Food & Wine

Ari Post • May 3, 2012

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A rainy September can be bad news for the late summer harvest. With the cooler temperature and reduced sunlight, late summer favorites like cucumbers, heirloom tomatoes, melons and squash are quick to be damaged and waterlogged by abundant rainfall such that Hurricane Irene brought us. “But it didn’t just rain this month,” says farmer Mark Toigo. “It got biblical.”

Toigo is owner of Toigo Orchards, a local family farm in Shippensburg, Pa., and loyal supplier to chef and restaurateur Ris Lacoste. You can find Toigo Orchards’ produce at almost every major farmer’s market in the Washington area, and their selection is still among the best available despite the tough season. “It’s been a traumatic environmental cycle this year,” says Toigo. “The spring started off so wet, the soil so soggy, that we had late plantings. We had hale in late May. And July was a scorcher—over 90 degrees every day. We lost 10 percent of new tree plantings because we weren’t able to get enough water to the young roots.”

And after the heat, of course, came the rain.

“We easily lost $40,000 because of Irene,” says Jaci Arnold, of Richfield Farm in Manchester, Md. “We had significant crop loss and went out of service for a week. You can’t exactly go veggie picking in a hurricane.”

Plant cells expand and burst with excess water, Arnold explains, causing the vegetables to grow beyond their natural size, splitting, cracking and exploding. Consumers will feel the effects of this watery overkill into October, as the past month of rain drastically damaged this season’s pumpkin supply. Without proper drainage, even hearty, fully formed root vegetables will rot in a matter of days. Surviving vegetables spoil much faster; they often can’t even make it to the produce stands and tend to have a very limited shelf life.

However, nature always has a certain way of balancing itself out. With the excess rain, a few seasonal treats are thriving. “Brussel sprouts seem to be doing great,” says Arnold. “This rain came at a good time of their growth. And beet growth has also been accelerated. They can handle the water.”

And one bulbous little fungus is soaking up this wet September happier than the rest. Mushrooms are sprouting in beds across forest floors up and down the East Coast.

They’re hard to miss these days, squatting under trees, against shrubs and among the grass, their caps tilted pensively toward the cloudy skies. But this newspaper does not condone the picking and eating of wild mushrooms unless you are a fungal expert. So I, for one, adhere to Thoreau’s assessment of these exotic sprouts: “The value … is not in the mere possession or eating of them, but in the sight and enjoyment of them.”

“The mushrooms loved Irene,” says Ray Lasala, president of the Mycological Assocation of Washington. “Mushrooms are 90 percent water, and they appear a few days after the rain. They’re like compressed little sponges that develop in the ground and tree logs and pop when they’re hit with enough moisture.”

Lasala says that the best time of year for local fall mushrooms is between Labor Day and Columbus Day, when the moisture levels and temperature are right. Keep an eye out at the markets over the next few weeks for honey mushrooms, chicken of the woods and puffballs. Ris certainly will.

“Mushrooms are on the horizon,” she says, “along with pears, apples and winter squash. It’s a funny thing — I don’t want to give up summer, the peaches, tomatoes and corn. But fall is upon us, and a chef’s job is to always look ahead for what’s to come.”

Ris tips for cooking with mushrooms:
Make sure they are clean.
Make sure they are thoroughly dried.
Do not rinse mushrooms with gills, just dust them thoroughly with a towel or mushroom brush. The gills will absorb the water and dilute the mushroom.
Trim woody stems.
When cooking, start with a hot pan and a little bit of oil to seize moisture and caramelize.
Do not crowd the pan, only a single layer of mushrooms at a time. Overcrowding results in poached mushrooms, not seared.
Roasting is a great alternative to stir-frying. Toss with olive oil salt and pepper. Add shallots or herbs if you want.
Cook different types of mushrooms separately, as they each have different textures and require different cooking times. Mix after cooking.
Sherry and Madeira are two of my favorite wines for mushroom cooking.

Jed’s Marinated Mushrooms
by Sous Chef Jed Fox

3 oz. canola oil
1 lb. cleaned and trimmed mushrooms,
any variety
6 Tbs. chopped garlic
6 Tbs. chopped shallots
2 sprigs thyme
1 fresh bay leaf
Salt and white pepper
2 oz. dry white wine
Good olive oil

Bring the canola oil to smoking hot in a large, heavy based saucepan. Add mushrooms in a single layer, covering the bottom of the pan. Stir once and allow to sear for 3 – 4 minutes, until golden brown. Stir again and allow to brown 4 – 5 minutes longer. Add garlic, shallots, herbs, salt and pepper to taste. Cook until shallots are soft and aromatics are released. Deglaze with the white wine. Reduce the wine to almost dry, then add olive oil just to cover. Bring the olive oil to a light simmer and remove pan from heat. Allow to rest for 15 minutes, until cool enough to handle. Pour into a storage container and keep covered in the refrigerator for up to ten days. Allow mushrooms to return to room temperature before serving. NOTE: The mushroom oil can also be used as a lovely finishing oil for pastas and salads.

