Hungry Times Two

Moving Day!

2011-07-18T20:00:00.001-05:00

We're still in our wee apartment here in Maryland, BUT we have made a change - visit us on Tumblr here at http://hungrytimestwo.tumblr.com/

Our summer break didn't last very long, but we did decide to switch it up and try something new.

Bookmark us! http://hungrytimestwo.tumblr.com/

You got that? http://hungrytimestwo.tumblr.com/

Vacation for HTT

2011-06-29T08:53:00.000-05:00

HTT is going on a summer break.

Credit: rolve/sxc

We'll be back in September, so keep us bookmarked and don't forget us - you can always enjoy our delightful archives, too. Have a tasty summer!

Go Amish or Go Home

2011-06-11T19:24:00.001-05:00

Some swear the ballparks do it best. Others say the ones out of a box aren't half bad. Some like theirs at the movies.

We like them Amish-style.

We're talkin' soft pretzels, people.

Credit: Michael Lorenzo/sxc

For our first outing since our nasty sickness hit us on Tuesday, Scott and I decided to hit up the Dutch Country Farmers Market in Laurel, Md. A little fresh squeezed lemonade and buttery, warm soft pretzel would do the trick to get us back on our feet, yes? This place is so neat - we see it as lots of independent food stalls with offerings you might find at Whole Foods/Farmers Market/Fresh Market/Baltimore's Cross Street Market - only Amish.

Indeed, it was just the right introduction back into the real world - complete with a manic hunt for a spare parking space. We learned after our first trip there that the easiest thing to do to avoid a bump-up or road rage incident in the very crowded parking lot is to park next door at Home Depot. People go nuts for their Amish goods, ok?

Once we were inside, we waited a good 10-15 minutes in line for our shared soft pretzel. So good. We then hit up the pickle/all things fermented stall, where we purchased some kalamata olives and Old Bay Pickles. Those pickles are so fine. We also hit up the bulk goods stall for some Bob's Red Mill unbleached all purpose flour, trail mix, corn for popping, muesli, and a few other tasty things. Their produce vendor is pretty great - we hit it up for eggplant, mushrooms, zucchini and cucumbers.

If we had to pick a favorite vendor, their meat counter might be tops. You take a number, step back, and wait your turn. I took number 04 when one of the counter persons called out "84." You have to be quick or they'll skip you and move on. It's worth the wait, though - we scored some natural ground sirloin, herbed and peppered sliced turkey breast, and spinach & feta sausages for grilling.

There's a sit-down restaurant on site, and a creamery that doles out big two-scoop cones, a cheese counter with plentiful samples (please use a clean toothpick each time!) and a bakery churning out breads and Whoopie Pies, but we go for the pretzels and the meat.

I have couscous chillin' in the fridge right now for a Middle Eastern light dinner. You know I'm back on track when I'm ready to get back in the kitchen. Hope you're enjoying something tasty this weekend!

Friday Shout Out: Invalid Style

2011-06-10T09:35:00.000-05:00

So I'm being a little dramatic with today's post title, but uh, Scott and I are both ill this week.

Between his strep throat and my sinusitis, we're a sniffling, hacking sorry sack of sickness. What kind of tasty treats have we had this week? Unless you count OJ and hot mint tea as cocktails, cough drops as appetizers, or comfort foods like tomato soup and Mac & Cheese as five-star dinners, it's been pretty lame.

However, no less than three local peeps have offered to bring us the ultimate comforting cure of chicken noodle soup. If it wasn't 102 degrees outside folks, we might have a deal.

My plans for canning strawberry jam were dashed this week due to illness and I'm not even sure local berries are still available in this sweltering climate now. I did, however, snag a tasty cantaloupe. It's been a healthy, cool treat that's soothing to our aggravated throats.

**********************

Boo to sickness. Want to know what didn't suck recently? Our quick trip last weekend to Scott's family's house down in S.C. for a 50th birthday, Hawaii 5-0 style.

There was a roasted pig (no pineapple, though...Southern style, with vinegar and tomato sauce!)

And a boatload of sides, cause this family doesn't do nothin' half-assed...

Finished with delectable desserts, like this pound cake.

In hindsight, we're fortunate the sickness held off so we could enjoy the weekend. Here's hoping we recuperate so we can start to enjoy local summer foods - can't wait until fresh tomatoes are here!

Chillin' (or not) in Charlottesville

2011-05-30T15:21:00.001-05:00

Who turned on the damn furnace? Whew, it is way too hot way too early here in the D.C. nether-region. Despite temps inching towards the 90 degree Fahrenheit mark, we made it to Charlottesville this weekend for some fun!

Thanks to the perusing of this C-ville blogger, our trip was peppered with tasty experiences all weekend long.

After a short and traffic-free two-hour drive, we pulled into the parking garage in downtown Charlottesville just in time for the last hour or so of their kickin' farmers market. We ambled around to see the market vendors selling everything from jam to jewelry, and all in between some pretty swell looking produce. Scott couldn't resist the strawberries, so we snagged a quart of them for lunch.

We decided to grab some lunch from a downtown spot and drive west to Skyline Drive and Shenandoah Nat'l Park. Luckily, Baggby's on the downtown pedestrian mall had some delectable-sounding sandwiches, so Scott scored the Cold Grinder and I chose the Remarkable (turkey, cream cheese, mayo, bacon, tomato, sprouts, avocado, on multi grain bread).

The park was a nice spot to relax and nosh. I miss the mountains terribly, and it was comforting to know they're not too terribly far away. The temperature was a sold 10 to 15 degrees cooler up on Skyline Drive - I even broke out my hoodie to stay warm. That was fantastic!

Our view wasn't too shabby, either.

And of course, strawberries for dessert make for a wonderful time.

We then trucked in down to the little town of Crozet, home of Starr Hill Brewery. The bartenders loaded us up with free Dixie Cup-sized samples of Love, Festie, Imperial IPA, Stout, Lucy and a couple others. Lucy was my fave - light ale with coriander, lime and ginger. The guide who led a 20-minute tour was amiable and informative.

Later, we met up with our friend Beth, of P&C fame, at her parents' home not too far from Charlottesville, for a fantastic meal of local grass-fed beef burgers. C-ville has a rockin' local and sustainable food culture going!

On Sunday morning, Scott and I met up with my friend Miss V, celebrating 31 years young! Her birthday brunch at Bluegrass Grill was worth the long wait -- I had The Duke (eggs Benedict with avocado and turkey sausage on English muffin) and Scott's Denver Omelet was great. I had high hopes for their biscuits, being biscuit-deprived livin' up here in Maryland, but it was *whole grain*. I'm sorry, but any muffin worth its merit will not be gussied up as a health food. Just give me the flaky hot biscuit with the lard or butter, ok?

Fortified by the big brunch, we set out for the UVA campus and enjoyed checking out Thomas Jefferson's gorgeous rotunda (modeled after the Pantheon, which I saw in Rome last month!). We headed back to the Pedestrian Mall, where a fire broke out in a building undergoing renovations. All the hubub with the fire trucks, hoses, and sirens was quite interesting -- luckily I think everyone in the area was ok. We drove back to the University area to get away from the heat -- and over to Arch's Frozen Yogurt. I had chocolate-vanilla swirl with brownie batter (low fat!) and it was gooey and out of control good.

Downtown pedestrian mall art -- Scott approves.

We checked out a few neighborhoods -- when you're with historic preservation and transportation planners, you look at a lot of streetscapes and architecture, but I'm not whining - they're whip smart and share a lot of interesting details! To kill a little time, we ducked in to Siips Wine and Champagne Bar -- Scott had a pint of Starr Hill and Victoria and I tried out the Gavi di Gavi – Figini 2008 of Italy. Described to us as "very champagne-like," it was crisp and cool and just perfect.

Finally ready for another meal, we hit up Mono Loco ("Crazy Monkey") for dinner.Their freshly-fried tortilla chips and guacamole were so filling that none of us could finish our entrees - Scott had pork enchiladas, I had the cod and truffled mushroom burrito, and Miss V the vegetarian had the truffled mushroom burrito. Their tangerine margarita was spectacular - a lovely cold cocktail to welcome the summer season!

This trip to Charlottesville was just the pick-us-up we needed, thanks to friends and the blog recommendations. If the weather conditions up in those mountains remain cooler than lower elevations, we may head up there more than once in 2011!

Friday Shout Out: Three Day Weekend, Y'All

2011-05-27T08:48:00.000-05:00

Holy Moses, a three day weekend is just a few hours away. I got a little giddy while enjoying my less-crowded-than-usual commute this morning, and then I reminded myself why we have Monday off in the first place.

Respect to our military and those who have served.

Scott and I hit the road tomorrow for Charlottesville, where we'll rendezvous with two college friends and roam around the Shenandoahs. For food recommendations, I'm relying on this C-ville blogger for some tips. Some places we plan to hit up: Starr Hill Brewery, the Bluegrass Grill, and this yogurt joint that supposedly is crazy good.

We hope that whatever your plans are this weekend that you have fun and taste something wonderful!

Shameless Repost from NPR - My Wife's Employer

2011-05-25T15:39:00.002-05:00

I just saw this and thought - now THIS is funny! Marmite is the UK's origin of Australia's Vegemite - a truly bitter, yet somehow pleasing substance of yeast extract that's pretty good when spread with butter on toast.

Friday Shout Out: Not So Kosher

2011-05-20T13:44:00.001-05:00

So much for going kosher on Friday.

Yesterday's post mentioned the grand "opening" of the food truck Sixth & Rye. This afternoon I went across the street to their spot at Sixth & I and well, the line was about 100+ people deep.

So I did the next best thing: found a BLT (and added avocado - a BLAT?) from the ol' reliable Cafe Phillips for lunch. It's the anti-kosher thing to do.

Oh, the irony. It tasted delicious...crispy, bacony, greasy... so not kosher.

In case of rapture this weekend, I'm glad I ate the bacon. Happy Friday, everyone!

Have Food Trucks Jumped the Shark?

2011-05-19T10:41:00.001-05:00

NPR's Mandelit Del Barco examines the future of the food truck craze in this report from yesterday's All Things Considered.

The latest one to hit my metropolitan area is Sixth & Rye, "DC's first Kosher Deli on wheels." A coworker alerted me to this new offering, so we're planning on checking out their debut round around the 'hood tomorrow. Israeli couscous salad or the Kosher Meal deal sounds like buttah to me...not to mention a Black and White cookie for dessert!

My first introduction to the food truck trend was Nashville's Mas Tacos, which has now bloomed into a bricks & mortar operation. Here in DC I have tried Sauca. I think it's a fun notion, but as a friend pointed out this weekend, when you're selling $18 lobster rolls to the DC masses out of a four wheeled vehicle, give us a break. It's grub from a truck... spare us from the high and mighty prices.

Have you found the food trucks to be worthy of acclaim? Got a favorite, or do you feel it's a fading fad?

We've Got It Made: Win Some, Lose Some

2011-05-18T08:19:00.002-05:00

It's a solid week for home cooked meals at the Adams family wee apartment:

Sunday, I baked this Lemon Loaf Cake, subbing in Greek yogurt for sour cream. I also whipped up some tuna salad in advance for quick lunches this week and made this white bean dip from Giada De Laurentiis (I don't watch her show, but her recipes are featured in the 2007 Food and Wine compilation cookbook I love.) The tip is a nice change from hummus - creamier and not as "earthy" tasting, if that makes sense.

For Sunday dinner, I made these Moroccan Meatballs with Eggs, as a good friend recently gifted me with her leftover Rachel Ray magazines. Man, those babies are packed with recipes...it's almost too much for the eyes! The lamb meatballs were fantastically flavorful, but the eggs didn't set for me as they suggested, so I warmed the bowls in the oven to get them to soft-cook. It didn't really work but we ate them anyway, runny yolks and eggs whites and all, and we're both still alive and well, so no salmonella or anything to report. I'd skip the eggs next time, though.

On Monday, I tried RaRay's Basil-Infused Pasta, and this Chicken with Rosemary sauce, from Cooking Light. A win!

Last night, Scott put together this Coronation Chicken salad recipe, as it reminded us of the sandwich he scarfed down on the ferry en route to the Isle of Arran on our Scotland/England trip three years ago. Chicken and curry and mayo can't be wrong, with a little mango chutney thrown in.

As Scott usually adheres to the sweet or savory rule, I suggested he leave out the raisins and granny smith apple chunks to tamper down the sweetness. It tasted great, and I look forward to the leftovers for lunch today!

However, the grilled eggplant with yogurt sauce was a giant miss. No flavor, and the basmati rice we cooked to accompany it was mushy. Boo. You can't win all the time.

Not quite sure what's on tap for tonight, but it's great to get back into the kitchen and explore. Hope you're having fun in your kitchen, too!

Oh, Italia.

2011-05-14T08:40:00.001-05:00

There's the bottle of Incantate red wine on my sideboard, the Venetian mask resting on top of my dresser, a few Euro coins mixed in my jewelry box, and a linen wrap dangling from my closet door knob -- nice little reminders of an unforgettable trip to Italy

My bags may be unpacked and I may have returned to work and the day-to-day routine, but much of my heart and thoughts remain dedicated to the fine occupation that is travel.

A co-worker told me before I left for two weeks in Italy with my mother that she loves travel for the perspective, to know that there are other places out there, with customs, languages and landscapes that are so different. I found that in two weeks, traveling tested me - my routine, my expectations, my tolerance for crowds and noise, my tastebuds -- and I loved it.

First admission: this trip was on a tour with 31 strangers and my mom, via the Globus tour group. We ate together, took guided tours where we shuffled along to hear local experts tell us all about Pompeii and the Roman Forum and the Vatican Museum, and rode in a large coach bus with a seat rotation requirement (so no one complains about their view) and an emergency-only bathroom that was only used once (you have to alert driver Antonio, who pulls over into the far right "slow" lane and drives at a slower speed so you can do your business in the "toilette"....no thank you.)

I expected to merely "tolerate" the tour dynamic - before the trip, I envisioned myself livin' it up with my mom and 30 Bluehairs and older men who wore supportive knee socks and suspenders. It wasn't like that at all - families with young children and even a few 30-somethings like myself (Hello, Hawaiian friends -- I will come and visit, I swear to you!). Our guide Federica was amazing --knowledgeable, diplomatic, and so very Italian. You haven't lived until you've seen a sassy Italian argue with hotel staff over their bungled room bookings. The gestures alone are spectacular, not to mention the volume of voice.

From Rome to Montecatini to Florence to Venice, then Assisi and the Isle of Capri, with stops in Pisa, Pompeii, Sorrento and Positano on the Amalfi Coast, it was a Mambo Italiano of antiquities, gorgeous mountain and valley landscapes peppered with Umbrella Pines and tall skinny Cypress trees, fast cars and faster Vespas, and culinary marvels.

My wonderful mother is to thank for these travels - she turns 65 on May 25, and Italy was her birthday gift. Not too shabby, right? She's a wonderful mother, fabulous travel companion, and a friend like no other. Dear Mother Margaret, Ti Amo!

Oh yeah...the food. Well, there was antipasti.

Food is expensive, as is most everything in Italy, but it is very fresh, and they take their time to prepare and eat it. There's very little salt used, especially in the bread, the portions are smaller, and you will not find a big carafe of American coffee. Mom had a hard time with that concept, but who can complain with machines in hotels that offer up caffè macchiato and cappuccinos at the push of a single button

Oh, the coffee in bars or "Tobacci" shops, where you paid extra if you sat down. So you'd linger at a counter, and sip and swoon. No Folgers or Starbucks there, and "to go cups" are no such thing...

Tuscan "agriturismos," or farms/vineyards that cater to visitors. We toured the grounds of Il Poggio to see olive trees and grapevines, and enjoyed tastings (free pours galore!) of their wine and cured olives before feasting on their bruschetta, cured meats, homemade pasta, and grilled meats and vegetables. We topped off the meal with shots of grappa, a clear brandy that is a sure cousin of North Carolina's Moonshine. Needless to say, this is the night most of our dear tour mates got sloshed.

But not my dear mother...she's always the epitome of grace.

Venice was my favorite, a city of canals, little islands, bridges, and gondolas, water taxis, and barges. No cars to be seen, you'd walk and cross a bridge, walk a little more, and cross another bridge, then another. as our tour guide told us, "You'll get lost, but you'll enjoy it."

On our one dinner out on our own in Venice, Mom and I joined three other tour mates and discovered Ai Tres Archi, with outdoor seating by the canal and epic pasta and pizza. I had penne with shrimp in a slightly-spiced tomato sauce and Mom enjoyed an unbelievable artichoke and Parma ham pizza. This lady wanted her pizza fix, and though we hoped to make it to Naples for the real deal, Venice did not disappoint.

Venice, I'm coming back, I promise, with my city planning husband, too. He'd love your winding ways, canals and bridges.

There were enormous lemons in Capri, Naples and Sorrento, all the better to make ass-kicking Limoncello with:

And all along the roads coming back from Positano, you'd see artichokes, orange trees, and other delights nestled in gardens as you drove past on the unbelievably curvy roads. The fruits of these gardens were commonly on display in the cities:

Italy is beauty and pleasure -- you see it in their art, their food, their coffee and wine, the gelato shops on every street, their buildings, their rolling and verdant landscape, the language, and the people. Italians slow down and savor the moment. It was wonderful to experience, and I know I want to see it again.

As Federica our guide would say, "Andiamo"...let's go!

2011 - Goaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaals Check In

2011-05-10T11:33:00.001-05:00

In January I proposed a few ambitions I'd like to take on in the culinary wonderland this year.

Thus far I have 1) roasted a chicken, 2) eaten less crap, and 3) traveled to Italy. (Still need to blog this...ugh, my bad.)

On my to-do list: 1) Buy the skillet (but only after we move...another sore spot) and 2) fry up a chicken, 3) fix a real curry, 4) Get schooled on wine, and 5) entertaining more.

A real proper curry may be the next thing I try. I am also adding "pickling vegetables" to the list. Pickled cocktail okra, anyone?

I just made myself hungry.

Yum...lunchtime.

Cookin' The Books: The Encyclopedia of Sandwiches

2011-05-07T11:35:00.002-05:00

A sandwich may seem like a humble everyday food, but it's the Walt Whitman of the kitchen: it contains multitudes.

The options for what you can slap, press, and spread between two slices of bread are endless -- and they're all compiled in the entertaining, comprehensive, and mouth-wateringly-photographed The Encyclopedia of Sandwiches by food blogger Susan Russo.

The 299-page book features "recipes, history, and trivia for everything between sliced bread" -- and includes a handy ingredient index so you can plan the perfect sandwich with Nutella, cucumbers, cookies, pears, Halibut, and whatever else you might have on hand in the fridge, larder, pantry or bread box.

