Chap's Pit Beef

On a stretch of industrial highway, specifically Pulaski Highway, in Baltimore, sits a bastion of beef.  A mecca of meat.  Absolute deliciousness covered in Tiger sauce.  Its building is also shares a parking lot with a large--ahem--gentlemen's club.

The neighborhood is sparse and industrial. There isn't much around in the way of convenience, but the trip to Chaps is worth it.  The menu is very large, with a variety of offerings.  We got there around 7 pm on Saturday evening, and the line to order was long.  The dining room at Chaps is pretty small and utilitarian. There is an outdoor area with tables accessible through the dining room.
The sandwiches are delicious.  We ordered a cheeseburger for Ryan.  Ryan is a picky eater, but he usually enjoys a good cheeseburger.  The cheeseburgers here are enormous and tasty.

Chaps' 1/2 pound cheeseburger

The cheeseburger is half a pound, all yours for only $6.10.  Not surprisingly, Ryan only finished half of the cheeseburger.  He happily ate the other half the next day.
David ordered his favorite sandwich, The Raven.  It's a sub roll, filled, stuffed, with sliced pit beef, turkey, and corned beef, with or without cheese.  David loves cheese, so he got cheese with it.  He topped it with horseradish and Tiger sauce.  Tiger sauce is a blend of mayonnaise, horseradish, ground black pepper, generally.  It's a creamy, delicious topping to these grilled meats with a consistency of a creamy dressing.  I take it a step further and add the house-made barbecue sauce to my sandwiches, which is tangy and reminds me of the barbecue sauce from Arby's.  The Raven is $7.55

The Raven, a sub roll stuffed with pit beef, turkey, and corned beef.

I ordered the basic pit beef sandwich.  For $6.25, you get a soft roll filled with delicious, smoky sliced beef, fresh off the pit/grill.  Meat "done-ness" may be specified per your request.  Want rare?  Sure, want it well done?  Why not?  You can even request part rare, part well.  The folks at Chaps are nice, and will accommodate a reasonable order.  Just don't be annoying when making special requests.  This piece of advice is from me, not anything anyone from Chaps said. 

Chaps' Pit Beef Sandwich

I requested a medium doneness for my sandwich.

My family and I make the trip to Chaps from Bethesda at least once every few months.  It is a definite favorite of ours. The food is delicious and more than plentiful, the prices are very reasonable, and we've never been disappointed in anything we've ordered here.  I highly recommend Chaps Pit Beef.

Chaps Charcoal Restaurant

5801 Pulaski Highway

Baltimore, MD 21205

www.chapspitbeef.com

On Vacation... Beach Eats: DelMar Report Part One

First, let me apologize for the untimeliness of this blog post.  I started in back in August of 2012 during the family vacation, and just completed it today, including digging up digital photos, organizing them, writing notes.  I can say I'm closer to being back on track procrastination-wise.  Yay for focus!

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Every year, my family (my husband, my young son), my sister and her husband, and our parents head out to Bethany Beach, Delaware for a week or two of relaxation and family togetherness.  This gathering involves quite a bit of eating.  Our meals vary greatly--an impressive meal at a local restaurant, such as Blue Moon, or on another night, pizzeria fare at Nicola Pizza, both in Rehoboth Beach.  There's diner fare all over the region, such as Dumser's Dairyland in Ocean City, Maryland, where a satisfying and inexpensive lunch can be had.

A big favorite of ours is a blue crab feast.  My brother in-law David and my father especially love steamed blue crabs with old bay seasoning.  Seafood and the beach go hand in hand, right?  We think so too, so we had a couple of huge crab feasts, one night we got several lobsters too.  Perfect for eating out on the deck.

Steamed lobsters from Tom and Terry's

Maryland blue crabs, from Tom and Terry's in Ocean View, Delaware

We bought crabs and seafood from three great spots in and around Bethany Beach, Delaware, and even trekked into Ocean City for seafood carryout one night.  Out of the three listed below, Mickey's has an eat-in option, with full waiter service.  Mickey's also makes a MEAN fried chicken dinner.

Here are our favorites:

Tom & Terry's Seafood Market

326 Parkwood St Bethany Beach, DE 19930

(302) 539-4311

Mickey's Family Crab House

222 Jefferson Bridge Road

Bethany Beach, Delaware

Phone: 302-539-5384

http://www.bethanyrestaurants.com/restaurant.html?rest_id=10

Rippons Seafood

Ocean City

120th St. & Coastal Hwy

1911 Coastal Hwy.

Ocean City, Maryland 21842 |410-723-0056

http://ripponsseafood.com/

-or-

Fenwick Island

36644 Lighthouse Road

Selbyville, DE, 19975

(302) 436-2624

Delicious Simplicity: Thai Fried Eggs, or Kai Tawd

First of all, let me apologize for the hiatus from the blog.  I don't have a good explanation for my long break from it, except maybe I let personal issues get in the way of its upkeep.  I missed writing for this blog, so I knew I'd have to come back and write again.  So here I am.

