Story of the Leo’s onion
November 6, 2009 § Leave a comment
About a week ago, Danielle was standing in line at the pasta station at Leo’s dining hall when she noticed a display of vegetables, including this GIANT white onion. I don’t know what made her take it straight from under the pasta lady’s nose, but I’m definitely glad she did.
It took a long time for me to appreciate good cheese, especially anything blue and extra stinky. Maybe it’s because in my family, we didn’t really eat too many dairy products growing up. But now, there’s nothing I like better than a slab of melted brie slathered on bread.
I’d done the sweet topping + brie combination before, so after picking up about a 1/4 wheel of brie at Dean and Deluca yesterday, I thought we’d go the savory route for our apartment wine and cheese night.
I think that caramelized onions taste pretty much good on anything, even by themselves. They take a while to make, but once you have that wonderful onion jam, you realize that the constant stirring and vigilance is completely worth it, especially when it’s combined with gooey triple cream cheese.
Baked Brie with Caramelized Onions
4 large onions, sliced
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon sugar
3 tablespoons olive oil
generous wedge of Brie (we had a pound of Belletoile Triple Creme split among 5 of us)
sliced baguette or crisp french toasts
On medium heat in a large saute pan, heat the olive oil until it begins to shimmer. Add all the onions, salt, pepper, and sugar and stir occasionally. * The key is allowing the onions to brown a little, leaving crusty goodness on the bottom of the pan and then scraping up the bits with a wooden spoon. This trick gives the onions that wonderful mahogany color. If it looks like the scraps on the bottom of the pan are about to burn, add a little water (don’t be scared of a little sizzling), and it’ll be easier to scrape them up. No matter what, you have to make sure you stir them, especially towards the end when most of the moisture from the onions has evaporated.
This whole caramelizing process will take about 45 minutes to an hour, but you want to keep an eye on them; otherwise they might burn.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 F. Once the onions are dark brown, place the wedge of brie on an oven-safe dish, top with the onions, and stick in the oven for 7 minutes or until it starts to get gooey, but doesn’t melt completely.
Serve with the slices of baguette.
The Dancing Crab
November 3, 2009 § Leave a comment
Dad came down to Maryland this past week for a business retreat, and on Thursday, he decided to ditch his meeting to do work in the pretty new business building and hang out with me.
For the longest time, he’s been asking me to find a good restaurant in D.C. that serves Old Bay steamed crabs, and for some reason, I only discovered the Dancing Crab (located about a block away from the Tenleytown metro top, red line) this year.
We got the “all you can eat” blue crab deal for 29.95 each, and it came with hush puppies (now my new favorite carb source because they’re like savory, bacon-greased cornbread fritters) and less than mediocre fries.
It’d been so long since I’d eaten steamed crabs, and like the macho I usually am when it comes to food, I thought I’d be able to down 10 no problem. We ended up stopping at 20 total, and we only filled the giant bucket halfway. I was quite ashamed of myself. However, in my defense, these were pretty large specimens, filled with tons of meat and seasoned really well, so I guess less was more in this case?
Unfortunately, because I ate such an overwhelming amount during that single dinner, I think it might be a whole ‘nother year before I can experience the “all you can eat” crab deal again. Though, I think we might’ve started a Quan tradition. Dad now wants to embark on another “all you can eat” journey, and we’re trying to decide what the next food should be. Hank’s Oyster Bar in Alexandria has “all you can eat” oysters and select artisan beers on Saturdays for $65, but sadly I can’t take advantage of that yet and I don’t think I’d be able to handle too many oysters anyway. Something about their slimy texture (though delicious!) would probably prevent me from eating too many in one sitting.
Parents’ weekend at Hank’s, apartment rearranging
October 28, 2009 § Leave a comment
The weekend of October 15 I got my LSAT results, and my dad and sister #3, Laura, visited me for parents’ weekend the very next day, which was a nice consolation. Laura had a bunch of extra credit places to visit for her AP US History class, so most of the day was spent traipsing around the DC monuments in the bitterly cold rain, including the Washington Monument, the Korean War and Vietnam War memorials, the Lincoln Memorial, basically everything you could think of.
