Iron Chef America

I am a big fan Iron Chef America on the Food Network. 

If you've seen it, you know why. It's fast-paced and fun to watch the chefs create what looks like great food. It's also a challenge, so you find yourself hoping one chef takes the prize over the other. If you haven't seen it, I'll briefly explain what it's all about.  It's a 60 minute food challenge where 2 chefs go head-to-head to make 5 dishes in 60 minutes, all which showcase one specific ingredient.  At the beginning of the show, they announce the 'secret' ingredient and the chefs quickly get to work. However, I've heard that they do tell the chefs 3 possible ingredients before the show so they can somewhat prepare.  Once the ingredient is announced (such as: squash, ricotta, potato, beef, fish, asparagus....), it's a fast 60 minutes of great cooking.  It's always one Iron Chef (there are 6 of them, as pictured above) vs. the Challenger (top chefs from around the country). Each chef has 2 sioux chefs helping them out.

I really enjoy watching them at work, chopping, frying, blending...all with the announcer announcing (cause that's what an announcer does) what is taking place to us, the audience.  I like all parts of the show --- watching them cook and watching the judges taste the food, and hearing who wins the battle, as they call it.  I don't love Iron Chef Mario Batali.  Cat Cora and Bobby Flay are my favorites to watch.

After the 60 minutes, the chefs have 5 dishes plated and ready to be tasted.  The 3 judges taste each of the 5 dishes and give immediate feedback to the chef....then they fill out a scorecard and a winner is crowned -- based on points given for taste, plating and originality.  Most of the dishes are usually beautifully plated and look delicious.  Yes, the show makes me hungry. 

You can read more about the show here: Wikipedia: Iron Chef.   Check it out if you've never seen it before!

My Guacamole 'Recipe'

I used to hate guacamole, but now I love it.  I've recently learned that Whole Foods has great, ripe avocados, and I made some delicious guac with them.  Here is my recipe, which isn't really a recipe, but an adaptation from America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook (best.cookbook.ever):

Guacamole:
Avocados (2 or3)
Red onion  (1/4 of a small onion)
Cilantro (1/4 cup or estimate)
Lime Juice  (1-2 tablespoons)
Garlic (1 clove)
Salt (to taste)

Put all in a bowl, mix it together, and add more of whatever you think it needs.  Not much of a science to it.  Sometimes I put tomatoes in it, too. Dip your chip and enjoy!  (side note and wish: I wish they sold cilantro in smaller bunches, or pre-packaged, like they do for mint/basil/chives -- because I hate chopping it, and I also hate wasting most of it, which usually happens...).

Use this recipe for Cinco de Mayo on May 5!

Homemade Pizza Co. & Flippin' Pizza

Homemade Pizza Co. -- recommended to me by Stacy last month, and I've had it twice.  It's a chain that is in Illinois (think pizza town Chicago), Minnesota, and now the DC area with 5 locations.  

I know, these photos are probably making you hungry for pizza. You pick it up and it's wrapped in plastic, and placed on parchment paper, which is the key to making it crisp up perfectly.  Bring it home and cook it up when you are ready (approx. 10 min) -- I loved the thin crust and their sauce. I've tried the Meisian (tomatoes/basil), the BBQ Chicken, and Pepperoni.  I loved them all.  Just be careful you don't burn it, like we did slightly.  If you open an account on their website, you will get coupons emailed to you -- at 4:00 pm on Friday, just in time for the weekend.  Great ingredients, great pizza. I realized I had been passing by their store in Arlington for months without noticing it...it's located in a small strip of stores on Lee Highway near Glebe Road, but the word Homemade is so big, and Pizza Co. is small, I never noticed it.  It's located right near a bakery, a wine shop, Starbucks, and some other shops. They also have good salads and chocolate chip cookies -- which you also bake like a pizza in your own oven -- we even cut it up in slices like a pizza.  why not?  It was really good, too. Prices are a little high, but I think it's worth it. 

