Fireworks, grilled food and festive drinks...Have a wonderful and safe 4th of July!!
Muah,
JKGF
Picture source: http://chemistry.about.com/od/fireworkspyrotechnics/ig/Fireworks-Displays/Fireworks-Display.-1ce.htm
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Food.Fun.Stuff: Happy 4th of July!
Fireworks, grilled food and festive drinks...Have a wonderful and safe 4th of July!!
Muah,
JKGF
Picture source: http://chemistry.about.com/od/fireworkspyrotechnics/ig/Fireworks-Displays/Fireworks-Display.-1ce.htm
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Johnna's Pick of the Week: Good Stuff Eatery (DC)
Good Stuff. This is a JKGF favorite phrase when something has the right vibe. After taking a trip to the Southeast side of the District for a burger, our new fetish entails our favorite phrase, Good Stuff Eatery. Spike Mendelsohn, a past contestant on Top Chef, is the mastermind behind this Capitol Hill burger joint. Going in, we were convinced the best burger in D.C. was at Ray's Hell Burger, but now that view has changed. Spike whipped up the "Spike" burger for us which was a mound of applewood bacon, perfectly grilled ground beef, melted cheddar cheese and good stuff sauce (*So we had a debate at the table about what was actually in the sauce. Our guest said their was some Cajun in it making it really spicy and we disagreed, could our taste buds be failing us??).
A side of fries with rosemary and sea salt accompanied our voluptuous burger. It was at this point that we realized there was no ketchup on any of the tables and when we peeked over at the condiment stand, there was no ketchup in site. After eating the fries, we understood why. You honestly don't need ketchup for these fries, the rosemary and sea salt flavor address all your seasonal needs, any more dressings might be too much. We had heard rumors about the line that forms for one of these burgers and the rumors were true as we watched the 12 o'clock rush hour. After tasting one of these burgers, we see why the line is so long. The thing we liked most about the burgers were 1. the juiciness and 2. the bread. The bread is key to an all around good burger, hard or dry breads can demolish the whole experience of a possibly good burger. Ray's Hell Burger had some juicy delicious burgers, but the bread doesn't quite match Good Stuff Eatery's.
A side of fries with rosemary and sea salt accompanied our voluptuous burger. It was at this point that we realized there was no ketchup on any of the tables and when we peeked over at the condiment stand, there was no ketchup in site. After eating the fries, we understood why. You honestly don't need ketchup for these fries, the rosemary and sea salt flavor address all your seasonal needs, any more dressings might be too much. We had heard rumors about the line that forms for one of these burgers and the rumors were true as we watched the 12 o'clock rush hour. After tasting one of these burgers, we see why the line is so long. The thing we liked most about the burgers were 1. the juiciness and 2. the bread. The bread is key to an all around good burger, hard or dry breads can demolish the whole experience of a possibly good burger. Ray's Hell Burger had some juicy delicious burgers, but the bread doesn't quite match Good Stuff Eatery's.
We weren't the only first timers in the building, Kelsey Nixon (*Former contestant on the Next Food Network Star) came down for a visit to the nations capitol (*This was her first time in the District and having one of Spike's burgers). Though this was our first time, it won't be our last...we have to get back soon and get some more one on one time with the rest of the menu that seems to have the whole District flocking to the south side of Pennsylvania Avenue.
*Spike and Kelsey have a show on Food2, which is a web based food channel and a product of Scripps Network LLC. (*You know the good guys who deliver us the Food Network)
Picture source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/33611846@N07/sets/72157611500146517/
Food.Fun.Stuff: BloomBars Tonight!
BloomBars Tonight! Today, July 2nd, "Friends of BloomBars" will host a fundraiser at 3222 11th Street NW from 8:30 pm - 12:00 midnight. Make checks payable to: BloomBars, LLC. Give what you can. Suggested Donation: $10 - $25. If you are not able to attend but wish to give, please send checks to 3222 11th Street, Washington, DC 20010. BloomBars has become a unique establishment in the Columbia Heights community: a non-alcoholic bar serving hugs, global causes, and amazing musical talent (*Awesome concept).