There's a sandwich for every meal - from breakfast to dessert - and from a variety of food cultures, from the Bahn Mi of Vietnam to the Chip Butty of Britain, the Hot Brown of Kentucky, the Torta of Mexico, and Tuna Nicoise of France. And the good ol' USA is represented with the Ham Sandwich, PB&J, the Po' Boy, and Sliders.

Russo does a fantastic job blending the basic culinary knowledge with fun facts on each sandwich and variations on each one to mix it up and create your own signature sandwich.

Confession: I'm not a big sub sandwich/hoagie eater, and I usually pass on most dry bread sandwiches, but Russo's shown me there's more than just ham and cheese and tuna salad out there. I've already made the Caprese Sandwich (tomato, mozzarella, basil and olive oil on a baguette), and I plan on trying several more.

This is must-have for anyone who loves their sandwiches, moms who need quick fixes for lunches, those who get bored with basic bread like myself, and trivia lovers who want to know more than the standard "the Earl of Sandwich made the first sandwich" facts.

For example, the hot ham and cheese Croque Monsieur loosely translates to "Mister Crunch" or "Mister Crisp" and the Reuben is credited to a Manhattan deli owner who whipped up the sandwich for a hungry actress in 1914.

From A to Z, this book is a delicious addition to your cookbook stack or bookshelf.

* I received a complimentary copy of this book from publisher Quirk, but I was not paid for this review.

Cookin' the Books: The Bucolic Plague

2011-05-06T14:34:00.000-05:00

Working on a new feature: book reviews!

I borrowed the following copy from Goodreads, a fun little app I use on Facebook. This book review is short and sweet... coming soon: a cookbook (of sorts) review!

The Bucolic Plague: How Two Manhattanites Became Gentlemen Farmers: An Unconventional Memoir by Josh Kilmer-Purcell

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A fun commute read...didn't want to get off the Metro, so you know it's entertaining. Love Kilmer-Purcell's humor - he peppers his accounts of farming and homesteading with remembrances of his drag queen days. It overkills in the topics of he and his partners' financial situation, the Martha Stewart connection, and their need for perfectionism. I would have rather him go into more detail on the farming, gardening, and soap making.
But all in all, a nice light read about taking on a big-ass farm, baby goats, zombie flies, and all!

View all my reviews

Friday Shout Out: A Beautiful Bourbon Weekend

2011-05-06T08:38:00.001-05:00

So I took a little two-week trip to Italy and came back only slightly jet-lagged and over-carbed last Friday. I have missed blogging, so I aim to bring you a post or two on my Italy escapades soon.

In the meantime, how about a little taste of bourbon for this Kentucky Derby weekend? Last night Scott and I enjoyed a preview of the Early Times Julep Mix from our lovely friends down the street. They host an annual shindig for the Derby, and this will be our second appearance at the bourbon-soaked fete. (We brought our mint plant in case we needed to make a minty simple syrup, but luckily, convenience saved the day.)

Since too much of a good thing can be wonderful, I plan on making these Bourbon Balls and an appetizer (to be determined, but Blue Cheese Cheesecake is looking like a solid contender, as is Kentucky Greengrass from the excellent Cordon Bluegrass cookbook gifted to us by two dear Adams family members that recently passed away.

Scott's Uncle Bruce and grandmother Miss Doris (or "Big D," as she was affectionately called) were two gifted cooks with excellent appetites. They will forever be loved and missed!

When we tip our glasses this weekend, we will say a prayer of thanks to our family, and that everyone should have the fine fortune of knowing and loving such wonderful people in their lifetime (and family who really knew how to relax and have fun, to boot!) As the Italians say, "Salute!"

Enjoy your weekend, whatever you celebrate.

Bourbon - Fuel in Kentucky

2011-05-01T21:35:00.003-05:00

Many thanks to my step-dad for sending this link! Who knew you can run a car off bourbon? Of course, even during Prohibition, there was indeed "medicinal bourbon" (check out photo a mid-page, honest to God!).

I Pledge Allegiance...

2011-04-14T10:36:00.000-05:00

Dipping into a new container of Greek yogurt last night, I had a moment.

Cabot-brand Greek yogurt is an affront to dairy products everywhere. Or at least to the far-superior Chobani Greek yogurt. Chobani is creamy, milky white, and has a texture so similar to sour cream that I use it for everything - topping off chili and soups, making raitas, mixing it for veggie dips, and just eating it right out of the container.

Giant grocery store lured me to Cabot with its sale price, but the joke was on me. I paid dearly for a chalky, lumpy and pasty product that would work better as a caulking agent. Ugh.

I think I've been down this road before on the blog, but what are the food brands you're committed to the most?

We've Got It Made (Sort of): Pavlova

2011-04-10T22:16:00.000-05:00

I'm renewing our segment "We've Got It Made," in which we highlight our joint ventures in the kitchen. HTT is in the house, baby.

After sitting on the recipes from the awesome Mrs. Wheelbarrow class on Easter Desserts for nearly a month, I up and went to the grocery store this a.m. to ensure I had all the ingredients to make a pretty pretty pavlova.
Since I won't be here for Easter, I thought it would be nice to make it anyway.

Mrs. Wheelbarrow's recipe comes from Nigella Lawson's take on the dessert (the link has measurements in metric - thus here's a handy converter - sorry, it's 10:15 on a school night, kids so I'm not typing out the recipe).

It all starts out with the baking sheets - circles drawn on parchment paper to ensure a nice shape for the mini pavlovas.

Then, the real fun is juggling the egg yolks to get all the whites. My over-eager juggling resulted in a few strands of yolk joining the whites -- which can totally corrupt the whole situation. I fished them out, but it may have been major blunder Numero Uno.

Then, I took to the bowl of egg whites with my hand mixer -- unlike the fabulous Mrs. W., I have no equally fabulous Kitchen Aid stand mixer. I have a $30 Michael Graves hand mixer from Target (thank you, wedding registry and fine person/persons who gifted it) and thus nearly throttled my hands and arms to their demise with all the mixing. After 7-8 minutes, adding the sugar incrementally, and no "stiff, shiny peaks" forming, I switched from the whisk attachment to the beaters and had a little more success getting the snow white foamy mix to get a little more substantial and less runny.

After 10 minutes with the hand mixer, I was over it and Scott was dubious of my capabilities to produce said shiny firm peaks of meringue. I folded in the cornstarch, vanilla and white wine vinegar, stirred it up, and dolloped the mix onto my circles (pencil lead side down, of course).

Not feeling entirely super about my pavlovas, in comparison to the super-firm ones we made in the class last month, I popped them in the oven at 350 degrees F and went about my business. Scott did the dishes. He rocks like that.

Thirty minutes later, I turned the oven off and kept the Pavlovas in the over for another half hour. I showered and read some of Tina Fey's Bossypants (it's a total chucklefest -- check it out!) and then before you know it, that 30 minutes is up and Scott is practically drooling (and admitting he ate the tiny dollop of meringue that colored outside of the lines while I was in the shower -- sneaky sneaky.)

Scott supervised me while I whipped the heavy cream, which means he yelled a little when I over-zealously battered the bowl of cream and smeared a little (ok, a LOT) on the kitchen table. And counters. And cabinets. But, whatever.

Topping the pavlovas with the cream and some strawberries soaked in a little sugar and triple sec, we settled down to eat our Sunday evening project. It was a little less chewy and dense than the one from Mrs. W's class, but Scott didn't know that, so he lapped it all up -- he literally licked the plate. (Sorry, hun, but that's blogging for you - we get to overshare way too much on the Internets.)

I think my fatal error may have been the errant yolks getting in the mix, but ah well. When your husband licks the plate, I think you're forgiven.

And that's how we've got it made -- Good night!

Creative food storage

2011-04-07T21:41:00.007-05:00

My sister Molly gave us these really cool reusable wrappers for Christmas, so I thought I'd share them here. Like most days when I've just come home from a 1.5 hour commute (20 min. walk, 1 hour commuter rail ride), I burst into the apartment ravenous for a snack.

Lucky for me, we'd just been to the grocery store (we made a special trip to Trader Joe's, Pikesville, MD while on a Saturday day-trip to Baltimore), so I commenced with the cheese-and-crackers. Once I finished my snack, it was time to store the remaining block of cheddar cheese. Ziploc bag? Yeah, but it's wasteful. Tupperware? Yeah, but it leaves too much air around and let's the cheese dry out/get rubbery. Kids Konserve wrappers? YES, the perfect solution!

Here's my four-step montage for preventing waste while keeping food fresh (and stylish). Thanks for the cool, reusable gifts Molly!

Don't embargo this restaurant!

2011-04-07T20:52:00.007-05:00

Our good friend Jim Garcia introduced us to Cubano's last weekend, so this post is dedicated to him and his Cuban heritage!

This Cuban restaurant is on a side street in downtown Silver Spring, MD - not too far from the Metro station and Georgia Ave. bus lines, so it gets a bonus for transit-accessibility. Once you're there, make sure to try an appetizer of mariquitas, thin-sliced pieces of plantain, fried and then seasoned with a drizzling of olive oil, garlic, salt, and amazing flavor. Here's our plate of them, along with my knockout mojito.

Next, we moved onto entrees. Erin had ropa vieja ("old clothes"), which is pulled beef stewed with tomatoes, onions, garlic and spices. I tried Masitas de Puerco Cuba Libre
Crispy fried marinated morsels, properly dressed with gently sauteed onions (laziness = taken straight from menu!). As Jim advised, the pork chunks were fried, but surprisingly light and tasty - not typical fried-fried greasiness. Jim had Vaca Frita Cubano’s
Pan fried shredded steak flavored with mojo [olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, and salt/pepper - cumin sometimes too] and slightly caramelized translucent onions. Our respective entrees are laid out in front of Erin and I, along with requisite sides of black beans - YUM.

With our dinner settling over some conversation, we decided it would be wrong to deny ourselves dessert. Three demi-tasses of jet-fuel strong Cuban coffee accompanied our shared desserts - tres leches cake (with an interesting addition of chocolate syrup - not typical) and coconut flan.

Once the three of us returned to Riverdale, Jim and I were propelled enough by Cuban coffee for a visit to our neighborhood bar, The S&J. Jim's landlord was there and kindly/semi-anonymously bought us two pitchers of beer, so we had a free night out!

While D.C.-proper may have more well-known restaurants, close-in suburban Maryland has its share of gems as well. Happy eating and drinking everyone!

Say What, Google Analytics?

2011-04-07T14:59:00.006-05:00

Just food for thought:

Top keywords that bring the mad hits to our blog (and by "mad" I mean, eh. We have a few dedicated readers -- y'all are too cool):

hungry times two

food stereotypes

mac&cheese

black food stereotypes

cream cheese thumbprint cookies

hungry times two stainless steel

hungrytimestwo.blogspot.com

can't behave when hungry

das ist mir wurst

stereotype black food

So, most make sense. The ones in bold green make me go hmmmm, just like C&C Music Factory.

The overwhelming hits we get from this random post from way back in the day (2008) drives me bananas - my comments about black food and stereotypes, especially considering I usually write about setting apartments on fire and why I love Nutella. Deep stuff right there.

And why fore art thou searching quite a lot for "can't behave when hungry"? I don't know if ever said that about Scott on this blog, but I know I tend to ~~get a little irritable~~ become an unpleasant woman from Hell. Maybe all the hits stem from this post where I casually mention that kids who can't behave in a mid-level casual pizza joint shouldn't be allowed.

Plus, I don't know why so many people Google the German idion "das ist mir wurst" but hey...whatever. If strange things about sausage bring the foodies to us, Das ist sehr prima, ja?

Carry on... more nonsense from us forthcoming.

Help!

2011-04-07T08:58:00.000-05:00

So there's a sudden realization that in a mere 10 days my mom and I head to ITALY.

Woot, woot! With that comes the sad sadness that is my lack of planning - I have only one restaurant recommendation for Florence.

I'm calling out on the Foodies 911 phone line! If you or ANYONE you know with good food palates knows a damn thing about great restaurants in the following cities: please steer them to me.

- Rome
- Orvieto
-Montecatini
- Venice
- Assisi
- Capri
-Sorrento

Otherwise, I am bound to troll the Internets for suggestions -- possibly misguided and shady ones -- or my Lonely Planet Guide will be my sole direction.

Calling all foodies...do that voodoo that you do. Thanks!

Friday Shout Out: Fire!

2011-04-01T09:33:00.001-05:00

Yes, friends, it's Friday. Let us all shout a collective "Amen."

I'm sad I didn't post at all during the week, but I'm hoping to work on that a bit soon.One thing that's interesting - I nearly set our wee apartment on fire this week. I blame it on this recipe for Spiced Pork Tenderloin with Bourbon Reduction Sauce.

I should have know this was not going to work out. First off, I didn't have the apple cider, so I used half rice vinegar and white vinegar. I know, tacky. Usually I am the Queen of Successful Substitutions, but that was not so smart. Then, I grabbed my small six inch nonstick pan, which was lame. I sloshed all the ingredients around on my gas range in haste and must have over-sloshed with all that nice bourbon. Hey, it happens.

What I'm not used to happening: big-ass fires.

Oh, the flames, the flames. The entire pan had a huge halo of fire rising up, and I stood there, transfixed on the blue and red and orange and it was so pretty. And pretty terrifying.

I yelled to Scott, "Can you come in here and help me?" He yelled back, "What for?" I said in a funny little voice, "Um, it's kind of important. An emergency, if you will."

Those words got Scott up and over to my side, where he instantly turned off the burner, grabbed the pan, opened the back door, and tossed the mixture out onto the gravel driveway behind our apartment building. I breathed a sigh of relief, then we both yelped weird little noises when the weeds next to the driveway started to smolder and flame up.

I ran inside and grabbed a water glass and extinguished the little driveway blaze. I then went back inside, started the whole recipe over again, and we sat down to eat the pork.

It was sour and sweet and not very pleasant. So don't make this recipe, mmkay? And never slosh your bourbon sauce. You may have to call the fire department, or in my case, a husband who is excellent at things like squashing spiders and carrying out pans afire.

One of my BFFs, who just recently launched his food blog, is a chemist who knows about fire. His sage advice? "Next time that happens...either just let it burn on the range or pour baking soda on it. Don't move the fire, that will just get oxygen into it and make it bigger. Or, even simpler, put a huge ass lid on it." So there. Take note of his wisdom. I know I will!

Have one hell of a weekend - eat something good!

A Pleasant Surprise: Tiffin The Indian Kitchen

2011-03-27T12:55:00.004-05:00

Setting the scene: Friday night, low on groceries, and even lower on energy to cook.

The cast of characters: Erin and Scott, HTT bloggers with a desire for something different.

The mission: A new place to eat, without the pain-in-the-ass travel time to Hell On Earth, I mean, Northern Virginia or DC.

Final destination: Tiffin the Indian Kitchen, Langley Park, Md.

Background info: Scott and I have visited Woodlands (vegetarian Indian) in Langley Park and wanted to see if Tiffin might be as good. Langley Park is a swath of commercial real estate between Takoma Park and Silver Spring, Md., dotted with tons of tiendas, liquor stores, and apartment buildings primarily housing a huge immigrant community here. It ain't exactly the flashy area we'd bring out of town guests or anything, but if you're looking for ethnic food, you can't go wrong.

Erin: I knew I'd like this place when we first arrived because 1) all sorts of folks were seated to some insanely tasty-smelling food. The host seated us in front of a window where we could watch a kitchen worker skewering meat onto big metal hooks, feeding the tandoori ovens, and kneading naan and other breads. It was a perfect sight to see when you're hungry and curious ( and Scott's always hungry and curious).

We decided forgo the usual pakora or samosa appetizer for something we'd never eaten. What did you think of the appetizer? (We had Dhai Vada - lentil donuts swimming in seasoned yogurt.)

Scott: It was nice to try something different, but it was a little too cold and yogurt-y for my taste.

Erin: Yeah, the cold temperature was a total shock to my palate. It was kind of cool (no pun intended) but at the same time, a little odd. But, my entree, the Bharwaan Baigan Curry - adorable baby eggplants roasted whole and swimming in a nutty, creamy curry sauce - was fantastic. I wanted to lick the serving dish, but that would not have been exactly prudent. The lime soda was a little too sweet for my taste, but it definitely helped to cool down the temperature on the curry.

Scott: My ground lamb Palak, cooked with spinach, was heavenly. The metal skillet it was brought out on was sizzling hot and fresh. The mango lassi was nice, too - the right consistency, not too thick or thin. They definitely use fresh mango pulp.

Erin: The meal was super-affordable and we had leftovers that we just scarfed down today for lunch. I jokes that we may have to start regular visits - Tiffin Tuesdays, perhaps?

Friday Shout Out: Eating In Italy

2011-03-25T12:35:00.002-05:00

Gratzi in advance, y'all - My Mother Dear and I head to Italy next month for a 12-day whirlwind trip through Italy.

Venice, Rome, Pisa, Florence, Assisi, Pompeii and Capri - we're coming for you!

Credit: Ctevis/sxc (Do all posteriors look this nice in Italy???)

If you (or those you trust when it comes to knowing good food) have any suggestions on specific restaurants or must-try authentic foods (besides the carbs we know and love as "pasta"), send me your sage advice.

Have a marvelous weekend!

And The Trombones Go "Waaaaaaaaaaah Waaaaaaaaaah"

2011-03-24T20:03:00.002-05:00

It's official: I hate my kitchen.

What began as an iffy living situation -- six months, max -- has turned into our longest lease on a rental residence yet since Scott and I began dating back in 1867, I mean, 2003.

February 12 marked one year in this special little apartment and lately - this winter and most recently -- I cannot bear to be in a tiny ass kitchen. Thus, no excellent posts on here about what we had for dinner. Guess what we had tonight? Mediocre mushroom/spinach quesadillas. They were so dull you should pronounce them just like Napoleon's grandma:

Sad, sad, sad.

I don't need to have a dream kitchen (y'all know how I feel about stainless steel appliances)- but here are two things that are essential: counter space and ventilation. And when I say ventilation, I really mean blessed air conditioning. I'm already starting to panic that we'll still be here this summer and I don't think I can sweat through another season in this f@*%$*# "kitchen.

OK. Serenity now, por favor.

Friday Shout Out: Mon Dieu, Mandu

2011-03-18T13:16:00.006-05:00

Lunch can be a total crapfest sometimes in my workplace location - Chinatown and Mount Vernon aren't exactly culinary wonderlands. In fact, I was supremely disappointed when I discovered how sad most Asian restaurants are here in D.C.

However, lunch (and dinner) is redeemed: Introducing the Korean delight Mandu.

