Thrifty DC Cook

A Pot of Black Beans for the Ladies at N Street Village

2012-01-25T04:33:00.004Z

For the past six years, I have been a regular volunteer at N Street Village, a women's center in DC that helps low-income and homeless women. When I first started volunteering, I showed up once a week to help serve food to the women during my lunch hour. Over time, I volunteered to do other things such as build furniture or help recruit volunteers and walkers for the annual walk-a-thon. Then I started to lead groups of new volunteers on the weekends through DC Cares to help prepare salads, heat up casseroles, and serve. It hit me one weekend that I wanted to start cooking my own food for the women. I talked to N Street Village and asked if it was ok for me to start my own group and serve once a month. For the last 3 years, my wonderful friends and family have helped me serve great food to these women and it has been an amazing experience.

There is this great joy when you see people eat and like the food that you make and it is especially special when you know these women really need it. The most elaborate meal we made was when a friend, who is a chef, came and made individual meatloafs served with mashed potatoes and a mushroom gravy. During the summer, we love bringing sliced up cold watermelon because it always produces smiles. It is clearly an appreciated treat. A family friend once brought in 15 rotisserie chickens which she quartered, dredged in BBQ sauce and roasted again until the sauce carmalized on the chicken. We left that day with an applause from the women. I turned to my family friend and said, "Ok, now we have top that."

Each month is a struggle to figure out what would be the most economical, healthy and delicious dish to make. My friend Joy has been a master at finding good recipes that will serve large groups (we aim to make enough to feed 50 people.) We also try to bring in fruit and vegetables when we can because people need nutrious food regardless of their financial status. This past week, we planned to make enchiladas and I decided to make a side of black beans.

I found this "Mexican Black Beans" recipe from Epicurious. It looked simple and had all the flavors I was looking for in a recipe. To feed 50 women and keep the cost low, I picked up the items at Food Rite in Arlington, VA. I mutiplied this recipe by ten in order to have enough.

Mexican Black Beans

Adpated from Epicurious

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon canola oil

1/2 red onion, diced

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 large jalapeño chili, seeded, chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 pound of dried black beans soaked in water overnight

1 14 1/2-ounce can low-salt chicken broth

Water
Fresh lime juice
Chopped fresh cilantro

Chopped green onions

Salt and Pepper

Pre-heat oven to 350F.

Place oil in a 3qt dutch oven and bring to medium heat. Saute garlic, onions, Jalapenos until onions are translucent. Add cumin and mix in. Cook for 30 seconds. Add black beans and chicken broth. Add water until it is right above the top of the beans. Bring to boil. Turn off stove.

Place dutch oven (with the lid on) into the heated oven. Since I used dried beans, the cooking process took longer than the recipe on Epicurious. I kept the beans in the oven for 2 hours. Add a bit of salt and pepper to taste.

They were perfect when they came out of the oven. The beans were soft but not mushy. The cumin and garlic gave it this rich flavor and worked great as a side for the enchiladas. I added a bit of lime juice and we had bowls of chopped cilantro and green onions on the side to put on top of the beans. The entire pot of beans made for 50 women cost around $10. A 5lb bag of beans was $5.50. A container of cumin cost $1.29. Cilantro was $0.89. Onions and jalapenos cost less than $3. I had the rest of the ingredients from previous purchases. These beans would be delicious just served with white rice and maybe some hot sauce. The amazing thing is that we still had half a tray of beans left over after serving all the women and giving out seconds. It felt great to bring something that was delicious and healthy for them to enjoy.

If you would like to join me on Saturday, February 18th (10am to 1pm) to cook and serve a meal at N Street Village, please email me at thriftydccook at gmail dot com.

Union Halal Butcher and Grocery in Arlington Closing

2012-01-23T15:57:00.002Z

If you have eaten at one of the best pizza places in the DC area, Pupatella, then you probably have seen a little halal shop that is right night door. I've been shopping at this store for the past 1 1/2 years mainly because I can get great large-sized pita bread that I use to make pita pizzas for under $2 (six in a pack). But in addition to that, I've purchased marinated olives, Kefir cheese, feta, and much more. I stopped by this weekend to pick up some lamb to test out recipes for the D.C. American Lamb Pro-Am Competition. As I was walking into the store, I knew something was wrong. The shelves were half empty.

I was greeted by the manager who told me that the store will turn into a restaurant. They were very excited about the Morrocan cuisine and they confirmed that there will be delivery options. (I also confirmed that they won't be competing with Fettosh next door. They have a friendly collaboration.) The restaurant will launch in a month so and for now they must sell their inventory.

The store has several items on sale for buy one get one free but they are also willing to negotiate on prices for items that are not listed on sale. I picked up a container of pinenuts which they sold to me at 25% off the price. They had a lot of specialty items that I am sure I would use if I knew more about middle eastern cuisine. If you have a chance to stop by, here is the address:

5102 Wilson Boulevard

Arlington, VA 22205

I picked up my boneless leg of lamb (their price is $6.75 per pound) and will be working on recipes for the competition this week. Wish me luck.

Potato Chip Egg Casserole

2012-01-22T02:35:00.002Z

There are many reasons why I love my friends but one of the top reasons is because they are the kind of people who don't judge me when I show up to a get-together with no makeup on, a stained shirt, and jeans. They makes me feel relaxed and comfortable all the time. Another big reason why I love my friends is because when we get together, it is a collaboration of good food and good drinks.

Jenny is our mastermind organizer. She makes sure each element of a good party is intact: drinks, food, eating utensils. Jason is our music expert. He can put together a playlist to ensure that no matter your music taste, you will hear a tune and say "OMG, I love this song." Marshall makes sure that we have some sort of cocktail or punch. Kelley supplies us with smoked meats or bacon deliciousness. Jenny, Joy, and others bring delicious food. Simply put, everyone contributes. We even have people who prefer to clean up because they don't like cooking. It is always awesome.

Last week, we had a pajama party brunch because who doesn't want to be in their 30s, eat bacon, drink booze, and watch cartoons in their pajamas with their friends? We had a bunch of champagne leftover from the New Years Eve party. Fourteen bottles total were brought to this brunch and by the time Marshall and I left, there were only four bottles left. We did good. In addition to that, our hostess Heather made us the delicious Bloody Mary that you can see in the picture above. Her husband Brian fried up 3 pounds of bacon and made sure we were all caffinated with Intelligentsia French Pressed coffee.

My job was to bring an egg casserole. Joy has a great recipe where she puts onion rolls in a pan, add an egg mixture, drops spoonfuls of cream cheese, and then tops it all off with diced up green onions. I love this casserole. It was really after brunch at the Tabard Inn where I had scrambled eggs with cream cheese and chives that I realized how delicious that combo was. While searching through Epicurious for egg casserole/fritatta ideas, I found one that included potato chips. It mentioned how Tortilla d' Espano has fried potoates in it and questioned how far off potato chips be. I agreed. Here is what I made:

Potato Chip Egg Casserole

Ingredients:

8 whole eggs
2 egg whites (I took out two yolks because in my head, it made this healthier. Weak, I know. You can take out more yolks and add more egg whites if you want to lighten up the dish)
1 8oz bag of potato chips (I used Kettle Brand, Reduced Fat, Sea Salt)
2/3 cup of milk
1/4 cup of chopped green onions (green part only)
2/3 8oz container of cream cheese
salt and pepper

Pre-heat oven to 350F.

Spread half of the bag of chips into a 9x13 baking pan evenly. Drop spoonfuls of the cream cheese on top of the chips. Top off with more chips. Whisk eggs, egg whites, dash of salt, dash of pepper, and milk together. Pour over chips. Sprinkle the green onions on top. Bake at 350F for 35 mins. Check if the casserole is done by inserting a toothpick in the middle. It should come out clean. If it does not, put it back in for another 5 mins. Repeat until the toothpick comes out clean.

The egg casserole came out delicious. The entire brunch was a hit. There was french toast casserole, sourdough pancakes with a berry compote, 3lbs of crispy bacon, biscuits, sausage, and gravy, fruit salad, French Press coffee, bloody marys, mimosas, bellinis, and a lot of laughing. (Have you ever seen the ShakeWeight instruction video? We did.)

If I were to change one thing about this recipe, I would add more eggs. The eggs came halfway up the pan and once it all baked, the exposed potato chips came out golden brown which made the casserole look awesome. It tasted great but for me but if this is going to be an egg casserole, it should taste more eggy. I would have liked more eggs. So next time, I would add 15 eggs (13 eggs and 2 egg whites? J/k.)

Bacon-Wrapped Jalapenos Stuffed with Cream Cheese

2012-01-16T21:22:00.005Z

I've received a few marriage proposals lately (though I only accepted one) and a couple of them came after I served bacon-wrapped jalapenos stuffed with cream cheese at a party. The recipe comes from The Pioneer Woman and it is awesome (and inexpensive to make.) I used forty jalapenos and spent about $4 for all of them. I purchased them at Food Rite in Arlington, VA. It is a small market off of Glebe Road that is frequented by ethnic folks. Their produce prices are great. The cream cheese was $1.99 (I got two) and the bacon was $4 a pack and I used two.

Other than toothpicks and gloves for handling the jalapenos safely, there is nothing else you need. I differed from the recipe only in the length of time that the jalapenos stayed in the oven. I baked them for about 35-45 minutes or at least until I thought that the bacon looked browned (no one likes uncooked bacon.) We had over 80 pieces for a friend's New Years Eve party and it was a hit.

My friend Jenny has used the same recipe and added ranch dressing powder and cheddar cheese in the cream cheese. I liked them both ways.

Happy Eating!

GT Kombucha On Sale At Whole Foods

2012-01-10T21:34:00.008Z

Image from www.synergydrinks.com.

My friend Anna (and yoga guru) told me about Kombucha a couple of years ago. She started drinking it and felt that it helped her digestive system. She also told me that she dropped five pounds after drinking it for a few days so yeah...my ears perked up while she was talking. I tried it and at first was taken aback by the vinegar-like taste (it is a fermented tea that creates enzymes that assist with digestion.) But after giving it a second shot, I actually started to find the drink refreshing. And lets just say that it is a great way to detox. It really does clean out your system. After drinking it, and letting it do it's work, I felt....cleansed.

You can make kombucha yourself at home but there is something about the process that scares me. I think I would rather leave this to the professionals.

My favorite flavors are the Guava Goddess and the Cosmic Cranberry. These bottles run about $3-$5 a bottle (depending on where you buy them.) I found them at Yes! Organics for $2.99 a bottle. Target started selling them recently (found near the refrigerated orange juice) and they are priced reasonably there.

Whole Foods will have this drink on sale on Friday the 13th - Buy One Get One Free. I will try to stop by and stock up on a few bottles. Its great to have the day after an indulgent meal or if you are just feeling sluggish. Sometimes, you just gotta give your body some attention and help it out a little.

Happy Shopping!

Whole Foods - Online Coupons

2012-01-10T21:10:00.001Z

Image from WholeFoods.com.

For those who would like to eat healthier in 2012, check out these coupons from Whole Foods. They have some great deals on teas, energy bars, soy milk, beans, and much more. In the past, I have been able to score really great deals by matching up the coupons with sales. They had Arrowhead Mills Organic flour on sale for $2 a bag and with a $1 off coupon , the flour was only $1. Their price on Kashi cereal rivals any other supermarkets'price and they have a coupon for $1 off two boxes. An old personal trainer got me to buy a box of their Original Go Lean cereal and told me to carry around a snack bag of it to munch on when I was hungry. It has a lot of fiber and very little sugar so it was a filling and healthy snack. I dropped so much weight that summer munching on this cereal and running staircases.

Here is the link to their online coupons. You can also find coupons in booklets found in front of the store which is so convenient. The only problem is that Whole Foods shoppers are earth friendly so you often times find booklets with ripped out coupons because the patrons don't want to throw away the entire booklet. It might just be easier to print out the coupons ahead of time so that you don't run into this problem.

Happy Shopping!

Neutrogena Products

2012-01-09T20:40:00.004Z

Image from Neutrogena website.

It has occurred to me that my "food blog" has shown more savings on beauty products than it has shown deals on food. But I think I have explained before that most of the food that you can purchase with coupons is stuff that is so processed that I won't eat them. I feel good about saving money on non-food items so that I can spend more money on good meats or vegetables. A quote I have seen on Twitter lately from Danielle Omar: "Those who think they have no time for healthy eating, will sooner or later have to find time for illness.” ~ Edward Stanley." Same goes with money. Spend some money now on good food so you won't be spending so much money later on healthcare.

So this post is all about Neutrogena products. Growing up with an uncle who was a dermatologist, I became aware of how the products are highly regarded by doctors. He used Neutrogena for his shampoo and his face cleansar. A few of my current co-workers swear by the Neutrogena hand cream. My personal favorite over-the-counter skin care product is Cetaphil but Neutrogena is a close second. This is a great week to stock up on these products if you are a fan. CVS has them on sale for Buy one Get one 50% off. The Sunday paper had several coupons that gave you $1 to $2 off certain products (you can also find coupons on their website under "Special Offers." You can use coupons to save even more money at CVS. In addition to that, Neutrogena.com is offering a $10 rebate if you spend $30 on their products from January 8 - February 8. I will be stocking up on my favorite product, Alcohol-Free Toner.

Happy Shopping!

Finding Julia

2012-01-05T10:01:00.002Z

When I first moved to Washington, D.C., I had a list of things I wanted to do. It was like I was a tourist and only had a limited amount of time here ( I guess I didn't think I would live here for over six years). On this list, I wanted to see Julia Child's kitchen at the National Museum of American History . Within the first month, I accomplished it. If you haven't seen this kitchen, you are missing out on a charming sight (The exhibit will close January 8, 2012 ). Knowing that her husband Paul built a wall, and traced the shapes of the pans on the wall to keep her organized, just warms my heart.

There is so much about Julia to admire. I think part of the reason I love her is because as a young girl, she was tall and awkward and yet she grew into a woman who charmed people with her talent and her humor. Having been an awkward young girl myself, it was encouraging to know that life can get better as you age.

Amazon has her episodes of The French Chef from the 1960's available to view and if you are an Amazon Prime member, viewing them is free. There are seven seasons of the show and they are great. She shows us everything from scallops to pastry to Tarragon chicken. She is so charming and you can see the things she struggled with in camera (very different than cooking shows you see now.). She has great techniques and doesn't need a bunch of gadgets to cook.

The episodes are really entertaining and are inspiring me to do a little more complex French cooking. They are worth the time spent to watch the original cooking show star.

The photo shown below is a little slanted because it is a shot of my Kindle Fire while it is playing the show.

Shopping At Wegmans

2012-01-02T23:09:00.001Z

It surprises me when people tell me that they have not shopped or heard about Wegmans. Wegmans is a food lovers theme park. They have everything and are known to have knowledgable employees. They send their butchers to seminars about meat so that they are up to date with what is new in butchering. I especially like shopping there because Wegmans is known to have high ratings in employee satisfaction. I support businesses that work to make employees happy in their workplace. They also have a huge prepared foods section where you can get anything from sushi to fried chicken to raw oysters. Before spending hours roaming their aisles, I suggest you fuel up.

DC is lucky to have several locations within an hours drive. Marshall and I visited the one in Fairfax, VA. Though most of the prices on products at Wegmans is about the same as you can find at local supermarkets, they have such a wide selection of products that you will find exceptionally good deals.

For instance, Gold Bond body wash is a new product and I have $2 off coupons for them but could not find them at Harris Teeter or Target. They had them at Wegmans on sale for $5.49. With the coupon, I paid $3.49 for each. Not an Extreme Couponing deal but it was worth it for me to get a quality product for my dry skin this winter.

A great body lotion deal was on Jergens 12.5 oz bottles. On sale for $2.49 each + a coupon for $3 off 2 bottles = $.99 for each bottle.

Another great deal is the Revital Lens contact cleaning solution. They had travel size boxes for $3.99 and I had three $3 off coupon (no limit on sizes). Got each box for $.99. I have not seen these boxes at other stores. Perfect for my trips to visit family.

Another product I have not found is Ivory body wash. A 12 oz bottle is $1.99 + $.20 off coupon doubled (Wegmans will double any coupon that is $.99 or less). A bottle was only $1.59.

For the ladies, I can recommend their makeup aisle. They had lots of brand name mascaras and lip glosses on sale and with $1 off coupons that can be found in Sunday papers, they would have been a steal. I held back from buying them because I cleaned up when CVS had their clearance and am set on makeup for awhile.

If you have not been to Wegmans, a trip is highly recommended. Their food prices are comparable to other supermarkets and you will find everything on your shopping list so a visit is worth it. Like other theme parks, I suggest going early in the day to beat the crowds.

Just a quick note that Harris Teeter has their Super Double coupon deal starting Wednesday, January 4th. Any coupon valued at $1.98 or less will be doubled (20 coupon limit). Have fun shopping!

Hill Country BBQ DC Food Bloggers Happy Hour

2011-11-15T02:17:00.009Z

Picture courtesy of Hill Country BBQ

I wish I could post pictures of all the fun people that attended the happy hour but the truth is that I was too busy stuffing my face with the abundant and delicious food that Hill Country BBQ provided. I'm serious. If the restaurant was trying to display southern hospitality, they were more than successful. Big thank you to the Hill Country BBQ for all the love and thank to all the great food bloggers who attended. It was a blast.