Check this out...a bar that even kids can frequent: http://vimeo.com/5371537
Check this out...a bar that even kids can frequent: http://vimeo.com/5371537
Picture source: http://www.bloombars.com/previousevents/politicalfilms.htm
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Recipe: Pralines
Pralines
1 cup light brown sugar
1 tbsp. oleo
2 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. salt
2/3 cup evaporated milk
2 cup pecans
Mix sugar, milk and salt together. Cook over medium heat to soft ball stage (*about 232 degrees). Remove from heat and beat. Add in the butter, vanilla and nuts. Drop on buttered surface. Cool. Serve.
*Johnna's tip: Pralines were created in France and have transitioned into a classic New Orleans delicacy. In France, almonds were originally used and New Orleans substituted with pecans. Recently, we attended a baby shower and as part of the treats, pralines were served (*Both of the parents-to-be were from New Orleans). This is such an awesome addition to the baby shower spread because they are sweet, comforting and melt in your mouth! Try for your next event;-)
1 cup light brown sugar
1 tbsp. oleo
2 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. salt
2/3 cup evaporated milk
2 cup pecans
Mix sugar, milk and salt together. Cook over medium heat to soft ball stage (*about 232 degrees). Remove from heat and beat. Add in the butter, vanilla and nuts. Drop on buttered surface. Cool. Serve.
*Johnna's tip: Pralines were created in France and have transitioned into a classic New Orleans delicacy. In France, almonds were originally used and New Orleans substituted with pecans. Recently, we attended a baby shower and as part of the treats, pralines were served (*Both of the parents-to-be were from New Orleans). This is such an awesome addition to the baby shower spread because they are sweet, comforting and melt in your mouth! Try for your next event;-)
Picture source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Sweet_Julep%27s_pralines_on_a_cutting_board.jpg
Drinks on Me: Banana Orange Splash (Non-Alcoholic)
Banana Orange Splash
1 ripe banana
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup cold milk
1 pt. orange sherbet
Add the banana to a blender and mash it, leaving it chunky. Then add in the orange juice and blend until smooth. Add in the cold milk and 1 cup sherbet. Blend until smooth. Pour into your favorite ice cream glasses and top with a scoop of sherbet. Serve.
*Johnna's tip: This is fun drink for the kids, recruit them in the kitchen to help with this one;-)
1 ripe banana
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup cold milk
1 pt. orange sherbet
Add the banana to a blender and mash it, leaving it chunky. Then add in the orange juice and blend until smooth. Add in the cold milk and 1 cup sherbet. Blend until smooth. Pour into your favorite ice cream glasses and top with a scoop of sherbet. Serve.
*Johnna's tip: This is fun drink for the kids, recruit them in the kitchen to help with this one;-)
Picture source: http://www.post-gazette.com/food/20000720Summer3.asp
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Food.Fun.Stuff: Be My Guest
This weeks post comes from the creator of Diary of a Mad Blacktress, Naomi, who recently took a visit down under, check out this burger joint all the way from New Zealand:
I landed in Queenstown, on the south island of New Zealand on April 7 after 8 hours of driving. Known as the place where bungee jumping was invented, people come to this resort town to enjoy skiing, snowboarding, and extreme sports. If you're me, you come to enjoy Fergburger.
Fergburger is a burger spot in the center of town on Shotover Street, and every guidebook I read recommended it. When I saw there was already a line outside the door at 6:30pm, I knew the books weren't wrong. Me and my group squeezed our way inside and salivated--and cracked up--over the menu as we waited to order. I ended up ordering the Southern Swine, which consists of prime New Zealand beef, American streaky bacon (never heard of it, but who doesn't love bacon?), lettuce, tomato, red onion, avocado, aioli, and tomato relish. As I watched the cooks put together a line of burgers, honoring every customer's substitutions and omissions with German efficiency I could tell by the size that I would have to skip the fries. I could barely finish the massive burger, which came on fresh toasted ciabatta bread. The tomato relish tasted like a delicious combination of ketchup and BBQ sauce, and was unlike anything I've ever had. The lettuce and tomato were fresh and crisp, and if not for their tight wrapping, everything would have fallen out of my overstuffed burger.
I landed in Queenstown, on the south island of New Zealand on April 7 after 8 hours of driving. Known as the place where bungee jumping was invented, people come to this resort town to enjoy skiing, snowboarding, and extreme sports. If you're me, you come to enjoy Fergburger.
