Malawry

I prefer Friday. And I am game for whatever, though a. I am on a strict budget and b. a group of us already went to Firefly several months ago.

Thanks, Anne. That's good to hear.

Steak. With salt and butter. Salad with blue cheese dressing. Coffee with chicory, with lots of cream for dessert.

I'd start by calling Whole Paycheck, My Organic Market, and any local health food stores and asking if they carry it. I really wanted to buy some on my recent trip to New Orleans, but my esteemed spouse reminded me that we couldn't safely transport it to DC just as I reached for my wallet.

Commander's Kitchen, the cookbook from Commander's Palace, has a detailed recipe. I considered trying it but never got around to it before I had to return the book to my chef.

Gifted Gourmet, it's probably best that we were only there for a few days precisely because New Orleans cuisine is so carb-heavy. Still, I felt satisfied that I got to try some new stuff while I was there without totally breaking my diet.

The market was really fabulous...a definite highlight for me, and whetted my appetite for farm market season back home in DC. I didn't need the souffle to want the nap, obviously. Our hotel had an amazingly comfortable bed and a view of the French Quarter...plus Aveda amenities in the big bathroom. International House hotel...I highly recommend it, and we found a great deal via Quikbook which made this luxury boutique hotel affordable. Excellent hotel for napping. We walked by and contemplated Johnny's, but ended up taking a pass. A french fry po-boy sounds remarkably like a chip butty from the UK though.

I just returned from a brief visit to New Orleans with my esteemed spouse. We're on Spring Break (he from his studies, me from my job cooking for a sorority at the same school). We are both on the Atkins diet. We bent a little while we were there, but even the carb-free meals we consumed were truly special thanks to some excellent recommendations from Mayhaw Man. I'd never been to NO before, and my partner hadn't been since he was a small child, so it was a real special occasion for both of us. We were on a strict budget but managed to mostly stick to it thanks to the help Brooks provided. Here's a little summary of what and where we ate... Sunday night: Dickie Brennan's Palace Cafe seemed like a good choice; it was only two blocks from our hotel, and it wasn't terribly expensive. We were tired and hungry after 12 hours in the car and didn't feel up for exploring, and I think we made the right choice. The interior of the restaurant is beautiful, punctuated by a dramatic curving staircase in the center of the restaurant. Arched columns and classic paintings make for a nice backdrop, with a glass-walled kitchen allowing us a peek en route to our table. I had my first-ever turtle soup, with a swirl of sherry added at the table, and a sausage-stuffed pork chop with cider-braised winter greens for dinner. Fresh berries and pineapple for dessert, per a special request we'd made. Monday: We split a beignet from Cafe du Monde this morning. We shook off most of the powdered sugar to avoid sugar-shock. It was very sweet and very very good anyway though. Not as sweet as a cake or cookie fortunately! We both wanted more but we virtuously threw out the other 2 (you have to buy three). The beignets are warm and smell of all those wonderful donut smells. The Krispy Kreme around the corner didn't appear to be doing so well, in comparison...the line for takeout snaked quite a distance from the "to go" window at Cafe du Monde. Later we split a muffaletta from Central Grocery. We each ate one piece of the bread...the first bread either of us has eaten since starting Atkins. (E's had a tortilla wrap, and I've had small tastes of things like pasta to ensure they are cooked properly, but still.) It was awesome...the olive salad soaked into the bread and it smelled great with aromatic sesame seeds and those sharp salty Italian meats. Ooh. It was hard to eat only one piece of the bread because all those soaked-in flavors were amazing and I wanted to get at more of them. But I resisted. Felt a little sugar-weird afterwards but not terrible. The Italian meats are nice, as is the bread, but the olive salad is what really makes this sandwich special. While poking about the French Quarter I picked up Cafe du Monde decaf coffee and chicory, tasso ham and gumbo file. I've seen far less boudin than I expected to around town! Maybe it's more a rural Louisiana thing than a New Orleans thing...? On Monday night, we visited Frankie and Johnnie's on Tchopitoulas. It looked like a total dump ("Miller: The Champagne of Beers" sign outside). But it was cheap and cheerful and it had a parking lot...good thing since it was way too far from our hotel to walk. We shared 2lbs of crawfish and after a short lesson from our server we got pretty good at pinching the tails and sucking the heads. (</sexual joke-tacky t-shirt sloganese>) We split a bowl of spicy alligator soup...the meat is a little chewy and a little goes a long way. And we shared a stuffed crab (not very good) and a tomato stuffed with shrimp salad (all right, a little too mayonnaise-y). I think flip-flops and Daisy Dukes would constitute "formally dressed" in this kind of place. We drove back through Uptown and the Garden District. We were in awe with the homes and architecture along St Charles street, and at one point we doubled back to look at a house I'd exclaimed over more closely. (It had a steeple-like roof with a round protruding double-level front door...the second level above the door was a beautiful balcony. Hard to describe.) We liked this area so much we vowed to explore more closely the next morning. Tuesday: After yesterday's drive we knew we'd have to come back when we could actually see these homes in the daylight. We stopped along St Charles at Please-U Restuarant, where I consumed an underseasoned oyster omelet, and then we walked around the Audubon park and the gorgeous Loyola College campus. (They, unlike us, are not on Spring Break.) While doing more architecture touring, I noticed a sign saying there was a farmer's market "TODAY!" We absolutely had to go. After asking directions we found the usual temporary tent community and we spent a half hour walking around tasting and talking to vendors. We ate the most amazing fresh raw oysters, with lemon juice and Crystal hot sauce. I talked to the lady who made Creole cream cheese and was all set to buy some until my spouse pointed out that we couldn't keep it cold. The lady who made pickled eggs was shy but came out of her shell when I asked her about them, and I bought a jar of her sweetly flower-decorated delicacies to take home. And we tasted this fresh green onion-pork sausage that made me long for my grill. We picked up local strawberries for my partner to eat (I'm allergic). There were also eggs, including duck and goose eggs, fresh greens, and several fish vendors. Jumbo shell-on shrimp for only $6/lb!! It made me wish I lived nearby. Then we schmoozed over to Lafayette Cemetery where we communed with the crypts before our noon lunch reservations at Commander's Palace. Mayhaw Man called CP lunch "the deal of the century" and I could totally see why. This is a Ye Olde New Orleans type of restaurant with dinner entrees in the $25-30 range. At lunch there are three selections that come with either a salad or a soup for $12-15. AAAAAND they have 25 cent martinis at lunchtime! I had to knock back a Commander's martini (vodka, white vermouth, blue curacao, lime twist)...it matched the bright blue exterior of the restaurant and slid down easily with my turtle soup. (I can't get enough of turtle soup, with a swirl of sherry added.) My entree was remoulade-encrusted rare tuna on a bed of greens accented with Creole mustard, artichoke hearts and a couple of robust anchovies. Mmm mmm. Strong flavors, but I love strong flavors. One of the servers came and asked me for a rundown of the dish after I finished it; she explained that it was new to the menu that day and they wondered how it was going over. I told her I thoroughly enjoyed it, but if I'd been wanting to drink wine I wouldn't have ordered it (artichokes), and I think I have a higher tolerance for strong flavors than some diners. The rest of the day was somewhat quiet. I napped for a couple of hours in the afternoon, and we ate an inexpensive dinner at Remoulade in the French Quarter consisting of salad and crawfish etouffee. Remoulade is right next to Armand's on Bourbon. It's casual and a little too cutesy for my tastes, but Acme Seafood was too crowded by the time we were ready for dinner...and I was satisfied with my simple dinner. And then we drove back to visit my parents in North Carolina on Wednesday. I wish we could have stayed longer...I really loved the Garden districts of New Orleans and felt the city (especially the market) was friendly, easy to drive and accessible.

