BYT Foodie Round Up

The sleuths over at BrightestYoungThings have conjured up a list of noteworthy foodie mentions for the DC area.

More than a few have me excited...especially the arrival of Maoz, a falafel chain that may just give Amsterdam Falafel a run for its money.

Food News

• Dangerously Delicious Pies is taking orders for Thanksgiving! Details here on Capital Spice.
• Falafel downtown! Starting today that dream can come true. Maoz Vegetarian, an Amsterdam chain, will be serving up meat-free food starting today at 1817 M Street NW. (Via The List Are You On It)
• In case you live under a rock… The Passenger opened last night on 7th Street. Svetlana went, got wasted then ate a midnight panini, a long-time Serbian tradition.
• Richard Blais talks FLIP DC plans
• Takoma gets Cedar Crossing Tavern and Wine Bar and My Little Bistro.
• Crumbs Bake Shop is coming to D.C. with locations in Georgetown, Cleveland Park, Foggy Bottom, Rockville, Clarendon and Reston. Because we have a shortage of cupcakes. (Note: Crumbs does make a pretty damn good cupcake.)
• Much like my social life, what was once Eurotrash will now be Rock and Roll. Yaku, a Latin Concepts restaurant in Arlington, is closing and reopening as a rock and roll sushi place. Hmm, reminds me of something.
• Eggo shortage.
• Pumpkin Pie mix shortage.

Drink News

• Hipsters, and those who quit cocaine in the 90’s, panic as the FDA considers banning caffeinated booze. But they don’t know about Libby’s highly toxic, and fun, Voo-Dew.
• Belga Cafe is hosting Beer Week for the next week. Via Thrillist DC: “4-course, beer-included prix fixe includes: white asparagus with poached egg/baby gray shrimp/mousseline sauce (served with a Palm draft); green pea soup w/bacon and croutons (750ml of Chimay White); slow cooked rabbit roulade with young veggies/prune compote/bacon/Rodenbach red ale sauce (Straffe Hendrik, again 750 ml); and a rice pudding tart with Corsendonk Christmas Beer ice cream and Armagnac prunes, plus a Corsendonk Christmas draft”
• Happy Birthday to the Daquiri. At 100 years old, it’s one of the few things in D.C. older than Senator Robert Byrd. Celebrate with a party at The Occidental with appetizers and tropical drinks all prepared by mixologists like Derek Brown and Tiki expert Jeff “Beachbum” Berry. 7-9, here’s the info.

The Gibson: a Great Bar and a Not So Great Date

Not so very long ago, I was taken to a rather unassuming corner of 14th and U Street. I was led to an industrial-looking door which opened into a nondescript hallway guarded by a lone and rather shrimpy bouncer. My immediate thought: "Oh, crap." I was on a date, and this did not look good.

Fortunately for all parties involved, this somewhat frightening entrance was my gateway to The Gibson, a swank lounge rife with throwback charm. A quick knock on an interior door, and we were whisked into a dimly lit bar swathed in black wood and filled with hushed tones. The atmosphere was impossibly cool; I wouldn't have been surprised to find Don Draper brooding into a glass of scotch beside me.

The date wound up being a dud, but it wasn't any fault of The Gibson. Drinks were exceptional; their list is mind-boggling, and speakeasy authentic to boot. The cocktails offered are all original to the 1920s and perfectly transporting. The drink menu varies and certain concoctions may not even be on the menu. Bartenders are happy to make you a custom drink based on your likes and dislikes. Click here for a early version of the drink menu.

Some food is served courtesy of next door Marvin, which shares owners with both The Gibson and Eighteenth Street Lounge. I haven't been able to track down a menu due to the fact that The Gibson lacks even a basic website. In keeping with its secret speakeasy vibe, the main entrance is hidden, the lounge has no online presence and its patrons find their way in by word of mouth. It's a fun place that can't help but seem special.

Too bad I couldn't be transported from my own personal date purgatory. When gesticulating during a story, my date informed me that I had stubby fingers. In an endearing way, he assured me.

Menfolk, take heed. There's no quicker way to endear yourself to that lucky lady than to tell her she has fat fingers. Doesn't sound right? Because it's not.

I have small hands, ok? And they're not exactly long and delicate. But c'mon. Stubby? Check please!

The Gibson
2009 14th St NW
Washington, DC 20009
202-232-2156

National Geographic Photographer Comes Face to Face with Deadly Leopard Seal

This is one of the most amazing things I've ever seen.

National Geographic photographer Paul Nicklen went to Antarctica to capture images of leopard seals. He got more than he bargained for, but not in the way you might think.



(via Gizmodo)

Adventures in Gnocchi Making

Let's face it: cookbooks are so passé.

As an online journalist on the cutting edge of culture, I've forgone traditional cookbooks in lieu of a more cyber approach: food blogs!

One of my favorites, Not Eating Out in New York, posted last Friday a recipe so intriguing I couldn't pass it up: sweet potato gnocchi with arugula.