Credit: clix/SXC

Lightening-fast review of Mandu's new location on K Street, near Busboys and Poets and Taylors:

- Ducks in flight, painted sage green, nailed to the walls. My bird phobia runneth over.
- Quick, pleasant service for lunch.
- Amazing sojutinis (rice vodka drinks). Only $4 at Happy Hour. Yes, more, please.
- Bibim bap: hot stone rice bowl with beef, veggies, sprouts, topped with a fried egg. You will love the crunchy rice on the outside, hot pockets of meat and veg and soft rice inside, and mixing in the runny egg.
- Half-price ($3) dumplings at Happy Hour. I had steamed beef and pork and an order of fried shrimp dumplings. Both were fresh and hot and savory and everything you want an order of $3 dumplings to be.

Hurray for a place I can go during lunch break that doesn't involve hot dogs, burritos, or expense account meals that totally aren't worth their price.

TGIF, everyone!

Gone fishin'

2011-03-16T19:56:00.004-05:00

A friend in Tennessee sent this along, and I thought the sheer ingenuity behind it was worth sharing. This is a fish-stick I wouldn't mind eating. (I ate enough of the other kind in elementary school). As he noted, these are "stockers", so unlike wild-caught trout (catch and release), these are fine for all-you-can-eat grilling. Yum.

Cooking The Books

2011-03-15T11:59:00.004-05:00

In addition to my latest read, Keith Richard's Life, (and yes, it's coherent), I'm also reading two food-related works.

From SXC/Zsuzsanna Kilian

The first is one I snagged via the incredibly helpful Interlibrary Loan at my library branch -- The Essential New York Times Cookbook by NYT food editor and writer Amanda Hesser. Hesser asked for reader feedback and sifted through all the published recipes -- from cocktails to sweet endings -- in the paper's annals and whittled it down to a hefty red doorstop of a compendium.

If you've ever wondered what the "foodies" of 1897 were diggin' on back in the day, or how in the world to track down a Blue Cheese Cheesecake recipe (um, yes please), you need to acquire this beast. I decided to "try it out" via the library before I smacked down nearly $40 to own it, and I'm glad I did. I still plan to purchase it as a housewarming gift to HTT once we settle down in our next house/apartment/tiny-ass dwelling space.

My commuting read (yes, I'm that woman on the Metro who'd rather duck into a book rather than make awkward eye contact or avoid engagement altogether) right now is Ferran: The Inside Story of El Bulli and the Man Who Reinvented Food by former Gourmet writer Colman Andrews.

Ferran Adria, known to some restaurant and gastrophiles as THE chef of contemporary cuisine, is a Catalonian who reins over "the best restaurant in the world" El Bulli, in the coastal town of Roses in northeastern Spain. He's also "the foam dude" and "the spherification chef," known for pulling all kinds of crazy molecular gastronomy tricks in the kitchen in the name of creating a 30-course dining experience like none other.

Because the restaurant only serves dinner six months out of the year and seats 55 diners at a time, 2 million would-be diners try to get reservations. One meal at El Bulli can cost over 250 Euro.

What kinds of single-bite courses can you expect from Adria's repertoire? How about pine nut bon bons, "Easter eggs" of coconut milk and curry, sake sorbet, grilled strawberries with juniper and gin, and foams of all sorts of savory and sweet notions. Adria supposedly shocked food critics and fans when he announced in 2010 that he'll close El Bulli this year.

I've learned a few interesting things from Andrews: the word "restaurant" originates from French (duh), meaning "to restore." Also, Adria isn't inventing food trickery, as chefs have deceived their patrons since 3rd Century B.C. Some people aren't such fans of the renowned chef -- they feel his use of chemicals like additives, emulsifiers, gels and gases are "poisoning" diners.

Andrews had full-on access to Adria's closest cohorts for this book, and it shows -- the book includes so many details from Adria's past up to the present and does a great job showing all sides - both positive and not so much.

Now, how about one of Adria's lollipops of white chocolate, lemon and coffee?

Sugar Comas and Google Machines

2011-03-13T16:28:00.004-05:00

Blogging sucks. Blogging is the best thing ever. I hate blogging. I live to blog.

Welcome to my mind, in which I debate why I haven't posted more often here lately. Blame my ever-increasing disinterest in cooking -- I had the "mehs" this winter, but damn if it isn't sunny outside and spring is almost here and well, I miss writing and having good tasty things to write about.

So... I'm presently reeling from a dyno-MITE class with Mrs. Wheelbarrow: Easter Desserts rocked my world, and the worlds of friends A & S, who were so smart to join me today to learn how to rock a coconut cake, tishpishti, and a pavlova.

Let the record show I'm heading out in 20 min. on the greenway to burn off what I'm about to describe:

A hell of a lot of butter, sugar, and other amazing things:

- The coconut cake (2 layers) with a pineapple filling and a Swiss meringue butter cream frosting.

- The Sephardic Passover tishpishti (say it, it's FUN: tish-pish-tee), a flour-less delight of walnuts, eggs, almond meal, sugar (and more sugar), orange zest, and other things baked up, over which a rosewater syrup is then poured and left to soak in. SO good upon first bite, I uttered, "Mercy," which our lovely instructor, Cathy, seemed to appreciate.

- Pavlova, my favorite of the three. A meringue baked and topped with freshly whipped cream and strawberries macerated in sugar and triple sec. Light and chewy, quick to dissolve upon hitting your tongue, while the crunchy bits hang out and make you happy that there's a conduit for whipped dairy products and luscious fruit.

I'm definitely making a Pavlova very soon - I'll be in Italy for Easter, but who says you need a special occasion for dessert??

Also presently on my mind: I hit up the grocery store on my way home and bought four bags of odds and ends. Call it stream-of-consciousness shopping. I wondered what I could make for dinner tonight and Google, bless it, came to my rescue.

Did you know you can put in a search for a dish and it will customize recipes based on what you have in your kitchen? The left sidebar lets you check and uncheck ingredients to determine the best recipe for your needs. Observe my search for beef stroganoff - yes, I have no creme fraiche. Thanks for asking, Google! That is kick-ass.

So next time you're making tishpishti or mac and cheese, whatever you choose, Google it up. Muchas Gracias, Interwebs.

And....I'm spent. Got a case of the sugahs, and the greenway & Mr. Sun are calling my name. Off I go - enjoy what's left of the daylight!

A Day of Healthy Eating

2011-03-06T09:52:00.002-06:00

Okay, so this blog post title is a TAD sarcastic! Beer, raw oysters and clams, fries, donuts and more beer is not exactly healthy, in a nutritional/pysiological sense, but they're definitely a mental health/pleasure boost.

The first photo comes from The Brewer's Art, where I spent Friday after work with two co-workers for happy hour. And yes, that IS a pitchfork on the tap, which is appropriate for the beer it dispenses - Ozzy! I had a Chimay glass of it and a pint of Zodiac ale - most satisfying after rushing a grant application around for signatures, etc.

The following day, we spent Saturday in Baltimore for Jason Dick's birthday, the man with the classic quote, "If you think something happened, then it probably did." We met up at Federal Hill's Cross Street Market, where we proceeded to inflict serious damage on Nick's Seafood supply of bivalves. Three Natty Boh's and a plate of Maryland oysters was the start of many an oyster and clam (cherry stones) happily eaten. And if beer and raw seafood wasn't enough, Jason also brought along two boxes of THE BEST donuts I've had in a long time. Laurel, Maryland isn't known for much, aside from having the NSA and being a commuter town halfway between D.C. and Baltimore, but Laurel Tavern Donuts is worth a trip! Oh, and while we're on Laurel, let's not forget the Amish market there as well - great butcher shop, cheese and produce!

Until next time, here's to happy eating and drinking!

Curry - thanks Dad and Molly!

2011-03-06T09:27:00.001-06:00

Earlier this week, Erin made beef curry and it featured spices that we received from my dad and sister last Christmas. They live in Augusta, Georgia, my hometown, which has a surpisingly large South Asian community and subsequent restaruants and even groceries. Dad and Molly, thanks so much for the collection of spices, plus the cookbook 660 Curries!

That's the fun thing about food and cooking gifts, they make you think about the gifter every time you use them. Thanks again Dad and Molly!

Friday Shout Out: Shame, Shame, Shame

2011-03-04T10:26:00.000-06:00

It's been a sad, sad week for food at our house this week.

The sad evidence: Mac and cheese (oh lord, the generic kind), burgers, stir fry, and a few other piddly things.

I don't know where you went, motivation and energy, but please come back. We're getting downright slovenly over here at HTT.

I think a Come to Jesus at the grocery store is a must-do this weekend. We have it in our power to make tasty, healthy meals. I know we do! Heal me, Lady of the Giant Grocery Store Chain.

Now where are my coupons?

Hands Off: The Foods You Would Stab For

2011-03-01T13:43:00.001-06:00

I seem to have a knack lately for finding random food-related news stories.

Forget breast milk ice cream: how about waging a full-on fight with the one you live with over Girl Scout cookies?

Apparently someone really loves their Thin Mints. I swear, I could see this happening over the Caramel deLites (formerly known as the far-superior Samoas), but I fail to see what's so special about mint cookies that would lead a girl to get all stabby.

Which begs the question: what foods would you defend with your best sharp kitchen utensil? For me, it might be my stash of emergency cookies (presently Gingersnaps) - that you certainly don't want to fool with, particularly when my hormones are raging.

Enough said. Food stealers, beware. Step off from this Cookie Monster.

Saturday Night Bachelor Meal

2011-02-26T19:41:00.001-06:00

Erin's out of town visiting a friend, so in my search through the cupboard and fridge, I came up with a quesadilla. (Cue the grandma in Napoleon Dynamite!)

Yes, it's the unheralded Mexican grilled-cheese sandwich, which I embellished with homemade pico de gallo. (gotta' get rid that cilantro that's threatening to rot in the produce drawer) That, plus a dollop of sour cream. (or in our house, Chobani Greek yogurt, Erin says it's healthier than sour cream) Even for a quick, cheap Saturday night meal for one, there can be art/presentation, thus my cutting the quesadilla into quarters, then filling in the gaps with pico and centering it with sour cream. Looks kind of like the old Santa Fe railroad logo, yes? (Any variation on the Zuni sun is always cool!)

The meal was cheap, quick to make and tasty - three winning factors. For a beverage, I took a cue from my down-the-street neighbor Brian and picked up some Modelo Especial from our neighborhood corner shop (Yes, we really do have one!) It's called Dumm's Corner Market, and yes, the best link I found for it is Kudzu.com. It's nothing fancy and we like it that way! : )

Cheers until the next meal!

Friday Shout Out: More like a Friday WTF

2011-02-25T12:10:00.002-06:00

It's a sign the Four Horsemen are clip-clopping our way: Breast Milk Ice Cream.

I have no words for this.

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

AMAZING Eats: Manhattan, The Bronx and Brooklyn

2011-02-24T21:21:00.004-06:00

Somehow I went to NYC and came back ONLY .5 pounds heavier. This, my dear friends, is a sheer miracle, considering all the deliciousness we consumed in four days' time.

This was a trip of many food "firsts" for me, including:
- A steak and eggs brunch at Steak Frites in Union Square
- Matzo Ball Soup at Katz's Deli, where Sally enjoyed that orgasmic sandwich with Harry
- Primativo wine and Panna cotta at Il Passatore, Brooklyn
- Roasted grapes and truffled pate, Oak Wine Bar, Brooklyn
- Spaghetti and clams, Mario's, The Bronx
- Asian-style smoked brisket, yellow curry custard, curried black eyed peas, and whole mackerel at Fatty 'Cue in Brooklyn

The Williamsburg eats in Brooklyn completely blew me away -- there is nothing like enjoying some drinks at this uber-precious Brooklyn bar, and then a few more at this low-key, quiet establishment, and then tipsily staggering your way to some lamb ragu, butternut squash pasta and Brussels sprouts/pecorino salad at this gem, which is staffed by young affable servers with genuine Italian accents. I ~~won't~~ will shame myself by admitting I was so delirious from the wine and distracted by the outstanding fare that I didn't notice when our dining companion sneakily ordered not one but TWO desserts - tiramisu and panna cotta. The panna cotta was my undoing - it unraveled me nearly to the point of When Harry Met Sally.

By far, Il Passatore was my favorite eating experience, followed closely by Fatty 'Cue - that warm, tender brisket tucked into steamed Asian buns and peppered with chili jam, sprigs of cilantro and red onion slivers, matched with a cup of savory bone broth for dunking, was EPIC. I asked our server how they smoked their meats and he was kind enough to escort us after we paid the bill to show us their Egg grills and the setup in the back. So friendly!

This trip went beyond bagels and lox -- thanks to the generosity of my oldest friend, Scott and I were treated to several nights of discovery. As I told someone this evening, it's an embarrassment of riches.

Half-Smokes, Scrapple and Corks

2011-02-13T20:19:00.001-06:00

We met our friend Gideon in D.C.'s Capitol Hill neighborhood for breakfast at Jimmy T's Place. It's a corner breakfast/brunch place that's been around since 1969, so as Gideon noted, it was around LONG before Capitol Hill gentrified! : )

For Erin and I, it was our second visit and first time eating there - we tried for it last October when my dad and sister were visiting from Georgia, but the staff ignored us as we patiently waited for a table. That experience was odd, and likely isolated, given that we were greeted today with a "Have a seat wherever you like" welcome.

As for the food, it's standard breakfast fare if you're looking for that, PLUS D.C./Mid-Atlantic specialties, namely half-smokes and scrapple. Ben's Chili Bowl pretty much equals half-smokes, while scrapple even has a few mentions on The Wire from Baltimore's Jimmy McNulty. Erin had a spicy half-smoke with her breakfast (the sliced sausage near the edge of her plate). Gideon's delectable pumpkin pancakes were a nice complement to my plate of surprisingly-seasoned and tasty scrapple. Scrapple is basically an American version of haggis, in that it's ground-up organ meats, mixed with cornmeal and seasoning. YUM!

I also had "The Hot Mess," fried red potatoes topped with cheese and an over-easy egg - a breakfast after my friend Tony B.'s own heart! (He's a fiend for hashbrowns, preferably Waffle House's, with eggs over-easy forked into them, yolk and all).

After our heart-healthy breakfast, we walked over to Eastern Market and picked up some Valentine's Day provisions (see Erin's earlier post). I managed to get Erin and Gideon in a shot with a fun use of CORKS -yes, those are all wine corks. Gideon's been traveling all over the country for the ULI, including to Detroit, so I'm pretty sure he enjoyed a leisurely Sunday morning at home. And speaking of Detroit, which gets bagged-on too often, its Eastern Market, which I haven't been to yet, dwarf's D.C.'s and is an institution. Tony B., a Detroit native, can attest to that!

Local restaurants and farmer's markets, two perfect things for a lazy Sunday.

Chocolates for a Tough-Man

2011-02-13T19:36:00.002-06:00

Erin would have gotten this for me at Wegman's a few weeks ago, but it goes against our whole "tacky Valentines" aversion. Still, what man wouldn't want chocolates in a tough-ass metal non-skid box?

A Sweet For Your Sweetie

2011-02-13T17:48:00.002-06:00

Warning: Valentine's Day-themed post. Continue at your own risk.

Yes, it's that holiday tomorrow, the one with the flowers, the heart-shaped boxes of chocolate, the ugly-ass, age-inappropriate teddy bears, and the Hallmark cards professing undying, oh-so-special, forever love, love that cannot be denied, love that won't fade away, Big Love, sloppy wet love, etc. (OK, maybe the sloppy kind is for another occasion entirely.)

Don't get me wrong, I luuuuuv love. I just don't really care for the commercialized kind. Scott and I had our first date the day after Valentine's Day nine (!!!) years ago, and we've always much rather celebrate our dating milestone than to observe February 14. (Sidebar: our second date was to see The Vagina Monologues. My husband rocks, and is totally comfortable with all iterations of the terms for female genitals.)

We're spending tomorrow night in, with a dinner of cod fillets fresh from our Eastern Market visit today, veggies, and maybe a special dessert.

Speaking of which, here's my V-day gift to you: it's neither sexy nor sophisticated, but it's a sweet cookie with the consistency of a chewy brownie, and it's easy on the calories and fat. (It also uses only one bowl and pan, so you won't waste your luv-makin' time doing the dishes instead.)

Cocoa Cookies, from Cooking Light

Yield: 2 dozen

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons butter
7 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup plain low-fat yogurt ( I use French vanilla)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350°.
Combine flour, soda, and salt; set aside. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Remove; stir in cocoa powder and sugars. Add yogurt and vanilla, and stir; add flour mixture, stirring until moist. Drop by tablespoons two inches apart onto greased baking sheets.
Bake at 350° for 8 to 10 minutes. Cool on pans three minutes or until firm. Remove cookies from pans; cool on wire racks. Enjoy. They're only 78 calories per cookie!

Craving A Big Apple

2011-02-09T11:43:00.002-06:00

Good grief, our mini-vacation can't come soon enough.

Next week, we head out for NYC. Thus far, we have:

- Cheap Bolt Bus tix secured. Pray for us that we don't wind up sitting next to the toilets, thanks.

- "~~European style"~~ Cheap hotel on the Lower East Side booked. Speaking of toilets, the setup is a shared bathroom. Hello, glorified hostel, here we come. Brush aside the bedbugs, pretty please.

- A list of go-to places. We'll keep you waiting with bated breath, so don't hold it in folks. Exhale.

One plan of ours is, for Valentine's Day gifts, to each come up with an afternoon itinerary that would please the other. We will divulge them on V-Day. I can't give my plans for a Scott-irific afternoon away, but I can tell you hunting down the Prada store or gawking at Times Square will not be on the list. (We may have to hit up Dean & DeLuca, though. For real.)

In my use of the Google Machine, I discovered a pleasant treat - it will still be Restaurant Week in NYC! I'm hoping to encourage my frugal dining companion in partaking of one or two participating places. Can I go ahead and say right now that if I'm arrested for stalking Anthony Bourdain, know that it was in the best of interests.

Anyone with suggestions, feel free to share them. It's a big ol' city, folks, and we're not from around those parts. Guidance is appreciated!

Friday Shout Out: Spatchcocked and Loaded

2011-02-04T12:21:00.002-06:00

TGIF, my friends, TGIF. What a long-ass week this feels like. Anyone else agree with me?

I didn't accomplish very much in the culinary arena this week, as you may have determined from my earlier post on the evils of bad food. We were busy, we were tired, and I am more than just a little bit lazy due to the winter blues, so I need to work on my motivation.

However, I did achieve one of my goals for 2011, which was not super lofty, nor sexy, but it is what it is: roasting a chicken. (Crappy photos to come!)

I know, ho hum. But while some of you out there are on a friendly basis with The Bird Who Is The Word, I've only used the poultry in neat little segmented, sanitized boneless breasts. It was time I get in there and rumble with the big bird itself.

