World Tour: Ingredients for the Spanish Diet

This is the month of Spanish food. We are officially declaring it…well, not exactly, but we do have an intoxicating urge for dishes full of saffron, thyme and rosemary. This week’s Travel Dream to Spain focuses on the flavors that you should have in your cabinet to make most Spanish dishes. When you think Spain you think paella which is a fair food association. You honestly have not have paella until you have actually traveled to Spain. Now there are definitely places in the States that meet the requirements but it’s something about the way it’s made in its native surroundings that beguiles the senses. Maybe it’s the placebo effect…we don’t know, but its good!

For your cooking pleasure and to remind you of time you spent in Spain, planning to spend or just for daydreaming purposes, here are a list of ingredients that should be included:

Bread- This is the base of many Spanish tapas. Bread is necessary to round out the meal or rather small meal. Baguettes are the most popular types of bread for a Spanish style meal.

Tomatoes- Now we understand there are people out there who don’t eat tomatoes but for those that do, this is a must. Now during these winter months, tomatoes are out of season so the canned stuff will have to do.

Saffron- Imagine paella without saffron?? You’re doomed from the beginning. Now we are believers in there are multiple routes to one goal and in this case that would be to create the perfect paella…if you can do this without saffron, please school us.

Spanish wine- Wine is one our favorite tools in the kitchen. It adds an alternative to simmering, deglazing and bringing flavor to a dish. The Spanish have mastered this addition in many of the signature dishes such as Estofado (*Spanish beef and potato stew) and Paella Valenciana.

You could just take a cheap flight to Barcelona and try the real deal or for $20 bucks bring Spain to your kitchen. With our budget (*or until we come across a cheap ticket), we think we’ll go with the latter. Ole!

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Food.Fun.Stuff: Sou'Wester Celebrates Black History Month

Sou'Wester is celebrating Black History Month on February 28, 2010 with a discussion about African American traditions influence on the cuisine at Sou'Wester. Of course, there will be food alongside the round table discussions. Chefs Rachael Harriman and Johnnie Thomas will demonstrate various dishes and offer tasting portions for guests. 100% of the proceeds will go to the Culinary through Culinary Arts Program, which is a program that promotes and provides career opportunities in the food service industry for under served youth through culinary arts education and employment.

The Where:
Sou'Wester
1330 Maryland Avenue, SW at the Mandarin Oriental
Washington D.C.
(202) 787-6033

The When: February 28, 2010, 1 pm-2:30 pm

The Money: $30 per person plus tax

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Recipe: Creamy Alfredo with Spinach Linguine

Creamy Alfredo with Spinach Linguine

3/4 lb. asparagus (ends cut off)
3/4 lb. Al Dente Spinach Linguine
4 tbsp. butter
1 cup heavy cream
1 dash of ground nutmeg
Salt (to taste)
Freshly Ground Black Pepper (to taste)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley

Add 1 tsp. of salt to a large pot of boiling water. Cut the asparagus into 1" pieces. Add the asparagus to the pot of boiling water and cook for 3-5 minutes until almost done; add the linguine to the pot of boiling water and cook for 3 minutes longer. Drain the pasta and asparagus; combine with the butter, heavy cream, nutmeg, salt, pepper and Parmesan cheese. Serve.

*Johnna's tip: The other day we decided to try Al Dente Pasta. Good...No, great idea. After watching one of our favorite TV cooks, Lidia Bastianich gently roll out and neatly slice some homemade pasta, we were inspired. Unfortunately, not inspired enough to pull out our own Kitchen Aid pasta maker and make homemade linguine, but enough to search through our cupboard for the next best thing. We decided it was time to try the pasta that had been sitting on our counter without a recipe to match. Creamy was the texture of the night and we needed some cheese to round the whole experience out.

How did we fail to try this pasta sooner?! Al Dente is some of the store-brought best pasta that we have ever tasted. It surpasses the boxed stuff that we're used to settling for (*since we're too lazy to roll out our own dough) and actually gives you the taste of something you just created in your own kitchen. Our next recipe will feature marinara and the garlic parsley Al Dente pasta...is it dinner time yet??

Food.Fun.Stuff: Out and About (DC)

>>>Tequila Celebration- Starting March 1- 14, 2010, Oyamel Cocina Mexicana will celebrate the 3rd Annual Tequila & Mezcal Festival. During these two weeks there will be tequila flights, innovative cocktails and complimentary taste tests. On Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday of both weeks from 4 pm to 6 pm, Oyamel will host complimentary tastings @ Oyamel’s Butterfly Bar. With drinks must come food, so Oyamel has crafted a special menu of antojitos (*Translation: Mexican food and snacks) in honor of the festival. We look forward to scallop ceviche with tequila (*and ironically, we cannot stand ceviche, but this sounds like it might dispute our theory…) and Fidencio Mezcal.

The Where: Oyamel, 401 7th St., NW, Washington, DC (202) 628-1005
The When: March 1-14, 2010

>>>Bar 7 comes to Mount Vernon Square. The soft opening this weekend will show patrons just how many personalities Bar 7 aims to please. Think of it as a place where you can get a good beer, watch a game on the flat screen and see a live band perform all while licking your fingers from the wings you will consume. A true bar! But with a bit of a twist…there’s a dance floor and a DJ on hand too.

