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19/07/2007 Bite of Seattle The annual Bite of Seattle event is coming up this weekend. The three days of sampling, classes, demonstrations, entertainment and overall enjoyment will be held at the Seattle Center as is usual. Unfortunately I have conflicts and won't be able to partake this weekend, so I'm counting on all of you to make a good showing for me!
The Alley (scroll down) is back this year. Last year it was all Tom Douglas - which was very nice of him but sort of went against the idea of what John Hinterburger's Alley had always been. This year it's back to the same idea; each day six restaurants will provide one small offering. You get access to all of them with a single ticket at a price of $8.50 - by far the best way to sample your way through the bite and the best part of it that this is a charity event with all proceeds going to Food Lifeline. And even if you don't want to go through the Alley, this year you'll see donation spots as you enter the grounds (getting into the event is free). The suggested donation is $5 and that will also go to Food lifeline.
Besides the Alley, The Bite Cooks where chefs from around the city will do demonstrations to teach you the tricks of their trade. And of course there are beer gardens, wine gardens and multiple stages with free entertainment. So get out and enjoy the (hopefully) summer weather this weekend!
Get all the details on The Bite of Seattle website. 18/07/2007 Rotisserie Chicken I think I may have mentioned that I recently purchased a gas grill. My first one ever. I had resisted for many years because I just love the taste of charcoal grilled food and I liked the whole ritual of using charcoal. But it's hard to grill for a crowd on charcoal - at least without having multiple grills - so this year I finally upgraded myself to gas.
And of course I love it, and the ease of firing it up, and the fun of outdoor cooking made easy. It's been really great! When I got my grill I was happy to see that it came with a whole rotisserie setup and had been looking for an opportunity to try it out. A couple of weekends ago, I had a quiet evening and decided this would be a good time to see how the rotisserie worked. I hadn't used a rotisserie in many, many years and I thought it would be good to practice on myself before subjecting my friends to this process!
 I wanted to do a fairly simple preparation and so early in the day, I mashed up some garlic, chopped up rosemary and tossed all that in a little saucepan, covered it with olive oil and let it gently heat for about 30 minutes to make a quick infused oil. I removed it from the heat and let it sit the rest of the day.
When I was ready to grill the chicken I used pretty much the same preparation as I do for oven roasting: I filled the cavity with shallots (any type of onion is fine), rosemary (any type of herb is fine), and lemon; and tied the legs and wings close to the body. Then I ran the rotisserie rod in through the neck and out the back end and put the pointy gripper things (I'm sure there's a real word for those but either I don't know it or it escapes me at the moment...) on the bar and into the chicken to hold it in place. Then I basted it with the rosemary-garlic oil.
 While I had been preparing the chicken I pre-heated the grill by turning all three burners up to high so that the grill was super hot, but before putting the chicken in to cook, I turned the burners down to low to keep the temp at about 375F. I put the rod into the motor and the little chicken was slowly spinning in no time!
 I basted the chicken about every 15 minutes with the oil and at an hour I started checking temperature. My guy (which was a 4lb+ chicken) was done at about an hour and 15 minutes. Beautifully browned but still moist on the inside. For a first try it was pretty good!
A couple of things I would do differently next time though. I needed to tie the legs much tighter to keep the vegetables that I'd placed in the cavity, in the cavity! During the cooking process nearly all of it fell out. Also, I had planned to place a tray of vegetables under the chicken as it turned to let them roast in the chicken drippings but the grill pan I had was a little too tall so that didn't work as planned - I could have just placed the veggies on perforated foil (to keep them from falling through to the flame) or I can look for a grill basket with lower sides, as that is still a good idea.
Overall I was happy with the whole process, though, and will be doing more experimenting soon. I seem to remember a pork loin in the freezer that might be just perfect for the next round!
