Slice of Life

Slice of Life is partnering with Food and Friends to let you buy a pie while also helping out those in need, which is perfectly in line with the spirit of the holiday.

Here’s how it works: Place your order by November 19 from the team Dining in DC Unites Food Bloggers for a Cause (created by Dining in DC). Then on Tuesday, November 24th, you can pick up your pie from the location of your choosing.

SLICE OF LIFE is the only DC area pie sale allowing you to purchase your Thanksgiving pies while making an impact in the lives of thousands in need in your community. All proceeds from sales go to Food & Friends.

Food & Friends’ mission is to prepare and deliver specialized meals and groceries in conjunction with nutrition counseling to DC Area residents living with HIV/AIDS, cancer, and other life-challenging illnesses. In 2008, over 913,036 meals were served.

This large-scale bake sale is in its third year and not only allows you to purchase pies for you and your family, but also to complement the full Thanksgiving meals our clients will receive by purchasing a pie, or two, to be delivered with their holiday meal.

You have the choice of five delicious flavors:

• Picture Perfect Pumpkin Pie $25 – Thanksgiving would not be complete without this traditional favorite. The creamy pumpkin filling, in a delectable crust, has the perfect mix of spices and great pumpkin flavor. You’ll certainly want to more than one for your family and friends.

• Harvest Apple Crumb Pie $25 – Perfectly flaky with just the right amount of sweetness, you’ll enjoy this classic pie filled with a bushel of apples, spices and topped with sweet crumbles. Whether you serve your pie alone or a la mode, it’s a must have.

• Oh So Sweet Potato Pie $25 – For many, Thanksgiving means Sweet Potato Pie. This southern specialty, filled with creamy bright orange sweet potatoes, cinnamon and nutmeg is sure to warm the hearts of your holiday guests.

• Southern Pecan Pie $35 – Embrace true hospitality by sharing this Southern treat with your holiday guests. Ya’ll will love this delicious buttery crust, loads of pecans and sweet gooey filling.

• Creamy Chocolate Cheesecake $35 – A chocolate lover’s delight! Your guests will go crazy over this rich, creamy cheesecake topped with a decadent dark chocolate ganache.

All pies are 10″ rounds and shrink-wrapped to ensure that you receive the freshest, most delicious product possible. Each pie is placed in a sturdy, gift-quality box, making it a perfect hostess gift or token of appreciation. Upon receipt, you will want to immediately refrigerate your pies.

Picking Up Your Pie: Upon purchasing your pie, you will be asked to select a Pie Pick-Up Location. Pies are available to be picked-up on Tuesday, November 24th from 10am to 8pm. Thanks to the generosity of CVS Caremark, there are 15 convenient distribution sites throughout the metropolitan area. Food & Friends volunteers will be stationed at each site to help make sure your pick-up is as quick and easy as possible. Please note: Your pies are ONLY available for pick-up at the location you select when you place your order.

** Since Food & Friends is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, contributions are considered tax-deductible. The fair market value for the purchase of a pie is $7.00. The remainder of your purchase, and the purchase of any pies for clients is fully tax-deductible. All contributors to Slice of Life will receive tax documentation from Food & Friends after the conclusion of this event. Thank you!

Recovering from the Metro Show

Yesterday we had fun watching my favorite Food Network Star, Tyler Florence! Tyler wowed the crowd with his quick preparation of a Thanksgiving meal. He shared helpful tips with the audience and provided informative explanations.

We also saw Paula Deen. Paula spent most of the time fielding audience questions rather than cooking. She had packed crowds at every show. People love her. More about the Metro Show all week...including some of our favorite products.

Happy Birthday Linda Roth!

Happy Birthday to Capital Cooking's Director of Sponsorship! Aunt Linda and her Blue Ribbon Carrot Cake were featured on My Family Favorites episode.

Cooking 101: Shepherd’s Pie-Week 6

Shepherd’s Pie is a classic comfort food originally made with leftovers. This is perfect to eat during the cold months of fall and winter.

