Sport Restaurant Mini-Review
My friend, L, and I checked out Sport last night. I normally wait until a place has been open for a couple of months but I was anxious to check this place out for a couple of reasons. First, as mentioned earlier, I miss Seastar and even though this is a totally different concept I wanted to see what John Howie had done with it. And, with Superbowl being just a week away, I thought it might be an interesting place to watch the game.
Right now I’m just going to say that the place has potential. I won’t be there for Superbowl and will probably check back in a couple months to see how they are doing. There was nothing really wrong with our meal but, on the other hand, there was nothing really outstanding about it either – maybe I expected too much. I mean it is a sports bar, however, it’s a John Howie sports bar!
I knew the menu was very casual – burgers, pizzas, wings, etc – so that part didn’t surprise me. But everything was just pretty ordinary. We ordered the Kobe Beef Tillamook Cheddar Cheeseburger. It was good but the roasted onion spread overpowered the beef. When you order Kobe beef (and pay for it) you want to be able to taste it. I pulled some of the burger off and it was delicious and I liked the onion spread but it was just too much for the burger. I probably wouldn’t spend the money on it again or I’d scrape off the onion but why do that?
We also tried the Spicy Buffalo Wings. (In the menu pdf the descriptions are reversed for the first two types of wings.) They were really flavorful and the portion was generous – there were 15 drumettes on the plate – but the wings themselves were minute! I rechecked the menu to make sure they were chicken wings and not game hens or something like that! :-) We also ordered the Salumi pizza (I actually took it home after we each tried a slice). It was flavorful with a nice, thin crispy crust but the crust was burnt. Not horribly but noticeable. So the food, while not bad, just wasn’t great – nothing you’d actually want to recommend.
I had a great drink though! I had their Stras, a mixture of Stoli Strasberi and grapefruit juice. I like drinks on the tart side and this fit the bill nicely. L had the Desperate Housewife, basically a Cosmopolitan with a hint of peach. Good and flavorful, but the finish was a bit sweet for me.
Service was good – people were very nice. I’m still trying to decide if I like the furnishings and layout. I’ll withhold comment on that for now.
I’ll check back in a couple months and see if things have improved. In the meantime, it is a great place to watch games – screens all over the place, including 4 over the bar so you can multi-task your sporting events. But go for the entertainment and don’t expect to be wowed by the food.
Crab!
This is crab season in the NW. Actually it has been for some time but I’m finally getting around to talking about it. Our crabs are available year-round but are less expensive at this time of year. I believe it’s because the fleet can’t fish in Alaska at this time of year, so they spend more time in local waters catching crab so there’s more on the market. All I know is that during December and January it’s plentiful and cheap!
Back to crab. Our local variety is Dungeness, which can be found all along the coast from Alaska down through Oregon and into Central California. I’ve read that it is considered one of the best crabs. Of course I’m partial to it and think that on my own! I like it because the meat is sweet and tender AND there’s a lot of meat in a crab. You can get meat both from the legs and from the body, with the bulk of it being in the body, which is different from many other varieties of crab.
However, I do realize that I may be prejudiced. This is the crab I grew up with and have many great memories associated with it. My family used to go crabbing quite a lot in the bays along the Oregon coast. Occasionally, here in Seattle, I’m lucky enough to get a ride with someone taking their boat out to the San Juan Islands on a crabbing trip. On those trips, we sometimes don’t even wait to get home to cook it! Instead, after we pull the traps we head to the closest beach and cook them immediately. It’s amazing how much crab you can eat under those conditions! :-)
As you know there are many ways to prepare and use crab, but my favorite way is just to eat it directly from the shell dipped in a little warm butter. And I normally don’t even eat much else along with it. Always some bread, maybe a salad. That’s it. Oh, a glass of wine is good, too! I love to enjoy the pure taste of the cold, sweet and salty meat with a light coating of warm, rich butter. The simplest of meals but one of the most perfect.
