The Houndstooth Gourmet

Although upon my last visit to the Arlington market I was a bit depressed and longing for the vibrancy of Spring, I wished for the handful of vendors this past Saturday. I drove to Courthouse about 11:45 am and found an empty parking lot. “I swear they’re open year-round” I thought aloud. “Did I miss an email or something?” Apparently I did. The hard working folks at the Arlington market took a much deserved day off for the Holidays. They should be returning to business as usual after the New Year.

Speaking of the New Year, I went to the market in search of a couple ingredients for a dish I was making to post on DC Foodies. I needed Savoy cabbage and scallions for a braise called “Braised Savoy Cabbage Gratin with Saint-Marcellin” by Molly Stevens from her terrific book “All About Braising”. Since the market was closed, we wound up at the Arlington Whole PaycheckWhole Foods Market. It’s an older WFM and is rather small. Shopping there was like playing bumper cars with shopping carts. But, we got what we needed in addition to duck rillettes pate, a nice bottle of pinot noir and a Paisan baguette from Firehook Bakery.

Earlier in the day, we visited Cheesetique to pick up the Saint-Marcellin cheese for the gratin dish. I was in the mood to try a different cheese for snacking, and boldly ordered 1/4 pound of Stinking Bishop (it was just taunting me to try it) when our helper looked at me askance and said “Uh…have you tried Stinking Bishop before?”. “No” I said shyly, “but I like epoisse” as if that gave me some gravitas. “Here, try some” she said. What can I say about the taste of this pungent cheese? I’ll say dirty socks in a non-ventilated hamper for about a week, that’s what I’d say! Yeah, this cheese is for serious stinky cheese lovers…who won’t be kissing anyone anytime soon. A burp 10 minutes after sampling the malodorous morsel recreated the experience vividly. Not for me. To those who love it and it’s funky friends, more power to you!

Instead, I picked up a piece of Chimay, a Belgium cheese made by those same Trappist monks who make the beer. Chimay is creamy with an assertive nutty flavor and yes, can be a bit pungent. It paired nicely with a Drambuie brand Spicy Apricot Mustard and the Pinot, and made for a relaxing afternoon of braising and noshing.

Tags: Arlington, cheese, farmers markets, Virginia by Ramona
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I can’t tell you how many times I’ve passed by Mancini’s Cafe in Del Ray. It appeared to be a very popular neighborhood place to grab a casual bite to eat, based on the crowds. So when Frank and I were in the mood to have breakfast out before we went to the Arlington Farmers Market (which wasn’t running yesterday, what’s up with that? Holiday hiatus?) and Cheesetique, we decided to give Mancini’s a try.

Walking in the door, Mancini’s is every bit a bistro. Black and white tiled floors meet muraled yellow walls bringing a cheery and open feel to the place.

There is a large display case filled with savory and sweet prepared foods where you walk up to order your breakfast. I decided on one of my perennial favorites-eggs Benedict and Frank got eggs and corned beef hash. Both dishes came with Lyonnaise potatoes and a small cup of melon. Frank’s included toast as well. For around $9, it’s a lot of food.

We had a bit of an extended wait at our table-about 20 minutes or so before a runner called Frank’s name and delivered our breakfasts-not exactly hot, more like luke warm unfortunately. The traditional eggs Benedict comes with a thick slab of tomato under the egg, which in theory is a nice combination with the Canadian ham and Hollandaise sauce. However, this time of year the tomato should be 86′d as it tastes of nothingness. I’m a firm believer in serving tomatoes only in season or if you happen to get a winter tomato that has flavor (Campari tomatoes comes to mind-I buy these throughout the winter from Costco). The melons on the other hand tasted sweet and refreshing. The Hollandaise sauce tasted homemade; it was creamy and lemony and the egg were done perfectly. Another beef of mine is serving eggs that saw poached about 5 minutes before they’re actually taken out of the water- you’ve got to have a runny yolk to blend with the Hollandaise sauce, it’s that simple.

Frank enjoyed his dish and his over-easy eggs were done perfectly as well, so I’d say we’ll be back for breakfast and beyond. Perhaps we hit Mancini’s when they were crunched, hence the long wait and luke warm food. I’m an optimist.

Mancini’s Cafe and Bakery

www.cateringbymancinis.com

1508 Mount Vernon Ave
Alexandria, VA 22301
(703) 838-3663
Get directions

More information »
Open Mon 7am-3pm; Tue-Sat 7am-9pm; Sun 8am-3pm

Tags: Alexandria, breakfast, Deli, Restaurants, Virginia by Ramona
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At long last, the list of participating restaurants is here! Stay tuned here at The Houndstooth Gourmet-tales of a Virginia foodie, and at www.dcfoodies.com for detailed information about menu offerings.

Tags: District of Columbia, Restaurant Week, Washington by Ramona
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Many foods are eaten on New Year’s day with the hope that they bring us good luck for the rest of the year. In Italy, lentils are eaten because they symbolize money. Cotechino con lentichie is  a traditional dish of sausage over lentils. The sausage is thought to symbolize abundance with it’s fatty richness. In hopes of inspiring you to make your own New Years traditional meal (perhaps you already have one), here is a soup with combines lentils with kielbasa, a Polish sausage, reflecting my husband’s Italian heritage and my Polish roots.

Lentil Soup with Kielbasa

Ingredients

1 lb. lentils rinsed 

2 tbsp. olive oil

1 medium onion diced small

2 cloves garlic crushed

1 carrot diced 1/4″

3 large leaves kale chopped fine

1/2-3/4 lb. smoked kielbasa diced 1/2″

3 bay leaves

2 tsp. cumin

2 cups diced tomatoes, drained

1-32 oz. box chicken broth

6 cups water

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Over medium high heat, add olive oil to large pot. Add onions and carrots. Saute 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add garlic and stir to combine. Cook mixture an additional 2 minutes. Add cumin and stir to coat. To pot, add lentils, chicken stock, water, bay leaves, 1 tbsp. salt and 1 tsp. pepper. Lower heat to simmer and cook for 30 minutes.

Add kale, kielbasa and tomatoes. Simmer covered an additional 45 minutes, or until lentils are soft. Salt and pepper to taste.Remove bay leaves.

Tags: Kale, Lentils, Recipe, soup by Ramona
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Merry Christmas! I hope you all are having a wonderful Holiday with family and friends. Frank and I are on our way to visit family in New Jersey and will be sure to have some seriously delicious treats. I’ve packed up my biscotti and pizzelles to share with everyone, as well as a box of Polish cookies called Cruschiki and a cheese babka.

Frank has been a great Santa this year and has given me gifts to support my blogging and cooking adventures. For blogging, he got me a really cool tripod, and the Canon Elph! This little camera is darn cute and takes amazing pictures and videos.

I also received a long awaited chinois- sauces have been a skill I’ve wanted to work on for a long time, so this will help greatly.

So, what great foods and foodie related gifts have you received this year?

Tags: Uncategorized by Ramona
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