3 Hoorahs for Chuck!!

If you like electronic tunes or are looking for a new album to run or relax with, check out Chuck Soo-Hoo's new album, "Tiny Elephants." Released in early January, the album was recently selected by indy music review, The Deli Magazine in Washington, DC as the Album of the Month!

Congrats Chuck, super excited for you!

Known as the electronic music artist, Ki Oni, Chuck works with me at Artisphere and in his free time co-runs Joy Pop Records. He recently had a successful art exhibition in Richmond, Va. at Gallery 5 which combined the audio and visual worlds for a unique art experience. 

If you're interest in purchasing his music, visit his page at bandcamp.com - Ki Oni, "Tiny Elephants."  I think my favorite track is "Trees (Bodhi)." $5.00 is a pretty awesome deal for an Album of the Month.  Eat your heart, indy music lovers.

Free Cookbook Download

There's a free PC or Kindle download for the
The Parthenon Cookbook: Great Mediterranean Recipes from the Heart of Chicago's Greektown by Camille Stagg on Amazon.com!  

Enjoy!

New/Old Posts on Capital Cooking's Blog

The National Cathedral ~ Winter 2011
(I had to post this because it's my favorite view of winter in D.C.)

Oh dear, oh dear...Sorry, dear readers, for the lengthy delay in posting anything of significance. I promise a new recipe soon!

February was a busy month for Capital Cooking since Washington, D.C. hosted the International Wine & Food Festival, plus there were a number of restaurant openings, seasonal menu changes and general fun events to attend.

Here are two such events that I was fortunate enough to attend through Capital Cooking. I can't thank Lauren DeSantis enough for allowing me to attend these events. They were spectacular!!

Tuesday, February 19, 2013 -
Uncorked: Regional Food & Wine Celebration
Wow! Talk about a lot of wine and food. I thought I'd never need to eat again...but then I saw the dessert table.
Woosh!
Appetite immediately returned.
Funny, how that happens.

Saturday, March 2, 2013 -
Uncorked: Peter Lehmann Wines
I must state here, so that it may be publicly known, that if you EVER have the chance to attend a future showcase dinner offered through the DC International Wine & Food Festival and/or the Wine Cooperative, it is absolutely, positively worth the money. (Full Stop.)

This was the best meal I've had in a long time. It was well thought out, balanced and perfectly paired with the featured wines, yet could easily have stood on its own as a masterpiece menu.

Also, worth noting: A good friend of mine informed me that due to my colorful description of this event and Peter Lehmann Wines, she purchased a bottle or two of Lehmann's Shiraz for about $10.00 a bottle. It was a complete hit at her party!

No one guessed it was so inexpensive. Her guests even asked where she purchased the wine thinking it came from a boutique wine merchant. How often does a $10.00 bottle of wine buy so many compliments?

Better yet, knowing the wine is from the Barossa region of Australia may make you feel even more classy and wine knowledgable. If you didn't know that this info. mattered, now you do. You may even start self-proclaiming the title of Household Sommelier. Lehmann also offers several wonderful Rieslings besides their well-known and more widely distributed Shiraz varieties.

Foodie Hints -
If you view yesterday's Capital Cooking blog post, you'll see a scrumptious recipe for Barry's Guiness Braised Beef Short Ribs.  Guiness and beef?
Talk about a perfect pairing!
YUM.

Recipe: Ginger Creamy Carrot Soup

Last month was soup month and I missed it!  

This post is in honor of the all the soups I missed posting.

This savory soup is a creamy comfort for cold winter's days. It is uniquely light and simple in flavor and balances well with the cauliflower. Don't tell the kiddos it's healthy!

 Delaplane Cellars ~ Delaplane, Va.

