A new green pasta invention

When we have the time and the energy there is nothing we enjoy more than experimenting in the kitchen- when we moved from San Diego this became a little more tricky due to the fact that we had to sell a lot of our kitchen equipment and also had to put a lot of recipe books into storage. This Christmas however, not only have we rescued the recipe books from idling away in boxes, but we have also been given some great new kitchen equipment to replace that which we had to give up.

Here's recipe we came up with last night- using different things we hd around, and mainly inspired my a yummy looking recipe of Jamie Oliver:


First we took a bunch of peas- we mashed up half of them in a food processor and then mixed in the rest of them after the event. We cooked this much in some olive oil- added in some garlic, seasoning and some chopped fresh mint. We then added in arthichoke hearts (cut into eighths), capers and some sliced red onion.

We then boiled up some pasta (wholewheat spaghetti), once it was cooked al dente we drained it and added it to the pea concoction. After mixing all this up well we served it up onot two plates and topped with hard boiled egg slices, goats cheese and some walnuts.

Delicious!

Brunch at Bilbo Baggins

We used to go out for Brunch all the time in San Diego but it hasn't been so much of a habit here. One reason is probably the weather- brunch seems like a thing for a nice sunny Sunday morning- which of course was all the time back in California, and well, hardly ever here. Mainly though it's because Kym nearly always has her study groups on Sundays and so there's not usually time for brunch.

Anyhow with a friend from San Diego in town and Kym on a break from School we decided to walk down to King Street for a morning meal. we checked out the range of options (Majestic looks like somewhere we should definitely try in the future). In the interests of economy coupled with good reviews plus the sheer quirkiness of the place we decided on Bilbo Baggins.

We have never eaten at Baggins before- just popping in for their delicious beer instead. the place was bustling when we arrived, but nonetheless we were seated straight away by a slightly brusk waiter. Reviews had talked a lot about the raisin bred that is served whilst you wait. Ours was cold, but was still very good- doughy and soft.


I as recommended by several reviewers ordered the Frodo French toast whilst the two women got vegetarian omelettes with the house potatoes. (Sadly the names of the food were really the only hobbit like touches to this restaurant.) Kym got some freshly squeezed grapefruit juice -(which she said was amazing), and we all got coffee. The waitress who took our order was not
exactly friendly (certainly nothing on the great Bilbo himself). The food came almost too quickly- this was not the second breakfast type relaxing Sunday morning meal i had hoped for, but instead a rather rushed affair. The French toast was pretty good- although certianly nothing on that i used enjoy at the Mission. The vegetarian omelettes had no cheese in them- which rather disappointed the girls and made for slightly bland food.


All in all nothing to get excited bout-next time we'll be looking for something little more interesting- even if it means paying few extra bucks.

Lunch at the Smithsonian

With an arty friend in town we've being doing the rounds at the different art galleries and of course all the usually Washington places, monuments and what not. This weekend we went up to the Reynolds center- part of the Smithsonian's American Art museum. Planning to be out the entire day we needed to grab lunch at some point and so we took lunch at the courtyard cafe- which sounded like it would be cold given the name- but in fact was at this great covered courtyard part of the Smithsonian called the Robert and Arlene Kogod Courtyard. The design is absolutely stunning, with a beautiful wavy roof, gorgeous water features and tall ficus trees.

The food was pricey, but then we were in a tourist trap in the middle of DC. I got roast beef sandwich- which in retrospect was the wrong choice for me. Kym got a portabella panini which she thought was fantastic (although again probably not worth the price.
Still we enjoyed our lunch- the art was fantastic too.

Vegetable Lasagne

Kym is making Lasagna today- hopefully it will last us through the week. She makes it a little bit different each time but I got her to write down her basic recipe to share.

Ingredients:

1 large onion (diced)
2 courgettes (diced)
2 peppers (diced)
10 cloves garlic
2 cans chopped tomatoes
handful torn basil
1 cup red wine
cinnamon to taste

1 pack lasagna sheets

1 pint bechemel sauce
2 cartons mushrooms (chopped)
2 cups frozen peas
3 large leeks (chopped)
grated nutmeg to taste
3 eggs

3 handfuls grated cheddar cheese
2 cups ricotta cheese
1 handful of pine nuts.