The Where: Bar 7, 1015 ½ Seventh St., NW, Washington, DC 20001 (202) 347-4343
The When: Soft open this weekend, call for more details

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Food.Fun.Stuff: Black History Month Spotlight- Levi's Port Cafe (DC)

As Black History Month comes to an end, we spent some time reflecting on the various historic Black owned restaurants in the District. Sure everyone knows the staples, Ben’s Chili Bowl and Ooh’s and Aah’s of U street but we wanted to showcase a restaurant that is somewhat of an unsung hero. Just on the other side of town is one of the best comfort food havens of the city. Levi’s Port Cafe, neighbor to the Navy Yard, is a small soul food restaurant owned and operated by the sister and brother team, Johnny Kersey and Marie Chavis. Soul food is a staple in our hometown of Harlem and we are constantly searching for places in the District with similar fare.

Glad we stumbled on this Southeast gem which is located @ the end of 8th Street Southeast’s bustling restaurant district. Low key, family-oriented business that makes you feel like you’re @ a family members house instead of a restaurant. Baked chicken, Fried Fish and some cheesy, guilty mac ‘n cheese make the trek across town well worth it. Sweet potato pie, banana pudding and sweet tea round out the comfort food experience. Having a childhood that was split between New York and North Carolina, we are biased on BBQ. North Carolina has the best. There. We said it. Obviously, we stumbled in the right place because Levi’s has a rack of menu items featuring NC BBQ.

Though Levi’s does not have as many years in the District as some of its counterparts (*It opened in 2004), it is making history with it’s signature taste. Really, where else can you get a good North Carolina BBQ sandwich in the District?? Seems like we’ll be making a lot more trips to Barracks Row…

The Where:
Levi's Port Cafe
1102 8th Street, SE
Washington, DC 20003
(202) 547-6500

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Recipe: Low Fat Baked Potato Soup

Low Fat Baked Potato Soup

4 large russet potatoes
2 tsp. salt
4 slices of bacon (cut into 1" pieces)
1 cup low fat sour cream
8 tbsp. butter
2 2/3 low fat 1 % milk
Pepper (to taste)
Salt (to taste)
Scallions (thinly sliced for garnish)
Shredded 2 % Milk Cheddar Cheese

Peel, rinse and dice the potatoes into small cubes and add them to a large pot. Cover the potatoes with water, sprinkle in 2 tsp. salt and bring to a boil; reduce heat and cover; cook for 30-45 minutes. Cook the bacon in a pan until crispy and drain oil from the bacon. Drain the potatoes and add back to the pot; mash the potatoes until smooth. Add in the sour cream and butter; stir until fully combined. Add the milk, pepper and salt to the pot and bring to a slight boil. Garnish with scallions, cheese and bacon. Serve hot.

*Johnna's tip: Ok, we are officially about to bust. After two hefty bowls of this soup, our eyes are glazing over this post, but we were determined to make it happen. Recently, we began focusing on recipes that are easy and to the point without a lot of clean up post-cooking. This is how we came across this recipe and it is truly the easiest two pot meal that we have met this month. The hardest or most time consuming part is peeling the potatoes (*what did people do before the invention of the potato peeler??) but everything else is a breeze. Serve with nothing. It is fine all by itself.

Etiquette Tuesday: Blow or Not to Go??

Gross, gross, gross and more gross. We are talking about blowing your nose at the dinner table in a restaurant. If you're at home, different story, go by your own rules. Recently, we went out with a friend and this is when we began questioning the etiquette behind having to blow your nose while dining out. Now it didn't bother us when our friend blew their nose, not once, but twice, but the people sitting across from us did not hide their displeasure and gave us a snappy side eye. After a moment of the awkward eye contact, we put ourselves in their shoes. Would we want someone to let out a hard, snotty blow as we take that first bite of our lobster bisque?? No. This is how this post came to life.

Now we understand this is flu and cold season and people are going to be sick, but maybe these folks should think about this is as the season to hibernate. Hibernating does not mean you should be confined to the house, but when it's really a rough, stuffy nose day, you should probably avoid the restaurant scene. It just makes it uncomfortable for you having to constantly blow in between bites and the other patrons are scared your going to blow some unnecessary germs on their lentil soup. Dining out is supposed to be fun not a suffer-fest, which is what it will be for all parties. Let's leave the box of tissues @ home.

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Drinks on Me: Cuba Libre (Alcoholic)

Cuba Libre

2 oz. light rum
Juice of 1 medium fresh lime
6 oz. cola

Add the rum and juice of the lime into a cocktail shaker over ice; shake well and strain into a Collins glass; top with cola and give a slight stir. Serve with a lime wedge on the rim of the glass.

*Johnna's tip: We are curious. Cuba Libre Restaurant & Rum Bar is coming to the District this Spring and we are curious about everything: whether the mojitos will make the cut or not?? will there be free salsa lessons?? and of course, will we like the food??? Guess we'll just have to wait and see...for now, we'll practice our dance moves...

