Thirty Years Ago

September 25, 2013 – Thirty Years Ago

Today is a special day, for two reasons.  First of all, it’s the day Elliott turns 101&1/3 years old.  Secondly, it was on this day thirty years ago that a chance conversation with a handsome stranger in a Paris airport set my life on a completely new course.  Every year since 1983, Elliott and I have celebrated Orly Day to commemorate that fateful encounter and the chain of events it set in motion.  

Celebrating Orly Day at 2941 in Falls Church, Virginia

This year’s Orly Day celebration was a festive lunch at the local restaurant 2941.  While it isn’t specifically a French restaurant, the chef is French and the innovative cuisine has a certain French sensibility.  It’s one of our favorite “special occasion” restaurants and, as usual, we weren’t disappointed.  Two stellar small plates – mushroom tartine and zucchini fritters – got the meal off to a promising start.   

We both followed up with salads for the main course, a lobster Cobb for Elliott and grilled rockfish over mixed greens for me.   

For dessert, we decided to share a chocolate truffle tart with raspberry sorbet.  In addition, our server surprised us with a sweet anniversary treat.  (We had mentioned the special significance of the day.)  As if that weren’t enough, when our coffee arrived, it was accompanied by a couple of freshly made beignets.  

As we were finishing up our meal, Elliott jokingly told our server that we’d been debating whether to have lunch at the Tour d’Argent in Paris or at 2941.  I think we made the right decision. 

Fall Forays and Dining Discoveries

September 24, 2013 – Fall Forays and Dining Discoveries

Taking advantage of the change in season, we’ve made a few mini road trips within the past week.  First of all, we took a drive out to Manassas, best known for the pair of Civil War battles that took place just outside of this town.  In Yankee-Land, where I grew up, we learned about the Battles of Bull Run.  In Virginia and the rest of the Confederacy, these battles are called the Battles of Manassas.  In fact, the Civil War is still referred to by many Southerners as The War of Northern Aggression.  There are roads, parks, schools, statues, etc. memorializing Confederate victories and military heroes.  It’s not unusual to see Confederate flags in certain parts of the state, although not in our little corner of northern Virginia.  No wonder we’re still dealing with the legacy of the Civil War.  As a Northerner, I find all of this pretty amazing.  I realize that Southerners are proud of their history, but why would people choose to glorify a culture that perpetuated human rights abuses?  It would be like the Germans today still having Hitler’s name on a major square or airport.

In any case, we didn’t go out to Manassas to see the battlefield, but to dine at a fine Portuguese restaurant in the center of the old town.  Most of the historic brick buildings, which date back to the early 1900s, were built after fire destroyed the earlier wooden structures.  The old railroad station is still in use by the daily commuter trains that provide service to DC’s Union Station.  After a quick walking tour of the main street, we settled into the romantic gold-toned candlelit dining room at Carmello’s for a wonderful meal.  Warm marinated olives, sweet potato soup, arugula salad, cataplana of bacalahu (a typical Portuguese preparation of salted cod, pumpkin, corn, zucchini and peppers over tomato rice, served in a copper dish) were all delicious.  Desserts were equally satisfying: almond tart with vanilla ice cream, and a plate of roasted apricots with mascarpone mousse and toasted walnuts.  It took less than an hour to drive out to Manassas, so we’ll definitely return.  

Elliott in Manassas

Cataplana de bacalahu at Carmello's

 

Sunday’s road trip was in the opposite direction.  Elliott wanted to show Marshall the area where he and his sisters grew up in Southeast DC.  He showed us the house on Potomac Avenue (near 15^th Street) that his parents bought around 1915 and gave us a driving and walking tour of the neighborhood, pointing out where the bakery, the drugstore, and other landmarks from his childhood were located.  There were no paved roads or traffic lights at the time, and horses outnumbered cars.  After many years of decline, the area is slowly being reclaimed.  Many of the older row houses have been restored and expanded.  Although it’s relatively close to Eastern Market and the Capitol, it’s a quiet residential neighborhood.  It made me wonder briefly about relocating here with Elliott.  But there weren’t any restaurants within walking distance, and we were starving.  

Elliott and Marshall in front of his childhood home on Potomac Avenue

We got back in the car and by a great stroke of luck, found a parking place right across the street from the Smithsonian American Indian Museum.  Elliott and Marshall had never eaten in their cafeteria, Mitsitam Café, which specializes in the cuisines of the native peoples of the Americas.  Marshall headed to the Great Plains counter for an Indian taco, which featured buffalo chili.  My two vegetarian choices, from the South American section, were a light and toasty quinoa and cauliflower dish and a salad of chickpeas, grilled corn, queso fresco and lime vinaigrette.  Elliott selected roasted turkey and tart cranberries from the Northern Woodlands.  The three of us shared a sinfully rich tres leches cake for dessert.  

