16 Years!

Last week, on the 21st of August, my husband and I celebrated our 16th wedding anniversary!! Yep, we've actually made it that long and are still in love! It hasn't always been easy but we've always stuck together…okay enough of the cheesy, mushy stuff!

 Anywho…so we took the day off from work to relax and do some fun stuff. We ended up going to see the movie Shaun the Sheep (which is very cute and funny…big fan of Wallace and Grommet and most things from Aardman Studios) at the Alamo Drafthouse in One Loudoun. If you haven't been to the Alamo, you need to go check it out. The theaters are very nice and small, which is good because you know it won't be overcrowded. You have the option to assign your own seats and they serve food like in a restaurant, with a waitress and everything. And I have to say, I was surprised how good the food was the first time we went.

Its nothing spectacular or 5 star but its like upscale bar food and everything we've had has been pretty tasty. Unfortunately I don't have any pictures because 1. its dark in there, and 2. they are very strict about no cell phone use. But we've tried their loaded fries, a couple pizzas, and fish 'n chips. Everything was delicious and not very overpriced. They also have a few different sodas for those who are more drink connoisseurs. If there is a unique drink offered, I'm probably gonna try it. They have homemade root beer, which is probably my favorite soda, and they also offer Italian sodas which are sweet and creamy!

hotel bathroom...never seen a sink like this before!

hotel lobby...love the green glass chandeliers!

Later that night we went downtown to have a nice dinner in the Penn Quarter area of DC.  There are a ton of good restaurants in that little area and there was one we've had our eye on for quite a while, called Poste. It serves French-American cuisine and it sits in the middle of the Hotel Monaco. That evening the weather was very tolerable for being August so we got to dine outside in the courtyard. It was a beautiful night and the food was delicious!

First we were served an amuse bouche…a little kiss or taste from the kitchen. A roasted mushroom crostini…savory, earthy, just melts in your mouth! A good sign of things to come!

It just so happened to be restaurant week when we were there so we got to take advantage of some specials. If you choose to order from the restaurant week menu, you get an appetizer, entree, and dessert for $35. Not bad at a place like this. Hubby is not a dessert guy so he didn't take this option. But we both ordered an appetizer. I chose the crispy duck ravioli. It was a large crispy wonton stuffed with juicy, tender duck meat that had been braised with Asian flavors, served with a caramelized onion and carrot slaw, and drizzled with a soy garlic sauce. A good combination of sweet and salty.

Hubby's appetizer was wagyu tartare, basically raw wagyu beef that was served like a terrine on a crostini. It was prepared with pine nuts, arugula, parmesan, and truffle vinaigrette, and topped with potato croutons (like fancy tater tots!). If the thought of raw beef scares you, you are missing out on a good thing! Trust me, its yumma yumma!

Then for the entrees: steak frites and halibut. The steak frites is a 12oz ribeye served with truffle fries and a couple of savory dipping sauces. What's not to like? For me, I chose halibut, a bit of a lighter dish because I was holding out for dessert!  The halibut was pan seared and served with sautéed pea leaves, wild mushrooms, ramps, and a chili oil sauce. It was light and fresh! The sauce made even the greens taste good!

Then came my favorite part: dessert! I'm a sucker for goat cheese, especially when it comes in a cheesecake! This goat cheese cheesecake was served with sour cherries, buckwheat-hazelnut sable, micro sorrel, and sangria sorbet. Ok so first, a definition lesson. I actually had to look up a few of these words while at dinner so I would know what I was eating. Let's start with the buckwheat hazelnut sable.  This is essentially a fancy thin crispy shortbread style cookie. It sort of had a nutty, slightly bitter taste. That might sound like a bad thing, however, the bitterness created the perfect balance for all the other flavors there.

Next definition: micro sorrel. Sorrel is a type of green herb and micro just means it has small leaves. Yes there was a green herb in my dessert! It was a little strange but somehow it worked! The whole dessert had every flavor combo…sweet, bitter, savory, tart, salty. As much as I love the whole over-the-top-chocolate-peanut butter things, these kind of unique desserts end up being some of my favorite. Unexpected flavors that tantalize every area of your tongue!

And since it was our anniversary, the staff also brought out a special surprise! A miniature chocolate coffee mousse cake topped with strawberry sorbet! Hubby only took one bite so it was up to me to finish my own dessert and this one before the candle burnt out…I won!

And THEN, as if that all wasn't enough, while we were waiting for our check, they brought us out another amuse bouche…some kind of little almond sponge cake topped with apricot jam, I believe. So instead of an after-dinner mint, we got after-dinner cake!

