foodie smoothie

fish with sweet chili butter sauce and side salad

2009-08-14T14:05:00.006-04:00

I bought some fish at the commissary the other day. It was written in German so I didn't know exactly what I was buying. Googling the label, I think it's a catfish, but my 2 minute research was inconclusive. Anyway, you could probably use any firm white flesh fish; cod, tilapia, or halibut.I made a "beurre blanc" with sweet chili sauce*. I didn't wait for the butter to soften, so you can see

Ginseng Chicken Soup (삼계탕)

2009-07-24T15:07:00.002-04:00

Ginseng Chicken Soup on the "hottest" day of the Summer** There are three of these days during the summer; first, middle and last**. And on these days, it's tradition to have a piping hot bowl of this special soup. Today is the middle day: "중복".I had my usual morning phone call with my mom this morning. She had just gotten back to her office from the post office when she rang. She had sent

glazed salmon with polenta and tomatoes

2009-06-17T13:26:00.005-04:00

In an effort to update this blog on a more regular basis, I'll start by posting my dinner menus throughout the week. I've been cooking for myself more often now that I'm on my own so might as well write about it. I had bought salmon a couple of days ago and thought I'd make it for dinner. I wasn't sure what I wanted as a side so I stood in my pantry staring at a box of quinoa, a can of garbonzo

kale and pea rice salad

2009-06-11T13:52:00.006-04:00

It's a weekday, I don't feel like cooking, but desperately need to consume some greens and all I have on hand are frozen kale and peas, some scallions and one tomato. So what's a girl to do? Chop it up and throw it all together with some barley rice and season it with a little love. I think it ended up needing a bit more love, but it was a light, healthy meal. Maybe adding some protein like

deutschland

2008-10-25T15:33:00.003-04:00

Neon green ribbons tied in double-knotted bows trollied around the conveyor belt on my four pieces of luggage. Piled neatly on the luggage cart, I rolled out past the customs check of the Frankfurt Airport to spot my boss holding up a eight and a half by eleven with my name printed across the center. Wilkommen im Deutschland!Fast forward 2 months. I pack my car with those very four suitcases and

what's for dinner?

2008-05-23T11:48:00.002-04:00

I have 30 minutes before heading out the house to sit in a classroom for two and a half hours. I should eat something. But what? I take out a few of my favorite ingredients: three stalks of asparagus, two eggs, feta cheese and a jar of fire roasted tomatoes I had been keeping in the fridge not knowing what to do with them.I trim the ends off the asparagus, place them on a plate, sprinkle some

village bistro

2008-05-07T17:45:00.005-04:00

After a Saturday afternoon touring the new DC museum, Newseum (everyone should go and experience this place), Que mentioned a cute boutique in Crystal City called Gossip. For those who don't know me, I have a soft spot for boutique shops. So I had to go and yes, I bought an outfit. After scouring the racks, we headed over to Rosslyn for dinner. Shopping makes me hungry.On a tiny strip on the

bonsai

2008-05-02T23:09:00.006-04:00

Spring is in the air. You can feel it in the cool breeze in the shade, see it in the crimson sunsets at dusk, and hear it on the bustling sidewalks. But most importantly, you can smell and taste it in the food you eat. Shirlington is one of the best neighborhoods to enjoy a beautiful day with its eclectic pool of restaurants serving cuisines from all over the world. If one is full, just walk over

the art of cooking fish

2008-04-25T10:50:00.002-04:00

There must be a section in L'Escoffier's book or an anecdote by M.F.K. Fisher in one of her many memoirs. Maybe it's just common sense but I've never had much talent when it comes to preparing fish. Unless I drench it in beurre blanc or steam it on a bed of carrots and celery with plenty of liquid, the fish turns out dry, undercooked, and/or flavorless. Last night's dinner was no exception. A

somen chicken salad with sweet soy sauce

2008-04-22T21:26:00.009-04:00

Tuesday evening dinner. I had baked some chicken the other night and thought what I can make with it. With the weather being damp and dreary, I thought a nice crisp slightly spicy noodle would surely brighten up the evening. I had some lettuce and bell peppers in the fridge so that's what went in this dish, but any vegetable would work: snow peas, carrots, Chinese cabbage, fennel or celery would

