Where can you get a three-star experience at one-star prices? Which hot new
restaurant merits the scorching hype? The answer to all these questions
and more can be found Tuesdays at 11 AM on Kliman Online.
From scoping out scruffy holes in the wall to weighing the merits of
four-star wanna-bes, from scouring the ‘burbs and exurbs to hitting the
city’s streets, Todd Kliman covers a lot of territory. Winner of a James
Beard Foundation Award in 2005 for the country’s best newspaper column
about food, Kliman is food and wine editor and restaurant critic for The Washingtonian. His work has appeared in The New Yorker, Harper’s, The Oxford American, The Daily Beast and Men’s Health, among others, and he has been selected four times for inclusion in the Best Food Writing anthologies. He is the author of The Wild Vine,
a literary exploration of two entwined mysteries: an obscure grape that
rose to prominence, only to disappear, and its present-day evangelist, a
foul-mouthed transgendered multi-millionaire vintner on an obsessive
quest to restore the legend of an antebellum southern doctor.
Can’t wait a week to talk to Todd? Follow him on Twitter for dining reports, tips, and breaking news from the culinary world.
W H E R E I ‘ M E A T I N G N O W . . .
Izakaya Seki, DC
Arguably
the most exciting restaurant to debut this year. Hiroshi Seki and his
daughter, Cizuka Seki, have fashioned a spare, intimate izakaya from a
former barber shop on V St. It’s a no-frills setting that suggests a
gallery and serves as an ideal backdrop for beautifully simple dishes
that all but command you to slow down and focus. Hop a seat at the
wraparound counter that consumes the entirety of downstairs to watch
Seki, a sushi master with 50 years experience, work with grace, speed,
economy and calm as he executes his repertoire with a small team of
cooks: thick slices of veal-tender beef tongue with a painting of
mustard-miso sauce; succulent filets of grilled mero, the Japanese term
for Chilean sea bass; springy soba noodles with flakes of nori and
tempura; and some of the most exquisite cuts of aji (horse mackerel) and
yellowtail you’ll find.
Vin 909 Winecafe, Annapolis
I
feasted on a couple of superlative pizzas not long ago, and they didn’t
come from 2 Amys, Pete’s New Haven Style Pizza, Pupatella, Moroni &
Brother’s, Comet, Orso, Haven Pizzeria, Graffiato or Menomale. They
came from the kitchen at this always-swarmed, no-reservations wine bar,
housed in a restored craftsman bungalow just over the bridge from
Annapolis in tiny Eastport. The key players are Alex Manfredonia, who
works the front of the (tiny) house, and Justin Moore; the pair met
working at a restaurant in San Francisco, and headed east to take over
the space previously occupied by Wild Orchid Cafe. Moore and his team
produce a crust that’s close to perfect—thin, marvelously hillocked,
chewy where it needs to be and crispy everywhere else, and hit with just
enough salt. The Margherita is more heavily dressed than is usual, but
it’s excellent, and so is an unlikely concoction of baked beans,
Tillamook cheese, fontina and coleslaw. Don’t miss the spin on a lobster
roll, with creamy, chive-flecked crab salad tucked between two griddled
squares of bread; there’s a cup of seafood bisque for dunking.
Blue Duck Tavern, DC
On
my Twitter feed last week, I teased the news that made a “massive and
exciting leap,” then sat back and watched the guesses pour in. No one
came up with the right place, and to be honest, if I hadn’t been there
to enjoy it, I would never have guessed, either. Sebastien Archambault
is a major talent, and without overhauling the menu or concept has given
a restaurant that had slid dangerously close to irrelevance in the past
year or so the kiss of life.
Indaroma, Alexandria
Thanks
for this excellent find goes to regular reader, N.A. This Alexandria
shop is a bakery and catering service with a small cafe. You order at
the counter. Atmosphere is a flat-screen TV turned to a food channel.
None of that matters when the food arrives—a palaak chaat that’s
nearly as virtuosic and delicious as the tour de force dish that has
become a signature item at Rasika; fantastic kati rolls made with rumali
roti and not flour tortillas; and rich and vibrant curries.
