Category: Past Months

Thank you for sticking with me on this journey — have a cookie as a treat! Check out the December edition reflecting on the past year.

Well, folks, we did it!!! This labor of love has been going for a year now and I could not be happier that I stuck with it. There have been loads of bumps along the way as my job got busier and my free time shrunk, but the connections I have made in the D.C. food community are extremely worth it. As a special one year anniversary edition, I revisited with some of my past newsletter subjects to get y’all an update on their lives, and then look to 2021 to see what people’s goals are and what they expect or need to change. I was blessed that these connections gave me more of their time, and it allowed me to be reflect on the past year for myself, while inspiring goals for the next year. And that also sparked the idea for me to share my own recipes that I made for the holidays and have for the past few years. So this means you’ll be seeing a very different format below, but I hope you like it and it sparks a conversation. Let’s dive in then!

This month: It’s been a bit of a chaotic month, but I made the best of the most wonderful time of the year. I started a new fitness challenge that also focuses on self-love and mental health, so the daily reflections I’ve been doing have inspired me to be more proactive and ambitious. With that said, I wanted to create an anniversary edition while still connecting with a local foodie. Anela Malik helped connect me with Yasmin Elgibali, a home baker based in Burke, VA, so scroll down to read more tips from her as well. And I would still love to hear from every one of you on what you expect to see in the new year.

Some background: In a monthly newsletter, I combine a DC local’s story behind their favorite recipe(s), or ones that whip up some nostalgia, with photos and prose of my attempt at replication. These recipes vary in difficulty, but they are always ones close to the heart. This newsletter is sent on the third Sunday of each month as the name suggests.

A fun note: Make sure to mark this email as NOT spam, move it to your inbox or add my sending address  to your address book to avoid the newsletter regularly ending up in the abyss. Sometimes Mailchimp email campaigns go straight to spam.

First thing’s first: Meet Yasmin.

Yasmin grew up enjoying baking as a hobby and it was always in the back of her mind. She went into marketing as a career at first after graduating college and lived in New York City, but soon baking came back to the forefront so she started taking pastry classes. She actually was inspired to take those classes because she had won a photoshoot contest with Cosmo about people’s dream jobs. She had said her dream job was a cooking show host, but when they asked about steps she was taking towards that dream, she realized she needed to be more serious about classes. So she took culinary classes, worked full-time in advertising, and on the weekend, she learned all things vegan baking by working at the famous Peacefood Cafe. 

Baking was a great creative outlet for her but she was nervous to start her own business. especially in NYC. So, after moving back to her hometown of Burke, VA, and sitting on the thought during the beginning of the pandemic, she realized it was now or never. Yasmin has enough marketing experience and business savvy to make it work after she jumped right in. She kicked off her logo creative process and brainstormed recipes while on a roadtrip to a wedding.

A few weeks later, she got the business up and running after a friends and family taste test, creating a website, figuring out the best place to get her ingredients and lots of other homework to make sure she was successful. She fully formed her LLC in August and has had her business running for several months now! She wears all the hats and works operations, baking production and marketing every day.

Yasmin decided to offer gluten-free and vegan treats, something she’s passionate about, so that she could fill a gap in the market in NoVa and so that everyone can enjoy her baked goods. She frequently sells her goodies at farmer’s and holiday markets, in addition to taking orders via social media and ecommerce on her website. She says many of her customers hear about her bakeshop through social media because they are often looking to support local and small businesses who offer delicious scratch-made treats that remind them of home. Her most popular treat? Pumpkin spice cinnamon rolls. Her signature holiday cookie tins are taking off as well, though, which include her favorite thing to bake: peppermint sugar cookies.

Looking to recreate Yasmin’s success? Check out her top tips below for starting a home-based bakery and how to keep things running.

Discover her website.

And her Instagram.

Top tips on: starting a home-based bakery

Time to catch up

I asked my former interviewees for an update on them or their business, and what they’re looking for in the new year, including any personal goals, and top food tips for essential workers looking for a quick meal or at-home workers looking to spice things up in the kitchen. Read all the knowledge they have to offer below!

Laura of Booze Free in DC

2020 accomplishments: I got laid off this year. That was definitely a hard time for me — the uncertainty of how I was going to support myself. I’m so grateful for the pandemic unemployment assistance package but it was (and is) still a time of the unknown. But I’m beyond proud of my accomplishments because I took the crazy amount of lemons from 2020 and made some sweet, sweet lemonade. I started a web design agency for therapists and other helping professionals. I really built Booze Free in DC (check out my most recent Holiday Gift Guide!) and worked on Zero Proof Nation with my co-founder Chris Marshall. I got my first byline in District Fray Magazine and I have some exciting things coming up for Dry January too! 

