By: | July 15 2011
Posted in Cook It - Seattle

Fresh-picked raspberries waiting to be devoured. Photos by: Benita Ki

It's FINALLY summertime in the Pacific Northwest! So put some ice in that coffee, break out the Birkenstocks, and head out on an adventure to a local farm to pick some berries. The Northwest is home to delicious raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, boysenberries, loganberries, tayberries, gooseberries, and marionberries (a NW favorite that is a cross of blackberries, chehalem, and olallieberries). Many farms allow you to pick your own berries for a fraction of the cost found in grocery stores.

Some farms in and around Pierce County that provide the "U-Pick" experience are:

Terry's Berries Organic Farm at 4520 River Road in Tacoma
Picha Farms at 6502 52nd St East in Puyallup
Linbo Blueberry Farm at 1201 South Fruitland in Puyallup
Canter-berry Farms at 19102 Southeast Green Valley Road in Auburn

Once you settle on one, it’s time to go pick some berries. What to do when you get home with forty pounds of picked fruit? Here are some healthy ways to eat them:

Strawberry spinach salad with feta and walnuts. Yum!

• Fresh: Wash, then eat. Repeat for a fresh, delightful treat! 
• Smoothies: Blueberries, strawberries, and blackberries are especially good for a fruity frozen beverage. Freeze the berries you pick and throw them in the blender with some yogurt and a little orange juice for a delicious and healthy breakfast or snack. Add some flaxseed for good measure. If the berries aren’t frozen, add a little ice to make sure the smoothie is cold.
• Yogurt: Greek yogurt and some berries...simple enough. Some homemade granola can make for a good parfait.
• Salad: Really, any berries will do for salads. Strawberries are well-paired with spinach and goat cheese or feta and some candied walnuts or almonds. Blueberries with mango and quinoa are a cool, healthy summer meal.
• Jam: Some fresh berries, a little sugar, and a splash of lemon juice are all that’s needed for some great jam. It’s easy to make and can be adjusted easily to preferences for sweetness or berry type. Freezing jars of jam will last you all year until the next berry season comes along.
• Fruit tart: Top some Jello pudding with whatever fruit you like. For the crust, use graham cracker crumbs and butter (1 cup graham cracker crumbs to 3 tablespoons melted butter for a 9” tart) for a less fatty base. Use multiple fruits--strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, and kiwi--to make a beautiful, colorful, and delicious dessert.
• Muffins: My general understanding of muffins is an excuse to have cake for breakfast. But fear not, there are definitely ways to pack the little cupcake-shaped muffins with fiber and nutrients. Try oats, whole wheat flour, wheat germ, applesauce, and flaxseed in this healthy oatmeal berry muffin recipe. Any berries will do. Add a cup of coffee and you have a breakfast of champions.
• Compote: I like to cut back a little on the sugar, but compote is wonderful with waffles, pancakes, crepes, french toast...
• Crepes: Yes, they aren’t necessarily that good for you, but load them up with yogurt, honey, and tons of berries. Crepes can be made healthily too, especially if canola oil replaces the butter and buckwheat or whole wheat flour replaces half the all-purpose flour.
• Cobbler: Okay, that was a lie. Cobblers aren’t healthy. But berry crisps can be. With rolled oats and chopped nuts, sweeten with a little agave, honey, or maple syrup. Raw or baked, berry crisps are a winner. No reason berry crisps can’t be delicious and semi-healthy. This recipe (adapted from Ashley Gartland) makes one 8” pan. 

There's nothing like the taste of berries FRESH from the vine, with the added satisfaction that you picked them yourself! Now that it’s finally berry season, plan an outing to a local farm to pick your own berries, snack on them while you pick, and bring home plenty to make some delicious and healthy meals!

Benita is a recent graduate from the University of Puget Sound, avid ultimate frisbee player, coffee addict, and food fanatic.

 

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By: | July 14 2011
Posted in Find It - Seattle

Gloria Martin, owner of Southern Kitchen. Photos by: Benita Ki

Perched on the awkward intersection of 6th Ave, South Sprague, and Division Avenue in Tacoma, Southern Kitchen is a cute, homey restaurant that looks out onto busy city streets but perhaps belongs in the heart of the South. Run by friendly staff and dishing up delicious Southern food, this charming spot is a landmark in Tacoma.

The restaurant's roots go back to 1985, when a woman from Alabama bought the old building and opened up Southern Kitchen. In 1995, however, Gloria Martin bought the restaurant, and over the last decade and a half, developed it into the local favorite that it is today. Martin is a warm, friendly woman with roots from North Carolina and is proud of the reputation Southern Kitchen has earned and the number of awards it has racked up over the last several years. "We've made a mark for ourselves," says Martin. She attributes a lot of Southern Kitchen's success to its unique commitment to producing authentic Southern food. She says, "I can say that ninety percent of all our food is completely from scratch, and that's rare [in the restaurant business]." Southern Kitchen also makes all of their own spices.

The economical (and extremely delicious) $4.95 breakfast special.

Their "corn cake," Southern Kitchen's signature corn bread in a flat pancake-like form, is extremely popular and made from scratch. Martin beams as she tells me, "The best compliment I've ever gotten is when people from Louisiana, Georgia...say they can't get food this good down in the south." They have a sign in the window advertising a breakfast special for $4.95, and for a choice of bacon, ham, or sausage; eggs; biscuit; and hashed browns, home fries, or grits—it doesn't get any better than that.

The small restaurant is always bustling, especially on the weekend. "It's almost like a big café," says Martin. The cozy, home-like ambience and the great customer service make every experience at Southern Kitchen like eating in a family dining room. And the good food and good people are enough to make it a nationally famous joint. Food Network recently featured Southern Kitchen on "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives." How did such a small diner get national recognition? The same way most customers hear about the well-loved local business: word-of-mouth. Tons of local customers wrote the network. Martin says they don't really need to advertise; new customers are always coming in at the recommendation of someone else.

Never been to the south? A plane trip won't be necessary if you're looking for amazing, award-winning Southern food served by the friendliest people. Head on over to Southern Kitchen (1716 6th Avenue) in Tacoma for some fried chicken, corn cakes, and a homemade strawberry lemonade today!

Benita Ki is a recent graduate of the University of Puget Sound, avid ultimate Frisbee player, coffee addict, and food fanatic.
 

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By: | July 06 2011
Posted in Grow It - Seattle

A view of the fields at Mother Earth Farm. Photo by Benita Ki

Tucked away in Washington's Puyallup Valley, Mother Earth Farm is an eight-acre organic farm that produces tons of fresh produce every year. A part of the Emergency Food Network, the farm distributes all of its harvested food to 65 local food banks, soup kitchens, and hot meal sites. Developed just eleven years ago, Mother Earth Farm is a source of inspiration: serving to feed the needy, the food from the farm often reaches clients at Pierce County feeding programs within hours of harvest. The result? Those who need food most receive fresh, organic, locally-grown produce.

Mother Earth Farm produces over 35 different crops. These range from various fruits to tomatoes, corn, and onions. Carrie Little, manager of Mother Earth Farm, says she has asked people standing in food bank lines what types of food they would like to eat. The most common response is "greens." Greens can mean different things to different people, but Mother Earth Farm strives to accommodate requests; in this case, the farm produces both salad greens as well as Asian vegetables, which appeal to the area's Southeast Asian population.

Education is also a vital part of the program at the farm. The farm relies almost entirely on volunteers coming in from the community every month. These volunteers are students from all over Pierce County, college students, church groups, corporate and civic groups, and individuals who just want to get down in the dirt at Mother Earth. And the hope is that every volunteer who comes in to work will learn something, whether it's the importance of saving seeds, or studying various fruits and vegetables. The farm also provides job training for inmate women from the Washington Correctional Center for Women at Purdy.

A short trip to Mother Earth Farm had me sold; I'm ready to start farming, especially if the proceeds go to the hungry. Little, who has been with the farm since the project began, embodied a vibrant, kind-spirited passion for fighting hunger. "My ultimate goal," Little warmly says, "is to have you gardening, to have everyone gardening." As more and more people grow their own food and share it, she says, eventually there won't be a need for the Emergency Food Network. And the more conversations people have about food security and local hunger, the more advocates, donors, activists, and volunteers will rise to join the fight against hunger in Pierce County.

Volunteers are welcome any time, and there are organized work projects every other Saturday. Mother Earth Farm is located at 15208 102nd St E, Puyallup, WA 98374. Learn more about Mother Earth Farm in our video interview with Carrie Little. 

Benita is a recent graduate from the University of Puget Sound, avid ultimate frisbee player, coffee addict, and food fanatic.

 

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By: | July 05 2011
Posted in Find It - Seattle

Photos by: Benita Ki

1022 South is a specialty cocktail lounge in the Hilltop area of Tacoma. Lit with flickering candles, stocked with an eclectic collection of books from apothecary to literature, and buzzing with a hum of lively conversation, 1022 is the place to be. Since March of 2009, this bar has built up a reputation as a local favorite. Chris Keil, owner and bartender, is serious about the art of cocktails, and the menu reflects that by featuring fresh, local, and unusual ingredients. In addition, all of their mixers are made in-house.

The old-school apothecary feel is enhanced by the sophisticated ambience of the bar, complete with books on bartending and shelves full of countless bottles, beakers, tinctures, jars, and vials full of mysterious liquids, gelatinous substances, fruits, and herbs. But even more apothecarianare the drinks themselves, handmade by Keil and the other bartenders.

The Lavender Cocktail.

1022 features botanical infusions; house-made bitters; flowers like lavender, jasmine, and saffron; and medicinal herbs like horny goat weed, tulsi, and jiaogulan. Keil became inspired to pursue the apothecary theme when he was first introduced to Antoine Peychaud's Bitters, a New Orleans cocktail. In fact, it is still his favorite today; he says his last drink, if he were getting the chair tomorrow, would be the Sazerac (rye, Peychaud's Bitters, absinthe). Also fueling the apothecary theme, says Keil, are the many parallels between herbal liqueurs and herbal, Chinese, and natural medicines. The herbs really don't go unnoticed; Keil definitely works botanicals into drinks like La Gatina (sotol, sherry, honey infused with pestled lavender and chamomile, allspice dram, and house-made "Hellfire" tincture) and the White Vulture (jasmine pearl infused white wine with house-made lemongrass ginger soda).

