Posts Tagged ‘Whole Foods’
Taste Summer All Winter-long: Smoked Sea Salt
Posted by Sally Traynham / Thursday, February 23rd, 2012
Who’s heard of 60 degree weather in February? While the next few days are hopeful to remain warm, next week brings back the (relatively) cold winter temperature.
The good news? You can taste summer anytime, any season and anywhere (as long as you are within the radius of Whole Foods).
Last year, I discovered the beauty of smoked salt. Its aroma is intoxicating as you open the container and the flavor it imparts on everything it touches reflects the deep, earthy essence of the hickory wood with which it was smoked.
My Whole Foods (in Clarendon) hides Salt Works’ Durango Hickory Smoked Sea Salt behind the gourmet cheese counter, an insider find that might be one of food’s best kept secrets. After approaching the counter, they will hand over a small deli container with as much or as little smoked salt as you’d like. It costs $12.95 per pound, but let’s be real: If you are asking for a pound of salt, the price is the last of your concerns.
Use this summer-inspired, naturally smoked salt on fish or to season sweet potatoes before roasting. For the more adventurous, try it mixed into brownies, as a substitute for regular sea salt in a salted caramel or even to flavor the base of dark chocolate ice cream (I tried the latter this past summer and it was rather interesting).
However you eat it, it’s a definite must-try.
Photo: Salt Works
[tips for the food desk]
Posted by The Editorial Desk / Wednesday, December 28th, 2011
Image: Ivanova Inga/Shutterstock
Today, Wednesday, December 28, you can start prepping for your New Year’s celebrations with a bubbly wine and blini tasting, or just enjoy the cheap tastes.
Blinis, the small thin Russian pancakes similar to crepes but made with yeasted butter, are usually eaten topped with butter, honey, jam, sour cream or caviar. They’re traditionally eaten to start the New Year with good luck.
The Whole Foods in Vienna will be serving up tastings of bubbly wine and blinis with resident sommelier John Story from 6:30-8 p.m. for $5 per person.
Whole Foods is located at 143 Maple Ave. in Vienna (703-319-2000). For more information go here.
-Julia Harbo
Posted by The Editorial Desk / Thursday, November 17th, 2011
Image: Ljupco Smokovski/Shutterstock
I used to hate honey when I was younger. It freaked me out that it came from bees. I hated bees (well, I still hate bees). I found it too sweet, which sounds impossible to me now. Now, I love it — I love it in tea, on oatmeal, on toast with peanut butter, on apples — and I can’t get enough of it. I can’t get enough of sweet, sweet honey — honey made from bees.
But a recent article from CNN’s Eatocracy informed readers and American honey consumers of the shocking news released in a Food Safety News analysis of honey. The analysis found that the honey sold in American stores falls short of including the essential ingredient of pollen in their falsely labeled “honey.”
More importantly, the lack of pollen in “honey” questions its legitimacy and origin of natural and safe sources. This brings up the problem of health and safety, and also the importance of supporting local beekeepers who specialize in making fresh and natural honey. But shockingly enough, there’s no honey standard set by the Food and Drug Administration.
So, what should you do? Organic honey from safe and reliable sources is available in stores like Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods. You can also find fresh honey at local farmers markets (listed below).
The farmers market I went to last week in Crystal City actually had one vendor with a glass showcase of lives bees flying and buzzing around in their honeycomb — though I’m now a grown adult, I still got freaked out and picked up my pace from casual-stroll to a speed-walk to the other side of the sidewalk. But if live bees don’t freak you out (even in a glass cage), I’d definitely recommend picking up some fresh honey from your local farmers market.
Northern Virginia Farmer’s Market and Hours:
Annandale Farmers Market • 6621 Columbia Pike, Annandale – Thu, 8-noon
Arlington Farmers Market • N. 14th St. & N. Courthouse Road, Arlington – Sat, 8-noon
Ashburn Farmers Market • 44036 Pipeline Plaza, Ashburn – Sat, 8-noon
Ballston Farmers Market • N. Stuart St. & N. Ninth St. – Thu, 3-7 p.m.
Brambleton Farmers Market • 22875 Brambleton Plaza, Ashburn – Sun, 9-1 p.m.
Burke Farmers Market • 5671 Roberts Parkway, Burke – Sat, 8-noon
Cascades Farmers Market • 21060 Whitfield Place, Sterling – Sun, 9-1 p.m.
