Culinary Fool

Urban Eats: May 2009

27-Apr-2009

Some days it’s hard to keep track of all the restaurant promotions. But then I think, why keep track? Just take advantage of them! So with that attitude in mind I’m gearing up for Urban Eats.

Urban Eats highlights 48 restaurants that will offer 3-course meals for $30 in May. Of the 48, most are in Seattle but there’s good representation on the East side of Lake Washington. You’ll find tried-and-true places and some new fresh faces in the line-up.

The site has a ton of information, including Chef Bios, the offered menu, maps and in many cases links to reservations. The offer starts May 3 and continues until the end of the month. The $30 menus are available Sunday – Thursday nights, excluding Mother’s Day. (Ladies and) Gentleman, start your planning!

Another Round of Blackberry Crisp

26-Apr-2009

Costco has been carrying blackberries again. I can never resist them. So last week I made Blackberry Crisp. Again. You can find the recipe here. Then I topped it with a nice scoop of vanilla ice cream that I made from a recipe in the Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz

. Pretty perfect all around.

Dining Out for Life: April 30

25-Apr-2009

It’s that time of year when we get to have a nice night out with friends and do some good at the same time!

Thursday, April 30th restaurants in the Seattle area will participate in Dining Out for Life, a benefit for Lifelong AIDS Alliance, and the fight against illness and hunger in our community. On that night 30% of your bill is donated to the cause – all you have to do is eat! And with 155 restaurants participating (maybe more by Thursday!) it’s pretty easy to find something that will meet whatever you are in the mood for.

And I highly encourage you to return to whatever restaurant you choose for this event sometime soon in the upcoming weeks. Restaurants are being hit pretty hard by our economic woes and to see so many of them continue to participate in this event really says something about our food community. Even though their revenues are down, they still continue to support and contribute to worthy causes. We really do live in a wonderful place!

So once you dine out for life, make your way back and dine out as a thank you and to support our restaurant community.

Outstanding in the Field!

22-Apr-2009

You may remember that last year I attended a couple of dinners presented by the folks at Outstanding in the Field. This organization works to connect people with food sources, educating them about local farms and farmers and they do that by working with local chefs and producers to present dinners on a farm. Mostly in a field at the farm.

Last year they were only in Seattle for one dinner which sold out in less than four hours! I was lucky enough to get a ticket to that dinner and also took a little trip to Vancouver, BC to participate in a dinner there. This year they have expanded their schedule and are offering three Seattle dinners, as well as the one in Vancouver and one in Pemberton (outside of Whistler), which means they can accommodate many more people. Still, seating is limited so if you are interested don’t wait too long to grab a ticket.

I’ve been having a hard time making a decision about which dinner to attend, there are such great options! The first dinner will be held at Full Circle Farm and the dinner prepared by Seth Caswell. Full Circle produce is used by many of the top chefs in Seattle and they also have a booth at the University District Farmers’ Market (maybe others, too) where I buy from them. Seth Caswell was formerly at the Stumbling Goat Bistro on Greenwood, a place I love, and is now getting ready to open a new place, Emmer and Rye this summer.

The second dinner is at Oxbow Farm. I don’t know as much about Oxbow, although I have purchased great things from them at the Ballard Farmers’ Market. The chef’s for this dinner are Brian McCracken and Dana Tough the golden boys creating magic at Spur. I’ve only been there once but loved every minute of it.

The third Seattle dinner is a benefit for Seattle Youth Garden Works. This is a great program that I’ve been supporting for several years. This program works with homeless and disadvantaged kids teaching them to garden and market what they grow. They have a booth at the University District Farmers’ Market, which is where I first learned of the program and where I try to purchase from them on a regular basis. This dinner will be held at the UW Botanic Gardens – which I think would be a fun place for dinner – and will be prepared by Matt Dillon from Sitka and Spruce and The Corson Building. He was the chef at the dinner I attended last year and did a great job!

Then again I may just make a weekend of it and head up to Pemberton!

While tickets are a bit spendy you need to think of this not just as a dinner but as an evening’s entertainment. There’s a multi-course dinner (I think there were 6 courses or more at the dinners I attended); wine paired to each course; a tour of the farm; the opportunity to learn more about a farm, farming, the farmers and other producers like shellfish farmers or foragers – it depends on the dinner; and the opportunity to meet and mix with others with similar interests. The whole event is generally four or more hours long. When you start adding up all you get for your money, you’ll see it’s a lot. Plus, you have the opportunity to support your own local producers.

And for anyone reading this post who is outside the Seattle area, Outstanding in the Field has dinners all across the nation. Many have already sold out so don’t take too long!

My photos from Seattle; Vancouver; and Santa Cruz. And I started a group pool on Flickr for photos from dinners across the country.

Vita Loft Series: A parent and kid night

16-Apr-2009

If you live in Seattle you may have heard about onepot.org, a sort of underground dining organization that brings together food, social issues, and conversation at interesting venues in creative ways. Over the years they’ve become more ground-breaking than underground and their website has become a little slicker but they still address and bring to light timely topics.

