conserverie 101

Jessica Dally, master canner/food preserver and founder of Seattle Free School, taught an AMAZING and memorable class (by donation) mostly dedicated to SAFETY. Loved it. She's a great instructor, and sure got her point across. (She teaches cheese-making classes also!)

Let's see...the biggest lesson here was how to not kill your loved ones. VERY IMPORTANT! This is not a time to be 'experimental' or an adventurous cook. You don't want to improvise, you don't want to KILL YOUR FAMILY. Here are the key points:

• Follow a recipe that is backed by good science and rigorous testing. There are only 2 books that are approved and these are: So Easy to Preserve put out by the University of Georgia Extension Program, and Ball Blue Book Guide to Preserving, which can be found in most hardware stores.

It's also risky to rely on an index card Grandma used in 1954 or even a publication from the U.S. Department of Agriculture dated before 1994, says Luke LaBorde, associate professor of food science at Penn State University. Some techniques have changed, he says, to keep up with science.

The consequences for improper canning techniques can be serious, especially if consumers mishandle foods with low acid content, such as green beans and asparagus. Spores from the bacterium Clostridium botulinum may grow in such foods, creating toxins that can cause paralysis and death. In one recent case, reported in Spokane, Wash., a woman was put on a ventilator and two children were more mildly sickened after eating improperly canned green beans, Chapman says.

• Follow recipes to a TEE!
• Glass jars and the metal rims can be reused, but be sure that there are no cracks or imperfections. The lids CANNOT be reused, under any circumstance.
• Cool old jars from the days of yore might seem like a cute idea, but oh so not.
• What do you do if someone brings you a nice little gift of say...canned carrots, or canned tomatoes? Jessica's advice "throw it out." If you don't know whether or not your friend/family member followed the rules of canning, don't chance it. Don't ask make them feel bad by throwing it out in front of their faces, do it at your own discretion.

You can consult these helpful websites:
http://uga.edu/nchfp/index.html
http://foodsafety.psu.edu/preserve.html
http://www.freshpreserving.com/
http://www.homecanning.com/

poutine à seattle

Being Canadian, I take my Poutine very seriously.

A lot of folks ruin it by either using the wrong cheese (non-curd), or making the wrong gravy. That's right folks, curds & gravy atop a bed of crispy French fries..*I heart u Poutine*

Poutine #1:
I was told that the Steelhead Diner (downtown Seattle) had a very good Poutine (amazing considering it's made in the US of A!) It was absolutely SCRUMDILI-ICIOUS! I give this Poutine 4 out of 5 stars!

• Beecher's curds
• Crispy fries (none of that hand-cut bullshit)
• Rich gravy (it was vegetarian believe it or not, but tasted so rich and meat-like)

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[poo-TEN] The ultimate in French-Canadian junk food, poutine is a mélange of warm french fries, topped with fresh cheese curds, then smothered with gravy. The subject of the gravy is widely debated-some say it should be beef, others declare chicken gravy is the only way to go, and still others proclaim a spicy barbecue sauce is the answer. This Québécois favorite is consumed while hot with a fork.

The dish originated in rural Quebec, Canada, in the late 1950s.

Classic Poutine

The French fries are of medium thickness, and fried so that the insides are still soft, with an outer crust. The gravy is a light chicken, veal or turkey gravy, mildly spiced with a hint of pepper. Heavy beef or pork-based brown gravies are typically not used. Fresh cheese curd (not more than a day old) is used. To prepare, first place the hot fries into a bowl or large plate, then spread the cheese curd on top. The cheese curd should be at room temperature. Then pour piping hot gravy over the cheese curds and fries.

The wine for the evening:
A to Z Rose (from Oregon) one of my favorite Rosés

Characteristics: Made entirely of Sangiovese grapes, this Rosé has inviting nose full of fresh pure strawberries, raspberries, cherries, wildflowers with notes of cinnamon and nutmeg.

The only domestic wine to be selected in Wine Spectator's (May, '06) favorite Rosés.

