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.

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"]

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.
[gallery ids="100338,108657" nav="thumbs"]

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"]

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.

Ariell Kirylo •

Having witnessed the Occupy D.C. movement only on television or the occasional downtown drive-by spy, I felt it necessary to visit the steadfast soldiers of the 99% in order to ask them a very important question: What are you eating?

The beauty of being a food writer visiting the active volcano of political statements currently erupting at McPherson Square was that my presence remained neutral. I was Switzerland and was not there to indulge in dogmatic banter or critique the functioning of their operation or lack thereof; I was there to uncover what it was these people, camped out in the dead of noon and night, were noshing for nutrients.

The members of Occupy D.C. are of all shapes, sizes, colors, ages and financial statuses. Arriving around lunchtime, I walked amongst them searching for a place to call kitchen. My first encounters were a homeless man asking for a hug (which I quickly side-stepped,) a group of young Occupy drifters swigging vodka-lemonade and an older woman, self-named, Mother Jones asking for help to unload food from her car. This was my cue.

I followed Mother Jones and another group of volunteers to a white beat-up Subaru station wagon filled to the brim with containers of fresh fruit, cookies and other goods labeled mostly 7-Eleven and Trader Joes. “Where did you get this from?” I asked. “Where do you think I got them from?” Replied Jones: “People!”

Mother Jones lives in Glen Echo and is one of a handful of “runners,” who are hooked up to a network and called upon to transport donations made from various sources. It appears many local people and businesses prefer to remain anonymous in their donations. This made it difficult to pull specific names out of Mother Jones for this story. For her, it was irrelevant who donated. For her, it only meant fulfilling a desire to be participant in movement she believes in. Later that day, I saw her standing proudly aside one of the founding members of Occupy McPherson who was loudly rattling off missions for that afternoon to dwellers, visitors and mostly anyone who was listening.

While unloading Mother Jones’s car, I met Ralph Dantley, an articulate middle-aged man who was simultaneously unloading his own beat-up Subaru station wagon parked next to us. Dantley is the President of Good Success Servant Services, a small nonprofit organization operating in D.C., I assume, only thanks to the good will and hard work of its very president. Dantley has also offered himself as donation runner for Occupy and was, in that moment, unpacking a large amount of doughnuts from who knows where, and bags of chips that had “fallen off the Utz truck.” He led me to a nearby tent to unload the donation boxes.

The donated food was placed upon a table situated outside of a large blue and well constructed tent near the corner of 15th and K. Surrounding the tent was a mausoleum of half-clean, half-dirty pots, a collection of wires ducked taped together — the skeleton of what appeared to be the previous kitchen structure — and a makeshift stove onto which a large pot of water was boiling for dishwashing. As witnessed at any workplace, within minutes the food Mother Jones and Dantley had delivered was readily torn through by the surrounding crowd.

I spoke with a smiling young man, 25, from Silver Spring, who had snatched up some of Mother Jones’s packaged cantaloupe from 7-Eleven. He told me he had the money to purchase a sandwich from the Pot Belly across the street, yet preferred to stick it out with the group he marches and sleeps through the night with. Though he said if things did get desperate enough, he would slip away and use his debit card.

Catching my attention, Dantely asked if I wanted to meet the “hero” in the kitchen. Clearly, this is what I came for. Unlike the chaotic front yard of the blue kitchen tent, the inside surpassed all expectations. The shelves were stocked carefully with loads of canned and dry products like rice and pasta and even taco shells. There were organized plastic containers of onions and potatoes lining the walls, a table positioned up front and cutting boards for prepping. Amazed at the neatness of the space and, quite frankly, humbled at the thought of my own disorganized kitchen, I spun around to meet Vasant Khalsa, the hero.

How on earth? I asked. How did you? Who helped you? Where did you come from? The questions were stuttering from my mouth. Not at all flattered by the attention, yet unconsciously charming, Vasant, 29, recounted his three-minute story.  He came to D.C. from Oakland, originally for the Martin Luther King ceremony and surrounding events in October. While checking out the Occupy movement for the first time in person, he noticed a desperate need for leadership in the kitchen department. McPherson Square needed someone to spearhead the building of a proper and hygienic tent to store and organize edible donations and cook “hot” meals. Not only was Vasant up to the task but what he has been able to accomplish with what he was given is remarkable. Dantley confirmed that within one night, Vasant had rebuilt the kitchen tent, found shelving and single-handily arranged everything into what it looks like today.

Learning to cook simply from being “on his own at home,” Vasant was prepared to whip up a lamb stew that evening for his fellow Occupiers. He spoke to us without hesitation of his self-assigned kitchen duties but was occasionally interrupted by people asking for his help with this or that. I stepped aside, while he poured hot water into plastic containers outside the tent for dishwashing. When I returned to the tent only minutes later, Vasant’s laptop had been stolen. He sat on his prepping table slumped over in disappointment while Dantley comforted him, “You didn’t deserve that, son.”

