DC Showtimes for January

Capital Cooking with Lauren DeSantis

Ethiopian Cuisine

DCTV COMCAST 95 RCN 10

Wed 12/31/08 11:00 AM

Sat 01/03/09 07:30 PM

Sat 01/10/09 11:00 AM

Sat 01/17/09 12:00 PM

Sat 01/24/09 05:00 PM

Sun 01/11/09 09:32 PM

Thu 01/01/09 02:00 PM

Thu 01/08/09 03:00 PM

Thu 01/15/09 06:00 PM

Thu 01/22/09 01:00 PM

Thu 01/29/09 11:00 AM

Tue 01/27/09 12:30 PM

Sat 01/31/09 07:00 PM

Catch Capital Cooking in Columbia, Missouri Today!

Make sure to watch at 4 pm on CAT-TV Channel 3.

Capital Cooking with Lauren DeSantis
Mexican Fiesta (New!)

You'll find a great Mango Margarita recipe to make tonight for New Years Eve.

You can also catch it :
Friday at 4p.m.
Saturday at 9:30 a.m.

Appetizer: Sun dried Tomato Pasta Salad Recipe

By: Aunt Rosie

Ingredients:

1 Bottle Wishbone Bountiful Tuscan Romano Basil Salad Dressing

4 chicken breast halves - bake at 375 for 35 minutes (or until no longer pink)

Bake on a cookie sheet, drizzle with olive oil. Cool and then cut into small pieces.

1 package cheese-filled tortellini (7 cheese) Cook the pasta according to directions and let cool.

1 cup of sun dried tomatoes (cut into small pieces)

1/2 orange pepper cut into small pieces

1/4 red onion cut into small pieces

Directions:

After the pasta and chicken have cooled, then mix the dressing, chicken, pasta, sun dried tomatoes, peppers and red onion together.

Salt and pepper to taste.

Taste it --- if it needs more dressing, then just add a little olive oil.

Make it at least 4 hours before serving so the flavors can mix together and the chicken

absorb the dressing.

Recipe for: Italian Sausage & Spinach Roll

Italian Sausage & Spinach Roll

By: John Lueckenotte (A Viewer in Columbia, MO)

Ingredients:

½ pound mild Italian sausage – cooked, drained, and chopped

½ pound ground beef

1 cup canned mushrooms – chopped

10 oz. frozen, chopped spinach, thawed and patted dry

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1 egg, separated

2 garlic cloves, pressed

2 pkg. of pizza crust – 10 oz each

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400°. Chop cooked sausage and mushrooms, add spinach and cheese to the mix. Separate egg, add yolk to the spinach mix, reserve the egg white for the crust. Press garlic over the spinach mixture and mix in. Roll one pizza crust into a 12 x 9 rectangle. Spoon half of spinach mix over dough to within ½ inch of edges, jelly-roll fashion; press seam together to seal. Repeat with remaining pizza crust and filling. Place rolls, seam sides down, join ends of rolls to form one large ring; pinch together to seal. Lightly beat egg white, and brush onto dough. Bake 25- 30 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting. You can serve with or without pizza/spaghetti sauce.

(Lauren's Tip: I might use turkey sausage and ground turkey to be a little healthier and you could also use fresh mushrooms. For a little heat, add some of Happy Hal's Jalapeño Relish. )

Thanks for the recipe John! If you have a recipe that you'd like featured on the Capital Cooking Show blog, email me at capitalcooking@gmail.com. Thanks for tuning in.

Spotlight: Patricia Sanitate

Hopefully you got a chance to check out the Rustic Roman Afternoon episode this month.

A Rustic Roman Afternoon: Join Lauren and Chef Patricia Sanitate from A Capital Cuisine for delicious recipes of a typical weekday Roman meal including, Involtini alla Romana, Gnocchi al Forno, Insalata fine estate and Raspberry Tarts.

Get a closer look at our guest Patricia Sanitate. She says...

I started cooking at the age of nine after my Mom passed away. My Dad was very "old world" and preferred everything from scratched. He taught me a lot in the kitchen, but I come from a long line of excellent home cooks in Italy.

How would you describe DC Cuisine?
It is very eclectic. Virtually every country of the world is represented in this city, and they are all wonderful and exciting.

How did you get into the Personal Chef business?
After moving to the states from our many years in Europe, I noticed that everyone was always in a hurry, so I decided that perhaps bringing a little slow home cooking into people's lives. By the time they got home from work, all the work was done, and they could enjoy a leisurely meal.

