As our days begin to warm in the District, the green of Saint Patrick’s Day can’t help but remind me that spring is near. While we may not dye the Potomac green (as Chicago does to its river), we can hope that the Obamas will dye the fountain waters on the North Lawn green again this year! Though the annual parade was this past Sunday, Thursday still presents an opportunity to celebrate Irish heritage with your friends and family. Besides it being a great opportunity to drink pints of Guinness and wear my kilt (which I do indeed own and wear), Saint Patrick’s Day is an opportunity to indulge …
At the end of the day, the focus of Patch is to provide local community news and information. I couldn’t help but think of this focus during the recent celebrations of Mardi Gras. I realize this may seem a strange connection, but go with me on this. While many of you may have the stereotypical view, and justifiably so, that Mardi Gras is a massive, lawless, drunken festival, this is not entirely true. The modern interpretation of Mardi Gras is certainly that, but there is a heart and soul to Mardi Gras: community. Prior to the forty days of fasting and prayer of Lent, Mardi Gras is a …
I’ll be honest. I felt nervous writing this article. Valentine’s Day is a double-edged sword. The possibility of making a lot of friends or a lot of enemies exists equally. That said, hear me out. Romance should exist 365 days a year. Valentine’s Day should not be that one magical day of the year where you make up for lacking romance the other 364. Do things with passion. Let actions speak louder than your words. Remember that little things matter. Remind that person how it’s good to be here and how you’re happy to have them in your life. Be genuine and yourself. Love is not weird and love, …
As I have illustrated in most of my articles, I prefer the unconventional approach to food-particularly in the realm of hors d'oeuvres. The Super Bowl is certainly an opportunity to express creativity. Don't get me wrong. I enjoy BBQ meatballs and cold cuts just as much as the next person. However, dips are an easy way to showcase some culinary ingenuity. Below are two recipes to bring your dips to the end-zone. One is a favorite recipe of mine that I learned from my journeys in Peru. The other is a recipe and favourite courtesy of my friends, Matt and Hillary Webster. Enjoy the Super …
One of my absolute favorite foods is fresh baked bread dipped in good, quality olive oil. There are few other culinary combinations—to me—that are so deliciously simple. Increasingly, bread and infused dipping oils make appearances in restaurants and at parties. One might think that it is a complicated process to infuse oil, but I assure you that is not the case. Infusing olive oils—and really any oils for that matter—is a simple process that yields a classy and unique hors d'oeuvres or gift. Below are five pointers to help guide you to your own special variety of infused oil: 1) Be creative…
Each time I travel to a new part of the world, I develop a newfound love (perhaps borderline obsession in some cases) with the foods of that place. Switzerland is no exception. While the bread and the varying French, German and Italian influences - depending on the geographic location - have been glorious, chocolate is the hero of the day for me. But what makes Swiss chocolate so unique? During my time in Zug, just to the south of Zurich, for the holidays, I took the opportunity to find out. On a visit to Confiserie Sprüngl, I asked the employees their opinions on the uniqueness of Swiss …
You've done the Thanksgiving feast. The fine china from Christmas dinner has been washed and put away. You're about to kick the tree to the curb. And now you think you have to make another huge meal for New Years? Well, think again. A great way to allow your friends, family and guests to mingle and be entertained and fed is by serving some quality hors d'ouevres. While the options of hummus and pita chips, the old standard vegetable tray and the many and various options of dips is certainly available, I want to suggest a few alternatives. Food can and should be exciting. It should inspire …
One of the more common herbs we encounter is the cool and refreshing flavor of mint: in our toothpaste, gum, candy and teas. Profoundly aromatic as a plant (provided the plant does not go to flower), mint is my favorite herb to grow (and also one of the quickest growing and expansive plants I know). I would strongly suggest planting it in a pot versus in your garden, as it will rapidly take over and need to be kept tidy. A perennial herb by classification, the invasive plant appears in a color range of dark green to greenish gray to purple, blue and occasionally yellow. The two most familiar…
