Winter Around a Campfire

By Kristen Noel, photography by Jennifer Chase

Chicken with sweet potatoes and mushroom stuffing make for a fulfilling campfire meal.

In my mid-20s, I moved to Healdsburg, Calif., hardly knowing anyone and without much of a plan. Since Healdsburg sits at the point where three of Sonoma’s major wine regions meet, I thought I would try to get into the wine business.

At the time, I knew next to nothing about cooking and probably wouldn’t have known how to peel a garlic clove if you handed one to me. However, so close to the birthplace influential California cuisine, the appreciation of good food and cooking is a way of life there.

I ended up working in a bakery owned by two alumni of Chez Panisse and was fortunate to be introduced to a group of friends who cooked together often. I experienced the power of coming together around food, creating deeper connections and an improvement in our overall well-being. It made me fall madly in love with cooking, which forever changed the course of my life.

After attending culinary school in Portland, Ore., I came back home to Washington, DC, where I met my wife, Miranda. One of the first things we bonded over was our shared love of nature. We have a tradition of visiting a new national park every year, and we try to get out of the city for weekend “adventures” in the Shenandoah Valley at least every couple of months.

In the winter, we opt for the cozy cabins at Getaway in Stanardsville, Va. It’s set up like a campground, but you get to stay in the coolest tiny house that you won’t ever want to leave—think Scandinavian minimalism meets rustic log cabin. The comfy queen-size beds are next to a large window looking out into the woods. Each cabin comes with its own fire pit and everything you need for a campfire, including firewood. Inside there is a small kitchen with a couple of burners, a sink and a mini-fridge.

I wanted to bring my new friends in DC together around a meal like I had experienced in California. And what better way to do so than to host a feast by campfire? People have been gathering around fires since the beginning of time. So we invited a few friends along with us to Getaway for campfire feast.

I came up with a seasonal menu that would work for any holiday dinner, while taking flavor inspiration from the aromatic, earthy woods our region is known for. The dishes all have lots of woody herbs and I found a way to include local wild mushrooms.

Rainbow carrots and sweet potatoes add a splash of color to this roast chicken.

Since the campfire can be fickle, I didn’t want to risk everyone having to wait up all night for a turkey to cook. So, I opted for a Dutch-oven roast chicken, with sweet potatoes, carrots and fennel to be served on the side. Inside the chicken was a wild mushroom duxelles stuffing to complete three dishes in one pot. Alongside the Dutch-oven chicken, potatoes au gratin with rosemary cooked in a cast-iron pan with a lid. I also prepared a simple salad of winter greens and garlic chives with an herbed lemon vinaigrette to balance out all the heavy food.

To drink around the fire, I had a hot apple cider with cinnamon and some apple mint that I found at the farmers market the day before. Adults could add their own splash of bourbon to the cider, so our friends’ children could enjoy it too.

And, the next morning, cinnamon rolls were cooked in cast iron over the fire, then topped with cream cheese frosting.

I love cooking over a campfire because, just like camping, it allows you to unplug. In this case, from the controlled environment of the kitchen. Without temperature dials and timers, you have permission to let go of perfectionism and rely on your intuition and senses.

Sure, your food may not come out precisely evenly cooked. You might burn something or have to throw an undercooked piece of meat back on the fire. But I guarantee everyone will happily eat what you serve. There is something deeply satisfying about coming together around a campfire to enjoy a good meal.

A maple marinade helps this roast chicken achieve fantastic flavor and color.

Dutch-Oven Roast Chicken with Sweet Potatoes

Serves 6

This Dutch-Oven Roast Chicken can be a full meal in a one pot. The maple syrup marinade drips down into the sweet potatoes and carrots, gently enhancing their natural sweetness, and the juices from the chicken are absorbed by the vegetables making them moist and savory. It’s really an easy dish to pull off on a campfire with the right equipment (a cast-iron Dutch oven with a lid, charcoal and a shovel for placing the coals). When I do this dish for a campfire, I marinate the chicken the day before we leave. Then I transport it in a cooler, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and sealed in a zip-top bag. If you opt to do the wild mushroom duxelle stuffing, you practically have a entire fantastic meal in one Dutch oven.

Ingredients

1 (5-pound) chicken
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons butter

Marinade
3 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon minced thyme

Vegetables

3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into large dice
1 large fennel bulb, julienned
1 bunch rainbow carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
1 pound pearl onions, peeled
6 to 8 sprigs fresh thyme
4 to 6 sprigs fresh rosemary
Zest of 1 lemon
Olive oil to drizzle
Kosher salt to taste

Whisk together all the ingredients for the marinade in a small bowl. Pat dry the chicken and brush it all over with the marinade, pouring any remaining marinade over it. Seal the chicken in a plastic bag or tightly lidded container and marinate in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.

About an hour before cooking, remove the chicken from the refrigerator and its container and pat dry. Set it on a plate and allow to come to room temperature.

When ready to cook, completely pat dry the chicken once more and stuff the cavity with the Wild Mushroom Duxulles Stuffing (if you are making it). Tie the legs together with kitchen twine to seal in the stuffing.

If cooking this at home, preheat oven to 450°F.