It was a great night! Was it absolutely the best restaurant ever? No, but it was deliciously satisfying food and the company wasn't too bad either! Happy 16 years, Superking! Here's to many more! <3

Morrison House Grill

In the weeks leading up to Christmas there are always lots of fun and exciting parties and performances and various holiday events. One such event I always look forward to is my husbands company Christmas dinner. Superking works for a very small home-based business in the IT field.  When I say small, I mean really small...6 employees. And all the employees/employers are either close friends or family...the boss, the boss's wife, their daughter-in-law, my husband, my brother-in-law, and my brother-in-law's wife, and then there's me. I'm the only one not an employee but thankfully I get to tag along for a good meal.  For our Christmas dinner we always go to a nice upscale restaurant nearby.

This year's choice was The Grille at the Morrison House.  The Morrison House is an old Federalist-style mansion located in old town Alexandria that is now an inn. The Grille, the restaurant located in the mansion, serves a contemporary French American cuisine. Each room is filled with beautiful antiques, several fireplaces, and even a piano bar. Our meal that evening was accompanied by a talented pianist playing Christmas carols in the style of Vince Guaraldi (see A Charlie Brown Christmas).  

Our meal began with a fancy cheese platter for the whole table to share. Five glorious cheeses...Ameribella (cow cheese from Indiana), Brabander (a Holland goat cheese), Umber (New York cow), Moses Sleeper (Vermont cow), Cashel Blue (Irish cow).  I don't really remember which was which, all I know is that they were all delicious. I haven't met too many cheeses I didn't like. This was a nice variety of mild, sharp, tangy, and creamy.

One of my favorite French dishes is the classic escargot. Yep, snails. If you are a little put off about trying escargot, I always tell people if you like shrimp in garlic butter, you will like escargot.  The escargot itself doesn't really have much flavor on its own, it has a similar texture to shrimp, and its soaked in garlic butter.  Everything tastes yummy if its drenched in garlic butter.  And they are served hot with a nice piece of crusty bread!

Superking also had the Country Pate. It was served with pickled onions, cornichons (tiny pickles), a few greens, grainy mustard, and a crusty baguette. A mixture of salty meat and tangy sharp mustard.

He also had the seared filet mignon served with Yorkshire pudding, sauteed mushrooms, and a bordelaise sauce. I was a little disappointed to discover that Yorkshire pudding is really just a popover.  Not that it wasn't tasty, I just thought a Yorskhire pudding should have something in it for the "pudding" part! Oh well! The way I understand it, it is a light fluffy bread thats made with drippings from the meat and thats what makes it special.  The sauteed mushrooms were deliciously earthy! The bordelaise sauce is made with a dry red wine, bone marrow, butter, and shallots.

The pan seared Rock Fish, while the skin was a little too salty for my liking it was crispy and the fish light and flaky. It was served over a mushroom risotto and wilted kale. It could've done with a little less kale (which would've been better if it was crispy) but the risotto was delightfully creamy.

A couple people in our party ordered the dark bavarian chocolate cake which seemed to be quite delectable. But I had to go for the Chevre Cheesecake. When we ordered it, the waiter asked us, "you know thats goat cheese; do you still want to order that?" We chuckled and replied, "of course we know thats goat cheese; thats WHY we are ordering it!"

The cheesecake itself was superbly creamy and tangy and it was topped with a shortbread crumble and huckleberry jam, which was a nice balance of sweet and tart as well.  Next to the cake were several meringues made with rosemary.

All in all it was a tasty meal and a great time with friends and family!

Cheestique

Most people who know me, know that I am a cheese fanatic. My three favorite foods in the entire world are chocolate, peanut butter, and cheese. I don't think I could ever live without these things.  A little obsessed? Maybe. Whatever, we all have our vices.

A few weeks ago, we had a food-fun day in Alexandria and DC where we had ice cream, cupcakes, and cheese. This cheese shop we went to is called Cheesetique.  An adorable little market that even has a little cafe in the back where you can order cheesy filled sandwiches, mac 'n cheese, soups, salads, flatbreads, and even brunch on Sundays! Unfortunately for us, we had already had lunch when we got there, so we were just there to ogle the cheese.

The shop really wasn't that big but I don't know if I've ever seen so many unique cheeses in one place before. So many flavors and types...soft, hard, goat, cow, sheep, blue, cheddar, gouda, and so many more I can't even begin to name or remember. 

