 | | |
| | |
|
Spaces home  Culinary FoolPhotosProfileFriendsMore |  Tools   |
Culinary FoolCulinary and cocktail adventures in the kitchen, out on the town and (sometimes) around the world!
|
11/18/2008 Shrimp Bisque Over the weekend I attended a potluck pasta party. The host made fresh pasta (yum!) and the rest of us brought items to fill out the meal. I decided to make a soup, Shrimp Bisque specifically. I'd come across a recipe in Tyler's Ultimate: Brilliant Simple Food to Make Any Time
 and was dying to try it. The pasta party seemed like the perfect opportunity. The bisque is pretty easy to make, although you do need to spend a little time peeling shrimp. Other than that it's really more a matter of allowing enough time for the flavors to meld. The result is outstanding! Smooth, silky, a little spicy and rich with shrimp the flavor is brightened with a little orange zest. I'll be making this recipe often.
You can find the recipe in the cookbook, of course, but if you want to try before you buy you can also find it here. I really recommend the cookbook though. Tyler's recipes are all generally pretty straight-forward, not a lot of fuss and bother, but lots of good, good flavor that never fails to impress. 11/16/2008 Ocho Tucked away on a Ballard corner is a little place called, Ocho. With just a few tables and several seats along the bar it's not surprising the place is often packed, especially once you've tasted the food.
 Ocho is a tapas bar. Creating authentic small Spanish bites and serving them up with precision seems to be their specialty. Three of us popped in a couple months ago, grabbed seats at the counter and proceeded to make a good dent in the menu, which is listed on a chalkboard at one of the room.
 Although the plates are small, as they should be, most lend themselves to sharing so we were all able to try many little bites. I don't know if I can say which were my favorite - all were tasty and offered flavor harmony for the tastebuds. The fun thing about a tapas bar is that you don't have to figure out the one thing you want for the evening We tried meat, seafood and vegetable options and enjoyed them all. Grazing your way through the menu is the preferred method of eating.
 Next time you are in Ballard give Ocho a try. It's worth making a special trip to get there but be warned that the seats do fill and once they do people my linger for some time.
 Ocho
24th & Market Ballard Seattle 206.784.0699   11/15/2008 Wild Chanterelles Wild Chanterelles are in season right now. That means two things: they are in abundance at the moment and the prices on them are really reasonable. My local market is selling them for $5.99/lb. I love them prepared a number of ways but one of the simplest is one of the best - just saute them in a mixture of olive oil and butter.
I took that idea and expanded it just a bit for this morning's breakfast.
Toast and butter a piece of toast and place on a plate.
Saute thinly sliced onions, a little thyme, chanterelles and crimini mushrooms until tender. Place them on top of the toast.
Return the saute pan to the heat and fry an egg until the white has set but the yolk is still runny.
While it's frying grate some Asiago, Parmesan or Gruyere cheese over the mushrooms.
When the egg is cooked place it on top of the mushrooms.
Enjoy! 11/14/2008 We're Off I cleaned out my chest freezer a couple weeks ago. Getting ready for the holiday baking season. And last weekend I started.
These are Tennessee Sugar Cookies. Yum! Recipe here.
11/7/2008 Maple Cream Cookies Any trip to Canada requires at least one trip to a grocery store to pick up one or more boxes of Maple Cream Cookies. I am addicted to these things. This time I also decided to try the version filled with chocolate. They are okay but next time I'll only get the maple filled. Sometimes you can also find them at Duty Free if you are driving across the border, but they are generally more expensive there. They may have cheap booze at Duty Free but they make up for it with the cookies!
November Dining DealsThere are two events this month that let you stretch your dining dollars. One is already in progress and on is coming up.
Dine Around Seattle started November 1 and goes through November 30. This used to be called 25 for $25, now it's 30 for $30; thirty restaurants serving 3-course meals for $30. Sunday through Thursday only. Thanksgiving is not included, in case you thought it would be! Some also offer $15 lunches. Some of the places have been on the list before, some are new. Check the website for all the details including addresses, menus, and who offers lunch in addition to dinner.
