December 2010

Your Culinary Guide to a Lucky New Year

by Britt on December 30, 2010

The other day I mentioned to a friend how I couldn’t wait to have pork and sauerkraut on New Year’s Day and I got what I can only describe as an incredibly perplexed and somewhat disgusted stare. Turns out this tradition of the Pennsylvania Dutch is common in well, Pennsylvania, and not nationwide. This got me thinking about other lucky foods that people use to ring in the New Year.

Here’s a quick rundown of some of the most popular and of course, a recipe for traditional pork and sauerkraut.

Grapes: In Spain you celebrate by eating 12 grapes at midnight. I’m sure 12 glasses of wine would also suffice! Apparently the taste of the grapes also dictates how that month will be so make sure to keep a count as you’re eating them.

Black eyed peas: In the South, eating these beans in a traditional dish called Hoppin John is considered lucky.

Kale: Come on people, it’s green and therefore symbolizes wealth in the New Year.

Roe: Eating fish eggs in Japan symbolizes fertility. If you aren’t in the market for a new family member, consume with caution!

What to avoid: Apparently you aren’t supposed to eat lobsters (since they crawl backwards) so it’s a good thing my lovely New Year’s Eve host is serving our lobster tails before midnight! 

Pork & Sauerkraut
1 large pork should trimmed of excess fat (approx. 8-10 pounds)
3 lbs of sauerkraut with liquid
Mashed potatoes

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350
Combine all pork and sauerkraut in a roasting pan covered with foil or dutch oven for approx. 2.5 hours (This can also be done in a slow cooker.)
Serve with mashed potatoes

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

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What’s the Deal Holiday Charity Raffle & Auction

by Chad on December 28, 2010

This holiday season EatMore DrinkMore is partnering with What’s the Deal for a Holiday Charity Raffle and Auction on Tuesday, December 28th and Wednesday, December 29th! We will be encouraging our readers to visit http://sowhatsthedeal.com/charity/ to make a donation to Chefs as Parents. We will be competing against three other local blogs  We Love DC (DC Central Food Kitchen), K Street Kate (Susan G. Komen’s Global Race for the Cure), ARLnow (Doorways for Women and Families) to see who can raise the most money for their respective charity.

Participants can donate $5 for one (1) raffle ticket or $10 for three (3) raffle tickets or bid on a host of silent auction prizes donated by local businesses.
Each person that donates will receive a $25 gift card to the Spa Room (good towards full priced massages) and is entered in the WTD raffle.

Raffle prizes include:

Chef David Guas

We have chosen to support Chefs as Parents to help transform the school lunch system in the D.C. area. Chefs as Parents’ mission is to transform school lunches one school at a time. Their goal is to form partnerships with schools across the Washington, D.C. Area to serve as a models with measurable results that can be repeated across the region. Please help EatMore DrinkMore and Chefs as Parents improve the meals in the school lunch system so we can have a healthier and happier generation of kids.

Thank you for helping support our local community.

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Monday Night Football at Bayou Bakery

by Chad on December 27, 2010

Have I mentioned how much I love Bayou Bakery? I went twice last week. If you have not been by for some Louisiana cooking, you’re missing out. I highly recommend you try the beignets and the gumbo.  So far I’ve liked everything I have tried at Bayou Bakery, you pretty much can’t go wrong.

Tonight, this New Orleans inspired bakery, is turned over to Who Dat Nation as the Saints take on the Atlanta Falcons. Game starts at 8:30, make sure you get there early to grab a seat and an ice cold Abita.

Bayou Bakery
1515 N Courthouse Road
Arlington, VA 22201

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The Vieux Carre

by Jeff on December 23, 2010

I remember the first Vieux Carre I ever had. I went to meet my wife after her shift but arrived a bit early. Her boss knew she was going to be a little while longer and offered to make me his favorite drink. He carefully picked a few bottles from this shelf and that shelf. I didn’t take much notice as I was talking with another spouse awaiting her husband.  After a few moments of stirring, he proudly presented me a rocks glass filled with a lovely brown concoction.  I fell in love with the Vieux Carre immediately.