Clarendon Farmers Market• 3100 Wilson Blvd., Arlington – Wed, 3-7 p.m.
Columbia Pike Farmers Market • S. Walter Reed Drive & Columbia Pike – Sun, 9-1 p.m.
Community Farmers Market • West & Main Streets (Sat), North St. & Old Lee Highway (Sun), Fairfax – Sat: 8-1 p.m.; Sun: 10-2 p.m.
Crystal City Farmers Market • Crystal Square Arcade between S. 18th and 20th Streets – Tue, 3-7 p.m.
Culpeper Farmers Market • E. Davis & Commerce Streets – Sat, 7:30-noon
Dale City Farmers Market • Dale Blvd. & Minnieville Road, Dale City – Sun, 8-1 p.m.
Del Ray Farmers’ Market • E. Oxford & Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria – Sat, 8-noon
Fairfax Farmers Market • 3720 Old Lee Highway, Fairfax – Tue, 8-noon
Falls Church Farmers Market • 300 Park Ave., Falls Church – Sat, 8-noon
Fredericksburg Farmers Market• George and Prince Edward Streets, Fredericksburg – Mon-Sat, 7-6 p.m.; Sun, 12:30-4 p.m.
Frying Pan Farmers Market • 2709 West Ox Road, Herndon – Wed, 8-12:30 p.m.
Great Falls Farmers Market • 750 Walker Road, Great Falls – Sat, 9-1 p.m.
Haymarket Farmers Market • 1500 Washington St., Haymarket – Sat, 8-2 p.m.
Herndon Farmers Market • Lynn and Station Streets, Herndon – Thu, 8-noon
Kingstowne Farmers Market • Kingstowne Center & Kingstowne Blvd., Franconia – Fri, 4-7 p.m.
Leesburg Farmers Market • 20 Catoctin Circle S.E., Leesburg – Sat, 8-noon
Lorton Farmers Market • 8990 Lorton Station Blvd., Lorton – Sun, 9-1 p.m.
McLean Farmers Market • 1659 Chain Bridge Road, McLean – Fri, 8-noon
Middleburg Farmers Market • 300 W. Washington St., Middleburg – Sat, 8-noon
Mount Vernon Farmers Market • 2501 Sherwood Hall Lane, Alexandria – Tue, 8-noon
Nokesville Farmers Market • 13005 Fitzwater Drive, Nokesville – Sat, 8-noon
Oakton Farmers Market • 3200 Jermantown Road, Oakton – Wed, 8-noon
Old Town Alexandria Farmers Market • 301 King St., Alexandria – Sat, 5:30-11 a.m.
Old Town Manassas Farmers Market • 9201 Center St., Manassas – Thu, 7-1 p.m.; Sat, 7:30-2:30 p.m.
Nokesville Farmers Market • 13005 Fitzwater Drive, Nokesville – Sat, 8-noon
Purcellville Farmers Market• 751 E. Main St., Purcellville – Sat, 8-noon
Reston Farmers Market • 11400 Washington Plaza W., Reston – Sat, 8-noon
Smart Markets – Centreville • 5875 Trinity Parkway, Centreville – Fri, 3:30-6:30 p.m.
Smart Markets – Fairfax Corner • Grand Commons Ave., Fairfax – Tue, 3:30-6:30 p.m.
Smart Markets – Gainesville • 13297 Gateway Center Drive, Gainesville – Sun, 10:30-1:30 p.m.
Smart Markets – Herndon • 460 Elden St., Herndon – Thu, 3:30-6:30 p.m.
Smart Markets – Oakton • 2854 Hunter Mill Road, Oakton – Sat, 10-2 p.m.
Smart Markets – Reston • 11890 Sunrise Valley Drive, Reston – Wed, 3:30-6:30 p.m.
Upper King Street Farmers Market • 1806 King St., Alexandria – Wed, 3-7 p.m.
Vienna Farmers Market • 131 Church St. N.E., Vienna – Sat, 8-noon
Wakefield Farmers Market • 8100 Braddock Road, Annandale – Wed, 2-6 p.m.
Warrenton Farmers Market • Branch Drive and Warrenton Village Center (Wed), S. Fifth & Lee Streets (Sat) – Wed, 7-1 p.m.; Sat, 7-noon
West End Farmers Market • 4800 Brenman Park Drive, Alexandria – Sun, 9-1 p.m.
