Foodphoria

I've Gone Away . . . But Here's Where to Find Me

2011-01-16T06:21:00.000-05:00

I'm sorry to inform visitors that I am suspending posts on this blog, but here's the silver lining. My time is increasingly being absorbed by another food-related blog -- the one connected to the book that I co-wrote with my brother. The book is called "What the Great Ate," and it has earned nice reviews from The Daily Beast, The New Yorker, The Washington Post and other media.

Each week, my brother and I post amusing new tidbits about the eating and dining habits of the famous and infamous. Click here to check out the "What the Great Ate" blog.

To learn more about the book or to purchase a copy, click here.

I have also blogged about food and dining trends for The Huffington Post, and I hope to be writing more posts in the months ahead. Click here to check out the posts I've already written.

Divine Dessert

2011-01-02T20:56:00.001-05:00

A friend of mine made this dessert for New Year's Eve dinner. It was a recipe for pear clafoutis by Ina Garten, and it was fantastic.

This is a classic French dessert, and it's usually made with cherries. But this version was a tour de force. Try it. You won't be disappointed.

The 15 Best Dishes in NYC

2010-12-29T07:36:00.002-05:00

Sam Sifton, the N.Y. Times' food critic, lists the 15 best dishes he tasted in the city during the year 2010. That previous hyperlink has a photo montage of the 15 dishes, and here's the article that accompanies the photo list. Based on his choices, I'd say he has a passion for Italian and Spanish foods.

One of those dishes is called Devil's Chicken, and it looks like an entree worth trying the next time I happen to be in NYC.

One of the dishes is called "Guacamole de Frutas." Although I love guacamole, I'm skeptical of whether this version improves on the traditional recipe. Diced apple, pear and cranberries are in this dish, as well as (sigh) the annoyingly trendy pomegranate seeds. This dish is prepared at a Mexican restaurant in mid-town called Toloache, whose interior is pictured above.

A Buffet of Bugs

2010-12-26T21:56:00.000-05:00

The photo you just glanced at (above) happens to be a grasshopper taco. Some people are urging societies to promote the eating of insects as a way to ensure mass sustainability during future periods of famine, war or other types of upheaval. And there's at least one cookbook out there that provides recipes for cooking and eating insects.

Angelina Jolie can actually tell you what insects taste like. As this book confirms, the actress has eaten a Cambodian cockroach and bee larvae.

However, one doesn't have to travel to the Third World to sample insects. There has been at least one restaurant in New York City (operating for a few years now) that serves a grasshopper taco. So what does grasshopper taste like? Mike Peed, a food critic for The New Yorker, reviewed the restaurant Toloache in 2008, and the final sentences of his review offer his blunt assessment:

Inquire about a grasshopper taco and hear (the chef say), "I was born in Oaxaca. We used to catch them in our backyard by the handfuls. They are delicious!" Curious, lifelike, not delicious.

She Has Issues . . . Food Issues

2010-12-17T18:42:00.005-05:00

Gilbert Sewall wonders if food allergies, tastes and quirks are enough to discourage anyone from hosting a dinner party. On a San Francisco Chronicle blog, Sewall writes that in California . . .

. . . everyone has a Food Issue. It's becoming a signature there, like a car, a statement of who and what one is.

. . . I knew something was up over lunch when I brought out the spaghetti. A guest I had never met before let out a strange little gasp. I can't eat wheat, she said. A dear friend then announced he had a big problem with refined sugar. And, he said firmly, anything that might include it.

Epicurious Joins the "Apps" World

2010-12-15T21:49:00.000-05:00

More foodie websites are capitalizing on the high interest in new "apps" for smartphones. The latest site is Epicurious, which is one of my favorite websites.

Epicurious just contacted its list of registered visitors to alert them to its app for the iPad and iPhone, which allows users to "sync your personal recipe box to your mobile device!"

It's interesting timing because NPR's "Morning Edition" aired the final part of a series today that essentially said that cookbooks (the actual physical beasts that take up bookshelf space) are likely to survive the digital area. The view is that people will look online for specific recipes for special occasions, but that they enjoy browsing through cookbooks when they have no particular culinary agenda.

Adams Morgan, Culinary Wasteland

2010-12-09T20:44:00.001-05:00

I have lived in or adjacent to this neighborhood of D.C. for 20 years, and I have heard a whole lot of people talk through the years about Adams Morgan's "renaissance." But a stroll down 18th Street reminded me of what a restaurant wasteland this area is.

With the exception of Perry's, La Fourchette and Napoleon Bistro, there really isn't any place I can think of worth eating at in Adams Morgan. And that's probably why the latter two eateries are often full up (so prepare for a wait).

There was a time in the mid-1990s when Cashion's Eat Place was actually a destination restaurant. Stunned to learn that? It's true. But the competition from other neighborhoods and downtown has definitely improved . . . and, well, Cashion's has not. I ate brunch there the other day, and that was a big mistake.

Stale rolls were brought to our table. I waited 10 minutes after ordering for my (lukewarm) latte to arrive. The cornmeal waffles were bland, and what accompanied them was an apple mush.

The Vanishing Restaurant Owner-Host

2010-12-08T12:45:00.001-05:00

I've always found something incredibly charming about a restaurant owner who doubles as the host, welcoming you as you enter and/or stopping by your table to check on how your meal is going. As the N.Y. Times notes, this owner-host situation is increasingly rare.

Noting the death of one such person (restaurateur Elaine Kaufman), the Times explores the rapidly disappearing joint role of owner-host in this article. By the way, Woody Allen was one of the regulars who dined at her restaurant, Elaine's. In its article, the Times writes:

... the notion of the host as the most important person in a given restaurant’s success is wavering.

Chefs are the draw in this modern age, and the more famous and customer-accessible, the better. Former line cooks now walk dining rooms like kings, celebrities from television, whose every utterance is recorded on blogs.

The business of restaurants is no longer so dependent on the presence of an owner in the dining room to dispense favors or act as gatekeeper to a private club. (Let us not forget: For every person who recalls Ms. Kaufman’s kindness at Elaine’s, there are others who remember her rudely barring the door or telling someone to get out.)

Powdered Sugar? No Thanks

2010-12-02T07:25:00.001-05:00

What is this strange love affair that so many restaurant chefs have with powdered sugar? You can't go to brunch and order pancakes, French toast or waffles without seeing your plate arrive with a thorough dusting of powdered sugar. Yuck.

I have nothing against sugar, but there are so many better ways to enjoy the sweet stuff. Granulated sugar, brown sugar, honey, maple syrup and molasses all provide better, richer tastes and more interesting textures than powdered sugar. Besides, given that diners who order pancakes or French toast are already planning to pour syrup over them, powdered sugar is superfluous.

In my view, the only reason to buy powdered sugar is to make cake frosting.

Food Safety Bill Coming to a Vote

2010-11-29T06:31:00.001-05:00

In Sunday's New York Times, Michael Pollan and Eric Schlosser co-wrote this op-ed urging the Senate to approve the proposed FDA Food Safety Modernization Act. Here are some excerpts from their column:

The bill would, for the first time, give the F.D.A., which oversees 80 percent of the nation's food, the authority to test widely for dangerous pathogens and to recall contaminated food. The agency would finally have the resources and authority to prevent food safety problems, rather than respond only after people have become ill.

The bill would also require more frequent inspections of large-scale, high-risk food production plants.

And if you believe food safety worries are a thing of the past, consider this egg scare, this nut scare and this beef scare -- all within the last 18 months.

The Right Pies to Make

2010-11-21T21:20:00.000-05:00

I am on "pie duty" for Thanksgiving, so I need to figure out which pies I will make.

Someone else is planning to bring an apple pie, so that base is covered. My plans for the moment are:

cherry pie
pumpkin pie (it is Thanksgiving after all)
lemon chess pie

But I have never made lemon chess pie before. Sure, I understand that it's pretty easy to make one, but I'm finding different recipes that call for varying amounts of corn meal or lemon juice. There is this recipe from AllRecipes.com, and then there is this one from the Food Network. Even the amounts of sugar are different.

Decisions . . . decisions.

Turkey Tips

2010-11-12T07:25:00.000-05:00

In this New York Times article, Bobby Flay and other celebrity chefs offer some tips for Thanksgiving Day cooking. One of Flay's tips is incredibly simple:

Have an abundance of chicken stock on hand, bubbling warm on the stove all day. "You slice the turkey and put it on a platter to serve it," he said, "and then right before you go out to the table, you ladle some stock over the top to warm it and give it a little moisture, too. You do the same for the stuffing. You make the gravy with it. You go through a lot."

Sounds like a smart approach to me.

Who Does Paula Enjoy Cooking for the Most?

2010-11-07T21:54:00.004-05:00

This is from a column that Paula Deen wrote for Esquire magazine in September 2009:

Men use food to try to outdo one another. It's okay for a man to say, "I ate that whole damn pie." Now, a woman isn't gonna want to say that, but for a man it's a badge of honor: Look how tough I am. It's almost like an attack thing, the way they eat.

I'll tell you what it comes down to for me: I would rather cook for a man than for a woman on any day. It's those noises [men] make.

... men dive in without guilt and enjoy their food like there's no tomorrow. And that feels good when you're the one who cooked it.

Triple Berry Muffins Don't Taste the Same

2010-11-02T18:29:00.000-04:00

Both Au Bon Pain and Caribou are coffee chains that sell something called the Triple Berry Muffin. Both advertise that their muffins are low-fat.

But does either one of these muffins taste good? In my experience, the answer is "yes." Au Bon Pain's Triple Berry Muffin is quite tasty. But the version of this muffin sold at Caribou is terrible. Last week, I tasted Caribou's version for the first time, and it was pretty inedible.

A Better Cranberry Condiment

2010-10-29T23:41:00.001-04:00

Thanksgiving is only a few weeks away, and it's time to think about the cranberry options we cooks and diners have. I agree with this writer at Serious Eats who much prefers cranberries served as a thick or chutney-type consistency, instead of the gelatinous "cranberry sauce" that comes out of a can. SE's Kerry Saretsky admits that the latter is "iconic Americana" but the former is tastier.

