Culinary Fool

Sweet White Carrots

29-Jan-2007

Making a Snack from Dinner Leftovers

29-Jan-2007

After the Northwest Harvest After Work Party, I had a few leftovers hanging around. Put them together in a slightly different way and you have a perfect Happy Hour snack!

First, slice a few pieces of country-style bread. Top with a bit of grated cheese – in this case Parmesan and mozzarella. Place under the broiler until the cheese bubbles and gets a little brown. While the bread is broiling take a bit of leftover tomato sauce and heat on the stove or in the microwave.

Place the sauce in a little dipping bowl and serve along with the cheese bread.

More Culinaria! Hungary

29-Jan-2007

Thanks to R, her incessant wanderings through Elliott Bay Cook Company and her eye for a great deal, I am now the proud owner of a fifth Culinaria book!

This one is on Hungary. Now I can’t say that I’ve been searching for a Hungarian cookbook but when R spotted this volume in the bargain bin and called me, I placed my order. As I’ve mentioned before, these books are gorgeous! They are cookbook, travel volume, history, geography and photo tome all in one.

Now the odd thing about this volume is that there has been a slight change in format. In the photo the new book is placed on top of one of my original volumes. Note that the dimensions are quite a bit smaller, as is the number of pages. I’m not complaining, it’s just a comment. Maybe they think these changes will make the volumes more desirable?

America’s Top Ten Bartenders

26-Jan-2007

While Playboy is not normally on my list of "must-reads" I had to make an exception for this. They have just released their list of America’s top bartenders – based on the art of mixology not flair – and I am happy to report several familiar names are on the list. I am overjoyed to see that a guy I am happy to call my favorite bartender – not just for his well-crafted drinks but also for his enjoyable presence, his tireless answering of my questions and his generous spirit – Murray Stenson, not only made the list but his photo graces the introduction to the article. Turns out it is okay to read Playboy just for the pictures!

You can find Murray, as well as the talented owners Ben and Kacy, at a local watering hole, The Zig Zag Café.

Zig Zag Café

1501 Western Ave (on the Pike Place Hillclimb below Kasala)

206.625.1146

First Look: Elysian Fields

26-Jan-2007

This post first appeared on The Spirit World in September 2006.

I visited Elysian Fields about a week and a half ago when they had been open for just three weeks. Located across from Quest Field and just outside of the main Pioneer Square area, they provide a new option in casual dining. Elysian Fields is owned by the folks who own the Elysian on Capital Hill (and also Tangletown located in the former Honey Bear Bakery on the east side of Greenlake).

I had just left a miserable Mariners game and sat at the bar commiserating with other fans about the state of the team, the coaches and what we needed.

We, of course, are all experts in how to turn the team around!

Although Elysian Fields sports a full bar I opted to go with a beer since they are, at heart, a brewpub and I’ve been trying to up my beer experience. Besides their basic lineup they offer seasonal beers and I opted to go with the Night Owl Pumpkin Ale.

This beer was a bit sweet with just the teeniest, tiniest hint of pumpkin. More noticeable was the spice which is a combination of nutmeg, clove, cinnamon, ginger and allspice. With these spices it was reminiscent of pumpkin pie. I thought the beer was very pleasant however, I couldn’t quite finish my glass – and I had only ordered a schooner. Once I hit about 3/4 of it, it seemed too rich to me but that may also have been due to what I chose for my meal. The combination may not have been the best.

My food choice was a Portabella Panini, made with a marinated and grilled portabella mushroom, corn relish and red pepper aioli.

This sandwich was rich and satisfying! Very good! I loved the corn relish as it brought a clean element that was great with the rich mushroom! And the fries served along with it were perfect!

Although Elysian Fields has the same beers available as the other pubs that is pretty much where the resemblance stops. My impression of the Elysian on Capital Hill is always of wood – wooden booths and bar and the honey colored light wood brings to a space. It’s been some time since I visited Tangletown but if memory serves me the lower ceilings and arrangement feels very neighborhood-y.

Elysian Fields is much different. Rather industrial with a very high open ceiling and exposed ductwork, yet kind of slick with its centrally located round bar, big windows (some are actually garage doors which I assume will be open in nice weather) and clean lines. I liked the feel of the place but I can imagine those who love the Capital Hill location might not feel quite as at home as they would expect.

The menu has some common elements but is not the same. I’ve heard that prices recently went up at the Capital Hill location so my guess is they are on par at all locations.

I liked this place and will definitely be back again. Especially since it adds a nice alternative to the area for those attending sporting events at Quest Field or Safeco Field. Being on the edge of Pioneer Square it will be interesting to see how that affects the clientèle on Friday and Saturday nights.

