Grilled meats in India

Tandoori Shikhari Tangdi, Khiva, Pune. 

Among my favorite South Asian delicacies are the grilled meats. Kebabs or Tandoori chicken (and other variants of fish or lamb) are meats marinated with a special marinade (yogurt mixed with spices) for hours and then grilled in a clay oven. Kebabs may consist of whole or ground meat.

You will find variations of these preparations in several South Asian or Middle Eastern cuisines including Pakistani, Afghani, Indian, or Turkish among others.

Kebab Platter, Mehak Tandoor Works, Goa. 

During my recent trip to India, I tried several versions of Tandoori chicken and kebabs in several restaurants. In my opinion, restaurants generally do a better job with it mainly due to access to a large clay oven which makes preparation easier than at home.

It is protein rich. Those not very fond of spicy food can enjoy the subtlety of spices in this grilled version more than in the curry. Sometimes, depending on the cuisine, you can combine the meal with a side of bread (naan) or just a salad. Veggie lovers are also presented with several vegetables grilled in a similar fashion which use the same marinades. 

Pizza - the comfort food

House special at Crust, Vienna

Pizza is a comfort food for people around the world. I have had the opportunity to try various kinds of pizza. Here are some of my favorites.

Lostdogcafe, Arlington VA
A local chain restaurant in Northern Virginia offers several gourmet pizzas. My favorite is the big red pie, wheat crust topped with marinara sauce, fresh mozzarella and fresh basil.

Pupatella, Arlington, VA
Another local favorite, offering Neapolitan pizzas.

Italian Store, Arlington VA
If you are in mood to try the New York Style thin crust pizza made of fresh dough, this is must-try. Reasonably priced, has several locations in Northern Virginia.

Crust, Vienna, VA
Another local chain offering some great Neapolitan wood-fired fresh pizza in Vienna. Nice ambiance, also sells wine and beer.

Varasanos Pizzeria, Atlanta, GA
Tried their house special thin-crust New York style pizza with mozzarella & san marzano tomato sauce with a secret blend of herbs. It was delicious albeit pricey.

Brixx, Santiago, Dominican Republic
I have not eaten a better pizza than the white pizza (sans marinara sauce) at Brixx (a chain restaurant, also in the United States) in Santiago, DR. A bit rich but unforgettable. 

My recent seafood picks

Octopus at Avalon Grille

Growing up in Goa, I've always considered seafood a delicacy. Given this, it is no surprise that I have taken the opportunity to try several local variants of seafood over the past few months.

At the Catalina Island, an hour-long ferry ride from Los Angeles, I tried grilled octopus (served with vegetable ragout) at Avalon Grille. It was well cooked and presented, albeit a bit pricey.

Smoked Salmon pizza at Spago

In a small town of Columbus, Mississippi, I tried several variants of catfish, a southern staple. Farm-raised locally, it was always delicious, whether fried or served in a Thai curry. Finally, during a recent trip to downtown Atlanta, Georgia, I enjoyed a whole red snapper at Southern Elements.

I have developed a taste for smoked salmon thanks to a smoked salmon pizza I tried at Wolfgang Puck's Spago in Vegas. Simple, filling and delicious if you can handle smoked fish.

Specialty ethnic food retailers in Northern Virginia

Amity, Meat and Grocery

Fresh olives at Amity

Turkish
10372, Lee Highway, Fairfax, VA 22030
Located in Fairfax, Amity sells Halal meats and Turkish specialties. Their breads, feta cheese and baklava is mouth-watering! Their olives are also very good. 

European Foods, Portuguese, Brazilian and Spanish
2700 Pershing Drive, Arlington, VA 22216
Located in Arlington, European Foods sells some of the finest Portuguese, Brazilian and Spanish specialties. If you are fond of freshly baked bread and choriso (sausages), it is a must-go. They also have a variety of imported wines and fresh olives. A bit pricey. 

Italian Store, Italian
It has several stores in Northern Virginia. Slightly pricey but worth it. They have some of the finesh imported pastas, freshly made pasta sauces, a selection of cheeses and wines.

Russian Gourmet, Eastern European
Has several locations in Northern Virginia
Offers great cakes, russian salads, and other gourmet food. Pricey but good quality. 

Patel Brothers, South Asian
11116, Lee Highway, Fairfax, VA
Offers a range of South-Asian foods - spices, lentils, and fresh vegetables. Their strength is their fast food- samosas, vada pao are available at the counter. They also have several frozen meals that are worth trying. 

Babylon Market, Mediterranean
1044, W Broad St, Falls Church, VA 22046
Located in Falls Church, this store has a variety of Middle Eastern food (dates, dry fruits, honey, Tahini, and grape leaves) as well as fresh meats including goat and beef. It has a wide range of prepared frozen foods including kubba (meat pies) and an aisle of Iraqi staples. 

Specialty Market, Peruvian
2190, Pimmit Drive, Falls Church, VA 22043
Located in Falls Church, this place offers a variety of Latin American food, veggies (great avocados), seafood and meats. They also have some delicious home-cooked tamales at their counter that you might want to try. 

