Eating Seattle

Food News: Columbia City farmers market opens today, more

2009-04-29T09:53:00.000-07:00

Been a bit quiet around here, huh? That's because I'm blogging over at Seattlemag.com most of the time now.

If you aren't reading the food blog over there, so far this month you've missed:
A 2009 Seattle farmers market calendar, with dates for all of the summer neighborhood markets. Check it out to find out when your local opens.

A spring restaurant opening update, including news on when we can expect Delancey, another Skillet Street trailor, and a second Agua Verde coming soon.

And lastly, you've missed out on getting the in-depth scoop on the return of William Belickis. Contributor Lorna Yee got the scoop just yesterday on the fall opening of Mistral Kitchen!

[where: 98118]

Food News: Sitka & Spruce Moving?

2009-03-31T14:03:00.000-07:00

Say wha? You heard me: Word is, Matt Dillon's moving Sitka & Spruce to Capitol Hill. More details to come, but read about that and more food news over on my Seattle Mag blog.

[where: 98112]

Best Restaurants: The Ones That Are M.I.A.

2009-03-23T09:58:00.001-07:00

So far this morning I've recieved five emails from loyal fans of Serafina, telling me, in no uncertain terms, that I screwed up, missed the boat, or was crazy not to include them in our Restaurants that Stand the Test of Time section of this year's Seattle Mag Best Restaurants issue (on newsstands this week).

Every year our Best Restaurants issue is our most popular, and it's also our most controversial. But I love reading other diners' thoughts on which restaurants "make" Seattle. So please, chime in and nominate/complain all you want right here. I really do want to know what you think.

[where: 98101]

Food News: Culinary Communion closes for good

2009-03-19T16:09:00.000-07:00

Yep, the sad rumors were true: Culinary Communion is gone. Read all about it here.

Read owner Gabriel Claycamp's official statement over here.

[where: 98118]

Food News: A New Tom D. Resto is on the Horizon

2009-03-10T12:37:00.000-07:00

Yep, Tom Douglas is adding another restaurant to his collection. Read about it and more on Seattle Mag's food & drink blog.

[where: 98101]

Food News: 3 lunch options for south-enders

2009-03-03T12:41:00.000-08:00

Rejoice, south-enders (talkin' to you Georgetown and Beacon): There are two interesting new lunch spots (plus one returning champ) to check out. Two are cheap as all get-out, one promises to inspire, um, skepticism. Read about it all on Seattle Mag.

[where: 98108]

Food News: Pagliacci's 30 today, and the pizza's cheap

2009-02-17T13:57:00.000-08:00

This is one gimmick I'm actually planning to take advantage of: Pagliacci's turning back their prices to what they were in 1979 in celebration of their 30th year in business.

Get the whole run-down here.

Food News: Moshi Moshi opens Thursday

2009-02-02T09:53:00.001-08:00

Despite what you might've read, um, elsewhere (I'm a huge fan of Voracious, but it's probably a better policy to update a blog post when you publish incorrect info rather than deleting it from the blog and making your readers think they're going crazy), Moshi Moshi actually opens this Thursday, Feb. 5th.

I've been anticipating the opening of this place for months; seems like there's a lack of really good sushi in the neighborhoods, and I figured the team behind Bricco might just do it right.

Head over to my Seattle Mag blog to get all the details.

[where: 98118]

Eating Seattle: Poppy

2009-01-28T12:10:00.000-08:00

I've got a theory about Poppy which I'm hoping you can either confirm or deny. The theory goes something like this: Men hate/dislike/roll their eyes at the place, and women love it/like it/are intrigued by it/find it fun.

Now, I'm already about to throw a wrench into my own simplistic assumption by telling you that I do not love Poppy, and I am a woman. But then again it's entirely possible, and maybe even probable, that I like to eat more like your typical man than your typical woman. I don't know if this is true (more studies must be done, surely), but it's possible.

Anyhoo, my review of Poppy is up on the Seattle Mag website now, and I hope you'll read it to get a more rounded, broad idea of what I think of the place.

But if I were forced to sum up my reason for not loving it, it'd come down to this: I like to get lost in a dish I enjoy. I like for there to be enough of something warm, stewy, meaty, savory and so on for me to actually feel satisfied after eating it. I love a big bowl of pho, a hearty cauldron of ramen, but size isn't all that matters--we can all get our fill of a rich, hearty chili or an intensely clammy chowder in a thick cup of the stuff. I just like to take my time, taste it a bunch of times, really get to know my food.

At Poppy I was frustrated by all the little dishes that neither added real value nor enhanced the other dishes. But mostly I was frustrated by the tiny portions at the heart of the thalis, because, when they were good, I just wanted to get lost in them, and I couldn't. Have you ever been to a mediocre (or even worse) restaurant, eaten a full meal, but left feeling like you just didn't scratch the itch? You're belly was full but you were far from satisfied?

So Poppy doesn't curl my toes. What about you?

[where: 98115]

Top Chef: Why the Chefs Should Be Older

2009-01-15T12:36:00.000-08:00

Last night's episode of Top Chef really chopped my hyde.

The "chefs" were gifted a trip to the gorgeous (I've been, and trust me, it's amazing) Stone Barns, where they were literally tripping over lush vegetation and fantastic produce, and what did they do? They bitched about not being able to go to Whole Foods. I'm sorry, but did we just time-travel back to 1994? Are all of these "chefs" really so unfamiliar with the not-exactly-cutting-edge farm-to-table movement, aka a walk through a farmers market as inspiration for a meal, that this kind of thing throws them off their game? Is this for real? Or are all the chefs just way too young?

During the episode, they, collectively, removed all the fat from a pork loin (and didn't, you know, render it and use it), they took the tender, lovely meat of a baby lamb off the bone and pounded it out like it was a tough piece of crappy grocery store flank steak, and they made CUTLETS (Jesus, 1983 much?) out of the farm-raised whole chickens. Is this for real?

Now, since the oldest contestant got kicked off last night (Ariane), it might seem illogical for me to argue that the reason all of these chefs f'ed up so badly is that they're too young. But I can't figure out another reason for their cluelessness. As Tom Colicchio kept saying (last week with the whole-fried fish, this week with all the meats): respect the protein. Maybe it sounds precious, but seriously: Respect the life of the animal that died for your meal.

When I worked in kitchens, it was always the young chefs who over-worked and over-thought things. Their attemtps to impress were never the "let the ingredients speak for themselves" variety. They were the "let me show you my skilz" variety. Sadly, up til now, those "skilz" are what the Top Chef judges have been asking to see.

But last night the "chefs" were cooking on a farm for the farmers who grew the food they were preparing. They were cooking for people who already know how incredibly sweet that corn is, and (I'm just guessing) want to see that the chefs recognize it too. Can you imagine spending all summer working the soil, weeding, waiting for your tomatoes to ripen, and then having some dufus come in, pick all your ripe summer tomatoes and make a tomato frickin' jam out of them? Tomato jam is what you eat in WINTER because you preserved summer tomatoes. Come on now. Is this food 101 or what?

Anyhoo, Ariane went home for literally butchering that poor baby lamb. But it could've been any one of them. Stupid Jeff and his fat-free pork, stupid Leah and her not-doing-anything when she knew how to tie the lamb. Maybe next year they'll actually get some older, wiser, more experienced, less desperately unsure-of-themselves "chefs" for the show. But probably not.

[where: 98118]

Eating Seattle: A look back at 1986

2009-01-04T14:58:00.001-08:00

It's pretty incredible to think of how much has changed in restaurants (and in dining at home, too) in the last 20 years or so. How we've slowly been turning away from the box and back to the farm, away from the machine and back to the hand, away from "convenience at any cost" and toward the hard-earned and appreciated.

I feel like my generation is returning to the joy of the long, shared meal. I have friends (and a husband!) whose idea of a wonderful, perfectly fulfilling night is just eating dinner together, at home or out, and it still amazes me that I've found others like myself. Because of these friends, I feel like less of a weirdo for being completely obsessed with cooking big family meals, and enjoying dinners out more than pretty much any other activity. You can keep your Saturday matinees; I'm going to dim sum.

You might be wondering where all this rambling is coming from. Well, here. It's an article written back in 1986 recapping the dining scene of that year. In it we find out that

Seattle chefs are doing imaginative things with seafood, using techniques that no one attempted in the years of the almighty cow.

They're sauteing, poaching, broiling and serving seafood raw. They're turning it into splendid mousses. They're devising sauces made from ingredients such as tamarind, macadamia nuts and jalapenos.

Of course it's tempting to be all smug and "ha ha, aren't we so superior" about this type of thing (I mean, honestly, jalapenos?), but then you can probably read through any of the recent missives written about the "best tastes of 2008" and pick out the "jalapeno" of this year. I'm as guilty as the next gal at declaring things new and revolutionary, with awe in my voice.

Still, it's a pretty fun read. Take a look.

Eating In: Moose Stew (yes, really), Potato Bread, etc

2008-12-22T09:39:00.000-08:00

I haven't felt this relaxed in years.

The snow has forced me to stop all the running around, all the furious "I've gotta do this" and "I'd better do that" and just enjoy my house, my yard, my dog, my kid and my snowshoes. It feels like the life I've always imagined people in small towns live. It's just not my nature to sit still, but the snow if forcing it, and I'm completely digging it.

I'm also going nutso in the kitchen. Yesterday, after snow-shoeing over to my parents house with Ruby in the backpack, I cooked up a batch of those no-bake chocolate-peanut butter-oatmeal cookies I remembered my mom baking us when we were little. My sister's 4-year old son, Zach, helped out. It took all of 10 minutes to make enough for days!

But really, the most exciting part of the weekend, cooking-wise, was making the moose stew last night.

Yep--it's made with real moose meat from a moose my dad and uncle got this past October in New Hampshire. Since my uncle lives out there, he's doling out the meat in small batches (for shipping cost reasons, I guess), but since my dad knows Ed and I love wild game (and honestly, we're really the only ones who'd go to the trouble of making a braised shoulder, or slow-cooked stew), we were gifted some stew meat and some sirloin, which went into the stew last night.

I usually cook all my stews in two steps: First, you brown the meat, slow-cook it in some wine/water/broth/herbs/onion-carrot-celery/bay leaves for a couple of hours. Everything but the meat and broth will eventually get tossed out, since the veggies become mush. This step is all about making a really yummy broth and tender, yummy meat. What I do is strain the broth into a big bowl and pick the meat out of the colander, and then return the broth and meat back into the pot. You'll see that the veggies are worthless, but if you're hungry you can salt the veggies left in the colander and snack on 'em, or make baby food with 'em.

Second, you prepare the veggies you'll actually eat in the stew, and I usually do these in steps in a separate pan, coq au vin-style. So last night I cut up a couple of russet potatoes, seasoned them with salt and pepper, and fried them up in a nonstick pan with a little olive oil until still al dente but nice and golden brown, then I put them in a bowl on the side. Next I seared my mushroom quarters in butter with fresh thyme and rosemary, then added them to the potatoes. Then the same with some hunked carrots and large-chopped onions. Cooking on med-high heat the whole time, you're really just getting some color on the veggies. Finally, you put all the veg in with the meat/broth and let it simmer for about 20 minutes, until the potatoes and carrots are tender.

I finished my stew with fresh cream and lots of black pepper and some chopped Italian parsley. It was divine.

We ate it with buttered potato bread, which Ed had made the day before. Head over here for the recipe for that easy, incredibly good bread. Unlike the moose stew, you probably have all the ingredients for the bread in the house already.

What are you cooking in this incredibly snowy weather?

[where: 98118]

Eating Seattle: Farmers Markets, Open vs Shut

2008-12-19T12:32:00.001-08:00

I can't believe it, but the University Farmers market is going to be up and running tomorrow at the crack of 9am! I knew farming was a game for the hard-nosed, hardy type, but holy cannoli people! Driving from Carnation to Seattle to sell us snow wussies a pot or two of jam? I'm impressed.

UPDATE: Chris Curtis emailed and gave me some specifics. Get all the info over here.

[where: 981o1]

Eating NYC: Reports from Momofuku Ssam, Tailor, more

2008-12-09T13:47:00.000-08:00

I'm plain tired of traveling. I know, I should just zip it. After all, it's pretty gloomy outside right now, and NYC was gloriously sunny and chilly. I don't want to make you cry, but we even got SNOW during our 3-night trip. The Gods were smiling on us.

But now I'm just full. And tired. So please, do me a favor and head over to read a little about my trip (and what I ate) at the Seattle Mag blog. I'll be back. After a nap.

[where: 98101]

Eating Detroit: A report from Rock City

2008-12-01T11:15:00.000-08:00

We're back in town for a few days before making another trip: This time, we're heading back to NYC for the first time in two years! Got recommendations for me? Send 'em. We've only got one night undecided at this point--figuring a walk-in at Gramercy Tavern or Babbo, although Corton (Paul Liebrandt's newest) is compelling. Lunches, tho, are relatively wide open.

Otherwise, head over to my Seattle Mag blog to read about everything we ate during our trip to Detroit. Includes one Iron Chef and one local bbq joint.

[where: 98101]

Turkey Day Leftovers

2008-11-22T21:28:00.001-08:00

We're flying to 36 (but feels like 24) degree Detroit Rock City tomorrow for Thanksgiving, which, sadly, means no Thanksgiving at our house.

We'll be doing a little cooking though, since we'd feel like we didn't really get to have a Thanksgiving if we didn't get to participate.

And I'll probably make my way into the kitchen to come up with some mushroom pate too, since it's the best thing in the entire world.

Anyhoo, since we're kind of half-assing things this year, I thought I'd just own it and pull the lamest of lame blogger tricks: I'm sending you back to the posts of yesteryear.

Perhaps you'll pour yourself a nice glass of whatever tickles your fancy and read about our feast from last year.

Or join me in my cheese consumption by watching this masterpiece.

Or, lastly, this post, in which I basically call my parents bad cooks and claim to be a martian from a foodie planet far, far away. See how ungrateful I am? Don't be like that. 'Tis the season to be thankful for what you've got. And you--you incredibly good looking devil you...

Well, you've got a lot to be grateful for. Happy Turkey Day.

[where: 98101]

The Best Thing You Ate All Year

2008-11-17T15:09:00.001-08:00

I don't think it's letting the cat too far out of the bag to tell you that our April Seattle Magazine issue is our Best Restaurants issue. The thing that might surprise you is that I'm already knee-socks deep in the planning (and EATING) that goes into that issue.

We actually started talking about the issue in September, and so far I've been to handfuls of older restaurants to check out which ones are worth including in the issue. We always cover new restaurants, and since those are so fresh in my mind, that part's usually a cinch.

The tricky part comes in choosing the best restaurants that aren't new. Many of Seattle's best restaurants are 5, 10, 15+ years old, but a girl can only eat out so often. Yep, even a "food editor" has geographic and gastronomic limitations. I'm not saying I have foods I won't eat; I'm game, so that's never really been an issue for me. The real issue comes in having the time to eat everything I want to eat, in neighborhoods that might be 45+ minutes from my home while still, you know, working and keeping clean clothes on my kid's back. In the course of a year I eat in an embarrassing number of great (and not-even-close-to-great) restaurants, but by the time the Best Restaurants issue comes around again, my knowledge is already 6 months, 9 months, a year old or older. So you see the problem here.

So here's where you all come in: Tell me the ONE single best thing you tasted all year. It doesn't have to be fancy. In fact, most of the time the tastes that linger for me aren't fancy at all.

the awesome fig tart at Columbia City Bakery...the best thing YOU ate all year?