Samantha Hungerford •

The first signs of fall are blustering in to the District—the sudden temperature drop, overcast skies, the cold nights, the smell of rain hanging in the air. You spend the workday fantasizing about putting your robe and slippers back on, throwing a log on the fire and curling up for a cozy evening with whomever you hold dear.
It’s no secret that the colder months reawaken the lovebug in us all. Movie marathons and window gazing with your inamorato just don’t do the trick in the summertime. But when the leaves turn to golden brown and the cold wind starts stirring, it’s all you can do to say goodbye.
One ritual near guaranteed to bring couples closer together is cooking a meal together, and fall is full of seasonal recipes that will keep you warm and happy.
But, just like trying to agree on a movie, striking the right epicurean balance can be tricky. Men often tend toward heavier, more savory dishes, while women frequently enjoy eat lighter meals. But with the right ingredients and spices, it’s possible to cook up some fall favorites that will satisfy that craving for hearty dishes and won’t put you in a food coma until next spring.
Chili is a warm, filling autumn staple perfect for those chilly nights ahead. However, with its abundance of red meat and salt, traditional chili recipes are not so perfect for the waistline. This recipe substitutes ground beef for ground turkey, and offers a range of spices in place of an overabundance of salt, so that even though the calories are cut, the flavor is not.
Whether shared with your partner by the fire or served on game day with chips and cornbread, this recipe is the perfect meal for a fall evening at home.
Hint: Experiment with spices! Make this recipe your own. Add less or more of any of these spices or try adding a few extra favorites for a personalized recipe.
Optional: Make your own chili powder. Plump chipotles and any other dried chilies of your liking in a dry skillet then grind into a fine powder in a coffee grinder. This adds a wonderful depth of rich flavor quickly.

Light Autumn Chili

1 lb. lean ground turkey
1 small can tomato purée
1 large can diced tomatoes
2 cans kidney beans
2 cans black beans
1 medium can corn
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 Serrano chilies
1 tbsp. olive oil
2 tsp. seasoned salt
2 tsp. pepper
1 tbsp. chili powder
1 tbsp. cumin
1 tbsp. oregano
1 tsp. paprika
Your favorite hot sauce

In a large pan, sauté the onion, garlic, pepper and chilies in olive oil on medium-high heat until the onions are clear, 3 – 5 minutes. Mix in ground turkey and let fry until the meat is cooked through to the center, about 5 minutes. Add tomato purée, diced tomatoes, kidney and black beans and corn. Mix together, then add the spices and stir. Bring to a simmer, turn to low heat and cover. Cook until corn, peppers and beans are tender and all flavors have melded together, stirring occasionally, at least 30 minutes. Season to taste with salt, pepper and hot sauce and serve.

Miss Dixie •

As the tail end of summer approaches, it’s time to enjoy the remaining fruits and produce of the season. While many will preserve these garden delicacies for future cooking projects, The Museum of the American Cocktail recently hosted a seminar entitled “Fruits of the Harvest” which focused on how to save the fresh flavors of summer and incorporate them into your cocktail recipes all year long.The event, led by Chef Geoff’s Elli Benchimol and PS7’s Gina Chersevani, provided detailed instructions on creating tinctures from fresh herbs, peppers and blossoms, and pickling and canning techniques for fruits and veggies. And, of course, the demonstrations included sampling some magnificent cocktails.
The creative concoctions included Elli’s Salsa Verde, a tequila-based cocktail forged with cilantro and a habanero tincture and Chersevani’s gin martini variation topped with a pickled grape and seasoned with her pickling liquid.
The drink that piqued my interest the most was Chersevani’s raspberry shrub punch. This multi-layered cocktail incorporated a plethora of fresh herbs and combined them with rye whiskey, sparkling wine and a zesty homemade raspberry shrub.
A shrub is vinegar and fruit based drink that dates back to American colonial days. It was an easy way for farmers to preserve end-of–season fruit. According to Chersevani,  shrubs were a popular refresher at that time, often enjoyed by field workers who spent their days toiling in the sun. The acidity in the drink would make the laborers feel less thirsty.
While the fruit and vinegar combination may sound strange, imagine the way that an acidic squeeze of fresh lemon juice can highlight the flavor of fresh berries.
Chersevani describes the shrub as one of the easiest preservation techniques to master. In addition to berries, she suggests experimenting with apricots, peaches, plums and pears.
Her shrub recipe implements a simple 1:1:1:1 ratio. The process starts by combining one  pint of fresh fruit, in this case raspberries, and one cup of red wine vinegar. The two are combined and placed on a shelf for ten days to meld. The only action required is a simple agitation of the jar once a day. “Do not shake it,” Chersevani warned,” Just give a quick swirl-around.”
After the allotted time, the fruit and vinegar combo is poured into a saucepan and mixed with one pint of sugar and  water. The blend is boiled until its volume is halved. The shrub is strained, cooled and stored in jars.
On its own, Chersevani’s shrub had a strong and pungent flavor. But when mixed in her punch, it provided a jovial tart and toothsome smack that tasted like a brisk walk through a ripe orchard.
While the punch had a pleasant sweetness, no additional sugar, other than what was used in making the shrub, was used. Instead of being cloyingly sweet, the acidity of the shrub popped the bright taste of the rye whiskey and highlighted the complex flavor of the herbs.
While this punch takes several stages to put together, its unique sunny essence will impress your guests at your next get-together.

