Coming Soon: DC Summer Restaurant Week

For those of you who don't know (because you are either a n00b or you have never lived in/near DC), DC Restaurant Week is the most AWESOME time of year.  AND IT HAPPENS TWICE EACH YEAR!  Ok, maybe it's just the most awesome time of year for those of us who are MAJOR foodies and can't really afford the expensive restaurants on a regular basis like we wish we could.

DC Restaurant Week is the time to try something new.  There are TONS of restaurants that participate in providing a 3-course meal for either $20.10 (lunch) or $35.10 (dinner) (price doesn't include beverages, gratuity, or tax).  The DC Summer Restaurant Week dates are August 16-22 and often times, there will be participating restaurants that extend the week into the following week as well (giving me more time to try more restaurants!).

I'm not gonna lie...I definitely made a lunch reservation at SEVEN different restaurants for each day of DC Summer Restaurant Week.

You're probably thinking, "Cara, you cheap bitch.  Why are you only going for lunch?"

Well, my schedule doesn't really allow me to go out for dinner.  I work 4pm-midnight most nights and when I'm not working I have class from 6pm-9:40pm.  No time for DC Restaurant Week dinners.  And anyways, if I'm going to do this everyday that week, I might as well go the cheaper route...it's already going to cost me $140 before tax & tip.  I better start saving (or maybe cancel a reservation or two).

DC Restaurant Week's official website: http://washington.org/restaurantwk/

My week of lunch reservations include the following restaurants.  They are in no particular order because....well...I don't want stalkers.  If you know me and you are my friend, email me.  I will surely respond.  My reservations are all for 2 people, so if you have some time on any of those days (August 16-22) to join me, PLEASE DO!

Anyways, my reservations include:
Morton's the Steakhouse (Downtown DC location)
Fire & Sage (EDIT 7/30 @ 11:30am:  I've got my lunch companion!)
The Oval Room (EDIT 7/30 @ 11:30am:  I've got my lunch companion!)
Juniper at the Fairmont
Sonoma Restaurant & Wine Bar
Ceiba
BlackSalt

I built you a cake...

Eryn asked me last week to make a cake for her godson's 1st communion.  She asked for a cake with fondant...something I've never worked with.

I said, "yes."

Cake details:
Shape: Square
Flavor: Chocolate
Layers: 2
Color: Blue
Filling: Up to me
Decoration: TBD when Eryn and I decorate together

So, here's what I ended up doing.   I only have one square baking pan so I had to make the layers in two batches.

I made a chocolate genoise cake.  To make a genoise, you heat a mixture of eggs and sugar over a double boiler until it hits about 103-113F, take it off the heat and then whip it into oblivion until it has tripled in volume and leaves a thick ribbon when you pull the whisk out.  That, of course, what the most tiring part of the entire process...even though I didn't whip it by hand.  It just gets soooooo boring when you are standing at the mixer for 12-15min waiting for the right consistency.  The cake actually cooked pretty quickly.  I stuck it in a 425F oven for 10min and then called it a day.  No salt.  No baking powder or baking soda.  Just sugar, eggs, vanilla, butter, flour, and cocoa powder.

Let me back up a little:
Step 1: Make fondant (I made it a few days in advance and let it set in the fridge until I needed it).  I could have bought some somewhere, but it was so much cheaper to make and I really wanted to see what the fuss is all about.  Fondant is kind of a pain to make because you have to knead it quite a bit, but other than that it's no big deal.  Just a bunch of marshmallows, powdered sugar, water, and crisco mixed together.

Step 2: Make cake layers.  Chocolate genoise made in two batches and then frozen until it was time to build the cake.

Step 3: Make vanilla buttercream frosting.  Fluff up some room temp butter, add an egg (if you please), add some vanilla and fluff some more.  Mix in powdered sugar and fluff some more.

Step 4:  Place first layer of cake on cake board.  Frost top.  Place second layer on top of frosted layer.  Frost entire cake.  Does not have to be super thick.  The buttercream on the outside is basically to help the fondant stick.

Step 5: Roll out fondant to about 1/8 in thick.  I think mine may have been a bit too thick but it was the first time I've worked with fondant and it was a learning experience.  I know what worked this time and what I should do differently next time.

Step 6: Enrobe cake in fondant by rolling fondant onto rolling pin then slowly draping it over the frosted cake.  I had tons of extra fondant leftover and I wanted a clean edge at the bottom so I made a fondant rope and wrapped it around the cake.

Step 7:  DECORATE!  Eryn made chocolate crosses and brought some writing fondant and an edible shimmer dust along with a multitude of other various decorating options.  We ended up making small balls out of the leftover fondant, rolling them in the shimmer dust and then created a rosary.

For a first timer, I think I did a pretty damn good job.  Here's to hoping they like the way it tastes!

Ouch!

This is what happens when the ONLY set of oven gloves at your workplace are drenched in God-knows-what-kind-of-liquid.  I had to use my side towels...which isn't exactly the most exciting thing because you have to be a WHOLE LOT more careful (which apparently I wasn't careful enough).  Anyways, I managed to hit my arm with the 280F sheet pan.  Good times.

If you know me, you can probably guess what I did as soon as it happened:  show everyone.

Of course all the guys in the kitchen were like, "Oh, no bueno!"  And then there I was, "Eh, it's not so bad.  It's ok."

What Happened to Personal Responsibility?

I was reading an article on a blog today (Serious Eats) about how the government is getting involved with corporations and their marketing tactics.  They may put restrictions on what can be put on packaging and who the companies can market their products to based on nutritional value (obviously).  Basically, if it's not healthful (which is pretty much everything that isn't straight from the farm, imo), you can't have attractive packaging and you can't use cute cartoon characters and blah blah blah restrictions restrictions restrictions.

You know, I'm all for making sure children eat healthful foods.  And I don't like that America is known for its obesity either.  But why do we have to ask our government to nanny us.  Why can't the citizens take charge and demand that private companies become more responsible with their advertising?  Or, better yet, how about parents grow some balls and tell their kids (and maybe themselves too) "NO" every once in awhile.

I know it's easier said than done but when a 5 year old is 80 pounds, don't you think that's a bit much?  At what point does a parent look at their obese child and change their thought from, "Oh, he's just a growing boy" to "Maybe I should be more careful with the foods I feed my child.  I don't want him to die early because I wanted to be my kid's best friend."


Don't get me wrong...I love food.  Pretty much all of it.  Even the crappy stuff (which I try to avoid).  But when it comes down to it, moderation is key and if/when I have kids, I won't be buying that shit.  Fruits, veggies, FRESH foods.  I'll want my kids to know what REAL food tastes like.  You better believe they will appreciate food as much as I do, and they will also know how to eat in moderation...also, sports.  My kids will be active (soccer, ballet, whatever....active).  I'll only have myself to blame if I have obese kids.  I'm not going to blame the providers of the food and I'm not going to task the government to make those companies stop marketing to my kids.

It'll be my own damn fault if I have unhealthy kids.