Indian "taco" at Mitsitam Cafe (Smithsonian American Indian Museum)

Tuesday was one of those perfect fall days, crisp and cool in the morning, warming up with the sun to the mid-70s, with a cloudless blue sky.  Marshall joined us again for a drive out to visit our friend Frank in Purcellville, about 40 or so miles west, just past Leesburg.  Once we left the traffic congestion and suburban landscape behind, we were out in the country, with horses, barns, and cornfields.  The town of Purcellville was the terminus of the old Washington and Old Dominion railroad.  Nowadays, the W&OD trail follows the old railroad tracks, and runs from Arlington to Purcellville.  The old railroad station still stands in downtown Purcellville.  Right next to the station is the old mill, which has been turned into a beautifully decorated restaurant called Magnolias at the Mill.  Their menu features creative American cuisine and everything we ordered was scrumptious, including fish tacos, steak frites, and salted caramel pot de crème.  Marshall and Elliott even raved about the locally sourced Lost Rinos root beer.  There’s a cute little downtown area, but there has been a tremendous amount of recent development which looks like Anywhere, USA. 

We will continue our exploration of destinations within a day’s drive.   Look for our next report from Winchester, Culpepper, Fredericksburg, or Watertown.  

Grains 101: A is for Amaranth

September 19, 2013 – Grains 101:  A is for Amaranth

In the past few years, in an attempt to incorporate more whole grains into my diet, I’ve expanded my grain repertoire to include quinoa, farro, bulgur, whole wheat couscous, pearled barley, and three varieties of brown rice (jasmine, basmati, and short-grain).  They reside in glass Mason jars on a shelf in my kitchen, alongside the dozen or so jars of different kinds of dried beans.  The shelf is crowded enough already, but my recent cooking class convinced me to add a few more whole grains to the collection. 

After yesterday’s shopping expedition to Mom’s Organic Market, I was ready to get started on my exploration of five less familiar grains:  kamut, hulled barley, spelt, amaranth, and millet.  I set out five plastic bags on the butcher block island in the kitchen.  The contents ranged from tiny seeds to long rice-like grains.  According to Lorna Sass’s book, Recipes from an Ecological Kitchen, each was full of important nutrients.  In addition, each had a distinctive flavor and texture.  I was eager to cook them all, and was wondering where to begin.  The answer seemed logical:  try them in alphabetical order.  Therefore, I would start with amaranth. 

The featherweight amaranth grains (the size of mustard seeds) bounced all over the counter when I poured them out of the bag to measure one cup.  According to Lorna Sass, amaranth is an ancient Aztec grain that has a porridge-like consistency when cooked.  She describes its “irresistible aroma,” reminiscent of corn.  That made me really excited about trying it, which is probably why I neglected to absorb the import of another statement by the author, noting that amaranth is “definitely an acquired taste.”  I just shrugged it off, thinking, how could a grain taste bad? 

In any case, I followed one of her suggestions, cooking the amaranth along with chopped onion and garlic.  When it reached a soupy consistency, I added salt, pepper, parsley, diced green beans and tomatoes for additional flavor and texture.  The aroma didn’t remind me of corn, but the mixture looked interesting, and I was optimistic as I scooped up a spoonful to taste.  It was, well, unusual would be a fair descriptor.  Let me just say that everyone should try amaranth – once.  I ate plenty of it for dinner, but I wouldn’t dare inflict it on Elliott.  I now have a large container of this goopy stuff hiding out in my refrigerator.  Or maybe I should put it out for the birds to nibble on.  

Amaranth looks good, but....

So, in summary, A is for Amaranth, and for Acquired Taste.  Wish me better luck with B (for barley, the kind with the hull intact). 

An Evening of Adventurous Eating

September 17, 2013 – An Evening of Adventurous Eating

This evening marked my introduction to the world of izakaya.  According to Wikipedia (not an authoritative source, I admit), an izakaya is “a type of Japanese drinking establishment which also serves food to accompany the drinks.”  These are informal places, popular for after-work drinking, where small plates of food are generally shared in the manner of tapas or mezze.  

 

Honey Pig Izakaya in Annandale sounded like a perfect spot for a casual get-together with some of my AHS colleagues.   We met late this afternoon for an early dinner, which unfortunately did not include any drinking other than tap water.  (I forgot to read the Wikipedia article first.  I’ll know better next time.)   Since there were five of us, we were able to order a wide array of tasty items:  succulent shrimp dumplings, emerald green seaweed salad, a dinner-plate sized Japanese seafood and bean sprout pancake, crunchy roll (the tempura shrimp added the crunch), vegetable croquettes (the Japanese version of potato latkes), grilled veggie skewers (mushroom, asparagus, zucchini, gingko nuts, and garlic cloves), and stir-fried vegetables over noodles.   

Seaweed salad (foreground) and Japanese pancake

Vegetable croquettes

Skewers of grilled vegetables, gingko nuts and garlic cloves

How do you say “yummy” in Japanese? 

All Calm on Convento

Thursday, September 12, 2013 – All Calm on Convento

Nothing special to report at the moment.  Elliott has a new nickname, “Cookie Monster,” since I discovered his recently acquired habit of munching a dozen or so of Trader Joe’s Triple Gingers when he gets up to take his 3:00 A.M. pain killer.  I guess I’m partly responsible for this middle of the night snacking.  I’ve been encouraging him to eat more and to eat more often in order to put on a few pounds.  He has clearly taken this advice to heart.  In addition, he’s been practicing his wedding walk, i.e. walking without his walker so he’ll be ready to march down the aisle with Elisa.  And I’m getting ready for the wedding by doing the housework in high heels.  