El Chucho Cocina Superior, DC
When
it’s on, an exhilarating tour through the intricate, layered flavors of
regional Mexican cooking, backed by a long list of cocktails,
margaritas, sipping tequilas and mezcals. Early hits: a smoky grilled
corn cob impaled on a skewer, spritzed with lime, rolled in grated
cheese and dusted with queso fresco; the tongue-shaped chips known as
huaraches, topped with crumbled queso fresco and pickled onions and
served with a sublime dark mole; a torta, or sub, that impersonates a
Manwich and a Chicago beef sandwich all at once—chopped adobo pork
dredged in a spicy Arbol chili sauce, garnished with black beans,
onions, avocado and chihuahua cheese and then submerged in that same
sauce again before serving (forgo the accompanying plastic gloves and
give in to the sloppy lusciousness).
Menomale, DC
Of
the crop of Neapolitan-style pizzerias that made their debut sometime in
the past year, I’m most partial to this tiny Brookland operation, a
joint venture of hophead Leland Estes and pizzaiolo Ettore Rusciano.
Rusciano is a passionate craftsman, with an eye for balance (the best of
these pies are chewy where they need to be and crispy where they need
to be), a respect for proportionality, and an understanding of the
importance of salt. That same great dough is used for the tasty calzones
and sandwiches. You can even sample it in the must-order starter, the
affetata, an attractive selection of meats and cheeses.
Green Pig Bistro, Arlington
One
of the best and most intriguing of the current crop of Hipster
Farmhouse restaurants (dishtowel napkins, bluegrass in the air,
repurposed wood and yard-sale tchochkes throughout). The chef, Scot
Harlan, an alumnus of the kitchen at Inox, cooks with precision and
clarity, making light of a plate of crispy pig tacos (the pig, here, is
salty, crunchy matchsticks of julienned ears) and even a country-style
pate. There’s a fantastic drinks menu, and a not-bad selection of
Virginia wines, including a Michael Shaps Cab Franc that sells for $5 a
glass; it’s a perfect match for the rich, porky treats.
Moa, Rockville
You’d
never find it if you weren’t looking for it. Situated in the
fascinating industrial sector of Rockville, amid a slew of old
warehouses and specialty supply stores, this cozy Korean mom ‘n’ pop is
about as hidden as hidden gems get. The cooking is vivid and
punchy—great bibimbap, served several ways, along with a parade of
soups, noodle dishes and stir frys. Order a soju to wash it all down;
the mango and watermelon are fresh and gently sweet, a good counterpart
to the garlicky intensity of the food.
Maple Avenue, Vienna
Some
diners might be skeptical of splurging for $20 + entrees in a tiny,
repurposed diner where the 8 tables are wedged together so closely the
room can feel like one big dinner party when the drinks are flowing.
Others might be skeptical of the menu, which bends in a dozen different
directions, implying a kitchen with a scattered,
be-everything-to-everyone vision— which is to say, no vision at all. But
this is a surprisingly focused restaurant —and a surprisingly rewarding
one, too, a place that feels like a personal statement, backed by an
amiable staff that clearly aims to send you away smiling. The chef and
owner, Tim Ma, does his part, too. He makes a mean shrimp and grits, and
his beef cheek sandwich with beer battered fries is one of the best
simple plates around. Don’t miss the bread pudding.
Fiola, DC
Fabio
Trabocchi’s edge-of-Penn Quarter restaurant has put its tentative
beginnings behind it. The dishes emerging from the brick-framed,
herb-potted kitchen find the prodigiously talented chef moving further
and further from the controlled elegance of his work at the late
Maestro. They also find him cooking with a renewed confidence and
conviction. The best of these plates—an astonishingly flavorful ragu of
wild hare with thick bands of papardelle, a double-cut,
prosciutto-wrapped veal chop with toasted hazelnuts that accent the
sweetness and nuttiness of the meat, a bowl of tender meatballs in a
tomato sauce that frankly puts most Italian grandmothers to shame—marry
rusticity with refinement. Desserts—including a fabulous cone of
sugar-dusted bomboloni, with pots of apple marmalade and cinnamon
gelato—remain a rousing finish.
