Blackacre Blowout!

by Erin and Xani



Last weekend we finally had our long-awaited Housewarming for Blackacre! Disguised as a Labor Day party, we were able to get lots of our friends and a few family (and near-family) members out to the shore to eat, drink, swim, and bask in the sun.

As is typical for the BCD family, we started planning this shindig weeks - nay, months? - before the big day. Of course the party had to be elaborately themed, and BCD Dad thought a South of France them would be most appropriate considering the surroundings. We did a lot of menu research and had several family conference calls (yes, seriously) to plan the party.

Finally, we decided on a menu:

• Chilled zucchini soup with arugula oil


• Gruyere and caramelized onion tart


• Mediterranean relish with pita chips


• Open faced ratatouille sandwiches


• Ham, gruyere, and apple sandwiches


• Watermelon and feta salad


• Green bean and tomato salad with herbs
  
• Fresh fruit


• Olives and cornichons
  

We had a great time putting this menu together and cooking everything throughout the weekend. Some of the recipes are old favorites (e.g., mediterranean relish, ham/gruyere/apple sandwich) while others were new for us. In either case, we did many, MANY calculations to determine how much of each dish we should make. We were expecting around 80 people for a lunchtime party, so we knew people were going to eat and drink a lot, we just weren't sure how much. Let's just say we spent a decent amount of time calculating how many ounces of watermelon we would get out of a 10lb watermelon for the watermelon/feta salad, and calculators and pi were involved. Mmm pi....

Once we had finally determined how much of each dish to make, we got to cookin'. Xani was in charge of the Gruyere and Caramelized Onion Tart. She is a master at making pie dough (just like our Grandma Irma!) and uses a special rolling out technique that gives the dough a puff pastry-like quality when baked. When paired with uber-caramelized onions, shredded gruyere, and a bit of dijon mustard, the tart was one of the major hits of the party! SO delicious with wonderfully strong flavors.

BCD Dad had the task of cararmelizing the onions until they were practically onion jam. Here is a photo montage:

Ta da!

Erin made the mediterranean relish (we calculated that we should make SEVEN times the recipe - we were a little conservative, meaning we ended up with mucho leftovers), a classic in our hors d'oeuvres arsenal. It was a hit, as usual!

BCD Mom was in charge of the chilled zucchini soup, which was surprisingly good considering it was VEGAN. We served the soup in little dixie cups so people could have a 1-2 sip serving, as opposed to serving the soup in bowls, and we kept the soup cold by putting the tray of cups in a hotel pan filled with ice. The system worked beautifully! We wanted to add a no-fuss garnish to the soup (meaning easy to be eaten in one sip), so we made an arugula oil to put on top via squeeze bottle. Normal! In addition, we made some delicious homemade croutons that guests could add if they wanted.

Zo much zucchini

The two sandwiches were hits as well. We wanted to serve a vegetarian "main dish" and ratatouille seemed like the perfect dish. Instead of making ratatouille sandwiches, which we feared would get soggy over time, we opted for an "open-face" format where we served toasted slices of baguette that had been drizzled with olive oil and salt and pepper, and guests could compose their own sandwiches. We were told that it was some of the best ratatouille our guests had ever had!

The ham and gruyere sandwich was a repeat from our Bastille Day party back in '05 (pre-blog!). The sandwich includes ham, sliced gruyere, and sliced golden delicious apples on baguette, with a sour cream-bleu cheese spread. A-mazing. Xani had the cute idea to leave the butcher paper on the outside of each sandwich, so it was like the sandwich was from a bistro!

Our two salads were delicious and refreshing. The green bean-tomato salad used lots of fresh herbs and a simple vinaigrette.

Xani made up the recipe for the watermelon-feta salad, which includes only 4 ingredients: watermelon, feta cheese, mint, and black pepper. Yum!

In addition to everything, we served a bowl of fresh stone fruit from Emily's, the farmstand down the road (and by "down the road," I mean 20 minutes away), a plate of olives and cornichon, and peanuts in the shell.

As for booze, we served a chilled Rosé (Costiére de Nimes), and we got a keg of Stella Artois. We also had the fixings for a campari cocktail (campari, soda, twist of lemon). Many drinks were drank :)

We did not do a dessert (except the fresh fruit) because we told our friends if they wanted to bring something, bring a dessert - and they did! We had many yummy desserts on hand from friends including Emily, who made raspberry and chocolate macarons from scratch!



