The Barns at Hamilton Station Vineyards

Just before Christmas, Lydia and Tim got engaged! And I couldn't be more excited for two such wonderful people. After a few weeks of thumbing through wedding magazines and websites, it was time to look for venues. 

They decided to start with some of the vineyards in Virginia wine country. Like the good sister-in-law that I am, I graciously offered to join in any potential wine tastings. Just to be helpful, of course.

They didn't have to look long, though. The Barns at Hamilton Station Vineyards is a beautiful, hundred-year-old stone and wood dairy barn that has been restored into a unique tasting room and event space. The vineyard sits on ten charming acres in the quaint, historic town of Hamilton, Virginia.

It's natural, rustic, and will make such a pretty backdrop for the wedding. Plus, there's wine! My two favorites are the Viognier, with bright notes of peach and apricot, and the Petit Verdot, deep in color and body with hints of spices and vanilla. Their Chardonnay is very crisp and lovely as well.

The barn has a warm and friendly atmosphere; great for sitting back and enjoying a glass of wine with family and friends. It's a wonderful place to add to your wine tour of Loudoun County.

It's Carnival Time

Happy Mardi Gras (season)! Yes, friends, it is that special time of year again. Yesterday brought with it the feast of the Epiphany and now, it's carnival time. So, prepare yourselves for king cakes, parades, beads, balls, and every other welcomed indulgence during this most decadent and frivolous season!

In anticipation of the good times and good food to come (even all the way up here in DC), here's a little taste of my all-time favorite king cake. Courtesy of the old Southside Bakery in Lafayette.

Photos by Lindsey Michelle Photography

Last year, Jared and I got hitched on Samedi Gras, the Saturday before Mardi Gras. And we used it as an excuse to commission our very own tower of king cake. It was a bit unexpected, but beautiful and absolutely delicious. Here's hoping that this year brings just as much joy and just as much king cake as the last.  

Oh well it's carnival time, and everybody's having fun!

Our Thanksgiving Menu

Today, I have so many things to be thankful for. My parents and sister are visiting this week for the holiday. And we have had a wonderful time traipsing around the District. Now, we are sitting down with the Motts for our first official Thanksgiving at the apartment. Merging families and family recipes: the perfect way to create our own new traditions.

I hope your day is filled with wonderful food, wine, family, friends, and everything else that makes today a holiday for you!

P.S. Recipes for many of these delectable dishes coming soon!

Hors d'Oeuvres:

Fig & Prosciutto Flatbread

Crudités with Creamy Dill Dipping Sauce

Cocktails:

Rosemary Lemon Fizz

Cranberry Mimosa

Dinner:

Deep-Fried Turkey

Meatball Stew & Rice Dressing

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Crispy Bacon

Pecan Praline Candied Yams

Macaroni and Four Cheeses

Homemade Dinner Rolls

Corn Soufflé

Desserts:

Sarah P's Piled High Apple Pie

Chocolate Ancho Chili Flourless Cake

Voodoo on the Bayou

Happy Halloween folks! What better way to commemorate All Hallows' Eve than with a little Louisiana voodoo?

Marie Laveau is the late, great, undisputed Voodoo Queen of New Orleans. According to folklore, this exceptional beauty got rich selling gris-gris and her advice was sought after by world leaders. She danced with a snake and presided over blood-drenched rituals. And her powers caused the death of at least one Governor and one Lieutenant Governor.

It is believed that when a Voodoo Queen dies, her spirit re-enters the river of life and moves to the next realm, adjacent to this one. So, Laveau's spirit is always close at hand. To this day, people still visit her tomb in St. Louis Cemetery to call on her undying spiritual powers with the hope that she will grant their wishes.

One local pizza joint created a dish with a Cajun twist in honor of this South Louisiana legend. The Marie LeVeaux at Deano's Pizza in Lafayette is crowned with the biggest, tastiest Blue Point crabs, sauteed with mushrooms, onions and spices to create an amazingly flavorful and unique pie. Our family prefers to pay homage by eating our gris-gris instead of traipsing through a maze of above-ground graves.

