SECRET IS OUT: UNION MARKET

"If it's Sunday I have to be at Union Market" says a little voice inside me, not because it is the only day it's open (Union Market is open 7 days a week) but because it is the most convenient day for me to make a trip there, and enjoy it without the crowds (valid for later part of the afternoon.)

Thanks to Washington Metro doing no work on the tracks during Cherry Blossom Festival, I had a chance to explore the market via metro, and found that it is a convenient and short walk from the NoMa/Galludet University stop (only one stop from Union Station) on the Red Line. You walk one block to Florida Avenue, turn right, then 2 blocks on Florida Avenue, and turn left on 5th to where the market is located - this would make only one block in New York or Chicago!

This time I am meeting friends who are visiting the market for the first time, so I will see if I'm overexcited about this place or if it's really exciting (see details of my first and second visits to Union Market at "Eat, Drink, and Don't Tell Anyone"). Not surprisingly, at the end of the day, they are as happy as I am with the Union Market, and they are planning to come back soon.

On this rather chilly-for-spring Sunday, it looks like we are not the only people excited about this place. At 1pm, the place is the busiest I've ever seen with no seats anywhere and 10-15 people lines at almost every food vendor. Yes, I say to myself, DC is hungry for good food!

While I wait for my friend, I wander around, and found my new favorite: Border Springs Farm which seems to specialize in lamb: Lamb sausage is not unheard of, but lamb chorizo anyone? Lamb salami? Lamb ham? Yes, LAMB HAM!!! Unfortunately the piece I was lucky to taste was made for an earlier event, and it was not available for sale until probably later this spring. My mind was already creating recipes of Eggs Benedict, Lamb Ham hash though... Then there was the Lamb Prosciutto which made me think of so many things before I had to gather my thoughts and walk away to meet my friend (prosciutto and blanched asparagus tossed with al dente linguini anyone? maybe drizzled with olive oil, pecorino romano, and lots of pepper? Or how about carbonara with lamb ham?)

Tasting Plate at Border Springs Farm at Union Market

Any friend I take to Union Market wants to try the Salmon BLT from Neopol Smokery after reading my first review of the market. So we always start there, and then work our way around... This time, I was there early enough for the smoked green mussels, which are very good, slightly sweet, almost like baked oysters but with a deep smoke flavor, which reminded me of Nelson, New Zealand... If you like seafood and smoke flavor, you gotta grab these green gems when you see them, they fly pretty fast from the shelf! I think there will be lots of smoked mussels paired with a good sauvignon blanc or the pouilly fume from Righteous Cheese in my future... If you have couple of friends and come prepared, probably a bottle from Cordial Wines would make a nice picnic at the market, too... Cordial Wines do tastings most weekend afternoons, and what I've seen so far has been mostly Italian, and lighter wines, perfect for spring!

Smoked salmon BLT and smoked green mussels from Neopol Smokery,
 with view of the Border Springs Farm  

Then we headed to Righteous Cheese where the cheese is very good, but the offerings are too strict and limited to my liking. You have to pick the beverage pairing offered with the cheese selection, which doesn't make sense a whole lot of sense to me. What if I want wine instead of beer with my cheese? Or what if I want an adult beverage with my cheese selection instead of the homemade sodas? The answer is pretty much "you can't" and I don't like that kind of approach at an artisanal market. Once you grab one of the very coveted seats at the bar, you can't even grab a larger portion of the cheese you want, you have to go with the pairings, and "no sharing, they are per person" - I am sorry but there are many other vendors willing to accommodate the way I want to eat at this market, so for now,  if I decide to go back to Righteous Cheese, it may be only packaged cheese to take home. And they are kind of limited on the non-sparkling red wine offerings, which comes as a surprise. Yes, it is spring, but most of the world drinks lighter red wines this time of the year, especially with beautiful spring cheeses. This goes in the pile of "give it some time before you go back" in my mind...

