Giada's Weekend Getaways - Washington DC

Giada's Weekend Getaway - Washington D.C. Giada De Laurentiis heads to the nation's capital for a fun-filled food adventure weekend. Join Giada as she samples succulent Maryland crab meat at The Dancing Crab, a Washingtonian institution spanning back over 30 years, hops on a Segway to tour the city's many monuments, and samples an array of mouthwatering dessert dishes at the Ritz Carlton's Chocolate Decadence. Try out some of the fantastic food in this segment with the help of these easy and delicious recipes! Conch Fritters with a Liquid Center Ingredients for Conch Fritter: 8 sheets gelatin 2 cup white onions 1 bay leaf 1/4 stick butter 2 cups diced fresh conch 2 cups water 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 3 cups heavy cream Salt Ingredients for Conch Fritter Coating: 1 whole egg 3/4 cup all-purpose flour 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder 1/3 cup milk 3 tablespoons beer (any kind) 2 tablespoons chopped chives Canola oil, for frying In a small bowl, have the gelatin sitting in cold water. By adding the gelatin to the cold water, it is blooming or becoming soft to use. Saute onions and bay leaf in butter until soft over medium-low heat in a large sauce pan. Add conch and water, cover and cook on medium heat until tender (around 2 hours). Add more water, if needed, to cook the conch until tender. Once the conch is tender and most of the water has cooked out, add the flour and cook for 1 minute, mix well. Add heavy cream and mix well. Once the conch batter has come to a boil, squeeze out the excess water from the gelatin and add to the conch batter. Mix well and pour into a long thin container and let cool overnight. When the mixture is cool it will be firm from the gelatin. Place a little oil in the palm of your hand and coat. Take about 1-ounce of the conch batter in your hand and roll around to form a ball. Do this for the whole batch. Place the balls on a tray and into the freezer until frozen. To make the Conch Fritter Coating: Beat egg until smooth. Add the flour and baking powder. Add milk and beer with the chives and mix until all is incorporated, being careful not to over mix the batter. Once the balls are frozen, fill an 8 quart pan with canola oil and heat to 350 degrees F. Using a spoon to dip the frozen ball into the Conch Fritter Coating. Carefully dropping the coated fritter into the hot oil. Repeat the process for the desired amounts. When the conch fritter has a rich brown color, remove. Set aside for a few minutes and allow them to cool slightly before serving. Be careful! Right out of the fryer, the center is super hot, like molten lava! Watermelon-Tomato Skewer Ingredients: 1 small seedless watermelon 4 cherry tomatoes 4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 8 tiny baby basil leaves 8 bamboo skewers Kosher salt Cut top and bottom off the watermelon to level it. Sit it upright and cut away the rind. Cut into 1-inch cubes, reserve. Bring a small pot of water to boil. Have a small bowl of ice water on the side. Carefully drop the cherry tomatoes into the water. Allow to cook for 10 seconds. Put in the ice water. Carefully peel away the skin and cut into halves Whisk together the vinegar and oil. Place a tomato half on top of each watermelon cube with the flat side facing up. Poke a bamboo skewer through the top all the way down to secure the 2 items. Line up the skewers on a serving tray. Drizzle the vinaigrette over the skewered tomato and watermelon. Sprinkle with salt and place a micro basil leaf on top. Serve and enjoy!