Mashed Potato Topping
· 4 1bs Potatoes (You can use Yukon Gold or russet, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes)
· Butter (a bit)
· Heavy Cream (about a cup and a half, heated)
· Salt and pepper

Start with the potatoes in a pot of cold water so that they cook evenly. Add salt to the water. Make sure that there is just enough cold water to cover the potatoes. Bring to a boil, and simmer until soft. (About 15-20 minutes or so.) Make sure not to overcook. Check periodically. Drain the potatoes and then put them back in the pot and into a hot oven for a bit to dry. Make sure to keep an eye on them. Bring the cream to a simmer in a small saucepan. Once the potatoes are dry, pass them through a ricer or mash them with and electric mixer. *If you use and electric mixer, be careful not to over whip the potatoes or they will become elastic and gooey. Add some butter, salt, pepper and cream and whip until combined.

Shepherd’s Pie Filling
· Olive Oil
· Onion (1 large, diced)
· Garlic (2-3 cloves, chopped)
· 3 pounds Ground Meat (You could use beef, lamb, or any combination)
· White wine (1/2 cup or so)
· Tomato Juice (1/2 cup)
· Thyme (dried, about a tablespoon)
· Tomato Paste (1-2T, to thicken)
· Cheese (parmesan, grated)
· Salt and Pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sweat onions in a large skillet or braising pan over low heat in olive oil. Add chopped garlic after sweating onions for a few minutes.
In a separate pan, heat olive oil over high heat and sear the ground meat. Add salt and ground pepper and let the meat carmelize. Drain the meat to remove the liquid. Bring the pan temperature back to high heat with more olive oil and put meat back in the pan to sear again. Add the cooked meat to the onion mixture. Deglaze the pan with white wine and scrape up the bits to add to the other pan. The wine will add some acidity to the dish. Continue to cook on low heat. Add some tomato juice and dried thyme. Add a little tomato paste and chicken stock. Taste for seasoning. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Butter a casserole dish and line the pan bottom with half of the mashed potatoes. Then add the Shepherd’s Pie Filling. Top with the remaining mashed potatoes and lots of cheese. Bake the cheese melts and the top is golden brown. (15-20 minutes). Serve with a salad.

Check out the Duke Law Write-Up about Capital Cooking

http://www.law.duke.edu/news/pdf/development09.pdf

Check out one of the Newest Episodes of Capital Cooking: Thrill of the Grill!

Thrill of the Grill from Capital Cooking on Vimeo.

Thrill of the Grill: Learn the art of grilling peaches topped with homemade mascarpone ice cream and vegetable ratatouille with Lauren DeSantis and the help of our special guests Heath and Brett from Pork Barrel BBQ. Catch this web version now (for a limited time) and watch the television show on CoLours TV.

The music for Capital Cooking was provided by:
Jazzy Blu
Dominic Taylor, Mark Matthews III, Roger Brown, Leslie Lee and Jackie Brown
www.thejazzyblu.com

Special thanks to our editor and director Nick Szpara!

Support for this episode was provided in part by:

Pork Barrel BBQ

Le Creuset
www.lecreuset.com

Screwpull
www.screwpull.com

Cuisinart
www.cuisinart.com

Cutco
www.cutco.com

Ame Cosmetics
P.O. Box 7420
Largo, MD 20794
www.Amecosmetics.com

DeSantis Productions, LLC

CAPITAL COOKING BRINGS MEDITERRANEAN DIET TO YOUR PLATE AT THE METRO SHOW

WASHINGTON, DC. – The Mediterranean Diet is more than just a diet; it’s a lifestyle. Join Capital Cooking with Lauren DeSantis at the Metropolitan Cooking and Entertaining Show on November 7-8, 2009 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. DeSantis will teach workshops demonstrating the structures of this flavorful diet while using Mediterranean staples such as olive oil, herbs and wine.

DeSantis will lead a workshop called, “Bringing the Mediterranean Diet to Your Plate” where she will discuss the principles of the diet followed by a tasting of Mediterranean products (including Alili and J.D. Gourmet). Throughout episodes of Capital Cooking, DeSantis has presented various aspects of the Mediterranean Diet. This workshop gives an up close view of the structure of Mediterranean meals and the differences between Mediterranean cuisines by region as well as some entertaining tips for a Mediterranean party (with place settings from Bee Bop).

