Step Two: Making Limoncello – Checking in
08-Mar-2009
A couple of weeks ago I started a batch of homemade limoncello using Meyers lemons that I found at my local Costco. Today it was time to take a peek at the concoction to see how it was doing. Our goal is to wait until most of the color has leeched from the zest. As you can see the zest is still brightly colored, although it’s not as bright orange as it was to start. The vodka is beginning to gain a bit of a yellow tint. That tint is hard to see in the photos – I should have placed something white in the background to make it easier to distinguish.
So, it’s coming along but still needs more time. At this point we just need to let it sit longer. I’m going to let it go another two weeks until March 24th. Check back then for the update!
Happy Hour at Barolo
07-Mar-2009
One of my favorite Happy Hours in town is at Barolo Ristorante. All food on the bar menu is 1/2 off; pints of beer are $3; and glasses of featured wine are $3.50 or you can buy the bottle for $14.
On the menu you’ll find substantial choices like the risotto, gnocchi and a burger among other items; or plates that are good for sharing like the antipasto, fried calamari or mussels. The specially priced wines are one of the best values in town. I normally choose the red, although they also offer a white and a rosé. Last night’s red was a lovely southern Rhône, J. Vidal-fleury Côtes Du Ventoux.
The only negative thing about Barolo’s Happy Hour is that it is wildly popular. Arriving between 4:00 pm and 4:30 pm is the only way to be assured of a seat. And even then, on days when it seems all of Seattle has skipped out of work a couple hours early, finding a seat can be challenging.
Barolo Ristorante
1940 Westlake Ave
On the northern edge of downtown
Seattle
206.770.9000
“Spring” Oreos
06-Mar-2009
It seems all kinds of products are getting into the habit of modifying colors to align themselves with holidays or seasons, hoping to increase sales. I’d say the tactic probably does work. I know that I find myself buying more holiday versions of candy, in particular. Oreo actually started their version of holiday or seasonal varieties several years ago but this was the first time in a long time that one of the colorful versions induced me to purchase. I guess I may have needed a splash of sunshine so when I saw the yellow-filled "Spring" Oreos I bit.
I actually find them a bit disconcerting to eat. The brightly colored yellow fillings seem like they should be lemon flavored. But they are not. Instead they are just the "regular" flavor. Still that doesn’t seem to have actually slowed down my consumption. I just have to squint a little when I take the first bite so I screen out the lemon vibes I get from the yellow filling.
Calphalon on Special
03-Mar-2009
A couple months ago I noticed that a favorite pot of mine, a 3-qt, chef’s pan, was not looking very good. It was an in expensive pot that I’d picked up on a whim one day. The size was good and it was red. I’m a sucker for red kitchenware. Over the years it’s been used a lot and has been one of my favorite pans but, as less expensive pans tend to do, it was now showing it’s wear. I made a mental note that I’d need to replace it soon.
And then about a week ago I noticed that Calphalon was having one of its sales where they substantially mark down some of their pots and pans. Fair warning: this is sometimes as they are getting ready to discontinue a line. I don’t know for certain this is the case but something you might want to keep in mind. I have a lot of Calphalon and I love it. Most of my pieces are from another line that is now discontinued, the professional hard anodized line. So when I noticed the specials I decided to check them out.
This time the discounted pieces are from the Tri-ply copper line. These pieces have copper on the outside, an aluminum core for even heat distribution and a stainless interior for easy clean-up. Crate and Barrel is carrying a couple of the pieces, so I was able to physically check them out. But the biggest selection of pieces is online at Amazon. I liked the feel and the look of them – although I do wonder how much work the copper will take – so I picked up a couple pieces.
The first, the Calphalon Tri-Ply Copper 3-Quart Chef’s Pan
, is the replacement for my little red pan. I also picked up the Tri-Ply Copper 12-Inch Everyday Pan
just because I liked the look of it. The 5-Quart Saucier
and the 2-1/2-Quart Shallow Saucepan
are also marked down and I have these pans in the professional hard anodized versions. I love them both and use the 2 1/2 quart saucepan so much that I bought two of them.