So that’s what I did last night. Cracked and shelled a crab, and had a bunch of it with warm butter, baguette and a little champagne. Pure happiness! I did manage, however, to save a little that will go into an omelet this morning. Can’t wait for that!
New Year’s Resolutions
I was getting caught up on the postings on The Recipe Collector’s site and came across a link to a set of Food Resolutions. I thought they were really great and decided to post them here (with a few comments…). For the full article check out the link above.
1. Resolve to cook something completely new. Take any cookbook, close your eyes, open it to a random page, and cook the dish that appears there. If it’s a rich dessert, you peeked. Try again. If you picked a dessert cookbook, you’re incorrigible; go on to Resolution No. 10. <I had made a similar resolution, except not to do it with my eyes closed! Instead I want to cook at least one new thing from each of my cookbooks and I have over 50, not including the Cocktail books!>
2. Resolve to take a photo of a dish you cooked, and pretend it’s for the cover of Gourmet magazine. This will encourage doing something really dramatic or unusual, and it will make some feel less like a slave to their partners’ conventions. <Since starting this blog, I’ve realized just how poor my digital photos are. So, I want to get better – first with the old camera I have and at some point with a new camera.>
3. Resolve to grow a new herb in the garden. Pick one that’s a perennial so it won’t die off depressingly in the winter: rosemary, sage, thyme, winter savory.
Alternately, grow an herb in a pot indoors. Chia pets with parsley hair do not count. <As you may know from my Herbs post, this one is a no brainer for me, but I encourage others to try it out.)
4. Resolve to make friends with a new fruit or vegetable with an unusual name. Yucca is not a four-letter word. Red banana is not an oxymoron. And Belgian endive need not be pronounced “on-deeve,” except by the exceedingly pretentious. Also resolve not to cook for that queen. <I sort of do this but not so well that once I try something that I think to include it in future recipes, so that will be my goal.>
5. Resolve to buy an interesting cooking tool, or to replace at least one junky utensil with a really good, classy one: a heavy stainless spatula, a solid maple rolling pin, a marble mortar and pestle. Don’t get too artsy. A silver bejeweled lemon zester is only appropriate for the ex-Czarina of Russia, and you’re not cooking for that queen either. <This has to be someone’s resolution??>
6. Resolve to make one thing from scratch that usually comes in a bottle, box or can: mayonnaise, yogurt, macaroni and cheese, chicken soup, cheesecake, salsa.
Libraries boast shelves of cookbooks on end, and the Internet offers thousands of sites to help overcome culino-phobia.
7. Don’t resolve to never eat junk food again; that just sets you up for self-recrimination. Instead, set aside some junk food days to indulge in the sins of slutty food.
8. Resolve to regularly buy one food marked “organic,” even if it’s just a carrot or cucumber. Buying organic supports a movement and makes a statement, and it’s just as important to make a culinary statement as it is to make a fashion statement. <Support your local Farmer’s Markets!>
9. Occasionally go meatless. Remember that it takes about 16 pounds of grain to raise 1 pound of beef. Eat more grain, and let the animals remain bucolic for another day.
10. Resolve to cook more and microwave less. With hectic schedules, it sometimes seems like cooking is a waste of time. But if eating can bring us together, so can cooking.
Invite family and friends to a communal cooking event, and enjoy preparing what sustains us for life.
Please feel free to share your resolutions, too! B
March 2004
As I mentioned in the information about the dinner club members, M is half Japanese and grew up with that being the primary influence on her culinary training. So, she has been dying to learn how to make meatloaf! With that in mind, she chose "Americana" as the theme for this meeting. We all decided to bring things that were popular in our younger years.
Here’s the menu:
- Appetizer: Pigs in a Blanket
- Cocktail: Manhattans (recipe below)
- Main: The Perfect Meatloaf and Meat Loaf (from the Fannie Farmer Cookbook)
- Salad: Wedges of Iceberg with Blue Cheese Dressing (recipe below)
- Sides: B’s Updated Green Bean Casserole (recipe below) and Ultimate Twice Baked Potatoes (recipe below)
- Dessert: Apple Pie
Manhattans
- 2 ox of Kentucky Bourbon (K used Maker’s Mark)
- ½ oz Sweet Vermouth
- Maraschino Cherries
- Bitters
Shake bourbon and vermouth together in shaker filled with ice. Strain into cocktail glass and garnish with cherry and a drop of bitters.