-Julia Harbo
Posted by The Editorial Desk / Thursday, November 3rd, 2011
Good day, Gut Checkers!
Great news to share: last week’s National Food Day/Real Food for Kids event at Wolftrap Elementary School Fairfax was a rainbow of success! Unfortunately, I wasn’t there to experience it first-hand, but today I’m gladly sharing a wonderful report on behalf of Kathryn Luwis of Real Food for Kids. (Photographs by Laura Goyer)
Real food makes happy children!
“We are a nation of increasingly overweight people with unhealthy diets that lead to serious illnesses such as diabetes and heart disease. We don’t eat enough of nature’s colorful fruits and vegetables. The good news? It turns out that somewhere over the rainbow, there are schoolchildren actually excited to learn about and enjoy ‘real’ food.
On national Food Day, October 24, 250 children were running around in rainbow colored t-shirts that said: ‘Get Real!’ The t-shirts were handed out by Real Food For Kids, a grass-roots organization of concerned Fairfax County parents and community members, who hosted the countywide event in an effort to highlight the need for change in school food. The day was a huge success, with upwards of 400 people in attendance, including parents, members of the school board, school board candidates and the press. The community pulled together to send a message regarding school food and to educate children by providing them with wholesome food and fun.
Renegade Lunch Lady Ann Cooper talks to Wolftrap kids
Nationally-known chefs Ann Cooper, a.k.a. The Renegade Lunch Lady, and David Guas, of Bayou Bakery, Coffee Bar and Eatery, led an interactive food demonstration, with both chefs engaging the schoolchildren with questions about seasonal fruits and vegetables. The fun demonstration culminated in the making of enormous salads, tossed in kiddy-sized pools using child-sized rakes and shovels. The produce had been harvested by many of the children present just the day before at Maple Avenue Farm, a local organic farm run by Chris Guerre, who donated all of the produce. Many of the children had never seen a radish and were delighted to see the many colors they come in. For some children, it was the first salad they’d ever eaten. This exposure to whole, real foods is exactly what Real Food For Kids set out to offer.
The enormous salad
After the demonstration, the children quickly made their way to the psychedelic M.A.X. (Maple Avenue Express) food truck, manned by chef and owner Tim Ma, of Maple Avenue Restaurant. Beef sliders, made with 100 percent grass fed beef, were served on whole wheat buns and dressed with local, organic ketchup sweetened with agave–instead of high-fructose corn syrup. Just for fun, the chefs also made an enormous burger to be shared by many. In support of the cause, Whole Foods Market provided crocks of butternut squash soup along with bushels of honey-crisp apples that were quickly devoured. Children climbed aboard a 1957 farm tractor and, ironically, ate as children in 1957 did–whole foods rather than the highly processed, preserved and high sugar diet of today.
Kids and the giant burger
For Real Food For Kids organizers it was an idyllic fall day: hundreds of children clad in rainbow-colored shirts moving through space eating apples, greens and grass-fed beef. Ready to continue full-steam ahead with their initiative, the group is bolstered and encouraged by the response to their event. ‘It’s amazing how many parents have called and e-mailed me to find out how they can help,’ says Hammermaster. At the close of the day as chefs, farmers and volunteers packed up their wares, a light sun shower sprayed the grounds of the event. ‘Look up in the sky! There’s a rainbow!’ Perhaps their goal is a lofty one, but seemingly divinely inspired.”
A successful rainbow!
Great thanks to Kathryn Luwis and Laura Goyer for sharing about such an inspiring day. Though National Food Day has passed, Real Food for Kids continues to move closer toward its goal to improve children’s health in Fairfax County schools.
-Julia Harbo
Get Real with Real Kids, Real Food for National Food Day Monday, October 24
Posted by The Editorial Desk / Thursday, October 20th, 2011
How many ingredients does it take to make a quesadilla in the Fairfax County public school cafeterias?
70. Yup, 70 different ingredients to make a quesadilla that kids are eating for lunch.
So, next Monday, October 24, the Wolftrap Elementary School PTA is hosting Real Food for Kids‘ National Food Day is aiming to draw attention to the important connection between children’s health and school food, hoping to influence the Fairfax County school board to get “real” food back into their public schools.
