Buitenverwachting Sauvignon Blanc Constantia WO 2011 ($15.29 special bottle price)
De Morgenzon Chardonnay DMZ Stellenbosch WO 2012 ($16.19 special bottle price)
A.A. Badenhorst Secateurs Red Blend Swartland Coastal Region 2011
($14.39 special bottle price)
Kanonkop Kadette Red Blend Stellenbosch WO South Africa 2010
($14.39 special bottle price)
The wines we tasted were offered for 10% off. My favorite was the
Buitenverwachting Sauvignon Blanc Constantia WO 2011. It had wonderful acidity, light citrus notes and spice on the finish. The De Morgenzon Chardonnay DMZ Stellenbosch WO 2012 was also incredibly well done. It had creamy notes without being overly buttery or vanilla. There was some nice fruit midpalate.
Girl Meets Glass really enjoyed the reds especially the A.A. Badenhorst Secateurs Red Blend Swartland Coastal Region 2011. It was reminiscent of a GSM blend. The Kanonkop Kadette Red Blend Stellenbosch WO South Africa 2010 is one of the most well known and extremely well done wines from South Africa. It’s a bigger red with tobacco notes with a smooth finish.
We were lucky enough to have Eric Rohleder, Founder and Owner, Cordial Fine Wine & Spirits, leading our tasting. He is incredibly knowledgeable and helpful, but extremely down to Earth. I can’t wait to go back to the shop as the selection is well-curated and still affordable. They also had Hop Slam!!
After the wine, I continued the fun to Penn Social for my game show league. We played Pyramid and I was robbed. I did very well at Groundhog Day category. I ended up giving clues to my teammate for synonyms for friends and we didn’t get one. Sigh. Therefore, I stole a competitor’s beer. Next week, he’s going down.
I’ve been to many cooking classes and in fact many Pasta Making classes so it was really fun to attend a creative take on a cooking class organized as part of the Barracks Row Culinary Education Crawl on Sunday, February 17th, 2013 held at various restaurants on Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C. as well as the Hill Center at the Old Naval Hospital – a truly cool space!
I took 2 classes, but this article will only cover the class Pasta Making With Chef Wendi – a 60 minute class where 12 total participants got to make our own pasta and share in the meal afterwards – all for a whopping 20 Bucks! I’ll take you through a quick run-through of the class:
Instructor: Wendi James who teaches quite a few culinary classes at other schools in the region including at Culinaerie, Sur La Table – Pentagon City, VA (or she said she once did – another story!) and at her own cooking school Rutabaga Sweets. I spoke with her before class and she has quite a pedigree having worked at many top-rated restaurants in the U.S. (she worked at Restaurant Daniel NYC, The Inn at Little Washington and Charlie Trotters Chicago) and hailing from serious Foodie City Chicago. Her attitude was refreshingly honest and she spoke her mind about the local restaurant scene and her plans to open up a breakfast place in Asheville, NC. As an instructor, she was direct and “get to work” – but of course we only had 1 hour to make both hand-roll fettucine and ravioli with the hand-cranking pasta machines – no time to dilly-dally..
Flour, Eggs and maybe 1 tablespoon of Olive Oil!
Pasta Ingredients – simple..all you really need is All-Purpose flour, some eggs, and a little olive oil (you could actually skip the olive oil). I was working with 2 other cooks who had never made pasta homemade before. Maybe you can get a little fancy and learn to crack an egg with one hand, but one secret to getting the egg in the flour with No Shell is to crack the egg against a flat surface NOT the bowl. If you mix it in a bowl, it’s very forgiving, but it’s nice to make a small “well” in the middle of the flour to hold the eggs and then swirl a fork (or your hand – watch out, it can get sticky/messy!) until the ingredients all become a dough..if it’s too sticky, add some flour, if it’s too dry, add a little water, it’s very forgiving.
State of the Art Cooking Facility
The Facility and Setup: Class is held in Hill Center’s state-of-the Art teaching kitchen. It was relatively small – only fitting 1 instructor and 12 participants, but it was truly an easy kitchen to learn from and to do hands-on cooking. There was the main table where everyone gathered round in a circle with the burners, and then there were 2 work tables in the back for up to 6 participants each. Things were kept very simple – we were given a bowl of flour and eggs, some olive oil and a tablespoon, and the ravioli filler which we had to cut up the basil and add to the ricotta and parmesan cheese to put into the ravioli’s – just like Italian food, there were simple ingredients and simple instructions. If you’ve ever been to Italy and have seen how pasta is made – it’s very simple and traditionally was done by Grandma at home. BTW – you can also make pasta without the eggs and just using water – that’s how it’s often done in the south of Italy. And then, we had to roll..
Rolling Pasta:
Hand making Ravioli
Once you make the dough, you can wait an hour or immediately begin rolling it out into sheets. The way it works is that you begin with the widest opening, do that a few times until the dough kind of “comes together” (the gluten begins to stretch and take shape) and then you keep feeding the sheet into smaller/narrower settings until you get to the lowest setting – and boy, does the dough spread out – I mean it can go for yards! The same sheet of dough can be used for noodles or for ravioli and fillings – I once took a class where different kinds of flour were used for both (All Purpose Flour for Ravioli because it’s relatively soft/tender, semolina flour for a chewier pasta) but frankly it’s a matter of personal taste.
Cooking Pasta: The sauce in this class was made for us (another post on Sauce..soon..) but in a nutshell there was a white sauce with cheese and cream and a red sauce with tomatoes of course. So Chef Wendi boiled the pasta in unsalted water – a discussion ensued – in Italy, they always salt their water for pasta (“as salty as the sea” is the famous quote on how much salt for pasta water – this always starts an argument with Italian cooks!) – her philosophy is you don’t salt the pan when you sear a steak, you salt the steak – so my interpretation is that the pasta/ingredients and the salt should be properly salted. In my own defense of the Italian way of salting the water – it depends – for example, if you cook your greens in the salted water before you cook your pasta (like for Broccoli Rabe and Orecchiette), you have a very flavorful pasta water..well, just like 2 Italians, Chef Wendi and I may never agree!
What Better Way to Start Than with THE Grand Bordeaux Tasting..
