3.31.2010

My Kinda Tax Relief: BLT Steak Half Off Drinks ALL DAY 4/15

I am a total tax procrastinator. I haven't even THOUGHT about doing them yet.

Thanks to BLT Steak, I now have some incentive to get my act together. On April 15th, BLT restaurants all of the country will be offering HALF OFF all of their alcoholic drinks.

We're talking ALL - cocktails, beer, wines by the glass and bottles of wine will be sold at 50% off ALL DAY LONG!

See you there.

[Reservations]

PS. Dear BLT, do NOT let me have a cocktail until they are done... extensions don't count. #toughlove

3.30.2010

Honey Caramelized Brussels Sprouts

One of the great things about this blog being for fun and not for my job is that no one is judging me for missing my own personal deadlines. If I have a bad week and I miss it, we'll all live. The current farmers market challenge on the table is brussels sprouts. The good news is, they lasted and didn't go bad. I even picked up some more at this week's Dupont Circle Farmers Market.

I begged BLT Steak for their recipe and to my delight they complied!  I made a few tweaks, but in general, they are the first restaurant that made me love brussels sprouts, so it's gonna be pretty close. I followed the recipe, but omitted the chestnuts & parsley and used pancetta* instead of prosciutto.

BLT Steak's Honey Caramelized Brussels Sprouts
(Serves 6)

12 ounces chestnuts, roasted and peeled
2 pounds Brussels sprouts, stems trimmed
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced shallots
1 cup honey
1 tablespoon sugar
1 -10 ounce slice prosciutto*, cut into 1/2-inch strips
1 cup parsley leaves, chopped
Full recipe after the jump...




J'Adore Bens Chili Bowl: Sarkozys Stop By DC Icon

So, a few moments ago, I bumped my head on my office window rushing over to get a peek at the motorcade blowing by my office. The red, white and blue striped flag made me scream (ok, tweet) SARKOZZZZYYY!

Shortly there after, the Twitters started blowing up. As I type right now, French President Nicolas Sarkozy and his smokin hot model-actress-singer-First-Lady Carla Bruni-Sarkozy are noshing on half smokes and chili cheese fries.



Does this make me like the French more? HELL YES!

UPDATE: Maybe my love of the Sarkozy @benschilibowl stop is a sign that I am not a Francophile. My Frenchie pals are horrified. And I LOVE it!

UPDATE: Washington Post Reliable Source 2:16pm Hey, isn't that: Nicolas Sarkozy and Carla Bruni order a half-smoke at Ben's Chili Bowl

Food Blogger Happy Hour at Art & Soul, 4/7

Are you a DC food blog fan? A fan of food in DC? Or a fan of Oprah's former personal chef, Art Smith?  Come out April 7th to the latest DC Food Blogger happy hour.


I'll be out of town, but I know my fellow foodies will be representing. I know I was a little shy about going to my first one, but everyone is so welcoming.  Just walk right up to anyone, introduce yourself and start talking food. It's our common language.

While you're there try one of Art's Hoe Cakes or the Chesapeake Bay Fry (my faves) - or the Sakura cherry blossom cocktail!

3.28.2010

Video Recap of Food Blogger Bake Sale for Haiti

Love this video recap by Thomas Nguyen of today's Bake Sale for Haiti! Gives you a great feel of the day and all of the treats... and true to PR girl form, I somehow ended up being spokes-gal for the effort.

Bake Sale For Haiti from Thomas Nguyen on Vimeo.

On March 28, 2010, over 23 DC food bloggers joined together to create a Bake Sale For Haiti in benefit of Doctors Without Borders. In just a mere 2 hours of selling, they raised $950!

PS. Would it have killed me to put on a little lipstick? Remember, I was operating on minimal sleep and baking stress.

