BlatherMangia

Food as Art

by Stephanie

It has been a long time since we have attended any food events. Last night we enjoyed dinner in a roomful of well dressed, handsome people. If you think Seattle never dresses up, attend the Central District Forum's Food as Art  event. The 4th floor of the Bell Harbor International Promenade (fancy way of saying convention center) was filled with round tables set with white table clothes, yellow flower arrangements, and plenty of silverware and bottles of wine. Stationed around the perimeter were tables staffed by cuisine students from the Art Institute and local chefs, serving a wide variety of small bites.

VIPs (we were not among them) were treated to drinks mixed by Tavern Law's David Nelson, accompanied by hors d'oeuvres from Donna Moodie. Her restaurant, marjorie, is getting ready to open at its new location on the Capitol Hill/Central District border. I wonder if the turntable and vinyl records will reappear in the restroom?

• Wayne Johnson of Andaluca scooped a portion of seafood risotto onto my clean plate, topped with feathery dill and sided by a sliver of lemon. 
• That Brown Girl Cooks served up 3 types of hummus including one made from black eyed peas. 
• A small bite of miso poached salmon on savory cheesecake with a drizzle of cherry blossom liquor was provided by The Golf Club at Newcastle. Later in the evening they also passed out boxed leather fobs - are they to use to decorate your golf club bag? 
• Chef Daisley Gordon served up my favorite dish of the evening - Quenelle De Poussin au Creme Ecrevisse - poached dumplings in shellfish cream. I thought they were fish, but that translates to chicken. And I typically don't respond all that favorably to French food. Go figure.
• Our old haunt, Tempero do Brasil brought in Feijoada - black bean and meat stew, served along with rice, collard greens, and their killer green sauce. Michael went back for seconds. Time for a repeat visit. 
• Absolutely Cookin's Debbie Hatfield served up braised short rib on potato-celery root puree dished into fillo cups. A close second for me.  
• Osteria La Spiga's chef Sabrina Tinsley spooned up portions of Farrotto with Cannellini Beans and Tuna. Hot tuna - never a favorite for me. I preferred the small non-wheat cookies they also served.  
• St. Clouds' Michael King made chicken skewers - I missed the tequila-lime sauce, unfortunately.  
• Harissa Lamb meatballs with couscous were hot little bites from Pan Africa Market in the Pike Place Market. Haven't had their food since they catered the Matt's wedding (the original Matt's in the Market. Matt is working on the lease for a new restaurant; his place is owned by others and he has not had a place of his own for two years.) 
• I wish I had missed the citrus-blackened chicken salad. It tasted about as it looked. I didn't realize when I told the culinary students that I did not need a personal chef at home, I really meant I did not need this one! 
• We both missed the nicely plated savory ricotta-filled pears with basil custard sauce served by Plum's Makini Howell. Kept meaning to go back and get a plate, but it just didn't happen. Plum is a vegan restaurant on Capitol Hill, with lots of style and plenty of flavor.
• We missed the jerk chicken from Island Soul - the table looked shut down by the time we got there. Lucky for us, the restaurant is close by. 
• We missed the salmon wraps from Culinary Creations, but enjoyed their dessert - Rum Ice Cream with Toasted Marshmallow and Chocolate-Caramel Popcorn. The scoop of meringue was torched on the spot and the popcorn was extra crispy. The chocolate was chopped and on the side. There were also small tarts presented at the table - I did not see who made these, guessing they may have been by Culinary Creations as well. 
• We also missed the tea service from T(ea) Gallery and Coffee from Coffee Rwanda, but tried the juniper berry and the rhubarb sodas from Dry soda. 

As dinner service was ending, the thank yous and a bit of social commentary began. Quickly followed by a lively round of live auction bidding. First up were desserts by Sachia Tinsley, Sabrina's sister and pastry chef for Wild Ginger. A single salted caramel chocolate tart sold for $1000 (or a bit more)! Glad I was already sated. 

Tempted as I was by some of the other items, I am always frightened by the pace of live auctions. I had hoped there would also be a silent auction - I can manage to participate in those, even if I come away empty handed. The night continued with music and dancing, but our coach turned into a pumpkin long before the good byes. Thank you sponsors, and most especially, Northwest Stir, for a delicious night out.
  

2009 Dining - just the way it was

by Stephanie

A year I would not wish on anyone, and yet a year that was full of sweet love and tender care. Food and restaurants definitely took a back seat. We had some extraordinary food lows and much lower highs. The main themes of the year were eating because we have to, eating with friends and family as a way to spend some time with people, and dining out as a distraction from the mundane business of day to day living. These are not the heady tributes to eating out and food blogging because you wake every day thinking about what you will eat that day, and talk about what’s for dinner at lunch. There was little in the year that needs a round up. The highs are pretty well documented already. 

