The One That Got Away

There's one meal from this summer that I keep thinking about. We had our friends Jen & Rob (and their two delightful kids) over for dinner, and Topher cooked. I really wish I had snapped a photo of my plate that evening: it was just so colorful, balanced, and delicious!

What We Ate:

• Arugula salad with homemade vinaigrette
• Pork tenderloin with bourbon ancho sauce - not too sweet, not too spicy
• Baked three-cheese macaroni topped with breadcrumbs & nutmeg
• Cabbage cilantro slaw - he tweaked this recipe with lime juice & honey
• Bananas foster with vanilla ice cream - thanks, Jen!
• Orin Swift’s The Prisoner - one of the best wines I've ever tasted (and the same wine we finished off in Grand Cayman)

But I was so excited to taste everything that I missed my photo op. Oh well - I guess that means we'll have to recreate the experience again sometime - preferably soon!

Pork Belly and Bergman

This past weekend was my first experience with the films of Swedish director Ingmar Bergman. On Friday night, Topher & I ordered pizza, drank Trader Joe's meritage, and watched "Wild Strawberries." It's about an elderly man who spends a day traveling through Sweden (from Stockholm to Lund, where he's being given an honorary degree), and along the way he revisits many of his memories and life's regrets.

Then on Sunday evening we had dinner with our good friends Randy & Kim and watched "The Virgin Spring," a story of tragedy, revenge, and atonement set in medieval Sweden. It was pretty intense but very good. To commemorate the occasion, the Raines served up a delicious, Asian-inspired feast.

What We Ate:

• appetizer: miso soup with dumplings and extra firm tofu - the "extra firm" is key here (at least for me), and I really liked the idea of putting the dumplings in the soup
• entree: seared scallops, sauteed bok choy, rice noodles, pickled daikon radishes, sauteed maitake mushrooms, and pork belly, all drizzled with gochujang sauce - honestly, I don't even know where to start ... this meal was amazing (and I learned quite a bit about Asian cuisine), but my favorite part was definitely the pork belly!
• dessert: lemon tart with homemade raspberry compote
• to drink: Marquis Philips Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 (quite jam-my and not nearly as oaky as most cabs) and a few others

Summer of the Sandwich

Do you ever get on a kick where you find a food you like and just keep eating it over and over? I did that with Greek yogurt for a while, then avocados (although I'm still kinda on that kick), and now it seems to be sandwiches.

This summer I've snacked on egg salad, chicken salad (with celery, dried cranberries, & Granny Smith apples), and tuna salad sandwiches. Last week while in DC, I grabbed a balsamic chicken sandwich with avocado, basil, and baby leaf from Pret a Manger for lunch. And several times this summer, after Topher has made his delicious bourbon ancho pork tenderloin for dinner with friends, I've thin-sliced the leftover pork to use on sandwiches with sliced avocado, sliced tomato (from the WRPC Community Garden, of course), arugula, Swiss cheese, and a dab of Dijon mustard.

Breakfast sandwiches are my favorite, though. I wish I had time to make one every morning, but I usually enjoy them only on weekends, when I can sleep in a little and make breakfast at my own pace.

My dad used to make delicious breakfast sandwiches for me when I was growing up: fried egg, bacon, cheddar cheese, and a little mayo on toasted wheat bread. Anytime I had a big test or something at school, he'd have one ready for me on my way out the door.

This summer, in my continued quest to eat more veggies for breakfast, I've piled fried eggs on toasted white bread with sliced tomato & avocado, light Duke's mayo, and whatever cheese (Swiss, cheddar, or provolone) and greens (usually leftover arugula, spinach or cilantro - yes, I use it as a green!) we have in the fridge.

Ironically, I've also read about multiple sandwich contests this summer. I usually don't go in for those sorts of things, but I think I'm going to spend an hour or or this weekend to concoct, photograph (the hardest part for me), and submit an entry. If I get it done, I'll post pictures next week. Fingers crossed, I might win a trip or some moolah!

The Contests:

Southwest Airlines’ Spirit Magazine "Build a Better Sandwich" Sweepstakes (ends Sept 15)

Whole Foods' Whole Deal Pack-a-Lunch Contest (ends Sept 30)

Mezzetta's Make That Sandwich Contest (ends Sept 6)

Read more about sandwich "architecture" from Spirit Magazine and Whole Foods - it's actually pretty interesting, but it'll make your mouth water!

Note: The picture above is from this website.

Green Smoothie Follow-up: My Favorite Recipe

For the past two weeks, I've been experimenting with various versions of the green smoothie, and I think I've finally found my favorite. It makes a great breakfast!

