monavano

I grew up with my mom cooking corn in milky water with, wait for it--sugar! No wonder I'm fond of the sweet varieties. I find corn to be amenable to various methods of cooking, including the aforementioned, grilling and even microwaving, because at the end of the day, it's hard to fuck up. Sure you can scorch it and do mind the microwave cooking time because at some point, the steam separates the kernels, but corn is forgiving and while butter and salt are my staple condiments, I highly recommend Mexican "street" corn preparations and the like. I like corn, especially on the cob, and like reading tea leaves, I often wonder what my haphazard approach (vs. typewriter) to chomping the kernels off the ears really says about me.

Letting people in a little early would have been a kind thing to do and I hope people exercise good judgement, pay it forward, treat their fellow men and women with altruism that does not necessarily fit into the rules. That is some of what defines our human-ness. Common sense alone tells you the right thing to do would be allow these people too get sweet relief in your A/C. This heat can kill, and I don't think these women should be penalized for daring to leave a little early on their way to the restaurant, or told to stay shuttered in.

We seem to come around to this frustrating dilemma about this time each year. I like sweet corn, but also want to taste corn, so that balance works for me. It's not easy to find. I've mentioned "mirai" corn before and have purchased it from Toigo, but I'm not aware if they're still growing it. Last Sat. I finally picked up good corn at the Old Town Alexandria market that popped with flavor, sweetness and wasn't the dreaded rod o' starch that I've been encountering. This weekend I think I'll try to swing around to the Del Ray market and give Toigo's corn a try.

CI's Peruvian Chicken, made on their recommended Norpro vertical roaster. With spicy mayo. Yum.

I'm not familiar with those sushi rolls, but would cherry clafoutti fit the bill? Perhaps served with a nice finishing balsamic. Are your cherries sour/pie or bing? I love fruit with pork and the first thing I think of is what you're thinking of-- a shallot, cherry, port/insert booziness of your liking reduction with chicken stock, balsamic and fresh thyme. Just s+p on the pork with a nice sear. The jus gets added to the reduction to pull the two together.

That truck has an identity crisis!

He didn't (presume) and you have a good point (not prepared correctly). I think it was just a point of reference that a broader audience can benefit from. I'd have to say I wouldn't know if I've ever had fresh shrimp. I just assume it's frozen since, from what I've read, it's the best way to go for the masses that don't live adjacent to shrimping.

Mr. MV and I ate at Casa Luca this week and had some highs and lows, but will definitely go back soon to try other things on the menu. There is a lot to explore. Given that Casa Luca is new and a restaurant of Fabio Trabochi's, I write this a bit nervously-- but I don't want to equivocate, rather, I'm going put the whole truth out there regarding some highs and lows that matter. We loved the ambience, but ladies might want to bring a sweater to hang around the shoulders because the chill is a bit bracing at first. The banquet tables are close, but not so much that you are basically having a 4-6 way conversation with your neighbors, or that your drink is in danger of being knocked over by someone's ass as they shimmy by. We were seated right away and given menus. Good thing, because the menu takes time to wade through if you're not fluent in Italian, or experienced in eating in a traditional, authentic Italian restaurant (What do I order first? Are these items considered the "mains", what does it come with? Oh, contorni..etc). Our server took our order 20 min. later and we asked some questions before ordering. We started with the Frito Misto and Corn, Mint and Proscuitto. These came beautifully presented (love the "Nona's" china), but we sat there after they were dropped off with no plates. We caught someone's attention quickly and received plates. The fried vegetables were terrific, lightly fried, not greasy and crisp. The stuffed squash blossom was the highlight, stuffed with ricotta and I believe mint. Great combo. The pesto and marina were delicious. I also have to say how much I enjoy most any preparation of fresh artichokes, because prepping those suckers is about as easy as getting your fingers out of a Chinese finger trap. We then turned to the corn dish and while the combination and execution were very good, the corn, unfortunately, lacked any sign that it's actually summer. I get it. I've been underwhelmed by the local corn thus far. But, while we were eating this, our mains arrived and as I saw 2 dishes brought near our table, I thought, "oh no'. We all had to play shuffle your plates and glasses around so we can get these mains on your table-- while we were eating our apps. Then, I had to choose between trying to continue eat my corn dish at a leisurely pace, or hurry up lest my monkfish get cold. I chose the latter. After we piled our app. plates and utensils to the side, we pulled our main plates in front of us. It was then that I noticed Mr. MV's pork block must have been sitting in something wet and greasy, because it left a trail behind it and well, let's just say he sat upright and kept his elbows off the table while eating . He was a good sport about that, but trying to navigate eating a hearty pork chop, sausage (no idea what kind, wasn't mentioned on menu, server had no idea, I think it was cotochino and it was outrageously good) and garlic puree off a 6x8 flat slab of wood was a bit unwieldy. I get it. It's rustic. But, it's so impractical. The utensils would slide off if he tried to rest the bottoms on the table (already an issue), so he had to lay them flat on the wood block between bites, which got stuff on the handles. I know this comes off as picky, but we were just laughing at that point and thought, "we must be those suburban rubes who are so NOT hip that we don't know how to eat off a too-small block of wood!". That said, the pork chop was excellent. Kissed with a bit of char and smoke from the grill, it was done just under medium and was tender and juicy and omg, I need to foray back into making gremolata because that condiment elevated the pork, while the garlic puree added depth. If Mr. MV was eating this at home, he would have gnawed the bone. It was that good. My monkfish was less impressive, I thought. The the fish was generous, fresh, lightly breaded and perfectly prepared, but the sauce just doesn't work for me. I didn't get dill, or lemon, and it could have really used the acid, given it's thickness, which only increased to an unpleasant level as the dish cooled. Also, the sauce has a less than attractive color, which I assume is why the dish comes garnished with some sort of green herb covering the top (I really don't think it was dill--took a few bites and just got grass) and edible flowers, for which I have absolutely no use. Both in no way added to the dish and seemed to be a way of making the dish visually more appealing once you realize it's monotone at best. Dessert at $8 was a no brainer, and really hard to choose given the selections. We went with the hazelnut coffee cake, caramel gelato and vincotto and enjoyed it very much. The cake was warm and I loved the hazelnut streusel on top. The gelato had good caramel flavor, but was restrained, allowing the vincotto to playfully punch it up, both winding up in a puddle happily mopped up with the cake. So, there's my unvarnished account. We'll be back to explore more of the menu because we're so lucky to be experiencing this food in DC. I'm sure the service will tighten up and run more smoothly. No biggies there. I'd strongly suggest that the pork chop come on a plate so it can be eaten in a civilized manner (seriously, unless you want to keep tidying your food up to the middle of the wood block lest you lose anything overboard, ask for it on a plate) and that the monkfish sauce get brighter and lighter. Oh, forgot to add we got the zucchini contorno, with raisins and pine nuts and it was a big hit.

