Chef Geoff's.... hype or not?

i would like to start off this post with a huge apology to my loyal followers.... all 3 of you.  brandon, justin, jennbo... im sorry ive been such a slacker!  poop on me for not keeping up to date with this... oh snap, i just said the word 'poop' in my FOOD blog... :-X hehehehe grossarido!

i promise to be more timely in my entries... but to my defense, the holidays and football season have been taking up a lot of my time... and one must learn how to prioritize... and jesus, family, and pigskin are biggies on my list... :-p so... here is the chef geoff review that was long ago promised.... :



chef geoff's has been recommended to me by many... so i finally gave in and tried it... out of pure convenience actually. my good friend jennbo and i decided on a night of culture... good food, good company, and the nutcracker at the national theater.... and chef geoff's happens to be right across the street from the theater, so it seemed like the perfect time to try it! so, began the journey...
we began this journey with libations....
I enjoyed the beverage on the left, a 'crimson highlight' which was made up of blood orange juice, barcardi orange rum, and tiny bubbles which was a splash of champagne.  jennbo enjoyed the chef geoff's sangria made with seasonal fruit. both were delish and not too sweet.

Moving on, we drifted to the land of little snacks... where we encountered a very surprising little friend.... we enjoyed fried pickles with old bay remoulade and duck corn dog lollipops... sounds interesting huh? well it WAS! i am a sucker for fried pickles... these were deliciously salty and tangy bites of tasty goodness.... the batter was crunchy yet light... the perfect combo....

now its time to say hello to the second 'small bite'... but i think "quack quack quack" would be a better greeting! ;)  we move onto the duck corn lollipops.... the name alone was intriguing enough to make me want to try them... i am a huge fan of duck... dont get me wrong... i do love these feathery little creatures and am sad that they must die in order for me to delight in my little edible treats... so i publically declare my apology to mr donald duck, mr daffy duck, uncle scrooge, huey, duey, and luey; daisy, and any other famous duck i may have forgotten! so, back to the dish... the waitress sold my friend jenn on this dish by her description of the "purple mustard" we were both very excited to try this after her total sales job on it... imagine our surprise when the dish came out and there was literally three tiny droplets of it... hardly enough for even ONE bite, let alone 3 lollipops! the lollipops themselves were duck sausage... they were tasty, a bit greasy, which is to be expected from duck meat, and the corndog casing was true to name.... the best part of this dish was the form it took after i took a bite of one of them... we got a very good laugh... i swear it looked exactly like a pig's head... snout and all...see for yourself!

the next turn in this windy road to the wonderful land of food coma was an appetizer... we went with an old stand-by... Hot Crab-Spinach Dip with Rustic Baguette... and ive got to say... i was actually really disappointed... see the thing is... as easy and basic as this appetizer sounds... sometimes its the most basic dishes that restaurants can royally screw up... and this one was def a screw up... it had WAY too much 'filler cheese'... it was like eating warmed up cream cheese with bits of spinach and the biggest offense was that they used claw meat instead of lump meat... it was something that i felt i would get at TGIF's... not at CG's...

aaahhh we now approach the crescendo if you please... we each indulged in a wine flight to pair with our entrees.  jenn, having ordered Autumn Squash Risotto with Day Boat Scallops and Pomegranate drizzled with Pumpkin Oil, chose a white wine flight. while, i, having ordered guiness braised brisket with whipped yukon golds and autumn vegetables chose a red wine flight.

 

jenn thoroughly enjoyed the scallop dish and the risotto... the pumpkin and pomegrante added unique flavor as well as texture to the dish, and the scallops were cooked perfectly.... "it was like autumn in my mouth" was the quote i got straight from jenn's mouth full of risotto.... my brisket was very tender and flavorful... and the potatoes were creamy and delicious... for those who enjoy eating ice cream sundaes... this was my kind of sundae.... creamy, silky, rich potatoes that were just the perfect temperature... one thing i would never excuse at a restaurant is cold stiff mashed potatoes... it is cooking 101 on how to make mashed potatoes, no one should be able to call themself a cook/chef unless they know how to cook a potato.... the entrees def made up for the mediocre disappointed appetizer of the spinach crab dip... and the wine flight was a GREAT deal... $10 for 3 different wines?!?!?! certainly a great deal!

