October is Virginia Wine Month (it now has an "official" title in the event that you needed the extra push to head out to wineries and enjoy some local, Virginia wine). That, coupled with this government shutdown, means that if you are like me, you might find yourself with some time on your hands.
Now, you could go ahead and clean that storage room in your basement (throat clearing here towards my husband) or you could enjoy your time off sampling some tasty wine. Might I suggest the latter?
One winery I would definitely suggest visiting is Fabbioli Cellars out in Leesburg, VA. It's only about an hour away from DC (and conveniently located next to outlet shops, so you can get some discount shopping in as well). Fabbioli Cellars is open everyday from 11am-5pm. Are you not in your car yet? Okay, well read on to see what you are missing.
Fabbioli Cellars is situated off of a quiet back road in Leesburg. The wine tasting area is located in the bottom level of a small farm house with outdoor patio seating and picnic tables overlooking the vineyard. Very relaxing and picturesque.
Inside the tasting area, they sell bottles or glasses of wine, and food accompaniments (think dips, cheese, cured meat, and some chocolate) to enjoy on the patio. It's a fantastic selection and much more robust than most wineries (see how easy! you don't even need to pack a lunch!).
In a fun change from the "wine tasting" norm, Fabbioli Cellars offers a food pairing with their tasting menu (a great deal at $15). If you opt for the tasting, you are led back to their tasting room, which is super cute and cozy, featuring about 5 separate seating areas for sampling the wine and food pairings.
They change their pairings every month and all the staff members can contribute to the food pairings (for example, when I was there, the cucumber dip was a recipe provided by one of the staff). The pairing also features an item from a local chef (this past month it was from a local food truck, The Roving Italian). I was really impressed by the creativity and local sourcing involved in the tasting menu. I think I see my new "retirement" job in my future...
The wine was delicious and the pairings were a tasty and relaxed way to enjoy the wine, similiar to how you would at home. The staff was friendly, informative and down-to-earth, overall a really enjoyable tasting experience. I don't normally favor white wines, but the Someting White wine was fanastic. And the pairing of the desert wine, Rosa Nera, with the chocolate truffle was out of this world.
We definitely had a great afternoon out at Fabbioli Cellars and of course, had to bring a few momentos home with us. So, take the time this month to enjoy some Viriginia wines and celebrate the fall season. It's a great time to relax, unwind and appreciate life with a fine glass of wine.
Today is the first day of October, the month celebrating the great pumpkin! Here's a recipe that uses pumpkin in a big way -- as the base for a vegetarian lasagna dish. This recipe calls for canned pumpkin, but if you're feeling particularly daring (and have extra time on your hands), you can roast a pie pumpkin and puree it for the base.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 pound of Swiss chard, stems removed, leaves washed well and chopped
1 cup of spinach (fresh or frozen)
2 teaspoons of salt
2 teaspoons of pepper
3 tablespoons of sage, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg
3 15-oz cans of pumpkin puree
1 1/2 cup of shredded parmesan cheese
1 1/2 cup of heavy cream
1/2 cup of milk
12 lasagna noodles
Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Boil water, cook lasagna noodles until al dente (about 8 minutes).
2. Heat a large pan over medium-high heat, add oil and onions, cooking onions until tender and translucent (about 8 minutes).
3. Add Swiss chard, spinach, 1 teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of pepper, 2 tablespoons of sage, and 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg to the pan. Cook, and stir regularly until greens wilt (about 8 minutes). Remove from heat.
4. In a medium bowl, mix two cans of pumpkin, 3/4 cup of heavy cream, 1/2 cup of shredded parmesan cheese, 1 teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of pepper, 1 tablespoon of sage, and 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg.
5. Pour milk into a 9 x 13 pan.
6. Layer 4 noodles on top of the milk.
7. Spread half of the pumpkin mixture on top of the noodles.
8. Then layer half of the "greens" on top of pumpkin mix. Cover with another layer of noodles and repeat with pumpkin and greens. Layer a final set of noodles on top.
9. Combine 1 cup of pumpkin and 3/4 cup of cream.
10. Spread over top of lasagne noodles and sprinkle with remaining cup of parmesan cheese.
11. Cover pan with aluminium foil and cook for 20 minutes. Remove foil, and bake until cheese is melted and bubbly, about 15 minutes longer.
It is officially fall, my favorite time of year (well maybe not officially according to the calendar, but in my eyes it is)! The weather is cooling down, there is crispness in the air, and football is on the tv. Time to make some chili!
