Erin11

I really enjoyed Avec. I was there with a group of friends back in January and we ordered several small plates to share. Everything was tasty. One thing to note is that it's not a place to go if you're looking for a quiet, intimate table. Seating consists of a long banquette down one side of the restaurant and, on busy nights, you will be packed in.

I haven't made this in forever so forgive the fuzzy description. Back when I first started serious cooking classes we made a roasted veggie roulade that included beets. Roast a bunch of veggies. Separately, layer a bunch of sheets of phyllo dough (each layer is brushed with butter). Lay roasted veggies (veggies should be cut into relatively same size pieces) on one end of phyllo stack and roll up. Bake roll to crisp phyllo. Slice and drizzle with balsamic syrup.

In culinary school, we were taught that sabayon was the French spelling and zabaglione was the Italian spelling. I didn't realize one was more correct than the other. To Paula: since I don't have my book with me, I don't have the classic recipe. I'm sure a google search or a quick look on Epicurious (using either spelling) will turn up some recipes for you. One idea that I got from a great Argentine gelato place near me is to run the sabayon through your ice cream maker to make gelato. In my opinion the best flavor ever.

I love cooking with orzo. One of my favorite recipes calls for sauteeing shrimp in olive oil with garlic. To that, I add some pesto and heat through. Sometimes I will add some spinach and let it wilt before tossing the mixture with the cooked orzo. To finish, I add in crumbled feta cheese. Super fast and delicious! I also like to use orzo for quick pasta salads. I was on a zucchini and yellow squash kick earlier this summer, so I would saute the chopped squash and mix it with cooked orzo. Then I would add chopped tomatoes, cucumbers and some crumbled cheese (feta, goat cheese or sometimes cubed fresh mozzarella). To finish I would toss the mixture with a homemade vinaigrette (usually just red wine vinegar and olive oil seasoned with salt and pepper).

I ran into a similar issue last week as I wanted to make polenta, but could only find the pre-packaged roll in my local store. Since I was going for a creamy polenta consistency, I warmed some heavy cream in a non-stick skillet and added a couple slices from the polenta roll. I then mashed the polenta with a fork and worked the cream into it to get my desired consistency. To finish it I added some freshly grated parm/reggiano cheese. Delicious! The creamy polenta served as a base for fish & spinach cooked with a creamy tomato sauce.

I tried a new recipe Friday night that riffed off of a dish I saw on the Food Network's "Everyday Italian": Lightly coated orange roughy filets in flour w/ salt and pepper and seared in a nonstick skillet. Removed the fish, then added some more olive oil to the skillet with 3 cloves minced garlic. To the garlic I added some tomato puree and heavy cream. Then I added some baby spinach. When the spinach wilted, I added the fish back into the skillet to warm through. Served the fish over creamy polenta mixed with grated parm/reggiano cheese. I was very pleased with the results.

I had a great dish in Belgium: Rabbit with prunes (the rabbit is braised in liquid - usually part Belgian beer). Google searching should turn up a recipe. Another idea is to use the rabbit pieces in a paella.

I'd recommend Spiaggia. I ate there twice last year and it was phenomenal both times.

Had a similar experience with frozen french fries after an evening at the bar with friends. Woke up the next morning to the lovely smell of oven gas and burnt fries. Other kitchen disasters from my family include my sister not knowing that you're supposed to remove the frozen pizza from the cardboard disk before placing the pizza in the oven. And my all-time favorite: my mom used to make tuna noodle casserole. One night she starts making the casserole and realizes halfway through that she is out of the cream of mushroom soup she usually adds to it. She decides that tomato soup would be an appropriate substitute. I'm surprised she didn't throw anything when my brother and I pointed out the similarity in smell and taste to vomit. Seriously bad.

I have the Cuisinart Flavor Duo ice cream maker and have always been happy with the results I get from the machine. I keep the two bowls in the freezer and store the machine in a cabinet when not in use. With the two bowls I can make double batches or two flavors at the same time. Does anyone have tips on making fresh mint ice creams? I have some spearmint and pineapple mint in the garden that I would love to make into ice cream. I did a quick web search on epicurious, but most recipes call for extracts rather than fresh leaves. I'm interested in tips on infusing the mint flavor without getting a grassy or bitter taste.

Great idea for a thread! I started cooking in college as a way to expand my very limited meal repertoire. After graduation, I headed back to my hometown for a year. My parents had moved out of state and so my brother took over hosting the family Christmas Eve dinner. He and I decided to change things up from the traditional deli tray and shrimp tray my parents served for years. The first year we settled on a Cajun/Southern theme because we wanted to make a shrimp etouffe recipe I learned from a friend in college. Each year after that we picked a different cuisine and researched recipes. I loved planning these dinners as well as the positive responses we received from the family over the dishes we made. When I moved to Chicago I continued experimenting with new recipes. Finally, my desire to be a more intuitive cook (and maybe cook for a living one day) led me to culinary school. Three years out of school, I'm not cooking professionally but my friends love to come over for dinner. I don't have cable so I rely on my local PBS station for cooking shows as well as food magazines and the web to continue my culinary education.

