Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Cream of Crab Soup

Seafood foodies --

A couple of nights ago I was really craving a thick, hearty soup.  So I decided to craft my own cream of crab, being a Maryland native and all.  My measurements may not be exact, but add each one to your liking!




Ingredients:

1 1/2 sticks butter
3/4 cup flour
1 quart half and half
1/2 cup milk (I used 1%)
2 cups chicken stock
1 can (16 oz) canned crab meat
1 bay leaf
2 tsp. Old Bay
2 tsp. curry powder
2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce (more if you're like me)
Salt and pepper

Melt butter over medium high heat and add flour to create a roux.  Whisk for two minutes.  Add half and half, milk, and chicken stock and bring to a simmer.  Stir in bay leaf, Old Bay, and curry powder.  Add crab meat and bring back up to a simmer.  Finish with Worcestershire sauce and salt and pepper to taste.  Top with a sprinkle of Old Bay.  Serve with fresh veggies or bread.  Voila!  Enjoy :)

Remember

"Yum!"  -Meghan O'Neil

*foodie love

Monday, January 25, 2010

The Light Horse -- Alexandria, VA

VA Foodies --

I work in Old Town, VA and live in Frederick, MD....quite the commute I know.  But I have the pleasure of working in a place buzzing with new restaurants and current food trends.  Last week I decided to stroll down the street and check out a place I hadn't tried before.  I went with The Light Horse



Featuring upscale American classic pub food and daily specials, The Light Horse is a quiet atmosphere for a relaxing evening after work.  

I started with a glass of pinot noir and asked for our server's recommendations. First I tried the Nuts and Berries salad -- peppery arugula, shallots, radishes, candied pecans, strawberries and pecan crusted goat cheese (yum!), finished with a raspberry vinaigrette. I love any combination of arugula and goat cheese, so this salad was perfect for me.  The pepperiness of the lettuce, and the creamy tartness of the goat cheese and berries is my favorite combination of textures and flavors.  Great start to the meal.

Second, going with the server's recommendation, I had the pork tenderloin.  I really must thank our server for this recommendation because it was absolutely incredible.  The plate was beautifully stacked with a cheddar risotto cake on the bottom, sauteed spinach with garlic,shallots, and butter in the middle, and the pork on top -- blackened and topped with a sweet onion jam.  The pork was beautifully cooked to a juicy medium and the poblano cream and basil oil surrounding the plate was to die for.  The poblano cream had so much flavor -- smoky and rich -- and really enhanced the pork.  I grew up eating McCutcheon's apple butter on my pork, so the sweet onion jam brought me back with the sweetness and gave me something new with the tang and texture of the onion.  The risotto cake was crispy and rich, with a cheesy finish, and the spinach was tender and garlicy...delicious.  I would highly recommend this dish, and thank our server for recommending it to me!

Being a sucker for anything carb loaded and cheesy, I also ordered a side of the mac and cheese.  Keeping with the rest of the meal, it did not disappoint.  Consisting of a melted gooeyness of cheddar, monterey jack, and gruyere cheeses, it was topped with crispy fried basil and played a symphony of sweet, pungent, and creamy on my tastebuds.  Having written this, I find cheese to be one of the hardest flavors to describe....
  
We finished with the chef's homemade pecan pie topped with creme fraiche. My date and I both found it interesting that the pecans were ground, but we loved it.  The creme fraiche was tangy and airy, nice change from the traditional vanilla ice cream.  

All in all, it was a great meal that I would highly recommend if taking a trip to Old Town...

Remember:  
“Food is our common ground, a universal experience.” -James Beard

*foodie love

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Zola -- Washington, DC

DC Foodies --

Restaurant week is upon us! Last week being the official week, and these next couple being the extended weeks. I picked wisely this year and decided to make my first stop at Zola on F street. Located right next to the Spy Museum, the restaurant invites guests in with a hip, modern decor. I met my friend and we started off the night with a phenomenal drink called the blue sting. It was a rum drink with fresh blueberries, apples, mint, honey, cranberry juice, soda water....etc. It was so crisp and refreshing, we easily downed two each.


After some delicious house bread, we were served a yummy amuse bouche of a toasted pita point, hummus and a roasted red pepper coulis. Very flavorful, and vegetarian friendly for my friend -- major points :) Definitely whet our appetites.


I was very pleased to find out that Zola was offering their entire menu for restaurant week, but it did seem a little hectic. I started with the veal sweet breads chop salad, with hard boiled quail egg, saint andre cheese, and a apricot-mustard vinaigrette. Sounded promising -- but actually lacked flavor. I found the whole dish needing salt and pepper, and expected more acid from the dressing. Still, crispy sweetbreads were delicious.


My friend started with the cheese and mushroom fondutta, served with crusty bread. Although I love mostly everything, mushrooms have always been a sore spot for me. I did try the morel and the flavor was amazing. The cheese was kept hot and my friend described it as rich and fresh, almost a meal in itself, with a variety of hearty mushrooms -- she would definitely get it again.



My second course was a seafood hotpot with a quinoa salad. Unfortunately our entrees came out when we were only halfway through our appetizers, but we quickly finished them up, anxious to move on to course two. The hotpot came recommended by our server and I can see why. This dish was phenomenal. Filled with perfectly cooked, melt in my mouth salmon, meaty shrimp (maybe slightly overcooked but still delicious), clams, mussels, and scallops. The broth was the star, with fresh crushed tomatoes, cilantro, garlic, basil, etc. So flavorful I think I could have eaten anything soaked in that sauce. The quinoa salad was also heavenly. With crisp sweet corn, fresh tomatoes and bits of asparagus, I ate it up in seconds. The bread was also the perfect utensil to sop up all that left over broth.


I ended my meal with a pear crisp. Warm and crunchy, with spiced ice cream and a dried pear chip, it was very good. I was looking for a lighter dessert on the menu, but most were very rich and heavy.


Overall, the meal was pretty good. I have heard a lot of great things about Zola and will definitely be back to try it again.

Remember:
“A well-run restaurant is like a winning baseball team. It makes the most of every crew member's talent and takes advantage of every split-second opportunity to speed up service."

*foodie love