Laboring Day thisis and thatses...

catching up....

Well, it happened again. As we’ve said before, what’s the matter with people? Have the words “fair” , “considerate”, or “polite” left the English language and behavior? Civility seems to have been replaced by “me first”, or “get outta my way”. I decided to stop for a quick Latte at the Brewing Grounds Thursday on my way to work, but it was getting a bit late. The need for caffeine overcame the clock so I pulled into a parking place and went in the shop. It appeared that there was a gathering of some sort as there were several ladies sort of milling around in the back. I was maybe third in line, and right on the ragged edge time wise, but decided in for a nickel, etc.. As I was about second from the counter a woman from the back came up to the lady in front of me and said “(name), are you in line?” When an affirmative answer was received she said, would you mind getting me a no-fat, triple (you know the drill), oh, and (another name) wants a (whatever). No look in my direction, no checking to see if anybody was behind, “sure!" said (first name. I was ultimately proud of myself (or should it be ashamed?), as I merely turned on my heel and left them to each other. What’s the matter with people?

On a brighter note, we watched a nice food show on PBS/WETA last week, it was called “Sandwiches That You Will Like”. It featured sandwiches that are regional in nature, the kind of thing I really like. Of course, they eventually wound their way to Philly and did the competition between Pat’s and Geno’s for cheesesteaks, and did a piece on the Mufellatta in the Big Easy, but they also went to Taylor, IA for a “maid-rite” burger. Then Kellys in Boston for an original roast beef, or maybe to Buffalo for…wings? Nope, a “Beef on Weck” (a kimmelweck roll). Or you folks in St. Louis know about a St. Paul Sandwich? – egg foo young patty (made with bean sprouts and minced white onions) served with dill pickle slices, white onion, mayonnaise, lettuce, and tomato between two slices of white bread. I do not believe despite 35 years in that town, I have heard of or experienced one. Louisville contributes a “hot brown” from the Brown hotel ~1926; an open faced turkey affair with pimiento (of course) and a mornay sauce. I could go on. It’s always refreshing to see the variety of food that abounds in our country. You can go into an Applebee’s anywhere and you wouldn’t know if you were in California, Texas, or Connecticut, but if you look a bit there’s unique real food that reflects local culture. That’s what it’s all about.

Note to Servers: more words to add to your “do not use” list, which should already contain antiques like “Hon”, “you guys” and “working”. Please add “AbsoLUTEly”, “not a problem!!!”, and terms like “EXcellent, or “PERfect” in response to a request or order. Thank you.

(not very accomplised picture of) Harvest Moon:



a sort of technical definition from someplace:

The full moon nearest the autumnal equinox (about September 23). Near the time of the autumnal equinox, the angle of the moon's orbit relative to the Earth's horizon is at its minimum, causing the full moon to rise above the horizon much faster than usual. Since the difference of the moon's rising time on successive nights barely varies, the moon appears to rise at nearly the same hour for several nights in succession. Because the harvest moon, like any full moon, must rise near the hour of sunset, harvest workers in the Northern Hemisphere may be aided by bright moonlight after sunset on several successive evenings. A similar effect is observed in corresponding southern latitudes around March 21.

Well, today is the last day of the unofficial summer. Investigations as to where that time goes are still underway. But, for your last summer meal, be sure to

DFD

Currying Favor...

Funny how things run in streaks. You go months without particularly having lunch opportunities, and suddenly… Boom!, they fall in your lap. Yesterday marked the fourth within a week, and each with a different (for want of a better word) theme. St. James Pub with its “just right” no frills diner/pub thing, Corbels with its upscale finessed foodie approach, the Tea Room and the “ladies who lunch” venue, (we could throw in the Ruddy Duck happy hour event), and yesterday (with some trepidation) I accepted a spur of the moment invite to meet at Bollywood Masala. Alert readers will remember that I have an aversion (philosophically and physically) to (overly) spicy foods, which has pretty much kept me away from there until now despite rather favorable reports. But, with assurances that I could avoid masochistic eating with correct choices, off I went to our center of international cuisine in San Souci. As locals know, lunch there on a weekday can provide parking issues as it is an extremely popular luncheon destination. And, given the wide variety of food available, why not? A good concept.