Based on that experience, when my second friend arrived, we pretty much ran to Red Apron, where they are always willing to accommodate with a smile. I am not a picky eater, but I have a pretty developed palate, so when I know something can make the experience better I am not shy about asking for it, and if it is not possible, that is ok, too, as long as it comes with a smile (and preferably a reasonable explanation.) Last time I ate a wonderful sausage sandwich here and asked for more hot mustard, the chef was happy to take my sandwich back to the kitchen and give me a whole big schmear of it, and didn't forget to ask how I liked it. Red Apron also lets you taste great beer in proper beer glasses, and gives you time to enjoy your beverage, food, and conversation. So after we bought the Smoked Salmon BLT (another friend who read about my first visit,) we grabbed our seats at Red Apron, tried couple of beers and made our selections happily.

Smoked Salmon BLT from Neopol Smokery,
and good beer from Red Apron

It wasn't too late before I was ready to run back to Border Springs for a chorizo sandwich (topped with mango chutney and goat cheese) and even as I was eating my first sandwich, I was thinking about possibly getting another one (yes, it was that good!) Fortunately, sometimes, I can tame myself... (for those of you that are keeping track, all I ate that day was half a salmon BLT, 2 mussels, and 4 crackers with tastes of 3 pieces of cheese in the first 3 hours! Did I say Union Market is a great place to graze all day?)

Good thing spring is around the corner, so we will enjoy more lamb goodies from Border Springs Farm. They also have lots to take home, including couple types of sausages, and a great menu that would make your tummy happy any time of the day (I have to come back for the Lamb Hash, and the Smoked Leg of Lamb Sandwich, and... and...)

Border Springs Farm Enticing Menu

A day spent at Union Market always makes you happy, yet craving for more, so I will be back, hopefully for more discoveries... In the meantime, cheers to the vendors and producers who make our lives better one bite at a time!

Map of Union Market Vendors - click to enlarge

INSPIRED BY ... PASSOVER SWEETS

The Passover sweets we baked with Shelly were so good they were gone a bit too fast... especially when spring keeps hiding and I keep making tea and coffee to keep warm in the cold. I knew I wanted more amaretti, so I decided to make another batch, this time with some additional ingredients: 

I started with the same recipe we used with Shelly, but added:

- 1/2 cup of dutch processed cocoa

- 1/4 cup of ground flax seeds

- 1 tablespoon of cinnamon

- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

- dash of nutmeg

- dash of cayenne

- 1 more egg white

and,

- instead of almonds, I used black walnuts

- instead of liqueur, I used vanilla extract

This turned out to be a denser dough with cookies that almost tasted like a brownie, but still very satisfying. Also, I kept them in the oven until crisp, so they were a bit more crunchy than the original batch, but this is something I enjoy a lot, you can certainly take them out after 25 minutes and keep them softer. Because I love spicy cookies, next time I am thinking about adding even more cinnamon, cloves, and cayenne, but obviously it's all a personal preference. And I am also thinking about adding some coffee liquor just to see what happens. The possibilities are limitless!

Bon appetit!

JEWISH HOLIDAY BAKING PART 2: SWEETS FOR PASSOVER

When my neighbor Shelly said she needed some help for Passover baking, I was ready to help. Our Hamantaschen for Purim were so much fun, and I am always excited to learn something new (and give it my own twist later). 

Since Passover food does not allow for any flour (Shelly tells me there is lots of discussion around the rules of this topic which I am certainly not qualified to explain, but from what I understand, the general principle is that you are not allowed to use flour from grains or seed. Please check with your rabbi, or Jewish grandmother on the details) we prepared for this cooking session simply by looking for easy recipes ("nothing too complicated" said Shelly, and I completely agree as I find that sweet goods disappear fast in a house, and too much time spent creating them takes away from the enjoyment - at least for me, still I have lots of respect for people who can spend hours in the kitchen making mille feuille or pretty cakes, I just prefer to eat them). 

