Food & Wine

Jody Kurash • December 13, 2012

During this festive season, Washington revelers will gather at holiday soirees and indulge in glasses of punch, eggnog and seasonal cocktails. The year 2013 will be rung in with Champagne toasts. But in Peru and other parts of South America, special occasions have been marked by drinking chicha, a tradition that dates back more than 1,000 years.

Chicha is a fermented alcoholic beverage made from corn that originated with the Incas, who used it during rituals and festivals. Mills in which chicha was made were found at Machu Picchu. Archaeologists from the United States uncovered an ancient chicha brewery in the mountains of southern Peru believed to be more than 1,000 years old. When I visited the ruins of the pyramid tombs of Sipan in late November, the unearthed buriel sites included, along with human remains, gold and semi precious adornments and idols, and ceramic pitchers used for chicha.

While chicha de jora, the traditional indigenous drink is forged from corn, across the Latin America chicha is made from many different grains and fruits including quinoa, apples, cassava and grapes. Another popular beverage in Peru is chicha morada, a deep purple non-alcoholic drink made from purple corn, lemon and spices.

Chicha de jora is prepared from a specific kind of yellow corn called jora. It has a pale yellow hue, a somewhat opaque milky appearance, and a somewhat acerbic and sour taste that some find similar to an unfiltered beer or a strong hard apple cider. While the flavor is a somewhat acquired taste, I found it to be quite refreshing when enjoyed outdoors under the powerful Andean sun.

Chicha is prepared by germinating corn, extracting the malt sugars, boiling the worth, and fermenting it in large vessels, traditionally huge earthenware vats for several days. The process is similar to production of beer.

Traditionally, Inca women made chicha by chewing corn to a pulp and then spitting the mixture into a vat of warm water. Once the corn was masticated and spit into the warm water, it would sit for a few days before it was ready to drink.

Today chicha is not commerically produced, it is generally an unregulated and unlicensed business similar to moonshine. Many people make it in their homes or restaurants and it is often sold straight from the ceramic containers where it was brewed.
I was first introduced to Chicha, by my Shaman, Illapa Naveda. He purchased it from a small bodega, it came in a large unmarked recylced glass bottle sealed with a cork. He touted it to me as a healthier choice than other alcohol such as commerically produced beer or rum, since it is homemade from natural ingredients. There may some truth to his statement, at only about 2- to 3-percent alcohol, chicha is a better alternative than higher-proof potables.

Before drinking the chicha, he dripped a portion of on the ground while saying the word ?Pachamama? which is Quechua (Incan language) for ?mother earth.? This ritual is an indigenous tradition. He explained to me that the earth is hungry and the chicha was a ceremonial offering for the earth.

Today Chicha remains an important part of Peru?s history, and is often used to mark special occasiocns and celebrations such as weddings, baptisms or holidays. It is a communal drink and generally served in a small, hollowed-out gourd, called a pilche, and passed from person to person.

So this year, going with my ?When in Rome? mantra, my holiday plans include, celebrating the Navidad season with my new friends and enjoying this unique and historical tipple.

Georgetowner • November 28, 2012

**Pinstripes Bocce Bowling & Bistro** plans to open a 100-seat Italian-themed restaurant that also offers bowling and bocce, on the lower level of The Shops at Georgetown Park. They may have 30,000 square feet at their disposal to eat and play in, as well as able to accommodate up to 600 people for pri- vate events. They will need a special exemption for bowling, but the owners expect only 5% of their patrons to come to Pinstripes to bowl. They may not be taking into account Georgetown University?s Beer & Bowling course. Just joking…

**AJ Prakash**, who has been in the Mexican restaurant business for 28 years, working with Tex-Mex too, plans to open his own mod- ern, slightly upscale Mexican restaurant with a Mayan inspired menu. The 280-seat restaurant will be located in the Tysons area. There will also be seating for approximately 60 on the out- door patio. No name yet. Stay tuned.

