RissaP

WOW—roast pig and chili cook-off--I’m there! A well-deserved break for hillvalley and mktye! Thanks crackers, Jacques Gastreaux, zoramargolis, Porcupine, goldenticket, agm and all for planning this! It’s wonderful to be a part of this community! This will be a perfect occasion to catch up with old and new members again! Hmmm…need to plan what to bring…corn bread…hmmm? How was your summer?

What? Who? What? Where?

Announcement: Corduroy will be on vacation for the summer so the dining room will be closed from August 23 thru September 5th. Have fun, stay cool and hope everyone's having a great summer! See you soon!

Exercise for the brain, I like, especially when it comes to food—my passion! All vegetables are actually considered fruits. According to Larousse Gastronomique, “Botanically speaking, fruit is the part of the plant that develops from the ovary of the flower and contains the seeds.” 2 common examples of vegetables that are actually fruits are zucchini and eggplants. Vegetables are merely defined as varieties of plants used for food. I suspected it had something to do mostly with seeds.

Another fun event! Great seeing everyone! I missed the DR.com at RTS so I made sure not to miss RTSC dinner. Michael Landrum and Michael Hartzer did it again! As always, thanks for the warm hospitality. What a great way to start off with a refreshing glass of watermelon cooler with a touch of vodka and some secret ingredient the bartender told me. Dinner started wonderfully with wild yeast sour dough bread with bits of onions served with 4 types of interesting spreads rather than butter: liver mousse, onion marmalade, something with chicken and I can’t remember what the 4th one was. An array of hors d’oeuvres followed: 2 kinds of puffed pastry, one stuffed with green olives and anchovies, one with olives and blue cheese; 2 kinds of shrimp both stuffed with caramelized onion marmalade and pistachios, one wrapped in shredded phyllo briefly fried, one sandwiched in between 2 small square sheets of phyllo. Next came delicious chilled carrot soup, a nice palette cleanser to prepare us for the next course. For entrée, I was surprised we were given a choice of 4 dishes: veal chop with fava beans, pork chop with sauerkraut, black sea bass en papillote or of course, NY strip with a large mushroom cap stuffed with bone marrow, delish! Michael L. built up the description of the different veal chop from regular white milk fed veal he got from Quebec that a lot must have ordered it the 1st night. I heard the supply by the 2nd and 3rd nights was limited. Enjoying our meal with pinot noir and cabernet sauvignon, my companions and I were cool trying each other’s entrees. Our main topic of conversation—geoduck (geoduck sashimi, carpaccio of geoduck, boiled geoduck, etc.)! The food was seasoned well and the meats were all cooked to a good med.-rare to med. Meat temperatures were looking good. Considering serving about 50 people all at once is really a hard, exacting thing to do that’s why food was delivered in waves. For dessert, we received strawberry shortcake using biscuits or chocolate mousse parfait layered with fresh whipped cream, full of surprise bits of crunchy oats, nuts and brownies topped with a cookie tuile with tiny bits of nuts and perhaps coffee. Mauri, I believe her name is, did a great job explaining the mission of Emmaus Services for the Aging. Interestingly, she explained what makes their center different is they don’t wait for the elderly (age 60+) to go to them; they actually go knocking on their doors for any services that could be provided. You can tell by her enthusiasm and dedication, they help keep the center in 9th St., NW in D.C. remain active and vital in their community. What a wonderful gathering of happy people, superb food and attentive service. Thanks again Michael L. and H., Don and hillvalley for another successful event! Your kind generosity is always appreciated.

Yes we'll be happy to share a taste of the Jamon Serrano if you’re interested. And while we’re at it, there’ll be free demonstration—dancing class not included!

