Chocolatechipkt

Triple peanut butter cookies ... lots of peanut butter, roasted peanuts and peanut M&Ms.

http://areyouhungryyet.blogspot.com/2010/12/triple-pb-cookies.html

Nearly one week later ... I think I've recovered, but I'm definitely done with straight-up turkey for another year. We had eight people for Thanksgiving dinner, and another nine joined us for dessert--which was good because it's possible I went a bit overboard, lol. For dinner we had roast turkey, Mom's special stuffing (with fresh cranberries and apples, pecans and other good things), mashed potatoes, gravy, roasted butternut squash, green beans, and cranberry-orange sauce. For dessert, I made a pumpkin chiffon pie (it's tradition in our house), cheddar-apple pie, carrot cake, and a salted caramel banana pudding tart. The tart was a new recipe for me, but it turned out great --salty, sweet, crunchy, smooth -- yum.

Spicy Vietnamese caramelized chicken with rice and green beans

I really like Mia's, though I admit I don't go too frequently. (As someone upthread mentioned, even just on Cordell Ave., there are many restaurants to choose from.) I've never had a bad meal there, and I don't think the prices are too different than any of the other comparable places in the area.

Last night:

Roasted butternut squash lasagna

huge salad with greens, red peppers, fresh feta etc

mixed tomato salad

French bread

Apple cake for those who still had room

Oh, am so jealous.

I've not braided challah in many many years, though the kids did it in Hebrew School a few years ago as a class project. I was thrilled to have 2 loaves - one for dinner, and the other for Challah French Toast the next morning!

I love making challah, though I don't always braid it. I like making it for sandwiches, too. Not that the first loaf ever lasts long enough for that, lol.

Pasta carbonara (and a meatless version for the vegs.)

happy green beans (organic, with a little garlic)

sliced apples (ran out of time and inspiration)

Poppy seed challah ... so so good. I based it on one of the recipe's in Joan Nathan's Jewish Cooking in America.

It is sad. We'd noticed the change in quality -- esp. in the chip-based flavors. Can't wait to check out York. Thanks from me too, DanielK!

Spaghetti and meatballs ... and cantaloupe

I miss having Oodles Noodles in Bethesda. That space has finally settled in with the new Louisiana Express, which is good ... but I really liked ON's peanut noodles (switching out the egg noodles for the wide rice ones) and the mee goreng.

I hit the one in Chevy Chase yesterday, having picked up some bitters from a friend and suddenly realizing "You know, I haven't eaten yet today, and it's RIGHT HERE."

Meh-way.

While I thought the steamed meat dumplings were tasty, they had a very tough outside and were very sticky. The twice cooked duck was, to steal a term from DonRocks, "glop", so heavily sauced it was hard to distinguish the components.

So I'm still craving good Chinese food. I might have to hit TNR or Asian Kitchen...

And that answers that. I was just thinking the same thing when I drove by there yesterday, having gone by about a million times. Thanks!

Pumpkin stuffed with everything good, based on the recipe from Dorie Greenspan's new cookbook.

This included cheese, bread, bacon, scallions, walnuts ... yum.

I made Twix-like "thousand dollar bars" from KAF the other night. They're good, but really rich and sweet.

Labor Day fig pâte de fruit en croûte

How I roll

Sweet Sarcophagus

Port holes

Wedding dinner's caboose.

That's gorgeous!

Chicken piccatta (minus the capers, which seem to have disappeared from the cabinet)

angel hair pasta

green salad w/apples, avocados, cranberries etc

grapes

I think your late lunch is prob better than my so-called breakfast ... a coffee crunch bar that I baked up last night. Wait no -- it's coffee and almonds and ... :b

Bonaparte Breads, at the Dupont farmers market on Sunday and the Chevy Chase/Lafayette market on Saturday (and else where, I'm sure ... they're out of Baltimore), has great croissants.

Quiche with bacon, caramelized onions, and a few cheeses

green beans

sliced apples

super simple mini apple tart with the leftover dough from the quiche and an extra apple

Drunken chicken with lots of rice noodles, Thai basil, and red peppers (and a tofu version for the vegetarians in my family.)

Yum Monavano!

Grilled burgers (which were supposed to be very lean but shrunk A LOT when on the grill ... )

green beans

homemade biscuits

big salad

So this is now unrelated to the Penang in Bethesda? I went there recently, and it was fabulous. Seriously flavorful, and I went again two days later, lol.

I've been to Haandi (Bethesda) many, many times. The rice is particularly flavorful, as are rice-based dishes, like the chicken biryani. I like Passage to India too, but they're very different, IMO. Haandi seems a bit heavier when compared to PtoI, but they also have fairly different selections. One nitpicky thing about Haandi -- if you order mango chutney, it's about $3 for a tiny amount. I've bought (and made) it for much less, but it's a small detaill overall.

I've been going to Matuba in Bethesda for years, and I've never been disappointed. It's a very friendly environment, too. Several years ago, I took two of my friends there, and they (sisters) started going several times a week, lol.

Breads Unlimited in Bethesda is pretty good, and Stella's in Rockville (near the White Flint station) is good as well.