DMBLGiT – 2006 Version
20-Jan-2006
My gosh! It seems the last few months have just gone spinning by and I haven’t participated in any of the blogging events for quite some time! Well, I need to rectify this in the new year – but I’m starting s-l-o-w-l-y…
Does My Blog Look Good in This? is pretty easy to enter – you just need to select a photo from your blog from the prior month and then send the details to the host. This month’s host is Andrew at Spittoon. The photos are starting to roll in and you can see the entries he has received so far right here. Because the photos are edited for his post, your best bet is to check out the individual posts. Update Jan 24: We are up to 42 entries and the quality is outstanding!
The entries in this contest are getting better and better each month – it really is pretty amazing. Some of the shots are really spectacular and nearly all of them make you hungry! Or sometimes thirsty. So check it out! Besides looking at pretty pictures you may find a recipe or two you’d like to try!
2nd Annual Seattle Cheese Festival
19-Jan-2006
Mark your calendars! Delaurenti’s has announced the dates for this year’s Seattle Cheese Festival. This year’s festival will be held May 12 – 14 at Pike Place Market. We hear there will be several improvements based on all they learned last year – the festival was great but the logistics just needed a little work.
I’m looking forward to checking it out again this year – hope to see you there!
This week’s Happy Hour at Home over on The Spirit World, features Cranberry Hot Toddies, a warming, cheery drink made with rum, and Crab and Artichoke Dip, a perennial favorite at my Holiday Party.
Quick and Tasty Dinner
18-Jan-2006
One of the quickest, easiest, most fool-proof ways of cooking fish is "en papillote" or in (parchment) paper. In this case I happened to use foil as it was on-hand, but either works equally as well as the other.
In general you want a piece of fish (chicken works well, too), some vegetables, flavors or seasoning and some liquid, to help the fish steam. You can make up your own combinations but here’s what I did for last night’s dinner:
Red Snapper (Fish) en Papillote
1 – 4 oz fillet of Red Snapper
3 lemon slices
Butter
Salt and pepper
Sliced mushrooms
Sliced shallot
Small sprig of rosemary
Long sprig of thyme
Splash of white wine
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Place the lemon slices on the foil to form a little bed. Place the snapper fillet on the lemons. Dab with butter. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Pile the sliced mushrooms, shallots, and herb sprigs on the fillet.
Pull up the side of the foil to form an open cup. Splash the fish with a bit of a dry white wine. Seal the package tightly.
Place in the oven and bake for 10 – 20 minutes. The time will vary depending on the thickness of the fish. This Red Snapper took about 15 minutes.
When it’s cooked you’ll see a little "sauce" will have formed in the packet. Place the fish on a plate, top with the sauce and serve with rice and veggies.
Last week I took a little stroll through the Fran’s Chocolate Shop in U-Village. My intention was to purchase one or two truffles but I always take a look around to see what might be new or what I may have overlooked in the past.
I happened to notice this packaged cookie. I don’t remember seeing it before, although it’s quite possible I’ve just never actually focused on it among all the other treats in the shop. I love cookies so I felt it was my duty to try this one. I brought it home and then forgot about it for a few days – that will never happen again!
This Cookie Fixation, as it is called, is really crisp; mostly chocolate but with a good hint of mint. The chocolate frosting is thick; really more of a candy than a topping. And it’s dark chocolate. Perfect!
I’m guessing they might be available nationwide – if not you can always order a box from the site – you won’t be sorry you did!
Bringing a Taste of Summer to Winter
16-Jan-2006
While at Pike Place on Sunday, I was tempted and lost the battle. There were these little half-pints of raspberries that just wouldn’t quit calling my name! I tried to walk away but they got louder. I looked at the price and shuddered. But then found myself reaching toward one particularly attractive box. Soon I was forking over the $$ and a minute later one, then two were in my mouth. Summer! Just a little hint but defintely summer.
I really needed this box of raspberries. The dark, gray days have really gotten to me – more than normal. So I guess I can justify the cost of this little bit of heaven – it’s much less expensive than a flight to Mexico…
First Look: Veil
15-Jan-2006
M and I recently visited the new restaurant, Veil, located on the East side of Lower Queen Anne. See my report on The Spirit World.
Work Party at NW Harvest
15-Jan-2006
Saturday afternoon found about 15 of us at the NW Harvest Warehouse in Magnolia. Our task for the afternoon was to package bulk frozen snap peas into individual portions. These peas had been flash frozen at -40 degrees F. They were cold! But the more we worked the warmer we got. Both from the work and from knowing we were helping a great organization.
Some of us bagged the peas, others boxed the bags. We worked for about two hours and got through over 2800 pounds of peas! Good job everyone!
When our shift was done I invited everyone over to my house for lasagne, spinach salad, garlic bread and a bottle or two of wine. Some of us watched the Seahawks finish off the Redskins, while others just chatted and relaxed. We spent a few hours at the table enjoying each others’ company. And then a few of us carried on for a couple hours more planning breaks from the rotten weather and other upcoming adventures.
It was a good day.
Thanks everyone for all your hard work!!
First Tulips of 2006
15-Jan-2006
We finally had a little break in the weather today – oh not that we didn’t have measurable rainfall just in that it was dry for a good part of the day. I spent part of the time down at Pike Place Market and was so happy to see that my tulip people, Jonkheer Greenhouses, have set up shop for the season! Woo Hoo! Tulips are probably my favorite flowers and now I’m assured of batches of them for the next several months. These are greenhouse grown but I’m not complaining. In time they will be replaced with field grown flowers. In the meantime, they are a little breath of spring in the middle of gray, gray days.
Northwest Harvest Work Party
08-Jan-2006
On January 14th I’m sponsoring a work party at the Northwest Harvest Warehouse, located under the Magnolia Bridge. Several friends and I will be sorting or repacking food from 12:30 – 3:00. If you are in the Seattle area and think you might be interested in joining us, drop me an email at: SeattleCulinaryFool AT hotmail.com.
I’ll send you the information and you can decide if you’d like to participate or not.
Culinary Fool 