Sidebar, Silver Spring
Chef
Diana Davila-Boldin, a Windy City native, has improved upon her Chicago
dog—grilling the link, griddling the bun and overloading the ripe,
fresh toppings. The result? The best dog in Washington, and better than
any Chicago dog I have ever had in Chicago. I’d give this
poolhall/hipster bar/cafe a spot on the list just for that, but I also
love her mini-falafel, her homemade sausages, her cod fritters, and the
cochinita tacos that amount to a glorious precis of El Chucho’s Cocina
Superior—Jackie Greenbaum’s forthcoming “inauthentic Mexican”
restaurant, in Columbia Heights.
Mintwood Place, DC
Perry’s
owner Saied Azali was lucky to land Cedric Maupillier, formerly the
chef at Central and before that the chef de cuisine at Citronelle, for
his rusticky new bistro. The Toulon native is doing typically great
work—cranking out lovingly faithful renditions of such bistro classics
as cassoulet (see if you can finish it without two glasses of wine) and
steak tartare (the tiny, crunchy tater tots on top are a clever allusion
to his old boss, Michel Richard) as well as offering up some sly, smart
takes on tradition (frogs’ legs with black walnut romesco, a lamb
tongue moussaka). There’s a whole boneless dorade with picholine olives
and braised fennel that’s a knockout—beautifully conceived, perfectly
executed.
East Pearl, Rockville
A
superlative addition to the unofficial Chinatown of northern Rockville,
this cheery, subtly modish restaurant is turning out uncommonly
clean-tasting versions of standard Hong Kong-style fare, including
shrimp dumpling soup, shrimp with walnuts, and soyed chicken—all
spectacular. And don’t miss a Shanghai-style noodle dish that brings
together angel hair, roast pork, shrimp, green onions and a generous
spoonful of yellow curry powder into a light, greaseless and remarkably
vivid whole.
This Week’s Contest: Respond to Tracie McMillan’s Slate Piece
In case you missed it, Tracie McMillan, author of The American Way of Eating: Undercover at Walmart, Applebee’s, Farm Fields and the Dinner Table, posted an interesting piece on Slate yesterday about cooking. If you don’t have time to read it, here’s my extreme edit of the piece to convey its relevant ideas. What do you think? Most thoughtful, interesting, well-reasoned response gets a copy of McMillan’s book.
“The first myth here is that the poor do not cook. … In reality, it is the middle class that patronizes the Golden Arches and its competitors. … The second myth is that cooking is easy. Making food quickly and well is easy once you know how to do it, but it is a learned skill, the acquisition of which takes time, practice, and the making of mistakes. To cook whole foods at a pace that can match box-meal offerings, one needs to know how to make substitutions on the fly; how to doctor a dish that has been overvinegared, oversalted, or overspiced; how to select produce and know how long you have to use it before it goes bad; how to stock a pantry on a budget. … There’s not much acknowledgment of these truths in the current discussion about the benefits of cooking. Instead, we divide ourselves into two opposing camps—“those who cook” and “those who don’t care.” So here’s my proposition for foodies and everyone else: Continue to champion the cause of cooking, but admit that cooking every day can be a drag. Just because it’s a drag doesn’t mean we shouldn’t do it—we do things every day that are a drag. We take out the trash, we make our beds, we run the vacuum, we pay the bills. These are not lofty cultural explorations, but they are necessary, and so we do them anyway.”
North Indian Cuisine:
We recently dined at Raaga and really liked it. Cottage cheese cubes, different spices, very slow cooking. Do you like Raaga? Do you have other recommendations for North Indian cooking?
Thanks
Todd Kliman
I like it okay.
Last I was there was about a year ago, and I remember it being a pretty good meal—a lot of competently prepared dishes, but nothing that stood out; not quite enough pop to really get my attention.
If I lived in the neighborhood or within 15 minutes, no doubt I’d be there a couple of times a month.