Quick Hits: **Fabio Trabocchi** plans to open a second restaurant, Fiola Mare, with an emphasis on seafood, at Washington Harbour in 2013. The space is next door to Nick’s Riverside Grille. It?s about 10,000 square feet with a great patio overlooking the park and Kennedy Center. The Firelake Grill is slated to open at 4200 Wisconsin Ave., NW, where Ruby Tuesday?s was. Casey’s Coffee will open at 355 E St, SW this month. **Lime Fresh Mexican Grill** will open on 7th Street, NW in Penn Quarter where Potbelly Sandwich Works used to be. A mid-2013 date is targeted. **Taylor Gourmet** will open its fifth locations when it opens at 6th & E Streets, NW in Penn Quarter where Meatballs used to be. Pho 14 will replace Pizza Hut on Columbia Road, NW in Adams Morgan. They plan to open in early November.

Opening Updates: Latest intel straight from **Soupergirl**: her expanded Silver Spring operation should be open late November/early December. matchbox 14th Street by end of November (fingers crossed). Ted?s Bulletin 14th Street and **matchbox** Merrifield by end of 1Q 2013. Smash Burger?s second store, in Dupont Circle, by February 2013. **YO! Sushi**?s second store, in Chinatown, by the Presidential Inauguration. Whew.

**Chef Frederik de Pue**, owner of 42? Catering, plans to open **Table** (tah-bluh) early this month at 903 N Street, NW in Logan Circle ?hood near Blagden Alley, where Rogue 24 is. Formerly an auto repair space, the 75-seat res- taurant will have a contemporary urban design. Chef sees this as a return to Old World dining experience. Belgium influence will be strong, as will his European cooking experiences. Dinner only will be offered in the first stage, followed by lunch, brunch and breakfast when the kitchen and staff are ready.

*Linda Roth Conte is president of Linda Roth Associates, Inc (LRA) specializing in mak- ing creative connections through media relations, marketing initiatives, community outreach and special events for the hospitality industry. Contact Linda at (703) 417-2700 or linda@ lindarothpr.com or visit her web site at www. lindarothpr.com*

Georgetowner •

Bangkok Joe’s, a restaurant located in Georgetown for the past nine years, caters to finest Asian cuisine and sees itself as the best Asian restaurant in the DC area.

“What makes this restaurant unique from any other restaurant?” you might ask. “We don’t use the same sauce for each dish. We incorporate different sauces for different dishes. That’s why it tastes so good,” said Jimmy Phomsivilai, Bangkok Joe’s general manager.

If you’re looking to reserve a table over the weekend, keep in mind that Friday and Saturday nights are the busiest days of the week with an average of around 350 to 450 people a night. A reservation is highly recomended.

Once you enter this fabulous restaurant, you’ll be overwhelmed by the fine décor. Bangkok Joe’s was decorated by Jordan Mozar, who also designed the Cheesecake Factory. The space is filled with a welcoming atmosphere. “Three things we are about—atmosphere, friendliness, and good food consistently,” said Phomsivilai.

Unsure of what to order when you arrive? According to Phomsivilai, Pad Thai is the most popular dish for an entrée while dumplings come in first for an appetizer. What’s his favorite dish? “I really like the lobster and pine nut steamed dumplings and I would recommend the Grilled Salmon,” said Phomsiviai, “It’s a fusion of Salmon with lo mien noodles. We are fusion, not just Thai.”

Still not convinced? Bangkok Joe’s is also home to “The best happy hour in D.C.,” according to Phomsivilai. “All beers, drafts, bottles, wines, martinis, and regular drinks are half priced. It’s from 4-7 every night, seven days a week.”

Located at Washington Harbour, Bangkok Joe’s is perfect for fine dining or unwinding. From the friendly staff to the excellent happy hour, Bangkok Joe’s has it all. “Come see us at our happy hour!” said Phomsiviai. For more information visit Bangkok Joe’s at 3000 K Street NW, or go online to www.bangkokjoes.com or call 202.333.4422.

