Making bread at home can be daunting, even for the experienced home cook. Kneading and rising take time and muscle (or an expensive standing mixer), and the science of yeast can seem puzzling, to say the least. If this all seems like too much work, fear not. Delicious, homemade bread is within easy reach, thanks to one of the greatest baking discoveries of our time: beer bread. The magical properties of beer (namely, yeast) make......

Eating In is back, after a brief hiatus, just in time to take advantage of fall ingredients. Now that it’s cooled off, at least a little, we are finally in the mood for pumpkin, squash, apples, and cinnamon spice. Rather than just going to our local farmers' market to pick up our produce, we decided to go straight to the source -- the orchard. Within a one-hour drive from the city, you can find some......

We are food lovers, food enthusiasts, foodies -- whatever you want to call us. Basically we like to eat (good food). Alongside our enthusiasm comes the difficult task of trying to restrain ourselves from ordering everything off the menu when dining out. It's not because we’re that hungry, but because we want to sample all that the chef has to offer. This is one reason tasting menus are so fun. You get to try multiple......

Another D.C. Restaurant Week has come and gone. As much as we like to complain about over-crowded restaurants with “dumbed down” menus, there is still a part of us that finds it alluring, so we still take the opportunity to see what restaurants have to offer. Among the places we ventured out to, there were some hits and a few misses. One place that really hit the right notes with us was Viridian in Logan......

Dr. Granville Moore’s Brickyard officially opened its doors this weekend, and with much avail. Located at 1238 H Street NE, this Belgian influenced pub has a great deal to offer, which was obvious with the number of people who showed up for the “soft opening.” Chris Surrusco, formerly of Rustico’s in Alexandria, is a proprietor and the beer connoisseur. He had estimated about 50 or so covers each night and was pleasantly surprised to see......

After receiving a tip from a DCist reader and fellow foodie (thanks, sophiagrrl!), we headed to the Petworth neighborhood to check out El Limeño. El Limeño opened its doors only five months ago and offers up Mexican and Salvadorian bites in a cozy atmosphere. At 201 Upshur St. NW, it's relatively close to the Georgia Avenue/Petworth Metro, but street parking is usually available as well. Upon entering we were immediately greeted by the owner, and......

Eating In is coming to you one day early this week to allow you to prepare for your Fourth of July cookout. Plus we know no one is going to be sitting in front of their computers reading blogs tomorrow. We’re sure you can guess what the theme for this edition might be. If you answered “What is Summer Cookout Food” then you are correct! There are a few things to consider when preparing......

Soft shell crab season is half way over and we can’t believe that we haven’t paid proper tribute to this much-anticipated D.C. delicacy. Now we love our deep-fried crustaceans just as much as the next person, but as with everything we had to put a little spin on the ordinary. We did stick to the sandwich concept, because not only have we not featured soft shell crabs but we’ve yet to do up a sandwich......

Feel Like Vegging Out? Or, do you have strong feelings about vegetarian dining in Washington? Don't lie, all you Eating In complainers are out there, I know it! Here's your chance to shine. VegDC is having a contest to determine the best vegetarian restaurant in Washington. I know, I know, a contradiction of terms, but stick with me here… With nearly 30 vegetarian-only eateries in the region, VegDC is right to start whittling down the......

Sooner or later, everyone ends up at DCist for a little nookie cookie, even The Washington Post. Our hometown institution recognizes our chops in today's food section with a shout out to food editor and Eating In author emeritus, Scott Reitz. Scott sat back with all the information on Teaism's Salty Oat Cookie while Post food writer Leigh Lambert floundered in her quest to reproduce it. She called Teaism and hit a wall, she called......

Welcome to this week's Feed, coming to you from Albuquerque, N.M.! This Feed will be a little more free flowing than usual. Why? I'm sitting on the patio, drinking a Fat Tire, enjoying the dry climate, and looking out on Sandia Peak. I just wanted to rub it in. 2007 RAMMYs To Feature Snakes That's what "Black Tie and Boas"—the theme of this year's RAMMY awards dinner—means, right? Tuxedos and Anacondas? Seems like a bad......

This week for Eating In we thought we’d venture a little out of the city, but not too far and still metro accessible, to the ever-expanding area of Chevy Chase. Right off Wisconsin Ave. is Lia's, the little sister to the Chef Geoff’s restaurants. Chef Geoff Tracy's inspiration for Lia’s came from an internship he completed at Galileo’s, combined with a trip to Italy — and decided to open a restaurant that is focused on......

As wine quickly edges out beer as the top alcoholic beverage of choice by Americans, depending on your source, it seemed only natural to add a wine column into our mix of other food and drink related topics. Every other Wednesday, to mirror Eating In, we will bring you information on wine trends, news, events in the area, and any other pertinent information to your ever-increasing wine consumption. For our first installment we want to......

Hook, now open on M Street in Georgetown, is a restaurant focused on serving “responsibly sourced seafood and local products.” We loved the idea, but naturally had a few doubts. Like: "is it going to cost me an entire week’s worth of pay to dine at another overpriced trendy Georgetown restaurant?" Or, "is there going to be a pretentious presence about the place because they are focused on sustainable seafood and feel that everyone should?"......

In this day and age, a restaurant whose main focus is preparing a fresh new menu everyday and presenting it in an unpretentious manner at a reasonable price seems a bit prehistoric. It’s not that there isn’t a desire out there; it’s just financially infeasible for any chef. But hark, a “new” trend is unfolding where a chef has his or her more casual moneymaker paired with a smaller, more upscale place elsewhere. This place......