Using the spatchcock method recommended by Mrs. Wheelbarrow, slightly modified from Amanda Hesser's Food 52 blog , it took about an hour and some change to go from unwrapping the four-pound roaster to slicing it and serving it up to my salivating husband. Just the smell alone of this bird roasting was divine! My 12-inch All-Clad saute pan did a fantastic job, too.

A few notes:

- Read the recipe. Then read it again, and double-check your ingredients list. I discovered I had neither lemons nor shallots, so I cheated with bottled lemon juice and regular old yellow onions. It still tasted amazing, but it would have been nice to have the real deal.

- Get some kitchen shears. I used some glorified craft scissors to cut the backbone out and it proved that 1) I have never been able to cut in a straight line and 2) The same scissors you use to make construction paper snowflakes are no match for bone and gristle. Word.

- Have some gallon freezer bags handy. As everything from the remaining drippings, herbs and shallots, and pan juices to the backbone and leftover nasty bits can be reused for making stock, you need storage for such. I stuffed two quart freezer bags full, but that's kind of lame.

- Prepare to get dirty. It's a hands-on deal.

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

No One Likes A Bad Gyro

2011-02-01T09:24:00.003-06:00

Typically, yes, Scott and I are the picture of marital bliss. It's just our lot in life, to be perfectly happy and always on the same page.

Okay, maybe I'm stretching it a bit. We're usually pretty swell with one another, and for that I am extremely grateful. Yet sometimes, certain things can ruin our happy little Adams Family (insert the TV theme here) thing we have going.

It's called bad food.

Last night, we made a pact to skip the roasted chicken dinner I planned and instead rush to the Laundromat to secure clean clothes before any crazy weather could stop us. Thus, we needed some convenient dinner choices.

We elected to phone in a carry out order from Plato's Diner, or "Shiny Diner" as we call it because of its chrome 50s exterior, right across the street from Laundry World, our illustrious home away from home. (Ok, not really. It's cheap, close by, and no one causes trouble. It works for two people who have their perfectly wonderful, nearly-new, awesomely efficient Fisher & Paykel washer and dryer currently collecting dust in storage. That doesn't pain us one single bit. Can't you tell?)

Ubiquitous Gyro poster we've all seen before

So, goodbye Spatchcocked chicken dinner, hello Greek take out. Plato's served us well in the past, with a decent Greek salad platter and very tasty and generous breakfast options. But alas, our luck with Shiny Diner ran plumb out.

The first sign something was amiss was when I stopped noshing agreeably enough on my semi-rubbery lamb gyro and noticed Scott sitting next to me in the plastic laundry chair, holding his chicken souvlaki pita wrap dejectedly. When Scott's not eating his food, something's wrong.

"Is it not good?", I asked while inhaling bits of pita slathered with tzatziki sauce. "Hmmm," Scott replied. "Hmmm" is never good.

"It's dry. Is there extra tzatziki?" Scott asked.

I fumbled through the plastic bag. Of course, there was not extra tzatziki. We had several salt and pepper packets and some ketchup too, but alas, no extra tzatziki.

Sometimes, I will lovingly volunteer to switch my meal with Scott, sacrificing it all for the sake of improving my husband's disposition. But last night was not one of those times.

I continued on with my lamb gyro, which was heavy on the onions and not that great, but hell, I was in Laundry World at 7pm on a Monday night, intermittently watching a telenovela. What more could I possibly want?

Scott finished about half of his meal and looked over at me. "Can I have a bite of yours?" he finally asked.

What could I do? The man was severely disappointed in his meal. I wasn't about to deny him my mediocre gyro.

I passed my Styrofoam box over to him and he took a big bite, grimacing. "It's too oniony." He proceeded to hem and haw, sighing deeply, and generally acting like all was lost and this life was not a bowl of cherries.

I tossed our take out boxes into the trash with great ceremony, bashing them down next to empty Downy bottles and old dryer sheets. The telenovela played on, while we had our own little melodramatic moment.
Scott slouched in the uncomfortable plastic chair, with a scowl on his face. I silently read my copy of Lady Chatterley's Lover, which is a pretty scandalous read for laundry environs.

Sometimes, you just eat bad food. You live, you learn.

So long, Shiny Diner.

Friday Shout Out: I Like The Island Manhattan

2011-01-28T08:37:00.001-06:00

(Five big ol' brownie points to the person who first identifies the musical theatre reference in this blog post title.)

Exciting news for the HTT team -- we're headed to New York City!

We've decided to forgo the scrimp and save method and treat ourselves to a weekend next month, exploring all that the Big Apple and the Five Boroughs have to offer.

I haven't explored any of the boroughs yet, so I am up for a little Brooklyn and Queens action. My last visit was in November 2009 -- review the good times and exciting celeb sighting -- while Scott hasn't seen the city in over 20 years!
Here's a call out for your personal faves in NYC. What we're looking for:

- Unique.
- Romantic.
- Classic Noo Yawk.
- Maybe a little offbeat.
(And last but not least, moderately priced, if possible.)

I want to eat the best bagel out there, sip on New York's greatest cup of coffee & a genuine Egg Cream, and nosh on a late night slice of the tastiest pizza there is. And discover more delectable bites!
Let us know what you'd recommend for dining and sightseeing, and we will credit your amazingness in the post-trip follow up post. And maybe send you a postcard from Manhattan!

Friday, we thought you'd never arrive. Hope everyone has a terrific weekend!

The Resurgence of Natty Boh!

2011-01-27T18:24:00.007-06:00

National Bohemian beer is back on tap after 15 years!

We've lived here almost one year now and much like PBR has a hip/shtick/cool factor across the country, National Bohemian beer, or "Natty Boh," is experiencing a resurgence around here. And as well it should be, given that it was originally brewed in Baltimore's Brewers Hill neighborhood. The original brewery complex is now a mixed-use development of self-storage, housing and nearby shops/restaurants.
If you like the Natty Boh dandy icon, you'll find him on everything possible at Fells Point's Natty Boh Store. You can even get two classic icons on a vibrant red background: Mr. Boh and the Maryland state flag (click link for explanation of juxtaposition of red/white, gold/black, top left).

Natty Boh has its nostalgic and budget-friendly values; as for taste, well, let's just say its "lawnmower beer," meaning it's great for something COLD after a hot stint, or if you're having a blowout party or a chili cook-off. If you're looking for Baltimore microbrews, check out these places (and Brewers Art is pretty nice, so ignore the posts' dislike of it). I'm personally a fan of Heavy Seas' Loose Cannon pale ale, an homage to pirates, yaarrrghh!

Whatever you're drinking, enjoy!

Hippy Dippy

2011-01-26T11:52:00.002-06:00

I just had a moment.

After retrieving my leftover brown rice and veggie stir fry from the microwave, and tossing out the empty shells of edamame I just snacked on, something occurred to me as I grabbed my reusable bamboo silverware.

I am eating so freakin' crunchy right now.

Dude, pass me the patchouli and let's go compost, okay?

This morning, I enjoyed my first-ever cup of Sweet Rose Tulsi tea, gifted by a co-worker. It's "tea" made from basil and though I expected it to be super-floral, it was very light and soothing. Take that, over-caffinated Folgers guzzlers!

The edamame was recommended by another co-worker and I am lovin' them - Trader Joe's makes them lightly salted in their shells and they're fun to pop open and enjoy raw.

The brown rice stir fry..well, it was an easy dinner last night and healthy, as opposed to the Five Guys & Fries meal I really wanted but was too lazy and guilt-tripped to seek out. So there.

Today I am eating very healthy and it feels great, albeit a little hippified.

Friday Shout Out: Food Lust

2011-01-21T11:33:00.001-06:00

Confession time: I'm having a love affair. It just can't be denied any longer. Sorry, Scott.

Oatmeal is usually my breakfast of choice but sometimes I want immediate gratification in the mornings, thus I have turned to you, my sweet:

Oh, Kashi Crunch! Honey Almond Flax cereal. You're totally exclaimation point-worthy. Your crunch, your light touch of honey, your almond slivers, and your nine grams of ass-kickin' protein makes every bowl of you a sheer delight. No other cereal compares 2 U.

Normally, I prefer to enjoy this marvelous cereal with almond milk, preferably the Blue Diamond Breeze, Original (the vanilla is ok.) Heaven in every spoon, I say. I think we're meant to be together. Consider it a threesome - me, Kashi, and the Almond Milk.

What foods are you having mad, passionate affairs with here lately? Confide in me, dear food lovers. I won't judge. ;-)

(Happy Friday! Enjoy your weekend!)

Make It A Big Deale

2011-01-19T21:55:00.003-06:00

Ever the fan of a playful pun, I came up with several on our 45-minute car ride this past Saturday to Deale, Md., which is pretty much in the middle of Backwater, Nowhere.

What's the big Deale?
I can Deale with that.
I hope we're getting a fair Deale.
Deale or No Deale?

You get the picture.

Luckily, bad puns were the only poor thing we endured during our trek out to Skipper's Pier Restaurant & Dock Bar.

One of Scott's co-workers suggested we check it out for the seafood and the Chesapeake Bay views. I wasn't so sure what to expect, but I agreed with Scott that partaking of some oysters and crab and a few drinks on a lazy Saturday during the long holiday weekend couldn't hurt us.

With three friends in tow, we met up at Skipper's, taking a big table for six inside (it is January) - this was our view:

I was impressed with their drink specials: a $3 Bloody Mary, rimmed with Old Bay seasoning. This Bloody Mary is one of the best I have ever had!

I liked it so much, I enjoyed another one. Then, I chased it with another one.

But anyway...when we weren't lushing it up in this seafood joint, we tasted some pretty fine fare, including
some hush puppies that I wasn't so sure about ordering. In the South, sometimes the hush puppies are dense, golf-ball size fried things (my personal preference) or they're lighter, doughy oblong things similar in texture to beignets. At Skipper's, they look like puffy oblong objects but taste like the dense cornmeal bites of pleasure I hoped for. Score 1 for Skipper's!

We ordered a half-dozen of fried oysters and they were excellent -- still juicy and not too over battered, with a remoulade sauce for dipping. A dozen raw oysters on the half-shell, accompanied by a mignonette sauce and cocktail sauce, didn't last long on their serving plate.

Here I am, trying one with mignonette for the first time:

While one lunch companion ordered King Crab, several of us decided to heed the advice of our server and try the local rockfish, caught the day before and filleted that morning at the restaurant. My blackened rockfish was perfectly seasoned, accompanied by a side of gingered cole slaw and a side of cheese stone-ground grits. I loved the unusual slaw, but the grits were -- dare I even say it -- too rich with cheese and cream, and almost pudding-like in texture.

I tried my friend's side of Bacony (said in the French style "Bah-con-ee") Collard Greens and those seemed to be the side item to go for. Scott ordered a curried fluke fish, similar to flounder and very well-seasoned, and braised green beans.

Certain unique touches -- like gingery, piquant slaw and curry sauces -- were pleasantly unexpected and set this place apart from other area seafood restaurants I've visited with fried shrimp platters or overpriced fish or crab du jour dishes, where you're paying for the "Maryland experience." I'd rather you just feed me some fresh, good food, please.

Skipper's rated a high five with HTT -- well-worth the drive out. I could see this being a must-do when the weather turns warm again and we're in need of some briny oysters and a couple value-priced cocktails.

But wait, we're not finished yet.

Cruising out of Deale further south to Calvert County, we drove up to a small seaside "resort" of North Beach. With little cottages and a strip of retail shops peddling antiques, coffee, ice cream and the like, it seemed like a sleepy little bayside town that time forgot.

Chilly and in need of a pit stop, we popped into the aptly-named Sweet Sue's for coffee and a treat. Somehow Scott and I wound up sharing this behemoth of an eclair:

This thing was larger than a six-inch sub. HUGE. And pretty luscious.

To cap the day off, on our drive home we hit the Wegmans that recently opened in Lanham, Md. It's a super-sized grocery store chain based in Rochester, N.Y. Their main attractions are their ready-made prepared foods -- everything from pizza and lasagna to Indian and dim sum -- and the market-style counters for meats, breads and cheeses. I was a little overwhelmed, but that didn't stop us from stocking up on some sourdough loaves and some tasty Spanish goat's milk cheese and Gouda.

As if we needed more food.

But that's never really the point, is it? To friends, food, and exploring new places!

Friday Shout Out: Big on the Pig

2011-01-14T12:14:00.001-06:00

Sometimes, when Scott leaves dirty dishes in the sink, or I forget to sweep the bathroom where my hair tends to shed, the HTT partnership undergoes a little difficulty.

You know, we bitch each other out for a moment. And then go back to being the cheery lovebirds we're meant to be.

One reason we're so compatible? We both love pig.

Exhibit A:

Scott picking through Tennessee-raised pork

Exhibit B:

Me sporting my fine new Piggy Wiggly t-shirt

It's the little things in life that can bring people together...or it's the big, fat, tasty hogs, too. They're not so little.

Hope everyone has a wonderful, peaceful MLK Jr. holiday.

Obviously Belated: Plans for 2011

2011-01-13T10:19:00.007-06:00

Never mind that we're 13 days into this grand new year of 2011 and that I do not really like rabbits at all (so I don't know what's up with my image selection, above) - I'm tossing out my ideas for food-related aspirations in 2011.

Hear ye, hear ye: Hungry Times Two will take on the following this year:

- Learning our way around the chicken, so to speak. I took a cooking class last weekend with the fabulous Mrs. Wheelbarrow and learned how to use the feathered bird in stock, roasted, and for pot pies and dumplings. I plan on trussing my first chicken and roasting it up, trying all the recipes from the class, and hosting a dinner party with my classmates and friends I.J.. A.M. and M.G. to show what we've learned.

Also, this Southern woman I claim to be has never fried a chicken. Doh. That needs to be remedied. Healthy, it may not be, but hot damn, I'm going to try.

- This brings me to my second point --how convenient. Buy the Lodge cast iron skillet, already. I have threatened for years to have one and I never buy one when I see it. I always shy away from recipes that call for using a skillet. This needs to end. Who cares if our wee kitchen can't handle one more item to stow away? I will cram that baby in - even if I have to sleep with it or tuck it under our sofa.

Plus, I've always wanted to clock someone over the head with a skillet. If our area's safety issues keep up, I'll have my chance. *grimace*

- Finally cook from the 660 Curries cookbook gifted to us several years ago. Curries intimidate me for the sheer overabundance of ingredients they tend to require. I just need to delve in and go for it. Any recommendations or tips, Peaches & Curry?

- Stop eating over-processed crap. I'm talking about you, candy and cookies, chips and the like. You need to leave our cupboards and my office desk, pronto. Goal: end the sweet tooth addiction, or at least find suitable homemade and healthy treats.

- Returning to live in a place where we can "entertain." Yes, I used the word "entertain" like I am Martha Freakin' Stewart. I'm the daughter and granddaughter of ministers' wives and we church folk tend to want/need to provide "refreshments" and play hostess all the time. It's in my blood, mmmkay? I like having people over, and yes I know I have reinforced too many times our issue of our wee apartment, but gee whiz is it wee. I am ready for bigger and better things!

- Learning more about wine. I don't like anything sweeter than a Chardonnay or drier than a Pino Grigio, and I learn towards reds like Malbecs and Tempranillos, sometimes a Shiraz. That's about all I know about the bottled varietals. I'd like to learn about pairings. Drinking some in the process wouldn't be too painful, either.

- Travel eats! My 2010 Napa Valley excursion fell through, but this year I may visit Italy! La Dolce Vita is calling Mama Mia Margaret and I in celebration of her 65th birthday -- this would be epic and so incredibly fabulous. Crossing my fingers! Scott and I also want to do some solo traveling. All of our vacation time seems to wind up with friends and family -- as marvelously wonderful as they are, it's high time we get in some just-us journeys.
One of the best trips Scott and I took together was waaaaay back in Summer 2004 (I think) to Cobleskill, New York and Burlington, Vt. We took a ferry across Lake Champlain and gobbled up farm stand cherries, blueberries and cheese curds while riding the picturesque back roads of Vermont. It was so relaxing and fun!

This about sums it up -- here's hoping some if not all of these are accomplished - cheers to a fruitful 2011!!

Chilly? Try Chili

2011-01-12T09:27:00.013-06:00

Winter fail: only two mere inches of snow fell on us here in MD. So much for a much-needed snow day!

Many of you dear readers have, in fact, tucked yourselves in, cozily at home this week for a day or two of snow break - lucky you! If you're looking for some fuel to stay warm and well-fed, we've got two recipes for some tasty chili.

Scott received several compliments on the chili I made last week after co-workers smelled his lunch and asked for a couple tastes -- who knew a 20 minute chili recipe could illicit such things? I was floored, but it made me proud!

Be sure to add on some nice crispy tortilla chips, perhaps a little shredded Monterey jack, and if you're feeling spunky, a dollop of sour cream to top off your bowl. Think of these as accoutrement -- I like to use this word as much as possible, plus it's fun to say. Try it - "accoutrement." See, I told you. Fun.

The recipe I made last week is from Cooking Light - 20 Minute Chili. I opted not to serve it over rice (too much starch!) and I used ground pork instead of turkey and used a can of green chilies instead of fresh bell pepper. It was a wee bit spicy for us, so next time I might go easy on the chili powder, but if you like a little burn, go for it.

Coming up next month: the Super Bowl. Yay, sports. (Y'all know I do not do football or most organized brutish sports - I am an ACC basketball fan, though - Go Blue Devils!). Before you order pizza or dispense the obligatory chips and salsa or french onion dip, take a gander at David Rosengarten's It's All American Food cookbook for his Super Bowl Chili recipe.
I think it's the cinnamon that really does it for me -- it's the better-tasting twin of Cincinnati Skyline Chili, only without all those weird add-ins of chopped raw onion, cheddar cheese and spaghetti.

Here's how to do the thing:
Super Bowl Chili

Yield: 4 servings
I recommend using a deep skillet or stock pot.

Ingredients:
¼ cup vegetable oil, or more if necessary1 (28-ounce) can tomatoes, drained½ pound ground pork
½ pound ground beef chuck (or 1 pound if pork not available/desired)
1 medium onion, peeled and coarsely diced
2 fresh hot green chilies, seeded and finely chopped (more or less to taste) NOTE: Canned, chopped green chilies work just as well
1 tablespoon minced garlic1 ¾ cups unsalted chicken broth (homemade or canned), plus more if necessary
¾ cup beer
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon Chili Spice Mixture (recipe follows)
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon tomato paste
8 ounces canned kidney beans, drained

Chili Spice Mixture
3 tablespoons chili powder
4 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
½ teaspoon cayenne
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons firmly packed dark brown sugar
Chili Instructions
1. NOTE: This step is optional; simply dice the tomatoes and add to Step 3 if less prep/clean-up are desired. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and coat with a thin layer of the vegetable oil. Slice all the tomatoes in half lengthwise and place them, cut side up, on the baking sheet. Drizzle a small amount of vegetable oil over each tomato half, place the baking sheet in the oven, and roast them for about 1 hour. They will shrink a bit, concentrating their flavor, but should still be quite moist. Remove them from the oven, chop them coarsely, and reserve.

