Myanmar

a gem in falls church.

although myanmar is on the Washingtonian Top Cheap Eats, until buddies of BOOF, eg and aw recommended an adventure out to this little gem, I probably would have never made it there. little did i know, that i would leave this lunch/dinner a little upset that eg and aw had never mentioned to me this delicious place before. apparently, they knew about this secret little gem for almost 5 years!!! anyways, i am so happy that I made the trek out to falls church because wow, the food was so good.

with it's storefront location, myanmar does not look like much when you approach it...or when you are in it for that matter. however, do not let it's appearance fool you because the food is extremely authentic, tasty and the service is great. if you have not already figured out, myanmar is named after country to which it's cuisine belongs (aka Burma). the interior and ambiance of the restaurant is nothing special but it features simple light wood tables and comfy dark brown chairs.

onto to the food.

we started with the mango salad which consists of shredded mango salad, thinly sliced onion and cabbage, crushed peanuts and cilantro. you may look at these ingredients and be a little perplexed. this was so good. I essentially could have taken this salad home and been a happy camper for days. there is just a perfect balance of sweetness from the mango with crunch of the peanuts and nice seasoning from the onion and cilantro.

we then had the ginger salad which was just as good if not better than the mango salad. the ginger salad was made up of pickled ginger, cabbage, tomato, and crunchy peanuts, toasted yellow peas, sesame seeds, toasted garlic, fresh lime juice. the peanut sauce that they put on top of this salad is just so good. i might want to marry this ginger salad. actually, scratch that. I WANT to marry this ginger salad. I have never been such a big proponent of ginger (i like it but not overwhelmingly so and i try to avoid cooking with it...because i think it's really hard work), but this salad made me want to eat ginger all the time...if it comes like this. i love me some peas so i loved seeing some yellow peas in this salad and i also love that they had such great balance of texture with the peanuts, toasted garlic and sesame seeds in comparison to the tomato and cabbage. although you get the ginger flavor throughout the salad, it is not overwhelming by any means and you definitely get all the flavors of each component. i could potentially talk about this salad for a lot longer but i probably should move on.

also BOOF buddy, bs, essentially swears by this one dish but everyone else seems to not really enjoy it. nevertheless, i decided that i would try it because i am really willing to try anything that is friendly to me. the dish is called Chili Banng Gyaq (sauteed Sour Leaf) and is sauteed sour leaf with bamboo shoot, shrimp pasta chili and onion. it was definitely interesting and the seasoning was good but I really did not care for the texture our flavor of the sour leaf. It kind of tasted like anchovies, so if anchovies are your thing, then you really may enjoy it. i'm glad i tried it but that's all for me.

there were clearly a bunch of items that everyone else ate that i couldn't but i still documented and everyone said the flavor was super delicious and tasty. another buddy of BOOF has traveled to Burma recently and when I mentioned this place and showed him the pictures, he mentioned that the food looks just like what they ate in burma and he may or not have been salivating of the idea of eating it...now.

first there was the beef potato curry which is exactly what it sounds like. It is composed of beef, potato, onion,garlic and ginger cooked in "flavorful" curry sauce. although that is the extent of the description of the curry sauce, i would agree that it is definitely that...according to BOOF buddies.

second there was the chicken potato curry which is similarly composed to chicken and potato cooked in the similar "flavorful" curry sauce. just like the prior, the curry was spicy but too spicy and was well balanced by the potato.

the group also ordered the Ohn Ro Kaukswe which is a chicken noodle soup with coconut fresh egg noodle and chicken soup with creamy coconut milk served with onion, lime and chili pepper on the side. this was one of those dishes that everyone raves about because it is very different but oh so good. i personally believe that savory infused with coconut always makes for a delicious meal. unfortunately, this was also one of those things that i could not eat but everyone really enjoyed it.

an item that we all loved (yes, even me!!!!) was the "shrimp thing". I think it is actually called the Pazun- Khwe Gyaw which is a crispy bean sprout & shrimp salad shrimp mix with bean sprout light battered and quick fried, tossed with cabbage and cucumber in lamarind sauce. omgeeeeeee. i apologize for my tween language but this "shrimp thing" is one of the best dishes i have tried anywhere in a long time. the shrimp was perfectly "quick fried" and then the bean sprouts, and lamarind sauce was just so perfect. this is one of those dishes that is so good, it is hard to put into words. pretty much just perfection on a plate. i would go back just for this dish. i'm just saying...