Heat an 8- or 12-inch Dutch oven until very hot but not smoking (if cooking on the campfire, you’ll want to put about 11 hot coals under the Dutch oven). Add the 2 tablespoons olive oil and 2 tablespoons butter. When the oil has heated and the butter has melted, place the chicken in breast side down. Sear until the breast is golden brown, about 4 to 6 minutes.

Carefully flip the chicken over. Put the lid on the Dutch oven and roast at 450°F for 30 minutes (for cooking on the campfire, spread about 20 coals on top of the lid of the Dutch oven).

Meanwhile, toss the sweet potatoes, fennel, carrots and onions with olive oil, salt and the lemon zest in a large bowl. Mix well to make sure all the veggies are coated in the oil and seasonings.

After 30 minutes, remove the lid from the Dutch oven and arrange the vegetables around the chicken. Place around the thyme and rosemary sprigs.

Replace the lid (and place the coals back on top for campfire cooking). Cook for about another 30 minutes, until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F and all the vegetables are cooked through. Let the chicken rest for at least 15 minutes before carving.

Wild mushrooms add flavor and depth to a traditional sage-centric stuffing.

Wild Mushroom Duxelles Stuffing

Enough to stuff 1 chicken

This stuffing borrows from the classic French savory pastry filling duxelles, which is typically a cooked mixture of mushrooms, shallots and herbs. The wild mushrooms make it absolutely delicious, and the sage brings in a familiar taste most of us are used to in stuffing. I recommend cooking it inside the chicken because the flavor from the roasting juices moistening it are unparalleled.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
½ pound wild mushrooms such as oyster, chanterelles, lion’s mane or morels, roughly chopped
¼ cup minced shallots
3 cloves garlic, minced
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
½ loaf crusty bread, cut into large dice
½ cup minced flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon sage, sliced thin horizontally
Chicken stock, if making on the stovetop

Heat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. When the olive oil heats up, add the mushrooms and stir to spread throughout the pan.

When the mushrooms begin to brown, add the shallots and garlic. Season with a pinch of salt and stir; cook until the mushrooms are completely browned and the shallots and garlic have softened.

Scrape the mushroom mixture into a medium bowl. Add the bread, parsley and sage and mix to combine. Stuff the cavity of the chicken with the stuffing. 

Alternatively, add the bread, parsley and sage into the pan with the mushroom mixture and moisten with about ½–1 cup chicken stock. Cook until hot.

Lemon and rosemary brighten this classic French gratin.

Potatoes au Gratin with Rosemary

Serves 6 (fits an 8-inch cast-iron pan)

I had to include this potatoes au gratin recipe because it is my wife, Miranda’s, favorite. It has the flavor of a classic French gratin with butter, cream and gruyere cheese. The addition of lemon zest brings a little brightness to it, and the rosemary gives it an earthy aroma reminiscent of a walk in the woods.

Ingredients

1 cup milk
1 cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons butter, plus more to butter the cast iron
1 bay leaf
Kosher salt, to taste
1 clove garlic, peeled and cut in half
1 pound russet potatoes, peeled and sliced very thin
1 tablespoon minced rosemary
Zest of 1 lemon
1 cup grated gruyere cheese

If making this at home, pre-heat oven to 425°F.

Combine the milk, heavy cream, butter, bay leaf and a generous pinch of salt in a small saucepan. Slowly bring to a boil, keeping an eye on it so it doesn’t boil over. (If you are tent-camping, you will need to use a camp stove or portable burner for this.) 

Thoroughly butter an 8-inch cast-iron pan and run the cut sides of the garlic clove all around the pan to impart a garlic flavor. Arrange the potato slices in the pan, season with salt and sprinkle the rosemary and lemon zest all around.

When the milks come to a boil, remove the bay leaf and pour on top of the potatoes. If you are making it a home, place the pan into the oven and roast for 40 to 45 minutes. (If you are cooking it on a campfire, cover the cast iron with a lid and set on a grill grate over hot coals. Spread about 14 hot coals around the lid and roast for 40 to 45 minutes.)

Once it begins to brown on top, remove from the oven and top with the gruyere cheese. Return to the oven and cook for about 10 minutes more until the cheese melts and browns. (For cooking it on a campfire, carefully remove the lid and sprinkle on the gruyere cheese. Replace the lid and cook for about another 10 minutes, until the cheese melts.

Be sure to check out a campfire cinnamon roll recipe here.

Back to Our Roots

By Whitney Pipkin, photography by Jennifer Chase

Kate Jacoby and Rich Landau of Philadelphia’s Vedge and DC’s Fancy Radish.

For the plant-based power couple behind H Street’s Fancy Radish, the holidays are another occasion to give vegetables their due. As if Kate Jacoby and Rich Landau of Philadelphia’s Vedge, V Street and Wiz Kid—lauded among the country’s best vegan restaurants—haven’t done enough for the food pyramid’s humblest roots, they can’t help but pay tribute through vividly seasonal dishes this time of year.

The pair has spent the year demonstrating in the District what they’ve already shown The City of Brotherly Love: how to make the most of the produce aisle. And it starts with dispelling the myth that every vegetable, particularly at the holiday table, needs to be basted with butter and cream. 

“When you really think about the natural flavor of what’s harvested seasonally—when you know how to cook it right—you don’t need to cover it up with anything,” says Landau. “If you’re going to eat a piece of cardboard, yeah, cover that up. But why not taste the vegetables?”

