Before The Food Network was THE Food Network, I was fairly obsessed with Paula Deen. She was so full of life -- and seemingly made every dish with about twelve sticks of butter! -- and that draaaaaaawl made you just want to cuddle up to her stove so she could chat you up while making the best dishes around town.
I envisioned myself as the Asian Paula, but I wasn't disciplined enough to pull my own Juli & Julia, i.e. Sery making a Paula Deen receipe a day for a year. I mean, I guess I still could, but a new Paula receipe a day would turn me into the fattest Asian girl around.
Mostly though I just like to go out to eat. I enjoy trying new meals (within reason), in a beautiful atmosphere, with excellent service and no dishes to wash. Very rarely do I even try to cook at home with non-frozen, non-pre-packaged, non-microwaveable items!
Isn't it odd that being a "Frugal Foodie" today involves the choice between cooking at home instead of going out. How much the culture has changed where you think going out to eat everyday is normal whereas staying at home and cooking something is unusual.
When I do cook at home, I eat the most random food. Today I had some banana bread I made. The best banana bread receipe you will find is from Chef Joanne Chang of Flour Bakery in Boston. It's called "Flour's Famous Banana Bread," and the ingredients cost me about $10 dollars to buy. I'm telling you, it is impossible to mess this up. I have never followed the receipe exactly and it still comes out right. Astonishing. Something to think about.
Bread and ice cream for dinner. Don't tell my mom or my doctor. They would be horrified with my bad eatings habits, but I never skip dessert no matter what I eat. Habitual sweet tooth. (Insatiable really.) My latest obsession is the best gelatto in the metroplex: Buccato in Clarendon, on Wilson Boulevard, across the street from Whole Foods. It's a cash only establishment in an ugly strip of stores. Ignore the exterior although the prices may get your attention. One scoop is $3.50. You'll probably think it a rip-off because the serving size is so small; however, the taste is exquisite and so lush you savor each tiny morsel -- to the point where you are, in fact, full. More scoops are available for an additional dollar a scoop yet it feels gluttonous because, again, the fullness of the flavor. I like the "Lucuma."
Tomorrow there aren't any real cheap foodie specials, but if you can stand the "important people" crowd there are free drinks and treats at Urban Chic is Georgetown. Not really a food specific event but there are free treats (probably crackers for the starving waifs who can fit into the trendy clothes) and free champagne.
Personally, I'm going to delve into D.C.'s weirdly hot burger scene. There's burger wars, burger bracket-ology like it was March Madness or something, and even entire blogs devoted to the perfect burger. I shouldn't complain because there are a lot of good ones out there here in D.C. Try Big Buns in Arlington. Excellent sweet potato fries and a beautifully dense burger. The width of those things has to be a solid 3 1/2 inches across and maybe 2 inches deep. The price tag for the burger is a solid $7-ish, but I don't remember (bad blogger I know). I was just really full and only ordered a basket of their Sweet Potato Fries. For $2.95 it was a steal. Definately gives Ray's Hell Burger a run for the money -- without all those darn long lines caused by Obama and Biden's visit!
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