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Monthly Archives: September 2011

when life gives you bananas, make banana bread

29 Thursday Sep 2011

Posted by ccdc in baking

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

banana, banana bread, banana muffins, flour bakery, flour's famous banana bread, girls on the run d.c., ipso fatto, Joanne Chang, mini muffins, ragnar relay

As a runner, bananas should be my best friend for high potassium intake. But bananas are undoubtedly my least favorite fruit and fruit flavor (I prefer coconut water for potassium!). I don’t like the texture of bananas, and I resent them for drowning out all other fruit flavors in a smoothie.

But after running the Ragnar Relay D.C. last weekend, four of my teammate’s dozen or so bananas (they were a popular meal for a 200-mi overnight relay) ended up in my bag. As the bananas quickly browned on my countertop, I knew the only acceptable way to consume them would be mashed with sugar, flour, cinnamon, eggs, and vanilla as banana bread.

My go-to source for reliably delicious baking recipes is my cousin C’s baking blog, Ipso Fatto. Sure enough, cousin C had two banana bread recipes posted. One was a standard recipe she culled from her days of a kitchen assistant in college, and the other was from pastry chef Joanne Chang at Flour Bakery in Boston. Cousin C sang the praises of the Flour Bakery version as her new go-to banana bread recipe, so I decided to give it a try.

Because my intended recipients were 3rd-5th grade girls that I coach for Girls on the Run D.C., I compromised the ideal texture of the bread by making two batches of mini muffins (for the girls) and six larger muffins (for myself and other grown people :)). I also substituted 1/4 of the 1/2 cup of oil with unsweetened apple sauce, and instead of sour cream, I used almond milk. I may have targeted an easy crowd, but all the recipients were pleased, and I thought the larger versions were delicious in spite of the very strong banana flavor I usually dislike.  The cake is definitely very tender, so I’d imagine the full loaf versions are even better than the muffins; I will definitely give it a try the next time I have bananas ripening on my counter!

flour's famous banana bread (as muffins) | recipe from flour bakery

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happy oyster hour

26 Monday Sep 2011

Posted by ccdc in american, happy hour, seafood, washington d.c.

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

america eats, brasserie beck, georgetown, hank's oyster bar, happy hour, oyster on the half shell, oysters, raw bar, sea catch, shellfish happy hour

oysters from shellfish happy hour | sea catch | georgetown

I once heard that you should only eat oysters in months that end with “r,” but that appears to be a myth based on truth before the days of refrigeration. Regardless, official fall oyster harvesting season in the U.S. is right around the corner.

Hank’s Oyster Bar, America Eats, and Brasserie Beck serve up my favorite oysters in the District. But a few months ago, a friend (who shares my skepticism/disdain for Georgetown dining) told me about a hard-to-believe shellfish happy hour at Sea Catch Restaurant and Raw Bar, a nondescript restaurant semi-hidden in what looks like an office building on 31st St NW, overlooking the C&O Canal.

From Monday through Saturday (for those of us unable to escape the office in time for normal happy hour times!), 5 until 7 PM, oysters on the half shell are $1 and select beers and wines are half off. The oysters are fresh and at $1 each, who can beat this deal?

gourmet gas station

21 Wednesday Sep 2011

Posted by ccdc in american, cheap eats, latin, sandwich, washington d.c.

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cheap eats, chivito, cubano, fast gourmet, gas station, late night, sweet potato fries, u street, washington dc

lowest prices |14th and W NW | U Street

This summer, one of my friends changed the way I view gas station food marts when he told me about Fast Gourmet, the hidden but Yelp-loved sandwich shop inside the Lowest Prices gas station at 14th and W NW.

Yes, inside the gas station.

Honestly, I probably would not have agreed to go if not for the fact it was proposed as a post-night on U Street destination. I’d walked/driven by the gas station countless times, but I never noticed the sign above what I assumed was the attached convenience mart.

Inside the mart is unlike any gas station I’ve ever seen. It was bright, clean, and had plenty of seating. Neatly printed chalkboard menus above the cash registers offer a mix of traditional American diner/deli menu items, but the standouts are the Latin-themed items, such as the cubano, empanadas, and chivito, which is (according to Wiki) a national dish in Uruguay.

