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Jordan Wright
June 11, 2012
Special to The Alexandria Times
 Sarah Holt, Ric Anderson, and Robin Parker Photos by Doug Olmsted Everybody loves Elvis. The man was larger than life. “The King of Rock and Roll”, who helped shape a mid-century pop culture and was a distinct influence on American music, is still with us today. Rent-an-Elvis impersonators in cheek-hugging sideburns make pilgrimages to Memphis, Tennessee to gawk at his stately colonial mansion. Graceland, the holiest of rock and roll shrines, where wife Priscilla, the envy of bobbysoxers everywhere, along with the King, raised their only child, Lisa Marie. So naturally a show about Elvis’s women would include them, right? Well no, not in this imaginary retelling.
All the King’s Women is an homage to Elvis Presley played out in vignettes by ordinary people Elvis came in contact with at different points in his life. And despite the title they are not the most important women in his life, as you might surmise. Priscilla, Lisa Marie, and mother, Gladys have no roles. So don’t expect a love story here. And in a bit of a misnomer there are four male characters in the play and no hip shakin’ goin’ on.
 Ric Andersen and Jennifer Finch – Photos by Doug Olmsted The play opens in Mississippi at the Tupelo Hardware Company. It’s 1946, Elvis’s 11th birthday, and a virtual Gladys has taken him shopping for a twelve dollar Kay guitar in place of the rifle he was promised. Sarah Holt plays the shop girl who drips with that peculiar combination of good manners and behind-your-back gossip called Southern charm. Holt has the inflections and mannerisms down pat. In fact every character she plays will endear you to her. Heads up for her hilarious three a.m. banana-and-peanut butter scene with Elvis in the supermarket.
Eight short vignettes are told though the eyes of the unknown women and men that drifted, if only temporarily, into his sacred sphere – the nameless secretaries, saleswomen, assistants and shoppers whose worlds were rocked by a chance encounter.
During scene changes photo slides from the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s are splashed onto a screen mounted on the back of the stage – iconic photos of Elvis’s pink Cadillac along with movie stills and a photo collage by Andy Warhol – providing a visual scrapbook of the King’s celebrity life and images of the day. But it does seem strange not to have an actual Elvis in the play.
Instead four actors tackle seventeen roles including the auspicious hardware store purchase, a confab among Warhol’s effete staff and a well-publicized meeting in the White House with then president Richard Nixon in which Presley offered his service to the country as a federal agent while dressed in a purple velvet cape with matching slacks and a flashy 6-inch belt buckle.
 Jennifer Finch and Robin Parker – Photos by Doug Olmsted One scene describes an early appearance on the Steve Allen Show. Although Presley had yet to appear on television his scandalous hip gyrations were renowned and nearly got him banned from The Ed Sullivan Show, the most popular family variety show of the 1950’s. In a meeting between Elvis’s press secretary, the network censor’s assistant and Allen’s secretary, Presley is instructed to wear top hat and white gloves. He agreed to those conditions but insisted on wearing his blue suede shoes. Allen finally demurred telling the censor’s assistant, “As long as his shoes are nailed to the floor!”
The cast works well together and the jokes are lighthearted. A simply furnished set focuses the attention on the characters while familiar hits like Hound Dog and Amazing Grace are heard playing in the background.
See it if you want your funny bone all shook up.
Through June 30th at The Little Theatre of Alexandria, 600 Wolfe Street. For tickets and information call the box office at 703 683-0496 or visit www.thelittletheatre.com
Jordan Wright
June 4th, 2012
Special to www.dcmetrotheaterarts.com, www.broadwaystars.com, and www.localkicks.com
Crystal City Gets Good Stuff
 Spike's opening of Good Stuff Eatery in Crystal City - photo credit Jordan Wright A klieg-lit opening for Spike Mendelsohn’s Good Stuff Eatery in Crystal City brought out family, friends and TV crews earlier this month. Bravo’s film crew has been trailing Spike for his upcoming show Life After Top Chef – and apparently his guests too. An all-who-enter-within waiver was tacked to the wall outside the front door, warning guests they might make the final cut. Wannabes and the rest of us were undeterred, especially from inhaling his juicy burgers, cups of fiery hot chili and sweet potato fries. Champagne and beer made the rounds but were bested by those addictive Toasted Marshmallow milkshakes. P.S. The ultra-rich shakes get their creaminess from the addition of a daily house-made custard. I know. I asked… in the interest of my readers of course.
 The posted release at Good Stuff Eatery - photo credit Jordan Wright  An assortment of burger sliders at Good Stuff Eatery - photo credit Jordan Wright Spike has come a long and much-televised way from burger-flipping pool parties at the Rubell family’s Capitol Skyline Hotel (Remember the giant rubber duckies in the pool?) when the film crew from MTV”s Real World was shooting the young and restless and he was the ever-gracious host. Did I mention how telegenically cute he is? What’s next from the celeb chef? Could be another Good Stuff Eatery opening on M Street in Georgetown later this year.
