Culinary Fool

Pink Martini Concert and Picnic

31-Jul-2006

One of my favorite summertime rituals involves concerts at Ste. Michelle Winery and the picnics that go along with them. I generally try to see two or three concerts at the winery each summer and over the years have established a pretty fun routine for how the whole event will work.

In some ways the concerts have become more about all the surrounding activities than the concert itself. But, of course, you want to make sure the concert is one you will enjoy!

Recently, Pink Martini was at the winery and they never fail to please. It was my first event of the year. My sister and her family were in town, so she and my brother-in-law were able to attend with me. Additionally, I had several friends and friends of friends who were attending so this was a pretty big social event, too.

I pretty much have the same schedule for every concert. We arrive at the winery grounds 15 to 30 minutes before the gates open. While waiting in line you chat with the folks around you and look for who else you might know – there’s always someone, whether you were aware they wold be there or not!

Once the gates open we make a beeline for our favorite area, sending a person or couple people ahead with the tarp to claim a spot. Then those of use with the rest of the gear show up a couple minutes later, after we’ve made our way through the crowd. I have a couple of wheeled coolers that I love for this type of event! Not only do they carry all the chilled food, but I can stack the picnic basket, blankets, table and other assorted items on the cart and arrive without being worn out from being a pack mule.

Over the tarp we spread some fluffy blankets, then the sand chairs; the cooler anchors one corner; the table gets set up and sometimes, like this week, we actually also put up an umbrella to give us a bit of a break from the intense sun.

My new purchase for this year is a great portable table-in-a-bag. It’s a bit on the heavy side but the carry bag has been designed so perfectly that it hangs easily over a shoulder, and doesn’t interfere with your walking stride at all! In the past, I’ve used some little collapsible, canvas tables that were fine but it was really nice to have a solid surface for wine glasses and food.

Once our area is arranged it’s off to the Tasting Room to pick out the wine. Although they sell wine from a booth in the concert area, the varieties are more limited than what you can get inside. Plus, we make a little trip to the inside restroom as this minimizes our porta-potty use, which is a good thing!

After picking out our wine we head back to our spot, settle into the chairs and open a bottle of wine. We generally start with a few munchy items – maybe just some mixed nuts or snack mix of some sort – and take a little time to survey the crowd. Then, after just a bit, I’ll start assembling the day’s picnic.

Pink Martini Picnic

Salted Mixed Nuts

Pub Mix

Herb Roasted Chicken

Lobster Salad in Endive

Grilled Shrimp Salad in Endive

Smoked Salmon with Cream Cheese, Onions & Capers

Orzo and Wild Rice Salad

Caprese Salad

Fresh Corn and Blueberry Salad

Just before the opening act starts, we pack up the leftovers and then settle into our seats with another glass of wine. (At this time we also pull down the umbrella, as they are not allowed during the show.)

The opening act this night was Bird York, an interesting performer who was new to me. I liked her a lot, although her opening song was a little too relaxed but the energy increased over time.

In between acts we break out dessert.

This night dessert was a cheese plate with some great cheeses and Fran’s Gray and Salt Smoked Caramels. Those caramels are the perfect not-too-sweet ending to a lovely meal!

Because it was such a warm night we stayed mainly with white wines – Chardonnay, Pinot Gris and Sauvignon Blanc – but ended with a nice Syrah.

Then we sit back with another glass of wine to listen to the headliner. If you have not had the opportunity to see Pink Martini I highly recommend their shows! Lots of energy and highly entertaining, they sing in several languages and just produce a quality show.

After the show we pack up our gear and head to the car. Another successful concert and picnic under our belts!

Bite of Seattle

31-Jul-2006

I should have done this post last week as I had planned so that the information might have been useful! I guess, instead, you might just need to file it away for next year.

I have always enjoyed the idea of the Bite of Seattle but over the years the "bites" have become too large to really be able to do anything more than one or two tastes unless you are with a large crowd and everyone is sharing.

Those larger portions defeat the purpose in my mind. I’d much rather pay $2 or $3 and be able to try 4 or 5 items than $6 and be done for the day. So for many years my destination at The Bite was, "The Alley". It started as John Hinterberger’s Alley and then after his retirement it became Kathy Casey’s Alley.

