Brunch Platter - Click image to enlarge

When  traveling I often do brunch on weekends so I can sample both lunch and breakfast in one shot.  But when I’m at home, I often go for the quick yogurt and fruit then hit the street.  However, about once a month, my wife and I put together a nice brunch platter and spend a few hours together sharing stories we’ve read in our magazines.  

The platter on the right consists of smoked salmon, sliced tomatoes, chopped red onions, fresh basil leaves, fresh dill, cucumber slices, strawberries, blueberries, toasted bagles, juice, champagne, and not shown organic cream cheese with chives.  Enjoy!

A close friend who I’ve known for over 8 years had only heard other friends talk of the cake.  So a few weeks ago when she was having a dinner party featuring Ethiopian food, she invited me only on condition I bring the carrot cake.  One of the guest’s comment:  “thought you should know that the awesomeness will never be forgotten:)”.   I’ve also had requests from Canada and as far away as Argentina. 

So the moral here is, learn to do something you love, do it well, give it to others and if you are like me, keep the secret to yourself, i.e., no recipe provided because this is my special something!

Some people love crepes while others not so much.  I guess I fall in the latter category.  I can do with out thin pancakes for the most part.  What I can’t live without is great food and coffee and Cafe Bonaparte certainly delivers on both.

My favorite spot is at the bar where I can have a little more space if it isn’t too crowded, plus you don’t have to wait if there is a seat available.

The coffee here is excellent and I recomend the various espresso they have.  The Dulce Espresso starts out with a dulce laced cup and finished with whip cream.  Their lattes can be considered art in some circles but the taste is what is important and they deliver.

Their crepes are filled with fresh ingredients.  The Verona is filled with ground Italian sausage, caramelized onions, green peppers, and two cheeses, provolone and fontina.  I honestly wanted to pick this up and eat it like a breakfast burrito as I almost did with the Florentine.

The omletes and other plates servered are filling and some would find it difficult to finish the entire meal, I know I do and I can eat!

The sweet crepes are enough for 2 so share.  I’m not much of a sweets guy so I tend to go the savory route when it comes to crepes but if you must try one, go with the Dulce, which is filled with fresh bananas and Ducle de leche. 

This has become a favorite of mine.  It provides such an international flare and takes me back to Paris or Buenos Aires each time I walk in.

Imaginary City by Prefete Dufaut

Today I decided to celebrate Haiti by making some traditional Haitian cuisine starting with Griyo (Griot), which is a delectable dish made from pieces of pork.  I started yesterday by purchasing a 3lb pork shoulder, picnic style and had the butcher cut it into 3 inch pieces.  I added some herbs and spices to a bowl, cumin, paprika, chili, cumin, salt, pepper, cilantro, oregano, and chopped some garlic and onion then added this all to my pork pieces with a few table spoons of oil and did a thorough massage of the pieces to ensure consistent coating.  I then put in the fridge for an overnight marinading (about 12 hours).  

This morning I preheated the oven to 350 and placed my pork into a very large heavy roasting pan (Le Creuset works well) and placed on center rack.  I’ll cook this for several hours (based on the size/amount of pork) and allow it to get a nice crisp outer crust while maintaining a soft and tender juicy inside.  

Served with this will be a Haitian styled rice and beans.  This will start with a half pound of pinto beans and 4 cups of water.  I’ll cook the beans uncovered to allow the water to evaporate and add more if needed.  The beans will cook with cumin, salt, pepper, cloves, and cilantro.  When the beans are tender I’ll add  2 cups of rice to them and cover.  It takes about 15 minutes for the rice to cook completely. 

Celebration by Haitian Ludovic Simpson

I’ll also create a coleslaw that is a spin on a traditional Haitian salad chou (coleslaw).  I learned this version from a traditional Haitian woman.  I cheat by using the pre-package of coleslaw and add cut onions, bell peppers, garlic, and a very small habanero pepper.  I sprinkle salt and finish with a half cup of white vinegar.  Some call this salad Pikliz.

I’ll finish my celebration with a rum cocktail of brown sugar, vanilla, lime juice and Barbancourt dark Rum. 

One day I hope to learn how to make Tasso!

***** Update *****

Here is a picture of the results of my Haitian Cuisine.

Hungry Traveler makes Haitian Cuisine - click to enlarge

We ventured out last night to check out the new Kora Restaurant.  We had been big fans of Farrah Olivia in Old Town, Alexandria and were excited to see a less expensive venue Morou created with brother/partner Chef Amadou Quarttara.  If you go to Kora expecting a similar experience to Farrah Olivia, you will be disappointed.  Not only is the chef different, the service won’t be the same. With all the hype, people were lead to believe Chef Morou would be at the culinary helm here, but that is obviously not the case.

Pizza oven at Kora

This is a great place for quick bites out with their low cost pizzas or for special occasion date nights with the Foodie Feast 12 course tasting menu.  This tasting menu comes in a series of 3 with 4 dishes in each series.  At first glance I didn’t think it was enough food but like Farrah Olivia, it is most filling.  For the most part, the plates were excellent but it was certainly hit or miss.  Going with 4 tappas sized options per plate, you are sure to like at least 2 of the four.    After the first two series came and went we were suprised at the length of wait for our 3rd series giving us the impression we were forgotten.

The wait staff could use some polish and we found it a bit peculiar that the individuals who brought out our food from the kitchen explained each item versus our server.  With Chef Morou’s Farrah Olivia the staff made sure to be attentive to your every need without you having to ask.  The staff at Kora are not at that level but then again, neither are the prices.  

Kora will see me with some frequency, but I’ll probably sit at the bar and order pizza.