Here are some bloggers who attended (please let me know if I missed someone):

http://capitalcookingshow.blogspot.com/
http://capitolbite.blogspot.com/
http://desigrub.com/
http://foodiesandfatties.com/
http://girlmeetsfood.com/
http://gttebykate.wordpress.com/
http://helloiforgotmymantra.com/
http://hollywoodonthepotomac.blogspot.com/
http://livingsocial.com
http://mayaskitchenonline.blogspot.com/
http://platedperfection.blogspot.com/
http://sipsandsweets.net/
http://thecupcakeavenger.blogspot.com/
http://www.bakedperfection.com/
http://www.dcfud.com/
http://www.dishcrawl.com/
http://www.foodnewsie.com/
http://www.gogastronomy.com/
http://www.intuitivefare.com/
http://www.moderndomestic.com/
http://www.mychefonline.com/
http://www.saffronroadfood.com/
http://www.washingtoneats.com/
http://www.washingtonian.com/blogs/bestbites/index.html

The Best $7.95 I Ever Spent

2011-10-20T02:15:00.002+01:00

Marshall and I picked up this Black Truffle salt while we were visiting family in Boca Raton, FL. We got it at a chain spice shop called "The Tea and Spice Exchange." This is probably the best $7.95 I have spent in the last few years. This simple salt has made me fall in love with eggs all over again (I go through these phases in my life where I love eggs and then I'm blase about them and then I love them again. Right now, I'm in love with eggs.)

This salt has bits and pieces of black truffles in them and the fragrance...lets just say that it was in my carryon bag and I could smell it on the plane. This small pouch packs a punch. A simple fried egg topped with Black Truffle salt and pepper is suddenly something of magic.

I made egg-in-a-hole and it was FABULOUS. Not just because I used a nifty heart shaped cookie cutter to cut out the bread but because it was topped with this great salt and I gobbled it up very quickly. It was just a little pinch of it and it was enough. It made me feel like a million bucks....more like I had a million bucks. It made me feel rich. Again, this was the best $7.95 I've spent in a while.

Anne Burrell's Spaghetti Alla Carbonara

2011-10-19T01:57:00.004+01:00

Ok...maybe we overcooked the bacon a bit. It still came out really delicious. This Spaghetti Alla Carbonara is a recipe from Food Network's Anne Burrell. Though I'm not a consistent Food Network TV watcher, it has been keeping my interest lately. The Pioneer Woman's cooking show is actually pretty entertaining. It isn't about all the butter that she puts in her food but I am impressed how they seem to capture how she cooks with love. Another great show that the Food Network produces is a show called "The Best Thing I Ever Ate" where people describe just that. ZOMG. That show always leaves me hungry for whatever they showcase.

I've also been noticing Anne Burell. She has been on the network for a few years but lately I've noticed how simple she makes restaurant cooking look. She makes these complicated dishes really attainable. And she has this badass way about her. In a show called "The Best Thing I Ever Cooked," she demonstrates how she learned how to make Spaghetti alla Carbonara while she was studying in Italy. There is no cream. I know this is shocking because almost every Italian restaurant carbonara I have ever had is dripping with cream. This recipe uses eight eggs that adds to the richness of the dish. Here is the recipe.

This dish is so cheap to make. I paid $1 for the pasta, $3.77 for the bacon, $6 for the cheese (I only used parmesean), $2.88 for the eggs, and probably a $1 for the onions (I diced up some sweet onions and fried them in the bacon fat). So about $15 for a pot of pasta that could easily feed 4-6 people. A delcious steal.

BTW, my favorite Food Network show will always be Ina Garten's Barefoot Contessa (love, love, love her kitchen.)

Because I Can't (Won't) SkyDive

2011-10-06T22:01:00.005+01:00

Photo from Pesce

Cancer has come up in too many conversations with loved ones recently. Maybe I am at that age when I am forced to recognize that I am no longer invincible and that me and my family and friends will not live forever. Maybe so. I still wish this word "cancer" would go away. Mainly because it can. It is possible.

My good friend Joy's mother, Patty, is a breast cancer survivor. On October 1, Patty jumped out of a plane for her first skydiving experience. It was on her bucket list to skydive and she also decided to turn the event into a fundraiser called "Crazy for a Cure." She was able to raise $3585 for the Susan G. Komen Foundation. Patty has been a breast cancer survivor for over 15 years. You can read more of her story here.

Since I am better at eating than I am at jumping out of planes, I've decided to join Dining in DC and many other food bloggers for the "Take a Bite Out of Breast Cancer" campaign. Restaurants across DC are participating and will donate a portion of their profits to "Pink Jams," an outreach and fundraising campaign focusing on early detection in young women and men under 40 years old. To help out, all we have to do is eat out. Pretty simple, right?

I will be dining at Pesce Restaurant in Dupont Circle on Thursday, October 13th. Pesce has kindly offered to donate 35% of their proceeds from the evening to this campaign. I'm looking forward to trying out several dishes from their menu such as the Grilled Sardines, Ocotopus Stew, and their Skate Wing.

Here are other restaurants that will be participating in this campaign: Dining in DC.

DC Food Blogger Happy Hour - October 5 - Hank's Oyster Bar

2011-10-03T02:11:00.002+01:00

RSVP Here.

As a kid, I didn't get to eat very many oysters. My only real memory of eating oysters was at a Chinese restaurant where it was sauteed in a ginger-scallion sauce (which is amazing.) It was in college during a trip to Las Vegas when I finally tried raw oysters. We were at the Rio Hotel and they had this amazing seafood buffet with crab legs, boiled shrimp and raw oysters. It was an all-you-can-eat-buffet and it was G-L-O-R-I-O-U-S. My college roommates piled their plates high with these oysters. One roommate mixed salt and pepper with lemon juice, spooned some on top of the oyster and slurped it up that way. Another roommate topped hers with a mix of ketchup and Tabasco sauce. I tried it both ways and instantly loved raw oysters.

Hank's Oyster Bar is one of the places where I have enjoyed raw oysters in DC. The restaurant has this warm cozy feel to it and serves excellent seafood. It is tucked on this charming street on 17th and Q street NW and is a neighborhood favorite. Hank's Oyster Bar is participating with Pink Jams' "Take a Bite Out of Breast Cancer" this year and will be donating 25% of it's proceeds on October 4 and 5th. The DC Food Blogger Happy Hour will be at Hank's on Wednesday, October 5th from 6pm to 8pm. Come out and slurp up some oysters with me.

Free Manhattan Bagels

2011-09-30T16:01:00.005+01:00

If you live in the Arlington, VA area (or if you have noticed that a Manhattan Bagel shop has opened up in your area), keep an eye out in your mail box for great coupons. When I picked up the mail the other day, I found a booklet of breakfast and lunch coupons for the Manhattan Bagel shop that opened near the Ballston Metro. It had a coupon that gave me $3 off a Value Pak (13 bagels and two tubs of cream cheese) which was perfect for me to bring in for a morning work meeting the next morning.

Other great coupons include a free large coffee and Free Bagel Fridays. I walked into the shop this morning and announced to the cashier that I wanted a free bagel. I didn't realize how loud I was until I noticed other people staring at me and the cashier was giving me an uncomfortable smile. But hey, I got a free bagel. And it was delicious. Manhattan bagels are boiled and then baked so the insides are good and doughy, not dried out.

The Free Bagel Fridays coupons are good until November 11th. So basically, I can walk in with this booklet every Friday through October and ask for a free bagel. Woot Woot!

Favorite Cold Weather Buy

2011-09-29T00:30:00.005+01:00

The weather does not feel like Fall yet in DC. The air is humid and the temperature is almost 80 degrees but the cold is just about to hit us. To prepare, I picked up my favorite winter product; Better Than Boullion. There are several reasons why I love this stuff.

The little jars don't take up a lot of room and for us city dwellers, that means it is light in the bag when walking home from the grocery store and leaves us more room in the fridge for other items. Also, it is nice to have chicken broth or beef broth ready for all the stews and soups that that winter recipes call for. Last, it is cheap. A jar normally goes for $6-$8. There are 38 servings and when mixed with water, a teaspoon of this will make one cup of broth. Before Better Than Boullion, I used to carry heavy cans or boxes of broth home from the store. My arms were more toned back then but I think it was because I actually went to the gym more. Anyways, I digress. Naturally, homemade stock is best but this is a good substitute when homemade stock is not available.

Better Than Boullion is my favorite cold weather buy. They have a variety choices such as vegetable base, reduced-sodium, and organic. I promise they did not pay me to write this post nor did they send me free products. I just genuinely like this stuff.

(*but if anyone reading this wants to send me free stuff, please email me. thriftydccook at gmail dot com.)

A Bowl of Ramen

2011-09-27T02:24:00.007+01:00

There has been a change in me lately and I am trying to decide if it is good or bad. Things seem more serious and seem to require me to be more serious. Sad news comes from the newspapers about people having a hard time finding jobs, my friends are losing jobs or are the ones having to let people go, and then I hear from an old colleague who has been unemployed for three years and who struggles to pay their health insurance that costs $720 a month. All this has made me reevaluate my life. Looking back at past bank statement makes me disappointed in myself. I forget how easy it is to drop $50-$70 on one dinner. The dinners were delicious and a lot of fun but did I need to spend that much money to eat something delicious and have fun. No. Am I worth it? Yes. Is it better to have financial security in the future? Yes.

I started this blog three years ago because I wanted to share the fun I have shopping and creating tasty and cheap meals. Since then, this blog has brought me to meet new friends and to have other adventures. Did I lose touch with the purpose of this blog? Yes. A little.

Looking at the big picture, I want my life to be about family, good health, good food, laughter with friends, and stability. And it is time to make use of this blog and keep working at finding great recipes that won't cost an arm and a leg.

So I bring you ramen. The type of ramen I grew up with not only included a block of fried noodles and a packet of sodium loaded seasonings but it also included grilled meats, loads of vegetables, and sometimes...fish balls. (For those unfamiliar with Asian food, this is like a meatball but it is made of seafood. Not as disgusting as as sounds. Or maybe it is.)

Ingredients:

1 package of Ramen - You can use any type of ramen but the ones found at Asian markets tend to have spicier seasonings and just taste better. I find that the noodles are less gummy.

1 Pork Chop - Choose one with a bit of fat

2 bunches of Bok Choy

1 Egg

Salt and pepper the pork chop and sear it on an oiled pan. The pork chop we had was about 3/4 of an inch thick and we seared it for 5 minutes on each side. We seared it so that each side had a good browning at the edges. Take out of pan and let it sit for a bit before slicing. Leave pan on low and crack an egg and place it in the pan. This will fry the whites of the egg a bit but will leave the yolk runny.

Boil 2 cups of water in a saucepan and parboil the bok choy for 2 minutes. Take bok choy out of the saucepan and set aside. Place noodles in and bring to a boil. After 2 minutes, add seasonings and cook for another 2 minutes.

Place noodles and broth in a large bowl, add bok choy and sliced pork, and place the egg right on top. Break the yolk so it cooks into the broth. I can't describe the richness that the yolk adds to the broth. It is just delicious.

For those who are worried about the amount of sodium or fat in ramen, there are a couple of things you can do. One, you can boil double the amount of water, put the noodles in a bowl, add some water and let some of the oil come out of the noodles. Drain the water and put the noodles back into the boiling water on the stove. How much fat does that eliminate? Not a ton but it is kind of like blotting your pizza with a napkin. At least you are getting a bit of the fat out.

To reduce the sodium, just use half of the seasoning packet. If you eating the ramen with lots of vegetables or pan-seared meat, there is going to be plenty of flavor in your ramen.

Financially, this meal is a steal. The pork chop cost us a little less than $3. A package of ramen was 80 cents. Bok Choy will be less than $1 for 2 bunches. And eggs are generally $3 for a dozen. A dinner for two cost us less than $6.50.

Ramen can be a beautiful thing if made right. It is quick to make and it satisfies the soul when slurped up on a cold night.

DC Food Blogger Happy Hour - September 7 - Mala Tang

2011-08-18T11:00:00.002+01:00

RSVP Here.

Here is the problem with spending a significant part of my day reading about food and talking about food: I tend to get disappointed when I actually eat at the restaurant. Many times, new restaurants are built up to be these amazing experiences and I leave them feeling a bit down.

I did not feel this way about Mala Tang. This is after reading great reviews, hearing it from fellow bloggers, and also hearing it from my own boss about how good this place is. Here are the reasons why I enjoyed my meal at Mala Tang and why I am going back:

- The food is good. When presented, the meat looks fresh, the vegetables look great, and the broth served is delicious. Also, you can customize your food based on your tastes and there is a lot of food. Everyone in my dinner party took home food. I can recommend the Dan Dan Noodles and the cold spicy noodles. I ordered the beef, napa cabbage, and mushrooms. Delish! The dumplings were only ok. I would stick with the spicy cold noodles for your appetizer.

- Service is good and the place looks clean. When I lived in California near an area called Little Saigon, there was a push by the city to teach Vietnamese restaurant owners how to provide good service to bring in more customers and bring money to the city. They were addressing the fact that most Asian restaurants do not pay attention to service. The concentration is serving delicious food fast and at a good price. That mentality discourages some people from eating at Asian restaurants and this mentality is different at Mala Tang. Our server was especially attentive and even gave us a discount on our meal. I've been to other "hot pot" establishments and trust me when I say this place is clean and the food is presented well.

-Atmosphere is fun. How can you not have fun cooking your own food in a little personal pot of soup? I also like the large wooden tables and the tables are spaced far enough away from other guests that you don't feel like other people can listen in on the conversation.This is the kind of eating that encourages conversation. You talk, you cook, you eat and then you can relax and talk some more. There is no rush to eat your food while it is hot because you are in control of that.

- Mala Tang offers many different ways of getting discounts. I've seen them on multiple "deals" websites and they are currently on Savored.

This is a great restaurant to go with a bunch of friends. I plan on taking Marshall and a few other friends here soon (for instance, September 7th).

My Favorite Word Other Than "Coupon"

2011-08-17T03:59:00.003+01:00

Free. That is my favorite word other than coupon.

All these vegetables above were given to me by my co-worker Lucy. Lucy and her family are on vacation this week and she asked me if I would like her CSA shipment "Absolutely!" (or maybe it was "Hell Yeah!) was my reply.

This CSA is from Potomac Vegetable Farms in Virginia. This week's bag consisted of peppers, eggplant, chives, basil, carrots, corn, a melon and a large bag of tomatoes. Everything looks so beautiful and so fresh that it is making me want to sign up for my own CSA bag next year. Let me know if you have any other CSAs that deliver in the Arlington area that you can recommend.

Big thank you to my co-worker Lucy for giving me all this great loot.

Coupon Mania

2011-08-15T09:00:00.004+01:00

I've been told by multiple people that this book is proof that I am certifiably insane. Yes, I got bit by the "Extreme Couponing" bug. I have always been a fan of coupons but I have never taken it this far.

The picture above is a 3 inch binder full of coupons. It is filled with over 75 pages of baseball card sheet protectors. At first, I just got coupons from our Sunday paper. When I realized that in order to really take advantage of good deals, I would need multiples of the good coupons, I started looking around. It made no sense for me to spend money to get coupons if I didn't have to. First, I found a recycle bin at a Starbucks near my office on a Monday where they discarded the Sunday papers that were not sold on the previous Sunday. Score! There were at least 5 sets of coupons that I picked up. Each Monday since, I have woken up early just so I can stop by the Starbucks on my way to the office. Second, one morning when I happen to be up really early, I ran into the man delivering our newspaper. I chatted him up and asked what he did with the extra coupon inserts and he told me they destroyed them. I told him that if he ever had any extras, I would not mind getting them. That very day, a few extra copies were dropped off at my door step. Some weeks I would get a few sets and some weeks I did not. It is all good. I appreciate

Since I started building my collection of coupons, I started to realize a big change in me. One, I had no filter. I started asking the most random people what kind of products they used so that I could tell them whether or not I had a coupon for it. I emailed people that I am acquainted with and eagerly wanted to know what brand toothpaste they used so that I could pick up tube for them on my next shopping trip. My good friend Jason just moved into an apartment by himself and I found myself asking him, "Can I use one of your closets for my stockpile?"

Second, I haven't slept in on the weekends since I got started. On Saturday mornings, when the coupon inserts get delivered to our door, I wake up excited at 7am so that I can make my cup of coffee and flip through the coupon pages. On Sundays, I get up and haul my 50lb binder to the supermarket to stroll through the aisles when it is least crowded to see what kind of deals I can get.

Is this healthy? Probably not. People have suggested that I try out for Extreme Couponing but it is not going to happen. I don't have the time to sit and plan out each shopping trip with the detail that is required to get all those items for free and I don't have the storage room to stockpile the products. Also, I'm a food snob and wouldn't buy most of the food products that manufacturers provide coupons for. On the other hand, I've been able to save a lot of money on things such as shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, toothbrushes, face wash, lotion, cleaning products, toilet paper, paper towels, etc. I've stocked up enough items that I probably won't have to do any shopping (other than for food) for another 4 months.

So this weekend, I've packed up all the coupons I would not use and even some that have expired so that I can ship them to military families overseas. I first heard about it from Extreme Couponing and then Couponomics posted a message on twitter that gave a link to a non-profit that arranges for these coupons to be sent overseas. Families overseas can use expired coupons up to six months old. This non-profit requests that any coupons sent to them not be more than one month old so that they can be sure that the coupons will be good when they reach the families overseas. It feels great to know that all the coupons I don't use won't crowd up my binder and will also get used to help those in the military.

Peach Honey,Y'All

2011-07-25T03:50:00.000+01:00

***This is a repost from August of 2009***

The thing about writing a food blog and actually telling people that you write a blog about food is that you start having conversations similar to this "We should make tamales! It will take all day, maybe two days, but its totally worth it." Or "Have you ever made sushi? We should try making sushi." I'd like to say that I am the on the receiving end of these suggestions but I will admit, most of the time, the suggestions are coming out of my mouth. I need to remind myself that the blog is called "Thrifty DC Cook" and not "How I Lost My Life to My Addiction to Cooking." The problem is...I LOVE (need?) it. In addition to that, I have a lot of friends who are game. So far we have Southern Fried food day that will include fried chicken, fried okra, and fried green tomatoes. We also have a seafood day, a tamale day, and "breakfast for dinner" day. Stephanie and I have already done a Bun Bo Hue day and have several other Vietnamese dishes we would like to try out.