I'm going to start softly and write about something safe today: a fried egg dish.  I know it sounds overly simple, and terribly dull, but it isn't.  What it is is absolutely delicious.

Kai Tawt, Thai-styled fried eggs

I grew up eating Kai Tawd at least once or twice a month.  This simple, delicious dish is like wrapping myself in a comfy, eggy sweater.  Okay, that doesn't sound right.  It's just really yummy.  I hope you try it out and love it as much as I do.

Thai-Styled Fried Eggs, or Kai Tawd

Ingredients:

Makes one serving

2 eggs

3 Tablespoons light cooking oil, such as canola oil or vegetable oil.

a few dashes of fish sauce (nam pla).  See the notes at the end of this post for more information on Thai ingredients.  For two eggs, I use the equivalent of a little less than a tablespoon.

a few drops of Maggie Seasoning Sauce.  For two eggs, I use the equivalent of about a teaspoon.

a pinch of sugar

Jasmine Rice, or whichever type of rice preferred

Directions:

Crack eggs into a bowl, add nam pla, maggi seasoning, and sugar.  Beat eggs with a fork or whisk until thoroughly combined.

Heat up a frying pan.  When the pan is hot, add the oil to the pan.  When the oil in the pan is hot, add the eggs to the pan.  The eggs should be sizzling and puffy, especially around the edges.  If you can, flip the eggs over in one piece.  If not, flip it over one half at a time, breaking the disc into two halves.  When the eggs are browned to your liking, serve over hot rice.

Some notes:

Nam pla, or fish sauce, is an integral part of Thai cooking.  It adds saltiness to a dish.  Here is a photo of some fish sauce samples:

I prefer the brand in the middle--Golden Boy.  The one on the end is acceptable too, with the round red circle on it.  My mother used to use that brand, but now we both use Golden Boy.

Maggi Seasoning Sauce is a dark, liquid vegetable protein-based sauce similar to soy sauce without actually containing soy.  Introduced in 1886 as an inexpensive substitute for meat extracts, it has since become a well-known part of everyday culinary culture in Switzerland, Austria, and Germany.  I've included a photo of Maggi Seasoning Sauce:

I hope you try out this recipe.  And if you try it, I hope you like it!  Also, please let me know what you think of the recipe or if you have any questions about it.

Jetties, NW Washington DC

Yesterday, I was hungry on a gorgeous Sunday afternoon and I didn't feel like cooking.  What to do?

I was in the mood for a really good sandwich.  I kept reading about a goldmine of a sandwich place called Jetties in the Northwest DC area between Palisades and Georgetown University.  Jetties is located on Foxhall Road, near the intersection of Foxhall and Reservoir.  They serve a huge array of sandwiches, salads, and dinners such as brisket with gravy or spaghetti and meatballs.  Their sandwiches are large and tasty, the salads not your everyday pile of wan lettuce and croutons.

Before arriving, I tried not to harbor too many expectations for this place.  I had read and heard so many great things about Jetties that I wanted to be sort of a blank slate before taking a bite of my sandwich, not wanting to expect too much because to be quite honest, people's opinions, especially about food, are as diverse as their quirks and personalities.  When we arrived, we got a great parking spot at a meter right in front.  There were several picnic tables outside the shop, which is in a very small "strip mall", if you can call it that since it's not really a typical strip mall you'd find out in the 'burbs.  It looked more like a brick cluster of a few small businesses that includes a dental practice and a nail salon.

When you walk into Jetties, there is a counter with different order forms and Sharpies for you to use when ordering your food: one for sandwiches, one for salads, etc.  I grabbed three order forms, because you need one order form per sandwich, don't forget to put your name at the top, and mark which sandwich you want, and if you need to, what variations you'd like on it such as bread, veggies, etc.  You can also create your own sandwich.

I ordered the Nobadeer, a delicious combination of hand-carved turkey breast, stuffing, cranberry relish, and mayonnaise on multigrain bread.  Jetties sells bottled beverages such as Nantucket Nectars and Honest Teas, along with fountain drinks.  I bought a fountain drink, and was pleasantly surprised that they offered Diet Sprite--one of my favorites.



The Nobadeer--Thanksgiving dinner in a sandwich.  Well, most of Thanksgiving dinner.*

The husband ordered the Smith Point, a really tasty sandwich made with roast beef, Havarti cheese, horseradish sour cream, thinly sliced red onions and tomato on pumpernickel bread.  Wow, was this a great flavor combination.  I liked it even more than my Nobadeer, which was great already.  I might order this the next time I come here.