There's a Calvin Trillin quote that I've always liked. He wrote that, whenever he'd ask strangers in a strange city for restaurant recommendations, he'd always say something like, "Don't give me the name of the rotating-continental-restaurant-in-the-sky, tell me the first place you'd eat when you just got home from war." THAT's what I'm looking for. The one dish you crave constantly.
Please leave your ideas in the comments. And thanks.

End of autumn, in pictures

2008-11-10T16:47:00.000-08:00

The sun surprised me today, so I took a walk up to Columbia City to grab a coffee and get the dog out of the house. Took the camera, too, and shot some pretty pictures along the way...

La Medusa, oldie but great-y

[where: 98118]

Food News: Five new pizza places

2008-11-04T12:54:00.000-08:00

Hi y'all
Been a fun couple of weeks. I've been eating my way through the city--Le Pichet last week (that place is just so right--terrific food, easy atmosphere), Matt's in the Market a couple weeks back (still great, although one of the chefs is finishing sauces with way too much lemon and it's distracting).
But even more news: Five new pizza places have opened (or are on the verge) all around the city, from my hood (Seward/Columbia City) to northern Ballard. Check it out on my Seattle Mag blog page.

OH, and take a minute to look our new website over! Way more links, and now (get this): EVERYTHING from our issue is available online, including my review of the Corson Building. Thanks, yes, it does feel good to join you all in the 21st century ;)

[where: 98101]

Food News: Veil's closing this week, more

2008-10-14T19:04:00.000-07:00

I know this is only the beginning---the economy (even if it is relatively strong here vs elsewhere) is going to start taking names and some of Seattle's most unique restaurants are bound to fall. Today comes news of the impending closure of Veil. Read the sad news on the Seattle Mag food blog.

[where: 98101]

Food News: Poppy taking reservations, opens Sat.

2008-09-15T17:13:00.000-07:00

Finally, Poppy is opening. I've heard from two friends that the food is really good and that the space is chic but approachable--sounds like a nice fit for the hill.

More here, here and here. Or just skip it all and make your reservations here.

[where: 98102]

Food News: Traunfeld's Poppy to open Sept. 13!

2008-09-02T21:11:00.000-07:00

Yippee! Jerry Traunfeld's fanatically anticipated new restaurant, Poppy, which promises to breathe some life into the no-mans-land of north Broadway, is opening on September 13th (reservations will start being taken via email on Sept. 6th).

I am so excited. Check out Poppy's website for menu items--minted lentil goat cheese strudel, anyone?--and you probably will be too. More on Seattle Mag.

[where: 98102]

Surly Gourmand on Spring Hill

2008-08-20T14:28:00.001-07:00

Two posts in one day = banner day round here.
Just dropped in again to point you toward the Surly Gourmand's latest reviews. I missed the Spring Hill review when he wrote it a month ago, but since my Spring Hill review won't be publishing in Seattle Mag until October, who better to should nudge you all toward West Seattle's best new restaurant than the SG?

For years the downtrodden people of West Seattle have had to deal with culinary bullshit: Shadow Land sucks. Ama- Ama is good enough, but it would be better if the topless girl in their logo was totally nude. Talarico's is pretty good but turns into a giant frat party after 9 pm. Blackbird tries too hard. Mission, packed to the gills with yuppie scum, wants to be Fremont West; plus I only like Mexican food that comes out of a truck, so Mission sucks extra.

But way funnier in my oh-so-important opinion (hey, it's my damn blog) is the Cremant review.

The Jarret d'Agneau au Vin Rouge ($22) was a lamb shank, braised in red wine until it fell off the bone. It came with a ramekin of aoli (mental note: complain about aoli in a future review) and was served atop a smashed Yukon Gold which was so lightly smashed that the smashing didn't look intentional. It was barely dented. In fact, that potato looked as though someone started to step on it, then realized they were stepping on a potato and jumped off before they could totally crush it. Still, it was good.

Happy hump day.

[where: 98101]

Eating Seattle: Georgetown Via Tribunali, plus terrible food at Serafina

2008-08-20T10:33:00.001-07:00

I've been neglecting my responsibilities, that's for damn sure. I've let my dear blog get all dusty and oily and I've just walked by pretending I don't see it. Sorry folks. I've been blogging over at Seattlemag.com, but I haven't been posting here much.

I'd like to send you over there to read about my dinner at the new Via Tribunali in Georgetown and my very disappointing dinner at Serafina. Ugh. Read all about it here.

[where: 98108]

Food News: Anita's Crepes gets a home

2008-07-11T11:48:00.000-07:00

I absolutely cannot resist Anita's ham, egg and Estrella cheese crepes whenever I can make it to the Ballard Farmers Market, so I'm really looking forward to having a place to get 'em whenever the craving hits me.

Head over the my Seattle Mag blog page to read about Anita's new space, and to find out when (and where) she'll be opening the shop.

[where: 98101]

Food News: Spinasse and a Corson Building review

2008-07-03T12:29:00.001-07:00

Just in: Justin Neidermeyer's new joint will NOT be called Pancia Piena, but will be called Spinasse. He's still doing pasta, tho, and he's just about to open the place.
Read more about it on the Seattle Mag blog.

Also! Our new Web Editor over at the magazine, Karen Johnson, got an early resy at The Corson Building last weekend and she wrote all about it on the blog. It's the first in-depth report I've seen and it's also a pretty surprising review...take a look.

[where: 98118]

Bourdain, and the Corson Building's maiden dinner

2008-06-09T15:37:00.000-07:00

I've been curious for months to know what Matt Dillon (Sitka & Spruce) and Wylie Bush (Joe Bar) would do with one of the most interesting buildings in industrial south Seattle, the Corson Building. So when I heard that the Corson's first "official" dinner would be a pre-show feast with guest-of-honor Tony Bourdain, I knew--though I'm not a big enough fan to dole out hundreds of bucks to join in--I knew I'd want to hear about it on the flip-side.

Did a quick search and found this short recap of dinner with Bourdain on a guy named Larry Jordan's livespace blog. The pictures he includes at the bottom of the page are definitely worth a look--check out that hot red meat slicer!

Did any of you go? I'd love to hear more about that dinner.

In the meantime, I just noticed that there's now an email address to reserve space for Corson Building's Sunday suppers on the Sitka & Spruce website. Game on!

[where: 98108]

Food News: Branzino opens in Belltown, plus a question

2008-06-03T14:30:00.000-07:00

Head over to my blog on Seattle Mag to read about Branzino, a new seafood-focused place in Belltown. Thanks to Cornichon for the scoop on that one.

I'm curious...has anyone seen anything or heard anything about what will go into the old Mistral space? I don't live nearby so I don't get a chance to do drive-bys, so let me know if you've heard anything.

Other places to look forward to:

The old 1200 Bistro space looks like it's about ready to reopen as Pike Street Pub. They've even got outdoor tables set up.

Justin Neidermeyer's Pancia Piena on 14th (the old Globe space) is coming together. He's posted want-ads on Craigslist, so hopefully we'll see him opening the doors within the next couple months.

And this week: Casuelita's is set to open right next door to Columbia City Bakery. The owner seems nice--I've run into him and his daughter at the bakery--and he's very excited to get the doors open and the food served.

Got any other food news I should know about?

Food News: Monsoon East coming in September

2008-05-19T15:54:00.001-07:00

You lucky Eastsiders! Eric Banh's opening a second Monsoon--and one that just might be an improvement on the first!--on Main Street in Bellevue this fall.

Read all about it on the Seattle Mag blog.

[where: 98004]

Food News: Woodman Lodge Steakhouse about to open

2008-05-14T09:27:00.001-07:00

Long time no see, right? Lo siento, my amigos. It's been a whirlwind. We took a long weekend and headed up to Roche Harbor for the wedding of two dear friends that met at our wedding. It was wonderful, and Roche Harbor is relaxing times ten.

Onto the food news-o-the day. I usually have to sit on my scoops for a few weeks, sometimes months, and this one is an example of the latter. Head over to my blog on Seattle Mag to read about the new steakhouse in an historic lodge in Snoqualmie.

And start holding your breath now, kiddos, because I have a really good scoop I'm gonna serve up later this week.

[where: 98065]

Good Read: LA Times on Seattle's restaurant scene

2008-04-28T12:23:00.000-07:00

I loved reading S. Irene Virbila's write-up of her two visits to Seattle, particularly because she seemed hell-bent on finding something interesting to eat, but also because I find it refreshing to see the city's restaurants through the eyes of an outsider--I think it helps put things in perspective.

Take a look at her report here. Made me hungry.

[where: 98101]

Food News: Whym to open in Minnie's locale

2008-04-14T10:43:00.000-07:00

Sometimes when I'm working on my Insider column for the magazine, I know I'm writing about stories others will break before the issue publishes. That's the way it goes when you're working 3 months ahead of publish. For instance, I'm working on our August issue right now. Talk about a mind melt: YOU try to write about tomatoes when it's 43 degrees out.

But I digress. The reason I'm bringing this up is because this exact thing happened this morning. Mark Fefer wrote a little blurb on Minnie's becoming Whym on Voracious today. He didn't have much info on the news, but I do!

That's because I talked with Bridget Scott (the new owner) a month ago, when I wrote about it for our July issue.

So, since Fefer broke the story, I figure I'll fill you in on what I know. Read all about Whym, the soon-to-open 24-hour diner on my Seattle Mag blog page.

[where: 98101]

Food News: The fall of Gypsy

2008-04-11T14:00:00.001-07:00

If you're a chowhound, foodie or just love a good meal in a non-chain most of the time, you've probably already heard the news: Seattle's first well-known underground restaurant, Gypsy, has been closed down.

Read more about it on the Seattle Mag blog.

[where: 98101]

The Surly Gourmand makes my day

2008-04-11T09:29:00.000-07:00

Some people's idea of a mind-blowing foodie moment is, apparently, going to see Tony Bourdain do something on stage for 2 hours at the Moore (seriously, does anyone know what a chef can do on stage to earn $50 per person for tickets? Talk? Make jokes? Flamenco dancing? I don't get it).

But today! By chance! My mind-blowing moment occurred because a certain foul-mouthed food writer deigned (10 points!) to comment on this very blog! Head over to this post to view the comment in situ (46 points!), but I'm also pasting it here:

Hi and thanks so much for the glowing praise! And I must say I'm flattered to have as my "new #1 fan" the dining editor for Seattle Magazine. Holy fuck I've hit the big time. Can I have a job?

You should know, Allison, that the usual way to show your appreciation to me is with naked pictures of your mom. These can be sent to surlygourmand@theseattlesinner.com. High resolution jpegs please.

Anyway, to the guy who complained about the old posts not being listed on the Sinner's web site, I'm in the process of resurrecting my old blog, which I haven't written on in 3 years. All the old stuff will be posted there. Stay tuned.

Your friend,
the Surly Motherfucking Gourmand

PS here's some gossip: did you know Gypsy closed? Seems the feds finally fingered them, and not in the good way.

Oh happy day!
I am a huge fan of doctor surly, mostly because he says exactly what I wish to God in heaven I could say but am not allowed to by the powers that be (aka, the people who pay me). In fact, I recently had such a total piece-of-shit (and expensive, dammit!) meal that I actually said to Ed, in the car on the way home, "I should email the Surly Gourmand so he can come here, eat that crap food and write about it like I wish I could."

That's my long-winded way of saying thanks, your Surliness, for bringing the funny (and the truthiness) to food writing in this town. And please re-publish that Quinn's review, because it's friggin' perfect.

[where: 98118]

Food News: Hebberoy's new fish shack

2008-04-08T11:23:00.001-07:00

Yep, you heard right: Hebberoy, of the forthcoming Kill the Restaurant tome, is opening a restaurant. And that's not all (there's a pretty exciting pasta place opening too).

Head over the Seattle Mag to read all about it.

RELATED: NY Times on how Hebberoy screwed Portland

[where: 98112]

Food News: Virginia Inn reopening in a week

2008-03-28T10:17:00.000-07:00

Boy did I luck into this one. I got a nagging feeling, picked up the phone, called Virginia Inn and whattayaknow, somebody answered the phone (which, you know, they usually don't). Told me they're reopening April 5th (that'd be a week from tomorrow).

Read more about it on the Seattle Mag blog.

[where: 98101]

Eating Easter: Rosemary and lemon crusted leg of lamb

2008-03-23T12:32:00.001-07:00

It's Easter! Lucky for us, the Easter bunny came yesterday, so we don't have to slog around in this drizzly weather looking for eggs.

Tonight we're having a family dinner and we're recreating the fantastic leg of lamb we cooked last October. So I'm lazily re-printing the recipe below. Enjoy.

What a beautiful piece of meat it was. I had to do a little trimming of silver skin, but not much. We left a good amount of fat on the meat (which we scored so that it'd render more easily) and did a very simple rosemary-lemon-garlic salt rub. We also threw a thick-sliced onion and some sliced fennel into the bottom of the roasting pan (to cook in the lamb juices). Yum.

Rosemary Crusted Leg of Lamb
1 6-7lb leg of lamb, bone-in
4 T rosemary needles
8 cloves garlic
Zest of 1 lemon
1 T kosher salt
1 1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
olive oil
1 large yellow onion, thickly sliced (optional)
1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced (optional)

Prepare salt:
In a small food-processor, chop 6 cloves of garlic, all of the rosemary, lemon zest, salt and pepper. Process until rosemary is very fine and all garlic is chopped fine. Set aside.

Prepare lamb:
Score fat on lamb in a criss-cross pattern with a sharp knife, getting down to the meat level with your knife. This allows the fat to render, which marinates the meat and gives the finished roast a crispy thin crust (as opposed to a thick fatty crust).

Rub the lamb with the rosemary-lemon-garlic salt. Thinly slice the 2 remaining cloves of garlic and, using a long narrow knife, cut slits into the lamb, placing slices of garlic into the slits and pushing them in with your finger. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 1 to 4 hours.

Remove roast from refrigerator 1/2 hour before cooking, to come to room temperature.

Preheat oven to 425. Place oven rack towards the bottom of the oven (you want the lamb to sit in the middle of the oven, not towards the top). Scatter onions and fennel in bottom of roasting pan, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle lightly with salt.

Remove plastic from meat and place lamb on a roasting rack. Place rack into the roasting pan (or you can place the roast directly onto the fennel and onions) and roast for 25 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 and roast for another hour to 75 minutes, or until a thermometer reads 130 in the thickest part of the roast. Remove from oven and allow meat to rest, tented with foil, for 20 minutes.

[where: 98118]

First day of spring, in pictures

2008-03-20T10:00:00.001-07:00

We took a walk around the neighborhood this morning and it was just beautiful to see the earliest flowers beginning to bloom.
Daffodils everywhere

Not sure what this is, but it sure is pretty

this:

will soon look like this:

this early clematis is fragrant and gorgeous

always a sucker for a tulip tree

pretty heliobore

callie, the good-looking dog

Cherry blossom trees are in full bloom

tulips are almost ready

callie's puppy-dog face

[where: 98118]

Food News: Mistral to close at end of month

2008-03-19T10:01:00.001-07:00

Big news in restaurants today! First I read Nancy Leson's column on the new St. Clouds Cafe at the NW African American Museum--excellent news! And that the pair from Pair are opening another place. More good neighborhood restaurants...life is good.

But with the good news comes the sad news that Mistral, perhaps Seattle's most unique fine dining restaurant, is closing. Head over to SeattleMag.com for the scoop.

Also closed: The Wellington in Columbia City, which I never made it to. There's also papered-over windows one block south of the Wellington on Rainier. Anybody know what's moving into that space?

[where: 98118]

Eating In: Macrina potato bread

2008-03-18T19:23:00.001-07:00

We finally nailed it! My favorite loaf for years was the Macrina potato loaf, and since I have the Macrina Bakery Cookbook and the nearest Macrina is farther away than I'd like, I figured we should give it a shot.

