Erik Moe: Critic at Large

Not the actual Georgian dumplings (Khinkali) I ate on Febgiving, but these look pretty similar

This past Febgiving was celebrated at my house with a delicious Georgian feast inspired by Darra Goldstein’s book on the subject. Celebrating Febgiving was my idea. The Georgian theme and most of the menu was Michelle’s idea (see that Tumblr link for a glimpse of some pickled cabbage that was brought to the table). She made these dumplings vegetarian-friendly by swapping mushrooms and Boca crumbles for the traditional meat filling. Finally, the Khinkali were topped with a wonderful garlic-walnut sauce (Bahze) not typically used on dumplings, but I doubt anyone in Tbilisi would complain about the delicious pairing.

Mandoo Soup at Java Green

The best thing I ate this week was Mandoo soup at Java Green here in DC. The broth is flavorful, the dumplings are pleasantly plump, and a nice mix of vegetables and rice cakes (with perhaps a touch of sesame) round out the soup. Highly recommended.

P.S. Eat is the second in a series of series I think maybe I can possibly post to this space regularly. Eat will highlight the most delicious things I eat.