hillvalley

Blue crabs from the Chesapeak cooked in Old Bay.

sheribabee, what a horrible story. I asked my friend who is an organic farmer if this is a worthy excuse and her reply was "did they wash the lettuce?" I, too, can't remember the name of the restaurant. My worst meal was at the Japanese restaurant on Wisconsine Ave. down the street from the Volvo dealership in Tenleytown. Bad sushi led to worse case of food poisoning I have ever had. I guess it is not surprising that we forget the names of these places. I have to take a moment to defend Marty's, even though I haven't been there yet. I know the history of that block better than you can imagine and it has been a long time since a place like this was attempted and succeeded. That location (the three blocks of 8th from I to Penn. Ave.) seems to have a continous stream of unsuccessful restaurants. Anyone remember the Thai/Mexican place? I have heard from people who have dined that while the service needs some work, the food is good. Not fancy, just good American food. Let's just hope that they have it figured out before the parades at the Marine Barracks starts up again. The neighborhood needs some good luck right about now, and deserves it. Keep your fingers crossed.

I've seen it at a number of Whole Foods markets in DC and Maryland. It is in the same aisle as the eggs and yogurt. How would you compare pomegranate juice to cranberry juice? What is the consistency?

Would you recommend the Basics or Simple Recipes? They look like something that I should have in my own collection. Having suffered through countless boring Sundays where my mother and I were glued to the couch watching Julia on PBS, I am afraid that my sister will run away screaming. I however, love it dearly. Diana is my kind of girl. My mother never understood where her Bon Appetittes would disappear to until she caught me late one night with her stash. If she only knew what a great Christmas present she was getting. Thanks for all the great advice. Keep it coming!

My sister just discovered cooking last week. So far she has made stir fry and tried her own tomato sauce, which she burned. She has announced to our family that I am allowed to buy her one cookbook for Channukah and that is it. My question is, which book should it be? I am looking for a basic cookbook and am leaning towards Joy of Cooking. She needs a book that has the basics, like how to cook a potato, but has room to expand, should she feel so inclined. Thoughts, suggestions?

I have a craving question. Do you get your cravings before your period, during or both? For me it is the week before with a little bit during the week of. Anyone else? By the way, I LOVE this thread! Can't wait to go back and read it all!

I thought I was craving Tex-Mex, which is patiently waiting for me to inhale but... After reading Susan's post I am now craving hash browns and bacon. Think I can make it to the Midwest and back to DC by 8:30am tomorrow? I am also craving sushi and spent the day sneaking mini Snickers bars when my students weren't watching. Just realized that I have no chocolate in the house. Ahhhhhhhhh!

Market Lunch in Eastern Market is a great place for a very casual meal. The crab cakes and fried oysters are delicious, and brunch is great. The greens are as good as it gets and the french fries beat anything else on the Hill. The Mexican place across the street has amazing tamales. If you need a nicer meal Monmatre down the street is as good as it gets on the Hill, which is good, but not great. It's a very hit and miss French restaurant. Considering how well the rest of DC eats it is a little surprising how mediocre most of the food on the Hill is. But if your expectations aren't as high as they would be elsewhere in the city, you will do okay.

Are you talking about Saki on 18th? Checked it out last night but ended up eating at Cafe Sofia (bad meal, don't bother). My friend and I were turned off by the chef who was standing in the entrance hall smoking a cigarette. (I am assuming he is the chef since he was wearing a chef's uniform and called it "my restaurant".) We watched him walk toward the sushi bar with the cigarette in his mouth and decided that his food wasn't worth damaging our lungs.

Congrats!!!! Sounds like your hard work is really paying off. That has got feel really good.

They sound amazing. Can you get them in the US? Is there a website that sells them? What term should I use in my search?

My personal litmus tests are as the following: I take my Japanese cousin when he is in town. If he would eat there again, I know if it good. Since he lives on the other side of the country I use this one more frequently. I will order natto maki (fermented soy beans) as soon as I sit down. If they know what I am talking about I will give it a try. If they have no idea what I am talking about I walk out. I realize that neither of these tests involve actually eating the fish but my cousin has never been wrong and if a Japanese restaurant has never heard of natto then I am guessing that the chef has not had the level of sushi training that I prefer. Yes, I am making yet another generalization, but since it is one that helps me to avoid being violently ill I have no problem making it.

