2009 Re-Cap

Photo by Alex Moore. Special Thanks to the Thompson Quintuplets and Links organization for sponsoring the show.

We had lots of fun with Capital Cooking in 2009! We hope that 2010 will be even better with the release of the Capital Cooking Cookbook!

Join the host of Capital Cooking and learn to Reduce and Concord at the Kitchen Conservatory

Sign up now!

As the Holidays approach and the weather gets chilly, there is nothing better than cooking dishes that simmer for a long time and fill the house with fragrant aromas. Join Lauren DeSantis, host of the television series Capital Cooking and a St. Louis native, as she cooks with wine at the famous Kitchen Conservatory.

During the two and a half hour event that starts at 6:30 pm on December 22nd , Lauren will be showing how to cook exquisite recipes that include: Mushroom Ragout on a Puff Pastry with Sautéed Spinach, Creamy Chicken Marsala, and Port Poached Pears topped with Zabaglione. Each dish has a unique flavor and aroma that works great for any occasion this season.

Don’t miss the opportunity of making these Holidays unforgettable and join Lauren DeSantis at the Kitchen Conservatory to learn some of her best recipes. To reserve a seat for this class log on to http://www.kitchenconservatory.com/CookingClasses.aspx and register. The Kitchen Conservatory is the premier kitchen store in St. Louis located on 8021 Clayton Road, between Brentwood and Hanley on the north side of the street. It offers over 600 cooking classes every year with some of the best chefs in the area and fabulous culinary educators.

To learn about Lauren and her show, Capital Cooking, log on to www.captialcookingshow.com for more information, or visit her Blog, http://captialcookingshow.blogspot.com, for daily updates. Capital Cooking is a TV series that highlights cooking traditions of regional cuisine from all areas of the country as well as international dishes.

Photo by Mike Thorpe

Capital Cooking with Lauren DeSantis: CAPITAL COOKING AIRS IN OVER 20 MILLION HOUSEHOLDS NATIONWIDE

Capital Cooking with Lauren DeSantis: CAPITAL COOKING AIRS IN OVER 20 MILLION HOUSEHOLDS NATIONWIDE

Catch the Asian Fusion episode today on Colours TV at 4 p.m. EST.

Potluck time!

Come join us for our Potluck Post-Holiday party. Special thanks to Union Row and co-hosts
Gradually Greener, ModernDomestic, The Arugula Files, Capital Spice, Capital Cooking, DininginDC, WeLoveDC, Beerspotter.

Please bring a dish and/or drink to share. Feel free to include your dish in the comments. We look forward to seeing you on January 6th. Mark your calendars.

Holiday Ingredients: Peppermint

The sight of candy canes reminds me that the holidays are near. Check out my Peppermint Patty Cocktail and Peppermint Bark! These recipes are perfect for your next holiday party. They are easy to make and fun to share with friends. Do you have a peppermint recipe to share?

Photo by Emily Clack (Recently taken during our photo shoot for the Capital Cooking Cookbook coming this Spring!)

More fun Food gifts: Pork Barrel BBQ

Support a local DC company and give the gift of BBQ!
Brett, Heath and I at the Metro Show
Pork Barrel has sauce now too!

Photos by Shauna Alexander

Fun Food and Wine Gifts: Soiree

We met George and the Soiree team at the Metro Show in November. The Soiree will be featured on some of the upcoming episodes of Capital Cooking. The Soiree makes a great gift for friends. The instant decanting brings aeration to the wine and enhances the smoothness. I like it best with red wine. Check it out!
Photos by Bryn Barber

Come to Churchkey Tonight!

Fun at the Smorgie Launch Party at Reserve

Smorgie is not just some half-baked idea! Smorgie’s creators are passionate people who love to eat and kept talking about how hard it was keep track of every dining experience in every city you’ve visited.

Holiday Family Festival at NMAH

The Holiday Family Festival will be held on Dec. 5; 10 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. throughout the National Museum of American History located at 14th and Constitution Ave. N.W., Washington, D.C.