The Alley was a great concept: several of the most popular Seattle restaurants prepared small bites. You paid one fee, got in one line, and got all the bites on one plate. And the best part was that the proceeds benefited Food Lifeline, an organization that I like to support. Perfect!

The Alley was always immensely popular and the line could get pretty lengthy. Whenever, possible I’d get down to Seattle Center at 11:00 on Friday of the event (the opening) and generally be able to sail through pretty easily. Over the years, though, the offerings in the Alley seemed to lose a little of their luster and quality. The last couple years were a bit disappointing. I guess the festival organizers realized this, too.

This year the Alley was out and a new feature was in: Tom Douglas’ Flavors of America: Cooking for Food Lifeline.

Instead of individual restaurants creating little bites that represented their cuisine, Tom Douglas did the whole spread and, for variety, did bites from different regions of the country.

Now I love Tom and the way he really supports the local community – he gives tons of time and materials to support all the local food-related charitable organizations. It’s pretty amazing. And this was a cool idea except for one thing, which I realized as I was eating. This concept did not let me sample from all Seattle has to offer, which is one of the things the Bite and the Alley are supposed to do. So in that way, it was a bit disappointing.

Would I go again next year? Probably – but just because I like contributing to Food Lifeline in any way that I can. While I appreciate Tom stepping up and taking on this big project I’m a bit sad that it’s lost a little something in the translation.

Vancouver: Earls

27-Jul-2006

One of my favorite casual places in Whistler is the Earls that sits right above the Starbucks in the center of the village. The place is always filled with the resort workers who have come to cover the various lift operator, ski shop, housekeeping winter jobs but in reality are there to ski. Earls always feel full of camaraderie because of it. You also get your share of those of us who are there for a shorter time to enjoy the winter activities and so the place is a good mix of "locals" and visitors.

In addition to the convivial atmosphere, Earls presents great value. Their portions are huge, the food is pretty good and they have really good values on wine. They were the first place I had really good dry ribs, as I talked about in a previous post.

Although I’ve been to the Whistler location many, many times I’d never been to any other Earls – even though there are several in Vancouver, as well as all over British Columbia and three other provinces.

That finally was rectified on this last trip to Vancouver. After running around all day on Saturday I’d returned to my room to rest and have a little early evening refresher. After relaxing for a bit I decided I wanted a little something to tide me over until morning. I wasn’t super hungry but needed a light bite. I decided to stroll the streets in my area to see what I might find. Lo and behold, not three blocks away I came across an Earls!

Upon entering I realized that this was a different creature from the one I knew in Whistler.

Not in a bad way just that this was a big city Earls, not a cozy resort Earls. The place was packed, although I found a seat at the bar. It was date night all around me – with folks either having pre-arranged meetings or making them on the fly with those they met.

I ordered a "glass" of Mission Hills Sauvignon Blanc, one of Earls’ premium wines by the glass. Earls by-the-glass pours are generous and come in a little carafe. I love that! Your server will pour some into your glass and then leave the balance in the carafe for you to pour when you are ready.

They bring in great value wines from all over the world, but there are always at least a few British Columbia, normally Okanagon Valley, wines on the menu which I think is great, as they support their local industry. This Sauvignon Blanc was typical of the region, nicely acidic but with a bright taste. It was a good wine for a warm evening.

[Side Note: This same fertile valley reaches into Washington. In B.C. the name is spelled Okanagon but in Washington is spelled Okanogon and the pronunciation is slightly different: Oh-ka-NAW-gun versus Ok-ka-NO-gun.]

Along with my wine I ordered a Santa Fe Chicken Salad. This salad was fresh and crisp and loaded with tons of good bites!

The chicken was nicely grilled; the avocado was perfectly ripe and had just been cut; the goat cheese added a nice tang to it all; and the supporting characters of black beans, chips and mixed greens brought it all together.

It was finished with a nice, slightly spicy peanut dressing. As is normal, the salad was large so I couldn’t eat it all but it certainly was the right choice for that evening.

Again, this is a chain restaurant and you’re not going to find haute cuisine but just good solid tasty food.

As I was writing this post, I suddenly realized that I had both started and ended this day with a salad. The other interesting thing is that although I was in Canada, both salads were named for areas in the U.S that bring to mind a certain type of cuisine! Funny!

