Yumski

Hamming it Up for Easter

2010-04-10T20:50:00.000-07:00

Michael made a heck of a ham for Easter Sunday.

We had it with fresh spring asparagus and roasted red potatoes that were finished with butter, salt and pepper, fresh parsley and--get this--lemon zest. Yumski!

Looking forward to leftovers!

"Mmm, it's so watery! And yet there's a smack of ham to it."

-Buster

Chicchetti - FAIL

2010-04-04T17:16:00.000-07:00

I was excited to try out another new place on the Eastlake corridor, Chicchetti. Venetian tapas? Sign me up!

But not for a return visit. The food wasn't great.

The foccaccia was too thick and a little on the dry/dense side. The olive oil for dipping was too plain, even for a girl like me who adores her EVOO. Add some herbs or vinegar, please!

We were intruiged by the Octopus with salsa verde and chickpeas, which turned out to be chopped octopus with garbanzos, more plain olive oil (are they not using high quality olive oil? why don't I like it?) and some unhelpful flavorless green herbs. Was it fresh parsley? There was no flavor. The dish was sadly under-seasoned. We thought maybe some lemon or some salt might have helped? Or a recognizable fresh herb? There were some pickled onions on top, but not nearly enough to help the dish be anything but plain.

The pizzas? Pass. The margharita was fine I guess, but you can find so much better versions of that in Seattle. The pizza that caught our attention turned out to be too heavy and salty--which is hard to do on a thin crust pizza, isn't it? Don't know what kind of cheese it was, but it wasn't paired well with the strange olive oil (there it is again!) and the hunks of cured pork. The pork had some fancy name we couldn't pronounce and was sold to us as "sort of like bacon." It was fatty and tough and tasted oddly salty in a way that put me in mind of anchovies. Not in a good way.

There were children (?) wandering through the dining area. Mmm, no thank you. This place reads more like a bar. Why are kids here?

The best thing going for this place is its warm and friendly servers and the fries with yummy drippy bleu cheesey dipping sauce. But come on--how hard is it to find good fries?

Dear Chicceti, Figure out how to season things and pair flavors and textures. It's not that hard. Love, Jean

Hilo Bay Cafe

2010-02-28T09:57:00.000-08:00

The host at our B&B in Hilo directed us to Cafe Pesto on our first night there. It was easy, predictable, overpriced, and the food was...edible. The next night we discovered Hilo Bay Cafe. Hilariously situated next to Walmart, it's a cute little fancy place. We were able to get a table without much wait, but on our last night there we opted for reservations and got a great table by the front window with super comfy leather chairs. We were very happy with our food and beverages, and the service was lovely.

We had a chicken dish and the barbecued ribs with some sort of savory bread pudding thing. It was tasty, but the two most memorable dishes were as follows:

This is the pan-roasted jumbo pork chop with gorgonzola fondue potatoes (amazing), broccolini, and smoked bacon-apple vinaigrette.

Beef carpaccio that changed my life. Those are dollops of horseradish and sprinklings of truffle oil.

Loco Moco

2010-02-27T12:46:00.000-08:00

We had heard that the Loco Moco was invented in Hilo, and that Cafe 100 was the place to get it. Legend has it that the Loco Moco was invented in this very restaurant.

It reminds me of Dick's Burgers in Seattle, with its walk-up window. There are plenty of picnic tables even for the hoardes of people waiting in line for lunch on the day we went.

There are about a gazillion different variations on the Loco Moco. We got the standard rice + hamburger patty + gravy + fried eggs, but also had a little slab of grilled Spam and a couple of slices of yummy portuguese sausage (linguica?).

And of course the requisite macaroni salad on top of a dollop of coleslaw. Such a hearty and homey meal! I think this would be something you'd want to eat as a stick-to-your ribs breakfast before taking a tropical hike. Too bad all we had planned on that day was bumming around Hilo. We wouldn't have had to eat again for our entire trip. Oh, but we did eat again...

Duck!

2010-02-23T20:23:00.000-08:00

In 2008 we visited Arles, France and had dinner at La Caravelle. I ordered le canard, and it was fantastic. It was duck with some sort of tomato based sauce, and green olvies, served over wide ribbon noodles. I found this recipe for Duck Legs in Green Olive Sauce with Cracklings and Pappardelle, which is close to what I remember.

We found duck legs in the freezer section of Whole Foods, but we were hoping for fresh. I think we need to find an actual butcher here in Seattle.

So we made cracklins out of the duck skin and boy is there a lot of fat in those things! I have a little jar of in my fridge because it's supposed to be great for frying potatoes. How French am I? Pretty darn tootin' French, that's for sure.

The cracked green olives were fantastic. They must have crack in them. And we were delighted to try a new ingredient--green peppercorns in brine. They added a very nice flavor to the sauce. The tomato sauce balances nicely with the briney/salty flavors and the bright orange zest and cointreau. The cracklins, breadcrumbs and parsley on top were brilliant additions of texture, flavor, and color. This is a wonderful special-occasion dish, but I can easily see making a version of it with chicken for a faster, simpler meal.

We also tried a new-to-us wine -- a burgundy. It was floral and tart all at the same time, and had a beautiful bright red color. It paired very well with the rich, gamey poultry.

The best part of the meal was, of course, cooking it and sharing it with my Valentine:

Pastis-marinated Chèvre

2010-02-16T19:59:00.000-08:00

We were looking for a Provence-inspired appetizer recipe and stumbled upon this fantastic and simple preparation of goat cheese: Pastis-marinated Chèvre.

We brought some pastis home from Arles in a really cute little bottle. It's yummy as an apertif, but a little goes a long way. It was fun to stumble upon another purpose for the pastis.

Michael sliced up the goat cheese into little disks, added extra virgin olive oil, the pastis, and herbes de provence and let it all get friendly with each other in a jar in the fridge. The next day we had some fantastic cheese to spread on slices of baguette. It was even better toasted!

Aloha Fresh Fruit

2010-02-15T09:28:00.000-08:00

I could get used to this.

10 (I counted) kinds of fresh fruit every morning

Kona coffee

and an ocean view

Hilo has it figured out!

Mikey's Gyro's

2010-01-03T19:33:00.000-08:00

Mikey's is one of the few local restaurants in Moscow that has managed to survive over the years. It's definitely a local institution. On this particular New Year's visit we stopped by for lunch and a pint of dark beer. So yummy on a winter's afternoon!

Their homemade strawberry lemonade is fantastic, especially on a hot summer's day when there is a free table out on the sidewalk.

Their menu hasn't changed as far as I can remember. They are still serving up all kinds of tasty Greek goodness, with lots of vegetarian options. They do homemade soups. They do hummus. They do all kinds of gyros.

We had their standard Gyro With Cheese -- a fluffy warm pita topped with lettuce, tomato, onion, cheese, yogurt-cucumber dressing, and of course, grilled lamb.

I hope they stick it out on Main Street for many many years to come. Cheers to Mikey's!

l'Hôtel du Château Beynac et Cazenac

2009-12-22T21:34:00.000-08:00

We had the house wine. And I do mean the house wine--we were staying and eating here, at l'Hôtel du Château Beynac et Cazenac:

I think we were one of two tables in the entire place. It was so relaxing!

I couldn't resist the salmon appetizer. So pretty!

