Weekend Update

It's HOT. Almost 100 degrees, muggy, close, steamy kind of hot. I've previously referenced how well I function in the heat (short answer - not well), so it's a particular accomplishment for me that I've been able to have the culinary-love fest that I've been having. To be fair, it's never really hard for me to eat.

Yesterday, we attended the Beer, Bourbon and Barbecue Festival at the National Harbor. There were tasting stations for hundreds of beers and bourbons, plus barbecue stations and cooking demonstrations. This guy was my favorite:

Yes, that's a whole pig. Yes, it was delicious. Plus, they were handing out FREE BACON.


(You didn't believe me, did you? That's why I had to provide photographic evidence.)

Then this morning Steve and I checked out a new restaurant on Barrack's Row, Ted's Bulletin. I highly recommend that you check this one out if you're in the DC area. The decor is very cool - it's built to look like a 1930's-era diner or scoop shop (they have an extensive menu of milkshakes), and it has a fun old-timey feel. It didn't hurt that the food was also excellent.

After brunch we took a walk through the Eastern Market. This is one of my favorite places in DC -- so many farmers and vendors come through there, and it's a great place to spend a Sunday morning. I picked up some sweet West Virginia peaches, fresh mozzarella cheese from the cheese stand (p.s.: We also sampled some 'pirano' cheese -- has anyone ever had this? It's supposed to be a cross between parmesan and gouda, and it's so rich and nutty and flavorful, I almost bought a block right there), and an enormous yellow beefsteak tomato. I am normally not a huge tomato fan, but I was happily eating these samples at the market. It's so fresh and summery - I can't wait to eat it with tonight's dinner. Which is going to be pizza!

I've made the dough (rising now), I've roasted the tomato with a big eggplant from the organic market, and I'm going to cover the whole thing with basil and mozzarella. Stay tuned for the full report!

Weekend Update UPDATE:

It was pretty delicious.

(Not pictured: I set the bowl with the rising dough on the stovetop while I roasted the vegetables, figuring that the heat from the oven would help the dough to rise. It actually baked a part of the dough, meaning that I wound up with less pizza dough.) Steve enjoyed the half-baked/half-raw bread-like concoction that was created, however.

(Also not pictured: when I went to check on the pizza while baking, I pulled the rack out, and then lifted it a little bit to put it back in place. The result was the pizza sliding off the rack and the eggplant falling on the oven floor while I yelled profanities and Steve watched in horror. Still good, though!)