Thinking of Drinking: Winter Sangria

It is time for holiday parties. Check out my segment on Let's Talk Live!  You can't throw a holiday party without a signature punch.  Try out my Winter Sangria.

Just Lunch: Pennsylvania 6

Creamy ricotta spread with fig jam

Pennsylvania 6 DC is now open for lunch in Franklin Square.  The restaurant pays homage to Hotel Pennsylvania, the first social scene in Manhattan where entertainers and political players would come together over refined culinary dishes and hand-crafted cocktails. (speakeasy-style) 

Holiday Recipes: Pork Tenderloin Medallions and Pumpkin Cream

Bistro Vivant in McLean, VA shared a holiday recipe.  Enjoy Pork Tenderloin Medallions and Pumpkin Cream With Chestnut and Spiced Milk Cappuccino.  

Date Night: Et Voila!

Et Voila! has some new seasonal dishes on the menu.

Visit Santa at Chaplin's Restaurant

I recently visited Chaplin's for brunch.  Slurp down some ramen in the morning and then come back at night to sit on a jolly man's lap.

Thinking of Drinking: Aperol Spritz

It is time for holiday parties. Check out my segment on Let's Talk Live!

Recipe: Homey Apple Maple Bundt Cake

I love baking around the holidays. This weekend I had some leftover apples that were getting a bit softer. I thought it would be great to use them up so I decided on an Apple Bundt cake with a maple glaze topping. This homey delight will keep you wanting more. It is perfect to serve with coffee in the morning or for dessert on a cold evening.

Holiday Cheer Around Town

The Ritz-Carlton, Pentagon City hosted an amazing Gingerbread House and Train Workshop this weekend.

Fig & Olive Cookbook: The Cuisine of the French Riviera

By Claire Goldman

Take a culinary tour of the French Riviera right in your own home with the new cookbook Fig & Olive:  The Cuisine of the French Riviera from Chef Laurent Halasz, founder of Fig & Olive.  The book includes recipes, entertaining  tips and beautiful food photography.

Thanksgiving Fun

Did you have a nice Thanksgiving?  We did.

Out to Brunch: Ella's Woodfired Pizza

By Claire Goldman

Photographs by Lauren DeSantis 

Ella's Wood Fired Pizza is breaking out of the usual pizzeria mold.  The downtown eatery is now offering a new weekend brunch menu.

Thinking of Drinking: Pumpkin Amaro Manhattan

Recover fromThanksgiving with some fun cocktails!  Here's a great pumpkin Manhattan cocktail recipe from BLT Steak. They make their own Amaro for the drink and barrel-age it, but you can use any Amaro from the store.  Cheers!

Thanksgiving Recipe: Ma Pearl's Pumpkin Bread Pudding

Only 2 days until turkey time. Want to try a fun pumpkin dessert? Check out Lance London's pumpkin bread pudding recipe. This is London's grandmother Ma Pearl's recipe, and is a signature dessert at The Carolina Kitchen.

Pairing for Thanksgiving Day: The Virginia Way

So Thursday is the big TURKEY day.  You can't beat the never ending supply of comfort food during the holidays. I'm thankful for that!  This year I wanted to plan the perfect meal completely paired with Virginia wine.  I hope you enjoy!

#TravelTuesday: Sunset in Sindabezi Island, Zambia

Best trip ever!

Thanksgiving Recipe: Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Dried Cranberries

Time to start thinking about your Thanksgiving menu. I've asked chefs around DC to share some of their favorite recipes to celebrate the holiday.  Growing up, I hated Brussels Sprouts.  My memories of the soggy, disgusting small cabbage was ingrained in my head.  It wasn't until I moved to DC and tried some properly prepared Brussels Sprouts, that I realized how delicious they actually taste.  Check out this recipe from Blue Duck Tavern.

Thanksgiving Recipes: Cranberry Ginger Chutney

Chef Jaime Montes de Oca over at Zentan shared this recipe for Cranberry Ginger Chutney to make on Thanksgiving.  Thanks Jaime!

