Pierogi Pilgrimage: East Village's Veselka (as seen on Gossip Girl)

Hello Fellow Foodies,

Veselka Assorted Pierogi

We hope the start of summer is finding everyone in good health. If you've been keeping up with the Nightly Noms' Twitter, you would know that I spent a weekend in New York mid-May. Of course I had to do some foodie exploring between my meetings, which resulted in  multiple walks throughout the various neighborhoods of Manhattan, my longest being from Grand Central to SoHo (a grand total of 5 hours of exploration when factoring the tasting breaks). My first New York post is a restaurant review for a Ukrainian restaurant in the East Village!

Veselka, a quirky restaurant made more famous by Gossip Girl, definitely delivered on their dining experience. Originally I had planned to make the pilgrimage to "pierogi paradise" by myself, but after finding some fellow friends that were in search of good shopping and food, I offered for them to make the long walk downtown with a detour at Veselka before going to SoHo. With two people who had little knowledge of pierogi and Eastern Euro food, I was taking two more sets of tastebuds into my hands and hoped that Veselka was as good as Dan and Vanessa boast on Gossip Girl.

Located on the corner of 2nd Ave. and 9th St., the medium-sized restaurant was clearly popular. With people packed in Veselka's outdoor area, we opted for a small window table inside to sample the pierogi. Veselka, described as "Ukranian Soul Food in the Heart of East Village, offers an array of Ukrainian noms, such as Borcht (a chilled beet soup), Veal Goulash (a veal stew served with mashed potatoes), Ukrainian Kielbasa (a type of sausage), and a wide variety of sandwiches. Along side the traditional Ukrainian fare, Veselka serves up a very tasty looking breakfast menu featuring Raspberry Pancakes, Challah French Toast, and Potato Pancakes served with sour cream and apple sauce. Download the complete menu on their website here!

Blueberry Seasonal Pierogi

The main focus of our visit was to sample Veselka's pierogi, which are dumplings stuffed with different ingredients. Veselka offers "Big Plate" and "Small Plate" options and allows the patron to individually select each pierogi, which really allows for you to taste each type if desired. We ordered a large plate with Meat, Goat Cheese & Arugula, Sweet Potato, Spinach & Cheese, and Sauerkraut & Mushroom (pan-fried); we also ordered a small plate of the seasonal pierogi, which were Blueberry (boiled). Both the savory and sweet dumplings highlighted the traditional flavors used, and the small sides of apple sauce, sour cream, and caramelized onions definitely added to the flavor. I would definitely recommend the Sauerkraut & Mushroom pierogi if you're a vegetarian, and the meat if you are not. Although I enjoyed the pan-friend texture, compared to that of what I had as a child, Veselka's pierogi were a bit to fried for my taste. In addition, the blueberry were very delicious; however, they could have used a few more berries. When eating the sweet pierogi, use any of the condiments desired, but I would definitely recommend a combination of sour cream and sprinkled sugar. Other than my prior comments, and a bias for my childhood nanny's homemade pierogi, Veselka's pierogi were pretty tasty and are a good option for dining, especially if you're a college student looking for some tasty late-night noms without having the time to explore some smaller neighborhood restaurants.

Next time I'm in New York it's definitely going to be tough to decide between going for breakfast or dinner. All in all I guess Dan and Vanessa were right to spend evenings watching movies and ordering in from Veselka, besides having a Eastern Euro deli next door or a family friend that makes homemade pierogi, you can't get much better than Veselka if you're looking for a gateway into Eastern European tastes. 

In addition to a sit down dining experience, Veselka offers a wide variety of pastries and to go orders.