*Johnna's tip, tip: FYI Cuba Libre is "Free Cuba" in Spanish.

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Happy Monday: Acadiana (DC)

Happy Monday!! If you're from New Orleans, now is a good time to be home sick. With the Saints taking the Super Bowl 2010 and Mardi Gras wrapping up last Tuesday, New Orleans has been having the party of a lifetime over the past couple of weeks. Wish we could have been there and if you're from New Orleans, we know you do too. Thanks to Acadiana for easing the home sick blues for New Orleans natives with its new "Big Easy" Happy Hour. Acadiana is known for its creole cuisine and has received the stamp of approval from a lot of New Orleans natives within the District.

The "Big Easy" happy hour includes $5 cocktails, 12 oz. Draft Beer is $4 and half-priced bar food menu (*includes 14 different appetizers from the bar menu). We look forward to crispy fried oysters and fried green tomatoes after a long day of work. Since Bourbon Street is not an option for us this week, we'll at least satisfy our weary palate with some local creole fare...

The Where:
Acadiana Restaurant
901 New York Avenue, N.W.
Washington, DC 20001
(202) 408-8848

The When: 3:30-6:30 pm, Monday-Friday

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Drinks on Me: Swirl Margarita (Alcoholic)

Swirl Margaritas

96 oz. Frozen Margarita Mix
25 oz. Tequila
1 oz. Sangria (one ounce per serving)

Pour margarita mix and tequila into margarita mix, stir, and freeze overnight. Scoop frozen mix into glass, pour 1 oz. of sangria on top and stir once to create swirl effect. Serve.

*Johnna's tip: Our first trip to Surfside introduced us to some of the most flavorful fast food on this side of Wisconsin Avenue. We also had some pretty good margaritas that left us with a bit of a hangover the day after but eh, such is life, right?! We were inspired to thumb through our list of recipes that could remake the version @ Surfside and came across this recipe. Enjoy with some fresh fish tacos and queso dip, Cheers!

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World Tour: The City That Never Sleeps

Think of it as the city that never sleeps in Spain and that's what sums up the city of Madrid. Well, not exactly. It's the city that never sleeps @ night. Madrid is known for starting the day @ 2 pm and going well into the wee hours of the night. Now it's been some years since we last ventured over to the capitol city of Spain but the memories are still as fresh as the hangover we’re experiencing from those drinks last night. The thing that sticks out the most is the vibrant nightlife that allowed a 16 year old to live the life of a grown, professional 25 year old. Fun times.

Now mind you at this time we were @ a very impressionable age and dared to try just about anything including sneaking out from under our chaperone's nose to club and drink too much tequila. Ramales Square, Plaza de Cibeles and the Royal Palace of Madrid stand out on the long list of archaic (*well archaic to our generation…) landmarks in Madrid. Though we love all the historic stuff, it was the flamenco dancers that we fell in love with…we left wanting to pursue a professional career as a flamenco dancer. Clearly, you need a small waste for this profession which quickly ended that dream for us. Being the largest city in Spain with a drinking age of 16, it’s no wonder we found plenty of ways to get into trouble.

From Madrid, we trekked to Cordoba, Seville and…Tangier. Yup, as in Tangier, Morocco (North Africa). As we passed the Rock of Gibraltar on a ferry, we didn’t know that by the end of the day we @ the tender age of 16 would know what real African couscous should taste like, how to mount a camel and ride a full mile and leave with a pair of balghas. Nowadays, you can take a cheap flight to Tangier for prices starting @ 4 Euros and be there in no time (*Ohh, the benefits of the Internet and cheap travel…). Now we officially feel the aging process sinking in…we thought we were doing fairly well with the ferry plus a day of fun for $100.

Looking back on this experience, makes us take a look @ how we didn’t understand or have the palate we have now. I remember calling home about how home sick I was about the food and now what I would give for a nice heaping pile of couscous and tajine (*a lamb or poultry stew). Is there any way I can have that tajine overnighted to the District via FEDEX??

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Johnna's Pick of the Week (Travel Edition): Baby Back Shak (Dallas, Texas)

Alert: For all vegetarians, this post may be a bit disturbing. For all meat eaters, this is the place you need to be! When one is in Dallas there are two food genres they must try...TexMex and BBQ. Texas is well known for its slow cooked, grilled BBQ and arguably has the best BBQ on this side of the map. We are used to North Carolina BBQ which is typically chopped, then mixed with a little vinegar and red pepper flakes (*and with a bun and some coleslaw, you are in heaven!). When we made our trek to Texas, we decided it was time to try a new type of BBQ, Texan style.

What better way to taste BBQ then to get advice from the local community?? On the last day of our trip, we found ourselves on the south side of Dallas licking our fingers covered in house made BBQ sauce. The Baby Back Shak is the restaurant that made the cut. They say "a name says it all" and this holds true @ the Baby Back Shak: meager seating accommodations, lighting that resembles that of a bodega in Harlem and of course, plenty of south Dallas attitude in a Southern accent. Good thing we weren't visiting for the decor...this trip was all about the food.