I shared with Michael of course, and he shared with me his fois gras (the specialty of the region) and all the dainty little accompaniments, including some ground walnuts (another specialty of the region).

The light garlic soup with bread floaties could have been the main course:

But how could we resist delicious red meat, potatoes, and french green beans?

What a great start to our tour of France!

Recipe: Mixed Green Salad with Warm Cream Cheese "Croutons"

2009-12-06T23:09:00.000-08:00

Sydney found this recipe on a salad dressing ad in a magazine and told me how good it was. She was correct. It's brilliant! The croutons are warm and toasty and creamy and really go well with the sweetness of the pomegranate and the tartness of the apples. I added a homemade balsamic vinaigrette. Divine!

Mixed Green Salad with Warm Cream Cheese "Croutons"

Ingredients
1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 cup chopped sliced almonds
8 cups torn salad greens
1 Granny Smith apple, thinly sliced
1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
1/2 cup Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing

SPRAY medium skillet with cooking spray; heat on medium heat. Meanwhile, coat cream cheese cubes with almonds. ADD to skillet; cook 3 min. or until golden brown, turning occasionally. TOSS remaining ingredients in large bowl. Top with cheese. Serve immediately.

The Saint

2009-11-09T21:37:00.000-08:00

"Looks like a guy who you think is called Hermano is going to get his ass kicked."
-Gob Bluth

The Saint's house margarita, the Hermano, is delicious! I'm not typically a connoisseur of tequila, but this is awesome.

But then Emilie ordered an Old and Nutty, which is burbon (Old Crow I think ?), orange bitters, ginger syrup, and nutmeg. It was so fabulous, that's what AJ and I both ordered on our next round.

The Old & Nutty, and a guacamole plate

We tried the yuca fries, which are like big steak fries and the yuca is stringier and mealier than a potato, but not bad. AJ and I both had the tasty chicken mole. Her happy hour portion was not much smaller than my full portion, and both come with cute little flour tortillas, rice, and kidney beans.

I dragged Michael there for happy hour soon after, as I was craving another Old and Nutty. He didn't love his drink, which was like an old fashioned but with tequila. But we did enjoy the guacamole, which comes with a generous basket of chips, and three kinds of salsa.

My first impression of The Saint -- before I went there -- was that it was full of itself and snooty. It's bright blue exterior is super cute, but the lack of signage/advertising made me think it was a too-cool-for-school kind of place. But really, how could a place that used to house the Wing Dome be anything but awesome? Turns out, it is pretty casual (at happy hour anyway) and is just about good tequila and yummy food.

The New York Cocktail

2009-09-09T22:10:00.000-07:00

Who doesn't like a delicious cocktail? Mormons, I guess. Recently, we got a bottle of George Dickel Whiskey and thought it quite delicious in mixed drinks. So after a few Ol' Fashioneds we tried a new mixture: The New York, substituting Dickel for the Canadian. (Always substitute Dickel for the Canadian.) We think you will enjoy it.

The Formula

2oz blended Canadian
the juice of one tortured lime
1/2 tsp simple syrup
1 tsp Grenadine

Shake vigorously and pour over ice into an icy old fashioned glass. Garnish with a twist of orange.

Ravish-ing!

2009-09-03T21:20:00.000-07:00

Ravish on Eastlake is my new best friend.

Location - check.

Atmosphere - check.

Drinks - check.

Food - check.

Service - check.

It's in an unassuming location across from Eastlake Bar & Grill in that new condo building. I passed by on my walk home from work a couple of weeks ago--it wasn't open on this particular day--and was immediately enamored of the cute, girly, green-painted chairs I could see through the window. They have clearly gone to a lot of trouble to make the place cute. Love it.

We started with a trio of house-made artisan (Michael says artesian) spreads. One was a yummy olive tapenade with fresh basil and capers, oh yes. Then there was a sultry smoky, sundried tomato pine-nut spread, oh my. And some creamy herbed chevre spread with La Panzanella croccantini (this is crackers, not tiny italian crocodiles) & baguette slices. We liked the crackers but the bread was a tad dry.

They had Stella on draft, on happy hour, and a very good selection of bottled beers including Black Lion Lev Czech Premium Dark Beer (which my resident homebrewer wants you to know is a lager) and this one with cute pink elephants, Delirium Tremens, in its own lil' tulip glass. Cuteski!

There were easily half a dozen reds and whites each on the wine-by-the-glass section of the menu, and it was predominantly Frenchy. Love it. The rose I had first wasn't the best I have had (and was oddly koolaid colored) but the Cotes de Ventoux whateveritwas was delicious. I think HP liked her fresh tasting Sauvignon-Semillion better than the chardonnayish house white that she first tried.

We ordered the Applegate Farms organic mini-pigs in mini-blankets (about 7 or 8 of them), with ketchup & mustard that claimed it was horseradishy, but merely tasted like stone-ground mustard. Did I mention the pigs were mini? MINI!!!! Serve her anything mini and HP is in. Mini piggies in little, teeny, tiny, itty bitty blankets of puff pastry yumminess. They were $1 off on happy hour.

Also, mini meatloaf sliders. (WHAT.) These came two per order.

Then there was the heavenly trio of salads, one for each of us.

Michael had the beet salad with Rogue Creamery Oregon bleu cheese, sherry vinaigrette, and some clearly-homemade spiced walnuts.

I had maybe the best caprese of my life, with basil and fresh mozzarella in just the right amount of balsamic vinaigrette. Love the red and yellow slices of heirloom tomato!

HP had the some lovely fresh greens heaped with raspberries and blueberries in some sort of balsamic loveliness, with sprinkles of feta.

I think we'd go back just for the salads. But then there was the very helpful bartender who convinced us to try Becherovka, which did indeed taste "like Christmas" with licoricey, spicey goodness and legendary cure-what-ails-ya powers. And "The Ravish" which is their signature cocktail (for now) which was some sort of creamy chocolate and cherry martini. Very nice.

And finally, the delicious Theo Chocolate: a little dish of 70% Dark, Sage, one vanilla, ghost chili chocolate covered caramel, and one little square that tasted like solid coffee (in a good way) the minute it hit your tongue. Fantastic!

Thanks to HP for the pics!!!

Cafe Flora

2009-08-25T21:26:00.000-07:00

We tried Cafe Flora's lovely vegetarian fare for the first time last weekend with a Saturday brunch. It's got a super cute dining room, and the bar and atrium-like area looked really cute too. The service was just lovely.

Here's what our party had:

Cath had a breakfast quesadilla - flour tortilla filled with roasted yams, corn and Pepper Jack cheese wrapped with egg and pan fried. It was served with some sort of hot sauce, lime crème fraîche, and a little green salad with cilantro vinaigrette.

I had the heirloom tomato summer scramble. The eggs were mixed with fresh corn, grilled onions, and fresh dill. It was topped with a few slices of heirloom tomatoes and some salty crumbles of cotija cheese. It was served with some yummy cheesy grits and a slice of blueberry bread that I am pretty sure was vegan. It was pretty good, but a lot of eggs that were nothing super special.

I should have stolen more bites of Michael's peach pecan waffle. It was a very tasty cornmeal waffle garnished with toasted pecans, tart fresh peaches, and real maple syrup. This was delicious!
Even though this place doesn't have bacon and sausage, I'd totally come back for brunch. I think it would be fun to try for dinner too.

