The Humble Gourmand

Features

1. Winter Farmers' Markets: Plenty of Ways to Enjoy the Chilly Bounty

   There’s no shortage of delicious — even adventurous — produce still on offer at farmers’ markets that stay open year-round. Get some inspiration from DC-area chefs here, then throw on your wooliest coat and read on!

   

2. Cubicle Cuisine 2.0

   Office food brings to mind visions of generic catered sandwiches and bland salads or an underwhelming cafeteria outsourced to someone else who makes your middle school lunch ladies seem like Thomas Keller. Corporate-culinary pioneers Google and Facebook are turning the company cafeteria into something closer to a foodie’s dream, complete with star chefs, menus worth looking forward to, no need for reservations, and no check to pay at the end of the meal.

   

3. Lessons from a Pre-Christmas Christmas Dinner

   The guests arrived and were duly warned that my original ETS (estimated time of serving) had been wildly optimistic. By this point, it looked as though we’d be eating about two hours late. I opened the wine and hoped they wouldn’t notice.

   

4. HG Book Review: Eat Here

   Just in time for summer, the “eat local” buzz seems to be hitting a high mark. Eat Here: Reclaiming Homegrown Pleasures in a Global Supermarket is an excellent and accessible book for general readers and policy wonks alike.

   

5. Ode to Asheville

   Calling itself the home of the US’ first “foodtopian society,” Asheville inspires wistful longings of tastes gone by. Sure, there’s the infamously fresh mountain air and beautiful scenery. But right now in this western North Carolina town, it’s all about the food.

   

6. Adventures in Cake-Baking

   Of all the year’s events, one that inspires mild dread is my wife’s birthday. Baking an inspired cake was the way to go this year: it would be chocolate sponge, covered in decorative icing to resemble an iceberg…. with penguins… and blue jelly (Jell-O?) for the sea.

   

7. Life (As It Relates to Food)

   A wonderfully told story of a foodie growing up and finding her place.

   

8. Thank You Very Much, Mr. Yogato

   I met Steve Davis one night last spring when he bet a friend that he could not correctly identify the flavor of 8 out of 10 Gummi Bears by taste alone.

   

9. Good Stuff vs. Ray's Hell Burger: A DC Burger Face-Off

   In the spirit of cheap, accessible eats that still satisfy the most discerning carnivores, we revisited two of DC’s most popular and revered burger joints.

   

10. HG Review: The House of Mondavi: An American Wine Dynasty

    It’s a big serving of wine culture mixed with ‘80s-style prime-time soap opera — full of real-life intrigue and revenge, and a classically American story of wild successes and big losses.

    

11. Smoking Salmon at Home

    When my father moved out of the house he and my mother had built in the early 1950s, he went to live at a senior citizen apartment house. His old smoker didn’t move with him. It found its way to my garage, almost by default.

    

12. Episode XIII: Where Brew Ventures Out in the Cold

    There’s nothing like a high ABV to warm the insides. Old ales, barleywines, and Imperial stouts — these’ll do far more for you on a cold night than Smart Wools or mitten-gloves.

    

13. Slow-Cooked Love

    Sure, the crockpot reached its heyday in the ‘70s and seems about as sexy and mysterious as your grandmother. But if you pay attention, you know it’s progressively making a comeback among modern cooks.

    

14. Tofu: Not Just Another Four-Letter Word

    Vegetarians thrive on it. True blue carnivores scoff at the thought of it. But seeing as it is the month of love, it’s time to start garnering at least a healthy respect for this glorious block of soy goodness.

    

15. Escape to Catalunya

    The Mediterranean region’s accessible fare is shaped by the sea, but doesn’t forget the land. Olives roam amid slices of Jamón serrano, Spanish chorizo, and other cured meats. Cheese is a must. Grilled fish is commonplace, in some of the simplest but most delicious preparations imaginable.

    

16. An Italian Grill?

    Mario Batali’s latest delves into an appealing subject. The photos are top notch, and there’s a lot of merit in these recipes and the writing. But the book just doesn’t come off as classically Italian.