When my friend Jenny suggested that we try canning something, I was intrigued. The process included us heading out to a farm (or farmers market), getting produce, and canning it whole or creating something like tomato sauce. Jenny described to me all the things we could do: jams, jellies, pickled okra, relish, whole tomatoes, whole peaches, etc. I have to admit, Jenny got me mighty excited. We set a date. Our friend Anna was in. The mission was going to be...

Peach Honey, Y'All
Recipe adapted from Jenny's Mom
Makes about six 1/2 pint jars

(Note: We tripled this recipe, reduced the amount of sugar, and it was perfectly sweet.)

Ingredients
5 lbs of ripe peaches - $2.49 per lb (we bought free stone peaches from Eastern Market - its much easier to get the seed out when using free stone peaches)
6 1/2 cups of sugar - We spent $6 for 10 lbs of sugar.

Blanch the peaches in boiling water for 30 - 45 seconds, then put in ice water. Slide peels off, cut peaches into pieces, and discard stones. Puree in food processor to make 4 cups of peach pulp. Combine pulp with sugar in an enamel saucepan and stir over moderate heat until sugar is dissolved.

Bring to a boil, stirring frequently to prevent scorching. Reduce heat and simmer for about 30 minutes or until thick, stirring frequently.

Pour the "honey" into hot, sterilized jars (1/2-pint is a good size), filling to within 1/4 inch of top rim. Wipe rims clean with a clean, damp cloth and seal jars with the lids. (This is very important because the jars will not seal unless the rims are perfectly clean.)

Process the jars in a boiling-water bath for 10 minutes. Cool completely. Store in a cool, dark, dry place.

They came out so perfect. We were a little concerned when they were stewing because we were not sure what kind of consistency we were looking for in the honey. It seemed runnier than we wanted. After a quick call to Jenny's mom, she reassured us that we got it right and that it would thicken after it cooled a bit. How did it taste? Like ripe peach flavored honey. It was so good. We ate it on bread with some butter. Delish. Since then, I have put it in my tea and made sweet peach tea. At Jazmin's party, we poured it over some brie and served it with some crackers. I've made peanut butter and peach honey sandwiches. They are great for breakfast.

The process took about 6-7 hours (not including time shopping for materials.) We ended up spending about $25 on peaches, $6 on sugar, and made 18 jars. You could spend a lot less on peaches since most grocery stores have been selling peaches for about $1 per lb. The day ended up being a lot of fun because we just sat on my couch (in between processes), watched the Next Food Network Star marathon and talked and ate food. We also squealed every time we heard "PING" as the jars were sealing. It was great.

Big thank you to Jenny who shared this recipe with us. She actually hand wrote the recipe for Anna and I. (She is so sweet.) She got me so excited about canning that she had me driving out to Woodbridge with her so that we could pick up two large canning pots for $15! Yay Craigslist!

I'm waiting for they day when someone says to me that we should ship some sand from Hawaii (because no one in their right mind would trust any sand in DC) to build a sand box and dig a hole, fill it with palm leaves, smoke a pig and have a big Hawaiian Luau. My response would be "Where can we get a deal on a whole pig?" and "I need to find myself a hula skirt."

DC State Fair Bake Sale at Zorba's Cafe - Sunday, July 17

2011-07-11T22:55:00.003+01:00

Picture by Olga Berman of Mango Tomato

Look at this pie. Doesn't it look delicious? I recently made my first cherry pie from scratch (not pictured above) and I am slowly falling in love with pie making. It is all about the crust for me. The fact that a delicious, buttery, flaky crust can come out of flour, cold butter, and cold water is just amazing.

To support the DC State Fair events, there will be a bake sale at Zorba's Cafe near Dupont Circle on Sunday, July 17 from 8:30 a.m. to 11:00 am. Please come and support this community event by purchasing some delicious baked goods. I know many of the bakers personally and they make some amazing stuff. I'm looking forward to see what they bring on Sunday. Please join us!

We Cannot Watch This Show While We Eat

2011-06-29T16:49:00.005+01:00

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?

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

2011-06-24T17:06:00.002+01:00

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!

Grilled Okra

2011-06-20T09:00:00.002+01:00

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.

Our Herb Garden

2011-06-18T13:39:00.004+01:00

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.

Foodie Friendly Lipstick

2011-06-14T14:59:00.009+01:00

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!

Happy Hour at Vento

2011-06-03T00:24:00.003+01:00

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

DC Food Blogger Happy Hour - June 1 - Vento

2011-05-31T00:44:00.003+01:00

RSVP Here.

Time flies. This time last month, I was worrying about fitting into a bridesmaid dress and which restaurants to take my family to while they are here for my cousin's wedding. The wedding is over and it was a blast. My family got to try out Saigon Cafe in Falls Church, Tysons Buffet in Rockville (truly a good deal), and Rays the Steaks in Arlington, VA. Unfortunately, my brother did not get a chance to eat some Maryland blue crabs while in town so, as a gift for getting into medical school, my cousins and I sent him half a bushel from www.crabplace.com. The cost was reasonable when you compare the cost of taking 4 people out for crabs at any local DC crab joint. And, he loved it.

And the first Wednesday of the month is just a couple of days away and that means it is time to meet up with some food bloggers. We will be meeting at Vento in Dupont Circle. The happy hour specials are $5 wines and cocktails, $4 beers, and half off the bar menu.

Hope to see you there.

Going Raw

2011-05-27T15:28:00.008+01:00

There is a new restaurant in town called Elizabeth's Gone Raw and I am really interested in trying it out. The price is a bit steep ($75 for a 5-course prix fixe tasting menu) but the message behind the food is what really makes me want to eat there. Elizabeth is a cancer survivor who has used raw and vegan food to assist with her recovery. Vegan eating is tough but vegan cooking...that is a true challenge. How do you make anything delicious without butter and cheese?!?

In my small attempt to make something vegan, I found this recipe in Everyday Food by Martha Stewart. This is a really simple and delicious dish that even my guy had to say that it was pretty good (it must be pretty good if "Mr. MeatPotatoesBacon&Cheese" says so.) I think you will be impressed by how sweet raw corn is and how well it pairs with the lime and salt that is added to the dish. I sliced the zucchini thin enough that it felt cooked after sitting in the lime juice for a bit. Great summer side dish to bring to BBQs.

Raw Corn and Zucchini Salad
Adapted from Everyday Food

2 ears corn, husks and silks removed
2 medium zucchini, thinly sliced
Juice of 1 lime
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
Coarse salt and ground pepper

Cut off tips of ears of corn; stand corn in a wide, shallow bowl. With a sharp knife, slice downward to release kernels (you should have about 1 1/2 cups); discard cobs. Transfer kernels to a medium bowl. Add zucchini, lime juice, olive oil, and cilantro. Season with salt and pepper and toss well to combine.

This dish is very cheap. The corn was $4 for 5 cobs (this will get cheaper in a month.) The zucchini was $1 per lb so 2 cost less than $1. Limes were about 50 cents. I used cilantro from my little herb garden on the balcony.

I made this last weekend for my friend's vegetarian party and I used lemon juice instead of lime and I omitted the cilantro (for my cilantro hating friends.) It was very refreshing. I'm sure you can play around with this dish and customize it based on flavor preference.

Bread, Radishes, Butter, and Salt

2011-05-26T20:45:00.004+01:00

There are so many things to love about spring and summer but on top of that list has to be that eating good can be so cheap. Over the weekend, a good friend had a vegetarian and yoga get together. While shopping at Eastern Market, my friend Jenny mentioned that she read on DCist that radishes were in season and that they are delicious sliced on top of bread and butter and sprinkled with a bit of salt (I later found out that the great U Street Girl wrote the post). We picked up a rustic baguette for $2.50, got a bunch of radishes for $3.00, and got some good butter from the dairy vendor for $1.50.

We sliced up the fresh bread, buttered it, and topped them off with the radishes. Delicious. The creaminess of the butter mixed with that bit of a kick a radish gives you (some say peppery but it seems different to me) just matches up so well. And I love biting into something with a grainy sea salt sprinkled on top.

This is a simple dish to put together for a summer party. And very pretty.

LivingSocial Instant Deals - Tuscana West

2011-05-05T07:25:00.002+01:00

Today, I ate lunch by myself. This has been happening more and more lately since my favorite co-workers have moved on to other jobs. It may sound very lonely but it is actually nice sometimes. I bring myself a Food & Wine magazine and sometimes I bring nothing so I can think....actually think about things. (I'm not be facetious here. There are times when I am so busy, I have little time to think things through.)

My office is located in a part of DC where I have many choices for lunch. My usual lunch spots are Corner Bakery, Subway, Cosi, and such. They are close by and I know I won't have to wait long for the food. My problem is that going to these places is actually starting to give me anxiety. Have you seen the way a Cosi salad is made? (No tossed salad jokes please.) But in all seriousness, it is difficult for me to eat a salad that is so violently handled.

I checked the LivingSocial website this morning and saw a deal for Tuscana West which is half a block from my office. For $10, I could get $20 worth of food. And I did not have to print out any voucher. The program sends a message to a smart phone/cell phone and all I had to do was show the waiter my phone.

Trying to stay lean, I ordered the Insalata al Fritti di Mare; a seafood salad with fresh scallops, baby shrimp, calamari, mussels and monkfish marinated in a light lemon dressing with vegetables and served over fresh endive and radicchio. It was light, refreshing, and filling. I also ordered Spinaci al Aglio Olio; sauteed spinach with garlic and olive oil. Delish. I finished off my meal with a cappuccino.

My meal would have been under $10 if I didn't indulge in the cappuccino but it was worth it. I was seated in a beautiful dining room where sat, enjoyed my food, and thought through some things that needed to be thought through. It was lovely.

Try checking the LivingSocial website before you go out to get lunch one of these days and see what you end up finding.

***Lunches like these can be enjoyed on occasion. Frequent lunches like these can cause a big dent in your bank account.

DC Food Blogger Happy Hour - May 4 - Smith Commons

2011-05-03T14:18:00.004+01:00

RSVP Here.

I heard that if you meet with a group of people once a month, it can make you happier. Food bloggers definitely make me happy. Come out to Smith Commons on Wednesday, May 4th at 6pm to meet some DC food bloggers and have a drink. I will see you there.

**Update**

Happy Hour Drink Menu
drinks are $5 from 5pm – 7pm

Draft Beers
Ommegang Witte
Mama’s Little Yella Pils
Arrogant Bastard
Dogfish Head
Bell’s Two-Hearted Ale
Flying Dog Raging Bitch

Cocktails
Appleton White
Smirnoff
Beefeater
Milagro
Jim Beam
Wild Turkey

Wines
Horton Vineyards White Wine
Horton Vineyards Red Wine

It Has Been Awhile

2011-05-03T03:31:00.002+01:00

It has been awhile since I have shared anything on this site. Life is good. My office conference is over but now we are busy with follow-up work. My cousin is getting married in two weeks and I will get to see my family soon. I've cooked some very fun things and am looking forward to a summer of visiting the farmers markets and grilling.

Since this is my first post in a long time, I'm going to go a bit easy on myself. No recipes will be shared but just a shopping tip. Mother's day is coming up in a week and by looking at the sale papers, it is the right time to buy some kitchen appliances (as politically incorrect as it is.)

My favorites have been a Kitchen Aid Professional Mixer for $100 off. All the attachments are also on sale. This 14-Cup Cuisinart Food Processor is also pretty great. I'm in need of one for summer salsas and pie crust making. The great thing is that Macy's has some good codes to get an additional 10% or more off. If you spend over $99, shipping is free.

So go shopping and buy yourself something pretty. Until next time....

DC Food Blogger Happy Hour - February 2 - Indique Heights

2011-01-25T23:19:00.002Z

RSVP Here.

Mango Martini, here I come. Indique Heights has been gracious enough to host us food blogging nutcases. There will be happy hour specials and lots of foodie gossip. See you there.

Potato Leek Soup

2010-12-30T09:00:00.007Z

A good food writer knows how to describe a dish so that you feel like you are eating it right there with them. They clearly describe how it tastes, how it feels, if it burns the tip of your tongue or if the spice hits the back of your throat. I read about food on a daily basis but on occasion, I read something that makes me remember what I imagined eating it was like.

Someone once wrote about Potato Leek Soup that made me have a food memory even though I didn't actually eat it. Julie Powell who wrote "Julie and Julia: My Year of Cooking Dangerously" did this for me. In her book, she wrote about having a disheartening day and coming home to make a pot of "Potage Parmentier" and feeling hope again. She doesn't go into much detail about how salty the soup tasted or if you could taste the butter. But I've had those kinds of days. I know that feeling when something so simple can comfort you. It usually is a bowl of Pho but Potato Leek soup is a little simpler to make.

Potato Leek Soup
Adapted from Epicurious

(Ingredients purchased at Harris Teeter and Trader Joes.)

4 tablespoons butter - 1lb for $2.99
1/2 a medium onion, diced - $1.29 per lb
2 cloves of garlic, rough chop - free from previous purchase
1/2 teaspoon of dry thyme - free from previous purchase
1 bay leaf- free from previous purchase
4 large leeks (white and pale green parts only), halved lengthwise, thinly sliced (about 4 1/2 cups) - $2.99 per bunch
2 large white potatoes , peeled, diced - $3.99 per 5lb bag
4 1/2 cups (or more) chicken stock or canned low-salt broth - $2.50 per quart
1/4 cup of half and half - $1.59 per pint

2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives - $1.69 per package

1. Melt butter in dutch oven over medium. Add leeks, garlic, thyme, bay leaf, and onions; stir to coat with butter. Cover saucepan; cook until leeks are tender, stirring often, about 10 minutes. Add potatoes. Cover and cook until potatoes begin to soften, about 10 minutes.

Note: I found that the potatoes started to stick to the bottom of the pot as I was stirring. It formed a caramelized layer at the bottom of the pot. Just add some broth in and scrap it with a wooden spoon. It will burn otherwise.

2. Add stock. Bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until vegetables are very tender, about 30 minutes.

3. Puree soup in batches in processor until smooth. (I used an immersion blender in the pot.) Return to saucepan. Add the half and half and stir. Thin with additional stock if soup is too thick. Season with pepper.

4. Pour into bowls and garnish with chives.

As you can see, the soup turned out brown but it tasted wonderful. All that caramelized flavor comes through in the soup. The potatoes made the soup thick and it felt hearty. I did not taste the thyme or the bay leaf in the soup but I'm sure they added to it's richness. I didn't add any salt to this soup but I did add on chicken bouillon cube because the stock I used was homemade and somewhat weak in flavor. Even if you are using regular stock, taste it before you salt it. I would bet it won't need any salt.

This was one of those meals where you can come home and throw it together in less than one hour. I had most of the ingredients on hand and really only needed to buy the leeks. Marshall and I ate the soup with some toasted bread and were happy. The soup is so simple and comforting.

One thing I learned from this cooking experience is that you must take the time to read the recipe's comments and reviews when you find it online. From the reviewers, I learned that the soup needed some extra ingredients to give it more flavor. So I added the extra half onion, garlic, thyme, and bay leaf. I'm almost certain I would have been disappointed if I didn't add these things. It is so much more enjoyable to learn from others than to eat a bad meal. (Pretty obvious...I know.)

DC Food Blogger Happy Hour - January 5 - Lyon Hall

2010-12-29T15:58:00.003Z

RSVP Here.

Pork Schnitzel. This dish alone is what makes me want to go back to Lyon Hall. I had a good dinner there last August for Restaurant Week but it was the Pork Schnitzel that has branded Lyon Hall to my brain. Pork Schnitzel is a breaded pork chop that is fried. Light, flavorful, and perfect with the Lingonberry sauce. Nom.

The DC Food Blogger Happy Hour will be held here on Wednesday, January 5th from 6pm on. Happy hour deals include house-made franks & brats for $5, $5 SJF Cocktails, 1/2 price Wine by the Glass, $3 Session beers from Draft Beer Menu. Lyon Hall will be extending their happy hour deals until 7:30pm. Hope you can make it out to Arlington to join the fun.

Thank you to JC from Little Lady Cooks and Jenna from Modern Domestic for organizing and hosting!

Meatloaf and Teeny Tiny Potatoes in Garlic Butter

2010-12-29T02:55:00.007Z

A few months ago, I attempted to make a healthy meatloaf adapted from several recipes. It was suppose to be a turkey meatloaf that included sauteed zucchini and onions in it. Somehow, with herbs and a good helping of ketchup, I was going to make it delicious. What ended up coming out of the oven after an hour and a half of cooking was basically a meat mush. The color was a horrible sandy tan color. The liquid that rose to the top was murky with turkey impurities. There was no shape. It just lay there; a moist hill of meat. It went from the oven to the trash. I couldn't even look at it.

It was one of those cooking experiences that scars you. The kind where the fail was so harsh that you think about it and think about it until you are sure that you would never be able to make that particular dish successful. This was something I needed to overcome.

One day, Married with Dinner posted a comment on Twitter about meatloaf. I asked her which recipe she used and she forwarded it to me. Nutmeg? Allspice? Breakfast sausage? This was not a typical meatloaf recipe. But she had assured me that it was delicious and has converted meatloaf haters.

Married with Dinner's Meatloaf (click here for recipe)
(not adapted. I made this one exactly as she described it.)

Most items purchased at Trader Joes.