So in we go. The room seemed somehow smaller than the outside would indicate; with about five or six tables centering banquettes on either wall, and the “buffet” is situated along the back wall. The muted color scheme mostly runs to dark colors. And, as those same alert readers know, “Bollywood” is term for a Hindi language based segment of the Indian film industry. So part of the décor are what I (probably dated) would call “movie posters” from some of the films featuring the leading protagonists (I assumed). They also have what I further assume is music from the movies playing continuously, which is kind of up tempo with a beat. We were ushered to one of the booths, and with my back to the buffet I couldn’t count the chafing dishes on it, but memory serves to make me think there might have been over ten. Each had a sign noting what the dishes contained, for instance I think I saw one featuring Tandoori Chicken.

Since my companion was a frequent diner there and knew my predilections, we didn’t look at the menu, and an order was placed for cucumber salad, garlic naan, and after sparring little over the numbers a bit, “chicken five ways”. It so happened that (I think) the owner waited on our table and was gracious from the beginning to our departure. I’m sure that next time I could, as I’ve been told, ask him for selections that wouldn’t numb the tongue (of which I’m sure there are many). Eventually the salad arrived, a big bowl lined with iceberg lettuce containing diced red onion, cucumber, and tomato, all dressed with a cooling yoghurt. It was very tasty with good texture (crunch from the cukes). Eventually the garlic naan found us, and it was indeed garlicky, kind of moist (maybe from garlic oil?) on the topside, but crackly on the bottom. The chicken X ways arrived in a cloud of sizzle and steam that any self respecting fajita would be proud of, containing hunks of (white meat) chicken atop a bed of onion, green pepper and tomatoes that had been grilled or sautéed. Each (8 or so) piece of chicken had a different spice and hence color. After the steam subsided it was kind of a pretty dish. The rice which accompanied it was a bit on the gummy side, but the liquid from the chicken sort of lubricated it. I tentatively chose a piece of innocuous looking chicken, and took a small bite. Hmmmm, okay, no pain, just nicely flavored chicken. I couldn’t begin to describe all the X ways, but some had a yellowish (saffron/curry?) hue, another a greenish tinge (cilantro?), and another a orangish appearance. Some of them (I think the greenish one) sort of let you know you ate it a few minutes later, but it wasn’t “reach for the napkin” hot. And, at the present time, there have been no gastronomic repercussions.

As part of my exhaustive research, I consulted their website, and looked at the interesting menu featuring Northern Indian Cuisine. I’m glad we bypassed that menu on our visit, as it presents a bewildering amount of choices, further cementing my idea of asking for guidance. Interestingly, by far the largest category was the breads, with 17 entries! (chicken 8, lamb 10). For you vegetarians out there you’ll be happy. Lots of selections with no mention of Portobello Napoleon!

All in all, I was pleased to be taken by the hand for my introductory experience, and now that the dam has broken, I’ll probably go back and begin to poke around in the menu. I would think that most of their customers go for the type of cuisine, not the décor and appointments, and in that regard most likely you won’t be disappointed (as poor of a judge of Indian cuisine as I am). I do know that they have the record for length of being in business serving Indian food here in the Park, so they must be doing something right..

and, even though it was an unplanned visit, fortunately I was....

DF(in this case)L

Save, save, save!!

"Value" is an increasingly common word these days. In the face of the declining economy, we find value more and more evident in the lexicon of the food service industry. And, now it’s expanding to the wine world as well. I’ve just received my 8/31 version of the either (depending on your point of view) iconic or pedantic “Wine Advocate" by Robert Parker. Like him or not, he’s a bell weather of wine futures and wineries fortunes can hang in the balance of his ratings.

Well, in his latest issue roughly half of the pages (70 – 124) are devoted to “value” wines. I think that 20 dollars is the cutoff. Besides that, there is a little note that he will soon publish his “Parker’s Wine Values – The world’s best wine values under $25” the book itself might be considered “value” as Bob says it will be $14.95, a paperback with 500 pages no less. Could it be that there's a glut of wine on the market?