Most Start-ups launch with a big PR blitz and lots of sizzle and noise. That’s great, especially if you have lot’s of venture capitalists/financiers behind you and money to throw..unfortunately, I do not! Still, what better way to launch TasteDC (still needs some Design work – sort of a house that needs door knobs and paint) than with a GRAND Tasting – I mean it’s even in the name – Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux!
Wine Tastings Can Be Daunting!
So what should you expect at this tasting?
1) Great Producers Showcasing a Fantastic Vintage -I’m attaching the list of producers (below) – I know, it’s completely Overwhelming – sort of like going to the store and seeing all those Chateaux on the wine labels and trying to figure out: 1)which one will taste good and 2)why are the prices all over the place – I mean should I really spend $49.99 on a wine when the label on the wine next to it is $8.99? The Grands Crus are the best wine makers in Bordeaux, so you can expect to taste some really great wines.
2) A Chance to Connect and Understand Bordeaux Better – first of all, what is Bordeaux? Bordeaux is one of the largest wine growing regions in the world – it’s in Southeast France just off the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. The French label their wines primarily by Region (versus by Varietal as we do in America – we say “Cabernet Sauvignon”, the French say “Bordeaux” – get it?) If you like Big Reds, then Bordeaux has them – most are Cabernet or Merlot based, so these give them some weight. Meat eaters love Bordeaux, but they’re surprisingly good with hard cheeses and earthy dishes, especially the kind most people eat in Fall and Winter.
3) Finally Understand What “Vintage” Means and If It’s Important – Vintage is the year the grapes are picked/harvested..NOT the year the wine is bottled – Memorize that! Now that you know, why does it matter? Because grapes are grown outside and the weather and external conditions has a major impact on their ripeness and flavor. Some years are good, some not so much – but 2010 was a stellar growing season for great grapes and thus great wines from this region. Also in great vintages, everyone makes great wine – so you don’t have to purchase the top Names, try and enjoy wines from lesser known producers.
5)There are Five Grands Crus – Five Growths – usually a First Growth costs more than a Second, Second more than Third, etc..it’s not always true, but if you want to understand this better (also called the “1855 Classification”) go here.
Event: Official Unions des Grands Crus Bordeaux Tasting – the Amazing 2010 Vintage Date: January 24th (Thursday), 2013 Time: 5 – 8 pm Location: The Willard Intercontinental Hotel, 1401 Pennsylvania Ave., NW Washington, DC 20004 Ticket Price: $99/per person (note Special Valet Parking Price Available on Ticketing Form) ***Tickets Have Limited Availability***
I attended a LivingSocial sponsored event “Wine + Cheese at Black’s Bar & Kitchen” (Bethesda, MD) on Saturday, November 17th, 2012 from 1 – 3 pm – actually, it was the first event I had attended through LivingSocial even though I had purchased many restaurant deals from them in the past. The event had 2 flights of cheeses, 12 cheeses in total and wines were paired with them, a total of 8 (See list of wines and cheeses with Photos below). It was a seated event and guided tasting with main presenter Chef Mallory Buford speaking about the cheeses and Black’s Sommelier Anderson Plunket discussing the wines. Chef Buford was very knowledgeable about cheese, but each cheese producer also had their own representative/distributor to talk about each cheese’s qualities. It was a nice combination of class and chance for people to talk amongst themselves – I would call it “lecture light” and more of a chance for people to try everything and make their own conclusions. This restaurant is really known for seafood so it’s kind of interesting that they decided to try a cheese and wine event – my understanding is that all of these cheeses are on their existing menu, so that makes sense..but don’t ask an Italian – they claim that seafood and cheese should never go together!
So these 2 young ladies taught me a new term “Drink Until Your Sober” – I sort of understood what they meant, but they elaborated that this is when you keep drinking, especially wine, and you no longer feel drunk/act drunk..not sure if this is true, but it’s an interesting perspective none the less – Cheers!
26 Beers..26 FULL-SIZED Beers..26 Beers and 26 Bars..
Beer 1: Guinness Black at James Hobans
Beer 2: Samuel Smith Organic Chocolate Stout at Science Club
The Crawl Begins..I attended the Inaugural DCBeerathon which was held in Washington, D.C. on Saturday, November 10th, 2012. I really had no idea what to expect – first time event in DC, but a record in NYC..we would see.. Let me give you the bottom line: it’s a beer tasting/crawl that takes almost super-human stamina and for some reason, I even believed I could visit all 26 bars and finish all the beers! Note to self: next time, skip the bars with Mega-commercial beers and go home after 14 or so stops – my body/brain was so overwhelmed just past the midway point, that frankly I’m not sure what I said or did!
I started the event a little before 1 pm at James Hobans Irish Pub just off Dupont Circle, and found a group of local beer crawlers who were willing to put up with me for a few stops. Since there were 4 different egistration bars, there was only a small crowd of people waiting to go on the tour – a group of guys wearing Uncle Sam costumes were at the front of the line, but they were really the exception to this event – most people were just regular un-costumed beer lovers, or people looking for a good excuse to try out all of these bars. I didn’t see anyone in running costume..during any point in the event..OK, it’s NOT a running event (at least in DC).
<Note: Rather than list all 26 bars and beers, I’m including the Event Course at the Bottom of this Post – click on the photo and it will be easier to read.>
Beer 3: Leinenkugel Seasonal at Mackey’s
Beer 4: Goose Island Honker’s Ale at Madhatter
Starting from Hoban’s (Beer 1: Guinness Black Lager), we left to go south on Connecticut Ave. and began cruising at a good pace with my fellow imbibers: Max, the Golfing Floridian, his wife Ammi (she wasn’t drinking — only with us for moral support!), Brent the Commercial Real Estate Wheeler Dealer, and a gentleman I’ll just call Mr. Navajo..I found out late in the experience that he was 100% Native American Indian..I may have said something about this, maybe something I shouldn’t have said, but frankly I don’t remember, and he was a fun guy to hang out with! The Floridians were relatively new to DC, so I was sort of the local guide – we had a course map that was frankly very well detailed, and having lived in DC for over 20 years..well, we didn’t get lost..at all..Our basic route was south from Dupont to Science Club, Mackey’s and then north up Connecticut Ave. and all the way up to Adams Morgan (The Reef was our high point..literally, we were on the roof after the walk up 18th St.)and then we hopped on a taxi and decided to go from the south part of 14th St., starting at Stoney’s and move our way north to 14th and U which had multiple stops on the same block..this is also where our cohesiveness as a group began to fade..I guess I wore out my welcome, but who knows!
