It Feels Good to Be Home...

Cooking with my mom usually leads to two things- delicious food and a fight. For some reason, we never seem to make it through an entire dish without getting into some sort of argument. Whether its about how much salt to add to boiling water or how big to cut the holes in cupcakes for filling, we always seem to have differing opinions.

We've been talking about making cream puffs for about a year now, and we finally got around to it last night. The traditional dough- pâte de chaussures, or shoe paste, is used for not only cream puffs but also eclairs, mini tea sandwiches, or really anything sandwich- or filling-related you want because they are very flavor neutral, light and airy.

Then came the fight- when I wanted to make them about the size of a ping pong ball and my mom wanted to make them the size of a marble, convinced they were going to puff up like a blowfish. I also added the egg yolk straight into the hot pot, which immediately began to cook, thus ruining the texture of my cream puffs. Needless to say, the first batch was ping pong ball sized but crunchy and eggy. The second time around we did it the right way, still ping pong ball sized, but we tempered the eggs and added some sugar. The puffs came out light, fluffy and perfect. I also made chocolate eclairs, as a photo friendly alternative.

Eclair/ Cream Puff Recipe

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup butter

1/2 cup flour

1 tbs sugar

2 eggs

1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 tbs milk

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Heat water and butter to rolling boil in sauce pan. Stir in sugar and flour over low heat until mixture forms a ball. Remove from heat. Beat eggs in a separate bowl. Add a little bit of the flour mixture at a time to the eggs, slowly rising the heat of the eggs. Beat until smooth. Drop dough by tablespoonfuls or use a piping bag and pipe either ping pong sized balls or 2 inch logs of dough onto ungreased cookie sheet, about 3 inches apart. Bake for 20-30 minutes, until golden. Cool. Cut off tops. fill with cream filling and replace top. Combine chocolate chips and milk in a small saucepan. Over medium heat. Stir and melt until the mixture is smooth. Drizzle chocolate over tops of puffs.

Filling Recipe

1/3 cup sugar

2 tbs cornstarch

1/8 tsp salt

2 cups milk

2 egg yolks, slightly beaten

2 tbs butter

1 tbs vanilla

Heat sugar, cornstarch and salt in a saucepan. Stir in milk gradually. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture thickens and boils. Boil and stir one minute. Stir half the hot mixture gradually into eggs. Blend back into the rest of the hot mixture. Return to heat and boil and stir one minute. Remove from heat. Stir in butter and vanilla. Cover with plastic wrap, so the plastic is touching the custard. This will prevent the custard from forming a film as it cools. Place in refrigerator and cool for about 30 minutes.

'Tis The Season

I love spring. I love spring weather, spring clothing, and most of all, spring produce!!! There's just something about freshly picked produce in the spring that you can't get any other time of the year. As an homage to spring produce, Sweet Green introduced their May salad- a combination of romaine and arugula lettuces, fresh strawberries and asparagus, feta cheese, sunflower seeds and chicken, topped with a homemade balsamic vinaigrette, served with a thick and crunchy piece of the best bread I have ever tasted. Seriously.

Now that I am home for a month I have had a decent amount of time to cook again! Love. I wanted to recreate the Sweet Green salad for a light dinner and show my mom why I'm so obsessed with the place. I did everything the same except I cooked the asparagus, marinated the chicken, and made a homemade strawberry balsamic vinaigrette with a strawberry balsamic vinegar I picked up in Savannah, Georgia. Please, please, enjoy this recipe. I would eat this salad every day if I could.

Makes 4 Dinner- Sized Salads

chicken

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts- sliced into tenders

1 tsp each of salt, pepper and dried parsley

1 tbs olive oil

zest and juice of 1 lemon

salad

1/2 bag (about 4 cups) each of romaine and arugula lettuce

1 cup sliced strawberries

1 cup chopped asparagus

salt pepper and olive oil

1/2 cup feta cheese

1/4 cup sunflower seeds

vinaigrette

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 tbs strawberry (or regular) balsamic vinegar

zest of 1/2 lemon

salt and pepper

Marinate the chicken tenders in the olive oil, salt, pepper, parsley, and lemon juice and zest for about 5 minutes. Over medium heat, cook the chicken in a pan, about 4 minutes per side. Remove from heat.

Toss the lettuce, feta and sunflower seeds in a large bowl.

Toss the asparagus in salt pepper and olive oil, just enough to coat. Using the same pan from the chicken, cook the asparagus over medium-high heat until tender but still crunchy, about 7 minutes. Remove from heat.

Once cool, add the chicken and asparagus to the salad. Add strawberries.

In a separate bowl, combine the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, lemon zest, salt and pepper. Toss over salad and serve with fresh multigrain bread (for the true Sweet Green experience!). Enjoy!

