Washington Wine Month – March 2006
26-Feb-2006
March is Washington Wine Month and that means the state liquor stores, grocery stores and wine shops will all be having lots of specials on Washington wines. In addition, many restaurants will have Washington wine specials – sometimes on bottles, sometimes on pairings, sometimes by the glass – so as you are out and about this month make sure you look for clues on your menu.
To see a list of some of the offerings visit the March Events page on the Washington Wine Commission’s site.
19th Dinner Club: “Wine Night” Summary
26-Feb-2006
I know that you are probably tired of hearing me say this but this was another yummy and fun, dinner and night! The thing is, it’s always true! I wouldn’t lie… I think part of it is as we enter our 4th year of doing this – that is so amazing! – we’ve really settled into a rhythm. And I suppose, maybe most importantly, even though we didn’t all know each other that well in the beginning, over time we’ve developed such a great camaraderie that there is absolutely no stress (except what one might put on oneself) with these dinners. We just all look forward to seeing everyone; getting caught up with anyone we haven’t seen in awhile; and after checking out the recipes that have been posted online, getting to taste all of the contributions.
For this meeting M2 had appetizers and cocktails. As you can see from the photo her choice was beautiful as well as tasty. The richness of the Brie with the earthy notes from the mushrooms was a perfect way to start the evening. And for her cocktail she chose Prosecco, which I personally love. Of all the sparkling wines, Prosecco seems to embody a party in a glass more than any of the others. I guess because it’s light and seems more effervescent than the other sparklers. It just makes me smile when I see it and then drink it.
As I mentioned in the Menu and Recipes post, although I originally thought that I’d do something creative, I soon decided it would be best to stick with something simple. The rest of the menu was just starting to look too rich. So I did a simple Champagne Vinaigrette over mixed greens lightly embellished with Parmesan and a few herby croutons. This recipe was a bit heavy on the mustard, I think. I’d probably reduce it a bit next time. I did however, make my own champagne vinegar from some leftover champagne (now that’s an odd concept…) that I’d had. If you follow the recipe link, you’ll see that Martha says to make vinegar from champagne, just let it sit at room temperature in an open bottle for a few days. I find it much easier to just add a bit of apple cider vinegar, or really any vinegar, to your champagne and it immediately turns.
Next was the main event! K’s perfectly cooked lamb – grilled until crispy on the outside, pink and juicy on the inside – was plated with R’s luscious risotto. This was truly a match made in heaven! Although K had given us each 3 chops – normally 2 is considered a "serving" – we took the one remaining chop and cut it up so that we could have one final bite each. And everyone had seconds of the risotto, too. Absolute perfection!
We ended the meal with wonderfully decadent Chocolate Crepes, Gewürztraminer Syrup and a side of Vanilla Ice Cream. Oh my. The Gewürztraminer Syrup really added a beautiful fruity yet not-too-sweet element to the rich chocolate and ice cream. It’s actually a wonder that we got dessert since M’s kitchen was out of commission on this day so she came to my house to do her prep work. While "helping" her I dropped the bowl of crepe batter and probably half of it went flying all over my refrigerator and kitchen floor. Lucky for me that M is a very good sport! And, as we joked about at dinner, it was probably a good thing because none of us needed a second crepe but if they had been available we might all have been tempted!
Our next dinner is planned for mid-March and our theme is "Fireside Dinner". Doesn’t that sound cozy?
19th Dinner Club: “Wine Night” Menu and Recipes
26-Feb-2006
For our first meeting of our 4th year of dinner club meetings, K was the host. She had a recipe in mind that she wanted to make for the main course and then needed to pick a theme for which it would work! Since her recipe called for a wine marinade she decided the theme would be, "Wine Night"; all dishes needed to include wine in some form.
I had the salad course, which some sort of wine Vinaigrette immediately comes to mind. At first I thought I would try to do something more unusual – a wine based aspic? or wine soaked fruits? But as I watched the recipes get posted to the share I decided that a simple salad was going to be the way to go.
Here was our menu:
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Appetizer: Mushroom-stuffed Brie en Croute
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Cocktail: Prosecco
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Salad: Mixed Greens, Champagne Vinaigrette, Shaved Parmesan
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Side: Risotto al Vino Rosso
Trader Vic’s to Open March 6th
22-Feb-2006
Yesterday I received an Email that I’d been waiting for: The new Trader Vic’s in Bellevue is scheduled to open March 6! And they are taking reservations. Many of you probably remember this institution that has been around since 1932 or 1936, depending on how you look at it. The first restaurant in San Francisco was called Hinky Dink’s, but the name eventually morphed to Trader Vic’s.