    

17. Julia's Life in France

    The American chef’s memoir caps a life well-lived in gastronomy. It has all the best ingredients: just the right amount of gossip, food politics, and the tale of how Julia Child reached self-fulfillment with French food.

    

18. We're on a Mission from God: Talking Wine with Dan Aykroyd

    Discussing wine with an all-around professional in most things entertaining is much like catching up with an old friend. The voice is comfortably familiar, the conversation flows effortlessly, and you are frequently subjected to gut-busting laughter.

    

19. Episode '08: The Audacity of Hops -- Post-Election Edition

    I scoured the country, and ultimately the world, to find the correct mix of ingredients. How to represent Barack Obama through beer?

    

20. Happy Days with the Naked Chef

    The celebrity cookbook series that proliferate with each new TV chef always seem contrived, with few recipes that actually interest. But this Jamie Oliver title comes across genuine and personal.

    

21. The Ultimate Winter Squash Cheat Sheet

    To tackle the squash, you must first educate yourself in the way of the squash. Here’s a rundown of the most common winter varieties and some simple ways to prepare ‘em.

    

22. A Washington Landmark: Chevy Chase Wine & Spirits

    Despite 1,200 beers and over 4,000 wine brands in stock, the real story is not in the numbers, but in the institution’s people, and their philosophy.

    

23. From Cops to Vines: Bringing Terroir to the New World

    John Langley is certainly not the first Hollywood veteran to venture into winemaking. But while other basted-together celebrity labels fail to demonstrate a true expertise and passion, Langley’s label and attitude are anything but cavalier.

    

24. Farmers' Markets 101

    Ah, Saturday morning. After a long week at work, there’s finally a day to sleep in.

    Not so fast — there’s delicious produce on the line here! Get your butt out of bed, grab your eco-friendly tote bag, and get a move on.

    

25. One Last Bumper Crop

    Aside from luscious fashion and a promise of chilly nights to come, early fall also means it’s time to drown in tomatoes. Read on for three delectable recipes to use up those babies: Gazpacho, Turkey Chili, and Tomato, Chickpea, and Sausage Stew.

    

26. It’s a 90

    Robert Parker, Jr., has been instrumental in the rise — for better or worse — of the American taste for full-bodied, high-alcohol wines over the past 30 years, and in the process created a valuable discourse for folks to talk about wine.

    

27. Burgundy 101

    Sure, it’s a region of France, an appellation for wine, and the home of Dijon mustard and Comté cheese. But there is an attitude of simple elegance, self-assuredness, and joie de vivre that permeates the air.

    This month we present to you a rundown on Burgundy’s ins and outs, to encourage you to branch out and explore some of the fabled region’s positively transporting wines.

    

28. That Elusive 'Signature,' The Winemaker's Fingerprint

    Second-generation Burgundy producer Bertrand Devillard wants you to know that Burgundy wines are more accessible than you think.

    

29. Pizza is a Platform

    Pizza is the ultimate culinary design canvas, capable of being adjusted to suit the taste, ingredients, occasion, and temperament. I recently decided to give my construction skills a whirl and came up with a most satisfying combination.

    

30. Chocophiles Unite

    Chocolate devotees are hunting down the top-rated bars from around the globe and are curious about chocolate infused with chiles, wasabi, and that now-ubiquitous bacon bar. Increasingly, they are knowledgeable about chocolate and demand to know how their treats came to be, enticingly packaged on the shelf, beckoning in brightly colored boxes.

    

31. Taste vs. No Taste

    The taste of our food is the first victim of the health scares plaguing North America, British transplant Gina Mallet argues in, “Last Chance to Eat: The Fate of Taste in a Fast Food World.”

    

32. Champagne Country: ‘Like Whoa’ in a Glass

    If you become accustomed to the quality and character of good Champagne, there really is no other sparkling wine that will satisfy you.
    —Sotheby’s Wine Encyclopedia

    

33. Cocktailing 101

    Leave that store-bought sour mix on the shelf — you don’t have to be a professional drink-slinger to make delicious, fresh cocktails at home.

