Sidra's Food, Flowers and Garden

BLOG HAS MOVED

2010-08-02T06:46:00.002-04:00

My blog and all the archives can be found at sidrapractice.com. The move erased all previous subscriptions so if you would like, please subscribe or re-subscribe by clicking on a subscribe button on the right hand side of my new site.
Thanks
sidra

Friday July 23, 2010

2010-07-25T21:24:00.004-04:00

July is not the busiest cooking month for us which is always a bit frustrating because food is fantastic this time of year. Figs, greens, okra and herbs are coming from our own garden and the offerings from our friends at Path Valley Cooperative are extensive...I had a choice this week of 15 types of beets! We were happy to cook three times last week for enthusiastic eaters– 2 Home Restaurants and one Nomadic Restaurant. Below is the food and wine we served on Friday night.

passing
Whitmore Farms chicken liver with garlic, lemon and fennel
Whitmore Farms scrambled eggs and sorrel
Whitmore Farms bbq rabbit
Whitmore Farms grilled goat on kohlrabi
Figs with cabbage and radish
Chilled beet soup with cauliflower
Stuffed squash blossom

Lavender Vodka Martini
(Cuilleron) ROSE 'Sybel' VDP des Collines Rhodaniennes 2009

seated
Eco Friendly Foods beef sirloin with tiny potato, fermented grains, chives and parsley
(Pierre Gauthier) Bourgeuil "Vingt Lieux Dits" 2006

Purslane, tomato, peas, figs, green beans, corn, arugula and basil salad
(DeAngelis) Passerina DOC Offida 2009

Pacific black cod, okra, eggplant, carrot, blackened onion and baby red kale
(Regis Forey) Nuits Saint Georges AOC 2006

Ardrahan Cheese on a Walnut Cracker

Corn cake with raspberries, black berries, frozen maple syrup and caramelized pecans
(Tissot) Cremant du Jura "Indigene" NV

Friday June 4, 2010

2010-07-17T14:24:00.001-04:00

A friends husband contacted me a couple months ago asking if we would be doing a Home Restaurant on Friday June 4 because he wanted to surprise his wife with dinner at 1508 as a birthday gift. This seemed like a great reason to schedule an open Home Restaurant for that night. The rest of the guests who made reservations were a mix of old friends and others that we met for the first time on Friday night...all were first time Home Restaurant goers.

One of our guests generously offered to coordinate with our menu and Tom (who helps us select wines to match our food) and contribute wines for a couple courses. He made two excellent choices from wines he had in his cellar– the champagne for the passing and the pinot that we served with the Halibut course. Enjoyed by all, both were great additions to the meal.

Below is the menu with wine pairings...

Passing
Egg and Sorrel Mousse
Beet Noodles with French Breakfast Radish and Parsley
Barbeque Whitmore Farm Rabbit
Asparagus with Garlic Scapes and Basil
Chilled Baby Zucchini Soup with Black Rice Cream
Basil Lime Vodka Martini
Henriot Brut Milliseme Champagne 1996 (Magnum)

Seated
Eco Friendly Foods Sirloin with Pea Shoot, English Peas, Sno Peas and Small Tomatoes Salad
(Roucas Toumba) Vacqueyras "Cabassoles" 2007

Pasta with Black Truffles, Stinging Nettles, Squash Blossoms, Morels and Porcini
(Mestre-Michelot) Meursault "Narvaux" 2006

Pacific Halibut with Saffron Mashed Potatoes, Spinach, Fennel and Leeks
Ken Wright, Canary Hill, Pinot Noir 1999 (Magnum)

Tome de Recollets with Walnut Cracker

Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble with Frozen Coconut and Candied Pistachio
(Grange Tiphaine) Nouveau Nez - Sparkling Montlouis 2008

Tiny Chocolate Birthday Cake with Candle and Small Cookies

Farm at Walker Jones

2010-07-15T21:02:00.016-04:00

After months of talking there was finally some digging...
Very Exciting!

Non Dairy Milk and Yogurt

2010-07-14T10:07:00.005-04:00

We have a few cooking projects that we are working on this summer. We have made non dairy milk before but have never come up with a specific recipe that we could regularly make to have in our pantry in lieu of buying cartons of milk. This milk will now be incorporated into our larder.

Non-Dairy Milk:

2 cups cashews
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup pearled barley
1 cup brown rice

1.Place cashews in a large bowl and cover with 6 cups of boiling water. Let sit for 20 minutes to an hour.

2.Place oats, barley and rice in a large pot. Add 9 cups of water, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and let cook for 3 minutes. Cover mixture and let sit for 10 minutes. Letting this mixture sit longer will result in a thicker milk. Do not worry if the grains do not seem completely cooked they are ideal for extracting milk.

3.Place the grain mixture in a high power blender, I suggest at Vita Mix. Blend in batches for 30 seconds each. Strain mixture through a very fine strainer, discard the solid and keep the liquid.

4.Wash the blender thoroughly. Blend the cashew mixture until completely smooth and there is no remaining grainy-ness, about 2 minutes.

5.Combine the cashew and the grain mixture, chill your milk. This might be more of a cream like texture. If this mixture is too thick for your taste or desired use it can be thinned slightly with filtered water.

Non dairy yogurt has always been illusive because what is available at the market has lots of sugar. We are thrilled to have this as an option.

Non Dairy Yogurt:

9 cups non dairy milk (see recipe above)
1 cup yogurt starter (for first batch you can purchase any non dairy live yogurt for subsequent batches you can save 1 cup of your own yogurt to use as the starter) at room temperature

1.Heat milk to 110 degrees. Wisk in yogurt starter. Pour yogurt into glass or plastic containers, leaves lids ajar, partially covering the mixture but allowing air into the yogurt as well.

2.Let containers sit in a warm place at room temperature until yogurt reaches desired sourness and thickness. This will take anywhere from 8-20 hours. Cover with lids and refrigerate.

Vegan Class, Thursday July 8th

2010-07-11T22:36:00.004-04:00

Thursday morning a great group of women came over to 1508 to talk about vegan food, vegan cooking and then we sat down to eat what we had prepared…while continuing to talk.

Luckily Suzanne was part of the group and took notes to help document the discussion…

As everyone gathered I asked what had drawn them to spend a good part of the day talking about vegan food. The answers were varied but everyone was interested in at least incorporating more vegan food into their diets. This led to a discussion about how each of us needs to determine a way of eating that works for us as individuals. This method of eating needs to take into consideration your metabolism, lifestyle, desires, schedule…Basically each of us needs to determine what feels right.

While preparing and enjoying lunch we talked about, among other things:
-Nutrition, sources of protein (beans, nuts, grains)
-Satisfaction, nut purees were of great interest
-Seasonal Ingredient Driven Food, sources and availability
-Cooking Methods
1. Roast, grapeseed oil, salt and pepper
2. Pickle/Marinate (raw), salt, pepper, acid (vinegar or lemon juice) and oil
3. Boil or Soak (mostly grains or beans), salt and pepper
4. Seasoning, allium, herbs, spices, vinegars and oils
-Processed vegan food and how to avoid
-Sweeteners, vegan sugar, agave nectar, honey, maple syrup, stevia
-Soy how much is good? How much is too much?
-Benefits of coconuts, especially young coconuts
-Setting up a vegan friendly pantry

Beforehand, John helped me prep a bunch of ingredients to facilitate the discussion and the lunch…
Grains (except where noted we cooked one cup of grains with 2 cups of water and 1 teaspoon salt)
Cracked wheat- pour 1 ½ cups hot water over and let sit until absorbed, about 5 minutes
Red lentils- bring to boil take off heat and let sit in water (drain sooner or later depending on desired texture)
Quinoa- cooking time depends on your desired final consistency
Brown rice- bring rice and 1 ½ cups water to boil, cover, turn to simmer, cook for 20 minutes, turn off heat and let sit for 10 minutes.
Farro – cook until soft, about 15 minutes
Barley- cook until soft, about 15 minutes

Nuts (soaked in water for a couple hours and then pureed in Vita Mix Blender)
cashew
pistachio
almond

Seeds (made into dressings)
pumpkin seed dressing
1 cup pumpkin seeds
1 tablespoon olive oil
¼ cup plus 2 teaspoons water
½ teaspoon salt

sesame dressing
½ cup tahini
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons water
1/4 teaspoon salt

Vegetables
Tomato, Fava Beans, English Pea, Sno Peas, Pea Shoots, Fennel, Leeks, Baby Beet with Greens, Carrots, Cucumbers, Purple and Yukon Gold Potatoes, Kohlrabi

While talking Thursday morning we prepared:
-walnut whole wheat bread, follow this link to a blog post I wrote about bread...the last paragraph has a recipe

-water soup, water, roasted garlic, caramelized onions, thyme, rosemary, sage, tiny potatoes and baby carrots

-red lentils with sorrel, farro and olive oil

-roasted baby purple and Yukon gold potatoes with pumpkin seed dressing and fresh chives

-roasted snow peas with barley, walnut vinegar and cider vinegar

-pursalane with kohlrabi, small tomatoes, fresh mint, parsley, lemon and olive oil

-roasted baby beets and tops with basil, balsamic and pistachio cream seasoned with pink Himalayan salt

-english peas, fava beans with cracked wheat, thyme, olive oil and sherry vinegar

-black and red raspberries with cashew cream (sweetened with maple syrup)

-oatmeal cookies
2 1/2 cup oatmeal
1/4 cup soy, almond or rice milk
1/4 cup grapeseed or olive oil
1/2 tablespoons baking powder
1 tablespoon agave nectar or honey
2/3 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
(add anything...dark chocolate chips, dried fruit, spices, puree fresh herbs with sugar...)

1.Combine all ingredients in a mixer and mix until about half of the oatmeal is broken into small pieces.
2.Bake individual cookies in a 350 degree oven until they are golden brown around the edges, about 12 minutes.

-chocolate white poppy seed shortbread

-salty rosemary walnut biscotti, follow link for this recipe and other vegan cookies

Great way to spend the day. I look forward to more discussions like this in the future.

Grandmothers Pink Peonies

2010-07-10T15:48:00.013-04:00

These fabulous photos by Jennifer Domenick are from one of my June weddings. As I often say, I love doing flowers for weddings because of the collaboration. This wedding was just that...the brides bouquet and some of the other arrangements contained pink peonies from the brides grandmothers garden. The flower were carefully picked and wrapped by the brides mother who brought them to me to store until the wedding day (picked at marshmallow stage, wrapped in newspaper and stored in a cooler for a few weeks).

This wedding was the first time that I had worked with Jennifer Domenick of Love Life Images. The images below are stunning, to see more from the wedding check out Jennifer's blog posting about the event.

Thank you to Aimee and Danielle who I adore working with from Aimee Dominick events, as usual they took care of every detail–

Yeast, Fungi and Curing Diseases??

2010-06-24T17:47:00.005-04:00

I make bread all the time and have a fascination and respect for yeast. I am not sure if I knew before reading this article but yeast is fungi– something else I have fascination and respect for–thinking about how yeast could potentially cure degenerative diseases... Olivia Judson, who I am a big fan of recently wrote an article about all of this called "Bubbles, Bread and Beer"...I really enjoyed reading it.

May Wedding– Dressing at The Tabard Inn and Wedding at The Darlington House

2010-06-23T11:30:00.007-04:00

Just got some more photos today from a recent wedding...there have been a bunch ...tis the season.

I particularly loved this bouquet, much of it came from my own downtown garden...the popcorn hydrangea, mint, peonies and blueberries. My daughter was not thrilled that I cut from the blueberry plant for a bouquet before the berries had a chance to ripen! I will be sure to get her plenty from the farmers market this weekend.

Kate Headley's gorgeous photographs are below. You can find additional photographs from this wedding on her blog here. Kate shoots lots of her photographs with film, a rarity these days, at this wedding she used two of her favorite cameras the Twinlens Rolleiflex and the Contax 645--both use medium format film.

Deep in the Wedding Season, May Newseum

2010-06-22T00:00:00.009-04:00

I have not been blogging much the last several weeks...from spring through mid-summer all my worlds collide with flowers, gardens and food in full swing.

A glimpse of what I have been up to can be gleaned through the fabulous photos below taken by Jay Premack (to see more of his photos from the wedding click here).

I really enjoyed this one. The bride was a joy to get to know, great team for the wedding–immaculate planning by Aimee Dominick and the dramatic setting of the Newseum...

There were so many fun touches including the terrarium wishing table, grass for place cards, eclectic vases with bountiful spring flowers...
More glimpses of weddings and musings about food to follow soon!

Impruneta Terracotta

2010-06-01T20:13:00.004-04:00

I have planted several container gardens this season. One was a large outdoor kitchen and fireplace area that was begging for the warmth of plantings. I collaborated with the family who lives there and we decided to use a variety of containers made of heavy glazed pottery, copper and terracotta. They wanted all the pots to be maintenance free and durable with year round plantings. We talked about different varieties of terracotta– the inexpensive terracotta readily available vs. Impruneta terracotta.

Impruneta terracotta comes from the Tuscan village of Impruneta which is unique because the clay from there has a high concentration of minerals including iron, calcium and aluminum. The result is that the pots are much stronger than other terracotta pots and can be very large since the weight of the clay does not compromise the structure of the pot. These pots are able to withstand negative 20 degree Fahrenheit temperatures without damage. All of the pots are made by hand and are available in a great variety of sizes and shapes as well as custom sizes. One of the many things I love about these pots is that since they are hand made each is a bit different. I have used Impruneta terracotta for projects before but this time I got them from a different company, Tuscan Imports. They were efficient and a pleasure to work with and their pots are priced less expensively than others. The beauty and scale of the many pieces that I got were impressive.

3 Birthdays

2010-05-25T14:48:00.004-04:00

We celebrated a couple of May birthdays...and one that was rescheduled from the February blizzard this past week. It is an honor to be part of celebrations. All three birthdays this weekend were a pleasure– made up of some people who we just met for the first time this weekend and many who we have been fortunate to get to know over the last year since we have been cooking at home.

We served many firsts of the season- tomatoes, baby zucchini, porcinis, celery, squash blossoms, rabbit, summer truffles...We are looking forward to another birthday dinner for an old friend this weekend.

The menus were all a bit different– here is Saturday nights food and wine:

Passing
BBQ Whitmore Farms Rabbit
Scrambled Eggs with Sorrel
Kaleidoscope Carrot Soup
Asparagus with Lemon and Garlic Chives
(Caves Jean Bourdy) Cremant du Jura Brut NV

Seated
Wild King Salmon with Beets, Beet Ketchup, Spring Onion and Summer Truffle
(Gerard Boulay) Sancerre ROSE 2008

Pasta with Baby Zucchini, Squash Blossoms, Young Garlic, and Porcini
(Vercesi) Pinot Nero Bianco "Gugiarolo" 2008

Pork Chop with Red Mustard Greens, Grits, Leeks and Celery
(Dom. des Hauts Chassis) Crozes Hermitage "Les Chassis" 2007

Tome des Recolletes with Olive Oil Cracker

Strawberry Pie with Frozen Mint Coconut and Candied Pistachios
(Grange Tiphaine) Nouveau Nez - Sparkling Montlouis 2008
Tiny Chocolate Birthday Cake

Cookies: Lavender Oatmeal, Peppermint Chocolate Chip, Salty Rosemary Walnut Biscotti

Spring Wedding

2010-05-14T11:07:00.011-04:00

A few flower photos from a wedding this spring at The Fairmont Hotel.
Thank you to Alejo and Theresa of Flutter Photo for the fabulous photos...and congratulations to them on their marriage this weekend!

Overfished Species

2010-05-07T23:28:00.003-04:00

We are fortunate to get both our fish as well as fish information from Jim Chambers. These days between health and environmental concerns it is complicated knowing which fish to eat.
Wanted to share a recent email he sent:

If you ever want to know which popular fish species are still in trouble (due to very low population levels) and have been listed by the federal government as "Overfished" in the annual report to Congress, see this link, then for the detailed list, choose FSSI and non FSSI Stocks.

The list is arranged by geographic region with the Northeast first, followed by the Southeast, then Gulf of Mexico, etc.

To understand how severely some populations have declined, look at the Bmsy ratio (next to far right column). A Bmsy of 1.00 means the population is "healthy" (as a fisheries biologist would say, it's at its Maximum Sustainable Yield). When Bmsy gets down to 0.05, it is nearing extinction. Anything below 1.00 is officially "overfished," which in itself is not too bad (as it can be rebuilt by controlling fishing pressure), but when it gets down below 0.50 things are getting very serious. Below 0.10, the population may never recover even if all fishing were to stop.

Seafood Guide
For a quick way to evaluate various seafood choices, I recommend using the Blue Ocean Institute's Seafood Guide.

All the seafood Prime Seafood offers is from sustainably managed fisheries and they are free of dangerous contaminants. Did you know that the cheap farm-raised salmon which is readily available from seafood vendors contains cancer causing contaminants (PCBs and PAHs) in concentrations high enough that eating "just one 6 oz. meal a month poses a high risk" of cancer?

This time of year we are enjoying Jim's King Salmon, Ivory King Salmon and Pacific Halibut.

Last Weekends Dinner Music

2010-05-03T11:54:00.007-04:00

We cooked a few dinners last week. Monday night was at a friend's home in honor of guests from abroad. Friday night was an open Home Restaurant with some repeat diners and some who joined us for the first time. Saturday night was a joyous 50th birthday celebration.
We love cooking this time of year, the ingredients are exciting...dinners this week included morels, fiddle head ferns, soft shell crabs, ramps, wild shallots, rhubarb, king salmon, fava beans, sorrel, chervil and stinging nettles.

Friday and Saturday nights at the Home Restaurants we dined and cooked to a great play list that John put together:

How Deep Is The Ocean?, Doc Cheatham & Nicholas Payton
Jeepers Creepers, Doc Cheatham & Nicholas
Stardust, Doc Cheatham & Nicholas Payton
Black And Blue (Aka What Did I Do To Be So Black And Blue?), Doc Cheatham & Nicholas Payton
Save It Pretty Mama, Doc Cheatham & Nicholas Payton
Lush Life, John Coltrane & Johnny Hartman
Bye Bye Blackbird, Miles Davis & John Coltrane
Kathy's Waltz, Time Out, The Dave Brubeck Quartet
Ruby My Dear (Take 3), Solo Monk, Thelonious Monk
Summertime, The Blue Note Years - Volume 1 - Boogie Blues & Bop, Sidney Bechet
Moanin', Blue Note Years Vol 2- The Jazz Message (Disc 2), Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers
My One And Only Love, John Coltrane & Johnny Hartman
Everybody's Jumpin', Time Out, The Dave Brubeck Quartet
Cantaloupe Island, Cantaloupe Island, Herbie Hancock
Three To Get Ready, Time Out, The Dave Brubeck Quartet
In A Sentimental Mood, Duke Ellington & John Coltrane
Song For My Father, Blue Note Years- Vol 4 Hard Bop And Beyond (Disc 1), Horace Silver
Monk's Mood, Thelonious Monk
Freddie Freeloader, Kind of Blue, Miles Davis
Off Minor (Take 5), Monk's Music, Thelonious Monk
But Not For Me, My Favorite Things, John Coltrane
Strange Meadow Lark, Time Out, The Dave Brubeck Quartet
Misty, Compact Jazz:, Sarah Vaughan
They Say It's Wonderful, John Coltrane & Johnny Hartman
April In Paris, Thelonious Monk
The Sidewinder, Lee Morgan
Take Five, Time Out, The Dave Brubeck Quartet
Epistrophy, Monk's Music, Thelonious Monk
Goodbye Pork Pie Hat [Unedited Form], Mingus Ah Um [Remastered], Charles Mingus
Watermelon Man, Cantaloupe Island, Herbie Hancock
My Romance (fr Jumbo), Keith Jarrett Foundations, Keith Jarrett
Driftin', Fingerpainting: The Music Of Herbie Hancock, Christian McBride, Nicholas Payton & Mark Whitfield
Dolphin Dance, Fingerpainting, Christian McBride/Nicholas
I Was Doing All Right, Stan Getz & Oscar Peterson Trio
Little Sunflower, Number Two Express, Christian McBride
Fingerpainting, Fingerpainting: The Music Of Herbie Hancock, Christian McBride, Nicholas Payton & Mark Whitfield
Speedball, The Blue Note Years, Vol. 4: Hard Bop & Beyond 1963-1967 [Disc 2], Lee Morgan
Detour Ahead, Stan Getz & Oscar Peterson Trio
A Flower Is A Lovesome Thing, Lush Life: The Music of Billy Strayhorn, Joe Henderson
Asiatic Rates, Goin' Up, Freddie Hubbard
The Eye Of The Hurricane, Fingerpainting: The Music Of Herbie Hancock, Christian McBride, Nicholas Payton & Mark Whitfield
Smells Like Teen Spirit, These Are the Vistas, The Bad Plus
If I Were A Bell, Relaxin' With The Miles Davis Quintet, The Miles Davis Quintet
As Time Goes By, The Other Side Of Round Midnight, Dexter Gordon
All The Things You Are, West Coast Jazz Box (Disc 2), Hampton Hawes Trio
Tea For Two, I Got Rhythm, Vol. 3, Art Tatum
I Fall In Love Too Easily, I Remember Miles, Shirley Horn
Big Nick, Duke Ellington & John Coltrane

A Conversation About Greens

2010-04-27T23:07:00.004-04:00

Today I had the pleasure to speak with a dynamic group of women about greens...some of the group had heard me talk several times over the last few years and some I just met today.
The topic greens...kind of a sprawling topic...
The hostess gathered a fantastic array of oils and vinegars for the event that we used for the demonstration. She provided mason jars so participants could mix their own dressings after lunch and take them home.
I brought a variety of spring greens from Path Valley Cooperative...mum leaves, wild cress, pea shoots, red ribbed dandelion greens, fava bean greens and spinach.
I also brought a soup that I made with stinging nettles that we served in small cups to sip on as the talk began.
I spoke about the individual greens, making salads, cooking greens and making soup. I presented the idea that having great oils, vinegars, salts and freshly ground black pepper in your larder invites experimentation and lots of greens eating. We made a few dressings but instead of giving recipes I encouraged the idea of experimentation and variety.
I also brought some wild ramps, baby leeks and red spring onions that we chopped finely and roasted quickly with a variety of greens in a hot oven.
Conversation was plentiful and jumped from relevant subject to subject including smoke point, sources, nutrition, washing methods of greens, dressings for young picky eaters, organic vs non-organic, olive oil classifications, farm market vs grocery store, how to grow your own...
After talking for a while we got plates of salad greens, wilted greens, whole wheat walnut bread and black bean spread. After the lunch we ate a rhubarb banana crumble with a mint sauce. While enjoying the food the conversation continued.

