Bine/shutterstock.com

As spring arrives—kicking off the start of wedding season—the question of a proper dessert appears on to-do lists of the almost-married. With vintage making a comeback, wedding budgets strained by years of a down economy, and the increasing population of educated foodies who care about flavor as well as style, perhaps it’s time to abandon the traditional wedding cake.

MACARON TOWERS: Cupcakes are old news. In swoops the French macaron. Not only are these delectable bites colorful and have endless flavor possibilities—salted caramel, pistachio and lychee—they are also gluten-free. Built into a gorgeous structure reflecting a couple’s personality (the Eiffel Tower for a Parisian honeymoon), these two-bite confections make the perfect dance-and-go dessert. For the sugar-obsessed, order additional smaller towers as centerpieces to add a pop of color (and save on the florist bill).

CHEESE COURSE: Arranging cheese wheels into a stylish “cheese cake” is perfect for those who don’t crave sweets. Serve an assortment of cheeses with honey, jams, spiced nuts or dried fruits and pair with a favorite wine or champagne for the ultimate wedding toast.

PETIT FOURS SPREAD: Customizing a petit fours spread to feature small bites of personal favorites will allow guests to taste many different confections ranging from exquisite layered cakes to mini éclairs, dark mocha bon bons or toffee bark. Although this may be a pricey option, the assortment of decadence will stand out among other weddings this season.

VINTAGE PIE: Pies are perfect for locavores who want to highlight an array of seasonal- or regional-specific flavors. From peach-blackberry to classic cherry, celebrate tradition with these homey, yet elegant sweets. Pies can also be made sugar- or lactose-free to cater to a variety of dietary needs.

HERITAGE DESSERTS: Northern Virginia’s remarkably diverse community often unites different cultures for wedding celebrations. Use the dessert display as a nod to either of the couple’s family heritages; e.g., sweet rice cakes are a common offering at Korean weddings. —Sally Traynham

jon le-bon/shutterstock.com (Pie); mykeyruna/shutterstock.com (Japan rice cake); Picsfive/shutterstock.com (cakes); marco mayer/shuterstock.com (cheese); Madlen/shutterstock.com (macarons)

(April 2012)

Photography by Sally Traynham

Indulge: creamy banana black-bottom pie

By Stefanie Gans

What started as a hobby nine years ago turned into a full-time job for Sue Olinger. When her HR position was eliminated, Olinger, already selling pies at the Warrenton Farmers Market, decided to fully concentrate on baking.

Now the owner of Sue’s Pies & More, Olinger still laughs about her first day: Within an hour and a half, she sold all 30 of her pies. “I remember thinking, ‘That was a real fluke.’” But the next week, it happened again.

An airy, banana black-bottom pie sports a slim layer of chocolate ganache. Vanilla pudding and whipped cream fill the top three-quarters, and sliced bananas separate the mix from the chocolate below. We’d prefer an equal pudding-to-chocolate ratio, but it still conquers that afternoon sugar craving.

Sue’s Pies & More; 540-878-1181

(April 2012)

By Joey Hernandez

Waking up early and buying tomatoes from your local farmers market is one way to support a local, sustainable economy. But, there’s one step further: buying into Community Supported Agriculture (CSA).

CSAs work for both the farmer and buyer. Consumers pay up-front, allowing the farm to pay for the seeds and tools needed for the season ahead. In return, “shareholders” receive a weekly supply of produce, meats and cheeses from the grower. While CSAs promise plenty of food, ingredients delivered depend on what grew that week. There’s lots to consider. Which CSA suits you?

Cooking Style “Iron Chef America” You revel in the joy of cooking with new ingredients, experimenting with new cooking methods and playing with new tools. Sous vide immersion circulators roam freely in your adobe. CSA: Polyface Farm offers beef liver, tongue, kidneys and tamer cuts of meat, plus vegetables and eggs. Sign up: Open enrollment buying club. 43 Pure Meadows Lane, Riverheads; 540-885-3590; polyfacefarms.com	Cooking Style “30-Minute Meals with Rachael Ray” Planning a meal remains a priority as hectic workdays and carpools cut into your kitchen time. CSA: Great Country Farms offers a produce list that provides recipes, expected crops for the season and a weekly newsletter designed for organization lovers. Sign up: Now. Shares sell out by first week of April. 18780 Foggy Bottom Road, Bluemont; 540-554-2073; greatcountryfarms.com	Cooking Style “Worst Cooks in America” Even though you have a slight fear of cooking, you can still participate in a CSA. While a 20-week share may be a big commitment, some farms offer shorter arrangements. CSA: Olin-Fox Farms. With two months of local farm-fresh goodies like free-range eggs and heirloom tomatoes, making omelettes will have you feeling like Eric Ripert. Sign up: By May 21. P.O. Box 222, Reedville; 804-453-4125; olinfoxfarms.com