Sounds like you're talking about Sunnyside Farms. Their "wangus" (wagyu/angus) beef is starting to show up on menus around DC...attributed to the farm, which is unusual in these parts. They also sell at the Dupont Circle farm market, which is run by the trust Emily listed. I've toured their farm before, with my culinary school. They also run a chi-chi food market within a short walk of The Inn at Little Washington, in Washington, VA. Website They are far from the only organic farmers in Rappahannock County, but they're a good starting point. My personal favorite vendor from the Takoma Park, MD farm market where I shop weekly is Wheatland Vegetable Farms. However, I believe they are situated in Loudoun County, not in Rappahannock. Chip and Susan Planck, parents of Nina Planck (who has written for The Daily Gullet before), run this terrific farm. I rely on them for Asian greens in the fall, sweet and hot peppers and middle eastern cucumbers in the summer, sprightly mesclun in the spring. I don't know how chef-connected they are but they do also vend at the Dupont Circle market, which is popular with (supported by, and even popularized by in the case of Nora Pouillon) several local chefs.

I second the antipasto plate at Palena and especially the bufala mozz therein. And I don't work there so I'm not biased.

I'm in.

Basically the same stuff left out on bakers' racks for the girls in my sorority...it's supposed to be snackage and breakfast food but some of them eat it at dinnertime if they're nervous about what's on the menu. (Fortunately, most of them trust me and at least try my food.)

What lives in the picky eater cabinet?

The Post server can be slow, but Tom has also admitted he's not the fastest typist...and also said he writes some of the responses to previously submitted questions before going live. His chat moves at a pace comparable to that of the other Live Online hosts, IMO. If it's too slow for you, you can always read it archived...which I usually do.

Expect the line to continue to shorten as additional Pollos Camperos open around the DC region. Langley Park, MD (close to my neck of the woods) is slated to get one, and there will probably be more opening considering how quickly the chicken sells.

I know you want a bar, not a restaurant, but I love the bar at Matchbox. They have many house-made infused vodkas which they mix into tasty drinks, plus the bartenders have given great service every time I've gone. Though I am too late for a pre-Strokes show. My ears are ringing from the concert. I hope you weren't near the girl who was whistling at eardrum-piercing frequencies like we were.

The grits cooked by my teammate for my culinary school final included one special ingredient: cream cheese. Made them ultracreamy, especially since she used cream, butter and chicken stock along with plenty of salt in her recipe. I've made them this way at home and they are heavenly.

You only love me for my dishpan hands.

I cook dinner for 40 (ok, 35) every night. What I'd suggest you make depends on a more detailed list of your equipment and time investment. I'm one person, working alone, but I have all day to make dinner (and I make my lunches simple so I can spend most of the lunch time period working on dinner). A couple of things that have worked well: I did pan-fried tilapia today, with a cornmeal crust. Very popular. I cooked the filets around 4pm in two saute pans and laid out the cooked fish on two sheet pans lined with parchment. At 4:55 I slid one pan into the oven which was set to about 275 degrees. At 5:10 I pulled it out and slid the other pan in. Service began at 5:15. The fish was hot and tasted pan-fresh and not overdone. This was an experiment, so I'm glad it worked. I did fajitas for about 90 a week and a half ago. Using the griddle for the vegetables made all the difference, since I could cook them all at once, all at the last minute, and all to the perfect level of doneness. I think people get tired of chili and stews, but maybe that's just my girls. They didn't flock to my chili but they did flock to my pasta dishes. If I had enough time I'd make lasagna with scratch noodles for them. Some things that did not work: Risotto. Restaurants usually parcook it and then finish it with about 10 minutes on the stove when it's ordered. I made a huge batch beginning-to-end that was ready right at 5:15 for service. But the batch was so big it scorched a little on the bottom, infusing the rice with a vaguely cigarette-like flavor, and then despite the cream I finished the risotto with it thickened and turned gluey within 10 minutes of hitting the steam table. Scrambled eggs don't work so well. They get gummy quickly and have a short window from perfect to overcooked. Better egg dishes are poached, or best is the almighty fritatta. I made a fritatta as the fish-alternative tonight and had many many takers...including some who wanted both fritatta and fish! I've learned that it's easiest on me to have everything ready for dinner by about 4:30 so I can clean up all my prep dishes and my work spaces and be more mentally prepared for my 5:15 service. When I cook at home I do dishes as I go, whenever I have a few seconds, but the greater distances from stove to sink to fridge and the excessive prep required for cooking at work make it less feasible to clean as I go. I can't feel relaxed if my kitchen is dirty with piles of dishes in the sink, and I like to be able to parry with my girls or take time to explain what I cooked when people show up to eat. I recommend you preserve this time since it's the community-connection time and why you probably wanted to live in cohousing in the first place. Make it easy on yourself by not working till the last second, and by keeping the kitchen and your brain clean and tidy in time for dinner.

Pizzeria Paradisio right across the street from Johnny's on P is a great lunch choice. Order the sparkling lemonade to chase your pizza of choice. They're less insane at lunchtime than dinner in my experience. (Disclaimer: I have not been to the Georgetown location.)

I will never cook with margarine. Any vegans visiting my house can enjoy cuisine prepared with olive oil as the butter-alternative.

I too went this morning...saw Bilrus, Mrs. Bilrus, Hannah and Mr. Hannah while there. People seemed pretty friendly and there were employees everywhere...clearly every hand was on deck to deal with today's crowds. I arrived at 9am and didn't have too much trouble parking...lucked out fairly quickly reasonably close to the store. It was hard to get to everything but I tried my best to winnow my way around the prepared foods, cheeses, meat and seafood counters, and the organic goodies. (It helped to abandon my cart periodically to get to things on foot.) It's wonderful to visit a store where I could actually get everything I might want in a single place. Though there were a couple of things I was seeking which they did not stock: Ben and Jerry's Carb Karma low-carb ice cream, and I didn't see frisee among the salad greens (though I didn't check bagged lettuces or look super-closely at the green selection). There is a Kosher deli section and also a Kosher groceries department which was impressive. I would have purchased sturgeon had it been available, but they made up for the lack of sturgeon with an impressive variety of cured salmons. I sampled next to nothing, but saw people chowing on chips, scarfing fat slices of bread, and crowding around a lady preparing roasted veggies with the basting oil I'd received a coupon for in the mail. Some of my favorite purchases: petit Pont L'eveque cheese from the cheese counter(you can sample any cheese before buying), a beautiful New York strip steak, Driscoll blueberries at 2 packages for $5 (compared to $3-4 each at Giant or Whole Paycheck). I brought a book and read while standing in line to pay for my groceries, which made the time seem to pass more quickly. It was impossible to avoid bumping and being bumped by shoppers but most people seemed pretty nice about it. I was impressed. Worth the monthly trip I anticipate taking from Maryland. And when I went to Costco from there they were surprisingly empty.

Welcome to eGullet from a L'academie alum, Ted.

Smothered chicken, from the Edna Lewis/Scott Peacock Southern cooking book Broccolini with brown butter Salad of dark outer romaine leaves with cucumber and red bell pepper, blue cheese dressing Dessert, later on: blueberries with whipped cream

They open at 7a tomorrow. I'm bad at waiting.