Food Lush

Romantic Weeknight Dinner for Two

by Elissa

This dinner resulted from my resolving to do a better job of meal planning and from the necessity of us hitting the grocery store on Monday night. I was looking for a quick meal that was a little out of the ordinary, and decided to go with seafood.

This recipe for seared scallops with hazelnut brown butter jumped out at me as I was browsing through the index for the Martha Stewart Everyday cooking show. I am always looking for an excuse to brown butter, and a sauce that only had 3 ingredients sounded pretty low-maintenance. I modified the recipe a bit, and the result was a fantastic weeknight meal that tasted like a special occasion.

{photo credit: my husband Josh}

Martha recommends serving the scallops with lemon green beans, and I know better than to disobey. Scallops aren't cheap, and you do need to make this shortly after going to the store to ensure that your scallops are pretty fresh. But it's a great way to make a Monday night feel special (or to wow your dining partner with minimal effort).

Scallops with Hazelnut Brown Butter

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

¼ cup hazelnuts, skins removed, toasted and coarsely chopped

1 teaspoon lemon juice

coarse salt and ground pepper

3/4 pound large sea scallops (about 10)

In a large skillet, stirring frequently, cook butter over medium heat until golden brown and most of the foam has subsided, about 4 minutes. Immediately transfer butter to a small bowl. Stir in hazelnuts and lemon juice, and season with salt and pepper. Cover hazelnut butter to keep warm, and set aside. Wipe out pan with a paper towel.

Season scallops generously with salt and pepper. Place same skillet over medium-high heat. When skillet is hot, cook scallops until browned and opaque in center, turning over once, about 3 minutes per side. Spoon hazelnut butter over scallops and serve.

Lemon Green beans

Zest from 1/2 lemon

1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice

Salt

1 pound trimmed green beans

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

Grate the zest of 1/2 lemon, and squeeze 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice. In a saucepan of boiling salted water, cook beans until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain, and return to pan. Remove from heat. Toss with oil, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and lemon juice. Serve sprinkled with lemon zest.

Komi: A Splurgeworthy Meal in DC

by Elissa

For Christmas this year, my husband and I decided to take one another out for a nice dinner rather than buying tangible stuff. And we waited until after the holidays were over to give us something to look forward to during the cold, dark days of January. We were able to get a reservation at Komi, which makes most critics' list of top restaurants in DC and whose chef has won a bunch of awards. In fact, the Obamas ate there last year; here they are leaving the restaurant.

{photo credit: borderstan.com}

Don't they look full and happy? Komi has no written menu. You tell them in advance if you have any dietary restrictions, and they then provide you with a multi-course feast. Each course is a bit of a surprise; and the night we went we were served thirteen courses. Don't worry, many of them were only a bite or two, and we left feeling comfortably full, but not stuffed. The servers were all young, knowledgeable, and very attentive, and the dining room was beautiful, if understated.

{photo credit: diningindc.com}

It can be hard to judge a meal like this, because our expectations were sky high. Not every course knocked our socks off, but there were a few dishes that were so transcendent that we will be talking about them for weeks, if not years. The highlight of the meal was the main entree, which was a large piece of slow-roasted young goat. I'm not sure if I've ever had goat before, but this was some of the tastiest, most succulent meat that I have ever encountered. It was served with this incredible house-made pita and a mindblowing tzatziki. Total home run. Other highlights included a crispy ball of spanikopita, a housemade half-smoke (sort of a cross between a sausage and a hot dog), pasta with lamb ragu, and a salted caramel-chocolate-peanut butter-rice krispie square that was the perfect combination of salty and sweet.

Another course that we loved was the roasted date stuffed with mascarpone cheese and liberally sprinkled with sea salt.

{photo credit: dcist.com}

It was a great combination of flavors and textures, and, as far as I can tell, it only contained three ingredients. I may try to recreate this one at home--it would be a spectacular hors d'oeuvre.

All told, it was a memorable evening out. At $135 per person, it's certainly an indulgence. But the quality of the food and the service made us feel like it was actually a pretty good value. We would definitely recommend it for a special occasion dinner in DC. And I think we may make a nice dinner as our Christmas gift for one another an annual tradition!

Candy Corner: Movie Candy

by Erik

Hi readers! I hope everyone had an excellent holiday season, as I did. The food-eating glutton-fest known as the month of December culminated in my gorging upon the best ham in the known universe (Newsom's Country Ham) on New Years Eve, which maybe some day could be a post unto itself. I also had a lot of candy. Lots. Candy canes, chocolate oranges, Lindt "truffles" and many more delicious sugary treats. I had some sugar free gum, which was merely ok. And I also ate two bags worth of only the orange and yellow Starbursts, which was surprisingly delicious. 