2021 improvements: Obviously I want as many small restaurants and bars and bakeries to succeed and get through what is probably the most challenging time for the hospitality industry we’ve seen in decades. Once we get to a semblance of new “normalcy” in 2021, I would love for the industry in general to reflect the boom in non alcoholic beverages — that includes expanded zero proof menus (maybe a “no ABV” label on menus…) I want to work with DMV businesses to consult on zero proof menu/beverage creation. I want to create my booze-free travel guide/magazine for DC as a blueprint for other global cities. 

Food tips: For the essential workers out there, I love you! Thank you for your service. I think what’s most important right now is to remember that we don’t have to numb out with booze. Our mental health is sacred so let’s take care of it with some fantastic booze-free beverages, whether it’s a fun new seltzer or a complex zero proof cocktail. Our bodies and souls will be happier and healthier. Let’s start 2021 out right!

Jaimie of Red Bandana Bakery

2020 accomplishments: Our biggest accomplishment of the year was our online cake decorating class.  We baked small cakes and provided the frosting, fondant and sprinkles for curbside pickup, then broadcast a Facebook live event where we demo’d the process live while taking questions as participants decorated along at home.  We advertised on groups like Support Moco Restaurants and had a HUGE turnout–one weekend there were over 100 participants, and baking 100 cakes for one weekend was definitely a new record for this bakery!

2021 improvements:A personal goal for me in 2021 is going to be striking a better work/life balance.  For the sake of social distancing we have severely cut down on staffing at the bakery and I have had trouble turning down any orders that come in as we try to survive business-wise, which has led to a lot of late nights and 90-hour weeks for me and my few helpers here.  I can’t wait to get to a place where it’s safe to bring in some more staff, and meanwhile we need to work on setting boundaries with our order-taking.

Food tips: As we’ve been trying to minimize trips to the grocery store and buy things that keep well I’ve been cooking a lot more with beans, and I would really recommend chickpeas specifically!  They are cheap, highly nutritious and so versatile–we use them in countless items at the bakery for every meal of the day–a vegan chickpea scramble on breakfast sandwiches, hummus with challah chips for snacks, a hearty chickpea curry stew for lunch or dinner, or even pureed with cooked apple and cinnamon and oats for our sweet chickpea blondie desserts!  We have baking kits available for those, too.

Maria Saenz

2020 accomplishments:  “I am very fortunate to have help economically during these times so it hasn’t been that stressful for me. The only inconvenience is not feeling comfortable visiting any of my family or friends. As of now I don’t feel too stressed about the news because we kind see a light at the end of the tunnel with the vaccine being already distributed.”

2021 improvements: “In the year 2021, I would for this horrendous epidemic to be over!!!! Please!! Please!! And definitely my one of my goals is to hug and visit my family and friends more often. So many things we take for granted.”

Food tips: “Foods that I have been enjoying and that are super easy to make are beef soup and a lot of chicken and beef stew. Some nights when I feel very tired I would just order pizza too. Instant noodle soups can save the day too.”

Anela Malik of FeedtheMalik

2020 accomplishments: “I am so proud to have worked with and gotten to know so many amazing, hard-working, and empathetic food folks this year. Those relationships have meant the most to me in a year that has felt so disjointed and disconnected.”

2021 improvements: “I hope as businesses look to rebuild after the end of the pandemic that they also look to ensuring that their workplaces are truly safe, that they offer opportunities to a diverse array of workers, and that they operate with an eye towards sustainability and equity as well as profit.”

Food tips: One of my top food tips for anyone is that beans are truly underrated. They’re cheap, easy to reheat, one pot can last for days, and can be made so delicious and phenomenal with just the addition of a few other elements. Don’t sleep on beans folks! 

Michael and Jerusalem of Roaming Rooster

2020 accomplishments:  We have a lot going on right now. We opened our U Street location since we last spoke and in January we’re going to open a location in Tenleytown. We’re also opening a location in Western Market and a Skyland location in a few months. It’s been a shitty year for the service industry so we almost feel guilty but we’ve been one of the lucky ones. We also won a $25,000 grant through the Discover Pay It Forward program that people nominated us for. We have half of it to five non profits in the DMV, so that was a big deal for us. We had close to 4,000 nominations from community members so we had some meetings to pick the charities we donated to. Otherwise, we continue to serve only pick-up and delivery through our restaurants. The community is so supportive and it’s a humbling thing. We’re beyond grateful especially during this difficult time for families and businesses. 

