Pumpkin Date Bread
03-Dec-2009
I recently whipped up a batch of Pumpkin-Date Bread. I love this recipe. It’s easy to make, you just need to allow a little time for baking. The bread is very moist and is great just plain, toasted with a little butter and sometimes even as a sandwich. Although, for me, that’s the exception not the rule.
The recipe makes two “regular” 9″x5″x3″ loaves or you can use it for three 8″x4″x2″ loaves. The three loaves are just a bit smaller and make a nice gift, especially if you are trying to tuck it into a basket of goodies. I also like them for myself. The difference in size is so slight that you don’t feel like you are missing anything, yet eliminating those few extra calories can be helpful. Especially at this time of year!
You can find the recipe here.
Northwest Harvest
03-Dec-2009
Think about donating to your local food bank this month. The need is greater than ever. If you live in Seattle here are a couple of easy options for you. Those outside of Seattle jump to the end of this post.
Mashed Potatoes Party
You can donate, enjoy works from a group of artists and party all at the same time if you attend the quarterly Mashed Potatoes party held at Gasworks Gallery this Friday. Technically admission is free, but donating is encouraged and is the goal of the party. Bring non-perishable goods or donate $10 at the door to support this great cause.
Gasworks Gallery
3815 4th Ave NE (just off Northlake near Ivar’s Salmon House)
King 5’s Home Team Harvest
Saturday morning you can contribute at King 5’s annual Home Team Harvest Saturday. It takes place this Saturday, December 5, from 7:00 am – 3:00 pm. King 5 personalities will be accepting donations at several locations in the Puget Sound area. Check the website for the location nearest you. Or donate throughout the month at several locations.
Northwest Harvest
Of course you can always donate directly to Northwest Harvest. One of the easiest ways is to use their online donation form. Or check their site for many other ways to contribute.
Other options
If you are outside Seattle you may be able to find a listing in this directory for an organization near you. Or just do an Internet search on "Food Bank" and "City Name" for a listing of agencies in your area.
Blueberry Muffins
02-Dec-2009
I’m in process of organizing my freezer and cleaning it up in preparation for a half a lamb that I’ve purchased. It’ll be arriving next week which is kind of bad timing, since this is the time of year that I fill my freezer with cookies and breads that I bake for holiday gifts. But I can’t really complain about too much of a good thing. Instead I’m just using up a few things and getting rid of non-essential items – like extra bags of ice.
I decided to use some frozen blueberries in muffins. Years ago my Mom gave me a blueberry muffin recipe which has seen a lot of use. I like it because the cake is fairly light which really lets the blueberries shine. But, I’ve been thinking that in all these years I’ve never tried another recipe and maybe it was time. Especially since I’ve acquired so many new cookbooks over the years.
In that spirit I found a recipe in Martha Stewart’s Baking Handbook
that I decided to try. I’d had such good luck with the Cranberry-Zucchini recipe from the same book and have always had good luck with other Martha recipes. The recipe was good but the cake was much more dense than my normal recipe. I like both recipes but still prefer the one from my Mom. Also, Martha’s recipe indicated it made 12 muffins but I easily ended up with 17. As you can see in the photo I don’t make giant muffins but even if I’d filled the cups to the very top I still would have had more than 12. Not a bad thing but be prepared if you do happen to use that recipe.
that I decided to try. I’d had such good luck with the Cranberry-Zucchini recipe from the same book and have always had good luck with other Martha recipes. The recipe was good but the cake was much more dense than my normal recipe. I like both recipes but still prefer the one from my Mom. Also, Martha’s recipe indicated it made 12 muffins but I easily ended up with 17. As you can see in the photo I don’t make giant muffins but even if I’d filled the cups to the very top I still would have had more than 12. Not a bad thing but be prepared if you do happen to use that recipe. 
I plan to continue to experiment, however, today I’m going to share with you the one from my Mom. The photos are Martha’s recipe, but the recipe below is from my Mom.