Farm Stand Shrub Punch
16 oz. raspberry shrub
32 oz .Wild Turkey Rye
16 oz. lemon juice
32 oz. sparkling wine
20 sage leaves
10 basil leaves
10 sprigs of thyme
10 dashes lemon bitters

In a punch bowl combine rye, shrub, lemon juice and herbs. Gina suggests dry muddling the herbs and placing them in an empty tea bag. Let mixture stand for at least one hour. Before serving, add ice, bitters and sparkling wine. Serve in punch glasses with a lemon slice.
Ingredients to make this punch may be purchased at Dixie liquor located at 3429 M St. in Georgetown. For more information about upcoming Museum of the American Cocktail seminars go to MuseumOftheAmericanCocktail.org.

Caroline Jackson •

Fall has arrived, and for American and European wineries, that means harvest time! Across the northern hemisphere, many wine regions are just wrapping up their harvest season while others are gearing up to start. This process can last anywhere from a couple of weeks to a couple of months, depending on the size of production and how uniformly the grapes ripen. In the weeks leading up to pickintg, workers in the vineyards are dropping clusters for flavor concentration, pruning back overgrown canopies, and measuring sugar and acid levels in the berries to predict the nature of the vintage. Cellar hands are meticulously sanitizing tanks, pumps, bins and presses to give the fruit the best chance to make superior wine. During this time, the anticipation slowly builds and winemakers pray for the rain, birds, and pests to hold off until the time has come to pick the grapes.
The unusual weather has made 2011 a chaotic year for viticulture across the board. Record high temperatures in Bordeaux led to one of the earliest harvests in the region’s history. California and Oregon are behind due to uncommonly cool summer months. And just imagine what Hurricane Irene has done to the East Coast wine regions.
But regardless of when the picking begins, harvest is always the toughest but most exciting and rewarding time of year in wine country. Most wineries welcome interns, often from all over the globe, and the whole team works long hours to get all the fruit in at its peak ripeness. Harvest always involves a lot of sweat and stress, but it also comes with an overabundance of fantastic meals, valuable friendships, and hard-earned pride in the vintage’s product.
The approach of fall weather finds any wine enthusiast excited about the varietals ideal for the season. While the heat of summer warrants bright steel-fermented whites and a D.C. winter seems to call for bigger, jammier reds and creamy Chardonnays, fall is the perfect time of year to choose wines that may not be as well-known, but that evoke the diversity of color, flavor, and complexity found in the foods and landscapes of the season.
The clearest parallel in a wine may be found in a classic Gewürztraminer from the appellation of Alsace, France. While Alsace is known for its crisp dry Riesling and full-bodied Pinot Gris that also pair well with autumn-inspired meals, the distinctive character of the Gewürztraminer grape fully embodies the spirit of fall. It has a color range from deep golden to almost coppery orange, and it’s one of the most aromatic varietals, showcasing a spectrum of flavors from spiced apple and pear to honeysuckle to lychee and nuts. Similar to Riesling, Gewürztraminer can be either sweet or dry, depending on the style of production. But all versions pair excellently with baked ham, roasted poultry, and meatier fish—think Thanksgiving!
One highly underrated and often misunderstood wine that finds an ideal stage this time of year is wine from Gamay (or Gamay Noir), the primary red grape found in the Beaujolais region of France. Gamay is usually a lighter-bodied wine in texture, but can be very full in flavor. A good Beaujolais from one of a handful of Crus-designated producers will display deep red fruit flavors, good acid structure, and layers of pepper and spice. Unfortunately many people only know the name Beaujolais for the marketing phenomenon of Beaujolais nouveau, a festival held in France in November celebrating the very first releases of the vintage. These are very light, fruity, and one-dimensional wines fun for the occasion but far from a high-end bottling. For a more refined and complex Gamay that pairs well with smoky meats and stews, look for the Crus domains such as Morgon or Côte du Brouilly, or you can also find comparable Gamays from a few Oregon producers such as Willakenzie Estate and Chehalem.
If you are looking for a red wine with more tannin structure and bigger fruit than a Gamay might offer, fall is the perfect time to start breaking out the Zinfandels. Mostly grown in a few California counties such as Sonoma and Amador, Zins are ripe-fruited full-bodied wines that can display rich earthy and savory flavors layered with blackberry, cocoa, cedar, and pepper, ideal to warm a chilly fall evening. A well-balanced Zinfandel will pair beautifully with heavier autumn dishes such as leg of lamb or traditional Italian lasagna.
Harvest time is always a time of celebration, whether it’s in the vineyard or in your own backyard garden. As the leaves take on their most vibrant and dynamic colors, use this opportunity to evolve your palate by exploring wines you’ve never tried. And as we say at the winery: wine is far better with fine food and good friends.
Caroline Jackson works for Chehalem Winery in Oregon’s Willamette Valley, with a background in East Coast wine sales and winemaking. Visit her blog, Sips and Sounds, which pairs daily music selections with a wine or craft beer.

Miss Dixie •

What do you get when you cross one of Washington’s most innovative and crafty bar chefs with a New Zealand spirit that prides itself with being offbeat and irreverent? The answer is Gina Chersavani’s Up in Smoke, an award-winning cocktail forged from vodka and marigold topped off with an alluring poof of smoked sugar cotton candy. This whimsical tipple captures all the fun of an autumn carnival and combines it with sophisticated ambiance of an outdoor performance of Shakespeare in the park.
Chersavani, a self-proclaimed “mixtress” is well known for the fanciful cocktails at PS-7, where she presides. The Up in Smoke adds another creative choice to the already-eclectic menu.