Fergburger is a burger spot in the center of town on Shotover Street, and every guidebook I read recommended it. When I saw there was already a line outside the door at 6:30pm, I knew the books weren't wrong. Me and my group squeezed our way inside and salivated--and cracked up--over the menu as we waited to order. I ended up ordering the Southern Swine, which consists of prime New Zealand beef, American streaky bacon (never heard of it, but who doesn't love bacon?), lettuce, tomato, red onion, avocado, aioli, and tomato relish. As I watched the cooks put together a line of burgers, honoring every customer's substitutions and omissions with German efficiency I could tell by the size that I would have to skip the fries. I could barely finish the massive burger, which came on fresh toasted ciabatta bread. The tomato relish tasted like a delicious combination of ketchup and BBQ sauce, and was unlike anything I've ever had. The lettuce and tomato were fresh and crisp, and if not for their tight wrapping, everything would have fallen out of my overstuffed burger.
For the few vegetarians in the room, there was the Holier Than Thou: tempura tofu topped with spicy satay, coconut, and coriander sauce, in addition to the lettuce and tomato. They also have a falafel burger I was tempted to get for the name alone--The Bun Laden.
Open from 8:30am to 5am 7 days a week, there's no shortage of business, with hearty breakfast wraps offered (The Morning Glory has all the fixings of a burger, only with bacon and eggs) any time. The fries and onion rings are equally delicious, but it takes a huge stomach to get both a burger and fries down. Although I was only in Queenstown 72 hours, I had about 4 Fergburgers while I was there. Here's an excerpt from an email I sent to a friend while I was away:
Subject: I'm pregnant....
Body: With a food baby. Her name is Fergburger.
If you ever find yourself on the other side of the world and are in need of sustenance, check out this place. Just make sure you don't do it before bungee jumping.
Fergburger: 42 Shotover Street, Queenstown, New Zealand
Open from 8:30am to 5am 7 days a week, there's no shortage of business, with hearty breakfast wraps offered (The Morning Glory has all the fixings of a burger, only with bacon and eggs) any time. The fries and onion rings are equally delicious, but it takes a huge stomach to get both a burger and fries down. Although I was only in Queenstown 72 hours, I had about 4 Fergburgers while I was there. Here's an excerpt from an email I sent to a friend while I was away:
Subject: I'm pregnant....
Body: With a food baby. Her name is Fergburger.
If you ever find yourself on the other side of the world and are in need of sustenance, check out this place. Just make sure you don't do it before bungee jumping.
Fergburger: 42 Shotover Street, Queenstown, New Zealand
Picture source: Copyright of Johnna Knows Good Food
Food.Fun.Stuff: Congrats and Eating Burgers
*Congrats to all those who competed in the JKGF Giveaway for $10 HomeMade Pizza Co. gift cards!! The competition was tough but we were able to narrow it down to 5 winners and the grill combinations are fantastic...we can taste them now...Stay tuned because we will be having more giveaways soon;-) Thanks for reading and participating!
*Now for something that does not come to the District often...A Burger Eating Contest! On Thursday, July 2, 2009 (12 pm), Z Burger will be hosting the "Independence Burger Eating Championship". There will be some serious competition in the building with professional burger eaters coming in from as far as Canada. The prizes are the best part though: 1st. place=$1,500 cash, $1,000 worth of Z Burger food and a trophy, 2nd place=$750 cash and a trophy and 3rd place=$500 and a trophy. Part of the proceeds will go to the Hope House Foundation.
Want to be a contestant?? Shoot an email to zburgerdc@gmail.com.
Do you think you could eat that many burgers?? And with the size of Z Burgers, we really want to know who has a stomach that could humanly fit more than one inside? Can't wait til Thursday;-)
*Now for something that does not come to the District often...A Burger Eating Contest! On Thursday, July 2, 2009 (12 pm), Z Burger will be hosting the "Independence Burger Eating Championship". There will be some serious competition in the building with professional burger eaters coming in from as far as Canada. The prizes are the best part though: 1st. place=$1,500 cash, $1,000 worth of Z Burger food and a trophy, 2nd place=$750 cash and a trophy and 3rd place=$500 and a trophy. Part of the proceeds will go to the Hope House Foundation.
Want to be a contestant?? Shoot an email to zburgerdc@gmail.com.
