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Posts Tagged ‘Charlie Adler’

Washington, D.C. 2014 Fall Craft Beer Festival Guide

September 14th, 2014 • No Comments

TasteUSA has the Beer Festival List.. The Fall Season in Washington, D.C. is kicking in with an amazing number and quality selection of Craft Beer Festivals. I saw the Washington Post Article: Drink up: A guide to local fall beer festivals and decided that TasteUSA simply had a more comprehensive list – then again we specialize in promoting, marketing and communicating on craft beer festivals, but wine festivals and foodie events too!

3rd Annual Brew & Bourbon Classic    Laurel Park RT 198 & Racetrack Road    09/13/2014 – 12:00pm
ChessieFest    Grapeseed    09/13/2014 – 12:00pm
Bands, Brews & BBQ    Manassas Museum Lawn    09/13/2014 – 12:00pm
Annapolis Craft Beer & Music Festival    Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium 550 Taylor Ave    09/13/2014 – 12:00pm
Snallygaster Beer Festival    Yards Park 355 Water St SE    09/13/2014 – 12:00pm
Taste of Georgetown    K Street NW between Wisconsin Avenue and Thomas Jefferson Street    09/13/2014 – 12:00pm
Beer and Bacon Festival    Heavy Seas Brewery, 4615 Hollins Ferry Rd    09/13/2014 – 12:00pm
District Oktoberfest Special Price VIP Tickets    RFD 810 7th St., NW    09/20/2014 – 11:00am
Virginia Cider Festival    Fredericksburg Fairgrounds 2400 Airport Avenue    09/20/2014 – 11:00am
Beer, Bourbon & BBQ -VIP Whole Hog Pig Pickin and Tasting Glass    Lerner Town Square at Tysons II    09/20/2014 – 11:00am
Capitol Bacon Festival    Fairgrounds    09/20/2014 – 11:30am
DC International Beer Festival (New Date and Location)    Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium 1301 Constitution Avenue, NW    09/20/2014 – 12:00pm
Maryland Brewer’s Harvest    Bond Street Wharf    09/20/2014 – 12:00pm
Oktoberfest at Heurich House    Heurich House Museum    09/20/2014 – 1:00pm
Du Claw Real Ale Fest    DuClaw Brewing Company of BelAir    09/20/2014 – 2:00pm
Top of the Hops Charlottesville    nTelos Wireless Pavilion    09/20/2014 – 3:00pm
Sterling Volunteer Fire Company Oktoberfest    Patton Hall, 46700 Middlefield Dr. Sterling, VA    09/20/2014 – 5:00pm
Blues and Brews    2121 Crystal Drive Courtyard    09/24/2014 – 4:00pm
Maryland Microbrewery Festival    Union Mills Homestead    09/27/2014 – 11:00am
Frederick Oktoberfest    e-ventplex at the Frederick Fairgrounds 797 E Patrick St    09/27/2014 – 11:00am
Hoppy Oktoberfest    Mad Fox Brewing Company, 444 West Broad Street    09/27/2014 – 12:00pm
Lovettsville Oktoberfest    Town of Lovettsville    09/27/2014 – 12:00pm
Das Best Oktoberfest    DC Armory    09/27/2014 – 1:00pm
Cambridge Firkin Festival    Stoked    09/27/2014 – 2:00pm
Frederick Oktoberfest    e-ventplex at the Frederick Fairgrounds 797 E Patrick St    09/28/2014 – 11:00am
Cap City Oktoberfest    The Village at Shirlington 4001 Campbell Avenue    10/04/2014 – 12:00pm
Oktoberfest Reston    Reston Town Center    10/11/2014  and  10/12/2014 – 12:00pm
8th Annual Northern Virginia Fall BrewFest    Bull Run Regional Park    10/18/2014 – 11:00am
Fredericksburg BrewFest    Fredericksburg Fairgrounds 2400 Airport Avenue    10/18/2014 – 11:00am
Shuckeroo Oyster and Beer Festival    Fairgrounds    10/18/2014 – 11:00am
Tysons Fall Harvest Wine and Beer Festival    Lerner Town Square at Tysons II    10/18/2014 – 11:00am
Real Ale Festival    Pratt Street Ale House    10/18/2014 – 12:00pm
Shuck It! Beer & Oyster Festival    Tony and Joe’s    10/18/2014 – 2:00pm
8th Annual Northern Virginia Fall BrewFest    Bull Run Regional Park    10/19/2014 – 11:00am
DC Beer Festival    Nationals Ballpark    11/08/2014 – 12:00pm
DC Craft Beer Festival – Winter Harvest    Walter E. Washington Convention Center    11/22/2014 – 1:00pm

Filson Bourbon Academy Returns to DC

August 23rd, 2014 • No Comments

Filson Bourbon Academy received Rave Reviews from attendees last year – how do I know? I run DC Whiskey Drinkers on Facebook and many of our members attended!

