Inlaw Visit = Trip to DC

When you live in VA and family visits from TX, invariably you end up in DC. The good news is, we have finally become experts in the "DC Tour" business. We rely on parking at Union Station and taking the Old Town Trolly around the museum district. And really, if you are looking at a trip around DC, the trolly is the way to go!

Being a foodie, of course the highlight of our daytrip for me was lunch! I had heard about the cafe tucked away in the National Museum of the American Indian and how it served authentic native foods. I wanted to share that this cafe definitely lived up to the hype! But, like anything else tucked into a tourist mecca, the price tag is a bit high. Four of us ate for $85. But, we all agreed, it was worth every penny!

The name of this spot is Mitsitam Café, which, according to their website, means "Let’s eat!" in the Native language of the Delaware and Piscataway peoples. It also allows "visitors the opportunity to enjoy the indigenous cuisines of the Americas and to explore the history of Native foods. The café features Native foods found throughout the Western Hemisphere, including the Northern Woodlands, South America, the Northwest Coast, Meso America, and the Great Plains. Each food station depicts regional lifeways related to cooking techniques, ingredients, and flavors found in both traditional and contemporary dishes."

Three of our party loaded up with the buffalo ribeye steak, cut fresh and wood grilled to order right in front of you. I added mashed new potatos w/corn and wild mushrooms as well as a sour dough roll and blueberry tart. My husb. opted for the buffalo burger, which he really enjoyed.

The steak smelled like a strong cigar to my husband and it definitely had a "charred" odor that had me a little worried before we got to the table, but it was all for naught. The meat melted in my mouth and whatever wood they were using gave it amazing flavor. I would also like to mention that it was also seasoned perfectly which is my usual complaint about steak. That potatos with gravy disappeared effortlessly as it melted on the tongue. I have to admit I expected the blueberry tart to be cloyingly sweet, as most tarts with custard are. Not so in this case, the tart was perfectly balanced w/a light, crispy crust, tart berries and a winsomely vanilla custard.

And I will tell you, the dessert selection is ridiculous! Carrot cake, apple crisp, fruit tarts, cookies, chocolate covered peanuts, key lime tarts, bread pudding and even tres leche cake! So, even if you run by here too late for lunch, it would be great for a mid-afternoon sugar "pick-me-up." :)

I would definitely recommend popping into this cafe for a treat if you're touring the area!

Spinach & Cheese Strata

This is a no fail, 'you've got your crap together' kind of breakfast.
Perfect for visiting family and friends so you can spend time socializing instead of slaving in the ktichen.

Now, I don't know about you, but I've had plenty of strata's in my lifetime. Enough, in fact, to know what I don't want in one = slimy, gooey, slushy, mushy .....you get the picture/texture. And that's why I love this recipe. It's like a fluffy, cheesy omelet w/crispy cheese toast on top.

If you aren't a fan of gruyere, feel free to substitute a sharp, vermont or irish white cheddar. That would be equally delicious. Enjoy!

Spinach and Cheese Strata

Gourmet February 2003
Active time: 30 min

Start to finish: 10 hr (includes chilling)

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Ingredients:
1 (10-oz) package frozen spinach, thawed
1 1/2 cups finely chopped onion (1 large)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
8 cups cubed (1 inch) French or Italian bread (1/2 lb)
6 oz coarsely grated Gruyère (2 cups)
2 oz finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (1 cup)
2 3/4 cups milk
9 large eggs
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

Preparation:
Squeeze handfuls of spinach to remove as much liquid as possible, then finely chop.
Cook onion in butter in a large heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring, until soft, 4 to 5 minutes. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and nutmeg and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Stir in spinach, then remove from heat.

Spread one third of bread cubes in a buttered 3-quart gratin dish or other shallow ceramic baking dish and top evenly with one third of spinach mixture.

Sprinkle with one third of each cheese. Repeat layering twice (ending with cheeses). Whisk together milk, eggs, mustard, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl and pour evenly over strata.

Chill strata, covered with plastic wrap, at least 8 hours (for bread to absorb custard). Preheat oven to 350°F.

Let strata stand at room temperature 30 minutes. Bake strata, uncovered, in middle of oven until puffed, golden brown, and cooked through, 45 to 55 minutes.Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Cooks' note: • Strata can be chilled up to 1 day.Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes before baking.

The Inlaws are coming! Yay.

And you know what that means........yep, I'm actually cooking again! Since I've been such a negligent blogger, I thought I would make it up to the TWO of you who read this, to give you my much coveted banana bread recipe that I have recently made for my inlaw's impending arrival. And yes, this is an original recipe.

I typically make this recipe for friends who are sick or who have had loved ones pass away. Now, I'm not saying I'm a culinary queen or anything, but "mystery" ailments have been cropping up alot lately........... ;)

You'll also note that I make this in an angel food pan as opposed to a loaf pan. Cooks quicker as well as more evenly.
B's Banana Bread

5 Tbsp butter
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. firmly packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
2 large egg whites
1 tspn vanilla
1 1/2 c. mashed ripe bananas
1 3/4 c. all purpose flour
1 tspn baking soda
1/2 tspn salt
1/4 tspn baking powder
1/2 c. sour cream
Optional: 1/3 c. chopped nuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

* Beat butter in a large bowl @ medium speed until light and fluffy.
* Add both sugars and beat well into butter.
* Add eggs & vanilla, beat until blended. Add banana and beat on high for 30 seconds.
* Combine flour, baking soda, salt & baking powder in a medium sized bowl.
* Add 1/2 of flour mixture to butter mixture, alternating with the sour cream, ending with the flour mixture.
* Fold in nuts at this time if using
* Pour into non-stick (or non-stick sprayed) angel food pan

Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes.

