November 29


The Crystal City Underground - Arlington, VA

November 28


Founding Farmers - Washington, DC

Sam Reider and the Lost Boys

A few weeks ago I helped out with a photo shoot for my friend Jake's band. The band is called Sam Reider and the Lost Boys, and I had SO MUCH fun hanging out with them all day! If you're going to be in the NYC area on December 4, go see them at the Bitter End! Also, listen here.


Eddie, channeling his inner flower child - New York, NY


The Lost Boys - Isaac, Eddie, Sam, Jake, Jeff, JJ, and Ben (Armand not pictured) - New York, NY


November 26


Leftovers - Bethlehem, PA

November 25 - Thanksgiving


Marley - Bethlehem, PA

November 24


SEPTA - Philadelphia, PA

November 23


David on H Street NW - Washington, DC 

Pumpkin Gnocchi in Brown Butter Sage Sauce

I've been holding on to this recipe for a while, waiting for the perfect opportunity to try it. Everything in that title sounds delicious! Well, the opportunity came when I had extra pumpkin puree left over after making my Grandma's pie.




Pumpkin Gnocchi in Brown Butter Sage Sauce


1/2 C ricotta
1/2 C pumpkin puree
1/2 C fresh grated parmegiano reggiano
1 egg yolk
1 1 tsp lemon zest
1 tsp salt
1 C flour
3 tbsp butter
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
3 sprigs fresh sage


Combine ricotta, pumpkin, cheese, yolk, lemon zest, and salt in a large bowl and mix well. Sprinkle half of the flour on the mixture, and gently incorporate but turning a few times with a spatula. Dump the mixture on a lightly floured surface and knead the rest of the flour into the dough, don't over knead. Divide the dough into 4 parts, and roll each one into a rope about an inch thick. Cut eat rope into one inch segments.






Heat a frying pan with 1 tbsp of the butter and 1 tbsp of olive oil. Cook gnocchi in the pan, in batches, about 1-2 minutes on each side, until nicely browned. Transfer the batches to a 300 degree oven while cooking the rest. 






Discard the butter and oil in the pan and clean with a paper towel, Heat pan back to medium and add the rest of the butter and oil. Add the fresh sage and cook until browned and sizzling. Remove and discard. Add the vinegar and whisk together. 






Serve in a bowl with sauce poured over the gnocchi and extra shaved cheese on top.




I have to admit this recipe didn't quite live up to my excitement. I thought the flavor was a little more bland than I'd expect with all the rich flavored ingredients. I'd be willing to give it another shot though, and might increase the amount of sauce. Let me know if you try and and how much luck you have!

November 21 - Friendsgiving

First of all, I LOVE Thanksgiving. Any holiday that revolves around food is ok in my book. On that note, I LOVE my DC friend's tradition of having a potluck Thanksgiving dinner the Sunday before Thanksgiving. I'm usually responsible for pies and mashed potatoes. 




The bird


Largest garlic clove ever


Cranberries


Watch out


My mashed potatoes include: LOTS of peeled and boiled potatoes, fresh minced garlic, milk, butter, salt, pepper, and parsley. I could eat mashed potatoes every day of the year. 


My dinner plate


Friends :) From left to right, Steve, Nick, Chris, Krishnan, Joe, Laura, Tom, Mike, and me!

Grandma's Pumpkin Pie

I'm going to let you in on a family secret. This pumpkin pie recipe has been on my family's Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner tables for generations. It's simple, it's tradition, to me, it's the holidays. Later this week on Thanksgiving I might experiment with something a little more exotic... but for now, sticking to the classics. Enjoy!



Grandma McGarry's Pumpkin Pie

1 pie crust
2 eggs
1 1/2 C evaporated milk
1 1/2 C cooked dry pumpkin
3/4 C sugar
2 tbsp flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp allspice
1 tsp cloves

Place pie crust in a pie plate. In a medium sized bowl, beat eggs slightly. Add cream and pumpkin. Sift together sugar, flour, salt, and spices. Add to pumpkin mixture, combining well. Pour into unbaked pastry shell, finish pastry shell edges, and bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees.



Poured and ready to bake


Pictured with apple pie

November 19


M Street - Washington, DC

November 18


My office - Arlington, VA

November 17


M Street - Washington, DC

November 16


M Street - Washington, DC

November 15


M Street - Washington, DC

November 14


Mums - New York, NY

November 13


Dusk - New York, NY

November 12


Danielle and Neil at Toast - New York, NY

November 11


Whitlows on Wilson - Arlington, VA

November 10


M Street - Washington, DC

(P.S. Storage is restored!)

:-(


To my viewers: I have some how managed to run out of storage space already... I thought google was unlimited?! Hoping to get this resolved in a day or two. Sorry!

November 9


New Hampshire Avenue - Washington, DC

November 8


New York Ave - Washington, DC

November 7


M Street - Washington, DC

November 6


Longleaf Pine at UNC Botanical Gardens - Chapel Hill, NC

November 5


UNC Arboretum - Chapel Hill, NC

November 4



The Morehead Planetarium - Chapel Hill, NC

November 3


The Carolina Inn - Chapel Hill, NC

November 2

Five months in and I have over 100 posts and over 1,000 views already. Thanks guys! Become a follower and comment!


M Street - Washington, DC

November 1


Crystal City Metro - Arlington, VA