Capital Harvest on the Plaza: Come see my food demo this Friday!!!

When I met Ellen Gray (wife of Todd Gray and co-owner of Equinox) at the launch party for the Red Fruit Festival, she suggested that I should do a demo at the Capital Harvest on the Plaza. Not really having any details, I said sure.

A month later, I have a few more details :)

In fact, tomorrow (Friday, October 1st), I'll be demonstrating one of my recipes, Curry Butternut Squash Soup with

When I met Ellen Gray (wife of Todd Gray and co-owner of Equinox) at the launch party for the Red Fruit Festival, she suggested that I should do a demo at the Capital Harvest on the Plaza. Not really having any details, I said sure.

A month later, I have a few more details :)

In fact, tomorrow (Friday, October 1st), I'll be demonstrating one of my recipes, Curry Butternut Squash Soup with

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Lunch at Againn

I've heard about Againn again, and again, and again. Yesterday, however, I finally got a chance to try out this Contemporary Gastropub for myself after hearing many of my friends rave about the food (and the drinks). I joined Lindley (disclaimer: she does PR for Againn and invited me) for lunch yesterday and we had a great time catching up and trying out several things on the menu.

If you know

I've heard about Againn again, and again, and again. Yesterday, however, I finally got a chance to try out this Contemporary Gastropub for myself after hearing many of my friends rave about the food (and the drinks). I joined Lindley (disclaimer: she does PR for Againn and invited me) for lunch yesterday and we had a great time catching up and trying out several things on the menu.

If you know

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Quinoa salad with beets, daikon radish and feta

Last week I prepared a Beet and Daikon Salad with Ginger Rice Vinegar Dressing as part of my freelancing for Robyn Webb. This was not the first time I ate raw beets: I've tried them in a Mark Bittman recipe, and created my own raw beet salad with fried goat cheese medallion for a cooking demonstration at a farmers market.

This time, I decided to use leftover grated beets and daikon radishes to

Last week I prepared a Beet and Daikon Salad with Ginger Rice Vinegar Dressing as part of my freelancing for Robyn Webb. This was not the first time I ate raw beets: I've tried them in a Mark Bittman recipe, and created my own raw beet salad with fried goat cheese medallion for a cooking demonstration at a farmers market.

This time, I decided to use leftover grated beets and daikon radishes to

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Pie Baking with Domenica Marchetti: Apple Pie

Remember I wrote about making a berry & peach pie with Domenica Marchetti? Well, here's part 2. Because we did not just make one pie, we made two!

For this apple pie, we used a pie dough recipe adapted from Jacques Pepin. And, because I don't have a big food processor at home, I made the dough by hand: it was not difficult at all!

Pie dough recipe (for a 9-inch two-crust pie)
2 cups unbleached

Remember I wrote about making a berry & peach pie with Domenica Marchetti? Well, here's part 2. Because we did not just make one pie, we made two!

For this apple pie, we used a pie dough recipe adapted from Jacques Pepin. And, because I don't have a big food processor at home, I made the dough by hand: it was not difficult at all!

Pie dough recipe (for a 9-inch two-crust pie)
2 cups unbleached

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POM marinated pork tenderloin with shallots and carrots

Last Saturday I was pleasantly surprised to receive a package from POM Wonderful, the people behind the pomegranate juice. You see, growing up in Russia, I absolutely loved eating pomegranates, but it wasn't till my family moved to the USA that I tried pomegranate juice. I was smitten. In the past, my favorites were the original pomegranate juice and the cherry one. I am definitely not a fan of

Last Saturday I was pleasantly surprised to receive a package from POM Wonderful, the people behind the pomegranate juice. You see, growing up in Russia, I absolutely loved eating pomegranates, but it wasn't till my family moved to the USA that I tried pomegranate juice. I was smitten. In the past, my favorites were the original pomegranate juice and the cherry one. I am definitely not a fan of

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Mark Bittman's inspired Ginger Fried Rice with Fried Egg

I'll admit that when it comes to certain things, I'm late to the party. For example, it took me years to get a cell phone, cable TV and to start paying for Internet. But once I did, I can't imagine my life without these things.

Same can be said about this recipe by Mark Bittman. The recipe uses day-old rice, ginger, garlic, leeks and soy sauce. And then, as if all those flavors weren't enough,

I'll admit that when it comes to certain things, I'm late to the party. For example, it took me years to get a cell phone, cable TV and to start paying for Internet. But once I did, I can't imagine my life without these things.