Keil says his inspiration to create these unique cocktails comes from "everything"...food, interesting flavors. Many of his drinks draw from The Golden Age of Cocktails, from 1900, when bartenders began to experiment, until 1920, when Prohibition forced them into speakeasies. The "architecture of the drink recipes," says Keil, "dates back to a hundred years ago," sometimes more. In the past decade or so, there has been a resurgence of cocktails, a renaissance in which people are looking for a casual neighborhood bar to kick back with a high quality drink.

Keil says he spends a lot of time "to hunt down obscure ingredients." The bartenders are all trained in the art, consciously taking the time to make quality products. And, as a result, their drinks are well-loved, as the bar is often packed with hipsters, couples, academics, pre-gamers, and everyone in-between. The Lavender Cocktail (vodka, lavender, lemon, coconut), 1022 Old Fashioned (bourbon, orange oil, saffron and cardamom bitters), and Hilltop New Yorker (whiskey, lemon, red wine rhubarb bitters) are particularly popular, says Keil. Probably the most unique element that shows off the apothecary's flair is the Apothecary Cup, which the menu says "Bartender's Choice. Bonne chance..." Keil hand-crafts a unique drink based on that person's specific preferences.

Since this past spring, 1022 South has also expanded their food menu to include snacks and small plates, large plates, salads, panini, sandwiches, and delicious desserts from Corina Bakery. Happy hour is 4–8pm every day, featuring certain cocktails for $5, $3 wells, $3 draft beers, and $4 glasses of wine. 1022 South is located on South J Street, between South 10th and 11th Avenue. Stop in for a delicious, hand-crafted quality cocktail and a magical apothecary experience! 

Benita Ki is a recent graduate from the University of Puget Sound, avid ultimate frisbee player, coffee addict,  food fanatic...and now a cocktail connoiseur.

 

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By: | July 04 2011
Posted in Share It - Seattle

Photo by: Michael Sarko

The great Seattle cocktail boom of the past few years has been a boon to resident and visiting bar patrons alike. The city is full of great spaces with a surplus of character and Seattle loves its small, local businesses. But these excellent bars would be nothing without the artists handling the bottles. Bartender Mike McSorley is one of Seattle's best. He crafts cocktails with a meticulous eye and a discerning palate, not to mention as much passion as anyone in the potables game. A Southern California native and deep-rooted transplant to Seattle, McSorley has been behind the bar for years and now he's one of Seattle's premiere mixologists, serving up unique creations at the Tini Bigs cocktail lounge, the exclusive Needle and Thread cocktail enthusiast's lounge above Tavern Law and at private events throughout the region. He has also recently launched a line of bar ware products through his McSology brand. We sat down with Mike for a conversation about all things drink in Seattle and beyond.

The Local Dish: How long have you been tending bar and what drew you to Seattle?

Mike McSorley: I guess you can say that I got my first start in this industry right after I turned 21, when I was hired to pour beers and serve tables at the Wing Dome in the University District when I was in school at the University of Washington. I didn’t get a chance to start playing around with liquor and mixed drinks until I got my first real bartending job working days at Six Seven, at the Edgewater Hotel.

I remember being drawn to the area for the first time when I was twelve, and was visiting a sister who was living in Bellevue at the time. We did the tourist thing around the Seattle area and it was a real eye-opening experience. I really enjoyed the attitude of the people, the feeling of the city as a whole, and the abundance of cool shops and restaurants everywhere. When it was time to apply to colleges, I ended up only applying to the University of Washington and left in September of 2000. I’ve been up here ever since! 

TLD: You recently spent a few days in New York for a spirits event. Tell me about that experience.

MM: I was fortunate enough to be selected as a participant in the Manhattan Cocktail Classic’s Bar Fellowship Program. Myself and 17 of the more capable drink makers around were chosen from a pool of applicants by various liquor companies (I was sponsored by Cointreau) to, in essence, be the operational staff for the event. It was a 7 day process, and it was probably one of the more wild rides I’ve been on as a professional bartender.

The most rewarding part of the whole experience, I feel, was getting to know and to work with the other bar fellows. It was awesome to share the experience of the long days, tight deadlines, and crazy after parties with other like-minded and talented folks that I now have the pleasure to call friends.

The next best part was getting to meet and to reconnect with virtually all of the most important players in the spirits industry and the cocktail world.  I was able to sit at a bar manned by the one and only Dale Degroff… a rare event indeed. I took shots of Bulleit Rye Whiskey with Gary Regan, and worked directly with pretty much everyone else of consequence in the bar world.

On the flip side, the schedule was pretty grueling…. Not being a morning person, the 9 AM call times were pretty brutal… especially since we were all going out to major cocktail galas, sponsored parties, and other big-city events… often until 4 AM. It was an incredible experience, but certainly not for the faint of heart! I think all of us bar fellows needed at least a week to recuperate afterwards.

Photo credit: Michael Sarko

TLD: You often do you use house-made tinctures in your drinks. What motivates these creations? Do you come up with the idea first and then go in search of certain ingredients, or do you stumble upon fresh items and decide to introduce them to cocktails?

MM:  Many of the tinctures that I use on a regular basis were commonly used as components of the various bitters that have been used for centuries; others are somewhat non-traditional, like habañero or rosemary. The reason that I like using individual tinctures of these ingredients is three fold:
First, it enables a greater degree of control over the flavor and aroma of a deliberately crafted cocktail, and if you have a large array of tinctures it’s a lot easier to be creative. Second, it is incredibly easier to make complex bitters blends when you are working with a large palate of individual tinctures, as opposed to adding a mixture of dry ingredients to a single bath of spirit, and then hoping that the resulting bitters will fit your expectations when it is finished months later. Third, using tinctures is a very cost-effective way to re-create complex flavors that exist in commercially produced products.

TLD: You're trapped on a desert island that just so happens to be stocked with top-tier bar ware. If you could only have one spirit, one mixer and one garnish there, what would they be and why?

MM: Hmm… on a hot, dry island I’d have to choose a fine bourbon whiskey, a rich brown sugar syrup, and some beautiful mint. I could think of no other cocktail that I would prefer on a desert island than a finely-crafted Mint Julep.

TLD: Seattle's bar scene has been booming as of late. There are a number of "speakeasy" style bars and other cocktail-centric lounges. Is this a fad? And where do you see Seattle's liquor scene going in the next few years?

MM: In terms of décor and atmosphere, the speakeasy as a theme may be just a fad, but I think that the classical recipes, techniques, and style that these ‘speakeasy’ type bars embody is a trend that is here to stay.

TLD: A lot of old, forgotten bottles are seeing a bit of a renaissance these days (Lillet, Fernet, Absinthe, etc). What spirit do you think deserves more attention than it's getting today?

MM: I have said often that I think that Akavit is a wonderful spirit that is woefully underused much of the time. Like gin, if a bartender does not understand the spirit then the resulting beverage can be disastrous… but when used properly the rewards are great!

TLD: What qualities do you believe a good bartender should always have? And, on the other side of the coin, what makes an ideal patron?

MM: To name a single quality, I believe that a bartender should always have a good sense of hospitality about them. While the product that we are providing is made from potent potables, what a bartender is really selling is a hospitable environment where friends and strangers intermingle in good times and bad.

The single most important thing that makes a good patron, I think, is an understanding of what they are seeking and the ability to communicate that expectation to their server. Generally, if the service was not poor and a patron becomes unhappy at a bar or a restaurant, it is because the patron did not adequately understand what they wanted, or could not express what they wanted.

TLD: Lastly-- Any new recipes you've been tinkering with lately?

MM: I haven’t been focusing on any one particular recipe as of late, but rather on exploring the possibilities with all of the beautiful, fresh summertime produce that is available right now.

For a Mint Julep Recipe, try this one created by writer Michael Sarko. Read more...

By: | July 03 2011
Posted in Cook It - Seattle

Photo credit: istock.Jackie Moffett

America is the birthplace of the modern cocktail and there is no drink more American than the classic Mint Julep. This simple but delicious concoction has been a regular part of drinking in the United States since, well, before we were the United States. The cocktail's origins stretch back to the first colony of Virginia in the 1700's when whiskey production first became a major industry on the continent. The Julep saw a big boost when bourbon became the flagship potable of Kentucky and today it's making a comeback along with a number of other classic drinks. Making a 100% local Mint Julep in Seattle, Washington is easier than you might think. Though the cocktail has long been associated with the South, there are a few Northwestern variations that can make a truly delicious drink.

First, let's talk whiskey.

While it's widely accepted that the Julep is made with bourbon, it's almost certain that the first Juleps weren't made with corn mash whiskey, but wheat whiskey. Corn whiskey production didn't see an upswing until certain agricultural initiatives by President George Washington following the famed Whiskey Rebellion. That said, balancing the flavor of a Mint Julep is a matter of opinion. Corn whiskey is sweeter and more syrupy than wheat whiskey, so you'll have to decide which end of the spectrum you prefer for own Julep. The Spokane-based Dry Fly Distillery makes a wheat whiskey with a lot of burn and character, though it's definitely more to the savory side. For something sweeter and newer, the Woodinville Whiskey Company is launching its first aged corn whiskey just this year.

The most difficult part of making a locally-sourced Mint Julep is sourcing sugar. You could go for standard table sugar, but aside from being frequently imported this has a major downside for cocktails. Dry sugar doesn't completely dissolve in cold liquid, so you'll end up with a grainy Julep. A great way to get around both issues is to get your hands on some syrup made from Northwestern sugar beets. You can usually find the stuff at local organic markets like the PCC grocery store chain. Sugar from sugar beets is identical in flavor to cane sugar, and the liquid form allows it to mix homogeneously with the whiskey. As for spearmint, it's remarkably easy to find locally-grown sprigs at any farmer's market in the state.

Now, how to make your own Mint Julep, perfect for this hot summer weather.

Ingredients

3 ounces of your preferred whiskey
4 sprigs of fresh spearmint leaves
½ ounce of sugar beet syrup
1 handful of ice, crushed
1 metal cup (silver or pewter preferred)


Directions

Place a few mint leaves in the bottom of the cup and add your sugar syrup, plus one ounce of whiskey. Very lightly muddle your leaves, then tightly pack the crushed ice into the cup, forming it into a sturdy dome shape. Slowly pour the remaining whiskey down the sides of the ice dome. Take one sprig of mint and clap it once between your hands to lightly bruise the leaves to release the aromatic oils. Garnish with the clapped leaves and serve with a straw. For a more mellow Julep, give the ice some time to partially melt.