Indian food was well represented year round by home cooking from Vij’s Indian Cookbook, and inexpensive meals at Spice Route, Curry Leaf, and Naan-N-Curry.

Chinese, Vietnamese, and Thai meals were a mainstay for quick and comfort meals. We helped support Tamarind Tree, Tien Phat, Shanghai Cafe, Buddha Ruska, Ton Kiang (for some of the best bbq duck we’ve had), Top Gun,  Jamjuree, Sea Garden, Lemon Grass Restaurant on 12th, and Jack’s Tapas.

Ethiopian meals were mostly misses this year with our favorites trying to be something else, but old Awash came through with a tasty and plentiful meal with friends.

Brunches were a hit with visits to Geraldine’s Counter and sister Table 219, Esmeralda’s, Senior Moose, the Corson Building, Rover’s, Monsoon, and Both Ways Cafe.

Happy Hour took on new heights this year - or at least eating early. Poppy really shined, and light suppers at Anchovies and Olives and at How to Cook a Wolf were filled with good food as well as conversation.

Returning favorites included the vegetable plate at SpringHill, pasta at Spinasse, Steelhead Diner, Verve, Spur, and La Medusa.

In the what’s new department, we enjoyed Tilikum Place Cafe, Delancy came close to living up to its pre-opening excitement, Rancho Bravo provided fast tacos, tamales and guacamole, and Brickyard BBQ produced some clean and tasty plates.

Innovation award of the year must go to Mashiko and the switch to all sustainable fish for their sushi. Rolled out with a great party.

We hosted a few dinners at home, attended more potlucks than typical, and had dinner at homes of friends and family, including my 3rd passover seder. There was a garden party celebrating the opening of LightRail, a picnic at a showroom with lunch from I Love NY Deli, and a celebratory dinner for Dad’s 90th birthday.

Sweet highlights of the year came from the opening of Full-Tilt Ice Cream, within walking distance to home. And the continuing relationship to Sugar on First Hill with the fabulous breakfast treats and filled cupcakes. There was also chocolate (truffles from the farmer’s Market), cookies from BreadFarm in Edison, and way too many cakes from North Hill Bakery.

Traveling to San Francisco and Victoria provided a little food tourism opportunity.

On to 2010. May every mouthful be sustaining and satisfying.

Thanksgiving

by Stephanie

We ventured out Thursday morning via Bainbridge and Port Angeles for a most reasonable 2:00 sailing on the MV Coho. No long lines, no rain. Arrived in Victoria, within walking distance to the Hotel Oswego. Lovely, modern place with a one bedroom suite waiting. Full kitchen, no pool, no awesome views.

Walked over to the main part of town, past the Legislative Buildings and The Empress Hotel, dolled up in lights and the beginning of holiday decorations. Some familiar shops from 20 odd years ago, lots of the same 'ol chains (gotta love SBUX when you need a washroom in a strange town.) Not sure where all we wandered, but we ended up at "Foo". We aren't sold on the "eating out of take out boxes" theme, but the food made up for it. Boxes filled with Vietnamese ginger caramel chicken, Laksa with fresh fish dumplings and chewy noodles, and Indian paneer/almond/sultanas dumplings with a masala cream sauce were quickly emptied and made the two travelers very happy and quite full. Pictures of the inside of take out containers? Maybe not. 

The shop sits in a renovated petrol station, the owners, pretty chatty if you get them going. Nice talk about using traditional techniques mixed with Asian flavors - hence, the fine sauces and the braised meats. More wandering, and a night of deep sleep.

Friday we awoke to clear blue sky! Plans to hang out in the museum quickly tossed aside. After good strong coffee with real half and half in the room (courtesy of the hotel), we strolled over to Pandora for brunch at "MoLe". A quirky, red brick wall with local art hanging place, the menu included some interesting variations on normal things. An herbal biscuit, sliced in two could have been a tad lighter, but the scrambled eggs with cream cheese, bacon, and roasted red pepper on top were fluffy and delicious. The pesto potatoes were very good. M had a creamy omelette with local sausage (would have liked to see more, but it was good.) More wandering, stopping to run some errands, and visits to WildFire Bakery for a loaf of apricot anise bread - a sturdy and heavenly scented loaf from the wood fired oven, and assorted cookies, Choux Choux for cheese and pate (had we been hungry, we could have had rabbit pot pie!) and Chocolatier de Victoria for a selection of chocolates. Trudged back to the hotel (it is a slightly off the path location) via a walk through part of Beacon Hill Park, full of naked oaks and rocky outcroppings.