• ~1 cup of almond milk or soy milk
• 1 ripe banana, cut into 1-inch chunks & frozen ahead of time (I blend these with the milk before I add anything else)
• ~ 1/2 cup of frozen mixed berries (I use Harris Teeter's bagged mix of frozen blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, & blueberries)
• two large handfuls of spinach or rainbow Swiss chard, washed and torn into pieces (I tried kale as well, but I don't think it works as well - it's the wrong texture or something)
• 1 T of ground flaxseed
• 1 T of almond butter

Blend all ingredients in a blender until smooth. Makes 2 servings.

Sadly, it does not turn a fun bright green color, unless you leave out the mixed berries. With the berries, it's a strange purplish brown - not all that appetizing to look at, but delicious to drink!

Back to DC: Founding Farmers

Every few months I travel to DC for training for work, and this week I'm back again. The last time I was here, I had lunch at a farm-to-table American restaurant in northwest DC (near George Washington University) called Founding Farmers. I enjoyed it so much that I decided to go back for lunch again today.

Founding Farmers is big on knowing where their food comes from. Their website states, "When ingredients are available locally and it is sensible for us to buy them, we do. We serve chicken, beef, pork and dairy from certified sources that state their commitment to sustainable farming and clean foods; we buy our seafood from vendors committed to the standards of FishWatch."

Today it was more crowded than on my first visit, and I had to sit at the bar; but it turned out not to be too bad - my bartender/waitress was prompt & friendly. Both times I was able to get in & out and back to class in under an hour. I tried two different pasta dishes, but the rest of their menu looks good too, especially the entrée salads and the Roasted Vegetable & Avocado sandwich.

What I Ate #1:

• Straw & Hay Pasta: housemade macaroni noodles simmered in a light creamy broth with asparagus, bacon, mushrooms, & peas
• To drink: Cranberry Cucumber Cooler (non-alcoholic) - very refreshing!

What I Ate #2:

• Show Stopper Pasta: Mussels, shrimp, white fish, & chorizo over housemade spaghetti in a light wine sauce, served with crusty bread - this dish was fun to eat: the sauce was light, not heavy & creamy, and the shrimp & chorizo were "hidden" towards the bottom of the dish, so each bite revealed a little more, like toasted (pine?) nuts and mixed herbs ... yummm
• To drink: Mint Limeade - tart & refreshing

The Scoop:

Founding Farmers is located in the International Monetary Fund headquarters building at 1924 Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington, DC 2006. Reservations are strongly recommended (even for lunch) and can be made by calling (202)822-8783. They serve breakfast M-F, lunch & dinner M-Sun, and brunch on Sat-Sun.

Celebrating Local & Regional Food

It seems that August is the month for celebrating local & regional food, both here in Virginia and across the country.

This week (August 1-7) is National Farmers' Market Week, and the Suffolk Farmers' Market is celebrating today 10am-1pm with live banjo music, a rug weaving demonstration, special discounts and food samples, and a farm animal petting zoo.

The Virginia Dept of Agriculture & Consumer Services is sponsoring a Farmers' Market Photo Contest: "Submit your favorite digital photograph taken at a Virginia farmers' market between July 8, 2010 and August 18, 2010. The winners will receive a Virginia Grown/Virginia's Finest prize package worth $100 each."

So if you head out to the farmers' market today, don't forget to bring your camera!

Next week (August 8-14) is Farm to Feast Week, and 11 restaurants in the Hampton Roads area - including Stove, Tautog's, Todd Jurich's Bistro, the Boot, and Croc's Eco Bistro - will be offering 3-course meals that feature local meat, fish, wine, cheese, & produce for $20/$30.

And finally, the American Farmland Trust is sponsoring the America's Favorite Farmers' Markets contest - vote online now for your favorite market!

For some ideas on what to do with all the yummy produce you pick up at the market, check out this post from Whole Foods.

If you're on Twitter, you might like to follow ...

@VirginiaGrown

@BuyLocalHR

@saveourfood (from Richmond, VA)

@VAWineEvent

Note: Photo at top was found online here.

Second Time's the Charm

Earlier this year Topher & I ate at Todd Jurich's Bistro with our friends Bonnie & Andy during Norfolk Restaurant Week, and although we had a wonderful evening, the meal just wasn't all we had hoped for. (I have a personal theory about Restaurant Weeks: the restaurants might be less expensive than usual, but the food won't be nearly as good.)

But we kept hearing such great things about it, so we wanted to give it a second chance. Our opportunity came when Topher was given a gift certificate as a thank-you present. We finally used the gift certificate this past Saturday night, for dinner before my cousin Heidi's modern dance ensemble's performance. And I must admit, this meal totally redeemed Todd Jurich's in our estimation: it was fantastic!

