amanda mcclements

This weekend at Salt & Sundry , we're hosting two fantastic book signings. First up, Washington Post Food and Travel editor Joe Yonan joins us Saturday, August 10 at 1 p.m. to sign copies of his brand new cookbook "Eat Your Vegetables: Bold Recipes for the Single Cook." With stunning photographs and 80 recipes, the book promises to expand your vegetable cooking repertoire. Sign me up. On Sunday at 2 p.m., Wine Enthusiast spirits editor Kara Newman will sign copies of "Cocktails for a Crowd." The book offers 42 recipes for making great cocktails in batches, "proving that no host need ever spend the evening trapped behind the bar." And bonus ... The Red Hen will provide complimentary bites and sips, using recipes from the book. See you there!

Salt & Sundry is teaming up with local baking mavens Goldilocks Goodies and Whisked! for a very special event in a few weeks. Come spend the afternoon indulging in handcrafted pies, sipping summer thirst quenchers and shopping with an exclusive event discount. Tickets are $40 — get them here  or below— and include ... • A selection of all-American pies and treats by Goldilocks and Whisked! • An exclusive 15% off Salt & Sundry's collection of home goods during the event. • A gift bag packed with summer goodies (a $45 value), plus recipes from Goldilocks' Emily Robins and Whisked!'s Jenna Huntsberger. • Summer refreshments and savory bites. ABOUT THE HOSTS Goldilocks Goodies are fresh-baked gluten-free treats that are just right: all natural, delicious, and made with premium ingredients in Lancaster County, PA. Whisked! is a DC-based bakery specializing in sweet and savory pies, quiches, cookies and other American classics. Salt & Sundry is DC...

We've hit summer's sultry home stretch, and that means it's time for one of my favorite annual events, the MidCity Dog Days sidewalk sale and neighborhood party. Now in its 11th year, Dog Days takes over the sidewalks around 14th and U streets this weekend, Aug. 7-8. A few highlights for food lovers: • Free samples of Dolcezza sorbet, plus sales at all stands and cooking demos at the Market Table at the 14th And U Farmers Market on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. • Free popsicles on Marvin ’s rooftop deck from 12-6 p.m. • Cork Market will sell its delicious spiced homemade lemonade (above) and doughnuts at a sidewalk stand, and there'll be wine tastings and special discounts on wine. • One of Metrocurean's favorite local home boutiques, Timothy Paul Bedding + Home is offering 15 percent off the entire store, including special orders. • Eatonville will give away lavender lemonade (served by a Zora Neale Hurston reenactor). • Save up to 80 percent on select furn...

Pick up free potted herbs when Toyota Farm to Table Tour stops in DC Thursday. Photo: www.farmtotabletour.com As part of the national Toyota Farm to Table Tour , nine of DC's top chefs will be serving up free tastings at the FreshFarm Market by the White House this Thursday, July 29 from 3 to 7 p.m. The featured chefs are Ryan Wheeler of Restaurant Eve , Kyle Bailey of Birch & Barley , Scott Drewno of The Source by Wolfgang Puck , Mike Isabella of Zaytinya , Olivier Perret of Ici Urban Bistro , Nora Pouillon of Restaurant Nora , David Varley of Bourbon Steak , Paul Stearman of Marcel’s , and Nicholas Stefanelli of Bibiana . They'll partner with market farmers to create bite-sized complimentary treats for visitors. Toyota will be giving away free potted herbs sourced from local vendors, as well as a chance to win a culinary trip to Santa Barbara.

The Europeans are giving us plenty of reasons to party this week, so citoyens du monde , fill the vuvuzela void in your hand with a glass of vin rouge 'cause Wednesday is Bastille Day. You're sure to find a few bon vivants toasting the French fête nationale at my favorite bistros in town — Dupont's Bistrot du Coin (ok, maybe a long line of bon vivants), Georgtown's Bistro Lepic and downtown's snug little Bistro d'Oc . Here's a look at a few more places to find a party: • L'Enfant Cafe (patio pictured) is hosting its raucous annual Bastille Day block party on Vernon Street between 18th and 19th from 4-11 p.m. Highlights include a French maid race at 8 p.m. and a masquerade ball with DJ and dancing in the street right after. Entry is $5 and bars and food stands will be set up. • BLT Steak is slashing the prices on all French wine by the glass and bottle by 50 percent. Got any Chateau Lafite back there, sommelier? • Cafe du Parc at The Willard will b...

