Cocktail O’Clock: The Tranquilo

Today’s Cocktail O’Clock comes from Firefly in D.C., which somehow fits everything we like about summertime drinking — tequila, grapefruit juice, fresh mint, lime — into one cocktail. Even though we just recently hated on jars, the Tranquilo is one summer cocktail we’d take for a spin.

5 mint leaves, muddled
3 parts fresh grapefruit juice
2 parts Herradura Reposado tequila
1 part Cointreau
1 squeeze of lime juice

Shake and serve in a mason jar, garnish with a mint sprig and a slice of grapefruit.

Find more summer cocktail ideas in Endless Cocktails.

(Photo: Dakota Fine)

It’s Better Than the Pill

It’s better than the pill, Amanda tells me. I believe her because she knows about food, she loves slimy, oily fish and she’s really pretty. Her slight Southern accent punctuates the truth: eating actual fish is much more beneficial than swallowing a supplement.

Earlier this year I learned about my elevated cholesterol. I started on fish oil pills immediately. But I also tried to eat foods that would lower my level, not just avoid foods known to perk it up. I dined on oatmeal and lentils through the winter, filling my hunger but leaving plenty of dough in my now very-empty bank account.

But that was winter. I can no longer allow the stove top to fire up my kitchen for a full 45 minutes.That’s when I found Amanda at a backyard party, proclaiming the joys and healthful uses of tiny fish.

I lunched at DC’s Estadio, ordering a decidedly oily sandwich of sardines. Sardines, butter and thinly shaved onions. And suddenly I didn’t feel so terrible, so old, so holy-fuck-I’m-30. I found a legitimate reason to order fishy sandwiches. I will, I will, I will lower my cholesterol deliciously.

Diggin’ DC Dirt: A Raised-Bed Garden Adventure

Part One: We’ve been framed

My indoor basil plant looks like this:

I know, pathetic.  Believe me, when I was pregnant, it was the inspiration for many “so you think you’re ready for parenthood” cracks. My response was, there is a reason that babies scream when they are hungry.

Elijah is eight months old now, and so far so good, so this summer, my dear spouse and I decided to take on another complicated project for which we were only minimally qualified: a raised bed garden.  I hear that these are trendy at present, but let me tell you, that trend hasn’t reached my neighborhood.  Our block seems to favor vegetation more like this:

New age sculpture or misguided but admirable attempt to grow a beer tree?  You decide.

We decided on the back porch as the locale for our foray into botany.  Large and concrete, it has thus far served little purpose aside from storing some semi-decaying deck chairs.  The whole back “yard” is paved over, so it seemed like concrete was our fate.  We called up our friend Pat, who jumped at the chance to bust out some power tool action.  He and Kurt (my husband) headed to Home Depot for supplies.  They were gone for about three hours, reasons for which are still unclear, and returned with some very long pieces of wood.  The folks at HD were kind enough to cut the 12-ft. boards into two sections, 10 ft. and 2 ft. Pat was a little sad about not having a chance to use his circular saw.

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Summer Cocktail Season: The New Moscow Mule

A couple of weeks ago I received a text from a friend who was having dinner at DC’s newest taqueria, El Centro, D.F. He asked me if I had ever tried a Moscow Mule. I immediately had a flashback to New Years Eve 1995. I was 15 and my older sister had taken me under her wing to a nightclub in my hometown in England. If you’re familiar with the UK bar scene you’ll know that they’re not too strict on ID and age restriction — I used a fake birth certificate to get in the door — and well, I don’t remember much other than drinking the night away on one too many pre-bottled Smirnoff Mules, to the point of not ever drinking them again.

I had a perverted hope that El Centro, D.F. would be serving these pre-mixed bottles, but my hopes were dashed. Instead I found a seductively crafted cocktail from El Centro’s beverage director, Brennan Adams. I’m not sure what has happened to the Moscow Mule I first encountered and quite frankly, I don’t care. Adams’ version, with its summer fresh tones, splash of beer, and peppery aftertaste, is a whole new kind a mule. I spoke with Adams about his drink, explaining it was too good not to share, and he was kind enough to give me the recipe.

 

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Deviled Eggs Gone Wild

Remember when deviled eggs were simple, mayo-soaked apps your aunt used to make for family picnics? Not anymore. Inventive restaurant chefs and food bloggers around the country have taken good old deviled eggs to a whole new level. Here are our top 10 favorite new-school deviled eggs.

10. Decadent Deviled Eggs

There’s no rule that deviled eggs have to be hard boiled. Wait, is there? Regardless, chef Thomas Dunklin of B&O American Brasserie in Baltimore doesn’t abide by it, soft boiling his eggs and deviling them Maryland style, with crab. Read his recipe for decadent deviled eggs with crab salad and mustard aioli here.

9. Kimchi and Bacon Deviled Eggs

Blogger Momofukufor2 whips up these deviled eggs filled with the ingredient of the moment — kimchi — and the ingredient of every moment — bacon. Hungry? Read the kimchi and bacon deviled eggs recipe here.

8. Lobster Deviled Eggs

Founding Farmers restaurant in Washington, D.C. takes the yolk out of their deviled egg completely (again — is this allowed?) We’re gonna say yes, because they refill it with a mound of poached lobster meat. It’s one of four creative deviled eggs served at Founding Farmers — read the recipes for all four here.

7. Dessert Deviled Eggs

Still have leftover Easter candy? Cakespy uses them up in the most delicious looking deviled eggs we’ve seen yet: Cadbury’s creme eggs filled with vanilla buttercream.

6. Smoky Deviled Eggs

Sundried tomatoes and paprika lend a more exciting color palette to A Couple Cooks’ smoky deviled eggs, garnished with crispy shallots. Recipe here.

Next: Top 5 Deviled Eggs Gone Wild

Founding Farmers’ Devilish Eggs

D.C. restaurant Founding Farmers wasn’t content to just get in on the deviled egg craze, they had to own it. The eco-friendly restaurant serves four distinct kinds of D.E.s and were kind enough to share all of their recipes with ES.

 

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