blakegwinn

Soak berries in a few tablespoons for a couple of hours with a a sprinkle of sugar and some chopped mint or citrrus zest or something than mix a splash into some cool whip for a topping. This is one of my favorite, easiest and healthiest desserts. I usually use cognac or bourbon but I am sure jamesons would work just fine Whiskey also makes for a good pan sauce. Whenever you make pork chops or pork loin or even chicken just deglaze the pan with the whiskey, let it reduce than add a dollop of butter, salt and pepper to taste and some chopped herb if you want. (sorry waitman didn't see yours above!!) And from personal experience be sure not to let it spill over the edge while shaking the pan and ignite. Bad idea.... I could definitely see throwing some into the braising of a pork shoulder. My dad use to make BBQ pork in the crock pot, braise it all day during the winter and I think a cup or two of whiskey would be right at home in that pot along with traditional BBQ ingredients. I don't think you would lose that much in using Jamesons instead of the more appropriate bourbon especiially if you have loads of Jamesons to get rid of. As far as soup goes I think my uncle Joe had a great recipe for a jameson gazpacho. 2 cups jameson, 1/2 cup of water, 8 ice cuubes and blend. He use to eat a bowl of this every morning and usually a few bowls at night before bed. Actually I think he usually took this in a thermos to work for lunch also.... And how can you not love throwing some in your coffee?

Well my thanksgiving dinner kicked ass. All 20 some odd people loved it and the seal of approval from the cantankerous 80 year old grandmother isn't easy... I had all my recipes in a word document with all the ingredients/measurements/recipe they are used for in an excel sheet (so when going to the store I sorted by ingredient to see all the butter I needed and when cooking sorted by recipe used for as I was making something.) This really helped me calm down and focus. I did a LOT of prep work on Wednesday and actually spent a good part of the afternoon on Thursday playing football with the kids outside. On Wednesday I made about 8 quarts of turkey stock, made cranberry sauce and apple ginger chutney, made the roux for the gravy and all my other sauces, compound butter to rub under the turkey skin, poached a bunch of pears in red wine, baked some bread pudding (with brandy caramel sauce) and spiced pumpkin cupcakes topped with brandy coolwhip and candied pecans, then chopped diced peeled and snapped everything and put them into gladdware tubs and then put the two turkeys in brine (I used brining bags purchased at WF worked like a charm! I stood it up in a camping cooler put the brine in submerged the turkeys and packed the rest of the cooler with ice to keep the bag vertical.) The next day I got up at six and got the first turkey out of the brine, threw some aromatics in the cavity and roasted. After that was done de glazed the pan with chardonnay and set aside then I baked the apple/cranberry stuffing. I took this out when it was almost done and covered with foil. Later I brushed with the fat I skimmed off the stock and roasting pan mixed with some butter and crisped it up right before dinner. Then it was time for the second turkey to go in. This is when I did the buttermilk mashed potatoes, steamed carrots with a smallll but of butter cinnamon and nutmeg, and got the green been/shallot/almond dish ready to roast while the second turkey rested. Also threw together some yams with 'mallows, green bean casserole (for nostalgia sake) and a honey-sherry vinagrette salad with sauteed apples, gorgonzola, and toasted wlanuts (courtesy of Dave Lieberman). Lastly I made the gravy with the deglazed pand drippings/white whine, roux and stock from the day before. This sounds like a lot but it really just took like half an hour while the turkey roasted for 4. When I took out the second turkey I tossed the green beans, and two casseroles in the oven for a half an hour and then we ate. It was AWESOME. I am prettttty full of myself right now. I will say I brought 2 of my own pots a strainer and my knives so everything in the kitchen wasn't completely foreign. It did take awhile to get used to the gas oven and stove as my apartment is electric. I felt like linus with my security blanket in tow though. I hope everyone else had a great holiday. I have to hit the gym, badly....