Jody Kurash •

Superfluous holidays such as Sweetest Day, National Grandparents Day and Boss’s Day are often referred to as “Hallmark Holidays,” because many believe they exist primarily for commercial reasons such as increasing the sales of greeting cards and not to truly appreciate significant people. There are other celebrations that seem downright silly, such as International Pancake Day (Feb. 21), National High Five Day (April 19) and Talk Like A Pirate Day (Sept. 19).

In the country of Peru, there is one holiday that may appear excessive at first, but is truly a celebration of national pride. This is National Pisco Day, which is celebrated on the fourth Sunday in July.

Pisco, which is considered a symbol of Peruvian nationality, is a type of grape brandy or Aguardiente, distilled from Muscat grapes. Pisco is produced and exported from both Peru and Chile, and both countries claim to be the original producers. It has become a fierce source of contention between the two nations. According to SouthAmericanFood.com, the Spanish conquistadores brought grape vines to South America in order to make wine for their own consumption and export. Distilling Pisco was an easy way to use leftover grapes that were undesirable for wine making.

The patriotic spirit surrounding National Pisco Day is amplified because the holiday falls very close to Peruvian Independence Day, celebrated on July 28, often with a toast of pisco.

I was fortunate enough to be in Cusco, Peru, to take part in the festivities for both holidays. To kick off the merriment, I was given a shot of Pisco from Lizardo Valderrama Gilt, my host in whose home I was staying. The shot had a strong and powerful grape nose to it, but it went down surprisingly smooth. Its dominate flavor was grape with notes of earthiness, spice and tart fruit with a clean and bracing finish.

To further explore this spirit, I met up with my newly minted friends, Suzanne Harle and Sabrina for a few rounds of cocktailing. We started off with the most popular Pisco tipple, the Pisco Sour, a mixture of Pisco, lemon, bitters, a sweetener and an egg white. We headed to the Crown, a second-story restaurant with a gorgeous view of the Plaza Des Armas for their two-for-one happy hour. The egg white gives this cocktail a smooth, full body while tart lemon citrus flavor is a nice compliment to the woody pisco. So good that it is hard to detect the amount of alcohol in the drink. That may explain why we left the bar wearing balloon hats.
Our second stop was the upscale Limo, one the most highly-regarded restaurants in Cusco, which boasts a three-page menu of creative pisco cocktails. Just watching the scene behind the bar proved to be entertaining, with men squeezing, pureeing, muddling, and juicing fresh ingredients.

We sampled three concoctions, one forged from eucalyptus, another from lemongrass and one made with tumba fruit. The tumba is a relative of the maracuya fruit, which is commonly eaten in Peru. The eucalyptus had a cool soothing effect, while the lemongrass mixture was refreshing and uplifting. The tumba had an exotic tropical flavor similar to passion fruit but with a little more punch.

The evening continued with more flavorful cocktails, including a fresh strawberry concoction, one blended with Peru’s potent coco leaves and a South American version of the classic Negroni with pisco substituted for the gin. The evening was capped off with a night of salsa dancing to burn off all the excess alcohol.

If you cannot make it to Peru and would like to try pisco in Washington, I recommend whipping up a few Pisco sours at home. Most liquor store will carry at least one brand of Peruvian Pisco, such as Porton, or Macchu Pisco. This classic tipple is a great way to try this interesting and versatile liquor. If you would like to try something more exotic, Las Canteras in Adams Morgan has a full menu of delicious pisco cocktails.

The Pisco Sour

Place 4 cups ice cubes
1 cup pisco
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/3 cup white sugar
1 egg white
A dash of angostura bitters

Blend on high speed until finely pureed. Pour into two glasses and garnish with an additional dash of bitters.

Georgetowner •

Might there be a Yo! Sushi in Georgetown’s future?