Shelly said her amaretti were very easy to make and I am always up for creating something more than just a recipe, so we nailed it down as the "tradition" option. During my research, I noticed that "haroseth truffles" were everywhere this year (at least in the media), so we thought we would also give that a try when we were baking the amaretti. The ingredients were easy to gather, and the work was minimal. 

We set to work on a late morning, first with the Amaretti [this part is for the food-curious: "amaretto" is the singular of "amaretti" which means "almond flavored." Some of you might be familiar with "Amaretto" which is a sweet, almond-flavored liqueur generally from Italy. Amaretti can also refer to almond macaroons made from marzipan or almond paste, or like it is in this case, simply almond cookies]

Almond macaroons are one of my favorite sweet indulgences, and I never knew they were so easy to make. Once we added ground almonds, sugar, egg whites, and the hazelnut liquor (recipe to follow) to a food processor and buzzed it for about 30 seconds we were done! Well, we had to put spoonfuls of it on a baking sheet and place in the oven, but still, we were done in less than 10 minutes (plus baking time) which is absolutely wonderful (note to self: always keep almonds at hand, and any time you have extra egg whites, make amaretti!)

Shelly ready to put the amaretti to the oven

During the baking time, we washed the food processor bowl, and then placed the ingredients for Haroseth in the bowl (recipe to follow), and buzzed for another 20 seconds or so to have our "dough." By the time we made little balls of haroseth and rolled them in coconut flakes, our amaretti were baked and we were ready to make coffee. 

Haroseth truffles rolled in coconut flakes

Amaretti baking in the oven

This could make a very good activity for kids or simply friends/family coming together to create good memories. I could hardly believe that we were done with two kinds of Passover sweets in less than 30 minutes, and already enjoying the results of our labor! 

Shelly with the first tray of amaretti

Whatever notions Jewish cooking might have out there, for me, it's been nothing but a pleasant experience so far, mostly thanks to Shelly. I am a big believer that when food is combined with tradition and love, the outcome is always a bit more than a bite to eat, somehow it finds a way to your heart and makes it feel warm and fuzzy... How does one say "enjoy" or "bon appetit" in Hebrew or Yiddish?

------

AMARETTI RECIPE (adopted from vanillagarlic.com via simplyrecipes.com) 

Note: To keep this recipe kosher we used kosher hazelnut liqueur (see pictures at the very end) instead of vanilla and almond extracts. You can adjust the ingredients based on your restrictions. The above mentioned Amaretto liqueur would be a nice substitute for non-kosher palates, or you can use apple juice for a non-alcoholic option.

2 1/2 cups almond flour (or 3 1/4 cups almonds)

1 1/4 cups of sugar

3 egg whites (we used large eggs)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Optional: dried fruits or nuts to decorate

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. 

If using almonds, grind them in the food processor until fine. If using almond flour, place it in the processor. Add the sugar and grind for about 20-30 seconds until the mixture is well blended and fine. Add vanilla/almond extracts (or the kosher wine/liqueur), pulse for a few seconds, then add the egg whites one at a time, process until smooth (do not over-blend it as it makes the cookies hard). 

Place tablespoons of the dough on the parchment paper and if you like, top with pieces of dried fruit or nuts (pinenuts are traditional in Italy.) If you like the cookies to be more uniform or fancier you can use a pastry bag. 

For chewy cookies bake for about 25 minutes, until the tops are slightly brown but the cookies are still soft to the touch. For crunchy cookies, bake about 30-35 minutes, keeping in mind that the cookies will get crunchier as they sit in the winter in dry air conditions, and will go softer in humid conditions. 

If you like, once they are cooler, you can make little sandwich cookies by attaching the bottoms of two cookies together with jam. 

HAROSETH TRUFFLES RECIPE (adopted from The New York Times)

1 cup coarsely chopped pitted dates

1 cup coarsely chopped dried apricots

1/4 cup dried cherries

1-2 chopped up dried fig

1/4 cup raw sliced almonds

1/2 cup raw pistachios

1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon pomegranate juice or liqueur of your choice (we used Kosher plum brandy see photo at the end)

Optional: roast the nuts in the oven or in a dry skillet until fragrant before starting the recipe, and let them cool down.