Basically for this recipe we are making 2 different sauces- the first is a tomato one, and the second a creamy vegetable sauce.

For the first sauce saute up the onions, garlic courgettes and peppers. Then add in the chopped tomatoes, red wine and some balsamic vinegar- simmer for 25 minutes. With 5 minutes left to go add some cinnamon and torn chopped basil.

For the second one- saute the chopped mushrooms in some garlic and white wine and set aside. Steam the leeks and then defrost the peas. Take the bechemel sauce and stir in some grated nutmeg and crack in 3 eggs. Stir in the mixed vegetables.

Layer the lasagne starting with tomato sauce, then sheets of lasagne, then some ricotta and the creamy vegetable sauce. Keep layer and top with grated cheddar cheese.

Bake in the oven for 45 minutes. A culinary delight which will last for days and days-especially whilst you are in school and don't have time to cook each night!

Great Customer Service

Wow, I had a really great experience with Z-pizza last night, (although perhaps it only seemed great after the most awful experience we had with Pizza Nova back in San Diego.)

As noted before in this blog we really have come to love Z-pizza- great fresh toppings, interesting combinations, the availability of a wholewheat dough and the ease of the online ordering system unite to make this our first choice any time we want some easy take-out.


So last night we placed an order for half a Napoli pizza (great vegetarian combination) and half a chicken and sausage creation of my own, (the fact that we can do half half pizzas is another reason we love Z- why was pizza nova so staunchly in opposition of this practice?). We also ordered Z-pizza's deal of the month- a free apple pie pizza (more on this later).
When the pizza arrived it was unfortunately- for once- a bit of a disappointment. The two halves had not been kept separate and sausage and chicken were strewn all over Kym's half. Furthmore the fresh basil she had been eagerly anticipated was just not present- nor was the truffle oil I had ordered on my own half.

After our awful experiences with Pizza Nova we were in two minds as to whether to call Z and point out the problems with the pizza. However I am so happy that I did so- they couldn't have been more apologetic. No questions were asked and a credit for the entire pizza was immediately put on our account for the next time we ordered. What a contrast with the lame free $5 dessert and the arrogant argumentative attitude we got from Nova.

Now we come to the next part of our great experience- the apple pie pizza. It was absolutely fantastic! Ordinarily I am not at all fan of dessert pizzas. I remember a place in Brazil Kym and I used to go to when we first met. It was one of these places where you sit down and people come around with every type of pizza you can imagine, and you just eat as much as you want. (For whatever reasons Brazilians seem to love these all you can eat, or food by the kilo restaurants). They had a selection of dessert pizzas at this restaurant and they were all absolutely awful- quince jelly with cheese (gross) and chocolate (overly rich). So we couldn't have been more surprised at how great this apple pie pizza actually was! The apples were cooked in sugar and cinnamon and were absolutely perfect. The dough was sweet and fluffy and the topping of toasted almonds and caramel made for just the right compliment to the apples.

Anyway all this to say- we love you z-pizza. Why can't places see that great customer service will earn you money. Z has our loyalty- Nova completely lost our business

Leek Thai Green Curry

Leeks are Kym's very favorite vegetable. Back in England her parents grow them in the garden, huge juicy leeks which the family use to make leek and potato soup, leek and cheese pie, and a wonderful pasta dish with mushrooms and sun-dried tomatoes among others.

Leeks seem to be far less used over here in the US. Quite in contrast to the somewhat 'peasant' feel they have in Europe, here they seem to always overpriced, and in fact many supermarkets don't even stock them. Despite this I sometimes treat Kym and bring her some home to play with. This presented an interesting challenge recently which ended up demonstrating the culinary power of the Internet.