Veselka
144 2nd Avenue & 9th Street, New York, NY 10003
Facebook
Ukrainian, Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Late-night
$5-$18

xo,
-georgetown foodie
As always, comments are appreciated!
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Simple Recipes and Common Sense: Salmon Cakes w/ Curried Ranch Dipping Sauce

Hello Nomsters,

With the arrival of spring, the warm weather has obviously increased our desire to go outside, socialize, and avoid Leo’s to indulge in eating out… but really? How many brunches, lunches, dinners, and midnight snacks can you justify until you’re “broke phi broke?” So, if you’re looking for a way to avoid Leo’s, spending money on one one more meal out, or just feel like cooking yourself and friends a delicious meal, try out these salmon cakes! They’re easy enough to make in a dorm or apartment kitchen and pack a healthy punch of Omega-3s too.

This recipe is pretty basic, but incredibly tasty. Similar to crab cakes, salmon cakes are a combination of fresh or canned salmon, breadcrumbs, herbs & veggies, an egg or two (as adhesive), and some sort of substance to make sure the ingredients can be formed into a patty (for example mayonnaise is a common item). You can be as basic or creative with these little patties as you want! If you’re thinking, “I probably don’t have most of these ingredients, nor do I want to spend the money on a jar of “x” that I’ll only use once,” never fear, most of what you need can be found right under your nose. So take a risk and take this recipe for a spin. I promise you won’t burn down your kitchen!

Ingredients (and where to find them)

-2 6oz cans of Salmon, I personally like wild Alaskan, but any salmon will do. (can be found at Safeway, CVS, maybe even Vittles)

-1 ¼ cup breadcrumbs (Safeway, Vittles, CVS)

-1 egg (whisked before its added to mix)

-1/3 cup finely chopped celery (optional, but can be found at Leo’s in the salad bar section) or scallions (which can be bought at Safeway)

-3 Tbsp mayonnaise (and more as needed to moisten mix. Can be found at Grab’n’Go, approx 6 packets)

-2 tsp mustard (more as desired for flavor, at Grab’n’Go, approx 2-3 packets)

-Pinches of salt/pepper (can be found in Leo’s/Grab’n’Go also)

Sauce

-2 packets of Fat Free Ranch (from Grab’n’Go, or 4-5 Tbsp worth from your own supply)

Additional ingredients (option)

-a pinch of curry powder, cayenne pepper, ground pepper, and a ½ tsp caper juice or a squeeze of lime/lemon.

Method-

1. Beat egg in a bowl until yolk breaks and mixes with white, add cans of salmon and mix until incorporated.
2. Add breadcrumbs, mayo, mustard, celery/scallions, and seasonings, mix until well incorporated. You should have a moist consistency that allows for you to form the mixture into patties, so add more mayo if dry or more breadcrumbs if too moist.
3. Form ¼ cup sized amounts of cake mixture into about 3/4inch-1inch patties. The patties should be about 3-4inches in diameter.
4. Grease a frying pan with butter, olive oil, or a mixture of both and turn on the stove to medium heat to warm the pan (about 3-4minutes). If you want to test the pan’s heat, take a drop of water on your finger tips and let it drop onto the hot pan, if it sizzles, you should be good to go!
5. Place salmon cakes into frying pan; cook for about 5-7minutes on each side, or until crispy/well browned.
6. Once you finish cooking, place salmon cakes on paper towels to catch access oil, serve with plain ranch sauce, curried sauce, or a sauce of your choice (plain mustard tastes pretty good too!).

A Mini Trip: Milwaukee, WI for Lobster Rolls at St. Paul's Fish Company

Hello Nomsters,

Lobster Roll!

Obviously, I've been a bit absent in blogging, but after a somewhat relaxing spring break, I'm back and blogging from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Similar to any major city, as a Chicago native it is a rare occasion that I leave city limits for cuisine unless I'm looking for a specialty or just need a change of scenery. Of course while home I frequented my usual gastronomic delights, such as Penny's Noodle (Thai), The Athenian Room (Greek), Dave's Italian Kitchen (it's in the name), and even had the chance to try Fin (Sushi/Asian) with my friend Natalia. However, since we opted out of travel for spring break this year, my parents and I decided a nice short road trip up to Milwaukee was in order.

