Jordan Wright
March 26, 2012
 The Travel Channel's Samantha Brown signs programs - photo credit Jordan Wright  Packed and rapt audience at the Travel and Adventure Show - photo credit Jordan Wright
Travel and Adventure Show in DC
The thrills and chills at the Travel and Adventure show at the convention center last week were not from the food (a few vendors kept us from near starvation), but a myriad of exhibitors luring us to climb mountains, scuba dive, zip line or go on safari in South Africa.
Seasoned travelers Samantha Brown of The Travel Channel; Pauline Frommer of the famed Frommer’s Travel Guides; Patricia Schultz author of 1,000 Places to See Before You Die; and Marc Peyser, Editor at Frommer’s Budget Travel magazine, were on hand to give tips to a packed and rapt audience. Sam, as her fans call her, was her adorable, ever-effervescent, elfin self – even prettier in person, if you can imagine that.
 Rock wall climbers at the Travel and Adventure Show in DC - photo credit Jordan Wright  Scuba practice at the Travel and Adventure Show - photo credit Jordan Wright Dining with Two Presidents, one First Lady and a James Beard Award Nominee
During a private luncheon last month our first FLOTUS Martha Washington regaled me with tales of her life with George, and their elegant style of non-stop entertaining. The afternoon featured an historical menu drawn from the estate’s records of the Washingtons’ favorite foods and created as a tribute to the General and his wife by chef, author and television personality, Walter Staib.
Here’s what he prepared starting with a refreshing raspberry shrub. Vol au vent prepared with Virginia ham and Rappahanock oysters; West Indies pepper pot soup with Scotch bonnet peppers and cheese straws; local sturgeon collops (quite lavish with sturgeon going for $300 a pop these days) stuffed with Maryland crab; a trilogy of turkey – pot pie, stew and terrine with mushrooms and pecans, and a casserole of sweet potato and apple; finally the legendary “Excellent Cake” from Martha’s recipes, a many-layered affair made with black tea, spiced rum syrup and orange buttercream icing, and an array of scrumptious 18th century tarlets, cookies and shortbreads. It’s no wonder Staib has been nominated for a James Beard Award this year!
Staib, whose critically acclaimed Emmy-winning program “A Taste of History” on PBS, came down from his City Tavern restaurant in Philadelphia to prepare the six-course luncheon to celebrate the opening of “Hoecakes and Hospitality” a new exhibit about food and entertaining at the Mount Vernon Estate, Museum and Gardens in Virginia.
Opened in 1773, the original City Tavern played host to George Washington, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson, but you can dine there on Staib’s 18th century style gourmet cuisine today. www.mountvernon.org.
 Pave of roasted cod with Savoy cabbage, lardons and mushrooms at The Jefferson - photo credit Jordan Wright This week at The Jefferson hotel in the Private Wine Cellar at the Plume Restaurant I dined with Thomas Jefferson. Well not quite, but all his favorite foods in a seven-course dinner as interpreted by Chef Chris Jakubiec. Sommelier Michael Scaffidi, formerly of the French Laundry, purposefully selected seven vintages, from the hotel’s extensive wine collection of 1,300 labels, to echo Jefferson’s travels.
Despite the current scandale about foie gras (now banned in California) who could say “non” to fois gras parfait paired with 1993 Zilliken Forstmeister Riesling Auslese, followed by a cool mint-scented English pea soup with pea mousse and pea shoots accented by an Albarino from Bodegas Adega; and a rich gratin of braised rabbit. On to a distinctive pave of roasted cod with a “red” Cumieres champagne made from the pinot noir grape; filet of beef with truffled pommes dauphine indelibly charmed by an exquisite Massolino Barolo; and summed up with Jefferson’s favorite floating island served with Klein Constantia “Vin de Constance” from South Africa. So yummy! Gilding the lily were chocolate mignardises served with Blandy’s Malmsey Madeira. If only we had booked a room for the night. Sigh…
The hotel will be offering “Jefferson’s Journey Tasting Menu” from April 10th through April 14th. To view the rest of the delectable dishes and wine pairings go to www.jeffersondc.com.