The day before I brought home the leeks we made the unfortunate mistake of opening a can of coconut milk when we meant to open corn! Coconut milk is unfortunately not something you can throw into a dish willy-nilly, so the following day presented a challenge to find a dish that included both leeks and coconut milk. After a quick google search we were presented with creamy tartlets, Sri Lankan dishes, a plethora of soups, and the dish we finally settled on: a leek thai green curry. It sounds a little odd perhaps but we are all about fusion--and adding potatoes into Indian cuisine certainly did no one any harm.

Here's the recipe (we substituted Quorn for chicken):

1.Heat the butter and olive oil in a saucepan over a medium heat.
2. Add the leeks and sauté until caramelised.
3. Add the garlic and curry paste. Cook for 2 minutes.
4. Add the coriander pesto and chicken. Cook for 2 minutes, until browned.
5. Add the stock and coconut milk, and allow to simmer for a few minutes.
6. Add the coriander

I highly recommend the recipe--it turned out delicious!

Zucchini Rolls and Beetroot Salad

I thought it would be good to post some of the great new appertizers we tired out for Christmas. Definitely will be on display at our next dinner party. Thanks Ramsey!


Stuffed Zucchini Rolls

Thinly slice up 4 zucchinis with a peeler or a mandolin

Season the bottom of a baking tray with olive oil, salt and pepper, lay zucchini slices on top and drizzle more olive oil on top. Leave to marinate for about 10-15 minutes.

Filling:

Take 1 1/2 cups ricotta and add in about 2 T of olive oil plus the juice of half a lemon and some fresh basil chiffonade.

Dry roast 1/4 cup of pine nuts in a pan, tossing them constantly. No oil is required in the pan, remove from heat when pine nuts begin to brown. Leave them to cool down on a plate and then add to the ricotta mixture.

Go back to the courgettes, take the thin end toward you and place a dollop half an inch from the bottom of the slice, then fold over and over with a knife and roll up.

Arrange rolls on a platter and drizzle olive oil and balsamic vinegar over the top.


Beetroot Salad

Take 6-7 beetroots- baked or pre-boiled. Cut them in half and then each half into three.

Heat 2 T olive oil in a pan over medium heat and add the beetroots and a pinch of salt.

After 1-2 minutes, add 2/3 cup balsamic vinegar to the pan and allow the vinegar to reduce while carmelizing the beetroots. Beets should turn a dark and rich ruby color. Allow to cool down.

Then get a dry pan and toast 1/4 cup sesame seeds while being very careful to toss frequently in the pan as they can burn easily. Allow them cool down.

Arrange the beets on a plate and take about a 1/2 cup of Roquefort and crumble it over the top. Then take the seeds and sprinkle them over everything.

The Green Leaf

With the exception of a bit too flustered service, we enjoyed the food at Tamarind Tree restaurant so much that we decided to take another foray into Seattle's International District while we were there. After having a good look on Yelp, we found The Green Leaf, a Vietnamese restaurant that many users were comparing to Tamarind Tree and more often than not, claiming it was even better. This was all the encouragement we needed to set off.

Learning my lesson from Tamarind Tree, I called Green Leaf ahead of time to make reservations for 4, but the woman on the phone said she did not take reservations for that small a number which I found rather odd. This feeling soon turned into a bit of annoyance when there was only one table remaining at the restaurant and it was unfortunately situated directly in the path of an icy wind tunnel that was created each time the door was opened (which was frequent due to the delivery people). To say that the decor of the place is a step down from Tamarind Tree would be a vast understatement. This was very much a hole-in-the wall restaurant you go on your lunch break as opposed to Tamarind where you could easily take a date or a crowd of friends.

Perhaps I should have tried something more adventurous, but I was so delighted by the Chili Chicken with Lemon Leaves at Tamarind Tree that I ordered a similar Lemongrass Chicken dish at Green Leaf. My dad ordered the house special noodle soup, Kym had the Vegetarian Vermicelli and my mom ordered the same thing as me only with shrimp instead of chicken.