Combine the dates, apricots, cherries, almonds, and pistachios in the bowl of a processor and pulse until coarsely combined (not not overdo this step otherwise the ingredients will not absorb the liquid proportionately). In a small bowl mix the pomegranate juice or the liqueur with the cinnamon, and add to the dried fruit mixture and process until the mixture forms a smooth and sticky paste. If the paste is not sticking together, add more liquid one teaspoon at a time (this depends on the moisture in the dry fruits). 

Spread the coconut flakes on a plate, and put some water in a small finger bowl. Moisten your fingers, and roll half tablespoon size of the dough in your hands, then roll them in the coconut plate. Store in an airtight container at room temperature. 

Optional: You can roll the truffles in cocoa, melted chocolate or crushed nuts to create a variety. 

Important tip: You really need to chop the larger dried fruits into smaller pieces, otherwise they do stay in big chunks since we do not pulverize everything for long. I find that the best way to chop dried fruits is by scissors, preferably moistened with cooking oil or water. 

Hazelnut Liqueur we used for the Amaretti

Kosher Plum Brandy we used
for Haroseth Truffles

ROSE'S LUXURY PREVIEW - AS GOOD AS THE FIRST TIME

I couldn't forget... I had to do it... I had to go back... The fried chicken lingered in my head... So did the pork sausage and lychee salad. And I was about to hallucinate about the banh-mi. Plus the preview of Rose's Luxury was coming to an end. If I wanted it in a week, there would be no place to get it... Tick tock... Tick tock... I have to go now...

So I was back to Aaron's food heaven. As usual he and his team were as busy, but still friendly, taking the time to explain to us what everything was about. My friend was excited, and I was maybe a bit skeptical... can it be as good? Like the first time? The answer was clear: oh yes, just as good, even better, because this time my senses were full of anticipation. The anticipation of when you want something, when you totally crave for it... and then you get it in front of you, yes it was very good. It turns out my dining companion eats banh mis almost every Saturday at a local Vietnamese shop, and Aaron spoiled it... No longer he can eat the banh mi there. Because Aaron's is pure pleasure... Perfectly creamy, porky, briny and crunchy with the pickles. And he spoiled his pop corn and fried chicken experiences as well, for someone who lived in New Orleans, when he said "this is possibly the best fried chicken I ever had" I knew I wasn't dreaming. Ladies and gentlemen, if you have tastebuds that like fireworks, Aaron is your guy. (click here to read my first experience and photos from his pop-up at Hogo's and you'll know what I mean)

French Toast Foie Gras by Aaron Silverman

At the end of a very similar experience as the first time, we decided to indulge ourselves and order the "foie gras french toast" as dessert (yeah this is when I want to lie in a grave and wait for the dish as I  will probably die from a heart attack or pleasure, I thought) and it was just as good as it sounds... With the slightly crispy outside and the creamy custard-like inside of french toast topped with barely seared, wonderfully creamy foie gras, and the cinnamon ice cream melting all over, it sure was some form of bliss I didn't know before. It was the perfect ending to an incredible meal, and a perfect goodbye to Aaron until next time. Since I survived the foie gras, I can wait for 4 months before he opens his new place. I cannot wait!

P.S. I'm hesitant to make it public but Aaron has a unique talent for combining flavors to make them bigger than on their own, and making texture combinations explode without overwhelming any one of them. My companion said, it was like a symphony where all the instruments come together to make a very pleasant and powerful impression bigger than what they could have done on their own, but still being able to distinguish each instrument. Bravo Maestro! For my money, just in terms of flavors and overall taste experience, the cooking here was much more powerful and memorable for me than my experience at Alinea 2 years ago (as much respect as I have for Grant Achatz.) And I am led to believe one more time, that we have someone (and his team of course) very special in DC. Kudos!

