Vivi Mazarakis is the author of Forking DC. You can read her previous columns here.

Pork and Ramen Noodles

This recipe was inspired by my recent trip to the Atlas District’s Toki Underground, a Taiwanese noodle and dumpling shop inspired by Japanese ramen houses. (Read my review of Toki here). Ever since slurping noodles there last weekend, I just couldn’t stop thinking about the Hakata Classic (ramen with pork loin). So, I turned to one of my favorite chefs, “Iron Chef” Masaharu Morimoto, and his book “The New Art of Japanese Cooking” to feed my obsession. Sitting on my couch, I leafed through the colorful images of Chef Morimoto’s beautifully plated food looking for a recipe I could try.

I will admit that many of Morimoto’s recipes are a bit intimidating. They call for either complicated cooking techniques or many exotic ingredients that most local grocery stores don’t sell, or don’t sell for a reasonable price. (Yes, I’m referring to the grocery store commonly referred to as “Whole Paycheck,” with whom I have a love-hate relationship.)

When I came across Morimoto’s Za Jan Noodles recipe, I thought: bingo! It would satiate my craving for both noodles and pork, and it seemed relatively easy to prepare. Below is my slightly modified version of this recipe. For vegetarians, swap out the pork with tofu and skip the egg. Tofu is a great substitute since it will soak up the flavor-packed sauce.

Most of the ingredients can be found at your local grocery store. As for the red miso, you can find it and any other Asian specialty items at one of my favorite stores in DC – Hana Japanese Market at the corner of 17th & U St. NW. This place is a real gem and the owners are nice and very helpful. As for the sake, you’ll find that many liquor stores these days carry it. For example, you can find it at the liquor store across the street from Hana or De Vinos, a great wine store in Adams Morgan. Otherwise, cooking rice wine, which you can find at any grocery store, will work just fine.

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Vivi Mazarakis is the author of Forking DC. You can read her previous columns here.

Born and raised in Texas, it wasn’t until I left the Lone Star State that I realized that some people make their chili with beans. Texas chili doesn’t bother with beans. Beans are for the weak. Texas chili is all beef. (Sorry, vegetarians.) When I was a kid, I remember looking forward to Go Texan Day (yes, that’s a real thing), and not because my mom insisted that I try to “fit in” by wearing a cowgirl outfit. I looked forward to the chili cook-off that was often a part of the Go Texan Day festivities. I didn’t compete in the cook-off. . . unless by competing one meant trying more cook-off entries than anyone else at school. I’ve always loved me some chili.

People take their chili recipes seriously in Texas. Dare I say that chili cook-off competitors don’t consider it real chili unless the recipe calls for two or more complex spice “dumps” during the several hour-long cooking process. Having just concluded some serious family/holiday time in my home state, I find it all too proper to offer you my own chili recipe. My recipe is simple, but still rich in flavor. Whether it’s because you’ve never had Texas-style chili or because you want to take a break from your go-to chili recipe, I hope you try this recipe out for yourself. I made it for my family on Christmas Eve as a fitting prelude to the Greek-themed Christmas dinner we were to have the next day. Everyone loved it.

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Read Carlos’ Chili Con Carne recipe here. If you have a recipe from PoPville please send an email including a photo to princeofpetworth(at)gmail

Here’s some culinary Egg Nog history I’ve compiled:

Egg Nog literally means eggs inside a small cup. It is an English creation descended from a 17th century British drink of eggs, milk, and Ale, called Posset and first made in England’s East Anglia. From there it traveled well throughout the British Empire, and still further well beyond adapting to local tastes wherever it landed.

In America, Bourbon replaced Ale, while in the Caribbean, Rum or Brandy are more commonly used. In Mexico, Egg Nog is called Rompope; in Cuba, Crème de Vie; in Puerto Rico, Coquito; in Peru, Pisco; in Germany, Eierpunsch; in Norway and Sweden it’s called Glug; in Poland, Korzenny; in Chile, Cola de Mono; in France, Lait de Poule; in Venezuela, Ponche de Crema; and in The Netherlands, Advocaat. I like to serve up in cups with a Cinnamon stick. Simply ignore today’s “Food Police” cries of high fat and cholestrol and enjoy this wonderful holiday libation !