Recipe sketches from today to use as a starting point for experimentation...

Stinging Nettle Soup
grapeseed oil
1 onion finely sliced
1# clean stinging nettles (if you purchase dirty use rubber gloves to wash because they will irritate your skin)
water
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Heat stock pot over medium high heat. Lightly coat the bottom with grapeseed oil and cook onion until lightly browned. Add stinging nettles and enough water to just submerge the greens. Add some salt, bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Puree until very smooth in a high speed blender. Re-season with salt and pepper and serve.
-You could make this soup with a variety of different greens.

Sesame, Ginger, Rice Wine Vinegar Dressing
2 part sesame paste
2 part rice wine vinegar
1 part sesame oil
1/2 part soy sauce
1 part water
drop of agave nectar
finely grated ginger to taste
salt to taste

Start with these basic proportions, mix thoroughly and then adjust to your personal taste. Sesame paste can be substituted with peanut butter, almond butter or cashew butter.

Rhubarb Crumble
2 1/2 cups oatmeal
1/4 cup milk or soy milk or almond milk
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup sugar plus additional sugar for fruit
2 tablespoons agave nectar or honey
1 teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt
rhubarb sliced
banana sliced

Combine oatmeal, milk, oil, 1/2 cup sugar. agave nectar, baking powder and salt in a mixer and process until oatmeal breaks down into smaller pieces, about 1 minute.
In a large bowl combine rhubarb, banana . Toss fruit with enough sugar for fruit to be lightly coated with sugar (approximately 1 tablespoon of fruit for every 2 cups of fruit).
Place fruit in an oven proof dish and cover with oatmeal topping.
Place in a 350 degree oven and bake until top is golden brown and fruit is soft.
-This cobbler recipe can be used will all types of fresh fruit, less sugar can be used if you are using sweet fruits

Mint Sauce
juice and meat from 1 young coconut
2 cups coconut milk
1 cup fresh mint
1 tablespoon Artisan Coconut Butter
Agave Nectar to taste
large pinch of pink Himilayan salt

In a small pot combine coconut milk and mint. Bring to boil and remove from heat, let mint seep for at least 20 minutes. Remove mint from coconut milk and discard the mint.
Combine all ingredients in a high speed blender, chill before serving.
-This sauce is a great compliment to most fresh fruit and many fresh fruit desserts. It can also be frozen in an ice cream maker resulting in a delicious frozen dessert

April Birthday Lunch

2010-04-11T21:19:00.003-04:00

Birthday Cake mid-way through being frosted

We have been cooking a lot the last couple of weeks. It is exciting as each new spring ingredient shows up. Early in the week I got a call from Katie at Path Valley Cooperative telling me that she had the first few pounds of asparagus. She asked if she should save it for me...YES! The most tender sweet purple asparagus arrived.

Today was nomadic, not at 1508, a small birthday lunch. Perfect weather made it possible for them to eat in a small city garden. When we arrived grandchildren were decorating for their grandmothers surprise 75th birthday, spring flowers were blooming...

Buffet Birthday Lunch
April 11, 2010

Passing
Carrot Soup
Corncake and Avocado

Buffet
Pacific Halibut with Spring Onions
Morels and Fiddle Head Ferns with Wilted Pea Shoots and Garlic Chives
Roasted Baby Red Ace Beets
Small Yellow Finn Potatoes with Sorrel
Hand Harvested Wild Rice with Wild Cress and Herbs
Purple Asparagus
Shaved French Breakfast Radish with Girasol and Sunflower Sprouts
Spelt Baguettes

Dessert
Chocolate Birthday Cake with Buttercream Icing and Vanilla Ice Cream

Piano at 1508

2010-04-05T23:22:00.007-04:00

A week ago we had a piano salon at 1508. The event organized itself somewhat by chance upon meeting a new friend who knew the pianist Sara Danesphour. Sara was looking for a small venue to perform in preparation for a larger concert. We set our front room up with rows of chairs, sent out an invitation and took the first 30 who responded. The audience ranged in age, the youngest being 5 years old. We all sat mesmerized as we listened to Sara...she is amazing. Certainly I had no idea that our piano could sound like that.

We prepared a simple buffet, with spring ingredients, and after the music all enjoyed dinner and conversation.

It was fun. Last month we did a photo opening with Abby Greenawalts images of an artisinal slaughter at Eco Friendly Foods. Recently a Home Restaurant guest told me that he would like to do a magic show at our house! Very much looking forward to that and whatever comes next!

The program from Last Sunday, April 4th:

Sonata no. 7 in D major, op.10 no. 3 Beethoven

Presto
Largo e mesto
Menuetto: Allegro
Rondo: Allegro

Variations on the name ABEGG Schumann

Concert Paraphrase of Rigoletto Liszt

Intermission

Estampes Debussy

Pagodes
Soiree dans Grenade
Jardin sous la pluie

Variations on a theme by Corelli Rachmaninoff

Toccata Prokofiev

Alice Waters support for The Healthy Schools Act

2010-03-30T21:28:00.007-04:00

Right now there is burgeoning movement towards incorporating healthy food, gardening and environmental stewardship into the DC Public School curriculum. We have been involved in a few small projects over the years. Currently we are collaborating with new and old friends and colleagues and working on a couple school/ garden /health projects that we hope will be pilot programs that can be replicated throughout the country to holistically improve health of school children (more about all that as the projects develop).

Simultaneously The Healthy Schools Act of DC introduces exciting legislation that contains many important Farm to School initiatives, as well as other initiatives designed to improve the health and well-being of District school children and to “green” District schools.
At the end of last week there was a hearing for the Healthy Schools Act. Alice Waters wrote a statement in support of the act:

For over a decade, I have had the privilege to witness the extraordinary and undeniable effects of an edible education on children. The Edible Schoolyard at Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School in Berkeley runs a teaching garden and kitchen that are integrated into the curriculum of the school. Through the years, we’ve learned an incredible lesson: when children grow it and cook it, they will eat it. And not just eat, but enjoy themselves at the table with their classmates and teachers. Then they graduate, and extend these values about work and the environment into their community and out to the world.

We’re not alone in Berkeley! There are programs all over the country that are working to bring all children into a new relationship with food, and in each case- whether it be in New Orleans or Los Angeles- the resoundingly positive results are the same.

From our experience at the Edible Schoolyard, my colleagues and I now understand the qualities of our program that are key to its success. First, the interaction between the garden and the kitchen is profoundly important. When children see a seed transform from the soil and end up on their plate, they make the connection between nature and their own health. And, as with any case in education, the teaching staff plays a pivotal role. It is essential to have a dedicated garden and kitchen staff, and not just for the ensured maintenance of the land. These teachers connect the subjects the children are taking in school to the garden and kitchen classrooms. They are the stewards of a simultaneous education, one in which the planting of seeds breathes life into the math lesson, or the pounding of wheat enlivens the history class.

The Healthy Schools Act understands the whole vision of schools as guardians of our children’s health. Among other things, it sees that right there, in the middle of every school day, lie time and energy already devoted to the feeding of children. We have the power to turn that daily school lunch from an afterthought into a joyous education, a way of caring for our health, our environment, and our community. When this legislation takes effect in Washington, D.C., it will signal best practices to all of us and pave the way for our nation to follow suit.

Alice Waters
Founder, Chez Panisse Foundation
Owner, Chez Panisse Café and Restaurant
March 26, 2010

Quick trip to Mexico

2010-03-29T00:12:00.006-04:00

We got back from a four night trip to Mexico on Wednesday night and dove right into a busy work schedule. Over the weekend we did flowers for a large wedding at the Fairfax Hotel in DC and had a great group at the house for a Home Restaurant.
Before it become too distant a memory I want to share some information and fabulous contacts from our trip...all very highly reccomended.
Flew direct from Dulles to Cancun, rented a car and drove about 2 hours south to Tulum.

Accomodations:
-La Via Laktea,ideal for us, isolated and pristine. Our palapa opened onto the sea, we slept with the sound of the ocean and the hospitable owner served delicious coffee in the morning.
Food:
-Hechizo, outstanding dinner in walking distance from La Via Laktea. The Chef comes to the table and discusses available ingredients and how to prepare them to best meet your desires.
-La Flor de Michoacan, a cafe with the most amazing assortment of house made popsicles I have ever seen including pineapple chili, tamarind, guanabana, rambutan...
-hand-made tortillas with fresh guacamole and habenero salsa, pretty much everywhere
-fresh coconuts, red papaya and mango with lime, chili and salt, all available from street vendors in every small and large town
Activities:
-Sian Ka'an Biosphere, a protected area you cannot enter without a guide...we were lucky to meet Fernando Rosado who shared his extensive knowledge of Sian Ka'an with us. He is happy to set up excursions based on your individual interests, soleil_playe10@hotmail.com. Fernando is an expert on the flora and fauna or the area as well as Mayan culture.
-Coba, rent a bike, get a guide, arrive early before the crowds
-Cinote Dzitnup, beyond refreshing...not over developed...there are many others in the area that I am sure are also fantastic, would like to spend time exploring more!
-Chitzen Itza, go early which might require spending the night in the area, we stayed at Hacienda Chiten, go into the nearby town of Piste for dinner. Try to get a private tour with the older guide named Pedro (I have misplaced his phone number but will add later if I find it...just by asking at the site you could locate him) who is an enthusiastic world traveler, knows Chitzen Itza thoroughly, is obsessed with the Mayans and full of engaging theories about not only the Mayan culture but also world history.

Snapshots

2010-03-25T23:21:00.002-04:00

Snapshots from the last few days in and around Sian Ka'an, Mexico...

Bake-In NYC!

2010-03-16T21:13:00.003-04:00

A good friend of mine shared this with me. Her good friend Elizabeth Puccini was unwilling to sit idle while the school she sent her young child to, and others throughout the city, were not going to allow home-made foods at school fundraisers and instead encourage the sale of Doritos and Pop Tarts! I wish I could be in New York on Thursday to join. This is the Press Release...

NYCGREENSCHOOLS.ORG
Contact: Elizabeth Puccini Tel: 212-674-7408 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Cell Phone: 917-620-5577 MARCH 11, 2010 Email: ecini@yahoo.com
BAKE-IN RALLY AT CITY HALL THURSDAY, MARCH 18TH, 4-6PM To Protest New Chancellor Regulation Banning Home-Baked Foods from School Fundraisers While Allowing Doritos and Pop-Tarts Instead
On February 24, 2010 the Panel for Educational Policy was scheduled to vote on revisions to the Chancellor Regulation A-812 banning home-made foods from school fundraisers while permitting Doritos and Pop-Tarts instead. One mother, Elizabeth Puccini, stayed until 11:35pm to voice her opposition to the Regulation. She warned Chancellor Joel Klein and the members of the Panel that should the revisions pass, they would “incur the anger of many parents.” The Panel voted unanimously in favor of the revisions.
Now Elizabeth Puccini, whose child attends The Children’s Workshop School in the East Village, is organizing with other parents a “Bake-In” down at City Hall in Park Row Plaza (1 Centre Street) on Thursday, March 18th from 4-6pm to let the Chancellor and the Panel members see for themselves parents’ outrage. The rally will have one table featuring the approved DOE food items and another table featuring home-made foods cooked by parents and their children. The ingredients of all the foods will be on display so that the public can decide for themselves which treats are healthier for children. Hundreds of parents from all over the city are expected to turn out.
Council Member Gale A. Brewer will be attending the rally. In 2009, Council Member Brewer introduced Resolution 2300, calling on the Department of Education to amend Chancellor’s Regulation A-812, in order to repeal the City’s ban on the sale of baked goods from schools. Council Member Brewer will be reintroducing this resolution at the March 25, 2010 Stated Council meeting and will be seeking a public hearing on this important issue.
At the bake-in, parents will be echoing Council Member Brewer’s call to repeal the Regulation and to allow home-made cookies and banana bread back in the schools. Parents will also be asking the Chancellor to make parents part of the discussion when it comes to their children’s health. Parents want the Department of Education to understand that they know what’s best for their children, not Pepsi Cola or Kellogg’s, which are the major beneficiaries of the new Regulation. Parents strongly feel that junk food has no place in our public schools and is certainly not the solution to fighting childhood obesity.
Press is invited to attend the rally at 4:30pm when parents and children will be speaking about the harmful consequences of the new Regulation, why bake sales with home-made foods are so critical to preserving music and arts programs during a time of severe budget cuts, and what the Department of Education can do to genuinely improve children’s health.
*******
If you’d like more information about the bake-in or to schedule an interview, please call Elizabeth Puccini at 212-674-7408 or email Elizabeth at ecini@yahoo.com. You can also obtain information about the rally and a copy of the regulation at nycgreenschools.org.

Mid March at 1508

2010-03-14T18:50:00.005-04:00

Last night we had a bunch of firsts...all first time Home Restaurant guests, first of the season- shad roe, morels, fiddle head ferns and a sparkling wine that we were the first to serve in the US! Thank you to everyone who joined, we enjoyed your company.

March 13, 2010

Passing

Shad Roe with Mustard, Lemon and Arugula Micro Greens
Salsify with Caramelized Onion
Shiitake and Leek Soup
Arepas with Avocado and Cilantro
Roasted Sweet Potato and Pumpkin Seeds
Roasted Parsnips

Bay Leaf Martini
(Ch. de Roquefort) Cotes de Provence ROSE 'Corail' 2008
wine notes-Corail’ is the domaine’s rosé and it has classic Provencal characteristics: bright strawberry/ raspberry fruit with a lively palate and a clean finish. The wine is made from Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault, Carignan and Clairette.

Seated

Smoked Chicken Broth with Handmade Noodles and Red Spring Onion

(Tessier) Cheverny Rouge 2007
wine notes-Philippe Tessier started working with his father at a young age and took over the domaine in 1988 when his father retired. Certified organic since 2004, every parcel is harvested by hand and vinified individually, with natural yeasts. Cheverny is in the north central Loire valley, pretty much in the middle of no-where.
The wine is mostly pinot noir with some gamay noir. It is terrific with food. Flavor is tart cherries, plenty of fruit, but not a hint of sweetness.

Black Walnut Toast with salad of Fiddlehead Fern, Black Radish, Sunflower Shoots and Fennel

(Dom. du Bagnol) Cassis Blanc 2007
wine notes-Jean-Louis Genovesi has a jewel of an estate on the French Riviera in the charming town of Cassis. This bold white wine is a blend of Marsanne (50%), Clairette (35%) and Ugni Blanc(15%). Another great versatile wine to pair with food.

Braised Short Ribs with Morels, Small Potato, Baby Carrot, Baby Beet and Pea Shoots

(Ch. Les Valentines) Cotes du Provence Rouge "Le Punition" 2007
wine notes-This winery was begun by Gilles and Pascale Pons-Massenot in 1997. They sold their graphic design firm in Paris to move to Provence and work with the land. They wanted to begin making wine immediately, so purchased a 100 year old estate (gorgeous land!), whose previous owners always sold the grapes to the local co-op. When the Pons bought the 10 hectare (24.7 acres) of vineyards, there was no winemaking facility. They built a modern winery, and called the domaine Les Valentines after their children, Valentin and Clémentine. They now have 23 ha (ca. 57 acres) of vineyards in AOC Côtes de Provence on clay silex soils. The soil is worked mechanically (no synthetic chemicals are used, the fertilizer being Alpine sheep dung!) and the harvest is by hand.
This wine is about equal parts Mourvedre, Syrah, Cab Sauv, Carignan and Grenache.

Winnimere Cheese and Olive Oil Cracker

Avocado Lime Ice
(Grange Tiphaine) Nouveau Nez - Pet'nat Montlouis 2008
wine notes-Damien Delecheneau is a young enthusiast who is doing precision work at his family's Domaine just outside of medieval Amboise in the Montlouis appellation, having taken over from his father in 2002. 'Everything comes from the vines,' ... he explained his philosophy of careful triage (4 times through the vineyard before the vintage) - using the best quality grapes so as to not have to touch the wine - no yeast, no enzymes, never chapitalized (meaning no sugar added).
This sparkling wine, from Montlouis, across the river from Vouvray, is all chenin blanc. Last night was the first time it was served in the US!

Chocolate Biscotti Tart with Coconut Cream, Fresh Oranges and Vin Santo

Cookies
Lavender Oatmeal, Pistachio Cardamon and Bay Leaf Vanilla

sowing the first outdoor seeds of the season

2010-03-11T21:38:00.008-05:00

I did not plan to plant this week...but, the seductively beautiful weather and the promise of rain towards the end of the week caused a change in plans.

Monday we planted our first seeds of the season outside. We planted a bunch of greens including: Magenta Spreen, a few varieties of spinach, arugula, curly red mustard greens, endive and cress. We also put in a bunch of peas, snow peas and sugar snap peas.

Prior to planting we turned the cover crop that we planted in the fall back into the soil. We also amended the soil with our own compost and worm castings. We grow a lot in our small space and the soil needs to be fed to keep the plants growing.

Today we decided that we are going to give a significant amount of space to sorrel this year. Every year we grow more sorrel and we never have enough. But for now we have to pause for a moment, it will be a few weeks before we see sprouts and at least that long until we can plant additional seeds that require warmer night time temperatures to germinate.

Abby Greenawalt's Photos of Eco Friendly Foods Beef Harvest

2010-03-06T22:42:00.014-05:00

These were the ten photos of Abby's that we displayed at 1508 on March 4th, 2010.

Bev Eggleston, of Eco Friendly Foods, encourages visitors. He claims one of the major problems, as it pertains to our food system, is lack of transparency. Bev maintains, “that if large slaughterhouse practices aren’t witnessed, then they sure shouldn’t be eaten”. We were privileged to observe a ‘slaughter day’, where six cows were harvested for food.

Photographer Abby Greenawalt traveled with us to document the process. We observed cows being killed for food, the artisan approach of hands on animals and the give and take of life in the production of food. Abby’s images stand in contrast to the usual slaughterhouse pictures that depict systematic factory food processing.

Last Night, Abby's Photos of Eco Friendly Food Havest at 1508

2010-03-05T15:48:00.004-05:00

At 1508 last night we exhibited 10 photos that Abby Greenawalt took of an Artisinal Beef Slaughter at Eco Friendly Foods. A diverse and engaged group attended.