For those of you who know Chicago, you also know that most of the area around this major city is either suburbs, ski territory, or the Dells for water parks and small lake houses in the summer. Although Milwaukee is known as a biker's destination and a city of" brews and brats," this Wisconsin city is beginning to become a gem of a destination for city dwellers looking for a break. Now, of course this is a food blog, but just as a quick quip, if you ever decide to visit, be sure to stay at the Iron Horse Hotel! As an old factory that was converted into a classy, rustic hotel, this establishment gives visitors a warm welcome, comfortable and stylish rooms, and service to match. With a basin of granny smith apples in the lobby and complimentary unique cocktails for guests, the nuances of the Iron Horse provide guests with the ultimate relaxing experience. Additionally, past 5pm, the hotel lobby and bar turn into one of the liveliest places to be in Milwaukee, with a full bar, restaurant, and lounge area right on premises! But enough about the accommodations, if you're making a trip to Milwaukee, you must, must, must, have lunch or dinner at a place that offers seafood as good as the east coast and a lobster roll that could challenge those native to Maine!

When first entering St. Paul's Fish Company, it doesn't look like much. Simple checkered table clothes, a large fish counter for take out orders and for purchasing by "the lb," and an oyster bar. But as you sit down and peruse the extensive seafood options, you'll realize that there's probably no other place west of Virginia that will offer a lobster roll or full lobster dinner for $12.95.

Seafood Counter

For our dining experience this weekend, we ordered a basket of fried clams to share, and one Cook's Cocktail oyster and a lobster roll each. The clams came out fresh and crispy! Served with sides of cocktail sauce and remoulade sauce (a French sauce typically found in New Orleans on fried seafood sandwiches [Po'Boys]), these clams were breaded just enough to not overwhelm the succulent quality of the seafood. Our oysters were also quite delicious, and were accompanied by sides of cocktail sauce and horseradish, extremely fresh too. Finally, for the lobster roll. For those of you East Coast readers, I'm sure you're thinking "the only place to get a real lobster roll is Maine" (or McDonalds, depending on who you're asking...). But, I assure you, St. Paul's lobster rolls in on par with anything out east. The bun, which is buttered and lightly grilled, was chalk full of fresh lobster mixed with a light and creamy sauce and pieces of celery. At first bite, this roll will live up to your expectations and more by offering your taste buds a merging of the flavors from both the buttery bun and fluffy texture of the lobster. you just cannot go wrong with a lobster roll, especially when you don't have to drive to the east coast to find a good one.

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Oysters_2008_PD_04.JPG

Besides lobster, they offer an array of seafood options, including Po'Boy sandwiches, a full oyster bar, fish'n'chips, and crabcakes, so you really can't go wrong if you enjoy seafood. Along with the reasonably priced lobster entrees, St. Paul's offers daily specials ranging from steamed mussels in white wine to fish tacos. So indulge and enjoy :)

-Your Fellow Foodie

Nightly Noms Update: Menu, Relay, Catering!

Hello Nomsters!

I hope everyone enjoyed January, we definitely got our fair share of winter weather alerts. Anyway, just wanted to update everyone on Nightly Noms! We've been testing out new items in the kitchen, which has resulted in us offering Banana Blondies and S'mores cookies as February 2nd delivery options. The Banana Blondies are probably the better choice for those seeking a sweet treat that doesn't involve chocolate, moist and gooey, these blondies have the delicious flavor of bananas in bar form. Similarly, the S'more cookies pack a punch for those looking for the campfire combo without the mess. Each cookie is filled with chocolate chips, marshmallows, and graham cracker pieces for a delicious treat.

Remember, Nightly Noms not only bakes for the weekly delivery service, but we also offer "catering." So, if you're looking to have a Valentine's day soiree, but don't want to bake, just email us and we'll take on the challenge! Or, if you want a dozen cookies, muffins, or S'mores bars for a birthday party or just to nibble on, email us and we can do side orders that can be picked up/dropped off on whatever day you want them! The possibilities are endless (and tasty).

