The People have Chosen….and They Chose….CookDC!
In This Issue:
-The People have Chosen….and They Chose….CookDC!
Strutting like a Peacock!
We won the People's Hearts...but not the judges?!!
Peas with a fork...Seriously?
-CookDC Viagra
Next Week's Menu Now Available:
The People have Chosen….and They Chose….CookDC!
Strutting like a Peacock!
We have been strutting around the kitchen like peacocks all week after our People’s Choice Win at the 17th Annual Carpenter’s Shelters Cook-Off. That’s right, CookDC won the hearts and the stomachs of the 500 attendees with our Piquillo Pepper Pintxos Stuffed with Sous Vide Short Rib and Honey Infused Goat Cheese with a Piquillo Cream and a Pickled Guindilla Pepper. Does that sound familiar? Well, it should because our customers ate those Pintxos last Thursday.
While certainly not the Bocuse D’Or, the win is an objective validation that CookDC is actually delivering restaurant quality meals. We competed against over 20 well established restaurant from all over DC Area and the winning dish came straight from our meal kit. Name a meal kit company and all claim to provide a restaurant quality experience….Yellow Apron, Home Stale, Ated, Power Cut, Dark Alley…..but these other meal kit companies wouldn’t dare show up and compete with established restaurants. Why is that? Well, okay, it is probably because this was an event for a wonderful local Charity that serves the homeless in the City of Alexandria….but the other reason, and equally plausible, is because they know that couldn’t win!
Our philosophy has always been to sell food that we would want to eat. This typically means we provide classic recipes with slight variation. But, most importantly, we are sourcing our ingredients from high quality suppliers the day before or the day of delivery to provide unmatched taste a quality. We are elated that the People agree!
We won the People's Hearts...but not the judges?!!
We won the only contest that matters...the People’s Choice...but did not win Best Savory from the Judges. The winner was a Jerk Spiced Pulled Pork Sandwich with a Habanero Pineapple Salsa. What the...?!!! Just like the braised Pork cheeks that won last year, we were robbed again. Do you know what will happen if you Google Habanero Pineapple salsa? That’s right, Google will auto-correct you and tell you it is actually “Pineapple Habanero” Salsa and include about….a Google of recipes….including Bobby Flay’s which interestingly includes Ginger...wait, now that is maybe….just a little...original.
Peas with a fork...Seriously?
Okay, so we said we beat out over 20 restaurants, but in actuality, one of the entrees really shouldn’t have counted. It was the Shrimp Pieces with English Peas. Okay, first off, Shrimp cut up into pieces looks like you are too cheap to give out whole pieces of shrimp….it is called 20-30 CT, which is the number of shrimp per pound...yeah, so use smaller shrimp and keep them whole. To add insult to the masticated shrimp, peas were the accompaniment….was that a practical joke or were they being passive aggressive? Disgruntled chef? Ever see anyone at a charity event try to eat peas with a fork while standing up? We certainly are not fans of the British culinary masterpiece that is the Mushy Pea, but it least it would have been practical. Well, our booth was next to them and provided some comic relief at the creativity to get the peas into the mouth. The award really should go to Vinnie from the Bronx, who folded his little plate like a New York Style Pie and dropped those peas straight down the hatch!
CookDC Viagra
Did you know preparing a CookDC meal kit together is said to be romantic by 100% of those polled?!!….The most consistent feedback we receive is how romantic preparing a CookDC meal kit is for a couple. You don’t need a prescription from your doctor and the forethought to plan a hour in advance, just order one of our “Over-the-Counter” instant romance kits. The Kits are especially helpful mid-week, when everyone is a little tired from a full day of work.….And, always remember, passion knows no age! Bon Appetit!….and we mean….Really!
Next Week's Menu Descriptions:
Known as the “Poor Man’s Lobster,” Monkfish has a meaty texture and a sweet, light flavor slightly reminiscent of the crustacean. The flesh is bright white and does not flake like most fish. Not the prettiest fish in the world, but certainly tasty....Don’t Google it!!!! It actually looks the closest to a Sea Monster as ever there was one, and as such, the head is always removed by the fishmonger prior to displaying. The Monkfish is versatile and can be prepared in a wide variety of ways. Our Monkfish has been net-caught in a sustainable fashion in the North Atlantic off the coast of Iceland. However, given its recent popularity and as a result its price, Monkfish is probably more aptly named the “Middle Class” lobster….look how everyone is benefiting from this now 8-years of economic expansion!!!!
