Opa!

Why is hummus one of the most delectable creations ever to surface from Mediterranean cuisine? Nowadays you can find just about any variation of hummus, which is really just a puree of chickpeas, garlic and tahini (a paste of ground sesame seeds), in the supermarket or at many Greek and Mediterranean restaurants. One of my favorite types of hummus that you can buy at the grocery store is none other than Trader Joe’s Tomato Basil Hummus- it’s quite good. So I bet you’re wondering why I’m carrying on about one of the most important staples in Mediterranean mezze cuisine? Last night I was able to enjoy some of the best hummus I’ve ever had, and of course who better to blow my mind than Mr. Jose Andres. One of my best friends from college was in town these past couple of days visiting on his spring break- and of course I wanted to make sure I showed him the best time, which obviously includes guaranteeing his exposure to the incredible culinary fare that Washington D.C. offers. On his last night in D.C. I made sure that he was able to experience at least one of the many restaurants Jose Andres owns- over the weekend I was showing Andrew some videos of some of the culinary works of art that are concocted over at Minibar (Minibar is Jose Andres’ exclusive 6 table restaurant here in Washington D.C. that specializes in molecular gastronomy, or the application and study of scientific principles and practices in cooking and food preparation, and where for $250 a guest can embark on a culinary adventure). Check out this video of one of the many creations that arise from the inspired mind of Jose Andres. Last night Andrew and I had dinner at Zaytinya, Mr. Andres’ innovative Mediterranean restaurant whose menu is derived from many traditional Turkish, Greek and Lebanese dishes. I will be very honest, the food at this restaurant was much more impressive than the decor. The restaurant really looked like any other upscale restaurant you might find in a big city-color scheme included chrome, white and dark blue. I can see how the restaurant was trying to create a Greek-type ambiance, but I wasn’t really feeling it.  I had high expectations after my visit to Oyamel, but I definitely didn’t feel transported to Greece or anywhere else in the Mediterranean upon walking into Zaytinya in the same way I felt being like I was transported to Mexico when I walked into Oyamel (please see my previous post for my review). Nonetheless, I couldn’t wait to try the food at this highly acclaimed restaurant, located in Penn Quarter.

Zaytinya is another small plate restaurant, where each person at the table should order at least 2-3 plates but all dishes are shared. In Greek, the term mezze literally means appetizer or what the Spanish would call tapas. Upon opening the menu I was quite entertained by the front cover. Andres teases his diners with a very enticing quote, “Are you ready for this- because I believe your life is going to change forever.” That’s quite the statement I must say, so if I didn’t have high expectations before reading the menu, I was definitely expecting to be blown away now. Our waitress began listing the specials for that evening, and right off the bat I was excited because the first thing she said was the special hummus for the day was a roasted butternut squash hummus. I absolutely love butternut squash- it’s definitely one of my favorite vegetables. For me, butternut squash emulates that comfort food feeling that I get when I eat Thanksgiving Dinner. I jumped on the opportunity to try what sounded to me like one of the most amazing things ever to enhance your standard hummus dish. The coloring and texture of the hummus was absolutely perfect. There was a little bit of a balsamic glaze drizzled over the hummus accompanied by roasted pumpkin seeds. I was in hummus heaven 🙂 Andrew left me in charge of ordering the whole meal- smart move on his part haha. I would say majority of my friends and people I have dined out with never underestimate my ability to order the best dishes at a restaurant. I can order for any type of person too- carnivore, pescatarian, vegetarian, vegan, the list goes on… I absolutely love tofu!  Anyways, I ordered a total of 6 dishes (including the hummus). Like last time I will rate each dish on a scale of 1-10 (1 being unsatisfactory and 10 being extraordinary).