Welcome to the club. Oh the places you will go. Suggestion for trying out risotto recipes. When I figured out how easy and fun it was to make I did a risotto tasting party. I picked out four recipes where the ingredients other than the risotto were added at the end, whipped up a big plain batch and then doctored away. It was a great way to figure out which versions to try again and my roommates did not make me take out the trash for a whole month!

Welcome to the club. Oh the places you will go. Suggestion for trying out risotto recipes. When I figured out how easy and fun it was to make I did a risotto tasting party. I picked out four recipes where the ingredients other than the risotto were added at the end, whipped up a big plain batch and then doctored away. It was a great way to figure out which versions to try again and my roommates did not make me take out the trash for a whole month!

nominee, most useful and enticing thread, 2003 I second the nomination and the Eastern Market suggestion.

I have a question about a Moyashi dish so I thought I would post it here. Kristin let me know if you want me to start a new thread. Here in the US many Japanese restaurants start the meal with a small dish of moyashi with a light soy based dressing. (I am pretty sure it is moyahsi, based upon the pictures on this thread). Is this a traditional Japanese dish and custom (presenting a small dish of somesort, or is it yet another Americanization? Is there a basic recipe? If you eat more than a small bowl to you get sick of it really easily?

I've eaten unusually well the last few days.... Monday-Bowl of rice dressed with soy sauce, rice wine vinegar and wasabi topped with ikura (salmon roe) and nori Tuesda-A dozen and a half oysters on the half shell and a dozen clams baked in tomato sauce (my speciality) with a arugela salad and a baguette Wednesday-Flank steak salad

Just one more vote for using Costco salmon. I have used it for catering jobs and personal use without a problem. I like to add a bit of vodka if the meal does not include children. Definitely keep the skin on, it will make slicing at the end much easier. Have fun!

Some of my earliest and happiest memories are of making peanut butter and mayo with my mom. As a result I cannot eat the jarred version of either. Why not pick a few things, bread, peanut butter, mayo and cookies for example, and go from there? You might want to check out co-ops, like the one in Bethesda, to buy some bulk items. I also would not limit the cuisines you cook at home. Eating different foods is a great way to introduce your kids to other cultures without leaving home. It sounds like your kids are already great eaters, so why limit them?Growing up I never realized that other familes did not eat hummus (also very easy and fun to make at hone) and egg rolls for dinner, although not at the same time. As for too many condiments I have 4 bottles of olive oil, 3 types of mustard and 5 types of vinegar and I am only cooking for one!

I have a few questions about fresh v. packaged tofu. What are the differences in flavor and texture? How long does each last? What is the best way to store them both? (I assume in the liquid it comes in, but are there any other tricks?) Which is better for miso soup? Thanks

Thank you for all of the wonderful descriptions. Since my budget won't allow a visit for a while (I am talking years) reading your descriptions is the next best thing. Keep them coming!

When I played lacrosse in high school our coach had a freezer full of the yellow Gatorade (Powerade was still just a glimmer in a CEO's mind.....). We lived off this stuff, partly because we could stick it in the freezer and not worry about it turning to ice. I shutter to think of what four seasons worth of Gatorade has done to my body.

I work at a farmer's market on the weekend and bring my plastic bags with me to reuse for our customers. I also make a point of putting heavy or sturdy items in one bag and lighter or delicate items in another. This is to avoid the inevitable smushing of lighter/delicate items during the car ride home. I also count back the change. Many customers thank me for doing so and comment on how few people do that today. I guess it is just another lost art. On the other hand, I hoard my paper bags that have handles on them. They are perfect for sending home art projects my students have created. These bags are also great at the end of the school year to send home all the work, projects, etc. that never got sent home during the previous eight months.

Roasted organic purple potatoes and garlic with a baguette to sop up the evoo and garlic with......

Snowangle beat me to this one. I work at a farmer's market and we have a few families who always come by at the end to get the "end of market" discount. We make sure to keep a few things to the side that they would miss otherwise. Bringing small children helps too. By the way, I started working at my market so I could get a discount on the veggies.