Tuna cutlets

Ingredients
1/2 diced large red onion
1 diced tomato
2 cans of albacore white tuna
4 small red potatoes
1/2 of cauliflower head (Other veggies you may add: carrots, brocolli)
1/2 cup tomato puree
1 tablespoon ginger, garlic, green chilies paste (4 pods of garlic/1 large piece of ginger, 3 chilies)
2 teaspoons chili, turmeric, coriander, cumin powders
3 teaspoons garam masala
1/2 lime
coriander leaves
Salt and pepper to taste

Step 1: Saute the onion, tomatoes and ground garlic/ginger paste in oil. Add tomato puree and let it cook.

Step 2: Add the tuna along with the spices and let it cook.

Step 3: Pressure cook the veggies separately and mash them.

Step 4: Add them to the tuna mixture. Sprinkle some lime, add garam masala and coriander to suit your taste. Add salt/pepper.

Step 5: Make small balls and shallow fry them. Serve hot.

The seafood scene in New Orleans

Shrimp po-boy

Our recent trip to New Orleans was all about the seafood scene.

I tried several restaurants' take on a local favorite -the po-boy sandwich (a french baguette stuffed with fried seafood of your choice including shrimp, oysters or fish along with fresh veggies/mayo/remoulade). Nola poboys relatively non-pretentious version of the po-boy was my favorite and would make a great lunch or an evening snack.

Raw oysters at Acme Oyster House

Oysters came in different forms - raw, fried and char-grilled ((grilled with a lot of garlic sauce and parmesan). My favorite were the raw oysters on offer at the famous Acme oyster house.

Crawfish was another common ingredient in a lot of dishes served in restaurants. Of the multiple crawfish-based dishes that I tried, my favorite was a crawfish hash from Nottoway plantation, an antebellum-ear plantation about at an hour's drive from the city.

I also tried an omelette at the Beignet Cafe in the French quarter and thought it was alright. Crawfish ettoufet (crawfish tails cooked in a broth and served with rice) is another popular dish. Our experience at the New orleans creole cookery, where we tried the ettoufet was awful. But I would definitely try it again at another place.

Flounder at Atchafalaya

We had a fine dining experience at a couple of restaurants in town. One was the famous Commanders palace in the heart of the city. At Commanders Palace, we tried their shrimp and quail for lunch. Food was very delicious, although I thought their portions were small for the price. I was also not a big fan of its ambiance. Felt like a tourist trap.

On the contrary, Atchafalaya, a quaint little restaurant, was clearly a winner in terms of food and ambiance. Our meal included corn bread with jalapenos and olives, mussels in garlic sauce and fries for an appetizer, their special flounder. Absolutely nothing that I could complain about. Perfectly seasoned and cooked to perfection, it offered the most memorable food in the city.

Un tour de la comida de Santiago

Sea bass with bean rice

I had the good fortune to visit the Dominican Republic earlier this month. I spent a week in Santiago, located in the north of the country and experienced its local cuisine.

The food was  similar to that which I experienced  in my trips to Spain, Latin America and Africa, a reflection of the larger influence of Hispanic and African culture on the island. I tried variants of the Panamanian Sancocho (sancocho), mashed/fried African plantains (tostones and Mofongo), Peruvian roast chicken (el pollo), Mexican beans with rice (Habichuelas Rojas) and Spanish croquetas (Croquettas de pollo). I tried the lunch buffet at  Rancho Chito, and came out very delighted. The food had a lot of flavor (not heavily spiced) and was very reasonably-priced.

Roast chicken with beans

In terms of the ethnic dining options, there were not many options. However, I visited an American pizza chain (Brixx) for the first time and will fondly remember its white sauce pizza. An Italian restaurant that we visited, called RistorArte was my favorite of the trip. The pastas, risottos, and a cheese fondue we tried for an an appetizer were outstanding and very reasonably-priced. Though I did not get to visit a Chinese restaurant , Santiago's Chinese establishments (El pez dorado) have a good reputation.

All in all, I got to try some good, simple food, but I will admit that the seafood (I saw a lot of sea bass on their menus) did not meet my expectations. I was expecting fresher seafood given the country's location on an island, but came away a bit disappointed.

