what's for dinner?

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 salt, cover the plate with saran wrap, and nuke it for one minute. As the microwave hums away, I crack the eggs into a bowl and whisk it with a pinch of salt. Heating some oil in a non-stick pan, I make an omelette. I usually make three-egg omelettes, but I went easy on the cholesterol intake. I scatter a generous amount of feta cheese on one half of the omelette, fold it over and place it on the plate with the asparagus. Using my hands, I squish a couple of fire roasted tomatoes into a bowl; becareful not to squirt yourself or the kitchen ceiling with tomato juice. Heat the tomatoes in the pan with a squirt of sriracha sauce. The heat from the chili sauce lends a mellow spiciness to the roasted tomatoes. A great, simple sauce; spoon over the omelette and asparagus. A quick and easy meal for me.

village bistro

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 corner of Rhodes and Wilson, sits a row of restaurants where it's hard to distinguish where one ends and the other begins. After walking up and down the sidewalk, taking peeks at diners' plates, we took a seat at Village Bistro. I sipped a glass of cabernet sauvignon while Que quenched her thirst with ginger ale as we relaxed under the setting sun.

We started off with an appetizer of portobello mushrooms, artichokes, and sun dried tomatoes in a red wine sauce. Earthy, slightly sweet and tangy, it was a perfect way to awaken my taste buds. Also perfect as a topping on the complimentary french baguette. And let me tell you a little about this baguette and its friend, the butter. The bread had a crispy crust and a soft chewy middle; and the butter, oh the butter. Softened to perfection, it was heavenly as I spread the creaminess on a piece of baguette and popped it in my mouth. Another basket please! Definitely the highlight of my meal.

For the entree, I had the grilled scallops with pesto and navy beans. The pesto complimented the beans quite well which was surprisingly pleasant. The scallops, on the other hand, tasted like they had been sitting in the walk-in for a couple of days, definitely not the catch of the day, but cooked well with a nice seared crust. The sauce I assume was a red wine reduction with light cream splashed across the top.

Que had the New York Strip steak topped with sauteed mushrooms served with mashed potatoes and vegetables. The steak was good and tender despite it being cooked well done. The mashed potatoes almost tasted like it came from a box. (I could be wrong.) The vegetables looked fresh enough. Right, I almost forgot, and kudos to our server who was funny, witty, and sarcastic, which made our dining experience enjoyable.

Finally, the raspberry sorbet. Cool, tart, rich and just right to end the meal. The clouds loomed over hinting at a storm but yet another perfect spring day.

bonsai

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 next door to find an empty table. I haven't yet tried all the restaurants but I have given myself a challenge to do so this summer and share my experiences with you.

I visited Bonsai a couple of times but it's been years so I don't remember how well my dining experience turned out. I do All I remember thinking was yet another sushi restaurant owned by Koreans; not that that's a bad thing. They usually do a pretty good job I think.

Chu and I got a table outside and was promptly greeted by our waitress in a bright red shirt and a big smile. I pondered over the menu. Chu had told me their Spicy Tuna Rolls were delicious so that was already on the list. I wanted some sashimi so I opted for the yellow tail and salmon. As an appetizer, I chose the yakko tofu which sounded something refreshing and light.

Chu was served a bowl of lettuce with peanut ginger dressing and a small bowl of miso soup. My yakko tofu, "fresh" tofu sliced in square blocks was topped with sliced scallions and grated ginger flanked by a few pieces of ice cubes. I guess to keep it "fresh". With a bowl of soy sauce. I put the ginger and onions into the soy sauce, cut a piece of tofu and dipped it in the sauce. The tofu was firm and tasted like tofu. No seasoning other than the dipping sauce. I do enjoy my tofu, but this might have been too fresh. I felt like a criminal who had just finished her jail sentence and was given her first meal. A Korean tradition I've seen many times on television and in movies but don't know the story behind it. Maybe I should wiki or google it; sounds like an idea for a post in the future. Everything you wanted to know about tofu...

Then came the spicy tuna rolls. And let me tell you were they spicy. About double the size of a Combo pretzel snack, each tiny roll was packed with flavor. When you least expect it, the punch of wasabi hits the back of your throat and fumes up your nose causing you to cry like a girl. There were three pieces each of the yellow tail and salmon. The presentation was beautiful, with the yellow tail fanned up against a green leaf supported by a mound of shredded daikon, the salmon twirled into a shape of a flower and to match, a bloom of ginger. The fish was decent, a bit on the warm side. I do prefer my sashimi to have a bit of a chill. I wouldn't say it was the freshest, but it had a good clean taste.