Finally, we'd love if you'd join the Georgetown Foodie+Nightly Noms Relay for Life team! It's a great opportunity to get involved with Nightly Noms and our fundraisers and events are sure to be tasty! So sign up here, and we'll be sure to invite you to our first event, which will be a "Noms with Nightly Noms" event to show our appreciation to our new team members!

Anywho, look out for some restaurant reviews in the near future, and keep an eye on the twitter and facebook for east "put togethers" as meals/snacks!

-gtown foodie

Restaurant Week Feature: Decadent Brunch @ Co Co. Sala

Hello Nomsters,

As most of you know, this past week was DC's Restaurant Week, which means tantalizingly tasty 3- course meals for lunch ($20.11) and dinner ($35.11) at many of DC's finest restaurants. Of course living on a typical college budget, you don't normally want to spend more than needed on a meal, but a little self indulgence never hurt anyone and my roommates and I decide to partake by making a reservation at Co Co. Sala, a chocolate bar and restaurant on F. street and 10th (near the Verizon Center). Co Co. Sala was one of the few restaurants that was offering a brunch restaurant week special, and after perusing the menu and seeing items like "French Toast S'mores" and "Crispy Creole Crabcake" as options, it was hard to not run to the cutesy chocolate lounge.

Arriving at Co Co. Sala for our 11:30 reservation, we were seated in the chocolate and pink accented colored lounge to be handed our menus for the Restaurant Week Special. Needless to say, we couldn't go wrong with our options. Each of us started with the Amuse Bouche of the Day, which was a small artichoke tart with tomato confit. The tart was perfectly warm and the crust had an excellent taste, just a little sweetness to offset the taste of the artichoke. Following our tarts, Sarah favored a more savory entree, so she ordered the Aztec Cheese Enchilada with an avocado, guava, and fennel salad with chocolate ganache and guava-lime vinaigrette. Both Gina and I opted for the ultimate indulgence and ordered the "French Toast S'mores" as our brunch entree. After having the well-presented plate placed in front of me and taking my first bite, all I could think was "yum." The french toast was cinnamon brioche stuffed with melted marshmallows and warm dark chocolate, a graham shortbread layered with mousse and warm bananas in caramel sauce accompanied the entree. The french toast literally melted in your mouth as the flavors of each component melded together. I would order this item again in a heartbeat, and as an a la carte option you can experience the deliciousness for about $12. By the last couple of bites, both Gina and I were struggling, but there was no way we would leave a piece on our plate. Completely satisfied by each of our meals, our sever cleared our plates as we took a breath and prepared ourselves for dessert....yes, I know what you're thinking, "who could even contemplate dessert after all of that?!"

Both Sarah and I ordered the Onyx, a vanilla creme brulee encased in dark chocolate mousse with salted caramel on top, basically chocolate overload. The mousse was perfectly smooth and the creme brulee did an excellent job of preventing us from going into a chocolate overdose. Gina ordered the Stolen Heart, which was a white chocolate strawberry mousse with chocolate crispy pearls; naturally, all of these desserts found their way into our already fulls selves. We barely ate the rest of the day.

Co Co. Sala is a great place for brunch or dessert, they also offer dinner too (don't worry, not everything has chocolate in it!). Although some of the items are a little pricey, the brunch was definitely worth the commute and price. The presentation on each dish was flawless, and the overall tastes definitely give Co Co. Sala an edge over other restaurant's desserts. While I would definitely order the French Toast S'mores again, the Breakfast Flatbread looked like a pretty great savory option also. I may pass on the mousse though and opt for the PB Cheesecake instead, but that may have just been because I was coming out of a food coma from the french toast. This restaurant is great for dessert and drinks out with the girls (they offer a variety of cocktails and hot cocoas) or for a date. Either way you'll swoon for the flavors Co Co. Sala offers. They also have a "Chocolate Boutique" in case you was a box of chocolates to take home!

