TidBits November 2014 November Meeting Nov Meeting

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November 2014
Morsels from the Heritage Hunt Gourmet Coterie
Nov Meeting
FRI — Nov 21 — 10am
Mountain View Room
November Meeting
Harvest Holiday Social
Program
Harvest Holiday Social
Elections
Dec Meeting
No Meeting
FRI — Dec 19
Luncheon at L’Auberge
Wait-List Only
Contact Celia La Placa
Jan Meeting
FRI — Jan 16 — 10am
Mountain View Room
Program
Antique Cookbooks
INSIDE
Prez Says......................Pg 2
Oct Meeting Recap.......Pg 2
Nominees.....................Pg 2
Table Talk.....................Pg 3
Oct Member Morsel.....Pg 3
BOD.............................Pg 3
Cakes Galore................Pg 4
Photos.........................Pg 4
Visit our WEBSITE
at www.hhgoco.org
Learn all about traditional foods served
at the first Thanksgiving as well as a
few newer additions & impress your guests
this year with your knowledge.
Trivia contests arranged by Susie Parker & others have been great fun
& you can bet that this contest about Thanksgiving Feasts
will provide a provocative & fun participation contest.
There will be door prizes as well
as a grand prize for the trivia game winner.
Special favor for each attendee! Tea and coffee will be served.
Please join us for a wonderful fall gathering.
December Luncheon
Wait List Only…….
The December 19th traditional GoCo luncheon
at L’Auberge Chez Francois is SOLD OUT! You can
still sign up for the wait list. Just call Celia LaPlaca,
703.743.1383. Those of us who have enjoyed these
luncheons for several years know to sign up quickly.
The word gets around when something as good as
L’Auberge is announced. Chef and owner Jacques
serves the very best menu and even offers many
selections for up to 60 of the Heritage Hunt crowd.
TidBits—Page Two
The Prez Says
by Marilyn Amodeo
Goodness, what happened to the month of
October! It seems like just yesterday it was summer and now we are in November, which means
there are only a few weeks more until the end
of the year holidays. In past years, I would have
had all of my shopping done by now, but procrastination seems easier as I grow older.
I had to cancel my reservation at the last
minute, but understand the first meeting of our
Cakes Galore group on October 21 was a big success. I just wanted to thank our hostess, Carol
Bolduc, for opening up her lovely home to the
group.
I hope everyone who signed up for the Dining In Brunch Buffet enjoyed themselves. Thirteen of us dined at Sue Waldron’s lovely home
on Sunday, November 2nd. We sampled Three
Alarm Bloody Mary’s, Crunchy Zucchini Rounds,
Beet and Artichoke Salad, Pineapple Noodle Kugel, Baked Cinnamon Apple French Toast, Bacon,
Fruit Salad, and Pumpkin Angel Food Muffins.
A good time was had by all. Thank you, Sue, for
being such a gracious hostess.
As many of you know, but for those who
don’t, our November 21 General Meeting will
not feature a speaker because it’s our annual
social gathering. This year’s theme is a Harvest
Holiday Gathering. Susie Parker and Louisa Williams promise to teach us everything we need to
know about Thanksgiving but were afraid to ask.
There will be coffee, muffins, trivia games and
prizes with seating at tables. Right now 51 members have signed up to attend. If you would like
to participate, please contact Susie or Louisa.
My term of office is coming to a close and
I would like to thank everyone who helped to
make the last two years successful and enjoyable for our GOCO. It was a pleasure to serve.
In closing, I would like to extend a Happy
Thanksgiving to all of our members. Please enjoy the day with family and friends. Life is short
and we should all live every day to the fullest.
Bon Appetite,
Marilyn
October Meeting
Nutritionist
Emily Frizell
by James Brown
Emily Frizell, our guest
speaker for the Gourmet
Coterie October meeting,
inspired us to consider the
nutritional value of fresh
fall vegetables available
from the local markets.
Showing a beautiful centerpiece of butternut
squash, zucchini, acorn squash, kale and other fall
produce, she then discussed the need to try vegetables prepared different ways (such as roasted rather
than steamed) before deciding that you do not like
the vegetable because fresh vegetables have the
best nutritional values. Emily has prepared in-home
meals for individuals and recently helped an engaged
couple lose 40 pounds for their wedding.
Emily’s cooking demonstration was a Sweet Potato
and Goat Cheese Frittata. During the demo she gave
tips and techniques on effective and safe handling
of food and how to use a variety of kitchen tools.
Members expressed many comments of appreciation
for learning new ideas as well as enjoying Emily’s
enthusiasm.