As you can tell from the pictures, in addition to all the cooking we did, we also had red, white, and blue decorations, French music (including but not limited to Edith Piaf, Maurice Chevalier, Carla Bruni, Charles Trenet, and Brigitte Bardot) and we OF COURSE made signs for the party. Dad bought some plastic menu holders for us so we printed out the signs (in French and English) and then decorated with red and blue stickers of all shapes and sizes. We may or may not have spent half an hour looking for appropriate stickers in the craft store (esp. the sale bins - only one dollar!).

In addition to lots of eating and drinking, our friends and family enjoyed the pool, the kayak, a few friendly games of petanque (bocce ball), and many hours sitting by the Bay and enjoying the sunshine. What a great way to say goodbye to the summer! We're so glad so many of our friends could make it all the way out to Blackacre (and sorry to our guests who got caught in the Bridge traffic!) - thanks everyone!

Special thanks to Michael, Cookie, and Lynn, our helpers for the day - we couldn't have had such a successful, organized party without you! And of course, a million thanks to our wonderful parents who let us throw parties at their gorgeous home. Thanks Mom and Dad! We love you!!



So long summer,

E & X

Excuse us, We're PRESS

by Xani and Erin



Writing a food blog is a mixed bag. Sure, it's fun most of the time, getting comments from friends and strangers alike, feeling like you have special corner of the internet all to yourself, and having an excuse to check out that new recipe or restaurant ("we just HAVE to make croquembouche, for the BLOG!"). Sometimes its a bit of a chore, always worrying about how long its been since you posted, making sure you've got something interesting to blog about, getting nagging emails regarding lack of blogging from "fans" who clearly need more going on in their lives (you know who you are!). But one of the BEST things about being a blogger is getting a little extra-special treatment-- like when we were invited to a Press Dinner during the soft opening of Baltimore's newest restaurant, the B&O American Brasserie




The B&O American Brasserie is located in the brand-new, gorgeous Hotel Monaco Baltimore, which is situated in the landmark Baltimore and Ohio Railroad headquarters building, in downtown Baltimore (on Charles St. between Baltimore and Fayette Sts., for our local readers). EP and I jumped at the chance to check out this new restaurant which promised to fill a gap in Bmore dining-- downtown, delicious, and (slightly) upscale. Would the meal live up to our expectations??

Well, before we even had a bite of food, we fell in love with the look and feel of the B&O. As soon as you step in, you are greeted by a warm, inviting, but chic space. A friendly hostess led us through the lovely bar/lounge space (which includes a view of the open kitchen) and up the stairs to a very intimate yet spacious dining room. The tables are far enough apart to give each party plenty of privacy, and the high-backed booths add to that (plus they're comfy!).

Our helpful (and, as we would discover, hilarious) waiter came right over and presented us with the cocktail list. The hand-crafted cocktails are clever and tasty-- we enjoyed the Hobo’s Bourbon & Cola (Bulleit Bourbon & Housemade(!!) Cola), the Junction Berry Fizz (Plymouth Gin, Red Berry Syrup, Orange Flower Water, Lemon & Club Soda), and the Peach Julep (Makers Mark Bourbon, Peach Puree & Mint). Hey, we were thirsty! And they were all VERY good, fresh-tasting and not too sweet. B&O offers drink specials during their happy hour Monday-Friday from 4-7. We enjoyed some very good bread and soft butter with basil salt to soak up the cocktails.



Junction Berry Fizz



Peach Julip



Hobo's Bourbon & Cola -- we love hobos!

Then, onto the FOOD! The B&O dinner menu includes a variety of seafood, flatbreads, steaks and various other mains, including daily specials (known as "The Local"-- one of their cute railroad/train references that pop up here and there). But we started, of course, with starters...

We shared the Local Mixed Greens with Snap Peas, Radish & Citrus Walnut Vinaigrette, as well as a Crispy Pork Belly with Sweet Potato Mash and pickled onions on top (and other stuff that escapes me at the moment).

The salad was very fresh-tasting and the snap peas were nice and sweet. The pork belly was excellent - we saw it on the menu immediately and HAD to have it! While the cut of pork belly we got was -- I can't believe I'm going to say this -- a little too fatty (not enough meat), the flavors from the pork belly combined with the sweet potato worked beautifully, and the pickled onions cut through all the richness. A-mazing!



Mixed green salad with snap peas and walnuts



Pork belly with sweet potato puree

We ordered two mains to share (of course). First we got the special of the day: Buttermilk Fried Chicken atop mashed potatoes. The chicken was perfectly cooked - crunchy on the outside, juicy on the inside, lots and lots of flavor in the breading. The mashed potatoes were light and fluffy and when paired with the chicken, created a delicious bite that tasted like childhood.



