Raspberry Cream Cheese Swirl

When I was home in Austin last week, I was in charge of making the desserts for my mom’s giant Eid party. One of the desserts I made was the giant chocolate banana cream pie in the previous entry. The other dessert was a raspberry cream cheese swirl cake. I used my go-to yellow cake recipe from The Kitchn: http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/diy-recipe/recipe-diy-yellow-cake-014637 This is such a fantastic all-purpose recipe – it works with any filling or frosting, as cupcakes or sheetcake. And it’s SO easy to make! One bowl, 10 minutes, pop it in the oven!

I made a basic cream cheese buttercream: 2 blocks of cream cheese, one stick of butter, about 2 cups powdered sugar. For the raspberry, I used this fantastic raspberry fruit butter I found at Central Market. To create the swirl design, I frosted the cake with the buttercream, then laid thin stripes of raspberry across the cake. I used a butter knife and cut stripes across the cake vertically, horizontally, and on both diagonals. Voila – swirl! I garnished the tray with fresh raspberries and mint leaves. I have to say, I was really pleased with the result.

ps: click on the thumbnails to see larger versions of the pics!

Chuy’s – Austin

I don’t care how “touristy” Chuy’s has become… I grew up on their Tex-Mex, and as long as their recipes stay the same, I will always love it. The family and I headed over to Chuy’s for dinner the other night and had ourselves a mini Tex-Mex feast:

Tortilla Chips the way only Texans make em – super thin and ultra crispy, just barely able to stand up to their dips, with just right amount of salt and the tiniest trace of the oil in which they were freshly fried before gracing our table.

Chuy’s famous salsa mixed with their lesser-well-known but even-yummier jalapeno ranch dipping sauce (it’s free, but you have to know to ask for it. Thus, only true Chuy’s aficionados get the full experience .) The two dips are great alone, but the trick is to combine them for a killer accompaniment to those yummy chips!

Queso. Done right. Velveeta and Rotel. Nuff said.

Then, the entrees:

Me: Chicken flautas topped w/ chipotle sauce, sour cream, guac, and refried beans.

Bro: Nachos smothered in beans, cheese, sour cream, etc., and topped with deliciously smoky and tender steak fajita meat.

Mom: Steak burrito topped with a fantastic Hatch chile cream sauce.

Dad: Ground Beef enchiladas topped with that same Hatch chile cream sauce.

…And that’s why I don’t bother eating Mexican food on the East coast.

Adams Express – DC

So apparently, my hood is home to the best Korean food in DC. As DC is hardly a haven of Asian cuisine, this isn’t necessarily saying much…but the food at Adams Express is definitely worth the hype. First of all, the place itself is absolutely adorable. Well, adorable in that hole-in-the-wall, slightly dingy, feels-like-you’re-actually-in-the-owners’-kitchen kind of way that only a neighborhood joint can be. The place is owned and run by an elderly Korean couple that is so sweet that you can’t help but want to put them in your pocket and take them home with you. The night I visited, the husband was busy at the stove while the wife was hand-rolling another patron’s sushi order. I sat on one of the 5 stools (it’s not the sort of place you should plan to actually sit and eat at, unless you want to sit at the bar by the window and watch world go by on Mt. Pleasant Street) and watched the two cooks hard at work, both of whom never failed to smile at me every time they caught my eye. The kitchen is entirely open, so you can see their every move. And it really did feel like I was being given a glimpse into their home kitchen…it was such a great, cozy experience, one that I’ve been hard-pressed to find in DC.

I took home an order of their beef bulgogi. I’m no expert on Korean cuisine, but I have to say…this stuff was fan-friggin-tastic. The ingredients all tasted fresh, the entire dish was super-flavorful…well, I’ll let the picture speak for itself!

Jello Never Again

Just made this recipe for Double Chocolate Pudding from Epicurious:

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Double-Chocolate-Pudding-101532

It tastes AMAZING and was SO easy to whip up. It’s such a simple recipe that it really allows the chocolates (that’s right, it calls for more than one kind) to shine – hence its amazing flavor. One small adjustment: I used an actual vanilla bean instead of vanilla extract. Not sure how significant of a difference it made – will report back on that after making batch 2 with extract. For the various chocolates called for, I used dutched cocoa powder and a 50/50 combination of milk and bittersweet chocolate. Looking forward to playing with other chocolate combinations, though this one turned out damn near perfect.   Never again am I eating store-bought pudding. This even put the fancy farmers’ market stuff to shame. And supposedly this stuff turns out really well whether you use 2% milk or cream (the recipe calls for cream).  I of course used cream this time around…but will definitely give the 2% version a whirl when I get back to DC.

