Breakfast at Le Pichet
26-Nov-2008
Oven-Baked Hash Browns
22-Nov-2008
I love hash browns, yet I hardly ever make them. I’m not sure why. Probably because the first few times I tried them they weren’t great and it always seems like a lot of work to make them while you are in the middle of making a big breakfast. While reading the December issue of Bon Appetit I noticed a recipe for hash browns that are baked, not fried, and decided to give them a try. I made a half-recipe today for my lunch. They were good. And easy. Besides having them with breakfast I can imagine making them into small patties and using them as the base for appetizers.
You can find the recipe here.
First Look: Poppy
22-Nov-2008
M and I had an opportunity to visit Poppy this last week. Poppy is the much anticipated new location for Jerry Traunfeld, former chef at the Herbfarm. Poppy has been open a few months now and while the place was definitely full it was quite easy for us to grab seats at the bar.
As you approach you are greeted by a brightly painted door and once inside you notice bright orange – or poppy – accents throughout the softly lit dining room and bar. The kitchen is not actually open but one side sports a long glass window which allows you to check out what is going on inside. Along the shelf fronting the window are teapots, plates and other serving pieces providing both a culinary sculpture and useful storage for the kitchen.
M started with a glass of sparkling wine but I opted for their featured flight of wines. It was comprised of a chardonnay, a pinot noir and a red blend. If you have selected a variety of foods it’s a nice way to get a wine to go with just about anything.
Poppy’s focus is on thali, a platter of small bites that is sort of a tasting menu served all at once. M and I opted to try just a few of the bar bites instead.
Our first choice was a fancy grilled cheese sandwich: blue cheese on spice bread served with a tart cherry condiment to go along with it. Perfectly grilled, the bread was not so spicy as to overwhelm but enhanced the cheese. The cherries provided a nice sweet-tart contrast. There were just three 2-bite pieces but the flavors were so good that the dish was satisfying.
Next we sampled the scallops and potato croquettes. The scallops were simply grilled, the croquettes were rich and creamy inside while crispy outside. A paprika aioli accompanied the skewered components. It was good but I wish it had been just a tad more assertive.
We finished with a plate of Berkshire pork. The ribs were seasoned with a dry rub and the meat fell off the bone. Polenta and naan were included with the ribs. The little naan was great, the polenta I thought was just okay. M liked it a lot, though. My one complaint about this dish is that there were three ribs. Although this dish may have been envisioned as a small plate for one, chefs need to realize that bar food is often shared. While three ribs make a nicer presentation than four (odd numbers always display better than even) at some point it’s best to think of your customer’s experience. The three sandwich pieces were fine as the third was easily divided. Not so easy to do with the ribs. Their saving grace was that the meat fell so easily from the ribs that it was pretty easy to divide. But that robbed me of the experience of picking up the ribs and gnawing the meat from the bone, as I happen to think is the best way to eat a rib. It’s a slight nit but one I wish more chefs would pay attention to.
We did not have dessert but the man sitting next to me did and he offered to let me photograph it. It looked divine – home made ice cream topped with, I think, candied ginger.
If you are a big eater the cost of dinner here could add up. In most cases while the plates are small they pack such great flavor that a little really goes a long way.
A few more photos here.
Poppy
622 Broadway E
Capitol Hill
Seattle
Seattle
206.324.1108
Shrimp Bisque
18-Nov-2008
Over the weekend I attended a potluck pasta party. The host made fresh pasta (yum!) and the rest of us brought items to fill out the meal. I decided to make a soup, Shrimp Bisque specifically. I’d come across a recipe in Tyler’s Ultimate: Brilliant Simple Food to Make Any Time and was dying to try it. The pasta party seemed like the perfect opportunity.
The bisque is pretty easy to make, although you do need to spend a little time peeling shrimp. Other than that it’s really more a matter of allowing enough time for the flavors to meld. The result is outstanding! Smooth, silky, a little spicy and rich with shrimp the flavor is brightened with a little orange zest. I’ll be making this recipe often.
You can find the recipe in the cookbook, of course, but if you want to try before you buy you can also find it here. I really recommend the cookbook though. Tyler’s recipes are all generally pretty straight-forward, not a lot of fuss and bother, but lots of good, good flavor that never fails to impress.
Ocho
16-Nov-2008
Tucked away on a Ballard corner is a little place called, Ocho. With just a few tables and several seats along the bar it’s not surprising the place is often packed, especially once you’ve tasted the food.
Ocho is a tapas bar. Creating authentic small Spanish bites and serving them up with precision seems to be their specialty. Three of us popped in a couple months ago, grabbed seats at the counter and proceeded to make a good dent in the menu, which is listed on a chalkboard at one of the room.
Although the plates are small, as they should be, most lend themselves to sharing so we were all able to try many little bites. I don’t know if I can say which were my favorite – all were tasty and offered flavor harmony for the tastebuds. The fun thing about a tapas bar is that you don’t have to figure out the one thing you want for the evening We tried meat, seafood and vegetable options and enjoyed them all. Grazing your way through the menu is the preferred method of eating.