Illustrations by Ashleigh Carter

READY, SET, COOK While your weekly CSA box will contain an endless amount of possibilities for you to cook, it’s always helpful to have a few books around to inspire the next dinner creation:

Thomas Keller’s “Under Pressure: Cooking Sous Vide” to inspire your next gourmet creation.

An all-encompassing classic book like “Better Homes and Gardens’ 365 30-Minute Meals” offers both a variety of recipes and ingredient substitutions to avoid last-minute trips to the grocery store.

“The Farmer’s Kitchen: The Ultimate Guide to Enjoying your CSA and Farmers’ Market Foods,” by Julia Shanks, provides detailed info on farm-fresh foods, such as proper storage tips for produce.

(April 2012)

By Stefanie Gans

Peter zijlstra/shutterstock.com

When Al Nakheel, a Middle Eastern grocery store in Vienna, changed ownership, long-time employee Said Ghabayen prepared for retirement. But his son, Shadi Ghabayen, saw this as an opportunity instead. “My dad [has] a good customer base, serving the customer for 18 years,” says Shadi, a native of Jordan. He then quit his job as an auto mechanic, convinced his father to join him, and opened Sanabel, a Mediterranean market in Oakton, in January.

Besides selling packages of pita and tubs of garlic cream, Sanabel imports cheese from unsuspecting nations (no Spanish Manchego or Dutch Gouda ). Below, a sample of Sanabel’s round-the-world cheeses and a few descriptors from owner Shadi Ghabayen.

Romi – $8.50 per pound	An Egyptian cheese, aged, stinky and strong. They call it “table cheese” because people over there ate it when they were drinking.
Bulgarian Feta – $4.50 per pound	Different than French feta (also sold at the store), creamier and saltier.
Nabese – $4.95 per pound	A Jordanian cheese, hard and salty. It’s cubed and sold fresh in saltwater.

Sanabel, Mediterranean Butcher and Grocery, 2946-O Chain Bridge Road, Oakton; 703-938-4888.

(March 2012)

By Sally Traynham

oksana2010/shutterstock.com

The alarm clock rings, headlines blare from WTOP’s Mike Moss, coffee awakens the day and hens walk out of a coop in the neighbor’s backyard. This could be Arlington.

In January, Arlington County Board’s new vice chair, Walter Tejada, announced his focus for the year: creating sustainable and affordable food options, including the possibility of changing zoning ordinances allowing backyard chickens. Currently, Arlington’s code states that residents can raise poultry on residential property only if the hen house is located 100 feet from the lot-line in each direction. In densely packed Arlington, very few residential lots offer this much space.

With growing interest in locally sourced food, Tejada’s declaration is not the first push towards raising chickens in residential backyards. The Arlington Egg Project, a resident-led advocacy group founded by Ed Fendley, formed last spring to promote conversations about the benefits of backyard hens, as well as dispelling myths: Roosters—not hens—create the infamous crow.

Additionally, the Committee of One Hundred, Arlington’s almost 60-year-old community forum, hosted a meeting earlier this year to discuss the issue. Board Chair Lincoln Cummings recognized the movement as a way for people “to get back to the Earth.”

With the popularity of farmers markets and Michelle Obama’s famed White House garden, backyard chicken raising would be the natural next step. There is now a stronger desire to understand where food comes from, culminating in the rise of canning, roof-top gardens, and now, urban animal husbandry.

Penny Gerber raised hens in her northeast Washington, D.C., backyard for just over a year and credits feelings of nostalgia for the movement’s recent popularity.