This roasted acorn squash with black lentils is an excellent dish for guests. Get the recipe here.

Landau started cooking vegetable-centric meals at the bar of a health food store in the Philadelphia suburbs back in 1994, when rejecting animal products to eat vegan was still more of a punchline than a trendy lifestyle. Jacoby joined him there in 2001, and caught a vision for sharing his approach to food more broadly.

“We had this second-level motivation to get this in front of people so they might think about their food in a different way. We wanted to offer a delicious version of vegan food,” Jacoby recalls. “Then it became, ‘How far can we take this?’”

The pair brought their upscale vegetable-centric dining to the District with the opening of Fancy Radish in March. Phone numbers with a 202 area code had been filling their reservations books at Vedge in Philly, and regular patrons had taken to begging: “We need you down here” in DC, they said. 

Jacoby, who went to Georgetown University, and Landau, who has family in the area, said the city has been a perfect fit, welcoming them at a time when vegetables are shining on more and more menus around town. 

At home, the couple and their son, Rio, who turns 11 this Thanksgiving, keep vegetables from getting sidelined at the holiday table, even if it means doing things a bit differently. Neither of them comes from a long line of vegans. They understand firsthand the conflicts that can surround the mixed traditions and dietary restrictions of a large family meal.

But Jacoby and Landau tend to skirt most of those tensions by hosting the meals (something that’s expected when you run a growing fleet of restaurants) and upping the vegetable ante until even the most devoted carnivores don’t miss the meat. 

One year, a gigantic roast squash stuffed with a vibrant cabbage slaw starred as the centerpiece. Another, grilled tofu rubbed with dried sage and drizzled with black pepper gravy left guests with plenty to carve and cut. Landau says the goal isn’t so much to mimic meat as it is to present a picture of abundance on the table.

Carrot cake can bean attractive and tasty vegan dessert, and can be made ahead.

“Thanksgiving, for one, was never about the turkey,” says Landau. “It’s about the harvest, about all these incredible flavors and textures we have coming out of the ground, ready to be eaten before winter comes.” 

For those still squeamish about the idea of a vegan holiday—what, no butter?—Landau points to a killer Christmas party the family hosts one Sunday in December almost every year. Jacoby says she always wanted a big family gathering like the ones her grandmother remembered and this event, which draws 50 to 60 friends and family members, helps her scratch that itch. 

For Landau, it’s a chance to show that “vegans know how to live.” 

Christmas music from the 1940s plays in the background, alcohol flows—and a spread of food that goes well beyond vegetable crudités leaves guests satisfied. Brilliantly colored vegetable dishes fan out on the table to replace “all the brown, beige and tan” typical of holiday feasts, Jacoby says. To drive the point home one year, the couple’s Christmas party featured a carving station with white bread, horseradish and hunks of seasoned seitan for slicing. (Made from wheat gluten, seitan can closely mimic the look and flavor of roast meat).

Trumpet mushroom fazzoletti makes for a hearty winter dish.

“Some people who see us as ‘the vegans’ think, ‘We better eat first, because if we go over there they’re gonna make us eat grass,’” Landau says with a grin. “But we’re not chanting Kumbaya in our underwear out back. We’re living life and celebrating it with food, and we’re not missing out on anything.” 

That said, Landau and Jacoby don’t insist that anyone else adopt their dietary preferences—though they do try to make them more tempting to the masses. They both cheered the way veganism, which could come off as cult-like in its earlier days, has opened the door to those dabbling in meatless meals, whether once a week or just once in a while. 

That means there’s never been a better time to be the one bringing a vegetable dish to the holiday table.

The Changs Give Thanks Around a Hot Pot

By Lani Furbank, photography by Jennifer Chase

Peter Chang with his wife, Lisa, and his daughter, Lydia.

For one day each year, all of chef Peter Chang’s restaurants close for business.

“Thanksgiving Day is the day we show our staff how grateful we are for their hard work with us to build this brand,” Peter says, with his daughter, Lydia, interpreting. “Taking this day off is a great way to appreciate being in this community, being in this country, that enabled all of this to happen.”

It wasn’t always easy for the Chang family. Growing up, Peter lived an austere, rural life in the Hubei province in China. He rose through the ranks of society when he had the opportunity to attend culinary school and become a master of Sichuan cuisine while working on cruise ships, and then to cook at luxury hotels in China. In 2001, Peter moved to the U.S. to serve as the personal chef to the Chinese ambassador.

After two years at the embassy, Peter and his wife, Lisa, decided they wanted to stay in the U.S. and build a life here for their family and their teenage daughter. To do this required making a discreet exit before his contract ended. So, early one morning, Peter, Lisa and Lydia left the embassy and never returned.

The Changs spend their Thanksgiving holiday with a morning spent skiing and a family hot pot in the evening.

The chef then spent years moving from restaurant to restaurant, covering his tracks whenever he turned too many heads. “The longer he stayed at a place, the less secure he felt about the safety for the family,” Lydia recalls.

During that time, celebrating Thanksgiving was put on the back burner. “Other restaurants used to be open all the time, so that wasn’t a decision made by him; it was the owners or the partners,” Lydia says. “They wanted to open for business, and that basically meant we didn’t get the chance to celebrate—we’d be working.”

