Ya gotta love that. Let's say that again: parade of meat. It's how the website describes the experience.
We went to Fogo de Chão, a Brazilian churrascaria (steakhouse) in downtown DC. X got there before me and was very surprised to find a dozen white roses waiting for her in a pretty vase. Since we were too busy to do this on Wednesday, this was our Valentine's Day. It’s how I roll, baby.
Deco - Nicely done. Very good taste. Not the typical "trying-too-hard" I see in DC
Staff - Extremely friendly, helpful, and attentive. You felt like everyone was each others' cousin, brother, etc. The manager really helped me by arranging the flowers and checking on us. All very short notice of the reservation I made, too. Impeccable service.
Food - Wow. No really... wow. It's essentially a parade of meat and a large buffet that's very well done. Think of high end presentations with the carving station, but the carving station comes to you. Over & over & over. The Gaúchos come to your table, and serve these slices of heaven until you tell them to stop. With all types of meat. Lots of food? Yes. But wait, there's more. There are a few sides they bring, too: mashed potatoes, fried bananas, and the best cornbread I ever had. Another nice touch is that the Gaúchos cook their meats that they are carving for you and are not "just" waiters. Drinks. She had a red wine that went well with everything, but I don't remember which one. I had their version of a mojito that was too strong. And for dessert? There was one particular meat, ancho (ribeye?), that was good enough for me to be dessert. I wish I "discovered" this in the beginning rather than the end. The Gaúcho told me all he added was seasalt. But we still had dessert. Hot chocolate cake and vanilla bean ice cream with hot melted chocolate drizzled over everything accompanied by strawberries.
Would I go again - Most certainly. I highly recommend this place. Vegans, beware. Although there is enough for you weirdoes, too. Valet parking available for $5 or $6. Downtown DC across the street from the Old Post Office, a block away from ESPN Zone, and couple blocks from Metro Center. Bring a fat wallet, too. ;-)
Pics to come. Bad quality, since they were taken from my phone.
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Finally, here are some pictures from the feast. Warning - they are grainy, like images from a 1970s porn, since they are from my phone. And it was dark.
Gaucho with rack of chickens. Very tasty. It tasted like it was basted in red wine. Splendid!
Rack of sausages.
Prime rib
Variety of meat including rack of lamb
Chicken, sausage, filet bacon-wrapped mignon, and others I can't remember
Side dishes of incredible corn bread, mashed potatoes, & fried banana
Dessert - molten chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream
That's EGGSactly what I'm gonna do this Thanksgiving. Turkey Day is at my house, so I am the chef. I already prepared the turkey yesterday/Tuesday, so it is sitting in my garage marinating.
I am deep frying the bird this year. Now that I live in the south (Washington, D.C.), I gotta do the southern thAng. Y’all. But it’s not new to me. I did it back when I was up north (Chicago). It was always a big hit. In fact, the last time I did it, my Father’s friends brought their turkeys over so I can cook them. Ha! The wonderful thing about deep-frying is the speed. Forget the hours on end in the oven. Deep frying will produce a fully cooked bird in LESS than an hour. Oh, and another advantage… the taste! We all had the dry turkey. Those days are over. When you introduce the turkey to oil that is almost 400 degrees, it instantly sears the skin, therefore keeping the juices inside. Not to mention keeping the oil outside, so it’s not unhealthy as you may think when you hear “deep fried.” Well, onto my mission for a successful Thanksgiving. I hope.
Everything is a beautiful stainless steel, right down to the injector. This thing is like a hypodermic needle for Frankenstein. It’s so nice, it makes you want to shoot heroin!
Now that I have the fryer, I picked up the propane-filled tank at Home Depot. (Thank God for building one recently that’s practically walking distance to the house.)
Next is the turkey. The typical “family turkey” is about 25 pounds. At least, that’s what I used to buy. I wouldn’t suggest this size for frying; get one no larger than 15 pounds. And it’s quick to fry, so don’t worry about time if you need/want to cook multiple turkeys like I have in the past. The second time around is actually quicker, since the oil is very hot. I settled on a 12-pound Butterball.
I also picked up a few other items at the store to complete the project. Now, to prepare…
I like to marinate the turkey. I do it a few DAYS before frying. You do this by injecting marinade into the thick portions of the bird. This year I cheated by buying the marinade rather than making it myself. I picked up a bottle of Kikkoman Roasted Garlic & Herbs.
I took out the giblets, washed down the bird (inside & out), stuck the needle in the bottle, filled up the syringe, and went to work. As you pump marinade into the bird, you will see the skin bubble up as the marinade fills the cavity. I’m like a turkey’s plastic surgeon giving it fat implants. It’s a good feeling.
