#10: A Stroll Through Koreatown

Our Korean(ish) dinner table.

Wow, it's been a while hasn't it?  I think a lot of people thought the You Pick Two dinners stopped.  Truth is, they did for a bit.  Part of it was life getting in the way, part of it was my spare time increasingly being taken up by the food and drink photography I do for local restaurants and publications (which is great), but part of it was also the unexpected difficulty in getting the next one scheduled.  The idea behind starting this blog was to bring back the dinner party here in DC... not that it was dead universally, but it was nonexistent in our lives.  While we enjoy going out to eat once in a while and meeting people only for drinks or happy hour, I am most happy in either my home or at the home of a friend, having dinner, drinks, and talking about whatever is on our minds.  A few of our friends do that, but I think for a lot of people a scheduled dinner on a Saturday night with several courses that requires them to bring strangers seemed daunting or difficult... and I totally get that.

But to me, those difficulties are kind of the fun thing about this right?  It's new and adventurous and out of the ordinary, but that's exciting.  And I have to confess, beyond having great food, wine, and cocktails, these dinners have become a way for us to get insights into our friends more than anything.  The people they bring tell a lot about how they feel about a dinner party and, most importantly, what they value in a person.  It is an unexpected and welcome result I wasn't expecting but find fascinating.

So when those scheduling conflicts and snafus started to build up, I got a little disillusioned and fell out of my groove for a bit, but, thankfully I am thrilled that we found some new people to come and are anxious for new experiences to be had.  So with that, let's get to this dinner which took place in the waning part of last summer.  Our tenth dinner featured a Korean menu and we invited our two friends Jim and Don.  We met them several years ago through some other folks that Kevin had worked with back in the day, but at the time they were living in Kansas City.  We hit it off with them during visit here but only got to see them a handful times while they lived there.  Well, several years ago they left Kansas City, moved to DC, and landed in their own row house in Petworth.  Jim and Don were an easy fit for these dinners and although we haven't known them as long as some of our other friends, we explained the concept and they were on board immediately.  Jim works at a healthcare consulting firm and his job is what brought them here to DC.  Don left his job in Kansas City in human resources but has since found a similar position here at a real estate research firm.

They brought their new friends and neighbors Lylie (prounced Lilly) and Nick.  Lylie marks the first Australian we have ever had and it was awesome.  She is a foodie with an adventurous palate and she and Nick both love to travel.  Our dinner conversations touched a lot on how the United States is seen in the rest of the world and the places they had visited (which were many).  In those conversations, and from my limited travels abroad, you realize how staid and conservative our country can be on so many issues.  In particular I remember discussing Bondi Beach, which is this amazing popular beach spot right in Sydney.  There are several parts to it, a gay beach, nude beach, etc.  Australians have a more relaxed take on life and I am envious of it.  When our conversation turned to the mundane, in this case iPhone problems, Nick (an attorney for Pew Charitable Trust) thoughtfully steered us back on course.

Preparing the bibimbap.

Kevin took a trip to Seoul about 10 years ago for work and learned a lot of Korean cuisine, which was non-existent where I grew up.  We used to have this little mom and pop place in our neighborhood called Adam Express where Kevin would pick up dinner for us sometimes.  In particular, Kev would get bibimbap - which he had in Korea and loved.  A couple years ago I also started watching Korean Food Made Easy by Judy Joo, who is a very accomplished chef and a regular judge on Iron Chef.  Her approach was laid back and easy to follow.  So a lot of the inspiration and a couple recipes for the meal came from her website.  That bibimbap recipe was a huge hit and a lot of fun to make; branch out and give it a shot.  It's an easy process: you chop up the vegetables, make a seasoning sauce, then saute each vegetable separately in a hot pan with a little of the sauce.  At the table you mix all the vegetables together in your bowl with rice, grilled beef (traditionally), and a sauce made from gochujang paste.

The cocktail was a recipe we found on the internet.  I had a leftover watermelon lying around and Kevin wanted to use the traditional Korean spirit called soju.  Some google searches later, we came across it and are so happy we did.  It was refreshing and delicious.  A little effort to make, but well worth it.  Our touch was adding some sparkling wine to the drink (which is our hallmark) and I recommend doing the same.

One special note here, Jim is gluten intolerant and I had no idea how many Asian ingredients either have soy or some added component or chemical that contains gluten.  Thankfully there are lots of gluten-free products now on the market that taste great - but be aware if that's an issue for you.

Fried mandu.