Same can be said about this recipe by Mark Bittman. The recipe uses day-old rice, ginger, garlic, leeks and soy sauce. And then, as if all those flavors weren't enough,

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Red Fruit Festival

I have a bit of exciting news to share with you. I submitted a recipe for Roasted Tomato & Dark Cherry Balsamico Soup to the Mid-Atlantic Red Fruit Festival , and it actually made it to the finals! What does it mean? It means that this coming Friday I will be paired up with Chef RJ Cooper and we'll be competing for a prize in the Appetizers & Soups category.

If you are in DC and love tomatoes

I have a bit of exciting news to share with you. I submitted a recipe for Roasted Tomato & Dark Cherry Balsamico Soup to the Mid-Atlantic Red Fruit Festival , and it actually made it to the finals! What does it mean? It means that this coming Friday I will be paired up with Chef RJ Cooper and we'll be competing for a prize in the Appetizers & Soups category.

If you are in DC and love tomatoes

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Pie Baking with Domenica Marchetti: Berry & Peach Pie

This post has been months in the works! Here's what happened: I was watching an episode of Top Chef when contestants had to make pies and tweeting at the same time. Many of my fellow twitter-ers were flabbergasted that some of the Top Chef contestants have never made pies in their lives. I twitted (tweeted?) back saying that although I'm not a Top Chef contestant, I don't remember the last time I

This post has been months in the works! Here's what happened: I was watching an episode of Top Chef when contestants had to make pies and tweeting at the same time. Many of my fellow twitter-ers were flabbergasted that some of the Top Chef contestants have never made pies in their lives. I twitted (tweeted?) back saying that although I'm not a Top Chef contestant, I don't remember the last time I

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Southwestern Hash with a Poached Egg

Who knew writing about my disastrous challah baking adventures would elicit so many comments? Thanks everyone who gave me encouragement, advice and shared their own tales of kitchen mishaps.

Why don't we move on and chat about our more successful dishes?

This past weekend I was quite busy and needed something quick, but filling for breakfast. Luckily, I had a few random things in my

Who knew writing about my disastrous challah baking adventures would elicit so many comments? Thanks everyone who gave me encouragement, advice and shared their own tales of kitchen mishaps.

Why don't we move on and chat about our more successful dishes?

This past weekend I was quite busy and needed something quick, but filling for breakfast. Luckily, I had a few random things in my

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Challah Disaster! I need your help.

One of my ex friends (yes, you can have ex friends, just like you can have ex boyfriends) once accused me of only posting recipes that work out. Seriously? Yes. It's true: most of the posts here are recipes for successful dishes that I've created. Why? Because most of the time I'm able to take the things in my refrigerator and pantry and compose pretty good meals using them.

Also, if my recipes

One of my ex friends (yes, you can have ex friends, just like you can have ex boyfriends) once accused me of only posting recipes that work out. Seriously? Yes. It's true: most of the posts here are recipes for successful dishes that I've created. Why? Because most of the time I'm able to take the things in my refrigerator and pantry and compose pretty good meals using them.

Also, if my recipes

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Sweet & Sour Tofu with Vegetables

Ninety percent of the time, I come up with my own recipes. But sometimes I just have very little motivation. That's when I try recipes I find on other people's blogs, in magazines, or I make the recipes that I've tested for Robyn Webb or cooked and photographed for her blog. Here's one of them: Sweet and Sour Tofu. I made a few minor changes, of course ;)

Ingredients
Marinade:1/3 cup pineapple

Ninety percent of the time, I come up with my own recipes. But sometimes I just have very little motivation. That's when I try recipes I find on other people's blogs, in magazines, or I make the recipes that I've tested for Robyn Webb or cooked and photographed for her blog. Here's one of them: Sweet and Sour Tofu. I made a few minor changes, of course ;)

Ingredients
Marinade:1/3 cup pineapple

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Dinner at BGR the Burger Joint

I don't think I'd ever be able to become a vegetarian: I love meat too much. Sometimes I crave meat. Sometimes I go on dates where a guy orders a salad, and I order a steak and watch the poor waiter place the salad plate in front of me: wrong!

It seems like DC is overwhelmed by burger places, but somehow I haven't managed to dine at many of them yet. One in particular that I've been meaning to

I don't think I'd ever be able to become a vegetarian: I love meat too much. Sometimes I crave meat. Sometimes I go on dates where a guy orders a salad, and I order a steak and watch the poor waiter place the salad plate in front of me: wrong!

It seems like DC is overwhelmed by burger places, but somehow I haven't managed to dine at many of them yet. One in particular that I've been meaning to

reade more... Résuméabuiyad