• Roasted Buttnernut Squash Hummus, a puree of chickpeas, garlic, tahini, butternut squash with a balsamic glaze drizzle and roasted pumpkin seeds. I would give this a 10 definitely- this hummus was by far some of the best I’ve ever tasted. -$6.50
• Kolokithokeftedes or zucchini and cheese fritters in a caper-yogurt sauce. These were amazing. There was a perfect balance of richness from the filling of these fritters and crunchy texture given off from the fried, breaded exterior. You can tell that these fritters were fried with olive oil and all of the ingredients were very fresh- the zucchini was the perfect touch. I would rate this dish at 10 as well actually. -$7.50
• Roasted Cauliflower, prepared with sultans, caper berries, and pine nuts. This dish deserves an 8- the flavor was absolutely incredible in the cauliflower and they were cooked perfectly but at the end of the day it really was just roasted cauliflower. Standard veggie dish with great flavor. -$8.50
• Urfa Biftek, or grilled sirloin steak with Urfa pepper, cumin, heirloom lettuces and caramelized sesame. The meat was seasoned very well and cooked just the way I like it (a little medium-rare). The flavor profile in this dish was so good, I really enjoyed the cumin- I hadn’t had good beef prepared like this in a long time. What’s great is the plate is small so you don’t feel overwhelmed with a huge steak yet you get to try those amazing flavors. I would rate this dish at a 9. -$10
• Seared Salmon, accompanied by a butternut squash puree (I told you I love butternut squash :)), preserved maitake mushrooms, and pomegranate molasses. Salmon is my favorite fish, so I tend to order it when on the menu at most restaurants (I love salmon prepared anyway: sashimi, grilled, seared, poached, baked..). Of course when I saw butternut squash puree I got excited to order this plate! And again, it was perfect. It come with two small, impeccably prepared, pieces of salmon over a bed of the puree and mushrooms. I would rate this dish at a 9.5 because while I thoroughly enjoyed the dish, it really was just an amazing plate of salmon with interesting flavors. I like to be really “wowed” when I give a dish a 10. -$10
• Lamb Special-  this dish consisted of lamb baked in a house-made phyllo dough pastry with aromatic spices, and happened to be one of the specials of the night. This was so good- I really was blown away by the flavors packed into this little greek empanada. This was Andrew’s favorite dish of the night and I have to say, it was excellent. The only criticism I have is that it was a little too rich for me. I love lamb, when prepared well and this dish certainly was, but sometimes the meat can be very decadent. I would give this dish a 9. -$10

I really enjoyed my meal at Zaytinya. The flavors presented in the dishes at this restaurant really do emulate what one would expect at a good Mediterranean restaurant. The only other Greek restaurant I’ve been to in Washington D.C. is Cava Mezze on Capitol Hill, which is definitely one of my favorite restaurants in the city. The restaurant is owned by a Greek family (really a group of guys who are all cousins) who truly do provide amazing Greek fare in Eastern Market. To compare these two restaurants is very difficult because both have different approaches to the Mediterranean cuisine- one being exclusively Greek and the other having inspiration from Turkey and Lebanon. Zaytinya means “olive oil” in Turkish. I recommend trying both restaurants and seeing which you like better (or both!) for yourself.

http://www.zaytinya.com/

lo mejor de DC

Buenos días!

Today I’m going to give my first restaurant review. Unfortunately Washington D.C. lacks a substantial selection of good Mexican dining; although having lived in California for three years and Texas for 16 it’s a little hard to beat what those two great states have to offer. Last night my roommate Nicole and my friend Lindsey and I went to Jose Andrés’ Mexican restaurant called Oyamel. I’m pretty skeptical when it comes to being impressed by Mexican restaurants here in DC- the only places I have thoroughly liked are El Centro D.F. and the amazing taco truck in Arlington, VA called El Chilango (the Mexican Ambassador to the U.S.’s personal driver took me and some former co-workers there when I was in D.C. in Fall of 2010- this place is SO GOOD!!! Try the tacos al pastor). Casa Oaxaca  is also good, which is in Adams Morgan and is a Mexican restaurant that specializes in different types of mole, a traditional Mexican sauce  that is made with chocolate, as well as chili peppers, onions, garlic and is amazing when prepared well. Nonetheless, I was looking forward to see how Sr. Andrés’ restaurant fared among the other Mexican places I had tried thus far.