While currently on hiatus from chicken raising (the chicks faced an unfortunate run-in with foxes), Gerber continues collecting egg cartons for her next batch of fowl.

However, questions accompany this idealistic approach. Among the top concerns are rodent infestation, cleanliness, smell, noise and decreased property values, explains Tejada. Contrary to the majority of support for Gerber’s flock, one neighbor expressed concerns about her children’s interaction with the chickens and potential health risks.

To begin addressing questions surrounding possible ordinance changes, Tejada intends to create a task force of citizens and county staff to gather information about promising practices in sustainable urban agriculture and how to support, grow and successfully integrate these efforts with the community’s values. While Tejada expects to launch this task force this month, it will likely take about a year to gather sufficient data. Until then, open forums may act as an informative launching point.

Arlington is not alone in its endeavor. Support for backyard hens thrives within neighboring counties, including Alexandria and Fairfax County, which also have similar zoning restrictions as those in Arlington. In tune with the Arlington Egg Project, community residents in these counties actively voice their support in hope that further discussion will equate to progress in re-zoning. A look at other urban areas, such as D.C.’s current policy on backyard chickens, might be helpful in determining Arlington’s future: In the District, in order to legally raise chickens, residents must apply for a permit, which includes gaining neighbors’ approval and passing an inspection.

For all of those hoping that zoning laws will change, keep gathering those egg cartons. As Fendley fondly stares at his circa 1918 USDA poster espousing the virtues of citizen farmers—“Uncle Sam expects you to keep hens”—perhaps Arlington will revive this historic American tradition.

3 Insider Tips on Raising Backyard Chickens

WHERE TO START
Acquiring a feathered friend is fairly simple. Van Deventer suggests purchasing chicks through a hatchery online (www.mypetchicken.com and www.meyerhatchery.com) or buying them from a local farm as “pullets” (adult chickens that are ready to lay eggs) by talking with an egg purveyor at farmers markets.

SHOWING AFFECTION
Chickens are gentle creatures that can be great companions—name them, play with them, hold them—Gerber recommends, calling her backyard chickens “reality TV.”

EGG-SPECTATIONS
Egg size varies depending on breed. However, Haskins notes newly laying chickens will hatch smaller eggs, but will increase within two months to about two ounces. Most chickens lay one egg per day. But according to Van Deventer, as seasons change, so will the chicken’s cycle: In summer’s extreme heat and winter’s shorter days, they may lay fewer eggs.

From experts Elizabeth Van Deventer, of Davis Creek Farm (Lovingston); Penny Gerber, backyard chicken farmer (the District); and Mary Haskins, of Haskins Family Farm (Middletown).

(March 2012)

By Stefanie Gans

Photo by Sally Traynham

After Jamila York’s second daughter developed allergies, she didn’t want to dissect commercial ingredient labels. Turning to her kitchen, York started making—and then selling—homemade jams, muffins and pickled vegetables from her Woodbridge kitchen.

A fist-sized Italian roll plays up a salty crust and soft honey oat wheat bread (York mills grains herself) stands up to a slather of defiantly fruit-forward blackberry jam. Sweets are a hit, too, with pepitas (pumpkin seeds) dotting toffee and chocolate bark. –Stefanie Gans

Jam’s Jams and Stuff, order online: www.jamsjamandstuff.com

(March 2012)

The Barolin (Courtesy of Chef Barolin)

CITY SQUARE CAFÉ EMPANADAS
Robert Barolin brought his Uruguayan traditions to his restaurant, but also to his home. “If [your kids] can hang out in the kitchen with you,” Barolin advises, “they will become interested in new dishes.”

1 T olive oil
1/2 pound ground beef
2 teaspoon oregano
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
1 small onion, diced
1 cup Parmesan cheese
1 pack of empanada rounds

1. If baking, heat oven to 350 F. In frying pan, heat oil and cook onion until fragrant. Add ground beef.

2. Once browned, season with salt, pepper and garlic. Cook until well done. Stir in oregano and place meat in a bowl to cool.

3. Add chopped eggs and cheese.

4. Place dough on a dry surface and moisten edges with lukewarm water.

5. Place 1 tablespoon of meat filling in middle of dough.

6. Fold the dough so edges meet, applying pressure to seal. Slightly roll the edge to close pocket.

7. To bake, brush empanadas with egg wash and place on a baking sheet. Bake at 350 F for 20 minutes, or until golden brown.

