Kapnos - A new Isabella delight on 14th Street

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Image courtesy of the Washington Post

When my friend came to visit from NYC a few weeks ago, I had to put on my foodie game face to wow her.  This girl has tried just about half (definitely the better half) of the restaurants in Manhattan, and I knew how hard it would be to compete with that!  Thankfully, DC has some fantastic new options.  I took her to try out Mike Isabella's newest Mediterranean small plates restaurant on 14th & W: Kapnos.  I breathed a sigh of relief when she told me how much she loved the meal, ambience, and, of course, the company! 



We started off with the Melitzanosalata - an eggplant dip served cold with a charred flavor.  It was well- balanced by the fresh feta and was served with warm fresh pita bread.  There were a ton of delicious dips that appealed to me, and I can't wait to go back and try more of them! 

Next we got the Farmhouse Vegetable Salad, which turned out to be a traditional Greek salad.  No lettuce - exactly like they do it in Greece!  Fresh-from-the-farm cucumbers, tomatoes, olives, onions, and crumbly salty creamy feta cheese.  Yum.  Could seriously have stopped here. But we're not even close to done. 

Then we got the grilled/charred octopus.  I have never seen octopus in this form before, and I was worried it would be chewy because of the thick cut.  To my pleasant surprise the octopus was incredibly tender.  It had a delicious smoky flavor.  It was topped with fresh dill, radishes, and served with a creamy dipping sauce.

Next we got the hen-of-the-woods mushroom.  Usually I love any dish that features exotic mushrooms, but I was a little overwhelmed by the cream on the bottom and cheese on top.  Too much.  The mushroom is such a gem on its own.  I really wish they'd just let it shine without all the fixins. 

Next was the baked halibut with melted leeks and an avgolemeno (egg-lemon) sauce.  We ate it too fast to snap a picture!  I'm really regretting that there is no photo because this was a beautiful, perfectly cooked piece of fish that just flaked apart at the touch and melted with flavor in your mouth.  Although there is no evidence to prove it, this was the best thing we ate all night. 

By this point we were totally stuffed, but we still had one more dish! I always feel bad for the last tapa.  I always over order and it's hard to find anything appealing when you're so full.  That said, the spiced baby goat was still good.  Our waitress described it as having "Indian spices" which wasn't totally inaccurate.  It was definitely more in the Middle Eastern/Indian spice category. It was served over an "ancient grain salad" - which just seemed to be a fancy description for rice.  It was good, not my favorite, but good.  Next time I'll probably try the lamb instead. 

Overall, the charred octopus and the halibut were the winners of the night.  I will skip the hen-of-the-woods mushroom and the goat next time.  Kapnos is a welcome addition to the 14th Street neighborhood.  I can't wait to go back and try more of the offerings!

Veggie Burger Week: Greek Quinoa Burgers & Tzatziki

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In honor of veggie burger week, I wanted to make a healthy and filling veggie burger that would stand out from the typical Morningstar or Boca Burgers you'd find on the shelf. I also have been going through a bit of a Quinoa "phase" and have obscene amounts of it taking over my cabinets. I first saw a recipe for Quinoa Patties on Two Tarts. I wasn't crazy about the combination of herbs, so I decided to change it up by putting a Greek spin on it. I swapped in fresh dill, scallions, feta and served it with tzatziki sauce (tzatziki recipe at the bottom of the post). I was so happy with the result and even happier that it made enough for lunch all week! I found 2-3 patties were more than enough for a meal.

To make the Greek Quinoa Veggie Burgers you will need:

2 cups of cooked quinoa

2 large eggs

2 Tbsp chopped scallions

2 Tbsp chopped fresh dill

1/2 cup of fresh feta cheese

1/2 cup bread crumbs

1/4 teaspoon of salt
Extra virgin olive oil

First, cook the quinoa according to the directions on the package. I like to cook my quinoa in broth, either vegetable or chicken broth, because it adds a lot more flavor. But if you don't have any on hand, water will do just fine. Once the quinoa is cooked, set aside to cool. 

Then chop up all of your fresh herbs. As I said, I used dill and scallion, about a small handful of each, but you can substitute these with any fresh herbs of your choosing. 