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The All-Day (well, it’s 6 hours with lunch!) startst at 10 am on Saturday, September 6th at Jack Rose Dining Saloon – For complete details on this event, go to TasteUSA – Filson Bourbon Academy

Mike Veach teaches the class and he has quite a Bio:

The Bourbon Academy™ Faculty:

Academy programs and events are led by Michael Veach, Filson Bourbon Historian. Since 1997, Michael has served on the staff of The Filson as a Special Collections Assistant, later moving to Associate Curator of Special Collections. In the past 20 years he has dedicated his time studying the distilling industry. In 2006 Michael was inducted into the Bourbon Hall of Fame. Michael is the author of Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey: An American Heritage (2013), which was praised by The Wall Street Journal, Courier-Journal, and other national media. He is currently completing a second book on bourbon tasting with former Courier-Journal columnist Susan Reigler.

We’ve had fun at Jack Rose Dining Saloon recently at the Rum B Que where over 20 Signature Rums and some really great cocktails were paired with some delicious cuisine! 2014-08-16 13.37.25

We’re also promoting whiskey events in New York, so take a look at Whiskey 101 at the Flatiron Room (and check the TasteUSA Schedule by Filtering any city with Whiskey/Spirits/Cocktails – you’ll definitely learn and taste some wonderful whiskies!)

Cheers!

Charlie “I Drink on the Job” Adler

Taste Talks Come to DC

June 20th, 2014 • No Comments

June 17th, 2014 – Enjoyed a fun evening with a group that is promoting Food Entrepreneurship throughout the U.S. – Spoon University. Taste Talks came to DC after a successful visit to New York, but they were totally shocked by the large crowd that came out – my estimate is close to 200 people, but whatever the number, it was pretty packed! Food Samples from various local vendors/restaurants including Luke’s Lobster and Founding Farmer (see list below) and actually 2 Panel Discussions (speakers below) made it an interesting event. I would say that most of the audience were Millenials – many still in college – but that is primarily Spoon University’s audience. Food businesses, like food trucks, are the kinda hip “thing” for 20-somethings looking for direction in their life.

And what did I learn? Nothing seriously new – food businesses tend to be passion businesses – margins normally are slim and hours are long – and hard work separates those who succeed from those who fail – but what I found the most interesting is the high interest level in a city like Washington, D.C. which frankly has quite a few jobs available with decent pay – why would someone just out of college want such a tough career, when most likely they could take a pretty cushy desk job at 50% higher pay? I think many younger people are looking to feel good about themselves – not just a Big Paycheck – and food businesses seem to satisfy the need for adventure, a little risk-taking, and maybe a sense of belonging/community.

Here are some photos from the event via Facebook: TasteDC Calendar of Food and Drink Events.

Tuesday, June 17 from 6:30 to 8:30pm

On the heels of our wildly successful Taste Talks NYC event, we’re once again partnering with our friends at General Assembly to cover all things food and entrepreneurship. Join us on June 17 to nosh on delicious free food, hear from professionals and die-hard foodies in the DC culinary scene and network with speakers and attendees. Register for the event here, or use the ticketing buttons below.

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When: Tuesday, June 17 from 6:30 to 8:30pm
Where: 1776, 1133 15th St NW, Washington, DC 20005

Speakers include:
Luke Holden, founder of Luke’s Lobster
Susan Able, editor-in-chief and publisher of Edible DC
Jennifer Motruk, VP marketing for Founding Farmers
Jonas Singer, founder of Union Kitchen and Blind Dog Cafe
Chris Vigilante, founder of Vigilante Coffee
Greg Menna, partner, District Doughnut
Summer Whitford, founder of The Food & Wine Diva
Jimmy Edgerton, 2Armadillos

Come hungry to feast on:
District Doughnut
Vigilante Coffee
Thunder Beast Root Beer
sweetgreen salad
Luke’s Lobster bites
Founding Farmers grub
Blind Dog Cafe chocolate chip cookies
Capitol Kombucha drinks
Baba’s Pickles
& more!

TasteTalks

 

DC Craft Beer Festival – DC Is Now a Craft Beer Festival Mecca

March 9th, 2014 • No Comments

DC Is Now a Craft Beer Festival Mecca..

March 8th, 2014 saw a new craft beer festival – DC Craft Beer Festival – Spring Seasonals Although a first year event, it was from the organizers of the New York Craft Beer Festival and they had plenty of experience organizing events – they also put together music festivals!

150+ beers and ciders to taste and a slightly new wrinkle – rather than a mini-beer glass, we tasted with a beer shot glass – smaller pours, but way more efficiency in pour management which made for quicker lines and the ability to actually sample 60+ beers without getting drunk and losing focus!