The OpenTable Appetite Stimulus Plan offers deals at restaurants and double points if you are an Open Table member. Dinners are $35, lunches $24. The event runs November 17 through 21. Not all Open Table restaurants are participating so make sure you check the site for locations and how to get the right menu and price. It looks like there are about 40 places signed up and many of them do not participate (or at least haven't to date) in the other dining promotions like Dine Around Seattle. 11/6/2008 Cream of Mushroom Soup I make a lot of stuffed mushrooms as party appetizers. Some recipes for stuffed mushrooms use the stems as part of the stuffing but the recipes I generally use don't. So I end up with lots of perfectly good mushroom stems and I hate to just throw them out. Instead I bag them and toss them in the freezer and once I've accumulated a decent amount I make mushroom stock. Once made it can be used as you'd use any sort of stock and I freeze batches so that I have it on hand when needed.
A couple weeks ago I decided it was time to empty all the various bags of mushroom odds and ends from the freezer and I made a very simple stock with them. All I did was put about five or six cups of stems and one large sliced onion in a stockpot, cover it all with water and let it simmer for a couple hours. I don't add salt or pepper to stock, instead I wait and season it as part of whatever recipe it ends up in.
Once I'd made the stock I used it in a variety of ways - as braising liquid and to flavor emmer - but with the cool, rainy days that have moved in I had cream of mushroom soup on my mind. It's a very easy recipe to make and the resulting soup is rich and satisfying.
This recipe will make two to three main-dish servings.
Take about 3 cups of mushrooms (I used crimini and chanterelles), 1 large onion peeled and cut into quarters, and one medium size carrot cut into thirds. Toss them all with olive oil, until they are just lightly covered. Spread in an even layer on a baking sheet and then bake for about 30 minutes at 400°F, until the vegetables are fork-tender and caramelized.
 Remove from the oven, reserve a few of the vegetables for garnish if you'd like, place about 1/2 of the vegetables in a blender, cover with some of the broth and then blend until smooth and thick. You may need to add additional broth as you are blending. Repeat with the balance of the roasted vegetables. Once you have it all nice and smooth, pour it all into a pot and season with salt, freshly ground black pepper and a woody herb like thyme. A bay leaf or two also adds a nice element of taste.
Heat slowly so that the seasonings have a chance to do their job, add additional broth until the soup is a consistency you like. Once the soup is hot add a couple tablespoons of heavy cream to give it a silky mouth-feel and a little touch of decadence.
Pour into warmed bowls and garnish with the reserved vegetables. I toasted slices of baguette, floated a slice in each bowl and topped the baguette with some of the roasted vegetables and a sprig of thyme.
In case you are wondering, both the onion and the carrot complement the taste of the mushrooms and add a subtle sweetness to the soup. They provide a bit more complexity and interest to the taste but you can certainly just use mushrooms if you'd like. 11/5/2008 The Loft The more you wander around Ballard the more you find all kinds of restaurants and bars tucked in here and there, often in surprising places. The Loft is one of these spots. Located on Ballard Avenue it's just far enough south of Market that it's not entirely obvious it's there. Unless you happen to walk by, especially in the summer months when the large "front yard" is full of groups gathered around the outdoor tables talking and laughing and enjoying those rare days when the evening stays warm into the night.
If you look a little farther back, you'll see the extra large garage door that serves as the east wall of the building rolled up making the line between building and outdoors nearly invisible, and the energy flows easily from bar to patio and back again.
Just as the evenings were becoming a little too cool to comfortably sit outside some friends and I decided to give The Loft a try. We perched just inside the garage door, close enough to the outside to feel it's presence but far enough inside to stay comfortably warm. We arrived during Happy Hour so we could grab a little bite to eat along with our beverages.
 Happy Hour specials include discounts on beer, well drinks and appetizers. We started with a couple varieties of beer and then ordered appetizers to enjoy along with them.
The beer menu, while not huge, offers enough to meet most tastes. The appetizer menu is filled with mostly typical bar food but some are presented with a twist. We decided to try the deep-fried pickles - one of my favorites since I first tried them at the now, long-departed Axis. And we ordered Mexican Lettuce Cups - a treat often found in Asian restaurants but this version featured chorizo for the main filling.
 The pickles were good, although I have to say they may be an acquired taste for some. This version featured dill pickle spears. I prefer the pickles sliced in rounds, probably because the ratio of batter to pickle is higher which I think provides a better balanced taste. The lettuce wraps were decent, too. My only real complaint was that there was not nearly enough lettuce for the amount of chorizo.
Nothing here is going to win an award but it seems it's all good steady bar food. For me the main draw for this location is that big outdoor patio. So while you probably won't find me hanging around The Loft in the winter months it's highly likely that once spring has sprung I may spend an afternoon or early evening lazing around on the patio.
