the arugula files

Mujadarrah

I had high expectations for this dish.  Too high, probably.  It was good, but not oh-my-God-Joanie-kept-Roger's-baby-good.  Marcus, my lovely husband, sure did like it though.  So maybe you will too.

Mujadarrah is the macaroni and cheese of the Middle East: classic comfort food.  I was eager to try it.  However, when I looked at the ingredients, my first thought was "Where's the flavor?"  It didn't bother me that it was a vegetarian dish.  I eat plenty of meatless wonders.  I was just at a loss for where the flavor would come from.  The ingredients were a little boring: lentils, rice, olive oil, an onion, pepper, a little lemon (which I added).  Finding flavor on that list is difficult.  The answer, of course, is in the onion.  Not one to take any risks with my dinner, I increased the onion from one large onion, which the recipe calls for, to two.  I also added some tzatziki.  That did it.  Marcus says that without that extra dollop of flavor, the dish has a hard time solo.   If you don't feel like making tzatziki, some extra herbs, like cilantro, would help brighten the flavor.

Tzatziki

 

I'm really into Greek yogurt these days.   After searching for the perfect tzatziki recipe, I decided to abandon the internets and develop my own.  I wanted something fresh and garlicky that had a little bit of texture.  I also didn't want to spend time draining yogurt or pulling the water out of cucumbers and, therefore, was willing to put up with a lighter consistency.

This version was a hit in my house.  Marcus practically finished the bowl by picking it up and drinking it like cereal milk after all the cereal is gone. 

Now that I think about it, drinking the milk at the end of the cereal bowl gives me the willies.  Too sweet and murky.  I also don't like wooden utensils like chopsticks (metal ones are fine) or eating a popcicle off a stick.  There is something about the wood texture touching my tongue.   Does this make me insane?

Food Blogger Happy Hour: November 3 @ Northside Social

Who needs a drink?  I do.  This month's food blogger happy hour is at Northside Social, in Arlington, a few blocks from the Clarendon Metro.  Come raise a glass of wine to the cool weather.

The happy hour this month is hosted by Capital Spice and the Arugula Files.

RSVP here. 

Israeli Couscous with Golden Raisins, Mint, and Almonds

I recently served this dish for a dinner party with a few friends.  Dinner was Mediterranean inspired: lamb, tzatziki, baba ganoush, and pitas.  I was planning to serve rice, but thought it too boring.  This dish, with its bright herb flavors, mild sweetness from the raisins, and crunch from the almonds, is packed with flavor.  It added something interesting to the table.  Bonus: leftovers made for a yummy breakfast the next day.

"I Do" Menu: Dinner by Star Catering

Marcus and I got married in June.  It's taken me a while to go through the photos, and I wanted to do that before I told you about our catering company.  Everyone says that no one remembers food at weddings, except to say that most of it is bad and some of it is inedible.  I didn't want that to be the case for our wedding.  Um, I'm a food blogger.  That would be a crisis. 

We wanted delicious, seasonal food that would be a treat for our friends and family. We tested quite a few catering companies.   Most fell in the bad wedding food category: gluey potatoes, rubber chicken, sickly sweet salmon, and gray tuna that would make the likes of Eric Ripert gasp. 

We finally found Star Catering through the Neighborhood Restaurant Group, owners of some of our favorite restaurants: Birch and Barley, Churchkey, Rustico, the Evening Star, and Planet Wine.  We decided on Star Catering because of our tasting.  We went on a Friday night.  It was just the two of us, a chef, a manager, and a hostess.  They served us an amazing dinner with wine, and instead of telling us about them, they asked lots of questions about us. And previous to meeting us, they did their homework and checked out our venue, Cabell's Mill in Centreville, Virginia.  I'm surprised they didn't offer to rub my back, the service was that good.  Based on the deliciousness of the food and the level of service, we were sold.

Farm City: The Education of an Urban Farmer

 

I just finished Farm City: The Education of an Urban Farmer by Novella Carpenter.  Ms. Carpenter is an urban farmer in Oakland and Farm City chronicles her experience with animal husbandry on plot of land smaller than my yard.  Urban farming is all the rage these days and it's easy to dismiss the likes of Ms. Carpenter and her hipster following as a passing fad, except for the fact that everywhere—from containers on DC condo patios, to community plots, to the White House lawn—a garden is growing.  Granted, gardening is not farming, but considering the egg crisis and the number of articles I’ve read on people raising their own chickens, interest in raising animals, to be eaten, qualifies as trend. (Note: most of the laws in the Washington region, including DC, MD, and VA, either prohibit or make it difficult for people to raise chickens).

New Favorite Lunch Place: Mixt Greens

My new favorite salad place is Mixt Greens, located just south of Dupont Circle at 19th and M Streets.  Cucumber water is the first thing that greets you when you enter.  Grab a compostable cup, fill it up, and get in the zen line.