If you haven’t figured it out by now, we sort of think Jose Andres is awesome. A couple of weeks ago I was lucky enough to catch a talk given by Jose Andres & Vint Cerf (the guy who helped invent the internet). The talk was at Google DC, the place were Vint works, and covered everything from food policy, to the World Cup, to immigration. Having these two together on stage is really proof of how DC has transformed into a Hub for policy, culture and technology.

Google has posted a video of the talk. You should definitely watch it all the way through. Personally I think Jose represents one of the most important voices on food issues. He is intelligent and knowledgable on, but humble and realistic in a way most other voices are not. There is great bit on the Farm Bill towards the end that shouldn’t be missed. However my favorite part was the food samples we got to try after the talk…

One of my favorite dishes at Jaleo, a delicious Spanish restaurant in DC, is the pulpo a la gallega. It is a Galician dish of boiled octopus served with a generous amount of olive oil and pimenton. However, in thanks to the Soccer match predicting ability of Paul the Octopus, Jose Andres has taken octopus off the menu at Jaleo. It seems like a fitting tribute… I just hope it is not permanent!

We went to the Jaleo in DC to watch the Finals. It was a rocking party made extra crazy by the fact that it isn’t really a sports bar. Jose Andres had promised a round of champange if Spain won. We assume that happened because we had to take Elena home early and missed the winning goal by a couple of minutes. I am not a huge soccer fan, but that was the most fun I have had watching soccer… and who would have thought that that would happen at a tapas restaurant!

PS – Those rooting for the Netherlands, you can give our recipe for canned octopus a try!

Good news loyal readers… we just got a plot in our local community garden! Back we had a balcony we used to grow basil and cherry, but now the sky (or our 4′ plot) is the limit.

I want to branch out from this. My plan is to go for some herbs and other things that cost a lot in the store. Does anyone else have any better ideas? Let us know in the comments… especially all you bloggers in Adams Morgan, you might get some of the haul.

Well, the Cookography staff just grew by one. Carolyn and I had a beautiful baby girl last week, named Elena. Posts may slow down a little as we get used to this new eater and her demanding feeding schedule. We will keep Cookography going though and promise not to have too many baby food related posts.

“Hungry Monkey: A Food-Loving Father’s Quest to Raise an Adventurous Eater” (Matthew Amster-Burton)

That said, I just finished a great book on the adventures of infants and toddlers. Hungry Monkey is written by a dad in Seattle who has a daughter that is an adventurous eater. It was a very encouraging read and he has great advice on foods that both you and your kid can enjoy. Basically, just try mashing up food into non-chokable pieces and see if the kid likes it. His daughter even liked hot food and sushi! It is a great story of how you can share things you like with kids even if they are very young. The copy I read was from the library but I am going to buy one because it is full of easy recipes and cooking tips for harried parents and an adventurous eater kid. He also has a great blog here, which is worth the read.

One of the great benefits of living in DC are all the unexpected adventures. The opening of a farmers’ market two block from my office ends up being a press event with First Lady Michelle Obama, USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack and DC Mayor Adrian Fenty showing up…along with plenty of metal detectors and trench-coated Secret Service officers. It was an odd combination of “In the Line of Fire” meets “Babe the Pig.”

This White House Market was setup by FreshFarm Markets. I walked by the market on the way to a meeting and twittered (@Cookography) about all the metal detectors being setup. The FreshFarm Folks (@FRESHFARMMktsDC) tweeted right back with the tip. Twitter is clearly a powerful tool!

It was a great event and everyone who spoke talked about the importance of sustainable agriculture and accessible good food. Clearly there is a real change a foot when you see this level of attention being paid to improving the food we eat and the way we produce it. Of course compared to the goliath Ag industry, it is a very small gesture, but hopefully it represents a real shift in the way the nation looks at the importance of food.

DC Rules!

(So there, the title really says it all. This is a simple and refreshing way to enjoy the summer. All you have to do is add some cucumber slices to a pitcher of cold, filtered water. Let it sit for a couple of hours and you have one of the most refreshing summer drinks there is. It’s like being at a spa, but in your own home.)

