Things That Make Ya Go Mmmm

SIL (NYC) sent me a picture of her lunch today, from the Korilla truck - Korean BBQ burritos!!  She said it was delicious, but the line was long.  The burrito wasn't too big, so no food coma.  $7.

me: what's in it?
her:  braised short ribs, kimchi, rice, and some awesome sauce

 me:  haha awesome sauce

J & I met for outdoor lunch at Victory Cafe.  I like Victory (particularly the rotating lunch specials), but our food took FOREVER.  25 minutes.  Which is a long time for weekday lunch.  I made a few jokes about the possible origin of the protein in my wrap causing the delay.

AIL's Lunch in Chevy Chase

Hot off the presses, folks, from my Aunt-in-law:

The Red Hook Lobster truck came to Chevy Chase at lunch today and it was not to be missed. Lots of really, really great lobster with some shredded lettuce for crunch and a little paprika, sliced spring onions and almost no mayonnaise. Just as good as Maine and Nova Scotia. I just need a scenic ocean view and I am transported.

And may I note that she recently vacationed to Nova Scotia, so that's a fresh comparison.

Red Hook Lobster Truck

CSA Friday and What I've Been Sharing

We picked up more CSA items, this time together.  This week's bounty includes zucchini (for ERR zucchini bread, perhaps), peppers, apples, pears, Concord grapes, grape tomatoes, green beans...all things that want to be eaten muahahahh.  I am controlling myself around the squash because I know it'll keep coming week after week.  Spaghetti squash and butternut, I'm watching you!  You will be turned into a pasta substitute and a soup (M&T perhaps), respectively.  Mmm.   

What I've been sharing: My weekly recaps started in February when I had become stir-crazy and blog-crazy from the snow, and they ended right around the time Top Chef began.  Instead of confining myself to something weekly, I just want to round up some things I've shared via email, Google Reader, Twitter, and *gasp* face-to-face conversation recently.  Maybe you'll find something story-worthy in my yammering.

Pretty cranberry beans from Cara's Cravings.

I am dying to eat this goat cheese and tomato quiche from Corcoran Street Kitchen.  It's beautiful, mostly because like me, she's not shy with the parsley : )

Skirt steak salad! And also, a sock monkey. From Smitten Kitchen.

Sometimes eating makes us tired.  Puppies too.

This Crispy No-Knead bread from Evan the Carnivore looks awesome and crusty (in a good way).

Amsterdam Falafel is expanding, says Metrocurean.  I'd like to see one in Bethesda!

Quinoa got a prime nerd spot on the popular law blog Volokh Conspiracy. Then another.

What to do with all those apples (and apples, apples, and more apples )?  Pinch My Salt has a few ideas. Don't forget to pick them too!  It's nice to see that Stribling was popular this year!

I did a noodle kugel showdown between BGSK and the Shiksa by making half of each recipe for an official taste test (and by official I mean at a staff meeting).  The (legal) opinion of our team was for the Shiksa's recipe, but J liked BGSK better.  Both are delicious.  Shiksa's has a crumb topping (YUM), less butter, and adds cottage cheese to the mix.  J thinks it's too dessert-y because of the crumb topping (which could easily be left off).  Anyway, it was my first kugel ever, and I'm happy with the results.

W. Mark Felt (the fictional one, not the real one mayherestinpeace) hit up Volt's Table 21. Jealous!

Lunching in the DMV laid out the details for next week's Curbside Cookoff, maybe a chance for those of us working in outer Mongolia to try some trucks?

I recently ordered Girl Scout cookies from a coworker's daughter.  I finally took the 30 seconds to Google the answer to the age old question: why are they sometimes Samoas and sometimes Caramel deLites, but always the same and delicious?  Two bakeries, my friends.  Two bakeries that are the Official Girl Scout Cookie bakeries, and each council can pick which one they want to go with.  Certain cookie varieties and package sizes are required, and some are nearly identical due to popularity.  My favorites are Thin Mints from the freezer. Samoas/Caramel deLites are second favorite.

Other than that, recently I've eaten from Taylor Gourmet in Bethesda twice, BGR The Burger Joint once, and I haven't been to Pete's Apizza in almost 3 weeks, so obviously I'm going through withdrawal.  We're saving our appetites and pennies for a special dinner coming up.

Salty & Sweet Weekly Roundup

Mmmm salty and sweet.  Just delicious.

First of all, HAPPY BIRTHDAY to the gorgeous, the wonderful, the sweetest, Inkpad Chocolate.  The "sweetest" part was a pun.  Attempt, anyway.  ANYWAY, this week I noted the following:

Guacamole & salsa may kill you (jk, it'll just give you food poisoning, maybe).

Are menu items masculine and feminine?

NY Mag brings you the 25 Best Food Trucks in NYC, along with an adorable picture of what each one looks like.  My trustworthy Seester likes to send me photos from her adventures, including the ones above from The Big Gay Ice Cream Truck.