17/07/2007 McCormick and Schmick's Harborside A couple of Fridays ago - or maybe it was just last Friday, this summer is going by so fast - R and I decided to take advantage of our flexible schedules and the gorgeous weather and head down to Lake Union to one of my favorite places. In fact is has been such a favorite place in past years that another friend and I spent just about every summer Friday here for about three or four years in a row!
You just can't beat the deck at McCormick and Schmick's Harborside on the Southwest corner of Lake Union. While the deck is not large, you can still get a decent number of people out there and it's really the only deck on the lake that sits just inches above the water level. And, as an added bonus, they are one of the few places that extends Happy Hour prices out to the deck. In so many of the lakeside restaurants the discounts are only available in the inside bar area.
We arrived early to ensure we'd get a spot on the deck but were met with a disappointing turn of events. The deck was under construction! Who's poor planning was that?? According to the bartenders it was one of those remodel jobs gone bad - they were about 6 weeks over schedule at this point and it looked like they still had a few weeks to go. Bad deal!
But we decided to just sit at the bar - even the lounge with it's big windows looking out at the little marina and the lake beyond is a very pleasant place to perch.
 All the McCormick's have basically the same Happy Hour - no drink specials but the food is cheap! It used to be that the entire Happy Hour menu was $1.95, now there are three prices levels: $1.95; $2.95; and $3.95. My two favorite items are still on the menu - one of them is the best value in the city. They offer their burger for $1.95 and this is the regular full-sized 1/3 or 1/2 pound burger with all the extras and a generous serving of fries! You can't beat it. My second favorite thing is now $2.95 and they have slightly reduced the portion - their hot chicken wings are what I judge every other places wings by. For me they are the de facto standard. Spicy, a little greasy, tender and large - what more can you ask for?
And, what I love about their cocktails is that anything with any sort of citrus juice is fresh-squeezed when you order your drink and if you are sitting at the bar, you can watch them go through a ton of fruit during the evening.
I decided to order a Papa Doble, although they actually called it something else. But it's basically a daiquiri that's been jazzed up a bit in the style preferred by Ernest Hemingway. Tasty! R went with Margaritas as the fresh juices in that drink will win over anyone and if you already love Margaritas this will take you all the way to obsession. At least that's what I have gathered from my friends who drink Margaritas. They are a forbidden drink for me. ;-(
I don't really know why I'm writing about Harborside right now. I really don't want any of you going down there this summer - it's hard enough to get a place on the deck as it is! But I guess I always have been good at sharing. So if you are looking for a place to enjoy our great summer weather you may want to give them a try.
McCormick and Schmick's Harborside
1200 Westlake Ave N
Seattle
206.270.9052
 WBW#35 Summary Is PostedMichelle and Kevin have posted the summary, and all the links, from this month's Wine Blogging Wednesday which featured good value Spanish Wines. Reds, whites, sparklers and a few other rose besides the one I tasted.
Go check it out - you may find a few new favorites! 15/07/2007 Fun Teacups I was early for an appointment in Kirkland on Friday and so spent a bit of time strolling around looking in the few little shops that comprise "downtown". I had never been in Simplicity Decor before and found several interesting little things that caught my eye. One display was a set of teacups with tea "definitions". I picked up the Sereni-tea cup but there were several others to choose from. The part you can't see in the cup says "while drinking tea". Which is how they all end - kind of like reading fortune cookies "while in bed".
