Eat Out- Toki Underground

 2nd, 1234 H St. NE, Washington, DC 20002
$$$
Okay so this is my out of town food adventuring, but such a worthwhile hidden gem that I had to share it! First of all, even with the address, it's very easy to walk past this place. You could (and we did) simply walk past the unassuming front door, but I strongly urge you to retrace your steps and walk up the narrow stairs just inside. (You can see me reflected in my picture of the front door- can't you tell that I'm a professional photographer?!) This is a very small hotspot, so I would suggest looking into reservations, or going at an off meal time like we did. We still had a 20 minute wait, but somehow managed to kill the time at a bar across the street. Another cool thing- instead of having to wait in a cramped space in or nearish the restaurant for a buzzer to alert us, they got a phone number from our group and called us when our table was ready. Our group of four was greeted by a wall of waving cats, and we were seated on bar stools directly in front of an exposed kitchen. I ordered a glass of chilled ginger Sake; it was delicious and boy did I feel it! We shared the vegetarian dumplings as an appetizer. I'm not sure what made them so ridiculously amazing, but they most definitely were. I could have eaten all 6 flavorful pillows of deliciousness myself honestly. For lunch, I decided to try the Summer Vegetable Tsukemen. This was the best bowl of cold noodles and random vegetables I've ever had by far, and what a beautiful, creative presentation! The dish was challenging to eat with chopsticks, but so complexly flavorful and interesting that I persevered on and left not a drop of food. Each mouthful was dipped in the small bowl of an accompanying tangy vinegar mixture. I loved the vibe of this small, interestingly furnished space, and enjoyed every delicious bite of food. I would definitely highly recommend this restaurant to anyone and everyone. Unfortunately we had no room left to try dessert, but I enjoyed reading the listing as well :)

Eat N- Cushaw Pie

First off- What in the world is a 'Cushaw'?? A Cushaw is a really pretty green and white striped squash that can grow to be very large, and Google tells me that it is apparently also called a japanese pie pumpkin. Regardless, I became familiar with this new type of squash because a very dear family friend, who was an excellent chef among other wonderful things, grew up eating the Cushaw pies that his Mother  (also an amazing Southern chef) often made. Our family friend very unfortunately suffered a debilitating stroke. Recently, after fighting for a year and a half, he passed away. This blog is dedicated to him: Mike Madison: a Coach, Teacher, Chef, and a friend to everyone. I feel so blessed to have known you in my life, and I know that you are sorely missed. May you rest in peace. I'm very glad that my family added Cushaw squash to our vegetable garden last year, and that I had the opportunity to bring Mr. Madison a freshly made Cushaw pie.

 Here's what the outside of a Cushaw squash looks like. Once you cut the squash open, it looks similar to an elongated butternut squash.

First things first, I sliced the Cushaw in half lengthwise with a very sharp knife. Then, I scooped out the seeds and the pulp with a spoon. (Apparently you can roast the seeds like pumpkin seeds.?!?! I wish I thought of that when I was making this pie. Oh well, next time) I placed the Cushaw face down onto a pan covered in foil and drizzled with a little olive oil, then popped the pan into a preheated 350 degree oven. Roast until done (easily pierced with a fork with a delicious caramelized look and smell) - my Cushaw was rather large so it took nearly an hour. I let the roasted Cushaw cool, and then used my food processor and was left with a huge bowl of  pureed deliciousness and endless culinary uses and possibilities. Soup, bread, PIE- oh my!

I found the recipe that I used for the pie itself at http://www.food.com/recipe/cushaw-pie-409247 . Here it is!

1 cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground mace
1 cup heavy whipping cream
3/4 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1 cup cooked cushaw squash (drained well, pureed)
3 large eggs
1 9-in pie shell (frozen or prepared)

Sift together sugar and spices, and add to the cooked, pureed squash. (I did not have mace, so I added some of the Apple Pie Spice that I had on hand instead)

Beat in eggs one at a time.

Add cream and mix well.

Bake in unbaked pie shell for 10 mins at 450, and then 40 mins at 350. (The instructions in the recipe state that if you are using a deep dish pie crust then you should add 15-20 mins to the final cooking time. **I found that this recipe yielded two full pies. Also, I loosely wrapped the crusts with foil for the last 20 mins or so to prevent burning)

The pie(s) is (are) done when the edges are set and brown, but there is still a bit of movement in the middle- similar to a custard. A toothpick inserted should come out clean.