London-based YO! Sushi opened its first U.S. location in Union Station July 25. The conveyor-belt, sushi-themed restaurant has plans to expand into the U.S. market. At least ten Yo! Sushi restaurants are slated to open in the D.C. area alone. Chinatown has been marked as the second D.C. spot for this U.K. chain restaurant.
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Shari Sheffield •

When I was invited in mid-June to have lunch with the CEO of the renowned California winery, Silver Oak, I was all for it. He was in town for the Silver Oak Tower Tour and would be celebrating the winery’s 40th Anniversary with some customer events. The opportunity to taste David Duncan’s cult-status Cabernets along with some steaks from Morton’s is the stuff that red wine fans—and meat eaters—dream of. But, when the temperatures in D.C. began to rise and the appointed day’s temperature hit the high 90s, my resolve to tuck into steak and wine over lunch started to waiver.

When I arrived at the restaurant and was shown to the table, I was immediately confused by the series of glasses at each of our place settings. I quickly assumed that David and I were going to be doing a vertical tasting of his cabs. Vertical tastings are when several vintages of the same wine are tasted in succession. But I soon learned, and happily so, that we would not be just tasting cabs. David explained that we would be tasting wines from Silver Oaks’ California sister winery, Twomey Cellars. Twomey is named after his father’s family and produces wines other than California cabs at separate vineyards and wineries.

We order a Caesar salad to split, tuna tartar and shrimp cocktail. Having both succumbed to the heat outside, we opted out of having heavy steaks.

The first wine we started with was the Sauvignon Blanc. I loved hearing the story behind the only white wine in Twomey’s portfolio. Apparently, all the women in the family told the men who made the wine that they were tired of always drinking red wine and the next new wine introduced better be a white. Well, apparently the men behind Twomey are smart and quickly came up with this offering.

I was so surprised by this wine. I expected it to be mundane coming from a Cabernet maker, but it was full of citrus fruit flavors that burst in the mouth. It was vibrant yet comforting. The comfort comes from “typicality” like Karen McNeil talks about in The Wine Bible. This wine has the typicality of a California Sauvignon Blanc and that is comforting. It also has the complexity that I know is there when I taste a wine because it makes me say “Hmm…” It compelled me to take another sip, and another and another. It went beautifully with my shrimp cocktail.

We then moved on to the 2007 Twomey Merlot. First off, I noticed the dark berry color of this wine. It looked like a jewel in the glass. It was very food friendly and it went perfectly with tuna tartar. Expressing classic dark berry and cooked dark berry flavors, it did not disappoint as a Napa merlot. It showed complexity but not too much tannin.

Next on the tasting list was the 2010 Anderson Valley Pinot Noir. This wine was austere with definite floral notes. If you enjoy classic French style pinot noir, this is your wine. The wine is aged in French barrels, which helps this pinot achieve most of its character. Of all the wines, it seemed out of place in Twomey’s line up though. All the other wines were fruit forward and this was not.

After the pinot noir we moved on to the Big Boys— Silver Oak cabernets!

The 2007 Silver Oak Anderson Valley Cabernet Sauvignon was poured. Upon tasting this wine one understands the reason for its cult following. It is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon aged in barrel and then bottle for a total of 15 to 16 months. It is amazingly food-friendly and luscious. It reminded me of berry cobbler.

Last on our tasting tour was the 2007 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. This vintage is 90% Cabernet
Sauvignon, 6% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot, and 1% Cabernet Franc. The Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot round out the cabernet sauvignon and give the wine suppleness and finesse. Luscious black fruits and chocolates flavors characterize this wine. The 2007 Napa Valley Silver Oak Cabernet is a California Cab lover’s Cab.

If you are one of the many fans of Silver Oak that have enjoyed the wines over its forty year legacy, you will be pleased to know that the beautiful quality and lush flavors continue as the winery’s hallmarks with the 2007s. And you will be happy to know that the 2008 will be released early next month. If it is too hot to drink cabs, try some of their sister winery Twomey’s offerings. There is something for everyone and who knows, you might get in on the ground floor of another cult following.

Georgetowner •

Born Aug. 15, 1912, Julia Child was one of
America’s most influential chefs. As her
100th birthday approaches, let us take a
look back at how she got started. Child’s television
programs, “The French Chef,” “Julia Child
and Company,” “Julia Child and More Company,”
“Cooking with the Master Chefs” and “Julia
and Jacques Cooking at Home” helped expose
Americans to the art of French cooking.

