Biscuit Girl

Click here as the restaurant web site has a menu posted.

Thanks! Don't know why I hadn't thought to look at the website.

Does anyone know if only the brunch menu is available on Sundays or can you also order off the regular menu?

Has anyone been to Sunday Brunch at Bebo lately? If so, how is it set up? We're planning on going this Sunday with my aunt who is visiting. I know the dinner menu well as we've been many times and I'd heard that Sundays were a little different for brunch.

What is considered a "good" price for Meyer lemons?

I want to pay for quality but don't like feeling ripped off either.

Not sure if it's a good price but about 2 weeks ago I saw Meyer Lemons at Whole Foods on Duke St in Alexandria for $1.49/lb.

Oddly enough, Shoppers Food Warehouse has good bagels. Especially their pumpernickel.

I've also been trying my hand at making my own using the recipe in "The Bread Bakers Apprentice." They're as close to a true NY Bagel as I've had since I lived there. Here's a link to my blog with my first attempt at bagel making.

I'm looking to brave the service ills and head over this weekend for a try. These folks must be busy as they cannot even seem to find the 5 minutes necessary to post up their menu or much of anything else on their website.

I happened to stop at the Giant in Alexandria on Rt 1 @Beacon Hill and saw a package of fresh coconut on the produce section. It was vacuumed sealed and looked the the entire contents of a coconut in 1/4" slices. Didn't see the price anywhere.

The third member of our party had the Celeriac soup and was pleased as well. We were trying to figure out the base of the Celeriac soup because it definitely seemed to be something seafood based.

We were there about two weeks ago and Jim had the soup you mention. You're right about the seafood, it's lobster. I had a spoonful or two and it was absolutely out of this world! If it's on the menu next time we go, I'm getting it (and maybe I'll share a little bit with Jim )

I'd join in but I work til 9 pm on Thursdays...... ironically, at a library.

Jim and I thought we'd try to get a seat at the bar at Corduroy tonight knowing full well that getting a table in the dining room on such short notice during restaurant week was not going to happen. But something told me to check open table and sure enough there was an opening at 7 pm so I jumped on the phone to Corduroy and snagged it. Turns out someone had just canceled their reservation.

Schweet.

Etiquette question: when enjoying a discounted meal, would it be out of line to ask the server to calculate/ballpark the undiscounted price? I would want to tip on the full amount, but I don't want to trouble the server or appear to be such a proud cheapskate that I want to know exactly how much I saved.

I'll probably estimate it myself, but I thought it was worth soliciting opinions.

This may be a silly question but wouldn't you be able to get the full price from the menu when you ordered? Then you'd be able to calculate the tip based in the regular price.

I can't seem to change the font or font color when I create a new post or reply to a post. None of the buttons seem to work. The browser I use is Firefox.

--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Mrs. B @ Dec 20 2006, 10:02 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->I would really love to get my hands/slicer on 1-2 oz of truffles for Christmas Dinner. Anyone have a hint where to check? I will start with Balducci's and try Dean & DeLuca. I am afraid I'm too late for Urbani. Waitman has promised me some funky yuminess if I can score the goods.

Try Wegman's. Although brace yourself......last time I was there they were selling black truffles for $400 / pound.

That's too bad. We went there on Christmas Eve several years ago. It was our first Christmas up here in DC by ourselves. We'd been living up here for a few years by then but always went home to see family at Christmas. This was our first year by ourselves and I was torn between starting our own traditions and not seeing our families. But our Christmas Eve was picture perfect, almost Norman Rockwell perfect and it made me think that we'd made a good choice by staying in town.

We both worked til about 1:00 on Christmas Eve. When we met at the Botanical Gardens it began snowing. After touring the gardens, we walked in the snow to Red Sage and sat at a window table while watching huge snowflakes float down from the sky. Everything was getting coated in snow while we ate our late lunch. After we finished we walked over to the National Christmas Tree (and it was still snowing). I remember sliding on the walkways around the tree and shivering because all I had one was a sweater and Jim keeping his arm around me as he tried to keep me warm.

For me the was about as perfect a Christmas Eve as I could imagine. It will always will be one of my fondest memories of life in DC.

Just picked up some more truffle oil at Wegman's today.

3.5 ounces for $7.99. Got one for us and two for stocking stuffers (one each for my brother and sister).

Whichever you get, a great thing to do with it (and answer to the question "what do I serve my vegetarian friends?") is to make a risotto with mushroom stock and mushrooms, stir in some whipped (not with sugar or vanilla) cream and then drizzle with truffle oil. My wife also likes it on pizza.

