At Home: Kapnos Kolokithokeftedes

For my next Restaurant Recreations...At Home, try these zucchini fritters, or kolokithokeftedes, as a great appetizer for your Greek-inspired meal.  These fritters are a popular item from Kapnos and Zaytinya, and was recently made at a cooking class by Chef George Pagonis.  He was gracious enough to share the recipe with me, as I remarked these are one of my favorite vegetarian dishes.

At Home: Belga Café Mussel Pots

Next on Restaurant Recreations...At Home, I tackle one of Belga Café’s most popular dishes - Mussel Pots. Lead by another Top Chef alum, Belgium native Chef Bart Vandaele, the melded rich culinary traditions of Belgium with the comfortable, relaxed attitude of Barracks Row has made this neighborhood gathering place a huge success. During last year's Barracks Row Culinary Education Crawl, Chef Thijs Clinckemaillie (who leads the kitchen at Chef Bart's newest restaurant in Logan Circle, B Too) demonstrated how to make these mussels.

At Home: Boqueria Pan Con Tomate

Next on Restaurant Recreations...At Home, I make the versatile Spanish classic Pan Con Tomate using Boqueria's recipe.  This delicious and simple snack can be eaten all day, from breakfast into the wee hours and is a cinch to prepare, requiring only ripe, meaty tomatoes, a fresh baguette, and good-quality olive oil.  Chef Marc Vidal likes to serve his with marinated olives, such as Amanida cocktail olives, for garnish.  I decided to dress it up further with slices of cured meats like chorizo and jamón Serrano, and Spanish cheeses such as Manchego.

At Home: Sugo Eggplant Caponata

Next on Restaurant Recreations...At Home, I tackle one of Cava’s most popular Mediterranean small plates called eggplant caponata. Punched up with chopped olives, capers, and a scattering of mint it was a huge hit at the restaurant.  No longer available on Cava's menu, Chef Dimitri Moshovitis now features it in his newest restaurant, Sugo Cicchetti in Potomac, MD. As with many Italian preparations, prime produce and good olive oil are the keys to the dish. Eggplant and mint are more abundant at farmers markets as the weather warms, and the rest of the ingredients can be found in grocery stores.

At Home: Graffiato Pepperoni Sauce

For my next Restaurant Recreations...At Home, sample the pepperoni sauce that won Chef Michael Isabella so much praise on the finale of Season 8 Top Chef All-Stars and has been featured on the menu at Graffiato.  Top Chef judge Gail Simmons praised, "That pepperoni sauce was fantastic. The whole dish was great, it was herby, it was beautifully braised, and there was tons of flavor. That pepperoni sauce was just crazy. I got excited about it because it was a crazy idea to make a sauce, basically a puree of pepperoni. Really that flavor of pepperoni is very distinct and it reminds me of take-out pizza. I'd never seen anyone do anything with it that it took it in a whole different direction. It was intense!"

At Home: Jaleo Asparagus with Spanish Cured Ham

It's a new year and I have a new series to feature called Restaurant Recreations...At Home.  “Simple ingredients treated with respect,” is Chef Jose Andres' recipe for a perfect dish. This philosophy is seen in his Spanish tapas restaurant, Jaleo.  The simple preparation of Asparagus with Spanish Cured Ham is perfect for parties.  Be sure to use the freshest asparagus you can find and this easy tapa will surely impress your friends and family.