Peking Gourmet Inn

Firecracker jumbo shrimp

Peking Gourmet Inn
6029, Lessburg Pike,
Falls Church, VA
22041

We had a particularly memorable meal at this upscale Chinese restaurant in Falls Church. Great food, a busy dining ambiance, friendly service and fairly reasonably-priced.

Garlic sprouts stir-fried with chicken

We tried two of their specialties - firecracker jumbo shrimp with green and red chilies (slightly pricey @ $43) was very flavorful and delicious (and worth the price). Not very spicy and a little dry. So if you are looking to have it with rice, you should combine it with a spicy sauce on the side. We had it with some schezwan sauce on the side.

Another of their house specialties is the garlic sprouts stir-fried served with a meat of your choice. We had it with chicken. Flavorful enough to be enjoyed with rice.

Another dish for which the restaurant is known is the Peking duck - a whole duck is carved at the table (served with sauces). It was delicious. Portions were large enough to be shared by larger groups and so might be a good idea to go when you have company.

Spinach and cheese pie

Ingredients

1 1/2 bags of spinach (170 gms per bag)
1 cup grated cottage cheese (you can also use ricotta cheese)
1 1/2 cups grated feta cheese
2 eggs
1/2 red onion
1/2 tomato
3 large shrimps (optional)
3 garlic pods
1/2 teaspoon chilli, coriander, turmeric powders (optional)
Olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
A few stalks of cilantro (coriander leaves)
6 sheets of phyllo dough (I bought the ready-made phyllo dough from Trader Joes).

Step 1: Saute diced onion, tomato, minced garlic and finely cut shrimp in olive oil with the spices until cooked.

Step 2: Add the finely chopped spinach and let it cook. Once its cooked, add the cilantro keep it aside. Add salt and pepper to suit your taste.

Step 3: In a separate bowl, mix the eggs, with the cottage cheese and feta cheese.

 Step 4: Mix the two mixtures.

Step 5: In a baking pan,  brush each of three phyllo sheet with olive oil and set them on top of each other. Add the mixture, and add another three phyllo sheets on top and bake it at 350F for 40 minutes.

Step 6: Serve hot.

American Italian fare in Atlantic city

Cheese Ravioli

Atlantic City, best known as a destination for gambling aficionados, also boasts of a rich Italian heritage.

Although American Italian food is not at all a rare find in today's America, our visits to two of these Italian restaurants will remain fond memories.

Spinach, olives and chicken pizza

One was the old-school, non-pretentious deli Tony's Baltimore Grill. We tried their made-to-order pizza.  This dish is memorable for its combination of high quality and reasonable price (10" pizza for around 10 dollars).

Shrimp pasta

On the drive out of town we stopped by Angelos fairmount tavern, a family-run cosy restaurant in the heart of the city. We tried their steamed mussels in a house-made diavlo, some very freshly baked sesame bread (that was apparently supplied by the next door bakery), goat cheese ravioli, and a fried shrimp pasta with lots of (house-made?) marinara sauce. It had nice ambiance and is apparently a local favorite.

Another restaurant that we had heard great  things about was Chef Volas but could not get a reservation on short notice. If you plan to visit it, remember to reserve a table in advance.

All in all, great food! I would definitely visit Atlantic City again if I were in the mood for Italian American.

Dining at the harbor

Egg  Benedict

This summer, we had the opportunity to dine at a couple of restaurants serving American Southern cuisine. Two features these restaurants share are the fresh seafood and high cost, the latter reflecting the price of decent ambiance.

The first was a visit to Edward Lee's Succotash at the DC's National Harbor. Here, we tried their house specialties including the fried oyster rich po-boy (with trout caviar) for an appetizer, dirty fried chicken, and crispy catfish for entrees along with the recommended Succotash curry.

Fried oyster rich po-boy

The food was edible if bland. I would probably not go again, especially given the small portions.

The other restaurant was Home maid, located on the Baltimore Harbor. We sampled the breakfast/brunch menu, specifically the waffles with chicken and the eggs benedict. Both dishes were served with a side of sweet potatoes with a dash of maple syrup - a bit too sweet for my taste. The food was good. The crab meat in particular was delicious. I still did not think it was worth the wait or the price. However, the ambiance was nice.