We couldn't let any of the fat escape our palates so we ordered the heart attack plate (*at least that's what we renamed it after seeing what was on it...): Shak's platter which includes ribs, smoked sliced pork, grilled chicken, boudin, link sausage and two sides. We just couldn't let the main course outdo the sides so we decided on the loaded baked potato and the green beans. This was all accompanied by four slices of wheat bread and the house made BBQ sauce. That enough to keep us off our diet?? No, we washed all of this down with a sweet tea and lemonade mix (*when one is in the South, they must drink plenty of sweet tea...).

Needless to say, we should have brought our Pepto, but it was well worth it. The thin sauce was a sweet mix of brown sugar meets vinegar meets ketchup, all the ingredients necessary for some good BBQ sauce. All of the meats tasted like they had just come off the grill and from the smoky charcoal smell outside, this is exactly where they had been cooked. This was our first time with boudin (*a Cajun staple) which is a sausage stuffed with a pork rice dressing and then grilled. We were quite pleased as we drenched each piece of meat in BBQ sauce and sunk our teeth into some of the most tender cuts we have ever tasted. After this experience, we think we can add another to the "must try" list (*That is, if your in the mood for a meat feast that doesn't cost Fogo De Chao prices..): When one is in Dallas, one must try the Baby Back Shak.

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Recipe: Black Bean Salsa

Black Bean Salsa

1 (16 oz.) can of black beans (rinsed and drained)
2 tomatoes (chopped)
4 green onions (sliced)
1 clove garlic (minced)
1/4 cup fresh cilantro (chopped)
2 tsp. vegetable oil
2 tbsp. lime juice
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper

Combine all ingredients; cover and refrigerate for 6-8 hours. Drain excess liquid before serving; serve.

*Johnna's tip: After our trip to Dallas this weekend, we picked up a new food fetish...TexMex. Not that we didn't already have a thing for all things queso and bean infused, but being in the rest haven for these foods gave us a new appreciation. It's funny because it seems in the District, we have a bit of a struggle finding real authentic Mexican food and in Dallas it's on every other corner. As we find on most of our journeys, however, we can always come home and remake what we discovered on the road...serve this dip (above) with tortilla chips.

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Food.Fun.Stuff: And This Is How The East Was Won!

JKGF will be back with new posts, food, recipes, etc. on Thursday...we need recovery time from our weekend in Dallas (*Of course, we ate too much good food...). While we are away check out our Twitter posts @jkgf. Stay tuned!

World Tour: All Around the World

So with all the saving we're thinking about doing, we need something to do with all that cash right?? How about using it all to vacay?? Well, not all of it now that we've discovered cheap flights to Barcelona. Let us welcome you to our newest addition to our weekly posts: Travel Made Cheap. Thanks to the help of eDreams.com, each week we will take you on a wonderful journey around the world...on a budget, that is. To get the ball rolling, we start with Barcelona. How sexy?...No, wait, how delicious?? Immediately, paella comes to mind. Yum.

Besides being the number two largest city in Spain, Barcelona is one of the top ten most populated cities in the EU (*Translation: European Union). We could give you a history lesson on Barcelona i.e. founded as a Roman city, home of the '92 Summer Olympics, blah, blah, blah...but really would this be a foodie site if that's what we focused on?? No. Hence, we move on to the cuisine. Mediterranean is the theme of the Barcelona diet filled with the best olive oils, fish and fresh veggies. It's no surprise that fresh seafood would grace the menus of many Barcelona restaurants with fresh water passages lining the cities border.

Restaurants such as Cinc Sentits (*known for its 8-course tasting menu that highlights classic Catalan cuisine) and Escriba (*Translation: Scribe) boast quality service without sacrificing the authenticity of Barcelona's food fare. Escriba stands out in our book offering a beach view while guests are feasting on tapas and paella...what could be better?? Though both of these restaurants stand on the pricier side of things (*about €35=$50), that's the purpose of saving on the commute so you can splurge on the cities goodies...food!

Cold (*No, freezing.) temperatures make the beach sound so enticing right now especially after getting all the details of a close friends trip to Barcelona (*which inspired this post)...Thanks for the info friend, but when is it our turn??...

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Food.Fun.Stuff: Giveaway Results!

A few weeks ago we asked our readers to submit their best winter recipes for pizza and the first five to respond would receive a $10 gift card to HomeMade Pizza Company. We have our winners! Check it:

1. Springer submits: (1) Ricotta (2) Roasted Red Peppers (3) Portabella Mushrooms and (4) Garlic
2. Justin submits: The Cheesesteak Pizza (1) Cheddar Cheese, (2) Shredded Beef, (3) Mozzarella and (4) A drop of vinegar for a bite.
3. Chieko submits: (1) Tuna, (2) Black Olives, (3) Mozzarella, and (4) Cream Sauce base
4. Carina submits: The Potato Soup Pizza (1) Chopped Potatoes, (2) Cheddar Cheese, (3) Bacon, (4) Mozzarella and (5) Broccoli.
5. Tina submits: (1) Avocado, (2) Grilled Shrimp, (3) Red Onions and (4) Ricotta

Thank you for all who participated and stay tuned for future giveaways!

