Sonja's Kitchen

New Year - New Blog

2010-03-03T09:25:00.001-08:00

Sonja's Kitchen has moved to www.satisfythecraving.com.

What's in a name?

2010-01-14T19:58:00.000-08:00

When I started blogging in December of 2007, it was mainly to share recipes with family and friends. When I chose a name for my blog, “Sonja’s Kitchen” seemed good enough. Since then, I have written some recipes and shared cooking tips and eating adventures.

I’ve been thinking about the future of this blog a lot in the past year. As much as I love cooking, I also love to dine out, drink, travel and share stories. The name “Sonja’s Kitchen” no longer fit my blog as well as when I started it 2+ years ago. Thus began a search for new blog name that would more aptly fit my new blog.

During a girls’ weekend in L.A. last spring, we were eating at IHOP at 3am. My friend Robin took a goofy photo of my gazing longingly at the phrase ”Satisfy the Craving” printed on the menu. At 3am, we were obviously “satisfying the craving” for some greasy booze-sponge type food. The more I thought about that phrase later however, the more I liked it. Finally, I decided “Satisfy the Craving” fits my blog – and the way I eat – perfectly.

I will admit that it wasn’t my first choice. “Satisfy the Craving” is a little longer and a little clunkier than I would have liked. Buying a domain name is no easy task however. Every fun and clever domain name you can think of has probably already been taken. Many are taken by so-called cybersquatters. People buy up domain names and don’t use then, but hope someone will want the URL enough to pay big money for it. As much as I wanted forkit.com, I wasn’t will to pay big bucks for it…

So, head on over to Satisfy the Craving and stay tuned for dispatches from my stomach.

Glögg

2009-12-09T18:31:00.000-08:00

Seattle is filled with whiners. This summer when temperatures broke 100 degrees for over a week, they whined. This week, temperatures have barely risen above freezing during the day. And guess what? Seattleites are whining again. What am I doing? I'm drinking.

OK. That didn't sound quite right, but it is in fact what I am doing to combat the cold. Just like I made ice cold daiquiris this summer and retreated to our blissfully cool basement, I have been making warm drinks this week and curling up under a down comforter. Let's call it S.A.D. - seasonally affected drinking.

Warm drinks on a cold winter's night are traditional in Northern climates and where my family comes from, Glögg is the drink of choice. Other countries have Glüwein or mulled wine, but in Sweden, it's Glögg. They are all pretty much the same: steep some spices in wine, heat and serve.

I've tried several recipes over the years. A favorite comes from a dear familiy friend, John Swedstedt, who adds Vodka to his Glögg. This year however, I wanted to try out some new recipes. That's not to say I didn't want Vodka in my Glögg, I just needed an updated recipe.

In a pinch I've used the bottled Glögg concentrate from IKEA. It works, but I find the spices to be kind of flat.

I heard Marcus Samuelsson on the radio a couple of week's ago. He's an Ethiopian born Swede that now lives in America. His restaurant - and cookbook - Aquavit, had just what I was looking for. A little more online research and cookbook consulting and I think I've found a recipe to call my own.

Glögg
3 cinnamon sticks, broken into pieces
1 Tbsp cardamom pods
2-3 small pieces candied ginger
Grated zest of 1 orange
6 whole cloves
1/2 cup vodka
1 750-ml bottle dry red wine. I like Zinfandel
1 cup port
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 brown sugar
1/2 cup blanched, slivered almonds
1/2 cup raisins

Crush the cinnamon and cardamom using a mortar and pestle or smash on a cutting board. Put them in a small glass jar and add the ginger, orange zest, cloves, and vodka. Let stand for 24-48 hours. Strain the vodka into a large saucepan and discard the spices.

Add the red wine, port and sugars and heat over medium heat just until bubbles start to form around the edges. Do not boil.

Add a few almonds and raisins to the bottom of each mug and pour the hot Glögg over the top.

Ridiculously Delicious Cookies

2009-10-17T11:27:00.000-07:00

For as long as I can remember, my mom and I have been making Choklad Biskvier at Christmastime. There is a Swedish Christmas tradition of making seven kinds of cookies - sju sorters kakor - and these cookies are one of the 7 (or 8 or 10) kinds of cookies we make every year. I have recently discovered though, that Choklad Biskvier are just as enjoyable the rest of the year as they are at Christmastime. It sounds kind of stupid to say I just "realized" this, I know, but do you ever make pumpkin pie in March? I didn't think so.

Part of the reason I started making CBs year-round is because the recipe calls for three egg whites. You may remember that I love eggs and that I have a ongoing supply fresh chicken eggs. Since Gavin's "new" favorite dessert is poundcake (who knew?!), I often have leftover egg whites to use up, and this recipe is perfect for using them up. These cookies also store well in the freezer, where they wait for you until you need them to serve guests, bring to a party or just eat by yourself while you lie on the couch watching reruns of 30 Rock with a glass of Malbec.

Since these cookies have been in heavy rotation, I have been spreading the love. I have brought them to meetings at work, exchanged them for the aforementioned fresh eggs and taken them to parties. Since Choklad Biskvier is not easy to remember or pronounce, my friend Robin just calls them "those ridiculously delicious cookies." I often just refer to them as "those Swedish chocolate cookies." If you can suggest a better name, I am accepting ideas.

I've been asked for the recipe dozens of times, but have always declined to share it because this is kind of graduate level baking. Consider yourself warned. Having said that, I have tried to provide as much detail (and photos) as possible into the recipe below. I even shot a little video. A video! Gavin warned me against posting it because it is one the geekier things I've done recently, so er...consider yourself warned, again

Ridiculously Delicious Cookies
Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Cookie
3 large egg whites
1 cup sugar
4 oz. blanched, slivered almonds
3/4 cup bread crumbs (I use Progresso brand)

Filling
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
4 Tbsp cocoa powder
2 tsp vanilla extract
Pinch of salt

Glaze
8 oz. semi sweet chocolate - chips or chunks
6-8 Tbsp unsalted butter

Prepare and bake the cookie
Grind the almonds in a food processor until fine. Like so:

Whisk the egg whites for a minute in a stand mixer. Add sugar and whisk on high for 3-4 minutes, until a stiff meringue is formed. Like....so:

Stir in bread crumbs and almonds and let the dough rest for 15-20 minutes.

Drop teaspoon sized mounds onto a cookie sheet lined with a silicone baking mat or sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.

Bake for 10 minutes. Remove with a metal spatula so they don't crumble and cool on a wire rack, round side down.

Prepare the filling and frost the cookies
Sift powdered sugar and cocoa together onto a flexible mat or piece of wax paper. Cream the butter on high until lighter in color and smooth. On slow speed, add the sugar/cocoa mixture until combined. Add the vanilla and mix on medium-high until smooth.

Smooth a mound of filling onto the flat side of each cookie. Place them in the freezer for 10 minutes or so while you prepare the glaze.

Make the glaze and...watch the video
In a double boiler melt the chocolate and 6 Tbsp of the butter over medium heat. Stir until smooth. It should be the consistency of Hershey's syrup. If needed, add more butter. As you glaze the cookies, you may need to reheat the glaze if it begins to stiffen.

The easiest way to apply the glaze is to dunk the chocolate half of the cookie into the pot of glaze. I can't really describe in words how to do this so, as promised, there is a video demonstration. Enjoy!

When Accidents Happen - Bread

2009-09-30T20:14:00.000-07:00

Once in awhile I like to share my kitchen failures with you. It is an occasional column I like to call, “When Accidents Happen.”

I've made Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day dozens of times. It is pretty much idiot proof as long as you read the instructions. I think this last time I got cocky. As directed, I checked on the bread after 30 minutes. I thought…hmmm, just 10 more minutes. Shut the oven door and walked away. Who needs a timer? But then, I got distracted. Can you say croutons?

Fall Guy

2009-09-25T08:07:00.000-07:00

It is starting to feel a lot like fall around here. Temperatures in the mornings and evenings are much cooler and my mailbox has been packed with cooking magazines whose pages are loaded with recipes for soups, stews and Thanksgiving. Every year though, there is one event that really signals summer is over to me: a bag of corn is anonymously delivered to my doorstep.

Well, it isn’t really anonymous. I know it is our neighbor Dale that leaves a bag on our doorstep – and on the doorstep of every other house on our block – each year. He explained it once, many, many years ago. He visits a small farm in a nearby valley every September when they are harvesting the corn. I thought he was friends with the farmer, but I guess he is just a really big fan of their corn. The corn is so good and fresh that he buys a couple of boxfuls and wants to spread the love.

The corn arrived last Sunday, when we were still out of town. Our friend Maria was staying at the house and sent a text message, “Somebody dropped off a bunch of corn on your doorstep.” I called her immediately and said, “You need to cook up some corn immediately because it will never be as good as it is RIGHT NOW.” OK, that may have been a little bit of an exaggeration but I have never tasted corn as sweet and fresh as the corn that Dale brings us.

We arrived home on Tuesday and had about eight ears of corn remaining that we wanted to use up that night. The solution was simple. Fill a large stockpot with water and several spoonfuls of salt. Bring to a boil, add corn and wait 15-20 minutes. Drain water, remove the ears of corn, add butter and salt…EAT.

What Have I Become?

2009-09-19T15:04:00.000-07:00

My first job was at a deli counter in a small gourmet grocery called Brodeens. I made $3.35 an hour. We sold lots of stinky cheeses whose names I couldn't pronounce and cured meats of all shapes and sizes. I started the summer after I turned 14 and quit just before Thanksgiving. I couldn't bare the thought of handling whole, raw turkeys. Raw chickens were bad enough.

The affluent little suburb where this grocery was located (and where I grew up) was filled with desperate housewives. The owners of the store flirted with them endlessly and those of us in the deli had to fulfill all of their very specific requests. The worst was when someone ordered Prosciutto. "I'd like it sliced VERY thin," they'd demand. I'd roll my eyes and lug the large leg of ham over to the meat slicer. I had nightmares about that fucking meat slicer. It was terrifying. Slicing the Prosciutto thinly, AND evenly, was no easy task. I never mastered that task in my brief tenure at Brodeens.

I thought my parents were pretty worldly, especially when it came to food. They were European. At least they cooked. Growing up in the late 70s and early 80s meant that most of my friends had two working parents, the microwave was a relatively new invention (and therefore a novelty that must be used AS OFTEN AS POSSIBLE) and many people subsisted on frozen dinners and hamburger helper. Margarine, Velveeta and bologna were other household staples.

Although my parents cooked a lot and always grew their own veggies and fruit, their diet was limited to mostly Scandinavian food. Norwegian’s have their own version of Prosciutto, but my dad left it hanging in the garage with a knife stabbed into the flesh, ready whenever he – or any visitors – wanted a snack. There was blood sausage, liver pates, potato dumplings, and salted cod. The flavors leaned far into the mild category. I won’t say bland, because there was definitely a lot of flavor. There just wasn’t much spice. Let me just admit right here that the first time I had pizza – at about age 10 – I spit it out. It burned my tongue.

It didn’t help that I was a supremely picky eater. I loved fruit, sugar, dessert, and juice. We ate a lot of fish – a Scandinavian thing, but also a Northwest thing – and with the abundance of salmon in those days we had what you’d call an embarrassment of riches. There were many nights my brother and I would whine and complain, “Salmon…AGAIN?!” My mom cooked most things from scratch, even making homemade macaroni and cheese, even though what we really wanted was the stuff with the powdered cheese.

It wasn’t until I started traveling – on my own – that I got more adventurous with food and flavors. Visiting markets in Italy, France and Turkey opened up my palate to a lot more interesting flavors. I had an interest in cooking early on, especially baking (for the sugar, of course) and by my mid-20s I really wanted to challenge myself. If I ate a good meal in a restaurant, I wanted to try and recreate it at home. Returning from 6-8 week trips in Europe, I tried to recreate the food moments I experienced there.

On the spectrum of foo-fooo. Foood…Oh, I can’t say it. On the spectrum of food enthusiasts, I am pretty novice. I only buy Parmigiano Reggiano, extra virgin olive oil, organic milk, and try to stick to produce in season. But, I still love me some junk food. You can take the girl out of the 80s but you can’t take the 80s out of the girl. I still devour the cheese dip my mom makes with Velveeta, have bought Tang in the last five years and can’t be trusted around a can of Pringles.

So having said all of that, I have come to a point in my life, that I when I shop for food – at a Farmers’ Market, mega market or deli – I know what I want. I am undyingly loyal to my favorite brands of olive oil, dried pasta and Dijon mustard. I scrutinize wedges of cheese for freshness and pepper butchers and fish mongers with questions. But when I go to the deli counter, I always pause and think hard about what I am going to do and say.

When I step up to place my order at the deli, the young man who is generally working behind the counter recognizes me instantly, and not in a good way. I usually stop by for some sliced ham or turkey, but every few months I buy some Prosciutto and I swear he sees me coming and thinks, good Christ she’s gonna demand some thinly-sliced Prosciutto again. And you know what? He’s right.

The thing is…I now understand and appreciate the mouth-watering appeal of fresh, thinly sliced Prosciutto. The pre-sliced stuff just doesn’t compare. And, if the Prosciutto is sliced too thick or too uneven, it just isn’t the same. If you are cooking with it, you can fudge it a little bit, but for wrapping around fruit, vegetables or breadsticks…thin is the only way to go. And really, for $27 a pound I can be a little demanding can’t I?

I have had this recipe floating around my kitchen for at least a year. My friends in Copenhagen sent it to me, knowing I would love it. They were right. Eggs are obviously a staple we have in abundance. Red-ripe tomatoes (grown by my parents) have been lining my windowsill for weeks. And Prosciutto, well all I need to do is visit my favorite deli man. I’m sure he’s missed me.

Parma Bowls with Egg and Tomato
Serves 2

2 big slices Prosciutto di Parma (thinly-sliced, natch)
2 Tbsp diced tomato
2 eggs
2 Tbsp fresh grated Parmigiano Reggiano (optional)
1 Tbsp chopped fresh basil

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease 2 cups in a muffin tin. Line the cups with one slice of Prosciutto each, forming it into a tight little cup. Sprinkle Prosciutto with chopped tomato. Crack an egg into each cup.

Bake for 10 minutes. Pull out the tray and sprinkle with the cheese (optional). Bake another 3-6 minutes or until the eggs are set to your liking.

Gently remove the Parma bowls onto plates and sprinkle with basil.

I think the general concept of this dish could be adapted with other ingredients. A sliced meat with plenty of fat is key for making a nice crispy crusted bowl, but ham may work. If tomatoes are out of season, caramelized onions or roasted red peppers would work great. Thyme or tarragon sprinkled on top would work well too. And for the optional cheese, you can’t go wrong with Velveeta…

Eggs-actly

2009-09-11T19:05:00.000-07:00

It's no secret that I L-O-V-E eggs. I love them soft boiled, poached, and especially in Eggs Benedict. They are so versatile. They are almost as great as the sum of their parts. The whites are miraculous in meringues and the yolks enrich a sauce like nothing else. And when you are tired, they make the simplest of suppers.

The urban chicken coop has been alive and well in the Seattle area for years. I worked with a couple of people who raised their own chickens and have seen chicken eggs at the farmers' markets for $5 a dozen. I always tried to buy the free-range, no hormone, naturally nested type eggs, but I have to admit that I had a little chicken envy.

Those chicken people were so smug though. "Oh, the eggs are so fresh," they'd exclaim. "The yolks are so bright," they'd gush. "They are almost orange in color, you wouldn't believe it!" And on, and on, and on. Oh, and Martha Stewart – that bitch – was the smuggest of them all! As she’d whisk up a Caesar dressing with raw egg yolks, she’d boast, “I don’t worry about salmonella because I get the eggs from my OWN CHICKENS.”

The thing is, for as much as I love eggs, I hate chickens. The way they wobble about, bobbing their heads and pecking the ground…is terrifying. Granted, I feel the same way about pigeons. If you walk towards them, you don’t know if they are going to fly away from your or into you. Terrifying.

Needless to say, owning chickens was out of the question. Don’t think I didn’t try. I casually mentioned it to Gavin once, probably after reading a “Build Your Own Chicken Coop This Weekend,” article in Sunset magazine. He laughed. Really LAUGHED. And teased. “Don’t you remember Kauai,” he asked.

We went to Kauai for our honeymoon (5 years ago next week) and loved it. Except for the chickens. They are everywhere on the island and have no real predators…other than motor vehicles. The story goes that Hurricane Iniki (in the early 1990s) destroyed a bunch of chicken coops and the chickens that survived are now wild and continue to breed. They weren’t at our resort, or at the lovely beach that we lounged at day in and day out…but everywhere else – chickens.

I tried to talk my parents into raising chickens a couple of times. They are great gardeners and DIYers, so it seemed natural. I tried subtlety at first, “You guys eat a lot of eggs, you know I hear raising chickens is easy.” I like to think my parents are getting forgetful enough that if I suggest something enough times, they will think they came up with the idea. Hey, it’s worked before, but that’s a story for another day. I later moved on to a direct approach. “You should raise chickens, you like to grow stuff and then you’d have fresh eggs every day.” That last attempt was met with a response just as direct from my mother, “Are you joking? Why on Earth would I want to take care of those filthy animals when I can just go to the store and buy fresh eggs?” Um. Yeah. I can see her point.

Where did that leave me? As of three months ago, that left me with eggs from the supermarket. I was buying eggs – white shells, yellow yolks, one-dimensional flavor. I had resigned myself to buying supermarket eggs until I met Lisa.

I met Lisa at our friend Maria’s 40th birthday party. I had made the birthday pies (apple) and Lisa was impressed. Our friend Michelle played matchmaker. It went something like this, “Sonja, this is Lisa and she loved your apple pie. Lisa has chickens that layfresheggseveryday. You should trade eggs for baked goods.” Ding ding ding ding ding! Done. Deal.

For the past three months, I’ve become friends with Lisa as we make our bi- or tri- weekly exchange of baked goods for eggs. I even got my parents in on the action. My dad traded some fresh halibut for his eggs.

Now that I have come to appreciate and enjoy a truly fresh egg, you know what? I have become that smug person! I had no idea how much more flavorful really fresh eggs could be! And the yolks – I can’t tell people enough about them, “So big - so plump - so flavorful! And they are SO yellow…they are almost orange.” I kid you not. I heard Gavin doing it the other day too. We have become that which we mocked!