1-1/2 pounds ground chuck ($3.49 per lb)
1/2 pound pork breakfast sausage ($3 per lb)
1 onion, grated (free from previous purchase)
1 egg ($1.69 per dozen)
1 cup uncooked oatmeal (not instant)($2.49 per container)
1/4 cup milk ($1.99 per quart)
1 tsp salt (free from previous purchase)
1/4 tsp ground black pepper (free from previous purchase)
1/2 tsp nutmeg (we had this but best place to buy is at Asian markets where you can buy them whole for cheap so you can grate it fresh.)
1/2 tsp allspice (free from previous purchase)

Teeny Tiny Potatoes

Potatoes ($1.99 for 1 lb bag)
3 cloves of garlic (free from previous purchase)
Salt (free from previous purchase)
2 tablespoons of butter ($2.99 for 1 lb)
2 tablespoons of olive oil (free from previous purchase)

Place potatoes in large saucepan and fill until potatoes are covered with water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender. Drain and place potatoes in a separate bowl. Put butter and olive oil in warm saucepan. Slice garlic into slivers and throw into saucepan. Keep on low for 10 minutes (watch carefully so that garlic does not burn. ) Throw potatoes back in pan and stir until potatoes are covered with garlic butter. Salt to taste.

This is a good meatloaf. Grating the onions made a difference because I find (from eating other people's meatloaves) the diced onions tend to break up the loaf and makes it crumbly. This was a solid meatloaf that was tender and moist (we ate it with ketchup on the side.) We cooked it for an extra 15 minutes because the juices did not run clear when we cut into it after 75 minutes. If we were to do this again, I would add a bit of fresh parsley to the mix to give it some green and little fresh kick to the meatloaf. If a mushroom gravy was made on the side, it would have been a good asset to the dish. But otherwise, this was a solid and satisfying meatloaf. We will make this again.

Leftover Turkey Cast Iron Skillet Pot Pie

2010-11-28T18:48:00.007Z

Anyone tired of eating turkey yet? Regardless whether or not Marshall and I are tired of eating it, we are going to have to. His sweet mom packed us two coolers worth of food to take with us when we left Saltville, VA yesterday. Marshall tried to dissuade her from piling it on us but all I had to be polite and accept them, right? We left with at least half of the turkey and all of it will be put to good use.

The first thing I did when I got home was remove the turkey meat from the bones and threw the bones in a Crockpot with onions, carrots, bay leaves, garlic, peppercorns and salt and filled it up with water. The turkey stock simmered overnight on low and was delicious by morning. The stock was put through a strainer and stored in a pitcher. I have almost a gallon of turkey stock to use for the week.

The next order of business will be to make good use of the left over meat. For most of the week, I will try to keep it lean and make some vegetable and turkey soups with carrots, celery, cauliflower. For the last day of vacation, I decided to make a turkey pot pie. To keep things simple, I knew I wanted to make it in a cast iron skillet (one pot recipe.)

One of my favorite purchases recently was a big box of fresh herbs from B.J. Wholesale Club . The box had thyme, sage, and rosemary and huge bundles of each in it. It only cost $2.99. It must have been $10 worth of herbs in that box. Since I had so many herbs, I altered the recipe I found a bit and added sage and thyme to it.

Leftover Turkey Cast Iron Skillet Pot Pie
Recipe Adapted from Paisley & Thyme

2 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon of thyme leaves
1 teaspoon of sage, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
4 medium carrots, diced
2 ribs celery, diced
2 garlic cloves, rough chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons flour
3 tablespoons half and half
2 cups homemade turkey broth (or chicken broth)
4 cups shredded cooked turkey
1 cup frozen peas
1 (9 inch) store bought pie crust, such as Pillsbury (If frozen, thaw)
1 egg, beaten

Preheat oven to 400° F. Heat butter, sage, & thyme in a 8-inch cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, celery, and garlic and cook until carrots begin to soften. Season with salt and pepper.

Reduce heat to medium-low and stir in flour. Cook for 1 minute. Stir in half and half and broth, using a whisk, until combined. Stir in chicken, peas, and bring to a boil. Remove from heat.

Gently roll out pie crust on top of skillet and brush with the whisked egg; cut vents in pastry. Transfer skillet to oven; bake until crust is browned and flaky, about 35 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

The result was good but not the best pot pie I have ever had. The first thing I would change is to add more herbs and a touch more salt. The carrots and peas made the dish sweet and I would have liked the pot pie to be more savory. The sauce was also not as thick as I am used to. I would remove the vegetables from the pan, make a roux, and then added the broth and half and half and then added the vegetables back in. Cooking the flour in the vegetables didn't give the flour a chance to cook in the fat first.

It was still pretty good. Marshall and I sat out on the balcony to enjoy this gorgeous November day we are having. It is barely occurring to me that I have to be back at work tomorrow.

DC Food Blogger December Happy Hour - Casa Nonna

2010-11-26T02:55:00.004Z

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RSVP Here.

Last month, I went to visit Casa Nonna with some friends of mine for Happy Hour and left actually feeling happy. Most bars in Dupont Circle are filled to the brim with people, you have to fight your way to the bar to get one drink, and you always leave exhausted because you are screaming your conversatioin. Not at Casa Nonna. The restaurant took over the old California Pizza Kitchen space on the corner of Conneticut and N Street NW and the restaurant is very spacious. There is plenty of room to move around and relax with a glass (or a carafe) of red wine. For the last DC Food Blogger Happy Hour of 2010, we all will be meeting there to munch on some italian food while talking holiday food.

Please come and join us.

DC State Fair Bake Sale at the Bloomingdale Farmers Market

2010-11-16T22:44:00.003Z

Great news. The DC State Fair Bake Sale will be held at two farmers markets this weekend. We will be at the 14th & U Street Farmers Market on Saturday and the Bloomingdale Farmers Market on Sunday (location is at 1st and R Street NW.)

Please email us at dcstatefair@gmail.com if you would like to donate baked goods, volunteer some time on Saturday or Sunday to help us sell, or if you would like to make a donation.

Blogging Tips from Dr. Phil

2010-11-10T13:46:00.007Z

Part of the fun of blogging is meeting other bloggers and sharing our experiences and challenges. I mentioned on Twitter that I read a Dr. Phil article with advice that I thought could be applied to blogging. People responded asking to hear about the advice.

I have never seen an episode of Dr. Phil in my life. I find his voice annoying and he can be a bit extreme for me. I do, however, read his articles in O magazine. The October 2010 magazine is full of articles that would help readers "Own Your Power." As I was reading Dr. Phil's article titled, "Personal Power: 6 Rules for How to Harness Yours," I realized that these tips could be applied to being a good blogger. Here is how I read it:

Tip 1: Know Who You Are: The bloggers who I respect know who they are and what they want to write about. They have a point of view. They have a voice. I think that is an important quality of being a good blogger.

Tip 2: Live Passionately: Blog Passionately. Some of my friends have attended blog conferences and they come back to tell me that the advice is to blog everyday in order to maintain an audience, even if you have to post an old post. I am sure that is important to maintain reader's attention but nothing is more mundane than reading a post that someone wrote and knowing that they wrote it because they felt like they had to not because they wanted to. It is pretty obvious when reading it. I did that when I first starting blogging and reading those posts are painful for me.

Tip 3: Keep to a plan: This for me is similar to Tip #1. Know who you are and what kind of blog you want to write and plan activities that will be great posts for your readers.

Tip 4: Embrace Risk: Great blogs risk the repercussions of being honest. Restaurants might hate you. Readers may leave harsh comments. But there is no point in having a blog if you can't share your honest experience and express your opinion.

Tip 5: Deal in the Truth: Write with integrity. I think that is a very important part of blogging. My friend Amy Jean mentioned recently that readers tend to trust bloggers because readers see them as the average person who would give realistic opinions. In the end, bloggers build a relationship with their readers so treat it as you would treat a friendship. Be honest.

Tip 6: Be Assertive: The best experiences I have had as a blogger came from simply asking if something was possible. Don't be afraid to reach out to readers and bloggers for opportunities that will help your blog.

Bake Sale for the DC State Fair

2010-11-08T03:20:00.009Z

On August 28th, the first DC State Fair was held. DC residents baked pies, pickled produce, decorated cupcakes, and came out to showcase their talents. The event turned out to be a great success and we are looking to make it an annual event. In order to establish the DC State Fair into an official non-profit, we need to raise some funds. The 14th and U Street Farmers Market has been gracious enough to give us space in the market on November 20th.

There are several ways to help:

1. Donate Baked Goods - email us at dcstatefair@gmail.com to sign up to help. We are looking for items that are "Fall" themed and encourage you to use produce grown locally to make your baked goods. For a list of local farmers markets, please see this list.

2. Volunteer Hours - email us at dcstatefair@gmail.com to sign up to help sell baked goods on Saturday, November 20th. We will have 2 hour shifts.

3. Spread the Word - The electronic flyer above can be posted on websites, blogs, Facebook, etc. Email us and we will have it sent to you. Please encourage family and friends to visit the market and pick up some delicious baked goods.

4. Donate - As always, the Paypal “Donate” button on the right is an option!

The DC State Fair was a success because of the enthusiasm that came from DC residents, visitors, volunteers, and contestants. We couldn't do it without you.

See you on November 20th!

Garden District Sale

2010-11-04T01:34:00.002Z

Pots of Mums are on sale at Garden District (14th street) for $3.50 each. Aren't they beautiful?

Garden District
1740 14th Street Northwest
Washington D.C., DC 20009

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Super Double Coupon Week at Harris Teeter

2010-11-03T21:50:00.000Z

Today is the start of another Harris Teeter's Super Double Coupon Week. Harris Teeter will double any manufacturer's coupon that is up to $1.98 face value (20 coupons max.) It will run from November 3-9, 2010.

This means some really great deals and time to stock up on cleaning supplies and such. More details can be found here.

Tuscana West - Fall Wine Dinner

2010-11-03T09:39:00.001Z

Many restaurants ignore an important element of a good meal; the bread. At Tuscana West, they serve delicious, fresh bread with olive oil that has grated Parmesan in it. Yum. This attention to detail resonates in all of their dishes. I can vouch for the good soups, fresh sauces, and the delicious pastas. On November 5th and 12th, Tuscana West will be offering a special Fall Wine Dinner. It conisists of a six course meal paired with wines from Italy for $55. For Thrifty DC Cook readers, Tuscana West will offer the dinner for $45. (Diners must mention Thrifty DC Cook in order to get the discount.)

Menu can be viewed here.

Unprocessed October

2010-10-31T17:29:00.008Z

It was about a month and a half ago that I stumbled upon Eating Rules' blog and his request for people to pledge an entire month of Unprocessed Food. The rule was that if the product contains ingredients that you would not use in your own kitchen, then don't eat it. When I suggested to Marshall that we try this out, a look of pure fear came across his face. His response was, "Lucky Charms is unprocessed, right?"

When I posted it up on Twitter, my friends Shaw_Girl, Mazzie, and Essone10 were very supportive. I thought about what I ate on a regular basis and thought about whether I could commit. My weight has been an issue all of my life and fad diets have come and gone with no good, healthy results. I didn't want this unprocessed month to be something I did for just a month and for it to become something I resented. I actually wanted to learn something from this. Did I think I could do this without slipping up? No, I honestly did not think I could and that is why I didn't sign the petition. But I did participate by changing some things. Here is what I did different in this last month:

1. Read Labels - I started reading labels every time I went to the grocery store. It is amazing how many chemicals there are in food products now and days. For something as simple as bread, there could be up to 20 different ingredients listed that I didn't recognize. The more I read and the more challenging it was for me to find something with ingredients I recognized, it made me want to eat clean that much more. It was pretty much impossible for me to buy any candy that was not sold in a health store because all the ones sold at CVS had loads of preservatives and chemicals in them.

2. Shopped at Trader Joes and Whole Foods more - It was a lot easier for me to find products with no preservatives at these two grocery stores. Especially Trader Joes because their products tend to be a lot cheaper than Whole Foods. Marshall and I like to have turkey taco nights and so we found taco shells, salsa and seasonings at Trader Joes that were preservative free and were delicious. It was much simpler for us to shop at these places because they make an effort to stock good, healthy products.

3. Drank more tea - I probably drank over 100 cups of tea in this last month and I think this is something that I will do more of forever. I love tea now. It all started when I decided that I wanted to drink something with zero calories and had some taste to it. I used to stock my office up with Crystal Light or diet sodas but since I was avoiding chemicals, pretty much all sodas were not acceptable. (Marshall did make me a homemade soda once with some concord grape juice that he made a syrup out of and then added homemade seltzer water that was amazing.) So I turned to tea. Now I love it with a passion. After dinner, I brew a cup of herbal tea and enjoy it while I am winding down. At work, I brew about 3-5 cups a day to drink as I typed away. Tea is just so comforting to me now and makes me feel great. I don't even miss soda.

4. Made breakfast most mornings - I try to make sure I eat breakfast every morning and this month, I made a big effort to have good things available. My first choice was steel-cut oatmeal that I would mix with fresh apples or dried fruit, nuts, and a little half and half. I'm always satisfied when I eat oatmeal in the morning that sometimes, I'm not even hungry for lunch. When I don't have time for oatmeal, I turned to dry cereal. This was tough. Cereals have a lot of sugar and other unnatural ingredients in them. The closest thing I could find that was healthy and delicious was Kashi's Autumn Wheat. My friend Shaw_Girl made her own granola for this unprocessed month. I will have to give that a try next time.

5. Made my first cake (sort of) from scratch - At the beginning of the month, I wanted to make fresh bread from scratch. I never got around to it but I at least attempted at making cupcakes from scratch. For my friend Jason's house warming party, I made red velvet cupcakes. It was the first time ever that I made cake without using a box mix. Well...it was a total fail. There were multiple things that happened that ended up making the cake taste like baking soda. In the end, I used a box mix but my first attempt made me realize it really is not that hard to do. I just need to find a good recipe.

Did I lose any weight? No, but I feel so much better than I did a month ago. I can say for sure that I feel less fatigue and feel more alert. I used to remember walking to the metro in the morning and feeling like I could barely lift my legs. It feels different now. It is not like I used to sit around eating potato chips and drinking soda all day but obviously some of the things I was putting in my body was not good. I am glad I participated in this challenge because I found foods I enjoy eating and feel great about eating. Cheetos will always be a part of my life but from now on, only on rare occasions.

DC Food Blogger Happy Hour - November 6 - Northside Social

2010-10-24T22:03:00.002+01:00

RSVP Here

It was about a year ago that my co-worker Claire told me that she was going to a new wine bar in Arlington. She came in the next day to rave about the atmosphere and delicious sandwiches she ate there. It was only a month ago that I got to check it out for the first time. I met Claire there for a cup of coffee and was impressed right when I walked in. There is a fine line for coffee shops that try to be comfortable and not look corporate. In an attempt to be comfortable, they tend to just come off looking dingy. This is not the case with Northside Social. There is an abundance of seating inside and outside with couches and love seats in the back room. The service is friendly and quick. The coffee is solid and I appreciate that there are free refills when drinking your coffee there. The baked goods are good. I enjoyed a chocolate pumpkin muffin with toasted pumpkin seeds on top. I brought home some baked goods. My boyfriend and I shared a gluten-free peanut butter cookie which was good. Unfortunately, the bf found the apple turnover to have a gummy-like filling which was not appetizing.

The wine bar can be found upstairs and again, I have to compliment the decor. The wood used for the counters is a plain, unstained wood but they are cut and sanded well. A large mirror hangs above the bar which gives the space a much airier feel. The space is so comfortable and the unstained wood lightens the feel of the bar making it feel very clean; clean and comfortable. My two friends and I shared the full crostini platter that was more than filling for all of us. Toasted bread slices are topped with a variety of toppings: smoked trout and wasabi crème fraise, shallots mixed in goat cheese, chicken liver pate, and many more. It came with a small arugula salad with pickled vegetables which is a perfect to eat with the heavy crostinis. We also tasted an autumn salad of frisse, roasted beets, walnuts, and goat cheese. It was scrumptious.

Being a drinking light-weight, I appreciated that the wines could be ordered in 3 oz portions. I was able to order a drink without wasting half of it because I was afraid to walk home more tipsy than I already was.

With people trying to watch budget, Northside Social is a solution for those who still want or need to have a nice night out. The food is good and there is not a fear of over-spending here. The portions are filling and the price is just right.

Brunch at Liberty Tavern

2010-10-24T21:27:00.003+01:00

Brunch Review

Here is a link to the Yelp Review.

Liberty Tavern has a buffet brunch that I would consider better than most buffets I have seen in the DC area. The scrambled eggs seemed to be made of fresh eggs and were not left in the chaffing dish long enough to get that yellow-crusted look that eggs get when left in heat for too long. The bacon was applewood bacon and tasted good. You have a choice of ordering from the buffet or ordering items a la carte. The buffet is $18 and all you can eat. Here are some of the highlights:

-Smoked salmon - they had a great platter that included crème fraise, red onions, capers, and crostinis. I could have made a delightful plate full of smoked salmon and would have been happy. It was good quality smoked salmon. This was worth the $18 alone.

-Roasted meats - They had roast lamb, roast pork and roast turkey with accompanying gravies and au jus. The lamb was moist and delicious.

-Potato Cauliflower Gratin - Simply delicious.

-Dessert table - They had a simple but satisfying dessert table with dark chocolate and white chocolate bark, macrons, chocolate chip cookies, and a variety of other candies. The main buffet table also had cranberry scones.

-Good Coffee - My date ordered coffee and got a big French Press full of good coffee that he shared with me. It is my opinion that coffee should always be included in the price of a brunch buffet but this coffee was very good and so I didn't mind it that much.

-Hot Apple Cider - The hot apple cider was sweet and tasted like Fall. A nice touch to this brunch in the month of October.

Disappointments:

-Biscuits and Gravy - The biscuits were described as fluffy on the menu. They were not fluffy. They were dense and not enjoyable to eat. The gravy was the biggest disappointment. It basically tasted like cream and flour mixed together with absolutely no seasoning. It was such a disappointment.

