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11/28/2008 Santa Cruz: Soif Wine Bar & Restaurant I recently spent an early evening at Soif Wine Bar & Restaurant in Santa Cruz, California. The wine bar (with attached wine shop) is in the heart of "downtown" Santa Cruise, just 1/2 block off one of the main drags.
 I took a seat at the copper covered bar, stained with remnants of good times, and took a look around the warm interior. Long benches support tables for two along one wall, booths hover under the windows in front. The tall industrial-style ceiling is broken by the exposed ductwork that is so popular today, but textured panels with various designs lend interest and provide a warmer feel than you see in most renditions of this style. When sitting at the bar you have a partial view of the kitchen with wine coolers separating the two spaces.
When I arrived around 5:30 pm a few people were already at the bar in the midst of sampling and snacking on menu items. Only one or two tables were in use but by 6:00 pm the dining room was filling up, although the bar had emptied.
A review of the wine menu showed an extensive list of wines by the glass. The only thing I found odd was that there was only one red wine from a local Santa Cruz winery Most wines were from the international community with France and Italy being well represented. There was also an interesting selection of German wines, which generally seem to be under represented in this country.
 I started with the 2007 Mas de Gourgonnier a Grenache/Syrah/Cabernet Sauvignon blend on the recommendation of the bartender when I asked what would complement the lamb meatballs I'd ordered. It had great taste if it was a little short on the finish and was great with the smoked paprika enhanced meatballs. The meatballs were really fragrant with the paprika and the sauce on them was an interesting concoction of ground almonds, made a little tangy with vinegar and salty from anchovies.
 I didn't score quite as well on my second wine choice and ended up ordering just a taste (all wines on Soif's menu are available by the taste, glass, bottle or bottle to go). I wanted to try the local wine which was a 2003 Santa Cruz Mountains Pinot Noir. I thought it would go nicely with the Duck Liver Pate that I'd ordered. But I found the wine to be a little thin and lacking in character. The pate was lovely though!
If I lived in Santa Cruz I could see this becoming a regular stop for me.
Soif Wine Bar & Restaurant
105 Walnut Avenue
Santa Cruz
831.423.2020
 11/27/2008 Finger Food One of my favorite places to find interesting and affordable snacks is Trader Joe's. The selection varies and they often swap out one thing for another - so don't expect to find that perfect thing that you purchased last time you were in - but there's always something interesting to try. Pictured above are Thai Lime and Chili Cashews, a hot and spicy snack that is perfect with a beer or a cocktail. These seem to come in and out of the Trader Joe's line-up on a pretty regular basis. Another favorite, not in the store this trip but I think will return, are the Black Pepper Cashews.
Everytime I visit a Trader Joe's I feel like I'm on a treasure hunt. If you go in with that attitude you won't be disappointed.
Not yet nationwide, if you live on one of the coasts you are likely to find a location near you. And they are also moving into the Mid-West. Watch their site for more locations.
11/26/2008 Breakfast at Le Pichet11/22/2008 Oven-Baked Hash Browns 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 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 206.324.1108
 11/18/2008 Shrimp Bisque 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. 11/16/2008 Ocho 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   11/15/2008 Wild Chanterelles 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! 11/14/2008 We're Off 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.
11/7/2008 Maple Cream Cookies 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 DealsThere 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. 11/6/2008 Cream of Mushroom Soup 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. 11/5/2008 The Loft The more you wander around Ballard the more you find all kinds of restaurants and bars tucked in here and there, often in surprising places. The Loft is one of these spots. Located on Ballard Avenue it's just far enough south of Market that it's not entirely obvious it's there. Unless you happen to walk by, especially in the summer months when the large "front yard" is full of groups gathered around the outdoor tables talking and laughing and enjoying those rare days when the evening stays warm into the night.
If you look a little farther back, you'll see the extra large garage door that serves as the east wall of the building rolled up making the line between building and outdoors nearly invisible, and the energy flows easily from bar to patio and back again.
Just as the evenings were becoming a little too cool to comfortably sit outside some friends and I decided to give The Loft a try. We perched just inside the garage door, close enough to the outside to feel it's presence but far enough inside to stay comfortably warm. We arrived during Happy Hour so we could grab a little bite to eat along with our beverages.
 Happy Hour specials include discounts on beer, well drinks and appetizers. We started with a couple varieties of beer and then ordered appetizers to enjoy along with them.
The beer menu, while not huge, offers enough to meet most tastes. The appetizer menu is filled with mostly typical bar food but some are presented with a twist. We decided to try the deep-fried pickles - one of my favorites since I first tried them at the now, long-departed Axis. And we ordered Mexican Lettuce Cups - a treat often found in Asian restaurants but this version featured chorizo for the main filling.
 The pickles were good, although I have to say they may be an acquired taste for some. This version featured dill pickle spears. I prefer the pickles sliced in rounds, probably because the ratio of batter to pickle is higher which I think provides a better balanced taste. The lettuce wraps were decent, too. My only real complaint was that there was not nearly enough lettuce for the amount of chorizo.
Nothing here is going to win an award but it seems it's all good steady bar food. For me the main draw for this location is that big outdoor patio. So while you probably won't find me hanging around The Loft in the winter months it's highly likely that once spring has sprung I may spend an afternoon or early evening lazing around on the patio.
The Loft
5105 Ballard Ave NW
Seattle
206.420.2737
 11/3/2008 It's not too late to grill! The nice thing about having a gas grill is that if you have it in a protected area you can fire it up any time of year. Even if you just use a charcoal grill it's nice to take advantage of the sun - or at least no rain - breaks in the fall or winter weather.
This weekend I fired mine up to grill some thick cut fillet mignon and then topped the steak with a classic - sauteed mushrooms.
Sauteed Mushrooms
Heat 1 Tbsp of butter and 1 Tbsp of olive oil in a skillet until butter is melted and starting to bubble. Add slices of garlic and about 2 cups of thickly sliced mushrooms. This week I used criminis, sometimes also called baby bellas, but any sort of mushroom works great. When the mushrooms are starting to get tender but are not yet soft add 1 Tbsp of chopped woody herbs - something like thyme, oregano or rosemary - and a generous splash of red wine. Continue sauteing until mushrooms are tender and most of the wine has evaporated.
Top a steak or boneless chicken breast with the mixture; use as a side dish; or serve along with toothpicks as a cocktail or wine accompaniment. |
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