KMango

Three interesting reads/perspectives, thanks for this.

I am tired and full of travel fatigue, so just a couple stream of consciousness thoughts here"¦

From Anderson, "That's because buying something on your boss's dime is a very different psychological experience from paying for something out of your own pocket, whether you're using a company credit card or filing an expense report later"¦the fact remains that they do not experience restaurant-going in the way normal people do, because they're not spending their own money."

That's one of several flop points deflating the buoyancy of the Anderson piece.  Any professional reviewer would never be like a "normal patron."  Time in seat counts.  Practice makes perfect.  Thousands of hours dining and reflecting means a more thoughtful review, hands down, regardless of who foots the bill.  This article is yet another, unapologetic, instant dismissal of credible experience via the t-shirt wisdom "it's an <insert demographic identity badge here> thing, you wouldn't understand".

From Sietsema, "Increasingly, professional restaurant criticism is becoming a leisure-time activity conducted by those who can afford to work for almost nothing."

This reminded me of an excellent post regarding the question "Should I be doing this work for free?"

A big bravo for the O'Neil piece.  Market demand for instant news is up, and the restaurant reviewer needs to respond to this urgency.  Software companies and other rush-to-market products do it all the time, getting stuff out there before it's fully baked. In very few fields do you hold out all information until it's 100%.  Reviewers need to trust the reader base to layer in the context of time-stamping.  In addition, consumers will be triangulating what any reviewer says with social media and other data points.  It's 2013.  Information is never going to be perfect, only less stale.

Oh, it's illustrated...

Solutions for Common Garden Pests

Likely to be checking out the Richmond location this Sunday with family.  Any recent visits/tips/recommendations?

As a "last splash" in DC before we move to Dallas, we're thinking of renting a limo for three hours and hitting the bar at a handful of DC's finest food & beverage destinations.  To avoid massive crowding, we're aiming for a Wednesday or Sunday afternoon.  Geography is a constraint; we're seeking a somewhat efficient driving pattern.  But otherwise, cost constraints or food/beverage restrictions are not an issue.

If this were your tour, where would you go, and what would you order?

I just got a soda stream and am kinda excited about it, any tips, suggestions on how to rock it?

Always keep a second cartridge on hand, or else you'll run out at an inopportune time, such as making guest cocktails.  We get a ton of mileage out of our machine, the hardest part is remembering to keep that spare cartridge on hand.

One thing that's absolutely marvelous about the SodaStream is, once you have a few flavors in the house, you never have to worry about having non-alcoholic drinks for children and other non-imbibing guests.  And if they've never used the device, they'll have fun mixing their own bottles.

Consider picking up some ice sphere molds, hitting the farmer's market for whatever overripe fruit hits your fancy, and making this with some of your seltzer.

Porcupine posted this refreshing recipe for by-the-glass ginger soda cocktail; I have not made it yet but plan to.

Ah, Sundays...

• One Dairy Godmother "Oatie"; deep butterscotch and salt with unbelievably satisfying chewiness; the best 80¢ you can spend in Del Ray
• Larry's Beans "Cowboy Blend"; topped with foamed milk and an orchard's soft breeze courtesy of Penzeys Apple Pie Spice

I have not been here, but is this place an option?

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60903-d1874798-Reviews-Cafe_Anglais-Frederick_Maryland.html

Wanted to have delivery from Thai Square tonight, but the line was busy.  When finally patched through, they noted a two hour wait.

A recent, positive review causing a flood of business, perhaps?

Lucky Them.  Sad Mango.

Lunch at the Pershing Drive location exceeded expectations. For $13.95, the special salmon described on the blackboard delivered a hefty portion, a generous fillet with two accompanying side dishes. The citrus/herb/oil marinade for the fish provided just the right accent to rally mere richness into a boldly satisfying bite. Within the ten-minute wait, the fish was perfectly cooked; glorious crispy points on the outside, moist and succulent translucence on the inside.

For the sides, I chose chick peas and rice, expecting a filling-yet-pedestrian backdrop for the migratory swimmer. Instead, cinnamon and bay leaf jumped out from the legumes, while adept salt and mystery flavor undertone enhanced the rice. My first thought was chicken or other bone stock as the taste enhancer, but with so many vegan and vegetarian menu options, the venue is unlikely to employ such tactics. This remains a pleasant mystery requiring further investigation via a return visit.

All service is counter service at Astor Arlington. The venue is spiffier and sunnier than you might expect. A simple pager system alerts when your entree is ready. Next time, I plan to try the vegetarian sampler, a whopping 12 choices with pita bread for $9.95. Amongst numerous vegetable dishes on display in the cold case, the tiny, inviting cubes of beet salad practically begged me to bring them home. Next time, ruby root melange, next time!

The flatware is large at Astor, so the enclosed pic will not do portion size justice. For a quick-served meal at this price point, a refreshing level of quality and preparation.