I’ll admit it. Fresh chicken eggs – and I mean really fresh – are vastly superior to anything I’ve tasted before. The color of their shells are determined by the color of the hen's skin and in the case of Lisa’s chickens (that are grey and copper), the shells are pale blue and brown. I got to meet the chickens once and even took their picture…but from the safety of the deck.

It's National Aviation Day

2009-08-19T20:53:00.000-07:00

August 19th is National Aviation Day. I'll be honest. The only reason I really know this is because I work on a travel web site. I was assigned to write a blog post today about National Aviation Day and I swear all I could think about was the Aviation cocktail. I even managed to sneak in a link to the recipe.

I already had plans to meet my friend Robin for happy hour today, and as I wrote about Aviation Day, we IM'd about Aviation cocktails. You may remember Robin - she's the one who I got schooled with about cocktails and who generally has pretty awesome taste when it comes to food and everything else. We both LOVE the Aviation cocktail.

So tonight, we planned to meet at the restaurant that will live in infamy as "the booze cruise." That's another story, but what we DO remember from that night is that it began with cocktails. The restaurant has since opened a wine bar next door and we just assumed they would serve cocktails too and the Aviation would be readily available. Sadly, it was not. We had a nice evening and some very tasty food and sparkling wine, but alas, no cocktails.

Thankfully, my home bar is stocked! Since I've been experimenting with cocktails and studying the art of cocktail making, I had all the ingredients on hand to make the Aviation when I returned home.

The Aviation
2 ounces gin
1/2 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 teaspoons maraschino liqueur, preferably Luxardo
1/4 ounce Crème de Violette
Combine the first three ingredients in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake to chill well, then strain into a cocktail glass. Drizzle the Crème de Violette into the glass and garnish with a lemon twist or a maraschino cherry.

Simplicity Itself

2009-08-16T16:57:00.000-07:00

There is something comforting about a piping hot bowl of soup and lately, I've been in need of comfort. Even though it's August, the weather has been much cooler in the mornings and evenings. Since it already feels like autumn is in the air, it felt right to make soup.

Last week I saw the movie Julie and Julia. I have to say I loved it. I actually enjoyed the Julie side of the story as much as the Julia side. This is probably because I can relate to Julie more than Julia. When I read Julie Powell's book, I started reading more and more food blogs and it helped inspire me to start this blog. It also inspired me to steal my own mother's copy of Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Since yesterday was Julia Child's birthday, I pulled MtAoFC off the shelf.

Potage Parmentier is the French name for a simple potato leek soup that can be served hot or cold. Julia calls it "simplicity itself," and I have to agree.

Simplicity Itself (potato leek soup)
2 quarts of water
4 cups diced, peeled russet potatoes
4 cups thinly sliced leeks (white and pale green parts only)
1-2 Tbsp salt
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
4-5 Tbsp unsalted butter

Place water, potatoes, leeks and one Tbsp of salt in a 3-4 quart saucepan. Simmer on medium low, partially covered for 30-40 miniutes, until the vegetables are tender. Remove from heat and puree with an immersion blender (or puree in a blender in batches). Add the butter and continue to puree until smooth. Add the lemon juice and more salt to taste.

Serve with fresh chopped chives, topped with sour cream or croutons.

I would like to dedicate this entry to Julie Forward Demay - dedicated mother, devoted wife and fierce warrior against a disease that claims the lives of too many, too soon.

Feasting Friday: Affogato

2009-07-31T13:51:00.001-07:00

Affogato is an simple Italian dessert of ice cream topped with a shot of espresso. Affogato actually means "drowned" and as you can see below, the ice cream is drowning in a pool of espresso.

I have been resisting the urge to eat ice cream morning, noon and night all week. It's been hot here in Seattle. Really hot. Hotter than the hinges of hell, as my mother-in-law would say. With temps topping 100 degrees, I've kept myself cool with nonfat fruit and juice bars. But it's Feasting Friday people. FF requires fat.

Tully's Coffee is located near my office and they sell some pretty tasty soft-serve. It is a little on the sweet side, but works perfectly in an Affogato. You can take a small spoonful and dip it as much or as little into the espresso as you like to add the bitterness of the coffee to the sweetness of the ice cream. It takes some practice, but that is part of the fun.

Stairsteps to Heaven

2009-07-26T16:53:00.000-07:00

The sign of beer perfection: Check out the foam steps down the side of the glass!? This is the amber ale from Two Beers Brewery in Seattle. It's pretty much perfection in a glass on a 90-degree Sunday afternoon...

Cocktail Formula

2009-07-25T13:16:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite writers is Paul Clarke. He writes about cocktails for The New York Times, Imbibe magazine and many of the other food and booze publications I read regularly. He also blogs at www.cocktailchronicles.com. Awhile back, I read a blog post he wrote on Serious Eats about a simple cocktail formula that kind of blew my mind:

“Sour-style, liqueur-sweetened cocktails such as margaritas and sidecars usually fall into a 2:1:1 or 3:2:1 ratio of spirits:liqueur:citrus, depending on how sweet or tart you prefer the result. Remember the particular formula that’s to your liking and you can start swapping all kinds of things through to make different drinks: rum instead of brandy, apricot liqueur instead of Cointreau; while a little wiggle with the proportions may be required with some substitutions, as long as you follow the basic formula you can be assured that you’ll wind up with something balanced.

In an issue of Esquire, drinks correspondent David Wondrich offers another handy formula for creating cocktails on the fly—one that calls for two ounces of spirits, one ounce of a fortified wine, a teaspoon of liqueur and a dash or two of bitters. Ancestral relatives of the Manhattan and the martini often follow this formula, with excellent results, and best of all, it’s amazingly versatile.”

Brilliant! I have a couple of good cocktail books that cover the basics, including The Essential Bartender’s Guide by Robert Hess, but as I learn more about mixing cocktails this cocktail formula is going to come in very, very handy.

The difference between men and women

2009-07-25T12:57:00.000-07:00

Last year we took an Italian cooking class from the chef at one of our favorite Italian restaurants. The chef’s famous lasagna was part of the curriculum and we were excited to learn his secrets. We had been making our own lasagna for some time, homemade noodles and all, but knew we could do better. The class was fine, albeit it a little unorganized, and the chef was very knowledgeable and friendly.

Something he said though bugged me and has stuck with me over since that time. When he was separating eggs for the pasta dough, he said “you know the difference between men and women, is that women separate eggs like this (transferring the yolk between two cracked halves of the shell) and men separate eggs like this (placing the yolk into his hand and letting the white drip down into the garbage can). This struck me as needlessly sexist. Maybe it wasn’t meant that way, but it still bugged the shit out of me.

Since then, every time I separate eggs I think about that. Recently, it dawned on me that women separate eggs that way because THEY SAVE THE EGG WHITES! Sure, many male cooks probably do too. And I can’t imagine that a restaurant would throw away valuable product. But I think many men just throw away the egg whites, whereas most women save them.

I am a big fan of eggs. I think they are brilliant whole, but the yolks and whites are also amazing when used separately. I make a lot of custards and egg-based sauces, so I often have saved egg whites in my fridge. Leftover egg whites are great if you can find a use for them. I understand you can freeze them too, but I haven’t tried that yet. If I have three egg whites, I save them for these Swedish cookies I often make. If I have one egg white, I generally mix it in with one or two whole eggs for scrambled eggs. If I have just two egg whites though, I got nothing.

Lately I’ve been making a lot of ice cream. The custard base calls for 5 egg yolks. So, I have had five egg whites to use up after: that’s t three for the cookies and two for…two for…grrr. What can I make with two eggs whites?!

I don’t know where I saw them recently (probably the food network), but I saw meringues and thought, “BINGO!” Meringues use egg whites and I have plenty of those. I did a quick search on the new Epicurious iPhone app and found a simple recipe. The only key really is to make sure you get the egg whites stiff enough.

Meringues

2 large egg whites
1/2 cup sugar

Preheat oven to 200°F. and butter and flour a large baking sheet, knocking off excess flour. In a bowl with an electric mixer beat whites until they hold soft peaks. Gradually add sugar, beating, and beat until meringue holds stiff, glossy peaks. Drop heaping teaspoons (not measuring spoons) of meringue about 1 inch apart onto baking sheet and bake in middle of oven 45 minutes. Turn oven off and leave meringues in oven 1 hour more. With a metal spatula transfer meringues to a rack to cool completely. Meringue kisses may be kept in an airtight container at room temperature 5 days.

I don’t have a decent pastry bag, so I used a ziptop plastic bag and cut a small corner off and used it as an improvised pastry bag. The meringues are tasty enough, even if they look like little white turds.

Feasting Friday: Teddy's Bigger Burgers

2009-07-24T16:42:00.000-07:00

Our vacation to Eastern Washington was amazing. We went to Walla Walla for three nights, drove through the Palouse for a one-night stop in Spokane to visit some friends and then lounged around Lake Chelan for the last three nights. I have lots of good reports to share...from wine tasting, to Washington's second best bartender, touring the Dry Fly Distillery and our quest for the best drive-in burger. More on all of that later because today is Feasting Friday.

A big construction project is underway at our house. The roof has been torn off and it's fucking mayhem over here. Therefore...our meals for a few days will be eaten out, where there is no dust and no sawing or hammering taking place. Our first meal away from the chaos - I am happy to report - was perfect.

Teddy's Bigger Burgers is a chain from Hawaii that recently arrived on the shores of the Pacific Northwest. Before our vacation, I spent a lot of time on Chowhound researching restaurants. I found a thread titled Looking for the best burger in WA where I found lots of tips for the trip but ALSO saw mention of Teddy's, which is closer to home.

Teddy's has been voted best burger in Hawaii every year since 2004...according to their website at least. They opened their first mainland location in Woodinville, about 15 miles from our house. It isn't the most convenient option for burgers, but ended up being worth the drive.

They offer burgers in three sizes: Big (5 oz), Bigger (7 oz) and Biggest (9oz). All the burgers come with lettuce, tomato, pickles, onions and special sauce. More on the special sauce in a minute, but first can I just say that I LOVE a place that doesn't make onions optional?! I love onions on a burger (thankfully so does Gavin) and Teddy's slices theirs ultra-thin.

OK, so about that sauce. It is mayonnaise-based and a little bit sweet with just the tiniest bit of smoked flavor. I likened it to grilled pineapple, but that might have been because I had Hawaii on the brain. They slather on loads of it and it is a nice compliment to the "flame-broiled" beef.

Teddy's uses 100% ground chuck for their patties. They serve them medium and, as the menu states, that means they may be a little pink in the middle. It was cooked perfectly in my mind. A little drier than I expected out of ground chuck, but maybe they use leaner meat than I do. Or maybe some dimwit in the kitchen that day was pressing the heck out the patties with a spatula. Don't get me wrong...it was juicy, just not oozing juice. Eeew. That sounded kind of gross. Anyways...

The fries were in top form. Thick-cut potatoes, double fried and not over salted. Perfection. This was a relief given our most recent experiences with french fries in the north end.

All in all, Teddy's was tops. I have a running list of my favorite burgers in the greater Seattle area and Teddy's is definitely in the top 5. Maybe even the top 2. It's THAT good.

Feasting Friday: On Vacation

2009-07-11T09:43:00.000-07:00

Feasting Friday is on vacation and headed East - where the weather is hot & dry, the wine is flowing and the taquerias are muy autentico. I'll report back in a week. Adios!

Thirsty Thursdays

2009-07-09T17:59:00.001-07:00

Welcome to a new feature on this blog, Thirsty Thursdays. Every so often, on a Thursday, I'll share with you whatever tasty, refreshing beverage I am enjoying. It may be one of the many new cocktails I am experimenting with, a new smoothie or perhaps a new beer or wine discovery.

Today I was headed to the blood bank after work. Not the kind of blood bank that pays you for your plasma. This blood bank has volunteer donors contribute to the local blood supply for patients in need of transfusions, either due to illness or injury. I am proud to say that I've been donating for over 10 years now and just recently received my 5-gallon pin! You donate a pint at a time, so that is over 40 donations. Since I am O-NEG blood type (the universal donor type), they call me often. I try to donate regularly since it's a free and easy was to give back. Plus - free cookie!

So, I was early to my donation appointment this afternoon and realized that next to the blood bank was a beer market. But, this wasn't just any beer market. The sign boasted BIGGEST BEER SELECTION IN SEATTLE. Big Star Beer Market, let's see what you got.

In a word, impressive. Big Star just may have the BIGGEST BEER SELECTION IN SEATTLE. They had tons of imports - Germany, Belgium, Eastern Europe, Great Britain and more plus lots of beer from OR, WA and CA. They also sell different shapes of beer glasses and dozens of varieties of hard ciders. They had lots of 22-ounce bottles from local microbreweries, but I had my eye on the chilled beers. The summer weather has returned to Seattle and a cold, crisp beer sounded perfect for this evening.

When I traveled to the Philippines last year, the only beer we drank was San Miguel (it might actually be the only beer they sell). It is a crisp, light lager that is perfect for the hot, humid weather of SE Asia. It isn't nearly as hot nor as humid here right now, but San Miguel is a rare find and I just couldn't pass it up.

My blood donation went well. Iron levels good, blood pressure low and veins pumping freely. At the end of every donation, they tell you to drink lots of fluids for the next two to three days. I know from experience that you definitely get dehydrated after donating, so today will definitely be a Thirsty Thursday. The tech reminded me to drink lots of water. I asked, "What about beer?" and she firmly reminded me to drink water. But beer is mostly water, isn't it?

Maraschino Cherries

2009-07-08T19:34:00.000-07:00

In the winter of 2007, I saw a magazine cover that said “Homemade Maraschino Cherries.” I have been a Manhattan drinker for years and long ago eschewed those bright red abominations found on supermarket shelves. Don't get me wrong, I LOVED those cherries as a kid. Especially if they were served in a Shirley Temple or Mor-mor's lime jello molded salad.

I promptly bought that issue of Imbibe magazine and almost immediately signed up for a subscription. Based in Portland, OR, Imbibe magazine packs every bi-monthly issue with cocktail history, bar essentials, recipes, reviews on spirits, beer and the occasional non-alcoholic beverage.

The recipe for maraschino cherries is simple. Put fresh, clean, pitted cherries in a jar and top with maraschino liquor. What could be easier than that?! Well...first, I needed to find maraschino liquor.

Last winter passed and I still never found maraschino liquor. In fact, I had never even tasted it. I figured it tasted like cherries. In May of last year that changed on a trip to the Zig Zag Cafe. The bartender Murray schooled us about many things, including maraschino. First, we learned that it is pronounced mara-skeeno. We also learned that it provides many cocktails - particularly those bourbon or gin-based cocktails I love so much - with a sweet, nutty flavor that can't be beat.

Finally, in the fall of last year I found a bottle of maraschino...in Manhattan. I ended up buying it, toting it home and giving it a good home in my liquor cabinet. It only recently got some action when it made its way into an Aviation, but more on that later.

Local cherries (well, WA state at least) are in season, so I dusted off that old recipe and got to work. Pitting cherries is a hell of a job, made only mildly easier by a cherry pitter. As the recipe says...all you have to do is pit the clean cherries and put them in a jar and top with maraschino liquor.

And wait.

Place the jars in the fridge for a week or two, turning them daily to evenly distribute to liquor. They'll keep fresh for about a month. Although with that much alcohol, I suspect I they'll last a lot longer.

Feasting Friday: On the Water

2009-07-05T12:25:00.001-07:00

For someone that lives in a city surrounded by water, it is shocking how little I actually get out on the water. That all changed this week when we went out on our friend's Zodiac.

The picture above isn't exactly what you imagined when I said "Zodiac," was it? The thing is, Robin and Jason really know how to entertain. If you set up a table with a table cloth, load it with bottles of wine and tasty food...then, a Zodiac can actually be quite civilized.

Berry of the Month - June

2009-06-30T19:36:00.000-07:00

Fresh-picked, red, ripe strawberries are one of my fondest memories of summers. They are also probably one of my most vivid childhood memories.

I think I've mentioned before that I come from a long line of berrry pickers. It's a Scandinavian thing. My parents would take us up to the Snohomish River Valley in June to pick strawberries, for my mom to make jam. My brother was eight years older than me, so he was probably more helpful. I would basically sit in the field and stuff my face full of berries. My parents have always joked that the farmers wanted to weigh me when we arrived and weigh me when I left. I ate that many berries.

We've had the driest and warmest June in Seattle that I can remember. The conditions have been perfect for strawberries.

Last weekend, my dad and I went for a drive up to Arlington to visit a strawberry farm. My mom still makes jam, and I sometimes do too. This year though, I've had my sights set on strawberry ice cream, strawberry fruit leather and fresh strawberries on poundcake. I needed a lot of berries.

Strawberries are tough little buggers to pick. I wasn't about to plop myself down in the field, like I did as a child, so we just bought two flats of berries.

Nothing really compares to just-picked strawberries on a sunny, summer afternoon. The heady smell, deep red flesh and incredible juiciness are such a treat. In the long, dark days of winter I am often tempted by the strawberries at the supermarket that have been trucked in from thousands of miles away. They are like the empty shell of themselves though - tough flesh that is still white around the core. Bland flavor. I always regret the purchase.

The last couple of days have been a blur of strawberry-stained cooking. Ice cream - check. Fruit leather - check. Poundcake with berries and cream - check. I probably should have weighed myself going. I've eaten THAT many berries.

Oven Baked Bacon

2009-06-27T18:28:00.001-07:00

It's no secret that I love bacon. The smell of bacon in the morning is almost as good as fresh-brewed coffee. In my mind, weekend mornings are for frying bacon.

The thing is, I have decided that frying bacon on the stove top is a colossal pain. Especially since I've discovered how easy - and delicious - oven baked bacon is.

I've seen recipes for baking bacon that recommend placing the bacon on a wire rack, so the grease cooks off. I DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS METHOD. The fat is where the flavor is people. You want bacon to cook in its own fat. Bacon fat is to bacon what the egg yolk is the the egg white. Sure, the fat can be used separately to flavor vegetables just like egg yolks are key for custards. But - you would never eat a fried egg white, would you? Of course not. And, you should never eat bacon without its delicious fat.

Oven baked bacon is super easy and much easier than pan frying if you are cooking more than 3 or 4 pieces. And really, don't you always want to cook more than 3 or 4 pieces?

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Take a sheet pan and line it with foil. This will make for easy clean-up - once you have drained and reserved the fat. Space bacon slices and 1/2-inch or so apart. Once the oven is hot, put the pan of bacon in and set the timer for 10 minutes.