Update: DC Food Blogger Bake Sale for Haiti

First the good news, the DC Food Blogger Bake Sale for Haiti this morning raised nearly $1,000 for Doctors Without Borders -- and made a substantial in kind donation of baked goods to N Street Village in Washington, DC.  We had 23 people bake today and the selection was amazing - everything from homemade granola bars, cupcakes (lemon, banana, chocolate caramel), brownies (peppermint, vegan cheese cake and coffee), blondies, muffins (pumpkin, pecan), macarons, pound cakes, mini upside down cakes and more! Recipe round up here.


My contribution was the Chocolate Salted Caramel Cupcakes... and I think they were pretty tasty in the end. I think a lot of people think that if you write a food blog, you're automatically an expert. Well, as anyone who followed my Twitter feed as I baked yesterday, I am not.  But despite a week where everything that can go wrong did, they still turned out well.  Good life lesson.  When your caramel burns through no fault of your own - dump it and start over... it's not the end of the world.


Full story on the debacle after the jump...

3.27.2010

DC: Teddy Roosevelt Island

I've lived in DC for nearly ten years and have never been to Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt Island. I've cheersed it from Tony & Joes at the Georgetown waterfront. I've driven over it for nearly two years. But, I've never taken the time to veer off my path (typical type A Washingtonian).

Well, my friend Yvette's son had a project recently where her son Anthony sent me his "Teddy" (think Flat Stanley but a bear) to take on a DC adventure. The Teddy project is a way for kids to learn about national parks and cool things beyond their neighborhood. You take pictures of "Teddy" at locations and write back about what was interesting, what kind of flowers or animals you saw and the history of the park. (For those of you who aren't Teddy Roosevelt junkies, he's credited with making the U.S. national park system what it is today. Also, a patron saint of Tampa, FL along with the pirate Jose Gaspar.) Long story short: we started Teddy's DC adventure at his namesake's park.



Anyway, it was the coolest. Great place for a run or walk with a friend or a puppy. There are great trails and paths all over Teddy Roosevelt Island.  We even spotted a deer...  spitting distance from DC!

Some of the best pics from the day & of Teddy, after the jump:

3.24.2010

Blogger Bake Sale: Pondering What to Make...

When thinking about what to make for Sunday's Bake Sale for Haiti in Dupont Circle, there are a few factors. 

1) The Competition: I know these other food bloggers and they are damn good. Most of them run circles around me with their grasp of the culinary arts.  After all, I blog more about *learning* to cook than claiming to be some sort of expert.  But I'm competitive as hell. I want to be right there up with One Bite at a Time, Pete Bakes, Adventures in Shaw and French Twist DC.  So what I make has gotta have a wow factor.
2) The Taste: No one wants to buy some fancy sounding baked good that doesn't deliver, so I want a formula that I can trust to deliver consistent, delicious results.
3) A Stress Free Zone: I don't want to get SO ambitious that I bite off more than I can chew (so to speak.)  And, Saturday's supposed to be sunny and gorgeous, so I'd rather be at Cantina Marina than chained to my kitchen.

So... here's what I'm thinking.  If the Magnolia Bakery chocolate cupcake (which I've made before and are fail safe) had a baby with the salted caramel cupcake in Martha Stewart's Cupcakes book... I think the result would be heaven.  So... that's what I'm going to try. 


Martha Stewart's Cupcakes: 175 Inspired Ideas for Everyone's Favorite Treat + The Complete Magnolia Bakery Cookbook: Recipes from the World-Famous Bakery and Allysa Torey's Home Kitchen 
=

PS. If you show up and I've got chocolate chip cookies... we'll never speak of this post again.

PSS. Yes, I get that taste should have been #1.  Like I said, I'm competitive.

PSSS. What do you think of a Chocolate Salted Caramel Cupcake?  Would you buy one to help these guys?

3.23.2010

The Sharper Your Knife, The Less You Cry

On my flight to Austin for SXSW, I unplugged to read the latest novel to randomly catch my eye in the bookstore: The Sharper Your Knife, The Less You Cry: Love, Laughter and Tears in Paris at the World's Most Famous Cooking School.

Immediately I connected with both the chick lit angst and the cooking aspirations. She's at a cross roads in life - with work, with love, with not wanting to look back and realize she didn't achieve her life's goal... in this case, to graduate from Le Cordon Bleu in Paris.