2. Place a large skillet over medium-high heat and add 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil. Just as the oil begins to smoke, add the meat and lightly brown it all over, reducing the heat if the mat threatens to burn, about 5 to 6 minutes (do this in batches if the skillet isn’t large enough to hold the meat in one layer). As the meat cooks, break up the larger chunks with a wooden spoon. Transfer the meat to a bowl and reserve.

3. Let the skillet cool slightly and place it over a medium-low heat, adding another 1 teaspoon of oil. Add the onion, chopped chiles, and garlic; cook gently for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the chicken broth, beer, 2 tablespoons of the spice mixture, the ½ teaspoon salt, and tomato paste, scraping the bottom of the skillet to loosen any browned bits. Add the reserved tomatoes and meat, raise the heat to medium-high, and bring just to a boil. Immediately reduce to a bare simmer, cover loosely with a lid or foil and cook, very gently, for about 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

4. Stir in the beans and the remaining 1 teaspoon chili spice mixture, cover loosely, and cook for ½ hour more. When ready, the chili should resemble a stew with a thinnish liquid but shouldn’t at all be watery. Stir in additional broth or water if it seems a bit dry. Conversely, if the mixture seems a bit loose and wet, uncover the skillet and allow it to simmer until thickened slightly. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper as needed.

YUM.

We've Got It Made: Lady (and Sir) Marmalade

2011-01-09T17:45:00.007-06:00

Here I sit, typing on this wee blog, with my back to my grandmother's china cabinet (which was originally a pantry for my great-grandmother's pump house, where all the men would go to have a drink 'cause my great-grand didn't allow liquor in her home, thank you very much).

Peering into the glass door of the cabinet, I see nine jars of Christmas Morning Marmalade, which I rechristened "Pucker Up Marmalade" after Scott and I spent nearly two hours peeling, slicing, and seeding an ungodly amount of citrus fruit right before Christmas.

I already had apple butter and apple pie jam stored up to gift, so I wanted to can something a little different. As Scott's grandmother Miss Doris loves orange marmalade, and we knew we would visit with her at some point over the holiday, it felt fitting to make some marmalade.

You'll note the recipe for Christmas Morning Marmalade, from Steve Dowdney's book Putting Up, involves peeling, seeding and plugging (this means removing each piece of fruit by its natural segment) a LOT of citrus - and removing the pith, the white part under the skin or peel. The recipe also calls for removing the membrane of the oranges, grapefruits and lemons and limes, which is tricky to do. Damn tedious and almost impossible is more like it.

It seemed crazy at the time to use all the peels from the limes and lemons, but Scott dutifully followed the recipe. I think that if we did it all over again, I'd zest the fruits instead of including the meticulously sliced peels. They wound up tasting very hard and bitter - not something you want to spread over a warm slice of toast.

Scott had fun carving through all that citrus, as you can see.

Maybe what he didn't love so much was hearing me bellow many choice words after realizing I dumped in 13 (!!!!) precious cups of sugar too early - you bring the fruits to a boil then add sugar, but I dumped the sugar in right after I put in the fruit.
I just knew I screwed up, that it wouldn't jell correctly, and we'd wind up with two hours of work and a semi-jelled citrus mess to show for it.
However, the canning gods smiled on us, and not long after I ladled the hot jelly into the jars:

And turned them upside down for about 10 minutes:
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As the jars cooled, their lids let off those satisfying "pops" to let us know they sealed right up. I could tell by watching how the mixture slowly slurped around the jar when I tipped it downward that it would jell just beautifully.
For the first marmalade, it wasn't bad. I'd give it a B, with a lower mark due to the strange hard peel additions and the very puckery taste. I think I'd like to try a traditional orange marmalade next time.
Some of you asked about our the fruits of our All Clad Factory Sale adventure. Well, my friends, we made it out unscathed - those folks up in Canonsburg, Pa. know how to set up an organized and friendly cookware bonanza - with these beauties:

Accentuated with a new stainless steel potato masher/ricer and slotted spoon, our gleaming (for now) new pieces are a 10 inch skillet, a 12-inch lidded saute pan, and a six-quart stock pot with lid. Note: the lids are sold separately and each pan and pot is oven-safe.
The next addition to the family will be a cast iron skillet - after my cooking class with Mrs. Wheelbarrow today, I plan on testing my new roasted chicken skills, and spatchcocking!
Hope everyone's had a lovely and tasty weekend - does it have to end? Cheers!

Friday Shout Out: Back from Whence We Came

2011-01-07T13:16:00.004-06:00

We're not dead yet, to borrow from mighty Monty Python. Just kind of sick, tired, and overwhelmed to get back into the swing of things post-holidays.

Anyone else feel like a total slug getting back to work after ringing in the New Year? So. damn. painful. Well, I'll stop my griping and promise you this: we turned it OUT this holiday season, taking lots of photos and making and eating our share of tasty holiday yum-yums.

And by that I mean we stuffed our face with:

- Shrimp & Grits (made by Sir Scott, coming soon to a blog near you!)

- Potato Gratin with Rosemary Crust (made by yours truly madly deeply...I rocked it - post coming soon.)

- Southern goodies like pimento cheese (pronounced "puh-menna" if you can get your Southern drawl going) and boiled peanuts

- A new thing I credit my mother dear for showing me: Pickled Okra! Holy cow, they are good with cocktails. Or just eating them straight out of the jar at 2am , barefoot, as you try your hardest not to get pickled juice all over your feet and kitchen floor. (Or something.)

These are delicious, mmmkay?

I've taken drastic measures already in 2011 - merely seven days in - to say adieu to my other blog. I definitely love this HTT blog the most, and hope to devote more time to making it hungrier and better.

Here's to getting hungry in this new year - seize it and chomp on it!

Christmas is Coming!

2010-12-23T11:03:00.003-06:00

Hard to believe it's just two days away!

What kinds of things will you enjoy this holiday season? Here's a rundown of what I expect we'll partake of this Christmas and New Year's:

1 ) Some form of sugar cake. You may recall I've waxed poetic on the Moravian sugar cake I grew up enjoying as a child of the N.C. Piedmont area. Winkler's Bakery in Old Salem is the place to get the sugar cake - it's like a coffee cake-style deal - cinnamon and sugar and all those good things. I have the recipe, but will I really work with rising yeast and stuff early on Christmas morn? That, my friend, is TBD. This little elf may want to sleep in. Mother Dear says she has a simple recipe for something similar, so we shall see.

2) Seafood! Mom's promising her amazing Carolina Rice & Shrimp dish, and we're headed for Charleston, S.C. to ring in the New Year. Shrimp, I am coming for YOU.

3) A pig roast! Scott's aunt and uncle have held a traditional New Year's pig roast for several years down in Mount Pleasant, S.C. and this year, they're bringing a big fat hog from Tennessee. In years past, a certain comedian/talk show host by the name of Colbert, a Lowcountry boy, has attended.

4) Gingerbread. What can I say? I'm stuffing my own stocking this year with an Amish-made Gingerbread Man from the Dutch County Market. He was too cute to pass up.

5) Beef & Potatoes - it's what's for dinner. Mom's promised to make some tasty London Broil to pair with the Potato Gratin and Rosemary Crust from this month's Southern Living. I chose that as our food to make together. I can't wait to cook in my mom's big spacious kitchen. This teensy apt. cooking is for the birds.

I hope that whatever you eat this holiday season, you enjoy it with wonderful friends, family, and those you love. Travel safe, and stay warm and cozy wherever you are!

Gimme Some Dim Sum!

2010-12-21T11:41:00.004-06:00

Guess what, folks? We've discovered the ONE redeeming thing about going to a mall during the holidays.

This weekend, Scott and I joined our friend Jim, his mother visiting from Florida, and two friends of his for a dim sum extravaganza at Hollywood East Cafe in Wheaton, Md. As Scott and I had errands to run afterwards, we followed Jim in our car, and were quite perplexed when we pulled up to the Westfield Mall in Wheaton.

"A mall?" I asked aloud. How could good food come from the same place that has FYE, Macy's and JC Penneys? Scott reminded me we had a pretty amazing Vietnamese experience at a strip mall in Honolulu during our honeymoon in April 2007, so I shut my trap and hoped for good things to come.

I'm happy to report that Hollywood East Cafe should get a Golden Globe, nay, an OSCAR -- at least a supporting one, for its Dim sum.

Now, I must admit my dim sum experience is sparse -- other than a couple lunches at Ping Pong in D.C., I got nothin.' Scott, however, enjoyed it in both NYC and San Francisco, so he has the chops, so to speak.

Our resident dim sum master took care of ordering from the four or five different silver carts of hot tasty things wheeled around the dining room. Anyone like pork? Barbecued pork buns instantly appeared on the table. Got a hankering for shrimp? Lovely shrimp and chive dumplings materialized. It was like a gourmet drive thru, but the food comes to you instead!

The lazy susan in the center of the table allowed for us to enjoy a literally revolving round of dim sum, so it was easy to pass and taste the food.

I love a group meal, and so does Scott (when he knows he's not going to wind up starving afterwards, ie. every damn tapas place we try) - everyone had their fair share of dumplings, buns, little tempura bundles of shrimp and eggplant, veggies like bok choy and Chinese broccoli, and hot pots of green tea (they have decaf, just in case you need to watch it.)

We capped off the meal, sharing several desserts of pineapple buns, a custard tart, and green tea and sesame balls filled with adzuki bean paste.

I loved the whole experience for the food, the surprisingly nice dining environs, and particularly the communal experience. I thank Jim for the invite, and welcome anyone who's interested to take on some dim sum with us -- we're now full-fledged fans!

Friday Shout Out: Mac & Cheese

2010-12-17T14:18:00.011-06:00

Recently two boxes of Giant-brand (generic) organic Mac & Cheese made it into our pantry somehow - methinks I know who squeezed them into a fully loaded shopping cart not too long ago.

And then this week my grocery store trip went awry and I somehow figured we'd get by on random produce, rice, a cut or two of meat, and....magic?

Let's just say the cupboard was pretty bare and we did the dreaded yet handy "Breakfast for Dinner" approach one night this week. Yep, grits, egg and veggie scramble, and a commendable approach at potato pancakes from one Scott Adams.

So...those two boxes of mac and cheese - one Wisconsin cheddar and another white cheddar - came in pretty freakin' handy. Problem is, they fully brought the mac, yet not so much the cheese. Both boxes were dry, dry, dry. I had to poke around my bowl just to find any semblance of sauce.

Here's my stance: if you're going to go the boxed mac and cheese route, do yourself a favor and forget "organic" and opt for the Kraft Mac & Cheese with the silver squeeze packet of cheese sauce, the color of which isn't found in this natural world. Yes, fake cheese much like the ungodly Cheez-Whiz variety, which most likely contains nary a dairy product.

Our friend Jim shared this review of boxed mac & cheese offerings - not only does it make me weep for a Trader Joe's closer to where I live (nay, it would deplete my food budget), but it also bring back fond memories of the Velveeta Shells & Cheese of my childhood. I'm pretty sure I licked the pot clean after dinner every time, and I'm also confident my mom made it sheerly for the same reasons I do now - slim pickings in the pantry!

So today, on this chilly snow-melted end of the work week (thank you, GOD), I give three cheers to the bastard child of the kitchen cupboard. Yes you, mac & cheese - you little freak of nature.

What's your favorite brand? I know you have one. Don't even lie.

Happy Friday!

Down with OPB: Other People's Blogs, Part Two

2010-12-14T15:11:00.005-06:00

Check out Scott's most-excellent post at our friend (and Scott's colleague) Mark's blog Car Free Baltimore. Scott shares our experience saying "See ya, sucka" to one of our cars. Thus far, no worries.

Chances are, I'm going to do more of this (below) in the future.

Can someone turn up the thermostat for me, though? I'm not crazy about biking in 20 degree temps!

I'm Dreaming of a Sustainable Christmas

2010-12-13T10:42:00.005-06:00

Yes, the term "sustainable"gets tossed around like a mo-fo these days, and it's enough sometimes to make even the most pro-green of us to want to strangle the everlovin' mud out of the next Fair Trade-lovin', recycling, patchouli-scented Prius driver we see.

Now that I have that vitriol out of the way, I admit to my own hypocrisy - I love Christmas and all the trimmings, but I am super tired of the waste and the consumerist hype. And as much as I am weary of trying to be "green," I want to consume less and encourage others to do the same.

For the past two years, Scott and I have shunned the malls and the online sites, tracking down "the perfect gift" for friends and family, and instead have made our own silly yet practical gifts from what we have on hand or have made by hand.

Exhibit A: Christmas 2009.

I can't give away all of our secrets, but I can show you how we're packaging our gifts. Don't mock me now, but we collected our coffee cans and our oatmeal containers for roughly six months, piling them (or just simply tossing them in a heap) in our spare bedroom closet until it looked like we might just be crazy hoarder people. Maybe we are crazy hoarder people?

I took scrapbooking card stock and using the almighty ModPodge, affixed the cutesy paper to the cans and containers:

From December 2010

They turned out like these:

From December 2010

Kinda cute, and so much more colorful than a plain glass jar or a plastic container, right?

The coffee cans are my personal favorite: (pardon the blurry photo)

IFrom December 2010

I'm kind of in love with my creations! I hope the recipients think they are cool and not super-weird.

So that's part of what I was up to this weekend... that, and celebrating friend I.J.'s birthday, and meeting Miss V in Fredericksburg for a little lunch and holiday browsing. I did find some stocking stuffers that I just can't make myself. I love Christmas Stockings!

Hell, I just love Christmas.

Pittsburgh in Pictures

2010-12-09T19:28:00.007-06:00

As promised: our weekend in Pittsburgh, a lovely city situated on some amazing bluffs and ridges at the confluence of three rivers! So charming, and the people were very, VERY polite. DC/MD/VA residents, are you hearing this? POLITE!

Anyway, accentuating the positives:

We arrived Friday just in time for dinner - we decided to take our friend Jim's advice and try out a former church-turned-brewery: Church Brew Works in the Lawrenceville 'hood.

We tried our first ever pierogies, dumplings filled with cheese, chased with a Pipe Organ Pale Ale for Scott and a Pious Monk Dunkel for myself. We didn't linger too long, as we had to rise early to get in line for the.....

All-Clad Factory Sale! This was the line when we arrived - it doubled back twice in front of us and took us about 45 minutes to make it into the warehouse. The organizers work very hard to ensure this event doesn't turn into madness - only 30-40 people are allowed in every 10 minutes or so for crowd control.

We made it in, and armed with a list and some smarty pants research of the difference between the Stainless Steel, Copper Core, MC2, and other lines, we hit the aisles to fill the large cardboard box provided (which has a string handle attached for dragging the box when it gets too heavy...I kid you not!) to us. Below, Scott ponders if we really need the 12 inch skillet or if we can get by with the 10. Ultimately, we walked out of there minus a couple hundred dollars, but it was so worth it. Who in their right mind would pay $275 retail for a damn stock pot?

After the sale, we decided to explore Pittsburgh, despite the blustery weather. Right away I determined if I would walk around, I needed warm beverages. Luckily, Nicholas Coffee Company in Market Place served them right up in a shop that smelled of sugar and spice and everything WONDERFUL. Check out their antique coffee bins below:

Somehow we blazed through the afternoon without eating lunch, though we were certainly tempted by all the offerings of The Strip, which in the 19th century was the wholesale produce district. Today, it houses art galleries, produce markets, coffee shops, and lots of Italian produce, bakery, and grocery shops like the Pennsylvania Macaroni Company. Anything you could want to remind you of the tastes of the Old Country - cheese, breads, meats, pasta, and as below, olive oil - they have it.

We worked up a hunger toodling around The Strip and up to Mount Washington for a nice evening view, so we hightailed it to Squirrel Hill's Bangkok Balcony for some delicious Thai food recommended by our lovely friends at Peaches & Curry. Eggplant tempura ribbons to start, then a chicken and steamed spinach with spicy peanut sauce for me and Lemongrass Beef for Scott. Wonderful, but we learned Scott doesn't like spicy peanut sauce - it was the first time he took food from my plate, only to return it!

After dinner, we walked around Squirrel Hill and discovered the Manor Theatre, an indie movie spot showing 127 Hours. Why not watch James Franco worm his way out of a tight spot - you must know how he gets his arm out from under the boulder by now, right? Let's just say I watched from between my fingers for some parts, and was definitely glad we ate before we watched the film. I miss indie cinemas!

We ended the night at OTB (Over The Bar) Bicycle Cafe, which had a fun decor going with lots of bikes suspended - yes, over the bar - but there was an obnoxious loud singer who thought she could turn "Paint It Black" into a folk song. Yikes - we consumed our brews quickly and departed.

On Sunday morning, Scott and I checked out of our hotel and had a breakfast of granola and yogurt, muffins and coffee, at The Beehive on Carson -- another recommendation from our friend Jim.

Scott was, of course, a Super Grandpa.

We spent the rest of the snowy morning tinkering around the river....

And then capped our visit off with a lunch at Primanti Bros. Restaurant on The Strip. I only ate half of my Pastrami and Cheese sandwich...the fries they're known for piling on the sandwich were kind of cold and limp and well, it was a bit much. But fun to check out a Pittsburgh institution, nonetheless.

I can't say enough good things about Pittsburgh - friendly, clean, a diverse ethnic history, pride and culture that shines through in their architecture and food, and fantastic topography of hills that rival San Francisco's. Give it a visit sometime - and yinz be sure to pull for the Stillers!

Something to Chew On

2010-12-09T08:52:00.003-06:00

Not to get terribly political or high-minded on this little blog of ours, but while we're planning our holiday gifting, it came to mind that 1) time's running out, and 2) we're both somewhat skeptical now of the consumerist nature of Christmastime.

Each year Scott and I usually rally in early December to scour the Internets and Google Machines for silly holiday songs (like this one), buy them online, and burn a lot of CD's to gift for friends. We've done this since December 2006, but instead of making this our 5th annual Christmas Mix, we're opting to do something different.

Inspired by the good guys over at The Bitten Word, I learned from them about Share Our Strength, a non-profit working to end childhood hunger in America. With the economy as it is, and reports like this one indicating one in seven Americans are on food stamps, it dawned on me that perhaps we can afford to direct our Christmas gifting funds in another direction.

The money that would normally go towards purchasing CDs, cases, padded mailers and postage will now go to Share Our Strength's Share Our Holiday Table campaign.

Scott and I often joke about being "broke" or "poor" but truly, we never want for anything, and we have plenty to eat at each meal - and sometimes more than our fair share! To know that there are people out there - 17 million children, specifically - who don't have access to nutritious and filling foods, sobers us.