As time passed and his reputation grew, Peter found the right business partner and took the risk of opening his first restaurant under his own name. Today, he and his family run a culinary empire with 11 restaurants that stretch from Stamford, Connecticut, to Virginia Beach. Still, every Thanksgiving, they give their staff the day off. “Now we can make the call,” Peter says. “The business will be closed on Thanksgiving because we want to stay with our family … we want to give everyone the day off to embrace Thanksgiving and what it means.”

Over the past several years, the Changs formed their own Thanksgiving tradition with a unique Chinese flavor: a snowy day skiing, followed by a family hot pot. It’s the first chance each season for Peter and Lydia to ski and snowboard, respectively.

Savory meats work perfectly for a hot pot, as do vegetables, seaweed, tofu, dumplings, and noodles.

“In the winter, we either work very hard because it’s the holiday season, the most busy season for restaurants, or we’ll be skiing on the mountain, which is more tiring than work. Can you imagine?” Lydia jokes.

“After a day of skiing, we’ll be exhausted. Nobody wants to spend hours and hours in the kitchen,” Lydia says. Their solution? Packing up a pot of broth and an assortment of ingredients in a cooler that comes with them.

The convivial group of family and friends comes in from the cold and gathers in the kitchen of their Vermont hotel room or rental house. With a portable burner, a pot of broth and an array of meats and vegetables, they are ready for an après-ski feast. “You don’t have to cook anything,” says Lydia. “You can just boil everything in the pot.”

Peter is a carnivore, and goes for strips of beef tenderloin dipped in the broth. Lisa, a seafood lover, cooks pieces of blue crab in the steaming pot and then extracts the meat from its shell. As the vegetarian of the family, Lydia enjoys any type of bean curd, as well as starchy items like Japanese pumpkin. In addition to all the standard ingredients that get dropped into the hot pot, the Changs add a taste of their hometown with a Hubei-style fish cake.

Peter, the Changs’ resident carnivore, adds meat to the hot pot.

“I think the fun in the hot pot is—whether you are having it with new friends or old friends or family members—it’s about sharing, eating from one pot,” Lydia says. Hot pot, like Thanksgiving, is about bringing people together.

For Lisa and Peter, hot pot and other food celebrations are a way to keep their family heritage alive for their daughter while living an ocean away from home. “Throughout my upbringing, they’ve tried their best to connect me to our culture, to our tradition,” Lydia says. “That’s the way of doing it, by embracing this Chinese tradition at home and spending time together.”

“My dad tells me every time, ‘The main reason we stayed here is for you,’” she says. “But I think the successful business is a side perk.” When she asks her dad why he chose to stay, his answer is simple: “The pursuit of happiness. This is the greatest country.”

Embracing American traditions hasn’t erased the pride the Changs feel for their home country, but Peter explains, “Thanksgiving is about being thankful for the family. Do we feel Westernized? We would be eating a turkey if we felt that way,” he says with a grin.

How to Make Your Own Hot Pot Happen

Start with a Rich Broth

The foundation for a great hot pot is the broth, which can take hours. The Changs’ chili oil broth recipe involves a triple chicken stock and lots of heat. Don’t skimp on the time it takes for the chicken stock to reduce.

You can also make a milder broth like mushroom or tomato and have them both boiling simultaneously using a pot that has a divider in the center.

Gather the Ingredients You Like

The beauty of hot pot is that it can be customized to suit your tastes. “When you think of it, it’s not just one dish, it’s the dish that could change into so many forms,” Lydia says. Their skiing group simply stops by the nearest supermarket and grabs whatever they find. “The only thing I would never put in a hot pot is cheese. Everything else is fine,” she adds.

Get the Guests Involved

With the broth made in advance, Lydia says you can have the hot pot ready to enjoy in under 30 minutes with the help of many sous chefs. “If you have a group of 20 people and everyone takes charge of one [ingredient], you can be done in, like, 10 minutes. Everyone is working on something and you enjoy your work.”

Once all the ingredients have been chopped and sliced, they go into the hot pot raw and unseasoned, and the boiling broth does all the work for you.

Use Tools That Will Get the Job Done

All you really need to pull this off is a portable burner, a heatproof bowl or pot and chopsticks. Don’t worry too much about the equipment. Lydia says you can get a gas or induction burner from an Asian supermarket or on Amazon. (Just don’t use a chafing-dish fuel can, as it likely won’t be able to bring the broth to a boil.) “It’s not about procedure. It’s not a ceremony,” Lydia says. “At end of the day, it’s food. It’s how you want to enjoy.”

Pay Attention to Cooking Times

After the broth is at a full boil, each ingredient only needs to stay submerged for a short period of time. “You have to be fast with that,” Lydia says. “You don’t want to overcook it; you don’t want to undercook it.”

There are general rules for the length of time each item should cook, but Lydia says that “the best way to test it is to use your chopsticks. Take it out to see the color; to feel the texture.” It should be firm, but not falling apart.

“The key to making a successful hot pot is not to put everything in and make it a swimming pool of ingredients,” she adds. Cook a few ingredients at a time and monitor how long they are in the broth.

