KMango

Beautiful market today, despite petulant rain showers. Moody Mother Nature announces her presence. Scored a batch of HUGE squash blossoms for $4. Will transform into a corn-broth based soup later today. An obscenely heavy for it's size canary melon, and a shockingly vivid licorice root/spearmint leaf tea were other treasures. Vendors all seemed to be going strong with an abundance of peak-season beauties. Hours remain 9:00AM to 1:00PM every Sunday.

w00t! Thanks for pointing that out. Pollan, for the win, yet again.

I was also half-hoping to see mention of America's Test Kitchen. Those episodes did more to expand my culinary capability in the early years than just about any other resource. And, yes, they were on PBS. As you noted, Pollan's point is well aimed. Although there is overlap, the target marketing audience seems sharply divided between people who like to cook and people who like to eat. I wonder if there's an audience for people who like to cook people who like to eat? "To Serve Man", I guess.

And another bean option for ya: One Blog West posting on Dragon Tongue Beans

Bonaparte! *swoon* The next 20 minutes of my consciousness will now be devoted to pining after their lemon tart. Savage, hateful, Mill, why are you so far away from Alexandria? Welcome aboard.

Many thanks for posting this. I enjoyed reading it immensely. "Dump-and-stir programming", "edible foodlike substances", "serve up elitism to the masses"... I *heart* Pollan. P.S. Check out my new sig file.

Propel Body, Peach Mango flavor. wtf?

As of five weeks ago, Whole Foods in Reston is conducting a "5 for $5" event every Friday from 5:00PM until 7:00PM. For shoppers 21 and over, stop by the service desk to purchase your ticket. $5 gets you a wine glass (to keep), a sample taste of 5 diverse beverages, and small servings of five freshly-made dishes. Tasting stations appear throughout the store. This is all from memory, but I believe tonight's selections featured an interesting sake (not top quality, but fun), a hoppy ale, a French pinot blanc, an approachable zinfandel, and a German Riesling. Dishes included a teriyaki-glazed sesame asparagus, roasted corn and shrimp salad, Jamaican jerk chicken kabob, coconut braised pork with cilantro rice, and puff pastry fruit tart. For $5 this is a heck of a deal. Plus, the staff were delightfully conversational and gracious. It's a fun way to spend an unusual happy hour for anyone out in the Reston/Herndon area. Just don't leave your car lights on when you go into the store, lest you require jumper cables like I did.

Another theory: seeing an empty plate makes you think and wonder about food, further stimulating the appetite.

Grilled squid, corn, tomato, and chive salad with a savory vinaigrette including pomegranate red wine vinegar, Laudemio olive oil, dill, garlic, and a touch of grainy mustard. Bull Run CSA vegetables for the win. Making three servings and eating them all myself? Maybe that is for the win as well. Score one for Team Gluttony.

I have an absolutely killer recipe, if that helps. Otherwise check the La Limena thread for my recent experience with their homemade version. I'm sure there are others, too, I look forward to the additional responses.

Make your second salsa tomorrow or Friday. Assuming lime juice and/or salt is involved, mixing everything together now would breakdown the vegetables and draw out water. Kudos for blackening, what a flavor booster.

Per my friend's insight, Nagi is a co-owner of Toscana Green, but the ownership is different for Java Green. I'll stop there 'cuz I'd be speculating.

Yes, believe it or not it transforms grilled squash into a smoky pleasure. Mix the seasoning and a touch of olive oil with the raw veggies, and grill accordingly. I was just at the Rockville store yesterday and they were giving away .6oz (the big one) bottles of their new Pasta Sprinkle. The main ingredient is dried basil, so I am skeptical, but will be trying it tonight with pasta made from my CSA share.

That's why your posts always seem so enjoyable! I adore kibbee nayee, cannot wait to try the versions at the Lebanese Butcher and elsewhere. Sumac onions alongside with a touch of pungent garlic sauce and pickled tasties in between, an instant transport to bliss. Thanks for the insight on where to find the best and for the tip about arak.

I covet both your meal and your lighting set. Amazing.

