The Big Greek Cafe

 The Big Greek Cafe (website: https://www.biggreekcafe.com/) became one of our go-to takeout places over the last few years. Gyros travel well, since they don't need to be piping hot to be good to eat. We've "visited" it 9 times since October 2020, when we started keeping records.

Dish	Stars
Gyro pita	****
Souvlaki Pita	****
Greek potatoes	***
Orzo with Tomato sauce	***
Bifteki Pita	***
Falafel pita	***
Big Greek Feast	**
Feisty Feta	*

Favorite DC Restaurants

 We keep records of all the restaurants we go to and what dishes we like at those restaurants. Since we're moving away from DC, I thought this would be a good time to "publish" that "data".

Our rating system for meals at restaurants is always restaurant-specific. So something that would be fantastic, order-every-time at a typical restaurant may only get a "good" rating at a very good restaurant.

Our ratings:

4 stars - this is fantastic. You should be tempted to order this every time you go to this restaurant

3 stars - very good, solid choice for this restaurant

2 stars - this was okay, but there are better choices on the menu. Order only if you are really in the mood

1 start - this wasn't good. Don't order again

The restaurants I highlight will mostly focus on the Takoma Park/Silver Spring area, since that is mostly where we go out to dinner.

Honeyed Bread-and-Butter Pickles

1 pound cucumbers

1/2 medium onion (around 1/3 pound)

5 teaspoons kosher salt, divided

1 teaspoon celery seeds

2 cups cider vinegar

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup honey

1 teaspoon mustard powder

1 cinnamon stick

Slice cucumbers into 1/4 inch rounds. Thinly slice onion into half-circles. Put the customers and onions in a medium bowl and sprinkle with 4 teaspoons salt. Cover with later of ice cubes and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight. 

Pick out any unmelted ice, drain well, and rinse under cold running water. Toss with celery seeds. Priest a quart jar in canning pot with boiling water.

Combine the vinegar, water, honey, mustard powder, cinnamon stick, and remaining 1 tsp salt in a medium pot. Bring to a boil. 

Pack the cucumbers and onions into quart jar. Ladle the hot vinegar mixture into the jar, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Unless processing/pasteurizing, wait until jar has chilled to room temperature, then put in fridge. Wait at least 1 day, and ideally 3 days to allow flavor to develop before eating.

Applesauce Spice Coffee Cake

2 1/2 cups flour

1 cup packed light brown sugar

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1 cup Granny Smith applesauce

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1/2 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease bottom and sides of 9 inch square cake pan.

Combine flour, brown sugar, spices, baking soda and salt in medium bowl. Add applesauce, vegetable oil, and water until the dry ingredients are just moistened. Fold in nuts and chocolate chips. Spread batter in prepared pan.

Bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 45-55 minutes. Let chill on site rack at least 15 minutes before serving.

Blackberry Yogurt Popsicles

Note: I really liked these, but Ryan didn't and the girls thought they were fine the first night, but didn't want more.

2 cups blackberries

2 Tbsp honey

1/2 lemon

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup sugar

1 1/2 cups plain Greek yogurt

Put the blackberries in a blender and squeeze the juice from the half lemon over it (preserve peel). Blend until liquefied. Strain though a fine mesh strainer to remove the seeds. Add honey to strained juice.

Place lemon peel, water, and sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring, then lower heart to simmer for 5 minutes. Strain peel and chill syrup until cold to the touch.

Whisk yogurt and chilled syrup together.

Alternate pouring a little yogurt mixture and a little berry mixture into the popsicle molds until you reach 1/4 inch from the top. Use a skewer to swirl the layers together. Freeze until solid, 3-4 hours.

Blackberry Lemonade

1 cup blackberries

1/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp sugar

3 cups water

1 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice

Put blackberries and 1 Tbsp sugar in blender. Blend until liquefied. Strain through fine mesh strainer to remove seeds.

Combine water and sugar in pitcher. Whisk to dissolve sugar. Add lemon juice and blackberry juice. Whisk to combine. Chill until ready to serve.

Blackberry Barbecue Sauce

1 lb blackberries

2 teaspoons smoked paprika

3 Tbsp vegetable oil

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1/4 cup tomato paste

1 cup apple cider vinegar

1 cup packed light brown sugar

2 chipotles in adobo, minced

2 Tbsp Dijon mustard

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp liquid smoke

Cook blackberries and smoked paprika in a small saucepan over medium heat until blackberries start to release their juices, 5 minutes.

In a large saucepan/dutch oven heat the vegetable oil over medium-low heat. As garlic and cook until golden, then add onion and cook until starting to brown, 7 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook until glossy, 2 minutes. Add the blackberries and the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer for 20 minutes or until thickened, stirring occasionally.

Transfer to blender and puree until smooth. Strain though fine-mesh strainer. Discard the solids.

Transfer to 1 pint and one 1/2 pint jar. Process in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes.