smithhemb

Ok, so veggie daughter moved off campus and will now have to fend for herself food-wise. I gave her my old Cuisinart DLC-14 (with the post-recall replacement blade) as well as 20 years of associated blades/gadgets. Showed her how to make hummus and gazpacho, and chop garlic and ginger. Pointed her to YouTube for additional recipes/instruction. Bought myself a new 3 bowl Magimix (with the big feed tube), arriving today. So, I’m looking for two kinds of recipes/books/inspiration. One is for a novice cook, who doesn’t have good knife skills, and who (somewhat surprisingly) has more/better space for a Cuisinart than for cutting boards. I’d like her to incorporate the food processor into her cooking from (near) the beginning. She’s a vegetarian who has a great cheap produce store nearby (and they generally let you customize quantities, even of things like fresh herbs), and is short on money and time. Lives in Chicago/packs her lunch/doesn't demand variety, loves soups, so that may become a go-to for her in the fall/winter. Then there’s me. Empty nester. Cooks and bakes, has a (now largely empty) dishwasher (so cleanup is less of an issue), and has room for food processor on the counter everyday. I loved my Cuisinart for specific things that I probably wouldn’t have made without it — e.g. gapacho, hummus, tabouli, chocolate steamed pudding, pie crust, large quantities of fresh OJ — but have never defaulted to it for cooking generally. Have instinctively or habitually used knives, graters, presses, food mill, mixer, immersion blender, etc. instead. So what I’m looking for is things that become much simpler or faster with a food processor — which could either mean things I rarely make now (potato gratin, yeasted breads) or new approaches to everyday tasks. Any recommendations for either of us re books/recipes that make you love your food processor?

We’ve been opting in and out of Hello Fresh and Gobble on a weekly basis for two years now. I grew up cooking for a suburban family of six, some of whom loved leftovers. This wasn’t an optimal approach for the urban (typically car-less) family of three I helped create here. I adapted some — and then some more, when omnivorous daughter became veggie daughter at age 8. But, even so, too much food got wasted and a lot of mental overhead went into meal planning/shopping/prep. So I decided to reset my habits when veggie daughter left for college. Having already introduced my Dad to Hello Fresh (and having it become too demanding for him as he got slower), I found Gobble before it came to DC. Gobble’s pitch is (was?) 15 minutes/1 pan — which spoke directly to Dad’s issues with Hello Fresh. And it had the side benefit of being less meat and potato-y. Specifically, more veggie dishes and more Asian spices/treatments. Lately Gobble is getting the lion’s share of our orders. I compare offerings for any given week and decide to order either, neither, or (very occasionally) both. Agree that the packaging waste is off-putting. But I love two things about these services — very little food waste and I don’t have to think about dinner until DH calls and says he’s leaving the office. His 30 minute commute is all the time I need. No planning, no rushing to the grocery store for a missing ingredient, no thought about what to make that will use up random perishables left over from other meals. Another positive has been that we consume fewer serve-the-eating-function meals out (and less takeout). But the mindlessness is really what hooked me. In the early days I joked about cooking in the “agentic state” — if the recipe card concluded with the instruction “top with ground arsenic” and the bag had included a packet, I just might have! I think I may now be approaching a stage where I’ll ease out of this system, having learned a few tricks and rethought how I shop. At a minimum, I’m at a place where I’ll cook primarily because I want to cook (vs because I need to feed people). And eat out because I want something someone else can do better than I can (vs something that involves no work on my part). And those are good things. Haven’t had a chance to test this, but I think one of the killer apps for these services would be teaching teens to cook. l

Any fave diners, etc. along the way? We’re probably going the northern route [70-76-90] both directions. Detours possible on the way back. Trying to turn a chore into an adventure!

Andouille sausage, fregola with corn, and an arugula salad with tomato raisins and lemon vinaigrette.

Thanks! I may give that a try. And it was the same NYT recipe that started me on this quest, LOL!

Nah — it was Amazon’s exorbitant price that was motivating me to check out some new grocery stores. I can replicate SoCal in Gaithersburg, what with 99 Ranch and HMart, but I thought I should check and see what’s left in DC. Didn’t know whether there were any ethnic markets left in Chinatown or whether this was something Hana might stock.

We’re semi-regulars there (about 2-3x a month, which may be as often as we go to any particular restaurant). I still wish the tomato sauce was a less sweet, and still enjoy the ever-changing but consistently good salads, as well as the never-changing but consistently great brownie with caramel sauce and fresh whipped cream. Their arugula pizza (and the great atmosphere) knocked CS out of the rotation for us. There’s a fun documentary on Frankly and Rose’s Luxury called New Chefs on the Block. If it ever streams, check it out!

Anyone know whether any grocery store in DC stocks toasted sesame paste? No luck at Rodman’s, World Market, Whole Foods, Safeway, or Giant near me. Some days I miss California....

Kathy Jakobsen did a nice picture book of “This Land is Your Land” that includes all the lyrics — and (AFAICT) it has stayed in print for the past 20 years. That was how my kid learned the song — not sure she was ever taught the edited version (or ”God Bless America!” for that matter) in school.