So in the last, say, 4 weeks, Ed and I have made probably 5 loaves, and we finally got it just right. Below you'll find the recipe with my notes (**) and some things we learned along the way.

A couple quick things:
1) Do NOT be stingy with the salt. The loaf could actually use even more than this recipe calls for, I think.
2) Do not go to all the trouble of baking homemade bread and get to the end and realize your crappy store-brand flour has lost its umph. Yes, flour goes bad! I found this out the hard way when my homemade pizza crust under my homemade sauce (!!) tasted like cardboard. Just buy some good King Arthur Flour--it's worth the $3.
3) Do NOT be a wimp about the kneading. The loaf definitely needs a good long knead, so set the timer so you don't accidentallyonpurpose knead for too short a time.

And now...drum roll.....taDA!

Here she is. A beauty, no?

Macrina Potato Loaf
1 1/4 lbs russet potatoes
1 T kosher salt
1 1/2 tsp dried yeast
2 T extra virgin olive oil
3 C unbleached all-purpose flour
ice cubes

Scrub potatoes, leave skins on, and cut into 1 inch chunks (**the chunks don't need to be perfect). Place potatoes and 1 tsp of the kosher salt and cover with water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are tender. Measure out 1/2 cup of potato water and set aside. Drain potatoes in colander and leave them to dry for 20 minutes.

Pour the lukewarm potato water into a small bowl and sprinkle yeast over the top. Stir together well and then leave to stand for 5 minutes.

Place drained, cooled potatoes in bowl of stand mixer. Using the paddle attachment, mis on low for a minute to roughly mash. Add olive oil and mix another minute. Add potato water/yeast mixture and mix until combined (**scraping the bowl once or twice) for about 1-2 minutes. (If mixing by hand, place potatoes and olive oil in a bowl and mash with a potato masher. Add potato water/yeast mixture and mix with a wooden spoon until combined.) Switch to hook attachment and add flour and remaining 2 tsp salt. Mix briefly on low spead to start bringing ingredients together (**use spatula to push flour into bottom of mixer), then increase speed to medium (**4 on KitchenAide) and mix for 11 minutes. (If mixing by hand, add flour and 2 tsp salt and mix with wooden spoon. Knead with your hands for 10-15 minutes.) **Dough will appear to not be binding at first, it'll look dry and like it's not coming together, but it will become moist as kneading continues. Check for elasticity by pulling the dough; finished dough should stretch about 2 inches without breaking.

Pull dough from bowl onto a lightly floured surface and form into a ball. Place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let proof for about 45 minutes in a warm 70F room. Dough will almost double in size.

Place dough on a floured surface and flatten it into a rectangle with your hands (**rectangle should be slightly wider left-to-right than long top-to-bottom). Starting with the end closest to you, roll dough away from you into a tight log. Stop rolling just before you get to the end, and then flatten the last 1/2 inch of the dough and flour this 1/2 inch section. This will prevent the loaf from fully sealing and will cause the seam to open slightly during baking. Wrap loaf--seam side down--in a floured dishtowel and let proof at room temp for 45 minutes. Dough will rise slightly and feel spongy to the touch.

Place baking stone on center rack of oven and preheat to 400F. Place a small oven-proof pan under the baking stone--**we use our tiniest cast iron pan, which is about 6" across. (**A baking stone REALLY helps the loaf bake evenly. Our first attempts--before we replaced the baking stone I so dumbly left in our oven in Jackson--were not nearly as good as the baking stone ones. Just so you know. If you don't have one, pre-heating a cookie sheet might work, but I'm not taking the blame if it doesn't.)

Working quickly: Get about 3 ice cubes from the freezer. Get your loaf mostly unwrapped from the towel. Open oven, place loaf seam side up on baking stone, and place 2 ice cubes into the pan beneath the stone. Close door and do NOT open it for at least 5 minutes (**this is when the crust gets all steamed and chewy). After 5 minutes, add the last ice cube and close door again. Bake for 40 more minutes, or until loaf is registering about 205F (**for those of you baking at altitude, your cooking time may be MUCH shorter--we noticed ours was when we lived in Jackson). Let cool for 30 minutes.

After admiring you loaf for those 30 minutes, slice off a hunk, slather with butter and sprinkle a little salt on top for a piece that basically tastes like potato chips in warm bread form.

Food Tube: Ripert and Bourdain under fire at Les Halles

2008-03-14T15:10:00.000-07:00

I'm not a huge Bourdain fan. His schtick is wearing pretty thin on me, and it's always bugged me that Kitchen Confidential was written by a tall white guy. Seriously, his book would've been seventeen times better if it'd been written by a woman chef. He thinks the kitchen's hard on men? Ugh.

But one thing I do like about him is his perennial insistence that the James Beard Awards are a bunch of poppycock, because the guys who are really cooking your meals are not the chefs whose names are on the menus. Nope, they're--lots of the time--illegal Mexican cooks who work 16 hour days and get paid like shit.

So that's the saving grace of this episode of No Reservations

Bourdain talks Eric Ripert (of Le Bernardin) into coming down to Union Square and working the non-stop steak-charring grills at Les Halles, a mid-range French-ish spot that really isn't aiming to be anything but a mid-range French-ish spot. Anyhoo, long story short, before you know it the actual chef--a Mexican guy--gets pretty damned irritated with the antics of Ripert and Bourdain. Just imagine--a couple of big-timers semi-mockingly come into your workplace and basically F around. Sweet idea, Bourdain.

The one good take-away is that anyone who imagines a pretty Monica Geller chef cracking actual crab claws to make your "crab Louie" or what-have-you, might now realize that it's more than likely a 19-year-old high school drop-out opening a plastic container and scooping crab out with a questionably clean spoon. So there's that. Happy weekend!

[where: 10016]

Eating Portland: Lorna Yee on P-town

2008-03-14T11:05:00.001-07:00

Head over to the Seattle Mag blog to read Lorna Yee's (of Cache fame) inside scoop on her upcoming Portland article.

We sent Lorna to Portland because we wanted to know if that city lives up to all the NYTimes hype its gotten of late. Lorna's a big-time foodie--the girl won a charcuterie competition the first time she made it, fer christsakes--so her insights are incomparable. Check it out.

And keep an eye out for the Best Restaurants issue, which will be on newsstands in about a week!! I worked my tail off on that thing--I think our first meeting was way back in mid-October--and I'm really happy with it. So don't miss it.

Oh, and one last thing: Stalkerish types should read my drive-by Corson Building update. It's getting a little ridiculous, I know, but it's fun (literally) watching the progress.

Food News: 4 restaurants open in Ballard in 2 months

2008-03-11T11:08:00.000-07:00

What's going on over in Ballard? Seems like anyone and everyone with an itch to open their own restaurant has decided Ballard is the place. Unless I'm missing one (which, hey, it's possible), there have been four new, interesting restaurant openings since the new year. Curious? Sorry...you're gonna have to click here (I wrote about it over on Seattlemag.com).

[where: 98107]

Food Event: Dine for Darfur tomorrow, March 4

2008-03-03T14:27:00.000-08:00

Here's my plan: I'm going to wake up, get Ruby dressed, get me dressed, and head to the new Caffe Vita down by the PCC near Seward Park for my morning coffee.

We're meeting Ruby's friend Leo (a younger man! He's only 13 1/2 months; Ruby's 14 months) and his mom at the zoo, so I'm thinking lunch'll be at Irwin's, the hippity-dippity place on 40th with the Adirondack chairs out front. We used to live in Wallingford, and we'd trek down to Irwin's for bagels on weekends, so it'll be an old-times-sake thing for me.

We've got a family dinner planned at our house, so I won't make it out for dinner, but I think two DFD meals is pretty good, dontcha think?

But if I had my way, I'd go to Serafina for dinner (I've been hearing really good things the last several months), or order a pizza from Pagiacci, or--lordy me--have a beer and an oyster po'boy at the Jolly Roger.

Where are you going for DFD?

Not about eating or Seattle: Iditarod 2008

2008-03-02T19:00:00.000-08:00

I am obsessed with the Iditarod, which just started this weekend up in AK. But, as much as I appreciate the mushers' amazing journey, for me it's a dog thing. I imagine that, someday, I'll quit doing what I do now and I'll move to the country, have a giant garden and raise dogs. I've been a dog person my whole life; I used to volunteer for the dog shelter on 15th because I wasn't allowed to have a dog in my apartment. The other day, I tied Callie (our black lab mutt) to a table outside Columbia City Bakery while I pushed Ruby in her stroller into the bakery. Then, as I was coming back out, a guy said to me, "don't forget your dog." And it just completely pissed me off. Um, because I have a stroller I'm going to forget my dog? Dick!

But clearly I'm getting off topic here. The point is, as much as I can get into the people stories, it's the dogs that amaze me.

Lance Mackey and Larry the dog, both of whom won the Iditarod last year

But I also imagine being there for what's surely an awesome, snowy, crazy-drunk celebration at the finish line in Nome, Alaska when, after 1,150 miles and 14 days of arctic winds, frozen paws, facial frostbite and sleep deprivation (yes, they sleep OUT IN THAT COLD!), the racers cross the finish line and finally take a rest. Oh, and they probably party their asses off. I mean, I don't know for sure, but I'm guessing Alaskans know how to get down, beer-drinking-wise.

So anyhoo, it's on my life-list. To scream from the bitterly cold sidelines, to hug one of those exhausted dogs, and then to drink 17 beers in a smokey tavern warmed by a real wood fireplace.

But for now, I'll be watching and reading, and maybe daydreaming just a little that this

is me.*

(it's actually Melanie Gould, one of the amazing women that go out and, you know, sometimes win the "last great race on earth")

Eating Seattle: Quinn's

2008-02-26T12:20:00.000-08:00

Just checking in to remind you that I'm blogging over at Seattle Mag. Today I wrote a little about Quinn's--my first full-length restaurant review for the magazine, which is in the March issue. Take a look.

Oh, and we've finally added an rss feed. Sign up here, under the pie picture.

[98101]

Eating Seattle: A Tom Douglas restaurant crawl

2008-02-15T09:42:00.000-08:00

I made my parents take me to Palace Kitchen 12 years ago to celebrate my 21st birthday. It'd just opened, and I was just beginning to follow the restaurant scene around town. I'd caught the bug, the thrill of the news that a restaurant would be opening, the research of where the chef had cooked before...I love all of it, and I guess I was just starting that love affair back then.

Anyways, SCORE! My parents were footing the bill (birthday and all), so I chose Palace. It was, to me, a fancy place. I mean, it was DOWN TOWN. Parking was NOT EASY. It was a thrill to be in that room. I loved the horseshoe-shaped bar (still do, actually). It was a great meal. I had a pumpkin risotto. It was amazing.

Fast-forward to last Tuesday night. Ed and I had been given a gift certificate to all of Tom Douglas's restaurants for Christmas, and since most of our dining out is now focused on whichever (usually new) restaurant I'm covering for Seattle Magazine, we thought we'd use the GC to enjoy a night out that I wasn't going to have to write about later. And it just happened to be our anniversary. Ed hadn't been to most of Tom Douglas's restaurants (and I usually just hit Palace for a drink once a year or so), so we decided on a Tom D restaurant crawl.

We started the night at Dahlia Lounge, sat at the bar and ordered a raw bar sampler, plus a martini for him and a glass of Prosecco for moi. We were excited, in a celebratory mood, so the fact that the bartender was a complete and utter dud (who clearly had a boner for a chick at the bar, because he pretty much ignored everybody else) was a major bummer.

The food, though, was really good. We loved the kanpachi, which had a little shiso and crisp pear; the smoked salmon, which was fantastic!; and the sesame tuna. The only exception was a squid-potato salad--the potatoes were very undercooked, so the whole thing had a terrible raw-potato texture. Unfortunately, our bartender was busy making googly eyes at the chick; when he finally checked in with us and I told him about the potatoes, he just kind of shrugged and said, "oh, sorry." Ugh. We left.

Off to Etta's, which hasn't really been my favorite throughout the years. Maybe it's because I worked at Pike Place Market for so many years, and everyone in the market is always telling every tourist they talk to to go to Etta's for seafood. But Ed had never been, and I felt like I needed to give it a chance. So, to Etta's.

Again, we copped a squat at the bar at Etta's. The bartender there was great--he's worked there for 12 years (seriously!) and I remember saying to Ed that he had a friendly ease about him. Like, "this job is easy and fun," you know, cause really, it kind of is if you like being a bartender. He poured me two wines to taste (so nice when they just do that without making it a big deal).

So we ordered the mini crabcakes, which come with a little dish of tomatillo salsa. Yum. Ed said these were the best crab cakes he'd ever had (and, bonus: I found the recipe so now I can make them at home). The room is dated, but it's also comfortable. We had a good time at Etta's.

Back up that steep hill to Lola. Again, we sat at the bar, debated whether we should order the goat tagine (entree) or the lamb kabobs (appetizer), and decided on the lamb (hey, we still had Palace Kitchen to go, so we had to keep it quick and relatively light). We also ordered skordalia (a garlicky dip) and feta with fresh pita. The kabobs arrived on a hot platter, all savory and lamby. This was delicious. It made me want to go back and get the "big dinner" which is like a greatest-hits 5-course feast.

Off to Palace Kitchen. After eating three dishes at three restaurants (and, uh, more than a little vino), we were moving a leetle beet slower, but remember: I'm a professional!

We'd asked the bartender at Lola for his faves at Palace, and he told us he always gets the wings. Wings? Really? Well, we went for it, and these wings were fan-f*cking-tastic. First off, they're real wings, not those grody fat globules fried in day-glo chili sauce. These were, you know, chicken wings like the ones you see when you look at a roast chicken. I asked one of the cooks what they put in the marinade, and he said it's a long list, including soy sauce, Worcestershire, garlic, and so on. I'm telling you. Order these.

Then we shared the hamburger. Locals know that the Palace hamburger has a cult following. But honestly? While the burger was good, the fries kicked the burger's ass. These were fantastic fries, left to get nice and dark in the fryer. I'm not even a fry person, really, and I loved these. Anyhow, didn't the burger used to be served on a 2-tiered thingy? It wasn't, and I was somewhat disappointed. It was a good, respectable burger, but really, those wings and those fries...yum.

Oh, and a little shout-out to Sandy, the bartender who was charming and sweet. He's been at Palace for a dozen years (which means he was working there when I came in for my birthday). That's--count 'em---two bartenders out of four who've been working for Tom D for over a decade. They both made our night. We had a great time--thanks S & P!

Dahlia
Etta's
Lola
Palace

[where: 98101]

Food Throwback: Gael Greene ala 1968

2008-02-11T19:25:00.000-08:00

Say what you will about Gael Greene (or, maybe I should say, does anyone in Seattle know/care who Gael Greene is? She's been a restaurant critic off-and-on for NY Mag for four decades, plus she did the you-know-what with some famous people I think. I can't remember/don't care). Where was I? Oh, Gael Greene--she's one hell of a writer. Her recent stuff definitely throws off a heavy whiff of old lady par-fume, but back in the day she penned this And it's a masterpiece.

New York Magazine is celebrating its 40 year run by re-publishing some old reviews, and it's incredibly fun reading. Gael's review of Orsini's has such rhythm to it...it's just beyond great (seriously, it's worth scanning just to see the prices!)

A couple other pieces to check out on your lunch break: A story on Manhattan real estate, stating that people should--shudder!--consider buying in Brooklyn, where "an entire brownstone full of Victorian details costs as much as a half-floor loft in the Village—about $20,000." If only.