Here are just the “Lessons I Learned” and Highlights:
–Our pace quickened as time went on – At our 2nd stop at Science Club, we sat down, chatted a bit and I learned about my fellow drinkers. The Floridians were just getting into the food scene here in DC and were curious about local customs. I told them about how craft beer was booming in the DC Market and how only just over a year ago our first brewery DC Brau opened up, and how many more had followed afterward. Once we all got to know each other (Wheeler Dealer and I both talked real estate for awhile – I once was a commercial real estate broker in DC in a former life until I Drink on the Job ), we stopped sitting down at each bar – rather, we would walk in, show our badge (which got clicked), get our beer, down it, and move on..efficiency is the game!
Beer 6: Dogfish Head Seasonal at BGR (substitute beer)
Beer 7: Peroni at Cantina at Darlington House
–Beers with more flavor became easier to drink as we went along as our taste buds became bored with flat commercial-style beers. So I’ll probably never get Annheuser Busch to sponsor my TasteDC business..oh well, I think it’s better to be honest..American style lagers begin to taste flat and almost like “lite” beer along the way as your palate becomes a bit fatigued. I also noticed that “hoppier beers” like Starr Hill Northern Lights IPA revive your palate and wake up your senses – almost like a cold splash of water in the face. Other beers of note – I had my first 3 Stars Beer – the Pandemic Porter at Stoney’s, very flavorful and not too creamy, more refreshing – DC Brau Public Pale Ale – I had this when playing Bocce at Black Jack (first-time – I beat Mr. Navajo, and he was Pissed!) – the hops really revived me and gave me needed energy!
–You Have to Eat Along the Way. I had mixed feelings about eating and drinking beer – this tends to put me right to sleep, so I ate lunch before I left. Still, in the spirit of sharing, everyone bought food and shared like the Sliders that Mr. Navajo provided to us at BGR’s – grease is good, and BTW – their onion rings are HUGE and real vidalia onions..some of the best I’ve ever had! We also all grabbed a big slice of Pizza once we were on 14th & U – that was good and needed sustenance..
PBR (sub for Kona Longboard) at 1905 Roofdeck
–After the first few beers, I began drinking a few swigs out of the glass, often leaving half the beer. Hey, it was impossible to stay sober, but why waste yourself with bad/boring beer? I began to notice that beer was tasting like water near the end – which was around 10 pm when everyone split-up – and the final beer I had, a PBR (1905 ran out of Kona..I think?)..couple sips..need I say more?
–At some point, a certain mental lunacy sets in where you stop really being aware, and go on instincts. Even good people go looney after 15-20 beers, multiple bars, and 10 hours on your feet. I think it was at Alero on U St. where the volume went way up on the music and Wheeler Dealer starting hitting on a woman, and her girlfriend laid into him – this is why Saturday nights are a really bad time to go drinking in bars – it seems that everyone holds back the whole week to let go..I think this is when the group lost cohesiveness and I said some things I shouldn’t have said ( who me??) and the group split up.
–The point of DCBeerathon is to have fun – it’s not a game to win. Considering that I spent over 9 hours walking, talking, drinking, and eating with 4 people I barely knew, it’s amazing that we all got along..and had a pretty good time at it! My conclusion is this is a fun event for people who enjoy beer, a little partying, but also a unique way to see DC our city. Everyone wants to experience a city in their own way, and I would definitely do Beerathons in their other cities which now include Houston, NYC and Savannah, Georgia..maybe this could be done with wine and whiskey too, who knows – Cheers!
Charlie “I Drink on the Job” Adler
P.S. Almost forgot..I actually completed “getting” 24 beers out of the 26 stops AND I actually stopped at the 25th stop which was JoJo’s, but I never got a beer – the place was so crowded from the band, so I just hung out and sobered up a bit..oh, I missed The Codmother, which would have been 26..
So you wanna buy a local Turkey for your Thanksgiving – maybe you want a Heritage Turkey too? Below is a Listing of various Heritage and Natural Turkey Sites and places to purchase them in the DC, VA, and MD Area. TasteDC obtained this information primarily from 2 articles:Foodshed Turkey Guide 2012 and the Washington Post: Where to Buy Fresh Local Turkeys in the Washington Area. I tried to add more information where possible including direct contact with the producers. An important Note: You MUST pre-order a few weeks in advance for most of these retailers and there are VERY limited allocations of certain breeds of birds – remember, they have to plan many months in advance – a Heritage Bird is a living animal that has to be fed for many months before it can be harvested and put on your table!
Foodshed Turkey Guide 2012
Roast a local turkey this year and your farmer will gives thanks for YOU.
Happy, healthy locally raised turkeys make better Thanksgiving entrees than those weird, bloated, and watery orbs with pop-up buttons in them. Plus, real turkeys are better for the environment and the local economy. Here is an evolving list of fresh turkey sources in the region; we’re constantly adding new ones as purveyors and farms contact us, so check back!
Belle Meade Farm 353 F.T. Valley Road Sperryville, VA 22740 (540)987-9748 www.bellemeade.net/pages/farm.php [email protected] Best way to order: e-mail. Turkeys often sell out! Order early! Payment : cash or check
Avery’s Branch Farms 16923 Genito Rd. Amelia, VA 23002 (804)561-1930 www.averysbranchfarms.com [email protected] Best way to order: online reservation Payment: Cash or checks are preferred.
Ayrshire Farm Home Farm Store 1 East Washington Street (Route 50) Middleburg, VA 20117 540-592-7018 x1006 www.ayrshirefarm.com/AyrshireFarm/AFHome.html Best way to order: online or by phone
From Washington Post Article: AYRSHIRE FARM/HOME FARM STORE
1 E. Washington St., Middleburg, 540-687-8882.
www.ayrshirefarm.com
What’s for sale: USDA-certified-organic, humane-certified heritage breeds. Brined, oven-ready.
Price per bird: $95, 8-9 pounds; $125, 10-12 pounds; $195, 17-20 pounds; $225, 20-22 pounds. Turkey breasts $130, 7-8 pounds; $145, 9-10 pounds.