At six-foot-and-two-inches, the towering
chef already stood out. In fact, on the sets of her
shows the counter tops were designed so that
she wouldn’t have to crouch down while cooking.
Child was anything but average. Her quirky
methods of cooking, great sense of humor and
fearlessness of failing helped her share her passion
for cooking with the world.

However, Child did not pursue her joy of
cooking until age 36. She and her husband Paul
were living in France when Child enrolled in
Le Cordon Bleu cooking school. Instantly, she
immersed herself in French culture. Her most
notable cookbook, “Mastering the Art of French
Cooking,” which she collaborated on with fellow
female chefs Simone Beck and Louisette
Bertholle remains a holy grail among chefs to
this day.

To celebrate what would have been Child’s
100th birthday, below are some upcoming
events in and around D.C., on television and online
commemorating her.

AUGUST

On pinterest.com, a board in honor of Julia
Child has been set up by the New York Chapter
of Les Dames d’Escoffier, the premier organization
for professional women in the food, wine,
and hospitality industries. Pinterest allows users
to share content including images, video, and
other creative material by “pinning” these images
onto their pinboard. The Julia Child Pinterest
board aims to pin 100 photos and tributes of
her in order to share with fans around the world.

AUGUST 5

PBS will broadcast original episodes of “The
French Chef,” which has not aired since the
1960s. Viewers are encouraged to follow these
episodes by making their own creation of a classic
Julia Child dish and sharing their creations
by posting photos to PBS Food on Twitter, using
the hashtag #CookforJulia. In addition, an
encore presentation of the special “Julia Child
Memories: Bon Appétit!” will air, as well as
comments and testimonials regarding Julia from
well-respected food industry people around the
nation.

AUGUST 7-15, 13-19

RIS restaurant will pay homage to Julia Child
all month as part of its “All Thing Julia” tribute.
Coinciding with D.C. Restaurant Week (August
13-19), “All Things Julia” at RIS will offer a
traditional $20.12 lunch menu and $35.12 dinner
menu with Child’s incomparable dishes. Additionally,
RIS will also participate in National
Julia Child Restaurant Week, which is hosted by
the Julia Child Foundation for Gastronomy &
the Culinary Arts. Be sure to ask the bartender
for Child’s classic “reverse martinis.” For updates
on “All Things Julia,” visit risdc.com and
call 202.730.2500 to make a reservation. 2275 L
St., NW, Washington, D.C. 20037.

AUGUST 8

At the S. Dillon Ripley Center at the Smithsonian,
join biographer Bob Spitz, 7 to 8:30 p.m.,
as he discusses the impact of Julia Child at “Julia
Child’s Bon Appétit for Life.” Following the
lecture, Spitz will be available to sign copies of
his latest book “Dearie: The Remarkable Life of
Julia Child” after the program. Tickets cost $25.
For more information, call 202-633-3030, or visit
smithsonianassociates.org. 1100 Jefferson Dr.,
SW, Washington, D.C. 20560.

AUGUST 15

If you are looking for a more hands-on approach
to this centennial, Sur La Table is hosting
a cooking class at its restaurant, 6:30 to 8:30
p.m. Using recipes from Child’s classic “Mastering
the Art of French Cooking,” an instructor
will assist you in recreating some of Julia’s most
popular dishes. At $69 per person, what better
way to celebrate than to be like one of America’s
most beloved chefs herself? Visit surlatable.com
for more information or call 202.237.0375. 1101
S. Joyce St., Arlington, Va. 22202.

AUGUST 15- SEPTEMBER 3

Celebrate Julia Child’s centenary by planning
a trip to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of
American History to visit her actual kitchen.
Donated to the Smithsonian in 2001, the 14-by-
20-foot kitchen from her Massachusetts home
features every cooking amenity imaginable, including
the kitchen sink. Find out more at americanhistory.
si.edu/juliachild. 1400 Constitution
Ave., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20004.?