I wish the mug was just a tad bit bigger but I love the shape, the pastel interior and the sayings. A nice way to drink my morning cuppa. 10/07/2007 WBW#35: Passionate Spanish Wines This month's Wine Blogging Wednesday (WBW) event is brought to us by the folks at My Wine Education, Michelle and Kevin. Their challenge for us this month was actually a three part challenge:
Well it just happened that I had the perfect wine on-hand that I'd been hoping to open soon. However, it actually wasn't either white or red but instead is a rosé! And it turns out with the heat wave the country is currently experiencing - even here in the Seattle area the temperatures are predicted to be close to or at 100°F for the next couple days - this wine would be perfect for cooling you down! I actually bought this wine last year as one of the wines for my (overly) ambitious plans for rosé tasting all summer long. I don't remember the exact price but I'm fairly confident it was between $10 - $12. And it is from Penedes, which is about an hour south of Barcelona and is known for whites, reds and cavas - Spain's version of sparkling wine. This rosé I selected, 2005 Pares Balta Ros de Pacs rosé caught my eye for a couple of reasons. The color is intense! Way darker than most rosés, yet still crystal clear. Upon examining the label more closely I noted that the grapes were Cabernet Sauvignon & Merlot something I don't remember seeing on a rosé label in the past. As you can see from the photo this wine is very pretty and almost the color of strawberry or cherry Koolaid! I served this wine very chilled. The nose is super delicate, much lighter than expected given the deep color. I could just get a whiff of creamy strawberry, if I worked at it. The taste, however is much more assertive! There was still some strawberry and some cherry - but more like dried fruits than fresh. A hint of floral. I thought that rose didn't seem quite right that it seemed more like geranium and so I consulted my wine wheel to see what description was closest to geranium and was very surprised to see that is an actual descriptor! I believe this is the first time I've ever used it! This wine is off-dry, not really sweet but not quite as acidic as some. Each sip pleasantly lingers and then fades leaving you feeling refreshed. I thought it was quite nice on it's own but also paired it with a Thai inspired chicken recipe that had a bit of heat to it and caprese salad. The wine went well with this meal the coolness of the rosé negating the heat of the chicken. The only thing I did not care for was when the wine warmed up the flavor became very maraschino cherryish and sweeter. I don't like maraschino cherries so I did not think this was a good thing. Then again, I like my rosé chilled so normally this would not be an issue. I think this is a great choice for summer sipping! It's beautiful, tasty, will cool you down and at this price could easily be a party wine - what more can you ask for?
09/07/2007 Another Look at Copper Gate The first time I visited Copper Gate it was more to get to know a fellow blogger than to check out this recently renovated and reopened Ballard institution. But I got a good enough sense of the place that I wanted to come back and had hoped to bring some Scandinavian friends along for their take on the place. Last Thursday I was able to partially accomplish this - although one of the couples I was hoping to bring along was not able to make it.
  We arrived for Happy Hour and set to work trying out some of their cocktails. Unfortunately their menu is not online and I had been thinking it was so I didn't write down the names of anything (dang it) but I remember enough about them so you would be able to figure it out, if you were so inclined. My friends both ordered a cocktail that's a sweet-tart rendition of a rhubarb flavored drink. Pretty in pink, it was a refreshing sip on that warm evening. For a change of pace I ordered a twist on iced coffee made with a licorice flavored liqueur. It too was refreshing. So far everything I've tried here, cocktail-wise, has been tasty, well-balanced and while slightly updated is made with a nod to tradition. I really like that whole idea. Later we got into the aquavits, which Copper Gate has a small but good selection of.
  For food we each started with something different. H had one of the day's specials which was a sausage, wrapped in lefse (a potato pancake) and served with dilled fries. I only had a bit of the fries but loved the taste! H said the sausage was very good. D tried the Swedish meatballs which I'd had on my previous visit. I don't think I specifically asked her how she liked it but her nearly licked-clean plate seemed to tell the tale. I had thinly sliced, marinated ribs that were rich and tasty. Very good!
 Since the plates were small, H & D decided to each order a plate of Swedish pancakes which they deemed good but still not as good as the ones served at the Swedish Cultural Center. I tried a plate of gravlax which was silky smooth and a nice light treat.
 My second visit confirmed what I thought the first time. This is a great little spot - especially if you happen to live in the neighborhood. Even if you don't it would be worth your while to check it out.