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By: | July 02 2011
Posted in Share It - Seattle

Crispy, fresh sugar snap peas from Left Foot Organics. Photos by: Benita Ki

The chatter of pedestrians, the motors of slow cars with heads poked out, and the smells of delicious Indian food from the Gateway to India stand fill the air in Tacoma's Proctor District this beautiful Saturday morning. The market is packed with a mixture of families with young children, couples walking their dogs, and groups of students.

Located on North 27th Street between Proctor and Madison, the Proctor Farmers' Market shares a block with local favorites like the Blue Mouse Theater and Knapp's Restaurant. Since 1994, this market has focused on local farm food. Open from the end of March until Thanksgiving every year, it has the longest season of any of the farmers' markets in Pierce County.

Veggie starts from L'Arche Farm & Gardens

On June 18th, Proctor Farmers' Market celebrated Green Day. Demonstrations included an electric assist bike and solar panel, an electric conversion car, worm bins, bike repair, and a composting toilet. Workshops on sustainability filled the day, including "Raising Chickens in the City," "Building Your Own Chicken Hutch," and "Container Gardening."

Market manager Jessica Troy says that all the food that comes to the market averages a total of 50 miles of travel. Among some of the farms who come from only a few miles away are Zestful Gardens from Puyallup, Left Foot Organics in Olympia, and Happy Mountain Farm from Covington - all with baskets of tasty product for you to pick from. Have your own garden? You can also find vendors with healthy plant starts, like L'Arche Farm & Gardens. This market takes pride in its mission to support local farmers, to educate the public on local and sustainable agriculture, and to build community.

On days when the market hosts cooking demonstrations, many of the vendors donate their resources and food to make it happen. Karen Dinicola from Green Committee hosted a cooking demo on the 18th, "Healthy Packed Lunches for Kids and Waste Free Tips," which focused on sustainable methods of packing a lunch in order to avoid paper or plastic bags. Dinicola made sandwiches entirely from market food, using 8-grain and herb bread from Stoneground Bakery, brown sugar garlic salmon from Wilson Fish, and fresh dill and garlic chèvre cheese from Blue Rose creamery, to name a few.

The market runs every Saturday from 9am–2pm. Their cooking demos are sponsored by Marlene's Market and Deli this season, showcasing chefs and home-cooks twice a month. Pack up your reusable bags, stroll through the aisles, and take home some of the freshest, most local, seasonal produce you can find! 

Need some ideas? Look here for a calendar of cooking demos, including recipes on how to dish up some deliciously fresh meals at home.  

Benita is a recent graduate from the University of Puget Sound, an avid ultimate frisbee player, a coffee addict, and a food fanatic.

 

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By: | June 28 2011
Posted in Cook It - Seattle

Rich, chocolate, coffee-infused bliss! Photo by: Jessica  Ivaska

Who doesn’t love a thick, delicious, chocolate brownie? Oh, and what’s that? The rich, bold flavor of espresso finding it’s way through chucks of chocolate and crunchy walnuts with each and every bite?  Pure heaven.

The coffee bean and the cacao bean are the essence of pure, delicious flavor, so it was only a matter of time before a perfect marriage was made between them. With Seattle’s abundance of exceptionally roasted coffee and Theo Chocolate, the only all organic, fair trade bean-to-bar chocolate factory in the United States, it only makes sense that the ceremony would take place here in the great Pacific Northwest.

And what a marriage it is! The fruit of their union: Espresso Brownies. We know—your mouth is already watering. Add in other local ingredients such as Golden Glen Farmstead Butter and Silverbow honey and you have a decadent dessert perfect for topping off summer barbeques, picnics and potlucks.

Espresso Brownies

Adapted from this recipe

Ingredients

Butter-flavored cooking spray
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
14 ounces of Theo’s Dark Chocolate Coffee Bars, finely chopped
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup Golden Glen Farmstead Butter
1/4 cup Silverbow honey
1/4 cup brewed Café Appassionato espresso, cooled
3 large local eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped walnuts
6 ounces Theo’s Milk Chocolate Bar, chopped

Directions

Preheat oven to 325°

Grease a 13" x 9" baking pan.  TIP: For easy removal of the brownies, line the pan with foil or parchment paper. Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a small mixing bowl. Place chopped Theo’s Dark Chocolate Coffee Bars in a large bowl and set aside.

Combine sugar, butter, honey and espresso in a saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently until sugar and butter melt and come to a boil.
Remove from heat and pour over the chopped chocolate bars. Allow to stand for 2 minutes without stirring. After two minutes, blend chocolate mixture using an electric mixer until ingredients are fully melted and smooth. Beat in eggs one at a time.

Add dry ingredients and stir until well blended. With a wooden spoon, stir in vanilla, walnuts and additional chopped chocolate. Pour evenly into prepared pan.

Bake at 325° for 45 to 48 minutes, or until done. TIP: here’s how to tell when brownies are cooked perfectly. Place pan on wire rack and cool completely.

Cut into squares and enjoy a mouthful of pure choco-heaven.

Get cooking with more coffee-based recipes from Jessica Ivaska:

Cooking with Coffee: Making the Most of Seattle Beans

Cooking with Coffee: Layers of Heaven

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By: | June 27 2011
Posted in Find It - Seattle

View from Volunteer Park. Photo credit: Michael Sarko

The Pacific Northwest is known and loved for its green space and Seattle is no exception. The aptly-named Emerald City is home to 6200 acres of dedicated park land and an impressive collection of public art. This makes Seattle an unusually outdoor metropolis. In the gorgeous spring and mild summer, the sunshine and fresh air lend a liveliness to the region's bounty of fresh foods. Let the green grass be your tablecloth and the birds serenade you on a delightful Seattle picnic. Not sure where to start? Check out these fun outdoor destinations.

Volunteer Park- 1247 15th Avenue East

One of Seattle's oldest parks, Volunteer Park has been a favorite place to take in both the natural growth of Washington woods and the growing skyline of the city for over a century. Perched at the crest of Capitol Hill in a thriving neighborhood, Volunteer Park is home to a pristine field enclosed by tall trees and lovely ponds. It's also where you'll find the Seattle Asian Art Museum, the Volunteer Park Conservatory and the park bandstand where everything from Shakespearean plays to major political rallies run throughout the year. Best of all, Volunteer Park is just a few blocks from the Broadway Farmer's Market that opens every Sunday between May and December. Grab some local eats and enjoy a Picnic at Volunteer Park.

 

Gas Works Park- 2101 N Northlake Way

There's no better view of the Seattle skyline than the one you'll find at the top of the kite-flying hill at Gas Works Park in Fremont. The city shimmers in the daylight and shines at night, the peaceful waters of Lake Union beneath. Once the site of a coal gas plant that was decommissioned in the 1950's and converted into a park a few years later. Gas Works Park is a favorite escape for people of all ages and there's nothing like enjoying a relaxing picnic on its green hills while sailboats cut across the water. If the clouds threaten to rain on your outing, why not take shelter with the famous Fremont Troll just down the road?

 

Golden Gardens Park- 8498 Seaview Pl. NW

Seattle isn't just about the skyline, trees and hills, though. The Ballard neighborhood sports the city's most popular beach, Golden Gardens Park on Puget Sound. Whether you prefer to spread out a beach blanket on the sand, settle down on the grass or enjoy the shade in one of the airy enclosures, Golden Gardens is an ideal picnic destination. There's an area on the north end of the park where your canine companion can run free and you'll always have a plum view of the Olympic range. Nothing makes dessert taste quite as sweet as watching the sun set behind snow-dusted mountains.

 

The greater Seattle area is dotted with 400 public parks of every stripe, so take advantage of the weather and explore all the city has to offer passionate picnickers

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By: | June 27 2011
Posted in Share It - Seattle

Coming soon! (on Fremont Ave between 35th & 36th, next to Pie)

The Local Dish has profiled Bluebird Creamery's super-delish, extra creamy handmade ice cream before - because their scoops are simply irresistible!

Building on the success of their Capitol Hill shop, Bluebird recently launched a mobile cart at the Fremont Solstice Festival (6/18-19), and is now getting a second location ready to open this summer in the center of the universe.

Located on Fremont Ave next to Pie (which dishes up handheld sweet and savory pies in muffin tins), Bluebird will be a welcome addition to the neighborhood this summer—and it will be interesting to see how they compete with the new frozen yogurt shop going in just down the street. Our bet is that the smell of fresh waffle cones will drive more business Bluebird’s way…

By: | June 24 2011
Posted in Find It - Seattle

Street Donuts: A new pop-up on 3rd and Pike! All photos by: Amie Simon

There’s a new pop-up in Seattle, and it’s serving up tiny bites of delicious fried dough with some unusual flavors. Street Donuts has stationed its sleek black trailer at 2^nd and Pike for the past 5 weeks, and it’s earning rave reviews from people who stop to try a bite.

A frying machine right in the trailer delivers piping-hot mini donuts with your choice of toppings—everything from traditional flavors like chocolate, coconut, and cinnamon, to more exotic offerings like curry, mango…and even crunchy, colorful Nerds candy.

Choose from a small order for $3.25 (enough for 2 people to share), or large for $4.50. Additional toppings are 50 cents more. They have a sheet of recommended flavor combos in case you don't know where to start, and we couldn't resist trying the cardamom & ginger, which was simply heavenly. Spicy and sweet, with a crisp outside and fluffy light center. Next time you’re downtown, stop by and treat yourself to some deep-fried minis!

Mmm - spicy and sweet cardamom and ginger-covered minis.

By: | June 24 2011
Posted in Find It - Seattle

Photos courtesy of Local 360

If you’re one of many Pacific Northwesterners who call Seattle home, chances are your personal lexicon contains an abundance of food-focused buzz words; phrases like “farm-sourced,” “locavore,”  and “sustainable.”  The concept of eating local has been spotlighted by everyone from Frank Bruni of The New York Times to the cast of “Portlandia” (whose mockery of conscious eating is searingly funny and spot-on). Regardless of who’s talking, the message remains the same: what you put on your plate matters. 
In Seattle’s Belltown neighborhood, no one abides by this principle better than Chef Mikey Robertshaw of Local 360. Located on 1st and Bell in the company of bars, boutiques, and other businesses catering to the young and elite, Local 360 represents the best in farm-sourced food. Robertshaw’s manifesto (proudly displayed on their website) emphasizes simplicity:

"Nothing we are doing is innovative or new — on the contrary, we are returning to a simpler way of functioning as a business.  We have stopped asking, 'what is new,' and have begun asking, 'what is best.'"