I used the pudding to make a chocolate banana cream pie: oreo cookie crust (2 sleeves of oreos food processed with a few tablespoons of butter), chocolate pudding, sliced bananas, and homemade whipped cream. It. Was. AMAZING.

Cooking in Austin

Chicken tetrazzini just went into the oven…I love cooking at home I’m using a Giada recipe, though I added a ton of fresh sage (b/c we have an abundance of it in the backyard) and a handful of fresh rosemary for funsies. I also used breaded chicken cutlets instead of plain chicken breasts b/c I walked by the cutlets in the butcher case at Central Market and just could not resist…and I’m not gonna lie, when I was pan frying them and that delicious golden smell  wafted up as they sizzled in the butter/oil combo I was using…that was closest I came to prematurely breaking my fast this month. :-X Don’t worry, I (somehow) managed to resist!

Anyhow! Check out Giada’s recipe here:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/chicken-tetrazzini-recipe/index.html

Will try and post pics soon!

Ode to Frozen Shrimp

My friends, I have recently made a wonderful discovery: frozen EZ peel shrimp from my local grocery store! I used to be very much anti-frozen seafood, but this stuff has completely turned me around. It’s super easy to work with – thaws very quickly under cold water, the peels slide off w/ minimal effort, and they’re already deveined? (Side note – um, how do they do that??) But the best part – it tastes fantastic!! Perfect texture, not that mealy nastiness that I always used to associate with frozen seafood, and the deliciously sweet taste that is why I love good shrimp so much.  I’ve been having a lot of fun with this stuff

I have a bunch of homemade fettucine on hand in the freezer, which makes for the perfect base for playing in the kitchen…my love for pasta is unparalleled. Last night i sauteed the shrimp in some grated garlic and fresh rosemary, then deglazed the pan w/ white wine and lemon juice, then added some half and half to the reduced mixture. After that had thickened a little bit, I added in the pasta and cooked it in the sauce. This is one of my favorite things about cooking with fresh pasta – I love to cook it directly in the sauce, b/c it absorbs a lot more of the flavors that way and the starches released by the pasta naturally thicken the sauce in a much tastier way than a roux, or cornstarch, or other such shortcuts do.  Once the sauce had thickened and pasta was nice and al dente, I added the shrimp back in and tossed it all together. It was DELISH.

The only issue was that I added a bit too much lemon juice, and it curdled the half and half a bit. The starch from the pasta bound it back together into a proper sauce, but it didn’t quite have that smooth texture that I like to get out of my alfredo variations. That said, it was a delicious dinner 

The next time I cook with this stuff – which will hopefully be very soon! -  I plan to bread the shrimp in some seasoned panko crumbs, pan fry it, then deglaze the pan w/ white wine and lemon. After that, I’ll add in a handful or two of torn fresh basil; once that’s wilted down a bit, I’ll reduce the heat and add some butter. Melting the butter into the reduction at a low heat keeps it from separating, and allows it to create a beautifully velvety texture when mixed with the reduction. I’ll boil the pasta separately, then add it and a teeny bit of its accompanying pasta water to the butter sauce so that everything can combine and thicken up nicely. Finally, I’ll toss with the breaded shrimp and DEVOUR. Yum yum…I love playing in the kitchen!

New Favorite Quick Lunch from Pret!

Pret a Manger (aka “Pret), a great London-based sandwich/salad/soup/etc. shop, opened up an outlet across the street from my office earlier this year. It didn’t take me long to get addicted to their phenomenal croissants, which are pushed over the top by the fact that they are kept warm until the moment of purchase, so they are perfectly toasty on the outside and warm and steamy on the inside…YUM.

I’ve never been a big fan of their tomato soup – it was always too acidic for me, as I like my soups on the creamier side. BUT! When paired with one of those ridiculous croissants, it makes for the perfect light(ish) lunch!

Yes, that’s right. I called a croissant “light.” That’s how I roll.

Founding Farmers! – DC

Had dinner Monday night with one of my favorite people, A (you happy now, missy? ) at one of the first restaurants I truly loved in DC: Founding Farmers!

She went with the Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup, a vegetarian favorite. It’s served on artisan bread that has just the right amount of graininess, and the soup is a nice balance of acidity and creamy. The dish, like all of the dishes there, is HUGE.