On the plus side, we got a good amount of seafood at Hank’s. Laura got to try her very first oyster and lobster roll, both of which were as delicious as the first time I had them. But for some reason, I still feel very iffy about the fried oysters; something about their taste changes when they are cooked (they get this really strange bitter taste) and I don’t think I like it very much. I’d rather stick with their raw, deliciously briny and cucumber-y brothers and sisters. yum. I forgot that the restaurant likes to leave really good dark chocolate as an after-meal snack, but this time, we had a leftover plastic bag from the oyster crackers and scooped up all the pieces to save for later.
While we were out during the day, my roommates Danielle and Quint went on a rearranging rampage. Now, the living room/kitchen space looks so much more open now, and we’ve got a little desk in the nook near the window. I love that there’s an extra light now too; one of the major problems we had before was the dimness of the living room, where most of us like to get work done in the evening.
Considering how much furniture moving we did that night, we held a spontaneous wine and cheese night. The brie and white wine were from dean&deluca (so delicious), and my dad just brought down a bunch of fruit (concord and table grapes, tangerines, bananas) so we had quite the snack. I took the baked brie with honey and walnuts out of the oven while we were still moving things around, and since it stayed on the hot plate for a while, it melted so much more than the first time I made it. It still tasted delicious with the toasted french baguette, though.
My dad’s in DC again this week for a conference in Rockville, MD, and I think tomorrow we’ll be going to the Maine Avenue Fish Market in southwest DC to have some tasty Chesapeake Old Bay Crabs before they go out of season. After that, I’ll be working on law school applications all weekend since deadlines are coming up, but I’m going to do my best to post about the crab dinner and recipes next week!
Taste of Georgetown 2009
October 12, 2009 § Leave a comment
This past Saturday, October 11, was the annual Taste of Georgetown event. All the restaurants near campus get together on Wisconsin Avenue, set up tents, and serve tastings to event-goers. There’s also a giant Wine Tasting Pavilion for those who can drink that’s set up on the lawn of Grace Church (which I find kinda ironic). Tickets were $5 for each tasting and $20 for 5, so Erin and I decided to get our money’s worth and go for the $20.
It was the first time I’d ever attended, and in my opinion, the entire thing was really well organized. They had people standing on the corners of M and Wisconsin handing out maps of where individual restaurant tents were located and what kind of tastings they were serving as well as Purell wipes. The people running the ticket booth were also really efficient; one of my main worries was that getting our tickets would take more time than actually tasting the food. Luckily, Erin and I got there pretty early (around noon), so it wasn’t too busy yet. When I returned at around 2:30 to get redeem my Baked and Wired ticket, I could barely walk down Wisconsin without getting jostled by people.
We opted to try 1789, considered by most the best restaurant in Georgetown, Bodega, Mie n Yu, Hook, and one of the two Georgetown bakeries, Georgetown Cupcake and Baked and Wired, for dessert.
Bodega’s seafood paella was divine. I knew it’d be pretty delicious because I’ve had their tapas multiple times and love almost all of them, but to see that giant pan full of bubbling orange rice was a whole ‘nother story. The smell of the shrimp, clams, and other oceany critters cooking was amazing, and they gave us a good amount for one tasting. I think I might take my dad and sister there when they come this Friday for parent’s weekend.
1789’s crispy duck confit was great as well, and I liked how the tartness of the cranberries in the compote balanced out the fatty and rich duck. I’m really looking forward to eating there before I graduate in May. The sweet potato pie from Hook was ok, but I’ve had Heather Chittum’s other desserts before (like her Nutella dessert) and it didn’t really live up to my expectations. Something about the texture of the sweet potato custard was off, and it wasn’t as smooth as i would’ve liked it to be.