CHEF AARON SILVERMAN DELIGHTS AT HOGO FOR 2 WEEKS

When you love food, it's not unusual to get a phone call at night that says "you gotta check this place out" from your friends. But it's rare when someone calls you at midnight and says "we gotta go back tomorrow night" then you know you have to drop everything and go. 

In this case, the urgency resulted from Hogo featuring Aaron Silverman's (preview for Rose's Luxury opening in the spring on Capitol Hill) menu only for 2 weeks, and my friend's schedule being open only the following night (and maybe his respect for my never-ending desire to look for best and most interesting adventures in food, and willingness to show me what he had found)

So on a Saturday night, I walked into Hogo where everyone seemed to be in a happy mood, not in a way you'd find in regular restaurants, but almost like "yeah, we are part of a small group of people who found about this and can't wait to eat" kind of happy. There was almost a slight nod when I walked in, as if being a special agent you couldn't disclose but everyone else knew secretly. Hogo is a small, casual, dimly lit, brick place you would probably find more easily in Brooklyn or Chicago (I am so glad it is in DC), with average age of clientele around 30 or so. Cocktail list is long and interesting (ahem, Passenger is next door, should I say more?) leaning more towards exotic, plus small beer and wine selections. Friendly bartenders, good drinks, comfortable bar... but we are not here for that. We are here for the food - which I already had my eyes on, especially when the small plate of fried chicken morsels made their way out of the kitchen to the table next to the bar, I was tempted to reach across and grab, when "wait" said a voice inside (or was that my friend? Not sure)

From the cute little space you enter the kitchen through a passage way, and find bare barseating in front of a counter which could easily be a diner in New Jersey or the Midwest, lit with fluorescent lighting. I personally don't care (and apparently noone else as all seats are taken and people happily conversing and watching the action right in front of them)

Move over Minibar - I can watch the action and chat with the chef here for much less (just make sure you are not wearing your nice clothes cause the fryer is about 3 feet away!) Chef Aaron and his team are extremely friendly, not only prepping their dishes but also welcoming the customers, and chatting along with everyone. 

The menu is very small, and displayed on top of the kitchen hood with movable letters, as well as printed booklets in front of us:

The chef and his team (2 more cooks, 1 prep guy, and a dishwasher) are excited, and so are we. This is a place where you don't chose, you just let the chef roll it in for you at his pace (which will be pretty fast as the crowd grows outside).

We begin with Kusshi oysters with dark and stormy granita. Kusshi+granita+dark and stormy... do I need to say more? These are good!

Kusshi Oysters with dark & stormy granita

Then follows an amazing popcorn soup - yeah, not corn, but popcorn soup, served out of a small mason jar. From now on, I will be craving this at the movie theater, preferably in a popcorn bucket! Creamy, slightly salty, and with an intense popcorn flavor but it's like drinking the popcorn without anything getting stuck in your teeth (and it has pieces of poached lobster in it, too, does that help?)  Now I know we are in for a very good treat for sure. 

Pop Corn Soup with Poached Lobster

The pork fat banh-mi is the perfect bar food, and would make the perfect lunch every day (but craves for a strong hoppy beer - in my case it's the He'brew Lenny's Rye IPA from Schmaltz Brewing (well, Schmaltz is chicken fat, and this is pork fat sandwich - should work as long as we don't get a major curse while drinking it!) It looks like I won't be able to eat Banh Mi after this incredibly creamy, intense  pate placed inside a simple but real baguette, doused with the perfectly briny and slightly sweet pickle... What have I done? (speaking of pickle, we were also served beautiful pickle juice as bourbon chaser - if you haven't done it, you gotta try it, that's all I gotta say)

Next is pork and lychee salad. Well this sounds odd, for sure... Pork? Lychee? What kind of pork? Salad? (yeah my mind rarely stops asking questions) Relax, sit back (well you can't when you are on a stool, so sit comfortably) and enjoy. Preferably close your eyes. The instructions are to mix everything which makes a mess, but what a mess it is. You are served a bowl with lychees, ground (and extremely flavorful) pork bits, whipped coconut milk and red onions, and this is one bowl to savor. It is delightfully salty, slightly sweet, and incredibly satisfying. This is a dish you eat slowly and savoring each bite (good thing noone can hear the sounds I make with the kitchen hood working at full capacity)

Lychee and pork salad (messy heaven in a bowl I say!)

