Gimme Coffee

Morning coffee is a ritual here at 1508. We make our coffee in a press pot carefully pouring it to get crema on top of each cup.  Personal preference is toward deep chocolate and caramel flavors with low acidity and little to no fruit and citrus flavors. Over the years we have had favorites and lately we have been sampling a bunch of small roasters from all over the country, favorites have included- Giant Steps from Blue Bottle, Organic Driftless Dark from Kickapoo, Arabian Mocha Java from Equator, French Roast from Stumptown...

All the above mentioned are fantastic but the hands down favorite right now is Leftist Blend from Gimme Coffee.

Flower in Martha Stewart Weddings, How fun is that?

Very fun to pick up the Spring, 2011 Martha Stewart Weddings at the grocery store yesterday and look for the page with my flowers on it!  The wedding featured in the magazine was actually the first time that I worked with Ritzy Bee, Kate Headley and Simplesong.  Since then we have collaborated often and I look forward to several weddings together on the books for 2011. Below is the cover and page from the magazine, as well as additional images by Kate of the memorable day.

Home Restaurants 2/25 and 2/26

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photo Kate Headley

Two Home Restaurants this weekend, both celebrating birthdays, both nearly all first time guests.

Grateful for enthusiastic and engaging diners which made for an enjoyable weekend.  Hope to see you all here again soon!

We served–

PASSING

Quail with Sweet Potato and Rosemary

Beet Soup with Nut Cream

Chicken Liver on Corncake with Scarlet Turnip Puree

Beef Tongue with Watermelon Radish and Pickle

Spicy Brussel Sprouts with Ginger

Scrambled Eggs with Sorrel

Bay Leaf Martini

(Domaine de Mirail) Colombard Gascogne 2009

SEATED

Lamb Shoulder with Salad Mache, Tiny Potatoes, Leeks, Baby Carrots and Mustard

(Jean Royer) Vin de Table "Petit Roy" 2008

Noodles with Cauliflower, Spinach, Yellow Footed Chanterelles and Oregon Black Truffles

(Vercesi) Pinot Nero Bianco "Gugiarolo" 2009

Rockfish with Salsify and Girasol Braised in Saffron with Pea Shoots and Celery Root Relish

(Domaine des Roy) Touraine Rouge "Les Linottes" 2008

Caveman Blue Cheese and Walnut Cracker

Soft Gingerbread with Lemon Glaze, Frozen Coconut and Toasted Cashew, Coconut and  Caramelized Ginger

Friday– (Foreau) Vouvray Demi-Sec 2005

Saturday– (Grange Tiphaine) Nouveau Nez, Sparkling Montlouis 2008

Bites: Mini Chocolate Cake, Chocolate Pistachio Oatmeal, Spicy Cinnamon Roll

Take Home: Warm Chocolate Fig Bread

NYC Flower District

I regularly travel to New York and have often wandered through the flower district.  In DC I have great sources that range from local farms, my own back yard, Dutch Auction flowers delivered to my door in under 48 hours, several good local wholesalers that source from all over the world...However we do not have a street to roam where there is one flower source after another for blocks.  I have explored the NYC flower district in the past but never found my go to shop.

Last weekend we were in the lower east side and we went into a favorite shop Earnest Sewn that has a small flower shop in the back, The Flower Girl, that I have admired for years.  As always the flowers were carefully chosen and to my liking.  I inquired which were their favorite wholesalers.  She pointed me in the direction of G Page and a new all rose shop called Harvest.  Monday morning we went visiting.  Truthfully except for some incredible kangaroo paws from Israel everything I saw is available to me in DC but none the less it was great checking out these two shops and seeing flowers I am familiar with in a new space with fresh eyes.

The amazing resources to me are the endless supplies available, vases, crates, mosses, sticks...again I can get my hands on all of this stuff but much of it requires online ordering and then waiting for the mail or fed ex to come.  I would welcome the opportunity to be able to stroll through Jamali Garden or other supply stores when in search of containers and go home with them in tow.