-Caesar Salad - I think the general rule for buffets should be that the salad should never be pre-mixed. No one wants to eat a soggy salad. Simply place the dressing and croutons on the side of the salad and allow the diner to assemble it themselves and we all will be happy.

Please note that the brunch menu on the website is not exactly what you will get at the restaurant. It is only a sample of the menu.

It was an enjoyable brunch over all. The service was attentive and good. The food on the buffet table was regularly replenished. For any buffet, this is probably one of the most important part of the service.

Liberty Tavern
3195 Wilson Blvd
Arlington, VA 22201

New Whole Foods Coupons

2010-09-30T15:08:00.003+01:00

Whole Foods just posted new coupons on their website. There is a coupon for $1.00 off Bear Naked Products (their banana nut granola is delicious.) There is a Muir Glen coupon in there and they sell great organic tomato sauces, paste, and canned tomatoes. There is a $2 off coupon for Spectrum Olive Oil (though I think the price on Whole Foods 365 Olive Oils is a better deal.)

Please download coupons here.

Super Double Coupons at Harris Teeter

2010-09-20T19:39:00.008+01:00

Tomorrow, September 21, is the last day of Harris Teeter's Super Double Coupon sale. Harris Teeter will double any manufacturer's coupon that is up to $1.98 face value (20 coupons max.) It works like this:

Bottle of shampoo $4
Coupon -$1.50
Coupon Doubled -$1.50
____________________
total cost: $1

This is a great time to stock up shampoo, conditioner, and other toiletries. Those coupons tend to be $1 or more and supermarkets don't usually double coupons unless they are $0.99 or less.

You can get coupons from the Sunday newspaper or you can use the coupon websites that can be found on this post. Harris Teeter has these sales every few months so this opportunity will come about again. My favorite times to shop at Harris Teeter is when they do these Super Double Coupon days and their Triple Coupon days.

Happy savings!

DC Food Blogger Happy Hour at Carmines - October 6

2010-09-20T12:20:00.005+01:00

RSVP Here

Olga from Mango & Tomato and I checked this place out a few weeks ago and it is just like the Carmine's in New York City. It is big, it serves big platters, and its PACKED with people. We got there at 6:30 on a Friday night and was told that it would be a 45 minute wait for a table for two. This is at a restaurant that boasts to be a 700 seat restaurant.

It was just our luck that we ended up at the bar. Customers can order from the main menu or they can order from the bar menu that includes hoagies for $10. The happy hour food special sof the day was an appetizer of fried zucchini or meatball sliders for $4 each. Olga and I ordered both to try. We also ordered an eggplant Parmesan hoagie with a salad to share. The fried zucchini were cut like shoestrings, battered, fried, and topped with a lot of Parmesan cheese. They were salty fried goodness but in the end, packed a lot of oil that you felt later. The meatball sliders were big, fat meatballs (probably the size of a baseball) that was good. If Olga and I just ate the appetizers, we would have left the restaurant full and it would have been an $8 meal but I had to try the eggplant Parmesan. Though the eggplant Parmesan sandwich was dry and disappointing, the salad that accompanied it did not. It was fresh, tasty, filled with a variety of vegetables like green olives, peppercinis, big tomatoes slices, and dressed with a tangy, red wine vinaigrette. It was piled high on the plate and Olga and I devoured it. We were so stuffed from the meal that the bread basket was left behind barely touched.

Would I go back? Yes but I would keep in mind that if I was not sitting at the bar, I would probably leave with a very large doggie bag. Between Olga and I, and our non-alcoholic beverages, we barely spent $15 per person on a very satisfying meal with tax and tip. The service started off rough but was better towards the end. You have to be assertive in a place like this where the noise level is high and there is a lot going on around you. Cute fact about Carmine's is that they employ local policeman and fireman as security for the restaurant. The security guy came to chat with us and he is a local DC policeman who does this when he is off duty. He is from New York City and used to eat at Carmine's so for him, it is nice to work somewhere that reminds him of home.

Hummus Showdown at Bravo!Bravo!

2010-09-16T21:27:00.006+01:00

I love my friends. They come up with the craziest ideas and this one is crazy and sounds like a lot of fun. Here is the email I got from my friend Ragini:

Hi all!

Start the weekend off right with an epic hummus showdown at Bravo Bravo (on Connecticut between K and L) tomorrow at 6:30 pm. Steve recently challenged Bob (the best bartender at Bravo! Bravo!, who also happens to make delicious hummus) to a hummus challenge. Upon hearing of the challenge I had to immediately join. Additional entries are welcome, but beware the stiff competition. Come join us as we decide who's hummus is truly the best! If you're not into the whole hummus showdown thing, come any way for some cheap drinks, fun company, and probably free peanuts.

Ragini

PS: Let us know if you're interested in being an official judge!
PPS: If you need some inspiration for your hummus making or tasting check out this hilarious video:

http://www.youtube.com/user/GoRemy#p/u/13/nIybz6axr1Q

Please note that this is an informal showdown so there isn't going to be someone with a microphone or anything making announcements. But if you are into cooking and you think you make a pretty mean hummus, it might be fun to stop by and see if your hummus stands up to the rest of the contestants. If you plan to participate in the hummus contest, please bring some pita bread with you for the judges (and others who will be doing some taste testing.) No prizes have been announced at this time but wouldn't the real prize be the glory of winning?

Here is the address:

Bravo! Bravo!
1001 Connecticut Ave. NW
Washington DC

Unfortunately, I already have some plans so I won't be able to make it but I can't wait to hear about it!

Maple-Mustard Pork Chops from Cooking Light

2010-08-30T15:51:00.006+01:00

Last week, I caught the first episode of Masterchef and first challenge included pork chops. Whitney Miller from Mississippi is twenty-two years old and has never made pork chops before. She won the challenge. How can a young woman who has never made pork chops win the challenge? How come I don't make pork chops more? Pork tends to be a relatively cheap meat and if you choose the right cut, it can be really lean. The scary part about cooking pork chops for me is over-cooking it. I fear a dry pork chop.

Well, I fear no more. Marshall and I went to Harris Teeter and picked up two thick-cut pork chops. We went for the thick-cut because we figured there were less chances of drying them out. There are two things that I felt were key about cooking this dish. One, use a regular pan so that some of the juices and meat sticks to the pan a bit. This will give great flavor to the sauce. Two, I seared each side of the pork for 3 minutes each and then let the pan sit in the oven at 350F for 7 minutes. Since I seared each side, it helped keep the moisture in.

The maple-mustard sauce is amazing. This sauce is so simple and it compliments the pork chops very well. Its not too sweet and the mustard doesn't punch. This is definitely a dish I will be making for my friends.

Maple-Mustard Pork Chops
Adapted from Cooking Light Magazine

2 bone-in center-cut pork chops, thick-cut
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Cooking spray
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons finely chopped shallots
1/4 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1. Pre-heat oven to 350F. Sprinkle both sides of pork with 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper.

2. Heat a oven-safe large skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add pork to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until cooked through, but with a slight blush in the center. Place pan in an oven for 7 minutes. Take pan out of oven and take pork chops out of pan. Place aside on a plate and cover with foil.

3. Return pan to medium-high heat. Add butter to pan, swirling pan to coat. Add shallots; sauté 3 minutes or until tender and translucent. Add broth; bring to a boil, and cook 1 minute. Stir in mustard, syrup, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt; cook 1 minute or until slightly thick. Return pork to pan. (Add a bit of water to pan if the sauce is too thick) Cook pork 3 minute on each side or until thoroughly heated (be careful not to overcook pork). Serve pork with sauce. Garnish each serving with 1 1/2 teaspoons parsley.

The pork chops were $6.15 for two pieces. We had to pick up Dijon mustard which was $2.99 a jar. The green beans were frozen and $2.50 per bag. The mashed potatoes were made with Yukon Gold which was $3.99 per 5lb bag.

DC State Fair

2010-08-26T15:50:00.004+01:00

Corn Dogs, funnel cake, popcorn, fried Oreos...this is what comes to mind when I think about state or county fairs. I used to wander around and people watch. I used to be jealous of the girls who had boyfriends who rode with them on the Ferris Wheel. I used to get sick from going on the spinning rides that my brother would dare me to go on. I used to spend a lot of money trying to win just one prize. It was all fun and the food will always be my best memory of fairs.

A couple of friends of mine have organized the DC State Fair. I understand that the argument is that DC is not a state but I'd agree that "district fair" just doesn't bring on good memories the way "state fair" does. The DC State Fair will be going on this Saturday at the Tubman Elementary Field (11th and Irving Streets NW). For more information on the fair, please visit www.dcstatefair.wordpress.com.

Here is the schedule of events:

11:00 AM Winners of the Photography Contest announced
11:30AM-12PM Jam Contest judging and awards
12PM-12:30PM Pickle Contest judging and awards
12:30PM-1PM Cupcake Contest judging and awards
1PM-2PMPie Contest judging and awards
2PM-2:30PM Funkiest-Looking Vegetable judging and awards
2:30PM-3PM Biggest Vegetable contests weighing and awards
3PM Winners of DC Homebrew Contest announced
3:15PM Raffle winners announced
3:30PM Columbia Heights Day Cupcake Eating Contest (Stage 2)
4PM-4:30PM Tastiest Tomato judging and awards

DC Food Blogger Happy Hour - 1 Year Anniversary!!

2010-08-15T15:19:00.006+01:00

Its hard to believe that it has been one year since the first DC Food Blogger Happy Hour. My friend Anna came with me to hold my hand through it because frankly, social events were (and still are) intimidating to me. We walked into the Poste courtyard and we were faced with a wall of people. I could not believe that all these people were all food bloggers but they all were. And not only that, they were so friendly! That was the day I met Nick from Macheesmo and Rex from Savory Reviews. While drinking beers and under the September blue sky, they gave me blogging advice and we discussed food. Its great that we are still friends and still discussing food.

September 1st will be the 1 year anniversary of the first DC Food Blogger Happy Hour. I've had a great time meeting bloggers and have really enjoyed being part of the planning committee. This month's hosts are Jenna from Modern Domestic and Amelia from Gradually Greener. Please stop by, say "hello" and try Poste's famous truffle fries. RSVP Here.

Note: If you are interested in joining the planning committee to help arrange and host a DC Food Blogger Happy Hour, please email me at thriftydccook at gmail dot com.

Caffeinated Pancakes

2010-08-11T03:27:00.011+01:00

***Disclaimer*** This recipe is not appropriate for children, pregnant women, or those with a heart condition.

Today is Marshall's birthday and I've known that I needed to do something special for awhile. I wanted him to wake up to bacon frying, pancakes on the griddle, and easy-over eggs. The reality is that he would curse my name if I had fed him that meal because he would end up asleep on his desk at work. So when I eyed a tin of chocolates that our friends Jenny and Josh gave to Marshall, I suddenly had a plan...Caffeinated Pancakes.

These are special chocolates, you see. Not special like "magic brownies" but special in other ways. They are chocolates from Germany and each piece of chocolate contains as much caffeine as two cups of coffee. It hit me that these would be great in pancakes. This way, Marshall can get a cool birthday breakfast and still keep his job by not falling asleep at work.

Ingredients

1 cup of Aunt Jemima's Pancake Mix - $2.49 per box
3/4 cups of milk - $1.99 per quart
1 egg - $3.99 per dozen
1 Tablespoon of oil - free from previous purchase
2 pieces of Scho-Ka-Kola Chocolate (cut up to little pieces) - free from a gift ($5.99 per tin)
2 oz of milk chocolate (chopped into little pieces) - free from a gift

Heat skillet to medium-low. Combine all the ingredients until large clumps disappear (don't over mix though.) Pour 1/4 cup of mix onto skillet. Cook until bubbles appear on top of the pancake and then flip over and cook until other side is a golden brown.

We ate the pancakes with a little butter, a little maple syrup, and sliced bananas. And yes, we drank coffee too. I wondered if I was going to be hyper from the chocolates. I didn't think so until I realized that I was pacing back and forth waiting for an elevator. After that, I stopped wondering if those chocolates were really caffeinated. These chocolates can be purchased online at the GermanDeli.com.

Beef Thai Salad at the 14&U Farmers Market

2010-08-08T23:49:00.013+01:00

I've worked in two Thai restaurants in my life. The most recent experience was at Thai X-ing on 5th Street and Florida Avenue NW. Taw is the owner and chef of the restaurant. The restaurant had 8 seats total but had a mad, crazy take-out business. I started working there January of 2009. My then-boyfriend had just broken up with me and I was emotionally numb. The day after the break-up, I went to dinner with my roommate at Thai X-ing. We sat in a cluttered yet cozy corner where we had a narrow view of the kitchen. We were surrounded by drawing of tigers and books about art. Taw had opera playing and we could hear the phone ringing and orders being taken. The wait for the dinner was long but it was worth it. We dipped our spoons in the the Panang Chicken, tasted it, paused, and then looked at each other in amazement. It was the best Panang curry I had ever eaten.

After dinner, Taw came out and I casually asked him if he was willing to take on an apprentice. I was willing to cut, chop, clean in order to learn how to make that Panang curry. Turns out that Taw was in need of help and the next Saturday, I was there at 3pm to prep. It was the middle of winter and my hands became chapped from washing and chopping all the vegetables in the cold end of the kitchen. Taw liked the vegetables cut in triangle and he taught me about cutting things into the same size so that everything cooked evenly. Taw taught me to cook the curry for a long time so that the flavor of the spices were enhanced, add the coconut milk and let it stew some more. Taw taught me that the trick to a good curry is to cook the curry and coconut milk for a while and to add the meat and vegetables when needed. He taught me to always garnish. I left that kitchen every Saturday night dead tired, with chapped hands, with an aching back, and a little bit more whole as a person.

I don't think about the ex anymore but I do still think about all those Thai dishes I helped make. This is a very simple salad that packs a lot of flavor. The dressing is lime juice, minced garlic, sugar, and fish sauce. That is it. I decided not to add chili just because there are very few people I know who can take Thai chili heat. It can be added in the dressing if desired. I would serve this as an appetizer because the flavor is so strong, it would be a bit much for a whole entree.

Beef Thai Salad
Adapted from www.templeofthai.com

1-lb London Broil
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp sugar
5 tbsp fish sauce
5 tbsp fresh squeezed lime juice
1 head Bibb or Boston; or 1 heart of Romaine lettuce.
12 sprigs fresh mint (optional), remove the leaves and discard the stems
1 small cucumber (seeds removed), peeled and sliced thin
1 small red onion, sliced very thin
3 or 4 sprigs cilantro, stems removed
Chopped roasted peanuts (optional)

Grill or broil the London Broil until medium-rare. Trim off any fat. Cool and slice thin, into pieces approx. 2 inches across and 1/8 inch thick.

Mix garlic, fish sauce, lime juice, and sugar in a small bowl. Add the sliced meat and toss with the cucumbers and shallots. Taste and add more fish sauce if desired.

Make a bed of the lettuce on a serving plate. Place the beef on top. Top with peanuts if desired. Garnish with cilantro.

The recipe actually called for Sirloin Steak but I used London Broil instead because it is a less expensive cut of meat. The intensity of the dressing will overpower the taste of the steak so there is no reason to spend a lot of money on sirloin steak when the London Broil will be just as good (and it was $4 less per lb.) The beef was from Pecan Meadows Farm, a vendor at the 14th and U Farmers Market.

Olga from Mango and Tomato, Alejandra from One Bite at a Time, and Tammy from Adventures of a Florida Girl in DC and I were invited to demo some summer recipes at the 14 and U Farmers Markets. We had an amazing time and were so happy share these recipes. Big thank you to Adventures in Shaw for getting the ball rolling and bringing us bloggers together. Below are the other dishes that were served at the demo.

Goat Cheesecake
Raw Beet and Arugula Salad with Goat Cheese Medallions
Farmers Market Vegetable Confetti Salad with Champagne-Dijon Vinaigrette
No Bake Lasagna

14&U Farmers Market - Cooking Demo

2010-08-06T19:18:00.005+01:00

Do you ever wonder what to do with all that wonderful produce that is available at Farmers Markets? Tomorrow, a few food bloggers and I will be doing cooking demos using produce and items that can be found at the 14th and U Market. Please come by and say "hi" and sample some of the food.

Here is the program:

* 10 AM Olga Berman - mangotomato.blogspot.com will create a Raw Beet and Arugula Salad with Goat Cheese.
* 10:45AM Alejandra Owens - alejandraowens.wordpress.com has Goat Cheesecake and No bake Lasagne.
* 11:30 Tammy Gordon - Floridagirlindc.blogspot.com is on with a Farmers Market Summer Confetti
* 12:15 Sylvie Nguyen - Thriftydccook.com is doing a delicious Thai Beef Salad

Hope to see you there! For more information on the 14&U Farmers Market, please click here.

Whole Foods - Online Coupons

2010-07-29T15:47:00.003+01:00

Whole Foods has new coupons that you can download, print, and use to save on great items like Almond Butter and Kashi Cereals. Download them here.

Brunch at Seasons

2010-07-26T08:00:00.018+01:00

Growing up in Southern California, my family and I use to visit Las Vegas pretty often. It was a 4 hour drive away (3 hours if we were brave enough to drive 90 mph the entire way), nice hotels were relatively inexpensive, and there was enough entertainment for everyone. And then there were the buffets. There were two hotels that had my favorite buffets; the Rio and Paris. The Rio had an international theme and so there were stations from various parts of the world; Mexico, Italy, China, etc and the food was ok. The best part about this buffet was the seafood. There was counter of ice full of oysters as far as your eyes could see (I exaggerate but you get the idea.) They had steamed lobster, crab, and shrimp. It was a seafood lovers paradise. Paris on the other hand had good quality food. The stations were french themed and you had a choice of roasted meats, crepes, and the most amazing desserts I had ever seen in Las Vegas. Oh the memories...