The Smith Point, full of roast beef, Havarti cheese, thinly sliced red onions, and a horseradish sour cream sauce*


 For our 17-month old son, we ordered a sandwich called the Steps Beach.  It's a homemade turkey salad with golden raisins, apples, tarragon and crisp romaine lettuce on multigrain bread.  We thought it would be easy enough to cut up into little pieces for him, and we were right.  He eagerly ate half of it, which was impressive, because it was a good-sized sandwich!



The Smith Point--turkey salad with apples, golden raisins, and tarragon

We sat outside and enjoyed our sandwiches.  Jetties also sells ice cream, shakes, cookies and cupcakes.  We skipped dessert here, since we were so full from our sandwiches.  Overall, I was really pleased with my experience here.  If you're in the mood for a hearty, impressive sandwich, I highly recommend Jetties.


Jetties
1609 Foxhall Road NW Washington D.C.
Phone: 202-965-FOOD (965-3663)
www.jettiesdc.com


All photos in this post are from the Jetties web site.  I left my camera at home yesterday!

Chicken Stir-fried with Cashew Nuts and Dried Chilis

Recipe

Chicken Stir-fried with Cashews and Dried Chilis

This dish is a simple stir-fry. It's very easy to put together. The hardest part of this dish is probably preparation. Once you get through prep, or mise en place, then you're set. I like a lot cashews in this dish. Put in as much as you prefer.


Ingredients

1 lb chicken, light or dark meat, whichever you prefer, cut into 1" by 1 1/2" strips,
3/4 c cashew nuts. Use more or less, to your taste.
6 whole, dried, bird's eye or thai chilis
3 TB canola or vegetable oil


Marinade for Chicken

2 TB soy sauce
1 tsp corn starch
dash white pepper

Sauce mixture

2 TB soy sauce
1 TB Mirin
1 TB ketchup
1TB sugar
1 tsp sesame oil
dash white pepper


Aromatics

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tsp fresh ginger, finely chopped


1/4 c spring onions, cut into 1 inch sections.


Before cooking, marinate chicken in marinade ingredients for at least two hours all the way up until 24 hours in the refrigerator. A good way to marinade is to use a freezer bag, such as Zip-Loc.

1. Heat up a good sauté pan, or flat-bottomed wok.

2. When pan is hot, add oil to it. Wait until oil is hot to sauté dried peppers and nuts for a few minutes, until nuts are brown.

3. Remove nuts and chilis from pan, set aside.

4. Add cut up chicken to hot pan, sauté until cooked through. Set chicken aside.

5. Add another TB of oil to pan if you feel it is needed.

6. Add aromatics to hot pan (garlic and ginger), stir around til sweaty (the aromatics, not you).

7. Add sauce mixture to pan. Sauté.

8. Add all ingredients back to pan that were set aside earlier: chili, nuts, chicken. Stir briskly. Remove to serving platter.

9. Sprinkle spring onions over dish on serving platter. Serve with hot jasmine rice. Or brown rice. Whichever you prefer.

A & J Restaurant, Rockville, Maryland

Dim Sum. 

When I hear these words, I drool inside, like Homer Simpson does when he thinks about bacon (mmmm, unexplained bacon...arglglrl...).  A & J restaurant serves northern Chinese food.  Don't make the mistake of coming here trying to order some Kung Pao or General Tso's protein--you're not going to find that here.  Here, they serve dim sum, but not from a cart.  When you walk in and get seated, the nice waitresses bring over two menus, one laminated and one made of paper, and a pen.  They will also ask if you'd like ice water.  I usually request ice water because I like ice water.  They will also bring a pot of Chinese tea.  When placing your order, just circle the items on the paper menu that you'd like.  Someone will come and collect your menu and pen, and will ask if you'd like the skinny noodles or the thick noodles if you order a noodle dish.  It's all about your personal preference regarding the noodles.  I ordered the Dan Dan Mian, a noodle dish served with a semi-spicy sesame and peanut sauce.  For this sauce, the skinny noodles go really well, but that's just my opinion.  I usually order these noodles when I come here, as they're one of my favorite noodle dishes overall.  Normally, Dan Dan that I've had in other establishments have been served cold.  Here at A & J, they're served hot.  And they are delicious.

Dan Dan Mian noodles, with the skinny noodles

My dining companion and I also ordered a seaweed salad with bean sprouts, and the cucumber salad, with hot chili oil and garlic.  The seaweed salad is refreshing and crunchy, a good foil to the searing heat from the cucumber salad.  I always have the cucumber salad when I eat here, and the heat level seems to be different every time I order it.  The last time I was here, the heat level was tolerable, and the salad was the perfect balance of crunchy sweetness and heat.  I ended up finishing most of it last time.  This time, which was two days ago (Wednesday), the heat was turned way up, and the salad was just heat, not enough sweet.  It's consistently inconsistent, yet I always order it, hoping the right version will show up at my table.



