Fun times in Portland, OR

Corey and Regina cannot roll their tongues.


Portland Chinatown

VooDoo Doughnuts
Henry's Tavern
Yummy pasta
More doughnuts

Pork Barrel BBQ: All American Spice Rub and BBQ Sauce

Pork Barrel BBQ Sauce and All American Spice Rub are now available in 65 stores in Virginia, the District of Columbia, Maryland, North Carolina and Florida. For pork, beef, poultry and fish, our Pork Barrel BBQ Sauce and All American Spice Rub is the perfect way to give your food a tangy, tasty flavor with a perfect smokin' kick! Pork Barrel BBQ is now available at Harris Teeter, Ukrop's, Balducci's Food Lover's Market, Wagshals, Let's Meat on the Avenue, The Organic Butcher of McLean, and The Art of BBQ (in St. Augustine, Florida)! Catch Heath and Brett on Capital Cooking's Thrill of the Grill episode soon!!
Photo by Shauna Alexander

Hope you're hungry...

for the best week of the year! Restaurant Week

Destination DC and the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington are proud to present the 15th Washington, DC Restaurant Week from August 24-30,2009.

Lunch: $20.09 for a three-course fixed-price meal
Dinner: $35.09 for a three-course fixed-price meal
Beverages, gratuity and tax are not included.

Outdoor Dining: The Heights

I'm a big fan of outdoor dining. It is fun to watch the people walk by and I always appreciate any chance to be outside. Get past the Columbia Heights construction and the Heights can offer a nice option. The food is a little heavy (comfort style) and the beer selection isn't exhaustive, but they do have Allagash. Enjoy some meatloaf or fried chicken outside to wind down the summer in DC.

Logan at the Heights

(202) 797-7227

Mt. Pleasant/Columbia Heights
3115 14th St NW
Washington, DC 20010
www.theheightsdc.com

Next stop in Portland: Voodoo Doughnut

There is nothing like waking up to a bacon maple doughnut. I first heard of this place on Anthony Bourdain's show. The line is out the door and the smell is inviting. This place if a must if you visit Portland, the town of funky glasses. Everyone there is so hip...or homeless. It was surprising how many n0n-crazy, non-alcoholic people that came up to us asking for change. I'm sorry, but if you are healthy and capable then you should find a job. Back to the glasses, the Portland people have amazing eye glasses. Super cool! Fun times eating doughnuts and enjoying the scenery.

(503) 241-4704

Downtown
22 SW 3rd Ave
Portland, OR 97204
www.voodoodoughnut.com

Portland, Oregon: Henry's

I recently made my way to Portland, Oregon for a friend's wedding. We had a great time seeing all of our law school friends and we made our way to Henry's restaurant for lunch. The food is hearty but delicious. Lots of burgers and pasta. You'll find your favorite beer with their extensive selection. I tried the Watermelon Wheat beer. Fun place to check out.

Henry's 12th Street Tavern

(503) 227-5320

Downtown
10 NW 12th Ave
Portland, OR 97209
www.henrystavern.com

Gluten-Free Cooking

By Kim Auron

A gluten-free diet is recommended for those allergic to wheat and people who have celiac disease. Gluten is found in many foods since it is often used as a food additive. However, it is becoming easier to abstain from eating gluten. Jules Shepard, the author of Nearly Normal Cooking was diagnosed with celiac disease in 1999. Her cookbook is a great way to learn how to enjoy food without gluten. Additionally, she has created her own line of gluten free all purpose flour and baking mixes. They are only available in a few locations in Maryland, Minnesota and North Carolina. However, they can be ordered online through her website: http://www.nearlynormalcooking.com/httpdocs/flour.htm. Some other great places to find recipes for gluten free cooking are the website http://www.glutenfreeda.com/index.asp and a blog called Gluten Free Cooking School (http://www.glutenfreecookingschool.com/). Some people also believe a gluten-free diet can help reduce the symptoms of migraine headaches.

