Washington Roasts, but Mostly Toasts, Tom Colicchio at Celebrity Fundraiser

Chefs Leverage Their Star Power for Improving Food Policy

By Whitney Pipkin, Edible DC Contributor

Washington rolled out (its best attempt at) a red carpet last night at Union Market’s Dock 5 to leverage the celebrity of dozens of chefs for a cause close to this city’s heart: food policy.

But really they were there to roast Tom Colicchio, the New York City-based chef-owner of Crafted Hospitality and co-founder of Food Policy Action. The organization maintains a scorecard that ranks politicians for their support of better food systems to address the country’s hunger, safety and sustainability issues. The event was the second of its kind (Nora Pouillon was the subject of last year’s roast) to raise support for the Chef Action Network, a separate nonprofit focused on galvanizing chefs for the cause of improved food policy.

Today, 30 chefs from 34 states hit the hill to meet with representatives about the Child Nutrition Act currently being considered by Congress. (Follow them and other supporters on social media at #saveschoollunch and #chefslead.)

Eric Kessler, founder of the Chef Action Network, said chefs want to leverage their celebrity for change in the broader food system. They’ve lobbied against antibiotic overuse in the food supply and for better school lunches.

As Colicchio put it, “every single thing in our kitchen is touched by policy.”

It didn’t take much effort to convince the audience of that Monday night, considering how many lawmakers and lobbyists were mingling among the food industry folk. DC chefs David Guas, Spike Mendelsohn and Erik Bruner-Yang, among others, prepared the dinner and proved, once again, that Washington has more than politics to proffer.

Senators Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) were honored at the event for their bipartisan support of farm-to-school programs and of hunger as “a moral issue,” as Leahy said.

Nancy Pelosi even made an appearance at the event long enough to take in the speeches and have her picture taken with Padma Lakshmi, the shall-we-say-stunning host of Bravo’s Top Chef TV show, which will feature three contestants from DC in its next season.

The main event of the evening included Lakshmi and others lobbing insults (some feigned, some real) at Colicchio. Fellow Top Chef judge Richard Blais delivered the first of many jabs aimed at Colicchio’s New Jersey roots, building a caricature of him as a barely reformed angry mobster. He also accused Colicchio of having midlife crisis-like hobbies to include boxing and catching sharks.

Chef Kerry Heffernan lent the evening a rehearsal dinner feel when he shared about breaking into cars in Barcelona with Colicchio, who’d been the best man at his wedding. Even Padma took to the mic to try her hand at Colicchio’s Jersey accent and to roll her eyes at the man who is — for those who know him well or have been judged by him on the show — the king of eye rolling.

The 400 Washingtonians who attended the event savored the chance to see the Top Chef cast in true form, with Colicchio dishing out his own insults once he took the stage.

And as Katherine Miller, executive director of the Chef Action Network, put it, there was plenty of bourbon to fuel conversations, fundraising — and perhaps a little policymaking — as Washington’s food and policy worlds mingled into the evening.

Whitney Pipkin is a freelance journalist covering food, farms and the environment from Alexandria, VA. Her work appears in the Washington Post, Virginia Living and the Chesapeake Bay Journal, among others. She writes at thinkabouteat.com. @whitpipkin

A Dinner in the Vineyard

By Karly Murphy special to EdibleDC

Dinner under the stars is pretty hard to beat. Even more so when it consists of handsomely prepared, locally-sourced dishes paired with wines grown and made a few hundred feet from the dinner table.

Last Friday, a beautiful, crisp October evening, Early Mountain Vineyards hosted their first Winemaker Field Supper in Madison, Virginia. Presented by winemaker Ben Jordan and Chef Harrison Keevil of Charlottesville’s Brookville restaurant, along stylists Joy Jaynes of Mornings Like These and Rebecca Gallop of A Daily Something.

The night began with a glass of sparkling Virginia wine and a stroll through the vineyard to the barn, where we enjoyed a selection of hors d’oeuvres around a fire pit as the sun went down. Rappahannock oysters, kim kim glazed pork belly bites and a wonderfully creamy spice-roasted butternut squash bisque were paired with Early Mountain’s 2014 Block Eleven white wine. Once the sun had gone behind the mountains, we made our way back down the hill to the dinner table, set on the lawn beneath twinkling lights and the darkening sky.