Lydia shared a few guidelines for specific ingredients:

Meat: 30 seconds to 1 minute
Seafood: once it begins to turn color but before it becomes too tough
Mushrooms and seaweed: soak for as long as you’d like
Starchy vegetables: 1 to 2 minutes, but not so long that they dissolve in the broth
Firm tofu: 3 to 4 minutes, enough time for it to absorb the flavor (soft tofu is not ideal for hot pot)
Dumplings and noodles: pre-cook or soak these items and then dip them for 15 to 30 seconds so they can pick up flavor from the broth

Fight for Your Food

Lydia says eating hot pot with a large group can be like war. “You have to fight for the things you put in, but that’s where the fun is. You have to act fast. If you are on your phone for too long or if you are getting away with chatting, then forget about the meal,” she says with a laugh.

Spend Quality Time Together

Eating hot pot is a long process. Lydia says her family is known to spend at least an hour or two at the table, cooking and eating the ingredients. “You are there to enjoy, you are not cooking everything and finishing it at once.”

Gradually cooking and eating is an ideal meal for Peter. “For Chinese people, we love to eat food super hot,” he says.

Beware: Over the course of the meal, the broth will begin to cook away and reduce. Lydia says you can either add hot water or add a clear broth to keep the flavor from being diluted.

Hot Pot 火锅

Serves 4–6 

Chili Oil Broth

1 cup red chili oil

4 cups dry chili pepper

5 tablespoons Sichuan peppercorn seed

5 tablespoons finely chopped ginger

5 tablespoons finely chopped garlic

5 tablespoons fermented black beans

1 cup Pi’xian bean paste 

10 cups chicken stock

3 tablespoons Sichuan peppercorn oil

1 tablespoon Sichuan peppercorn powder

3 tablespoons sugar

Heat a 3- to 4-quart saucepan until hot, add red chili oil, dry chili pepper, Sichuan peppercorn seed, ginger, garlic, fermented black beans and bean paste.

Stir-fry evenly on medium heat for about 10 minutes. 

Pour in chicken stock. Over medium to low heat, cook for another 15 minutes. Drop the Sichuan peppercorn oil, powder and sugar into the boiling pot for 3 more minutes. 

Move the pot to a portable gas burner and let the liquid come to a boil. You are now ready to hot pot!

There is no shortage of potential ingredients to use for your next hot pot; see the list below for inspiration.

Suggested ingredients (pictured): 

Dumplings

Vermicelli noodles

Pork belly

Sliced beef tenderloin

Beef meatballs (seasoned with soy sauce, mushroom powder, salt)

Shrimp

Scallops

Fishcake

Chinese yam, thinly sliced

Japanese pumpkin, thinly sliced

Beech mushrooms

Wood ear mushrooms

Broccoli, broken into florets

Pea shoots

Firm tofu, in thick slices

Bean curd skin

Here's to Life!: Georgia's Tradition of Toasts Is an Art Worth Practicing

By Susan Able, Photography by Jennifer Chase

Supra means “feast” in Georgian, but that usage came from the name of traditional Georgian tablecloths, also called “supras” and pictured here. Used for over 300 years, the colorful cloths with graphic patterns are an important part of Georgian tradition and were recognized by UNESCO as a “material monument” in 2017.

It’s funny where passion can take you. Consider Jonathan and Laura Nelms: an attorney and environmental scientist who lived in Russia, fell in love with Georgian culture and cuisine and now are the restaurateurs behind Supra, Washington’s first Georgian restaurant.

If you were connecting dots in the chain of events that led to a Georgian restaurant, the first dot would appear in 1989, where Florida high school student Jonathan Nelms meets a Georgian exchange student in his Russian class. The next year Jonathan became one of the first 50 Americans to be a high school exchange student in the Soviet Union, an experience that sparks his enduring interest in this part of the world.

Jonathan, fluent in Russian, builds a legal career with a Washington-based law firm and handles their business in the former Soviet Union, frequently traveling to Russia for business and then living in Moscow for three years with his wife, Laura, and their daughters. In Moscow, they enjoy eating out at Georgian restaurants and start traveling to Georgia on vacations.

Lobio kotanshi, or red beans stewed with traditional spices, is served with pickled red cabbage and cornbread mchadi.

“During our time in Moscow, we went to Georgia as often as we could, exploring different parts of the country. It is about the size of West Virginia, and takes about eight hours to cross the county. It was such a contrast from Moscow daily life. The country is so beautiful and the people are so warm. I feel like unique is an overused word for a culture, but that it what it is, unique, it is like no place else I’ve ever been,” Jonathan says.

“Hospitality there is like a religion; they take hosting guests incredibly seriously. Visiting the Georgian wine regions was like being parachuted into Napa Valley 50 years ago. It is rustic and funky and relaxed, with wine dinners that go long into the night. The Georgian people cherish and honor their thousands of years of traditions and rootedness. And I loved that, having grown up in Florida where no one has roots.”

More dots connect. After coming back the States, Jonathan and Laura decided to get serious about bringing Georgian culture to DC, and started planning a restaurant and with Supra opening last fall. And now, Jonathan has left his career as an attorney to be at Supra full time. Laura says, “It’s been exciting. I will say it was definitely Jonathan’s brainchild. Sure, I thought it would be cool—but he followed it through and I knew he would make it a success. I was an environmental scientist; my only restaurant experience was as a waitress when I was young. So, I technically have more restaurant experience than Jonathan.”

Bostneuli tolma, or grape leaves stuffed with rice, vegetables, and yogurt, make for an excellent opening dish.