My foodie aspirations aren't quite that high, but I connected with the story and the romantic idea of living in Paris, learning to cook and exploring the city while madly in love. My favorite quotes that I dog eared:

"Audrey Hepburn would never have ended up covered in fish guts."

"He gives us a lesson on quizzing stall managers. Vital questions to ask include: Where did it come from? What did it eat? What does the seller know about the people who raised it?... a good chef is not shy about asking such questions."

"... you cannot be a chef without knowing how things taste, even if you don't like them, because often what you are asked to prepare is out of your control."

Julia Child: "... you can never know everything about anything, especially something you love... besides... I started late.

At first glance it's a love story. After reading it, you realize it is a love story but not with just with a man, but with people, a place and with cooking.

I think you'll really like the book... and you can follow the author's blog here: Kathleen Flinn's blog.

3.22.2010

Food Blogger Bake Sale THIS SUNDAY!


Are you going to be in DC this weekend? Come on down to Dupont Circle - and on your way to or from the Dupont Circle Farmers Market, pop by our Bake Sale for Haiti on the patio of Zorba's Cafe! In addition to seeing your favorite blogger's smiling faces before 11am (uh-hem, like mine), we'll be donating all money raised to Doctors Without Borders.

As a Florida girl, I know that living outside on an island a tent during hurricane season isn't anyone's idea of safe or fun. Doctors Without Borders are on the ground helping treat everything from post-operative wounds to psychological care to sanitation-related malaria. Now's the time to dig out the change from your sofa, come on down and stock up on muffins, cupcakes, cookies and other goodies.

See you there!

3.21.2010

Today's Farmers Market Haul & Challenge


Spring is in the air, folks! The Dupont Circle Farmers Market in Washington, DC was jamming this morning and it seemed like every guy, gal, baby and puppy were on hand to celebrate. With spring comes an even bigger selection, more colorful flowers, and yes, more people. But it's so much fun to see everyone and bask in the sun - it's worth braving the uptick in crowds.

This week, my Market Challenge is to cook brussels sprouts. I spent my whole life hating them only to have BLT Steak in DC blow my mind with their crunchy, caramelized version. (If you're new to the blog, I challenge myself to make something from the farmers market that I have never cooked before... and many times thought I didn't like growing up.) So, brussels sprouts... it's on.

Send me you ideas, your favorite recipes and tips! I'll blog the results and tweet my anxiety along the way.

3.19.2010

Recipe: Austin Hippie Salad from TRIO at the Four Seasons

Want to recreate the Austin Hippie Salad with Smoked Onion Vinaigrette from my earlier post about the fabulous TRIO at the Four Seasons in Austin, TX?  Thanks to their generosity, the recipe is below.


Thanks to Kerri... give them a follow at @FSAustin on Twitter.  Full recipe after the jump:

3.18.2010

Austin: Koriente Restaurant & Tea House

If you're in Austin and you are craving something a little more healthy than the usual Texas fare, consider Koriente. The menu has a lot of great options for everyone from carnivores to vegans to those who eat gluten free. We had the fresh, crunchy spring rolls to start and I followed it up with the Koriente Curry with tofu and avocado. (The pic doesn't do the gorgeous colors justice since it was taken with my Blackberry)


I loved dining on the relaxed back porch with the following quote painted on the wall:


"My mom started this restaurant b/c she hates to cook. She loved going out to eat (make someone else do all the work) but found it tough to find healthy, msg free, low cal, balanced meals with prices within daily reach. She felt guilty for feeding us crap and felt sick of being a housewife, so she said,
Why not open a restaurant for people like me?"


It's a little off the beaten path at 621 E 7th St., Austin, TX, 78701

Austin: TRIO at the Four Seasons

At one point in my SXSW exhaustion, I referred to the Four Seasons as "The Happiest Place on Earth." You see, even if you aren't staying there, the gorgeous view of Lady Bird Lake from their balconies and patios can make even the most harried conference goer relax a bit.