Bakers' Blueberries

2009-08-19T21:32:00.000-07:00

Blueberries galore, as big as your face, and sweeter than any other blueberry! Can't you feel the antioxidants working, just from looking at the picture? I can.

There is nothing quite so yumski as a summer weekend at the Bakers' house in Quilcene. Swimming in the bay, bowls of fresh-picked blueberries at your fingertips, gallons of blueberries to take home as souvenirs, always (ALWAYS) cheese for snacking, and -- if you are very very lucky -- Charlie's pan-fried oysters, and/or Patty's peanutbutterlicious granola.

Green Chiles!

2009-08-18T19:47:00.000-07:00

Everything I ever learned about green chiles I learned from Emilee.

The first time I visited New Mexico I received an orientation packet from her, which I cannot seem to find. Too bad, because it was incredibly informative about the New Mexican cuisine. I learned about being asked "Red or green?" and I learned about sopapillas. (I also received an official Blaze of Glory tshirt, which is still in my closet, but that is another story altogether.)

Tonight, hundreds of miles from Santa Fe, I bought some fresh roasted green chiles. They were still warm when I got them home!

Ok, I admit. It was a sad little ziplock baggie full, from one pathetic tumbler/roaster thingie set up in the street in front of Whole Foods. But they are delicious!

I still have a ton, but tonight I mixed some of them (in my new food processor) with some goat cheese and cream cheese and spread it on whole wheat tortillas. Rollups for lunch tomorrow! I'm the best Mom ever--to myself! If only I could find a way to make them heart-shaped...

And, if only I were having sopapillas and margaritas with Emilee right now.

Chicken Piccata

2009-08-17T20:29:00.000-07:00

This is my version of a Cooking Light recipe. It is divine! Light (as promised) and flavorful, and quite easy to make. In fact, I'm craving another batch!

2 skinless, boneless, spineless chicken breast halves
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup white wine
juice and zest from 1 lemon
2 tablespoons capers
2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4-5 oz linguine

Place each breast half between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap; pound to 1/2-inch thickness. Place flour in a shallow dish, and dredge chicken in flour.

Cook linguine until just before it is done. Drain.

While pasta cooks, prepare chicken and sauce. Heat butter and oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken, and cook for 3 minutes on each side or until browned. Remove chicken from pan; keep warm. Add wine, lemon juice and zest, capers, and garlic to pan; scrape pan to loosen browned bits. Cook for a few minutes and add pasta. Cook for another couple of minutes. Serve pasta with chicken. Top it all with grated parmagiano-reggiano and salt and pepper. Divine!

Panzanella!

2009-08-16T21:43:00.000-07:00

Did you know there is a type of salad that is mostly bread?

!!!!

I first made this using this recipe for Tuscan Bread and Tomato Salad. But it was in need of something extra, so I added fresh mozzarella. Then it needed a little more veggie action so I added fresh-from-the garden greens. And one time I had an avocado on hand, so I added that. Brilliant! Perfection! (Oh, and I add some dijon to the dressing.) And I use little sungold tomatoes from the garden, when available.

While this tastes lovely as a main course salad on a hot summer day, I can't figure out how to make it equally as yumski without the fresh homemade croutons, which require some hot oven action.

FAIL: Salvatore Ristorante Italiano

2009-08-08T11:34:00.000-07:00

We really want to like Salvatore. Really, we do.

It's just up the street from our house, and it's quiet and intimate, and one of our favorite cuisine genres: Italian. But after two attempts to fall in love with it, we have added it to our "won't come back here" list of restaurants.

Complaints:

A painfully long list of specials, listed for us in excruciating detail by the server.
Vague smell of stale cigarettes
Really? You're going to put the cloth napkin in my lap for me? Really? Is that what we're doing?
My caprese was swimming (swimming) in a sea of olive oil.
My carbonara had traces of identifiable undercooked egg white. No thank you. I want a smooth, cohesive sauce.
Michael was super excited about his Argentinian beef dish, but he tasted nothing but gorgonzola goo that was drenching the entire plate.

Ultimately, the bar is set pretty high for Italian food in Seattle by both Monkey Valley and Bizarro's. We have not found an improvement on their chill atmosphere, amazing food, reasonable prices, and incredible service.

Sorry, Salvatore. It wasn't meant to be.

Love,
Jean

Homegrown Cherries

2009-07-24T20:46:00.000-07:00

For the first time in four years we noticed a few ripe looking cherries our tree on the curb on 4th of July Weekend. Those dratted birds didn't get them this year! Michael busted out the ladder to harvest them. We are pretty much farmers.

We didn't get a ton, but they were sweet and warm from the sun and very delicious. Hope there are more next year!

Belltown Pizza, Again

2009-07-04T10:49:00.000-07:00

After Riding the Ducks in 86 degree weather, we were need of a cold beverage and some dinner, preferably served outdoors. We chose Belltown Pizza of course.

For starters we each ordered a small caesar salad, which I highly recommend. It's one of the tastiest I've had, and seems never to fall prey to the typical complaints I have about caesars. The romaine is always crisp, never wilty. The dressing tastes fresh and homemade, And the croutons are toasty and dry, never hard or stale. And who can argue with fresh ground pepper, and the requisite slice of lemon? Very well done!

We also enjoyed Stella on tap, and ordered up that that delicious pizza with goat cheese, tomato, prosciutto, mushrooms, and fresh basil. So tasty!

And all this was served to us as we sat on First Avenue, just watching Belltown go by.

Dick's Burgers

2009-07-04T09:45:00.000-07:00

What better snack is there for a girl on summer afternoon than some Dick's Burgers in Wallingford with a cute boy? Nothing better. Double yumski!

Pancakes al fresco?

2009-07-03T09:56:00.000-07:00

There is a house down the street with a little table and chairs on the front lawn. When I walked by yesterday on my way to the bus, there was a tiny little girl in a long blue nightgown, with long, messy, just-woke-up hair and she was eating her breakfast at the little table in the morning sunshine.

I only saw the back of her head, as princesses do not wish to be recognized while dining on pancakes.

However, she reminded me of a certain scowly princess who still to this day does not wish to wake up in the morning time until she is good and ready to do so. And she would very much like some pancakes please. You may serve them to me on the lawn.

2009-06-18T20:36:00.000-07:00

Libby acquired for us this "julep mint" at the Seattle Tilth Edible Plant Sale last month, and lo and behold it makes a delicious mint julep. It's sweet like candy, and super refreshing with the Jameson's. Can't wait to try it with some American bourbon, or in some mojitos.

El Guapo: Newsflash

2009-06-13T09:49:00.001-07:00

Since Michael has begun his rediscovery of the Spanish language, he has informed me that our favorite Honey Hole sandwich translates to "the handsome"! Now I love it even more than I did when it was merely a Three Amigos reference.

Zips Burgers

2009-05-12T21:09:00.000-07:00

Zips in Moscow was one of our favorite places ever. They have yumminess along the lines of Dicks Burgers. Just basic little burgers that get the job done. And special fry sauce.

Oh, the fry sauce.