Photo by DC Hughes

Get Discounted Tickets for only $59 until August 31

CAPITAL COOKING BRINGS MEDITERRANEAN DIET AND WINES TO YOUR MEAL

WASHINGTON, DC. – The Mediterranean Diet is more than just a diet; it’s a lifestyle. Join Capital Cooking with Lauren DeSantis at the First Annual Mediterranean Wines Festival and Classes on September 30 from 6:30-9pm at the Whitemore House in Dupont Circle. DeSantis will teach a class demonstrating the structures of this flavorful diet while using Mediterranean staples such as olive oil, herbs and wine.

From 8-8:45pm DeSantis will lead a class called, “Bringing the Mediterranean Diet to Your Plate” where she will discuss the principles of the diet followed by a cooking demonstration. Throughout episodes of Capital Cooking, DeSantis has presented various aspects of the Mediterranean Diet. This class gives an up close view of the structure of Mediterranean meals and the differences between Mediterranean cuisines by region.

Also at this event you will have the opportunity to taste over 30 wines from 11 different countries accompanied by light Mediterranean mezzes and tapas such as grape leaves, falafel, spanakopita, sambousik, cured olives, hummus as well as Mediterranean desserts such as baklava.

Chef Enzo's Table at Teatro Goldoni

Last week we were wowed at Chef Enzo Fargione's Table at Teatro Goldoni. Chef Enzo served every dish with an artistic and imaginative presentation. Our favorite dish was the applewood-smoked branzino that sends up a puff of smoke when you lift the lid of the wooden cigar box. Make sure to check out the chef's table soon. Also, be sure to tune in when Chef Enzo will be a special guest on the Capital Cooking Show.

Appetite Openers:
-Anise dusted seared tuna lollipops
-Cornets of vinegar cured salmon belly with crispy fennel and California Osetra caviar
-Italian sushi roll with pickled carrot ginger

-Glass vase of artichoke puree, black olives air and rosemary scent

-Tempura zucchini flowers stuffed with fava beans puree, port wine glaze with crispy pancetta

-Deconstructed Buffalo mozzarella cube with balsamic gelatin strip and cherry tomatoes

-EVOO mousse covered with milk chocolate and focaccia crumbs with gold leaf

-Honeydew soup sour cream thyme roasted lobster blk truffle foam red pepper spicy gelatin

-Grilled watermelon and fennel shaves spoon with toasted almonds and charred scallions

Menu:

-Two color organic tomato eggplant terrine popsicle with basil gelatin

-4 minutes smoked Branzino carpaccio in a cigar box
-Lobster risotto cherry tomatoes confit in a caviar tin and crispy basil
-Red beet tortello filled with spinach sheep ricotta and running quail egg spring asparagus broth shaves of Summer black truffles and parmesan foam

-Butter roasted baby octopus raw polenta sauce fried capers polenta crackers fried basil spicy orange caramel
-8 hours braised veal cheeks in port wine with crispy corn pancetta and mascarpone cheese sauce Summer black truffles and Merlot wine froth

Desserts

-Basil sorbet shooter with poppy seeds in cocoa nib basket and sour green apple gel with

caramel sauce
-Vanilla flavored panna cotta sunny side up with orange yolks Sicilian pistachio and tulip virtual bacon

Downtown
1909 K St NW
Washington, DC 20006
www.teatrogoldoni.com

Fun with Food and Beer

By: Kim Bryden, Associate Director of Marketing

I decided on a whim to take a class at L’Academie de Cuisine, a top ten culinary school in the US and Canada. Located in Bethesda in a quaint building, L’Academie offers a wide array of demonstration or participation classes.

I’m certainly a creative cuisine kind of gal so I jumped at the chance to take a participation class to see how different beers such as Porters, Pilsners, and Stouts are used in flavoring different dishes.

We started off marinating scallops in a honey and porter mixture for about a half hour at room temperature and then continued to wrap the scallops in phyllo dough. I could not believe the tenderness and immense flavor that those scallops had.

A tip: if there is one thing I learned about marinating food in beer or brining chicken with beer (which we did later on) it is that beer makes food more moist and succulent. Try it out!