Blueberry Muffins
1 egg
½ cup milk
¼ cup vegetable oil
1½ cups flour
½ cup sugar
½ tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
1 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen, unthawed)
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Beat egg. Add milk and oil and mix until blended.
Combine dry ingredients. Mix with liquids just until moist.
Add blueberries and carefully mix in.
Fill muffin cups ⅔ full. (Either use paper liners or butter muffin cups prior to filling.)
Bake at 400°F for 20-25 minutes. Muffins are done when tester inserted into center comes out dry. Let cool in pan for 5 or 10 minutes and then remove and place on rack to finish cooling.
Last of the Homegrown Produce
02-Nov-2009
Yesterday was an absolutely picture-perfect autumn day here in Seattle! Sunny, warm if you were in the sun, with the leaves in full color. I took the opportunity to do the end of the year pots-on-the-deck cleanup including the pots of herbs and peppers I’d been growing all summer. At this time of year being able to do that work when it’s not raining is a real bonus!
Being tender annuals most of the herbs were ready to go, although for a moment I entertained thoughts of trying to get the basil to hold on just a little longer! I quickly reminded myself of other years’ experiments and how the results were more trouble than they were worth. I decided it really was time to let go.
One plant I had a really hard time with, though, was my Corno di Toro pepper. Corno di Toro is a sweet, mild Italian pepper. Although technically it’s in the bell pepper family it’s not as strongly flavored as the bell peppers you find in the grocery store and it can be used in lots of ways. It’s really great for stuffing, in salads, or added to braises or rice dishes where it enhances, not overpowers. My plant this year was extremely prolific. This was especially surprising to me as I planted very late in the year. But once this plant started flowering the bees were all over it. I’ve been eating peppers all summer and yesterday I harvested the basket you see above. And there were still some blooms and lots of tiny, little one-inch peppers still on the plant. Pretty amazing, especially since it was grown in a pot.
I’ve been planting this pepper variety for several years and will continue to grow it in the years to come. When you are planning your garden next spring, see if you can’t find a place in your garden (or in a pot on your deck) for this wonderful pepper.
4for48
31-Oct-2009
Okay, I really can’t keep track of all the restaurant promotions that are now offered! I don’t say this in a bad way, I think most of the promotions are good both for consumers and restaurants. Consumers get a deal and are able to try new places at bargain prices (or return to those they love); restaurants get the opportunity to bring in more traffic and (hopefully) attract repeat business.
The newest offering in this line of promotions is one called 4for48, 4 courses for $48. A higher price-point than most of the promotions but it offers an additional course and includes locations that normally don’t participate in the other offers. It runs throughout November, Sunday – Thursday evenings, with the exception of Thanksgiving.
There are only thirteen restaurants participating including Lark, Le Gourmand and Crush. You can check the 4for48 website for the full list and information about each restaurant, including links to their website. In theory, the actual 4for48 menus are on the restaurants’ websites but I couldn’t always find them. Perhaps they will be adding them when the promotion actually starts tomorrow.
NY: Ferrara Bakery and Cafe
30-Oct-2009
If you’ve spent anytime in Little Italy in New York, you’ll know that it is slowly disappearing, being consumed by the surrounding Chinatown. But there are still a few hold-out businesses anchoring the heart of Little Italy around Mulberry and Mott streets. One of these businesses is Ferrara, a bakery and cafe. I’m attracted to this place for many reasons, not the least being that my Grandmother’s maiden name was Ferrara. I have no idea if she was related to these Ferraras but I’m sure there is a very good chance. When her family first emigrated to America they made their home in New York, and most still live in the area. Only my grandparents eventually moved to the west coast. And Ferrara was established about the same time my Grandmother’s family landed in New York. So I like to believe there is a connection.