It's ridiculously good. It's probably some really gross combination of mayo and ketchup, complete with MSG and GMOs or something, but I don't care. I don't care, I tell you. It's delicious. Their fries are usually underdone, never crispy. But still, they are a delicious fry-sauce eating mechanism if you get them. Since I love the chicken strips, which come with fries, I usually get them, though I prefer the tater tots of course. Yes, tots. Right? How awesome is that?

Zips was our first stop en route to Spokane on Bloomsday weekend (Ritzville, baby!) and I was disappointed that their chicken strips were in a different form than usual. I hope it isn't a trend because the ones I'm used to are white meat with a delicious peppery breading and these were fake-tasting. Yyyyyuck. Ok, I admit, I still scarfed them down. Did I not tell you how good the fry sauce is?!

The first things I notice whenever I drive east over the Cascades are as follows:

What is up with all the bigass trucks?
Where are all the Obama bumper stickers? Oh right. These people (yes, I just called them these people) voted for Bush. I mean McCain. No, I mean Bush.
Why is everyone fat?

Ok, not everyone is fat. But more than one third of them are obese. Turns out that Ritzville is the the heartland of obesity. Adams County has the highest rate of obesity in Washington state at 36% (See www.doh.wa.gov.) Here in King County we don't have the lowest rate, but we almost do, at 19%.

I was hoping I could correlate obesity rates with the presence in each county of a Zips Burger location, but alas, Zips has no web site where I can find all locations, state-wide.

Did I mention how good their fry sauce is? And that they have tater tots?

First BBQ of 2009

2009-05-04T19:24:00.000-07:00

Michael is a genius. Heaps of grilled chicken, with a tasty BBQ sauce, and salad with roma tomato, beautiful avocado, basil (first clippings from my new plants in the grow box!), cool cucumber, crisp radishes, and fresh mozzarella, all with papaya poppyseed dressing. Yumski!

No One Delivers More Taste to Your Face

2009-05-03T20:22:00.000-07:00

Oh, back in the day there were 75 cent slices (they might have been 50 cents at first) and 25 cent pop if you brought your Pizza Pipeline cup to refill. My teenage metabolism loved it.

From approximately 1992-1994 I ate Pizza Pipeline several times per week, usually with Vic and Laura. MHS had an open campus and it was only 3 or 4 blocks to Main Street and the cheap deliciousness that was Pizza Pipeline.

They have now closed the one in Moscow, but we go to the ones in Pullman or Spokane whenever possible. I had some today and 15 years later it still tastes exactly the same!

May Day

2009-05-01T20:55:00.000-07:00

What could be better on a warm Friday evening than enjoying some delicious Michael-brewed Belgian Wit, complete with an orange slice, on the front porch? Nothing.

Look at this beautiful beer!

Look at this beautiful brewer!

Poppy is Delicious

2009-04-15T21:29:00.000-07:00

Poppy is delicious.

We all had a thali (rhymes with Molly; yeah I didn't know what it was either) which is apparently a round tray of ten little dishes. We enjoyed:

nettle watercress soup -- a little sipper cup of warm, bright green yumminess
blood orange, fennel and olive salad -- odd combo of flavors, but each tasted yummy on its own
cauliflower salad with sumac and aleppo pepper (what's that?) -- also had some Parmesan cheese I think
prawns with pumpkin seed sauce
tandoor roasted pork tenderloin with green herb sauce - the pork was from Idaho (what what!) and there was some yummy anchovy in the bright green paste of fresh herbs
golden beets, pea sprouts and hazelnut - probably the simplest, most unadorned dish and one of my favorites
polenta diamond on chard greens (I think)
baked farro with leek and sage
rhubarb pickle
a pretty little piece of naan

They didn't even blink an eye at accommodating AJ's dairy-free request for the full thali.

Their cocktails sounded super fun and yummy, but AJ and I went with a lovely flight of wine -- a white Tuscan wine, a pinot noir and a cabernet franc, all quite tasty. Michael enjoyed a Bitburger.

OH. I forgot to mention the crazy-delicious eggplant fries with honey and sea salt. So delicious! They are crispy and melt-in-your-mouth, and have that wonderful salty-sweet thing going on. Would go back again and again for those badboys!

Jubilee Jumbles Again!

2009-04-14T21:37:00.000-07:00

Sometimes you get a pretty little box of what appears to be store-bought Easter candy. And then you notice that it isn't shrink wrapped. And it is scotch-taped shut so tight that Houdini himself couldn't escape if he was a bon-bon inside it.

Ah-HA!

I recognize those mad taping skillz! It's something homemade from Mom!

Indeed it is! Jubilee Jumbles! Mom is amaaaaaaazing! Yumski!

Biscuits and Boudin

2009-04-12T11:40:00.000-07:00

Easter morning, Michael baked buttermilk biscuits. They were delicious and bunny shaped and egg shaped. We ate them with butter and yummy, tart, loganberry preserves.

Michael was using a recipe out of Dad's copy of The Joy Of Cooking. I was sitting at the kitchen table watching him roll out the dough, randomly flipping through the cookbook, and I found this:

My great-Grandma Bernier's recipe for boudin!

Dad never made it, but he had extremely fond memories of it, along with the rest of Grandma Bernier's french cooking. Boudin always sounded so savory and delicious, the way Dad described it. (Then I grew up and discovered he was talking about boudin noir, which is blood sausage and that yes, indeed, it is sausage with blood in it.)

I don't think I'll ever try to make this recipe. I don't think Whole Foods or Trader Joes carries cracklens. Or pig blood. But I loved finding this little memory of Dad.

Pair

2009-04-12T11:35:00.000-07:00

Pair has a super cute little dining room.
It's a understated rustic French country. It's very chill and comfortable, but it's so cute it feels like a special occasion whenever I go there.

Sometimes if you have to wait for a table, they bring you a little dish of cocktail mix to snack on. Well, they always bring you cocktail mix too, once you order. It's delicious with roasted garbanzos and pepitas. Oh, and they sometimes comp you some cheese puffs. That was the best day...

I always get the green salad, which is huge leaves of butter lettuce, barely dressed, and thin little goat cheese toasts. It's all about the toasts for me. We ate lots of those salads in Provence. Very Frenchy.

I usually get the thyme roasted chicken. They have fairly small portions here, but we find that if we each get a salad and one other thing (and share!) then it's plenty. We usually even have some leftovers.

This time around Michael got the special, which was roast lamb with fingerling potatoes and some fresh mint paste that was just perfect. And I got the chicken. We both enjoyed some of each.

I've tried their mac n cheese and it's lovely. Sometimes it is featured on the menu, other times it is listed at the bottom as "available" along with frites. I really want to try the mussels and frites, or the onion soup, or the beef. But I'm always sidetracked by the roast chicken.

They have a small bar, but do serve cocktails in addition to their extensive wine list. They even have a couple of beers on tap.

Best Pizza of My LIFE

2009-04-11T00:09:00.000-07:00

Michael's Pizza Dough

This make 2 pizzas. It deviates from the original recipe a bit with a 1/2 cup of whole wheat flour but here is the original which Michael has made many times with great success:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup warm water
1 teaspoon instant yeast
2 teaspoons sugar
2 cups flour
1 tablespoon whole wheat flour
1 1/4 teaspoon salt

Rehydrate the yeast in the cup of warm water, and add the oil to this as well. While the yeast is waking up, mix the dry ingredients well. Add the fluids to the dry stuff gradually, a mixer is good for this.