After 10 minutes, your bacon will be well on its way to being done. I buy thick-sliced bacon, so after the first 10 minutes, I remove the pan, flip all the slices and then return the pan to the oven for another 5-10 minutes. You kind of need to keep an eye on it, because the timing varies depending on how many slices of bacon you are cooking and how thick they are.

Once they are cooked to your desired crispness, remove the slices and place them on a plate lined with paper-towels. Now, you can move on to the eggs...

Feasting Friday: Lunch at Salumi

2009-06-27T12:23:00.000-07:00

I'll be honest - this week's Feasting Friday was in fact, on Thursday. The meal far surpassed anything I had on Friday though, so it is really the only meal worth sharing with you.

Salumi is an institution in Seattle. Started by a retired Boeing engineer over a decade ago, it has been making divine cured meats and gut-busting sandwiches ever since. Armandino Batali (Mario's dad), 'retired' a few years ago and the operation is now run by his daughter and son-in-law. Their cured meats can be found on menus from coast-to-coast and the line outside their Seattle storefront often winds its way around the block.

You have to plan a trip to Salumi carefully. They are only open from 11-4 Tuesday-Friday. It doesn't usually work as a lunch spot for me, but since I have been working on lower Queen Anne I sure have been trying. This most recent visit didn't start off well. I had planned to meet my friend Anbrit there on Wednesday, but realized I had a conflict so moved it to Thursday. I left the office at noon and was weaving my way through downtown before I realized there was a 1:40 pm Mariners game that day. There was loads of traffic and parking was sure to be abysmal. I finally made it to the Pioneer Square though and surprisingly, found a primo parking spot straight away. I sent Anbrit a text and went to join the line.

The line. It was LONG. And packed with tourists. Don't get me wrong, I like tourists. I actually find it kind of surprising and charming that people spend their vacation in Seattle. It just means that places that are usually crowded are really crowded during the tourist season.

The line ended up being OK. Once Anbrit joined me, we were able to pass the time very easily while catching up. I haven't seen her for months and she always has fun stories about her family, travels and school.

The menu is - as you can imagine - heavy on meat. There are some pastas, a vegetarian sandwich, Muffaletta, various cold sandwiches and some hot sandwiches. I still order the same thing I have ordered since my first visit a few years ago though - the porchetta sandwich.

Porchetta is a roast pork dish from Tuscany. It is the source of all things delicious. An entire pig (or at least a shoulder) is stuffed with onions, herbs, fennel and loads of salt and pepper, then roasted for hours until it is melt in your mouth tender. In Italy, small mobile food carts set up at markets and town squares and serve sandwiches of the juicy meat piled high on crusty bread and topped with more salt.

At Salumi, they amp up the flavor by spreading some herb/onion/mayonnaise spread on the bread first and then topping the porchetta with roasted onions and peppers. It is well worth the wait.

Feasting Friday: Dinner AT the Movies

2009-06-22T19:42:00.000-07:00

We decided to go local again for Feasting Friday last week. A new cinema opened in our neighborhood called Cinebarre. They took over for an old Regal cinemas that closed a few months ago.

The movie theater/restaurant has been catching on in the Seattle area in the last 10 years or so. I support the concept overall, but will admit that I am most excited at being able to order a beer or glass of wine at the movie above all else. The food is kind of secondary.

In the case of Cinebarre, the food is definitely secondary. They lean towards finger foods, so you don't need cutlery. Unfortunately, they lean towards mediocrity as well. On the plus side, the service and the fries were great. On the minus side, the burger was bone dry and they were kind of skimpy on the those delicious fries. I didn't have high expectations, but come on. A burger - it's not rocket science. If they applied the rules for theater popcorn to the burger (add salt, loads of butter and then more salt), things probably would have worked out fine.

Again, I was just as excited to order a glass of wine at the theater as I was to eat. Also on the plus side for Cinebarre is that they are 21 and older. That's right - no kids, no teenagers. It's not that I go to a lot of movies where there are kids, but still, it is nice to have an adult crowd. It's like the bar section of a restaurant - must be 21 and over to enter.

Feasting Friday: Diamond Knot Brewery

2009-06-13T11:26:00.001-07:00

Sizzling hot stone + raw steak + great beer = the perfect Feasting Friday.

I had a night out with the girls on Friday - as we made out way up to Whidbey Island for Maria's 40th Birthday Extravaganza. Conveniently located at the Mukilteo ferry terminal is Diamond Knot Brewery, which I've been dying to try for forever.

Diamond Knot has something called 'Stone Grills.' They are basically a sizzling hot stone with a slab of raw meat or fish on top. You choose the meat and then cook it how you like it. The only other place I've tried this was at a restaurant in Copenhagen that I took my tour groups to for the last 10 years or so.

The deal with these stones is, they are granite (food grade) and heated to 750 degrees. The hot stone is set into a porcelain platter and your raw food is placed on top. They had various seafood options and cuts of steak, but once I saw a rib eye on the menu I knew what I would be ordering.
There is a little technique involved. First, you need to season the meat. They have not applied any salt nor pepper. Then, if you like your meat rare just keep the steak whole. The more well-done you like it, the smaller you cut the pieces. The stone stays hot for a good 20-30 minutes. The serving platter they use for the hot stone is rather ingenious. We moved the veggies to the side while the steak cooked. Then, once the steak was cooked we moved it to the side and put the veggies on the hot stone and enjoyed the perfectly cooked steak.

As much as I love a rib eye, I think the steak cooked too quickly to fully inject the meat with all that flavorful fat. It was delicious, but I think next time - and there will be a next time - I will order one of the other cuts.

The pub has a great vibe. There are lots of people coming and going, since many are commuting on the ferry. They serve bowls of peanuts, you just throw the shells on the floor. There is a handy flavor chart for their beers on the chalkboard - dark to light on one side and malty to hoppy on the other.Diamond Knot makes a great IPA - called their 'Industrial' IPA. It packs a punch though at 8.6% alcohol. I definitely had an industrial headache in the morning.

Aperol Spritz

2009-06-10T21:31:00.000-07:00

ZOMG! I found Aperol. Aperol - the Italian bitter-orange based apertif. It is kind of like Campari, but less bitter. Don't get me wrong, I like bitters. Campari has never really appealed to me, but the first time I had Aperol I was hooked.

Last night I was out with my friend - and fellow 'retired' tour guide - Karoline. We met for happy hour and started talking about cocktails, imported spirits, etc. She mentioned Aperol and reminded me about how delicious it is.

That was just last night. Just 24 hours ago. TONIGHT...on my way home, I stopped by the liquor store for some vodka since I was making pie crust (more on that later). I stopped at the store in the Crown Hill neighborhood of Seattle and they had a great selection of imported liquors. I thought most of this stuff was only available by special order (case minimum), but I guess with the cocktail craze sweeping the city (and country) there is enough demand for it.

I first tried Aperol during a trip to Venice about six years ago. I had been to Venice plenty of times, but was spending a week there, on board a seven-day tour my friend Dave was leading. Dave is/was a splendid tour guide and mentor to me, but also a WSU grad and therefore quite a partier. We spent pretty much every night 'researching' ciccheti bars around the island. Ciccheti are bite-sized appetizers served at little bars all over Venice and that region of NE Italy. The bars serve all kinds of cocktails and wines, but the Aperol Spritz is a specialty of the area.

Aperol Spritz
1 1/2 ounces Aperol
2 ounces Prosecco or other sparkling wine
Splash of soda water

Pour the Aperol and Prosecco into a high-ball glass filled with ice. Top with a splash of soda water.

My favorite part is the odd, yet appealing garnish. A skewer with an orange wedge and a green olive. Most recipes I have been seeing online say to garnish with a lemon peel or an orange wedge, but no one mentions the olive. Don't underestimate the power of a green olive.

Proof a Poached Egg Improves Everything

2009-06-07T08:46:00.001-07:00

I have a love/hate relationship with asparagus. I love it when someone else cooks it, but hate it whenever I cook it. A few weeks ago though, I heard about an asparagus preparation that just might prove successful if I tried it at home.

We had hot, summer-like weather in Seattle for the last week - a rarity for this time of year. We spent every evening out on our deck, only going inside for fresh reading material of more ice. I picked up our bi-weekly produce basket one day which included some fresh, local asparagus. It being so hot, I wasn't in the mood for a heavy meal so a light vegetable dish sounded perfect. I had all the other ingredients on hand to try out a new recipe.

Grilled Asparagus with Tarragon Vinaigrette and Poached Egg
1 serving

4-8 spears of asparagus, peeled
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 Tbsp minced shallot
1 Tbsp chopped fresh tarragon
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
Salt & pepper
1 egg

Start by breaking off the woody ends of the asparagus. I also peel the stalks lightly, since they always get stringy if I don't. What I mean by lightly is that I don't peel absolutely everything. I peel it 'lightly,' I can't really think of another way to describe that.

Make the vinaigrette: whisk together the lemon juice, tarragon, shallot and oil. Salt & pepper to taste.

Steam the asparagus spears for 2-3 minutes until they have softened. Then, put them into a soaking tub filled with the vinaigrette while you fire up the grill (at least 10 minutes; no more than one hour) and get the water boiling for the egg.

If you don't have a grill, I think you can just saute the spears at this point. There is a little tricky timing to make sure the asparagus is still hot when the poached egg is ready. I grilled the asparagus for about 5 minutes, just enough time to poach the egg.

To poach the egg:
Fill a saucepan with 3-4 inches of water and bring to a rolling boil. Crack in egg into a small cup. Remove the pan from the heat and gently pour the egg into the water. Cover and walk away. For 4 1/2 minutes. Gently lift the egg out of the pan with a slotted spoon. I poke and prod the egg at this point to make sure the white is fully cooked. I have had pretty good success with this timing though.

To serve:
Remove the asparagus from the grill and place on a serving plate. Spoon over a tablespoon or so of the vinaigrette. Place the poached egg on top and season generously with salt and pepper.

The beauty of this dish is that when you break into the egg yolk, it mixes with the vinaigrette to make a nice sauce. This may soon become my favorite way to prepare vegetables, as I think you could substitute anything for the asparagus...or even make a salad with a similar vinaigrette. A poached egg improves everything.

Feasting Fridays: Grinders

2009-06-05T21:08:00.000-07:00

Given the less than stellar dining experience we had last week, we decided to try out another local restaurant this week.

Grinders Hot Sands set up shop in Shoreline a few years ago. I became a fan a couple years back, when I worked nearby, but it has taken me this long to talk Gavin into joining me. We weren't in the mood to cook, so we decided to get some take-out.

I have to admit that it is nice to let someone else do the cooking on Feasting Fridays. Unless I am on top of my game in terms of inspiration, ingredients and energy, by the end of the workday and week, I am beat.

Since today was National Doughnut Day, I didn't eat lunch because I had gorged myself on mini-donuts from the Pike Place Market this morning. By about 7pm tonight though, I was ready for dinner and Grinders is just a few miles away.

I am not an aficionado on 'grinders' as in the East coast variety, but I have it on good authority that the sandwiches at Grinders are the real thing. The owner looks like a total NJ wiseguy - thick neck and all. The sandwiches are big enough to feed two or more and are so loaded with meat and sauce that you pretty much need an entire roll of paper towels on hand when you tuck into one.

My favorite - so far - is "The Dipper." It is a gigantic ciabatta roll slathered with a horseradish/mayo mixture and melted Swiss cheese. They stuff it with obscene amounts of sliced roast beef, roasted red peppers, sliced portobellos and onions that have been swimming in a red wine bath for some time. Add some chopped fresh basil and dinner is served.

The grinder - at Grinders - is really a thing of beauty. We ordered out sandwiches at the height of their dinner rush and everything was on point. One thing that caught my attention was the bright green basil. They had obviously chopped it just for my sandwich because it hadn't even started browning on the edges by the time I got home. I love that.

I made it through half The Dipper (and half the roll of paper towels), before I had to walk away. Finishing the sandwich would no doubt be delicious, but given last night's pulled pork sandwich, I felt satisfied pretty quickly. It was a great meal though and a good reminder that we have some great dining options in pretty close vicinity to 'The Shire.'

National Doughnut Day

2009-06-05T08:46:00.001-07:00

There was really only one place to go...

Some Pig

2009-06-04T21:43:00.000-07:00

I went to my first Seattle Food Bloggers' event tonight. Keren Brown of Frantic Foodie started the group and hosts monthly networking/eating/drinking events. Tonight's event began at Beecher's Cheese and continued - progressive dinner style - to their new food truck on 2nd and Pike St.
The food truck craze is in full effect in Seattle. The folks behind Beechers (and Bennetts, Pasta & Co., etc) just opened the pig mobile for business and it appears they already have the recipe for success: prime location + porkalicious food + affordable & efficient = Maximus Minimus.

The menu is simple, just two items: pulled pork sandwich or vegetarian sandwich (a combo of barley and veggies). You can order your sandwich mild (minimus) or spicy (maximus). Clever, huh? There are sides of coleslaw or chips and cold drinks available as well.

The whole operation is pretty slick. The person taking your order has a handheld device to send your order into the kitchen. The truck is outfitted with taps for the drinks. Evidently the lines the first two days have been pretty long, but I think they are prepared for how popular they will inevitably be. In fact, they'll be very, very popular because this shit is deeeee-lish-ious!

The pork is a shoulder cut that has been seasoned and grilled. Then, after a good amount of char is achieved it is braised for several hours. The bun was soft and mild (not too sweet) and held up really well under the weight of all that juicy pork.

So, how do you find the truck? For now they plan on staying at 2nd and Pike. I am not entirely sure about the hours, but I think they are planning to hit the lunchtime crowd on weekdays. It is pretty easy to spot the truck, since it is shaped like a pig. Check out their website for more details.

I met some nice folks at the event. At my table were Sara from Hungry Grrl, Lacey from Loving Local Food, Mary from Mary Eats and Ann & Abe from Tastefully Overcaramelized. Pretty good company, I must say.

And after looking at their blogs, I know I need to get to work on redesigning and renaming my own blog. We all lamented how hard it is to name your blog. Particularly since most clever domain names are already taken or worse, lorded over by cyber squatters. My top choices have been Fork It, Bittles, Wine and Swine and Satisfy the Craving. All our taken...so the search continues.

Berry of the Month - May

2009-05-31T22:58:00.001-07:00

In the summer, it is easy for me to track time based on which berry is available. I thought this would be a fun monthly blog feature - a berry of the month club, if you will.

I made it in just under the wire for May, but on Sunday I thankfully had time to head down to the creek behind our house and pick salmonberries.

Salmonberries are unique to the Pacific Northwest, though I understand they grow as far North as Alaska and as far East as Idaho. Not many people actually know about the berries, since they are not cultivated and are too fragile for transporting or freezing. You can find them growing along the road, especially in shaded, woodsy areas. They are not as prolific as blackberries though and the period they are ripe is just a couple of weeks.

My friend Maria came by Sunday afternoon and we lazed in the sun on my deck for awhile before we realized we needed to get up and move. We both had a case of the lazy Sundays. With basket in hand, we headed down to the creek.

There is something so satisfying about picking berries. We were both wrestling branches and risking a fall into the creek to reach the fattest, brightest berries.

Our efforts were well rewarded though. We managed to get about a cup and a half of berries in just 15 or 20 minutes. I love how the berries range in color from pale orange to hot pink.

The berries have a really mild flavor. They are best eaten right away, promptly upon plucking them from the bush in fact. They are named 'salmon' berries, since the shoots were eaten by Native Americans as a side dish alongside salmon. Perhaps the name also references the color as well or that they ripen near the time salmon are returning to streams in late Spring.

I decided to make a simple syrup with the berries, as I did last year. We were having fish tacos for dinner, so had our heart set on margaritas. By mixing up the salmonberry syrup with some triple sec, fresh lemon and lime juices and some tequila, they ended up being Salmonberry Margaritas. Olé!

Feasting Friday: Local Edition

2009-05-29T20:26:00.001-07:00

We have a restaurant in Lake Forest Park. Granted, it isn't anything "gourmet" or anything...but a bona fide restaurant nonetheless. And can you say "Void. Filled?" Look at this line-up of people!

We picked up a menu last weekend and learned that this new restaurant is owned by the same folks who have the Greenlake/Eastlake/South Lake Union Bar and Grill restaurants. Those are decent enough places. Good, but not great.

There was a bit of wait for a table, but we managed to snag one in the bar. It was loud and boisterous, probably due to the fact that the place was packed. They have a good selection of beers on tap and some decent wines too. The cocktail choices however are horrible. Totally unacceptable. Especially since this is Robert Hess's neighborhood. They were all sweet concoctions made with various flavored vodkas and rums. Not a savory cocktail in site.

I had a craving fish and chips and Gavin got the burger. Both the fish and the burger were surprisingly good and fresh. The fries on the other hand were terrible. Gavin didn't even finish his. The colder they got, the worse they tasted. Such a shame, especially considering the great fries we had for last week's Feasting Friday.

Last summer, on a trip to the Yakima Valley, we ate a a brewpub in the area. It looked promising, the pub was cute and the beer was delicious. The food however, was terrible. We joked then that the restaurant must have ordered the "pub kit" from FSA. Food Services of America trucks are those ones you see delivering to restaurants all around.

I don't really think a "pub kit" exists, but if it did there would be "ready-for-fryer" items like onion rings, french fries and chicken wings. There may even be variations on the pub kit, like the Italian pub kit: the basic pub kit plus mozzarella sticks, mini pizzas and Caesar salad (with grated parmesan!). Perhaps a Mexican pub kit: the basics plus taquitos and jalapeno poppers. I could go on...but I think you get my drift.

So, I suspect the Lake Forest Bar & Grill uses many items from FSA. The fish was fresh and the burger hand-formed, but those fries were straight out of the freezer for sure.

When I Don't Want to Cook

2009-05-29T20:06:00.000-07:00

Thankfully, my love of cooking has rubbed off on Gavin quite nicely. At times, it is irritating, because I suspect his palate is better than mine plus he never, ever uses a recipe. Other times though, when I'm drained and hungry for example, I am really thankful that Gavin will whip up a meal for me.

He excels at cooking many things, but is definitely my go-to guy on two: The first is gravy. I can bake just about anything, yet have an irrational fear of gravy. Gavin loves gravy and has therefore mastered it. The second is omelets. The two are probably related, since they both require patience.

Gavin is a masterful omelet maker, I must admit. He heats to pan on medium-low and gently beats a couple of eggs with a little cream. Then, after melting some butter in the pan, he pours in the eggs, adds some salt and pepper and waits. Waits. WAITS. This is where I usually say 'fuck it' and make scrambled eggs.