I think JA's are a cold weather thing. In season, they're prominent at the farmers markets.

What an amazing adventure. I hope you find success and much joy.

That's a really odd thing to say. I think we've all seen the the brag wall of nice reviews and mentions in publications as we enter restaurants and the like, but I've never heard this. "Wow, how good for YOU, now let's focus on ME". What matters is how each customer feels at the end of the meal, so brag all you want, but I'm judging based on MY own experience. I like BlackSalt, food and service both, and see no need for this humblebrag.

Do you buy that marinade local or online?^

Got there at the bell, before the rain. Last of the sour cherries, I think, but berries are still strong. Stone fruits in full swing too. I picked up corn and had to eat an ear as soon as I got home. Who cares if it's 9am? The buttery morning treat left me wanting with its awful bland starchiness. Oh well, you can't swing a long tail cat without hitting a mound of corn at the markets this time of year, so better luck next time, I hope.

Penne and (leftover grilled) shredded chicken in a sun dried tomato and mushroom sauce. Curried cauliflower soup.

I think the sour cherries are meant to be fresh. I used fresh sour cherries and actually threw in a little bit of dried cherries that were in the cupboard.

I like your thinking in the method that you used and will take note of it. What I've found is that if I'm going to put a low & slow/braising piece of meat in the slow cooker, I will season it and put it in dry for about an hour, then add the braising liquid after. In my experience, this allows the meat to really get seasoned as the s&p seems to "take" and meld with the meat, whereas I found the seasoning washed off when the meat was started with the braising liquid. For my ribs i did recently, it was seasoned heavily/rubbed and wrapped in plastic for a couple hours (up to overnight) and then braised in foil, with the liquid right away, in a low oven. After it was fork tender, the braising liquid was poured off (Alton Brown recipe that calls for reducing the braising liquid into a glaze and no thank you) and the ribs were caramelized under the broiler (could also be done on the grill at that point, you just need a source of high heat) with my chosen bbq sauce for caramelization. I also think you could slow braise/cook in the oven or slow cooker until tender, then smoke/caramelize on the grill to get that flavor and finish. For my ribs, the smoke came from smoked paprika and cumin.

^ I riffed off of this recipe. I think there's a lot of leeway with this condiment. In the end, it's an agrodolce chutney. I chose to go with Pommery mustard vs. mustard seeds, added some Banyul's along with balsamico, and threw in candied orange and lemon peel vs. cranberry. I think it will last a bit in the fridge and will be served with a pork tenderloin pretty soon.

I used to shop Kroger all the time in Richmond, VA and it's a good store. Many companies are stratified to offer different products, experiences and price points.

We have what I'd call a semi-custom cover for our gas grill. It's canvas fabric lined with plastic and has held up for 3-4 years now. I think we got it at Lowe's.

Thanks. I'm a Prime member (and need a 12-step program to stop!) so I might have to order online. Is that price about right?

Yuzu juice? Preferably NoVa.

You could browse DiBruno bros. for a while. The Mutter Museum is about .5 miles from Rittenhouse.

Grilled and glazed chicken with sour cherry mostarda.

Baby back ribs, slow cooked and caramelized under the broiler, creamy lime and cilantro slaw and Zucchini, yellow squash, corn and basil gratin with gruyere.

I haven't found the signage offensive because you basically have the run of the place so I can see how plates etc. can be left on the tables in the bistro area, whereas in the main store area, it seems a bit more intuitive to bus because you see the station. If that makes any sense? My problem with the signage is that I get hungry for the weeknight specials while I'm eating a butter-laden biscuit sandwich