She laughs and continues, “You can’t underestimate what a huge career change it has been for both of us, but truly it’s been great. Raising two young girls, 6 and 9 years old, is a balancing act with a restaurant to run, but they share our love of Georgian culture.”

The restaurant’s name, supra, originally described traditional Georgian tablecloths, but now has also come to mean feast. Authentic touches are everywhere in the decor, and the local Georgian community has given Supra a very warm reception; the embassy staff are frequent visitors for lunch and dinner. It helps that one of the top chefs from Georgia, Malkhaz Maisashvili, was brought on as executive chef. It is a wonderful place to dive into a culture that you may not know much about: Traditional Georgian dishes abound, including favorites kupati (pork and beef sausages with fried pickles) and many variations on the famous Georgian baked khachapuri. Jonathan’s favorite is pkhlovani, a khachapuri with spinach and cheese. He also recommends cold yogurt soup with radishes and cucumbers and or trying roasted meat with fruit sauces, a Georgian style of preparation.

Ajaruli, the most popular style of khachapuri served at Supra, features bubbling cheeses and a fried egg.

And then there is the wine. Supra’s wine list is one of the best showcases for Georgian wine in the U.S. It doesn’t hurt that the top importer of Georgian wines is here in Washington, DC: Georgian Wine House. For wine geeks, Georgian wine has long been on the radar. The country is known for still producing wine in ancient way using qvevri, large clay jugs. Even though about only 3% of Georgian wine is produced in this traditional way that goes back 8,000 years, the country makes wines that are considered very fine. Jonathan loves seeing the wine industry grow and mature in Georgia and enjoys providing a home for small vintners on his wine list. He tells me about helping make wine at a family workshop in Akura in 2015, and now he has their wine, Blui’s Wine, at their restaurant.

Dots connected.

Supra, 1205 11th Street NW, Washington, DC (supradc.com)

Georgian wine is famous for its traditional method of preparation, using qvevri, or large clay jugs.

Georgian Wine & Toasting

“You can’t overstate the importance of wine in Georgian culture,” Noel Brockett of DC’s Georgian Wine House tells me. “It’s what every Georgian wants to be known for in the world. And there is a good reason for it. Georgia is recognized as the birthplace of wine, with 8,000 years of history in winemaking. The country has over 500 varietals of vinifera grapes. It has all the microclimates of the U.S.—the ocean, the mountains, the desert. The Black Sea with its humid and tropical air, the central Likhi mountain range and the very arid eastern region.”

Brockett is here to talk about the art of Georgian toasting and Georgian wine. In the Republic of Georgia, there is no time busier for toasting than the holidays. Georgia religion is Georgian Orthodox, and feasting happens constantly from December 25 to January 14, when people celebrate Georgian Christmas, the New Year and the old calendar New Year by gathering with friends and family.

No Georgian feast, or supra, is complete without a toastmaster, or tamada. The tamada’s role is to give unity to a feast by leading a series of toasts, always with wine. A tamada is almost always a man, usually an extroverted individual, a quick thinker with quick wit. They learn their role through practice and study. The tamada gives each supra structure—after always starting with three scripted toasts (the first is always to God), the tamada then goes on to full-on speeches. The tamada also opens topics and guides the conversation; a typical toast is on friendship. Then a discussion ensues on that topic by the guests and the tamada pays attention, closing the discussion and opening another one with expert flair.

A wedding may have 30 to 40 toasts; a family meal might have six to eight. By design, a typical Georgian feast brings together people who know each other and those who don’t, and it is also common to have guests come and go from the table, going from one supra to another supra.

Noel Brockett of Georgian Wine House in Washington, D.C.

Noel Brockett knows the art of toasting intimately. He is married to a woman from Georgia and is a partner in Georgian Wine House with Dr. Mamuka Tsereteli, a lecturer at Johns Hopkins and president of the America Georgia Business Council, who founded the business with a group of friends who saw the possibilities of importing and promoting Georgian wine in the U.S. With the political changes in 2004, Georgian wine was no longer embargoed by Russia.

Brockett sees the opening of Supra as a great chance to educate people on Georgian wine culture; there are around 50 wines on the list at a time. Orange wine or amber wine production is the oldest way to preserve wine or make white wines. Amber wines from Georgia have become very popular. Sebastian Zutant of Primrose and Red Hen was an early adopter, and they are on the menu at Compass Rose and Maydan and, of course, at Supra.

How does one approach learning and tasting your way through a wine region that you do not know? Brockett suggests starting with a Telanvi Valley Wine Saperavi, which for a $10 price point will give you a young, fresh, red, medium-bodied, good everyday wine. For an amber wines, Orgo Dila-o Saperavi (which means morning in Georgia and is also a popular song), usually retails for about $15 a bottle. You can drink it with everything because, he explains, “After all it is a white wine made like a red, with tannins and dryness.”

“What’s really great is that because the vineyards are so small, they are very personal with so many stories and history. Importing wine has given a real tangible economic impact to Georgian agriculture. Small growers are reinvesting in expanding their operations. It’s also a place that is rediscovering itself. People are re-learning lost techniques and knowledge of the past.”

georgianwinehouse.com

A Thanksgiving Gathering of Young Farmers

A new winemaker celebrates with gratitude his community with a harvest dinner

Edible Staff, Photography by Alica Bruce

Thanksgiving is over and you’re probably ready to get out of the house for some fresh air and a drink ... or two. Why not bundle up your gang and head out to one of our local wineries?