I'm thankful for a true omelet once in awhile though, especially when it's late and I am tired and hungry. Then....I get one of these.

Feasting Friday: Frites

2009-05-28T19:07:00.000-07:00

Seattle has become a great french fry town. What makes a great french fry? It's the double fry. That's right - the double fry. The first fry cooks the potato just fine, but it's the second fry that gets them superextracrispy and that my friends, is the key to great french fries.

Last Friday, Gavin and I went to Restaurant Campagne down at Pike Place Market. We had a gift certificate that we've been meaning to use for months. Actually, it was a "discount" gift certificate we bought online. We decided to sit at the bar rather than the restaurant because a) we could maximize our budget by taking advantage of the happy hour prices and b) we actually find their bar menu more appealing.

It was a beautiful, sunny afternoon, so the place was empty. They offer free "snacks" in the bar on Fridays (crostini, Marcona almonds and the like), but I was in a carnivorous mood. Gavin got the Steak Frites and I ordered the lamb burger. I have to mention that Gavin will ALWAYS order a Steak Frites if it's an option. He didn't think he liked French food until a couple of years ago. He's a french fry afficionado (hence my knowledge of the "double fry"). Once he realized that French restaurants often have fries on the menu (even though they are Belgian...but I digress), he was all for it. Throw in a nice steak and consider it DONE.

The lamb burger was delicious. I've only started to eat lamb recently, and even then only the mild cuts. This burger was a bit gamey, but you know what? I liked it! The meat was so tender and juicy. The burger came with a mountain of semi-pickled red onions and of course those incredible fries. I was pleased to see it made Seattle Magazine's Best Burger list

The bar was definitely easier on the wallet than the restaurant, yet we still received A-plus service. I'm a sucker for good service and Campagne does it right. We declined on dessert, but were pleasantly surprised to get a sweet treat with our check...

My Obsession with Juniper Berries

2009-05-19T19:51:00.000-07:00

It started at the Zig Zag Cafe. I thought I hated Gin, but then I had it without tonic. It turns out that I hate tonic. The Zig Zag is an amazing bar with an equally amazing bartender. About a year ago, my friend Robin and I got an education from the bartender, Murray, on all things Gin. I had a cocktail that night called the Aviation. It's an old recipe, but one that highlights the great aromatic qualities of Gin. It's mixed with Creme de Violette, lemon and Maraschino liquor. Murray also gave us a taste of Dry Fly Gin from Spokane. I liked it. A lot. There was something appealing about the woodsy, floral - almost eucalyptus, flavor of Gin that really surprised me.

A few months later, I tried a Vesper cocktail. Again. The Gin. Plus some Vodka and Lillet Blanc mixed in for an amazingly sweet but herbal cocktail.

Next, I bought some Gin for my home bar. Then, I started drinking Gin martinis. I was hooked on Gin, without entirely realizing that a large part of its appeal comes from juniper.

I tried mixing Gin with soda, but found that Gin really came to life when mixed with something with enough floral flavors to stand up to the flavors of Gin. Sure, a slice of cucumber or lemon twist helps, but I knew there had to be something more interesting than soda - but less disgusting than tonic - to mix with Gin.

Enter Dry Soda, based in Seattle. I first read about this company a couple of years ago and have seen their sodas popping up on menus around town. I bought a sampler of their four initial flavors last summer: lemongrass, lavender, kumquat and rhubarb. They were all amazing. I'd say I liked the lemongrass and lavender flavors the least, but could see how they would be tasty with the right meal or mixed into the right drink. The rhubarb was good, but then I tried the kumquat. And then I tried with kumquat with...you guessed it, Gin. Bingo. They were born to be together.

So, with my appreciation for Gin fully matured...I started noticing it everywhere. My February/March issue of Fine Cooking came in the mail with a cocktail recipe. They hardly ever have cocktail recipes in that magazine. But they did in that issue, a recipe for a Gin cocktail. The Martinez is thought to be the predecessor of the Martini. It is made with Gin, sweet vermouth, Maraschino liqueur and bitters. It looks like my beloved Manhattan, but pow! It's Gin. And it's delicious.

In February, Seattle Magazine had a great article about the craft distillery explosion taking place in Washington State. Turns out that Dry Fly isn't the only local distillery making Gin. It also turns out that I can support local businesses and enjoy Gin at the same time.

It's now been over a year since I first embraced Gin, and I have started to take it for granted. I got a bottle of Hendricks for my birthday and have been ordering Gin cocktails (instead of my usual Bourbon) for months. In the last week though, a veritable onslaught of juniper bombarded me. Notice I say juniper and not Gin.

It started when I went to buy some Dry Soda and noticed a new flavor on the shelves...Juniper. It took a quick inner monologue for me to realize what I was dealing with. It went something like this, "Juniper, that's that hedge most people want to rip out of their yard. Oh, and there are juniper berries too. My parents sometimes use those in Scandinavian dishes. Juniper, yeah. Wha...wait. Juniper...that is what's in GIN." Ding-ding-ding-ding-ding!

I tried the juniper Dry Soda - plain, out of the bottle last night. It was delicious. Kind of subtle and more sweet than I expected. Of course, I expected to mix it with Gin, but decided against it. I will definitely buy it again...perhaps in bulk, as I can imagine myself sitting on the deck on sunny Saturday afternoons sipping on Gin/Juniper cocktails. Gin and tonics are so 20th century...

The onslaught continued when the newspaper had an article about craft distilleries too. A distillery in Woodinville - practically my backyard - makes Gin. And good Gin at that. Somehow I missed this distillery in the other article. It's so close I could even ride my bike there!

Then, the food editor of the newspaper wrote about Dry Soda's juniper flavor on her blog. She suggests substituting it for tonic in your Gin cocktail too.

And finally, in the Sunday paper there was an article titled Juniper berries can add pop to everything from sauerkraut to virgin gin. That did it. Juniper is part of my culinary zeitgeist now. I may even try making the virgin gin recipe from the article. It would at least make Vodka more interesting....

Friday Feasting: Road Food

2009-05-15T10:57:00.000-07:00

I am heading out the door, but had to write something about "road food." Gavin and I used to pack a bag of hoagie rolls, a bottle of dijonaise and two kinds cheese: pepper jack & cheddar. That was back in the days when Gavin had a '76 VW camper van though...and I was a vegetarian.

Fast forward to today, we still have a VW but it is a bit sportier (not to mention faster) than the camper van. Also, I only lasted as a vegetarian a few years.

Road food today has evolved to turkey, bacon, cheddar and ranch wraps. We make them before we hit the road and pack them in the cooler.

Today I am hitting the road to Eastern Washington with the girls, so I had to pack us some "road wraps." The cooler is packed and we are rolling out of town in 3, 2, 1!

Feasting Friday: Sonjapalooza Report

2009-05-15T10:35:00.000-07:00

I owe you a report about Sonjapalooza and it has taken me a week to get to it! I have to admit, it kind of kicked my butt this year.

I am leaving in about 10 minutes for the annual Girls' Weekend at Crescent Bar, so I have to make it short. This may give you an idea of why this year's Sonjapalooza wiped me out.

Tuesday: I kicked off my birthday week on Cinco de Mayo - as I normally do. Gavin and I went to see The Shins at the Showbox. Great show - kind of mellow, but good sound.

Wednesday: Barb brought over a bottle of our favorite Bourbon - Basil Hayden. Need I say more?

Thursday: Yay! My actual birthday. I met Kathy for lunch (burgers and beers at Buckleys), then went to my parents after work for "appetizers." It ended up being a feast of crab, baked potatoes, grilled chicken, angels on horseback (see below) and cake.

Friday: Gavin and I met Robin at Sambar for cocktails. This is such an adorable bar and they have great drinks (and food)
After Sambar, we continued on to The Copper Gate for some Akvavit cocktails and Swedish meatballs. On the way home, we stopped by Jens and Jami's house for a beer and to hang out by the firepit.

Saturday: The home stretch. I had a hair and nail appointment and then went shopping. They were giving free makeovers at Nordstrom (aren't they always though?), so I got my make-up done too. Gavin and I had reservations at Spring Hill in West Seattle. It was a divine meal, topped only by the view we had into the kitchen. It was fascinating to watch them work. In short, I had oysters, lamb and ice cream. I really need to just write a separate post about that restaurant. It was divine.

Angels on Horseback

2009-05-08T06:58:00.001-07:00

Yesterday was my birthday...but don't fret if you haven't sent birthday wishes my way yet. I like to celebrate multiple days of my birthday. In fact, my friend Kathy started calling it Sonjapalooza. It's like a week-long festival.

I tried talking my parents into going out for happy hour but, in my dad's words, "I've got the best happy hour at my house." Um, OK.

I will admit that I don't know any restaurant that makes Angels on Horseback: oysters wrapped in bacon and broiled until the bacon is crisp. It's about the only way I like cooked oysters (I prefer them raw). The only other time I've had them other than at my parents' or a friend's house is at the annual oyster festival in Shelton. Is this a streetfood niche I need to consider starting in Seattle?

Cinco de Mayo

2009-05-05T19:19:00.001-07:00

I know Cinco de Mayo isn't as important a Mexican holiday as their independence day, but hey - Mexican beer, tortillas and avocados are on sale so can you blame me for craving Mexican food?

North of Seattle, where we live, is filled with ethnic eateries and markets - including several good taco trucks. We recently discovered a little market near one of these trucks. Behind the El Carreton taco bus on Aurora and about 150th, there is Lupe's Tienda. I kid you not - that is really the name. It is the kind of shop that sells everything from pinatas, Mexican candy and long-distance calling cards to those Catholic candles with the saints on them.

One day Gavin happened to stop in there and check it out. In the refrigerator case, he found 8-oz. unmarked containers of muy autentico salsa for $2.50 each.

The green salsa is the most mild, followed by the deep red one (though it has a mighty kick) and rounding out the trio is a pico de gallo that is so spicy it will make your eye lids sweat.

When Accidents Happen: The Icing on the Cake

2009-05-04T18:46:00.000-07:00

It's confession time...again. Sometimes (*gasp*), I cook something that doesn't quite turn out like I hoped or thought it would. I feel obligated to tell you this, because it is just too tempting to only tell you about the things that do turn out. So, it looks like this may need to become another regular blog feature..."When Accidents Happen."

Generally, when accidents happen the results are still edible. They just aren't that pretty. Or, not as pretty as they could have been. Remember the poundcake accident of 2008?

One of my 2009 cooking resolutions was to tackle cakes. I just don't eat much cake, but I love how they look. I have been making baby steps. Cheesecake I can do. Cupcakes, no problem. My favorite recipe so far is a single layer chocolate cake with a ganache on top. What I really had in mind though was one of those multi-layered cakes with fruity filling and fluffy white icing.

My freezer is small, so every month or so I need to assess the contents and use up what has been hibernating inside. I had some Meyer lemon juice leftover from Arlene, so something lemony was in order. I keep all my old issues of America's Test Kitchen, and came across a recipe for a layered cake with lemon curd and fluffy white icing. Perfect.

Let me start by saying that the lemon curd turned out perfectly. The rest...not so much. It was tasty, but was not the prettiest cake by the end.

The trouble started with the cake. The layers turned out really thin. So thin in fact that I needed to call in the craftsman (Gavin) to evenly slice each layer in two. The recipe said to cut a notch in each layer, so I could line them up after spreading the lemon curd between each layer. Good tip, but I still ended up with a lopsided cake.

On to the icing. The recipe was for something called 7-minute icing. In the depths of my memory, I recall hearing something about this icing. It called for cooking the eggs whites and sugar over a double boiler first. To 160 degrees. Sure - easy peasy. I've cooked various custards and egg-based sauces, so I wasn't too scared about this step. My thermometer however, either was not accurate or was not shoved deep enough into the pot. By the time I realized this, The egg white mixture was at 185 degrees.

The thing is...it still looked OK. So, I whisked it in with the other ingredients in my stand mixture for 7 minutes (see, that's where the name comes from). I whisked it for about 15 minutes though but it never reached "stick peaks." Fuck it. It was thick enough and company was arriving any minute.

I had my cake layers stacked, with layers of lemon curd in between and was ready to begin applying the icing. I've watched Martha frost enough cakes to have absorbed some knowledge and recalled something called "the crumb coat." So, I started by applying a thin coating of the icing. Thing is, this stuff was more like marshmallow fluff than frosting so it kept pulling up crumbs with it. Gah! Eventually I got ahead of the crumbs though and managed to apply all the icing. It wasn't fluffy and it wasn't pretty, but no crumbs were showing either. It was a little lopsided, but otherwise looked OK.
When we sliced into it though, the lemon curd had not spread to the edges of the cake. A testament to my perfectly thickened curd? I'm afraid not. Looks aside, it tasted great and was devoured.

Feasting Friday: Fire Up to Grill

2009-05-01T19:55:00.000-07:00

Driving home from work last night...I could smell the sweet, mouthwatering smell of charred meat. I love barbecuing year-round (which is why I bought a Weber Genesis two years ago). Something about these early days of Spring however, give me grill-fever.

Last night was the Dine Out for Life though, so while we feasted on Red Mill burgers, we plotted a scheme for firing up the grill on Friday - a forecasted 70-degree day. We had a coupon from our local grocery store for buy one, get one free bone-in rib-eye steaks from Painted Hills Farms. And, one thing we've noticed recently - on trips to Chicago and The Met - is that we LOVE bone-in rib-eye steaks. I used to be a well-done steak lover. Then, I liked medium rare, but filet mignon or New York steaks. The rib-eye steak however, is the ultimate journey to Flavor Country.

So, it's Friday. We arrived home from work and immediately took the steaks out of the fridge, salt and peppered them and let them get up to room temperature. I've been reading Ruhlman's The Elements of Cooking, in which he says that steaks can be salted as soon as you buy them. It not only prohibits the growth of microbes, but it also allows the salt to distribute itself throughout the meat. I should have thought about that last night...but at least the steaks got a good hour of salt.

One thing we've learned in our samplings of great steaks is that char is key. Our grill will get up to about 700 degrees, about half the temperature of the smoking grills at Gibson's. For us however, that appears to be plenty-o-heat. The trick is to throw the steaks on the grill, shut the lid and walk away. For. Two. Minutes. Then, open the lid, flip the steaks, shut the lid and walk...away. Again. For...two minutes. Then, assess. Depending on the thickness of the steaks, you can move them to a cooler part of the grill or remove and let rest. I am a fan of the finger test for doneness. When they are near your desired doneness, remove from the grill and tent with foil for 2-10 minutes.

So, it's Friday. There is something SO comforting about meat and potatoes. We fired up the grill, cooked the rib-eyes, baked some potatoes and opened a nice bottle of Washington wine. And then, we feasted.

Licorice...Rockies?

2009-04-30T20:21:00.000-07:00

These delicious licorice candies were my constant companion when I guided tours in Scandinavia each summer. In Denmark, they are made by the Toms candy company (maker of all things delicious). They are a sweet black licorice (as opposed to a salty black licorice, which Scandinavians LOVE), filled with a candy paste kinda sorta like, hmmm. The filling is hard to describe. Hold on. Let me eat another one and try again.

........................

OK, the filling is marshmallow-ish. Almost like a circus peanut in consistency, but with much better flavor. Toms makes a variety of flavors - rhubarb being my favorite.

Seattle has a large Scandinavian population, so if I'm craving any foods from the motherland I just need to make a stop in Ballard. IKEA is a little out of my way (though they have the freshest and cheapest offerings). On my way home from work , I pass a store called Scandinavian Specialties. I stopped in the other day for cod liver oil (a spoonful a day!), but left with cookies and pickled herring too. In the candy aisle I found these. Why they are called licorice rockies, I have no idea. They are perfect though - and much closer to home than Copenhagen.

Feasting Friday: Skillet Edition

2009-04-24T12:05:00.000-07:00

The Skillet Street Food Airstream serves a different neighborhood of the city each day of the week. On Feasting Fridays, it happens to serve the neighborhood near my office.

They are usually packed and run out of food, so getting there early is a necessity. I wake up at the crack of dawn, so a pre-noon lunch is just fine.

The Skillet menu varies, but a constant appears the be "the burger." A half pound of medium rare grass-fed beef is topped with arugula, blue cheese, and bacon jam and served on a brioche bun. Oh yeah, you read that right. Bacon. Jam. Think onions carmelized in bacon grease. A generous serving of hand cut fries topped with salt and some fresh herbs comes on the side - all for $9.

It was a little chilly today, but I managed to find a tranquil courtyard in Seattle Center with benches in the sun. And then, I feasted.

Pâté Temptation

2009-04-24T09:37:00.000-07:00

The Boat Street Café is dangerously close to my office. It isn't cheap, but when you can get delicious pâté and a glass of wine for $10 in this town it is pretty great. Their happy hours (5-7pm) are only Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, but it is a charming place and hey, Thursday is the new Friday, right?

Friday Feasting: Cold Beer Edition

2009-04-17T19:54:00.001-07:00

I keep this 2-liter "growler" in my trunk for days like this. Sunny and nearly 70 are the perfect combination for a mid-Spring day in Seattle. And, the perfect reason for frosty, cold pints of beer.

On my drive home, I pass several micro-breweries. For about $10 you can get your growler filled to take home and enjoy. If you don't open it, it is supposed to stay fresh for days. I only buy it when we plan on drinking it right away. It works out to about 4 pints, which is the perfect for two people at the end of the work week.

If you don't have a growler, most breweries sell them (filled!) for you to take home. Then, all you need to do is keep it clean and remember to bring it with you when a brewery is nearby. I've had the growler pictured below for years. This most recent fill-up was at the Maritime Pacific Brewery. Their Flagship Red Ale is smooth and sweet with a mild hoppy finish.

Kitchen Gadgets That Work: The Alligator

2009-04-16T17:53:00.000-07:00

I come from a long line of kitchen gadget collectors. OK, just two. But still, my Mom and Dad appear to have acquired every plastic tool, gadget or implement that has been invented for the home cook. If "it slices, it dices"...they own it.

While they are very generous, some of the gadgety gifts my parents have given me just aren't very useful. The "chopper" and the "fat mop," just haven't cut it. Literally.

A couple of years back though, they gave me something called "The Alligator." I was skeptical. Heck, I didn't even try it for a couple of years. It was stuffed into a drawer for a long time before I gave it a go.