Ramping It Up For Spring
Throughout March and April all eight Chop’t Salad DC locations are using the seasonal delicacy ramps in a vinaigrette available for any of their create-your-own salads. The ramp, a mash up between garlic and leeks, has a very short season to tempt you. In addition three spring salads take you to Morocco, Sardinia, and the American Southwest.
Try the roasted Moroccan Cobb made with farro, roasted carrots, parsnips and cauliflower on a mix of romaine and spinach with charmoula vinaigrette; or inspired by Italy’s beautiful island of Sardinia, the Sardinian, a unique rendition of the classic Caesar salad made with organic baby kale, FreeBird grilled chicken, Fiore Sardo Cheese, flatbread crisps, and romaine lettuce with a lemon Caesar
dressing. Or giddyap to the Southwest with the Four Corners Cobb
made with FreeBird chipotle chicken, rattlesnake beans, cotija cheese, avocado, tortilla chips, and romaine and served with green onion cilantro vinaigrette. So healthful, so spring! For locations visit www.choptsalad.com.
 The Cliffs of Moher - photo credit Jordan Wright Jordan Wright
Go Green!
After a grand sweep through Ireland last May, I have become a huge fan of their hospitality… and especially of their food and drink. I visited the Jameson Distillery (a bit of a jolt to sip whiskey at 11am) and had a private tour of the spectacular Guinness Storehouse with lunch in the Executive Dining Room where the Queen of England, clearly following my lead, enjoyed lunch the following month. The country has achieved extraordinary culinary successes over the past ten years. So let’s cheer them on from our shores by toasting to the Emerald Isle.
 Early poster art from the Guinness Storehouse in Dublin - photo credit Jordan Wright  Jordan learning to pull the perfect Guinness Drop in for a dram at the Irish-owned and brand new The Dupont Circle Hotel where they’ll celebrate their Irish lineage by literally going green – from LED lighting to the staff sporting leprechaun-green shirts. Specialty cocktails and dishes that recollect the Emerald Isle will delight St. Patrick’s Day revelers at the hotel’s Bar Dupont staying open till 2:30am.
Get jiggy with these inspired cocktails: The Peppermint Patrick – made with Jim Beam Bourbon, Caramel Baileys, Crème de Menthe, Cream; Sweet Shamrock – Bushmills Irish Whiskey, Drambuie, Lemon Juice, Honey; The Irish 350 – Bacardi Limon, Southern Comfort, Smirnoff, Grand Marnier, Cream de Cacao, Orange Juice, Sprite [a 350 proof combination cocktail to honor the first St. Patrick’s Day Parade in the U.S. 350 years ago] and the Baby Guinness Shot: Kahlua, Baileys.
For two days only, March 17th and 18th, Café Dupont will offer two special brunches featuring these yummy Irish comfort dishes. Bangers & mash: pork sausage served atop mashed potatoes with onion gravy; traditional Irish stew served with Irish soda bread; authentic shepherd’s pie; a full Irish breakfast with pork sausage, a rasher of Irish bacon, sautéed mushrooms, breakfast potatoes, baked beans and herb tomato. That’s precisely how I remember it. Sweeten it up with Bailey’s cheesecake or bread & butter pudding with vanilla custard. www.thedoylecollection.com/dupont
Close by Signature Theatre in Shirlington is Samuel Beckett’s Irish Gastro Pub. For rugby fans who don’t want to miss the 2012 Six Nations Championship games, the pub will be running them all day on St. Paddy’s Day. For a bit of good “craick” (it means fun in Irish slang) the 19th Street Band and Oren Polak are on hand and Guinness, as always, is on tap. The pub’s traditional hearty brown bread served with Kerrygold butter go great with their meltingly tender lamb stew. www.samuelbecketts.com
Party at the House of Sweden
 Jordan and Lauren DeSantis at the launch party at the House of Sweden  Watching DeSantis's new TV series at the House of Sweden - photo credit Jordan Wright Lauren DeSantis launched her new travel and food series show in style at the House of Sweden Wednesday night. Sweden plays host to the first three episodes of the series that will air Fridays at 7pm and again on Saturdays at 1pm and 4pm on WETA. Attorney by day chef by night, DeSantis is the lovely host of Capital Cooking where she showcases her talent and that of chefs in our area on her site www.capitalcookingshow.blogspot.com.