Poutine #2:

Gainsbourg Lounge in Greenwood; you know, for a restaurant which boasts 'French', I certainly am rarely pleased. The only thing that comes close is the rude non-existent service I usually get. The decor is fun, the atmosphere is right up my alley, but if you don't have the goods, I won't be excited about going back. The poutine was mediocre at best. The gravy was lumpy, starchy, and cold and not homemade (if it was, oh my...) the cheese was a grated gruyere. I'm all about gruyere in French food, on Croque-Monsieurs/Madames - their Croque-Monsieur looked horrible - in salads, baked on just about anything, it's delicious! Grated cheese on 'poutine' is not 'poutine'. I won't be eating this at Gainsbourg again, I don't think I will be eating there again, unless I'm really drunk and have nowhere else to go on my stumble home. In that case, I will be ordering anything BUT the poutine. The frites are actually quite good. I give this poutine 1.5 stars out of 5.

Steelhead Diner
95 Pine St
Seattle, WA 98101-1530
(206) 625-0129

Gainsbourg
8550 Greenwood Ave N (between 85th St & 87th St)
Seattle, WA 98103
(206) 781-2224

chaque sorbet de l'arc en ciel

Yum, Yum, and Yum!

I've been on a sorbet kick lately, being summer and all. Let's see if I can remember the order of things thus far....

• Mojito Sorbet (just like the drink, only frozen)
• Mango/Nectarine/Lemon/Mint Sorbet
• Blueberry/Honey Mango/Lemon Sorbet

The first thing I did for the the blueberry sorbet was cook the blueberries and 1/2 cup of sugar for 20 minutes. Once cooked and cooled, I strained the blueberries through a fine colander. I chopped 4 honey mangoes, threw them in a food processor with the blueberry mixture, zested a lemon and added some of its juice, and threw in a little white wine. I then liquefied all the ingredients in the processor and put them in the sorbet maker. 25 minutes later, deliciousness. It was the perfect sweetness, had a very subtle tartness, it almost tasted like a fruit tea.

This sorbet came after:

• fried breaded oysters
• prawn quesadillas
• homemade guacamole (best ever)

fact or fiction: oysters are an aphrodisiac

I purchased the oysters and prawns at Wild Salmon Seafood Market at the Fisherman's Terminal in Ballard in Seattle. Great place! The prawns were minutes off the boat, doesn't get any fresher than that!

Wine of the evening:

Wolftrap Boekenhoutskloof Rose (delicious)

The high percentage of syrah in the blend leads to the spicy aromatic nose of wine, the cinsault offers juicy fruit and the mourvedre adds structure and weight.

Tasting Notes : A bright brick pink colour with strawberry fruit on the nose and a touch of spice. The palate has the same fruit with a hint of redcurrant, and nice weight to carry it through to the good long finish.

je suis cochonne

I went to Guemes Island for the weekend with family. The weather was extraordinary and the time spent was relaxing and most enjoyable. I have recently acquired a shellfish license and since then have consumed more oysters than most do over a lifetime.

A few weeks ago I was at one of our favorite sushi restaurants in Seattle, Chiso, (Maneki is my all-time favorite) and I was lucky enough to find an oyster special on the menu. The "special oysters" were Shigoku oysters on the half shell, served with a nice little sauce. The chef went on and on about where they buy their oysters, Taylor Shell Fish Farms. I realized on Guemes that I was a short drive away from Taylor and so I ventured off and bought some Kumamotos, Shigokus , as well as Olympias and Virginicas. YUM. I shucked my little heart out (64 oysters! - not my heart.) I made a mignonette made up of rice vinegar, shallots, ginger, tobasco, and salt and pepper.....delish!!

The Olympias are as big as a dime, probably wouldn't buy those again. The Kumamotos and Shigokus were so delicate and smooth, with a hint of sweetness. The Virginicas, can't say that I remember what those were like, I was in an oyster coma.

I  probably won't order 5 dozen again (oh yes I will), but I'll have to save for our next oyster extravaganza.

une nouvelle rotation sur le blog

Seeing as my favorite restaurant has always been MY HOUSE, I will begin reporting on the fabulousness which arises.

This will mostly me be bragging of my culinary talents.

