amanda mcclements

Himalayan salt blocks from Dean & Deluca This past February, I ate chocolate ice cream off a giant block of pink salt at Equinox . And I can still taste it. As an admitted salt fiend, I loved the way the melting chocolate picked up the flavor from the blushing pink block. Equinox chef Todd Gray has used the (reusable!) slabs of salt pre-dessert as well. Check out this Express story for a cool pic. Browsing through the latest Dean & Deluca catalog, I noticed that you too can play with giant blocks of pretty pink salt at home! A 5-pound salt brick — millions of years old — will set you back $25. Heat it under the broiler for 30 minutes, according to the catalog, and you can use it at the table to cook thin slices of beef, fish or vegetables. I'm tempted to give it a shot. Ever seen this technique?

The restaurant promos packed with political puns and nods just keep on coming. (Do they do this in other cities?) If you're so inclined to politicize your drinking and eating, here's a roundup of places dishing up partisan offers: • For Thursday's VP debate, the Lobby Bar in the Ritz-Carlton on 22nd Street is serving elk burgers ("the other moose meat," pictured at right) for Sarah Palin and mini chicken pot pies for Joe Biden. Sip Palin's Pit Bull, a cocktail made Bacardi Limon, cranberry juice and Red Bull, or the Not-So-Average-Joe with Southern Comfort, Curacao, fresh lemon and lime, and grenadine. • Asia Nine has created sushi rolls ($8) for each candidate. Obama's roll contains asparagus, cucumber, avocado, radish sprout and basil leaves dusted with sesame seeds. Biden's features local crabmeat, cucumber and wasabi cream sauce. McCain's is a mix of lobster guacamole and tortilla chips, and Palin's offers smoked Alaskan salmon with spic...

The Food Network will hold an open casting call in the DC area this Friday for season 5 of "The Next Food Network Star." From the casting call... WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR: • Cooking Know-How: You can be self-taught or professionally trained or somewhere in between, BUT YOU MUST HAVE FOOD KNOWLEDGE!! • Personality that Pops: Do people often tell you that you have the charisma and personality to have your own cooking show? • Teaching Skills: Do you teach at culinary school or maybe a cooking class and want to bring those teaching skills to the next level? Do you have a clear point of view on food and want to teach America about it? ****One winner will receive his or her own six-episode show!!! If you want to give it a shot, the casting call is Friday Oct. 3, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., at the International Culinary School at The Art Institute of Washington, 1820 North Fort Myer Drive, Arlington. For more info and to download an application, click here .

Lisa Davis of Dish-trict says she loves making a meal out of grazing through restaurants’ appetizers and small plates. Here's her list of five small bites. 1. Fried oysters with tartar sauce at Central 2. Seared foie gras with figs, chocolate and citrus/pistachio brulee at Indebleu 3. Dumplings with red hot sauce at Joe’s Noodle House 4. Barbecue pork taco with pickled red onions and sour orange at Oyamel 5. Crostini with fava bean puree at 2 Amys Five Bites is a weekly opportunity for Metrocurean readers to share the dishes and drinks they're enjoying around town. E-mail five of your favorites and whether you'd like your name and a picture included to metrocurean AT gmail DOT com.

The Shaw neighborhood will welcome a new bistro Thursday night when 1905 opens on Ninth Street NW. I got a peek inside the new space last week. The restaurant is located on the second floor of the building that once housed the wine shop Grape Legs. The decor makes the place feel comfortably worn-in, from the gold pressed tin ceiling to the aged copper bar and exposed brick. Large ornate mirrors line the walls, and a communal table runs through the center of the 60-seat dining room. The team behind 1905 includes Phil Rodriguez and Joey Belcher of Sticky Rice and Mick Mier and Joe Steger, the design duo responsible for Science Club , Napoleon and Sesto Senso . The menu is French-inspired, but Rodriguez stresses that the place shouldn't be strictly defined that way. Diners will find dishes such as grilled merguez sausage with polenta and piquillo pepper, a ham and Gruyère croque monsieur on buttered brioche with English mustard, pan roasted gnocchi with duck confit, and cinnamon sp...

An autumnal tipple: Eve's Plumb Rocked Adam's Apple At a recent media dinner at Nage , we media got to sample a new concoction from GM Galen Johnson that may just be the perfect fall cocktail. The cleverly named Eve's Plumb Rocked Adam's Apple (catch the nod to Jan Brady ?) is a blend of spiced housemade apple and plum cider, red wine, rum, tarragon and ginger — all left to stew and simmer for several hours — and once cooled, finished with orange bitters, a splash of Champagne and fresh tarragon. I wish I was so motivated to tackle my own plum and apple cider at home, but the Nage bar is a little too close to my house for that. Nage 1600 Rhode Island Ave. NW 202.448.8005

Tune your XM dials to channel 155 today at 2:30 p.m. I'll be joining Andrew Stover of Chief Wino to talk fall foods and wine with the broads of XM's Broadminded .

