Local Love: Sign Up for Chesapeake Bay Seafood Updates

You guys know I love good food, particularly when it's locally sourced. A few weeks ago, one of my favorite people to follow on Twitter, Steve Vilnit, asked me if I wanted to sign up for his email list serve. My first instinct was, ugh, email list serve... yawn. But, I'm absolutely addicted and just have to share it with you.

You see, Steve works for the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and hosts an Chesapeake Bay Seafood Update email list serve that gives you the inside scoop on what's in season and what's headed to a restaurant near you. Basically, his job is to be the point person between Maryland fisherman and the chefs cooking your food.

Steve Vilnit (photo stolen from his Twitter avatar)

The Chesapeake Bay Seafood Update is kind of an insider deal aimed at restaurant owners and chefs, but I have become smitten with the weekly updates about what's running in the Bay and what restaurants are serving it up.

This week, I learned that the striped bass/rockfish season is seeing a near record-breaking catch this year, yellow perch (which have a very limited season) season is progressing and blue catfish is very limited right now. All that, plus Maryland crab season opens up April 1st and since we've had all of this warm weather, we could be cracking crabs early this year!

You don't think I'd sing all of these praises and then not tell you how to get in on the action, do you? Let's make a deal. I'll tell you where to go to sign up for the Chesapeake Bay Seafood Updates (link embedded)... you promise me that you'll seek local seafood on your menus. Don't be afraid to ask your chefs and servers where something comes from - most of them love eating local too!

PS. Yes, Steve, I am most definitely angling to get aboard for a fishing or crabbing expedition this spring.

Slutty Brownies for Superbowl Sunday

If you are on Pinterest, you've ogled The Londoner's Slutty Brownie recipe. What makes a brownie slutty, you ponder? Well, these are cheap, easy and a sure thing.

The Ingredients and the Inspiration for Slutty Brownies (photo: Tammy Gordon)

Basically, you layer chocolate chip cookie dough, Oreos (I went for Double Stuff) and brownie dough (I chose Ghiradelli so mine are more of call girl brownies). You can get fancy and homemade, but these are slutty people... It's ok to not be all foodie and local sourcey on this one. I topped mine with sea salt and had to bake at 350 for 40 minutes, but those were the only tweaks I made.

Slutty Brownie Assembly (photo: Tammy Gordon)

Slutty Brownie: The Finished Product (photo: Tammy Gordon)

As my friend Elizabeth said, Slutty Brownies are the turducken of desserts.

MAP: My Favorite Places to Eat in Florida

With the Republican primary in Florida right now - and the convention headed to Tampa later this year - I'm getting a lot of questions from DC pals about where to eat in my home state.

Like everything else these days, there's an app for that. I've create a Google map of my favorite spots to eat and drink across Florida. Some are locally-sourced, some are epic dives and some have sentimental old-school Florida value. Feel free to tweet me or email me if you're looking for something more specific and I'll do my best to send you to a spot you couldn't get outside of Florida.

View Best of Florida Eats & Drinks in a larger map

WATCH: Shit People in DC Say

I know, I know... some of you may have seen this already. And some of you are OVER the meme... but, clearly, I'm not!

   

So dead on, DC. 

What would you add? 

To Do: Volunteer, Then Brunch on MLK Day

After spending your morning cleaning up the Potomac or feeding homeless neighbors, you'll be riding a euphoric, feel-good high on Martin Luther King Jr. National Day of Service. You're going to want to celebrate with brunch... one that your lazy non-volunteering friends can meet you at since most of us have the day off. But it's a Monday... what brunch spots are open for MLK Day in Washington, DC?

Never fear, I've got ya covered. Here's a list of spots that will be brunching it up for Monday's MLK Day:

• Afterwords Cafe at Kramerbooks in Dupont Circle
• Agora in Dupont Circle
• Commissary in Logan Circle
• Equinox near the White House
• Founding Farmers in DC and Rockville
• Jaleo in Penn Quarter
• Meridian Pint in Columbia Heights
• Oyamel in Penn Quarter

Now, get out there and brunch! And if you want to find a place to volunteer, let me suggest this search engine or Miriam's Kitchen.

PS If there are others that you hear of, tell me in the comments or tweet me.

Work Week Blues? Fight Back with a Fabulous Lunch at Fiola for $15

I don't know about you, but last week was a rough re-entry to work. I spent the holidays lazing by pools in sunny Florida and I was not ready for office life in cold DC on Monday. Luckily, I work in an amazing neighborhood full of people who are ready to escape for lunch with me on the fly.