What better way to start than CAROLINA BBQ! This is an acquired taste really, but so good!!! Pork stews/roasts/bbq's in vinegary juices 8-12 hours, then chopped to smithereens. Another spicy/vinegary concoction is whipped up for the final christening. YUM. Spread the pork in a bun and pour on the sauce.

This was accompanied by another vinegary dish. I really wanted a coleslaw, but not a disgusting mayonnaisy mess. I found a jicama slaw with a tangy/spicy dressing. Vinegar overload, there's nothing wrong with that. Wish I'd had a nice light beer to wash it down.

cassoulet

I made a Cassoulet last Friday night.....meaty goodness!!! This recipe was very easy to follow and had an amazing outcome, here's how it goes..

Cassoulet in 10 Easy Steps - NOT WEIGHT WATCHERS APPROVED!

When Anthony Bourdain cooks with Michael Ruhlman on the Cleveland episode of "No Reservations," he layers meat and beans together in a giant drum, tops the whole thing off with breadcrumbs and produces a dish most of us aren't used to seeing on Food TV (and I say that as someone who now works for Food TV): a classic French cassoulet that'd put Julia Child to shame.

Cassoulet is a dish that just makes sense. Why does it make sense? You take fatty, flavorful meat, put it in a big pot with moisture-hungry beans and bake the whole thing until the beans are infused with all that fat and flavor and the meat is cooked. It's not meant to be a fancy dish--this is the kind of food French people make at home--and it's infinitely variable, as evidenced by the infinite cassoulet recipes you will find in my infinite cookbook collection, recipes that vary the type of meat, the type of bean, even the amount of time it takes to make the dish (Bourdain's recipe, in his "Les Halles Cookbook," calls for three days). I didn't have three days to spare on Friday night when I set out to make my very first cassoulet. So I turned to an under-praised, underused book in my collection: Daniel Boulud's "Daniel's Dish: Entertaining at Home with a Four-Star Chef".

It's a great recipe for its simplicity (it's called "Casual Cassoulet") and yet the recipe has a serious flaw: it's meant to be cooked in a 15-Qt Dutch Oven. I completely missed that part when I shopped for my ingredients, so I prepped enough food for a pot 3X bigger than the one I had. Therefore, the recipe that follows is my adaptation of Daniel's recipe for Dutch Ovens of a more realistic size. Daniel's recipe calls for lamb shoulder, but I left that out too: sausage + duck + bacon = plenty of meat for one dish, thank you very much.

Since winter's almost over, this is the perfect dish to make on one of our last cold winter's nights. I promise it's easy and I promise the pay-off is big. And so, without further ado, Cassoulet in 10 Easy Steps.

1. Soak two pounds of Cannelini beans in water overnight OR, if you're like me and you want to make this instantaneously, use the "quick-soak" method featured in the Gourmet cookbook. Put all the beans in a pot, cover by two inches of cold water, bring to a boil, boil for two minutes, put the lid on, turn the heat off and leave for an hour. You're done!

That's what I call a quick soak. [Note: I'd definitely use dried beans for this, since they're such a major part of the dish. Canned beans seem much more likely to disintegrate.]
2. Cut an onion into 1/2-inch cubes, 2 carrots into 1/2-inch cubes, 2 stalks celery into half inch cubes, and slice all the cloves from one whole head of garlic (that's what it calls for in the big recipe, but too much garlic can't kill a cassoulet, can it?) Tie together 1 bay leaf, 4 spigs parsley, 3 sprigs time:

3. Salt and pepper 3 duck legs (I was serving 3 people, so I did ONE duck leg and ONE sausage per person--vary accordingly) and 3 sweet Italian sausages and dice 1/2 pound of bacon into cubes:

4. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and in the Dutch oven, melt 2 Tbs butter along with 2 Tbs olive oil over medium heat.
5. Now here's where I disagree with Daniel (who are you gonna trust: me or a 4-star chef?) He has you throw all that meat in the pot all at once until it all gets brown. Maybe he suggests that because he assumes you have a 15-Qt. Dutch Oven, but you don't have that, do you? Of course not. So I added all the meat at once and gallons of fat came out and the meat took forever to get brown, basically steaming in all that fat. If I had to do it again, I'd brown the duck legs really well first, take them out, brown the sausages really well, take them out, and add the bacon till it renders a bit, then throw all the meat back in. In any case: brown your meat!
[There was so much fat, I ladled a few ladlefuls out. No one missed it.]
6. Add your vegetables and herbs and stir and cook for 10 minutes.