This project is very meaningful to us. Through pollution and the use of antibiotics the present corporate factory farming system effects all of us whether or not we choose to eat meat. Lots of people are aware there is a problem but few offer solutions. Eco Friendly Foods is an exception. Their small slaughterhouse model could be duplicated to provide healthful and affordable meat in place of the present predominant factory farm. Bev of Eco Friendly Foods says that part of this model requires transparency of the process so consumers can know what they are ingesting. We were fortunate enough to witness the harvest first hand and our hope is that these photos can share what we witnessed.

We are committed to this sharing of information and discussion. We are fortunate that Bev is doing the work he is doing and we have access to the product of his labor.

March at Wollam Gardens

2010-03-03T14:23:00.006-05:00

Pulsatilla Flowers

Bob Wollam from Wollam Gardens stopped by this afternoon with a variety of beautiful flowers and branches he had grown.

He delivered beautiful curly willow that I plan to use to cover the poles on a chuppah for a March wedding and gifted me all sorts of beautiful and interesting flowers and foliage...a delicate spray variety of pussy willow, some almond branches that should bloom shortly, a fat variety of pussy willow, the most beautiful tall lavender colored sweet pea, an orange ranunculus (hopiong these will be available for my wedding in a couple weeks) and two pulsatillas also known as pasque flowers that I have seen before and Bob is growing for the first time this year.

In addition to what he brought the farm is bursting with early season offerings including faciated willow, anemone and calancho. I am so happy to have local flowers again after missing them for the last few months.

This month he will be planting temptress poppies, stock, sweet peas, freesia, lilies, delphinium, snaps and queen annes lace. All of these flowers can be planted in unheated areas with just row covers to protect them until it gets a bit warmer. Bob promised to bring me some of the fabric for row covers so I can start planting salad greens under them right now.

He said the first heavy snow in December collapsed 2 temporary hoop houses because it fell so quickly and was so heavy. But the later big snow actually has been helpful. The snow acts as an insulator almost like a big blanket keeping what it is underneath it at a steady 32 degrees even if the air temperature falls way below freezing. I also learned that snow is full of nitrogen and therefore acts as a natural fertilizer.

Many of the flowers he has planted especially peonies and other tubers need the cold in order to develop properly...on the other hand if the temperature of the soil goes below 20 degrees many crops will be damaged. Extreme cold uses lots of energy which is both expensive and wasteful. With the cold temperatures lately the snow has helped with keeping some things warm and it has not been necessary to use as much energy as it otherwise would have been.

In the next week or so he expects Dutch iris and freesia to be available.

Tonight I am enjoying my two pulsatilla flowers. Sounds like he will have something new every week and he will be bringing it to sell at the Dupont Fresh Farm Market.

March Events at 1508

2010-03-02T10:54:00.002-05:00

We have a few upcoming events this month…
This Thursday, March 4th we are having an Open House, Abby Greenawalt's photos of a Beef Harvest at Eco Friendly Foods will be on display. Please join us for some food, wine and discussion…
Thursday March 4, 7:00 – 9:00, 1508 6th Street, NW

March Home Restaurant Dates are Saturday March 13 and Saturday March 27

Ingredients:
We continue to get excellent produce from Path Valley Cooperative including lots of greens like pea shoots, red rib dandelion, red kale…a large variety of beets and carrots, celeriac, parsnips, black salsify…Local Rockfish is still available through the end of March… we are looking forward to some early spring lamb, John has been making smoked chicken broth on the wood burning grillery with chickens from Eco Friendly Foods, we recently discovered an amazing American Cheese that is only available now through early spring called Winnimere from Jasper Hill Farm in Vermont…

For those of you who have not joined us before:
We start with passing food and cocktails and then move to the dinner table for several courses with wines picked for each. Tom a wine importer with an incredible cellar helps us pick wines to go with each individual course to complement the food.

Reservations: sidraforman@gmail.com
Please share this email with any potentially interested diners. You can also choose a night of your own (other than the ones mentioned above) if you have a group of 10 or more. We can seat 20 for a seated dinner and can accommodate more for a non seated event.

Please advise if you have any food restrictions, vegetarians are more than welcome!

We rely heavily on farmers, a wine importer and other purveyors that we have worked with for years to source ingredients. This time of year we supplement our supplies with some herbs from our winter garden and micro greens we are growing inside. We are committed to using best food practices.

Sidra,
sidrapractice.com
sidraforman.com

Rich Vegetable Broth

2010-02-27T21:40:00.003-05:00

Making my third consecutive batch of vegetable broth over the last week or so...
We have been enjoying it many different ways sipping it out of cups, combined with pasta, brown rice, barley, vegetables, white beans and last night with matzo balls.
There is no set recipe for making this broth and each time I make it I use different ingredients...

The broth I made tonight helped me clean out my refrigerator and included:

2 parsnips sliced in half long ways
3 salsify sliced in half long ways
1 carrots sliced in half long ways
1 beet sliced in quarters
4 shallots sliced in half
1 onion sliced in quarters
2 fingerling sweet potato sliced in half long ways
1 potato sliced in quarters
3 cloves garlic sliced in half
about 1 tablespoon fresh ginger very roughly chopped
salt and black pepper

Combine all the ingredients in a large stock pot and cover with water. Bring mixture to a boil and then reduce to a very low simmer for about three or four hours until the broth is very flavorful. A shorter cooking time will produce a lighter broth a longer cooking time will result in a very rich tasting broth. Lately I have been in the mood for a dark rich broth but both are good...after cooking strain out the solids and season with salt and pepper. You could freeze it or use it to cook with...but lately I have sipped on it for most lunches and dinners and then have gone ahead and made a new batch.

Re-Posting, Transparent Food

2010-02-25T21:33:00.002-05:00

We are preparing for a Photo Exhibit at 1508 6th Street, Thursday March the 4th. Looking forward to displaying Abby Greenawalts images of an artisinal beef harvest at Eco Friendly Foods. We wrote this post upon returning from our trip this summer to Eco Friendly Foods.

photo by John Cochran

Bev Eggleston of Eco Friendly Foods is all about Transparency. How many owners of a Beef, Pork AND Chicken processing plant will invite a couple of eco-minded (one of us vegan) chefs and a professional photographer to witness the harvesting of beef, to witness the “Humane Killing” of six cows?

Agriculture and the notion of harvesting food are all about us as we drive through the southwestern part of Virginia. We drive three and a half hours to Eco-Friendly. We drive past pastures of grazing Cows. We drive past large signs that invite us to pick our own blackberries. The anxious anticipation of not knowing how I will react to watching an animal be killed bouncing off the knowledge of harvesting food. I want to experience, as best as possible, the in between spaces of where food comes from. As Bev says, “from the farm gate to the plate”…I have no idea what to expect…

Our friend and outstanding photographer, Abby Greenawalt drove up the night before to get accustomed to the facilities, meet the animals and have dinner with Bev in his environment. Abby’s portraits are amazing. Her ability to capture an instant of another human being while bringing out their personality is acute. She always seems open, with out an ounce of cynicism–obviously the key to her portraits. I don’t think she–or us, are prepared for what we are about to witness.

We enter the plant while Abby and Bev are closing a 30-foot tall sliding door behind them. We get a glimpse of two large white and red carcasses stripped naked and hanging from the ceiling. Bev greets us with hugs. There is a serene, earnest feeling–very sincere from both of them. They do not take lightly, what they have just witnessed.

Bev is adamant about the need for transparency and what drives him as much as anything is a ‘clean food movement’? In fact, the movement hinges on getting the word out. What Bev has created is an independently owned, marketed, non-subsidized, multi-species processing plant that services a consortium of farmers within a four or five-hour drive. Bev services Washington DC as well as New York City. Chefs and restaurateurs like Dan Barber and Danny Meyers all deal with Bev. We know the product is good! What most don’t know is, Bev was a vegetarian before he decided to venture into farming as well as producing meat and poultry.

We are standing in the future retail space of the Eco Friendly operation as Bev explains that he wants to walk us backward through the process. That is to say from the vacuum packed meat to the live animal in the yard. There is kitchen equipment around, a six burner Vulcan, a double stack Blodgett convection oven, a couple of steam kettles…The kitchen is unfinished, as is the retail space, however the familiarity of equipment we know and have used sets us at ease. Bev feels us out, as I said before he takes none of this lightly–there is an ultimate respect for life and in that he has no use for shock or gratuitous gestures of provocation. We feel we are in good hands, in the hands of a professor–a teacher who is about to share a truth–a fact with us that we already know but have never really experienced.

We walk into a cold room the size of the first floor of an average home. Here we meet Adam, a bearded twenty–something intern from Louisiana, who works at a nearby chicken farm. He is here to experience the other side of farming–the processing. Adam along with at least six other workers is vigilantly boning chickens and vacuum sealing them. Everyone including us is wearing white lab coats and hairnets. The coats have an Eco-Friendly patch on them and everyone is required to wear one along with a hairnet. There is a full time USDA inspector on premise and NO regulation is taken flippantly.

Davide stands no more than five foot tall; he pokes his head through the large doors where we first caught a glimpse of the naked carcasses. He motions to Bev and shouts a few words in Spanish. Bev motions to us and we are moving through what seems to be the chicken processing room into what we are assuming is the harvesting room.

One of the reasons Bev is a pioneer in his field is his ability to process multi-species. He runs a small operation where pipes, tables, meat hooks are all portable, changeable and easy to sanitize. His staff is beyond reproach, as they are able to move from cleaning chicken in the morning while cows are being killed to butchering pork in the afternoon. No large processing plant can be this versatile. The factories that turn over large quantities are highly mechanized and leave behind Bev’s greatest maxim: plain old’ sense will out perform standard conventional thinking almost all the time.

We enter the harvesting room and immediately feel a temperature change, from cold to warm. My camera lens fogs over as we huddle in a far corner. Davide points a stun gun down into a chute. We hear no sound. We barely made it in to the room to see the animal standing and now he is laying on the floor convulsing. Bev checks his eyes. If his eyes do not react, the animal is out. As calm as the animal stood in the pen is as wild as his body kicks without consciousness.

Bev’s story is one of a vegetarian who thought there had to be a way to kill with dignity, a way of allowing animals into the food chain with the same dignity and respect that goes into the preparing of meals. Bev operates similar to a chef that does everything by hand. It is in this way that the killing is done, is done with care for the life given. His respect for the animal begins in his own farmyard and carries all the through to the final product.

The animal is hung through the Achilles heels, on meat hooks that are on a rolling pulley like system. Blood pours out of the neck. The gorgeous brown fur of the cow glistens in the fluorescent lighting of a room with ceilings high enough to hang a two thousand pound animal. Davide and his partner meticulously begin to skin the carcass. Brown turns to bright red and white as the skin comes off in what seems like the ease of peeling an orange. I see the muscles still twitching. The head comes off and the inspector checks the lymph nodes. The inspector declares the animal healthy and it is at this point that I realize that at no time during this process have I thought about death or illness.

‘Clean Food’ is a political issue for Bev as much as anything. Our food supply is at stake. It is an issue of Health Care, National Security, Energy, Environment , Economy… all of which have been deeply impacted by not respecting life cycles and not allowing the natural ebbs and flows that contribute, strengthen us both figuratively and literally…

We strip off the lab coats to go outside. We wait as Bev heads into the yard to retrieve a cow. We watch as Bev holds his hands up to the animal and does reiki on the cow. Bev puts the animal at ease, it is important to Bev. The animal walks up the chute seemingly anxiousless, without excitement...

Bev is at the Dupont Farmers Market every Sunday.

Home Restaurants, February 13 and 14

2010-02-14T15:16:00.004-05:00

Saturday and Sunday nights we had two memorable dinners. As always it is the guests that make the night. Saturday we had a great mix of old and new Home Restaurant diners all of who seemed to relish the idea of a night out after all the snow. The mood was joyful.

On Sunday night, Valentines Day we had been full for several weeks...however the snow resulted in lots of the diners not being able to make it and we ended up filling up at the last minute with reservations, some of which were not made until the morning of. In deference to Valentines Day we did not do our usual communal table but instead had a cocktail hour with everyone and then sat individual parties separately. It was fun to change up the way we normally do things. Some of the parties of two were sat at long tables with large flower arrangements in the middle to create two private seating areas...one of the tables ended up moving the large flower arrangement separating them from their table mates and became their own small dinner party. Another couple brought a bottle of Sauternes to share with everyone at the end of the meal...

John came up with the idea of serving two different main courses so every other person at the table had a different main. As we served the food we suggested that everyone could either eat what was in front of them or share with the person next to them...both nights everyone seemed to enjoy it and we look forward to trying this and other variations on this idea again. Tom who is our wine guy brilliantly paired the two mains with a white and a red from the same vineyard of the same year to compliment each of the mains.

Late afternoon before the Saturday dinner Martin-Lane and I walked down to Cowgirl Creamery our source for cheese. We have tasted and served many of the fantastic cheeses that they have available...we asked one of the cheesemongers we know if there was anything in particular that they would suggest..without hesitation they gave us a taste of Winnimere that had just arrived and they said would not be around for long. The cheese is a spectacular soft washed rind raw cows milk cheese from Jasper Hill Farm in Vermont. It is unique in that it is made with a thistle rennet and from my experience completely different from any domestic cheese I have ever tasted. It was a great addition to the dinner.

The weekend was exactly what we like about the Home Restaurant...each one is unique, there is a feeling of community and the atmosphere allows for fluidity and always trying something new.

The menu was the similar both nights...

Passing
White Bean Soup
Cabbage and Ginger
Beets with Pumpkin Seeds
Turnip with Caramelized Onion
Cured Rockfish with Fennel
Mashed Potato Cake with Arugula Sprouts

Bay Leaf Lime Martini
(Schleret) Sylvaner Alsace 2006

Seated
Smoked Chicken Soup with Avocado, Shiitake and Rosemary
Whole Grain Rosemary Bread
(Olivier Morin) Chitry Blanc 2007

Sweet Potato and Leek Arepa with Black Walnuts and Cilantro
Friday night, (La Sauvageon) Cot. du Languedoc "Les Ruffes" 2008 Saturday night, (Giraudon) Chitry Bourgogne, 2008
Every Other Main…
Beef Strip Loin with Parsnips, Pea Shoots and Red Wine Garlic Sauce
Salty Spelt Bread
(Caves Jean Bourdy) Cotes du Jura Rouge 2005

and

Seared Sea Scallop with Vanilla, Girasol, Carrots, Dandelion Greens and Lemon
(Caves Jean Bourdy) Cotes du Jura Blanc (Chardonnay) 2005

Winnimere by Jasper Hill Farm with Walnut Cracker
Friday night, (Mauro Molino) Barolo, Gallinotto 2004
Saturday night, (La Sauvageon) Cot. du Languedoc "Les Ruffes" 2008

Black Truffle Rice Pudding with Orange
(Tissot) Cremant du Jura, Brut NV

Warm Banana Pear Crumble with Chocolate Sorbet and Cocoa Nibs

Cookies
Soft Gingerbread with Lemon Glaze
Pistachio Cardomom
Chocolate Chocolate Chip
Friday night, (Buccia Nera) Vin Santo dell'Etruria Cent 2004
Saturday night, (Chateau Rabaud-Promis) Sauternes 2003

Goodie Bags
Warm Sesame Bread
Friday night, Rosemary Walnut Biscotti
Saturday night, Spicy Heart Beet Sugar Cookies

Invite, Open House 1508

2010-02-08T19:51:00.004-05:00

Open House
Thursday March 4th
1508 6th Street NW
photos by Abby Greenawalt
Beef Harvesting at Eco Friendly Foods.

These photos offer a glimpse into an artisinal meat processing operation–very different from the corporate plants that process most of our beef today. As Small Farms struggle to get clean healthy food to us, Eco Friendly Foods offers a bridge for Farmers and Chefs

Bev, the owner of Eco Friendly Foods will be at our home to discuss his work
Abby will join to discuss her work as well

We have done some writing about this subject...you can access it via these links:
Transparent-Food
Grassroots, Eco Friendly Foods
Photo Exhibit

Thursday March 4, 7:00-9:00 pm
1508 6th Street, NW

Hope you can join,
sidra
sidrapractice.com
sidraforman.com

Snocream--the Video

2010-02-06T15:25:00.006-05:00

Lots of snow...all weekend events called off. Time to make snocream, go on cross country ski excursion, catch up on work and enjoy some movies.
Watch our video...try some snocream

Flower Samples

2010-02-04T23:22:00.006-05:00

The day before the snow, which seems like a long time ago at this point... I did sample centerpiece arrangements for a bride who is getting married in March.

I like doing samples...it ensures that my clients and I are thinking the same thing. I think the main reason I like doing flowers for events and weddings specifically is the collaboration...This is the way it typically goes...After preliminary contact with a new client which is often via email we often have a phone conversation. During the conversation we talk about broad ideas, venues and general scope of the event. After the initial conversation we usually set up an in person meeting. I always ask for clients to bring or send in advance any images of flowers that they like or do not like...important images are ones that have an element that is appealing, color, feeling, specific flowers...or on the other hand something that they want to stay away from...for example "this arrangement is too uptight" or "I dont like the way those spikey things stick out of the bouquet"...Other helpful images are of the wedding dress if it is a wedding and tablecloth samples if they have been picked.

If I have enough information in advance I gather photos of arrangements that have elements that I think would work for the event we are planning, images of specific flowers that I suggest using based on color, season and overall mood of the event. I often pull up images of or actual containers that we could use for centerpieces.

At the meeting we go through specifics like how many arrangements, if it is a wedding the vision of the spot where vows will be exchanged and I ask for a few words to describe the feeling of the event. With flowers seasonality is important so for example if all the images that appeal are of peonies but the event is scheduled for September we talk about how to get a full lush flower feeling using hydrangea, dahlias or some other flowers....This is the fun part...we talk about ideas and together figure out how to create an overall feeling. We also talk about budget. With flowers, unlike other elements of an event, more is usually better...however if budget is an issue we discuss how to get the most flower impact within the given budget.

This can be anywhere from a week before the event to more than a year before the event. If there is a long time before the event I request that the client continues to forward me images so I can keep them in a file in case there is a shift in vision. For large events I always try to schedule a time to do a sample arrangement. Often this can be done in conjunction with a catering tasting so we can actually look at the flowers with linens, plates...or choose these elements with the flowers there to help inform the decision. If any adjustments are necessary this is the time to make them.

A few weeks before the event we have a final meeting on the phone or in person to confirm time line as well as other details.

Path Valley Annual Growers Meeting

2010-02-03T21:26:00.004-05:00

We always are asked where we got our produce...especially this time of year. The Amish cooperative in Pennsylvania, Path Valley, is our primary source for produce throughout the year. We have been working with them since they were first established about 15 years ago. We were lucky enough to visit a few of the farms the summer before last.

The way it works is that Katie who manages the cooperative gets a projected availability list from the various members of the cooperative and passes it on to chefs in the DC area. We order from the list and then Gordon who has been driving for the cooperative since it started delivers with 2 young Amish helpers once or twice a week depending on the season. Stan a resident of the valley has the job of picking up produce from the various farms the afternoon before the DC delivery. Two young Amish women work at the dock sorting the various orders. Katie comes by late in the day to help sort out the inevitable problems. The work on the dock starts at noon and in the summer when the orders are large and the produce is plentiful they often work until midnight.

As you can imagine the coordination to get crops to be consecutively available throughout the year with many different farms is complicated. I talked with Katie tonight and she told me all about the annual growers meeting last week that is essential in the process. The planning begins around Christmas time when growers fill out a form committing to what crops they are going to grow, which varieties and how much they plan to produce per week for how many weeks. Katie takes all this information and this year with a lot of help from one of the growers wives consolidated it. After that there is a board meeting where 4 growers and Katie meet to assess the projections and figure out if there is enough, too much or the correct amount of individual items.

This information and the financial report of the previous year make up the content of the annual growing meeting which can last from 6-9 hours. She said that both the husband and wife from each cooperative farm attend. There is excitement surrounding the event. The farmers do not get out often. Outings consist of church visits every other week, weddings in the fall, a couple school events per year, a couple quiltings each winter and about 2 trips a year to a large store such as Walmart to buy the relatively few items that they do not produce at home. The growing meeting is an event and a rare one in that couples attend without their children and spend the day together. Most arrive with a picnic lunch and in addition the host family usually make a large stew. This year the hosts made venison stew with venison bologna. Throughout the day some additional snacks are served and there is a constant supply of highly sweetened mint tea that is made from dried fresh mint that is plentiful in the valley.