A Local 360 special: braised bacon with Porcini Mushrooms, english peas, fingerling potatoes, and spring onions

Best, in this case, refers to the beef, grains, brews, and spirits that are sourced within a 360 mile radius of Seattle. From Golden Glenn Creamery in Bow, Washington to Frank’s Produce in Pike Place Market and fair-trade beans roasted in Seattle by Caffe Vita, everything on the menu here—with the exception of select ingredients that must be sourced further from home—is as local as it is tasty. Libations pay homage to Seattle’s neighborhoods (the Greenlake Margarita or the Cap Hill Cosmo are perfect sips for summer), and entrees are designed for every appetite. Savory small plates include Crab Bisque with fresh basil and the customer-hailed Poutine with beef belly gravy and cheddar fondue. Heartier fare includes the Butcher’s Grind House Burger with cheese and bacon or the Vegetable Risotto with mushroom, asparagus, and parmesan. And be sure to ask the waiter for seasonal specials like the Braised Bacon dish pictured above.  

The space itself has a contemporary farmhouse vibe, with high ceilings, fresh table flowers, and wood paneled walls. Gather and feast with friends at a large table, or cozy up in a nook-styled booth for two. However you choose to dine, it’s worth showing up between 3pm and 6pm Monday through Friday when you can sample more than a dozen happy hour plates ranging from $2 to $8. And don’t fret: if you’re chained to the desk past 6, happy hour kicks off again at 10pm.

Once you’re feeling full and happy, congratulate yourself on supporting the local farmers who helped fill your belly, and head directly next door to The Mercantile. This storefront—which celebrated its grand opening on June 21st—is the retail counterpart to Robertshaw’s restaurant. Here you can stock your pantry with ingredients used in the Local 360 menu. Chat with Ben Frey, the in-house butcher serving up cuts of Heritage Farm meats, or check out the selection of sauces, baking mixes, and wines and bring some local flavor home to your kitchen!

Local 360
2234 1st Ave
Seattle, WA 98121
(206) 441-9360
www.local360.org

Tara Spicer is a freelance writer who enjoys eating on the job. She lives with her husband and two cats in Edmonds, Washington.



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By: | June 22 2011
Posted in Cook It - Seattle

Bacon Explosion on the grill! All photos by: Amie Simon

In recent years, putting bacon in every kind of dish imaginable has become a trend that has many food-lovers saying “Enough, already!” But once you’re hooked—really, truly, hooked—on those delicious, salty, savory strips of pork, you’re a goner.

The Local Dish witnessed this phenomenon as bacon lovers gathered together to celebrate a friend’s birthday with a pile of pig-themed treats this past weekend at a party simply called "Baconfest" (hey, if you’re going to throw a themed party for foodies, you might as well go big pig!).

Let’s take a look at the mouth-watering morsels that were served up and devoured...

 

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By: | June 17 2011
Posted in Find It - Seattle

A pile of yumminess at Three Girls Bakery! Photo by: flickr user Phillie Casablanca

There’s nothing like walking into a bakery and breathing in the deliciousness of fresh-baked breads, cinnamon rolls, and various sugary-sweet pastries. From charming corner spots to farmers’ market stalls, the city of Seattle has a bakery that specializes in any kind of treat you’re craving. We’ve scooped up some links from around the web to direct you to the best of the best—starting with our own picks!

Seattle’s Best French Eats: Patisseries

10Best.com: Best Bakeries in Seattle

CBS Seattle: Seattle’s Best Bakeries

Questionland: The Daily Best – Best Bakeries in Seattle

Red Tricycle Seattle: Best Bakeries for Kids’ Birthday Cakes

Seattle Met: Trending – Breads and Pastries

Urbanspoon: Best Bakeries in Seattle

Yelp: Best of Yelp – Seattle Bakeries

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By: | June 17 2011
Posted in Find It - Seattle

Delish Picante & Arancione mochas at Caffe Dei. Photo by: Kristy Behrs

There is no debate - Caffe Dei, located on 6th Avenue in North Tacoma, is hands-down the best coffee you can find in Pierce County. Owners Shane Siegfried and Shuanna Holt opened up this local coffeehouse focusing on single origin specialty coffee about a year ago. Since then, this charming spot has quickly become a local favorite, frequently hosting a line of loyal customers and selling out of their delicious pastries by midday. In addition to tasty brews, their baristas are friendly and down-to-earth; it's not uncommon for Siegfried or Holt chat it up with a customer for twenty minutes.

Holt kindly shared her thoughts on the magic behind the gods of coffee (caffe dei being, literally, "coffee gods" in Italian). Caffe Dei is the first café in the city to offer multiple roasters from around the country. Currently the café features Barefoot Coffee from San Jose, California, with Ritual Coffee Roasters to replace it soon. They use only highly acclaimed coffee roasters, and beans that consistently win awards in specialty coffee competitions. They also rotate their direct trade coffee regularly to showcase different roasters. Specialty coffee requires expertise of and virtuosity in the coffee industry as well as artisan baristas such as Holt and Siegfried to make it. When asked what makes their coffee so good, Holt says simply but confidently, "quality espresso."

Caffe Dei also features vegan foods for snacks or lunch, like their Pesto Raw Vegan Bowl, which are extremely popular among customers. Plus, this homegrown café showcases a local artist's work every month to show their support for the community. If you find yourself in the city of Tacoma, make sure you stop by for a sip of the best coffee around!

Other good coffee shops worth trying in the area:

Valhalla Coffee is a small local roaster that hand roasts their beans in small batches and provides coffees for several local cafes.

Metronome Coffee is a locally-owned café featuring Dillanos Coffee Roasters from Sumner, a direct trade, national award-winning coffee. Metronome has six different brew methods to choose from.

Thirsty for more? Check out The Local Dish's List of the Best Coffee places in Seattle.

Benita is a recent graduate from the University of Puget Sound, avid ultimate frisbee player, coffee addict, and food fanatic.

 

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By: | June 17 2011
Posted in Share It - Seattle

Best Butcher Winner Scott Rosenberg! Photos by: Anne Marie Richard

Last week (Wednesday, June 8), a fierce—and meaty—competition took place at the Best Butcher Regional Finals. Out of 17 top butchers from the Pacific Northwest, two went head-to-head: Robert Young from Portland, and Scott Rosenberg from Seattle.

Tasked with breaking down an entire lamb (the animal of choice was not disclosed until minutes before the clock started), the butchers went to work, and after 3 hours, Rosenberg emerged as the winner! Next, he’ll be trying to take the Best Butcher title at the Global Competition in New York, which will take place July 23 at Meatopia.

Until then, stop by the Bellevue Whole Foods Market, give Scott your congratulations, and pick up some expert cuts from the Pacific Northwest’s Best Butcher—maybe he’ll even give you some carving tips.

The butchers at work. Look at all that meat!

By: | June 15 2011
Posted in Find It - Seattle

A refreshing scoop of Strawberry-Rhubarb sorbet. Photo by: Tara Spicer

It’s 12:02 on a sunny Sunday afternoon, and Molly Moon's Homemade Ice Cream Shop has been open for just two minutes. Already there’s a line snaking out the door. Capitol Hill passerby consider joining the patiently waiting ice cream seekers when they smell the waffle cone batter wafting from the doorway (shop owners take note: this is the scent-paved path to profit!).

Eventually, everyone makes it inside the shop which boasts an entire wall of Molly merch—onesies, tote bags, and candy-colored tees bearing Molly Moon’s signature pup. And in case you’re wondering, Molly Moon is not the dog’s name, it’s the owner’s. Molly Moon Neitzel is the daughter of hippies and a lover of all things local: local dairy products, fruit, and herbs that come together to create flavors you aren't likely find in the frozen food aisle at your grocery store. And, in that spirit of supporting fresh, farm-sourced produce, this hip ice cream shop offers a seasonal menu in addition to long-standing customer favorites.    

This summer you can nosh on scoops of deliciously fresh Springberry Fro-Yo, chock full of springtime berries (that’s frozen yogurt for those of you who don’t speak ice cream), spicy-tart Ginger-Lemonade Sorbet, Strawberry Rhubarb Sorbet, and the popular Sasquatch (which pairs Theo Chocolate with crunchy granola). Their "always" menu features standards like Vanilla Bean, rich Vivace Coffee, and perennial favorites Balsamic Strawberry, which has a tangy note, and the salty/sweet Salted Caramel. And if you’re torn on which one to try, just ask the scoopers behind the counter for a sample. If you're in the mood for a sundae, there's also a variety of housemade toppings like Vanilla Bean Caramel, Lemon Curd, and Cajeta - a thick syrup made with sweetened caramalized milk. For the ultimate splurge, try a generously-sized Anna Banana Split, or the delectable Sam's Sundae, which combines chocolate ice cream with bergamot-infused olive oil, fresh whipped cream, and sea salt to create an unforgettable taste sensation.     

Buckets o' waffle cones.

Molly Moon's has expanded from a one-shop stop (the flagship store is located in Wallingford) to an iconic name in the Seattle food scene. With a truck you can track on Twitter, three brick-and-mortar locations, and a new shop opening in Queen Anne this August, there’s more than one way to satisfy your sweet tooth. Business is positively booming for the former music exec-turned entrepreneur: on a recent Saturday, they sold 500 waffle cones worth of ice cream. And that’s just the cones. Which explains why, at any given moment, there’s someone behind the counter whipping, cooking, and rolling the batter. “My clothes smell like waffle, my phone smells like waffle, and my car smells like waffle,” one employee declares while elbow-deep in batter buckets.

Since this ice cream shop is also dog-friendly, on your way out the door, you're likely to spot a leashed customer chowing down on a cone, clearly enjoying one of life’s simplest pleasures. We recommend you pay a visit here to experience the joy of Molly's homemade concoctions, too!