Deano's, one of my ultimate hometown favorite spots, is also home to the Cajun Executioner - a pizza that will leave you breathing fire - topped with pepperoni, hot sausage, spicy shrimp, fresh onions, bell peppers, and jalapeños. Or try the Muffalata Pie - their version of a muffuletta sandwich - ham, salami, homemade olive salad with a special blend of spices and cheese piled high on a special olive oil pizza crust.

And if that's not enough for you, start your meal off with their Crawfish Nachos. Crisp tortilla chips topped with tender crawfish tails in a creamy, cheesy, spicy sauce. You'll be licking the plate clean.

Deano's Crawfish Nachos

Thai X-ing

Hello lover. I believe I may have found my new favorite DC restaurant.

Yesterday, my darling friend Crickett turned 30 and a group of lovely ladies gathered together to celebrate. Reservations were made at Thai X-ing (Thai Crossing) - a place that I have been dying to try.  

This unassuming eatery is tucked away in a rowhouse near LeDroit Park. You walk in to find what is basically a glorified living room with tables and mismatched chairs set up neatly throughout the space. The lights are dim and the room is warm, cozy, and filled with an almost intoxicating aroma of the goodness in which you are about to partake. The chef, Taw Vigsittaboot, serves up traditional, authentic thai recipes family-style in a genuinely down-home setting. A meal here feels like you are eating at a friend's house, which was perfect for the occasion. 

The birthday girl arrived and we cracked open a few bottles of wine - this place is BYOB, with no corking fee, so be sure to come prepared. In this group, that meant at least one bottle per person. Enough to cover the meal and a few to take home, considering it was a Tuesday night. After a few introductions and a bit of catching up, the first round of dishes made it to the table. The meal is set daily by the chef - there is no menu, in the traditional sense - and yesterday happened to be a vegetarian and fish night.

We started out with a coconut milk soup. This complex and flavorful soup, with not-so-subtle hints of ginger and lemongrass, was perfect for the chilly weather. Appetizers also included a fresh and brightly-flavored papaya salad and fish cakes served with some variety of pickled vegetables and a spicy sauce. And everything was delicious. Which is wonderful, until you realize that you do, in fact, need to pace yourself for what was still to come.

Stir-fried ginger with black mushrooms. Stir-fried green beans. Sweet-and-sour tofu. All with immaculately balanced notes of heat, sweetness, sour, salt, and just a touch of bitterness.

Then came the pumpkin curry. Oh, sweet mother of goodness. This dish was ridiculous. I could have easily just eaten this and only this for dinner (ok, probably not, but you get the point that I'm trying to make here). The pumpkin was tender and perfectly cooked, then coated with a creamy red curry sauce. Sweet, yet slightly savory, and totally melts in your mouth. I'm drooling right now just thinking about it.

And even after all of that, the main dishes: pad see ew with tofu and whole steamed pompano.

Once we had delighted in the many, many dishes over the course of the night, enjoyed a few bottles of vino, and cackled at the ridiculous stories offered up, it was time for dessert and the obligatory birthday serenade. The restaurant served an amazing mango sticky rice and our friend Jazmin baked a strawberry cake for the occasion. The cake was dense, moist, and delicious and topped with a delicate, almost meringue-like frosting and fresh strawberries.

It was a really wonderful night celebrating with a great friend. And I was glad to have finally experienced the tastiness that is Thai X-ing. Now I know what all of the fuss is about.

Sunday Supper - Odyssey Cruise

Now that we've lived on Washington's SW Waterfront for two years, Jared and I have seen countless sailboats and yachts pass by when we walk along the channel. We, inevitably, would say that we should figure out a way to hop on board one day, but then never followed through. Then, as luck would have it, we found a great deal on one of the dinner cruises. And with Rachel and Bobby in town, I knew we'd have some partners-in-crime.