and lastly, because i could not enjoy the chicken/potato curry and beef/potato curry, i ordered the pumpkin curry. it was really tough for me to choose a vegetarian entree off of the menu because they all looked so delicious, but this was definitely a hit for me. I love me some pumpkin and although it is not currently in season, the pumpkin was still perfectly ripe and cooked well. i love the balance of the sweet and spicy but because as most of you may know, pumpkin is not that sweet, the spice definitely won out which was pleasing to my tastebuds. the dish was perfectly balanced and as with all the dishes of the afternoon, very aesthetically pleasing.

Overall, I had a wonderful experience at myanmar and was pleasantly surprised by how well seasoned everything was. typical of ethnic cuisine, there is a lot of spice but the balance that was presented in all of the dishes was perfect. the flavors were complex and from what i presume, traditional to myanmar. despite the lack of interior/exterior decor, the food does not disappoint and well worth the trip out to falls church. if you are looking for something a little different and delicious and you have access to a car, i definitely recommend the trip out to myanmar. ;-)

Grade: A- (detracted for decor)

white chocolate lemon truffles

these are one of those recipes that is kind of mind boggling. it is so easy and so delicious all at the same time. golly gee. i wish all sweet treats were this quick and simple to make...but then again, if they were than i would make them all the time and definitely become a fat kid. for real.

anywho, for super great buddy of BOOF, Sho's, final hh with work buds, I decided that I would make a couple of things. I had been planning to make these truffles for sometime and I finally found the perfect occasion to make them for. if you really want a quick and easy crowd pleaser, then this is definitely your go to dessert. the only problem you run into, is for the individuals who don't like chocolate or white chocolate. however, i am definitely from the belief system that a dislike of chocolate of any variety is more there problem then yours. ;-)

i found this recipe one day on http://www.tastespotting.com ( LOVEEE that website), and the blog that it was posted from seems to be quite good too.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cup of white chocolate -I used the nestle brand but I am sure that they are probably even better with the nicer quality Ghiradelli stuff

5 Tbsp. unsalted butter - If you use salted don't add any extra salt in the end, they will be way to salty.

3 Tbsp. heavy cream (I just used heavy whipping cream)

Pinch of salt

1 tsp. Lemon extract (I just used the juice of one lemon)

Powdered sugar, for rolling/dusting

1 lemon for zesting if you like* I did this and I think it definitely added a much more distinct lemon flavor to it

Directions
1) Bring a pot of water to a boil on the stove top.

2) Melt the chocolate, butter and cream over the double boiler while stirring (make sure you use a glass bowl over the double boiler...I used a sturdy metal bowl) I recommend staying by the mixture during this process so you can be sure it won't burn.

3) Once melted you can remove from the heat and stir in the salt and extract.

4) Allow to cool a bit before covering it with plastic wrap, refrigerate for at least 2 hours, overnight works fine as well.

5) With a mellon baller or if you don't have one you can always use a spoon scoop ( I just used a real spoon...I dont have any of those other fancy things) out the mixture and form into balls (they don't have to be perfect) this can be a bit messy since the chocolate will start to melt and stick to your hands. Roll the balls in the powdered sugar and set a cookie sheet. Once your done you can put them in a cute bowl for presentation and zest some lemon over the top so everyone will know they have lemon flavor in them.

6) Store these covered in the fridge for up to a week or you can store these in the freezer for longer storage.

7) Enjoy and Share!

Notes: These were a big hit and although they are very rich and sweet, it is definitely worth the calorie splurge. Perfect as a small bite dessert with buds.
Adapted from: http://kellynbakes.blogspot.com/2010/05/white-chocolate-lemon-truffles.html

Orzo with curried tofu and broccoli

this is one of those "i really have no idea what I am in the mood for but it better be quick and delicious" sorta meals. a while back I had bought this red curry sauce from TJ's and was determined to do something with it. what I was going to do with it? I had no idea but I was going to do something. because I am no longer afraid of tofu I thought that the tofu would simmer well in the curry so I decided to do that and go with it. however, I was also aware that i needed to serve it with some sort of rice/pasta and I have all this orzo which is essentially is the ultimate rice/pasta, so I cooked up some of that to add to it. and then there was a surprise....but we'll get to that later.