(Can anyone guess where we “acquired” this pint glass from? Big bonus points if you can…)

This was a great event that we were fortunate enough to attend, thanks to Foodbuzz! Cochon 555 was put together by Taste Network to promote Heritage Breed Pigs. I am going to blather on a lot and talk about how fun it was, however the one thing you should remember is that a good pig, prepared well, is damn tasty!

Before the main event there was a reception to help get things started. Market Salamander provided some great appetizers. They had a cured pork chop with melon and bacon dipped in chocolate.

Our favorite local purveyor of cheese, Cowgirl Creamery, was there with quite a spread. They even put out some pork rinds, in keeping with the theme. If you are near their store at 919 F Street around lunch time, stop by for a sandwich. You will not be disappointed.

Domaine de Canton, makers of a ginger liqueur, was there mixing up cocktails. I tried a mojitio inspired one, which was very refreshing.

Before the event kicked off there was a short run down on how things would work. There were separate stations, manned by 5 different local chefs and their team, each given a pig with which to work their magic. There was: Brain McBride from Blue Duck Tavern, RJ Cooper from Vidalia, Nicholas Stefanelli from Mio, Jamie Leeds from Commonwealth Gastropub, and John Manolatos from Cashion’s Eat Place. If you are not from DC, these are all really great restaurants! Each team would serve until they ran out of pig, so you had to be a little strategic. There was a panel of expert judges, and all the attendees got to cast a ballot…but more on the voting later, on to the food!

Oh yea, and in the front of the room Trey Massey gave a demonstration on how to break down a pig. It was actually really interesting. I wish I could have caught more of it, but I was too busy eating.

The first station we stopped at was Mio’s. They are right next to where I work, and sort of new to the scene so I was pulling for them. They did not disappoint, and used almost every part of the pig in the process. Unfortunately, I didn’t get a photo of my favorite dish of theirs…bacon ice cream topped with peanuts. If they start selling this regularly, I know what I will be doing for lunch during the week!

The pig came apart pretty quickly; it is amazing what a pro can do.

Our next stop was at Commonwealth. It is a gastropub that opened a little ways from our house. Even though it is close, we have only made it over there once; we’re a little lazy. Jamie Leeds opened it after opening Hank’s Oyster bar, which is darn tasty.

Anyhow, they were serving up a brioche open sandwich that kicked ass. They also had a slice of head cheese on toast, which was delicious especially if you didn’t focus on where it came from.

After that we swung by Cashion’s Eat Place, which is an Adam’s Morgan institution and literally around the corner from us. They were only serving up one dish when we swung by, a spicy pork salad, but it was good. They may have had more out earlier, but we missed it. They are our home team, so I really wanted to try more dishes from them. I guess we will just have to swing by the restaurant more often.

The whole event was in a ballroom of the Mandarin Oriental hotel in DC. I gotta wonder if the room smelled like bacon afterward. The smell should liven up any business conference they hold there tomorrow morning.

Moving along we stopped by the Blue Duck Tavern table next. Carolyn had her birthday dinner there a couple of years ago and the food was excellent.

For the event they were serving an amazing steamed pork bun (the only Asian themed dish we saw) and a roasted pork roll with a great purple sauerkraut. They also had a peach bourbon cocktail, topped with a bacon foam…unfortunately they ran out of the foam by the time we got there.

Our final stop was at Vidalia’s table. Unfortunately all those delicious looking plates that they were preparing were for the judges. It looked like they were racing against the clock to get everything done in time.

Since this was towards the end, they had run out of a bunch of stuff, but we did get to sample a few. One of my favorites was a bacon chocolate chip cookie. Weird, but really good.

This is how we are more accustomed to seeing a pig:

In addition to all of the pig stations, there were also 5 wineries giving pours. There was Patz & Hall, Miner Family Vineyards, Arcadian Winery, Pax Wine Cellars, and Bonny Doon Vineyards. We didn’t really do a great job of trying all the wines, but one we both liked was the Pinot Noir from Arcadian.

We also got to meet a bunch of the local food bloggers. It was a lot of fun being able to meet the people behind the blogs you read.