*FYI HomeMade Pizza Company just opened its newest location in the District @ 1522 14th St., NW Washington, DC.

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Food.Fun.Stuff: SnoBurger

$1 Burgers @ Z Burger! If you can brave the windy snow (*aka "the blizzard of 2010") in the District today to make it over to the Tenleytown neighborhood, Z Burger is making it worth the trip. Just use the keyword "SnoBurger" at the register and learn about all the burger options (*It's really no secret...cheeseburger, veggie burger or turkey burger). Yum. A double Yum when it's for $1. Stay safe and warm!

Food.Fun.Stuff: DC Meat-Free Week

Last week, we alerted you to Meat Week, which was basically an excuse for all the true meat eaters to get together and indulge in all things meat @ various area restaurants. This week we were alerted to something even better: DC Meat-Free Week! Now we love our meat, but when it comes to veggies we get weak in the knees. Thanks to DC Vegan for filling us in on the details. The week was supposed to run from February 7-13, 2010, but the #Snowpocalypse (*Translation: Twitter trend topic) clearly changed those plans. We have the revised schedule for the rest of the week should the snow lighten up and travel conditions improve...check it:

Thursday, February 11th
The Source
575 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
5:30-10:30 — Reservations Recommended

Friday, February 12th
Restaurant Nora
2132 Florida Ave., NW
5:30-10:30 — Reservations Recommended

Saturday, February 13th
Great Sage – *New Vegan Menu!*
Clarksville Square Drive, Clarksville, MD
5 p.m. – 10 p.m. — Reservations Recommended

*More details here on Meat-Free Week and tips on how to take full advantage of a week devoted to all things green.

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Food.Fun.Stuff: Volunteers Needed!

On Thursday, February 11th, Food & Friends needs 20 volunteers to deliver meals, especially those with 4-wheel-drive vehicles. Those without cars would be very much appreciated in the kitchen, and it would be great if they could come between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. Volunteers may sign up at chenderson@foodandfriends.org. This information is also available here. Without Food & Friends, their clients (*those living with AIDS/HIV, cancer and other life threatening illnesses) likely will not eat, so the help of the community is vital. Meals may be picked up from Food & Friends (*219 Riggs Road, NE, Washington, DC) between 10 am and 12 am, they will provide detailed delivery directions, and routes should take no more than 3 hours. For more information, prospective volunteers may call (202) 841-5347.

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Food.Fun.Stuff: After the Snow...

The snow has us feeling cabin fever and based on our own self-diagnosis, we think we have seasonal depression...this weather is madness! But after the storm, the sun will shine and there will be activities galore for Washingtonians to partake in throughout the area. We have a small list started and wanted to share...we like to call it "Things to Look Forward to After the Snow":

>>>Wine Classes for Beginners- We can't count how many people in the District that have told us they want to improve their wine knowledge and now there's a class @ our front door. GiraMondo Wines has created a two part course: Part 1= The Ultimate Sensory Experience and Part 2= Building a Wine Expertise. In Part 1, guests will learn where wine flavors and aromas come from, how these aromas are catergorized and how to recognize these aromas. In Part 2, guests will learn main wine regions, the major grapes and blends, principles of wine and food pairing, wine etiquette and pricing. There will be cheese and light appetizers served alongside the wine. What a fun and efficient way to learn about wine?! Efficient because it's $98 for both (*or $49 for each) and you get all the basics of wine without having to fly out to Napa. Before= Your just a person who drinks wine...After= Your a true wine connoisseur. Sign us up, please!

Part 1:
February 18, 2010
Women’s National Democratic Club
1526 New Hampshire Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20036
6:30 pm-8 pm

Part 2:
February 23, 2010
Whittemore House
1526 New Hampshire Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20036
6:30 pm-8 pm

More Info & Tickets found here.

>>>Food, Friends & a Good Cause- The non-profit organization Food & Friends is looking for volunteers to help make the 14th Annual Dining Out for Life as entertaining and rewarding as possible. On Thursday, March 11th, more than 150 restaurants around the DC Metro Area will donate 25 to 100 percent of their profits to support Food & Friends' mission of providing nutritious meals to those facing serious illnesses such as HIV/AIDS and cancer.

To make the day the resounding success it should be, Food & Friends is calling on volunteers to act as "ambassadors" to represent Food & Friends at each restaurant. Ambassadors will visit the diners' tables, thank them for coming out to support such a great cause, sign the diners up for the free sweepstakes and receive any extra contribution the diner may wish to give. Without volunteers, Food & Friends would not be able to continue home-delivering life-sustaining meals to thousands of area residents. For more information, contact Eliza Yoder, Special Events Assistant, at eyoder@foodandfriends.org or (202) 269-6826. Become an ambassador here.

>>>Taste of Arlington- Arlington has quite a food resume and we are excited that they are once again showcasing all of these flavors @ the 23rd Annual Taste of Arlington on May 16, 2010.
The Taste will also feature a juried arts and crafts show, children’s activities, live entertainment and a farmer’s market. Tickets are $15 online, if purchased by March 15 (*Day of event price is $25).