Ingredients

2/3 Cup of Curry Simmer Sauce (you can make your own which is probably better but TJs is good for convenience and it's still pretty good)

8 oz of Tofu Diced in Cubes

1 cup of fresh broccoli cut into smaller pieces * Tadaaaaaa

1/4 Cup of Orzo

Directions
- kinda mind numbingly easy

1) Boil Orzo in salted water

2) Meanwhile, simmer diced tofu in curry simmer sauce for about 8-10 minutes stirring occasionally.

3) When orzo is almost done cooking (about 7-8 minutes), add fresh broccoli to the pasta. NOTE: you will probably have to add some more water to the pot

4) Remove simmered curry tofu from heat.

5) Boil orzo and broccoli for another couple of minutes and drain.

6) Mix tofu with orzo and broccoli and season with salt and pepper to taste

7) Enjoy and Share!

Star and the Shamrock

after another failed attempt at making it to biergarten haus (they weren't open for weekday lunch yet at this point but apparently, now they are), we decided to head two doors down to star and the shamrock for lunch. omg. did i mention that star and the shamrock is another H Street Wonder?!? clearly. gosh, i might have a slight obsession with H street. I really don't think it's a big problem. Well maybe it's a little problem, but who is keeping track?

star and the shamrock features food that is very unique but the name explains it all. the restaurant refers to itself more as a "tavern and deli" and it features both irish and jewish cuisine. the restaurant definitely has a very nice irish pub ambiance with its hardwood floors, brown wood tables and chairs and overall warm and welcoming appealing.

when you walk into the restaurant, you do get a little overwhelmed by the HUGE wrap around bar takes up a lot of space. I think this is both a bad and a good thing because it takes up a large amount of space that could have been used for more additional "restaurant" seating, but because it also wants to retain the feel of the pub, the huge bar plays to an advantage.

there was a large group of us and on a 95 degree DC day in the shade, we were just thrilled to be in a nice air conditioned location. they accommodated our large party very quickly but on this "holiday", the restaurant was relatively empty so it could not have been an issue to begin with.

S & S has 10 beers on tap and about 20 specialty bottles. they also have a nice selection (judging from the menu) of scotch, whiskey, bourbon and they also offer wine and specialty cocktails. so essentially, they have a nice full bar but also stocked with some specialty irish and jewish items.

various BOOF buddies tried the hebrew messiah bold, hebrew genesis ale, brooklyn lager, and guiness. the guiness was standard so onto the newbies. the messiah bold is a dark stout beer but it is actually much lighter in body then expected, definitely tasty the hebrew genesis tastes like a standard ale but it was still very good. the brooklyn lager was also really good but let's be serious, i don't think a bad beer comes out of brooklyn brewery.

onto the food. S & S has already made themselves known as a sandwich place and they definitely live up to the hype. i will be honest and say that I was a very poor photog of this meal but no biggie. i can describe it well. :-)

we started off with the curly fries and the onion rings. Although each cost $6.50 which is a bit pricey between the 10 of us, they fed everyone. both were really good. I love me some curly fries...who doesn't? These were seasoned very well as were the onion rings and although onion rings are not my fried appetizer of choice, these were ample sized and fried well.

some of the sandwiches we ordered. all of the sandwiches are pretty large, so most of the group ended up splitting their sandwiches. a couple of buddies got The Concord which was fried bologna, american cheese, ketchup and griddle sourdough. I used to loveeee fried bologna sandwiches so it was a nice surprise to see it on a menu. the buddies who had this enjoyed it and said that it was simple, classic but the sourdough bread definitely gave it a nice flavor as much the rest of the sandwich is definitely full of salty seasoning.

Other buddies ordered The Clogger which is a hot beef brisket, provolone, bacon, gravy, garlic butter, mayonnaise on a kaiser roll. they also the said that the sandwich was very tasty but as you can see, all of these sandwiches tend to be a heavy which is both a good thing because you are full and feel as though you got your money's worth but you are also very very full. with this sandwich, the mayo (although i am not a proponent of mayo), was definitely necessary to balance of the heaviness of the brisket, bacon, and gravy. still very good.

Some other buds ordered the McTuna Melt which is a house-made tuna salad sandwich topped with hot peppers, melted cheddar and rye bread. i debated on getting this because it was one of the two vegetarian/pescatarian friendly sandwiches on the menu. the buds who had this sandwich said it was really good and when they said, melted cheddar...they are not kidding. this sandwich was definitely more of an open face sandwich as the top layer was just melted cheddar. it looked yummy and a bit overwhelming all at the same time. however, the flavor of the tuna salad was good and the hot peppers definitely gave the sandwich a nice kick which is something that was kind of missing from the other two sandwiches.

The last BOOF buddies ordered the Turkey # 2 which is a hot, house roasted turkey with muenster cheese, bacon, mayonnaise and sourdough. this is definitely a sandwich that if I wasn't a veggie, I would be nomming hardcore on this badboy. the muenster cheese was definitely the staple to this sandwich because it gave it a sharp flavor that definitely took this standard turkey and bacon sandwich to another different level. you might see a sandwich such as this typically with provolone or american cheese but the muenster fit in perfectly and was a well welcomed addition.

I really can't remember if anything else was consumed (i kind of think someone may have gotten a reuben) but that is standard. I ordered the Latke Madness but to make it vegetarian (and better, i think) I asked for no hot corned beef (which I think is pretty gross to begin with). I was really pleased with this sandwich as it had 3 potato pancakes, griddled sauerkraut, swiss and russian dressing on it. This sandwich clearly did not need any bread because it was made up of potato pancakes and I was pleased with it's taste. Surprisingly enough, the sandwich was not too salty and the pancakes were cooked well and were tasty. Rather then having the consistency of the familiar latke, it stacked more like a potato burger pattie. I think that if the latkes would have been more of a standard shape and size, it definitely would have really been madness. all in all, it was still really tasty and i would eat it again. once again though, super heavy.

all in all, we had a really good trip to S & S. If you are looking for a nice twist on an original sandwich, then S & S is definitely your place. the meat is super fresh and brined, cured and roasted on site which is also pretty sweet. the seasonings were good and each sandwich definitely had its own unique identity. the restaurant is something different which is always welcomed and fits perfectly in the H Street neighborhood. I am docking them because of their lack of veggie friendly items and also although the sandwiches were good and unique, they were not the best you've ever had...just pretty good. Nevertheless, if you want a filling and relatively decently priced sandwich and beer, this is definitely your place. And you never know, they may eventually even know your name (yes, i just referenced Cheers, no big deal).

Grade: B

Crepes on the Walk

i love quick bites on a too hot summer afternoon. during the fourth of july weekend (don't judge that I am so late posting this), close buddy to BOOF, em, was in town visiting and we were in the chinatown/penn quarter area. we had just finished watching germany tromp into the semi finals with a 4-0 beating of Argentina (yes, i know they lost to Spain in the semis), and were hungry for something quick before the afternoon game.

there are so many options in the chinatown/penn quarter area...even just for a quick bite, so it is almost overwhelming to figure out what you want to eat. however, after trekking down a bathroom, as we ascended from the stairwell and immediately saw "crepes on the walk" and then our choice was made easy.

after being to many a movie at the theater, I have always wanted to try crepes on the walk but the perfect time never presented itself. so i was thrilled that the time had finally come and i was getting my crepe on the walk. also, it had been a long time coming since i had a crepe in DC and with tons of "crepe" places popping up all around DC, i am almost glad I am getting out of town because I would literally be full of crepes with nutella and strawberry and deliciousness...all to often.

it was lunch time, thus both em and I opted for savory crepes over sweet but I would definitely try a sweet crepe for a late night dessert (pre or post movie).

