The Food Network has been a huge part of my life since it's inception. Chefs like Bobby Flay, Paula Dean, Giada de Laurentis, etc., have become food icons to me. When all else fails, and there is nothing good on tv, I can always turn to the Food Network for a good cooking show.
One of their newest shows is "The Best Thing I Ever Ate" where these famous chefs/hosts tell us "not only what they like to eat, but where we can get it" (quote from the opening credits). Each show is topic based: chocolate, meat, cheese, salty, barbeque, and any other food category you can think of. With every show my parents and I discuss what we would pick if we were asked what our favorite _____ would be and where...
Well this weekend I found my answer to "The Best Thing I Ever Ate: Fried Foods." I decided that I could use a little getaway, and in the spirit of the weekend (Presidents' Day), I decided to head down to Washington, D.C. A friend of my brother's lives in the city, so we decided to have dinner together. He took me to this placed called Founding Farmers (http://www.wearefoundingfarmers.com/). It's a sustainable restaraunt, that was actually featured on "The Best Thing I Ever Ate" for its devl-ish eggs. Well, I'm sure those are good, but for me, I would have to say if you ever get to go there, you must have B Baby's Beignets. These are, by far, the best beignets I have ever had!
For those of you that don't know, here is Wikipedia's definition of a beignet:
A beignet (pronounced /bɛnˈjeɪ/ in English, /bɛˈɲɛ/ in French; French for "fried dough") in the U.S. is a pastry made from deep-fried dough, much like a doughnut, and sprinkled with confectioner's sugar, or frostings.
But enough of the techinicalities. Let's get to the good stuff...These beignets were out of this world. They were brought to the table simply displayed, brown paper bag, dusted with powered sugar, and served with 3 sauces (raspberry, chocolate and caramel). Well just by the look of them, my mouth was watering. But then we dug in. The beignets were served fresh from the frier, warm enough so the sugar began to melt just a little, forming a glaze. We tore them open, revealing a moist, airy center. We then dipped the half into a sauce of choice and then ENJOYED. Wow, they were sweet bites of heaven that dissolved in your mouth. And the sauce I would have to say was the best was the caramel. The heat from the beignet melts the caramel slightly, and when combined with the glaze from the powdered sugar...well there aren't words to describe.
So if you are ever in DC you must go to the Founding Farmers and get the beignets. I promise you, they will be one of the best things you ever eat.