Michael does the initial knead using a dough hook in the mixer, adding a tablespoon of flour at a time until it comes together in a nice elastic ball. Depending on the flour you use this could take a surprising amount of extra flour; whole wheat seems to take a lot and white seems to take less.

Knead this ball a few times and then set aside in a warm place. Once it has doubled in size, punch it down and divide it into 2 balls (or however many pizzas you want to make) and knead it a little and then let it rest for 10-15 minutes. Finally, roll the dough out into the pizza circles as thin or thick as you want. If you want cracker crust you can bake it right away. For a puffier crust let it rise for a bit. Bake in a preheated 425F oven. 20-25 minutes if you do deep dish style, or 16-18 minutes if you do a thinner crust. We prefer the thinner, but sometimes opt for a yummy deep dish style using a well-oiled 9" spring form cake pan.

"I made that." -Michael

Meanwhile, Jean makes the sauce. She cooks a small yellow onion, finely chopped, and some garlic in some olive oil. Add Italian herbs. Add a can of tomato sauce, simmer until it's a darker red and the flavor has developed.

Lately we have been on a (fancy, healthy) pepperoni kick, but one of our favorites is italian sausage and black olive, or do an olive oil base (no tomato sauce) with peppers, goat cheese, sausage, maybe some artichoke hearts and olives, fresh basil...

The possibilities are endless. It's all about Michael's dough. That's what she said.

Musashi - Best Sushi of my LIFE

2009-04-10T20:16:00.000-07:00

Always order the harusame. It's a little dish of cold noodle salad that arrives immediately after you order. Yummy bean thread noodles, little bits of crab, omelet, cucumber, sesame seed, and a light creamy dressing. I have never had this anywhere else, or even seen it, but it is heavenly.

Let's talk about mutant unagi. Mutant, because it is fantastically giant, perfectly tender, and (like everything else at Musashi) ridiculously inexpensive. It's also a heightened state of awareness, per Ross Geller. Are you aware that unagi is an eel?

I also enjoy Musashi's giant slabs of fresh salmon, tuna and yellow tail.

I can't believe this is the first place I ever had sushi (THANK YOU JANETTE!!!) and it's hands down the best place in Seattle.

Their California roll might be different than you expect (it's giant, with rice on the inside of the nori) and isn't anything special, so go with the salmon (smoked salmon) cream cheese roll. It is divine, and so is their veggie roll, with pickled daikon goodness. They have nice grilled skewers of teriyaki, and once HP ordered their curry (yes, they have that dark brown Japanese kind of curry) and said it was good.

The beef sukiyaki has crack in it. It must. That's the only explanation. They give you a nice big portion too.

See, that's the problem with Musashi: you always seem to over-order because of the deliciousness and because you seem to be in shock that everything's so cheap.

The details: expect to wait for a table. They only take cash or check.

Birthday Cake

2009-04-09T21:09:00.000-07:00

For my birthday, Michael baked a delicious coffee-chocolate cake, frosted with Mrs. Millman's Chocolate Frosting, from Martha.

With some chocolate ice cream, perfect!

Yumski!

Hallelujah! Spring Comes to Seattle

2009-04-07T00:17:00.000-07:00

Hark! What's this? It's Mount Rainier!

Oh, where have you been all winter, friend?

Weather in the mid-sixties, sunshine, and a weekend are the perfect feel-good formula for a city that's plum tired of winter. It has been a long one. And while that whole "snowed in for a week" thing for Christmas was a hootenanny, I cannot wait for more of the lovely weather we had in Seattle last weekend.

Our walk took us from below Pioneer Square up Western to the spice store, where we got some delicious Ethiopian spice mix. From there we walked up to the Market, where I posed the following question to Michael:

"Beer or an ice cream?"

He should have said both, but in the end he chose beer so we walked up Virginia to the Virginia Inn. All the outdoor tables were taken, but Le Pichet next door had a free spot.

Michael got a bottle (yes) of Kronenbourg and I chose red wine of course. For a snack we had une baguette avec du beurre et du confiture.

Le Pichet is one of my favorites for dinners on the fancy side. Who knew it was so lovely for a snack?

Afterwards, we walked up to the sculpture park, and then back downtown via the waterfront. What views!

We could not have stayed indoors if we wanted to. I never knew I could be so desperate for sunshine.

Where is the Waiter Who Looks Like Robert Pattinson?

2009-03-30T20:23:00.001-07:00

Hot!

Belltown Pizza

2009-03-29T21:45:00.000-07:00

Back in the day, when we lived in Seattle briefly in 2001-2002, we lived in Belltown. Belltown Pizza was our favorite. We often partook of delicious salads, and what we like to call The Don Special, which is simply sausage, black olive, and onion pizza.

We really miss the view of Elliott Bay and the Olympic Mountains (we could also see the Space Needle) from our cute little studio apartment balcony:

But back to the pizza. Once Michael had strayed from the pizza and ordered the Roma sandwich, with prosciutto, Roma tomato, black olive, melted provolone, and pesto. It was a sandwich on par with Honey Hole stuff.

Last week AJ and I ended up here and I waffled (mmm, waffles) between ordering this sandwich and ordering a little pizza. Ultimately, I chose the pizza. The one I chose isn't on their online menu. I think it was called The Derby? It had goat cheese, olive oil base, basil, proscuitto, and fresh tomato. It was delicious. I ordered the small (9 inch) and had two pieces to take home. Michael and I had a delicious snack when I got home!

AJ had the Roast Veggie Chop salad with romaine, chicken, roasted red and green peppers, zukes, summer squash, and mushrooms topped with balsamic vinaigrette. It was bigger than she was, and there were lots of leftovers for her to take home.

Love this place. I just wish they'd take out the tvs.

Smooth-E

2009-03-29T13:58:00.000-07:00

Smooth-E should be Emilie's rapping name, but in the mean time, Michael whipped up a wicked delicious Smoothie beverage for us today, following a lovely, sunshiney run around Green Lake.

Michael's Post-Running Smoothie

heaping 1/4 cup frozen blueberries
heaping 1/2 cup frozen strawberries
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup hemp milk
1 small can pineapple juice

Add skim milk until it tops off in your blender at 4 cups total. Blend until smoooooooth. Makes two generous portions of purplicious smoothie.

Tutta Bella West Lake

2009-03-23T22:58:00.000-07:00

OMG that waiter looks like Johnny Depp.

West Five & Beveridge

2009-03-16T22:06:00.000-07:00

On a rainy evening we drove all the fricken fracken way out to West Seattle to the West 5.

I had heard many a tale of the mac n cheese, so I promptly ordered that with a fine, if forgettable, salad. It was piping hot. Some might say too hot. But I heartily approve of its cheddary creaminess. So creamy in fact, that I wonder if one of their "five cheeses" is of the "fake" variety. Hmm. I also approve of their macaroni--what are those wonderful little clumpy pineconey shapes called? And a breadcrumb crust is always appreciated. My ultimate conclusion is that it is quite good but not The Best. The quest continues.

Michael's steak sandwhich turned out to be a philly cheesesteak style. I don't think it's what he was expecting.

I'd love to return for some cocktails. I wasn't in a cocktail mood at the time, but their retro-bordering-on-divey decor feels like just the place for a riduculously fussy tropical cocktail.