So, we made plans to partake in a Sunday night Odyssey Dinner Cruise. You dine, you dance, you putter around the Potomac taking in the "monumental" views, as advertised.

Like any good tourist trap, it was a bit campy with its structured schedule and smooth jazz twinkling in the background. But, we had a few drinks, embraced the whole experience, and ended up having a really great night on the water. To top it all off, the food was pretty tasty as well.

First course: a delightful little shrimp cocktail appetizer.

Shrimp and Corn Chowder - roasted sweet corn, Gulf shrimp, red peppers and potato with fresh cream and an herbed crouton

Mushroom Braised Short Ribs - braised beef short ribs marinated in a shallot and wild mushroom gravy, served with garlic mashed potatoes and crispy onion straws

Odyssey's Signature Decadent Chocolate Truffle Torte - rich two-layer cake filled with a delicate chocolate mousse enrobed in a smooth dark chocolate ganache

Chesapeake Crab and Beer Festival

Ready for round two of steamed crabs? On Saturday, a few of us broke out the mallets and Old Bay for another seafood adventure.

After finding a great deal on tickets to the 3rd Annual Chesapeake Crab and Beer Festival out at National Harbor in Prince George's County, Maryland, we ventured over to waterfront for what ended up being a beautiful, random afternoon of good food and even better people watching. 

The Festival boasts over 50 beers and wines, 40,000 crabs, plus steamed corn on the cob, and cole slaw. And, of course, other tried-and-true fair favorites like hot dogs, hamburgers, sausages, barbecue, pit beef, funnel cakes, and deep fried candy bars. Mmmmm. Can't you just feel your arteries clogging? It was delightful.

This is, according to the event website, the WORLD’S LARGEST CRAB FEAST! Who knew that this even existed?? Well, I do now.

The Crab and Beer Fest also featured show booths with local products and goods, ranging from the mildly related Beer Lasso (a hilarious and classy addition) to the downright odd - one vendor was selling bathtubs. Seriously. So, when you had your fill of crabs and beer, you could check that new bathroom off of your to do list too. How convenient?

Jared, our friend Elizabeth, and I stuffed ourselves with delicious steamed crabs, cold beer, and fried desserts - yes, I admit it. We wandered around taking in the scenery on the waterfront and enjoying the live music. It was a pretty great way to spend the afternoon. I would definitely recommend this to anyone in the area that likes seafood and beer and street festivals. But maybe not if you only like one of the above.

Sunday Supper - Maryland Steamed Crabs

Every now and then, it's really nice to escape the city. We ducked out of the District today for a beautiful afternoon on the Eastern Shore of Maryland.

We hit up Harris Crab House on Kent Island for a little beer and some mallet banging. The steamed Maryland crabs are sweet and perfectly cooked and seasoned with Old Bay, of course. 

Grab a picnic table on the deck and enjoy your time on the water. If you saved room for dessert, try out their homemade Nutty Buddies. Sadly, we were too stuffed . . . ok, we weren't that sad about it, but you get the point.

Honey Badger Lager

The first official Lower Breaux Bridge Brew House beer pays homage to this blog's city of origin: Washington, D.C. . . well, sort of. The brew dudes decided to start with something simple and "presidential."

This country has a history of home brewing commander and chiefs -- starting with the first, George Washington, and most recently, Barack Obama. But that's enough history, says beer agent 007.5 (Pete) and Brewmaster Fred, now on to brewing.

President Obama recently brewed a batch of beer, which he simply called Honey Lager. Per their non-disclosure internal sources (some may call it a leak, but leaking beer is a major disaster), the boys ascertained that the recipe was a knock off of the Rocky Raccoon Crystal Honey Lager from the book The Complete Joy of Brewing.

Taking a cue from the original, woodland creature-inspired brew name, it was only natural for the Louisiana native football enthusiasts/beer buffs to rechristen this lager the Honey Badger in honor of LSU's defensive back Tyrann Mathieu.