Derek Brown wants to prove that cocktails can hold their own in the culinary world. To do that, he's invited some of the city's top chefs to cook at his serene omakase-style cocktail den, the Columbia Room , for a series of cocktail-food pairing evenings. Guest chefs Nicholas Stefanelli of Bibiana , Brendan Cox of DC Coast , Joe Palma of Westend Bistro , RJ Cooper (formerly of Vidalia ), and Columbia Room's Javier Duran will each take a turn on different Thursday nights. The chefs will create two dishes that Brown will pair with cocktails. Then chefs become bartenders to craft a cocktail to pair with a dish Brown will create. The cost is $74 per person, including tax and gratuity. For the chef schedule and reservations, visit Columbia Room's site .

It's Monday morning ... time to start planning your weekend drinking! Wine Enthusiast Magazine's Toast of The Town is Friday, offering more than 500 wines and spirits from around the world, food from more than 30 local restaurants, and live music. And three lucky commenters will be going for free! The randomly chosen winners, who chimed in on favorite wines for hot summer nights, are: Congrats Snackpig, Jamie and Ken, you each win 2 tickets to Friday's event. Email me at metrocurean AT gmail.com by Wednesday to claim your tickets! Didn't win? Metrocurean readers get $10 off the $89 Grand tickets and $20 off $169 VIP tickets. Use the following promotional code during check out here : MC2010

Metrocurean is pleased to offer three lucky winners a pair of tickets to Wine Enthusiast Magazine's Toast of The Town event, coming up June 11. Let me know your favorite wine for hot summer nights in the comments, and I'll announce three winners Monday at 10 a.m. The national wine and restaurant tasting event hits DC for the first time this year, featuring more than 500 wines and spirits from around the world, food from more than 30 local restaurants, and live music. Toast of the Town will take over the beautiful National Building Museum at 401 F St. NW, Friday, June 11, from 7-10 p.m. The VIP tasting starts at 5 p.m. Metrocurean readers can also snag $10 off Grand tickets and $20 off VIP tickets. Use the following promotional code during check out here : MC2010 Grand tickets are $89; VIP tickets are $169. Purchase tickets here .

Majestic chef Shannon Overmiller cooks with a Brainfood student at last year's Grill-Off. WHAT: The fourth annual Brainfood Grill-Off , with food, drinks and great auction items WHEN & WHERE: Thursday, June 10, 6:30-9:30 p.m. at the Decatur House Museum DETAILS: Brainfood does an amazing job teaching life skills to DC high school students through cooking and food, and the annual Grill-Off raises important funds for the group. Teams of Brainfood students, local chefs and community members compete in an Iron Chef-style competition. Tickets are $75. Get 'em before they sell out here! Participating chefs are Daniel Giusti of 1789 , Kevin Villalovos of Cure , Teddy Folkman of Granville Moore's , Glenn Babcock of Nage, Kyle Bailey of Birch & Barley, Dean Gold of Dino , Shannon Overmiller of The Majestic , and Bryan Moscatello of Zola and Potenza . Leon Harris of ABC 7 will MC the event, and Metrocurean will return as a judge. Event-goers will enjoy food, drink...

The chili will be hot at the annual Café Saint-Ex chili cook-off. WHAT: Café Saint-Ex and Bar Pilar 's 2nd annual Memorial Day Chili Cook-Off WHEN & WHERE: Monday, May 31 from noon to 4 p.m. on Saint-Ex's patio DETAILS: Local chili masters will compete against the chefs from Saint-Ex and Bar Pilar, including exec chefs Billy Klein and Justin Bittner. A panel of five judges (including Metrocurean!) will name the winners. There will be face painting for the kiddies, temporary tattoos and a local student-run fresh lemonade stand. Proceeds from food and beverage sales will benefit the local Fillmore Arts Center. Summer lawn parties kick off this weekend at the Mandarin Oriental. WHAT: Memorial Day Crab Pot lawn party at Sou'Wester WHEN & WHERE: Sunday, May 30, with lunch from 1 to 3 p.m. or dinner from 6 to 8 p.m. on the Mandarin Oriental's lawn DETAILS: Roasted blue crabs, boiled Carolina shrimp, hush puppies, ham biscuits, fried chicken wit...

