hillvalley

Pea soup made with my brand spankin new immersion blender that i bought 'cause of eG yummmm

Robyn, I think fruit is too general. I would like to see it more specific. Cherries come to mind. What if the compositional guide line was just that the shot must include cherries? Everyone submits two pics during a week long period. That way we are critquing a dozen shots at once. I think there does need to be some size guidelines. Pictures look very different at different sizes. Or maybe a maximum pic size so everyone can see the whole shot? Oh, an if eG is willing to pay for my master's in photography, I would gladly write a food photography eGCI course

I like playing with different centers of focus. With the clarity of pictures today you can really play tricks with the eye. I wish I could say that was on purpose, but I'm not that good I have no problems moving a branch out of the way, or arranging a shot as long as you're not picking the flower or breaking the branch in the process. Here are a few more from that same series. Same shot with different cropping

Mayorga does indeed serve alcohol. Try their root beer float. Yummmmmmm Peanut could be their official restaurant baby!

Most people think I am obsessed and nutty about food. But they eat processed crap all day and don't know what they are missing.

Sliced thin and tossed with soy sauce, rice wine vinegar and sliced pickled ginger. This year in my classroom I had kids who would choose cucumbers over cake

When I was about 5 my family was spending the day at Montrose. At some point I decided I had to go to the bathroom. For those of you not familiar with the area, there is nothing around where you can go. At least not if you are a girl. My father decided to take the opportunity to knock on Mrs. Graham's door to ask if his adorable daughter could use her bathroom. She very kindly let us in to use her restroom and gave me a cookie on the way out.

How about picnic tables and beer taps? and a private swimming pool Katherine Graham's house is near by. I bet she had a pool.

My sides hurt. That is fucking hysterical. I have never been so proud to love natto as I am at this moment. That's right. I said it. I love natto. I had this conversation with my mother when I told her to throw out the natto she found in the back of my fridge. She affectionately refers to it as whale mucous (not to be confused with tofu which in my house is known as whale snot, but that's another thread). I am sending this to anyone who has ever had to sit and watch me eat natto.

Yeah, their's is as good as it gets around here. Real seafood, a raw egg added at the last moment, served over a flame. Tako Grill's is pretty good as well. I know that Daruma was the second branch of the one in Rockville when it first opened, but I don't know if they are still connected. Or if the restaurant is tied to it. I can't imagine they aren't though. Why cause all the name confusion? Glad my useless knowledge could be of some help

36th and Alton NW. New Morning Farm has their stand on the grounds of the Sheridan School. We open at 8. Last week they lasted until around 10, so get there early. I am finishing mine tonight with whipped creme with my new immersion blender.

Glad you enjoyed it. It is amazing this place is still open. The only time it is crowded is on the weekends. They have been around for about 20 years. Some of my earliest sushi memories are of that bar. Next winter go back for the Nabeyaki Udon. Yummmmmm. Hinata is indeed on St. Elmo. Who knew I could think while medicated About three stores in next to the parking lot. Closed on Monday. Excellent natto.

I just can't come up with some witty pun. I tried, but it 'aint happening. Count me in. I'll commit to a some sort of salad that doesn't have tomatoes. It'll depend what I can get at market that week. And babka's cheese boards which I still have from Cheese in the Park Parts I and II. Mktye has to bring the bread You two should come see me Saturday at 36th & Alton. I'll save you some mullberries.

I wish it was cold enough to have a bowl of their udon soup. It comes with tempura and other goodies and perfect for the winter migraine. Now it is just too hot. Try the zaru? soba and shrimp tempurah. They coming with a grate dipping sauce. Perfect for this awful weather. I like it with milk soda. I can't wait to see what I have written today after the drugs have warn off

cough*cough*Busboy*cough*cough

I am on day two of migrane medication so while I am feeling no pain I can't remember much of anything. For some reason St. Elmo comes to mind, but if that's the block Rio Grand used to be on then I'm wrong. If you are going straight on Arlington, once you cross Old Georgetown it becomes this street. But other than that I have no idea.

