amanda mcclements

DC is finally showing off her full spring glory, and the farmers markets are gearing up with appearances from the season's superstar vegetables and fruits. This video from an appearance on News Channel 8's Let's Talk Live  is a few years old, but I refer to it as "That time I chewed a pickled ramp through an entire live TV segment." So I figured it's worth recycling. Give it a watch and read on for tasty ideas for how to best use spring's produce: ASPARAGUS The freshly picked tender spears of spring are a far cry from the woody stalks you find in the off season. Look for them to make their first appearance in the next few weeks at the markets. Make:   Asparagus Benedict on quinoa nettle cakes ;  Penne with asparagus, sage and peas ; or simply grill it RAMPS Stinky, musky goodness is how I think of these wild onions. Make:   Ramp pickles , Buttermilk ramp biscuits MICRO MUSTARD GREENS Endless Summer Harvest specializes in these adorable ...

Looking for last minute treats for your Valentine? I shared some ideas that go beyond the standard roses and chocolate with Let's Talk Live. Come down to Salt & Sundry in Union Market to check them out.

Is that a little chill in the air, I feel? This cool, humidity-free bliss has me thinking about apple picking, as the orchards in our region get into full swing. I checked in with Let's Talk Live  to chat about where to pick and what to make. Try this simple apple ginger upside-down cake (and add 1/2 teaspoon of cardamom) and this ridiculously delicious  hot buttered apple cider with rum . And a perfect little apple-picking overnight? Head west and check in to  L'Auberge Provencale , pick at Stribling Orchards and toast your haul with a wine tasting at Linden Vineyards ( more details in my post from a few years back ). Read on for where to get your pick on ...

The Fourth of July may be behind us, but these tips for simple thirst-quenchers will hold up all summer. I joined the lovely ladies of Let's Talk Live to chat about some of my favorite summer sips. I'm a salt fiend when it's hot out, so I'm particularly fond of the Michelada ... give the video a look and for recipes: * Watermelon Sangria * Michelada {  Looking for more recipes? Dig in here!   }

Check out my latest appearance on News Channel 8's Let's Talk Live . We chat about strawberry season, from where to go picking to what to make once you've scored beaucoup berries. Try using the fruit in a savory dish like this quinoa salad with feta and basil . Also: Where To Pick Your Own Berries

Earlier this week, I appeared on New's Channel 8's Let's Talk Live to talk up the bounty of spring vegetables coming into the markets. (Note to self: no chewing pickled ramps while talking on live TV.) Here are the spring goods I'm hunting down at the farmers markets and some tasty ideas for how best to use them: • Asparagus Some of the earliest spears are coming from Garner's Produce , now at the Penn Quarter FreshFarm Market . (Get there early this afternoon to grab some!) Make: Shaved asparagus salad , Asparagus with creamy dijon dressing and egg , or simply grill it •   Ramps Stinky, musky goodness is how I think of these wild onions. Make:   Ramp pickles , Buttermilk ramp biscuits •   Micro mustard greens Endless Summer Harvest specializes in these adorable baby greens with a spicy kick. Make:  Pile them on a BLT in place of lettuce, or toss into a salad for extra flavor. •   Stinging nettles Don't touch them raw or you'll understand where the name ...

This summer when the Fancy Food Show rolled into town, I spent a day combing the aisles for great tastes and good stories. Here, I chat with Lucy Gibney, who created her line of Lucy's cookies when she found out her child had severe food allergies. Her cookies are vegan, gluten-free and contain no peanuts or tree nuts. But the flavor is really terrific. Enjoy! Also from the Fancy Food Show ... Amanda cooks with Lidia Bastianich and tastes hot sauces with Patti LaBelle: Spotlight in the The Virginia Chutney Co.: Spotlight on Route 11 Potato Chips:

Back in August, I was thrilled to travel to the Champagne region of France as a guest of the DC-based Center for Wine Origins to get a firsthand look at the grape harvest and wine-making process. The Center for Wine Origins' focus is protecting the names of distinct wine regions around the world. During the trip, we heard from several winemakers who are none too pleased that the United States still doesn't fully protect the name Champagne. Celebrity chefs and sommeliers have been taking up the cause, as well. At an event in New York City today, a letter signed by 60 international chefs and soms, including José Andrés, Michel Richard, Ferran Adria and Thomas Keller, was released to show support for a petition to protect wine place and origin . And though there's really no way to capture the dreamy state brought on by a week of near-constant Champagne sipping, sun-drenched vineyards, languorous bread and cheese filled lunches and dinners (with more Champagne, naturellement )...