Good morning, everyone, hope you had a great weekend and are enjoying this respite from the infernal heat …
Vienna, VA:
Hi Todd,
A couple years ago, my husband and I fell in love with the Nasi Goreng (Indonesian Fried Rice) in Bali. We just went to Boston last wkd and got a hit of nostalgia when we had it again at Myers & Chang. My husband missed it so much that he contemplated buying some to go for our flight home. I told him that I was sure that we could find something similar in DC. But, google is coming up short! Is there anywhere in DC/NOVA where we can have our fix of Nasi Goreng again? Thanks!
Todd Kliman
You want to hit Malaysia Kopitiam, near 18th and M Sts.
There aren’t many places like it in DC proper — a family-run ethnic restaurant with bargain prices.
Besides nasi goreng, which is generally decent, there’s a lot to explore: hot curry puffs, roti canai (a potato curry you sop up with a piece of flatbread), stuffed lotus root, stirfried watercress with fermented tofu, skate wing in curry sauce.
Re: And You Know This How?:
Because I’m a reporter and I’ve run into the scenario before, if not with Suna 🙂 – Missy Frederick
Todd Kliman
Thanks for the clarification, Missy …
Bit of background—a question was asked last week about the forthcoming Suna, and how come its owners were so eager to get out word about the particulars of the place and at the same time omit the very important detail about where the place is set to open shop.
(Bit of background on Missy Frederick: A writer for the Washington Business Journal, and one of the best food reporters in the city.)
DC:
Do you think DC deserves a Michelin Guide? Any restaurant you think can make it to the three star list? So far, the best one in town, Komi, still has a long way to go to be compared with Alinea or Per se.
Todd Kliman
On the one hand, you could argue that having the Michelin Guide pick your city for its series is a sign of importance in the world of gastronomy—evidence that you are a significant destination on the foodie map.
I understand that perspective.
But personally, I have to say that I dislike the guide, and what it represents. It rewards a certain ethos (French, formal, extraordinarily expensive) and punishes or slights nearly everything else—though “Japanese, formal, and extraordinarily expensive” does decently in New York and San Francisco.
In America, especially, I think it’s a little like evaluating a basketball game in terms of how fluidly it’s played—how aesthetically pure an experience it is.
I don’t think it captures what dining is today in New York or San Francisco. I think you get a fuller, more complex, and more interesting perspective reading Adam Platt’s round-up of the Top 100 in New York magazine.
Do I think any place in town would be deemed worthy of three stars? Probably not. I think the Inn at Little Washington, however, would be a shoo-in for three.
Decent Chinese in Arlington:
Is there such a place? If not, what is the nearest to me? Thank you!
Todd Kliman
How about Mala Tang?
The restaurant is a collaboration between chef Liu Chaosheng, who also runs Hong Kong Palace, China Jade and Uncle Liu’s Hot Pot (three of the best spots in the area for Szechuan cooking) and Tomer and Oren Molivinsky. Oren Molivinsky used to manage the trendy Georgetown restaurant Mie N Yu.
I’d go and get a single hot pot and load it up—I’d go with pork or prawn, along with wood ear mushrooms, and some pea shoot greens. Resist the entreaties to get two hot pots, though your server may frown on the order of just one. One pot is small, but you don’t need a ton of broth to cook your food, and you’ll want to save room for the snack-style small plates—dan dan noodles and ma po tofu and dumplings.
Van Ness:
Todd, sometimes I’m driving around, see a sign on the side of the road, and have to pull over. That’s how I found myself at Spicy Mart a couple weekends ago. You see a sign for a store called Spicy Mart you have to pull over right?
Turned out to be a small, mom and pop, ethnic, primarily Indian with some African, grocery store. All of two aisles, the shelves are packed high and deep. One wall is fridge/freezer case with packaged frozen Indian food, breads, apps etc.
They also carry a good selection of Swad brand Indian spices and dhal lentils (same brand carried at Patel Bros.) and a good selection of rice. Up front is a small heated case with fresh made samosas, vada, and other Indian snacks. Not as comprehensive as Patel Bros., and much smaller, Spicy Mart was a fun find. It’s located just past the intersection of Old Columbia Pike and E. Randolph Road in Silver Spring, just off Rt. 29.
