Mardis Gras - Shrimp Creole

I am a little late posting this recipe, since Mardi Gras has come and gone, but I think it would still be a great meal any night of the week, especially now that Lent is upon us, as this is a meat free dish.


Mardi Gras, French for Fat Tuesday, is the culmination of the the Mardi Gras season, traditionally celebrated by consuming copious amount of alcohol and fatty foods in preparation for Lent. Mardi Gras varies from city to city, with Carnival in Rio de Janeiro, Fastnacht in Dusseldorf and Carnevale in Milan, but all have ties to the religious obligations and fasting period of Lent that begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on Easter Sunday, lasting forty days. While Lent is a Christian tradition practiced by Catholics, Lutherans, Presbyterians, Methodists and Anglicans to remember -- Mardi Gras has become a celebration that can be embraced by all. In the United States, Mardi Gras has its strongest associations with New Orleans, Louisiana. The tradition of Mardi Gras was brought to the area in the 17th century, when King Louis XIV sent Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville and Jean Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville to lay claim on the French territory of Louisane (now the states of Alabama, Mississippi and Lousiana). The residents of New Orleans pride themselves on their French heritage and embrace the slogan of Mardi Gras, Laissez les bon temp rouler, meaning "let the good times roll".

Shrimp Creole

New Orleans has made a name for itself by upholding the spirit of Mardi Gras and integrating those traditions and the cultures of their mixed southern and french, spanish and carribean heritage into everday life. The mixture of cultures is evident in the people and the cuisine in Louisiana, and creole food is just one great example. Creole food is centered around the idea of the "Holy Trinity": chopped onions, celery and bell peppers. This shrimp creole recipe relies heavily on the "trinity" and the freshest, plumpest shrimp you can find. You can definitely play around with this recipe and add in chicken and sausage or chorizo for a heartier dish, as well as adjusting the heat factor to your liking. I added more hot pepper flakes to mine! My little sister Veronica and I really enjoyed this dish with a class of pinot grigio and some crusty bread to soak up the sauce with. Rice would be great, we were just ready to dig in and didn't have the patience for the cooking time!

Check out the recipe here:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/neelys/shrimp-creole-recipe/index.html

Peach Raspberry Pie

Presenting my masterpiece of pie to my Dad

I bet you didn't think you'd see me on this blog again! Yes, the JAM blog has been missing its bookends J and M, and has basically become Ariel's blog. She has a great passion for cooking and writing and I applaud her frequent blog posts and the style she imparts on them. I think this A can stand up just fine on its own, but I did bake a pie last night that I had made for the first time with Ariel and I needed to honor her with a blog entry. Oh...and maybe now she will get off my case about blogging (just kidding, love you Ariel!).

I embarked on a pie making mission last night in honor of my Dad who loves pie just about as much as I do (I absolutely cannot think of Thanksgiving without apple pie and I think he would agree). I missed Father's Day last weekend while I was visiting Ariel in California (so much fun!) and I decided I needed to get back into his good graces by bringing a pie to dinner with my parents tonight. When deciding what pie to make, I immediately thought of the winning peach and raspberry pie Ariel and I made for family members a summer or two ago. This pie got so many compliments, I knew I had to make it again. Realizing I didn't have my baking partner in crime with me this time around I was a little worried about how it would turn out.

Heart shaped peach raspberry pie

I did have a couple mishaps along the way...is anyone surprised? The first problem arose with my filling. The peaches I bought at a local grocery store were awful! I mean not even 1 of my 5 peaches was completely usable and 2 of them were utterly inedible with mushy, mealy flesh. I think I need to start frequenting the farmer's markets because the quality of supermarket produce is apalling. Ariel has an abundance of farmer's markets at her fingertips-- those lucky Californians! Luckily I bought two pints of raspberries and was able to splice out chunks of useable fruit from each peach and I added one nectarine I originally had in mind for a snack. Thankfully the filling came together pretty easily...altho it was a little soupy from the sugar macerating the fruit, as well as the added grapefruit juice. The crust was what I had been most scared about making, but it came together beautifully. I think it was because the butter was cold, but not too firm so it was much more manageable to knead into the flour mixture.