La Forchetta is Roberto Donna’s New Playground
 Maestro Donna slicing salumi at La Forchetta - photo credit Jordan Wright When it became known that Roberto Donna, cookbook author, restaurateur and James Beard Award-winning chef, would be cooking again after years of legal and financial hurdles, including the shuttering of his short-lived Galileo III experiment, gourmands began salivating for his signature Italian cuisine. La Forchetta, which shares patio space with Chef Geoff’s in the nicely wooded neighborhood of Wesley Heights close by American University, is Donna’s new laboratory. Owner Hakan Ilhanwho was aware of Donna’s woes as well as his talents has hired him to cook, not handle the finances. Crisis averted.
 Pizza maker at La Forchetta - photo credit Jordan Wright  Patio at La Forchetta - photo credit Jordan Wright The tangerine-accented resto features a square-shaped bar surrounding a large brick oven for wood-fired pizzas. Should be cozy in winter. For now a cheery patio was the draw and most diners were outdoors the night we dined. We tried Donna’s signature risotto with truffles, spinach pizza, rockfish with pesto and Swiss chard, a dish of house made veal and pork sausages over polenta, and papardelle with ragu.
It took awhile to get our cocktails, which arrived at the same time as the food followed by the wine several courses later. A request to debone the fish didn’t pan out as hoped and in the darkening room I gave up plucking out the bones myself and put it aside. Also disappointing were the house made sausages – unexpectedly dry and without the hoped for juiciness to ooze into and flavor the polenta. Thankfully the pasta was up to Donna’s standards – light and tender – and served with wild boar ragu that had clearly benefitted from the low and slow cooking the sauce demands.
 Pasta with wild boar ragu at La Forchetta - photo credit Jordan Wright The pizza was a puzzlement. It comes uncut – a not well thought out decision. For the diner, who may not have in mind dividing their own pie without the benefit of a pizza cutter and work surface, it was flat-out annoying trying to cut a pizza with a steak knife while it slid around a small glass plate. As for its execution, instead of a mound of arugula the small pie sported a few leaves, sparse cheese, little sauce (though it was tasty), and a wide-edged underdone toppingless crust. We gazed wistfully at our neighbor’s salumi platter and wished we had ordered it with a bottle of chianti and a plate of pasta.
Would we return? Yes, now armed with foreknowledge. Sit outside on a balmy evening, order drinks, wait till you’ve finished those before ordering food, and stick to the simplest preparations. Note well: We saw the maestro hard at work shaving meats, not slaving over a hot oven.
Isabella Goes South of the Border
 Top Chefs Jen Carroll with Mike Isabella at the opening of his new restaurant Bandelero - photo credit Jordan Wright Mike Isabella has the Georgetown bar scene figured out. Cheek-to-jowl with the Modern and Rhino Bar and across from J. Paul’s, Isabella’s newest outpost after Graffiato is Bandolero, a low-key high intensity No Country For Old Men Mexican hangout, which is primed to go head to head with those well-known watering holes. The former Top Chef from Season 6 and 2010 Top Chef All-Stars had a totally rockin’ opening and former Top Chef fellow contestant, Jen Carroll, was there to cheer him on.
 The scene at Bandelero - photo credit Jordan Wright To keep up with the fast pace of a hot bar, Isabella has put some pre-made designer margaritas on tap. The “El Bandolero Margarita” and “El Mata Amigos” cocktails (“Mata” can mean bushy hair, a grove or the mastic tree? Clarification needed here.) flowed freely at the press opening last week. Currently the bar features over 65 tequilas and a dozen mezcals to choose from. Assistant General Manager, Ryan Jones, told me they’ll soon be off to Mexico in search of some obscure small-batch tequilas to ratchet up the inventory.
The décor, an intriguing hybrid of Mexican bordello meets medieval dungeon, is Elvis on black velvet dark with colonial era brick walls. But forget about the cave mood lighting, (Jones told me the lights were turned up for the event.) and order some food. You won’t be disappointed.
Start with orange infused pumpkin seed spread with jalapenos or chunky guacamole made with salsa roja and served with masa chips and chicarrones. On to Taquitos and Tostados. I couldn’t get enough of the Maryland blue crab tacos with coconut, red chili and purple potatoes – and I’m still craving the tuna, ginger and sweet potato. Fabuloso! And though I delighted in the mahi mahi taco, I noted there’s one made with lobster to try another time. A perfect balance of smoky and spicy was revealed in tacos of suckling pig, apple and habanero mustard, and succulent pork cheek flautas to dip in queso anejo.
In any case Isabella knows the basics of Mexican cooking from his early days on the line. “I used to cook in a Mexican restaurant in New Jersey,” he told me. As for his reinvention of Mexican street food he says, “It’s Mexican with a twist!” Viva la révolution!
