porcupine

Mr P and are are probably in. Thanks for organizing.

The Komi dates are served warm, but I don't believe they're cooked. They're also drizzled with evoo. Wrap the shrimp in some bacon and broil. Skewer with toothpicks and serve with a homemade aioli, which would also make a great dip for oven roasted potato chunks. And the cherry tomatoes. And the baby portobellos...

for dessert, try strawberries with some really good quality balsamico. The Florida strawberries at WF now are surprisingly good, given that it's February. I'm not sayin' they're good compared to what you'll find at the FMs in May, but all things considered... they ain't bad.

It occurs to me that in writing the previous recipes I'm assuming people know the basic American butter cake formula. But just in case you don't, it usually goes like this: Start with room temp butter, cream very slowly with sugar - add sugar a tablespoon at a time and beat until thoroughly mixed before adding more. The creamed mixture will be very light and fluffy. Eggs are added next, one at a time - beat thoroughly but don't overbeat. Next come flavorings - citrus rind, extract - beat just until mixed. Next the flour (already mixed with other dry ingredients) gets mixed in, at low speed, in three portions; beat each until just combined before adding the next. If there's liquid (milk, buttermilk, water mixture, whatever), that gets added alternately with the flour. Its always best to go: 1/3 flour, 1/2 liquid, 1/3 flour, 1/2 liquid, 1/3 flour. The idea is to keep the batter reasonably even in texture without overmixing. The more you mix once flour's been added, the more gluten you develop. Gluten is great for bread and pasta but will ruin your cake. Get the batter into the pans and the pans into the oven fast, because as soon as the dry ingredients hit the wet, the leaveners went to work - you don't want to waste their efforts. At this point in my life I always butter the pans, line the bottoms with wax paper, butter that, and flour the whole thing, even if the recipe doesn't say to. It just makes getting the cakes out of the pans so much easier. However, if you're going to cool a cake all the way and serve from the same pan (as in a pound or picnic cake), don't use flour! Otherwise you'll have a gummy, gluey flour layer on the bottom of each piece. Another personal preference: if I'm going to go to all this effort, why would I cheap out and use anything other than a fine quality unsalted butter? Nothing else gives the flavor or texture. This of course does not mean substitute butter in a recipe that's been developed with oil. Rather, if it calls for butter use butter, and not margarine or shortening or any other solid fat. Life's too good to eat (or make) crappy cake. I am so hungry right now.

heck, I want the recipe for the steamed puddings!

Angel Food Cake This is for anyone who thinks they don't like angel food (like my MIL). It's a very old recipe, from one of my mother's relatives, but pretty standard. Mom used to insist on beating the egg whites by hand, but my results are just as good in a standing mixer with the whisk attachment. I do finish it by hand, though. I have many memories of Mom wiating for me to come home from school so she could yell "don't slam the door! there's an angel food cooling!" Just about any light textured icing works well on this. It may be tempting to use all those yolks in a French buttercream, but I find that too heavy for this cake. YMMV. It's also good stuffed with lemon or strawberry or chocolate creams (but that'll be another post). Have 1 1/2 cups egg whites (about 1 doz extra large) at room temp. Measure 1 c sugar and sift twice; set aside. Measure 1 1/8 c sifted cake flour and sift three times with 3/4 c sifted sugar; set aside. Beat egg whites until frothy, then beat in 1 1/2 t cream of tartar and 1/3 t salt. Continue beating til soft peaks form. Gradually sift in the 1 c sugar, always beating, and keep beating until stiff peaks form, but don't overbeat. Fold in 1/4 t almond extract and 1 t vanilla. Very gently fold in the flour mixture - sift a large spoonful at a time over the eggs whites and fold in with a rubber scraper. Spoon the batter into a scrupulously clean angel food cake pan (do not grease!) and run the scraper through it just once to kill any large air bubbles. Bake at 325 for 58 min. Cool upside down (this is important - I use an old beer bottle to hold the pan) until completely and utterly cold before removing from pan - you may need to run a knife around the edge to loosen it. And in the meantime don't let your kids slam the door.

Brown Sugar Buttercream For anyone who loves making cookies just to eat the batter when it's nothing more than butter and brown sugar, this will be your favorite icing. It's fantastic on a devil's food cake (see previous post). From Gourmet , Jan 2001. Combine 1 c dark brown sugar and 1/2 c water in a small saucepan. Combine 3 egg whites and 1/8 t salt in a mixer bowl. Have 1 1/2 c butter softened and whipped in another bowl. Boil the sugar-water to soft ball stage (238-242 F). Meanwhile, beat the egg whites until frothy, and 1/2 t lemon juice and beat to soft peak stage. Add the syrup to the eggs whites, beating continually, and keep beating until the mixture reaches room temperature. Add the butter one glob at a time, still beating continually. When all the butter has been added, beat in 2 t vanilla. Notes: if you're not used to making buttercream, read about it in Julia Child's The Way to Cook . The tip about beating the butter beforehand, for example, makes a big difference in how easily it combines with the meringue. There are ways to rescue a failed buttercream, but I won't discourse on that here. Use the best quality unsalted butter you can afford, and good vanilla, too.