The second mishap was in not having a pie plate. I have no idea where mine went, but I ended up using a heart shaped cake pan. It was a blessing in disguise because this makes the cutest heart shaped pie. Once I put the lattice crust together, I glazed the top with a warm preserves and water mixture and then sprinkled it with sugar. I think this made the crust more susceptible to burning, so after about 10-15 minutes in the oven I covered the top loosely with aluminum foil. I thought everything was smooth sailing until I smelled a faint smoky smell about 30 minutes into the cooking time and realized the juices from the pie were overflowing into the bottom of the oven, creating a burnt caramelized blob that was bubbling and smoking. I cracked the oven open and placed another pan underneath the oven rack the pie was resting on to catch any more of the overflow. After about an hour and ten minutes the pie was saying "take me out!" with its bubbly filing and nicely golden crust (I forgot to right down the baking time from the recipe I used so it was a guestimate).

The verdict at dinner was unanimous -- a winner once again! My Dad told me it would have made the professional bakers on his family's side proud. What a compliment! This recipe will definitely be making many more appearances in the future.

Peach and Raspberry Pie w. Lattice Crust

(adapted from various pie recipes)

Crust:

2 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour

1 tablespoon sugar

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

5 tablespoons (or more) ice water

Filling:

1 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar (JAM note: I used a mix of 1/2c brown sugar and 1/2 c white sugar)

3 tablespoons cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon salt

4 peaches, skinned and sliced (JAM note: I probably used roughly 3 small peaches and 1 nectarine)

1 pint raspberries (JAM note: I used 2 pints)

juice from 1/2 orange (JAM note: I used a couple tablespoons of grapefruit juice I had on hand)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 egg ( JAM note: I mixed about a tablespoon of raspberry preserves and equal parts water and heated in microwave for a couple seconds to glaze the pie crust and then sprinkled with sugar)Vanilla ice cream (optional...fresh whipped cream would be great too)

Preparation

For crust:

Whisk flour, sugar, and salt in large bowl to blend. Add butter and rub in with fingertips until small pea-size clumps form. Add 5 tablespoons ice water; mix lightly with fork until dough holds together when small pieces are pressed between fingertips, adding more water by teaspoonfuls if dough is dry. Gather dough together; divide into 2 pieces. Form each piece into ball, then flatten into disk and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes. (JAM note: I only refrigerated for 10 minutes...I'm impatient what can I say?) Do ahead Can be made 2 days ahead. Keep chilled. Let dough soften slightly before rolling out.

For filling:

Position rack in lower third of oven and preheat to 425°F. Whisk 1 cup sugar, cornstarch, and salt in medium bowl to blend. Stir in peaches, raspberries, orange juice (JAM note: I used grapefruit juice), and vanilla; set aside.Roll out 1 dough disk on floured surface to 12-inch round. Transfer to 9-inch glass pie dish. Trim dough overhang to 1/2 inch. Roll out second dough disk on floured surface to 12-inch round. Using large knife or pastry wheel with fluted edge, cut ten 3/4-inch-wide strips from dough round. Transfer filling to dough-lined dish, mounding slightly in center. Dot with butter (JAM note: I skipped the butter). Arrange dough strips atop filling, forming lattice; trim dough strip overhang to 1/2 inch. Bake for 1 hr and 10 minutes (JAM note: I estimated since I had forgotten to write down the time when I transcribed the recipe)

First Dinner in Mountain View, CA

Mango Chicken.

When AJ asked Jenny what kind of cuisine she wanted to eat for dinner, she made the right decision when she said "Asian". Mountain View has a ton of options when it comes to Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai, Japanese, Indian, and Korean. We decided to stroll down Castro St and just pick a restaurant that looked good. This sort of method inevitably leads to either a great meal or a mediocre one.

While we passed many Thai restaurants, some looked quite barren. We finally stumbled upon one that looked quite crowded, usually a good sign. We were seated quite quickly, but then left with our menus for awhile.

Amarin Thai has some neat seating options, with cushion seating available on the floor or the traditional dining table with chairs. We were seated at a table that was smacked up against the large table next to us. Jenny and Malia could barely move their seats.

Scallops with stir fried veggies, and mango chicken.

After perusing the menu, our orders were taken. The food came out fairly quickly after that. Amarin Thai offers both brown rice and steamed white rice with dinner entrees, something I love. Sometimes I am just in the mood for some nutty brown rice. AJ and I split the green with tofu and the ka-ree pumpkin. Malia ordered the grilled scallops and Jenny got the mango chicken.

