where the name came from and quite frankly, I'm a little afraid to ask. It is refreshing and is actually an easy way to drink tequila. One caution, you should not use cheap tequila for this drink. You can if you must, but I'm just warning you.

Glass type: 16 oz glass (or for those of us at the beach: the large solo cup).

Ingredients:
Patron Silver (or any other good quality tequila: Cabo Wabo, Three Generacions, etc.)
Margarita Mix
Red Bull (we use sugar free)
Grand Marnier (optional)
Ice
Salt (optional)

Preparation:
1. If you like salt on the rim of margaritas, then wet the rim and dip in coarse salt.
2. Fill the glass with ice
3. Pour a double shot of tequila
4. Pour about a 1/4 cup of Red Bull
5. Top off with margarita mix
6. Finish with a ring of Grand Marnier

I like a squeeze of lime, leaving the lime in the drink.

For a good guide to tequila, I recommend the Summer issue of Drinks Magazine. The articles are not available online, unfortunately, but I highly recommend investing in a subscription. The writers are entertaining, we receive our copies from Schneider's of Capitol Hill near my place on Capitol Hill.

Solved the Problem of Mixers @ Friend's House

2006-05-22T18:21:00.000-05:00

Okay, so of course my friend has to point out a very effective method that a colleague and I discovered on a ski trip one year - the way to not burden your guest with mixed drinks necessities (glasses, ice and mixers). We're an entreprenerial/innovative bunch in our office (or perhaps just simply a bunch that lacks manners and couth). Whatever.

Tell Me Something I Don't Know

2006-05-22T15:59:00.000-05:00

The other day, my husband and I were at a liquor store picking up some refreshments to bring to a friend's get together. He was "feeling" beer, I was "feeling" low cal. Beer sounded like a really good option for the evening - it lessened the need to truck mixers to the house party and thus burden my host for glasses and ice (I know, I way overthink these things).
But the one thing that stood out to me is that I couldn't even figure out what was the most low-carb beer on the shelf. Nor could I figure out what the calorie counts were for the various spirits I was eyeing up (vodka versus bourbon - what's the dif?).

Where am I going with this? I guess what came to mind is that I knew everything that is bad about alcohol because it's been pummeled into the psyches of every American ..... relentlessly. It's well documented on every bottle in the store! But I know little about what calorie-smart choices I can make without having to be at my computer, logged onto the Internet. I recently found a blog created by the head of Diageo North America, correcting the information put out by nanny stater organizations like the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse. Why do organizations like this decide that they must continually pummel us with the negative? If you don't know what the dangers of alcohol abuse are by now, well, I'm not sure reading an ominous report by an organization like the one mentioned above is gonna help you.

As an adult, I would like to better understand what my choices are and I can fit them into my lifestyle and diet du jour. I'm confused - is a glass of red wine good or bad for you now? How low-carb is low-carb beer? If it's low-carb is it also low-cal?

Enough with the negative - perhaps these reports can supply consumers with the information they can actually use in making decisions instead of making them feel guilty for enjoying a drink with their friends that won't blow the calorie count for the week.
And, in case you're interested - here are some websites that give you the nutrition information that I was after last weekend:
Weight Loss Resources
My Food Buddy
Know Your Drink (coming soon)

p.s. Why the hell do I have to put my age in EVERYTIME I visit an alcohol producer? Underage kids that really want to visit a site like Budweiser are going to lie if they want to enter the site bad enough. Isn't it parents responsibility to watch what their kids are viewing on the web???

Bloody Mary v. Bloody Caesar

2006-05-13T09:19:00.000-05:00

Unless you are from Canada or very familiar with Canadian culture you probably have never heard of a bloody Caesar outside the pages of Shakespeare. As you can tell, vodka is a favorite of mine and one of the best vodka mixed drinks (other than a dirty martini) is a Bloody Caesar.

Bloody Caesar's are not to be confused with Bloody Mary's. Nor should they be confused with a compilation of salad and cheese (the first time I ordered a Bloody Caesar in the U.S. the waitress brought me a Caesar salad). The major difference between the two is the type of juice used: Mary's use tomato juice, Caesar's use clamato juice (a clam-tomato mixed juice). Don't be grossed out - clamato juice does not taste fishy. If anything it just tastes like a less thick, more salty tomato juice and is very refreshing. Spices also come into play but unlike other mixed drinks, both marys and Caesars are truly individual creations. I typically do not like Bloody Mary's (the juice is too thick and most people don't make them with any spice). However, there is one place whose Marys are to die for - Georgia Browns in Washington, DC.

