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.