 

We’re both feeling fine, but our 2001 geezermobile is ailing, which we discovered a couple of days ago at its annual inspection.  I guess twelve years is old age in car terms, but we’re not ready to replace the silver Lincoln Town Car yet.  It’s having some fairly costly therapeutic procedure done at the moment. 

My GMU class is going well and our study of late 19^th and early 20^th century American art is fascinating.  One of my first assignments was to view an exhibit at The Phillips Collection in DC related to the 1913 Armory Show in New York City.  It gave me some insight into how the taste of Duncan Phillips developed from his earliest days of collecting.  According to his journal and letters (on display in the exhibit), he initially considered artists such as Matisse and Cezanne “damn fools.”  When he first encountered their paintings in Paris in the summer of 1912, he referred to the work as “a hideous patchwork.”  At the time, Phillips saw their work as a complete break from the traditional art he was accustomed to seeing.  Likewise, he had a negative assessment of the Armory Show in New York the following year. 

The exhibit at The Phillips Collection commemorates the 100^th anniversary of the Armory Show in New York City, where European and American artists who rejected the constraints of traditional academically sanctioned art were able to show their work.  Among those European artists were Matisse, Picasso, Cezanne, Kandinsky, and Redon.  American artists exhibiting at the Armory Show included Maurice Prendergast, Arthur Davies, William Sloan, Robert Henri, and Marsden Hartley.

Although Duncan Phillips failed to appreciate the work of these artists at the time of the Armory Show, he later modified his opinion, as he acknowledged in his book, The Enchantment of Art (2^nd edition, 1927).  In fact, in a 1929 article, he stated that he recognized modern art as “a connection to, rather than a violent break from, the past.”  By this point in time, he was already adding work by many “modern” artists to his personal collection.  This exhibit at The Phillips runs through the end of the year.  Even if you can’t visit the museum in DC in person, you can learn more about the exhibit, as well as view much of the museum’s wonderful permanent collection, by going to The Phillips Collection website.

Weekend Surprise

Sunday, September 8, 2013 – Weekend Surprise

We had some impromptu visitors over the weekend.  I got a call from Elisa on Thursday evening telling me that she and Christian would be arriving late Friday night.  My years in the classroom helped me learn how to deal with sudden changes and to adjust plans on a moment’s notice.  Instead of going to the arts festival in Alexandria’s Old Town on Saturday, we spent a quiet morning at home with our guests.  E&C, who are very enthusiastic about cooking, gave us a lesson in egg poaching.  Afterwards, we all enjoyed a relaxed brunch.   

While Christian visited DC-area friends in the afternoon, Elisa and I did a wedding-related errand at the local jewelers and later stopped by to see her friend Laura and Laura’s new baby.  For nearly an hour, Elisa cradled the month-old infant in her arms, talking to her, rocking her, and seeming completely at ease.  As I watched her, I felt a multitude of emotions sweep through me, thinking back to the time I held Elisa in my arms and dreaming of the day she will have a child of her own.  I couldn’t have asked for a better Saturday. 

On Sunday, with our guests on their way back to New York, I joined my friend Lilia for a vegan cooking class.  Mimi Clark, the VeganGourmet, showered us with information about grains and beans, and demonstrated how to prepare several delectable dishes.  Of the dishes we sampled, my favorites were the millet-cauliflower mash and the azuki bean sliders.  Thanks to Mimi, I have several new ideas to try out in the kitchen this fall.  A shopping trip to Mom’s Organic Market is definitely on the agenda for this coming week.  Are you ready, Elliott?    

Some of the delicious grain and bean dishes from the class

Fashion Fever Strikes Again

September 2, 2013 – Fashion Fever Strikes Again

Fashion fever has struck another member of the Thompson household.  That would be my handsome husband.  In the photo, he’s modeling his 1950s vintage tuxedo.  This is a beautifully made suit that he purchased in Paris while he was working there for the U.S. government six decades ago.  I thought we’d given it away to Goodwill, but he must have extracted it from the donation pile and hidden it at the back of his closet.  With his recent weight loss, the tuxedo actually fits him again.  So this is what he’ll wear when he walks Elisa down the aisle.   

 

As for those black patent peep toe high heels that I was contemplating….  Thanks to all of you who advised me to get the shoes, I went back to DSW and tried them on again.  I didn’t get them that day, but I went back to the store the following day, tried them on yet again, and finally overcame my lingering doubts.  I still felt some twinges of insecurity when I brought them into the house, and I didn’t dare show them to Elliott at first.  I was afraid he’d voice his disapproval.  They were going to be my “secret” shoes.  However, when we were talking to Elisa on the phone this morning, she asked if I’d bought the shoes.  Once my secret was out, Elliott was curious.  I had to model the shoes for him right away, and to my surprise, he was very complimentary.  Now I have to plan an occasion to wear them out in public.  

(photograph of my reflection in the mirror)