In 2009, I will...

1. Learn to perfectly roast a chicken
2. Eat more locally produced foods when possible.
3. Experiment with cooking an assortment of interesting vegetables from the farmers' market.
4. Use my new food processor to make homemade salsa (I use ripe tomatoes, jalapeno, garlic, onions, lime juice, and salt) and guacamole (avocados, red onion, serrano chiles, cilantro, lime juice, and salt).
5. Find more reasons to drink champagne (in moderation!)
6. Try pickling my own vegetables.
7. Try banh mi at one of the many area Vietnamese restaurants.
8. Indulge in a dozen oysters at Hank's Oyster Bar. By myself. With a glass of Sancerre. And maybe a good book.
9. Spice things up by incorporating more chiles into my cooking.
10. Cook a meal for an old friend
11. Cook a meal with Jason and eat it picnic-style on a blanket on my apartment floor like we did the first time we cooked at my apartment before I'd bought a table and chairs.
12. Buy a copy of How to Cook Everything by the venerable Mark Bittman, and start working my way through it.
13. Update this blog more often!

Photo by Flickr user Johammond.

Happiness is a caramel-covered marshmallow.

So, I didn't make it home to Chicago due to the gigantic winter storm-pocalypse that made traveling to or from various parts of the country pretty much impossible this past week. Jason's family was kind enough to host me for Christmas though. So, even though I didn't get to go home, I had an absolutely wonderful time - and SO much good food! In addition to many amazing meals, I was also the very happy recipient of a box of caramel-covered marshmallows (only sold at Christmastime...couldn't find a link), uber-rich hot chocolate, and chocolate marshmallows, a selection of artisan sea salts (all from Williams Sonoma), and Kevin Zraly's Complete Wine Course from Jason's parents; a membership to the Artisanal Cheese of the Month Club and Foodie Fight trivia game from Jason; and a gorgeous Cuisinart food processor from Mom and Dad.

Oh, and my Christmas gift to myself. My four-year-old laptop has served me well, but it's really on its last legs. It's been hard to even get motivated to update this blog, since it takes forever to load anything anymore. It's due to arrive in a couple weeks, at which point you can look forward to more frequent updates from me, since I'll be looking for any excuse to use it!

Happy holidays everyone! I hope yours are filled with good cheer, good company, and of course, good food.

Much ado about Mandu

I must apologize for the lack of posting as of late. Between holiday festivities and other going-ons, I've not had much spare time.

This past weekend, Jason and I decided to check out Mandu, a little Korean joint just east of Dupont. (I was originally going to cook dinner for him, since he had just gotten back from Japan, but being so busy, I hadn't had a chance to procure any groceries.) Anyhow, I'm kinda glad I flaked out on the cooking thing, because the delicious Mandu is now officially my new go-to place when I don't have the energy to cook, but am craving a super flavorful meal in a homey setting.

The word "mandu" is actually Korean for "dumpling," so naturally we started the meal with an order of these - the steamed shrimp variety, to be precise. Now I don't know about you, but I take dumplings fairly seriously. In my experience, a really good dumpling is deceptively difficult to come by. Many varieties fall victim to a too-thick and doughy wrapping, which, despite whatever tasty filling may lie inside, has approximately the same appeal of a mouthful of steamed and salted Elmer's glue. Othertimes, the wrapping might be fine, but the filling itself disappoints, usually because it's been overcooked and has morphed into a tough little pebble, so that when you bite through the wrapping, you're rewarded with only a faint hissing noise as the shrunken mystery pellet topples out of the wrapping and onto your lap. I'm not sure whether this is worse, however, than the undercooked dumpling, whose gummy brown innards carry bear an unfortunate resemblance to cheap cat food.

So, a dumpling can fail in any number of ways, which is why it's all the more remarkable to find a great one, even at a restaurant named for said item. Mandu's dumplings fit the bill. With a crisp, yet delicate skin and a nicely-seasoned, perfectly cooked filling, Mandu's mandu were a definite du. The best part was that the dumplings were wrapped in such a way that there were lots of little nooks and crannies to better sop up the addictive ginger soy sauce with scallions.