One of my favorite childhood holiday traditions decorating cookies; the possibilities were endless. In the world of holiday cookies, you could have a purple reindeer with an orange Reese's Piece nose to guide Santa's sleigh. You could have a blue Christmas tree with red hots and chocolate chips for lights. In the imaginative world of the holiday cookie, anything is possible. Here are some to remember when decorating holiday cookies either at a party with friends or at home with family. If you choose to decorate your cookies before baking them, use decorations that are able to withstand the …
A friend and I recently took a recommendation and tried Il Canale Ristorante and Pizzeria Napoletana at 1063 31st St. Naples-style Italian food focuses on the culinary creation that originates from Naples: pizza. With great ambiance, great wine and delicious food, Il Canale will not disappoint. Napoli pizza features a softer rather than thicker crust and is cooked in a wood burning oven. The signature Napoli pizza is undoubtedly Pizza Margherita, named after Queen Margherita of Savoy—only a distant relation to me—in honor of her 1889 visit to Naples. For a restaurant to be certified as a…
Even when the weather is colder you can have a green thumb indoors with herbs. About a year ago, I overcame my lack of green thumb and enhanced my culinary capabilities by planting an herb garden. Good spices and fresh herbs make a big difference in the kitchen. I'd like to highlight some herbs for you to enhance your upcoming Thanksgiving dishes. Rosemary Rosemary is a woody, perennial herb with a fragrant smell that resembles an evergreen. This herb, high in iron, calcium, vitamins, and omega-3, is prominent in Mediterranean cuisine. Whether you are having turkey or lamb during the …
With Thanksgiving and the holiday season around the corner, I want to explore the culinary creation that is a multi-bird roast. A multi-bird roast is one type of bird (usually deboned poultry), inside of another bird, inside of another bird and so on and so forth, with stuffing filling any empty space. These can be a unique variation on your traditional holiday feasts. The origin of such a culinary tradition dates back to English Tudor times. A modern English variation on that tradition is a 50,000 calorie behemoth costing £665. The English version is composed of 12 different birds, …
Each time I visit a new part of the world, I develop a new obsession with the foods and drinks of that region. During my three-week journey through South Africa, the Rainbow Nation brought a full range of diversity to the table. The best surprises for me were the wines of the Western Cape. Two varietals South Africa is best known for are its pinotages and chenin blancs. Pinotage is a red wine made from grapes that are a hybrid between pinot noir and Cinsaut (known as hermitage in South Africa) grapes. The wine traditionally boasts strong hints of fruit with an earthy to smoky flavor. …
Étouffée For my first recipe and cooking demonstration, I offer a true taste of my heritage. This is perhaps one of my favorite dishes to make for friends when I am cooking Cajun style. Étouffée is a French word, which means "smothered." In this case, as in the true style of the Cajun recipe, the ingredients are smothered in butter. The dish is fairly simple, but does take time to simmer and a degree of attention for some of the finer details. You can substitute shrimp, lump crab or chicken as the meat ingredient; crawfish are a rare find in the D.C. Metro area. Some have been so bold as to…
Not to over-pumpkin-ize you, but there is one more aspect of pumpkin-mania that should be addressed. With Halloween parties this weekend, you may be considering what to bring to your Halloween festivities. My favorite aspect of the annual pumpkin craze is the arrival of pumpkin beer. Typically an ale in variety, pumpkin beer gets its flavor from pumpkin puree or chunks of fresh pumpkin added to the brew during the mash stage or during the filtration process. While Samuel Adams has Harvest Pumpkin Ale and Blue Moon has Harvest Moon Pumpkin Ale, there are many smaller microbreweries (most of …
It happens each year: the weather cools, leaves change, overcoats and scarves come out from storage. And we go crazy over curcubita pepo, also known as pumpkin. The big, rounded orange gourds become a three month obsession; let's explore this culinary delight and autumnal infatuation. Eat What would Halloween, Thanksgiving, or fall in general for that matter, be without pumpkin pie, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin bread, pumpkin cupcakes and all manner of other pumpkin-related baked goods? Baked and Wired (1052 Thomas Jefferson Street NW), perhaps my favorite bakery in Georgetown, offers three …