His observations are followed by this recipe for cranberry chutney with crystallized ginger.

This recipe is another one of my favorites -- cranberry sauce with dried tart cherries. (You can use canned tart cherries if you can't find the dried variety.) The cloves in the recipe add a nice twist.

Eats in D.C.'s Atlas District

2010-10-25T22:29:00.003-04:00

Last weekend, I visited Washington, D.C.'s H Street corridor -- a neighborhood in the N.E. quad known as the Atlas District. The area is definitely gentrifying, and the city has committed to run an electric streetcar down H Street. But my reason for visiting the area was to check out a few new eateries that I'd heard about.

First, we had brunch at the Liberty Tree, on the north side of H Street between 10th and 11th Streets. It was cozy, and they had an awesome selection of beers on tap. If wine is your thing, they've got it, but the choices are fewer. They serve a brunch on Saturday and Sunday that runs until 3 p.m. That's a nice option to have: sleep in and eat whenever you want.

The food at Liberty Tree was good -- nothing fancy or refined, but good. I had the lobster benedict, and it was quite tasty. My friend had pizza, and he gave it a grade of B-.

For a sweet conclusion to our brunch, we walked a few blocks east and then across the street to Dangerously Delicious Pies, located at 1339 H Street, N.E. This place sells entree-style pies as well as dessert pies. The dessert pies include multiple kinds of chess pie (chocolate and coconut, for example) and the other standards: apple-crumb and pecan, for example. They also sell quiches. You can buy any of these by the slice or by the entire pie.

Although most of the buzz about Dangerously Delicious Pies has been positive, one of the knocks against the place is the prices. It's true that $6.50 per slice of dessert pie is on the high side. But the pecan pie I tried was excellent. The savory pies (entrees) are $7.50 per slice, which is the same or less than what you'd spend to get lunch at a Cosi or Au Bon Pain.

And here's a piece of good news: Dangerously Delicious Pies is open 7 days a week for those of us who need to regularly get our pie fix. If there is one gripe I have about DDP, it's that they should have at least 1 or 2 more fruit pies to choose from. From what I've seen and heard, pies such as blueberry or peach don't seem to be on the menu. Maybe it's a seasonal thing or maybe I've been looking at the wrong times.

The Pizza Penalty

2010-10-20T21:33:00.003-04:00

Joseph Jacobbi, who operates a restaurant called Casa-di-Pizza, gave a judge an opportunity to deliver a one-of-a-kind verdict.

In the wake of Jacobbi's conviction on sales tax fraud, a state supreme court judge ordered the Buffalo, N.Y. pizzeria owner to provide 12 free pizzas once a week to a homeless shelter in the city. And to keep providing the gratis pizzas for one year.

"I will leave the choice of toppings to you," the judge told Jacobbi.

Not Just for Breakfast Anymore

2010-10-16T23:03:00.006-04:00

No, I'm not talking about a glass of orange juice.

Scrambled eggs are the dish that I'm dishing about. I've enjoyed them for dinner a number of times, and I never felt like I was slummin' when I devoured them. As this article reveals, the New York Times' Martha Rose Shulman also thinks scrambled eggs make for a tasty supper.

I'm particular about how mine are cooked -- "exactly 30 seconds beyond salmonella," my spouse sarcastically declares. That's an exaggeration, but I do want my scrambled eggs to be moist, not as dry as the Sahara desert. I hate it when I get served eggs that are dry.

Fresh chive and tarragon are marvelous herbs to add. But pick only one of them.

Chefs Don't Earn Impressive Salaries

2010-10-12T08:07:00.005-04:00

With fewer Americans eating out at fine-dining establishments these days, it's not easy for people to find jobs as restaurant chefs. And even those who already have those jobs may not be doing all that well financially.

The website Chow produced this bar graph listing the average salaries of three workers -- a school bus driver, a trash collector and a chef de cuisine. The chef's estimated salary ($56,868) looks pretty decent. Until, that is, you divide that salary by the total number of hours that a chef de cuisine works.

Yikes! This has me feeling more sympathy for the executive kitchen staff at such restaurants.

Review: Bistro Cacao

2010-10-07T22:44:00.000-04:00

This week, I finally got around to trying Bistro Cacao, located on Massachusetts Avenue in D.C.'s Capitol Hill neighborhood. On the whole, I was pleased.

The menu offers many of the entree choices you'd expect in a French bistro. The menu isn't large, but my fellow diner and I enjoyed everything we tried. I ordered the onglet (hanger steak) with a shallot and wine sauce. The beef was of a high quality and properly cooked, and it was superbly complimented by the sauce. The wine list is large enough without overwhelming a diner. Bottles are priced fairly; some are expensive, but most are within reason.

The ambience of Bistro Cacao has a Victorian style without being too frilly. It's especially nice for people who are taking someone out on a date. Couples can dine seated on nice wing chairs from tables flanked by classy red curtains. One complaint I have is that the restaurant's menu is choices are not accessible via its website.

The bistro has plans to open a wine bar soon, although it's not clear to me where within its current premises, the wine bar would be situated -- so stay tuned.

One Less Choice for Pulled Pork BBQ

2010-10-06T06:45:00.000-04:00

What? Can it be so? I just heard the news that Lindsey's, my favorite barbecue place in Arkansas (my former state of residence), was forced to close after a fire.

Ugh. I will be traveling there in the coming months, and I had been looking forward to paying a culinary pilgrimage there.

I guess the best remaining choices are Sim's, Whole Hog, and a place called Mr. Mason's (which I have never tried, but hear is excellent).

Pumpkin Pancakes

2010-10-05T22:13:00.005-04:00

As we move into autumn, one's thoughts turn to pumpkins. And for that reason, this recipe caught my eye: Shopshin's Pumpkin Pancakes.

Almond Joy

2010-10-03T21:45:00.003-04:00

I like almonds and enjoy eating them as a snack every now and then, but it came as news to me that almonds are classified as "stone fruits." (Frankly, I remain skeptical about that.)

In any case, I still took this 5-question quiz at the website MonkeyDish.

Tasting the Pouilly-Fuisse Wines

2010-09-30T08:08:00.007-04:00

Benedict Vincent leads a tour of the vineyards in Pouilly-Fuisse

During my recent trip with family to the French region of Burgundy, we tasted wines in Gevrey-Chambertin (see my previous post) and in the small appellation of Pouilly-Fuisse.

As in the rest of Burgundy, the white grapes in Pouilly-Fuisse are chardonnay. I don't drink much chardonnay from California because I find the heavy oak virtually smothers the fruit. This grape is handled better in Burgundy, where they take lighter touch with oak.

We tasted seven wines at Vincent & Fils, where we were warmly greeted by Benedict Vincent, the daughter of the chateau's winemaker. She led us on a tour of the domaine's vineyards and its cellars. One of the wines we tasted was Vincent's Marie Antoinette cuvee, which New York Times writer Eric Asimov cited as "our No. 1 wine and best value" in a tasting of Pouilly-Fuisse held in 2008.

Most of the wines were delightful -- good fruit and nice acidity. This region tends to draw fewer tourists than regions to the north. Yet it has rolling hills and pleasant villages that charm those who venture into this southern edge of Burgundy.

Touring Vineyards in Burgundy

2010-09-26T22:20:00.010-04:00

During my recent trip with family members to the Burgundian wine region of France, we had some pleasant tastings at a couple of renowned wineries -- one in the Cote de Nuit region of the northern Burgundy and the second in the southern appellation of Macon-Lugny.

In this blog post, I'll discuss the first of two vintners we visited. His name is Philippe LeClerc, and he has a reputation for being a superb, yet iconoclastic winemaker in the Cote de Nuit. Wine writer Cynthia Hurley calls him a "perfectionist." We visited his office and cellar in the village of Gevrey-Chambertin, and we tasted five reds (100% pinot noir).

LeClerc doesn't filter any of his wines, so as one reaches the bottom of a bottle, there is very likely to be some deposit of sediment. Neither does he use the typical machine-presses to extract the juice from his grapes.

Yet the judgment that most significantly distinguishes LeClerc from his Gevrey-Chambertin and Cote de Nuit peers is that year in, year out, LeClerc tends to be one of the last winemakers to harvest the grapes from his vineyards.

We enjoyed his wines, although nearly all of them were being drunk at least a few years before they'll fully mature. The wine that was truly "ready" to drink was good, but far from stellar.

I enjoyed this degustation. The staff were welcoming and pleasant, not snooty.

Olive Oil From the Land of . . . . Georgia?

2010-09-24T07:14:00.003-04:00

This was news to me. There are actually farmers in southern Georgia (some 20 miles east of I-75) who are hoping to find a market for olive oil produced from olives grown on their farmland.

As it turns out, olive groves used to exist in this area of Georgia, but a hurricane more than a century ago destroyed what had been left of dwindling olive trees. In this article, the Washington Post explained what prompted one of the farmers to start growing olives:

Generations of Shaw family farmers in Lanier County have grown cotton, peanuts and corn. But in 1996, Lakeland (Georgia) native Jason Shaw returned from a trip to Verona, Italy, where he had been struck by the sight of prolific orchards, and said, "We ought to grow olives in Georgia."

... Now 12 farmers and a small army of extension service agents and horticulturalists are tending 95 acres, spread over seven Georgia counties south of Atlanta that fall in the South's "olive belt," a zone with a climate conducive to growing the cold-resistant types.

I look forward to tasting Georgia olive oil. As they say, the proof is in the pudding.

Leisurely Lunches in France

2010-09-20T07:10:00.007-04:00

Times are changing everywhere, but not at the same speed. I just returned from a week in the French countryside, and I can tell you that the traditional practice of shopkeepers closing for two hours at mid-day for lunch continues.

Most clothing stores, patisseries, bakeries and other shops close their doors at 12 noon and don't reopen until 2:00 or even 2:30 pm. These closures give proprietors and their staff ample time to enjoy lunch with a friend or spouse, and even run an errand or two.