Thanks to The Flower Girl for the heads up on her favorite floral suppliers!

Loving the Chablis

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photo Kate Headley

Tom is the wine importer we work with who shares our belief that when wine and food are well matched they are both at their best– they should never compete and always complement each other.  Tom, who works exclusively with small European vineyards, looks at each of our menus and makes suggestions for pairings– they are always spot on and even guests who are wine aficionados always enjoy sampling something new.  The last couple of dinners we have served (Vincent Dampt) Chablis AOC 2009 with our second seated course.  Last week we served it with House Made Noodles tossed with Roasted Salsify and Turnip and Sauces of Carrot and Beet.  The previous week we served it with a Bibb Lettuce Salad with Orange, Avocado and a Warm Fennel Parsnip Dressing.   The Chablis was a hit both nights!

Tom usually delivers the wine himself, tastes something we are cooking and shares stories about the wines we are going to be serving.  He told us that when he found this Chablis he stopped buying several others that he was fond of because they no longer made any sense.  The domaine began rather recently, in 2005, after the winemaker graduated from the viticultural school in Beaune.  He utilized a gift from his grandfather of 5 hectares in Chablis which includes small parcels of the two premier crus (Vaillons and Cotes de Lechet) with vines ranging from 21 to over 50 years of age.  He practices "viticulture raisonnable" which means using the least possible application of agricultural chemicals and interventions.  His methods also include heavy pruning, low yields and no oak.

If you get the chance taste some-

My Friends at Hitched Bridal Salon DC

Several years ago a friend of mine asked me to send flowers to a just opened Bridal Salon in Georgetown, Hitched.  This led to me meeting Carin and Julia, seeing their beautiful salon and immediately adoring them.  Similar to many others, I remembered my brief an intimidating wedding dress shopping experience that was so unappealing it resulted in finding someone to make a dress for me.  Just meeting them and entering their space made me realize that wedding dress shopping should and could be joyful.

In the years since our initial meeting it has been fabulous to be able to send just engaged brides to Hitched confident that they will have a great experience while searching for their wedding dress.  I have also enjoyed getting to know Carin and Julia, watching their business and families grow and meeting the fabulous women that work with them.

I was tickled when they asked me few weeks ago if I would be up for being interviewed for their blog– of course!  Below is the post from the From Hello to Hitched Blog with fabulous photos by Kate Headley.

February 17, 2011, Hitched Hearts: Flowers By Sidra

February is flying by, and spring is in the air... and with spring comes beautiful weather and gorgeous flowers! With flowers on the brain, we thought we'd spotlight one of our favorite DC florists, Sidra Forman of Flowers by Sidra. We hope you enjoy her insight and expertise!

-10 Q: Where should I start when looking for floral inspiration?

Sidra Forman: The first question I always ask is for the couple to give me a few words to describe the vision for the wedding. The bride that I met with this morning said "Polka dance party!" No matter what the vision may be, this seems like a good place to start. Other good descriptions I have recently heard are: welcoming, comfortably elegant, old Hollywood, organic, and lush.

-8 Q: Are there good resources online for determining what flowers will be in season for my wedding?

SF: To answer your question I just googled, "seasonal wedding flowers" and found several good sights. I would say that these are helpful starting places, but it's really best to talk with your florist to find out about seasonal local flowers and the florist's specific resources near and far.

-6

Q: How did you get started with floral design?

SF: Growing up, there were often fresh flowers in my house-- we picked them from the garden, foraged for them in the woods and occasionally bought bunches to bring home and arrange. My mother was comfortable arranging flowers and it never seemed intimidating. When I moved away from home, fresh cut flowers were something I often indulged in. However, I started arranging flowers much more often (and in greater quantity) when we opened our restaurant Rupperts in DC. From day one, and for the following 8 years that we were open, in addition to my duties as pastry and sous chef, I became the florist. We always had at least two very large arrangements and several smaller ones and I started to explore and discover sources for flowers, giving me the chance to make a whole lot of flower arrangements. The first several weddings I did flowers for were a result of people coming to eat, seeing the flowers and asking me to do flowers for their weddings.