Grab a scoop:

Wallingford
1622 N 45th St
Seattle, WA
(206)547-5105

Capitol Hill
917 E Pine St
Seattle, WA
206-708-7947

Madrona
1408 34th Ave
Seattle, WA


Tara Spicer is a freelance writer who enjoys eating on the job. She lives with her husband and two cats in Edmonds, Washington.


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By: | June 09 2011
Posted in Find It - Seattle

Four Seasons Gourmet Foods deliciously tasty vinegar & extracts. Photo by: Tara Spicer

Edmonds, Seattle’s waterfront cousin to the north, is home to many good things. Like the Kingston ferry. And Rick Steves’ travel store. And Rick Steves! But who are we kidding? The Local Dish is all about food, and Edmonds serves up plenty of it. And while you can nosh on Thai, American, or Mexican cuisine to your heart’s content here, it’s worth taking a short detour off Main Street to the Edmonds Museum Garden Market. Just around the corner from the Edmonds Museum, you’ll rub elbows with farmers, bakers, and anyone else who believes in the soul-satisfying goodness of fresh ingredients. Show up on Saturdays between 9am and 2pm, and visit some of these noteworthy vendors while you stroll:

Award-winning olive oil from Far North - perfect for dipping crusty baguettes in!

Far North New Zealand Olive Oil
Retired accountant Charlie Pancerzewski divides his loyalty and labor between the Pacific Northwest and New Zealand. Across the ocean, he, his wife Gayle, and their 1,400 olive trees coexist happily from November through May. They spend the rest of their year in Mukilteo and sell their multi award-winning olive oils in stores across the state. Pick up a bottle of their NZJ5—its fruity flavor and subtle peppery finish earned it the Gold Medal at the Los Angeles International Extra Virgin Olive Oil Competition in 2010. 

Organically-grown radishes from Five Acre Farm will add snap to your salad.

Five Acre Farm
Anna Resier and Damon Gibson boast three plots of farmland along Highway 525 where they’ve been cultivating cucumbers, watermelon, eggplant, heirloom tomatoes, and other organic produce since 2009. When they’re not churning out radishes that look too pretty to eat, they still find time to snap Facebook photos of their big red tractor and resident farm dog. Stop by their booth and ask them about signing up for a weekly, pre-paid produce box subscription. The deliveries will keep you eating well now through October 15th.

Four Seasons Gourmet Foods
Pericles Tarsinos isn’t shy when it comes to showing off his cold-pressed vinegars, jellies, and syrups. He believes that good flavors are meant to be shared and doesn’t skip a beat when asked to choose his favorite fruit (the blueberry). Use the vinegars as fruity salad dressing, the syrups as topping for ice cream or oatmeal, or a touch of pure extract in your favorite summer cocktail. And if you want a real shock to your palate, ask Pericles for a sample of the raspberry vinegar—you’ll be surprised how much punch a little taste packs.

Fresh tomatoes & basil make this La Strada Dolce Pizzza margherita pie irresistable.

La Strada Dolce Pizza
Naples, Italy might be the birth place of pizza, but if you don’t have plans on hopping a plane anytime soon, you can still enjoy some delicious pizza in Edmonds. Once you’ve worked up an appetite strolling past breads, jams, and fresh fish, visit La Strada Dolce’s table. Here, you select your slice and watch it crisp in a 900 degree clay wood-burning oven. From the simple (margherita and pepperoni) to the inspired (pear gorgonzola and fresco giardino), these guys dole out all the authenticty, hold the cardboard box. 

Snohomish Bakery
Before the bakers here even begin their spiel, a loyal customer swoons over the cinnamon bread, praising its sweet-but-not-too-sweet flavor. Others have their eye on the flour-dusted kalamata olive loaves. Regardless of what bread you love most, you’ll certainly satisfy your carb cravings here. And if you’re ever in the mood for breakfast pastries (but don’t want to wait for market day), head to historic Snohomish where you’ll find their cozy storefront with a smorgasbord of glass-encased goodies.

Fresh-baked loaves from Snohomish Bakery.

Tara Spicer is a freelance writer who enjoys eating on the job. She lives with her husband and two cats in Edmonds, Washington. Read more...

By: | June 02 2011
Posted in Find It - Seattle

A "Seattle Stormy" at the Edgewater Inn. Photo by: Flickr user WordRidden

Seattle’s bustling urban neighborhoods are home to a wide variety of bars and lounges, so it’s easy to find a place to grab a seat and sip a delicious cocktail—what’s not so easy is picking the best one. We scooped up links from around the web listing the hottest places to stop for Happy Hour, and the top spots for master mixologists, starting with our own picks. Sidle up to the bar and say cheers!

The Local Dish: Bar Tabs – Here’s to Happy Hour in Seattle!

30-Something Travel: In search of the perfect cocktail in Seattle

Seattle.com: Best Dive Bars

SeattleDining.com: Happening Happy Hours

Seattlest.com: Seattle Bars Esquire Should Have Chosen for Top Bars in America

Seattle Met.com: Best Bars – the Smart Drinker’s Guide to Seattle

SeattleTravel.com: Happy Hour Guide

Sunset Magazine: Beyond the Bloody Mary – Seattle’s Best Brunch Cocktails

By: | May 31 2011
Posted in Find It - Seattle

Macaroons from Honore Bakery in Ballard. Photo by: Flickr user bochalla

From fancy French pastries and bubbly fruit pies to gourmet ice cream and deep, dark chocolate concoctions, Seattle has an almost overwhelming amount of choices to satisfy your sweet tooth. We snapped up a list of the top picks from around the web—including our own—so you don’t have to search far and wide to find the most delectable desserts in the city.

The Local Dish: Pie – The New Cupcake in Seattle

The Local Dish: Seattle’s Best French Eats – Patisseries

Dulce Amor: Seattle’s Best Desserts Ever!

FoodieView.com: Seattle’s Best Desserts

Seattle Magazine: Seattle’s Best Comfort Desserts

Seattle Times: Nancy Leson’s All You Can Eat – Chocolate Desserts That Will Make You Melt

Seattle Weekly Voracious: Top 5 Vegan Ice Creams

Seattle Weekly Voracious: Top 5 Southern Desserts in Seattle

Read more...

By: | May 31 2011
Posted in Cook It - Seattle

Pick up some blooms...for dinner! Photo by: Michael Sarko

With the warm, sunny months upon us, the season of flowers has arrived. While those colorful, sweet-smelling plants make lovely decorations and gifts, they can also add some surprising flavor and delight to your spring and summer menus. Many varieties of flowers are edible, and they can bring a new twist to traditional dishes, and make some delicious innovations happen in your kitchen.

The most important thing to remember about searching for edible flowers is that it's only safe to consume flowers that have been grown organically. Most flower-producing farms aim for the decorative market, so they use pesticides and weed-killers that can be toxic if eaten. Many organic farms grow food-safe flowers, though it's rather simple to grow your own from organic seeds at home. Always make sure to check with your producer before using flowers in the kitchen. Also be aware that plant allergies carry over into cooking, so you'll want to remove the pollen-producing elements of every flower you use, and wash them thoroughly.

Many species of flowers that we commonly think of as purely decorative can make for some excellent dishes. Roses, for instance, lend a unique sweetness to salads, garnishes, and desserts. They also add a surprisingly tasty note to fowl such as game hen, and to sweet fish like salmon when used as a bed in place of lettuce.

Add fragrant rose petals to salads, desserts, and even salmon.

The lovely Signet Marigold has a distinct lemon-like flavor without the acidity of citrus, so thinly slicing their petals and mixing them into soup or potatoes can bring a nice zest to the final dish. They also make for a delectable bisque and improve anything featuring crab.

For simplicity, try a crisp violet salad. With the stems removed, violets pair excellently with cucumber, cool greens, and mild peppers. They favor nutty dressings for their deferential flavors, so dress them in a hazelnut or almond vinaigrette.

And don't forget about colorful nasturtiums! They can be grown easily in a window box or container, and have a sweet, peppery taste that complements spinach salads and light spring soups perfectly. Don't be afraid to use these edible blooms generously.

When it comes to dessert, nothing works quite as well for adding a naturally sweet note as flower water. The petals of any fragrant, edible flower can be used to make a simple distillation at home that will add a wonderful flavor to ice cream, pudding, and a wide range of cocktails.

Directions: In a sturdy pot, elevate an empty bowl on top of a cooking stone or clean garden brick, then surround the brick with flower petals and water. Bring the water to a simmer for 10-20 minutes with the pot lid inverted and a bag of ice anchoring the lid. This will cause the oils from the petals and the water to condense on the lid and fall into the bowl. Occasionally collect the distillate from the bowl until the flowers are spent. This clean, subtle tincture has a thousand uses and can be quite potent, so use it carefully.

The next time you're planting flowers, think about choosing some delicious edible varieties that will look as pretty on a plate as they do in your yard!

Plan an entire edible yard with tips from The Local Dish:

Eat Your Yard: Pole Beans

Culinary Flavor: How Does Your Garden Grow? 

Read more...

By: | May 27 2011
Posted in Find It - Seattle

Locally-sourced Washington greens. Photo by: Michael Sarko

With greens season in full swing and providing so many choices, it can sometimes be hard to pick which tasty leaves to put in a salad or serve as a side. If only the greens could just tell us which one to pick, it would be so much easier! Join us on an imaginary journey in which we eavesdrop on some local greens and really get to know them.  

A bushel of greens walk into a salad bar. Each type of leaf takes its seat just left of the ranch dressing and the lot of them begin discussing what they plan to do for the weekend. The Arugula from Mill Creek Farmstead in Battle Ground, Washington is the first to speak up.

“Me? I like to keep things simple. Put me in a Mediterranean salad with a simple vinaigrette, maybe pair me with some cucumbers, cherry tomatoes and olives,” the Arugula says, “I have a strong, sharp flavor, after all. There's no need to confuse matters with heat and spicy sauces. I'm just too free-spirited for all that cooking nonsense. I've been growing wild for thousands of years. Heck, folks haven't even been cultivating me in farms for more than 20 years anyway. Nope, all I need is some salt and pepper to make me happy.”

The greens all nod in agreement. They look to their ancient cousin, though they also know that none of them are as famous (or infamous) as their Asian compatriot, Spinach.