Sure, it is true that France is one of McDonalds' most successful non-U.S. markets. And in Paris, many workers are opting for fairly quick lunches of sandwiches. But in the small towns and villages outside the capital city, one still sees plenty of French eating lunch at a leisurely pace at restaurants or cafes. The cheque dejeuner system encourages this.

That photo above was my lunch one day as we stopped in the Burgundian village of Gevrey-Chambertin, amid the region's hallowed vineyards. I ordered the foie gras, which was served with wonderfully toasted slices of brioche, caramelized onions, some greens and a fig-balsamic glaze.

Italians See Red After Seeing Blue Mozzarella

2010-09-15T07:14:00.000-04:00

This is an amusing story that reveals the depth of affection that Italians feel for mozzarella cheese. Italian police recently seized 70,000 balls of mozzarella cheese that were reportedly produced in Germany. The reason? The cheese apparently started turning blue -- probably due to a bacteria -- soon after packages of the mozzarella were opened by Italian consumers.

The case matters so much to the country that Italian prosecutors are now involved. Italians eat a lot of mozzarella, and they understandably get rather concerned when it looks differently than the photo above.

Thinking of Creamed Corn

2010-09-13T07:05:00.007-04:00

Sorry for the 12-day silence. I just returned from spending 10 days in France, three of them in Paris. I will write a few blog posts about those wine and culinary adventures, but first . . .

Creamed corn is one of those side dishes that makes me think of fall. My mother never made creamed corn, but I fell in love with it from the first time I tasted it -- at a friend's house. The New York Times' Melissa Clark has written this article offering a fresh twist on creamed corn. This reminds me of something else to add to my "to do" list for this autumn -- find a good recipe for creamed corn.

Cashion's Set to Reopen

2010-08-31T07:14:00.001-04:00

I noticed that Cashion's Eat Place will reopen this week after some interior renovations. I haven't eaten there in almost two years, and until I saw this article, I had almost forgotten about Cashion's. I used to have excellent meals there, but my last several visits to the restaurant were disappointing.

Chief among my complaints were bottles of red wine being stored near a heat source that made them unpleasant to drink. If Cashion's wants to be considered a top-flight restaurant, that's the kind of thing that shouldn't happen.

Disgusting Dish of the Month

2010-08-29T18:35:00.003-04:00

I chose my first "Disgusting Dish of the Month" in June, but my life got pretty hectic in July so I never got around to picking a DDM for that month. So, here in August, I will revive this declaration.

August's choice is the Catfish Sloppy Joe, which has been featured by Esquire magazine's "Eat Like a Man" blog. I don't know what's worse, the recipe itself or the knowledge that this is actually the handiwork of the chef at Mandalay Bay. Having said that, I must admit that it's not nearly as disgusting at June's selection.

NY Eateries Opening Here in DC

2010-08-24T23:11:00.006-04:00

A variety of New York-based restaurateurs are seeking satellite locations in Washington, D.C. This development puts a smile on my face. As the Washington Post reports:

Since the economic downturn began, no fewer than 10 Empire State restaurateurs have made designs on the District (of Columbia).

... Food Network star Bobby Flay is in negotiations to open his first local Burger Palace, a New York and New Jersey staple, and Shake Shack owner Danny Meyer recent announced plans for a spot in Dupont Circle.

"Guys from New York are coming down here because they can pay half the rent and do 75 percent of the business," said broker Thomas N. Papadopoulus, who has represented several Big Apple restaurants.

And near my office . . .

Over in Penn Quarter, construction is under way on the smoked barbeque joint Hill Country, which will rise across the street from another newly opened New York eatery, the Italian restaurant Carmine's.

Brasserie Beck: Still Too Noisy, Still Marvelous Food

2010-08-20T06:56:00.002-04:00

I don't go to Brasserie Beck that often, mostly because of the noise. You enter knowing that you're going to have to shout to your dining companions if you're sitting anywhere within the front third of the restaurant space.

We had a reservation last night for 9 p.m., and the hostess wanted to seat us close to the bar area, which is very loud -- the tile, wood and other surfaces guarantee a high volume of clatter. We asked for a table far in the back (only one room seems to be carpeted). To her credit (and to Brasserie Beck's credit) the hostess accommodated our wishes by moving us to a table where the ambient noise was simply loud, but not thunderously so.

Once we settled in, we placed our order and then the courses started to arrive. First, the crusty bread with superb butter. Next, our starters were delivered. I ordered the melon soup (a special on the menu), and it was sublime. Light, yet very flavorful. My pork shank was also excellent.

Everything we tasted was marvelous, which always seems to be the case at Brasserie Beck. My only wish (sigh) is that they could do something more to reduce the noise. I'm not one of those chronic noise-in-restaurants complainers, but I doubt I'm the only one who would eat more often at Brasserie Beck if it weren't so damn loud. At the end of a busy work day, I refuse to shout to be heard by someone who is two feet away.

It's a tough trade-off.

New Directions in the Fruit World

2010-08-18T07:17:00.005-04:00

Do you remember as a kid being quite impressed when your parents brought home a watermelon from the store that stretched 2 feet or even longer? Well, according to the New York Times' Kim Severson, it's getting harder and harder to find those traditional, oversized melons.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

The idea of making upside-down cake sounds appealing, but I've never been a huge fan of pineapple. So this twist on the traditional dessert caught my eye. The L.A. Times offers alternative recipes for upside-down cake using apricots, spiced cherries and peaches, among other fruits.

Wonderful Clafoutis, But So Many Versions

2010-08-16T06:56:00.006-04:00

Over at the food portal Serious Eats, Robin Bellinger writes that she took her second stab at making clafoutis, a custardy French dessert that is usually made with cherries. She wasn't sure at first how this version would turn out, but

. . . in the evening my husband pronounced it irresistible. I was truly sold the next day when I had a sliver of clafoutis straight out of the refrigerator; the flavor and texture of the clafoutis were best when it was cold.

She even pitted her own cherries. Impressive. I have a clafoutis recipe, and I'm pretty happy with it. But what I find curious is that no two clafoutis recipes are identical. There seems to be some distinction from one to the next. I noticed that this recipe contains more than a cup of milk, while this recipe calls for exactly 1 cup of milk, and this one contains only 3/4 cup.

One thing that probably trips up amateur cooks who try their hand at clafoutis is the fact that the batter is so runny. I'm willing to bet that many people try to "fix" that runniness, and what results is a custardy texture that is denser than it should be.

Second Helpings in France

2010-08-14T08:17:00.006-04:00

If you're a guest for dinner at someone's home in the U.S., it's not unusual to be asked if you would like "a second helping." If you do, you simply ask for "more pot roast" or "more asparagus" or more of something else.

Interestingly, this blogger informs us that in la belle France, the custom is quite different. She's married to a Frenchman and has lived in France, so she should know a thing or two about the country's customs. In any case, she writes:

If you ever attend a (French) dinner party and plan to take seconds, you must take seconds of all the dishes. For example, if the meal consists of a meat, potatoes and a vegetable, you cannot just take a second serving of the potatoes; you must take a second helping of all three, otherwise you will insult the host.

It makes them feel like you only liked the potatoes so that is all you want to have again.

Or, if they weren't so hyper-sensitive, they could conclude that you simply liked the potatoes the best. Which raises the question: what if you did only like the potatoes? So what?

I love dining in France, but this custom seems more like something that overfed, overweight Americans would have devised.

Frozen French Food

2010-08-12T07:08:00.001-04:00

I guess one weird food-related story (see my last post) deserves another. Police in the French city of Lyon have discovered the body of renowned chef Jean-Francois Poinard -- in an apartment freezer. The body may have been in the freezer for two years.

Poinard represented the fourth generation of a cooking dynasty, and a French newspaper hailed him as one of the "great names" in gastronomy. He was 71 years old when he disappeared. A former girlfriend has been taken into custody.

When I-90 Became the Cheddar Parkway

2010-08-10T20:39:00.000-04:00

On July 8 of this year, a crash involving a semi-trailer rig dumped more than eight tons of cheese onto Interstate 90 in South Dakota. The Utah man who was driving that vehicle was supposed to appear in court this week, but he was a no-show.

Crab Cakes in Annapolis

2010-08-09T06:56:00.001-04:00

My brother and his wife were in the D.C. area this weekend, and we decided to take them to Annapolis, Md. There I sought crab cakes, and was quite pleased with the ones served at Carrol's Creek Cafe.

Their crab cakes are broiled, but they must use enough mayonnaise to keep them from drying out (unlike the broiled crab cakes at some other restaurants). The crab cakes at Carrol's Creek were very moist and flavorful. The cream of crab soup was good too. The restaurant is moderately expensive, and they have a large deck that looks out over the docked boats with views of the Naval Academy's chapel and other historic buildings.

A Marriage for the Melon-Obsessed

2010-08-06T07:56:00.004-04:00

I saw this item (below), which announced the approaching marriage of Emery Gullickson and Neal Richards, in the Washington Post's Express tabloid:

FIRST DATE: A few years after meeting, they reconnected at Emery's dad's birthday party. When her dad offered them some leftover watermelon, Emery suggested she and Neal boil it to see what would happen. The week after, they made a watermelon pie. "We became quite fond of each other while our distaste for watermelon flavoring grew," Emery says.

MMM, CAKE: The groom's cake is watermelon-shaped.

I've heard of a couple bonding over a food each one of them loved, but this is the first time I've heard of a couple bonding over a flavor they disliked.

The Cheez Doodler Dies

2010-08-04T21:24:00.004-04:00

The news that Morrie Yohai died last week may mean nothing to you. Morrie who? Well, if you've ever enjoyed Cheez Doodles, you should observe a moment of silence in his honor because he was the snack's creator.

In the post-World War II years, Yohai took over his father's snack-food business at a factory in the Bronx, N.Y. In a 2005 interview with a New York newspaper, Yohai explained how he stumbled on the idea for Cheez Doodles:

"We were looking for another snack item. We were fooling around and found out there was a machine that extruded cornmeal and it almost popped like popcorn."

