WHY MESS WITH EXTRA INGREDIENTS — and calories — when you can enjoy flavorful fish that's been minimally seasoned and simply grilled? That's the ethos of Greek restaurant Kellari Taverna, which opened last weekend.
At Kellari (1700 K St. NW; 202-535-5274), diners choose their meal from a display of a dozen or more fish. The selection varies, depending on what's freshest, but Kellari's corporate chef and partner Gregory Zapantis promises there'll be a range of species imported from the Mediterranean (and many that are hard to find in the area, such as lavraki and tsipoura), and items from local fishmongers. Chefs add small amounts of sea salt, oregano, lemon juice and extra-virgin olive oil to the fish, and then it's grilled.
"The health benefits of this type of cooking are tremendous," says Zapantis, who notes that butter is never used at the restaurant. "The quality of the fish is so high, and every type of fish has its own characteristics and flavors that I wouldn't want to cover that."
So, if you're looking for license to chow down on Grecian grilled fish, eat your heart out.
» Recipe File: Mediterranean Grilled Fagri
Photo courtesy Melissa O'Neal
CHEF CARY NEFF, left, author of the New York Times best-seller "Conscious Cuisine," wears a white coat, just like a doctor. And last week, at the opening of his first D.C. restaurant, the outfit definitely fit in. That's because Flavors 450 — his showcase of seasonal ingredients, whole grains and proper portion size — is located at the National Rehabilitation Center (102 Irving St. NW).
While Neff made a name for himself at luxury spas, he's now giving hospital grub some critical care. Flavors 450, which features dishes with only 450 calories or less, is designed to dispel myths about nutritious dining. "There's the idea that healthy food takes too long to make. But this is being made to order in two minutes. There's the idea that it costs too much. Everything here is under $5," Neff boasts.
And the taste matches his mouth-watering descriptions: "That's a sword of black bean, sake and ginger-glazed Portobello mushrooms, over a risotto with turkey bacon — for smokiness — and a root vegetable cream sauce."
Beyond what's on the plate, Flavors 450 provides information sheets and recipe cards and, by next year, Neff hopes to bring in a farmers market. "The goal is to create awareness and opportunity," he says. Expect more of both when Flavors 450 expands to Washington Hospital Center and Children's Hospital.
Photo courtesy Derek T. Berry/NPH
SO, YOU KNOW fruits and veggies are good for you, and you also know the farmers market is a great place to stock up on fresh foods during the summer. But did you know you probably won't eat that zucchini, eggplant, tomato, sweet potato, artichoke, insert-your-most-recent-market-acquisition-here, if you don't have a clue 
about how to prepare it?
That's why it might pay to learn a little something about produce prep. The weekly Farmer's Market series of classes at Zola Wine and Kitchen ($50 each, 505 Ninth St. NW; 202-639-9463; Zolawinekitchen.com) are geared toward amateur chefs who want to make the most of seasonal goodies from their neighborhood vendors.
Each class focuses on a specific veggie or fruit — upcoming offerings feature sweet corn (Wednesday), eggplant (Aug. 19) and peaches (Aug. 26) — and teaches a handful of ways to incorporate it into meals. The focus is on using each item when it's at its prime locally.
Continue Reading "Fresh Ideas for Veggies: Farmer's Market Classes at Zola Wine and Kitchen" »
KNOWN FOR FRIED chicken, waffles and grits, Southern cuisine isn't exactly diet-friendly fare. So, with soul food dominating Washington's newest menus, how are we supposed to keep the numbers on our scales from creeping north?
Blue Ridge (2340 Wisconsin Ave. NW; 202-333-4004) goes heavy on vegetable side dishes (such as sautéed beet greens and braised zucchini) — and purposely skimps on fats by using milk instead of cream where possible, says head chef Barton Seaver. And his farm-to-table philosophy preserves more nutrients in each bite, he adds: "I spend my time buying good ingredients, and then I keep out of the way of them."
It's tougher to navigate the menu at Eatonville (2121 14th St. NW; 202-332-9672; Eatonvillerestaurant.com). "But in some of our sides, where traditionally we'd use fatback or pork, we've refrained," says executive chef Rusty Holman. Opt for his vegan side dishes, including stewed tomatoes with black-eyed peas and braised collard greens.
Continue Reading "Take Your Mouth South: Finding Healthy Cuisine in Washington's Soul Food Craze" »
WITH THE EXCEPTION of the grill, few food-heating appliances seem appealing during the summer. So, go raw, suggests Tania Mercer, who will lead a "Cooking in the Raw" workshop at the U.S. Botanic Garden (Usbg.gov) tomorrow.
"It's eating as nature intended us to eat," says Mercer, a D.C.-based certified living foods chef who runs the health counseling service Nourishing You (Nourishingyou.com). "Once you start eating this way, you'll feel differently, you'll have more energy, and you'll lose more weight," Mercer says, explaining that leaving foods untouched preserves their natural enzymes, which aid in digestion.
The result? The body is left with more energy to fulfill essential functions such as rebuilding muscles and fighting diseases, Mercer says. Another side benefit of raw foods is a glowing complexion. "What you eat affects how your skin looks," she says. "If you're putting in good stuff, what's coming out is good stuff."