Pecan crust chicken with creamed spinach and wassail sauce at Art and Soul My new nominee for greatest bar snack in the city? Art and Soul restaurant, which opens today on Capitol Hill. This Southerner's heart went pitter-patter when I read that the restaurant's bar will offer boiled peanuts and pork cracklins as bar snacks. I love boiled peanuts . The restaurant, located in the new Liaison Capitol Hill hotel, is the latest project from James Beard award winning chef Art Smith, best known for Table Fifty-Two in Chicago and his former role as Oprah's personal chef. Maryland native Ryan Morgan, who was most recently executive sous chef at TenPenh , will oversee the kitchen. His mid-Atlantic upbringing combined with Smith's Southern roots shaped the menu. Dishes include the pecan crust chicken, pictured above, Smithfield ham-wrapped rockfish with crab risotto and brown butter sauce, and lamb chops served with charred poached pears and a mint julep sauce. The wine list ...

Tim Carman of the City Paper dishes out some tasty tidbits in this recent column , among them that chef Morou Ouattara of Farrah Olivia in Alexandria wants to open a restaurant in the former Butterfield 9 space. The chef tells Carman he would like to hire former Red Sage chef Eddie Marine to head the new spot. The now-shuttered Red Sage is where Ouattara took on his first head chef post.

Apples at Stribling Orchard All the apples I picked (kidding) As part of the hurricane wine tasting adventure earlier this month, we waited til the clouds parted and visited the historic Stribling Orchard for apple picking. It's a beautiful and enormous property just off I-66 in Markham, Va . We left with about three pecks of fruit, and I'm checking in on Cookthink for ideas to use them up. The first official day of fall is Monday, and according to Stribling's site, apple cider and pumpkins will be ready next weekend. I also picked up some of their blackberry preserves and rhubarb-raspberry jam. Interested in apple picking? Here's a list of apple orchards in the northern part of Virginia. Metrocurean photos

In today's edition of Five Bites, the "Dapper Diner" writes: "To celebrate my first year of living in the area, instead of rotating through them weekly like usual, I decided to take the week and go tasting menu crazy at some of my favorite DC restaurants." 1. "Dumpling duo," pork belly dumpling with balsamic vinegar, chili oil, ginger and cilantro leaves and shrimp dumping with lobster-uni emulsion, at The Source 2. Crispy soft shell crabs with wilted greens and verjus (pictured) at Corduroy 3. Braised lamb shoulder with cubed and roasted eggplant at The Willard Room 4. Spit-roasted katsikaki at Komi 5. Chocolate mushroom vacherin with mint sauce and chocolate rice puffs at Citronelle Five Bites is a weekly opportunity for Metrocurean readers to share the dishes and drinks they're enjoying around town. E-mail five of your favorites and whether you'd like your name and a picture included to metrocurean AT gmail DOT com.

The dining room at Mio I'm a huge fan of Eco Friendly Foods , an excellent local purveyor of pastured meats. The friendly face behind the operation, Bev Eggleston, will join Mio and chef Nick Stefanelli this Saturday, Sept. 20, for an end of summer harvest dinner featuring one of Eco Friendly's pigs. Dinner kicks off at 7:30 p.m. and proceeds through eight courses — the first five offering a head to tail selection of the pig and finishing with three desserts highlighting the fruits of summer and fall from pastry chef Tom Wellings. Both Wellings and Stefanelli formerly cooked at Maestro . The price is $95, excluding tax, tip and drink. Call 202.955.0075 for reservations.

Capital Carts food truck at Eighth and H streets Joining the resident On The Fly truck and the Delle and Campbell's cart at Eighth and H streets on Wednesday was a food vendor I hadn't seen before: Capital Carts . The shiny cart was selling gumbo, chips and a few other things. I'd already eaten lunch so I didn't investigate further. According to the sign, the cart is an employment program of D.C. Central Kitchen , the excellent organization that tackles poverty, homelessness and hunger with a variety of programs. Does anyone know more about this new addition to our street food scene?