It’s actually better than Ziploc CrescentFresh; I took the whole Jamon Serrano with me!Thanks to Jose Andres for hosting, this very interesting presentation sponsored by the Trade Commission of Spain, NY and The Consorcio del Jamon Serrano Espanol from Madrid proved to be an experience. Stephanie Mazier of the Consorcio did most of the translation since Senior Pedro Barba Gill spoke nothing but endearing straight Spanish. The Consorcio has nothing to do with Iberian ham but an association that works mainly on strict quality control and the promotion of high quality “Serrano” ham. Just as there are AOC, DOCG and DOC in wines and USDA in meats, in Spain they protect the quality of their hams with TSG in accordance with the European Union standard. Look for that fire symbol on the skin and must have a numbered control label. In Spanish, the word "sierra" means "mountains", thus the name of "serrano" ham. They talked about the types of hams: the breed and feed of white and Iberian pigs, the curing processes (that takes 4 seasons), and the main differences between hams from Italy and France. Now for the fun part--it was cool seeing all the hams lined up secured in Jamoneros ready for us. It reminded me of being back in charcuterie class in culinary school awaiting demonstration form the master cortador. Everyone was silent. Senior Gill first showed us how to conduct a CALA Test, how to clean then properly slice the ham. Using a small gadget that looks like a meat thermometer, you insert it in 3 particular spots by the tibia and the femur bones then smell (CALA Test). With a laboratory-looking apparatus that is used to hold the ham called Jamonero, Senior Gil showed us how to secure the ham for easy slicing. Step by step he meticulously demonstrated which particular knives to use and technique to clean, score then slice with a certain range of motion with good posture, balance and “bailar” (constant movement and dancing while slicing). It took almost 2 hours just for the individualized instruction. A tad messy at the end but purely worth it, we received the WHOLE bone-in Jamon Serrano, the Jamonero and the slicing set. After having completed the seminar, I am now a certified cortador! Not a master cortador yet as it takes years of experience in butchery to become one. Feel free to drop by for a taste of Serrano ham—until it’s all gone. I could use the practice in slicing.

Tomorrow I’ll be one of the few lucky ones to be able to attend Foods from Spain, NY, Jamon Serrano Demystified, Spain’s treasured ham hosted by Jose Andres at Jaleo. Sorry—this event is limited to, I believe, 15 chefs only. What’s interesting about it is we’ll get to sample light tapas, get technical presentation and individualized instruction from Pedro Barba Gil, Master Cortador from Madrid. I didn’t realize just as there are Master Chefs and Master Sommeliers, there are also Master Cortadors. Serious art of slicing ham—I like this. I’m sure it’ll be a great event.

Bravo Don, I’m touched! Very good decision-making and well thought of. I’ll support that. How do you choose which charity to donate? There’s so much to consider, certainly a big responsibility to do. Thanks Michael L. for being so kind and generous. Bravo to all of us for participating! Eat, drink and be merry—but for a good cause.

Well-said CrescentFresh! This is exactly why I enjoy trying to make it to some of the events! There is definitely a sense of community amongst the DonRockwell members. Just gather us all together and who knows what we could do next...

FRESHFARM Markets in your neighborhood: Foggy Bottom: Wednesdays thru Nov. 15, 3pm-7pm I St. NW, between New Hampshire and 24th Penn Quarter: Thursdays thru Nov. 16, 3pm-7pm North end of 8th St. NW, between E and D Sts. H St, NE: Saturdays thru Oct. 28, 9am-12noon In the parking lot between 609 and 624 H St. NE Dupont Circle: Sundays thru Dec. 31, 9am-1pm 1500 block of 20th St. NW between Massachusetts, Q St., and the PNC Bank parking lot Silver Spring, MD: Saturdays thru Oct. 28, 9am-1pm Ellsworth Dr. and Fenton St. St. Michaels, MD: Saturdays thru Oct. 28, 8:30am-12noon In Muskrat Park on the harbor at Willow and Green Ann Yonkers is a dynamic and passionate lady who is responsible for keeping these farmers markets alive. She knows every single producer and farmer by heart. You will find her wearing a straw hat, chatting with the chefs and walking around overseeing everything. If you ask any farmer or spot her, she would gladly give you a tour around. Make sure to pick up some of those Mount Harmony soaps named after her.