For the most part, though, I sat around and watched television, during which I saw a lot of advertisements for movies. Now, I love movies. I used to go see a lot of them (I don't any more because I h ave two kids under the age of four and ... well, I just don't get out quite as much as I used to). Anyway. One of the things I liked best about movies was eating candy at the movies. To me, it's sacrilige to not have candy at the movies -- there are few better matches than a movie and big ol' box of candy. 

To celebrate the holiday movie season, I offer some suggested movie/candy pairings. I tried to keep the list to new movies (a video-candy pairing is in the works). If there's anything completely obvious that I've missed, please let me know in the comments!

1.  True Grit, paired with Snowcaps. Because, like the movie, Snowcaps are gritty. Texture wise.
  

2. The Kings Speech, paired with Werther's Originals, or whatever really old people are eating now days. I know this is supposed to be a good movie and all, but seriously ... has there been a less interesting sounding movie in the history of time? Oh no, the King has a stutter and can't make boring policy speeches to Parliament! Whatever will we do!? Anyway, when you go see this movie with your grandma, make sure you stuff her purse full of Werther's Original or whatever other hard, stale candy has been lying in the bottom of her pantry since some time during the Reagan administration. Trying to pry the hard, stale bits from your molars might at least keep you awake. 

 

3.  Black Swan, paired with air, which is what Natalie Portman subsisted on for a year before and during filming.  That, or black licorice twists. The licorice twists would kinda be better than air, I suppose. There aren't that many black candies -- and there are even fewer swan-themed candies so this was the best I could come up with. I was going to try to get something out of Bjork's swan dress she wore to the Oscars and tie that in with some sort of weird Icelandic candy, but in the end I couldn't really make it work.  Actually, what the producers of this movie really missed out on was a genius marketing tie-in involving black swan-shaped Peeps. (Hear that Hollywood? I am available for future marketing tie-in consultations). 

 

4.  Yogi Bear, paired with gummi bears. This one is kinda obvious. 

 

5. Little Fockers, paired with a candy so terrible that you cannot believe it exists. I don't know what that candy is, but I'm sure it's out there. The fact that this movie even exists means there must also be a candy equivalency representing the absolute rock bottom nadir of human achievement and accomplishment.  Because that's what Little Fockers represents in terms of cinematic excellence. Now, I know this is a popular movie -- it's made over 100 million dollars in the US alone to date. And at this point in my blogging career I don't really wish to insult broad swaths of the general population. But watching Robert DeNiro try to out-act Ben Stiller during a scene in which too much boner medication has been taken could only take place in one of the absolute lowest rungs of hell. And the name! Get it? Get it?!?! It sounds like 'fuckers.' But it's not really a swear, so it's ok! Good God. This is what happens when people who think they're funny for eating at Fuddrucker's end up making a two-hour long movie.  

 

Well, that's all I've got for now (actually, it's not -- the original list was 13 movies long but the post would've been way too long). Any other reader favorites? What's your movie candy pairing of choice?

Happy viewing,

E

{Photo credits: amazon.com, wikipedia.com}

A week in the life: Dinner Edition

By Amanda

On Monday we went to happy hour at a new restaurant that just opened exactly ONE block from the front door of my apartment. I was SO SO hopeful that this place would be awesome and that I would finally have my own neighborhood Cheers bar from which to toddle home inebriated at 2AM.

But no...

Sadly, the food looked beautiful, but just like so many pretty things, it lacked substance. It was hot, stupid and not at all satisfying.

On Tuesday, we made up for it with a trip to Whole Paycheck and a homemade dinner...
That's pan-seared Buffalo sirloin with bacon-fried portabello mushrooms, roasted brussels sprouts and fingerling potatoes.

Apparently, I make a certain bald man crave red meat. So red meat it was! He seared the steak. I did the veggies.

And it was gooooood...

On Wednesday, we took a certain bald man's daughter to Happy Hour at Roots Restaurant in Camas, Washington.This has been my favorite joint for a loooong time. Long enough that the bartender and I are on a first name basis and he gets a glint in his eye every time I show up with a new date. The dude's name is RANDY and I haven't once made a dirty joke about it. Self control: I haz it.

We ordered a lovely sampling (which was so cheap and affordable that it's almost ridiculous) that included a Roy Rogers, white wine and a cosmo, Fish & Chips, Tillamook cheddar pasta, Caesar salad, Fondue and fresh Mussels. Not a bad bite in the bunch. Their food is always spectacular.