-Carlos Lumpuy

“Christmas is not properly observed unless you brew Egg Nog for all comers; everybody calls on everybody else; and each call is celebrated by a solemn Egg-Nogging…”

–Life of London, Pierce Egan, 18th Century English Author.

Full recipe after the jump. (more…)

Vivi Mazarakis is the author of Forking DC. You can read her previous columns here.

Sometimes edible gifts are the best. This holiday season, I’ve decided to give friends festive tins filled with three of my favorite cookies as gifts. Below are recipes for Kourabiedes (traditional Greek cookies), Oatmeal Chocolate Chip cookies, and Florentines. Incorporate one or all of these cookie recipes into your holiday baking rotation and you won’t be disappointed!

Kourabiedes

Pronounced “kou-ra-bee-yeh-thes,” these Greek cookies are traditionally made for Christmas and Easter. Simply put, they are buttery and doused in powdered sugar. Need I say more?

1 c toasted slivered almonds (coarsely chopped)
1 1/2 c butter, room temperature
1/2 c powdered sugar plus additional for coating
3 egg yolks
1/2 c orange juice
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp almond extract
2 tbsp brandy
3 to 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Preheat oven to 350˚ F.

Beat together the butter and powdered sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in the egg yolks. Add the orange juice, extracts, and brandy. Slowly mix in the flour (1/2 a cup at a time). Try not to overwork the dough. You’ve added enough flour when the dough tightens up, but is still a little wet. Add the almonds and mix to combine.

Take about a tablespoon of the dough and form it into a ball. Place it on a lightly greased baking sheet and press down slightly. Repeat until you have used up all the dough. Bake for about 15 minutes or until a very light golden color.

Fill a bowl with about a cup of powdered sugar. While the cookies are still warm, immerse the cookies into the powdered sugar one at a time. Gently toss each cookie around until it is completely coated. I like to place each coated cookie in its very own paper cupcake liner. The liners work well because they make storage and consumption easy and neat. Add powdered sugar to your bowl as needed to coat all of the cookies. (Yields approx. 36 cookies)

Eating tip: Don’t inhale too deeply when you bite into this cookie unless you like living on the edge. Inhaling will deliver a healthy sample of powdered sugar down your throat, which, in turn, will cause you to choke. That’s not a very merry experience. Otherwise, this cookie is delicious and safe to eat.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip

Who doesn’t love an oatmeal chocolate chip cookie? What I really like about this recipe is that the cookies come out chewy, rich and decadent, yet they’re a tad healthier than the traditional version. That’s because some of the butter is replaced with coconut oil and some of the all-purpose flour is replaced with whole-wheat flour. Add a little oatmeal to keep you “regular” and you have what I like to call a powerhouse oatmeal chocolate chip cookie. For those unfamiliar with coconut oil, it actually has a quite a few health benefits and can be found at Whole Foods and Harris Teeter.

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Vivi Mazarakis is the author of Forking DC. She previously wrote about Pumpkin Gingerbread Trifle with Bourbon-Maple Whipped Cream, here.

Thanksgiving has come and gone, I’ve waded through Black Friday and Cyber Monday emails, and I still have leftover turkey in the fridge! There are only so many turkey sandwiches I can eat, so I turned to Italy for inspiration. The solution: ravioli. I know it sounds complicated, but it’s not. It’s so easy that I’m not writing out a structured recipe. After so much Thanksgiving planning and prepping, I think it’s nice to engage is some free-style cooking for a change. Below, I guide you through an easy way to make delicious ravioli.

In addition to your leftovers, the only other ingredients you will need are:

Pre-made pasta dough
1 egg
Water or stock (any kind)
Parmesan cheese
Olive oil
Butter
Flour
Seasonings like salt, pepper, and nutmeg

Filling

I used a food processor to blend equal parts turkey (white and dark meat) and corn dressing. Then I added a handful of grated Parmesan cheese, a dash of nutmeg, and a few slices of cranberry jelly (from a can, of course). For 12 ravioli, I only used a ½ cup of the corn dressing and 3 to 4 ounces of turkey.