While the service may have been lacking a little, the food more than made up for it. I was in love with my ka-ree pumpkin, a thick curry with peppers, pan-fried tofu, celery, onion, pumpkin, carrots, and lots of cumin. AJ's green curry was very well done, with some nice heat, with a light coconut broth.

Green curry with tofu, eggplant, peas, peppers, and thai basil.

Jenny and Malia's dishes were beautifully presented and were extremely fresh. Sometimes, thai food can be oily and heavy. The food here is prepared with a light hand, with emphasis on the quality and flavor of the ingredients. I will definitely be back.

Amarin Thai Cuisine

174-176 Castro St

Mountain View, CA

2.5 out of 3 JAMs

Road Trip Recap

I recently traveled across 15 states on a cross-country road trip to California, where I will now be living with my boyfriend. Jenny and Malia agreed to accompany me on what was a once in a lifetime experience! JAM traveled north, west, and south in search of good eats along the way. I will proceed to recap some of our tasty travels.

Day 1 - Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana

Our first day was a little chaotic, as we moved our departure date up a day due to heavy storms. We headed north through Pittsburgh, stopping to say hello to my aunt Lisa, uncle Gary, and our cousins, Jenna and Brett. While we weren't fortunate enough to eat at the Matson's pizza place, My Brick Oven, we had lunch at a nice Italian restaurant. We finally spent the night in Indianapolis, sleeping in a hotel with a live train station set below it! Luckily the rumbling trains didn't keep us awake too long.

This was right outside of our hotel room!

Day 2 - Indiana, Illinois, Missouri

Blue Springs Cafe - Highlands, IL

Our second day feature much more promising eats. Right before lunch we spotted a sign for "mile high pies". Dessert before lunch, sure! These pies were piled high with merangue and came in chocolate, lemon, coconut, and banana flavors. Jenny chose chocolate, Malia banana, and myself coconut.

Scrumptious coconut cream pie. Baked daily!

The famous "Arch" in St Louis.

The Broadway Oyster Bar - St Louis, MO

We attempted to find Top of the Riverfront, a restaurant in the Millenium Hotel with amazing views of the city. Alas, they were closed at lunchtime. We wandered over toward the stadium, ending up in a small block with a couple restaurants. While the neighborhood wasn't the nicest, we did find a place with some good Louisiana style cooking. The crawfish bisque is a must, with large chunks of crawfish in a spicy, rich bisque. We split a mufaletta, but were somewhat disappointed with the use of american cheese. The restaurant was decorated for mardi gras, and old album covers adorned the ceilings. If you're looking for live music, hit up this place in the evenings.

Jack Stacks Barbecue - Kansas City, MO

Ribs with fries, toast, and barbecued baked beans.

Our main goal for day 2 was to find some awesome bbq. Upon arrival in Kansas City, we asked the concierge for tips on some local places to eat. Jack Stacks came highly recommended, with emphasis on the tastiness of their bbq baked beans.

Excited for some delicious meat!

Jenny and Malia ordered the pork ribs dinner for two with sides of french fries and bbq baked beans. I ordered up some "burnt ends" - which are the delicious charred ends of a meat brisket. I got the pork and the beef ends with a side of baked beans. We ordered salads to start - as if that could offset the fat content of our meal! The meat was moist on the inside, with wonderful caramelization on the outside. The sauce was to die for. We all agreed we could have lived off of their baked beans which are swimming in their tangy, sweet sauce and meat.

Day 3 - Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas

The Big Texan - Amarillo, TX

While there wasn't much to see in Kansas and Oklahoma, besides grass and general dull sky, we knew we had more meat to consume in Texas. Jenny had done some research and found a charming steakhouse that offers a 72 oz challenge. If you can finish a steak that large you get your meal for free. Somehow I don't think the steakhouse loses that challenge very often.

We love Texas!

The Lady's Fillet - 6 oz filet served with fried okra, jalapeno, and bread.

We all agreed the steaks were moist and tender. Jenny chose the prime rib, ordering it up "mooing", I mean medium rare. Malia and I went for the filet. The fried okra tasted frozen, however the rolls were warm and soft.

Strawberry shortcake was big enough to feed four!

