Halloween

Is this from the Bon Appetit article this month by Bruce Aidell? (I saw that recipe the other day) How were they? Where'd you get the buffalo short ribs? Cibola?

Yes, that's the recipe, and the short ribs were delicious. I purchased the ribs at Cibola a few months ago, and finally decided to cook them. The recipe calls for low-sodium chicken broth (which i didn't have on hand), so I used regular broth, but forgot to adjust the salt in other parts of the recipe. So, the ribs were a bit salty, but otherwise nicely-seasoned, tender, and rich, without much fat (compared to beef short ribs). My brother has decided that I should add this recipe to the regular rotation!

At home, again. Roasted a chicken, braised savoy cabbage, and reheated the kabocha squash I roasted earlier this week. Have I worked out today? Not yet. But i'm going to!

Drat! I did not work out today. I've got a deadline on Thursday, and was at my desk until about an hour ago. Still, no excuses! I should have taken a break and walked downstairs to the gym (in my building!!). But, I did not go out, and I brought my breakfast, lunch, and dinner to work.

Without naming names, the participating restaurant friend I visited tonight after work told me that 2 tables of 2 had asked if they could split the Restaurant Week menu. Seriously. 30 bucks for a full dinner in a nice restaurant ain't cheap enough? I guess they didn't drink wine, either. Of course, in our business, it's looked upon as rude to say to someone in the face "You must be joking".

Comments welcome.

For some, 30 bucks isn't cheap enough (boy do I remember those days), but the solution isn't to split a restaurant week dinner. It's to save until you can afford it, eat something less expensive on the menu, or eat somewhere else. I rather enjoy a slice of pizza from Vace and a long walk on a spring day.

Coffee-Marinated Buffalo Short Ribs

Roasted Kabocha squash (straight, no chaser)

H20 Cocktail

At home tonight making coffee-marinated buffalo short ribs. New recipe from bon appetit. We'll see how it turns out. No workout today, but i'll be at the gym tomorrow.

Are you okay?

LOL!

Only if you're ok with a booze-free picnic, or can locate a cheap private site. DC, MoCo, PG, and Howard all prohibit alcohol at public picnic sites. (I think we ran through this exercise last year...)

Oh, and TIP here, sort of. Qualified for the program, didn't qualify for aid and couldn't come up with the money. And I'll probably be wheezing after 5 minutes on the field, but I'm game for Ultimate. A couple of friends of mine still play in some local adult league.

I'm ok with a booze-free picnic. Let's try it! We could do a sampling of non-alcoholic drinks. I'm sure it will be a big hit!

40-minute walk yesterday. yoga class this morning, and then a stop at the dupont market. cooking tonight!

I was exhausted yesterday, so I came home, cooked dinner (salmon and black beans), and was in bed by 8. Tonight, well, that's a different story. Let's just say that, after spending my evening at Johnny's Halfshell and Corduroy, i'll be be spending the better part of tomorrow at the gym.

Dreamin' up a new plan . . .

Went to a NH primary watch party last night at Evolution Restaurant/Lounge, which is a new spot on Columbia Road. Ate nothing; drank seltzer with lime. Rock on!

Did another 45-minute walk today. Went to Bourbon tonight for my brother's birthday. Had some Bourbon, of course, and food. So, it's Wednesday, and i've been out three times this week , but i'm feeling pretty good. Posting here to keep myself honest and motivated.

So, I went to Corduroy and Dino yesterday. Ate light meals, and drank even less. Walked 45 minutes today. Off to a good start.

The biggest problem I foresee is my plan to hang out only twice a week. That would be doable if I didn't have any friends or acquaintances or drinking buddies, but things come up. So, I think I eventually will have to add more workouts to my week, but for now, I am sticking with my current workout goal, and we'll see what happens.

Don,

Will Corduroy be open on the 27th? I thought they were closed on Sundays.

The bar is always open on Sundays; it's the dining room that's usually closed. I have no idea what the situation will be on the 27th, but i'll be there, helping to kick-off the happy week.

hmmm sounds like a Happy Hour on the 27th is brewing........

hmmm sounds like a Happy Hour on the 28th is brewing........

hmmm sounds like a Happy Hour on the 29th is brewing........

hmmm sounds like a Happy Hour on the 30th is brewing........

hmmm sounds like a Happy Hour on the 31st is brewing........

hmmm sounds like rehab on the 1st is brewing........

Oh, the stories we'll have to tell about the five-day happy hour. Count me in!

You've all been very kind in your welcomes. So much so in fact, that you not only have made me feel welcome here but you are softening my ex-NY'ers heart in its vague unspecified worries about DC'ers.

My friend Anna Blume started this process but really I did not expect it to be a trend.

Heather and Raisa, thanks.

Who are you and why are you so damn funny? Welcome!

Okay, so I have a trip to Miami in two months (needless to say Vegas all over again for ten days in May).

Meanwhile, I've ditched a bunch of friends , joined the most foo foo gym and just finished watching a special on the National Geographic Chanel on gastric bypass. I think I'm in charge! But I still like to drink.

You're a riot, Meaghan!

So, here we go again. For January, to get myself started, my goal will not be framed in terms of pounds. Right now, i'm facing the difficulty of getting back to the gym after a three-month absence. So, my goal for January (starting tomorrow) is to work out three times a week, for at least thirty minutes, and to eat out no more than twice a week. I think that's a doable start, and i'll revisit this goal in February.

I've been eating and drinking quite a bit since the end of July, with a two-month hiatus in preparation for my college reunion, at which I think I looked great. It's been downhill since then. So, hello new year, I welcome you! Let's do this!

I am drinking to 2008!, and all that it has to offer.