The food arrived completely separate of each other which was a bit strange and always a bit awkward as people's food gets cold and you have no idea how long it will be. My chicken was quite good, though admittedly not quite as good as Tamarind. My dad found the noodle soup overcooked, especially the meat inside. My mother's lemongrass shrimp was oddly much more spicy than my dish which she wasn't quite able to handle unfortunately. In a reversal of fortunes, Kym was the most happiest with her dish finding it very delicious, particularly the tofu which was probably the best she's ever had!

Maybe we didn't make smart menu choices, but right now, given the similarity in prices, there's little question over which Vietnamese restaurant I'll go back to next time I'm in Seattle.

Christmas Dinner

My parents recently installed a beautiful new kitchen in their house so there was an impetus to cook a great dinner for Christmas. Instead of the typical roast dinner, we decided to cook an international cuisine and after some discussion, settled on Mediterranean.

We were fortunate to come across a Gordon Ramsay tv special that included a perfect recipe this theme:

Eggplant Caviar

Serves 3-4

2 medium eggplant
2 garlic cloves, peeled and cut into halves
2 tbsp rock salt
Few sprigs of thyme and rosemary
Olive oil, to drizzle
150ml sour cream
Freshly ground black pepper
Small bunch of cilantro, leaves chopped
Juice of 1 lemon

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Slice the eggplant in two lengthways, then score the flesh with the tip of your knife in a criss-cross pattern. Rub the garlic halves over the scored sides of the eggplant and stud two halves with rosemary leaves and the other two halves with sprigs of thyme.

2. Drizzle over the olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt. Sandwich a rosemary-studded and a thyme-studded half together, with the garlic halves, and wrap tightly in foil to resemble a tootsie roll. Repeat with the other two halves. Place on a roasting tray and bake for 35-40 minutes. Allow to cool slightly.

3 Remove the foil from the eggplant , discard the herbs and scrape the flesh and garlic on to a chopping board. (Use two spoons when you’re doing this as the aubergines will still be steaming hot). Chop to a coarse paste.

4 Heat a saucepan with a little olive oil and add the eggplant paste. Cook over high heat for about 30 seconds, stirring frequently, until the juices have evaporated and the pulp is thick. This will also help to intensify the flavour of the eggplant.

5 Stir in the cilantro and sour cream and season to taste. Add a squeeze of lemon, spoon into a dipping bowl.

We served it along side toasted baguette for a delicious appetizer! This really turned out beautifully with a very interesting flavor.

Tamarind Tree Restaurant

Last night was my first night in Seattle for Christmas vacation and my mom took us out for dinner at a nearby Vietnamese place they recently discovered and very much enjoy.

Tamarind Tree restaurant is located in the International District near to a plethora of other Vietnamese. Although it is tucked away in the corner, the decor of the place really makes it stand out as a classy restaurant in comparison to the the other Vietnamese places nearby.

I have never been to a Vietnamese place like Tamarind Tree--only hole-in-the-walls. Although we were fortunate enough to find a parking space in their packed lot in the back, we were not so lucky with finding a table. In all honesty, we were a bit aloof not to call ahead and make a reservation, somehow forgetting that it was a Friday night. The restaurant was bustling and we were almost tempted to head home again when we were told it was a 45 minute wait. I'm not sure if they are new to being this busy, but they didn't seem very well equipped to handle people waiting. There was nowhere to sit, no menus to look at and to make matters worse, the hostess accidentally skipped over us making our wait even longer.

When we eventually did get seated, I ordered the Chili Chicken with Lemon Leaves while Kym and my mother both ordered the specialty, Tamarind Tree Crepe. I was very happy with the chicken dish which came in an ample size and tasted delicious. My mother was also happy with her Crepe in spite of the fact that she realized after it was served that she had meant to order something else. Kym was not quite so fortunate and received a non-vegetarian crepe which is never a pleasurable experience for her to bite into and when the correct order finally arrived, she didn't like the greasy combination of deep-fried tofu inside the deep-fried crepe.

While I would say they have some bumps in the road to fix, I have to keep in mind that they continue to have very low prices for some great food and atmosphere. Definitely recommend the place!