Zuppa

Popped into Zuppa for lunch and they were hopping this week! If you are planning on dropping by anytime soon, be forewarned that Main St. is closed between 14th and 17th, so you're going to have to do some fancy footwork to get over the 18th Street. (maybe just stick to Broad St. for that stretch)

Just wanted to share that I think Zuppa is a great value for the money. And that I had the best french dip I've eaten so far in Richmond. Sorry, Starlite! You've been replaced! This sandwich was SERIOUS. The roast beef had been dipped in au jus and you could tell the swiss was of top shelf quality. It didn't just blend into the meat like gooey melted plastic. The flavor stood up on it's own as a perfect counterpart to the beef. The bread was akin to Texas toast and had a nice buttery crunch.

My friend had the fried tilapia/fish sandwich special w/a side of their tomato soup. She said the sandwich was ok, she expected more kick, but that the tomato soup was the best part of her meal. Better be at a place named Zuppa!

Service was great, esp. considering how busy it was. My only complaint is that the guy never took a drink order and didn't offer us dessert. I must've had a "I really shouldn't be eating here b/c I'm supposed to be on a diet" vibe hardcore all over me. Oh well, saved me money! And calories! But, I will def. be back for more calories in the future! ;)

Zuppa
101 N 18th St
Richmond, VA 23223
Phone: (804) 249-8831

As if she could get any cooler.....

......information comes out today that proves Julia Child served as a spy for the OSS during World War II!

I knew that she had served the gov't and her artist husband Paul designed US propaganda posters from reading her book My Life in France. But, I had not realized the extent of her service stretched as far as being part of an international spy ring!

Cafe Rustica

A newer addition to the Richmond local dining scene, Cafe Rustica is a true gem. Tucked in an out of the way section of Main Street, this restaurant is easily missed b/c of it's unassuming storefront.

But, this is definitely one not to be missed! I had done a little research prior to my Friday nite's visit and found a lot of complaints about service. These complaints seemed unfounded to our party as we had attentive and helpful service from the hostess all evening. From beginning to end, my entourage enjoyed a perfectly delightful experience.

We were informed that most veggies were fresh out of "their" garden. And the grape/cherry tomatos were ripe & flavorful as well as leaps and bounds ahead of anything I've bought at a farmer's market this year.

The guys in our party opted for the steak and veggies. We didn't hear a peep out of them until their plates were cleaned. So, I'm assuming that means it was good?! lol As for the ladies-- I had the gemelli pasta w/roast chicken & veggies in a broth w/lemon & rosemary, my friend had the salmon (our only complaint being the salmon was a tad 'fishy') .

I really have to comment specifically on my gemelli dish b/c rosemary and particularly lemon are so often overdone and become overpowering. Restaurants have practically ruined my hubs from ever eating a rosemary infused dish ever again. And, I too was hesitant in ordering this dish. But, I am ever so grateful that I did. Everything was perfectly balanced and flavorful. Just a hint of herb. The texture of the al dente gemelli, tender chicken and crisp vegetables alone was palate pleasing. Add in the tasty broth and this is a lovely summer pasta dish that delighted the senses. I can not recommend it enough!

My friend and I washed our main courses down with the house offered Reisling. Which was a bit too sweet for my taste. We started our meal with a cheese course. I will offer one complaint- not enough cheese! It was $10 for 3 cheeses(pecorino romano, a bleu and a goat). There was hardly a teaspoon's worth of each cheese on the plate. However, the grilled bread was chewy and pleasantly charred which was a nice compliment to all of the cheeses. My favorite was the goat cheese w/lingonberry preserves. The creamy sweetness of goat contrasting with the tart sweetness of the preserves was a definite palate pleaser. I think next time I'll just order that (you can order just one cheese for $5).

Dessert found me having the chocolate mousse. The waterfall of saliva in my mouth started the moment I saw the mousse heading toward the table, served in a vintage brass champagne glass. And it did not disappoint! Rich & velvety goodness coated my mouth and tongue in all it's chocolatey glory. It made me sad to swallow.......

So, in all, I'm going to have to give Rustica two thumbs up! Service was great, quality was great, flavor and freshness, outstanding! Not to mention, the prices are very fair, particularly for the quality. Keep up the good work guys!

Cafe Rustica
414 E Main St
Richmond, VA 23219
(804) 225-8811

CanCan

You may have noticed there are not alot of recipe posts lately. That's b/c of two reasons- 1. I'm trying to eat "clean" 2. That makes for a boring, uninspired menu (at least from me, LOL!)

But, I have indulged in a few nites of whatever my palate desires over the last month. One particular evening being at one of my fav restaurants in Richmond, Can Can for some friends' birthday.

After a few weeks of deprivation, gougeres, grilled hangar steak, potatoes gratinee topped off w/a crisp white wine [2005 Vouvray (demi-sec) Les Girardieres ] left my mouth happy indeed. This place never disappoints for me. Service and quality are always top notch.

Can Can Brasserie
3120 W Cary St
Richmond, VA 23221
(804) 358-7274