Desserts are Texas-sized, feeding up to four people. We decided on the strawberry shortcake, but this left a terrible chemical taste in our mouths. Better to go for something chocolate or just skip dessert altogether.

Day 4 - Texas, New Mexico, Arizona

There were some beautiful red mesas in New Mexico.

Los Cuates - Albuquerque, NM

Chicken taco.

Los Cuates was recommended by Jenny's dad, a big fan of mexican and spicy food. We were pretty hungry, and were greeted with some chips and their housemade salsa. This was more like a chili paste! It was spicy, and sweet and rather addictive despite the burning sensation it left on our tongues. Jenny compared it to a mexican sriracha.

Blue corn tostaditas with avocado and salsa.

Jenny and I ordered the tostaditas and chicken tacos. When you're on the road that long together you start to think alike. These were simple yet delicious. The beans were super flavorful and the blue corn provided a nice crunch. The salsa again was very spicy and super fresh with bits of tomato, onion, garlic, and jalapeno. Jenny wanted to take this home with her!

Oregano's - Flagstaff, AZ

Oregano's - a charming pizza bistro an hour outside of the grand canyon national park.

We were so close to the grand canyon, yet in need of some grub before we checked into our hotel that night. Oregano's has been featured on the Food Network's "Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives". The ambience was charming and family-friendly with large wooden booths and 50s and 60s memorabilia adorning the walls. Malia and I split the oregano's favorite salad. A nice combination of romaine, sundried tomatoes, kalamata olives, onion, raisins, and feta cheese. A junior size easily feeds two people. We split a thin crust pizza (it takes the shortest amount of time to cook) with spinach, garlic, onions, and sundried tomatoes. It was crispy, cheesy, and robust. The perfect end to a long drive.

Spinach, onion, garlic, and sundried tomatoes on thin crust pizza!

Day 5 - Arizona, Nevada

The Grand Canyon in all its glory!

We hiked around the Grand Canyon that morning and headed into Las Vegas for the night. We ate a wondeful meal at Wolfgang Puck's Postrio in the Venetian. We shared some wondeful oysters that tasted like the ocean. I love them with just a splash of lemon. I ordered the barbecue salmon with fried onion rings. The salmon was tender and buttery. The barbecue added a nice acidity and sweetness. The fried onion rings were exactly what an onion ring should be, crisp and light. Malia's halibut was tender and flaky and Jenny's fruti di mare was fresh with wonderful handmade fettucine.

Day 6 - Nevada, California

Cobras y Matadores - Los Angeles, CA

Albondigas!

We arrived in LA on Day 6 to visit Katy! She and Jenny had never had spanish tapas before. Katy made a reservation for us at Cobras y Matadores upon rave reviews from friends. This restaurant is incredibly popular, so make sure to reserve a table a week in advance. We got stuck with a 1030pm reservation. We had to wait an extra 40 minutes to be seated! Despite the crappy service the food was excellent. The goat cheese with almond pesto and cherries is a must have! The perfect pairing of sweet and savory. The albondigas and strip steak were favorites with everyone. The staff tried to make up for the service with dessert. The churros were overly sugary. The french toast was incredible. Crispy and fluffy, with wonderful caramelization. Served with whipped cream and caramel sauce. I would certainly order this again. Would I travel here again? Only if I had an early reservation and was prepared to wait.

Goat cheese with almond pesto and cherries.

Day 7 - Up the coast of California

The Sea Shanty

Our views from the car were spectacular on our last day, as we chose to drive up the PCH/US-1 highway. We stopped in Cayucos right on the coast. We ate lunch at the Sea Shanty, a charming beach restaurant serving up fish, burgers, and incredible desserts.

View of the ocean in Cayucos.

Fish and salad.

Malia and I both ordered the snapper, mine grilled with a salad and fresh fruit, hers on a sandwich with a side salad. My fish was moist and flaky, could have used a little more seasoning. Jenny agreed her fried fish could have used more seasoning in the batter. We noticed some newspaper clippings on the wall touting the sea shanty's desserts. After our last strawberry shortcake in Texas, we were looking for redemption. The sea shanty's shortcake was wonderful! This was no sara lee pound cake, but a real butter flaky shortcake with fresh strawberries, vanilla bean ice cream and real whipped cream. Delicious!