Are we in a cupcake bubble?  [My answer: YES! Burgers, too.] (h/t MM).

The Most Beautifully Fun Birthday Cake Ever (via brunch and the city).

My Baking Addiction brings us an interview with Adam Gertler about Kid in a Candy Store (h/t LB).

D.C. Named Most Veg-Friendly City via DCist.  Hmmm, disagree.

Have a great week guys!

The What Ever Happened To Spring Friday

I know what happened to spring--summer bullied it into disappearing for a week,  but now it's back for a few days.  Phew!

This morning droolfest is brought to you by 2 Amys, the post-Passover edition.  That's a pizza special with sausage, roasted artichoke, and fontina; burrata di bufala (mozzarella and cream, need I say more?); polpettine al forno aka MEATBALLS.

On to my endorsements:

Food truck list, complete with Twitter links.  Be sure to check it out for other cities if you're going to be traveling!

Northside Social is open in Clarendon---a coffee shop, wine bar, cafe, from the Lib Tav folks.  I try not to be a huge grammar snob, but I enjoy a good laugh.  Murky Coffee is it's *fancy* name. Hopefully NS won't endure the same kind of mad dramz.

We can't see him, but we can hear him!  Tom Sietsema, food critic from the Washington Post, on the Kojo Nnamdi show to talk about kids in restaurants---good or bad idea?  Discuss.  Will Artley, exec chef from Evening Star, is also on the show.  YUM!

The New York Times is onto us---People Who Photograph Food And Display The Pictures Online. I don't put up a photo of everything I eat (it would be redundant, boring, and would take up entirely too much of my time), but it turns out some people do. They use it as a check on their diet, they feel accountable to The World.  Whatever works for you!

Sometimes on Twitter people talk about the funny searches that bring people to their blogs.  I'm going to give you a few of my favorites from this week:

is injera kosher for passover:  Hah!  I mentioned both injera and Passover last week.  The answer is probably no. 

why was free cone day 2010 early this year:  Why wasn't it closer to mid-April and Earth Day, it's traditional time?  I know why.  Because instead it was on my birthday.  Have a scoop, on me.

fro yo:   I just like that somebody was looking for some info on the relatively recent craze and ended up here.  WELCOME, FRIENDS!

how much fat is in a java green cookie sandwich:  I see lots of this, but usually for Ray's Hellburger, as in "how many calories are in a rays hellburger," and the answer is you don't want to know.  Seriously, who wants to know?  I'm all about checking nutrition facts online (in fact, that's how I decided to get a triple thick chocolate shake instead of a McFlurry the other day), but for a place like Ray's?  I just enjoy...in moderation.

That's it!  Have a great weekend, I know there's plenty to do.  Apologies to your bellies for making them growl so early; stop glaring at your turkey sandwich, it has feelings too.

Fojol Bros. of Merlindia - Insights from Guest Blogger LB!

[Note: I know, more food from trucks?  Even though I don't work downtown, I don't want to keep you all from being informed about your options on wheels here in the District.  Below, the fabulous and generous LB guest blogged her recent food truck experience. Thanks, LB!!!! And thanks to Fojol Bros. Twitter Page for the picture.]

If you're anything like me, then deciding what to eat for lunch is the most difficult decision of your day.  No later than 12:01 p.m., M-F, the emails start filling up your Outlook inbox, asking about your lunch thoughts, or, if the time is getting late, offering up a hunger-themed haiku (or does that just happen at my office?).

Then the negotiations commence: "Not again--we just ate there last week!"; "The weather isn't cold enough yet for soup"; "I am so sick of sandwiches." ; "That place is too far to walk in this rain." "I am not paying 9 dollars for another crappy salad!"

Today's decision was made remarkably easy by the arrival of the Fojol Bros. of Merlindia, a self-described "Traveling Culinary Carnival."  That description is fairly accurate, if your impression of a carnival involves being served curry from costumed, mustached men in a food truck while your body involuntarily moves to the catchy music blaring from the speakers.

They have three size options: a "dingo" (one pick--$2), a "meal" (two picks--$6) or a "feast" (three picks--$9).  You make your picks from a rotating selection of offerings, and each includes basmati rice.  Today's meat options were curry chicken and chicken masala, and the vegetarian options were lentils and chickpeas.  I opted for an all-veggie meal of lentils and chickpeas, and one of the Fojol brothers said my mother would be proud.  

I'm no expert on Indian food, but I did spend three months in London, which makes me sufficiently credentialed.  The chickpeas were my favorite--great texture and flavor.  The lentils were a little mushy, but once I mixed them into the rice, I didn't notice the mushiness anymore.  However, I do like my Indian food spicy, and this meal was on the mild side--it could have used more heat. I also missed naan, but I guess that's too hard to prepare from a truck. Overall, though, it was a solid meal--one option I'll definitely suggest again, when next Tuesday's lunch negotiations begin.

Fojol Bros.

Location: changes daily

http://twitter.com/fojolbros