Unless you find a bar that is owned by Canadians or within throwing distance of the Canadian border, you might just have to make your own Bloody Caesar to taste the difference (and get hooked). Here's a recipe loosely based on my brother's neighbor Gary's version of the Bloody Caesar.

Glass type: High Ball

Spice Mix:
1 tbsp Garlic Powder
1 tbsp Onion Powder
1 tbsp Salt
1 tbsp Pepper
1 tbsp Celery Salt
1 tsp Cayenne Pepper

Mix all of these spices together and spread them on a salad plate or tea saucer (a plate large enough in diameter to fit the rim of a glass on it).
Wet the rim of the glass with a wedge of lime (reserve the lime wedge for later) and dip the rim of the glass in the spice mix.
Fill the glass with ice
Pour in your desired amount of vodka (a shot's worth will suffice). Type of vodka is actually not that big of a deal so you can use a lower priced vodka like Smirnoff or Absolut and be fine. It's not worth to put a high end vodka into this drink - it would almost be a waste.
Add the following ingredients to the vodka and ice:

2 tbsp of Worcestershire Sauce
3 shakes of Tabasco Sauce (you can adjust based on your spicy-ness threshold)
1/4 tsp of horseradish
1 celery stalk
Juice of the reserved lime wedge

Use the celery stalk to mix these ingredients and then top the drink off with Clamato juice. Finish the drink off with a sprinkle of the rim spices and enjoy.

A Tough Vodka to Beat

2006-05-03T20:56:00.000-05:00

Over the past couple of years, I have migrated towards vodka as my liquor of choice. I've always been a fan but as it has become more popular and martinis have become more "chic" (and not just relegated to the James Bond character) the choices available have become dizzying.

One vodka that stands out above the rest is 44 degress North (www.rockymountainvodka.com). But it's not the plain flavored vodka that is the star of the brand (however, it is good). It is the huckleberry flavor version of the brand that is beyond amazing.

I'm not typically a fan of flavored vodkas, once exception is Inferno Vodka out of my home area of Ontario, Canada. I find most fruit flavored vodkas to be very medicinal in taste and do not do much for me. Actually, some of them are down right horrible like the Absolut Tangerine (or is it Orange?). But the 44 degrees North Huckleberry vodka is an exception - it truly tastes fruity, not medicinal. It isn't excessive in its taste, it just compliments a vodka-soda well.

I have only found one place that carries the 44 degrees North Huckleberry Vodka - that is at a place called Atlantic Liquors in Rehobeth Beach, Delaware. However, according to the website it appears as though you can order it online.

Cheers.

Attention all Foodies

2006-01-04T21:30:00.000-05:00

What goes best with wine, liquor and beer? Food of course! Not only can it be a pleasant epicurean experience, it can also be a necessity (have you ever had a couple of gin and tonics on an empty stomach - I have and it's not pretty).

While I have been remiss by not posting over the holidays, I was busy seeking out new food and drink thoughts to share with everyone. My diligence paid off: low and behold I can across what should be a foodie mecca - Penzeys Spices. While shopping in the Strip District of Pittsburgh, we came upon a Penzeys store. If you are lucky enough to be in an area with a Penzeys - visit! For those of us not so fortunate (no store in DC) their products are available online.

The selection available at the store is beyond your grocery store basics. I even found ancho chile powder, a spice a colleague of mine was having trouble locating, at the store along with about five other pepper types I have never heard of before. There are a couple of things that I would like to highlight about the store:

They have "smell" jars that allow you to open the top and smell the spice blends.
On each of the smell jars, there was a description of the spice (where it came from, what regional food it serves, etc.) in addition to examples of its use and how it relates to others in the spice's family. For instance, in the paprika section there were several choices - traditional Hungarian paprika, Spanish paprika, smoked Spanish paprika and so on. The smell jars explained the difference between the different types (quality, taste) and also provided sample recipes for each of the blends.

For the non-foodies out there, this is also your store. Penzeys has some great spice blends that would make you look like a rock star in front of guests without the effort. For instance, they have salad dressing blends that just require you to add the spice mix to whatever medium (mayonnaise, sour cream, oil, vinegar, etc.) to make your own salad dressing or vegetable dip. Even better - each spice blend comes with recipes on the label of how to actually make the salad dressing. I like this product better than say some of the "ready made" brands found in the grocery store because it comes without all the "extras" like preservatives and high sodium content. They have other spice blends that can achieve an international flavor on any given meat, fish or poultry with just a simple shake of the wrist.

