i have no shame

Did you know you can buy these things at Staples? I've been looking for canned cheese balls forEVER, due to our local grocery stores exceedingly discerning taste, we have not been able to find them. Yeah, so I bought these on Saturday. Along with some print cartridges. And, some paper. Cheesy poofs, ink, paper...Thanks, Staples, for always having just what I need.

strange bedfellows

Chocolate + Short Ribs + Pasta

Sounds weird, but it was pretty awesome. I have to hand it to Giada, she knows what she's talking about. Here's Giada's recipe (which we followed pretty much to a t, except that 1) we braised ours for 7 hours, needed that much time. 2) added 1 28 oz. can of chopped tomatoes at the end for brightness):


Ingredients

* 3 tablespoons olive oil
* 2 ounces chopped pancetta (about 1/2 cup)
* 2 1/2 pounds short ribs
* Salt
* Freshly ground black pepper
* 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
* 1 medium onion, chopped
* 1 carrot, chopped
* 1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves
* 2 cloves garlic
* 1 (14-ounce) can tomatoes (whole or diced)
* 1 tablespoon tomato paste
* 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves
* 1 teaspoon dried thyme
* 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
* 1 bay leaf
* 2 1/2 cups beef broth
* 3/4 cup red wine
* 1 pound fresh or dried tagliatelle
* 4 to 6 teaspoons shaved bittersweet chocolate

Directions

Place the olive oil in a large heavy soup pot over medium heat. Cook the pancetta until golden and crisp, about 4 minutes. Meanwhile, season the short ribs with salt and pepper, and dredge in the flour. Using a slotted spoon, remove the pancetta from the pan and set aside. Add the short ribs to the pan and brown on all sides, about 7 minutes total.

Meanwhile, combine the onion, carrot, parsley and garlic in a food processor and blend until finely minced. Then add the tomatoes and tomato paste and pulse.

Once the short ribs are browned, carefully add the mixture from the food processor to the pot. Return the pancetta to the pot and stir. Add the rosemary, thyme, oregano, bay leaf, beef broth, and wine. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Remove the lid and simmer for another hour and a half, stirring occasionally. Remove the meat and bones from the pot. Discard the bones. Shred the meat and return it to the pot. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 3/4 teaspoon pepper, or to taste.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes for dried pasta and 2 to 3 minutes for fresh. Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Add the pasta to the pot and stir to combine. Add the reserved pasta liquid 1/4 cup at a time, if needed, to moisten the pasta. Transfer to serving bowls, top each bowl with 1 teaspoon of chocolate shavings. Serve immediately.

best friends

return to our roots

Last night's meal was at Agraria on the Georgetown Waterfront. Reviews weren't stellar, and I've definitely fallen victim to paying way too much for not even close to enough quality on the waterfront, so I was hesitant about Agraria. Happily, all my fears were unfounded, and our group enjoyed an hours-long meal, relaxing at the bar...


Agraria: Developed by the North Dakota Farmers' Union, Agraria serves original, modern dishes inspired by ingredients that are farmed using sustainable methods in a contemporary and comfortable setting.

AGRARIA
3000 K St NW # 101
Washington, DC 20007
(202) 298-0003‎
www.agrariarestaurant.com

Don't miss: Tuna & Salmon Tartare, Salads.
We enjoyed: Seared Scallops, Grilled Salmon, Butternut Squash Ravioli, and I had the Grilled Polenta (which came with a lively caponata, steamed spinach, and a peppery arugula oil)
Best qualities: Waterfront location, fresh ingredients, quiet atmosphere, fantastic bar.

foodie phobias

Anthony Bourdain's "No Reservations" episode in Spain struck a chord with me. At one of Spain's most progressive restaurants, he is offered two menus: "Control" and "Surrender." He chooses "Surrender" - and says "Cooking is about control...eating is about surrender."

Admission: I might be a little bit of a control freak in the kitchen. (Read: I have major issues). But until I heard Bourdain say it, I hadn't thought of it that way. It's a known fact among my close circle of friends that my foodie phobias and quirky eating habits are endless (i.e.: will not eat paella, the meats fight; will not eat ground beef in public places, surface area of raw meat seems too risky). Worst of all of these is that I have a hard time eating at friends' houses--even though I make them eat at my house all the time. I don't know, really, when this started, or even why. But it did, and it's sad.

