DANGEROUS SNOWSTORM IMMINENT!!! DC is looking at a possible 20 to 28 inches of snow and blizzard-like conditions over the next 48 hours. Holymoley! let’s all freak out and run to the grocery store and deplete supplies of milk, TP, and other essentials like cookie dough and Bud Light. Admittedly, I was one of them this morning, at the local Safeway, about 15 people deep in line, waiting to get what I *need* for the next few days. Many people were given the day off work in order to avoid a nasty evening commute.
Anyways, I wish that people would relax a little, stop listening to the non-stop media hype (do we really need to name everything??), and look at this as an opportunity to spend some time indoors with your family and friends, catch up on some reading, learn a new recipe, and just be thankful that, perhaps, your crazy plans for running all over town are probably cancelled this weekend. It’s almost like Mother Nature is encouraging us to slow down and hunker down, and eventually enjoy the beauty of the snow and the peace and quiet once it all piles up. Either that, or buy as much wine as you can, get out your sleds, and follow the best storm advice out there from http://snowpocalypsedc.com. Remember, it’ll never get this bad…
Sushi Go Round (and round and round)
January 21st, 2010
A few weekends ago we stopped in to try Sushi Go Round at Gallery Place in Chinatown. The concept is pretty simple - you sit at a counter and sushi goes traveling right under your nose on a conveyor belt. You can grab whatever looks delicious or interesting to you, and you pay at the end based on a color-coded system for which plates you chose. You are also free to order off the regular menu. Genius! It’s like the conveyor belt joints on TV — hot dog eating champ, Takeru Kobayashi, uses them as part of his strict competitive eating regiment. If the champ does it, you know it has to be good.
The sushi was sufficient (not the best I’ve ever had, but certainly not the worst either), but it especially works if you’re in a hurry as we were, about to go see Avatar in 3D. I guess the best part is that it allows you to be a little adventurous with picking something based on the sight of it, whereas if you read it on a normal menu you might not be tempted to order it. This was okay for us, but if you are more of a “I like to know what sort of raw animal I’m going to ingest” sort of person you can just order from the menu. That really negates the whole point of eating sushi from a conveyor belt, though. As we were newbies to the Sushi-Go-Round experience, we did not pick the optimal spot at the bar to get first picks on the freshly prepared pieces. We would watch the chefs place new plates on the belt, then carefully keep track of our new plate as it made its way around the horseshoe belt, all the while giving the “stink eye” to any of the other diners who appeared to be interested in our coveted plate. If you go, take note of the direction the sushi belt is moving and get the seat closest to the chefs. It is all about strategy at Sushi-Go-Round.
magic crock pot: chicken tortilla soup
January 11th, 2010
One of my resolutions this year was to stop eating dinner out of boxes so much. It got really easy, especially in the middle of the semester when we were both swamped, to just make frozen lasagnas or pierogis or even just cereal for dinner. So yesterday morning I ran over to the grocery for ingredients for Chicken Tortilla Soup. Whether I was subliminally influenced by the fact that Matt had turned on repeats of Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations or not is left to be decided… but it does help motivate my cooking aspirations when I see, for example, a show dedicated entirely to the process of making handmade noodles.
Anyways, this soup is about as easy as it gets. I pre-cooked and cut up 2 chicken breasts and tossed it in the crock pot along with: 1 cup of organic chicken broth, about 8 medium-sized diced tomatoes, a 4 oz can of green chilis (or use something spicier if you want), a small can of sweet corn, half a diced yellow onion, and some random spices from my rack. I think it was some paprika, some chili powder, and some black pepper. Set the temperature on high and walk away — I left it to cook for about 4 hours. When you are starting to get hungry, add a bunch (fistful?) of chopped-up cilantro (this is the best part, I love cilantro) and let it do it’s crock-potting for a little longer. When you’re ready to serve it, add a sprinkle of shredded mozzarella cheese and a slice of fresh avocado to your soup bowl. Oh! also, and don’t skip this step, squeeze a lime slice over the top and BON APPETITE!
As a final note, yes, I skipped the actual “tortillas” of the “tortilla” soup. Honestly, it just seemed like a lot of work to fry tortillas and cut them into crispy strips. Plus, it adds some unhealthy to the whole thing. Instead, go for cornbread! Easier to make, less messy, and it’s delicious for soaking up the remaining soup.
Last weekend when Ty and Val were visiting, we checked out the chocolate and coffee shop ACKC on 14th Street. We’d walked by there many a time, but never poked our heads in. As it turns out, it’s a cute little place owned by Rob Kingsbury (the chocolatier) and Eric Nelson (the artist). When you walk in, you are bombarded with bright colors from the artwork on the walls and tons of tiny little morsels to make you drool. The photo above is a closeup of one of the many custom tabletops painted by Eric, which are pretty much awesome.
On New Years Eve, we celebrated the end of the decade with Jill and her friend Rachel as well as a few bottles of bubbly. In return for crashing on our couches, Jill treated us to an amazing 4-course meal (that actually concluded with the final course for breakfast the next morning). We didn’t mention that she was welcome to the couch regardless of a dinner return or not. Anyways! It seems as though her CIA edumacation is paying off. Deeeee-lish!
…getting your candy cane to a needle-sharp point, that is. I think it requires not only patience, but also a little bit of neuroticism, holiday spirit, and a willingness for sugar-coated teeth. All of these qualities which I possess.
Matt brought me these awesome chopsticks from China, and while I love the sticks themselves (check out that face design that lines up at the tips!), I also can’t help but geek out over the nice packaging, too. It’s so clean and well-designed — two hidden magnets underneath the paper liner hold the box together. Which means there is also no plastic or trash to throw away after it has been opened. Why can’t more things come like this in the US? Apple has, of course, been making nice packages forever, so why is it so hard for other products to come in anything besides the terrible clam-shell plastic that drives everyone crazy and cuts up your fingers? And more importantly, who wants to come over for sushi?
Busy weekend! On Friday evening we went to Jazz in the Garden at the National Gallery sculpture garden. I rode my bike down there to meet Matt after he got off work, and it’s a good thing we got there early because the spots on the grass filled up super fast. That place gets packed! From our blanket on the north side of the garden, it was impossible to see the band and sometimes harder to hear the music… I guess it was more about being outside on a nice, Friday evening than anything else!
On Saturday morning we went on a quick run from my parents house in HoCo; it’s really weird now to trace my old running path from high school, especially when so much has changed there. It was followed with a delicious brunch/lunch, before we headed off to Baltimore for Mark and Abby’s wedding! A picture of the lovely cake, just for Jill.
And a view of beautiful B-more from where we stayed. Natty-Boh man is wayyy in the background.
Yesterday we drove back home, and despite the intense heat decided to bike our way down to the Corcoran to see the William Eggleston exhibit called Democratic Camera, Photographs and Video, 1961–2008 . It was a pretty interesting and eclectic set of color prints from throughout his career, many of them just mundane detail shots of life in Memphis and the south in the past 50-some years.
Sitting outside on the steps afterwards, Matt ponders the meaning of life. Or, what’s for dinner tonight?
