Cooking at Home

March has been a busy month for us.  We've been settling into our new place, and figuring out some of the quirks.  I'm slowly learning that opening a hot oven will set off the two fire alarms without reason.  Fun times. I am enjoying experimenting at home, and try to have something ready for him to eat the nights he has to work late.

Oven-roasted pork belly and kimchi bundles with Japanese-style potato salad and a tortellini-vegetable salad.  My Japanese potato salad included chopped egg, onion, carrots, apple and a slightly sweeter Japanese mayonnaise. 

 We like Korean soups and stews a lot. This creation blended soon dubu and kimchee chige.  I made a dashi with katsubushi flakes and konbu (dried bonito fish flakes and seaweed), added some leftover fresh kimchi, tofu, rayu-spiced green beans, cabbage, onion, carrots, leftover sesame-crusted tuna and Korean chili powder.

Today's Bento.  Mapo Nasu with rice and pickled ginger.  Cook-Do is a brand of sauces by Ajinomoto  that I used to buy when I lived in Japan.  You can find some at area Asian markets like Super H Mart. We recently received the sauce with some Japanese staples from a coworker who returned to live in Japan.  I added some fresh vegetables, mixed in the Cook-Do sauce packet, and cooked some rice.  It's a pretty fast and versatile meal, although a bit high sodium content-wise.

Bangkok Golden in Seven Corners

All the food writers and food forums have been talking about Bangkok Golden in Seven Corners lately.  The secret Laotian menu now is handed out with the Thai menu for the non-buffet customers.  Since the region is teeming with Korean, Japanese, Chinese, Thai and Vietnamese restaurants, the addition of a Laotian menu is remarkable for its uniqueness.  Described as a melding of Thai and Vietnamese flavors with a higher spice intensity, I was eager to try some of the recommended dishes.  

 

While the address is 6395 Seven Corners Center, directions from our iphones let us down.  Easiest way to find the restaurant is to look for Hong Kong Palace (which also owns Uncle Liu's hot pot restaurant), and Bangkok Golden is three storefronts to the left.

Nam Khao ($8.95)

Crispy Rice Salad with a fantastic textural composition.  Vibrant cilantro and fresh herbs, mixed with crispy rice, peanuts, red onion, shredded coconut, lime and a gentle heat/chili.

Wrap in a lettuce leaf and eat with your hands.

 Larb Kai ($9.95)

Minced chicken seasoned with Kaffir lime leaves, fragrant toasted rice powder, shallots, garlic, green onion, red pepper, cilantro, mint. A little sweeter and sour rather than spicy.  Bright and fresh flavors.

Moak Fish ($8.95)

Steamed Banana Leaf-Wrapped Tilapia with a curry and coconut sauce.

***

Somehow we missed ordering any dish that had an abundance of chili heat which I had been looking forward to testing out.  I enjoyed the prevalence of fresh herbs and lettuce leaves to wrap the different dishes in.  The sticky rice was described as tasting like mochi by my boyfriend, and he's right.  This rice would be excellent with some fresh mango and coconut milk.  I'm planning a return trip with some friends, and hopefully we'll try a Koi (ceviche-esque fish), Orm (stew) and the Papaya salad.  The dining room is on the small-side, but the service was pleasant, and it's definitely worth a visit.

Valentino's NY-Style Pizza

After a full day of apartment moving, dropping off donations at Goodwill, and returning the rental truck to an area of VA I'd like to not become too acquainted with, we drove over to Valentino's to pick up food.  The staff is really pleasant, they make enormous pizzas, and I love their salads.

 Valentino's Special Large pizza with an order of garlic knots.

Greek Salad half order - lovely feta cheese was creamy and not too briney, roasted peppers, artichoke hearts, olives and a great balsamic vinaigrette.

Let Him Eat Carbs

Despite my best intentions, my boyfriend does not seem to be ready for a world without complex carbohydrates.  He had a business lunch where the buffet was too tempting and he went wild like a kid in a candy store.  He sounded so bashful when he admitted he had a piece of pita bread with some hummus.  Aww.  My man cannot survive on salads and small portions alone.  Time to dial back the diet.  On a positive note, he said he's feeling ready to start working out again.  I don't think that diets should feel like deprevation.  A mixture of healthy foods and moderate exercise will get him farther towards his goal than a strict diet alone. 

 Arugula, tomatoes, yellow peppers, kalamata olives on 1/2 portion of buckwheat soba with a small piece of roasted cod.  Buckwheat is gluten-free and a slow-releasing carbohydrate, and a nice addition to the salad and fish.

Side of boiled dumplings with soy sauce and rayu, a chili-infused sesame oil.

Semi-South Beach

I've been researching different diets this week.  I like to experiment with foods that make me feel more energetic and reduce those that put me into a salt-coma or carb-overload.  I'm shaking up our diet right now, finding a better balance of foods to fuel our bodies with portion size playing a role.  After looking at a variety of diets, I think the South Beach-style fits us the best.  We're experimenting with a two-week curb on refined white carbohydrates, deep-fried things, high-fat proteins and high glycemic foods to jumpstart his return to exercising.  Instead of focusing on what we're eliminating, I'm trying to emphasize how wonderful vibrant vegetables and lean proteins can make you feel.

