Capital Icebox

I picked up some frozen wild-caught sockeye salmon at Trader Joe's the other day ($6/lb.), and the vaccum-packed plastic container it arrived in got me thinking: Why can't I just sous vide this thing in the original packaging?

I defrosted the salmon in the fridge overnight, then brought a pot of water to a boil on my stovetop, then reduced the heat to its lowest setting. I let it sit there for about half an hour, and then put the salmon in. The water at this point wasn't hot, but a little more than tepid. (I'm getting a digital thermometer this weekend to get this part down.) I cooked the salmon for about ten minutes, removed it from the bag, and placed it on top of a bed of some pasta riso (with romano and saffron). I made a little shallot butter sauce for the salmon and added a bit of fresh dill, and it worked pretty well. The salmon, once defrosted, wasn't completely vaccum-packed and air-free, so there wasn't the concentration of juices that I'd hope for from the real thing (just got my foodsaver vac yesterday, so that's about to change). But it was very tasty, and I preffered the texture over baked, broiled or poached salmon.

I wonder if you could do this with other Trader Joe's products -- I bought some lamb shanks for this purpose, which I'll try out this weekend. The downside to this approach is the extra air in the packaging (but not enough to make it float to the surface) I already mentioned and the inability to season and flavor the meat before cooking, an admittedly giant flaw. But for those without a foodsaver, might this present a viable alternative for cooking meats sous vide?

Chef Krinn has a killer tartare at 2941 during the warmer months as part of his "Tapas on the Terrace" menu. I hope it returns this year.

ETA: the utter lack of description above doesn't do this dish justice. It seems to be a take on steak and eggs, with the tartare accomapnied by a slice of brioche with a quail egg yolk set in its middle. The steak, brioche, and yolk all blend together into a delightfully gooey mess that disappears all too quickly.

It's not listed on Open Table, but Circle Bistro is also participating in RW, for both lunch and dinner.

Get thee to Vidalia for RW! Sure, there are more than a few upcharges on the entrees, but Jeff Buben and Pastry Chef Naomi Gallego have taken the time to put some specials up on the RW menu, including a killer charcuterie plate under the apps menu and chicken and dumplings on the entrees (no upcharge for this one). They have a number of wines available by the glass (3 oz. or 6 oz.) as well, so you can design your own wine pairing for each course for around $15 if you go the 3 oz. route.

The menu:

Vidalia Lunch

LUNCH APPETIZERS

Cobbtown Chopped Salad

seasonal greens, crisp vegetables,

avocado, country bacon and blue cheese

White Bean Soup

with apple-celeri root compote,

smoked ham hock and black truffle oil

Seasonal Field Greens

with fines herbs black walnut crusted

pipe dream farm's goat cheese, dried

apricot jam and red wine vinaigrette

Shady Lane Salad

limestone bibb lettuce with fresh

herbs, country ham, capers,

egg and vidalia onion-vinaigrette

Five Onion Soup

rich duck stock with caramelized onions,

napa cabbage, duck confit, shiitake

mushrooms and sweet onion-cheddar lavash

Oyster Pan Roast

blanquet of virginia oysters,

country ham, swiss chard, globe

artichokes and toasted brioche

House Cured Duck Ham Salad

with frisée, applewood bacon, caramelized

apples, spiced pecans and sherry vinaigrette

Vidalia's House Made Charcuterie

with violet mustard, cornichons, frisée, red

onion salad, anise crackers and chow chow

LUNCH ENTRÉES

Pork Chop Cassoulet

pan roasted center cut pork chop and slow roasted belly with a ragout of pork

sausage and butter beans, red wine-apple butter and old overholt rye pork jus

Vidalia's Vegetable Blue Plate

chef's daily selection of four composed vegetable

plates featuring local and seasonal market produce

Pan Seared Flat Iron Steak

pan seared with potato galette, wild mushroom ragout, pearl onions,

creamed spinach puree and smoked ham hock bordelaise…add 7.50

Vidalia's Crab Cakes

with sea salt-vinegar potato chips,

sweet onion slaw and old bay mayonnaise

2 cakes…add 7.50

3 cakes…add 11.50

Viola's Chicken and Dumplings

sautéed breast and stewed leg with aromatic

vegetables, poached dumplings and cream gravy

Shrimp and Grits

sautéed gulf shrimp with walking stick cabbage, caramelized sweet

onions, tasso ham, yellow corn grits and shrimp cream…add 7.50

Pan Roasted Duck Breast

with sweet potato gratin, fricassee of duck confit, wild

mushrooms, artichokes and citrus bourbon sauce… add 6.50

Carolina Rainbow Trout

with sweet onion-chorizo crust, sweet potato,

crayfish, lump crab hash and green onion sauce

Grillades and Grits

braised veal cheeks with creamy grits, tasso ham,

okra, tomato, green onion and filé cream…add 6.50

Courtableu Bayou Étouffée

cornmeal crusted catfish with oysters, crayfish, andouille

sausage, dirty rice, cilantro oil and spicy shellfish-gumbo sauce

LUNCH SIDES

Butternut Squash Custard with Glazed Pecans 6.75

Potato Mousseline with Sweet Onion Confit 6.50

Cheddar Baked Macaroni with Country Ham 7.50

Smothered Greens with Onions and Bacon 6.00

LUNCH DESSERT

Warm Apple-Pear Crisp

cinnamon spiced granny smith apples and bosc pears

topped with toasted walnut streusel and vanilla bean ice cream

Chocolate Cheesecake

bittersweet chocolate cheesecake with almond graham cracker

crust, morello cherry compote and bittersweet chocolate sauce

Citrus Yogurt Bavarian

citrus mousse layered with lemon

genoise, tropical fruit salsa and coconut syrup

Vidalia's Lemon Chess Pie

buttery crust filled with rich lemon custard

garnished with berry compote and sweet cream

Georgia Pecan Pie

served warm with chocolate sauce and praline ice cream

Trio of Sorbets

house made sorbets with crisp vanilla cookies

Seasonal Fresh Berries

with whipped cream…add 4.50

ETA: Dinner menu available here

Dairy Godmother will be closing after tomorrow night (Monday, January 9) for the rest of the month. So stock up on custard and cupcakes now or you're out of luck until Wednesday, February 1. Flavor is Tollhouse Cookie today and tomorrow.

I've been "burned" by some independent coffee places in Fairfax County that had very poor quality products, so where do I turn for a good latte or espresso, or just a good cup of coffee?

Have you tried Misha's in Old Town? I'm no coffee connisieur, but I've always liked their brew. The prices are low ($1.50 for a medium) and they don't do any syrup-based concoctions, just straight up espresso, coffee and lattes. They take their roasting and brewing very seriously, as you can see from their website.

Majestic Cafe serves their coffee, so that should also tell you something.

Does Willow have a bar? And if so, do they have a special (i.e. discounted) bar menu?

I was a little disappointed in Garlic and Sapphires, but not really sure why.  Maybe I expected it to be more about food than Ms. Reichl. 

I, too, was disappointed by the book, and not just a little. I suppose I was looking forward to a hard look at the ins and outs of being the restaurant critic for the Times, but instead half of the book is her playing dress-up. Not content to merely don a disguise for her work, Reichl felt the need to actually inhabit other personas, and the process she undergoes to reach this end is meticulously detailed (and predictably boring): a faux-British geriatic acting coach, endless trips to the wig shop, hours in the makeup chair -- all recounted in implausible dialogue. (I would give an example here but my copy is busy evening out the legs of our coffee table.) When she becomes her dead mother, it gets downright creepy. Such excess is not necessary to be a good critic, and judging from this book, appears to have been a useless distraction.

On top of this, her experiences at each restaurant are recalled with little more detail than exists in the original reviews that appeared in the paper. Since these reviews are helpfully reprinted in full at the end of each chapter, redunandcy is rampant. I couldn't wait for it to end. Garlic and Sapphires is not a book about being the restaurant critic for the New York Times. It is a book about a woman dealing with mild schizophrenia who also happens to be the restaurant critic for the New York Times.

Went for a warmup Christmas dinner last night with my folks and girlfriend and had an outstanding experience. I am a sucker for Christmas, and with their seasonal decorations, crackling fire, and quartet of live carolers (appearing all this week), and most of all Chef Lacoste's hearty, comforting cooking, 1789 is just the place to put yourself in a proper holiday mood. Now if only they served egg nog...

(Also have to mention the wallet-friendly pre-theater menu: $35 for three courses, plus amuse bouche and coffee or tea, every night until 6:30 p.m. There is also the "late night" menu, which is identical and served Sunday thru Thursday after 9 p.m. and Friday-Saturday starting at 10 p.m.)

Nope, not at the moment, it's on hiatus.  But, the pork shoulder sammich is one filling unit.

Wha? What happened?

Is the lickety-split lunch option still available?

I'm thinking about getting my secretary a gift certificate here for Christmas and may stop in for a quick bite.

Yes, it's still available, and a helluva deal.

Open Dec. 13th and 14th!

Carryout only -- they're using all the dining rooms for private parties.

Here is the text of the bill.  A cigar bar has to have 10% or more of its revenue from the sale of cigars in order to qualify.  I doubt Shelley's could meet that requirement, but I don't know.

I am told Shelley's meets that requirement, and will be exempt from the current bill. Smoke shops and cigar bars should be fine under the current legislation. Hookah bars are an open question for now.

Or more to the point, couldn't some number be taken out and warmed to room temp for same-day sale? I'm sure a business person can figure out which cupcakes are best-sellers and how many to have ready.  I am very confused as to why this can't happen.

Right -- as he says in the chat, they have a rotating supply of room-temp slices of cake so customers won't have to wait for it to warm up (unless the rotating supply happens to sell out). Can't they do this with the cupcakes?

From Warren's chat:

"We store all of our perishable products under refrigeration to protect our customers from food borne illness. We have to do this. The health department mandates it. Were we to store our cakes with buttercream, eclairs and buzz balls with pastry cream, and cheesecakes at room temp they would be a health hazard."