Frenchify Me
 PAUL opens 3rd Bakery in Heart of DC at 1000 Conn Ave NW on Mon June 4, 2012 - Photo credit to Jason Colston Paul Bakery opened another of their traditional boulangerie cafés, this one in a stunner of a building on Connecticut Avenue near Dupont Circle. Now you can get your café au lait and croissant or sack of macaronson your way to work. Working lunch in the conference room during déjeuner? Impress your K Street clientele with crépes and tartes for lunch.
 B B forever Brigitte Bardot is coming to Washington! Well, virtually anyway. The photo exhibit “BB Forever – Brigitte Bardot, The Legend” features France’s most alluring sex kitten and opens June 21st through September at the Sofitel Washington. Concurrently the hotel will offer a special ”French Icon” package, which includes luxury accommodations, daily breakfast for two in iCi Urban Bistro, and dessert for two in Le Bar. It’s the first time an exhibit about the iconic movie star and animal advocate will appear in North America. Sofitel has also created a special collector’s edition catalogue for the exhibit that includes rare photos, accompanied by commentary and anecdotes by journalist and author Henry-Jean Servat, as well as an editorial by the legend herself.
New Chef New Menu at Alexandria’s Morrison House
 Artichoke puree with truffles served in a mason jar with artichoke chips at The Grille at Morrison House - photo credit Jordan Wright Brian McPherson, former executive sous chef at Poste is now heading up the kitchens at The Grille at Morrison House, the tony boutique hotel in Alexandria’s Old Town. McPherson recently crossed the Potomac where he worked as executive sous chef under Rob Weland for the past five years.
The Grille has a well-known piano bar scene on Thursday nights and cast members as well as talented local songsters from the area drop by to trill show tunes and light opera for guests.
 Olive oil cake with strawberries and basil ice cream at The Grille at Morrison House - photo credit Jordan Wright  Radicchio, curly endive, walnut salad with Cashel blue cheese at The Grille at Morrison House - photo credit Jordan Wright McPherson is already doing great things with both upscale and foraged ingredients and at last week’s spring-inspired dinner there was no exception. Opt for the clubby Grill Room (the formal dining room desperately needs a makeover) and start with the artichoke paté with black truffles, marinated artichoke hearts and artichoke chips. Follow with English pea pistou with hedgehog mushrooms and pea shoots or asparagus and nettle soup with crème fraîche, radishes, asparagus tips and ramps. Take it from me, it was like grandmere’s potager. Rosy lamb filets served with a bordelaise jus are rich and meaty, and a salad of radicchio, curly endive, pecans and Cashel Bleu cheese is one I’ll try to recreate at home.
But the pièce de résistance for me was the most heavenly bouillabaisse I’ve ever eaten outside of Marseille. Served with a proper rouille sur baguette and floating in saffron broth were tender pieces of lobster, halibut, mussels and scallops. Formidable!
For dessert we shared McPherson’s insouciant nod to strawberry shortcake with lightly macerated strawberries over a delicate olive oil cake with a rose-infused sauce and basil ice cream on the side, as well as raspberry panna cotta with fresh raspberries and sorbet made from the juice of the same.
If you aren’t up for ditties from the Washington Opera’s off-duty supernumeraries, skip Thursdays – otherwise book a table as fast as you can.
Wolfgang Puck Expands His Empire to National Harbor
 Tablescape with the Wilson Bridge beyond at the Sunset Room at National Harbor - photo credit Jordan Wright The swank press opening of Puck’s new catering space at National Harbor was an event worthy of the innovator himself. A breathtaking view of the Potomac River coupled with Puck’s stylish cuisine and artisanal cocktails gives this event space an advantage unlike many others in the area. We dined on fresh ravioli, soft shell crab sliders, warm asparagus soup, those legendary pizzas (prosciutto and arugula was the clear winner for me) and Korean short ribs served with half a dozen toppings from scallions to house made kimchee.
 Soft shell crab sliders at the Sunset Room - photo credit Jordan Wright  Korean Beef at Wolfgang Puck's Sunset Room Puck installed a brand new state-of-the-art kitchen in the unused space and trained his staff to reflect the same high standards one comes to expect at his DC resto, The Source, which also has a successful catering division in the Newseum.
Sleek and chic is the dynamic. Oscar-worthy cuisine is the result. The Sunset Room at National Harbor promises to be a premiere destination for conventions, weddings and other social occasions. With a capacity to host private events of up to 2,000 guests and do it in elegant innovative style, Puck’s mantra of “Eat! Love! Live!” translates into LA style parties for the East Coast.
 The view from Wolfgang Puck's Sunset Room at National Harbor - photo credit Jordan Wright
Jordan Wright
May 21, 2012
Special to The Alexandria Times
 Sonny (Charlie Brady, center) goes 1980’s glam rock. Mark Chandler (left) and Nickolas Vaughan. "Xanadu" Virginia’s Signature Theatre. Photo: Scott Suchman Dial back to the ‘80’s and Venice Beach, Cali. It’s the days before auto-tuned singers and earbuds, a simpler time when listening to music meant cassette tapes and a boombox the size of carry-on luggage. Scrunch a pair of leg warmers over your roller skates (in-lines had yet to be invented) and channel your inner Olivia Newton-John or John Travolta. Remember that now much maligned era of disco fever and mirrored balls – when dancing to Donna Summer fast tracked your life? Well, it’s back with the pop musical Xanadu to the tune of fourteen huge hits like I’m Alive, Evil Woman, Strange Magic, Suddenly and Have You Never Been Mellow.