Copper Gate
6301 24th Ave NW
Ballard
Seattle
206.706.3292
 08/07/2007 The Garden is Growing!   I planted everything nearly a month later than I normally do but I am happy to report that there are lots of signs of
progress!
   07/07/2007 Thai Shrimp Pasta After devouring the mussels the other night, as is normal, there was a lot of the coconut milk broth remaining. Instead of just tossing it out, I decided to strain all the random bits of veggies out of it and save it. The next day I sautéed shrimp in my normal way (I removed all of the shell except the tail) and made up a pot of pasta. When the pasta was finished I drained it, put it back in the pan and then added just enough of the coconut milk broth to cover the pasta. I heated it for a few moments to make sure the broth got hot and to also reduce it just a bit so that it would stick to the pasta a little better.
Once the sauce was heated through I tossed the shrimp in with the pasta and then plated it. On the plate I added freshly picked Thai Basil and it was ready to go!
 As a refreshing beverage to have with this slightly spicy dish I made up a Holiday Starr. I normally make this cocktail in December/January (hence the name) because that's when Satsumas and other tangerines are so plentiful. But recently my local Costco has had boxes of them and so I've been buying them.
The tangy citrus in this cocktail cools the bit of heat in this sauce. Together they give you sort of a yin yang affect. I liked this pasta a lot! As much or maybe even more than the original mussel dish - and that is saying a lot!
 06/07/2007 Via Tribunali In keeping with my new goal to update you on some of my tried and true places around town, today we revisit Via Tribunali. You may (or may not) remember that the first time I visited I had a rather hair-raising experience, so to speak! Well, in the many subsequent times I've visited the only excitement has been related to the great food.
Last week M and I were back at the bar counter, talking with two of our favorite guys Kevin and Randy, while they poured us wine and we perused the menu. Sitting at the counter provides a birds-eye view of the bar activities but more importantly you can also take a peak at the salad and charcuterie station, as well as seeing exactly what it going into and being pulled out of the tile-faced wood burning oven, which is the heart of this operation.
Via Tribunali is a true Neapolitan-style pizzeria, and is officially reviewed and designated as such. One key to keeping that designation is the oven. In Via Tribunali's case it is used for all their hot food not just the pizzas. For instance, the mushrooms used on our pizza were first roasted in the oven. But I get ahead of myself.....
  After sipping our first glass of wine (mine the Poggio alle Sughere Morellino di Scansano, a Sangiovese blend from Tuscany; and M's a glass of Prosecco...) we started with Insalata della Casa - a lovely salad lightly dressed that combines fresh greens, tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, olives and cotto. Although it could really be a meal in itself splitting it is the perfect way to start a meal.
 After the salad we ordered our pizza. I am happy to report that Via Trib has seen the error of their ways with mushrooms (when they first opened they used something quite unspeakable and very much in conflict with the rest of their menu) and now oven roast fresh mushrooms for use on their pizzas. To celebrate this change in direction M and I ordered a Prosciutto y Funghi pizza as we are all about fun guys!
And we were not disappointed. The main problem we have now is deciding which of these thin, crisp-crust pizzas, lightly topped with interesting ingredients we want to order on any given night - and that doesn't even take into account the other options such as the Salumi platter or the calzone, which I have yet to try! M finished her meal with an Affogato, which while good was a little too fancy-pants for her. She prefers a simpler, more traditional version than Via Trib serves. I settled for a final glass of wine...
Via Tribunali
05/07/2007 2004 Domaine Ott Les Domaniers de Puits Mouret Côtes de Provence Rosé I originally opened this wine thinking that it would go well with the Thai Mussels. I had planned to make the mussels later that evening and so decided to open the wine in the afternoon for a little glass to sip on the deck in the heat of the afternoon. I chilled it and then poured a glass.