From there, it didn't take long for someone to suggest coating the cornmeal with cheese. And the rest is (snack) history.

Blame It on Red's Eats

2010-08-02T07:05:00.006-04:00

There's that old saying -- if you "build a better mousetrap, the world will beat a path to your door." I guess the same is true if you make a better lobster roll. I got a kick out of this N.Y. Times article about Red's Eats, a seafood shack in Wiscasset, Maine that is known for serving fantastic lobster rolls. The traffic leading into the town during the summer slows to a snail's pace, and many locals say the popularity of Red's is the reason why.

According to RoadFood.com, the best time to avoid long lines when visiting Red's is 3 p.m. on a Thursday. So, now you know.

A Few of My Fave Food Blogs

2010-07-30T06:27:00.003-04:00

Even if I didn't enjoy reading it, the blog 101 Cookbooks would be worth checking out if only for the photos, which are just gorgeous. Plus, I really like the fact that 101 Cookbooks allows you to search posts by ingredient -- see the left side of the screen. Now that's cool.

For any resident of the Washington, D.C. area who wants to keep on top of the ever-changing dining scene, the blog Capital Cooking is a "must read." Its author, Lauren DeSantis, provides savvy and helpful reviews of what's cookin' around the city. Lauren is a very busy woman. She has written a cookbook, and she hosts a TV show that appears regularly on public-access television. Lauren and I happen to share a love for deviled eggs.

Blue Kitchen, a blog based in Chicago, is another of my faves. This blog posts interesting -- but not overly complex -- recipes that will appeal to those who like to good, hassle-free meals. This recipe (balsamic vinegar chicken) is a good example. If you like wine, you'll appreciate the helpful "Wine and Drink" links that are positioned in a lefthand sidebar on Blue Kitchen.

The final favorite food blog that I'll cite here is Smitten Kitten. The photos are fabulous, and the recipes are (like those at Blue Kitchen) ones that can be prepared by ordinary people who keep cheesecloth in their kitchen at all times. Consider this recently posted recipe for Peach-Creme Fraiche Pie. If looking at those photos doesn't make you want to grab a pie pan and some Freestone peaches, I don't know what will.

A Peach Repertoire

2010-07-28T06:45:00.001-04:00

I bought more than a half-dozen peaches at a farmers market last weekend, and I've been enjoying them ever since. I rarely buy peaches at the grocery store any more -- just too risky. I just noticed this web page at the N.Y. Times' food pages that lists a number of recipes featuring peaches.

The recipes range from fried peach pies with bourbon and cinnamon to peach puree vinaigrette. There's even a recipe for peach ice cream, which looks mighty good.

Starting Your Day in Chicago?

2010-07-27T06:33:00.004-04:00

My last post was about one of my food stops during a recent visit to Chicago. Here's another food recommendation, courtesy of radio station WBEZ. It's a list of the top 5 breakfasts in the Windy City.

Meli Cafe heads the list, a Greek diner with "organic produce, eggs, fresh-squeezed juices and homemade jams." Sounds good to me.

Manny's, the Marvelous Deli in Chicago

2010-07-25T22:26:00.001-04:00

I want to send a very warm thank-you to the owners of Manny's Cafeteria and Deli in Chicago for hosting my brother Mark and me last weekend for an event to promote our new book, What the Great Ate.

Once our interview was concluded, we both had an early lunch. I chose the pastrami sandwich. God, was that a good sandwich. I also had a cup of matzo ball soup. It had been several years since my first visit to Manny's, but it was as authentic, wonderful and unpretentious as I had remembered it. If you find yourself in Chicago, it's a worthwhile pit stop for breakfast or lunch.

Soon after he won the presidential election in 2008, president-elect Barack Obama had lunch at Manny's with Mayor Richard Daley as he planned his transition to the White House. That photo above shows Obama and the mayor enjoying their meals.

What We'll Pay for a Magnificent Meal

2010-07-23T06:35:00.005-04:00

Wednesday night, I decided to celebrate the publication of What the Great Ate, a book I co-authored with my brother Mark, by dining at Citronelle -- one of Washington, D.C.'s culinary cathedrals. The fixed price menu was $105 so, yes, this was one decadent dinner. The very next day, at the "Talk" blog on the food portal Serious Eats, BaguettenBrie raised the question of how pricey a meal should be:

I firmly believe in giving oneself the opportunity to experience great chefs' work. But I have been starting to question a bit how much certain tasting menus are costing.

On the one hand, with a truly great restaurant, somewhere you probably won't return to often, money shouldn't be considered a limiting agent. However, on the other (hand), should I feel guilty about questioning the cost of just one meal?

"No" is my answer. By all means, question the cost of any menu. The issue is value for your dollar. A more expensive meal can sometimes often more value and, at other times, less value.

As for that three-course Citronelle dinner, it was absolutely wonderful. But would I have considered it less wonderful if it has cost $120 instead of $105? Probably. By the way, the crowning glory of that meal was the cherry vacherin that I chose for dessert. God, that was good.

A Strange Recipe for Lobster Rolls

2010-07-20T12:04:00.002-04:00

I have always drooled over lobster rolls. One of the marvelous things about visiting New England in the summer is trying a lobster roll at multiple restaurants.

I've thought about trying to make lobster rolls at home, but I assumed it would be a whole lot of work. However, I just stumbled on this recipe from Maria Rodale's website. It doesn't look all that complicated, partly because she uses frozen lobster meat and also because she doesn't make a mayonnaise-based sauce.

Both strike me as a little odd. So long as the frozen lobster meat is tasty, this could work. But I cannot begin to imagine a lobster roll without having some of that mayonnaise-based sauce with diced celery and some herbs. (Instead of the sauce, Maria recommends melted butter.)

The frozen lobster meat saves a lot of time and hassle, but I don't see eliminating the mayonnaise-based sauce as much of a time saver. Besides, the mayo, tarragon and other ingredients in lobster-roll sauce add nice flavors. So, I intend to try making lobster rolls at home using frozen lobster meat, but I will not skip the sauce. This Food Network recipe should be a good source for preparing the sauce.

What Was Bugging Angelina Jolie?

2010-07-17T07:16:00.003-04:00

Fellow bloggers and foodies: I am excited to inform you that I am the co-author of a new book that will arrive in major bookstores any day now. The book is called What the Great Ate, and it provides a variety of fascinating and funny tales of what and how the "greats" of history ate. For example, my brother Mark and I share anecdotes like these:

*Paul Newman interrupted a dinner date with Joanne Woodward during the 1950s, took his salad into the men's room, washed it clean of dressing and returned to the table determined to dress it himself with the right vinaigrette.

*Angelina Jolie ate Cambodian cockroaches and referred to them as a "high-protein snack food."

*Ronald Reagan reportedly went 70 years without eating a tomato.

*Basketball star Charles Barkley had such a prodigious appetite that he was nicknamed "The Leaning Tower of Pizza."

*At a New Jersey cafeteria, Jackie Gleason sometimes requested the pot roast -- with a scoop of ice cream.

*Catherine de Medici, the Italian-born wife of France's King Henri II, almost died of a gluttonous binge, and one of her favorite dishes (called "cibreo") was made from the gizzards, liver and testicles of a young
rooster.

*William Faulkner turned down a White House dinner invitation and had a simple explanation for doing so: "That's a long way to go just to eat."

To buy or learn more about What the Great Ate, visit our website.

Premium Burgers Are All the Rage

2010-07-16T17:47:00.004-04:00

When President Obama showed up at Ray's Hell Burger -- not once, but twice -- it did two things. First, it put Ray's, an eatery in Arlington, Va., on the map to a whole lot of burger lovers. Second, it helped to demonstrate a major trend in America's restaurant-dining scene.

Welcome to the age of the premium burger. As the Washington Post explained:

"Better burger" joints are among the fastest-growing parts of the restaurant industry. Celebrity chef Bobby Flay launched Bobby's Burger Palace in the Northeast. Elevation burger is expanding to Kuwait. Mooyah Burgers & Fries, Meatheads and the Shake Shack are looking to expand.

Higher-grade beef, fresher or more creative toppings, and better buns are bringing customers in the door.

. . . It's a market that has room to grow. Such chains represent only about 2 percent of the $65 billion burger market . . .

The rise of the premium burger is a good development. As for chains, I like Five Guys burgers a whole lot, but I think their fries are vastly overrated.

So That Must Be Why They Call It a Ham-Burger

2010-07-14T00:02:00.003-04:00

Believe it or not, at least one human being has tried to make a burger out of bacon. Yesterday, in this post at Wired's "Geek Dad" blog, Matt Blum explained how he turned 19 slices of bacon into a hamburger:

. . . I decided to add one large egg to the food processor along with the 19 slices of bacon. I ground the bacon and the egg together, then, using my hands, using my hands, pulled the mixture out and used a hamburger press to make a burger.

It is possible that my hands have been greasier at some point in my life, but if so I have (fortunately) forgotten it.

I must admit that the photo of this burger doesn't look very appetizing.

She Prefers a City That Delivers

2010-07-12T00:10:00.003-04:00

The newest justice on the U.S. Supreme Court seems to enjoy her job, writes the Washington Post. But Justice Sonia Sotomayor, a transplanted New Yorker, has a complaint about the city where she now works:

[Sotomayor] told friends she was looking forward to returning to Manhattan as soon as the (court's) term ended, and she has not bought a place in Washington. She has expressed a common New York complaint about Washington: Not enough restaurants deliver.

Guess Who's Nuts About U.S. Nuts

2010-07-11T22:12:00.003-04:00

Globalization has some interesting consequences in unexpected areas. If you're a foodie (like me) who enjoys eating almonds, pecans and other nuts, one of those consequences is paying higher prices at a time when most food prices have remained fairly stable.

What gives? It seems the Chinese are discovering nuts produced in the U.S. As this recent N.Y. Times article notes, Chinese purchases of American tree nuts have risen more than 700 percent, driving up prices for those nuts for U.S. consumers.