Once I’ve exhausted all the areas, I give the bird a dry rub. I used whatever I had in the kitchen, so I used seasoned salt, chili pepper, cumin, crushed red pepper, black pepper, salt, thyme, sage, and Adobo seasoning. (I get this from Latino supermarkets.) I mix it in a bowl, and then I turn the bird upside down. I work the rub into every corner: under the wings, in the neck hole, etc. I turn it back up, and place it in the disposable aluminum turkey pan. I finish rubbing the turkey on top, covering the drumsticks, inserting my hand inside the cavity, etc. As I rub the turkey, some of the marinade spills out from the holes where I injected it.
When I’m finished, I top it off with tin foil, and leave it in my garage until Thanksgiving. The good thing about cold weather is that it acts as a refrigerator in case yours is full. Just be careful not to leave it on your deck where animals can get to it like the squirrels did to my friend’s mother’s sweet potato pie one year. Ha ha!
I essentially did the same thing with the giblets, but I put the spices and marinade in a Ziploc bag, placed the pieces in there, and shook it up. That is sitting in the fridge. I may include it in the fryer, or I may do something else with it. I’ll take a vote on Turkey Day.
When deep frying, I like to use peanut oil for several reasons: it doesn’t smoke too much, the taste, and that it’s not as unhealthy as other oils. (Speaking of healthy, this is the second time I’ve mentioned it. Since I am on a health kick, I am going to cook with the health factor in mind, so this year will not include the typical mashed potatoes smothered in cheese or marshmallow and sweet potato pies.)
And while I’m on oils, I feel I need to make mention of this important fact – you will read to place the turkey in the fryer, and then fill it up with water to give you an idea of how much oil to add. This is wrong. Very wrong. You may have read of those banjo-picking hillbillies who burnt down their homes deep-frying their turkeys indoors. Well, that almost happened to me the first time I fried a turkey at my old house. What recipes don’t tell you is that oil e-x-p-a-n-d-s when heated. A lot. So the first time I did this, the oil was nice & hot, and I was lowering the turkey into the pot. You can imagine what happened next - it was the peanut oil version of Niagara Falls. Not good! And don’t forget all the water cascading out of the pot right onto the flame - which is attached to a propane tank!! Well, God was with me that day, since I’m still here. And the house is still standing. I was always reminded of that day whenever it snowed or rain, since that spot on my patio always deflected water. LOL! I was wondering what happened, since I filled the oil to the same level as the water. And then science class kicked in. Note to self: next time, fill the oil ¾ of the way as water. If you need more, simply add more oil.
Today is 7/17. My Dad turns 60 today. If you ever met my Father, then I am going to stress that yes, the big six-oh. I was talking to my Dad today, and he told me he was debating whether or not to run 10 miles when he gets up in the morning in the scorching 100 degree heat that ChicagoLand is having. He stated it may be the last time in his life that he does it. He also said he may just decide against it, since he ran 6 miles a few days ago. He’s 60. I am about half his age, and I wish I could run half that distance!
One time he was here, and we went on my favorite bike ride in my life. We biked around D.C., on memorial stairs, on the National Mall, over the Potomac River, and more. I loved it. People were telling me that my brother was cool. Uh… he’s my F-a-t-h-e-r. He has been referred to as my brother or friend on numerous occasions.
On the steps at the Jefferson Memorial
Here’s a cool story about him that I’d like to share in honor of his birthday –
As you can imagine, he likes to work out and is in great shape. One of his usual routines is to bike to the local college, which is several miles away, and then he runs laps around the track or sometimes the entire campus. Well, one day, just a couple years ago, he was doing his typical run around the track. It was summertime, and school was almost in session. The college football team was practicing, cheerleaders were rehearsing, and other athletes were preparing for the upcoming season. As my Dad was running, the football team was practicing their field goal kicks. My Dad is rounding the track, and a football goes sailing through the uprights, past the field goal, and towards the track. Just as my Dad was passing by, he raises his hand to block the sun, and with the other one, he makes a one-arm catch of the football. The whole infield roars with cheers. My Dad calmly throws the football back to the team, and keeps running. I love that story! It brings tears to my eyes when I tell it. I love you, Dad! Happy birthday!!
When my Father was here last time helping us move into the new house, he asked me if there would be any protests. He likes that stuff. I told him it’s D.C.; just wait a few minutes. Sure enough, President Bush was giving the State of the Union Address, and there were plenty of people in front of the Capital protesting. I took him there. Although it was silly - and cold, we had a good time yelling, waving our fists, and holding other people's signs. More pix of our ride - Washington Monument and Tidal Basin Capital steps Smithsonian Castle Check out that view behind us!(near the Iwo Jima Memorial and next to Netherlands Carillon at Arlington Cemetery)
Apologies for not posting in a while. Family emergency. Please pray for us. Thanks
Anyway...
The image most popular that comes to mind when thinking of China is Chung Cheng. Translation, The Great Wall. (I'm sure I butchered the spelling of it - but that's what it sounds like to me. =] ) The second most popular image is Tian Tan (probably misspelled again) i.e. the Temple of Heaven.