And a completely un-1968 (and warning--kinda irritating and snotty) piece on what that lady who wrote French Women Don't Get Fat (or whatever it was called) eats in a week. Skinny bitch. Bonus points for whomever can count how many times she says "French." Cuz it's aLOT.

Finally, head over to Seattle Mag to read about the chef scandal at Artemis! Ok, I made up the scandal part, but it is fishy when your exec chef leaves within 6 months of opening, especially when he earned raves.

Eating Seattle: Where's the liver?

2008-02-08T11:05:00.000-08:00

I was invited to be on Tom Douglas's radio show this past weekend (did you happen to hear?) and it was so fun. I was thrilled to meet Tom, partly because he's a legend 'round these parts, and partly because, for a while there, I kinda figured I'd end up working for the guy in one of his kitchens.

That never happened, and we'd never met before quarter-to-six on Saturday night, but I went in feeling like I knew the guy. I've been to Palace Kitchen countless times, eaten at Dahlia a couple (I even had my first, real caviar service there), and love Serious Pie. But outside of all that, as a food writer in Seattle it would've been impossible not to absorb a little of Tom's persona in the 15+ years he's been running restaurants in this town.

That's not to say I wasn't nervous; I was. I hate my voice, and I was hoping I wouldn't make an ass of myself on the radio. So, yep, definitely nervous, and, unfortunately, I have a tendency to have diarrhea of the mouth when I'm nervous, so about a second after we shook hands I just started blabbing. We had a few minutes to chat since I'd gotten to the studio just before the long break he takes at the top of the hour.

So I told him about Ruby, how she eats everything in sight but that I'd heard they stop doing that around age 2. About Ed and how we used to go hunting for elk. About how we ate an entire antelope backstrap in one sitting once (seriously, I was BABBLING!). And then I started talking about how, as a kid, I loved liver and onions and actually asked my mom to make it for my 9th or 10th birthday, and that she told me not to tell my friends because they'd think I was gross. Which was probably true.

Poor Tom. Jeepers. But he was nice about it, and so we start talking about liver, and why the hell you can't get a decent calves liver anywhere in Seattle.

Foie gras? No problem. Beef tongue, sure, at a handful of places including Palace Kitchen, which has it on the menu right now. Sweetbreads, bone marrow, yes and yes.

But no calves liver.

The last time I had it in any form outside my home was at Per Se in NYC--Thomas Keller did a fun play on it using foie gras and fresh spring onions.

But that's not what I'm talking about. I want cow liver! Tom said that he didn't think there were good local sources for it on a larger scale (aka, the scale he'd need to serve it at one of his restaurants). I'll take his word for it.

But it still strikes me as an anomoly. Anybody seen real liver and onions on a menu lately?

[where: 98118]

Food News: Seattle Mag blog is alive

2008-01-21T16:02:00.000-08:00

I'm so annoyed with me right now.

I promised myself I wouldn't be one of those losers who stops writing on her own blog just because she gets a job. But look at me! Loserface extraordinaire.

The problem is, I'm blogging over on Seattlemag.com now, so it's been kinda tricky figuring out what goes here versus what goes there. I'll probably just stick to being really mean and sassy here, and being nice and responsible there. Or not.

Anyhow, take a look over there when you get a chance (today I wrote about 3 restaurants we ate at this past week).

But don't abandon me over here quite yet, ok? I've got some real doozies planned for you...

[where: 98118]

Food News: Chowhounders pick their fave restos of 2007

2008-01-08T10:35:00.000-08:00

I dread the "Oh, so you're a restaurant critic? OK, then. Where's your favorite restaurant?" question more than I can say.

It's so much more complicated than that, don't you think? Where I go for a date with my husband on a Wednesday night is so different from where I'd take my parents for their anniversary, or where my sister and I would meet for a glass of wine and an affordable dinner. There are great restaurants for each of these occasions, but they're not the same great restaurant.

And that's why the list over at Chowhound is great. Chowhounders didn't just list the five fanciest special-occasionish places in town, they listed their five favorite places, period. The result is a huge cross-section of fancy/cheap/reliable/quirky and so on. It's not the same old list you see everywhere.

No one restaurant received more than five first place votes, which I think speaks to the fact that Seattle has many good to very good restaurants but none that are head over heels better than all the others

This years winner is the same as last years winner... Harvest Vine. Harvest Vine, however, did not receive the most first place votes; that distinction goes to Lark and Union which both had five first place votes. Here's the list.

Harvest Vine 42 points (11 total votes ) {2 first place votes}
Lark 40 (10) {5}
Green Leaf 35 (10) {3}
Union 35 (8) {5}
Salumi 28 (8) {1}
Volterra 26 (8) {4}
Boat Street 25 (6) {3}
Mistral 20 (4) {4}
Tamarind Tree 18(7) {1}
La Carta Oaxaca 18 (6)
Paseo 16 (7)
Sitka and Spruce 15 (3) {3}
Restaurant Zoe 15 (6)
Café Presse 15 (5) {1}

The list goes on, so be sure to check it out.

Doesn't it make you excited about all the great restaurants you've yet to try?

[where: 98101]

Ruby's 1

2008-01-07T13:33:00.000-08:00

Our little pumpkinhead turned 1 year old yesterday.

We started her big day with brunch at the Hi Spot. Grandma and Grandpa came along too!

Then we had vanilla cake with fresh strawberries (her favorite) sliced on top.

She didn't quite know what to do with it at first, but pretty soon she was covered.

After, we went straight into the bath.
It was a big day.

[where: 98118]

Food News: Boom Noodle open

2008-01-04T13:37:00.001-08:00

...and packed! At least it was at lunch yesterday when I wandered in, without knowing it was opening day. The place was bustling. Looked like the owners (the Blue C sushi guys) invited lots of friends and family to come in; they were working the room and hugging everyone in sight.

I get the feeling the Pike/Pine corridor will be embracing this place.

UPDATE: *OR NOT! The "Capital Hill is the new Bellevue" bitching has already begun over at the Stranger. It's basically the same moaning and groaning that went on when the hideous Mexican place finally closed and reopened as Quinn's.

I find the above complaints semi-entertaining, and I can relate to the feeling of loss over the few great places that have been (or probably will be) shut down or forced to move.

But what I don't understand is this: Where have all of these whiners been for the last decade? And why is this all so surprising to them? Because there were plenty of warning signs that Capital Hill was jumping the shark, or at least growing up and becoming less of a sh*thole. Like, um, Julia's opening on Broadway six years ago. Yeah, you know, Julia's, the brunch spinoff from Wallingford! Not exactly punk rock.

Mourn Capital Hill, and maybe think about moving someplace less glossy (and less expensive!). But quit the shock routine. It's getting a bit silly.

Boom Noodle (warning: website semi-broken)

[where: 98122]

Eating Detroit: A Coney Island faceoff

2008-01-03T09:49:00.000-08:00

What a whirlwind it's been. We started with a party the night of the 22nd, where we made cheese fondue, braised three-meat balls (lamb, pork, beef) with fresh horsey sauce, made a beet, orange and fennel salad, plus my caramelized onion dip, wild mushroom pate and more. Ed even mixed up a batch of the famously dangerous Scheff family punch, which comes with the warning/sales pitch: "every year someone throws up in the bushes."

Then we flew to Detroit Rock City to party with Don & Coke (Ed's parents) for Ruby's 1st Christmas. I like Detroit. I like that it's not all Bed Bath & Beyond-ed out; there are scary parts, and I like that there are areas that are much as they were 40 or 50 years ago. But I guess I'm a jerk, because I'm also completely appalled-slash-captivated by the endless squalor that the city has been falling into since the race riots of the '60s.

Driving around the city pretty much all you see is this

and this

and this.

It's sad, chilling and completely preposterous to a person living in Seattle, where the apartment building above would be mucho expensive to live in. And don't get me started on the gorgeous mansions downtown. We drove around the most fantastic neighborhoods where the old, grand auto-industry magnates once lived, oohing and aahing. Then we looked them up when we got home and found out that not one house--not even this 11-bedroom, seven-bath 14 THOUSAND square foot mansion with hand-painted ceilings--is over $1 million.

Seriously.

So yeah, no gentrification going on there. The upside is that the classic food joints still survive, and discovering them is always part of our mission during visits to the city. This year we decided it was time. Time for a Coney Island Faceoff! We headed to downtown Detroit to taste competing Coney Island joints.

I just realized some of you might be wondering what a Coney Island is. It's basically a hot dog on a bun that's smothered in chili and topped with yellow mustard and chopped white onions. Now, back to the previously scheduled taste test.

First off: American Coney Island, opened in 1917 a block or so from the downtown core (find out more about the history on their website).

We were actually on our way to Lafayette Coney Island (which I'd read was the best before the taste-test), but these fools

yelled at and berated me until I caved. So we went in, sat down and ate. Abuse plus crap food: It was like being in NYC all over again.

And so it arrived. Truth be told, I didn't quite "get it" after digging in. The chili was eh, there was waaay too much mustard, and it was just a giant pile of stuff on a tiny, wimpy hot dog. What's the big deal?

So we headed to Lafayette Coney Island, conveniently located directly next to American. And unlike American, this place was packed to the rafters with people crowding onto bar stools in thick winter coats, passing fries, ketchup, talking smack. It was loud and fun.

And we have a winner! The Coney was great. Waaaay less chili, mustard and onion made for a pretty fantastic hot dog. Plus, I could taste the hot dog, which tasted good and hot doggy.

On our way out I snapped this photo of the cooks.

These guys move a mile a minute for hours on end. Amazing.

[where: 48226]

Food News: Yours Truly lands a choice gig

2007-12-20T17:05:00.000-08:00

I've been letting it sink in.

When you're applying for a job that's pretty close to your dream job it's easy to get caught up in the trying-to-get-it part, so much so that when you finally get the news, the really great news, you're a bit stunned. That part isn't as well-thought-out. It takes time to sink in.

So it's been a couple weeks and I still don't have a clever way to tell you, so here goes: I'm the new Seattle Magazine Dining Editor!

image via Kitchencon.com
I'm taking over for Sara Dickerman, an inestimably smart food writer who I suspect we'll be seeing lots of national pieces from in the near future (and by that I mean, even more than she already does). I'm honored, invigorated and, frankly, a little intimidated. It's all a great bundle of nerves and happy fear right now.

But at the core of the feeling is a thrill, and a sense of anticipation. I love writing about restaurants. I think it's what I do best. I was blessed to do it for 6+ years, here in Seattle and then in NYC (if you care, you can read more about my work experience here), and it feels really damn good to be back home and back in the game. I love food, I love cooking and I love restaurants. And I'm guessing I'm going to love this new job.

I'll be writing four restaurant pieces a month for Seattle Mag: The "feature" review, plus two short reviews and a "cheap eats" place. There are also a couple more foodie things including the a Letter From the Editor-ish piece. The bummer is that I won't be reviewing restaurants on this blog anymore. But I hope you'll follow me over there, and let me know what you think.

The first piece you'll see from me is an oyster feature in the February Issue, followed by a feature restaurant review in our March issue. Pick 'em up.

[where: 98101]

Good Read: The Surly Gourmand reviews Quinn's

2007-12-18T13:19:00.000-08:00

Everywhere you turn there's a review of Capital Hill's new gastropub, Quinn's. But none comes close to the quality and hilarity of the Surly Gourmand's review. Before you click, you should know that it's chock-full of, urh, colorful language.

Three choice quotes:

No one ever asks me before they open a business in this town. If they did I would have said “No gastropubs because they’re for yuppie douche bags. Now make out with your twin sister and let me videotape it.” But they opened Quinn’s anyway.

...So we had to order something more substantial. Like the brandade ($7). Brandade (not to be confused with a Band- Aid) is mashed salt cod. Sometimes it’s mashed with potatoes. Sometimes not. Quinn’s version was combined with potatoes and lots of rosemary. The salt cod adds a rich pelagic essence to the potatoes, and while it does taste fishy, the fishiness is muted and distant and salty, like a sea breeze. Damn tasty. The brandade was served with a plate of Quinn’s house made potato chips. These were a fucking revelation: easily the best chips I’ve ever eaten in my life, and I’ve been pretty stoned.

Some of the menu items are REALLY good, but others are as lame as someone who admits they own a Labradoodle. If you live on Capitol Hill and can stand the idea of eating at a gastropub, go to Quinn’s. But don’t go now: wait a couple of weeks until after the hipsters and “foodies” (AKA bored old people) have gotten over this place and you can actually get a table.

I'm his new #1 fan. Read it and laugh, fellow "bored old people."

[where: 98122]

Good Read: Steven Rinella on hunting

2007-12-16T13:07:00.001-08:00

I literally got chills reading this NY Times Op-Ed on hunting wild game. It explores the obvious yet completely ignored relationship between "eating local" and hunting.

A couple of choice quotes.

EVERY year, 15 million licensed hunters head into America’s forests and fields in search of wild game. In New York State alone, roughly half a million hunters harvest around 190,000 deer in the fall deer hunting season — that’s close to eight million pounds of venison. In the traditional vernacular, we’d call that “game meat.” But, in keeping with the times, it might be better to relabel it as free-range, grass-fed, organic, locally produced, locally harvested, sustainable, native, low-stress, low-impact, humanely slaughtered meat.

...the literature of localism neglects the management and harvest of wildlife. This is a shame, because hunters are the original locavores. When I was growing up in Michigan, my family ate three or four deer every year, along with rabbits, squirrel, ducks and grouse that were harvested mostly within eight miles of our house.

I wholeheartedly agree.

RELATED: Killing Chickens, or Where Food Comes From

Good Read: Chowhounders on Seattle's most touristy resto

2007-12-15T08:19:00.001-08:00

There's a funny discussion going on over at Chowhound --people are nominating Seattle's most touristy, overrated restaurants. So far the nominees are the Crab Pot, Salty's, The Space Needle Restaurant, Cheesecake Factory and Palisade. No surprises there.

I think the even funnier question is: What cheeseball tourist restaurant do you actually sometimes go to?

When I was living in NYC, my friend Beth took our friend Doug to the Olive Garden as a joke "thank you" for helping her move. It was actually a pretty hilarious meal. I learned alot! Like, did you know that the Olive Garden garnishes their Bloody Marys with salami?

I loved it, but since I was there with vegetarians I found this detail particularly great. The Olive Garden powers-that-be assume that everyone eats meat. And you know, within their target demographic, it's probably a pretty safe assumption.

Because it's obviously not the locals keeping the Chelsea Olive Garden alive. Nah, if a local is there it's because they're either trying to assuage homesickness (when going home to visit the fam in Cleveland isn't in the budget), as a guilty pleasure, or as a joke.

So which restaurant do you secretly go to when no one's watching? For my family it's always been the Spaghetti Factory. I know, I know, but we're sharing embarrassing restaurants/foods we like, right? So don't make fun of me, but...

...mine is the spaghetti with browned butter and myzithra cheese at the Spag Fag. That stuff is pretty damn good.

[where: 98101]

Good Read: Tea on soba for sickies

2007-12-13T16:32:00.001-08:00

At the risk of sounding like I'm out of it or have bad taste or whatever, I'll admit it: I love the pho at the purple Pho Bac on Jackson. Before you get started telling me there's better pho, I get it. I've heard it. But for personal reasons, that's where I go to get pho, especially when I'm sick with something cold/sinus/sniffle related.

The personal reason is this: When I was in seventh grade my English teacher took us there for lunch during a field trip. Can you even imagine? Taking assy 13 year olds to try something not only new, but vastly new? I mean, they put the meat in the bowl raw and it cooks in the broth. This is not an experience for the food babies this country has been raising for the last 60 years. And of course my whole class was all "oh my GAHD gross" while I secretly loved it.