Having yet to pose for a picture displaying his hard work and dedicated community effort, Vasant was reluctant to smile for the camera and I was reluctant to force him. “Someone will return it,” I said. “You should wreak havoc until they do.” “What for?” he replied. “It won’t matter anyway. It’s just what happens the second I turn my back.” Shortly after and within the safety of his orderly kitchen, he sat emotionless on his prepping table facing the opening flap. We snapped the shot needed for this article, shook his hand and uneasily reassured him good would eventually return.  

What I learned that day in McPherson Square was more than what I set out for. Amongst the bedlam of tents, improvised solar panels and rivers of people passing through with signs of discontent, there exists the voices of those individuals who have dedicated their days to make this movement possible. The District has extended Occupy’s lease at McPherson until February 2012. As the bitter cold approaches, my thoughts will be with Mother Jones, President Dantely and Vasant. And just maybe, besides another round of Lamb Stew, the universe might bring Vasant an opportunity to exist sufficiently in the world of the 99% or at the very minimum, bring back his laptop. [gallery ids="100402,113230,113217,113223" nav="thumbs"]

Ari Post •

As a holiday gift to our readers, chef and restaurateur Ris Lacoste wanted to answer your culinary queries. Thanks to everyone who wrote in with their questions. Here are our answers, which we hope will help you through the holiday season with a few new tricks up your sleeves. For more Q&A visit us at Georgetowner.com.

Dear Ris…
I’m thrilled to see golden beets in the produce aisle, and I love to roast ‘em. Do you have any ideas for seasoning them or for pairing them with other vegetables? –Victoria, Eastern Market

Beets are like candy to me, and I try and think of them as such. They mix so well with almost anything, to decadent conclusions. I like mixing them with citrus, goat cheese, arugula, walnuts and sherry. One of my favorite ways to eat them is roasting them and serving with sweet pickled herring, brown bread, apples and horseradish cream.
The real beauty of golden beets, if you ask me, is that their colors don’t run like their red counterparts. This paves the way for many visual possibilities.
Beet vinaigrette is a refreshing addition to salads, grilled fish and roasted vegetables. Just roast, peel and dice a handful of beets and mix with the vinaigrette—pretty simple! Here are a couple tasty ways to go about the dressing:

1. Mix with equal parts sherry vinegar and walnut oil, and season with salt and pepper.

2. Mix with ginger juice, rice wine vinegar, mirin, a balance of sugar and a dash of oil.

If salt acts to move water across membranes, how is it that brining results in a moister turkey?
–Margaret, Woodstock, VA

Whether we’re talking turkey or any other type of lean poultry or pork, here is the basic rundown of the brining process:

Brining will result in a better-seasoned, moister cut of meat. It disrupts the structure of the muscle filaments in the protein cells, a process known as denaturing. The water, carrying the salt, sugar and all the flavorings, is diffused from the brine into the meat, and the interactions of the salt and proteins result in a greater water-holding capacity in the muscle cells.

As the salty water is absorbed, the meat’s weight increases with moisture content. In the cooking process, all meat loses weight in moisture, thus in brined meats, the loss of moisture is significantly decreased. And because brines work from the outside in, they have their earliest and strongest effects on the areas most likely to be overcooked: the meat closest to the outside. So even a brief, incomplete soaking can make a big difference.

As a chef, my knowledge of brining comes from practical experience and results. To help explain this process, I relied on Harold McGee’s “On Food and Cooking” and “Cook’s Illustrated” magazine, both great sources for the science of cooking. I cannot recommend them enough for anyone interested in the “hows” and “whys” of the kitchen.

Do you have any ideas for raw dishes using winter fruits and vegetables? My mom makes a raw cranberry sauce that’s to die for, and I’m wondering what other possibilities are out there.
–Mema, Paoli, PA

I couldn’t agree more about raw cranberry dressing—it really is something special. I had a delicious variation this Thanksgiving made with lemon juice and jalepenos. Here are some other raw winter vegetable recipes that will hopefully keep you happy until the spring harvest:

Brussels sprout coleslaw: shred Brussels sprouts as you would cabbage and mix with your favorite coleslaw dressing. Voila! My go-to coleslaw dressing is a mix of mayo, tarragon vinegar, sugar, fennel seed, caraway seed, salt, pepper, and I usually throw in julienned carrots and scallions.

Celery root remoulade: julienne celery root and mix with capers, lemon, tarragon, mayo, salt and pepper. If you want something a bit sweeter, toss in julienned apples, sweet pickles and cider reduction mayonnaise (reduce apple cider by half, chill, and add to mayo to taste). It is great with pork chops and roast chicken, and crab cakes in the summer. This dressing would also be great with the Brussels sprouts. Think about adding walnuts. Be creative!