Until today, I thought I was more or less alone in these feelings (general guilt for fear of said friends thinking I think they're incapable -- I swear, not the case, I'm just weird...). The following article poses the idea of communal-ish cooking in the name of economy and convenience (and local products! and sustainability! or something!) ANYWAY, it set off a chain reaction on the interwebs which I identified with. For your time-wasting/human interest pleasure, here are the stories:


The Ethicurean: Learning to Share, "Dinner at your Door"

"The concept is that if four families split the workload of four nights of cooking, so that only one family cooks each night, then each family will benefit. The family whose turn it is to cook may expend extra effort on their co-op cooking night than they would when cooking for themselves, but each family will gain three days of luxury time and the benefit of homemade meals delivered to their doorstep."

...That post sparked this skeptical response from Mark Bittman, NYT Food Columnist:

New York Times: "On Cooking Together"

"These days, people who are interested in cooking have a better sense of what’s good and what’s not. But I still think cooking is best learned and executed by a single person, or maybe a couple, and that there is no way that a group of, say, four families –- unless they’re exceptionally close and well-suited to each other –- could possibly cooperate long-term on a project like providing cooked meals for each other regularly."

...which sparked this Jezebel response!

Jezebel: "When A Food Control Freak's Worst Nightmare Becomes A Reality"


"The reality sounds...messy. Beyond vaguely frightening notions of commune-style dumpster-diving (which I'm very sure has nothing to do with the actual book), such concepts strike fear into the heart of the kitchen control freak. To such, ahem, people, there is nothing more frightening than being at the whims of another's tastes and palate."

"And to me, my bowl of oatmeal, my cup of soup, my dinner are practically sacramental: one area over which I can exercise my own tastes and whims."

Yeah...well, neuroses love company, right? Heh. Anyway, I do feel really bad about being a control freak in the kitchen, and I am making an effort to relinquish these tendencies. So, I apologize to my friends if I've made you feel like a lesser chef. I want to be better, and as Sadie at Jezebel concludes:

"[W]e are obviously the ones who need exactly this sort of thing: relinquishing control, learning to share, growing and changing with the aid of freer spirits."

To my friends: I hereby resolve to be more open to new kitchens, less prone to declare meats fighting, and freer with my praise of your many many skills.

currently reading

Heat
By Bill Buford
New York Times Review
Bill Buford takes a stab at chefing (from kitchen slave and up) in Mario Batali's kitchen at Babbo in NYC. Highly engaging account of his failures and successes.

Thanks, Julie, for lending me this gem for my trip home.

on the road

Went home over the weekend, and indulged a bit. Of course, there was awesome food at home (Aunt Lil & Lorraine's Manicotti, home cooked breakfasts, and my never-empty wine glass, coffee cup)...But, when I wasn't eating there, we ate kind of here-and-there, and I made some interesting choices which left me doubled-over in discomfort the entire trip home. But, I have to say, it was worth it. I don't have a sweet tooth, per se, but I do have a fast food tooth(?) that needs to be satisfied every now and then. Below, a sampling of my food on the road. P.S. Don't judge:



Arby's Chopped Salad: Farmhouse Crispy Chicken
I ate two of these puppies (different days). Here's what it is: bacon, fried chicken, cheese, Ranch, and some iceberg lettuce. Props to Arby's for making the best bacon in any fast food establishment.



This lovely garnish topped my "Southwestern Chopped Salad" at Mesa Verde in the Denver airport yesterday. I am relatively sure this is what sealed my fate for a flight o' pain last night.



Ah, Holdrege Pizza Hut buffet, you never let me down. Usually they have this awesome BBQ pizza that I don't think they sell at other locations, but they didn't have any this time around. BUT-they did have some new Pasta Hut creation - I think this is the mac and cheese with ham variety. Annnnd, it was awesome. I'll be ordering this to a Friday night at my house and not admitting it to anyone in the VERY near future.

