Month: June 2008

Mojitos & Tater Tots

Friday I was in the mood for some homemade mojitos and store bought elementary school quality tater tots. But I wanted to share this desire & joy with others. So Saturday morning I decided I was going to have an impromptu party.
I’ve been wanting to do something along the lines of Apartment Therapy’s Open Door Family Dinner idea where there is little to no planning. So I figured on a very simple menu, mojitos (and a lemonade for the kids and non-drinkers) and tater tots. That was it, and that’s all I promised the guests when I started calling around noon. I kept most of the guest list kinda close to house as there was an alcoholic small-bites theme, so if someone was really hungry or got tipsy, their front door was only a few feet away.
It was a good neighborly bunch for such short notice on a Saturday night. I invited some new neighbors, as I had been meaning to do something to welcome them for the longest while. I don’t remember how many people I called and visited to extend invitations to, but there were 2 kids and 7 adults who came and it was a nice manageable number. The being close to home part was good, as someone was up past her nap time and got a little tired.
I may try the open door gathering thing again. Worrying about everyone’s schedules tends to keep me from asking friends out and planning gatherings. I guess if I just leave it up to fate I don’t get fixated on trying to get things right.
As a bonus for reading the post here is the recipe for the party items

Tater Tots

Store bought tater tots
Ketchup

Buy bag from Giant.
Follow directions on bag.
Serve in big bowl with spoon and have squeezable ketchup on the table.


Mojitos

Big bunch of spearmint (about 1 cup or more)
10-12 limes
1.5 cups of sugar
1.5 cups of water
1/2 cup or more of white Rum
Splash of Meyers Dark Rum
Ice
1 bottle of Tonic Water w. Quinine

1- On stove top mix the sugar and water in sauce pan, stir on mid/high heat. Let boil for 5 minutes. Set aside to cool. This is your simple syrup mix.
2- Squeeze the juice of the limes in pitcher or other container.
3- Toss in mint
4- Muddle mint with wooden spoon or a proper muddler (you might want to remove the mint after this, something I failed to do, but whatever…)
5- Pour in rums
6- Pour in simple syrup (the sugar water mix). Make more if needed. Depending on taste.

To serve in glass, put in ice cubes, pour in mixture up to halfway, fill with tonic water.

Organic Strawberry Lemonade

Organic Lemonade (you may find it at Whole Foods or Timor)
Strawberries from Bloomingdale Farmers Market

1-Hull strawberries and place them on tray where they are not touching each other.
2- Place in freezer and freeze
3- Take frozen strawberries and place in pitcher 1/4 of the way
4- Fill with lemonade
5- Sit in refrigerator covered with plastic wrap (if pitcher has no top) until guests arrive.
Strawberries act like ice cubes and as they melt, they release their juices into the drink.

If you see me, give me .50c

There is research I can do for free, and nearly free. Following the chatter on the Eckington list about I went to look at the 1929 city directory for eye-talian names. Well, it cost me two quarters to get a sheet copied properly. I’m annoyed, ’cause that’s kinda pricey. I’m okay with a dime a copy, .15 cents a copy, but not a quarter a copy, especially when the copier cuts off a lot on the 1st try.
Anyway, I’m not listing all the names, nor am I scanning it anytime soon. But yes, there were Italians on North Capitol, if I go by names. There were some non-Italian names like Charles Quong, laundryman, at 1518 and H. Lee another laundryperson at 1412. But you want Italian examples. Don’t you? Ok. At 1410 N. Cap lived Carmelo Puleo, 1420 Venuto Salvatore, and at 1416 Fortunato Figliozzi, a barber. As far as I can tell the other two guys were shiftless unemployed layabouts.
Just as a tad of info if you’re looking at the 1930 census Mr. Quong is in the 42nd Enumeration district, page 11B, roll 293. Puleo or Pulis (as listed in 1930 census) is in enumeration district 39, and must have had some employment to take care of those 4 kids of his.

Historic KFC closes

We’re in danger of losing a bit of Eckington history as one of its businesses has shut it’s doors and is possibly in danger of losing some classic late-20th century commercial architecture. The Bulletproof KFC, as one Bloomingdale/Eckington resident once called it, was a testament to a period in the neighborhood’s life. It fed many a traveller and resident, overlooking the busy intersection of Florida and North Capitol.
Before this neighborhood landmark was, there was a church, Eckington Presbyterian, that sat there. According to a 1966 article in the Post [1] Eckington Presbyterian “rather than admit Negroes as members, the Church’s White congregation disbanded 19 months ago. The 62 year old church building, at Florida Avenue and North Capitol street, has stood vacant ever since and will be torn down soon.” Such a pity that a monument to racism was not preserved.

[1]”Clerics Find Prejudice Killed Church” The Washington Post, Times Herald (1959-1973). Washington, D.C.: Oct 31, 1966. p. B4

Fun with Eleanor Holmes Norton

This weekend, I and several neighborhood bloggers were invited to talk with Delegate to Congress Eleanor Holmes Norton. From my notes the topics were the $5,000 DC tax credit for home buyers and businesses, development, the gun law, Home Rule, Homeland Security, how she got into her position and Union Station. Possibly before all the questions she did talk about how she wound up getting into it with Stephen Colbert and how Colbert has helped the cause of DC voting rights. (See video of Colbert honoring her for an award)
I asked the question about the tax break because I consider it part of a package that makes buying in DC more attractive than MD or NoVA. Ms. Norton talked about how that lovely tax credit came to be in a GOP dominated Congress and how a tax credit was more appealing than asking for more money. As one who has taken that tax credit, I told her (later, after the Q&A ended) what it meant for me.
Though she cannot vote on the floor, Ms. Norton is in several committees where she can vote. She is the chair for the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management. Now what does that mean for neighborhoods? Well she did explain it, but I take crappy notes. Somehow it relates to the creation of places like NoMa, and it relates to being able to influence developers who do government and public/private development and encouraging positive development that helps the city grow. Grow and not be a dead urban center surrounded by suburbs where agencies (and there are a lot out there in Langley, Beltsville, Bethesda, etc) flee.
Anyway, it was a good exchange.

Powerless

If you are reading this, you probably have power.
Before I left home all the lights went out. Checked next door and they lost power too. Asked the folks a few houses down, no power. The next block, no power. I debated sticking around the house, but realizing I can’t do squat, I went on to work.
There is no power along 9th Street from the Convention Center to the Spy Museum. The traffic lights were out. Looking west on New York and Mass Aves, it appears the lights were out there too.
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Oh and Happy Friday 13th.
===UPDATTE===
If the Pepco Outtage Map is anything to go by, my milk and meat should be fine.