amanda mcclements

click image to zoom Chocolates, roses, jewelry. Yawn. Ditch the tired and predictable and opt for more distinctive gifts for your loved ones this Valentine's Day. 1. A little luxury for your favorite cook's kitchen, this soy candle smells amazingly like cilantro and orange, and it's not too perfumey. Lafco Cilantro Orange Kitchen candle, Timothy Paul Home (1529 14th St. NW), $ 58 2. Cupid has landed. With your morning coffee. Angel wings mug, Pylones , $25 (send an IOU — it's available in March) 3. For a sweet gift, pair this cheerful dipper with a jar of local honey from the Dupont FreshFarm Market ). "Make my day" honey dipper, Pylones , $14 4. A serious splurge, this maté drinking gourd, made of engraved sterling silver and red leather in Argentina, has an exotic sex appeal. Motorcycle Diaries, anyone? Red maté gourd , Vivre , $695 5. For the beer lover in your life, a grinning Kabuki mask helps crack open a cold one. Kabuki bottle opener, Pulp (1803 14th...

Today's Five Bites are from Metrocurean reader Nicole, who offers up some tried and true favorites she craves. She blogs at discojing.com . 1. Magic mojito at Café Atlántico 2. Warm yuzu mousse at Inox 3. Dim sum at Fortune (especially the char siu bao and bo lao bao) 4. Chopped house salad, bread basket and sweet potato fries at Sweetwater Tavern 5. Cappuccino boba and pat bing soo at Shilla Bakery 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. Note: Chef Five Bites has gone out into the field, searching for the next set of chefs willing to divulge where and what they eat. Stay tuned.

A new underground supper club has hit the scene, promising intimate evenings filled with vegetarian Indian cooking. Hosted in a home a few blocks from U Street, Hush is the latest addition to a secretive class of unofficial eating establishments. These guerrilla restaurants, as some call them (makes them sound deliciously edgy, doesn't it?), have been popping up around the globe for several years now. Two years ago, a club of the same name was operating in DC (still out there?). The new Hush hopes to add a little spice to your DC dining experience with organic, vegetarian Indian cooking from the state of Gujarat. "During the meal, we tell stories about the spices, origins/history of the food, and maybe even a song or two," writes Geeta , the cook, author and raconteur of Hush. The club is taking reservations for Saturday, Feb. 6 and for two special "Single Hearts" dinners (that's for singles only!) over Valentine's Day weekend, Feb. 13 and 14. Read a...

Alright, Amy J, you are the new winner of two VIP tickets to Wednesday night's Sugar & Champagne Affair ! (Sorry, G!) Email me at metrocurean AT gmail.com to claim your pair of tickets! Amy J said... Sounds like a great event! Thanks for the lovely giveaway. I will be crossing my fingers. And to everyone else: get your tickets here !

Only one of the two winners of VIP Sugar and Champagne tickets has come forward, so here's the deal: I'll give "G" until 1 p.m. today to contact me, and if I don't hear from G, I'll choose another winner and announce it this afternoon. The absentee winning commenter: G said... My pup and I could use the pick-me-up having just lost our "owner cat" and leader last week. Great idea for a great cause! Thanks for the opportunity to win tix! Email me at metrocurean AT gmail.com to claim your pair of tickets!

Alice Waters, at Potenza this morning, helped organize Sunday Night Suppers to raise money for DC Central Kitchen and Martha's Table. metrocurean photo I have to admit, I got a wee bit giddy when I got to shake hands and chat with Alice Waters this morning at Potenza . For a food writer (not to mention the daughter of organic food-loving hippie parents), it was a treat to meet the local food pioneer. Fresh off a tour of the White House kitchen and gardens, Waters and a group of visiting chefs met up at Potenza this morning for a breakfast of truffled eggs, sweet grape focaccia and blood orange juice. The gathering capped off last night's Sunday Night Suppers, 14 dinners at homes around the area that raised big bucks for DC Central Kitchen and Martha's Table . Guest chefs and organizers of Sunday Night Suppers dig into breakfast at Potenza. Waters, chef José Andrés and cookbook author Joan Nathan organized the fundraiser — an encore of sorts to last January's Art.Food...

Chicago native Tom Wellings joined Equinox as pastry chef last year. (The restaurant will hopefully be back up and running in the next month or so after a fire.) Wellings studied under chocolate master Jacques Torres at the French Culinary Institute in New York, which led to stages at Ilo in the Bryant Park Hotel and at wd-50 under Sam Mason. He then moved to Virginia to join the Ritz-Carlton Tysons Corner, followed with a stint as head pastry chef at Restaurant Eve , and returned to the Ritz to work under Fabio Trabocchi at Maestro . When Trabocchi departed for the now-shuttered Fiamma in New York, Wellings went with him. Lucky for us, he's back in the DC area and should be turning out sweets like warm ricotta fritters with brown butter ice cream once Equinox reopens. 1. Baba Rhum at Marcel’s (Marcel’s pastry chef is Tom’s wife) 2. Bucatini from Sonoma 3. Margherita pizza from 2 Amys 4. Ossabaw pork belly from EcoFriendly Foods at the Dupon...