Local. Organic. Butcher. There are few things in life that excite us the way that those three words do. One reason being that we like to support local purveyors, two organic is always good, and three we love us some good meat! But where does one find such a place? Although more organic markets are popping up, organic butchers still seem few and far between. We were lucky enough to get a tip on The......

We recently visited the Crystal City Jaleo, to not only partake in watching the now famous “Iron Chef: America - Andrés vs. Flay in battle Goat” but also to support one of Andrés favorite charities, D.C. Central Kitchen. We certainly enjoyed watching José Andrés pummel Bobby Flay, but we got even more satisfaction from eating a couple (okay, more than a couple) of Jaleo’s delectable offerings. This left us with the difficult task of choosing......

Our usual Easter day involves stuffing our faces with chocolate bunnies and Peeps before sitting down to a feast that is similar in fashion to that of Thanksgiving. Unlike Thanksgiving, however, Easter doesn’t seem to have a designated "traditional" meat item that is served, though lamb and baked ham appear to be the most popular. Therefore we decided that this edition of Eating In will be dedicated to two versatile sides in lieu of a......

With St. Patrick's Day approaching, it’s that time of year when everyone is a little bit Irish. As for us, we typically stock up on the Guinness and boil up some corned beef and cabbage in a big pot that we trot out only a few times each year. This St. Patty's Day, though, we decided to change things up. So, we made a trip over to the Clarendon outpost of Rí Rá -- one......

By Amanda and Ben Page These days, it seems as if every restaurant puts together a special Valentine’s Day menu, replete with red-hued items and cute names. We usually wouldn't shun a tasting menu opportunity, but most Valentine's Day menus come off as mediocre and repetitive. And besides, the “romance” loses its appeal when you’re surrounded by 75 other diners who are all indulging in the same thing you are. Whether you love or loathe......

By Amanda and Ben Page We were on a budget last time, but that got tiresome quickly. Besides, how could we resist the allure of Restaurant Week? So, we gathered up some friends and checked out crowd-favorite Mie N Yu in Georgetown. Of course, the great thing about dining out with multiple people is that we're able to try a number of items off the menu. Hands down, our favorite protein item was the Miso......

By Amanda and Ben Page This week, we took the phrase “Eating In” very seriously. With those pesky credit card bills from the the holidays rolling in, we decided to forgo dining out for inspiration and turn instead to the cold hard cash in our wallets. We gave ourselves exactly $10* to purchase ingredients for a delectable meal for two. We wanted three components (protein, vegetable and starch) on our plates. And we still intended......

Editor's Note: After a lengthy hiatus, DCist's Eating In feature makes its triumphant return. Now written by married Culinary Institute of America graduates Amanda and Ben Page, each Eating In post will feature simple yet impressive recipes that anyone can make at home. We'll focus recreating winning restaurant dishes and on putting together meals from local ingredients and interesting items that you can find around the area. You know, just as we explained when the......

We are fully aware that pizza is a very contentious issue here in D.C., what with all the wood-fired homegrown options, upscale regional inspirations, and the occasional pie that's been specially designated Napoletana. We’ve certainly had more than our share of the stuff from celebrated area ovens such as 2 Amys, Pizzeria Paradiso, and the like, but lately we've found ourselves craving a simple pizza-by-the-slice unencumbered by framed certificates or toppings exotica. We recently found......

In a year full of high-profile restaurant openings, perhaps no restaurant's opening was more highly anticipated among the foodie crowd than PS 7's. Why? The Penn Quarter restaurant would pair former Vidalia chef Peter Smith with 2006 RAMMY award winner and former Notti Bianche general manager Danny Boylen. And how couldn't that be a winner? Not much more than a month after its opening, we've heard through the grapevine that Boylen has parted ways......

Horace & Dickie’s is a tiny carryout that is occasionally touted as one of the last practioners of a homegrown D.C. culinary tradition: the massive fried fish sandwich. This steamy fry shack on a quiet corner of H and 12th streets NE is a one-of-a-kind neighborhood joint; a standing room only storefront that specializes in fried fish and chicken served open-face on a handful of bread and presented in a square of tin foil. On......

Normally, Eating In is reserved for creating at-home recipes similar to dishes at restaurants within the Beltway. But during a recent trip to New York City, I was introduced to an Indian street food that I found completely irresistible. I'm convinced that a similar operation in late-night Adams Morgan would bring both Amsterdam Falafel and the Jumbo Slice to their knees. The long line outside the Kati Roll Company's store front is an indicator that......

Ask most people their favorite Indian bread and naan often takes the spotlight. I can't knock naan. The refined flour yields some of the same qualities that made Wonder Bread appealing when I was three. But sometimes I crave something with a little more flavor -- and a lot more cholesterol. Something that speaks to that same inner voice that drives me to consume things like late-night pizza and tasty burgers with reckless abandon. Parathas,......

Among cooking hobbyists, canning is so cool, it's hot. Making up batches of pickled cucumbers, tomatoes, and peaches purloined from an overripe August garden or the prizes of an exuberant shopping spree at the local farmer's market, younger home cooks are turning to grandmothers and Web sites for advice on how to preserve favorite summer foods safely when a craving strikes in mid-January. Up until recently, practicing the art of jarring and canning has all......

A few weeks ago we were tipped off to what one reader declared was the greatest gyro of all time. Apparently, a pizzeria near the King Street metro station was turning out a monumental version of what was already one of our favorite sandwiches. Upon arriving at Quattro Formaggi in Old Town Alexandria, we proceeded to dine on what was a fine example indeed. But it got us to thinking – is this really the......