This fun concoction was designed for the World Cocktail Cup sponsored by 42 below Vodka. According to Chersavani, the idea of the contest was to be as daring as you want to be. “The rule rules were, ‘there are no rules’,” she explained.

Her idea of cotton candy cocktail certainly fit the bill. ”It wasn’t so much as using cotton candy, but more of the idea of using it as a vessel,” Chersavani explained. “It was a way of putting the sugar into a cocktail in a different form.”

After winning the Washington, D.C., round of the competition, Chersavani had to tote her cotton candy-making machine to New York for the U.S. finals. She rode with the contraption on the train and schlepped it around Manhattan on a dolly. While she didn’t advance to the next round of the competition in New Zealand, luckily for Washingtonians, she brought her cocktail back to D.C. where it earned a spot on PS-7’s fall cocktail menu.

While most folks do not have a cotton candy machine lurking in their kitchens, replicating Chersavani’s cocktail is easily achievable task for home bartenders. The drink is enjoyable with or without its fluffy topper.

The base (minus the cotton candy) of the Up In Smoke is a mixture of vodka lemon, honey, bitters and marigold seed. While the latter ingredient may sound exotic, Chersavani says that it’s more common than you think. It can be purchased at Teaism, Whole Foods and health food store. She steeps the marigold as though she were making a pot of herbal tea to create a base liquid. The marigold gives this potable a bright and sunny fresh flavor.

Even though she likes to utilize out of the ordinary ingredients, Chersavani prefers to keep the components in her cocktails accessible. She doesn’t like recipes where the ingredients are too difficult or rare to find. “That’s not going to work for most people,” she says.

So, if you are seeking fall festival-style sweet and don’t feel like heading to the suburbs, swing by PS-7 for a decidedly adult twist on one of your childhood treats. Or, if you feel like relaxing at home, you can whip up this cocktail on your own and add a pinch or two of smoked sugar to suit your taste.

Up in Smoke

1.5 oz 42 Below Vodka
1 oz lemon juice
2 oz Marigold Tea or a Teazan of fruit would
be a good substitute
2 or 3 dashes Angostura bitters
2 or 3 dashes Gary Reagan bitters
 
In a shaker 3/4 filled with ice, combine all ingredients, shake until frothy, strain into a small wine glass.  Then, top with smoked cotton candy.

Readers may sample the “Up In Smoke” at PS-7 located at 777 I Street NW. [gallery ids="100311,107977" nav="thumbs"]

Ariell Kirylo •

Jack Kerouac once wrote, “the only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved.” Yet, what Jack failed to scribble onto his snarky scroll of self-searching was “mad to cook” and this, my dear friends, is the best kind of mad there is. Partaking on his own self-fulfilling journey is Chef RJ Cooper III with his new restaurant, Rogue 24. Folded within the narrow streets of Blagden Alley lies a unique kitchen where all angst of culinary dissatisfaction in our nation’s capital comes to die. The kitchen at Rogue 24 is not hidden behind swinging doors, nor is it your typical “open kitchen” you may think you’ve seen. RJ Cooper’s stage is smack in the middle of the dining room and filled with eager minions ready to show Chef how brilliant they actually are. In turn, this makes an evening at Rogue 24 as close to perfect as Cooper’s team of “gastr-overachievers” can possibly make it. During dinner, and surely encouraged by increasing sips of paired alcoholic splendor, it is hard not to become enamored by a man exposed and unafraid to perform on command. It is his taste, his vision and the dripping fruit of his own culinary past — your role as the diner is simply to meditate, appreciate and associate each bite with the nostalgic smells and flavors of your past.

The concept of eating “nostalgically” is like going to an art gallery – you interpret what is before you as per your own life experiences. Whether it’s your grandmother’s best cooked dish or one you tasted whilst travelling through Europe, both of Cooper’s tasting menus will at some point wisk your tongue down memory lane. Somewhere in the midst of courses one through 24, you will indeed recognize a smell or a flavor from one day when and “oohs and ahhs” of wistfulness will escape you between bites. You will so very delicately discover at Rogue 24, that eating is no longer the act of fork to mouth, but more purposefully — fork to soul. Bearing all this in mind, I approached every dish that evening with contempt, as I fought to unlock the nostalgic crux of each swollen balsamic fish egg. And by the end of 24 plates and a myriad of generous wine pours and cocktails, I felt just as any soul-drifter would: content, haggard, and yes, very drunk. In the dimly lit dining room where mid-century meets industrial design and foam tastes like cucumber, I could not help but think back to the characters of Kerouac’s American classic, “On the Road,” whose dreams of freedom from conformity sent them haywire through landscapes, relationships and ultimately self-actualization. As Dean and Sal attempt to escape the monotony of everyday life, I , too, find myself beaten and unsatisfied with an endless continuum of lackluster ambiance and predictable meals. The restlessness becomes too much to bear, and my credit card and I drive up and away into the sunset. Though Route 66 has become just another interstate highway on an even phonier map than before, Chef RJ Cooper III decided to stick it to everyone and turn dinner into a journey. I arrived to the restaurant right before the first reservation, accidently interrupting the family-style staff dinner in the salon. Without hesitation or annoyance, the chef sat me down next to him and continued his democratic address of necessary business that evening.