Strawberry shortcake done right!

That concludes the road trip. While not everything we ate was to die for, it was such a great experience. I got to see places I never would have traveled too and felt a great appreciation for the people and cultures in this great country of ours!

Tapas at La Tasca

Rioja and mussels.

I absolutely adore the concept of spanish tapas. You get to order a bunch of small little dishes to share with friends - allowing one to eat a variety of different dishes. Gotta love that communal feel! Mike was in town again this weekend (two weekends in a row - what a treat!), so Will, Malia, and I met up with him at La Tasca in Clarendon.

I hadn't been to La Tasca since my college graduation dinner with the fam (it has been almost two years). Jaleo is the more well-reknowned tapas establishment in the DC area, but don't count out La Tasca. The restaurant evokes a warm inviting feel with its rich reds and yellows. The three tiered restaurant gives diners an impressive view from the top.

View from our table - look out below!

Baked eggplant, manchego cheese and tomato

Mike and Will started the night with La Tasca's white sangria - a refreshing combination of vino blanco, peaches, and citrus fruits. Malia and I were in the mood for red wine and went with the Rioja. A smooth, yet light wine with notes of strawberries and spices. We decided to split some tapas. We ordered mussels with white wine, garlic and parsley; grilled seabass; manchego cheese; sauteed mushrooms with garlic; eggplant baked with cheese, tomatoes, and herbs; grilled lambchops with green peppercorn sauce.

Lamb chop and sauteed mushrooms.

The wait for our food was a little long, something that seems to be happening more often when I dine out. Luckily we had some drinks to tide us over. I started off with the grilled seabass and some mushrooms. The sea bass was light and flaky served with grilled peppers and onions. I love the carmelized flavor of onion and it complimented the sweet flesh nicely. The mushrooms were sauteed with garlic and soaked up the wonderful flavors of the olive oil. The mussels were good, nothing out of the ordinary, and a tad cold. In fact most of these dishes could have been a little warmer, with the exception of the baked eggplant - which was my favorite of the night. The earthiness of the eggplant was complimented by the rosemary, basil, and garlic. The tomato added a nice acidity to the dish, which was topped off with some gooey cheese.

I have missed our dinners together. Glad we could rectify that.

I caught you this delicious bass.

La Tasca may not have the best tapas I have ever eaten, but they are tasty and the restaurant's atmosphere welcomes you to dine in warmth with friends, and after all isn't that what we are all searching for in a meal.

Diggin' into some calamari.

La Tasca

2900 Wilson Blvd

Arlington, VA 22201

Havana Nights Birthday Celebration!

"Moros y Cristianos" (black rice and beans - those cubans are so clever).

The gloomy and cold winter days don't inspire celebration, so Malia and I had to think up something good for our February 15th birthday party. We wanted a theme that would exude heat, and inspire dancing! What better place to get away to than Havana? This would also give us an opportunity to cook up some great Cuban dishes.

We knew we wanted to do some empanadas, black beans and rice, and cuban sandwiches. For dessert we strayed a little from our theme - baking up some vanilla and chocolate cupcakes with some bright festive colored frosting.

We had a lot of cooking to do, luckily my mom agreed to make the black beans and rice. We found the recipe on cookinglight.com. While this recipe isn't totally authentic, using canned beans and turkey sausage, it certainly was tasty!

Spicy sausage and potato filling.

Cutting out the empanada dough. 

Filling the dough!

Fresh outta the oven! 

The most time consuming of our dishes was the empanadas. We made the dought the night before, but when we took it out of the refrigerator it was quite cold and hard. Punching the dough out was certainly a good way to get rid of some aggression. We thought to ourselves, isn't it OUR birthday? Why are we doing all of this work. But it was totally worth it. The empanadas were warm and flaky with a spicy pork filling that warmed the belly.

Cooking our cuban sammies in the skillet.

Mmm toasty. These little babies were the hit of the party.

While I had never actually had a cuban sandwich before making these, I knew this traditional dish was a must have at the party. I searched for cuban bread at the grocery store but found none. If I had more time I might have attempted to make my own, but a nice soft italian or french loaf (don't use a baguette) works very well. We roasted a pork tenderloin, carved it up and piled it on the toasted bread. Topping with ham, swiss, yellow mustard and dill pickles. Our friends devoured these! I think we could have made twice as many and they would have all been gone by the end of the night.

