Bison Burgers With All The Fixins

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Typically, weeknight meals -- if I cook at all -- are somewhat lazy. I work long hours, and the thought of starting a complex recipe at 8 or 9pm is an unrealistic pipe dream. As a result, I eat a lot of a baked eggs and avocado toast. Once in a while, when I actually plan ahead for the week, I whip up something only slightly more time-consuming that that is relatively healthy and satisfies a heartier urge.  

On those occasions, one of my recent favorites has become these bison burgers. Bison is high in protein, but much lower in fat than ground beef. I use whole wheat buns and mix and match the toppings so it doesn't get boring. This past week, I seasoned the meet with rosemary, garlic, and a red pepper and topped them with sautéed mushrooms and spring mix salad.  

I also made a side of oven-roasted sweet potato fries, because everything is better with a side of fries. If you are going to make the sweet potato fries, make sure to start them in the oven at least 20 minutes before you start cooking the meat, because they take at least twice as long as the burgers.  

For four burgers you will need:

1 lb of ground bison (I used Great Range brand from Whole Foods) 

1 tsp dried rosemary

1 tsp garlic powder 

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper 

salt & pepper, to taste

1/2 lb of mixed mushrooms (I used shiitake and button mushrooms) 

1 tsp butter 

2 tsp olive oil

A hearty handful of salad greens 

Cheese if you wish (I always do)

Four whole wheat buns 

First, season the meat with the rosemary, garlic power, cayenne, and salt and pepper. Form it into four equally sized patties and then set it aside while you cook the mushrooms.

For the mushrooms, I follow the french model of cooking them in both olive oil and butter. It sounds rich, but it really makes a world of difference in the flavor and elevates them to that 'restaurant quality'.

Slice the mushrooms, drizzle lightly with the EVOO, sprinkle salt and pepper generously over the mushrooms, then sauté them over medium heat until they start to soften. When the color starts to turn darker, add in a pat of butter, and let them finish cooking. They are done when the color is golden brown and are starting to get a slight crisp around the edges. 

Take them off the stove, and set them aside. 

In the same pan (don't rinse it out!), place all four bison burgers and cook over medium high heat. Ground bison needs to be at an internal temperature of 160 degrees Farenheit, so to be safe I use an electric thermometer.   
 

Cook the burgers on one side without flipping until the color changes from pink to brown about halfway up the side of the burger.  For me this took about 4 minutes. Then my favorite part - the flip!!
 

Once you complete the flip, check the internal temperature to see how close you are to 160 degrees. When you reach 160, they are done! Take them off the heat, and top them with all the fixings! 

If you are making cheeseburgers, place your cheese on the burgers when they are just about done - about 150 degrees. If you hold a large top (for a large stock pot, for example) over the frying pan -- without setting it down -- for a few seconds, the cheese should melt.

Once your burgers are done, it is time to assemble and enjoy the finished product. Shake Shack ain't got nothing on you.  

What's your favorite weeknight meal?  Leave us suggestions in the comments below!  

...and we're BACK! Fancy Radish - a plant-based meal to remember

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Two and a half years later, we're back! We sincerely apologize for dropping our blog like a hot potato, but we are excited to return with restaurant reviews from the constantly evolving DC food scene, recaps of our travel, tiny dinner party menus, and new recipes. 

As we make our way back, we will be asking ourselves (and you), are blogs still relevant? We're not entirely sure, but for about four years this was a wonderful creative outlet for us, and we are thrilled that our lives have once again allowed us both the time and energy for this little corner of the Internet. We hope you'll share your reactions and thoughts with us too.  To former readers, welcome back. To new readers, we hope you enjoy :)  Also- check us out on Instagram (we so 2018).  

Since I was flying solo this weekend (update: I got married last month!), Liz invited me to join her, her boyfriend (Adam), and his visiting sister (Rachel) at the new-ish H Street vegan fine-dining restaurant, Fancy Radish. Guys, vegan?? I was skeptical, but after talking to a co-worker who recently had been, she assured me I would love it. I joked that I was going to eat a pre-dinner, but she warned me not to. I am so glad I listened to her advice! 