Mie n Yu’s kimchee was really surprising. I think it was the first time I’d ever had kimchee and liked it. My mom always used to buy those giant glass jars of cabbage kimchee at the Asian supermarket and everyone in my family would eat it except me, so now I want to go home and try it again to see if I’ve changed my mind. Their bulgogi wasn’t like the Korean bulgogi I’ve had before. Whatever they used as a marinade didn’t have that sweet flavor that you usually get from the pear or kiwi puree. The meat was tender and well cooked though. However, while eating all of this savory food, I really needed a drink. One thing the organizers could add for next year is a separate stand where they sell non-alcoholic drinks, because not all of us are old enough to drink wine (even if we want to).
Our last stop would’ve been Georgetown Cupcake, but they ran out early and said that we’d be able to redeem our tickets for 3 cupcakes at the store. We walked over to their location on Potomac, and the line was RIDICULOUS. Definitely not worth waiting for. Later, when I had to go back to M to return some purchases, I walked past the store again to see if it was any shorter, but it was almost TWICE as long, winding around the block. Since it was only 2:30 and Taste of Georgetown ended at 4, I thought it’d be best to go to the Baked and Wired tent and pick up their trio of brownie, bee sting, and fig newton to go.
The saddest part was that, as I was walking by the line for Georgetown Cupcake for the third time back to my apartment, I heard this woman telling her friend that they had the best baked goods in D.C. She was wrong on two counts. Georgetown Cupcake has…duh, only cupcakes, not a variety of baked goods. And second, in my humble opinion, Baked and Wired deserved that title. Their carrot cupcake is out of this world and the bee stings are my favorite. But she’d already been waiting in line for 30 minutes and I didn’t have the heart to tell her the ugly truth.
So while she was probably still waiting in line for her cupcakes, I was already back in my apartment, sitting on the couch watching FlashForward and enjoying a cup of hot chocolate with a selection of B&W’s best .
Bistro D’Oc
October 4, 2009 § Leave a comment
A couple weeks ago I visited the National Gallery for an assignment (btw, if you’re in the area, the Art of Power exhibit is definitely worth looking at) and ate at a Languedoc restaurant called Bistro D’Oc.
I don’t remember too many of the details, but the duck confit that I ordered had an extremely crisp exterior and there was just enough fat (yum) left over with really tender meat. And of course, anything with mushrooms and fried potatoes is going to be that much better than without them.
Emily ordered a basil, crepe-wrapped salmon that I wasn’t too crazy about, although the cream pepper sauce that it came with was out of this world – rich and filling on its own. Our creme brulee was a nice, light dessert and the lavendar flavor did a good job of cutting the sweetness of the custard.
Baked Brie at Emily’s 21st
September 30, 2009 § Leave a comment
My roommate, Emily, turned 21 on September 21st, but because it was a Monday evening, we decided to celebrate with a small dinner party.
There was a lot of great food involved – spinach salad with blue cheese, craisins, and candied pecans, mushroom tortellini in an alfredo sauce – but the best dish definitely was the appetizer, a baked brie with walnuts and honey.
Emily always gets Le Parisien salad at SweetGreen which has arugula, brie, pears, and almonds, so even though she isn’t a big cheese fan, we thought it’d be a good idea. Plus, the recipe is super easy and we already had the ingredients on hand.
It was even more of a success than we thought it would be. Some of the guests proclaimed themselves to be anti-French food, but that didn’t stop them from helping themselves to extras. Within 10 minutes, the entire wedge, walnuts and all, was wiped clean from the plate and the rosemary garlic crackers were gone.
Baked Brie
Wedge of soft Brie
honey, as much as you want
walnuts
Preheat oven to 350 F. Set the wedge of brie onto an oven safe serving platter and scatter with walnuts. Drizzle with as much honey as desired. Put serving platter on sheet pan and bake for 6-8 minutes or until the brie has started to ooze but not melt. Serve with crackers or slices of French baguette.