-5 Q: What are some of your favorite flowers for wedding bouquets?

SF: I think one of the things I like about flowers is that the best ones depend on the season, which keeps it interesting and always new.  Every season something surprises me and that might be what I enjoy the most! In the spring, summer and fall, many flowers come from local growers and my own urban garden. In the winter and for flowers that are not grown around here, I rely heavily on the Dutch auction.  I have a broker in Holland who I order from on Tuesday morning and the flowers are on my doorstep by Thursday morning when I wake up. I also have excellent sources throughout the US and the world. I make an effort to ensure that the flowers I use leave as little negative environmental impact as possible and are raised and processed using fair labor practices.

A few of my favorite things, though? In the spring– sweet peas, peonies, white forsythia, herbs. In the summer– chocolate vine, sunflowers, garden roses, zinnia, cosmos. In the fall– rose hips, dahlias, hydrangeas, salvia. In the winter– Dutch tulips, New York State anemones, French ranunculus, local forced quince.

-9 Q: What are the best ways to cut down on cost when it comes to my flowers?

SF: More flowers in fewer spots. Determine what is important to you-- it is not necessary to put flowers everywhere, but make an impact where you do decide to put them. For example, maybe just put votives on cocktail tables and skip the flowers, but put more of your budget into the centerpieces. I also find that grouping small vases for a single centerpiece uses less flowers than one large centerpiece, while still giving a fairly abundant feeling. Often I also loan empty vases so the bridesmaids bouquets can be reused in various spots during the reception. If a bride has a budget in mind I am always happy to explore ways to make the most of it.

-3 Q: How should I prepare for the initial meeting with a potential florist?

SF: I always encourage brides to bring any photos of flower arrangements and other inspiration that they do or do not like. But if they don't have photos, we can usually figure it out during the first meeting. After looking at photos together of my previous work, it is always easy to determine likes and dislikes and come up with a vision. This is the fun part! My favorite part about doing wedding flowers is the collaboration-- determining a plan while taking into account seasonal availability and feasibility. I also like to see images of the bride's gown and bridesmaid dresses if they have been chosen, as well as any other visual elements that have already been determined-- because in my mind these tell more about the wedding that words can.

-4 Thanks so much to Sidra for all these helpful hints on an often-overlooked wedding topic! Any other vendors you'd like to see us feature on our blog? Shoot us an email to blog@hitchedsalon.com.

[All photos by the oh-so-talented Kate Headley, and all flowers pictured were designed byFlowers by Sidra]

Mast Brothers Chocolate, Brooklyn

Yesterday we went on a tour of Mast Brothers Chocolate in Brooklyn.  The tour walks you through the meticulous yet simple process used to make superior artisinal chocolate.  The brothers began making chocolate in their apartment several years ago and are now making a few thousand extremely high quality bars weekly in their congenial, hands on factory.  They purchase fermented beans and from that make chocolate adding only sugar...there is no added flavoring, cocoa butter, preservatives or anything else that is found in many chocolates. We left after much sampling with lots of chocolate bars and we are going to begin ordering large blocks to use in baking and ice cream making for Home Restaurants and other projects here at 1508.

February 12 and February 14, 2011

We had not hosted an open dinner in months and had forgotten how much fun the open nights are.  Conversation was easy and lively on both evenings.  On Valentines Day we had prepared for couples to dine alone but instead they merged and made new friends.  Guests came bearing gifts– delicious beautifully crafted wine from their young winery Annefield Vineyards, another brought a couple magnums of wine to share with all and the daughter of another guest sent from California some extraordinary fig jam that we paired with the cheese course for her family.  We will be announcing some new open nights soon. As always thank you to the farmers, foragers, other suppliers and Tom for the excellent wine pairings.

