Brunch: Chapter 2

Clearly, Emily and I have all but abandoned this lovely blog in the past few months. You can find her blogging away at Speed Laces, Amazing Races about her crazy Ironman-ness and you can find me at, well, um, doing lots of writing for my growing number of clients.

We’re still cooking plenty and brunching whenever we have the chance, but the writing and photographing have fallen off the radar recently.

My plan is to keep this blog going, but it may take a while to re-tool and re-focus. I think I need to take my good friend Nikki‘s advice and branch out a bit. So hopefully, no one will hate me too much if this blog departs a bit from the brunch-only content and becomes a bit more of a random hodgepodge of style, events, running and general life.

So, I’ll be back. I promise. As soon as I can slog through some of this work and start using my Google reader and browsing my favorite blogs again I hope it’s soon!

Cheating at Passover

I chose to brunch at Cafe Bonaparte because they had a solid selection of omelets that I knew would be perfect for my cousin, his girlfriend and me during Passover a few weeks back. But deep down, I knew that I wouldn’t be able to avoid the temptation of those crepes.

But it’s okay. Because crepes aren’t leavened, right?

Cafe Bonaparte is a very cute, very French cafe/restaurant in Georgetown. They don’t take reservations for brunch, so there tends to be a crowd–but we got there right at ten and had no problem getting a table.

Each time a server walked by carrying their bread basket or a croissant, I craved the fresh baked goods–and I know I’ll have to go back now that I’m back to being a normal bread eater.

Rachel Goes Vegan

I love meat. And eggs. And dairy.

But sometime, the world conspires against you.

Dan and I got back from vacation a few weeks back, only to find out that our fridge and freezer were dead. A lovely surprise after five days away, I must say.

The next day, though, I had the urge to bake. And lack of butter or eggs wasn’t going to stop me.

We Brunch and We Run: GW Parkway Classic + Tabard Inn

Despite my fondness for brunch, I had somehow never made it to the highly regarded Tabard Inn until this weekend. Now I can finally say that I’m a true DC bruncher.

Emily and I started the morning off with a lovely 10 mile run down the GW Parkway, and were greeted near the finish line by my mom, Dan, and our friend Justin. After our delicious dinner (and some wine) at Blue Duck Tavern on Friday night, my mom made a stop at CVS to pick up poster-making materials for the race. I spotter her and Dan as I approached the final stretch, and was so surprised by her postering skills. She couldn’t have gone with a more appropriate slogan: We Brunch and We Run.

Running Makes You Hungry For…Brunch!

What’s better than an awesome long run in sunny weather?

One followed by a yummy brunch with some of my favorite run bloggers, obviously!

We’ve already had a cupcake extravaganza and a dinner party, so Liz offered to host a post-Cherry Blossom meal — even for those of us who did not run the race.

Rachel, (other) Liz, Katie, Beth, Amy and I all gathered late morning at Liz’s house, where we found a full-on spread of frittatas, fruit, coffee cake and make-your-own waffles. That’s right. A waffle bar. And lots and lots of champagne.

Almost everyone had just come from either the race or a workout and was dressed in running gear. So typical. Amy and Beth even rode their bikes from their run to brunch. I had just run 12, and Rachel and Liz came directly from the race finish. In any case, we were all STARVING and ready to inhale lots and lots of calories.

I’ve never made a fritatta before, but now I definitely will attempt it. Especially Liz’s feta-mushroom-spinach creation. The coffee cake was super moist and made with both apple and apple sauce. I also had a waffle with fruit and a piece of Beth’s sunflower-seed biscotti. I think it’s safe to say Rachel and I were both full after all that.

Thanks to Liz for hosting — and can’t wait until the next food- and sweat-filled blogger event!

1 Night in Paris

I’m sorry. I couldn’t help myself. Yes, “1 Night in Paris” is the title of the Paris Hilton sex tape. But it also describes the wonderful weekend getaway Dan and I took to Paris, VA a few weeks back. And its a weekend definitely worth writing about–especially for those of you eager to leave DC for a day or two without having to travel too far.

I had heard about the food at the Ashby Inn in Paris from a few different people, and decided that it was worth checking out. Since Dan doesn’t have a lot of vacation time, we try to fit a few weekend trips into the year instead of longer trips (though my body/skin could definitely go for a week-long beach vacation).

Paris is only an hour or so outside of DC, which makes it the perfect distance for a one-night stay. Paris, France might be a tad more exciting, but it’s a hell of a lot easier to drive to Paris, VA.

A Week of Salmon

savebristolbay.org

It’s that time of year again–a blogging fail. Emily and I have both been swamped with work, taxes, car purchases and training for our various races (my half marathon, her Ironman). So, unfortunately, the blog has taken a bit of a back seat to life once again.

BUT, this week of awesome events was worthwhile enough for me to get back on the horse and write a new post.

As part of a large effort to save Bristol Bay in Alaska and protect the waterway and surrounding area from a new gold and copper mine, DC chefs are uniting this week to feature wild Bristol Bay salmon on their menus. More than 25 DC restaurants are joining the cause to Save Bristol Bay.

The participating restaurants include Brasserie Beck, Equinox, Grillfish, multiple McCormick & Schmicks locations, Restaurant Nora, Oceanaire, Poste Moderne Brasserie and Urbana.

For the full list of restaurants: www.whywild.org/sbb-dc

Weekly Brunch Round-Up

From DC with love:

• Metromix awards the best DC brunch to Founding Farmers. I love FF’s concept, but I have to disagree with Metromix that this is the best DC has to offer.
• More delicious baked eggs!
• Corn muffins make me salivate any day of the week. Add scallions and cheese for an upgraded version.
• Glamour wants us all to know how to plan a post-wedding brunch.
  

Happy National Cereal Day!

cupcakesandcashmere.com

Today, March 7, is National Cereal Today. I think this might be one of my favorite national food days, because who doesn’t like cereal?

I’m not one of those people who has cereal for lunch and dinner, although Special K tells me that I’ll lose lots of weight if I follow their diet and do just that, but I LOVE an overflowing bowl of cereal to kick off the day.

Through the years, my favorite cereal has changed pretty dramatically: back in the day, my heart sung for Lucky Charms; then it was Corn Pops; then Special K with Red Berries; now Honey Nut Cheerios or a hearty granola.

My good friend Megan, who went to a small liberal arts school and lived in a co-op type house, actually knew people who were the designated granola makers. Apparently, every co-op had their own granola recipe and their own official chef.

Unfortunately, I don’t have anyone who’s going to make granola for me (or make my bed or clean my apartment), but that doesn’t mean I can’t make it for myself.

And today, on National Cereal Day, I may do just that!

Marissa, who I went to Duke with, writes a blog Get Off Your Tush and Cook–and has a great healthy recipe. Emily, the well-known Cupcakes and Cashmere blogger, showcases a tasty-looking Food Network recipe. The great thing about granola is that you can add anything you like. Try dried fruits, fresh fruits, nuts, various grains…the list goes on.

What’s your favorite granola ingredient?

Weekly Brunch Round-Up

From DC with love:

• Despite all of the tofu hate that exists in this world, I’m actually a fan. I’ve ordered tofu scrambles out, but have never made my own. 
• Lasagna + brunch = brunch lasagna. This seems kind of like a kugel, which is always a win.
• I don’t love Circa (it’s always so crowded, and the layout doesn’t help ease the issue), but this Eggs Benedict sure looks good!