So maybe out of respect for my teacher and her impressive balls (you know, for a girl), I still go there. It's one of the first places I took Ed when he came to meet my family, and I loved him for loving it (for the record, Ed gets the well-done brisket and I get the round steak. mmmm.)

I'm rambling on this topic because Tea Austen Weaver got me thinking with her soba sick dish, a steaming bowl of soba noodles with baby bok choy and a soft-boiled egg.

Being sick isn't so bad when you get to eat like that.

[where: 98118]

Eating Seattle: Vote for local food blogs

2007-12-10T13:01:00.001-08:00

Three Seattle-based food blogs are nominated this year for Well Fed Network's Food Blog Awards. Nope, not us, but you can't win 'em all.

Here's are your local nominees:

Hogwash, which is nominated for Best New Food Blog

Orangette, nominated for Best Post for this post about her wedding.

And Gluten-Free Girl, who's nominated for Best Post for this post on Celiac Disease, and for Best Writing, and for Food Blog of the Year!!

Congrats on the nominations, ladies.

Eating Vicariously: 2nd Ave Deli reopens in NYC

2007-12-10T11:39:00.000-08:00

You can't throw a bad Seattle bagel without hitting a local foodie bitching about the lack of good deli in Seattle.

2nd Ave Deli's broiled chicken livers and onions, via nycnosh

And they're right, of course. But it's about more than just having a place to feast on stuffed cabbage and knishes; deli is about attitude. This interview with Jeremy Lebewohl, who's reopening New York's best deli, sums it up nicely.

Sour or half-sour?
What kinda question is that? Sour!

Considering all that, is this a good deli moment?
People have asked me, “Do you think opening up a deli filled with fatty foods is a smart thing to do in modern times, when people are on diets and eating tossed salads and all this type of stuff?” I happen to think that now is the perfect climate. If you go to a lot of in-vogue restaurants, you’re going to see pork belly, and barbecue is back in a big way. Food tastes move in cycles. When I was a kid, in my house, in all my friends’ houses, there were all kinds of cookies and Entenmann’s cake and bags of potato chips. That’s what you ate. Then all of a sudden, God forbid you eat anything but a Diet Coke and maybe a crouton if you’re lucky. That’s not the way to live.

Amen.

NY Mag on the reopening of 2nd Ave Deli

[where: 10016]

Well Fed Networks annual food blog awards

2007-12-06T07:46:00.001-08:00

How nice is it to wake up to the news that your blog has been nominated for a Well Fed Networks food blog award by a person whose blog deserves an award even more?

It's pretty damn nice. Thanks, Dana.

Many other local blogs have been nominated (including Hogwash, Orangette, Gluten-Free Girl and Roots & Grubs), so, if you're feeling inclined, support local independent food writers: voting starts today!

Bonus: Check out the Strangercrombie auction for Dana's Year of Desserts here.

Foodie Holiday: Gifts for food obsessives

2007-12-04T19:24:00.000-08:00

Andrea Strong, God bless her, did what I would not want to do and came up with some pretty good gift ideas for food nerds, star chef-f*ers, and your uncle Ron who thinks his baked brie appetizer is the ultimate uber gourmet horsey doover.

So, you know, worth a look. Me, I like to keep it a little closer to home. A pound of Pete's Perfect Toffee (or you know, two pounds would be ok too) from the Ballard Farmers Market would do me just fine.

Food News: Where's Viv?

2007-12-04T11:09:00.000-08:00

When I moved back to Seattle and started re-engaging with the food scene here a year ago, the best part was discovering fresh, new, sometimes-offbeat food personalities, especially among the bloggers. There are so few "official" outlets for food writers in Seattle, so it's fun to see the range of talent among the "unofficial" food writing community. And Viv, aka Seattle Bon Vivant, was one of my favorites.

Viv's shoes, via her moblog
But I started noticing--sometime in August--that Viv's posts were thinning out. There were just two posts that month. September brought just one (which, compared to the 19 posts she made during Sept. 2006, is quite a change of pace).

And then in October? Nothing. November? Again, nada. Seattle Bon Vivant has been stagnant for three months now.

The good news is, she's still taking photos. And they're seriously good photos (take a look at these first pics of Txori Bar). She's blogging on her photos, which is fun and probably a lot less trouble than blogging on her blog and then adding photos to her posts.

But I still miss her posts, don't you?

[where: 98101]

Food News: Wild Salmon to close

2007-12-03T11:49:00.001-08:00

When Jeffrey Chodorow brought former Ray's chef Charlie Ramsayer to NYC to head a "NW-style seafood restaurant" I had my doubts. When I found out it was in a space that housed two other failed restaurants in my three years in NYC, well, I had a feeling it might be doomed.

Now comes the news on Eater that the hammer has dropped. Wild Salmon will close on New Years Day, after less than a year in business. Ouch.

So what do you think: Will Ramsayer return to Seattle or stay in the Big Apple?

RELATED: Pacific NW Roadshow and Bruni Reviews Wild Salmon

[where: 10017]

Food News: How to Cook a Wolf open

2007-12-01T11:06:00.001-08:00

image via NOAA

Seats:
30
Hours:
5pm-12am Thu-Mon
What Looks Good:
ahi crudo with chilies and lime
spaghetti with garlic, chilies and shaved tuna loin
hard boild eggs with anchovy mayo
Phone:
206-838-8090
Website:
http://howtocookawolf.com/
How to Cook a Wolf
2208 Queen Anne Ave N (directly across the street from Ladro)

RELATED: Restaurants Opening All Over Town

[where: 98109]

Eating Vicariously: Allen & Delancey

2007-11-29T18:16:00.001-08:00

Sometimes I really really miss New York.

And reading this, from the chef at Allen & Delancey, well, this is one of those times.

Potatoes: We slice them very thinly, then layer them, brushing each slice with some rendered bacon fat....

Oh my God. Yes. Do want!

[where: 10002]

Eating Seattle: Villa Victoria

2007-11-29T10:14:00.000-08:00

Try this: Bring up the fact that Villa Victoria’s back open, selling those addictive homemade tamales, and you’ll know the real-deal food obsessives from the fakers. A happy light will come into their eyes, a smile will creep up, and before you know it they’ll be telling you all about the good old days, when Naomi Andrade Smith would pop open the window of her Madrona catering kitchen and dish out Seattle’s best tamales. Then they’ll start asking for directions.

she's back
Six years ago, chef Naomi Andrade Smith earned herself a cult following for her banana leaf-wrapped tamales, made with the most tender, moist masa imaginable. They tasted better than any you could get anywhere, including much of Mexico. But, just as Smith was planning to open a real store-front take-out shop to keep up with increasing demand, she fell ill. And Seattle went into withdrawal.

The good news is that she’s back in good health. The other good news is that she’s, well, back. Back with fried plantains that you can buy by the pound. With whole roast chicken adobo, ready to take home. Back with some of the best guacamole in the world (which you can pass off as your own—she won’t tell). And back selling those perfect tamales, filled with Oaxacan mole and chicken, beef with red mole, and cheese and jalapeno. The burritos are back as well: chile-marinated whitefish and lime, tofu in adobo, carne asada. All served out of a sunny, colorful storefront just off the main-drag in Columbia City.

Showing her Seattle roots, Smith’s roasting her own coffee, too. Sip a cup of her Café Mocambo brew as you browse the case, salivating over her spicy Mexican rice and homemade black beans, or the dreamy orange rind-flecked wedding cookies. There’s no doubt about it: The good old days are back. Get there and eat.

[where: 98118]

Food News: Restaurants opening all over town

2007-11-27T10:01:00.001-08:00

Seattle's going through a growth spurt. There are restaurants opening every week (almost every day) right now, and not just the forgettable sort. These are really exciting restaurant openings.

I just drove by Lola's South City Bakery which opened in early November just south of Columbia City in Hillman City, on Rainier. It's a darling space and, so far, is getting raves on Yelp.

Then there's Txori, the much anticipated offspring of Madison Valley fave Harvest Vine.
image via Txori

The exciting part is that this is a true Tapas bar (not "small plates," a concept that is really starting to drive me nuts). And that means prices that aren't impossible to afford, like $2.50 bites of chorizo with chocolate (not exactly an original idea, but delicious nonetheless). I can't wait to go.

Of course that leaves Ethan Stowell's How to Cook A Wolf, the "is it or isn't it open?" restaurant of the group. Turns out it isn't, quite yet. I stopped by yesterday and the windows are still papered. I'll keep you posted. Early word is a menu that concentrates on seafood and (yep, you guessed it) small plates.

Also open (actually reopened) is Villa Victoria in Columbia City. Yep, the Madrona tamale lady is back! Watch for more on that soon.

Then there's the crop that've opened in the last few weeks: Quinn's, which is earning raves from everyone I've talked to; Joule, ditto; and Artemis, again, raves all around.

Then there's Kappo Chiso, the omakase-only experience above Chiso in Fremont.

A "kappo," as its known in Japan, is meant to be a personal experience for the diner, an intimate opportunity to talk to the chef while you are enjoying your meal.

I had the unimaginable opportunity to dine at Masa , the ultimate omakase experience, in NYC. I dined there alone (a girl's expense account can only afford one $450/per person sushi meal. No, really, it costs that much) and had the best time imagineable, talking and joking with Chef Masa Takayama. It was magic. And that's why it's so disappointing to hear that Kappo Chiso isn't all that special. This city is sorely in need of a remarkable omakase experience.

Did I miss anything? Have you been to these new places?

PS--You've got til Thursday to enjoy 30 for $30.

[where: 98101]

Eating In: Butter pecan ice cream

2007-11-26T07:40:00.001-08:00

It's a tie.

The incredibly delicious turkey we bought from Tom at Meadow Wood Organic Farm was the best turkey I've ever tasted. By far. I did a simple sage-salt-pepper butter under the skin and we basted her pretty often, but there's no way any of that made a difference. The heritage turkey just plain tastes turkier.

But the addictive, insanely rich homemade butter pecan ice cream I made to go with Dad's apple pie? I guess we'll have to call it even.

I hardly ever follow a recipe to a T, and this time is no different. I meant to follow it, but we didn't have enough pecans (yeah yeah, I know, who makes butter pecan without pecans?) But you know what? I'm not sure I'd bother adding them next time since this ice cream--sans nuts--is pure rich maple-y goodness. It's a wow. Here's the recipe. Oh, and for the original, check out Leite's Culinaria.

Butter Pecan Ice Cream
3 large egg yolks
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup milk
3/4 cup light cream
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Whisk egg yolks in a medium heat-safe bowl until pale yellow and set aside.

In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat, melt butter until it begins to brown and smell nutty, stirring constantly. Add brown sugar and stir until melted. This can take up to 5 minutes, so be patient.

Reduce heat to low, very slowly add milk and light cream while whisking, and bring to a simmer. Do not boil! Be patient--this step can take a few minutes.

Drizzle half the milk mixture into the egg yolks very slowly and whisk until blended.

Whisk the egg yolk mixture into the remaining milk and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, 5+ minutes. Be careful not to overheat; if you do so you will curdle the egg yolks and you'll have to start over. If testing with a candy thermometer, do not heat past 170°F [76C].)

Strain the batter into a clean, large heat-safe bowl. Stir in heavy cream and vanilla extract. Cover and refrigerate the batter until completely cold, preferably overnight.

Stir the batter gently and freeze in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions. Remove the ice cream with a spatula and store in a plastic container in the freezer.

[where: 98118]

Good Read: Ruhlman on how to make turkey stock

2007-11-24T07:57:00.000-08:00

Watcha doin' during Apple Cup?

Nope, I'm not talking about drinking beer. Nah, not eating Velveeta chili dip either. That's all fine and dandy, but what I'm talking about will change your life in no small way.

Friends, today you're making turkey stock! That turkey carcas you keep thinking you're going to do something else with but never will? That carcas is going to avoid getting tossed this year. This year you'll use its delicious broth for weeks or months to come.

And Ruhlman's going to tell you just how incredibly easy it is to make.

...By the end of Thursday, tens of millions of households will have the most miraculous ingredients for stock right at hand--turkey bones that have been lovingly roasted. And most of these households will have three more days of holiday to put them to use. That roasted turkey carcass, will make an extraordinary rich delicious poultry broth. Far superior to chicken stock. Infinitely versatile. Health-giving! Yea, verily, I say unto you!

Find the full piece (and so-easy-a-baby-could-do-it directions) here.

Oh, and GO HUSKIES!

Good Read: Michèle Gentille on cheffing in Antarctica

2007-11-19T19:04:00.000-08:00

A Brooklyn chef and cookbook writer (she co-authored the new Laurent Tourandel cookbook) moves to Antarctica to cook. And blogs about it.
Think you're adventurous? Read this and then we'll talk.

A taste:

It’s still early in the summer, more like early spring, so temperatures are not at hat-shedding levels yet, and many of these folks spend their days in 40 to 90 degrees below zero, engaged in physical labor of some sort. After only one week of arduous outdoor work, the carpenters, cargo haulers, and mechanical geniuses that keep things working bought up all the superglue—there is a tiny shop here, open an hour a day-- to patch up their cracking fingers.

Thanks to Andrea Strong for the link.

Thanksgiving Bonus!

2007-11-19T15:07:00.001-08:00

The word "awesome" has lost much of its oomph from years of abuse by potheads and valleygirls. But Paul McCartney making mashed potatoes while dressed somewhat like a sprocket? Awesome.

Thanksgiving, ho!

2007-11-19T14:17:00.000-08:00

You picked a fine time to leave your phone in a Renton hockey rink, Lucille! Yes, friends, your fearless eater, after making a list of all the cooking, cleaning, prepping, cleaning, grocery shopping, Costco-ing and general Thanksgiving-ing yet to be done this week, decided, hey! You know what'd be fun? Driving down to Renton to pick up a friggin' cell phone just for sh*ts and giggles. Road trip!

Actually, the strangest part is that I was already planning a trip to Enumclaw tomorrow (and Renton's on the way).

You see, I'm going to pick up my heritage turkey! OK, I know, driving 40 minutes both ways to pick up a turkey kinda puts a dent in the old "eating local, sustainable food" thing, right? Yep. But you know what? Tough.

You see, I get to see where our turkey lived, ate, walked and played. I also get to meet Tom, the farmer who raised our Thanksgiving turkey on his farm, Meadow Wood Organics. And his dog, Asha, who's incredibly good looking, don't you think?

He's no Callie-dog, but come on, that's setting the bar pretty high.

They also raise goats at Meadow Wood, so I'm planning on talking to Tom about goat meat too (we love lamb, so goat is the next frontier for us).

Anyways, here's what else we've got cooking for the holiday.

Baked Oysters --anyone have a recipe for this? I'm thinking something warm, oystery and creamy, maybe with bread crumbs on top, for eating with soft French bread
Wild Mushroom Pate --Um, yeah, not usually a big Emeril fan, but I made this last year and it is fantastic (and can be made a day in advance)

Roasted heritage turkey with sage butter --Wish us luck!
Ed's mom's stuffing --classic stuffing with some sausage in there
Caramelized Shallot and Sage Mashed Potatoes --this has become Ed's signature potato recipe
Roasted pearl onions and brussels sprouts --yum.
Mom's layered salad --yep, the one with grated cheese, frozen peas, mayo, bacon and shredded lettuce. Sounds strange, tastes pretty good.
Candied yams with marshmallows --An odd Thanksgiving invention, but they are always the first thing to go.

Pumpkin Cheesecake --My recipe. Grandma's favorite. Gotta make Grannie happy.
Apple Pie --Dad's baking one from scratch! which is a huge deal. I'm considering making some maple ice cream to go with.

