October 13, 2009
Here’s one of my favorite dishes about town: ART Restaurant and Lounge’s Indian-Spiced Salmon with Lobster Mashed Potatoes.
I love the gently-spicy, perfectly cooked slab of salmon perched atop a mound of buttery, lobster-y spuds (that contains succulent knobs of fresh lobster meat). A glistening green streak of basil oil completes the dish.
October 10, 2009
Sometimes I have to pinch myself to realize I’ve been writing about Northwest food and wine for close to 20 years now. I’ve watched the publishing industry move from a plethora of bricks-and-mortar bookstores to gigantic online presences; bluelines shift to four-color galleys; and 900-page manuscripts sent to editors in cardboard boxes via the United States post office morph into totally online submissions.
Here’s an excellent article on the “good-old” days of publishing sent along by my literary agent, Lisa Ekus of The Lisa Ekus Group. It brought back many fond memories and reminded me how much has changed in close to two decades!
October 9, 2009
We are just back after enjoying six days in Philadelphia, my hometown! We spent the bulk of our time at Les Dames d’Escoffier annual conference and tacked on a day for sightseeing in downtown Philly, then a day to drive around my old neighborhood to reminisce and see how things have changed in the last 13 years (our last visit was in 1996 for the International Association of Culinary Professional annual conference).
Here’s a true highlight (among many) from Monday’s trip, when we rented a car and headed to suburban Philadelphia. Spencer wanted a “real” Philadelphia lunch, so I offered up a cheesesteak (actually a “chicken steak” since I don’t eat red meat) with fried onions and some sort of white cheese similar in texture to Velveeta but tasting more like mayonnaise.
And here I am enjoying every last bite. . .paired with a Diet Coke.
We experienced this at Village Lunch in downtown Gladwyne (the gentle town where I grew up) on what’s referred to as the Main Line. Village Lunch is a modest place that’s won lots of awards for “Best Main Line Lunch” from Philadelphia magazine and other publications. It’s run by a scrappy, sweet woman who knows all her regulars on a first-name basis, and calls everyone, including newcomers such as ourselves, “Honey.”
For dessert? What better than a packet of Butterscotch Krimpets, the traditional snack cake manufactured by the TastyKake company. Sorry for the price tag, but at least it gives you a sense of the value of this tasty, not to mention thrifty treat.
October 6, 2009
I’ve been thrilled with the recent redesign of my Website to include a wider, more modern-looking layout; simplified graphic elements and content; new photos; an enhanced Puget Sound Cam; a totally new photo album; and an integrated Content Management System throughout the entire site.
And although I don’t always understand the techie lingo, here’s a lovely explanation by my ever-creative Web site designer, Chris Prouty, on exactly what he did to update my site. Thanks again, Chris and crew at Studio 99 Creative!
October 3, 2009
Last month, one of our favorite restaurants started opening for Sunday brunch, Sunday sips, and a Sunday urban supper. TASTE Restaurant at the Seattle Art Museum is now open Wednesdays through Saturdays, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sundays 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. It will now be closed on both Mondays and Tuesdays to coincide with the hours of the Seattle Art Museum.
As always, TASTE’s sustainability mission is to use the best local, seasonal ingredients in soul-satisfying and affordable food.
October 1, 2009
A big shout out to Matt’s in the Market, which will be cooking up a storm at the venerable James Beard House in New York City this evening.
We were lucky enough to preview the dinner this summer, where the whole fish drew rave reviews and the Gummy Fish Soup was even more fun than it sounds.
Break a leg Chet and Dan!
Here’s the final menu.
Hors d’Oeuvre
Salmon Roe, Crème Fraîche, and Chives on Brioche Toasts
Boqueróne-Stuffed Gordal Olives
House-Cured Lox with Pickled Lemon Cucumbers and Cream Cheese Espuma
Shirasu Two Ways: Ceviche and Fried
Octopus with Watercress Salsa Verde, Papas Bravas, and Pimentón
Aji with Saffron Calasparra Rice, Grilled Lemon, and Pickled Fennel Salad
Pacific Snapper and Manila Clams with Shell Stock, House-Grown Purple Tomatillos and Heirloom Tomatoes, Housemade Chorizo, and Herbs
Chilled Washington Strawberry Soup with Gummy Fish and Sour Cream Ice Cream
October 1, 2009
Duck Breasts with Lemon-Roasted Olives
Varietal: Merlot, Chardonnay, Riesling, Semillon
Serves 4
Slow roasting food on wooden planks made of cedar, alder, or maple gives fish, meat, poultry, and vegetables a distinctive smoky succulence and appealing fresh flavor. Much like the oak barrels in which wine is aged, planks can impart different flavors to food. Western alder is pale yellow to reddish-brown in color with a fine, close grain. Because of its rich, pure smoke flavor (with a light vanilla compliment), western alder is many people’s preferred wood for smoking, as well as the wood traditionally used for smoking food in the Northwest. A wide range of wines works with the duck recipe that follows, thanks to its smoky and salty flavors and rich textures. Try Semillon, Riesling, or Chardonnay among white varietals; Merlot among red wines.