After all this sampling it was time to vote for our favorites. I went for Commonwealth and Carolyn went for Mio.

After a dramatic ceremony, they announced the winner…Vadalia! The samples we tried from Vadalia were good, I just wish we had gotten there earlier so we could have tried more!

Cochon 555 was a lot of fun. Having to pay full price to go would have been a little tough, since it is as much as a really nice meal. However if you think of it as getting to eat at 5 different restaurants all with great wine pairings, it is really pretty reasonable. All I know is that we spent 4 hours eating pork… really good pork!

EcoFriendly Foods provided all of the pigs and I will definitely be heading down to the Dupont Farmer’s Market next Sunday to buy some meat from them.

COCHON 555 – This should be a pork filled event this Sunday in DC. It is at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel. There will be 5 chefs cooking up 5 pigs in different ways, all vying for the title Prince of Pork. More information is available here, there is an additional event in San Fran, so check it out. It looks like you can get tickets for a little cheaper here.

The National Gallery of Art in DC is having a special exhibit on Spanish art…and they are having a special Spanish menu in their cafe that is prepared by Jose Andres. Since we are such huge fans of Jose Andres we are of course going to check it out. More information is available here.

Ever since our trip to Greece we have been big fans of Greek-style yogurt. And we have always been huge fans of gifts. So when Stonyfield Farms sent us coupons for free yogurt we were super excited. Instead of hoarding all this goodness, we thought it would be nice to share. Unfortunately we are not that nice and we are going to make you work for it…

Announcing Cookography’s first contest: The Great Greek Yogurt Haiku Contest!

Simply write a haiku about: Yogurt, Vermont (Stonyfield is in Vermont, and we love Vermont), and/or Greece (we also love Greece!) It has to be a proper haiku (5-7-5) and left as a comment to this post by May 31, Midnight EST. We will award the best entry a bunch of coupons for free yogurt, and we will give the runner-up just a couple.

You only have one week, so hurry!! If no one enters we have no problem keeping all the coupons for ourselves!

If you are scared that if you win you might end up with more yogurt than you know what to do with…don’t worry! While Greek yogurt tastes great eaten right from the container, it is also great for cooking. Use it instead of sour cream when making dips or on top of Greek Shrimp with Feta.

CORRECTION (In Haiku Form):

While Vermont is swell,

Stonyfield’s from New Hampshire

Both treat foodies well

Spike Mendelsohn, Season 4, and Carla Hall, Season 5, were cooking up a pork tortilla something in Adams Morgan on Saturday. We went down for the early demo at 10:30 am. Although we didn’t get seats under the tent, we had a good view from the side and were able to get some good photos. Even got autographs. Carla did most of the cooking, and Spike did the prep work.

Unfortunately, we did not get to try or witness the make-your-own smoothie by pedaling a bike.

PS – We stopped at McDonald’s for breakfast and to try the new McCafe. Ordered iced lattes, which took forever for them to make, and ended up being regular lattes, not iced. They tasted OK, but I think the Starbucks lattes are better. We have 2 coupons for free McCafe drinks, so we will give it another try, but based on this first experience, Starbucks has nothing to worry about!

Ga-wow, this is very amazing! I just found out that you can watch all of Season 1 of Made in Spain online. If you remember correctly we are slightly obsessed and own both Season 1 and 2. However, for anyone out there who has yet to watch, give it a try!

It is available on Hulu.com and you do not need an account to watch!

Watch

This year we decided to come up with a list of culinary resolutions. It is really a list of things we keep meaning to get around to, but need to publish the list to make sure we actually do.

Anyhow, I just wanted to do a quick update on how we are doing and an also update the list of our friends who came up with culinary resolutions of their own.

So far we have managed to make chicken piccata and a lot of soup (more posts to come!). We also made a wheat berry dish, so that is a good start for eating more grains. Of course we will keep at it though and, while we did finally make it to Mama Ayesha, we still have to visit more local restaurants.

A bunch of other local bloggers and friends also came up with resolutions. Check them out, maybe they will inspire you to take on some challenging dishes or try something new.