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Vivi Mazarakis is the author of Forking DC. She previously wrote about Greek Chicken Soup here.

With Thanksgiving Day only a week away, I’m reminded of a rather obscure “historical” fact. Did you know that at the first Thanksgiving the Pilgrims fought over cranberry sauce? In fact, the argument sadly divided the group into two camps: those that believed in homemade, chunky cranberry sauce versus those that insisted on cranberry jelly from a can. Because I like you, I’ll share with you a deep, dark secret. My foodie-self loves cranberry sauce from a can. Nothing makes me smile more on T-Day than seeing the gelatinous, cranberry-flavored cylinder slowly shimmy its way out of the can.

Recently, I asked friends for their favorite T-day dishes. Sadly, no one said cranberry sauce from a can. I got some expected responses like macaroni and cheese, potatoes (mashed or gratin-style), sweet potatoes (casserole, candied, or with marshmallows), and dressing (in all its varied forms). I also received some unexpected ones as well. A vegetarian friend piped in with brussels sprouts made with smoked salt instead of bacon. Intriguing. The funniest response came from a dear friend who offered up wine as her favorite dish. It’s funny cuz it’s true. The most unusual response was Jell-O. It came from a Utah friend that said it’s a “Utah thing.” Is it? Anyone want to pipe in on this?

Sides dishes aside, today’s post focuses on dessert. I’m always looking for a good twist to the usual cast of T-day desserts. That’s precisely the reason I turned to my trifle bowl. I bought it many years ago at Marshall’s not really knowing what it was at the time — other than “on sale.” (To this day, its principal use in my home is a fruit and lemon bowl.) A few years ago – while watching the Food Network — a light bulb went off, and a trifle was born.

Readers, I bring you my easy and delicious solution for T-day dessert this year! I call it Pumpkin Gingerbread Trifle with Bourbon-Maple Whipped Cream. The recipe is inspired by the queen of butter, the vixen of Southern cuisine, and the woman that was recently named Maxim’s Sexiest TV chef: Ms. Paula Deen. I’ve put my own twist on Deen’s recipe by tweaking the ingredients and adding homemade bourbon-maple whipped cream. You’re welcome.

It can be made ahead. In fact, it should be made ahead in order to allow the flavors to fully develop. Trust me, this dessert will be a huge hit with your guests. My friends love it so much that they’ve requested that I make it again this year. If you don’t have a trifle bowl, don’t fret. You can use a punch bowl; a large, pretty serving bowl; or make individual servings in big wine glasses or sundae glassware. Part of the trifle’s charm comes from guests seeing the individual layers before diving in. Therefore, glass serving dishes work best.

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Ed. Note: If you’d like to contribute a recipe please send an email with at least one photo to princeofpetworth (at) gmail with recipe in the subject line.

LP writes:

Green Tomato Pie

4 to 5 green tomatoes, chopped
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg or allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch double crust pie ( or 2 pre-repared pie crusts from the grocery if you are lazy like me)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Place diced green tomatoes and vinegar in a large bowl.
In a medium bowl, mix together sugar, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, salt and flour. Sprinkle over tomatoes and toss to coat evenly.
Pour into pie crust and cover with criss-cross lattice crust.
Bake at 350 degrees about an hour. Crust should be brown.

Since we’ve really been enjoying some recipes from PoPville I’m happy to start a new food column from Vivi Mazarakis, the author of Forking DC. Vivi will be doing some occasional reviews and contributing some of her favorite recipes. But if you guys still have some good recipes continue to send me them with a photo and recipe in the subject line to princeofpetworth(at)gmail And here’s Vivi’s take on Greek Chicken Soup:

It’s that time of year in DC. Fall is creeping up on us, making it difficult (for us ladies) to completely put away summer clothes and fully transition into our Fall/Winter wear. It’s also the time of year that my mind and stomach turn to thoughts of soups and stews. One of my favorites is chicken soup. I mean who doesn’t love chicken soup? It’s like a big hug or a cozy blanket.