What We Ate:

• amuse-bouche: thin-sliced cucumber topped with mint & melon salsa
• my starter: "Chef's Garden" iced gazpacho with lump crab meat - a perfect summer soup
• Topher's starter: Five spice seared foie gras, served atop a Peking duck roll, with damsum plum - this was the best foie gras I've ever tasted (great smoky flavor), and the plum sauce was unusual but very tasty
• my entrée: Pepper seared tuna, served over a warm quinoa salad (chick peas, cherry tomatoes, carrots), topped with eggplant "caviar" (paired with Hendry "Unoaked" Chardonnay, Napa Valley, 2007) - the tuna was seared medium-rare, and as you know, I'm a sucker for a yummy quinoa salad - this whole dish was delicious! I'm not a huge fan of chardonnays, but the Hendry was quite good: still a little buttery but, as the name suggests, without the huge oaky flavor - a nice pairing for the tuna
• Topher's entrée: summer lamb grille served on a naan "pizza" with cucumber tahini sauce (paired with Vino con Brio "Matzin" Old Vine Zinfandel, Lodi, 2005)
• dessert: Southern bourbon pecan pie topped with brown sugar cinnamon ice cream - the ice cream was amazing! the perfect consistency with the right blend of sweet & spicy

The Scoop:

Todd Jurich's Bistro is located at 150 W. Main Street, Suite 100 (the entrance is on Boush Street between Main & Plume Streets) in downtown Norfolk, VA 23510. Reservations are available online or by calling (757)622-3210. Dinner is served M-Sat 5:30-10pm; lunch is available M-F 11:30am-2pm.

"A Strange but Beautiful Place"

Last week Randy & Kim invited me & Topher to join them and our friends Mike & Jane one night for dinner at a hole-in-the-wall eatery in Portsmouth: Stove, the restaurant. The whole evening was a bizarre, delicious experience.

Randy had mentioned Stove before, but we'd never eaten there or heard anyone else mention it. So I did a little online research and discovered that 1) Stove is located near the Midtown Tunnel, not in cute, quaint Old Towne Portsmouth, and 2) parts of their website are weird, which led me to believe that the owner/chef Syd Meers is also a little strange. But the menu looked pretty good, and the restaurant had received favorable reviews on Yelp and Urbanspoon, so I was hopeful.

On this particular evening, the Lord decided to bless Hampton Roads with all the rain that He'd been withholding all summer long. Just as we left Randy & Kim's house it began to pour, and the deluge continued all the way to Portsmouth.

Crazy thunder & lightning, driving sheets of rain, downed trees, flooded streets - it was a mess! The drive took almost twice as long as usual because everyone was traveling at half speed with their caution lights flashing. When we finally arrived at the restaurant, we had to take off our shoes and wade through the street to even get to the front door!

Once inside the real fun began: the mint green walls were covered with mounted animal heads and Syd's original artwork - "wacky" is the word that comes to mind. We were seated in orange mesh chairs and served drinks in curved glasses. The spelling on the menu is, um, creative (Itlay, really?), and is accompanied by a "foodtionary" explaining unfamiliar terms on the menu such as "lardo," "holy trinity," and "smoochie bear ham."

I was immediately excited by the extensive cheese list, as well as the chef's apparent obsession with pork and bacon (judging by the number of dishes listing one or both as ingredients). I was torn between several dishes, and this is exactly how they were described on the menu -- I mean, how could I make up this stuff?

• "real big gulf coast brown shrimp b-4 bp (hehe) - pan sauté of jumbo shrimp with tomato, shiitake and scallions with a pimento cheese pancake and grilled pork belly bacon"
• "u-10 diver scallop: seared big scallop on creamed corn and smoochie bear ham with a stone ground grits timbale and peppered lemon crème fraiche" - Randy ordered this as an appetizer, so I got to taste a bite: the scallops were just a tad undercooked, i.e. perfect, not rubbery at all, slightly seared on the outside and translucent in the middle

I ended up choosing one of the specials: "the visiting fish - i look for the just out of water fish my guy bruce gets me and I then will put together a nice dish for you, we’ll inform u of the evenings dish." Sounded good to me!

Not only was the food fantastic, but the service was great as well. Randy & Kim are regulars, so they knew our waitress. She had a great sense of humor, perfect timing, and confident recommendations. She brought clean silverware for every course and periodically cleaned the table with a crumb brush.

We didn't feel rushed, so the six of us just took our time and enjoyed the conversation and fellowship. (Never mind that it was a weeknight, and we all had to get up for work the next day.) Three hours later as we were getting into Randy's car to head home, Topher mused, "That's a strange but beautiful place." I couldn't have said it better myself.