Breweries and Beers:

Breweries Beers
Alewerks Springhouse
Alewerks Shorty Time
Anthem Cherry
Anthem Hops
Bells Smitten
Bells WO Hearted
Duck Rabbit Milk Stout
Duck Rabbit Hoppy BUNNY
Founders All Day IPA
Great Lakes Conways
Great Lakes Commodore
Jacks Hele sns
Jacks Jacks
Lagunitas IPA
Lagunitas Lil Sumpin
Mad River Steelhead Extra Pale
Mad River Stellhead Double IPA
New Holland Poet
New Holland mONKEY KING
New Hollanndd Full circle
North Coast Brother THELONIUS
North Coast Le Melrle
port City Wit
Port City Collosal 3
port City manaical
Speakeasy Big Daddy
Speakeasy Prohibition
Wild Wolf Alpha Ale
Wild Wolf Blonde HONEY
Yards Brawler
Yards Tj
Atlas Rowdy
Atlas District
Boulevard pop up
Boulevard 80 acre
terrapin Lager
Brooklyyn Brown
Foothills Hoppyum IPA
Foothills Torch Pilsner
Ommegang Rare Vos
Ommegang Hennepin
Sam Adams Cold snap
Sam Adams Rebel IPA
Saranac Prism
Saranac Pale Ale
Shiner White Wing
Shiner FM 966
Starr Hill Bandstand
Starr Hill Grateful Pale Ale
Terrapin Rye Pale Ale
Terrapin Hopsecutioner
Angry Orchard Crisp
Angry Orchard Ginger
Woodchuck 802
Woodchuck Reserve Pink
Abita Andygator
Abita Turbodog
Anchor California Lager
Anchor Anchor Bock
Harpoon IPA
Harpoon Long Thaw
New Belgium Fat Tire
New Belgium Snapshot
Dogfish Midas Touch
DogFISH 90 Minute IPA
Sierra Nevada Pale Ale
Sierra Nevada Torpedo
Firestone Walker Union Jack
Firestone Walker Wookey Jack
Heavy Seas Loose Cannon
Heavy Seas Black Cannon
Flying Dog Doggie Style
Flying Dog In Heat Wheat
Magic Hat Pistol
Magic Hat Dream Machine
allagash Black
allagash White
Legend Brown Ale
Legend Hopfest
Aviator Frost Nipper
Aviator Mad Beach American Wheat
Mother Earth Dunkel
Mother Earth Weeping Willow Witt
Blue Mountain Dark Hollow
Blue Mountain Local Species
Breckenridge Agave Wheat
Breckenridge Vesper French Saison
Brewers Art Ressurection
Brewers Art St. Festivus
Burley Oak Aboriginal Gangster
Burley Oak Bulletproof Tiger
Oliver Ales Watermelon Honey Wine
Oliver Ales Strawberry Hard Cider
Peak Organic King Crimson
Peak organic Pomegranite Wheat
Union Craft Old Pro Gose
Union Craft DuckPin
Stillwater Artisanal Folklore
Stillwater Artisanal As Follows
Fordham Rt 1 Session IPA
Fordham Gypsy Lager
Dominion Candi Belgian Triple
Dominion Oak Barrel Stout
Goose Island Sofie
Goose Island Illinois
Kona Big Wave
Kona KoKo
Redhook Longhammer
Redhook Audible
Widmer Upheaval
Widmer Columbia Common
Victory Swing Saison
Victory Dirt Wolf
Troegs Perpetual IPA
Troegs Dreamweaver
Smuttynose Finest Kind IPA
Smuttynose Robust Porter
Sweetwater Blue
Sweetwater Sweetwater 420
Omission IPA
Omission Lager
Omission Pale Ale
Devils Backbone Eightpoint IPA
Devils Backbone Pear Lager
Bold Rock Cider Apple
Bold Rock Cider VA
Natty Greenes Red Nose
Natty Greenes Old Town Brown
Natty Greenes Buckshot
Ace Cider Perry
Ace Cider Berry
Lone Rider Peacemaker pale ale
Lone Rider Sweet Josie Brown
Lone Rider Shotgun Betty Hefe

Catoctin Creek Dinner Gets It Right

December 14th, 2013 • No Comments

A Dinner to Remember..

Leaving Georgetown on a Friday night I was stuck on M Street for 40 minutes to cover about 7 blocks. The Weekend traffic made what should have been around an hour and 15 minute trip more than 2 hours, but the resulting dinner was truly worth it!

I (although I say “we” quite a bit – once you’re at a Whisky Dinner, you become a we!) attended a Cocktail Dinner at the Catoctin Creek Distillery, featuring the Wandering Chef – an entertaining and delicious affair and my first time visiting the new Catoctin Creek Distillery in the heart of Purcellville.

We enjoyed a private tour of the new space from owners, Scott and Becky Harris. Becky guided us through the process of making whisky, and Scott described for us the wonderful history of their “new” building, which is nearly 100 years old.

Dinner was a five course affair prepared by Chefs Wes Rosati and Maria Aros of The Wandering Chef. Chefs Rosati and Aros are formerly of Lansdowne Resort, and have combined talents to provide exquisite dining for our new venue!

Oh, and did I say cocktails? Yes, Katie Morrison was on hand to expertly craft cocktails paired with our dinner! As always, I forgot to get the cocktail recipes (shame!!), but the “Catoctinog” was a great starter for me – essentially a Whiskey egg nog, but more creamy nog than egg – cream and whiskey are made to be together!