"Mr. Chompers," as I have since nicknamed him, has become a kitchen gadget that is actual used a great deal in my kitchen. Granted, if I had better knife skills I could probably finely dice an onion in seconds. But, I don't. Enter Mr. Chompers. I can finely dice an onion in seconds. Literally. And, the thing cleans up quickly and has even chomped through carrots and celery.

I still chop onions by hand on occasion. If I just need half an onion or a small onion, I'll chop by hand. If I am cooking for a crowd though, or making a big batch of chili or spaghetti sauce, you better believe I turn to Mr. Chompers.

Friday Feasting: Taqueria Style

2009-04-10T23:43:00.000-07:00

This Friday, the mister was having a bad day and needed some comfort food. These days, "comfort food" means Mexican food. Our favorite taqueria is a place on hwy 99 in Lynnwood called Taqueria La Fondita. For $5 you can get 5 tacos or two mulitas (among dozens of other menu items). Mulitas are basically a quesadilla, but made with corn tortillas and meat, onions, avocado, and cilantro in addition to cheese.

The Mexican food in the greater Seattle area has vastly improved in recent years. Thanks to the influx of hard-working Mexican laborers, we've reaped the benefits with 'muy autentico' food. The rainbow of flavorful salsas alone should make anyone an immigration advocate. It's not necessarily health food - what with the lard and the deep frying - but boy is it tasty.

Apple Cup

2009-04-07T08:45:00.001-07:00

We're on our way to Stevens Pass for some Spring skiing. On the highway up, in the town of Sultan, there is a little bakery that sells something called an Apple Cup. It is basically a cross between a cinnamon roll and an apple fritter. Nothing short of delicious!

Feasting Friday: BBQ Edition

2009-04-03T19:14:00.001-07:00

BBQ ribs, pulled pork and all the fixings - procured at Teddy Bear BBQ in Monroe. Mmmm-mmm!

Friday Feasting: Spiral of Shame Edition

2009-03-27T21:43:00.000-07:00

Let me be clear. I am NOT ashamed that I ate at Dick's Drive-in last night.
I am ashamed because it was the best food I had all evening. Well, at least the best food I had that I remembered to photograph.

My Friday began at the gym. After that, I took the Metro downtown, and had about a 1/2 mile walk to the office. Figuring I had earned "a treat." I stopped in at Boulangerie Nantaise. My friend Greg used to manage this organic, French bakery and I have enjoyed their pastries many times before. This time however, I thought I would try something other than my usual pain au chocolat and ordered an apple something-or-other. It looked promising and I clutched it in my paw all the way to the office.

Settling into work for the day, I got a cup of coffee and sat down at my computer. I was starving at this point and couldn't WAIT to tuck into that pastry. Hmm, I thought. That dough is kind of salty. Hmmm. Not really that flaky either. And, what is that filling? Apple-y, but kind of mushy. Kind of like applesauce, but bad applesauce. Bleh. I ate about 1/3 and threw it out. Thankfully I brought a breakfast burrito with me too and was able to have that for my morning sustenance instead.

On to lunch...I didn't bring one, but had hoped some of my office mates would be headed out to lunch. They weren't. I did get invited to sit 'round the lunch table with them though. I surveyed the food I had stashed in and around my desk. A mango, (delivered in this week's produce basket); some peanut butter; a can of sardines; almonds, white cheddar Cheez-its; and some Wasa crisp bread. So, I put together a random plate of fruit, fiber and protein and ate at my desk. I was too ashamed to eat this weird plate of food in front of my colleagues.

Finally...quitting time! Gavin was meeting me after work and we were going to meet up with some friends for drinks before heading to our friend Rachel's apartment-warming party. She ordered BBQ for the occasion and I was saving up. Perfect Friday Feasting fodder!

Gavin was hungry for a snack and since we were going to end up at the Rob Roy, we decided on having a quick bite beforehand someplace in Belltown. We went to an old favorite or ours - La Vita e Bella Pizzeria. We remembered them having some pretty tasty food. Either they have gone downhill or our palates have greatly improved, because the pizza was terrible. Not photo-worthy. Not Friday Feasting worthy. Heck, it was hardly edible.

On to pre-funk cocktails. The Rob Roy (formerly the Viceroy) had some GREAT cocktails. I started with their signature - the Rob Roy, naturally. It is basically a Manhattan made with Scotch. Then, I had a Martinez. I read about this cocktail at finecooking.com, in a great article they had called Shaken or Stirred. Another great cocktail. Of course, I failed to to take pictures of either.

Finally, on to Rachel's new Belltown flat. It is a super cute place in a great location. It smelled fantastic too, since she had ordered up BBQ ribs, chicken and hot links along with all the side dishes. I feasted and fêted , but totally FORGOT to take pictures. Grrr. What is that, zero for five!?

We called it an evening pretty early, since we had our own party to prep for Saturday morning. In a total lapse of judgement, we decided to make a stop on our way home at Dick's Drive-In. Actually, in the back of my mind I kind of wanted to prove that I can eat a greasy late night burger and not feel sick which was the case at In-n-Out Burger. As I unwrapped my burger and prepared to take a bite, I remembered - it's FEASTING FRIDAY - and quickly took a picture.

Pain au Chocolat: Battle of the Bakeries

2009-03-22T16:42:00.000-07:00

It is a widely held belief that the best pastries in Seattle can be found at Cafe Besalu. I have long subscribed to this belief. Thankfully, Besalu is not close enough to my house for me to be a regular patron. When I am in the neighborhood though...I make a point of stopping in for their out-of-this-world pain au chocolat.

Lately however, there has been a lot of talk about a NEW bakery in town. A new bakery that may just very well (gasp), take the top honors. Honoré Artisan Bakery even had the nerve to open a few blocks away from Besalu.

A taste test was in order. I was thinking of it as "The Battle of the Century" or "The Battle of the Boulangeries." The bulge? The butter?
Anyways, you get where I am going with this. I'll stick with the Battle of the Bakeries. Last weekend, Gavin and I had errands to run in that part of the city and when I suggested we stop and not one but TWO bakeries...he was on board.
On the left...the reigning champion: Cafe Besalu. In the other corner...the challenger: Honoré. Look at the challenger, all bronzed and puffed up. Besalu's fighter looks a little saggy, a little deflated even. I was starting to worry for my beloved Besalu.
But then, I took a bite. Sure, Honoré tries to one-up the competition with not one but TWO layers of chocolate. It's efforts however, are in vain. Besalu's pain au chocolat is flaky beyond compare. It's buttery, soft and tender dough balance just right with the bittersweet chocolate inside. It finishes with a slightly salty aftertaste.

Honoré's pain au chocolat looked promising, but was much less flaky. I would even say it was doughy. There would only be one clear winner in this battle...Cafe Besalu.
Honoré is good. They are definitely on their way to being one of the top contenders. One thing they offer, that Besalu does not, are macarons.

Now, here is where the excel. I have long been a fan of the macarons from Le Panier, but THESE macarons...wow. Just wow. The white one above was coconut with salt caramel filling. The green was pistachio. Or, as my friend Therese calls them, "pistach-i-crack." I have a feeling another bakery battle is in order....

Feasting Friday: Oyster Edition

2009-03-20T13:39:00.001-07:00

It's the first day of Spring - and Friday - which means it's time to feast. It was kind of rainy today, but I still wanted to get down to Pike Place Market and take a look around.

As touristy as this place is, I love the energy. Daffodils and tulips are in season, wild mushrooms are available at many stalls and the sun actually decided to make a brief appearance.

And this - RHUBARB - can you believe it? I myself am not a huge fan...but it's a sure sign that spring is on the way.

I killed some time wandering the market, taking in the sights and sounds and listening to some of the street musicians perform.

My friend Robin works near the market, so she came to meet me for this week's "Feasting Friday." That is her dog - named Friday - how perfect?!

Robin is a BIG oyster fan - like me - so she is the perfect dining companion when I have a hankering for bivalves. We went to Emmett Watson's Oyster Bar, tucked into small space away from the crowds of people. It is pretty rustic, straight forward and simple. It doesn't get simpler than menus printed on brown paper bags...

We ordered a dozen raw oysters to share. They totally hit the spot. They weren't the best oysters I've ever had. I think I realized that unless I am eating oysters freshly shucked on the beach...I prefer them in a fancy setting, served ice cold with some tangy mignonette and a strong gin-based cocktail. That wouldn't be appropriate for lunch though now would it?

Food Notes from Hell-A

2009-03-19T19:50:00.000-07:00

I was in LA last weekend with some girlfriends. It wasn't exactly a culinary trip (see In-n-Out and IHOP), but I do have some random observations and photos to share.

Fruit plate: Have you ever seen something so beautiful?

Restaurant ratings: These signs are in all restaurant windows and show you the grade that establishment received from health inspectors. My friend Jen thinks all restaurants in the US should have these.

Pizzeria Mozza: This was the one must-see on my list for the weekend. It did not disappoint.

These are the arancini at Mozza. Robin was tired of me taking photos of our food at this point. Oops.

Nate & Al's Delicatessen: This Reuben was probably the best hangover cure evah! We spent Saturday night out on the town (Late! With Cullens!) and needed some salty food come Sunday.

They gave us this pickle plate to start, which was perfect with a cold can of Coke. We wanted to ask for more, but our waitress - Nadine - was kind of terrifying.

Breakfast Burritos for the New Frugality

2009-03-19T19:01:00.000-07:00

2009 is off to a great start, even with friends getting laid off left and right, and my own job less than stable. I've been able to stick to at least one of my New Year's resolutions, which is (other than being a record!) to live more frugally.I've added a few new words and concepts to my culinary repertoire. They include 'budget', 'frugal' and 'no waste.'

OK, I'll be honest. My idea of frugal and your idea of frugal may not be exactly the same thing. I'm still living pretty high on the hog compared to most. There has been such a trend in newspapers (R.I.P Seattle P.I.), magazines and blogs towards frugal cooking, that I have been inspired. I am trying to cook out of what's in the pantry (lots of dried beans and grains), waste less food and be mindful of sales and deals.
It is a really good discipline to get into, since it is preparing me for the worst case scenario.

I came across a great blog called The Simple Dollar because of their great breakfast burrito idea. The concept is that you can make really tasty breakfast burritos - in bulk - for freezing and reheating later.

With these breakfast burritos in the back of my mind, I continued with my plans of cooking out of the pantry (supplemented by the bi-weekly basket of organic produce we have delivered) and not wasting what we have in the refrigerator.

It started with the cheese. We've been working through a big block of mozzarella that we bought for a party a few weeks ago. The cheese would NOT be wasted! There are almost always cans of black beans and corn in the pantry and eggs in the refrigerator. All I needed to buy were some tortillas and salsa. I had a red pepper and an onion left from our produce basket that I sauteed up with plenty of salt and pepper. I probably could have spiced it up even more. Or, I could have skipped this altogether or subbed in fresh scallions. I had the pepper and onion though, so I used them.

Assembly line style, I lined up the tortillas and topped them with cheese, beans and corn, and the pepper/onion mix.
For the eggs, I scrambled one egg per burrito. You could less or more depending on how many of the other ingredients you have. You could even substitute in some egg whites, if you are into that sort of thing. I undercooked them a bit, as Simple Dollar recommended. Then, I spooned the eggs and some tasty salsa on top of the rest of the ingredients and was ready to roll.

Each tortilla was simply placed on a piece of plastic wrap and rolled tight. I wrapped them in a
second layer of plastic wrap just to be safe. All the the burritos were then placed into a ziptop freezer bag and into the freezer.
Reheating the burritos is simple. I've already had two and they tasted great. The key when you microwave them is to wrap them in a paper towel. You set the microwave on the defrost setting for about 2 minutes (I turn the burrito over halfway). Then, zap them on high for another 1-2 minutes, unwrap and eat.

Just Saying!

2009-03-15T02:09:00.001-07:00

Friday Feasting: In-N-Out Burger

2009-03-14T01:46:00.001-07:00

I'm in LA for the weekend and tried my first - and possibly my last - In-N-Out burger. They don't call it in-n-out for nothing. Maybe it was the flight from Seattle. Or, maybe the bumpy LA roads. The smog? I don't what it was, but normally I have a stomach of steel. I can eat at Dick's Drive-In or taco trucks daily. Heck, I eat raw oysters. Nothing before made my stomach gurgle quite like this. FAIL!

Splendid

2009-03-10T21:13:00.000-07:00

Every Sunday afternoon, I listen to The Splendid Table. OK, maybe not every Sunday, but I DO listen to every podcast of the show. I am a bigbigbig fan of their book, How to Eat Supper. The host's voice takes some getting used to, but they have great guests and topics on the show.

Recently, they had the poet Elizabeth Alexander on the show (she's the poet who read at Obama's inauguration). The inaugural poem didn't do much for me, but I loved the poem she read about butter. Yes, butter. If anything is poem-worthy, it's butter. Oh, and the reference in the poem to Little Black Sambo makes me smile too. I totally remember that book from my un-PC, late-70s upbringing...

Butter
My mother loves butter more than I do,
more than anyone. She pulls chunks off
the stick and eats it plain, explaining
cream spun around into butter! Growing up
we ate turkey cutlets sauteed in lemon
and butter, butter and cheese on green noodles,
butter meting in small pools in the hearts
of Yorkshire puddings, butter better
than gravy staining white rice yellow,
butter glazing corn in slipping squares,
butter the lava in white volcanoes
of hominy grits, butter softening
in a white bowl to be creamed with white
sugar, butter disappearing into
whipped sweet potatoes, with pineapple,
butter melted and curdy to pour
over pancakes, butter licked off the plate
with warm Alaga syrup. When I picture
the good old days I am grinning greasy
with my brother, having watched the tiger
chase his tail and turn to butter. We are
Mumbo and Jumbo's children despite
historical revision, despite
our parent's efforts, glowing from the inside
out, one hundred megawatts of butter.

Feasting Fridays: A New Weekly Feature

2009-03-06T20:44:00.001-08:00

Welcome to a new weekly feature of Sonja's Kitchen: Feasting Fridays. Each Friday, I'll take a break from from the kitchen and let someone else do the cooking. Expect reports on everything from breakfast pastries to martini lunches; from happy hour reports to fine dining.

This idea came to me on my walk to work this morning. My office has moved locations for the next six months or so (then it's back to the Eastside). I'll be working down on lower Queen Anne, which is high on dining options but low on parking options. Hence "the walk" to work.

As I walked the four blocks from my suh-weet all day/no charge parking spot to the office, I saw a Danish Flag ahead of me.

It was too early for me to think about breakfast, but as soon as I saw the sign - John Nielsen's Authentic Danish Pastries - my stomach awoke with a start and quickly sent signals to my brain saying, "STOPNOWANDBUYMEAPASTRY!"

The pastry case was filled with all the requisite "Danish" pastries: kringler, snitter, boller et al. I decided on a cinnamon and custard-laden snitter. The $12.50 kringle looked mighty fine and when I feel like sharing, I'll snatch one up.

I gleefully gobbled up my snitter, while scrolling through the lastest and greatest at msn.com. It was good, but not great. A little too crispy around the edges and the custard was a little too gelatinous for my taste. Of course, I'm used to the real thing so you can't blame me for being picky.

A little bit of buyer's remorse later kicked in - thinly veiled as a sugar crash - because A) I am trying to cut back on my sugar intake despite the valiant efforts of the Girl Scouts of America and B) It's the recession! I can't keep spending $2.25 on pastries. I have vowed to savesavesave and live more frugally because hey, I could get laid off any day.

Wanting to justify my indulgence (not to mention get some much needed motivation and inspiration to add more blog entries), I hatched a plan. I work hard dammit, so every Friday I should treat myself. Thus was born Feasting Fridays. This will give me motivation each week to eat (somewhat) healthy, so on Fridays I can FEAST. And blog all about it...

Just Outside the Window...

2009-03-03T08:13:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day

2009-02-14T21:48:00.000-08:00

Hot Side Hot - Cool Side Cool

2009-02-14T08:30:00.001-08:00

Last night, I had a chance to hang out with a gooood friend and her new boyfriend. I knew I'd like him, because she likes him. The best part though, was when he ordered nachos. He asked our server to put the cool ingredients on the side. So, he later explained, the nachos would stay hot. Brilliant.

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The Sweetest Gift

2009-01-25T18:37:00.000-08:00

Every winter there comes a day when I walk into the kitchen at my parents' house and see a large bag of Meyer lemons. "Arlene is back?" is always the first thing I ask my mom.

Arlene is a friend of my parents since way back before I was born, back before my parents were even married. Mom and Arlene worked together at the Rainier Brewery, but that's another story. Arlene spends part of every winter in Palm Springs and when she returns, she always brings with her some Meyer lemons from the tree at her house.

My childhood memories are filled with memories of women like Arlene. Women that love to cook & bake and shared that love of food with me. These friends joined our family for parties or holidays, were neighbors and often babysitters. Looking back now, I realize what an influence they've had at me.

Visits to Arlene's house held the promise of her homemade fruit leather. Being babysat by Sandra meant she'd bake cookies with me. Staying with my aunt Margita meant sweet, juicy, blackberry pie.

So back to the lemons. Meyer lemons are thought to be a cross between a lemon and a mandarin orange. They are still quite tart, but have a great flavor and are very juicy. I wanted to make something special with these seasonal treasures and got it in my head to make lemon curd.

I did some research and it seemed simple enough. Then I made the mistake of asking the chef/owner of a restaurant I was dining at last weekend and he put the fear of God in me. "Whisk like mad," he said. "Do you have a chinoise? No?! You'll have lumpy curd unless you strain it properly." Gah! I panicked.

But wait, I've made hollandaise, pastry creams and the like. I just needed to find the right recipe. I remembered seeing a recipe for lemon curd in a magazine awhile back and found an old issue of Fine Cooking with a much simpler recipe than anything else I'd read. Inexplicably, they have a more complex recipe on their website.

Simple Lemon Curd
Yields about 1 cup

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (from 2-3 lemons)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 oz (2 Tbsp) unsalted butter cut into 4-6 small pieces

Set a fine strainer over a medium bowl. In another medium bowl, whisk the lemon juice, sugar and eggs until thoroughly combines and most of the sugar has dissolved.

Pour the lemon mixture into a heavy-bottom stainless pan. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon until the curd is steaming (but not boiling) until thickened and registers 175 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, about 3-7 minutes.

Take the curd off the heat, add the butter and stir until the butter has melted. Pour the curd through the strainer to get rid of any lumps. Let cool. Will keep up to a week in the fridge.

In honor of Inauguration Day, I decided to make a special dessert with the lemon curd. The idea of little tartlets was stuck in my mind. They needed a little color, so I spent a King's ransom for some out-of-season raspberries.