Seated among the young cast of 30 odd employees, the atmosphere felt more like a gathering of actors before curtain call than a throng of cooks, hosts and waiters. It was quite evident that for those present, it was not just another day at work. For the folks of Rogue 24 dinnertime is show time and, with every designer plate served since July 27, just another opportunity to improve and perfect their trade. After a huddle and break, the staff scattered back to Kitchen Island and furiously continued prepping for the evening’s performance.

Left in the salon with a glass of rosé bubbly, I prepared to partake on my own journey — 24 mini extravaganzas with eight pairings that would, according to Harold our noble host, indubitably amaze and surprise. While I have dined at restaurants with similar haute cuisine progressions, it is always exciting to uncover the mysteries of each chef’s own life pit-stops weaved throughout the layers of crème fraiche and rooibos gel. And as the curtains separating the salon from the dining room began to flutter with movement of cooks in the kitchen, my dinner guest and I were asked to follow Harold into the dining room. From the start of “The Journey” on, we were delicately placed in RJ Cooper’s passenger seat as he veered effortlessly between roles of top chef, host and waiter, all while blessing each plate before sending it off to a table. Without further ado, and to continue my thesis supporting the connection between Kerouac’s novel and the experience of Rogue 24, I present to you with the utmost exclusivity, the better and more innovative dishes of the evening. In addition, and as any English major/food enthusiast would, I have separated the selected plates into themes associated with “On the Road.” Therefore each theme is representative of the memories I personally shared upon tasting each dish as well as my personal critiques. Enjoy and Bon Voyage!

“T includes 24 courses; $175/with pairings; $120/without. (Note: Dishes come out at a quick pace. No time for breaks. You are in a two-hour tunnel of endless sensations and spirits.)

While I recommend saving your pennies for just another week to experience “The Journey,” you may also choose the lighter fare of “The Progression,” which includes 16 courses; $145/with pairings: $100/without.

Fowl Play: To explain this dish in a clear nutshell, it is a maple wood campfire captured in a cup. Make sure to lift off the top of this jarred jewel slowly as the trapped “smoke” escapes quickly. The smell of summer camp triggers the liberating memory of out-running the fat kid in Capture the Flag and you are free, free, free. Honestly, I never loved camping, but this thoughtful dish makes the outdoors taste good. Within this jar you will find crispy duck jerky, a partridge egg yolk cooked gooey, some “hay” (fried corn silks) and an edible flower. It is to be eaten in one smoky, sticky spoonful.

Not Your Cheese Course: The interpretation of this Babybel cheese reminded me of the old days when I snuck these rubies from the refrigerator to secretly consume in my room. Oh, the joy of unwrapping their waxy shell! (Naturally, the mystery of the disappearing cheese was later uncovered by my stepmother due to the mound of red waxy balls piling in my sock drawer.) Yet this bundle of headcheese is not meant to be unwrapped. Folded within its edible exterior is braised pork churned and dipped into a paprika gelatin-like substance made from seaweed. It is served slated with pickled mustard seed, mustard green, violet mustard grape musk and complimented with pretzel paper.

Shrimp and Grits: With ringing freedom bells from Vidalia and freedom from the o’ so common comforting bed of grits with sleeping crustaceans, Cooper presents his unadulterated version of a Southern classic. If you do not know what to expect, listen carefully to your server for this dish. The grit covered corn milk lava ball represents the traditional goop, and the shrimp is reinvented in chorizo form. You need not a spoon but only a couple bites to consume this relic of Cooper’s past.

Foie gras: Sunday morning breakfast goes nuovelle cuisine? I thought this dish to be the most unusual pairing of flavors and temperatures, but also one of the most inventive. What you see is a hearty bowl of nitrogen frozen foie gras shaved like icy cornflakes and layered above lavender merengue and rooibos gel. Though I felt the presentation of this dish, including the oversized spoon, was muddled and just plain confusing, the rich and buttery foie gras literally melts in your mouth and is nicely complimented by the texture and sweetness of the merengue. With the appropriate spoon and served in a dish where the ingredients can be better observed, I would say this one is definitely a keeper.

Lamb Neck: Cooper has perfected the relationship of sweet and savory in this Eastern-inspired dish. The lamb is braised for 24 hours then portioned to sit upon Tzatziki — add blot of black garlic, splotch of eggplant puree, and a sweet smear of lemon meringue puree. Not to dismiss the candied sesame seeds and greasy onion chip, but the caramelized lemon and eggplant sang brilliantly in tune. A dip in the tangy garlic whistling from the Tzatziki brings it all together in one tongue-tingling sensation.
Visions of America

Virginia Corn or “Cornucopia”: What’s more American than corn? Though I did not really understand this dish other than it being reminiscent of my grandfather’s vitamin-filled oatmeal, I did however find it mockingly appealing. As you can see there is corn espuma on top of a corn chip powder with a baby heirloom corn, brown butter emulsion, freeze-dried corn, popcorn with escrolet pepper, a pickled mushroom and a sprinkle of black salt. It is almost like Cooper wanted to take what the rest of the world mocks us for and turn it into a gourmet slap in the face. Ironically enough, I found the mushroom to be the tastiest part of the dish. A celebration of a country or a F-you to the haters? There could be a political message here.