cantina mexicana

2008-04-16T21:23:00.003-04:00

The first time I dined at cantina mexicana was two years ago for lunch during a work conference in Crystal City. Located on the block of S 23rd St between Eads and Fern nestled among Italian, Thai, Greek, and Ethiopian restaurants. All I remember were the carafes of sangria floating around the table. And on this particular day, a glass filled with fruit, ice cubes, sangria and a plastic straw was

grilled vegetable sandwich with spicy mayo

2008-04-14T20:01:00.006-04:00

For the last few weeks, this was my lunch for a couple days a week. I would stand in front of the toaster oven at work and watch the timer wind down for six minutes and twenty-one seconds to make sure I didn't burn the bread or melt the cheese off too quickly. A quick and easy way to put together a sandwich, sort of.grilled vegetable sandwichvegetables; I used zucchini and eggplant, but any

saigonique

2008-04-14T16:31:00.004-04:00

Last Friday evening's temperature gave way to the perfect night to take a stroll outside, dine al fresco, and lick melting ice cream from my finger tips.Chuti and I headed up to Shirlington to have dinner at the newly opened Saigonique: Authentic Vietnamese cuisine restaurant. It would be unfair to judge on the authenticity of their cuisine, as I'm only versed in the pho bowls and vermicelli; but

bazin's on church

2008-04-09T15:10:00.005-04:00

She began her culinary career bussing tables at Bazin's on Church in Vienna, Virginia. A series of unfortunate events; ripping off a nickel sized piece of skin from her index finer and sipping wine on her shift, and her lack of upper body strength, cut her employment short. But she was not discouraged, she picked herself up to continue working in the food industry as the world's best jalapeno

tyrone wells @ jammin' java

2008-04-09T14:58:00.005-04:00

After Bazin's. Got there just in time as Tyrone took the stage. Wonderful voice, beautiful songs (that would make any girl a "jealous woman"), and he's not bad to look at either. A fun show with quite a few laughs, intentional and not. A great venue for "intimate" concerts.

su mi ma sen

2008-04-03T16:08:00.002-04:00

I've lived in Korea for 12 years and had never taken a trip to our neighboring country, Japan. So when I went on a business trip to Korea last month, I decided to give Nippon a try. I didn't do much sightseeing, but walked a lot through the city; watching people, smelling the streets (smells a lot like Korea), and eating. It was the little stuff that I will remember most about Kyoto. My first

a lavender mineral bath soak

2007-09-08T22:23:00.000-04:00

Is what I look forward to on Saturday evenings. Tired, sweaty, and swollen after my once-a-week shift at FM, a nice braise in the tub is relaxing. For the past few weeks, I had only been working a partial shift. You can say I've been getting spoiled. If Chef asks me if I want to go home, I don't say no. Today, I was getting my butt kicked. I was assigned dicing duties for the first couple of

cafe du parc

2007-08-08T23:55:00.000-04:00

After finishing up the cocktail, the librarian and I headed across the lobby to Cafe Du Parc. We pass the empty bar to the hostess table where we are greeted and shown to our table in the dining area upstairs. The open kitchen is the first thing you see with a minimal seating area to the left and right. It was DC restaurant week, so we opted to order off the "limited" menu. Crab and leek salad

willard's mint julep

2007-08-08T23:27:00.000-04:00

So the mint julep tastes nothing like a mojito even with its deceptive look-a-like facade. I was searching for the sweet when it was pointed out a dust of granulated sugar on the gingerly placed mint sprig atop the frozen glass of bourbon slushy. Then something else was brought to my attention, the price of the thirst quencher. Let's just say I made sure to drink the last drop. I probably should

habla espanol?