From the minute we walked into the restaurant, we were very impressed. After checking in with the host, we were immediately taken to a table at the back of the restaurant near the open kitchen. It's like they knew the way to our hearts.  We also appreciated that they honored the reservation time -- too many restaurants seem to treat that as a rough suggestion without regard for the diner's plans.  

We sat down and quickly perused the innovative and adventurous cocktail menu. We quickly realized we had no idea what half the cocktail ingredients were! After some quick Googling and discussion with the waitress, Adam ordered what was essentially an old fashioned - that was served in the world's cutest tea cup, and Liz opted for a mezcal cocktail that the waitress compared to a negroni. I went for a safe choice, wine (rose - duh) as none of the cocktails appealed to my palette (give me all the vodka cocktails). 

After dying over the fact that Adam's drink was served in a tea cup, we all took our first sips. Adam's drink was as promised, but Liz's cocktail was extremley bitter, much more than a negroni. The drink wasn't a hit at first --cringing form the bitters -- but it got better as the ice melted and it watered down a bit.

Next we talked food with the server. Liz and I are very particular about tapas-style meals, and Liz asked the server if she would be able to pace the meal for us. After a sarcastic comment about 'having done this a few times before' I caught on that she was kidding. And she didn't lie - the meal was timed perfectly, like clock-work. Light to heavy, with just enough time between plates to breathe and be excited for the next dish coming our way. 

 
We started with the "fondue" - which was actually a puree of rutabega (a root vegetable) and served with pickled veggies and bread. The fondue was made with nutritional yeast and miso; and if you hadn't told me it wasn't cheese, I would have never guessed! It had both the texture and umami notes of melty cheddar cheese.  I coudn't believe it was totally plant based.  The bread was similar to a pretzel and made for the perfect dipping vehicle to enjoy the fondue. The pickled veggies were delightful as an acidic off-set to the rich fondue; I only wish there were more.

Next up was undoubtedly my favorite dish of the night. A BLT. I wish I could send each of our lovely readers this dish. The bread was perfectly crunchy, topped with a basil spread and a thick-cut heirloom tomato. The most impressive part of this dish was the "bacon" made from shiitake mushrooms. Again, if you had blind-folded me and told me I was eating mushrooms, I would have laughed. The amount of flavor packed in such a simple dish was impressive. I am still dreaming of it today.

The stuffed avocado and Peruvian potatoes made an appearance next. The avocado was served with cauliflower rice, a crispy rice chip, and a romesco sauce. The group felt this was the least favorite dish of the night. It turns out we are avocado-purists.  There was nothing wrong with it, the other dishes were just that good. The Peruvian roasted potatoes were cooked to a perfect crisp and paired nicely with the zesty sauce - similar to the sauce that would top Peruvian roasted chicken.

The trumpet mushrooms were one of Liz's favorite dishes of the night. Shaved paper thin, the mushrooms took on the texture of pasta. They swam in a savory broth of olive oil, roasted tomatoes, and basil - which we all were scraping off the bottom of the bowl with our spoons.  It only could have used bread to dip in that broth! 

Adam picked the summer squash, but wasn't overly impressed with it. I enjoyed zhoug, which is a middle eastern version of chimmichurri - and the pistachios it was accompanied by - you all know I love a good sauce!

The final two courses were Rachel and Liz's choice. The dan-dan noodles and the ramen. Liz has a thing for dan-dan (typically made with ground pork and chili oil), and has (unsuccessfully) searched high and low in DC for an acceptable version. While the vegan appropriation wasn't quite as good as the real thing (sometimes you just need meat), Liz still loved this dish, as did the rest of us. The texture was enjoyable and the spicy sichuan pepper lended as good variety to the earlier, cooler dishes.

The ramen noodles were also quite good, but the title of the dish was a little misleading. Though the noodles were ramen style, this dish was far from ramen in my mind. The carbonara sauce (minus the egg) was spot-on and gave diners a clue what they were in for.

Well before the end of the meal, all of our beverages were nearing the bottom of their respective glasses. Though overall the service was impeccable, I did find it odd that the waitress never offered to refresh our drinks.  In fact, our server cleared my glass before I was been able to finish my final sip - a huge pet peeve.

Drink-less, we moved on to dessert. I'm a sucker for s'mores and quickly landed on that option. It did not disappoint, though Liz complained that the texture was a bit too gummy for her. I think this is an inherent quality of s'mores and was impressed at the deconstructed version of the dessert. The graham cracker ice cream was a high note for me.