I'm not saying we'll never whip up another mix of ridiculous holiday tunes, but this year our gift-giving is a little more serious. Happy Holidays, and as we ponder our next meal and then blog about it, we're grateful and hopeful for better things to come for all of us.

Shameless Cross-Blog Promotion: Eat Your Vegetables

2010-12-08T12:02:00.003-06:00

Yesterday on my other blog, I posted my pondering on vegetables - even though it's cold as a witch's you-know-what, we can't forget our greens, can we?

I had fun hearing from readers' favorite vegetables - and even the vegetables that are really fruits - the impostors!

My top five are:
1) Red bell peppers
2) Brussels sprouts
3) Big heirloom tomatoes when in season
4) Portobello mushrooms
5) Lettuces like arugula and mizuna/baby spinach

What are yours? Do share!

Friday Shout Out: Travel Time

2010-12-03T08:24:00.004-06:00

Scott and I are hitting the road today in search of all the fine things Pittsburgh has to offer.

Can I just say I am more than a little excited? I already went out of my way this morning to hit Union Station to pick up my train ticket to meet Scott in Baltimore, and I have my backpack filled with reading material for the road, a Christmas CD which will annoy the hell out of Scott, and some snacks. I am psyched - and guess what? They're calling for SNOW this weekend in PA.

Yes, me, the one who slept on Interstate 81 last year due to snow mucking everything up, is excited about the white stuff. Crazy, party of one!

Good friends have recommended some excellent spots to eat and visit while we're there, and I hope the All-Clad sale isn't too insane. I'm already preparing my fetal position and head cover in case there's a stampede or I have to fight someone over the last saucepan. My dad taught me some pretty sweet basketball elbowing maneuvers back in the day, so I can give a few jabs pretty well if anyone gets uppity with me.

Foodies show no mercy!

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

Pittsburgh or Bust

2010-11-30T19:49:00.005-06:00

Scott and I are finally doing what we've always talked about - making it to Pittsburgh for the All-Clad Factory Sale.

Yes, we are willing to drive 5+ hours after work on Friday to make it to Saturday morning's early bird sale, where select seconds of All-Clad cookware will be approximately 60 percent off.

Yes, we are tremendously cheap dorks.

Supposedly this is a BIG deal that only happens twice a year. There are groups on Meetup.com organizing field trips to this sale, and our Nashville blogger friend Lannae recommended it to us. We figure we might as well invest in some solid, well-made and long-lasting pieces instead of the nonstick Target-brand stuff we started out with as amateurs. Okay, maybe we're still amateurs, but we're pretty fair bargain hunters.

While we are there, Scott's researched all kinds of historic and city-planning related stuff for us to do. I just want to stay warm if possible (they're calling for the s-word - I can't even type it, but you know what I mean - the cold, powdery stuff!) and I'm hoping some of Pittsburgh still looks like the set of The Deer Hunter - that's pretty much my only reference point for the city.

Scott claims he's heard there's a good Hungarian spot, and the Primanti Brothers are apparently legendary with their sandwich that includes french fries stuffed between the bread slices. I just want to come back with beautiful heirloom cookware and not five extra pounds of girth. I think I'll leave that french fry sandwich to my better half.

If you're familiar with Pittsburgh (or "Shitsburgh" as the eloquent actress Sienna Miller once called it in an interview with Rolling Stone), let us know what's best to check out and nibble on in the fair city.

The Best Way to Keep Cannoli Fresh and Other Baltimore Stories

2010-11-29T19:49:00.004-06:00

My mom and step-dad were up visiting for Thanksgiving and after gorging ourselves on turkey and the sites of D.C., I took them on a day-trip to Baltimore.

After a visit to my mom's favorite museum (she's a mosaic artist), we aimed for lunch at Rocket to Venus in Hampden. It was closed for lunch, but our trip up Charles St. wasn't for naught - we stumbled onto residents of 34th St. setting up their Christmas displays! This street is Christmas at its best, or worst, depending on your tolerance/interest in all things Christmas. Erin teases me for being a scrooge, but I have to admit, lights and what-not are nice at this cold and dark time of year.

After a brief walk through Hampden, we aimed for lunch at Kooper's Tavern in Fells Point. The tavern was most certainly open, with rowdy sports fans packing the bar and even spilling onto the sidewalk for fresh-shucked oysters. (My friend Gideon would have camped out right there for their Chincoteagues!) After some deliberations, I promised my parents a walk (long to them, but short to me, given that I walk 2 miles round-trip daily from Camden Station to work) to Baltimore's Little Italy for lunch and dessert.

After several blocks, we arrived at Amicci's, a nice casual place, where I had a chicken dish that had a sweet-ish sauce. I didn't care so much for the sauce, but my side of fettuccine marinara was wonderfully simple, yet tasty. Everybody else at the table had variations on shrimp, which were BIG (Domestic or imported? - that is the question) Oh, and their bread is nice big Italian loaf, although warming it would make it even better, especially on the cold, windy day we came into the restaurant.

When asked if we cared for dessert or coffee, we politely declined, citing "fullness." The truth was that we had a direct line-of-sight to Vaccaro's, the almighty for Italian desserts and coffee in Little Italy. Actually, it's the only bakery/coffee place I've been to so far in Little Italy, so I should reserve reverence for it until I check out other places.

Nonetheless, we walked out with two cannolis (one plain, one chocolate covered - both stuffed with mascarpone cheese and chocolate chips), a chocolate-topped cream puff, a coffee, a cappuccino and an espresso. We split the cannolis between the four of us, but still had pieces of both leftover.

That was Saturday, so forward to Monday when I wanted something sweet after dinner. The plain cannoli's shell went soft sitting the fridge. The chocolate-dipped one, however, remained crisp, as the chocolate insulated the shell from fridge moisture, etc. It was a delicious and pleasant discovery to find that chocolate does indeed make everything better.

Over The Leftovers

2010-11-29T11:46:00.002-06:00

Food emergency - I am officially out of Tupperware, glass jars, and any other method to store foods safely and soundly!

My fridge is a maze of random Thanksgiving this and that - search for the milk and you might topple over the turkey remnants. Hunting for cheese? You'll need to look past the takeout container of pizza, a hastily wrapped bowl of hummus, and a basketball-sized amount of stuffing that is - yes - stuffed into the largest container we own.

What's wild is that I have never been a fan of leftovers. Call me a Freshness Freak, but I grew up in a house where weeks-old glazed carrots formed a furry vest in the fridge before they would be removed. My mother is no slob, but she had a certain disregard for freshness - and she still does, as my gift (as a joke, but not really) to her last Christmas was to organize both her pantry and her fridge.

I like hot, fresh foods - there's just something dirty and a little gross about trying to reheat three-day old green beans or rice.

I'm already getting that panicked feeling - like the leftovers are a ticking bomb ready to go off, and we have to consume them IMMEDIATELY, or out they should go. I have no problems trashing massive amounts of food if I suspect they may be past their prime. I'm talking sheer days here - two, or three. Guidelines suggest four days is the max for leftover foods. And look - it's four days past Thanksgiving, folks.

Vielen Dank/Muchas Gracias/Thanks a Bunch!

2010-11-25T09:43:00.003-06:00

Pumpkin pie: baked. Cranberry sauce: cooled. Stuffing: in the slow cooker. Turkey: just a few hot minutes 'til it gets popped in the oven.

I have a feeling it'll be a tasty Thanksgiving dinner at Casa Adams. We hope wherever you are, you're well-fed and blessed. We thank you for reading, commenting, and supporting our endeavors - from blogging and beyond.

Happy Thanksgiving!

T-Minus One Day 'til Turkey Day

2010-11-24T09:45:00.003-06:00

One little day until Thanksgiving! I should be working on well, work, but in my mind I'm going over the recipes I've culled, the lists I have made, the ingredients taking up space in the fridge and pantry, and wondering a little too obsessively if I have left anything out.

It seems to be all there...canned pumpkin, whole cranberries, a big-ass turkey breast, a bundle of fresh sage, and so forth and so on. My game plan starts this evening - printing out all my recipes, baking the pie and the cornbread so I can make the stuffing tomorrow, and fixing the fresh cranberry sauce so that's one less thing to do tomorrow. I thought about chopping some veggies, but I think they may discolor a little if I do it too early.

And the star of the show...the Gobbler. I need to do a little research on the recipe I selected and see if I need to rub it with seasonings the night before or marinate it or...yeah. I am kind of clueless about that big hunk of poultry in my fridge. Hopefully Google will tell me what to do, right?

So focused on the big meal was I that the idea of eating lunch tomorrow completely escaped me, so I am scrambling to figure out what to have on hand for Scott, myself, and our two wonderful guests, L&R. So far, we will have the booze (Scott's on that errand this eve.) I also have mixed nuts and hummus and crackers for snacks. I'm considering a soup and sandwich lunch, maybe? Something light!

I'm hitting the Safeway near my office today during my lunch break - it seems smarter to do that rather than hit up the Giant near my house later this evening. I feel like that would be a big cluster of people frantically picking up last-minute cranberry sauce and stuffing, and I do not want to be there. I'd rather be smelling my pie baking away, with a glass of Pinot in my hand. :-)

Hope everyone who's cooking this week finds great success, and if you're not, be sure kiss the cook who feeds you!

Sticker Shock

2010-11-22T21:19:00.007-06:00

It's surreal, y'all - Scott and I are now a one car household! What the what!

It all came down to money - we want to save more of it. No we will have waaaaay less of an insane car insurance premium and I now have no car payment. Also, we longer will suffer the embarrassment of being car twins. We went from double Matrices to ein silver Matrix.

I've always driven Toyotas, so I always gave my cars Japanese names - Yoko for my old green Camry, and Yoshi for my recently departed blue Matrix. Scott's not a fan of nicknaming his - I mean, OUR, silver Matrix - so when I pressed him for suggestions, he came up with...Momo, Japanese for peach. I kind of love it. What do you think? The other was a non-Japanese moniker - Dot, as in Dot Matrix. Kinda ridiculous, yes?

I think we're going with Momo.

Sidenote: To celebrate our newfound one-car-ness, we hit up Sardi's, our favorite Peruvian charcoal chicken joint in the area (so far.) Their churasco de pollo will cure what ails you. Love, love love it!

Side note to the side note - we tried out the famed Pollo de Rico over the weekend - also a Peruvian chicken joint, endorsed by our fave bastard chef/author/TV show host Anthony Bourdain. Located "in the ass end of the universe," as Bourdain aptly says, it's an Arlington, Va. institution. We thought it was...okay, for marinated chicken and plain ol' steak fries and ehhhh slaw. No caramelized plantains, yummy green beans, fried yuca, or spicy and luscious churasco de pollo as Sardi's delivers. Just chicken and fries. Mr. Bourdain, and all the DC metro area acolytes of Pollo de Rico, you're loco. Ditch Arlington and come to Beltsville, Md. for finger lickin' chicken!

Anyway, the crux of this post all comes down to this - saying goodbye to one hell of a bumper sticker, one that I believe has earned me maybe a few stare downs and more than a few quizzical remarks. I ripped it to shreds getting it off the rear windshield.

Check it out:

Purchased from the Southern Foodways Alliance, it was the best statement I ever declared on an automobile - even the "Bad Cop, No Donut" or "Farfrompuken" ones my mom made me remove from my car in high school as she knew it would incite the police to pull over and ticket my insolent teenage tail.

Scott says he may buy another one for me and put it on his car. Now that's sweet & Southern true love.

Friday Shout Out: Talking Turkey

2010-11-19T10:43:00.006-06:00

If your Google Reader looks anything like mine lately, all you see is post after post after post on Thanksgiving recipes - what's hot, what's not, and what's just ridiculous - yes, I'm talking about you, Thanksgiving Turkey Cake!

Sick.

So, while such a delight will NOT make it to my wee little kitchen/dining room table this year, or any year for that matter (though it is a time saver, you know, when you just can't be bothered with all the courses and the dirty dishes), I do have a plan.

It involves a turkey breast, not the whole freakin' bird, as I will cook for four, not an Army. It includes a pumpkin pie - with a twist - a recipe from way down in Caldwell County, NC - a congregation member of one of my dad's first churches who had a way with pies.

Also making an appearance - homemade gravy, cornbread stuffing per Scott's request, some green things like roasted veggies, green beans, and maybe a salad (can't get too healthy now, can we?), and some Parker House rolls (or maybe Sister Schubert's) 'cause as handy as I may seem, this meal is not the time to "try something" and then make totally sucky bread.

C'mon now...that trick is for amateurs, which yes I am when it comes to Thanksgiving meals, but my mama didn't raise no fool, y'all. There will also be Cran in a Can ( I can't help it...I love the ridges from the can on my cranberry sauce!) and a homemade version.

Anything else I may leave out, well, it's not as if it's needed. Oh yes, the booze. How could I forget? It's not a holiday without the hooch.

On that note, TGIF.

Survey Says: I Got Tagged

2010-11-17T10:26:00.004-06:00

I feel 15 again...taking a survey as I was tagged by my good friend Beth at Peaches & Curry.

Like any good survey, there are rules:

1) Link to the person who tagged you.
2) Paste these rules on your blog post.
3) Respond to the following prompts.
4) Add a prompt of your own and answer it.
5) Tag a few other bloggers at the bottom of the post.
6) Leave “Tagged You” notices on their blog/Facebook. (I'm free from the shackles of FB, so y'all people are getting old school EMAILS.)
7) Let the person who tagged you know when you’ve written the post.

And I know you wait with bated breath for my answers, so here it goes.

1) The best investment you ever made:
Hmmm...well, I tend to be a bargain hunter, so big-ticket items I don't go for very often. One of the first things I do when I move somewhere new (and I feel like I've done it a LOT here lately) is march straight to the local library and apply for a library card. It's one of my favorite things to transport me to fascinating places and inform me of things I'd otherwise never know - and it didn't cost a dime (ok, well, if taxes and my occasional overdue fines are excluded.) Totally worth the time it takes to endure surly library staffers and long checkout lines.

2) If you could’ve written any book, directed any movie, and composed any song, which three would you pick:
Book: Tie between The Great Gatsby and The Secret Garden.
Movie: Amelie, or that cult classic The Big Lebowski. "Just call me The Dude... or El Duderino, if you're not into the whole brevity thing."
Song: Any Nina Simone tune, particularly "Mississippi Goddamn." That woman was a firecracker.

3) Weirdest quirk:
I can't leave anything dirty in a sink. Seriously, dirty dishes are nasty and I will wash them even if they're not mine.

4) One wish immediately granted:
Uh, 30 pounds GONE, and never to return.

5) Most expensive hobby:
Traveling.

6) An inexhaustible gift-card at which store:

I know T.J. Maxx is not upscale enough, but as I said, I'm a bargain shopper! Williams-Sonoma wouldn't be bad, either.

7) In another lifetime, you’d be:
Julia Child.

8) The most famous/interesting member of your family tree:
On my mom's side, the Colonial Governor James Moore. On my dad's side, Adolph Nussman, the first Lutheran minister in North Carolina.

9) What would you say to your teenage self?
Stay curious about the world, and yes, you are beautiful.

10) Which celebrity would you most want to look like?
None of them! Too much maintenance at high costs!

11) What would your last meal be?
An oyster roast, with chocolate cake and champagne for dessert!

12) What's your favorite place on earth?
On a mountain. Best places thus far are St. Mary's Lake in Glacier Park, Montana, and Max Patch on the NC/TN line.

Consider yourselves tagged: Shelby, Lannae, and Emily
And don’t forget to add your question at the end!

Timeless: Gary's Barbecue

2010-11-14T17:54:00.010-06:00

Here's one mystifying, frustrating and yet occasionally beautiful thing about the Southern U.S. - change comes slowly. I find it even more beautiful when, after decade, some things don't change at all.

By this I mean Gary's Barbecue, an institution I grew up on in the 1980s and 90s in the Piedmont region of North Carolina. Its provenance is China Grove, NC - a funky-named place between Kannapolis and Salisbury, and pretty much in the backwoods where somehow, someway, the subdivisions and ho-hum strip malls invading the greater Charlotte area haven't caught up with little China Grove.

I hope they never do. I hope Gary's remains untainted by growth and development so it can continue as the best damn Lexington-style barbecue joint out in the middle of nowhere.

Anytime pork on a bun comes up in conversation, Scott's probably learned by now to tune out my odes to Gary's glory, in the nearly nine years (!) we've discussed the finer points of barbecue. He grew up on South Carolina style, sadly - they drench the pork in a sweet/spicy mustard sauce. What is that all about?

I finally showed Scott REAL BBQ last weekend, during our drive down to my Grandmother Carrie's funeral in Concord, NC.

We pulled in to the parking lot off of Hwy. 29 and I immediately became giddy, nearly leaping out of the car before it completely stopped. I gabbed about their vinegar sauce and the ice pellets they use that I loved, the way the pork wasn't dry or plain, but moist and perfectly seasoned. The tin signs of memorabilia - Grape Nehi, Coke, Wonder Bread, etc. - lining the walls, and the three 50s-era Chevys with the bad-ass fins that they kept well preserved in a special room in the back. (This is NASCAR country, ya know.)

We seated ourselves in a booth and as I grabbed the menu, I realized it was probably five years or more since I last ate at Gary's. I pondered the weight of those years.

What if they didn't have that ice that I liked? What if the pork was just so-so and their fries weren't crinkle-cut like they used to be? What if, God forbid, they were out of Cheerwine?

When the waitress took our orders, I had to ask her what came on the BBQ platter versus the BBQ tray. I didn't remember. I ordered the platter - which came with pulled pork, slaw, fries AND hushpuppies (oh, those warm little carbs o' the South) - and Scott ordered a large sandwich and onion rings. As when in Rome, we ordered two small Cheerwines to drink.

The food came quickly, almost as soon as the Cheerwines, which luckily were poured over the ice pellets I recalled fondly. My eyes bulged at the amount of pork loaded on my plate, along with a generous scoop of slaw cut with red pepper and vinegar (no mayo), and several golf-ball size cornmeal hushpuppies.

Scott was confused to see slaw on his sandwich - I reminded him this was, of course, "Carolina Style." Nonetheless, it didn't prevent him from digging in, and after one bite, he grinned widely and uttered the highest compliment he can possibly give - "Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm."

That's right. Gary's hadn't changed a bit. The pork was still moist, the fries still crinkle cut, the slaw still piquant and slightly red, and the Cheerwine flowed freely from pitchers. Thank you, oh benevolent gods of the barbecued pork.

I don't know what I would have done if the meal hadn't been up to my expectations. I suppose I would have paid the tab and drove off, wishing for the "good ol' days." But I can say for sure that at Gary's, the good ol' days, and nights, are better than ever. And that, my friends, is truly a beautiful thing.