Okay, so we’ll rush right out and get that 90 point Ch. La Bastide ’07 Corbieres for 12 bucks! “Dimensions of stony, iodine like minerality to its black pepper-tinged raw beef and blackberries…” Goodness! Or if Italian is your fav, maybe go to that value ceiling of 20 bucks and get that ’07 Dolcetto D’Alba Serraboella from Cigluiti also with 90 points attached – bursting with dark fruit, grilled herbs, scorched earth and licorice. Yippee! Without launching into a harangue on the wine speak, it sure is amazing how they come up with that stuff. Must be a data base someplace.

The trouble with these things is that sort of “Consumer Reports” syndrome. Where can you get this stuff? To be sure there’s always a source given, like the Dolcetto above is referenced to “Indigenous Selections in Ft. Lauderdale, with a phone number. Let’s just call them up and…. Oh, wait you can’t ship to Maryland. Well, I guess you could get in your car…. Lots of allegedly good wines that we are not able to take advantage of..

What we can take advantage of, earlier in the issue is a report on California Chards and Pinot Noirs – mostly central coast, probably over a hundred listings.. These are in more familiar territory as there are labels we’re more familiar with. There’s an ’07 Calera Chardonnay with 90 points for 19 bucks, as well as their ’05 Mt. Harlan Selleck Vineyard Pinot for $84 (93 pts) – porcini mushroom and forest floor notes. Fess Parker, Byron, Edna Valley, Ojai, and so on.

A good reference and guideline, but just more info, you still have to find what you like and drink that…

Answer to quiz – it’s not in Larousse because it’s of Russian heritage. And Coulibiac of Salmon isn’t something you’ll make for that quick week night dinner. Sample Recipe for your cooking enjoyment. Quite the dish. Invite me over when it's ready, and I'll be sure to

DFD

Lite Wednesday..

will be just that. an early community based meeting takes up the usual creative time..

Just a quick quiz today, what would you expect a "Coulibiac of Salmon" to be

Hint: it's not in Larousse

you might need to

DFD

Tea and Oxyura Jamaicensis...

Tea for Two (er, one)

Lunch seems to be the order of the day, and I partook of another yesterday, at the Tea Room in Leonardtown. I had not been there in years (previous experience was a wine dinner as I recall), so I gladly accepted a chance to go there for lunch yesterday. As locals will recall, it is part of the “Antique Center” near Leonardtown, Md. The association is apt, as the Tea Room is somewhat of an antique itself. They are in the process of sprucing up the outside which is sorely needed. Once inside, you enter a Victorian style set of rooms with frilly stuff around, along with (guess what?) antique style furniture. There are a couple of main eating areas and a small bar. Although it was offered, we remained at a smallish two top in the first room, which had two other tables occupied, one by a “ladies who lunch”, and the other with an extended family of some sort with at least three generations represented. You’re presented with two menus, one for the food and one for the tea. An extensive list of teas are available, both “regular” with all those goofy names, and some selection of herbal ones. When asked what we would like to drink, my companion (who had just had issues with keys and car) ordered a soothing herbal tea, and after staring longingly at the wines in the bar through the little window lattice, I sighed and said “water, please”. The gimmick with the tea is that you must select your own teacup from a hutch like affair, and then a pot is brought to the table. It’s a good size pot, probably almost antique or at least a replica.

