amanda mcclements

2010 looks good so far from this side of the globe. Happy new year!

The restaurant: Zengo The deal: $10 rice and noodle bowls and $13 to $19 bento boxes at lunch The deets: Available Monday through Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Zengo's lunch dishes include carnitas rice noodles (pork shoulder, mushroom, cashew, soft egg and hot ‘n sour sauce), beef brisket udon noodles, a Szechuan chicken rice bowl and bento boxes — one with a choice of sushi, chipotle miso soup and wakame-hijiki salad; the other with a choice of seared salmon teriyaki, tandoori chicken or grilled skirt steak served with wok vegetables and jasmine rice.

Proof barman Adam Bernbach. There's nothing wrong with a straight-up glass of bubbly to ring in the new year. But if you feel like flexing your mixology muscles, Proof bar manager Adam Bernbach shares three great cocktails made with sparkling wine. SMS 1/2 oz Allspice Dram 1/2 oz lime juice 1/4 oz cane syrup (or make a syrup by boiling 2 parts demerara sugar (raw sugar) and 1 part water) Shake. Strain into a flute. Top with sparkling wine. Garnish with lime zest. Fool's Warmth 3/4 oz Calvados 1/2 oz lemon juice 1/2 oz honey syrup (equal parts honey and hot water) 2 dashes Angostura bitters Shake. Strain into a flute. Top with Champagne. Garnish with a lemon twist. Apertivo Ambra 1 oz sweet vermouth 1 Campari-soaked sugar cube Build in flute. Top with Prosecco. Garnish with an orange twist.

In lieu of your regularly scheduled Five Bites, here's a look at how the chefs tastes break down from all Chef Five Bites lists.

Perry's baby bento box, made with small diners in mind. Here's one for the kiddies ... The restaurant: Perry's The deal: $8 bento boxes designed for little diners The deets: The new baby bento boxes are offered Saturdays with the purchase of lunch (11 a.m. to 3 p.m.) and Mondays with the purchase of dinner (5:30 to 7 p.m.) for $8. The bento box offerings will change each month. December's menu includes fruit shapes (including local apples), onigiri (rice balls) stuffed with cooked smoked salmon, avocado salad with tomato, edamame, bravas potatoes with homemade ketchup and chicken croquetas.

Poste's egg n' grog and gingerbread man. Photo: Emmie Woody To toast the holiday season, Poste Brasserie is serving a few wintry drinks throughout the month, including a version of glögg, the Nordic mulled wine, and a tasty take on eggnog, dubbed the Egg n' Grog. Just don't confuse your glögg for your grog . Chef Rob Weland's Glögg Weland adapted this recipe from his mother-in-law’s time living in Scandinavia. makes 3 quarts 4 cinnamon sticks, broken into pieces 2 tsp cardamom pods 2 small pieces of ginger, peeled and grated zest of 1 orange 12 whole cloves 1 cup vodka 2 750 ml bottles of dry red wine 2 cups ruby port or Madeira 2 cups sugar 1 vanilla bean, split 1 cup blanched whole almonds 1 cup dark raisins Crush the cinnamon and cardamom using a mortar and pestle (or a heavy pot and towel) and place them in a small glass jar with ginger, orange zest, cloves and vodka. Let stand 24 hours. Strain into a large saucepan and discard spices. Add the red wine, port, ...

The Source's 15-layer carrot cake. The first time I made a layer cake, its four tiers looked like I'd cut them with a chainsaw. With a blindfold on. So I know it takes practice to get the layers all even and lovely looking. And that's what I find so impressive about the 15-layer carrot cake served at The Source . So you don't have to attempt a cake with 15 layers, the restaurant is offering chef Scott Drewno’s spiced carrot cake with cream cheese filling for purchase through the holidays. That artful squiggle of sauce on the plate, however, is entirely up to you. The cake is available in small (4-8 people, $30), medium (10-12 people, $60) or large (12-20 people, $90) sizes. Order it with 48 hours advance notice by emailing sourcecakes@wolfgangpuck.com or calling 202.637.6100.