Next stop was Beveridge Place Pub which we had heard spoken very highly of. Do they just serve beer and wine? Seemed like it. Also seemed like they couldn't decide if they were trying to be a sports bar, a beer hall in Munich (FAIL), or Central Perk coffee house from Friends. The best part of my evening was Michael buying me a hot dog from the weiner guy outside Beveridge, just before he called it a night due to rain and a broken umbrella.

Neither of these places are worth the drive.

Best Shortbread of my LIFE

2009-03-16T21:49:00.000-07:00

I wish I had taken a picture of the beautiful pink heart-shaped cookie, drizzled with white glaze and red glittery sprinkles. But I didn't. I ate it for breakfast. And it was the perfect combination of flakey melt-in-your-mouth texture, with sweetness and a little almond crunch. Good job, Paynie! You are an awesome Valentine, friend!

I tried to make some of my own for St. Paddy's Day but things went awry. First, after Michael went to all the trouble of going to the store to get me almond extract, I forgot to have him pick up the fricken fracken almonds. Bah. I baked the cookies anyway. They weren't almondy enough, but whatever. Then I tried to melt the white chocolate drizzle in the microwave, per the instructions, and it dried out and clumped. There would be no drizzling. What did I do wrong?

In the end I had a batch of plain, unadorned shortbread, and not the deliciousness that HP had produced. Oh well. I'll try again next holiday.

Now You Can Enjoy El Guapos At Home

2009-03-08T21:55:00.001-07:00

Tonight we made a delicious version of our favorite Honey Hole sammich, the El Guapo. Delish! We roasted up some thinly sliced green bell peppers and red onion. Then we took some whole wheat hamburger buns (haha, buns) and toasted them in the oven with a slice of smoked gouda on one half, and some white cheddar OR Mt. Townsend Seastack on the other side. When those came out of the oven we put on the peppers and onions, a little ranch dressing, some sliced fresh tomato, and voila!El Guapo

Calamity Jane's

2009-03-08T12:25:00.000-07:00

This place seems homey. Maybe it is the cute, not-crowded, quiet diningroom. Maybe it is the cute little bar. Maybe it is the warm and helpful service. Maybe it's the awesome name, Calamity Jane's. Probably it was the rich and delicious comfort food.

I had the Wednesday night dinner special: two giant slabs of the tenderest meatloaf I've ever had, with whole cloves of roasted garlic mixed right in. Mashed cauliflower that was creamy and smooth, and drenched in yummy gravy. Buttery brussels sprouts.

Oh, and All Wine All the Time with birthday girl AJ. But the beer drinkers at our table also seemed happy, and the special cocktails sparked my interest.

Michael thoroughly enjoyed his sandwich of corned beef with with cabbage, caramelized onions and chutney on rye. He says the onions/chutney added an excellent sweetness. Jeff ordered a plate of Johnny Cakes for the table, and we all agreed they were delicious with the pomegranate syrup. And I hear that the pulled pork in the sliders was zesty and delicious.

The next-day meatloaf sandwiches we made with my leftovers were delightful. I think I'd like to go back for more. Maybe to brunch. Who's with me?

Smith

2009-03-07T11:38:00.001-08:00

Smith has good beer, good wine, good cocktails, good food.

On a recent visit Michael had a cuban pork sandwich that was grilled flat and delicious, with some sort of hot/sweet pepper relish. The homemade potato chips were thin and crispy and delicious. The rest of our table ordered cauliflower mac n cheese which was creamy with a yummy crust on top. Loved the big elbow macaronis.

The basic green salad was nice and fresh, with a very lovely vinaigrette. The brussels sprouts were pefect--tender and bright green, with a fresh flavor and a lovely smattering of thick bacon chunks. Hmm, that bacon would have been good on the slightly bland mac n cheese.In past visits we have had good fries and burgers.

Last summer they made a ridiculously good salad with grilled peaches, balsamic yumminess, and little dabs of very fresh ricotta.

The taxidermy and musty books decor is fun, I guess. They have a juke box with lots of indie rock and motown, which is always a good thing. I would say I'm a fan of this place.

Cath Guest Post: how to eat a hard boiled egg

2009-02-24T19:20:00.000-08:00

1. Peel it and cut it in half.
2. Put a little cheese on each half; something
sharp or strong is nice but almost anything will
work.
3. Microwave for 21, no wait, 22 seconds.
4. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and MAYBE some
herb like basil (but just salt and pepper is good).
5. Eat.

Jubliee Jumbles

2009-02-23T19:36:00.000-08:00

Mom has all her go-to recipes Scotch taped to the inside of her cupboard, the cupboard that also held the Bayer Children's Aspirin, the Wrigley's Spearmint Gum, and the sprinkles. Besides the recipe for Magic Cookie Bars was her original Jubliee Jumble recipe, clipped from a Gold Medal Flour package who-knows-how-many years ago.

Thanks, Dad, for scanning the original for me:

Mom doesn't mix in the walnuts, and instead adds 1 tsp vanilla. Let me tell you how many ways these cookies are good:

As cookie dough.
Warm from the oven.
Cooled, unfrosted.
Frosted with basic powdered sugar icing.
Frosted, with sprinkles.
Frosted, with a big walnut on top.
Frosted, dipped in coconut.
Frosted with burnt butter icing.

And finally, just the way I enjoyed them today: sent through the mail, each cookie individually tucked into plastic wrap for maximum freshness. Exquisite! Thanks, Mom! You made my entire week!

Pazzo's Pizza on Eastlake

2009-02-11T20:14:00.001-08:00

Meh.

The pizza was fine. Not the worst I've had, but nothing special. Their crust tends toward the thin side, but is hardly neapolitan. Not even close. We had the "Miguel" (awesomest name ever) which was pepperoni with some veggies and fresh basil. That was pretty good. And the "Pollo" which was a pretty basic BBQ chicken pizza. Michael says the Guinness on tap was mediocre, but the Maritime something (he thinks it was a pils) was pretty crisp and delicious.

The highlight was the generous pours of wine (I had Montelpulciano) and the very respectable caprese, which they serve with kalamata olives (odd, but...ok) and what appeared to be a mixture of mayo and balsamic vinegar which was inexplicably delicious.

I wouldn't go back for the pizza.

FAIL - Chapel

2009-02-09T20:12:00.000-08:00

Chapel holds a special place in my heart because I remember AJ once telling me that she first knew we were going to be friends the time I ordered a lavender martini and fries at Chapel. Well, she was right. However, several years later my complaints are threefold: 1) They stopped serving french fries. 2) I'm so OVER pretentious service. 3) It smells like bathroom cleaner.

Dear Chapel, you stink. I will begrudge you a visit whenever I crave a $4 lavender martini. Love, Jean

send!

FAIL - Barça

2009-02-04T22:33:00.000-08:00

I have loved Barça. It has been a great place to go for drinks whenever we are on the hill, because they typically have excellent beer on tap, wine and cocktails. Something for everyone. And I love its dark vampires-in-Spain ambiance. However, the last few times I have been there, it has smelled like bathroom cleaner. Yyyyyuck. I'll have to find somewhere else to go pre- and post-Neumos.

Dear Barça, You stink. Love, Jean

send!

PBJ

2009-02-03T21:52:00.000-08:00

Sometimes it's all a girl wants.