2007-07-30T14:36:00.000-04:00

Hola, gracias, bien, and caliente is pretty much the extent of my Spanish vocabulary. I knew if I wanted to work in a professional kitchen, learning the "second official" language of America would be to my benefit. I have yet to take a class and the five years of French in high school and college have not been much help. On one occasion, I was "talking" to Marilou, the new salad girl, and she

peruvian independence day

2007-07-29T00:33:00.000-04:00

Ceviche, antichuchos (beef, chicken, and beef heart), blue potatoes with cheese sauce, pollo al ajo, among other Peruvian dishes graced FM's menu tonight in celebration of their Independence Day. The chef, being short of cooks these days, asked me if I wanted to be on grill or the oven side. I told him I would do either, but something told me I would be at the grill station for tonight's service.

the swell season

2007-07-27T00:27:00.000-04:00

A couple of months ago, as I was perusing through the Express (like I always do every morning to catch up on yesterday's news and to get my daily sudoku and crossword fix), I came across a review for a movie called Once. A so-called modern-day musical love story. Being a sucker for heart breaking lyrics and gut wrenching melodies, I had to go watch it. Starring the frontman of The Frames, Glen

peach shortcakes

2007-07-21T21:47:00.001-04:00

I had agreed to help Vickie, a co-worker at FM, to volunteer for Les Dames d'Escoffier with their Green Kids at the Market Day booth at the Arlington Farmer's Market. An annual event to introduce children to seasonal foods and local farmers. Ice cream and butter making activities were available for kids along with design-you-own toque to building bugs out of fruits and vegetables. I had the

italian vs. greek

2007-05-26T23:01:00.000-04:00

A quiet day at work: other than the 30 minute rush at the salad station , which included an embarrassing moment when a little boy asked what the difference was between creamy Italian and creamy Greek. Whatever it was that I said to him seemed to satisfy his curiosity. So what is the difference you ask? Let me get back to you on that.I got to work around noon, put on my chef's coat, apron, FM ball

white chocolate cranberry cookies

2007-04-17T23:11:00.000-04:00

Makes 36 cookies2 1/4 cups whole wheat flour1 tsp baking soda1/2 tsp salt1 cup butter (room temperature)3/4 cup sugar (Natural Cane Sugar)3/4 cup packed brown sugar2 eggs2 tsp vanilla extract1 tsp rum3/4 cup white chocolate chips1 cup dried sweetened cranberriesPreheat the oven to 375 degrees. Mix the dry ingredients, flour, baking soda, and sal, in a medium size bowl. Using a stand mixer,

the windy city

2007-04-02T00:16:00.000-04:00

And I'm not talking about Chicago: that's one thing I won't miss about San Francisco.The weather has been quite generous, but there was a moment this morning I thought our luck had run out. The sky was overcast and I was sure it was going to rain. The temperature gauge in the car read 54 degrees as we made our way to the Golden Gate Park. It was colder than what we had become accustomed to on

the naked truth

2007-04-01T00:48:00.000-04:00

Day 4: I like people-watching; and today was the perfect day to do so. I got in my morning run around the Palo Alto Baylands Nature Preserve; the gravel trail made it a bit of a challenging run. Along the trail, families, couples, people on bikes, and with their pets were getting in their daily exercise. Our trip being pretty packed thus far, we decided for an easy, relaxing day so we headed down

san francisco treat

2007-03-31T01:51:00.000-04:00

Day 3: I got an hour run in this morning through the streets of sunny California. I needed it badly from the way I have been chowing down on this holiday. After running some errands, we finally made it into the city by three in the afternoon. We started off at Pier 39 at Fisherman's Wharf; much like the Navy Pier in Chicago, a tourist friendly hodgepodge of restaurants, souvenir shops, and rides

uni beurre blanc

2007-03-30T02:30:00.000-04:00

Day 2 started off with an open house/tour of The Culinary Institute of America Greystone Campus. Located in the town of St. Helena, this school is the Napa Valley campus of the premier culinary school in America with its main campus in Hyde Park, New York. The tour consisted of a presentation and Q&A with an administration rep., followed by a chef's demonstration (Chef Thomas Wong formerly of the

the leaning golden gate bridge and mustards grill

2007-03-29T00:47:00.000-04:00

Day 1: It took a total of 12 hours from Springfield to Santa Rosa. After a two hour delay at Dulles, another delay in Phoenix, which was actually a welcome or we would have missed our flight, getting lost in the San Francisco Airport, getting used to a GPS system (I don't like it when she says she's recalculating.), and experiencing rush hour again in about two years; Esther and I finally made it

brownies

2007-03-26T22:53:00.000-04:00

Brownies1 cup (2 sticks) of butter, room temperature8 oz good quality semi-sweet chocolate (I used dark chocolate)1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour2 tsp baking powder1 tsp salt4 eggs2 cups sugar2 tsp vanilla extractMelt the butter and chocolate in a bain-marie (double boiler), set aside. Mix the dry ingredients together in a small bowl. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, and vanilla. Add