This Southerner made it all the way to Thailand, and the first thing I got at the market? Pork rinds. Metrocurean has gone rogue on the holidays, fleeing the shopping madness and apparent blizzard (you guys ok, out there?) for the sticky warmth and spicy food of Southeast Asia. I've been in Chiang Mai, Thailand, since Wednesday, and the eatin's been real good. Khao soi, a specialty of Northern Thailand, brings together a slightly spicy yellow curry coconut broth, deep fried egg noodles, rice noodles and chicken (or other meat). It's garnished with tasty pickled cabbage, red onion and lime. I've eaten it three times in as many days. Scenes from a popular market: Nose-to-tail eating, a way of life not a trend to tout. Next stop: Hanoi.

Scott Drewno is executive chef of downtown's Asian-inflected restaurant The Source by Wolfgang Puck. Drewno's résumé includes time with Puck at Chinois and Spago in Las Vegas, followed by stints at Vong and Ruby Foo’s in New York. Drewno rejoined the Wolfgang Puck Fine Dining Group in 2007 to create the menus for The Source. Here are his bites. 1. Traditional beef soup with pig blood terrine and the “hard working piglet” at Present 2. Lamb carpaccio with Caesar salad ice cream, followed by a kitchen tour with chef Patrick O’Connell, at The Inn at Little Washington 3. Lobster cobb salad and American Wagyu ribeye at BLT Steak 4. Any one of chef Haidar Karoum’s homemade terrines paired with anything Sebastian Zutant is pouring at Proof 5. Squash blossoms stuffed with lamb brains at Zaytinya (Fun dish to be served when dining with my parents: “Scott, did the server just says brains?”) Previous Chef Five Bites: Cathal Armstrong , Dani Arana , David Guas , Josh Short , Michel R...

Paul Kaye, on the left, works at Skincando (have you tried their fab Combat-Ready Balm?), supports the troops and loves great American food. He sends in today's bites. 1. Fried chicken and mashed potatoes at the General Store 2. Peach and rasperry cobbler at Sub-Urban Trading Company 3. White pizza at McLean Pizza 4. Truffled patty melt at Inox 5. Milk chocolate and caramel malt at Moorenko's Ice Cream Five Bites is a place for Metrocurean readers — and DC's top chefs — to share all the delicious things they've been eating and drinking. E-mail five of your favorites and whether you'd like your name and a picture included to metrocurean AT gmail.com.

Clementina Old Fashioned at Jaleo. metrocurean photo Spain is the world’s largest of producer of clementines, and in honor of the sweet winter citrus, Jaleo is celebrating with a Clementine Festival through Dec. 20. The restaurant's three locations are serving special tapas and drinks featuring the fruit, and you can snag a box of Spanish clementines to take home for $7. Spanish clementines, stacked in the window at Jaleo. One festival offering that caught my cocktail-loving eye: the Clementina Old Fashioned ($12), a twist on the classic bourbon drink featuring clementines and cinnamon apricot syrup. Here's the recipe, adapted for home use. Clementina Old Fashioned adapted from Jaleo makes 1 drink for cinnamon apricot syrup dried apricots 4 cinnamon sticks 1 1/2 cups sugar 2 cups water Combine sugar and water in a sauce pan and bring to boil. Simmer until sugar is dissolved. Add cinnamon sticks and apricots (1 apricot for each drink you plan to make). Cook over low hea...

Kaz's cup sushi. The restaurant: Kaz Sushi Bistro The deal: $12 "cup sushi" lunch or hot pot. The deets: For the cup sushi, chef Kaz Okochi is featuring three small bowls with a choice of toppings that includes California, spicy tuna, salmon tartare, tuna tartare, crunch eel, spicy scallop or seaweed salad. The hot pot, served with steamed rice, is available in two options: miso with pork, daikon radish, carrot, sweet potato, ginger and scallions, or chicken with tofu, shitake mushrooms, spinach, scallions, and glass noodles with ponzu sauce. The lunch special is available through the end of the year and is served Monday through Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Pear gingerbread cake with a snowflake design. metrocurean photo I happen to love spicy gingerbread, and this rich pear gingerbread cake from Gourmet is a keeper in my recipe file. An easy way to make it — or any plain cake — a little more festive? Conjure up your elementary school snowflake cutting skills , and snip away on parchment or wax paper. Place the paper snowflake on top of your cake. Scoop powdered sugar into a sifter or fine mesh strainer and shake over the cake. Carefully remove paper and, voila, a lovely design on your now gorgeous cake.