Here is the Menu (all sourced from local producers and use of seasonal ingredients):

2013-12-13 19.39.092013-12-13 19.53.58
1st Course
Baby Winter Greens, Spiced Walnuts, Cranberry Vinaigrette
Crispy Pork Belly and Poached Pear Salad
Paired with CCDC’s “Catoctinog”
2013-12-13 19.50.53Cocktails at Catoctin Creek

2nd Course
Smoked Chicken and Bitter Green Risotto
Finished with Lemon, Fresh Herbs and Aged Parmesan Cheese
Paired with CCDC’s “Moonshine Chanukkah”2013-12-13 20.11.43

3rd Course
Braised Green Lentils with Local Lamb Sausage, Roasted Carrot Puree,
Honey and Chili Marinated Rack of Lamb
Mint and Lime Gremolatta – I think the Rack of Lamb stole the show – with whisky, you need meat (fat is good too) and the tender lamb on the bone was decadent..it also was delish with the lentils fatted up carrot puree (lamb sausage to boot!)
2013-12-13 20.33.58Paired with CCDC’s “The Wry Gingerman”

4th Course
Dark Chocolate “Pots de Crème”,
Cranberry-Mint Compote and Freshly Whipped Cream
Catoctin Creek Distillery is located at 120 West Main Street, Purcellville, Virginia and the new location is WAY better than the old warehouse!

For reference, the event was held on Friday, December 13, 2013 – yes, Friday the 13th – Boo!

Capital Food Fight Always Knocks Me Out – Round 2

November 12th, 2013 • No Comments

Foodie Celebrity Alert..

Yes, I went to my 2nd round at Capital Food Fight in Washington, D.C. at the Ron Reagan Building on Monday, November 11th, 2013. Getting to taste 60+ chefs, hobnobbing with Celebrity Chefs like Carla Hall, and Jose Andres and just soaking in the restaurant/hospitality way of life is such a treat!

2013-11-11 18.59.562013-11-11 19.38.56This annual extraganza raises $100,000s of dollars for DC Central Kitchen and also has the added benefit of raising the profile of Washington, D.C. as a True Foodie City – we always appreciate the added push! What really fascinates me about these mega-restaurant promotional events is there really isn’t one kind of crowd that attends – there are the diverse interests of DC from Lobbiests with clients, to Foodies/Restaurant people who either produce/make the dishes or are somehow connected with the industry. It’s definitely a schmoozerama, but it’s also a chance to meet some of the Big Name out of town chefs/celebrities like Tom Colicchio from Top Chef, Rick Bayless, Todd English, Art Smith and Battling Chefs Erik Bruner-Yang, Bertrand Chemel, Spike Gjerde and Anthony Lombardo.2013-11-11 20.21.232013-11-11 18.53.04
Dishes I Loved:

-Smoked Oyster Dish with Lamb Bacon by Beuchert’s Saloon – 3 reasons: smoke, oysters and bacon (in this case from the lamb neck!) – gets points for originality, interesting blend of sea/land and of course tastyness!

-Pulpo’s creative Shrimp Ceviche – I actually thought it was lobster and it had Aquavit in it – so booze and seafood combined!

-Farmer’s Fishers Crab Bisque – I’m not sure if that’s the name of the dish, but it had tons of crab in it – sweet!

-Slider from PJ Clarke’s – so lowbrow – Love It!

And many more..

2013-11-11 18.20.04Kudo’s to the Bloomery Plantation folks who allowed me (Illegally – Press was denigrated to the regular $250 Riff-Raff fold..) into the Chairman’s Double-Secret VIP area upstairs where I had their great cocktails, a wonderful 25 year old XO Cognac and got to hang with Carla Hall and Jose Andres before I decided that I actually wanted to taste the dishes downstairs!

And the Winner of the Battling Chef Competition: Spike Gjerde, Woodberry Kitchen!

Ohh, and purely for SEO, here’s the list of Restaurants that participated: 1789
2941
Al Tiramisu
Ambar
Airlie Center
Art & Soul
BLT Steak
Bar Charley
Barmini
Bastille
Béarnaise
Belga Café / Btoo
Beuchert’s Saloon
Blue Duck Tavern
Boqueria
Carmine’s
Cava/Sugo Osteria
Charlie Palmer Steak
Chipotle
Cuba Libre
Del Campo
Delia’s
Dolci Gelati
Dolcezza Gelato
Eat the Rich
Entyse
Equinox / Salamander Resort
Farmers Fishers
Founding Farmers
Fujimar
Good Stuff Eatery
Gordon Biersch
Granville Moore
Gristmill
Hank’s Oyster Bar
Hill Country BBQ
Ici Urban Bistro
Indique
J&G Steakhouse
Jackson 20 / The Grille at Morrison House
Jaleo
Kapnos
Kaz Sushi Bistro
Lebanese Taverna
Le Diplomate
Lia’s
Lincoln
MXDC Restaurant
Mandu
Maketto
Matchbox
Mint Gastropub by Malcolm Mitchell
Nick’s River Side Grill
Osteria Elisir
Oyamel
PJ Clarke’s
Ping Pong Dim Sum
Pizzeria Orso
Policy
Pulpo
Rappahannock River Oysters
Ris
Santa Lucia Coffee
Sonoma
Sticky Fingers
Taberna del Alabardero Restaurant
Taco Bamba
Table
Teddy and the Bully Bar
The Majestic
The Source
Toki Underground
Tony and Joe’s Seafood Place
Trummer’s on Main
Vermilion
Vidalia
Vinoteca
Westend Bistro
Willow
Woodberry Kitchen
Zengo

DC Wine Dinners to Savor: Braida Wine Dinner at Sonoma

October 26th, 2013 • No Comments

 Braida Wine Tasting and Three Course Wine Dinner – Legendary Italian Wines from Piemonte was held at Sonoma Restaurant on Friday, October 25th, 2013 and was a truly memorable event..