These pictures that I took are absolutely remarkable. See, Temple of Heaven is not just one temple but several temples. This particular one is called “Qiniandian” or “Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest” and is all the way to the north of the grounds. The Temple of Heaven spans about 675 acres. So yeah, it’s pretty vast in terms of size. And age! This place was built in 1410!! Amazing. This brings me back to why these pictures I took are such a treat. As you can imagine, after almost 600 years, the condition of anything will not be optimal. Apparently, they just renovated the north end of Temple of Heaven. I could literally smell the paint walking near these structures. I was able to see in all its glory what this building must have looked like back then. Magnificent. Another reason to enjoy this picture is due to the lack of people in the way. As you can imagine, this building was swarmed with people taking pictures of it. When I entered the Temple of Heaven, I came in through the South Gate. By the time I arrived to the north side of the grounds several hours later, the place was closing. Little by little, people diminished. Finally, it was only me and a few photographers equipped with their several-thousand-dollar cameras. I was actually locked in. I had to find someone to let me out. Ha ha! And finally, if you have ever visited Beijing, you know how thick the air is. You can’t see past a few blocks due to pollution. Well, it rained the day before, and it was as if Beijing took a shower. Now you get the rich, blue sky with the sun begining to set as a backdrop for the building to stand majestically against. Anyway, these are the reasons why these pictures are postcard quality (if I don’t say so myself), and you get to enjoy them.
Here's a quick post to share a video I found on the Internet. I like this video, because it illustrates on of my favorite events in China – people-watching at Tian Tan (English (yin wan) translation is Temple of Heaven) The Temple itself was wonderful, but what made it better was the people. The old people. They would sing, gamble, exercise, and more. I made friends there, shared tea with an old man, and "hackey sacked." I forgot what it's called, but you can see it in this video. It's a feather that you use like a hackey sack. I'll post my own pictures and video later, but for now, enjoy this. It may seem boring, but it really was quite enjoyable being there to experience this.
I am referring to these Vietnamese spring rolls our Chinese friend, Yurong, made, since they are both pretty and healthy. On our way back from NYC, we stopped in Bordentown, NJ for an invitation to eat good Italian food (something I haven’t found in D.C., so this satisfied my craving - for now), and then back to her place. While there, she served us tiramisu she made and also these spring rolls. The spring rolls were a light, refreshing, summery snack served with a nice sauce, which I never got the name of. The rolls were composed of Vietnamese spring roll wrappers filled with basil, lettuce, shrimp, and a couple more things I’m missing. You may eat several of these and not feel guilty. Very healthy and actualy good for you. I may try to make it sometime, but I’m afraid I may stuff the wrapper with cubed beef tongue, cheese, and beans, since I’m used to burritos. =]
I need to start by reminding you that clicking on the pictures makes them bigger. Okay, now that Internet 101 is over, let's continue.
This 4th of July weekend 2006 was a good one. Went to friends' and got the grand tour of NYC. We did almost every burrough, double-decker bus tours, ate famous NYC foods, took many pictures, and more. Since we did so much, I'll post sporatically so I don't overwhelm my audience. All one of you (myself).
On the first day to New York City, we went to Coney Island.
It was the typical boardwalk fiasco: 5 t-shirts for $10, funnel cakes, carnies, rusted out & dangerous rides, lots of people in the blazing heat, beach, B.O., and more. You know, everything to make a good holiday that more American.
Coney Island is one of several staples of NYC. And on Coney Island there are even more legendary places to visit. One of those places is Astroland, one of the several amusement parks on Coney Island.
Astroland has the famous roller coaster, The Cyclone.
Initially, I wasn’t enthused about hopping on this ride. But I did it just so I can say I rode The Cyclone. Now that I have, I must say that I highly underestimated it. This thing will kick your ass!
Forget that it has been in existence for 75 years. It snaps you right & left. Hard! The dips aren’t terribly high, and you only reach 60 MPH, but the switchback turns make you believe otherwise. It’s a must if you’re at Coney Island.
Another landmark is Nathan’s Famous. They have been around since 1916.
This is the location of the famous hot dog eating contest every 4th of July. (I was there on the 2nd, so I just missed it.) It’s amazing how a 113 pound Japanese guy, Takeru "Tsunami" Kobayashi, eats 50+ hot dogs (and buns!) in 12 minutes. Even more amazing is when you see him standing next to his 300+ and 400+ pound competition! He won this year and every year since 2001.
I didn’t quite eat that many. I merely tasted a meager two dogs: a chili cheese and a plain.
Had I been there by myself instead of with a group, I would have thrown down a few more. Living in D.C. makes me crave the hot dogs of Chicago, especially Best’s Kosher and Vienna Beef. Now I long for the next time I’m at Nathan’s.
Special thanks to George, a fellow foodie, for taking me to all these places.
And that's the last time you'll see me refer to myself as a "foodie." I guess that's the term, but it sounds too queer.
Stay tuned for my next post. And visit George's blog.
, sausage, filet bacon-wrapped mignon, and others I can't remember
, sausage, filet bacon-wrapped mignon, and others I can't remember
vanilla ice cream
vanilla ice cream