 Kalamata olives, cherry tomatoes, yellow bell pepper and arugula in champagne vinaigrette.

Roasted cod topped with the vegetable mixture with roasted brussel sprouts. 

***

Serving a lean protein with vegetables on 3/4ths of the plate is my goal.  I've reduced our plate size to the salad plate too.  Instead of family-style bowls on the table, I now plate the food in the kitchen.  After the initial two weeks I'll begin incorporating rice, pasta, whole grain bread and fruits too. This is a challenge for my boyfriend since he attends many lectures where free platters of croissants, bagels, danish and muffins are de rigueur.  It's not the end of the world if he succumbs to their allure, but I hope that after this experiment he sees how the initial sugary deliciousness is followed by a post-sugar crash.  Ultimately this is about eating better, feeling better and making healthier decisions.

Nicoise Salad

My week of healthier meal planning continues.  Last night's dinner was a riff on the nicoise salad.  My boyfriend was working late, so I had plenty of time to put everything together. Perhaps too much time as I ended up making massive salads with enough for our lunches as well. 

 Arugula, Persian cucumbers, yellow bell pepper, Kalamata olives, cherry tomatoes, boiled eggs and cooked grean beans.

 Added some roasted yukon potatoes to the plate with a dijon vinaigrette.

Pan-seared tuna steaks. 

I chose a salad plate to help create the illusion of a full plate.  However, I overloaded the plate with the vegetables so the tuna was on another plate, defeating the purpose.  I need to do a better job with portion sizes for us.  Even though the majority of the meal was vegetables, I piled on too many ingredients.  We would have been better off sharing one of the salads I made instead of having one each.  Learning some new lessons as we try out new things.

Sunday Roast Chicken Dinner

I love cooking for my boyfriend.  He is willing to try anything and thinks everything tastes great.  It's wonderful to cook for someone who's so appreciative and open-minded.  Usually he lets me decide what I feel like cooking, so when he makes a special request I pay attention.  He enjoyed our Thanksgiving dinner this year and was interested in a repeat.  Since it's easier to find chickens, I substitute roasting a chicken instead of turkey.  It's really the perfect meal for Sunday, when you have extra time to spend in the kitchen.  Plus we'll have some great leftovers for lunches this week.

 Arugula salad with fresh orange champagne vinaigrette.

 Roast chicken.  Lightly salted and roasted at 350F on top of onion and carrots.

 Mashed potatoes.

 Green Bean Casserole.  Fresh beans are quickly boiled and blanched in cold water.  Nice bright flavor.

Homemade stuffing.  Japanese-style bread is toasted in the oven, then mixed with celery, mushrooms, onions, herbs and chicken stock.  I also made some chicken gravy with the pan drippings and roasted onions and carrots in the roasting pan. 

Hank's Oyster Bar in Old Town Alexandria

Friday night was date night.  After a long work week with late nights at the office, we went out to dinner at Hank's.  It's Restaurant Week in Alexandria, but we decided to indulge in some raw oysters and share some dishes along with a cold bottle of pinot grigio.  Hank's has a nice and laidback atmosphere that we enjoy, and some great seafood.

 Caesar salad with anchovies.

Lobster roll with fries. Larger chunks of lobster towards the bottom of the buttered bun.

Fried oyster po'boy with coleslaw.  Super plump and delightful oysters in a buttered bun.

***

We shared everything and it was nice to have a bit of chilled lobster roll as well as the warm fried oyster po'boy.  Wonderful way to end the week with my favorite guy.

Pizzeria Orso in Falls Church

My friends in Vienna have said they really like Pizzeria Orso. http://pizzeriaorso.com/index.php I finally made it out to Falls Church to give it a try over the weekend.  I knew the owners came from 2Amys, which I like a lot for its Neopolitan pizzas, and overall enjoyed Orso.  Is it worth driving on Rte. 7 from Alexandria?  Probably not.  But very little would be worth that traffic headache.

 Some of the loveliest things at 2Amys were the salads and small plates.  I had to try Orso's fennel salad. Sliced fennel, oranges, chives and olives.  I love that they have a half size ($4). 

Half-portion of the mixed greens salad ($4).

 Margherita DOC ($13).  Nicely charred crust with a light tomato sauce, buffalo mozzarella and fresh basil.  We opted to forego the olive oil finish.  I like the restraint used in topping the pizza.  Massive in size.

Orso ($18).  Ricotta, mozzarella, grana padano, fontina, pecorino, garlic and prosciutto di parma.

Vapiano in DC

One of the nicest results of moving the office is now working closer to my boyfriend.  In between our office buildings, is one of his favorite fast-casual places.  http://www.vapianointernational.com/vapiano/cms/ We tried to go there once this summer for lunch, but 12-1 pm is definitely a time to avoid as the lunch crowd creates bottlenecks at the various stations.  Yesterday we went a bit later, and it was much quieter.  The card system makes this an easy way to pick different things from the pasta, pizza, panini and salad stations. 