 Erin Weaver (center, as Kira) with her Greek Muses (from left to right) Nickolas Vaughan, Kellee Knighten Hough, Nova Y. Payton, Sherri L. Edelen, Mark Chandler, and Jamie Eacker. The musical comedy "Xanadu". Photo: Scott Suchman In a mix and match of muses, roller disco and a World War II female quartet, Sonny and Kira fall in love. That’s the easy part. Plot-wise the musical tosses in everything but the kitchen sink and throws out more wacky punch lines than Laugh-In. But it’s the electrifying, feel-good musical score by composers Jeff Lynne and John Farrar that provides the Krazy Glue that holds it all together when mythical gods and goddesses conspire and partyers in silver Lurex and platform heels camp it up on a stage designed to send skaters sailing straight through the aisles. In Misha Kachman’sset, complete with soaring catwalk and palm trees silhouetted against an amber sunset, there’s a bigger-than-life backdrop to this eponymously titled send-up of the 1980 cult classic film.
 Kira (Erin Weaver) goes weak in the knees in the arms of Sonny Malone (Charlie Brady). Photo: Scott Suchman Sonny is an untalented sidewalk chalk artist who can’t even conjure a compelling suicide note. In the midst of his desperation he meets Kira, a Grecian muse, aka Clio, on the Santa Monica Pier. She vows to help the disconsolate Sonny become successful. But following her father Zeus’s edict to all muses, she must not fall in love with a mortal. Bummer, right? In all of the great Greek tragedies the infighting muses have an axe to grind – and this one’s got Kira’s name written all over it.
 Harry A. Winter (as Danny Maguire) and Erin Weaver (as Kira) sing “Whenever You’re Away From Me”. Photo: Scott Suchman 
As in the original Broadway production a cast of nine handles, what by quick count appears to be, an astonishing 25 different roles. Are they up to it? “True dat!” as the slang-prone muses say. Credit Costume Designer Kathleen Geldard and a wardrobe mistress as speedy as Mercury who manage some lightning quick wardrobe changes as the cast goes from diaphanous togas to skintight spandex and back again.
Hunky actor Charlie Brady plays the hapless Sonny Malone to adorable Erin Weaver’s Kira. Weaver is utterly winsome and creates a force field all her own, breathing mega-energy into the familiar show.
The script has plenty of audience-conscious lines. When Kira asks her former boyfriend, now real estate tycoon Danny Maguire (played by Harry A. Winter), to let them turn his old theater into a roller disco, he agrees telling her, “Nothing turns around a crappy neighborhood like the Arts.” Knowing laughs from the Shirlington audience who remember when the theater was in an auto shop. But the line of the night goes to Hermes, played with perfect comedic timing by Nickolas Vaughan who when Kira asks him, “Why does Zeus accuse me?” – he cracks, “Bitch, I don’t know your life!”
Sherri Edelen (Calliope/Aphrodite) who recently appeared in Signature’s multi-awarded Hairspray is a riot as is Nova Y. Payton (Melpomene/Medusa) whose rich voice and sass put the show in the “Memorable Evening” category.
Through July 1st at Signature Theatre (Shirlington Village), 4200 Campbell Avenue, Arlington, VA 22206. For tickets and information call 703 820-9771 or visit www.signature-theatre.org.
Jordan Wright
May 15th, 2012
Special to www.dcmetrotheaterarts.com, www.broadwaystars.com, and www.localkicks.com
Summer Cookbooks, Celebs, Book Giveaway and A Sri Lankan Pop-Up Dinner
Apron Anxiety Giveaway – Alyssa Shelasky’s hot new tell-all cookbook will be given away to a lucky subscriber of WhiskandQuill.com. Go to CONTEST to register and enter to win your own copy. See my write up in last week’s column. Giveaway ends June 1, 2012.
In between bites we’ve been trying to catch up with the recent crop of cookbooks. This week’s report that the Washington Metro area, Alexandria and Arlington in particular, are the most well-read cities in the country was indeed exciting – so let’s stay on top with a great summer read.
What’s summer without ice cream? Since National Ice Cream Week is from May 30th to June 5th this year, you’ll have just enough time to practice wowing your peeps with these unique formulas from San Francisco’s coolest ice cream chefs. In the Humphrey Slocombe Ice Cream Book (Chronicle Books) the shop’s owners Jake Godby and Sean Vahey have partnered with San Francisco Chronicle’s Inside Scoop columnist, Paolo Lucchesiin a book chockfull of beat-a-path-to-your-door sweet treats. In a small Mission District shop they prepare their sometimes pot- more often alcohol-inspired ice cream concoctions each day and fans line up to try their latest whimsies. The Gabba Gabba Hey Sundae was inspired by The Ramones and uses the recipe for Balsamic Caramel ice cream. I can hardly wait to try the one for Sweet Summer Corn or Strawberry Candied Jalapeno.