There aren't many all-you-eat-buffets in DC (other than some Indian Restaurants.) But it just so happens that there is a wonderful buffet that can be found in Georgetown that gives you variety as well as quality. Seasons Restaurant in the Four Seasons in Georgetown serves a Sunday Brunch that could bring a seafood lover to their knees.

I had the fortune of attending a brunch to celebrate the restaurant's 1 year anniversary on Twitter thanks to my friend ArugulaFiles. It was a great experience to talk to the chefs who come up with and cook the cuisine. This summer, they are concentrating on Kansas BBQ and Italian dishes. The BBQ station is great. There is brisket, ribs, potato salad, and more BBQ sauces than you can find at the Soviet Safeway. The seafood counter is where I did the most damage. There were raw oysters, steamed shrimp, Mini crab & vegetable salad with an avocado puree, Seared scallops with Fava Beans salad and tomatoes, Maine Lobster Rolls, and lots more.

There are several of things that sets this buffet apart from other buffets I have eaten at. First, you can get food from the buffet but you can also order brunch dishes to be made fresh from the kitchen. Eggs Benedict is my regular brunch dish and so it was nice to be able to order it and have it served fresh while I enjoyed items from the buffet. My only criticism was that the egg was overcooked and was not runny enough for me but the hollandaise sauce was delicious.

The second thing was this kitchen happens to have an herb garden and 90 percent of the herbs they use is from their garden. One of the chefs took Arugula Files and I out to the garden. Its a modest garden but it was kind of cute how the chef seem kind of proud of it. The last thing that really makes this place special is the Chocolate Room. The buffet has a room that is entirely devoted to desserts. When you first enter, there is a chocolate fountain to your right with all of the fixings; marshmallows, strawberries, pretzels, brownie bits, etc. Then you are confronted with a table of more desserts than I can ever list. It was an amazing beautiful room.

I'll be honest that this is not a Thrifty DC Cook kind of brunch. The buffet brunch costs $80 per person. This is a place that I would take someone special for a very special meal. I would also only take someone who loves seafood and who can sit for four hours because that is how long I will be sitting there the next time I go to this brunch

DC Food Blogger August Happy Hour - Tenpehn

2010-07-26T02:27:00.004+01:00

Its that time again for DC Food Bloggers and Foodies to get together and enjoy some drinks and food talk. We will be at Tenpehn on Pennsylvania Ave on Wednesday, August 4th. Thank you to Johanna Knows Good Food, Biscuits and Such, and Dining in DC for organizing this happy hour.

RSVP here.

DC Restaurant Week - Summer Schedule

2010-07-20T22:11:00.003+01:00

Looks like DC's Summer Restaurant week is August 16 through August 22nd. Of course I will make some lunch reservations with my co-workers for restaurants in the McPherson Square area. Some places I'd like to enjoy lunch are Bobby Van's Steakhouse and DC Coast. For dinner, Marshall and I are thinking of trying out Lyons Hall in Arlington or one of the steakhouses in DC like Jean Georges or Sam and Harry. Which restaurant will you try out for Restaurant Week?

For more details, click here.

All-You-Can-Eat-Pork at Bourbon Steak

2010-07-16T16:55:00.005+01:00

It seems as if roasting a pig has come into fashion. Everywhere I turn, a new restaurant is advertising a pig roast as the special. This one looks like a great deal though. Bourbon Steak is celebrating Executive Chef David Varley's win at Food and Wine's Grand Cochon with a pig roast on their patio. For $25, you get all-you-can-eat pork (and I'm hoping sides.) For $40, you get all you can eat food and beer. Here are the details:

Date: Sunday, August 1, 2010

Time: 3pm to 6pm

Where: Bourbon Steak at the Four Seasons Hotel in Georgetown
2800 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest
Washington, DC 20007-3717

Price: $25 for all you can eat food
$40 for all you can eat food and beer

Blueberries

2010-07-08T14:43:00.012+01:00

Last weekend, Marshall surprised me with a trip to Super H-Mart. For those in DC, any of the H-Marts are probably the best Asian markets to go to in this area. Blueberries were 2 pint containers for $2.99. I was so amazed. $1.50 each is a great price. I was very pleased with this purchase. That is until we stopped by Giant and I found the same exact brand and size for $1.25 each. GAH!

Well, if you are at Whole Foods today, they are selling 18oz containers of blueberries for $4.99 for two, BuyOneGetOneFree. Its their one day sale on blueberries and I would recommend it mainly because Whole Foods tends to carry some tasty produce so this might be the place to buy some for pie making.

Happy Weekend!

The Reserve on L Street

2010-07-08T14:43:00.007+01:00

Its disappointing when a restaurant is trying to do too much and can't seem to get it together. Today, my co-workers and I went to lunch at The Reserve near McPherson Square. We chose this place because we wanted a sit down lunch that wasn't going to cost us more than $15 or so. The Reserve had a pretty good lunch menu with sandwiches and salads costing from $8 to $15.

Once we entered the restaurant, I knew this was not going to be a relaxing lunch. The restaurant is dim, there were lounge couches and tables pushed to the side, there were two big screen TVs that had ESPN playing, and the music was techno music that was turned up too loud. This is not the kind of lunch atmosphere I was looking for. My understanding is that the restaurant turns into a club at night. The decor makes sense for a club, not lunch.

Strangely enough, the food was pretty good. This review gets a star for food and a star for a nice waiter (even though he wasn't that great at making sure our drinks were full.) I had the prosciutto, mozzarella, tomato, and pesto panini. The bread was tasty and not too greasy (as most paninis are), the mozzerella was fresh tasting, the sandwich as a whole was satisfying. The french fries that accompanied the sandwich were also pretty good. All of this for $9. Not bad for a sit down restaurant if only the restaurant created the right lunch mood.

Here are a couple of observations that I would suggest to the restaurant:

1. Only have an open kitchen if the kitchen is clean and organized and your wait staff actually look like real cooks or chefs. Nothing is more unappetizing than seeing plain clothed people cook in an unorganized kitchen.

2. The hostess should not be serving drinks if she doesn't know what she is doing. A pretty girl in a short black dress doesn't do anything for a lunch crowd if she is fumbling around with full glasses of water. Also, anyone who works in a restaurant shouldn't have hair long enough to dip into the food and drinks when they are carrying them to our table.

3. People need to be able to see their food. From my understanding, the Reserve turns into a club at night. Thats fine but if you are serving a lunch menu, some simple steps will make the experience a lot better. Turn up the lights and change your dark red table cloths to white table cloths. This will lighten up the restaurant and make eating there more appealing.

4. The music needs to be turned down and should be relaxing during the day. Again, a lunch crowd is much different then a clubbing night crowd. Plus, the restaurant is surrounded by businesses that are looking for a good lunch place to talk business. They can't talk over thumping techno music.

5. TVs in the dining room make restaurants look tacky.

6. If there is a hostess table outside, someone should be there. If its too hot for someone to be outside, bring the table in.

The consensus of the lunch party was that we liked the food but the atmosphere was so unappealing that we would never go back to eat there again. I think this restaurant has the potential to be a great lunch and dinner spot if they can get their act together.

The Reserve
1426 L Street Northwest
Washington, DC 20005-3503

DC Food Bloggers Happy Hour - The Passenger

2010-06-18T23:30:00.008+01:00

RSVP here.

There is no doubt that craft cocktails are becoming more and more prominent in DC. With places like the Gibson, PX in Alexandria, and the Lounge at Bourbon Steak, DC locals are getting a lot of options to try some inventive stuff. The Passenger on 7th street is doing a great job of holding their own. With the opening of the Columbia Room, they are providing a cocktail experience that you might only get in New York; Omakase style.

If you happen to drop by the DC Food Blogger Happy Hour on Wednesday, July 7th, order your drink by telling the bartender what kinds of flavors you like and then tell them what kind of liquor you drink. For instance, I prefer citrus flavors, drink tequila, and tend to like cold refreshing drinks. Just trust the bartender and see what they come up with.

Don't forget to trying something with lavender bitters. *wink*

La Madeleine's Strawberries Romanoff

2010-05-28T03:06:00.007+01:00

There is something about eating at La Madeleine that I really enjoy. Their food is not that great. It tends to be rich and over cooked. But there is something that is so charming to me about the cafeteria layout and how you get to pick your food out as you walk towards the cash register. The place also is charming to me because it is exactly the kind of place my mom would take me to as a kid. Going out to eat with my mom was always a treat. It didn't happen often so each time we went felt pretty special. La Madeleine is exactly the kind of place she would choose. The pretty pastries displayed at the end of the lunch line was always a draw for her.

At La Madeleine, they have a dish called Strawberries Romanoff. Its fresh strawberries topped with a cream sauce that has a hint of liquor. Strawberries are so cheap right now. At Harris Teeter, they are on sale for $3 per lb. This is an easy to make dessert that is great for dinner parties or potlucks. Its really pretty and really rich tasting but is inexpensive.

Strawberries with Romanoff Sauce

1 cup strawberries, hulled and rinsed - $3 per lb
1/2 cup sour cream - $1 for one cup
1/4 cup of half and half - $2.69 for 16 oz carton
1 tablespoons brown sugar - $1.49 for 16 oz
2 tablespoons of vanilla sugar or white sugar - Free from previous purchase
2 tablespoon brandy - Free when you date a cocktail blogger (Please note that the bottle used for this recipe is $20 and a great tasting brandy. Its named Chalfonte.)

Rinse berries and trim stems.

Mix sour cream, half&half, brown sugar, vanilla sugar, and brand together and let stand for 2 to 3 minutes. Dilute sauce with half&half if it feels too thick. Place berries into bowl and pour sauce on top. Serve.

DC Food Blogger Happy Hour - June 2 - Zentan

2010-05-26T16:24:00.004+01:00

Please RSVP Here!

Spinach, Bacon, Cheese Quiche

2010-05-18T03:23:00.007+01:00

This past weekend, some friends and I celebrated my cousin Stephanie's birthday at Liberty Tree on H Street NE. Afterwards we headed to Dangerously Delicious Pies for something sweet. Walking there, we were all excited. "What kind of pie are you going to get?" I thought about a slice of apple pie, or strawberry rhubarb, or a blueberry pie. My pie cravings usually happen when I watch a movie with an actor eating a slice of pie. Mel Gibson once ate a slice of blueberry pie in a movie and I've been looking for a blueberry pie that tasted as good as I imagined that one tasted.

As we were entering into Dangerously Delicious Pies, one of my friends mentioned they were going to buy an entire pie to take home and eat. Then we saw the menu and the prices. One pie....yes one....cost $30. Thirty one dollar bills. Six five dollar bills. Three ten dollar bills. Thats right...it was more than I WOULD EVER pay for a pie. But since we were there, I got a slice to give it a try ($6.50). Unfortunately, they were out of blueberry and strawberry rhubarb pie. The waitress recommended cherry since it was in season. It was tart. Dangerously delicious? I didn't think so until I finished the entire slice (that must have been 1/5 of the pie.)

Going home, I still felt insulted by the price per pie. Not only that, their quiches were going for $28. It was just wrong.

So I went home and made a quiche. It was good and easy to make...and cost me about half the price.

Spinach, Bacon, Cheese Quiche
Recipe adapted from Allrecipes.com
Items purchased at Safeway

1 frozen pie crust - $2.40
4 eggs - $1.49 for six eggs
1 cup of cream - $2.19 per pint
1/2 lb of spinach - $1.19
1/2 large onion, diced - $1.50
4 strips of meaty bacon, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces - $1.99 per package
1/2 cup of sharp cheddar - $1.99 per package
1/4 cup of cream cheese - $1.50 per brick
1/4 cup of chopped green onions (green part only) - $.89
salt and pepper

1. Preheat oven at 375F
2. Whisk cream and eggs together and set aside.
3. Saute bacon until crispy and set aside on paper towels to drain fat
4. Saute onions until slightly caramelized and then add spinach. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until wilted.
5. Build quiche - layer 1/2 of the onions and spinach at bottom of pie crust, spread 1/4 cup of cream cheese on top, place the other 1/2 of the onions and spinach on top, layer on crispy bacon, add cheddar cheese and top off with the green onions.
6. Pour cream and egg mixture slowly into pie crust and only until it its the top of the sides of the crust. (Do not over fill the crust; you may end up having more of the egg mixture than you need.)
7. Place pie on cookie sheet and place in middle of the oven. Bake for at least 40 minutes and when most of the egg mixture has firmed up.
8. Set aside and allow to cool for at least 15 minutes. Slice and Serve.

The cream cheese gives this rich quiche an even amazingly richer taste. It works really well with the eggs and the onions. If you want to make this quiche a bit lighter, you can use milk instead of cream and omit an yoke or two. The quiches are so easy to make and would be really impressive to make for guests for a summer brunch. Just call me Barefoot Contessa.

DC Food Blogger Happy Hour - May 5 - Restaurant 3

2010-04-23T14:28:00.003+01:00

In a week, I will be heading off to Denver for a bit of time for an office conference. Afterwards, I will have my life back. Back to some fun food adventures and back to cooking some delicious food (and not rushing to eat so that I can take a few pics to post.)

Though my posts may not be consistent, these DC Food Blogger Happy Hours are. Wednesday, May 5th (Cinco de Mayo), DC Food Bloggers will venture out to Virginia for some drinks and good times. Restaurant 3 has been kind enough to host us. For those who never leave DC, you just need to get on an Orange Line train towards Vienna and step off the train at the Clarendon stop. If you go early enough, you can go shoppping at Crate and Barrell, Container Store, and Whole Foods. I would advise going before the happy hour because a drunk foodie in Crate and Barrell or Whole Foods is a heavy credit card statement at the end of the month.

Please RSVP here.

DC Food Blogger Happy Hour - Wednesday, April 7th

2010-04-02T16:29:00.002+01:00

I'm not going to deny it. I like Oprah. She is loud and kind of obnoxious but the woman likes to eat. I can't hate on anyone who likes to eat. When they used to do segments on her show about her home life, I was jealous of her kitchen. It looked like it had everything but mainly because it included Chef Art. Everything he made for her looked great. I think I fell hard for him when he demonstrated how to make Quincy Jones' Thriller Ribs. Is it wrong that I got little excited when he talked about how the meat fell of the bone? Anyways, its now our chance to eat like Oprah. The next DC Food Blogger Happy Hour is at Art and Soul. From what I hear, the fried chicken is the best fried chicken in DC. That will be a must try.

Please RSVP here.

Joy's Grandma's Ginger Snaps

2010-03-31T05:23:00.007+01:00

The Bake Sale for Haiti was a success. We were able to raise almost $1000 for Doctors Without Borders and there were plenty of baked goods left over to donate to N Street Village. Unfortunately, I was unable to attend or bake due to a stomach flu but here are some great recaps:

Nikki Rappaport
Envizon Your Dreams
Adventures of a Florida Girl in DC
Macheesmo
One Bite At A Time

My friend Joy donated her Grandma's Ginger Snaps and I have tasted these cookies before. They are so good. Joy has graciously allowed me to post this recipe on my blog. I made these cookies tonight and can say that they are very simple to make. It was the first time I have ever used molasses in a recipe and am kind of curious what it would taste like if I omitted it. I think it could taste similar but the color of the cookie would be less appealing.

The cookie is simple and delicious and perfect with a tall glass of cold milk.

Joy's Grandma's Ginger Snaps

2 Cups Sugar
1 1/2 Cups vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1/2 Cup Dark Molasses
4 Cups Flour
4 teaspoons baking soda
1 tablespoon ground ginger
2 tablesoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt

16 ounces white chocolate or white almond bark.

Preheat over to 350 degrees.

Mix all all of the ingredients together. Roll into small balls (about a 1/2 tablespoon). Dip in sugar. Bake until golden brown (around 10 minutes). Allow to cool on baking rack. Dip half of the cookie into melted white chocolate or white almond bark. Place on wax paper or parchment paper to cool and harden.

Bake Sale For Haiti - Sunday, March 28th

2010-03-19T11:51:00.002Z

Its been two months since the earthquake and the people of Haiti still need help. Some local DC Food Bloggers and some local DC bakers are getting together to hold a bake sale. All proceeds will benefit Doctors Without Borders. Please email me at thriftydccook at gmail dot com if you are interested in donating some baked goods for this cause. Otherwise, please come visit us on Sunday morning for some delicious treats.

Big thank you to Zorba's Cafe for allowing us to use their patio. Thank you to Tommy for creating this beautiful flyer and to my fellow bake sale planners Adventures in Shaw, Not Derby Pie, and One Bite at a Time.

Individual Shepards Pies (made with Bison)

2010-03-17T03:31:00.013Z

I've always known that I am a lucky girl. Nothing makes me feel luckier than when I look around my kitchen. My kitchen is filled with gifts from family and friends; spices, vanilla, cast iron skillet, Kitchen Aid mixer. There is no doubt, I'm a lucky girl.

St. Patrick's Day is tomorrow and its time that I cooked something Irish. Shepards Pie is my favorite Irish pub dish to eat. How can you not love the savory meat with the buttery mashed potatoes on top? Its delish with a tall glass of Guiness.

This was a perfect opportunity for me to use my new potato ricer from my best friend (and sister-in-law) Caroline. I gave this same tool as an engagement gift to my cousin and her fiance's reaction was, "is this a torture tool?" It is not. You simply place boiled pieces of potatoes in this little gadget and it (for lack of a better term) spews out perfectly mashed potatoes. Please see the example below.

Ok, it perfectly mashed once I used a fork and mix all that potato mess together.

These little ramekins are the perfect size for a healthy portion of Shepards Pie. Thats why my housemates and I ate two each. If you noticed from the top picture, I used Bison meat. This purchase was made during a Farmers Market trip with Adventures in Shaw. This woman seems to have a knack for getting me to buy things. The bison meat was...different. It doesn't taste like ground beef as much as I thought it would. Similar but not quite.