What is the difference between semolina gnocchi and potato gnocchi?
Semolina gnocchi are easier to make during the week, because you save some steps by not having to boil the potatoes and puree them. A bit less work, but a wonderful bold taste.

How long have you been in DC, and how did you get here?
Besides spending my summers in Italy with my family, as a child, my husband and I lived in Europe for the first part of our married life, before transferring here to DC for my husbands work. We have been here 15 years and we love it.

Who are my culinary inspirations?
My parents were my first teachers, but I have learned by trial and error along the way. I like to keep things simple, and tasteful and I try to experiment with many recipes from all types of cookbooks.

Thank you Patricia for being part of the Capital Cooking Show!

Photo from A Capital Cuisine website.

Buzz: Ben's Next Door

Lots of foodies are buzzing about the new restaurant next to Ben's Chili Bowl, Next Door. Nizam was nice enough to let us film our first episode of Capital Cooking at Ben's. Since then, I've moved into the neighborhood so I'm always excited to get new eateries right next door. (well 2 blocks down). We'll have to shoot a follow up to feature some of Next Door's signature dishes soon. Hopefully we can get more of the Ali family secrets than we were able to squeeze out of Nizam last time. We are still waiting for that chili recipe...1211 U Street

Home for the Holidays: New Town

Two of our friends recently moved to a new community outside of St. Louis called "New Town." I'm not sure if it is creepy or cool. Their house is beautiful. The town looks like the movie set from the Truman Show dropped in the middle of St. Charles. The town has many of the conveniences of modern city life such as an amphitheater, their own post office, a coffee shop, a couple of restaurants, a wine bar, a corner market, etc.... Although the bars are only blocks away, people still drive there. There is a canal running right through the middle of the place and as you enter, this big monument that resembles the Washington monument on a much smaller scale. Home owners have to pay $800/year to maintain the landscaping and amenities. It seems like a good concept, but there are some drawbacks with the town regulations (You can only pick from set colors for your house, no two houses of the same color can be next to each other, only electric or push lawn mowers, no plastic furniture allowed on patios, etc.)

They started developing this in 2004 and the houses consisted of town homes, single family, and row houses ranging in price from $100K to $800K. They are currently in Phase 2 of 10 but the builder might have to file for bankruptcy. Hopefully they'll be able to attract some more nice restaurants once the development is complete.

Holiday Fun

Merry Christmas! The best thing about the holidays is spending time with family and friends. My friend Allison recently got engaged and we had a great time hanging out at her engagement party. The food was delicious and she was glowing. Allison and Brian were guests on Capital Cooking for the Hosting Weekend Guests episode. Brian is actually a chef at a country club in St. Louis. Congratulations and Best Wishes to the happy couple!

Busboys and Poets Brunch

We recently went to Busboys and Poets for brunch. Busboys is a hot spot my U Street neighborhood and is often packed with students sitting on couches with their laptops sipping coffee. Great atmosphere, but the food was mediocre. They offer $5 mimosas or Bloody Marys (a little expensive for the area). Not the most exciting menu...eggs Benedict, eggs, meat and toast, granola, etc. My eggs came to the table cold and overcooked. I haven't tried the lunch or dinner, but I'd skip it for brunch.

(202) 387-7638

U Street/Shaw
2021 14th St NW
Washington, DC 20009

12 Days of Christmas Cocktails: 7 Swans a Swimming

7 Swans a Swimming

1 shot Prairie Organic Vodka

½ shot DiSaronno Amaretto

1 shot Bailey's Irish Cream

1 shot cream

Combine all of the liquors in a shaker full of ice. Strain liquor into the martini glass.

Calling all Food Writers and Bloggers...

Did you miss the chance to participate in Capital Cooking's First Food Bloggers Challenge? If so, you have the chance to participate for the 2nd Challenge: Breakfast Food. Capital Cooking is gearing up for the next challenge! If you are a food blogger or food writer now is your chance to appear on television in 25 cities to show off your skills. We will be having an informational meeting in January. If you are interested in finding out more details, email me at capitalcooking@gmail.com.

The Season to Give

What goes around comes around

Find the Right Volunteer Spot for you:

Serve Food at SOME: So Others May Eat

Cook Food at DC Central Kitchen

Deliver food to the seniors at IONA Senior Services

Teach at Kid Power DC Inc.

If these service opportunities don't interest you, find the perfect match at www.volunteermatch.org.

A special thanks to all of the wonderful volunteers who help make Capital Cooking possible. Your help is greatly appreciated!