7. Add 2 Tbs tomato paste, stir around, then add 1/2 pound peeled tomatoes (I used ones from a can) that you dice into 1/2-inch cubes, and the beans (just keep adding beans until it looks pretty full--you'll want a lot of beans) and then add water until the beans are covered and bring to a boil:

8. Cover the pot and bake in the oven until the beans are tender, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. After 45 minutes check to see if it needs more water, and if so add some. When it's done, take out of the oven and season with salt, paprika and cayenne pepper to taste. Just stir it all around and taste it: you'll love it.

9. Now's the fun part: the breadcrumb topping. Reduce the oven to 350 and take 2 cups of fresh bread crumbs, mix together with 3 Tbs coarsely chopped parsley, 6 cloves of finely chopped garlic, salt and pepper and layer on the top of the cassoulet. Now Daniel has you do this in two stages: you put half the breadcrumbs on, drizzle on 3 Tbs melted butter, put in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes, remove from the oven, press it into the liquid to moisten and then cover with the rest of the breadcrumbs, drizzle on another 3 Tbs butter, and put under the broiler until golden brown (5 to 7 minutes). I think the reason he suggests this is because if you don't do it this way, lots of the breadcrumbs sink into the moisture and you get a big gunky mess. But I had impatient eaters waiting on the couch:

So I just did it all at once. All the breadcrumbs went on and I drizzled on 6 Tbs of butter:

Into the oven it went, and out it came (about 10 minutes later) thusly:

Not bad, eh?
10. Serve!

Everyone gets a duck leg, everyone gets a sausage, everyone gets a big bowl of bacon-infused beans. Served with a strong French wine, could a winter meal get any better? It really can't.
Plus, the next day, the leftovers taste even better and go great with a salad:

This is the kind of food that sounds scary because of its big scary name (Craig quite cutely calls it "Cassie O'lay") but which is indeed, quite easy, once you understand the concept. So here's the concept: meat infused beans. Now was that hard? It's not! Give cassoulet a try and do it soon, before it gets too warm to consume all that fat, meat and beany beany goodness.

You may want your own bedroom afterwards, however.

I'm just saying.

plaisir avec le bacon - c'est ce qui fait tourner le monde

Bacon is as precious in my home as toilet paper.

I had an occasion calling for bacon themed food and my mind immediately turned towards the famed bacon mat. I needed something a little more single-serving though, so I decided to attempt bacon cups.

http://www.notmartha.org/archives/2008/02/27/bacon-cups/

Second...A work of art! BACON PLACEMAT

http://www.instructables.com/id/Bacon-Placemats/

Third..BACON ALARM CLOCK.....no way!!!Imagine waking up to the smell of bacon every day, I'm in heaven.

WHAT: An alarm clock that wakes you up with the smell and sizzle of cooking bacon.
WHY: No one likes to wake up, especially by an alarm. This clock gently wakes you up with the mouthwatering aroma of bacon, just like waking up on a Sunday morning to the smell of Mom cooking breakfast. Unless you're Jewish

http://www.mathlete.com/portfolio/wakeNbacon.php

Last but not least....
For Christmas 2 years ago, a few of us bought my good friend a "Bacon of the Month" subscription..best gift ever... Not only did this membership include a pound of bacon delivered to the door once a month for 1 year, but it came with cute and fun piggy gifts!! The gift that keeps on giving in the best possible way! Your little bacon delivery always comes with a recipe, and nifty facts about the chosen bacon. The strangest (but delicious) bacon  was jowl bacon, pig cheeks...yum.

http://www.gratefulpalate.com/?p=Category_11

fête extraordinaire - juillet 21, 2008

The rumors I'd heard about Elemental were true....