INGREDIENTS

• 4 Tablespoons of Butter
• 1 Tablespoon of Olive Oil
• 2 Garlic Cloves, minced
• 2 Shallots large, chopped
• 1-1 1/2 Tablespoons of Fresh Ginger, minced (equivalent to a knuckle and a half of ginger root)
• 2 Pounds of Carrots, julienned (cooks faster than chopped), may be substituted for 3 1/2 Cups of Butternut Squash, cubed
• 1 Medium Head of Cauliflower, rough chopped in 1-inch pieces
• 2 Dashes of Pepper, freshly ground
• 6 Cups of Chicken Broth (Vegetable Broth may be used as a substitute)
• 2 Cups of Heavy Cream OR 3 Cups of Milk, plus 2 extra Tablespoons of Butter
• Dash of Cinnamon
• Salt & Pepper to taste

prep time:

30

cook time:

45 minutes

total time:

90 minutes

Makes 6-8

DIRECTIONS

• 1
  In a deep stock pot, sauté Butter, Olive Oil, Garlic, Shallots and Ginger until the Shallots cook clear. (Olive Oil cooks at a higher temperature and prevents the butter from browning.)
• 2
  Add in the Carrots and Cauliflower and stir until all vegetables are mixed together and heated through.
• 3
  Add in a couple dashes of salt and freshly ground pepper.
  
• 4
  Pour in the Chicken Broth and bring ingredients to a rolling boil.
  
• 5
  Turn heat down to slow boil and cook for 30 minutes or until vegetables are fork tender.
• 6
  Using a hand blender, carefully pureé ingredients and incorporate Cream. You may use Milk as a substitute, but be sure to add the extra butter to give the soup the proper creamy flavor.
• 7
  Add a dash of Cinnamon to enhance the Ginger.
  
• 8
  Salt and pepper to taste.

NOTES

May be served hot with a sprig of thyme or cold with a dallop of sour cream
and a squeeze of lemon on top.

Books: Story's End

My friend and young adult author, Marissa Burt, just posted this announcement about her new sequel!

Just a few more days to enter to win Story's End ! Click on the link below to enter: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13263764-story-s-end

Which means the Storybound sequel is going to be released soon!  YAY!
The expected publisher release date is April 2, 2013.  You can reserve your copy today by clicking here at Story's End.

 You may remember my previous write up regarding Marissa's debut book Storybound.  However, I think our friend Emily (click here to read her blog, Emily's Hollow) does a far better job of  describing this book on her review from GoodReads -

"Storybound gives a fun and unique take on how all of our favorite stories have been created: from Fairy Tales to Pirate Lore to Cowboy Westerns. They're all created in the world of Story. When a girl from our world enters Story, however, everything begins to change. Una Fairchild finds herself transported from her school to a school in Story, where her fellow students are training to become characters: Heroes, Villains, Ladies, even Sidekicks and Beasts. She must learn who to trust as she tries to figure out why she was brought to Story in the first place, and how she can help its enemies from destroying the world completely.

Storybound is refreshing in that, while it is a middle grade novel, it is not written down for children. Many times when I read books geared for such a young audience, there is a certain self-consciousness to the book; I am never unaware that I am, in fact, reading a book. Storybound allowed me to fully immerse in the world Burt created. The descriptions of Story are vivid, and the characters all have plenty of nuance. For a book that deals with the stereotypes of stories, her characters have many shades of gray that make them real. 

The language and syntax is simple enough for children to read, but as a parent and an English teacher, I was happy to see a handful of words that might encourage young hands to reach for a dictionary. The twists in the plot found the balance of holding the attention of older readers, while not confusing its intended audience. 

I eagerly await its sequel."


If you have any young friends or friends with kids, I definitely recommend this series to you!

Bloggishness

Just found a blog that I need to visit more and a recipe that I have to try ASAP! Thought I'd share: Bust Your Buttons Butter Cake at Just A Pinch Recipe Club.

Also, for those in the DC metro area, I made a new friend while doing a restaurant review for Capital Cooking. Each day bargain-hunter/mom of two, Laura, posts great contests, deals and coupons that can be found throughout the DC and Northern Va. area. View her blog BeltwayBargainMom to find today's deal! What's not to love about cheap and free?

Capital Cooking: New Post Up!

For my DC central friends, specifically those who are looking for a great pool and fitness center off of U Street; here's my recent review of VIDA Fitness and one of their Penthouse Pool Club member perks. Please click HERE to view.