Baby kale salad with a honey mustard dressing is also a tasty—and exceedingly healthful—winter treat. Almost nothing beats the nutritional value of raw kale. It’s really a super food, and if you can find it fresh at a farmer’s market, it is very tender. Add to it roasted beets and goat cheese for a wonderful winter lunch.

You can also take celery root, cauliflower or carrots, cut them into chunks or thin rounds, and dress them with straight vinaigrette with an extra dash of vinegar and let them soak for an hour, then season to taste with salt and pepper. The copious amount of acid “cooks” the vegetables, and the result is a bright flavor combined with a fabulous crunch. Use as a side salad to anything.

With Christmas coming, the biggest challenge for me is planning the food! Do you have any holiday menu items that have components you can prepare ahead of time? Even things for meals on Dec 23rd or 27th would be great. I have two young children that want my attention, and a mother-in-law who is very critical. So if I can have the food set so that I can be with my kids while appeasing the M-I-L, life would be much smoother!
–Susie, Durham, NC

That’s a tall order, for sure! First things first: I’d have a pot of soup on the stove and crusty bread ready to go. Any hearty soup with good bread is a failsafe method to satisfy the stomach and the soul.
Also, always keep some house-made vinaigrette on hand to pour over raw vegetables, salads, or use as a marinade for chicken and meat. Something as simple as that lifts ordinary dinners and lunches into the realm of real cuisine.

Now, as for appeasing the kids and the in-law… My advice would be to make something that can be stored in the freezer, so on the day of all you have to do is throw it in the oven, spend time with your family, and pull it out when it’s ready to eat. A good mushroom-spinach lasagna or a sweet potato lasagna with parmesan, ricotta and tomato are good options. You can even portion out servings in mini loaf pans when you first cook it, and reheat them as needed.

As a roast option that is fabulous for entertaining, might I recommend my individual, make-ahead Beef Wellingtons with mushroom, spinach and blue cheese stuffing. This dish really works—I’m planning to serve it on Christmas Eve at my restaurant. They’re an elegant dinner that your mother in law will love, and you can make and freeze them well in advance.

For the recipe, go to FineCooking.com and enter “Ris Lacoste, Beef Wellington” into the search bar. I wrote the column a few years ago, but I still rely on it all the time, and the recipe has never changed. Best of luck!

I host a holiday dinner party every year for about 40 people, and I’m always so focused on the meal that I neglect to put out anything exciting to munch on while everyone is mingling and sipping cocktails. I need a couple of hors d’oeuvre ideas that can be assembled quickly, aren’t too messy to eat, and will impress my guests!
– Caroline, Annapolis, MD

Passing by your local cheese shop is a great place to start. My standby, no-work, go-to starter is pairing a fabulous cheese with dried figs, olives, Marcona almonds, salamis, Dijon mustard and a baguette. The key here is searching out the right ingredients, finding a balance between the sweet, salty and savory. It is elegant and simple—exactly what a busy hostess needs.

Cowgirl Creamery, Cheesetique, and Whole Foods Georgetown are three of my favorite cheese shops in the area.

If you feel like doing a little more work, one bite of heaven that I rarely forgo is my salmon rillettes.
These are quick-to-make, delicious hors d’oeuvres, the recipe for which you can easily adjust to serve any number of people. Your guests won’t be able to stay away from them. Follow this basic:

Ris’ Salmon Rillettes
The basic ratios for this recipe are equal parts smoked salmon and fresh salmon fillet, and ¼ of the total salmon weight in room temperature salted butter. For example: ½ lb. smoked salmon / ½ lb. fresh salmon / ¼ lb. butter.

Gently roast the fresh salmon with olive oil, lemon, salt, pepper and fresh thyme. Refrigerate until ready to use. Finely dice the smoked salmon, place in a large bowl, and use your hands to mash together with the room temperature butter, until the mixture is homogenous. Flake the chilled roasted salmon into the bowl, without mixing. Add lemon zest, lemon juice, lots of fresh diced shallots, chopped chives, salt, pepper, a dash of Tabasco, and mayonnaise—preferably homemade lemon mayo with a touch of Dijon. Mix and fold very gently, ensuring the flakes of fresh salmon remain intact, thus creating the “rillettes” effect. All seasonings need to be adjusted depending on the volume of salmon.

Place the rillettes on a buttered, toasted slice of baguette with a fork, making sure to maintain the salmon’s flaky texture. Garnish with a slice of cornichon, and a dill sprig if desired. The acidity of the cornichon cuts through the richness of the rillettes to give it a wonderful bite.
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