Catch the Capital Cooking Demonstration at any of the following times:

Saturday, November 7, 2009-Workshop 2 10:30-11:00 a.m.

Sunday, November 8, 2009-Wokshop 1 11-11:30 a.m. and 4-4:30 p.m.

Photos by Shauna Alexander

Cooking 101: Shrimp Cocktail with Calypso Sauce

Shrimp Cocktail with Calypso Sauce

Ingredients:

1 1b extra large shrimp in shell

Classic Court Bouillon
This poaching liquid has aromatics, acidity, and salt, concentrated to infuse fish with flavor. Make sure it is as salty as the ocean.

Ingredients
1 large onion, diced
1 rib of celery, diced
1 carrot, diced
Bouquet Garni (bay leaf, thyme, parsley)
5 cups water
¾ cup white wine vinegar
¼ cup salt
Fresh ground Pepper
*Tarragon Optional

Combine all ingredients into a sauce pan. Bring to a boil and then lower heat to simmer for 5-10 minutes. Add shrimp, stir and bring back to a boil. Turn off heat and let shrimp steep for 8-10 minutes until just cooked through. Check one after 8 minutes. Shock the shrimp in ice water. Shell shrimp and de-vein them. Serve with Calypso Sauce.


Calypso Sauce:
Mayo
Orange Juice
½ Ketchup
1T horseradish
Salt
Pepper
Tabasco (few drops)
Cognac

Whisk all ingredients together and chill.

This recipe is from shellfish week. It would be a perfect appetizer for a cocktail party. The Court Bouillon adds so much flavor to the shrimp. Find more recipes at my website.

Food Blogger Happy Hour on Wedenesday

Thanks to ModernDomestic, The Arugula Files, Gradually Greener, Capital Spice, and for putting it together. See you there!

November Food Blogger Happy Hour
Wednesday, Nov. 4, 6 p.m.
The Black Squirrel
2427 18th St. NW
www.blacksquirreldc.com

A Mussel Soup with Watercress

A Mussel Soup with Watercress

Start with the preparation of Mussels Mariniere and use ½ of the steaming liquid and ½ of the mussels for this soup.

½ cup small-dice onion

½ cup small-dice fennel

½ cup small-dice celery

½ cup small-dice leeks with green part

1 sprig of Italian parsley

Butter

Steaming Liquid

2 lb Mussels

2 bunches watercress, stems discarded, washed and roughly chopped

½ Cup Heavy Cream

3 cloves of garlic

Salt

Cayenne pepper

Fresh ground pepper

1-2 cups of chicken stock

Remove mussel meat from shells after steaming them in accordance with the Mussels Mariniere recipe. Set mussels aside, covered. In a medium saucepan, sweat 1 tablespoon of butter with onions, fennel, garlic, celery, parsley and leeks for 7-10 minutes. Pour in reserved mussel broth and chicken stock. Lower heat and simmer for about 20 minutes. Stir in watercress and remove the pot from the heat and let stand for 3 minutes. Transfer soup to the blender. Blend the soup until it is purred and then push it through a fine-mesh sieve. Season with salt, pepper and cayenne. Just before serving add the cream to the soup and finish with another 2 tablespoons of butter. To serve, ladle the soup into bowls and top each serving with some mussels.

CAPITAL COOKING AIRS IN OVER 20 MILLION HOUSEHOLDS NATIONWIDE

By Kim Bryden

Starting November 5, 2009, Capital Cooking with Lauren DeSantis will be airing on Colours TV Network. It will air every Thursday starting with the upcoming Asian Fusion episode airing at 2:00-2:30 p.m. Find all of the schedule at: http://www.colourstv.org/site/schedule.php.

CoLours offers multi-cultural and multi-ethnic programming highlighting educational and cultural issues of African, Asian, Latin, and Native Americans. For further information visit their website at www.colourstv.org. Watch Capital Cooking on the Dish Network channels 9396 and 9407. CoLours is currently available on cable from the following carriers: Time Warner, Comcast, Insight, NCTC and Cox .