Ordering: By phone, online at store.ayrshirefarm.com or by e-mail to [email protected]; order by Nov. 16. (After Nov. 16, any remaining birds will be available on a first-come basis; call first.)
Pickup: fresh, Nov. 21-22, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.; frozen, 7 days a week anytime with 72 hours notice.
Delivery: Overnight shipping via FedEx available through Nov. 14 for certain sizes only.
Contact: Customer service (540-687-8882).
Border Springs Farms PO Box 58 Patrick Springs, VA 24133 276.952.5485 www.borderspringsfarm.com [email protected]
Briars Farmstead 2535 Pyletown Road Boyce, VA 22620 540-837-2554 www.briarsfarmstead.com/ [email protected] Best way to order: by phone or by downloading order form from website and mailing it in. Payment: check, cash or credit card
Charis Eco-Farm 3081 Shutterlee Mill Road Staunton, Virginia 24401 540 886-8486 [email protected] Best way to order: phone or e-mail Payment: cash or check
Crowfoot Farm Amissville, VA 540-937-4490 crowfootfarm.com/wordpress/ [email protected]
Day Spring Farm 21388 Steptoe Hill Rd. Middleburg, Va 20117 540-687-6036 or 540-454-3145 mobile www.dayspringfarmva.com
Haskins Family Farm 370 Buffalo Marsh Road Middletown, VA 22645 (540) 869-3795 www.Haskinsfamilyfarm.com [email protected]
Jesse Straight’s Pastured Poultry 5703 Wilshire Drive Warrenton, VA 20187 540-349-3099 www.whiffletreefarmva.com Best way to order: By phone
Maple Avenue Market 128 Maple Ave. E Vienna, VA 22180 703-957-9348 $50 deposit required Best way to order: email [email protected] Payment: check, cash or credit card
Open Book Farm 10430 Rum Springs Rd Myersville, MD 21773 www.openbookfarm.com [email protected] 240.457.2558
Sunny Knoll EcoFarm 38907 Fry Farm Rd Lovettsville VA 20180 www.sunnyknollecofarm.com [email protected] Best way to order: email Payment: Cash or check
Tuckahoe Lamb & Cattle Company 989 Cartersville Road Cartersville, VA 23027 www.tuckahoeplantationlivestock.com [email protected] (804) 506-4015
The Whole Ox 540-660-5535 (cell) www.thewholeox.com/
Letter Directly From Whole Ox Butcher Shop in the Plains:
There are four options available for turkeys, all of which are free range & humanely raised without the use of antibiotics or hormones.
The first option is natural white Turkeys from Ashley Farms located near the border of Virginia & North Carolina. They are $4 per pound & come in three different size ranges: 10-14, 16-20, & 20-24. Ashley Farms is one of the highest quality poultry producers in the country.
We have two local options as well. The first is Whiffletree Farm who provide us with our chickens. Their turkeys are white hybrids and range in size between 12 & 26 pounds at a cost of $6 per pound.
We will have very few “British Bronze” turkeys from Ault’s Family Farm near Farmville at $8 per pound. These were voted best turkey in Britain for the last 8 years and will range in size between 12 & 20 pounds.
Lastly, Heritage Black Turkeys are $8 per pound and are a very old breed, probably the first to be developed from Native American stocks. Some of the first turkeys taken to Europe in the 1500’s were Black Turkeys where they became very popular, particularly in Spain. It is a naturally mating, slow growing breed particularly suited for the outdoors and produces a very flavorful and tender meat. These are raised on a small family farm in North Carolina and range in size between 12 & 18 pounds.
We will do our very best to accommodate the size range you are looking for.
We’d like to hear from you by the 7th of November and we will be sure to have a few extra birds on hand. Let us know as soon as you can so we can be sure to accommodate you. All other pre-orders are welcome.
We will need a credit card to reserve your bird and you can call us at 540-724-1650 to place your order or email the birdman at [email protected] Pickup of turkeys will be either Tuesday the 20th or Wednesday the 21st.
From Washington Post Article:
Where to buy fresh local turkeys in the Washington area
VIRGINIA
AYRSHIRE FARM/HOME FARM STORE – See Above
BRIARS FARMSTEAD
2535 Pyletown Rd., Boyce, 540-837-2554.
www.briarsfarmstead.com.
What’s for sale: Pasture-raised Broad-Breasted Whites, 10-16 pounds.
Price per pound: $5.50; $40 deposit required.
Ordering: By phone, e-mail to [email protected] or via the form at www.briarsfarmstead.com.
Pickup: Nov. 20 and 21, 9 a.m.-5 p.m, at the farm.
Contact: Matt or Ruth Szechenyi.
EAST LYNN FARM
19955 Airmont Road, Round Hill, 202-253-3737
www.eastlynnfarm.com
What’s for sale: Broad-Breasted Bronzes, 16-18 pounds.
Price per bird: $140 and up; $50 deposit required.
Ordering: By e-mail to [email protected].
Pickup: Nov. 18 and Nov. 19 in Georgetown or on the farm.
Contact: Georgia Basser.
FAIR OAKS FARM
23718 New Mountain Rd., Aldie, 202-253-3737
www.fairoaksfarmva.com
What’s for sale: Pasture-raised Broad-Breasted Bronzes and Whites, 16-18 pounds.
Price per pound: $8.
Ordering: By e-mail to [email protected] or online at www.fairoaksfarmva.com.
Pickup: Nov. 18 and Nov. 19 in Georgetown or on the farm.
Contact: Georgia Basser.
HASKINS FAMILY FARM
370 Buffalo Marsh Rd., Middletown, 540-664-2441.
www.haskinsfamilyfarm.com.
What’s for sale: Pasture-raised Broad-Breasted Whites, 13-18 pounds.
Price per pound: $6.50 if picked up in Leesburg, the Palisades or Crystal City; $6 if picked up at the farm; $25 deposit required.
Ordering: At farmers markets in Crystal City, Leesburg or the Palisades; by phone; or by e-mail to [email protected].
Pickup: Nov. 17 in Leesburg, 9 a.m.-noon; Nov. 18 at the Palisades farmers market, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.; Nov. 19 at the farm, 3-6 p.m.; Nov. 20 at the Crystal City farmers market, 3-7 p.m.
Contact: Robert Haskins.
Ecofriendly Foods
3397 Stony Fork Rd., Moneta, 540-297-9582.
ecofriendly.com.