• Pete from Pete Bakes – I think I have to steal the item about visiting Thai X-ing. I am also jealous because his list got tons of comments! :)
• Clay and Zach from The Bitten Word – First off, I think they have a great concept for a blog. They also came up with great list and I am really hoping they live up to the Short Rib resolution because it is the perfect weather for them.
• Sarah from The District Domestic – Not only does Sarah have a great food website, but she also runs a custom stationary studio. One of the items she offers is a custom recipe box…very impressive!
• Shaw Girl – is another local blogger that came up with a list and it looks like she has already redesigned her blog!
• Katya from Second Dinner – Just posted her list, but it does seem impressive! Her baking is equally impressive.

FoodBuzz is an online social community of sorts for people who like food. There are recipes and restaurant reviews on their Web page. If you are a member of FoodBuzz, add Cookography as a friend. Right now we have 47 friends, which might be more than real life.

FoodBuzz also pays us a small amount of money for the ad you see on the right hand side. It is not a ton, but it adds up! I was just able to get a new camera (a Canon 50D) thanks to this extra cash. I will post a review of the camera in a little from the point of view of a food blogger.

FoodBuzz has also sent us a lot of cool things, and I thought it would be fun/dorky to get them all into one photo. So far I have gotten an apron, a silicon spatula and a canvas shopping bag. We love free things!

They have also started a program that lets you try out new products before they go to market. The first thing they sent out are new granola bars from Quaker Oats. They are called True Delights and come in 3 flavors:

• Dark chocolate raspberry almond
• Honey roasted cashew mixed berry
• Toasted coconut banana macadamia nut

So how are they, you ask? Well, the flavor names are REALLY long, but luckily they taste good. They are sort of like granola bars for adults. The banana one tastes really banana-y, but I love the Banana Bread flavored instant oatmeal so I am not complaining. They are a little bigger than standard bars, and come in at 140 calories. For me, that is the perfect size to fill me up as an afternoon snack. I don’t usually buy granola bars, but if I did, I think I would pick these up over a standard pack. They are a little more grown-up. You can get a free sample here.

The other big question is if giving out free things to bloggers is a good marketing move. I love free things, so of course I like it. Since I am not a journalist, I am not really concerned with objectivity. At the same time I don’t really have to worry about ad-sales or catchy headlines. I am very lazy, so if I actually manage to post on something it is because I actually like or dislike the product. It will be interesting to see what happens with this trend.

Last year we brought you The Best of Cookography 2007 and we wouldn’t let you down this year. Presenting: The Best of Cookography 2008! We have collected some of our favorite recipes from the last year and compiled them into a nice looking PDF. Print it out and add it to your cookbook shelf.

The Best of Cookography 2008

Web Version – 1.4mb

Print Version – 8.2mb

We have already professed our love of Jose Andres – his restaurants, his food, his TV show etc. Well, between our birthdays (November and January) and Christmas we’re pretty much set with Jose Andres paraphernalia.

Carolyn got the Made in Spain season 1 and 2 DVDs for her birthday from her brother. Then, we were watching Jose on the PBS telethon and got sucked in to giving $60, for which we received a deck of tapas recipe cards. It was wrapped up and put under the Christmas tree. Finally, Luke received the Made in Spain cookbook and 2 pounds of jamon serrano from La Tienda for his birthday. As Jose would say…Ga-wow! That is Amazing!

New favorite TV Show: Spain…on the Road Again. Watch Mario Batali, Gwyneth Paltrow and Mark Bittman bounce around Spain.

Made In Spain

Made in Spain Season 2

Made in Spain: Spanish Dishes for the American Kitchen

Spain… On The Road Again

Happy New Year! It is amazing that another year has come and gone. Carolyn and I had a lot of fun this past year and made a lot of tasty dishes. There are a lot of dishes, however, we wanted to try to make, but never got around to. To help make sure we branch out a little more this coming year we have come up with a new invention… Culinary Resolutions!

“Culinary Resolutions” is a list of all the recipes, restaurants and food we want to try or make more often. We will check in half way through the year to see how we are doing and of course report back at the year to see if we made it all the way through the list.