The evening brought a cab ride to the Belfry Theater for a one woman show of "The Year of Magical Thinking." Beforehand, we enjoyed a light meal at "Stage." A well dressed crowd filled the pre-theater hour and many were just sitting down when we left. "Light" included lamb confit + lamb loin, duck confit on a corn hash, and english pork sausage on braised cabbage. Everything was well prepared and very tasty. Some lovely cured meats and fresh seafood preparations were seen at the adjoining tables. A short walk to the theater; an excellent performance of an incredibly sad story. I read the book some time ago, and had forgotten the details. Worthy of a read.

Saturday was full of rain. Too late for and uninspired by the breakfast at the hotel (no longer complementary though still listed in some of the literature) we were directed to The Superior for brunch. A funky club / restaurant were the chef likes pork enough to have a pig tattoo. All I can say is "Pumpkin doughnuts with salted caramel sauce." After sharing an order of these hot and crispy beignet-like creations, we plunged into our mains - truffled scrambled eggs on mushroom duxelled toast and another version of pesto potatoes, and poached eggs with a miso hollandaise over a sweet potato, greens, peppers, pulled pork hash (I didn't get a bite!)

Off into the blustery day we ventured. The Museum provided a bit of diversion, even if the traveling show was initiated by the Seattle Art Museum. Since we missed it here, it was good to see. We broke for a late beverage at Cafe Mela, not far from the museum. Nothing special (thought a chocolate sample was very good!) The new owners have been there a month at most and have some way to go to make you feel more welcome and to keep the tables clean! Feeling ragged, we took shelter back at the hotel for awhile and then, ventured back out in the evening. After looking at our many options, we went back to Foo! This time, Phad Thai, Butter Chicken, and the day's special Tamarind pork belly with chili fried green beans. Both meals included a piece of house made smoked chili & coriander fry bread. I liked the slightly sticky interior of the bread. The second night, the rice served under the butter chicken was not quite cooked, edible, but too toothy. But the flavors were so good - seeing all the heavy cream in the fridge, I can guess part of the reason why - and understand not missing the rice. The plastic fork, spoon, or chopsticks don't do justice to the slabs of pork belly served. Across the street, we caught a movie before heading back. Caught up in the moment, we also dropped by The Superior for dessert - chevre cheesecake with fresh poached pear and caramel, and hot ginger cake with salted caramel ice cream.

Sunday was gray, and with a few provisions to tide us over, we caught the early ferry and had a smooth trip home, even catching the Bainbrige ferry within a few minutes of sailing.

Mashiko: sustainable sushi

By Stephanie

Our invitation arrived to attend the premiere evening of Mashiko Japanese Restaurant and Sushi Bar's transformation into a sustainable seafood only establishment. Free sushi! Sake tasting? Grab bag of funny gifts. Thank you, we'd love to attend.

(Hajime in sustainable octopus apparel by Kim)

Mashiko's has always been an innovative place to eat sushi. Well trained and knowledgeable, Hajime has previously ventured into creative twists on sushi rolls, sauces, presentation, and staffing. Earlier this year, he decided the time was right to take on this challenge. What does it mean to go sustainable? No big tuna, no eel, no octopus. Seasonal catch, smaller fish, silvery fish, and sleeping better at night.

For the diner, it means forgoing the standard sushi platter and being open to developing new favorites. For this dinner, it was easy. We had:

Kumamoto oysters and small Pacific oysters (shellfish farming is acceptable). We loved the light heat given the Pacifics, firming up the meat and bringing out a more developed flavor but also loved the yuzu ponzu on the cold kumamotos. 

Rainbow trout sashimi (again, farmed). A lovely presentation and a little ponzu shoyu. 

Poki made with long line caught albacore (a smaller fish, less mercury too). Roasted macadamia nuts brought a nice richness to the dish. 

Scallop and dungeness crab salad wrapped in proscuitto with lumpfish caviar and avocado (a half dozen of these would make a lovely dinner, see photo at right). 

Charlie's Angel roll with salmon, grilled asparagus, tempura fried (believe it or not, the salmon here was also farmed, but locally and in a safe and sane manner, more on this as it becomes available).

Geoduck sauteed with shitaki mushrooms, aonori butter, and bonito flakes. This is a great way to eat geoduck, highlighting the clam without the textural issue.

Two more rolls - the first with namagi, tempura sweet potato, and avocado, the second with black cod, tempura onion, and tarako infused aioli. What, you may ask, is namagi? Well, it's "not unagi." It was catfish, flavored up to resemble the rich flavor of the old favorite.

Oshizushi, made with sanma and fresh ikura. This was the most flavor challenging bite of the evening - a silvery fish, a little like a cross between a sardine and mackerel. Very pretty on the plate, and fine eating. (See left.)

Finished off with a jasmine pearl creme brule. 

There was also an option to have a sake sampler of 6 different brews. While I found a few that appealed to me more than my sake experience of the past, I don't feel qualified to say much more about sake. If you like sake, Mashiko is a good place to go and try some.