We also tried the carrot cake cup. I am not a huge fan of carrot cake (fruits and vegetables do not belong as part of dessert IMO), but this take on the classic cake was well done. I did have to sort of dig my spoon in to be able to enjoy all the layers as part of one bite though. 

Overall, I was highly impressed with Fancy Radish. The service was spot-on, the food was creative and incredibly flavorful, and the ambiance was enjoyable. I can't wait to go back and in the meantime, I am telling everyone I know to get there ASAP.

Atlanta Dining: Campagnolo

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A couple of weeks ago, my girlfriends and I decided to head out for dinner after a school-related event. We were in the downtown area, and selected Campagnolo, an Italian-focused restaurant. When we walked in, we were greeted by a crowded bar and a pianist pounding out classic tunes (read: Billy Joel & Elton John). We wanted to be able to talk over our meal, and the music was a bit loud, so we asked to be seated in the back section. After settling into the cozy booth, we checked out the menu.

 

 

For drinks, we sampled a classic martini (no blue cheese stuffed olives), a cocktail, and wine. The drinks were wonderful, but I hate it when servers do not carry drinks on a tray - more than 2 drinks requires a tray! Unfortunately, the server spilled quite a bit of my martini before setting it in front of me, without even the slightest apology.

The appetizer was classic arancini, with a delicious balsamic reduction. My friends have not tried this delicious fried ball of risotto before, so I was happy to introduce them to it. They were cooked to perfection (not overly friend or greasy), and perfect to share. Though, I secretly wanted the whole plate for myself.
 

 

For entrees, we each sampled something different, which always makes it more fun! I had the lasagna, which the server told me is their number one seller. It was meaty, saucy, and cheesy. Three things every lasagna should be. I savored almost every bite, but had to bring some home for the boyfriend to try.
 

Brett had the mushroom risotto, which she loved. She said you could truly taste all the flavors of the dish, including a hint of acidity. This meal was enough for two, and she brought half home to enjoy the next day.
 

 

Katherine tried the gnocchi. While under-salted, some table-side doctoring fixed the plate right up. It was truly a beautiful presentation and Katherine said that the gnocchi was cooked flawlessly.
 

Amy spiced things up by opting for seafood. The scallops were served grilled, with potatoes, parsnip puree, and wild mushrooms. She felt she could have done with fewer potatoes and more veggies. The scallops, though, were meaty and not chewy - exactly how a scallop should be.

We could not resist dessert, and decided to sample two of the offerings. We quickly settled on the banana semifreddo (another new introduction to my friends) and the chocolate torte. The semifreddo was served with warm beignets, while the chocolate torte had mixed berry coulis (basically homemade syrup) and whipped cream. Both desserts were fantastic endings to a delicious meal.

Overall, Campagnolo was great. We loved the ambiance, though were a bit chilly at our table. The restaurant is in an old building, so it got a bit drafty near the big windows. The service was good, but a bit awkward at times. We will definitely be back to check it out again!

 

Atlanta Dining: Antico

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Since I moved to Atlanta in April, I've been hearing about a pizza place called Antico. Located just north of downtown, Antico is part of a group of restaurants owned by Giovanni Di Palma. 


In 2009, Giovanni bought a bakery in a not-so-appealing neighborhood and has slowly been growing his eatery empire. Not only does he have the famous Antico, but he also has restaurants serving up chicken and gelato, a bodega, and a bar with small plates. 

I finally headed to Antico with my good friend Keiylene for lunch one day during exam week.  The restaurant opened at 11:30 and we got there just in time for the doors to open. Antico is not a sit down restaurant. Rather, you order at the counter and then take your seat. 


There's two main seating areas in the restaurant, the most popular being in the 'Dough Room' which is where the pizzas are made. Antico is super casual. Grab a seat at one of the many tables with benches and wait for your pie to be brought to you.
 

I'd been told that the pizza here was very similar to the slices they serve up in New York, so I was pretty psyched. The closest thing I had to NY pizza in DC was Wise Guys, and they were pretty spectacular. Keiylene and I shared a pie--they are huge! We went very traditional with the basic margherita pizza. With fresh buffalo mozzarella and basil, it was cooked to perfection. 