 Lorraine Wallace - Mr. Sunday's Saturday Night Chicken Best-selling New York Times author, Lorraine Wallace, has come out with her second cookbook, Mr. Sunday’s Saturday Night Chicken (Wiley). Lorraine is the wife of Fox News journalist Chris Wallace. In a journalistic nod to full disclosure, I went to school with Chris’s sister, Pauline Dora, who was the former president of New York’s tony The Conran Shop and now owns Design Collection, a swank home accessories shop in New Canaan, CT. The siblings are both children of the late 60 Minutes anchorman Mike Wallace. Still with me? Lorraine, a resident of Washington, DC and mother of six, has chosen to cast chicken in the starring role in her tribute to her husband’s favorite dinner choice. There are 130 recipes featuring poultry including one from her pal, Art Smith, Oprah’s former private chef, for his legendary Art and Soul’s Fried Chicken, her sister-in-law Pauline’s Easy Roast Chicken, and the recipe for Brined Organic Pheasant from my dear friend Rob Townsend, former chef at Upperville’s Ayrshire Farms. Lots of Wallace family photos and intimate snippets of their lives grace the pages between recipes.
British author Jane Hornby’s follow-up to What to Cook & How to Cook It is entitled Fresh & Easy (Phaidon Press). The stunning tome features 75 step-by-step recipes with helpful photos for dishes perfectly suited to outdoor entertaining.
 Pistachio Yogurt Cake with Figs & Honey from Fresh & Easy Jane Hornby’s Pistachio Yogurt Cake
Preparation time: 45 minutes, plus cooling
Cooking time: 45 minutes
Serves at least 8
Note: I love the unique texture that yogurt gives to cakes and baked goods; sort of dense but light at the same time. Here I’ve mixed it with olive oil and pistachios to make a moist and tasty Middle-Eastern-style cake that’s ideal for dessert with coffee or a glass of mint tea.
Ingredients
7 tbsp unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing
scant ½ cup olive oil
3 eggs, at room temperature
scant 1 cup Greek yogurt, plus extra to serve
1 ¾ cups shelled pistachios
1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp fine salt
¾ cup superfine sugar
6 fresh figs, or more if you like
2 tbsp honey, plus extra to serve
Instructions
- Butter the inside of a deep 8-inch round cake pan, then line the bottom with a circle of parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 325°F.
- Melt the butter in a pan, then pour it into a large mixing bowl. Pour in the oil and let cool for a few minutes.
- Add the eggs and yogurt to the bowl and whisk until smooth and even.
- Put 1¼ cups of the pistachios into a food processor with 1 tablespoon of flour and process until fine and sandy. If you don’t have a food processor, the next best thing is to put the pistachios into a food storage bag, squeeze out the air, then bash the nuts with a rolling pin until fine.
- Add the nuts, flour, baking powder, salt and sugar to the buttery mixture, then fold together using a spatula or metal spoon until thoroughly combined. Pour the batter into the pan and even out the top.
- Bake the cake for 45 minutes, or until evenly risen and golden and a skewer or toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Cool the cake in its pan for 15 minutes, then transfer it to a cooling rack.
- When ready to serve (it can be warm or cold, but is best warm), put the cake onto a serving plate. Slice the figs in half and sit a few pieces on top of the cake. Drizzle 2 tablespoons honey over the top of the cake and fruit, then sprinkle with the remaining whole nuts. Serve with the rest of the figs and more yogurt on the side. The cake will still be very good to eat a few days after baking*
 Kim Barnouin - Skinny Bitch Book of Vegan Swaps
From the Skinny Bitch series best-selling author and holistic nutritionist Kim Barnouin, we get her umpteenth guide to a healthier lifestyle – (HarperOne). We knew she was headed there sooner or later. Barnouin’s R-rated banter intends to strip away the fear of an inaugural trip to Whole Foods. Seriously? “Swap Hostess Twinkies for X’s and O’s Vegan Bakery Canoe Boats,” she counsels the culinary naif. That should be a snap with bankrupt Hostess Brands laying off all 18,500 employees this week. Read this if you don’t know the difference between Kellogg’s and Kashi.
On a more serious note, Napa Valley’s award-winning chef and restaurateur, Cindy Pawlcyn’s new book, Cindy’s Supper Club – Meals From Around the World to Share with Family and Friends (Ten Speed Press) got us planning our next dinner party. Pawlcyn takes us to exotic locales – think Turkey, Peru, Korea and South Africa – without ever leaving the sanctity of our own kitchen. Twenty-five complete menus plus luscious photos from Alex Farnum. Take note of the Hawaiian Pork Katsu and grab your market basket to prepare the refreshing Forager’s Salad from Ireland with ten veggies, a clutch of herbs, hazelnuts and blue cheese. Wildflowers optional.