For a chance to win tickets, follow Metrocurean on Twitter ! What: For the first Sound Bites concert, local musicians and chefs will set up shop at the 9:30 Club for an evening of music and food to benefit DC Central Kitchen . When: Sunday, May 23, 5 - 10 p.m. Where: 9:30 Club Details: Participating restaurants, which will serve tastes of their signature dishes, include BGR the Burger Joint, Busboys and Poets, ChurchKey, CommonWealth Gastropub, Cork, EatBar, Fresh Start Catering, Harry's Tap Room, Indique, Jaleo, Maddy's Bar and Grill, Mie N Yu, Marvin, Masa 14, Radius Pizza, Sauca, Taylor Gourmet and Zola Kitchen/Wine Bar. Music performances include DJ Will Eastman, US Royalty, Bluebrain, Fatback DJs, Beautiful Swimmers and the Midnight Kids. The 9:30 Club is donating their venue for the cause. Tickets: $30, with proceeds benefiting DC Central Kitchen, are available at the 9:30 Club box office or online at www.ticketfly...

Gina Chersevani's Bittersweet Ilsa cocktail at PS 7's. Ever wondered what happens when DC's restaurant industry is turned loose in tuxes and gowns, packed into a ballroom and treated to an open bar? You could win the chance to see just what happens and party with the chefs at the annual Rammy awards gala June 6. Here's the deal: Nominees in the brand new Mixology and Beverage Program category are mixing up special cocktails at their bars through June 3. Order one of the drinks and be entered to win two tickets to the Rammys. Here's where you'll find the Casablanca-themed cocktails, a nod to this year’s gala theme “We’ll Always Have … Restaurants” ... • Brasserie Beck : Damian Torguson has created the Appertivo cocktail made with Tres Generaciones Tequila, Campari, sour mix, ginger ale, finished with a cinnamon and Hawaiian sea salt rim and an orange peel garnish. $11 • PX : Todd Thrasher is serving a seasonal take on “spiked” iced tea called the Grog made with ...

It's restaurant week on Bethesda Row. Both Bethesda Row and Barracks Row are serving up food events this week: First up, Bethesda Row kicks off a spring restaurant week today. You can score two or three course lunches for $15 and three course dinners for $30 through Sunday, May 2 at Jaleo , Lebanese Taverna , Parker’s American Bistro , Raku , Assaggi Mozzarella Bar , Mon Ami Gabi , Redwood and Le Pain Quotidien . Menus are posted on bethesdarow.com . On Saturday, head to Barracks Row for the annual Taste of 8th from 1-4 p.m. Restaurants offering tastes include newcomers Zest and Ted's Bulletin (opening in early May), as well as Belga Cafe , Cava Mezze , Banana Cafe and more. Tickets for each taste are $5 or five for $20. For more information, check out barracksrow.org .

From Simpsons quotes to captchas that read "bowlfat", nearly 300 comments were submitted to win a pair of VIP tickets to Cochon 555 . The powers that be of random.org have chosen, I kid you not, a former vegetarian! Congrats, Lauren! Please email me at metrocurean AT gmail.com to claim your tickets. The collective groan from the rest of you may be quieted a little by this discount code for $25 off the $125 general admission ticket price: farmfresh All Cochon 555 event details are listed on FaceBook and here . Invite your friends. And buy tickets at www.cochon555.com .

Cochon 555 , the pork-tastic party that features five local chefs preparing five heritage breed pigs, is heading back to DC May 2, and Metrocurean is pleased to offer two VIP tickets to one lucky winner. Comment on this post by Thursday, April 22 at 10 a.m., and I'll choose one winner at random. Check back Thursday afternoon to see if you've won. Here's the essentials on the piggy event (where I'll be a judge!), presented by Taste Network: Cochon 555 will take place Sunday , May 2 at 5 p.m. at The Ritz-Carlton (1150 22nd St. NW). Five chefs — R.J. Cooper of Vidalia , Joe Palma of Westend Bistro , Daniel Singhofen of Eola , Nicholas Stefanelli of Bibiana , and David Varley of Bourbon Steak — will each prepare a heritage breed pig from head to toe. Five family-owned wineries will showcase their wines. Guests will sample the chefs' creations and, along with the judges, determine a winner. The event promotes heritage pigs and breed diversity in local and national comm...