They have an event coming up on April 23rd that is a great way to involve your children in learning and understanding more about food and what they eat. Here’s the information I recently received:

Vita Loft Series: A parent and kid night with food genius Nina Planck. April 23rd.

Nina is one of the most provocative and brilliant food writers and policy makers in the country. Caffe Vita, One Pot and Kim Ricketts are collaborating with The Experience Food Project to host Nina and spark an explosive conversation about how and what we feed our children. $60/person includes a copy of Real Food by Nina. More info available at www.onepot.org.

*The sparkling Nina Planck will be on hand with both of her groundbreaking books urging america to eat REAL FOOD.

**This is an evening primarily for adults and their kids – but we welcome everyone. nursing moms, kids who don’t want to hang with their parents, single folks, etc.

***Tom French from the Experience Food Project will be on hand to talk about school food policy – and what he is doing to change it, and EFP chef Andrew Radzialowski will be with me in the kitchen. We are hoping we get some EFP kids to come join us as servers and cooks as well.

****This will be a damn fun night – we want to involve the whole table in a conversation about the absolute need to change what our kids eat – what our country eats – and how in the hell we are going to make this shift happen – now.

*****Plus you get a copy of one of nina’s books. signed, sealed and delivered.

$60/person (infants no charge)
*proceeds go to the experience food project.
6pm Capitol Hill Vita.
click to grab a seat

The Vita Loft Series: The history of coffee and progressive ideas have been profoundly linked. Caffe Vita and One Pot have created this series to continue this important tradition.

Step Three: Making Limoncello – The Finale

07-Apr-2009

Well, it took me a little longer to get here than I thought it would. Mainly due to my schedule more than anything else. The good news is that this recipe does not have to be precise. I just hate delaying the steps because that means it takes a little longer to get to the finale!

To bring you up to date, we started with Step One: Making Limoncello and Step two: Checking In. Today we are going to do the final assembly. And just to make sure we are all on the same page. The following instructions are for a single batch (one 750ml (fifth) of vodka), although in several of the photos you’ll actually see two jars of the vodka-rind concoction.

By this point much of the color should have leached from the rind and the vodka should be tinted yellow. In the photo above you’ll see one jar is darker than the other. I decided to experiment with vodka brands this time and it’s interesting how much darker the one on the right (Monarch) is than the one on the left (Gordons).

The next step is to strain the rind from the vodka. Line a funnel with a coffee filter, pour the vodka-rind mixture through the filter a little at a time. Let the vodka completely drain. I actually let mine sit overnight.

While the vodka is draining mix a batch of Simple Syrup.

Simple Syrup

1 cup water

1 cup sugar

Mix together in a small pan. Bring to a boil over high heat, turn the heat down and then boil for 2 minutes. Let cool. This will make about 1 1/2 cups of syrup.

Once the vodka is completely drained and the Simple Syrup is cool you are ready to mix.

And this is where your judgement comes into play. Depending on your preferences and how sweet or tart your lemons were you’ll need to adjust the amount of simple syrup you add. Two things to keep in mind: as the flavors meld over time, the vodka taste will become much softer; limoncello is generally drunk chilled and when alcohol is chilled the flavor is muted. In other words be careful how much simple syrup you add. It may seem you need more now but later the liqueur might taste too sweet.

I start by adding about half of the syrup to my vodka, stir it up and taste. Then I’ll add a little more, stir and taste. I’ll repeat this until I have the right mix for my taste. With this first batch today I used just over a cup of the syrup – I had about 1/3 cup remaining.

I’ve started draining the second batch today and my guess is that when I add simple syrup tomorrow I may use a different amount. I’ll try to remember to come back and update this post when I do.

Once you have your final mix, bottle it and wait. One recipe I found says that it’s ready to drink after 7 days, another says 40 days. Although you will probably enjoy it that time (serve it well chilled) I think it’s best 2 to 3 months after mixing.

Once it’s bottled store it in your freezer. The high concentration of alcohol will keep it from freezing.

Traditionally limoncello is sipped after dinner, sometimes along with a coffee. I love it for a sweet little hit later in the evening. Or it can be used in mixed drinks, such as in a Lemon Drop. You could also add it to soda or sparkling water as a kind of lemonade. Whatever way you choose to serve it, remember that it packs a punch!

You can actually use this recipe with any sort of citrus, although lemon is the traditional blend. With summer coming on it might just be time to experiment with some other versions of this traditional liqueur.

Anthony’s at SeaTac

05-Apr-2009

I normally take early morning flights out of SeaTac, which means about the only thing I "eat" in the airport is a cup of tea. But last month I had an evening flight to Phoenix and the timing was such that I decided that grabbing a bite before getting on the plane might be a good idea. I thought about Vino Volo (which I could swear I’ve posted about but apparently not…) but was really in the mood for some sort of salad more than a delicious flight of wine.