Review: Arlington's Lyon Hall

2010-07-10T07:19:00.005-04:00

Ever since I read this review at the Capital Spice blog, I wanted to arrange a dinner at Lyon Hall. It's a restaurant in Arlington, Va.'s Lyon Park neighborhood that can best be described as a Franco-German gastro-pub. Well, I dined there with friends a few days ago, and I had a mixed experience. First, here's the good news.

The wine and beer list offer a variety of choices, and the prices (especially for wine) are reasonable. My schnitzel was good -- slightly oversalted, but very tender meat and the breading was perfect. My two friends who ordered the roast chicken agreed that the white meat tasted better than the dark meat portions.

The mussels we got as an appetizer were good, and the white-wine broth was so amazing that we dipped a few slices of bread in that -- didn't want it to go to waste. Lyon Hall's cheese selection also gets a thumbs-up, both for variety and quality. On the ambience side of things, the restaurant has large windows that bring in a lot of light so there's not a cavernous feel about Lyon Hall.

The shortcomings at Lyon Hall? First and foremost, the noise. During the dinner hours, you may find yourself shouting at your fellow diner(s). We sure did. The restaurant placed hard-surfaced tiles on the ceiling, and those tiles (along with the floor and the glass) apparently cause soundwaves to bounce around everywhere. Lyon Hall should consider ways to lessen the cacophony. Frankly, the noise issue should have been on Lyon Hall's radar screen a long time before now.

Fries at a Franco-German eatery should be superb; the ones served at Lyon Hall are not. Unless something funky was happening the night we were there, Lyon Hall needs to give their fries an immediate overhaul. The basic frites they served with the mussels were droopy and lacked the crispness we'd expected. Just another 40 to 60 seconds in a fry-cooker might make the difference.

Unfortunately, the restaurant's duck-fat fries cannot be salvaged. We were excited to order these, but what arrived at our table was nothing like we'd imagined. The "fries" were essentially potato cakes -- roughly 2 inches thick and 4-5 inches long. Perhaps it was the thickness of the potato, but for whatever reason, they were not at all crisp. The inner potato had a bland taste, and the coating was also nothing to get excited about. Shouldn't everything cooked in duck fat taste incredibly good? That's what we thought, but this experience proved us wrong.

I will consider going back to Lyon Hall, but probably for a weekend lunch when the noise is likely to dip below the level we experienced the other night. I'd like to try some of their beers. If I go back, I will probably focus on appetizers, which sounded and looked like the smartest options.

A Nice Slice of Detective Work

2010-07-09T06:01:00.002-04:00

How did police detectives in Los Angeles build a sufficient case to recently arrest a man whom they believe is the Grim Sleeper serial killer? The key piece of evidence was a piece of pizza.

According to this L.A. Times' blog, detectives conducted DNA tests on a discarded piece of pizza, and the test results prompted them to make their arrest.

Blame It on the Brain

2010-07-08T06:02:00.003-04:00

Did one glance at this photo send you scheming for a side trip to your neighborhood Dunkin' Donuts? According to this article posted at MSNBC.com, there's a very logical reason why something like a doughnut creates such tremendous cravings among many of us.

Your brain, not your stomach, is what makes you desire sugary, fatty splurges such as brownies and french fries.

... The main cravings culprit is a system of interconnected neurons called the reward pathway that evolved over millions of years to encourage prehistoric you to do things that kept you alive, like eating. High-calorie food was scarce and crucial for survival, so your brain learned to flood itself with feel-good chemicals like dopamine and serotonin in response to tastes, smells and even people or places it linked with rich grub.

... The system worked well until modern times when high-fat, high-calorie eats became available 24/7.

Rhubarb: What Was "Out" Is Now "In"

2010-07-06T22:30:00.005-04:00

There are certain foods that seem to have lost their zing. Cream soda, for example. Do you know anyone under the age of 40 who drinks the stuff? Do you know anyone period who drinks it? Probably not.

There are some other foods that are quintessentially dated. I used to think of rhubarb that way, but I have become very fond of it. And the Seattle Times' Rebekah Denn contends that rhubarb may be enjoying retro-popularity.

Last month, Denn described a chef who is "rendering pancetta with rhubarb to sauce his duck pansotti." And she pointed to an other who is cooking rhubarb and placing it atop foie gras terrine.

Those dishes sound tasty, but maybe I'm just old-fashioned -- a strawberry-rhubarb cobbler or a rhubarb pie is more what I crave.

Palau's Version of Comfort Food

2010-07-02T06:31:00.000-04:00

Still wondering what was in that casserole that Aunt Martha made last year? Well, even if you've eaten some unsavory things, you probably can't compete with Thomas Jane, star of HBO's "Hung" series.

In the current issue of People magazine, Jane says he ate a dish called "fruit bat potpie" on the island of Palau. I wonder what wine he paired with that.

The Straight-Shootin' Julia

2010-07-01T06:19:00.001-04:00

I stumbled on this YouTube clip of Julia Child from a 1995 interview in which she briefly talks about McDonald's french fries and how much she used to like them. That is, until the fast-food chain stopped frying them in animal fat -- "they've been kind of limp ever since," she opined.

I agree. I remember McDonald's french fries from the early 1970s, and they were crisper and tastier back then.

While I'm taking you on a nostalgic journey with Julia, I should mention that if you want to watch old episodes of "The French Chef" (the PBS series that introduced her to millions of Americans), you can access such episodes via this link at Philadelphia radio station WHYY.

If you happen to be visiting the nation's capitol, you can visit the kitchen that Julia Child cooked in for over 40 years. It's housed within the Smithsonian Museum of American History.

But Does Kagan Prefer Her Dumplings Fried or Steamed?

2010-06-30T07:56:00.002-04:00

We've already learned where U.S. Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan "probably" ate dinner last Christmas. And the answer was no big surprise. So why not wade in a little deeper and find out what she ordered? Or find out which Chinese restaurant is her favorite?

I'm sure a few of us foodies are curious. Besides, asking questions like those would make these Senate confirmation hearings much less boring than they are.

Point-Counterpoint: Scrapple

2010-06-29T00:06:00.000-04:00

I enjoyed this N.Y. Times blog article about the "Great Scrapple Correspondence of 1872." The newspaper opened up its archives and found a number of letters that readers wrote either praising or trashing scrapple.

Food for Thought

2010-06-27T19:19:00.006-04:00

The Hazards of Being a Food Critic: The Albany Times-Union's food writer believes he was beaten by men who were hired by a local restaurant owner who had a score to settle. More details are right here.

Starbucks Coffee . . . and Beer Hall? Apparently so. Restaurant News reports that a Starbucks in metro Seattle is planning to renovate with a "green" design and a menu that will expand to include beer and wine. More details are right here.

No Need to Abandon Fish: Maria Rodale contends that the oil spill in the Gulf need not drive U.S. consumers away from seafood. She notes that trout is a freshwater fish that is "farmed" -- meaning that eating it doesn't raise the same sustainability issues as some other fish. She even has a recipe to share. More details are right here.

Satisfying Our Sweet Tooth: Here's more proof that dessert is still Americans' favorite course. I just noticed that 4 of the 5 "most popular recipes" listed on Delish's home page are desserts. One of them is Sour Cream Ice Cream. That's one of those recipes that you just know is either wonderful or terrible. More details are right here.

Disgusting Dish of the Month

2010-06-25T06:57:00.000-04:00

A s someone who enjoys an occasional Pop Tart, never let it be said that I'm a food snob. But there are some concoctions that just aren't edible. This was a tough choice, but I give the award to the blog Picky Palate for its recipe called White Chocolate PB&J Muddy Mix.

Now each of these ingredients can be tasty (although white chocolate is overrated). But combined? Absolutely revolting. Just check out the photos and you'll start to feel dizzy.

Crème Brûlée on the Grill?

2010-06-23T06:15:00.002-04:00

Sounds like an enticing approach? Fugetaboutit. New York Times food blogger Wilson Rothman was excited to try out a barbecue cast-iron creme brulee set, but the outcome was a flop. He writes:

Having made creme brulee plenty of times with a torch, and a few times under a broiler, I knew that the proposition -- lowering a super-heated (cast-iron) salamander onto sugar to be caramelized -- probably would work. I didn't even balk at paying $30 for two enameled cast-iron ramekins and a burger-patty-sized disc of cast iron (whose total cost to manufacture might well be under $5).

But no, it wasn't to be. In fact, it was a disaster.

. . . Sugar around the disc's edges did turn a perfect color and consistency, but half the sugar under the disc only browned a tad, and the other half stuck to the bottom of the disc.

The moral of the story is to stick with a blow torch if you want to make creme brulee at home. Or, better yet, have a restaurant chef prepare it for you.

Ever Made Breakfast With Marbles?

2010-06-22T00:09:00.001-04:00

Okay, so that's a silly question. But so is this question, which was asked by a blogger at Serious Eats.

A "Twilight" of Menus

2010-06-21T06:19:00.001-04:00

The book and movie series "Twilight" has spawned a host of food-related items, including a cookbook and special dishes in certain restaurants in Washington State's Olympic Peninsula, where the series is set. A pizzeria in the area even has created a full "Twilight" menu.

Delish's Eric Burkett suggests that fans "might consider a stop at Sully's Drive-In for a Bella Burger, but only if you like pineapple on your hamburger.

An Insurmountable Task

2010-06-18T06:08:00.003-04:00

The very term "airline food" has become an oxymoron. On most flights, it's nothing more than prepackaged pretzels or other snack foods. On longer flights, it's nothing you could possibly get excited about. But for a new upscale airline, a celebrity chef is trying to change that. From the Washington Post:

It sounds like a "Top Chef" moment, but this challenge is real: Teach the catering staff at two airports, separated by an ocean, how to replicate your signature dishes, then reheat and serve them.

At 38,000 feet.

At least seven hours after they have been cooked.