Growing up Greek, I only knew one kind of chicken soup – Avgolemono soup. The word “Avgolemono” is a combination of the Greek words for egg and lemon. As far as my brother and I are concerned, it’s the best kind of chicken soup. Don’t try to convince us otherwise.

Avgolemono soup starts with the same ingredients one normally associates with a traditional chicken soup — carrots, celery, onions, rice, and chicken. However, its key distinguishing feature is the finishing “sauce,” which is made of . . . you guessed it, eggs and lemon juice.

Now, I know this may sound like a strange way to finish off a soup. And I know that it may be too early in our relationship for you to trust me. But you should. Make this soup once and you’ll never want to go back to regular chicken soup. It’s addictively good. It’s lemony and hearty. It’s a big hug and a cozy blanket on a comfy couch all wrapped up in one bowl. (You won’t taste the eggs.)

My mom and grandmother make this soup the hard way. They start with a whole chicken, which they submerge in cold water and simmer with carrots, celery, and onions. Two hours later they end up with poached chicken and homemade stock. That’s just the first step!

I don’t have the time or patience to do that — to my mother’s great disappointment. So, I’ve tweaked the recipe in order to streamline the process. Those who know me know that I don’t sacrifice flavor for anything. This is gonna be good and so easy!

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Ed. Note: If you’d like to contribute a recipe please send an email with at least one photo to princeofpetworth (at) gmail with recipe in the subject line.

AB writes:

Strawberry Sour Cream Pie

1 unbaked 9 inch pastry shell
1 quart fresh strawberries
1 and 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup flour
1 cup sour cream
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar, reserved

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Rinse and halve berries. Place berries evenly in pastry shell. Mix flour, sugar and salt together in a medium sized bowl. Add sour cream and mix well. Spread mixture over berries evenly. Sprinkle reserved 2 tablespoons sugar over the top. Bake for 10 minutes. Reduce over to 350 degrees and bake another 30 minutes or until crust is a gentle, golden brown.

I find that the pie is best when served chilled but you could be the person who likes it served warm. I scored a boyfriend off of this pie.

Ed. Note: If you’d like to contribute a recipe please send an email with at least one photo to princeofpetworth (at) gmail with recipe in the subject line.

In a large pan, fully brown meats in two batches due to high volume. Put in large sized slow cooker.
Brown onions and peppers in bacon drippings or oil also in two batches until translucent. Add to slow cooker.
In the same pan, deglaze pan by adding two tablespoons of the wine over medium heat. Add Garlic, stir, and in no more than a minute or two bring to just a boil while stirring and add to slow cooker. Add remaining wine to slow cooker.

Now add all tomatoes and paste to slow cooker. Add vegetable broth and beans (optional). Stir well altogether and cover. Set slow cooker to no less than 4 hours. After one hour, add one half each of all the condiments (chili powder, cumin, brown sugar, oregano, cayenne, bay leaves, salt, ground pepper). Keep covered. One half hour before serving add the other half of the condiments. Garnish in serving bowls with your choice of possible garnishes above. Serve with crusty toasted bread and any remaining wine. Serves 8 easy. This savory American dish’s origin is Texan (San Antonio), not Mexican, and tastes even better the second day. The origin of this dish dates to 1731 when 16 families from the Canary Islands settled in San Antonio, Texas.

Chili Con Carne really became popular and grew after Chili Powder was invented, manufactured and marketed in San Antonio in the 1890′s by William Gebhardt. Please note: This recipe is spicy hot. For mixed company that includes women and children, omit the Cayenne and let up on the Chili Powder and Cumin. For an all men Chili Con Carne for football in Winter add more to taste. Also, Salt at 1 tsp is a low Salt recipe; you may add more to taste.

A vegetarian Chili Sin Carne can be made by substituting meats with Tofu or just some starchy Potatoes or Macaroni with White Beans for a good and nutritious White Chili.
-Carlos Lumpuy, Washington, D.C.