Spicy Sausage and roasted vegetables with papparadelle ($11.95). 

 Pomodoro and arugula with spaghetti.  ($9.95)

Arugula Salad with sliced mushrooms, parmesan cheese and zucchini ($7.95)

***

The pastas were cooked al dente and the sauces were well-made.  I like that you can choose which type of pasta you'd like with the sauce of your choice.  It was all fresh and nice to share lunch together with my boyfriend.  It's not a super fast lunch excursion, and I could see how navigating the place when it's busier would detract from the experience.  Luckily, they'll place your order in take-out containers if you prefer to eat in your office. 

Furin's in Georgetown

I like to support small family-owned establishments that serve good food.  Furin's is one of those places that is easy to miss unless you're familiar with the area.  It is predominantly a carry-out lunch spot that now serves breakfast and has some small tables.  Furin's also caters and make some lovely cakes. 

Turkey Club with pickle and Utz chips $7.95

Three Salad Sampler $8.25

Fruit, Tex-Mex corn and bean and pasta with spinach and garlic.

***

http://www.furins.com/pdf/carry-out-menu.pdf I've ordered birthday cakes from Furin's before, and they make a lovely 6" chocolate round cake for $18.99.  Their monthly window display is a whimsical exhibit that I've enjoyed walking by over the years.  Their staff is genial, the line moves quickly, and they make warming soups and chilis in the wintertime.

Pre-Scotch Tasting Nibbles at Matchbox

I'm a firm believer that nothing good will come from drinking scotch on an empty stomach.  To prepare for the tasting later that evening, I met my fellow scotch afficiandos at Matchbox.  Oddly, a table for two would be a 15 minute wait, but a table for 4 with half the party present, could be sat immediately.  Strange rules Matchbox, but whatever gets me closer to ordering some nibbles is fine to me. 

 I'm a fan of wine from New Zealand.  I've tried Babich, Cloudy Bay, Huai, and Matua Valley sauvignon blanc from Marlborough (northeast tip of the south island), and found all of them thoroughly enjoyable.  We tried this bottle of Craggy Range from Martinborough (southern end of the north island) and I liked it.  ($32)   Not a bad markup, since it retails around $20 http://www.craggyrange.com/

 Tuna tartare appetizer ($9)

 small simple salad ($6) 

Small Fire and Smoke pizza ($13)

Large Veggie pizza ($18)

Lyon Hall Brunch with the Girls

 I have really patient friends.  They're kind enough to indulge my unrelenting desire to take pictures of our meals, for which I eternally heart them.  They're also super fun to catch up with over a leisurely brunch.  We met for brunch at Lyon Hall in Clarendon.  I knew from a previous visit that their breadmaker was good but didn't realize how good.  For the first time ever, I saw my step aerobics-teaching friend's head turn and watch a plate of donuts make their way through the room. 

 Bloody Mary with Grolsch chaser ($5)

 Kir Royale ($5)

 Selection of Housemade Donuts ($7)

My friends enjoyed the chocolate and the pistachio. 

I bet a plate of these warm donuts with LH's french press coffee is delightful.

 Scallop salad with citrus and arugula ($12)

 Lyon Hall burger with Chimay cheese and delicious frites ($10)

Poached eggs with spinach and hollandaise sauce on housemade English Muffins ($10)

Side salad ($4)

***

Once again, service was pleasant and it was lovely to catch up with my friends.  It's a small menu, but there's something for everyone and a nice addition to the Clarendon weekend brunch options.

Boulevard Woodgrill in Clarendon

I have a favorite neighborhood place.  The atmosphere is convivial yet relaxed, the bartenders and servers are polite (except for one I loathe) and the food and wine are always reliably good.  It's a great place to grab a drink  when I want to catch up with my girlfriends.  It's good for first dates and family visits since the menu has something for just about everyone.   My favorite bar manager works there, constantly finding interesting wines from the most unexpect places.  Did you know there's a delightful red from Idaho?  Or that pineapple sparkling wine is quite refreshing?  Well, Andy did and he's out to let everyone know.    http://www.boulevardwoodgrill.com/Boulevard_Woodgrill.html

 Balsamic Beef Bruschetta ($10)

 Blackened Grilled Salmon with mashed potatoes and woodgrilled asparagus ($17)

Tilapia with rice and asparagus ($22)

 Duo of seafood kabobs on a bed of rice ($15)

Side of Four Cheese Macaroni and Cheese ($6)

Gooey and delicious. 

 Grilled Greek Shrimp Salad ($14)

 Seared rare Ahi tuna salad ($15)

 Kingston Wings ($9) - Caribbean jerk chicken wings with a guava and scotch-bonnet sauce.

Pan-seared monkfish with grilled aspargus over a potato-scallion cake ($20)

***

I've enjoyed their ribs, cheddar-bacon burger, steak salad and love the hummus.  If you ever see polenta fries on the specials' list, try them, they're great.