These days, I have found myself surrounded by lots of little girls and like to think that my love of baking and cooking will rub off on them. 14 year-old Chloe was the first to arrive on the scene and we have baked chocolate chip cookies together since she was 4 or 5. She advanced quickly to cracking the eggs, then reading the recipe and today, I can just sit back and watch her make them all by herself.

Little Hazel, Marley, Lily and Makenna are almost old enough to join me in the kitchen. Most have already shown a fondness for sweets and treats and I always have something special for them when they are over at our house. The lemon curd was a little too tart for Marley, but she sure did like those raspberries.

A turnip, a yam and an eggplant walk into a bar...

2009-01-25T17:29:00.000-08:00

Well, not exactly. Last week, my produce box included those vegetables however. In my new goal to waste less food, that meant I'd have to eat them all. Since I never, ever buy any of those items I needed to know HOW to cook them first.

First, the yams:

I knew I'd probably roast them, but didn't have a plan as far as roasting them whole, peeling and chopping them first or what. I did some searching and found a recipe for Roasted Yam Purée with Brown Butter. If anything could make yams taste butter, it's got to be a stick of butter. Too bad it doesn't photograph better. Looks like baby food, tastes like nutty, buttery goodness.

Roasted Yam Purée with Brown Butter
4 pounds yams (red-skinned sweet potatoes)
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter

Preheat oven to 400°F. Roast yams until tender when pierced with knife, about 1 hour. Cool slightly.

Melt butter in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Cook until butter turns light brown, about 5 minutes.

Scoop flesh from yams into a bowl and purée with a stick blender until smooth. Blend in brown butter. Season to taste with salt.

On to the eggplant:

The eggplant solution was even less photogenic, but turned out darn tasty. It is more about the chicken stock and caramelized onions, but at least I saved the eggplant from the compost bin. Plus, I have lunch for a few days.

Puréed Eggplant Soup
4 Tbsp olive oil
1 pound eggplant (sliced in half lengthwise)
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
5 cups low-salt canned chicken broth
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 tsp celery salt
1 Tbsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried chile flakes
1 large onion, sliced
1 1/2 Tsp minced fresh garlic
1/4 cup dry white wine

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spread 2 Tbsp of the oil on a rimmed baking sheet. Season the cut side of the eggplant with salt and pepper and put the halves face down on the pan. Roast until tender, about 40 minutes (a knife will enter the flesh easily). When the eggplant is cool enough to handle, scrape the flesh with a spoon and set aside in a bowl. Discard the skin.

Meanwhile, put the chicken broth, herbs and the skin of the onion into a saucepan. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Strain the broth.

Heat the remaining 2 Tbsp in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and and cook, stirring frequently, until golden. About 20 minutes. Stir in the garlic and about 1/2 tsp salt. Saute another 3-4 four minute until the garlic starts to brown. Deglaze the pan with the wine and cook another minute or two. Add the broth and bring to a boil. Add the eggplant flesh, reduce to a simmer, and cook for 5 minutes.

Pureed to within an inch of its life with a stick blender. Strain through a fine mesh strainer. Season to taste.

And finally, the turnips:

The turnips ended up cooked with cream, topped with cheese and baked to make a nice little gratin. I only had about a pound of turnips so I halved the recipe below and cut the cooking time by half as well. I also didn't have enough Parmigiano, so I substituted gruyere and added a some panko bread crumbs just for kicks.

Turnip Gratin
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 1/2 pounds medium turnips, trimmed and left unpeeled
1 tablespoon chopped thyme
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
Rounded 1/8 teaspoon cayenne
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (use a Microplane)

Preheat oven to 450°F with rack in middle.

Melt butter in an ovenproof 12-inch heavy skillet, then cool.

Slice turnips paper-thin with slicer, then arrange one third of slices, overlapping tightly, in skillet, keeping remaining slices covered with dampened paper towels. Sprinkle with about a third of thyme, kosher salt, and cayenne. Make 2 more layers.

Cook, covered, over medium heat until underside is browned, about 10 minutes. Add cream and cook, covered, until center is tender, 20 to 25 minutes.

Sprinkle evenly with cheese, then bake, uncovered, until golden and bubbling, 10 to 15 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Artisan Bread in 3, 2, 1

2009-01-19T20:59:00.001-08:00

There really is no longer an excuse for not making bread at home. After the "No-Knead Bread" sensation of '06 and '07, someone managed to make it even easier.

There is a new book and website called Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day. And really, other than about an hour to rise & bake the bread and another 1-2 hours to cool it completely, it IS that quick & easy.

The Seattle PI (Lord, help them!), ran a great article about the bread last fall. The dough is as simple as mixing together flour, yeast, salt and lukewarm water. Seriously, a monkey could do it. You just let the dough sit out on the counter for a few hours and then refrigerate for up to two weeks.

When you are ready to bake a loaf, just yank off a handful of dough, shape and let rise.

The dough is a little unwieldy, so make sure you have plenty of flour on hand. I like to use rice flour for shaping the loaves, since it is finer than wheat flour. I've stuck with the boule shape, but will tackle baguettes and other shapes next. I think for for $17 on Amazon, the book is probably a worthwhile investment, since they have lots of variation on the dough and other recipes and ideas.

There is a certain satisfaction in filling the house with the smell of baking bread (on a weeknight, no less!) and slicing into a loaf that looks like this and costs about 82 cents.

The Master Recipe
Makes four 1-pound loaves

3 cups lukewarm water (about 100 degrees)
1 ½ tablespoons granulated yeast
1 ½ tablespoons kosher salt or other coarse salt
6 ½ cups unsifted, unbleached, all-purpose white flour (measure with scoop and sweep method)
Cornmeal or parchment for pizza peel

Preparing the dough:
In a 5-quart bowl or a resealable, lidded, plastic food container, add yeast and salt to lukewarm water. Don't worry about getting it all to dissolve.

Add in all the flour at once. Mix with a wooden spoon (you can use very wet hands to help if needed) or a heavy-duty stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Don't knead the dough; just mix until it is uniformly moist without dry patches.

Cover with a lid that fits well, but is not airtight. Allow to rise at room temperature until it begins to collapse, about 2 hours. (You can let it go up to 5 hours.) The dough is ready to use at this point, but will be easier to shape if it is refrigerated at least 3 hours first.

On baking day:
Prepare a pizza peel by sprinkling it liberally with cornmeal (or line it with parchment).

Sprinkle the surface of your refrigerated dough with flour.

Pull up and cut off a 1 pound (grapefruit-size) piece of dough, using a serrated knife.

Hold the mass of dough in your hands and add a little more flour as needed so it won't stick to your hands. Gently stretch the surface of the dough around to the bottom on all four sides, rotating the ball a quarter-turn as you go. (Most of the dusting flour will fall off.) The bottom of the loaf may appear to be a collection of bunched ends, but it will flatten and adhere during resting and baking. Handle the dough as little as possible.

Place the shaped ball on the cornmeal-covered pizza peel. Allow the loaf to rest on the peel for about 40 minutes, uncovered. Depending on the age of the dough, you may not see much rise (more will occur during baking).

20 minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 450 degrees, with a baking stone placed on the middle rack. Place an empty broiler tray for holding water on any other shelf that won't interfere with the rising bread.

Dust the top of the loaf liberally with flour. Slash a ¼-inch-deep cross, scallop or tic-tac-toe pattern into the top, using a serrated bread knife.

With a quick forward jerking motion of the wrist, slide the loaf off the pizza peel and onto the preheated baking stone. Quickly but carefully pour about 1 cup of hot water from the tap into the broiler tray and close the oven door to trap the steam.

Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the crust is nicely browned and firm to the touch. Allow to cool completely, preferably on a wire rack.

Store the remaining dough in the refrigerator in your lidded (not airtight) container. Cut off and shape more loaves as you need them anytime over the next 14 days. The flavor and texture will improve after even one day's storage.

Burgers for the New Frugality

2009-01-19T20:46:00.001-08:00

I don't know what I love more about this video - that Josh Ozersky works Puff Daddy and Mordor into the same conversation or that he's at The Spotted Pig.

There wasn't a video I could grab - but ABC has it, just click on the photo below: Favorite quotes, "Gastronomic fundamentalism;" and "(the burgers is) better than filet mignon, because it has flavor."

Conveniently Close to the Office...

2009-01-15T19:18:00.001-08:00

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Two Great Tastes...

2009-01-10T09:41:00.001-08:00

There is a long list of places I've wanted to try in Portland. On a recent weekend excursion, we finally made it to Voodoo Doughnuts. I've seen this place on TV and read all about it. A big part of me was skeptical and wanted to hate it.

As it got later and later on our first night in town, we found ourselves in a small alley filled with bars and clubs. Our friend Scott was spinning records at one, so we enjoyed some drinks before heading out into the cold, crisp air. The unmistakeable aroma of deep fried dough hit our noses and we realized Voodoo was just around the corner.

I knew I needed to try the maple bar with bacon. Sweet Jesus! All I could think of was a take on that quote from Twin Peaks, "Nothing beat the taste sensation when maple bars collide with bacon."

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Cooking Resolutions

2009-01-03T16:38:00.000-08:00

I love the start of the New Year. It is like buying a new journal and putting pen to paper on that first page, or crawling into a bed with crisp, clean sheets, or cleaning out the fridge and opening the door to clutter-free shelves.

If you can relate to these things, then you and I are probably alike and both make New Years' resolutions. I don't know about you though, but I have come to a point in my life where I've started to feel that goals should be more about rewards than sacrifice. More about fulfillment than deprivation.

Last month marked the one year anniversary of this blog (and my 100th post!). It only makes sense to begin my second year with some goals in mind. Look for posts on these topics in 2009:

Know your Cuts of Beef
It is no secret, I love a good steak. I am familiar with many cuts of beef, but mostly just the primal cuts. You throw a blade steak or flat iron at me and I start to get confused. Don't even start with the name variations between the East and West coasts.

Cake
I love to bake, but my repertoire is limited to pies, tarts, mousses, cookies, et al. I have yet to tackle cakes. To be honest, I don't like cake that much, but they are so darn pretty plus you can make miniature versions. I'd like to tackle frosting, fondant and ganache, but that is all part of it, right?

Croissants
This may be a skill I end up regretting. Like when I learned how easy Hollandaise and Bearnaise sauces were and started making them ALL THE TIME. I love me some flaky pastry and it just so happens that the latest issue of Fine Cooking arrived in my mailbox today with an entire article on making homemade croissants. Chocolate and ham & cheese versions too.

Homemade Mozzarella
Don't start with me. I know this sounds ridiculous, but you should know by now that I love complex cooking tasks. The more from scratch the better. Of course I love cheese too. The November issue of Saveur had a step-by-step recipe that I am dying to try. Hey - it looks easier than the demi-glace that graced the cover.

Homemade Bread
A couple of years back, "No-Knead" bread was all the rage, now there is even 5-minute bread. Pretty soon, the bread will be making itself. There is really no excuse for not making bread. Especially when it costs about 50 cents to make a crusty, artisan loaf at home versus about $4 to buy it at the store.

Produce Delivery
I've done produce delivery and pick-up yourself CSAs in the past. It is kind of a commitment and it has kicked my butt, but I am going to give it another try. I've signed up for a produce basket every other week with Full Circle Farm. They have a pick-up location near my new office. I love the inspiration an unknown box of produce provides, not to mention how it forces me to eat my fruits and veggies.

Herb Garden
Last fall we finally finished our front yard which includes two raised beds. I planted a few herbs (though I doubt they'll survive the winter), but plan to give it my all come springtime. I am done paying $2-3 for those ridiculous packets of fresh herbs.

Cuss Less
Don't laugh. I really do want to try to cuss less, but sometimes a cuss word provides the exact emphasis I need. I am DEAD fucking serious.

Eat More Fish
I ate a lot of fish growing up - at least 3 times a week. Gavin didn't eat any seafood though, so now we are down to about once a week. We try. Heck, I even signed up for seafood delivery at one point to jump start my inspiration. I don't want to go overboard and get all Jeremy Piven, but eating fish twice as much as I currently do would be an improvement.

Food Lit
My shelves are lined with books I've started and stopped, books I've been meaning to read and magazines fill my mailbox every month. Food Lit tops my "to read" list: The Jungle, How to Pick a Peach, The Soul of a Chef, Meatpaper, Appetite for Life...the list goes on and on and on.

Sunday Brunch

2008-12-28T14:18:00.001-08:00

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Steakation

2008-12-27T19:49:00.001-08:00

I'll be honest - I kind of hate the saying'staycation.' It is a little contrived and a bit too cutesy for me. 'Steakcation' however, I can endorse wholeheartedly.

When we decided to make the most of our cancelled vacation though, we figured let's make the most of it and enjoy some of the sites, sounds, smells, and tastes in our own backyard. We love to dine out - but we often fall back on the practicality of cooking at home instead. When we travel however, we never cook. We may picnic now and again but we prefer to research, plan and enjoy the culinary landscape of every destination.

My list of restaurants to try in Seattle is long and frequently updated. Great new restaurants seem to open every week. When it comes to a splurge meal though, I like to look to places that have provided the trifecta restaurant experience for me in the past: food + service + quality ingredients.

I've been to 'The Met' a couple of times and it delivers on all three components of the "trifecta" in spades. All the beef is dry-aged for 28 days, there is the requisite sommelier, captain, server & 3-4 bussers that make up what I consider to be exemplary service and they have great bread/salads/wine to round out the menu offerings. It isn't cheap, but dollar for dollar I think you get your money's worth here.

Gavin and I decided to go to The Met earlier this week. We have been making a list of activities and restaurants to enjoy during our vacation and wanted to pick a couple of splurge meals that we only treat ourselves to once in awhile. We went the The Met in June and had a fantastic meal. Then, when we were in Chicago in November we experienced a great steakhouse dinner there at Gibsons.

There is something inherently comforting about the bustling steakhouse dining experience. I have had some great steaks around Seattle at Betty, Cremant, Canlis, Saltoro and Cafe Presse. Nothing quite compares though to the gluttony and excess of a good steakhouse. I love the waitstaff in their white lab coats, the rich, dark wood paneling, the mirrors and the sommeliers and captains in their tuxedos. I love the valet, the coat check and the meat display case.

Well, once we made the reservation for tonight we started stalking the menu online. We had pretty much decided on what we'd order by the time we walked in the door. Our server only confirmed what we already knew: the American Wagyu "Long-bone" Rib-eye was the way to go. Sweet Jesus, this was a big steak! The guys delivering our platters started humming the theme-song to The Flintstones. Yikes! What did we get ourselves into?! 36-ounces including bone and fat. If the picture above doesn't give you enough 'to-scale' comparison, allow me to compare my steak to a tube of lip gloss:

Good GAWD did these steaks deliver on the flavor! We ordered some Béarnaise and steak sauces on the side, but pretty much turned our noses up at them because all you really need are the juice and fat drippings on the plate to dip the steak into.
The bitter reality is that we each only ate about half our steaks (we were too proud and stubborn to consider sharing). We'll fry up the leftovers with some eggs for breakfast this time, but have agreed that we can enjoy this indulgence again in the near future by sharing one steak.

Consolation Prize

2008-12-26T17:14:00.001-08:00

Although our dreams of a Mexican Christmas were dashed, I have to say that a small part of me was thankful to be home for some Scandinavian traditions.

We managed to make it over to my parents house for Christmas Eve dinner - a feast with all the Swedish and Norwegian specialties. We got to take home some leftovers and some tasty cookies, but my favorite was some of the cooking broth leftover from cooking the Christmas ham.

One of the traditional Swedish dishes is Julskinka (Christmas ham). Nowadays you can purchase the ham finished, but traditionally it took several days cure it in salt. On the day before Christmas Eve, the ham is boiled for several hours. The ham is then left in the broth overnight in the fridge. On Christmas Eve, the ham is dried, painted with a coating of egg and mustard, sprinkled with bread crumbs and baked.

The salty, flavorful broth does not go to waste however. After skimming off the fat, you warm the broth and everyone gathers around with bread to dopp i grytan (dip in the kettle). Traditionally, this was done on Christmas Eve. My mom has always saved the broth until Christmas morning (or any other morning, since the broth can be stored in the freezer for several months). You warm the broth and simmer the Swedish crispbread for a minute or two until it is soft. Then, pull it out with a slotted spoon and serve it slathered in butter.

As the snow started falling again this afternoon, I poured myself the last from our beer reserves and made myself up a plate of tasty, salty, hammy comfort food.

Feliz Navidad

2008-12-23T10:22:00.000-08:00

This is not the photo I was hoping to share with you today. You should be seeing a photo of a warm, sandy beach, a margarita or perhaps a taco. Why? Because we are supposed to be in Mexico right now through the new year.

Alas, we aren't in Mexico. Thanks to WINTER STORM 2008, our flight on Monday was cancelled. The next available flight was not until December 30th. The lady at Alaska Air said, "Sorry, but these flights were booked many months ago." Um, yeah I know. I booked our tickets in February. So, we threw in the towel, got our money and mileage refunded and are going to make the most of it. Can you say "staycation?"

I can't stop thinking about that saying, "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade." We went out to brunch, ordered margaritas, then came home and made spiked hot ciders and made a snowman. When your vacation is cancelled due to snow...make a snowman.

Baked Brie en Croûte

2008-12-22T10:06:00.000-08:00

I've said it before and I'll say it again...the only thing better than cheese is hot cheese.

We had an early Christmas celebration with our families and among other cheesy/porky delights, I made my go-to appetizer - Baked Brie en Croûte. The recipe is alarmingly simple, plus you can prep it in advance. I highly recommend adding it to your repetoire as well.

Baked Brie en Croûte
One 9-by-9 1/2-inch sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
1 large egg, lightly beaten
One 8-16 ounce wheel firm Brie cheese
1/4 cup apricot preserves

1. Roll the puff pastry into a 12-inch square on a lightly floured counter. Using a pie plate or other round guide, trim the pastry to a 9-inch circle with a paring knife. Brush the edges lightly with the beaten egg. Place the Brie in the center of the pastry circle and wrap it in the pastry (see Note). Brush the exterior of the pastry with beaten egg and transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Freeze for 20 minutes.

2. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 425°F. Bake the cheese until the exterior is a deep golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes.

3. Transfer to a wire rack. Spoon the jelly into the exposed center of the Brie. Cool for about 30 minutes. Serve with crackers or bread.

