DC Food Scene: Coming of Age

Check out my first post as a food writer @ http://www.thecouchsessions.com/2012/12/food-dc-food-scene-coming-of-age/

Allow Me To Re-Introduce Myself...

As if I didn't have enough going on with life as a physical therapist and adjunct professor, I will be posting weekly articles in the Food + Drink section of The Couch Sessions.   The Couch Sessions is a website and event production firm geared towards all things urban culture (i.e., music, art + design, food + drink, television, and fashion).  

Look forward to posts reviewing inexpensive establishments, musician showcases, neighborhood treks, and much more.  Feel free to drop me an e-mail about any artists,  places, or topics you’d like to read.  And as always, let me know if you have any contacts with local restaurants/bars, starving (until the interview) artists, interesting people doing great stuff, etc.  Thanks in advance.

The Score

Public Service Announcement by Jay-Z

 

Smells Like Teen Spirit Cover by Robert Glasper

 

Slow Roasted Duck Breast Sandwich with Pomegranate Balsamic Reduction

MasterChef Audition: Moroccan Pork Oxymoron?!?!?!

Last weekend, I packed up the Ac with what seemed like my entire kitchen and headed to the Big Apple.  After hearing encouragement from a few friends and family, I decided to apply for the 4^th season of MasterChef. Two days after I submitted my application, I received an e-mail from one of the producers requesting additional pictures.  One would think they’d want pictures of my food, but no…they wanted more pictures of me.  Needless to say, everything was set up to attend the casting call in NYC on November 10.

I wanted to create something heavenly like duck breast with a pomegranate sauce or roasted lamb over a parsnip puree but the rules were each participant had to bring a pre-prepared meal.  We couldn't use sternos, candles, electricity, etc. to keep food warm.  Long lines and the lack of outdoor heat in November created a slight dilemma for this amateur cook.  I wanted to create something gourmet but also something that would taste great hot, cold, or somewhere in between. Therefore, I decided to pay homage to city I grew up just outside of with my interpretation of one of her most popular sandwiches, the roast pork sandwich.   

Usually when you think of sandwiches, you do not think of a culinary masterpiece.  So, I had to go over the top.  Once my palate became more sophisticated, I stopped ordering chicken and salmon out at restaurants and you should too.  The main reason is you can make them at home and due to commercial farm they have horrible flavor, unless your local sustainable restaurant is using grass-fed pasture raised or wild caught protein.  So I butterflied a pork loin and soaked it in an apple cider brine overnight.  While the loin was marinating, I prepared a curry mint yogurt sauce and pickled broccoli, honey crisp apples, purple cabbage, cayenne pepper and carrots.  

The next morning, I stuffed the loin with goat cheese and sautéed garlic and shitake mushrooms and patted it with a dry rub blend of fresh ginger, cumin, cardamom, nutmeg, cinnamon, black pepper, smoked paprika, and garlic.  I rolled the loin and then used some butcher’s twine to keep it together.  I threw a little EVOO on the grill, seared the loin on all sides and transferred it to a roasting pan and cooked it to perfection.  As an accompaniment, I made a tri-colored quinoa salad with sautéed veggies (pumpkin, zucchini/yellow squash, turnip, parsnip, and eggplant) and chickpeas.

That morning, I waited outside a hotel in Midtown with an insulated cooler and backpack filled with delicious pork, pickled apple broccoli slaw, new plates and knives, sauce, and a whole wheat mini-baguette.  When it was my time to shine, I entered a room with 25 other participants.  We were given 3 minutes to plate our food, then a professional food taster/critic tasted our food and interviewed us on technique, cooking style, food inspiration, etc.  During this time, we also were assessed by personality judge.  Although nervous, I passed this stage and was told to go into another room for the next round.  The second round consisted of a group interview with the show’s producers.  Each person had to tell the judges about themselves and the role food plays in their lives.  We also had to answer questions that displayed our knowledge of gastronomy.  

While I feel like I did well, I did not make it to the third round.  There is a slight chance that I may receive a call in the next week. disclaimer:  no disrespect to my family and friends who lack trained palates because i appreciate your compliments as well.  It was such an awesome opportunity to have a professional food critic/taster evaluate my food and love it.  It was also inspirational to be surrounded by people without formal training who share the same passion for food.  Many of the people that I met have small catering companies or food stands at farmer’s markets and other venues.  Although you will not see me on the 4^th season of MasterChef, this is not the last you have heard of my pursuits to bring my creations to your home in one form or another.  

Final Menu

Moroccan-spiced Pork Roulade Sandwich Stuffed with Goat Cheese and Shitake Mushrooms over Pickled Apple-Broccoli Slaw with Curry Mint Yogurt Sauce on a Whole Wheat Baguette paired with a Tri-Colored Quinoa Salad with Grilled Eggplant, Zucchini, Pumpkin, & Chickpeas.

The Score

I’m Beamin – Lupe Fiasco