The revelation from this menu was the mandu.  We have made them a few times since then.  Couple tips, don't overfill and make sure you seal them tightly.  Once you have done a few, you start to get the knack and you can pump out a bunch in no time.  You will need eggless wonton wrappers, but they have them at every Asian Market (Kev got them at Super H Mart).  Lastly, here are the recipes for the grilled Korean style beef, the quick kimchi, and the dessert.  I am not a huge fan of kimchi but this was a mild and tasty one.

My husband thoughtfully assembling the mandu.

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A Stroll through Koreatown

August 29, 2015

Cocktail

Watermelon-Soju Sparkler

Fresh watermelon, soju, ginger liqueur, sparkling wine

Starter

Mandu

Pork/beef/tofu dumplings, chile-soy dipping sauce

Main

Bibimbap

Sauteed and seasoned vegetables, gochujang sauce,

sticky rice

Korean-style grilled beef

Grilled skirt steak

(ginger, garlic, scallion, gochujang marinade)

Side

Quick kimchi

Sauteed savoy cabbage, sweet/spicy Korean sauce

Sweet

Manju

Baked sweet Korean pastries with sesame seeds

Guests

Jim Harlow

Don Maish

Lylie Fisher

Nick Bourke

#9: A Caribbean Holiday

Wow, where has the time gone?  I feel like it just became 2015 and now it's March!  With the snowpack finally gone here in the DC area, I thought it was high time to get back on the blog horse and bring this back to life.  In late December, we had our 9th dinner with some very good and close friends of ours.  It wasn't a true Pick Two in that they were visiting from San Francisco so we had to add a few folks to the table as well, so we invited our close friends Joe and Javi (previous You Pick Two attendees)to join them at the table.  It was a fun and relaxing way to wind down the holiday season.  At that point, we were all quite tired of traditional holiday food, so I took a gamble and went with a pan-Caribbean menu.  End result was some delicious food and a new favorite cocktail, the Hemingway daiquiri.

Before we get to the guests, let me first talk about the drink a bit.  As some of you may know, I have been doing some photography work for Edible DC magazine.  It's an elegant publication that I am thrilled to contribute to... you can find them at www.edibledc.com - please check it out if you haven't.  I did some photography for a story discussing a "boozy" book club that meets once a month in DC to discuss the art, craft, and history of cocktails.  The month I covered featured a special guest author who wrote a book about Ernest Hemingway and his history with cocktails and such.  I had heard of a Hemingway daiquiri before, but never made it.  After listening to the group discussion, I was determined to make it and thought it would be a nice accompaniment to our tropical menu.  It contains fresh fruit juices, maraschino liquor, and rum.  It's delicious, we plan to make over the warm summer months.

Our main guests were Matt and Kate King Gubiotti.  Kevin worked with Matt way back in the day at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and both went to GW law school.  Pretty soon after we met Matt, he began dating Kate.  They soon moved to San Francisco, got married, and had a beautiful baby boy.  Matt currently works for Google and Kate went to pastry school and is a fantastic baker and home cook (I still use her ranch dressing recipe every summer).  I have traveled out to the Bay area and Sacramento for work a few times over the past few years and they frankly are a home away from home for me out there.  They always have me over a comforting, delicious home-cooked meal and some great wine and conversation.  After a long week away from home, it's just about the nicest thing you can do for someone in my opinion and I am thankful for their hospitality and friendship.  Kate also used to work at Omnivore Books, a bookstore in San Francisco specializing in new, antiquarian, and collectible books on food and drink.  So it's really nice for me because Kate and I can talk food for hours and I don't have many friends that enjoy those types of conversations.

They brought Kate's brother Jimmy.  Kate grew up in the Northern Virginia area and her parents still live here.  Jimmy also grew up here but has since moved on to pursue his acting/writing/teaching career in the Big Apple.  It's a tough but rewarding industry, from what I understand, and Jimmy has enjoyed some pretty good success early on in his career.  In fact, a play he co-wrote with some friends was nominated (and won) a GLAAD media award.  We talked with him about the play, the award, and in general about stage acting and playwriting, which was really interesting.  It's a world I know very little about, except how competitive and tough it can be to break through.

It was also great again to have our friends Joe and Javier come back to our You Pick Two table.  We recently took a trip to Puerto Rico with them and had a really fun and memorable time.  We met some of Javi's family and just relaxed, ate, and drank our way through San Juan.  It will serve as the inspiration for an upcoming You Pick Two.