• "Whatever you do, don't drive there, you'll need to cab it home"
• "The food and the wine just kept coming"
• "Make sure you get there before it opens, it fills up quickly"

All true. I got there at 4:45, 15 minutes before they opened, and got the last table. The very tiny restaurant, very hidden from the world, probably had 5 - 6 tables, as well as the "chef's counter".

We all entered when we were given the 'ok', in the exact order we'd arrived, there's no messing around. Everyone was served an introductory 'apperatif', a very odd but delicious sherry. At this point I'm waiting for my friend to arrive, he thought it would be safe to get there at 5:30! When he finally arrived, we were asked if we wanted a cocktail..it went something like this.."would you like a cocktail?" I said, "sure, do you make a sidecar?" He looked at me like I was crazy. I started laughing hysterically and said, "Can you make me a sidecar?" He said, "How about I make you something better." How can one argue that. This was obviously his schtick. His name's Phred for crying out loud. My cocktail was strong, different, delicious. I detected that very distinctive taste right off the bat, I knew it quite well...Aquavit. While in Denmark, we'd been force-fed this stuff. It was herby, very anise-y, had a little cucumber float/infusion.

Time to eat...."would you like to order off the menu or would you like us to feed you?"

duh..

Feed us!!

Course 1
Corn Soup w/ Crème Fraiche Ice Cream
White wine (chardonnay) fruity/tart/delicious

Course 2
Octopus salad w/plum tomatoes and greens
White wine

Course 3
Rillete de Lapin (rabbit pate of sorts) served with pickled radishes and crostinis
White wine

At this point I'm pleasantly buzzed and the food keeps coming, quickly. The food is so delicious we can't help but eat every last morsel.

Course 4
Fig Pizza with a sweet drizzle, topped with salt and pepper
White wine (this was a sweet/tart wine, it was so well paired and delightful)

Course 5
Sliced beef set atop a red pepper stuffed with some sort of puree or mash
White and Red wines served

Course 6
Speck Wrapped Chicken Thigh w/ Spinach
White and Red wines served

(I'm WASTED)

Course 7
Cheese platter (Manchego, some blue cheese, and a mild creamy cheese)
White wine (I think)

Course 8
Dessert (three of them - don't remember what they were, I was now blind and dumb from all the alcohol I'd consumed)
More wine

All I remember at this point is taking one bite of one of the desserts, and realizing that I was going to explode. I asked my friend if we could pay 'right now'. I had to get some air and that I did. We cabbed it home, thank goodness for the tip. I may have (did) puked a little when I got home, don't worry, no food was wasted, only a lot of wine.

The service was EXCELLENT, Phred comes across as being a jerk/snob, what have you. But this is his life and passion, you can see that immediately. Everything that is served is well thought out and paired so masterfully with the perfect wines. I will go back, but I will certainly approach it differently. You DON'T have to drink every last sip of wine folks..lesson learned. (Although this is very tough being a wine lover, can't let good wine go to waste)

Here are a couple critic reviews and 2 diner reviews from other sites:

The Stranger: This place is a freakshow. The food is fantastic; I recommend that you not even pick anything and just tell the guy that you can't decide and make something good. You'll probably get to taste everything on the menu that night, and all of it will blow your mind. Beware: he will also pour you as many as TWENTY glasses of wine throughout the night, very small glasses, but still. And he won't tell you what most of them are, and he'll probably cackle maniacally when you ask. They will perfectly complement the food, though; as a taste master he's unsurpassed in Seattle. But be careful driving home.

Seattle Magazine: Elemental is one step above underground restaurant: a for-pay dinner party hosted by slightly obsessive culinary friends. It's daunting for most, exhilarating for a few. Co-owner Phred Westfall is exactly the wrong host for a control freak, but when he makes you taste your wine first before revealing its identity, he forces you to think about flavor in a new way. Co-owner and chef Laurie Riedeman's homespun food ranges from the inspired (beef short ribs on a savory waffle) to the head-scratching (escargot ravioli with pastis butter or bacon-crusted chocolate truffles). It's an odd show that battles against homogeneity at every step. Dinner Tue.–Sat. Full bar, late-night dining.