spaghetti alla carbonara and spring salad

2007-03-26T22:17:00.000-04:00

A nice spring weather pasta with a fruit spinach salad tossed in a orange-sherry vinaigrette paired with Laurent Miquel's Nord Sud Viognier (2005).Spaghetti alla CarbonaraServes 22 tbsp olive oil3 cloves garlic, crushed6 oz pancetta, cut into strips1/2 cup white wine1/2 cup parmigiano reggiano, grated1/4 cup pecorino romano, grated2 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley1 egg1/2 lb spaghetti, 5 tbsp

filomena: health, wealth, and happiness

2007-03-21T22:33:00.000-04:00

RS # 3: FilomenaEaters: Doug, Nat, Michael, Brian, and meSnow in mid-March? We must be in D.C. Amidst the freezing rain and sleet, the five of us crammed into a vee-dub chauffeured by Doug and made our way up to Georgetown. Walking into Filomena's was like stepping into Alice's wonderland. To the right, a pasta mamma was rolling out ravioli welcoming us into the rabbit hole. Literally. Down the

mai thai

2007-03-05T21:51:00.000-05:00

Chutima and I headed out to Old Town for lunch at Mai Thai today. This may have been my first time at Mai Thai during the day. We ordered chicken ginger stir-fry, drunken noodles with tofu, and a bowl of tom kha kai soup. The two entrees were good, but the rice was over-cooked; tasted as if they'd re-cooked the rice from the night before. The soup was mediocre at best: too much coconut milk and

ray's the steaks

2007-03-04T21:14:00.000-05:00

Restaurant Series # 2 Ray's the SteaksEaters: Leslie, Michael, Paul, Brian, Doug, Nat, and meSeven-top at 6:30pm, had to be out by 8pm to make room for an eight-top. Everyone had to arrive on time, or they would give up our table. It was pretty chilly out that day so the girls huddled inside by the coat rack, making room each time someone left, came in, or searched for their coats. Michael

but i don't have any milk

2007-02-25T23:59:00.000-05:00

>>Cellphone rings<

agnes's mom's fried rice

2007-02-25T17:45:00.000-05:00

Agnes's Mom's Fried RiceServes 22 cups day-old rice2 tbsp vegetable oil3 cloves garlic, minced3/4 cup frozen green peassalt and pepper1 egg (optional)Saute garlic in oil until slightly brown on medium-low heat in a wok. On high heat, add the rice and coat evenly with the garlic oil. Season with salt and pepper. Add the peas to the rice; stir fry until peas are hot. Make a well in the middle of

running in the rain

2007-02-22T13:34:00.000-05:00

I love it!I made it out to the airfield during lunch today; an approximately four/four-and-a-half mile loop. The clouds were making their way in and it started raining about a mile into my run. I've always enjoyed running in the rain. Especially on a warm spring day, the April showers are always a welcome. Today was no exception; albeit, it was a bit chilly with ice still piled up on the sides of

ravioli sauce # 1

2007-02-21T23:29:00.000-05:00

Chocolate! Not really, although that might not be a bad idea.Simple balsamic vinegar reduction with a splash of heavy cream. In a small pan, reduce about 1/4 cup of good quality balsamic vinegar on medium-low heat until the vinegar becomes thick. Add some heavy cream (3-4 tbsp) to loosen up the sauce and drizzle over ravioli. I used the butternut squash ravioli I had made earlier and froze. No

good things

2007-02-20T14:26:00.000-05:00

The last sips of valentine's day. I was probably blogging the recipe for my v-day pasta when I took this shot. A pomegranate cocktail: 1 part vanilla vodka, 2 parts pomegranate juice, and simple syrup to sweeten it up, shaken on ice, served in a martini glass with a splash of club soda; my laptop: a birthday/Christmas present, a combination gift I didn't mind getting; and a postcard from my best

happy birthday GW!