24-September Afternoon Update: They also use a beer engine here for at least one of the beers. I noticed it while sitting at the bar but didn’t understand the significance until talking to someone a day or two ago. So I didn’t ask what beer or why – I guess that will be up to you to discover!

Elysian Fields

542 1st Ave South (entrances on both 1st & Occidental)

Seattle

206.382.4498

Hot Off the Press: Seattle Cheese Festival Announces Dates for Third Annual Festival

25-Jan-2007

This just popped into my mailbox – mark your calendars!

SEATTLE – January 25, 2007 – For the third year, the Seattle Cheese Festival will present more than 250 cheeses from around Washington state and the globe along the main street of the famous Pike Place Market. With an enduring focus on artisanal and farmstead cheeses, the festival will kick off Friday, May 18 with seminars and hold two days of cheese tasting and more on Saturday, May 19 and Sunday, May 20. A $1 admission fee on Saturday and Sunday will give attendees the opportunity to sample all the cheeses available with part of the proceeds to benefit the Seattle Cheese Festival scholarship fund for aspiring cheesemakers’ educations.

Similar to the past two festivals, the 2007 Seattle Cheese Festival will include two days of cheese tasting, a wine tent, educational seminars led by local and national cheese experts, a cheese-maze scavenger hunt for children, and partnership with many of the city’s top chefs and restaurants for cooking demonstrations and the “Cheese Fest Best” where restaurants feature artisanal cheese dishes on their menus. An expanded cheese concourse will allow cheese producers and festival attendees more space to interact, sell and buy cheese, and of course, taste cheese. Several international cheese producers will make a return trip to Seattle for the festival, including Hervé Mons, who will also lead a seminar. Local favorites Estrella Family Creamery and Mt. Townsend Creamery are expected to attend and many more Pacific Northwest-based producers.

Sponsorship and showcase opportunities are currently being filled. For more information on participation in the festival contact Anne Theisen, event manager at (206) 849 – 7508 or anne@annetheisen.com.

Seminar panelists and topics are still being confirmed as well as many other festival details. More information will be release in the months and weeks leading up to the festival.

First held in 2005, the Seattle Cheese Festival is a non-profit organization formed to educate the public on artisanal, handcrafted and farmstead cheese and to benefit specialty cheese producers. To learn more about the Seattle Cheese Festival and festival updates visit www.seattlecheesefestival.com.

Baguette Box – Fremont Style

25-Jan-2007

Tuesday was such a spring-like day that around lunch time I found myself dying to get away from the PC and outside for awhile. I took myself down to Fremont, spent a little time walking along the canal and Lake Union and then wandered into the new Baguette Box that just opened in Fremont.

Although this is a new location the Baguette Box located on Capitol Hill has been receiving accolades since the day it opened. And the recipe for success at that location is being repeated here – with just a bit more room to grab an seat indoors.

The interior is sparse yet cheery with the art on the walls and the massive red table that dominates the room. I placed my order at the register that is nearly part of the open kitchen then took a seat while my order was prepared. Once delivered to me, I really had intended to eat inside at that big cheery table but I just couldn’t. I was being called back outside by the fresh air and (comparatively) warm temperatures.

I made my way back to one of undulating chair/steps that front the trail along the canal and sat down to enjoy my lunch. My Roasted Pork Loin with Apricot Aioli sandwich was flavorful and satisfying. The cilantro garnish added a nice clean taste. The sandwiches are generous but not gigantic. A nice balance in today’s world of extremes.

I cleaned up my paper wrapper and napkin and finished my break with a bit more of a walk to my car. Then back to work for me!

Baguette Box – Fremont

626 N. 34th St.

Seattle

206-632-1511

The Sweet Smell of Winter…

24-Jan-2007

I know this is a food blog but every once in awhile I wander a little and go out to my garden. I try to keep those wanderings food related but today it’s all about fragrance and flowers…

A few years ago while wandering through WinterGarden in the Arboretum I was suddenly caught by the most wonderful fragrance wafting through the air! Looking all around me at first I couldn’t figure out where it was coming from. Nothing seemed to be in bloom and this was definitely a flower smell – rather vanilla like.

I continued to look around until I found a group of large plants with teeny flowers all over them but hardly visible as most of the blooms sit on the lower side of each branch nearly completely hidden by the leaves. The flowers are not even ½” across.

The plant wasn’t marked so I made my way to the visitor center to see if they knew what it was. They did. It was Sarcococca – one of the earliest blooming winter plants. And at this time of year it is just the thing to brighten the day as we try to keep hope that spring will eventually come.

I planted one just outside my front door where I catch it’s fragrance as I come and go from the house. It’s in full bloom now – the first blossoms showed up in late December. I’ll have another couple of weeks of wonderful blooms which eventually will be replaced by glossy, dark-purple-nearly-black berries. Mine is a Sarcococca Confusa which is the same as the more common Sarcococca Ruscifolia except the berries on the Ruscifolia are red. I specifically chose the black berries as I loved their glossiness.