The tea/water arrived at the table in short order, and we were asked if we were ready to order (we didn’t get the “hi I’m….” by the way). No thank you. We were still in the “catching up” stage of conversation and had not even cracked the menu. Conversation continued despite several polite queries as to whether or not we were ready to order. A better read of the table would have been appreciated. I was also asked if I wanted more water yet, which struck me as a bit odd. After finally turning to the food menu encased in plastic, you find a selection of soups (including that favorite, du jour), salads (including a Caesar – no mention of anchovy options), and sandwiches (including a crab cake). I didn’t see any watercress options for sandwiches (the tea room staple). There is also a quiche of the day. At any rate when we were finally bullied into ordering, I selected a ham sandwich (which choice of bread) with cole slaw, and my companion took a vegetarian wrap with “vegetarian bacon” (which could not be described by the server) and other vegetables were ordered. When they materialized at the table, it was mostly that. Plunk,there they were. My sandwich was encased in obviously store bought rye, rather thin, and the lower layer further compressed by cutting the sandwich, but it did contain a fairly nice portion of ham, and it was not lunch meat. The slices were so uniform that the must have been made that way, but it was thick enough and fairly tasty. There was a toothpick stuck in each half, through a couple of grapes. The vegetarian wrap was enjoyed, although we never did figure out the bacon thing.

It’s another option to Lunch in Leonardtown, and perhaps has a niche for a quiet, kind of secluded lingering lunch (once you finally order and are left to your conversations). No panache, not overly cutesy, but probably fairly reliable. They’ve been there long enough. Next time, though, I might inquire about that glass of Pinot Grigio..and keep track of your car keys!!

Oxyura Jamaicensis

After an intervening trip to the dentist to have a crown affixed in the feeders chops, MFO and I trekked over a surprisingly traffic free bridge to the Solomons to attend a social event comprised of the Southern Maryland Rotary Clubs. It was held at the Ruddy Duck, the newish (~3 months) Brew Pub near at Dowell Road. We have not been there yet on an official feeder visit, but this was a good chance to look in again. Our group occupied the raised bar area and smallish room to the side where the appetizers were being served. The overall space is rather large, and provides a view of the open kitchen which is there, but doesn’t dominate. Somehow my eye was always aware of the Pizza Oven which has a geyser of flame visible. Recently installed acoustic baffles were judged by the owner to be quite effective. That has been the main complaint I’ve received from those who have been there, so things are developing. As most folks, know, the Kelleys from Brome Howard Inn are part of the team there, and their deft hand and experience is showing. All the servers we encountered were friendly, used direct eye contact, and got your order fairly efficiently (in our case a couple of glasses of chardonnay – yes I know it’s a brew pub). The appetizers served were almost a complete run through of the appetizer items on the menu, and all that I sampled were very good. Having sort of a sports bar atmosphere, you would expect a lot of them, and there are. There were the “standard” offerings, such as the hearty Nachos, chicken wings, skins, artichoke spinach dip, which were all executed well, but also some nuances like the “Duck a Dilla”, some great calamari, and a nice find for the Feeder, the Argentinean cheese balls, dubbed “Chipas a la Carlos” in honor of the other owner. They look almost like golf balls (no dimples), but turn out to be an intriguing little package of dough (?) surrounding some very tasty mild cheese which might be goat, but that’s just a guess. The supply of appetizers was ample, kept fresh, and all were “done right”, which is exactly what you should expect from that team.

As I have mentioned before, there are some very interesting beers out there, and although I only sampled the Sandbar IPA, which was an excellent representation of that variety, copper colored, really hoppy (although I did think I got some citrus notes – sorry a wine term), and quite refreshing. I noted that it’s “Bitterness” was characterized at “60 BU’s”. One is tempted to guess that “BU’s” are Bitterness Units, but who knows. I guess if Parker has his 100 points, beers can have their BU’s. Wonder if 100 (?) is the end of their scale. As an aside, the feeder is considering getting of his wine box and start exploring the world of non-megalopolis beers. There seems to be nuances out there that are worth pursuing.

Despite heavy grazing on the appetizers, we did a “take out” Pizza for later snacking. Staying between the lines, we did the “Classic Pepperoni and Cheese”. After a relaxing cocktail on our porch the re-heated pizza on the stone was excellent. The pepperoni was spicy, tasty and not just “there” such as you get at the other pizza outlets available. Crunchy crust and snappy cheese. Nice. Wonder if they deliver…..

While sometimes a group setting such as we experienced is not representative of a single table visit, there was nothing there to indicate that. We’ll be visiting soon to explore other portions of their menu. And yes, although it was appetizers, we were.....

DFD