“Iron Chef” Seattle (Taste the Nation Event)
Wow! What a fun night we had last night!
My friend E is working hard for Seattle Taste the Nation this year. He had a personal goal of getting six tables signed up and I think he is actually at eight! He’s doing great work. Because of this extraordinary involvement he was able to secure a special event as incentive/reward for the table captains.
Last night we met at his house for an "Iron Chef" competition. Okay, it was more like Paper Chef competition, since we all knew our list of ingredients prior to the evening, had time to create/look-up recipes and practice them, if we wanted to. And we were each assigned one course so that at the end we’d have a full meal. Considering we were all working in one (albeit large) kitchen, this was a very good thing.
The list of ingredients was provided by Chef Thierry Rautureau of Rover’s, who was also one of our judges. The other judge was Susie Cantor who volunteers for the local SOS (Taste the Nation is their event) organization.
Two teams were assigned to each course. Here is the list of ingredients Chef assigned to us:
Appetizer
Dungeness Crab
Celery Root
Dijon Mustard
Frisee
Soup
Penn Cove Mussels
Tomatoes
Saffron
Garlic
Country Bread
Entrée
Duck
Orange
Sides
Parsnip
Asparagus
Dessert
Eggs
Sugar
Flour
Vanilla
Dark Chocolate
Frangelico Liqueur
When you read the list of ingredients some standard things come to mind but they probably weren’t on the menu last night! People really got into this event, did a ton of research and came up with really interesting courses. Unfortunately, since I was busy helping coordinate people with pots & pans, taking pictures and grabbing bites every now and then I can’t talk too much about the details of each dish.
But I can tell you that 24 people descended upon E’s house, got serious about their assignment, worked on their presentations and waited for their turn to serve the group. (At at the end of the evening the kitchen was a disaster, but many people chipped in to help get at least some semblance of order before leaving.)
When each dish was presented to Chef he did a little critique of both the good and "could-be-improved" points and really treated each offering with respect. It was very nice and I learned a lot just listening to his critiques. I was really impressed with the amount of time and energy he devoted to this event. (And this was after he had already attended to all details at Rover’s. If you’ve ever been there you know that the "Chef-in-the-hat" greets all diners.)
All of the duck dishes were wonderful, especially a very creative duck sausage served with an orange and kumquat relish! One of the desserts was a contrasting light as a feather chocolate mousse, served with a dense-as-a-brick (which is a compliment in this case) chocolate cookie. The mussel soups were great, the crab dishes sublime. I felt especially honored when the judges remarked favorably on my Gougeres, which I’d just made to help keep the hunger at bay (and the wine from hitting totally empty stomachs) prior to dinner being served. They weren’t even part of the competition! :-)
Near the end of the evening both the hosts and Chef Thierry offered special incentives to the group – anyone booking two tables gets an evening cruise on E’s lovely boat and anyone booking three tables gets the cruise AND dinner for two at Rover’s. I may just start having to recruit a few more people!
Remember to get your Taste the Nation tickets soon – no matter what city you live in! If you happen to be at the Seattle event, please drop by the Culinary Fool table and say hello!
Meet the Bloggers – Part 2
Last night was the second Seattle Bloggers get together. This time we met at Ipanema for cocktails and appetizers. I had suggested the place based on my first good experience there. This time, of course, nothing was quite as good. It’s the Murphy’s law thing, I think. :-)
Instead of sitting at the bar we were at tables in the bar area. The bartender had to man both the bar and the tables – never a good thing. And while he was pretty attentive considering that, the attention to detail just wasn’t there. I asked for a slice of lime in my drink (not a normal garnish for this particular drink) and the first time got nothing and the second time a maraschino cherry! Oh well. I think everyone else’s drinks were okay.
Some of the meats seemed a little dry (as also reported in some professional reviews) although some was still okay. I’ll have to try the place again to see what happens next time.
