Mmmeat

The perfect article mentions both steak and In-N-Out. Now if they put those two subjects in homework and policy journals I might have a chance at being a good student...God I love beef.

Definitely Need This One...

All right, you probably smelled the sarcasm from a mile away when I was introducing the Tater Mitts, which by the way, someone on a message board said works horribly. And I've been very suspicious of the guy at Eastern Market selling the vegetable slicer that is also a peeler -- what is the difference??? But this I gotta have.

Attack...of Giant Cucumbers!!!

I have deep admiration and envy for gardeners who meticulously care for their gardens. There are not many things you can labor over and be awarded with a tangible product (what does all that paper pushing at work accomplish anyway??). I started dreaming about a garden as soon as I moved to a house with a yard. Now, why I would want more responsibility, even after I acquired a dog and am about to start grad school effectively saying goodbye to my carefree life as I know it, I am unsure. After some initial help from my mother, I have successfully harvested an abundance of bok choy, lettuce, green beans, green onions, strawberries, habanero and sweet peppers. I always feel a faint pride when I go out to the garden and snip a pepper for dinner or sneak a just ripened strawberry while I water in the mornings. Now, I have an emergency. Please refer to picture below. You see that mass on the left? That's ONE cucumber plant.

The little-runt-that-could while it's two predecessors died. This plant has infiltrated the fence (lodging cucumbers in between the "good neighbor fence"), spread across other plants, and is threatening to take over my garden and probably my house. Not only is this plant impressive in size, it's fruit is also -- so big are these cucumbers it makes me want to drive out to the midwest and enter in one of those giant vegetable competitions.

This is NOT what the seed packet said would happen.... I'm sure there is some gardening techniques I'm not getting. Like pruning, maybe.

I would appreciate any cucumber recipe or usage you could advise.

Tipsy Taxi to Africa

It is my belief that food tastes good when it's spicy, fresh, and makes you sweat a little. It's sloppy, and snobs may call it "peasant food," but it's delicious. This is why Ghanaian food looked so good as it was shown on No Reservations: Ghana. Danny had lived in Ghana for a couple of months before college and agreed that we should look for a restaurant that serves traditional West African food. Coincidentally, on our way back from fireworks on July 4th, drunk, and tired, we found out that our cab driver was from Sierra Leone. He suggested Sumah's West African Cafe in Shaw. He then managed to con Danny into tipping him $8 out of a $13 cab ride.

Quick geography refresher: West African coastal countries include Ghana, Sierra Leone, Cameroon, and Cote D'Ivoire.

Walking the few blocks from the partially gentrified U-Street to Shaw, I noticed stark differences. Trendy bars and boutiques have not yet replaced the low-income apartments and the small mom and pop establishments.

Set in a modest shop at the bottom of a building, the first thing you notice about Sumah’s is the friendly service. The second thing you notice is that they also sell reggae DVDs. We were greeted, I later realized, by Sumah himself. We seated ourselves and he suggested that before we order anything he would bring a sampler plate. We tried chicken with tomato, peanut, and okra sauces. We also tried green potato leaves and jut leaves with fish and chicken. Because the dishes are sauce heavy, they are perfect accompanied with a starch like rice or pounded starch balls made of yams, cassava root, or rice. Cassava is a potatoey root common in West Africa.

In the end, we ordered a pepper soup, pounded yam with peanut sauce, chicken with green potato leaves cooked in palm oil, and chicken with tomato sauce.

So with Bob Marley in the background, we went for it. Pinch a little yam ball off and dip it in the sauce. Soon I started to sweat because some dishes, like the pepper soup, pack heat. But the heat doesn’t last long and you are left with a pleasant aftertaste. The peanut sauce was both savory and sweet was Danny's favorite and reminded him of his meals in Ghana. The chicken in the tomato sauce was either roasted or deep fried first. But it was the potato leaves that did me in -- I was on my way to finishing a whole plate of rice, mixing in the greens, when I felt my pants pinch and got the hint that I should probably stop. The only thing that keeps me from going back every week is the amount of oil that is put into everything.

While waiting to pay the check, Danny learned from Sumah’s daughter that the place had been open since 1994. Although it’s been over a decade, I can’t imagine much has changed. That night we were the only ones eating in, but there were plenty of people coming through for carryout. In the end, we were stuffed but Sumah still brought us a delicious plate of caramelized plantains.

Like in any region, I'm sure there are subtleties and differences in food from each West African country that I am ignorant of. Sumah was genuinely interested in promoting his food and African food in general. I just hope that, having been here for more than a decade, Sumah's cafe continues to contribute to the ethnic richness of Shaw and will not be replaced by another Cosi.

Sumah's Restaurant
1727 7th St, NW
Washington, DC 20001

No Reservations

One of my favorite writer/TV host is Anthony Bourdain. I'd say chef/writer/TV host but I haven't trekked to his NYC brasserie, Les Halles. I know, there's one in DC, but I want authencity. Every Tuesday after work I am lifted by the knowledge that in my DVR waiting for me is a fresh episode of Travel Channel's No Reservations.

Mr. Bourdain travels the world tasting food in a manner that is open and respectful. He'll also tell you when something tastes like shit. A former drug addict, alcoholic and self-professed fuck-up, Mr. Bourdain hosted a Food Network show awhile ago, but one suspects he was the troublemaker in the back of the classroom scheming ways to stick gum in his cheekier classmates (ie, Emeril, Rachel, Bobby) -- that's probably what got him canceled.

