qwertyy

You can also make chilled fresh pea soup with sugar snap peas, which provide a much better return on investment than English peas, which are so expensive when you factor in paying for and then discarding the shells, and are such a pain to shuck that IMO they should be served whole, warm and with cream, so as to truly appreciate their precious, sweet goodness.

Sugar snap pea soup wants to be strained after pureeing, even with a Vitamix, because there is just so much fiber in the soup. I use a fine strainer, not a tamis.

If you can get to the Arlington Courthouse market early on Saturday morning, during pea season (like NOW) there is a woman who sells bags of shelled English peas (about 1 to 1 1/2 cups of shelled peas) for $5. Which is a much better deal than $4 for a pint basket of unshelled peas.

I actually got a QUART of shelled peas from the Reagan market for $6. I've never cooked with fresh peas before (the realization of which surprised the heck out of me), so I'm looking forward to seeing how they go. When making my corn/pea/tomato sautee yesterday, I found that they need to be cooked a heck of a lot longer than I thought. I did it in batches, of course, but the peas should probably have cooked at least twice as long as I let them. Now I know!

A slice of super-eggy (+ vanilla + lemon zest) multigrain French toast topped with wildflower honey

Itty bitty farmer's market strawberries with yogurt and wildflower honey

Iced coffee with a lotta milk

More than two weeks of houseguests has finally come to a close, during which time I did no shopping and less cooking. So I took a gander at the fridge and am kind of amazed at what I was able to throw together.

Fish sandwich: fried tilapia on toasted bun topped with slaw of bell pepper, brussels sprouts, red onion, carrot, and scallion that was quick pickled, drained, then tossed with mayo

Sautee of corn, peas, and tomatoes

Cherries

criminis (which are just immature portobellos)

And somewhat preciously marketed as "Baby Bellas."

Two words: frozen grapes.

Oh, a few more words: I found some beautiful peas at the market yesterday and am stoked to make a cold mint pea soup this weekend. (I'm going to do some recipe searches but would welcome any DR-tested and -approved ideas!)

Bump!

I bought some honey at the farmers' market a while ago, and it has ruined me for that supermarket glop. RUINED. So now I can't resist tasting and buying whatever local I can find. Consequently I have a cabinet full of the stuff and I want to start using it more regularly. I love it on toast; this morning I had it on Greek yogurt with amazing little strawberries from the Reagan Building market. And I make granola bars with it every other week or so. Aside from these and the great ideas above, what else can I do? Cooked or uncooked, I don't care. I just love the flavor!

(I don't have any scientific proof for the health benefits of uncooked honey, but when I was in Khartoum, a Sudanese colleague told me he had a tablespoon every morning and had never been sick in his life. He may have been exaggerating, but he sure was one of the most sharp, vital 70-year-olds I've ever met. I hear the same thing about vinegar, but I suppose that's another topic...)

(I heard this wreaked havoc in Adams Morgan and caused massive traffic jams for this morning commute. I feel for the businesses at 14th & U St right now.)

WAMU reports

Chobani passionfruit yogurt

Homemade granola bars made with dried mango instead of cranberries

Feeling tropically virtuous today!

PoP reports temporarily closing for a year due to construction. (I heard this wrecked havoc in Adams Morgan and caused massive traffic jams for this morning commute. I feel for the businesses at 14th & U St right now.)

I've heard the same from Adams Morgan business owners. They really got hit hard by the construction. Apparently the BID opened up small loans for them, but they took a ton of work and a ton of time for businesses to secure.

Eola? Kababji? Kellari? Mio?

In the Ronald Reagan Building, the food court is essentially impenetrable from April to September because of all the high-school tour groups clutching food vouchers. On the bright side, aside from the coffee at the Italian place, the food choices are so abysmal I generally don't have any desire to penetrate it anyway.

Northern Neck area

Irvington, VA
Nate's Trick Dog Cafe, 4357 Irvirngton Rd. Irvington is the home of the famous Tides Inn; a tourist area. We shared dinner here and was a bit underwhelmed with the finished product. Calamari was tender and flavorful. The yellow fin tuna entree was OK, the food experience here was a bit of a let down but the bar scene was rocking. We did not partake in the house made drinks so cannot comment on the beverage quality here. Will not likely eat here again.