Capital Cooking would also like to thank the Links Foundation for sponsoring our upcoming episode of Cooking with the Quintuplets.

Get ready for Cooking with the Quintuplets to air in 2009... In 1997, Jacqueline Thompson gave birth to sextuplets, five of whom survived. The donations that helped make ends meet dropped off years ago. Now she’s a single mom. Join Lauren as she teaches the quints how to make their own lunches for school and other fun recipes for kids.

Cupcakes Hit St. Louis

I'm going home for the holidays and I can't wait to check out Jilly's Cupcake Bar. My friend Kitty recently sent me one of their delicious Twisted Red Velvet cupcake clusters. It was delivered in the cutest jar that contained Red velvet cake infused with chocolate syrup and stuffed with caramel praline filling, topped with cream cheese icing, cinnamon caramel buttercream, toasted pecans and a pecan praline. Yum! Jilly's is located at 8509 Delmar Boulevard in St. Louis, MO. Make sure to try it out the next time you head to the Show Me state. I'll have to take some tips from Jilly when we film our Crazy for Cupcakes episode that is coming soon.

DC Gift for Foodies

Women Chefs and Restaurateurs (WCR) create calendar and recipe collection to support women in the culinary arts

WASHINGTON, DC — Spice up the holiday season with the perfect gift for the DC foodie in your life with the Women Chefs and Restaurateurs (WCR) 2009 Calendar and Recipe Collection! More than just a calendar, it features 23 Washington-area women chefs, restaurateurs and sommeliers, along with an exclusive collection of more than two dozen of their favorite recipes and preparation tips.

The collection of signature recipes features area favorites including: scallop margaritas with tequila ice, watermelon gazpacho with lime and mint, parsnip vanilla crème brûlée, strawberry lemon napoleons, caramelized onion and goat cheese tart, and more.

The ideal holiday gift for any foodie, the calendar can be purchased for $12 (plus $4 shipping & handling) at www.womenchefs.org, or at a variety of Washington-area restaurants. (For a complete list of participating locations, visit the Web site.) Proceeds from the calendar support WCR’s scholarship and internship programs for women in every stage of their culinary arts career.

The calendar and recipe collection features these talented D.C.-area women:

January Bonnie Moore (L’Academie de Cuisine) and Melanie Parker (Equinox)

February Ris Lacoste (ris and Rock Creek)

March Aimee Suyehiro (Argia’s) and Amy Brandwein (Fyve)

April Barbara Black (Addie’s Restaurant, Black Market Bistro, Black’s Bar & Kitchen, and BlackSalt Fish Market & Restaurant), Jacqueline Castaldo (Black Market Bistro) and Quanta Robinson (BlackSalt Fish Market & Restaurant)

May Laurie Bell (Great Falls Tea Garden at Cathy’s Corner) and Beverly Bates (ici Urban Bistro at Sofitel Hotel)

June Janis McLean (15 ria) and Odessa Piper

July Nora Pouillon (Restaurant Nora) and Ann Harvey Yonkers (FRESHFARM Markets)

August Susan Soorenko (Moorenko’s Ice Cream Café) and Ruth Gresser (Pizzeria Paradiso)

September Mary Watson-DeLauder (Lansdowne Resort, Benchmark Hospitality Worldwide)

October Jamie Leeds (CommonWealth Gastropub and Hank’s Oyster Bar)

November Laurie Alleman Weber (The Swiss Bakery + Pastry Shop) and Heather Chittum (Hook)

December Tracy O’Grady, Kate Jansen and Alison Christ (Willow Restaurant)

Thummit: Win $200 for Dining

Thummit is a free social recommendation service spreading its wings in Washington this month.

We all know there’s an ocean of restaurant reviews out there on the Interwebs. Thummit cuts through the morass by allowing you to easily rate restaurants, save those ratings, and share them with friends and trusted foodie sources.

You can rate restaurants from anywhere, anytime — do it from your PC, your phone, or or via Twitter (@Thummit).

Check out Thummit;s the Last Night on Earth poll — vote and get entered to win a $200 certificate to the restaurant of your choice!

I’d love it if you’d join in and share your pick for your “last” meal! Click over to the poll here, and use the following invite code: DCeats

Just in: Capital Cooking will air in Colorado!

Capital Cooking with Lauren DeSantis will begin reaching the residents of Aurora, Colorado! We now have coverage in 20 states and 25 different cities. With your help will will continue to expand across the country.