Kapnos Kouzina in Bethesda, Graffiato, or Oyamel are my veggie teen's preferred venues for these kinds of meals. May not be as fancy as what you had in mind (and Graffiato requires grandparents who can handle stairs). All are places we’ve had really nice extended family feasts (including dessert) and didn’t feel rushed. I should add that Bombay Club would freak my teen out (the stuffiness — not the food).

I’m not generally into sculpture, but “Like Life!” currently at the Met Breuer (the old Whitney space) was really fun/thought-provoking. It contains a collection of 3D representations of the body, dating from the Renaissance to the present, and made for a variety of different purposes (artistic, religious, medical, commercial). if you’re in NYC, it’s certainly worth a couple hours of your time.

I really wish them well. Liked Bold Bite in its earlier incarnation (with lots of different sausages). Liked TapasBar the one time we went — and felt sad/guilty when it closed so quickly. We’re still 202 (weekend) regulars. And have enjoyed the extra space and are watching it start to morph into a community hangout, but are concerned about sustainability. Not sure what the problem is (beyond location/saturation) but the dynamic seems to be attempts to make good food more mainstream, and the result seems to be disappointing the foodies without attracting the indiscriminate. So much mediocrity survives (even flourishes) in Bethesda that I can’t tell what the winning format is (or formats are) these days in the Woodmont Triangle area. Thoughts?

Their takeout sauces and fresh pastas are delicious. No idea (and I shudder to think) how much they cost. My husband (who works in CC) buys them when I’m flying in late and he knows I’ll want something nice to eat.

Yeah. Dumplings are still good but beef & celery ones are no longer on the menu.

Indian Thanksgiving for two went well. So well we had time for a pre-dinner trip to see the Vermeer & co. exhibit at the National Gallery. (Photo exhibit — Posing for the Camera — was also good). Watching veggie college kid’s two Thanksgiving feasts (food service-provided and DIY residential college version) from afar, I realized that one nice thing about my Indianized version is it doesn’t feel like there’s a sides vs mains distinction and, therefore, there’s no missing middle for vegetarians (and thus no obligation for the cook to produce a rival veggie centerpiece). Win-win. Looking forward to doing a bigger version next year in Chicago (with a co-conspirator and in a great area to shop for ingredients). But probably still can’t get my head around Indian desserts. Hey, my pumpkin pie has cardamom.... Big surprise was my husband’s wild enthusiasm for the cranberry chutney. Usually he’s insistent on the Ocean Spray version where you can see the rings from the can. NOTHING ELSE WILL DO! (As in “May I bring my own can to a friends house?”) Not this year!

Thanks — this is a new dish for me! Won’t roll it out this year (DH hates coconut) but could be a hit with next year’s larger group.

First time staying at home *without* the kid, LOL! Experimenting with recipes for next year’s Indian Thanksgiving in Chicago. Tandoori turkey breast and cranberry chutney for sure. Haven’t decided beyond that. My Dad makes some really awesome matchstick asafoetida potatoes, so maybe I’ll hit him up for that recipe.

Wednesday night at Masala Art in Tenleytown is all you can eat kebabs and biryani ($22 for veg and $25 for meat IIRC). What we particularly like about it is the variety. You get started with a piece of each of 4 different kebabs (for subsequent rounds you get asked which you’d like more of). And there are four different biryanis (2 veg and 2 meat), so you get a choice there. Now that we’re back to family of 2, we order one veg, one meat and get to sample 8 types of kebabs and 2 biryani. Dal makhani and garlic naan are also part of the meal.

Better than Dolcezza. Maybe not as good as Pitango (depending on what flavors you like).

202donuts, right around the corner, has better donuts and much better coffee.

Looked relatively empty at lunch today (passed it at noon and two — heading to and from Et Voila, where I was meeting friends). Delighted to hear it’s good! Now if only they had kishmish paneer for dessert....

Hello Fresh recently sent me a Cavatappi and Cauliflower Mac n' Cheese recipe that included cubed pancetta and it was delicious. Out of curiosity, does anyone else use the mac n' cheese technique from Barbara Kafka's Microwave Gourmet? I've changed all the ingredients and proportions (except for those in the faux roux), but I still default to her approach.

That's my favorite flavor. My nearest Whole Foods (Friendship Heights) has been carrying it for years. I didn't know people didn't know Jeni's was available locally. What I haven't seen here are their ice cream sandwiches and while I've had Jeni's shipped as a gift, I can't get my head around doing it for my own consumption. But 14th street should solve that problem, LOL!

Thanks! Back in the day, Cashion's Eat Place would have been perfect, but two of the foodies (in addition to the vegetarian) don't eat seafood, so that pretty much rules out Johnny's. I'll give Mintwood a call and see if they can accommodate us. Their online reservation system just circles sold out on every date displayed when I plug in a party of 7. How is Lapis? Menu-wise they seemed to cover all bases nicely, and the early reviews looked mixed but promising. But nobody's written about it since.

Anybody been there recently?