Chu had the Teriyaki Chicken that came on a hot plate with a few pieces of steamed vegetables and a small bowl of rice. The flavor was slightly bland, felt like something was missing in the seasoning, maybe the presentation was not up to par as the sushi plate. I tend not to order teriyaki anything, but that is a personal preference. Overall a pleasant experience.

And for dessert. Hot Chocolate from Caribou Coffee. The whipped cream and chocolate shavings were the best part. I could have just eaten a cup full of that.

the art of cooking fish

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 simple seasoning of salt and pepper with a touch of olive oil and pan seared for about an hour and 30 minutes resulted in a tough, tasteless salmon. Unfortunately, the mistake didn't stop there. The goop in the ramekin is mashed root vegetables - yam, sweet potato, and turnip. Turnip has a mealy watery texture when boiled and smashed; so that's all I tasted. Plus the two pounds of butter. What was I thinking? The green beans were semi-decent, blanched and tossed in a balsamic vinegar reduction, but hardly enough to redeem myself. Quite an unappetizing dinner and I thank Chu for humoring me by saying it was good as she picked away at her plate. Better luck tomorrow.

somen chicken salad with sweet soy sauce

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 lend a good crunch.


Somen Chicken Salad
Serves 2

grilled chicken
somen
romaine lettuce
orange and yellow bell pepper
mint

Somen is a thin white noodle, made with wheat flour. You can find it at any Asian market. To measure one serving, make a ring with your thumb and index finger, about the size of a quarter and the amount of dried noodles that fits between your fingers should be enough for one person. Cook as directed on the package, usually 3-4 minutes. Rinse the cooked noodles in cold water and let all the water drain. Slice grilled chicken into strips. Thinly cut the vegetables, rinse in an ice bath, drain, and pat dry or run it through a salad spinner. Toss the noodles, chicken and vegetables in the sweet soy sauce (recipe below) and mix in several leaves of mint. Plate and serve with wooden chopsticks.

Sweet Soy Sauce

1/4 cup black soy sauce (syrupy sweet soy sauce)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp sriracha (optional)
1 tbsp lime juice
1 tsp sesame oil
fish sauce, few drops
black pepper

Whisk all the ingredients together until the sauce binds thick. Grating some ginger into the sauce would give a refreshing kick. Add more sriracha for more heat.

cantina mexicana

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 an invited refreshment under the warm sun. The beverage was tame but the fruits were yummy.

My co-worker Que and I took a seat out on the patio under a bright red umbrella; though I had to shimmy to the left every ten minutes. Que picked the Chicken Quesadilla after we had a short Spanish "lesson". How do you say? Kay-sa-dee-yah? I didn't get to taste it but I will say with confidence that it was cheesy and delicious. Their specials were written in pastel on the chalkboard; # 1: Chimichangas and #2:Pupusas, and I went with the latter. The corn meal pancake was crisp on the outside and creamy and delicious on the inside. I would have been satisfied with a plate with just a couple of them. Alright, maybe not. There is no denying my appetite. Something about a dish with rice, re fried beans, smoked pork wrapped in a flour tortilla topped with melted cheese, carbs, carbs, and more carbs. Can't...stop...eating.

The service was great; prompt and friendly. One of the best places to go for Tex-Mex in the area and I definitely want to try out other restaurants paying rent on S 23rd. Let's hope it won't be another two years before I make it back to this gem.

grilled vegetable sandwich with spicy mayo

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 sandwich

vegetables; I used zucchini and eggplant, but any vegetable you fancy grilling: peppers, squash, asparagus, and even some portobello mushrooms.
olive oil
salt & pepper
cheese; Havarti or Provolone but any cheese that melts well
bread, pumpernickel. I have used challah bread from Trader Joe's and that gives it a nice sweet balance to the spicy mayo

spicy mayo
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2-1 tbsp cayenne pepper
1 tbsp paprika

Mix ingredients together. The cayenne adds heat and the paprika adds a bit of sweet and smokiness. You can adjust the amounts to suit your taste buds.

Slice vegetables, 1/4" thick for the eggplant and 1/8" thick for the zucchini, to fit your choice of bread. Brush olive oil and season with salt & pepper on both sides. Grill to cook. I had grilled off two zucchinis and one large eggplant which yields about 6 sandwiches. Grill or toast the bread. Place vegetables on one slice of bread with the cheese and pop it into the oven/broiler/toaster oven until the cheese melts. When making the sandwich at the office, I would toast the bread, then add the grilled vegetables to heat through, and top it off with the cheese. Once nice and toasty, slather on the mayo, as little or as much as you like, and eat.

Give it a try and I guarantee you'll enjoy it.