“My feeling about Chili is this: Along in November, when the first Northern strikes, and the skies are gray, along about five o’clock in the afternoon, I get to thinking how good Chili would taste for supper. It always lives up to expectations. In fact, you don’t even mind the cold November winds.”
-Lady Bird Johnson, First Lady of the United States 1963 – 1969.

Ingredients after the jump. (more…)

Photo of ‘Teaism Salty Oat Cookie’ by PoPville flickr user Mr. T in DC

“Dear PoPville,

I have always loved Teaism’s salty oat cooklies. They are delicious and irresistable when I go there for lunch. But, sometimes I would like to have them at home, especially as we enter fall and winter and lazy days of baking become more common.

Does anyone know what the recipe is, or have a close approximation? I know DCist and the Post have done articles in the past to try to recreate the recipe, but their versions don’t seem to capture the solid, crumbly, delicousness that is the Teaism cookie.

Any help?”

In addition to this particular request – a few folks have been requesting recipes on the random reader rant/revel post – so I’ll take a crack at making a weekly recipe post. Just send me an email with your favorite recipe (preferably with a photo) and type recipe in the subject line. We’ll do it once a week. And it’d be great if we can do weather appropriate favorites – like favorite chili recipes in the fall/winter etc. We can also take requests so if someone has a particular request add it to the comments here and hopefully someone will send one in.

Photo by PoPville flickr user caroline.angelo

I’ve had a couple of requests to get some recipes from PoPville so I thought it would make for a fun Friday Question of the Day. Personally my number one favorite summer time meal is lobster and corn on the cob. So, quick side question – where’s the best place (that’s not a fancy restaurant) to get lobster and corn on the cob in DC? Or should I just switch to crabs and old bay?

But for the Friday Question of the Day – it’s a simple one – what’s your favorite Summer meal (and for the cooks if you are able to share a basic recipe – all the better!)

Back in ’09 we spoke about our favorite summertime drinks here.

Photo of ‘Gravlax and eggs Evelyn’ by PoPville flickr user theraspberryexpress

Damn this looks awesome. You can see the story of the full meal here.

Photo of ‘Crown rack of lamb’ by PoPville flickr user theraspberryexpress

Photo by PoPville flickr user caroline.angelo

I thought this shot from caroline.angelo was awesome. She asks and answers two awesome questions:

“Two questions that were rolling around in my head:

1. If you pour pumpkin pie filling into an ice cream maker, will you get pumpkin ice cream?

and,

2. If you mix candied walnuts into said ice cream, will it be the most delicious ice cream ever?

The answer to both is a resounding YES!”

So my two follow up questions are – how expensive is an ice cream maker? And can I operate one with nearly zero culinary skills?

DC-Inspired Recipes are by Laura from Lauralicious in DC.

Maybe your “Good Deal Or Not” apartment you found this summer was a “Or Not,” because yikes, you have unintentional “housemates”! For those of you calling the landlord for the 10th time now to get an exterminator, this one’s for you.

This week’s recipe is the Rat-Burger – of course, if you want your friends to eat it, you can tell them it’s a Ratatouille and Goat Cheese Sandwich.

The detailed recipe is available here at Food and Wine magazine.

Ingredients:
Vegetables: eggplant, zucchini, peppers, onions, and tomatoes
Seasonings: olive oil, red pepper flakes, garlic, thyme, basil, and parsley
Goat Cheese spread: plain goat cheese, butter
Sandwich vehicle: potato rolls, hamburger buns, or sub rolls like the original recipe

The recipe walks you through sauteing the vegetables, and simmering them with the tomatoes. It makes a lot, so don’t be afraid to cut the proportions in half – you’ll still get about 8 extremely enjoyable hamburger-sized sandwiches. Then you’ll mix up the goat cheese spread, although I’ll admit that goat cheese is creamy enough by itself, so if you’re a healthy eater, you can leave out the butter. Definitely include the seasonings if you can – the combination of the red pepper flakes alongside the cheese tastes just unbelievable.