Fowl - - Page 21

by BS

Peru-ing the Day I Promised This

Editors Note: JoeHoya should need no introduction to the ES community. This DC Foodies blogger/prolific commenter/all-around genius recently traveled to Peru, and is nice enough to share a ~~novel~~ blog post about his culinary experiences.

For the record, Machu Picchu was lost for almost 400 years. So when you think about it, the fact that it’s taken me more than a month to write about our trip to Peru is really pretty insignificant by comparison.

In mid-August (two days after the earthquake, to be exact), my wife and I flew to Peru to volunteer in Cusco for a week. The program was organized by GlobeAware, a terrific American non-profit that arranges volunteer opportunities in countries around the world. And despite the fact that our destination had just suffered a MASSIVE EARTHQUAKE, the hardest part of our trip was actually getting out of DC’s National Airport. Suffice it to say, we sat on the tarmac for the better part of a Thursday night before we were informed that our flight was canceled.

But we got out on Friday and arrived in Cusco with an hour to spare before our program started on Saturday morning. And since this isn’t a travelblog, that’s all I’m going to say about the trip that isn’t directly related to things we ate and drank.

by BS

Top Chef Recap: Finale

Editor’s Note: I didn’t use any silly puns in the headline today because I don’t want to give anything away, in case you haven’t caught the finale yet. That said, this is a recap, so, you know, it says who wins. If you haven’t watched yet, don’t read on if you don’t want to know.

OK, so my fav part of the Top Chef finale is that Frank Bruni penned a lengthy rant in Wednesday’s NYT about how all these celeb chefs (Collichio, Bourdian, etc…) get the big bucks to appear on Top Chef and similar shows, but never even have to cook anything anymore. Then, in the finale, they actually made the the big guys get in the kitchen, awarding each of the cheftestants a big name sous chef.

Hung got Rocco, Dale got the ubiquitous Todd English and Casey was paired with that lady who looks like Sandra Bernhrardt. The catch was that none of these guys got to offer any advice, and they were only there for the prep part, just to chop garlic, boil water, and allow Dale to say “Todd English is my bitch.”

There weren’t any dumb cowboy or airplane themes for the finale – just pretty basic orders: make the best damn meal you can. The only trip-up was that with an hour left, Collichio came in and told the cheftestants they had to make one extra course, and their sous chefs this time would be the losers from earlier episodes.

in Fish / Fowl / Red Meat / TV 11 comments

by BS

Moussaka or Something Like It

I’ve been wanting to make moussaka since way back at Greekfest, but have been avoiding it due to the unending sauna-like weather of the past few months.

Now, I’m not tryin to say I eat only light and airy foods all summer (see: fetuccini alfredo at the beach), but it just hasn’t seemed right to make this very meat-y, very chees-ey warming dish in this kind of heat.

Still, I absolutely love the idea of layering meat with eggplant – it’s just not fair that vegetarians get to have all the eggplant-fun – us meatlovers should be able to get in on the act too.

in Cheese / Fowl 2 comments

by BS

Top Chef Recap: Episode 12 – Cursed is the Cheesemaker

I hope all you haters are happy with this fully-clothed Padma picture. For those of you who are fans of the previous photo gallery, here’s a very NSFW link.

Moving on, Tony Bourdain says this was the best Top Chef episode of the year, and I’m inclined to agree, because if I didn’t, I think he would yell at me. Seriously though, there were some awesome dishes from every cheftestant, except of course for that Jamaican cheesemaker, who set a Top Chef record by serving raw fish and raw chicken in the same episode.

The episode started at Le Cirque, where Sirlio Maccione stepped in to guest judge the cheftestants’ attempts to replicate a classic Le Cirque dish, halibut wrapped in thin strands of potato (I’m sure there is a much fancier description). They all did surprisingly well, except of course, for the aforementioned Sara, who forgot to cook hers. Maccione turned out to be the most honest judge yet, admitting that he wanted to award the quickfire to Casey just because he’d like to bone her, but instead Hung took the prize.

in Fish / Fowl / TV 7 comments

by gansie

Week Two: Endless Wing-Off

So I guess ES and the NFL do have something in common – we don’t condone cheating.
Yes, I’m looking at you – Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots.

I’m also giving the death stare to the Skins, who clearly have perfected witchcraft, because there is no other way they could have cast such a spell on the Eagles.

Well, I guess we’ll always have wings.

Leave your point totals in the comments section.

Photo: The Patriot Ledger

in Contests / Drinks / Fowl 4 comments

by BS

All Popcorn, All the Time

Previously on ES, we told you how to pop your own corn, you didn’t listen, and we laughed at you when you got weird diseases from licking those microwavable bags clean.

Now, New York Magazine examines the shockingly high number of top-tier chefs who are following our popcorn lead. Of course, these fancy pants chefs jazz up their popping with all kinds of fatty goodness, because obviously, the problem with popcorn is that it’s just too healthy.

At Aquavit, chef Johan Svensson’s secret is to forget the oil, and instead he cooks his popcorn up in rendered duck fat. (Duck fat is so hot right now – cookthink has a good explanation why.)

But the clear winner has to be LES newcomer Spitzer’s Corner, where they wisely follow Endless Simmer Commandment #2 (there’s nothing bacon can’t improve). Their popcorn is cooked up in pork fat, topped with bacon bits, and then…wait for it….topped with more pork fat.

Bravo. Even G-d couldn’t find fault with such an ingenious use of pig.

Photo: 5 cent ride.

in Bacon / Fowl / Trends 2 comments

by gansie

Giddy Up

Hope everyone’s eatin’ up today. We’re almost at the 4 o’clock games, so ordering another round of pitchers and wings is recommended.

Tomorrow we have the game to end all games…Skins v. Eagles. Be sure to save some room, and the use of your liver, for Monday Night Football ~~watching~~ eating.

Look out for a post on Tuesday – leave your point totals there.

Oh, and THIS is what I’m talking about.

in Contests / Drinks / Fowl 2 comments

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