Four 4-ounce boneless, skinless duck breasts
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
1/4 teaspoon lemon pepper
1/3 cup olive oil
20 kalamata or green olives with pits, or a combination
1. At least 15 minutes before cooking, arrange the oven rack in the upper or middle position. Place the plank on the rack, then preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Sprinkle the duck breasts with salt and pepper. Leaving the heated plank on the oven rack, pull out both the plank and rack and arrange the seasoned breasts on the heated plank without crowding. (This eliminates having to move a hot plank around the kitchen.) Roast for 20 minutes.
3. While the duck is cooking, prepare the dressing by mixing together the lemon juice, garlic, lemon zest, and lemon pepper in a small bowl. Whisk in the olive oil a few drops at a time, incorporating well after each addition, until the sauce is thick and smooth (emulsified).
4. Turn the duck breasts over and surround with the olives; drizzle half the dressing over the duck. Roast for 20 minutes, or until the duck is no longer pink when cut into and the juices run clear (for medium).
5. To serve, divide the duck breasts and olives among 4 dinner plates and drizzle with the remaining dressing.
Cook’s Hint: Before using a wood plank for the first time, it is necessary to “season” it-after multiple seasonings, the plank will turn a rich brown color and will no longer need to be seasoned before each use. To season the plank, pour 1 to 2 tablespoons of olive oil (preferred) or vegetable oil into a small bowl. Using a paper towel or soft, clean cloth dipped in the oil, lightly coat the top surface of the plank with the oil. Do not oil the underside of the plank. Always preheat the plank for 15 minutes, following recipe directions, before placing food on the plank to roast. Also, when your plank is new, and as it develops cracks and warps over time, tighten the steel tightening rods that are inserted along the ends of the plank by using the adjustment tool (supplied with most planks) or a 7/16-inch socket wrench. When planking, do not raise the oven heat about 400°F. Clean the plank with a soft brush, warm water, and mild soap or detergent, never in the dishwasher. And never use a plank designed for use in the oven on a barbecue or grill!
Recipe reprinted from Pacific Northwest Wining & Dining: The People, Places, Food, and Drink of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and British Columbia (Wiley, 2007, $34.95) by Braiden Rex-Johnson.
September 29, 2009
26th Annual Feast at the Market
On Tuesday, October 6, from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., you can experience the best of the Pike Place Market while supporting the Pike Market Medical Clinic. Almost 20 Market restaurants will participate in the 26th-annual Feast at the Market, a fun, progressive dinner where you get to set your own pace, choose which restaurants you want to sample, and in what order!
Grab a seat at each restaurant you choose, then sample an appetizer-sized dish. The Feast benefits Neighborcare Health’s Pike Market Medical Clinic, which provides comprehensive primary health care to low-income and uninsured people in downtown Seattle.
According to the Feast Web site, the 2009 restaurants include:
September 27, 2009
I’m sure I join many other Seattleites in eagerly anticipating the fall 2009 opening of Cicchetti Kitchen & Bar (chi-KET-tee), the Venetian-inpsired snack bar that will adjoin big-sister restaurant Serafina Osteria & Enoteca on Eastlake Avenue East.
According to the Web site, “Cicchetti are the Italian version of the Spanish idea of tapas: small plates of food that can either be eaten as appetizers, or combined (solo or in a group) to form a full-on meal.”
Here’s a link so you can look at updates on Cicchetti’s progress. You can also sign up for e-mail updates.
September 23, 2009
Some dishes are (almost) too pretty to eat. Which is the feeling I had when this gorgeous Baby Artichoke Salad with Vine-Ripened Tomatoes, Pine Nuts, and Parmesan was laid before me at Barolo Ristorante in downtown Seattle.
Properly called Carciofi alla Romana in Italian, I was immediately taken by the visual image of baby artichokes made to look like flowers–the artichoke heart’s leaves serving as the flower’s “petals” and sprigs of fresh basil as its “leaves.”
Once I broke down and tasted the dish, I was smitten with the tender flesh of the slow-roasted artichokes, the meltingly gentle tomato sauce, the punch from the basil pesto, and the crunch of the toasted pine nuts.
Willis Hall 2007 Roussanne, produced under the loving hand of winemaker and friend John Bell, formed a clean, crisp foil to the strong flavors of this dish.
All of which more than qualifies Barolo’s Carciofi alla Romana as today’s Dish of the Day.
