Happy Easter

Our family traditional brunch is an Eastern European menu: Polish kielbasa, Slovak colutche (see apricot and cherry-filled pastries above), ham, hard-boiled eggs, and of course, candy. Living in London during Eastertime gained me a profound appreciation for Cadbury's, furthering my aspirations to become a true chocolate connoisseur.

"Man cannot live on chocolate alone. But woman can."

Happy Easter!

My Peeps

Washington Post Magazine Peeps Diorama Contest favorites:

Pizza Party

Pizzas I made from the Clear Flour bakery's fresh dough - caprese with mozzarella, tomato, and fresh basil (before and after baking), and pizza topped with spinach, sundried tomatoes, artichokes ...

Chili in the City

When visiting a new city it's always best to ask the locals where to find the best grub. Go to Washington, D.C. and anyone will point you to Ben's Chili Bowl on U Street, the capital's best hole-in-the-wall late-night diner that's popularity has grown to cultlike status. Ben's retains its '60s diner style feel, having opened in 1958, as well as the local color and "dirty spoon" grunginess that makes it a memorable experience; picture a classic diner counter with swiveling stools and soul music blasting in the jam-packed place, and you've got the Chili Bowl scene. Though at times the crowds can be overwhelming - the line out the door on a sunny spring afternoon like today is just as bad as the late-night scene since Ben's is open until 2 am weekdays and 4 am on Fridays and Saturdays - as Ben's attracts all kinds of clientele, from the longtime neighborhood families to the wide-eyed tourist thrown in the mix. The restaurant certainly wins no awards for cleanliness or service, but the food is just downright good. Ben's chili is just spicy enough to make you sweat, served in cups, bowls, on chili dogs, chili fries, you name it. It's Ben's famous half-smokes with chili sauce that sets this joint above the rest, as the sausage's smokey flavor far surpasses the run-of-the-mill hot dog, and the top-secret recipe of Ben's Chili Sauce pairs with it perfectly. Now that's a good all-American meal.

The walls are adorned with photos of the famous patrons to grace Ben's Chili Bowl with their hungry bellies, from Bill Cosby and Denzel Washington to politicians Hillary Clinton and of course a huge signed Barack Obama (it is our nation's capital, after all.) Obama reportedly loves Ben's chili, and who wouldn't - it's the real food you're craving. Go patriotic? Go Ben's.

3.5/5 stars (and four chili bowls!)

Pati's Mexican Table

An excellent fellow blog I highly recommend is Pati's Mexican Table, written by a cooking teacher, food writer, and chef of the Mexican Cultural Institute in Washington, D.C. Pati provides "the basics" of Mexican cooking techniques, and explanations of kitchen tools, along with recipes from soups to salsas, and her trademark "anytime antojos."


The minute I read her words, "Avocados are, to me, amongst the most sensuous, luscious and luxurious of ingredients" I knew I like Pati - now that's sexy.


patismexicantable.com

For the Love of Bread

When bread is good it's really good. My go-to neighborhood bakery is Clear Flour Bread, a homey corner shop from which the aroma of fresh baking bread wafts through the air, and a line of eager patrons spills out the door and wraps around the block every weekend. If I need bread to accompany a dinner I'll drop by on my way home from work; Clear Flour bakes "authentic breads of Italy and France" in shop, using organic and stone-ground flour, daily. From baguettes and batards to loaves of soft, chewy sourdough that's great for sandwiches or on its own, Clear Flour is always fresh, day-of, and delicious. They make pizza dough daily (ready by 1:30 pm, show up on the dot for first dibs) which you can roll out and top yourself - the possibilities are endless. The focaccia bread topped with onions is incredible, coming in large and smaller sizes, and my favorite item on the menu. The rotating pastry selection includes brioches, cookies from biscotti to macaroons, croissants, morning buns, scones, rustic tarts using seasonal fruit ... you never know exactly what you'll find. The cake selection alone ranges from bundt cakes, lemon pound cake, to gingerbread tea cakes, and the holiday specials go to another level - this Easter they'll make gateau Bretons and ganached chocolate egg-shaped cakes, but be sure to order one ahead of time, as they'll go fast. Clear Flour baked goods are hot commodities around here.

In the Washington, D.C. area my favorite local bakery by far is Praline, the bakery and bistro that's the love child of former White House executive pastry chef Roland Mesnier. Modeled after high-end Parisian patisseries, my favorite pastime at Praline is to curl up with a cafe latte and pastry by the crackling fire in the corner, indulging in a leisurely breakfast at a European pace. Praline, likewise to Clear Flour, does specialized holiday desserts such as Buche de Noel (Christmas Yule logs) and Gallette des Rois (Kings' Cake), and even wedding cakes. My friends, pastry chefs with extensive culinary training, that work there hail from as far as Switzerland - the Praline top chefs know that to be done right put it in the hands of a European. Praline is the best of both worlds: a combination of a welcoming neighborhood place and the class of a proper French bistro. Now that takes the cake.

April Fool's!

Looks like meat, right?  It's actually grilled gingerbread soaked in butterscotch sauce!