Georgetown Clyde’s and a Two Week Hiatus
September 13, 2009 § Leave a comment
This past week Amy and I went to Clyde’s on M. street for dinner. Our original intention was to try Old Glory Barbecue since I was really craving some pulled pork and cornbread, but when we got there, it turned out there was a wedding reception going on for the rest of the evening.
I’d never been to Clyde’s before, despite the fact that it’s a classic. When you enter the restaurant, you can see why it’s a Georgetown favorite – the wood paneling, the old-school aviation decor and the long bars. We were seated in a nice area in the back where there were sky lights, so I didn’t have to do anything with the point and shoot I brought along, even though the tables were a bit cramped.
Amy and I ordered the grilled pizza – mozzarella, cherry tomatoes, basil pesto and chanterelle mushrooms – as an appetizer which turned out to be surprisingly good. The exterior of the crust was really crispy while the interior still doughy soft and there was definitely a good glug of extra virgin olive oil in that pesto.
My entree was the chili-lime hanger steak with roasted corn, pico de gallo, and black beans. Though there could’ve been a bit more seasoning with the salad, the meat was perfectly pink and not stringy at all, which is usually a problem. Amy’s grilled shrimp looked HUGE and delicious, although I didn’t get to try any because I already had my own food to contend with.
Verdict: Clyde’s is good, but not great. The ambience certainly gives the restaurant extra points, but I’m going to have to try their brunch before on deciding how I feel about the place.
Also, just wanted to mention that I’ll be taking a two week hiatus from posting. I’m taking the LSAT on September 26 and it’s SERIOUSLY crunchtime for me. People keep asking why I’m taking it so early as a junior, but truth be told, I’ll be graduating a year early (this coming May to be exact) and applying this fall. I have no idea what’s gonna happen after I take the test (who knows, I might even have to take it again >.<) and I don’t even want to think about it right now.
See you in two weeks! I’ll probably cook/bake/grill/fry something to celebrate afterwards.
The start of weekly roommate dinners
September 10, 2009 § Leave a comment
Last night was the first of our roommate dinners and we started off with the steak au poivre I used at the tapas party over the summer as well as some roasted thin asparagus with sharp parmesan. Everything looked so nice with the white porcelain dinnerware, new silverware, and lavendar tablecloth. Plus, I’m still loving the fact that our dinner table is located in the nook we have near the windows, which just makes everything even more cozy.
Assuming that my roomies weren’t just being nice, the dishes were a success despite the fact that the stove top I was cooking the steaks on wasn’t even level. I hope they all get used to being my guinea pigs.
Steak au poivre
4 4 oz. steaks, I used rib eye but New York strip or filet mignon would work beautifully as well
3 tablespoons butter
extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion,thinly sliced
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1/4 cup water
salt and pepper
minced parsley to garnish
Heat 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet on medium heat. Pepper the steaks really liberally and salt as well. When butter is melted, turn heat to high and cook steaks. Leave for about 3 minutes. Remember: don’t move the steaks once you’ve placed them in the pan. You want a good caramelized crust to form on the outside and shifting the steak just ruins that. Flip and cook for another 2-3 minutes until the meat has a small bit of resistance when press down on the center if you like your meat medium-rare (which is how it should be IMHO). Take out of the pan, cover with foil, and let rest.
Pour excess grease or oil out of the skillet but leave the brown bits on the bottom. Add the remaining butter and stir until melted. Add the water and dijon mustard and stir, all the while scraping up the brown bits, which have all the great flavor from the meat. Add onions and cook until soft. Season to taste.
Spoon sauce over steaks and garnish with the parsley.
Roasted asparagus with parmesan
1 lb green asparagus
extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper
grated parmesan cheese
Preheat oven to 400 F.
Meanwhile, cut the woody ends off the asparagus spears. On a shallow baking pan, drizzle asparagus with extra virgin olive oil and season with liberal amounts of salt and pepper. Mix the asparagus well and then place in a single layer. Top with the parmesan and roast for about 25 minutes or until the asparagus are slightly brown.