Todd Kliman
Great find!
Thanks for the tip, Van Ness. Too bad there isn’t also a little counter to stop and each lunch.
I’ll share my own recent, comparable find— Punjabi By Nature, in the Lotte Plaza in Chantilly, a tip from a reader.
Had fantastic Punjabi chole, very good kabobs and butter chicken, good daal and naan. It’s essentially a food court restaurant, and yet no food court restaurant that I know of in the area is putting out food like this.
You can well imagine eating it in a tranquil setting, with servers and tablecloths and actual plates.
Bethesda:
In today’s world, it’s not that hard to put food on the table.
Some days you can cook, some days you can put things together that gives you the feeling of cooking, I do both so can appreciate both. For me, the latter is generally something put together from Trader Joe’s (such as mushroom risotta warmed up in a pan with a tablespoon of water, and Parmesan grated on top); a slice of salmon turned over in the skillet while the risotto cooks; and arugula dressed up with olive oil, vinegar, and, if I’m in the mood, cut-up mango and walnuts.
This is not “cooking” in the true sense maybe, but to me it is a homemade meal with the right nutritional value. If we relax our standards on “cooking,” but focus more on what we put into our bodies, I think there’ll be more cooks around, and there already are!
Todd Kliman
I have to disagree with you that “in today’s world, it’s not that hard to put food on the table.” For some, it’s very, very hard—the news is rife with stories of just how hard.
And I feel for people like my sister-in-law, who lives alone and is not on a fixed income, but often resorts to eating frozen meals because they’re quick and she’s not a good cook and the idea of spending a lot of time with a meal when you’re alone is not much fun. I also know many people who grab fast food because it’s easy and readily available, and their lives are so scattered and overscheduled that fitting a meal in is hard. (Technology was supposed to give us more time, but many of us are busier than ever, and have less time, and are less content—working constantly, checking devices maniacally, doing two things at once, running around doing more, more, more.) My wife, for instance, loves a home-cooked meal. Loves to spend a few hours around the table eating and drinking. But she seldom has that leisure, and juggling two kids and a performance and rehearsal schedule and teaching and coaching often finds herself eating Chipotle or some other once a week, at least. Exactly what she doesn’t want to do, and yet she does.
But I do like what you say about thinking about cooking as a mix of some from-scratch and some reheating/re-purposing. Especially if, like you say, it gets more people to do that instead of the many inferior alternatives.
Cleveland Park:
This is admittedly not a food question but, what’s your take on the Stasburg saga? If he blows his arm out that’s the premature end of the Strasburger (gasp!).
Todd Kliman
I think Mike Rizzo is doing the right thing in planning to, as they say, “shut him down.” (As if he were a mere machine.)
It’s the right thing to do for Strasburg, and it tells the rest of baseball that the team cares more about the player in the long run than its needs in the short. That can’t hurt its chances with free agents.
Pushing the guy—and it would be pushing him even if he were not a Tommy John returnee, because he hasn’t pitched more than 130 innings in a year—is a move of selfishness and panic.
Is it agonizing to think about as a Nationals fan? Absolutely.
You only get so many of these chances. It’s not often that everything breaks right, as it seems to be breaking for the Nats.
But what can you do?
They were never supposed to be this good, this soon.
I say: enjoy the lark.
Arlington:
Todd, considering a one-night stay in Middleburg or Leesburg this weekend. Should we focus on one over the other? What wineries and restaurants would you recommend?
Todd Kliman
They’re very different places. Middleburg’s more remote, more countrified, more luxury-class. Leesburg’s a town, and it has a charming Main St. and some interesting shops. I think Leesburg has many more options for dining.
Personally, I might stay in Leesburg—it likely will be cheaper, tooand drive in to Middleburg to visit Boxwood Winery and, just outside Middleburg (five minutes) to visit Chrysalis Vineyards, in Aldie.
Tarara is another winery that you ought to consider. It’s in Leesburg.
For a leisurely dinner, I’d zero in on Girasole, in The Plains, which I think is an excellent spot and one of the best meals to be had in the vicinity. For something more casual, there’s The Wine Kitchen, in Leesburg, a cozy, fun spot with small plates and lots of wines by the glass, including some local wines.
