The Feed: February 6, 2013

The Feed is my weekly round up of interesting food-related stories from newspapers, magazines, blogs and websites.

The Daily Meal: “Fading Favorites: 11 Dishes Disappearing From Menus,” by Dan Myers. Hamburgers, Caesar salad and tiramisu may seem ubiquitous today, but someday they may be history, swept under the rug by changing tastes or necessity. Myers’ story examines 11 such dishes that were once mainstays but now rarely appear on menus, such as Beef Stroganoff, Crab Louie and Trout Almondine (although I will note that Poste is serving Grouper Almondine on its Restaurant Week menu). The accompanying slideshow gives a brief take on each dish.

New York Times: “Winter’s Balm: A Bubbling Pot of Polenta,” by David Tanis. City Kitchen explores the classic Italian cornmeal dish with some tips on how to make it right, a basic recipe and a couple variations.

Washington Post: “Better bread starts with a sponge,” by Marcy Goldman. Not to trot out my West Coast snootiness (because us West Coasters are really snooty about very few things), but I’ve never had good sourdough bread on the East Coast. And I love a good sourdough bread. Goldman offers a possible way to enjoy the delicious yeasty sourness of hot, fresh loaf by making it yourself with a “sponge” base. She includes several recipes, including a basic French Bread.

Drinking in America: “Drink Your Box Of Chocolate On Valentine’s Day.”
It’s not too early to be thinking about Valentine’s Day. Drinking in America offers some cocktail ideas for the lovers’ holiday, including the Caramel Kiss Cocktail, made with chocolate vodka and caramel liqueur—something I’d like to get my hands on.

Leite’s Culinaria: “Ketchup: A Manifesto,” by Casey Barber. Barber writes a rather impassioned ode to ketchup, the quintessentially American sweet and tangy tomato condiment. She offers a strong defense in favor of traditional Heinz ketchup over “high-end” imitators. That said, while I do agree that Heinz makes the best ketchup, I don’t agree with her putting down Simply Heinz, since its sugar-based recipe is probably more traditional than the “standard” version, which I assume wasn’t always made with HFCS.

Range (Washington, D.C.)

[Update: Range has closed.]

Restaurant perfection is rare. Often, the starters may be excellent, but the mains are mundane. Maybe the food is really good but the service is cold and rushed. Dishes show creative ideas but fail to come together cohesively. And even the very best places can have an off night.

Our recent dinner at Range, the sprawling and ambitious new restaurant from Bryan Voltaggio (Volt, Family Meal, Lunchbox, Top Chef) was about the best meal we’ve had in quite a long time, a remarkable accomplishment when you consider that on paper Range looks like a sketchy proposition.

To start, it’s located in a shopping mall, specifically the newly renovated Chevy Chase Pavilion in Friendship Heights. When you think of culinary mastery, “mall food” isn’t what usually comes to mind. But consider that Per Se, generally regarded as one of New York’s top five restaurants, is also similarly situated in a shopping center. Dismiss Range for this at your peril.

Additionally, the menu at Range has such, well, range, that you’d assume its various parts couldn’t possibly deliver a consistent experience. Seven kitchen stations throughout the 14,000 square-foot are responsible for a menu that includes raw bar, bakery items, charcuterie, pasta, wood oven (including pizza), wood grill, roasted dishes, starch and vegetable sides and desserts, plus there’s a “candy counter,” retail space, cigar lounge and full bar with a massive wine list. Whew. That must certainly keep Chef de Cuisine Matt Hill and Pasty Chef John Miele busy. We couldn’t possibly have sampled from all those elements during our visit, but we gave it our best shot and came away pleased with every single thing we ordered. Seriously.

Because the menu is so broad, diners can fashion their meal in many ways. You could make a seafood dinner from the raw bar and grilled fish selections. Or treat Range like an Italian trattoria and stick to the pasta and pizza selections (something I may do in a future visit). Chart an adventurous course of beef marrow, veal heart and sweetbreads. The menu can be intimidating, but the staff is ready to advise in ordering wisely. “I’ll make sure you neither under or over order,” assured our server and she helpfully guided our selections, which were Range-as-steakhouse with a southern bent.

All of the dishes, even the mains, are designed to be shared, and the menu is completely a la carte. So, for example, the perfectly grilled ribeye steak with roasted garlic and a topping of mushrooms doesn’t come with sides unless you order them. We chose the “everything” mashed potatoes, a buttery puree that tastes like a sour cream and onion potato chip in the best possible way, and glistening fried Brussels sprouts, which came with a sprinkle of crispy shallots. The tender, pink pork was also a success, served with orange segments.

The bakery starters were the first sign we were in for something special. Although we considered ordering the bread basket—a combination of all six available items—our server wisely steered us towards her two favorites: corn bread with bacon marmalade and cheddar-chive biscuits with pepper jelly. Both were excellent but the star of this combo was the bacon marmalade, a smoky-sweet concoction that’s so good I almost pocketed the little leftover bit. Even the sommelier got excited about it when he saw we ordered it.