There was one whole section of just blue cheeses.  Blue cheese is one of those you either love or hate. I LOVE blues! The bluer the better! I love that strong pungent tanginess, especially when you can pair it with something sweet.  I bought a very intense blue called Black & Blue. Super delish!! Tangy and sharp, only to be enjoyed sparingly, just the way I like it!

We also bought a Garlic Brie. I love plain brie, epsecially when its served warm so its slightly melty and gooey. This brie was definitely very garlicky.  If you like garlic (which we do), its very good. But again, it is a stronger flavored cheese, so enjoy sparingly. 

The shop also offers a variety of cured meats, salamis and hams and such to accompany your cheeses, as well as crackers, nuts, jams, and even wines to create a perfectly paired cheese plate.

And the smell...Superking always laughs at me when we walk through the gourmet cheese section of the grocery store. He says it smells like feet. I however love the smell. It reminds me of a quote from Andrew Zimmern where he refers to the smell of cheese being like God's feet.  Feet smell or not, I love the smell of cheese. The smells, the tastes and flavors, the textures, all the amazing things you can pair with it that enhance both the flavor of the cheese and the thing thats being paired with it. Cheese is a wonderful thing!

Meatless Wednesdays: Mushroom Goat Cheese Ravioli

This isn't exactly the healthiest meatless meal but its very filling and very yummy and very easy to make.

Sautee a variety of  chopped mushrooms.  We used a combination of shitake, button, and oyster mushrooms that all provide a unique earthy flavor.  Add in some chopped red onion, a little Italian seasoning, salt and pepper, and basil.

We used a small log of herbed goat cheese and cut it into small slices which were then halved. 

Wonton wrappers make this recipe super easy and fairly quick.  Take one wonton wrapper and brush a little water on the edges.  Spoon a little of the mushroom filling on top and add a small chunk of goat cheese.

Then complete with another wonton wrapper, smushing the edges together with your fingers or a fork to make sure there is a tight seal.  You don't want them opening up when cooking!

Boil a pot of salted water and put a few sealed raviolis into the water.  After about 3 minutes or so, the raviolis will float to the top letting you know they are done.  Using a slotted spoon or spider gently remove them from the water and put into a strainer to drain off the excess water.  Continue process until all raviolis are done.

In a small pan, melt about 4 tablespoons of butter with a few chopped sage leaves.  Place about 5 or 6 raviolis on a large plate, drizzle with melted sage butter, and sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese (or its cheaper cousin grana padano).

This was one of the few meals I've made in recent years that Superking actually raved about and went back for seconds! It is rich and filling and with the combination of mushrooms and goat cheese, you won't even miss not having any meat. Bon appetit!

Fried Green Tomatoes

Oh man, theres nothing like a good fried green tomato! The movie was good too.  But when you get a plate full of crispy-on-the-outside-soft-on-the-inside-slightly-greasy tomatoes, its like a trip to another time.

Recently I shared we went on a trip to my parents house and toured my mom's garden which was full of all kinds of produce.  Tomatoes were everywhere!  All sizes and colors too! I couldn't help but snatch a few of those beautiful bright green ones to take home! I was dying to make some delicious fried green tomatoes.

Start by slicing up your tomatoes.  A medium to thick cut slice.  They should be nice and crunchy!

Next the dredging station...you should have a bowl of all purpose flour, a bowl of about 2-4 eggs whisked with about 1/2 cup to 1 cup of heavy cream or buttermilk, and a third bowl of about 1 cup fine breadcrumbs, I cup cornmeal, and your choice of seasoning such as a little salt and pepper, maybe a little paprika or even Old Bay, whatever your tastes are.  Notice there aren't strict measurements.  Its all about your tastes and how many tomato slices you're frying up.  Experiment a little! Have fun!

Heat up some veggie oil or peanut oil, if you prefer, in a big semi-deep frying pan.  You'll want enough oil to cover your tomatoes once they're swimming in there. Once all your prep stuff is ready and your tomatoes are sliced, let each tomato slice take a dip in the flour to get a nice even coat.  Then dip in the egg wash and shake off the excess. Next, dredge the tomato in the breadcrumb mixture until well coated.

Carefully put 3 to 4 slices (or however many can comfortably fit in the pan, don't crowd them too much!) into the hot oil.  Let them fry a couple minutes on each side or until you see a beautiful crispy golden coat!  Set them aside on a papertowel to drain any excess oil before serving.

We decided to have an all-out southern comfort dinner that night...fried green tomatoes with a dollop of fresh goat cheese on top and cheesy grits topped with grilled Old Bay shrimp.  Yumma Yumma indeed!!

we used some quick cooking grits...

and some sharp cheddar cheese!