Capitol City Brewery

Situated very close to Union Station and Georgetown law school's campus is Capitol City Brewery. Because of its location, Kym passes by it all the time on the way to school so Monday we decided to give it a try along with some of our friends. Probably due to its location as well, the place gets pretty packed in the evenings. Although I did like the design of the place with the immense copper vats in the middle of it all, the inside felt a bit too much like a college frat part--probably due to the particularly young age of the crowd all standing around with beer and shouting--so we got a table outside under a patio heater. It was still a bit cold, but worth it.

We started with a round of Capitol City's own brew. The beer was pretty good, notably the pale ale was crisp and refreshing. The amber on the other hand, wasn't a favorite.

For dinner I had the meatloaf which came with a spicy gravy that made for a strange and simply bad combination. I normally like trying new combinations and enjoy spicy food, but the combination ended up being poor.

Kym had Cobb salad holding the chicken and bacon of course. This dish was also a bit odd as they crumbled up the boiled eggs in a layer on the outside which looked weird and was a strange way to eat an egg. There was simply too much egg as well. Other than that bit, the salad tasted good, particularly the dressing. The side of mashed potatoes she added along side was delicious, no complaints there.

One of our friends got the jambalaya which like the meatloaf fell prey to a strange combination of otherwise tasty jambalaya poured over strong cilantro rice which again made the dish taste strange.

Overall we had some good food and drink, but some strange flavor combinations on the menu to be sure.

Spinach, Green Pepper and Corn Enchiladas

Friday night and a little free time so we broke out the oven mitts and spatulas (party animals, I know)! Tonight on the menu, some delicious vegetarian enchiladas. There's something about the combination of spinach and cheese that rarely fails. The recipe was as follows:

Filling:
1 cup cottage cheese (we used the non-fat type we had just fine)
10 oz frozen spinach
1 onion
pinch of cumin
1 1/2 cups corn (canned or frozen)
2 green peppers
2 T grated parmesan
pinch of salt
_________

6 flour tortillas (the whole wheat variety we used were delicious)
________________________
Sauce
1 1/4 cups salsa (preferably the fresh salsa in the refrigerated section rather than jarred)
1/2 cup cream
1/4 cup milk
______________

1 1/4 cups grated cheese (any good melting type)

Directions
In an oiled pan, saute the onions and peppers until golden brown, ad the cumin and thawed spinach. While this is cooling puree the cottage cheese in a blender/food processor, and stir in the saute mixture, corn, Parmesan and salt.

Stir the ingredients of the sauce together and pour a thin layer into a greased 9x9 baking dish. Then roll the mixture tightly into each of the 6 tortilla shells and place them side by side and pour over the remaining sauce. Finally, sprinkle the melting cheese on top.

Bake at 375 for 25 minutes covered, then an additional 5 minutes uncovered to brown the top.

Bon appetit!

The Subjectivity of Wine

Jonah Lehrer over at ScienceBlogs.com recently wrote a fascinating piece entitled the Subectivity of Wine. The article delves into the intriguing question of how much we are fooling ourselves when throwing down large sums of money for 'good' wine. I can't say the experiments he cites are too much of a shock. The power of the mind and placebos is well established. Oftentimes people don't even notice the complete lack of alcohol in an alcoholic drink, so it's not too surprising that people have trouble differentiating between the quality of those that do contain the bitter substance of alcohol within.

The most fascinating part was the so called 'experts' who could not even recognize that they were being served white wine. Of course, this this a great example of the power of the mind since they saw red wine and they were told they were drinking red wine, but still for none of these tasters who think of themselves as having such astute palates to recognize this is remarkable. After reading this it reminded me of how France's national wine tasting refuses to cover up labels when tasting wine.

Personally I've never been one to spend a great deal of money on wine, particularly at a restaurant. When I stop to think about it--am I really getting an extra $35-55 worth of enjoyment out of a moderately priced wine than I am out of the house wine? Not to say that I can't appreciate a great wine (at least I think I can, but this article casts doubts on that previous assumption), it's just about the actual dollar value of that appreciation. That of course makes sense in conjunction with wine's connotation with the wealthy since millionaires are likely going to be much less discerning over $20-30 spent.

