What I Ate for Dinner :: Mourayo

Soupies Sharas: Grilled cuttlefish, herb flavored evoo; spinach | $14

Kypriako Haloumi me Sousami: Sesame crusted Cypriot haloumi cheese; mixed grilled vegetables | $10

Mourayo
1732 Connecticut Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20009

What I Made for Dessert :: Lemon, Ricotta, and Almond Flourless Cake

http://cakeletsanddoilies.blogspot.com/2013/07/lemon-ricotta-and-almond-flourless-cake.html

What I Made for Dinner :: Moroccan Chicken with Carrot Puree

http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Moroccan-Chicken-With-Carrot-Puree

What I Ate for Lunch :: Shake Shack @ Nationals Stadium

What I Ate for Lunch :: Oakville Grill & Wine Bar

I forgot to take a picture of my burger, but it was hardly memorable so it doesn't matter. (The burger my husband concocted last week was far superior. And I asked for Cheddar cheese, not American -- I know the difference!) A lot of people at my table ordered salads and those looked pretty good, especially the shrimp and scallops ones. Oh yes, we also shared the Ahi Tuna Carpaccio appetizer, which was pretty decent.

The apple pie a la mode was better; it wasn't too sweet and had a nice caramelized flavor to it. But it's huge and I think the portion is too large (and expensive -- $8) for lunch. (I couldn't finish the last couple of bites, which is unusual for me.)

It's a perfectly serviceable restaurant but I'm too cheap to want to come back. I'd rather go to a more hole-in-the-wall restaurant in Wheaton, but that's a personal preference. I will say the service was good and our server was friendly and attentive.

Oakville  Grill & Wine Bar
10257 Old Georgetown Road
Bethesda, Maryland 20814

What I Ate for Lunch :: Saffron Indian Cuisine

The year-end lunch for my women's club cooking groups was at Saffron Indian Cuisine in Falls Church. We had the lunch buffet but I'm not sure how much it is because we paid a set price as a group (and the price isn't on the website).

There was a nice selection and I got super full just trying a bite or two of most of the dishes. I particularly liked the Karara Palak Chaat, which is batter-fried spinach with a mango chutney; the Mulligatawny soup made with yellow lentils; and the goat Kadai (the goat is tossed in a wok with onions, tomatoes, green peppers, and Garam Masala). Our group also ordered shrimp curry and Kulcha (cheese/paneer-stuffed naan), which aren't part of the buffet.

I thought it was all pretty good, but the flavor was probably enhanced the company and the fun I was having talking to my friends.

Saffron Indian Cuisine
1077 West Broad Street
Falls Church, Virginia 22046

What We Ate for Dinner :: Frankly ... Pizza!

I've had Frankly ... Pizza! on my to-try list for awhile since seeing it mentioned online last year. But, frankly (ha! see what I did there?), I'm not a huge pizza fan. So it took a mention in this month's Washingtonian Magazine '100 Places to Eat Great Cheap' article to get us there.

It was Sunday evening (around 6:45) of Memorial Day Weekend so it was kind of packed. I'm not sure how busy it normally is, but I imagine there's usually a wait because it's a small place. We waited outside for less than 20 minutes but had to wait another 20-25 minutes before our food came. But, again, it was busy and they bake each pizza in their wood-fired oven, which isn't that big. We sipped one of their yummy homemade sodas (Cherry Fizz | $3.50) while we waited.

We dove right in when the pizzas arrived and they were pretty darn good. Our favorite was the Spinach White Pizza (mozzarella, fresh garlic, caramelized onions, spinach, Gruyere, lemon, Romano | $13), but the other pizzas we ordered were good too (Pepperoni | $13.50, Garlic with extra house-made sausage | $13, and Mushroom | $14).

The staff was really friendly and the restaurant had a true neighborhood vibe to it, which I like. But I'm torn because we ended up spending close to $70 (with tax and tip) for a pizza dinner. And on our budget, that's a luxury. I'm afraid we won't be able to indulge too often at Frankly ... Pizza! but we certainly recommend it for those of you in the area.

Frankly ... Pizza!
10417 Armory Avenue
Kensington, MD 20895

What I Made for Dinner :: Cheeseburgers

Making burgers at home is so easy and usually better (and cheaper) than getting it at a restaurant. My husband mixed up ground beef (85%) with Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, thyme, ground black pepper, Lawry's Seasoning Salt, and mustard powder. He grilled the burgers on our barbecue, of course.

For the toppings, I cooked some bacon, sauteed onions (in the bacon grease), cut up some vegetables (lettuce, Campari tomatoes, and avocado), and fried up an egg (for me). We used mild cheddar cheese instead of American cheese.