Sponsored by Whole Foods and other local farms, the events will take place beginning at 2:30 p.m. with chefs, authors, culinary personalities, an over-sized burger and truck-full sized salad created by Chefs Ann Cooper from Colorado and David Guas of Arlington’s Bayou Bakery. Over 200 students are expected to attend along with all Fairfax County School Board members and candidates.
The schedule for Monday is:
2 p.m.– school children arrive
2:30 p.m.– children are placed in their respective areas to spell out GET REAL for photos
2:45 p.m.– speakers and cooking demonstration
3:15 p.m.– salad, soup, and other healthy snacks distribution
The event will take place at Wolftrap Elementary School (1903 Beulah Rooad, Vienna). For more information, contact JoAnne Hammermaster at 703-581-3085 or contact@realfoodforkids.org.
-Julia Harbo
Whole Foods Dinner: Not Your Whole Paycheck
Posted by The Editorial Desk / Tuesday, October 18th, 2011
Last night, in a hasty desire to cook a good dinner, my boyfriend and I swung by the Whole Foods on 14th Street in D.C. on the way home from work. Though it has unarguably great products, it’s all too often that Whole Foods becomes synonymous with Whole Paycheck.
But on a mission to not spend a whole paycheck’s worth on quality groceries (as my stomach growled more vigorously as the hour crept closer to dinnertime, it was hard not to pull everything off the shelves), we roamed the store on a strict budget. And succeed we did, with dinner for two, for under $20. And it was a really good dinner.
Since hunger, not time, was on our sides, we picked out four ready-to-cook herbed and seasoned chicken thighs, a fresh (still warm, oh yes) baguette (I couldn’t help ripping off a hunk from one end of the warm baguette as we walked back to the house four blocks away), a large portobella mushroom, and fresh goat cheese. Lastly, we made an arugula salad at the salad bar. Total cost: $18.02.
That comes out to about $9 per person, and we still had two leftover pieces of chicken, and about half of the baguette and circle of goat cheese. If you doubled the salad quantity, you could easily feed four for about $5 per person.
Now, let me tell you how good this dinner was…simplicity is good.
To start, we made our salad with fresh arugula, shredded beets, jicama, zucchini, corn, and feta cheese. We made our own dressing at home with a little bit of balsamic vinegar, whole grain mustard, honey, hot sauce, olive oil, and salt and pepper. I swear I could have eaten just this salad for dinner, it was that good. There’s just something about fresh arugula, with its sharp bitter taste, mixed with the slightly sweet and tangy flavor of beets and balsamic dressing that is impossible to beat.
Arugula salad with corn, beets, jicama, zucchini and feta with homemade balsamic-honey dressing
Next, we made our crostinis by slicing up the baguette, topping each piece with a smear of goat cheese, and then adding the sauteed portobella mushroom on top. To cook the mushroom, we simply sauteed it in butter and balsamic vinegar, with a little salt and pepper, and then chopped it up and added it to the bread and cheese. We ran out of mushroom for one row of the bread slices, so we just used goat cheese and a drizzle of honey for those. Then we sprinkled all of them with some herbed basil and pepper and popped them in the oven for about 10 minutes while the chicken was baking.
Goat cheese and honey/goat cheese and portobella crostinis
The chicken was the easiest– we literally just transferred it from the saran-wrapped package to the oven. And man, did it come out ever so juicy and tender, with so much flavor from the herbs. Normally I would opt to buy plain fresh chicken and season it myself, but this package just looked so good, so easy, and was ridiculously cheap.
The whole dinner.
So, as it turns out, it is possible to shop at Whole Foods without making it your Whole Paycheck.
For Whole Foods locations near you, go here.
-Julia Harbo
Posted by The Editorial Desk / Thursday, October 6th, 2011
Image: turkishblue/Shutterstock
The other day I tried something truly amazing: Turkish dried apricots. I’m a big dried fruit fan, and have tried almost every kind of dried fruit at least once, but these I had never seen. They weren’t bright orange like your typical dried apricots, but a dark brown color. And they didn’t taste as tart as your average dried apricot; they were much denser and had richer, almost chai-like spice flavor to them.
Have you ever wondered why all dried fruits seem to be Turkish? Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, or any of your other trendy markets always seem to sell such worldly items such as “Swiss Muesli” or “Turkish Apricots.” Dried fruit has its origin in Mediterranean areas because that’s where the raw fruit such as apricots, grapes, dates and figs would grow and dehydrating them was the earliest form of food preservation.