I think I'm also much more likely to appreciate a $7-10 glass of beer (so long as its not a lager/light beer) than I am a $7-10 glass of wine. Perhaps that is just me and my unsophisticated pallete, but I remember well what an Italian sommelier once told me: the most popular wine in Italy is not a robust red from Chianti or delicate crisp white from Liguri, it is a brand of boxed cooking wine (and no, it is not just used for cooking).

Spaghetti with spinach and goat cheese

Lately it's felt like we've got into the rut of cooking the same dishes over and over, so last night we broke out one of our favorite recipe books, Quick, simple, and main-course vegetarian pleasures, for inspiration and found a simple but tasty looking recipe, Spinach Fettucine with fresh spinach and goat cheese. I didn't really know where to find spinach fettucine (and couldn't quite be bothered to find and drive to a specialty shop), so we went with the whole wheat spaghetti in our cupboard. We also substituted the plain goat's chese with a garlic and herb variety from Trader Joe's (Kym was not a pleased with this substitution as she thinks the herbs overpower the goat cheese itself, but I disagree).

The recipe is pretty simple, you fry some garlic and red chili pepper flakes in olive oil, then add in fresh spinach until wilted, toss with pasta and crumbled goat cheese and season. It's simple and quick, but it's also very delicious. It was so tasty in fact that I resisted adding some mango chicken sausage I had picked up while at TJ's.

Speaking of TJ's we started off with some frozen bruschetta (fitting in with the Italian theme) I had spotted there while picking up the baby spinach. Unlike many frozen goods at Trader Joe's, however I can't speak very highly of it. The bread was simultaneously burnt and undercooked while the tomato topping, as you might imagine, was not particularly nice compared with brushetta made from fresh tomatoes.

Po Siam Thai delivery

I'm not sure when they rolled it out exactly, but Yelp has added links to online menus. Through this we were able to find another non-pizza delivery place (yay!), Po Siam Thai. The prices there are definitely good, about $6-9 an entrée. The selection there is good, certainly better than the rather small menu of Red Mei. It has the classic dishes and then some, but still not too crazy of an amount off dishes as I've seen some Asian takeout places have. The delivery time was pretty good as well, about 30 minutes.

We got the Pad Thai and Massamun Curry. The Pad Thai in particular was easily the best I've had here in DC. The Massaman curry, though not fantastic, was still very tasty even if it lacks a bit in comparison to ones I've had on the west coast. We also had the 'Fried Bean Curd' appetizer AKA tofu with a sweet and spicy peanut sauce, which is a sauce I've had before--specifically the 'spicy' element in a peanut sauce--and it was a delicious combination of the flavors.

Certainly this place show a lot of potential, we''ll definitely be trying it again. It's a good place to get delivery Thai if you feel like shelling out a few more bucks than at Red Mei.

Hops

Last night we were headed up to our local shopping center to pick up some needed housewares so while there we decided to see if there were any worthwhile chainy-type restaurants. We weren't spoiled for choice there, the main choices we could see were a Mexican restaurant called Don Pablo's and a microbrewery, Hops. Both options were new to us West-coasters and since we have tendency to have a bit overly-high expectations since living in Southern California, we went for Hops.

Table for two was a small wait so we had a seat at the bar to try out a couple of the Microbrews. Personally I always expect at least a short list if not a description of the beers they make, but this place had neither which is annoying as I hate having to ask a busy bartender who is hurrying around if he could stop and list the beers for me then wait while I decide.

I went for the darker ale while Kym had the lager. Neither was very flavorful, though I did appreciate the frosted mugs which are always nice. Another instance of not particularly great customer service was not being able to take the tab with you to the table from the bar so I had to sit there waiting to get his attention and the check while Kym went to the table.