Culinary Resolutions ’09

• Bake a quiche
• Make Popovers that pop over, not under
• Eat more beans and whole grains
• Try making a souffle (They scare me!)
• Make more soup
• Pulled Pork
• Chicken Piccata
• Dishes with ricotta cheese
• Go to more of the restaurants in Adams Morgan (Mama Ayesha has been on our to do list for 2 years!)

UPDATED!!

I emailed around and got some other DC Food Bloggers to come up with lists of resolutions too. I have to be honest, my list doesn’t seem so ambitious in comparison. I think Carolyn and I will have to power through our list so we can take one some more challenges.

• Pete from Pete Bakes – I think I have to steal the item about visiting Thai X-ing. I am also jealous because his list got tons of comments! :)
• Clay and Zach from The Bitten Word – First off, I think they have a great concept for a blog. They also came up with great list and I am really hoping they live up to the Short Rib resolution because it is the perfect weather for them.
• Sarah from The District Domestic – Not only does Sarah have a great food website, but she also runs a custom stationary studio. One of the items she offers is a custom recipe box… very impressive!

What are your Culinary Resolutions for 2009? Leave them below in the comments section.

So, what were your favorite Cookography recipes from 2008? Look through the posts from this past year, and then nominate a few in the comments section of this post. Thanks for your help! – Luke & Carolyn

KitchenAid Pro 600 Mixer

This mixer is a machine. It has taken anything I threw at it and asked for more. I can double bread recipes without having to worry about killing the motor. It is big, heavy, and well made…and I like that. If you want a light weight, portable mixer, this is not the one for you. If you want a beast of a machine that can muscle through hard work, you can’t go wrong with this.

KitchenAid Pasta Rollers

Hand cranked pasta makers not only take a lot of work, but also take a bit of coordination. You have to crank the rollers, feed the dough and then catch the sheet of dough coming out. These rollers plug into your KitchenAid mixer and give you one less thing to do. This set makes it easy to throw together a batch of fresh pasta after work.

All Clad 12″ Fry Pan

This pan is as shiny as it is useful. Sauté and brown meats and veggies with the greatest of ease. Its three-ply construction helps distribute the heat, ensuring even cooking and preventing hot spots. Food can stick, which is a good thing. The little browned bits are full of flavor and are the beginning of a great sauce. Stainless steal also cleans up easily with a little Bar Keepers Friend.

Lodge 12″ Cast Iron Skillet

Cast Iron is the original non-stick pan. After a bit of use and a little butter, eggs will flip with the greatest of ease. This is a heavy pan–and that is a good thing. The heavier a pan is, the more heat it will hold and you want a lot of heat when you are trying to sear a steak. You can put a nice carmel crust on a steak and then throw the pan in the oven to finish it, without having to worry about damaging the pan. It also doubles as the perfect corn bread pan.

Le Crueset 7 1/4 Quart Dutch Oven

If you ever make soup, this dutch oven is a must have. It distributes heat so evenly that you can caramelize 4 pounds of onions without fear. It easily browns meat for the perfect stew. It is also oven proof and has a heavy lid, making it perfect for slowly braising a roast. The dutch oven is enameled allowing for easy clean-up.

Victorinox 8″ Chef’s Knife

There are more expensive, fancier knives out there, but this knife will keep working day in and day out and will not let you down. The blade stays sharp, the weight is well balanced and the handle is comfortable– what more could you want? Throw in the knife’s low price and this is a guaranteed winner.

J.K. Adams 12″ End Grain Cutting Board

End grain cutting boards are just easy to use. Unlike traditional wooden cutting boards where you are cutting into the wood grain, end grain cutting boards are arranged so that you are simply parting the wood grains. This helps cushion the blade, keeping it sharper and making it easier to mince and chop. Because of the orientation of the grain knife cut marks disappear.The 12″ square is perfect for vegetables and the larger 16″ board is great for prepping an entire meal. If you keep the board moisturized with mineral oil it will last forever.

Taylor Thermometer

The perfect roast and cup of coffee both depend on the correct temperature. This thermometer makes it easy to check both. It gives a reading pretty quickly and the digital display is easy to read. There are more expensive thermometers that give a quicker reading, but who wants to spend $100 on a thermometer?