30 miles from Washington, DC sits a community which many have slated as the burgeoning East Coast equivalent of Napa Valley. Western Loudoun County hosts beautifully bucolic small towns, a flourishing culinary scene, a farming community that supplies DC restaurants with much of their fresh meat and produce and a multitude of farm wineries.

A few weeks ago, Doukenie Winery, the largest of these farm wineries in Loudoun County, hosted a harvest dinner. James Phillips, Doukenie’s newly appointed Lead Winemaker, explained their field to glass method of making wines only from grapes personally cultivated and harvested on their lands. This style of operation means that this New York native’s job is not just making wine, but farming and growing from seed to fruit. “My work is as much farmer as it is winemaker,” says Phillips. At 28, Phillips is part of a younger generation of winemakers working in Virginia. Phillips and his colleagues, many coming here from different wine regions of the country have worked to build a sense of community with local farmers, chefs and other winemakers in the area.

Phillips planned this vineyard dinner to express his gratitude and break bread with his fellow farmers. He said, “I could not be more grateful to be living and working in this community, and supporting its agricultural evolution.”

One of these farmers is Molly Kroiz owner of Georges Mill Cheese. Her goat cheeses are featured at The Dabney and other DC restaurants, and pretty much everywhere throughout Loudoun County. Molly Kroiz is a former fishery scientist, who started making cheese with her husband Sam Kroiz as a hobby. As a now self-proclaimed owner/goat wrangler/cheesemaker at Georges Mill Farm, Molly and Sam now make cheese on their 150-acre farm, which has been in their family since around 1750. About 25 acres are used for goat farming, and Molly and Sam raise and milk their herd of Alpine Dairy Goats and make goat cheese using only what is harvested in their seasonal operation. You can stop by their farm store to buy farmstead cheeses pork, charcuterie and other local products.

Our chef for the dinner was Stefano Frigerio, the Michelin-starred Executive Chef at Petite Loulou Creperie. Originally a butcher by trade, it was the appreciation of agricultural ethic and lifestyle found in the farming community that drew Chef Stefano Frigerio and his family from DC to Loudoun. Frigerio was the Executive Chef at Washington, DC’s Fiola when he decided to move his family of six to the small town of Purcellville, Virginia. Falling in love with the community, he and his wife opened Petite Loulou Crêperie, a Parisian café with culinary forward French cuisine that feels like a trip to Paris.

The gorgeous flowers for the event were created by Morgan May from Petals & Hedges. Styling by Rebecca Gallop, A Daily Something. Photography by Alicia Bruce

Plan your visit to Loudoun County and gain inspiration from these makers:

Doukenie Winery, 14727 Mountain Road, Purcellville, VA, 20132; 540-668-6464. Doukénie Winery is a family run winery on a 400-acre farm in Loudoun County. www.doukeniewinery.com.

La Petite Loulou, 713 E Main St., Purcellville, VA, 20132;540-441-3135. Petite Loulou is a piece of Paris in Purcellville. Hot croissants every hour, largest crepe menu west of Paris, wine and cheese. www.lapetiteloulou.com

The Locke Store, 2049 Millwood Rd, Millwood, VA, 22646; 540-837-1275. www.lockestore.com. The Locke "Modern Country" Store provides a variety of local and regional products, supporting their neighbors in sustainable agricultural and cottage industry.

Whiffletree Farm, 8717 Springs Rd, Warrenton, VA, 20186; 540-229-5192. . Located in Warrenton, Virginia, Whiffletree Farm raises pastured chickens, laying hens, turkeys, pigs, and cattle. www.whiffletreefarmva.com

Georges Mill Farm Artisan Cheese, 11873 Georges Mill Rd., Lovettsville, VA, 20180; 571-442-7444. . Georges Mill Farm is an eighth generation family farm in Loudoun County, Virginia that produces farmstead cheeses, caramel, soaps, pastured pork and eggs. www.georgesmillcheese.com

Petals & Hedges, www.petalsandhedges.com Born and raised in a Loudoun greenhouse with her hands in the dirt, Morgan May is Loudoun’s native horticulturist. Her ability to grow beautiful things has been celebrated throughout the area, including plant instillations and floral design across the region. Her company, Petals and Hedges carries on a 50-year family traditional in evolving and pushing the boundaries of what can grow in Loudoun and how stunning they can be.

A Daily Something, www.adailysomething.com. Tucked away in a 1900’s farmhouse in the Loudoun town of Purcellville, Rebecca shares daily inspirations celebrating daily moments of beauty. Her slow and thoughtful way of honoring small-town life has been a voice for the community and a source of inspiration to residents and readers.  Rebecca Gallop’s A Daily Something is a lifestyle destination that celebrates the simple “daily somethings” that make life beautiful.

Local Restaurants Honor Vets

Our gratitude from Edible DC to those who serve and have served

To salute men and women in uniform and veterans, DC + VA restaurants are offering veterans and current members of the military complimentary dishes, discounts and perks this Veteran’s Day.