You can't have a birthday party without cupcakes!

Malia and I have become cupcake fiends, finding any occasion worth baking for. We decided to make martha's one bowl chocolate cupcakes in mini version. Not wanting to discriminate, we baked up some yellow butter cupcakes as well. We made our own buttercream frosting - making a chocolate version as well. Malia and I couldn't find any mini cupcake liners, so these cupcakes baked up like little balls. They were the moist, bite size, and the perfect way to end our cuban feast!

Recipes follow.

Empanadas

(Based on a Tyler Florence recipe)

4 waxy red poatatoes, peeled and sliced.

1 tsp salt

1 lb spicy pork and provolone sausage, casing removed

1 yellow onion

2 garlic cloves

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp dried oregano (JAM Note: used Italian seasoning)

1/2 cup chicken broth

1 recipe empanada dough

Directions:

Put the potatoes in a large pot and cover with water; add the salt and bring to a boil, uncovered. Simmer until fork tender, about 15 min. Meanwhile, place a large skillet over medium flame. Add the chorizo, and cook for 5 minutes until renders its fat and gets crispy. Add onion, garlic, and seasonings. Cook and stir for 5 minutes, until mixture is soft. Pour broth in and simmer for 3 min. Drain potatoes and fold them into pan. Break potatoes up into nickel-size pieces. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Allow filling to cool. Can be made the night before and then when assembling the empanadas the next day.

Empanada Dough:

1 1/2 c all-purpose flour

1 c masa harina

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1/2 c unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1 large egg beaten with 1 tbsp water for egg wash

Butter for greasing pans.

Directions

In a large bowl, sift flour, masa harina, baking powder, and salt. Stir in melted butter. Gradually add 1/2 c to 3/4 c water, working it in with your hands to incorporate; the dough should be easy to handle and not sticky. Form the dough into a ball, wrap in plastic and chill for 30 minutes, up to overnight. The dough will be hard and cold the next day, but should soften up with 5-10 min of kneading.

Lightly flour the countertop and rolling pin. Divide the dough in half and roll out to 1/8 inch thickness. Using a 4-inch cookie or biscuit cutter (or large glass mug) cut out circles of dough. Roll out scraps to make more circles. Repeat with second half.  Spoon 2 tbsp of filling into the center leaving a 1/2 inch border. Brush the edges with the egg wash and then fold dough over to enclose filling and form a semi-circle. Tightly seal by crimping edges with your fingers or a fork. Chill at least 30 min before baking, if not using ingredients that have been chilled overnight. Preheat oven to 375 and place empanadas in greased baking sheet. Brush tops with eggwash and prick with a fork (JAM Note: we omitted this step). Bake 30 min until golden brown.

2 out 3 JAMs

Payard Patisserie and Bistro - Restaurant Week NYC Style!

Spanish Mackeral with ginger, garlic, baby bok choy, and shitake mushrooms.

A couple weekends ago Malia and I headed up on the Bolt Bus to visit Jenny for a JAM reunion! We were super excited. Jenny, being the planning queen that she is, made us a reservation at Payard Patisserie and Bistro during New York's restaurant week. Malia and I had gone to La Rue 123 during the Inaguration Week in DC, and had passed up their special menu. We were not going to make the same mistake this time! For $35 you can get an appetizer, entree, and dessert! We double checked the regular menu, and were pleasantly surprised to see that most of the items on the special menu were also on the regular menu. This is a good sign, in that the restaurant isn't just putting some cheap cut of meat on the special menu to pass if off on those in search of a cheaper meal.

Salmon tartare

To start, Malia and I ordered the lentil soup, while Jenny and Travis ordered the salmon tartare. Travis loves french onion soup, so he got that as well. Our server came by with a basket of bread, from which we all chose their wheat roll. Being after 9pm, we were all famished and glad to have something to nibble on. The roll was rather interesting - it was super crunchy, almost like a really large cracker. The dough was slightly sweet and hardy, but I generally prefer my rolls on the softer side.