, is the replacement for my little red pan. I also picked up the Tri-Ply Copper 12-Inch Everyday Pan just because I liked the look of it. The 5-Quart Saucier and the 2-1/2-Quart Shallow Saucepan are also marked down and I have these pans in the professional hard anodized versions. I love them both and use the 2 1/2 quart saucepan so much that I bought two of them. If you are in the market for new cookware or a fill-in piece or two, you may want to check this sale out.
Canelé de Bordeaux
01-Mar-2009
The first (and last) time I tasted a canelé de Bordeaux was while visiting Saint-Émilion in September 2007. When we arrived in the village a parade and celebration were in progress, much to our surprise. We watched the townspeople file by on their way to the central church where they would pray for the red-grape harvest which was set to begin any day.
After watching the parade we still had some time before our lunch reservations at L’envers du Decor so we wandered the city checking out wine shops and caves; shops and bakeries; and the surrounding scenery of rolling hills. My friend MB could not stop talking about canelé de Bordeaux and pulled me into a bakery right next to our lunchtime restaurant where there were stacks of the canelé. While we were there I tried one and then bought a couple boxes.
Canelé de Bordeaux are crispy, almost burnt on the outside. The outside is sugar caramelized until crispy-sweet. In contrast the inside is a soft and silky rum laced custard. They remind me of a super-luscious French toast. And rich – whoa!
Seattle now has a source for these French treats and it’s not in a place you’d ever expect. Honoré Bakery is located just east of 15th Ave northwest in the area that is north of Ballard, south of Crown Hill. Technically its Loyal Heights. There’s a little one to two block stretch with a few shops and the bakery is right in the middle. The place is teeny. The bakery itself seems to take up most of the space. But there is a small glass-encased counter filled with delicacies, a few tables and a little bit of window counter seating.
When I arrived at noon on Saturday there were only three canelé remaining – the man in front of me has secured what would have been the fourth. I took them all and a couple of Parisian-style macarons. I wanted to try them right there but needed to get home and take photos first!
The canelé were as rich and lovely as I remembered, although a tad bit undercooked, which is one of the challenges of canelé. But, that just meant that I wouldn’t have to worry about reheating them, which I did with one this morning.
As mentioned, I also tried a couple of their macarons. The lavender filled with chocolate ganache is a beautiful combination of the two flavors, and the chocolate version was both light and rich. Very nice.
Honoré Artisan Bakery
1413 NW 70th St
Loyal Heights/Ballard
Seattle
(206) 706-4035
Happy Hour at Venik
28-Feb-2009
Check. One more off the list. I keep a list of restaurants and bars, mostly that have newly opened, that I want to try out. I generally strive to get to them within three months, at the latest. Sometimes, for one reason or another, a place lingers on my list. And that’s what happened with Venik. This place has been on my list for a couple of years!
I don’t know why it took me so long to get there. Perhaps it was because I also meant to try out the next door spa, Banya 5, and the time just never seemed right. Maybe it’s because South Lake Union is really just finally starting to jell into a destination neighborhood. Whatever the reason, it’s a darn shame that it took me so long to get there. It’s a great little space. And it is little. There are probably ten seats along the bar, another few along a window and about a dozen seats along a series of tables on the far wall. That’s it.
They specialize in inventive cocktails, many made with their infused liquors. There’s also a small menu of light bites.
I arrived shortly after 4:00pm, their opening time, to ensure seating for three of us who were meeting. I was the first one in after the doors opened but felt right at home in the neat and tidy place. I took a seat at the bar which has been creatively designed in a kind of swirl which creates two small "tables" at either end. I took the end that allowed three people to face each other. The other, larger end creates a table for four.
I started with their apple-sage-cucumber ‘tini as did one of my friends. I asked the bartender what they used for the apple, as I’m not a big fan of the usual apple liqueurs. "Apples", he said. And that’s when I realized they had the right idea about their cocktails. The fruit and vegetables lightly flavored the drink which had a stronger sage taste than anything. It was light yet wintery at the same time. The other friend ordered a Cosmopolitan which she rated as just okay. For our second rounds we switched to beer and wine, from their small select menu. Good basic choices for all.
