Real Parties: Under the Sea!

Kate and I had a blast putting together all of the cute little touches for our sister’s baby shower a couple of weeks ago and couldn’t wait to share the final pics with you.  We went a little overboard with the theme, but our sister was so surprised and thrilled with all of the fussing!  My favorite part was the two color letterpress in coral and pool invitation that Haute Papier (warning – shameless self-promotion) created just for her, though I think the mom-to-be’s were all of the clear balloon that looked like bubbles, including the giant ones that were three feet wide!  Now, we just need to be patient for another few days until this baby gets here!  Congrats to Ash & Darryl on the little miss!

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CSA Week 1: Greens, Greens and More Greens!

Haute Papier is so excited to be participating in a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program this year.  We did our research when deciding which farm we would go with and in the end chose Great Country Farms in Bluemont, Virginia. Each week we’ll be giving you a peek inside our delivery boxes and sharing a recipe for something we made with the delicious fresh produce.  First up is this great saute I made using some of the greens we received this week. I’m a big believer in a diet rich in vegetables and try to keep animal proteins to a minimum – not that I don’t love them, I just try incorporate both fiber and protein into my diet at the same time – which is where the beans come in.  This recipe is satisfying enough to have as dinner – add in a crisp, white wine (sauv blanc or sancerre are both perfect) and some crusty bread!

Recipe after the jump…

The Equinox Family Grows

Chef Todd Gray was one of The District Domestic’s first chef interviews.. Read it here.

Easter at Zaytinya

My darling has been gone for a couple of weeks, and is now on his way home.  I’m super excited for this new promo that Zaytinya is running.  I love all food Jose Andres and think this will be the perfect way to celebrate him coming home 🙂

Junior League of Washington’s Tossed & Found Sale

Sprinkles Georgetown!

Yes, the cupcake “revolution” is getting old, but this is the real deal… Sprinkles Cupcakes… the ORIGINAL cupcake bakery!  It’s arrived here in DC – dangerously down the street from the Haute Papier design studio… but not far enough that the walk down there will burn off the calories consumed by even one cupcake (as if I am actually able to have that kind of self-restraint!)!

We were able to get a sneak peek and ridiculous amount of tasting earlier this week at a preview for business owners in Georgetown and we’re beyond smitten with the deliciousness of the cake!  It’s perfectly crumbly with so much more flavor than another cupcakes shop in Georgetown, whose name we’ll leave unmentioned, but irritates the heck out of my husband – if only because its customers have no sense of the difference between the street and sidewalk as they stand googlie-eyed taking pictures of the storefront.

We also got to meet Candace (the founder) and her husband, Charles.  Candace is just adorable – complete with cute little converse tennies with her chef’s jacket.  Welcome to DC Sprinkles!!

A First Birthday Party!

I had to share the pictures from Etta’s adorable First Birthday Party – they were just too cute to not!  Haute Papier worked hard to create a fun and playful theme based around unique colors and funky fonts.  Some of our favorite elements were the cake pops inspired by Bakerella, personalized plates from Boatman Geller, and polka dot garland, sewn by yours truly!  Stay tuned for a tutorial on the garland!

Singapore Slaw ala Zentan!

A few days ago I was going on about the refreshing, yet super satisfying Singapore Slaw at Zentan, which then only made me want one, but since I was in Leesburg, not DC for the day, it was out of reach, which then led to a search on Tastespotting (my favorite place to search for recipes) for a how to, which led to me finding a complete video tutorial on Washingtonian!  (How’s that for a run on sentence?)

I’ve pasted the recipe from their site below along with the fab photo above, but you’ll need to click here to go over there to see the informational and entertaining video how to!

Singapore Slaw With Salted Plum Dressing
Serves 4

2 green onions, both white and green parts, julienned
1 taro, peeled and julienned
2 ounces rice vermicelli noodles, broken into three pieces
1 large English cucumber, julienned
1 large carrot, peeled and julienned
1 small jicama, peeled and julienned
1 daikon, peeled and julienned
2 large roma tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and thinly sliced
1 pickled red onion (see recipe below)
4 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds
6 teaspoons crushed roasted hazelnuts
4 teaspoons fried shallots
4 teaspoons edible-flower petals
4 teaspoons micro purple basil
4 teaspoons micro beet greens
4 teaspoons daikon sprouts
2 tablespoons pickled ginger
1½ cups salted-plum dressing (see recipe below)
Vegetable oil for frying
Salt as needed

Wake Up with FREE Muffins!

Between 8 and 11am on Tuesday, February 1, stop by Red Velvet Cupcakery in Dupont for a sampling of their new muffin line – which will be available for purchase every morning – including these Banana Nut Muffins (think roasted bananas, toasted black walnuts and rolled oats).

Other flavors include Scrumptious Apple Bran, a heart-healthy mix of raisins and apples, a hint of fresh pineapple and warming spices and Bits of Heaven, a classic chocolate chip recipe topped with streusel.  In the coming months, the store will offer additional seasonal flavors, like apple cinnamon and blueberry.  Muffins are priced at $2.65 each and $30.00 per dozen.

A Weekend of Wine

It’s back and more popular than ever!  The the 12^th Annual Washington D.C. International Wine & Food Festival’s Grand Tasting takes place on Saturday, February 12^th & Sunday, February 13^th at the Ronald Reagan Building.

If you haven’t been in the past, this is a great one! With over 100 wineries, a plethora of speciality food shops, cooking demos and tons of tasting, this is the premier event for Wine & Food in our region. On the grand stage be sure to check out demos from Mike Isabella and Carla Hall of Top Chef fame and Washington Post food gurus Bonnie Benwick and Joe Yonan.

For more information and to purchase tickets, click here.