Food and Drink: November 2008 Archives

    

On the eighth day, God invented the turkey, so that man would have something to deep-fry. I have only come to this conclusion after years of doing my patriotic duty to consume massive amounts of turkey on Thanksgiving. The basic approach when frying a turkey is, well, rather similar to frying anything else. The main difference is the amount of oil involved (5 gallons in my case), and the lack of batter. The resulting skin is crispy and delicious, and the short cooking time keeps the meat from drying out. Also, once the turkey comes out of the oil, you now have a ready-made setup in which you can fry anything else that you might have in mind: chocolates, pumpkin pie, or in my case, bacon. The only real downside of this method is that there are no pan-drippings for making turkey gravy, but that can be remedied by separately roasting some turkey bits if you so desire. Here's how you proceed:

In September, we reported on a new partnership between DC Central Kitchen, Alexandria-based Cuisine Solutions, and six local chefs to create frozen meals from locally-sourced products with proceeds from sales benefiting DCCK. A number of local retailers have since signed on to participate and will be carrying the meals.

The National Geographic Society played host to a tasty lecture at its Grosvenor Auditorium this week, hosting New York’s Fairway Markets guru Steven Jenkins for an olive oil tasting and wine pairing, with wines chosen by Best Cellars sommelier Joshua Wesson. Jenkins began his career in the gourmet food business by collecting an encyclopedic knowledge of cheese, publishing the Cheese Primer in 1994. His most recent book, The Food Life, takes a similar approach to a wide range of ingredients. He took a few minutes this week to explain his olive oil obsession, and to give DCist the rundown on the basics of good olive oil.

Dish of the Week: Bacon-Balsamic Brussels Sprouts

       

There are few foods not improved by a little dip in hot oil, but no one has capitalized on this cooking method with as much gusto as the American South. Chicken, steak, okra, oysters, and hush puppies are just a few of the foods Southerners love to fry. Over the last few years, their Thanksgiving tradition of deep frying a whole turkey has become popular across the country, thanks to its quick cooking time, crisp skin, and moist meat.

For both wine connoisseurs and revelers alike, the Thursday before Thanksgiving has taken on a heightened significance in the United States over the past several years: the release of the Beaujolais Nouveau wine from the Burgundy region of France. The very young red wine is made from the gamay grape and aged less than a year before its cork is pulled, which, by law, cannot occur until the third Thursday in November. (Note: Not surprisingly, French people take this very seriously. I have seen a French friend of mine ready to come to blows upon hearing that a restaurant in New York was serving the beaujolais nouveau ahead of time. So watch out!)

Dish of the Week: Tom yum soup

Written by DCist contributor Whitney Satin

Dish of the Week: Butternut squash

Who isn’t peckish for a little snack by the end of the work day? The folks at Dino in Cleveland Park know how you feel—but of course, being an Italian restaurant, the words “little” and “snack” aren’t ones that are juxtaposed there very often. Their new happy hour, which has been underway for just under a month, showcases both Dino’s well-established talent for quelling the need for a nosh and its revamped cocktails list and ample selection of wines by the glass. A 25 percent discount on cocktails and wines by the glass—many of which are very reasonably priced—along with a spread of small bites set out along the bar that rival a meal make Dino’s happy hour worth a visit. Specials run from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Sunday through Thursday nights.

Washington area restaurants will offer what amounts to a November restaurant week from November 17-21. The promotion, restaurant reservation website OpenTable.com’s Appetite Stimulus Plan, includes 3-course fixed price menus—$24 for lunch and $35 for dinner—from over 75 Washington area restaurants.

 

Last week, legendary chef and author Jacques Pepin came to the District as the last stop on a 16-city book tour to promote his new PBS series and corresponding cookbook, More Fast Food My Way. Chef Pepin arrived in D.C. on Tuesday, October 28 and had a hectic schedule that included cooking demonstrations, television appearances, and finally, a discussion the night of Wednesday, October 29 at the Museum of Natural History moderated by Washington Post Food Editor Joe Yonan.

Not to be left out, Washington institution Ben's Chili Bowl has gotten into the election spirit. Last night, a sign on the front door read "PLEASE VOTE," and inside the sign behind the counter that used to read "Who eats free at Ben's: Bill Cosby / No one else" now reads "Bill Cosby / The Obama Family." Is the Ali family calling the election early? Do you suppose Michelle would let little Sasha and Malia partake of a free half-smoke?

According to alarmists from both sides of the aisle, all hell is going to break loose depending on which candidate emerges from the ashes of tomorrow's presidential election. Pestilence, Famine, War, Death -- think your typical Adams Morgan Saturday night minus the jumbo slice.