Jambalaya

Posted on 11 October 2011 by Brad

Ingredients

  • 2½–3 lbs boneless chicken, cut up
  • 3 teaspoons salt
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper
  • 1 lb. smoked sausage
  • 1 cup rice
  • 32 oz. stewed tomatoes
  • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder or crushed garlic
  • ¼ teaspoon thyme
  • cayenne pepper to taste (optional)

Preparation

  1. Cover chicken with water (at least 2 cups). Add salt and pepper.  Bring to boil, reduce heat, and cover.  Simmer 30 minutes until done.
  2. When done, remove chicken, dice into chunks.  Save 2 cups of broth.
  3. Cut sausage into small medallions and fry in pot.
  4. When ready, add 1 cup rice and sauté briefly (1 minute).
  5. Add remaining ingredients and 2 cups of chicken broth. Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for 25 minutes or until rice is ready
Posted in Cajun, Main Courses | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Onion and Goat-cheese Bread

Posted on 11 May 2011 by Howard

Print
Onion and Goat-cheese Bread

Ingredients

  • ½ cup chopped pecans
  • 1 Tablespoon butter
  • 1 medium sweet onion, halved and thinly sliced
  • ½ teaspoon sugar
  • 1 large garlic clove, minced
  • ~10 oz goat cheese
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt
  • ⅛ teaspoon pepper
  • 1 medium loaf French baguette
  • ½ cup honey

Instructions

  1. Cut French baguette in ¼ inch rounds and toast lightly
  2. Place pecans in a single layer in a baking sheet
  3. Bake at 350ºF for 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly toasted
  4. Melt butter in a 10 inch skillet over medium-to-high heat. Stir in onion and sugar. Cook, stirring often, 20 to 25 minutes or until onions are caramel-colored. Add garlic, and cook 2 more minutes. Remove from heat and let stand 30 minutes.
  5. Use blender or food processor to combine onion mixture, goat cheese, salt, and pepper for 30 to 45 seconds or until ingredients are well-blended and smooth.
  6. Spread mixture evenly onto bread slices
  7. Place bread slices with mixture on baking pan
  8. Bake at 375ºF for 15 minutes or until thoroughly heated and edges are lightly browned
  9. Drizzle with honey and sprinkle with toasted pecans

Posted in Appetizers | Leave a comment

Tomatoes with Bread Crumbs, Herbs, Garlic, & Cheese

Posted on 11 May 2011 by Howard

Ingredients

  • 6 ripe red tomatoes
  • Salt and pepper
  • 2 cloves mashed garlic
  • 3 Tablespoons shallots or green onions
  • ½ cu grated parmesan cheese
  • 4 Tablespoons fresh basil and parsley
  • ⅛ teaspoon thyme
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • Pepper to taste
  • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • ½ cup bread crumbs

Preparation

  • Heat oven to 400°F
  • Cut the tomatoes in half.  Remove seeds.  Add salt and pepper to tomato halves
  • Mix ingredients (other than tomatoes) in a bowl.
  • Add 1 to 2 spoonfuls of mixture on top of each tomato half
  • Sprinkle several drops of olive oil on top of each tomato half
  • Place tomatoes with toppings in a shallow, oiled roasting pan
  • Place pan with tomatoes in top of pre-heated oven and bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until tomatoes are tender but hold their shape and the bread crumb filling has browned slightly.
Posted in Salads, Sides | Leave a comment

Avocado and Tomato Salad

Posted on 11 May 2011 by Howard

Ingredients

  • 2 stalks romaine lettuce, “broken” into bite-sized pieces
  • ½ carton of grape tomatoes, halved
  • 1 to 2 large avocados or 2 to 4 small ones… ask your grocer to select ripe ones… or buy unripe ones about 3 days ahead (see instructions below for preparing)
  • Vinaigrette (see instructions below for preparing)

Avocados

To prepare avocados, first slice in half starting and ending at small end.  Then twist one half to separate.  Whack the seed with a knife to remove seed.  Slice the avocado while in peel 2 to 3 times to make bite-sized squares.  Scoop out squares from the peel with a tablespoon.