What are you having?

[where: 98118]

Food News: How to Cook a Wolf thisclose to opening

2007-11-14T10:49:00.000-08:00

I can tell: You've been waiting for this one, too. And with good reason! Ethan Stowell has opened two of the city's best and most popular restaurants, Union and Tavolata. And now he's on the verge of opening a 20-seater atop Queen Anne? Named after an MFK Fisher book? It's enough to have foodies stopping by, cupping their hands and pressing their noses against the windows just to get a peak inside.

image via Seattle Times

The good news is: How to Cook a Wolf is opening next week! Shhh, don't go telling everyone. There are only 20 seats, after all. We really can't spare any.

And yes, I know you've read conficting reports--they'll open any day! they're not even close to opening!

But trust me on this. Just trust me.

[where: 98119]

King Corn debuts Friday at Grand Illusion

2007-11-13T22:21:00.000-08:00

Just a quick note: King Corn (which we wrote about a month ago) makes its Seattle debut this Friday at the Grand Illusion.

And get this: director Aaron Woolf will be in town to do two Q&As, during both the Friday and Saturday 7pm showings.

RELATED: King Corn: Documentary on the corning of America

[where: 98105]

Eating Seattle: Buckley's redux

2007-11-13T10:29:00.001-08:00

I love love seeing Buckley's awesome bacon-cheeseburger getting praise today on Seattle Weekly's food blog, Voracious.

Somebody in this kitchen is taking extra care. I feel like I've had this burger a million times, just not done nearly as well. The bun ”” more than a canvas for the beef, is light, delicious ”” is actually toasted, with the edges tastefully charred. The cheddar's perfectly melted, and the veggie toppings are fresh (crispy lettuce!). The patty? One of the few that I've had lately that wasn't either still moving or could be used by the NHL.

image via Voracious

Not to be too "we told you so" about it, but, well, we pointed you toward their great burgers a couple of months ago.

The burger rocked. Have you noticed how many restaurants fail to season their burger meat? I don't get it--there's nothing more disappointing than an undersalted piece of beef. Buckley's doesn't make this mistake: Their burgers--8oz of nicely seasoned beef cooked medium--rock. The bacon was great too, and the brioche bun doesn't hurt matters either.

Seriously, just go and wolf one down.

[where: 98119]

Eating In: Seafood in saffron sauce with calamari linguini

2007-11-12T09:58:00.000-08:00

After picking up a bunch of goodies at Pike Place Market we had all the ingredients for a great seafood pasta, but we didn't have a sauce recipe in mind. So I did a little searching and found this recipe for seafood pasta on Waitrose (yep, Food Illustrated has a website!). We used this recipe as a jumping-off point.

I had saffron on hand, and we figured we could tweak or leave out the other things we didn't have (like courgettes, aka zucchini). I imagined the black "calamari" linguini from Pappardelle's would be beautiful against the pink prawns and yellow saffron sauce. And it was. Absolutely beautiful.

This was one of the tastiest seafood pasta dishes I've ever had. Perfect for having guests over because it's fairly quick and, again, so pretty on the plate.

Any combo of seafood would work here; as you'll see, the recipe is very basic, so grilled or seared salmon, mussels, or whatever combo of seafood you want to use would be fine. Think in terms of color, though--salmon would be pretty against the saffron yellow sauce, as would the dark color of mussels.

Seafood in Saffron Sauce with Calamari Linguini
1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
1 cup dry white wine
3/4 tsp saffron threads
3 T butter
1 large shallot, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2/3 c half-n-half
1 lb prawns, peeled and deveined, reserving all shells
1/2 lb calamari, cut into thick rings or strips
2 T chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1lb calamari linguini or squid-ink pasta (you can usually find these darkly colored pastas at specialty stores or in Asian supermarkets)

Place the broth, wine, saffron and prawn shells into a medium saucepan over medium heat and cook until reduced by half, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat.

Drop pasta into boiling water to cook.

While pasta is cooking, melt 2 tablespoons butter to a large saute pan over medium heat, then add the shallot and garlic. Cook (but do not brown) and soften shallot-garlic mixture for about five minutes, then add the prawns. Cook just until prawns are starting to turn completely pink. Remove prawns to a plate (they should be slightly underdone).

Once the pasta is done cooking, drain pasta and leave in colander. Working quickly, cook the calamari for 1 minute, then pour the saffron sauce through a fine strainer (to remove shells) into the saute pan.

Immediately add the pasta and cook for medium heat for 1 or 2 minutes. Add the prawns and parsley into the pan and immediately pour the entire pasta/seafood/sauce mixture into a serving bowl.

Serve hot with crusty bread and a nice Chardonnay.

[where: 98118]

Saturday at Pike Place Market, plus food news

2007-11-11T09:52:00.001-08:00

Yesterday we got going too late to hit the U-District Farmers Market, so we decided to go down to the big kahuna, Pike Place. It was sunny, blue, chilly fall weather and it felt like the perfect thing to do. We even had good parking karma.

First stop was Sur la Table. I just love the hustle-and-bustle of that store during the holiday season. And it doesn't hurt that some of my favorite people still work there, ten years after I worked there with them.

Sur la Table image via Seattle Bon Vivant
We grabbed some calamari linguini from Pappardelle's, a pound of prawns and a half-pound of calamari for what turned out to be a fantastic dinner (more about that coming soon) and a loaf of Le Panier's seriously delicious onion bread, which I hadn't had in years. The bread has all these little bits of toasted onion through it. Amazing.

I also used to work there (yeah, yeah, where didn't I work in Pike Place, right?), and I remember making garlic bread (crushed garlic, butter, a little salt) using the onion bread. You either split the loaf in half, spread the garlic butter on it and broil it, or you slap the two buttered sides back together, wrap it in foil and bake it for 20-25 minutes at 350. I'm telling you, it's the best garlic bread you can make.

Of course we all shared a bbq pork hom bow (Ruby loves hom bows--smart kid), a sable chocolate from Le Panier (with big pieces of toasted hazelnut and dark chocolate slivers), and a terrific bratwurst from Taxi Dogs (my first time eating one). Damn, great brat--it literally popped with juice every bite we took.

Now for the food news: On our way to the car we walked by the Virginia Inn, which is expanding! They're taking over the space between Le Pichet and their current space, which used to be, um, what exactly? I don't remember.

There's a sign in the window that says Virginia Inn is building a new kitchen. Does this mean that one of Seattle's classic taverns (opened in 1903!) will be putting a little extra work into their food? I love the Virginia Inn--great space and a refreshing throw-back. I'll be keeping an eye on this one.

[where: 98101]

Good Read: NY Times on how Hebberoy screwed Portland

2007-11-08T07:49:00.000-08:00

By now you've likely seen the NY Times article on how new-to-Seattle indie restaurant guy Michael Hebberoy screwed over chefs, investors and, presumably, his (now ex) wife down in Portland before moving here. If not, it's definitely worth a read.

The Hebberoy story is interesting for a number of reasons, the main one being the hard-to-resist intrigue of "underground" restaurants. Seems like going to these off-the-grid dinners is, to many a foodie, like being invited to hang with the uber-cool kids. Hebberoy became the poster-boy for the trend, even garnering Food & Wine features during his reign.

But then, well, he just took off, leaving others to pick up the pieces of his broken businesses. And that's the even more interesting side of the story.

Now he's here. For the last year or so Hebberoy's been living in Seattle, hosting One Pot dinners and getting lots of love from local media. Imagine the egg on our face when the NY Times airs the dirty laundry on this guy. You see, anyone who has ever lived in NYC knows that the NY Times isn't known for breaking food stories, especially when it comes to food stories in cities outside of New York. In other words, Hebberoy's exploits aren't news. And anyone who googled him would've known it.

In fact, Dan Savage says so himself in a mea culpa about the Stranger's own coverage of One Pot. Very worth reading (if only for the vitriolic comments--always fun).

Also check out Willamette Week's coverage of the Hebberoy debacle here.

Seattle foodies talk about it a little on Chowhound and Portland foodies on the Food Dude's site.

For a little history, read Naomi Hebberoy's official statement on the topic on Portland Mercury.

PS: Hebberoy, in classic narcissist fashion, has decided to embrace his newly public "bad guy" status. From One Pot's website:

in honor of james abbott mcneill whistler and my new found prestige as public villain - one pot announces a new series - an inquiry into creating animosity - the table has such a generative way of bringing people together, so then, why not use it to discover what tears us apart… stay tuned. the first dinner is imminent…

Oy. When this tanks, where do you think he'll move next?

[where: 98118]

Good Read: How to cook a heritage bird

2007-11-04T19:38:00.001-08:00

My friend Jane's got me worrying. She mentioned in one of her comments that cooking a heritage breed turkey is different (and more difficult) than cooking the usual chubby-wubby Tom. Course she didn't say how we should cook the turkey.

I've been a little nervous about it ever since. It's our first Thanksgiving, after all. And it's our first heritage turkey. I decided a little research was in order.

image via Lifehacker
Prepare for a shock, friends: When it comes to cooking turkey, there's no consensus! Take a look at the Heritage Foods website. There are recipes from, among others, Dan Barber and Zac Pellacio, two great chefs whose food I've enjoyed at their NY restaurants. Barber suggests cooking the bird at 475F (!!), then turning it down to 350F. Pellacio says 300F for the long haul. And that's just the beginning.

Some say to remove the legs and thighs and cook them longer (I guess while the rest of the bird sits on the counter?), and almost all the recipes call for a huge mess of butter.

Then I found this article by a man named William Rubel, a "specialist in traditional cooking." He writes in a semi-goofy, formal voice, but anyone who advises cooking meat less than those stupid USDA guidelines has my vote. As any good cook knows, if you follow those store-bought meat thermometers you'll have medium to medium-well meat every time. That swoony med-rare steak you had at the fancy steakhouse? It was definitely not cooked to 140F.

Anyways, Rubel says to cook the bird at a hot temperature for less time, as you would a duck. And he says cooking turkey until its 180F is a very bad idea, and instead to cook it until its around 140F.

A note on the cooking temperature: The USDA recommendation of 180F in the deepest part of the thigh, and 160F in the stuffing is based on the government's need to provide a simple general rule that will cover all health and safety eventualities. Heritage turkeys, as of this writing in the fall of 2003, are being raised in small groups and are being carefully slaughtered, packed, and distributed. These are not mass market birds. My recommendation is based on the assumption that these birds are being carefully handled. The exterior of the bird, which is where most dangerous pathogens are found, will far exceed 180F and will be sterilized through the high-heat baking. Cooking to 140F will not kill pathogens that might have contaminated the inside of the bird -- but you must keep in mind that there are many foods that can harbor food-born pathogens including lettuce and bean sprouts. One of the reasons to know something about where your food comes from is to then have some basis on which to calculate the risk involved in any given food preparation.

Amen, brother.

[where: 98118]

Eating Seattle: Squid & Ink

2007-11-02T14:16:00.000-07:00

I found out about Squid & Ink while doing research for a project I'm working on. The project involves searching for a good (hopefully great) Monte Cristo sandwich in Seattle. Squid & Ink serves a Monte Cristo. Thing is, it's vegan. A vegan Monte Cristo.

To be honest, having never made one from scratch and having probably not eaten one in half a decade, and now reading that it was possible to create a vegan one, I suddenly wasn't sure if I even knew what a Monte Cristo sandwich was. Isn't it that eggy sandwich thing my mom ordered ten years ago when we went to the sit-down restaurant in Nordstroms? Hmmm.

I looked it up.

According to Wikepedia, a Monte Cristo has a bunch of lunch meat--turkey, ham--and Swiss cheese either sandwiched between egg-battered bread (aka French Toast), or the whole sandwich is battered in egg and then fried (like stuffed French Toast). Then it's sometimes served with jam and/or syrup and dusted with powdered sugar.

After a quick count of the things that would not be vegan-friendly in this sandwich, I came up with four (egg, cheese, ham, turkey). Then I counted the vegan-friendly ingredients: one (bread). This oughtta be interesting.

So I hit the road and went down to Georgetown to try it. I found Squid & Ink pretty easily; it's on Albro, so you pretty much can't miss it as long as you don't turn too soon. When we came in, RATT was blasting from the stereo and a very tattooed and pierced guy said hi. He ran to grab Ruby a highchair and I took a look at the menu.

In case you hadn't figured it out yet, I'm not a vegan. I was a vegetarian for a year and a half in high school on a dare, but then I started losing my hair because of severe anemia. Nowadays it's rare if I go a week without sucking on a lamb bone.

I'm telling you this because, as I was reading the menu, I kept having to remind myself that none of the dishes listed were going to taste like their "normal" (read: meat-filled) counterparts. Quiche? No eggs, just tofu stuff baked until egg-like. Steak wrap? It's made with seiten. I'm not trying to be a jerk, but what the hell is seiten? Also, I kinda figured vegans were not into eating meat. I mean, what meat-lover thinks becoming a vegan is a solid long-term plan? So again I was confused: why does everything on the menu include faux meat? What am I missing?

I was getting distracted from the mission at hand: A vegan Monte Cristo. I ordered Ruby a "ham and cheese" sandwich and myself the main attraction. Then we sat and looked around.

Have you ever been to your favorite rock club during the day? It's kind of off-putting. You'd never noticed that the walls were painted weirdly, the floors were really really dirty, the bathrooms...I mean, it all looks fine with little or no lighting and three PBRs in the gullet, but in the light of day? Well, that's what this place looks like: A rock club, during daylight hours. Walls are painted a bright blue, the booths are low to the ground and look like they're broken, and the music's friggin' loud. And it's death-metal. Not what you'd call a "pretty" place to eat lunch. But I will say, every vegan in there was friendly beyond belief, even going so far as to jump up and down to make Ruby smile.

Our food arrived. Ruby's "ham and cheese" looked like it was coated in the nacho cheese from 7-11. It didn't taste like that, but that's what the cheese looked like. The faux-ham (I started calling it fam) was round--I guess vegan ham comes in a round loaf that is then sliced. I took the fam off the bread and cut pieces up for Ruby. She liked it. I gave her some of the "cheese" bread. She didn't really care for it.

I might've eaten this today
The Monte Cristo came with a big glob of what would've been butter (if vegans ate butter) melting on top. I don't know what it was, but whenever I'm served anything with a pile of butter melting on it (you know, like pancakes or whatever) I wipe a good hunk of it off. So I did. Then I dug in.

Same faux-ham as Ruby's fam-n-cheese piled inside, plus what looked like cottage cheese except less cottage-y. To be totally honest I was very confused while tasting this. Shouldn't there be faux Swiss cheese? This was more like faux ricotta. And the bread itself tasted like French Toast with cinnamon. Dammit, nobody said anything about cinnamon belonging in a Monte Cristo! It was very distracting. This was clearly a case of corner-cutting in the kitchen (using the cinnamon faux-egg batter for both the French Toast and the Monte Cristo).

The sandwich was just strange, and no, it wasn't good. It might succeed on dare status--I mean, it's a great vegan stunt. But delicious? No. Then again, my experience with vegan stunt food is limited, to say the least.

So speak up, vegans, have you tried this? What did you think?

[where: 98108]

Eating In: Tarragon roasted chicken with russet-Gouda gratin

2007-11-01T10:18:00.001-07:00

We were having guests for Halloween, and since I knew there'd be knocking and trick-or-treat-ing and lots of interruptions, I figured an easy, just-stick-it-in-the-oven dinner would be a good idea. Roasted chicken thighs are always good--they pretty much cook themselves into deliciousness with little/no help needed. And I was thinking a simple but yummy potato salad would be good--a no-fuss crowd-pleaser I could make ahead of time.