For the meal, you can take a look at the menu below but the real standout of the meal was the empanadas appetizer.  The jerk chicken and rice and peas are Nigella recipes I have always wanted to try and they came out really well.  Although, I think next time I would use a cut up chicken rather than just chicken breast.  The rice and peas were outstanding and I have made it since then, it's a great recipe and easy to make.  The dessert was an Alton Brown recipe that I adapted a bit.  I have never made tres leches cake before and this was a good one.  Until then, hope everyone is enjoying the start of spring!

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A Caribbean Holiday

December 27, 2014

Cocktail

Hemingway daiquiri

White rum, maraschino liquor, lime, grapefruit

Appetizer

Beef empanadas (Picadillo)

Ground beef, raisins, olives, tomato sauce

Main

Jerk chicken

Chicken breast, ground chiles, spices

Rice and peas

White rice, pigeon peas, coconut milk

Sweet

Tres leches cake

Homemade yellow cake soaked in sweetened milk mixture, whipped cream

Guests

Matt and Kate King Gubiotti

Jimmy King

Joe Kuehne and Javier Aquino

My Best of 2014

I am a huge fan of lists and rankings (especially the year-end ones).  A symptom, no doubt, of my mind's natural bent towards science and analysis in general.  So while others have been posting about their favorites from the past year, I thought I would try a list related to the best (and worst) food and drink I had in 2014.  Overall it was a good year in, but not a truly memorable one eating out.  I just seem to remember more great meals during our travels in 2013.

Favorite meal out:
Cafe Heaven, Provincetown, MA.  I can't remember exactly what I ate, but I remember loving the whole experience: including the wine, the company, and the food.  It's one of my favorite spots in the United States and just represents everything I feel about how food should be prepared and served.  If you ever make it to P'town, try breakfast or dinner there, I guarantee it won't disappoint.

Honorable mentions: 
Jakes in Palm Springs, CA.  The food is very traditional Californian but done extremely well.  It's also an institution in Palm Springs, which made the experience very unique and fun.

Alphonse Italian Osteria, Washington, DC.  Totally surprised by this place, the food was a step above the red-and-white checkered tablecloth Italian-American eateries (which I love for different reasons) you find in most cities.  When you go, sit at the bar, and just ask for Justice (Justus?).  Seriously, if she is working just ask her what to drink and eat.  She steered our party into directions we never would have gone on our own.  She made the experience a hundred times better.

Favorite meal in:
The Middle Eastern meal I did for our second You Pick Two in January.  It took a little over two days to make all the food, which is a lot I realize.  But the entire meal, company and guests included, was worth all of it.

Favorite thing I cooked:
The strangozzi in tomato bacon sauce I made for our Umbrian You Pick Two dinner.  I also made it again in September with my mother when my parents visited - one of my favorite moments in 2014.  The fresh pasta takes a little time, but on a lazy afternoon it's the perfect thing to make.

Favorite sandwich:
BBB at Deli Board, San Francisco, CA.  Hands down the best sandwich I have had in years.  The bread was soft, the meat was tender, and the accompanying sauce was amazing.  And this coming from someone who doesn't care for aioli or mayo very much at all.  Highly recommend this place if you get a chance while in San Francisco.

Most disappointing meal out:
Birba, Palm Springs, CA.  Between the reviews I read, the online menu I looked at, and the photos I saw, I was really excited to eat here.  But with the rude service we experienced (we waited 15 minutes for a server to come to our table), the live band BLARING jazz the entire meal (making it impossible to have any conversation), and the so-so food, this was easily the most disappointing dining experience I had all year.  Save your time and just go straight to Tropicale.

Honorable mention:
Doi Moi, Washington, DC.  I went here in 2013, soon after it opened, with my sister and parents and had a fantastic dining experience and meal, one of the best of 2013.  The server was amazing, answering all of our questions and providing great recommendations, and the food was light, spicy, and very well done.  I went back this year and had the complete opposite experience: rude server and mediocre food.  I wonder what happened?  On the plus side, the dining room is still a beautifully decorated place.

Favorite beer:
Stiegl Radler.  I realize most beer experts and purists will scoff at me for picking this since it's mostly fruit juice with some beer in it, but please hear me out on this one.  Mixing the radler with some hefeweizen and sipping it on the fantastic outdoor patio of the Dacha beer garden several summer afternoons in 2014 made this my favorite.  Dacha eventually became overrun by the end of the season, but those afternoons in June were some of my favorite times in the last few years here in DC.

