Out On the Town: Thai Pavillion

Our Second TCV Field Trip!

Attendees:

• Amina
• Fatma
• Faizah
• Safa
• Sharria with guest Kayla
• Venice 

Mission: Spend $25 while dining at the National Harbor. It was a bit tricky since great inexpensive food is hard to come by. We can thank Fatma for the challenge. She just had to  throw in that  monkey wrench. Could a bunch of  "foodies" stick to a budget?

After much deliberation,  Faizah selected Thai Pavilion, a beautiful quaint little restaurant in the heart of the harbor.

First impression:

BEAUTIFUL! The ambiance was just right! Amina our newest member,  reserved a huge table for us as we needed lots of elbow room, hehe.  The menus were filled with an array of selections so naturally It took some time to figure out what we all wanted.

Appetizers:

Faizah ordered Smoked Salmon Sashimi. Since Safa Umm Mansur is a sushi novice, she chose the California Roll. Amina ordered the Shrimp Wonton.

Drinks: 

We all ordered the house blended teas & punches: Thai Iced Tea (Kayla), Emerald Punch (Sharria, Faizah & Amina) Mint Lemonade (Safa)

Entrees: 

Most of the entrees were well received, however there were a few exceptions: the Chicken Pad Thai (Amina also ordered this dish) wasn't a big hit with Safa & the Curried Beef was a tad too sweet for Kayla. Fatma & Faizah ordered Fried Calamari, Steamed Vegetables with Noodles. Sharria ordered a Green Curry Shrimp dish & Venice ordered a Seafood Dish.

Curried Beef

Chicken Pad Thai

Fried Calamari

Coconut Green Curry Shrimp

Confession time! Although drinks weren't  included in our budget, somehow we managed to go over. What do you expect from foodies? We had a great time and are looking forward to November's collective!

Safa Umm Jameel & Aisha were sorely missed.  We hope to see you both soon!

Iftar 2014

It has come to be that our Collective iftars go down at baitul-Fatma.

This iftar was bittersweet as we were also saying farewell to one of our best chefs and dear friend Safa Umm Jameel.

Attendees:

Sharria
Safa & daughter
Safa Sanchez
Amina
Fatma
Venice
Faizah

Food:

Fatma and her husband are impeccable hosts and great cooks. Every one in the collective contributed to an awesome spread. We were all rewarded that night with smoked leg of lamb, tuna puffs, homemade dinner rolls, cornbread, rice, mixed vegetables, curried pasta salad, baked honey dill salmon, cheesecake & chocolate cake.

Laughs:

Safa is not one to be forgotten. She made sure to make an impression with her colorful ensemble, which provided lighthearted fodder for the evening.

To be updated.....

Yum Yum!

Citrus-Lemongrass Ice Cubes

Makes 16 1-oz. ice cubes

Although lemongrass can be found year-round in ethnic grocery stores, the warm-weather herb is at its peak in the summer. Here it’s infused into lightly sweetened water and frozen into cubes to add herbal interest to all sorts of summer beverages, from iced tea to cocktails. For extra visual flair, drop a fresh herb sprig, an edible flower, a slice of cucumber, a sliver of citrus, or a cherry tomato half into each mold, cover with lemongrass mixture, and freeze.

• ½ cup chopped fresh lemongrass (1 large stalk)
• 2 tsp. honey
• ¼ cup lemon juice
• ¼ cup lime juice
• Herb sprigs, citrus slices, vegetable slices, and edible flowers for garnish, optional

1. Bring lemongrass and 1 2/3 cups water to a boil in saucepan over medium heat. Simmer 5 minutes. Stir in honey, remove from heat, and steep 30 minutes.

2. Strain mixture, discard solids, and cool. Whisk in lemon and lime juices. Place garnishes (if using) in standard 16-slot ice cube trays. Pour in lemongrass mixture. Cover with plastic wrap; freeze until solid.

July/August 2012 p.41