For my last lunch before leaving town, I wandered down the lakeside path and up the Four Seasons hill to a comfy couch in the sun at TRIO and ordered the Austin Hippie Salad. After all of the taco-fueled gluttony, all I really wanted was a crunchy, perfect salad... and perfect it was:


TRIO's Austin Hippie Salad: Iceberg lettuce, radicchio, dried cranberries, garbanzo beans & cornbread croutons

More on the gorgeous views after the jump.


Austin's Trailer Parked Street Food Scene

There weren't enough days or meal times for me to taste everything I wanted to in Austin.  One aspect that I was super delinquent in exploring was the street food. They call it trailer food there and most of them are in kitschy refurbished Airstream trailers.  Here were a few I'd like to do a round up on the next time I'm in town:

La Casa Del Fuego Tacos at 402 Lavaca

Crepes Mille on South Congress

There's even an entire trailer park full of 'em including the famed Torchy's Tacos.  More after the jump...

Austin: Bacon Dessert at Frank

Frank is known for two things: Hot Dogs. Cold Beer. My friends who went for lunch raved about the dogs... but they dragged me back for the bacon... bacon dessert to be specific.

Frank's Ice Cream Cookie Sammich: Two chocolate chip, pecan, walnut, cranberry and bacon cookies with a scoop of Amy's Mexican Vanilla ice cream


Chocolate Covered Hickory Smoked Bacon sprinkled with Turbinado Sugar & Sea Salt

3.17.2010

More to Love About Austin: Part 2



The view of downtown Austin from South Congress

More ironic t-shirts per capita than possibly anywhere (ok, *maybe* outside of Brooklyn)

Not just live music on every street corner... but damn good live music on every street corner.

3.15.2010

Austin: Home Slice

Despite the bacon-gasm late afternoon, I still had to drag myself out to eat with friends tonight. Friends that I've known forever and just got engaged... not the kind you can - or want - to cancel on because you're too full of bacon.

The venue was Home Slice on South Congress Ave, a cute neighborhood full of shops, bars and restaurants. Home Slice had been on quite a few folks short list of must-eats in Austin, so I was game to give it a try.

There was an hour wait during this busy SXSW weekend, but there is an adorable back patio with a bar and tables to bide your time. We didn't need to look at the menu long... I mean, I knew what was I eating... pizza and pizza.

Sausage, Ricotta Cheese & Roasted Red Pepper



White Pie with Spinach, Garlic, Olive Oil, Ricotta & Mozzarella

Home Slice is adorable, with super nice service and worth the wait. NY purists will complain, but when don't they?

PS. Give a follow to Year of Free Pizza blog who for the 2nd year in a row has won the annual Home Slice pizza eating contest. The staff had nothing but nice things to say about him too!

3.14.2010

Austin: SXSW Bacon Throwdown 2010

SXSW Bacon Throwdown: 22 contestants, 22 bacon recipes. There are no words... enjoy the photos. Florida Girl is in a bacon coma...

L to R: Bacon Jan with Cocoa Nibs on Smoked Sea Salt Shortbread, Bacon Brulee, Bacon Stuffed Jalapeno, Carmelized Bacon topped with Chocolate & Banana, Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnut, Bacon Toffee (from Epicuriosities), Bacon Pecan Pie (from Girls Gone Hog Wild), Bacon Avocado Salad (from the Austin Bacon Club), Bacon Explosion, Cheddar-Bacon Risotto w Maple Lollipop, Bacon Bread Pudding, Bacon BBQ Brisket Beans & Bacon Bananas Foster

Austin: Uncorked Tasting Room

Uncorked Tasting Room is one of our Austin pal's favorite hangs. From it's patio perch, you can sip wine with an amazing view of the city:


I had already had dinner, so I ordered the flight of Sparkling Rose wine and these delicious almond cookies with lemon cream and strawberries:


One of our friends joined us and ordered his favorite dish... the Schnitzel! Imagine my surprise when it arrived and it was not, in fact, a hot dog. Apparently schnitzel is closer to a chicken fried steak, with pork. This one was served with caraway braised cabbage and wild mushrooms in a dijon mustard sauce. Even though I'd already eaten dinner and was on dessert, I tasted... it's amazing:

Austin: East Side Show Room

Last night, we took a break from the SXSW mob scene in downtown Austin and stepped out on the East Side with a couple of our friends who live here. Once glance at East Side Show Room's menu and I was stoked to visit this locally sourced, creative restaurant.