Cooking the wort.

Ingredients

• 1 (3.3 lb can) light liquid malt extract
• 1 lb honey
• 1 lb corn sugar
• 2 oz cascade hops
• 1 pack ale yeast

Directions

1. Combine the malt extract, honey, corn sugar, and 2 gallons of water in a large pot.
2. Place one ounce of hops in a brewing bag (a.k.a. an old clean sock tied at the top with fishing string . . . I told you LBB was low-tech). Add bag to the pot.
3. Bring to slow rumbling boil for 1 hour.
4. Add the second ounce of hops for the last 15 minutes of the boil.
5. Transfer the mixture (know as the wort) to a 6 gallon bottle half-filled with water.
6. Pitch the yeast (in non-brewer talk, this means adding yeast to the unfermented wort).
7. You really should read a brew book while enjoying a cold one to fill in the details.

Then, the fun begins.

Lower Breaux Bridge Brew House

A few years ago, my dad and his buddy, Mr. Alfred, started brewing beer at the house out in Breaux Bridge. And as a good, supportive daughter, I was more than delighted to help taste test and enjoy the product of their hard work. Now, I'm even more excited to share some of their best brews here. Look for their recipes and pairing suggestions in upcoming posts! 

Brew Master Fred instructing the Newbies

Lower Breaux Bridge Brew House, as the operation is now affectionately called, takes the low-tech approach to brewing: simple equipment, simple ingredients. "It is more important to enjoy the Quality Control process, than to fuss about the brewing process! The bayou is optional, though."

Quality Control Specialist Nikki

The LBBBH patented method . . .

Buy a six pack of your favorite - for the bottle recycle campaign.

Start saving non-screw tops for the bottle recycle campaign.

Buy a six pack of your favorite - to decide which book to get.

Get a home brew book.

Buy a six pack of your favorite - to decide what kind of equipment to get. 

Get some simple equipment.

Buy a six pac of your favorite - to decide what to brew next.

Get some simple ingredients.

Home brew a batch of beer!

LBB Brews - Yeah You Right!

Red Hot Chicago Dog

Happy Independence Day from the Windy City! Hope that your day is filled with freedom, family, friends, fireworks, and good ole American favorites.

Since I'm here for the holiday, I figured it was only appropriate to sample a classic: the Chicago dog. This local specialty is practically dragged through the garden. Its an all-beef hot dog served on a poppy seed bun and topped with yellow mustard, onions, sweet pickle relish, tomato slices, pickled sport peppers, a pickle spear, and a dash of celery salt. And it's pretty amazing.

p.s. I'd like to wish a very happy first birthday to the adorable Edward James Beaumont! Wish I could be there to celebrate.

Born on the Fourth of July

Louisiana Fig Season

This year's early crop is ripe and ready for picking! My parents spent the weekend out in Breaux Bridge collecting a batch of these luscious, honeyed fruits. The fig trees out there are derived from the one planted in my grandmother's old backyard.

Next step? Well, after sneaking a few fresh ones, I'm sure . . . canning the fig preserves. Tune in later this week for a description of that process.

Home Plate Box at Nationals Park

My birthday gift to Jared this year consisted of some ballin' tickets to last night's Nationals vs. Rays game. I splurged a bit and got tickets in the Home Plate Box. We were so close you could almost reach out and stroke Bryce Harper's mohawk. Ok, not really. But we were close. 

The Loaded Chili NAT-chos

The box provides complimentary food, beer, wine, and soft drinks AND in-seat service. 

That's right. We didn't have to miss a second of the game to grab another beer or stock up on peanuts and cracker jack. 

If you have the means, I highly recommend it. 

 

We just sat back in our cushy seats (literally . . . these seats are padded for extra comfort) and watched the Nats take the lead and hold on to it for a win.

Now it's back to the nosebleed section for the rest of the season. We'll be drowning our sorrows with beer and Ben's Chili Bowl.