There were three sauces that we concocted: a lemon garlic sauce, creamy mustard sauce and Pilsner butter. All three were fabulous in their own way. I was particularly fond of the lemon garlic sauce that went with the scallops. Even adding a bit of beer to a sauce can give it that little zing of taste you need.

Lastly, and what I had the biggest hand in making, was the Caramel Coffee Stout Mouse and Cocoa Cookies. The mousse was the longest, most tedious process but well worth it! I learned how to make caramel which folded into whipped cream and cream cheese which was then combined with a bit of Coffee Stout. Oh my goodness, it was heavenly – especially when added with cocoa cookies!

My cooking and dining experience at L’Academie de Cuisine was well worth the time and effort. I can’t wait to go back again to learn more tricks to add zest to my meals.

CAPITAL COOKING DELIVERS EDIBLE HOUSEWARMING GIFTS AIRING THIS MONTH

Lauren DeSantis prepare s a basket of housewarming treats with the help of

Jules Shepard

WASHINGTON, D.C. – In response to the increased mobility of our society, Lauren DeSantis, the host of Capital Cooking helps her audience create a basket of edible housewarming gifts that are appropriate for all occasions. Noted gluten-free baker and author Jules Shepard stops by the Capital Cooking kitchen to lend DeSantis a hand in developing recipes that are delicious and gluten-free.

DeSantis and Shepard begin the episode with a recipe for White Chocolate Cherry Pistachio Bark. This deliciously simple recipe takes only minutes to prepare and can be made in advance and stored.

- more -

Next, Shepard gives her recipe for Blueberry Banana Bread. Knowing the challenges of eating gluten-free first hand, Shepard created this and other gluten and dairy-free recipes to accommodate people with specific dietary concerns. Continuing with fruity recipes, DeSantis follows with her recipe for Homemade Berry Jam. This recipe was created for those who love fruit jams but do not have the time and equipment for canning. DeSantis demonstrates how any fruit can be turned into a jam or fruit glaze in just minutes.

Finally, Shepard gives her recipe for Oatmeal Raisin Cookies that defy all the stereotypes about health food! Shepard assures viewers that she created these trans-fat and hydrogenated oil-free cookies to taste exactly the same as the original. Throughout the show both DeSantis and Shepard offer tips on topics ranging from cooking to gift giving to party hosting.

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

Capital Cooking with Lauren DeSantis is on a mission to highlight the cooking traditions and cuisine from the US and around the world that is featured in the restaurants of D.C. In each episode, DeSantis works with D.C. metro area chefs to create unique recipes using ingredients that viewers can find at local grocery stores and farmers’ markets. For more information on Capital Cooking with Lauren DeSantis, upcoming events, and featured recipes, visit www.captialcookingshow.com. For daily updates from Lauren DeSantis, visit captialcookingshow.blogspot.com.

Week 2 of Cooking 101

I recently started the culinary program at L'Academie de Cuisine and we worked on soups during our last class with the stock that we made during our first class. I'm still having a rough time getting used to no recipes and just technique. Chef Patrice Olivon tells stories about growing up in Southern France. We learned to make 4 soups... Butternut squash soup, cultivateur (the farmer), fish soup and consomme. The word Consomme translates to "completed" or "concentrated." Consomme is a clear soup made with ground meats, vegetables egg whites and stock. The simmering brings the impurities to the surface of the stock. The solids form a raft at the surface of th stock and it is held together by the egg whites. The end result is a clear liquid that is passed through a sieve. The clear consomme has so much flavor. Next week we are moving onto vegetables.
Photo by Emily Clack

More about Rochelle Schazl of Nando's Peri-Peri

As the head of Nando’s International Product Development team, and the author of the award-winning book Pain and Pleasure- the contrasts and contradictions of the African Bird’s Eye Chill, heat is central to Schaetzl’s life. I recently reviewed a copy of the book and the photos are beautiful. The book explains all about the African Bird's Eye Chili that I didn't know much about before reading. These Peri-Peri are hot!! They are small red chilis that growing the African soil. I'm going to South Africa next year for the World Cup so I can't wait to see them and try them there.

