Sister Sister

My beautiful, kind hearted, amazing sister came down to visit me for the long weekend. It was a little last minute in the planning, and if you know me at all I love to have a plan and the further in advanced the better. But sometimes it is nice to just go with the flow. And Tara is the perfect person to flow with! After arriving early Saturday morning, the two Goldsmith sisters headed off on our first adventure, breakfast in Eastern Market. After some strolling about we decided on Le Pain Quotidien, which I kept pronouncing as quotient. But no worries Tara was there to correct me. She does after all live with Christine who is fluent in French. We each enjoyed some soft boiled eggs with toast, fresh berries, and a delightful chai tea. My favorite discovery was the Praline spread, which dare I say is even better then Nutella. Give it a try some time and tell me you don't love it. Next, I introduced Tara to the coolest little bookshop that is literally wall to wall books. Then in true DC fashion it was time for a museum, the Newseum to be exact.

I had never been to the Newseum in the four years I have lived here (to be fair I think it just reopened last year) and I know Tara has an uncanny love for NPR. So, I thought this could be fun learning about the media and maybe even enjoying some interactive fun. Shout out to Kristen for the recommendation! My two favorite exhibits by far were the Katrina and 9/11 exhibits. They were raw, honest, and brought you back to the exact moments you first heard of those horrendous tragedies. If it weren't for all of the people around my tears would have been much more pronounced. I was truly moved by the heroic stories of those that were on the front lines. If you are in DC, I highly recommend you check it out! And since this is a food blog, onto lunch, falafel at the Amsterdam Falafel House in Adams Morgan. I love this delicious fried treat and the best part about Amsterdam is you get to put on all of your toppings yourself and as much as you would like. My favorite, the pickled turnips mmmmmm. The rest of our day consisted of a lot of lounging and a few movies.
Sunday we made our way to the beautiful little city Annapolis. Tara was determined to go somewhere she had never been this winter break, and Annapolis is so close it seemed like a good idea. Upon arrival, Tara made the comment that she couldn't believe how quiet it was there. It was an ideal Sunday morning, if just a little chilly, to walk around enjoy the sweet salty sea air and the colonial style of downtown Annapolis. We of course had to make a stop at one of my favorite shops, Annapolis Pottery, and I of course had to make a purchase. After a little more walking and window shopping we made our to lunch at Middleton's Tavern. It uncannily reminded me of The Chowder Pot Pub and The Rhumbline which brought me back to home. We enjoyed a delicious seafood lunch accompanied by some delicious pickled Bloody Mary's. It wouldn't be a Sunday lunch with some Mary's. And to end our trip in Annapolis a quick hello to a fellow Southold native, Sheila!
I really thought I was going to plan a nice dinner and try something new while Tara was visiting but sometimes you just need to raid the pantry for dinner. So to share here is what we enjoyed:
Soup (Pacific Natural Foods)
Tara--Carrot Ginger
Renee--Red Pepper and Tomato
If you have never tried these you should there delicious and healthy!
Sides
Shoestring French Fries
Edmame--we had to have at least one vegetable on the table
French Bread toasted with ketchup and the only thing homemade on the table courtesy of the guest chef Tara, garlic and lemon aioli
Baked Chips and Holy Guacamole (by far my favorite non-homemade guacamole out there
No main entree as Tara is a vegetarian and I eat mostly vegetarian and there was already an insane amount of food for just two people.

But perhaps the most important item of this meal was the

 Bedell 2008 Cabernet Franc that served as an accompaniment. 

This is by far the best Cab Franc I have ever tasted. It is full of spicy notes with a delicious bouquet that warms the soul.  Hopefully I can pick up another bottle the next time I head through the North Fork because one was just not enough. I had been saving this for a special occasion and what better time then a little sister sister time.