Tennessee: Not just your classic combo of chocolate and vanilla, this dessert will make your cookie crumble. Adorably plated on a mound of “soil” (ground homemade oreo), this dirty dish is composed of chocolate cremeux (similar to a pudding), olive Sinclair chocolate from Nashville, and hatted with maple wood gelato delicately shaped into a quenelle (three-sided football shape/dumpling). The earthiness of the maple wood and the texture of the oreo soil initially gave the impression of noshing a spoonful of forest floor. Yet, as the gelato melts in your mouth and dampens the cookie crumbles, the flavors marry perfectly. You begin to wonder where you can buy this dessert by the pint.

Toigo’s Peach Inspiration: Another Southern-inspired dish gone mental was the all-American peaches n’ cream. The summer’s juiciest peaches from Toigo Orchards in Pennsylvania were sliced and soaked in bourbon syrup and potted with sweet tea gelée and vanilla. While the overall flavor of this dessert was rousing, I felt the presentation made it look like a stringy, vomity soup. As much as the 10-year-old in me jumped for joy at the sound of marshmallow noodles, I am not convinced they did the texture of this dish any favors. Instead of slimy marshmallow bucatini, maybe Cooper should shoot for fire crispy gnocchetti next time? Also, I feel a burnt flavor and a crispiness to the noodles could really tie the dish together as well as help with the texture setback. Note: The chosen pairing of a Val-Dieu, a rich Belgian beer, is a must for this dish.

Sea Floor: Pretty to look at, pretty annoying to eat. Cooper makes you work for this one and if you do not like the taste of the ocean floor, this may not be your favorite course. I, on the other hand, could not wait to try my luck at catching the sea booger with my giant tweezers. Step aside fork! Sea Floor is made up of a Catalina Island sea urchin, pickled seaweed and sea-air foam. Due to the depth of the bowl, the aromas are caught and held within. Go ahead, stick your face in the bowl. It is like taking a whiff of sea air. Note: Neither the bowl nor the utensil are intended for the diner’s comfort. In fact, some dishes at Rogue 24, such as Sea Floor, are the antithesis of comfortable eating. Struggling to clasp the oozing sea urchin with foot-long tweezers, can only be comparable to watching a toddler play Operation. Thankfully, the only thing missing from this dish was that fastidious buzzer.

Hog Jowl: To the tune of the Newman’s “dance of the plastic bag,” I took a bite of what would end up being one of my favorite dishes of the evening. Who knew the complexity onion ice cream could bring to a pain perdu? Served on a small square sand dollar was caramelized onion ice cream topped with a bit of smoky jowl (pig cheek) and escorted by a fatty corn puff stuck to the plate with caramel. This dish was memorable for the play with salty and sweet as well as temperature. Upon digging in, our waiter made sure to tell us to “enjowl.” So, there was cheese with this dish.

Garden Soda: If this bottle contained a message, it would be “Ariell, this drink was made for thee.” I am a sucker for cutesy presentation, and this savory soda of vegetable consommé with summer squash and garden flowers was a sparkling, sugary, splendor. The slight saltiness of the veggie stock made me and addict for small sips and the fragrance escaping the bottle as you brought it to your lips was of sweet smelling of cucumbers. I had to have two.

An evening at Rogue 24 is not only about trying your hand at tricky utensils and your tongue at new tastes and temperature marriages, it is also about sips of cocktails and wine between bites and laughs. It is a place to witness those dedicated to culinary creativity put before you food designed with passion and intensity. [gallery ids="100312,108007,108002,107997,107992,108016,107987,108020,107982,108024,108028,108012" nav="thumbs"]

Miss Dixie •

It’s a dark and creepy Halloween night in suburban Maryland. The young trick-or-treaters, gingerly approach their neighbor’s yard, a house usually occupied by the humble Mr. and Mrs. Lenoir. But tonight they can sense something is different. Maybe it’s the ghosts fluttering in the evening breeze, the ghouls lurking in the shadows or vampires waiting to pounce. Who or what should they expect?
Before you can say boo – a squeal of delight is heard from the youngsters and their parents as well. They have stumbled on the Halloween house of Mr. Booze.

Halloween is favorite holiday for Jerry Lenoir, the leading man behind the nifty Mr-Booze.com website. If you’re looking for classic cocktail recipes, mood music and tips for setting up your home entertainment center aka home bar, Mr-Booze.com is your go-to place. The site includes a special section on Halloween entertaining.

Lenoir celebrates Halloween in a large way. “I do a big yard haunt,” he says. “Neighbors with children, and even some without, walk on over to check out the zombies, ghouls, and vampires I put out to thrill the kids. Of course, I also make a big batch of an autumnal libation for parents to carry on their rounds. It’s funny, because after the moms and dads bring their kids home for the evening, you’ll see a George Romero-esque, zombie pack of dads stumble back towards my garage by light of the moon, for an annual bending of the elbow. We’ll have a few more drinks and enjoy the chilly night engaged in silly conversation.”

Halloween is one of the most popular holidays for hosting a party. The Mr-Booze website is full of ideas on how set a spooky mood. “October calls for unique and seasonal cocktails the whole way through,” Lenoir says. Spicy and seasonal ingredients such as ginger and apple will give your cocktails a warming punch for autumn. Some of the fabulous fall drinks on the website include Applejack rabbits, nutty monks and ginger daiquiris.

