Equal Parts

At the end of 2016, Jeff and I visited Washington, DC, to watch his sister defend her thesis. It was a good time to visit; though Trump had been elected, Obama was still president, and I was still able to get excited about the presidency, the West Wing, and all of American history. Plus, one could imagine a future where Trump surprised us all, hired the right advisors, and actually cared to lead… I mean, it was possible, anyway.

They were starting to build the stands for the inauguration, which we passed on our daily walk from the Embassy Suites to the White House to the National Mall. I cannot wait to walk the mall with Olivia one day, pop into the American history museum to show her the first ladies’ dresses and Julia Child’s kitchen (and, most importantly, teach her how these pioneering women contributed to history). I imagine we’ll have to spend 2+ weeks in town, and our schedules will be packed from sunrise past sunset, because we’ll also want to visit the postal museum and air and space museums (there’s two), stroll through all of the Smithsonian gardens, tour the mint, catch a show at the Kennedy Center, and try every flavor at Georgetown Cupcake. Plus whatever Jeff and Olivia want to do. (I’ll make sure the family has new top-of-the-line walking shoes before we fly out.)

On our first night there in 2016 we ate at a restaurant called District Commons. Two things stand out in my memory. First, the restaurant was sunken from ground level. We sat at a booth by the window and looked out at the feet of passersby on Washington Circle. Kinda cool. The other thing I remember is that Jeff ordered potato leek soup, and he raved about it so much that a few weeks later we recreated the dish for our New Year’s dinner. To this day the District Commons potato leek soup serves as inspiration for all potato leek soups to come from our home kitchen, and we’ve finally found one we love just as much.

Technically Giada calls this a “warm vichyssoise” and I’m not sure why. Vichyssoise is a traditional French soup of puréed potatoes and leeks with cream and chicken stock, served thick and cold. Giada’s does not include cream, is served warm, and adds arugula. So I call our version Potato Leek Arugula Soup. Soup season has only just started, and I think we’ve already made it three times.

Speaking of soup in DC, we took a late flight out so we could enjoy almost a full final day. Jeff made a lunch reservation at the Old Ebbitt Grill, which today is located across from the White House, but has a storied history as “Washington’s Oldest Saloon” dating back to 1856, though it has changed hands and locations a few times. It’s touristy, for sure, and yes we did buy White House stemless wine glasses from the gift shop right next door, but I like to imagine I sat in the same seat as Teddy Roosevelt once did and that we both ordered Maryland crab soup.

But before that we wanted to pick up Georgetown cupcakes to carry on our flight. Despite it being the fourth day of our trip, we got disoriented when we left our hotel. We turned right towards the White House instead of left towards Georgetown and didn’t realize it until we were basically at the Old Ebbitt Grill. So we walked from the Embassy Suites to Old Ebbitt Grill, turned around and passed the Embassy Suites on our way into Georgetown, then back to the Old Ebbitt Grill again. (Always wear walking shoes in DC.) After lunch we called an Uber — Uber Black because we fully took advantage of being driven around that week — back to Reagan and flew home to our cupcake dessert.

POTATO LEEK ARUGULA SOUP, inspired by Giada De Laurentiis

You’ll need:
3 tbsp olive oil, divided
2 leeks, green parts discarded, white parts washed and chopped*
1/2 tsp salt
4 Yukon gold potatoes (about 1lb), peeled and diced*
4 cups chicken broth*
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1 parmesan rind
1 5oz container baby arugula
Juice of 1/2 lemon

*Really I use what I have when it comes to the quantity of potatoes, leeks, and broth. I usually use more than this, and fill the liquid to just barely cover the vegetables.

Heat a Dutch oven over medium heat, and add 2 tbsp olive oil, the leeks, and salt. Cook until the leeks are softened, about 5 minutes. Add the potatoes and stir to combine, and let cook for about 1 minute. Add enough broth to just barely cover the vegetables. Add the red pepper flakes and parmesan rind. Bring to a simmer, then simmer at medium low until the potatoes are cooked through, about 20 minutes. Stir in the arugula and cook until wilted, about 1 minute. Remove the pot from the heat, and remove the parmesan rind. Add the remaining 1 tbsb of olive oil and the lemon juice. Let cool slightly, then use an immersion blender to completely purée the soup.