Friday, November 19, 2010

Stuffed potato fritter, papa rellena


papa rellena
Originally uploaded by EatingVideo
This is a modified recipe from my well worn Puerto Rican Cookery cookbook. My mother gifted me this book when I moved out of the house. She wrote some of her own recipes on the blank pages. So it's never going away.

papa rellena

I followed the recipe, but I think I used more flour than the recipe calls for, and I made the fritters pretty huge. Potato boiling, with added pumpkin...

papa rellena

Potato and pumpkin mashed, mixed with flour and stuffed with savory meat filling.

papa rellena

Then fried, they where very tasty.

papa rellena

Thursday, November 18, 2010

w00tstock 2.7


Poster battle
Originally uploaded by EatingVideo
This is a departure somewhat of where my blog has been headed for the last several years. Initially I imagined this would be more geek culture along with some food, but it has turned out to be way more food and cooking than gaming or geeking. So back to geeks and nerds. My daughter and I went to w00tstock 2.7 in NYC.

getting ready to go to w00tstock

Just the two of us traveled to NYC, we did stay with my brother and his wife, and invited them to join us at the show. For the uninitiated w00tstock is a celebration of all that is nerdy, geek and otherwise awesome. Giving credit that in the real world we (geeks and nerds) run shit.
Jonathan Coulton stood in for Will Wheaton as the host at this show...

Jonathan Coulton as wilw

But we also had Grant Imahara (from Myth busters)

Grant Imahara

As well as Adam Savage (also from Myth Busters)

Adam Savage

Most surprising and enjoyable was Marian Call

Marian Call at w00tstock 2.7 from Eugenio Monasterio on Vimeo.



MC Frontalot was there as well and rocked it out.

We got some photobombs with Coulton and Storm

Picture with Jonathan Coulton

and ultimately loved the show and total experience.

Achievement unlocked

Some nice daughter dad bonding.

Monday, November 15, 2010

Full Kee Dim Sum


Pork buns
Originally uploaded by EatingVideo
Took the boy for Dim Sum on Sunday, we had not been since our original trip. It really is a great place, busy varied dishes, pleasant staff and large family groups. We really should go more often.
This go around we had Duck on Rice

Duck on rice

Probably my favorite Lotus wrapped stuffed sticky rice

Lotus wrapped sticky rice

Shrimp is some sort of soggy tasty wrapper (don't think that is the official description)

Shrimp

and crispy shrimp rolls and stuffed pork buns

Pork buns

We ate as much as we really cared to everything delicious accompanied by some hot tea. Lots of fun and a nice finish to our culinary weekend.


Full Kee on Urbanspoon

Sunday, November 14, 2010

Secco Wine Bar


The boy
Originally uploaded by EatingVideo
The boy and I went out on Saturday and we chose Secco Wine Bar for dinner. We sat at the Bar as all the tables where taken and checked out the menu. We Started with a cheese plate with one cheese substituted with Jamon Iberico.

Cheese meat board

We chose one VA cheese, one VT. It is served with toasted bread some quince paste and some berry compote. We enjoyed it very much. We then selected 4 small plates which we both shared.
We ordered the octopus

Octopus

Which came with some potato and ink. Delicious.
Duck confit with pasta

Duck confit

Also very good, but not as lively a taste as the other plates.
Flamenquines, which are fried rolls of pork

Pork roll

excellent with the crispy potato strings
and pork rillete

Pork rillete

served with dehydrated apple crisps and mustard. (The boy referred to it as a jar of lard, but didn't stop him from voraciously eating his half)
For dessert whe shared the bread pudding and the chocolate ganache ribbon. Both excellent

ganache

Bread pudding

On the way back home we stopped in at One Eyed Jacques and bought a set of Zombie Dice, which we played a couple of rounds before bedtime. Great dinner and entertainment.


Secco Wine Bar on Urbanspoon

Saturday, November 13, 2010

Black sheep...Good God


Black sheep
Originally uploaded by EatingVideo
For the love of all that is holy, I went to lunch at The Black Sheep, got there right at 11:30 as we had tried to go the previous day at noon and found it packed to the brim. The menu is an awesome selection of dishes, from brunch to dinner. I decided on the CSS Virginia, fried chicken liver with cabbage, apple and green onion. The most amazing thing happened next... the waitress asked me if I wanted the full or half battleship, there where a couple of college students next to us eating what appeared to be a large battleship, so I went with large. The waitress took the order with no hesitation, no pause, no warning, no "are you a f*(!ng idiot."
I had my back to the kitchen so when the sandwich was delivered what I witnessed was my friends eyes narrow as he delivered a "F*(k yes, that's a sandwich" and the waitress dropped a cutting board with a whole freaking loaf of bread sandwich in front of me.

Black sheep

We were laughing as the restaurant turned to watch what dimwitted fool had ordered the enormous sandwich. It came with a knife so you can cut it. Which you have to, to adequately eat it.

Css virginia

The lack of warning aside, the sandwich was awesome, the remoulade slaw tasty, the chicken livers perfectly cooked. I managed to eat about half and took the other half home (which they wrapped up in butcher paper very neatly) and the boy finished it off for dinner that night.

Chicken liver and slaw

The boy wants his own visit so he can select a battleship, will go again, maybe brunch next time.


The Black Sheep on Urbanspoon

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Kenn-Tico Cuban Bar & Grill


Yuca
Originally uploaded by EatingVideo
My wife and I went to Kenn-Tico for lunch today. We had seen the write up in the RTD, and I've walked by the food cart at VCUHS many times noticing the cuban accent of the owners, so we decided to try it. My wife grew up in South Florida (Ft. Lauderdale) and loves cuban cuisine, and is something of a black bean connoisseur, so I was excited to have her try the food and tell me what she thought. We arrived at 11:30 and had the place to ourselves, but by 12:30 a nice crowd had filled the restaurant. There was only one server/waiter, which was fine when we were alone, but it took him a bit to get the check as he was much busier at the end, but he was not harried and was always pleasant.

We had a very hard time picking a dish to order as everything sounded appetizing, we decided finally on an appetizer of fried yuca with mojo dipping sauce to start. The yuca was very tasty my only complaint would be that it was cut rather generously, maybe smaller strips would be easier to handle but even as a handfull they were delicious.

Yuca

I ordered the chicken chunks (Chicharron de pollo)

Chicharron de pollo

My wife ordered the pork chop

Kenn-Tico

we both had white rice and black bean soup as sides (plenty of others to choose from!)

Frijoles

Both dishes were excellent, the beans where very good, not the best she has ever had, but some of the best she has had in Richmond. (she ordered a side of chopped raw onions to eat with the rice and beans, which was graciously provided)
I can't wait to go back with the kids as both of them would enjoy the varied accesible menu. Check it out.

http://www.kennticocubanbargrill.com/
204 E. Grace St.
Richmond VA 23219
804 225 9216


Kenn Tico Cuban Bar & Grill on Urbanspoon

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

La Quercia acorn edition ribs


The Racks
Originally uploaded by ericmonasterio
My brother was the recipient of the ribs of our La Quercia acorn edtion pig share. He went full acorn edition on it. Smoking the ribs with cherry wood and acorn shells.

The Racks

for six hours at under 275 deg

The Wood

It was to be served with jalapeno corn bread from their garden

Corn Bread

The final result moist, tasty with the fat full of acorn flavor

The Ribs