2 for 1: Sticky Rice Sashimi

As the weather slowly begins to warm up, I am trying to take complete advantage of the beautiful spring that Washington DC offers. This past weekend, I ventured to Eastern Market, DC's historic farmer's market near Capitol South. Now, although I am from Cleveland, I do take pride in my city's farmer's market. The West Side Market is, well, the shit. It is an ancient colosseum filled with every variety of produce, meat, home made pastas, chocolate, prepared foods and about anything else you could ever imagine. Comparably, Eastern Market is much smaller with less prepared foods but I did manage to find some vendors that suited me well.

Besides a pleasantly full stomach from Tortilla Cafe, I left with the freshest smelling mangoes you could ever imagine, curry paste, and coconut milk. Seriously, these mangoes smelled like they were just picked off the tree in Mexico.

Along with an easy chicken and vegetables with curry sauce, I decided to make mango sticky rice, to go along with the thai theme. I have recently begun to love sticky rice, and to figure out how easy it was to make was like a dream come true. As my wonderful meal came to an end, I had eaten all but one bite of my mango sticky rice. It just so happened that this remaining bite looked a lot like a piece of sashimi that you would get at a sushi restaurant. With my leftover mango and rice (the recipe makes a lot) I decided to recreate this sushi look-a-like.

Here's the recipe, adapted from allrecipes.com:

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups uncooked short-grain white rice

2 cups water

1 1/2 cups coconut milk

1 cup white sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 mangoes, peeled and sliced

*Optional garnishes: sesame seeds, cinnamon sugar, salt and pepper

Directions

Combine the rice and water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer until water is absorbed, about 15 minutes

While the rice cooks, mix together coconut milk, sugar and salt in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat and set aside.

Stir the cooked rice into the coconut milk mixture and cover. Allow to cool for one hour.

To make sashimi, take about 2 tablespoons worth of rice and form into a 2 x 1 x 1 inch patty. Cover with a small slice of mango. Sprinkle with garnish, if desired.

Look at the cuties!!

My favorite was- surprisingly- the one I sprinkled with salt and pepper!

Try mixing cayenne pepper with cinnamon, sugar and salt, too.

Napoleon Aint Got Nothin on Me

Finally! I've managed to find some spare time to cook and practice my future housewife skills! No but really, I've been able to spend a lot more time in the kitchen lately than the library, and boy am I thankful for it.

I haven't been able to pull out all the stops yet and create an original meal from start to finish, but with the help of Trader Joe, I've been making some fabulous dinners.

In honor of Meatless Monday, I made an Eggplant and Veggie Burger... Napoleon- so to speak. It was so easy and so delicious. Here's what you need:

3 slices Trader Joe's Eggplant Cutlets

1 Amy's American Veggie Burger

1/2 (more or less) cup marinara sauce

Parmesan cheese

Follow cooking instructions on boxes of eggplant and veggie burger. Once cooked, slice the veggie burger across the middle, creating two thin patties. Starting with an eggplant cutlet, alternate layering the cutlets and veggie patties. Cover with marinara sauce (I like to heat mine up) and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Serve with veggies or pasta.

Look at those succulent layers of eggplant

Fast, easy and healthy too! Bon Appetit!

¡Bienvenidos a Sabor'a Street!

As my love of food trucks continues to blossom, I want to share with you how Sabor’a Street has contributed to my relationship with the four-wheeled miracle kitchens, my taste buds, and the streets of D.C.

It was a sunny Thursday in the district and I was waiting for my food truck partner in crime, Rachael, to get out of class. Sabor’a street had tweeted about how the line for lunch was down the block and that they weren’t going to be around for much longer. Panicked, I grabbed my coat and began to power walk towards their designated location, telling Rachael that I’d get in line so we didn’t risk the items selling out by the time she was done with class. By the time I reached the truck, the line had calmed down but people were anxiously awaiting their Latin-inspired lunches. I approached the woman working the cash register and introduced myself as my twitter handle, LOLKatz41, as I had tweeted the week before begging for the truck to grace the GW campus with its presence. Then I began to look over the menu.

While seemingly small, the Sabor’a Street menu is chock full of flavor, variety and excitement. The two options are the angus beef hamburger and the Arepas- “cornmeal cakes with choice of pulled beef brisket, pulled chicken or chili-glazed tofu.” The woman in the truck recommended me the chicken arepas, as she said they were her favorite. All of the dishes are served with fried yuccas and tostones, and a decadent, creamy and refreshing lime aioli and salsa verde.

Rachael and I have a ritual when we eat from food trucks of each getting something different and sharing. When she finally arrived after what seemed like hours, I told her I knew exactly what we were going to get- chicken arepas, a burger and hot, sugary, crunchy fried churros with home made dulce de leche dipping sauce.