2021 improvements: Our plan is to expand menu. We have milkshakes coming soon, and we’re currently ironing out those details, and we’re looking to add a breakfast menu with biscuits. We’re in the process of rebranding with a new company logo and new packaging, so we’ve been very busy with that lately. We want to keep progressing but stay focused and maintain our quality. After we donated some of our grant, we were inspired to set up some sort of non profit to help the community regularly. That difference we can make is high up on our agenda. We do still hope the government provides relief because a lot of people and businesses are struggling. The way things are going right now, too many people are suffering, so we hope to see some sort of stimulus or help.

Food tips: You can pick up our fried chicken and make a simple pasta at home, and even add some sauce to make a parmesan chicken. When it comes to cooking, make sure not to cut corners and get the best ingredients you can. And you can never go wrong with spices. 

Eric Wang of Thamee

2020 accomplishments: “We’re still here! It’s not my intention to be glib nor facetious with this response but to be honest. Unfortunately, with the restaurant industry besieged in this war of attrition, the fact that Thamee has managed to survive this far is an accomplishment on its own. Even though, I sometimes don’t feel like it’s much of an accomplishment. When the pandemic hit, our restaurant was less than 10 months old, which means in two more months, we will have been in this pandemic longer than we had normal restaurant service. Since then, we’ve seen numerous restaurants announce their permanent closures, and more announced every day. Most of them have had more years of operation, and many of them were owned and operated by celebrity chefs and experienced restaurateurs. Our survival thus far has been due to a combination of customer support, the hard work of our staff, generosity of our landlord, and grants we’ve received from both government and non-profit organizations. Still, those things, however generous and assiduous, haven’t been enough. Our current weekly sales are under 20% of where they were in February 2020, which means every day we’re accruing debt and cutting costs where we normally wouldn’t so that we can survive longer. However, with the advent of the vaccines, there is a theoretical timeframe we can expect dining to return to normalcy. And that has given me a renewed sense of purpose to survive through this pandemic. The first night that we can seat customers at our bar and shake hands and hug and share a drink, then I’ll know if survival truly feels like an accomplishment. 

2021 improvements: “We need a bailout package, direct cash relief injected into individual small businesses so that the owners and operators can do what we need to do to keep our restaurants open and to set us up for success when the restrictions are lifted. To be clear, I am not against any of the restrictions on dining. It’s imperative that we continue to stay vigilant and follow these restrictions for our public health and safety. But to ask the hospitality industry to continue to suffer without giving us the financial means to survive would inevitably continue the cascading effects of closures and unemployment, and so on. I would also like to see the industry normalize livable wages, health insurance and paid time off as part of a standard benefits package. The one thing that the pandemic has really brought to light is the condition in which hospitality workers often lack access to these things, and therefore, many people don’t go to the doctor’s when they’re sick and they continue to work while they’re sick. And if they’re sick with something contagious, we all get sick. And as consumers, if this is something we agree on, then we need to get used to paying slightly higher prices when dining out. We need to realize when we pay for a steak, it’s not just a twelve-ounce piece of beef we’re paying for. We’re also paying for the time, the grueling labor and artistry of numerous real human beings and their livelihoods. Therefore, my goal for 2021 for Thamee is to survive through this so that we can continue to be an example of how a small independent restaurant can pay a livable wage and offer health insurance and paid time off to our full-time employees.”

Food tips: “For essential workers: Soups, stews and curries!  They are a delicious way to deliver a lot of flavor and nutrients with a relatively short cooking time. Most soups/stews/curries take less than two hours to make from start to finish, and a lot of that time is passive cooking time, which means you can do whatever you like while your pot bubbles and simmers. You can make a lot of it, so you actually get more meals out of your cooking time than you would cooking individual meals every day. You can also freeze them in individual microwave safe containers without losing tastes or nutrition value. Stick it in the microwave and they are ready to be enjoyed. For your carbs, go for rice (which keeps well in the fridge, and can also be turned into fried rice), pick up a loaf of bread from your favorite bakery, or egg noodles which cook the fastest and have similar nutritional content as other pastas.