Capital Cooking is a ½ hour program that airs on Comcast Channel 95 and RCN Channel 10 in DC, Cox Cable Channel 10 in Fairfax, Access Montgomery TV 19 and 21 in Maryland, KDHX Channel 21 St. Louis, Missouri, Windsor Community Television in Windsor, Connecticut, People TV Channel 24 in Atlanta, Georgia, MCAM Channel 23 in Manchester, New Hampshire, CCTV in Concord-Carlisle, Massachusetts, The Peoples Channel 8 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, Saco River Community Television in Hollis, Maine, TV2 Channel 2 in Manistee, Michigan, HCTV in Herndon, Virginia, HPA-TV in Hibbing Minnesota, SCTV in Saugus, MA, TBNK in Covington, Kentucky, WITC Channel 6 in New Richmond, Wisconsin, DATV in Dayton, Ohio, KCAT TV Channel 15 in Los Gatos, California, NCTV in Nevada City, California, Channel 20 in Gilroy, CA, WCTV in Waterloo, Iowa, Philadelphia Community Access Coalition, Philadelphia, PA, FLTV in Fair Lawn, New Jersey, CAT3 TV in Columbia, Missouri, Aurora 8 in Aurora, Colorado as well as http://capitalcooking.chanz.tv/. The show reaches approximately 3.6 million households in DC, Maryland, Virginia, Iowa, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Ohio, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Kentucky and North Carolina. Clips of the show are also available for viewing at http://www.youtube.com/user/capitalcooking.

Your location not listed? Help expand our coverage.

Local residents can put a program on the in their community! Anyone willing to act as the program's "sponsor" may bring a DVD to their public access station each month.

If you would like to sponsor Capital Cooking in your area, first check with your public access channel or cable operator. (There is generally no charge for this service). Contact capitalcooking@gmail.com to arrange for delivery of the DVDs.

Recipe: Italian Kiss Cocktail

A Rustic Roman Afternoon

Italian Kiss Cocktail

Serves 2

Ingredients:

2 shots amaretto (DiSaronno)

Champagne or Sparkling Wine

Orange Juice

Maraschino Cherries

[Equipment: shot glass, 2 champagne flutes]

Method:

Pour 1 shot of amaretto into each champagne flute. Fill flute with champagne but leave a little room at the top. Put a splash of orange juice in each glass. Garnish with cherries.

This cocktail is perfect for brunch or an afternoon lunch. Check out this recipe and more on A Rustic Roman Afternoon episode. A Rustic Roman Afternoon: Join Lauren and Chef Patricia Sanitate for delicious recipes of a typical weekday Roman meal including, Involtini alla Romana, Gnocchi al Forno, Insalata fine estate and Raspberry Tarts.

Holidays and Family

This time of year sometimes feels exhausting...traveling, planning, finding gifts... Holidays bring families together and bring back memories of childhood and provide opportunities to make new memories. Over Thanksgiving, my husband and I traveled to Iowa and were greeted by my in-laws and our favorite nephew, Cayden.

And there shall be cupcakes in every neighborhood

If you are a cupcake fan in DC, you shouldn't have a problem finding one in your neighborhood. Cupcake shops are popping up everywhere. We have Cake Love in my new neighborhood and now Red Velvet Cupcakery is opening in my old neighborhood in Penn Quarter. Red Velvet Cupcakery is scheduled to open this month. You can check out Georgetown Cupcake in Georgetown or Hello Cupcake in Dupont. Georgetown Cupcake had a booth at the Metro Cooking and Entertaining show and sold thousands of cupcakes within the first couple of hours. So many choices!!!

What is your favorite cupcake? If you have an awesome cupcake recipe, let me know and you might be picked to make your recipe on my Crazy for Cupcakes episode. We'll be filming Crazy for Cupcakes this winter and we will feature a couple special guests from cupcake shops around town.

News Flash: Capital Cooking now reaches 24 Cities!

Today, Capital Cooking will begin reaching the residents of Fair Lawn, New Jersey as well as Columbia, Missouri! We now have coverage in 19 states and 24 different cities. With your help will will continue to expand across the country.

