Aunt Boo in the kitchen with chef David Guas. (Photo courtesy of David Guas, by Bonnie Benwick of the Washington Post)
Dish of the week: Shrimp Creole
Where to get it: Bayou Bakery
The catastrophic flooding near Baton Rouge has reached historic levels, with reports estimating 40,000 homes have been impacted. The road back to normal will surely be a long one for Louisianans. One way to get involved is to donate money or goods online. Closer to home, you can also enjoy a classic creole dish to benefit a community with a very intimate link to the D.C. food scene.
Local chef and New Orleans native David Guas of Bayou Bakery (901 Pennsylvania Avenue SE in D.C. and 1515 N. Courthouse Road in Arlington) has a personal connection to these floods: his Aunt Boo, who taught him the fundamentals of cooking his native cuisine, from Louisiana’s classic dark roux to peppery gumbo, is now a flood victim herself whose home is filled with two feet of water. Guas naturally felt the need to give back to the woman who helped feed his love for cooking, so he’s using Bayou Bakery’s menu as one avenue of support for Louisiana expats and other DC locals who want to help.
Aunt Boo’s house in Abbeville, Louisiana, now under two feet of water from recent flooding. (Photo courtesy of David Guas)
Starting today, Guas has prepared a $9 appetizer of Shrimp Creole, a spicy tomato-based dish based on the Holy Trinity of Creole and Cajun cooking: onions, celery and bell pepper. A blending of French and Spanish traditions, Creole-style dishes typically toe the line between gumbo and jambalaya. The sauce is thickened without the use of a roux, as is often found in Cajun cuisine, and rice served as a side, rather than integrated into the rest of the ingredients. The special begins today, August 19, and will run for one week (except Sunday). Half of all proceeds from the dish will go to support recovery efforts in Aunt Boo’s Abbeville community, so get out there and order a plate or two.
A few more small bites
New England food staycation
Another vacation autoreply reminds you you’re stuck in town while everyone else is on holiday. Be strong. Deal with it. Or eat your feelings out at the dinner table. Just like the vacationers, you can head toward Union Station, but stop instead at Sixth Engine (438 Massachusetts Ave, NW) for a New England staycation. The special theme menu is being served Thursdays through Sundays for the rest of August. Dishes change weekly, but you can bank on the crowd favorite lobster roll with a housemade split-top bun. The Aug. 18-21 menu also includes clam chowder, fried clam bellies, and stuffies containing chorizo and clams with breadcrumb stuffing. Dessert is a housemade whoopie pie with chocolate cake and marshmallow fluff frosting, a perfectly sweet ending to any staycation.—Andrea Adleman
The perfect pairing for 90 degree heat? Beer, oysters, and pork!
This Saturday, ditch the bottomless mimosa brunch and make plans to hit Twisted Horn‘s (819 Upshur St) first annual Pigs and Pearls barbecue. The restaurant’s new summer garden will host the all-you-can-eat feast, which comes complete with a pig roast, fresh raw oysters, and fixings like watermelon salad, deviled eggs, and mac and cheese. Tickets are $55 each and include food, DC Brau, and draft wine and cocktails.
A Beltway beer battle
The Nationals and Orioles are preparing for a DMV showdown on the diamond next week, with two games in D.C. and two in Baltimore. On Tuesday, Bar Pilar (1833 14th Street NW) will be hosting its own “Natitude in Birdland” beer battle featuring beers from the two cities. There will be three drafts each from Atlas Brew Works and Union Craft Brewing as well as ballpark-inspired snacks. Beers will be $5 each before 7 p.m.
Bourbon in your burger
August is a slow food month. If you’re looking for a guilty indulgence, surrender your foodie card and check out Bar Louie (multiple area locations), which recently launched a Bulleit-spiked bourbon burger. The recipe certainly takes the burger craze to a new level, piling on cream cheese, sharp cheddar cheese, crispy bacon, and fresh onion strings—and the restaurant insures it’s so boozy that diners will have to show their ID before ordering.