What’s for sale: Pasture-raised Old Country Broad-Breasted Bronzes, 18-25 pounds; heritage breeds, 10-16 pounds.
Price per pound: $6, Broad-Breasted; $8, heritage; $40 deposit required.
Ordering: At farmers markets at Arlington Courthouse and Dupont Circle.
Pickup: Nov. 17 at Arlington Courthouse, Nov. 18 at Dupont Circle.
Contact: Bev Eggleston.
***
Where to buy fresh local turkeys in the Washington area
Looking to add a little more local flair to your Thanksgiving spread? Consider placing an order for a local bird from one of the farms listed here. There are more producers this year, with plenty of breed and size options to suit almost any table. Several farms sell half-birds or breasts if you need something smaller. Don’t wait, though; supplies are limited, and small birds tend to go fast. For details about the farmers markets where you’ll be able to place your orders and meet the producers, check out our interactive map at wapo.st/markets2012.
MARYLAND
FULL CELLAR FARM
Jefferson, 301-639-9711.
What’s for sale: Broad-Breasted Whites, 15-40 pounds, and heritage Red Bourbons, 15-30 pounds.
Price per pound: $3.50 for Broad-Breasted Whites, $5 for Red Bourbons.
Ordering: By e-mail to [email protected] or at the Everedy Square and Shab Row, Urbana Library, White Oak (FDA) and H Street farmers markets.
Pickup: Several Maryland locations.
Contact: Kip Kelley.
GROFF’S CONTENT FARM
14930 Bollinger Rd., Rocky Ridge, 301-447-6148.
What’s for sale: Broad-Breasted Whites, 12-20 pounds.
Price per pound: $5.
Ordering: By e-mail to [email protected].
Pickup: At the farm or at the Georgetown (Rose Park), NoMa, Eastern Market (Tuesday), Mount Pleasant and Riverdale Park farmers markets; additional delivery to District and Maryland locations may be available.
Contact: Julie Bolton.
MAPLE LAWN FARMS
11788 Route 216, Fulton, 301-725-2074
www.maplelawn.com.
What’s for sale: Free-range Broad-Breasted Whites, 10-40 pounds.
Price per pound: $2.25 for hens, $2.10 for toms.
Ordering: By phone or online; order by Nov. 18.
Pickup: At the farm through Nov. 21.
Contact: Iager family.
Also available at: MOM’s Organic Market locations in Alexandria, Bowie, Herndon, Merrifield, Rockville, College Park, Frederick, Jessup, Timonium and Waldorf (price TBD; order by Nov. 17 and pickup Nov. 19-21); www.momsorganicmarket.com); David’s Natural Market locations in Columbia, Forest Hill and Gambrills ($2.49 per pound, $5 deposit required; order by Nov. 18;www.davidsnaturalmarket.com); Whole Foods Market locations in Maryland (pre-orders through Nov. 18, or available in store beginning Nov. 15), as long as supply lasts, $2.49 per pound ($2.99 per pound for brined); www.wholefoodsmarket.com).
NICK’S ORGANIC FARM
8565 Horseshoe Lane, Potomac, 301-983-2167; 2733 Buckeystown Pike, Adamstown, 301-874-4854.
www.nicksorganicfarm.com.
What’s for sale: organic pastured Broad-Breasted Whites, 15-27 pounds; organic pastured heritage Red Bourbons, 10-24 pounds.
Price per pound: $4.59 for the Broad-Breasted Whites with a $25 deposit required; $9.99 for the heritage Red Bourbons with a $50 deposit required.
Ordering: Request an order form by e-mail to [email protected] or phone, 301-983-2167.
Pickup: Nov. 20-21 at both locations.
Contact: Nick Maravell.
SPRINGFIELD FARM
16701 Yeoho Rd., Sparks (Baltimore County), 410-472-0738.
www.ourspringfieldfarm.com.
What’s for sale: Pasture-raised Broad-Breasted Whites, 14-25 pounds; Broad-Breasted Whites all natural, 14-25 pounds; heritage Narragansett, 6-10 pounds.
Price per pound: $4.50, pasture-raised; $3.50, all natural; $8, heritage Narragansett.
Ordering: Online; order by Nov. 11.
Pickup: Nov. 17 and 18 at the farm.
TRUCK PATCH FARMS
3201 Sams Creek Rd., New Windsor.
truckpatchfarms.com.
What’s for sale: Pasture-raised Standard Whites, 12-22 pounds; half-birds also available.
Price per pound: $3.79.
Ordering: By e-mail to [email protected] or at the Mount Pleasant, Bloomingdale or 14th & U farmers markets.
Pickup: Nov. 17 at 14th & U and Mount Pleasant; Nov. 18 at Bloomingdale.
PENNSYLVANIA
ALDEN LESHER
Chambersburg
What’s for sale: pasture-raised Red Bourbons, 11-22 pounds.
Price per pound: $4.50.
Ordering: Contact Friends & Farms at 240-842-9121 or [email protected].
Pickup: Nov. 20 and Nov. 21 in Columbia and Nov. 21 in Timonium.
COULTER FARMS
964 Price Rd, Honey Grove, 717-734-1072.
www.coulterfarms.net.
What’s for sale: Broad-Breasted Whites, 14-20 pounds.
Price per pound: $4; $20 deposit required.
Ordering: By e-mail to [email protected] or at the Crystal City and White House FreshFarm markets (the White House market closes for the season Oct. 25).
Pickup: Nov. 20 at Crystal City market.
Contact: Kinley Coulter.
COUNTRY VITTLES FROM CRITTER HILL FARM
Biglerville, 717-677-9311.
What’s for sale: Free-range, antibiotic-free, all-natural white hybrid turkeys, 12-18 pounds, or whole bone-in breasts, 7-10 pounds; half-birds and parts available.
Price per pound:$3.95 for whole birds; $4.50 for the breasts
Ordering: By phone, by e-mail to [email protected] or at the Columbia Heights Community Marketplace and Farmers Market at Maryland; order by Nov. 10.
Pickup: Nov. 14 at the Farmers Market at Maryland and Nov. 17 at Columbia Heights.
EARTH ’N EATS
Waynesboro, 717-765-0150.