Earls

Multiple locations throughout British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba and Saskatchewan

Check the website for specific locations

Vancouver: Out and About in Yaletown

16-Jul-2006

I’ve been to Vancouver, B.C. so many times that I no longer feel the need to get out and explore in a big way. Instead, it’s become a place that I mostly hang out, return to favorite areas and try out just a few new things each time. This can lead to missing great places like Lumière but mostly it makes for a relaxing and free-flowing mini-vacation.

One of my favorite neighborhoods in Vancouver is Yaletown. I think this is partially related to the fact that I’ve watched this area grow from a rundown warehouse district to the comfortable, interesting and (sometimes) edgy area it has become. Yaletown owes it’s birth to Expo 86. When the city began preparing for this World’s Fair they realized they needed to increase the number of rooms available for short-term lodging. There was a massive effort to clean up this area and turn many of the buildings into something that would provide adequate, clean and safe lodging for the thousands of visitors that were expect to attend Expo.

At the time what was put in place were simply basic, fairly bare-bones rooms. Temporary hotels. But once Expo was over with so much work having already been done in the area the momentum continued. This area now has tons of little shops, all kinds of eateries and bars, and is home to some of the most expensive waterfront condos in the city. Quite a turn around over a period of barely 20 years. Early in the morning and late at night, however, the surrounding area retains its more unsavory characteristics. Each day on my early morning walks around the area the only people I’d meet on the street were the homeless and strung-out, some still wandering from the night before, others catching a bit of sleep before they moved their belongings to a more appropriate daytime location.

During this most recent trip to Vancouver, Yaletown was a bit difficult to negotiate for a couple of days. Many of the roads in the area were blocked or restricted as they had become the track for a Grand Prix bike race that took place throughout the day on Saturday. So while I didn’t get to wander quite as freely as usual, I did get to spend some time watching the bike race while sipping a favorite beverage or nibbling a bite.

Saturday around lunch time found me at Milestones, sipping sangria and munching on California Spring Salad and a cornbread muffin.

Milestones is part of a Canadian chain. In addition to Milestones restaurants they have several other concepts. I’ve been going to Milestones for years. In addition to this location in Yaletown, I’ve spent quite a lot of time at the one on Victoria’s Inner Harbour, the one at Whistler and occasionally they one in Kirkland, WA. What I like about this chain is that the menu is fairly large and diverse so it’s good when you are with people who have different tastes. The food is always reliable – good, fresh and carefully prepared. Nothing here is going to knock your socks off but everything I’ve had has been tasty.

On this day I was looking for something refreshing as I was already warm with just the little walking I’d done to that point. Their California Spring Salad, which included strawberries, goat cheese and candied pecans, among other things was perfect. For a little more substance I ordered a spicy cornbread muffin – very good! And to accompany a light and refreshing beverage – sangria! Perfect.

After Milestones I made my way down to one of the outdoor venues to watch a couple acts from the Jazzfest that was going on that weekend. This was a great event with venues all over the city: some inside, some out; some free, some paid; bands from all over the world. After a couple hours of listening to music and trying not to fry to a crisp in the beautiful sunshine it was back to Yaletown proper for a little sustenance.

I had been hoping to stop at the Bluewater Grill, one of my all-time favorite places but I was a bit early.

So, instead it was across to the Yaletown Brewing Company, who were actually sponsoring the Grand Prix.

Yaletown Brewing is part of a line of brewpubs throughout British Columbia with most in the Vancouver area. It was one of the first places to move into Yaletown as it was transitioning to it’s new upscale personality. Yaletown Brewing serves mostly good basic bar food, brewed on site beers, and has a full bar.

On this afternoon I just wanted a little nibble to go along with my oh-so-refreshing Gin and Tonic. I ordered one of my favorite Canadian bar snacks – Dry Ribs.

I don’t know why these salty, crispy flavorful snacks haven’t caught on here in the States. Especially in this area where there is a constant trail of cars crossing back and forth over the border. And, we have so many Canadian transplants here in the high-tech industry! You’d think that with all those conditions this yummy little snack would be somewhere in Seattle! (Joey’s a Canadian chain that has moved into town carries a fancy version but I like the basic one the best!)