^ Have you had problems with them getting hung up in it? A friend in Illinois had them get tangled in it, then I heard one horror story about finding a leg. No bird, just it's leg. In the net. I'd rather give them the figs until they leave for migration than find a leg.

I am with you! I heard similar stories, so I bought the more expensive nets with the smaller weave. I have not experienced any bird-catching issues the past three seasons. Bees can get through to pollinate, which is super, but birds don't even try.

My neighbor with a fig tree used the variety with the larger weave. She found two birds in her net this past week, thankfully only caught not maimed, and she was able to free them. She is now opting for individually weaving the emerging fruit with a cut out section of the net to see how that goes. If even one more bird gets caught, she's turning the tree over to nature, and will go for the smaller weave for next summer's fruit.

Finally had a tomato ripening on Monday, would have been perfect on Wednesday. On Tuesday, I came home to find it pecked to oblivion. Neighbor reports a mockingbird had its way with it.

Last night I got in from work, looked out the kitchen window, and there was that damn mockingbird perched -- PERCHED, I say -- on top of another tomato and pecking the hell out of it. This morning, I went outside to water things before work and I found two green tomatoes pulled off the vine by the chipmunk and each one 1/4 eaten.

Damn wildlife.

I'm about to get all Caddyshack on their woodland asses.

Go all BirdNet instead! My bird haven yard produces super fruits with no rascal hassle thanks to those nets.

Does anyone remember way back when corn tasted like corn and not like sugar? I suspect this will be a fruitless request, but does anyone know where to buy ears of corn that aren't super sweet?

Age it!

For most varieties, if you let it sit on your counter for a few days, in the husks, stacked (more heat), the sugars convert to starch, something like 25 - 40% every 24 hours. The fridge stops the conversion process.

Do you live or work in Alexandria, say, within a 15 minute drive of Grape & Bean Rosemont?

This is a PSA for you.

*smack* yes, YOU. Pay attention.

On the next ninety-plus degree day, venture to G&B Rosemont for the chilled Beet Soup ($7-ish), available in the cold case.

*smack* I know you may have that love/hate thing going on for beets, but TRY THIS.

The impossibly velvet texture, glorious seasoning, and "my gawds this can't be vegan" depth will refresh your palate and hydrate your soul.

*smack* is the sound you'll make, and a little *cry* when it's over.

"...A dream opportunity has presented itself..."

Kudos for living your dream. Once you wander, you never wonder "if only I had..."

*cheers and all the best wishes*

Guess we'll be having a third going away HH this month, as Dan will soon no longer be with us. :-)

Same thing happened to me a while back with peaches, so I did some interwebz searching, and found this type of explanation in a few places:

"Peaches with split pits will mold on the inside because air is available to the inside of a peach. Split pits are usually caused by too much rain...a little molding around split pit fruit is usually okay."

Holy Ka-Smoaney* I just discovered my favorite, every day beverage for this summer. Agua Fresca, kinda, but with a dose of geometry.

1. In the blender, liquified Farmer's Market end-of-season strawberries with raspberries.
2. Strained the resulting pulp. Found it a touch tart, so mixed in some honey.
3. Placed the resulting, strained puree into these, then froze: Ice Sphere Molds
4. Placed a frozen fruit sphere into a clear pint glass, added seltzer water.

The resulting concoction, especially glass #2 and beyond, provides bright red color, surprisingly refreshing flavor, and a super way to stay hydrated. You won't want to stop after one glass, nor should you, in this summer heat.

Peach, mango, cantaloupe, pineapple, or other lightly colored fruit would also work well. I'll bet blending a tropical fruit with coconut milk would take this to yet another level, as would a squeeze of lime or other tidbit of citrus.

If using dark red fruit, the sphere in your first, clear glass might alarm fans of True Blood or other vampire tales. But after that first pour, each successive beverage takes on a gorgeous wave of berry-red froth from the ice sphere, and the flavor is through the roof. This would also be fun/dangerous with sparkling wine.

One thing I adore about ice or fruit spheres is you can make a batch, extract from the molds, and store them in a plastic bag in the freezer. This allows you to have a couple dozen frozen spheres ready for a party, visits from the undead, whatever.

(*a patented kmango term)

(roughly translates to)

(ebullient excitement)

My quibble with this is that, as we learned from Julia, all those recipes weren't tested before publication--something I learned on my own much earlier, having made a few things that simply didn't work. I agree that it is full of info. The problem is that I don't necessarily trust it. Still, a case could be made for her inclusion.

I see this...and I raise you...

How tested were the ideas of Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt and Lincoln before they took office?

(ok, unfair comparison)

(written recipe = replication intent)

(testing skipped, trust is broken)

I haven't found the signage offensive because you basically have the run of the place so I can see how plates etc. can be left on the tables in the bistro area, whereas in the main store area, it seems a bit more intuitive to bus because you see the station.