Speaking of the sommelier, Wine Director Keith Goldston steered us toward a remarkable bottle of BV Vineyards Tapestry cabernet sauvignon with just a few questions to assess our preferences. The lengthy wine list is cleverly divided with rock star references (light white are like “skinny Elvis” whereas the bold chardonnays are like “fat Elvis”). Although I could have perused the list and made my own selection, when there is a Master Sommelier as nice and down-to-earth as Goldston, I was happy to just go with his expert recommendation.

Service in general at Range was excellent. Our aforementioned server was attentive, warm and informative. Finished plates were whisked away efficiently and water glasses were filled at just the right time. The check came promptly, but we were assured in calm tones that we could take our time. There is an energy to the service, but I never felt like I was being rushed through the meal.

From the start, we were able to take our time in deciding what to order while savoring our cocktails. I had the rather irreverent Vegan Sacrifice, composed of scotch, ginger, cayenne and “meat ice” made from veal consommé. It’s a fitting start, given Range’s meat focus (non-seafood-eating vegetarians would not make out well here, although there are some options, particularly among the pizza, roasted dishes and sides). The rum-based Playground Meltdown has the most amazing coffee liqueur, which Beverage Director Owen Thompson told me is Bittermens New Orleans coffee liqueur.

The end of our meal was as good as its start, finishing with a tart lemon custard and spicy mango sorbet with white chocolate plus a few pieces of smoked cashew and chocolate brittle from the candy counter.

Range’s expansive space is bright and minimal. The white walls display no art and the many interior windows and horizontal lines give off a sleek, modern vibe. It’s a contrast to the warm, homey feel you get from Volt. That's not to say Range is cold, far from it. Rather its warmth radiates instead from the remarkable food and attentive staff. About the only bad thing I could say about the place is that the water in bathroom was freezing cold. A rather minor complaint, considering how sublime everything else was.

Range, 5335 Wisconsin Avenue NW (Inside Chevy Chase Pavilion, second floor), Washington, D.C. (Friendship Heights). (202) 803-8020. Reservations: Open Table.

Oscar Cocktails 2013

Last week, I mentioned that I’m not really into the Super Bowl. Football is just not my thing. Movies, on the other hand, are very much my thing, and every year since I was 15 I’ve followed the Oscars intently. This is my Super Bowl.

In the lead up to the February 24 Academy Awards ceremony, I will be featuring cocktails inspired by the nine films nominated this year for Best Picture.

This year’s slate is an amazingly diverse group of films, telling stories set in the U.S., Europe, the Middle East and the open sea, with points of view of main characters as young as 6 and as old as 86.

They tell stories of war, revenge, death, mental illness and catastrophe, but also love, family, endurance and humanity. You even get a dance contest, some old fashioned gunfights and a little Hollywood subterfuge.

As I post each cocktail, I’ll include a link on this page. So bookmark this page and check back every few days.

Just like the films, the drinks are a mix of styles and complexity. The most complicated ingredient requires a cream siphon, but I suggest an easy substitute. Otherwise, it’s mostly just shaking and a few custom syrups, which are easy and fun to make.

Amour A champagne cocktail the movie's couple could have enjoyed in better times.

Argo A whisky cocktail that draws on the film’s Canadian, Iranian and Hollywood elements.

Beasts of the Southern Wild A whiskey-based dessert cocktail as fanciful as the film that inspired it.

Django Unchained Like a mint julep but with a fiery kick, inspired by Taratino's typically bold style.

Les Misérables A gin martini made with Lillet Blanc and French liqueurs inspired by the musical’s story of triumph over adversity.

Life of Pi A play on the daiquiri inspired by the film’s vivid imagery.

Lincoln A simple, elegant whiskey cocktail that nods to the film's North vs. South conflict.

Silver Linings Playbook A tequila cocktail with absinthe and ginger beer inspired by the movie's quirky couple.

Zero Dark Thirty A layered shot inspired by the black and green colors of the film's climatic sequence as seen through night vision goggles.

(Bonus) Skyfall Inspired by the Vesper James Bond martini but made with scotch and Domaine de Canton for the film's settings in Scotland and China.

Vote for your favorite drink on Facebook. See tips for serving these drinks at your Oscar Party here.

Oscar Cocktails: The Argo

Director Ben Affleck’s Argo tells a seemingly unbelievable yet true story. A little Hollywood magic helped CIA agent Tony Mendez rescue a group of American diplomats hiding in the Canadian embassy in Iran after an uprising against the U.S. embassy. The powerful drama is nominated for seven Academy Awards, including Picture, Supporting Actor (Alan Arkin) and Adapted Screenplay.

For the Argo cocktail, I drew inspiration from the geographic elements of the film: Canadian whisky to represent the Canadian embassy, cardamom syrup for Iran (since the spice is used in Iranian cuisine), and oranges for Hollywood, California. The spherical ice cube nods to the fictitious science fiction film “Argo” that served as the ruse at the center of the harrowing escape.