Join Lauren and the chefs from Ping by Charlie Chiang’s while they make Pot Au Feu, Rosemary Red Pepper Chicken and Shiny Slippery Shrimp. This innovative cuisine will highlight the fusion of American tastes and local ingredients with the exotic, pleasing flavors of Asia.

Within the upcoming weeks of November, tune into episodes Flavors of the Mediterranean with head chef from Cashion’s Eat Place, Taste of Morocco and Mexican Fiesta. Watch each episode and learn from the pros how to make delectable food right in your home. Lauren makes recipes fun and easy to prepare for anyone with any level of cooking.

For more information about this episode or the Capital Cooking series, please contact Lauren DeSantis at capitalcooking@gmail.com.

Photo by Emily Clack

Review: Church Lounge, Tribeca Grand Hotel

It took me a while to post about the Tribeca Grand Hotel because of the craziness with trade shows, but Church Lounge is a fun drink spot and the food is delicious.

Pete really liked the mini-burgers.

We didn't know that the Tribeca Grand was kind of a "scene," until we went to the rest room and had to fight to get back to our table. When it gets to be around 11 p.m., the place gets packed. The servers aren't the friendliest, but the food was really good.
I recommend:

Goat Cheese Ravioli
pine-nut butter, lemon, parmesan & sage

Short Rib Empanadas
horseradish crème fraîche

Happy Birthday Heather Sheeley!

Mussels (Moules) Mariniere

Week 14: Shellfish

Mussels (Moules) Mariniere

This week I couldn’t make the Tuesday class so I went to Thursday with Chef Brian Patterson. This recipe allows the flavor of the mussels to shine. When preparing mussels, toss any that don’t close when squeezed. Serve this dish in large bowls to make room for the broth.

Ingredients

½ cup small-dice onion

½ cup small-dice fennel

½ cup small-dice celery

½ cup small-dice leeks

½ cup small-dice shallots

1 cup of white wine or vermouth

4 lbs of mussels, washed well and beards removed (if any)

1 bay leaf

3 cloves of garlic

3-4 sprigs of fresh thyme

Fresh ground pepper

In a large saucepan, sweat some white wine, celery, fennel, onion, bay leaf, leeks, garlic, thyme, shallots and pepper for about 5-10 minutes. Then add mussels all at once and cover to steam them. Should only take 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and strain mussels over a colander over a bowl to collect the liquid. (reserve ½ of steaming liquid for soup)

Sauce:

½ of Steaming liquid

Cream

Saffron

Butter

Tomato concasse (recipe below)

Salt

Pepper

Cayenne pepper

Return broth to the pot on medium high heat. Add cream and other ingredients. Taste for seasoning. Pour over mussels and serve immediately.

Tomato Concasse

Concasse is the French word for food that has been cut into large pieces.

• Tomatoes (peeled, seeded (with juice strained and reserved), roughly chopped, about 2-3 C)
• Onion (1/2 a large onion, diced)
• Garlic (2-3 cloves, minced)
• Olive oil
• Tomato Paste
• Salt and Pepper
• Basil (couple leaves, chiffonade)

Sweat onions in olive oil for 8-10 minutes. * You could alternatively use shallots. Stir in tomatoes and garlic, and continue to cook, low and slow. Towards the end of cooking, add a bit of tomato paste to bring additional richness to the sauce. Adjust the consistency with the reserved tomato juice and taste it for seasoning. At the very end, add a couple leaves of basil chiffonade.

Fun Times at the Philadelphia Food and Wine Show

Autumn Appetizers Demonstration with Texas Sassy Products

Having fun with Paul Dillon
Enjoying Geoff Johnson's pasta

The Celebrity Cooking Stage

Photos by Shauna Alexander

Happy Birthday Nora!