Also along this note, at Thanksgiving this weekend someone mentioned in conversation that feeding young children things at early ages can promote allergies later on. I have no kids and no knowledge of this but has anyone read this somewhere or know anything about this? The person who told me doesn't have kids either but said she heard it somewhere and I have been curious since. It seems like something that one of you parents might have read up on so I thought I would throw it out there.

God I was waiting for someone to make the first reference. I figured it would be either the vending machines, soft pretzel, or jello-mold related. Or maybe, possibly even a comment about knwoing a good organic beet farm.

This was my favorite delivery while at AU. They use to have a coupon floating around for 2 large two topping pizzas for 14.99 (delivery only) and we used the "OhI have that coupon but I can't find it" routine for a solid year and a half. And they would even let is get premium ingredients like chicken breast and sundried tomato. You can't get better pizza brought to your door around here in my opinion.

Well here is what has wordked for me. A lot of people who have met me don't believe this but I do have a slow metabolism and was a "chunky kid" until high school when I dragged myself to cross country (but then back again when I started chugging natty ice and eating whole pizzas at 2 in the morning in college). But here is what has worked for me the last few years. Repitition. A lot of people talk about having diets that allow for variety bit it doesn't work for me. I have a strict regimen that I follow every WEEKDAY. That is the key. I still do what I want on the weekend. Go out to nice meals and gorge but during the week I am a monk. I think the psychology behind it for me was that I was taking the choice out of what I ate which kept my loack of willpower out of it. When I know that everyday I have a large bowl of cereal in the morning, a banana and almonds at 11, a V8 juice and a yogurt at 12, more almonds at 1, a protein bar at 2, an apple at 3 and an orange at 4, I stop thinking about "what can I eat right now?" Because if given that choice eventually my stomach will always lead me back to the dark side. All that has become habit and I hardly even think about it anymore. Throw in SOME activity (I actually go to the gym during my 1 hour lunch break so as not to be tempted by the quiznos or cafe deluxe right by my office) and you will definitely start to notice a difference. Also I think most americans are very surprised on the amount of calories you actually need (expend) in a day. When I tell people what I eat on weekdays the reaction is "Wow that isn't enough you need to eat more! But I found out I really don't. That is the amount of calories I am using a day and like you said that is really the key. A couple of quick hits that will help a lot are drop daily lattes/cappucino's etc. those will KILL you. Same goes for sports drinks sodas etc. People always think beverages are harmless but those are some of the highest calorie items most people use daily. Switch to grande coffee, black or with a bit of skim milk and splenda from a grande caramel macchiato and you have just cut 300 calories and 7 grams of saturated fat from your daily routine. That is 1500 calories and 35 grams of sat. fat a week if you get one monday thru friday. Also drop sodas sports drinks etc. for water. It helps you feel full and fuels your exercise later. Start to think about whether it is hunger or taste deprivation driving your urge for something to eat. During the day if you feel real hunger eat a small handful of raw almonds or eat an apple. Both fill you up quite a bit and fuel the metabolism. Lastly drink LOTS of water. I usually drink 2 liters at the office everyday and some more at work in the evening. The last thing is don't ever completely cut yourself off from anything. That will cause your diet to fail eventually I think. That is why I cut loose on the weekends (still with a small bit of portion conscience I suppose) If you completely deny yourself fried sweetbreads or tres leches cake or any of your favorite guilty pleasures completely, you will fail. A month, a year eventually you will fall off the horse. So just do a mini falling off every weekend and get back on on monday. That allowed me to change my lifestyle after college and I have been going strong for a few years now without any lapses and I feel great.

Deluxe is on Monday night.

Nice guy that Michael. It does get a small bit depressing every year waiting on people every night and seeing them go off to shows and family get togethers, holiday shopping etc. etc. and knowing that while you are a part of peoples' holiday fun you aren't having much of your own. Just about everyplace I have ever worked at has done holidays with the pick 2 of the 3 to work ultimatum. (Thanksgiving, Christmas or New Year) you will definitely get the one you pick off and if you are really lucky and have enough seniority you might get 2 of them off.