Learn more about Emily Frizell on her Nutritional
and Delicious website at www.emilydoermanrd.com.
GoCo
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Table Talk
TidBits—Page Three
Cesco Osteria
out of four
The first question is what’s an osteria and how is
it different from a trattoria or a ristorante? Pay attention, there may be a quiz! At the top of the Italian food
chain is a ristorante. Traditionally it is a formal, expensive place serving professionals. Next comes a trattoria
which is smaller and always has fresh pasta. They are
family run, casual, unpretentious and inexpensive.
Finally, is an osteria which is a small restaurant focusing on down-home cooking with a limited menu.
Osterias are also unpretentious and inexpensive.
So why is a large, modern, expensive, pretentious
place like Cesco calling itself an osteria when it is a
ristorante? They are hoping to evoke a simple trendy
charm of home-cooked Italian food. Unfortunately
they conveniently forgot about the part that includes
unpretentious and inexpensive.
Let’s discuss the food. What we had was delicious.
We opened with calamari which was cooked just
right. Then we shared two dishes — Panko breaded
ahi tuna Milanese with homemade Idaho crisps,
and prawns and scallops sauteed in Marsala — and
served with sauteed sweet potatoes. Both entrees
were beautifully presented, the portions were ample,
the seafood cooked perfectly and the flavors were
exquisite. We were both happy with our choices.
The restaurant itself is new, spacey and bold. It’s
a classy-looking white tablecloth restaurant. Some
online reviews mention poor service but we did not
encounter that. In fact, our waiter was excellent. We
had a time constraint as we had a show after and
told him we needed to be out by a certain time. He
managed it perfectly.
The prices are too high for the traditional definition
of an osteria. The wine list started at $9.00 per glass
and rose from there. Twas easy to make the decision
to drink water. Entrees are in the $25-$30 range.
Overall, we were pleased with Cesco and would
return. If you are in Bethesda and want to treat yourself to a fine Italian dinner, then Cesco is a good option. Just expect a ristorante and you’ll be satisfied.
OK — Pens and paper out. It’s quiz time.
Cesco Osteria
7401 Woodmont Ave, Bethesda, MD 20814
301-654-8333 http://www.cesco-osteria.com/
Submitted by Marcia & Dave Leveton
Date of Visit — September 21, 2014
October Member Morsel
by James Brown
Pepperplate.com, an electronic recipe organizer, was the member morsel for this month. James
Brown explained the many features of the tablet
app which runs on a variety of computers such as
personal computers, IPad, Kindles and smart phones.
James and Sharon use the application for viewing
their recipes while having great fun cooking together. They easily carry their favorite recipes to cook
for their daughter in Germany when they travel
there—saves packing heavy books in their bags. They
also share recipes with their daughters via the application. Recipes can be automatically imported via
popular food web sites or
can be entered manually.
Pepperplate.com can also
create shopping lists, build
menus and group recipes
by classification including
appetizers, side dishes and
desserts. Other electronic
organizers are available
but James and Sharon like
this one. And, it is free.
“No one who cooks, cooks alone. Even at their most
solitary, a cook in the kitchen is surrounded by generations of cooks past, the advice and menus of cooks
present, the wisdom of cookbook writers.”
― Laurie Colwin
President
Marilyn [email protected]...... 703-743-1936
Vice President (Program Committee Chair)
Nadine [email protected]
Secretary
Sue Waldron ............. [email protected] ...........703-743-5067
Treasurer
Marianne [email protected]
Director (Dining-Out Committee Chair)
Mary [email protected]
Director (Dining-In Committee Chair)
John & Sue Farris ...... [email protected] .................703-743-1380
Director (Communications Committee Chair)
Kristin Falcon ............ [email protected] .............703-743-1443
Newsletter Editor & Publisher
Bets [email protected]
Web Master
Mansell Rainbolt....... [email protected].................. X5511
TidBits—Page Four
Cakes Galore Kick Off!
The premiere opening of Cakes Galore was
held at Carol Bolduc’s home. The gracious hostess
provided beverages to go with the three cakes.
The theme was “Most Remembered Cake from
your Childhood” and bakers were Sue & John
Farris, Sharon and James Brown and Nancy Accipiter. It was a brilliant affair with conversation
and feasting. The party of 12 enjoyed a moist
delicious carrot cake and two decadent chocolate
cakes donned with a caramel icing. Amazingly,
the two chocolate cakes were alike. The coincidence is unbelievable and unforgettable. The next
event will take place in January. Watch for further
notices.
Brunch
October
2014