If you think we were swimming in "gluttony" and "sin" here comes the cleanest dish of the day: "crispy cauliflower with greek yogurt" which is wonderfully crispy on the outside and perfectly tender on the inside. Beautifully seasoned, with the crunch of the panko crumbs perfectly balancing the creamy tartness of the thick yogurt. I always loved cauliflower, but this makes it a "sexy vegetable" from now on. I can hardly stop myself putting my finger in the bowl to swipe the remaining yogurt on the edge. 

Crispy cauliflower with greek yogurt

Then follows what I've been waiting for - will it live up to the expectations after that pork and lychee? Oh yes, the answer is clear. The chicken thigh pieces fried at the perfect temperature makes them crisp and lightly brown, but when they are drizzled with honey and topped with sesame (or bene) seeds (and per preference doused with hot sauce), you are ready to beg the chef to bring it over the counter and the taste delivers (especially with the not so hot hot sauce), yes, I want more of this for dessert! (or like Anthony Bourdain said on the The Taste last week "Take me now") 

Bread & butter fried chicken
 (before we hit it with a good dose of hot sauce)

After that comes probably the only "ok" dish of the evening (well hard to top that pork/lychee dish and the fried chicken) which is a fragrant pho, but for my taste the salt flavor dominates the others. The soup is not salty per se, but in my opinion, the best part of South Asian cuisine is the delicate balance between salty, sweet, sour, hot, and bitter; and in this soup, the salty taste leads the pack. Maybe this could have worked before the pork/lychee dish, but not at this point, for me. 

Pho

I am ready to ask for another plate of chicken (and another one to take home and eat in bed so I can die in my sleep - happily) when the chef serves a small but potent dish which seems to be the theme of the evening: 

Crushed raspberries topped with whey stracciatella ice cream (chocolate drizzled in whey ice cream) and crushed merengue. Another complex and intense flavor combination to bring in the finale with fireworks even for someone like me who isn't crazy about dessert. If this is how deserts are supposed to be like, I am a dessert lover, bring it on!

Whey stracciatella ice cream served with
crushed raspberries and crushed merengue

Now I know why my friend wanted to go back... I am ready to go back myself the following day, only if they were open... As we leave, the considerably more crowded space and the eyes watching our seats are a sign we are not alone. This was a very memorable (if a bit too fast for my liking, but I understand the reasons, lots of people waiting!) meal I'd like to repeat often. Fortunately, Aaron is working on his new place (Rose's Luxury), and if this Q&A at Washingtonian proves right, I predict we have another Little Serow in our hands. Kudos to Aaron and his team - I can't wait for more!!!

EAT, DRINK, AND DON'T TELL ANYONE - UNION MARKET

VISIT #1: February 24, 2013, Sunday

When I find something I really like, sometimes I am under the impression that the "goodness" of the place is due to my particular mindset on that day, probably my search of "something good" in every step... So, when I finally made it to Union Market in DC last week, and was amazed after having such a good time, I needed couple days to evaluate. Was it really me or the market? Was it because the weather was nice, the drive through the city was pleasant, and I was hungry for a sandwich and beer... and found it at Red Apron Butchery? And with very friendly service unseen in this city?

 Sausage in a fresh baguette (weekly special) with Blast! from Brooklyn Brewery

I kept thinking... Was the smoked hummus (yeah, smoked hummus. More on this later) from Neopol Smokery really that tasty? Or did I want it to be that tasty, after hearing my friends were wandering around at Borough Market -a food-centric market in London where you find treasures on every visit-the day before, and wishing I were there, too?

