amyblues

Mark Bittman's fast version of his no-knead bread dipped into Marcella Hazan's easy tomato sauce. First time making them both and they are great! The sauce is really rich-tasting but incredibly easy to make.

Thanks for the heads up on Argana and the feel of the country! I'm definitely learning about the prices being driven up as we negotiate costs for our meeting. I'm in the bargaining mindset for our site visit next week, and I'll report back any good findings here.

Hi all, Just found out this week I'll be spending 3 weeks in Marrakech, Morocco this June for work. Has anyone been and, if so, any restaurant/market recommendations? Three weeks is a long time, so I'm looking to explore any and everything: cheap/pricey, small/large, quiet/crowded, etc. I'll be on gov't per diem, which is approx. $99 a day at this point, and I'm hoping that gives me plenty to work with...I'm learning that Marrakech is more expensive than expected. Thanks for your suggestions!

I tried out a new orzo improvisation last night that turned out pretty good. I roasted some cherry tomatoes with oregano, salt, pepper and olive oil for 45 minutes and tossed them with the cooked orzo and some crumbled feta.

I buy the premade, seasoned polenta rolls sometimes and slice them thickly, pan-fry with butter and olive oil, and sprinkle with salt, pepper and rosemary. Another option is to reconstitute it with some chicken stock. From there, I usually mix in mushrooms sauteed with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and thyme or rosemary. It's not bad served with pork or chicken, or on it's own.

I went with the +1 to Corduroy Friday night to celebrate a birthday (him) and new job (me). I stuck with the luscious seared tuna, as I always do, but the true highlights of the evening were the tomato tonnato and the chocolate hazelnut bars. The tomato tonnato was just spicy enough to wake up the tastebuds, with the cubes of raw tuna cooling things off. The +1 dubbed the chocolate hazelnut bars kit-kats of the Gods and I second that.

Cooked dinner for friends who just had a baby, so I snagged a little bit of the extras for dinner last night: Green beans with butter and dill Rosemary roasted potatoes Flank steak in a red wine vinegar, soy, garlic, honey marinade. For dessert, two white nectarines and some red cherries. I love summer fruit.

I supplemented a Costco roast chicken with Zora's roasted fig, fennel and onion dish. This time, I used fresh lemon juice and zest per her instructions and they really cut through and complimented the richness. That roast chicken is a wonder at $4.99. The skin could be crispier but the meat is incredibly moist and I've got a ton of leftovers. The figs came from Costco also, and are pretty good!

I loved Wheatberry when it was open, and probably spent more money than I should on the delicious cupcakes Gerald, the owner, made. He didn't say why he closed, but a Mediterranean restaurant is due to open there, or so says the large white sign in the window.

Where can your hotel sales manager take you, a stressed out meeting manager, after a disasterous start to a three-day conference, complete with falling ceiling tiles, soaked meeting rooms and short staff numbers? The Tasting Room at Restaurant Eve for the 5-course tasting menu. You have the Summer Daisy, a drink made with fresh blueberries, limes, and vanilla vodka (not sweet, very refreshing), the Bacon and Eggs (everything that breakfast should be, with crispy on the outside/tender on the inside/smoky throughout pork belly) and an amuse from the chef that includes strawberry gelee, candied hazelnuts, rhubarb puree and goat cheese. You forget the last few days of weather-related havoc and enjoy the wine, the food, the superb service. I'll be sure to return on my own dime as soon as possible.

On a tip from Zora last summer, I started thinly slicing fennel and mixing it with sliced vidalia onions, cut up fresh figs, salt, pepper and olive oil, all roasted together in the oven till caramelized. The sweetness of the figs and the onions counters the really strong licorice flavor of the fennel and it's delicious!

Thanks for the tips on Sonoma and Zaytinya. I've put in a call to CP Steak, because it was a big hit, and will follow up with these other suggestions. Same goes for the post website.

Hi all, I'm in a bit of a bind for a work dinner I'm attempting to organize. We're holding a conference at the Hyatt Regency on Capitol Hill, and are looking to organize a dinner to thank our program committee members on Tuesday, June 27th at 7:45/8 p.m. We have 10 confirmed attendees but the number could go as high as 25. The catch is we need to adhere to federal per diem standards, which means $34 for dinner. I haven't received any comments from the group about likes/dislikes. One member suggested Jaleo, but I'm curious if the downtown restaurant would permit reservations past 6:30. I'll be calling them this morning. The only availability on OT for a group of 20 that night is Restaurant Kolumbia. Does anyone have any other tips? Past dinners have been at La Colline (but I heard some complaints re: service) and Charlie Palmer Steak. Any suggestions are appreciated! Thanks!

The last time we went, they did give us a free baguette. The bread is still dreary, but not bad when it comes stuffed inside the roast chicken, soaking up all the juices.

I hit Eastern Market with a friend on Sunday around 1 p.m. The NC peaches were not yet ready for purchase and the honeydws that were left at that point were either too hard or turning, but I bought some wonderful tomatoes and vidalia onions. The stall along the short side of the market had fresh figs, but it strikes me as a bit early for figs and for $1.25 each, I wasn't taking my chances. The sorbet stand was a great treat at 91 degrees.