Eating more naturally isn't as difficult — or as blah — as you might think. Sushi and smoothies, for example, are raw staples for some. Mercer doesn't think the average person needs to follow a strictly raw diet, either. To go "50 percent raw," Mercer says, you need eat only two salads per day. Throw in two servings of fruit for breakfast, and "you'd be doing really well."
And if you're not into eating raw meat (or worried about the dangers of E. coli), stick to nuts, seeds, buckwheat, wild race and quinoa, which can also serve as raw protein sources. Those who do eat meat and dairy usually stick with minimal amounts of raw cheese, sushi or carpaccio, Mercer says.
Experimenting with recipes is, perhaps, the most interesting element of a raw lifestyle. Mercer says there are plenty of unexpected ways to use uncooked ingredients — take, for example, her "Magical Chocolate Pudding." She says nobody "ever guesses or even comes close" to identifying the nutritious base ingredient in the indulgent non-dairy dessert: avocado.
LONG BEFORE MCDONALD'S CAME up with "supersizing," Americans had issues with portion control. Even restaurants with healthy fare usually serve us entrees that are far larger than a reasonable meal. The logical alternatives — appetizers and those chic small plates — often aren't a much better fit, since they're usually too tiny to satisfy.
Epicurean Goldilockses who want a portion size that's just right should check out the new "medium plates" at Ardeo (3311 Connecticut Ave. NW; 202-244-6750).
Ardeo's executive chef, Alex McWilliams, came up with the eight new in-between-appetizer-and-entree-size servings in April, hoping to attract a broader range of guests to the neighborhood restaurant. Less food equals less cost, so several of the new dishes are half the price of the most expensive entrees. And, of course, waistline watchers seemed like a good target, too.
Continue Reading "Plate Special: Decrease Your Portion Size, But Still Satisfy" »
THE CHARMS — AND STEINS — of Oktoberfest have made it a worldwide festival. But somehow, Germany's springtime celebration of asparagus — known as Spargelfest — has gotten, well, the shaft.
Perhaps that's for the best, waistline-wise. Spargelfest leaves you stuffed instead of hammered: It involves excessive consumption of the veggie (usually of the thick, white variety, which can be harder to get in the States) drenched in fattening hollandaise sauce.
The Germans are wise to fete the versatile, nutrient-packed crop, however, says Goulda A. Downer, the president and CEO of Metroplex Health and Nutrition Services Inc. (6323 Georgia Ave. NW; 202-723-7222). "You can have asparagus as a side dish with chicken, fish, root vegetables, red meat — really, it can go with anything," Downer says.
Continue Reading "Living on the Veg: Eat Asparagus Like a German" »
HAVEN'T GOT A CLUE about what to buy mom for Mother's Day? Take her to one of the three outposts of Sweetgreen (Georgetown, Dupont and Bethesda, see Sweetgreen.com for locations) for an innovative take on the classic bouquet: a flower-garnished salad.
"When I think of what every single son will get his mother for Mother's Day, it's flowers," says Nicolas Jammet, co-owner of the eco-minded salad and fro-yo purveyor. Jammet came up with the idea for the promotion with partners Nathaniel Ru and Jonathan Neman.
The $9 Mother's Day salad — which will be available only this Sunday (although similar versions may be ordered through the restaurant's catering service) — tosses together baby arugula, carrots, beets, green apples, goat cheese and cilantro with a lime-cilantro vinaigrette, and is topped with edible orchids, pansies and/or chive blossoms. The exact type of petals in the salad will depend on whichever flower is freshest this weekend.
Continue Reading "Flower Power: Take Mom Out to Eat Petals" »
FIGHTING CROWDS AROUND the Tidal Basin during the National Cherry Blossom Festival (which starts Saturday) can be the pits. But don't let tourists get in the way of your cherry cheer.
Like most fresh produce, cherries pack a strong nutritional punch. They're fat free, low in calories and sodium, and full of minerals and vitamins such as potassium, vitamin A, vitamin C and B-complex vitamins. Recent studies have suggested that tart cherries may help reduce inflammation in the body and ease arthritis pain; protect against cardiovascular disease and some cancers; and reduce the risk of diabetes, according to a report by the Cherry Marketing Institute.
Continue Reading "Local Flavor: A Cherry on Top Makes the Meal" »
HERE'S AN EASY WAY to stick to a New Year's resolution to eat better: Swap your usual lunch for good-for-you grub from the Juice Joint Cafe (1025 Vermont Ave NW; 202-347-6783), a McPherson Square eatery that lures in downtown workers with smoothies, veggie-packed wraps, organic omelets and more.
You'll be joining a roster of regulars who visit multiple times per week, including Robin Halsband, 38, who works around the corner from the cafe and has been a fixture for three years. "I feel good about the food I get here," she says.
Such devoted customers are a testament to the plan Tom Holland and his brother Jim cooked up 11 years ago when they opened the place as an alternative to fast food counters. "Originally when I started this concept, I wanted to be next to every McDonalds in the country," Tom Holland says.
They haven't served billions quite yet, but the cramped kitchen, long lines (often out the door) and steady growth (even in this rotten economy), has convinced Holland it's time for more Joints. Plans are in the works to expand to two new locations, one along Pennsylvania Avenue and another in Crystal City.
The secret to his success is no secret at all: Holland says it comes down to quality and consistency.
Continue Reading "Juiced for the New Year: Juice Joint Cafe" »
Addison Road