“Yes, yes. Salads are well and good. Always saw plenty of them down at Garden Delights Herb Farm in Brush Prairie, Washington,” the Spinach mutters, “But when you've got as many nutrients as me, a little heat can do wonders. I like giving it my all, which includes a half dozen vitamins, plenty of iron, potassium and even Omega-3 fatty acids. Nothing does it quite like a bowl of Saag Paneer, a classic Indian dish with simple cheese curd and curry sauce.”

Everyone seems very impressed with Spinach. They all perk up at the Paneer recipe. Everyone except for Chard. The little Sicilian fellow, fresh from a CSA box care of Sunshine Farm in Chelan, Washington, is guarded and perhaps a bit defensive.

“Everyone thinks I'm too bitter,” the Chard complains, “It's not my fault, though, if they're not cooking me right!”

The greens all implore the Chard to elaborate. After some coaxing, he concedes.

“I may not be an expert at salads or fit in with some fancy Punjabi dish, but I've still got my strengths. Folks just have to know how to work with me. I don't stay fresh for long after coming out of the ground, but that just means you'll have to get to know a local farmer better. Nothing wrong with that. And the reason I'm bitter is because my brother's the beet root. I've got those sharp flavors to contend with. It's no problem, though. Stir fried with a little bacon and a tiny dot of molasses to make me savory and balance my flavors, I make a breakfast fit for kings!”

The last of the greens, a sturdy Irish fellow hailing from Garden Treasures Nursery in Arlington, Washington, has waited his turn patiently.

“Folks are always asking what a hungry cook can do with a handful of Kale,” the Irish green says, “On account of me being so much like cabbage but often too thin and frail to make soup and the like. Well, let me tell you lot about Colcannon. It's nothing exotic, but it's comfort food by the very definition. I just hang out in a pot of boiling water with some salt for a little while until I turn nice and dark, then I mix with some mashed potatoes, chives, pepper, and a little milk. There never was a finer dish at the end of the summer or the early autumn.”

With that, the greens glance around the salad bar and feel right at home. They may look similar, but they've each got their own character and unique flavor profile.

Go green with The Local Dish at popular Farmers Markets:

A Bustling Market Morning in Bellingham

A Food Oasis in the Heart of the City

Hot Sauce, No Parking, and the Ballard Farmers Market

 

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By: | May 26 2011
Posted in Find It - Seattle

Tasty, tiny waffles! Photo by: Amie Simon

Craving some savory eggs, bacon, and hash browns? Or a stack of sweet waffles covered in maple syrup? Seattlites have come to appreciate the many options available to them for breakfast and brunch. Every neighborhood has restaurants that serve up favorites from early in the day to the late afternoon. We’ve culled a list of the best of the best from around the web (including our own top picks) to make it easier for you.

The Local Dish: Best of Seattle Brunches

CBS Seattle.com: Best Brunch Spots in Seattle

Dealpop Blog: Best Spots in Seattle for Breakfast

Delishh: Seattle’s Top 10 Brunch Places

Guidespot.com: Seattle’s Best Breakfast Spots

Seattle Dining.com: Seattle’s Best Breakfasts

Seattle Met: Top O’ the Morning

Zagat: Best Seattle Breakfast Restaurants

By: | May 26 2011
Posted in Find It - Seattle

You’re so busy, we know you barely have time most days to stop and grab a cup o’joe—and when you do, you want to make sure it’s a good one. So why should you have to waste time searching for the best of the best? We’ve gathered up a bunch of links (starting with our own list!) that will point you to masters of the coffee bean in Seattle.

The Local Dish: Best of Seattle Coffee

Citysearch: Best Seattle Coffee Shop

Red Tricycle Seattle: Kid-Friendly Coffee Shops in Seattle

Seattle Live: Seattle Coffee Shops

Seattle.net: Top Ten Coffee Shops

Seattle Travel.com: Best Cafes

Seattle Weekly Voracious: The Best in Coffee, 2010

Urbanspoon Seattle: Best Coffee Shops

By: | May 04 2011
Posted in Cook It - Seattle

Photo by: Jessica Ivaska

Remember back in the 90s when there was a bagel shop on every corner? It was carb-lovers heaven. Then low-carb fad diets hit the scene and sadly, many bagel shops closed their doors. Thankfully, a few incredibly delicious bagel bakeries like Eltana on Capital Hill - which offers wood-fired bagels - and Bagel Oasis - serving up New York-style treats - can still be found in Seattle.

Because of quality "bagelries" like these, you can still experience joy of biting into a fresh, chewy bagel in our busy city. It gets even better when you smother the hole-y delights with cream cheese and locally-produced lox. Is your mouth watering yet?

But even with treasured bagel shops nearby, not everyone is able to delight in the round perfection of the bagel. With gluten intolerance and celiac disease on the rise, more and more people are avoiding products with wheat, barley, rye, and oats in them, making it nearly impossible to enjoy chewy goodness—until now. This bagel recipe is prefect for people with a variety of food intolerances. It’s free of gluten, eggs, dairy, and even yeast. We know it sounds strange, but trust us, these are among the most delicious bagels we've had!

 

The ingredients are the only things about this process that aren’t traditional. Once the bagels are formed, they are poached before being baked in a hot oven. The result is pure heaven. If you aren’t familiar with gluten-free baking, a few things on the ingredient list may seem odd, so here’s a short run-down:

Because wheat flour has a specific flavor and texture, no one flour of another type can be substituted in recipes. Instead, a variety of starches and flours can be used to get as close to the original wheat-based product as possible. Guar or xanthan gum is also included to add volume and elasticity. Guar gum is derived from an East Indian seed, while xanthan gum is made from a tiny microorganism called Xanthomonas campestris. Flax seeds add an earthy flavor, along with a hefty dose of healthy 0meaga-3 fatty acids, and are often used in gluten-free and vegan baked goods as an egg replacer.

Because gluten-free baking is on the rise, most of these flours and other ingredients can be found in many Seattle-area grocery and health food stores. We like using Bob’s Red Mill flours, gums, and flax seed since they are available in most stores, and online here. TIP: If you're looking to save a few bucks, try sourcing flours at ethnic grocery stores. Asian grocers often have rice flour and tapioca flour for a fraction of the price.

 

Once you've purchased all your ingredients, these bagels come together much more quickly then their gluten and yeast-filled counterparts. Like most home-made goods, they are best fresh out of the oven, or eaten within a few days of baking (they reheat nicely in a toaster). So stock up on plain and flavored schmear, and enjoy!

 

Ready to go into the oven!

 

Gluten-Free, Yeast-Free, Dairy-Free, Egg-Free Mini Bagels
Makes 8

Recipe based off of this one from Creative Recipes for Wandering Minds.

 

Ingredients

1/3 cup corn starch
2/3 cup tapioca flour
½ cup brown rice flour
½ cup garbanzo bean flour
1 ½ teaspoons guar or xanthan gum
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ cup canola oil
½ cup water
1 Tablespoon ground flax seed soaked for 5 minutes in 3 Tablespoon boiling water

1 ½ Tablespoons seeds for sprinkling on top (optional)

5 cups water for poaching

Directions
Preheat the oven to 400F. Bring the 5 cups of water to a boil in a large pot. In a large bowl, sift together the flours and dry ingredients, then add the oil, water and wet flax and mix thoroughly until you have a thick, moist dough. With moistened hands, divide the dough into 8 equally-sized balls, flatten slightly, and poke your finger in the center to form a bagel shape. Place no more than 3 bagels in the pot and poach each for approximately 2 minutes each side. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with seeds if desired. Place in the oven and bake for 10 minutes, then flip to the other side and bake for another 10.
 
Voila! Now you're ready to delight in crispy-on-the-outside, chewy-on-the-inside, gluten-free bagels! Time to plan a bagel brunch party with your friends...

Find more gluten-free goodness on The Local Dish:

Gluten-Free Goodies for Bay Area Locals

Go Nuts: Gluten-free, Dairy-free, Egg-free Doughnuts

Diet Restrictions Meet Their Match at Seattle's Flying Apron Bakery


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By: | April 28 2011
Posted in Grow It - Seattle

 

Photo by: Wes Simons

Spring is officially here! In most areas, the weather is starting to warm up enough to transplant the veggie starts you've so lovingly grown and cultivated outside so they can grow bigger and stronger for a more fruitful crop. To make this process as smooth as possible, we've put together a few tips to ensure healthy plants for maximum yield.

Prepping Your Starts

A few days before you plan to transplant, water your plants with a nutrient-rich mixture. This will help strengthen the roots and provide some stability for the move. Once your plants are ready, dig a hole that is two or three times as large as the base of the plant, and one and a half times as wide. Mix some more plant nutrients in with the soil you removed to make a nice base layer at the bottom of the hole. Water the hole for extra moisture before placing the plant inside.

Planting Tips

Now it's time to remove your plant from its starting pot! After watering the plant thoroughly, carefully and gently remove it from its pot. Place two fingers on either side of the plant and tip the pot upside down. The plant should fall into your hands. If it does not, gently squeeze the bottom of the pot to loosen the soil. Other alternatives: if you've started your plants in biodegradable pots, it's not neccesary to remove them. Just plant them, pot and all, and the roots will grow through the pot as it degrades in the earth.

If the roots of the plant are growing around the outside of the dirt, it may be necessary to cut around the top of the ball in order to ensure that the roots grow out instead of continuing to grow around the plant. Don't worry about damaging your starts by cutting the roots - they're stronger than you think, and will grow back in no time once planted.

 Place the plant in the middle of the hole and water it well to ensure that the roots have all of the moisture they need. Add the previously removed soil/nutrient mixture and fill the hole. Water the plant one more time to settle it in the soil.

Ensuring a Good Harvest

New plants like a day or two of light sunlight in order to adapt to their new environment - so don't worry if some intiailly appear wilted or droopy. They should bounce back within a few days to their normal, healthy appearance. Keep them well-watered, but be careful to only water at the base. Water droplets on leaves can lead to molding, rotting, and even scorched leaves.

Once your plants begin to flower or grow fruit, keep a careful eye out for pests. Plants with large leaves like lettuce or broccoli tend to attract slugs and snails, while tomato plants are prone to catapillars and moths. And if you have a lot of vine-based veggies (like zucchini and other squash) you may see signs of the dreaded vine weevil. Fortunately, there are a lot of all-natural options for keeping your garden protected from bugs in order to ensure you're eating chemical-free veggies.