8. To deep fry, place sealed dough in 350 F oil and fry until golden in color. Serve warm or cold.

(Recipe from Robert Barolin, co-owner and chef of City Square Café in Manassas.)

The Ritters (Courtesy of Lucy Ritter)

BOW TIE PASTA WITH PARMESAN CREAM SAUCE, CHICKEN AND BABY PEAS
When Lucy Ritter taught an evening class at her cooking school, COOK, she left her two daughters in charge of a pasta dinner with the help of a pre-made red sauce. Instead, 11-year-old Genavieve Ritter took it upon herself to recreate one of her mom’s recipes—a creamy white sauce—from memory. “It was a moment for me,” Ritter says, proud of her daughter.

2 T unsalted butter
2 T flour
2 cups whole milk
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for garnish
1 cup frozen baby peas, thawed
1 1/2 cups cooked chicken, diced (e.g., leftover rotisserie chicken)
1 box bow tie pasta (farfalle), cooked and drained

1. In a medium saucepan, melt butter without letting it brown. Add flour all at once and stir with a wooden spoon to make a paste.

2. Pour the milk into the flour mixture and stir with a whisk until smooth. Continue stirring until mixture thickens, then add Parmesan. Stir until smooth and all of the cheese has melted. Add salt and pepper to taste.

3. Stir in baby peas and diced chicken. Add the cooked bow tie pasta into the sauce, one cup at a time.

4. To plate, spoon desired portion of the finished recipe into a bowl and sprinkle with additional grated Parmesan to garnish. Serve warm.

Note: If sauce is too thick, add a little milk to thin. Also, remember to watch the pasta-to-sauce ratio: if extra sauce is preferred, do not use the full box of pasta.

(Recipe from Lucy Ritter, owner/instructor of COOK in Ashburn.)

The WIngs (Courtesy of Jennifer Wing)

MEXICAN CHICKEN
The Wing family recently opened a BBQ joint, but they know how to perfect more than ribs. “I have made this recipe with my son and step-daughter for many years … and they love it, which is even better,” says Boodacades’ Jen Wing.

4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 large jar salsa
2 cans of Mexican corn or regular corn with diced chilies
2 cups instant rice
Cheddar cheese, shredded

1. Cut chicken breasts into small pieces.

2. Pour the jar of salsa into skillet and heat on medium. Add chicken pieces to salsa in skillet and simmer over low heat for 15-20 minutes. Add Mexican corn and simmer another 10 minutes.

3. Add 1 cup water and bring to boil.

4. Add 2 cups instant rice and stir thoroughly. Cover and remove from heat. Allow to sit covered for 5-8 minutes.

5. Portion onto plates and top with shredded cheddar cheese.

(Recipe from Jen Wing, manager of Boodacades in Purcellville.)

(February 2012)

By Stephanie Gans

Photography by Kate Bohler

Move over, chili, the French have got you beat. What normally starts with beef broth and ends with no actual meat, Lyon Hall’s French onion soup welcomes generous chunks of braised shortribs to the long-awaited party.

“The entire process takes three to four days,” says Executive Chef Andy Bennett, involving a 12-hour house-made beef stock, three-hour caramelized onions and two-hour braised beef.

House-made sourdough crisps up in butter, garlic and thyme before floating underneath torched gruyere, letting its crunch remain a counter point to the soft rib meat. This soup feeds like a stew and remains one of the restaurant’s biggest sellers. For the soup alone, Bennett says, “We go through 50 pounds of onions a week.

Lyon Hall, 3100 N. Washington Blvd., Arlington; 703-741-7636; www.lyonhallarlington.com.
Open for dinner daily, weekday lunch and weekend brunch.

(February 2012)

sbarabu & topseller/shutterstock.com

Lovers Enjoy Sharable Dishes for Valentine’s Day

By Jennifer Whistler

A woman happily in love, she burns the souffle. A woman unhappily in love, she forgets to turn on the oven, a chef tells lovelorn Audrey Hepburn in “Sabrina.” Take the chef’s advice and let someone else take care of dinner. Treat your sweetie to one of Northern Virginia’s most romantic restaurants.