On Thursday, Joel took me to a party where the food was so good, I momentarily thought about climbing over the table in my 4-inch WWJSD? boots (what would Jessica Simpson do?) just to make out with the caterer. Of course Joel took all the photos, but let's just say that the hour we spent talking with the chef was time well spent. He had me at "cheese stuffed risotto balls." The chickpea fries were just frosting.

On Friday there was cashew shrimp.
Which I made for Joel's daughter. She didn't love it. (It came out too salty! Shrimp has more natural salt than chicken does and I neglected to adjust my recipe.) But she ate it anyway like a trooper!

On Saturday, we were invited to a Greek dinner party. Can you say RICOTTA STUFFED BELL PEPPERS FTW?

On Sunday, the food worship took a turn for the cult-ish. And Joel would know! He used to belong to one! (long story...)

The bastard made me a cassoulet! (And by "me" I obviously mean ME and fourteen of our closest friends.)

Cassoulet is French for either "Pork and Beans" or "THE ENTIRE FRICKING BARN YARD." (If you're a vegetarian, you may want to stop reading right now!) It started innocently enough with some white beans...
And quickly (over the next 17 hours) devolved into duck confit and pork tenderloin and tri tip steaks and a ham hock and French and Italian sausage and GOD. It's not like I wasn't attracted to the jerk BEFORE he took over my kitchen, but now...

Dayem.

He may have thrown in the whole barn yard, but in the end, his cooking brought this girl to HIS yard. And I hate to even say this out loud because it's 100% pornographic, but he totally cleaned my kitchen while I was at work the next day.

I take credit for the croutons. He gets credit for my shit-eating grin.

Go Greek!

By Natalie

Inspired by my love for feta I decided to go Greek! For the main course I made Greek Shrimp kebabs that I found in the Food Network magazine. The directions left something to be desired. So, I'll try to quantify what I did!

Greek Shrimp Kebabs

Marinate a pound of large shrimp in 1/4 cup of olive oil, 1 tsp of dill, and 1 tsp of majoram for about 30 minutes. Then put lemon, shrimp, and grape tomatoes on skewers. Grill on high for 1-2 minutes then turn. You'll know the shrimp are finished when they are pink. Be careful not to overcook! Then sprinkle feta on top.

As a side we had Greek Orzo Salad which I found on Pinch My Salt. I subbed regular orzo instead of whole wheat orzo. I was excited to use mint from my garden. Even my extra picky husband enjoyed this pasta salad.

Photo Credit: me!

Culinary Adventures: My First Oyster Shooter

By Amanda

I'm not sure how it happened, but I somehow managed to make it all the way to the weary, decrepit age of 34 without ever ingesting a single raw oyster.

I know, right?

It just wasn't a food my parents ever ordered at restaurants (they were too busy stuffing their wasabi-holes with sashimi) and there was certainly no way in hell my ex ever would've tried one. So I just.. never did.

Until last Monday.

I had a date with a fellow writer, blogger, food lover and wine lush who we can go ahead and call "Joel" because that's his name. Here's Joel in his natural habitat, a sweet, third-story, brick-walled loft so sexy it makes me want to do really bad things. Like write romance novels. Or become his writing assistant. Or let him take me out for oysters.

After a tour of his office that may or may not have involved a movie kiss on his casting couch, he took me to a lovely little restaurant called Montage. We missed happy hour (see above, re: couch), but wine is half off on Mondays, so it was ON like Donkey Kong.

Unlike some of us, Joel actually knows his way around a wine list, so he ordered up a bottle of Vernaccia di San Gimignano, which was light and crisp and delicious. See also: half off! So we could drink twice as much. That's how the wine math works. (Don't worry, I checked.)

I'm not sure when it came up in our conversation, but as soon as I admitted to Joel that I'd never tried an oyster shooter, he flagged down the waiter and insisted I pop that culinary cherry immediately. So he could watch.

I'm glad he did.

The oyster shooter at Montage is served:

IN A SHOT GLASS WITH CAJUN COCKTAIL SAUCE, LEMON, AND CREAMED HORSERADISH!

I didn't take a picture (I was too busy calculating the wine math), but I think it looked pretty much like this photo. (Courtesy of Paula Deen's Oyster Shooter Recipe on foodnetwork.com.)

 
I let Joel go first so I could learn the procedure. You basically throw it all back in one spicy, slimy, delectable gulp.

Bottoms up, beeyotch!