We learned a lot about sustainable seafood thanks to the evening talks by Hajime and his guest, Casson Trenor, and a bit about sake as well. We chatted with friends, new and old. We ate well. And we will think differently every time we order seafood, be it sushi, at a fish restaurant, or a fish market. We can be part of the change that keeps the oceans healthy. 

Lazy days of summer

By Stephanie

These are days when cooking doesn't sound like much fun, but nothing on the restaurant menu sounds all that great either. When I think about eating, I want fresh, seasonal food - crisp salads, sauteed greens, a little fish, icy fruit, or something snitched right from the garden. 

In years gone by, I had a large community garden patch and some plantings at home, with up to 35 tomato plants, tomatillos, potatoes, garlic and onions, peas and beans, peppers and eggplants, cucumbers, squash, and corn, beets, radishes, greens, figs, strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries, and one year, even some okra. Abundance. I gifted fresh vegetables, herb starts, and froze plenty of sauce to last the winter. Hated going out to eat and paying big bucks for simple preparations of the vegetables lying in wait at home.

The last few years we've been limited to what fits in 3 patio containers. Thank goodness for the local Farmer's Market! This spring, in spite of circumstances, we managed to start a small vegetable garden. With some work, we were able to turn a small area of heavy clay into a couple of well manured and composted planting beds. The home compost, rich and crumbly, held a ton of squash seeds, invisible to the eye. Volunteers were everywhere. I allowed 3 plants to stick around as a border for the tomatoes, and transplanted a couple elsewhere. Seems like hundreds were uprooted and composted again. Seeing the beautiful blossoms, wish we had kept a few more to try stuffed squash blossoms or squash blossom tart.

Any year I see tomatoes turning red for the 4th seems like victory. 3 of the Stupice on the patio have color! 

Bagels

By Stephanie

I hope you like my bagels. Used the same no-knead dough I use to make stovetop nann. The bagels were boiled and baked. Happy Father's Day!

Bored

By Stephanie

For a variety of reasons, the past month has been pretty slow in the food department. Not much to write home about. Even the cat stopped eating for awhile. But we have strawberry plants forming fruit, flowers on the pea vines, sprouts of many types of greens, and blossoms on the tomatoes. Plenty of pie cherries out of reach, and the prune plum tree is loaded with green fruit.

Restaurant eating division did include a brunch at Rover's - the "chef in the hat" was in NY and his pastry chef was absent as well. Best they could muster was a piece of coffee cake with some writing on the plate for our "occasion". We also had a good dinner at Tilikum Place Cafe with friends, marred by the table of 15 having their own good time. Nice place, loud enough to hurt our ears and curtail conversation. A couple of basic Chinese meals and a couple of failures in the African food division.

I am so impressed with all the local bloggers and their books! One even made it into today's NY Times Book Review. And now, they all use Twitter instead of keeping their blogs current. 

Spring has sprung

By Stephanie

So I am not too original. And this photo should be accompanied by a spread of lavish bread and pastries. But all you get is this lovely mocha prepared by ace barista Amy at Columbia City Bakery.

San Francisco holiday

By Stephanie

In March, we escaped the late winter in Seattle to see some sunshine in San Francisco. Got a great deal on a room at The Palace Hotel, and they were kind enough to turn our standard King room into a King Suite! My only complaint is that they do not have a coffee maker in the room, so no afternoon tea the cheap and easy way.

We took a walk Thursday night up Grant Avenue looking for some Chinese food. A few young ladies in front of quiet restaurants beckoned us to come inside. We resisted their charms.

. 

Decided to try Bund Shanghai on Jackson. It's a small place, and it closes at 9 pm, but we slipped in and tried to figure out what to order. It was good, but left us craving for something better. We ate Rice cakes with spinach and Chinese bacon (sticky and tasty) Mongolian lamb (spicy and good), and Eel with yellow chives (slightly weird, picture at left)

Friday, we had breakfast at Cafe de la Presse, just across from the Chinese gate. Big bowl of latte, good berry compote for the pain perdu (boring, but okay) and nice potatoes for the egg and sausage plate, good sausage too.

Later in the day, revisiting The Haight, we stopped for a quesadilla suiza at Zona Rosa - split the giant folded tortilla stuffed with grilled chicken sided with sour cream, guacamole, and salsa before walking to the deYoung Museum for a great view of the city, an exhaustive look at Warhol, and a strange convergence of the end of the floral interpretations of art benefit and the Friday night bar and music scene. We departed the museum to meet up with local for dinner at Aziza. 