Co Co. Sala

MENU
929 F STREET NW,
WASHINGTON, DC 20004
P 202.347.4265

Transport:
1. g'town ->union station circulator, get off at about K st. and 11th, walk to F and 10th
2. Any train to Metro Center, walk to F and 10th

It's all about the Dough! Pre-baking cookie process

Hey Nomsters!

As promised, I'm back with my method (along with many other people's) of the cookie making process that leads up to the actual baking. When I was a kid, I always got excited for certain holidays because I knew Pillsbury would be selling their seasonal sugar cookies in supermarkets! If you don't know which cookies I'm referencing, they're the ones that come with little shapes artificially dyed on them, like Easter Bunny's, Heats, and Snowmen. Besides the cute little pictures on the cookies and the fact that I loved sneaking pieces of the raw cookie dough, the softness and chewiness of these little morsels were soooo good after they'd been baked. So, if you're partial to a softer, chubbier, cookies, this method of "prepping the dough" should be just what you're looking for when you bake your next batch of cookies.

I've always liked my cookies chewy and sort of plump, which never seemed to happen when I first started baking.  The first couple of Snickerdoodle cookie batches always seemed to spread out too much on the cookie sheet, yielding a yummy, but somewhat flat treat. So, I started experimenting, I changed the amount of flour, added a bit more baking powder/soda, or tried to not mix them too much, and while these changes resulted in more favorable cookies, it wasn't until I started freezing or putting my dough in the fridge overnight that I really got the results I wanted! Moist, chewy, little cookies. If you're looking for cookies like I've describe, follow the instructions below and see if you like the results. I think the main pro from chilling he dough before baking the cookies is that the butter in the mixture hardens, which makes the cookies spread slowly on the sheet rather than melt down within 5 minutes.

Basics for a Chewy, "Chubby," Cookie
Disclaimer, if you don't want to "roll" your cookies before you place them in the freezer, you can always just freeze them and roll prior to baking.

-Make your dough (I've found that unless you're working with a finicky recipe, most cookie doughs respond well to chilling)

Post Fridge Roll, Pre Freezer

-Transfer you dough from the mixing bowl to a Tupperware container or another bowl that has been lined with saran wrap so that the edges hang over

-Use the saran wrap to cover the top of the dough and store in the fridge for a couple of hours

-Once dough is firm enough that it doesn't mush all over your hands, start rolling desired size balls of dough and place them in another container (you can layer your dough by rolling enough balls to fit into a container then layer wax paper on top and repeat,

-Place rolled dough in freezer for an hour to harden,

rolled and frozen layered atop each other

-Take rolled dough out, space out on cookie sheet and bake until golden on the edges!

While, I know this seems like a long process, it's worth it for the consistency of cookie. However, if you want a shorter method, just chilling the dough in the freezer or fridge for a few hours/overnight will give you a similar consistency!

after rolling and freezing

end result!

Good luck and Enjoy!
-Georgetown Foodie

Mission Accomplished: Chocolate Peppermint Cookies and Snickerdoodles

Hello Nomsters,

Wrapped Up and Ready to Go!

Happy New Year! Hopefully everyone's enjoyed the holiday season and has been ringing in 2011. Regardless of my unpunctual post, I did in fact manage to successfully carry out the Cookie Challenge. I opted to make two different kinds of cookies, the Chocolate Peppermint Cookies (which some of you had the chance to order) and straight up Snickerdoodles. After a morning of present opening and Christmas cooking, I spent my afternoon and evening rolling and baking the cookie dough that I had made the previous night. Spending an afternoon running back and forth from the oven with cookie sheets, I was happy to finally see over six dozen cookies all lined up on my counter. The final touch was packaging. I went and bought little clear bags from Target (in the gift wrap isle) and used typical present wrapping ribbon to add a personal touch to the cookies. The recipe for Chocolate Peppermint Cookies is included and pictures are floating around throughout this post.