Hahahaha, I just made a reservation for Saturday night before flipping over to this window. Thanks for the rec, any dishes or wine we should not miss?

Any recs for a good foodie destination on a smaller budget? I am headed up this weekend. (entrees in the 20-28 dollar range) Location and food type make no difference. But I am hopefully trying to find somewhere kind of cool and well um... "New yorkey" I guess. I went to Paladar LES last time I was there and loved it. So something with that same kind of price range and vibe, any neighborhood.

To me anyone who would possibly complain about "outing" or even call it outing is ridiculous. Its like going to Seaworld sitting in the taped off front row beecause you want a better view but bitching when you get wet. There were multiple warnings on the PA, signs posted on the row all telling you you might get splashed. You think to yourself, "Oh it might not hit this area this time around let's go for it". You know the risk, but you went ahead with it anyway. The internet is a public place. You should have the same expectations of privacy for ANYTHING you say, regardless of content, as you would if you stood on your chair in a restaurant, clinked your glass, and made an announcement. You know there is always a risk in someone knowing who you are yet you still were willing to take your chances and bitch about your boss, work etc. People whine about someone outing them when they should be asking themselves why it is so important to have your feelings and things you want to remain private up in a public forum anyways. A few of us had a discussion at work back during Foley-gate about how there seems to be an internet generational gap growing. A lot of people from 35-40 and above still don't truly grasp the nature of the internet and how insecure they actually are. Foley hit delete and thought that was the end of that. You see time and time again where people get nailed because of a false sense of security. (how many "inner office" emails have made their way to the pages of Roll Call because some Senator thought putting in the recycle bin meant it had disappeared forever?) I can't tell you how many times I have gotten emails from older colleagues who don't realize when forwarding or replying that things are quoted below their email. (One of my colleagues was actually knocked out of the closet to the rest of our team by this about a month ago!) I feel bad and I know there are plenty of exceptions but I feel like a lot of people who didn't grow up using the internet just don't fully understand their exposure when using it. Which is why you still see corporate and government scandals starting from some e-mail/internet mishap. I always ask myself "How could they be so STUPID????" But then I realize i have been using the internet since I was 8 so it isn't exactly fair to say they are stupid, some older people just don't have the same experience with it that I do. On the flip side I think a lot of the younger generation has begun to evolve too far in the other direction and relish the lack of privacy. Embarassing pictures every detail of their life, every thought is all documented shamelessly for all friends, family, and potential employers to see.... and they don't bat an eye. I just look at my 19 year old sister (someone who post mood changes and pictures of her breaking various laws on Facebook for all to see) as proof of this. I think if I told her about this story not only would she not see why it is a big deal to "out" someone, I don't even think she would understand why this was an issue. I mean it is the INTERNET for god's sakes. So basic rule of thumb if you have a picture, thought gripe, etc. that you woulnd't be comfortable standing up and announcing at a staff meeting or posting on fliers all over DC, don't post it on the internet. I think narcissism is fine as long as you can deal with the consequences.

Easy fix, don't diss your employer on the internet.

Do you think putting two birds side by side in the oven will severely affect cooking time, and/or evenness of the cooking? I am doing two 14 pound birds and was thinking about getting two of the smallest possible foilf roasters from the grocery store. I haven't seen Beth's mothers oven but she said it is the same size as ours and I just don't know if they will fit. And if they do it will be tight I think so I don't want this to make for an unevenly finished bird. She wants me to do one in the oven and one in a roaster. I have never done anything in a roaster oven and am leery of the outcome. Plus it will probably throw off the timing and quality between the two. I have a great technique down for the oven but don't think it translates to a roaster oven.