Friday Shout Out: Cold Oven Pound Cake

2010-11-12T12:40:00.003-06:00

This one's for my Grandmother Carrie, who died last Friday at age 93.

My grandmother wasn't flashy or overly free with her affections, but she was a woman of strong faith and well, she baked one hell of a pound cake.

It's not just any ol' pound cake - it's a Cold Oven cake, made by putting the cake pan in a non-preheated oven to bake.

I'm in the process of tracking her recipe down from one of my cousins, so for now, here's a similar one that you might find enjoyable. It makes for one of the most moist cakes I know of and results in a nice crust on top, too. She didn't add flavorings like almond or chocolate, but I am sure you could if you wanted that little something extra. I find that would be like gilding the lily, however.

Sometimes a simple pound cake can do so much - it brought our family a lot of joy and pleasure to rave over during holidays and special occasions, and now, it's a legacy - a token of a woman who's left us, but is still in our hearts and minds.

Love those you treasure today, and enjoy something tasty this weekend!

Friday Shout Out: The Rice Is Right

2010-11-05T10:14:00.005-05:00

Last night while dining at the Korean place and Washingtonian "Cheap Eats" pick Lighthouse Tofu in Rockville, a discussion came up over cooking rice.

(Sidebar: I had bad Korean food once in San Francisco - beef tasted "off" and the hot tea was like licking shoe leather. Not good. Long story short, Lighthouse Tofu redeemed Korean food for me - beef bulgogi is now the jam. YUM. Get some.)

I can't seem to figure it out, but ever since I tossed out my non-stick cookware and switched to my All-Clad pot (the awesome one we found in the backyard of our first rental house in Nashville, but that's another story), rice at our house continues to be a rocky deal.

I've tried lowering the heat on our gas range or upping it just a tad. I've played with the water to rice ratio, now working with a one and a half cup of water to one cup rice situation. I've washed the rice in a strainer, even.

Sadly, sometimes the result is too sticky/gluey. Often the rice dried out and stuck to the bottom of the pan. It's a suck situation, folks. No one likes to eat bad rice. That can screw a whole meal plan quite quickly.

Our friends' recommend buying a rice cooker. Until the Genie grants my wish for extra storage space or we get the hell out of our teensy apartment, I'm stuck using the All Clad pot.

Any suggestions for the right rice? As the owner of a Charleston Rice Spoon, THE gift for brides who know their rightful place in the kitchen, I feel like a Southern Belle who's lost her "clang" if I can't make solid rice again.

Hope everyone has a marvelous weekend! We're headed to Baltimore for a Greek Festival. OPA!

Down with OPB: Other People's Blogs

2010-11-03T13:00:00.002-05:00

Ever get blog envy? Oh, come on, admit it.

Here's one you'll go green over - The Bitten Word. Presently, the twosome with taste list a compendium of 175 Thanksgiving recipes from 10 food 'zines.

If you're not inspired by their good works, maybe you should check your pulse, yes?

I'm thinking my dinner for four is going to be a tinge more interesting this year. Hurray for fantastic bloggers!

What A Dive

2010-11-02T09:14:00.008-05:00

Sometimes you don't need ambiance. Sometimes you don't need a six page wine list. Sometimes you don't need small plates drizzled with some kind of prettified infused reduction sauce.

Sometimes you just want a beer. Or four. Plus food. Like a burger, maybe? And accompanied by something nice and fried - tater tots, perhaps?

Well friends, thanks to pal I.J., I found just what's described above - something that can only be called "A Dive Bar." Silver Spring's Quarry House - Monday Nights. A bevy of normal folks pack the place to enjoy half-priced burgers, dollars off all beers during Happy Hour. Happy indeed!

You know you're headed somewhere special when you take to the grungy stairs heading down to a 70-year old basement space under an Indian restaurant on Georgia Ave. Johnny Cash is on the jukebox and strings of colored lights and dimly lit sconces provide just enough light to make out the menu.

The beer list is impressive - they even offer Orkney Skull Splitter from Scotland! The tots are crisp and tasty and the burgers...yum. I would rather have a burger from QH than the overly-hyped and pricey Good Stuff Eatery or the ubiquitous Five Guys any day - good quality meat, an extensive list of toppings, substantial cheese, and steaming hot when it arrives. YUM.

I enjoyed a bottle of Flying Dog Tire Bite Golden Ale and a 1/3 lb. burger with Swiss, bacon and BBQ sauce, and soon enough, the woes and weariness of Monday eased away, and all was right with the world.

The simplicity of Quarry House's website says it all - when you're 70 and you're keeping it real with burgers, beer and tots, there's not a lot of need for any fancy flourish. Just good eats and drinks on the cheap, and for the DC area, that's saying something.

Friday Shout Out: I Want Candy

2010-10-29T08:54:00.004-05:00

T to the G to the I to the F. It's not only Friday, but the cusp of Halloween weekend! I just can't stand it, I'm so excited (but not in a bad Saved By The Bell kind of way).

My workplace has a big cauldron of candy - I chose a big Lemonhead ball and a Fireball that I'm presently enjoying - and it's making me wonder - what's the best Halloween treat?

Candy Corn?
Er, no.

Smarties? Those are always the cheap and popular option. How about Fun size Snickers? Now I can dig those.

Personally, I was always a fan of the big red wax lips that occasionally some cool person might dole out to the kiddies now and then. Man, I wish I could find some. They are too fun!

Whatever you wind up nibbling on - be it high fructose-laden or fair trade/organic or even boxes of Nature's Candy, I hope everyone has a wonderful Halloween weekend. We're headed back to Nashville to visit friends, see an Avett Brothers show at the Ryman tomorrow night, and tonight - the party is on with a "Bring your favorite shot" theme. Scary indeed - let's stay hydrated and safe!

Is It Hot In Here...

2010-10-24T18:55:00.011-05:00

Or is it just my warm Rosemary Walnut Loaves?

Yep, I've tried my hand at baking bread, and it looks like I successfully completed my mission!

Exhibit A: Before the oven

Exhibit B: After the oven

A recipe from Cooking Light, it's something one really should take the time to read the entire way through before one proceeds. I scanned the ingredients list and began at 2pm today, while had I read the recipe, I would have known I'd stand in my kitchen four hours later, slicing the bread.

A couple of things: Bread takes time, effort, and patience. I know this now. The latter is always my downfall, so this was practice for me. BIG practice.

There's the rising of the yeast. Then adding the flour and the rest of the ingredients and letting it rise more. Then kneading - despite the stickiness of the dough, you have to knead it for 10 minutes - that's forever in Erin Time, but just right in Bread Time.

I punched it, I poked it, I wrangled with it, and scattered the stubborn sticky lump with flour in 1/4 cup increments just as the good folks at CL told me to, though I was worried at one point that I had more dough stuck to my hands than on my work surface. Once you've sufficiently pummeled the dough, you have to let it rise more. Then divide it, put in on your pan, and let it rise even MORE.

Man, there's a lot of rising involved. Did you catch that part?

But, it appears to be worth it. I now have two tasty rounds of bread cooling in my kitchen. One, for HTT. The other, I may take to work, as we've had a doozy of a time lately over a certain public fiasco. Yeah, it's been a little much lately, and bread is a comforting carb, yes?

It's been a great weekend here for us - we saw two movies at the Brazilian Film Festival at the Landmark E Street Theatre in DC - one of which involved, yes of course, food - Estômago, or A Gastronomic Story.

Let's just say the humor is definitely dark!

We've Got It Made: Mmmm Minestrone

2010-10-23T08:17:00.005-05:00

In marriage, you can be honest, yes?

Scott's always loved minestrone soup, but in past experience the recipe he followed turned out have more of a thick, stew-ish consistency that I don't really care for. He never has a problem telling me when something I make just isn't quite right. I usually know when 1) there's remnants of food on his plate, and 2) no "Mmmms" ever escape his lips. If it's not "Mmmm" worthy, just stop right there, rip up that recipe, and file a mental note never to make that again.

Therefore, we set out on Thursday eve to make a Minestrone with the Mmmm factor. I'm happy to report that we succeeded - we cooked up a brothy, vegetable-laden soup that included beans (of which I used to be a naysayer. Now I love most of them!), and it's perfect for these fall days. Hello fall, we thought you'd never make it. Welcome!

We took our lead from David Rosengarten's It's All American Food, the hardcover edition which I always love to remind myself I picked up for $1.99 at a Goodwill store in Shelby, NC several years ago with my co-thrifter friend Kellie. Man, I love a bargain!

Anyway, the recipe is pretty basic - saute about one cup each of carrots, potatoes, celery and onion, with five cloves of garlic (um yeah, it's going to get stinky).

Once your veggies are soft, add in 5 cups chicken broth and 5 cups water with a can of whole tomatoes, a small rind piece of Parmesan, and four tablespoons of tomato paste. Rosengarten's recipe calls for escarole, which I am sure is lovely, but you try finding escarole in a conventional grocery store called Giant in Hyattsville, Md. Yeah, I used kale. Put that on in the pot and cover it.

Sometimes you must be silly to make soup.

Simmer all that for about 25 minutes and bring the heat up a little to boil your noodles - small pasta of your choice, such as those cute little stars, orzo, or the basic elbow macaroni as we used.

Scott does his part. Hey, he helped.

After five minutes, add in one regular-sized can of cannellini beans. Once you check to ensure your pasta is al dente, turn off the heat and salt to taste. We added in a handful of chopped Italian parsley and the remainder of our garden basil. Garnish away with a little grated Parmesan, and hit it.

It's a comforting soup with restorative powers. Or at the very least, damn tasty. So there - we made it - Mmmm-worthy Minestrone we can honestly say is a keeper!

Have a great weekend!

Good Food In Big Yankee Cities: Part Two

2010-10-22T15:31:00.018-05:00

As promised, Philadelphia.

Two words: Cheese steaks. That's how our co-foodies on the trip prefaced our Philly trip. It was our ultimate goal, the Holy Grail of Good Eats, if you will. Drive an hour and a half for a sandwich? Oh hell, why not?

Turns out, there's MUCH more to the City of Brotherly Love than just tasty beef smothered in cheese. Let me just spell it out for you below.

First, yes, the cheese steaks.

Scott's dad, a fan of the Food Network's Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives, found a place, Cosmi's, in South Philly on 8th that he thought we should try. It seemed like a great idea, as we'd heard the big boys of Pat's and Geno's on dueling corners at Ninth Street and Passyunk Avenue are overrated. Those joints are strictly for tourists.

Just by looking at the Cosmi's exterior, it seemed like a solid choice. No fancy lights, signs, or huge crowds extending out the door - just two long tables with chairs for "dine-out" seating. We entered and the friendly man took our orders for four sandwiches. I chose the Verde with broccoli rabe, Scott's sis Molly had the Trio (mushrooms, peppers and onions), and I can't recall what Scott or his dad ordered.

In less than 10 minutes, we received our hot and HUGE sandwiches, and they were gone in about the same length of time. SO SO good. Tender beef steak and melt-y provolone cheese, no processed orange Cheez Whiz to be had. We were off to a tremendous start!

The Italian Market on South 9th disappointed, as it's not so much Italian anymore as it is primarily Hispanic and Asian. One storefront, Di Bruno Bros., was on my list to visit, as a friend introduced me to their "crack cheese" Gorgonzola spread. However the line was INSANE and my claustrophobia prevented me from getting in the foodie fray.

Putting a pause on the food (for now - it's always on our minds, of course), on we went for a historical tour, hitting the highlights - Constitutional Hall, a peep at the Liberty Bell (line was waaaaaaay longer than our patience would allow), and the city planner in our midst wanted to see the majestic City Hall.

No tour of Philly would be complete without the obligatory Rocky stance on the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Nevermind the artwork...we just wanted to mock the Rocky.

All that posing and posturing made us a little peckish, so off we went to park the car and hunt down a recommendation from a savvy friend - Branzino on South 17th near Rittenhouse Square.

I took an excellent unplanned tour of the Square, as nearly all restaurants in Philly are BYOB and though our savvy friend told us this, we promptly ignored the fact. Molly and I hightailed it about five blocks and through the Square to find a well-hidden wine store and brought back two BIG bottles of Chardonnay and Shiraz. With Scott serving as DD, the wine freely flowed (to put it mildly) and we set about ordering a flurry of food.

Salads...marinated Artichoke hearts with red pepper and olive oil...bread, oh the bread...followed by entrees of spicy-sauced Squid Ink Tagliatelle with shrimp, scallops and roasted peppers (mine), Squash ravioli in a sage butter sauce (Scott's), and my memory fails me on what Rob and Molly ordered.

I loved mine - plenty of seafood when normally that's where restaurants will skimp, and just the right amount of spicy heat. Scott's was fair, but small portioned, which is a slight to Scott's appetite, as those who know him can attest.

Do you think we were stuffed by then? Perhaps. Now, I left one part out of the day that you should know about. Just a block or so down from our cheese steak joint, the Termini Bros. bakery called to us. Any place that's been around since 1921 must be doing something right, yes?

Attendants in white gloves are there to take you down the huge counter that runs in the middle of the store, handpicking your items as you request them and putting them into boxes or plastic containers. You are NOT to touch the biscotti, cookies, and whatnots, capisce?

I found about four types of biscotti I had to have - cranberry and pistachio, a chocolate espresso, hazelnut and cherry, and one other. Rob loaded up on sfogliatelle (clamshell filo-esque pastry filled with custard) and two kinds of cannolli - one with ricotta and chocolate chips and another with vanilla cream.

So back to post-dinner, as we left to head home, bellies stretched and heads woozy from wine. Molly and I passed out in the back seat, only to revive an hour or so later to make a curious discovery -- Scott and his dad pulled over into a rest stop somewhere in the state of Delaware and proceed to dig into the box of Termini Bros. cannoli, and stand around, sipping on coffee. I spill out of the car, join them to grab a cannoli, take a few bites, and then shove it under Molly's nose for her to take a taste or two.

One of the most random and yet awesome moments I've had with his family - noshing on tasty pastry in a parking lot late at night.

That pretty much sums up the trip - we came, we saw, we consumed. I can't wait to go back!

Friday Shout Out: British Dairy Farm Rap

2010-10-22T08:56:00.003-05:00

Thanks to Grist.com for the "World's First Organic Dairy Rap Video" featuring cute fresh-faced, young Brits trying their best in hip-hop style to promote organic milk products.

I'd buy them. And ignore the discussion in the Grist post where they get into the whole "real environmentalists" wouldn't eat dairy. Or the raw/pasteurized debate. I don't know about you, but nothing's going to come between me and my dairy. Word.

TGIF!

Applelicious

2010-10-20T12:06:00.005-05:00

Just the title of this alone has me humming some Destiny's Child (and how in the hell did I miss that Stevie Nicks totally cameo-ed the video? Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat.)

I have an exciting project for fall - Apple Chips! I think I may tackle this tonight. I've never dried fruit in an over before, but I overcooked some meat one time that could have been mistaken for jerky. "Meat Chips" just don't have a swell ring to them, do they?

I know, I've been all about the apples, but can you blame me - the apple is a wonderful fruit of this season we call fall. I also have several small cooking pumpkins I need to do something with - any suggestions?

Happy Hump Day, y'all. Make it bootylicous. Or not. Totally your call.

Tea and Cake, or Death

2010-10-18T18:49:00.003-05:00

"Uh, death please? No, cake, cake."

If you haven't seen Eddie Izzard's Dressed to Kill, well, I'm kinda envious, because I'd like to go back to when I saw it for the first time. British male transvestite comedian = good times, I promise you.

Sooooo...tea and cake. It's about to happen here at our house because I have this baking in the oven at the moment. I have to use up my apples, though I know they last a while in cold storage, my Virgo OCD tendencies say food needs to be eaten when fresh.

I wanted to make this apple loaf cake from Tennessee Locavore as it looked so healthy - applesauce, whole wheat pastry flour, less sugar, etc. - but I didn't have any nuts or cranberries and after my canning extravaganza last night, I was not about to make my applesauce from scratch. Thus the easy way out with the cooks.com recipe.

Maybe for a lazy day when my pantry's fully stocked? I'm now officially out of canola oil and flour!

Apples to Apples

2010-10-17T16:38:00.006-05:00

As I sit here typing, a funny little sound escapes from my kitchen. "Thwack. Pop." Silence...then again, "Thwack." No, it's not Scott taking out his frustrations on a meal tonight. It's glass jars filled with yummy sweet spreads sealing their lids as they cool. Oh, how I love that sound!

What did I make, you may wonder. Well, let me tell you. It has to do with these shots, taken during our visit to Homestead Farm two weekends ago:

Our host tells us what's up... respect the fruit. We always respect the fruit.

The apples we picked -- about 20 - 25 of the Gala and Cameo varieties, were HUGE - nearly twice the size of the typical grocery store kind. I am obviously all about them, as you see below.

In addition to acres of apples, the farm also includes a pumpkin patch - pretty irresistible this time of year. Our friend Ryan demonstrates how Mr. Potato Head has been replaced by a much larger piece of produce - MUCH larger.

If apples aren't your deal, you can always fill up on some excellent produce available at the farm stand - two of these brightly-hued eggplants made it back home with us and made for tasty Italian and curried meals this past week.

After snacking on the apples for a week or so now, I knew they were bound for better things - sweeter things, perhaps? As we're pretty set on doing as we did last year and making all of our Christmas presents, I imagine several people on our list might enjoy receiving such things as
Apple Butter and Apple Pie Jam.

The apple butter recipe is one I used last year that I found via Google search. It's pretty simple - all but the apples' cores and seeds goes into a pot, boils down, receives copious amounts of sugar and spice (and everything nice, as indicated in the recipe. Seriously.), and gets boiled down further. Then, you process the stuff in hot jars for 10 minutes. Easy breezy, and yes, absolutely beautiful.

The Apple Pie Jam - man, does that sounds amazing, or what????? - is a little different. The apples must be peeled, which is kind of a b-i-t-c-h, cored, and minced, and gelling pectin is used - which was my virgin application of this grainy stuff from a box. It worked out well, as I can tip the jars over and the jam stays put - kind of like the Dairy Queen Blizzard ads, only not.

I found this recipe via the wonderful Mrs.Wheelbarrow's Kitchen - she's the canning queen of the District of Columbia recently featured on NPR's Morning Edition. I will brag a little as I knew about her blog before she hit the public radio airwaves, and I love that her recipes are clear and easy to follow, not to mention mouthwateringly luscious. I can't wait to gift myself and Scott a half-pint of this jam! Christmas is comin' early to our house!!

I spent about two and a half hours canning today and though I started out grumbling under my breath something about getting arthritis from hand-peeling those gargantuan apples, I finished up feeling proud of making something on my own and getting giddy thinking of who will receive these little jars during the holiday season.

It's going to be a holly, jolly time - and at the very least, lip-smackingly sweet!