2013-10-25 18.36.12I really enjoyed this event with a family member of the Braida Winery in attendance – wine expert Norbert Reinisch, Braida’s Export Manager and Founder’s Son-In-Law. The tasting included Braida’s current releases of Montebruna, Il Baciale, Moscato d’Asti and Brachetto d’Acqui..But we also got to taste multiple vintages of Bricco dell’Uccellone and Ai Suma in a pre-dinner wine tasting that was fabulous! Norbert has in interesting personal story: he’s actually Austrian and began his career as a Doctor..somewhere along the line he fell in love with a member of the Braida Family and changed his career from internist to wine ambassador! As they say – tough job – now he gets to travel the world and promote his wine family’s wines and thell their story – I could think of worse jobs!

Pre-Dinner WineTasting

Monferrato Rosso Il Baciale 2011, $29.99

A blend of Barbera, Pinot Noir and I think Merlot – beautiful cherry fruit with a touch of pepper from the Pinot and some backbone from the Merlot

Barbera Bricco dell’Uccelone 2009, $84.99

Barbera Bricco dell’Uccelone 2010, $86.99

2013-10-25 18.36.07These two wines were both 100% Barbera but very different. The 2009 had amazing fruit-forward cherry and even a bit of baked apple fruit intensity, and oak was in the background but beautiful licorice/anise on the finish. The 2010 was tight and needs at least a few more years for the cherry fruit to break through the strong structure of French Oak tannins and red skin tannins as well which made this quite licorice on the finish and also a bit closed on the nose – this one will be much better 5 and even 10 years from now!

Barbera Ai Suma 2007, $121.99

Barbera Ai Suma 2009, $112.99

Again, these two wines were picked from the same vineyards, but from different vintages.  From the intense aromatics to the first sip, the 2007 was just amazing on the palate with tons of cherry fruit, but also an added dimension – not just great acidity which Barbera is distinctly known for even in these hotter/riper vintages – but this wine had character and almost a brooding development of complexity. The tannins were there, but beautifully incorporated with fruit, oak and lush chewiness on my palate – I felt this wine luxuriously on my palate. The 2009 was also very good, but distintly had more chocolate, baked cherry pie and sweetness that surprised me a bit because it was younger. Make a note: these wines are both around 16% alcohol, so they are trophy wines that can stand-up competitively to top Bordeaux and Napa, but with so much more acidity to keep them refreshing!

Three Course Wine Dinner Menu

2013-10-25 19.49.39

First
Fluke Crudo with preserved lemon, moscatto gelee, frisee and local asian pear
paired with 2012 Moscato d’Asti

2013-10-25 20.31.42

Second
Grilled Duck Breast “Autunno” Duck, chicharonnes, Barbera cherry gastrique with savory pumpkin and sage bread pudding
paired with 2011 Barbera Monte Bruna

2013-10-25 21.18.28

Third
Plum crisp with Local plums, brown sugar farro crumble and local goat cheese gelato
paired with 2012 Brachetto d’Acqui

Little known fact: the grape varietal “Barbera” was once a throw-away jug wine kind of grape that was never taken very seriously in the Piedmont Region of Italy where Barolo and Barbaresco are the King and Queen of wines respectively. Guiseppe Bologna, the founder of Braida winery, was the first back in the 1980’s to produce prodigious wines by planting Barbera vines on his family’s land and using new French oak as his aging barriques.

It’s All Turkish to Me – My First Cooking Class at Culinaria, Vienna, Virginia

October 12th, 2013 • 2 Comments

I’ve been wanting to try Culinaria Cooking School in Vienna, Virginia for awhile and decided to try their Intro to Turkish Cuisine cooking class on Wednesday, October 9th, 2013.

2013-10-09 19.08.13

Culinaria was founded by long time local cooking instructors Stephen Sands and Pete Snaith who both learned their trade teaching at Bethesda, Marylands’ L’Academie de Cuisine (Pete also had some time at the Culinary Institute of Florence). Our instructor for this event was Stefanie Sacripante who graduated from NYC’s Institute of Culinary Education and worked at various stints including Le Cirque also in NYC – a complete Bio of Culinaria’s Staff is Here. She is of French and Italian descent with a classic mix of New York which definitely gave her street cred a la Anthony Bourdain (she’s way better behaved!).

The Location: Although slightly hidden from the main street, the school is located in the heart of Vienna, VA and has something a bit rare for cooking schools in our area: plenty of parking! Of course I was attending after most businesses were closed, but there is parking in the area as well. The space is actually 2 kitchens: a Demonstration Kitchen for up to 24 students and a Hands-On (Participation) Kitchen for up to 18 people. The space was very pleasant and well laid-out, so definite plus on being spacious and easy to maneuver, prep and cook in.