I'll be back to cooking shortly. In the meantime, I want to leave you with this messsage: there's nothing wrong with eating two fried chicken salads, a Pizza Hut buffet, and a Bloomin' Onion all within 24 hours. I lived to tell you about it, didn't I?

remembering nonnie

Nonnie, you'll live on in our hearts and our kitchens. You've inspired us all to live better lives. We love you, and we'll miss you, but you're only a story and a recipe away from us now. Salute...

Mary Cellucci Tringe
8/8/1913-2/25/2009

depression, meet youtube

Last night, I called my grandma, as I try to every week. We got to talking about work, my job, my brothers jobs, and she paused pensively, and remarked what interesting times these were. She told me about when she grew up in rural Nebraska, when the crops were dying and the grasshoppers and dust destroyed everything - how hard things were for her. She feels like she missed out on a lot of her childhood because her family went through such hard times when she was so young. Her dad, along with most every one of her neighbors, lost their farm during the depression. She remembers having to ride her bike all the way into town, with a basket full of eggs, which she would trade at the store for sugar, or flour, or whatever they needed. She went on to remark how much different the recession is now, and what kind of people it's affecting.

But - so interesting. We grew up hearing these stories, and it's taking a massive economic meltdown to make them ring true, or at least that's the case for me. That's why I find the link in today's post so interesting - 91-year-old Clara the cook, has a small web series on YouTube with instructional videos about what her and her family ate during the Great Depression. Pasta with peas, egg drop soup, baked bread. Hope you have a few minutes to watch.

Here's CLARA:


If you're anything like me, then maybe hearing Clara's stories remind you of your own Grandmother. And, like they always reminded us, we could learn a thing or two from them.

Via.

new toy!

Squee! I'm so excited. Here's my new Mario Batali enameled cast iron pan. I've been wanting this thing forever - can you imagine the possibilities? Braised short ribs. Stew. Risottos galore. Last night, on its maiden voyage, we tried out a hearty shepherd's pie. Here's the recipe:

Shepherd's Pie:

1/2 C. olive oil
2 lbs. extra lean ground beef, browned, drained
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 onions, diced
4 carrots, diced
1 heart of celery, diced
1 C. frozen green peas
1 C. frozen white corn
Salt/Pepper
1/4 C. flour
8 oz. beef stock
6 oz. Guinness
1/4 C. Worcestershire

Topping:
2 lbs. new white potatoes, boiled, smashed
8 oz. sharp cheddar
1 C. heavy cream
4 T. butter
2 T. salt

For the pie, heat the olive oil in the bottom of your skillet. Add onion, sautee until translucent (10 mins). Add carrots, celery. Sautee 10 minutes, until beginning to soften. Add browned ground beef. Stir well to combine. Sprinkle flour over top of mixture, stir to combine. Add Guinness, to deglaze pan. Stir, until sauce thickens. Add beef stock, a little at a time. Add worcestershire, salt, and pepper to taste. (We also added a bit of balsamic and some Frank's hot sauce, because, why not?). Make sure the base tastes good on its own. At the very end, add peas and corn. Stir.

Topping: Combine potatoes, butter, cream, and cheese, salt, and pepper, and mash until combined to your liking. Spread in even layer on top of the beef mixture. Drag fork over top to create ridges.

BAKE: 350-375 oven for 1 hour, until top is golden brown and pie is beginning to bubble around edges. Dig in.

sick day :o(

It's a sick day on Reservoir Road, folks. Since this is the tenth time I've made this soup this season (it's a long winter indeed, Miss Ingalls Wilder), I figured I'd post it here, along with my other favorite remedies. Bearing in mind that I'm a known hypochondriac and I have no medical knowledge whatsoever, here's to you, and your health:

Recipe for a Sick Day
-1 packet Emergen-C, dissolved in cold water
-1 bottle Gatorade
-1 bowl Chicken Soup (recipe follows)
-Tea
-OJ
-Sleep

Not Quite Grandma's Chicken Soup But Easy Enough That You Can Make It While You Are Sick:
Serves: 4-6
Prep time: 5-10 mins
Cook time: 30-40 mins

You'll need:

2 T. olive oil
4 large carrots, peeled
4 ribs celery
2 yellow onions
5 cloves garlic
1 bay leaf
fresh thyme
1 t. turmeric
1 lemon
8 oz. egg noodles of choice
2 boxes Kitchen Basics chicken stock
1 rotisserie chicken

Directions:
1) Dice onion, and crush or finely chop garlic. Sautee for 7 minutes in olive oil on low heat until translucent.