If you ask nicely the whole foods guys in Silver Spring will usually do anything you want with the prepacked meats. Just grab a whole breast take it up to the counter and ask nicely if they will halve it for you. Worth a shot. On a different note, what quantity of potatoes would you all mash for 12 adults and 5 kids (and hopefully a enough for leftovers!!)?

Are you talking about Olazzo? Also don't forget David Craig...

Did a dry run yesterday of some Thanksgiving stuff. Went pretty well. I think I am just going to do storebought rolls. Making them is kind of a pain in the ass for not that great of payoff. I just am worried about space, pans and oven time. Question on Turkeys, I think we are going to need about a 22-24 pound bird. How do these turnout? I just can't help thinking that a turkey this big wiill suffer in quality or will dry out on the outside in the 6 ish hours it will take to get the inside done. So I was thinking, if there is room for this, what about two 14 pounders side by side? Has anyone done this before or have any advice?

I have been real busy and hadn't had a chance to post anything yet but it was very nice meeting all of you at Ray's last Friday. Beth had a real nice time and said she will stop busting my chops for having "internet chat board friends". She did the same thing with MySpace but now she uses my account all the time to find people and post messages but refuses to start her own account. I think she that is how she rationalizes to herself, as long as she doesn't create an account she can keep her state of denial intact... A couple of days have gone by without anyone shamelessly kissing Landrum's a** on this board so I figured I better post something quick before the it malfunctions or the world stops turning. Friday was another great time (with a great meal thrown in there somewhere) hanging out at one of the best neighborhood spots in the Metro area. Its funny I feel like we really lucked out in SS. Every neighborhood has their own neighborhood bar/hangout. Cafe deluxe is kind of one for the North Cleveland Park set. Our food is fine but mostly it became a neighborhood spot out of convenience and atmosphere. In other neighborhoods I have had some spots that I went to all the time and put up with crappy bar food just because I like talking with people from the 'hood and hanging out. But now everyone in Silver spring just lucked into some of the best food in the metro area AND a great hangout spot under the same roof. I am extremely happy about this development. All of my friends in Columbia Heights, Adams Morgan, Logan, and U St. who give me crap about living in SS can eat their hearts out, as soon as they get done choking down that 13 dollar basket of chicken fingers and fries at their neighborhood bar.

Went to Samantha's this Saturday and had a very nice meal. It was pretty crowded and loud so if you are sensitive to having your seat bumped as people pass you might want to go in the off hours. We did get a table, within 5 minutes after arriving at 7. Personally I liked it loud and crowded and I enjoyed the family atmosphere. We had a good time making faces at the baby next to us and then had a nice talk with the parents after they realized she had been staring at us. I like the nice homey family atmosphere. I feel like this is as close as I am going to get to the atmosphere from a neighborhood restaurant in Brooklyn circa 1960 where everyone knew everyone and their 1st second and third cousins. You know, the kind of place where you walk in and they ask how your uncle jackie is doing and if you are rude to the waiter you would get a call from your angry mother that night. That may sound strange but you always see those types of places in the movies but I have never been anywhere that had that vibe. Samantha's is probably about as close as I have come. The food was good also. We had the deluxe ceviche which was solid and had a nice bold flavor for an appetizer. I had the Carne asada, good medium rare and surprisingly tender and Beth had a trout special which was decent although she didn't care much for the cream sauce it came in. I liked it just fine but it was a bit heavier than she was expecting I think. Tres leches was fantastic. With a pitcher of margaritas (little too sour mixy for my tastes) and two espressos the bill came to around $75. Not too shabby.

Those Turkey sandwiches are great. It is like Thanksgiving leftovers all year. I started walking over to Faidleys for lunch on on the weekends and after discovering those (cheap) turkey sandwiches I all but forgot about the seafood. Definitely second the bergers. I think I might remember seeing some take away stuff at Faidleys actually, I can't distinctly remember if they sell frozen crab cakes though or aynthing like that. With most of the markets in Bmore all of the cuisine I have sampled is the kind of thing that gets greasy, coagulated or just nasty when reheated the next day or it is ALL about freshness (IE fresh seafood) and is best on the spot. Even the crabcakes get kind of gummy after a day. Now iif you need some discount tobacco, vitamin supplements or knock off Hilfiger shirts you are in business.