At Aziza, we waited a few minutes at the bar for a local acquaintance to join us. I indulged in a rum cocktail of muddled kumquats and fresh thyme. We adjoined to the far back of the restaurant for dinner. We were happy to leave the majority of the decision making up to the chef by choosing the tasting menu. Interestingly, we were able to each select our entree and dessert. Soup too - either lentil or carrot. We order both the lentil soup and the soup of the day -carrot bejeweled with pomegranate foam. Three appetizers, meatball skewers with grapes and jicama, goat cheese with cherry tomato jam, and piping hot limas with feta. We liked 'em all. Of course, I would not have agreed to the tasting menu if it did not include basteeya - a tart made with filo dough, stuffed with chicken and egg, spiced with cinnamon, and dusted with powdered sugar.

After a bit of a break, the entrees arrived,  duck (the least successful), rabbit - look at the cool foam (photo at right), and quail (very nice.)

3 desserts as recommended by the server:

Hazelnut madelines with lemon buttermilk sherbet and a tuile.

Chocolate sesame cannoli with chocolate sorbet and dates, my favorite, though I liked them all (photo below), and Hibiscus granita, rose parfait, citrus tuile.

Worth a visit for dessert alone!

Made for a late night and a long day. Had a harrowing taxi ride back to the hotel, arrived white knuckled, but safe.

Saturday, we arrived at the Ferry Building and farmers' market just after the local contestant from Top Chef, Jamie, left, oh darn. A bit of a drizzle, a nice walk about to admire the spring greens and food booths. We went inside and ate chilaquiles (egg-free but nice side of beans) at Mijita. I also had a mexican hot chocolate oddly spiced with star anise. We picked up some Rancho Gordo beans and red popcorn, some chocolates from Recchiuti, and some kettle corn (for tv watching.) Tucked in for the afternoon to read and rest. I went out to look for a cuppa and stumbled upon La Boulange on Market. I expected it to be run of the mill street deli and then saw the canneles and other lovely pastries. Mighty Leaf tea...a jar of marinated olives, one of Nutella, fancy mustard on the counter along with the cream and sugars. Had a nice pear frangipani pecan slice and a big hot tea.

That evening, staying close by, we had the options of the sister restaurants Anchor and Hope, Salt House, or Town Hall. We tried A&H. Walked right in around 7 on Saturday night. Started with seared scallops, and an asparagus salad with egg and proceeded to trout en papillote, and Tai snapper with fennel, potatoes, and nettle puree and cara cara orange - I liked this a lot.

No room for dessert.

Sunday, we joined old friends at Dosa on Fillmore. I spared them the picture taking, but this was an excellent and fun choice. Comfortable place (an old Goodwill store handsomely renovated) with high quality food. The Dahi Batata Puri were a huge hit - little flavor bombs. The dosas impressed and all the flavors were bright and fresh. We spent some time walking the lovely neighborhood and enjoying the sun in spite of the wind. 

We also managed to find a little something for later, canneles and macaroons. (See right) 

Not feeling too hungry or energetic, we caved to a room service supper (and the season ending of Big Love) and ordered an okay pizza with two toppings and a handsome burger and fries. The fries were still hot and salty, the burger was rare with blue cheese and onions on a house made bun and lots of condiment options. They arrived right on schedule, and the food was hot, except for the icy glasses of water and the crisp lettuce and tomato. 

Before leaving on Monday, we grabbed breakfast back at Boulange on Market - croque monsieur and an egg breakfast sandwich with good smoked salmon on a croissant. Excellent find.

BART to and from the airport (the Montgomery Street station is right there!) made the trip very easy. Got home safe and sound, only to find rain and gray sky...

Happy biscuits

By Stephanie

Two fer baking - another birthday to celebrate and testing recipes for a friend!

Ham and cheese biscuits with fresh rosemary. One of our four plants survived this snowy winter.

For a few years, I volunteered at "Taste Washington" - the annual extravaganza of wine and food. Volunteering = helping the wineries and restaurants unload their wares and getting them into the venue (there were a few.) We also helped set up the place, did greetings, handed out gift bags, and someone must have helped clean up. The event itself, pretty spendy, never held that much interest for me. I liked trying all the food bites, but after tasting and spitting a half dozen wines (of the 500 or so on offer) I was done. If they did not sell out - you could still hustle down to the QWest Event Center this afternoon and support this event. I'd head straight to Dahlia's table for the roast suckling pig and Cadence and Quilceda Creek for whatever they are pouring. And don't forget the dessert and chocolate tastings, with all those late harvest wines.

Joule

By Stephanie

I was stumped. Something about Joule's menu just confounds me. 

We ate here last summer on a Sunday - expecting their "urban bbq" but hitting it on fried chicken night - sort of a pre fixe version of their food. We liked it anyway and vowed to return. For a change, we made reservations. Having been turned away a few times, we did not risk it. The house was just about full once again. It's a loud space acoustically, though visually soothing. The pedestrian parade on 45th at times quite distracting.