My hump day salvation came via one of my Penn Quarter favorites, the newly opened Fiola by Fabio Trabocchi and their amazing $15 lunchtime special at the bar. Like 701 and Proof, if you sit at the bar (and really, that's the best spot to eat lunch) essentially you get to choose from a selection of entrees and pair it with a drink. At Fiola, that means bad ass bar manager Jeff Faile will be mixing up something fun, whether you choose the cocktail or the non-alcoholic choice.

Bring a friend so you can split one of the heavier (read, amazing comfort food for winter) entrees along with one of the lighter entrees like a salad. Here were my pics on a visit last week:

Fiola BLT Burger with Parmesan Fries (photo: Tammy Gordon)

I've had a lot of burgers in Washington, DC and the Fiola BLT Burger is one of the best. We paired it with the buratta which was atop a tangy artichoke salad. And, just like that... life looked a little bit sunnier.

Buratta over Artichoke Salad (photo: Tammy Gordon)

Have you been to Fiola yet? What's your favorite dish? (Me: I'm a sucker for Jeff's Manhattans, Chef Fabio's pastas and the bombolini with honey for dessert)

Fiola is located at 601 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, however the entrance is really on Indiana Avenue (across from Penn Quarter Sports Tavern) and just a half block from the Archives-Navy Memorial Metro stop. Book your reservation through Open Table and follow them on Facebook and Twitter. Ready to take your Fiola Twitter love to the next level? Make sure you're also following Maria and Jeff.

Tampa: Deviled Crabs at La Cubanita

One of my best childhood memories is going down to the docks in Tampa with my Dad and getting deviled crabs at Seabreeze Restaurant. They'd come out steaming hot and we'd load em up with hot sauce and eat em outside by the water... never mind the smell of the bay or the industrial nature of the area. I've had them since at Alessi and other spots, but they never seem to be quite as good at Seabreeze. (Maybe it's the moment in time.)

Today, I popped by my favorite Cuban place near my parents house (La Cubanita Cafe) for some cafe con leche. When I saw "Deviled Crabs" on their daily menu, I had to order one. I brought it home to split it with my Dad. Damned if it wasn't pretty close to what I remember. If you haven't had a Tampa-style deviled crab before, here's what you do:

1) Remove from the bag and breathe it in.

2. Break it in half to check out the quality of the crab meat inside. Lump meat... awww yeah!

3. Rip hot sauce packet open with your teeth and drizzle over the top until well saturated (to taste). Stuff it in your gullet.

UPDATE: I just popped by La Cubanita again this morning for cafe con leche and Cuban toast and chatted with the owner about how good the deviled crabs were. Turns out there's good reason why his taste better than Alessi's. Alessi's uses frozen ones from the distributor. He used to also, but eight years ago, he got his shipment in and the crab meat was poor quality and they had ketchupy taste (ed note: and I think they come out soft instead of crisp when you bite into them). Then and there he decided La Cubanita would hand make their own deviled crabs in the shop. As he said, "Ingredients matter. I use quality crab meat to ensure a good filling and Japanese panko bread crumbs to get the crispy outside."

For the purported recipe of the famed Seabreeze Restaurant deviled crabs, click here. Maybe one day I'll attempt it. (Dear Santa, please bring me a Fry Baby)

In the mean time, who do you think has the best deviled crabs in Tampa?

La Cubanita is located at 3240 Lithia Pinecrest Road in Valrico, FL.  

Sausage, Spinach and Mushroom Risotto with Parmesan

While home for Christmas, my Mom asked me to teach her how to make risotto. I guess she'd tried it before and it came out gummy. She and my Dad ended up dumping it and going out to dinner.

I learned risotto from Giada and, for whatever reason, I took to it. Risotto's my go to thing. Provided I have arborio rice (risotto), I can make it with virtually anything in the kitchen. The other thing I love about it is, you don't have to be exact. Measurements, schmeasurements... it's done when it tastes right. A little too thick, add liquid... Too soupy, cook it down... too bland... add something tasty.

The main thing risotto takes is time. You have to hang out by the burner with your spoon and your wine for a good 30-40 minutes. But the reward, mmmm! (And, I love the process too.) Here's what I did last night, but you can tweak it with any cheese, protein or vegetables you have around:

Sausage, Spinach & Mushroom Risotto with Parmesan
Main Course Serving Size for 4

Ingredients
2 cups arborio rice (approx)
1 bottle of cheap white wine
1 carton of chicken broth
Olive oil
2 cloves garlic (chopped as fine as you can get em)
1 link andouille sausage (you can use more, this is just what we had in the fridge)
1 cup parmesan cheese (I prefer the grated to the powdery kind, but both work)
2 handfuls spinach
1 cup mushrooms

[Note: for vegetarian version, use vegetable broth and omit sausage]