I started off with one of the most gorgeous looking cocktails I've ever seen - the Violet Translation which is made with gin and a creme liquor made from violet flowers:


Starters and entrees after the jump...

3.13.2010

Austin: Moonshine Patio Bar & Grill

You know some places are going to rock, even before you take a glance at the menu. When we sat down for lunch at Moonshine Patio Bar & Grill in Austin, TX, our table neighbor had just been served up a conversation-halting chicken fried steak. As he beamed, our table stared on slack jawed in awe. Graciously, he posed with his trophy...

But, it was just lunch, so we were thinking a little milder, a little healthier... after all, we still had to plan where we were eating dinner.

So naturally, we ordered two healthy items... fried. Readers, meet Fried Asparagus. If my Mom had served asparagus like this instead of out of a can, it might not have taken me til age 33 to like it.

Next up, what I like to call the poor-man's Bourbon Steak Lobster Corn Dogs... the formidable challenger, Moonshine's Shrimp "Corn Dogs" with honey mustard & blueberry swirl. There's only one on the plate because they went faster than I could snap a photo:
I balanced that heaven off with a small Spinach Salad served with orange slices (ahem, which I now know how to cut thanks to @MangoTomato), goat cheese, and dried cranberries.

Someone else at our table went a different direction (you know who you are) and ordered the Green Chile Macaroni with grilled chicken, corn relish and green chile cream. It really was a totally unique twist on mac-and-cheese, both lighter and spicier:

Moonshine is located just on the backside of the Austin Convention Center, is in a charming, historic building, and has great patio seating. A must stop for you SXSW food junkies.


Austin: Malaga Tapas & Bar

Is it me or is SXSW starting to feel like it's more about what we're eating for breakfast, lunch and dinner than about technology and engagement. Following yesterday's packed agenda, we dragged ourselves out on the town again, starting with dinner at Malaga Tapas & Bar.

Definitely start off with a flight of wine... the pours are quite respectable and the price is fantastic! Our table all had the European Sparkling Flight which was a NV Segura Viudas Brut Reserva Cava, NV Charles de Fere & NV Zardetto Prosecco -- all for $13!

Below were our favorite tapas dishes:

Tortitas de Cigalas: Crawfish, potato & cheese fritters, oh my!


Empanadas Salamanca: Spinach turnovers stuffed with cheese and mushrooms

Aguacates Fritos: #ftw, that means fried avocado... w pita chips

More to Love About Austin: Part 1

I'm in love with this town. I have been since I first arrived. I've now taken to snapping random photos of it all. There's no real thread to this post... just more things I love...

Austin's got a great street food scene. This one is from BC (Before Cone, There Was Bacon). It's a waffle cone stuffed with taquitos, guacamole, cheese and more. What's not to love? Oh yeah, the calorie count... guess that's why so many Austinites are running around Town Lake.


Austin's a very dog friendly town. Restaurants and bars have bowls for dogs on the patios. Half of the people running around Town Lake are accompanied by their pups. Makes me miss Ike *a lot*!


Austin is unabashedly nerdy. There are more awkward white hipsters per capita than Brooklyn, at least during SXSW. (Hat tip to Josh Cagan that reference and for winning Battledecks... an Improv PowerPoint Roulette... where the above was a slide.)



3.12.2010

Austin: Jo's Coffee Shop Downtown

Just a few short blocks from the SXSW Interactive madness is Jo's Coffee Shop downtown. I went in search of a morning latte that wasn't Starbucks. I found not only a killer latte, but breakfast tacos (I had the chorizo & egg) and perfect pancakes (I had the whole wheat short stack). All of that and sun dappled patio seating had this sick-of-winter gal swooning...