Probably a better gig anyway, the new season of No Reservations starts Monday, July 30 at 10 PM.

The Finest Chef in Ze World!

IT WAS DELIGHTFUL. WATCH IT.

Smooth As a Baby's....

Recently I read a NY Times Magazine article and heard on NPR about a style of coffee indigenous to New Orleans and is growing in popularity among gourmet coffee vendors and coffee enthusiasts (which I'm not, but I'm hooked nonetheless). Simply called "coffee concentrate," this drink is as New Orleans as Jambalaya and Jazz.

Concocting it was easy: 1 lb of grounded coffee and 10 cups of cold filtered water. Let sit for 12 hours. Sieve and serve.

The process of making this drink, however, is not glamorous at all. If anything, it looked a bit sketchy. When I peeked into the stockpot that we put the grounds and water in, all I saw was black liquid glistening from the grounds floating on top. I half expected some flies to emerge through the goop and buzz past the lid of the pot. The next morning, I double sieved the mixture and transfered it into a pitcher. Apparently it keeps for up to 2 weeks in the fridge.

I was very reluctant to try this so, naturally, I poured Danny a glass first. I filled a glass with ice, filled it 1/3 with the black liquid, and 2/3 with milk.

"Is it good?"
"It's good."
"Good-good or good-I'm-glad-I-didn't vomit?"
"Good-good."

Indeed, it was good. What you get is a rich, robust, rounded (running out of R's...) coffee that also packed a punch of caffeine. I learned from the NY Times article that this method of making coffee eliminates the release of oils and acid caused by heat. It's smooth as a baby's bottom. Usually I can only drink a cup of regular coffee before I feel my GI burning from the acid. With this, I can drink two glasses without any complaint and only realize that I should probably stop when I eye starts twitching.

It's a perfect summer porch beverage but if you hate iced coffee, you can add hot milk/water and drink it that way.

Talking to someone who went to college at Tulane, I was also told that a popular way to drink coffee concentrate is with chicory flavored coffee. I haven't a clue what chicory tastes like but it sounds like it would add some smokiness.


Here's the NYT recipe:

New Orleans Cold Drip Coffee

adapted from Blue Bottle Coffee company

makes 8 cups coffee concentrate

1 pound dark roast coffee and chicory, medium ground

10 cups cold water

Ice

Milk.

1. Put coffee in a nonreactive container, like a stainless-steel stockpot. Add 2 cups water, stirring gently to wet the grounds, then add remaining 8 cups water, agitating the grounds as little as possible. Cover and let steep at room temperature for 12 hours.

2. Strain coffee concentrate through a medium sieve, then again through a fine-mesh sieve.

3. To make iced coffee, fill a glass with ice, add 1/4 cup coffee concentrate and 3/4 to 1 cup milk, then stir. To make café au lait, warm 3/4 to 1 cup milk in a saucepan or microwave, then pour into a mug and add 1/4 cup coffee concentrate. (Concentrate will keep in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.)

Bacon Makes Everything Better: Brussel Sprouts

Here's a news flash -- there is something comforting and delicious about bacon. And I would also like to set the record straight that, although tasty, Canadian Bacon is NOT a worthy substitute for the thick, marbled, chewy, crisp, salty...I digress...(deep breath)...slice of pork belly. Drool.

Which is why I am starting a "Bacon Makes Everything Better" segment on Kitchenette Diaries. You may recall the bacon wrapped turkey that was demolished on Thanksgiving last year. But there are *literally* infinite ways to bacon-up any dish and make it taste better.

I grew up loathing brussel sprouts, even though I was already 23 the first time I tasted it. I think I was influenced by TV kids who screamed bloody murder every time it was served by their TV parents. I suppose it's similar to my aversion to anchovies on pizza --just because the Ninja Turtles hated it, too.

Now, I just think b-sprouts are adorable. Dwarfed cabbages. Tiny morsels of nutritiousness. Etc.

The only down-side is they can taste bitter and tough to chew if cooked improperly. This is where the bacon comes in. The fat and salty bacon cuts through the bitter taste of the sprout , making it fun and easy to eat. Seriously, it's fun when you can eat something that tastes like bacon but is (OMG) actually good for you.

Trick is to blanch (or steam to retain more nutrients) the sprouts first so they cook more evenly later on in the pan. I like it a little burnt and crispy, which I think adds deeper flavors.

Here's what you do:

1 lb brussel sprouts
Ice bath
3-4 slices good applewood bacon
salt and pepper

Blanch (or steam) 1 lb of brussel sprouts for 3 minutes. Shock sprouts in ice bath to stop the cooking and maintain bright green color. Once cooled, trim stems and cut sprouts in half.

Cut bacon strips into 1 inch bits. Turn skillet on medium-high and drop in pieces once the pan is hot. Stir until bacon is mostly cooked but still soft. Throw in brussel sprouts and toss with bacon as to coat each half with deliciousness. Let them sit in pan for a minute before flipping again (this allows them to brown). If you feel the sprouts are still too hard, incorporate a tablespoon of water into the pan. Ideal sprout is slightly wilted but still holds color and shape.

Enjoy!

Note.

From the time I first came up with this blog title/idea, I want to clarify that I've since moved from our doll house studio basement to an actual house with a basement that has a real bedroom and a wonderful kitchen upstairs. That said, I had (sarcasm) to say goodbye to the make-shift kitchenette and give up those wrangling days. Now I am equipped with a real kitchen with everything I need.

Everything except a microwave.

This is the time when you shrug and say: Eh, you take a little...you give a little...