2007-02-19T23:22:00.000-05:00

The George Washington Birthday 10K. I really didn't want to run this race, but I had suggested to mom that we run it and the only way to get myself out of it was to get her not to run, but she wouldn't budge. (I know, I'm a sleazy cheapskate!)So we geared up Saturday morning and headed to the AMC theatre in Alexandria. A pretty good turn out: the DJ was jamming out some good tunes, runners decked

eamonn's: a dublin chipper

2007-02-18T23:18:00.000-05:00

My five-day weekend started out with a clang. I was taking wine glasses out of the dishwasher in the morning when two of them broke in my hand and I stabbed myself in the left index finger. It was quite a lovely site. I actually stood there watching the blood ooze out thinking the cut would go away if I stared at it long enough. No such luck. (I even contemplated taking a photo of the wound to

valentine's day pasta

2007-02-14T23:28:00.000-05:00

My roommate and I thought we would head out to Old Town to Mai Thai for dinner, but given the current road conditions, and just being absolutely, ridiculously, freakishly cold out there, we decided to stay home and I cook.A pasta dish that I've made a couple times before, though it tasted better those other times; it wasn't that bad, was it Chutima?Tagliatelle with Parsnip and ProsciuttoServes 24

jajangmyun (자장면)

2007-02-14T22:28:00.000-05:00

American Chinese food: Combination Lo Mein, General Tso's Chicken, Hunan Beef, Vegetable Delight, and the likes.Korean Chinese food: Jajangmyun and Tangsooyook.Wherever you are in Korea, you can spot a delivery boy speeding by on a moped with a metal contraption tied to the back. Nine times out of ten, you can find a couple of bowls of jajangmyun, a plate of fried dumplings, and an order of

restaurant eve

2007-02-12T20:17:00.000-05:00

( I've been sitting on this "review" for about two weeks now so I think it's about time to post it. A nice dinner with my old boss and co-worker.) What do frog legs, an iron, and photos of naked chefs (and no, I don't mean Jamie Oliver) have in common? You can find them all at Restaurant Eve.I almost missed the restaurant driving down S Pitt St in Old Town Alexandria. The windows on the front of

imperia, ravioli, and tortellini

2007-02-07T23:40:00.000-05:00

I finally broke out my pasta maker yesterday after letting it sit in its box for about a year. So here is my first attempt at making homemade pasta.Basic Pasta Dough Recipe1 cup all-purpose flour2 eggsoilsaltPut the flour on a large, clean work surface. Make a well and crack the eggs in the middle. Add oil and season with salt. Incorporate the ingredients together with your fingers. The dough

home cooking

2007-02-05T23:20:00.000-05:00

Since my parents moved into their new home about a month ago, I've been over to eat quite often. Maybe I'm being nostalgic for mom's home cooking, having missed it for the past two years, or just the fact that I'm too lazy to cook at home. Most probably the latter.On this particular day, my parents and I went for a little jog around Burke Lake and when we got back, mom had prepared this "feast"

polar bear run/walk

2007-01-30T23:37:00.000-05:00

So I signed up for this 5K fun run at work. Checking out the competition this morning, I was pretty sure I'd get the sweatshirt. (Sweatshirts were given to the top male and female finishers.) Over confidence never did anyone any good, or at least not me in this case. Crossing the finish line, I came in second at 31:21. For a 3.1 miler! I'd thought for sure I'd be in under 30. (There I go again!)

kuay teow ruah

2007-01-26T21:32:00.001-05:00

This is real Thai food. Thai people's food. "Thai people don't eat Pad Thai" says Chutima, my roommate. They eat Kuay Teow Ruah, right from a street vendor for no more than 40 baht. I get it at a Thai restaurant near my apartment, TK Thai, for a whopping $7.95, excluding tax and tip. I've tried it at two other restaurants, House of Siam and Thai Lemongrass, but TK makes the best. (Albeit rumor

food magazine addicts anonymous

2007-01-22T22:34:00.000-05:00

Hello. My name is Yunyoung and I am addicted to food magazines. I subscribe to 3 publications (Saveur, Bon Appetit, & Gourmet) and the rest I buy off the rack, monthly or bi-monthly; 4 are printed abroad (U.K. and Australia) so I pay an arm and leg for them. I started dabbling in it 2 years ago and have been a chronic user for a year. This particular problem started around the time I was