Cool completely- can be eaten right away, refrigerated for a few days, or frozen.!


This recipe turned out better than I thought it would! I found this Cushaw pie to be similar, but more flavorful and interesting than a typical pumpkin pie. I would imagine the slight differences are due to little variations in the vegetables themselves, and the added component of roasting the squash; roasting always adds another layer of delicious flavor. I have to admit, I am an unashamed pumpkin fanatic, but for some reason a humdrum pumpkin pie never excites me. I want more textures and complementary flavors; give me pumpkin cookies, pumpkin bread, pumpkin coffee, pumpkin soup- seriously, give me anything else! Cushaw pie is a whole different thing somehow. Try it! I promise you won't be disappointed.

Eat Out- The Tobacco Company

1201 E. Cary St. Richmond, VA
$$$$$
This is a definite special occasion restaurant, but I enjoyed absolutely everything I ate- even the bread was delicious! I had been to The Tobacco Co. to see shows before, but had never before had the pleasure of dining there. The building itself is pretty awesome, as it dates back to 1866, was once a tobacco warehouse, and has an impressive antique chandelier and antique elevator. We started off with cocktails and cups of she-crab soup. Yum! I had a Key Lime Martini that tasted exactly like key lime pie, so it was a nice summer choice. The soup was absolute rich, buttery deliciousness. For my entree I had the Seafood Pasta: Salmon, Shrimp, Scallops & Crab meat in a smoked Gouda dill cream sauce over linguine. It was decadent and definitely richer than what I would normally choose, but as it was a special occasion and a fancy new restaurant, it was fun to go all out! There was absolutely no room for dessert and plenty of delicious leftovers!

Eat Out- Fat Dragon

1200 North Boulevard, Richmond VA
$$$ ($40 for 2 of us- 2 drinks, 1 app & 2 entrees)
This place is soooo delicious! I've been here a few times but tried new dishes this last time. This restaurant has such a cool vibe. It is within walking distance from the Bowtie Theater, so you can take advantage of any drink specials! To start off with, I had the honey ginger beer from Ardent, a local brewery. It was pleasantly gingery and flavorful, and deceptively strong. As an appetizer, I shared the Beer Battered Mushrooms. They were delightfully spicy and had a wonderful combination of unexpected flavors such as cilantro and sriracha. I had the Shrimp & Kim Chi Fried Rice as my entree, and it did not disappoint! It was a warm, melty, delicious mix of comforting fried rice and cheese, what's not to like?! Large portions and a fun take on Chinese food make this place a win!

Eat N- Easy Homemade Pickled Jalapenos

Who doesn't love jalapenos?! I had the happy problem of way too many jalapenos from the garden at the same time and didn't want to waste any of the delicious little peppers. What to do? Pickle them of course! What an incredibly simple, useful way to preserve jalapenos. Now they're ready to be used in anything and everything over the next few weeks!

I found the recipe that I used from www.simplyscratch.com . Here it is:

15 jalapenos (I probably used more than that)
2 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
1 cup distilled white vinegar
1 cup water
4 TBSP sugar
2TBSP salt

In a saucepan combine the garlic, water, vinegar, sugar & salt.
Heat to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar and salt. Once at a boil, add the sliced jalapenos and press them so they are submerged under the pickling liquids.Remove from heat and let the jalapenos sit for 10-15 mins (they will start to turn a duller green when they are ready). Fill a clean pint jar with all of the jalapenos and pickling juice. Let cool and then seal and refrigerate.

These will last as long as any other pickled item kept refrigerated in an airtight jar. The first time I made these, I used a much bigger jar and consequently had to pretty much triple the pickling juice recipe. However, it was no big deal as it comes together so simply and quickly. Also, I would suggest wearing gloves when slicing the jalapenos. Obviously, when dealing with jalapenos you should avoid touching your face for a long time after cutting them as the capsaicin in the jalapenos will produce an irritating burning sensation. The last time I made these though, my entire left hand was red and burning for a good while- it will go away eventually but I had to try both rubbing olive oil on my hand and then washing it off after a minute, and periodically submerging my hand in ice water.