As I approached the woman to take my order, she broke news so terrible you’d think I was going to cry. They were out. of. churros. How could such a tragedy occur?! “Tweet at us and we’ll save you an order next time,” the woman replied. My mouth was already watering for the fried cinnamon sugar coated dough. How was I supposed to wait for next time?!?!

Despite our tragic dessert mishap, lunch was spectacular. The minute I bit into the chicken arepas I began to “ooh” and “ahh” in amazement. The crispy cornmeal cake held the delicate flavors of lime and cilantro and spicy chicken so well. It was a fiesta in my mouth. The chicken was tender and juicy and the slaw on top was crisp and refreshing. The burger was equally as flavorful, had a meaty texture and spicy seasoning. The lime aioli was the perfect compliment to both, and the perfect dipping sauce for the well-seasoned, well-fried yuccas and plantains.

As our lunch came to an end, I was beyond satisfied, but still craved something sweet, per usual. Luckily, Cap Mac was closing up and offered Rachael and me our own caramelized banana Nutella rice puddings… for free! My sweet tooth was satisfied sans churros.

The story continues the following week when Sabor’a Street tweeted about being a few blocks away from campus. I had been in an ongoing twitter conversation with them all day and was just dying to make my way for the long awaited churros. I gave myself a nice studying break and power walked six blocks to the truck. As I approached and re-introduced myself, the man working in the “kitchen” exclaimed, “I have to get a record of this.” Apparently, my longing for churros was known between all of the workers and tweeters. I was so thrilled to finally be getting my churro fix I didn’t care who recorded me doing what. The owners were gracious enough to give me the churros- free of charge- as they knew how big of a fan I was, and how much I enjoy promoting them on Twitter. As promised, I let the chef film me taking my first bite. I dipped the piping hot churro (they are small, about the size of your thumb, so eating more than one is acceptable) into the creamy, caramely dulce de leche sauce and sunk my teeth into it. I was in cinnamon sugar heaven. Crunchy on the outside but cakey and chewy on the inside; generously coated in the perfect ratio of cinnamon to sugar; and the dulce de leche was the icing on the cake (no pun intended?). Just like the refreshing lime aioli, the dulce sauce dressed the churro so beautifully without overpowering it. I couldn’t wait to get the rest of the churros back to the library to share with Rachael (you know, the kind of sharing where its one for me, one for her; two for me, one for her? Just kidding...)

So now that you have read my short story on my amazing experience with Sabor’a Street, I hope all you D.C. locals will venture over to wherever Sabor'a Street may be. Just writing this entry was difficult to do without my mouth watering (seriously, I had to stop a few times because I got so hungry thinking about the food), and I am anxiously awaiting the truck’s next appearance at GW. Although, as proven, I am willing to travel for these delectable Latin delicacies- willing to travel all the way to Sabor'a Street, America, wherever that may be!

Photo Credit: Sabor'a Street & Google Images

Ethiopian Meets Dessert

If you haven’t noticed, I love to eat. I love to eat breakfast, lunch, dinner, desserts; I love to eat off food trucks, I love to eat lavish meals, and I LOVE to eat new and exciting foods. It is both a blessing and a burden that I live in such a culinarily diverse city (blessing on my taste buds and overall happiness, burden on my waste line, wallet, free time). The other day I ventured to U Street, an area of D.C. known for its nightlife, restaurants and Ethiopian population.

Ethiopian cuisine is similar to Indian food in that there are many flavors and spices that coat different meats and vegetables. It is different in general flavor and, oh yeah, you eat with your hands. Imagine eating shredded beef or Sloppy Joes, or creamed spinach with your hands. Not too easy, eh? Well this is what Ethiopian food is all about. Its about combining and handling small quantities of various tastes and textures into one successful, triumphant bite. You’re probably thinking, ”you have to use some form of utensil, right?” Right. The key to Ethiopian food is the sponge-like crepe that rests underneath and soaks up every flavor of the sauces that are ever so beautifully coating the proper meats and vegetables. By itself, this “SpongeBob bread” (as my friend’s dad likes to call it) is pretty tasteless. It has the texture of a pancake that has been cut in half (crosswise, so it is thinner) and pumped air bubbles into. I really don’t know how else to describe it, but these holes are perfect for absorbing the flavors of the sauces. And the malleability of the pancake allows the food to sit in it without it ripping. My method was to rip a small portion of the pancake off and dip it into a dish, use it as a shovel and scoop the fillings into my mouth. This was definitely one of the most (if not THE most) unique eating experiences I have witnessed but it was fun, different and- although challenging- satisfying, like using chop sticks for the first time.