While wandering around the central terminal, Anthony’s caught my eye. I took a place at the bar, decided on the Shrimp Caesar and ordered a glass of wine. The bartender was very helpful in making my selection from the limited number of wines by the glass. Interestingly, they don’t list the airport location on their website so I can’t check the menu to tell you exactly what I had but it was okay.

My salad arrived a very short time later (great for those in a hurry to catch a flight) and I was really pleased at the quality and size of the salad for the price. There was a little too much dressing for my taste but I normally ask for salad dressing to be "light" and didn’t this night. There was a pile of small shrimp gracing the plate, the romaine was fresh and crispy and there were plenty of croutons. It was a really decent salad.

Not a place you can just "pop" into of course, but if you are looking for a place to spend a bit of time before catching a flight, consider Anthony’s.

Anthony’s Restaurant

SeaTac Airport

Central Terminal (the new area)

SeaTac

Scottsdale: Greasewood Flat

29-Mar-2009

If all you really want is a good burger and a beer, and maybe a little trip out of the city to where the air is a little cooler, head to Greasewood Flat in northeast Scottsdale. Situated at the site of an old stagecoach stop, Greasewood Flat is a pretty basic spot in some ways and amazingly complex in others.

The menu is limited to burgers, chili and a hotdog. Simple but good. Seating is outdoors. But there’s room for you and a few hundred friends. They say they can seat 1000. As you walk around the expansive grounds there is an amazing collection of "old stuff". Collections of wagons form the border and lots of rusty stuff fills every nick and corner. And there are a few mules and chickens wandering around fenced in areas thrown in for good measure.

Open for lunch and dinner, the party really starts on weekend nights when the bands get going.

Greasewood Flat

27375 N Alma School Pkwy

Scottsdale

485.585.9430

First Look: Frank’s Oyster House and Champagne Parlor

28-Mar-2009

I’ve been trying to establish an on-going Friday night ritual – one that used to be a regular part of life but somehow got misplaced – of a Friday night Happy Hour. In past times we’d sometimes have a "regular" spot, especially in the summer when a particular lakeside deck was our destination of choice, and sometimes mix it up a bit. I’m taking the opportunity now to visit lots of places, some new, some old favorites.

I’m not quite selecting a place every week – either due to schedule or a desire to have a night out on my own – but am probably inviting folks out two or three Fridays a month. It’s been fun and I plan to continue it for some time.

This last Friday we visited a newcomer to the Seattle restaurant scene, Frank’s Oyster house and Champagne Parlor. Frank’s is located in a neighborhood northeast of downtown and sits on a block with a couple of interior decorating shops, one of which is more of an "antique" or at least an old-stuff shop.

I arrived a few minutes prior to their opening time of 5:00 pm and was glad I did, as the line-up outside was already forming. Just before the doors opened one of my friends joined me and we were able to secure a nice window spot large enough for the rest of the group.

The interior is a do-it-yourselfer’s dream. Recycled wood panels the walls in an eclectic pattern; furniture seems to mostly be unique antique or flea market finds; the big chandelier in the bar is made of recycled pipe and reminds me of one I’ve seen somewhere else.

Frank’s Happy Hour has specials on cocktails, beer, wine and food. Since there were four of us we managed to make a good dent in the menu – both the food and the drinks. The most popular drink at our table was the specialty cocktail of the night, the French 75, which is a lovely concoction of sparkling wine, gin, lemon juice and sugar. The bartender did an especially nice job with the lemon twist garnishes!

We tried to eat our way though most of the discounted menu, but fell a little short. Still we managed to sample the oysters on the half shell (three varieties); goat cheese deviled eggs; mini-lobster rolls; smoked fish chowder; cheddar cheese & ham biscuits; house-made potato chips; potato skins with truffle oil; and I think at least one other item which escapes me at the moment. Yum. I need to go back again. Soon.

Happy Hour was busy although later arriving groups were funneled into the dining room so that the lounge remained active but not jammed. We had great service although I’ve heard from others that is not always the case. I really like the idea of a great little neighborhood place like this – many of those arriving early seemed to be from the area and they were returning for their own Friday night ritual. Too bad it’s not in MY neighborhood but I’m glad that this sort of place is finding a home outside of the downtown area.

Frank’s Oysterhouse and Champagne Parlor
2616 NE 55th

Ravenna

Seattle

206.525.0220

More or less than meets the eye?

09-Mar-2009

Isn’t it odd how our eyes have decided that certain colors mean certain things? For instance purple/blue generally indicates something sweet like blueberries or perhaps plums. But take a closer look at the photo; that’s nothing sweet, those are mashed potatoes. Purple mashed potatoes.

You might remember that a few weeks ago I made a batch of pink mashed potatoes from red potatoes that are red fleshed as well as red skinned. This week I bought purple potatoes. Again, they have purple flesh as well as purple skin. When they are first cooked they are still deep colored but as I mixed in butter, milk and sour cream they turned a lighter shade of violet.

Top them with a spoonful of sour cream and some bacon crumbles and what appears to be blueberry ice cream with whip cream and nuts turns out to be a savory treat.