What We Ate:

• artisan cheese plate: Buttermilk Bleu, Green Hill Camembert, Bellavitano Black Pepper, and Syd's Neo-Pimento, served with house relish & chips - don't roll your eyes: this was the best pimento cheese Topher or I have ever tasted!


• salad: crisp hearts of romaine lettuce and baby lettuce, watermelon radish & our visiting cheese tossed with a mustard vinaigrette


• my entree: sauté sockeye salmon on a pan roast of mixed summer squash, topped with Vidalia onions and shrimp in a cherry tomato pinot reduction - being a Georgia girl, I was excited about the sweet onions from Vidalia, GA; the salmon was cooked perfectly, too - just a little underdone


• Topher's entree: "the ‘pork o rama’ bbq - local darden farm’s pork sausage, my smoochie bear ham & black pig pork belly on warm visiting potato salad with lardo and stove-b-que sauce" - Topher gave me a taste of the pork belly, and it was delicious! He also said the barbecue sauce was really well done.


• dessert: out of the oven - fresh peach "petite cobbler" sprinkled with smoked sea salt and topped with fresh whipped cream - not too big, just enough to have a taste of something salty-sweet at the end of the meal

The Scoop:
Stove, the restaurant is located at 2622 Detroit Avenue, Portsmouth, VA 23707. They're open for dinner T-R 5-9pm (with an early bird special 5-6:30pm) and F-Sat 5-10pm, and for brunch on the 1st Sun of every month 11am-3pm. Reservations can be made only by phone: (757)397-0900. Find them on Facebook. And check out their Farm to Feast Week, August 8-14!

Note: The pictures above are from Stove's website.

WRPC Community Garden Update

As I mentioned a few weeks ago, I'm serving as the sales coordinator for our church's community garden, and I wanted to give a little update on how things are going.

The garden is doing really well. We're growing zucchini, yellow squash, English cucumbers, tomatoes (including Roma and Lemon Boys), okra, butter beans, green and red bell peppers, and green beans.

Sales are also going well. We're selling on Wednesday afternoons and Saturday mornings at the Suffolk Farmers' Market, and on Sunday mornings after each service at a picnic stand by the garden. Both WRPC members and Mercy Ministry clients have been helping with sales. Come visit us!

Fresh tomatoes, anyone?

Fun with Watermelon

Corn, blueberries, peaches - the fruits of summer are definitely sweet. Watermelon is one of the sweetest, and healthiest.

As its name suggests, watermelon is mostly water - 92% actually. Some days I find it hard to drink enough water to stay hydrated in this heat, so I eat my water instead: Water-rich foods like watermelon, cucumbers (95% water) and strawberries (91%) can help prevent fatigue and headaches caused by dehydration.

And watermelon contains lycopene, an antioxidant also found in tomatoes that may protect against heart disease and some types of cancer.

There's nothing wrong with eating a slice of plain, fresh-cut watermelon on your back steps with juice dribbling down your chin, but if you want to dress it up a little, try this recipe from Food & Wine.

The first time Topher made this, I thought it was a tomato salad, so the first bite was a sweet surprise!

Watermelon Salad with Feta & Mint

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon Tabasco
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• One 8-pound seedless watermelon, scooped into balls with a melon baller or cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks (10 cups), chilled
• 1/2 pound feta cheese, crumbled (2 cups)
• 1 1/4 cups pitted kalamata olives, coarsely chopped (optional)
• 1 small sweet onion, cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 1 cup coarsely chopped mint leaves

Directions

1. In a large bowl, whisk the oil, lemon juice, salt, Tabasco and pepper.
2. Add the watermelon, feta, olives and onion, and toss gently.
3. Garnish with the mint, and serve.

More ideas: Here are four more fun watermelon recipes from EatingWell.com. The NYTimes Diner's Journal suggests grilling a watermelon steak.

Note: The image above was found here.

A Blonde Moment at 456 Fish

Topher and I stayed in Norfolk after work this afternoon to do some shopping, and afterwards we decided to use a gift card that my aunt and uncle gave me for birthday for dinner at 456 Fish, another place that's on my summer "to dine" list.

We thoroughly enjoyed our meal, knowing that we had a gift card for half the bill. The check came, we gave the waitress the gift card and our credit card, and away she went. She returned to the table less than a minute later and said very apologetically, "I'm sorry, but this gift card is for a different restaurant."

Sure enough, the gift card is for One Fish Two Fish, a nice seafood restaurant in Virginia Beach near my aunt & uncle's house. OOPS! Needless to say, I was mortified, but Topher thought it was hilarious. I think his exact words were, "Baby, you're the smartest dumb blonde I've ever met."

