How do you cure a burning mouth? Is it water? A popsicle? Submerging your tongue in a cold cold tub of cottage cheese? While that last one may sound absurd (which in my opinion is always more fun) there is scientific reasoning to how molecules in milk attach to capsaicin - the compound that causes the fire in your mouth - and block it from burning your tongue.

Tonight I had a fiery dinner. But my antidote wasn't milk. It was a fortune cookie.

I had take out from a Logan Circle Chinese restaurant called (something that sounds like two names) Great Wall Szechuan House. I called them for take-out because I was too lazy to do the 5 dishes that were clogging up our 2x2 ft sink. Now, I am well aware that almost every Chinese restaurant claims to be Hunan or Szechuan or Jade or Garden, etc. But Danny said that they had a separate ma la, literally translated into "numbingly spicy," menu that is signature to Szechuan (aka Sichuan) Province. After failing to get that menu off the phone in English, I switched to Chinese and found out that the chef is actually from Chengdu the capitol of Sichuan. Sweetness.

Ten minutes later I got ma la ji (chicken), mapo do fu (tofu), and shuizhu niu (beef), at my door. First I noticed that unlike some Chinese establishments, it didn't seem like they dumped a box of cornstarch in each dish. Second, it seems like the color of the sauces were made from scratch, none of that bright red premade stuff. And last, I can see the sichuan peppercorns.

Ah, sichuan peppercorns -- the star ingredient in traditional Sichuan cooking. It's the ma part of ma la. Once the 'corns are toasted in oil, the result is a numbing sensation in your mouth, which is a dynamic counterpart to la, or hot. All I have to say is thank gawd each of my orders came with complementary rice because my mouth was ON FIRE in a good, releasing endorphins kind of way.

So here's my first restaurant recommendation. Great Wall Szechuan House pretty much rocked. Oh, and delivery was free.

E-V (out of E-V-O-O, thanks Ant)
Great Wall Szechuan House
1527 14th NW

-Bo

It's been almost a month since I arrived in DC and I am finally all settled. No more trips to IKEA. No more wondering which gate leads to my basement apartment. Oh yeah, and no more looking for an internship (cuz I found one!). Yes, indeed I am enjoying the district. Despite the perpetual dread I feel for getting mugged, I am grateful that Danny, Norman, and I live in a relatively safe neighborhood.

This is my attempt at a food blog. It might differ from other DC food blogs because, uhm, I AIN'T GOT NO MONEY TO EAT OUT...like they do, so don't expect reviews of Citronelle (until Danny or I start making more papers -- you know what I'm talkin' about).

This past Thursday was the first Thanksgiving I spent without my family. Well, almost -- last year I was traveling in China with Danny and my mom. But according to my grandma, Chinese people have begun to embrace Thanksgiving. Maybe, like everything else, Thanksgiving was made in China! I'm Chinese, I can say that.

Back to Thanksgiving. I know this is getting kind of long, but there isn't more to say but that it was GLORIOUS. We ate SO well, it was ridiculous. There were five of us, 4 CA and 1 MA transplants, who arranged a day of eating and football. After annoying jokes about turkey burgers, it was decided that the turkey be BBQed, dressed in bacon, and basted with white zinfandel and butter (complements of Mr. Whelan).

Before:

Behold:
Congratulatory hand shakes:


My GI-NORMOUS platter of mashed potatoes, stuffing, spinach salad, brussel sprouts and bacon, rolls, canned cranberry slice, and turkey wing:


After thirds' comas/4:30 pm nap time:




And this all couldn't have been possible without our hostess Paige! Thanks , T.W.!


All in all, it was f-ing awesome. I couldn't have asked for better company or a better meal in a time that is very conducive to homesickness. Great friends, awesome city, unlimited cheap wine with ice ... I'm there!