FILIPINO PORK AND CHICKEN ADOBO This braised dish is very easy to make, as it does not require exact measurements or any particular product. You can use just pork or just chicken. * Not to be confused with Spanish Adobo seasoning. Pork butt or shoulder Chicken Vegetable oil Soy Sauce * Any soy sauce will work: Kikkoman (regular or lite), Teriyaki sauce, or any Asian brands Vinegar * Any vinegar will work: white, apple cider, or any Asian brands Chicken stock, as needed Fresh garlic, minced Fresh grated black peppercorns Bay Leaves Pinch of sugar Method: ·Cut pork and chicken into frying pieces ·In hot pot under medium heat, add oil; sear pork and chicken on each side to a lite golden brown. ·Set aside pork and chicken; discard oil ·Mix together equal parts to taste soy sauce and vinegar (enough to cover about 2/3 of the meat) ·Add garlic, black pepper, bay leaves, sugar ·In the same frying pot, place seared pork. Pour soy sauce mixture ·Add chicken stock to cover meat in liquid ·Bring to a boil then lower the heat to simmer until the pork is halfway cooked. Add the chicken pieces. Cover with a lid and simmer until pork and chicken are fork tender ·Skim excess fat off the surface ·The sauce can be strained for a finer sauce *Best served with plain white rice and fresh tomatoes to off set a bit of salty taste.

TRES LECHES Makes 1 13X9X2 pan (Source: Cooking in Costa Rica by Susan Cuda) CAKE: 1 cup flour ½ cup sugar 4 each eggs, separated 1 large can condensed milk 1 large can evaporated milk (or whole milk) 1 cup heavy cream Method: ·Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form ·Add sugar a little at a time ·Add egg yolks one at a time ·Add flour ·Pour in greased (not floured) 13X9X2 pan ·Bake at 350 degree oven until golden brown (about 20 minutes) ·Let it cool completely ·Mix together condensed milk, evaporated milk and heavy cream; pour over cake ·When it is all absorbed, top with meringue made as follows: MERINGUE: 1 ½ cup sugar ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar ½ cup water 3 each egg whites Method: ·Put sugar, cream of tartar and water in a pan over medium heat until it forms a syrup ·Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form ·Carefully drizzle in hot syrup; continue to beat until well mixed ·Spread on top of cake

SO glad to see so many smiley faces, content tummies and happy babies! All the DR.com picnics have always been so much fun! Beautiful picnic grounds! Gorgeous 70’s weather! We’ve been very lucky every time! Memories of the spread: Jacques Gastreaux’s smoked pork shoulder, jparrot’s country ham, mdt and CrescentFresh’s homemade bratwurst hit the spot for everyone! I really had to pace myself. Just when you think you’re ready to check the desserts, more food kept appearing. Loved waitman’s headcheese (I want the recipe) and porcupine’s couscous--delish! Plus grandma’s salami, interesting array of tofu, artful Korean sushi, DCFoodie’s risotto cake, bbhasin’s shammi kabab (great dip with it), Nadya’s plump and juicy Thai shrimp with cilantro, dumplings, so much delicious side dishes, oh, and mktye’s crispy, airy, thin variety of crackers had the perfect amount of salt (I couldn’t stop munching on it), I could go on and on… Whoever brought that flat of fresh strawberries—thanks! I couldn’t stop snacking on it! The butter and salt tasting proved to be quite interesting, too. I liked the Indian butter. I especially loved the Organic Pastures (unpasteurized) butter, deep yellow color, rich, creamy, it tasted like it had cheese in it. It’s the foie gras of butter! I didn’t make it to MelGold’s Mango mold—girl, you need to bring 10 of those! Apparently, it was devoured in a flash! Barbara’s perfect cheesecake, bnacpa’s insane brownies—I mean, LOTS of brownies (I was able to take some to go--thanks Mrs. bnacpa!), lemon bars, and lots of other sinful goodies! Raisa and I cooked up a plan to confuse people which Rissa or Raisa made which Tres Leches! Glad you enjoyed it! There were 2 kinds of empanadas. I missed the meat-filled one, but I managed to sample the empanada with sweet guava filling in it—yum! It felt like happy hour treat in the beverage department: wines poured in chic stem less glassware (my favorite wine tasting moment was when we were tasting and swirling glamorously in Dixie cups ), porcupine and shogun’s Caipirinha, Barbara’s FancyPants, hillvalley’s berry-infused vodka--I really had to sip slowly—whoa mama! Thanks to hillvalley, mktye, crackers, others who helped organize, those who set up our private picnic ground, Don who generously reserved the space and for making it possible for us to get together and just have fun at the picnic! The best part is the company! Next time, we need to line up the babies and create a DR.com calendar babies! Cheers!