In addition to the idea that I’m possibly related to the proprietors are the attractions of the gelato and pastry cases. There are two gelato cases – one inside and one out – filled with brightly colored creations. I’m not sure I’ve ever had a scoop of these confections that capture the imagination of my tastebuds but I love looking at them. I have, however, enjoyed the pastries numerous times. Ferrara is always one of my first stops when I get to New York. I purchase a selection of their little cookies, take the treasures back to my hotel room and then happily munch on them over the days of my visit.
There are several varieties of the cookies: some shaped like crescent moons; some flavored with hazelnut; some filled with raspberry or apricot; others dipped in chocolate; basically something for everyone. In addition to the cookies, one or two of the mini cannoli seem to make it into my shopping bag, too. Filled with creamy ricotta these rich little bites are the perfect size.
Although Ferrara draws its share of tourists, I love that the locals still patronize it, too. In the past I’ve been in line behind tiny Italian grandmas and fireman buying boxes of treats to take back to the station house.
I can’t speak to any of the other food here but, for me, no trip to New York is complete without a box of Ferrara cookies.
Ferrara
195 Grand St
Little Italy/Chinatown
New York
212.226.6150
NY: craftbar
29-Oct-2009
The last time I was in New York I had dinner at craft. The dinner was part of an event and there was a ton of food. And while the dishes felt a little disconnected they were all good. In addition, the space was warm and welcoming. I liked it a lot and decided that the next time I was in New York I’d try it out under more normal circumstances.
On this most recent trip I didn’t have enough time to do all I would have liked and so I wasn’t going to make it back to craft. However, I did have an opportunity to visit craftbar for a quick cocktail one evening. Craftbar is quite different than craft in the way it looks and feels. Instead of warm, glowing wood and interesting lighting, craft has hard surfaces. A cement bar, dark chairs and floor. The bar was very dark and the dining area seemed to be lit by spotlights. The whole place felt incongruent to me. The dining room didn’t feel like it belonged with the bar; the bar seemed casual, the dining room more formal; I wasn’t there long enough to really figure it out but it wasn’t a place I wanted to hang out.
I ordered a special fall drink they had on the menu, a spiced Manhattan. The idea was great – Makers Mark infused with warm fall spices, garnished with an orange slice. It sounded wonderful. But the infusion was way too strong. The spice was so overwhelming as to make the drink rather unbearable. I was very disappointed.
I can’t say the place wasn’t good. I wasn’t there long enough and certainly didn’t give the menu any sort of trial. But there are so many great places in New York that I really don’t have time to give any disappointing place a second chance. Perhaps if I lived there I would try it again but I won’t go back the next time I’m visiting.
craftbar
900 Broadway
Gramercy
New York
212.461.4300
Café Nordo
26-Oct-2009
Saturday night found M2 and me outside the Theo auditorium waiting for the doors to open to Café Nordo, a traveling dinner and show. When the doors opened we were the only patrons outside the venue so the fanfare prepared by the actors/servers fell just a little flat, although we appreciated it. Once checked in we settled into the waiting area with a glass of champagne and watched the other guests arrive.
The auditorium space has one area sectioned off with fabric panels forming a roughly shaped dining room. An irregular pattern of Oriental rugs lines the floor further defining the space, and several dining room tables, each able to seat 8 to 10 people, rims the edges of the "room". After a few minutes in the ante area we were ushered to our table by Wyandotte, our server for the evening. Each of the server/actors is named for a breed of chicken (Cochin, Silkie Bantam, Andalusio, Rosecomb) as this dinner is all about chicken. More specifically it’s about local, sustainable, seasonal food featuring chicken. The seating process was repeated with the other 30 or so guests and their servers until all were seated and the show began.
You can think of Café Nordo as sort of a Teatro Zinzanni "light". There are no acrobats or magicians or jugglers but there is a show with the maitre d’, servers and a "chef", providing entertainment and food for thought between and during each course.
The courses are presented as part of the skit; a little riddle sets the stage for the presentation and then the server explains what is served. Or you can plan ahead and see the full menu here.
The opening amuse bouche, a grassy green shot topped with Crème fraîche and lemon curd was light and refreshing.