penne italia

2007-01-20T00:10:00.000-05:00

Penne Italia w/ prosciutto and broccoliServes 22 handfuls of penne (about 2 cups)olive oil4 strips of prosciutto, cut into 1-inch strips width-wise2 cloves garlic, minced1/2 cup of dry white wine1 cup broccoli, cut into small florets1 tbsp buttersalt and pepperparmigiano reggianoPut a pot of water on the burner and bring to a boil. Add a generous amount of salt, couple of big pinches, to the

farrah olivia

2007-01-19T20:41:00.000-05:00

Restaurant Series # 1 Farrah OliviaAttendees: Natalie, Doug, Michael, and meWhat is restaurant series? Just another way for me to experience the wonderful array of culinary hot spots this city has to offer. About once a month, a group of my friends and I will pick a restaurant and try them out. Then I'll come back here and talk about it. So without further ado, our first adventure...I got a

zaytinya

2007-01-11T10:00:00.000-05:00

The librarian and I walked walked across F street and up 9th arriving at Jose Andres' Zaytinya. A sleek, modern Greek/Mediterranean mezze restaurant. We walked into the restaurant and asked the hostess for a table for two. It was 9 in the evening and the restaurant was packed. We didn't realize why until we opened the menu; Zaytinya was participating in the DC Restaurant Week. Originally, we were

circles and squares

2007-01-10T17:04:00.000-05:00

Did you know that Thomas Jefferson wrote the letter to Pierre L'Enfant informing him his services of designing the city were no longer needed? It's true. I read the letter; part of the Washington: Symbol and City exhibition at the National Building Museum. "Dear Sir," wrote TJ, "You're Fired!" No wonder Donald Trump couldn't get that trademarked.Brian, a fellow foodie and aspiring librarian, and

sunday dinner

2007-01-07T21:43:00.000-05:00

Everyone has a go-to recipe, whether it's the meanest bowl of ramyun noodles or eggs benedict with the silkiest hollandaise sauce. Even my little brother has one, spam and rice. One of my classics is a spring salad with cranberries and walnuts with an orange vinaigrette. I vary the salad ingredients depending on what I have on hand, but the vinaigrette is my signature dressing. I really never

food matters

2007-01-06T21:49:00.000-05:00

I just finished my first shift at Food Matters (FM) as one of the back of the house (BOH) staff. Not quite sure what my title is, but something to the effect of a prep cook; I'd like to think. My tasks included, but were not limited to:-dicing sun-dried tomatoes-making chicken stock (A whole lot of it. And needless to say, I burned myself with the stock while taking out the chicken. Those grooves

happy birthday mom

2007-01-03T21:42:00.000-05:00

Mom's birthday was today. She looks the same as she did when I was in elementary school, minus a few grey hairs, so it's hard to believe she's lived over half a century (sorry Mom!). It always takes me awhile to "calculate" how old my parents are these days. 19XX subtracted from 2007... But what was worse was when I turned 27 a couple of weeks ago and mom said to me, "you're getting old." "What?

chicagoan holiday

2007-01-02T16:27:00.000-05:00

A true international weekend!Friday: Agnes (one of my best friends from college) and her mother picked me up at O'Hare Friday morning. We headed into Chinatown for some lunch. Among the three of us, we had fried dough (who doesn't like anything fried), braised beef & broccoli, steamed fish & veggies, and stir fried noodle dishes. Typically Chinese, a little bit greasy and a little bit bland, but

a year older

2006-12-27T20:30:00.000-05:00

Finally! I thought I'd never start this blog, but with the beginning of a new year on the horizon, why wait any longer. Let's just hope I can keep it up.Food; anything and everything related. I will share recipes (successes and failures), favorite restaurants, favorite foods, and whatever else inspires me. Come check out my adventures into the neverending realm of what food has to offer. Some

snow pea and broccoli risotto

2006-12-27T19:03:00.000-05:00

2 cloves of minced garlic1 large finely chopped shallot butter olive oil3 palmfuls of Arborio rice (I think that's about one cup) 1 glass white wine (I used La Ferme Julien, Blanc 2005. Probably wasn't a smart move with such a fruity wine. Drinking a glass (or two) of it while cooking might not have been a good idea either.)Chicken stock1 cup chopped broccoli1 handful snow peas Sweat garlic and