Thanks to the more than 200 readers who entered to win tickets to the 9th annual Sugar & Champagne Affair . Host Ellen Gray was so touched by your comments she kindly threw in another pair of VIP tickets to give away. If you didn't win, buy tickets and support this great cause here . Or make a donation to the Washington Humane Society . Without further ado ... thanks to the powers of random.org , the two winners of the Sugar & Champagne Affair ticket giveaway are: G said... My pup and I could use the pick-me-up having just lost our "owner cat" and leader last week. Great idea for a great cause! Thanks for the opportunity to win tix! and Capitol Heel said... I like desert, my dog likes champagne. Sounds like the perfect date! Email your names to metrocurean AT gmail.com. You each get two tickets (dog dates do not need tickets, so find a human to bring) to the VIP Chef’s Tasting Room, from 6-7:30p.m., and the main event, from 7-9 p.m., at the Ritz-Carlton (1150 ...

Suzanne Reilley is a personal trainer who lives in Cleveland Park, and when she’s not training her clients or leading her Recess Workouts , here are her five favorite healthful bites (and a splurge or two). 1. Ginger salad at Spices 2. Plain cheese pizza at Vace 3. Grünkohl salat (kale salad with pine nuts, lemon-olive oil, Parmesan and garlic chips) at Leopold's Kafe 4. Thyme-seared salmon served with orzo, spinach and lemon butter at Mon Ami Gabi 5. Tart cherry pie (when in season) at Open City 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.

Update: Your comments have so warmed Ellen Gray's heart that she's offered a second pair of tickets to give away! I'll announce two winners Friday. Love dogs? Love sugar? And Champagne? Have I got a party for you. The 9th annual Sugar & Champagne Affair , hosted by Todd and Ellen Gray of Equinox and Salamander Hospitality, is coming up next Wednesday, Jan. 27 at the Ritz-Carlton (1150 22nd St. NW). Metrocurean is pleased to give away two VIP tickets (a $300 value). The shindig — dog dates welcome — raises money for the Washington Humane Society . You guys know the drill: Leave a comment on this post by Friday at 10 a.m., and I'll choose one winner at random to receive the pair of tickets. VIP tickets will get you into the new Chef’s Tasting Room, from 6-7:30 p.m., with savory dishes from Cathal Armstrong of Restaurant Eve , RJ Cooper of Vidalia , Robert Wiedmaier of Marcel's , Brasserie Beck and Brabo , Kyle Bailey of Birch and Barley , Ryan Witcher of the ...

Buzz Bakery's Red Cross cupcakes benefit H.E.R.O and the Red Cross. Here's a look at what area restaurants are doing to help raise money for the victims of Haiti's earthquake: Through Friday, Feb. 19: • Ashok Bajaj's restaurants are donating $1 to the Red Cross for each signature dish sold at 701 , Ardeo / Bardeo , Bibiana Osteria-Enoteca , The Bombay Club , Oval Room and Rasika . That means legendary palak chaat and black cod at Rasika and the delicious spaghetti nero with Louisiana jumbo lump crab at Bibiana. Through Friday, Jan. 22: • Mauricio Fraga-Rosenfeld's lounges and restaurants ( Chi-Cha , Gazuza , Ceviche , etc) are donating 10 percent of sales between 7 and 8 p.m. Ongoing • Look for the red cross on the menus at the Neighborhood Restaurant Group 's locations — proceeds from those items, like the Red Cross cupcakes at Buzz and select beers at ChurchKey , will benefit H.E.R.O and the Red Cross. Tuesday, Jan. 19: • Join Marvin , Thievery Corporation...

When Jean-Georges Vongerichten opened his now 6-month-old J&G Steakhouse (pictured) in the new W Hotel , he tapped chef Philippe Reininger to head the kitchen. Both chefs hail from Strasbourg, France. In his home country, Reininger previously worked under the direction of three-star Michelin chef Louis Outhier. He was most recently executive chef at the Ritz-Carlton Philadelphia and has traveled the world as executive chef for multiple Ritz-Carlton openings from Osaka, Japan, to Istanbul, Barcelona, Grand Cayman and New Orleans. Here are his Five Bites: 1. 72 hour braised short rib from the tasting menu at Citronelle 2. Fresh donuts for brunch at Tabard Inn 3. Cassoulet du Bistrotier at Bistrot du Coin 4. Steamed mussels at Brasserie Beck 5. Manzanas con hinojo y queso Manchego (sliced apples and fennel salad with Manchego cheese, walnuts and sherry dressing) at Jaleo Previous Chef Five Bites: Cathal Armstrong , Dani Arana , David Guas , Josh Short , Michel Richard , Haida...

Today's tempting bites are courtesy of Emily Kotecki, who works at The Washington Post , lives in Rosslyn and blogs about cooking on her site Voila! 1. Roasted vegetable and avocado sandwich at Founding Farmers 2. Sangria at Guajillo 3. Artichoke and blue crab dip at Boulevard Woodgrill 4. Lobster roll with a side of corn-on-the-cob at Tackle Box 5. A slice of mandarin pound cake from Baked & Wired 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.

