(will be in Richmond, back on Sunday)

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There's this little hole in the wall Italian restaraunt in Fairfax called La Dolce Vita - my parents raved about this place for years - before they became so popular that it became overcrowded and difficult to even get a table without waiting an hour. So my parents decided to find a weekend that it would not be too crowded to make an attempt to go - it was Memorial Day weekend. We went on that Saturday evening - early. We almost immediately got a table (they don't take reservations for parties less than 5 people). The food was amazing. I had ordered a house specialty - Linguini with a Spicy White Clam Sauce. I was really impressed. So impressed that I recreated it tonight - a recreation of it. Recipe from scratch - but provincially close to a standard. Without adeu, I present:

Linguini con la salsa bianca del mollusco (Linguini with White Clam Sauce)

1 lb dry or fresh linguini
3 six ounce cans chopped clams in clam juice (separate clams from juice)
3 scallions, sliced thin
6 large cloves of garlic, chopped
2tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp olive oil
2tbsp butter or margarin
1 cup dry Chardonnay
1 tsp thyme (preferably fresh - minced, dry will be ok)
1 tsp basil (preferably fresh - minced, dry will be ok)
1 medium bunch of cilantro (Italian parsley can be substituted), washed and roughly choppped
1/4 - 1/2 tsp crushed red peper flakes
cracked black pepper and kosher salt to taste

Prepare linguini at the same time as the sauce. (Boil water, add linguini - let cook for 8-10 minutes). For sauce: In a large skillet on high heat, add 1tbsp olive oil - saute garlic and scallions for one minute then add clams (clam juice will be added later) and brown clams for another minute. Add cilantro, clam juice, Chardonnay, red pepper flakes, thyme, basil, salt and pepper. bring to a low boil and stir constantly. Allow to cook for at least 8-10 minutes partially uncovered so clam juice and Chardonnay can infuse. Add butter/margarin, stir. Drain pasta and add to sauce, stir thuroughly. Enjoy!

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Beautiful long 3 hour bike ride tonight - was really nice to have a training partner along for the trek, perfect weather. I'm wiped out. Time to take some advil.

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Semi-long day at work. Had a long morning errand to deal with my stupid frickin county decal tags for my car. I've been dealing with this now for more than a month. I downloaded the form online, filled it out, sent it in with a check, cut out and taped the address from the 2nd print out to insure the address was correct and even took the letter to the post office. I waited patiently for 1 wek..then a week and a half..then I called...they were like "well, we should be able to process it soon..." week three passes...still no decal. Meanwhile, if you don't have a decal - you can be pulled over for not having one (I have 60 days to display one since I'm new here). SO I finally decided that I should just call one last time - they inform me that they have not recieved it..was prolly lost in the mail. BS. I contact my bank...the funds have not been withdrawn from that check. SO today I decided to just go and take care of it in person. Drive there (1/2 hr drive each way) park, fill out the forms, wait in line......then have the clerk say (while processing it) check or cash? (to pay for the decal)..I was like "you don't take debit cards?" she was like "no, but there is an ATM machine in the office area next door" So before I went to the ATM machine to get the cash to pay for this entire debacle, I explained my frustration in this entire process...and the clerk checked and said, in embarrassment, "well lookie here, you ARE in the system!" sure enough, I was..gave me the damn decal and I left. Fuckers.

Had a pleasant bike ride this eve to Vienna. About 32 miles. One funny thing happened on the ride, I was at the stoplight in Vienna (rt 123) waiting with a fellow biker and a cicada fluttered clumsilly and landed on mt shoulder. I picked it up by the back of it's neck - it started making that bizarre cicada humming motor sound and I looked at it..put it in the palm of my hand...the other biker watched and we both looked at it. Then it immediately flew off...directly into the traffic on rt 123 and immediately got struck by the windsheild of a large Hummer SUV. The other biker looked at me and said "better sooner than later, especially if he never mated"

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Forgot to mention, I got me some new biking gear yesterday (sale at the local Performance bike shop):

Bike Shirt #1	Bike Shirt #2
Bike Shorts	Biking sunglasses

Click on image(s) for larger detail.

I will not be around tonight (Tues), My older brother is coming to town for the night.

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Went on a long bike ride this afternoon, unsure if I was going to go - it was drizzling rain. But when I got to Vienna - it was almost a downpour. I decided, "why not" - it was warm enough out. I'd only get wet. Big deal. Besides - it's Memorial Day, I have the day off and the weather may clear up. So I headed west towards Purciville on the W & OD, initially onset in a semi downpour. It cleared up about 30 minutes into the ride. Then it was beautiful. Very humid though. Wasn't sure if i was soaked with rain or sweat. biked up 18 miles, came back (36 total). Was pleasant. On the way back, I kept thinking of the steak I was going to have for dinner, the mushrooms that I was going to prepare in a roasted garlic and white wine reduction sauce. It made me pedal faster. So, with out adeu:


Filet grillé Mignon avec de la sauce rôtie à vin d'ail et de champignon
(Grilled Filet Mignon with Roasted Garlic and Mushroom Wine Sauce)

for grilling:
three to four 10oz Filet Mignon steaks, 1" thick cuts
dry sprinkle for steaks:
You can use McCormick's Montreal Steak Seasoning (or just combine all of these: 1 tbsp kosher salt, 1 tbsp cracked black pepper, 1/2 tsp red pepper, 1/2 tbsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp paprika, 1/2 tsp celery seed, 1/2 tsp dry oregano, 1/2 tsp dry parsley)

for sauce:
5 large stuffing mushrooms, cleaned and sliced semi-thick
8 medium roasted garlic cloves*, roughly chopped
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp margarine or butter
1 large scallion sliced
1 cup dry white wine
kosher salt and cracked pepper to taste


Make sauce first, then grill steaks:

To prepare sauce:
In a large skillet on high heat, heat olive oil and saute roasted garlic with scallions and mushrooms for 1 minute, then add margarine or butter and continue to saute for another minute. Add dry white wine, salt and cracked black pepper - continue to stir for another 2 minutes. Cover and set aside until grilling is complete.

To grill steaks:
On medium high grill (preferably charcoal grill), put steaks on for 2 minutes on each side, then add the dry sprinkle on each side for another minute or two per side - cooked until desired rareness. Plate steak and judiciously smother steaks with Roasted Garlic and Mushroom Wine sauce. Enjoy!

*roasted garlic cloves: On the grill or in a preheated oven at 400 degrees, put a bulb of garlic ( top sliced off) head up, drizzled with olive oil, pinch of cracked pepper and loosely crumpled up into a sheet of tin foil. Let roast on grill or in oven for about 20-30 mins. Remove and let cool. Squeeze roasted garlic out of paper skins, chop up and use.

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What a dreary looking day. Looked like it was going to rain all morning and afternoon. I finally decided to take a bike ride at about 1pm. Only put in about 36 miles. It was, temperature wise very nice. Came home, grilled some turkey burgers, chorizo sausages, and roasted garlic on the grill - had a nice salad and some baked beans. Very Memorial Day weekendesque thing to do.

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