Spinach Catalan style and Shrimp with Garlic
August 19, 2009 § 1 Comment
Here are two more recipes from the tapas party that I promised. I first had the spinach dish at Jaleo in D.C. and I think it’s part of the reason I recently overcame my aversion to green and leafy vegetables (yes, I was one of those kids). The toastiness and crunch of the pine nuts adds really great flavor as well, and plumping the raisins in the hot water beforehand makes all the difference.
The shrimp was definitely the most popular dish of the night. We didn’t even bother with transferring it to a nice serving platter; I just moved the hot saute pan from the stove and set it on the counter, right before every one attacked the garlicky olive oil with crusty slices of bread. I think we bought about 2 pounds of smaller sized shrimp, and within 25-30 minutes, we had eaten it all. It was so good that we couldn’t even stop eating it even if we wanted to! It’s also something that anyone, even complete kitchen novices, can make so if you’ve never cooked anything before, I HIGHLY recommend letting this be your first attempt.
Spinach with raisins and pine nuts
1/4 cup raisins
1 pound of fresh spinach, stems removed
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup pine nutes
salt and black pepper to taste
Soak the raisins in hot water for about 10 minutes, until they become plump. Wash the spinach, but don’t completely dry the leaves. Steam in a large saute pan until they’ve become wilted and tender, less than 5 minutes. When the spinach is cooler, squeeze out all excess moisture and chop roughly.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet, drizzle in olive oil over medium heat and add the pine nuts and raisins. Stir occasionally, until the pine nuts have become toasted and slightly golden. Add the spinach and sautee for about another 4-5 minutes until everything glistens. Season with salt and pepper and serve hot or at room temperature.
Shrimp with garlic
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil (it must be EVOO, the fruitiness really adds to the flavor)
6 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced as thin as possible
1 pound peeled shrimp (in this case, it’s better if the shrimp are on the smaller side)
coarse salt to taste (NO black pepper)
chopped parsley for garnish
On medium heat, combine oil and garlic in a deep skillet or saute pan. When the garlic begins to sizzle and turn golden, add the shrimp. Cook and stir until the shrimp have become opaque. About 3-4 minutes. MAKE SURE that you don’t overcook the shrimp, otherwise they get all nasty and rubbery and the dish is ruined (no pressure!).
Stir in however much salt you want, garnish with parsley and serve immediately, directly from the pan. The sauce tastes AMAZING with good country bread.
Straightforward sangria and crispy patatas bravas
August 5, 2009 § 2 Comments
As promised, two of the many recipes from tapas at Phil’s.
Sangria
1/2 cup sugar syrup (half part sugar, half part water, heated until sugar dissolves)
two bottles of fruit red wine or red Zinfandel (we used one of each and doubled the recipe)
juice of 2 lemons
2 oranges, sliced
2 lemons, sliced
2 apples, sliced
2 peaches, sliced
1 large bottle of sparkling water
Combine all ingredients in a pitcher or large punch bowl and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight. Serve with ice.
Patatas bravas
These are a classic tapas dish in Spain, and as with anything involving potatoes and extra virgin olive oil, they are so delicious without the heaviness of something deep-fried. Really easy to make too. They’re traditionally served with a spicy tomato sauce and/or allioli, the garlic mayonnaise.
16 small red potatoes, quartered. Leave skins on.
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, or enough to coat all the potatoes
coarse salt
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Put the potatoes in large pot and cover by 2 inches of water. Bring to a boil, and then turn heat to medium. Leave for about 20 minutes, until potatoes are fork tender.
Transfer potatoes to a baking sheet, toss with the olive oil and salt, and spread into one even layer. Bake for about 45 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve with tomato sauce.
Tomato Sauce
2 cups plain marinara sauce
cumin, cayenne pepper, paprika to taste
Combine to personal taste and heat.
Notes on Food 