Dried fruits and nuts play a big part in Turkish culture, including ancient village festivals, weddings and other celebrations. You can read more about the cultural significance here.
Dried fruits are particularly great as we move past the ripe summer season and into fall and winter. While fruit imported from seasonal harvest-heavy regions tend to be more expensive, dried fruits are more available and economical.
You can buy them at your local Harris Teeter or Whole Foods.
-Julia Harbo
Posted by The Editorial Desk / Wednesday, August 3rd, 2011
Andy, salesman of Sin(plicity) (Image: Johnisha M. Levi/Northern Virginia Magazine)
So this is how the other half lives, I thought as I drove up for the first time to the City of Falls Church Farmers Market.
It is a Rolls Royce of a farmers market. (In fact, it is on Park Avenue). Its vendors wrap around corners. A couple of times. The market’s website estimates that “more than 40″ vendors attend the market in the summer months, but I would put the number closer to 50. Or more. Here, in addition to the usual market suspects, you will find wine for sale and tasting, baked dog treats, pickles, and made-to-order crepes.
And there was music. Rapturous, beautiful music. A classical violinist playing the likes of Massenet’s Thaïs Meditation.
As if that weren’t enough, this is a farmers market that also features a Chef Series. I was kicking myself that I arrived just as this week’s demonstration, by Rustico Chef Steve Mannino, was wrapping up. The series was created to educate the public about the use of locally grown seasonal foods in supporting both the local economy and the environment.
My disappointment over missing the Chef series didn’t last long. As I wandered the aisles overwhelmed by the sheer number of choices before me, the answer was clear. I needed something cool, refreshing and sweet. I needed Sinplicity.
(Image: Johnisha M. Levi/Northern Virginia Magazine)
Sinplicity is the love child of Sinnerman Chef Leland Atkinson, who started experimenting with ice cream recipes in an old school soft-serve yogurt machine. He had to add booze to get the right consistency. And he’s been spiking the ‘cream ever since.
Sinplicity salesman Andy was offering five flavors of ice cream (including Cappuccino Crunch and Strawberry Shortcake); four flavors of sorbet (Magical Mojito, Blackberry Cabernet, Lemon Ginger, and Mango), as well as whoopie pies (Oatmeal Cream with Amaretto!, Margarita with Tequila lime curd, and Black Forest with Cherries), red chili pecans, and bottles of port and vanilla glaze (to dress your sundaes right).
(Image: Johnisha M. Levi/Northern Virginia Magazine)
Sinplicity’s ice cream is wildly popular with both the very young (Andy, who also has a 9 to 5 during the week, particularly likes this weekend gig because he gets to “feed [kids] all the sugar and send them on their way”) and their parents (who I’m sure prefer the boozier flavors). People eagerly plunked down their $7 for the burgundy pint-sized containers (resembling Chinese food cartons without the metal handles) of their favorites.
Andy had already sold out of the Salty Caramel (along with the famed Chocolate Fleur de Sel cookies). The Cappuccino Crunch has its celebrity following. Andy told a customer that Tony Kornheiser had mentioned it on his radio show, explaining, “If he name drops us, we’ll name drop him.”
But the real stars for me today were the sorbets. Because it was so hot, a dairy-less option seemed like just the right treat to cool down. And this was one of the rare times when I didn’t feel as if sorbet was treated as an afterthought. As my moderate lactose intolerance has (regrettably) reared its head in later years, I appreciate standout sorbets like the Magical Mojito and the Blackberry Cabernet.
Yes, you’ve probably encountered many mojito-flavored desserts on menus these days, but the Magical Mojito brought me back to my first taste of the Cuban cocktail. The sorbet–the palest hue of sea foam green–sings with spearmint. The acidity (in the form of lime juice) is in equibalance with the sugar. Too many sorbets are one-note–sugary–and taste like melted down popsicles. Not the case with Sinplicity’s.
Flavors rotate according to what is seasonal and available. I was tantalized just hearing the words “watermelon prosecco” and “shiro plum sake,” and am hoping for these sorbets to make an appearance at either the market or in the Sinplicity truck soon.
Look for the Sinplicity Ice Cream Truck (some have nicknamed it the Sinmobile) in your neighborhood or catch Sinplicity at the Falls Church and Reston Farmers Markets. You can also finds its ice cream and sorbets in area Balducci’s and Whole Foods. For more ways to beat the heat, check out this month’s 31-day Freeze Jag.