The Loft
5105 Ballard Ave NW
Seattle
206.420.2737
 11/3/2008 It's not too late to grill! The nice thing about having a gas grill is that if you have it in a protected area you can fire it up any time of year. Even if you just use a charcoal grill it's nice to take advantage of the sun - or at least no rain - breaks in the fall or winter weather.
This weekend I fired mine up to grill some thick cut fillet mignon and then topped the steak with a classic - sauteed mushrooms.
Sauteed Mushrooms
Heat 1 Tbsp of butter and 1 Tbsp of olive oil in a skillet until butter is melted and starting to bubble. Add slices of garlic and about 2 cups of thickly sliced mushrooms. This week I used criminis, sometimes also called baby bellas, but any sort of mushroom works great. When the mushrooms are starting to get tender but are not yet soft add 1 Tbsp of chopped woody herbs - something like thyme, oregano or rosemary - and a generous splash of red wine. Continue sauteing until mushrooms are tender and most of the wine has evaporated.
Top a steak or boneless chicken breast with the mixture; use as a side dish; or serve along with toothpicks as a cocktail or wine accompaniment. 10/14/2008 First Look: Polar Bar A few weeks ago a friend and I stopped by Polar Bar on our way to a baseball game. This bar, located in the lobby of the Arctic Club Hotel, harkens back to an earlier time in our history and brings a little glimpse of those heydays of gold mining. The Arctic Club was originally a gentleman's club owned by Alaskan businessmen who had struck it rich during the early 1900s. At some point it was sold and went through several renditions, at one point even housing some city offices. My first memory of this building is of the Dome Room, originally the dining room for the club, but in recent history was available for catered events. A company I worked for used it on several occasions.
This bar has a gentleman's club feel with lots of leather furniture, wood paneling and a large fireplace gracing one end of the room. A large L-shaped bar anchors one side of the room. When we arrived at 5:00 pm the bar was packed and several, but not all, of the leather chairs and couches were occupied.
We each started with a glass of wine. Their wine by the glass list could use a step up, the wine was okay but seemed way too humble for this fine room. We ordered a selection of appetizers and were pleased with them. I think our favorite was a small poached pear - maybe a Forelle - stuffed with blue cheese. It was heavenly and such a nice-sized dessert.
We also took a little side trip up to see the newly restored Dome Room, again available for catered events or meetings. They did a really great job and the ceiling again glows with the soft lights meant to bring to mind the Northern Lights.
Since we didn't really give the place a thorough test I'll have to come back to try it out again but from this first glance I think this place has a lot of potential. It seems to me a great place to meet friends after work or to snuggle into warm chairs during inclement weather.
Polar Bar
In the lobby of the Arctic Club Hotel
700 3rd Ave. at Cherry St.
Seattle
  10/13/2008 A Hit and a Miss Last week a couple friends and I pointed our car southwest and took a little after work excursion to West Seattle. Our goal was to try a couple of new (to us) restaurants, eating a few light bites at each in sort of a power appraisal night.
Our first stop of the night (after the Bakery Nouveau incident) was The Bohemian. It's located on California but north of the Junction in a quiet neighborhood. The interior is softly lit, furnishings are a little sparse in a clean sort of way and there's a soft buzz from those already sitting at tables or at the bar. We snagged one of the last open tables and settled in to sample.
 The three of us ordered a raclette that served one to two and what they call their "cast-iron trio", warmed olives, nuts and roasted garlic. When the raclette arrived we were a little surprised at how small it seemed. Our ideas about that changed as we started spreading the ooey-gooey, cheese-covered, pan-seared mushrooms, sweet corn, bacon & butternut squash on the variety of breads that came along with it. So utterly rich and decadent that the three of us could not finish that "small" cast-iron pan of wonderful fall flavor. The accompanying trio of bites was also tasty and fun but I'd probably only order it again if it was the only thing I was ordering or if I was with a large group. The warmed snacks were good but it just seems better suited to a starter for a larger group or a mid-afternoon snack for two.
Our next stop was Mission, a supposed tapas restaurant farther north on California and very near the Admiral Theater.
 This place was really welcoming with it's terracotta walls, little white lights and funky window displays. We chose a table up on the second level balcony which overlooks the bar on the floor below. The bar is the central focus of the room with shelves extending up fifteen feet or so, TV screens playing black and white movies with subtitles, and colorful light shades. The booths on the first floor are cozy and private, the tables on the balcony let you take it all in and spy on the activity below.