Since February, chef Michel Richard has been working with Open Skies, the all-business-class subsidiary of British Airways, to design and implement menus for service this month and next on (transatlantic) flights . . .

According to the Post reporter who tasted a facsimile of Richard's signature fried chicken, the airline version was "[n]ot as good as the original, but a reasonable facsimile." Of course, the seven-hour delay means that passengers are essentially eating leftovers -- that's what we call it when you cook something and then reheat it.

Review: D.C.'s Florida Avenue Grill

2010-06-16T06:47:00.001-04:00

Last Thursday, a co-worker and I ventured to Washington, D.C.'s U Street neighborhood for a beer and then we ate at the Florida Avenue Grill. Since 1944, the Grill has been serving Southern and Soul food to Washingtonians.

I grew up in Arkansas, and my colleague grew up in Mississippi so we know what good, fried catfish tastes like. Well, the fried catfish that we ate at the Grill was excellent -- just enough breading to seal in the flavor, but not too much. The sweet potatoes were good, but they were a bit over-sweetened. The collard greens were marvelous -- tender and not too salty. The biscuits they bring to your table are tasty. I will probably try the spareribs on my next visit.

The Grill has a charming, diner-style seating arrangement. Service was excellent. It's a gem, and I'm only sorry it took me this long to discover it.

Spellbound by Food

2010-06-14T06:34:00.000-04:00

What do mozzarella, coriander, lecithin, zucchini, confiserie and mesclun have in common? They were among the dozens of food words that contestants were asked to spell during the recent National Spelling Bee. Click here to watch how 13-year-old Elizabeth Platz handled the word "gnocchi."

Poulet Farci or Poulet Farce?

2010-06-09T00:03:00.004-04:00

What is the world coming to? It's a question worth pondering after reading this article from Time magazine:

This spring, scientists at the University of Missouri announced that after more than a decade of research, they had created the first soy product that not only can be flavored to taste like chicken but also breaks apart in your mouth the way chicken does: not too soft, not too hard, but with that ineffable chew of real flesh.

When you pull apart the Missouri invention, it disjoins the way chicken does, with a few random strands of "meat" hanging loosely.

Perhaps I should be open-minded about this new kind of, um, "chicken," but it seems very strange that people will go to such an extreme to try to deceive people into thinking they are eating meat. Is this basically an admission that it's unrealistic to think that carnivores will ever embrace vegetables that taste like . . . . vegetables?

Yet the University researchers came up with a product that isn't quite a perfect forgery. According to Time:

But while Missouri's fake chicken has the right consistency, it still has to be flavored — and heavily salted — to taste like meat.

So if you have a salt-restricted diet, eating real chicken makes more sense. Look at that lovely poulet roti pictured above. How could someone settle for faux chicken when they could enjoy a slice of white or dark meat from that wonderful chicken? Beats me.

New Orleans: So What's on the Menu?

2010-06-07T07:09:00.002-04:00

The BP oil spill's impact is being felt on restaurant menus in New Orleans and the dining scene elsewhere. But in the Big Easy, restaurateurs aren't ditching Gulf seafood. According to the Washington Post's Theresa Vargas:

Restaurants in the French Quarter brag about serving homegrown Louisiana seafood, which makes up about 30 percent of the U.S. domestic product . . . there is no question that the loss of the normal supply of shrimp, blue crabs and oysters is being felt here first.

But unlike cities that are advertising non-gulf seafood, New Orleans is not abandoning local catch: it's embracing what remains.

That means crayfish -- and, to a lesser extent, alligator -- is claiming a larger spot on menus in the Big Easy. If you haven't tried alligator, give it a shot. I found it tasty.

The Post article points out that 70 percent of Louisiana's coastline remains open. So, if you're pondering a trip to New Orleans, it sounds like you will still eat darn well.

Meet Mrs. Celebrity-Chef

2010-06-04T08:05:00.008-04:00

A frustrated woman seeks advice from relationship columnist Carolyn Hax:

Dear Carolyn,

Husband is a local celebrity chef, who quickly gained notoriety during our first few years of marriage. This created some conflict with "food groupies" and my husband's inability to lay down boundaries when they hug, kiss or hit on him at local events.

I am accused of being jealous and insecure when I mention that it makes me uncomfortable. Duh. ... How does one act at [social or public] events, especially when women elbow me out of the way to get to my husband?

Ah, the hazards of living with a celebrity chef. I wasn't all that impressed with Carolyn's response. It would have been far more entertaining if Carolyn had closed her response with a phrase like this: "And, honey, if all else fails, you may solve your problem by turning to your hubby's knife block."

Food for Thought

2010-06-02T07:43:00.002-04:00

A Congressman With a Sweet Tooth: According to the Washington Post, the leadership PAC of Rep. Eric Cantor (R-Va.) spent $13,400 on candy, cookies, popcorn and chocolates.

Gifford's Closes Suddenly: I was surprised to discover a closed Gifford's ice cream outlet in downtown Washington (located on E Street, between 10th and 11th Streets, N.W.). The front door has a sticker that indicates that the health department closed it. Interesting. They don't prepare meals there, and ice cream doesn't present a lot of potential for health code violations so I'm curious what happened. Nothing I saw on Gifford's website provides an explanation.

Can You Taste the Difference? When it comes to eggs, apparently not. This blind taste test found that there was no difference between supermarket eggs and those from locally-sourced, humanely treated hens.

Que Syrah, Syrah: The N.Y. Times' Eric Asimov wonders if there really is a future for Syrah producers in the U.S. One wine producer who was an early champion of the red-wine grape laments that Syrah "appears to have crashed and burned in this country."

Pumpkin Ice Cream Pie

2010-06-01T07:05:00.001-04:00

Thanks to Laura, the blogger at Feeding Frenzy, for this marvelous recipe for pumpkin ice cream pie. We made it this weekend, and it was a big hit.

Pumpkin may seem like a strange ingredient for a dessert served on a May weekend, but this was ice cream, after all. Be sure to make the ginger snap-cookie crust (instead of a standard pie shell). That crust was a key part of what earned the dessert raves.

The Unappreciated Boysenberry

2010-05-28T00:06:00.000-04:00

There used to be a place in my hometown of North Little Rock, Ark., called Sue's Pie Shop, and one of the pies I loved to order there was a piece of boysenberry pie. I remembered how wonderful that pie was when I read this article from the Los Angeles Times.

The Times' David Karp writes:

To the uninitiated, the boysenberry may look like a big, blowzy, underripe fruit, but it is in fact a noble fruit, as distinct from a common blackberry as a thoroughbred is from a mule.

Large, dark purple, juicy and intense, it derives its unique flavor from its complex ancestry: sweetness and floral aroma from its raspberry grandmother cousin, and a winy, feral tang from three native blackberry species.

It's a California classic . . . [a]nd it's all the more precious despite its near extinction in this state, because it evokes why people moved here in the first place.

. . . they are so delicate that as a fresh fruit they can be enjoyed at their best only from farmers markets, farm stands, and home gardens.

I wish boysenberries grew abundantly here in the mid-Atlantic. The delicate nature of this fruit is what must make the mass-fruit producers hate them -- they don't ship well. But I'll take a pint of fresh boysenberries over those tastless, oversized, not-yet-ripe strawberries that get shipped to the East Coast this time of year.

The Pentagon's Brownie Recipe

2010-05-26T07:18:00.002-04:00

According to this article at Huffington Post's food page, the recipe is 26 pages long. This is the U.S. military so, of course, there are lots of rules and regs that govern such things as baking temperature and final size -- each brownie "shall not exceed 3-1/2 inches by 2-1/2 inches by 5/8 inch."

The brownies, if baked in accordance to the "specification . . . approved for use by all Departments and Agencies of the Department of Defense," are made to last years, if necessary. But how tasty are the hardy treats?

Penny Karas, owner of the bakery Hello Cupcake in Washington D.C., made the brownies for NPR's "All Things Considered" and concluded: "It's not so great." (NPR host) Guy Razz concurred: "Yeah. They're awful."

Sounds like an industrial-sized box of Duncan Hines brownie mix would be a better choice for a military base.

A Very Loyal Customer

2010-05-25T06:46:00.003-04:00

There are plenty of "regulars" -- people who dine at the same restaurant on a regular basis. But this story from the New York Times takes the notion of regular to a whole new level. Referring to Sardi's, a restaurant in the city's Theater District, the Times' Manny Fernandez writes:

Eating lunch at Sardi's last Tuesday, William Herz did not have to order coffee. It was brought to him, right when he wanted it (in the middle of his meal, not after) by a waiter who served it in a white mug that no one but Mr. Herz drinks from.

Mr. Herz is the only patron of one of the best-known restaurants in the world who gets his own cup: He is 93 years old, and he prefers using a mug with an easy-to-hold handle. After lunch on Tuesday, the mug was washed and returned to its usual place, on the shelf of a cabinet in the coat room because the management and staff at Sardi's know Mr. Herz will be back.

He always comes back.

For 77 of his 93 years, Mr. Herz has eaten at Sardi's.

Herz, who has a show-biz past, apparently started dining there in 1933. The whole article is worth reading.

Perfecting Ketchup? Puh-lease

2010-05-24T06:54:00.003-04:00

An article in Sunday's New York Times magazine offered two recipes -- one for "house-made" hamburger buns and the other for ketchup. When I saw these recipes, I immediately thought "what a waste."

How many people do you know who are looking for a "better ketchup"? Ketchup is ketchup. Anyone who has enough time on his or her hands to spend it making homemade ketchup clearly has a warped sense of priorities.

I'm sure the house-made buns would taste better than store-bought hamburger buns, but I find it hard to believe that they'd be worth all of the trouble presented by this recipe. I just don't get the point. What sane human being is going to spend more than 2 hours making homemade hamburger buns? If I had that much extra time on my hands, I'd spend it doing something else -- maybe preparing a homemade potato salad or making a rub for pork spare ribs.