What We Ate:

• appetizer: fried calamari with plum tomato sauce and basil aioli - the basil aioli was amazing: it tasted like a pesto cream sauce, only not as spicy - yum!
• Topher's entrée: Pan roasted red snapper over spaghetti squash, topped with herb malted pomme frits and applewood bacon crumbles
• my entrée: Catch of the Day (red snapper) pan roasted in olive oil, salt & pepper, with sautéed garlic spinach, over coconut risotto (to drink: Lagaria pinot grigio)

The Scoop:
456 Fish is located in downtown Norfolk near Waterside, at 456 Granby Street, Norfolk, VA 23510. They serve dinner on Sun-R 5-10pm, F-Sat 5-11pm; brunch is served on Sun 11am-3pm. Reservations are available by calling (757)625-4444. Find them on Facebook here.

Quinoa - Take Two

I co-hosted a baby shower luncheon today, and as part of my contribution to the meal, I decided to try out another quinoa salad recipe. My first attempt was pretty good, but it was a little dry after sitting in the refrigerator overnight; so this time Topher suggested that we add a little extra olive oil to the dressing to keep it moist. The photo above doesn't do it justice at all - it actually turned out quite well! This is definitely one that I'll make again.

Here's the recipe (from Food Network):

Ingredients

• 1 cup quinoa
• 1 cup dried cranberries
• 1 cup frozen green beans, defrosted
• 1/4 cup walnuts, chopped
• 1/4 cup green onions, sliced
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions

1. Combine quinoa with 2 cups water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and continue cooking until all water is absorbed.
2. In a medium bowl, combine cooked quinoa, dried cranberries, green beans, walnuts, and green onions until well mixed.
3. In a small bowl, whisk the balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and garlic until well blended. Pour over the quinoa mixture. Toss until well blended. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Note: It's best to let the quinoa cool almost completely before adding any of the other ingredients.

On another note entirely, I am envious of food blogs with spectacular photography. A few of my favorites are Smitten Kitchen, The Pioneer Woman, and From Me To You. I dream that maybe one day my pictures will turn out that well ...

Dinner with Friends

As I've mentioned before, I am a lucky/blessed woman because my husband likes to cook and is very good at it. I couldn't resist writing about the meal that we shared with our friends Randy & Kim this past Sunday evening. Randy made the first course, and Topher made the second.

What We Ate:

• Appetizer: Roasted garlic and two types of French cheese, Fol Epi and Morbier - paired with Buena Vista Carneros Rosé of Syrah
• First course: Sweetbread marsala served over polenta - paired with Franciscan Chardonnay
• Second course: Homemade potato gnocchi & ribeye steak, topped with mushroom gorgonzola sauce and served with sautéed spinach - paired with Buena Vista Carneros Syrah

A Speakeasy in Old Towne Portsmouth

This week I checked two places off my summer "to-dine" list, and I can happily report that I enjoyed both.

On Tuesday evening, I met my friend Stacy in Old Towne Portsmouth for dinner at Still. This place definitely gives off a 1930's speakeasy vibe: You enter at a street-level door located on a side street with almost no signage and then immediately walk down a half flight of stairs to the dimly lit bar and lounge, which features leather arm chairs, low tables, and exposed brick walls. The only windows are small ones near the ceiling. All dishes are served in small, tapas-sized portions, and the cocktail menu is extensive.

What We Ate:

• House bread with bacon jalapeno cheddar butter
• Fresh spinach salad with poached egg, bacon, and tangy tomato dressing
• Panko encrusted oysters with New Orleans remoulade
• Spicy chicken vindaloo over saffron rice, with mango chutney & naan bread - definitely has a kick!
• Shrimp and andouille sausage tossed with penne in a spicy tomato cream sauce
• "Melt in your mouth" bread pudding with whiskey hard sauce - amazing! the bread was much lighter than a typical bread pudding, so the dish overall wasn't as heavy
• To drink: a vodka martini with a lemon twist (me) and a whiskey sour (Stacy)

We also considered the arugula salad with roasted pears, the curry chick peas, the sauteed gnocchi, and the glazed pork over polenta, and we almost ordered a second dessert: peach blackberry cobbler. I'll definitely be back to Still!

The Scoop:

Still Worldly Eclectic Tapas is located at 450 Court Street (at the corner of Queen St.), Portsmouth, VA 23704. Find them on Facebook.

Note: The image above is from the Still website.

Wowed by Wegmans

Another highlight of our road trip to Pennsylvania this past weekend was the visit (or visits, since we went three times in 24 hours) to Wegmans. That's right, a grocery store.