Back to the food. The menu is made up of categories called Tossed, Simmered, Crisped, Sparked, and Pickled. Very ala carte. And while we took our time selecting what to order, I had a bad feeling we might have not ordered a well composed meal. The server wasn't exactly forthcoming on how to best order for two. As is often the case, the non-entree dishes sounded more interesting, so we ordered heavily from the Crisped category. 

Started with a bowl of parsnip bisque - thoughtfully split into two bowls, each enough for such a rich soup subtle in flavor, with strands of black trumpet mushrooms and cabbagey leaves, perhaps brussels sprouts. A touch more salt brought out the sweetness of the root. On the heels of the soup delivery, arrived a pair of shrimp edamame dumplings - beautifully pan fried and plumped, served with a soy dipping sauce. Inside tender skins, the bright green beans contrasted with flavorful shrimp and bits of pickled red onion. Fresh cilantro added its musky complement.

Next up, the rest of the order arrive to crowd the small table: a crisp edged kimchi pancake with slices of pork belly on top, 3 large prawns served head and tail on with a little pile of bacon brussels sprout hash, a cute casserole of creamed swiss chard, and lasagna rich with a mild blue cheese and shitake mushrooms. Everything was very good, nothing else required additional salt, but after we licked the platters the clean, I still felt like there would have been a better way to compose the meal. We had 3 very rich and creamy items and 3 cream free. We did not order bread or rice, pickles or salad. Next time, I will try harder to balance the textures and flavors to hit the sweet, salty, sour, and bitter as well as crispy, creamy, chewy, and crunchy. There will be a next time; this menu has too many interesting things we've not seen elsewhere.

(Mmm, bacon and eggs)

Lemon pudding cake

By Stephanie

Fresh from Traveler's Lunchbox is dessert for tonight. No Meyer lemons available, the regular ones had to do. The batter filled the 1 quart pan more than 3/4 full, and rose just a bit above the pan edges. It's light, tart, and very creamy. Michael says it made its own gravy. We had to sample just a little while still warm from the oven.

Thanks Melissa!

India Bistro

By Stephanie

Since last August and our visit to Vij's in Vancouver, we can't seem to eat Indian food often enough. Patiently, Michael has been working through the recipes in the Vij's cookbook and exhausting the spices filling the cupboard. 

In search of new flavors, we have returned to the eastside's Spice Route on many occasions, always ordering some of the southern foods (including the vadas.) In the past, our go-to place has been India Bistro, either in Ballard or on 65th, off Roosevelt. Same owner, the Roosevelt location is newer, with a modern ambiance and a bar. Seating has always been easier, parking too. Here the food is from the North, more typical of Seattle's Moghul population. Last week, it was time for a fix. Besides not wanting to cross Lake Washington, we thought it would be interesting to revisit India Bistro with our new found appreciation of the intricacies of flavor development. And we agreed to order dishes we weren't as familiar with, staying away from vindaloo, tikka masala, and saag options.

India Bistro has beautiful silver dishes for presentation of the entrees. I did not take a picture. Actually, we did not take any photos in the restaurant. The plate here is from the second dinner of leftovers! At the top is chicken jalfrezi. This appears to be an anglo-indian dish, but we loved the tender red chicken and the sweet tomato rich sauce studded with cooked vegetables. At right, some yogurt from the fridge. Despite wimping out with 2 and 3 rated heat (out of 5 possible) the heat could use a little toning down for me. At the bottom, lamb menthi (fenugreek leaves,) a spicy and rich curry. And finally, a Goa vegetable curry, flavored with coconut. In the middle, a nice pile of basmati  rice spiced with whole cumin seed, fenugreek, and clove. The original dinner also included a buttery garlic basil naan (flatbread from the tandoor - clay oven) and the complementary pappadums (lentil wafers) with two chutneys - the green one (coriander, I think) with a bit of heat, and the tamarind one sweet and tasty, studded with golden raisins. We ordered enough for 4 (at least 3) and the total tab was only $34 with tax. Great value, great flavors!

The kitchen

By Stephanie

Michael cooks 99% of the time we eat at home. Dinner anyway. He references recipes, but aside from learning a new cuisine, isn't big on following them. It helps that he has a grounding in the classic techniques and many years on the line behind him. No complaints from me. After having to decide what I was eating everyday, being able to sit down to a nice dinner with no or little decision making is very nice. He says he is enjoying cooking for us, and I take him at his word. He likes it when I bring food home and he can work with ingredients he did not select. Or when I make suggestions as to what I would like to eat. 

(kitchen with winter sunlight)

Once in awhile, I'll get in there and put dinner together; usually when he is out for the evening and occasionally, because I want to try a recipe. I like buying cookbooks, reading them, and following recipes (though not without variations.) I used to cook, eat out more often, or be happy with a dinner of girl food - toast, cottage cheese, fruit, a pint of ice cream, that sort of thing. Lunch out was often the big meal of my day. We don't eat out as much as I did alone, though more than many. I'm still fascinated by the restaurant business, though I have no interest in being in it. I did a little restaurant work in my 20's and that was enough (and it was not much.) But I can talk about food anytime. I still bake. Chocolate is big on my list of favorites, but for home baking, fruit filled cakes, cobblers, crisps, and slumps seem to outnumber everything else. They are quick, easy to prepare, work well with the frozen bounty and overripe fruit, and you can make believe they are nutritious. 