Buen Nao, Vietnamese (near Bestway Supermarket on Route 50)
This small grocery stores sells a variety of Vietnamese staples. Freshly shredded papaya (great for salads), pickles, sauces for pho, duck eggs, kim chee and veggies. It also has a section of meats that includes duck and shrimp balls). 

Lotte Plaza, Korean
It has several stores in Northern Virginia. Known for its fresh vegetables, meats and seafoods. If you are fond of sweets, try their Shila Bakery. They have some great cakes. It also has a decent sushi bar. 

Romanian Food Festival

Lime cake

Romanian Food Festival, 2017.
Potamac, Maryland.

We recently attended the Romanian Food Festival in Potomac, Maryland.

It was my first exposure to Romanian food. It was very simple, closest to home-cooked food. We tried their vegetables and pork stuffed cabbage rolls, polenta (boiled corn meal), grilled chicken and home-made stuffed pork sausages.

A bit bland for my palate but edible for sure. My favorite were the desserts. We tried a moist lime cake stuffed with cream and baklava. Unlike most desserts, these flavors were very subtle.

The Brewery Fare in Northern Virginia

Egg rolls and fish sliders

Unlike wineries which typically have a food menu limited to breads and cheese, the menus at breweries tend to offer more variety. This diversity was on display when I visited two breweries in Northern Virginia.

Gordonbiersch, located in Tyson's Corner, despite being located in mall (which always sets off my culinary alarm bells), has pretty good food. We have been here several times and have never been disappointed. For appetizers, we have tried their garlic fries, southwest egg rolls, beer-battered fish sliders and they have all been very flavorful and delicious. A variety of entrees are also available, among which we have tried their fish tacos, and cheese burgers. Slightly pricey for their organic produce, but completely worth it. You will not be disappointed.

Pate with spent grain crackers

Caboose Brewing Company is located along a biking trail in Vienna, Virginia. Without claiming to be an expert on the beers they served, as far as the food was concerned, we liked it. We went there in the afternoon, the time when they don't serve their entrees, but we got a chance to try a few of their appetizers. The menu was rather short and most of the items that were there seemed slightly over-priced, though not to the degree that it should deter those who are interested in the somewhat elevated combination of crackers and pates on offer.  The hand-cut potato frites, Pennsylvania duck liver pate, and salmon pate were both served with spent grain crackers, were very good. And of course there is plenty of beer to wash all of the food down. 

The food truck season

Crab wontons 

Spring and summer is the time to enjoy road side food. We had the opportunity to do just this when we attended the Bull Run Food Festival in Northern Virginia.

While we sampled a variety of wines from different wineries in the region, we quickly gravitated towards the food trucks camped on the hill overlooking the festival. The cuisines on offer included Puerto Rican, Greek, Vietnamese, Venezuelan, Cajun, and southern American.

Borinquen's lunch box offered traditional Puerto Rican cuisine. We tried their chicken empanadas and were delighted. They represented a steal at a price of 4 dollars a piece and were, as far as i could tell, authentic.

Arepasone specialized in Venezuelan. We ordered the arepas - grilled crunchy corn patties made of corn and stuffed with chicken salad, shredded cheddar and avacados. At Deliciousdisheva, we tried the crab wontons made in a American Asian fusion style. We washed all of this down with Wildbills olde fashioned soda pop Co., which offered endless refills of root beer, vanilla soda. All are recommended if you are looking for an inexpensive, but flavorful option for your lunch hour meal.

Good food + Good company = Cookology

A representative scene

If you are interested in learning to cook, but have limited experience and worry that time spent gaining the necessary culinary skills is time away from your loved one, Cookology might be the place to start.

Cookology is a culinary recreational school in Northern Virginia. The instructor provides a menu for the night as well as all the ncessary ingredients. Step-by-step instructions on everything from how to hold the knife to how one should marinate meats are provided. In addition to getting exposed to ethnic cuisines such as Indian, French, Ethiopian, or Japanese, Cookology also allows participants to engage in other culinary activities such as baking, knife skills for sushi, or making your own sauces.

I went for a cook-out session on a Saturday night. The theme was Asian fusion. The instructor was not only knowledgeable but also friendly. He instructed a group of 16 people, most of whom came as a part of a couple.

We cooked three dishes: a salad, beef tacos, and chicken quesadillas. The mexican specialties dominated by adobo and chilli sauces and blended with Asian spices and sauces specifically soya sauce, and sesame oil. The instructor was kind enough to substitute beef with chicken at my request.

The session lasted for two hours: the first hour was devoted to preparing all the ingredients, marinating the meats while the remaining time was used to cook and enjoy the resulting meal. The meats were marinated with the sauces, a lot of lime, garlic, ginger powder, sesame oil, honey and green onions. The participants along with the instructor grilled their meat. Once the meat was ready, the quesadillas were layered with cooked diced chicken, and shredded cheese. They were folded to be baked in the oven until the cheese melted. It went well with the veggies.

The mixture prepared for the chicken (or beef) tacos was comprised of similar ingredients. Diced pears were added to the taco. However, although the strong taste of raw adobo sauce dominated, on the whole the dish worked. The meal paired with a glass of wine of the participant's choice.

I initially thought a meal for one at $65 dollars was a bit pricey given that you can obtain most recipes on the Internet. But the experience of cooking with people gave the class added value. I would definitely recommend it to more social foodies.