And I'll second the pizza. Rip off a piece of crust and dunk that bad boy into some truffle oil. It's better than sex.

How much extra money are we talking about?

As a blogger, I wanted to add my two cents. When I first started to blog, I didn't want to put my name out there. For one thing, I felt I could write more freely without having to fret over what my friends and family were going to think of my posts. Not that I was writing anything trashy, I just needed a little anonymity at first to find my footing. Yes, I used a fake name at first, in fact it's the same one I use here. After a while, when I finally told my family and a few close friends about my blog, and they all liked it, and I was more comfortable with my writing, I added my real first name to the blog. But that's as far as I wanted to go. Why? There are too many nutjobs out there. And if someone REALLY wanted to find out who I was, they could so why make it that much easier for them by providing my last name.

Most of the food bloggers I read are good people, some use their real names, some don't. It doesn't make a rats-ass difference to me. The only times it would bother me is when someone is writing awful, nasty things about someone else. That's just chicken shit.

I can also understand some of the frustrations of those here who feel that if someone writes on DR or in a blog and is associated with the restaurant world, they should at least say so and at least use their first name. If what they write is shameful to them, then they shouldn't be writing it in a public forum. But if they are just commenting or leaving remarks as a person not as a chef, bartender, waiter, etc. then let them. They're people too. It's when they cross the line between their personal and professional lives that they need to be upfront.

And as for my real name, it's Barbara. I decided to use my blog moniker here because there was already a Barbara on the boards.

(I think that was more than two-cents worth but who's counting.)

I want these:

Mr. Woody Hot Dog Cookers

QUOTE(Barbara @ Sep 21 2006, 11:04 AM)

OK, scrap the cheesecake; I'll bring a Red Velvet Cake, instead.

What recipe do you use for RVC?

Why not combine both? I made a Red Velvet Cheesecake last year that was incredible. It came from Southern Living and was easy to make.

Here's the link to my blog post about it, complete with pictures and the recipe: Red Velvet Cheesecake

I'm trying my hand at baking soft pretzels. When I tried years ago, I didn't have much experience baking bread. This try went much better but still needs work. This is the recipe I used.. My biggest problem was with shaping the pretzels . I managed that in mediocre fashion. Does anyone have pretzel-shaping techniques for the aesthetically impaired?

They seemed to come out pretty well and were nice warm from the oven. The next day, however, the cold pretzels had gummy parts, which I think relates to the boiling. Pieces that were near pieces that got folded over got boiled but not baked fully. (That's my best guess.) They look kind of opaque and, well, gummy in spots.

Another question would be: How do you reheat these suckers? I'm working on this to take them along with my bread basket at Thanksgiving.

Help?

Thanks.

Pretzels

I'm pretty sure they're closed only Mondays right now, with the recent Sunday re-opening.

For a really pretty presentation of the turkey before you slice it......I lift the skin from the breast and plcae whole fresh herbs between the skin and the turkey. When it's done cooking, you can see the herbs through the skin. Adds a nice little touch.

You can do something along the same lines with biscuits or rolls. Use an light eggwash on top of the biscuits of rolls before you pop them into the oven then on top of that place a fresh leaf or two of your favorite herb and reapply another thin coat of egg wash.

And totally unfood related, for a pretty center piece, take a few small pumpkins or squash (like acorn squash) and with a zester or melon baller, cut decorative designs into the outer parts of the rind (but deep enough for candle light to be seen through). Cut the top off, scoop out the seeds and muck then place a votice candle inside.

Not sure where you live, but Fairfax County public libraries allow you to search and reserve books online from any branch. You select the pick-up point and they will let you know when they are ready. Great option if you are not interested in buying.

Checking out cookbooks before you decide to buy one is indeed a wonderful option. I do it often and have an advantage as I work for the Fairfax County Library System. I also wanted to add that, like Montgomery County, FCPL also has e-mail notification. You not only get an e-mail when your holds have arrived but you also get e-mails reminders three days before something is due back.

And I'd venture to say that whatever library system here in the area you live in will probably have a hearty cookbook collection. So just visit whichever one is closest to home or work.

Lorraine Bracco has a wine company?

OK, This was part of a discussion at Dino's last night. Who has the best Peking Duck? Somehow we ruled out Mark's Duck House and Peking Gourmet. Please someone weigh in.... I am in search for a duck fix!

Believe it or not, the old Honolulu did a great Peking Duck. We'd have to call ahead of time to have them reserve one for us otherwise they'd usually be out of them by the time we got there. But after 2 or 3 of their drinks, who cared.....

Man I miss that place.