DC Scene: Fancy Food Show 2011 from Metrocurean on Vimeo . A few hot weeks ago, some 2,500 exhibitors including 80 countries packed into the DC Convention Center to show off a whopping 180,000 food and beverage products. At the Fancy Food Show , retailers and chefs stroll aisle after aisle of samples, sleuthing out the best up-and-coming food trends and flavors — from the bizarre (earthworm flavored jelly beans, anyone?) to the local (DC's own Route 11 potato chips). In this latest Metrocurean video, you'll get a sneak peek inside the massive show. I catch up with Italian chef and author Lidia Bastianich to sample her all-natural artichoke marinara sauce . And though I couldn't get her to belt out Lady Marmalade, I met up with Patti LaBelle to taste her (not-for-the-faint-of-heart) hot sauces and agave barbecue sauces . Check out more Metrocurean VIDEOS here.

DC Scene: Sprinkles Congressional Cupcake Wars from Metrocurean on Vimeo . The smell of sugar filled Capitol Hill's Rayburn building last week, when the inaugural Sprinkles Congressional Cupcake Wars had seven teams of Hill staffers duking it out over blind-folded frosting and competitive cake decorating. While elsewhere on the Hill lawmakers deliberated over the debt ceiling, I had the oh-so-difficult task of judging the competition alongside Candace Nelson, Sprinkles founder and judge on Food Network's "Cupcake Wars," and Politico's Patrick Gavin. Metrocurean pals and co-hosts of 1500AM's Foodie and the Beast David and Nycci Nellis played emcees for the frosting-filled afternoon. A duo from Rep. Tim Johnson's (R-Ill.) office, Anna Vetter and Alicia McAfee, took the trophy with flavorful apple cupcakes topped with homemade fondant. During the event, Sprinkles, which opened its first DC store this spring in Georgetown, donated $10,000 to Fisher House...

Restaurant Watch: Graffiato with Mike Isabella from Metrocurean on Vimeo . I sat down recently with Mike Isabella to chat about Graffiato , his new Italian-inspired restaurant which he hopes to open in the next few weeks. Check out the video and read more about Graffiato here . Stay up to date on what's open and what's on the way with RESTAURANT WATCH .

Metrocurean On The Road: A Trip To Sheppard Mansion from Metrocurean on Vimeo . I told you in this post about an amazing meal I had a few weeks ago at Sheppard Mansion , an inn and restaurant about an hour and a half from DC in Hanover, Pa. Now you can see the story behind the food chef Andrew Little is putting out in the town of about 15,000. (And see one of the cutest cow babies to walk the earth.) Check out the video, and here's a little back story: Several years ago, I got an email from Little about what he was trying to do with the dining room. So when the opportunity arose to come up for a visit (as a guest of the hotel, but all opinions are my own), I took it. Chef Andrew Little on the Sheppard Mansion Farm. Little's favorite saying is "eat like you live here." And the whole farm-to-table bit gets a lot easier when you actually own the farm. Sisters Kathy Sheppard Hoar and Heather Sheppard Lunn, whose great grandparents built the mansion in 1913, also run th...

I'm super excited to introduce you to a new Metrocurean video series, DC Dish , where top chefs and food personalities cook up a signature dish on camera. First up is Mike Isabella, who will go head-to-head with Richard Blais in Bravo's Top Chef All-Stars finale Wednesday night. (Go Mike!) The chef, who is opening his first restaurant Graffiato this spring, joined me in studio to make his bright and flavorful broccoli salad with braised radish, pickled red chili and aged balsamic. Check out the recipe here . ( Can't see the video? )

One of the best food-centric charity events I look forward to each year, Share Our Strength's Taste of the Nation is fast approaching April 4. Gina Chersevani, mixologist chair for the event, recently joined me to provide a sneak peek of what's in store for this food and drink filled evening, which raises funds to help end childhood hunger in the US. Click here for full details on Taste of the Nation and how to get tickets  . Check out the video, and don't miss Gina's recipe for that delicious kumquat ginger drink we shake up.