Ambassador and Mrs. Jonas Hafström lent their private chef, Frida Johansson, who created a delicious smorgasbord for the party showcasing Sweden’s delicacies including elk kabobs, crayfish skewers, shrimp and dill hors d’oeuvres and, for the sweet tooth, a sea buckthorn cooler, cloudberry cupcakes, and two kinds of macarons – lingonberry and licorice. Skal!
 Crayfish skewers at the House of Sweden - photo credit Jordan Wright  Swedish sweets display is irresistible - photo credit Jordan Wright
Very Cherry Celebrations Continued…
 National Mall Cherry Blossoms It’s the centennial anniversary of Japan’s gift of 3,000 cherry trees to our nation’s capitol and the gorgeous blossoms have opened early this year. Personally I prefer to see them at the end of their bloom time when they are cascading to the ground like pink snow, but there’s no reason not to start the celebrations now. Here’s what’s going on around town.
The National Gallery of Art and the Smithsonian’s Freer and Sackler Galleries will present Japan Spring on the National Mall. These concurrent exhibitions—Colorful Realm: Japanese Bird-and-Flower Paintings by Itō Jakuchū (1716–1800), at the National Gallery of Art (March 30–April 29, 2012), and Masters of Mercy: Buddha’s Amazing Disciples (March 10–July 8, 2012) and Hokusai: 36 Views of Mount Fuji (March 24–June 17, 2012) at the Smithsonian’s Arthur M. Sackler Gallery arrive in the nation’s capital this spring. www.nga.gov
Legal Sea Foods tempts with dishes available exclusively at their Chinatown spot. Highlights include the red salad with radicchio, crumbled Gorgonzola, candied pecans, dried cherries and balsamic vinaigrette; cherry glazed Atlantic salmon with watercress salad and potato gaufrettes; and a surf-and-turf with grilled hanger steak with a cherry demi glaze and crab stuffed potato and haricot verte. A decadent cherries jubilee with vanilla ice cream completes the theme. Cocktail enthusiasts will appreciate the Cherry Blossom made with Cherry Heering, lemon juice, Fee Brothers Cherry Bitters and topped with Cava. www.legalseafoods.com/restaurants/washington-dc-7th-street
 Sakura cherry blossom cocktail Cuba Libre Restaurant & Rum Bar hops on the bandwagon with several entrees to cherry-charm you Latin style. Try Salmón con Salsa de Guindas, Cherry BBQ Glazed Grilled Salmon Fillet with Roasted Sweet Potato Mash and Fennel-Cherry Blossom Salad. In the dessert department get your fix with the Pastel Rustico de Cerezas, Warm Cherry Clafouti with White Chocolate Ice Cream. Instead of sipping one of the restaurant’s signature mojitos welcome the spring with vanilla-cherry Coke, a drink made from aged rum infused with cherry brandy and topped with Classic Coke. www.cubalibrerestaurant.com
At Urbana Restaurant and Wine Bar lead bartender, Obinna Emenyonu, will serve the Tuscan Flor made with cherry and apple purée, vodka, yuzu and prosecco and served with a brandied cherry garnish. www.urbanadc.com
At the 1789 Restaurant in Georgetown Executive Chef Anthony Lombardo is planning a dish of pan roasted duck breast with cherry quinoa, crispy duck confit and duck consommé and for dessert Pastry Chef Mallory Staley will create fried cherry pie. Love that they have free valet parking! www.1789Restaurant.com.
The Park Hyatt Washington wants you to try a special Sakura cocktail that will be available in the Park Hyatt Lounge and Blue Duck Tavern during the festival. The Sakura is made from a combination of Prairie Organic Vodka, Cherry Puree, Cherry Syrup, Cherry Bitters, Va de Vi Sparking Wine and garnished with a Cherry. www.blueducktavern.com.