Cooking 101: Salmon with Sorrel Sauce

The acidic flavor of the sorrel cuts the richness of the salmon and produces an amazing dish. If you don’t have sorrel, use spinach. I’m not usually a huge fan of salmon, but this is delicious. Growing up in the Midwest, we didn’t always have access to fresh fish we didn’t eat much at home. My main memories of eating fish all happened at Red Lobster with the cheddar biscuits. In DC, we have access to the fresh fish market. Also, Whole Food has a nice selection of fish as well. Chef Patrice says it is always best to buy the whole fish.

Ingredients:

4 salmon filets

shallots, thinly sliced

cream, 5 oz

White Dry Vermouth

Sorrel, 1 bunch

Salt and Pepper

Lemon Juice, ½ lemon

Cooking Method:

Take 2 pieces of plastic wrap and put the salmon in the center of them. Gently pound it flat with a mallet to make them even. Salt and pepper them. Heat your non-stick skillet with olive oil or clarified butter. Add the fat to the pan and then add fish. Season the other side. Then flip the fish. This will happen very quick because the salmon is so thin. Remove salmon onto a plate with a paper towel. Sear shallots quickly. When you get a little color, add the sorrel. Deglaze with the vermouth. Then add a little cream. Add the lemon juice. Add butter to smooth the sauce. Plate: Place fish onto the plate and drizzle the sauce over the fish.

Photo by Ashley Mosley

Me and Ingrid

After my cooking demo at the Philly Food and Wine Show, we went to the Celebrity Chef Dinner and had fun talking to Ingrid Hoffmann! Ingrid's Arugula Salad with Avocado, Fennel and Cilantro was Simply Delicioso. I got to sit next to her boyfriend's parents and they are the sweetest people. Fun times in Philly.

Photo by Shauna Alexander

Happy Missouri Day!

Last night we went to the Longworth Building to celebrate with fellow Missourians hosted by Congressman Russ Carnahan. It was sad that there wasn't any Budweiser products. Thanks to InBev, Budweiser is no longer a Missouri product I guess. They did have Ted Drew's. I was hoping for Imo's Pizza or Lion's Choice (2 of my favorites from back home). Still fun to chat with other Midwesterners. Happy Missouri Day!

Recipe: Pumpkin Crème Brulee

This recipe is adapted from my Cooking 101 class at L'Academie de Cuisine when we made Pistachio Creme Brulee. This pumpkin version is a seasonal delight. Feel free to adjust the amount of pumpkin you use to taste. Also, don't be afraid if you don't have a torch. You can always make it under the broiler. It is sure to be a hit at your Autumn feast. I might make it for Thanksgiving with my in-laws along with the delicious Butternut Squash Soup.

Ingredients

• 7 oz pure pumpkin (*1/2 can recommended. It just depends on how pumpkiny you like it.)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
• 6-8 large egg yolks
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 ½ teaspoon ground pumpkin spice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups heavy whipping cream
• 8 tablespoons sugar for the top

Preparation

Preheat oven to 325°F. Whisk egg yolk and sugar. Bring cream just to boil in medium saucepan. Add the vanilla to the cream. (*You can replace cream for milk, but don’t call it crème brulee.) Gradually whisk the cream into the egg/sugar mixture. Don’t over whip or you will get foam. Whisk pumpkin, salt and spices and 1/2 cup brown sugar in large bowl. Add the pumpkin mixture to the egg/sugar/cream mixture.

Divide mixture among eight ramekins. Put the ramekins in a large pan. Add enough warm water to pans to come halfway up sides of ramekins. Bake until custards are just set in center, about 35-45 minutes. Watch them because you may need to turn the temperature down if they are getting color on top. Refrigerate custards until cold.

* You could do this in the freezer to speed up the process.

Sprinkle sugar on the top and shake off the excess. Let it rest a bit before carmelizing. Place them under the broiler or use a torch if you have one to melt and scorch the sugar. You are looking for an amber color. Refrigerate again and then serve. They should have a nice shine.

*Crème brulee is so rich that you need something bitter on top to balance the flavors.

You can make this recipe in advance.

*You can substitute the pumpkin flavorings for any flavorings you like. We made pistachio in Cooking 101 and it was delicious.