But a mysterious, four-days-late Mexican hangover must've overtaken me at the grocery store because I bought russet potatoes instead of reds. Sure, you can make potato salad with russets, but it gets all grainy and mushy--not what I had in mind.

So I decided to make a gratin. It's one of those dishes that seems complicated and time-consuming, and that's because it is. Or rather, it is if you don't have a food processor. I would guess it'd take close to an hour (or longer) to slice the potatoes and grate the 2+ cups of cheese by hand, and if you've got a 10 month old swimming in the dog's water dish you'll need to add an extra hour for general policing. So, not happening. But with a food processor, the cheese grating and potato slicing took about 3 minutes total. Oy, what a slave I am to the kitchen.

I used Gouda and Romano in the gratin because that's what I had big chunks of. Not to let the cat out of the bag or disappoint you, but most of my cooking isn't planned days in advance. It's "oops, bought the wrong potatoes, now what?" more often than not. In fact, not only did I use Gouda (instead of Gruyere or some other gratin-appropo cheese), I also had to be a trickster when it came to the "cream" part of the recipe. Maybe some of you regularly have heavy cream and whole milk in the house. We do not, so I had wing it. I ended up using nonfat milk mixed with full-fat plain yogurt to make a fattier cream/milk substitute. And it worked!

We had a giant Costco hunk-o-Gouda in the fridge, which is all melty and mild, and with a little Romano for sharpness, nuttiness and depth, it was a surprisingly great combo. But my guess is that most cheeses would work well here. It's not an exact science; dishes with tons of cheese and potatoes tend to be pretty forgiving. But mixing a milder, softer cheese with a stronger, hard cheese worked well.

Russet Potato Gratin with Gouda and Romano
4 large or 5-6 medium russet potatoes, peeled and sliced to about 1/8" thick (not the thinnest blade on the food processor, the thicker one)
2 medium yellow onions, sliced medium
6oz grated Gouda (using large holes on grater)
2oz grated Romano (using large holes on grater)
1 c milk
1 c whole-milk plain yogurt
3 T chopped fresh parsley
3 T chopped fresh chives
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp fresh ground pepper
3 T butter

Preheat oven to 375F. Lightly oil a 9"x13" baking dish (you can use any shallow pan here--we used a larger one so the gratin would be thinner and crustier).

In a skillet over medium heat, heat 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add onions and cook, without browning, until soft, about 7 minutes. Take pan off heat and allow to cool somewhat (the onions can be warm but shouldn't be hot to the touch).

While onions are cooking, whisk milk, yogurt, herbs, salt and pepper in a bowl until yogurt and milk are combined. Set aside.

Using food processor attachments, grate both cheeses. Empty cheeses into a bowl, wipe processor bowl and use large slicing blade to slice potatoes. Set potatoes aside in processor bowl.

Add potatoes in a single layer, slightly overlapping.
Add half onions, scattering over potatoes. Add half of the cheese mixture.

Repeat with potatoes, onions and cheese mixture. Add herbed yogurt-milk mixture last, drizzling over the potatoes to evenly distribute the herbs.

Use your hands to press down onto the potatoes. The milk mixture should not cover the potatoes completely, but it should be a close call.

Cover with foil and bake for 1 hour. Remove foil and bake for another 20-30 minutes until very golden and bubbly. Allow to sit for ten minutes before serving.

Tarragon Roasted Chicken
Ed called this "bearnaise chicken" because it has the same ingredients as bearnaise sauce. It's seriously easy and requires very little prep. Just promise me you'll use fresh tarragon. When you're talking about a five-ingredient dish, every ingredient matters.

1 1/2 T chopped fresh tarragon
1 or 2 cloves garlic, minced
juice of 1/2 lemon
3 T butter, melted
8 chicken thighs, half with skin and half with skin removed (or you can leave skin on all of them if you prefer)

Preheat oven to 375F
Mix melted butter, lemon juice, garlic and tarragon in a small bowl.

Season chicken thighs with salt and freshly ground pepper.

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large, deep saute pan over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Add chicken thighs skin (or flesh) side down and leave to brown in the pan. Do not fuss with them or you will tear the skin and flesh. Cook for about 3-4 minutes. Dot bits of lemon-tarragon butter on the pieces and then, once you've peeked and can see that the chicken is nicely browned, turn pieces over (skin side up). If the chicken sticks there's a good chance it hasn't seared yet.

Using a spoon and knife, gently lift the skin and slide a little flavored butter under the skin, or just dab some of the butter onto the skinless thighs.

Once you've added the butter, place the saute pan into the oven and roast, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Top with any remaining butter and roast for another couple minutes. Serve immediately.

[where: 98118]

Eating Mexico: Art & Beer

2007-10-30T10:43:00.001-07:00

You've waited long enough. I can now tell you where to go to have the best drink in the world.
But first, a little back-story.

Two years ago Ed and I took an unplanned day trip from Cabo to Todos Santos to get out of the tourist clang. We liked Todos so much we decided to stay overnight.

That afternoon we swam in the ocean, then we drank beer and danced to a reggae band under the stars with a bunch of California surf dudes. And the next day, on our way back to Cabo, we stopped on a whim at a little place next to the road called Art & Beer.

That stop changed everything.

I personally believe there's a good possibility that they put "something" in the drinks. I can't prove it, and I honestly don't care. It's just that I can't figure out any other explaination for the overwhelming sense of well-being that overcame us while we were sitting under the palapas, gazing out at the ocean in the distance.

Back home, the thought of Art & Beer brought on fuzzy gazes and caused us both to go to la-la land every time someone asked about our trip to Mexico.

So it's not an overstatement to say Art & Beer was Mecca to us on this trip. Ed even said--as we were pulling up--that he was nervous that it wouldn't be everything we remembered. But the instant we entered it came back.

This is it. This is what you waited for: the Clamato.

A drink like no other, and I mean that. Seventeen (that's 17!) ingredients go into this puppy, including at least three and sometimes four clams, fish roe, worcestershire sauce, something-something, something else, and so on til you get to 17. Oh right, and there are raw scallops on the garnish.

We also ordered the deceptively simple-sounding "whole fried fish."

At Art & Beer that means a whole fried fish plus a whole crab, seven giant scallops, five mussels, a few more clams, homemade beans, fresh tortillas and five just-made salsas. No, seriously.

Another Clamato? Hell yes, senora.

Good Read: Verlyn Klinkenborg on killing his pigs

2007-10-29T20:06:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Grinder, I just read Verlyn Klinkenborg's succinct, thought-provoking and tender editorial on his journey from raising pigs to eating their meat.

It's four perfect paragraphs, so try to pencil in a reading.
Here's a taste:

Knowing that you’re doing something for the last time is a uniquely human fear. I thought that would be the hardest thing about having pigs. In fact, it’s not so hard, though it does remind me that humans have trouble thinking carefully about who knows what. One day soon I’ll step into the pen and give the pigs a thorough scratching, behind the ears, between the eyes, down the spine. Their tails will straighten with pleasure. It will be the last time. I will know it, and they simply won’t.

Eating Mexico: In pictures

2007-10-29T10:16:00.001-07:00

We started our trip in La Paz, which is a more "real Mexico" experience than you'll get in any of the tourist-friendly areas I've been to.

I made a trip to Mexico City about 10 years ago and the attitude of friendly indifference in La Paz reminded me of that. No one's giving you the uber-jolly "hola sir, come and drink our grande margaritas! Free shots!" greeting every 10 steps. We also never had to say "no gracias" to a small child selling Chicklets. So you get the idea.

Our first dinner was our best dinner in La Paz, at (the very unfortunately named) Tequilas Bar & Grill.

I was doubtful--can good food be served at a place called Tequilas? But we'd heard raves from several people at our hotel. Turns out they were spot on: Ed had one of the best arracharas (flank steaks) I've ever had anywhere in the world. I had a filet of freshly caught grilled bass. Oh, and the guac was pretty damn good too. So were the margaritas with fresh lime and orange juice. But I'm going to shut up about it now since we were in "we just got to Mexico!" mode and didn't take any pictures.

What we did take pictures of was a dinner at Racho Viejo, a taco stand that nearly everyone in La Paz insisted we try. Good stuff.

More pictures of La Paz:

The fishing in La Paz is a big draw, but windy weather and a stormy stomach kept us from bringing home lots of atun this trip. Oh well, guess that's our excuse to go back.

Next up: Todos Santos, including the best drink in the world.

Eating Mexico: Adios, amigos

2007-10-21T15:48:00.001-07:00

We're outta here! I won't pretend I'm bummed to be leaving the already-constant drizzle that has become our reality these last 3 weeks. Or has it been longer? See, I'm numb to it already. Good thing we're getting away.

We're off to fish the Sea of Cortez, to eat freshly griddled masa filled with puerco, and coctel de camarones with spicy ketchup and Saltines. To swim in the warm ocean.

We're going to dance and do tequila shots (if our tired, new-parent asses can handle it). At the very least there'll be plenty of fruity drinks consumed during the day, while trying to speak Spanglish instead of Spazneesh (which is what you speak when you're a spazzy (perhaps even drunken spazzy) American. Two friends and I made that up during a college trip to Mexico. Sorry.)

So in the meantime, pretend you're sitting under a palapa drinking a 2-for-1 (it's happy hour!) blended strawberry margarita while you check out Tea & Cookies, where Tea Austen Weaver has some of the most gorgeous pictures of figs I've ever seen. Or Dan Bennett's photo blog, to get lost in a world of mushrooms. Or head over to What We're Eating and get inspired by Amanda's seriously delicous recipes (and photos). You could also do worse than looking at The Grinder blog on Chow, and there's always Grub Street for those who keep track of foodie comings-and-goings in NYC.

We'll be back soon. But not too soon.

[where: 98118]

Good Read: The return of heritage turkey breeds

2007-10-21T11:29:00.000-07:00

The Seattle Times's story on heritage turkeys renewed my excitement for Thanksgiving. Yep, this year we'll be tasting our very first heritage turkey. And you know what? I really cannot wait.

Usually the turkey is, well, you know it's pretty good. I like the dark meat. But those enormous white breasts so prized by Butterballers around the nation? You know, the ones that the turkeys are bred to have? They leave me luke-warm, or less.

Did you ever think that maybe there's a reason most of us eat turkey once a year? Sure, we'll have the occasional turkey burger, or we'll sub some turkey sausage in for pork. But I never roast a turkey like I'd roast a chicken. Maybe this is why:

Turkey used to have taste. But that was before turkeys were genetically honed to be not much more than a giant hunk of white meat on stubby legs. Today's conventionally-raised turkey is a freak of nature that, left on its own, would not live a year.

Most turkeys eaten by Americans today are a single variety: the Broad-breasted White. It's a bird bred to grow fast, with huge amounts of breast meat. It's so top heavy in the cleavage it can't walk right; the most it can manage is a waddle. It can't fly, jump or run. And it's so corpulent and misshapen the poor thing can't even copulate; Broad-breasted Whites have to be artificially inseminated.

Heritage turkeys, on the other hand, are bred for flavor. Oh, and they can reproduce without human help! Which is nice for them, I'm guessing.

Herbfarm chef Jerry Traunfeld says:

"It definitely has more flavor than the modern turkey, which has just been bred to be some kind of monster to grow really fast and have this huge amount of breast meat," Traunfeld said. "And they are beautiful when they are cooked, they are a nice, small size — and you get a lot of crispy skin."

Not everyone agrees, though. Sara Dickerman, Seattle Magazine's food editor, did a taste-test of turkeys and came up with a surprising favorite.

It might be a little too late to reserve a heritage turkey this year, but it's worth a call or two. Here's a good place to start.

[where: 98118]

Eating In: Porcini mushroom linguini in wild mushroom sauce

2007-10-19T08:32:00.000-07:00

I can do without Mount St. Helens ash figurines and 26 flavors of salty/sweet almonds, but for as big a tourist destination as it is, the Pike Place Market still has some unique, delicious finds.

My most recent was Pappardelle's flavored dried pasta stand. They've got over 40 flavors, with basil-tangerine, dark chocolate, and Venetian calamari among them. I couldn't resist: I bought a pound of the porcini mushroom.

Then I just whipped up a mushroom sauce using dried porcinis and fresh shiitakes, because that's what we had on hand. I think quick sauces are always better with fresh, so the recipe below calls for 1 1/2lbs of fresh mushrooms, but you can substitute dried for half of the fresh in a pinch (like I did). If using dried, soak the shrooms in hot water for at least 15 minutes.

This sauce is one of the quickest, easiest sauces you can make, and it tastes great whether you use red or white wine, or dry sherry.

Alongside we had the very last caprese of the year, using a tomato we bought from the Bainbridge farmer's market, buffalo mozz I picked up at Trader Joe's, and basil that had been barely clinging to life on my plants.

I swear, though, this is the last time. So thank goodness it was frickin' terrific.

Porcini Mushroom Linguini with Wild Mushroom Sauce
1 large shallot or 1/2 red onion, diced fine
1 1/2lbs fresh wild mushrooms (shiitakes, morels, chanterelles, etc) sliced
3/4 c white wine
4-5 T butter
1/2 c half-n-half
1-2 tsps fresh thyme

1lb porcini mushroom linguini
Romano or Parmesan cheese for grating over the top

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil over high heat.

In a large skillet, saute shallot or onion over med-high heat in 1 tablespoon of butter until golden (about 3 minutes). Add another tablespoon of butter to pan and add mushrooms in an even layer. Do not mix right away; leave mushrooms to sear in the pan. After about a minute, stir mushrooms and then leave them again to cook. The pan should be pretty dry, so if your mushrooms are sitting in liquid turn up the heat.

Drop pasta into water to cook.

Once the mushrooms have given off their water and are browning, season with salt, fresh ground pepper and fresh thyme. Add wine (and 1/2 c mushroom soaking liquid if using dried) to pan and reduce to just before dry. Reduce heat to low and add half-n-half, stirring.

Reduce slightly, then take off heat and add 2-3 tablespoons butter, stirring to combine.

Using tongs, add pasta to the sauce, allowing a small amount of the pasta water to come into the sauce pan. Stir to coat, adding pasta water if needed to loosen sauce. Stir in 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese and serve warm, with Parmesan shavings.

The last caprese of 2007 was fantastic. The buffalo milk mozz made a huge difference--it's so much creamier than cow's milk mozz. And even though the basil had seen better days, it did its job. Excellent.

[where: 98118]

Eating In: Sausages, sauerkraut and spaetzle

2007-10-16T09:53:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Mike Seely wrote a perfect sentence. Blogging about a recent trip to Leavenworth for Oktoberfest (on Voracious), he says:

(Leavenworth's) faux-Bavarianness is so all-encompassing and uber-kitschy that it understandably drives a certain type of person absolutely batshit.

Maybe I'm just a sucker for the word "batshit," but he's spot-on. You either appreciate corny crap or you don't. And I do. Oh boy, do I.

This guy made our sausage

And what a co-ink-e-dink: I had planned my own personal Oktoberfest to celebrate Ed's return from Moab! Big jar of sauerkraut? Check. Four fresh sausages from Uli's? Check. I was even planning to embark on my maiden spaetzle voyage. Ed's so lucky, right?

I looked up a recipe for spaetzle and dove right in. It was a basic spaetzle recipe and it was pretty good, but I didn't think it was special enough to warrant inclusion here (see? standards=sky high!)

Now that I'm done, I think I'd want to try a slightly different, lighter recipe next time. I found a couple recipes for ricotta spaetzle, and although it's obviously not an "authentic German spaetzle" recipe, who cares if the stuff is great, right?