With the dog days of summer behind us, this cool fall air makes outdoor dining all the more desirable. For some, the deal is sweetened if canine friends are welcome, too. I've had several readers recently ask about dog-friendly restaurant patios. I typically dine sans dog thanks to his, um, protective personality, but where do you dog owners out there take your pets? All Kimpton hotels (here's an area list ) pride themselves on being open to four-legged friends. Alexandria's Hotel Monaco hosts a dog happy hour Tuesdays and Thursdays through October. On Mondays, Cantina Marina offers Milk Bones for dogs and $2 corn dogs for the humans during happy hour. One reader reports her dog has been welcomed on the patios at Bangkok Bistro , Nooshi , Cafe Milano and Zaytinya . Another reader recommends Union Pub and Adams Mill Bar and Grill . Houndstooth Gourmet just posted about Barkley Square's happy hour in Del Ray. What other patios allow dogs? Photo from Hotel Monaco Ale...

Jackson 20's "Boartini" I get a lot of events in my inbox. But every now and then I see a phrase that catches my eye and makes my mouth water. In this instance: bourbon and boar. Jackson 20 will host its first bourbon and boar dinner — an event the restaurant hopes to make a monthly feature — at the chef's table this Wednesday, Sept. 17, at 6:30 p.m. The six-course meal will be paired with bourbon cocktails, like the pictured Boartini, made from bacon-infused Blanton’s, Chambord, bitters and fresh raspberries. The cost is $75, not including taxes and gratuity. Chef Jeff Armstrong's menu for the evening includes various boar cuts like barbecued shoulder on carrot and cayenne slaw, cider-braised belly with roasted peaches, blackberry and sherry syrup, and grilled loin with sweet potato mash, juniper and onion relish. Space is limited. For reservations, call 703.842.2790. And check the restaurant's web site for news of future bourbon and boar dinners. Photo by...

This Wednesday, the Capital Area Food Bank is asking you to donate the equivalent of what you normally spend on lunch to help feed children, seniors and families at risk of hunger. Just $5 buys meals for 15. Click the icon above to donate.

Steamers with butter and clam broth on the rocks in Menemsha, Mass. Confession: I have eaten nearly 70 clams in the past few days on Martha's Vineyard. I can't get enough. Today, I'm heading to Ipswich, Mass., home of the delicious Ipswich clams, to eat even more.

This week's Five Bites are from Molly (at right), who occasionally blogs , enjoys spicy food and fizzy water, and aspires to be the next Anthony Bourdain. 1. Ceviche and lamb tacos at Guajillo 2. Taco de chapulines (grasshopper tacos) at Oyamel 3. Rellenitos de platano macho (plantains stuffed with black beans) and mole negro Oaxaqueño (black mole) at Casa Oaxaca 4. Slow braised pork shank feijoada at Ceiba 5. Coconut curry mussels and frites with ketchup, wasabi-mayonnaise and curry-mayonnaise at Marvin Five Bites is a weekly opportunity for Metrocurean readers to share the dishes and drinks they're enjoying around town. E-mail five of your favorites and whether you'd like your name and a picture included to metrocurean AT gmail DOT com.

Mushroom and chicken crepe at Ici Urban Bistro Did you catch that it's national mushroom month? No? Well ... here's your chance to fete the fungi. 1. Sign up for the mushroom cooking class at Equinox . Saturday, Sept. 13 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., chef Todd Gray will provide hands-on instruction for several mushroom recipes, followed by a three-course lunch featuring mushroom dishes. Class with lunch is $100 per person. Call the restaurant at 202.331.8118 for reservations. 2. Check out the Mushroom Stand at the Penn Quarter and Dupont FreshFarm Markets. 3. Try chef Philippe Piel's mushroom and chicken crepes at Ici Urban Bistro . The dish features four types of mushrooms with sautéed chicken wrapped in a buckwheat flour crepe. 4. Feast on PS 7’s five-course mushroom tasting menu all month. Chef Peter Smith is crafting a nightly tasting menu, highlighting local mushroom varieties. 5. Order Oyamel 's quesadilla huitlacoche with Oaxacan cheese and Mexican black truffles....

Grapes await harvest on the vines at Linden Vineyards Despite living in DC for eight years, many of them as a food writer, I had never gone wine tasting in Virginia. As luck would have it, I chose to make my maiden voyage in the midst of a tropical storm, but that doesn't change the fact that in less than an hour, you can be surrounded by rolling hills and lush grape vines. Thanks to the driving rain, we managed a measly two stops before seeking refuge at L'Auberge Provençale (with paw paws !). The storm had knocked the power out at Naked Mountain Winery , but you don't need lights to sip wine, so we bellied up to the bar for a tasting. If you like oak-aged Chardonnay, their 2004 was nice and buttery. We left with bottles of the 2006 unoaked Chardonnay, the 2005 and 2004 oaky Chardonnays, and the 2004 Merlot. Wines on the porch at Linden Next stop: Linden Vineyards , one of the state's most well known. Since it was such a quiet Saturday, we were offered a guest pass t...