Rachael and her SpongeBob bread

If you were to ask me to go into detail about what the food tasted like, I would tell you no. I am telling you no. If you really want to know about the palette pleasing sensations of Ethiopian food, go out and try it yourself. I just wanted you to understand the concept so I can go into my next point. My interpretation of Ethiopian food: dessert version. Yeah, you read that right, dessert. I used real crepes instead of sponge-like crepes, and bananas, orange slices, Nutella, Greek yogurt, cinnamon sugar and macerated berries in place of the spicy saucy meats and vegetables. I made enough crepes to cover my entire kitchen table (granted, its not that large) and have extras for dipping. This was a fun and innovative way to eat crepes, perfect for a party, girls’ night in, or rainy day activity.

proof of me actually making the crepes

beautiful Nutella

now tell me that's not Food Porn worthy?!?!

Here is a general dessert crepe recipe:

4 eggs, lightly beaten

1 1/3 cups milk

2 table spoons melted and cooled butter

1 cup all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons white sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, butter, flour, sugar and salt until smooth. Heat a medium-sized skillet over medium heat. Grease pan with butter or oil. Using a small ladle, spoon about 1/3 cup batter into hot pan, tilting the pan so that the bottom surface is evenly coated. Cook over medium heat, 1 to 2 minutes and flip for a few seconds until crepe is cooked through and golden. Serve immediately.

Here is how I made the berries (you can use just plain fresh berries too):

½ bag frozen mixed berries

½ cup water

¼ cup sugar

the juice and zest of one orange

Heat all ingredients over medium heat in a saucepan until the liquid has reduced by half and mixture is hot. Use a slotted spoon to serve over crepe, thus eliminating some of the liquid.

finished product

we made a friend :)

Pi Truck: A Love Story

So I lied. I mentioned about six food trucks in DC that I had already sampled. That was last Thursday. As of today, a mere five days later, I have sampled five more food trucks. I know that sounds a bit over indulgent, but trust me, they are beyond worth it. For somewhere between $6 and $15, you are able to get a full, gourmet meal, in about 10 minutes or less! How can you beat that?!

I start my review off with the truck that has become the dearest to my heart... and my stomach: Pi Truck. At first glance, this four-wheeled green monster looks a little dorky; the truck wears the Pi symbol proudly on all four sides. But when you take a closer look, you'll see that beneath the mathematic stamp lays a beautiful interpretation of deep. dish. pizza. Mmmmm...

The battle between Chicago-style deep dish and New York-style thin crust has been ongoing since before I can remember. People tend to get rather snobby when it comes to taking ownership and pride in one's hometown culinary name tag. Do you go deep dish and eat your slice with a fork and a knife? Or do you go thin crust, fold the slice in half, and shove it into your mouth like a hot dog? Personally, I like to combine the two methods by using a fork and a knife on thin crust pizza; I consider myself to be a pizza snob and tend to over-enjoy this simple cheesy delight as often as I can.

To be honest, I don't think I've ever had deep dish pizza before I experienced Pi Truck, but boy, did it turn me into a believer. The food truck craze has slowly made its way to the GW campus and I will be the first to tell you how lucky we are to have it. First you should probably know some background information on my Thursday before I so luckily encountered the truck of Pi.

Like I mentioned earlier, Thursdays are the hot days for food trucks to roll on over to Foggy Bottom. I had finished class for the day and made plans with my friend, Rachael, to get lunch from Red Hook Lobster Truck. I brought the lobster and shrimp rolls back to my apartment for the two of us to share, and lunch was amazing (more to come on Red Hook, this is about Pi Truck remember!). As we sat contemplating which food truck we would next explore, we checked Food Truck Fiesta for other trucks around campus. "Pi Truck's at GW still," Rachael exclaimed. "Wanna get dinner?" I asked. It was a done deal. We left my apartment in a rush with the determination to catch the pizza mobile before it left for the weekend (the trucks tend to stay until 2 pm and it was already 3:30). As we walked towards the designated location, we saw an empty space. This didn't look good. Where could it be?

Then, out of no where, like a peak from heaven above a cloudy sky, the Pi Truck rolled past us and continued down 22nd street. I began to run.

I managed to catch up with the truck as it stopped to look for a parking spot outside of our library. I frantically approached the window and the driver rolled it down. I asked how much longer they would be around and the friendly man said to wait until they parked and that I would be the first in line for a hot, gooey, deep dish pizza pie. Is your mouth watering yet? Because mine is.