If you bought a block of feta, chop it up into small pieces. I used a Bulgarian feta because it was half the price of the Greek feta and I like the creamy consistency.

Combine the whole eggs, scallions, dill, feta, bread crumbs, and salt into a large bowl and mix it all together with a fork until it is all mixed together. You don't have to beat the eggs separately, just mix them in with everything else. The cheese should break into slightly smaller pieces. Then, mix in the quinoa and stir until it is evenly distributed. 

Form the mixture into small patties. I made mine about 2 inches in diameter so they were more like sliders, but you can make them bigger for a more traditional-sized burger. 

In a large frying pan, heat a small amount of olive oil- just enough to lightly coat the bottom of the pan- over medium heat. Then place a couple of the patties into the pan and brown for 3 minutes on each side. 

After they are golden brown on both sides, I placed each on a piece of paper towel to drain any excess oil. Repeat with the remaining patties. The whole thing took about 30 minutes from start to finish- quick and easy!

There are as many tzatziki recipes as there are Greek mothers, but here is mine. In a large bowl combine:

• 1 pint of Greek yogurt (I used fat free, but go with your preference)
• 1 large handful of fresh chopped dill
• 3 large finely minced cloves of garlic
• Lemon juice from one half of a freshly squeezed lemon
• 1-2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil 
• 1 cucumber- cut into quarters, scoop out the seeds, and cut into thin slivers

Mix it all together and serve along side the Greek Quinoa Burgers! It will be even better if you make it 2-3 hours ahead of time and refrigerate until ready to serve! 

Thanks for joining us for veggie burger week! If you didn't get the chance yet, check out Amanda's Black Bean Burger recipe! 

Sandy & Shrimp Saganaki

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For me, cooking is my cure for the common cold--my way of remedying a bad day. When things seem otherwise out of control, I find solace in the knowledge that if I dice an onion and sauté it with garlic, it will make just about anything taste better. That sense of control over my ingredients might only be a stopgap measure, but I swear it works magic on my nerves. After Hurricane Sandy last week, my nerves were sufficiently frayed. After days of phone tag with family and friends in New York and New Jersey, and becoming addicted to hurricane footage, I decided a quick trip home to the Garden State was in order. There are many ways you can help the Hurricane Sandy Victims. Many communities are organizing drives for nonperishable goods, gently used or new clothing and blankets, and general hygiene products. Also, the Red Cross and the Salvation Army are accepting donations; I implore you to give what you can. Even after donating, so much still felt out of order. So I turned to the one thing I knew would provide comfort –- cooking for my family.

Because my family loves Greek food, I decided to prepare a couple of Greek dishes: Shrimp Saganaki and Spanikopita.  I'll be sharing the Spanikopita recipe shortly, but if you just can’t wait, feel free to send us an e-mail at fooDCraveblog@gmail.com. I will be happy to write you back with the recipe.

Shrimp Saganaki is usually served as an appetizer at most Greek restaurants. But because my family loves seafood, and because the grocery store was out of lamb shanks, I decided to make it a main course. Served with the Spanakopita, and a delicious baguette, this was enough for 5 servings.

You will need:

1 ½  lb of shrimp – peeled and deveined

1 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes

1 large fresh tomato (any variety will do)

2-3 Tbsp of extra virgin olive oil

2 Tbsp of ouzo (we actually improvised with sambuca--a similar anise flavored liquor)

½ cup of a dry white wine

3 large garlic cloves – roughly chopped

1 small yellow onion – finely diced

1-2 Tbsp dried oregano

2-3 Tbsp of fresh dill

4-6 oz of crumbled feta cheese

A pinch of crushed red pepper

Salt and pepper to taste to taste

I like to get all of my prep work out of the way up front. I chop and dice all of my vegetables and measure out my ingredients before I start cooking. After many incidents of burnt garlic and various other kitchen mishaps, I have learned that prepping my ingredients just streamlines the whole process. So first, I would recommend shelling the shrimp (if you didn't buy shelled ones), chopping the garlic, and dicing the onion and tomato. Keep them all in separate piles on your cutting board so you can add them at different times. 

You should also open up your can of tomatoes and, in a large bowl, mix the canned tomatoes with the freshly chopped tomato and set it aside.
 