Note: To wrap the Brie, lift the pastry up over the cheese, pleating it at even intervals and leaving an opening in the center where the Brie will be exposed. Press the pleated edge of pastry up into a rim, which will later be filled with preserves or jelly.

To Make Ahead: You can complete step 1 (but do not freeze) and refrigerated, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, for up to 24 hours. Freeze fr 20 minutes before continuing with step 2.

Cure for the Common Cold

2008-12-15T20:07:00.000-08:00

I'm sick. I'm @#$*! SICK?! I haven't been sick in over 5 years, yet this week - of all weeks, the week I leave my place of employment for the last 12 years and start a new job - I am sick.

Bourbon and I are old friends - it's seen me through some dark times. I am a firm believer in its medicinal qualities as well. I discovered a long time ago that a simple hot toddy kicks ass over Theraflu any day. The soothing warmth of honey combined with a citrus kick and the sinus-opening, throat clearing 80 Proof Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey is the cure for what ails you.

Hot Toddy
1 ounce Bourbon
2 teaspoons honey
1/4 lemon wedge, squeezed and added to the glass
4-5 ounces hot water.

Stir to combine, drink and repeat.

On a side note - the Bourbon I use for hot toddys (and Whiskey Sours for that matter) is Rebel Yell. I have hosted a couple of Bourbon tastings and this inexpensive ($15) Bourbon got high marks. It isn't one I would drink neat nor in a Manhattan, but mixed with honey and lemon it tastes mighty fine.

Bacon and Eggs...for Dinner

2008-12-14T19:34:00.000-08:00

You have to love an email that says, "...We have 1000 pounds of organic, heirloom Berkshire hog bacon for sale." An email two weeks ago from the good folks at Swinery Meats (AKA Culinary Communion) said just that. Well, I picked up my bacon last week and let me tell you...it's divine.

I am no stranger to good bacon, but I am pretty content with thick-cut bacon from Hemplers that I usually pick-up. This fancy-pants bacon is great stuff though. The fat is almost buttery. It isn't smoked as much as typical bacon either, so it has a nice mild sweetness to it.

The next day, I fried up some bacon before work to use for a lunchtime BLT. Yes, some managed to get eaten straight away, before I even left the house for the office. Other than using bacon for weekend breakfasts, we probably use bacon the most in Pasta Carbonara.

Describing this dish doesn't really do it justice - it's just pasta tossed with bacon and eggs. The trick is to slowly temper the egg mixture into the hot pasta so that rather than scrambled eggs you get a thick, velvety, custard-like sauce coating the eggs.

We made Pasta Carbonara with our friends Jason & Dana when we visited them in Chicago over Thanksgiving. They loved it and were happy to learn how quick and easy it is to make. I likened it to that old adage, "teach a man to fish, feed him for a day...," because once you learn this dish you'll eat well for many years to come.

You start with a few simple, quality ingredients: pasta, parmigiano, eggs, cream and bacon. The better the ingredients the better the end result, so get good bacon, good quality eggs and real parmigiano.
Pasta Carbonara
Serves 2

1/2 pound pasta (we prefer Barilla Linguine)
4 slices bacon (cut into 1/2 inch pieces)
1 clove of garlic, sliced thick
2 tsp olive oil
1/4 cup dry vermouth
2 eggs
1/4 cup of heavy cream
1/2 cup grated parmigiano
Salt & fresh ground pepper

Bring 4-5 quarts of salted water to a boil. While the water is heating, heat olive oil in a non-stick skillet on medium-high heat. Add the bacon and garlic and brown. Be careful not to burn the garlic. Once the garlic is browned, remove it and discard. Allow the bacon to brown until nearly crisp, then add the vermouth. Simmer until the vermouth is reduced by about half. Remove the skillet from the heat.

In a small mixing bowl, gently whisk the eggs, cream and about 1/4 cup of the parmigiano until just combined. Add about 1/4 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of fresh ground pepper.

Once the pasta is cooked to al dente, drain and stir the hot pasta into the skillet with the garlicky-bacon mixture. Toss to cool off the pasta just slightly. Add in the egg/cream mixture and toss to coat. Season to taste (go wild with the pepper, it makes the dish). Serve topped with more freshly grated parmigiano.

Weekend Hangover Cure

2008-12-13T12:28:00.001-08:00

Hangover courtesy of Rick Steves' company Christmas party. Hangover cure, courtesy of Lunchbox Laboratory

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Hot and Fresh

2008-12-09T22:00:00.001-08:00

I can't even begin to say how exciting this development is to me! A tortilleria is coming to Shoreline. I've only experienced these east of the mountains and you have no idea how amazing hot & fresh tortillas really, truly are. Soon, very soon, it looks like these will be available in my own backyard.

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Give it a Rest

2008-12-07T21:43:00.000-08:00

Chocolate chip cookies are probably the #1 reason I learned how to bake. The double whammy of tasty dough and tasty cookies was added incentive. I remember being about 10 years old and making chocolate chip cookie dough (yeah, just the dough) with my childhood friend Kristi. We ate nearly the entire bowl and made ourselves so sick we couldn't eat the dough again for...well, probably only days.

The thing is, even with all the great cookies I love to bake there is something special about chocolate chip cookies. The standby recipe on the bag of Nestle chips is fine, but every few months or years someone tries to make chocolate chip cookies even more perfect than they already are.

This past summer The New York Times had a great piece on the CCC. I'll be honest - I don't read the NYT daily. I read it religiously on Wednesdays though - along with many other daily newspapers - because that is the day the food section runs.

The conclusion they came to - along with using half AP and half cake flour - was to rest the dough overnight. At least 24 hours. They also made large cookies - 3 1/2 ounces - which makes them particularly decadent. Then, they gilded the lily by sprinkling sea salt on the tops of the cookies. Welcome to flavor country.

The beauty of this recipe is that you can make the dough one night and then bake them off the next night. It spreads the work over two nights and you can serve your guests (or yourself) warm cookies out of the oven.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 cups minus 2 tablespoons (8 1/2 ounces) cake flour
1 2/3 cups (8 1/2 ounces) all purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 1/2 sticks (1 1/4 cups) unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups (10 ounces) light brown sugar
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (8 ounces) granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons natural vanilla extract
1 1/4 pounds bittersweet chocolate chips (I like Ghirardelli)

Sea salt (Try Fleur de Sel, you won't regret it)

Sift flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Set aside.

Using a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars together until very light, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla. Reduce speed to low, add dry ingredients and mix until just combined, 5 to 10 seconds. Drop chocolate pieces in and incorporate them without breaking them. Press plastic wrap against dough and refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours. Dough may be used in batches, and can be refrigerated for up to 72 hours.

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat. Set aside.

Scoop 6 3 1/2-ounce mounds of dough (the size of generous golf balls) onto baking sheet, making sure to turn horizontally any chocolate pieces that are poking up; it will make for a more attractive cookie. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt and bake until golden brown but still soft, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer sheet to a wire rack for 10 minutes, then slip cookies onto another rack to cool a bit more. Repeat with remaining dough, or reserve dough, refrigerated, for baking remaining batches the next day. Eat warm, with a big napkin.

Allow Me to Reintroduce Myself

2008-12-07T19:24:00.000-08:00

Hi, my name is Sonja and I like to cook. That's right, it is time to get back to the regularly scheduled program: COOKING.

Tonight's challenge - potato chips.

My friend Rhonda recently told me she has been making homemade potato chips. I was intrigued. I had never considered making potato chips at home, even though I go through periods of absolute obsession with chips. She said they were simple - slice them thin, coat with oil and put them in a hot oven.

I know what you're thinking, "Um, my idea of simple potato chips is 1) buy a bag, 2) open the bag and 3) eat them." I'm sorry, I really have been away from the kitchen too long. You don't remember me do you? I don't really do 'simple.'

Don't get me wrong, I love a bag of potato chips as much as the next person. That is why I try not to buy them though. I will devour the ENTIRE bag. In a matter of minutes.

Well, I've had a bowl of potatoes in the fridge that have been staring at me for several weeks. I can almost hear them, "cook me, cook me, cook me." So this weekend I finally found the time and inspiration to tie on my apron and give homemade potato chips a try.

I trusted Rhonda's simple method, but did a little online recon as well (on-con? re-line?). There were loads of recipes, but I tried to not overthink it and just go for the baking approach. The results were...meh, but I couldn't stop thinking about one method I read about over at allrecipes.com - potato chips made in the microwave.

Yeah - the microwave. Deal with it. I am not one of those no-TV watching, no microwave using Seattlites. The microwave has its place in the kitchen right there with V-slicer. And those are the only two things you need to make crunchy, tasty potato chips in about 10 minutes.

You can use any type of potato, heck maybe even sweet potatoes. I tried both russets and yukon golds. The yukons are a little bit sweeter whereas the russets are quite earthy. The trick is to slice them as thinly and as evenly as possible. Unless you have mad knife skills, buy a v-slicer (you don't need a fancy French mandoline, just one of the plastic ones like this). Don't be afraid when they get quite brown, that is what makes them super crispy. Cool them for as long as you can stand it, then salt and eat.

Potato Chips
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 potato, sliced as thin as possible
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste

Directions
Pour the vegetable oil into a plastic bag (a produce bag works well). Add the potato slices, and shake to coat. Coat a large dinner plate lightly with oil or cooking spray. Arrange potato slices in a single layer on the dish. Cook in the microwave for 3 to 5 minutes, or until lightly browned (if not browned, they will not become crisp). Times will vary depending on the power of your microwave. Remove chips from plate, and toss with salt. Let cool. Repeat process with the remaining potato slices. You will not need to keep oiling the plate.

Comfort Captain

2008-11-02T15:05:00.001-08:00

How can anyone concentrate on anything other than the election right now? I've been totally caught up in it and can't wait for November 4th. I feel like I have been 'involved' because I've donated to the Obama campaign and attended a fundraiser. My friend Jen is super involved though - she was even a delegate for Washington State and went to the convention in Denver (read more here). Her dedication - and the dedication of thousands of others like her - is truly inspiring.

When Jen told me about her plans for November 4th, I was floored - hundreds of volunteers are heading out in droves Tuesday to make sure everyone registered makes it to the polls. Flyers, phone calls, knocking on doors, the works. Then, she mentioned that people were volunteering to be 'comfort captains.' Tell me more. Turns out they need people to bring them food throughout Monday and Tuesday to keep all those volunteers fed and hydrated. Sign me up.

How perfect is this? Finally, I feel like I can contribute in a way that is near and dear to my heart. Feeding people. So, Sunday is being spent making soup to be delivered Monday night and on Monday I will make cookies to deliver on Tuesday night.

Hopefully, we'll ALL be delivered an Obama presidency.

Changing Leaves = Changing Priorities

2008-10-28T07:38:00.000-07:00

You may be wondering where I've been. We returned from our NYC vacation only to be slapped back into reality by our ugly, unfinished front yard.

We started overhauling our yard back in May. My dad led the project of tearing out all the old, mossy lawn, the crumbling herb beds and the prolific St. John's wort. Then, I left for 7 weeks. Gavin was busy working his full-time job in addition to finishing a side project. Needless to say, the yard project got pushed to the back burner.

We planned our NYC trip this fall thinking that the yard would be done and we could sail into winter. We were pretty much 100% wrong. I also signed up for a 5-week intensive Spanish course in late September that is two nights a week for 3 hours a night. Oh, and I've had some top secret meetings in Redmond that have required a lot of prep time. I can't talk about that quite yet though...

I've been BUSY. When people have asked me before how I find time to blog, I was suprised. Now I know what you people do all the time. House projects are time consuming!

So, back to the yard. We knew we couldn't waste time, what with the leaves & temperatures dropping and 6 months of cold, dark and wet weather ahead of us. We pushed into high gear. You see that 'before' picture above, now check out the 'after' picture below:

We brought in nearly 25 cubic yards of soil, 5 tons of Columbia Basalt boulders, 2 trees, 6 ferns, wood for the raised beds and some herbs. It is not nearly complete, but at least it's a start.

I am most excited about my herb beds. In fact I have already snipped some chives to top a simple baked-potato supper. I'll get back to more cooking soon, but until then you'll be hearing more about my many other distractions these days.

$17 Burger - Worth Every Penny

2008-10-04T08:17:00.001-07:00

We went to The Spotted Pig on our second to last day in the Big Apple. It was high on our list of places to try and did not disappoint.

The Spotted Pig is known as a "gastropub" - basically a pub with highbrow food. OK, I'll just say right now that I am not a big fan of the word gastropub. It ranks up there with foodie, mouthfeel, and housemade in my opinion.

The word 'gastropub' has creeped into the lexicon of the Seattle restaurant scene recently. Quinn was probably the first to be referred to as a gastropub, though more by local food writers than by the restaurant itself. A new place in Belltown - Spur - just opened that includes gastropub in its name. Tell me if I'm wrong, but it seems like if you have to tell people you are a gastropub, you aren't doing something right.

OK - back to The Spotted Pig. We went there for an early lunch. It is located smack in the middle of Greenwich Village - on a street lined with trees and cute brownstones. The restaurant itself is pretty much a pub, but has an eclectic interior with lots of pig paraphernalia, potted herbs, mirrors, vintage beer and pub signs etc.

The burgers at TSP are highly regarded as some of the best burgers in Manhattan, so we knew that is what we wanted. We probably could have split one - because they were 1/2 pound patties, but we were on vacation and were feeling gluttonous.

Oh juicy, meaty gluttony indeed! The burger was served plain, other than the massive pile of roquefort cheese and mountain of shoestring fries. I considered asking for some lettuce, tomato and onion, but once I had a bite decided against it. This was pure simple burger pleasuredom. The buns were brioche and had a slight char to them. The meat was super juicy and flavorful and the cheese added just the right amount of tang. We were in a massive food coma the rest of the day, but it was worth every bite.

Italian with a Rock 'n' Roll Soundtrack

2008-10-04T07:02:00.000-07:00

Our NYC trip was timed with our fourth wedding anniversary. Gavin and I decided when got married to never give anniversary gifts, but rather to have a trip be our gift to each other every year. We promised to always spend our anniversary away from home. We don't always go far even though our first anniversary was spent in Norway. Our second was on Orcas Island and the third was at Cave B Winery.

In planning our NYC trip, we wanted to go someplace special for dinner on the night of our anniversary. Some advance planning was necessary, because most restaurants begin taking reservations a month in advance and popular places are booked pretty quickly. We decided on Italian food - because Italian in Seattle is good, but the reputation of Italian in NYC is much better. We decided on Babbo.

Gavin is a big fan of Mario Batali's show and we are both fans of Batali's dad's Salumi. We'd heard mixed reports of Babbo recently, but we had to try it for ourselves. It was definitely something we couldn't experience in Seattle.

The front of the restaurant houses the bar and the maître d' station. It was crowded and kind of loud, but a hostess spotted us and greeted us right away. As she walked us past the throngs and the maître d' (a bespectacled older Italian man), he turned our way and said, "Welcome to Babbo - enjoy your evening." It wasn't much, but I have to say that I found it really charming. It definitely set the tone for our evening.

The dining room is on two levels in an old 5-five story building. We were seated upstairs, which provided more intimacy than the bustling downstairs scene. The 'captain' greeted us immediately and offered us cocktails.

OK - can I just say that I love a restaurant with a 'captain.' As far as I understand restaurant service - the captain isn't a waiter, but more of a manager that makes sure everything is running smoothly and that nothing falls through the cracks. A captain may bus dishes, refill wine, suggest menu items, etc. I am a sucker for good service and a restaurant that has a captain takes service seriously.

More about service in a moment - let me tell you about the food. I'm sorry there are no pictures, but some places just aren't appropriate for whipping out your camera and that is the case for most restaurants.

They had house-cured Culatello on the menu that night, which was highly recommended. It was served thinly sliced with some melon. We had to try that along with a Caprese salad (it being tomato season and all). Both were great. Culatello is similar to prociutto, but I think the cut is a little different. It was more pink and had a little more spice and wine flavor.

The server was great at recommending the number of courses to get. The pastas he said, were large. Some people share a pasta and then each get a second course. We weren't wild about any of the second courses but each found a pasta we had to have. Gavin had chianti-stained pappardelle with wild boar ragù and I had gnocchi with braised oxtail. When the pastas were served, they came by with hunks of cheese and a grater. They said, "the chef recommends pecorino romano for yours ma'am," and proceded to grate a pile of cheese over the top of my dish. They repeated the process for Gavin but with a different cheese.

The pastas were great. Gavin's was perfect. The wild boar ragù was perfectly seasoned. I will admit that I've had better braised oxtail (the version at Quinn's haunts my dreams). What really made this meal special - and memorable - was the entire experience: the food, the service, the atmosphere, etc.

The decor was charming, but what we noticed from the beginning was the music. I think it was the Talking Heads that caught our attention, but we kept noticing throughout the evening that the music was like nothing else we'd heard in a fine-dining establishment - the Pixies, Green Day, Led Zepellin, some Rolling Stones. We loved it! My aunt reminded me the next day that a New York Times review a few years back commented - negatively - on the soundtrack:

Bucatini with the Black Crowes? ("Their second album!" a waiter proudly informed us.) Linguine with Led Zeppelin?

"That soundtrack, the strangely deliberate fruit of Mr. Batali's own iPod, was jarring, as were a few other aspects of the ambience."

We counted at least eight staff members tending our table through the evening: the captain, our server and the sommelier. Two people that brought out our dishes. The guy grating the cheese (is that a formaggier?) and two - or maybe three - bussers.

Can I just tell you what a turn-on that kind of service is!? I always say that I go out to eat for the service and the experience. I can cook and feed myself just fine. Bad service irks me to no end, but good service makes me swoon. I reward good service with a great tip, or as my friend Jen would say, "tipping like a Sultan on vacation." Babbo made us feel like just that - Sultans on vacation.

Coal Fired Pizza

2008-09-28T20:11:00.000-07:00

I went to New York pretty naive about "New York" pizza. I figured it was just like Neapolitan pizza and the antithesis of thick Chicago-style pizza.

I just assumed that NY pizza would be wood-fired, cracker-thin and soggy in the center like it is in Naples. Don't get me wrong, I love VPN, i.e. Vero Pizza Neapolitana. Move over Luigi - I think I've found a new love.
There are two key differences between thin-crust NY-style pizza and Neapolitan pizza. 1.) The water. Evidently the tap water in NYC is a key factor in making the crust so chewy, yet crisp. 2.) The coal-fired oven. OK - coal is just wood, right? But this seemed super-heated and added such a nice char to the bottom and sides of the crust.