Taylor Cooking Thermometer

It may seem silly to have two thermometers, but it is really helpful to have one thermometer to quickly probe a dish and another one designed to monitor a dish over time. This thermometer lets you stick the probe in a roast and then place the dish in the oven. You can set an alarm to notify you when dish has reached the correct temperature. This ensures you get the correct temperature without having to constantly open the oven to check, which helps keep the oven temperature stable.

Kyocera 9 Inch Ceramic Steel Sharpener

Even the best knives get dull with use and a dull knife is a dangerous thing. This ceramic steel helps sharpen and straighten the knife’s blade. It doesn’t replace a good sharpening, but it helps extend the amount of time you can go in between sharpenings.

OXO 1 1/2 Quart Pop Container

This is the perfect way to store a pound of coffee. It has a vacuum seal which keeps the coffee fresh and it is still easy to open and close. If you don’t keep coffee in an airtight container, it will quickly lose its flavor. If you are going to pay $10 for a pound of coffee, you should invest a little in keeping it fresh.

Breville Conical Burr Grinder

Blade coffee grinders work fine. Burr grinders work even better. The blade grinders chop the beans up instead of really grinding them. It is tough to get a consistent grind with them. Some pieces will end up being large chunks while other piece will be dust. Burr grinders, however, give you a consistent grind every time. A good grind equals good cup of coffee. A great cup of coffee can be a never ending quest, but a decent burr grinder is a sensible purchase.

Bodum 8 Cup French Press

A French press is an easy way to get a great cup of coffee. A good cup coffee depends on extracting all of the good flavors from the beans without getting a lot of the bad flavor. The press has a metal screen instead of a paper, so more of the oils from the beans stay in the coffee giving you even more flavor. Since it is so simple, it gives you a lot of control over the coffee you are brewing. With a French press you control the temperature of the water going in and the brewing time. Pour in some almost boiling water, wait four minutes and you got a good cuppa.

Emile Henry Provencal Mugs

A favorite coffee cup is a personal thing. These cups are our favorite. They hold enough coffee to let you make it through a couple sections of the paper before having to refill. The mugs are heavy enough to keep the coffee warm, without being too heavy to pickup with one hand.

Lamsonsharp Turner 3″ x 5″

If you bought that cast iron pan above that I recommended, you have to get this turner. I have always called these spatulas, but I guess the correct term is turner. Anyhow, the blade of the turner is flexible with a bit of spring, letting you get under an egg or pancake and flip it with the flick of the wrist. It is just the right size to get under a fried egg or hamburger, but not so big that it is awkward to maneuver inside a skillet.

OXO Flexible Turner

Sometimes you need to use a non-stick pan, but it is always fun to use a turner. This turner is almost as fun as the real thing and the blade has just the right amount of flex. It helps to get a little oil or butter on it before flipping to help get under things.

OXO Pastry Scraper

This is an all-around helpful gadget to have in the kitchen. It is a true multitasker. You can use it to scrape dried dough off the counter, but its usefulness doesn’t stop there. Use it to transfer chop herbs from the board into a bowl. Cut through through dough to divide it; it is non-stop fun.

Pot Scraper

The $2 pot scraper is the easiest and quickest way to degunk a pan. Burnt on little bits pry right off. It works great on cast iron pans where you want to avoid soap and is also safe on non-stick pans.

Silpat Non-Stick Silicone Baking Mat

Bake without the fear of stuck on cookies. This mat will save your pans, but still allow your food to become nicely browned. Sprinkle some shredded Parmesan cheese and bake to make nice little crisps. The cheese releases easily, making for a quick little treat.

Lemon Squeezer

I find squeezing limes or lemons with a regular juicer a pain. You have to pick all the seeds out to make sure they don’t escape into the juice. With a juicer like this, just half the lemon, place one half in the holder and squeeze away. The lemon squeezer also works fine on limes too. It will extract just about as much juice as reaming a lemon and is a ton easier to use and cleanup.

Vegetable Peeler

This is not one of those fancy ceramic, variable angle peelers, and it just works great. We have had ours for 4 years and it is still going strong. It has a little scoop for removing the eyes from potatoes and is very comfortable to use.