We are going to the in-(laws*) for Thanksgiving and I have volunteered to do most of the cooking. Just thought i would share my thought process right now and see if you experts have any input or tips for a first time Thanksgiving chef. (And for an added level of difficulty: not showing up my girlfriend's mother! I want raves but not too enthusiastic ; ) First of all I am planning on making a big batch of chicken stock when I wake up Wed. morning. The rest of the menu I will prepare on Wed. thru Thursday with one oven. This is where I was really hoping for some strategic tips... Just some simple tossed greens Turkey, brined overnight and roasted with aromatics in place of stuffing inside the bird. Stuffing baked separately. -Anyone have a killer recipe? I am thinking challah or brioche with no mushrooms (I love them they hate them), and some type of fruit accent perhaps, dried cranberries, white raisins etc. Will probably bake early and cover and then just toast up after I take out the Turkey. Buttermilk mashed potatoes with maybe a small small bit of horseradish. Skin on. Made night before and reheated? Pan drippings, roux and some of the aforementioned stock and some white wine to make a gravy. made the night before minus the pan drippings which will be added in. Some yeasty buttery rolls Not sure if the benefits of making them from scratch will be lost if I do these the day before Roasted green beans Won't take long probably put these in with the stuffing Apple ginger, and Cranberry compotes. Night before And one killer seasonal dessert that I am still in search of. Someone else is bringing pumpkin pies and yams so I am thinking some alternative pumkin themed dessert or maybe just a good apple crisp or something. This will be done the night before also Sorry this is so long, I am nervous as hell. I am a more than decent cook but I am nervous having so many eyes on me and being in a foreign kitchen with foreign tools and all the pots and pans in different cabinets so I would love some advice from some of you seasoned vets whether on the timing or some menu additions/changes.

Hmmmm, I might be joining (with the SO this time).

ALright I know it is one of you pestering Tom about the star system today. Fess up who is it?

I second the take on Rumberos food. I went there this weekend with my brother and our girlfriends and it was a nice place to have a drink but that was about it. The atmosphere was fantastic but did tend to get a BIT loud for good conversation as it got later. I feel like the band was rocking out like a headliner as opposed to going for that atmosphere music feel. Drinks were nice, mojitos a bit sweeter than I make my own but I think they probably would be perfect to most. Nice pisco sour and the usual line up of latin beers. When it came to the food I was completely unimpressed by the tapas. The menu actually had a lot of similarities to the appetizer menu at Cubanos in Silver Spring which I have been hitting more often lately and I can sasy from what we tasted Cubanos execution blows them out of the water. The flank steak was leather, and not getting a steak knife and being unable to track down the waiter, my hunger took over and I ended up having to pick the whole thing up on my fork and bite pieces off with my teeth. The butter knife didn't even make a dent. Most of the dishes were just missing something. When I think of good latin food I think of a lot of flavor really popping in your mouth. Red onions, jalapeno, citric acid, cilantro and all these dishes were missing that element and just felt really flat. We had some pork that was over cooked and tough also. I guess in all fairness it was a loin or some other lean cut but still expected more especially for the price. The plates were all basically the same prices as much better tapas around town. All that said I would definitely go back to hang out with some drinks.

Oh boy here we go. This same discussion came up on the DCist today. 47 posts in like 30 minutes. I just pasted my little essay from this board onto theirs. Too lazy to write an original one. Don't worry though I am not cheating on DR. It didn't mean a thing to me. Really. You guys will always get my best.

We have pumpkin cheesecake on the menu. Pretty good actually. I think we get them from a place called Sweets up in Germantown/Hagerstown somewhere (I don't really know that area well.)