BLT Steak

BLT STEAK

BLT Steak DC is offering 50% off the total check for parties of two or less and 25% off the total check for parties of three or more with valid military ID, not inclusive of beverages. Diners can begin their meal with their signature savory popovers stuffed with gruyere and moved on to any of their exquisite cuts of meat including a 28-day dry aged New York strip, Cowboy bone-in ribeye, or guests can choose from four varieties of impossibly tender A5 Wagyu, a new addition to Chef Michael Bonk’s menu. BLT Steak is located at 1625 I Street NW, Washington, DC 20006. https://bltrestaurants.com/blt-steak/washington-d-c/

BRABBO BRASSERIE

Brabo Brasserie is offering complimentary hors d'oeuvre such as Duck Cigars (Duck confit, caramelized fig, phyllo) and creamy Goat Cheese Croquettes (Goat and parmesan cheeses, risotto, lemon aioli)  are among the bites being offered in celebration of Veteran’s Day at Brabo Brasserie. The French brasserie in Old Town Alexandria will be honoring American heroes with a complimentary hors d'oeuvre on both Sunday, 11/11 (Veterans Day) and Monday, 11/12.

Guests with a military ID may choose from any item in Brabo Brasserie’s ‘Bar Snack” menu. braborestaurant.com/brasserie-menu Brabo Brasserie is located at 1600 King Street, Alexandria, VA 22314. For more information, please visit https://braborestaurant.com/brasserie

OSTERIA MORINI

In honor of the brave men and women of the US armed forces, Osteria Morini will be celebrating Veterans Day with a special Morini Monday pop-up, open to all guests. On Monday, November 12th from 4pm-9pm, fill-up on handmade pastas such as Spallina, a double filled ravioli, butternut squash, taleggio and cippolini onion for $15 (standard prices range from $17-$32). Osteria Morini will donate $2 from every Morini Monday pasta sold to the Yellow Ribbon Fund, a charity that provides support to severely wounded, injured or ill American service members, their caregivers, and families during lengthy medical recovery and reintegration into civilian life.

Osteria Morini is located at 301 Water Street Southeast, Washington, DC, 20003. For more information, please visit osteriamorini.com/washington-dc/ or call (202) 484-0660.

LE DIPLOMATE

DC’s 14th Street NW brasserie, Le Diplomate, is thanking our heroic military men and women with a complimentary Burger Americain to patrons with a valid military ID. (Additionally, Le Diplomate is donating proceeds from all Burger Americain sales on Veteran’s Day to the Wounded Warrior Project.) Voted one of the “30 Best Burgers in America” by Zagat, the Burger Americain boasts two juicy beef patties, crunchy pickle chips and onions, an addictive special sauce on a housemade sesame seed brioche bun ($18). While traditionally topped with both an American flag toothpick and a French flag toothpick, on Veteran’s Day, the loved burger will go all-American, topped with two American flags.  

Le Diplomate is located at 1601 14th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009. Additional information is available online at https://lediplomatedc.com/. 

DOUKENIE VINEYARDS

The Loudoun Wine Trail’s largest farm vineyard, a 500 acre estate winery, is a family-run vineyard that has been celebrated in both statewide and national wine competitions, earning six medals in the 2018 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, six medals in the Virginia Governor’s Cup and six medals in the 2018 Loudoun Wine Awards - all in 2018 alone. This Veteran’s Day, Doukenie Winery owners Dr. George and Nicki Bazaco will pay for veterans’ tasting fees, offering American veterans and members of the military complimentary tastings of their wines. The Doukenie Winery tasting experience features samples of two white wines, four red wines and the winery's dessert wine served by a wine educator shares background on grape variety, terroir and the winemaking process.

Doukenie winery is located at 14727 Mountain Rd, Hillsboro, VA 20132. Additional information is available online at https://www.doukeniewinery.com/. 

Local and national chains have offers too:

Free meals and discounts on Sunday, Nov. 11

Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill Vets get a free meal from a special menu Sunday.

Bar Louie Free burger or flatbread on Sunday.

Bertucci's A free small cheese pizza Sunday and Monday.

Bob Evans Free meal from a special menu available all day Sunday at all locations.

California Pizza Kitchen Free meal from special menu Sunday. Get a buy-one-get-one free card to use Nov. 12-18.

Chevys Free three-item combo 3 p.m. to close Sunday.

Chipotle Buy-one-get-one free deal Sunday.

Dunkin' Free doughnut Sunday. No purchase required.

Fogo de Chão 50 percent off meal Veterans’ Day weekend Friday through Sunday and 10 percent off for up to three guests’ meals.

Krispy Kreme One free doughnut and a small cup of coffee Sunday. No ID is required.

Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt Free six ounces of frozen yogurt Sunday.

Mission BBQ Free sandwich and cake Sunday.

MOD Pizza Free MOD-size pizza or salad Sunday.

Peet’s Coffee Free small cup of coffee or tea Sunday.

Rock Bottom Restaurants & Breweries (location in Bethesda) Vets eat free Saturday through Monday. Plus, the brewery will be brewing a limited-edition Veterans Day IPA and Saturday through Nov. 12 and 25 cents from every pint will go to a local Veterans charity.

Shake Shack: Free scoop of Shake Shack Custard at all locations Sunday.Shake Shack is offering free custard on Sunday, November 11.

Starbucks: Free tall coffee for any veteran, active duty military and military spouse Sunday.

Zoës Kitchen is offering a free meal Sunday and Monday with a valid military ID.