For those looking to experiment: If you can afford it, host a Zoom cooking class with a chef from your favorite restaurant. Email chefs and ask them if they would do a cooking class for you and your friends for a fee. Most chefs I know are generous people who can’t wait to share their expertise. It’s a great way to learn and to spend some time with your friends.”

Danny Llledo of Xiquet and Slate

2020 accomplishments: I’m so proud of the team that we’ve built at Xiquet. We opened in March, two weeks before the whole world went crazy, and we had to completely figure out how to shepherd a brand-new business through a pandemic. We got innovative — beyond just pivoting to takeout meals, we’ve launched online paella classes and wine tastings that have been a huge success and have helped us stay in business. Book a private Zoom event for the holidays or another special occasion and email contact@chefdannylledo.com!”

2021 improvements: “I’m so looking forward to the end of the pandemic so we can really show all of D.C. 100% of what our new restaurant has to offer.”

Food tips: “Olive oil + garlic + vegetable of choice is always a great quick option. Last night I sautéed some spinach and kale I had in the fridge already, topped it with a little bit of parmesan, and made a great quick meal when I got home late from the kitchen.”

What are my goals?

2020 was a rough year. But I did have some highs in addition to the lows. I grew my subscriber count to 89 people and managed to churn out 11 newsletters, making a new connection for each one. I tried new recipes almost every day and experimented frequently in the kitchen, including finally learning how to bake with sourdough. I started a new job at POLITICO doing what I had long dreamed of doing: copy editing. I continued to build meaningful relationships with family, friends and my boyfriend. I rediscovered my love of reading. I started working out regularly again and lost weight. But enough about that. I need to set goals for 2021, and I want to share them with you for accountability.

1. Grow my subscribers to 120 by the end of the year (ambitious, I know).
2. Post more frequently and create more engaging content on my Instagram account. Increase that follower count as well.
3. Experiment with new formats and designs for the newsletter, like I am this month. Keep content mostly local while still trying new ideas, such as one a close friend gave me that may involve the Great British Bake Off.
4. Expand more on themes for each month, like the pie edition for November.
5. Dedicate more time each month to reach these goals and grow my newsletter. Become more engaged in the D.C. foodie community by building on current connections and meeting at least 10 new people.
6. Continue to try new, healthier recipes every day and cook most meals on weekdays.
7. On that note, try every restaurant on my growing list of must-trys. Eat at or from a new place once a week if possible!
8. Try new cuisines as well. Georgian is next!
9. Feature more minority-owned businesses and home-based bakers and cooks. 
10. Have fun!

You can still have the best part of the meal on a different-looking holiday with the recipe in November’s edition.

Welcome back to The Sunday Roast! Apologies for the delay in sending the next newsletter. October got away from me and then I decided to take a break, but now I’m back and better than ever! This month, Covid-19 hospitalization and death rates have been rising at a scary pace and a lot of people are deciding to stay home alone or with roommates to celebrate Thanksgiving, a time that’s normally spent with family and close friends. With that lost time in mind, I decided to focus on the one comfort food I know people would enjoy and easily make for the holiday: pie!

This month: I reached out to my Twitter followers to ask for recommendations for local pie makers to feature in a special Thanksgiving edition, and one friend suggested Pie Sisters in Georgetown. As a storefront I’ve spotted frequently as I drove across Key Bridge towards AU, I immediately knew I had to feature the iconic shop. I reached out via their website and heard from Alli, one of the sisters and owners, immediately, and now here we are! Also, remember to check out all recipes and past month’s feature at my website. Also, my subscriber count is at 85, and I want to hear from every one of you.

Some background: In a monthly newsletter, I combine a DC local’s story behind their favorite recipe(s), or ones that whip up some nostalgia, with photos and prose of my attempt at replication. These recipes vary in difficulty, but they are always ones close to the heart. This newsletter is sent on the third Sunday of each month as the name suggests.

A fun note: Make sure to mark this email as NOT spam, move it to your inbox or add my sending address  to your address book to avoid the newsletter regularly ending up in the abyss. Sometimes Mailchimp email campaigns go straight to spam.

Meet Alli, Erin and Cat.

Pie has been their life. Alli, Erin and Cat grew up watching their mother make pies for the whole neighborhood as kids lined up to get a slice of peach pie. To get that slice, though, they had to work in an assembly line canning fruit and making fresh fruit pies. The sisters’ mother would freeze pies of the season, like the infamous peach, so they could pull it out in the winter and enjoy it even then. 