Restaurant Eve

Restaurant Eve sings with romance. From a cobblestone walkway lined with candles to plush booths inside, this Old Town fine-dining establishment offers charming service and elegant fare.

When Chef de Cuisine Jeremy Hoffman creates a special menu he uses lavish items such as caviar, truffles and foie gras. Presentation remains just as important. “I consider color a huge factor,” says Hoffman, incorporating holiday-hued beets, scarlet turnips, watermelon radish and rosewater.

Restaurant Eve, 110 S. Pitt St., Alexandria; 703-706-0450; www.restauranteve.com

L’Auberge Chez Francois

As a restaurant known for marriage proposals, celebrations and family memories, it’s no wonder locals vote L’Auberge Chez Francois as the most romantic area restaurant. Tucked away in the rolling hills of Great Falls, Head Chef Jacques Haeringer offers succulent dishes that couples can easily share. “Chateau Briand, salmon with puff pastry and rack of ribs, all made to be enjoyed together,” Haeringer says.

L’Auberge Chez Francois, 332 Springvale Road, Great Falls; 703-759-3800; www.laubergechezfrancois.com

2941

V-Day lets lovers indulge, and Chef Bertrand Chemel continues the tradition. The 2941 chef offers luxuries: “Lobster, fish, some Provencal black truffle [are all] things that people don’t get to eat very often,” Chemel explains.

After selecting five or six traditional items, such as filet mignon, the chef throws in a few surprises. Monchong anyone? “I play it 50-percent safe, 50-percent not,” jokes Chemel.

But that doesn’t mean the Falls Church resto will skimp on cocoa. Lovers can capture that cupid moment, as Chamel prepares “something for two that a couple can enjoy together.”

2941, 2941 Fairview Park Drive, Falls Church; 703-270-1500; www.2941.com

Photo credits: Anna Hoychuk/shutterstock.com (dates wrapped in bacon); Foodpictures/shutterstock.com (potatos gratin); holbox/shutterstock.com (bluefin tuna)

By Kris King

Eternalfeelings/shutterstock.com (bunny ears); Kletr/shutterstock.com (peanut); Yuliya Sysoyeva/shutterstock.com (wig); melkerw/shutterstock.com (mask)

If you live in Virginia for long enough—say, a week—someone, at some point, is going to give you a huge tub of Virginia peanuts. How the Virginia peanut became a go-to gift item for housewarming gifts or office Christmas parties is a bit of a mystery. Certainly it’s a great gift, but after a couple of fistfuls of the beefy legumes, peanut fatigue kicks in pretty quickly.

What else can you do with 32 ounces of peanuts? We quizzed Virginia peanut growers big and small to see what they do when up to their necks in the nuts. As it turns out, not much. “That is a tough subject for a peanut manufacturer,” Scott Stephens, sales director for Wakefield’s Virginia Diner, opines. “It’s almost like heresy to do anything with them.”

It turns out that among the peanut laureate messing around with the Virginia peanut isn’t far off from mixing soda with fine Kentucky bourbon. Dell Cotton, a kind of end-of-the-road authority on the subject and executive director of the Virginia Peanut Growers Association, treads along these purist roots. “I would rather enjoy [Virginia peanuts] the way they are, because you’ve got something there that’s very unique to start with,” he suggests.

Fortunately, not everyone is as revelatory of the Virginia peanut. The Good Earth Peanut Company often holds a recipe competition on their website (www. goodearthpeanuts.com) looking for the best way to try and stretch the Old Dominion’s signature product. Winning recipes range from soups to homemade chicken crust to fritters. “I have tried the peanut fritters; they are wonderful,” Good Earth co-owner Scott Vincent says, confessing that she favors adding peanuts to her stir-fries.

Even Cotton isn’t immune to getting creative with his nuts.

“There are many things in the kitchen that you can do to add any kind of peanut, but particularly you can add these, to spice up most any kind of recipe that you want to do,” he says. “You’re starting to see a lot more recipes incorporate peanuts whether it be the influence of Asian foods on our diet, which many of them use peanuts and peanut sauces, or … just adding them to a salad, but you can think of a whole lot of different ways to use a can of peanuts.”

(January 2012)