This is my favorite chili recipe because it's got a little something for everyone -- fresh vegetables, different kinds of meat, an assortment of beans, and a little bit of spice. The secret is to make this the night before, cool in the fridge and then reheat the next day in a crock pot on low to get all those flavors going. I like to serve it with some corn bread muffins drizzled with honey (to add a little sweet to balance the spice).
Ingredients
1 lb of ground beef
1 lb of sausage
1 onion, diced
2 peppers, diced
2 cloves of garlic, diced
3 tomatoes, diced
2 15-oz cans of tomato sauce
2 15-oz cans of diced tomatoes
3 tablespoons of chili powder
1.5 teaspoons of cumin
1 teaspoon of oregano
1 15-oz can of garbanzo beans
1 15-oz can of kidney beans
Preparation
1. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat and add ground beef and diced sausage (any kind works, I threw in some regular sausage and chorizo, but you can use hot Italian as well). Cook until almost cooked through.
2. Add the diced onion, peppers, and garlic to the Dutch oven with the meat. Cook for another 8-10 minutes until the vegetables are tender. Remove from heat and drain excess fat.
3. Lower heat to medium-low and add diced fresh tomatoes, tomato sauce, canned diced tomatoes, chili powder, cumin and oregano. Cover and cook for 45 minutes.
4. Add garbanzo beans and kidney beans to the Dutch oven and continue cooking for 15 minutes, uncovered.
5. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Cover with lid and place in the refridgerator overnight. The next day, warm in a crock pot for 2-4 hours on low and serve with cheddar cheese, sour cream and an assortment of hot sauces!
Back in 2006, when we had all the time and money in the world (re: pre-children), my husband and I went on a trip to Ireland and Scotland. It was absolutely fantastic... I loved everything about it -- the people were so friendly, the places we visited were so calm and serene, and the food was hearty and comforting.
We visited in March and it was a bit chilly while we were there (especially up in Scotland).
This potato leek soup reminds me of the soup we had when we stopped at a pub for lunch and warmed up by the fire (with a pint, of course). Creamy, rich and delicious - it's perfect as the fall season comes around! Enjoy with some crusty bread (and a pint of dark beer).
Ingredients
2 tablespoons of butter
5 strips of bacon, chopped
2 leeks
3/4 cup of white wine
8-9 smaller yukon gold potatoes (about 3 lbs) peeled and cubed
6 cups of chicken stock
1.5 teaspoons of white pepper
2 teaspoons of salt
3/4 cup of heavy cream
1 tablespoon of chives
Preparation
1. Chop bacon. Melt better in a large Dutch oven over medium heat and add bacon. Cook for 5-6 minutes until bacon is tender.
2. Cut off green parts from the leeks, using the white/light green part of the stem. Cut the stem length-wise and then into slices (half-moons). Save one of the green tops and tie with kitchen string. Add the sliced leeks to the pot and cook for 6-8 minutes until tender.
3. Add 3/4 cup of white wine to the pot. Bring to a boil, scraping up bits of bacon and leeks.
4. Add potatoes, chicken stock, green top of leek, and salt and pepper to the pot. Bring to a boil. Lower heat to medium low and simmer for 30 minutes until potatoes are tender.
5. Remove leek top. Using a blender or food processor, puree all of the soup except for about one cup (I like a little bit of chunk in my soup). Return to the pot.
6. To the pureed soup, add 3/4 cup of heavy cream and chives. Warm over medium heat to allow flavors to blend.
7. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.
Wolfgang Puck's The Source in DC has gotten mixed reviews, and mostly diners feel "meh" about it (but rave about the Dim Sum brunch they offer on weekends). Generally, I try to stay away from restaurants that get those types of reviews because when I spend my hard-earned money on dinner, I want to be happy after I drop $200, and feeling like it was worth it.
Despite the warning signs from Yelp and UrbanSpoon, I pushed on to The Source because I have had some of Chef Drewno's creations at charity events and they were tasty. I wanted to give The Source a fair shot to wow me where others were disappointed.
We arrived for dinner on a Saturday night around 7pm. It was a gorgeous fall day so I asked the hostess (who, in all honesty, was a bit snobby) if the patio was open for seating. She noted that it was closed. What? Closed? On a perfect 70 degree fall day? Uh... okay.
The dining room was simple and clean with walls of wine bottles, glass, and high-ceilings. Our waitress was very friendly, attentive and nice as we started off our meal. I thorougly enjoyed the pear martini-type cocktail and the DC Brau beer they offered on the beer menu. And the sesame seed green beans with candied pecans were a yummy way to start off dinner.
For an appetizer, I would highly recommend the spicy tuna tartare. It was outstanding and the sesame-miso cones added a great flavor and texture to the tuna.