The home of Mai Tai’s, Scorpions and Pupu platters, to name a few specialties, this place took kitsch to a new level. A very tasty level! To help prepare you for the opening, this morning’s Seattle Times is full of Trader Vic’s recipes. Check them out and then get ready to experience for yourself!
Trader Vic’s
Lincoln Square
700 Bellevue Way
Bellevue
425.455.4483
This Week at The Spirit World…
17-Feb-2006
It was a fun week at The Spirit World! We started off the week by finishing our seven days of Valentine’s Day posts and then got back to business as usual.
My Happy Hour at Home post is about Spanish Coffee.
Rosanne writes about the renewed interest in Shochu.
Donavan informs us about Cherry and Chocolate Ales!
Robert tells us all we need to know about Kir Royale.
Spring 2006: 25 for $25 or “Dine Around Seattle”
16-Feb-2006
It’s time to plan! 25 for $25 or Dine Around Seattle is coming to town again! This version runs March 1 – 30th and the deals are available Sunday through Thursday only. Some locations also offer a 3 course lunch menu for $12.50. As usual there are some great restaurants participating, although it looks like there is only one newcomer, the Six Seven, located on Pier 67, coincidentally!
For the list of participants and all the program details, check out the official site.
Mixtura
16-Feb-2006
Last week I attended the grand opening party at Mixtura in Kirkland. This is a restaurant that describes itself as serving "Novo-Andean Cuisine". Not being familiar with Andean cuisine I can’t really comment on that, but I can tell you that the food and menu look very interesting.
Since this was a party, food was not served as it normally would be but what I tasted captured my interest and was enough that it will draw me back over the bridge for another chance to properly check the place out. If I lived on the Eastside I would be making a beeline back.
I really like the idea of the menu – much of it is tapas like – lots of small, sharable plates but there is also a good selection of full-sized entrées for those of you who prefer to eat instead of graze.
The one challenge I think this place will face is it’s location. You would think it was a good spot but Szmania’s which morphed into Jaeger, had trouble here. The front door sits back about 15 feet off the sidewalk, which doesn’t sound like much but there’s also a staircase that blocks the view into the restaurant. Along that same block are several places that butt right up along the sidewalk and you can see the hordes of happy people sitting at tables. They seem much more inviting.
Adding to the lack of welcoming atmosphere is that the very, small bar is along the front window but it is so small that even when it’s full it doesn’t feel that lively. And you really can’t see past the bar into the dining room. If this was my place I would have reconfigured that bar, made it larger to accommodate at least a group or two and given the place a much more convivial feel.
Having said that, if you can overcome the awkward location and get yourself in the door this menu holds a lot of promise.
Mixtura
148 Lake Street South
Kirkland
425.803.3310
Portland’s (Oregon) Tea Shops
16-Feb-2006
Sometime you find great food information in the strangest places….
In the Travel/Outdoors section of today’s Seattle Times there’s a great article about tea shops found in our southern neighbor Portland, Oregon. It’s a great summary of shops and tea houses and makes me want to get in my car and make the drive south. Right now!
Lark Owners to Open Lounge
15-Feb-2006
From this morning’s Seattle Times:
Quote
The Seattle Times: Food & wine: Lark owners to open lounge; D’Lish leaving Pike Place Market
Lark is feathering its nest. So says chef John Sundstrom, whose Capitol Hill bistro will soon have a loungelike adjunct: Licorous. "The space just to the north of us, just across the alley, came up [for lease] and we decided to grab it," says Sundstrom, who runs Lark (926 12th Ave., Seattle; 206-323-5278, http://www.larkseattle.com) with his wife, JM Enos, and Kelly Ronan. Slated to open in April with 30 seats and a wall-length bar, the new addition will have a more contemporary feel than its rustic-romantic sibling, known for its sensational small-plates menu. Sundstrom envisions the lounge as "more of a drop-in, late-night place" with "banquettes and some cushy chairs, a comfortable mix of furniture."
I will certainly be looking forward to that!
Happy Valentine’s Day!
14-Feb-2006
It snowed here in Seattle this morning. Not the 26+ inches that New York got… No, just a bit of powdered sugar coating the world. Now the sun is out but the little snow isn’t giving up too easily. It’s still covering the grass and flowerbeds. It’s beautiful and makes my V-day heart happy!
Culinary Fool 