The vegetarian menu options for Kym were nonexistant and when we asked the waitress if there was any sort of veggie burger or anything they could do she said a flat and abrupt "No." which came across as rather rude, but Kym found a salad that worked and I went for the chicken and shrimp alfredo linguini.

Kym also ordered some 'Pub Chips' to start which she was very much looking forward to given the lack of any entree for her. Now, maybe this is an East Coast or Southern cultural thing I'm missing but when I hear the term 'pub chips' without descriptions, I picture the kind of fat fries that come with fish and chips. Retrospectively, a quick Google Image search seems to agree with me. Alas, we discovered that 'pub chips' here means something along the lines of soggy Ruffles potato chips.

The food arrived pretty quickly, my linguine was okay, but Kym's salad was completely drenched in dressing. I'm not one to be as sensitive to this as some salad-eaters I know, but this was ridiculous, everything was downright soggy. I suggested she send it back, but she didn't want to make the fuss.

When we go the check the waitress put it on our table and mumbled something to us that all we could really make out was the word 'cashier'. Given the service so far, we assumed this was Denny's style paying since we did see something that looked like a register on the way, but ran into the waitress on the way out and found she had said "I'll be your cashier" which I find an odd thing to say, particularly when done rather inaudibly, when that is the default method of paying at a restaurant and I've never viewed it before as a waitress simultaneously filling the dual roles of server and cashier.

Atmosphere was fine and seating was comfortable, but that didn't make up for the poor service and food.

Thanksgiving

Due to various financial and academic concerns, we were unable to make the trip home for Thanksgiving, however we were able to have some of our friends from DC over as they were remaining in DC as well for the same academic concerns.

Though we missed seeing our families, we had a great time hosting our first Thanksgiving. The menu was:

• Sushi rolls to start (beautifully made courtesy of our Japanese friend!)
  
• Turkey (of course)
• Pear and Ginger Cranberry sauce
• Yorkshire puddings
• Onion gravy
  
• Green Bean Casserole (I had never heard of this before, apparently a very common dish for Thanksgiving in the South)
• Roast vegetables (Onions, carrots, sweet potatoes, yam
  
• Mashed Potatoes
• Mushroom Roast
• Vegan salad (a delicious spiced bean and corn based side-dish)
• Apple Pie
• Pumpkin Pie
  

I have to say everything turned out very well, particularly considering the size of the menu versus the size of the kitchen in our 1-bedroom apartment. The turkey had been worrying me a bit in the build up to Thanksgiving as the Thermometer never seems to give me an accuratae reading. The only way to accurately gauge is the tried and tested method of actually cutting into it, but that of course releases the juices. In the end the breasts were probably a bit more cooked than I would have liked--next time I'll keep it breast-side down for longer, but it still was delicious. I also tried carving the turkey with a different method than regular by cutting off the entire breast and then making smaller, perpendicular slices. This ended up being a much better method and I whole-heartedly recommend it.

Needless to say, we were stuffed to the brim after this enormous feast. Even the smaller ones of us.

Daniel O'Connell's Restaurant and Bar

Last night, being a Friday night, we took a walk up King Street to find something to catch our fancy. For whatever reason we were really in the mood for some fish and chips (minus the fish part in Kym's case). Originally we had planned to Eamonn's, which I had heard from a coworker has some of the best fish and chips you can find in DC. However, when we got in there I couldn't understand what they were thinking when they designed the layout. There appeared to be plenty of floor space yet hardly any tables or chairs. Certainly nowhere to possibly sit down and with the prices they were charging, that really wasn't going to fly, so we ducked out and kept walking down King Street.

After a good walk, we finally came across a place that looked like they might have what we were looking for, Daniel O'Connell's restaurant and bar--basically an Irish pub/restaurant. The place looked pretty busy and the prices not too extravagant (at least on the bar menu) so we headed on in. I didn't get a chance to see the downstairs, but the upstairs, at least where we were seated felt rather packed in and claustrophobic. Nothing too crazy, but certainly not one of the restaurants strongest points.