An open letter to the proprietor: Dear Phred, (Yes, Fred actually spells his name Phred (so much more sophisticated don’t you think?) You are not Gordon Ramsey or Marco Pierre White. Get over yourself. You are quoted in Sunset Magazine as saying the following: " 'All the things people hate about restaurants, we hate too. So we don't do those things,' says Phred Westfall, who with Laurie Riedeman owns Elemental@Gasworks. 'We don't like to be rushed, we don't like to be patronized, we don't want to be treated like a wallet walking through the door.' " Phred, you are precisely what is WRONG with the restaurant business. I find it amusing after eating at many fine restaurants around the world, that I have never been treated so rudely, witnessed such a tantrum by the owner of the establishment, or been treated precisely as a wallet. In fact, I have never been so inspired to write a review of a restaurant positive OR negative as I am after visiting your place of business. I will share my experience with everyone I know, and encourage my friends, err, wallets, to phrequent restaurants that provide excellent and courteous service along with the meal. There is no need to treat people like dirt, especially potential customers. I guess you don't feel like you need to treat people well because there is a line in phront of your door every night. I predict the demise of your restaurant within the next year. It won't take long phor your despicable behavior to get out.

READ THE TITLE OF THE REVIEW...it's the same message that greets you at the most unique dinning experience anywhere. It makes me sad to read such brazen reviews saying things like "the service was so pretentious, doesn't the staff know I'm paying the bill?" for those of you who think this let me help you out so you don't feel so snubbed... they "warn" you from the beginning that it's not a normal dining experience. Phred and Lauri are NOT the staff- they are compassionate, CREATIVE, innovative people who invite you into their place of entertainment. Think about it- the bill is SO REASONABLE (three adults, 14 drinks each, 25-30 plates of deliciousness, cheese plate, dessert, and after dinner drinks for $250. unbelievable value, i sometimes wonder how they make money) and the bill does NOT allow for TIP, which means Phred and Lauri are there to do what they love. HEY SEATTLE-OPEN YOUR MIND! It's so frustrating to read people focus on the negative. I assume these are the type of people who are constantly looking for things to criticize. Going to Elemental is like going to Phred and Lauri's house for dinner where the drinks flow like water and the food will leave you amazed and satisfied. If you let things like what the floors are made ruin your experience you are really missing out. if you look for the good you will find it. Elemental is what human contact should be. Don't forget that we are all people who love to Eat, Drink, and BE MERRY.

Pros: value, FOOD, experience

Cons: getting in.

As I've said, take it as you wish, but bottom line there's passion, innovation, creativity and devotion. This is apparent and shines through and beyond the 'attitude'. The food was phenomenal and the exposition of wines was a delight, a drunken delight, a treat. JeannetteThis place has my friend Lisa's name written all over it, I better give her a jingle.

les burgers (écrit par:carrie sandvick)

I only accidentally decided to find a good burger after reading that a nearby joint had awesome burgers. It had all the usual red flags for me...stand-alone restaurant, across the street from a college campus, and listed greek food in addition to burgers. Listen, if I want greek food, I'll go get some. Just give me a burger for chrisakes! That place is called Stell's. I didn't go there.

Instead, because my burger eating companion wanted a beer (and who am I to argue?), we went to Blue Moon Burgers. Despite flashing a couple red flags for me, it was on the same site that pumped up Stell's. I ordered the Bacon Cheeseburger, fries, and an IPA. Because this is not a beer blog, I will not give you my review of this not too bad, but not cold enough beer. Instead, I will tell you that the burger was big (plus), the bacon and cheese were both bacony and cheesey (plus plus), but the meat itself was not especially flavorful (minus) and was grey in color (minus?). My burger companion informed me that beef is not actually red like you see in the grocery store. It is in fact injected with dye. This natural beef was probably not dyed. Hmm. I'll take the dye just to feel better about a burger that has a color.

We sat outside on the patio and wanted to steal the beer glasses, but didn't. Pussies. The fries were really good, but couldn't eat many 'cause the burger was so big. Shoulda shared. My burger companion commented that she will no longer be ordering fries, as they make her stomach feel funny. We all know what that means...she orders a salad and eats my fries.