Katie says the atmosphere is friendly and lively. There is sharing of seed catalogs. Favorite catalogs include Johnnys, Baker Creek, E & R (no website) and Seed Savers. There is one copy of the large version of the Seed Savers Catalog that the members share.

Jake the largest producer of beets and carrots in the cooperative is moving to Wisconsin so the crops he has grown in the past were divided between farmers who already are producing those crops. Issac is a grower who sticks with all different varieties of potatoes. When asked if he wanted to try something new this year he declined. However there is another family that always anxiously listens to suggestions and plants large crops of new items at the slightest suggestion…last year it was cipolline onions this year it was red shallots. Between all of the member farmers nearly every crop and variety of crop that can be grown in the climate is grown…but new this coming season will be cornichons (which were a test crop last year, cardoons (which were not successful in the past), yacons (which have not been grown in the valley for a couple of years) and a new variety of strawberries which will produce fruit into October.

The meeting can also yield information. For example this year the main producer of Russian Banana Fingerling Potatoes had a crop failure and they have not been available since November. When this was mentioned at the meeting another grower offered 700 pounds that he had available for sale. He intended to grow the potatoes just for his household but had, had an unexpected high yield.

There was celebration this year because despite the economy the Cooperative had their best year ever. The cooperative invested in a new cooler at the loading dock and have already been able to pay off the loan that they took out in the spring.

This time of year we are enjoying Path Valley root vegetables, greens, black walnuts…we eagerly anticipate the spring crops!

Happy Birthday Derrick!

2010-02-01T11:58:00.009-05:00

Saturday night we hosted a birthday party for Derrick. We first met Derrick when he was 15 years old. He worked with us in the kitchen of our restaurant Rupperts through high school until he went away to college. After college he returned to DC and since then we have worked with him on a variety of projects...he turned 30 last week. Derrick is not the only person we work with regularly that we have known with for about the same amount of time...JT, Todd and several of the farmers have been friends for awhile. Each is essential in contributing while simultaneously making our practice both fluid and fun. Despite the snow and fairly treacherous roads pretty much everyone showed up. There was a great group of people including parents, relatives, new and old friends. George Burton, A fantastic piano player from New York, came down and played a soothing quiet style of jazz that set the tone for the night.

This was also the first time since we have started doing Home Restaurants that we had a group mingling about, coming and going and casually eating all night long. Usually here at 1508 we do seated dinners, but after Saturday we are certain that the venue works for other types of gatherings as well. The next one we have scheduled will be a photography exhibition of Abby Greenawalts Photos. The photos document the artisanal harvesting of animals at Eco Friendly Foods. The event will be open to all and more details will follow shortly.

Saturday night Derrick chose the menu...He wanted everything to be finger food...easy, casual and accessible:

Chicken and Sweet Potato Salad
Beef Strip Loin on Roasted Potato
Grilled Shrimp
Cabot Clothbound Cheese
Carrot Dip
White Bean and Chervil Dip
Spelt Baguettes

Salty Rosemary Walnut Biscotti
Lavander Oatmeal Cookies

and the Birthday Cake,
Soft Gingerbread with Lemon Curd and Walnut Brittle

Dreaming of Next Summers Dahlia Garden

2010-01-26T16:47:00.010-05:00

Photo by Ralph Alswang

Last spring we planted the abandoned lot next door to us with tomatoes and lettuces. There was a misunderstanding and everything got pulled up and we replanted again with lettuces and cooking greens. At the end of the season we turned a bunch of coffee grounds and compost into the soil to ready it for next seasons planting. Recently with all of the seed catalogs arriving and a couple of warmish winter days we started plotting our 2010 garden...We have decided that this year we want to dedicate the empty plot next door to dahlias. We have dabbled in planting dahlias but never given them a proper spot in our garden and do not know much about growing them.

I do use lots of dahlias from July through mid-October that I buy from Bob Wollam. The dahlias he grows are phenomenal and are the focal point of most of my flower arrangements while they are in season. Last week Bob stopped by and I asked him if he thought the lot next door would be a good spot for dahlias. In addition to his farm in rural Virginia Bob has been planting urban gardens for decades and was very enthusiastic. He has promised to lend his expertise to the project.

We have a few other empty lots close by that we intend to plant with food and flowers this spring as well...

a lunch, a tea, a dinner and another dinner

2010-01-25T11:45:00.003-05:00

photo Ralph Alswang

In the past 5 days at 1508 we have served lunch for the host committee of a Center For Inspired Teaching event, served tea to Alice Waters, had a full Home Restaurant and last night in collaboration with Joan Nathan we hosted and cooked for one of the Sunday Suppers that raised money for Martha's Table and D.C. Central Kitchen. A secondary goal of the dinner last night was to prompt discussion about food issues including hunger and sustainability.

Fresh in my mind is last nights dinner which was inspiring and thought provoking. Throughout the dinner and the day today it has stimulated conversation about bridging the gap between
actual dining experience and the way food is produced...In addition to Joan Nathan dinner guests included Robert Egger of D.C. Central Kitchen and Bev Eggleston of Eco Friendly Foods all of whom instigated and encouraged meaningful dialogue.

I can not think of two individuals in Washington D.C. doing more to bridge the gap between talking and doing than Bev (who runs an artisnal butchery practice commited to resisting corporate processing and factory farming) and Robert (who runs DC Central Kitchen, Fresh Start, V3, CKP...committed to feeding and training Washingtonians in culinary practices, community involvement...) they understand the importance of both action and politics and their very different approaches to the same problem of feeding and eating across all economic levels are inspiring... leave us wanting more... More than anything Bev and Robert offer us options, perspectives, help us to pause and in that form a resistance to status quo...

If you are going to give to any local charity give to DC Central Kitchen...

If you are going to eat meat get it from Bev at Eco Friendly Foods, at the Dupont Farmers Market EVERY Sunday...

John and I worked on the menu with Joan Nathan taking inspiration for many of the dishes from her forthcoming book...

Congratulations to Joan her hard work on these dinners that raised Over a Hundred Thousand Dollars for Martha's Table and DC Central Kitchen...

Passing
Lamb Chops with Preserved Lemons*
Apple and Parsnip Soup*
Beef Tongue with Capers*
Winter Squash Gratin
Moroccan Orange and Black Olive Salad*

Seated
Roasted Rockfish with Beets, Scrambled Eggs and Chives
Layered Turnip, Black Walnut and Wild Mushroom with Roasted Garlic Sauce
Roasted Chicken Thigh with Truffle, Mashed Potatoes, Shallots and Greens*
Batch 19 Cheese with Olive Oil Cracker
Grapefruit Soup with Figs and Mint*
Soft Gingerbread with Frozen Coconut, Chocolate Sauce and Hickory Nut Nougatine*

Small Bites
Pistachio and Cardamom Cookies*
Chocolate Chocolate Chip Drops
Sweet and Salty Pumpkin Seeds
Lavender Oatmeal Thins

*inspired by Joan Nathans Forthcoming Book, Quiches, Kugels and Couscous: In Search of the Cooking of the Jews of France (Knopf, fall 2010)

The Cotton Man

2010-01-19T22:05:00.003-05:00

For years I used cotton on sticks in arrangements especially in the winter. I love the cotton on its own as well as in arrangements. Often I would use it during the holidays mixed with ilex berries. I have not seen cotton on sticks available for several years. Every once in awhile I ask various suppliers about getting cotton but no one has come through with it.

Last week I met with Maria Cooke of Ritzy Bee, Carin and Julia from Hitched, Seana from Design Cuisine and Kelly Seizert about a display we are collaborating on for this weekends Washingtonian Bride and Groom Event at the Mandarin Oriental. Maria had made some inspiration boards and one of them was full of cotton. I became newly obsessed with finding some.

I once again asked several local sources, none of whom could locate any...then I emailed someone who sells wholesale branches in Brooklyn. He told me he did not have any but that, "the cotton man" would. I called the cotton man and he answered the phone and said, "cotton man here." I giggled!

I discussed my cotton needs and the fact that I was in a hurry. I emailed him about 9:00 at night and by 10:00 pm I had a UPS confirmation that my cotton would be delivered in two days. I am quite excited for the package that should be arriving tomorrow!

Invitation, Jacqulyn Maissoneuve Exhibition

2010-01-16T22:32:00.004-05:00

We met Jackie late this summer. She is a senior in photojournalism at the Corcoran and asked if she could photograph our family as part of her senior thesis. Originally the thesis was going to be on a bunch of different people living in D.C. who were conscious of there relationship with the earth in one way or another. The scope of the thesis narrowed and she called one night in early August to ask if we would be willing to be the sole subject of thesis which would entail her photographing us regularly through November. Not really sure what we were getting into we said yes.

We immediately liked Jackie she is hardworking, talented, serious, fun and easy to be around. The fall ended up being a very busy time for us and we became accustomed to having her around lots. Her constant supply of photos was a great addition to our blog and something that we looked forward to receiving.

Today we got an invitation in the mail for her Senior Thesis Exhibition which runs from Wednesday February 3rd to Sunday February 7th with an opening reception on Thursday Feburary 4th from 6-8 at Gallery 31 at the Corcoran College of Art and Design. The invitation is fabulous, great photo, beautiful paper, a pack of sorrel seeds with planting directions and a quote from me that was shocking (but not in a bad way) to see in print...

"Everything I do is interconnected and constantly evolving. This applies not only to human connections but to non human ones as well... making a salad dressing where oil and vinegar emulsify, enhancing the garden soil content so flowers and food grow and sharing a meal with my family. Day to day I find pleasure through my practice, where there is no clear line between work and play, I find energy from the many dynamic, connected yet disparate elements."

A couple nights ago Jackie came by and gave us hundreds of prints which is just a fraction of the thousands of photos that she took. Looking through them we started to talk about pairing the photos with the blog posts that were written at the same time the photographs were being taken which include seasonal menus, recipes, gardening, flower arranging, musings...maybe this is the structure of the book that we have been talking about writing?

Pairing Food with California Red Wines

2010-01-13T21:28:00.006-05:00

Photo Jacqulyn Maisonneuve

Tom our wine guy is not a fan of "big" California red wines. He helps us pair wine with our food to enhance the food without ever overpowering. We generally do not use California reds because many are high in alcohol content, lack acidity and can have strong flavors of both vanilla and/or oak. These characteristics do not allow a wine to have a balance between sweetness and acidity which results in overpowering the taste of food.

Tom told me that over the holidays he had three bottles of California red. One of these bottles he really enjoyed. It was a zinfandel from an obscure area in Trinity County, well north of Napa recommended to him by a customer Phil from The Wishing Well in Easton, Maryland. Tom told me this wine had beautiful balance with no discernible excess sugar and some nice acidity. The wine was from R. Merlo Estate Vineyards and he told me he would have consumed the whole bottle had his father not helped him!

The other two wines were not such a pleasure they were big, grapey and sweet syrahs that he did not think would compliment any food. The second two wines had over 16% alcohol content. The high alcohol content is a result of grapes being left on the vine until they are ultra ripe which usually leads to high alcohol and ultimately out of balance wines. Tom's favorite California wines are usually from areas near the cost where fog rolls in at night. This helps cool the vines and helps the grapes develop some acidity as they mature on the vine.

I asked why California winemakers let grapes get so ripe, he explain that it is partially climate and other growing conditions. There is also another factor, the issue of ratings and "points" from critics like Robert Parker. Parker tends to love "big" wines and gives them higher scores. Winemakers know this and many will try to make wines in that style hoping to get such scores for their wines.

As always I appreciated the information I got from Tom and am looking forward to tasting the (Raquillet) Mercurey 1er 'Les Vasees' 2007 that we will be serving with local rockfish at our next Home Restaurant on Friday January 22nd.

Planning a Menu

2010-01-12T23:03:00.006-05:00

Photo Jacqulyn Maissoneuve

Planning a menu never starts with a blank piece of paper it begins with conversations...

Last weekend I saw Fadia at the Dupont Market and she told me she expected to be seeing some local wild mushrooms in the next couple of weeks. I emailed Jim at Prime Seafood to confirm that there would be rockfish available next week and that it was looking good. I called Katie at Path Valley to see what vegetables are available. I got her availability list and found out about some new honey that one of the members of the cooperative was selling. After those conversations John and I came up with a preliminary menu for our upcoming Home Restaurant on Friday January 22 (we still have a few seats available). With the menu in hand I called Tom Kiszka the wine importer who helps us match wines with food at our Home Restaurant to get some wine suggestions I shared with him the current version of the menu and he came back with ideas for wine pairings. As we get closer both the food and wines may shift but for now this is what we are thinking... To cook is always a reaching out way beyond our minds as well as our kitchens... we are fortunate to be connected to such a creative network...

Passing
Seared Sea scallops
Roasted Eco Friendly Foods Chicken
Beef Tongue with Capers
Roasted Parsnip
Spaghetti with Micro Greens
Cauliflower Soup

Bay Leaf infused Vodka Martini
(Jean Masson) Savoie Apremont Vielles Vignes 2008

Seated
Egg in the Hole with Beet Ketchup, Path Valley egg fried in whole wheat bread
(Pascal Granger) Chenas 2007 (all gamay...a cru of beaujolais)

Turnip with Wild Mushroom, Black Walnut and Garlic Broth
(Olivier Morin) Chitry BLANC 2007 (all Chard...from the Chablis region)

Roasted Rockfish with Mashed Potatoes...
(Raquillet) Mercurey 1er 'Les Vasees' 2007 (all pinot noir, southern burgundy)

Cabot Farmhouse Cheddar with Olive Oil Cracker

Warm Apple Sauce

Soft Gingerbread with Chocolate and Coconut
(Tissot) Cremant du Jura Brut ROSE NV

Cookies

video blogging

2010-01-10T21:18:00.006-05:00

We had a lot of fun experimenting with doing some videos this weekend. If you watch the first one we did last night about garlic you need to know I am not drunk, I just could not stop cracking up. I know that the sound is a bit off but we rectified that on the next one. Our hope is to catalog our practice using a short, about 90 second, format that is hopefully both informative and entertaining. We will be doing cooking, flower and garden tips. The video shorts will show up on the side bar of this blog and can also be accessed through YouTube. We welcome any suggestions about content and presentation.

Sunday Supper January 24, 2010

2010-01-08T21:29:00.008-05:00

We are excited to be hosting and cooking a Sunday Supper on January 24 at 1508 to benefit Martha's Table and DC Central Kitchen. This event is a follow up to last years successful Art, Food, Hope fundraising dinners that were initiated by Alice Waters during inauguration last year. Chefs are being paired with other chefs to collaborate on dinners being served in 14 different homes around the city on the same night. We are very excited that we are paired with Joan Nathan for the event. We met with Joan today and discussed menu, ingredients and including some recipes from her soon to be released cookbook.

Tonight John and I are working on the menu details, which are not quite complete, and he made the above sketch of the first three seated courses.

Emerson on Flowers

2010-01-06T15:11:00.005-05:00

Photo Jacqulyn Maisonneuve

Reading Emerson last night and found this quote about flowers:

If at any time it comes into my head that a present is due from me to somebody, I am puzzled what to give, until the opportunity is gone. Flowers and fruits are always fit presents; flowers, because they are a proud assertion that a ray of beauty out values all the utilities of the world. These gay natures contrast with the somewhat stern countenance of ordinary nature: they are like music heard out of a work-house. Nature does not cocker us; we are children, not pets; she is not fond; everything is dealt to us without fear or favor, after severe universal laws. Yet these delicate flowers look like the frolic and interference of love and beauty.

Flowering Branches

2010-01-05T22:20:00.004-05:00

Today I got the first flowering quince branches of the season. Throughout the year I often think...all I need in this spot is a big vase of flowering quince, pear, cherry, dogwood, tulip magnolia...

Although with flowers these days it is possible to get lots of flowers throughout the year that were previously only available in specific seasons flowering branches are only available from now through sometime in May. The availability is completely dependent on the weather and when they open is always a bit of a guessing game. Most springs I sweat over branches opening enough or too much for various weddings and events. You can somewhat control the opening with heat, warm water and sun but despite much trial and error there is a bit of luck...or, lots of branches collected in different stages of openness to ensure that there will be plenty with blossoms at their most beautiful at the time you need them.

The quince I received today came from North Carolina and I will continue to get them from further and further north until they are available locally. After that I will be able to get them from as far north as Upstate New York before the season ends, usually in March. If the weather ever warms up over the next month or so I will start to see buds on my white forsythia in the garden. I will have a choice of leaving them outside to develop blooms naturally or cutting it and bringing it inside to encourage blooms sooner. We bought the white forsythia years ago through a catalog and it is not very common although it is a favorite of mine. Forced yellow forsythia will also be available soon and although I do not use it often I love large bunches of it tightly packed into old urns and metal containers.

Usually around Valentines Day double pink cherry branches are available with absolutely no color showing. It often takes about three weeks of warm indoor temperatures and hot water to get them to open but they are defenitely worth the wait. Usually they are available as well as other cherry varieties in white and single blooms throughout March and into early April. Other favorites that I look forward to that will be fleetingly available depending on both weather and suppliers are pear and tulip magnolia both favorites and both very fragile. Last is the dogwood which generally shows up in late April and is gone by the middle to the end of May...and then we must wait for quince all over again.

February Photo Exhibit

2010-01-03T21:56:00.008-05:00

After a very busy last few months we have enjoyed regrouping this week, reading, getting out of town for a quick trip and returning to some projects that we had put on hold. One of these projects is an Opening at our house. We plan to exhibit photos by Abby Greenawalt taken when John and I witnessed the harvesting of cows at Eco Friendly Foods. Returning to this project after a few months it is clear that we need to incorporate text with the photos. This weekend we started working on what we want to say. Below is our work on this to date... Please share any ideas or comments.

In the United States today, the prevailing ideology of choice fuels the “Omnivore’s Dilemma”. If we think of ourselves as just one part of an eco-system, to choose to eat meat is unremarkable. Where it was once thought of as a privileged position to choose meat, it now seems to be a privilege to nourish without consuming animal products. To not eat meat is really not an option for many. Protein must come from somewhere and in most cases low quality, factory farm raised and slaughtered, animal protein is the most affordable and accessible option.

Choice as a reining ideology today maybe our most obstinate obstacle to reforming our food system. For many a vegetarian diet is not an option due to economics, time or nutritional knowledge. Similarly, for most in the United States grass fed animals raised on sustainable farms free from antibiotics that are harvested humanely are not affordable or accessible. So we live under an imperative to choose that produces multiple false choices, such as the many fast food options, yet for many in the United States there is no healthy choice. If factory farming, pesticides, steroids, antibiotics, etc. were eradicated from our food systems then one could actually have the choice to eat meat or not. Of course this would be a radical realignment of economic and health care systems. The economy, environment and health care as political issues cannot be approached without a long look at our food system.

Our food system is a network of practices. These practices include farming, processing and marketing. There are conceivable practices that could make eating meat a viable choice. And although eating meat or the taking of life may not be remarkable within an ecosystem, the senseless systematic over-producing or over-harvesting can have huge ramifications on the behavior of the individuals and the overall ecology of that eco-system.

Eating meat from a factory farm is destructive to both our personal health and the health of the environment. Finding ways of getting acceptable clean food products to people of all economic levels is a goal. This includes meat, fish and animal products that are raised sustainably and processed consciously. One of the obstacles to the production and availability of meat is that most animal processing plants are huge industrialized corporate owned places. Eco Friendly Foods is a rare example in today’s world of an alternative to the factory farm slaughterhouse.

Bev Eggleston of Eco Friendly Foods encourages visitors. He claims one of the major problems as it pertains to our food system is transparency, We were privileged to observe a slaughter day, where 6 cows were harvested for food. Witnessing animals being killed for food in a method where the environment, the animal’s life and death are respected partially informed our thoughts about factory vs. sustainable farming. Hopefully these images convey this intense informative experience.

Kajitsu, Shojin Cuisine

2009-12-30T17:39:00.008-05:00

Kajitsu's Simmered Daikon Radish with Yuzu Red Miso

This summer in New York I was looking for a new restaurant to go to and stumbled across a write up about a new restaurant called Kajitsu. Since that first visit I have recommended it to many people all who have enjoyed it and yesterday we went back for a second visit...I look forward to my next dinner there.