I haven’t had other chivitos to compare, but Fast Gourmet’s version of the sandwich includes beef tenderloin, mozzarella, black forest ham, bacon, green olives, hard boiled eggs, escabeche, lettuce, tomato, mayo, and a soft bun. Delicious is an understatement. And I’m pretty sure my assessment would be the same at 3 PM as it was at 3 AM.

chivito | fast gourmet | U Street

Of course, I substituted the regular fries for sweet potato fries, and they are also worth writing home about. Not overfried, greasy, or soggy.  Crisp and well-seasoned with cinnamon and salt.

And they deliver!

made in thailand (pt III)

18 Sunday Sep 2011

Posted by ccdc in asian, noodles, thai, travel, travel eats

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

banana pancake, cashews, chicken, dragonfruit, fried fish, hilltribe trek, northern thailand, pumpkin, spring rolls, squash, thai, thailand, yellow curry

northern thailand hills

Part III of my Thailand trip covers the food I had on a trek of the northern hilltribes of Thailand. My trip was an Intrepid Travel trip, which emphasizes small group tours using local guides and trip leaders. The trip as a whole was incredible, and our local guides pulled double duty as our compass through the hills and as our trek chefs.

kitchen hut in hilltribe village

I wasn’t sure what to expect, but what we ended up having was the best food I had the entire trip. Most impressively, our guides created our feasts over open fires inside bamboo huts.

My favorite was a yellow curry with chicken and cashews, which added extra richness to the traditional dish. Not far behind were a pumpkin-family vegetable and squash dishes. The banana pancakes we had for breakfast on our last day were also deliciously memorable, even though I am normally not a fan of bananas and banana-flavored things.

local guide mr. bun hard at work
long beans with chicken
kitchen hut in hilltribe village

squash and tofu
sweet and sour vegetables
soup in a bag with fried rice for lunch

toast and eggs for breakfast
dinner table – long beans, green curry, pumpkin
fresh pineapple for dessert

northern thailand hills
yellow curry with chicken and cashews
banana pancake

dragonfruit
stir-fried noodles for lunch
thai chips and salsa: fried wonton strips and sweet chili sauce

kitchen prep
spring roll filling
breakfast table

local guide mr. boon wrapping spring rolls
fried rice with vegetables
chicken over the fire

spring roll
lunch table
the “stove”

fried local fish

I thought three parts could cover my entire trip, but my Thailand trip posts will wrap up with a fourth part, consisting of street market and Thai cooking class photos!

don’t forget the fries with bobby’s burger

16 Friday Sep 2011

Posted by ccdc in american, burger, cheap eats, potatoes, washington d.c.

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

bobby flay, bobby's burger palace, book signing, buger tour, la burger, sixth & i synagogue, sweet potato fries, washington d.c., west end

sweet potato fries | bobby's burger palace | west end

The D.C. burger tour continues with Bobby Flay’s Bobby’s Burger Palace, which opened at 21st and K in August. Although the line was out the door at lunchtime, the line seemed to move relatively quickly (no 90-minute waits here) since cashiers took orders and distributed number tents. Staff then brought orders out to seated patrons (even at lunchtime, there are plenty of seats at the communal tables).

L.A. Burger (medium, no cheese) | bobby's burger palace | west end

Although I’ve never eaten at any of Bobby Flay’s other restaurants, I’ve assumed that he cooks every piece of meat to perfection (great editing, Food Network!). I’m happy to report that his Burger Palace further perpetuates my assumption. I ordered the L.A. burger without cheese because guacamole is one of my favorite food groups (and cheese is my least). By default, the burgers are cooked perfectly medium, and the patty was well-seasoned. Most impressively, three burgers ordered at three different temperatures (rare, medium, and well done) were each actually grilled as ordered!

Although the sweet potato fries are listed as a “side,” they certainly deserve to share center stage. Bobby’s sweet potato fries are exactly as I like them best — crisp on the outside and tender on the inside! Now if I could get a side of chipotle mayo. . .

P.S. Bobby Flay is having a Q&A session, followed by a book signing, at Sixth & I Synagogue next Wednesday, September 21, at 7:30 P.M. For more info and tickets, click here.

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