2) Dice celery (including tops of celery), carrots, add to pot. Sautee for 5 minutes until beginning to get tender. Add 1 box chicken stock. Cover pot, keep on low while you...

3) Cut out breast meat from rotisserie chicken, discard skin (reserve dark meat for snacks for the healthy people, or add to soup if you wish). Dice the breast meat in 1-2cm. cubes. Add to pot. Add 2nd box of chicken stock, 1 t. turmeric, 1 bay leaf, and a few sprigs of thyme. Stir to combine, then simmer on medium-low for 20-25 minutes.

4) Remove thyme sprigs, remove bay leaf. Add noodles, cook until done, stirring often. Just before serving, add juice of lemon.

Enjoy! And, feel better.

eat your vegetables

Because they are DELICIOUS...especially with this insane garlic bread.

Salad:
6 oz. mixed baby greens
1 sm. can yellow corn
1 jar roasted red peppers
1 pint cherry tomatoes
1 jar pimento-stuffed green olives
5 oz. fresh mozzarella


Dressing:
3-4 T. fresh squeezed lemon juice
3 T. olive oil
Salt & pepper to taste

Chop red peppers, olives. Drain corn, mix with greens, olives, mozzarella, tomatoes, and red peppers. Toss, eat, be happy.

On to the less healthy stuff, the garlic bread. I first saw this recipe on Emeril's page, but I've since seen it used by Mario Batali, and most recently in Gwyneth Paltrow's always-enlightening (can you hear my snark from there? ...good.) weekly newsletter, "Goop." Here you go, from Emeril and Mario and Gwyneth and me to you, with love.

Garlic Bread:
1 baguette
5 T. butter
1/2 Parmesan Cheese
2 T. chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley
4 garlic cloves

1) Melt butter in microwave. Crush garlic cloves into butter, then mix well. Add cheese and parsley to butter, mix. You should now have a paste.

2) Cut baguette as you would normally for garlic bread (I cut it in half, then split those halves open, making four gigantic pieces).

3) Slather garlic/parmesan/butter/parsley paste over bread.

4) Bake at 350 for 10 minutes.

5) Indulge.

what zone? the calzone!

Calzones: Pizza, folded, and baked. I'm giving you three recipes for it, all of which should be mixed with the cheese base. The BEAUTY part about these, is, you can fill 'em with whatever you wanna fill 'em with, and it'll probably taste like awesome. Here's what you do.

Cheese base:
1 C. ricotta (Part Skim is fine)
1 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
1 C. provolone/mozzarella shredded
1/4 C. parmesan or romano, shredded

Fillings:
Pepperoni
Sausage & Mushroom
Vegetable

Pepperoni:
Open package of pepperoni, place in skillet over low/medium heat. Cook for 5-10 minutes, stirring often. Remove with a slotted spoon, drain on paper towel. Discard grease. Mix with cheese base.

Sausage & Mushroom:
In a bowl, mix pre-sliced cremini mushrooms with 1/4 C. olive oil, 3 T. balsamic vinegar, 1 t. rosemary, plus 1/4 t. salt and the same amount of pepper. Spread on baking sheet - roast mushrooms in 400 oven for 20 minutes until bottoms are beginning to get brown.

Meanwhile, break up 1 lb. spicy italian pork sausage in a skillet. Sautee over low/medium for 10-15 minutes until browned. Drain on paper towel and discard grease.

Combine sausage and mushrooms with cheese mixture.

Vegetable:
Steam 10 oz. fresh baby spinach. Chop 1/2 C. sundried tomatoes. Chop up can of artichoke hearts. Mix with cheese and get ready for yuuuuuum!