The type of cuisine at Kajitsu is Shojin, which I had never heard of before. The restaurant website says, "Shojin cuisine refers to a type of vegetarian cooking that originates in Zen Buddhism. Even though it does not use meat or fish, shojin is regarded as the foundation of all Japanese cuisine, especially kaiseki, the Japanese version of haute cuisine. In its present form kaiseki is a multi-course meal in which fresh, seasonal ingredients are prepared in ways that enhance the flavor of each component, with the finished dishes beautifully arranged on plates. All of these characteristics come from shojin cuisine, which is still prepared in Buddhist temples throughout Japan."

The food appeals for so many reasons starting with the simple fact that it is vegan, clean and Japanese...but it is more than that. There is a thoughtfulness and consideration that goes into the food, the service and the presentation that exceeds most dining experiences. Plates, utensils and beverage napkins are thoughtfully chosen for each item served. Seasonal vegetables are incorporated into the meal. Even produce that is not traditionally used in Asian cuisine finds a way to fit in. At the same time there is nothing fussy about the experience.

One of the central elements of this cuisine is Fu and Nama-Fu which are made from gluten. At Kajitsu they have a beautifully printed small book that they give out upon request explaining the laborious process of making Fu. Fu is basically the gluten element of bread with the starch separated out that is then mixed with rice powder. The process is complicated but the result is smooth, chewy, satisfying and complimentary to a variety of flavors and textures.

The menu changes once a month. This is what we ate last night:

Celery Roots Tempura with Grated Apple

Vegetable Miso Soup Tofu, Shiitake, Burdock Root, Carrots, Turnip, Japanese Taro

Sticky Rice with Tea Tree Mushrooms, Umeboshi and Shiso; Kabocha Pouch with Red Beans; Grilled Sesame Tofu in a Bamboo Leaf

Simmered Daikon Radish with Yuzu Red Miso

Grilled Nama-Fu and Butternut Squash with Black Trumpet Mushroom; Leek and Fig Tempura

Hanamaki Soba Nori, Mitsuba, Wasabi

Snow Ball Mochi Matcha with Rakugan Candies by Shioyoshiken

seasons greetings and egg nog

2009-12-25T10:06:00.010-05:00

Not so many blog posts in the last several weeks...we have have busily been cooking and flowering. Taking a moment to reflect this evening about recent projects and what we are looking forward to in the coming year...

Writing this blog and getting feedback is an enjoyable part of our everyday practice. Over the next year we plan to write more and hope to have more interaction through this forum. We encourage both sharing of information and inquiries.

It has been only about six months since we started hosting Home Restaurants... this has been a great addition. Great satisfaction comes from working with farmers that we have known for years and meeting new ones, cooking for small groups and being able to accommodate particular food needs, tasting and learning more about wine, spending time with good friends who we work with and meeting our guests and talking about food and other things. When we had our restaurant we were in the kitchen busily cooking and our interaction was solely through our food, it has been a joy to erase the boundary between the kitchen and dining room.

We are pleased that we already have dinners and a lunch booked for January, the nights of January 22 and 23 still have some spaces available. We are also thrilled that we have been asked to cook and host one of this years Alice Waters, Sunday Night Suppers scheduled for January 24.

The 2010 wedding flower calendar is starting to fill and I am excited about the variety of events that I have scheduled for the coming year. First one is a wedding in early January at 6th and I where I love to work. The anemones, tulips and ranunculus that I got for events this past week make me excited about spring flowers that are just beginning and will be at their best for the next several months. I also have some quince with buds that I hope will be open by January 7th for an event. The Dutch flowers and the recent snow have made me start to think about spring planting and our plans to expand the 1508 garden to the roof this coming year.

On December 23rd we catered a large holiday party and made eggnog. I have a recipe that was my mothers and John has his fathers recipe...we combined the two and the result is decedent and delicious. We used eggs from Path Valley Cooperative, Trickling Springs Dairy heavy cream, Homestead Creamery milk and Sazerac Rye Whiskey...resulting in the best batch ever...

Egg Nog
6 eggs separated
2 cups sugar
2 cups whiskey (we used a good quality rye this year but have also made it with bourbon and Armagnac)
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 gallon whole milk
1/4 cup rum (optional, part of John's dads recipe)

Beat egg yolks until light yellow and then beat in the sugar until dissolved then beat in whiskey. Cover the mixture and let stand at room temperature for at least four hours.
After egg yolk mixture has rested beat egg whites to soft peak and fold into yolk mixture. Then beat heavy cream until stiff and fold into entire mixture. Mix in milk, chill and serve.

Enjoy and Happy 2010!
Sidra, John and Martin-Lane

Black Walnuts at 1508 Last Night

2009-12-18T09:53:00.005-05:00

Photo Jacqulyn Maisonneuve
For years we have gotten Black Walnuts for the Path Valley Cooperative. The unique earthiness and slightly fermented flavor in is something we look forward to cooking with every winter. This year we have been making a black walnut "cheese" that we have used in several different dishes over the last several weeks. For the second seated course last night we layered thinly sliced scarlet turnips, small white beans, wilted chard, spaghetti squash and the black walnut cheese in a baking pan and cooked it slowly until the flavors melded. Just before serving we roasted some Oregon Chanterelles to finish off the dish. The nut cheese is made by soaking raw black walnuts for a few hours and then pureeing them in a food processor with a bit of the soaking water, some olive oil, salt, pepper and fresh herbs.

We served this dish last night for a small office holiday celebration at 1508. As guests thanked us for the evening we could not help but thank them for being such enthusiastic diners. At our Home Restaurant the interaction with our guests is less mediated than in a traditional restaurant setting. I present each course and talk about the food, where it comes from, the wine that we are pairing and the collaborative effort that results in the food. Guests wander in and out of the kitchen during the night, see us at work, and often ask questions about specific preparations and ingredients.

Our guests last night were engaged in each other, the food and the wine...it was a joy.

Below is the entire menu:

Passing
Cauliflower Puree with Oregon Black Truffle
Roasted Parsnip and Sweet Potatoes with Pumpkin Seed Puree
Seared Sea Scallop on Corncake with Chives
Roasted Chicken and Celeriac
Beef Tongue with Watermelon Radish
Grilled Brussel Sprout

Scented Geranium Infused Vodka Martini
(Abymes)Vin de Savoie 2008

Seated
Egg in the Hole with Beet Broth and Arugula Sprouts
(Vissoux) Fleurie "Les Garants" 2007

Chanterelle Cassoulet with Spaghetti Squash, Turnip, White Beans, Black Walnut and Chard
Roasted Garlic Bread
(Tissot) Arbois Chardonnay "Classique" 2007

Wreckfish with Leek, Carrot, Saffron Mashed Potatoes and Kale
Rosemary Spelt Bread
(Rossignol-Trapet) Gevrey-Chabertin 2006

Warm Applesauce
(Tissot) Cremant du Jura NV (Chard/Pinot Noir)

Orange Cake with Black Truffle Sorbet and Candied Pecans

Cookies:
Sesame Semolina, Chocolate Coconut, Gingersnap, Oatmeal Spice

Vegan Paradox

2009-12-15T19:12:00.009-05:00

Photo Jacqulyn Maisonneuve

I am fairly certain that our style of cooking is informed by our eating. Taken as a whole our household's eating should be considered paradoxical. I am vegan. Martin Lane, my ten year old, has been vegan since birth. John is an omnivore some days however, unless we are cooking for others he is mostly vegan. We serve Omnivore dinners however we use no butter and cream And do serve a cheese course. Martin Lane and I will always taste an exceptional raw cheese from France. Fundamentalism is not our guide

I have been Vegetarian since I was twelve and as the years passed slowly moved toward eliminating dairy. While pregnant I read Dr. Spock's fairly mainstream "Baby and Childcare". Spock confirmed a vegan diet as the healthiest for children, John and I decided to raise Martin Lane vegan while allowing her the choice to eat what she wants whenever she wants. This is NOT religion for us. Nor is it a temporary political shift to some sort of enlightened ethics. We have no fidelity to events as such.

The issue for us more than ethics, amounts to health and our barometer for health is how we feel. This is not to say that we do not condemn factory farming or the treatment of animals as machines. It is only to say that if we let our senses guide us in a sort of 'care of the self', then we move towards family farms away from concepts like factory farming and senseless treatment of animals. Simply because the food is of higher quality, more efficient and satisfying; we eat less with a higher return.

To take this one step further: the same would go for the experience of dining with us. We could make statement upon statement about how ethically our chicken we serve at our dinners is treated, but that would make no difference if the chicken did not taste good (like chicken used to). This is only to say that the aesthetic experience does not end and begin with someone sitting down to eat. The event of eating speculates as well as lingers. How we feel the day after we eat is as important as the act of eating as well as the day before.

Aesthetics is our guide, not independent of reason, but informed by rational decision, an encounter with nutrition. To proselytize a vegan diet without the ground work of nutrition is unconscionable. To decide an ethics for others requiring rigid and dogmatic elimination of most sources of protein is inconceivable. There is theory and there is practice. We hope to share our practice with you through our blog–By no means do we mean to propose a theory for a lifestyle to anyone.

Even if we were to attempt to do so, that theory would be absolutely particular to our needs and it would be always moving, growing, aging, conflicting into a theory of parts that could only make up a paradoxical whole.

Last Night, 12/12/09 at 1508

2009-12-13T10:40:00.007-05:00

Had a fun open night at 1508 last night. We celebrated two birthdays, one with candle the other opted for no candle. For the second time a Snuggie was gifted here at 1508. Some guests were people that we met for the first time, others close old friends, a talented photographer and party planner I often collaborate with and an old colleague we had not seen in years joined. A couple of non red meat eaters swayed us towards a rockfish main. We also served a beautiful piece of rare beef from Bev at Eco Friendly Farms as the first seated course (a sprouted quinoa salad replaced the beef for the non meat eaters). I knew I wanted to serve a black truffle sorbet for dessert and after some back and forth decided to pair it with oranges. The menu...

Passing
Seared Scallop with Roasted Beet
Roasted Chicken with Celery Root
Cauliflower Soup with Oregon Black Truffle
Roasted Sweet Potato
Saffron Mashed Potato
Roasted Parsnip with Pumpkin Seed Dip

Scented Geranium Vodka Martini

Seated
Beef Striploin with Brussel Sprouts, Sunchokes, Chives, Ginger and Garlic
(Le Roc Des Anges), Les Vielles Vignes, 2006

Chantarelle Cassoulet with Fall Squash, Chard, Turnips and Black Walnuts
(Arbois), Chardonnay Tissot, 2007

Roasted Rockfish with Corn Grits, Turnip Greens, Leeks and Carrots
(Julienas), Millesime 2006

Warm Apple Sauce
(Le Roc Des Anges), Passerille

Black Truffle Ice with Vanilla Cake and Light Chocolate Sauce
(Domaine des Aubuisieres), Vouvray Brut

Cookies:
Chocolate Coconut, Gingersnap, Clove Oatmeal, Sesame Semolina

Rockfish Season

2009-12-09T18:17:00.007-05:00

We have been serving rockfish for the last couple of weeks. Choosing seafood is always complicated because both environmental and health factors have to be considered when deciding what fish to eat. We rely heavily on two websites, Monterey Bay Aquarium and Oceans Alive to help stay current. Luckily we also have additional help from our fish purveyor, Jim of Prime Seafood. Jim's passion is healthy waterways and fish. He only sells fish that pass his stringent, well informed test which means that some days Jim will have only one variety of fish for sale. This is fine with us because we know that any fish we get from him is incredibly fresh, has not caused a negative environmental impact and is healthful. We are very happy to be in the middle of local rockfish season. For much of the year it is impossible to get healthful and sustainable fish that is also local. Not so long ago rockfish were over fished and their population was in danger. Fishing regulations have helped to restore the population to healthy levels.

I asked Jim to send me some additional information about the rockfish we have been enjoying this is what I got...

"Striped bass (known locally as rockfish) are available from November through March. We get ours in the lower Rappahannock and Potomac Rivers, they are caught just hours before delivery to DC. After rockfish spawn (during March) the adults move out of the Bay and progressively farther up the coast each year as they get older with the largest spending the summer through fall off Long Island, Cape Cod and the inshore part of the Gulf of Maine. As winter comes on the colder waters push the rockfish back down the coast and they re-enter the Bay's major rivers such as the James, York, Rappahannock, Potomac and Susquehanna. The Chesapeake produces about 90% of the east coast's striped bass.

Rockfish spawn in the parts of these rivers just below the "fall line" (for example, Chain Bridge is at the Potomac River's fall line). They are not good jumpers like salmon so they can't get up above the fall line in each river. Their eggs need a strong current to keep them from falling to the bottom where they would be covered with sediment and where they would suffocate from lack of oxygen and die. Young rockfish spend the first 3 years of their lives in local rivers feeding on progressively larger fish (like anchovies) and invertebrates (like blue crabs) as they get older..

Rockfish are ambush predators. The adults eat squid, herring, butterfish, menhaden, eels, sand eels, blue crabs and any other small fish or invertebrates they can fit in their mouths. They taste best if they have fed primarily on squid and herring, which are abundant off New England (where the adults spend much of the year). Maximum weight is probably about 100 lbs. The ones we get weigh about 10 - 30 lbs.

The commercial and recreational fisheries are closely monitored to promote healthy population. The striped bass recovery is one of the only success stories in US fishery management."

Last week we cured rockfish and served it with a salad of brussel sprouts, jerusalem artichokes and radishes. Saturday night we plan to roast the rockfish which will result in a delicious crispy skin and moist bouncy flesh. We will serve it with corn grits, turnip greens, leeks and carrots.

Roasted Parsnips

2009-12-08T22:06:00.005-05:00

My english friends will tell you that Parsnips are horrible things they make you eat at school. However it was in England where John learned to prepare parsnips in a way that has most people ask not only How do you cook these?, but also What are these?

If a grateful participant receiver of a root vegetable is not only asking questions of how but what as well, then the task of cook has been more than acheived.

An Englishman's way to prepare parsnips: cut them in half, remove the core and then cut them into thin strips, preheat the oven to 375 degrees, coat the parsnips lightly with grapeseed oil, season with salt, pepper and a little bit of sugar, roast them until they start to turn brown, stir them and continue roasting until they brown some more.

Of course starting with great parsnips is important. We got our parsnips last week from the Path Valley Cooperative where we get most of our produce this time of year. You can get parsnips at pretty much any farmers market right now.

Last weekend we served parsnips at both of the weekends Home Restaurants with cocktails. We placed them on a platter with a pumpkin seed roasted garlic dip.

Photos by Jacqulyn Maisonneuve

2009-12-07T15:05:00.007-05:00

School Gardens

2009-12-06T17:50:00.008-05:00

Late summer we started digging on a patch of lawn at Scott Montgomery Elementary School, around the corner from our house, to plant a pumpkin patch. The experience was exciting, back breaking and humbling.

First of all our efforts did not result in pumpkins unless you count tiny green fruit smaller than the size of a golf ball to be a pumpkin. Our meager results can be attributed to many factors but most of all the fact that we planted them too late in the season and they did not have a chance to mature.

On the positive side we spent quite a few Friday mornings with a group of pre-schoolers in the garden weeding, watering, feeding the plants coffee grinds from a local coffee shop and digging for worms. It was amazing to see that kids that were initially tentative about getting near the dirt after just a visit or two were talking about soil, why plants needed water and that it is possible to grow food in the city.

Maybe the best part of the whole experience was that when we spent time in the garden with the kids we always brought local fresh fruit which all of the kids enthusiastically ate. Confirming something that we all know, if there is access to delicious, healthful, consciously grown food kids want to eat it.

The amazing librarian at the school, Frances, has applied for grants to get a raised bed for each class in the school, we have drawings to transform the front yard into an edible garden and outdoor classroom and plans to build a community compost. Late this fall we were saddened to find that there is a possibility that Scott Montgomery Elementary School may close by next year. For the moment the plans are on hold until we find out the status of the school.

Last week a friend emailed me a link to a post from a New York Times blog that I had missed that was posted around Thanksgiving about food, schools, edible gardens...
I loved the post and was anxious to share it with anyone who had missed it like I had. Martin-Lane, our daughter immediately recognized, the author who happens to be one of her favorites, Maira Kalman. I also sent the link to the librarian at Scott Montgomery who printed it out and shared it with the kids we spent time in the garden with this past fall.

New Home Restaurant Dates

2009-12-02T20:19:00.003-05:00

Photo Jacqulyn Maisonneuve

Wanted to let you know about the available open nights for our Home Restaurant:
Saturday December 12, New Years Eve Thursday December 31, Friday January 22, Saturday February 13 and Valentines Day Sunday February 14

Winter produce from our favorite farmers includes: Chestnuts, Sunchokes, Parsnips, Asian Pears, Baby Kale, Brussel Sprouts, Micro Greens, Horseradish…From afar…both Italian and Oregon truffles.

We have been getting Eggs from Polyface Farm and Lamb from Whitmore Farms, Poussin and Beef from Eco Friendly Foods, Sustainable Seafood from Prime Seafood…Local Rockfish is now available.

We start with passing food and cocktails and then move to the dinner table for several courses with wines picked for each. Tom a wine importer with an incredible cellar helps us pick wines to go with each individual course to complement the food.

For reservations and information about requested donation contact me at: sidraforman@gmail.com
Please share this email with any potentially interested diners. You can also choose a night of your own (other than the ones mentioned above) if you have a group of 10 or more.

Please advise if you have any food restrictions, vegetarians are more than welcome!

We rely heavily on farmers, a wine importer and other purveyors that we have worked with for years to source ingredients. This time of year we supplement our supplies with herbs from our garden and micro greens we are growing inside. We are committed to using best food practices.

Sidra,
sidrapractice.com
sidraforman.com

Home Restaurant November 28, 2009

2009-11-29T13:41:00.006-05:00

photo Jacqulyn Maisonneuve

Last nights dinner was lively. We had both first time and repeat diners...infact, a few people who had met at a previous dinner coincidentally showed up on the same night again. We had some out of towners in for the Thanksgiving holiday as well.

Derrick mixed up another cocktail using anise hyssop from our garden. John made a bresaola from Bev of Eco Friendly Foods beef. Jim from Prime Seafood provided Rockfish caught a couple hours before it was delivered to us. Nearly all of the fall produce came from Path Valley Cooperative. The Burgundy we served with the rockfish and the Champagne that we finished with were both memorable, Thanks to Tom!

We have one more open night before the end of the year, December 12, with a few spots still available. Also we have nothing booked for New Years Eve if anyone is interested!

PASSING
Carrot and Ginger Soup
Cauliflower Puree with Black Truffle
Squash Gratin with Black Rice
Roasted Chicken in Celariac
Lamb Shank in Pickled Yellow Beet
Roasted White Sweet Potato

Anise Hyssop Cocktail
(Bellenda) Col di Luna Rose de Valmonte NV

SEATED
Beef Bresaola with Marinated Jerusalem Artichoke, Watermelon Radish and Brussel Sprout
(Cincinnato) ‘Raverosse’ Cori Rosso 2005

Home Made Pasta with Chantarelles, Black Walnuts, Shallot and Baby Turnips
(Tenuta Roveglia) Lugana Superiore Vigne di Catullo 2006

Roasted Rockfish with Leeks, Fennel, Saffron Mashed Potato and Kale
(Michel Noellat) Haut Cote de Nuits Rouge 2006

Hachiya Perssimon

Parsnip Cake with Frozen Vin Santo
(Jacques Lassaigne) 'Les Vignes de Montgueux' Blanc de Blancs Brut NV

Cookies:
Earl Grey Roll, Chocolate Chocolate Chip, Chocolate Chip, Lemon Poppy Seed

Forward a conversation

2009-11-25T11:22:00.004-05:00

images from: http://www.reallynicerecipes.com/recipe/poultry/spatchcock

I wanted to post this conversation as soon as possible for anyone interested in a Turkey Conversation... How are you going to do your bird?