My favorite chocolate cake, from Gourmet , Jan 2001: Cream 1 c butter with 1 1/4 c dark brown sugar and 3/4 c granulated sugar. Beat in 4 large eggs, one at a time. Whisk together 3/4 c cocoa powder (not Dutch process) and 1 c boiling water [do this while cream butter and sugar], then combine with 1/2 c whole milk and 1 t vanilla. Sift together 2 c all purpose flour, 1 1/4 t baking soda, and 1/2 t salt. Mix the dry ingredients into the butter-sugar-egg mixture alternately with the liquid ingredients. Bake in pans buttered, lined with wax paper, buttered again and floured; at 350, for: 3 8" round = 23-24 min 2 9" round = 25-30 min 1 13x9 = 35 min 1/2 c muffin cups about 20 min (makes about 34) Cool in pans on rack for 20 min before removing from pans. notes: flavor improves after a day this recipe can be tricky - the cake goes from perfect to waaaay overdone in less than 30 sec. Best to remove from oven when it looks slightly underdone. also, Domino brand dark brown sugar is prone to developing hard lumps that will not dissolve in a cake batter, but will sink to the bottom and ruin your cake. Ask me how I know this. Crumble the sugar with your impeccably clean fingers [thanks, Julia!] and remove any hard lumps. Ice with brown sugar buttercream (next post).

Favorite cake sauce An issue of Gourmet a few years back had a recipe for a lemon cream icing, made with homemade lemon curd. I never had any luck with it, as it tended to soften rather quickly no matter what tricks I used, but it makes a fantastic sauce. The basic recipe: whip one cup heavy cream with 1/2 cup confectioner's sugar until it holds stiff peaks, then fold in 1 cup lemon curd. Variations: make lemon curd with Meyer lemons or blood oranges. The blood orange curd tastes kinda wierd, but being unwilling to throw it out, I just made the sauce with it, and the sauce tasted great. YMMV. Bet lime would work well, too. The first time I made this icing, I intended to put it on an angel food cake, and was beside myself with irritation that it wasn't firm enough - especially since my first party guest had already arrived! But she had a great idea: I cut the cake into bite-size pieces and put them in a pretty bowl, and served the failed icing as a dipping sauce. My friends loved it. In sauce form, it also makes a great dip for strawberries.

Let's help Demetrius [see carrot cake thread] in his baking adventures. Here's an old favorite of mine: Buttermilk Pound Cake (origin unknown). Cream 1 c butter with 2 c sugar. Beat in 4 eggs, one at a time. Beat in 1 t each vanilla and grated lemon rind. Add 3 c sifted flour, resifted with 1/2 t each baking soda and baking powder, alternately with 1 c buttermilk. Bake in greased and floured sheet pan (13x9) at 350 for about 40 min. notes: if you use unsalted butter, add some salt to the flour mixture c = cup t = teaspoon bake a half-recipe in an 8" square pan for about 30 min this cake tastes best when eaten one day after it's made I like it with nothing more than powdered sugar on top, but it's also good with whipped cream and fruit, or a creme anglaise if you want to dress it up, or any other cream type sauce (see next post).

If I'm not mistaken, this is the place in the little shopping center at the intersection of Travillah and Glen roads.

I'd go anywhere for soup dumplings! Let me know when.

Can anybody who's been there report on how smokey it is, or if somking is even permitted? Thanks.

See post #4 in the cupcake thread. If I have a bit of time later today I will start a new thread on cake and post a few favorite recipes.

So, Demetrius, did you ever make a carrot cake?

Sorry, I can't join you today. Please report on it, though!

Chicken kabobs (marinated in honey, soy sauce, and lemon juice) on brown rice, with a warm salad of portobello mushroom, grape tomato [surprisingly good for this time of year], sweet onion, and red bell pepper, drizzled with pomegranate molasses and sprinkled with little bits of fresh sheep milk cheese. With a glass of Ommegang Witte. Dessert: sweetened mascarpone flavored with blood orange juice and mixed with fresh strawberries [also surprisingly good], tucked into crepes. And a heart-shaped chocolate from Kingsbury.

Just in case anyone was wondering if all the comments about the bacon, egg, and cheese salad are hyperbole: they're not. And if you're wondering if it's worth all the fuss and a forty minute drive: it is. I was going to write about my dinner in the Tasting Room last Saturday, but I believe everything the four of us had has been described upthread. Except for the cassoulet and a tripe and merguez sausage dish. Both were fantastic. Oh, and a beef tartare spiced with serrano peppers. What a wonderful experience.

last minute decision to run errands in Alexandria means I'll be hitting Eve shortly before noon for lunch. If anyone wants to join me... I'm wearing gray and black and will be reading Fine Gardening . Ciao!

oh, joy. Miller time, indeed. (currently working on the last Brooklyn Brewery Octoberfest in the house)

And one final bit of info: it's a leisurely ten minute walk. In 3.5" stiletto heels, too.

A Negroni whilst waiting for Mr P to arrive with tonight's carryout dinner.

just across the American Legion bridge.

Answering my own question, just in case any of you find it useful: When the restaurant called to confirm the res, I asked what they recommend. They are happy to valet park your car, at half the price of KC parking, and you can leave it there until after the show. done/done

In need of advice: what is the best way to get from the Kennedy Center to NB? other than by car, which I'm planning on leaving at the KC. Is it just a short walk up NH Ave, and if so how many minutes? Is there a bus line or shuttle, or should I call a cab? Thanks.