Vinaigrette

Prepare 2 to 3 hours ahead, but do not refrigerate.  Results in  ⅔ cup.

Vinaigrette Ingredients

  •  
    •  
      • 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
      • 1 Tablespoon white wine vinegar
      • ½ to ⅔ Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
      • 2 teaspoons mayonnaise
      • Salt and pepper to taste

Vinaigrette Preparation

  •  
    • Combine ingredients with whisk until creamy
    • Adjust tartness by adding lemon juice or white wine vinegar

Avocado and Tomato Salad Preparation

  • Prepare vinaigrette as per above.
  • Prepare avocados as per above. It is best to prepare avocados immediately before serving to avoid their turning dark.  If prepared earlier, toss lightly with a small amount of lemon juice.
  • Toss romaine, grape tomatoes, and avocados separately with the vinaigrette, beginning with the romaine, and layer the remaining.
Posted in Salads | Leave a comment

House of Roy

Posted on 20 February 2011 by Rick

House of Roy was a Cantonese Chinese restaurant in Boston, Massachusetts in the 1970s, a favorite of MIT students and others.  Rick and his MIT cohorts, particularly from MIT’s MacGregor House B-entry (Marc Blank, Joel Berez, Mike Dornbrook, Mike Riley, and others) visited the House of Roy weekly starting in 1972.

There were two primary ways we ventured from MIT to the House of Roy at 12a Tyler Street in east Boston.  Mostly, we went on the T, Boston’s subway system.  We walked across the MIT campus to Kendall Square, which at the time was at the border between the east campus of MIT and the slums of East Cambridge.  We took the Red Line from Kendall Square to Washington Street (now called Downtown Crossing) and then switched to the Orange Line.  (One of the denizens at Washington Street came up me and my MIT friends in the T station and interjected a famed phrase, “zip, zap, zoop”.) At other times, we arrived by car, whether Joel Berez’s or others.

The House of Roy was a weekly staple of this MIT crowd on weekends.  (Note that the MIT dining system in this time and era did not serve food to students on weekends!) Check out an advert by House of Roy on page 4 of the 13 November 1959 edition of The Tech!  Wow!  I started eating at House of Roy around 1972!

The usual question once we sat down (and we rarely needed to glance at the menu) was: “n or n minus 1?” To translate: do we want to order main course dishes for everyone, or one less?

House of Roy was located on Tyler Street, not far from the infamous (in its time) Combat Zone in downtown Boston.  Boston in the 1970s designated some areas as its red light district, for prostitutes and others, and it was called the Combat Zone.

Since many of our memories of House of Roy are just that, only memories, here are some other memories of House of Roy to help us out here:

All that said, this seems to only be a first step in the door to this history. Looking forward to more!

- Rick

Posted in Chinese, Restaurants | Leave a comment

Les Halles

Posted on 20 February 2011 by Rick

Ah, we miss Les Halles (also known as Brasserie Les Halles, pronounced as LAY ALL).

This modern and fun French restaurant at 1201 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington DC was a favorite of many, not just us.  This location closed around November 2008 after 15 years.  Two Les Halles locations remain, both in New York City, though we’ve not been to either of them.  The current menu in New York is similar to the menu we enjoyed at the DC location, though some familiar dishes don’t seem to be on it.

Ah, but the memories.  We always looked forward to seeing Aisha and Mehti, waiters and sometimes sommeliers.  Celebrating New Year’s Eve and the new year through noisemakers, hats, and fine meals and drinks… plus the great desserts.  We even participated in one of the waiter’s races that they sponsored and conducted for many years.  We have many photographs to share.

We enjoyed the hanger steak (onglet à l’échalote), the merguez, the choucroute garnie, the pétatou de chèvre, the frisee lardons, and lots of other dishes.  Plus I remember having a special squab of pigeon.  And I always asked for a side of sautéed spinach (not on the menu).

Les Halles, a favorite restaurant where our memories will last forever.