We also got the Steak Frites, which was offered in a variety of cuts of meat, and we got the coulotte steak, also known as a top sirloin cap steak. The steak was served with delicious frites and -- this is the best part -- they came in a teeny tiny fry basket! So cute - I died. The steak had lots of flavor and our only criticism was that it was a little rare for us.




Tiny fry baskets make fries even more delicious

Then it was time for dessert! Adorably, the dessert menu was called "The Last Stop," keeping with the train theme. When we asked our waiter which desserts he recommended, he suggested the Strawberry-Rhubarb Cobbler with whipped creme fraiche before I could even get the question out. So, we obviously ordered that. We also ordered The "Wicked Pissa" Cupcake.





Strawberry-Rhubarb Cobbler



Cupcakes!

The cobbler was very good - you could really taste both fruits distinctly: the tartness of the rhubarb and the sweetness of the strawberries. We loved the crumbly top and whipped creme fraiche. The cupcakes were very good as well - they were pretty dense and chocolatey, so therefore more like brownies than cupcakes, but still very delicious.

After our awesome meal, we got a sample of the basil salt we had with our bread and butter to take home and a little note from the chef. So cool!



We then left the restaurant and explored the new hotel a bit. We went upstairs to the "Living Room" which is the concierge level for hotel guests. We were both FLOORED by this room - it was so beautifully decorated with warm tones and funky patterns, super-cool furniture and an entire mirrored wall in the middle of the room with a double-sided fireplace. The flower arrangements included birds-of-paradise flowers and artichokes. We could have stayed there all night! They have a wine hour from 5-6 during weekdays and we may be visiting very soon.

We had such a good time at the B&O American Brasserie and we will definitely be back for dinner or perhaps drinks and snacks in their chic and cozy bar area. We encourage out of towners (or Baltimore folks!) to stay the hotel - it looks beautiful and one of the amenities is a "companion goldfish." What could be better?

Thanks to Amy for the invitation - it was lovely to meet you! We hope to see you again soon.

In short, it's good to be a blogger. :)

X & EP

Andy Nelson, We Love You

by Erin & Xani

Last week Xani and I found ourselves outside the city in Baltimore County (gasp! the horror!) and we were HUNGRY. Our first thought was to hit up our beloved Suburban House, home of some of the best latkes in Maryland and site of Xani's law school graduation lunch, but then we remembered that it recently burned down! The Jewish restaurant community took a big hit. But we hear they are rebuilding and we will be back.

Instead, we went to legendary BBQ joint, Andy Nelson's Barbeque, where Xani had been before but Erin had only heard about. We were excited, to say the least.


The restaurant is unremarkable from the outside but inside it is homey and comfortable. There are also picnic tables outside but we were in the mood for air conditioning so we stayed inside.

Now let's get down to what really matters: the food. We ordered one of their platters to share. The platter came with a half-slab of ribs, two other meats, two sides, and corn bread. For the other meats we ordered pulled pork BBQ and smokehouse beef brisket. For our sides, we went traditional and got the cole slaw and red-skin potato salad. On our ribs, the cashier asked us if we wanted the ribs "Memphis dry" (with a dry rub) or "wet" (with BBQ sauce) - we went with the dry rub.



The food was outstanding. We hesitate to say it was the best BBQ we've ever had since we've been down south and had great BBQ (e.g., when EP went down to NC for some serious Carolina-style BBQ and hushpuppies at Wilbur's BBQ), but we'll go ahead and say it was the best BBQ in Maryland.

The pulled pork was pretty vinegar-y (aka awesome) and had lots of flavor. We think it would be best on a sandwich, versus just on a plate like we had it, since it was chopped, rather than shredded.

The brisket was SO good - it was very tender and fatty and sliced really thin, almost like pit beef. They had a couple types of BBQ sauce available and they were excellent on the brisket.

The best meat, however, was the ribs. I don't know if its just that we hadn't had ribs in a long time or what, but we were DYING over them! The rub was super-flavorful, and the ribs were juicy and fatty, but amazingly not too greasy. We devoured them.





As for the sides, the potato salad was really good, very down-home. The cole slaw had a lot of flavor from the celery seeds, but it needed salt and sugar. Ah well - I guess not everything can be absolutely fabulous!

The corn bread was also very good - crunchy on the outside (and it was a pretty thin piece, so it was mostly "outside") with bits of corn running throughout the bread. I only wish we had had more than one piece.



Think we liked it?