I know the spice jars on the counter should not be in the sunlight, but the cupboard above is already full of herbs and spices!

Saturday adventure

By Stephanie

Stir crazy at home, we decided to take a walk somewhere different. Walk, drive, what's the difference? We loaded up the little car and headed out to West Seattle via Georgetown. I thought I knew how to find the First Avenue Bridge, but as Boeing blazed by on both sides of Marginal Way, we could tell my navigational skills were failing. We have no GPS to guide us on our adventures. A little u-turn, crossing of a small draw bridge and a road closed barricade led us to the edge of South Park. Twisting turns here and there and we were headed further south. Another U-turn and some patience and we started to recognize a few features from last summer's trip over for dinner at an old friend's home

Target number one? Zippy's Giant Burgers at 1513 SW Holden. The reward? A #11 for each of us and a share of fries. The #11 is a hand formed beef patty grilled up and served on a soft hamburger bun, topped with chipotle mayo, a mix of smoked and jack cheese, chopped iceberg lettuce, and a heap of Mama Lil's pickled peppers. That is one great burger - easy to handle wrapped in a paper jacket, not intimidating in size but generous, with char, smoke, and a vinegar twang. The fries were hot, not greasy, a bit of skin still on. The small space has a couple of bar height tables and counters, a few stools, and a line to the door in mid-afternoon. They have good sodas in the cooler and milkshakes are available, but we had another idea. 

Target number two? Full Tilt Ice Cream at 9629 16th Ave SW. That's White Center, where the parking is angle back-in only and the sidewalks are littered with smokers. We had been hearing about Full Tilt for the last year, missed an opportunity once or twice. The back of the store is heavy with pinball machines and small kids fresh from softball games (and their parents who love them.) Up front, a few bright tables and a small ice cream case presided over by the owner. This is not your high end restaurant artisanal fancy pants ice cream served in one spoon quenelle fashion. This is a place to get a big split scoop of inventive flavors. I found the flavors subtle, as well as the colors. The green tea with dark chocolate chips was not labeled matcha. The chocolate orange was rich with both flavors. Taro, a Philippine specialty, was lightly colored, smooth and unusual (unlike at a local bakery where the color screams purple and the flavor seems imaginary.) A red berry with dark chocolate had a great balance of fruit tangy and sweet while the birthday cake peppered with sprinkles featured the bright lemon flavor of the cake. The waffle cones are made on the premises as is the ice cream. We tucked away a couple of half pints in the freezer for another day, waiting for the promised arrival of store number two within walking distance of our own abode.

The walk? We considered the Chinese Garden at South Seattle Community College or the beach nearby, but with the temperature dropping to 38, we headed home.

Cake

By Stephanie

Really, we have been eating the last month. Just nothing all that pretty to show you. Michael continues to give Vij's Cookbook a work out, and while the flavors are great, it isn't the prettiest food to photograph. We rely on Chinese and Vietnamese restaurants when we can't see to cook - Top Gun, Szechuan Chef, Thien Phat are the most typical hangs.

We can highly recommend Verve in Columbia City for pretty food that is good to eat, at prices that are reasonable and generously portioned. Garrett makes delicious sauces to go with things like beef cheeks and sweetbreads with gnocchi, but you can also get a crisp winter salad, a cheese plate, or a nice steak or roast chicken to go with their wine bar intent. Not drinking, that's okay too. Desserts are worth the splurge, made in house. They are also open for brunch Saturday and Sunday with wild boar chops to side up to eggs, or fig-ricotta stuffed french toast. Sorry, no pictures from the recent foray. The menu does vary.

You'll have to make do with my homemade cake, lemon buttermilk with homegrown plum compote and a side of Double Rainbow french vanilla ice cream.

More muffins

by Stephanie

Muffins are easy. I don't mean you should go to Costco and buy a flat of giant heavy structures of chocolate, almond poppyseed, blueberry, and banana nut muffins. They serve their purpose, but they don't make me happy like freshly baked ones do. Still warm from the oven, these little cakey wonders can be made with simple ingredients, or filled with healthy additions like fruit, nuts, spices, fiber, and vegetables (think pumpkin and zucchini.) There are low fat versions, gluten free ones, and even sugar free options.