Topher and his parents were already huge fans and were looking forward to it the whole drive, but I'd never been before and wasn't sure what all the fuss was about - boy, was I impressed!

Wegmans isn't just any grocery store, as customers in the Northeast can attest. It has an amazing array of fresh vegetables, meats and seafood (whole red snapper! live lobster!), plus a café that offers pizza, subs, sushi, pasta, Chinese, Indian, and other hot dishes.

The deli counter tempted me with summer harvest pasta salad (corn & lima beans with either rotelle or fiori pasta) and curry chicken salad.

They had an entire alcove devoted to tea -- literally hundreds of different flavors and varieties.

They had pre-made cheese plates with walnuts and dried apricots & cranberries, and a full case of goat cheese & goat milk, both plain & chocolate!

And the Mediterranean bar featured olives I'd never even heard of: Cerignola, Maddelena, Mantequilla, Piccante, Picholilne, and Nicoise-Coquillo.

The bakery was our downfall: on Saturday my in-laws split a fruit tart, and I shared a chocolate croissant with Topher. On Sunday, we arrived just after they opened and picked up breakfast & snacks for our drive -- fresh baked glazed and sour cream donuts (still warm!), and low-fat blueberry, whole wheat bran, and whole wheat pumpkin muffins. I was eyeing the pretzel rolls and cheese rolls but decided they weren't really breakfast foods.

Too bad the closest Wegmans is in Fredericksburg (northern Virginia), almost three hours away. :(

Note: Both photos in this post are from here.

Solid Picks in State College, PA

This past weekend I traveled to State College, PA, with my husband Topher and his parents for my brother-in-law Bryan's wedding. We were blessed with beautiful weather and a safe, relatively traffic-free road trip.

My father-in-law and Topher share the ability to find great restaurants in any town they visit, and they didn't disappoint this past weekend. On Saturday we tried out two local restaurants in State College, and both were solid picks.

For lunch we stopped at The Deli (picture above) at the corner of Heister Street and College Avenue, which borders the Penn State campus. We debated whether to sit indoors or out (they have a cute sidewalk patio) and ended up indoors, in a back dining room with dark wood walls, retro leather booths, and a huge skylight.

It took us a while to order: the menu is more like a book, and everything sounded delicious. I was torn between the macadamia nut & cilantro crusted salmon and the bunless burger plate (both from the Lite, Lowfat, Lowcarb menu), but then I went with something completely different.

It also took a while to get through the beer menu: they had an impressive selection of brews on tap, including one of my summer favorites, Dogfish Head Festina Peche.

What We Ate

• Me: Middle Eastern Roasted Lamb Wrap (hummus, baba ghanoush, tomato, sprouts, onions, spinach, olives, & cucumber sauce in a whole wheat wrap) served with veggie couscous
• Topher: Chipotle Burger (cheddar cheese, spicy chipotle salsa, & a whole chipotle pepper on a kaiser roll) served with sweet potato fries
• Patty: Chicken Fajita Pita (peppers, onions, lettuce, tomato, & sour cream in a pita)
• Jim: Triple Decker Deli Reuben (grilled corned beef, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, & Russian dressing on rye bread)

For dinner we went to Otto's Pub and Brewery. A member of the Pennsylvania chapter of "Buy Fresh Buy Local", their menu lists the regional farms, bakeries, wineries, and creameries from which they get their ingredients. My mother-in-law "Miss" Patty was so impressed with the statement about their beef - "local, pasture-raised, hormone-free beef cattle ... their feed is supplemented with the spent barley from our brewery" - that she ordered a burger.

What We Ate

• For starters: Chicken wings w/ two sauces (sweet & spicy garlic and mango habanero)
• Me: Catfish po' boy (blackened catfish with lettuce, tomato & remoulade sauce on a toasted kaiser roll) served with garlicky green beans, and a glass of red sangria to drink
• Topher: Fish & chips - perfectly battered: not too heavy, but not so light that it flaked off the fish
• Patty: Mushroom swiss burger (half-pound pasture-raised beef with sautéed mushrooms, onions and swiss cheese on a toasted kaiser roll) served with green beans*
• Jim: Roasted butternut squash ravioli topped with gorgonzola cream & fried sage

*Patty has a severe allergy to garlic, so we always have to check with the waiter/chef to find out what items on the menu are safe for her to order. Both The Deli and Otto's were extremely accommodating: they made sure that none of the meats were seasoned, and Otto's even cooked her burger on a separate surface to make sure that no stray garlic from the grill accidentally found its way to her plate. And of course, her garlicky green beans were served sans garlic.