I went with my old favorite – the sliders. They were a little overcooked for my taste, but otherwise, as delicious as always. They come on little homemade buns that are quite tasty, and you can definitely tell they didn’t come from no grocery store. They used to come w/ shoestring fries, but this time they came w/ some delicious hand cut fries, which I definitely preferred.

Other dishes that I enjoy here: Lobster Mac and Cheese, Apricot Planked Salmon, Fried Shrimp with Hush Puppies. I used to ADORE their chicken and waffles, but then they changed the recipe and they were only okay. Not sure what version of the dish is currently being served…

Which brings me to my only real complaint about this place – they keep changing their menu! Well, not quite – it’s not that they change the items ON the menu, but rather that they keep changing the way they make the same items! One of the things I – and most people – love about a restaurant is finding something good and being able to rely on repeating that enjoyable experience. But at this place, they keep changing little things about how they make their dishes (i.e. I’ve had the Lobster mac and cheese 4-5 times, and I’ve had 3 different versions of it!) But they don’t change the menu descriptions, so it’s always a surprise when the dish arrives! I think it’s great to keep a menu fresh by changing the selections offered, but I think restaurants should be careful when changing the way they make the same dish. And if they do decide to make that sort of a change, then it should be made clear on the menu.

Overall though, I do love this place. It’s a fun atmosphere, nice but not stuffy, though it can get a little loud by the bar. Also, they have some fun non-alcoholic beverage options (try the mint limeade!) which I definitely appreciate.

Agraria – DC

Yet another fantastic meal today…my opinion of the DC food scene is definitely starting to pick up!

Agraria is a fun place on the Georgetown waterfront; its outdoor seating patio is dog friendly, but it doesn’t actually face the river; instead, it’s right next to that big gorgeous fountain, which adds a lovely soundtrack of rushing water to the background of the meal. Both times I’ve visited the place, I’ve been seated outside, so I can’t speak to the indoor dining experience – though the inside does look great, chic but with fun blues and greens that reflect the restaurant’s “Farmers and Fishers” theme.  Also, the bathrooms have super-cool hand dryers! It is the sister restaurant to Founding Farmers, another favorite of mine in the city. There are some similarities and parallels between the two menus, but Agraria’s menu has more options and is my favorite between the two.

We started with the Maryland Crab dip and Chicken Pops appetizers. Both were AMAZING. The crab dip was very different from the average MD dip; it had thick slices of sweet onion, huge lumps of crab, and a combination of cheese that was pretty much to die for. I’m usually not huge on crab dips, especially not on warm summer days, but this stuff was really exceptional.

The Chicken Pops are basically mini pieces of fried chicken, tossed in your choice of sauce, and served w/ blue cheese dressing on the side. The chicken was amazingly moist and tender, and the breading was perfectly crispy and crunchy. There was a thin layer of buffalo sauce under the breading that added a nice little kick to the chicken. I really enjoyed dipping it in a combination of the citrus and blue cheese sauces – yum!

My entree was the BBQ Beef rib. The meat was deliciously tender and really did melt off the bone; the sauce it came with complemented it perfectly. My one complaint was that it tasted more like a roasted/braised rib than a BBQ rib – it just didn’t have the flavor or texture that grilling imparts to meat. It was very tasty though, just not quite what I was expecting. The mashed potatoes it was served with were exceptionally buttery and delicious, and I polished them off without sharing. I’ll admit it. The veggie medley, a mixture of diced squashes and whatnot, was forgettable. But perhaps that’s just my anti-vegetable leanings speaking out…

I sampled my friend’s crab ravioli – the pasta was a little underdone, but the creamy lemony sauce that it was served with was wonderful! Another friend got the chicken carnitas navajo sandwich, which I actually didn’t like. There was goat cheese involved, which a.) I can’t stand and b.) I thought was an odd choice for a mexican-influenced sandwich. Also, the navajo bread tasted more like a thin naan than a puffy fry-bread; I wouldn’t recommend it.

And then…DESSERT. We split two between the table: vanilla cake w/ chocolate frosting, and peach shortcake. The vanilla cake was actually a yellow butter cake, and was really really delicious. Very moist, fantastic buttery flavor. The chocolate frosting was glossy and almost pudding-like in texture (I’m pretty sure some sour cream must have been involved); it added a delicious chocolatey touch to the dessert without being overpowering or cloying. The peach shortcake was also wonderful. The cake had sort of a crunchy crust on the outside, but was soft inside – my guess is that they use a recipe that resembles a traditional biscuit-like shortcake, but just shape it to resemble a slice of poundcake. It’s topped with sweet grilled peaches, super creamy vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, white chocolate shavings, and a generous dusting of cinnamon. When all of those elements were combined into a single bite, the dessert was fantastic. Without the ice cream, however, I thought the shortcake alone was a little lacking.