To accompany our beverages we started with a mezze platter. Warm pita anchored one end of the platter, a really good hummus, thinly sliced vegetables and a little bowl of feta rounded out the plate. It was a good plate for sharing and the amounts were generous. We also ordered a bowl of mac ‘n’ cheese. It was good and creamy but wasn’t as cheesy as we hoped. I liked it, it just didn’t really seem like mac ‘n’ cheese.
Sometime between 4:30pm and 5:00pm the seats had filled and as we left shortly before 7:00pm the tiny place was bustling with activity. Many of the people seemed to be regulars and there was a great friendly vibe to it all. I think I need to find more reasons to be down in the area so I can stop in again.
Happy Hour runs Tuesday – Friday from 4:00pm – 7:00pm and Saturday from 4:00pm – 8:00pm. They are closed Sunday and Monday. The Happy Hour offering is 25% off well drinks, specialty drinks, wine, bottled/draft beer and food, basically everything in the house!
Venik
227 9th Ave. N
South Lake Union
Seattle
206.223.3734
Little Tastes of the Dahlia: Chocolate
27-Feb-2009
Tuesday night I spent a wonderful 90 minutes tasting and learning about chocolate. I attended one of the Little Tastes of the Dahlia, a series of educational (and fun!) programs held at the Dahlia Lounge by Tom Douglas. In each session Tom highlights an ingredient or topic he has an interest in, brings in specialists to educate the small group of attendees, and provides related beverages and small bites to go along with the topic. The sessions are packed with information and the samples and tastes are a great bonus.
Tuesday’s session was about chocolate, but not just any chocolate. Although much of what we learned applies across the board the session was presented by the head chocolatier from Theo Chocolate, Autumn Martin. She really impressed me with her breadth and depth of knowledge, especially at her relatively young age (well under 30). She is a great speaker and obviously brings a lot of enthusiasm to her work. Theo’s claim to fame, besides the fact they have excellent products, is that they are the first and only organic and Fair Trade chocolate factory in the country
We started with a sampling of chocolates along with wine. The wine was selected by Pamela (last name unknown) who is now CEO of Tom Douglas enterprises, and also happens to have a wine background. She chose a 100% Tempranillo Rioja. It worked okay with the chocolate but I didn’t think it was great. As she discussed, wine pairings for chocolate can be challenging and with our selection of chocolate samples being all over the board, I think it was especially so this night.
The chocolates we sampled were dark orange, hazelnut crunch, Madagascar ganache, ghost chili caramel and cocoa nibs. Each of the chocolates offered something a little unexpected, which is one of the things I like about Theo chocolates. And all of their chocolates are very chocolate-y, even their milk chocolate. In fact, their milk chocolate may be my very favorite of all milk chocolates.
While we were sipping, tasting and taking notes, Autumn was filling us in on all kinds of information about growing the chocolate, the process to get it into the form we know and love, and all manner of other information about cocoa fat, cocoa powder and nibs.
Our next tastes were of sipping chocolates. Presented in little cups about the size of a shot glass these were so rich and decadent that any more would have been too much. We tasted two samples but I don’t have the names of them. My favorite was one that included spices and chiles.
Next we took a look at a savory use of chocolate. The chef at Dahlia Lounge prepared Chocolate-chile braised oxtail over orange scented masa cake. Pure heaven. The layering and repetition of flavors was amazing. The oxtail was prepared with dried chiles and cocoa then finished with shavings of the dark orange chocolate we had sampled earlier. The masa was scented and flavored with orange rind and the whole little dish was topped with a slice of mandarin orange. I really need to try to replicate this.
We finished off the tasting with "dessert", a cocoa nib macaroon filled with caramel and topped with a black volcanic salt. Also absolutely amazing.
I almost hate to tell you about these classes as they always fill way too fast but the experience was so much fun that I have to share!