2013-10-09 21.26.38The Class: This was a Participation class based on traditional Turkish cuisine with 5 dishes:

  • Shepherd’s Salad
  • Classic Lamb Kofte
  • Plain & Perfect Pilav (Rice)
  • Turkish Braised Leeks in Olive Oil & Lemon Juice
  • Pears Poached in Clove Syrup

We first made the Salad together and then there was explanations of preparation and history of each dish afterwards with well written recipes and then each student prepared one of the dishes. I’ve been to many recreational cooking classes and what I liked most about this one was the instructors’s interesting personal history and story about her mother who was a child in war-torn France during WW II – and because she was of Italian descent, she was not treated very well by her French neighbors!

The Dishes:

2013-10-09 19.28.01Shepherd’s Salad

The first dish we made at the beginning was the Shepherd’s Salad – very much a traditional Mediterranean style salad with cucumbers, red onion, parsley and tomatoes. This is the first time I had heard of Maras or kirimizi flakes which are a type of dried hot pepper seasoning. The dressing was essentially just lemon and olive oil, so it’s a very refreshing dish – which is especially cooling in hotter climate weather.

2013-10-09 21.14.43Classic Lamb Kofte

Kofte is a take on the “meatball”, the ultimate comfort food for pretty much every European or Middle Eastern cuisine! The meat used is lamb which strongly suggests Turkey’s Middle-Eastern routes, but also it’s Greek influence. Day-old bread which is dried out is soaked in water, squeezed out and then crumbled into a mixture of ground lamb, grated onion, a little egg, minced parsley, cumin salt and Kirmizi spice. The latter 2 spices suggest Middle Eastern cooking, especially the cumin. The secret of this dish is to roll the ball of meat in your hands and slightly compress into an egg shape – then cook the whole mixture in ghee (clarified butter) or just melted unsalted butter – only about 3 minutes per side, these cook pretty fast! The moistened/squeezed bread added to the meat I’ve seen in many Italian recipes for meatballs, but Italians generally use a mix of meats other than lamb like beef/pork/veal, so there’s another regional difference. One of the best explanations I’ve ever heard for why different cultures use different animal meats is that the terrain and vegetation of a place determines the animal (and in the case of pork, often the religious views as well!) – hilly/rocky regions have a better time raising goats, lamb and sheep, more open areas with more open grass sources tend towards beef and veal. The sauce for this is normally some yogurt mixed with some spices – meaty/warm vs. cooling/creamy is such a great contrast, this was my favorite dish of the evening – and so simple!

 Plain & Perfect Pilav (Rice)

2013-10-09 21.23.19Don’t make fun of me – I have a really hard time making rice that doesn’t stick together! Yes, I soak the rice 3 or 4 times, but I guess I overcook it or maybe..I don’t fluff it at the right time! I’m not sure, but this recipe for rice came out perfect. Something unusual was that after rinsing, the rice was put into almost boiling water to pre-cook it and after that cooled down, it was drained and sauteed in butter for a few minutes. Also, the rice was cooked afterward for about 12 minutes at a low simmer with the top tightly on – I’m going to play with each part of this until I get my rice right..practice, practice, practice!

2013-10-09 21.24.09Turkish Braised Leeks in Olive Oil & Lemon Juice

Leeks can be a real pain to prepare – they get so much dirt and sand between their leaves and it’s hard to get out. Chef Stefanie showed us a few tricks: after cutting off the root end, she cut cross-wise into about 1-inch disks and then we “telescoped” them by pushing out the centers into cold water and thus rinsing the dirt in cold water. Also the rings keep the integrity of the dish under the slow braising so they aren’t stringy messes. Add some chopped carrots and a tablespoon of uncooked rice into a heavy pan, and simmer in olive oil for about 10 minutes. Add salt, a little sugar and a little over a cup of water and let simmer on medium for about 20 or 30 minutes until soft. Finish with some lemon juice and maybe a sprinkle of salt and a very simple dish is complete.

2013-10-09 20.43.20Pears Poached in Clove Syrup

This is a dish very similar to a Spanish dish where pears are poached in red wine and sugar – so I guess all through the Mediterranean something like this is prepared. It’s very simple: take pears that are rather firm (these were actually a bit ripe, but the dish worked anyway – it’s pretty forgiving), cut them in half and core and stem a bit and put them into a hot solution of a 2:1 ratio of water to sugar with some sliced lemon and a few cloves, and basically cook until the pears are soft, take out the pears and reduce until it becomes a syrup. I was thinking a little rosewater could have been used instead of the cloves, or maybe cinnamon. Chef Stephanie had some home-made pear sorbet she had made and paired the 2 together – a pear and pear comparison dessert – delicious! Ohh, and we took some of the Greek yogurt and put this on the reduced pairs instead of the Kofte – yogurt has that wonderful cooling/creamy influence and of course tastes great against sweet.

2013-10-09 21.27.21Conclusion

Culinaria is run by cooking class veterans and has a really choice cooking school set-up with room to grow. They also have an extensive offering of a broad range of cooking classes based on skill or special interest. In my opinion, they have a very good niche in the NoVA/DC area in that they are very close to Tysons Corner and tons of corporate event planners, but also they are centered in a relatively high-income demographic area (especially if Oakton nearby is considered). Once they get their wine programs going again – a short-term hiccup at best from what I understand – they will really have the interests of NoVA food enthusiasts and their dollars as well. I definitely intend on attending more of their classes and weekend events are probably where a DC guy like me is more likely to spend the most time – I hate driving to VA at rush hour during the week!