(Image: Johnisha M. Levi/Northern Virginia Magazine)
-Johnisha M. Levi
Northern Virginia’s Farmers Markets and Hours
Annandale Farmers Market • 6621 Columbia Pike, Annandale – Thu, 8-noon
Arlington Farmers Market • N. 14th St. & N. Courthouse Road, Arlington – Sat, 8-noon
Ashburn Farmers Market • 44036 Pipeline Plaza, Ashburn – Sat, 8-noon
Ballston Farmers Market • N. Stuart St. & N. Ninth St. – Thu, 3-7 p.m.
Brambleton Farmers Market • 22875 Brambleton Plaza, Ashburn – Sun, 9-1 p.m.
Burke Farmers Market • 5671 Roberts Parkway, Burke – Sat, 8-noon
Cascades Farmers Market • 21060 Whitfield Place, Sterling – Sun, 9-1 p.m.
Clarendon Farmers Market• 3100 Wilson Blvd., Arlington – Wed, 3-7 p.m.
Columbia Pike Farmers Market • S. Walter Reed Drive & Columbia Pike – Sun, 9-1 p.m.
Community Farmers Market • West & Main Streets (Sat), North St. & Old Lee Highway (Sun), Fairfax – Sat: 8-1 p.m.; Sun: 10-2 p.m.
Crystal City Farmers Market • Crystal Square Arcade between S. 18th and 20th Streets – Tue, 3-7 p.m.
Culpeper Farmers Market • E. Davis & Commerce Streets – Sat, 7:30-noon
Dale City Farmers Market • Dale Blvd. & Minnieville Road, Dale City – Sun, 8-1 p.m.
Del Ray Farmers’ Market • E. Oxford & Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria – Sat, 8-noon
Fairfax Farmers Market • 3720 Old Lee Highway, Fairfax – Tue, 8-noon
Falls Church Farmers Market • 300 Park Ave., Falls Church – Sat, 8-noon
Fredericksburg Farmers Market• George and Prince Edward Streets, Fredericksburg – Mon-Sat, 7-6 p.m.; Sun, 12:30-4 p.m.
Frying Pan Farmers Market • 2709 West Ox Road, Herndon – Wed, 8-12:30 p.m.
Great Falls Farmers Market • 750 Walker Road, Great Falls – Sat, 9-1 p.m.
Haymarket Farmers Market • 1500 Washington St., Haymarket – Sat, 8-2 p.m.
Herndon Farmers Market • Lynn and Station Streets, Herndon – Thu, 8-noon
Kingstowne Farmers Market • Kingstowne Center & Kingstowne Blvd., Franconia – Fri, 4-7 p.m.
Leesburg Farmers Market • 20 Catoctin Circle S.E., Leesburg – Sat, 8-noon
Lorton Farmers Market • 8990 Lorton Station Blvd., Lorton – Sun, 9-1 p.m.
McLean Farmers Market • 1659 Chain Bridge Road, McLean – Fri, 8-noon
Middleburg Farmers Market • 300 W. Washington St., Middleburg – Sat, 8-noon
Mount Vernon Farmers Market • 2501 Sherwood Hall Lane, Alexandria – Tue, 8-noon
Nokesville Farmers Market • 13005 Fitzwater Drive, Nokesville – Sat, 8-noon
Oakton Farmers Market • 3200 Jermantown Road, Oakton – Wed, 8-noon
Old Town Alexandria Farmers Market • 301 King St., Alexandria – Sat, 5:30-11 a.m.
Old Town Manassas Farmers Market • 9201 Center St., Manassas – Thu, 7-1 p.m.; Sat, 7:30-2:30 p.m.
Nokesville Farmers Market • 13005 Fitzwater Drive, Nokesville – Sat, 8-noon
Purcellville Farmers Market• 751 E. Main St., Purcellville – Sat, 8-noon
Reston Farmers Market • 11400 Washington Plaza W., Reston – Sat, 8-noon
Smart Markets – Centreville • 5875 Trinity Parkway, Centreville – Fri, 3:30-6:30 p.m.
Smart Markets – Fairfax Corner • Grand Commons Ave., Fairfax – Tue, 3:30-6:30 p.m.
Smart Markets – Gainesville • 13297 Gateway Center Drive, Gainesville – Sun, 10:30-1:30 p.m.