Subject:Oregon truffles
------------------------

From:John P
Date: Tue, Nov 24, 2009 at 11:58 AM
To: sidra forman <sidraforman@gmail.com>

Hi Sidra,
My wife and I (avid blog readers, recent home dinner guests (thanks again!)) just got a shipment of white and black Oregon truffles, which we plan to use in several Thanksgiving dishes. I was wondering if you could give me any suggestions for a wine pairing, particularly for the black truffes. Due to their pineapple overtones, I'm inclined to use the black truffles in a dessert application (steeped in cream, then whipped?) but don't have any solid wine ideas. I saw that you paired Oregon black truffle with (Buccia Nera) Vin Santo dell'Etruria Cent 2004 (500ml) for a dessert and with (Pierre Gauthier) Bourgeuil "Vingt Lieux Dits" 2005 for a savory dish. Would you be able to give me other suggestions or, if these are the right two wines, let me know where I can pick some up?
Thanks and happy Thanksgiving,
John
----------
From: sidra forman <sidraforman@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, Nov 24, 2009 at 7:55 PM
To: John P

Hi

Good to hear from you. Sorry it took so long to respond...got pulled away from my computer for most of the day!

I love the Oregon Black Truffles in both sweet and savory dishes. For a dessert last weekend I made a sorbet with them pureed in almond and coconut milk and sweetened with agave nectar then froze in my ice cream maker...it was amazing with the really caramely tasting Vin Santo. It would have also been nice with a dry champagne. I think for a sweet course they would also work well with a Banyuls since to me they have a certain chocolate like property to them.
The black truffles, as well as the white also pair great with poultry, mashed potatoes (made with olive oil instead of butter since butter will drown out the taste of the truffles), pureed cauliflower for some reason really sets the flavor off as well...
We paired the white truffles last weekend with an amazing Chianti, style Italian Red ((Montevertine) "Montevertine Toscano Rosso" 2004).
I work with a wine wholesaler who helps me with my picks and supplies us directly but I know they do a great job with retail wines at Bacchus in Georgetown, http://www.bwcellar.com/

Hope this is somewhat helpful...Very happy to continue the discussion if you are thinking about a dish or wine you want to talk about I am happy to weigh in!

Happy cooking and hope to see you soon
sidra

----------
From: John P
Date: Wed, Nov 25, 2009 at 8:19 AM
To: sidra forman <sidraforman@gmail.com>

Thanks for the information- this is great. One question regarding poultry- I was thinking about slicing some of the black truffles and sliding the slices under the skin of the turkey for roasting. My only concern is whether the flavor will hold up to a couple of hours in an oven. I'm hoping that the skin and rendering subcutaneous fat will protect the flavor, but would appreciate any thoughts you may have.
Thanks again,
John
----------
From: Sidra Forman sidra forman <sidraforman@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, Nov 25, 2009 at 10:27 AM
To: John P

I would put some truffles under the skin and than shave some. To get the best flavor I would suggest a vegetable purée or mash ( potato, cauliflower, parsnip, celery root...) then shaving truffles on top of that and then putting a slice of turkey with the truffle under the skin on top of the vegetable to serve.
Also you might consider instead of cooking the turkey whole, butchering it like you would a chicken and cooking it in pieces crisping the skin. Th result will be a not over cooked turkey that will be moist an delicious with the truffle taste...When you butcher the turkey you can use the bones to make a stock, cook the stuffing separate and use a little of the turkey stock in it if you want, also at the last minute you can pour the fat/juices from the roasted turkey over the stuffing.
We always do our turkey like that...
Let me know if you have any questions... Always happy for the cooking chat

Sent from my phone
----------
From:John P
Date: Wed, Nov 25, 2009 at 10:36 AM
To: Sidra Forman <sidraforman@gmail.com>

Thanks, I had planned on spatchcocking the bird this year, so we're of the same mind. I'll let you know how it turns out.
Happy Thanksgiving -- John
----------
From: sidra forman <sidraforman@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, Nov 25, 2009 at 10:51 AM
To: John P

just looked up the word "spatchcock"...did not know what it meant...happy to learn it, nice word!
Thanks

Spatchcock is a term used to describe the process of removing the backbone of a bird in order to lessen the cooking time thereby ensuring moister meat... So say Butterfly but why when Spatchcocking is so much more fun!

Weekend Home Restaurants

2009-11-22T15:56:00.010-05:00

We had Home Restaurants on both Friday and Saturday nights this weekend. Both nights we had fantastic guests who nurtured us with their enthusiasm for our food and wine offerings. All the vegetables came from Path Valley Cooperative which as always exceeded expectation in taste and freshness. As usual Tom's wine picks enhanced the food and the Chianti-like red that we served with Bev's delicious chicken was memorable. Below is the menu with some extra notes on the food that we made and enjoyed.

Passing
Turnip and Apple Soup
Hakurei Tunips and Stayman Apples pureed and garnished with sage from our front yard
Baked Black Cod on Corn Cake with Pickled Carrot and Arugula Micro Greens
Pacific Black Cod was lightly baked and flaked over a corn cake made with hand ground toasted cornmeal and garnished with Sugarsnax Carrots and Arugula Micro Greens we are growing here at 1508
Saffron Mashed Potato with Parsley
Yukon Gold Potatoes mashed with Spanish Saffron and Affiorato Hand Pressed Olive Oil, seasoned with Korean Sea Salt
Fall Squash and Barley Gratin
Black Barley and Yellow First Edition Onions topped with Orange Sunshine Kobocha Squash and Coarse Grey Guerande Salt
Watermelon Radish with Roasted Salsify and Chives
Shaved Watermelon Radish wrapped around White Salsify and chives

Cranberry and Ginger Vodka Martini
(Bellenda) Col di Luna Rose di Valmonte NV

Seated
Grilled Beef Brisket with Brussel Sprouts and Shallots
Eco Friendly Foods Beef grilled for most of the day outside on a wood burning grill and served with roasted brussel sprouts and shallots with a splash of balsamic vinegar
(Cincinnato) ‘Raverosse’ Cori Rosso 2005

Baked Home Made Pasta with Black Walnuts, Chantarelles and Baby Beets and Turnips
Hand Rolled Ziti stuffed with Black Walnut Cheese, baked with four varieties of Baby Beets, Oregon Chanterelles and Baby Turnips from our garden
(Tenuta Roveglia) Lugana Superiore Vigne di Catullo 2006

Chicken Thigh with Oregon White Truffles, Roasted White Sweet Potato, Cauliflower Sauce and Wilted Greens
Eco Friendly Foods Chicken stuffed with Oregon White Truffles, served with roasted White Sweet Potatoes, Pureed Cauliflower and Wilted Flowering Kale
(Montevertine) "Montevertine Toscano Rosso" 2004

Oregon Black Truffle Sorbet
Oregon Black Truffles pureed with Coconut Milk and Almond Milk and Sweetened with Agave Nectar
(Buccia Nera) Vin Santo dell'Etruria Cent 2004 (500ml)

Vanilla Black Rice Pudding with Vanilla Cake. Perssimon and Brandysnap
Forbidden Black Rice Slowly Cooked with Almond Milk and Vanilla Beans sweetened with Agave Nectar. Served over a Vanilla Cake with Fresh Perssimon Puree and a Crispy Brandysnap
(Bisson) Prosecco "Colli dei Trevigiani" 2008

Cookies: Chocolate Chocolate Chip, Ginger Snap, Chocolate Chip and Earl Grey Tea Roll
Tiny Drop and Rolled Cookies

Salt Bar

2009-11-18T20:50:00.006-05:00

Our use of salt has changed over time. At Rupperts we used primarily Kosher Salt for cooking, offered French Fleur de Sel on the tables and used Maldon Sea Salt Flakes to finish salads. Looking back I realize that we have been using a variety of salts for different purposes for awhile. Several years ago we switched from kosher salt to a fine sea salt as our everyday go to salt and have been slowly introducing one new salt after another into our pantry. Some of these salts have been purposefully sought out and others have come our way as gifts from generous friends. The salts vary greatly in both flavor and texture and impact cooking.

Many years ago I visited a man who sells precious and semi-precious stones out of his basement in Takoma Park. He also had small bags of finely ground pink himalayan salt for sale, this was the first time I had ever seen it, before it was available at every Whole Foods. I was immediately captivated by the color and once I started using it discovered that the mellow deep flavor was ideal for some salads and in pastry.

About 5 years ago a friend and client who travels internationally for work brought me black salt from a spice market in India. Initially I was repelled by the sulphury smell but then decided that it might make a good sweet and salty biscotti. This cookie has become a staple ever since.

A few years ago when we were in LA we visited the La Sanctuaire and purchased a Japanese deep ocean sea salt that is incredibly intense but smooth. Since then we have collected a variety of salts from various Asian markets...we are currently using one variety of Korean salt that we have ground fine and in larger crystals. We also have another that is more of a flake that is ideal on raw fall vegetable salads made with Girasol, Brussel Sprouts, Celery Root...

After a friend gifted us a truffle salt a few years ago we started saving small leftover pieces of truffles and blending them with salt. Today I made a white bean puree and seasoned it with a salt laced with leftover Italian Burgundy Truffles pieces.

Last Christmas Derrick brought us a beautiful chunk of pink himalayan salt with a special grater that we like to use to season food once we are sitting at the table. Another recent addition was from a friend who attended a recent Home Restaurant and brought with her a gift of Sel de Guerande from Brittany (right on time since we were just finishing a bag that we had picked up at a farmers market in Amsterdam) that is moist with a mineraley taste that we are enjoying on fall greens both raw and cooked.

I must admit that there are a few more salts in our pantry that I have not mentioned...all of which we use regularly. When organizing last Sunday afternoon after a busy cooking weekend we made a salt bar for ourselves so we would have easy access to all the varieties. Tomorrow we start cooking for the weekends two Home Restaurants but I have already been enjoying the new salt set up just feeding the family over the last few days.

Last Weekend

2009-11-16T19:38:00.005-05:00

Last weekend was very busy...we cooked for a Home Restaurant and a Brunch. We had two large flower jobs...All went very well. Jacqulyn Maisonneuve who has been photographing us for the last few months came by a few times over the last few days and spent the night here on Saturday night so she could capture the end of a dinner, awakening and an early morning of cooking. She said that when she shoots for a few hours she usually takes about 1000 photographs and then narrows that down to a few photos that she shares with us... which will be further edited down to about 10 photos that she will print and hang as her senior thesis at the Corcoran College of Art and Design early next year. Below are her photo picks from last weekend.

November 14, 2009 Home Restaurant

2009-11-15T18:09:00.010-05:00

We had a lovely group of people here last night to celebrate their friends birthday. The birthday girl brought along her two young daughters, 10 and 12 years old, who were great diners and conversationalists. It was lots of fun sharing the fall bounty from our own backyard and nearby farms with this enthusiastic party.

Tonight we started to sketch out next weekends menus...here is what we served last night...

Passing
Scallops on Corn Cake with Pickled Carrot
Chestnut Soup
Fall Squash Gratin with Tokyo Bekana Micro Greens
Roasted Apple and Onion
Potato Egg Salad with Neighbors Chives

Sorrel Martini
Domaine de Villargeau 2007, Appellation Coteaux du Glennois

Seated
Beef Bresaola with Girasole, Asian Pear, French Breakfast Radish and Napa Cabbage

(Cincinnato) ‘Raverosse’ Cori Rosso 2005

Hand Rolled Rigatoni with Baby Turnips, Tomato, Roasted Red Peppers and Oregon Chantarelles

(Buccia Nera) Toscano Bianco 'Donna Patrizia' 2008

Eco Friendly Foods Chicken Thigh with Oregon Black Truffle, Purple Cauliflower Puree, Roasted Sweet Potato and Broccoli Raab

(Pierre Gauthier) Bourgeuil "Vingt Lieux Dits" 2005

Cave Aged Marissa Cheese with Walnut Cracker

Shaved Carrot Ice with Toasted Coconut Flakes

(Roc des Anges) VDP “A” Passerille 2004

Warm Pear and Banana Crumble with Almond Sorbet

(Chancelle/Bourdin) Cremant de Saumur NV

Cookies:
Chocolate Chocolate Chip, Ginger Snap, Chocolate Chip and Lemon Poppy Seed

Wild vs. Farm Raised Salmon

2009-11-12T20:02:00.005-05:00

We only serve wild salmon during the salmon season. When writing recipes for various projects I always specify that if using salmon it should be wild. On many occasions I have be asked why is wild salmon superior and is it really worth the money.

Today we received the following information from one of our favorite fish purveyors, Jim at Prime Seafood. Thought this was worth sharing...

Here are 10 reasons to boycott farm-raised salmon:

1. Sea lice -- factory salmon farms are often infested with parasites and spread sea lice to wild salmon and sea trout.
2. Escapes -- a recent scientific paper published by the Royal Society concludes that mass escapes from farms can lead to extinctions in wild salmon.
3. Wastes -- Salmon farms discharge untreated wastes directly into pristine marine waters thereby using the sea as an open sewer.
4. Unsustainable -- far from saving wild fish, salmon farming is a drain on depleted marine resources and is inherently unsustainable.
5. Listeria -- One in ten smoked salmon are contaminated with listeria which can cause meningitis, blood poisoning and still births in pregnant women.
6. Unsanitary and filthy -- the US FDA [Food & Drug Administration] have refused over 200 cases of Irish, Scottish, Chilean and Norwegian salmon for being 'unsanitary' and 'filthy.'
7. Fatty -- Farmed salmon contains more fat than wild salmon (up to ten times fattier in some cases)
8. Chemicals -- Factory farmed salmon are dependent upon a cocktail of toxic chemicals to control diseases and parasites.
9. Artificial colorings -- farmed salmon contain synthetic pink dyes such as Astaxanthin and Canthaxanthin.
10. Cancer-Causing Contaminants -- farmed salmon can contain DDT, chlordane and dioxins and can be up to ten times more contaminated with PCBs [polychlorinated biphenyls] than wild salmon.

Comforting Food

2009-11-11T22:12:00.003-05:00

This evening I cooked dinner for a friend and her family in need of comfort. I thought quite a bit about what to cook. In some ways I am completely opposed to this idea of comfort food unless of course the ailment that needs comforting is hunger. Often foods that we turn to for comfort may help us–momentarily distract, but in the long run leave us feeling badly.

Part of the problem with our eating habits is that we have attached the cure of human emotions to foods. The same is true when we use food as a reward. I am not referring to sitting down to a nice meal after a job well done or many calories burned, more about eating an ice cream sundae instead of a single scoop because of a feeling that "I deserve this."

When we are grieving we are outside of ourselves and our sense of self can be lost hence the tendency to not take care of ourselves by over or under eating. In those times a good solid healthy meal can work wonders towards healing both body and mind.

Having someone reach out and prepare a meal for you can be nurturing both nutritionally and emotionally. When my father was sick a chef who was a friend of my mothers prepared us a batch of tapioca pudding. None of us were eating very well and the gesture of the delicious and nurturing pudding helped provide much needed nutrition and simultaneously lifted our spirits. To this day I do not know if the pudding was particularly good but I remember it as one of the most memorable and delicious things I have ever tasted. I know that at different times in my live my senses have been heightened or dulled... the tapioca was important at the time.

In any case I would like to propose a new comfort food, one that takes into account hunger, ingredients and the physical needs and tastes of a particular situation.

Home Lunch Photos

2009-11-10T21:55:00.004-05:00

Jacqulyn Maisonneuve's work from the Home Lunch last Friday.

Finding Osage Oranges

2009-11-09T15:42:00.007-05:00

For years I have been enthralled by the funky texture and electric color of a fruit that I find all over the ground in the fall. Every year we bring some home just to look at. This year I have used them for a couple of events and one of the flower wholesalers that I buy from keeps trying to sell them to me since he knows that I like to use non flower elements in my arrangements...I keep telling him I know where to find them.

For years I incorrectly called them ugly fruit and only recently learned the correct name when a person delivering us organic meat saw a bowl of them on our table a few weeks ago. He told us they were called osage oranges or hedgeapples and had originally been planted to act as barriers before the invent of barbed wire. When I asked if he had ever seen them prepared as food he replied, "I have never seen any animal, not a horse or even a pig eat one."

A quick internet search showed that the wood from the trees is used for its color and texture to make bows, bowls and pens among anything else that needs to be made wooden. This weekend I am going to use them as part of the centerpieces at an event along with leaves and acorns...I have to admit that I get a certain satisfaction from using items I find in the woods within the city that I live. Living in such an advanced form of capitalism, there is something uncanny about the freedom of hunting for an edible mushroom, harvesting from our back yard or picking up an osage orange to use in a flower arrangement.

Home Lunch

2009-11-08T01:03:00.005-05:00

Photo Jacqulyn Maisonneuve

We had our first Home Lunch at 1508 on Friday. A fabulous group took time out of their busy day to lunch with us and enjoy each others company. The mood was festive and exhubarant fueled by the fact that everyone deviated from routine, some skipping out of work to join. We look forward to more lunches in the future.

Passing
Egg Salad with Chives
Chestnut Soup with Sage
Fall Squash Gratin
Seared Scallop on Corncake with Mustard Micro Green
Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Pickled Ginger

Sparkling Thyme and Lemon Water

Seated
Beef Bresaola with Radish, Celariac, Asian Pear and Local Greens Dressed with Banyuls Vinagerette

Baked Pasta wit Beets, Baby Turnips and Lima Beans

Chicken Thigh with Burgundy Truffles, Cauliflower Sauce, Brocolli Raab and Sweet Potato

Cave Aged Marissa Cheese with Walnut Cracker and Honeycrisp Apple

Chocolate Torte with Roasted Pear, Frozen Chocolate, Ginger and Cocoa Nibs

Cookies:
Lemon Poppyseed Drops, Gingersnaps, Chocolate Chocoate Chip, Earl Grey Roll Cookies

Truffles

2009-11-05T22:15:00.005-05:00

We got our first truffles of the season today through Oregon Mushrooms who we have dealt with over the last couple of years. Truffles are one of the few legendary flavors in my mind that actually live up to the hype. I spoke with Tim on Monday about what types of truffles would be available this week since the season has just begun. He knew that he would have Italian White Alba and Burgundy truffles. On Wednesday Tim called saying that the Oregon truffles were not quite ready for harvest, they would need another few days and that he would have French black truffles in a couple of weeks. We ordered Burgundy truffles which we received this morning.

Alba White Truffles are the most flavorful of all truffles and also by far the most expensive. We use these shaved fresh over mashed potatoes or cauliflower puree, the warmth from the food sets off the sharp muskiness of the truffles. French Black Perigord truffles and Italian Burgundy truffles are slightly less intense than Alba truffles but are each unique and deeply aromatic. Tomorrow at our Home Lunch we are going to put thin slices of Burgundy truffles under the skin of Eco Friendly Foods chicken and then finish them off with fresh slices on top.

We look forward to getting the Black Oregon truffles soon. They have a vaguely chocolaty taste and are much less expensive than the imported truffles. This allows for experimentation and generous shavings on a variety of foods. Oregon Black truffles are also great in desserts, especially custards and ice cream.

We will incorporate all types of truffles into our menus throughout the winter.

Local Brussel Sprouts

2009-11-04T23:26:00.006-05:00

We got the our first local brussel sprouts of the season from Twin Springs Wednesday market. We are going to roast them and pass them at a Home Lunch at 1508 this Friday. Brussel sprouts have a bad reputation because many people think of them as a stinky vegetable. The smell is caused by overcooking. The process of overcooking brussel sprouts actually causes a chemical reaction that emits sulfur which causes both a bitter taste and bad smell.

On the other hand lightly cooked or raw and marinated brussel sprouts seem unrelated. They often pleasantly surprise people who have previously only eaten overcooked sprouts.

To roast sprouts take a thin slice off the end,where the sprout was attached to the plant, and then cut the sprout in half longways. Heat a heavy bottom skillet over medium high heat. Lightly coat the brussel sprouts in grapeseed oil and season with salt and pepper. Cook cut side down until lightly browned, about 1-2 minutes. Flip the brussel sprout over and cook on the other side until the sprout is just tender, the time will vary from 1-3 minutes depending on the size of the sprout. One of my favorite accompaniments to roasted brussel sprouts is pickled ginger.

To marinate sprouts take a thin slice off the end,where the sprout was attached to the plant, and then cut the sprout in half longways. If the sprouts are very large cut them into quarters. Season sprouts with salt and cover with a vinaigrette of your choice composed of 3 parts vinegar to 1 part oil. One of my favorites is rice wine vinegar and sesame oil. Let the sprouts sit for 30 minutes at room temperature for lightly marinated sprouts or up to 24 hours in the refrigerator.

Micro Greens

2009-11-03T05:37:00.005-05:00

Photo Jacqulyn Maisonneuve

The gardening season is winding down. Huge fig leaves are falling and lots of our crops have been pulled up and replaced by green manure. We still have kale, chard, cabbage, tomatoes and horseradish growing...but it seems to be growing in slow motion compared to mid-summer. I relish the change in season and look forward to a little less garden time but already miss just picked from our garden produce...especially salad greens.