Jordan Wright
March 12th, 2012
 Robin Ellis and Katherine Tallmadge watch as Janis McLean demos a recipe from the book - photo credit Jordan Wright  Diabetes safe dishes - photo credit Jordan Wright Last Wednesday the swashbuckling Captain Ross Poldark swept into town. Well actually it was Robin Ellis, star of the BBC series Poldark who held court to a swarm of adoring aficionados of the Masterpiece Theatre classic. It seems the elegant British actor still has the same draw with the ladies. “Downton Abbey can’t hold a candle to Poldark,” quipped one starry-eyed fan.
But we were there for a book signing, weren’t we? A polite query on the coveted invitation asked guests to consider preparing a dish from Ellis’s new Mediterranean style cookbook, Delicious Dishes for Diabetics – Eating Well with Type 2 Diabetes. Recipe cards would be forwarded. That was all the prompting needed to get an astonishing array of delectable low-carb, no sugar dishes for the gourmet potluck.
Ellis told the assembled foodistas that he had discovered he had Type 2 diabetes, prompting him to compile and share his collection of favorite go-to recipes, including treasured ones from his notable friends. A cold cucumber soup from Donald Douglas, his former nemesis Captain McNeil from the series and now a neighbor, is included in the bespoke book.
Fellow Brit actor, Catherine Flye, glowing from her recent nomination for a Helen Hayes Outstanding Supporting Actress award, was there to cheer on her compatriot. “It was lovely to see him this side of the pond. I loved his book. It’s simple, direct and easy to follow. It’s like cookery from the heart.”
 Nibbles from the table - photo credit Jordan Wright  Dishes from Ellis's new cookbook - photo credit Jordan Wright The posh get-together, organized by noted local dietician and nutritionist, Katherine Tallmadge, also featured a cooking demo by Janis McLean, Executive Chef of Cleveland Park’s Bistrot Le Zinc. Many of the recipes have been adapted from (and graciously credited to) notable cookbook authors like Marcella Hazan or Jaime Oliver, two of Ellis’s favorite chefs. Charming illustrations by Hope James of the Ellis’s laidback life in Southwest France, a place where we’d all like to cook, fill the pages of this evocative cookbook.
And now please excuse me while I watch the new Poldark double DVD set while “Charlotte’s Chicken Tagine” simmers happily in the pot.
Charlotte’s Chicken Tagine
Serves 4
1 large chicken – jointed in 8-10 pieces
3 onions – peeled and quartered
2 medium fennel bulbs – outer leaves cut off, cored and quartered
6 cloves of garlic chopped
1 tsp. each turmeric, cumin, paprika, cayenne, and ground ginger
1 tsp. saffron threads
Salt and pepper
1 cup vegetable stock
Olive oil
Handful of green olives
1 preserved lemon – rind only, cut in strips
2 tsp. chopped cilantro or parsley
– Put the chicken pieces in a casserole, or tagine, if you have one.
– Pack in the onions and fennel pieces.
– Sprinkle over the garlic and spices. Season with salt and pepper. – Pour over the stock and drizzle over some olive oil.
– Bring to a very gentle simmer. Carefully turn over the contents in the liquid. Cover and cook for one hour, basting occasionally. The chicken pieces should be sumptuously meltingly collapsed when ready.
– Add the olives and lemon rind and continue cooking for 10-15 minutes more.
– Add the cilantro or parsley just before serving with a steaming plate of basmati rice.
From Delicious Dishes for Diabetics by Robin Ellis (Skyhorse Publishing)
 Author/Actor Robin Ellis aka Poldark with Jordan Wright
March 3, 2012
Jordan Wright, Publisher of Whisk and Quill
Very Cherry Celebrations
 National Mall Cherry Blossoms Ahh the cherry…luscious fruit and symbol of spring in our Nation’s Capitol. But why? The cherry trees whose airy pink blossoms grace the Tidal Basin at this time of year will never bear cherries – but no matter – local chefs and mixologists have been falling all over each other to create cherry-inspired concoctions to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the National Cherry Blossom Festival. Here are some enticing examples of what you can expect around town during the five-week festival. I’ll be posting more in the upcoming weeks.