OK - so for the dough...I happen to be dough-inept, so I buy the frozen kind and let it thaw then I roll it out really awkwardly but what I think is good enough...into about a 15 inch circle. Place cheese + _________ mixture in middle of dough, then fold over, and press edges together well. Try this trick: put your thumb on the edge, push down, and using your other hand, bring a tiny bit of dough over your thumb then slip your thumb out. Repeat for the entire edge, looks sort of "braid"-ish. Don't forget to make slits in the top of your calzone with a paring knife, or else you will have a pizza explosion in your oven. (No, that's a lie but it might not turn out great, so remember to make the slits).

BIG TRICK ALERT:
To get a good, pizzeria-style crust on your 'Zone - do this: Heat your oven to 425 degrees. Place your pans in the oven while it preheats. When your oven and pans are preheated, take the pan out of the oven. Pour olive oil (1/4 c.) on it. Gently, carefully place your calzone on the hot baking sheet, and place it back in the oven for 15-18-20-25 minutes until done to your liking.

Sauce, baby, sauce:
1 28 oz. can chopped tomatoes
1 shot premium vodka (no, 2, you can drink one)
1/4 c. heavy cream
1 t. salt

Stir, simmer on low for 10 mins, or until heated through.

ENJOY with a glass of vino and your friends. Ooh la la, CALZONES!

all apologies

I haven't posted in a long time. A really, really, really long time. Since Bush was in office! We've kept cooking at 3345 Reservoir Road (Thanksgiving! An Election Night party! An Inauguration gathering!)...but, my job schedule picked up, we did some traveling over the holidays, my iPhone broke, and I had to walk uphill to school in the snow 15 miles both ways.

Anyway, I thought it was an interesting exercise to chart the peaks and valleys of the past year, as well as where I've been.

2008 In Travel (asterisks indicate traveled there more than once):
Omaha, NE*
Montpelier, VT*
Aspen, CO*
Los Angeles, CA
Outer Banks, NC*
Barcelona, Spain
Minorca, Spain
Mdina, Malta
Taormina, Sicily, Italy
Palermo, Sicily, Italy
Rome, Italy
San Francisco, CA
Sebastopol, CA
Haena, Kauai, HI
Kapalua, Maui, HI
Walnut Creek, CA
Napa, CA

Strikes & Gutters:
13 law school rejection letters
1 law school acceptance letter
1 new baby (Kiva!)
1 brother graduated (Mike!)
1 dog, briefly adopted and given back.
1 election won (Mark Pryor, AR)
1 election lost (Ronnie Musgrove, MS)
1 New President
1 new haircut
6 new pairs of shoes
34 blog entries
For the first time in 6 years...0 changes in address!

Now, back to the food biz. Let's eat, I'm FAMISHED.

(Pictured: Our New Years' Eve activity: Family Guy, a bottle of Clos, and enough cold meds to tranquilize a horse...) Happy 2009.

DC Bar Exam

No, not the law kind, the drinking kind. Information follows photos:
Old Europe
www.old-europe.com
2434 Wisconsin Ave NW
Washington, DC 20007
(202) 333-7600
My dad's favorite spot, and mine too (Octoberfest brew is DELICIOUS.)
Order: Oktoberfest & Schnitzel
Wear: Leiderhosen.

Granville Moore's
www.granvillemoores.com
1238 H St NE
Washington, DC 20002
(202) 399-2546
An old-style mussel shack on gentrifying H Street, NE. A converted barber shop. Just charming.
Order: Belgian beer & moules frites (don't miss the truffle aoli).
Wear: Your favorite hipster costume.

Russia House
www.russiahouselounge.com
1800 Connecticut Ave NW
Washington, DC 20009
(202) 234-9433
Can be a bit Euro for my taste, but for the most part, a fun escape.
Order: Vodka, clearly.
Wear: Fur.

tastespotting

It's time for me to eat some budget crunch, so no culinary masterworks are in the plans for this week. That doesn't mean a girl can't dream though, right? Check out the gorgeous culinary photography at my new favorite website, Tastespotting. Be warned: You'll get hungry.

Thanks, Shelby, for sending this my way.

guest blogger: sarah!