These are little pork ribs, cut into very small chunks, deep fried and then heavily, heavily salted and peppered. When they are done right they are the perfect combination of chewy pork, mouth-drying salt and pepper and overall crispiness – what could be better to go with beer or a cocktail, I ask you?

I finished up, watched a few more bike races, then made my way back to my hotel room.

Milestone’s Yaletown
1109 Hamilton St.
Yaletown, Vancouver
604.684.9111

Blue Water Cafe
1095 Hamilton St.
Yaletown, Vancouver
604.688.8078

Yaletown Brewing Company
1111 Mainland Street
Yaletown, Vancouver
604.681.BREW (2739)

What’s in the House Pasta

13-Jul-2006

Look in the refrigerator and around the countertops, maybe out in the yard to see what’s available.
Find baby zucchini; sweet young Walla Walla onions; a sweet red banana pepper; Italian parsley; lemons; basil; garlic; Parmesan cheese; tomatoes; pasta of any sort.
Sauté the zucchini, onions, pepper and a bit of garlic in olive oil. Salt and pepper generously.
While they are sautéing heat the pasta water and when it comes to a boil add the pasta.
When the vegetables are tender remove from the heat while the pasta finishes.
Drain the pasta, add the sautéed vegetables, the tomatoes, a bit of lemon zest, Italian parsley and basil.
Mix in a bit of shredded Parmesan.
Dump into a bowl, squeeze a bit of lemon juice over the mix.
Use a potato peeler to add nice big Parmesan flakes to the top.
Drizzle with a final bit of olive oil.
Eat and be happy!

Raspberry Daiquiri Update

13-Jul-2006

After my first daiquiri over the weekend, I put the remaining mix in the freezer for use on another day, still pondering how I could improve the recipe.

An idea came to me and I tried it out for this week’s Happy Hour at Home over on The Spirit World. It worked very well!

And I have decided that the raspberry puree should be sieved – when the mixture stays slushy you really do end up chewing a few too many seeds otherwise… :-(

Mocha Makes Me Mellow

12-Jul-2006

Okay, I’m procrastinating. I should be doing "real" work but instead I’m in a bit of a mood and I just feel like organizing stuff. Since I’m trying to ignore the urge and actually work I’m sitting at my PC. Oh, look! I should organize all these recent photos before they get out of hand! :-)

I came across a few photos I took at Zeitgeist while waiting for M to join me for the First Thursday Art Walk last week. The place was nearly empty so I took a seat at the window to watch the world go by while I waited. I’d barely sat down when an older guy sat next to me. Thin but not frail; long, long scraggly grey beard and not quite so long hair; dressed rather nattily. He wanted to talk.

As I finished taking my photos he asked me photography questions and then we moved on to all sorts of random topics. From our conversation I would say former Harley rider; bit of a hell-raiser; at the core a gentle spirit; engaged; involved; interested; resigned to the fact that he now has a "boring, family-style" car. He left before M arrived but I saw him a couple times that night as he made his way through the various galleries, still active and interested. Still living life.

Zeitgeist Art and Coffee
171 S. Jackson St., corner of Jackson & 2nd
Pioneer Square, Seattle
206.583.0497

Frites: Belgian Fries

11-Jul-2006

I finally got around to "lunch" just before 4:00 pm today. I had finished a meeting up on Capitol Hill a bit early and instead of heading directly home I decided to make my way to Frites: Belgian Fries for a quick treat. They say a picture is worth a thousand words – and maybe in this case even more!

Can you see how nicely browned (and crispy) on the outside these were? They were perfectly soft and potato-ey in the center, too. Notice all the nice chunky salt perfectly adhered to the sides? What you can’t see are the yummy sauces I chose to have with them. One was a typical European sauce – mayo with a bit of flavoring – and the other I chose was a poblano ranch. I couldn’t decide which one I liked best!

They also sell a few sausages, if you are interested.

Perfect day or night – remember that next time you’re out and about in the wee hours. Frites is open until 2:30 am Thursday – Saturday…

Frites: Belgian Fries

925 East Pike (on the SW corner of Pike and 10th)

Seattle

Domaine Corne Loup Tavel Rosé – 2004

11-Jul-2006

Before I start on this year’s lineup of rosé I have a couple bottles from last year to finish off. Rosé is meant to be consumed when it is young – the best time is the same year it is bottled and released, although it will certainly be okay for a year or two. It’s jut just that the bright, fresh flavors fade early.