We started off with a couple of drinks. I tried the O'Connell's-brewed Ale which I didn't think was particularly good. And as I found out when I got the menu, unlike most places I've been to that brew their own beer, it was not less expensive than any other beer on the menu.

As planned, I ordered the fish and chips. Kym, on the other hand, didn't have a single vegetarian entrée available to her so was forced to go with a starter salad and a side of chips. I'll never understand why restaurants who already serve burgers don't just keep a few vegetarian burgers in the freezer.

The food took a while to arrive and when it did wasn't great. The chips in particular were poor as they tasted old and reheated which is completely unacceptable when you consider how cheap they are to make and how much they were charging for them. Also, as any restaurant serving food from the British isles should, they had malt vinegar on request, but unfortunately it was a wide-mouth bottle clearly designed for pouring out into measuring cups in a kitchen, not for sprinkling onto chips. Kym's salad was too small of a portion for a $9 salad, the dressing wasn't great and the goats cheese was very sparse. My fish wasn't too bad, but the batter was a bit on the soggy side.

Lastly, the service was pretty poor. It took two tries to get the dessert menu, Kym's coffee arrived cold and the replacement cup didn't return until after the dessert was finished when she had been looking forward to having it alongside the dessert.

Not a place I recommend, certainly not on a busy night.

Bombay Curry Company

Last night we were really in the mood for some Indian but we hadn't made a recent trip to our local Indian grocery store so we were forced to look for some prepared options. With the exception of those 3rd party delivery services that charge you an arm and a leg, Indian delivery food does not appear to be an option around near. Fortunately we found the Bombay Curry Company in Del Ray which is not too far from us at all.

They have their own lot so parking lot there so parking is a cinch which is nice plus since it was a bit out of walking distance from us. The decor, though similar to most Indian restaurants I've encountered, was still very nice and appreciated. Some of the hand-carved artwork was especially beautiful.

Though I'm always very partial to onion bhajis, I resisted and tried something different--Chat Papri which is an appetizer with chickpeas, potatoes and flour crisps mixed with a yogurt sauce and spices. It was definitely an interesting change of pace, but probably not something I'd order again soon.

For the main entrée, I ordered lamb Korma along with a nan bread (which unfortunately did not come in any other type than 'plain') while Kym had the vegetarian combination platter which she had been very much looking forward to ever since seeing the option online. In the end however, the dishes were decidedly mediocre. All of the flavors were a bit bland and below what I've come to expect from Indian food. Given the lack of other nearby options, we might give Bombay Curry Company another chance, but not in the near future.

Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares

Lately I've started watching Gordon Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares which recently began its first season in the U.S. after 4 seasons (and now currently a 5th) in the UK. My previous knowledge of Ramsay was watching a few episodes of Hell's Kitchen which I found pretty awful in concept and even more so in its execution and left me with the mistaken impression that Gordon Ramsay was nothing more than a foul-mouthed stereotypical Nazi chef.

However, after watching some episodes of Kitchen Nightmares (if you can get a hold of the British version, it is significantly better produced) I've come to quite like the guy. Though there is no doubt he is foul-mouthed and can be quite harsh on some people, you can see that he only really wants people to succeed and if that requires some harsh objective advice, he is more than capable of giving it.

It's also clear from the show just how talented he is, not only as a cook but as a restaurateur businessman. He seems very good at identifying exactly what needs to be done at the restaurant to increase their cash flow whether that be simplifying the menu, using fresher ingredients, replacing the head chef, reorganizing the waitstaff or a complete reconcepting of the restaurant.

It's an intriguing show because there's no guarantee of what the end will be. Ramsay will give some solid advice to the failing restaurant and try to convince and motivate them to make said changes, but in the end it is up to them whether they will pull themselves together and right the ship or continue to make the same mistakes and lose everything. The choice seems easy from a passive audience's standpoint, but it's hard to imagine just how difficult it would be to put so much of yourself on the line in terms of money, dreams, reputation and effort and then to accept blame for the failures and change.

As tough as the show makes the industry appear, it does rekindle the excitement of running a restaurant.