Charlie “I Drink on the Job” Adler

Some Upcoming Culinaria Cooking Classes on the TasteDC Calendar:

Meet the Distillers Crafts a Great Evening

September 15th, 2013 • No Comments

Craft Distilling is more than just the current buzz in the food and drinks industry..2013-09-11 19.30.44

I attended a great craft experience – Meet the Distillers at Ris Restaurant in our Nation’s Capital on Wednesday, September 11th, 2013 – a chance to meet and identify with 4 of America’s most innovative craft distillers.

Here are the Distillers: Barry Young who, together with his partner C. Prentiss Orr at Boyd & Blair, distills what is arguably the world’s greatest potato vodka in Glenshaw, PA, John Little, co-founder of Smooth Ambler Spirits in rural Greenbrier Valley, WV and Clay Smith, distillery manager at Corsair Distillery in Bowling Green, KY.

 The Sponsor for this event was Arrowine & Spirits DC (K Street at 22nd Street). An FYI – they are SERIOUSLY getting into craft spirits..more news on that soon!

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I had a chance to taste 9 spirits and various cocktails produced by Dan Searing who is actually the Rep for American Still Life Spirits who promotes the most diverse American portfolio of craft distilled spirits.
Each speaker had time to open up and discuss their respective perspective and products.

Barry Young, Boyd & Blair

Barry Young, Boyd & Blair

Boyd & Blair (Pennsylvania):

I had met Barry Young from Boyd & Blair a few years ago at a crafts spirits tasting in NYC when the whole movement was early, but building steam. His specialty is producing potato distilled vodka using exclusively Pennsylvania potatoes. Pennsylvania farmers were only receiving about 8 cents per pound for their potatoes which didn’t make much sense as an agricultural incentive. Boyd & Blair took this low-priced resource and turned it into a vodka that has won many rewards. We also tried the Vodka 151 Proof but it was in a cocktail made by Dan Searing. Interesting note: Boyd & Blair only throws out the heads and tails of distillation and only uses the “sweet spot” heart of distillation in their products..

John Little, Smooth Ambler

John Little, Smooth Ambler

Smooth Ambler (West Virginia):

The next up was John Little of Smooth Ambler – he was quite a character and spoke a mile a minute with his exuberance and excitement! First up we tried the Greenbrier Gin which had a nice citrusy refreshing taste that enlivened my palate! Smooth Ambler is relatively new to the distillation process, so brown spirits have to be purchased. John took us through the process of choosing the right barrels of pre-aged Bourbons and how he chose their specific products (which in a roundabout way came from the US, was orderd and planned to be sold in Australia, but due to market conditions there, remained in U.S. stocks). Being a Rye fan, I really loved their Old Scout Rye (7-year old) and also enjoyed their Old Scout Bourbon (10-year old). John brought up the point or concept about whiskey and aging: does whiskey get better with age? He joked that some people are born “beautiful Adonis”, but most people feel we get better with age! He also brought up that Smooth Ambler doesn’t cold filter their products – fatty acids, which some people might consider gross, actually add interesting flavor and aromatics, and cold-filtering takes this away – Cheers to that!

Clay Smith, Corsair

Clay Smith, Corsair

Corsair (Kentucky):

Clay Smith of Corsair Whiskey was the 3rd Presenter and showcased 4 spirits: Corsair Barrel-Aged Gin, Spiced Rum, Old Punk Whiskey and Corsair Triple Smoke Whiskey. The most unique product was their Triple Smoke: their malted barley is smoked with Cherrywood, Beechwood and Peat giving it some Scotch/peat overtones but also some American wood smoke aromatics. This kind of creativity is what makes American craft spirits so much fun – Cheers!

Charlie “I Drink on the Job” Adler

P.S. – Below is some cut and paste from the Arrowine email – if you’re truly interested in learning more, read on!

Dan Searing, American Still Life

What are craft spirits and why we love them…

null The days where distilled spirits were peddled by a handful of gigantic multi-national corporations have come to an end. In less than a decade the number of craft, or micro-distilleries, has mushroomed from a mere 50 to over 300 operational distilleries across the U.S. Craft spirits are the product of an independently owned distillery with maximum annual sales of 52,500 cases where the product is physically distilled and bottled on site.  

 

Craft distillers focus on quality rather than quantity (often producing less in a year than multi-national brand distilleries bottle in one hour) and strive to educate consumers rather than supply them with cheap alcohol. Unlike the large spirits conglomerates that use continuous distillation to produce large volumes of the same product over and over, craft distillers employ pot stills that they often design themselves and distill in small batches using their senses to make cuts to achieve the desired results.  

 

Most use locally sourced grains and fruits and trace their recipes, especially for whiskey, back to the days long before prohibition when America was a land of small distillers. Much like the craft beer movement that started in the late 1990s, micro-distilleries are making excellent products that pay homage to the authenticity and cultural heritage of their communities.