I would also suggest you drop in on the Leesburg Vintner on Main St. and stock up on some Virginia wines. It’s got one of the best selections in the area. And Mike Carroll, the owner, can help you sort through what’s what.
Van Ness:
Re: Tracie McMillan article…I think one of the real keys for cooking every day/cooking with fresh ingredients is developing two sets of recipes/dishes: Dishes that might take longer to cook but freeze well, and dishes that can be made quickly and work well for fresh mid-week cooking.
For example, last night was vegetarian chili night with corn bread and guac. Making the veg chili is a weekend project. It takes about an hour to prep and get cooking, with another 45 minute simmer, but a large batch of veg chili makes 4-5 portions for two people…or roughly a month’s worth of once-a-week dinners. A large pan of corn bread makes 8 portions. Both freeze well. Defrost during the day and then it takes 10-15 minutes to reheat the chili and corn bread and make guac. Serve with beer of choice.
Tonight will be pesto pasta with salad of tomatoes, avocado and arugula. By the time the water boils and the pasta is cooked, you can make a batch of pesto in the mini prep and chop up the veg for a salad. Again you are looking at 15-20 minutes tops. I would recommend a nicely chilled rosé.
Of course I only cook for two people which makes things easier and having fresh summer produce from the farmers market also helps. But once you develop a core set of dishes/recipes that you enjoy and come up with some dishes that freeze well, it makes life in the kitchen a lot easier and delicious!
Todd Kliman
Great ideas, all around.
Having a repertoire really does help. It did for me in the days when I did all the cooking—when I wasn’t out reviewing every night—and needed to get food on the table and (relatively) quickly.
Wasn’t always sexy food or special food, but my wife never complained. And she still misses some of those dishes I always did. Now, when I cook, it’s more of an occasion, and I go for something “special.”
And you’re right about developing a few dishes that you can bang out in 15-20 minutes.
Good stuff.
Thanks, I appreciate it …
And the recipes, too …
Kids Eating Out:
Hi Todd,
My daughter has hit the two-year-old mark, and it’s like a light bulb went off. She gave us a taste of it when we took her out to eat over the wkd. Up until that day, she’s been great eating out with us. We always have plenty of food, snacks, books, crayons, etc to keep her occupied. We had everything down to a science. But, she turned it all around on us that night, and decided that she didn’t want to sit, eat, color, read. She just wailed until it got to the point that we all had to take turns (4 adults) taking her for a walk outside.
What do I do? You have two little ones. Part of our lives now is being able to enjoy meals out on the wkds, and we usually include her. Do I temporarily give up? I fear doing so, will get her out of practice. I was so tempted during this spectacle to just take out an IPAD or something for her to watch, but since that is so frowned upon, I didn’t do it. But, it truly would have alleviated the situation at the moment. I’m torn on the issue.
Todd Kliman
I wouldn’t give up.
I’d treat it as an aberration and keep doing what you’re doing. If you give up, she wins and it’ll be harder to get her back to what you had.
Act as if nothing happened, and keep doing it, keep taking her along. And an iPhone is always a good final resort. I’ve gone that route myself. Didn’t like it. But sometimes there’s nothing else that’ll work, short of leaving the restaurant and abandoning the meal. I think as long as you don’t allow it to become the norm and/or reach for it without trying other things first, it’s not a bad thing to rely on to allay the tantrum.
Arlington, VA:
In large part I agree with Ms. McMillan’s piece. Cooking is a chore. It is a learned skill. It isn’t easy, but I think it is important for people to learn.
When my husband and I first dated, he made three meals for me. They tasted ok but, he had such pride in them. I told him that it was my turn and to let me cook for him. He quickly learned when I said previously I could cook, I really meant it.
While my husband can cook, cooking weeknight meals isn’t necessary practical for him to do because I am so much faster in the kitchen, know what pans to use, what vegetables need to be used, what leftovers we have and how to cook on the fly without a recipe. But I grew up doing this. I came from a large family of excellent home cooks.