Go into the kitchen and pull out two bowls (one for dry and one for wet ingredients) and a muffin tin or two. With a recipe and ingredients in hand, you can have a tray full in less than an hour. January has brought us blueberry streusel, apple streusel, and pumpkin cranberry. Looks like I missed a Sunday. I like the streusel topped versions better for the sweet and buttery crunch atop the tender mouthfuls. I also prefer muffins made with butter over those made with oil. Like cupcakes without frosting (the thought has crossed my mind that a frosting or icing would be a nice addition...) muffins are easy to share, portion out, give as gifts, and eat. They freeze well, well wrapped, but that hasn't been an option lately.

(These cranberry pecan studded beauties are full of pumpkin and spice too.)

Chinese new year

By Stephanie

Sometimes the food comes out and you just need to eat it now. There isn't time to take a picture, or think about what you want to say about the restaurant, the event, or the food. Yesterday was one of those days.

A prolonged morning on First Hill led to an opportunity for a late lunch. We first tried Tamarind Tree - it was close to one o'clock - who would guess the parking lot would be at full capacity as well as the restaurant and the waiting room? On to the International District we went. We managed to find a street parking spot! Shanghai Garden was our destination. (MSG150 review I'm linking this because they did stop for pictures and the site is useful, as Michael has already noted.) The place has not changed much over the years - the interiors a slightly pink hue with red highlights, a row of mini kumquat trees at the entrance. The cold case by the register holds interesting prospects such as marinated cucumbers, jelly fish salad, and smoked fish appetizers. 

There is a list of lunch specials, served with soup and rice, but we passed these to order the Shanghai steamed dumplings, soft rounds of dough filled with pork, ginger, and onions - and a little soup. The ginger soy side sauce is rich and fragrant. I'd like these to be more delicate, but the flavor is wonderful and the comfort level is high. We also had the barleygreen hand shaven noodles with egg and pork and Happy Roll - bean curd sheets filled with minced chicken and mushrooms served in a fire bowl of rich broth. These are foods that restore the spirit and the body. And there were some leftovers in perfect take out boxes for later that night.

With time left on the meter, a quick stroll though Uwajimaya was in order. Still won't help us in sourcing Indian foods, but we picked up a few groceries and some Beard Papa cream puffs (why aren't these called puddin' puffs?) and came on home. Happy Chinese New Year!

Very odd fellows

By Stephanie

We stumbled in to the warm candlelight of the tall old room that houses Odd Fellows Cafe & Bar  late one night this past week. Late, for geezers like us being just before 9 p.m. The place was full, with a few minutes to wait for a table. (Reservations for 6 or more only.) Please wait to be seated after 5. At this hour, we were well a decade or two older than most everyone in the place. There seemed to be few plates, but lots of glasses on the tables. Tables, flanked by old church pews, and small metal stools and chairs, a bit tough on the backside. But it felt like a great place to meet your friends, have drinks, eat if you want, or plot a coup.

The menu is short, with a few appetizers, main plates, sandwiches (French Dip!), salads, and hearty dishes of love. A few desserts round things off. We did not sample a lot of the menu, but the bacon cooking up for BLT's sure did smell good, all the way home. I had the steak (unknown cut, I think it might have been a flatiron?) perfectly cooked medium rare, with fresh arugula and onion (a half onion topped with some breadcrumb and cheese.) Michael had the Shepherd's Pie - a big casserole of whipped and piped potatoes over a bed of ground meat and carrots. He swears the 'taters were of the canned variety, hard for me to believe. I liked the fresh flavor of the pie, but it lacked enough spice for the boy, "school lunch" he said. He also had a big green salad (called small on the menu, if I recall.) Other options included rotisserie chicken, pulled pork sandwiches, braised pork shank, beef stew, as well as lunch and breakfast.

We ordered up the apricot apple cobbler for dessert, and even though there were many reassurances that it was coming, it took forever - over half an hour! And the apples remained crunchy. We declined an alternate dessert, but did end up taking home some sweet cookies for dessert. If they have the peanut butter and jelly cupcakes, get them.

2008 dining round-up

By Stephanie

 

This was an extraordinary year for dining in the Pacific Northwest. We didn’t get far from home, but we did eat well. I am going to leave out the home cooked meals - at our home or at our friends, though they would rank high for fun, flavor and festivity.

Out of town:

Vij’s - Vancouver, BC

We finall braved the wait and it was well worth it! Additionally, we ended up with the cookbook and Michael has been working his way through the recipes, learning to cook a new cuisine and bringing us much dining pleasure at home.

 

26 Brix & Saffron - Walla Walla

jimgermanbar & Whoopemup Cafe- Waitsburg

Los Hernandez - Yakima/Union Gap - fresh asparagus tamales!

The trip to Walla Walla was all about food and scenery. The meals we had were solid hits, with nothing that blew our socks off, unless you count the pastry at Colville Patisserie. Since we missed the open hours at jimgermanbar, it has crossed our minds to go back and spend an evening or two there, just from having met the owners.