Nalgene 2 oz Jar

This little 2 oz jar is perfect for bring a small salad dressing to work or mustard for those slices of pork tender loin that you are reheating. The jars are very leak proof, so you can shake up your salad dressing without worrying about it spraying out and coating your desk.

Pastry Mat

This mat lets you roll out pizza dough or shape a bread loaf, without having to use as much flour. Less flour means that the dough will maintain its correct moisture levels. It is easy to clean up because you can just bring the whole mat over to the sink and wash everything off.

French Rolling Pin

A French style rolling pin is just a wooden cylinder with tapered ends. It is really easy to control and makes it easy to roll out dough to a consistent thickness. If you don’t have a rolling pin yet, the French style is great. It can’t hurt to play around with one in a cooking store before you buy though, just to make sure you like it before you commit.

Glass Mixing Bowls

You can never have too many mixing bowls. A set like this has a nice variety a of large bowls which are good for beating eggs or mixing dough and small bowls which are perfect for holding spice mixtures. There is also the Rachel Ray cooking trick of keeping a glass bowl on the counter to use a “trash” bowl. As much as a I hate Rachel Ray, this is still a great tip and yet another good use for these bowls.

Here is what was available:

• Arun’s Thai Resturant – Crab Cakes
• Eli’s Cheesecake – Cheesecake (I had the blood orange)
• Kasia’s Deli – Potato/Cheese and Chicken Pierogies
• Lou Malnati’s PIzzeria – Deep Dish PIzza
• Original Rainbow Cone – Ice cream cone
• Red Light – Spiced braised pork in scallion crepe with hoisin sauce and white truffle oil
• Robinson’s #1 Rib – Ribs!
• Spring – Fresh mozzarella arancini
• Table 52 – Hummingbird Cake
• Tizi Melloul – Spiced feta stuffed dates
• Frontera Grill – Cochinita Pibil
• Vienna Beef – Chicago-style Hotdogs

Everything was great…especially considering they probably had to fly in a lot of it, work in an improvised kitchen space and serve to about 2000+ people buffet style. The place was packed, but lines moved and we managed to get a lot of food. I am sure that no one went away hungry.

While everything was stellar one dish stood out, the Cochinita Pibil from Frontera Grill. Cochinita Pibil is slow cooked pork which they served on a soft tortilla with pickled onions and a Habanero Salsa. The salsa was spicy, but it was balanced by tang from the onions and the richness of the pork. Real Cochinita Pibil calls for roasting a whole suckling pig in a fire pit dug in the ground…quite the task! They were using an adaptation where pork shoulder is braised in banana leaves. The high acid of the marinade used and the long cooking time helped make the meat nice and tender.

Rick Bayless runs the Fontera Grill in Chicago and helped bring a great awareness to authentic Mexican cooking through his shows on PBS. Rick was there last night helping to plate. Had I been less of a wimp, I would have gone to talk with him. But I didn’t…so I don’t have any great quotes from him to add. This is also why I am not a reporter. I have done some investigative journalism though and I dug up some recipes that should let you recreate this dish at home. I will give them a try myself!

• Rick Bayless’s Recipe for Pit Roasting an entire suckling along with the recipes for making enough pickled onions and habanero salsa to feed 35 people. Clearly this needs to be downsized.
• This seems like a more reasonable recipe, calling for “only” 5 lbs of pork.
• Here is an adaptation of Rick Bayless’s recipe which brings it down to a more doable 3 lbs of pork. Looks good!
• Here is yet another version from Chow.

I will definitely give one of these recipes a try and report back!

Web Version – 1.4mb

Print Version – 6.2mb

Here are the recipes that made the cut for The Best of Cookopgrahy: 2007

• German Style, Soft Pretzels
• Pan Seared, Thick Cut Steak
• Heirloom Tomato Salsa
• Lamb Salad with Arugula and Gorgonzola
• Garlic, Rosemary Roast Leg of Lamb
• Tortilla Soup
• Lemon Parsley Risotto
• Overnight Yeast Pancakes!
• Spicy Green Bean Salad
• Key Lime Pie
• Lemon-Anise Biscotti