Enjoy and look out for more posts and updates on 2011 here soon!

All the best!

The Georgetown Foodie
 
Chocolate Peppermint Cookies (anywhere from 2 dozen (lrg) to 4 dozen (small/med) cookies)
Ingredients:
-1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
-3/4 cup cocoa powder
-2 tsp baking powder
-1 tsp salt
-12 ounces semi sweet chocolate (that's one bag of Toll House Chocolate Chip)
-1/4-1/2 package of Herseys' candy cane kisses (optional, basically any mint chocolate can be used, but the candy cane kisses are a nice touch because the cookies end up having specs of red)
-4 large eggs
-1 Tbsp vanilla extract
-1/2 tsp peppermint extract
-1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter (or salted) at room temperature
-1 or 2 Tbsp butter (to be used when double boiling)
-1 1/2 cup packed brown sugar (I used dark, because that's what I usually had in my pantry)
-1/2 cup granulated sugar

For the pink chocolate ribbon:
-1/3 to 1/2 (about 10-20 kisses)
-Microwave


Process:
Cookies:
*Preheat oven to 350f. Line 2 sheet pans with parchment.
-Combine  the flour, cocoa, and baking powder in a bowl and set aside.
-Cream the butter for about 1 minute, add the white and brown sugars and mix well on medium. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing after each to incorporate. Mix in the vanilla extract and peppermint extract
-Double boil to melt the chocolates and then let cool down for about 5 minutes.
-Add the chocolate in a stream and mix well.
-Mix in the dry mixture (flour, salt, etc) and mix until the flour just disappears.
-Allow the batter to sit for about 20 minutes if you plan to bake straight away; however, I like my cookies to be chewy and "chubby," therefore I often transfer the dough to Tupperware that has been lined with saran wrap, and place it in the fridge overnight. If you want to follow my method exactly, see the "Cookie Note" I post in the next day about freezing/rolling cookies.
-If you choose to make the cookies directly after waiting 20mins, then scoop out the batter with a spoon or a small cookie scoop leaving about an inch between each cookie. If you plan to roll cookies, then let sit in fridge until firm and use a a spoon to get chucks that can be rolled into balls for baking.
-Bake for about 10 minutes (or until cookies are slightly cracked on top), let cool on the sheet pan for 10 minutes, and then remove from the tray and finish cooling on a rack.

Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

Pink Chocolate Ribbon:
-melt down kisses using a small bowl and microwaving in about 20 secon intervals, stirring after each. As the kisses get hotter and melt, they'll help other kisses melt also.
-use a spoon to dab lines back and forth across cookie. Starting at the top of a cookie, dab a bit of chocolate and then stretch to other side of cookie and dab once more. Continue this process until cookie is covered in desired design. 

All Rolled Up (Chocolate Peppermint Cookies)

Snickerdooles

Getting ready for the freezer

 







The Double Boil Method:
Basically, this is the best way to melt chocolate. If there's one thing you need to know about melting chocolate, it's that WATER IS YOUR ENEMY.... hands down, most important rule. Well, that and make sure you don't over cook the chocolate. When in doubt, just melt until almost all is melted, because at that point the heat from the melted chocolate will take care of the rest.
1. Use either two pots or a bowl and a pot and place the smaller on top of the other, fill the bottom pot with enough water to maintain a steady boil, but not too much that it could risk boiling over.
2. Turn on the flame to low/medium, add part of your chocolate and the butter. (I feel as though the butter helps keep the chocolate moist while it melts; however, in most cases of melting chocolate butter is necessary, so you can decide whether to add it or not.).
3. Keep stirring chocolate to help distribute heat evenly, and continue adding chocolate as melt process continues.
4. Continue stirring mixture on and off until chocolate melts, then let cool until ready to combine with other mixture/batter.

Snickerdoodles

The Line Up