The next course, an Edwards Virginia country ham & caramelized onion tart topped with local micro greens, was paired with a duo of 2014 Pinot Gris, grown in different parts of the vineyard and each expressing a unique set of flavors. Our main course, sourced entirely from the state of Virginia (apart from the salt), consisted of Buffalo River beef, roasted root vegetables, and Woodson’s Mill grits. This family-style course was served with a beautiful red blend, the 2012 Eluvium. To follow, a glass of 2014 late harvest Petit Manseng pulled right from the barrel was paired with Meadow Creek Dairy's Grayson cheese and estate apple butter. Finally, a special Charlottesville-made Gearharts’ dark chocolate infused with EMV Eluvium finished out the meal. Kudos to all, it was a very special evening that will not soon be forgotten. I look forward to my next visit to Early Mountain.

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Karly Murphy is a photographer and amateur gardener based near Charlottesville, Virginia. On her days off, you may find her on a walk in the woods with her husband and their dog, or perhaps out sampling some of Virginia’s tastiest wine and food, but rarely will you find her sitting still. (Instagram @karlymurphy_)

Washington’s Critics Dish about Guiding our Dining Decisions

Inside the Minds of DC's Top Food Critics

By Whitney Pipkin, Edible DC contributor

Phyllis Richman may be retired from her reign over DC’s dining scene, but the former Washington Post food critic still delivered the most memorable punch lines — including a tale about dropping her pants to get into a restaurant — at an event that brought five Washington-area dining reviewers together to dish about their jobs on Sunday night.

Hosted by the Smithsonian Associates in collaboration with Konnected Media Group’s Kyle Schmitz, the evening drew a packed house to the Navy Memorial (and they weren’t just there for sips from Todd Thrasher and Gina Chersevani).

On what other occasion do Washingtonians get to not only ask the critics their burning questions but also see the most well known among them in unabashed disguise and candor?

Northern Virginia Magazine’s Stefanie Gans won the costume contest in a Grey Gardens-inspired black scarf and white-rimmed shades. The Washington Post’s Tom Sietsema and Washingtonian’s Todd Kliman each donned ball caps and sunglasses (and I won’t say which one might have worn a wig, too). Phyllis Richman, the Post’s critic from 1976 to 2000, appeared as herself.

“My best disguise in 1976 was to be a woman,” said Richman.

She then shared a story about a restaurant she had arrived to review that wouldn’t allow her to enter as a woman wearing pants. So, she says, she took off her pants and dined in her tunic (which we’re assuming was long-ish?). It wasn’t long before moderator Mary Beth Albright, writer and former food critic herself, offered to give Richman the mic for the evening. Washington City Paper’s Jessica Sidman not only didn’t disguise herself (she considers herself a food reporter rather than critic) but also made the case that the anonymity her fellow panelists were going for “is a total farce.”

“Any restaurant that cares to know what they look like knows,” Sidman said, gesturing to the others. “The next generation of critics won’t even have the option to be anonymous.”

Sidman said her position at City Paper had been that of a critic until she made the suggestion that she’d rather focus on storytelling. Gans, who’s a friend of Sidman’s and both writes about and critiques restaurants, said she appreciates Sidman’s inside-the-industry beat but still sees a place for reviews beyond Yelp.

Others chimed in on the importance of being a good writer to the duties of food criticism.

“The task is for us to sit down and write a compelling story about something you put in your mouth,” said Sietsema, whose latest series for the Post had him dining at some 50 restaurants in New York City over just a few days. “It’s easy to write a rave or a pan; the B’s and C’s are hard.”

Kliman said reviewing restaurants showed him firsthand that Zagat stickers on their windows “don’t mean anything” and are often outdated. The same can go for the panelists’ written reviews, which Kliman estimates have a six-month shelf life (barring sudden exits by executive chefs).

The panelists also compared dining-out budgets: Sietsema’s amounts to an entire salary and is “not quite unlimited” while Gans can’t use hers toward beverages and uses half of it to complete her magazine’s 50-best issue each year. Sidman eats out two or three times a week while Sietsema hits at least a dozen spots most weeks.

The critics also shared about finding new restaurants and trying to one-up one another by unveiling the next Washington cuisine.