The Where: Wilson Boulevard in front of Ballston Common Mall; Parking is available all day for $1 at the Ballston Public Parking Garage adjacent to the Ballston Common Mall; Bike Valet Service provided by Washington Area Bicyclist Association
The When: May 16, 2010, Noon- 5 pm
The Money: The event is free and open to the public, but tickets are required to taste. Get tickets here.
* Limited Time Offer Tickets: eight Tastes for $15 until March 15th
* Advance Online Tickets: eight Tastes for $20
* Day of Event Tickets: eight Tastes for $25
** One food sample costs one Taste
** Beer and wine cost two Tastes
The Metro: Ballston-MU station (Orange line)

Recipe: Shepherd's Pie

Shepherd's Pie

1 1/2 lbs. chuck roast
1 cup carrots (*cut into bite size pieces)
1 cup frozen peas
3 cup mashed potatoes
1 pinch dried thyme
3 cloves minced garlic
2 cup beef stock
salt and pepper to taste
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 tbsp. flour

In a medium size roasting pan, roast the beef at 300 degrees F for 6-8 hours. Remove the meat from the pan, transfer the drippings to a sauce pan, and heat to boiling over medium high heat then whisk in the flour allowing it to cook for 2-3 minutes before pouring in the stock and adding the thyme. Bring the mixture to the boil for 3-4 minutes or until it thickens and coats the back of a spoon.

Into a medium casserole dish shred beef then add the carrots and peas. Pour the sauce over the beef and vegetable mixture and top it with the mashed potatoes.

Bake at 350 for 25- 30 minutes.

*Serves 4

*If your snowed in and don't happen to have a chuck roast in the fridge you can use a pound and a half of ground beef in its place. Just brown the ground beef in a skillet over medium high heat, remove the meat when no pink is remaining and use the drippings to make the gravy.

*Johnna's tip: This recipe came in right on time from Chef Zan Dial of Nova Personal Chef. He writes in his email " 28" of snow on the ground and you want something hot, filling, and of course Cheap and Easy." Yup, that's just what we were thinking and these ingredients are typically in our kitchen so we don't have to go on much of a scavenger hunt @ our local grocery store. Stay warm and cook something good...it might help with all this cabin fever...

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Food.Fun.Stuff: What's Your Prediction?

Our knowledge of football is limited except when it comes to the Super Bowl. When we think Super Bowl, we think endless food and beverages...fun times! Since we could barely rattle off the two teams who are in the Super Bowl 2010, we were in need of some helpful hints and that's where Hello Cupcake comes in. They have created some speciality Super Bowl cupcakes (*The cupcakes are decorated with the Colts and Saints logos-pictured above) to celebrate the football festivities on Sunday. To make the concept even more fun, Hello Cupcake has added a competitive edge with Super Bowl predictions (*We are actually good at this...@ last years Super Bowl party we took home movie tickets and a bottle of champagne because our predictions were so accurate...).

How to Participate?? Patrons who purchase a Play Off Cupcake will choose a cupcake with the team logo they want, Hello Cupcake will add one point to that teams predictions tally and three hours before kick off on Sunday, Hello Cupcake will announce the winner. We're going for the Saints! (*For true football fans of the Colts, please don't hold this against us...we are being purely shallow in our selection...we're smitten with Reggie Bush's physique. Kim Kardashian is one lucky lady...)

Food.Fun.Stuff: Tax-Free Dinner & Celebrate the Chinese New Year

Out and About:

>>>Tax season is here and your either depressed or happily collecting a nice check. Either way, Zola is doing its part in easing the stress of tax season by offering a tax relief meal for Washingtonians. On April 15, 2010, patrons who visit Zola for lunch or dinner @ its bar can get a tax-free meal and get tax filing assistance. The restaurant has also concocted a special drink for the day, the IRS Raspberry, which is a mixture of Bourbon, fresh lime, Steaz raspberry and Green Tea soda. Sounds like filing taxes won't be so bad after all...

The Where:
Zola
800 F St., NW
Washington, DC 20004
(202) 654-0999

The When: April 15, 2010

The Money: $20.15 for lunch and $35.15 for dinner, appetizer/entree/dessert

>>>Celebrate- The Source is celebrating the Chinese New Year with a five-course culinary tour of China. Think: Roasted Peking Duck, Hot & Spicy Chicken Dumplings, a Whole Fried Fish, Slow Braised Pork Stew, House Made Fortune Cookies and a Chinese Five Spice Chocolate Tart to finish things off. The restaurant will celebrate from February 16 - 20, 2010 and is priced @ $95 (*$135 with wine pairings).

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Johnna's Pick of the Week: Patty Boom Boom (DC)

Boom, Boom, Boom! The first time I heard about Patty Boom Boom coming to DC I thought "heavy". It's something about Boom Boom that makes me think heavy. Ironically, nothing about Patty Boom Boom is heavy. The atmosphere is easy, chill and lightens the pressure of the usual dance scene...you know the types: require shoes that hurt your feet, ridiculous cover charges, ludicrous bouncers. Patty Boom Boom is the total opposite of this scene and I love it!