The final highlight of my trip to Penzeys was their new magazine, One. It is chock full of recipes (very easy) as well as product tips and other human interest type stories (of course, all related to cooking and eating). I'm not typically a magazine subscriber but this will be an exception to the rule.

On a completely different foodie note - for those of you brought up on an Eastern European diet like I was, I finally found a really good pierogi recipe that I tried over the holidays. The dough turned out great (usually the toughest part of the whole process). So, for the brave amateur, non-babushka wearing cooks, give a shot at this recipe - just make sure you set aside a day for the project and be prepared to make several batches of dough.

Think Fast - Wine Quiz

2005-11-30T19:09:00.000-05:00

Alright, sitting here at my in-laws house right now and we've enjoyed a great dinner (Tilly's of McKeesport, PA) and even better drinks.

So, my husband's Aunt J poses a challenge - how many types of wine can you name? Aunt J, my mother-in-law, Uncle Marty and father-in-law said they came up with nine the other night. Not to be out done, my husband, sister-in-law and I decided that we could top that .... easy.

I'll be in search of a new website that could probably give us all the information we are looking for but in the meantime . . . think fast - how many can you name?

Here's our list:

Chardonnay
Sauvignon Blanc
Cabernet Sauvignon
Pinot Noir
Syrah
Merlot
Shiraz
Pinot Grigio
White Burgundy
Red Burgundy
Beaujolais
Bordeaux
White Zinfandel
Red Zinfandel
Chianti

Stay tuned . . . . a full list is forthcoming. In the meantime, this should make for a good drinking game!

Thanksgiving Talking Points

2005-11-22T13:47:00.000-05:00

Ahhh, the holiday season is finally upon us! For those of us in DC, this marks a relatively short hiatus and breathing room while Congress is out of town and traffic is dramatically decreased.

In yesterday's Washington Post Style section, authors Amy Argetsinger and Roxanne Roberts captured what most of us in politics find ourselves confronted with during the holiday season: the inordinate amount of questions relating to the assumption that we, living in DC, are in "the know" (Snip & Save Thanksgiving Talking Points) of every scandal, deal and hot issue highlighted by CNN, FOX and 60 Minutes. I can't count how many times I've been subjected to comments like, "That President Bush and his (fill in the gripe of the day)" or "let me tell you what I think about (choose one: Medicare, the War in Iraq, Social Security, gas prices, Alaska's bridge to nowhere . . . . )".

I guess I should be flattered that folks back home think highly enough of me to think I'm "in the know" or can actually do something about their personal gripe of the day but my reality is - when at home, I like to feel like a normal American-Canadian (all puns intended here). I want to talk about things like sports, food, what highschool classmates are up to, what new stores are at the mall, what are the good places to hang out . . . you get the picture. I'm really not interested in talking politics or policy because inevitably I'm forced into the defensive (especially while at home in Canada) and quite frankly, I just want to enjoy my turkey like everyone else.

But I digress. . . . Thanksgiving is my second favorite holiday, edged out by Christmas. It's the start of winter, hockey season is in full swing, baseball is finally over (I cheer for the most dismal of teams) and of course, it is the official start of the holiday shopping season!!

My husband and I do one of two things on Thanksgiving - we either head out of town not to my in-laws but to some random destination or another or we stay at home and enjoy our own tradition (I'll get to that later). Last year it was Phuket, Thailand where we enjoyed Thanksgiving dinner at an amazing Japanese restaurant called Otowa that would rival any here in DC. We enjoyed six days at the Impiana Cabana Resort, right on Patong Beach. We were heartbroken when the hotel was almost completely destroyed three weeks after we left by the Southeast Asian Tsunami. Internet reports say that the resort should be back up and running for this year's tourist season (which starts this week). For those interested in learning how to cook Thai food, I highly recommend Pat's Cooking School. For those of us who have attempted Asian cooking by following a cookbook but continue to remain unsuccessful - go see Pat. I now cook Thai food as easily as I do basic American or Italian dishes.