Upon walking into Oyamel, the vibe reminded me of many small, local, authentic Mexican restaurants you could find in Texas or California. Oyamel’s website describes it as: ” combining Mexico’s rich regional diversity with the modern urban atmosphere of Mexico City,” and I have to say- I definitely agree. One of the first things that caught my eye was the huge candle altar that looks exactly like what you would see in a Catholic cathedral in Mexico- there was an abundant level of wax that had obviously been accumulating over the years and looked like it was a melting sculpture. The ceiling was lined with bright orange flowers that brought me right back to the many summers I spent in Mexico visiting family- it especially reminded me of the beautiful summer my family and I spent in San Miguel de Allende. Still, I was very anxious to see what culinary experiences Oyamel had to offer. Oyamel’s menu is comprised of a wide selection of Mexican antojitos or “small plates” for everyone at the table to share. To be quite honest, I thoroughly appreciate this type of menu over the ridiculously excessive portions most restaurants in America provide. I can’t stand it when I go to a restaurant who’s idea of the main course is an enchilada plate with enough food to feed a small family of four. I love the small plate wave that’s taking over D.C.- Cava Mezze has mastered this in the Greek cuisine (another amazing DC restaurant who I will have to provide a review for at a later time). The server explained to us the concept: you should order 2-3 plates per person, but everyone shares. Lindsey, Nicole and I are all Mexican food connoisseurs so we knew what we wanted to order, even though the menu is very extensive and can seem overwhelming for those who aren’t familiar with traditional Mexican cuisine (I’m not talking about Tex-Mex cheese enchiladas or chips and queso). Since I had read up a bit on this place, I knew that their ceviche was highly acclaimed along with the tacos. I will rate each dish on a scale of 1-10; 1 being completely unsatisfactory and 10 being extraordinary. The prices were pretty standard for a small plate restaurant, but be warned– the drinks are expensive. We ordered:

• Ceviche de huachinango, a red snapper ceviche with avocado in salsa mexicana of tomato, sweet onion, cilantro and lime juice: I would give this dish an 8 because while the flavor profile was quite good and the citrus complemented the fish and avocado really well, I wish there had been a little more heat.- $11
• Quesadilla huitlacoche, corn tortilla with Chihuahua cheese and Roy Burns Farm Mexican corn truffle. This was actually my favorite dish we ordered I’d have to say, so I will give this a 10. The green salsa that came on the plate with the 4 little quesadilla triangles was amazing and gave the spice factor that I was looking for in the ceviche. Please order this plate if you go to this place! -$9
• Pollo con mole poblano, traditional chicken mole plate: half of a grilled young chicken with epazote herb rice and a mole poblano sauce of almonds, chiles and a touch of chocolate. It was a very standard mole dish, nothing to write home about but satisfactory. I give this dish a rating of 6. -$10
• Albondigas enchipotladas con queso de doble crema, meatballs in chipotle sauce with crumbled ‘double cream’ cheese and cilantro. These were so good! Definitely looked like meatballs in a bolognese sauce, but the flavors were great and definitely not bolognese. The only criticism I have is that there was way more sauce than meatballs, which seemed a little ridiculous. I would rate this dish at a 7. -$7
• Tacos de pancita de puerco al pastor, tacos of seared house cured pork belly in a sauce of tomatoes and guajillo chiles, served with pineapple, onions and cilantro. Keep in mind that each taco is ordered as a single taco- so we ordered three. This taco was absolutely incredible! The combination of the sweetness of the pineapple and the spices from the guajillo chiles and tomatoes was mouthwatering. The pork worked very nicely in this taco. Definitely would order this again and I rate this taco at an 8.5. Each taco is $4

Overall, I was very satisfied with Oyamel. The only aspect of this restaurant that I know my father wouldn’t like, who was raised in Mexico and knows what good Mexican food should look and taste like, is the fact that the plates here are small. Most people come to Mexican restaurants to gorge themselves on the endless supply of chips and salsa, beef and chicken fajitas or brisket tacos, not to say that my father does like this aspect- I just know that most grown men would rather have full-sized portion entrees. If you are looking for this type of experience, then don’t go to Oyamel. I’m never looking for that type of experience so Oyamel was very refreshing and I highly recommend it for those who truly like exciting Mexican flavor profiles and for those who sincerely appreciate Mexican restaurants that strive to maintain the integrity of what an authentic Mexican restaurant should serve and prepare.

http://www.oyamel.com/ 

happy valentine

Last night was by far the best Valentine’s Day I’ve ever celebrated- granted, I don’t think I’ve ever really celebrated Valentine’s Day for what it truly stands for. This year I spent it with some amazing friends in my new apartment in Washington D.C. For those of you who don’t know me, I am a recent DC dweller having moved here last October to start working on Capitol Hill as a Legislative Fellow for a Member of Congress. The fast-paced, intense atmosphere that is working as a hill staffer has become my world, that I’ve fully embraced. Yet while trying not to become so consumed by my job, I make time for one of my biggest passions: food. 