Daruma is a Japanese market with a noodle counter in the back. The counter is only open until 4. The offer a variety of soba, udon and ramen dishes. They also have some curries and tempura items, but I have never tried them. The noodle soups are wonderful and a great bargin. Nothing is more than $6 and the portion size is quite large. It is not uncommon for me to be the only Westerner eating at the counter. Matuba is one the other side of Old Georgetown and has been around forever. It makes Washingtonian's Cheap Eats list pretty much every year. The menu is standard Japanese fair with a good sushi bar. During the week T-F they have an all you can eat sushi on a conveyer belt deal at lunch. It's around $15 and not really worth it. There are about half a dozen varieties of fish, tempura, salad and oranges. The quality is lower than what you find in the front of the house. If you do decide to go, get there early. Otherwise you spend forever standing around watching other people eat. My personal favorite and hidden secret is Aji Nippon. It is on Arlington Blvd. right next to the shopping center Daruma is in. To me this is the best sushi around. The fish is always top quality and the prices are very reasonable. They have a number of dishes that you don't normally find at Japanese restaurants in the US. Ikura oroshi, grated radish with salmon roe is one of my favorites. The sushi is not standard to what you find in most sushi joints. The pieces are smaller and the balls of rice properly made. If you just want take out sushi, Hinata is an excellent choice. It is a small Japanese grocery store with a good sushi bar in the back. The chef used to run the sushi bar at Cameron's seafood about 7 years ago. The quality of fish is good and you can by raw fish to make sushi at home. The owner will also sell you sushi rice and will help you figure out what else you need. I head to Hinata when I am making sushi at home. Finally, there is Tako Grill onWisconsin. Great sake drinks, very good sushi, freshly grated wasabi and a variety of items (including fugu) that you can't always find. If you are going on the weekend I highly recommend reservations. They have a number of tables that are great for big groups (I've celebrated a number of birthday's there) in the sake bar. This concludes hillvalley's Eating Japanese in Bethesda tour. Tips are appreciated.

If you are ready to spend a whole weekend day together, what about a drive out to Virginia's wine country? Most places offer tastings for about $5. You could bring along a picknick or visit vineyards near Sunnyside's Burger Barn for lunch.

We took my dad out to the Burger Barn for father's day after checking out a local vineyard. The burgers were wonderful although not as thick as I would prefer. There are a few other choices on the menu, veggie burgers are the only one I remember. When we gave our order they did not ask us how we wanted our meat cook so we told her. One rare, one medium and one well done. They were all cooked to perfection but the cook did not tell the girl behind the counter which was which. My medium was obvious because I ordered cheese on mine (cheddar, not as strong as I like for my burgers). But my dad ended up eating his well done burger as my mother likes it (just ketchup) and my mom ended up eating her rare the way dad likes it (just mustard). The sides were tiny and disappointing. Not worth the money. Fries would have made the meal perfect. I was dissapointed in selection behind the meat counter. I could get the same product at Dupont. The prices seemed about the same, but that is just a guess. There were a few products in the market that I had never seen before, but for the most part the selection was similar to what you find at Whole Foods.

Me too. About 6 years ago I taught a friend who was a junior in high school how to flip after he spent a half hour watching me sautee onions in awe. The last time I saw him he told me that when he wants to impress a girl he cooks her dinner. If she is impressed with his skill or can do it herself she's a keeper. If not, oh well.

I miss the Willard holiday parties. Before 9/11 they were the best gastronomic party of the season. Succulent lamb chops, sushi made to order and of course bananas foster. One year I ate 3 dozen oysters on the half shell. Oh, those were the days.

It would be a very long trek on the bike, but on Georgia Ave, right past Sniders, there is a great ice cream place. I think it is York castle, but don't quote me on that! Of course I can't remember the name, but they have the most amazing flavors. The specialize in tropical fruit flavors, with an emphasis on Jaimacan fruits. Their mango milkshakes are out of this world. Let me know if you need a ride

Wouldn't that be provolone wit?

Ummm...... I sure did. Nice to know that I have a fan or two after 25 years, though. I bet you have more than one or two. At least four or five

I disagree. For a number of reasons. First of all, a large part of the minibar experience for me was the fact that I was able to talk with the chef. As a student of the craft, I looked foward to being able to discuss my meal with the chef. Instead I found a chef who came across as somewhat demeaning and uninterested in what we had to say. I have no problem with chefs not wanting to talk with their customers. That's why they are in the back of the house. And yes, when there is not a language barrier, I do discuss sush and Japanese cuisine with the sushi chef. I am also surprised that conversing with the chefs is not considered part of the minibar experience. Why bother using the bar seating if not to invite conversation. Jose had to know that there would be people as knowledgeable as eGer's are coming to dine at Minibar. Second, Minibar is cutting edge cuisine. I would hope that the chefs who are preparing the food have studied it's history. In my job I am often have the latest techniques and toold at my disposal. Part of understanding what I am doing is to know the history of the methods I use. I am better at my job because I understand the foundation of my methods. tarka, thank you for your posts. Without oposing points of view eG would be a very dull place.