Dating in DC: Frickles for the Fourth of July

In the summer of 2008, while I was living/working in DC, Topher & I celebrated the 4th of July by renting bikes from a marina near my apartment in Arlington, VA, and riding the Mount Vernon Trail. The trail goes along the Potomac River, through the city of Alexandria, all the way to Mount Vernon Estate - a 24-mile round-trip route from where we started.

The weather that day was gorgeous; we could see clear across the river to Fort Washington in Maryland. We packed a picnic lunch, which we ate at the estate, and we stopped for ice cream at Ben & Jerry's in Alexandria on our way back.

That evening we both were exhausted and starving. In honor of Independence Day we decided to eat American: upscale Southern comfort food at Del Merei Grille in Alexandria.

What I Ate:

• frickles: lightly fried pickle chips with spiced remoulade
• shrimp and grits: andouille sausage, tomatoes, mushrooms, scallions, and cajun cream served over garlic cheese grits

The Scoop:

Del Merei Grille is located at 3106 Mount Vernon Avenue, Alexandria, VA 22305. Their dinner hours are M-R 5-9:30pm, F-Sat 5-10:30pm, Sun 5-9pm. They're also open for lunch T-F 11:30am-2pm. Reservations are recommended but not required and can be made by calling (703)739-4335.

Note: This place doesn't look like much from the outside - it's located in a nondescript shopping center and not in the cute downtown part of Alexandria - but the food is great, the atmosphere is relaxed, and the prices are pretty reasonable (for the DC area). The Indian place next door - Bombay Curry Company - is also excellent and offers an all-you-can-eat lunch buffet on Sundays.

Suffolk Spotlight: The Plaid Turnip

The past few weeks have been hectic for me and Topher. Two & a half weeks ago he went to England for work, but only for four days/three nights. While he was gone, I took a quick weekend trip to New York City.

The next weekend we went to visit my in-laws in North Carolina for Father's Day. As soon as we got home, Topher left for Ohio for two days for work, then as soon as he got back from that, we went to Richmond (again with my in-laws) for a Wednesday night cooking class.

Last weekend was my first as the sales coordinator for my church's community garden, so I was busy with that on Saturday & Sunday mornings. And this week has brought some scary medical emergencies for a friend here in Virginia and for my cousin in Georgia.

Needless to say, the laundry was piling up and the refrigerator was looking bare. In the midst of all the frenzy, I'm very thankful that Topher & I had scheduled a date night for last Saturday. We got a little dressed up and went out for dinner at a new restaurant in Suffolk: The Plaid Turnip.

The Plaid Turnip took over the space that used to be Pisces, a seafood restaurant where we went for Father's Day brunch two years ago. The new eatery has a diner-ish feel to it, offering what I would call "upscale comfort food": dishes such as pasta primavera, fried, grilled or blackened flounder, and pork tenderloin in port mushroom gravy. Most entrees come with your choice of two sides (almost a meat & three!), and the list includes cole slaw, pasta salad, seasonal greens, baked apples, and french fries. The appetizer menu also had a few fun things, like fried olives and bacon-wrapped jalapenos, that we'd like to try on future visits (yes, we'll be coming back).

What We Ate:

• To start - fried chicken livers with spicy dipping sauce - when I was little, I loved getting fried chicken livers for lunch at Morrison's cafeteria after church on Sundays with my grandparents; you don't see them on restaurant menus much anymore, but man, these were good!
• Me - 7 oz. flatiron steak topped with melted crumbled bleu cheese, served with steamed broccoli and sweet potato fries - I hadn't had steak in a while, and this one really hit the spot
• Topher - rack of ribs, served with sweet potato fries - the ribs weren't spicy or smoky, but they were tender & flavorful; the chef explained to us that he uses a dry rub, cooks them, uses a dry rub again ahead of time, then adds tomato-based barbecue sauce and grills them when they're ordered

It wasn't a fancy meal, but it was well done and the prices were very reasonable. The staff was great too: we were waited on by our buddy Chris (formerly at Primo 116), and the chef Ed Beardsley (very friendly and approachable) came out to our table to chat and answer Topher's questions about the menu. Another perk: the walls feature pieces from local artists.

The Scoop:

The Plaid Turnip is located at 115 North Main Street, Suffolk, VA 23434. They're open M-R 7am-9am, F-Sat 7am-10pm, and Sun 7am-3pm.

A Family Potluck and a Farewell to Norway

Last Friday Topher & I had a fun & relaxing evening with some of my extended family as we bid adieu to my cousin Chris, his wife Kimberly, and their kids Emeline & Gary, who are moving to Norway next month. They'll only be there for three years, but that's a long time, considering that Emeline will be in middle school when they come back!