The process looked too easy not to try. And easy it was, just incredibly time consuming. The entire dish took me close to three hours to prepare.

However, I'd absolutely try it again; the results were unbelievably delicious. It's true what they say about fresh pasta, it blows the boxed and dried competition out of the water.

The dough is comprised of only two ingredients, boiled sweet potato and flour. I kid you not.

Once the dough came together, I rolled it into long strands which I then scored with a knife before cutting it into small gnocchi.

They sort of look like big, doughy pieces of Cap'n Crunch, right?

I then sauteed some mushrooms, garlic and arugula together with some white wine and olive oil. A dash of salt, and viola! Homemade gnocchi.

I altered the recipe the blog provided slightly. Their version is a bit sweeter, and mine more savory. I didn't include nutmeg or hazelnuts in mine, and swapped in some mushrooms, garlic and white wine.

Click here for the recipe I modeled my own after.

Here's my altered version:

Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Arugula and Mushrooms
(makes 4 servings)

1 lb sweet potatoes
about 1 cup all-purpose flour
1 large bunch arugula, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 cups of sliced mushrooms, any kind
6 cloves of garlic, diced
1/3 cup of white wine
3-4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
salt and pepper
Romano cheese, to garnish

Boil the sweet potatoes until tender. When ready, pass them through colander with a spatula. Fold in about half the flour into the potato mixture until the dough just comes together and doesn't stick to your floured hands. Roll the dough into inch-thick logs and score the length of it with a sharp knife. Then cut into roughly one square inch pieces.

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Work the gnocchi into the water in a few batches and make sure the water keeps at a rapid boil. Let cook about 3-4 minutes, until they just float to the surface. Make sure they don't stick to the bottom of the pan with the quick stir of a spoon. Taste a gnocchi that has risen to the surface; continue boiling for a minute or two longer if it still tastes doughy and is very soft. Remove with a slotted spoon and hold to the side.

Heat a large, heavy-bottomed skillet and roast the garlic. Remove them from the heat to prevent from burning and keep them to the side. Add the mushrooms to the pan with some olive oil, adding the white wine after a few minutes. Then add the arugula and let it wilt, adding some more white wine and olive oil as needed. When thoroughly sauteed, add the garlic and mix.

Finally, add the boiled gnocchi. Sprinkle with some Romano cheese, and enjoy!

The Wonders at Wonderland Ballroom

My latest adventures have taken me into the transitioning neighborhood of Columbia Heights, an area home to both the illustrious and the iffy.

There's plenty of good and bad to go around here. Only in Columbia Heights can this happen a block from a brand spanking new Best Buy. It's a tragedy that has shaken the community and is yet another stumbling block on Columbia Height's road to gentrification.

On a lighter note, Wonderland Ballroom goes in the plus column. It's an eclectic bastion for the young and the penniless, and they have the drink specials to prove it. Watch your step, you might trip over a Hill staffer or political journo.

Take, for example, the Ballroom's signature drink special. Yes, you read the below sign correctly: $5 for a shot of Jim Beam and a PBR. Happy hour be damned, this special lasts all night, Sunday through Thursday.

Against my better judgment, I enjoyed a few more specials than are socially acceptable for a school night. When the mind and the wallet go head to head, the wallet always emerges as victor. It's practically physics.

Good thing I was joined by a whole bunch of enablers; all smart, all wonks, and all thirsty. It's a dangerous combination.

The decor at Wonderland Ballroom is, to say the least, odd. I suppose that's part of its charm. The design here is two parts kitsch and one part 'what the hell is that?' Check out the below case in point.

But considering the good time I had at Wonderland, I'm willing to forgive a Bratz doll here and there. The whole bar is plastered with vintage posters, signs and photos and is bathed in a dim, yellow light. It's the kind of place that was likely a victim of DC's smoking ban (of which I am wholeheartedly a fan) -- even sans cigarettes the bar looks a bit swirled in smoke.

For those looking for something a bit more highfalutin than PBR, Wonderland Ballroom also boasts a fairly impressive seasonal beer menu. Happy hour prices also apply every day from 5-8 pm to rail drinks ($4), footlong hotdogs with chili and/or cheese ($3), Delirium Tremens ($8) and $2 off all drafts.

Also, a special treat for all you displaced Midwesterners. For some inexplicable reason, featured on the menu is the cultural offensive 'Chili Mac,' a bastardized Mexican dish which I will begrudgingly admit to enjoying. Hey -- let's see you resist such disgustingly amazing Americana cuisine after living in Missouri for 4 years.

If you find yourself in the area, I suggest Wonderland Ballroom as a great, unpretentious place to kick back with a couple of friends. But for the love of PBR, please keep an eye out for shady characters outside.