Meatless Mondays

2010-05-20T07:18:00.003-04:00

In this article, the Washington Post's Jane Black contends that this is a movement that "has legs." She writes:

It's probably no surprise that Sir Paul McCartney, a longtime vegetarian, banned all meat from staff meals on his current world tour. But when Mario Batali starts to push people to eat their vegetables, you know something is happening.

The famously rotund and infamously gluttonous chef-restaurateur is to pig what the Beatles are to rock-and-roll. ... yet this month, Batali announced that he would join the Meatless Monday campaign, a movement backed by a broad array of public-health advocates, animal welfare activists and environmentalists that asks carnivores to give up meat one day a week.

I'm a carnivore, but passing on meat one day a week would be no problem for me. There are lots of tasty options: pizza and curried Indian-style veggies, for example.

A Great Marinade for Flank Steak

2010-05-18T06:56:00.000-04:00

If you've read this food blog for a while, you know that I'm a fan of grilled flank steak. I've tested several different marinades to use for flank steak, and I think the one I used on Sunday was the best yet. Here's the recipe:

One 2-lb. flank steak, scored slightly with a knife

Marinade:

1/2 cup of soy sauce

1/2 cup of dry red wine (not "cooking wine")

3 T. of tomato paste

2 T. of brown sugar

1 T. and 1 teaspoon of minced or chopped garlic

1 T. of freshly cracked pepper

Juice of half a lime

Directions:

1. Whisk all marinade ingredients into a medium bowl until smooth.

2. Unroll the flank steak and slide it into a large ziplock storage bag. Carefully pour the marinade into the bag and then seal the bag closed.

3. Place the bag in the refrigerator on its side, resting on a large plate. After an hour, turn the bag over and let it marinate for another full hour.

4. Light the grill and remove the steak from the marinade/bag. Place the steak on a hot grill and cook for about 8 minutes on each side for medium-rare, 6 minutes per side for rare.

5. Remove the steak and let it rest on a platter or cutting board for 5 minutes. Then slice the flank steak against the grain. Serve with a salad or grilled veggies.

The soy sauce adds enough saltiness that you probably won't need or want to add more salt. Taste it first -- then decide.

Fantastic Ice Cream

2010-05-17T07:32:00.003-04:00

I had another good meal at Arlington, Va.'s Liberty Tavern. The main-course pork dish was good, and the glass of Sangiovese I ordered as fine, but the course worth raving about was dessert.

My dessert was a yellow peach-and-blackberry tart with caramel sauce and blueberry ice cream. I like caramel, although I wouldn't normally pair it with a berry dessert. The blueberry ice cream was absolutely amazing -- creamy texture, intense berry flavor.

It got me wondering why more restaurants don't make ice creams in-house. The gap between homemade, small-batch ice cream and the commercially made equivalent is huge. The only thing that would have been more sublime was another scoop of that ice cream.

When the Pasta's Waiting for You

2010-05-14T06:52:00.002-04:00

The Washington Post reported yesterday that actor Henry Winkler was seen in the city's Georgetown neighborhood, talking on his cell and chatting with a fan. But Winkler, having stepped outside a restaurant called Papa Razzi for his phone call, cut the conversation short. He kissed the fan on the cheek and told her:

"My pasta's getting cold."

And, as any actor knows, eating cold pasta is a bummer.

"Free" Iced Coffee = Costly Fallout

2010-05-13T06:45:00.002-04:00

I've written before about restaurant promotions gone awry. Well, it seems that an Internet-based promotion has created a lot of disappointed iced-coffee fans. The Christian Science Monitor is based in New England so perhaps that explains why they felt that any controversy involving Dunkin' Donuts demanded a news story.

The newspaper reports:

. . . when word leaked out over the Internet that some locations but not others were offering the free [iced coffee], some people got angry at the Massachusetts-based chain. Customers from Maine to North Carolina were posting messages Tuesday on Dunkin's Facebook page complaining about the lack of free coffee in their town.

Grilled Flank Steak: Lots of Options

2010-05-12T06:59:00.001-04:00

Flank steak is one of my favorites on the grill. Marinated beforehand, the meat comes off the grill tender, and it makes for very good eating.

This recipe from Delish looks tasty: it's a sandwich of grilled flank steak and grilled onion, plus tomato and arugula. The marinade they suggest is similar to the one I use, except mine includes red wine and does not include balsamic vinegar.

Here is another good-looking recipe for grilled flank steak. Want a more exotic recipe for grilled flank steak? Try this one with Moroccan spices.

Asparagus What?

2010-05-11T06:14:00.002-04:00

I really like asparagus, and I really like pesto sauce too. But would I like a pesto sauce made with asparagus?

The New York Times' Mark Bittman seems to think it's terrific. He writes that asparagus pesto

. . . tastes like asparagus with additional punch. ... Making asparagus pesto lets you use the peel, which contains a ton of flavor even though it's sometimes too tough and stringy to eat. Pureeing lets you sidestep this issue: you keep the peel, and the flavor, but your food processor pulverizes the fibers, even if you use thick spears.

Maybe I'll try it. Maybe.

Yelp, But Do So Constructively

2010-05-10T07:10:00.003-04:00

I saved an old issue of Wired (November 2009) because it has several good articles, including a column by Brendan I. Koerner, who ponders whether the same rule about work-related emails -- when you're angry, observe a cooling-off period before sending an email -- applies to online restaurant reviews.

Koerner offers an amusing example. He writes:

Are you trying to alert the restaurant to a legitimate flaw -- or do you just want to rant about some gustatory affront? . . . As entertaining as those thermonuclear reviews on Yelp can be, you're morally obligated to be constructive.

Stating that a joint's baked halibut "tasted like rancid crud stewed in toilet water" is just a slam; stating that it "tasted like rancid crud due to severe oversalting," on the other hand, lets the chefs know they need to lay off the sel gris.

Unnecessary, Superfluous Powdered Sugar

2010-05-06T07:05:00.007-04:00

As far as I'm concerned, powdered sugar -- sometimes called "confectioner's sugar" -- is at the very bottom of the sugar hierarchy. It adds sweetness, but nothing else. And some of it always seems to dust you and your clothing while you're eating.

I've always wondered why cooks are so determined to sprinkle it on just about everything they get their hands on. I recently bought a loaf of raisin bread from Panera, figuring that I'd toast slices of it. When I got home with my loaf of bread, I discovered that it had a thick dusting of powdered sugar on the top. What did that add? Absolutely nothing. A little bit of cinnamon sugar -- that I could have understood, but powdered sugar?

If you order French toast at a restaurant, invariably it will arrive at your table with powdered sugar sprinkled over it. Since French toast is meant to be eaten with syrup, the sweetness of powdered sugar is superfluous. Besides, maple syrup has so much more depth of flavor than powdered sugar.

I think the real reason they do it is because they think it makes the dish look more appetizing, but I wish they'd stop. Given the rates of obesity in our country, Americans don't need any more sugar in their diet than they now have.

Will the New "Social Safeway" Impress Us?

2010-05-05T07:43:00.003-04:00

Anyone who has lived in Washington, D.C., for at least five years probably understands what one is talking about when someone refers to buying groceries at the "Social Safeway." It's the Safeway that's located on Wisconsin Avenue in Glover Park, just above Georgetown.

The term Social Safeway was coined to refer to the fact that so many single people frequented that grocery store (but this has been less true in recent years because new groceries have opened in the Adams Morgan and Logan Circle neighborhoods).

Well, I picked up this morning's Washington Post to learn that the Social Safeway is going to reopen on Thursday. The article suggests that the new Social Safeway will be a grocery store worth shopping at, but I'll believe when I see it.

My memories of the Social Safeway (before it closed for this renovation) are pretty unpleasant ones. The produce that I usually found there years ago looked like it had just been through a hailstorm. The apples were waxed to death, and it was hard to find varieties beyond the mass-produced Golden Delicious, Red Delicious and McIntosh varieties. Also the floors in the Social Safeway were usually filthy.

The article refers to a sushi bar and gelato stand being part of the new store. Sounds appealing, but it's hard to imagine. I think my attitudes are so poisoned against the Social Safeway that it's hard for me to believe that the "new" version will really offer foodies a quality, overall shopping experience. I'm skeptical, but I will probably give it a chance.

Restaurants in the Big Easy

2010-05-04T00:07:00.001-04:00

I spent enough time in New Orleans in the years that followed Hurricane Katrina to have told the New York Times what they discovered on their own. In this article, the Times' Sam Sifton concludes that the Crescent City's restaurant scene is incredibly robust these days:

. . . there are roughly 1,000 restaurants in New Orleans now, up a cool couple of hundred from before the storm . . .

And for a critic on the prowl for an authentic taste of the city in full springtime bloom, surprises abounded. One of the most purely joyful and purely New Orleans restaurants of the moment is Emeril's, a place run by a television chef who was born in Fall River, Mass., and lives mostly in New York City. Another, Cochon, is devoted not to the Creole cosmopolitanism of the city center, but to the Cajun traditions of the bayou and backwaters outside of town, in the tidal soup of southern Louisiana.

The article has several recommended restaurants at the very end.

Veggies on the Grill

2010-05-03T07:27:00.004-04:00

This past weekend, a friend fired up the grill, which basically kicks off (in my mind) the summer-grill season. Asparagus may be the most popular vegetable for grilling, mostly because it hits groceries and markets in summer. But I also enjoy throwing other veggies on the grill.

When someone first suggested grilling sweet potatoes, it sounded strange. But I'm glad I gave it a try. Just slice the sweet potatoes relatively thin or microwave them a little (after piercing them) and then put them on a medium-hot grill. Grill them for about 8 minutes on each side. Do be worried if they get slightly charred -- that's flavor, my friend. Then brush or drizzle the marinade below over them and serve.

Zucchini is also a good veggie to grill. Cut them lengthwise so they aren't as prone to slide through the grill slits when you flip them. Zucchini will cook faster than sweet potatoes, probably taking only 4 minutes per side. Then remove them from the grill and immediately drizzle or spread the marinade over them. The recipes below are for 3 zucchinis and 3 sweet potatoes. Just combine all ingredients in a small ball and whisk until relatively smooth.