We will serve the Monkfish with a hearty, Romesco Sauce, which comes from Catalonia area of Spain. An acidic tomato-based sauce, authentic Romesco gets its distinct flavor from Nyora Peppers (pimiento choricero), which are dried peppers that are not smoked. The sauce contains ground almonds, bread as a thickener, and Pimenton. The simple sauce is rich and creamy and a perfect accompaniment to the Monkfish.
The Baby Leeks will be blanched and then simmered in Beurre Monté, which is just a really fancy name for butter emulsified into water (we like to sound fancy). The result are leaks that are tender, sweet, and creamy.
Lastly, we will offer a Ensalada Catalana, which is a bitter green salad with an Almond Vinaigrette.
Note: The order deadline is Tuesday, May 2nd at 10pm.
We will be cooking a Bone-In Boston Duroc Pork Butt Sous Vide, which provides an unmatched tenderness and flavor for these sandwiches. The pork will already come pulled and only need reheating. We will offer vinegar-only coleslaw for the pulled pork, our Famous Smoked Gouda Mac N' Cheese, along with Mexican Street Corn with a Merquén Aoli.
Note: The order deadline is Wed., May 3rd at 10pm.
Carne Asada. Carne Asada, which translates to “grilled meat,” is a Mexican dish that can traditionally mean any number of cuts of steak. We will be using outside skirt steak, or commonly known as arracheras in Spanish, meaning "belt.” The “outside” skirt steak is the diaphragm muscle of the cow cut from the plate, which does in fact look like a belt. This cut of meat is sold exclusively to restaurants, due to the labor necessary to trim the meat. It is a thicker and more flavorful cut than the “inside” skirt steak, which comes from the flank, and is available in the supermarket. We will be serving the Carne Asada with flour tortillas, but the traditional corn tortillas are available at checkout.
Michoacan-Style Carnitas. This famous dish is pork cooked in its own fat, or similar to the French confit. The Carnitas actually will be cooked Sous Vide, using its own fat for poaching, rather than requiring any additional lard for cooking. The meat will only require reheating prior to serving. The meat is seasoned with spices like cinnamon, cloves, bay leaf, and oregano, and a mixture of Guajillo and Ancho peppers, and can be served with either corn or flour tortillas. We will have a tomatillo Salsa Verde, Diced Onions, Cotija Cheese, Crema, black beans, Cilantro, and a few limes.
A comment on seasoning. We purposely under season and keep spice to a minimum, as salt and heat can always be added but are difficult to take away. So, if you like your carne asada hot, then choose the jalepenos at checkout, broil them up, and season to taste.
Note: The Chickens average 3.25lbs and feeds 3-4 adults.
We are offering 4 options:
1 - Traditional: Herbs and Garlic stuffed into the cavity.
2- Moroccan: Preserved Lemon, Green Olives, and Ras el Hanout.
3- Panko Breadcrumb Stuffed: Toasted breadcrumbs infused with herbs and lemon juice stuffed under the skin of the Chicken.
4- Sesame Ginger: Marinated in Soy Sauce, Sesame Oil, & Ginger.
A Roast Chicken distinguishes mediocre restaurants from the great ones. While not a complicated dish, there is no excuse for anything less than flawless execution and that is not always the case. The three elements are sourcing a quality chicken, proper preparation, and cooking technique.
We will start off with our Free Range Amish-Raised Chickens, which have great flavor and are wonderfully moist. We will brine overnight, rub garlic and herbs in the cavity, truss, and put compound butter under its skin. The bird goes into the oven at 475 for 30 min and then cut to 400 for about an hour (you will need your roasting thermometer - we have them if you need one, so let us know). The result is crisp skin on the outside and moist on the inside.
As for the root vegetables, we have all of our seasonal favorites represented based on availability, with the possible inclusion of Carrots, Rutabagas, Turnips, Celery Root, and Potatoes. We realize that the cooking time is much longer than normal, but the bird simply goes on top of the “Nest” of root vegetables and that is about it.
Bon Appétit!