One of my favorite things I absolutely love about my new place is the kitchen. I have always had a sincere appreciation for great food and cooking, but I’ve honestly never really had the opportunity (with the appropriate resources) to cook. Some of my biggest influences are my grandmother and my mom, to whom I’ve watched create some amazing meals over the years. Also, if you truly know me, you know that I am kind of obsessed with the Food Network (mainly the cooking competition shows such as Chopped or Next Iron Chef). From the likes of great chefs such as Geoffrey Zakarian, Alex Guarnaschelli and Marcus Samuelsson, I have begun to strive for greatness in the kitchen, by which I mean– make some delicious meals for my lovely friends 🙂

My first cooking success was achieved this past Saturday, when I hosted a few friends over for brunch. Another amazing benefit of living in Eastern Market is having the farmers market right outside my building, where I buy all of my produce. There truly is a difference in taste when using fresh vegetables and meats straight from the farmers market. My first attempt at making a frittata was successful! I made a zucchini ricotta frittata, from which all of the ingredients were purchased at Eastern Market– everything from the fresh ricotta and parmesan cheese to the eggs and zucchini. See the recipe below:

Zucchini Ricotta Frittata Recipe

INGREDIENTS

• 6 large eggs
• 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
• 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1 Tbsp chopped fresh basil
• 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 small zucchini, or one larger one, washed and sliced into thin rounds (about 3/4 pound) 

METHOD

1 Beat the eggs in a medium bowl. Add the ricotta and Parmesan and beat to combine. Add the salt, freshly ground black pepper, basil and thyme and beat to combine. Set aside.

 

2 Heat the olive oil in a 10-inch oven-proof stick-free skillet on medium high. When the oil is hot and begins to shimmer, add the zucchini slices. Stir so that the zucchini slices are all coated with some of the oil. Cook, stirring only occasionally (if you stir too much the zucchini won’t brown), until the zucchini slices are lightly browned, about 5-6 minutes. Remove from heat. Remove zucchini slices from the pan with tongs or a slotted spoon to a bowl. Let cool for 30 seconds or so, and then stir the zucchini slices to the egg mixture.

 

3 Reheat the skillet. There should be a couple of tablespoons of oil left in the pan, if not, add some. When the oil is hot, pour the egg mixture into the pan. Do not stir it. Reduce the heat to medium. Let the egg mixture cook. Run a spatula along the edge of the frittata, separating the cooked edges from the pan. Let the egg mixture cook until the bottom is golden brown and the top is beginning to set, about 5-6 minutes.

 

4 Set the top rack 5 inches from the heating element in the oven. Preheat the oven broiler. Once the top of the frittata has started to set in the pan on the stove top, remove the pan from the stove and place it in the oven. With the broiler on, the door of the oven needs to be open. You can let the pan’s handle stick out from the oven through the open door. Cook under the broiler until the top starts to become lightly browned, about 2 minutes.

Alternatively, instead of using the broiler, you can place a plate face-down on top of the skillet. Flip the skillet over to release the frittata on to the plate. Then slide the frittata from the plate back on to the skillet. Let cook for a couple of minutes more until the bottom side gets browned.

5 Slide the frittata out of the skillet onto a serving plate. Let cool for a minute or two and serve.

Yield: Serves 2-3.

Here is the result!

 It was absolutely delicious!! I recommend using the broiler method as opposed to flipping the frittata onto a plate and then back onto the skillet for step 4.

 Valentine’s Day Menu

As I mentioned earlier in this post, last night I prepared a very healthy and delicious Valentine’s Day dinner for my roommate Nicole and my great friend Lindsey. The menu entailed:

Homemade Potato-Leek Soup with Bacon

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“Remy’s” Ratatouille (this recipe does replicate the ratatouille dish from my favorite Disney Pixar movie)

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Salmon Pinwheels

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Georgetown Cupcakes (courtesy of Lindsey 🙂 )

 Here are the recipes!

Potato-Leek Soup with Bacon

Ingredients
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 1/2 cups cubed crusty bread
4 slices bacon, chopped
2 large leeks, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 medium russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 cups frozen peas (do not thaw)
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Make the croutons: Melt 1 tablespoon butter, then mix with the paprika in a bowl. Add the bread cubes and toss. Spread on a baking sheet and bake until golden, 8 to 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a large saucepan over medium heat until crisp, about 8 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a paper towel-lined plate. Discard all but about 1 tablespoon fat from the pan. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon butter, then add the leeks and garlic; cover and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the broth, 2 cups water, the potatoes and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper; cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer, partially covered, until the potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes.

Puree half the soup in a blender (remove the filler cap to let steam escape), then return to the pot. Add the cream and bring to a simmer. Add the peas and cook until tender, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Serve topped with the croutons, bacon and parsley.