Friday Shout Out: Good Food In Big Yankee Cities

2010-10-15T11:01:00.012-05:00

Posting on behalf of my male HTT counterpart:

My dad and sister drove up from Georgia this past long weekend and we explored Baltimore, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C.

Molly (my sister) had never been to Baltimore nor Philadelphia, Erin was new to Philly and I’d only been to Philly for about six hours in a snowstorm (stopped there midway from Asheville, NC to Montreal, left in a hurry trying to avoid getting stuck in a blizzard). My dad, laid-back as always, was open to visiting all three places, so we started with Baltimore on a Friday.

Baltimore

I drove them into town, with quick trek through downtown and then onto Chaps Pit Beef, a place on the far eastern edge of Baltimore City serving pit beef, Baltimore’s local take on barbecue. I’d seen Anthony Bourdain’s visit, so I made sure to try the tiger sauce. That, plus heaping spoons of horseradish, had me in “food sweat,” which isn’t a bad thing as long as tasty, spicy food is involved. Molly and dad got straight-up pit beef, while I opted for a combo with corned beef, smoked turkey and pit beef. We shared a heaping order of fries which were top-notch, real fried potatoes rather than “It-Came-From-the-Deep-Freezer-Potato-Matter.”

After polishing off that, we meandered back to Federal Hill for a visit to the American Visionary Art Museum, a gem for art and classes, including pretzel-making. Once we had our fix of amphibious art vehicles and screen painting, we stopped at The Brewers Art in Mt. Vernon for a few beers before Erin’s train arrived at Penn Station.

From Rocktober 2010

Resurrection Ale is their signature beer, which we sampled along with Sun King and Golden-something.

Dinner took us to Fell’s Point, where we ate at Bertha’s. They’re noted for their mussels, of which we had plenty.

From Rocktober 2010

Sauces included garlic-sage, white wine & butter and tomato anchovy (surprisingly good!) tarragon and sage, Spanish sauce.

Philadelphia

We got out of the apartment at 8:30 p.m and arrived in Philly just in time for an early lunch. Dad had researched Philly Cheesesteaks and.... To Be Continued!!

Pudding, Pudding, Pudding!

2010-10-14T13:57:00.004-05:00

Tell me this isn't the best video featuring fake flan-like pudding and silly folks from Japan that you've ever seen.

P.S. Shoutout to my friend Beth, who turns 30 today - the Dirty Thirty has arrived!!!!

Bitesized: All I Wanna Do (And Eat)

2010-10-13T11:54:00.004-05:00

Once I thought I should maybe convert to Tumblr as it seemed like the cool blogging thing to do, then I realized I can get a little wordy now and then and Tumblr isn't exactly great for long form diatribes on the evils of Little Debbie snack cakes or the awful crab we had in Chinatown.

So. No Tumblr, but that doesn't mean I can't give you teensy little blog posts on random stuff, as always. Today I present to you the little bites of this and that floating around in my mind.

A - There are pretty pumpkins growing in my 'hoods communal garden, and I think roasted pumpkin seeds need to be on the agenda. It is October, the best of the autumnal months, n'est pas?

B - I have an urge to make my own energy/granola bars, as my energy has been flagging now for a while and I like bars of all kinds (not just the drinky-drinky speakeasy kind, but these). A recipe I have at home looks simple enough - we shall soon see!

C - Soups. Though yesterday's weather of the 80 degree variety was unwelcome and a little unfair now that I am sweatily slogging my way walking home to the nearest Metro station and back, I'm ready for soups. Minestrone and beef stew, specifically. It's on, just as soon as I don't have to mop my forehead and check for pit stains after my walks. Ew. I just grossed myself out.

Spaghetti Squash FAIL

2010-10-12T15:53:00.003-05:00

So last week I tried something new - the spaghetti squash I picked up from the apple-pickin' farm (post on that coming soon...it's been a full weekend and I realize I didn't even do a Friday Shout Out last week...my bad, dogs, my bad. No I did NOT just type that.)

I cut both squash in half, slithered out the slimy bits and seeds, and microwaved them for about 10 minutes. I shredded out the flesh, which really did look similar to pasta in texture - maybe an orange-like cellophane noodle? - and as I was doing the Mexican casserole dish I love from the Moosewood I gave the noodles some cumin, cayenne and salt and pepper sprinkling, and a little buttah.

Welllllllllllllll.... those "noodles" were rather mushy, and a little too sweet for my tastebuds that evening. I perhaps overnuked them in the microwave? Or just don't know how to massage them and give them their best treatment.

Any ideas are recommended, as I like the idea of a fall veggie that could replace the carby noodles I tend to crave in cold weather.

Sick: Spaghetti Tacos

2010-10-07T14:50:00.002-05:00

A "trending topic" on the Internets right now is apparently "Spaghetti tacos."

Uhhh...no thanks. The only weird "food stuffed in a food" trick I might ever try would be a turducken. Put that in your Google machine.

Squished and Squashed

2010-10-06T13:47:00.002-05:00

Scott and I picked up a few spaghetti squash at the farm stand where we picked apples this weekend.

Lovely. Only one little thing: I've never cooked one. I hear you can scrape out the cooked strand-like flesh and use it just like you would pasta, which sounds wonderful and healthy and so very fall season-y.

Anyone have tips on how to use this veggie posing as a carb?

In West Philadelphia, Born & Raised...

2010-10-04T14:34:00.002-05:00

Yes, I have the Fresh Prince theme running through my head...we're headed to PHILLY this weekend with Scott's dad and sister to explore what the City of Brotherly Love has to offer, besides dubious cheese steak distinctions. (Cheez Whiz on bread isn't exactly a culinary adventure, I realize.)

The only things I know about Philly I learned from watching some Boyz II Men videos back in the day. Yeah, that's not much.

One foodie friend has made some excellent suggestions, but I thought I'd pose the question to any other readers out there. Got any Must-Dos in Philadelphia for HTT?

Friday Shout Out: Cheerwine

2010-10-01T13:43:00.005-05:00

Yes, it's super sweet and chock-full of high fructose corn syrup and Red 40 food coloring, and I should eschew all of that, but hell, I'm a North Carolina girl and one of the best things to come out of the state - other than (in no particular order) Mr. Andy "Matlock" Griffith, public radio's Carl Kasell, author Thomas Wolfe, musicians Tori Amos, Ben Folds, Nina Simone and James Taylor; Duke basketball, and Krispy Kreme doughnuts - is Cheerwine.

Don't know about Cheerwine? Bless your little ignorant heart. Check it out, please, if you're ever in North Carolina. You'll be glad you bypassed the Coke, Pepsi, Dr. Pepper, Sprite and whatnot for some carbonated cherry yum-yums. (I love that http://www.cheerwine.com/ converts into http://www.itsasoftdrink.com - it's kind of a weird-ass page. Do take a look-see.) Made by Carolina Beverage Corporation of Salisbury, North Carolina, since 1917, it's a fine tasting soft drink, indeed.

A friend who hails from Long Island asked us to bring him some when we visited friends in Raleigh over Labor Day Weekend. We happily obliged, hauling back a 12-can pack to split with our foodie comrade. Scott discovered it makes a fantastic ice cream float and I tried it with bourbon for a little Friday night cocktail last week. Amazing!

However, the best way to enjoy Cheerwine is with a Lexington-style BBQ pulled pork sandwich. I grew up eating Gary's BBQ in China Grove, N.C., but in the Piedmont region of N.C. you can't ball up a paper napkin and sling it without hitting some sort of eating establishment that claims to have the best barbecue in the South. And most likely you'll find they have Cheerwine on the menu.

We're fresh out of Cheerwine now, but I foresee a trip back down in the near future for the holidays - yay, Santa and Baby Jesus and turkey with all the trimmings - so we're not terribly bummed about it.

Hope you have an excellent weekend lined up - we're going apple picking on Sunday. A great blog post in the making, I know it!

TGIF!

Tea For Two

2010-09-30T18:16:00.014-05:00

What did I have two, no....make that THREE, cups of today? It wasn't gravy, or Coca Cola, or Bourbon, or Cranberry Juice. It was TEA, wonderful tea.

Ever since I was younger, tea has been a pleasure to enjoy, both hot or cold, sweet or unsweetened, as long as it's not adulterated as that Fruit Tea business you know I can't get behind, or Jasmine (too much like drinking Potpourri water to me). But - Japanese Green Tea, English style, Chai, Thai Iced - it's all pretty much marvelous to me.

Luckily, Scott shares my love of tea. We jokingly have "tea and book time" (in bed too, but I swear, it's totally PG-13 rated) as our British alter-egos Russell and Margaret -- our first names, as we both go by our middles. Ol' Russ and Mags are just simple homebodies who like scones, a spot of tea, a good historical novel or quaint little series on the Public Television station, and a nice gentle rainy afternoon. Or something like that. Can you tell we've really thought this out?

So, as I digress (my bad, my bad).... we like the tea. So it was no surprise (or WAS it? *eyebrows thoroughly arched*) that Scott took me to Charleston Tea Plantation for my birthday. This is the ONLY tea grown in the U.S., folks, AND their tea is used to make Firefly Sweet Tea Vodka.

(Cool sidenote: Sweet Tea, the theme song on the Firefly web site, is by none other than Scott's cousins Whitt and Jim and their band, The Bushels. Look 'em up!)

Located on Wadmalaw Island south of Charleston, it's a gorgeous 120+ acres of Lowcountry
land.

With thousands of tea plants...

And huge trees with Spanish Moss draped so languidly in their branches.

We took both the trolley tour and the factory tour. The trolley was a fun way to see a LOT of acreage.

Scott liked the tractor they call the "Green Giant."

I liked this sign.

On the way home, we stopped at the Angel Oak Tree, per the advice of our friend Shaloot. It was absolutely MASSIVE. Even Handsome Tall Blond Man looks teensy in its wake!

That is one BIG ASS tree - it covers 17,100 square feet of ground.

Scott and I have visited the Charleston area now for about eight years - it was there in April 2002 where we decided we kinda sorta liked each other a lot and had that major dating discussion every semi-serious couple will have where the awkward/amazing "L" word comes up. Yep, the L-Bomb was dropped in Charleston, SC. So, it's a special place for us, not to mention we married there too.

This trip was really fun because we branched out (no pun intended) and visited new places. Big thanks to Scott for thinking this one up - you are always just my cup of tea! (Ok, pun intentional, and wow, it was cheesy, but so worth it!)

We've Got It Made: Pesto

2010-09-28T16:49:00.010-05:00

I introduce to you our new segment, "We've Got It Made." I know, right - cheesy yet oh-so-catchy. You may now roll your eyes, and continue reading, thanks.

It's..wow...almost October, and while the last of the warm weather temps are fleeting and fading, we noticed our basil plants in our communal neighborhood garden are doing the same.

Scott and I wanted to take advantage of the lovely herbs while they're still present and accounted for, so on Saturday night after a full afternoon of kayaking up and down the Potomac River, we set out to make pesto.

Scott inspected the plants.

And picked and picked and picked - two cups worth!

I checked out the huge-ass pumpkins growing in the garden.

And mourned the sad decline of beautiful sunflowers.

Once inside, we combined forces to blend the basil, garlic, grated Parmesan cheese, pine nuts and olive oil, using the ever-handy The Joy Of Cooking's recipe.

Indeed a joy. Yum.

I boiled some fettuccine regate noodles (they're flat, yet ridged - a Scott discovery) and sauteed chopped onion, cubed zucchini and red pepper, and Italian sausage, Using some of the pasta cooking water, I made a little sauce with the pesto and the cooking liquid. Mixed all the above, and voila - a homemade pesto dish!

And that's how we've got it made!

Friday Shout Out: Weetawhaaaaat?

2010-09-24T10:24:00.004-05:00

Lately my breakfast of raw oats, sliced banana, Craisins, crushed walnuts or almonds, and other whole-foody types of things in a bowl, swimming in milk, hasn't really done it for me.

It's healthy. Hearty. But kinda...uninspired. I told Scott this while we were shopping on Tuesday evening and he instantly and enthusiastically replied with "Weetabix!"

Now I consider myself fairly cultured, so I'm relatively familiar with Weetabix - that funny little brick-shaped cereal. Every food culture has a funny little packaged food item. Much like the Aussies' Vegemite, the American Spam, and the Italian's Nutella, Weetabix is specialness, commerically contained.

Or so I thought. We bought a box, I opened it on Wednesday morning, removed a couple "biscuits" from one of the plastic sleeves, and put them in a bowl with my usual banana and nuts. I sloshed some milk in there and made myself a cup of coffee.

In the time that I poured the coffee and added milk, then stirred the cup of coffee, my bowl of breakfast turned into total cold porridge! Those flaky Wheetabix melted into a sludgy mess of...ugh. It was bad - it tasted like what I imagine instant potato flakes would be like if you went heavy on flakes, light on milk.

This morning I tried eating a Weetabix with my usual 10:45am yogurt break (yes, I have one of those. I indeed am one of those people who need a schedule. Much like a small child. Oh well.) and it didn't go any better.

The ad on the box above recommends you "Give it a Go!" Well, I gave, and it went. There's that. Thanks a bloody lot, Weetabix.

SO. What do you have for breakfast each morning? Or are you one of those nutty people who don't eat breakfast? I don't get that. If I don't eat breakfast foods of some kind when I wake up, I'm liable to commit random acts of manslaughter by 9:30 a.m., guaranteed. I get a little...let's just say the term Scott uses for "an unpleasant woman" is apt.

Breakfast ideas. Let's banter.

Let Him Eat Cake (And Her, Too)

2010-09-23T11:50:00.005-05:00

This should really a postscript to my post from September 14, the day o' my good husband's 32nd year of birth, but sometimes it's hard to post photos as events are occurring and then time flies by, and any who.....

Behold the cake I baked for that special day:

Those pellet/poop-like things forming the numbers are Ocean Spray Craisins. How resourceful/scatological am I?!?

The recipe comes from my new-ish cookbook The Healthy Hedonist - the Naked Carrot Cake. It contains the oh-so-nutritious oat flour plus four cups of grated carrots (Oy. That was a lot of tedious grating, let me tell you), and other stuff that makes cake so awesome - vanilla, brown sugar, eggs, spices of nutmeg, cinnamon, all spice, etc.

Only I didn't want it to be so nekkid, cause frosting, when done well and not all grocery-store lard-ish, is marvelous, mmmkay?

SO, I doctored it up with The Joy of Cooking's Cream Cheese Frosting, and substituted the lower-in-fat and hard-to-pronounce Neufchâtel cheese for the regular kind, so as to not feel too guilty for smearing sweet dairy yum yums all over a perfectly tasty "health food" kind of cake.

Someone asked me recently if Scott loves carrot cake. Well, he does now. :-)

For Love and Money

2010-09-21T21:16:00.004-05:00

I have some BAD groceries in my house. Know the culprit who bought them? I'll give you one clue - he's the dude with the penchant for pinching pennies!

Sometimes I myself will shop in a thrifty/frugal/cheap-ass mood, and wind up reaching for the generic brands, examining the cost per unit prices, and even scouring that back table where they put the expired cat food, dented soup cans, old condiments and whatnot. BUT I never buy food that I know is probably crappy just to save a couple nickels and dimes.

I cherish my dear sweet mate and love that my husband grocery shops, but some of the things he comes home with are troubling. Allow me to give several examples.

1) The generic brand "Fruit On The Bottom" individual yogurts. This kills me. First off, buy the big cartons of yogurt and spoon them into containers if you want to save money - the individual ones are more expensive and wasteful. Also, that "fruit" on the bottom is less fresh and more funky. It's too sweet and tastes of old berry jam jar dregs or something. The quality of the dairy is also pretty bad - grainy and not creamy at all.

2) Bread that will go stale in one day - I mean you, cheap grocery bakery "Baguettes." By the time you get it home, its wannabe Euro crust is harder than a brickbat.

3) Bread that just sucks. Scott and I were on a roll with the Pepperidge Farms soft whole grain loaf, and then he had to go and save 35 cents with some Nature's Grain Valley of the Whole Wheat High Fiber Farms or something, and it's not good. Bread needs to taste good, so don't skimp. See #2 for reiteration.

4) Random meat on sale. Like I know how to put a meal together with five Andouille sausages? Leave that business to Emeril and buy me some hanger steak instead, please.

5) Six blocks of cheese. They were 2 for 1 at the store, huh? Well, unless you're itching to wolf some Nachos and Quesadillas every day, and you're ready to hit 250 pounds by Thanksgiving, I think we need to lay off the dairy deliveries, mmmkay?

This is just a sampling of some things that I find are problematic when you try to go too cheap. I'm all for being economical, but you don't have to sacrifice taste and quality to do so.

Agreed?

Early Friday Shout Out: Falafel

2010-09-16T10:16:00.005-05:00

Scott and I are headed to a special place this weekend for a very special occasion: Charleston, SC, for a wedding in the family. Congrats, Jennifer & T.J.!

Thus no Friday Shout Out; we will be navigating Reagan National Airport and enjoying some much-needed time down South instead. Shrimp and grits, I am coming for you!!!

Here's a little moment o' zen for your Thursday: Falafel Song. If that doesn't do it for you, try Tabbouleh Song.

Yum. I love falafel. It's vegetarian, crispy, and can be covered in condiments like hummus or tahini sauce. Droooooooool. I love love love Middle Eastern food. Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon - you may have trouble and strife, not to mention some serious female repression issues, but I do enjoy your cuisine.

Get some falafel up in your torso.... that video is so special.

PS - In Google Analytics, it shows you what popular keywords lead people to your blog. Here's one that got us some page views: "Nasty husbands." Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaat? I don't have one of those, so I don't know what that's all about, but if you're out there, seeker of nasty husband info, I hope you found what you're looking for - both online and in your love life!!!

If you're anywhere near Nashville, check out these cooking classes

2010-09-15T19:38:00.004-05:00

Check this out! Our friends Eleni (a-lane-ee) and Joelle own Savor the Flavor catering and have started offering cooking classes. If their Facebook link shows up correctly, you get to see people cooking things from sushi to Italian to Greek (Eleni's family is Greek, so she's got special insight into ingredients and cooking methods for Greek cuisine).

Way to go Eleni and Joelle - you're making better cooks of all of us!

Buy seafood at Whole Foods!

2010-09-14T09:07:00.003-05:00

I saw this article today and felt compelled to post it. Whole Foods is phasing out unsustainable seafood, so this will make it easier for people to do the right thing! If you enjoy having seafood, and want to keep on enjoying it, consider Whole Foods or simply consulting these resources.

Someone's 32 Today

2010-09-14T07:26:00.004-05:00

To my co-blogger, my best dining companion, and my favorite tall blond man: Happy Birthday!

Any man who dons a beard net to take a Celestial Seasonings factory tour is ok by me!