That Nutella recipe looks delicious. I've been on a citrus ice cream kick for most of this summer. My best results have been with lemon and key lime. There's an Argentine gelato place near me that serves a wonderful sabayon gelato. I finally attempted to recreate it with good results using a sabayon recipe from a culinary school text. Next up is to recreate an ice cream I had in Belgium made from Westvleteren beer.

I had never heard of this flavor for gelato before, but after reading the recipe linked above I am intrigued. It's definitely on my to-make list of ice cream/gelato flavors. Just as soon as I figure out how to recreate the Westvleteren ice cream I had in Belgium two years ago...

I stopped at Belga Cafe for dinner last Friday on my way to the Nationals/Cubs game. It was early enough (about 5:30pm) that the place was fairly empty. I sat at the bar and basically had the inside of the restaurant to myself (a few outside tables were full). Service was ok - there were way more staff than needed at that point which led to them crowding together chit-chatting at the end of the bar. This led to slower service for me at the beginning of my meal as they seemed more into visiting with each other than taking my dinner order. Service improved once my food started coming out, though. For an appetizer, I had the kip & krab sigaars. Delicious with a crispy but not greasy shell. My entree was the mussels with rodenbach. Generous serving and they brought out bread which I could then dip into the broth. The mussels are served with frites and mayonnaise. I'm a little spoiled by my favorite Belgian place here in Chicago so I was hoping for a garlic mayo, but Belga serves plain mayo with the frites. Still the dinner was good. I forget the name of the dessert I chose, but it consisted of a cherry cake and ice cream (my description doesn't do justice to the dessert).

I ate dinner at Full Kee in Chinatown last Sunday. Was tipped off to try the hong kong style shrimp dumpling soup. Delicious! Eight giant shrimp dumplings in my serving. For my main entree I had the baby clams in black bean sauce which was enjoyable as well. Very generous serving. Staff was friendly and efficient.

I ended up cancelling my dining room reservation and taking advantage of this deal in the bar. Thank you, thank you, thank you for making me aware of this deal! I went to CityZen on Saturday night (arrived soaked after getting caught in a rainstorm) and after drying out in the women's room for a few moments proceeded to the bar. $45 three-course meal with $25 wine pairing: Amuse: mushroom fritter with truffle sauce Appetizer: ragout of snails with garlic mousse and pernod butter. (Chardonnay) The garlic mousse was like nothing I had ever tasted before. Absolutely lovely! Entree: the shoat - served with grits, spinach and mushrooms (I'm not doing justice to the menu description - forgive me!). (Grenache) I second all the yummy noises made by previous posters! Dessert: peppermint patty - wonderfully concentrated peppermint flavor in the ice cream. (Madeira) The bar staff were very nice. I was sitting at the end nearest the dining room and other staff (sommelier, servers, hosts would chat a bit as they came to the bar). I didn't catch her name, but my biggest thanks should go to the hostess with the blonde hair. After I asked her if the chef ever parts with his recipes (I was so intrigued by the garlic mousse I wanted to know how they prepare it) she said she would ask him. A little while later she came back to inform me that, rather than tell her the recipe, the chef would be coming out to the bar to explain it to me personally. A few moments later he appeared and answered my questions about the garlic mousse preparation. He then proceeded to say hello to the other diners at the bar. Very nice touch and end to my evening at CityZen. Thanks again to those of you who shared your experiences as it helped in my planning. Edit to add: My total came to $115 - this included a $13 manhattan (needed something to get me back in a good mood after the soaking); food (with wine pairing); tax and tip.

From an email I received this week from CityZen:

Thanks for all the comments/advice. While I do love a great deal, I think I am leaning back toward keeping my reservation for the main dining room. I think that's the best way to experience a place like CityZen for the first time. Isn't that what vacations are for?! There are enough alternatives in Washington for less expensive meals that I feel like I'd be doing a disservice to myself to skimp at CityZen on my first visit.

How are the bar crowds on Saturday nights? I currently have an 8:30pm reservation on a Saturday for the main dining room, but am considering cancelling to take advantage of the $45 fixed menu in the bar. I just don't want to give up my reservation and find the bar overcrowded (their 24-hour cancellation policy prevents me from deciding once I arrive). Seeing as this would be my first trip to CityZen, I'm on the fence about going for the deal in the bar or keeping my reservation and getting the "full dining experience" in the main dining room. I'll be in Washington for a long weekend and have decided that this is my "splash-out" meal. What would be your recommendation?