I was delightfully surprised. Oysters have a fresh, salty-sweet taste and as long as you don't let yourself get too heebed out by the texture, which is slimy and rubbery and light all at once, you'll probably love them as much as I did. Basically it's a trip to Hawaii in your mouth. On a yacht.

I think it helped that 1) I was already lubed up on Italian wine, 2) I was sharing the experience with a really good date (Oysters are widely known aphrodesiacs!) and 3) I was sitting in a relatively dark restaurant. I find the same thing to be true of a good bloody steak: I enjoy it more when I don't have to look at it too closely. I get to focus on the taste and turn off that part of my brain that says: THIS FOOD ISN'T COOKED.

So yeah, I'm a fan of the oyster shooter! Next time I'll order one with a little vodka thrown into the shot glass for an extra kick.

Next week Joel and I have plans for Foie Gras at Le Pigeon, so whet your vicarious palates and stay tuned for a heady description of that inevitable mouthgasm. In the meantime, I'd love to hear your oyster experiences, good or bad.

When I'm dog-tired I make....

By Natalie

On Tuesdays, I take a sign language class and don't make it home until around 7:45 p.m. Determined that I will not eat out even though I really want to, I need something quick and easy. This week I made Giada's Tortellini with Balsamic Brown Butter. The 6 tablespoons of butter may stop you in your tracks,  but do not fret. This week I halved the butter, and only used 3 tablespoons. You couldn't tell the difference; it was delish! You can use ravioli, tortellini, or whatever suits your fancy. So go ahead, spend 10 minutes and make an elegant meal for yourself. The longest time that you'll wait is for the water to boil.

(Photo Credit: Food Network.com)

Wine Lush: Sparkling Pinot Grigio from TJ's

By Amanda

I had been planning to write a big post today on Halloween food ideas, but I woke up without my usual mojo.

Instead, I woke up with a raging hangover.

This was the culprit:

Contadino Pinot Grigio Vivace. Only about $6 a bottle and available at Trader Joe's, this is probably the best sparkling wine I've ever tasted. Not that I'm some big wine connoisseur, but still. It's light, not too sweet and not too dry either.

I paired it with my infamous crab dip, a cute, bald writer with geeky glasses and about five hours of really good jazz I mooched off my dad.

However, next time I'll remember to pair it with this:

Quick and Dirty Date Food

By Amanda

Did I say dirty? Whoops! I think I meant to say DELICIOUS. Yeah, let's go with that.

It feels strange to be admitting this, but I'm dating again. I haven't been divorced all that long, so I think it tends to shock those people who've always seen me as Happy Susie Housewife. But the truth is, I am dating my BUTT OFF.

Because married or not, I've always been a social butterfly. I love meeting new people. So meeting cute boys? Well it's pretty much rad to the power of rad. (See Exhibit A: rad^rad).

I meet all my dates online. Yep. I do. I prefer it that way. Who wants to get hit on in a bar? I mean, long before I even bother putting on heels, any man I meet has already passed a rigorous English language assesment that begins with the first correspondence and ends with a strong, upstanding commitment to protect the sanctity of the queen's English, even via text message.

So after a few delectable e-mail exchanges, I'm usually down for a first date. I'm not ashamed to admit that only a select few men make the cut to date numero dos. But this week, I hosted a little snackage for one such second date.

We started with beverages.

Obviously.

To make that lovely cocktail, just fill a tall cocktail shaker half-way full of ice, then add sliced strawberries or whole raspberries to the brim. Add one part vodka and one part lemonade and shake the hell out of it. (Unless you're a cheap drunk, in which case you might want to go with one-part vodka and two parts lemonade!) Pour into sugar-rimmed martini glasses and enjoy!

We certainly did.

After a couple hours of stimulating conversation, we both got hungry, so we headed back into the kitchen and prepared the following feast:

He did the fruit slicing; I did the cheese chopping. We met somewhere in the middle when I decided to take those dark chocolate-covered hunks of toffee and dunk them into sea salt. Holy delicious batman!

Featured foods:

Mandarin Slices

Apple slices (I cannot recommend the HONEYCRISP apple highly enough!)

Sliced strawberries

Raspberries

Peppered Tillamook Cheddar

Sharp Gouda

FETA (absolutely DIVINE with the strawberries!)

Pita chips

Pesto hummus

Spicy red pepper hummus

That platter turned out to be the PERFECT date snackage. Just enough to fill your belly, but not too much to get in the way of some good old-fashioned making-out-on-the-couch time. And the trick is? If you BOTH eat the hummus, no one tastes garlic breath!

Can you say WIN-WIN?