CONTEMPLATING ANOTHER VISIT - March 3, 2013 Saturday

While preparing dinner, I was struggling with the above thoughts, and contemplating whether I'd go back on Sunday or not, until... I found a tiny bit of leftover smoked hummus in the fridge. "How did this happen" I asked myself, I never leave anything good stay in the fridge for more than 24 hours. Then I remembered last Sunday when... I had such a bliss eating the smoked hummus on top of rice crackers, sprinkled with smoked paprika and chipotle, and topped with kimchee while watching the Oscars at home, I had to hide the last bit in the back of the fridge before I went into a hummus and kimchee induced coma :-) So, curiously, I opened the container and decided, that this would be my answer to when to go back to Union Market. Little did I know... that one last bit, licked off the spoon was so good and so potent that, if I'd done it earlier in the day, I'd jump in the car and start driving. Unfortunately, given the hour, I had to wait til the following day which made me even more impatient. (In the meantime, I licked every bit of what was left in the container with my finger - yumm... Since I am not a cupcake or icing person, this must be how many people feel about icing)

VISIT #2: March 3, 2013, Sunday

I am told that mornings are busy at Union Market during the weekends. Since I prefer to linger and enjoy the atmosphere, I waited til early afternoon, and as soon as I walked in the door, my brain started screaming "see, it wasn't you! You weren't dreaming! This place is real!" I was happy to find the same buzz and happy faces. It wasn't the "give me what I want so I can get going" kind of craziness you get at some farmers markets in the city. It was more of a "I know this will be good, so I am willing to wait" kind of buzz you get at real food markets all around the world. Good things take time, and most of the vendors at Union Market, my friends, are very good!

Union Market offers free parking (entrance on 6th Street NE)

If you are new to the market, I suggest walking around first to see what entices you. You will see some vendors share tastes or stories, invite you with a smile, or simply say a friendly hello. And you will see some vendors not as confident, probably on their phones, or not paying much attention to the customers:

Such is world, and clearly I am not here to talk about them, especially when there are some who take lots of pride in what they do, and truly enjoy being there - this is confirmed time and time again, no matter how many times you pass by. These vendors are interested in everyone, and they provide a good product with a smiley face - which is all I ask for. Since you might be wondering, my top 3 places at Union Market are:

1. Neopol Smokery

1. Red Apron Butchery

1. Peregrine Espresso

It's not a typo - all these places offer something different depending on your mood and taste for the day, and they all deliver superbly any time of the day. Now more details - in case you wanted to know:

Neopol Smokery at Union Market

Since I'd done my tour last week, I knew exactly what I wanted: the salmon BLT from Neopol everyone was talking about (meaning the vendors - I asked couple of them where they eat at the market, and many of them talked about this particular sandwich.) Plus they had run out of it last week when I made it to the market, so now, I had to have it. Fortunately Mar (the friendly guy who made me taste and buy the smoked hummus last week) was there, with exactly the same friendly smile even though it was later in the day. When I told him I wanted the salmon BLT, he asked me how hungry I was and he explained he was going to prepare it from scratch, and it would take a couple of minutes. When I told him I was always hungry, he got to work on it, with a smile. 

More goodies at Leopol Smokery at Union Market

Yes, that is Smoked Roasted Garlic - from Neopol Smokery

Once I got my sandwich, I made my way to the next door vendor: Peregrine Espresso to get a proper coffee. 

A proper macciato from Peregrine Espresso - notice the hot water carafes in the back

Since I knew I was going to be in for a treat with the sandwich, I decided to perfection my coffee by asking for a "flat white" (not as foamy as cappucino and not as milky as latte, somewhere in between) which the barista responded with a smile even though it wasn't on the menu. Then looking at my sandwich he said "you have my favorite sandwich, 2nd best thing in the market" (after the coffee of course since he works at Peregrine). 