As you can see, the color is beautiful! It's a deep, clear salmon with golden highlights. When chilled there's not a huge nose but there are elements of strawberry and maybe a little citrus. But the taste - the taste is wonderful! This rosé is all that a rosé should be - hints of fruits, but dry almost minerally, light, refreshing and it lingers on. This is one of my favorite roses that I've tasted. I also love the shape of the bottle! It's one of my "leftovers" from last year and I'll need to see if I can find more for this year.
Well, as sometimes happens, my day ran later than first planned - perhaps due to that enjoyable interlude on the deck - and so I didn't get around to making the mussels on the day I opened this wine. Instead, I sipped another glass or so a bit later in the evening and finished it while I was preparing the mussels the next night. I still think it would have been great with the mussels, however. Once I find a new bottle I'll have to check that out... 04/07/2007 Mussels in Thai Basil Coconut Broth I've talked about this recipe before but the other day I was looking for a photo for a friend and I don't think that I have one. So a couple days ago, when I made these again, I decided to take care of that. I love them at any time of year but right now my Thai Basil is really coming on strong - what better way to use it than for these mussels?
Serve them with plenty of bread as you'll want to soak up the sauce. A green salad and a crisp glass of rosé or Pinot Gris/Grigio will round out your meal!
 03/07/2007 Pesos Kitchen and Lounge Mostly I seem to focus on new places around town and forget to talk about the places that have earned a spot in my ongoing repertoire of establishments I enjoy on a fairly regular basis. It seems I should rectify that as restaurants and bars that have been around awhile and provide a comfortable experience are probably more worthy of recognition than any bright and shiny newcomer - I mean they've withstood the test of time!
Last week R and I were attending a play at Intiman and decided to meet at Pesos Kitchen and Lounge for a bite to eat before going to the theater. I don't really remember the first time I went to Pesos but I can tell you that it was years ago, probably soon after they opened. If you pass by at certain times and on certain days it would be easy to assume that this is just another restaurant masquerading as Mexican when their primary focus is drinking. While Pesos does have a vibrant and lively bar crowd don't let that lead you to the false belief that the food is anything but great!
 What is a little interesting though, are the items on the menu that may be Mexican influenced but would not be the first thing that comes to mind for this culture. For instance, on this last visit R and I had spring rolls - not something that screams "Mexican". However, they were filled with crab and avocado providing some version of "Mexican Fusion", I guess. While they were actually very good, frying did not really seem like the best way to treat the delicate flavors of the crab and avocado - they may have been better served with a different preparation.
 Our other choice that night was the Carnitas Tostados Poblanos. Served with big chunks of pulled pork atop crispy tortillas and topped with fresh lettuce, avocado, salsa and a dressing these were absolutely delightful - a bit spicy with tons of flavor!
  I settled for a Corona to wash it all down with, while R went for a house Margarita which was splendid by all accounts.
Their Happy Hour is a really great deal with food items prices at $4 or $5. The carnitas were $4 and the spring roll $5. No discount on drinks but with food this good, it's okay!
So if you are looking for a place to meet or regroup before or after some event at Seattle Center, think about Pesos - the food is tried and true, the staff friendly and it may provide just the lively experience you're looking for.
 Pesos Kitchen and Lounge605 Queen Anne Ave N
Lower Queen Anne
Seattle
206.283.9353
Happy Hour 4 pm - 6 pm
02/07/2007 Cooking from the Farmers' Markets Spinach is plentiful at the Farmers' Markets right now. One of my favorite things for breakfast uses spinach so I'm a pretty happy camper! And actually, it's one of those dishes that is good for any meal of the day. This dish doesn't look super pretty but it makes up for it in taste.
Basically, I just sauté onions in a little olive oil until golden in a large pan. Then add a couple handfuls of spinach and cook until it's wilted. If the spinach is a little bit wet this will go a lot faster. And if the spinach is young you don't really need to do anything to it, if it's a bit older and larger I may tear it up a bit and remove any tough looking stems. I sometimes add a minced garlic at this point. And if I'm going to add meat - bacon is my favorite - I'll add it now, too. I generally cook the meat separately but you could cook it first and use the drippings instead of olive oil.