Also from Ten Speed Press is Brooklyn native Victoria Belanger’s Hello, Jell-O, a cutesy summer-useful book of gelatin treats. You might try serving her Pear and Lychee Martini or a minty Mojito mold at your next cookout. I like the Petite Watermelons made with blended vodka-infused strawberries, decorated with tiny black sesame seeds and served in a scooped-out lime wedge. These are not your grammie’s potluck supper recipes, it’s upmarket throwback fun.
When Anthony Bourdain filmed an episode of No Reservations in Sri Lanka his guide was Baltimorean S. H. Fernando, chef/author of the new cookbook Rice & Curry (Hippocrene). “Skiz”, as everyone calls him, whose first effort cookbook is enthusiastically endorsed by both Bourdain and Bizarre Foods host Andrew Zimmern, has compiled authentic recipes from his homeland into a highly engaging book. Using spices that have applications in the ancient Ayurvedic system of holistic health, Fernando takes the home cook into a world few have ever written about. As a graduate of Harvard University and Columbia University’s School of Journalism, the multi-dimensional renaissance man is also a film director, record producer and music journalist having written for The New York Times, Rolling Stone, Vibe and Spin. He’ll be hosting (and cheffing!) a 12-course pop-up dinner called The Sri Lankan Supper Club at Montserrat House in Washington, DC on June 8th. For details and ticket info visit his blog at www.riceandcurry.wordpress.com.
If you’re watching your figure, or maybe someone else is, NBC’s Today Show Diet and Fitness Guru, Joy Bauer has a new book for you. The Joy Fit Club – Cookbook, Diet Plan & Inspiration (Wiley) is Bauer’s entry into the world of before-and-after success stories. This super user-friendly at-home approach to weight loss ratchets up the inspiration with thirty transformative stories and photos from men and women who have followed her expert advice while losing up to 300 pounds. The easy to follow 21-day diet plan includes yummy snacks like Lime Ginger Baby Cakes with Coconut Frosting (only 5 grams of fat each).
Jordan Wright
May 14, 2012
Special to The Alexandria Times
 Eric Sutton and Michael Russotto in Lonely Planet by Steven Dietz Photo credit: Christopher Banks When an entire cast consists of only two characters, such as in Steven Dietz’s play Lonely Planet, be assured the piece will reveal a deep exploration of the psyche. This thoroughly engaging Ionesco-influenced drama affords a 1980’s gay perspective of a time when the HIV/AIDS crisis was at its apex and death was the prolonged yet assured outcome. It is a window writ large into the private fears and anguish of those who faced the daily loss of their loved ones.
Jody is the urbane proprietor of Jody’s Maps, a cartography shop in Anytown, USA. He is consumed with the incongruity of wonky-proportioned Mercator maps its out-sized dimensions of Greenland. He wants a world more clearly defined by Peters’ Equal Area Maps that reflect the actual scale of the continents. He is trying to resolve these conflicting issues and sell maps at the same time.
His friend Carl is a fantasist who adopts new professions as seamlessly as a chameleon changes color. On each visit to Jody’s shop he spins new tales of his day. Sometimes he’s a crime scene investigator, or an auto glass repairman or a fine art restorer. Grappling with the constant reality of the death of his friends, he confesses, “I don’t make up things. I lie.” But what’s his angle? Is it a coping mechanism, an innocent transference, or is he a con artist? Jody is wary but captivated.
The men pass the time with mock tales of Richard Nixon-inspired Shakespearean skits and swordplay with rolled up maps. “We need to play our game,” Jody challenges. “The game where we tell the truth? I prefer to lie a little longer,” Carl admits, spinning tales of Jesus-imaged china as they bear constant witness to the mind-numbing reality of losing their friends.
Each day as their relationship deepens and Carl delivers more chairs to Jody’s small shop, Jody’s disconnectedness grows into agoraphobia. “No one prepares you for the fear,” he reveals with resentment of how the “straight world” views the deaths of gays from AIDS. But this play is not a redux of Ionesco’s absurdist farce Les Chaises (The Chairs), nor Angels in America. It is an intimate and darkly humorous portrait of universal love and loss and the methods we use to cope. In Carl’s case signified by the burgeoning collection of metaphorical chairs representing his late friends.
Kudos to award-winning Director John Vreeke and Set Designer Jane Fink, a local grad student from George Washington University, who does a brilliant job of evoking a musty map store with all its nooks and crannies. Memorable performances by Michael Russotto (Jody) and Eric Sutton (Carl) who create a believable bond in the face of unimaginable loss with ferocity, humor and fluidity.
At MetroStage now through June 17th. 1201 North Royal Street, Alexandria, 22314. For tickets and information call 703 548-9044 or visit www.metrostage.org.