If that makes any sense?

My problem with the signage is that I get hungry for the weeknight specials while I'm eating a butter-laden biscuit sandwich

Oh, the "bus your own table" guidance is a fair policy, for sure. If there is no table service/tip situation, people should be expected to clear their own plates. My shock was directed at the phrasing.

Another shout out to breakfast at the Fair...

...The smallest of mindful touches greet the eye. Three aprons hang perfectly aligned on hooks just outside the chef’s walkway. Two wooden spoons in a jar cradle each other’s hollow, a sharp contrast to the errant antennae appearing on my own kitchen counter. I expressed marvel at the discipline behind such precise attention to detail, and posed a rhetorical question to a friendly staff member: “Who does that, in this day and age?”

“Chef Armstrong” he responded, with a knowing and admiring smile.

Both of the past two weekends, I've found myself having breakfast at the Fair after the Old Town Farmer's Market. I stand behind my original sentiment that this can be a pleasant, inexpensive, and unusual environment in which to enjoy your breakfast with a friend.

A few caveats since my last post:

• The attention to detail is not what it used to be. The careful, precise, borderline obsessive-but-appreciated placement of overnight storage items has left the building, replaced by neat, tidy, yet unremarkable upkeep.
• Go early. This is important. Do not plan to be there past 10AM. That's when the lunch service prep begins. And that includes ICE GRINDING. An intolerable, can't-hear-my-companion-talk, my-gawds-make-it-stop, I-must-be-trapped-inside-a-rock-polisher ICE GRINDING. Granted, this task must be completed at this precise time each weekend, otherwise fresh ice would not be available for the condiments. But it turns the dining room into a din of an echo chamber, not a place you or anyone else would want to enjoy breakfast. Plan to vacate no later than 10AM.
• Do plan to bus your own table. I was shocked with the wording on new tabletop signs that read "Lunch Service begins at 11AM. Please clean up (or was it pickup?) after yourself." The wording struck me as the admonishing mother-wags-finger tone often found on the door of a workplace microwave, not the way you would address welcomed guests. However, as much complaining as I'm doing about the placards, a prepping server offered to bus our table, a sign that the staff here are focusing on service, delivering above and beyond hospitality moments.

Does anyone have a grill cover that doesn't deteriorate in the sun and fall into pieces after a year?

Those Weber plastic ones are the worst!

How about a canvas cover?

My yellow squash are taking over the garden, doing their best impersonation of baseball bats.

Habaneros and jalapenos are coming in strong, have used several for cooking. Early season, no serious heat yet, later season should bring on the spice.

Tomatoes have dozens of tiny green globes. And strawberries have started their second crop, bonus! Bush beans are a daily handful-at-a-time snack treat. Romaine, green leaf, and arugula have all bolted, closing the curtain on Phase One leafy greens.

Huge leaves of broccoli refuse to form a head, I blame the early season cabbage moth debacle.

Why?

Not why did you order them (a simple well made hushpuppies are one of my favorite things on the planet), I want to know why the menu writer at Vermillion needed to preface hushpuppie with cornmeal - is there another kind of hushpuppie that I have been missing out on for all of these years?

Not sure if it's the case at Vermillion, but more restaurants seem to be listing grains as a service to people avoiding wheat and other food sensitivities. My hush puppy-studded past includes restaurants that combined wheat flour with cornmeal for a lighter result. If Vermillion's is 100% cornmeal, that would appeal to those who might otherwise forgo it.

"Food Processor Workout Night"

Vegetable Fritters, featuring yellow squash and herbs from the garden.

Vaguely followed that recipe, swapped in mixed tidbits of cheese from the fridge, used shallot instead of onion, added diced fresh oregano and a pinch of Penzey's Fox Point seasoning. Skipped the flour. Used a home-rendered fat other than the one listed in the recipe; won't say which one as it would offend vegetarian sensibilities. Served with a quickly concocted sweet curry yogurt sauce and a touch of Maldon smoked sea salt.

Wish the photo had turned out better because this was a dynamite dish.

*rant rant stompy rant waving hands aroundy rant looking more agitated than i really mean to be rant*

My favorite beverage this summer has been iced, inexpensive red wine with a splash of San Pellegrino Blood Orange soda with a dash of Bittermen's Xocolatl Mole bitters. Alas, in a moment of high-regret generosity, I donated my bottle to an admiring, thirsty friend.

I've been trying to dodge shipping fees and support local business by replacing it in Alexandria/Arlington. Society Fair, every wine-n-cheese store known to Mango, and my other usual epicure haunts all carry the Burlesque, and many carry the Grapefruit. Alas, my Xocolatl is a no show-latl (ha!).

Maybe this is a better topic for Ingredient 911. But I'm not that urgent about it, just intrigued with the popularity of some bitters.

(as anthony said to cleopatra)

(as he opened a crate of ale)

(some bitters are bitter than others)