Overall, a wonderful meal…we’re all still recovering from our food comas.

Brasserie Beck – DC

Like Vidalia, I visited Brasserie Beck back when I was a summer associate and was underwhelmed. And like Vidalia, I was blown away on this visit. Every single thing I ate at lunch today was superbly delicious, and I cannot wait to go back to this restaurant. In fact, I’m adding it to my ’short list’ of restys that I really truly love in DC!

For starters, the bread. Served warm – as bread should always be, in my book. I LOVE their bread – it is the perfect combination of crusty on the outside, soft and dense on the inside, with that wonderful flavor that only white bread can have. It was delicious on its own with the butter, but was also  ideal for mopping up the sauce that my mussels were swimming in. (lol!)

Next, my friends and I shared a dish of their steamed curry and apple mussels. A more exotic flavor combination than I would usually try, but a friend suggested it and I felt adventurous – and I’m so glad I was! They were some of the best mussels I’ve ever had. The broth/sauce was creamy, but not too thick, and had the perfect amount of curry deliciousness without overpowering the delicate meat of the mussels. And the diced apple added a delicate note of sweetness that I absolutely adored. I would have been happy ending the meal right there, bread and mussels and lovely curry creaminess…but there was so much more to come!

Next, I had the shallot-onion soup, the resty’s signature take on classic French onion soup. It gains much of its unique flavor from a generous wallop of madeira wine (according to our FANTASTIC waiter – more on him later).  The soup was therefore a bit sweeter than french onion usually is, and I loved that. Like the traditional soup, this one had chunks of bread floating in it, and a nice thick layer of gruyere over the top. It was then garnished with sliced green onion and some fried onion strands, which was a fun tough. I thought all of the textures and flavors melded together perfectly, and especially enjoyed the contrast of the sweet broth and the salty gruyere.

My entree was the Duck Congolese, which, as the waiter promised, was covered in one of the most delicious sauces I’ve ever tasted. The duck was tender and cooked perfectly, with just the right amount of fat clinging to the sides. The five-spice rub (it involved cinnamon, star anise, and some other such spices…) on the duck added a touch of spice that balanced the sauce nicely. The sauce contained apricots and golden currants, and was rich, sweet, and so aromatic – especially in combination w/ that spice rub – that my face broke into a huge smile when the dish was placed in front of me. It’s topped with thinly sliced almonds, which leant a lovely crunch to the dish. The accompanying couscous was too heavy on the cumin for my taste, but it didn’t matter b/c the duck was so divine.

I sampled my friend’s strip steak w/ green peppercorn sauce (another suggestion by the fantastic waiter) and was extremely pleased with it. Deliciously flavorful meat, fantastic and unique sauce – definitely something I would order myself on a future visit.

All of this was accompanied by sides of their perfectly crispy Belgian-style frites. They came with three types of mayo for dipping (garlic, tomato-basil-brandy, and curry), a concept which is totally up my alley. But I was actually underwhelmed by the mayos – they were all a bit bland, and lacked that slightly tangy, deliciously dairy flavor that fresh mayo should have. Not sure what’s up with that. But the frites themselves were quite delish.

And then…DESSERT. We were all so stuffed that I was only able to convince my friends to order two desserts for our table of six. However, they were both so delicious that both desserts were devoured in their entirety. First, I had a piece of the pear tarte tatin. The pears were beautifully caramelized and tasted fantastic. But the crust left a little something to desire – I think it was supposed to be a caramel pate brisee, but I thought it was a bit over-caramelized and didn’t like the flavor it was lending to the dish. The creme friache ice cream on top complemented the pears nicely. The second dessert was a belgian waffle topped w/ chocolate mousse and accompanied w/ a blueberry compote. The mousse itself was FANTASTIC, with a deep cocoa flavor that I really loved. It had the texture of a pudding more than a mousse, but that didn’t stop me from devouring it. The waffle and compote were tasty, but I was too distracted by how much I loved that mousse to pay much attention to them.

I also sampled a friend’s cappuccino, and was pretty impressed. The espresso was strong but not bitter, which is often hard to come by in this town.

Overall, one of the best meals I’ve had in DC – I can’t wait to go back!