the arugula files

Pumpkin Cheesecake by the Butter Queen

I don't have much of a sweet tooth.  I do, however, enjoy a good cheesecake.  This pumpkin cheesecake is a recipe from Paula Deen, the queen of butter (did you think I meant Julia?).  It tastes like a cheese cake-y pumpkin pie.  I honestly prefer the taste of this cheesecake, but I like the seasonal aspect of the pumpkin in Ms. Deen's version.  Okay, okay, the pumpkin was from a can. People don't really use fresh pumpkin in pumpkin pies, do they?

A Delicious Burger in Dupont Circle, Finally (The BGR Joint)

 

Resisting the temptation to eat cheeseburgers used to be easy in Dupont Circle for one simple reason: there weren't any worth craving.  That all changed when The BGR Joint opened their doors last week.  Now, I have to pass by BGR every night on my walk home from work.  Oh. Dear. 

Friday night Marcus and I gave BGR a try.  My burger choice, the Wellington, came perfectly cooked to my liking (medium rare), and covered in earthy mushrooms, mixed with a hint of blue cheese and caramelized onions.  The burger was tucked in a buttery brioche bun, and each bite delivered juicy, fatty goodness. 

I could be happy with burgers alone at BGR, but then they had to go and make some of the most delicious fries I've had from a "fast food" place.   Starchy, crispy, and salty is the holy trinity when it comes to fries and BGR has it down.  Attention french fry lovers: a pilgrimage is in order.  Make a trip to BGR and order the thick ones.  I ordered mine plain, but I'm intrigued with the notion of adding garlic or rosemary for 49 cents.

Food Blogger Happy Hour: Photos

Here are some photos from the recent food blogger happy hour.  Thanks to the Black Squirrel for welcoming us to their new second floor space, which was absolutely fabulous (I heart your calamari).  Stay tuned for more info about the next food blogger happy hour on December 2nd.  Meanwhile, visit the URLs of the bloggers featured in these photos.

Cranberry Muffins and Message from Obvious Inc.

Every time I make muffins they get stuck in the muffin tin, no matter how much butter I grease the edges with. Recently I had an epiphany: I could use cupcake liners for my muffins.  That way they would just pop right out of the pan.  

Fall: The Bold and the Beautiful

 

My Aunt Franny recently expressed disappointment in my Flickr account, which she has bookmarked and checks frequently.

Sprouts, Dried Figs, and Bacon, Plus: What I Don't Know

"Where can I find dried figs?" asked my friend Dave, a freelance writer, who called me in the middle of the work day for the very important business of filling his shopping cart. I secretly love it when my friends ask me food related questions, and was even happier when I immediately knew what he was planning to do with those dried figs.  It's amazing to think about how something as simple as reading a recipe can send us marching like gourmet lemmings in search of the same ingredients.  Mark Bittman's  Sprouts with Figs and Bacon recipe, featured in the New York Times about a week ago, and surely bookmarked by hundreds, is appealing on so many levels. I've never cooked with dried figs, but since they have all the qualities that make a perfect kitchen staple: uncommon, dried, and cheap, I'm ready to welcome them into my kitchen. Brussels Sprouts are among my favorite vegetables and I'm always looking for new ways to prepare them. And then, of course, there is the bacon.  Bacon makes everything taste good.

Apple Pie with Almond-Brown Sugar Crumb

I have so many apples from apple picking, even though I didn't really pick any.  It's true, we drove to the orchard, walked around, then decided that the apples on the trees weren't so great, so we bought some from the orchard store instead.