“I spend a lot of time trying to find places that I don’t think Tom is going to find,” said Kliman, who is prone to drive around strip malls for that reason. Gans also confided that, if Kliman finds a new haunt in her coverage area before she has the chance to print it, she’s “pissed.”

The critics also got a stereotypical Washington question about whether their positions should be term-limited to bring fresh voices to the table.

And, of course, Richman had the best answer: “Definitely,” she said. “And it’s always five years from where you are.”

Whitney Pipkin is a freelance journalist covering food, farms and the environment from Alexandria, VA. Her work appears in the Washington Post, Virginia Living and the Chesapeake Bay Journal, among others. She writes at thinkabouteat.com. @whitpipkin

Behind the Scenes: Savory S'more Cover

by AJ Dronkers, EdibleDC Associate Publisher

Some people called us crazy for starting EdibleDC Magazine a little over a year and half ago. As we ran the idea past friends and mentors, hearing "isn't print dead?" wasn't uncommon. Despite the fear we took the entrepreneurial plunge backed by our award winning Edible Community. Releasing each issue is like dropping your kids off at the first day of school, you question all your decisions from editorial to design. The good news, after a year and a half with lots of bumps and bruises we are thriving.

The DC community has embraced our vision of promoting our local farmers, artisans, chefs and we've built a family among the creative community of writers, photographers, stylist, and designers. One of our greatest pleasures is hearing your feedback especially when we release the new cover. The recent Fall Savory S'more cover generated some of the most commentary and feedback to date - so we decided to share a little more of the back story and vision from the collective team.

The Chef Matthew Ramsey

It was one hot summer and as Team Edible gathered to discuss fall content and imagery, we thought about how great grilling will be during the long, sweet mid-Atlantic fall. As Sam Adkins developed a delicious grill menu highlighted by September and October produce and a fresh look at seasonings, it led us to a waxing nostalgic about s’mores . Of course, we decided it couldn’t be just any s’more and we tapped into the idea of a fantasy s’more.

No one is better at food fantasies than Mathew Ramsey, who we profiled last fall with his caramel apple burger. We threw down the challenge, and it only took him a few hours to respond—“I’ve got it.” And so he did.

A pan-fried flank steak with home made mole sauce, a homemade cheesy marshmallow and a homemade cracker. Mathew is an accomplished chef and photographer. What he assembled is not for the faint of heart home chef, but we can assure it was delicious. You can see more of Ramsey’s photography and food fantasies at pornburger.me and there is a book of his work on the horizon, due out next spring by ECCO Publishing.

The Illustration Guru: Gavin Sullivan

"My inspiration for the fall cover was a combination between vintage sign painting and an object diagram. Playful yet bold I wanted it to taste, feel and smell like autumn while pointing out the savory layers of the tasty s'more by Matt Ramsey." - Gavin

Long Black Veil Beer Released Among Strangers, Friends

Port City Brewing Hosts a Release Party with a Spooky Theme

By Hope Nelson, special to EdibleDC

At first blush, it seems a bit odd to throw a party to commemorate the anniversary of a stranger’s death. But it gets stranger when you add the fact that this is the 199th anniversary of said death … and that the stranger is in fact the legendary Female Stranger of Alexandria … and a local 21st-century brewery has released a beer in her honor … well, it’s still odd. But it’s incredibly festive!

Such was the scene at Gadsby’s Tavern on Wednesday, Oct. 14, as Alexandria’s Port City Brewing Co. released the second edition of its Long Black Veil Black IPA. Some of the festivity stemmed from the fact that Port City is the recent winner of three awards at the Great American Beer Festival, including Small Brewing Company of the Year. But on a perfect autumn evening, complete with temperatures in the 60s and tree leaves a bright red hue, the mood was also ripe for autumnal ghost stories.

And the fact that the beer kept flowing didn’t squelch the mood, either.

Port City’s black IPA is a bit of an enigma. When you look at it, taking in its night-sky complexion, it looks like it desperately wants to taste like a stout, a la Guinness. But close your eyes and take a taste – “we should have tasted this blindfolded,” one guest remarked – and you’ll find a lighter, hoppier brew than your taste buds may have expected. To be sure, Long Black Veil packs a punch – its 6.8% ABV is certainly alive and well – but its flavor is milder and more citrusy than so many other dark beers. A porter, this is not! Instead, this is a beer that’s ideal for sitting in a courtyard, catching up with friends after work, and watching re-enactors portraying a doctor, President Madison and the Female Stranger saunter by.