For the main course, I was in a soup kind of mood, and the Soon Doobu was sounding like the perfect way to ward off the December chill. Billed on the menu as a "spicy seafood stew with soft tofu," the soup came out of the kitchen still bubbling and gurgling in a hot stone bowl. With a fiery red-hot broth that set my mouth ablaze, the overall effect was somehow still soothing, the salinity of the clams, squid, and shrimp mixing with the creamy bits of tofu, creating a prickly, but pleasant, warming sensation throughout my whole body.

Jason ordered the Dolsot Bibim Bap, a hearty rice bowl with assorted vegetables, beef and a fried egg, with a spicy bean paste on the side. I was so enamored with my own soup that I managed only a bite of beef from Jason's dish. The meat was tender and almost sweet, redolent of fragrant cloves and possibly anise. A glass of the Pine Ridge Chenin Blanc Viognier blend was the perfect foil to such spicy food.

Good to know:
Mandu is located at 1805 18th Street, NW. It's a fairly quick walk from the Dupont Circle metro stop on the Red line. From the circle, walk north on 19th Street, then take a right on S Street. It'll be about a block down, on the corner of S and 18th. The atmosphere is casual. Good for dates or quiet dinners with friends.

Photo of Bibim Bap by Flickr user vincentgallegos.

Photo of Mandu by Flickr user brownpau.

Making a list, checking it twice

Whether you're creating your own wish list, or shopping for the epicure in your life, it can be quite a challenge to sort through all of the gourmet goodies on the market these days. I've combed through my favorite sites to create a collection of edible and food-inspired gifts that I know I wouldn't mind seeing under the Christmas tree this year. (I'm also a big fan of avoiding the shopping mall madness, and ordering gifts online, so I've included links for easy online purchasing.)

2009 Farmer's Market Wall Calendar

Featuring colorful vintage prints of vegetables from the 1800's, this understated calendar will help the avid gardener or fresh produce enthusiast in your life ring in the new year. You can order it online from Kate's Paperie or Anthropologie.
Give to: Your urban locavore bud who waxes poetic about the Dupont Circle Farmer's Market, but whose own tiny studio apartment allows for only a miniscule pot of basil on the windowsill.

The French Market: More Recipes from a French Kitchen
Bestselling authors Joanne Harris and Fran Warde present a deliciously simple collection of recipes that draw inspiration from the rural markets of Gascony and emphasize rustic, fresh flavors and a relaxed, tossed-together style. Gorgeously illustrated with lush color photographs, the recipes draw inspiration from large, lumpy tomatoes bursting with taste, to sun-ripened melons, to goat cheese rolled in fresh herbs, and to locally produced organic honey. This is food as nature intended. Available online from Anthropologie.

Give to: Your Francophilic significant other who still reminisces about that time you took him/her to Lavandou.

Le Creuset Round Dutch Oven
Available in an array of vibrant colors, this classic cast iron pot will never go out of style. It's a superb choice for roasting poultry and meats as well as for preparing slow-cooked specialties like chili, soups, stews and braises – on the stovetop or in the oven. It's on the pricier side, but these things last forever. Think of it as an investment in deliciousness. Sold online at Williams-Sonoma.
Give to: Your uncle, whose extra fiery Superbowl chili is the stuff of legends.

Bacon of the Month Club Membership
It's official. Bacon is enjoying a serious moment of culinary stardom, and there is no better evidence than this tongue-in-cheek-yet-totally-for-real artisan bacon of the month club. A membership will get you a year of monthly deliveries to your door, packed with a new kind of bacon each month, notes on the month's selection, recipe and wine suggestions, and even a bacon tee-shirt to wear while you, er, pig out. Available online from Grateful Palate.
Give to: Any non-vegetarian in your life. Really, who doesn't like bacon?

Wall Bottle Opener
Practically stylish wood block wall-mounted bottle opener, printed at the front with a design from San Francisco collective FluffyCo, who create nature-inspired, useful things in a sustainable way. Just in time to pop open the champagne for your New Year's party, and impress all your friends with your totally rad kitchen style. You can order it online from Urban Outfitters, and you can find more colors and styles on FluffyCo's site.
Give to: Your yupster older sibling with the sweet new NoMa loft. Bonus points if said sibling invites you to his/her New Year's party.