Favorite wine:
Iron Horse Winter cuvee.  Yes, it's a sparkling wine but frankly this vineyard is just amazing.  It's located west of Napa/Sonoma and has none of the corporate, "what's it going to take to put you in this wine," vibe of Napa.  The tasting area is outdoors with a spectacular view of the vineyard.  And, frankly, all of the wines (sparkling and otherwise) were fantastic - this one just had a unique flavor to it I have never had in a sparkling wine before.

Favorite cocktail:
The Orange Crush at Bar Charley, Washington, DC.  Yes, it was served in a plastic cup, but it tasted so good on a warm, Sunday afternoon brunch that Kevin and I went to over the Labor Day weekend.  It literally tasted like a more balanced, less sweet version of an orange cream soda.  Their cocktail menu is seasonal, hopefully they bring it back next summer.

Honorable mention:
This cider punch Kevin made for Thanksgiving.  It was the perfect accompaniment to our Thanksgiving meal.  And from what I understand, it was easy to make too.

Happy New Year everyone!  Wishing you the best in 2015!

#8: A Mexican Fiesta

So it's been a bit since our last You Pick Two event, but I don't want that to reflect on the dinner and guests in any way.  It was a wonderful meal with some of our oldest and closest friends - but sometimes work and life get in the way of things you enjoy most.  And I really enjoy doing these dinners and writing this blog.  Amazingly, it's actually been one year since I started doing this!  Time does truly fly by.  It seems like I just started out, but eight dinners, one Thanksgiving, and a giant holiday party later, here we are...

A rustic and casual table for our dinner.

We have been trying to get this dinner scheduled with our friends Amy and Mike for quite some time.  Kevin and I both have a long, rewarding, and meaningful friendship with Amy and Mike (separately and together) - in fact, it was actually Kevin who introduced them to each other.  They have been together for almost as long as Kevin and I and have been married since 2005.  They have two remarkably sweet and wonderful kids named Sam and Elena.  As you can imagine trying to schedule a dinner on a random Saturday can be quite difficult when the guests have two young kids that are very active and when they live in Fairfax.  Not to mention, the mystery guests they wanted to bring also have children and the husband travels for work quite a bit.  Luckily, the end of September worked for everyone and we got to hang out (sans children) with Amy and Mike and our new friends Paula and Jason.

So with the date all set, what should we do for the dinner?  I have known Amy for many years and I have known about her strong allergies to tree nuts (along with some other foods), but her sensitivity to gluten is relatively new and presented a great opportunity for me to try a gluten-free meal.  I should also point out that Amy's allergies have made me very aware of how difficult it can be for someone who is literally deathly allergic to eat out.  I've watched some servers essentially ignore her questions and not check with the chef about certain items.  I think one of the reasons this happens is that people lie when they say they are allergic to things that they simply don't like to eat; so think twice next time you do that at a restaurant because it can de-sensitize an establishment to legitimate, life-threatening allergies.  Ok hopping off my soapbox now...

After some research and thought, one cuisine that seemed to be surprisingly gluten-free (at least to me) was Mexican food.  I grew up in Worcester, Massachusetts, where my idea of Mexican food as a kid consisted mostly of Old El Paso taco kits or, even worse, Taco Bell.  There were not many authentic Mexican restaurants in central Mass.  Thankfully, my adult self has experienced authentic Mexican cuisine and through the advent of food television I have been able to discover the enormous diversity of Mexican food.  I could probably do seven or eight You Pick Two dinners alone on various regional specialties of Mexican food.  However, I instead cautiously dipped my toe into Mexican food here with a broad selection of many well-known Mexican dishes.  For this meal, I made my own corn tortillas and salsas, pulled together a mole poblano, and found one of the easiest (and most delicious) ways to cook pinto beans you can imagine.  I picked the mole since I was really interested in exposing my guests to something different and I wanted Amy to be able to try it in a safe place, since mole sauces traditionally contain dozens of ingredients and a lot of tree nuts.

