CAPITAL COOKING BRINGS AFRICA TO WASHINGTON

Lauren DeSantis creates Ethiopian Soul Food with the owners of Etete and Chez Hareg

Washington, D.C. - “Capital Cooking” and Lauren DeSantis bring Ethiopia to Washington D.C. when she cooks with the owner of Etete, Tiwaltengus Shenegelgn (“Tete”), and the owner Chez Hareg, Hareg Messert.

Tete has been bringing Ethiopian comfort food to the nation’s capital for over two decades. Using pancake-like bread called injera as a utensil, Etete (meaning “mama”) serves small plates of cooked meats, vegetables and dips in a family style presentation. Awaze tibs is one of the small plates offered with strips of beef sautéed with seasoned butter, fresh tomato, berbere, green pepper and onion. With Tete as her guide, DiSantis will cook both of these plates to create the perfect small meal.

But no meal is complete without dessert. A native of Ethiopia and an alumnus of the Ritz Carlton pastry kitchen, Hareg Messert opened her bakery in the middle of the Ethiopian community in 2007. Providing African and European pastries, cookies, and cakes, she has recently expanded her offerings to even the most restricted eaters, vegans. Chez Hareg also caters for breakfast, lunch, brunch and cocktail parties.

Watch “Ethiopian Cuisine” to learn and travel to a country you may not visit otherwise. Capital Cooking is the first television show of its kind. A series exploring the culinary and cultural riches of our nation’s Capital and is hosted by Lauren DeSantis.

Capital Cooking highlights cooking traditions of regional cuisine from all areas of the country as well as international dishes. Throughout the series, DeSantis will incorporate entertaining tips into the shows, will cook with local chefs, and will demonstrate how to make recipes with ingredients that viewers can find at local grocery stores and farmers’ markets. Visit www.captialcookingshow.com for more information on upcoming events and http://captialcookingshow.blogspot.com for daily updates.

Airing this month on Cox Cable Channel 10 in Fairfax:

Ethiopian Cuisine: Join Lauren and the owners of Etete and Chez Hareg as they make Ethiopian Soul Food including Injera, Awaze Tibs and an Ethiopian dessert.

Time slot during the 4th week of the month- Monday at 11:30 p.m., Thursday at 9:30 a.m., and Wednesday at 4 p.m.

In New Zealand, watch Capital Cooking on STRATOS on Wednesdays at 8p.m.

KDHX Charter Cable Channel 21 in St. Louis, Missouri

Every Wednesday at 1p.m.
By Jacquie Chamberlain