james and i decided to head into dc for a late lunch today at a place we’ve been wanting to try for a while – founding farmers. everything is made fresh, in house including breads, pastas, sauces and even their cocktail infusions.
before heading over there though, we made a pit stop at elephant and castle, a pub with some surprisingly interesting drinks on the menu. like this one for instance: tanqueray, fresh lime, jalapenos and cilantro. soooooo good.
the desert flower
while visiting family on saturday, we were lucky enough to sample some yummy, homemade donuts courtesy of my aunt’s awesome neighbors, helene and dave.
they’ve got the most amazing kitchen. it’s truly a cook’s dream! certainly mine anyway…
so this recipe is taken from paula deen and alton brown and is super easy but insanely yummy! the donuts are made using nothing more than refrigerated biscuit dough and peanut oil for frying. helene and dave use alton brown’s recipe for a simple glaze to top these crack-like confections and the results are pure deliciousness.
prepping the donuts for fryingdonut #1 goin' in!mmmmm.....
was CRAVING vermicelli with pork so we decided to grab a bite in falls church’s famous eden center. it’s basically a gigantic outdoor shopping mall that caters heavily to the vietnamese community. there are lots of restaurants, stores and salons. i’ve been wanting to go forever and today we finally got to try one of their many restaurants – huong viet. neither of us were disappointed. it was yummy!! my only gripe: their smoothies with bubbles aren’t nearly as good as others we’ve had. still, the food was awesome and we’d definitely come back.
yep, today is national donut day and in honor of this sweet occasion, i decided to bust out my mini donut maker. first time ever using it. it was fun!
so go buy yourself a donut today — you deserve it! or, better yet, go buy one of these babies and get to makin’ your own!
bella cucina mini donut maker
For me, cherries are an integral part of the warmer months and no summer would be complete without them. So I’m always looking for ways to incorporate these ruby-esque little gems into new dishes.
beignets are traditionally deep fried and then tossed in powdered sugar. super yummy but also super high in fat and calories. these are just as yummy and way kinder on your waistline!
preheat oven to 350.
begin my placing powdered sugar and salt in a large bowl and mix to combine.
break biscuits into 3 pieces and roll each one into a ball. you’ll have a total of 12 as there are 4 biscuits per pack. dust each one in powdered sugar and place on a foil lined baking sheet that’s been coated in non-stick cooking spray.
bake them for about 10 – 12 minutes or until golden brown.
serve alongside a chocolate dipping sauce or with your favorite jam/jelly. we used this microwaveable chocolate sauce by kraft. you can find it in the baking aisle.
salt and pepper steak generously and place under broiler. broil about 5 minutes each side for medium rare. let steak rest for a few minutes to allow juices to redistribute. chop into bite size pieces, drizzle balsamic vinegar over beef and toss to coat.
while your steak is resting, toast your bread. halve your bread lengthwise and spread a little bit of brummel and brown on your bread (you can use butter if you want) and toast bread until golden brown. immediately rub bread all over with your garlic. the heat bread will allow the garlic flavor to seep into the bread.
next, top your bread with steak and cheese and place under your broiler for about 30 seconds just until the cheese melts. to finish, top with fresh chopped basil and devour!
steamed clams and raw oysters might be two of my favorite things in the entire world! last night i got treated to both, thanks to jb.
jb and i finally got to try birch and barley in dc last night and we both loved it! great food, ton of beers on tap and we were lucky enough to get the best seats in the house – the chef’s counter! we were right in the midst of the hustle bustle. so much fun! we got the arctic char tartare and the flatbread. both were delicious. unfortunately, i forgot to snap a pic of the tartare! 
we loved everything birch and barley has to offer though and can’t wait to go back.
james enjoys his beer - olivers old habit
mmm... loving my house in session beer!
prosciutto, gorganzola and fig flatbread ----ahhhhmazing
the jam is what makes these burgers so fantastic. it’s sweet, spicy and tangy all at once and takes a plain old turkey burger over the top!
for the burgers:
preheat your oven to 400. form into four patties and brown in a pan that’s been drizzled with olive oil over medium-high heat about 4 minutes per side. then finish them off in the oven for about 6 minutes more, being careful not to overcook.
for the jam:
soak the strawberries in red wine for 20 minutes, then add to a pot along with ginger, brown sugar, cinnamon stick, crushed red pepper flakes, vinegar and salt and bring to a boil over medium heat. stir mixture every few minutes until it thickens. be careful not to let it burn! mine took about 18 minutes total. remove the cinnamon stick before serving. store any leftovers in tupperware, in the fridge for up to a week.
serve your burgers with a generous dollop of jam and whatever else floats your boat. we had ours with some yummy caramelized onions and lettuce on whole wheat english muffins.