Gina Chersevani, who is serving as mixologist chair for Share Our Strength's Taste of the Nation in DC , recently gave Metrocurean a sneak peek of what's in store for the event, including her recipe for this fresh kumquat ginger cocktail. Easy Like Sunday Morning cocktail courtesy Gina Chersevani, mixtress of PS 7's Restaurant makes 1 drink 1.5 oz Plymouth gin 1 oz ginger simple syrup (see recipe below) 4 kumquats 3 dashes Angostura bitters Over a shaker half filled with ice, smash 4 kumquats to release the juices. Add the whole kumquats to the shaker, then add the gin, ginger syrup and bitters. Shake until frothy and well chilled and pour into a Collins glass. Ginger Simple Syrup 1 cup sugar 1 cup water 2- to 3-inch piece of ginger, sliced Put all the ingredients in a small saucepan, stir to combine and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat and let sit for a few minutes (or longer if you like a stronger ginger...

Mike Isabella, who will open his first restaurant Graffiato in a few months, recently sat down to dish his 5 Bites to Metrocurean. The Top Chef All-Star contestant is on his way to the Bravo show's finale in the Bahamas, along with fellow Washingtonian Carla Hall. (DC represent!) The finale promises, among other things, host Padma Lakshmi in a bikini. (We hear ya, Mike.) Read about what Isabella has in store at Graffiato here , and feast your eyes (and ears) on his favorite bites around DC. 1. Singapore slaw at Zentan 2. Roasted bone marrow at Blue Duck Tavern 3. Potato and pancetta pizza and housemade orange soda at We, The Pizza 4. Tuna tartare at Volt 5. Dumpling platter at The Source ( Can't see the video? Click here .) Where do DC's top chefs eat when they're not on the clock? Find out in CHEF 5 BITES .

Check out Metrocurean's video report from the 10th annual Sugar & Champagne Affair , held last week at the Ritz-Carlton. The event raised important funds for the Washington Humane Society while stuffing guests silly with incredible sweets from DC's top pastry chefs and plenty of great bubbly and cocktails. The canines were treated to "pupcakes" topped with ham, fresh baked dog biscuits and lots of attention. For more videos featuring top chefs, check out the VIDEO page.

I love a good bar snack, something that goes beyond the boring bowl of mixed nuts. For the third episode of Metrocurean's Steal This series, I went to the source of one of DC's best bar snacks (and most amazing Indian food, I might add): Rasika . If you find yourself hanging out at Rasika's bar (preferably with one of Jason Strich's killer cocktails in hand), the bowls of popcorn seasoned with Indian spices are a delicious nibble. Chef Vikram Sunderam shows me how to make this easy dish, so you can steal it to take home. It would be perfect fare for a cocktail party. Rasika's Spiced Popcorn adapted from Rasika 4 tbsp vegetable oil (I like peanut) 1/2 cup popcorn kernels 1/2 tsp whole coriander 1/2 tsp whole fennel seeds 1/2 tsp whole cumin seeds 1 tsp asafetida powder* 5-6 curry leaves* 1 small green chile, sliced 1/4 to 1/2 tsp chili powder (adjust for how spicy you want it) 1/2 tsp turmeric 1/2 tsp sugar 1/2 tsp salt Heat 2 tablespoons of...

Amanda Cooks With Wolfgang Puck from Amanda McClements on Vimeo . For the second episode of Metrocurean's Steal This! series, I was thrilled to join chef Wolfgang Puck at The Source , where I got a personal lesson in dumpling making. My folding technique couldn't quite compare to the master himself, so I'm not giving up this food writing gig to be a dumpling maker just yet. But you can try for yourself with the recipe below. Thanks for letting me steal your recipe, chef! Pork Belly Dumplings Courtesy of The Source by Wolfgang Puck and executive chef Scott Drewno for the filling 1/2 lb ground pork butt 1/2 lb ground pork belly 1 tbsp chopped garlic 1 tbsp chopped ginger 1 tbsp salt 1 tsp black pepper 1 tbsp sugar 2 tbsp oyster sauce 2 tbsp cilantro, chopped 2 tbsp scallions, chopped 1 tsp sesame oil 1 tbsp dried cherries 1 tbsp dried apricots 1 tbsp golden raisins 1 package of wonton wrappers, available at most supermarkets 1 egg pea...

I hit the Curbside Cookoff Thursday and ate as much as was reasonable (before a dinner date at Carmine's ). You still have time this beautiful Friday afternoon to make it to the Curbside Cookoff, so check out my trip through the trucks with this video to see what's in store or take a look at my photos . For more on the cookoff, the fabulous food trucks and the voting, check out Brightest Young Things .