What we served...

PASSING

Apple Cornmeal Dumpling with Hong Vit Sprouts

Cauliflower Soup with Black Oregon Truffle

Wild Hedgehog Mushroom on Red Lentil Cake

Seared Scallops on Sweet Potato with Avocado

Chicken Liver on Potato with Butternut Squash

Beef Sausage with Pickle and Celery Root

Bay Leaf Vodka Martini

Annefield Vineyards, Cabernet, Viognier and Chardonnay all 2009 (gift of guests from their vineyard)

Magnums of Pierre Michael Le Carriere 2003 and Beaux Freres Upper Terrace Pinot 2002 (gift from guest)

SEATED

Quail with Quail Egg, on a Bib Lettuce Black Walnut Salad

(Mas Mudigliza) VdP de Cotes Catalanes "Carmine"  2006

Roasted Salsify and Turnips with Noodles, Beet Sauce and Carrot Sauce

(Vincent Dampt) Chablis AOC 2009

Sablefish with Leeks, Black Rice, Watermelon Radish, Pickled Ginger and Pea Shoots

(Michel Noellat) Fixin Village 2007

Oma Cheese on Walnut Cracker

Chocolate Cake Frozen Chocolate Sandwich with Tonka Bean Sauce, Candied Popcorn and Cocoa Nibs

(Jacques Lassaigne) 'Les Vignes de Montgueux' Blanc de Blanc Brut NV

Bites: Spicy Cayenne Cinnamon Hearts, Rose Water Pistachio Cakes and Coconut Macaroons

February 3 and 4, 2011 Home Restaurants

Photos Kate Headley who documented Friday night,  I cannot wait to see the rest!

This weekend we hosted two birthday celebrations at 1508.  Friday night a group of 24 women joined to honor a dear friend of ours turning 60, Saturday night was a group of 19 who celebrated a 40th birthday and found 1508 via mutual friends who came to the party.  We had a great time hosting these events full of joy, lots of toasts and felt honored to be a part of both!

We are always appreciative of good eaters which was pretty much everyone in attendance both evenings.  Also enjoyed lengthy discussions of food, sources, eating practices and wines with many of the guests.

As always huge gratitude to the many farmers and suppliers and Tom for his stellar wine picks.

Passing

Dungeness Crab (Friday Night) Gallinella Fish (Saturday Night) on Corncake

Brussel Sprouts with Sweet and Spicy Girasol

Scrambled Eggs with Oregon Black Truffle

Beets with Winter Squash Ketchup

Beef Sausage with Cornichon and Celery Root

Blue Popcorn with Olive Oil, Cayenne and Bay Leaf

Bay Leaf Vodka Martini

Jacques Lasaigne, Blanc de Blanc Extra Brut 'Le Cotet' (Friday night)

Domaine de Mirail, Colombard Cotes de Gascogne 2009 (Saturday night)

Seated

Rockfish with Black Rice, Watermelon Radish, Ginger, Sesame Seeds and Micro Hong Vit– Sesame Foccacia

Michel Noellat, Fixin Village 2007 (Friday Night)

Domaine des Roy, Touraine Rouge "Les Linottes" 2008 (Saturday Night)

Butter Lettuce with Warm Fennel and Parsnip, Avocado, Orange and Banyuls Vinagrette– Blue Corn Meal Black Pepper Bread

Prudhon, Saint Aubin Blanc 1er "En Remilly", 2006 (Friday Night)

Vincent Dampt, Chablis AOC 2009 (Saturday Night)

Braised Chicken Thighs with Leeks, Tiny Potatoes, Chard and Wild Yellow Food Chanterelle Mushrooms– Whole Wheat Herb Bun

Roger Perrin, Chateauneuf-du-Pape Reserve VV 2007 (Friday Night)

Jean Royer, Chateaunuef-du-Pape "Tradition" 2008 (Saturday Night)