Wonderland Ball Room
1101 Kenyon St NW
Washington, DC 20010-2419
(202) 232-5263

New kosher cookbook serves up Southern classics

Originally posted on JTA.org:

MEMPHIS (JTA) -- Southern food, a deep fried country cuisine eponymous with bacon fat and crawfish, is hardly something one would expect to find on a kosher plate. But a Jewish day school here is hoping to change this perception with "Simply Southern: With a Dash of Kosher Soul," a new cookbook chronicling the history and recipes of Southern kosher cooking.

Four-and-a-half years ago, the Margolin Hebrew Academy initiated a project that aimed to collect kosher recipes unique to the southern United States. Originally intended to be a modest fund-raiser, the venture far exceeded the school’s expectations by eliciting more than 1,500 responses from Jewish families in the South.

The book’s editors, Dena Wruble and Tracy Rapp, said the project started with an ad requesting recipes and personal stories placed in The Hebrew Watchman, the Jewish newspaper for the Memphis community.

A team of volunteers recruited by Wruble and Rapp prepared about 500 individual recipes before settling on a mix of 300 dishes ranging from time-honored Southern meals, including fried chicken and macaroni and cheese, to traditional Jewish fare with a distinctly Southern twist, such as latkes with parsnips and chives.

The chosen recipes belong to Jews of varying ages and backgrounds, symbolizing the vibrancy of Jewish cuisine below the Mason-Dixon Line.

Wruble and Rapp said their inspiration for the new book was multifold.

“Our community has been known for our Southern hospitality and great food,” Rapp said. “But there really isn’t a comprehensive Southern kosher cookbook out there.”

She said the Margolin Hebrew Academy’s new cookbook will fill that void.

Rapp said interest in a kosher cookbook for Southern cuisine was fueled particularly by the community’s reaction to a one-time offer presented by Corky’s BBQ, a venerated Memphis barbecue establishment.

Upon acquiring a new smoker, Corky’s prepared several pounds of kosher barbecue before using it to smoke the restaurant’s usual pork-laden fare. Corky’s owner, Don Pelts, is a member of the Memphis Jewish community and organized the event as a fund-raiser to benefit the Margolin academy.

The event raked in a staggering $147,000 in orders, which Wruble and Rapp felt illustrated a dire need within the Jewish community for more opportunities to enjoy Southern cuisine.

"We don’t have kosher restaurants here,” Rapp said. “Everyone cooks.”

Now, she said, the new cookbook will give the chefs in kosher homes the chance to enjoy Southern classics and still adhere to kashrut.

Accompanying the recipes in "Simply Southern" is a series of stories and anecdotes about Jewish life in the South. Wruble says the cookbook “tells a story within the pages,” examining the culture of kosher food through the experiences of Southern Jews.

Rapp said the histories were drawn from the experiences of several Southern Jews who contributed to the project, including grandparents of many Margolin students.

“They all had stories about keeping kosher,” a feat that often was difficult in communities with few Jews, she said.

Above all else, Wruble stressed, the cookbook’s most appealing feature is its implicit reverence for Southern generosity and great food, plain and simple.

“I think that always appeals to people,” she said. “It appeals to us!”

The Margolin academy -- formerly the Memphis Hebrew Academy -- was founded in 1949. In its early days the school could afford to hold classes for only a handful of students in kindergarten and first grade.

Despite the odds, the school prospered and merged with the Yeshiva of the South in 1987. Today it offers classes from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade.

"Simply Southern" will be available for purchase on Dec. 10 through the book’s Web site or by phone at (866) 715-7667.

The Pumpernickel Performs Her Civic Duty

Ah, civic duty. As I write this, I find myself seated in the waiting room of an area judicial center awaiting my jury duty selection.

What charge could possibly be more American? And yet, I seem to have misplaced my sense of patriotism this morning. This, erm, great American duty is certainly what it's cracked up to be -- a friggin' pain in the ass.

It's an interesting thing to be essentially trapped in a large, crowded and somewhat tepid room filled with a motley group of pensive would-be jurors, all thinking the same, tired thought: how do I get out of this?

But, alas. I'm not a racist, a homophobe, or any other kind of bigot; I suffer from no serious medical ailments; I'm fairly well educated and intelligent; and officially speaking, I'm technically unemployed. I'm a judge's wet dream.

Wish me luck, faithful readers, that a young, plucky public defender will unearth some yet undiscovered personal deficit that will render me useless to the court. In my mind she resembles Law and Order's Claire Kincaid circa 1995 and she's tough as nails.

Keep in mind that my penchant for syndicated legal dramas on Bravo has somewhat warped my perception of the legal system; it's been a morning of broken dreams. Sadly, there have so far been no dramatic, echoing sound effects or suspenseful, 'ripped from the headlines' moments. Surprise, surprise -- it's actually rather mundane. At least these days, the court has free Wi-Fi.

If I expected to get any comfort from the woman directing the orientation in which I'm sitting, I was wrong. This is a direction quote, uttered not five minutes ago:

"Today will be a test of your patience. Some of you will pass with flying colors, and some of you will fail miserably."

Ugh.

UPDATE: The judicial center has blocked both Facebook and Twitter. Apparently, there's a court house in hell.