now my friends... i want you to think back to when you were 5 or 6 years old... and imagine it being the end of a long day that was just crummy... your favorite toy broke... you were left with the brown crayon during coloring while all the other kids got the good colors... someone else cut in line and you lost your chance to pet the classroom pet... and your shoe came untied at the end of the school day when the bell rang for your bus so you were the last one on and had to sit up front with the smelly kid that picks his nose and asks you what color his boogies are..... now you have that feeling of poo poo magoo goo in your head....close your eyes for a moment and count to ten...... now... imagine walking into your back door at your house and smelling something so familiar... something so heartwarming that you begin to feel all the troubles melting away... and you walk towards the source of this aroma... and you find your mom (june clever) with her apron on, holding a tall glass of ice cold milk and a plate of warm fresh from the oven chocolate chip cookies.... and BAM... suddenly, all is right in the world and all you can think about is 'how does mom always know when i need this?'  it is always amazing to me when i see an unexpected dish on a menu... and low and behold, one of the desserts that CG's offered was 'milk and cookies'.... amidst all of these fancy schmancy tarts and ganaches... there it was... the ultimate comfort dessert... who doesnt love milk and cookies... well... ok... those of us who are lactose intolerant maybe... or allergic to milk... which i am both... but damnit if it didnt stop me from ordering this delightful dessert!  they offered up two different type of freshly in store baked cookies... one oatmeal/granola with cranberries and walnuts, and of course the old standby chocolate chip... both were very delish! i loved it... i loved the pure and innocent offering of this childhood and adult favorite...

jenn also ordered a childhood favorite... but her's def had a sophisticated approach to it... she ordered a pumpkin moon pie... sometimes referred to as a whoopie pie.... but the filling was mascarpone cheese instead of marshmallow fluff... her dessert was delightfully sweet and offered an adult spin on a child favorite while utilizing seasonal flavors... for a person who loves pumpkin flavored items... this would def be a favorite!

and so we ended our divine night of over indulgence with 2 cups of coffee to help keep us awake enough to enjoy the nutcracker ballet....

all in all, i would def recommend chef geoff's downtown... i do not believe it to be a 'fine dining' establishment though... though the prices are a bit high, you are mostly getting high quality ingredients and innovative takes on dishes... but the atmosphere of the restaurant on a whole does not foster the characteristics of a fine dining establishment....

till the next adventure kids... bon appetite mon amis!

can there ever really be too much spice?

my sister was kind enough to share with us her linguine with red clam sauce. my sister is a great chef... (it must run in our blood.... well, my other sister and twin brother arent the next michel citronelle by any means.... more like ronald mcdonald... so maybe its not a blood thing...;)) but jeannie, my sister, and i have always admired the fine art of cuisine. we like to have little cook offs... we'll both cook the same dish and see whose is better... i humbly admit that in the baking department, she is hands down the barefoot contessa... but when it comes to creating a unique recipe i def hold the chef's hat... i think it may have to do with the fact that she is a total left brainer, whereas i am totally a right brainer... she's very analytical and precise... maybe a little anal when it comes to everything in the kitchen and life... i am more on the creative and spontaneous... def a little ambiguous when it comes to ingredients and techniques in the kitchen and in my life. i think our personalities define our cooking styles. she can imitate any of martha stewarts recipes to a t and probably make it taste even better than martha did... whereas i never ever use recipes... which is proving very difficult in writing my cook book. brandon says that when i make something he loves he gets a little sad because he knows i will never make it the same way again because i always end up changing a technique or ingredient. (he’s a bit dramatical... but correct in that sometimes if its been a long time since ive made something, and ive been using newer techniques lately i'll make things a little different...) this is what galvanized me to start writing down my recipes, so i could replicate brandons fav dishes.




wow, def diverted in a lot of different paths in this blog... back to the topic at hand... my review/critique of jeannie's linguine with red clam sauce. i def give it thumbs up... well... a thumb and a half... there were things that def tantalized my taste buds... her proportion of clams to tomatoes was impeccable, and the flavors were married throughout the sauce very nicely. what struck me the most was the heat... thus the title of this blog... can there really ever be too much spice..? YES there can be...but this pasta def had the perfect punch of heat. those who like squorchers may think that it was a little mild... to those individuals i say, GO EAT MEXICAN! why do spice lovers expect every dish to bend to their love of spice? dont get me wrong... i am guilty of this illicit affair with mr. jalapeño, miss chile, and ms sarachi.. i LOVE spicy food.... but there are certain dishes and cuisines that shouldnt be drowned in hot sauce... i know i know... the horrors of that statement! i dont know ifs the fact that jeannie doesnt really care for spicy food... the fact that shes preggers... or the fact that shes dumbed down her taste buds over the last few years having eaten off the kids menu with two young kids... but she has a gift of not over spicing food that is not supposed to be over spiced... whereas someone like myself has on more than one occasion over spiced a dish/sauce to the point of tears... both at consumption and digestion... yes i went there. :)



i had one suggestion for her sauce, and that was to add sliced sautéed fennel... i believe the fresh licorice taste would complement the spice and tang from the clam juice and tomato sauce and red pepper flakes... and most importantly it would add an element of texture that the consumer would not expect, but surely appreciate. this is what i do folks... i eat food and figure out how to make a good dish GREAT... :) i really believe fennel is an under used ingredient... it has a unique fresh flavor as well as this incredible crunch factor. it goes especially well with seafood and poultry. next time you are roasting a chicken or cornish hen, or duck... add fennel to the onions, carrots, and celery you put on the bottom of the roasting pan... the aroma... the carmalization from the roasting process... you wont be sorry!