There is a third variety, hookerana humilis which is a low-growing, spreading variety but it has the same lovely fragrant flowers as the others.

First Look: Boka Kitchen + Bar

24-Jan-2007

This post first appeared on The Spirit World in September 2006.

Boka Kitchen + Bar has been open about 2 months now. It sits adjacent to the lobby of the new Hotel 1000 in downtown Seattle. A friend and I decided to check it out a couple nights ago and we were mostly very pleased with what we found!

The interior space is very, very designed. By that I mean that attention has been paid to every single detail, which is mostly good but there are a few things that make you wonder, "Why?". There are a few color choices that seem a bit out of place for certain pieces or accessories but overall the place is comfortable and interesting. We especially liked the rotating art displayed on two flat screen monitors at either end of the bar.

We arrived in time for Happy Hour, which runs from 3:00 – 6:00, I think daily but the website doesn’t say and I’m not sure I specifically asked. Happy Hour includes $3 tap beer; $5 for one red and one white wine by the glass; $4.95 well drinks; and all food on the bar menu at 1/2 price.

We opted to try some of the specialty cocktails instead of taking advantage of Happy Hour drink pricing. Our choices included: Fresh made of Plymouth Gin, fresh pressed cucumber, mint, lime and soda; White Peach Cosmo which included fresh rosemary along with white peach puree, vodka and white cranberry juice; and a Lemongrass Drop made with house-infused lemongrass vodka.

The cocktails were excellent! The Fresh really was; the Cosmo was kept in balance with the rosemary; and the Lemongrass Drop was a nice alternative to the (often too sweet) Lemondrop.

We also tried a couple of their bar bites and were very pleased with both. We had the Crab Cupcakes (notice that says CUPcakes, not cakes) and their Pigs in a Blanket. The Crab Cupcakes are sort of a combination crab cake and cornmeal muffin. You can certainly taste the crab but the corn follows right behind and the cornmeal adds a nice textural element to the whole thing.

Pigs in a Blanket is a much nicer dish than you might imagine from the name. The "pig" is BBQ Pulled Pork in a yummy sauce on a little baking powder biscuit. It’s served with a side of coleslaw which, if I hadn’t been sharing, I might have added to the little sandwiches.

The staff was very friendly, the barstools comfortable, there was a nice lounge-y seating area and nice touches like purse hooks under the bar. All-in-all we had a very nice time and it will be a place that will be seeing us again soon. In fact, we already have plans to meet there in about 10 days!

Boka Kitchen + Bar
1010 First Ave
Seattle
206.357.9000

Happy Hour at Union Square Grill

24-Jan-2007

At R’s suggestion we stopped by Union Square Grill for Happy Hour they other day. This used to be one of my favorite dinner places but over the years new places have usurped its place and it has gone through a number of its own changes taking it from the tried and true to the sometimes borderline. So it was with just a bit of trepidation that I made my way through the front doors.

We arrived at 5:00 to an already fairly busy bar area. They are doing an interesting thing here with a "Progressive Happy Hour" which means that the earlier you go the lower the price. Happy Hour starts at 3:00 pm and the prices go up each hour on the hour by $1 until it ends at 6:00 pm. Both food and drinks are on the specials list. You have your choice of wine by the glass, beer from the tap or half a dozen specialty cocktails.

Looking over the cocktails on the list they all were skewed to the sweet side but I decided to live dangerously and ordered a Ruby Red Rickey made with grapefruit vodka and, after conferring with the bartender, asked for a couple extra squeezes of fresh lime. The drink I got was very good! But I would make sure to order the extra lime again. R decided to stick with one of the wine selections.

I think our main goal, though, was to get a bite for dinner. The Kobe Beef Sliders with Caramelized Onions and Gruyère Cheese were calling our name and we decided to also split a plate of Tacos de Pescado – Fish Tacos. We were happily sipping our drinks when our food arrived and boy were we surprised! The portions were large!

Both items were tasty and came with nice little touches. The sliders were topped with the crispiest, thinly sliced onions I’ve ever had and the tacos were in nice soft shells and held together in individual taco holders, keeping everything as much inside the shell as possible, considering their stuffed state.

We were very happy with R’s choice. There was only one slightly sour note to the evening. A server dropped a glass of wine and broke the glass as he was serving the table directly behind us. Instead of immediately cleaning up the liquid he, for some reason, continued taking, placing and delivering orders leaving us to warn the other patrons passing by us to be careful not to slip for several minutes. He eventually got around to cleaning it up but it seemed very odd at the time.

Union Square Grill

621 Union (7th & Union, downtown Seattle)
Seattle

206.224.4321