In addition to featuring my order, this photo may or may not feature a couple who spent more than 20 minutes discussing the merits of Gowalla vs. Yelp vs. Foursquare. Sorry, I'm an eavesdropper.

Austin: Somnio's Cafe

Longtime readers know I have an obsession for eating local, especially when it comes to meat. So when I announced I was Austin, TX-bound for this year's SXSW Interactive Festival, my local pal Megan of local Austin blog, Olive's Herb Backyard insisted we hit Somnio's Cafe (1807 South First Street, between Annie and Mary) on my first night in town.

You see, I've been to Austin before. It's a great foodie town, but eating local, sustainable, and vegetarian... well let's just say, I trust Austin more with Tex Mex & BBQ. But, I'm willing to shift my issues with meat around a lot when I know where it comes from, so Somino's spoke to me. Here was a sampling of our meal. All of the meat is natural, hormone free, grass fed. The pastured chicken comes from Dewberry Hills Farm:

Buffalo Dumplings with Soy Dipping Sauce

Uncle Bob's Salad with marinated grated beets mixed with ginger, carrots and served over a bed of greens with sprouts and honey soy vinaigrette (complimentary with entree or you can order their salads on their own)

Entrees and final word after the jump...

3.09.2010

Recessionista Deal: Huge New Restaurant Discounts for AARP Members

Full disclosure, I work at AARP. But I'm in my 30s, not 50s so most of the offerings aren't exactly up my alley. This is one that I'm really excited about though, starting today, AARP members can get discounts of up to 60% off restaurant gift certificates! Over 13,000 restaurants are participating -- and it's not just chains.

And it's not just a daily deal like Groupon or Living Social (which I also love)...  You just go to the website, search by zip or city and choose the restaurant and how much you want to purchase.

A couple of FloridaGirl faves offered include:
Washington, DC: Cantina Marina, Cedar, L'Enfant Cafe
Cleveland, OH: Ponte Vecchio, Chocolate Bar, Grumpy's
Tampa, FL: Chez Bryce, Dubliner Irish Pub, Estela's, The Brunchery, NoHo Bistro

Visit aarp.org/restaurant to see what's in your area (or for your next trip!) and ensure you are getting the full AARP discount.  If you want to follow me on Twitter for AARP related deals and news, I'm @TammyAARP.

3.07.2010

Stuffed Mini Sweet Peppers

I'm of the thought that anything in mini form is more fun to eat, so I've been eyeing these mini sweet peppers for a while. A couple of recipes caught my eye, but I decided to wing it and the results were damn tasty. Bonus: I used my farmers market honey mushrooms so it doubles as a CHALLENGE.


Ingredients
30 mini sweet peppers
3/4 c goat cheese crumbles
4 oz. cream cheese
1/2 c diced onions
1/2 c mushrooms, diced (or use small mushrooms, I made mine with honey mushroom caps.)
1/4 c cilantro

Directions, more photos and results after the jump...

Cleveland: L-L-L-L-Lola! by Chef Michael Symon

When you happen upon Cleveland and ask where to eat, everyone first points you to Lola, Chef Michael Symon's flagship destination.  Somehow it took me until my THIRD trip to the CLE to check it out.  I met up with my friend Emily for lunch to celebrate her finishing the bar.

Both of us had one thing on our mind as we scanned the menu in advance -- the Beef Cheek Pierogie with horseradish and mushrooms. Our bartender told us it's their most popular item and that it's the ONLY thing on the menu that has never changed. (Lola's seasonal so the menu is always evolving.) It was amazing... like I want to bathe in the mushroom horseradish reduction amazing.


Next up Emily chose the Corned Beef Sandwich and fries:


And I went with the Roasted Asparagus and Mushroom Salad with arugula and goat cheese:


My first Lola experience was fantastic. I can't wait to go back for dinner... and also try it's spin off, Lolita which is in the super cute Tremont neighborhood.