Once the spinach is wilted and the meat is warmed, I add a beaten egg into the pan. It will cook super quickly at this point and almost immediately, I'll grate a little cheese over the top. A couple final stirs to make sure the egg is cooked and everything is equally distributed and then out on the plate! I often just have this by itself but it's also nice to add some toast or fried potatoes or even a little salad, if this is lunch or dinner for you! 01/07/2007 Class: David Lebovitz @ Sur la Table So if you happen to have been reading this blog over the last couple months you'll know that I've been making different recipes from David Lebovitz' book, The Perfect Scoop and enjoying them very much. While I find his recipes extremely easy to follow sometimes you just want to learn from the master so when I heard that David would be in town leading a couple classes (as well as a chocolate tasting at Theo) I immediately signed up for one of the classes. M2, K, and K's husband, N, also joined me this last Friday night.
I always wonder just a little what to really expect when you are going to meet someone in real life and you kind of know them but only virtually. I've been reading David's blog for quite some time and that means that I've assigned a voice and a personality to him. Just something that happens pretty automatically for me, not that I do it on purpose. I can tell you that David's personality in the blog is exactly the same as in person, which meant he led a very entertaining and informative class. And his voice was even close to what I had imagined so that worked out well for me!
 As a side note, I had the pleasure of meeting a couple people who are readers of this blog! Which is always so surprising to me! They were so very nice and I hope to see them again sometime - although I wonder if I was who/what they thought I'd be! ;-)
Back to the class ~ First, if you don't know anything about David here's a bit of his history. He was the pastry chef at Chez Panisse for twelve years and also trained in France and Belgium. He has written several cookbooks and currently lives in Paris where he does culinary tours and lots of other fun things in the industry. I really would like to have his life but it seems he has already taken it. And, as mentioned earlier, he maintains a very lively and informative blog.
 The Gianduja Gelato Stracciatella is a little soft in this photo as it had come almost directly from the ice-cream maker without any of the normal freezing time needed prior to serving.
For this class, David demonstrated and we sampled an amazing number of recipes and of them all there was only one that didn't knock my socks off (sorry, David...). Here was the "menu" for the evening:
I'm not sure I could pick an actual favorite. There were many things I liked - both about the individual components and the presentation as a whole. But if you really made me choose, I think the first item, Gianduja (Hazelnut-Dark Milk Chocolate) Gelato Stracciatella with Espresso Granita and 'Panna', might have been number one. (Note: Panna means "cream" so this recipe included whip cream which should make sense to you if you've even had panna cotta or "cooked cream" - actually cream cooked...) Each of the components was amazing on it's own but when you mixed the various elements together you had a whole other set of taste sensations!
I also really loved the Profiteroles! I love profiteroles in general and you may remember that I often make gougere, which is pretty much the same thing. But what I especially loved about this recipe was how the roasted bananas really upped the flavor quotient of the ice cream. Wow!
Beside the recipes and the demonstration I had hoped to pick up a few other tips and David did not disappoint. I learned there is Philadelphia-style ice cream which is basically made without eggs and then French style which is basically made with a custard and what I have always thought of at "premium" ice-cream. I like that they both have their place in the world. We learned about baking powder and strategies for keeping homemade ice-cream from freezing so hard. We learned how milk chocolate in Europe has different standards than milk chocolate in the US (which helps me understand why I like some more than others) and we learned quite a bit about buckwheat, among other things. I came out of the class even more determined to try as many of the recipes as possible. If David comes to your area I highly encourage you to sign up for a class. And whether you are able to take a class or not, I highly recommend this book! As I mentioned, David's instructions are very clear and the recipes straightforward so you would be able to create them just from the recipe. And the book has tons of interesting background information, too. So go order it now! The Perfect Scoop and see lots more photos here.
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