Flippin' Pizza -- New York pizza by the slice. enough said. We don't have enough 'pizza by the slice' in this area, and I'm really glad this opened near us in Falls Church.  It's a tiny store, with 2 tables out front, right on route 7, and some tables inside. The name of the place is fun to say -- 'want some Flippin' Pizza today'?? -- and the price is right. They have a good selection of pizza -- i like the white pizza with basil/ricotta and of course the pepperoni.  Jeb likes that they sell beer -- specifically miller lite.

# of dishes for Homemade: 4 out of 5

# of dishes for Flippin': 3.5 out of 5

Sou'Wester in the Mandarin Oriental

The opera Porgy and Bess was excellent...and the cast party at Sou'Wester restaurant in the Mandarin Oriental in DC was a great follow-up.  I didn't get to try every dish that was offered, but what I had was very good.  Perfectly made (and large) hush puppies with honey butter on the side. (for you northerners -- hush puppies are a savory starch based food made from cornmeal batter that is deep fried or baked in small ball or sphere shapes - wiki definition).  Also on the menu -- Chicken and dumplings.  Risotto with broccoli tempura. And of course dessert: mini red velvet cupcakes, apple crumb bars, pecan tassies and turtle brownies. Each one was about two bites, so I had to try them all -- and they were presented very nicely, all on a cutting board looking wood slab and passed around.  A delicious celebration of a wonderful production and cast! 

# of dishes: 3 out of 5 -- but I'd like to return for a full meal to give another rating

Guest Blogger: Hubby's Take

I don't really understand the whole cupcake phenomenon.  Why would you put cream cheese on a perfectly good baked product?  I want sugar icing on my sugary bread - Betty Crocker style - and to stand in line and then pay $3 for that seems absolutely absurd.  On the other hand good ice cream is worth waiting (and paying) for....

22 Minutes of Comedy

I thought I would share my current favorite sitcoms. They might be shows you don't watch right now, but I'm recommending that you check them out one day.  I think most sitcoms are actually approx. 22 minutes and since I watch most of them from DVR, commercials are excluded and it's a nice way to spend 22 minutes...well, 22 x 5, or 6, or 7. 

1. My favorite sitcom right now is definitely How I Met Your Mother.  I first heard about this show when I was at the US Open in NY and they were handing out DVDs with the pilot episode, just a couple weeks before it premiered in 2005. It's VERY funny.  Now in season 5, we still don't know who Ted's wife is, but I think we will by the end of this season.  Neil Patrick Harris as Barney is the best part of the show, but each character is funny in their own way.  I especially love when they add some singing to the show, as they've done this season. I own most of the DVDs for the show - if you want to borrow them, let me know.

2. Rules of Engagement is my second favorite right now. It's really funny with a random cast of characters. I never used to like David Spade, but he's good in this show. Kate Hudson's brother Oliver plays the guy in the engaged couple from the name of the show, but the best character is definitely Patrick Warburton (think Puddy from Seinfeld) as Jeff, who is married to unknown Megyn Price, and their comedy as a married couple tends to mirror my life at times (Jeff scalps his ticket to a musical because he doesn't want to go with his wife. Boo hoo. That's why I don't even ask Jeb anymore if he wants to go. I'd rather go with friends who actually want to go.)  CBS keeps threatening to cancel the show and airs other shows in its time slot, but Rules keeps returning unexpectedly for 1/2 seasons -- and I'm glad it does.

3.  Gary Unmarried is another great show on right now.  It doesn't get much attention, and sometimes I think that Jeb and I are the only ones who watch it (along with 1 colleague of his).  Jay Mohr is really funny, and although he spends a little too much time with his ex-wife, I guess that is part of the show.  Paula Marshall as Allison is hilarious -- apparently she's been in many sitcoms since the early 90s, but I hadn't seen here before this show.  Rob Riggle from the Daily Show is on sometimes as Jay's brother. Check it out.

4.  Two and a Half Men comes in at #4.  Give it a chance, it's really funny.  We've practically watched young Jake grow up on this show. I'm not a big fan of the older Jake, but Charlie Sheen and Jon Cryer are great.  An enjoyable 22 minutes, very good writing.