Thanksgiving Recipe: Stuffed and Baked Lobster

Celebrate Thanksgiving with Legal Sea Foods' Stuffed and Baked Lobster. Culinary historians believe that much of the Thanksgiving meal consisted of seafood, which is often absent from today’s menus, so this year why not try a baked stuffed lobster instead of a baked stuffed turkey to celebrate the holiday.

Thanksgiving Recipe: Green Bean and Mushroom Casserole

Clyde's of Columbia Executive Chef Jason Mcintosh's favorite side is Green Bean and Mushroom Casserole.  Make your own this Thanksgiving!  

Thanksgiving Recipe: Sweet Potato Casserole

This recipe will be a big hit for Thanksgiving.  Delicious!

#TravelTuesday: Sunrise in Sabi Sabi, South Africa

Good Morning, Africa!  Such beauty!

LivingSocial Launches Restaurants Plus

Want to earn cashback while dining at your favorite restaurants?  

Chef Challenge! Chile Food & Cocktail Battle

Cafe du Parc Chefs in Action

By Claire Goldman

The Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington put on the second annual Chef & Mixologist Challenge.  Local chefs and mixologists were challenged to create dishes and drinks supporting the Foods from Chile:  Source of Life Campaign.

My Recent Obsession

Have you tried noosa yoghurt?

Thinking of Drinking: Wassail

Warm up with this cider!

Recipe: Bourbon Corn Pudding

Get ready for the holiday season with Jose Andres' Bourbon Corn Pudding.

Out to Brunch: L’Hommage Bistro Francais

Initial Thoughts:

Recipe: White Chocolate Cherry Pistachio Bark

White Chocolate Cherry Pistachio Bark makes the perfect edible Housewarming gift. This is a very versatile recipe and can be made with different types of chocolates and nuts.

My Thanksgiving Hero

Can you believe it is November?  November is a time for reflection to think about the people you are thankful for in your life.  I'm so thankful to have a beautiful baby and loving husband.  I'm thankful to have such a supportive family and nice friends.  I'm thankful for the help of our nanny, Donna.  She's helped us raise our little girl for almost a year now.  

Thinking of Drinking: Spiced Hot Chocolate

The upper patio at Poste Moderne Brasserie has been transformed into a cozy respite, as the restaurant relaunches the popular Poste Winter Lounge, complete with warm seasonal cocktails, complimentary s’mores and accompanying fire pits and blankets.

Recipe: Roasted Chicken

During my time at L'Academie de Cuisine, we learned how to make a delicious Roasted Chicken.  While a chicken is easy to roast, it is hard to make it good.  I love making a chicken early in the week and using the meat to make other recipes.  It is so versatile and you can save the bones to make a wonderful stock.  

Cuba Libre Celebrates 5 Years in DC

By: Laurie Wallin

Capital Cooking Contributor

In a city where restaurants close – and open – on a regular basis, longevity in DC is something to be celebrated. Cuba Libre did just that on Thursday, October 29, celebrating 5 years in DC with a terrific party that featured cocktails, passed appetizers and desserts by Chef-Partner Guillermo Pernot, door prizes and live music by the Joe Falero and his Cuba Trio Ensemble.

Nominate Your Thanksgiving Hero!

Thanksgiving is about more than just turkey.  It is about thanking those that deserve it.  Choosing to do the right thing is sometimes taken for granted.  I grew up in the Midwest where that's what people live by.  Moving to DC in my early 20s, with naive eyes, shocked me a bit.  I realized that some people have an entitlement mentality and they'll do whatever it takes to get themselves ahead of the game.  When I meet people, now, that put others above themselves, I take notice.  I consider these people heroes.  Even something as simple as holding the door open for others, letting a car in front of yours, taking the time to teach younger people, lending a helping hand to a neighbor... these things matter.  People remember these acts of kindness and hopefully they'll pay them forward.

Guide to Carmel, CA

Hop on a flight to California and enjoy the charm and relaxation of Carmel, CA.

Thinking of Drinking: Penalty Flag

Get ready for football with some of these cocktails!  