In an attempt to keep growing greens throughout the winter we have set up a small micro green farm under a sky light in our house. We hung large window boxes on the wall, fitted them with 8 shallow trays, filled those with a layer of potting soil and sprinkled them with 8 different types of organic seeds. We covered the seeds with paper towels and water them a few times a day with a spray bottle. We planted Friday and the photo is of the seeds yesterday! The greens grow at different rates but some might be ready to eat by this Friday and all will be ready within the month.

We were first introduced to micro greens years ago when Mike Pappas, who had just started Eco Farms showed up at the back door of our restaurant with a variety of enticing micro greens. Immediately we were seduced by the intense flavors and the unique textures and used them to enhance a variety of dishes. Mike grows his greens 8 miles from DC in Lanham Maryland on a small plot of land using bio-intensive farming methods. Years later we are anxious to grow own, experiment with different varieties of greens and use them immediately after harvesting.

Micro greens are packed full of nutrients. It is believed that not only do they contain all of the nutrients of larger greens but also the additional benefits of the energy and nutrients that they would use up in the process of growing larger. They are classified as a functional food, one that provides benefits beyond their basic nutritional profile.

We are excited about our new indoor farming project and hope for success!

Could not resist

2009-11-01T23:26:00.004-05:00

We already posted Halloween photos yesterday...but could not resist these fabulous photos that just arrived from Jacqulyn Maisonneuve...Halloween is big around here!

11 Halloweens

2009-10-31T13:50:00.009-04:00

Local Fall Dahlias

2009-10-30T23:34:00.005-04:00

Photo: Jay Premack

For the last few weeks I have been using lots of local dahlias. The colors and varieties are vast and make each flower arrangement unique and exciting. The most beautiful dahlias are delicate and do not travel well...luckily Bob Wollam grows a huge variety of dahlias and brings them into DC several times a week. The size of a dahlia flower can range from 2 inches to 1 foot in size. A little research on why there are so many varieties of dahlias revealed that they are octoplodis, meaning that they have eight set of homologous chromosomes instead of the two sets usually found in plants. This gives dahlias 4 times the ability of most other plants to cross breed into different varieties since homologous chromosomes contain hereditary factors such as color, shape, size and petal configuration. New varieties of dahlias are created from both purposeful and accidental (by bees) cross breeding.

Dahlias are available from mid July through the fall. Bob says that he still has lots of flowers blooming, he is able to protect them from light frosts but once a hard frost hits the season will be over.

pumpkin seeds

2009-10-29T23:27:00.005-04:00

One of my favorite things to make, serve and eat this time of year is sweet and salty roasted pumpkin seeds. I eat them as a bite on their own, as a garnish to any fall fruit concoction or with pumpkin, sweet potato or squash desserts.

Pumpkin seeds appeal all year long but at this time of year they are at their freshest and pair well with seasonal foods. Over the last couple of weeks we have served them many different ways: roasted and combined with fall squash, in a green salad with banyuls vinaigrette and a quenelle of polyface farm eggs, roasted and added to a spelt bread and to garnish several sweet courses.

I save the seeds from pumpkins and fall squashes to roast, often with olive oil and salt. The unhulled seeds are my favorite for snacking. Hulled pumpkin seeds work well for both savory and sweet dishes.

Nutritionally pumpkin seeds are miraculous! They are believed to help promote prostate health, help with arthritis, and lower cholesterol... They are also full of minerals, protein and monounsaturated fat.

Sweet Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

2 cups Hulled Pumpkin Seeds
3 tablespoons Agave Nectar
Himilayan Salt to taste
1 tablespoon sugar (ideally organic fair trade)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. On a sheet tray combine pumpkin seeds, agave nectar and salt to taste. Roast stirring regularly until seeds are darkly toasted but not burnt.

Remove from the oven and stir in sugar. Continue stirring as they cool to prevent them from sticking to the sheet tray. These store for several days in an air tight container.

Induction Heat

2009-10-27T22:21:00.007-04:00

Our New Induction Heat Burner

Cassete Feu My Mother used Catering

We just bought a couple induction heat burners to cook tomorrow night in a kitchen that has no stove or oven. My Mother used Cassette Feus, which amounted to fancy French camping stoves or portable butane burners–Barely an upgrade from Sterno. Our new induction heat burners operate on the same technology that a lot of metal work uses. We barely understand and the picture below is the inside of one of our machines. The digital world is frightening sometimes... I mean when something gets hot, I want to see flames... And when something gets Hotter, I want to see bigger Flames! Analog Flames!!

What happens is when a flat bottom pan, that is electrically conductive (conducive to magnetics), hits the surface of the induction burner, an oscillating current is applied to a copper coil which produces an oscillating magnetic field. This electromagnetic field sends energy through the metal thereby creating resistance–heat. This process will only work on pots and pans that a magnet will stick to... we spent most of the evening sticking magnets to our favorite pans. (I guess its safe to say that if cooking is the wonderful mix of art and science we definitely fall on the art side of things.) Fortunate for us we have a love of cast iron in le Creuset cookware and the French saute pans we brought home from Rupperts.

I am not going to even pretend to fully understand–however what is interesting is that different from standard electric flat stove tops, these burners are much more efficient in terms of energy. They heat up super fast And get very hot–John used them for a short time when he worked at Marlow and Sons in Brooklyn.

We are looking forward to the gig tomorrow night... Here is a peek at the menu... and the inside of our new machine...

Passing
Roasted Sweet Potato with Polyface Chicken Salad

Seated
Green Salad with Polyface Egg, Chives and Banyuls Vinagrette

Grilled Beef Brisket with Braised Turnip, Carrots Leeks, Potato, Barley and Wilted Chard
(vegetarian alternative available)

Chocolate Cake with Roasted Pears and Ginger

Cookies
Macaroon
Gingersnap
Rosemary Oatmeal

The Inside of Induction Heat Burner

blue weeds

2009-10-26T20:25:00.007-04:00

I did lots of flowers last week. I got beautiful flowers from Holland, Virginia and others from South America...But I am enthralled with the porcelain berries that are growing wild in the yard of the abandoned house next door and coming over the fence into our yard. I incorporated these berries into two large arrangements that a couple stood between while they got married on Sunday, I sent some in a low arrangement to a friend of a friend who is in the hospital and I am using some in centerpieces for a dinner that I am cooking on Wednesday evening...

A little internet research revealed that the porcelain berry is considered an invasive plant. There is documentation about how it has overtaken yards, open spaces and killed other plants. I am pretty certain that will not happen in our little eco system over here because we will use as much of it as we can cut in flower arrangements.

These berries make me examine the classification of weed vs flower...I must admit that this is not my first time picking weeds to use as decor or food. During the first few years that we had Rupperts Restaurant an abandoned lot/parking lot (this is where the convention center now stands) was across the street. In that parking lot the most beautiful purpley blue flowers grew and often we would try cutting them and putting them in vases for the restaurant, however they did not like being cut and always wilted and died before dinner. I have had more success with edible weeds and love to eat both pursalane and chickweed. In fact I have been known to purchase bags of both of these "weeds" for salads.

Another thing that attracts me to these blue berries that I found in my yard is the color. Blue flowers are hard to come by and are a great compliment to so many other colors. There are blue hydrangeas and occasionally a blue forget me not or muscari. Just this week we saw a news story about a new blue rose, to me it looked more purple than blue! Although blue flowers are hard to find I have many requests for them for brides who want to use blue. Usually we use blue hydrangeas or incorporate a blue linen or vase. If this weed was around all the time I would certainly use it lots. I will enjoy it while it is here!

fig hockey

2009-10-25T21:34:00.004-04:00

We were cleaning up what John calls, "Sidra's Field of Chaos", after two weddings, twigs, leafs and stems are everywhere... And Then, a hockey game broke out... It started when a stray fig wandered out of the dust pan pile AND after Martin Lane had declared her unlove of figs... its been a long season and we have enjoyed a lot of figs but we could have never imagined a contact sport based on smashing this glorious fruit as so much fun:

photo by Jacqulyn Masionneuve

Girl's Night

2009-10-25T00:35:00.004-04:00

We had fun hosting a fabulous group of 10 women and one baby at this evenings Home Restaurant.

We continue to enjoy the blend of late summer and fall ingredients. John made amazing "little ear" pasta. Tonight we tasted a bunch of new wines that we had not served before all of them were excellent and well paired with the food, thanks to Tom.

Tonights menu and wines...

Passing
Whitmore Farm Egg, Egg Salad with Chives
Chestnut Soup
Pomegranate and Quinoa Salad
Scallop on Kohlrabi with Pickled Kohlrabi
Roasted Sweet Potato with Fall Squash with Pumpkin Seed
White Sweet Potato
(Labbe) Abymes Savoie 2008

Seated
Black Cod on Cauliflower Puree with Tomato and Lentil
(Delaunay) Touraine “Estate” Sauvignon Blanc 2008

Wild Oyster Mushrooms with Noodles, Lima Beans, Leeks and Eggplant
(Raquillet) Mercurey Rouge Vielles Vignes 2007

Strip Loin with Horseradish Mashed Potato, Beets, Green Beans and Breakfast Radish
(Roucas Toumba) VdT “Les Grands Chemins” 2008

Farmers Cheese with Apple and Walnut Cracker

Carrot Sorbet with Coconut Macaroon
(Chancelle/Bourdin) Cremant de Saumur NV

Chocolate Cake with Fig and Ginger
(Guindon) Coteaux d’Ancenis Malvoisie 2007

Cookies
Ginger Molasses Cookie
Sweet and Salty Pumpkin Seeds
Oatmeal Rosemary Cookies

Flowers

2009-10-23T22:52:00.008-04:00

I have been feeling pretty down all day...I have been working the last couple of days on samples and proposals trying to get a big corporate flower job that I found out this morning I did not get.

Seeing Jackie's photos tonight made me feel a lot better about the amazing work I am so lucky to have... beautiful flowers, food and gardens AND with my kid around most of the time!! It must suck to work at a certain bank these days... (I won't mention which one...)

Arranging flowers is messy work...stems, leaves, boxes and vases are everywhere...basically chaos. Now the flowers are all neatly arranged in vases ready to go to various events. Fig branches and some amazing weed vine with blue berries came from our garden, Dahlias came from Wollam Gardens in Virginia, viburnum, anemone, tulips, hypericum, hyacinth, lisianthus...came from Holland and hydrangeas from South America.

Thursday evening I did flowers for the opening of the new Longview Gallery space. Tomorrow I am doing flowers for a wedding. Tomorrow night we are doing an 'all girl' Home Restaurant. On Sunday I have a couple of weddings. Days roll right into days...

Jacqulyn Maisonneuve came by today and took a few beautiful shots of the flowers.

≈

Hana Market

2009-10-21T22:39:00.007-04:00

Sometime all of us, especially Martin-Lane need a break from home cooked food. This evening after a long day of school and after-school activities we decided to go for our favorite carry-out...which consists of supplies from Hana Market at 17th and U.

This tiny, jam packed Japanese Grocery store that has been open for less than a year is our source for many items including maccha tea, seaweed, miso and fresh japanese vegetables that are grown on a local farm.

This evening we bought some frozen vegetarian goyza, dried wakame seaweed, a pre-made seaweed salad, fresh bean sprouts and some tofu cakes. We steamed the goyza, rehydrated the wakame and dressed it with sesame oil and soy sauce, dumped the seaweed salad on a plate, heated the tofu cakes and mixed the bean sprouts with lettuce from our garden and dressed it with sesame oil and rice wine vinegar.

We completely appreciate the small independent stores that supply us with interesting ingredients.

chestnut

2009-10-20T19:24:00.010-04:00

Every fall we used to have a well dressed woman in a large black Cadillac would show up at our back door to sell us chestnuts. We would excitedly welcome her and buy about 100 pounds from this tweed clad Virginia farmer. At the time there were not many farmers markets around and before she started showing up, the only chestnuts that we could find were imported from Italy. The Italian chestnuts were always a bit tired by the time we received them and not nearly as good as the local chestnuts.

This woman who grew and delivered chestnuts also taught us a method of shelling chestnuts which prior to her information was torturous. She told us to cut the chestnuts in half, place them in water, bring the water to a boil and as soon as they were cool enough to handle remove the shell. This method is vastly superior to the other methods that we had previously tried. We added the provision to always use a dinner knife to remove the chestnut, not your fingers. Using your fingers inevitably results in chestnut being jammed under your nails. A condition that to this day we call "chestnut thumb". Pain that results from any substance under the nail–no matter what job or discipline is now Chestnut Thumb.

There are certain repetitive jobs in the kitchen that I really enjoy and mark the change of seasons. In the spring there are peas and then fava beans, in the fall there are chestnuts. Minds wander as monotonous prep jobs become moments of conviviality. The mark of a good kitchen is conversation...

For the last couple of weeks we have been buying chestnuts on Saturday morning at the 14th and U Farmers Market, from Kuhn Orchards. We use chestnuts in a variety of savory and sweet dishes. At last weeks Home Restaurant we served a Poussin Noodle Soup with Chestnuts and Turnips. This week we will pass a warm savory Chestnut Soup while guests are gathering. Over the next couple of weeks I will pair chestnuts with chocolate and also probably make a dessert with chestnuts and fall fruits.

Chestnut Soup

Onion
Garlic
Shelled Chestnut
Sherry Vinegar
Salt
Pepper
Sage

Sweat onion and garlic. Add water and chestnuts and cook until chestnuts are soft. Puree until smooth adjusting the amount of water until desired thickness is achieved. Season with sherry vinegar, salt, pepper and sage to taste.
Serve warm.

Jacqulyn Maisonneuve's Work

2009-10-19T17:49:00.005-04:00

Where are the grapes with seeds?

2009-10-18T19:00:00.007-04:00

I am frustrated with the difficulty of finding grapes with seeds. For a few weeks in September we were able to find them at the farmers market. Whole Foods has not carried them for several seasons, the Giant near my house always had them last year but they are not available there this year either...

I understand that the crunchy, sweet, seedless varieties available today were developed to appeal to consumers. I prefer grapes with seeds for a few reasons. In nearly all cases seeded grapes have more intense flavor, not necessarily sweeter but more complex which I prefer. I eat nearly all grape seeds, ocassionaly very large or bitter ones I discard, and I enjoy the texture that they add. It also appears from everything that I have read that many of the health properties of grapes actually come from the seeds themselves. They are believed to be extremely high in antioxidants and to strengthen the human immune system. It seems absurd that buying grape seed extract is popular but buying grapes with seeds is nearly impossible. This is not the case in many other countries around the world where grapes with seeds remain popular.

Hopefully the absence of the of seeded grapes will pass...I have noticed in the last couple of years that watermelons with seeds are more available than they have been in a decade. I am a fan of the seedless watermelon but my daughter Martin-Lane swears that the texture and flavor of a good seeded watermelon is better than that of a good seedless watermelon. This summer we enjoyed quite a few watermelons with seeds.

Tonight at 1508

2009-10-18T02:22:00.003-04:00

Thank you to a great group of enthusiastic eaters this evening who came out on a cold and rainy night. This is what we served.

Passing
Scrambled Whitmore Farm Egg with Sorrel
Diver Seared Sea Scallops on Corn Cake with Eggplant
Roasted Fingerling Sweet Potato with Winter Squash and Pumpkin Seed Puree
Roasted Broccoli
Green Tomato Soup

Sorrel Martini (Labbe) Abynnes Savoie 2007

Seated
Eco Friendly Foods Poussin Noodle Soup with Turnips and Chestnuts
(La Chapiniere) Touraine Gamay 2007

Wild Puff Ball, Hen of the Woods and Oyster Mushrooms with Green Beans and Cauliflower
(Gerard Boulay) Sancerre AOC 2007
Eco Friendly Foods Beef Strip Loin with Beets, Beet Greens, Potatoes and Horseradish
(Chateau Les Valentines) Cotes du Provence Rouge “Le Punition”

Farmers Cheese with Apple on Walnut Cracker

Carrot Sorbet with Coconut Macaroon
(Chancelle/Bourdin) Cremant de Saumur NV

Chocolate Torte with Frozen Fig and Ginger
(Roc des Anges) VDP “A” Passerille 2004

Dessert Bites
Candied Pumpkin Seeds
Salty Rosemary Oatmeal Cookies
Molasses Cookies

Farmers Cheese

2009-10-17T01:05:00.006-04:00

At Rupperts we served Farmers Cheese with warm bread before everyone started their meal. So, everyday we made the cheese. We chose this as a condiment to serve with our bread because it was delicious, light and paired well with all foods. Sometimes we would make it with raw goats milk if a farmer brought it to us, often with it with dairy from Lewes Farm. Before yesterday I had not made farmers cheese in years and even though I used to make it everyday I must confess to not remembering the exact proportions. Luckily the cheese if forgiving and there are many possible variations that will result in excellent cheese.

The batch we made yesterday came out great and we are going to mix in some herbs and serve it on a walnut cracker with a slice of honeycrisp apple after our last savory course and before our first sweet course at tomorrows Home Restaurant.

Farmers Cheese

You can substitute this for store bought ricotta in any recipe. For the batch we made yesterday we used Trickling Springs Dairy that we bought from Timor Bodega.

2 cups buttermilk
1/2 gallon milk
salt to taste
1/4 cup white vinegar

Place all ingredients in a pot and gently heat. The curd will separate to the top. Use a ladel to gently remove the curd from the liquid. Put curd in a strainer to separate the solid from the liquid. Once all of the solid is separated adjust salt and chill.

on an open fire

2009-10-15T21:25:00.007-04:00

Last weekend there was lots of cooking over an open fire...

We went camping in Harper's Ferry last Sunday. When we go camping it is this strange mix of doing things we don't usually do and spending time outdoors. What that means is that we refrain from the comforts and the electronics of home. This also means that we bring food to cook over an open fire: Not Dogs and Vegan Marshmallows...things we don't usually eat and have nothing to do with nature! The fun part is putting things on a stick and cooking them on/in an open fire. That is to say walking the fine line between catching things on fire and cooking.

I have to admit we have never cooked on a rotisserie before. That is before last Saturday, we were preparing for a party and needed to cook a few young chickens for a salad bite that we were passing later in the day. With the confidence of not having to serve these birds straight from the fire we decided to tryout the rotisserie.

We discovered the trick was to regulate the fire as well as the distance between the fire and the chickens while all the time rotating the rotisserie. This sounds like a lot but is totally worth it! After about an hour of cooking, the chickens slowly became crisp and juicy. However the best part about cooking on the rotisserie was the lightly smokey taste–just enough not too much...

We are roasting a few birds on the rotisserie for this Saturdays Home Restaurant to serve with noodles in a chestnut broth.

food=x

2009-10-14T19:54:00.006-04:00

Nothing is more daunting than someone standing in front of you, asking you to create a menu. The question 'What kind of food do you cook?' 'What's your specialty?' falls along those same lines. Maybe my reticence to these requests is one of language–How do you say in so many words that there are multiple variables, that begin with immediate logistics and move all the way out to a position on the earth and its relation to the sun at the time the dinner will be served OR My food=x, in that x is the variable in a reciprocal determination of the various produce, animals and dairy that local farmers are producing... but how about we start with 'Do you have any have any food restrictions?'

The answer is of course:
1. fresh–everything comes straight from the farm
2. seasonal–the quality of food is better in season AND human tastes are more receptive to seasonal foods (that is to say food tastes better in season)
3. local–food for the most part tastes better if it does not travel far

I am sure we could find exceptions to these demands (and sometimes are forced to)–But why intentionally would we! We have the freedom to cook what ever menu we want... and with this freedom we acknowledge the parameters that empower any creative process. Paradoxically, limitations are our freedoms...

Creativity for us is not the making of something from nothing but the awareness of an arrangement and the ability to discern and use productive forces while encouraging life and life processes. That is to say within an arrangement there are parts, individuals, groups, species, societies, eco-system all working on each other in no hierarchical fashion, Chefs (humans) are not outside of these networks. Reciprocal determination will almost always seem like chance, however 'chefs in an eco-system' understand the play of limitation and potential in the simple assembling and interpreting of sustenance.

The request for a menu can only be fulfilled by more questions. What's the occasion? Do you know of any allergies? What time of year is the event?... The question, "What's for dinner?" for us amounts to a radically material question: What's Fresh, Seasonal and Local...