Our guests, starting at top left are Amy, Mike, Paula, and Jason.  Kev and Buck need no introduction :)

Amy and Mike brought two wonderful people to the dinner in Paula and Jason.  Jason works for USAID as a manager on the civilian (non-foreign service) side and spends a lot of time in southeast Asia.  Paula took a break from her career as a pharmaceuticals rep to raise their two children and her love of animals was a big hit with Kev and I (they also have a big dog).  As you might imagine, Buck got along quite well with both of them over the evening.  Amy and Paula met each other at the pre-school that both their kids happen to attend.  Paula is also a native of northeastern New Jersey and gave Kevin and I the hard sell on moving up there (we may eventually have to move there for Kev's work).  The night's conversation was lively with discussions about pets, kids, work, and respective hobbies.  Kev's new bowling ball even made a late appearance before our guests departed.  It was a great night and it was a pleasure to host them and cook this Mexican fiesta.

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A Mexican Fiesta

September 27, 2014

Cocktail

The Independent

Blanco tequila, lime, agave nectar, sparkling wine   

Appetizer

Chips and salsa

Salsa roja (tomato & chile),

Salsa verde (green tomatillo)

Main

Tacos de carne asada

Grilled skirt steak, homemade corn tortillas, salsa verde

Pollo en mole poblano

Chicken with Puebla-style mole sauce

Frijoles de Ollo

Stewed pinto beans, crema, queso Oaxaca

Sweet

Vanilla pavlova with Mexican chocolate sauce

Marshmallow cake, whipped cream, dark chocolate, spices

Guests

Amy and Mike Baglivio

Paula and Jason Foley 

#7: A Celebration of Summer

The table setting with a red, white, and blue theme for summer.

I have been quite derelict in my duties as food blogger this past month.  We had a fantastic dinner event at the end of August with some of the nicest guests we have ever had and yet I am late in getting the summary and menu together!  Contributing to this delay are the normal events of life that pop up around this time of year, you know, like the U.S. Open.  But, I have come to terms that there is also a general ennui and frustration that has overtaken me a bit recently with food and the restaurant scene.  I mean I still love to cook and entertain as much as I always have, but I am frustrated with the deification and glorification of chefs and restaurants and the "foodie" scene.  I feel that we are losing touch with what's important.  We obsess over an ingredient's origins, how it's grown, what oil and pan it's prepared in, what you serve it on or with, whether you can cook it better or faster than someone, and we end up losing the essence and purpose of a meal.  We are inundated with glossy niche foodie pubs that produce lists like 18 ways to use a sous-vide or the 10 best doughnut and quinoa shops you haven't been to yet, etc.  Bottom line: the food scene is overexposed and splitting at its seams.

My cooking inspirations are my mother, my grandmothers, and Nigella Lawson, in that order.  Their goals were to pass on old family recipes, bring their friends and families together, and feed them.  For my family, meals are a way to stay in touch but they also serve to keep its members healthy, nourished, and occasionally spoiled.  Maybe it's the publications I read, or the twitter feeds I follow, but the obsession over food porn, designer spaces, food "competition" shows, and rock star chefs, has diluted and confused what I thought cooking was about.  To me, why I began this blog and why I spend so much time in the kitchen is because I love good food and I love making my family and friends happy.  Nigella once said that in French cooking, attention is drawn to the chef, whereas in Italian cooking, the attention is drawn to the food.  And I feel that is such a relevant remark these days, I feel that almost all aspects around food now are meant to draw attention to the chef.  That doesn't mean most of these chefs and restaurants don't deserve praise, in fact they absolutely do!  They make incredible dishes and their restaurant employees work incredibly hard to put it all together for the public.  But in the end it's not about who is the "best" to me.  In the end, I want people to enjoy the food I make and the company around them.  I don't want to exclude anyone and I don't want to make anyone feel lucky that they are eating my food.  Luckily, like all food trends, this one will soon pass, much like how carved out watermelons were used as serving vessels back in the 70's.  So, I am hopeful that once again in the city I live, and other big cities, restaurants come back to earth and just make great food again without all the fanfare.

Our guests (from left to right in back): Clark, Anne, and Torao, with my husband Kevin in front.

Ok, with that off my chest, what about the dinner and guests from our last event??  I wanted to do something that celebrated the end of summer, since it's my favorite season.  In that vein, I thought of grilling meats and vegetables, corn on the cob, and ice cream.  And the menu below reflects those aspirations.  Who came to dinner?  We invited some new friends to Kevin and I in Clark Ebbert and Torao Kubo.  I know Clark through my work with the Miss Adams Morgan pageant here in DC.  I film the videos for their annual amateur drag pageant and Clark has been with the organization as a performer and contributor for many years.  I only just met his boyfriend Torao last December at our holiday party.  Torao runs a successful salon and has a business degree, which I find so impressive.  They are a fantastic match and based on that initial meeting last year I sensed that the their relationship would continue strong for a while.  Clark also participates in a different supper club with friends he has had for many, many years.  A rival supper club?!  The game was on. :)  Clark invited Anne Steinicke and Sharon Groves, a couple he knows from that supper club.  Unfortunately, Anne's partner Sharon was sick and not able to make dinner that night.  Clark had described Anne, affectionately, as an "old-fashioned" lesbian, which I am still unclear what frankly that means.  Regardless, my impression of Anne was a calm, friendly, thoughtful person who has great taste in food and life.  So if that's old-fashioned, then I aspire to be old-fashioned as well.