Our appetizers came out shortly thereafter. Surprisingly, this was the first time I had eaten a pureed lentil soup, I am used to the texture of the individual beans. The soup was creamy, a little on the salty side, served with croutons. The dish was nice, but nothing extraordinary. Jenny and Travis were pleased with the flavor of the salmon. Travis' french onion soup had great carmelized, salty flavors. He felt it was a little on the sweet side, but I like that component about this particular soup. The sharp, salty gruyere was the perfect compliment.

French Onion Soup.

The entree options were a lot slimmer - roast chicken or spanish mackeral. I have cooked a lot of chicken in my days, and thus I tend to steer away from chicken when I go out to eat. The spanish mackeral looked like a good option, served with baby bok choy and mushrooms. I once had a very bad incident with spanish mackeral and a certain salt mound method of cooking (Jenny and Malia can attest to the awful nature of this dish), but I decided to give this fish a second chance. The rest of the group opted for the fish as well.

The fish was presented in four small sections, complimented with steamed baby bok choy, a ginger sauce, and wild mushrooms. Jenny picked around the mushrooms. The fresh minced ginger was such a refreshing addition, and enhanced the flavors of the flaky white fish. The skin could have been crisped up a little more in my opinion, but still it was a solid meal.

Chocolate creme brulee with candied orange - divine!

Don't worry I have saved the best for last! Payard is probably best known for its wonderful pastries, tarts, cakes, and candies. The menu indicated that we could have any of the pastries in the patisserie case. Well, by 11pm that case is quite sad looking, with a couple eclairs and small pastries looking very unappetizing. Fortunately our waiter told us that the creme brulee was also being offered. Malia is not usually a fan of creme brulee, but after looking over at our neighbors devouring the dish, she decided to try it along with the rest of us.

This was no ordinary creme brulee! The chef created a chocolate version with candied orange peel. I love the crunching sound you hear as you dig your spoon into the crisp sugar. The textural play on crisp and creamy is wondeful. The chocolate custard was simply amazingly silky, rich, with deep chocolate flavors. The candied orange peel delivered a slightly chewy, sweet burst of citrus. The ramekin of custard could have easily fed two people, and yet I easily could have eaten the entire thing. Somehow I managed to restrain myself.

The creme brulee easily elevated the entire meal. I would certainly come back to Payard, but perhaps next time just for dessert.

Bon Appetite.

2 out of 3 JAMs

Payard Patisserie & Bistro

1032 Lexington Ave

New York, NY 10021

Early Birthday Dinner with the Fam

Seared yellow fin tuna with lentils, turnip gratin and broccoli rabe.

Seeing as Malia and I are going to be throwing our own party next weekend, we wanted to share a quiet bday dinner with our family. Malia and I had heard good things about Willow Restaurant, conveniently located by the Ballston Metro. I was a little worried I wouldn't be able to enjoy dinner, because I had been suffering a nasty cold, but luckily the weather decided to warm up just for me (right?)

Cornbread, asiago cheese biscuit, and sweet wheat roll.

The entrance of the restaurant was warmly lit by candlelight highlighting the rich wooden floors. The red hughes are inviting, and the casually dressed wait staff give the place a comforting atmosphere. Unlike some upscale restaurants I felt like I could actually eat here.

Surveying the menu, I spotted a butternut squash soup, one of my weaknesses. I knew I would have to start with that, as well as their wild mushroom flatbread to be shared with the table. Malia ordered a beet salad, Veronica and my dad, the organic field greens salad, and my mom, the salmon carpacchio. My dad ordered a bottle of prosecco to celebrate our almost 24th birthday.

Butternut squash soup with scallions and toasted pepitas.

Beet (they're hidden) salad with pears, candied walnuts, blue cheese, and frisee.

Smoked salmon carpacchio with sour cream, beets, and potato latkes.

The Willow - flatbread with fontina, wild mushrooms, and truffle butter.

While we waited for our sparkling wine to arrive, we were served three different rolls. I love it when restaurants do something special like this. Individual wheat rolls, cornbread, and an asiago cheese biscuit were served to each of our bread plates warm from the oven. The overall favorite was the wheat roll, a soft slightly sweet bread that really hit the spot. The cornbread was nice with a kernel of fresh corn here and there. The asiago cheese biscuit was a little dry, but the tangy cheese was a nice touch.

Our wine was brought out. The sommelier was very informative, sharing that this bottle was one of his favorite proseccos because it has a lot of flavor compared to others. He let us keep the tag that tells you exactly what row of grapes the wine was produced from - pretty neat!