However, the food is pretty mediocre. Although they call them tapas the menu is really pretty much the same thing you'd find in any run-of-the-mill Mexican restaurant. Now, it is possible that we just happened to pick the three menu items that didn't do the place justice but my guess is all of the menu is on par with what we had. None of it was bad and there were interesting twists (fried plantain served with the guacamole) but the taste was very so-so. The one dish that had anything going for it was the ceviche which seemed very fresh.
 I think the focus here is probably more on the drinking, which we were doing only in a nominal way, than on the food.
The Bohemian is worth making a trip to West Seattle for a tasty dinner with friends. I'm really interested in trying more of the menu, although it would be hard to go in there and resist the raclette!
 Mission would be a great place to meet for a drink or two and maybe have a plate of nachos to snack on but it wouldn't be a dinner destination for me. Maybe a place to stop before or after a movie at the Admiral.
 10/12/2008 Bakery Nouveau No More Some friends had been begging me to go to Bakery Nouveau in West Seattle for about year now. I just hadn't seemed to be able to get over there for one reason or another. Last week I was in the area for dinner and, although not the most opportune time, I thought I'd swing by with my dinner companions and pick up a thing or two for breakfast the next morning.
Now, I had sampled the food before because MG and DW, in their efforts to get me over there, had provided me with all kinds of tasty treats. But I was anxious to see the source and the full range of offerings. Or at least whatever would still be available at that time of the evening - we arrived shortly after 6:00 pm and they close at 7:00 pm so I wasn't expecting an abundance of choices.
We walked in to a slow but steady stream of customers. A few people were sitting at tables, a couple people were ordering when we arrived and while we were making our selections and placing our orders a couple more people showed up. With the cases being clear of customers I took the opportunity to take a few photos, as did one of my friends. Then I placed my order for several items - I wanted to test a bit of it all! - paid, and as I was waiting for another friend to place her order a new tray of beautiful, freshly sliced chocolate cake or torte wedges was brought out from the back. As I leaned over to snap one last shot, I heard someone say, "Do not take photos."
I looked up, a bit in surprise, as the other folks behind the counter had not said anything. I guess I took too long to reply as the man repeated himself, a little more strongly this time. I said "sure" and put my camera away. I was disappointed but I know that some places do not like photos taken (although the only other place I have been asked not to take photos was a place in New York - in the Paris bakeries they even turn the pastries so you can get the best angle!). But I was a little surprised that his manner was a bit aggressive, I guess. Still I probably wouldn't have thought much of it except for what happened next.
As the man (the manager I assume, it was not the owner) walked by the register where another employee was ringing up a purchase, the man said something to the effect that "everyone's a food blogger", in a condescending manner. Right for me, wrong for my other friend taking photos. And then continuing in his condescending manner went on to say, "but we must all have our "art"".
I did not hear him, but it turned out it was my other friend who was being helped at the register and she, of course, did. To make the statement in the first place was rude. To make it in front of other customers is too rude to be ignored.
The next morning I tried to put it behind me to just enjoy the items I'd purchased but it just made me so sad. First, bakeries should stress customer service and if they don't want photos, fine, but be civil with the request. Second, a place that makes its living creating things that they hope appeal to customers should be happy when someone appreciates them enough to want to photograph them. And let me just say that I took a total of six photos that night - there would have been seven - I did not use flash, I did not interfere with customers in anyway. Only when the cases were free and while I was making my own selections did I shoot anything. One of the photos was actually taken outside.
So, while I do think the pastries are very nice, I'll probably never go back. I don't mind people asking me not to take photos. I do mind not being treated with respect.
  10/11/2008 Homemade Cinnamon Ice Cream Last week my dinner club met and I had responsibility for dessert. The theme was "fresh from the farm". The host was making a main dish that included pears or I may have chosen them. Instead I decided to go with another of my favorite fall fruits, apples. I made an apple crisp but I used a recipe that was brand new to me and was nothing like any apple crisp I've had before. In, fact, it seemed to be somewhere between a crisp and a cobbler.
It was a really great recipe, whatever it was! The recipe was from Greg Atkinson's Entertaining in Northwest Style
 . Greg is a really great local chef who has created wonderful food at some of the top restaurants in the area. Now he lives a little quieter life, although he always seems to be super busy. I find all of his recipes from this book easy to follow and always a success. Along with the crisp he had a recipe for Cinnamon Ice Cream. This is a super rich ice cream and is perfect when you place a cold scoop of it on the hot crisp!