Your decorating scheme doesn’t have to be over the top. “‘I’ll burn a cinnamon-apple scented candle and put some good old-school jazz on hi-fi,” Lenoir says. “I even have a list of Halloween-themed CDs and downloadable music on the site.”

Autumn and Halloween are the perfect time of year for festivity. “The hot weather has blown away, the leaves are gorgeous, the food gets a bit richer and quilts go on the beds,” Lenoir says. “People’s moods change. I think Halloween is a culmination and celebration of comfort.” He says “ Adults, for the most part, are still kids deep inside. I’ve never forgotten how thrilling the night can be. I still love werewolves, The Monster Mash and caramel apples — only now I’m in my 40s. How great is it to watch children get excited by the very same things that grabbed you at their age. Only now, you can have a cocktail and watch their fun.”

Applejack Rabbit

• 2 oz Laird’s Applejack
• 1 oz lemon juice
• 2 oz orange juice
• 3/4 oz real maple syrup

Shake all ingredients with cracked ice in a shaker. Serve up and ice-cold in a cocktail glass, garnish with an apple slice, light the jack-o-lantern up and enjoy.

Ingredients to make the Applejack Rabbit may be purchased at Dixie Liquor, 3429 M Street, N.W., in Georgetown. For more recipes, visit www.Mr-Booze.com.

Georgetowner •

“Mother nature is an artist herself, with a palette of colors that create the seasons,” says Chef Ris Lacoste. “She gives us the green vegetables of spring—asparagus, peas and spinach. Then summer brings the fiery reds and yellows of tomatoes, corn and peppers. And then those reds and yellows mellow into the sweet golden orange of fall. You just know the bright orange pumpkins are out there in the patch, waiting to be picked.”

Gastronomically speaking, pumpkins are the oft forgotten stepchildren tof the winter squash family. Butternut, acorn, hubbard and spaghetti squash frequent the markets and tables of seasonal eaters everywhere. But pumpkins are almost exclusively found at roadside pumpkin stands promoting Halloween, and their culinary potential is rarely tapped to its fullest extent. “We don’t eat the Jack-O-Lantern,” says Ris.

As it were, Halloween carving pumpkins, the most commonly grown and distributed variety of all winter squash, are not very good or flavorful, and that may be some of the reason why pumpkins have fallen off the epicurean radar. But anything you do with squash, says Ris, you can call pumpkin. “Talking pumpkin is talking winter squash, and vice versa,” she says. “There are many varieties of pumpkins and winter squash with subtle differences in flavor and texture. And finding your favorites is half the fun.”

Ris’ favorite pumpkin is the Rouge Vif d’Etampes, a beautiful French heirloom variety. Its color is a deep red-orange, with fat, pronounced ribs and a flat shape like a tire on its side. It bears a striking resemblance to the pumpkin that Cinderella’s fairy godmother turned into a horse-drawn carriage to get to the Prince’s ball. They are also quite delicious.

There are hundreds of species of pumpkins out there, so it’s important to know what to look for. Surprisingly, some of the best eating varieties are those tiny ornamental pumpkins sitting in the wicker basket in your living room. Though big, deep-ribbed field pumpkins are great for carving, their tough skins are hard to peel and their flesh is stringy and bland.

For cooking and baking, it’s better to go with smaller varieties with sweet, deep orange flesh and smooth texture. Baby Pam, Small Sugar Pumpkins, and New England Pie Pumpkins are good examples of round, small to medium size pie pumpkins. Most of these varieties have a bright orange skin and thick, straight stems. There are also more unusual varieties, such as the grayish-blue Jarradale pumpkin or the long, smooth crook-necked pumpkin.

“When discovering these different pumpkins or winter squash,” says Ris, “take note of their different densities, textures and flavors and see how different varieties work for different types of recipes.”
For example, a denser texture of pumpkin will work better for ravioli. “You don’t want moisture in ravioli,” says Ris. “The filling should be as dry as possible so as not to dampen the dough.”
Perhaps the biggest misfortune of the fate of the pumpkin is that it is so narrowly relegated to the job of pie filler. This is not to say that pumpkin pie is not entirely perfect—it is, Ris assures—but pumpkins have so much more potential. They make great breads and cakes, stews and chilis, waffles and pancakes, ravioli, gratins, and even pudding.

From firewood and chimney smoke, to crisp air and mulled cider, pumpkin invokes these autumnal aromas, no matter how you cook it. Pumpkins are generally sweet and savory, says Ris, allowing them to mix well with a dynamic range of combinations, like maple syrup and orange juice, or Parmesan cheese and sage. They take well to grilling, roasting, baking and frying. And they are exceptional in soups.

Pumpkin soup has innumerable international variations, from Chinese pumpkin soup with water chestnuts and shrimp, to Australian pumpkin soup with lemon, to Haitian pumpkin soup with beef, rice and nutmeg. Many of the North American Island and Central American countries use pumpkin in soups to unique and surprising results. Pumpkin pops up frequently in Mexican soups and stews, often topped with roasted pumpkin seeds, or “pepitas.”