The appetizers came out quickly thereafter. My mom enjoyed her salmon, but felt that the accoutrements of beets, sour cream, and potato latkes took away from the simple yet elegant flavors of the fish. I enjoyed the soup, but felt that the butternut squash flavors were slightly overpowered by the cream in the dish. The scallions and pepitas were a nice textural and flavor contrast to the sweetness of the soup. The field greens and beet salads were enjoyed by all parties, with a special fondness for the roasted almonds found in the former. The flatbread was my favorite appetizer - the dough was crisp, the cheeses sharp, and the mushrooms earthy. I was sad that our waiter forgot to wrap it up for us to take home.

Flounder with crab and artichoke heart crust with zucchini, tomatoes, gnocchi, and littleneck clams.

Potato wrapped rockfish with brussel sprouts, bacon, and ricotta pancakes.

Pan seared scallops in a potato 'boat' with broccoli rabe.

Our entrees took quite some time to arrive after we had finished our appetizers. While the hostess came over to let us know our entrees would be out shortly, we weren't super impressed with our server. We weren't sure what caused the delay, but were quite ready to dig in when our plates were set down.

The portions are rather large, without sacrificing quality of flavor. Often times I feel that restaurants pile their plates with food without paying as close attention to the quality of the preparation. This was not the case at Willow. The presentation of the dishes was beautiful. I especially enjoyed the potato basket that my mom's the sweet buttery scallops were served in. Her dish was probably the smallest, but still filling.

My dad really enjoyed his potato crusted rockfish. Strings of potato are wrapped around the fish which is then seared or baked, creating a crispy exterior that contrasts the sweet soft flesh. This dish was served with some light and fluffy ricotta pancakes.

Malia's yellow fin tuna was a little well done for her medium liking, but overall the flavors were great, especially the salty and smoky lentils. Veronica and I enjoyed the light yet flavorful crab and artichoke heart crusted flounder. The tomatoes, zucchini, and basil gave it a definite Italian flare. The butter added a richness that wasn't overpowering and was nicely complimented by the lemon juice and briny capers. The gnocchi were a nice treat, but a little too starchy.

Overall, we were thoroughly stuffed. I would definitely go back, and would love to try some of their desserts. I have heard the sticky toffee pudding cake is divine.

Time to blow out the candles!

While the thought of ordering dessert was tempting, we had a delicious cake waiting for us at home, baked by my mom. Homemade desserts baked by your mother just can't be beat. I had been craving gingerbread all winter and had yet to taste any, so my mom was gracious enough to fulfill my request. Malia was down for some ginger cake as well, with cream cheese frosting being her favorite! Malia also had the honor of blowing out the candles for the both of us, as I did not want to contaminate the cake for everyone. My mom had to help her. She is not used to blowing them out all by herself. Hahaha.

Ginger cake with cream cheese frosting.

This cake packed some punch with a whole cup of fresh minced ginger going into the batter. The spiciness was awesome, and the molasses gave it great color and depth of flavor. The cream cheese frosting was sweet and tangy - the perfect pairing for the ginger cake. I could seriously eat this frosting all by itself. Super good for me, right? But it's my bday and I'll do what I want to! Hands down this cake takes the cake. It was the highlight of the evening for me (oh and the wonderful company of course).

Ginger Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Ginger Cake:

Ingredients

3 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

8 oz (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted

1 1/2 cup sugar

2/3 cup unsulfured molasses

2 large eggs

1/3 cup hot water

9 oz fresh ginger, peeled and minced (1 cup)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk dry ingredients in a bowl. Cream butter and sugar wiith a mixer until light and fluffy. Add molasses to butter mixture and then eggs one at a time.

Reduce speed to low and add dry ingredients to bowl in 3 additions. Alternate with hot water, ending with dry ingredients. Pour batter into 13x9 in pan. Bake for 30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Let cool fully before frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:

1 stick butter

1 8 oz package cream cheese

1 lb confectioner's sugar

Directions:

Let butter and cream cheese soften at room temperature. Combine butter, cream cheese, and sugar. Blend until smooth.

2.5 out of 3 JAMs

Willow Restaurant

4301 N Fairfax Drive

Arlington, VA 22203

2 out of 3 JAM