I’m volunteering to be the brave experiment…Actually, I’m cheating…lots of durian from where I come from! Exactly like how Escoffier described it. If you can ignore the smell, once you eat it, you’ll have the pleasure of tasting such an exotic fruit—the closest I can think of is the moist, somewhat creamy texture of fresh jackfruit.

Believe it! Argan oil--this is true! I know now what this stuff is since we got some at Corduroy given by a friend who visited Morocco. But we got help with translation from our Moroccan connection. I tasted it. The color has a brownish viscous hue, a bit nutty bland taste and quite heavy oily in the tongue.

I’ve decided to bring chicken and pork Adobo (not the Spanish version, but Filipino dish, usually brought at Filipino picnics-mdt inspired me to bring something totally different to most people’s palate )…maybe complete it with jasmine rice while I’m at it. If time permits, I can probably bring Tres Leches, too. Let this be a fun culinary experience! No grilling or stinky but yummy cheese for me this time! I look forward to meeting old and new faces once again! See you all there!

I was prompted to see exactly what people say about viewing “2 charges” with on-line accounts and how long it would clear. Just out of curiosity and concern, I did a self-test using my OWN VISA check card at Corduroy and this was EXACTLY what I viewed and my result: April 11, 2006 Made a sale in the amount of $10.00 Got home that night and immediately went on-line to check my account: Pending Transactions = $11.50 Clicked on “Help” What are pending items? = “Pending items are transactions that have been AUTHORIZED and that the bank is committed to pay but have not yet posted to your account. These transactions include items such as Check Card and teller cash transactions, ATM withdrawals, and point-of-sale (POS) purchases.” What types of items are available for viewing? = “Checks and some deposit tickets are available for viewing. Paperless items, such as ATM withdrawals, Point of Sale purchases and check card purchases, will not have an image available for viewing.” Unfortunately, my account did not show any double charges. April 12, 2006 Same info. as April 11, 2006 April 13, 2006 Same info. as April 11, 2006 April 14, 2006 Pending Transaction = “No pending transactions” Transaction History Date: 4/14/2006 Description: Corduroy Rest Debit: $10.00 There you go…

It is made like a souffle. But the secret is using high-quality, good tasting bitter sweet chocolate.

This is correct. We use Squirrel and have programmed our system so only the last 4 digits appear on the receipt. The entire card # is stored in the host computer for reference. People do use check cards; I see it being used a lot. And I do agree with Jacques Gastreaux, I still encounter manual swiping of credit cards, let’s say at mom n’ pop places or outdoor events.

Absolutely brilliant and clever! I love it Crackers! Thanks for doing this. Now old and new members have something to remember and cherish! It's amazing; I do believe that this site has spawned to a real community. Don, your message is powerful and very inspiring--it is a blessing in disguise. Thanks for your generosity and kindness. And to Hillvalley, you have contributed so much to this site! Thanks for putting up with us!

I recently had the soft shell crab appetizer at Bistro Bis, battered on the thick side, deep fried then served on top of a mixture of bright green peas, baby carrots and salsify, topped with jalapeno aioli.

h, and by the way, I forgot to include that this same person also demanded for my home telephone number during my precious one and only day off of the week!

hank you for adding, clarifying and pointing this out Al Dente.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DonRockwell.com! I know what your birthday wish is…and I will tell. For all DR members TO PLEASE NOT TRIPLE SPACE! Your wish is our command!