Website: http://leshalles.net/brasserie/

Posted in French, Restaurants | Leave a comment

Bertucci’s in Old Town Alexandria

Posted on 20 February 2011 by Rick

We enjoy eating at Bertucci’s wherever they are located.  The food is always fresh and tasty.

But we find ourselves often heading to the Bertucci’s in Old Town Alexandria at 725 King Street because they’re close and we can eat outside with our dogs, and they’re very friendly and accommodating (like eating outside after the October Army Ten-Miler and the Marine Corps Marathon when it was a bit nippy, and since we brought our dogs).  And the food is wonderful.  We’ve enjoyed the Stella “artisan” pizza and the Silano “classic” pizza and others.

Website: http://www.bertuccis.com/
Alexandria telephone: +1-703-548-8500

Posted in Pizza, Restaurants | Leave a comment

Hard Times Café

Posted on 20 February 2011 by Rick

A perennial favorite of the ginHill crowd is the original Hard Times Café at 1404 King Street in Old Town, Alexandria, Virginia.  We enjoy the Santa Fe egg rolls as an appetizer. Rick always goes for the five-way Texas chili (and adds lots of Tabasco sauce).  Howard likes the 2-way veggie Mac along with cole slaw (which isn’t on the menu).  I’m sure Bethany would prefer the Cincinnati chili! Though the cornbread is actually good, we opt out of it because when we enter we’re salivating for the chili.

Of course, Hard Times has branched out to over a dozen fine locations throughout Virginia and Maryland.  Hmmm… they’re also in old DC in the new Nationals Park!

They actually sell a selection of chili mixes you can use at home.  You can buy their mixes for Texas, Terlingua Red, Cincinnati, or vegetarian chili.  That said, I’m not sure I am worthy of using their chili mix.  It’s always far better when prepared at Hard Times.

On warmer days, we take our favorite dogs to dine outside at Hard Times on the bricked sidewalk right out front.  After your meal, be sure to visit David Martin next door at GoldWorks and discover the fine jewelry that he custom designs and produces.

Website: http://www.hardtimes.com/
Alexandria telephone: +1-703-837-0050

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Thai Pilin

Posted on 20 February 2011 by Rick

The Thai Pilin restaurant is a lunch-time favorite of Rick’s  It’s located on Route 7 in the Tysons Corner area, or, more precisely, at 8385 Leesburg Pike, Vienna, Virginia 22182. My favorite is Pad Thai Pak (vegetable Pad Thai, with rice noodles, but I also enjoy their many curry dishes and other specials.  I’m still exploring their menu after 15 years. Another repeat favorite of mine are the steamed dumplings. You can’t go wrong at the Thai Pilin restaurant.  They have several locations, but I go to the original one in Tysons nearly every week since it’s near where I work.

Website: http://www.pilinthairestaurant.com/
Telephone: +1-703-556-9191

Posted in Restaurants, Thai | Tagged | Leave a comment

Dirty Martini

Posted on 20 February 2011 by Rick

Ingredients (per glass)

  • 2 jiggers (around 3 oz. or 100 ml) vodka, unflavored (if possible, use vodka that’s been stored in a freezer, otherwise, wing it)
  • 1 oz. dry vermouth
  • ½ oz. olive brine juice (what’s in a store-bought olives jar other than the olives!)
  • 1-3 green olives from store-bought jar

Preparation

  • To shaker, add vodka, vermouth, olives jar brine juice, and several cubes of ice
  • Shake heartily
  • Strain shaker mix into martini glass
  • Add olives
  • If drink isn’t nearly up to the rim of the glass, add more shaker mix
Posted in Cocktails, Martini | Leave a comment

Blue Drinks

Posted on 20 February 2011 by Rick

Ingredients

  • 1 12 oz. can of frozen margarita mix (Bacardi brand or similar), slightly thawed so the can can be squeezed
  • Blue Curaçao liqueur
  • Tequila (Herradura or other brand)
  • Ice

Preparation

  1. To blender pitcher, add partially frozen margarita mix from can
  2. To now empty mix can, fill ⅓ with Blue Curacao and add to blender
  3. To now empty mix can, fill ½ with tequila and add to blender
  4. Add some ice (enough to mix but not too much to gag the blender; if blender gags, add more water and if necessary, use a wooden spoon to dislodge ice from blender blades)
  5. Mix blender at high until mixed (start and stop at different speeds if needed)
  6. Until blender pitcher is filled to around 45 to 50 oz., add water and ice and mix blender at high; repeat

Serve in margarita glasses.  Do not add salt.