Activities include:

• Cookie Decorating

Saturday, Dec. 5; 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Constitution Café, First Floor

Visitors can decorate cookies (available for purchase) outside the museum’s Constitution Café. Decorating materials will be provided.

· Book Signing: “Ace of Cakes: Inside the World of Charm City Cakes”

Saturday, Dec. 5; 1 – 3 p.m.

First Floor, Main Store

Food Network star and owner of Baltimore’s Charm City Cakes Duff Goldman will sign copies of his new book “Ace of Cake: Inside the World of Charm City Cakes.” The book discusses some of the bakery’s more unusual techniques and tools that shape their creations. He also offers a behind-the-scenes look at his Food Network show, shares customer stories and requests and reveals some of the bakery’s favorite cake facts and tips—along with a comprehensive episode guide and a cake montage featuring seven years’ worth of the bakery’s creations.

· Book Signing: “Holidays on Display”

Saturday, Dec. 5; 10 a.m. – noon

Second Floor, Mall Store

Author and curator Larry Bird will sign copies of “Holidays on Display,” a companion book to the new exhibition. “Holidays on Display” is a comprehensive overview of the art and industry of the holiday display.

Best Friends at the Bar

When I'm not cooking, I'm a lawyer. My friend Susan Blakely recently released her new book, Best Friends at the Bar: What Women Need to Know About a Career in the Law published by Wolters Kluwer/Aspen. Best Friends at the Bar: What Women Need to Know about a Career in the Law addresses the realities of law firm practice, especially in large firms, and gives pre-law students, law students, and new attorneys a realistic view of the opportunities and hazards most often encountered by women lawyers. Drawing on her many years of practicing law and mentoring young lawyers and with the help of other women in all areas of the legal profession, her "best friends at the bar," Susan Smith Blakely strives to help young women entering the legal profession begin their careers with open eyes and a more level playing field than women lawyers of past generations. You can purchase it here. You can also find Best Friends at the bar at:

www.bn.com

www.aspenlawschool.com.

Cuddle up with some holiday cookies and enjoy some insight for young lawyers and students interested in careers in the law. Congratulations Susan!

Tune in today for the Mexican Fiesta episode!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Starting November 5, 2009, Capital Cooking with Lauren DeSantis began airing on Colours TV Network. It now airs every Thursday from 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 .

This week check out our Mexican Fiesta episode. Chef Connie Johnson from Connie’s Authentic Mexican Catering will join me in preparing authentic Mexican cuisine including: guacamole, empanadas, sopaipillas and mango margaritas. This was one of our very first shows.

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.

Planning your Thanksgiving Menu

My in-laws are coming and I want to make a memorable meal for Thanksgiving. With everything I've learned from Cooking 101, I'm hoping to bring a delicious meal to the table. I enjoyed a pre-Thanksgiving warm up on Sunday with friends. You can't beat the never ending supply of comfort food during the holidays. I'm thankful for that!

First Course
Creamy Butternut Squash Soup

I usually don't use all of the squash in the soup so I can try some of these other Butternut Squash recipes to use the leftovers.

Cranberry Chutney

Mixed Greens with Cranberries, Apples, Carmelized Walnuts and Fig Balsamic Vinaigrette

Main Course

Turkey with Maple Syrup, Bacon and Sage Butter
Potato Gratin
Sweet Potato Casserole
Green Beans Casserole
Corn Bread Stuffing

Parmesan Herb bread

Desserts

Still deciding...Maybe Chocolate Pecan Tart

Cocktails
Cranberry Sangria
Pumpkin Pie Martini
Bourbon Furnace
Cran-Apple Cobbler

What are you making?

Review: Kellari Taverna

There's a new Greek restaurant in town and I got to check it out yesterday. After my presentation earlier this month about the Mediterranean Diet, I tried to practice what I preached by heading over to Kellari for a Mediterranean inspired meal. Kellari Taverna is based out of New York and specializes in seafood. If you are planning an event, they have a great party room in back.