These two differences help NY-style pizza do what it does best. Behold - the Manhattan Fold....

We ordered the basic pizza - tomato sauce, fresh basil and fresh mozzarella. Combined with a couple of cold beers - it was the perfect lunch.

We were dining at Lombardi's - a venerable pizza joint in the heart of Little Italy. After passing up up row upon row of sausage and pepper sandwiches out on the street we made out way to Lombardi's because we'd heard it was "the best" and "the oldest." NY shops and restaurants throw this out at any and every opportunity. I thought Lombardi's was being pretty honest actually. This was the best pizza of our trip. I couldn't get this "coal-fired oven" out of my head, though. I asked if it would be possible to see the oven - or if it was back it the kitchen. The server said - no, it is just over there. And pointed me in the right direction.

There it is - 1905 - tiled right onto the outside of the oven. I took a couple of snaps when the guys behind the counter said, "No, you have to get in close and look inside." That is how I got the cool shot above of the burning coals.

My favorite picture though, has to be this one:

Dinner out at Prune

2008-09-25T06:39:00.000-07:00

We did a lot of reading and research when deciding which restaurants to try in New York. We also asked around for recommendations. We got a solid rec for a place named Prune, in the East Village. I did some online research to back it up and then made a reservation about a month before our trip.

Many restaurants - especially the ones that are popular or well-known - book up quickly. They only allow reservations one month in advance however, so some advanced planning was needed. Some only reserve by phone but lots you can book online at www.opentable.com. This was great for us because the reservations would open up one month prior at midnight EST, which was only 9pm in Seattle.

Prune is precious and matchbox-sized. It obviously has quite a following because on a Monday night - it was packed. The service was great, the menu stellar and the kitchen was open for us to watch the chefs in action. One of them looked just like the kid in Ratatouille, so I asked Gavin to pretend I was taking his picture so I could sneak one of the chef. Doesn't it make you want to ask him to take off his hat?!

They had marrow bones on the menu, which are such a rich and indulgent guilty pleasure. Since those are the new darlings on Seattle restaurant menus - we knew we could live without them. Plus, they had a grilled ribeye for two that sounded perfect, and well, marrow and steak would be a little indulgent donchathink?

Little Italy

2008-09-18T06:53:00.000-07:00

This week is the Feast of San Gennaro, so we ventured down to Little Italy where a massive street fair was taking place.
The whole way there, we joked that we were going to walk along the rooftops and "follow the black hand." The Little Italy of 2008 however, is much different than the Little Italy of the early 1900s portrayed by Scorsese.This being a street fair, there were the usual stalls - carnie-types at the game stalls, stalls selling trinkets and cheap t-shirts and lots of deep fried food. The place was crawling with Italian-Americans - wise-guy types and women dripping with cheap costume jewelery.

Lots of stalls were selling zeppole - deep-fried balls of dough covered in powdered sugar and sometimes filled with custard or jelly (think mini donuts). They were also selling funnel cakes, which I don't think are particularly Italian (in fact, where did they come from?!). I suppose the logic is that if you have a vat of hot oil, you might as well fry up a bunch of other shit too. Every one of these stalls were selling deep-fried Oreos too. I walked past probably a dozen of these before I couldn't take it anymore. I had to try one. It was equally disturbing and delicious. The batter softened the cookie and the hot oil warmed the entire thing and made for a crispy exterior.
A lot of stands were selling "Sausage & Peppers" too. These looked - and smelled - great. We had out heart set on more pizza however, so that is exactly what we had. More on that...later.

Frites for Breakfast

2008-09-16T09:48:00.001-07:00

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In Search of NY's Best Pizza

2008-09-14T15:29:00.000-07:00

If you know me at all, you know I consider pizza one of the four food groups (bacon, bourbon, and beer being the other three). Not just any pizza of course, but good thin-sliced Neapolitan pizza. We have some great pizzas in Seattle these days, but outside of Naples, Italy - NYC is supposed to have the best pizza anywhere.

We have a few pizza places on our list to try during our week in La Grande Miele - Lombardi's, Una Pizzeria Neapolitana and Otto. During our explorations of our home base neighborhood today though, we passed Patsy's Pizzeria. It looked great and got great reviews on Yelp, so it was added to the list.
Sunday afternoon we met up with our Seattle friends Sam & Cameron who happen to be in NYC this week too. We met them and their baby boy Henry at the Museum of Natural History (just for the A/C and dinosaur replicas in the free foyer). We all decided a late lunch and some cold beers were in order - and being on 81st, it was just a short walk to Patsy's on 74th.

The menu at Patsy's has lots of choices for calzones and pastas. The pizzas however, are listed in two flavors: pizza and white pizza. Gavin and I clued into this immediately. Pizza - must mean pizza margherita, pure unadulterated pizza. Nothing more than sauce, mozzarella and basil. This was exactly what we had in mind.
It was great - Patsy's was a gem. They had Bass Ale on tap (albeit at $6/mug), plenty of seating and pretty good prices. The sauce had a nice sweetness to it and there was just enough cheese and basil to round out the flavors.

Zabar's

2008-09-14T09:48:00.001-07:00

I love visiting food shops - even grocery stores - wherever I travel. Near Gunny & John's apartment are two of the greatest food shops in the world. Fairway and Zabar's. We stopped into Zabar's after breakfast this morning just to browse around. The main floor is food and the upper floor is kitchenwares. Even though we had just eaten, I got hungry again. There must be 500 kinds of cheese here and loads of prepared foods, an olive bar and huge smokes fish counter, fresh knishes and plenty more.

The crowds in these stores are amazing. People watching and listening to people is hilarious. Definitely a different pace from the west coast. We are loving every minute of it!

Eggs and Bennie

2008-09-14T09:28:00.000-07:00

We are so happy to have the entire week off! It was such a relief to wake up this morning and not have to face house/yard projects. It is Sunday, so naturally brunch was in order. The popular brunch spots in the neighborhood were packed, so we returned to a little diner we ate at five years ago - the last time we were here. Five YEARS - I can't belief it has taken us this long to return to New York.

We love going out for breakfast, but hadn't really worked it into our eating itinerary (more on that later). But today, we are just going with the flow, since it is our first day. I had planned on going light on breakfasts on this trip - since there are lots of lunch and dinner spots we want to hit. I was able to justify a big fat Eggs Benedict breakfast today though, since I think it will help stretch and prepare my stomach for the rest of the week.

I can't say "Bennie" without thinking of the "super" at Gunny & John's building, because his name is Bennie. He is supposed to be a great guy and quite a character. My parents LOVE him - and of course have partied with him. We have yet to see him or meet him, but I have to admit that I am a little anxious. The only thing I know about supers is that they can be quite the characters. I know that this is 100% a result of an episode of This American Life - episode #323 called "The Super." If you haven't listened to it, you must. It is probably my favorite episode.

Late Night Arrival in Manhattan

2008-09-14T09:01:00.000-07:00

We arrived late Saturday night into Manhattan. My aunt and uncle are in NYC visiting their new granddaughter (AKA - thecutestdamnbabyever), so we have keys to their sweet apartment on the Upper West Side. They'll be back on Tuesday, but until then we have the place to ourselves.

We are on W 78th - between Broadway and Amsterdam. Total foodie heaven - with lots of restaurants and cafes nearby not to mention Fairway Market, Zabar's and H&H Bagels. It was midnight though, so we weren't up for a big meal. A mere snack was what we needed. Late night + snack + NYC + UWS = Gray's Papaya Hot Dogs!

This place is somewhat of an institution as far as I know. I love hot dogs and take advantage of eating them anytime I can. These are no polse, but washed down with a papaya drink - they totally hit the spot.

Airport Seating

2008-09-13T14:33:00.001-07:00

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SeaTac airport is about as stylish as any airport - but they do have some of the greatest seating around. These are Herman Miller and have matching benches as well. I covet these so much that I would probably trade in every chair in my house to get them.

Eat Pancakes - Support the MS Society

2008-09-09T11:20:00.001-07:00

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My company has a team each year that participates in the MS 150 Bike Ride to raise money and awareness for the MS Society. They have been doing lots of fundraisers, but I think my favorite so far is the "all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast" they did this morning. Tom made wicked pancakes with cinnamon and vanilla in the batter and there was blueberry compote, fresh fruit and sausage. The whole office smelled heavenly and the best part was that for for $5 I got a belly full of pancakes and made a donation towards a worthy cause.

You can check out the team's page and make a donation.

Tom's MS Society Pancakes
2/3 C Flour
1 ½ t Baking Powder
2 ½ t Sugar
¼ t salt
Cinnamon to taste

½ C milk
2 Eggs
½ t Vanilla
1 T Vegetable oil

Sift together dry ingredients. Mix wet ingredients in another bowl and add to the dry. Mix until just blended - the batter may be slightly lumpy. Cook on a lightly oiled hot griddle (about 350 degrees) until bubbles form and then flip! Enjoy with your choice of toppings. Donate to MS Society.

Makes about 4 - 4” pancakes. Multiply by 16 to feed staff.

Vesper

2008-08-31T22:11:00.001-07:00

Whoa - I finally tried the Vesper cocktail of Casino Royale fame. OK, I tried two. This may just be my new favorite cocktail.

I've been experimenting a bit more with Gin ever since that one night at the Zig Zag Cafe. I don't think Gin will ever replace Bourbon as my favorite booze, but on warm summer nights Gin is very refreshing.

The Vesper also has Lillet Blanc, which is a apéritif wine from Bourdeaux. My friend Mary turned me on to Lillet some months back. It is pretty sweet and floral in flavor and really adds a nice sweetness to this cocktail.

Vesper Martini

2 oz Plymouth Gin
1 oz Vodka
1/2 oz Lillet Blanc

Shake and strain. Garnish with an orange peel.

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The Incredile, Edible Egg

2008-08-31T18:29:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I think eggs may be the perfect food. While the whites are nearly flavorless, they can be fluffed and whipped into meringues or souffles and provide loft to any dessert. The yolks are rich and flavorful and enrich any dish or sauce (think Bearnaise sauce).

The whole egg may not be greater than the sum of its parts, but for breakfast a simple soft-boiled egg is perfection itself.

I grew up eating soft-boiled eggs, which I guess is more European because no one I know really eats eggs this way. I love fried or scrambled eggs too, or an omelet now and then. Hard-boiled eggs, in my mind, are best left for egg salad sandwiches and deviled eggs. Otherwise, their texture kind of creeps me out.

Part of the appeal of the soft-boiled, I must admit, are the egg cups. I am not much of a "collector," but if I were to start a collection of anything, it may be egg cups. There are so many cute antique ones - porcelain, wood, glass - not to mention contemporary egg cups by Alessi, Bodum and others. On my last trip to Scandinavia, I found some cute eggs cups in Stockholm. The cup itself sits on top of a little base that doubles as a salt shaker. I fell in love instantly. They were sold in pairs, so now Gavin and I each have our own.

Soft Boiled Eggs
Place eggs in a small saucepan and fill with cold water until the eggs are just covered. Cover the pan and bring to a boil.

Once the water is boiling, remove the pan from the heat and let stand for 3 minutes

After 3 minutes, drain off the hot water and fill the pan with cold water and some ice cubes. Cool the eggs for 30-60 seconds.

Crack the top 1/4 of the egg off by swiftly cracking one side with a dinner knife. Gently cut away the top 1/4. Salt & pepper to taste and scoop out the warm, tasty egg from its shell bite by bite and enjoy.

Holiday Weekend Brunch

2008-08-30T11:30:00.001-07:00

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Kitchen Gear I Love

2008-08-30T06:11:00.000-07:00

I thought this would become a regular blog feature when I posted about gear I love earlier this year. The thing is, I am not big into gadgets even though I grew up around a gazillion of them. My parents fall easy prey to every new slicer/dicer/mixer on the market.

Igloo Marine Cooler
We originally bought this cooler for our 2006 road trip to Napa Valley. It was appealing because it is all white, instead of the royal blue or red color scheme of most coolers. It also fits wine bottles standing upright, which was key for that trip to wine country. I like keeping a cooler in the car, so frozen goods stay cold on the drive home from the store among other reasons (see previous post). This one is large enough most of time and doesn't take up too much space in the trunk of my little GTI.
(Full disclosure: the igloo link above takes you to the exact model we own, even though all white is no longer available. The image at right is only for illustrative purposes.)

Steamer Basket
This is actually an item I covet. I love steaming edamame or artichokes and usually get by with just throwing them into a pot with about an inch or two of boiling water. On a recent episode of my favorite cooking show Good Eats, I learned that this slick little steamer basket works well when blanching vegetables. If there is anything I love more than steaming...it is blanching. We blanch basil for the brightest and best homemade pesto evah, blanch veggies for a much more appealing crudités platter and of course blanch green beans, asparagus, et al to keep them green.

Food Talk Podcast
I have heard Mike Colameco on The Splendid Table a couple of times, but never listened to his "Food Talk" program on WOR in New York. Since me and the mister are headed to NYC next month, we are researching all our dining options. Food Talk is mostly for New Yorkers, but is great for tourists wanting to learn about some of the great restaurant options. There are lots of cooking tips too though and Wednesday is baking day, when Mike has a professional baker join him to answer listeners questions.

Tivoli iPAL Radio
Gavin got me this stereo for my birthday a couple of years back. It is my constant kitchen companion. It gets great radio reception, so I can catch up on the news or other programs while I am cooking. It also has an auxiliary plug so I can plug in my iPod. This is key. I have all my favorite podcasts queued up and waiting on my iPod. I love listening to podcasts about food while I am in the kitchen, but this little stereo is so portable that I can take it with me when I am cleaning the bathroom or working on a project. It makes those chores so much more enjoyable.

ECU

2008-08-30T05:35:00.000-07:00

Summer feels nearly over in Seattle, but I have managed to enjoy a few hot days since I've been home. The thing is - I wilt above about 82.5 degrees, so heat isn't exactly what I enjoy. I guess "not cold" and dry is really what I am really looking for in terms of summer weather.

When the mercury starts to rise above 90 degrees, I get into survival mode. Fans must be set-up, Otter Pops stocked, and self-tanner applied.

I keep a cooler in my car nearly all the time, since it insures frozen food will remain frozen on the trip home from the store. No, I don't live in the country. In fact there are two grocery stores within a one-mile radius. Sometimes though, I like to go to a store FIVE WHOLE MILES AWAY! I can't risk that kind of melting...

A couple weeks back, we were meeting my friend Robin for dinner on Queen Anne (hill). It was over 90 degrees and we were likely to hit some traffic on the way there. We were bringing some beer and a bottle of Crémant along to have at her place before dinner, but I feared they would not stay cold on the 20-30 minute drive, so I packed the cooler.

As we finished getting ready, Gavin hollers from the kitchen, "hey, I think you are guilty of a little E.C.U.?" Wha? ECU? Yes, ECU he explained was "Excessive Cooler Use." What do you mean "excessive" I argued. It is a bloody inferno out there and the traffic, the traffic! Sure, it is only about 12 miles away but it could take us 45 MINUTES!

He conceded that cold drinks were better than not-as-cold any day, so the cooler stayed stocked and even though the drive only took us 30 minutes, the drinks were as cold when we arrived as they were when we left home.

Obama-rama

2008-08-27T08:16:00.000-07:00

I am fired up about the Democratic convention this week! We aren't THAT into politics, but Obama's speech this Thursday night seemed like as good a reason as any to have a little get-together. I will admit to having a little bit of Obama-fever though. My friend Jen is a delegate and her and Therese have a great blog going about their trip to the convention (live blogging! celebrity sightings! the shoes, the shoes!).

Join us for homemade pizza (we'll set up a little pizza bar so you can make your own individual pie) and arugula salad anytime after 6pm. The speech is around 7:30pm. Bring yourselves, the kids and whatever you want to drink.

I'm going to whip up some Obamarama cocktails for the occasion. And we may even have some elitist protein bars for dessert.

Please let me know if you will be joining us for food, so I can make up enough dough. In case you've never been here for one of our pizza parties (or haven't been in awhile), here is something to whet your appetite.

Yes we can!
Sonja

Homeward Bound

2008-08-03T07:00:00.000-07:00

Yes! Finally - after 6 1/2 weeks, I am home. My flight schedule was pretty good. 10am departure from Bergen, 4-hour layover in Copenhagen and then direct from Copenhagen to Seattle.

I really like the Copenhagen airport, so having four hours to kill there wasn't that bad. They have good shops, cold beer, wifi access and wait...what's this I see?! People carrying around white paper cups with a familiar green logo...YES! Starbucks has arrived in Scandinavia. It's about time. I've been saying for years that Scandinavia is primed and ready for a Starbucks takeover. They drink more coffee than just about anyone else in the world, love all things American and think they know Seattle (rainy like Bergen, hawt doctors and good coffee). This airport location is just the beginning. Once they get the hang of it, I think the 'Bucks will be popping up all over Scandinavia in a year or two. Bravo Howard, bravo.

Of course, I was mostly excited to get a double short Americano with room. I haven't had espresso in six weeks and while they make good coffee in Scandinavia, I am just too hooked on the 'spro. So, I bellied up to the bar, paid my 25 kroner ($5) and enjoyed a taste of home.My pre-flight ritual at CPH however, is to have one last Danish polse and a cold beer. The hot dog was good, but honestly it kind of upset my stomach.
Come boarding time, I had a stomach ache and was too hot after lugging my bags of tax-free loot to the gate. Boarding had not started yet, and I was just about to pop in my ear buds when I heard my name paged, "Will passenger Sonja G..., please come to the check-in counter." OMFG - could it be true? The gate agent asked if I would mind being moved up a few rows. I coyly asked how many rows and she replied, "Is business class OK?" Um, yeah. "Enjoy the Champagne," she said.

It is good to know people - I think my retired SAS friends Jens-Petter and/or Øystein must be behind this. I couldn't be more thankful. Upon getting my seat, I raised the foot rest, put on my cozy socks and enjoyed a 1999 Henriot Champagne and an amuse bouche. Skål!

I Scream

2008-08-01T08:41:00.000-07:00

It's the last day of my last tour and again it is 85 degrees in Bergen.

One of my favorite hot weather treats in Norway is Soft Is - soft-serve ice cream with your choice of topping. You can get powdered chocolate, chopped nuts, and sprinkles in a variety of flavors (strawberry, licorice, etc). I have only had one
soft is in the last 6 weeks, so I figure today is as good a day as any. I'll take mine with chocolate powder.