Here's a line-up of lovely Champagne flutes to help you toast the holidays with style. from left: 1. Horta champagne glass , $12.99, Anthropologie 2. Midnight black glass flutes , set of 6, $26.99, Target 3. Verve flute , $12.95, Crate and Barrel 4. DK Living flute , set of 4, $105, Vivre 5. Mikasa cherry blossom flute , $12.99 on sale, Macy's 6. Illusion flutes , set of 4, $75, Uncommon Goods Savory Style is an occasional weekend feature highlighting great style and cool products for your kitchen, tabletop and home.

Louisiana native Wesley Morton is head chef of new gastropub Againn . Morton was most recently executive chef of 17 at the Alden-Houston hotel in Houston, but he's no stranger to DC. The graduate of the New England Culinary Institute worked at Citronelle from 2004 to 2005 and Circle Bistro from 2005 to 2006. He also staged at CityZen and The French Laundry in Napa Valley. Since returning to DC, he's found some time to eat out around town, and here are his Five Bites. 1. Pied de cochon at Central 2. No. 12 at Pho 75 in Arlington 3. Piccolo bollito (house corned beef, veal tongue and a coddled organic duck egg with fingerling potatoes, cippolini and green herb sauce) at Palena 's cafe 4. Chicken liver bruschetta at Cork Wine Bar 5. Seasame seed "tofu" with sea urchin at Sushi Taro Previous Chef Five Bites: Cathal Armstrong , Dani Arana , David Guas , Josh Short , Michel Richard , Haidar Karoum , Ryan Morgan , Shannon Overmiller , Anthony Chittum , ...

Karin Scott, a spa manager at Sesen Spa and a freelance graphic designer, sends in today's bites. She blogs at What The Font and wrote about macarons — you know, the new cupcake — back in May. 1. Papri chat salad at White Tiger 2. BLT with avocado on multi-grain toast or the Belgian endive salad, ordered with an iced vanilla latte, at Cassatt's 3. Crump's buttermilk fried chicken with rosemary and garlic fries at Spider Kelly's 4. Any French macaron ordered from Michel Patisserie (pictured) 5. Affogato with hazelnut gelato at Boccato Gelato Five Bites is a place for Metrocurean readers — and DC's top chefs — to share all the delicious things they've been eating and drinking. E-mail five of your favorites and whether you'd like your name and a picture included to metrocurean AT gmail.com.

Bourbon Steak's burger line-up. The restaurant: Bourbon Steak at the Four Seasons The deal: A new $21 lunch menu, available at the bar, includes a choice of burger, one side (duck fat fries, greens or onion rings), a non-alcoholic drink and a brownie. The deets: Michael Mina’s Georgetown restaurant is offering the special lunch menu exclusively at the bar, Monday through Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The five burger choices from executive chef David Varley’s menu include an oak-fired prime dry-aged steak burger with housemade pickles, Cabot clothbound cheddar and a secret sauce; a glazed salmon burger, made bahn mi style with garden cilantro, jalapenos and shredded carrots; and a vegetarian falafel burger with tahini, tomatoes and parsley.

Ping Pong Dim Sum opens this weekend in Penn Quarter, serving an extensive menu of dumplings, spring rolls and other dim sum dishes. Photo: Ping Pong's Facebook fan page Michael Landrum has big expansion plans, and Ping Pong Dim Sum opens Dec. 12. Here's all the juicy stuff you may have missed recently from the Twitterverse ... follow Metrocurean on Twitter here . RT @ WashPostPR : Big news for DC foodies: Ray's the Steaks ' Landrum has plenty more deliciousness in store for us: http://bit.ly/8sjthE about 17 hours ago from TweetDeck Stumbled on new Masa 14 brunch: excellent creamy Anson Mill grits w Oaxaca cheese, flatbread topped w egg, bacon fried rice w fried egg. 3:01 PM Dec 6th from Tweed Homemade Pizza Co. will open at 1522 14th St (same bldg as Cork&Fork) in late January. @ HomeMadePizzaCo www.homemadepizza.com 2:30 PM Dec 5th from web UrbanDaddy has th...

Macarons from Adour, now available for purchase. Whoopie pies have been stealing the spotlight from cupcakes, but me thinks macarons* may be having a sweet moment in the sun, as well. It seems the little French confections are partout . Starbucks will carry them this month . Jason Wu (he of Michelle Obama's inauguration gown) learns to bake them with famed pastry chef Francois Payard in the December issue of Food & Wine . Gossip Girl loves them. And just Googling "macarons Gossip Girl" after writing the previous sentence turned up this very thorough examination of macarons vs. whoopie pies in the trend war to become the next cupcake. (And here I thought I was onto something original...) Restaurant Eve's birthday cake flavored macarons. At Restaurant Eve , pastry chef Ed Jiloca features them on the mignardise plate in a host of creative flavors including PB&J (a brioche macaron with black currant preserves and peanut butter buttercream), chocolate with foie g...