These are a fantastic alternative to sweet potato fries. They don’t crisp up quite as much but they’re just as good!
1 lb. baby carrots
2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
generous pinch of sea salt
Preheat oven to 450°F.
Line a cookie sheet with foil, add carrots, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Toss to coat and spread evenly into a thin layer so that no carrots are overlapping – or else they’ll steam which you don’t want. Roast for about 30 – 40 minutes, tossing them every 15 minutes or so. Serve em up with your favorite condiments!
By now it’s probably pretty obvious that two of my favorite things in the entire world are food and fashion right? So imagine how awesome it’d be to find a company that happens to take both and combine them into the most beautiful line of clothing and accessories for fashion minded, food obsessed chicks and dudes. Well that’s exactly what Flavour Gallery is all about!
Lucky me!!! I recently got the opportunity to have a little q&a session with Erin Malatesta, half of team Flavour Gallery – her husband Alfredo is the other half!
So what exactly is Flavour Gallery?
Flavour Gallery is a lifestyle brand created from our love of food, farmer’s markets and all things culinary! Our inaugural collection was launched with men’s and women’s tees, tank, thermals, hoodies, scarves, & farmer’s market bags. We know there are so many people out there that identify with our same passion for food. We travel the world to find the best restaurants and beautiful markets, we experiment in our kitchen all the time, and our favorite Sunday activity is trolling through farmer’s markets. We hope FG will be that connection that foodies want….much like your favorite concert tee!
What were you doing before you started this business?
I was working as a retail director and buyer for Lisa Kline and Alfredo worked in artist management and helped launch the music-inspired lifestyle brand Trunk Ltd. We developed Flavour Gallery out of our own personal experiences and connection to food. We know we are not the only crazies who are obsessed with traveling the world to experience the freshest seafood, walking through endless miles of farmer’s markets or take photos of our very own home-cooked creations. We simply love food and embrace all of the ways it enhances our lives.
How did the idea for Flavour Gallery come about?
My husband Alfredo & I were on our weekly walking work meeting (we do this since we work together and because we get some of our best ideas while walking/meeting). We knew it was time to launch one of our own brands. We have created and consulted for many brands over the years and decided it was time! Plus, with the incredible food explosion over the last few years we knew this would be something that would be incredibly fun and fulfilling while still staying true to our apparel industry roots.
Do you have a favorite piece from the collection?
My favorite pieces are the women’s tanks. They fit amazing and are long, not skin tight, and great for layering. They are comfortable and perfect for a lazy Sunday. I also have heard from my friends that they LOVE the Kimchi off the shoulder. It is so cute with a cami layered underneath. My husband wears the knife tee in black all the time and I love it because it is a little edgy looking and fits so well. We have custom designed each tee, tank and hoodie to fit and feel great. Our sizes are roomie unlike so many t-shirt lines out there. It isn’t about being skin tight so you don’t have to worry if you eat that extra slice of pizza!
What’s your favorite dish to prepare?
We cook a lot of Italian and Peruvian dishes at home. I also love experimenting with Vegan and Vegetarian dishes. We cook a lot so there really isn’t a favorite!
What’s on the horizon for you guys?
We think there is so much potential in the restaurant world for more premium shirts, aprons, etc. and we want to be the company that restaurants want to collaborate with. We are already in the midst of collaborating with 3 very well known chefs/restaurants so stay tuned! We see FG expanding into a larger clothing collection, kitchen wares like kitchen towels, place mats and wooden spoons.
The line ranges in price from $4 to $68 and is available for purchase at flavourgallery.com. Go check it out people!!!
we went to woodberry kitchen in bmore a few months back and ever since i’ve been dreaming of this cocktail that i got called the plum paloma.
Preheat oven to 425.
Place sweet potato slices on a cookie sheet lined with foil and coated with non stick spray. Bake sweet potatoes for 35 – 40 minutes or until they start to crisp up a bit. Once they are done, season them to taste with salt and pepper.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine sour cream, chives, dill, salt and pepper.
To assemble, place a spoonful of your sour cream mixture on top of sweet potato slices and finish with a dollop of caviar.