My husband ordered the garlic chive dumplings (and we shared, even though I shouldn't have). They were doughy and delicious, served with a sort of sweet and savory sauce.
We definitely grilled the poor waitress about what are the best dinner options and she happily obliged with a set of recommendations based on our flavor preferences. I opted for the pork in a thai red curry sauce (I needed the spice). The curry sauce was good, and the pork was tender and succulent. The dish was solid, but nothing quite outstanding.
My husband selected the laquered chinese duckling served with mission figs and an anise-plum wine reduction sauce. The crispy, caramelized skin was a delicious sweet flavor to the savory, tender meat. It was a great dish.
At this point in the meal, the restaurant got busier and we seemed to lose our waitress. Dirty dishes sat on our table for some time as we were forced to sit a little too close to the table next to us and could not help but overhear a conversation that I wanted no part of. <Insert record scratch here>
Finally, our servers re-emerged but by then, it was a little too late. It was time to get out and fast, or I could be stuck at the table for another 30 minutes. We managed to get our check in a reasonable amount of time and then made the long, three flight journey to the restroom (this thorougly displeased my date).
In summary, this restaurant gets a lot of hype due to the "celebrity chef" that owns it and delivers a quality meal but not without some service and ambiance hiccups.
It's the perfect time of year for ripe, juicy peaches. We headed out to Hartland Orchard in Markham, VA to visit their orchard and pick our own. I've been going out to Hartland Orchard for the past few years to do all kinds of "pick your own" -- strawberries, blueberries, peaches, and apples. The family that owns Hartland Orchard and the farm next store, Green Truck Farm, are super nice and the farms are easy to get to -- right off Rt. 66 in VA, exit 18.
We had a great time picking the peaches. They were just within reach for my son, so they had a fun time selecting the perfect peaches to pull down off the tree. Needless to say, we came home with a whole bag of plump peaches.
Most people use peaches to make a cobbler, or a crisp, but I wanted to use the sweet flavor of a peach to balance spicy in the perfect peach salsa. It turned out SO GOOD. Fresh salsa is always amazing and this version, with a "sweet heat" is outstanding. Here's the recipe:
Ingredients
2 ripe peaches
2 large tomatoes
1 medium yellow onion
1/2 cup of cilantro
3 cloves of garlic
1 - 1.5 jalapeno pepper
1/2 teaspoon of cumin
pinch of salt
Preparation
1. Seed the tomato (to the extent possible... I am super lazy about this so you know, the seeds won't kill you). Slice and dice the tomatoes and peaches (you should have about equal parts of both) into 1 inch pieces.
2. Slice and dice the onion into very small segments. Dice garlic. Slice and dice jalapeno. Add to the peaches and tomatoes.
3. Chop cilantro and mix into the bowl with the salt and cumin.
4. And... you're done. If you don't like the extra "juice" in the salsa (I think it gives it flavor, but some folks are anti-juice), let the mix sit overnight to let the flavors blend and strain before serving. Can any extra to give to a friend (in exchange for margaritas of course!) and enjoy with chips and margaritas to celebrate the end of summer.
When I was growing up, I had a friend whose father owned a candy store. The candy was in bins all across the walls, as far as the eye could see. During the summer, we used to go to the store and load up bags full of gummy bears, swedish fish, and sour patch kids. As an extra bonus, when we went to her house to play, she had extra candy around the house that didn't sell in the store. It was like I was in a fairytale.
I still have a terrible sweet tooth to this day (and the cavities to prove it). There aren't many candy stores around nowadays, so when I heard about the Sugar Cube in Old Town, I was super excited. So, I dragged my son and his friend over there as my cover one afternoon.
The Sugar Cube definitely has lots of sweets. Canisters of chocolate and gummy candy line the walls with little scoops and plastic bags to mix and match.
They also have a glass case filled with chocolate truffles and confections. I spied one of my favorites in the case -- chocolate covered pretzels -- along with other delicious chocolate items like chocolate pretzel clusters and chocolate covered marshmellows.
And of course, high-end chocolate truffles with interesting flavor mixes like this one here...
Despite the great selection, and the fun we had getting our bags of candy, I was really disappointed by the customer service. We were barely greeted by the staff (who seemed to be busy setting up a party in the back room), and I sensed a bit of arrogance or annoyance as we were rung up. Whatever it was, I did not feel welcome or like any one cared that I was there. With my money.
It's a candy store. You will most likely have kids as customers. It does not hurt to smile or show some excitement for first-time visitors.
Anyway, definitely had a great selection of candy and chocolate, but I probably wouldn't go out of my way to visit next time around. I'll go get my sugar high some where else.