Zabar's Don't Be Homesick Crate
Washingtonians can't seem to complain enough about the District's lack of authentic and tasty bagels, pizza, and other foodstuffs that abound in NYC. For the Big Apple transplant in your life, Zabar's (the famed New York deli) has created a collection of delicious items to give displaced New Yorkers a taste of their beloved city, including Zabar's lox, Zabar's kosher salami, pastrami, Zabar's deli mustard, Zabar's signature sourdough jewish rye bread, plain cream cheese, an assortment of the world's best fresh-baked New York bagels, and several kinds of pastries. Get it online at Zabar's.
Give to: Your ex-New Yorker colleague who moans incessantly about his inferior Starbucks bagel, yet keeps buying it every morning.

Chanukah Olive Oil Cake
Made with toasted almonds, lemon zest — nearly a whole lemon's worth per cake — and lots of great extra virgin olive oil. Substituting olive oil for butter, it fits well with the symbolism of Chanukah, when one day's worth of olive oil miraculously burned for eight. It'd be another miracle if this cake lasted this long. Order one online from Zingerman's.
Give to: Oh, who are you kidding? Keep this one for yourself.

Foodie Fight: A Trivia Game
For anyone who loves both food and trivia, the appeal of this game is pretty self-explanatory. Brush up on your knowledge first with The Food Snob's Dictionary: An Essential Lexicon of Gastronomical Knowledge. Both this, and the game, are available online from Amazon.
Give to: Your smug foodie friend who lectures you on the stylistic differences between Bocuse and Boulud, and never misses an opportunity to note a hint of umami in everything from pho to her breakfast cereal.

Artisan Salt Sampler
Beyond sea salt: Twenty-four mini jars contain the most-sought-after salts from around the globe, including Peruvian Pink, Sel Gris de Guérande, Cyprus Black, Flower of Bali and 21 more. Presented in a handsome bamboo case with a glass door. Available from Sur la Table.
Give to: Your aunt whose home cooking always needs just a touch more seasoning.

A Meal at the Inn at Little Washington
Nestled between the Blue Ridge Mountains and the gentle farmland of Virginia's Shenandoah Valley lies a tiny town named Washington, an unlikely home to the country's most celebrated inn and adjoining restaurant, which has been hailed as among the ten best restaurants in the country. A meal at the Inn is not a frugal endeavor, and indeed, might be a bit extravagant, particularly in these difficult economic times. But, if you're looking for an extra-special holiday celebration, or ultra-romantic place to pop the question, look no further than this sparkling gem just a couple hours from DC. You can buy gift certificates from The Inn at Little Washington online, or call 540-675-3800 to speak to an inn staff member about planning a very special occasion.
Give to: The person you care about most.

Before and after

Weekend wonderful-ness

A weekend of culinary goodness awaits.

Tonight: dinner at Penn Quarter's critically acclaimed contemporary American restaurant, 701, one of many local restaurants participating in this week's "Appetite Stimulus Plan." The deal is similar to Restaurant Week. $35 will get you three courses at some of DC's top establishments, a fine deal for both the taste buds and the wallet. Today's the last day to participate, so hit up OpenTable to snag a last-minute reservation.

And now, onto the important part: the food. For the Appetite Stimulus Plan, 701 is probably offering a fixed menu of some kind, but that will hardly matter if the food lives up to its reputation. With exciting offerings like Smoked Bacon Wrapped Sea Scallops (with melted foie gras, blackberry gastrique, and tobiko creme fraiche), and Sesame Crusted Salmon (with chilled thai glass noodle salad, green melon vinaigrette, and honey lavender glaze), 701 has garnered attention for Chef Bobby Varua's gently playful cuisine, whose delicate flavor combinations are enhanced, but not overwhelmed, by Asian influences. Dishes like Chestnut Ravioli (with beurre noisette, cider gastrique, and apple endive salad) and Stuffed Muscovy Duck Leg (with foie gras butter, cranberries, pumpkin veloute, and poire williams tapioca pearls) also reveal a commitment to the seasonal bounty.