To showcase the broad versatility of this favorite fall treat, Ris will be offering pumpkin soup and pumpkin ice-cream in her Foggy Bottom restaurant. “Its hot and cold, a starter and a dessert, sweet versus savory. You can do so much with pumpkins, and I thought this was a fun way to bookend it.”
The restaurant will also be featuring maple-walnut, apple spice and cranberry ice-creams, along with a variety of seasonally inspired soups. “It’s my ‘Soups and Scoops’ special,” she says with delight. “I really wanted bring together the tapestry of the fall harvest in a unique way. We don’t often think about it, but the reason we use these traditional, seasonal ingredients together is because they grow together. These flavors all play in the same seasonal sandbox, and it’s so much fun to shuffle around their responsibilities.”

Enjoy these pumpkin soup and ice-cream recipes on your own, or stop by RIS to give them a whirl.

RIS Pumpkin Ice-Cream
By Pastry Chef Chris Kujala

2 cups heavy cream
2 cups half and half
1 cup egg yolks
4 oz. sugar
4 oz. dark brown sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp ground clove
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1/4 tsp salt
2 cup pumpkin puree
 
Put the cream, half and half, white sugar and all the spices in a medium sauce pot. Place over medium heat. Bring just to a boil—not a rolling boil. Remove from heat. In a large bowl whisk together the egg yolks, dark brown sugar and salt. Whisk about a minute to dissolve the sugar. Slowly whisk in the hot cream mixture to the yolk mixture. Whisk in the pumpkin puree. Strain with a fine mesh strainer. Chill over ice bath. Freeze in an ice-cream maker. Note: spices can and should be adjusted to taste.

RIS Pumpkin Patch Soup
By Sous Chef Jed Fox

1/2 stick of butter
1 cup diced white onion
1 cup peeled, cored, diced sweet apple
1 cup peeled, diced carrot
1 cup peeled, diced and roasted sweet potato
3 cups peeled, seeded, diced and roasted pumpkin
Dark rum
6 cups chicken or vegetable stock
2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
Salt and cayenne pepper to taste

In a large saucepot over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Add the onion, apple and carrot, and cook until the onion is caramelized, about ten minutes. Stir in the roasted sweet potato and pumpkin and deglaze with a healthy splash of rum. Let cook another five minutes, then add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Simmer until all of the vegetables are cooked through and tender, ten to fifteen minutes. Puree vegetables in a blender or food processor. Add cream, maple syrup, salt and cayenne pepper to taste. Just before serving, return to the pot and bring to a simmer. If soup is too thick, adjust with warm water, taste again for seasoning and adjust if necessary.
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Ariell Kirylo •

Chef de Cuisine Joe Palma of Westend Bistro believes in degustation served with education. In the coming months and on select evenings, fishermen will flood the dining room of Eric Ripert’s Westend Bistro to explain exactly how that fish (yes, that fish) got to the plate. For the price of $85 per person, Chef Palma serves up four courses with wine pairings for a true ocean-to-table experience.

The Fisherman’s Dinner Series consists of three separate sit-down events hosted at Westend Bistro, part of the Ritz Carlton in Washington D.C. During dinner, fisherman from the Chesapeake and New England regions will discuss the sustainability and quality of their catch directly with the diner. After each lively five-minute presentation, Chef Joe Palma will whip up a dish created purposefully to highlight why Westend Bistro purchases their seafood from these fishing companies. Expect an evening of fresh fish, perfectly paired wines and animated discussion with fisherman, distributors and, of course, Chef Joe Palma.

The first ocean-to-table dinner will be held at Westend Bistro on Wednesday, Nov. 16, 7 p.m., and will feature the following menu and fishing crew:

Rappahannock River Oysters of Tappahannock, Va.
RrOysters.com

These guys are true oyster folk who supply a variety of flavored oysters and promote aquaculture sustainability with their own nonprofit partnered with the Oyster Recovery Project.

Chef dishes it: Clam Escabeche with pickled onion, Jalapeno piperade sauce and fried capers. Bathed in a tangy yet not overpowering sauce, the sweet and buttery oysters are highlighted by the thinly sliced and stark jalapeno and onion.

Congressional Seafood Company of Jessup, Md.
CongressionalSeafood.com

This local company sells a myriad of products to fine dining establishments and gourmet markets in the Washington/Baltimore area. As the tub of sweet and succulent Maryland lump crab meat was passed around the table to taste, it was clear these distributors take their job very seriously.

Chef dishes it: Chesapeake Crab Chowder made with jumbo lump crab, warm Yukon Gold potatoes and lemon aioli. Poured over a portion of sweet crab and tiny cubed potatoes was a creamy and soul-warming broth made from a crab boil with a lemony finish.

Four Seasons Guide Service of Solomans Island, Md.
FourSeasonsGuideService.com
Whether it is commercial fishing or a guided fishing tour, Captain “Walleye” Pete is your man. Before chowdown, Chef Palma showed us the striped bass this ex-Air Force fishing expert brought in fresh that day.

Chef dishes it: Walleye Pete’s Striped Bass with sautéed dandelion greens, truffled polenta cake and a red wine bernaise. This hearty dish presented a complex of flavors playing off the sweet fluffiness of the fish and bitterness of the greens. The polenta cake is light, creamy and meant to be doused in the red wine sauce.

Dessert

Sweet Potato Pie with a crisp pecan crust, fried sweet potato chips with lime and a lemon fig emulsion. This happy ending was a marriage of fall flavors brought together by a sugared and spiced Prosecco.

Note: The menus will change with the fisherman for each separate event. [gallery ids="100340,108672" nav="thumbs"]