Like I said, this burger quest was accidental. I have been on the hunt for some time now for the best bbq sandwich, along with my good friend K-Lo. We were pretty sure we had found it. Barbeque Beef Sandwich at the Old Town Pub in Ballard. Holy crap that's a tasty sammich! And then...I went to Pike Pub and Brewery downtown. I went for the beer, but found another contender for the best bbq sandwich. This one is pulled pork, very moist, and only a little sauce. Step aside, Old Town! Shitty fries, though. Just ask my companion...she had some of mine.

mon dernier repas des condamnés à mort - SUSHI

Sushi at Maneki....orgasmic.

I don't mess around when it comes to visiting my favorite sushi restaurant. I used to get too full on the appetizers and was forced to skimp on the good stuff. Not anymore.....
We started with a monkfish liver appetizer in a ponzu sauce/daikon...holy jesus.

Nigiri & rolls:
raw spot prawn w/ fried heads
wild salmon
albacore
yellowtail
scallop
salmon skin handroll
spicy tuna roll
spicy salmon roll

When it comes to this stuff I can't stop, fish crack..

Stay tuned for my quest for the best burger in Seattle!

spoon - les dernières nouvelles

I'd signed up for the 'winery package' which entitled me to a bottle of wine (we chose their pinot noir) and a cheese/fruit platter. This platter was incredible. An entire wedge of brie, partly melted was placed in the center and surrounded by grapes, apples, and a variety of crackers...yum...melty brie.

It was then time to go to the show!! The weather was spectacular and I was steps away from the hotel, beer sheds/pubs, a winery, a few restaurants, this place was paradise. .

After the show, friends and I went to the Black Rabbit, the main restaurant at the hotel. All I wanted was greasy calamari, it was pretty good. The lemons were deep-fried with the calamari to give it a really nice flavor.

Breakfast the next day (which was included in the package!) was DELISH! I had a smoked salmon hash (I'm a sucker for hash!) which came with roasted potatoes/smoked salmon topped with 2 poached eggs, creme fraiche with chive, and rye toast - served with homemade currant jam....I'm salivating just thinking about it. Since my recent trip to France, I want everything to be topped with an egg...makes for such a cheery meal.

The Edgefield/McMinenans offer SO much for your buck, I've never been let down.

edgefield

This is going to be great! Not only will I be eating like the queen that I am (yeah right), but Spoon will be playing on our hotel grounds!! This place is an amusement park for grown-ups!! This McMenamins has 2 restaurants, a brewery, a winery, and a distillery!!

une autre découverte

Apparently almonds are good for you. They have protein and good oils. I eat them. Then I got tired of the same ol' salty nut business. What to do?

Enter Mrs. May's Almond Crunch!

They come in a variety of nut and seed and nut-seed-fruit combos, but I'm a simple girl.
Buy a small package at Tully's (who now sell more shit than coffee) or a huge bag at Costco.
In the nut department.

mmmmmm.....

I've always loved 'half-popped' popcorn, and always risked breaking teeth. Glad Corn is amazing, it's crunchy, salty, the kernels are gigantic, it's the best snack I've found in ages. I've only been able to find it at Whole Foods.

édition spéciale vient à vous de la france!

I've had the misfortune of dining in Paris the last 10 days...pauvre moi.

Day 1

Let's see, for starters, the first thing I did when I got to Paris was sink my teeth into a fresh baguette..there's nothing like it. The first meal we had in the city that never sleeps was the most AMAZING salade at Le Relais de Gascon. Let's see, what's so special about a salad you may ask?... This was no ordinary salad. The version that I got was composed of salade, oeuf (egg), tomate, poulet (I'll let you figure that one out), and fried garlic potato slices on top...in a big bowl, with a dijon dressing - made to order...it was heavenly. The wine I ordered was not the greatest (only because we ordered the cheapest house wine), the wine here is ALL good for the most part, price does not matter, we just weren't as fortunate that evening.

Salade at Relais de Gascon

Day 2

Next morning: baguette, camembert, coffee.

Lunch: crepe au jambon et gruyere.....street style.