BGR The Burger Joint and DC Central Kitchen last week launched “One for One,” a promotion that will help to feed the hungry and homeless in the DC area. The plan is simple: Buy a burger at any of BGR's locations (Bethesda, Old Town and Dupont Circle), and a burger is donated to the food distribution networks of DC Central Kitchen. (BGR also employs several graduates of DCCK's training programs.) The promotion ends on New Year’s Eve with a countdown to midnight and a tally of the total number of burgers donated.

Claudio Pirollo and Mickael Cornu opened the Belgian-flavored Et Voila in the Palisades neighborhood in May 2008. Before launching the restaurant, Pirollo, who was born and raised in Brussels, was named “Best Young Chef in Belgium” in 1994 and served as personal chef to the Irish ambassador. Cornu, the restaurant's co-owner and pastry chef, hails from France. You can take home his Christmas bûche for $4.50 a slice ( details here ). The pair added a new brunch menu of crêpes this fall. These are their five favorite brunch bites in the city — the first three are from Pirollo, the last two from Cornu. 1. Gruyère cheese and baby spinach omelette at Brasserie Beck 2. Poached eggs with smoked salmon and asparagus and Hollandaise sauce at Belga Café 3. House-smoked salmon at the Tabard Inn 4. Cassoulet du Bistrot Lepic at Bistrot Lepic 5. Duck leg confit with frisée and sautéed potatoes at Bistrot du Coin Previous Chef Five Bites: Cathal Armstrong , Dani Arana , David Gu...

Rebecca Cooper, who writes about food for DCist , offers up today's helping of bites. 1. Avocado on grilled bread at Cork 2. Texas wings from Hard Times (My guilty pleasure!) 3. Monkfish with mussels, tomato, chorizo and coconut milk from The Oceanaire 4. Cauliflower soup with grilled tofu and Marcona almonds, part of the vegetarian tasting menu at Vermilion 5. Spice rubbed buffalo steaks from Cibola Farms , courtesy of the Courthouse Farmers' Market Five Bites is a place for Metrocurean readers — and DC's top chefs — to share all the delicious things they've been eating and drinking. E-mail five of your favorites and whether you'd like your name and a picture included to metrocurean AT gmail.com.

Chef Laurent Tourondel will add Casa Nonna (1250 Connecticut Ave.) and BLT Burger (1317 Connecticut Ave.) to BLT Restaurants' DC portfolio, which already includes BLT Steak, reports Tom Sietsema. A local food pub and my favorite vegetarian restaurant close down, but there are more openings to report. Here's all the juicy stuff you may have missed recently from the Twitterverse ... follow Metrocurean on Twitter here . Ansonia Wines just opened a new wine shop at 1828 18th St., specializing in French wine. @ ansoniawines http://bit.ly/RyjSL 5:46 PM Nov 30th from web RT @ SweetflowMobile Breaking news: Await blog post for details, but starting tmrw we will be selling salads from our truck! YES! Spread... http://bit.ly/5FhGiQ 2:14 PM Nov 30th from Facebook That was fast. Mark Furstenberg is out at G St Food , reports WaPo: ht...

My favorite type of gift? The edible kind. This holiday season, give friends and family a taste of DC with these locally made treats. Copper Pot jams and sauces Chef Stefano Frigerio's artisanal jams and sauces are made with fresh produce from area farms. My favorites: the pear ginger and strawberry vanilla bean jams and the smoky bacon and parmesan tomato sauce. Order online . Cured meats from Red Apron For the carnivore in your life, pick up some of Nathan Anda's fantastic beef jerky, salami and other cured goodies, made using meat from local farms that embrace sustainable and humane farming practices. Find Red Apron goods at the Penn Quarter FreshFarm Market through Dec. 17 or at Planet Wine . Artisan Chocolate Lucky for cocoa lovers, DC has some wonderfully talented chocolatiers. A few of my favorites: ACKC (1529 14th St. NW), Artisan Confections (1025 N. Fillmore St., Arlington), The Cacao Tree , Christopher's Confections , Chocolaterie Wanders , Fleurir , and J C...