What we will be tasting… 

 

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We will taste a selection of Vodka, Gin and Whiskey (Bourbon & Rye), first in their pure spirit form, and then in a cocktail application that will showcase the wide range of flavors that these spirits can be expressed in.

About Barry Young and Boyd & Blair… 

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Barry Young and partner C. Prentiss Orr didn’t set out to make the world’s best vodka. They set out to make a really great vodka distilled only from local produce. They started with the best Pennsylvania potatoes and a hand hammered copper pot still and added passion for perfecting a recipe that includes only the ‘hearts’ of the spirit, not the extraneous stuff you’ll find in mass-produced, continuous-still vodka. They named their vodka after two family patriarchs, James Boyd Rafferty and Dr. William Blair.  

 

The vodka is triple distilled by batch in the 1,200 liter pot still without the use of any automated controls, and the heads, hearts and tails are cut by taste alone. The result is an exceptionally smooth tasting potato vodka with a slight natural sweetness and viscosity that is unmatched by any other vodka. Every bottle is filled, corked and dipped in wax by hand, and personally signed by Still Master Barry Young.

 

About John Little and Smooth Ambler Spirits… 

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In 2009, John Little and TAG Galyean founded Smooth Ambler to produce fine artisan spirits by combining patient Appalachian know-how with the finest of American ingredients. Located in the rural Greenbrier Valley of West Virginia, Smooth Ambler uses state-of-the-art distillery equipment in conjunction with natural resources of the region: high-valley mountain air, natural waters, ideal temperature variations and friendly folks. These elements combined with a hands-on, grain-to-glass distilling, cutting and filtering process create a truly remarkable drink best enjoyed one slow sip at a time. It is a fact that Smooth Ambler Spirits are now produced at the highest and purest level possible anywhere in the world.

About Clay Smith and Corsair… 

null Friends Darek Bell, a dedicated home-brewer, and Andrew Webber, a self-described underground urban moonshiner, founded Corsair in 2007 and today, no other craft distillery in the U.S. better epitomizes the creative element of the craft spirit movement. From Quinoa Whiskey, Spiced Rum, Vanilla Bean Vodka, to Gin, Absinth, Pumpkin Spice Moonshine, the celebrated Triple Smoke Whiskey and over a dozen of seasonal and experimental spirits, the guys at Corsair don’t shy away from anything. And over 40 medals at international spirit competitions are a testament to the consistently high quality of Corsair’s innovative spirits, and it has been named 2013 Craft Distillery of the Year by Whisky Magazine.

 

Corsair operates out of two distilleries, one in Bowling Green, Kentucky, the other in Nashville, Tennessee. Our guest presenter Clay Smith is master distiller and distillery manager at the Bowling Green facility, where he oversees the production of Corsair’s various whiskeys and gins as well as the extensive renovation of the distillery’s new space.

About the tasting location… 
Ris

Restaurant RIS is located in Washington DC, at 2275 L Street NW, Washington, DC 20037, right around the corner from Arrowine & Spirits, our new shop in DC.  Restaurant RIS is open late each night.  We expect the event to conclude by 9pm and should you wish to stay at Ris and have a late dinner, they would be happy to serve you. For more about this excellent restaurant, please see their website.

We will begin at 7:30 p.m.  So that the evening is enjoyable to all, we are limiting the number of people attending. Please RSVP by phone 703-525-0990 or e-mail by Friday, September 6th.
Sincerely,
Doug Rosen
Arrowine
Arlington, VA and our new DC location

DC’s Only Chocolate Fashion Show Was More Than Just Chocolate..

September 8th, 2013 • No Comments

Chocolate Fashion Show is a great concept..this is a winning event for any city

Charity in Chocolate Fashion Show – Over 50+ Top DC Chefs Express in Chocolate!

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Top chefs turned chocolate and sugar into fanciful costumes and accessories for a delicious fashion show to benefit local charity with national impact.

Chocolate, Chocolate, Chocolate! This event had so many great dishes and some great drinks too including Catoctin Creek Rye and Boxwood Winery’s Red wine.

Award-winning chefs  unveiled their mastery of cocoa and couture at the decadent Charity in Chocolate benefit event, featuring DC’s only Chocolate Fashion Show.  The proceeds from Charity in Chocolate go to The Heart of America Foundation® (HOA), a DC-based nonprofit that combines volunteer service and literacy programming to support the needs of children living in poverty in the D.C. area as well as nationwide.

2013-09-06 20.17.082013-09-06 18.21.55offered sweet and savory tastings. Attendees sampled delicacies, enjoyed an open bar before the event highlight – the Chocolate Fashion Show, where models walked the runway in chocolate and sugar couture designed by local chefs.

2013-09-06 18.34.57Celebrity guest judges of the fashion show included WTOP’s Kristi King, Kate Michael, President of K Street Kate, Heather Roth, 2008 RAMW Pastry Chef of the Year, and Michael McCarthy, Editor-in-Chief, DC magazine.

Some dishes were sweet, but chocolate was also incorporated into savory dishes.I enjoyed dishes with octopus, Nutella, passionfruit, something that looked and tasted like tapioca, olive oil, Wagyu Beef and on and on!2013-09-06 21.02.29