FAIL - Six Arms, McMenamins in general

2009-02-02T21:09:00.000-08:00

Dear McMenamins,

Why does your craft brew suck? Why do you even bother serving wine? Why is your pub fare subpar, and overpriced? All you are good for is mixed drinks and late night tots, gosh!

Love, Jean

send!

Lowell Guest Post: Pretzels in Love

2009-02-01T11:00:00.000-08:00

Ever since we went to Rothenburg, Bavaria Jean has been asking me to make soft pretzels. We spent several days there biking the verdant countryside, exploring the medieval city walls and eating everything in sight. The local soft pretzels were particularly memorable. So months later I was in the mood to bake something and Jean suggested that I attempt soft pretzels.
Well, I am a big fan of Alton Brown and a few days earlier I caught the tail end of his pretzel making episode. I got to work armed with his recipe from the Food Network website. I followed the recipe faithfully except I like to finish kneading breads by hand and the recipe uses a stand mixer for this.
The process went very smoothly and Jean came to assist me with the all important glazing and topping. We coated half with salt and the other half with cinnamon and sugar.
They turned out soft and delicious. We ate them warm right out of the over. Jean even made a white frosting for dipping which was quite tasty. This may sound odd, but we were both surprised by the pretzel-ly flavor. They tasted like pretzels. I think I expected a plain bread flavor but got exactly the flavor I wanted and it wasn't very difficult.

Recipe: Snickerdoodles

2009-01-25T15:37:00.000-08:00















Email from Dad, 1/10/07:

Hi Jean,

I used your mothers recipe from Betty Crocker.
I cut the recipe in half for one cookie sheet full.
You can Google "snickerdoodle recipe" for the real recipe.

JOANS SNICKERDOODLES 08-02-92 1/2 BATCH

BUTTER 1/2 stick
SUGAR 1/2cup
MEDIUM EGG 1
CREAM of TARTER 3/4 TSP
FLOUR 1cup
SODA 1/3 tsp
SALT dash

Roll them in:
SUGAR 2tsp               
CINNAMON 1tsp

Bake 350° for 10 min.

Have a Party, Snickerdoodle. Love Dad

The Honey Hole

2009-01-24T20:37:00.000-08:00

This place is easily in my top 5 Seattle restaurants.

It's a small place that I might never have bothered to try, had it not been for the recommendation of every single local that I know. This is the place where I run into my peeps, because everyone is always there.

Last night we went at dinner time, and the only space was at the bar, where we got excellent service. I ordered the El Guapo, Michael had the Buford T. Justice, and we both ate half of each sammich. The Guapo has delicious roma tomatoes, red onions and green bell peppers, with melty smoked gouda and Tillamook sharp cheddar cheese, with ranch sauce on a fresh French roll. I usually get this, or a BLT that has magical bacon. The Guapo is also one of Michael's favorites, next to the Buford and its bbq pulled pork deliciousness. I'm also a fan of the Luke Duke, a tasty meatball sub.

They have an excellent selection of draft beers, and a small but fully-stocked bar. Service is always excellent. Their web site is http://www.thehoneyhole.com/. Beware impostor web sites that might make you giggle and blush.

The Honey Hole's fries are the best in Seattle. Enough said.

Fondue / Bush's Last Day Countdown

2009-01-20T20:20:00.001-08:00

Bravo to Emilie for her inspired idea and brilliant execution of a Bush's Last Day Eve celebration involving liquid cheese and liquid chocolate.

We loosely followed Martha's cheese fondue recipe, leaving out the gruyere and adding in some italian truffled cheese. We dipped asparagus, green peppers, mushrooms and tomatoes. And bread, of course! The second course of super simple chocolate chips, melty and delicious, was served with rice krispie treats, Pepperidge Farm cappucino pirouettes, Candy Cane Jo Jo's, and some sort of white chocolate chip cookie also from Trader Joe's. All very delicious, but I was most delighted to discover the simple yumminess of sourdough baguette dipped in melted chocolate. Divine!

Cheers to the end of eight long years!

I think I might be a food snob.

2009-01-20T20:19:00.000-08:00

Or maybe a restaurant service snob? Let me just add a disclaimer that I had this epiphany while brunching at Shari's. You heard me. Shari's. In small-town Idaho. Where the service is invasive and inept, but the servers are friendly, folksy, and persistent.

On a not-unrelated topic, why do women in Idaho (excluding, of course, my gorgeous sisters, nieces and Moms) look like trannies or drag queens? Except that trannies and drag queens are expontentially classier and more subtle, especially with the eye makeup.

And why does everything close so fricken fracken early? If I can't get tater tots at 7:30 on a Friday night, I'm in the fricken fracken wilderness, people.

These are reasons number five hundred forty seven through five hundred fourty nine on my list of why I favor Seattle over Moscow.

Lowell Guest Post: The Dough Whisperer

2009-01-18T20:33:00.000-08:00

Like many families, mine gathers at Christmas time every year to stuff our faces with delicious food and spend time together. In my family there is one food item that is non-negotiable: mom's orange rolls. These rolls have become legendary in my family; my mother makes 13 billion of them (an intergalactic baker's dozen). And no one sees her do it. It's a Christmas miracle!

If you spend this special day at my mother's house you would see mountains of dough in various stages of rising, a huge bowl of grated orange rind and you would experience the drool-inducing smell of rolls baking. You would not see my mother making them. We don't know how she does it. Us kids will gorge ourselves and take home our fair share of the bounty, and she will give these rolls away to almost everyone she knows but the creative process would have been entirely unobserved.

This year she allowed me to sit in so I could learn to make them. I learned she ground her own flour (?!) and that she doesn't really measure anything. I watched carefully as she kneaded and divided the dough. She pounded one half out into a ideal rectangle of perfect thickness and covered it with brown sugar and orange rind. This was then rolled into a cylinder of buttery, orangey, doughy goodness. The other half was meant for me to roll out. As part of my education.

It all looked so easy. The lumpy trapezoid that I created was almost insulting to her seemingly careless, but ideal, golden rectangle. Although my rolls ultimately turned out fine, they didn't seem to taste as good as Mom's. I have only myself to blame. Some mysteries shouldn't be tampered with.

Monkey Valley -- Again!

2009-01-14T19:36:00.001-08:00

Meeting AJ at Monkey Valley on Thursday. Two visits to Monkey Valley in the first half of the first month of 2009? Oh, it's a good year.

Pies & Pints with My Peeps

2009-01-13T20:19:00.000-08:00

I love that I can hop on the bus and get myself to our favorite neighborhood pubski, Pies & Pints, and meet up with my peeps after work. Always a good place for a drink, Pies & Pints is best for food in winter. Though salads are included on the menu, and portion sizes are reasonable, this is hearty winter comfort food. And they serve up a very good Guinness.

Tonight I had the mac n cheese of the day: bleu cheese and apple. It was mild and yummy, with the usual breadcrumb and fresh basil topping, and the beer cheese sauce base. P&P's mac n cheese isn't as creamy as I like, but the flavor is always very yummy. I couldn't finish it, but my peeps helped me out.

The fries I snatched from HP's plate were very good, and she said that her pint of Fat Tire was delicious! This was before Michael launched into Draft Beer vs. Bottled Beer 101. It's handy to have a nerdski homebrewer and beer snob at my beck and call.