Say what?

A little more than 199 years ago, a woman and her beau arrived into town from an undetermined boat under the cover of darkness, the woman wearing a long black veil. Even by the time she had disembarked from the boat, it was clear she was unwell. The couple took up residence at Gadsby’s Tavern, and shortly thereafter, the woman was freed from this mortal coil. Her companion racked up bills for boarding, doctors, and an elaborate gravestone in her honor (which remains at the St. Paul’s Cemetery to this day), and then promptly skipped town, never to be heard from again. Her gravestone epitaph begins: “To the memory of a Female Stranger.”

Though she’s often been reported to haunt Gadsby’s Tavern, I regret to say that her presence wasn’t made known on this particular evening. Was the courtyard too crowded? The beer flowing too freely? Perhaps we’ll never know.

Or maybe she was there, after all, behind the bar, with the Long Black Veil.

Hope Nelson is a tofu-loving food writer who's happiest in the kitchen (or watching college football). She lives in Alexandria, VA,, with her husband, Mike, and their cat, Lucky Abigail.

Mini Pumpkin Bundt Cakes with Spiced Pumpkin Seeds

 by AJ Dronkers, Associate Publisher EdibleDC

I was enjoying my weekly tradition of watching Whine About It video series - the topic this week, "The Worst Things About Fall".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2Ro__YyTi4

Between laughing and listening to an internet rant about fake pumpkin favors a la Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte, I realized I've seen far too many basic pumpkin recipes being spread across the internet. These pumpkin popups sometimes even just use pumpkin spice as a stand-in for the real thing, too many of these things are really just lazy cooking where brands pay online sites to gin up recipes so that they too can hop on the pumpkin spice train in the hope they go viral.

To restore my faith in cooking I reached out to our baking muse, Meredith Tomason, of RareSweets, and asked her for an inspired pumpkin recipe. What she gave me defied my expectations - mini pumpkin bundt cakes with bourbon cinnamon glaze. Also the spiced pumpkin seeds were a crunchy surprise and are now my go-to fall snack.

Pumpkin Bundt Cake (enough for 4 mini bundts)

• 7 oz. butter
• 6.5 oz. sugar
• 6 oz. light brown sugar

Cream together in mixer with paddle attachment.

• 4 eggs
• ½ tsp vanilla extract

Add and combine well to butter mixture.

11 oz. pumpkin puree

(We prefer to roast our own pumpkins to create the puree, but canned can work fine too.)

Add to mixture, it may look broken but it is fine. Just make sure the puree is evenly distributed

• 9 oz all purpose flour
• 1 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/3 tsp nutmeg
• 1 tsp salt
• 6 oz buttermilk

Sift dry ingredients together, and alternate adding to butter mixture with the buttermilk.

Preheat oven to 350, spray mini bundt pans and dust with flour. Pour batter evenly into each pan and bake for approximately 20-30 minutes, until cake springs back.

Let cakes cool in pans for 5-10 minutes, then remove and let cool completely on wire rack.

Bourbon Cinnamon Glaze

• 6 oz butter
• 6 oz confectioners sugar
• 2 Tbs bourbon
• ¼ tsp salt
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• 2 ½ Tbs milk

Melt butter, set aside until room temperature. Mix dry ingredients in a bowl and then add the butter, followed by the bourbon and milk. Whisk together and pour over bundt cakes while on a wire rack. Top with Spiced Pumpkin Seeds when set.

Spiced Pumpkin Seeds

• 2 cups pumpkin seeds
• 3/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 ½ tsp salt
• 1 ½ tbs dark brown sugar
• 1 egg white

Set oven to 300.

Mix dry ingredients with a whisk into the egg whites. Add the pumpkin seeds, toss until well coated and spread evenly onto a silpat, baking mat or parchment paper.

Bake 5-7 minutes until dry and lightly golden.

*Can be stored up to 10 days in an air-tight container

Meredith Tomason is Pastry Chef and Founder of her bakery, Rare Sweets, located in DC's City Center. After stints at Tribeca Treats and Magnolia Bakery, she joined the pastry department of Craft Restaurant and ultimately became Pastry Chef of Craft Restaurant.