What’s for sale: Organic, pasture-raised, Broad-Breasted Whites, 10-12 pounds and 12-14 pounds. Available brined for an additional $5.
Price per pound: $5.50.
Ordering: Contact A.M. Wine Shoppe at 202-506-2248 or [email protected] by Nov. 16.
Pickup: Nov. 20 and Nov. 21 at A.M. Wine Shoppe, 2122 18th St. NW.
Contact: Meredith Donin, general manager, A.M. Wine Shoppe.
PECAN MEADOW FARM
357 Newburg Road, Newburg, 717-423-5365.
What’s for sale: Heritage Narragansett, 6-14 pounds.
Price per pound: $6.
Ordering: By e-mail to [email protected] or at the 14th & U farmers market.
Pickup: Nov. 10 and Nov. 17 at the 14th & U market.
Contact: Daniel Shirk.
SUNNYSIDE FARM
1865 York Rd., Dover, 410-336-9735.
www.sunny-side-farm.com.
What’s for sale: Pasture-raised heritage Midget Whites and Holland Whites, 14-21 pounds.
Price per pound: $5; $40 deposit required.
Ordering: By phone, by e-mail to [email protected] or by sending a deposit.
Pickup: Nov. 18 in Towson.
Contact: Dru Peters.
I have really great news for DC Fundraisers and Foodies in our Nation’s Capital – DC has reached Foodie Destination! OK, so maybe there are still quite a few events with poor food and bad drinks, but after recently attending the Capital Food Fight, the Washingtonian Brunch & Bloody’s event and Wednesday, October 24th’s Chef’s For Equality event, I noticed many of the same restaurants and chefs showcasing different sides of their culinary ability. The bad news is I didn’t get a list of dishes from last night’s event – I was spending too much time tasting, drinking and a bit of hobnobbing – but let’s just say there wasn’t a bad dish! What made this event extra Foodie was that there was also a Cocktail focus and some of the top Mixologists in our region like Todd Thrasher and Adam Bernbach went all out to impress the crowd.
The Evening’s cause was to raise awareness and votes for Same-Sex Marriage Rights in Maryland – since I support same-sex marriage but I’m really focused on Food and Drink Events, here are the details on the politics of the event from the Human Right’s Coalition. Also, Washingtonian had a nice article with some Chef gossip and the details on the political cause. Other Articles include the Washington Blade which mentions MD Gov. O’Malley’s speech at the event, Tim Gunn from Project Runway was a speaker at the event as well, you can read more at MyFoxDC’s Coverage. I’m all for political causes and fundraisers, but I feel it’s my duty to stay focused DC’s culinary experiences.
Chef Alli Sosna, Allison Sosna Group / Microgreens
Below is a list of participating chefs and Mixologists as well – I was able to copy the links to most of the restaurants so it’s also a nifty way to find out more about each establishment. I’ll try to update the dishes if I can get a list of them, but alas, this is mostly a Publicity post right now – I REALLY like to include more food information – Cheers!
Participating Chefs
Find out more about DC’s top culinary chefs participating in this special event.
Victor Albisu, Taco Bamba – is currently holding Pop-ups at
A trend in food and drink events I’m beginning to see is a very big interest in “international” events like the DC Turkish Festival on Sunday, September 30th and the Romanian Food Festival on Oct. 5th – 7th – it seems that people in our area can’t get enough of new and unique culinary experiences! I’m noticing a return of the Embassies into the event sphere with the French Embassy always leading the way – they have their upcoming annual Champagne Gala on Friday, November 9th which usually sells out in advance.
The truly Hot area of food and drink events are the multi-chef and unique culinary additions to our Foodie landscape. One such example is Washingtonian Magazine’s Saturday, October 20th Brunch & Bloody’s Event which is located in an art event space that’s in the up and coming Shaw area – the Longview Gallery. This event is based on Washingtonian’s October, 2012 Cover Story about the Top 50 places in the DC Area for Brunch – I’ll be attending this event, so stop by and share your Bloody with me..or just say “Cheers”!
WTOP Beer of the Week: 3 Stars Brewery Pandemic Porter
w/Greg Engert, Beer Sommelier of Neighborhood Restaurant Group
Last year in 2011, two new breweries opened up in Washington, D.C. – this after almost 60 years without a brewery to call our own. Yes, we have Brew Pubs like Capitol City Brewpub, District Chophouse, and Gordon Biersch, but a true brewery produces beer in quantity for off-premise consumption. With the openings of DCBrau on April 15th, 2011 (great article by Tammy Tuck/Lagerheads) and Chocolate City Beer on August 18th, 2011, the DC Beer Scene had something to Celebrate – Local Pride! You will hear over and over again if you live in the DC area that there are few natives, almost everyone who lives here comes for a job/career and the assumption is they may not be here for much longer than a few years. The sign of a good economy is a mobile economy – this is true, but employees are human and they need to identify with something. This is where the locavore movement came to be: the concept that by eating local, and supporting local businesses, you help the local economy and develop a sense of community pride. DC’s local breweries tapped into this need for local identity – just consider their company names and the names of their beers, for example, DC Brau’s The Corruption and The Citizen.
I also want to mention that DC doesn’t always mean “District of Columbia” to us locals – NoVa (Northern Virginia) and Montgomery County (sometimes Prince George’s County too!) in Maryland all make up our local craft beer market – Baltimore is a whole different story. Port City Brewery opened up in 2011 with a bang and from a slightly different angle – yes, Alexandria, VA needed a Brewery (or 2..) but the background of Port City’s founder is really the story of the evolution of a wine professional into a craft beer brewer. During my days in the wine business, I often saw Bill Butcher, Port City’s Founder, at Mondavi tastings promoting the wine lifestyle. And that’s what wine marketing is really about – lifestyle. People who purchase wine tend to have a higher income (or they did a decade ago), are well educated, and pretty much define the commonly used term today “aspirational” – they have money, but dream of a higher status, and Mondavi/wine perfectly fit into this cozy scenario. But beer is different, even craft beer. What Bill did is create a local brand that gives and identity to Northern Virginia that it needed – a sense of place. SEE LIST OF PAID EVENTS BELOW
Some events that feature local breweries or paid events to plan ahead for include:
3rd Annual DC Beer Week Craft Beer & Dinner Cruise on the Odyssey, August 12th (Sunday) boards the Odyssey at 5 pm, sets sail 6-9 pm
Enjoy unlimited tastings of more than 40 craft beers from across the US and around the world Included in the cost of admission is a full dinner buffet, DJ, dancing and a 3-hour cruise along the Potomac as we pass the majestic skyline of the nation’s capital. Cost is $125, tickets will not be available at the door, but can be purchased here.