Thanks to a quick browse of the DR Dining Guide, today I journeyed into La Limena for lunch. I am normally not anywhere near that part of Maryland, but had a nearby appointment. Once I hit that part of town, the Guide, the posts in this thread, and my trusty iPhone were a boon in helping me discover the: Best. Yuca. Ever. As an incidental side dish to the Ensalada de Camarones (shrimp salad), the steamed yuca at first struck me as visually unappealing and a yawn waiting to happen. Like every other water-tortured version of this dish I have ever tried, I anticipated mealy texture and not-quite-cooked-through interior for the thick, short, pale wedges. I have what some may call an unhealthy love for the fried rendition of this cassava carbohydrate. And until today, I thought the only way to enjoy yuca was to rely on deep vats of oil. My poor, sad, wasted lie of a life. Now I know better. The steamed yuca served at La Limena was a Peruvian revelation. Deep, earthy, rich, hinting at sweet flavor with the layers of striation that we all know and love from the fried stuff. Dipped into the garlicky green sauce served automatically with each table, this was righteously addictive and disappeared embarrassingly quickly. The *only* downside with this plating was the excess water left behind on the serving dish. I feel like I am kicking the Gratitude Gods in the...well, that other word that starts with g...for even calling out this flaw. The steamed yuca was that good. Along with that star of the side dish show, the Ensalada included five well-cleaned, appropriately steamed, chilled, and notably fresh shrimp (well, previously frozen I am sure, but fresh for today's purposes). The salad included a layer of almost flavorless oil, which if I ordered it again, would ask to avoid. Especially since the salad also comes with the house dressing on the side, the oil added sheen but robbed the palate of natural flavors. With slivers of raw, red onion and red bell pepper to round out the plate, this smaller portion ($8.95) was a light option for a warm day. Oh, let me not forget the purple. The menu noted that the restaurant creates their own Chicha Morada, so I ordered that immediately. Anything with clove, sign me up twice boys and girls! The version at La Limena was jammy, juicy, with a quick kick of spicy brisk, and not nearly as sweet as most chichas. I know it sounds odd, but if a drink ever *tasted* purple, this is it. Well worth trying this homemade refreshment. Service was welcoming and friendly. However, the salad did take over 15 minutes to arrive. The yuca was freshly steamed, I imagine, and it's hard to shortcut such processes. Although the wait was longer than communicated, I am all the more glad I ordered it. One note to new visitors, the soundtrack today was loud, jaunty, and instrumental. To my untrained ear, it sounded like instrumental mariachi music (?). This was catchy as hell, but I did find myself racing through my meal to keep pace. Perhaps that is part of the master plan given the 15 or so tables in this space. But even at prime time for lunch, only a handful of tables were filled. Most orders appeared to be from a steady stream of takeout customers. On my walk out after the meal, I noticed the rotisserie-cooked chickens stacked patiently behind a clear partition. The skin did not look crispy which sounds on target with what JPW observed, but that would not stop me from ordering it next time. Several tables were diving deep into their plates of poultry, leaving not a trace of their green and yellow sauces (a garlic-intensive aji verde, and a well-balanced Peruvian mayonnaise with mustard and lime juice kicking around in the background). I also browsed past a display of what appeared to be freshly made desserts such as alfajores and a drop-dead gorgeous flan. Don't know when I will next be in the South Rockville Pike area, but I will be making La Limena part of that plan. Until then, I'll be dreaming about that steamed yuca. Best. Ever.

Thanks for posting this inquiry. Love, love, love gooseberries and am also watching the replies intently.

If you have not already, try deliberately signing out then signing back in the next time this happens.

Thanks for that laugh and for the tip. I'll be checking it out soon.

Could be a mere coincidence, but I'm just about the only customer in the Shirlington-based establishment right now. All of the other restaurants with outdoor seating seem either packed to the gills or at least hopping. I wonder if name confusion coupled with the latest review has anything to do with that at all. And speaking of hopping, a starling just hopped on my foot. My food has not even arrived yet, impatient thing.

I had the adventuresome pleasure of attending tonight’s grand opening of Toscana Green in Courthouse Plaza in Arlington. Invited via a friend in the raw food business (Natural Zing), we sat outside to optimize the perfect weather and sounds of the adjacent fountain. A live guitar-and-trombone duet played outside, while raw food and other vendors sold their wares in the courtyard as part of the celebration. One of many important distinctions between the Toscana Grill of past and the Toscana Green of the present is the current emphasis on organically certified ingredients along with greener business practices. Nagi from Java Green is at the helm here, and the focus is on fresh. The menu included a wide diversity of pizzas, pastas, salads, and "traditional" Italian-American entrees (i.e, Chicken Parmigiana) with a variety of vegan and vegetarian options. Opening night for a restaurant offers a high potential for Error Theater. Several acts of that play come out in full view, nearly all related to shocking service errors. I am sparing the details, that’s not my punchline for this posting. The headline here is that with carefully sourced ingredients, a low-frills and fresh-focused menu, and a management team that seems eager to please, this venue could evolve into a highly promising option for the Courthouse area. A few more visits are in order to validate that this is indeed the significant turnaround for this venue, but tonight’s visit boded well for the possibilities. The Course-by-Course Play-by-Play A spinach mushroom soup arrived at a perfect temperature. The broth featured remarkable depth of garlicky flavor. Long-strand noodles in the soup were annoyingly unwieldy. A souper-friendlier version would have chopped pasta rather than long strands. However, the flavor and bright green of the spinach along with the texture of the mushroom reflected careful ingredient preparation and selective quality ingredients. On the entrée front, the "Lucy Salad" featured baby spinach, avocado, cherry tomatoes, onion, and a mango vinaigrette. All components were perfectly ripe (the best avocado of the year!), and the dressing reflected a smart balance between fruit and bright acidity. This was a crave-able salad, just one of many vegetable options available for a healthy meal. The show-stopping dessert, a raw chocolate brownie with cashew cocoa cream sauce, brought all table conversation to stunned silence. A special option not yet appearing on the regular menu, this treat reached our table from our friend, the raw food vendor. She noted that she was working with Nagi to bring that and perhaps other desserts to somewhat of a regular rotation. Featuring a two-day preparation process of raw cocoa nibs, coconut oil, cashew, blue and dark agave, and other top-notch ingredients, this was one for the Book of the Decadent. All in all, and absent the opening night service jitters, a promising glimpse into an evolving, eco-friendly concept of a restaurant. Stay tuned for more news from future visits.

Good to know, thanks for sharing. I like to support businesses that forge such opportunities for their staff.

Then again, maybe this is more "save me" than "spare me"...

You're actually doing better than I am. I read it as binary code. In The Matrix we trust,