Editor's note: Sarah was the reason this blog even exists. I'm so excited she was willing to guest blog her wonderful meal from last night! Without further ado, here's Sarah!

'Tis the season for squash... And for last night's debate, we wanted something warm and satisfying to keep out the first gusts of Nebraska's winter winds.

Topping everyone's list of go-to butternut squash recipes is usually soup. Butternut squash soup is certainly one of my favorite winter comfort foods (nothing beats my mom's), but I wanted to try something a bit more substantial. This dish combines sweet, creamy squash -- cubed and roasted to retain some structure -- with chicken seared with a dusting of ground sage and a decadent white wine sauce laced with nutty roasted garlic. It's not a quick meal, but take care of the unwieldy squash prep and tedious cheese grating in the morning and you can toss the dish together fairly quickly when you return at the end of a long day.

My girlfriends and I enjoyed this dish with a big loaf of soft Vienna bread torn into chucks and washed it down with big glasses of good Chardonnay. Take the extra garlic you roast with the squash and mash it with some softened butter for the bread.

Wint'ry Mix

Serves: 4-6
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes

You'll Need:

• 1 butternut squash (1 1/2 - 2 lbs)
• 3 chicken breasts
• 1 lb fettucine
• 1 bulb garlic (yes, the whole bulb...you'll be glad you did!)
• 1-2 cups fresh grated parmesan
• 1 T. ground sage
• 2 T. fresh sage
• 1/4 C. flour
• 6 T. butter
• 3 T. olive oil
• 1/2 C. dry white wine
• 1/2 C. to 1 C. chicken stock
• Salt and Pepper

Remove the tough outer skin of the squash with a sharp knife and cut the flesh into 1/2 in. cubes. Toss in a tablespoon of the olive oil and a generous amount of salt and pepper. Spread the squash evenly in a big baking dish. Slice off the top of the garlic bulb and drizzle with a touch of oil. Wrap the garlic in foil and nestle the packet amongst the squash cubes. Place the baking dish in a 350 degree oven. The squash will take 30 minutes or so to soften turn it once about halfway through. You'll have to leave the garlic in a bit longer...45 minutes to an hour. Just take the garlic out right as you're throwing everything together.

At some point (now is probably as good a time as any!), start the process of bringing your pasta water to a boil.

To prepare the chicken - Heat the remaining olive oil in a large, high-sided skillet over medium high heat. Dust each side of the chicken with a little ground sage and sprinkle with a generous amount of salt and pepper. Dredge the chicken lightly in flour and add to the pan. The flour will help form a lovely dark golden crust on the chicken and will help thicken the wine sauce when you deglaze the pan.

I cooked the chicken for about 6 minutes for each side, then turned the heat down to medium, put the lid on, and did another 4 minutes per side to ensure the chicken was cooked through. The result was plump, flavorful chicken that was tender and juicy inside and slightly crispy outside. Set the chicken aside to cool a bit and return your pan to the stove.

Now is a good time to add your pasta to the pasta water (which is hopefully now boiling). Don't forget to add a generous amount of salt to the pot.

Add a half a cup or so of wine to the pan and scrape up all the chicken bits in the pan. Let the wine reduce a bit, 3-5 minutes or so at a good simmer. Add the chicken stock and let the mixture cook down to a thin, but substantial sauce. When everything has reduced down add a tablespoon or two of the butter to give the sauce a rich depth and silky texture. At this point you can take the garlic out and carefully (I used a dish towel to avoid burning myself) squeeze out two or three cloves of the garlic into the sauce. Mash lightly with the back of your spoon and stir it in.

[Note: the following component can be omitted if you're really counting calories] In a small saucepan, melt the remaining butter (half a stick). Add the fresh sage and let the butter brown to a dark, caramel-colored sauce. This will be your brown butter drizzle.

Okay, time to toss everything together! Slice the chicken, find your squash, drain the pasta, and add everything back to the dry pasta pot. Add the parm, reserving a bit for topping, and toss with the pasta mix to melt and distribute. Pour the wine sauce over the mix and toss lightly once more. Plate the pasta, serve with a hunk of bread, and drizzle the plate with a bit of your butter mixture. Sprinkle with cheese and ENJOY!