Chef Gregory Zapantis (*Look for Chef Gregory on an upcoming episode of Capital Cooking) presented us with our first course of delicious appetizers including:

Greek Salad –The authentic Greek salad consisting of red & yellow beefsteak tomato wedges, red onions, green peppers, hot house cucumbers, black Kalamata olives, black pepper and tossed lightly with ex virgin olive oil red wine vinegar and balsamic vinegar. Garnished with imported Dodonis feta cheese.

Grilled Seafood Platter – with Calamari, U10 Gulf Shirmp, and Octopus - Sushi grade from the Mediterranean roasted with red wine and black peppercorn and cool. Served with diced grilled peppers, capers, sliced red onions with extra virgin olive oil and red wine vinegar (one of our signature dishes).

Main:

Wild Striped Sea bass, pan seared served over a Lobster Risotto with Mint and Lemon Zest, garnished with bulls blood and lemon emulsion. The large chunks of lobster melt in your mouth.

Dessert: (*My favorite part of every meal.)

Galactoboureko – vanilla and citrus flavored custard pie

Classic Greek dessert; semolina, vanilla bean and citrus custard, sandwiched with layers of phyllo crust and honey syrup, garnished with fresh seasonal fruit, choc sauce and powdered sugar.

Almond Baklava–

Almonds are chopped and mixed with granulated sugar then wrapped in phyllo pastry, baked, then soaked with honey and rosewater syrup, only enough for phyllo to remain crispy.

I'd recommend Kellari Taverna for a business lunch or corporate event.

(202) 535-5274

Downtown
1700 K Street NW
Washington, DC 20006
www.kellaridc.com

Tune in to Capital Cooking today on Colours TV: Taste of Morocco

Starting November 5, 2009, Capital Cooking with Lauren DeSantis began airing on Colours TV Network. It now airs every Thursday from 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 .

This week Lauren will start off with the famous, Chicken Tagine, a chicken entrée based on a Moroccan spicy stew that simmers in a special pot called the tagine. The stew will consist of tomatoes, garlic, onion, preserved lemons, and chicken stock that makes this Moroccan dish authentic. As a complement for the Chicken Tagine, DeSantis will make cous cous with chicken broth and some of the juices of the tagine.

As the chicken dish simmers, Lauren will teach how to bake the famous Moroccan Serpent Cake. This famous Moroccan dessert is a crescent-shaped pastry coiled like a snake and made of an almond paste finely rolled up in filo dough. Lauren will also show how to make Amlou, a typical Moroccan breakfast dish that consist of a roasted almond paste spread over pita bread. DeSantis will bring it all together by serving these dishes with the Casablanca Cocktail, a distinctive Moroccan drink.

Within the upcoming weeks of November, tune into episode 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 Shauna Alexander
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Recipe: Roast Beef with McNulty's Chutney

The night before filming is always a challenge. I'm preparing the ingredients for the upcoming episodes, but I still have to get dinner on the table. I planned ahead and got my roast beef ready to go in the slow cooker in the morning before work. When we got home, it was ready to be served in no time at all. With our busy schedules, this is my kind of meal!

Ingredients

• 2-3 lb of Top Round Beef
• Bacon, thinly sliced
• Garlic (cut into slivers)
• Herbs (thyme, rosemary)
• Salt and pepper
• Clarified butter or olive oil

Using a paring knife, poke a couple holes in the meat and stuff each with a piece of garlic. Try to do it relatively evenly. Line the beef with the bacon and secure with kitchen twine. Tuck in some rosemary and thyme. Season with salt and pepper. Heat a pan over high heat and add olive oil. Make sure you use a pan that is appropriate for the size of the piece of meat you’re cooking, otherwise you may end up burning the pan juices before the meat is done. Sear the meat to get good browning on the first side and continue to brown all sides. From here, roast in the oven or add to your slow cooker.

I cooked my beef in the slow cooker for 8 hours on low with some chicken stock in the bottom of the dish. When it was ready, I pulled the beef into shreds with 2 forks. Then add :

¾ cup of McNulty’s Chutney and ½ Cup of McNulty’s Marinade. Serve over rice or with pureed parsnips. We enjoyed this beef with a salad and fresh rolls.
Photo by Bryn Barber