Paw paw fruit in the orchard at L'Auberge Provençale In the midst of Hanna's drenching rain, I set out for an overnight stay at L'Auberge Provençale . After some hurricane wine tasting (more on that later), we settled in for dinner at the country inn — and my first taste of paw paw . Chef Alain Borel opened the restaurant in 1981 with his wife Celeste. For its fixed-price five-course dinners, the kitchen makes good use of the property's gorgeous herb and vegetable garden and a small orchard, where paw paw trees grow. The green paw paw is reportedly the largest edible fruit native to North America. I had to try both dishes that used paw paw: sautéed foie gras with an ice cream made from the fruit and, for dessert, a towering paw paw soufflé with huckleberry sauce. The flavor was fairly subtle, faintly tropical and very creamy. Ever tried paw paw or seen it on a menu?

According to Missy Frederick of the Washington Business Journal , the new wine bar slated to occupy the former 11th Street Deli space in Columbia Heights will be called Room 11 . The new spot, scheduled to open in October at 3234 11th St. NW, will serve wine, charcuterie, cheese, desserts and more. Read more details on Prince of Petworth and DCist .

Kimberly of Columbia Heights sends in today's Five Bites. 1. Doughy naan with fresh mango chutney at Curry Club (RIP) 2. Sunshine salad on the patio at Lauriol Plaza 3. Veggie tamalito roll at Maté (pictured at right) before a movie 4. Pumpkin empanadas at Rice when I'm too hungry to sit through the second half of a Studio play 5. Penne mac and cheese at Duplex Diner Five Bites is a weekly opportunity for Metrocurean readers to share the dishes and drinks they're enjoying around town. E-mail five of your favorites and whether you'd like your name and a picture included to metrocurean AT gmail DOT com.

Check out the latest additions to the Coming Soon list , including Reston's PassionFish , Shaw's 1905 , and the West End's Ris . Plus, we now have two people ( Todd Kliman and Don Rockwell ) claiming Brit chef Gordon Ramsay's a go for a new restaurant at the Ritz in Tysons Corner. Stay tuned.

Cocktail enthusiasts, take note. On Tuesday, Sept. 9, Phil Greene and Derek Brown of the Museum of the American Cocktail are hosting an exotic cocktail demonstration at Mie N Yu . Learn a little history of exotic cocktail ingredients and how bartenders have used them. And watch as mixologists Chris Kelley of Mie N Yu and Tom Brown of Cork demonstrate contemporary approaches to making exotic cocktails. There will be light snacks and samples of several of the cocktails, including the Indian-inspired Bombay Government Punch of 1694, Mai Tai, Moscow Mule and Kelley and Browns' creations. The event will be held from 6 - 7:30 p.m. and costs $50. Click here for tickets .

Addie's dining room in Rockville There are lots of half-price wine nights out there (here's Washingtonian 's list to get you started, and more ideas from Counter Intelligence), and it's great when you hit the right night. Addie's in Rockville is making it a whole lot easier to do so by slashing their wine list prices in half for the entire month of September. “We are celebrating the fall grape harvest by offering our diners at lunch and dinner the chance to try anything on our wine list at half off," says Addie's general manager Tammy Guice. "It’s a great chance to try that special bottle you shied away from last time.” Addie's, located at 11120 Rockville Pike , is part of the Black Restaurant Group , which also operates BlackSalt , Black's Bar and Kitchen and Black Market .

Liberty Tavern's bacon cheeseburger Starting today, Clarendon's Liberty Tavern is offering an enticing lunchtime deal: a bacon cheeseburger and a pint of beer for $10. Chef Liam LaCivita's burger is made with house-ground Pineland Farms organic skirt steak, topped with applewood-smoked bacon and Vermont Cabot cheddar on homemade Amish potato bread. Choose from hand-cut fries with fresh herbs, a salad or red bliss potato salad on the side. LaCivita reaches for Miller High Life, but you can choose from eight draft choices including Stella Artois, Dale's Pale Ale and Weihenstephaner. The promotion will run through the winter during lunch hours: Wednesday through Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., and Saturdays and Sundays from 11:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. to accommodate area football fans. Photo by Ethan Johnson

Have I mentioned how much I love olives ? With that in mind, I've found my new favorite bar snack: the fried olives stuffed with lemon at the newly opened CommonWealth . They're warm and just barely coated in thin, crisp batter. And they pair perfectly with a glass of Prosecco. I'll try them with a pint of beer next time. I was also thrilled to find a special offering pork tenderloin from Eco Friendly Foods , my favorite local purveyor of pastured meats. Check them out on Sundays at the Dupont FreshFarm Market .