Cucumber salad, with hot chili oil and garlic.



Seaweed salad with bean sprouts, refreshing and light.

Next came the pan-fried pork pot stickers, eight of them shaped like thick cigars, steamed beef dumplings, steamed pork dumplings, and the scallion pancake.  This may sound like a large amount of food, but split between two people, makes for a perfect meal.  A & J makes really good dumplings.  The meat fillings are well-flavored, meaty and juicy.  The scallion pancake dough is hot and crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside, flecked throughout with scallions pieces.  I like to dunk pieces of scallion pancake into soy sauce and vinegar on my plate.  Overall, A & J is an excellent place to have a great meal for little money.  My dining buddy spent around $29.00 for our more than satisfying meal.  By the way, A & J only accepts cash, so make sure you've got some beforehand.

A & J Restaurant
1319-C Rockville Pike (across from the VOB dealership)
Rockville, MD 20852
(301) 251-7878

Eamonn's, Alexandria, Virginia

Eamonn's, A Dublin Chipper, specializes in fish and chips.  That's pretty obvious, from the name, right?  What I didn't know was that Eamonn's would make the most delectable fish and chip I've ever put in my mouth.  This past Tuesday, my mother, father, my son Ryan, and I set out to Old Town Alexandria, Virginia to get our fried fish on.  After parking at a broken meter (the joys of parking in Old Town, Alexandria!), we walked into Eamonns.  I was immediately pleased with the decor.  There was a lot of dark wood, and tons of natural light in the eating area from the huge windows.  The menu was written up on a chalkboard.  We grabbed a table right next to a window and my father went to the counter to order.  He ordered a grouper, two large cods, and one large order of chips for all of us to share.  He bought a couple of drinks for us and we sat and waited for our food.

My mother, father and my son Ryan.  We were waiting for our order.



Malt vinegar, ketchup, and a lot of napkins ready on the tables.

 When our food was ready, a really nice man brought our food out to us.  I thought he was really nice because he noticed that we didn't have any sauce, so he asked us if we would like some.  We said sure, some tartar sauce would be great.  He brought over three small containers of tartar sauce, for each of our orders.  We tore the main bag open, and dug into our fish.  The battered cod was delicious.  The batter was just the right thickness, and the perfect state of crispiness.  As my fork broke through the layer of batter, the steam from the cod rose up into my nose.  Oh, man was it perfect!  I dabbed some tartar sauce, complete with capers in the sauce--a very nice touch--on the cod and there it was, the best battered fish I've ever eaten.



The battered, fried cod.  Large, at 6 ounces.  Chips, in the foreground.

The chips were excellent.  They were cut kind of thickly, but they were still crisp on the outside and soft and tender on the inside.  They were perfect for soaking up the malt vinegar that was sitting on the table.  My mom also ordered the cod, but my dad ordered the batter-fried grouper.  The grouper was just as good as the cod, if a little different since it's a different fish entirely.  It was crunchy, delicious, and clean-tasting, just like the the cod.




Batter-fried grouper.

To satisfy a craving for fish and chips, Eamonn's is a must-try.  I am looking forward to a return trip.

Ryan, enjoying people-watching after his meal.

Eamonn's, A Dublin Chipper
728 King Street
Alexandria, VA 22314
(703) 299-8384
http://www.eamonnsdublinchipper.com/

Beef Braised in Coconut and Ginger

The other day, my mother cooked one of my favorites: sumbunn.  It's pronounced sum-BUNN, with the accent on the second syllable.  Sumbunn is originally a Cambodian dish, composed of tender braised beef, most often chuck, cooked down in a coconut milk-based mixture that includes ginger, garlic, and shallots.  The pot looks like simmering soup to start, but it's not ready until the entire pot has been reduced to almost a third of its original volume, and has browned in color, flaky, tender and delicious.

Sumbunn, or Beef Braised in Coconut with Ginger, Shallots, and Garlic

Recipe

Sumbunn

2 lbs chuck beef, sliced into 1" x 1" pieces
3 cans of coconut milk, Chao Koh or Chef's Choice brand are good.
1 piece of ginger, 2" x 1" piece, chopped finely
2 shallots, chopped finely
3 cloves garlic, chopped
Dash of white pepper
1 TB canola or vegetable oil

Heat up a large, heavy-bottomed pot.  When pot is hot, pour 1 TB canola oil in.  Add ginger, shallots, garlic, and white pepper.  Sauté these ingredients together for a few minutes.  Add beef to the pot, brown beef.  Add the coconut milk to pot.  Bring contents to a boil, stirring constantly.  Lower heat to a gentle simmer.  Stir constantly, keep an eye on the pot.  Reduce until beef pieces obtain a thick, flaky moist crust.  Serve over hot jasmine rice.