Patty Boom Boom is U Streets newest dance floor located at the corner of 14th and U street. No cover, no obnoxious bouncers and food is involved @ the end of this party. Loud sounds of old and new school reggae blare out of the speakers as guests are slowly swaying and mouthing the words of their favorite tunes. Of course, rum punch is being mixed (*where there's reggae, there must be rum punch) and served at the small bar that stays congested but the service is pretty fast. After taking in all of these rhythms and rum, food seems like the next best thing and Patty BB was thinking the same thing. Downstairs on your way out the door, there is a small cafe style restaurant serving up all kinds of Jamaican patties and beverages. We went for the guava duck patty. Yum.

Fun times indeed and adds a change of pace to the typical U street scene. This block needed some reggae flavor and Patty Boom Boom is definitely stepping up to the plate, literally. JKGF welcomes this new sound to the U street beat...reggae and good food sounds like our newest Friday night hangout.

The Where:
Patty Boom Boom
2007 14th Street NW
Washington, DC 20009
(202) 797-7171

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Drinks on Me: Kumquat Mojito (Alcoholic)

Kumquat Mojito

2 kumquats (halved)
6 mint leaves
5 tsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. orange juice
2 tsp. simple syrup
1 1/2 oz. light rum
Club soda
Lime wedges

In a tall glass, muddle the kumquats, mint, lemon juice, orange juice and simple syrup. Fill with ice. Add the rum and a little soda. Pour into a cocktail shaker, shake well and strain back into the glass. Squeeze the lime wedges in the drink and drop in the glass; top with a splash of soda. Serve.

*Johnna's tip: Wednesday night we had a few too many of these...and oh, what an awesome night. We attended Ping Pong Dim Sum's Chinese New Year celebration which featured samples of the restaurants food, cocktails and a traditional Dragon (Lion) dance. Between the Lion dance and the cocktails, we really can't choose who was the star of the show. After trying the Kumquat Mojito @ Ping Pong, we decided it was time to reenact this recipe at home. Kumquat is similar to the orange but smaller and has an oval shape. After a few of these and too many crispy prawn balls (*we love these things...), when it was time for the Lion dance we were bold enough to elbow our way to the front of the crowd and snag some footage to share with you. Check out the performance below. Enjoy!

Top Five: Cupid's Arrow Has Struck! (DC)

The Big V-Day. Yup, that's next week. You either love or hate Valentine's Day and if you love it you're uber excited about making those reservations. If you hate it, you're either walking around like the Grinch that stole Christmas or your planning an anti-Valentine's Day gathering. Or you're just plain oblivious. We just hope your not being oblivious if you have a mate who loves the big Heart Day, things could get ugly. This week's Top Five is dedicated to Cupid's Day with five places in the District making it their business to have chocolate covered strawberries and roses on February 14. Check it:

1. Bourbon Steak- For $199 per couple, guests can look forward to chilled Cape Breton Oysters and Aubry Brut Champagne @ the start of the meal, followed by Ahi Tuna Tartare with toasted sesame oil, ancho chile, Asian pear and mint, Maine Lobster Risotto with black truffles and a Chateaubriand for two served w/ traditional and contemporary steak house sides. Pastry Chef Santanna Salas has created a Passion Fruit Panna Cotta with a lemongrass consommé followed by a Warm Milk Chocolate Fondant with Nutella ice cream.

2. Cafe Atlantico- Brazilian love affair. If you can't make it down to South America...then take a culinary tour of the tastes of Brazil. The Carnaval-inspired Valentine’s Day menu features six-courses and a Carnaval Love Potion. Dinner is $85 per person and features a Hearts of Palm Salad with passion fruit, orange, chayote, quinoa and almonds; Crab Soup with okra and curry; ‘Mocqueca’ of lobster, monkfish, coconut risotto and Duo of Beef, braised oxtail, beef tongue, truffles, polenta. For the sweet stuff: Valentine’s Day Dessert and a variety of petit fours.

3. CityZen- Enter the Sin Den. That's what their calling it these days...@ CityZen guests may choose from a six-course tasting menu available in CityZen’s main dining room, or a six-course menu for two presented in the plush “Sin Den”, a private cabana-style sitting area. Think: Dark, intriguing locale w/ mood-enhanced lighting and sheer draping (*Cute.) Food: Intimate-size portions with the first-course being a selection of Lobster with Citrus Relish, followed by Rappahannock River Oysters and three more courses, finishing off with The Lover’s Purse stuffed with caramel, marshmallow, and Valrhona Chocolate. Sounds romantic... $350 per couple with an optional wine pairing for an additional $100. Date nights are February 12, 13 and 14 from 6 pm to 9:30 pm.

4. M Bar- We thought this was cute. Make Whoopie Pie for your sweetie. Guests will learn how to make a sweet surprise for their valentine in the “Making Whoopie” Pie demonstration class at M Bar in the Renaissance Washington, DC Dupont Circle Hotel. Class is in session Saturday, February 13, 2010 @ 5 pm.