Marinade for Sweet Potatoes:

1/3 cup of extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons of molasses

Salt to taste

Marinade for Zucchini:

1/3 cup of extra-virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons of fresh, minced basil leaves (or 1-1/2 tsp. of dried basil)

1 clove of garlic, crushed or minced

1 tablespoon of fresh lime juice

Salt to taste

Those Demonic Salt-Lovers

2010-04-28T07:31:00.000-04:00

As you may know, the FDA is preparing regulations to limit the amount of salt in processed foods. Today’s Washington Post includes this letter to the editor from a woman who recently traveled to Germany. She offers both a fascinating story and an unorthodox approach to curbing American’s salt intake:

Much German cuisine is wonderful: meats, breads, soups, vegetables, desserts. But the saltiness is stunning. Germans routinely salt buttered bread. They put salt in bottled water and on raw vegetables. Their "adult" licorice brings tears to the eyes and a painful thirst to the throat.

An interesting explanation is given at the Museum of Medieval Crime in Rothenburg ob der Tauber: Aversion to salt was associated with the devil. Women who did not cook with salt were suspected of being witches, and a negative reaction to salt could be damning to a person on trial. Holy water was salted. So the overuse of salt has been inculcated in Germany in an essentially nonculinary way.

Maybe the Food and Drug Administration should try a converse approach here. What about an ad campaign connecting overuse of salt to terrorists, drug dealers and Wall Street rip-off artists?

The Gluten-Free Bandwagon

2010-04-27T08:09:00.004-04:00

I have no sensitivity to glutens so, up to now at least, I haven't had any reason to worry about glutens in the food that I'm eating. But a lot of loudmouths seem intent on changing my behavior. So should people like me think twice about eating glutens?

This article at MSN's Delish notes that going gluten-free seems to be all the rage these days:

... shunning glutens -- it's in wheat, rye, and barley, and often in oats -- has become the diet of the moment.

Why? Lots of people swear they feel 10 times better when they don't eat gluten, celebs included: Gwyneth Paltrow, Rachel Weisz, and Jenny McCarthy are all rumored to be gluten-free.

... "gluten sensitivity" is a medical gray area. There are no tests for it, and although problems -- migraines, skin breakouts, irritability, even autism -- have been blamed on it, doctors haven't found a clear link.

The fact that some people claim to feel better after dropping glutens from their diet could be a classic case of the placebo factor. It's hard to say. Besides, eliminating glutens from my diet would deprive me of some of the things I love the best -- pizza dough, toast, English muffins and a nice crusty baguette.

This article certainly won't sell me on going gluten-free by showing a photo of beets with the silly caption: "Delicious cooked beets are a gluten-free side or snack."

Um, no. Trail mix, maybe. An orange, sure. But don't try to convince me that beets are a "snack." And when someone has to describe a food as "delicious," that's when you know it isn't. Do you ever hear anyone say: "Delicious chocolate is a good dessert" or "delicious buttered toast is a good breakfast food."

No, you don't. Why? Because everyone knows those foods are delicious.

Give Bitter Greens a Chance

2010-04-26T07:47:00.001-04:00

Bitter greens are something I enjoy from time to time, but I only seem to eat them at restaurants. I can't think of any time when I've cooked them at home (except for throwing a few small pieces of radicchio into a green salad). In this article, the New York Times' Mark Bittman urges people like me to give it a shot:

Like radicchio and other bitter, tough greens, escarole can survive the winter in many places and appear early in spring. But unlike radicchio, escarole is inexpensive. And it's more versatile: it tastes better cooked than does its round, red cousin.

In fact, escarole is at its most appealing when sauteed or braised, as the flavor becomes softer and even a bit buttery. It's especially excellent with loads of garlic ...

The article has a recipe for escarole soup with rice. It would have been nice to see a few other recipes in Bittman's article using bitter greens. This recipe using kale with cannellini beans and pancetta sounds great. And scroll down to the end of this web page for additional recipes.

Delicious Dining in Durham

2010-04-23T00:20:00.001-04:00

Durham, N.C. is a town best known for being the home of Duke University, an elite private college. But the food served in Durham can taste pretty elite too.

This article in the New York Times profiles several restaurants in Durham that are relying largely on locally sourced ingredients to produce excellent food. Many of these eateries have a very casual feel, but the food served inside is worthy of lavish spaces. The Times writes:

Watts Grocery, for example, looks like an upscale sports bar, but it tastes like a Southern-artisanal Union Square Cafe.

The Post-Cupcake World

2010-04-22T07:29:00.005-04:00

The Times of London believes it has seen that world, and it is filled with "whoopies" -- sponge-cake cookies filled with buttercream. The newspaper declares that whoopies have "taken Britain's chic-est bakeries by storm."

The Times writes:

... the Americans somehow have a way with cake that is so much more indulgent than our pristine British afternoon teas of dainty Victorian sponges and lemon drizzles.

... The name may be worth a giggle, but it's misleading. A classic American whoopie pie is not a pie at all, but is often described as a cross between a cookie and a cake sandwich -- some cakies call them "Oreo sandwiches," since they have a drier bite than regular sponge.

NYC's Brunch Trainwrecks

2010-04-21T07:50:00.004-04:00

Finding a good brunch or breakfast in New York City (at a reasonable price) remains a daunting challenge. This past weekend provided another example of a trainwreck eatery for brunch: Sarabeth's.

Several reviewers heap praise on Sarahbeth's. I had eaten there once before and felt the food was fine -- not bad, not great. But this past Sunday's visit was horrific. Waiting for a table is something you expect at many restaurants in NYC, but this wait was outrageous. I put in my name for a party of 2 and was told that the wait was 30 to 40 minutes. Sure, I know this is only an "estimate," but 1 hour and five minutes later, we were still waiting with no sign that our situation would change in the next 5 to 10 minutes. So we just left.

The food didn't look very appetizing so I'm not sure we missed out on a good meal. We walked a few blocks north to Le Pain Quotidien and had a tasty breakfast at a better price.

I can't speak for the East side location of Sarabeth's, but at the West side location, the staff are extremely slow to clear tables and take orders. The "wait times" they give to customers remind me of the estimated times airlines give for flight delays -- totally unrealistic. There are some people who praise Sarahbeth's, but I just don't get it. They must grading on a curve.

Norma's, the restaurant in the Le Meridien hotel on 56th St., is another place that has won kudos. What makes a place with $7-a-glass orange juice so enticing to them? Good question. It sure as hell isn't the food, which was distinctly mediocre. Even by NYC standards, customers are crammed together so tightly that you could be forgiven if you responded to a question from the adjoining table.

A Tasty Detour to NYC's Lower East Side

2010-04-19T21:39:00.004-04:00

Visitors to New York City are rewarded when they venture off the beaten path. In the East Village, right on the edge of so-called Alphabet City, we found both relative quiet and culinary bliss.

Our first stop on Friday was a place called Porchetta. It's located at 110 East 7th Street. What, you might ask, is the allure of a tiny storefront eatery with interior room for only four stools and plain wooden counters? It's all about the food: succulent, fall-right-off-the-bone roast pork with crispy skin and those wonderful "burnt ends." (You can even order a side of burnt ends.)

I ordered the porchetta plate, which was accompanied by sauteed kale and canellini beans. Delicious. Before it is roasted, the pork at Porchetta is seasoned with that marvelous Italian mixture of salt, parsley, sage, rosemary and perhaps one or two other herbs.

Dessert was found across the street and only a few doors down at 123 East 7th Street is Butter Lane. It's an appropriate name for a cupcake store. This is no chain outlet. Butter Lane relies on solid ingredients, many of them locally sourced, to produce excellent cupcakes. A banana cupcake with buttercream frosting was excellent.

New Haven's Little Italy

2010-04-16T09:21:00.002-04:00

This is the archway that greets you on Wooster Street as you enter the two- or three-block enclave in New Haven, Conn., that is called Little Italy. I was here yesterday, enjoying pizza at Frank Pepe's and then a cannoli and coffee at Libby's Italian Pastry Shop. Pepe's pizza is baked in a coal oven, and it has made pizza that way since the 1920s.

It seems that every local has his or her favorite restaurant in the neighborhood. Last night, as I strolled the area, the smell of garlic was wafting in the air. Heavenly.

Very Good Food at Bar Pilar

2010-04-15T06:47:00.004-04:00

Bar Pilar, located on Washington, D.C.'s 14th Street, gives bar food a whole new image. Halibut ceviche, slow-roasted pork shoulder and grilled octopus were some of the small plates that I shared with friends there last night. Each one was excellent.

The bar is cozy and intimiate without giving one a claustrophic feel.

Their website pictures Ernest Hemingway, and at first I was stumped at the connection between the author and Bar Pilar. But it turns out that Hemingway had a boat that he named "Bar Pilar."

"Boldly Bland" Berlin Street Food

2010-04-14T10:06:00.001-04:00

Before I identify the montrosity pictured above, let me offer this disclaimer: I do not hate German food. There are some products of German cuisine of which I am rather fond. Potato pancakes, for example. Then, of course, there is linzer torte, spaetzle and bread dumplings. In addition, it's easy to find very good beer in Germany, and both Germany and Austria have a handful of wines that will delight the palate. (This critic at Wine the Blog shares my fondness for Austria's Blaufrankisch.)

Having said all of that, let's agree that one doesn't travel to Germany for culinary enchantment. I was reminded of this when reading this article from the current issue of Travel & Leisure. The article offered this not so glowing description of street food in Berlin:

To acclimate ourselves to the city we went directly to Curry 36, a Currywurst Imbiss. For the uninitiated, this iconic Berlin street food -- fried sausage topped with ketchup seasoned with curry powder -- is a creation to behold.

Keep reading.

There is something beautifully, boldly bland to it, an altogether likable badness. For the price of two orders of currywurst with mayonnaise-topped fries, our stomachs were convinced we'd really been to Berlin. And we never had to eat it again.