Wedges of Iceberg with Blue Cheese dressing
- 2 heads of Iceberg Lettuce
- 1 jar of Litehouse Blue Cheese Dressing
- 8 oz Point Reyes Blue Cheese
- 1 ½ cup fresh diced tomatoes
- Fresh Ground Pepper, optional
Cut Iceberg heads into wedges (dinner club portion was 1/3 of a head), place on plate, divide dressing equally over wedges, sprinkle with crumbled blue cheese, and tomatoes. Pepper to taste.
Serves 5-6
Original Durkee Green Bean Casserole
B’s Updated Green Bean Casserole
Serves 6 – 8
- ¾ pound fresh green beans, sliced into 2” – 3” pieces
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- ½ pound crimini or white mushrooms, sliced
- Butter or olive oil for sautéing
- 3 Tbsp butter
- 2 Tbsp flour
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 2 Tbsp half and half
- ¼ dry bread crumbs
- ¼ cup almonds, toasted and finely chopped
- Salt and pepper to taste
Blanch beans in boiling water for 1 minute and then plunge into ice water to cool. Drain thoroughly.
Sauté onions and mushrooms in butter or oil with salt and pepper just until tender. Remove from pan.
In same pan over medium heat, melt 2 Tbsp butter. Add 2 Tbsp flour and mix until a smooth, thick paste is formed. Cook for one minute. Add stock a little at a time making sure to thoroughly incorporate each addition before adding more. Once all stock has been added bring sauce to a boil. Salt and pepper to taste. Boil for one minute, stirring constantly. Add half and half and bring back to boil. Remove from heat.
Mix beans, onions and mushrooms, and sauce together and pour into buttered 1½ quart covered casserole. (Casserole can be prepared to this point and then held in refrigerator until ready to bake.)
Bake @ 350 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes, or until sauce is bubbling slightly.
While casserole is heating, melt remaining tablespoon of butter and mix with bread crumbs and almonds. When sauce is bubbling, remove lid, sprinkle bread crumb mixture over casserole and bake an additional 10 minutes to brown bread crumbs.
Ultimate Twice Baked Potatoes
- 3 large baking potatoes
- 1 cup sour cream
- ½ cup half & half or milk
- 4 tablespoons butter
- ½ cup shredded Cheddar cheese
- ½ cup shredded Gruyere cheese
- 1 bunch green onions, sliced
- Salt & pepper to taste (lots)
- Additional cheese for garnish (¼ to ½ cup)
- Paprika
Bake potatoes in preheated 375 degree oven until tender, about 1 hour. When potatoes are done allow them to cool for 10 minutes. Slice potatoes in half lengthwise and scoop the flesh into a large bowl; save skins.
To the potato flesh add sour cream, milk, butter, cheese, green onions, salt and pepper. Mix with a hand mixer until well blended and creamy. (Or use a food processor.)
Spoon the mixture into the potato skins, mounding slightly. Top with remaining cheese and sprinkle with paprika.
Bake for another 15 – 20 minutes. If preparing early in the day, you’ll need to allow about 45 minutes to reheat.
Note: The recipe can be modified many ways – use all cheddar, all gruyere or other type of cheese; fry bacon and add to mixture; top with chives; etc.
8th Dinner Club Meeting – Americana Summary
March 2004
This was a fun blast from the past! Pigs in a blanket are one of those things that you always sort of hate to admit that you like but are always fun. You wouldn’t be caught dead bringing them to a party now – or at least not unless they were an "upgrade" like Ina Garten’s "Lamb Sausage in Puff Pastry". The Manhattans were great, too! In the past, this has not been one of my favorite drinks. I think my first exposure was at the "Captain’s Party" on a Carnival Cruise and maybe that wasn’t the place to judge a drink. K made them with Maker’s Mark and I think that made all the difference in the world. I still am not keen on maraschino cherries, however. I grew up in Salem, Oregon and we had a maraschino cannery there. You should have seen the hands of the people who worked there! The brine just made a mess of them (and that is putting it nicely!).