The family tradition lived on, but the sisters moved onto different careers in different cities, including marketing and finance in New York for Erin and Alli. They would make pies to bring family and friends together at parties, but nothing more than that. Then, Georgetown Cupcake took off and the sisters thought: “Isn’t pie so much better than cupcakes?” So they set off to prove that and opened Pie Sisters in the same neighborhood in 2011. They grew up in the area by attending St. John’s and living in nearby Great Falls, so they knew the waterfront neighborhood was ideal. Their current location was hard to come by but definitely worked in their favor since its visibility across from the Key Bridge drives marketing.

At first, they struggled because they made high quality pies in glass dishes, but eventually customers understood they were getting the ultimate pie and now they’ve built a loyal customer base that’s carried them through the pandemic with little change other than converting former seating into more baking and freezing space, and less weddings to cater. Plus, selling the pies in glass dishes means customers can pass off the pie as their own work and continue to return for more pie.

They came up with the innovative cuppie, which was a mini pie the size of a cupcake, so that anyone could still walk around Georgetown and enjoy the comfort dessert. Erin and Alli say making the cubbies can be painstaking since they’re smaller and require the same attention and detail as larger pies, but they[‘re worthwhile and the sisters pride themselves on putting lots of love and hard work into each beautiful and presentable pie. They even went a step further and made bite-size pie bites, which they say along with cuppies are especially popular for catering orders. 

The sisters continue to sell frozen pies to this day so that customers can bake the pie and even take the credit for it themselves if they want, because that delicious smell that encompasses your kitchen is worth it.

Discover their website.

And their Instagram.

The story behind their recipe.

Alli credits Erin with creating the Jumble berry pie recipe and all its intricacies. She one day started baking down berries, which if you make this can be any kind you prefer, to see how she could create the perfect berry pie.

With Alli’s help on making a delicious crust, the sisters created a deliciously tart pie with a perfectly sweet crumble. And while others may associate Thanksgiving with pumpkin and pecan pies, especially the Pie Sisters’ uber popular bourbon chocolate pecan pie, but Alli and Erin, who I talked to, said this one is different and special — perfect for the holiday.

I baked a full-size pie because pies are my absolute favorite thing to make, but Pie Sisters makes most of their flavors in cuppie size, which they say are the most popular with customers.

This flavor in particularly is also a customer favorite and one many people may know Pie Sisters for. Erin mastered the recipe and added a special ingredient other pie-makers may not think to add: blackberry liqueur. The flavorful alcohol adds just a bit more of a berry flavor to the filling and really makes the flavor pop against the buttery, brown sugar-focused crumble on top. But don’t worry: the alcohol obviously cooks down when baking the pie.

Most of the pies at Pie Sisters are more simple and that’s because the sisters want to focus on fresh, local ingredients without bogging down fillings with any extras. They say that pie got a bad rap back in the day because some would be so loaded with sugar, but that the dessert is actually quite healthy compared to some cakes and cookies, especially the way the sisters make it.

A slice of their pie will never bog you down — you simply savor every bite. That’s why this recipe in particular has a small amount of sugar in the filling. Erin says she always starts with 1/4 cup of sugar in it and then taste tests it along the way to see if more is necessary. I put that amount in and found it didn’t need anymore, but it totally depends on your sweet tooth’s preference. Further adjustments you can make if you want to include adding a second crust on top instead of a crumble, though I suggest the crumble since it’s the best one I’ve ever had. 

I also strongly suggest making this pie for Thanksgiving. It’s the perfect combination of flavors and it’s something unique from the typical pumpkin or pecan pie. Pie in general is such a comforting food, and with a holiday coming that most people cannot spend with their family due to coronavirus limitations, Pie Sisters has stepped in with its pre-orders. Alli and Erin say the pandemic has been such a transient area with some people yearning so much for home that they break down and cry in the shop because pie reminds them of the family they cannot see.

The sisters never expected to make such an impact with their annual sale of pies, a family tradition, but it’s super rewarding. They’ve even already reached capacity for Thanksgiving orders! Some customers are new, but the sisters continue to see loyal customers come back each year for their tradition of a Pie Sisters’ pie —  and some are even driving from New York and Annapolis. Their pie must be that good, especially those adorable little cubbies, so make some of your own to chow down on come November 26!