5. Hello Cupcake is offering The Valentine's Design Class on February 13, 2010 from 10 am to 12 pm. We had the opportunity to decorate our own cupcakes and we now understand why these cupcakes are a little pricey...it's more than a notion to design over 100 per day. There's all these hand movements and ways you have to hold the pastry bag to get the perfect image on top of the cupcake. For $50 you can be just as creative and take a dozen cupcakes home for you and your sweetie. Sign up or get more info @ info@hellocupcakeonline.com.

Reservation time. Happy Valentine's Day, Muah!

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Recipe: Soft, Cheesy Polenta

Soft, Cheesy Polenta

2 cups chicken broth
2 cups water
1 cup coarse yellow cornmeal
2 tbsp. butter
2/3 grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 tbsp. ground pepper

Heat the chicken broth and water to a boil over high heat. Slowly pour in the cornmeal, stirring with a wooden spoon. Reduce the heat to low; cook, stirring until polenta is extremely thick and the spoon can support itself in the pan, about 30 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat; stir in the butter, Parmesan cheese and ground black pepper. Adjust seasonings. Serve hot.

*Johnna's tip: We snagged this recipe from a newspaper (*Chicago Tribune to be exact) lying around the metro (*we take recipes from so many random places...). We liked how easy it made the process of cooking polenta. A few weeks ago one of our Twitter buddies scared us when they said how disasterous their polenta came out even after the constant stirring. Our pet peeve is making a recipe that doesn't come out right, but that's apart of cooking right?? Trial and error?? Well hopefully, this recipe will save us from trying polenta and failing miserably...

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Food.Fun.Stuff: Bond 45 Opens & My Kid Eats Octopus

>>>Bond 45 is open. Recently, we attended a media dinner @ the new National Harbor restaurant and left with one thing on our brain...chocolate mousse. If you read JKGF regularly, you know how we feel about sweet stuff (*usually not our cup of tea...) but this restaurant has a catchy presentation that makes you eat with your eyes and ohh, with your mouth. The chocolate mousse was the star of the show (*other headliners included the Burrata which is cream filled mozzarella and the Maryland Jumbo Crab Steak). The mousse was brought out in large tin buckets like the ones pictured above. For the kid at heart this is the perfect way to present treats! Try the headliners listed above and stay away from the Artichokes alla Giudea (*they remind us of burnt potato chips...). Now back to daydreaming about that mousse and whipped creamed topping...Yum.

The Where:
Bond 45
149 Waterfront Street
National Harbor, MD 20745
(301) 839-1445

>>>Want your kids to eat more like the well-rounded foodie you are?? Nancy Tringali Piho, author of My Two Year Old Eats Octopus, will be at Michel Richard's Citronelle to help you find the answer (*and sign copies of her book, of course). Piho has concluded its flavor that attracts children to a broader palate, not fancy or expensive dishes. Bring the kids along on Wednesday, February 10, 2010 for an evening of picking apart the pickiest eaters: children. Citronelle has created a special menu for the evening: Pearl Pasta Risotto, Lobster Burgers, Braised Short Ribs and a Chocolate Bar. Two guesses which one will be the favorite of the kids...

The Where:
Citronelle
3000 M street, NW
Washington, DC

The Money: $95 for Adults, $37 for children under 12 and books will be available for purchase ($15)

More Info: You Must RSVP @ citronelledc@ihrco.com or @ (202) 625-2150

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Etiquette Tuesday: The Link Exchange

To ask or not to ask?? When we started writing this blog, we wanted readers. We wanted to share our love of food with any and everyone who would listen, which was about eight people. We received some much needed advice from our gal pals @ Plastic Pundit (*Unfortunately, they had to end their site). They suggested we ask for link exchanges from other food sites after this idea landed them a spot on TMZ's blog roll in 2008. Great idea. Asking for a link exchange changed our whole foodie life...we got readers, increased our unique hits and finally felt like someone was actually listening!

Now this was no walk in the park, we definitely got our share of the big, fat N-O from some blogs but some were sooooo nice about it. Now we don't think you should just go around asking for link exchanges arbitrarily, make sure you do actually read the blog prior to sending out that "Please link with me" email. We don't, however, think that you have to be some avid reader of the blog to ask for an exchange because really at the end of the day...it's just a link and it's not that serious. Additionally, with so many blogs out there, you will probably have 2-3 blogs that you must read daily and the rest are there for when you have some free time lying around...but you do read them.

Now that blogging has pretty much taking over the Internet waves, link exchanges have become just as important as the credits at the end of your favorite TV show or movie. They are, in a way, free marketing so we understand why people can be touchy about them...but you don't have to be mean. One person sent us the nastiest email for simply asking for an exchange (*we promptly blocked them from any further communication...that is, after we told them just where they could take their blog and shove it...). We say for the hungry blogger: Read on a regular basis and then ask (*Hey, you've done your part by providing them with readership...but don't stop reading once you get what you want, we gotta keep it tactful here folks...). For the blogger that made it: Don't forget where you came from, you didn't always have 100K hits and somebodies link exchange helped you to get there...