Urbanna, VA
Something Different Country store and Deli. <www.pine3.info> This place is absolutely worth the trip. The owner is a retired farmer who loves food and loves to play with it. He does barbeque worth eating, both beef and pork. He makes his own ice cream (chocolate with chili peppers) and has adult versions (Brandy Alexander & Grasshopper) too. Everything is house made, does not appear to use anything preprocessed. NOT a fine dining establishment, the tables are large old butcher blocks with milk crates and cushions with chairs. We plan to very soon go back down to the northern neck just to go to this place. check out the link and download the menu. Seriously worth the trip. FYI a "hoecake" reminds me of a corn fritter.

You. Rock.

Thank you SO much for recommending Something Different. I stopped there on my way down to Irvington and had an outstanding platter of tri-tip, just off the smoker. It was incredibly tender and flavorful, and the horseradish mustard was a perfect match along with a few shakes from whatever that magic not-salt and not-pepper shaker on the table holds. And those hoe cakes, with their crisp buttery edges and fluffy interior, served with molasses, are dangerously good (it's probably best that they only serve two). On the way back I pretty much bought out the store--officially, to feed houseguests, but unofficially, so I could eat through most of the menu myself: more sliced tri-tip, smoked salmon, pulled pork, Eastern NC BBQ sauce, peanuts, baked beans, cole slaw, and slices of the buttermilk, pecan, and coconut custard pies. I have not tried the pie or salmon yet, but everything else is top notch, especially the beans. I was surprised to like the beans so darn much. Most definitely worth the stop.

Also agree on Nate's. My rockfish sandwich was fine (the spicy coleslaw on top was great), but it was nothing to write home about. The manhattan was syrupy sweet--stick with beer. The patio was definitely a better choice than the mobbed bar, but the service is perfectly pleasant, and if you're staying in Irvington and don't want to drive, it's pretty much the only game in town.

The Hope and Glory Inn is a gorgeous B&B with wonderfully kind, welcoming staff. The breakfast is mighty fine; the four-course dinner is just okay. And the alcohol program is disappointing--three bad beers, limited hard liquor selection, and no wine list (they tell you the six grape varietals they've and you pick, even if buying a bottle). You can only drink what they sell on their property, so you're pretty much stuck with it.

Last night, I was chagrined to realize that I haven't eaten Ethiopian in DC for at least a year or more. But I've got people coming into town next week who I'd like to introduce to it. What's the scene like nowadays? Who's at the top of his game? Is Ethiopic really worth the extra cost? (And the schlep across the city??) (I'm so provincial.) Even though my guests are first timers to Ethiopian food, they won't need to be handled with kid gloves. Thanks!

Staunton

Echoing the sentiment for Staunton Grocery, where I had lunch yesterday. An outstanding roasted beet salad with ideally bright baby arugula, crushed hazelnuts, cocoa nibs, and yes...a touch of goat cheese. Not served too cold, a lovely, seasonal starter.

Closed.

Stopped by here yesterday to grab a bite of lunch, preferably consisting of a few succulent bivalves.

Normally this is the place where I would insert my comments on the food, but unfortunately the service was so abominably rotten that I never got any food. I also did not get any drinks. I also did not get even an acknowledgement of my existence by the service staff, who apparently had other things to do for the 15 minutes I sat at a booth and waited. And waited. And waited.

I did, however, get a look at what other people were eating and drinking. It didn't look anything special.

The room is loud, and not very appealing.

I will not give them a second chance to make a first impression. There are too many other places in town that value my patronage and want me to be a customer. This place did not want me to dine there, and I will not disappoint their future expectations of me.

Wow. Did you talk to a manager? Not that this would have necessarily accomplished anything--the experience was pretty well ruined by that point--but I'd be REALLY interested to hear what s/he had to say to account.

It has been a long time since I had the stamina to put in the hours in the kitchen for a dinner party. (A year ago I couldn't stand up for more than 15 minutes at a time.) So being able to do a blow-out meal was a testament to the hours of rehab I have put in and a vast improvement in my circumstances.

I wouldn't even know where to start putting on a dinner party like this, and I haven't anything near your excuse. Congrats on the rehab and many happy meals to come!

What does it mean when their 'Are We Open Today?' page alternates blinking OPEN and CLOSED?

Tribute?

I'll be flying through Narita next week. Any recommendations?

I really dislike that airport. The last time I was there, I was transiting on my way to Thailand; I was supposed to transit through again on my way back, but that was the day of the earthquake/tsunami so I was understandably rerouted through Hong Kong (which, though it may be tasteless [ha] to say this, is a significantly nicer airport).

In any case, each of the three times I've been there, every eatery was packed, with very long lines and service that seems too efficient for my bumbling ordering and money handling. And there are surprisingly few options, so I always end up at the bar that has a little glassed-in, aquarium-like smoking room to drink yellow beer and eat passable dumplings.

NRT HKG

Assuming someone at Cause has already done their research into "phantom-income" and all the other well-meaning advice.

To be clear, I wasn't actually offering well-meaning advice. (I rarely mean well. And when I do mean to mean well, it usually turns out poorly anyhow.) A request for donations was put out here without any information about the organization or what causes it will support. Pro-life, pro-choice, local Tea Party, local Green Party, DC voting rights, religious groups--there is an endless list of "local grassroots" recipients that I would or would not want to support. Before I buy a bar stool, I'd like to know who that bar stool is going to help, other than a restaurant.

It's not about the restaurant...it's about the cause.

Sooooo... What exactly IS the cause? Working in the aid field myself, I know it is essential to read up on a beneficiary before donating, especially the financials, to make sure your money is actually making an impact in a field you believe in. I'm afraid that an LLC's stated goal to donate to "vetted grassroots organizations" after it builds out a restaurant and starts earning a profit is not going to attract a deep pool of committed, passionate donors.

Just my two cents...

To me, this is a typical example of white privilege. You (general you) don't understand the problem with someone viewing you as a curiosity because you don't have to deal with it every single day of your life, and having your entire personality, abilities, life based solely on what race you are, or what color your skin is, or where you were born/your parents were born. Hypothetically, if you moved to any African nation today and had to deal with this, you'd be fine with it. Who doesn't want to be seen as special? But in reality, you have to deal with it every single day, it's always in the back of your mind, it's a part of you and how you interact with people, it's institutional racism/bigotry. You will never be seen as part of the larger group, like everyone else. Whether you like it or not, it affects how you live your life and you have to question yourself on things that the majority doesn't. Just because one learns to cope with it doesn't mean everything's great and there are no problems.

Thank you for the analysis. I lived in Sudan. But you provide an excellent example of how assumptions can ruin a good discussion.

But the main problem is that these other cultures are being treated as foreign, unusual, and an unnamed fetish.

Setting aside the fetish part, what's wrong with other cultures being treated as foreign and unusual? To nearly everyone but a native, they are. My hair and skin color boggles Africans whenever I'm over there. And despite spending a significant amount of time in Ethiopia, Sudan, and other countries, those cultures remain foreign and unusual to me, whether I'm overseas or in DC eating at their restaurants, viewing their art, or whatever else.

I really hadn't thought about the Fojol thing until it came up and really don't know where I stand. I guess I just thought they were kind of celebrating and having fun with the eclectic heritage of their food, but I'm glad to hear from others on this because it makes me reconsider.

A look into the kitchen from the Washington Post. (The time lapse thing is pretty cool.)

Apparently not.

(Thanks for posting this--I read it a few days ago, forgot to post, and then promptly forgot the source.)

Sounds about right to me. I've always marveled at the what must be saint-like patience of the staff of the Diner, Amsterdam Falafelshop, and others, considering the state of the crowds they deal with.

The Public Editor had an interesting column yesterday that featured folks who criticized what they saw as significant flaws in the contest.