The Vieux Carre originated in New Orleans at the famous Monteleone Hotel sometime before the mid 1930s. For some unknown reason, it seems to have taken a backseat to the other more well known cocktail out of New Orleans, the Sazerac. To me, the Vieux Carre (if done properly) is a far more complex cocktail. While both cocktails share rye whiskey and Peychaud bitters as ingredients, the Vieux Carre gets its complexity from the addition of the herbal Benedictine and sweet vermouth. Perhaps it’s America’s fascination with the ingredient of absinthe in the Sazerac which makes it more popular? Despite what you’ve heard, you won’t go crazy, you won’t see things, nor will you become this century’s Lizzie Borden if you consume absinthe…well, technically I guess you could if you drank too much of it.

Even without the chance to go insane while drinking Vieux Carres (again, anything is possible if you drink enough of them!), there’s still enough there to enjoy the cocktail: 1 oz of rye whiskey, 1 oz cognac/brandy, 1 oz sweet vermouth, .25 oz of Benedictine, a couple of dashes of Angostura bitters, and a couple of dashes of Peychaud bitters. Take all these ingredients, add ice, stir, and serve with ice in a rocks glass. Add a lemon twist if you so desire…et voila, a little bit of happiness and New Orleans in your glass on a cold winter’s night.

Until next time, Cheers.

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Oyamel’s Mexican Authenticity Shines Through

by Jenna on December 22, 2010

In January of 2010 I was lucky enough to spend five days in Mexico City visiting a friend who had recently moved there. She lives in the lovely neighborhood of Condesa and some of my favorite things about the vibrant city included the street food, the tortillarias, and the bold flavors that were worked into every dish.

One of the beautiful and colorful photos I took at a market in Mexico City

Oyamel’s goal is to replicate the urban vibe of Mexico City with its tasty small plates and authentic cuisine, and I think it does so incredibly well. As one of the restaurants within Chef Jose Andres’ Think Food Group, it lives up to the reputation of providing great food and a great atmosphere as diners are accustomed to at some of the sister restaurants such as Zaytinya or Cafe Atlantico. For our work holiday lunch we decided to venture to Oyamel because we knew it would be a fun place for margaritas, and would allow us to try multiple different dishes and flavors throughout our meal. Overall it was a fun place to gather, and the food and drinks definitely hit the spot.

Oyamel is located on 7th and D Streets NW. Photo courtsey of Oyamel.com

We enjoyed pitchers of classic margaritas and I also tried the pomegranate margarita which is topped with salt air. We also got guacamole made table-side to munch on as we waited for our food. In addition, Oyamel provides a wonderfully spicy salsa with chips that blends well with the guacamole and creates a perfect snacking situation. I always have to remember to pace myself because it’s easy to fill up on the chips and dip.

Chips and guacamole made table-side at Oyamel. Photo courtesy of Oyamel.com

Some of the dishes that really stood out include the camarones al mojo de ajo negro which is shrimp sauteed with shallots, arbol chile, poblano chile, lime and sweet aged black garlic. There’s a sweetness in the sauce that pairs so nicely with the shrimp and makes it hard to resist. I also found the crispy brussel sprouts to be addicting (I ordered another one in the middle of the meal). They are sauteed in an arbol chile sauce with pumpkin seeds, peanuts, and lime and they were such a nice complement to the meatier and heavier dishes. Finally, I think Oyamel’s tacos are wonderful and I especially enjoyed the barbecue pork which is shredded with pickled red onion and juiced up in a Mexican sour orange sauce. The tacos are one to two bites each and are served by the individual so you can try many different kinds (including the grasshopper which I decided to pass on).

Some of the many taco options at Oyamel. Photo courtesy of Oyamel.com

Oyamel has a fun atmosphere and it is colorful, lively, and energetic just like Mexico City. It made me miss my friend Katie who lives in the D.F. and the time we spent enjoying the city together. It might be time to think about taking a trip back there, but in the meantime, it’s nice to have Oyamel in town which is a close second to the real deal.

Oyamel
401 7th Street NW
Washington, DC 20004
www.oyamel.com
Oyamel on Urbanspoon

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