Eat N- Veggie Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

I happened to have all of the ingredients for these stuffed mushrooms already in my kitchen- everything except for the portobellos themselves! This was a super simple, flavorful recipe that was done in a flash. I found this recipe in The Vegetarian Bible (published by Publications International, Ltd.) on page 56. The recipe makes 4 servings, so I modified it to make 2 instead. I added grilled corn on the cob to the stuffed mushrooms, and voila!: a quick delicious dinner ready in 10 minutes. My photo doesn't do justice to these mushrooms, but trust me, they're worth trying. Below is my halfed version of the original recipe. Enjoy!

2 portobello mushrooms

Nonstick cooking spray

2 tsp olive oil

1/2 cup chopped green pepper

1/3 cup chopped onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup chopped zucchini

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup garlic bread crumbs

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat the broiler. Line baking sheet with foil. Remove mushroom stems; chop and set aside. Carefully scrape off and discard brown gills from the mushroom caps with a spoon. Place mushroom caps, top side up, on prepared baking sheet. Coat lightly with cooking spray. Broil 4-5 inches from heat 5 minutes or until tender (I would do less than 5 mins for the initial broiling. I think mine came out slightly overdone and a little shriveled after 5 mins).

Meanwhile, heat olive oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Add bell pepper, garlic and onion; cook and stir 5 mins or until peppers begin to brown at the edges. Stir in the zucchini, reserved chopped mushroom stems, salt and pepper. Cook and stir 4 mins- until vegetables are tender. Remove from heat, cool 5 mins. Stir in breadcrumbs and cheese.

Turn mushroom caps over. Mound vegetable mixture into caps. Broil 2-3 mins or until golden brown and cheese is melted.

Eat N- Roasted Beet Gnocchi with Almond Pesto

My Mom was generous enough to give me several large beets from her garden the other day. I was anxious to use them in a creative way, and came across this recipe whilst perusing my cookbooks. More from the Accidental Vegetarian by Simon Rimmer hides this colorful, flavorful gem on page 64 under the category "large platefuls." I really enjoyed making (and eating!) this recipe. It's fairly simple to put together. The most time consuming element of the recipe by far was waiting for the beets to roast all the way. Some many consider this recipe messy, but I consider anything best mixed using your hands to be a lot of fun! Everything in the recipe is measured using the metric system, so I guesstimated close enough calculations based on the ingredients that I had on hand. Here's my approximation and paraphrased version of the recipe:

Gnocchi
2 large potatoes cut into chunks
8 med/large beets
1 egg
salt & pepper
2 1/4 cups flour
olive oil

Pesto
handful of fresh basil
1/3 cup pine nuts
1/3 cup almonds
1 garlic clove
a few shakes of parmesan cheese
2/3 cup olive oil

First, set the beets on a baking sheet in  a 400 degree oven. They will take a very long time to roast if they are large- probably 30-60 minutes. You want to roast them until you can pierce them easily with a fork. Meanwhile, cook the potatoes in salted boiling water for 20 minutes. Drain and cool thoroughly. When the beets are ready, rinse them thoroughly with cold water and their peelings should easily slide off. Use a potato masher to mash the potatoes and beets together in a large bowl.

You easily have time to mix together the pesto while you're waiting for the beets and potatoes to cook and cool. For the pesto, use a food processor to mix everything except the olive oil. When combined, drizzle the oil down the processor's feed tube with the motor running to make a loose paste. Stick in the fridge.

Beat in the egg, salt and pepper. Add the flour and mix to form a dough. On a floured surface, divide the dough into smaller, manageable pieces and roll each out pretty thin. Cut off 1 in pieces of the dough.

Drop the gnocchi into a large pan of boiling water. When they rise to the top, scoop them out- they're done. They cook very quickly so it should be only a couple minutes for this step. Drain, toss with a little olive oil, your delicious homemade pesto, more parmesan cheese and a few basil leaves for garnish.



This was an absolutely delicious amazing recipe. It's a relatively healthy, creative take on a pasta dish, incredibly fresh and vibrant, and tastes like little potato pillows melting in your mouth. I would definitely love to try this dish again, and would absolutely recommend trying it to anyone.