While the pizza was really delicious, I definitely missed out on some of the 'insider information'. I noticed as I was nearly done with my meal that most diners had a small container of sauce on the side. It's no surprise that I love a good dipping sauce, so I was bummed I had failed to notice this earlier. Additionally, there was an accouterments bar up at the counter where the pizzas were being made -- another fail on my part. This had things like red pepper flakes, marinated peppers, and fresh basil, and Parmesan cheese. I think these additional items would have helped make the dining experience even better.


Next time, I'll definitely be trying a pizza a bit more exciting than the basic one I sampled this first time around. I brought home the San Gennaro for my boyfriend, Nick, to try and he thought it was exceptional. 

I've also heard that during dinner time the pizza chefs serenade the guests, so I'll absolutely be checking that out! I also think it's important to say that this pizza is NOT New York style. It's Neopolitan, and there's a big difference! It was much better than 2 Amy's in DC, which I think is highly overrated!

Comeback Dinner at Momofuku

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Well, it's been a while. First, let me apologize for our disappearing act. Amanda has been busy at grad school in Atlanta. The separation has been challenging, primarily for the blog! While grad school has been keeping Amanda busy, I switched jobs several months ago. Our goal is to get back to business starting with this post!

During our hiatus, when we haven't been busy with networking and working, we've been holding our breath waiting for David Chang to appear in DC. I have personally been peering in the windows at City Center for months waiting for Momofuku to open. We lucked out on Halloween by dropping by the new space that happened to have a table for 4 available.  

 

The menu at Momofuku is incredibly unique - blending traditional David Chang-style Ramen and pork buns with some unique DC elements, like Virginia ham and Shrimp Louis. We tried a wide variety of dishes from the menu, but stuck to traditional Japanese dishes for our dinner.

There are about 4 different types of steamed buns on the menu.  For appetizers, we tried the shrimp buns and the pork buns - the pork buns being the clear winner. 

                     

Reviews on the shrimp buns were mixed.  Instead of whole shrimp, the buns were filled with a shrimp patty, pickled red onion, shredded lettuce, and a Russian style dressing. Honestly, we weren't crazy about the patty and instead would have loved to have seen jumbo shrimp inside.  

The pork buns, however, were amazing. Despite being filled with rich pork belly, it tasted light and fresh. The crunch of the cucumber and bite of scallions perfectly complemented the sweet pork and fluffy bun.  

My boyfriend ordered the Taiwanese-style beef noodle soup as his main entree. This was definitely a group favorite. It was set up like a ramen, but had a rich beefstock broth with heat on the back end. Generous slices of rare brisket and shredded beef topped the bowl. 

Amanda and I sprung for the Momomfuku ramen. The broth flavor was different than most of the other ramens we've tried in DC.  Chang uses bacon to flavor his ramen, and the smoky flavor definitely came through. The bowl was topped with both pork belly and shredded pork as well as small fish cakes. We liked the meat, but the fish cakes were off putting to us.  The fishy smell was a bit overpowering. We did love, however, the perfectly runny egg and chewy ramen noodles.  

 

One of the best entrees was the cold noodles with spicy Szechuan sausage and candied cashews. The spicy and sweet balance was amazing, and the cold noodles somehow balanced the heat. We would totally come back for this noodle bowl.  

The meal would not have been complete without dessert from the famous Milk Bar. While people lined up outside to get into the bakery, as a diner at Momofuku you can get their whimsical and delicious desserts delivered table side. That is perfection. 

I ordered the cereal milk soft serve ice cream topped with crunchy corn flakes. The flavor was both rich and subtle and perfectly reminded me of that sweet sip of milk at the end of your childhood cereal bowl. 

 

Amanda went for the birthday cake flavored milkshake - bits of crumbled birthday cake truffles were blended with vanilla soft serve. It was so rich and delicious, but we had a lot of leftovers. 

Finally, our fellow diners got the Compost cookie, which our waiter aptly described as "containing every kind of chip (chocolate, toffee, and potato)" and the birthday cake truffles - akin to cake balls. All in all, amazingly rich and fun desserts that perfectly balanced the spicy and complex flavor of our dinner.