-Italian Craft Beer Tasting
August 12th (Sunday) 2:30-4:30pm
Maple, 3418 11th Street NW, Washington, D.C. 20010
Maple is hosting an afternoon tasting of craft brews from Italy. The country’s vibrant beer scene has rapidly expanded in recent years,
but the beers are not yet widely available in the U.S. Join us to sample six Italian beers and learn about the breweries behind them.
Antipasti will be served. Beer List
Tickets Are $40/per person, exclusive of tax and gratuity
Please reserve your spot by calling us at 202-588-7442.
–Meridian Pint: Cheese and Oxbow Beer – August 13th (Monday) 6:30pm Meridian Pint – 3400 11th Street NW
Join Tim Adams, co-founder and head brewer of Oxbow Brewing Company, and Tim Prendergast, Assistant Beer Director at the Meridian Pint and a Certified Cicerone®, for a casual afternoon exploration of Oxbow beers and American artisanal cheese. Through five pairings, you will see the amazing affinity that Oxbow’s farmhouse beers and artisanal cheese have for one another. $45 includes tax and gratuity. Buy your tickets here http://goo.gl/STeiK. Save $10 when you also purchase tickets for Smoke & Barrel’s “Beer Meat Whiskey: Utah Edition” event http://goo.gl/Wy47z.
-5-Course Ommegash it’s Allagang Beer Dinner, August 14 at 7 p.m.
Granville Moore’s, 1238 H St. NE, Washington, DC 20002Portland, Maine’s Allagash Brewing Co. and Cooperstown, N.Y.’s Brewery Ommegang provide the beer for this dinner with food pairings by Granville Moore’s Chef Teddy Folkman and his culinary team. Complete Menu Tickets Are $65/per person, Call For Menu and Reservations (202) 399-2546
– SOLD OUT-DC Brau’s Genuine 1st Annual Official DC Beer Week Crab Festival Monumental Extravaganza, August 15th (Wednesday) 5 – 10 pm
Quarterdeck Restaurant, 1200 Fort Myer Drive, Arlington, VA 22209 SOLD OUT-Please help DC BRAU celebrate indigenous beer and these indigenous mid-Atlantic delicacies – All you can eat crabs and DC Brau Discount Pitchers of Beer. Tickets Are $35/per person, Purchase Tickets Online
–Smoke and Barrel: Beer, Meat, and Whiskey: Utah Edition – August 15th (Wednesday) 7pm
Join Michael Malachowski, National Sales Manager of Epic Brewing, and Troy Karnes, Passionate Whiskey Missionary from High West Distillery, for an hour of exploration into pairing meat with Utah beer and whiskey. Executive Chef and pitmaster Logan McGear will offer three distinct meat plates each paired with an Epic brew and a High West concoction.
$45 includes tax and gratuity. Save $10 when you also purchase tickets to Meridian Pint’s Cheese & Oxbow Beer event. Details at http://goo.gl/58rNY. Tickets and menu available here: http://www.eventbrite.com/event/3977508836
–Mad Fox Brewing Company: Cask Beer Dinner August 15th (Wednesday) Mad Fox Brewing Company – 444 West Broad Street – Falls Church
Five course beer dinner featuring Mad Fox’s cask beers. $75/person.
-Hopfenstark Guided Beer Tasting, Thursday, August 16, Georgetown, 7pm
Pizzeria Paradiso (Georgetown), 3282 M Street NW, Washington DC 20007
Featuring a guided tasting of 10 Hopfenstark beers by brewmaster Frederick Cormier
$35 for 10 three ounce pours & your choice of 1 twelve ounce pour paired with its own Special Pizza
Call 202-337-1245 for Reservations (Required) Complete Menu of Beers
–District Chophouse: 2nd Annual Cask Night – August 16th (Thursday) 6pm District Chophouse – 509 7th Street NW , Washington, D.c.
Featuring Handcrafted Casks from over 15 Local Area Breweries, including DC Brewers Beer Week Collaboration Beer: Solidarity Saison, Bluejacket, DC Brau, 3 Stars Brewing Company, District Chophouse, and many more! $50 ticket includes: unlimited beer sampling, light Chophouse fare, tasting glass, raffle prizes. Reserve tickets by calling 202-347-1922
–Smoke and Barrel: Crab Feast with Evolution and 3 Stars Brewing Companies, August 17th (Friday) Smoke and Barrel – 2471 18th Street NW, Washington, D.C.
Tom Knorr, founder of Evolution Craft Brewing, is driving down bushels of Maryland Blue Crabs straight from the shore. Join him and the guys from 3 Stars Brewing for an all-you-can-eat crab feast. $45 covers tax and gratuity, as well bottomless Evolution and 3 Stars drafts from 6-8PM! Tickets available here: http://goo.gl/Tvj7i
–Bier Baron: Midsummer Barleywine Festival , August 17th (Friday) 7pm Bier Baron – 1523 22nd Street NW , Washington, D.C.
The Bier Baron will be releasing its Cellar Reserve List—featuring its extensive collection of rare and vintage beers—and hosting a vertical tasting of four select vintages of Anchor Old Foghorn. Tickets can be purchased at BierBaronDC.com ($40 online/$50 at the door). Ticket includes entry to the event, a vertical tasting of Old Foghorn starting with an entire bottle of vintage 1991, and 20% off everything on the Cellar List and vintage barley wines on draft. Purchase Tickets Online (Paypal)
Even with this heat wave, I’m seeing alot of food and drink events in the DC Region and some interesting cooking classes as well. I thought the Blog would be a fun place to post these events every once in awhile (until the TasteDC Food and Drink Event Calendar is completed in the Fall), enjoy!
5-Course Belgian Beer Dinner
June 25th (Monday) 7 pm
Mad Fox Brewing Company, 444 West Broad Street, Suite I, Falls Church, VA 22046
Menu with Beers
Our culinary team, led by Executive Chef Andrew Dixon, has an exciting menu for our first Belgian themed beer dinner. We’ll have a 5-course meal paired with Mad Fox’s Belgian-style beers, including the soon to be released Abbaye des Chutes and the Witte Vos Witbier.