    

34. Jacques Pépin's Gastronomic Senses -- A Classic Story

    The audio version of Jacques Pépin’s book, The Apprentice: My Life in the Kitchen, is a true pleasure, great fun, and an engaging listen for the car or while walking/hiking/commuting.

    

35. Bringing Morocco to Manhattan

    Ever since he came to the U.S. in his early 20s, to work for Disney’s Epcot Center, Karim Bouskou has considered himself a cultural representative for Morocco. Twenty years later, he’s serving up authentic cuisine to residents in Inwood, Manhattan’s northern-most neighborhood.

    

36. Fromagination

    It’s easy to become stubbornly secure in the idea that the best cheeses can only come from some place that’s accessible through a transatlantic flight … or your local artisanal cheese shop. But there are nooks of American cheese crafting that are showing signs of the grace that has long since been left to the Europeans.

    

37. Entertaining 101

    If you’ve never thrown a dinner party before — or if you’ve given it the old college try, and could use a refresher course — here are six ways to pull it off with ease and avoid winding up stressed in the company of friends (or neighbors, or coworkers, or strangers-to-be-impressed).

    

38. Setting the Dinner Party Table

    It’s not about pretension — the most expensive serving platter, a high-priced wine, or even whether you serve filet mignon or skirt steaks. It’s more about the way you offer the meal that can ease guests, giving them everything they need in an aesthetically pleasing way.

    

39. Soup, Glorious Soup

    Making your own soup might be natural for some, but for others, it is uncharted territory; a task better left to restaurants and Campbell’s; an involved process easily shunted to the side in favor of simply getting a meal on the table.

    

40. Buying Local in a Recession

    Unless you’ve been sleepwalking through trips to the grocery store for the past year, you’re probably familiar with at least one of these avant-garde culinary terms: organic, heritage, artisanal, free-range, local. You’d also need to be pretty oblivious to be entirely unaware of worsening economic conditions in the US. If prices continue to spiral upward, how will they affect overarching consumption patterns, specifically in groceries?

    

41. Risotto 101

    We’re here to let you in on a little secret: you don’t have to stir until your arm falls off. You don’t need to track down a little Northern Italian grandma who can take you on as her personal risotto apprentice for six months. It’s actually quite simple, and a spectacular dish that should be in your repertoire, whether for weeknight suppers or a dinner party with that “wow” factor.

    

42. A Day in the Life: Clinton St. Baking Co.

    On a recent Sunday, I stood at the kitchen counter mixing the ingredients for my pancakes, as I do most Sundays. Only now, I was measuring out 20 times the usual amount of flour, sugar, and eggs. Instead of pajamas and slippers, I wore a white baker’s tunic and baggy black pants that quickly showed the flour I had managed to pour all over myself.

    

43. The Secret to Eating Light: There is No Secret

    Most of us experience the proverbial post-holiday button-loosening: we’ve eaten way too much, drank a ton, slept more that we’re used to, and generally have not burned enough calories to counterbalance it all. Whatever your reason for feeling gross after the holidays, we’re here to offer a no-nonsense and still delicious approach to January, the detox month.

    

44. The Occasional Vegetarian

    Too many carnivores dismiss vegetarian dishes as wimpy, unsatisfying, and full of mysteriously suspect textures. They’re missing out! In 2008, give meatless meals a try — even if it’s once a week or once a month.

    

45. Julia Child Made Me Do It

    Welcome to the inaugural issue of The Humble Gourmand, a monthly online magazine for the ambitious cook with limited means. In our first feature, join Humble Gourmand editor Alison L. McConnell on her journey from cookbook reader to true foodie, and how that experience sparked this publication — all thanks to frozen bananoids and Julia Child.

    

46. Getting Started in the Kitchen

    So, here you are, a food lover but a kitchen novice. Or perhaps you’ve been at it for a while, doing your best to learn to cook from cookbooks, the Food Network, and good old trial and error. You shouldn’t be intimidated if you lack a space-age (or spacious) kitchen. Same goes for thousands of dollars to buy top-notch equipment and ingredients.