Second, heat the extra virgin olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. You should use enough olive oil that a thin layer coats the bottom of the pan. Once the oil is hot, toss in the onion and cook until translucent, about 5-7 minutes. Next, add in the garlic and cook until it starts to turn golden brown, about 2 minutes. Keep a close eye on the pan as the garlic browns very quickly.

As soon as the garlic hits that golden brown sweet spot, pour the tomatoes into the pan. Let this simmer for about 8-10 minutes so that the liquid reduces by about half.

Next, add all of your seasonings: dill, oregano, crushed red pepper, salt, and pepper. You can adjust the amounts of any of these to your personal preference. Then, mix in the ouzo and the white wine and simmer for about 5-8 minutes or until the liquid from the tomatoes is basically reduced out and it resembles a hearty tomato sauce. Stir occasionally. No one will judge you if you want to yell out "Opa" as you pour the ouzo into the pan!

Once the liquid reduces, add the shrimp into the tomato sauce and cook until they are pink halfway up the side. Then flip over and finish cooking until they are fully pink. In total this should take 4-6 minutes. Cooking the shrimp in the tomato sauce allows it to absorb all of the flavors! 

Finally, crumble the feta cheese over the top of the pan and stir. Make sure to serve with crusty bread – you’ll want/need this for soaking up the leftover sauce! Stay tuned for the Spanikopita accompaniment soon!

DC readers- have you found an awesome Greek restaurant in DC? We love Mourayo, and are always on the look out for other Greek or Mediterranean spots! If you have a suggestion, please leave it in the comments! 

Stay up to date with our newest recipes, restaurant reviews, and other foodie news by following us on Twitter @fooDCraveblog.

Mourayo: A Review

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Courtesy of the Mourayo website

“Mourayo” is a Greek word meaning safe harbor. The name seems particularly apropos as I would like to moor my ship . . . er . . . behind . . . to this place for a long stay. The restaurant is located just north of Dupont Circle, but you could just as soon be in Crete or Santorini!

Courtesy of the Mourayo website

DC has had such a restaurant revolution in the last few years, but Mourayo has actually been around since 2004. I’ve walked past this place literally hundreds of times, but it took an out-of-town visitor to get me in the door. All I can say is I am ashamed that it took me eight years to dine at this wonderful restaurant!

 



The menu is traditional; it features a variety of different fish and lamb entrees as well as some Greek classics like Mousaka. What set Mourayo apart from other Greek restaurants was the preparation. They put a unique and delicious spin on all of the dishes.

Courtesy of Splash Magazine

To start, we had the shrimp saganaki. Traditionally saganaki is a thick slice of sheep’s milk cheese like kasseri or kefalotyri that is heated in a pan until it is golden brown and crispy on the outside and melty on the inside. It is sometimes served with pita bread. At Mourayo, the cheese was cut into smaller pieces and mixed with shrimp - then sauteed in a savory tomato sauce. The pita bread was still warm out of the oven – perfect for soaking up the extra sauce!

For my entrée, I had black ravioli stuffed with shrimp. I know what you are thinking: who gets pasta at a Greek restaurant? I have to admit that I am a total sucker for black pasta. The pasta gets its black coloring from squid ink - and there is something about the mysterious dark color that draws me in. I literally order it anytime it’s on the menu! The black ravioli not only met, but exceeded my expectations. It was cooked al dente and served in a savory tomato sauce. To add a Greek touch - it was topped with feta cheese.

My friend had the branzino fillet, which the chef cooked perfectly. Branzino (sea bass) is a light white flaky fish. The filet was served in a a light broth with vegetables like artichokes and carrots. The sauce was delicious and totally unique. It neither overpowered the fish, nor bored you with bland flavors. It was the perfect compliment.

The prices at Mourayo were not inexpensive, but the low-priced bottles of Greek wine compensated for the higher priced entrées. There were plenty of bottles of wine in the $30-$40 range, which for DC is very reasonable.

The nicest thing about Mourayo was the atmosphere. Both the waiters and the hosts were incredibly attentive. They made great wine and food suggestions and seemed genuinely pleased that we enjoyed our food. Unlike some of the newer DC restaurants, this was not a ‘sceney’ place. It wasn’t hard to get a reservation, and the restaurant itself was quietly beautiful. Needless to say, it will not be another eight years before I dine here again!