Get planting on The Local Dish:

Culinary Flavor - How Does Your Garden Grow?

Does Your Dirt Have What It Takes?

Getting Into the Gardening Zone

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By: | April 28 2011
Posted in Find It - Seattle

Fresh tarte at Le Panier. Photo by: Michael Sarko

Bonjour et bienvenue, hungry Seattleites. The fresh Spring air in the Emerald City is full of delicious scents, and many of them are coming from the city's amazing patisseries. French baked goods are legendary in every corner of the world, and with good reason. No one does flaky crust, fluffy centers, and flavorful sweets quite like they do in Paris. Lucky for us, their bakers' skills have reached all the way to the Pacific Northwest. While it's tempting to splurge on tartes, croissants, and other pastries at just one place, there are so many excellent patisseries in Seattle that you should make a day of it.

Le Panier- 1902 Pike Place

One of the finest places to start your morning is at Le Panier in the market. Known as the “Very French” bakery, Hubert Loevenbruck's little shop has been serving fresh-baked fare to locals and visitors alike since 1983. Le Panier aims for the warm simplicity of a French urban bakery, offering everything from crusty baguettes and buttery croissants to fluffy meringue and refreshing fruit tartes. The place is understandably packed in the morning, but it's worth a little bit of a wait for a light breakfast of croissant a l'abricot (a real butter pastry filled with tasty apricot preserves) and a cup of hot, delicious Caffe Umbria coffee.

Belle Epicurean- 1206 4^th Avenue

There are few places finer in downtown Seattle for lunch than those in the museum district. The Seattle Art Museum is surrounded by excellent restaurants, stylish cafes, and sleek cocktail bars. For an authentic French experience, Belle Epicurean is unmatched. The relaxed atmosphere combines wonderfully with sandwiches like the traditional Jambon Fromage, with thick-sliced ham and tasty gruyere on a fresh house baguette, or the delightfully idiosyncratic Croque Monsieur with black forest ham, mornay sauce, and melted gruyere and provolone cheeses layered on a warm brioche.

Bakery Nouveau- 4737 California Avenue

After filling up on all that rich food and lingering in busy cafes, it might be nice to take home some authentic French treats and relax in a more intimate setting for dinner. An excursion to Bakery Nouveau in West Seattle is in order. A savory roast duck sandwich or a slice of their Quiche Lorraine will do nicely with a good bottle of wine for your nighttime meal, though while you're there, you must pick up a Twice Baked Almond Croissant. This melt-in-your-mouth pastry is soaked in simple syrup, filled with delicious almond cream, and then topped with sliced almonds and additional almond cream. It's their signature item that gets raves from all who taste it.

With a day of delectable eats from some of Seattle's finest French bakeries, you'll have experienced one of the best ways to welcome the Spring. Bon Appetit, Seattle!

View Seattle's Best Patisseries in a larger map

 

Celebrate Seattle Paris-style on The Local Dish: 

Seattle's Best French Eats: Cuisine Francaise 

Seattle's Best French Eats: Crepes

Read more...

By: | April 27 2011
Posted in Find It - Seattle

Photo by: Jessica Ivaska

With Spring's arrival in Seattle, each sunny day has us daydreaming about lakeside picnics and wine parties—both of which wouldn’t be complete without a delightfully pleasing array of tasty, creamy, flavorful cheeses. Here in the Northwest, we're blessed with a variety of artisan cheese makers who have honed their craft with a passion you can taste in every bite. Come with us a on tour of some of the best local creameries!

Beecher’s Handmade Cheese
1600 Pike Place
Seattle, WA 98101
206.956.1964

No trip to Pike Place Market is complete without a stop at Beecher’s. Their hand-crafted cheese is made right on the premises. Locals and tourists alike can watch in wonder through the giant streetside windows as milk and cream is transformed into curds and whey that eventually form robustly flavored cheeses. They offer a wide range of cheese, but their award-winning Flagship (a firm cheese with a uniquely nutty, complex flavor) remains a popular favorite. Another must-try speciality is their spicy No Woman cheese. Jamacian Jerk spices are blended with a touch of brown sugar and cloves for an unforgettable treat! Vistors of Beecher's are also urged to order up their “World’s Best” Mac ‘n Cheese for an out-of-this-world taste experience - or even take a frozen portion home for later.

Mt. Townsend's incredibly creamy cheeses.

Mt Townsend Creamery
338 Sherman Street
Port Townsend, WA 98368
360.379.0895

Located in the quaint seaside town of Port Townsend, Mt. Townsend Creamery has made a name for themselves with a line of extraordinary cheeses.  In 2010, the American Cheese Society named their soft-ripened original Seastack cheese “Best in Class.” A dusting of vegetable ash lends an earthy finish to this cheese, as well as giving it an attractive presentation on your serving tray. They also offer Fromage blanc: a spreadable farmers cheese with a smooth flavor simliar to chevre, which comes in plain or truffle varities. This delectable cheese is great for spreading on a baguette or crackers, but can also be used as a base for a creamy pasta sauce. Using only the highest quality, hormone-free, local milk, the Mt. Townsend Creamery focuses on Northwest-inspired cheeses made in the French tradition.

Quillisascut Cheese Company
2409 Pleasant Valley Road
Rice, WA 99167
509.738.2011

A 63-acre farm in Northeastern Washington just off the Columbia River, Quillisascut is known for their amazingly delicious aged raw goat cheese. Co-owner Lora Lea Misterly grew up on a dairy farm and watched her mother craft cheese all through her childhood. Her love of country living and pure, simple flavors inspired her to start making raw milk cheese from her own goats. Their base line includes a Traditional Curado with a sweet, nutty, and slightly grassy flavor, and Viejo, which has a spicy tang for a rich taste, making it the perfect substitute for Romano in any recipe. In addition to their spectacular cheeses, they offer Farm Culinary Classes for students and food professionals who want to learn the basics of living off the land—including making cheese!

Cheese-a-riffic! Beecher's and Appel Farms varities nestled together in a dairy case.

Appel Farms

6605 Northwest Road
Ferndale, WA  98248
360.384.4996

Appel Farms is a family-owned dairy in Ferndale, a small town north of Bellingham. This 250-cow farm strives to produce high quality artisan cheese in a manner that is healthiest for both the cows and the land. They offer an array of noteworthy cheeses including crumbly Feta in basil tomato, oregano tomato and greek olive - as well as Gouda in smoked or jalapeno flavors. They also produce a soft cheese called Quark, which has a consistency somewhere between cream chesea and sour cream. This multi-use cheese complements a variety of dishes, and is easily enhanced with the addition of any spices you want to add. You can use it everything from a taco or chili topping to quiches and even chocolate cake. Check the Appel Farms Lark with Quark blog for recipes.

What's the big cheese? Find out on The Local Dish:

Artisan Goat Cheese from Pholia Farm

Top Favorites from Bay Area Cheesemongers

Curds and Whey: Making Cheese at Home


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By: | April 26 2011
Posted in Find It - Seattle

Photo: Michael Sarko

What's that on the corner of 2^nd and Pike? Is it a space ship? Some kind of experimental military vehicle? It couldn't possibly be what it looks like: A giant, metal pig. Well, it is and it just happens to be Seattle's most famous street food vendor. Everyone from white collar professionals to construction workers line up at the shiny “pig truck” on their lunch breaks for a pulled pork, chicken or vegetable sandwich. Whether it's the quirky venue or the signature sauce, the locals love Maximus Minimus.

Maximus Minimus is one of local food professional Kurt Beecher Dammeier's beloved creations. Dammeier is the man behind Sugar Mountain, a Seattle company dedicated to serving and promoting foods made from local ingredients without additives, artificial flavors or synthetic preservatives. The famous Maximus Minimus sandwiches began as snacks cobbled together in the Sugar Mountain kitchen, followed close behind by some sauce experimentation that yielded the vendor's eponymous toppings.

Maximus sauce aims for a balance of savory and spicy, a Texas-style barbecue sauce that brings out the punchy protein flavor of traditionally braised meat. On the other end of the spectrum, the Minimus variety is sweet and mild, resulting in a decidedly West Coast palate that mixes well with the fresh cilantro Maximus Minimus serves on its sandwiches. Either style pairs nicely with the vendor's homemade coleslaw. They also serve seasonal desserts, specialty soft drinks and Mexican cane sugar Coca Cola. A sandwich, side and drink runs around $10.

As for the pig truck itself, it's a custom commission piece by Washington artist/engineer Colin Reedy. Reedy is an award-winning multimedia sculptor who used his metal-working skills to shape the Maximus Minimus truck into the silver, porcine giant we know and love today.

If you want a taste of Maximus Minimus, you'll have to show up during their short, lunch-only hours. Their most common appearances are Monday-Thursday from 11:00 A.M. to 2:00 P.M. in the parking lot on the corner of 2^nd Avenue and Pike Street downtown. The truck has also been known to show up in Fremont and other North Side locations on weekends. Make sure to check the Maximus Minimus website for the week-by-week schedule, or get their updates by following them on Twitter and Facebook.

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By: | April 21 2011
Posted in Find It - Seattle

Photo by: Jessica Ivaska

How great would it be if you could swing by a place on your way home after a long day and pick-up healthy, ready-to-eat meals made from locally-sourced ingredients instead of fast food with overly-processed, antibiotic-packed meat and tasteless, too-greasy fries that just aren’t going to cut it? Thankfully, in Seattle, you can come pretty close with Eat Local.

Eat Local specializes in hand-made, prepared meals using home-style cooking methods and Northwest-grown free-range meats and organic produce.

Each meal comes frozen and ready to heat - but these aren’t your average freezer meals. With menu items such as their delectable Smoked Salmon Pasta (sustainably caught wild salmon from Loki Fish Co., smoked and tossed in a creamy sauce with onion, dill, and lemon zest with handmade pasta), traditional French Coq au Vin made with PNW ingredients, melt-in-your-mouth Braised Lamb with roasted root vegetables, and popular favorite Howe Street Mac N’ Cheese with a crunchy breadcrumb topping - there are plenty of options for every appetite from simple to gourmet. Each dish is frozen immediately after preparation to maintain exceptional flavor, nutrients, and quality—with no preservatives.