Smart Markets – Herndon • 460 Elden St., Herndon – Thu, 3:30-6:30 p.m.
Smart Markets – Oakton • 2854 Hunter Mill Road, Oakton – Sat, 10-2 p.m.
Smart Markets – Reston • 11890 Sunrise Valley Drive, Reston – Wed, 3:30-6:30 p.m.
Upper King Street Farmers Market • 1806 King St., Alexandria – Wed, 3-7 p.m.
Vienna Farmers Market • 131 Church St. N.E., Vienna – Sat, 8-noon
Wakefield Farmers Market • 8100 Braddock Road, Annandale – Wed, 2-6 p.m.
Warrenton Farmers Market • Branch Drive and Warrenton Village Center (Wed), S. Fifth & Lee Streets (Sat) – Wed, 7-1 p.m.; Sat, 7-noon
West End Farmers Market • 4800 Brenman Park Drive, Alexandria – Sun, 9-1 p.m.
Or click here for our full list of local farmers markets
Chew on Carla Hall’s Cookies at This Week’s Artfully Chocolate Tastings
Posted by The Editorial Desk / Thursday, July 28th, 2011
This fan's Top Chef favorite, Carla Hall (Image: Courtesy of Alchemy by Carla Hall)
These days Carla Hall’s plate may be full as co-host of ABC’s forthcoming daytime show The Chew, and with various charity events, food festivals, and culinary classes, but she’s still putting the signature love into her food for her hometown. Alchemy by Carla Hall is now intently focused on its COOKIECOLLECTIONS, “petite bites of love.”
I caught up with Carla Hall this past Tuesday at the cookie launch, tasting, and meet-and-greet hosted by D.C.’s Artfully Chocolate (the artist formerly known as ACKC), where it was crystal clear why she was voted Top Chef All-Stars fan favorite. Hall, with a committed team of three in tow and husband Matthew, made time to chat and take photos with all of her adoring fans (as well as to good-humoredly apologize to All My Children devotees). And yes, she did give us a Hootie (both verbally and on the back of a few raffled Alchemy T-shirts)!
Hall’s partnership with Artfully Chocolate bloomed after she met owner Eric Nelson at June’s Taste of Del Ray food festival, where she was presiding as a celebrity judge. “I met Carla and loved her cookies. They fit perfectly with the experience we are trying to create at Artfully Chocolate,” which is a heavenly marriage of chocolate, confections, and art.
So how did Hall decide to trade event catering for cookies? “I enjoy doing one thing and doing it well,” she explained. She was getting burned out from catering, which required her to constantly switch gears to meet the varied needs of her clients. She regularly baked cookies for her clients, and decided to “make it part of her business plan” to launch the cookie line during her recent turn on Top Chef All-Stars. (Remember the surreal Cookie Monster episode? I demand a recount.)
Alchemy's Director of Operations Verlette Simon passing the bite-sized love (Image: Johnisha Levi/Northern Virginia Magazine)
Hall’s thumb-nail sized cookies, which come in two collections (six “sweet” flavors and four “savory” flavors plus spiced nuts) are without doubt the smallest I have ever encountered. Their petite size was inspired both by Hall’s habit of grazing (“I don’t want to break off a piece of something, I want to have it all”) and one of her catering pet peeves. She hated finding bits of broken-off food left on platters. “These cookies are too small to break,” she said laughingly.
And when have you ever been able to say that you ate 20 cookies in a sitting without batting an eye?
If pressed to choose between her bite-sized babies, Hall says her current favorites are the Sweet Collection’s Pecan Shortbread with Vanilla Salt and both the Savory Collection’s Cheddar Pecan and Parmesan Shortbread.
While I did not sample all the varieties that night, my personal favorite was the Cheddar Pecan. Combine sharp cheddar with the characteristic crumble of shortbread (I taste both the love and butter—I actually think they are synonymous sometimes) and a pick-me-up of cayenne. Never thought you’d consider cookies as an accompaniment to chili? Move over cornbread, you’ve been dismissed! Hall also recommends using some of the savory selections as salad crouton substitutes.