Home Restaurant Dates

2009-10-13T11:42:00.003-04:00

Wanted to let you know about our last available October date and the
just announced November dates of our Home Restaurant¬–
Saturday October 17, Friday November 13 and Saturday November 28.

We rely heavily on farmers, a wine importer and other purveyors that
we have worked with for years to source ingredients. This time of
year we supplement our supplies with food from our garden. We are
committed to using best food practices.

Every week new fall produce is showing up in our own garden and from
our favorite farmers this week we saw the first: Chestnuts,
Sunchokes, Parsnips, Asian Pears, Baby Kale, Brussel Sprouts…
We will be getting Eggs and Lamb from Whitmore Farms, Poussin and Beef from Eco Friendly Foods, Sustainable Seafood from Prime Seafood…

We start with passing food and cocktails, in the garden weather
permitting, and then move to the dinner table for several courses
with wines picked for each.

Reservations and to inquire about the Requested Donation: sidraforman@gmail.com
Please share this email with any potentially interested diners. You
can also choose a night of your own (other than the ones mentioned
above) if you have a group of 10 or more.

Please advise if you have any food restrictions, vegetarians are more
than welcome!

Check out this post from out blog about a recent Home Restaurant,
http://www.sidrapractice.com/2009/09/september-eleventh.html

Sidra,
sidrapractice.com
sidraforman.com

chaos

2009-10-12T21:29:00.004-04:00

This is what my kitchen looked like a few days ago... John snapped this from the back stairs... A Chaos theorist who owns a gallery here in DC (and ate with us a couple weeks ago), told us that Chaos theory claims a temporal frame of predictability and Complexity theory is more spacial than temporal... I operate in mostly the same space, however I find it difficult to predict what will happen at any time. I am not sure if this makes me complexly chaotic or chaotically complex... click on the photo to see captions...

Raw Milk in Cheese

2009-10-11T09:00:00.006-04:00

When we had Rupperts we would make regular trips to France to check out markets, eat and visit wineries...On our return we would always sneak in as much young raw milk cheese as I could carry in a carry-on bag. Prior to 2001 airport security was less stringent and this was never a problem. Towards the end of our stay in France, whether in Paris or elsewhere we would visit a great cheese shop and collect cheeses that were not sold in the US because of rules about not selling unpasteurized (cheeses made from raw milk) cheeses that have been aged for less than 60 days.

Cheeses made with raw milk have a more complex flavor than cheeses made with pasteurized milk. The argument against raw milk cheeses is that there is harmful bacteria present in the cheese that could be harmful to consume. Over the years there have been a few cases and it is widely acknowledged that pregnant women should avoid eating raw milk cheeses. On the other hand the French have been eating non aged raw milk cheeses for about two thousand years. However, small artisan cheese makers that are still producing farmhouse (where milk is from the farm where cheese is produced and no character is lost in the transportation of the milk) unpasteurized cheeses are dwindling for all sorts of reasons but in many cases economics.

Frances, my librarian, gave me a book called Au Revoir To All That, by Michael Steinberger. Last night I learned that contemporary raw milk has less bacteria than raw milk used to have which could actually make it more dangerous:

"He (Morelin who works for a large French cheese maker) told me that the nature of milk had changed.. Twenty years ago, raw milk typically had 200,000 to 300,00 bacteria per gram. Now, thanks to the increased hygiene standards mandated by the European Union, the milk had just 10,000 bacteria per gram...At this point I confessed to some confusion. If there now were so many fewer bacteria in the milk, didn't it this mean the milk was safer...He explained that when there had been many more bacteria in the milk, all those pathogens had had to fight for space, and it had created a stable environment. With fewer germs, there was less competition and more space for the bacteria to develop. 'It's a paradox of food safety,' he said. 'With fewer germs, the danger may be worse.'"

I did not find this surprising in the world today of hand sanitizers and fear of bacteria. I recently heard about a case where a child actually got alcohol poisoning from licking the hand sanitizer off of his hands!

We find friendly bacteria in the kombucha we brew, small production wine, which relies on bacteria to develop, raw milk which is only available through joining buying clubs and when we travel small raw farmhouse cheeses.

Ultimately the search for solutions will always lead to more problems until we realize that the way we view problems and their solutions are the problem itself. That is to say that there is no difference between a solution and its problem. A solution is always contained in a problem and in order to move beyond a problem without exasperating situations we must acknowledge on some level uncertainty–the fine line between nature and society, science and tradition and that healthy eating can not be divorced from 'good' eating...

Our love of technology and state of the art has to be balanced with immediate situations, that inherently lie outside of universal perspectives...

Jacqulyn Maisonneuve

2009-10-09T12:58:00.008-04:00

Jacqulyn Maisonneuve is at the Corcoran School of Art working on her senior thesis in Photo Journalism. We asked her to share words about her project:

For Sidra Forman and John Cochran and their daughter, Martin-Lane, deciding what’s for dinner goes beyond the refrigerator. The foods they eat and their practice encompass a way of life. It’s not only about eating healthy food, but also knowing where food comes from and trying to live more sustainably.

After running Rupperts Restaurant for eight years Sidra and John decided it was time to have their own restaurant in their home in Washington, D.C. Several times a month, they open their home to friends and clients for dinners. What makes Sidra & John’s restaurant unique is the care that goes into each and every meal. The menu is prepared weeks in advance with many of the ingredients found just outside their door.

Sidra and John’s commitment to healthy living extends beyond their family and business and into the community. Though not fearful about our food system and it’s current state, they understand the problems and are working toward solutions. They are passionate about reaching out to others, especially children, through local schools, neighborhood gardens and community composting centers. They share their knowledge of where food comes from and the importance of nutrition. They hope to offer people alternative ways to think of production and consumption in our industrialized food system. They are living on their own terms without dropping out of society. This is what is radical about them.

Thursday Night at HOME

2009-10-09T00:37:00.005-04:00

We had a great group of old and new friends join us this evening for dinner. It is a fun time of year to cook since both late summer and fall ingredients are available. We are looking forward to our upcoming dates. We have reservations available for next Saturday October 17 and are excited to announce Friday November 13 and Saturday November 28 as our open dates for next month.

Tonights menu:
Passing
Green Tomato Soup with Walnut Oil and Sage

Whitmore Farm Egg Salad with Chives

Seared Scallop on Cucumber with Pickled Cucumber

Mashed Potatoes with Basil

Apple Sauce with Rosemary

Derricks Lemongrass Martini
(Labbe) Abymes Savoie 2007

Seated
Whitmore Farms Lamb Chop and Sweetbread with Turnips and Turnip Greens
(Chancelle/Bourdin) Saumur Champigny Rouge 2007

Cauliflower and Wax Beans with Wild Oyster Mushroom, Woodear, Shiitake, Royal Trumpet and Hen of the Woods Mushroom
Chateau Soucherie, Anjou 2008

Poussin with Broccoli, Black Barley Squash Gratin and a Ginger Garlic and Saffron Sauce

(Geoffrenet-Morval) Chateaumeillant Rouge 'Extra Version' 2007 (Pinot/Gamay)

Cheese
Franche Compte with Walnut Cracker

Carrot Sorbet with White Chocolate Brownie
Paillard Bouzy Champagne
Cornmeal Pancake weth Apples, Pears, Raspberries, Frozen Argmanac and Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Cookie Bites:
Mini Chcolate Cakes
Coconut Macaroons
Quionoa Cookies with Golden Raisin

Breakfast For Inspired Teaching

2009-10-07T18:56:00.006-04:00

This morning we had a Home Breakfast for the Center for Inspired Teaching. Empowering students through inspiring teachers, principals and the entire school faculty the CIT takes a very interesting approach. Teachers are underpaid and over worked. They handle our most precious commodity and The CIT is looking to inspire, build up, a very positive approach!

The purpose of the breakfast this morning was to spread the word about the work and recruit individuals to participate in a spring fund raising event. The organization welcomes involvement by the community in the form of financial and volunteer contributions.

What was fun for us, besides having Derrick spend the night so he could be here in time (Derrick is not an early bird)... was the chance to envision our luxury hotel breakfast and actually put it together. We have always kicked around the idea of owning a hotel, with luxury rooms, a killer breakfast and afternoon tea. This probably will never happen, but on this morning in support of teachers we had the chance to meet some interesting people and feed them Hotel 1508's Continental Breakfast:

Sesame, Poppy Seed and Sweet Cinnamon Breads served with Fig and Ginger Jam, Butter from Tickling Springs Creamery and local Kuhn Orchard Honey

Quinoa Granola served with a choice of Pequea Valley Yogurt, Tickling Springs Milk or a Housemade Cashew Almond Milk

Soft Boiled Whitmore Farm Eggs

Twin Springs Honeycrisp Apples

Equator Coffee
Herbal Tea
Fresh Squeezed Carrot Juice
Housemade Kombucha

Quinoa Granola Recipe

2 cups cooked quinoa
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup raw walnuts
3 tablespoons agave nectar
salt to taste
1/2 cup golden raisins

1.Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Combine all ingredients except for the golden raisins. Put granola on a sheet tray and cook until dry, stirring about every 20 minutes.
2.The amount of time it takes for granola to dry depends on how wet the quinoa is but generally it will take 2-4 hours.
3.Remove dry granola from oven and mix in raisins. Store in an airtight container.

Timor Bodega

2009-10-06T23:46:00.006-04:00

This morning we are having a breakfast at our home. I knew this meant we needed to find good local dairy. We do not use much dairy in our cooking and have great sources for the dairy we do use...Cheese, Cowgirl Creamery and Eggs, Whitmore Farms. But, breakfast begs for milk, cream, yogurt and butter. I knew there were a couple of places downtown that were selling great local products and I had been meaning to check them out for awhile. I called Timor Bodega which is in walking distance from our home. I had a quick talk with the owner who answered the phone and after he told me that he sold eggs from Polyface Farms and had just gotten 1/2 of a local angus cow delivered–I told him we would come right over. He told me he was happy to meet me but to call first because they did not open until 4:30.

We walked over and found Kim Wee and his Mother stocking a reach in refrigerator with a whole side of beef. We also found non-homogenized milk, skim milk, heavy cream and butter from Trickling Springs Creamery. We purchased Yogurt from Pequea Valley Farm. We did not need any beef but admired the cuts of beef that had just come in from Riders Backfield Farm. Mr. Wee gave us a liver, we look forward to cooking it, it is difficult to find local offal as many small operations can't process. His Mother warned us not to over cook the liver. John assured her that he was infamous for not over cooking meat...

In addition there was local produce, ecologically friendly cleaning products, Polyface Chickens, wines that came from the same place we get our wine, Potomac Selections....All in a corner store within walking distance from our home...this just makes sense!

Thursday Night

2009-10-05T13:20:00.002-04:00

We still have a few spots available for Thursday October 8th’s Home Restaurant. The plan is to schedule a Thursday Home Restaurant every month. We have found that Thursday is a great night for people who are not in DC on the weekends and those with complicated weekend schedules.

The menu for Thursday is still evolving as we talk to farmers and gather ingredients over the next couple of days but we know it will include Honey Crisp Apples from Twin Springs Fruit Farm, Green Tomatoes from our garden here at 1508, Lamb Chops from Whitmore Farms, veal sweetbreads, diver sea scallops, turnips from our CSA Clagett Farm and with a little rain and some luck foraged wild mushrooms from Rock Creek Park…

The Home Restaurants are lots of fun. Each one has a unique personality. About half are for nights that we send out invites for, and accept reservations, and half are private parties where an individual or group chooses a date and reserves all the seats. On our last open night new connections were made and by the end of the evening all present were friends. The private dinners have been a mix of celebrations, nights out with friends and business. We already have a work holiday party booked for December.

This week we are doing our first breakfast meetings. We are looking forward to sharing some of our favorite morning foods including a quinoa granola and fig and ginger jam to go on warm sesame bread.

We also have our first lunch scheduled for early November. When we sent out our first Home Restaurant invitation we did not know exactly what to expect but it seems to be organically evolving and we welcome the diversity of events.

Home Restaurant #15

2009-10-04T01:15:00.004-04:00

Tonight we celebrated a Birthday with longtime Rupperts guests. We reconnected with our friend Todd Ramlow who worked many years with us on 7th street and is now lending a hand here. Derrick made amazing Basil Gimlets as Martin-Lane lapped up the Restaurant stories and at one point answered a question with, "Let me consult my co-workers"–this cracked her up!

We still have a few spots open for October 8th–it is a Thursday and we would love to have you!
email me: sidraforman@gmail.com

Birthday Dinner Menu Below:

October 3, 2009

Passing
Eggplant Soup with Basil
Yellow Cauliflower Puree
Honeycrisp Apple Sauce with Rosemary
Seared Sea Scallop on Carrot with Carrot and Ginger Relish
Whitmore Farms Egg Omlette with Sorrel
Eight Ball Squash Marinated in Lemon with Summer Savory
(Labbe) Abymes Savoe 2007

Seated
Wood Grilled Wild Oyster Mushroom in Green Tomato Broth with Green Tomato Fondant, Sage and Walnut Oil
(Villa da Filicaja) Chianti Superiore 2006

Sweet Potato and Yukon Gold Potato Dumplings with Turnips and Turnip Greens
(Olivier Morin) Chitry BLANC 2008

Eco Friendly Farms Poussin Braised in Red Wine with Shallots, Fall Squash and Barley Gratin, Roasted Calaloo
(Khalkhal) Minervois “Plaisir des Lys” 2007

Fig Sorbet with White Chocolate Brownie
(Chancelle/Bourdin) Cremant de Saumur NV

Roasted Red Pear with Chocolate Cake, Chocolate Almond Pudding, Roasted Almonds and Cocoa Nibs

Dessert Bites:
Oatmeal Ginger
Coconut Macaroon
Quinoa Cookie with Chia and Apple

SME Kitchen Garden

2009-10-02T23:18:00.005-04:00

Since August we have been spending lots of time on the front yard of Scott Montgomery Elementary School. This summer we were fortunate to be introduced to Frances the school librarian, Martin a neighbor who is very involved in the school, the principal who welcomed us and many inspiring teachers...one thing led to another and in August we planted a pumpkin patch in front of the school. Since then we have met lots of pre-schoolers who visit the garden daily, battled bermuda grass and enjoyed the most exciting garden project we have ever been involved in.

The pumpkins plants are growing and we hope to get some pumpkins before the first frost. More exciting though is watching young emerging gardeners get involved and take ownership of the planting. We hang out, dig, weed, water, eat local apples, look for worms and talk about how food grows and where foods come from. This winter when the weather is less hospitable we plan to cook with small groups of pre schoolers weekly.

Right after the garden was planted we started thinking...what's next. Frances suggested that we start applying for grants to build raised beds, one for each grade level. In addition we are also hoping for plant a bunch of fruit trees and build a community compost system.

This week John made preliminary drawings of the front yard as we envision it. We are thinking of names for the project...top of the list right now is, Kitchen Garden at Scott Montgomery Elementary. In the next couple of weeks we plant to start a SME Kitchen Garden Blog. Below are our working notes on the project:

1. Our goal is to continue the practice of Organic Gardening and Food Preparation with the preschoolers at Scott Montgomery Elementary.

2. Expand the practice to the rest of the school with a raised bed for each grade.

3. Build an outdoor classroom where students and teachers can meet for discussions and food preparation demonstrations.

Kitchen Garden (the physical space)

1. A welcoming mulched path that circles the flag pole an extends to the front of the pre-schoolers garden.
2. Nine 4x8 raised beds (288 cubic feet of soil needed) on top of mulch. One for each grade with three extra to create an interest in an after school program.
3. An Outdoor Classroom, which could at first be nothing more than a mulched oval with stepping stones.
4. Plant an assortment of perennial herbs in the existing raised bed.
5. Plant 5 Butterfly Bush behind existing pumpkins.
6. Plant 6 fruit trees on the 5th street side of SME.
7.10 Daisy plant underneath Kipps sign and 2 fall Clematis climbing up each leg of sign.
8. 100 Daffodil Bulbs for around each large tree.
9. Create living fences by growing on chain link fences: Honey Suckle, Morning Glories, Creeping Fig or maybe just Ivy?
10. Compost center on the east side of SME.

Kitchen Garden (the social space)

An Organic Kitchen Garden brings children closer to the soil, closer to where food comes from. By creating a place where the connections between health, food and the environment are made, children develop an appreciation for their immediate environment and the ramifications of choices.

An Organic Kitchen Garden introduces the preparation of Organic Food and heightens a sense of authorship as well as commitment.

An Organic Kitchen Garden is a practice where theoretical lessons (math, science, sociology and physical education) can be applied.

An Organic Kitchen Garden presents the oppurtunity to drop the boundry between community and school by developing a compost center as well as inviting participation.

If anyone want to get involved contact me.

chocolate biscotti

2009-10-01T20:15:00.004-04:00

My grandmother used to make the most amazing biscotti. They were flavored with cinnamon and vanilla. She would bake the logs and then slice them while they were still warm. The ends of the logs that did not form into the perfect ovals that she cut on a bias were called "damages". As she would be putting the ovals in a 'keep warm' oven to dry out, I can hear her say, "Who's gonna eat the "Damages". There were always biscotti in her freezer.

When I became a pastry chef one of the things I loved to do was to adapt my Grandmother's recipes to current ingredients and tastes. When my daughter was born and we decided to raise her vegan I had the opportunity to revisit and adapt all of her recipes again. I think that is what I love about cooking–the constant variables between ingredients and eaters and tastes renders recipes to loose guidelines away from rigid instruction.

The perpetual iterations of my Grandmother's Biscotti have led me to these Chocolate Treats:

Chocolate Chocolate Biscotti

2 1/2 cups all purpose unbleached flour
2 1/2 cups spelt flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
2 1/2 cup sugar plus extra for rolling
1/4 cup cornmeal
4 teaspoons baking powder
large pinch of salt
16 tablespoons non hydrogenated margarine, such as Earth Balance cut into 10 pieces
1 cup silk tofu pureed
2 tablespoons water
1 cup bittersweet chocolate chunks
2 cups rough chopped walnuts
Himalayan salt

Directions
1.In a mixer combine flours, cocoa, sugar, cornmeal, baking powder and salt.
2.Add margarine and mix until texture is like sand.
3.Add tofu and water mix until just combined. Add chocolate chips and walnuts mix until just combined.
4.Roll biscotti into logs and then roll in sugar and himalayan salt until just coated.
5.Bake in 350 degree oven until just cooked through, about 20 minutes.
6.Remove biscotti from oven and slice into 1/4 inch slices. Turn off oven.
7.Return biscotti to turned off oven and let sit in oven until dry, about 3 hours to overnight.

I am making these biscotti for take home gifts for diners at our Home Restaurant this weekend.

Cauliflower Soup

2009-09-30T17:42:00.004-04:00

Cauliflower soup is one of our staple dishes. That is to say along with Basil Mash Potatoes, Red Lentils and Cilantro, White Mushrooms Chives and Lemons we love to eat it as well as prepare and share it... All of these are classic combinations of flavors that we have picked up from cooking, eating or reading–However Cauliflower soup is somewhat different in that it is based on a single ingredient. Of course there are more ingredients such as water and salt and pepper but the dish Cauliflower Soup is not set off by a combination of flavors. The success of this dish hinges on the complexity of flavors inherent in the Cauliflower itself.

The difference between Authenticity and Purity are evident with our approach to making Cauliflower Soup. Authenticity when it comes to food practices implies a recipe or culture that determines what is authentic or not. That is to say there is a proper way to make cauliflower soup. Purity here would be an acknowledging of ingredients and their potential by doing as little as possible to let Flavor shine. As Shaun Hill would say, "I am not interested in Authenticity, I am interested in Flavor...". A good cook works within the arrangement of what is given.

I take a head of cauliflower place in a pot and add about an inch or two of water. Then I steam until absolutely soft and I could mash with a fork. Next pour everything into a blender and begin to blitz. Add water to get just the desired texture, then season very slowly to taste. The danger here is when using one simple ingredient is over salting and peppering losing the complexity of flavor within the one simple ingredient...

Cauliflower served like this needs nothing else, it is buttery in texture with sweet and pungent cabbage like tone of flavor... John talks about a dish he had in France that serve a cold Beef Stock Jelly with a hot Cauliflower puree... And as a vegan I appreciate Cauliflower Puree as a sauce on Mushrooms and Green Beans...