As for the bloggers, we had a smaller group this time. A couple people ended up being sick and one had a business trip pop up, unfortunately. However, the nice thing was that we actually had a better discussion this time. Most of it centered on how we got into this medium, where we want to go with it and we spent some time talking about technical details, too. We also talked about the publicity food bloggers have been receiving over the last few months and what we think makes a blog "successful". Of course not knowing each blogger’s goals that is open to interpretation.
Anyway, I had a nice time and I have now passed the baton to Accidental Hedonist to organize another meet up for next month!
Nobilo Sauvignon Blanc
For this year’s Easter dinner I selected Nobilo Icon Sauvignon Blanc. I was really happy with this wine. It was a great complement to the ham; reflected the taste of the asparagus; was great with the Gruyère and Parmesan flavors in the au gratin potatoes; and even managed to work with the pineapple! But what really surprised me is that I took a sip while eating my lemon meringue pie and it was good with the pie! I don’t think I’ve ever had any wine that I really liked with lemon meringue pie. (That doesn’t mean that I’ve refrained from drinking wine while eating it though…)
I like Sauvignon Blancs (also called Fume Blanc) with their lighter, crisp style. I think of them often in the summer months when a heavy red or chardonnay can sometimes be a little oppressive in the heat. Although generally it’s a dry wine, most have either a grassy or fruity flavor that can handle spicy foods. In general Sauvignon Blanc is a forgiving wine and will do it’s best to work with whatever you pair it with.
Having said all that I was really impressed with this bottle, though. I’m sure at some point I’ve had a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc but maybe not. While I was thinking that I really wanted to share this find with you I came across this article in SFGate. And imagine my surprise when I saw that this very bottle ranked among their top picks from the region! I’m a genius! Okay, probably not but I like the validation anyway.
While you are out at the Gate you should also check out this article about describing wine.
Knife Skills Class
Last night was my Knife Skills class at Sur la Table. It was a great class and I highly recommend it for anyone interested in learning the basics. The instructor for this class was Dan Thiessen, the Corporate Executive Chef at Salty’s.
This was a hands-on class so Chef would first demonstrate the technique and then we’d practice on various vegetables. There were two things that I really hoped to learn at this class. The first was how to properly hold a knife – I’ve had a suspicion for quite some time that I wasn’t really controlling the knife as I should. The second thing I wanted to learn was how to use the other hand to guide the knife without cutting my fingers. I’ve watched lots of chefs do this but could never quite get it.
I learned both of those things – although the "claw-hand" is going to take me a bit of practice! Once I was shown how to properly hold the knife many techniques came more naturally, although I will need to focus on it for a while.
I learned about what to look for in a knife, expanded my knowledge on sharpening knives, learned about starting cuts with the knife in motion and how to better use that motion for easier, more effective cuts. I also learned that "brunoise" is very small – 1/8" dices – and if I hadn’t known what dice, mince and julienne were I would have learned those terms, too.
Chef Dan is a great instructor and, as mentioned earlier, his being handsome doesn’t hurt, either!
Sur la Table’s current schedule of classes runs through early May and the new schedule will be out in a couple weeks.
Sonoma Jazz + Festival
This looks like a fun event! Sonoma Jazz +, a festival of music, food and wine – what more can you ask for? Proceeds benefit two local organizations. Check it out – some events are already sold out!
May 26th – 29th
Downtown Sonoma
Elliott’s Oyster House
A few weeks ago some friends and I were talking about Elliott’s Oyster House. It’s a place we like but none of us had been there for several years. Elliott’s is on the Seattle Waterfront, a place we associate with tourist activities and we stay away from, especially in the summer.
I decided it was time to get back to Elliott’s and last night R and I stopped by for Happy Hour. What a treat! First, the bar was almost completely empty so we had the bartender’s undivided attention. We grabbed a couple of barstools, ordered a couple of Happy Hour Martini’s at 3 bucks a piece – mine vodka and hers gin, ordered 1/2 dozen Happy Hour Oysters and a plate of calamari.
At the time it was incredibly windy but the sun had just come out between the clouds so there was the view we all know and love. Sunlight bouncing off dancing waves, ferries and tour boats crossing the Puget Sound, seagulls dipping in the wind, and the Olympic Mountains towering over all.