Once I had both components of my "perfect Sunday Meal" I found a seat on the corner and took a long-awaited bite from my Salmon BLT... ... ... It was an explosion of simple flavors where everything tasted like it should, yet, the combination of ingredients made everything even better. My teeth went through the slightly toasted sunflower and flax seed bread, freshly crisp lettuce, a bit of red onion, perfectly smoky thick bacon (which I found they smoke themselves, of course) and then the slightly sweet and flaky, full of flavor, salmon... and a hint of lemon, probably in the mayo (turns out it's aioli)... As I began to chew, the rest of the market disappeared into the background, and someone hit the "pause" button... All I could feel was this wonderful combination of great flavors in a happy place. My brain was happy before my stomach... I took my time finishing the sandwich and my coffee before I stood up to walk around for more. But before I did, I made sure to stop by Neopol and thank Mar for the great sandwich. Clearly, it was made with care. 

I was full and happy, so I walked around a bit. Salt & Sundry is a bit expensive but always fun to browse if you are looking for fun items on your dining room table or need decoration ideas. Right across is Buffalo Bergen which is famous for its cocktails:

    

Produce at Union Market

Flower Shop at Union Market

Leon Bakery has a great selection of breads, and wine shop offers tastings:

Baskets at the Leon Bakery

Cordial Wine Shop

Harvey's is a full-service butcher shop (in addition to the cold cuts, pates, and terrines at Red Apron Butchery) which offers a large selection of beef and pork products (they even had a pig's head - which is not in the photos) :

Harvey's Butcher at Union Market

Benton's Ham from Harvey's!

The Dairy Shop is closed today

Nice lunch deal if you happen to be
in the 'hood during the week

Bakery or Butchery? Red Apron

 

It's fun to walk around at Union Market... You can watch the guys at DC Sharp sharpen knives, or watch the staff slice meats at Red Apron Butchery, and make beautiful packages... So good, you want to take one home... And of course, if you like beer (or wine - but they offer only one white and one red), you have to stop at Red Apron Butchery's bar section. Being part of the Neighborhood Restaurant Group, their beer selection is designed by Greg Engert (DC's not-yet-crowned king of beer) and offers great choices. And if Will is there (which is probably 80% of the time) he is always willing to help, explain, offer a tasting of the interesting beers, and if you like beer conversation, he is a great resource. While I was trying to decide between Blast (Imperial IPA by Brooklyn Brewery, NY) and The Maharajah (Imperial IPA from Avery Brewing Co. in Colorado) Will's advice came in very handy: Maharajah was seasonal and would be gone as soon as that keg was over. That was my favorite from last week anyway, so I savored my beautiful snifter watching the market activity - which makes a perfect Sunday afternoon in my book. 

Of course before I left, I had to stop at Red Apron Butchery to take a package home. The choice is always the toughest, but for me, on this day, it was an ounce of Saucisson Sec (classic French dry sausage) and one piece of Finocchiona (cured fennel sausage from Italy). 

When I said goodbye to Union Market, the sun was setting behind the clouds in DC, and I considered myself very fortunate to have spent part of my Sunday in a food heaven (as long as you know the gems). If you'd like to go, here are some logistical information from the source:

INSPIRED BY... HAMANTASCHEN

I normally don't eat a whole lot of sweets, probably because nothing is as good as homemade. Well, the Hamantaschen we made with Shelly were gone too fast, and I was still craving for the perfect orangey, crispy parcels. Plus there was a sick person I loved but couldn't do much about since she was too far away. So, this time late at night, I put the ingredients of hamantaschen in a bowl and let the dough rest in the fridge overnight. When I woke up in the morning and there was still no improvement on the health condition of my aunt, I found myself rolling the dough... It's amazing how comforting baking can be when you need it... Almost as good as warm cookies out of the oven with coffee...

UPDATED HAMANTASCHEN

I replaced:

- regular flour with white whole wheat flour

- replaced 1/4 cup of flour with ground flaxseeds

- Replaced half of vegetable oil with coconut oil (melted in the microwave until warm but not hot)

and I omitted the eggwash.

The hamantaschen ended up being a bit more crunchier and nuttier with a bit more brownish hue to it. They were as delicious, and started disappearing as fast!