What I Made for Dinner :: Chicken Baked in White Wine, Olive Oil, and Parmigiano-Reggiano

http://www.alexandracooks.com/2010/09/22/chicken-legs-baked-with-white-wine-olive-oil-making-the-most-of-a-whole-chicken-part-two/

What I Ate for Breakfast :: Strawberry Castella

[I had my sister & mom bring back this seasonal strawberry castella from Mujirushi in Japan (aka Muji in the US).]

What I Made for Dinner :: Shrimp and Andouille Gumbo

I'm in one of the cooking groups for my women's club, and a couple of months back we learned some dishes from New Orleans. The gumbo recipe we used was based on this recipe from Emeril Lagasse, with a few tweaks.

Since then, I've been craving gumbo and I decided to make it this weekend before the weather warms up too much. I tweaked it further because the dish would've been pretty expensive to make otherwise. I omitted a whole bunch of the seafood, lessened the amount of shrimp, and swapped the chorizo for andouille. And my understanding is that it's sacrilegious to use both okra and filé powder, but I did anyway because the amount of okra I used wasn't enough to thicken the gumbo to the consistency I like, and the filé imparts a nice earthy aroma.

But one of the things I want to mention here is that it is hard to use whole wheat (WW) flour to make a roux! Usually, when you make a roux with bleached all-purpose (AP) flour, you can use color to gauge its "doneness." But with WW, it's brown almost immediately and you have to go by time and smell, which can be difficult. I felt like I was screwing up the roux because I had no clue when it was done. Besides the fact that I think I added too much oil and it looked too liquidy to me. In the end, I added more flour, soaked up most of the oil with multiple paper towels, and used less than half of the remaining chocolate-colored roux. I tasted it a bit (and it is not tasty!) to make sure it wasn't too burnt, and then proceeded with the recipe. Next time, I'm sticking to AP.

In the end, though, the dish tasted great and I'm so glad we have leftovers!

What I Ate for Lunch :: various dishes with herbs

[lavender cupcakes]

I'm in one of the cooking groups for my women's club and this month's theme was cooking with herbs. Besides these adorable mini lavender cupcakes, we also made rosemary & spice-roasted cashews, herb and ricotta crostini, salad with herb vinaigrette, and herb-infused salmon en papillote (you can even cook it in the microwave!).

What I Ate for Dinner :: Roasted Duck and Shrimp Dumplings with Noodles in Soup

[Roasted Duck and Noodles in Soup with extra Shrimp Dumplings $11.45]

Hint: Don't order the Shrimp Dumplings and Noodles in Soup with extra Duck because you'll end up paying an extra dollar for it!

Full Key Restaurant

2227 University Boulevard, W.

Wheaton, Maryland 20902

What I Ate for Lunch :: Obento

[clam soup, pork belly, chawanmushi, Obento box with teriyaki chicken, salmon, lotus root, edamame salad, and rice with pickles]

The women's club I'm in plans a special luncheon twice a year: in the fall, the American members host the Japanese members, and, in the spring, the Japanese members host the American members. Today, I was invited to the home of a member in Potomac where we were treated to a delicious -- and beautiful -- lunch presented in a Makunouchi-style bento box.

What I Ate for Lunch :: Jaleo

[flauta with Jamón serrano and Manchego cheese, Tortilla de patatas, bean salad (I forgot what it was called)]

My mom and I took advantage of the pretty decent lunch deal for Bethesda Row Restaurant Week and ate at Jaleo. My mom also had the gazpacho and garlic shrimp, and I started off lunch with the cod and potato fritters.

What I Baked for Dessert :: Banana-Oat Snack Cake

Banana-Oat Snack Cake
from Bon Appétit magazine

What I Made for Dinner :: Passover Dinner

[leg of lamb with garlic and rosemary, potato kugel, salad, gefilte fish, sauteed mushrooms and carrots, roasted asparagus]

What I Baked for Dessert :: Lemon Tart with Basil Nut Crust

Lemon Tart with Basil Nut Crust

from the Kosher Baker

What We Ate for Dinner :: Food Wine & Co

[Maya and I enjoyed the grilled calamari appetizer and the flat iron steak. My father-in-law's red snapper (that day's fish special) and my husband's duck breast were also excellent. The mixed berry cobbler and mango mousse for dessert were delectable and perfect to share for our group of six.]

Food Wine & Co
7272 Wisconsin Avenue
Bethesda, MD 20814

What I Ate for Lunch :: Crepe

[Old Towner savory crêpe: ham, sautéed spinach, and caramelized onions]

Fontaine Caffe & Crêperie
119 South Royal Street
Alexandria, VA 22314

[Afterwards, we enjoyed Japanese tea and yokan at our friend's house.]