I know that restaurants sometimes have a hard time meeting the demands of the overly zealous, minimally patient crowds attracted by these kinds of promotions, and I am anticipating that it might be rather hectic on a Friday night, particularly given 701's prime location in the city's theatre and entertainment district. I plan to approach the experience with an open mind, a deep pocketful of patience, and quite possibly, a sample or two from 701's impressive wine menu, to tide me over.

Saturday: Thanksgiving potluck party with friends. You wouldn't run a marathon without completing several fairly long runs beforehand. The same logic applies with Turkey Day, my friends. If you want to finish your plate on Thanksgiving proper, it makes sense to warm up beforehand with a comparable meal. Hence, the pre-Thanksgiving Thanksgiving. I'm making Sweet Potato Pie Bars to bring.

Sweet Potato Pie Bars
1 (18.25-ounce) yellow cake mix, divided use
6 tablespoons margarine OR butter, melted and divided use
1 large egg
1 1/2 cups mashed cooked sweet potatoes
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, divided use
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 large egg whites
1 (5-ounce) can evaporated milk
2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Set aside 1 cup yellow cake mix.
In a mixing bowl, blend together remaining cake mix, 4 tablespoons melted margarine, and egg; mix well. Pat mixture into the bottom of a 13 x 9 x 2-inch pan coated with nonstick cooking spray. In a separate mixing bowl, combine sweet potatoes, nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, sugar, egg whites, and evaporated milk until creamy. Pour filling over prepared crust.
Mix reserved 1 cup cake mix, remaining 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, remaining 2 tablespoons melted margarine, brown sugar, and pecans and sprinkle over filling.
Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until filling is set.

Photo from 701's website.

In a Thanksgiving kind of mood

I'm heading home to Chicago for a midwestern Thanksgiving this year, and I am totally excited to help my mom cook The Big Meal. A grocery shopping jaunt to Harris Teeter this afternoon amplified my anticipation; the store is already brimming with giant frozen turkeys, special holiday displays, jars of cranberry jelly, and the like. I wandered the aisles aimlessly, taking in the festive atmosphere (and the free samples!).

My sister makes her famous mashed potatoes each year, but all the other dishes are up for grabs. I've been scouting around the web for inspiration, which isn't difficult since every remotely food-related site switches to Thanksgiving-pocalypse mode this time of year, complete with countdowns and turkey slide shows. Amidst the frenzy, I truly enjoy the measured wisdom imparted by Gourmet. No stranger to the culinary obsession surrounding the holiday (exhibit A: its guide to "achieving turkey perfection"), the magazine (and its website) nonetheless maintains its composure with its clean, low-key design, and intelligent approach. In a smart acknowledgment of diverse food traditions as a metaphor for America's melting pot greatness, Gourmet is offering five traditional Thanksgiving menus, each inspired by a different region of the country. Each menu, of course, includes a turkey, and I'm finding myself particularly intrigued by the Southern-style Roast Turkey with Herbed Oyster Stuffing and Giblet Gravy. The "California Eatin" three-onion stuffing also sounds delicious. The Northeastern nutmeg ice cream would be the perfect way to end the big meal.

This month's print version of the magazine offers a Latino-inspired Thanksgiving menu (adobo Turkey, chipotle meatballs, cornbread and chorizo stuffing, sweet potato coconut puree, and apple pie with Mexican brown sugar), as well as a Mediterranean meal (braised artichokes, mushroom and farro pie, mache salad, parmesan-roasted butternut squash, cranberry sauce with dates and orange, and a pumpkin tart with anise-seed crust).

I've honestly no idea how authentic these menus might be for the various regions and peoples they claim to represent, but I love reading about all the different variations out there. I would welcome hearing about everyone's Thanksgiving traditions and must-haves, recipes, ideas, etc.

(Currently thankful for: wild sweet orange Tazo tea, incredible Mexican food and at Oyamel last night with a good friend who I hadn't seen in a long time, natural Greek yogurt with honey and granola for breakfast, multi-vitamins, freshly brewed coffee, good friends, an amazing family, my new job and colleagues, Barbara Kingsolver's Animal, Vegetable, Miracle on audiobook, the bright yellow leaves blanketing my neighborhood's sidewalks, and, of course, the Gourmet subscription renewal my sister gave me for my birthday).

Photo of caramel pie by Romulo Yanes, who does beautiful work for Gourmet and others.