Photo: PingPongDimSum.us The restaurant: Ping Pong Dim Sum The deal: The new Penn Quarter restaurant just kicked off its happy hour deals, offering $3 dim sum items like baked chicken, pork and vegetable puffs, char sui bun, chicken and black pepper rolls, prawn balls, veggie spring rolls and Vietnamese spring rolls. Tiger, Tsingtao and Sapporo Reserve bottles are $4; specialty martinis are $5. The deets: Happy hour specials run Monday through Friday, 4-7 p.m. Another late-night happy hour runs Thursdays 10-11 p.m. and Fridays and Saturdays, 10 p.m.-midnight with $7 specialty martinis, $20 bottles of Stella di Notte Prosecco and $4 desserts.

I've been so busy the past month stuffing my face full of pho, curries and noodles in Southeast Asia, there's no way I could keep up with all the deliciousness unfolding in DC. So here's a little round-up, and do let me know what I'm out of the loop on. • Jamaican patty shop-meets-reggae lounge Patty Boom Boom has opened at 1359 U St. NW. ReadySetDC has some photos . • Big Chair Coffee opens in Anacostia today at 2122 Martin Luther King Ave. SE. • Enology has relaunched as Alliance Tavern (3238 Wisconsin Ave.) with more beer options. Metrocurean hears the owners may look for a new location to resurrect Enology downtown. • Bistro Cacao has replaced Two Quail at 320 Massachusetts Ave. NE. UrbanDaddy has pics . • Bistro La Bonne replaced Axis Bar and Grill at 1340 U St. NW. (via Prince of Petworth ) • Pitango Gelato has announced plans to open its fourth shop at 413 Seventh St. NW. this spring.

Today's edition of chef eats is a double dose from local food advocates and co-owners of the temporarily out-of-commission Equinox , Todd and Ellen Gray. Metrocurean was sad to hear the news, all the way in Asia, that Equinox suffered a bad fire Dec. 18. The Grays hope to reopen in mid February, and according to the web site, they are taking reservations starting Feb. 22. Wishing them a speedy and painless rebuild! Here are Ellen Gray’s bites: 1. Ginger salad at Spices 2. A dozen mixed oysters at Old Ebbitt Grill 3. Hummus and pita bread at Lebanese Taverna 4. Falafel at Amsterdam Falafelshop 5. Chocolate and espresso buttercream cupcake at Buzz Bakery And chef Todd Gray’s: 1. Any kind of mussels from Brasserie Beck 2. Buttermilk brined fried chicken at Market Salamander 3. The Chic P salad with whole grain bread at Sweetgreen 4. Chocolate salty oat cookie at Teaism 5. The rainbow roll at Spices Previous Chef Five Bites: Cathal...

After a holiday break, your favorite Friday feature is back! Maddy Beckwith, administrative and Chef at Market coordinator for the fabulous FreshFarm Markets , returns for a second round of Five Bites. 1. Kimchi hot dog at The Passenger 2. Don't-know-what-else-to-eat-for-dinner side of mac and cheese (topped with tons of Texas Pete, of course) at Eatonville 3. Marocchino, made with equal parts Italian drinking chocolate + espresso + hot milk, from Pitango Gelato 4. Housemade pasta with clams and bacon at Bar Pilar 5. Room 11 ’s warm and wintry glögg 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.

Sadly enough, I'm approaching the end of nearly four weeks in Southeast Asia. It's been a wild and delicious ride. Here's some of the tastiest things I've eaten in each city: Hoi An, Vietnam: Crispy, savory banh xeo pancakes (top photo) that I learned to make at a cooking school. I'd been dying to try them and they were as tasty as I imagined. The batter is accented with turmeric, and the filling includes pork, bean sprouts and herbs. Hanoi : Steaming bowls of pho bo (above) or pho ga for breakfast on many a morning. Saigon : Wild boar, frog legs, and shrimp (still kicking for an uncomfortably long time) grilled at our table at 3T Quan Nuong . The super smoky open-air restaurant was packed to the gills with local families, downing beer and barbecuing. Each table had a propane tank under it. Singapore: Spicy barbecue stingray, black pepper beef and kangkong (a leafy green) stir fried in shrimp paste (above) at a street cart in Chinatown. Siem Reap, Cambodia: T...

"At 32 years old, I weighed 331 pounds. I had never run a mile in my life," says Will Artley, executive chef of Evening Star Cafe . "My first goal was to get to that mile. Seven weeks after my first mile (my pace was 15 minutes a mile), I completed a sprint triathlon. That’s a 500-meter swim, 12-mile bike and a 3.2-mile run. Believe in yourself! This year I will drop 40 pounds and run a half marathon." For any of you making those standard New Year's resolutions, Artley offers five tips for healthy living and a nutritious recipe. 1. One of my favorite tricks: Compare the time I spend on the treadmill to something I do in my every day life. For example: roasting a brined chicken from start to finish takes about 22 minutes. I get on the treadmill and in my mind roast a chicken. By the time it's done, I’ve already run two miles. 2. Remember the food you’re putting in your body is its fuel! You need to feed your body the correct food. It will perform at its best ...