Directions

1. Pour yourself a glass of wine. Heat burner to medium high.
2. In a stock pot (you want it to be fairly deep, the rice is gonna grow a lot,) coat bottom of pain thinly with olive oil and toss in the garlic. Cook til translucent.
3. Add the rice. Yes. Straight into the pot on top of the garlic and olive oil. Give it a slight stir so the rice gets a nice olive oil and garlic coating and then step back. Don't stir. This is the biggest risotto lesson. Like an awesomely bad Kenny Rogers bar song, you gotta know when to stir and when to walk away. You want the rice to toast. It'll start getting a light brown coloring and you'll smell it toasting. OK, now give it a stir. And let it sit til the rest of the rice gets toasty.
4. Now you can add liquid. I alternate wine and broth. It doesn't so much matter the order, but I usually start with broth. Add one cup, stir into the rice and step back. Let it cook down until almost all of the broth has been absorbed.
5. Now add one cup of wine. Stir (only enough that it doesn't stick to the bottom as it thickens.) Step back. 
6. Relax. Drink your wine, chat with friends, watch Days of Our Lives that you've DVR'd guiltily. For the next half hour or so, you'll alternate wine and broth. Stir. Let it absorb. Repeat. There are life lessons in risotto. Good things take time. Some times, it's best to let it lie. You know the drill.
7. Know how you know it's almost done? Not the clock, not the number of cups of liquid added... no... it's when you taste it and you are like, OMFG this needs to get in my belly. Is your risotto there? Ok, now add 3/4 of your cheese and your sausage with your next round of liquid. Stir it all in and let it absorb. (If your sausage is uncooked, toss it in and cook it in the broth, your risotto will absorb the awesome flavors.)
8. When it's cheesy awesomeness is absorbed and the rice tastes perfect but it's still slightly liquidy, you're done (you don't want to cook it down too much because even after you take it off the heat, it's still going to reduce... you want it perfect at the table. If it's perfect on the stove, by the time it gets to the table it'll be overcooked.) Toss the spinach on top and stir. Portion into bowls and top with shredded parmesan. 

Hope you try it and love it! Let me know what you think or if you have other risotto tips to share in the comments or tweet me @floridagirlindc.

PS. Got leftover risotto? Add a little liquid before you reheat it to get it the right consistency. Or, form it into patties, coat with breadcrumbs and fry up into Risotto Patties or Risotto Balls (Aranciata if you wanna be fancy!)

PSS. Like this? Check out my Butternut Squash and Vanilla Risotto or Parmesan Risotto with Ramps, Morels and Asparagus blog posts.

Learning How to Decorate Christmas Cookies from Gail Dosik

Way before I was thinking about Christmas, Cathy (aka Mrs. Wheelbarrow) emailed me and told me Gail was coming to town to teach a cookie decorating class. I'll admit, I signed up to just to meet Gail. You see, Gail and I are those nerdy Twitter pals who've talked for gosh, years? but never met. We talk food, Ike, Morning Joe. She's my kinda gal... and she also happens to be one of the most talented bakers in New York City and the owner of One Tough Cookie.

Then I found out who else was coming... cookbook authors, food editors, food writers... all cool chicks that I admire. Talk about intimidating. You see, even though I fancy myself an artist and novice cook, my cookie decorating was always plain sloppy. Luckily, once I settled in, I realized everyone was thinking the same thing.

Gail gave us the basic tools - pastry bags, tips, flat pastry spatula and the game changer, rolling pin bands. She also gave us her stiff and flood icing recipes which I won't reveal here (take her class though, and you'll be gifted!), but suffice to say, these results can not be attained with store bought icing. Despite begging, Gail's cookie recipe remains a trade secret... and who can blame her. They are the perfect balance - not cloyingly sweet, firm enough to decorate, but not hard.


She gave great tips and step-by-step directions (we practiced a lot first on parchment paper with designs to trace underneath). What do you think of the results? Obviously, I'm only showing you my favorites - I ate the ugliest ones to hide the evidence!

The class photo and info on other classes after the jump...

Sparkling Cranberry Brie Crackers

I stumbled upon Yummy Mummy's Sparkling Cranberry Brie Bites on Pinterest about a month ago and pinned them to my Thanksgiving Menu. I got all of the ingredients, but didn't realize you had to start them the day before (story of my life) so they got 86'd. Then I was going to make them for a tree decorating party, but ran out of time. But I was determined to make them so why not tonight to take to an impromptu cookie and wine house party...

Sparkling Cranberry Brie Bites

I subbed a cranberry pepper jelly I found at Whole Foods for Mummy's chutney... and I was too lazy to go snip mint from the community garden today, so mine aren't quite as pretty as hers. But, they taste amazing and the cranberries look like they are covered in a morning frost.  Get the recipe here and try them for your upcoming Christmas parties!