Trick-Or-Treat

My little Cabbage Patch Kid

#babycapcook began the Halloween celebration last weekend with trick-or-treating at the EEOB, walking the Little Goblin Parade in Logan Circle and attending a pumpkin carving party.  It will be hard to top her first Halloween in Puerto Rico, but she is well on her way.  

Halloween in DC

My little Cabbage Patch Kid

Check out theses Halloween specials!

Menu ReVamp: Taberna del Alabardero

By: Laurie Wallin

Capital Cooking Contributor

Occasionally, I’ll walk up 18^th Street to the Farragut West Metro.  I’ve always been curious about Taberna del Alabardero with its inviting outdoor patio and elegant décor.  I recently tried their fall menu and I’m kicking myself that I haven’t visited sooner. Taberna del Alabardero is celebrating 27 years in DC – in a city where restaurants come and go, this is a rare feat, and after visiting, I can see why. Executive Chef Executive Chef Javier Romero, who has been in DC for 6 years, has put together a menu that showcases Spain – he wants to have Taberna’s diners taste the real flavors of Spain. Each dish has a Spanish traditional base. Fresh seafood is delivered every day, and the freshness of the seafood really shined in the dishes that I tasted. Sommelier Jorge Olias, who has been with the restaurant for over 6 months, has curated a lovely wine list to complement Chef Romero’s dishes.

Uncorked: Use Wine Bottles for Halloween Décor

After enjoying a bottle of Francis Ford Coppola Winery’s flagship Diamond Collection Claret, turn the bottle’s signature gold netting into spooky yet sophisticated piece of décor with a few simple steps.

Recipe: Crispy Cheese Pie (Lazy Woman’s Pie)

Check out this delicious recipe from Aglaia Kremezi’s new cookbook, Mediterranean Vegetarian Feasts.

Happy Birthday Heather Hildebrand!

Love you!

Oyamel's Day of the Dead Celebration

By Claire Goldman

By mid October, some of us have been sufficiently bombarded with pumpkin spice, pumpkin beer and carved pumpkins but what about roasted pumpkin atop seared rabbit saddle, pipian roja, hubbard puree and placed in a corn tortilla?

Date Night at Etto

Have you been to Etto?

Uncorked: Sisters Making Wine

We first got a taste of Truvée at The Manor in DC. . Fittingly derived from the French verb “to find,” Truvée tells the unique story of the McBride sisters, wine professionals who grew up continents apart and unaware of each other’s existence for nearly half of their lives, eventually finding their way to each other following their father’s final wish. Their Central Coast wines, a Chardonnay and Red Blend, are easy to drink and affordable.  I love the labels and packaging.  

Giveaway: Win Two Tickets to Cuba Libre's 5th Anniversary Celebration!

Cuba Libre will be celebrating its 5th Anniversary in Washington, DC on Thursday, October 29 and Capital Cooking is giving away two tickets for a lucky reader and guest! To mark this special occasion, Cuba Libre will be featuring two signature cocktails, the Pyrat XO Mojito made with Pyrat XO Rum, guarapo, lime, spearmint, and club soda, and the Mango Papaya Caipiroska featuring vodka, mango, papaya, lime, sugar and ice. In addition to these fabulous cocktails, guests will enjoy an array of passed and stationary tapas, ceviches, and desserts prepared by Chef-Partner Guillermo Pernot.

Thinking of Drinking: Candy Corn

Get in the Halloween spirit with this Candy Corn Martini from Cuba Libre.

Join me at the Capitol City Brewing Oktoberfest!

Prost! Capitol City Brewing Company will host its sixteenth annual Oktoberfest beer festival celebration on Sunday October, 11 from noon to 7 p.m. at The Village at Shirlington. Ticket sales begin at 11:00 a.m. and beer taps close at 6:00 p.m. Entrance is free for children and non-drinkers.

Uncorked: Besieged

Looking for wine this Halloween?  

Congrats to Heritage BBQ Winner, Chef Jose Adorno of Graffiato!

On Sunday, Chef Jose Adorno was announced the King of BBQ at Heritage BBQ, with a Red Wattle pig from Creekside Farms at a friendly culinary competition promoting heritage breed pigs and global grilling cultures.

Thinking of Drinking: The Maple Apple

Yum!