5.  I'll have to give Big Bang Theory the last spot in my top 5.  I didn't think it was going to be funny when it first aired, but it's really good, week after week.  I love the theme song, too -- and love that it's the Barenaked Ladies singing it.

I know there are other great comedies on right now, and you're probably wondering why I didn't put The Office, 30 Rock, or Modern Family on my list. Unfortunately, I haven't watched those shows too much, just once in a while. I'll have to catch them on DVDs some time.  That's it for now.  I give all these shows a rating of 5 dishes. I look forward to watching them every week...along with all the other tv I watch!

Georgetown Favorites

The first day of spring! A perfect afternoon in Georgetown in DC...over 70 degrees, lots of runners/bikers around. Before I spend tonight at the opera for the opening night of Porgy and Bess, I enjoyed a fun afternoon on and around M Street with my husband.  A quick lunch at Cafe Tu o Tu, a sweet snack at Georgetown Cupcake, a haircut at Camlai, and a drink (and March Madness) on the waterfront at Sequoia!

CAFE TU O TU - http://www.cafetuotu.com/ - my friend Jude introduced this great cafe to me last year. They have delicious, fresh salads, sandwiches, paninis, wraps, and more.  My favorite salads are the Strawberry Salad (spinach/feta/parmesan/dried cranberries and of course strawberries) and the Spinach Avocado (yes, spinach and avocado, plus blue cheese crumbles and goat cheese). They have a Salad/Sandwich combo for a small salad (but a good portion of it) with a half sandwich - it makes for a great lunch. I love the Chicken Caprese Panini, but everything I've seen come out of the kitchen looks really good.  There are 4 tables out front and a few inside and upstairs. You order at the counter and they bring your food to your table -- then they clear it for you.  Friendly staff and good prices -- approx. $10 for the combo and a drink. 

GEORGETOWN CUPCAKE - http://www.georgetowncupcake.com/ -

I have loved this place since it opened.  Some people think it's overrated, but I disagree. The icing is soooo good and the cupcake itself is dense and light at the same time.  I can still taste the one I had a couple hours ago -- the chocolate icing was totally melting in the hot March sun. I could eat another right now, but too bad I don't have one. My favorite is the basic choc. icing with vanilla cupcake. Classic.  Jeb tried the Lemon Berry today -- and I had a bite, just so I could dish about it.  (research)  The berry icing was a little sweet and very pink, but the cupcake part had a good hint of lemon in it.  When I usually go, I get a few extra cupcakes for later, but today I didn't.  They are a little pricey for a cupcake, but I think it's worth it -- $2.75 each, $15 for half dozen and $29 for a dozen. They're now located at the corner of M and 33rd St - a great bigger new space compared to where they were before, even though it's just around the corner. There's also another location in Bethesda Row - still called Georgetown Cupcake, not Bethesda Cupcake, as was the rumor that they were going to open other locations around town with the area name - Dupont Cupcake, Kalorama Cupcake, etc. Also, if you are a 'fan' of them on facebook, they post a free cupcake flavor daily, but they only have 100 to give out. I tried to get today's flavor - mint cookies 'n creme, but they were out of it.  They now have gift cards too (hint hint).  We had some specialty ones made for Sarah's baby shower last year with light blue icing and they did a great job - and were delicious of course!

CAMLAI - http://www.camlai.com/ - a quick plug for the place where I get my haircut. I highly recommend David at Camlai -- reasonably priced (although they said prices are going up soon), a nice small salon with 3 hairdressers. They also offer massages/facials, but I haven't tried them yet. David was recommended to me, so I'm passing on the recommendation....

SEQUOIA - http://www.sequoiadc.com/ - The best food on the Georgetown waterfront. Stopped for a drink before heading home. Beautiful day to look at the water, watch basketball on the bar tv (watch 10 seed St. Mary's upset 2 seed Villanova). I didn't eat there today, but their food is decent -- basic sandwiches/salads/pizzas. Nothing to write home about, but you can't beat the view on a nice day in DC.

# of dishes for Cafe Tu o Tu: 4 out of 5

# of dishes for Georgetown Cupcake: 5 out of 5

(no rating given for haircut or sequoia)