*Image courtesy: www.krissa.org

gnocchi

In fourteen-hundred-and-ninety-two, Columbus sailed the ocean blue. And then he got lost, went to the Bahamas, and began to rampantly destroy indigenous cultures. Nonetheless, most states in the USA continue to celebrate this Monday holiday and the great (if storied) Italian, Cristoforo Columbo. I decided to use my Columbus Day to explore my own roots...

Several hundred years later, my fathers family immigrated to the United States from Italy. They did not get lost, but their last name did. That is why we are the Tringe family, not the Trinca family (God bless you, Zio Lorenzo). My father's family settled in the Northeast and, like many Italian families, carried on their strong family traditions from the old country.

One great memory I have of my Nonnie is of her making gnocchi at her kitchen table in Norwich, CT. She was fast. She had, what seemed to me, thousands of gnocchi in front of her. I remember trying to help, but having two left thumbs, mostly mutilated the dough (some help!).

Some years later, she hand wrote a cookbook for each of us grandkids. Nonnie, having dropped out of school at age 13 to go work in a factory, has remarkable handwriting and perfect spelling. She had grown up translating English to Italian for her non-fluent parents. The cookbooks she wrote for us are a treasure. So, here's to you, Nonnie, and all that you did for us and for helping us carry on our heritage.

Gnocchi, or, "Yonks," (according to Nonnie's cookbook):

RECIPE
Serves: 6
Prep time: Hours
Cook time: 2 minutes

You'll need:
4 lbs russet potatoes
5 egg yolks
1 C. - 2 C. semolina flour
2 t. salt
1 t. pepper

Bake the potatoes in a 350 oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes until done. Let cool for 30-45 minutes, then scoop the flesh into a potato ricer (discard the skins or fry them later). Rice the potatoes (alternatively, you can mash them well, but a ricer or a food mill is best). Add salt, pepper, egg yolks, and sift in 1/2 C. flour. Fold to mix (do not overmix). Add flour again. Fold to mix. Sift in more flour until dough is not delicate but not tough. (If mixture is too dry, add another yolk. If too wet, add more flour. This is an inexact science).

Divide your dough into four parts. Each 1/4 lump of dough will make two long "ropes." Roll the ropes into 1/2" to 3/4" width, then slice into 1" long pieces. (You will need more flour to prevent sticking as your roll, plus more flour to dust over the drying gnocchi). Dry on parchment-paper-lined baking sheets for at least 1/2 hour before cooking.

You can freeze gnocchi on baking sheet for 48 hours, then move them (still frozen) into a storage container. Should keep for up to 1 month.

To cook: Boil and salt a large pot of water. Gently add dumplings. Remove them when they float. Dress with sauce, and enjoy.

Classic Gnocchi Sauce: San Marzano tomatoes (crushed), fresh basil, fresh mozzarella. Salt to taste.

juicy couture

West End Bistro by Eric Ripert

1190 22nd Street, NW

Washington, D.C. 20037

(202) 974-4900

www.westendbistrodc.com

All major credit cards accepted

Valet parking available at the Ritz Carlton ($8)

*Reservations recommended, or bar seating is available & a great option.

I know, I know, our economy just tanked. It's really not the best time to be dining at the Ritz Carlton, maybe. However, with a couple smart decisions with the menu, you can get in and out of there (with drinks!) for not much more than you'd pay for take-out. That's a good deal!

Chef Eric Ripert, the acclaimed 3-star Michelin chef at New York's Le Bernadin fame, opened the West End Bistro in DC with an emphasis on fresh, local ingredients and a menu that focuses on homestyle favorites like burgers, flatiron steaks, rustic pasta dishes, and hearty soups and stews.

We read some time ago that Ripert's Bistro offered the best burger in DC. Finally, last night, we decided to investigate. We both ordered beers ($5, chilly & poured just right in a frosty pilsner glass) the classic burger (a splurge at $18), skipped the appetizers, and ordered a very naughty side dish of macaroni ham & cheese for two ($10).