Dine Around Seattle – March 2009 Edition
24-Feb-2009
Dine Around Seattle starts March 1 and runs through the end of the month. Sunday through Thursday, 3-course meals are available for $30 at 30 restaurants in the Seattle area. Some locations also offer 3-course lunches for $15. For all the details, including sample menus, check out the Dine Around Seattle site.
Step One: Making Limoncello
22-Feb-2009
Costco has been carrying Meyer lemons the last few weeks. We don’t normally see the tart-sweet fruits in this area. Meyer lemons are sweeter than other lemons, and they have a much more floral scent. Their color is somewhere between yellow and orange, similar to a really fresh egg yolk. Some accounts state that Meyer lemons come from a cross between a Mandarin orange and a lemon. But that could be because that’s what the juice tastes like.
I bought two of the four pound packages and am in process of figuring out what to do with these golden treasures. I decided to start with a recipe that will give me double mileage. A few years ago I made Limoncello and loved it. Meyer lemons are supposed to make some of the best Limoncello and since the recipe only requires the zest I’ll also be able to use the juice for something else.
So today is step 1 of my new batch of Limoncello. I’ll document the steps as I go along, if you want to make some, too. Just a warning – this is not a quick process. Step one requires 2 to 3 weeks. Step two can take as little as another three weeks but your liqueur gets much better if you let it sit longer. I think three months is about right. So settle in for a long ride.
The good news is that the hardest part is waiting – there’s really very little work involved.
For step one all you do is zest six or seven large lemons. Place the zest in a glass or stainless steel container. Plastic will work but is not ideal. Do not use an aluminium container as it will react with the citrus. Add one 750ml bottle of 100 proof vodka. (This is the cheaper vodka you’ll find on the bottom shelf of the liquor store.) If you can’t fine 100 proof, 80 proof will still work. Step one may take a little longer and when we get to mixing in the simple syrup in step two you may want to adjust the recipe it a bit so that your Limencello isn’t too low-alcohol – more on that when we get to step two.
Once you’ve mixed the zest and vodka, close the jar and place it at room temperature in a dark place. A pantry or closet is ideal. And now we wait.
Note: If your lemons have been waxed – if they are pretty and shiny – you’ll first want to remove the wax. Bring a pot of water to a boil, add the lemons and then remove them after about 30 seconds. Immediately wipe them with a rough towel. That will remove most of the wax.
Ray’s Cafe
22-Feb-2009
One of my favorite places in Seattle is Ray’s Cafe. It was one of the first nice places I went to when I first moved to Seattle and throughout the years I’ve spent many a sunny day out on the deck. It’s location near the The Hiram M. Chittenden Locks means there is always marine activity of some sort. The view across Puget Sound to the Olympic Peninsula and Mountains is outstanding and there is generally some sort of wildlife activity, too. Add to that the friendly atmosphere of the cafe and the great food and drinks and it really doesn’t get much better. Except during Happy Hour when both food and drinks are discounted.
Last night a friend and I met for a light bite. We arrived at the beginning of Happy Hour and were able to get a table but soon there was a line at the host station. It was a great way to spend the last sunny day of this run of nice weather we’ve experienced. All manner of boats drifted by, birds flocked and swooped. Stand up paddle surfers made their way into shore, kayakers gracefully slid by. The quiet calm of the water was filled with entertainment.
We both had Ray’s cafe salad which is a light and tasty combination of greens, sliced pears, hazelnuts and blue cheese. Since we felt so healthy with our salads we decided to balance it out with something more decadent, Pete’s Brewhouse Cheese, a cheese fondue made with smoked Gouda and Oregonzola cheeses and beer. It was luscious and rich!
We finished our drinks just after sunset and left our window table for the rest of the evening’s adventures.
Ray’s Boathouse Cafe
6049 Seaview Avenue NW
Ballard
Seattle
206.782.0094
Happy Hour 4:00pm-6:00pm and 9:00pm-10:00/11:00pm
Culinary Fool 