I normally don’t keep rosé at all, but I had so many last year that a couple just didn’t make it to the table. When I brought home this year’s stash it prompted me to finish off last years.

This Tavel was absolutely great – everything you want a rosé to be. The nose is very, very strawberry! On the palate, there is some strawberry with a light back taste of citrus. The finish is clean and crisp with just a wisp of the strawberry element hanging around. You can see the beautiful deep rose color – it gives you an idea of the taste to come.

Beautiful on its own, this wine would also be great with slightly spicy food. I think I’d like to try it with a dish of garlic shrimp. Oops! This bottle is gone. However, I did just happen to purchase a bottle of the 2005 …

Vancouver: Lumière

10-Jul-2006

I was first drawn to Lumière when the bar manager, Jaime, left a comment on a post back in May. I took a look at his site and the Lumière site and decided this was a place I really should have been before! I’d been planning to get to Vancouver for a weekend so I made a little note on my "things to do" list.

I arrived into Vancouver late in the afternoon, checked into my hotel and took a quick walk around the area. It was a beautiful weekend and I almost hated to go inside but I’d skipped lunch so my stomach gave me a little nudge to get going. In general, Lumière is a place you need reservations – even just to sit in the tasting bar. I had planned to stop in fairly early in the evening but called just as a precaution. With the holiday weekend it turned out that I was fine but always better to be safe.

Lumière is located in the Kitsilano neighborhood in Vancouver. That explains why I hadn’t been there before. I generally stay downtown.

Once I pull into town I park my car for the duration, walking or occasionally cabbing it if really necessary. I arrived and introduced myself to Jaime. Although I had mostly come to check out the cocktails I was just too warm that evening – the nice weather and my walk had taken their toll. Several cocktails on the menu looked very enticing and I had seen several on his site that I thought of asking for but I settled for Pimm’s Lemonade which sounded (and was!) so refreshing. The addition of mint, with it’s pick-me-up qualities, to this cocktail was exactly what I needed. Although that was the only cocktail I had while there, I watched as several others were crafted and loved the care and attention to detail Jaime took with each one. (Good news for Seattle; Jaime is consulting for a new venue, Vessel, due to open later this summer.)

As I’d mentioned, my stomach had been talking to me

and so I carefully perused the tasting bar menu. After looking at all the great sounding options, my plan was to order two or maybe three appetizers so that I could try a bit of everything. First up was Barbeque Duck Broth with Pork Dumplings.<This plate arrived and even before actually eating it I was in heaven. First, the steamy fragrance drifting towards me just made me smile. And, not only was the soup delivered (in a pre-warmed bowl, I might add) but along side it was a trio of condiments for customization.

I love participating in the creation of my meal!

And, I think it says a lot about the confidence of the chef who allows the customer to tinker with their creation. My three little bowls contained a chili paste, fresh lime halves and an herb pesto. I mixed and matched to my hearts content – even though the broth all on it’s own was flawless. And the dumplings were tender, tasty and perfectly cooked. There was only one thing wrong. This was a much larger bowl of broth (with lots of beautiful dumplings) than I had expected. My plan to try two or three items was in jeopardy! Well, I took a little breather, talked to Jaime as he was handling drink orders for both the dining room and the tasting bar, sipped my wine and eventually, with Jamie’s recommendation, ordered the Butternut Squash Ravioli.

Now I must admit that this seems like a fall dish to me with

the squash and all and it probably wouldn’t have been my first choice. I was assured though, that it was a favorite and only a small portion so even though I didn’t need more it would allow me to try a little more. Now, I thought that the Barbeque Duck Broth was amazing but I had no idea of what amazing was, at that point! The ravioli was light yet decadent. The squash filling was tender, fluffy and low-profile – exactly what was needed for the rich, earthy truffle butter drizzled over the top. The combination was unbeatable. Add to that the British Columbia Chardonnay that Jaime poured to accompany it and you have the ingredients for heaven on earth.

After that I was completely satiated. I didn’t need anything else – all my senses had been taken care of and in a non-fussy, yet amazingly detailed sort of way. I needed just one last thing to finish off the evening. A cup of tea. And, of course, it was perfect, too.