Anyhow, here's me making spaetzle using a colander. Messy and kinda tricky. I finally figured out a good technique (slapping at the batter with my spatula) on my last batch.

The finished product, browned in butter and served with fresh parsley and chives.

I served the sausages on a bed of bacony sauerkraut (I browned some bacon in the pan, then added the jar of kraut). Easy as can be, and it helped the canned kraut taste less generic. By the way, the two non-German sausages (one lamb and one linguica) totally rocked; the brats were good too, but I'll be making a special trip to Uli's for the others.

[where: 98118]

Food News: U-District Mee Sum now open!

2007-10-15T20:12:00.000-07:00

Just got an email from William Fong of Mee Sum Pastry and...drum roll... the U-District Mee Sum is open (!!) serving a limited menu. That means yes on the baked and steamed hombows, no on the moon cakes. And bonus: they'll be serving soups, "popcorn chicken" and bubble tea too!

Fong says they're aiming for a real-deal grand opening early next week.

image via Seattle Times
I doubt I'll be able to keep my curiosity in check until then, though, so check back for a report.

In the mean time, qing! (that's celebrate in Chinese)

PS--Don't know the exact address quite yet, but it's right next to the American Apparel on the Ave.

RELATED: Food News: New Mee Sum coming soon!
[where: 98105]

King Corn: Documentary on the corning of America

2007-10-13T10:10:00.001-07:00

"Everything on your plate is corn"
King Corn is being hailed as the Super Size Me of the farming industry: Two friends (Curt Ellis and Ian Cheney) from Boston move to Iowa to raise corn, and along the way they find out how the farming industry really works in America.

From the NY Times:

Mr. Ellis and Mr. Cheney moved to Iowa, in 2003, where they grew an acre of corn and followed it from the ground to the town’s overflowing grain elevators and beyond. Their journey took them to Colorado, where corn-fed cows stood shoulder to shoulder in their own excrement waiting to become cheap hamburgers, and it took them as well to Brooklyn to examine how high fructose corn syrup in sodas has contributed to the nation’s high obesity and diabetes rates.

We're not growing quality, we're growing crap.

From Salon:

Propped up by irrational subsidies and massive doses of fertilizer and herbicide, Midwestern corn production reaches new highs almost every year. Most of the golden grain is not going to wholesome summertime dinners but rather into the production of cattle feed and high-fructose corn syrup for soft drinks and other sweetened products. Corn is ubiquitous in the American diet even if you think you're not eating it, and the deranged overproduction of corn instituted in the Nixon era has directly contributed to epidemic levels of obesity and diabetes. Thankfully, this information arrives via a graceful and frequently humorous film that captures the idiosyncrasies of its characters and never hectors.

If you're at all interested in sustainable agriculture and/or nutrition, this movie looks like a good one.

UPDATE: Looks like the Grand Illusion will be showing the movie, though there aren't any dates listed yet. Road-trippers can see it in Portland at the Hollywood Theater beginning Nov. 9.

In the mean time, check out Curt Ellis's blog on Culinate.com.

*quotes above were taken from the trailor on www.kingcorn.net.
[where: 98101]

Good Read: Angela Garbes reviews Art of the Table

2007-10-10T16:04:00.000-07:00

Just popped in to point you toward the Stranger's review of Art of the Table, the first review of the supperclub-style restaurant by any of the Seattle papers.

image via Art of the Table
I read about the opening of Art of the Table several months back on Egullet and I remember thinking, "this is a place I definitely want to try." Haven't made it there yet, but now, after reading Angela Garbes' rave, I'm even more excited to go.

Check out upcoming menus here (next up: Northern Italian! yum)

PS--Kinda nice to see the Stranger taking restaurant reviews seriously. They used to let anybody write about restaurants, whether they knew anything about the food they were "reviewing" or not. No longer, and I'm happy to see it.

[where: 98103]

Eating In: Rosemary crusted leg of lamb

2007-10-08T10:20:00.001-07:00

The lamb feasting continues! Mom and dad had a 7lb bone-in leg of lamb from the whole lamb they'd bought at auction in Ellensburg. And knowing how much we love to cook (and eat) lamb, they decided to hand it over to us to cook for a big family dinner. Score.

What a beautiful piece of meat it was. I had to do a little trimming of silver skin, but not much. We left a good amount of fat on the meat (which we scored so that it'd render more easily) and did a very simple rosemary-lemon-garlic salt rub. We also threw a thick-sliced onion and some sliced fennel into the bottom of the roasting pan (to cook in the lamb juices). Yum.

It was perfect--I wouldn't change a thing.

Rosemary Crusted Leg of Lamb
1 6-7lb leg of lamb, bone-in
4 T rosemary needles
8 cloves garlic
Zest of 1 lemon
1 T kosher salt
1 1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
olive oil
1 large yellow onion, thickly sliced (optional)
1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced (optional)

Prepare salt:
In a small food-processor, chop 6 cloves of garlic, all of the rosemary, lemon zest, salt and pepper. Process until rosemary is very fine and all garlic is chopped fine. Set aside.

Prepare lamb:
Score fat on lamb in a criss-cross pattern with a sharp knife, getting down to the meat level with your knife. This allows the fat to render, which marinates the meat and gives the finished roast a crispy thin crust (as opposed to a thick fatty crust).

Rub the lamb with the rosemary-lemon-garlic salt. Thinly slice the 2 remaining cloves of garlic and, using a long narrow knife, cut slits into the lamb, placing slices of garlic into the slits and pushing them in with your finger. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 1 to 4 hours.

Remove roast from refrigerator 1/2 hour before cooking, to come to room temperature.

Preheat oven to 425. Place oven rack towards the bottom of the oven (you want the lamb to sit in the middle of the oven, not towards the top). Scatter onions and fennel in bottom of roasting pan, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle lightly with salt.

Remove plastic from meat and place lamb on a roasting rack. Place rack into the roasting pan (or you can place the roast directly onto the fennel and onions) and roast for 25 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 and roast for another hour to 75 minutes, or until a thermometer reads 130 in the thickest part of the roast. Remove from oven and allow meat to rest, tented with foil, for 20 minutes.

While our lamb was resting we had a beet-walnut-goat cheese salad (with gorgeous beets from mom and dad's garden). We served our lamb with roasted "Ruby" fingerling potatoes with shallots, the lamb-juicy onions and fennel, creamed spinach and warm rosemary bread. Everyone had a great time; Ruby even ate some lamb. Strawberry-rhubarb pie ala mode for dessert. We were stuffed.

Ed couldn't stop talking about how much fun it is having a big family dinner on a cold, rainy Sunday evening. I couldn't agree more.

[where: 98118]

Saturday at the Bainbridge Island Farmers Market

2007-10-07T14:18:00.001-07:00

I'd had my heart set on getting over to Bainbridge Island's farmers market all summer. Somehow it just never happened.

This weekend I was determined. So what if it was rainy? I kind of like taking the ferry in windy weather. Makes it more of an adventure. We bundled up and hit the road. Callie even got to come along.

It's a short walk to the market, and the trees were putting on a show, all red and orange and gorgeous.

The market itself is nice and small, yet it wins the award for having the most prepared food to eat at a farmer's market; there were three stalls selling hot food, including (get this) an omelet station!

Beautiful fall produce, including lots of winter squash, pumpkins, shallot braids and "ruby" taters!

One of the best things about Bainbridge (and islands in general) are the old-timers, the ones who've lived there forever and, despite all the gentrification and new money, still live humbly in a small cabin with a wood stove. They cook their cans of beans in cast iron and hunt for wild rabbits using blunderbusses. Or so I imagined when I saw this guy.

I made Ed do the "Say Anything" fake posing so I could take pictures of him.

After the market we had soup, a panini and some coffee at Victrola. And enjoyed a pretty nice view.

[where: 98110]

Eating In: Herby lamb burgers with goat cheese

2007-10-05T11:45:00.000-07:00

When we lived in Jackson, our local farmers market had a stand that sold fresh lamb and local meats. One Saturday I got to talking with the guy who owned the farm and he told me he sold whole lambs. As in, we could buy an entire, dressed Idaho lamb from this guy.

I was really excited. I absolutely love lamb. We had dinner recently with our friends Tim and Tami, and they told us that Tim's parents always make lamb when they're having a big "special" dinner. And Ed and I looked at each other and kind of laughed. We do that too.

baah! I'm cute and tasty too
So it took about five minutes for us to decide we really really wanted to buy a lamb. We called our friend Rob to see if he'd want to split it with us, and a few months later the lamb farmer personally delivered our lamb. Move over elk meat: There's local lamb coming in to share the freezer.

That meat is long gone now, so imagine our happy, surprised faces when my parents came over last week with several cuts of their own locally raised lamb meat to share with us. They'd bought a lamb at auction in Ellensburg and, knowing how much we love lamb meat, decided they'd bring us some. Nice! That's the long story of how we ended up making totally awesome lamb burgers last night.

We started with about a pound of beautiful pink, fatty ground lamb, added some herbs, garlic and away we went. Recipe's below.

Herby Lamb Burgers with Goat Cheese and Fried Onions
1lb ground lamb
1 T minced garlic
1 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
1 tsp chopped fresh thyme
1 tps kosher salt
1/2 tsp ground pepper
3oz fresh goat cheese, more or less (this is really about how much you like goat cheese)
1 large red or yellow onion, peeled and sliced 1/2" thick
olive oil
4 slices of artisinal bread, cut 3/4" thick and drizzled with olive oil, or use buns of your liking (brioche would be great too)

Start charcoal grill (yes, a gas grill will work, but the charcoal makes these much much much tastier).

Mix lamb with garlic, herbs and seasonings in bowl. Pat into burgers about 3/4" thick, making the middles slightly thinner than the outsides by pressing with your thumb (this allows for more even cooking).

Heat one teaspoon of oil in a 10" frying pan over medium-high heat til shimmering. Add onion and sautee, allowing the onion to caramelize, for about 3 minutes. Once some browning is occuring, salt the onions. Continue cooking until onions are medium-tender and golden, about 3 more minutes. Remove from heat and keep warm.

While onions are cooking, grill bread and burgers.

Remove bread when it's slightly charred in places and nicely toasted. Grill burgers with the lid on for 2-3 minutes on first side, 1-2 minutes on second side, or until desired doneness.

Place burgers directly onto grilled bread slices (to catch the juices), top with goat cheese and then pile onions on top.

We had ours with the last of our corn, also grilled, and a green salad. Oh, and some tater tots! Um, you know, cuz we have a kid.

[where: 98118]

Guilty Pleasures: Top Chef finale

2007-10-04T09:39:00.000-07:00

Of course I watched, sillies. And yeah, I was bummed that Hung won. I know, I know, the producers do their thing and create "characters" and "villains" and whatnot, but the guy was just not blowing me away. He lost me with that pathetic 80's cucumber-salmon thing. Jesus. That's not cooking.

image via Bravo
But whatever. I'm only admitting to watching Top Chef so that I can point you toward Grub Street's final IMing sesh about Top Chef of the season, wherein New York Magazine's Adam Platt and Grub Street's Josh Ozersky IM each other right after watching the show (or, in this case, the finale).

A snippet:

Ozersky: Watching Hung win was no fun. It's like cheering for Duke or something. Meanwhile, I still think the whole idea is ridiculous. Finding a "Top Chef" among twenty random reality-show contestants is like looking for Mr. Olympia in an Irish bar. Ridiculous. No one takes it seriously.
Platt: You do! I can see you leaning forward, bug-eyed on your moth-eaten couch.

Entertaining.

PS: While you're at it, here's a link to Bourdain's blog. You know, just on the off-chance you haven't seen it.

[where: 98101]

Foodie Weekend: Cranberry Coast

2007-10-03T09:58:00.001-07:00

Did you know that 30 percent of the country's cranberries are grown in Washington?

OK, I just made that up. But according to the Cranberry Museum (yes, there's a museum for cranberries!), there are over 230 cranberry bogs on the coast between Vancouver, BC and Oregon. Hence the nickname (which, admittedly, I'd never heard before today), "Cranberry Coast." So, hey, maybe I'm right about that 30 percent?

I looked this up because I need an excuse to head to the beach for the weekend. I love the Washington coast--it's windy, salty and, usually, totally deserted, especially in winter (which is when I like to go; I like the storms). And with October's arrival and temperatures dipping down into the 40's, it feels like Thanksgiving is fast approaching, which means cranberry sauce.

And that got me remembering: Last time we went to the coast we kept seeing signs for cranberry bogs. We were in serious oyster-seeking mode so we didn't stop, but maybe we should've.

Now I'm thinking a trip to Long Beach might be in order for next weekend's Cranberry Harvest Festival in Grayland. There's a pancake breakfast, cooking contests, even a nighttime "firefly" parade! There are also cranberry bog tours every day for just one buck.

And yeah, downing a few dozen oysters wouldn't hurt, either.

[where: 98547]

Eating In: Mahi mahi with bacon-avocado salsa

2007-10-02T11:39:00.000-07:00

I don't cook mahi mahi very often. Scratch that: I've never cooked mahi mahi in my life. So when I took out the frozen mahi mahi yesterday, I went to the computer to find some recipe ideas. Glad I did; I found this seriously great recipe for "Outrageously Delicious Mahi Mahi" on What We're Eating. They aren't lying either--the fish was outstanding.

The site is full of delicious pictures and seriously (I mean it!) awesome-looking recipes, but it's also a very entertaining read.

The recipe on WWE is pretty involved--cooking two types of beans from scratch for a side dish, etc--so I streamlined it. I had some already-cooked lentils in the fridge (you can buy them pre-cooked from Trader Joe's!), and with about five minutes of doctoring (a little carrot and celery sauteed, and 1 strip of bacon crumbled in) they were a perfect side dish.

The fish + salsa takes a whopping 10 minutes, so if you're too busy or lazy, just cook the fish, top it with the salsa and serve some crusty bread with herb oil (which you'll have made for the fish) alongside.

Mahi Mahi with Bacon-Avocado Salsa and Herb Oil
1/2 c good olive oil
2 cloves garlic, smashed
2 small sprigs rosemary
5 sprigs thyme
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
3-4 sprigs basil
2 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 avocado, cubed
15 cherry tomatoes, quartered or 1 large tomato, chopped
1 T rice wine vinegar
1/4 c chopped cilantro
4 filets mahi mahi

Preheat oven to 400F.

Make Herb Oil
Heat olive oil and all herbs over very low heat for 15-20 minutes. Do not allow the oil to get very hot; you want the herbs and garlic to infuse the oil but you don't want them to burn. Strain out garlic and herbs and allow oil to cool.

Make Salsa
Mix bacon, tomatoes, avocado and cilantro. Mix in vinegar and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Cook Fish
Season fish with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat a nonstick pan over medium-high for 1 minute. Add a tablespoon (or more) of the herb oil to the pan and add the fish. Cook over medium-high without moving the fish (!!) for 2-3 minutes, basting with a little of the herb oil every now and again. Once fish is very golden, turn fish, cook for 1 minute more, basting occasionally, then remove pan from stove and place it in the 400F oven.

Cook fish for 3-4 minutes (watch carefull if your fish filets are very thin). Remove from oven and serve immediately topped with salsa.

[where: 98118]

Fremont boxcar races

2007-10-01T14:05:00.000-07:00

We couldn't believe how many people came out to watch the nutsos try to roll down Fremont Ave in boxcars. A few pics from Saturday's festivities.

These guys all worked at K2. You didn't know K2 was started here on Vashon Island? Yep, and almost 50 years ago. Pretty cool sled.

Blue Thunder, one of the most entertaining things I saw all day. It's like a group of your mom's overweight friends got together and decided to start a band. Hilarious, and actually really good.

[where: 98118]