Next time you are in Ballard give Ocho a try. It’s worth making a special trip to get there but be warned that the seats do fill and once they do people my linger for some time.
Ocho
24th & Market
Ballard
Seattle
206.784.0699
24th & Market
Ballard
Seattle
206.784.0699
Wild Chanterelles
15-Nov-2008
Wild Chanterelles are in season right now. That means two things: they are in abundance at the moment and the prices on them are really reasonable. My local market is selling them for $5.99/lb. I love them prepared a number of ways but one of the simplest is one of the best – just saute them in a mixture of olive oil and butter.
I took that idea and expanded it just a bit for this morning’s breakfast.
Toast and butter a piece of toast and place on a plate.
Saute thinly sliced onions, a little thyme, chanterelles and crimini mushrooms until tender. Place them on top of the toast.
Return the saute pan to the heat and fry an egg until the white has set but the yolk is still runny.
While it’s frying grate some Asiago, Parmesan or Gruyere cheese over the mushrooms.
When the egg is cooked place it on top of the mushrooms.
Enjoy!
We’re Off
14-Nov-2008
I cleaned out my chest freezer a couple weeks ago. Getting ready for the holiday baking season. And last weekend I started.
These are Tennessee Sugar Cookies. Yum! Recipe here.
Maple Cream Cookies
07-Nov-2008
Any trip to Canada requires at least one trip to a grocery store to pick up one or more boxes of Maple Cream Cookies. I am addicted to these things. This time I also decided to try the version filled with chocolate. They are okay but next time I’ll only get the maple filled. Sometimes you can also find them at Duty Free if you are driving across the border, but they are generally more expensive there. They may have cheap booze at Duty Free but they make up for it with the cookies!
November Dining Deals
07-Nov-2008
There are two events this month that let you stretch your dining dollars. One is already in progress and on is coming up.
Dine Around Seattle started November 1 and goes through November 30. This used to be called 25 for $25, now it’s 30 for $30; thirty restaurants serving 3-course meals for $30. Sunday through Thursday only. Thanksgiving is not included, in case you thought it would be! Some also offer $15 lunches. Some of the places have been on the list before, some are new. Check the website for all the details including addresses, menus, and who offers lunch in addition to dinner.
The OpenTable Appetite Stimulus Plan offers deals at restaurants and double points if you are an Open Table member. Dinners are $35, lunches $24. The event runs November 17 through 21. Not all Open Table restaurants are participating so make sure you check the site for locations and how to get the right menu and price. It looks like there are about 40 places signed up and many of them do not participate (or at least haven’t to date) in the other dining promotions like Dine Around Seattle.
Cream of Mushroom Soup
06-Nov-2008
I make a lot of stuffed mushrooms as party appetizers. Some recipes for stuffed mushrooms use the stems as part of the stuffing but the recipes I generally use don’t. So I end up with lots of perfectly good mushroom stems and I hate to just throw them out. Instead I bag them and toss them in the freezer and once I’ve accumulated a decent amount I make mushroom stock. Once made it can be used as you’d use any sort of stock and I freeze batches so that I have it on hand when needed.
A couple weeks ago I decided it was time to empty all the various bags of mushroom odds and ends from the freezer and I made a very simple stock with them. All I did was put about five or six cups of stems and one large sliced onion in a stockpot, cover it all with water and let it simmer for a couple hours. I don’t add salt or pepper to stock, instead I wait and season it as part of whatever recipe it ends up in.
Once I’d made the stock I used it in a variety of ways – as braising liquid and to flavor emmer – but with the cool, rainy days that have moved in I had cream of mushroom soup on my mind. It’s a very easy recipe to make and the resulting soup is rich and satisfying.
This recipe will make two to three main-dish servings.
Take about 3 cups of mushrooms (I used crimini and chanterelles), 1 large onion peeled and cut into quarters, and one medium size carrot cut into thirds. Toss them all with olive oil, until they are just lightly covered. Spread in an even layer on a baking sheet and then bake for about 30 minutes at 400°F, until the vegetables are fork-tender and caramelized.
Remove from the oven, reserve a few of the vegetables for garnish if you’d like, place about 1/2 of the vegetables in a blender, cover with some of the broth and then blend until smooth and thick. You may need to add additional broth as you are blending. Repeat with the balance of the roasted vegetables. Once you have it all nice and smooth, pour it all into a pot and season with salt, freshly ground black pepper and a woody herb like thyme. A bay leaf or two also adds a nice element of taste.
Heat slowly so that the seasonings have a chance to do their job, add additional broth until the soup is a consistency you like. Once the soup is hot add a couple tablespoons of heavy cream to give it a silky mouth-feel and a little touch of decadence.
Pour into warmed bowls and garnish with the reserved vegetables. I toasted slices of baguette, floated a slice in each bowl and topped the baguette with some of the roasted vegetables and a sprig of thyme.
In case you are wondering, both the onion and the carrot complement the taste of the mushrooms and add a subtle sweetness to the soup. They provide a bit more complexity and interest to the taste but you can certainly just use mushrooms if you’d like.
Culinary Fool 