Oscar Cocktails: The Argo

1 1/2 oz. Canadian whisky
1/2 oz. sweet vermouth
1 oz. orange juice
3/4 oz. cardamom syrup (see recipe below)
Orange peel

Combine whiskey, sweet vermouth, orange juice and cardamom syrup in a shaker with ice. Shake until very cold and strain into rocks glass with ice. Garnish with orange peel.

Cardamom Syrup

3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup cardamom pods

Combine sugar and water in a medium saucepan. Bring to boil, then remove from heat and stir in cardamom pods. Steep for 1 hour. Strain. Store syrup in refrigerator until ready to use.

Like The Argo? Vote for it as your favorite on Facebook. View all nine Oscar Cocktails here.

Oscar Cocktails: The Life of Pi

Ang Lee’s Life of Pi, an adaptation of the celebrated Yann Martel novel, tells the story of Pi Patel, a boy who survives a terrible shipwreck and crosses the ocean on a life raft with a Bengal tiger. The film is nominated for 11 Academy Awards, including Picture, Director and Adapted Screenplay.

The Life of Pi cocktail seeks to evoke the film visually: the bright blue expanse of the open ocean rimmed with sea salt and an orange twist floating in the middle like the tiger on Pi’s raft. And the liquid ingredients equal 3.14 oz., a nod to the film’s title (if you’re not sure why that’s relevant, here’s a little math lesson).

Oscar Cocktails: The Life of Pi

Fine sea salt or kosher salt
1.5 oz. light rum
.64 oz. blue curaçao
.5 oz. simple syrup
.5 oz. lime juice (plus more for the glass rim)
Orange twist

Wet the rim of a chilled coupe with lime juice. Spread salt on a plate and twist the glass rim-down in the salt to coat the rim. Combine rum, blue curaçao and lime juice in shaker with ice. Shake until cold. Strain into salt-rimmed coupe. Garnish with orange twist.

Like The Life of Pi? Vote for it as your favorite on Facebook. View all nine Oscar Cocktails here.

Smoky Smooth Hummus

When Smitten Kitchen’s Deb Perelman wrote about the carrot soup I adapted recently into parsnip-carrot soup, she also mentioned she was working on hummus with a new technique. Smitten Kitchen readers waited with bated breath, but thankfully not long, since her recipe for Ethereally Smooth Hummus followed just a few days later.

Perelman explains that the secret to really smooth hummus is simple but tedious: you peel the outer coating of the chickpeas. It’s not hard to do: grip a chickpea between your thumb and your next two fingers and gently squeeze until the chickpea pops out of its skin. She says it only takes about 9 minutes to work your way through the equivalent of a 15 oz. can, and that’s probably about how long it took me. I did it while listening to Frank Ocean and The Black Keys, which made the time go by.

For my recipe, in addition to peeling the chickpeas, I wanted to give my hummus a smoky flavor. A couple weeks ago, the Washington Post ran a story about smoked olive oil, which I was captivated by. I immediately ordered a bottle, made by The Smoked Olive.

Smoky Smooth Hummus
Adapted from Ethereally Smooth Hummus, Smitten Kitchen

1 15 oz. can chickpeas, drained, rinsed and peeled
1/2 cup tahini
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (juice from 1 lemon)
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. water
2 tbsp. smoked extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp. paprika (for extra smokiness, use smoked paprika)
Olive (optional garnish)

Pita bread (at least 4-6 pieces), cut into triangles (eighths)
Za'atar spice blend (optional)
Carrot and celery sticks

1. Add chickpeas to a bowl of a food processor. Turn on and blend for about a minute until the mixture becomes clumpy. Scrape down the side and pulse a few more times. Add the tahini, garlic, lemon juice and salt and blend until puréed. With the machine running, stream in the water until the hummus has the desired texture (adjust amount of water as necessary).

2. Spoon hummus into a bowl. Drizzle olive oil on top and sprinkle with paprika. Top with an olive. Serve with pitas which, if desired, can be lightly broiled with olive oil and a sprinkle of za'atar, or carrot and celery sticks.

The Siberian

This came about because a coworker told me she and some girlfriends had enjoyed boozy milkshakes over the weekend. I thought that sounded really good. Although I realize alcoholic milkshakes are a cliché of some chain restaurant bars, I think if you make this at home with good-quality ice cream, you don't have to feel ashamed about it. My drink is modeled after the classic White Russian.

The Siberian

1 1/2 cups vanilla ice cream
1 oz. vanilla vodka
1 oz. Kahlua
1/2 oz. creme de cacao
1/2 cup whipped cream (see recipe below)
Dark chocolate chip (optional garnish)

Combine ice cream, vodka, Kahlua and creme de cacao in a blender. Blend until smooth. Poor into a highball glass. Top with whipped cream and a single chocolate chip.

Basic Whipped Cream

1 cup heavy cream
1 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla

Combine ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer with a whisk attachment. Whip for 30 second on low speed until bubbles appear. Increase speed to medium and whip for another 30 seconds until frothy. Increase speed to him and whip until whipped cream is stiff and holds its shape, 30 seconds to a minute longer (do not overwhip or you'll end up making butter).