Rachael caught up to me and managed to take a picture of my epic attempt to flag down a food truck (see left, Hi Cap Mac!). We debated for a while over which pie to get- they all seemed so unbelievably tasty! We went with the favorite of the driver- the Western Addition- and shared a small piece before returning to my apartment and refrigerating it for dinner. The Western Addition contains (along with the usual mozzarella and homemade tomato sauce) spinach, creamy feta and ricotta cheeses, hearty mushrooms, onions and garlic, all enclosed by the best cornmeal crust I have ever tasted. This crust is just meant for deep dish pizza. It is thick yet delicate, and chewy with just the right crunch. It hugs, rather than overpowers the fillings, like the perfect spoon to sop up the flavors of tomato, cheese and veggies. I couldn't wait to finish this pie for dinner.

About four hours, $12 and six slices of sweet, cheesy, crunchy goodness later, Rachael and I were happy campers. No, the $12 was not a typo- we did, in fact, get an entire deep dish pizza pie for twelve dollars. No tax, no tip, no delivery charge- for one of the best pizzas I have ever sunk my teeth into. Since the moment I took my last bite I have been anxious to return to my beloved truck of Pi. I am determined to become a loyal customer and maybe have a pie named after me one day. Until then, one can only dream. I love you, Pi Truck!!

A Tour of Boston: All Things Chocolate

This past President's Day Weekend, I went to Boston to visit my two best friends, Lizzy and Rachel. Along with getting to try all of their favorite restaurants, I was able to introduce them to something very unique and special. Boston Chocolate Tours is a company started by my sorority sister's dad, and takes groups of people around different parts of the city and gives them a taste of Boston- literally- through different chocolate shops and restaurants. I was SO excited to be going on one of these, as my friends have gone on one here in D.C. and raved about how fabulous it was; and I mean, who wouldn't want to spend the day in a beautiful city sampling different types chocolate?

The tour started off at bo YO, a frozen yogurt shop whose yogurt is beyond natural, and beyond delicious. We obviously were given samples of chocolate froyo, which was very tasty. It still had the start flavor of traditional froyo but with a nice chocolate accent. We were also allowed to sample any and every flavor of froyo, gelato and sorbet in the shop. That definitely stated the day off right.

Next we made our way into Boston's Beacon Hill- a beautiful, upscale neighborhood with small shoppes and charming roadways. We were brought into a chocolate shop that referred to themselves as a "jewelry store for chocolate," because the store was mainly imported chocolates from all over the world, and only the truffle and gelato coolers were made in store. The shop was so adorable. The owners brought a unique element by having antique cards and postcards mounted onto boxes that are available for purchase for the chocolates to be put into. I was so amazed, and then it got even better when I saw they sold my new favorite chocolate shop's items, Vosges. Vosges specializes in very unique flavor combinations in their chocolates- my two favorites being their bacon bar and their curry chocolate truffle. YUM. You can be assured that samples were taken and treats were brought home.

Right next store was where we headed next, which you may find a little ironic because it was a flower shop. Twig is a flower shop that specializes in paring chocolate, vases, silverware and other useful items with flowers. Their flowers are brought in fresh every two days and the store is beautiful. We were able to try

chocolate in one of its less processed forms, a procedure adapted from the Mayas. It was more textured and the kind we tried had a hint of Chili in it. My throat got warm and spicy but the flavor and texture were beautiful.

Next stop: cupcake town. But really, Isabelle's Curly Cakes is inspired by Todd English's daughter and sells all things cupcake. Obviously we were given samples of their triple chocolate cupcake, which entailed a chocolate cupcake with a chocolate pudding center, chocolate butter cream on top and- you're never believe this- sprinkled with cocoa puffs! What an awesome idea, I wish I'd thought of it. The cakes were beyond light and fluffy as was the buttercream. The pudding was creamy and delicious. This was chocolate heaven, and we were only halfway through the tour!

Our next stop was at Finale, a chain restaurant that was started by Harvard grad students that wanted to give people a fantastic dessert without necessarily paying for an entire five star meal. SMART, RIGHT?! I had gone to Finale the previous night for dessert so although all we got to sample on the tour was a small brownie square, I can assure you that their desserts are amazing.

The tour came to a sweet conclusion at The Melting Pot. You know, the fondue place where you cook your own meat and leave feeling like you'll never be hungry again? My friends and I are very familiar with this restaurant- we used to go just for dessert in high school, probably way too often than we should have- so it was a very nice way to reminisce on our earlier days (I'm probably too young to be saying that, whatever). We were given three different fondue pots- chocolate turtle, banana's foster and s'mores. Each one was better than the next and it was a great end to an amazing day. I will tell you though, as full as I was after the tour my friends and I insisted on stopping for a late lunch because we just needed something salty. I literally had a sugar headache.

The tour was a great success. If you are ever in D.C. or Boston and like chocolate, I would definitely recommend doing one. You get a great sense of the neighborhood and you get to taste things you probably never would have otherwise (i.e. chocolate soup at Cheers's sister restaurant?!). I will be sure to take my mom on the D.C. tour when she comes to visit.