Conversation that night veered all over the place, in a fun way.  We talked about the pageant, our first jobs and the unusual arcs our careers have taken sometimes (Clark after assisting at a psychiatric hospital right out of college eventually got a master's degree in dance and was a professional dancer), and working with the millennial generation (the "M" word as Clark calls it).  Thankfully, Kevin's drink that night (a long-cherished Barefoot Contessa recipe for Long Island iced teas) kept the buzz going and the talk lively for most of the evening.  It was a great night and I hope that an invitation to their supper club is in the mail soon.

For the food: the Nutella ice cream came from the NYT's recent master ice cream recipe (which is epic and amazing), here is the recipe for those Long Island iced teas (my favorite drink really), and for Nigella's Union Square Cafe nuts (which are perfect for a summer snack).  I will post some of the other recipes that I developed for that night over the next couple weeks.  In the meantime, enjoy and keep on cooking.

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A Celebration of Summer

August 23, 2014

Cocktail

Long Island iced tea

Mixed liquors, simple syrup, lemon juice, cola  

Appetizer

Spicy grilled shrimp

Cilantro dipping sauce

Union Square Café bar nuts

Mixed roasted nuts, cayenne pepper, brown sugar, rosemary

Main

Grilled pork loin

Guava-mustard glaze, orange-habanero mojo

Cheesy corn pudding

Local sweet corn, grueyere cheese

Grilled broccolini

Lemon zest, parmesan

Sweet

Ice cream sundae

Homemade Nutella ice cream, organic vanilla ice cream, chocolate ganache, toasted walnuts

Guests

Clark Ebbert

Torao Kubo

Anne Steinecke

Sharon Groves 

A delicious (and easy) summer dessert.

As summer begins to unfortunately wind down, it's time to take advantage of those last few harvests of fresh fruit at the farmer's markets.  To that end, I submit to you one of my favorite (and easiest to make) fruit desserts, an individual peach cobbler.  It was the big hit at our last You Pick Two dinner and I have made it a few times since then for company. I adapted it from a Martha Stewart recipe I discovered over 10 years ago.

These individual servings of golden deliciousness need only a scoop of cold vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whip cream to finish them off.  Although frankly they could be eaten without any adornment and still taste fantastic.  This is also a flexible recipe, feel free to substitute other fruits that you prefer - just be aware fruits like blackberries and raspberries can give off more liquid than peaches and you may need to add a little more flour.  To cook the cobbler, you will need about eight 8-oz ramekins.  You could also make them in four large soufflé dishes, just add a few more minutes of cooking time.  Regardless, make sure to put a piece of parchment under the ramekins to keep any sugary liquid or batter that overflows from becoming a permanent part of your baking sheet.

Cup O'Cobbler

Ingredients
4-5 ripe peaches, pitted and sliced (about 4 to 5 cups)
1/4 cup bourbon
1 cup granulated sugar
1 stick of unsalted butter
1 cup of all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
pinch of salt
1 cup of whole milk

Directions
1. Pit and slice the peaches.  In a large bowl combine the peaches, 1/4 cup of the sugar, and the bourbon.  Stir to combine and let sit for at least 15 minutes, and up to 2 hours.
2. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a large baking sheet with parchment and place the ramekins on the parchment-lined pan.  Place 1 tablespoon of butter in the bottom of each ramekin.  Transfer to the oven until the butter is melted and bubbling, about 5 to 7 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together the remaining 3/4 cup of sugar, the flour, the baking powder, the nutmeg, and the salt.  Add the milk slowly, whisking as you go, until completely combined.
4. Remove the ramekins from the oven.  Divide the batter evenly among the hot ramekins.  Spoon an equal amount of peach slices (and some juice) into the center of each ramekin, keeping a small outer edge of batter.
5. Return to the oven and bake until the tops of the cobblers are golden brown, or about 1 hour.