Cheddar Pecan Cookies (Image: Johnisha Levi/Northern Virginia Magazine)
If you missed the D.C. cookie launch but are hankering to try Carla’s cookies, Old Town’s Artfully Gifts & Chocolate is hosting a free tasting this Friday, July 29 from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. RSVP to info@ArtfullyGifts.com. In addition to the Old Town and D.C. locations, Alchemy by Carl Hall’s COOKIECOLLECTIONS is available at Artfully Chocolate’s Del Ray location (starting July 29), Wagshal’s Delicatessen, and online. Look for the cookies to land in three area Whole Foods soon.
Artfully Gifts & Chocolate
506 John Carlyle St.
Alexandria, VA 22314
(703) 575-8686
-Johnisha M. Levi
Posted by The Editorial Desk / Wednesday, February 9th, 2011
Every region of the country seems to have its own grocery stores that dominate the food-related market. While some have expanded from sea to shining sea, there are some you just don’t see when you’re out of town. It’s hard to tell the difference between most of them, but some people have sworn loyalty to one specific store for no particular reason. Could it be close proximity, good deals, or friendly service? What, if anything separates them from one another?
1. Giant has always been the one I frequent the most, but I have tried to mix it up recently. All 202 locations are centered around three states, four if you count the District of Columbia. Delaware is home to at least six, but the bulk of them are in Maryland and Northern Virginia. Impressive renovation efforts are an ongoing process in order to keep up with the competition. I’ve never been to one that disappointed me, but prices may vary. The Giant Rewards card has become more of a valuable commodity since they teamed up with Shell gas stations. The more food you buy, the more you can save on gas. I’ve saved up to $1 per gallon, but points don’t carry over from month to month.
2. Harris Teeter is a relative newcomer around these parts, but they certainly have made a name for themselves. The official grocery store of the Washington Redskins serves nine states, including the District. The majority of the 201 locations are in the Southeast, but they stretch as far north as Delaware. The quality of their food and service has forced other chains to improve upon their own. I get the feeling that they genuinely aim to please, which is refreshing to see at a super market. The weekly specials and sheer variety of beer and wine keeps me coming back for more. The VIC card also offers special savings for loyal customers.
3. Safeway and Shoppers have kind of struggled to stay comparatively relevant as of late, but they boast over one hundred locations combined in and around the region. It wasn’t that long ago that they were competing with the best of them, but they both continue to do relatively good business. Customers are sure to find surprising deals and quality products, but the decor and design seem to be lacking a bit. That takes nothing away from what they have to offer though. Reward programs and community outreach have prolonged their life expectancy. They will not meet the same fate of Food Lion, who has been relegated to only a few locations in southern Virginia.
4. Wegmans has built somewhat of a cult following since it first expanded to NoVA in 2004. Now there are six locations, and over 75 along the mid-Atlantic seaboard. They pride themselves on the gourmet food they sell for a reasonable price. You will find plenty of deals and specials. It doubles as a great cafe for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I even saw a wedding rehearsal lunch take place at the one in Sterling. The meticulous design of the store itself is worth the trip. There’s something special about it, but it’s hard to put your finger on what exactly makes it so. Visit one for yourself when you get a chance.
While there may be several national chains to choose from, only a few are deserving of mention.
Costco is a members-only club that sells everything in bulk. There are over 560 locations around the world, and four in this area alone. It has a little bit of everything inside one gigantic construct. Just $50 a year gains you entry to one of the best and biggest stores known to man. I may just be saying that because I thoroughly enjoy the samples, but it’s definitely something to behold. Costco can be a little intimidating at first, but that feeling subsides as soon as you find one of their many great deals. Be sure to try their food up front, the pizza is delicious!
Whole Foods and Trader Joes shouldn’t be overlooked either. They may cater to more of a niche market of individuals, but there’s actually something for everyone. Both specialize in organic food that is not only beneficial to your health, but also quite tasty. Samples are not uncommon at the locations I’ve visited. These include, but are not limited to hot food and wine tastings on certain days. Other stores can offer you more specials, but the gourmet factor can be a powerful draw for some people. With multiple locations around the region, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to visit one or the other if you happen to come across it.
Suffice it to say, there really isn’t a grocery store that is better than the rest. While it may waste gas, visiting several different stores is actually the best way to save money on food. Even the gourmet stores are prone to having great deals from time to time. Don’t forget about your local farmer’s markets for the freshest produce, but these have a tendency to be seasonal.
I’ll leave you with one important rule of thumb. Try not to grocery shop when you’re hungry. I’ve learned that the hard way.
-Ryan Robertson