Food Truck MANiA

I'll be the first to admit it, I am a full-fledged food truck whore. I follow over 25 food trucks on Twitter, take pride in my tweets received by them, and make an effort to get at least one food truck specialty a week.

The concept of a "gourmet food truck" is still rather novel, and very few cities haven taken part in the trend. Thankfully, D.C. is chalk full of them, providing me ample opportunity to sample cuisines from all over the world- and all over D.C..

Being a student at GW has definitely made my food truck experience a little harder to grasp than, say, the average business person for a variety of reasons. First, when I only have a few minutes in between classes, I am limited to how far I can travel to get lunch. Luckily, the food trucks make an effort to grace the GW campus with their presence at least once a week, so students need not travel far. The other complication is the fact that I usually have class during the usual lunch time, thus preventing me from obtaining one of the food trucks' fantastic specialities during the lunch time rush. Again, luckily, the trucks usually stay until about 2 pm, thus giving me enough time to grab something and either bring it to class or enjoy it right then and there (which is what usually happens, as I haven't learned to be patient when it comes to eating a gourmet lunch. Could you?).

Food trucks are the perfect meal for students and business people alike. The meals usually range from $6 to $10, are served within about five minutes of you placing your order, and are freakin' delicious! Seriously, I've yet to have a bad experience from one of these mobile eateries. And the best part is, you can stalk all of them on Food Truck Fiesta, as an interactive Google map updates the trucks' location to the minute.

Like I said, I try to have at least one meal a week from a food truck. Thursdays are usually the big food truck days on campus, so I am trying to blog about one food truck a week as well. Keep an eye out for Sauca, Cap Mac, Lobster Truck DC, Sweet Flow Mobile, and El Floridano, as I have been lucky enough to sample all of these thus far.

Georgetown Cupcake vs. Baked & Wired

Ah, the ongoing debate between one of my favorite subjects- cupcakes. Washington D.C. offers a variety of cuisines- Ethiopian, Italian, Dim Sum, Authentic Mexican...you name it. But one of the most talked about foods here is cupcakes. Why? Because there is such a competition between what bakery makes the best ones. In particular, Baked & Wired and Georgetown Cupcake have been in the competition ever since they've both been conveniently located in Georgetown's M Street (or side street thereof).

My 20th birthday was yesterday, and being the cake snob that I am, both my parents and my friends sent me cupcakes. Dad & Ilana send a variety of Georgetown cupcakes while friends bring my 6 favorite flavors from Baked & Wired to my birthday brunch. Now for the longest time, I- along with all of my friends and any employee in Georgetown- have argued in Baked & Wired's favor. After this weekend, sampling over 12 different cupcakes, I still remain loyal, but I have to admit- the ladies at Georgetown Cupcake know what they're doing.

I guess the main distinguishers between the two is appearance. B & W are large- like mini cakes. The frosting was definitely spooned on rather than piped and the traditional cupcake liner has been substituted for a more organic looking bakery paper. Georgetown cupcakes are precious little packages- perfectly piped frosting with their "signature swirl," custom cupcake liners, and various toppings so you know exactly what you're eating- from caramel sauce in the shape of a flower, to fondant hearts, to candy limes. As you can see from my muploads, Gtown is much more of an eye pleaser.

Baked and Wired >

Georgetown Cupcake >

Anyway, the thing I like about B & W is you know they are home made. You can just taste it. The cake is so smooth and fluffy, the frosting is creamy and rich, and you are definitely getting your money's worth. On the other hand, the first word that comes to mind when you say, "Georgetown Cupcake" is "commercial." The cupcakes seem less fresh, less natural, and less loved. The two bakery's red velvets are pretty comparable, but there are many more flavors at B & W that sound too irresistible, whereas at Georgetown, most of the flavors contain either chocolate or vanilla cake or frosting. The salty caramel and key lime, however, are two of the most unique and the most delectable. M-M-M-M-M.

The environments are very different too, and reflect the same quality seen in the cupcakes. When you walk into Baked & Wired, all you want to do is curl up on one of their giant lazy boy chairs and read a book. The employees are very chill and friendly and the music and atmosphere- along with the sugary buttery smell- is so welcoming. Gtown, however, is brightly lit, chaotic and less welcoming. The line is guaranteed to be out the door on any Saturday (mostly due to their TLC show, DC Cupcakes) and the employees seem rushed and only focused on getting you and your cupcakes right back on M Street.

All in all, I would be happy receiving cupcakes from either bakery (I mean they are still cupcakes at the end of the day), but my ideal day would include a trip to Baked & Wired...with lots and lots of cupcakes!!