Individual Shepards Pies (made with Bison)

Recipe adapated from Simply Recipes

1 lbs ground bison (or beef) - $5.94
1 onion chopped- $1.20 each
16 oz bag of frozen vegetables - diced carrots and peas- $1.50 each
1 1/2 - 2 lbs potatoes (3 big ones)- $3.99 for a 5lb bag
8 tablespoons butter (1 stick)- free from previous purchase
1/2 cup beef broth- $0.99 per can
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce- $1.49 per bottle
Salt, pepper, other seasonings of choice - free from previous purchase

1 Peel and quarter potatoes, boil in salted water until tender (about 20 minutes).

2 While the potatoes are cooking, melt 4 Tablespoons butter (1/2 a stick) in large frying pan.

3 Sauté onions in butter until tender over medium heat (10 mins). If you are adding vegetables, add them according to cooking time. Put any carrots in with the onions. Add peas either at the end of the cooking of the onions, or after the meat has initially cooked.

4 Add ground beef and sauté until no longer pink. Add salt and pepper. Add worcesterchire sauce. Add half a cup of beef broth and cook, uncovered, over low heat for 10 minutes, adding more beef broth as necessary to keep moist.

5 Mash potatoes in bowl with remainder of butter, season to taste.

6 Place beef and onions into ramekins about half way. Distribute mashed potatoes on top. Rough up with a fork so that there are peaks that will brown nicely. You can use the fork to make some designs in the potatoes as well.

7 Cook in 400 degree oven until bubbling and brown (about 30 minutes). Broil for last few minutes if necessary to brown.

The entire dish cost about $16. This could be cheaper if using ground beef. I loved eating this dish out of ramekins but I do recognize that I am turing a manly meat and potatoes dish into a danity girlie dish but whatever. It tasted so good.

DC Food Bloggers Happy Hour at Clydes

2010-03-11T00:47:00.006Z

Looks like Clyde's in Chinatown has a new Sports Bar. Its taken over the space that used to be their take-out counter. Some of us Food Bloggers and some Sports Bloggers decided to check this place out for a happy hour. Hope to see you guys there!

Please RSVP here.

Vinoteca

2010-03-05T16:12:00.005Z

I've had the pleasure of visiting Vinoteca a couple of times for Jazz night when my friends played and for the last Food Blogger HH. Each time I have been there, I have had a good experience. This last Wednesday, I tried the sliders (HH Special was $7 for two with a salad). I ordered the bison with gruyere cheese and carmelized onions and the lamb with feta and roasted peppers. Both were very good. The meat was cooked well done yet the sliders were so juicy. Tons of flavor. I also got the fingerling potatoes with a dill sauce which looked like they were roasted, cut in half, and pan seared. Nice! They were cooked to a point where they had a nice carmelized favor to it. Tasty and filling.

I wish I was trained in wine tasting so that I could tell you that which great wines they carried but all I can say that I enjoyed two white sparkling wines for $10 and that I was happy...and buzzed afterwards.

Service was great. Sophia was our primary waitress who took care of a party of 30+ HH attenddees. She always remembered my name and my orders came out perfect.

My only comment to the Vinoteca space is that I wish they had more tall bar stools so that some of us didn't have to spend so much time standing. The other thing was that the water tasted like it had a strong chlorine/bleach smell to it. Blogger Mango and Tomato felt that it was too strong. I figured it was just the treatment that DC water gets but some restaurants have been able to deal with this by using water filters. I hope Vinoteca does the same.

Good food. Good Service. Good place to check out for HH. Sophia our waitress recommended Sunday nights when they have Flamenco dancing and half off South American and Spanish wines.

Whole Foods Coupons Online

2010-03-04T17:02:00.003Z

Whole Foods now has printable coupons online. I'm starting to realize that these online coupons are so much better for the environment. When I think about how many coupons I don't cut out from the Sunday paper and how much of it ends up in the recycling bin, the online coupons make sense to me. I just check the coupons I plan to use and I print. Love it.

Here is the site: http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/coupons/

Beacon Bar and Grill (and Yelp)

2010-03-03T03:41:00.008Z

Living in DC, its hard to turn down an invitation to go out for dinner when the other choice is heading home and cooking. My love for cooking is still strong but lately, after a long day at work, I've found myself enjoying sitting down amongst friends and enjoying good food with some good conversation. My friend Monali started pushing me to write Yelp reviews a few months ago and though I have only written a few, I have been surprised by the number of managers who have contacted me regarding those reviews. This is great! I really enjoy the fact that restaurant managers are reading these reviews and it makes me glad to know they care. So, in addition to some recipe sharing, I will be adding restaurant reviews to this blog. Let me know what you think.

This last Sunday, I went to a “Drunk Brunch.” This brunch has been two years coming. Its started off as a suggestion to a group of friends. We planned, cancelled, planned again, and it just never happened. Until this last Sunday. With my friends Monali, Christine, and Sarah, I spent three hours of my Sunday eating, drinking, and gossiping. For $30, you get an all-you-can-eat brunch and all you can drink Mimosas and Bloody Marys.

The food is ok. I was first interested in this brunch because I heard from several people that the food was good which is not something you expect from an all-you-can-eat buffet. I was a little disappointed. They omelet station had a lot of ingredients to choose from but the omelet was more of an egg scramble than an actual omelet. The croissants and bagels looked like something they picked up at Costco. There were a lot of hot dishes to choose from; roast beef, roast chicken, ratatouille, shrimp and grits, clam chowder, corned beef hash, bacon, sausage, breakfast potatoes, waffles, etc. The corned beef has was good but I avoided the dried up sunny side egg that sat on top of it. The cheesy shrimp and grits was tasteless. The blitz was terrible.

I did say the food was ok. Here were the highlights. The salad bar was really fresh looking and their prepared salads were delicious. They had a roasted beet salad with watercress that was great. Their Asian brocolini salad with lo mein noodles was also very good and very refreshing. The other is the dessert table. They had carrot cake, apple pie, chocolate cake, chocolate chip cookies, and lots more. Everything looked good. What I ate the most were the chocolate chip cookies. The chocolate was a dark chocolate and they were chunks of chocolate and they were served warm so they were nice and gooey. They were perfect with a hot cup of coffee and the coffee served there was good. The omelet station was actually pretty good and I was glad to see that they had fresh eggs which isn’t always available at buffets.

Though my review of the food is not that great, I still rate this restaurant pretty high because my friends and I truly had a good time. The waiters kept the Mimosas flowing and never hassled us out. The beauty of the buffet is that you never have to wait for someone to serve you. You can get up at anytime and get what you like. Even after three hours, the waiter still let me order a Bloody Mary just so I could try it. (It was terrible. Don’t order the Bloody Mary. Stick with the Mimosa.) We may not have eaten our $30 worth but we sure drank our $30 worth.

If you can, get there early. We got there at 11:30 a.m. and the lines were two or three people deep. By the time we left at 3 p.m., the line was 15+ people deep. They also ran out of Danishes and the mimosas were more orange juice than champagne later in the afternoon. Overall, it was a great time.

DC Food Blogger Happy Hour - March 3 - Vinoteca

2010-02-23T22:27:00.004Z

It appears that I have become a lush. I assure you that I am still eating and eating well. My blog posts will be sporadic but I'm still here and I'm still in love with food.

Below is the info for the next DC Food Blogger Happy Hour. See you there!

DC Food Blogger Happy Hour at Againn - Photos

2010-02-10T11:36:00.014Z

It was another fun DC Food Blogger Happy Hour. I am amazed by how many food bloggers there are in DC and so happy that they all are such fun people to drink and eat with. Cupcake Avenger gave me a tip about a new food truck in DC. Sustainable in the City told me about her work with SweetGreen. Sally from Come to the Table told me about her adventures traveling around the US and serving meals on farms. Adventures in Shaw and Urban Bohemian let me sip their delicious cocktails. I got to meet Souper Girl and hear about how Treet Shop is living the foodie dream.

Thank you to Againn (pronounced "agwen?) for allowing us to have a fun place to meet up. I will be back there soon for some fish and chips and a glass of Guinness.

Cupcake Avengers!

Some serious food lovers.

Modern Domestic, Dining in DC and Mansion Mogul.

Every Food Fits and Come to the Table.

Endless Simmer and I Flip for Food

Here is a list of those who were able to attend the happy hour. If you do not see your blog on this list, please email me at thriftydccook at gmail dot com and let me know.

Adventures in Shaw

Chaos and Chicken

Chris Zach

Come to the Table

Cupcake Avenger

Dining in DC

Endless Simmer

Every Food Fits

Felony Kirsch

Fresh Cracked Pepper

Girl Meets Food

Go Gastronomy

Gradually Greener

Hungry Traveler

I Flip for Food

Mansion Mogul

Modern Domestic

One Bite at a Time

Souper Girl

Sustainable in the City

The Grand Internationa l

Wingipedia

The Copper Pot's Smoked Bacon and Parmesan Tomato Sauce

2010-01-26T00:52:00.005Z

I have a lot of respect for people who break away from the daily grind and pursue a dream. It takes a lot of guts and with hard work, great things can happen. Stefano Frigerio is one of those people who knew he wanted to spend more time with his family and left the restaurant business to do just that. He later started making jams and pasta sauces and started a company with these canned goods.

My first experience in trying to contact Copper Pot was not so great. It was in December when I tried to email them and order online but nothing was working. It was really quite frustrating. So a few weeks back, at the Dupont Circle Farmers Market, I ended up meeting Stafano. Once I mentioned that I tried to get ahold of him, he knew exactly the day I was talking about. Turns out that his family and him were travelling for the holidays and he tried to respond via his iPhone but it wasn't working. These are the kinks you have to work out when starting your own business but looking at the big picture, they seem minor. This is a man who now gets to spend more time with his family. As my grandfather said on his deathbed, "Family is the only thing that matters."

The picture above is a jar of Copper Pot's Smoked Bacon and Parmesan Sauce. It is $6 for a 16oz jar. This may seem pricey for a jar of pasta sauce but the tomatoes taste amazingly fresh and the bacon just gives it the sauce a surprise salty, smokey bite when you get a piece in the sauce. I brought this jar to share with my friends Angie and Christina and both enjoyed it. This is a great sauce to get if you have guests over and want to have some special yet simple on the table.

DC Food Blogger Happy Hour - February 3, 2009

2010-01-18T15:24:00.013Z

Are you looking for another opportunity to drink specialty beers, eat delicious bar food, and slur recipes to one another? Well here it is. The first DC Food Blogger Happy Hour of 2010 will be at Againn on Wednesday, February 3rd. The bar is located where 11th Street, I Street, and New York Avenue NW meet (this bar is located within walking distance of Metro Center and Chinatown/Gallery Place). To get the $5 happy hour special, be sure to get there before 7pm. Please RSVP in the comments below and feel free to bring me any unwanted grocery store coupons. I'm serious.

Thank you to Arugula Files for creating this great flyer. Also, thank you to the planning committee:

Friday, January 8, 2010 - Deals at Giant

2010-01-09T04:00:00.008Z

It has been so cold in DC that I literally force myself to imagine that I am walking on a sandy beach with the hot sun burning my skin when I am really just walking to work with the freezing wind burning my skin. This cold weather has made me crave one thing: soup. I have become one of those of people in the movies that look kind of gray as they stare at their office computer screen dreaming of a better life. My better life equals being in my pajamas in my warm home making a big pot of soup. I dream big, don't I.

Here are some recipes I would like to try out:

Beef, Leek, and Barley Soup
Veselka's Cabbage Soup
Lentil, Kale, and Sausage Soup

Here are this week's deals at Giant:

Yukon Gold Potatoes - $2.99 per 5lb bag
Oscar Mayer Bacon - $3.50 per package
Whole Roasting Chicken - $0.99 per lb
Chicken Drumsticks or Thighs - $0.99 per lb
Grapefruit - $2.99 per 5lb bag

Wednesday January 6, 2010 - Sale at Safeway

2010-01-07T04:07:00.006Z

The Food Bloggers Potluck was a lot of fun and...I cooked. I literally cooked at the potluck. In the end, I decided on a soup since the weather has been bitter and cold. My first choice was to make a Vietnamese soup called Mien Ga which is a simple chicken soup that has onions, shiktake mushrooms, and bean curd noodles in it. Unfortunately, I couldn't get out to VA or MD to a proper asian market for the noodles. The ones they had at Whole Foods was 10 times the price and they didn't have enough of it. Instead, I pulled a recipe from the time I spent prepping at Thai X-ing. Its a Tom Yum Goong soup but stepped up a bit with some poached salmon. It turned out pretty good. I want to post the recipe but out of respect for Chef Taw, I'm going to check with him first to see if he is okay with me leaking his secrets.

In any case, the potluck was a lot of fun. I had to assemble each bowl individually so I didn't get a chance to walk around and take pictures but I'm sure they will be posted on some other sites soon. Mango and Tomato made some great macaroons, Pete Bakes brought some good brownies, and Johnna Knows Good Food made a delish onion dip. I wish I could have sat back and just ate everything but just didn't have the stomach. I did however walk around with a big tupperware container to take some of the goodies home. Yes, I have no shame.

Here are some deals at Safeway this week:

New York Strip Steak - $3.99 per lb

Whole Roaster Chicken - $0.99 per lb

Lean Ground Beef - $2.49 per lb

10-lb bag of Russeet Potatoes - $1.98

Pork Shoulder Country Style Ribs - $1.99 per lb

Organic Milk - $3.49 per half gallon

Avocados - $0.99 each

DC Food Blogger Potluck

2010-01-03T06:02:00.003Z

How intimidating is this? There are some serious food bloggers who will be at this event. Since I have decided that 2010 is going to be a "no fear" year, I'm going to cook something. In hopes of building up my ego for this event, I will post the following food affirmations on my mirror:

Your dish is delicious
The presentation is beautiful
I haven't eaten it better anywhere else
Morimoto should be your student

Ok, maybe that last one was a stretch.

If you would like to join in, please R.S.V.P here.

Friday, January 1, 2010 - Deals at Giant

2010-01-02T03:32:00.003Z

Hope everyone had a safe and happy New Year's Eve. Here are this week's deals at Giant:

Boneless Chicken Breasts - $1.99 per lb
Petite Sirloin Roast - $3.99 per lb
Dannon Yogurts - 20 for $8
Ground Turkey - $1.99 per lb
Frozen Vegetables - $1 per bag
Progresso Soup - $1 per can
Romaine Hearts - $2.50 per bag of 3
Mangos - $1 each

Wednesday December 30, 2009 - Sale at Safeway

2009-12-31T04:56:00.005Z

Its almost 2010 and I welcome it with open arms. My friend Anna challenged me to list the things I would like to do in the next year. I thought about the places I would like to travel to, dishes I would like to cook, the things I would like to learn more about. In 2010, what I want most is to learn to relax, let go, and enjoy the simple moments. I don't think any of the stuff I accomplish will mean much if I can't take the time to enjoy them more when they happen.

Oh...and in 2010, I'll be spending a lot of time with this beauty...

Thank you to my great friends who got together and made my dreams of owning a Kitchen Aid mixer come true. I love you.

May you all have a safe and happy New Year!

Here are this week's deals at Safeway:

Assorted Pork Loin Chops - $1.49 per lb
Split Chicken Breasts - $0.99 per lb
Chicken Legs and Thighs - $0.99 per lb
Cornish Hen - $0.99 per lb
London Broil - $1.99 per lb
Grape Tomatoes - Buy one container Get one Free
Fresh Scottish Salmon Fillets - $6.99 per lb
Red Grapefruit - $0.99 each
Strawberries - Buy one container Get one Free
Limes or Lemons - 3 for $1

Lost in Holiday and Vaction Land

2009-12-26T20:55:00.002Z

I really wanted to write that it has taken me this long to recover from my 30th birthday hangover. The reality is that my good housemates gave me lots of water to drink and ordered me a pizza before I headed off to bed. My co-workers were very surprised to see me awake, at work, and properly dressed the next morning.

These last few weeks have been a whirlwind of holiday parties and family time. My friends and I tried out Henry's Soul Cafe on 4th and K Street NW (meh.) Adventures in Shaw, Urban Bohemian, Stop the Pota and I met with Dan Simmons at Founding Farmers to discuss the Washington Post article and his response to it. My friends and I had a cookie exchange that also turned into a cookie charity donation to a local Santa's Workshop. In California, my mom and I took at trip to San Jose to eat at my cousin Amanda's restaurant Gumbo Jumbo (delish!) What I will miss most about being here in California is waking up every morning and having breakfast with my 1 year old nephew Camden. We share a banana (you should see him stuff the banana into his little mouth. He starts chewing and he stuffed so much in that most of it falls out.) He is a good eater and I love watching a good eater enjoy his food.

But tomorrow, I will be back in DC and back to DC life. Grocery shopping sale postings will be up again as well as some fun recipes. Apparently I was a very good girl this year because I got a ton of new kitchen toys. I'll consider being a good girl again next year.

Wednesday December 9, 2009 - Sale at Safeway

2009-12-09T20:07:00.003Z

Today is my birthday and I turn 30. Yep...30. Its been strange. I have moments when I'm really calm and I am taking it in stride. I have moments when I get kind of excited and I hear Frank Sinatra singing "the best has yet come." Then there are those moments when "30" feels very heavy and...dooming.