I am skeptical here. Are bakeries required to store their goods with buttercream frosting in a fridge? Do other bakeries in the area do the same as Cakelove?

I have this vision of Les Halles selling Swisher Sweets for $20 and throwing in a Steak Frites for free. 

Does Les Halles in NYC not allow cigars? I'm curious.

does the ban as it stands mean that Georgetown Tobacconist won't be allowed to let its patrons light up? That just seems patently absurd to me.

So much for utilizing the information superhighway...

From the Post:

"The District's smoke-free proposal is similar to New York's ban. It would include exemptions for outdoor areas, cigar bars, hotel rooms, retail tobacco outlets and facilities that research the effects of smoking."

And from the Examiner:

"Hookahs may be exempt

If you see a few D.C. Council members sitting around taking hits off a hookah pipe in D.C. bars in the next few weeks, don't fret: It's all in the name of research.

During Tuesday's discussion on smoke-free legislation, the subject of the water pipe - a popular way to smoke tobacco in the Middle East and India - came up, and most council members had no idea what it was.

Council Member Marion Barry, D-Ward 8, said he had never heard of the device.

"What do you smoke in them?" said Barry, drawing a huge laugh.

Council Member Jim Graham, D-Ward 1, who was hoping to exempt the popular hookah bars from the new law, offered to take Barry to one of the two hookah establishments in his ward.

"I don't want to go," Barry said. "I have enough problems already."

Graham's amendment was delayed, and he said he would take several council members to the bars for "on-site research.""

Any of you wanting to ask the man himself about his cakes, there'll be an opportunity to do so tomorrow:

"Cake Talk -- Warren Brown, owner of Cakelove and star of "Sugar Rush" will be online Thursday at 11 a.m. ET to discuss the sweet life."

Thank you to Michael and his staff for cooking and hosting, Don and Hill for organizing and beating back the jealous hordes, and God for making the roads drivable well after we exceeded the 90-minute limit.

I have to second the accolades for the crab bisque, which is always a favorite of mine at Ray's, but last night tasted its best and seemed to have more crab than its predecessors.

The highlight for me, though, was being able to taste the many offerings that I would usually forego in order to have enough room for all of my steak -- Michael's deviled eggs, which until now had been the stuff of legend, and deservedly so; the scallops with just the right amount of heat (were they dusted with the same rub as the el diablo?); two versions of scampi; and of course the key lime pie. Like bilrus said, there is more going here than just the steak, which alone could turn a man to tears, especially if he's been drinking a lot of Glen Garioch 15.

Hillvalley in 2008!

Ray's McDLT

Demi-baguette split in two. One the cold side: sun-dried tomato and mayo spread; spinach leaves. On the hot side: Ray's New York Strip (sliced); medium cheddar cheese; just a bit of butter.

This sounds GREAT.  What'd you serve it with?

Nada. I put it in the oven too late for it to be on the dinner table, instead I just gobbled down a bunch before letting it cool and refrigerating it for sandwiches this week.

Edited to answer Heather's question: I think the butt was around five or six pounds, but I really don't remember -- picked it up at Harris Teeter. To be perfectly honest, this was my first time making butt and I am sure I did so in an unorthodox manner, but it worked for me. I seared the butt on the stovetop in the saucier, then added the liquids, covered and put it in the oven. It was my first weekend with my new pot and I went a little braise-crazy (Friday was braised beef).

Where can one get pork belly around here?

Best. Subject Line. Ever.

Never done Oxtail, but I would also love to hear about the braising options. I actually braised a pork butt over the weekend -- stuffed garlic and rosemary into a few spots on the butt, seared it, then added in a bottle of Stout and a little apple cider, half a (small) can of chipotle en adobe and slow-cooked the thing for four or five hours. Removed the butt, poured off the top layer of oil, and took the tangy, spicy and just slightly sweet glaze at the bottom and poured it over the shredded butt. Worked like a charm.

Does God Want Me to Stop Eating Onglet?

"The heaviest snowfall is forecast between the hours of 5 and 8 p.m. around Washington."

By 7 p.m., you're not likely to snag a parking spot in front of Ray's, but I have always had luck parking on the side streets off Wilson, keeping in mind it might help to arrive a little early for a warmup at Guajillo.

If you're taking the Metro, I would add what someone advised before -- Take the Orange line, get off at Courthouse and walk downhill to Ray's. On the way out, keep walking downhill and take Rosslyn. It really is a short walk if you're so inclined (you will probably spend more time waiting for a bus in the cold than you would walking).

P.S. -- Has anyone seen Spanglish?  Adam Sandler plays a chef who, during the course of the movie, is described by the (New York?) Times as the best chef in the country.  Even prior to that designation, he had really struck it rich.  You know: huge house, nice cars, housekeepers.  It looks so easy!

The professional aspects of that character are based almost exclusively on Thomas Keller. You know, the guy who gets paid 50 grand to cook in your private home.