The second course, a poached egg was presented on a "nest" of shredded Parmesan and whole wheat, placed on greens and served with a goat cheese béchamel in an egg shell so that you could add as much or as little as you liked to the dish. The egg was perfectly poached, the nest provided an interesting crunchy texture and the béchamel was tangy and rich.
The soup presentation was really fun. Bowls with crispy potato chips, julienned zucchini, chanterelle mushrooms and a dumpling filled with chicken-liver pâté were placed on the table. Then the servers came around with watering cans filled with the broth and proceeded to fill our bowls from the watering cans. Very fun, although I cannot imagine doing this in my home!
The main course was beautifully roasted chicken stuffed with pork sausage, peppers and onions and served with Habañero-infused, dried cherries. The whole dish was very succulent and I especially loved the cherries, which I plan to try to replicate at home.
We finished with a gruesome-looking but lovely-tasting chocolate panna cotta with fresh berries made to look like fresh liver on a blood-spattered dish. Considering the upcoming holiday it seemed right in place, but it was a little hard to reconcile what it looked like with how it tasted. Although it was good, I wish the chocolate flavor had been a bit more pronounced, as Theo chocolate is one of my favorites but it was a little lost.
We had a great time at dinner, due in part to our friendly tablemates and the overall entertaining atmosphere. The dinner/show runs through November 22, Thursday – Saturday only. If you go make sure you check all the "fine print" on the website. A vegetarian offering is not offered, for instance. A flight of wine is included in the dinner but the alternative for non-drinkers is simply water.
It’s a little hard to tell who exactly is behind the tour. The program lists Chad Fuhreck as the Chef de Cuisine. I believe he is on staff at Theo and I’m sure the actors were local. But the show does travel so there is someone behind the overall concept who pulls together the events in each city.
For more information and tickets see the Café Nordo website.
Fall at the Farmers’ Markets
25-Oct-2009
As the weather turns cold it is sometimes hard to remember that the Farmers’ Markets are still going strong. In fact, fall is one of the best times to visit. Not only are vegetables and fruits in abundance but the summertime crowds have dropped off so you can easily make your way from one vendor to the next. And, much of the fall produce will hold longer and better than summer produce. So at this time of year there are many items you can purchase now that will still be good over the coming days and weeks. Saturday I snapped a few photos at the Seattle University District Market. This represents just a portion of what was available. I think it’s time you visited your local market!
Mobile Market Directory: I just came across the application and haven’t tried it out but it looks promising! I like to visit markets when I travel and this might be just the ticket!
NY: DBGB Kitchen and Bar
25-Oct-2009
Daniel Boulud’s latest entry into the New York dining scene is DBGB Kitchen and Bar. This new concept takes a common New York street food and elevates it to fine dining. There are fourteen versions of sausage on the menu, which also includes a large selection of seafood, burgers and French-brasserie style dishes.
While wandering the streets I happened upon DBGB and, although it was in between meal times, decided to pop in to check it out. The front of the restaurant is comprised of huge plate glass windows which are covered in culinary quotes. These huge windows flood the front rooms of the interior with gorgeous natural light. The back rooms are cozier and my impression, although I didn’t go check them out, was of wood and masculinity.
I sat at the bar which is surrounded by large mirrors with menu items and more culinary quotes covering them, echoing the plate glass windows. I ordered a nice glass of Zinfandel and Pâté Campagnard, a pork and chicken liver pâté . The pâté was excellent! Full of flavor yet light and delicate. A little bit of the pâté on the crusty, rustic bread with onion or pickle was a great combination of textures and flavors. The gentleman seated to my left ordered one of the sausages – I neglected to ask which one – and declared it to be wonderful.
The place is large but yet was so busy that people were lined up waiting for tables. Still, those waiting seemed to be seated fairly quickly. I think the next time I return a proper meal in the dining room will be in order.
DBGB Kitchen and Bar
299 Bowery
Between 1st and Houston
New York
212.933.5300
Culinary Fool 