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Kir Royal

Posted on 20 February 2011 by Rick

Ingredients

  • 2 oz. chilled crème de cassis (blackcurrant-flavored liqueur)
  • chilled Champagne of your choice, preferably dry
  • (optional) fresh raspberries

Preparation

  1. Select fluted Champagne glasses (preferably chilled)
  2. Add crème de cassis to flute
  3. Add 1-2 raspberries to each flute
  4. Fill to the rim with Champagne, mixing by very slowly turning flute
Posted in Apéritif, Cocktails | Leave a comment

Hard-boiling Eggs

Posted on 12 February 2011 by Howard

Ingredients

  • Raw eggs

Preparation

  1. Place eggs in a pot with cold water.
  2. Bring water and eggs to a full boil.  Stir eggs occasionally.  Let boil for 10 minutes.
  3. Pour water out of pot.
  4. Shake eggs in pot to crack shells. (Don’t remove shells yet.)
  5. Fill pot with eggs with ice and cold water.
  6. Let remain until eggs are cool.  Pour water out of pot.
  7. Remove shells from eggs.

Hard-boiled eggs are ready to use.

Posted in Ingredients | Tagged | Leave a comment

Green Rice Casserole

Posted on 8 February 2011 by Joan

Ingredients

  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons butter or margarine
  • 1 package (small box) frozen chopped broccoli, thawed
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 can Campbell’s Golden Mushroom Soup
  • 1 cup cooked rice
  • 1½-2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Preparation

  1. Sauté onion in butter/margarine
  2. Mix all ingredients into casserole dish
  3. Base at 350ºF for around 30 minutes or until bubbly
Posted in Casseroles, Sides | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Spanish Rice

Posted on 8 February 2011 by Rick

Ingredients

  • 1 lb. ground beef
  • ½ cup chopped onion
  • ⅓ cup chopped green pepper
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 can tomato soup
  • 1 cup water
  • ½ cup rice
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper
  • 2 teaspoons worcestershire sauce

Preparation

  1. In skillet, cook beef, onions, green peppers, and garlic until meat is browned and vegetables are tender. Drain grease.
  2. Add remaining ingredients and cook covered over low heat until rice is tender, 20 minutes or so.
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Rum Cake

Posted on 8 February 2011 by Brad

Glaze

Ingredients

  • 1 stick butter or margarine
  • ¼ cup water
  • 1 cup sugar
  • ½ cup rum

Preparation

  1. Combine all ingredients in heavy sauce pan
  2. Boil for 5 minutes
  3. With spoon, put glaze on cake slowly, allowing some of the glaze to soak in

Cake

Ingredients

  • 1 box yellow cake mix
  • 1 small box instant vanilla pudding
  • 4 eggs
  • ½ cup oil
  • ½ cup rum
  • ½ cup cold water
  • 1 cup pecans, chopped

Preparation

  1. Mix eggs and oil until smooth
  2. Add cake mix, pudding, rum, and water
  3. Mix according to directions on cake mix box
  4. Add chopped pecans and mix
  5. Pour into greased/floured tube pan and bake according to directions on cake mix box

Rum Cake

Add glaze to cake

Posted in Desserts | Leave a comment

Ranch Hand Round Up

Posted on 8 February 2011 by Joan

Ingredients

  • 2 15 oz. cans black beans, drained
  • 1 15 oz. can white and yellow corn
  • 1 4 0z. can sliced black olives
  • 1 4 oz. can diced green chilies
  • ¼ cup chopped green olives
  • ¼ cup chopped red onions
  • ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • ½ cup vinaigrette salad dressing