Head over to Eastern Market this Saturday, April 17 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., to support the DC Food Blogger Bake Sale, benefiting Share Our Strength . Check out Foodie Tots for more information.

Kabobs from the new Roti. Two delicious deals for the price of one today! The restaurant: Rōti Mediterranean Grill The deal: Make a donation to DC Central Kitchen and lunch is free, today only! The deets: To celebrate the opening of the first DC location (1747 Pennsylvania Ave. NW), Rōti is giving away free lunches today from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., when you make a donation to DC Central Kitchen. The lunch offer includes any sandwich, salad or Mediterranean plate plus a fountain drink, while supplies last. Participants must be in line by 2 p.m. Art and Soul's bar and lounge. The restaurant: Art and Soul The deal: A new happy hour in the bar offers seven food and drink pairings for $10 each. The deets: Dubbed the 5:01 Sessions, Art and Soul's new happy hour runs Monday-Thursday from 4-7 p.m. The menu offers seven food and drink pairings, like crispy duck wings with a Yakima Valley Riesling; house-cured jerky paired with the Our Manhattan cocktail; deviled eggs paired with the ...

Jamie Leeds is the chef/owner of CommonWealth Gastropub and two locations of Hank’s Oyster Bar . Before moving to DC to launch 15ria , the self-taught chef worked for Drew Nieporent's Myriad Restaurant Group as an executive consulting chef. Her extensive résumé also includes The Globe and Union Square Cafe in NYC. Leeds is now president of the national Women Chefs & Restaurateurs organization. Mark your calendar for Hank's annual Oyster Fest at both locations April 17 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tickets are $75 and include all-you-can-eat oysters and beer, fried oysters, onions rings and more. For tickets, call Hank's DC at 202.462.4265 or Hank's Old Town at 703.739.4265. 1. Antipasto plate at Red Rocks Firebrick Pizzeria , my son Hayden’s favorite pizza 2. Izakaya foie gras at Kushi 3. Katsu Don, fried pork filet scrambled with poached egg and onion on rice at Sushi Taro 4. Fried chicken at Marvin 5....

Since it's hard to avoid the color green today, here are details on a few green (as in ecofriendly) happy hours coming up, in lieu of your regularly scheduled Wednesday deal: • The Earth Day Network has organized a series of "Green Hours" through the end of April featuring local or organic food and beverages at venues around DC. The first is Thursday, March 18 at The Phillips from 5-8 p.m. The events will spotlight DC restaurants that are serving locally grown or organic food and hope to raise awareness about environmental issues. You can find more information on EarthDay.org and here . • The Eco Luxe Life , Grassfed Media , and GoingGreenDC.net are hosting a wine tasting April 7 at Weygandt Wines featuring organic and biodynamic wines with food from Dino , award-winning artisan cheese from Firefly Farms and fair trade chocolate samples from Divine Chocolate. Part of the proceeds will benefit the DC Farm to School Network . The event is $15 in advance and $20 at the do...

Back on an icy night in February, chef Daniel Giusti gathered a group of guests around a large table in one of 1789 's cozy private rooms. In a rare opportunity for a busy chef, Giusti joined us at the table as we dug into platters piled high with EcoFriendly Farms pork sausage and roasted pork rack, creamy grits, braised greens and roasted potatoes. Not usually the kind of place you'd hear "pass the grits," 1789 had loosened its tie and gone family-style for this meal, one in a series dubbed "Dinner with Daniel." The next chance to dine with the chef at one of his family-style meals is coming up Wednesday, March 31, when Giusti will create a menu highlighting ingredients from the Slow Food Presidia project, which works to improve the infrastructure of artisan food production in the U.S. The 7 p.m. dinner is $125 per person (all inclusive). Seating is limited and reservations can be made by calling the restaurant at 202.965.1789.