Jordan Wright
May 2, 2012
Special to www.dcmetrotheaterarts.com and www.broadwaystars.com
Destination Pig
 Chef Will Harlan breaks down a side of beef while Chef/Owner Scott Harlan looks on at Green Pig Bistro - photo credit Jordan Wright I’m hooked on Green Pig Bistro and already dreaming about a return engagement. Who could resist dishes so scrumptiously succulently delicious they should be illegal? At the hot new porcine-centric resto in Clarendon last week, I did not get arrested for engaging in food porn. But I could’ve and so could you. Who cares? Bring on the cuffs!
For a resto whose raison d’etre is pork (their naturally raised Virginia beef is outstanding too) all meats are broken down from the whole animal. Chef and Owner Scott Harlan, whose signature riff is preparing the lesser known cuts, has assembled a fine supporting kitchen cast including Co-Chef Will Sullivan and Sous Pastry Chef Rory Kraus. But according to an ad last week on Craigslist (and a follow up call yesterday), they need additional help in pastry and service.
 Beef shank for two with polenta and greens from Green Pig Bistro - photo credit Jordan Wright  Crispy pig ear tacos at Green Pig Bistro - photo credit Jordan Wright After a chance meeting in New York City with design diva Nicole Facciuto, Harlan chose the design team of Facciuto Mele to execute his vision for a low-key rustic, sleek-chic bistro. The stunning Facciuto is known to many as one of four designers on Food Network’s Restaurant Impossible, the Robert Irvine program that takes failing restaurants and turns them into success stories. Along with her partner Erich Mele they transmogrified the ordinary space, outfitting it with a boho eclecticism and a nifty stainless steel open kitchen. The upscale design vibe uses old cookbook pages as wallpaper and bathroom doors that are cleverly labeled Julia (as in Childs) and James (as in Beard).
But let’s dish on the food. Harlan goes for deep soulful bright yet complex flavors. Start off with crispy pig ear tacos, pimento cheese balls, or fries served poutine style with duck gravy and cheese. Juicy smoky tasting cheeseburgers are enhanced with 1/3 ground bacon to 2/3 beef and three types of cheese. More daring diners will try corned ox heart reubens or lamb sweetbreads with cauliflower and grapes. Whole pork shanks cooked sous vide then crusted and served with polenta and greens are best suited for two, Parker House rolls on the side. Save room for some screaming crazy house-made doughnuts with chocolate sauce and peanut butter ice cream.
Brunch is served Saturdays and Sundays. We like that. And in addition to eggs-and-bacon fare there are a few non-standards like sourdough blueberry pancakes with maple ice cream and a dish intriguingly entitled Aunt Florence’s egg pie. Ah, sweet mystery of life.
There’s no website yet so here are the deets. Green Pig Bistro 1025 North Fillmore Street, Arlington, VA 22201. No lunch service as of now, but for more info and to check hours call 703 888-1920.
Alexandria Goes to the Dogs and You Should Too
 Inspector Foo Foo dreaming of doggy "Yappy" Hour at Artfully Chocolate - photo credit Jordan Wright Starting this week Artfully Gifts and Chocolates’ Old Town Alexandria location kicks off their Friday evening summertime doggy “Yappy” Hour. In addition to their delicious designer chocolates, specially baked dog treats and burgers and beer and wine for their owners will be available for purchase. I hope to be there with Inspector Foo Foo, my Shih Tzu, who will have his report on your desk in the morning. 506 John Carlyle Street, Alexandria, VA 22314
 Jose Andres at Jaleo Crystal City - photo credit Jordan Wright My all-time favorite interviewee and grand master of Iberican pork, José Andrés, has devised a special menu to go along with the Joan Miró exhibit at the National Gallery of Art. Beginning May 6th and continuing through August 12th Garden Café Catalonia will feature dishes as well as wine and beers from the region.
The über-chef Andrés, owner of Oyamel, Zaytinya, minibar and Jaleo restaurants here in Washington, was just named to the 2012 TIME 100, the magazine’s annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world.
À la carte selections inspired by the exhibition include empedrat de mongetes amb bacallà (white bean salad with vegetables and Catalan salt cod), canelons de Sant Esteve (pork and chicken “canelons” with béchamel sauce), and escalivada catalana (salad of roasted red pepper, eggplant, and onion). A lovely dessert is peres al vi amb gelat de vainilla (pears poached in red wine with vanilla ice cream).
The buffet at $20.25 incorporates a variety of traditional Catalan fare, including rustic bread, empedrat de mongetes (white bean salad with vegetables, black olives, and tomato), sopa freda de cireres de Santa Coloma de Cervelló (cold cherry and tomato soup), samfaina (Catalan vegetable stew), xatonada (salad of frisée, preserved tuna, and romesco sauce), formatges amb anous i codony (Catalan cheese with Marcona almonds and quince marmalade), escalivada catalana (salad of roasted red pepper, eggplant, and onion), pollastre a la catalana (Catalan chicken stew with dried fruits and nuts), fricandó de galtes de vedella amb bolets (Catalan stew of beef cheeks and mushrooms), and for dessert crema catalana (caramelized Catalan custard).