Rush Creek Reserve Cheese on Cracker

Carrot Cake with Frozen Coconut, Pineapple and Candied Walnuts

Jacques Lassaigne Blanc de Blanc La Colline Inspiree Magnums (Friday Night)

Pierre Paillard, Brut Champagne Bouzy Grand Cru (Saturday Night)

Bites- Mini Rosewater Pistachio Cakes, Chocolate Chip Early Grey Oatmeal Cookies, Fennel Seed Drops

Late Winter, Photos Jay Premack

Earlier this winter I had the pleasure of doing flowers for a lovely couple at the Hay Adams.  We constructed an organic looking chuppah in the beautifully traditional Hay Adams Hotel.  I enjoyed the juxtaposition of the rough elements of the structure inside the pristine hotel.  The bride adores purple roses which we combined with double purple tulips and textured bright greens such as hypericum berries, mini green hydrangea and seeded eucalyptus.  Jay Premack who I have been working with for years did a wonderful job as always, he captured the the genuine joy and sincerity of the event.  More photos from this wedding are posted on Jay's Blog, check them out.

Mid-Winter Banana Chocolate Dessert

Banana and chocolate are a favorite combination here at 1508.  We had two Home Restaurants last weekend and for dessert I made a banana chocolate cake adapted from an old recipe of my mothers that I topped with frozen chocolate, candied cashews and cocoa nibs and served with a cup of warm hot cocoa made with cashew cream. Banana Chocolate Cake

8 oz non hydrogenated margarine

3 1/3 cups vegan sugar

inside of 2 vanilla beans

1 cup pureed silken tofu

3 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup non dairy sour cream

2 cups mashed banana

4 cups all purpose unbleached flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups dark chocolate roughly chopped

In a mixer cream together margarine, sugar and vanilla.  Add Tofu.  In a small bowl mix together baking powder, baking soda and sour cream.  Add to sugar mixture and mix until just combined.  Add bananas until just combined and then add flour and salt.  Mix in chocolate chips.  Bake at 350 degrees until cake tests clean on a knife.  I baked mine in small silicon molds.

Frozen Chocolate

Over a double boiler melt high quality dark chocolate.  Gradually wisk in warm water until smooth, the proportions should be about 3/4 chocolate to 1/4 water.  Pour chocolate mixture in individual silicon molds and freeze until solid.

Candied Cashews with Cocoa Nibs

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Place raw cashews on a sheet tray and toss with agave nectar.  Place nuts in the oven and cook stirring often until they are a deep golden brown.  Remove from oven and toss with vegan sugar and a large pinch of salt.  Once cool chop and mix with cocoa nibs.

Hot Cocoa made with Cashew Cream

Pour hot water over cashews and allow to soak for at least 30 minutes.  Place cashews in a good blender, I use a Vita-Mix, and blend until very smooth.  Add water until the consistency is thick but sip-able.  Add cocoa powder and vegan sugar to taste.  Serve warm.

Truffle Salt

We have been cooking a lot this winter and that means that most weeks I have been speaking with my friends at Oregon Mushrooms, a small company run by a husband and wife team.  Much of  the year our ingredients come from close by but mid-winter the local pickings are slim.  We supplement  local root vegetables and cold hardy greens with fruit from warm climates and wild mushrooms and truffles from Oregon and Europe.  For the last couple of weeks we have been getting small fed ex packages containing delicious and laborious to clean wild black trumpet mushrooms.  We have also been shaving Oregon black truffles over mashed potatoes, scrambled eggs and chicken from Eco Friendly Foods. This week with my Oregon Mushroom order I got a present of a huge French Perigord truffle in addition to the mushrooms and truffles that I had ordered.  We served generous portions of truffles at the two Home Restaurants this weekend but still had left over truffles this morning.  To preserve the left over truffle which will go bad if not used quickly I put it in the food processor with some French Sea Salt.  Pureeing the truffles in the salt preserves them and makes a delicious condiment for nearly anything, think– popcorn, salad, roasted potatoes...