The cost is $75 excluding taxes and gratuity – seating is limited, Reservations with a credit card are taken at 703-942-6840.
***
Gluten Free Wine Dinner
June 26th (Tuesday) 7 pm
Wildfire McLean, Tysons Galleria 3rd Floor, McLean, VA 22102
Join us for an evening of gluten free dining, featuring a four course custom menu, each paired with a hand-selected
wine to complement the dish. The event begins with a reception at 6:30 p.m., follwed by dinner at 7:00 p.m.
Guest speaker, Vanessa Weisbrod, Executive Editor of Delight Gluten Free Magazine, will be on hand to share her insight on living and dining gluten free. Complete Menu
Tickets Are $65/per person exclusive of tax and gratuity
Make Reservations by Calling Elissa or Amanda at (703) 442-9110
Six-course menu created by owner and creative director of Sushi-ko, Daisuke Utagawa, together with beer expert Jocelyn Cambier.
The beer dinner is $85, all inclusive. Here’s the menu:
Edamame paired with Port City pale ale Lobster and Asparagus Suimono (clear soup) with Brasseurs Illimites double porter Flounder Carpaccio with White Soy and Truffle Sauce complemented by a surprise beer of Brasseurs du Monde Honey and Soy Roasted Duck with A l’Abri de La Tempete Corps Mort Spicy Broiled Mussels and Coronado Islander IPA and a final course of Nigiri Sushi paired with Brasseurs Illimites Imperial Stout
Call (301) 961-1644 for tickets
*** Wine Tasting 101: Champagne Deutz & Maison Delas (Rhône) Class
June 26th (Tuesday) 7 pm
French American Cultural Foundation, La Maison Francaise, 4101 Reservoir Road, NW, Washington, DC 20007
Charlie Adler Shows How to Open Champagne
Our monthly Wine Tasting 101 soirées — with veteran wine journalist Claire Morin-Gibourg – explores the regions (Burgundy, Champagne, Rhône Valley, Languedoc and Bordeaux) and vineyards in France, as well as tasting techniques. List of wines for this session include: -Champagne Deutz Brut Classic, Champagne Deutz Brut Rosé nv, Champagne Deutz Blanc de Blancs, Cuvée William Deutz millésimé, Delas Frères blanc Saint Joseph ou Condrieu, Delas Frères rouge Hermitage; Also included: a fine assortment of cheeses.
Chef’s Best
June 26th (Tuesday) 6:30 pm
The Washington Hilton Hotel
1919 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC
Enter through the “T Street” Entrance
VIP Reception for Sponsors & Special Guests, 5:30pm
Main Doors Open, 6:30pmMore than 1,300 guests will enjoy tastings from 60 of the region’s brightest culinary stars while raising hundreds of thousands of dollars to support children and adults facing HIV/AIDS, cancer and other life-challenging illnesses. In addition to a menu filled with one-of-a-kind delights, you’ll enjoy bidding on live and silent auctions featuring travel opportunities and other great adventures.
Sold Out-Whiskey Cocktail Making Class
June 27th (Wednesday) 6 pm
The Gibson, 2009 14th Street NW,Washington, DC , 20009
One ticket to The Gibson Whiskey Cocktail Making Class on Wednesday June 27, 2012 at 6 PM
Whiskey-blending tutorial with premium single malt whiskeys
Take-home custom blended whiskey
*** 6-Course Spanish Wine Dinner
June 27th (Wednesday) 7 pm
Tuskies, 203 Harrison St., Leesburg, VA 20175
Guest speaker Alicia Geiser will showcase some of the delicious wines coming from Spain. Chef Patrick will be hard at work pairing these wines with his interpretation of Spanish cuisine. $95 inclusive
*** Catoctin Creek – The Art of Summer Cocktails
June 27th (Wednesday) 6:30 – 8:3O PM
J&G Steakhouse Wine Bar, 515 15th Street NW, Washington, DC 20010
Scott Harris, general manager of the award-winning Virginia distillery Catoctin Creek, will demonstrate how to make three whiskey-based drinks that are sure to be a hit at your next summer soirée. Guests will also enjoy paired bites and receive a gift bag of Catoctin goodies after the event and then show off your newly acquired mixology skills later this summer.
*** Great Lakes Brewing Company Beer Dinner
June 28th (Thursday) 7 – 10 pm
Dino’s, 3435 Connecticut Avenue NW
Cleveland Park, Washington DC, 20008
The Great Lakes Brewing Company’s Mission Statement: “Great Lakes Brewing Company is a principle-centered, environmentally respectful and socially conscious company committed to crafting fresh, flavorful, high-quality beer and food for the enjoyment of our customers. We aspire to maintain our status as the premier craft brewery in the Great Lakes region and are dedicated to uncompromising service, continuous improvement and innovative consumer education.”
See Complete Menu http://www.dino-dc.com/2012/06/great-lakes-brewing-company-brew-dinner.html/#start
Tickets Are $55/per person exclusive of tax & gratuity Call for Reservations 202-686-2966
***
Essential Knife Skills
June 30th (Saturday) 2:30 – 4:30 pm
Sur La Table (Pentagon City), 1101 South Joyce Street Suite B-20 , Arlington, Virginia 22202
One of our most popular classes, join us as our expert instructor helps students become confident at the cutting board with the chef’s most important tool. Students will hone basic knife skills and practice the fundamental cuts for vegetables—mince, dice, brunoise, batonnet and julienne—as well as learn some advanced techniques. We’ll also show you how to select a knife that best fits your needs, and share tips for keeping all your cutlery sharp and well maintained at home.
*** BBQ and Smoking Cooking Class
June 30th (Saturday) 2 -5 pm
Culinaria, 110 Pleasant Street Northwest Vienna, VA 22180
TasteDC BBQ 101 Class Video
Summertime and barbecue – they just go together. Chef Mike will discuss brining, rubs and the various cuts and preparation of smoked meats including pork shoulder, ribs and salmon. Come learn how to make and, most importantly, taste some great BBQ and smoked items.
1st Cheese Flight:
2nd Cheese Flight:
Charlie Adler – Drinking on the Job!