DC Restaurant Week Part II

Sunday Brunch: that time of the weekend that we both look forward to and dread. The rise of Sunday means either a lazy day or an afternoon spent catching up on work and chores. But brunch, at least we have that small part of the morning devoted solely to pleasure.

I will never think of brunch the same after dining at Co Co. Sala in DC's Chinatown. Known for its lavish menu consisting of all things chocolate, Co Co. Sala is one of the most envied of restaurants on the restaurant week list, because for $25.11 you are getting more for brunch than you normally would for, oh, just about anything else on the menu.

The Co Co. Sala restaurant week deal is as follows: for brunch, one gets a mystery appetizer, a main course ranging from egg dishes, to cheese souffle to typical breakfast delicacies turned up a notch, and a dessert. I know, you're thinking, "who in their right mind eats this much for breakfast?" But let me tell you, when its from Co Co. Sala, YOU DO. I didn't eat anything else for the rest of the day, and that was perfectly okay with me.

Now, at first glance, the menu seems overwhelming. My friends and I had the hardest time choosing what to order, because everything looks so damn tasty! Thats why we each ordered something different and shared. And when I say share I mean share- we each took a few bites of the plate in front of us then rotated. But lets not get ahead of ourselves- the mystery appetizer comes first.

Artichoke tart with a cream cheese crust. A lighter version of spinach artichoke dip, garnished with a roasted cheery tomato, the filling was both smooth and textured with artichokes and onions. It was perfectly seasoned- not too salty but salty enough to keep you begging for more. The crust was light, flakey and buttery. I could have eaten an entire bowl of the stuff. But then I wouldn't have been able to experience six more dishes!

For our main courses

I will begin with "Cheese Magic." What a name! It was a gooey cheese souffle. It was a fluffy cheese omelette. It was magic. Garnished with a side salad of arugula, cranberries, walnuts and bleu cheese (one of my favorite salad combinations), this dish was very rich and very flavorful. I'm glad we all shared because I never would have been able to finish such a dish on my own.

Next came- get ready for this one- French Toast S'mores. At my first bite, all words were gone. "Oh my god," I kept repeating. TOTAL FOODGASM. Imagine the fluffiest slice of challah bread soaked and pan fried in egg batter, then soaked again in home made chocolate sauce and marshmallows. This is no ordinary piece of french toast. This is no ordinary s'more. And if that weren't enough, the french toast was kept company by three slices of bananas foster (bananas that have been cooked in brown sugar and butter) and a chocolate shortbread cookie-type thing with three rich dollops of chocolate buttercream. This is any child's (or any adult that still wishes they were a child's) dream come true. By far my favorite dish of the afternoon. I was sad to pass it over.

Grown-up grilled cheese. Again, that rich and fluffy bread. Such a crucial element to a perfect grilled cheese. It was perfectly toasted with just the right amount of oil. The cheese: bread ratio was outstanding. Not too cheesy but still enough for it to ooze out the sides and make you lick your lips for more. What made this grilled cheese so special was the bread was actually toasted in truffle oil as opposed to butter. Truffle oil is one of the most prestigious and distinctly flavored ingredients I can think of, and boy did it taste prestigious. And you can't forget the tomato soup- because the two go together like peanut butter and jelly. The soup was more of a broth style than a bisque, but it still managed to provide the perfect balance as I submerged my grilled cheese in it.

And finally, not your ordinary breakfast flatbread, piled with cheesy, gooey scrambled eggs, crisp hash browns, salty cured bacon, spicy chorizo and fresh tomatoes. This was diner food gone wild. One bite of this dish summarizes breakfast as we know it. The flavors were so well balanced; no need for salt, pepper of hot sauce.

Perfectly cooked scrambled eggs resting on top of a pesto flatbread would have sufficed, to be honest. But the rest of the toppings just make it that much more amazing. $25.11 for all of this? Gladly....but we're not even through with brunch!

After about 20 minutes of digestion (thankfully) we are brought our dessert. The restaurant was out of the peanut butter cheesecake so we were limited to a chocolate mousse with salty caramel and a white chocolate mousse with raspberry filling. Two orders of each, of course! While dessert was my least favorite part of the brunch (heck, I would have eaten another order of french toast for dessert), it was still tasteful, pleasant and a perfect way to round off the meal. It was a true showcase of what talented chefs can do with good chocolate.

So for all you chocolate lovers out there, Co Co. Sala is the place for you. While the menu is a bit pricey, I definitely think it is worth not going out for a weekend to save up for and experience this brunch. Don't forget to try one of their six hot chocolates! Talk about comfort food...

From front left clockwise: Rachael, Lisa, Myself and Mariah (thanks for cutting me off!) getting ready to enjoy dessert.