We finished everything and to be honest, we haven't stopped thinking about that meal. We will definitely be going back in the very near future - maybe when it cools off a little so we can eat outside without sweating to death? Yeah, that sounds good.

Happy lip-smacking BBQ!

E & X

Celebrations at Brasserie Beck

by Erin



At the beginning of the summer I got together with my college friends in DC to celebrate my graduation and BFF Rachel's birthday. I got to pick the restaurant (I have such cooperative friends!) and I had one goal in mind: mussels. I was on the hunt for the best mussels in DC. After researching on Chowhound and getting the scoop from my DC peeps, we decided on Brasserie Beck, a Belgian brasserie on K Street with supposedly some of the best moules frites (mussels and fries) in the district.




Rachel and I arrived at the restaurant before the others so we had a chance to scope out the space, which was bright and airy - very tall ceilings and a cool bar, if I recall correctly (remember: I was there 3 months ago!). They have a ridiculously large selection of Belgian beers and the bartenders and waitstaff are all very knowledgeable about the beers and which beers go with which foods. I was very impressed!

The rest of our party arrived and we were seated in an area that was semi-closed off and was much quieter than the rest of the dining area - which I LOVED because everyone could hear each other! The rest of the dining area had the high ceilings I mentioned and therefore it was pretty loud and echo-y, so I was glad we were in the semi-separate room so we could all catch up more easily.

We started the evening off with - of course - champagne! What celebration is complete without a little bubbly?



Then we ordered a few starters, including a Napoleon of Vine Ripe Tomato with goat cheese and scallion balsamic dressing and a delicious crisp piece of bacon, and a dozen assorted oysters of all different shapes and sizes, with traditional accoutrements (lemon, cocktail sauce, mignonette sauce).



Napoleon of Tomato (mysteriously missing the bacon...someone must have snatched it!)





The Napoleon of Tomato was really good and I liked that they used goat cheese instead of the traditional fresh mozzarella - an interesting and yummy twist on a classic. The oysters were, of course, delicious and fresh. There were 3-4 different kinds so you could really compare and contrast the sizes and saltiness of each - awesome.

The most interesting starter was one of the specials of the day: a house-made duck sausage with dried fruit, served atop sauteed fennel (I think) with a delicious sauce - we ordered two of these for the table since almost everyone wanted to try it!



We also ordered some of their excellent frites as a starter, but our waiter forgot about them until after the first course, so to make up for it, he brought us two orders! He was so good to us :) The frites were served with a trio of mayonnaises: plain, curry, and chipotle. The fries were hot and crispy, freshly made, and so delicious. The mayonnaises were excellent as well and we could not stop eating them!



Then onto the mains: I, of course, wanted mussels. They had several preparations that day, and I chose the mussels cooked with chorizo and fennel. Others got mussels as well (a different preparation with roasted whole cherry tomatoes, basil, and rocket), and some of the others got fish dishes.



My mussels with chorizo and fennel

Everyone reported that their dishes were awesome, and I concurred! The mussels were so flavorful and very hearty with the braised fennel and spicy and fatty chorizo. The portion was HUGE and I could only eat about 1/3 of my little mussel friends - note to self: share next time! (My one criticism of the mussels was that they do a table-side, simultaneous "reveal" of the mussels where waiters remove the lid on the pan in which they are served. During this "show," some of the hot water from the lid burned my arm! Granted, I'm used to slight burns from all my cooking experiences, but it was still unpleasant and I would prefer that they just take the lid off in the kitchen...) Those of us who got the mussels got more frites with our meal, which we shared with the table - they were awesome, as discussed above.

After dinner, our waiter (who was sweet on Rachel) insisted that we get dessert and brought us his two favorite desserts, in addition to a taste of a delicious sweet Belgian beer.





Cheers to Rachel's birthday and my graduation!

The desserts were a Gateau of Chocolate and a Pear Tarte Tatin with creme fraiche ice cream - YUM. These were excellent and Rachel got a nice surprise candle to blow out! My favorite was definitely the tarte tatin - reminded me of when we made it ourselves (with apples) for Thanksgiving last year.





We had lots of Belgian beers along with our meal, and our waiter was very helpful in helping us pick appropriate ones. While I can't remember what I had (helpful, I know), I do recall them being really good and also that each beer came with a special glass - we were highly entertained by this.

I would most definitely go back to Brasserie Beck for more mussels, more beer, and more fries. I had an amazing time with my friends - we were so rowdy! - and I thank them so much for taking me out to celebrate! I can't wait to do it again soon.





Happy mussels and fries -

EP