Photo by Brian Mosley.
Dish of the Week: Soft pretzels
Where: ChurchKey, Rock Bottom, Wawa
With the broad swath of Oktoberfest celebrations upon us, I get a hankering for fest-related foods, such as sausage and bierocks. But one of my favorites is the soft pretzel. My first German soft pretzel was darker in color than most of the ones you usually see, with an almost crisp, crusty exterior. Comparatively, American ones seem a bit too soft, and don’t have the caramelly flavor complexity.
Making soft pretzels yourself is simple enough, though it is challenging to duplicate the dark crusts the Germans do so well. I’m a big fan of the Alton Brown recipe. The key to a good pretzel is a dip in a basic hot water bath containing baking soda (more caustic lye will gives browner results) to help gelatinize the crust and make it more likely to brown. My own addition is a few spoonfuls of honey to give it a little sweetness.
If you’re not up to the task of making pretzels at home, you can find them at bars around town, such as ChurchKey, and Rock Bottom. Though I have to say, I’m quite partial to the jalapeno cheese-filled pretzels at Wawa.
Small Bites
Veg out!
DC VegFest returns to G.W. this Saturday, September 24 from 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. Learn more about vegetarian eating, and try out some meatless cuisine.
A Tale of Two Spaniards
José Andrés and Ferran Adria will be having a “conversation” at Lisner Auditorium on September 29 starting at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $20 for just the talk, while a $40 ticket will include a copy of Ferran Adria’s cookbook The Family Meal: Home Cooking.
Months with Rs
Pearl Dive Oyster Palace and Black Jack Bar (1612 14th Street NW) officially opened this week. On the menu at Pearl Dive are an assortment of raw oysters, New Orleans-style oyster dishes, and various takes on other NOLA specialties. Meanwhile, at Black Jack, you can try $16 blue plate specials, a bourbon bar, and a mix of pizza, sandwiches and salads.
Tasty little things
Two of the biggest “Taste of” events are coming up in October. Taste of Bethesda will take place on October 1 in Woodmont Triangle from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Bundles of four tickets will cost $5, with tastings costing 1-4 tickets.
Taste of Georgetown will take place on October 15 also from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Tickets are $5 for one tasting, and $20 for five, with the proceeds going to Georgetown Ministry Center’s programs for the homeless. A separate booze pavilion will feature spirits, beer and wine. Tickets for booze will be $3 for 1 tasting, and $10 for 4. Also as you prep for Halloween and Thanksgiving, be sure to swing by the “Pumpkin Food Fight” pitting chefs against each other as they prepare the best pumpkin dish.