Photo Credit: Rachael Holbreich

DC Restaurant Week part I

I have experienced a weekend of p.u.r.e. g.l.u.t.t.o.n.y.

Thank you, Washington, DC, and all of your marvelous culinary contraptions. Its not every day that college students can go out to some of the finest restaurants in a major city and dine like the Queen. Literally. The benefit of your $35.11 food voucher is so you can try many items on a restaurant's menu. Each restaurant does theirs a little differently, but generally there is a set menu with between 3 and 5 sets of dishes (that are on their regular menu anyway). You chose one dish from each set. Really, you are getting bang for your buck.

My experience started on Friday night at José Andrés' Oyamel. I have been a fan of Andrés since the summer before I started college, when I first experienced true Tapas at his restaurant (strategically located just a block away from Oyamel) Jaleo. While the two restaurants are comparable in style, decor and price, Oyamel has at least one essential item that no Spanish tapas restaurant would-- GUAC.

We (my four sorority sisters and myself) began the meal with house made corn tortilla chips, a light and spicy salsa and guacamole- I'm talking about the real stuff, where the waiter smashes the avocados in a clay bowl at your tableside. The guac was spicy, sweet and scrumptious. It was the perfect balance of avocado, onion and cilantro- three main components in any traditional guacamole- but still managed to be chunky- just the way I like it. The sprinkling of Cotija cheese is the perfect accessory to the dish.

The Oyamel restaurant week menu gave the option of three small, appetizer-like dishes, one taco and a dessert. WOWZA.

I began my culinary journey into the Mexican world with a Wahoo ceviche- creamy and tart, mixed with avocado and jalepeños. Think guacamole...with fish!!! Next up was charred brussels sprouts with chile sauce, pumpkin seeds and peanuts. OMG. These were by far the best brussels sprouts I have ever tasted. When I say charred, I mean charred. They were caramelized and crispy. Sweet and savory. Anyone who doesn't like brussels sprouts would like these, I promise. Next came braised short ribs with a cilantro parsley sauce. They were tender and rare, and I barely needed a knife. Cooked perfectly with the perfect sauce. My mouth is watering just thinking about them. For my taco, I chose the very similar shredded beef taco with cumin, tomatoes and cilantro. You can really tell that the tacos are homemade and hand pressed. I have never tasted a taco shell so authentic. The perfect frame to a beautifully flavored filling.

And finally, dessert. Oh, that small section of my stomach that allows me room for dessert, no matter how full I already am. Now usually I am not a fan of flan, but this sweet potato flan with pumpkin sauce and caramel ice cream was unlike any flan I have ever had. It wasn't jiggly and artificial feeling. It was smooth and creamy and SO flavorful. Like Thanksgiving in Mexico, I kid you not.

So, Chef Andrés, I thank you. I thank you for a lovely dining experience yet again. You have never managed to let me down and your creativity and skills are pure genius. I will definitely be back for more.

Photo Credit: Oyamel Restaurant

Brunette goes Blonde

I'm finally making a conscious effort to update the blog at least once a week. I will also be reviewing restaurants in D.C. especially during restaurant week aka some of the most gluttonous dining experiences of my culinary career.

Its Saturday night. My little and I are playing house (apron included) and made Blondies. LOTS. OF. BLONDIES. We put a spin on the recipe by 1. using various extra "playful" ingredients and 2. making individual blondies in muffin tins as opposed to a pan of bars. Regardless of whether or not you choose to mix up the recipe, these blondies are truly delish!

Traditional Blondies

10 tablespoons unsalted butter- melted and cooled

1 1/2 cup light brown

1 1/2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl combine the brown sugar and melted butter. Add one egg and mix. In a small bow mix the second egg and add half of that to the sugar mixture. Stir in vanilla. In a separate bowl mix together the flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Stir in the dry mixture to the sugar mixture in small batches. Once it is all combined spoon the mixture into a greased 8x8 baking pan. Bake until the center is solid, about 25 minutes.

OR spoon the mixture into 12 greased muffin tins. Bake for around 20 minutes.

Variations:

S'mores

Mix in 2 handfuls each of marshmallows and chocolate chips, and sprinkle the top with crushed graham crackers

Oreos

Crumble up ~20 Oreo cookies (discard the middle) and mix into batter

Walnuts

Toast 1 cup of walnuts, chop and combine into batter

Sweet and Salty

Mix in 2 handfuls each of crumbled pretzels and milk chocolate chips

My personal favorite was the Nutella Blondie, in which I added a tablespoon of Nutella on top of the Blondie "muffin" before it went into the oven.

Feel free to get creative, but remember to be very liberal with the toppings! :)

Photo Credit: Rachael Holbreich