But on to more pleasant topics. Iceberg lettuce is another item that has dropped in popularity over the years but of all the lettuces I actually find it to be the most refreshing since it is so full of water. Add a little blue cheese and some fresh tomatoes and how can you go wrong?
Since M had never made meatloaf before, she had a hard time making a decision on her recipe. She ended up with one that used a combination of meats and had the ketchup glaze, The Perfect Meatloaf, and one that was made just with beef and didn’t have any type of glaze or sauce, the Fannie Farmer version. They were both good but my favorite was The Perfect. I like some sort of tomato with my meatloaf! (Side note here, the next morning I had a cholesterol test – not good planning on my part!)
It was fun to remake the Green Bean Casserole, I would tinker with the topping a bit more though. It was not quite as crispy as I had hoped it would be. Twice-baked potatoes are actually one of the things that have stood the test of time. You still find them, in many variations, on menus today. The fun part is adding your own twist to the recipe.
And we ended with apple pie with vanilla ice cream – can’t get much more American than that! I gave R quite a lot of grief about it though, because she never has shared the recipe she used. Hmmm. I’m thinking there may have been some shortcuts involved. We wouldn’t care but I guess it might be hard to admit to a Cooking Club. :-)
Pesto-Cheese Stuffed Shells with Red Sauce
Well, I thought I was done for the day but then I had this fun little dinner and felt I just had to share! :-) It was especially satisfying because it was one of those meals that just came together – it wasn’t at all planned.
It started with me looking in the refrigerator at a package of pesto that I had defrosted yesterday. (In the summer, when my basil starts going wild I harvest it, make batches of pesto and then freeze them.) The pesto had to be used today. While I was staring at it, I noticed some leftover ricotta and a tub of Garlic-Parmesan Rondelé. Hmmm – there’s a box of large pasta shells in the cupboard, too… My plan starting coming together!
I did not measure anything, although I’m probably pretty close in my estimates, so if you decide to try this, please use your good judgment – besides half the fun is just pulling it together in a way that seems good to you!
Pesto-Cheese Stuffed Shells with Red Sauce
Simple Red Sauce
Sauté 1/2 chopped onion in a little olive oil. When onions are tender, add 1 finely minced clove of garlic and sauté for an additional minute. While garlic is sautéing add an assortment of herbs (see note below) to the pan. Then add 1 – 15 oz can of tomato sauce; 1 – 15oz can of diced tomatoes, drained; and 1 to 2 Tbsp of tomato paste. (See paste note below.)
Simmer for 30 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit for 1 to 2 hours to let flavors meld. Or if you don’t have time to wait just use it immediately. It will still be fine.
Herb Note: Use whatever you have available either fresh or dried. Today, I used rosemary, silver thyme, marjoram and oregano since those are still growing in my yard. If you are using fresh herbs from your yard at this time of year, use 2 to 3 times more than you would in the summer. At least you’ll want to if you live in a place where it rains. Water (rain) really dilutes the potency of fresh herbs.
Tomato Paste Note: If you haven’t come across it yet, tomato paste can now be purchased in a tube. It’s much more expensive this way than in the can, so if you need a lot stick with a can, but it’s perfect for those times when you just want 1 or 2 tablespoons. After the tube has been opened you store the paste in the refrigerator and can continue to use it a tablespoon at a time.
Pesto-Cheese Stuffed Shells
Cook 8 to 10 large pasta shells according to package instructions. Remove from water, drain and cool.
Mix together ¾ to 1 cup ricotta cheese, ½ cup Parmesan-Garlic Rondele, ½ cup pesto and ⅓ cup toasted pine nuts.