Happy Hour starts at 3:00 and the oysters at that time are only 50¢ a piece! Every 1/2 hour they increase in price by 20¢. Or if you are feeling smart there are a couple of questions on bulletin boards and if you get either question correct you get 1/2 dozen free! The variety served for Happy Hour is selected by the house. Last night we had Calm Cove oysters from the Hood Canal. They were served with a frozen champagne mignonette. They were perfect slurps of the sea with a little tang from the mignonette. The calamari were very crispy – I’d say fried to perfection – and served with aioli.
You can see the full Happy Hour menu here.
ELLIOTT’S OYSTER HOUSE
1201 Alaskan Way, Pier 56
Seattle, WA 98101 (Seattle waterfront)
(206) 623-4340
Happy Hour 3:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Easter Weekend – Sunday
Sunday Morning seemed to come awfully early – I had finally finished washing dishes and cleaning the kitchen about 11:30 pm on Saturday night. :-(
I wanted to make breakfast before we went to church since we would have a mid-day dinner so that all those traveling could get back home at a somewhat decent hour. Breakfast was just a bacon and eggs sort of deal. I made scrambled eggs with onions, mushrooms and Parmesan cheese and we had toast with jam and lots of big thick slices of bacon.
After church I whipped up a little coffee cake and when it was done we broke out the champagne and celebrated the holiday!
Dinner was our traditional Easter meal of ham, potatoes au gratin, asparagus, green salad, rolls and I added some sliced pineapple. We had lemon meringue pie for dessert.
I had wanted to make a "real" ham but the day I went shopping I was a bit rushed and couldn’t find what I was looking for. I ended up buying a spiral sliced ham from Costco and it was good! I liked that the slices were a little thicker than some other brands. I did not use the glaze that came with it but I studded it with cloves and then placed it on two big slices of pineapple instead of a rack. It was moist and tasty.
The au gratin potatoes were the best I’ve ever made I think! I never measure anything when I make them, I just layer potatoes, onions, and cheese and then add a béchamel sauce. I’m not sure why it was so good. It might be because I used a combination of Gruyère and Parmesan cheeses and the amount of sauce was exactly right.
The asparagus were steamed, then a little melted butter drizzled over the top and finished with a squeeze of lemon juice to brighten the flavor. My sister made a nice composed salad. The pineapple was absolutely amazingly sweet and perfect! It was at the perfect stage where even the core is edible. I love the contrast of the sweet fruit with the salty ham! We finished with the lemon meringue pies my sister brought. It was a very good dinner!
Shortly after dinner we got everyone out on the road and on their way home.
I waved goodbye and then took a nap! :-)
Easter Weekend – Saturday
I had mentioned that I was going to be hosting all the meals for the holiday weekend but didn’t say much more than that. So here’s a little background.
Half of my family is in Oregon and half have moved to Seattle over the years. For many years we would trade-off hosting some of the holidays, mostly Thanksgiving and Christmas, so that everyone traveled part of the time but got to stay home part of the time and also had an opportunity to host if they were inclined. This was the first holiday we’ve had in Seattle for six years. Once my Mom became too ill to travel all holidays were at my parents’ house in Salem and occasionally my Mom could make the trip to my sister’s place in Eugene.
So I had mixed feelings about this weekend. While I was excited to have everyone up from Salem and those in Seattle come over, the reason I was now able to do this came at quite a cost. However, we (all the siblings) had talked about this holiday and thought it would be really good to shake things up a bit, get my Dad out of the house and make a new start.
On Saturday about noon my sister, her husband and three kids and my Dad arrived at my house. We got them settled in their rooms for the weekend and then had lunch. It was just a basic lunch but it was the first "showing" of the egg cookies, so I thought I’d mention they were a hit! After lunch we started the set up for dinner.