Nando's second restaurant recently opened (at 1210 18^th Street, NW in Washington, DC; the first location here in the Penn Quarter, celebrates its 1^st Anniversary on July 3). I've eaten in the Chinatown location many times before moving to U Street. The chicken is succulent with excellent flavor from the peri-peri. Also, try the grilled haloumi cheese. 

Rochelle Schätzl was born and raised in Southern Africa and graduated with a degree in Food Science & Marketing from the University of Pretoria, South Africa in 1994.

She holds and has held various positions within the international food industry including:

• Director of the South African Chef’s Association
• Senior Chef with the Holiday Inn Group
• Advisory Chef with McCormick’s, Inc.
• Business Development Manager with Firmenich

Rochelle currently heads up the Nando’s International Global Product Development team. Nando’s is a South African based restaurant group with over 850 casual dining restaurants in over 35 countries. In addition to the restaurants Nando’s also is a consumer packaged good company distributing Peri-Peri products including hot sauces, marinades and simmer sauces internationally.

Her current position with Nando’s, Inc. has taken her all over Africa giving her the opportunity of a life time to research Peri-Peri while developing a unique understanding of the diverse cultures and cuisines of Africa and how these have expanded internationally. She shares this knowledge through special appearances, educational seminars and interviews. Rochelle is dynamic, inspired and passionately African. 

In part because of Rochelle’s development, Nando’s has won 13 awards already in 2007, including 9 Scovie’s and 4 Zesty Best Awards. Peri-Peri products have also been honored by the Professional Chef’s Association with their highest award, the Best Quality Gold Seal. Nando’s Original Peri-Peri Sauces is sponsoring the National Fiery Foods and Barbeque show in New Mexico this March.

Nando's Peri Peri

(202) 898-1225

Chinatown

819 7th St NW
Washington, DC 20001
www.nandos.com

Recipe: Whiskey Peri Peri Sorbet

WHISKEY PERI PERI SORBET

This recipe is brought to you by Rochelle Schaetzl of Nando's Peri Peri

Ingredients:

2cups (500g) white sugar

1.5L water

3tbs (45ml) lemon juice

½ cup (150ml) whiskey

1tbs ( 15ml) sweet Peri Peri, strained through a fine sieve

2 egg whites

Method:

1. Boil water, sugar and lemon juice in a large pot for 5 minutes until sugar is dissolved
2. Add lemon juice and sweet peri peri sauce
3. Cool to room temperature
4. Whisk egg whites to a soft peak and fold into syrup.
5. Churn in an ice cream machine until set

Makes 1l sorbet

SPOTLIGHT: Rochelle Schaetz AND Alan Wollenschlaerger from Nando's Peri-Peri

Rochelle studied Food Science & Marketing and did her internship through Holiday Inn group- at which time she also thought it appropriate to obtain a professional chef’s qualification – the rest is history …

What made you decide to enter into the DC market? - Alan Wollenschlaerger, Director of USA Operations

Our research into US cities on the East Coast: lead us to believe that Washington DC has a balanced racial demographic and that a high amount of the population had been exposed to International travel and are Internationally aware, the rents for property are a lot cheaper than NY and that with a high amount of Federal Employees that DC would be more resistant to economic downturns

What are you plans for expansion in other US markets? - AW

The US has only been trading for 1 year now, and in that time we have opened our second restaurant, we are looking for more great restaurant sites in DC Metropolitan area and once we have a tweaked our restaurant model to satisfy the American consumer we plan to expand further up the East Coast and then to Chicago and LA. But please be patient these things take time.

Who are your culinary inspirations?
Chefs like Ferran Adria who manage to embrace science and creativity in a culinary rewarding manner- without scaring guests with science.. Chefs who think about what they combine on a plate- and how it is presented- there is a structure and vision to what they create..

What are some of the challenges you face now?
How to protect the terroir and tradition of Peri-Peri, as its popularity – and use -- is spreading around the world. If it ain’t from Africa, it ain’t Peri –peri!

Anything else you'd like to convey to the readers:

Just because it is a chili, does not mean it is excruciatingly hot. Peri peri has a unique flavor- that makes it so special.