Place a little red sauce in bottom of casserole. (Select a dish that will crowd the shells just a little – it will help keep them upright while baking.) Fill each shell with the pesto cheese mixture and place open-side up in the casserole. When all shells have been filled, spoon more red sauce over the shells. You want to cover them, but don’t drown them.
Place in pre-heated 350° oven and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until sauce is bubbling completely around the edges. Remove from oven and let sit for 3 to 5 minutes to allow pesto-cheese mixture to set a bit.
Place shells on plate and surround with some of the red sauce. Coarsely grate fresh parmesan over the top and serve.
These would make a great appetizer, too. Allow 2 shells for an appetizer portion or 3 to 4 for an entrée portion.
Add a little side salad, maybe a slice of crusty bread and a glass of wine and you’re set!
I watched New England kill Pittsburgh while I enjoyed mine. Since the Seahawks are out of it (and were never really in it) I can just enjoy the games for the sake of watching football. Perfect!
South Beach Wine and Food Festival
Speaking of winter – or rather getting away from winter – one of these years I hope to make the South Beach Wine and Food Festival, this year being held the last weekend of February.
The number of top chefs is astounding and what a great time of year to visit Florida! The temperature and humidity should both be on the tolerable side. (Otherwise I can get REALLY big hair!) Combine a weekend of eating and drinking in South Beach with a road trip through the Keys – what more could you want?
Hot Buttered Rum
Even though the weather has been pretty warm here, it is January and I feel the need to follow some of my winter rituals. So, after running errands most of the day yesterday I came home, made myself a little hot buttered rum and relaxed with the cats for a bit. And this morning I heard the news about the huge storm on the East coast and thought this is something those folks could really use!
This recipe is really yummy and the nice thing is that you can make up a batch early in the year and then just make a cup or two whenever you feel the need.
Creamy Hot Buttered Rum
- 1 qt vanilla ice cream, softened (let it get almost liquidy)
- 1# soft butter
- 1# brown sugar
- 1# powdered sugar
- 2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
Cream butter, sugars and spices. When they are thoroughly mixed, mix in the ice cream. Store in freezer until ready to use.
To make drinks:
- Put a generous tablespoon of batter into a mug
- Add a shot of rum (I prefer something like Bacardi Gold)
- Stir until batter and rum are completely mixed
- Fill mug with hot water and stir again
- Sprinkle freshly ground nutmeg over top
Chives!
As I mentioned in my Herbs post a few days ago, chives are one of the first perennials to make their way back in the spring. We continue to have warm weather here in Seattle and the chives are chomping at the bit! Take a look at the little green guys pushing their way through the soil!
Mango-Banana Sorbet
Well, I tried Alton Brown’s Melon Sorbet recipe yesterday. Only, I used mango and banana since melons were not in residence at the market. It turned out pretty well. However, it’s very creamy which makes it better suited to a dessert sorbet instead of a palate-cleansing sorbet, as I had hoped for. It’s also just a tad bit on the sweet side but that can be easily adjusted to taste with a bit more lemon juice. In fact, I think that I’d use lime juice next time. And finally, I was surprised at how assertive the banana flavor was, considering the ratio of mango to banana. I originally only added the banana because I was a little short on the mango and didn’t want to recalculate the rest of the recipe. (Okay I was being very lazy!) But I like the mix. The banana was very ripe and it might be that my choice of rum instead of vodka, as in Alton’s recipe, highlighted the banana flavor.
Okay, here’s my recipe:
Mango-Banana Sorbet
- 2 ripe mangos, peeled and diced, and 1 ripe banana (1 pound 5 oz total)
- 3 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
- 2 Tbsp Bacardi Limon Rum
- 9 oz sugar
Place all ingredients in food processor and process until smooth. Place mixture in refrigerator until thoroughly chilled, about 2 hours.
Pour mixture into ice cream maker and process according to manufacturer’s instructions. Transfer to a storage container and chill for 2 to 3 hours before serving.
Culinary Fool 