what took half a thumb away from her dish was the pasta... which was prob not entirely her fault as she used a drop and boil pasta... which im sure she did and then one of her adorable kids prob grabbed her attention and she forgot to make her pasta aldente... or my brother in law was the one who made the pasta and he likes mushy pasta... i know.... i know... mushy pasta is like a cardinal sin in the world of foodies... so you understand why i had to take away half a thumb from an otherwise delectable dish. my experience with pasta is always to undercook it, because pasta continues to cook even after youve taken it off the heat... and the best time for pasta to absorb flavor or sauce is when it is hot, fresh from the boiling water... though its not as pretty as serving a swirl of pasta with a spoonful of sauce on top... mixing your pasta right in the sauce pan is a sure way to guarantee that your pasta dish will be full of flavor. and presentation can still be beautiful... you can serve it family style in a big bowl... or if you are inclined to serve in individual dishes... scoop and twist take a couple of fresh basil leaves and rip them with your hands and sprinkle on top of the pasta... it adds a beautiful flash of color and also a nice fresh flavor. and of course dont forget the parmesan cheese! but grated cheese is soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo last season. buy a wedge of fresh cheese, grab your vegetable peeler and make ribbons of cheese atop of your pasta and wala! remember, a diner always eats with their eyes first.... presentation really is important and is prob the simplest task in the whole process... so dont skip it!



ok... so its bedtime for me... look for my review of Chef Geoff's (Downtown DC) next! im heading downtown to see the Nutcracker at the warner theater with my very good friend jennbo, and we're having libations and supper! :) i'll make sure to take pictures so you can have visuals of what im reviewing!



bon appetite!

here goes nothing...

so, i have no children, brandon and i are still not married.... and we dont have pets... have i scared you off from this blog yet??? what in the world would i have to blog about??? that's what ive been asking myself over and over for the last year since i created this blog. it's been empty for the last year. for some reason i finally felt compelled to start writing. i will not feel betrayed or hurt or slighted in the least if you dont like my blog or dont want to hear the things i have to say.... WAIT a minute... OF COURSE I WILL... do you not know me? i am very high maintenance, and i will prob give you pop quizzes when we are engaging in casual conversation about this blog, when you LEAST expect it, just to make sure you are a loyal follower/friend... because, let's be real, they are one in the same in the cyber world. BUT i promise, i will try and make my posts as entertaining and maybe even helpful in the kitchen as possible! :)

so, ive FINALLY gotten to what this blog is going to be about, it only took me a whole paragraph... ask anyone who knows me... im a bit long winded and i get side tracked VERY often... its a quirk youll grow to love, or just grow to tolerate, because i wont change. also, as you can tell, i dont like to use punctuation, which is funny because im an editor and consider myself an english/writing snob... i will admit it now... this aberration of character we shall call it comes from pure and simple laziness. i grew up during the rise of the cyberworld... where chatting online replaced actual human interaction or letter writing/snail mail.... texting was all the rage, which created this whole new language of the "lols" "g2g" "brb" "143" "lylas"....etc.... it's not my fault... it is al gore's.... he says he invented the internet? well, buddy, you take the good with the bad... and if you were the one who invented the internet you can go ahead and take the medal for dumbing an entire generation of youngins...... way to go al gore... you waste of space.

OMG... there i go again getting side tracked... so, back to the subject at hand... my blog... so, not to toot my own horn... but ::toot toot:: (LOL) i am quite the whiz kid in the kitchen... i grew up cooking and loved it... hhhmmmm.... i dont know if love is the right/strong enough word to describe this affair i have with food... cooking and eating are two of my most favorite things to do... there is such a sense of conquer... a sense of accomplishment... a sense of pride when you finish preparing a dish youve slaved over in the kitchen for hours... perfecting every little detail, even down to the garnish of how you will present it... i believe it is probably a lot like giving birth... ;) and then eating.... oooohhh the joy... the complete ecstasy... that fireworks feeling in your mouth when you taste something so delicate yet so explosive in flavor... that is a feeling that can only be compared to.... well... i am going to keep this PG just in case i have any under 13 crowd reading... :) back to the blog... i want to share my experiences both in and outside the kitchen with you all.

i am in the midst of compiling years worth of original recipes that i have created into a book... and in that pursuit to add to as well as update some of the oldies but goodies i have been on an expedition of extraordinary cuisine. i will share my insights and personal opinions of the establishes i visit... and would also love feedback/recommendations from you! :)

i think its going to be an exciting adventure and i hope you all buckle in and join me on what im sure is going to be a ride to remember... :)