Wednesday, June 29, 2011

We Cannot Watch This Show While We Eat


Marshall is a big fan of this show and I have to admit that I've come to enjoy watching it too. It is terrifying. If you ever want to save money by not going out to eat or if you want to find a way to make yourself not crave food, watch this show. The things that the restaurants featured in this show do will make your stomach turn. It will encourage you to cook your own food.

I have a rule when it comes to watching this show: we cannot watch this show while we eat.

The Washingtonian's Best Bites Blog posted that the producers are accepting nominations in Washington, D.C. Which restaurants in DC would you nominate?

Friday, June 24, 2011

DC Food Blogger Happy Hour - July 6 - Cure Bar & Bistro

RSVP Here.

It is going to be July soon and it is going to be hella hot outside. Come cool off at Cure Bar and Bistro on Wednesday, July 6th at 6pm. Thank you to Mary from Girl Meets Food for organizing this happy hour. Looking forward to seeing everyone!

Monday, June 20, 2011

Grilled Okra




Here is another simple recipe to enjoy this summer. Looking at my past few recipe posts, they all have been simple and quick dishes. I guess that is what summer is about. Enjoying fresh produce and finding quick ways to prepare them so that you can run outside and enjoy the sun.

Grilled Okra
Adapted from AllRecipes.com.

Whole Okra Pods - rinsed well with stems trimmed short
Cajun seasoning
salt
Olive Oil
Skewers

Soak wood skewers overnight or at least for 3 hours. This will prevent the skewers from burning. Pour some olive oil in a bowl and roll each okra pod in the olive oil. Pierce the okra pods near the stem and put on as many as possible. Don't crowd the pods so that the sides can get a bit of char on them too.

Season with as much Cajun seasoning as you or your guests can bear. I have some friends who are very sensitive to spices so I was conservative with it. I placed the skewers on a medium hot grill and let them cook for about 8-10 minutes on each side. Use a spatula to help you flip the skewers. After they cook for a bit, the flesh of the okra pulls away from the skewers so they end up hanging loosely on it. A spatula will help you flip all of them at once. Some of the skewers sat on a part of the grill that was not too hot and so I had them sit in for a bit longer.

After taking them off the grill, sprinkle with salt and allow to cool before eating.

These little pods are great appetizers. Most people are not okra fans because of how slimy they can get but the sliminess seems to dry out on the grill. What you end up with are slightly spicy, salty, delicious okra pods that have a slight char to them.

Okra can vary from $1.99 a lb to $5.99 a lb (and should be even cheaper soon as the weather gets warmer and they come into season.) It is such a light, almost weightless vegetable that even at $5.99 a lb, you can get a small bag full for well under $5.


Saturday, June 18, 2011

Our Herb Garden


There is no way to describe how happy our little garden makes me. Since moving to DC, I've attempted an herb garden twice. My first time was with a few pots in front of the rowhouse I lived in on 16th and T street NW. Sadly, the herbs did not survive the rats that came to eat at the leaves at night. My second attempt was one pot of basil that I grew on a window sill. That one didn't survive the fact that I never transplanted into a bigger pot to fit it's roots.

So when Marshall got a pot of mint from the 14th & U Farmers Market to garnish his drinks, it triggered hope in me that we could actually have an herb garden this summer. We figured out the one corner on the balcony that got the most sunlight and moved around some furniture to accommodate "Bourby" (named after all the bourbon drinks the mint will be garnishing.) A few days later, I got a small pot of basil and a small pot of cilantro. A few weeks later, we had a pot of sage and a pot of lemon thyme. And then Jana from Cherry Tea Cakes gifted us with some oregano and sage from her garden. After picking up some flat leaf parsley, chives, and Thai basil from the Columbia Heights Community Marketplace, I finally felt like we had a garden to be proud of.

Unfortunately, there has been one death in the family. Our cilantro plant did not survive our over watering. It was disappointing but after talking to Twitter, farmers, and friends, I found out that cilantro is a temperamental plant that should be grown from seed. I might try my hand at it but for now, I am happy with what we have. I've made pesto with the basil, have used the thyme to top a roasted beets flatbread, and the mint has been used for many drinks.

Most of the herbs cost us less than $5.00 each. The lemon thyme and the large sage was purchased at Whole Foods and were $7.99 each. The basil and cilantro were purchased at Home Depot for $3.70. The flat leaf parsley, chives, and the Thai basil were $2.50 each. The massive mint was $5.00 a pot. If these herbs last us all summer long, they will more than pay for themselves. My hope is that we will also pick up some Vietnamese mint, rosemary, tarragon, and maybe grow some tomatoes and lemongrass.

In the morning before work, Marshall and I water our herbs and talk about how they are looking. On the weekends, I drink my coffee out on the balcony and stare at them. I can say with all sincerity, herbs make me happy.






Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Foodie Friendly Lipstick


One of the reasons why I don't wear lipstick is because I eat so often that I don't see the point. The lipstick comes off while I am eating and wiping my mouth. I get so frustrated that I spent $10+ dollars on something that only stays on during the walk or car ride to the restaurant.

Until I found the item pictured above (queue music from a harp to emphasize this magical moment.) It is a lipstick/lipstain from Revlon called Just Bitten. One end has a marker that stains your lips and the other is a moisturizer (like chapstick) that gives you a bit of shine. I like this product enough to post about it for several reasons:

1. The color does not come off after the first swipe of your napkin. I really hate going to a nice restaurant and then wiping my mouth only to find that I have left a glaring red mark on their nice white, cloth napkins. I am sure some etiquette book will tell me that I should pat my mouth gently but I'm a girl who likes a clean mouth. I swipe.

2. The marker allows you to line your lips so that the lipstick looks like it was applied with precision and not smeared on. It makes me look like I know what I am doing.

3. This lipstick only cost me 50 cents. I found some on clearance at CVS for 75% off. Add on the $2 off coupon from the Sunday paper, I got the lipstick for $0.50 (plus tax.) Even at $2.50, it would be a steal. It would be pretty hefty for me to spend $10 on it for the fact that it actually stays on my lips, I rather spend $10 on this product than any MAC product.

4. The color is still on my lips after noon when I apply it in the morning. This is after coffee, breakfast, mid morning snacks, and such. That is impressive.

Happy Eating!

Friday, June 3, 2011

Happy Hour at Vento

Good times. Happy Hour at Vento with fellow DC food bloggers was a fun time. Thank you to Daphne for co-hosting and doing all the leg work to set up the happy hour. She is pictured above with a random egg farmer who happened to be having dinner at Vento that night. He gifted her with eggs. You can find more photos of the happy hour here.


A list of the blogs of the bloggers who attended:

gogastronomy.com

metropoetrylis.com

amorepr.com

thechubbette.com

frenchtwistdc.com

capitolbite.blogspot.com

cuisinequeenblog.com

mylittlekitchenlaboratory.blogspot.com

bethesdafoodie.com

statedinner.wordpress.com

dcwrappeddates.com

examiner.com/washington-dc

nikkirappaport.com

thriftydccook.blogspot.com

moderndomestic.com

mangotomato.com

endlesssimmer.com

wedontlunch.wordpress.com

dcfud.com