Preparation

  1. Combine all ingredients
  2. Chill overnight
Posted in Dips | Leave a comment

Grilled Swordfish with Couscous

Posted on 8 February 2011 by Rick

I’ve always said that if swordfish is on the menu at a restaurant, I’ll order it!  Swordfish has been a top-notch favorite of mine for as long as I can remember.  There were some years in the 1970s or thereabouts when swordfish wasn’t readily available due to mercury poisoning.  Thankfully, it’s readily available now, and along with tuna, it makes me salivate.

This recipe comes from the 5757 Restaurant in New York City.

Ingredients

  • 2 oz. couscous
  • 1 small carrot, peeled and diced
  • ½ small zucchini, diced
  • 1 thick slice eggplant, about 1 oz., diced
  • 1 medium tomato, peeled, seeded, and diced
  • 1 artichoke bottom, trimmed and diced
  • 2 medium mushrooms, trimmed and diced
  • 4 cups tomato juice
  • ½ teaspoon ground pepper
  • 2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 4 swordfish steaks, 5 oz. each
  • 4 lemon wedges
  • several sprigs of fresh dill

Preparation

  1. Place couscous in sieve and cover top with foil.  Set sieve in large pot with 1 inch boiling water.  Cover and cook on medium heat for 15 minutes.  Remove from heat.  Fluff with fork and set aside.
  2. In medium-heavy pan, combine carrot, zucchini, eggplant, tomato, artichoke, and mushrooms with tomato juice.  Cook on high heat, stirring occasionally until vegetables are tender and tomato juice is thickened, about 7-9 minutes.
  3. Add pepper, parsley, and lemon juice.  Remove from heat and set aside.
  4. In broiler (or charcoal grill), put swordfish on lightly-oiled broiling pan (or grill) and cook 4-6 inches away from heat until firm, about 3 minutes on each side.
  5. Gently reheat vegetables with tomato juice.
  6. Cover bottoms of 4 plates with mixture.
  7. Reheat couscous (in sieve) over boiling water if necessary and mound in center of dish.
  8. Top with swordfish and garnish with lemon wedges and dill.

Serves 4.

Posted in Main Courses | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Mom’s Spaghetti Sauce

Posted on 8 February 2011 by Rick

This is the spaghetti sauce my mother made in my youth.  We didn’t buy bottles of already made pasta sauce… was there a market for them then?

Ingredients

  • 1¼ lb. ground beef
  • ½ large onion, chopped
  • oregano
  • chili powder
  • 6 cloves garlic
  • large can (29 oz.) Hunt’s tomato sauce
  • regular can of tomato soup

Preparation

  1. Brown ground beef in skillet
  2. Mix in onions and stir
  3. Lightly cover beef and onion mix with oregano and chili powder
  4. Chop garlic cloves and add to mix
  5. Add tomato sauce and tomato soup, and stir
  6. Simmer for as long as desired… at least an hour!
Posted in Sauces | Tagged | Leave a comment

Serbian Beef

Posted on 8 February 2011 by Brad

Ingredients

  • 1 lb. beef (top/bottom, round), cubed
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 2 cups, rice
  • 4 cups, water or beef broth
  • 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
  • 2 tablespoons parsley
  • 3 tomatoes (or 1 can tomatoes for cooking)
  • 1 small can mushrooms
  • ½ teaspoon each salt, curry, garlic, pepper
  • Tabasco sauce to taste

Preparation

  1. Put 2 tablespoons oil in skillet.  Brown beef cubes quickly.
  2. Add onions and cook until tender.
  3. Add rice and cook about 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
  4. Add water (or broth) and bring to a boil.
  5. Put beef and rice mixture in a deep casserole dish.  Add tomatoes and mushrooms, spices, salt, pepper, and mix.
  6. Cook at 375ºF for 1 hour.
  7. Before serving, top with cheese and parsley
Posted in Main Courses | Tagged , | Leave a comment