The burgers arrived, along with a bubbling cast iron mini-skillet of macaroni & cheese, about 20 minutes after we placed our order. While we waited, it was fun watching the West End Bistro crowd mill about on a Saturday night. All the typical characters were there: the attractive singles, older gentlemen browsing the crowd, and a few hipster-chic trust fund babies thrown in the mix.

But let's get back to the burgers. Thick and juicy and cooked just exactly right, the beef was decadent and beyond fresh. They're served with cheese on a buttered, toasted brioche bun with pickles, onions, tomatoes, mustard, and Boston Bibb lettuce. There is simply nothing wrong with it! The vegetables have been sliced paper thin, so you get all the flavor with none of the bulk.

We really had no business ordering macaroni and cheese alongside the burger, but I simply can never turn the stuff down, especially when the recipe comes from a 3-star Michelin chef. And I was glad we didn't turn it down: the al-dente elbows were creamy and cheesy, and the bits of ham throughout were downright decadent. The buttered breadcrumb top was bubbly and crispy and browned, and in a word: perfect.

We were more or less incapacitated after this doozy of a meal, but both of us agreed that it was a worthwhile splurge. By ordering beer and steering clear of the pricier menu selections (which I'm sure are completely incredible), and sticking with the known masterworks, we got away with a $60 tab. A worthwhile splurge indeed. We'll be back for more.

party animal

'Tis the season for swing states, absentee ballots, and of course, DEBATES! Last night we invited a few friends over for some friendly sparring during the most recent presidential debate. We planned a very fun (and we thought, funny) menu to go along with the show. Whether you're a McCainiac or you just can't get enough of Obama, you'll enjoy these treats. Here's what we ate:

"Nope-it-ain't-Moose-Burger!" Sirloin Sliders

A very easy and fun way to eat burgers. Two pounds of ground sirloin should make about 20 sliders. Top with cheese, bacon, lettuce, tomato, onion, mustard and ketchup.

Iceberg "Wedge Issue" Salad

Chop up a head up iceberg lettuce and mix with bacon crumbles, blue cheese crumbles, tomatoes, and a light dressing of balsamic vinaigrette. Easy!

"Okie-Dokie-Artichokie!" Spread
Mix two cups of chopped canned artichoke hearts with 1/2 c. sour cream, 1/2 c. cream cheese, and 1/2 c. mayonnaise, 1/2 c. grated parmesan. Stir in 1 c. fresh chopped spinach. Crack plenty of black pepper, stir to combine, top with more grated parmesan and bake in a 350 oven until bubbly. Serve with Red, White & Blue Tortilla Chips.

"Can't-We-All-Just-Get Along?" Red & Blue Mixed Berry Crumble
(Thanks, Caitlin!)

Berry filling:

3 C or more fresh or frozen (thawed, drained) blueberries
3 C or more fresh or frozen (thawed, drained) raspberries
3T white sugar
3T all-purpose flour
1 t cinnamon (if desired)

Crisp topping:

1 1/4 C all-purpose flour
1 1/4 C old-fashioned oats
3/4 C packed brown sugar
1 stick butter
1 t cinnamon
1 t nutmeg

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place berries in 9" pie or square glass baking dish. (Berry layer should be between 1.5 to 2" thick, or 3/4 the way up the side of the pan.)

2) Sprinkle berries with 3T flour, 3T white sugar, and 1t cinnamon. Gently fold dry ingredients into the berries until moistened and evenly distributed. Smooth surface of berry layer.

3) In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg.

4) Cut chilled butter into 8-10 chunks and drop into dry ingredients. Use either a pastry cutter, two forks, or your hands to fully combine all ingredients until butter is evenly distributed throughout dry ingredients, and the mixture is slightly moist and crumbly.

5) Sprinkle crumbly topping evenly over berries.

6) Place into the oven. Bake for 30-40 minutes, until top is golden brown and berry juice is bubbling through. Cool for 20-30 minutes. Serve warm with homemade whipped cream.

We enjoyed snacking throughout the debate, and will definitely plan to do it again. Perhaps a Maverick cocktail is in the works? Or maybe a Baked Alaska? Lots of other great debate party food ideas can be found here.

*graphic courtesy of lexlibertas.com