Taking it all into perspective, I've learned some things in this last decade. I've learned that I can move to a new city and build a home for myself. I've learned what it is like to lose a job and find one I like better. I've learned to fall in and out of love. I've learned to appreciate that I have the most amazing family and friends. I've also learned that there are a whole lot of people out there who love food as much as I do and its so good to share that love with them. And so, here are this week's deals at Safeway:

Top Sirloin Steak - $3.69 per lb
Boneless Pork Loin Roast - $1.99 per lb
Cornish Game Hen - $1.99 per lb
Barrilla Whole Grain Pasta - $1.00 per box
Variety of Pears - $1.47 per lb
Mangos - $0.99 each

Wednesday December 2, 2009 - Sale at Safeway

2009-12-02T13:11:00.007Z

Happy December! Hopefully everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I spent my Thanksgiving with some family members and a whole lot of food. For lunch, I visited my Aunt Emily in Bethesda and we made a Ribeye Roast, garlic mashed potatoes, and Brussels sprouts with bacon and figs. Knowing that I had a large turkey dinner to eat, I tried to limit myself to a very small slice of the roast but we had marinated it in garlic, salt and pepper and rubbed thyme all over it so the crust around the roast was so delcious. And it was very easy to make. The roast simply sat fat up in a 330 degree oven for 2 hours and it came out perfectly medium inside. Safeway had it on sale for $4.99 per lb so for a six pound roast, we spent about $30. Its a great option if you are having a dinner party and want to impress your guests.

My Thanksgiving dinner with my Uncle Hoan's family was an experience. How did I fit a 10 course meal after my lunch? I don't know, I just did it.

Here was our menu:

Cheese and Pate Platter
Duo of Soups - Butternut Squash with Sauteed Shrimp and Seafood Bisque
Frisee Salad with Poached Egg and Fried Pancetta
Sage Butter Turkey
Duck L'Orange
Corn Gratin
Chestnut and Sausage Stuffing
Roasted Acorn Squash with Nutmeg
Brussel Sprouts with Bacon and Figs
Sweet Potato Pie with fresh Whipped Cream

It was amazing and more amazing was that I was able to walk after all that food. But I am thankful for a loving family who allowed me to celebrate with them when I'm so far away from parents.

Here are this week's deals at Safeway:

Whole Pork Shoulder Blade - $0.97 per lb
Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast - $1.77 per lb
Banana - $.39 per lb
Fresh Scottish Salmon Fillet (Farm Raised) - $5.99 per lb
New York Strip Steak - $4.97 per lb
Marinated Artichoke Hearts - Buy One Get One Jar
Ocean Spray Cranberry Cocktail - $1.97 per 64 oz bottle
Avocados - 4 for $5
Variety of Potatoes - $0.69 per lb

Wednesday November 25, 2009 - Sale at Safeway

2009-11-25T15:12:00.003Z

Looks like Safeway is extending last week's deals until tomorrow. You can see this deals here.

Happy Turkey Day!

Baked Eggs with Spinach and Pancetta

2009-11-23T03:53:00.006Z

In my cupboard are eight lovely, yellow Le Creuset ramekins that I have never used. They were given to me by my brother and sister-in-law a year (two years?) ago and I just haven't found anything that I wanted to make in them until recently; Baked Eggs with Spinach and Pancetta. I really should call this clean-out-the-fridge-baked-eggs but it doesn't sound as tasty. I just happen to have all these ingredients so this is how these pretty little ramekins got used. May I recommend that you use farm fresh eggs from the farmers market for this dish. The egg is the star of this dish and so you should really use a good quality egg. The kind where the yolk has such a golden color that its almost orange. It will make a big difference in the taste of the dish. I bought a dozen farm fresh eggs today at the Bloomingdale farmers market for $4. There are just some dishes worth spending the extra few bucks for.

Baked Eggs with Spinach and Pancetta
Adapted from Mastering the Art of French Cooking

4 ramekins
Butter for greasing the ramekins

4 eggs
1/4 lb of pancetta - sliced and then cut into small 1/4 inch pieces
1/2 a cup of frozen spinach - thawed and squeezed dry
8 Tb of heavy cream
1/2 a cup of Fontina Cheese - grated
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Fill a 8x8 pan 3/4 inch of simmering hot water.

Sautee pancetta until crisp. Place on a plate with paper towels to drain out fat. Butter the ramekins and add a tablespoon of cream to each. Add a little spinach, a little cheese, one egg, and another tablespoon of cream into the ramekins. Place ramekins into the 8x8 pan and place in oven. Bake for 7 to 10 minutes. The eggs are done when they are just set but trembling slightly in the ramekin. Do not assume they are underdone and need to sit in the oven longer like I did the first time I made these. They will cook a bit more if you leave them in pan of hot water for a bit longer outside of the oven.

Season with salt and pepper. Top each ramekin with the crisp pancetta and serve with good bread.

Even with the extra money you spend on the fancy eggs, this dish is still pretty low budget. You can also use bacon instead of pancetta if you want to use a less expensive meat. You can use any cheese you have on hand. Frozen spinach is about $2 per bag.

Friday, November 20, 2009 - Items on Sale at Giant

2009-11-20T23:27:00.001Z

In case you are looking to eat light this week in preparation for the gluttony that will happen next Thursday, you can buy one Sabras Hummus and get another Sabras Hummus for free.

Here are this weeks deals at Giant:

Variety of turkeys - from $0.47 to $1.39 per lb
Land O Lakes Butter - $1.99 per package
Yams - 3lbs for $1
Beef Rib Roast - $5.99 per lb
Brussel Sprouts - $2.50 for a 10 oz container
Asparagus - $2.49 per lb
Collard, Kale, Mustard, and Turnip Greens - 2lbs for $1
Green Beans - $3.99 per 2lb bag
Sabras Hummus - Buy one Get one

Please check http://www.giantfood.com/ to see the specials at your local Giant Supermarket.

Lemongrass Marinated Pork Chops

2009-11-19T01:54:00.011Z

In college, I lived with two other Vietnamese girls who also loved food and loved to cook. The roommate who taught me the most about cooking was Nga who is a great cook. I used to watch her dice ginger into little bits and was amazed by her knife skills. Together, we experimented with making Korean BBQ, Vietnamese eggrolls, lotus salads, Pho, etc. We always had a great time.

When we actually made it out to an Asian store, we went wild. Riverside, Ca is about an hour east of Los Angeles and there wasn't an Asian grocery out there (kind of like DC). So when we made it out to an Asian store, we would stock up on things such as mangos, asian herbs, and different condiments. Back then, the only lemongrass I knew about was the one that was already frozen and already chopped up. It wasn't until I moved to DC that I really started using the fresh stalk. Now I can never go back to the frozen green stuff (I don't know know how they get it so green.) Its just so easy and more flavorful to buy the fresh stalk, rough chop it, and place it in the food processor to grind up. The smell is just amazing.

If you plan to buy lemongrass in DC, buy it at Whole Foods. They charge something like $5 per lb but lemongrass is so light that you end up paying $1 for a stalk which goes a long way in terms of flavor. Its fresh and the flavor is good. The biggest rip off is the packaged kind sold at Safeway and Giant that is already cut up. I end up paying $4 and they were flavorless the last few times I bought them.

When Nga made me this lemongrass marinated pork chop, I was really amazed how easy it was. She pan fried it and got enough heat on the pork chops to give the fatty edges a delicious smokey flavor without drying out the meat. She would add chili flakes to the marinade to give it a bit of spice.

This marinade is pretty awesome. Its kind of sweet and kind of salty. The lemongrass gives it this nice, fresh taste. My favorite bite is the crispy fatty edge. Its just a bite full of goodness. I made this for a meal for some friends. I'm not sure if it was the pork chops or the wine but it was a warm and lovely night.

Lemongrass Marinated Pork Chops
Adapted from Viet World Kitchen

This marinade will work with any pork chop. Of course, the more fat in the meat, the more flavor you are going to get out of the pork chop. Pork chops are normally very inexpensive. I buy them on sale when they are $1.49 per lb but at most, I've seen them sold for $2.99 per lb.

Ingredients:

1 pound boneless pork shoulder steak, about 1/2 inch thick

Marinade:
1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons granulated or light brown sugar
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 tablespoon chopped shallot or yellow onion
1 stalk lemongrass, trimmed and finely chopped (3 tablespoons)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoon dark (black) soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon oil

Put the sugar, garlic, shallot and lemongrass into an electric mini chopper and process to a fine texture. (Or, mince the garlic, shallot, and lemongrass individually, put them into a bowl, and add the sugar.) Add the pepper, soy sauce, fish sauce, and oil and process to combine well. Transfer to a bowl.

Add the pork, and turn to coat well. Cover and marinate overnight. Let it sit out for an hour before cooking.

Preheat a grill (or pan) to medium-high. Grill/panfry for 6 to 8 minutes, turning frequently, until cooked through. If you like the fatty edges to crisp up a bit, let it sit on one side a bit longer until you see the edges smoking. Nick with a knife to test. Serve with Jasmine rice and slices of cucumbers and tomatoes.

Wednesday, November 18, 2009 - Sale at Safeway

2009-11-18T15:16:00.008Z

I love shopping for food during the holidays. I especially love it that I can get good deals for a holiday meal and for other events. My friend Michael (from www.wingipedia.net) is having a birthday cabin trip this weekend and since I can't head out of town for this reason, I will be sending him off with some sweet potato pie. Lucky for me, yams are $0.39 per lb at Safeway . Also lucky for me, I know Michael will probably read this and I know he will not judge me for spending less than $3 on his birthday pie. Happy Birthday Michael!

Here are some sweet potato recipes I've come across that look good. After reading comments and suggestions, I will roast the potatoes instead of boiling them to get a deeper, more intense flavor. Hopefully these pies will turn out delish.

Sweet Potato Buttermilk Pie - Smitten Kitchen
Sweet Potato Pie - Washington Post
Sweet Potato Casserole - Maya Angelou
Sweet Potato Pie (made with yogurt) - Alton Brown
Old Fashion Sweet Potato Pie - Paula Deen
Sweet Potato Cheesecake - Gladys Knight

Here are this week's deals at Safeway:

Variety of Turkeys from $0.47 per lb to $0.99 per lb
Safeway Frozen Vegetables - $1.88 per lb
Rib-Eye Roast - $4.99 per lb
Pork Shoulder Blade Roast - $1.29 per lb
Whole Roasting Chicken - $0.99 per lb
Yams - $0.39 per lb
Grapes - $1.47 per lb
Cranberry Cocktail - $2.50 for a 64 oz bottle
Cool Whip - $1.29 a tub
Broccoli Crowns - $1.49 per lb
Green Beans - Buy one Get one 12 oz bag
Russet Potatoes - $3 for 5 lb bag
Celery - $1.50 per bunch
Asparagus - $2.99 per lb

Please note that each Safeway location is different. Please check Safeway.com to see your local specials.

Baked Potato with Brocoli-Cauliflower-Cheesy Sauce

2009-11-17T03:20:00.008Z

As a kid, my favorite thing to order at Wendy's was a baked potato topped with broccoli and cheese sauce. I don' t know what makes the flavor of broccoli work so well with the flavor of a cheese sauce but it works and is so good. Broccoli and potatoes are both in season right now so you should get good prices on both. Safeway had a 5-lb bag of Russet potatoes on sale for $1.49 each last weekend. You can probably find them for about $3 a bag now. Broccoli should run about $1.49 to $1.99 per lb. Note that you can also use frozen broccoli for this recipe.

Ingredients:

1 lb of broccoli
1/2 lb of cauliflower
4 large Russet potatoes - baked
1 cups of whole milk
1 cup of grated cheddar cheese - shredded
1 cup of Monterey Jack - shredded
1 tablespoon of flour
4 tablespoons of butter

Place butter into a small sauce pan and heat to a simmer. Add flour and stir using a whisk to make a roux. Allow to cooking at medium for about 4 minutes until it browns just a bit. Add milk slowly while you are stirring the mixture. The mixture will thicken a bit. Add cheese slowly while stirring. The sauce should be pretty thick.

Cut broccoli and cauliflower into 1 inch pieces using mostly the crown. Boil in water for 3 mins and then place them into ice water to stop the cooking. Drain them set them aside for awhile to dry out the moisture. Drop the vegetables into the cheese sauce and allow it all to heat up a bit. Cut open a baked potato and spoon cheesy vegetables on top. Enjoy.

Or you can just buy a block of Velveeta. I think a Broccoli-Velveeta Cheese baked potato would also be delish.

Gourmet Magazine's Beef Stew

2009-11-16T05:15:00.010Z

I liked how Gourmet magazine looked on my coffee table. This is the reason why I started collecting them. The covers were so beautiful and they weren't just flimsy pieces of media filled with advertisements. They had great stories and good recipes. If asked what I liked most about the magazine, I would say that the food was photographed with respect.

It was a year ago that a co-worker of mine told me about a dinner party she was having for her future father-in-law. Her fiance and her were on a budget but wanted to throw a nice dinner party. They decided to do a stew and found this recipe. Stews are an economical way to throw a dinner party because you can use a less expensive cut of meat and it would still come out delicious. She described the rich and deep flavor of the stew and it was burned into my memory.

The stew is so rich tasting because it calls for an entire bottle of red wine. Is it worth it? YES. Don't forget to use a wine that you enjoy drinking. At the Metropolitian Cooking and Entertainment Show, Giada DeLaurentis reminded the audience that if you use a wine you don't like, the flavor is just going to be more intense when its reduced. Check out the YES! Organics on 14th and U or in Petworth for some good deals on wines. Trader Joe's also usually has good deals.

The recipe doesn't actually call for tossing the pieces of beef in flour but I like a thicker sauce and so I did before browning the meat in olive oil.

Note that I don't have a dutch oven so I sauteed the vegatables in a large pan and added the wine, balsamic vineagar, and wine into the vegtable mixture before transferring it into a crock pot. The meat was browned in a separate pan and then placed into the crock pot. It was all mixed together before stewing on high for 4 hours.

Beef Stew with Potatoes and Carrots
Adapted from Gourmet Magazine

(note: this recipe was halved to fit into my 4 quart crock pot)

For braised beef:
5 pounds boneless beef chuck (not lean), cut into 2-inch pieces
1 cup of flour
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 carrots, quartered
3 celery ribs, quartered
2 medium onions, quartered
1 head garlic, halved crosswise
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1 (750-ml) bottle dry red wine (about 3 3/4 cups)
2 Turkish bay leaves or 1 California
2 thyme sprigs
3 cups reduced-sodium beef broth
3 cups water

For potatoes and carrots:
2 1/2 pounds small white boiling potatoes
1 1/2 pounds carrots

Braise beef:
Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle. Pat beef dry and season with 2 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Toss pieces flour so that they are lightly covered. Heat oil in pot over medium-high heat until it shimmers, then brown meat, without crowding, in 3 batches, turning, about 8 minutes per batch. Transfer to a platter. Reduce heat to medium, then add carrots, celery, onions, and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until well browned, about 12 minutes. Push vegetables to one side of pot. Add tomato paste to cleared area and cook paste, stirring, 2 minutes, then stir into vegetables. Add vinegar and cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Stir in wine, bay leaves, and thyme and boil until wine is reduced by about two thirds, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer into a crock pot. Add broth to pot along with water, beef, and any juices from platter and turn crock pot on HIGH. Cover and braise for about 4 hours. (You can also turn it on HIGH for one hour and on LOW for 6-8 hours. This might result in the meat coming out more tender.) Set a large colander in a large bowl. Pour stew into colander. Return pieces of meat to pot, then discard remaining solids. Let cooking liquid stand 10 minutes.

Cook potatoes and carrots:
While beef braises, peel potatoes and cut into 1/2-inch-wide wedges. Slice carrots diagonally (1-inch). Add potatoes and carrots to stew (make sure they are submerged) and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until potatoes and carrots are tender, about 40 minutes. Serve over rice or with crusty bread.

Note: Giant has Chuck Roasts on sale this week for 1/2 off the per pound price.

Friday, November 13, 2009 - Items on Sale at Giant

2009-11-13T04:28:00.002Z

I get tired of turkey very easily. I love the whole Thanksgiving holiday fare with the stuffing and the cranberry sauce but I really like it for one meal...not the six meals you end up eating with leftovers. And when my housemates and I started talking about having a Thanksgiving meal together before we all head our separate ways for turkey day, I knew we had to think about non-Thanksgiving foods. My plan is to make a beef roast with non-Thanksgiving sides (no mashed potatoes, no mac and cheese, no green bean casserole.) Hopefully we can come up with some fun sides that won't ruin us for our Thanksgiving meal. (sauteed spinach? potatoes au gratin? french onion soup?)

Here are this weeks deals at Giant:

Certified Angus Beef Roasts - Half Off all Roasts
Shady Brooks Frozen Turkeys - $0.47 per lb
Nature's Promise Organic Eggs - $2.99 per dozen
Swanson Broth - 4 cans for $3
Ragu Pasta Sauce - 3 for $5
Barilla Pasta - $1 a box
Variety of berries - $2 per pint
Celery - $1.99 per bunch
Broccoli - $1.99 per lb

Please check http://www.giantfood.com/ to see the specials at your local Giant Supermarket.

Wednesday, November 11, 2009 - Sale at Safeway

2009-11-11T15:03:00.004Z

Wow...its been awhile. I can only tell you that I have every intention of continuing to find good deals but am just having a hard time finding time to get posts up. I do have some fun recipes to share with you and will be posting them up soon!

Here are this week's deals at Safeway:

Shady Farms Turkey - $0.79 per lb
Boneless Beef Bottom Round Roast - $1.88 per lb
Pork Loin Chops - $1.88 per lb
Red Delicious and Braeburn Apples - $0.99 per lb
Avocados - $0.99 each
Pepsi Products - $0.88 per 2-litre
Lucerne Butter - $1.99 per package
Hillshire Farms Lil' Smokies - $3 each package
Green and White Asparagus - $2.99 per lb
Red Grapefruit - $0.99 each
Pineapple - $2.99 each
Yams - $0.99 per lb

Please note that each Safeway location is different. Please check Safeway.com to see your local specials.