Any time my family gets together like this, there's always a lot of people and a ton of food. Last Friday was no exception. My husband has taken to calling each of these gatherings "The Anderson Family Christmas Special," regardless of what holiday or event we're actually celebrating.

What We Ate:

• Grilled salmon with melon salsa
• Grilled London broil (see marinade recipe below)
• Surry sausages
• Grilled onions, red & yellow peppers, & eggplant
• Cucumber & red onion salad
• Sunny Summery Quinoa
• Cheesecake with strawberry topping
• Lime tart

My aunt Kay contributed the London broil, and her marinade is fantastic (and easy!): 3/4 cup of soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, 2 cloves of garlic, a squirt of lemon juice, and ground black pepper to taste. Yum!

Ingredients: Quinoa

For weeks now, I'm been looking for a great quinoa salad recipe.

You might be asking, what the heck is quinoa? If so, don't feel bad - I hadn't heard of it either until two years ago, when Topher's cousin's wife Jenna served it to us with dinner.

According to the New York Times, "The tiny, ancient Peruvian seed, which has a mild, nutty flavor, is related to leafy green vegetables and is often used like a grain. Quinoa is as versatile as rice but it has a protein content that is superior to that of most grains, because it contains all the essential amino acids."

Quinoa is very easy to cook - 2 parts water/stock to 1 parts quinoa - and it's ready in ~15 minutes. It can be used like rice, couscous, or risotto: because of its mild flavor, you can add almost any vegetables to it to create a delicious dish.

Thus my search for a quinoa salad recipe. I wanted something that was light & summery, but also colorful & nutritious. My online research reveals recipes for ...

• Golden Sunshine Quinoa Salad (scallions, golden raisins, orange juice, & cucumbers)
• Cranberry Walnut Quinoa Salad (cranberries, green beans, walnuts, & green onions)
• Gluten-free Summer Quinoa Salad (cherry tomatoes, avocado, artichoke hearts, pine nuts, & capers)
• Warm Quinoa Salad with Shrimp & Asparagus (sun-dried tomatoes, red onion, shrimp, asparagus, green peas, & cashews)
• Warm Quinoa & Broccoli Salad with Carrot Ginger Dressing
• Gluten-Free Quinoa Taco Salad

I even thought of coming up with my own recipe (broccoli florets, cherry tomatoes, kalamata olives, cannelini beans, & feta?) but I wasn't brave enough to try it.

So I turned to a cookbook: Patricia Green's Quinoa 365, and there I found a recipe for a Sunny Summer Salad.

Sunny Summer Salad

Ingredients
1 ½ cups water
¾ cups quinoa
2 cups finely diced zucchini
1 cup finely diced red bell pepper (about 1 pepper)
1 cup finely diced yellow bell pepper
1/3 cup sunflower seeds, roasted and unsalted (I couldn't find unsalted, so I just used roasted & salted seeds)
1/3 cup dried currants (I substituted raisins)
2 T minced fresh parsley
2 T minced fresh cilantro
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (1-2 lemons)
¼ cup olive oil1 tsp minced fresh garlic
½ tsp salt
A pinch each of cayenne pepper, ground cumin, and ground tumeric


Directions

1. Bring the water and quinoa to a boil in a small saucepan. Reduce to a simmer, cover, & cook for 10 minutes.Turn the heat off but keep the saucepan covered on the burner for an additional 4 minutes.Remove the lid, fluff with a fork, and allow to cool.
2. Place the zucchini, red & yellow peppers, sunflower seeds, currants, parsley, and cilantro in a large bowl. Add the cooled quinoa.
3. Whisk the lemon juice, oil, garlic, salt, cayenne, cumin, and turmeric in a small bowl. Pour the dressing over the salad ingredients and gently toss until evenly distributed.

I was getting together with family for dinner last Friday, so I made this dish on Thursday afternoon, refrigerated it overnight, then let it warm up to room temperature just before serving. I also doubled the recipe, but I didn't have quite enough lemon juice to double the dressing, so it turned out a little dry. My husband suggested that it might have been better if it was made & eaten on the same day, so I'll try that next time.

Final verdict: easy to make, flavorful, & nutritious. I'll probably make this again but mess with the recipe -- fewer peppers, more dressing.

For an easy, delicious, & nutritious weeknight dinner, try Real Simple's Zucchini with Quinoa Stuffing. (I liked the stuffing so much that I took the leftovers to work the next day for lunch.)

For more info on quinoa, check out NPR's Quinoa: A Sacred, Super Crop.

For more info about other whole grains, check out NPR's Going with Whole Grains.