Dinner: Croque-Madame (french bread with jambon, smothered in gruyere, broiled, topped with a fried egg...delicieux.) Salade avec tomate, jambon, gruyere, et oeuf.

Day 3

Scrambled eggs, baguette, jus de pamplemousse.

Frites

My favorite dinner in France: Terrine a ma Maman (Micheline), Rillettes de Crevettes au gingembre, Souris d'Agneau. For dessert, fraises et framboises au fromage blanc....holy heaven. I  had a scrumptious bottle of Cote du Rhone to accompany the meal.

Day 4Baguette with broiled cheese on top...yum.

Salade Nicoise (not the greatest salad.) I LOVE rice in a salad and this is what sold me on this one. It had egg, rice, and potatoes!! It was mediocre.

Made dinner at the apartment, because I could.  Found some delicious sausage from a 'charcuterie' and made a pasta. Lots of wine of course.

Day 5More bread, more cheese.

Met some friends of friends for dinner at an AMAZING restaurant off a beaten path called Le Hangar (A wonderful little restaurant full of locals, tucked away in a tiny alley by the Centre Pompidou). I had Scallopine de Foie Gras. For dessert, we all had creme brulee safranee (saffron)...it was perfectly done. A very famous French director named Pascale Ferran sat at the table next to us, she won multiple awards for her adaptation of Lady Chatterley's Lovers, D.H. Lawrence's erotic tale.

Day 6
More bread and cheese and a pain au chocolat.

Had a Croque-Madame.

Got to Lyon at 7pm and began to hunt for a restaurant that would have 'pied de porc'..pig foot. My favorite place is small, off the main drag, quiet, friendly. I found the place and they had 'pied de porc'. It was beyond my expectations...far beyond. It was a foot, the whole foot, skinned, roasted to medium rare, covered in an egg mixture, topped with bread crumbs. The foot lay in a bed of sliced potatoes au gratin. I've died and gone to heaven. Oh wait! To start off, I had a salad composed of 'museau de boeuf et jambe de veau' cow muzzle and veal leg..nice.

Also tried Salade Lyonnaise, which is lettuce, tomato, egg, ham, and a lovely dijon dressing and croutons. For dessert I had a Lyonnaise specialty, praline pie avec fromage blanc..jizz..jizz...


Day 7
Baguette

Pate de Campagne
Brie

First meal at our B&B in Pierrefeu-du-Var, Provence, our host used to be a chef in Belgium and enjoys to cook for his guests. He made rabbit in a big pot with vegetables, tomatoes, white wine. I drank a TON of wine from his winery, a few different syrahs of various years.

For dessert, a homemade custard with raspberry seeds.

Day 8
Baguette & croissants

No lunch!! What?!

For dinner, I settled on Italian food, it seems to be very popular everywhere. I had a very thin-crust, fire baked pizza....deelish.

Day 9
More baguette & croissants

Salade w/ pamplemousse, avocado, shrimp, a few different greens, and a poached egg.
Panini w/ jambon & gruyere.

For dinner, the B&B host cooked for us again - had duck this time, perfectly pan roasted with veggies. A cheese course followed as well as another custard.

Day 10
Baguette & croissants (my jeans still fit!)

Baguette sandwich w/poulet on the TGV.

The final meal...we went very traditional French. Met some other friends and had a 4-course meal with lots of wine.

I had a foie gras starter (they call the appetizer the 'entree' in France), nice way to start. As my main (plat) I had rabbit again, cooked in my very own little pot with lots of veggies and wine..mmmmm... We were then offered a cheese course from a platter that was the size of our table! Last but not least, one of my least favorite items of the trip, a bad creme brulee au cocoa. It had obviously been torched a while back and then refrigerated. The top was soggy and unappetizing.

The highlight of the trip was food and wine. Everywhere you look there is history, art, and buildings that have been around for centuries. Every street has a bar or a cafe, or a brasserie, life, the city is full of life. People know when to end a work day and to enjoy life. My kind of place. Having been employed in a retirement home the last 2 years, I've realized that life is shorter than I'd previously thought...people keep reminding me to enjoy every minute, now.