The photos are not the crisp from his book. My photos from dinner club just weren't really good at showing off the ice-cream. This is my standard fruit crisp and the ice cream is great with it, too. I can think of lots of uses for this cinnamon treat and I bet you can, too.
Cinnamon Ice Cream
Put the milk in a small saucepan with the cinnamon over medium heat. Stir until well combined. Cook, stirring now and then, until the milk is steaming hot but not quite boiling.
While the milk is heating put the egg yolks in a large mixing bowl with the sugar and beat until the mixture is light and fluffy. Stir about one-third of the hot milk into the egg yolk mixture, then transfer the mixture to the saucepan and cook, stirring, until the mixture is once again steaming hot but not quite boiling. Take the custard off the heat and transfer it to the bowl used for the egg yolks.
Chill the custard completely, then stir in the cream and freeze in an ice-cream maker according to instructions. 10/1/2008 Discounts on Starbucks Gift Cards If you are starting to think about year-end thank you gifts; or a little holiday something for that relative you don't know that much about; or maybe even just a little gift for yourself...Costco is now selling 5-packs of Starbucks $20 gift cards (total value $100) for $79.99. Basically you get one free. Not a bad deal.
Everything I've seen points to this being a nationwide offer but I wouldn't be surprised if there is a limit on how many packs they will sell or, based on past experience, the offer may be pulled after the holiday season. So if you are interested don't wait too long - you might find yourself out of luck. I found the gift cards in my local warehouse today. So far I don't see them online.
To find a Costco warehouse near you, check out their store locator.
Leavenworth: Munchen Haus First, for those of you outside of Washington state, the name Leavenworth may make you think of a high security federal prison but that's not what comes to mind for Washington staters. No, we think of a little Bavarian town just on the east side of the Cascade Mountains. Okay not a real Bavarian town but one that has been designed to resemble a Bavarian town.
Located as they are, at the edge of the peaks of the Cascade range, the town folk of Leavenworth decided (several years ago) to take advantage of this location to draw tourists. And so the beginning of their plan and building codes was formulated and now the town truly resembles a Bavarian village. Sometimes this causes a bit of a conundrum for me. I grew up near the town of Mt. Angel, Oregon that looks nothing like a Bavarian village or any other German community. Yet the town has a strong German heritage and has one of the best Oktoberfests around. It actually feels German to me. Leavenworth looks German but doesn't really feel it; still it's a fun destination especially at this time of year when the leaves are turning color and the trip across Stevens Pass can be filled with the bright hues of fall.
This past weekend I took a quick trip over hoping to catch some of the fall foliage. Unfortunately, while the weather was perfect for photo opportunities the leaves had yet to really start turning. Just hints of color peeked out through the trees. I think two more weeks will find the color hitting its peak.
I still enjoyed the trip across the mountains and I took the opportunity to eat lunch at a place that I'd noticed a year or two ago, Munchen Haus.
 Munchen Haus is an outdoor grill with a seating area wedged between two buildings along the main street in Leavenworth. Normally the lines and the smoke spewing from the grill draw your attention. There is courtyard seating surrounding a beer and wine bar and it seems to always be filled with lively conversation and activity.
Munchen Haus serves one thing - although there are several types - grilled sausages. And there are a variety of beverages, including several German beers, to go along with the sausage.
I arrived in town fairly early and took advantage of the short lines to see if the apparent popularity was deserved. I ordered a Beer Brat, a bag of chips and a bottle of water. I was handed one of those buzzy, light up discs that some restaurants use to notify you that they are ready to seat you or that your order is ready. I found a place in the sun, munched on my chips and waited for my dog.
 Several minutes later I picked it up at the grill and then had to choose which of the various mustards, ketchups and relishes to garnish it with. They have an especially large selection of mustard. Along with the normal condiments there's also a big pot of warm, apple cider sauerkraut. I picked my toppings and then did the taste test. Really, really good! Beer Brats are first cooked in beer making them extra juicy and adding a nice tang to the spicy meat. Then this one was grilled to a nice crispy finish that left the inside moist. Served on a hoagie roll, once you add your choice of garnishes you have a pretty perfect meal. And if you don't, it's probably your own fault!
So next time I'm in town, I'd probably even wait in line for one of these grilled sausages.
And this is a really reasonably priced meal, too. My order came to $8.50 and the bottle of water was pretty large. Not bad for a filling and delicious lunch.
Munchen Haus
709 Front Street
Leavenworth, WA
509.548.1158
|
| ||||||||
Profile
Blog
Photos
Lists
Friends