But I don’t agree that it isn’t fun. Both my husband and I work very busy jobs and when we come home we watch the news while I cook. It’s a nice moment when we are both unplugged and have a chance to talk, catch up on what is going on in the world and our world. I like evaluating the fridge and using it to its fullest potential. When nothing is wasted I feel a real satisfaction. I like the thrill of what I can make in thirty minutes to an hour, no it isn’t as gourmet as what I could make with a whole, day, but it’s good practice for general cooking skills. And when I make something really wow in that time period it’s a real accomplishment. There are some days it isn’t fun. Days when I have worked late, or had a particularly hard day are challenging. On some of those days my husband walks in, looks at me staring at the fridge exasperated and says, “where should we order from?” But at other times it is a way for me to transition my mind from working mode to home mode.
I don’t think cooking is at all easy, I watch my husband struggle with it, he does fine, but it just isn’t natural for him. I feel so bad, but I am also a horrible teacher and don’t want to make him not want to cook, by trying to show him things. I know he feels so intimidated cooking for me. I wish someone had showed him how to do more. I know he enjoys it.
I know so many friends and families that survive off prepared meals and frozen quick fixes, it’s just not me. I just couldn’t do that. I didn’t grow up eating that way. I think when you combine cooking with interaction it makes it much less of a chore. Do I feel like that some nights? Yes, but not all that many. I take pride in everyday cooking. And I don’t mind that it has become part of my home routine, there are parts of my husband’s home routine I don’t want. Cooking is one I enjoy, it’s like I got away with counting something I love doing as work.
Todd Kliman
Thanks for writing in …
I think you may have hit on something in talking about your joy and pride in relation to your ease and familiarity in the kitchen.
Like you, I only rarely find cooking a chore. But maybe that’s because I have been doing it since I was 9 or 10, and learned how to make certain dishes from a very good cook, and became comfortable with all the things in a kitchen.
By contrast, I find pretty much anything to do with fixing something in the house a pain and an imposition, and am inclined to just call someone in and write a check (though that’s its own pain).
It would be different, I think, if I had grown up with someone who walked around with a tool belt and did things to things with things. I might be more comfortable and happy to tackle problems. I might look forward to my time alone on the roof or in the basement or wherever.
Naeem:
I like making food at home because it is therapeutic for me. Unfortunately, my wife and I both work very long hours and do find ourselves eating out more than we would like too.
There is nothing like making a dish from scratch, making a stew that takes a few hours or making a sauce and letting it simmer for a few hours to let all the flavors blend together. But in our current work society it becomes a challenge and people do find themselves running for the golden arches (my wife) or Wendy’s (me) and then regretting that we ate these fast food establishments.
Todd Kliman
So true.
Constantly torn between what we know is good, and what we do.
What we want, and what we have to settle for.
And then the whole business of how and what we eat … ; )
I think you’re so right, too, that certain dishes really give you an immense sense of satisfaction, both to cook and to eat. Often those dishes are stews — and I’m sure that has a lot to do with the smells that fill the house. Nothing like that. A home should always smell like a stew is going or a bread is baking …
Naeem:
Hmmm Punjabi By Nature…as a Punjabi I will have to check this place out.
Todd Kliman
Do, and let me know.
Though I suspect it’s one of those places that’s best when you stumble upon it yourself and plant your own flag in it first, and not when you hear about it from a critic and nurse expectations and go there looking for deliverance. …
Thanks, everyone, for the questions and comments and tips today …
The winner of Tracie McMillan’s The American Way of Eating: Undercover at Walmart, Applebee’s, Farm Fields and the Dinner Table is Van Ness. You can claim your book, Van Ness, by dropping me a note at tkliman@washingtonian.com sometime this week.
Time to shut it down, as the baseball folks say …
I’m off to get a light lunch and then head out for a very special dinner tonight.
Happy 85th birthday to the spunkiest woman I’ve ever met— my wonderful, funny, tart-tongued, generous, kind, book-devouring, life-loving mother … I hope you have a great day!
Be well and eat well, everyone, and let’s do it again next Tuesday at 11 …
[missing you, TEK … ]