Three years ago we found a cheap flight to Dublin, Ireland - so off we went. While I'm sure that Ireland is best visited during the summer months, the weather was actually quite pleasant and we saw sunshine every day that we were there. The couple of times it did start to drizzle, we simply used it as an excuse to duck into the nearest pub for a Guiness. We traveled to Ireland shortly after 9-11 and were really unsure of what to expect. However, the Irish people are really great - they don't talk to you unless you look like you want to be talked with. Even more, they refrained from typical snide comments about the U.S. that I tend to receive from some of my family to north during family gatherings. Refreshing. I did have to call foul however on their treatment of us at the car rental place as they gave us this total beater car without hub caps and only enough room in the back seat for one of our suitcases. God, I would have given an arm and a leg for even the smallest of American SUVs instead of the Matchbox Nissan Micra we were handed. I guess they figured that since we weren't particularly savvy at driving on the left side of the road, they wouldn't mind losing this little tin box they called a car. We spent that Thanksgiving dinner in a restaurant in Kilkenny that was built sometime in the 1400s (or maybe it was the 1600s - it was even century number, that I do remember). Anyways, it was a REALLY old restaurant pub that we thoroughly enjoyed.

You're probably wondering - so that's two years out of five - what do you do while you are in town? Choosing not to fight the mass exodus of DC on Thanksgiving weekend and enjoying having this city to ourselves, we do something really complicated and fussy - we dial the Hay Adams hotel and make a reservation for two (or more if people want to join us) for Thanksgiving Day. We get in a cab, show up at the hotel, go to the hotel bar (Off the Record), talk to John the bartender who we see once a year, we go to dinner, have our choice in meal (I always get the turkey), order the wine pairings to boot, roll out of our chairs, take a slightly drunken picture of ourselves in front of the White House, get in a cab and we go home. No muss, no fuss and no guilty feeling of all the leftovers that are just going to spoil in our fridge. The staff at the Hay Adams are Ah-Mazing. The food - DEEElicious. The wines - wonderful. While some may gasp at the cost (wine paired meals are $100/person; no wine pairing is $90/person) it really is worth it. When you add up the costs of making the dinner yourself plus all of the time spent in preparation and cleaning up, the cost of the Hay Adams is really negligible.

This year we will be joined by my parents as well as my in-laws and we expect to have a good time. Of course, I will have to throw out the Thanksgiving Talking Points if pushed hard enough (but actually, Jenna asked me for one of my Marlboro's she doesn't smoke Newports).

Happy Thanksgiving!

The Beaujolais Nouveau Newby

2005-11-21T17:04:00.000-05:00

I am a relative newcomer to the wine scene so some of my opinions might make the afficianado cringe, but at least I know what tastes bad and should be thrown out. To be honest, I was more of a beer fanatic than wine - that is until I took a desk job, stopped exercising and my metabolism started slowing down - realizing I needed a lower cal hobby.

It took me a long time to step away from the cool crisp taste of a Molson Canadian (I am a Canadian and we pride ourselves on the beer we make and for the amount we can drink in one night and still survive driving a snowmobile across a frozen - partially - lake). I've learned that white wine must be chilled, not cold and that red wine is supposed to be served at room temp. I fought the lack of refrigerated red wine for quite some time but then decided, it made for a good excuse to ensure that the bottle be consumed in its entirety - lest it go bad sitting on the counter.

But I learned about something new last week - the Beaujolais Nouveau. Apparently a date to mark your calendar for . . . the day that the first wine of this year's grapes is released. November 18th to be exact. A more lengthy explanation of the process and the hype in France over the release of the wine can be found at the North Bay Bohemian site, I'll give you the quick run down: this year's grapes are crushed, processed and barreled at an accelerated rate - then bottled and distributed, first to Lyon, France and then the world. This process takes about three months max, even the most elementary wine drinkers know wine should age at least a year.

This is not just a big deal in France, but around the world. Red Cross fundraisers are held in its honor, the citizens of Bombay, India hold celebrations and even the conservative and alcohol-averse population of Salt Lake City, Utah find a reason to celebrate.

My colleagues who introduced me to the Nouveau were talking about how the stuff could be really rancid and should just be thrown out (apparently last year's stuff fit that bill and reportedly this year's crop is about the same). My colleague of Irish decent was much more practical - if it isn't good, just use it for cooking wine. A man after my own heart, just like the old college (or is it Canadian?) rule that you NEVER leave a partially full pint of beer on the table, even if it's just a sip. So of course, learning about this phenomenon - I sent my husband to our favorite liquor store, Schneider's of Capitol Hill. I was dying to try this new wine . . . and you know, it tasted pretty good. It didn't have a tremendous amount of body which is expected of red wine but it certainly wasn't offensive like some of the lower-end Merlots. I found it actually pleasant and worthwhile to drink. The price ain't bad either - around $11/bottle. Not your handle of Gallo, but certainly not the price tag of Coppola or Jadot's Poully Fuisse.

So, cheers to the Beaujolais Nouveau and to my next step in my wine education! And heck, if the French can find a reason to have a party and actually be happy, why not join the fun?