i ordered the simple but delectable spinach, mushrooms and cheese (i had cheddar) and it was quite tasty. there was nothing special about it and i could definitely make something of that quality at home but it was definitely good for the quick summer afternoon bite.

em ordered the grilled chicken pesto, tomatoes and cheese (she had swiss), and she also enjoyed her crepe. after debating whether or not she wanted cheddar or swiss, she opted for swiss which ended up being the perfect choice. the swiss nicely complemented the pesto and the chicken was cooked well but nothing special.

all in all, crepes on the walk is a nice option for a quick bite either pre or post movie. I definitely would try out some of the other really really really good options in the area, if you are planning to make a more educational trip to something like the portrait gallery or the spy museum. however, if you are only looking to spend a little amount of time in the area then crepes on the walk is definitely a nice alternative to mainstays like chipotle, fuddruckers, california tortilla and chop't. nevertheless, i think that crepes on the walk , though not trying to be something that they are not, they could definitely increase their savory menu and become a little bit more inventive with their combination. as i mentioned earlier, there are a slew of well-established and new crepe places popping up all around the city and some boast 20-30 types of savory and sweet crepes each. thus, it is going to be imperative that crepes on the walk kick it up a notch. BAMMMMM. yes, you just got "emeril"ed.

Grade: C+

snickers brownie cupcakes

i have recently determined that everything in the cupcake form is just simpler. whether they are actually cupcakes is irrelevant but it is so much easier (especially when you have a group of buds) to make things in a cupcake pan. you dont have to worry about cutting slices, you dont have to worry about portion control and it is the perfect bite size amount for everyone.

with that being said, for one of our final group gatherings, i clearly wanted to bake something special for my buds. I decided that I would make brownies (in the cupcake form), and add a little special treat in them...fun size snickers. yes, i said it. fun size snickers. i am a firm believer that delicious candy bars can only make desserts that much more delicious. i feel like no one will disagree with me on this.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 8 fun size Snickers bars, chopped * I actually didn't chop them

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Melt butter in a medium saucepan or in a microwave safe bowl for 1 minute
3. Add sugar, eggs and vanilla. Stir until combined.
4. Add cocoa powder, flour, salt and baking powder to the saucepan and stir until incorporated.
5. If you chopped the snickers, fold in Snickers bar chunks and bake or
   
6. Wait until they are finished baking (approximately 25-30 minutes) and press fun size snickers into the brownies, let them melt in and cool.
7. Enjoy and Share!

http://www.howto-simplify.com/2010/04/snickers-brownies.html

Lemony Chickpea Stirfry

oh hey heidi. you are the bomb. for real. the bomb. thank you for giving this veggiegirl so much inspiration and so many delicious (and easy) recipes.

this is another delicious veggie venture recipe from the kitchen of heidi swanson of 101 cookbooks, to my kitchen and to hopefully your kitchen. I love when good, fresh and tasty food is quick and easy. that is honestly the key to a really satisfying meal. after my first successful attempt and making a tofu-infused dish, i thought I would try again and heidi featured the most wonderful recipe including some of my staple ingredients.

Ingredients

2 tablespoon ghee or extra-virgin olive oil (most definitely used evoo)
fine grain sea salt ( definitely used regular salt)
1 small onion or a couple shallots, sliced (onionnnn)
1 cup cooked chickpeas (canned is fine, if you don't want to cook up a pot of dried chickpeas)
8 ounces extra-firm tofu
1 cup of chopped kale* I used Spinach
2 small zucchini, chopped
zest and juice of 1/2 a lemon

Directions

1) Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil In a large skillet over medium-high heat and stir in a big pinch of salt, the onion, and chickpeas.

2) Saute until the chickpeas are deeply golden and crusty.

3) Stir in the tofu and cook just until the tofu is heated through, just a minute or so.

4) Stir in the spinach and cook for one minute more.

5) Remove everything from the skillet onto a large plate and set aside.

6) In the same skillet heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil, add the zucchini and saute until it starts to take on a bit of color, two or three minutes.

7) Add the chickpea mixture back to the skillet, and remove from heat.

8) Stir in the lemon juice and zest, taste, and season with a bit more salt and pepper if needed.

9) Enjoy and Share!