To recreate the experience at home, recipe cards for some of the dishes are offered to guests.
The Lonely and Glamorous Life of a Celebrity Chef’s Girlfriend
 Apron Anxiety: My Messy Affairs In and Out of the Kitchen by Alyssa Shelasky  Alyssa and Spike in better days at the St. Regis in Washington DC - photo credit Jordan Wright Alyssa Shelasky’s book Apron Anxiety – My Messy Affairs In And Out Of The Kitchen (Three Rivers Press) arrived this week buried under a slew of recent esoteric cookbooks and social networking how-to’s, – more on those soon. Alyssa as some of you may remember had a long tempestuous affair with the sizzling hot Top Chef Spike Mendelsohn. In her tell-all-without-using-names book (she calls him “Chef”) she spares us none of the juicy details, which she had been sharing on her blog even before becoming editor of New York Magazine’s Grub Street. She refers to herself as a “writer with a heavy heart, and wild child with a stethoscope on her crotch.” The book is actually a culinary coming-of-age cookbook in the Gael Greene sex-and-food gallivant style, focusing in on Shelasky’s novice attempts at cooking.
After ditching a terrific job with People Magazine to move in with Spike on C Street, she had a rough time of it in this oft button-down town and spent lonely days hanging out at Belga Café. That was around the same time I met her at the Capitol Skyline Hotel where Spike was flipping burgers poolside for super art mogul Mera Rubell. But I digress.
Shelasky eventually did embrace the kitchen with as much passion as the bedroom after a timid start with Martha Stewart’s Macaroni and Cheese and Sarabeth’s Cream of Tomato Soup (both recipes are in the book). The book is sassy, delicious and adorable and witty like Alyssa. I loved it!
How Olive Ya Sapore
 Sapore on Capitol Hill - photo credit Jordan Wright The newest addition to the Capitol Hill area is Renee and John Farr’s Sapore Oil and Vinegar a neat shop that sources artisanal products from around the world, tucking in pastas, sauces and books among the stainless steel pouring vats in their lively tasting room.
 Earth & Vine sofi award finalist Spicy Apple Garlic Jam - photo credit Jordan Wright  At Sapore to reveal the sofi award finalist. Wines courtesy of ProChile - photo credit Jordan Wright This week The Farrs graciously hosted an invitation-only preview of the Fancy Food Show’s NASFT sofi award finalists where the products were showcased and eagerly tasted. Carrie Morey of the Callie’s Charleston Biscuits, was on hand with samples of her meltingly tender sinfully buttery biscuits.
 Carrie Morey of Callie's Charleston Biscuits addresses the press - photo credit Jordan Wright Take home swag bags of some of the products were given out, but the Tate’s Bake Shop’s Chocolate Chip Cookies and Polka Dot Bake Shop’s Sweet Potato Crackers with Cracked Black Pepper were inhaled long before I crossed the 14th Street Bridge headed for home.
The NASFT Fancy Food Show will be at the Walter Washington Convention from June 17th-19th. For more info on the sofi finalists visit www.specialtyfood.com/sofi.
Swilling and Chilling at National Harbor’s Wine and Food Festival
 National Harbor Maryland - photo credit Jordan Wright  Jordan with Barbara Fairchild at the National Harbor WIne & Food Festival This weekend the 5th Annual National Harbor Wine & Food Festival returns to the waterfront at National Harbor on Saturday, May 5th and Sunday, May 6thfrom noon to 6:00pm. More than just a tasting, the festival brings together area chefs, artisanal foods and crafts, culinary pioneers and three stages of live music as well as wine and spirits from around the world.
This year’s festival features over 150 International wines, spirits and beers. Beyond the drink tastings highlights there will be a Cinco De Mayo Pavilion with Hornitos tequila, a craft beer tasting biergarten, and a whiskey and bourbon tasting paired with hand-rolled cigars.
Food samplings include guacamole and chips by Rosa Mexicano, Whoopsie’s Gourmet whoopie pies, Nature’s Table Café, gourmet baked goods by Icing Smiles, Mojo Magic and Cuban Salsa by Havana Road Café. Rotating gourmet dinners from food trucks, Chesapeake crab dip by KS Catering, fresh pastas and Italian specialties, kabobs, charcuterie, and even a whole hog from Kloby’s Smokehouse.
Saturday on stage celebs include Sticky Fingers Doron Petersen of Food Network’s Cupcake Wars, Food Network star Sara Moulton, The Wine Coach Laurie Forster, The Beef Association’s Dave Zino. Sunday features Marta Ines Quintan of Havana Road Cuban Café, Natalie Dupree making her famous Southern biscuits, Sara Moulton, Jim Baker of the Washington Wine Academy and Cooking with Salt and Pepper. All of these local, regional and nationally recognized chefs will do book signings, meet and greets and cooking demos.
To purchase tickets and view schedule, visit www.wineandfoodnh.com or call (800) 830-3976.
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