ahhh, spring!

fanboy and i spent a few hours walking around rock creek and dumbarton oaks parks on this perfect spring afternoon.

cheekydrinks: grapefruit gin & tonic

i love a classic gin & tonic but tonight i added a new twist to an old favorite: grapefruit

grapefruit gin & tonic

• 2 oz of gin (chez cheeky we drink hendrick's)
• tonic water (from a fresh bottle)
• 1-2 oz freshly squeezed grapefruit juice
• grapefruit bitters 
• plenty of cold ice cubes
• highball or old fashioned glass

chill the glass (you may want to fill it with ice, then empty it and refill, as some bartenders do with a martini glass)

fill the glass with whole ice cubes. if you wish, take a wedge of grapefruit and moisten the rim the glass with it

pour the gin over the ice, which should be cold enough that it crackles when the liquor hits it.
add the grapefruit juice and a few dashes of the grapefruit bitters

fill glass almost to the top with tonic

garnish with a small grapefruit wedge if you wish and drink up!

three for thursday

happy easter

lazy saturday

the hub and i had a very chill saturday of sleeping in, strolling around old town alexandria, and sharing a few pints at bilbo baggins.

cheeky recipe: pasta all'amatriciana

fanboy & i fell in love with amatriciana on our trip to italy in 2008. when we got back, i just had to learn to make it myself. now, it is one of my all-time favorite dinners. it is traditionally served with bucatini but we usually have it with rigatoni or penne. because i'm picky, i puree my tomatoes and shallots but it's an unnecessary step if you like a chunky sauce.

pasta all'amatriciana

• 1 lb box of your favorite pasta
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 pound(s) (4 or 5 slices) chopped pancetta or bacon
• 3 small chopped shallots or a medium red onion
• 4-6 cloves minced garlic
• 1/4-1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 28 ounces crushed tomatoes (i love san marzano, makes a big difference)
• 1/2 cup dry red or dry white wine (short simmer = white, long = red)
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil or parsley
• tomato paste (if needed)
• salt 
• black pepper
• freshly grated parmigiano reggiano

bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt the water.

heat a large deep skillet or dutch oven over medium high heat. add oil and pancetta. cook pancetta 2-3 minutes then add shallots or onions and crushed red pepper flakes. then add the minced garlic. cook 7-8 minutes more, until shallots/onions are translucent. add the tomatoes and wine. simmer sauce over low heat until ready to serve (about 20 minutes). season to taste with salt and pepper. add the basil or parsley.

cook pasta to al dente or, with a bite to it. drain pasta well. do not rinse. toss hot pasta with sauce and serve. pass grated cheese at the table to top pasta. 

*if the sauce is too acidic, add a pinch of sugar to taste. i sometimes add a carrot for this reason too.

usually, i double or triple this recipe and freeze the leftovers. amatriciana is also awesome on pizza, with meatballs, and chicken parm meatloaf. tonight, i am bringing a batch to dinner with friends along with a jar for them to keep. 

 

buon appetito!

delightful weekend

one of the very few upsides to being unemployed is that you can book a last minute trip to see your family. i just got back from four days in massachusetts with my mom, aunts, and grandma. as with most of my visits back home, there was some wine, a little shopping, and lots of good food.

we had a dear friend of mine over on sunday afternoon for a pre-marathon feast of pasta amatriciana and chicken parmesan meatloaf. i promise to share my amatriciana recipe tomorrow as i'm making another big batch for dinner with friends here in DC. i will tell you this: my amatriciana involves bacon. and before i forget, i must give a big CONGRATS to becky for finishing the boston marathon in 4.5 hours!

we also had what gram would call a delightful time touring mansions in newport. i cannot even imagine how amazing it must have been to summer in these mansions that were called cottages. though i can say that i'm grateful i was not one of the many servants working there! it is tough enough to keep our small apartment clean. 

all in all, it was a lovely trip!

why am i awake this early on a saturday?

*yawn* 

i am not a morning person. especially when i haven't had my coffee yet. however, i am a fan of cheap flights so i'm up at this hour for good reason - heading north to spend a few days with my mom & gram. hello outlet shopping, newport, NESN, and lobster! the bags are packed and my boarding pass is printed, now all i need is that coffee.

snapshots from the big girl camera

i recently took a great photography class with steven l. miller. i hadn't taken a photo class since college (we're talking film days!) so it was really cool to have assignments and feedback from an instructor and classmates.

here are some favorite images:

the eternal question: what's for dinner?

tonight, the answer was lemon basil orzotto. it was delish! next time, i plan to add shrimp to the creamy, lemony goodness.

tomorrow night it's drunken ribeye, a favorite chez cheeky because it involves two awesome ingredients in one recipe: beef and beer. plus, it is insanely easy to make. thursday we're trying out salamida's chicken bbq sauce. if you're lucky (or from binghamton, ny), you probably know about salamida's state fair spiedie sauce. fanboy talked spiedies up for years before i finally got to try them, and i have to say, they lived up to the hype. i'm sure they'll be on the menu again soon.

i was too lazy to use the big girl camera but i'll leave you with a hipstamatic snapshot of some tasty orzotto. next time you find yourself wondering, what's for dinner? let this be your answer.

the daily grind

today's latte and job search are brought to you by my new favorite coffee shop, pound

ready, set, go?

every day for the past few weeks i've said to myself: i'll start blogging and then somehow i don't. so i really am starting today. and i guess i'll begin with a few random things about me. 

firstly, i love the word cheeky because it is essentially slang for smart@ass (a big thank you to the brits for introducing me to this term)

i love to travel. i've lived abroad three times and would love the chance to do it again someday.

i am a photo geek - i always take two cameras on vacation.

i'm a picky eater but also a foodie (just keep anything with mayonnaise far, far away from me).

my girl crush is nigella lawson, adore her and her recipes. 

i've lived in DC for a year now but i still feel more new yorker than washingtonian. 

and though i consider myself a new yorker, i still cheer for the boston & new england teams i grew up rooting for. 

somehow, my partner-in-crime (aka fanboy or mr. cheeky) is a yankees fan. crazy, right? 

and there you have some random bits of cheeky