At Station 4 they’ve added a fixed price cherry-laden three-course meal. Chef Orlando Amaro proffers a seared foie gras with Marcona almond powder, dried cherry jelly and rosemary crusted lamb loin and sous vide cherries, finishing the dinner with cherry essence chocolate lava cake with cherry cabernet sorbet. www.station4dc.com
Hank’s Oyster Bar has a cherry salad is made with bibb lettuce, Gorgonzola cheese, cherries and cherry vinegar. Beverage Director Dana Mosbarger’s dazzles with her festival concoction called Cherry Stone Blossom made with a combination of vodka, sake, lemon juice and a splash of tart cherry juice. www.hanksrestaurants.com.
Top Chef Spike Mendelsohn’s Good Stuff Eatery in Crystal City, Georgetown and Capitol Hill is where the Obamas drop in for burgers and shakes and you should too. During the festival they’ll feature a cherry blossom shake made with the restaurant’s homemade custard and fresh cherry puree topped with a bing cherry. www.goodstuffeatery.com
In Dupont Circle, Agora, the Mediterranean-centric eatery, is pouring a special cocktail, the Kiraz Cicegi, which translates to cherry blossom in Turkish. This delicious elixir is made from a combination of Southern Comfort, Yeni Raki, cherry juice, fresh mint and agave nectar. www.agoradc.net.
Poste Moderne Brasserie takes a more Asian approach with a sake-based cocktail called For Heaven’s Sake made with house-made pomegranate soda, Tozai sake, vodka, Maraschino liqueur and fresh lemon juice. www.postebrasserie.com
 Torsade cerises, twisted artisan Bread studded with cherries - Photo credit Paul Bakery in Penn Quarter Stop by Paul Bakery in the Penn Quarter or the newly opened Georgetown location where they’ll start baking up cherry treats from March 20th – April 29th.
Any of these should satisfy. Torsade cerises, twisted artisan Bread studded with cherries, Croissant aux cerises, a crusty and buttery croissant filled with hand-made pastry cream and cherries; Cramique aux cerises a mouthwatering brioche with sweet pearls of sugar and sour cherries; Flan aux cerises, flan in a sugary shell filled with handmade pastry cream and cherries; Millefeuille aux cerises, a Napoleon of crispy puff pastry encasing a delicious mix of cherries and fresh pastry cream; or the Éclair aux cerises, a crispy choux pastry éclair filled with a delicate balance of cherries and pastry cream.
In Alexandria The Grille at Morrison House look for both sour and smoky cherry cocktails to celebrate the season. The Sour Cherry Fizz is made with sour cherry juice, Tanqueray gin, lemon juice, simple syrup, egg white and a splash of club soda. But try a Smoked Cherry Old Fashioned made with Maker’s Mark, bitters, house-smoked cherry syrup and garnished with a smoked cherry and a slice of orange for a new twist on an old classic. www.thegrillealexandria.com
Also in Alexandria Jackson 20 celebrates with the Cherry Picnic made with ginger liqueur, spiced rum, fresh sour mix and Campari wash. www.jackson20.com
Firefly’s Sakura Sling is cherry and vanilla bean infused Ketel One with Leopold Brothers Michigan tart cherry liqueur, simple syrup and a splash of soda. www.firefly-dc.com or www.facebook.com/FireflyDC
These concoctions should keep you in the pink!
Deals and Steals
Station 4 has a cool option for theatregoers. You gotta love this one with valet parking for $10 per car and only steps from Arena Theater. Enjoy a three-course menu for only $29 per person (excluding tax and gratuity) and walk to the performance leaving your car in the care of the restaurant’s valet. You could also opt for the first two courses of the pre-theatre dinner then return for dessert after the show.