I have a little house and this was going to be one large crowd! Twenty people including all of my siblings and their families, my brother’s fiancé, her two kids and her parents and a brother and sister. This was actually the first time the two families would be meeting each other. Now I keep mentioning "kids" but the reality is that of the ten people in that group, eight were between 13 and 17! Not really kids, just not quite adults. :-)
I managed to make one very long table from two 8 foot tables. Technically this only seats 18 but with a 5 year old on one corner and the two smallest nieces sharing a table end we had seats for all 20. Now there aren’t going to be too many pictures of the weekend meals (Are you crazy? I barely had time to get one meal on the table, wash the dishes and get going on the next one without taking time for pictures!) but there is a shot of the table pre-dinner. It worked out pretty well. A couple of things when a table is this long and full: I kept the flower arrangements short and small, just a few tulips in small vases and for candles I just used a few groupings of tealights.
Before my brother had asked about bringing all of the fiancé’s family I had planned a nice simple spaghetti dinner. Although this might not be the most impressive meal I decided to stick with it. I make good spaghetti, if I do say so myself – how could I not? Everything I do is based on what my grandmother and mother did for years! And since I could make nearly everything ahead of time (and people were bringing some items) it would be pretty easy. And by the way, this is spaghetti and sauce not pasta with marinara. :-)
On Friday I assembled four batches of sauce (one too many), made small meatballs from three pounds of hamburger (two to two and half would have been plenty) and let them simmer in the sauce, heated sausage (I used a chicken sausage for my no-beef/no-pork brother) and let it simmer in the sauce, and then cooled it all and let all the flavors meld into a delicious combination of tomato, herbs and meat flavors over night in the fridge.
Saturday afternoon I prepared a batch of gougere (little cheese puffs). About 30 minutes prior to the rest of the family and all my future in-laws once removed (or whatever they will be) arriving, I popped the first tray in the oven. People started arriving, introductions were made, coats taken, wine poured and general chaos ensued! I managed to get all the older kids outside (under cover) to an electronic dartboard that we’d set up sooner. Phew! The noise level dropped dramatically!
The gougeres came out of the oven and were heavenly! I love those little bite-sized steaming pieces of fluffy cheese and garlic essence! It’s almost like eating nothing, they are so light, yet you are so aware of the absolute perfect complement to your wine. Ahhh….
A bit of relaxation and conversation and then off to start boiling the spaghetti. I had planned to use three pounds and got it all going. At some point I started to panic thinking that was not going to be enough, quickly got another pot boiling and added another 3/4 pound or so. Of course, at the end of the meal I had almost exactly that amount left over! :-)
Once the spaghetti was done I tossed it with a little sauce and then divided it between two serving bowls, one for each end of the table. I did that with sauce, meatballs, sausage, the salad my sister contributed and the bread my brother brought. I think it all went over well. People seemed to enjoy the food and we sat at the table for a couple hours.
Once we were done with the spaghetti I served up ice cream (vanilla bean or java chip) with chocolate sauce or caramel. And finally a big platter of the little egg cookies.
Overall I was happy with the way everything turned out and with all the leftovers I was able to send spaghetti, sauce and meatballs home with everyone the following day.
An Exciting Week in Store!
This week is a Culinary Fool’s dream!
A little later today I’ll start with sharing information about how my weekend activities went – that is after I finish cleaning the kitchen and get another batch of napkins and tablecloths in the wash! :-)
Tomorrow night I’m taking the Knife Skills class at Sur la Table. I’m really looking forward to the class. And it doesn’t hurt that the instructor is a handsome, local chef!
Wednesday night is the 2nd Food Bloggers get together. Most of the group from last time will be there and a few new people will be joining us. I’m looking forward to sharing a cocktail or two with the group.
Thursday is a special event for some of the Seattle Taste the Nation table captains. We’re having sort of a mini "Iron Chef competition" – however we are each doing a course and we already know our ingredients. I’m participating as a Table Captain, helping with the logistics and providing some of the dinnerware, tools, etc. I’ll be helping set up as a good friend is hosting at his house.
Then I have just a little break until Sunday when I’ll be having a few friends over for brunch! I guess I’d better get crackin’ on that menu – Sunday is going to be here before I know it!
Culinary Fool 