Capital Cooking is a ½ hour program that airs on Comcast Channel 95 and RCN Channel 10 in DC, Cox Cable Channel 10 in Fairfax, Access Montgomery TV 19 and 21 in Maryland, KDHX Channel 21 St. Louis, Missouri, Windsor Community Television in Windsor, Connecticut, People TV Channel 24 in Atlanta, Georgia, MCAM Channel 23 in Manchester, New Hampshire, CCTV in Concord-Carlisle, Massachusetts, The Peoples Channel 8 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, Saco River Community Television in Hollis, Maine, TV2 Channel 2 in Manistee, Michigan, HCTV in Herndon, Virginia, HPA-TV in Hibbing Minnesota, SCTV in Saugus, MA, TBNK in Covington, Kentucky, WITC Channel 6 in New Richmond, Wisconsin, DATV in Dayton, Ohio, KCAT TV Channel 15 in Los Gatos, California, NCTV in Nevada City, California, Channel 20 in Gilroy, CA, WCTV in Waterloo, Iowa, Philadelphia Community Access Coalition, Philadelphia, PA, FLTV in Fair Lawn, New Jersey, CAT3 TV in Columbia, Missouri as well as http://capitalcooking.chanz.tv/. The show reaches approximately 3.6 million households in DC, Maryland, Virginia, Iowa, California, Connecticut, Georgia, Ohio, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Kentucky and North Carolina. Clips of the show are also available for viewing at http://www.youtube.com/user/capitalcooking.

Your location not listed? Help expand our coverage.

Local residents can put a program on the in their community! Anyone willing to act as the program's "sponsor" may bring a DVD to their public access station each month.

If you would like to sponsor Capital Cooking in your area, first check with your public access channel or cable operator. (There is generally no charge for this service). Contact capitalcooking@gmail.com to arrange for delivery of the DVDs.

Thank you to all of the viewers around the country who watch and write to me. I appreciate the encouragement.

Alili

One of the fabulous booths at the Metropolitan Cooking and Entertaining Show was Alili.
Alili creates amazing products from Morocco such as olives, harissa, honey, etc. These products will make the perfect gift for family and friends during the holidays. I will provide recipes soon for great ways to incorporate the products into fun meals at home.

Photo by Shauna Alexander

Upcoming Episodes Airing in December

DCTV Comcast Cable Channel 95 and RCN Channel 10 in the District: A Rustic Roman Afternoon: Join Lauren and Chef Patricia Sanitate for delicious recipes of a typical weekday Roman meal including, Involtini alla Romana, Gnocchi al Forno, Insalata fine estate and Raspberry Tarts.

Tue 12/02/08 12:00 PM
Thu 12/04/08 07:30 PM
Wed 12/10/08 04:00 PM
Thu 12/11/08 09:30 PM
Tue 12/16/08 03:30 PM
Sat 12/20/08 10:00 PM
Sat 12/27/08 05:00 PM
Sun 12/28/08 05:30 PM

Cox Cable Channel 10 in Fairfax:

A Rustic Roman Afternoon: Join Lauren and Chef Patricia Sanitate for delicious recipes of a typical weekday Roman meal including, Involtini alla Romana, Gnocchi al Forno, Insalata fine estate and Raspberry Tarts.

Time slot during the 4th week of the month, Mon@1130p, Thurs@930a, and Wed @4am.

KDHX Charter Cable Channel 21 in St. Louis, Missouri

Every Wednesday at 1p.m.

Cooking For Kids: This show will be centered around making healthy food for the kids. Lauren will show viewers a chicken nugget recipe, fruit dip, smoothies, and more.

Access Montgomery TV 21 in Maryland

Every Tuesday at 7p.m.

12/2/08 Meet Me in St. Louis: DC is a melting pot of people, culture and cuisine. This episode will bring some Midwest treats to the table including: Chicken Tetrazini, Gooey Butter Cake, Toasted Ravioli, and the St. Louis Cardinals Cocktail.

12/9/08

Mexican Fiesta: Chef Connie from Connie’s Authentic Mexican Catering will join me in preparing authentic Mexican cuisine including: guacamole, empanadas, sopaipillas and mango margaritas.

12/16/08

Cooking For Kids: This show will be centered around making healthy food for the kids. Lauren will show viewers a chicken nugget recipe, fruit dip, smoothies, and more.

12/23/08

American Classics: Join Lauren and Chef ‘Red’ Shannon from the Majestic Restaurant for simple American cuisine consisting of Mint Juleps, Fried Green Tomatoes, Meatloaf, and Strawberry Shortcake.

The Peoples Channel 8 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Thursdays at 6 p.m.

Fridays at 6 a.m. and noon

HPA-TV in Hibbing, Minnesota CHANNEL 5

Mondays at 2 a.m.

Thursdays at 8:30 p.m.

Fridays at 10:35 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.

Saturday at 2:30 a.m. and 8:30 p.m.

Capital Cooking is also airing in all of the cities and states listed on the side of the blog. If the times aren't listed for your city, feel free to email me at capitalcooking@gmail.com and I can send them your way.