Do you think you could eat that many burgers?? And with the size of Z Burgers, we really want to know who has a stomach that could humanly fit more than one inside? Can't wait til Thursday;-)
Picture source: http://www.yelp.com/biz/z-burger-washington-2
Recipe: Blackberry Cobbler
Blackberry Cobbler
1 3/4 cup flour
2 tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup cold milk
2 tbsp. butter
1 1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup cornstarch
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
Dash of salt
4 cup blackberries
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt; cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Gradually add in the milk, mixing with fork. Shape into an 8 inch square baking dish. Line baking dish with pastry. Add combined dry ingredients to berries; mix lightly. Spoon into shell; dot with butter. Roll out remaining dough to cover 8-inch baking dish. Place over filling. Seal and flute edges. Prick with fork. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until the crust is brown. Serve.
*Johnna's tip: Ok, so summer in DC may not be the best time/place for growing blackberries, but somewhere far, far away the climate caters to these underrated delicacies. Blackberries are best if grown in a climate that has timed spring rains and summers that are warm during the day and cold at night. Try with your favorite vanilla ice cream or whipped topping.
1 3/4 cup flour
2 tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup cold milk
2 tbsp. butter
1 1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup cornstarch
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
Dash of salt
4 cup blackberries
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt; cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Gradually add in the milk, mixing with fork. Shape into an 8 inch square baking dish. Line baking dish with pastry. Add combined dry ingredients to berries; mix lightly. Spoon into shell; dot with butter. Roll out remaining dough to cover 8-inch baking dish. Place over filling. Seal and flute edges. Prick with fork. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until the crust is brown. Serve.
*Johnna's tip: Ok, so summer in DC may not be the best time/place for growing blackberries, but somewhere far, far away the climate caters to these underrated delicacies. Blackberries are best if grown in a climate that has timed spring rains and summers that are warm during the day and cold at night. Try with your favorite vanilla ice cream or whipped topping.
Picture source: http://allrecipes.com/Cooks-Profile/Photo.aspx?PhotoID=61978
Drinks on Me: Patron Margarita (Alcoholic)
Patron Margarita
2 oz. Patron Silver Tequila
1 oz. Patron Citronge Orange Liqueur
Juice of 1/2 a lime
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
3 oz. sweet and sour mix
Ice
In a cocktail shaker, combine the Patron Silver Tequila, Patron Citronge Orange Liqueur, lime juice, lemon juice and Sweet & Sour Mix; shake well and serve on the rocks. Enjoy!
*Johnna's tip: This heat calls for a Margarita! Patron is the perfect alcohol to choose for any Margarita, it's also an expensive habit. Ever tried to order a Patron Margarita at the bar?? Well, let us tell you the story of a friend we had who was trying to impress a girl. So our "friend" invites a young lady friend out for a drink one night and in efforts to impress, he says "Order whatever you want" (*Thinking that she would order something along the lines of Rum & Diet Coke or Amaretto Sour...you know the usual suspects...). The young lady proceeds to order a triple shot of Patron Margarita which cost the nice and nifty price of...$32.00! And she had a second one...you might ask why this guy didn't stop her from ordering more expensive *** drinks?! He was trying to impress the lady:-) Impressive he is. For $32 a drink, please keep all Patron Margarita's to one shot, please.
2 oz. Patron Silver Tequila
1 oz. Patron Citronge Orange Liqueur
Juice of 1/2 a lime
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
3 oz. sweet and sour mix
Ice
In a cocktail shaker, combine the Patron Silver Tequila, Patron Citronge Orange Liqueur, lime juice, lemon juice and Sweet & Sour Mix; shake well and serve on the rocks. Enjoy!
*Johnna's tip: This heat calls for a Margarita! Patron is the perfect alcohol to choose for any Margarita, it's also an expensive habit. Ever tried to order a Patron Margarita at the bar?? Well, let us tell you the story of a friend we had who was trying to impress a girl. So our "friend" invites a young lady friend out for a drink one night and in efforts to impress, he says "Order whatever you want" (*Thinking that she would order something along the lines of Rum & Diet Coke or Amaretto Sour...you know the usual suspects...). The young lady proceeds to order a triple shot of Patron Margarita which cost the nice and nifty price of...$32.00! And she had a second one...you might ask why this guy didn't stop her from ordering more expensive *** drinks?! He was trying to impress the lady:-) Impressive he is. For $32 a drink, please keep all Patron Margarita's to one shot, please.
Picture source: http://spa-view.com/superfoods/skinny-girl-margarita/
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