I am also drinking to everyone one I lost in 2007. They will not be mentioned here again, unless I change my mind:

Uncle Monroe

Damon

Mama Haz

Brent

Aunt Grace

God bless you, and thank you for everything.

I might eat, but I'm certainly never drinking again.

Yeah. What she said. I need to find a new hobby besides eating and drinking with you wonderful people. I'm serious. Do you know how much weight i've gained since I met you guys in 2005? I called a friend yesterday so that she could help me brainstorm about new ways to spend my time. I asked her, "So, how do regular people spend time?"

Here are the options I'm considering:

1. replacing my eating and drinking out with working out. (The best laid plans . . .)

2. taking an acting glass. (did this last winter and had fun.) (notice the slip!)

3. making some kind of volunteering commitment (to substitute for my eating and drinking commitment).

4. working longer hours (gotta love this one!)

5. finding friends who don't drink or eat out -- hello fuddruckers vegetarian!

6. learning to knit.

Yep. That's all i've got. Any other ideas???

Without a doubt: my 8-inch cast iron skillet.

I like my chef's knife and cutting board. There is something about working in the kitchen that excites and calms me, and using my cutting board and knife sets the magical cooking process in motion.

(edited so I don't sound like a serial killer. thanks, legant!)

Well. I don't know to say. Thanks to everyone at Komi, and thanks to Meaghan for making my first visit to Komi since Damon died so fun and memorable. Meaghan, please tell everyone about our meal and Derek's amazing wine magic. They were amazing!

Hello, My name is Christine and I am new to this board. I'm not an expert on food. I just love to eat. I love this website! I can't wait to share my experiences and try some of the recommendations.

Welcome, Christine! We look forward to meeting you!

I'm drinking to Damon. God bless you, my dear. We miss you so much, and we haven't figured out what to do without you. Help us; our sadness persists.

My wife and I had dinner, for the first time, at Ripert's West End Bistro tonight. This is an enormously popular restaurant that was very crowded on a night when a lot of restaurants in D. C. probably had dining rooms with a significant number of empty tables. I note this because it has attracted a lot of attention and, I think, the spin has been almost all positive. Of course I have never been short of an opinion...

I had the tuna carpaccio for the first course. Apparently this is something of a signature app. It was very good-no better. I would direct anyone on here who thinks it is "fabulous" to Kinkead's to try his. For me his is, actually, superior. Also, last week I was at Aguila y Sol in Mexico City whose reputation, in part, is built on tuna carpaccio and tuna tartare. Absolutely no comparison. For $14 Westend was a very good version but not the best in the city. Summarily, I actually find my opinions to agree with Mr. Hitchcock above. The $28 Chesapeake Seafood Stew was a kind of a take on bouillibasse with a weight watcher size portion. Serious. One shrimp (perfectly cooked and very flavorful), one chunk of rockfish (exquisitely prepared), two clams and two mussels (both open and vulnerable) and a half cup of flavorful broth. That's it. For $28. At lunch today I had "fish soup" at the Bread Line for one fifth of this: the broth was flavorful-no, it was as flavorful and there was more fish in it! Not overall as good but it wasn't suppose to be. The comparison for the Westend Bistro is to Kinkead's or Black Salt who both do excellent seafood stews-I think perhaps better than Ripert's here. Still, considering the portion-no matter how much I liked the fish and the shrimp and how well prepared the pair of clams and pair of mussels was this was a very small tasting for $28. Black Salt and Kinkead's both have stews every bit as good or better than this but with respectable portions. I'm not trying to claim that I need a trencherman size bowl but this, for me, was ridiculous for a non tasting, a la carte size menu. Simply, if you need to charge $50 to serve a fair size portion then do it! But a tasting portion for $28 is, for me, an insult as an a la carte portion.

We had a number of other courses but the most interesting one was the simple, "homemade caramel ice cream." I, too, make caramel ice cream. With a 35 year old White Mountain freezer, rock salt and ice and Lewes Dairy Heavy Cream along with Vermont butter, Harrisburg Dairy whole cream top milk, organic eggs, sugar, etc. And I crank it by hand with my strong fore arm-years of cranking, years of experience!

Someone needs to tell Eric Ripert how to make caramel ice cream. And, to use a bit of cream in what amounts to rich ice milk that he is passing off as ice CREAM. Sorry for the criticism but again-the comparison to Kinkead's. Bob Kinkead makes excellent ice cream. Based on caramel and vanilla Kinkead's is better.

The pineapple upside down cake and the ratoutille were both very good. Overall, we liked the food but there was just nothing to "wow" us. A very good restaurant, two and one half stars probably if I were rating it. A notch behind Central for comparison. A notch behind Kinkead's and Black Salt also. But, we left disappointed-perhaps we had expected too much.

By the way, it would have been interesting to see what Fabio might have done with this space if the Ritz had let him open a restaurant with the cuisine of the Marche region. But, they went with Ripert, ostensibly favoring him over Trabocchi. Having said this Fabio might be back across the street in a year or so since Starwood owns the space-a D. C. version of Fiamma (which, by the way, has NOTHING in common with Maestro-they are doing several hundred covers a night! The 10-15+ course days of Maestro will not be known by New Yorkers, at least not at Fiamma). Oh, and by the way, apparently the deal was signed with Gordon Ramsay for Maestro's old space. But this last is an unconfirmed rumor that I have now heard from three different people who may or may not be in a position to know that it is true.

Gordon Ramsay at Tyson's Corner. Hmmm...............

Some people will do anything to liven a board up! Even me...

Que? I need to meet you, Joe H, so that I can understand you. Happy Holidays.

Shhhhhhhhhhh.