Remy’s Ratatouille

For the Piperade (bottom layer):

1/2 red bell pepper, seeds and ribs removed
1/2 yellow bell pepper, seeds and ribs removed
1/2 orange bell pepper, seeds and ribs removed
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 cup finely diced yellow onion
3 tomatoes (about 12 ounces total weight), peeled, seeded and finely diced, juices reserved 1 sprig fresh thyme
1 sprig flat-leaf parsley
1/2 bay leaf
Kosher salt

For the Vegetables:

1 medium zucchini (4 to 5 ounces) sliced in 1/16-inch-thick rounds
1 Japanese eggplant (4 to 5 ounces) sliced into 1/16-inch-thick rounds
1 yellow (summer) squash (4 to 5 ounces) sliced into 1/16-inch-thick rounds
4 Roma tomatoes, sliced into 1/16-inch-thick rounds
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/8 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the Vinaigrette:

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
Assorted fresh herbs (such as thyme and chervil)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

To make the piperade, preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil. Place pepper halves on the baking sheet, cut side down. Roast until the skins loosen, about 15 minutes. Remove the peppers from the oven and let rest until cool enough to handle. Reduce the oven temperature to 275 degrees.

Peel the peppers and discard the skins. Finely chop the peppers; set aside.

In medium skillet over low heat, combine oil, garlic and onion and saute until very soft but not browned, about 8 minutes.

Add the tomatoes, their juices, thyme, parsley and bay leaf. Bring to a simmer over low heat and cook until very soft and little liquid remains, about 10 minutes. Do not brown.

Add the peppers and simmer to soften them. Discard the herbs, then season to taste with salt. Reserve a tablespoon of the mixture, then spread the remainder over the bottom of an 8-inch oven-proof skillet.

To prepare the vegetables, you will arrange the sliced zucchini, eggplant, squash and tomatoes over the piperade in the skillet.

Begin by arranging 8 alternating slices of vegetables down the center, overlapping them so that 1/4 inch of each slice is exposed. This will be the center of the spiral. Around the center strip, overlap the vegetables in a close spiral that lets slices mound slightly toward center. All vegetables may not be needed. Set aside.

In a small bowl, mix the garlic, oil and thyme, then season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle this over vegetables.

Cover the skillet with foil and crimp edges to seal well. Bake until the vegetables are tender when tested with a paring knife, about 2 hours. Uncover and bake for another 30 minutes. (Lightly cover with foil if it starts to brown.)

If there is excess liquid in pan, place it over medium heat on stove until reduced. (At this point it may be cooled, covered and refrigerated for up to 2 days. Serve cold or reheat in 350-degree oven until warm.)

To make the vinaigrette, in a small bowl whisk together the reserved piperade, oil, vinegar, herbs, and salt and pepper to taste.

To serve, heat the broiler and place skillet under it until lightly browned. Slice in quarters and lift very carefully onto plate with an offset spatula. Turn spatula 90 degrees as you set the food down, gently fanning the food into fan shape. Drizzle the vinaigrette around plate. Serves 4.

Salmon Pinwheels

Ingredients
1/2 cup coarse dry breadcrumbs, preferably whole-wheat (see Tip)
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard
1 tablespoon chopped shallot
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon chopped rinsed capers
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried
1 1/4 pounds center-cut salmon fillet, skinned and cut lengthwise into 4 strips
4 teaspoons low-fat mayonnaise
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
2. Mix breadcrumbs, oil, mustard, shallot, lemon juice, capers and thyme in a small bowl until combined.
3. Working with one at a time, spread 1 teaspoon mayonnaise on a salmon strip. Spread about 3 tablespoons of the breadcrumb mixture over the mayonnaise. Starting at one end, roll the salmon up tightly, tucking in any loose filling as you go. Insert a toothpick though the end to keep the pinwheel from unrolling. Place in the prepared dish. Repeat with the remaining salmon strips.
4. Bake the pinwheels until just cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the toothpicks before serving.

 My next post I will share with you the wonders the DC restaurant scene has to offer. While I do love to cook, before I moved into my new place my food world was comprised of the many amazing restaurants that thrive in this city. Until then I will leave you with one of my favorite quotes from the wonderful Disney movie “Ratatouille.” 

“You must be imaginative, strong-hearted. You must try things that may not work, and you must not let anyone define your limits because of where you come from. Your only limit is your soul. What I say is true- anyone can cook…but only the fearless can be great.” – Chef Gusteau