Michael tried the lamb and potato pie, which I just now realize I forgot to taste. Stupid, Jean! Oh well, we'll be back there soon.

Cooking Shows With Dad

2009-01-12T20:46:00.000-08:00

It was the 1980s. Two of my favorite toys were my Barbie dream kitchen and my Combo Kitchen set, complete with all the various plastic food hand-me-downs leftover from the older kids’ toy sets. Mom was so committed, she gave up an entire kitchen cupboard (now the cereal cupboard, also formerly known as Margy’s “secret place” circa early 1970s.) I was also allowed a small portion of dried beans and rice to play with, and was allowed to chop up someone’s fake pearl necklaces that I fancied looked like giant tapioca balls.

I remember watching cooking shows with Dad on weekends. I also remember lots of James Bond and detective tv shows like Magnum PI, Simon & Simon, and Scarecrow and Mrs. King. But I digress. Back in the day before Food Network, one of the only places I remember seeing chefs in action was on PBS. I’m sure Dad tried a bunch of their recipes and learned countless techniques, but I remember a few specifics.

First there was the cutting of grapefruit, where you slice away the peeling and cut the fruit from the membrane, working your way around it.

Then there was Sauce Potat’. I think that one came from Justin Wilson’s “Louisiana Cookin'." Ooooo, I guarantee! I can’t seem to find the recipe online, but it’s basically bacon and sliced potatoes fried with onion and parsley. I think. I was young. It was delicious and we had it for supper all the time.

The second recipe was the infamous Apple Pan Dowdy that we made together. Once.

Dad retired when I was in 4^th grade. After years of meals on the road in rural Northern Idaho and Eastern Washington, he must have gained some weight. After retirement he dieted with scientific precision and unequaled fervor. There were spreadsheets that auto-calculated nutritional information and portion size. I don’t remember seeing a kitchen scale, but he probably had some gadget in his IBM toolbox that did the same job, while measuring current and predicting lottery numbers. In those days he took over some of the cooking from Mom (and all of the dirty dishes; he wanted her to have some illusion of “retirement” too). He was naturally lean, and he didn’t have much weight to lose, so the diet quickly served its purpose and he could get on with his life. But the cooking stuck.

I must have shown an interest in Apple Pan Dowdy because I clearly remember the enthusiastic mission that the two of us undertook. There was some specialty cookware we needed in order to try out the recipes: ramekins. Finding these became our goal.

Ramekins can now be purchased in all sizes and colors at supermarkets, drug stores, and (probably) convenience stores. But this was pre-Rachel Ray. This was small town Idaho. There were no mini-souffles. There was no….what else do you need ramekins for?….crème brulee! No. There was none of this. After an arduous search at The Bon, JC Penney’s, Sears, and whatever the heck that weird store in Lewiston was, we found some ramekin-shaped oven-safe soup mugs at Ernst Hardware.

We tried Apple Pan Dowdy.

I no longer have the recipe because it was horrible. Basically, you butter and sugar white bread and make a sort of a mini-pie in the ramekins, filled with molasses and chopped apples and stuff. I was a child. It was disgusting. Why would we make that? Why? Why when Mom’s apple pie was perfect, would we bother to make that disgusting bitter and sulfurry flavored crap?

At any rate, I now use the very same soup mug “ramekins” for hot artichoke cheese dip, and Dad and I continued to share a love of cooking for the rest of our lives. Even now after a particularly delicious meal, I think to myself, “I gotta email Dad about this!” I’m pretty sure he’s God’s VP of IT, so maybe I should try sending all my anecdotes to dad@heaven.org. Hmmm. Food for thought.

Monkey Valley – The original yumski.

2009-01-11T14:36:00.000-08:00

Our Friday afternoon chat went exactly like this:

Jean says:
so, dinner?
Michael Lowell Cat says:
well. I am happy to take lady somewhere. but I don't want to have to pick.
Jean says:
i wish monkey valley was open
Michael Lowell Cat says:
its not? weird.
Jean says:
AJ warned me. closed for vacay
Michael Lowell Cat says:
ah.
Jean says:
i'm calling Monkey Valley
Jean says:
DUDE! MV is open
Jean says:
please please please
Jean says:
please!
Michael Lowell Cat says:
ok
Jean says:
please please please
Jean says:
YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
Michael Lowell Cat says:
AJ is FALSE!
Jean says:
ohmygod you made my entire day
Michael Lowell Cat says:
what what!

Ristorante Machiavelli has only recently become my favorite restaurant. I had gone there a few years ago and it was good, but I wasn't addicted. Soon I discovered that Poppy ranks it as her favorite place, and during our discussion about it, HP misheard "Machiavelli" as "Monkey Valley." Please note that Monkey Valley is heretofore the name of this lovely restaurant,thankyouverymuch HP.

Poppy recommended the tuna carpaccio (She doesn't share. Order your own. No joke.) and the chicken piccata. The chicken is everything a piccata ought to be, with a light lemon caper sauce. But the carpaccio--this is something you dream about when it isn't on a plate in front of you. Unless you don't like raw fish, like HP, who bravely gave it a taste anyway. It is ice cold sashimi-grade tuna, pounded flat and drizzled with balsamic-dijon dressing, capers, parsley, parmesan, cracked black pepper. Squeeze a little lemon juice over it.

Heaven!

I always order the fettucine carbonara as an afterthought, because I don't feel like I am allowed to order plate after plate of the tuna. Incredibly, I always eat every last bite of the creamy, bacony, noodley goodness. This is the only place I have ever finished an entire restaurant plate of pasta, so that tells you something about the reasonableness of the portion sizes here.

One of the reasons I love introducing friends to this place is to see what they will order. That's the only way I'm able to try new things, as I am compulsively loyal to my two favorites. Vicky let me sample some of her melt-in-your-mouth Chicken al Forna, roasted with whole garlic cloves and rosemary. I was worried at first that AJ wouldn't find something sufficiently non-dairy, but the spinach shells with Italian sausage in marinara are phenomenal, with just the right amount of heat. Michael, like me, always goes with the carbonara, though he favors salad over the tuna as a first course.

Someday I want to try their Lasagna Bolognese, something seafoodie, or the filet mignon. They always have delicious sounding specials as well. And pizza. Did you know they have pizza?!

So, what is the appeal? Is it the simple and delicious Italian menu? The reasonable price? The phenomenally convenient Capitol Hill location of Melrose & Pine? The inexplicably nice servers who are helpful without ever being intrusive? All of the above. Poppy is right. It is just straightforwardly good place to go, over and over again.

Japanese Shortbread? Hai!

2009-01-01T12:39:00.000-08:00

I am heading to AJ's New Year's Day party today, with a Japanese American menu. I thought this would be a great opportunity to try out Martha's Green Tea Shortbread recipe. I used vegan margarine in place of butter, and my little star-shaped cookies turned out pretty cute. They have a mild earthy flavor and a fun green color, and I think they will taste quite yummy with a little cup of tea.

I couldn't help myself and made half of the batch into plain shortbread. I dipped them in melted dark chocolate and added some candied ginger, which is an idea I stole from a delicious heart-shaped cookie I recently enjoyed at Cafe Vita.

Akemashite omedeto gozaimasu!