From March 8th – March 25th Synetic Theater is offering the Light in the Darkness Dinner Package that includes tickets to the show and the New Movements-inspired pre-theatre menu at Jaleo in Crystal City. Patrons can save $10 total if they purchase the Dinner and Theater Packages online at synetictheater.org. Visit this website for a deal off the restaurant’s prix fixe menu. www.jaleo.com
A Washington institution 701 Restaurant offers Modern American cuisine by Executive Chef Ed Witt. Enjoy a three-course pre-theatre menu for $30 per person from 5:30 p.m. to 6:45 p.m. Monday – Saturday and 5 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on Sunday. Valet parking Monday – Saturday for $8. ww.701restaurant.com
The award-winning Rasika restaurant offers Chef Vikram Sunderman’s pre-theatre menu for $35 per person (excluding tax and gratuity). The menu is available Monday – Friday from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. and Saturdays from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Validated valet parking for $8. www.rasikarestaurant.com
Happenings
If you miss this one, you’d better hop a plane to Mexico, because you won’t find this anywhere else! Oyamel Cocina Mexicana hosts their Fifth Annual Tequila & Mezcal Festival from March 5 – 18 the two-week festival will have informational cocktail sessions, open to the public, and intimate dinners complete with tequila and mezcal tastings.
In honor of the festival, Oyamel will offer special bar antojitos. These small plates are served only at the bar and include garbanzos fritos – crispy roasted spiced garbanzo beans and alas de pollo con salsa naranja – chicken wings in a sauce of orange, spices and chile pequin.
Chef Omar Rodriguez is also crafting a special menu highlighting the flavors of Oaxaca and Jalisco in Mexico. Dishes from the Jalisco region include Sopes de ostiones, traditional corn flour cake topped with an oyster, tomato salsa, lettuce and queso fresco; Pozole de camarón, shrimp and hominy soup with Hawaiian blue prawns, guajillo and ancho chilies, served with garnishes of onion cabbage and slice radishes, and Lomo de cerdo relleno con chorizo en mole manchamanteles, chorizo stuffed pork loin with a mole of almonds, chilies, tomatoes, plantains and pineapple. Authentic Oaxaca flavors can be found in Tortitas de patas de puerco, crispy pork trotters served with a salsa of tomatillos, avocado, Serrano peppers, and cilantro, and Chuletas de cordero en chileajo con frijoles borachos, grilled lamb T-bones marinated in Guajillo chiles and garlic with drunken navy beans with pork belly and Negra Modelo.
Drinks are the highlight of every Tequila & Mezcal Festival at Oyamel and the beverage team at Oyamel has created unique cocktails just for the occasion. Libations featuring mescal include the Oaxacan Swizzle, Del Maguey Mezcal “Vida”, ruby port, fresh pressed apples, lime, ginger and house-made orange bitters; El Bahio, Sombra mezcal, roasted pineapple juice, lemon and cardamom; Joven avocado, avocado-infused mezcal, Cocchi Americano, grapefruit syrup, grapefruit juice, Hellfire bitters, and avocado leaf; and the High Tea, Los Nahuales Reposado Mezcal, chamomile tea, honey, and house-made tobacco bitters. Drinks featuring tequila are the Mexican Tailor, house-infused “Gin-quila” fresh pressed apples, lemon and basil; El Pescador, Herradura Tequila three ways, grapefruit juice, Curacao, maraschino liqueur, Honey and Velvet Falernum, and the Champs–Elysees; Don Julio 70th Anniversary Añejo, Remy VSOP, Green Chartreuse, Lemon, and Peychaud’s bitters. A complete calendar is online at www.oyamel.com/index.php/about/press_and_calendar
New and Notable
Cahal Armstrong’s latest Alexandria food adventure, Society Fair, has just opened on Washington Street a few blocks from The Little Theatre of Alexandria. The pretty gourmet shop featuring fresh baked breads, a butchery, upscale food market and wine bar has some smallish eat-in tables for enjoying delicious sandwiches and cheeses with a wide range of wines by the glass offered on tap. As the weather complies there’s an outdoor patio. www.societyfair.net
In Columbia Heights the hot buzz is all about Mintwood Place where Executive Chef Cedric Maupillier, formerly of Puro Café in Georgetown, has at last found his niche serving French food with an American twist. Nibble on escargot hush puppies or maple pork cracklin’ to start. Spring has arrived with the shad. Try the delicate fish served with it’s own roe accompanied by black trumpet mushrooms and lardo. You get the idea. www.mintwoodplace.com
Stay tuned for lots more news and updates from Nibbles And Sips Around Town. To read more go to www.WhiskandQuill.com
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