You can order meals online which are shipped in dry ice to keep them frozen, or stop in to one of their shops to pick something up for lunch or dinner. They also offer a variety of other local goods and espresso drinks, so you can grab a snack to munch while you heat up your Grass-fed Beef Lasagna (made with their amazingly delicious housemade mozzarella cheese!) at home.

Plus, with their specialty hand-roasted granola, generously filled quiches, and hearty Alsatian crisp bread pizzas on the menu, you can stock your kitchen with great-tasting convenience foods for every meal, knowing you’re not only doing your body good, but supporting a local business and area farms as well. So next time you see those yellow arches, drive on by! Stop by Eat Local instead for good-for-you food that's healthy, easy, and quick to enjoy.

Eat Local Locations

Queen Anne Store
2400 Queen Anne Avenue North
Seattle, WA 98109
206-328-3663
Open from 8am to 8pm everyday

Burien Store
810 SW 151st Street
Burien, WA 98166
206-432-9849
Open from 10am to 8pm everyday

Downtown
Eat Local Outpost at Breathe Yoga
206-683-2949
2230 8th Ave
Seattle, WA 98121

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By: | April 20 2011
Posted in Cook It - Seattle

Homemade cheese after curds have set. Photo by: RBerteig on Flickr

Cheese has been a delicacy for thousands of years with recipes spanning countless cultures around the world. Like many kinds of food, cheese has a wide spectrum of style and quality, ranging from the simplest supermarket cheese to the powerful (and sometimes acquired) tastes of artisan cheese.

A lot of people don't know exactly how cheese is made. Like wine, it requires special chemical processes to achieve a block of tasty, safe-to-eat cheese. But making cheese at home isn't as difficult as it may seem at the outset. Using common kitchen gear and easy-to-obtain ingredients, homemade cheese is a snap.

Equipment

First, let's talk hardware. You're going to need a heavy, stainless steel pot. Stainless steel is essential for cheese making because it's non-reactive material, meaning that the metal won't be affected by the acids in the milk you use and impart unpleasant flavors to the final product. The thickness of the metal also prevents burning during the heating process.

Aside from measuring cups and a whisk, which are standard in any properly stocked kitchen, you'll also want to get your hands on a kitchen thermometer and some good cheesecloth. Achieving exact temperatures is essential in making cheese safe to eat, and ensuring that the dairy goes through the right chemical processes at the right time.

As for cheesecloth, ignore the stuff sold in grocery stores. Honestly, a white cotton dish towel (smooth, not terry cloth) is exactly what you want. Meshed cheese cloth often lets the curd of homemade cheese slip through. You'll want something that's better suited to separating the solids from the liquids.

Ingredients

When it comes to the milk you use for your homemade cheese, you can use store-bought, pasteurized whole milk, but it will generally be less flavorful than farm-bought, and you'll have to supplement the calcium content with calcium chloride in order to actually form a solid curd. There's nothing wrong with this, especially considering that cheese made from unpasteurized milk should be cured for two months before eating, but it couldn't hurt to buy raw milk from a local farm you trust. There's also no reason to bother buying special cheese “starters” for this basic recipe. Adding three teaspoons of buttermilk per gallon of fresh milk will do the same job with better results.

Making your cheese

To begin, thoroughly sterilize the stainless steel pot and warm your gallon of fresh milk in it until it reaches 68 degrees F. Add the buttermilk and combine. Kill the heat and let the mixture sit covered at room temperature overnight. The good bacteria in the buttermilk will work its chemistry and by the next day, you'll be ready to add your rennet.

Rennet is a natural enzyme you can easily find in any grocery store, usually in the form of tablets. This is what allows the milk solids to separate from the whey. After re-warming your milk/buttermilk mixture to 86 degrees, dissolve ¼ tablet of rennet in a ¼ cup of cold water and add to the warm milk. Stir to combine, then kill the heat. Cover and let sit for one hour without disturbing (stirring or shaking will interrupt the chemical process). If, after an hour, the gelled milk breaks cleanly when touched, it's ready for the next step. If it's gelatinous or flowing, it still needs more time.

Once it's gelled, you'll want to start cutting your recently formed curd. Using a long knife, cut the curd in the pot into ½ inch cubes, starting from the edge of the pot and rotating 90 degrees until the entire surface is broken up.

Next, turn the stove burner to low and very gently stir the curd. Try not to put too much pressure on it, but feel free to break up larger curds as they appear. Do this continually for at least 15 minutes or the curds will lump together, then raise the temperature to 92 degrees. The warmer this final temperature is, the firmer your cheese will be, so adjust accordingly - but try not to go beyond 100 degrees.

Now you're ready to separate the curds from the whey. Position a strainer over a pot and line it with your cheese cloth. Gradually transfer the curd into the cloth, then place the curds in a mixing bowl. Save that whey. It has a variety of uses on its own. Add 2 teaspoons salt to the curd to keep it from spoiling while you cure it.

 If you want a harder cheese, you can choose to press the curds further by putting a clean weight onto cloth-wrapped curds to remove excess moisture.

Curing

To cure your cheese, make sure it is thoroughly salted, wrap it in a clean cloth, and place it in the refrigerator. Change the cloth every day until a yellow rind forms on the surface. This may take as long as two weeks, or as long as two months if you use unpasteurized milk. You can serve your finished cheese right away, but if you want it to keep longer, you'll need to dip it in melted wax. That will keep it good for around a month. The longer you keep your cheese, the sharper its flavor will become.

Onced you've mastered your first cheese, experiment with different flavors by adding spices, herbs, garlic, and even wine to your curd while it rests in the refrigerated wrap. Then pair your cheese with a loaf of crusty bread and a locally-produced wine and feast away!

Sink your teeth into more cheese on The Local Dish:

Top Favorites from Bay Area Cheesemongers

Sweet Grass Georgia Cheese

Artisan Goat Cheese from Pholia Farm 

Read more...

By: | April 19 2011
Posted in Cook It - Seattle

Coq au Vin with field vegetables and mashed potatoes in a red wine reduction with bacon-topped salad and Pinot Noir. Photo by: Michael Sarko

Do you eschew cooking French dishes at home because the recipes look too complicated or require hard-to-locate specialty ingredients? Most Parisian recipes actually come from a long history of provincial cooking, and use a variety of easy-to-find, in-season produce and commonly found cuts of meat, fish, and poultry. A perfect example of this is Coq au Vin.

Literally meaning “rooster in wine”, Coq au Vin is a flavorful delicacy from the French countryside. Modern cooks don't need to procur an actual rooster for the dish, as substituting a chicken will create the same authentically down-home taste in your own kitchen. Thanks to the region's bounty of small farms and the rising prevalence of its wine country, it's easy to find what you need to make a locally-sourced Coq au Vin in the Pacific Northwest.

To start, you'll definitely want to grab a bottle of Pinot Noir from any vineyard in the Willamette Valley. The region has a nice blend of mild weather, volcanic soil, and light rainfall to make some truly excellent wine. The full bodied notes of a Pinot will enhance the deep flavors in this stew.

Next, head down to your favorite farmer's market and pick up the following:

3-4 large carrots

1 large yellow onion or several pearl onions

garlic

bay leaf

thyme

chicken stock

butter

flour

Crimini mushrooms

Make sure to check out The Local Dish's picks for Seattle's best local butchers to purchase a fresh, humanely raised chicken. While you're there, you'll also want to get a half a pound of good bacon. You can also ask your butcher to divide your chicken into eighths to save yourself some prep time.  If you prefer to cut it up at home yourself, see the video below for simple instructions.

 

In order to get the most flavorful dish, you'll want to marinate your chicken overnight - so plan your dinner in advance! Place the legs, thighs, and wings in a zip-top bag along with half the bottle of wine and a liberal dash of salt and pepper. Shake the bag and place in the refrigerator for about 24 hours.

Once your chicken is ready, start prepping the dish by chopping all the vegetables roughly. Then place your bacon in a sauce pan with a few inches of cold water and slowly boil for 5 minutes. This will remove some of the salt to protect the flavor of the final dish. When the bacon is blanched and rinsed, render it in a heavy pan with tall sides or a dutch oven, and use the drippings to brown all chicken pieces for five minutes on both sides.

While browning the chicken, preheat your oven to 250 degrees. Add 1 to 1.5 cups of chicken stock, all of the marinating wine, the bay leaf and thyme, and all of the vegetables. Cover the pan and place it in the oven for no less than two hours (you'll know it's done when the chicken separates easily from the bone).

To finish the dish with a delectable sauce, remove the solids from the pan and bring the liquid to a low boil. Wait until it is roughly 1/3 its original volume, and then thicken with equal parts butter and flour (added 1 tablespoon at a time), whisking lightly but consistently for several minutes. Once the liquid is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, return it to the chicken and vegetables. Though the sauce sounds incredibly rich, it will coat the chicken just so for an amazingly delicious meal, and provide the perfect complement to your veggie and potato sides.

You can also use the rendered bacon as a crumbly topping for a fresh salad to go along with your meal. The comination of salty bacon with crisp, fresh lettuce makes for a crunchy taste sensation. Serve your Coq au Vin along with the same variety of wine in which it was cooked and enjoy this remarkable French delicacy for a homemade taste of Paris in Seattle!

Rendevous in the city with other scrumptious French meals: 

Seattle's Best French Eats: Crepes

Seattle's Best French Eats: Cuisine Francaise

Read more...

By: | April 13 2011
Posted in Cook It - Seattle

Made for each other! Photo by: Jessica Ivaska

Coffee and dessert are a match made in heaven. The strong, slightly bitter taste of espresso pairs perfectly with sweetness of all kinds, which is why so often when we enjoy dessert after a delicious meal, coffee is a necessary part of the equation. When it comes to having coffee alongside dessert, there are countless confections that couple well with a shot of piping hot organic espresso. And when it comes to coffee in dessert, we have to tip our hats to the Italians and their divine creation: tiramisu.

While the exact origins of the Italian layered cake are often debated by dessert experts, the translation of its name remains clear. It’s Italian for “Pick-me-up,” thought to have been named for a quick energy boost the combination of sugar, eggs, and espresso gives to those savoring its deliciousness.

Today, tiramisu can be created and enjoyed in countless variations, but the basics remain the same: layers of sponge cake or ladyfingers (called Savoiardi in Italian) soaked in espresso and liquor are alternated with creamy ribbons of fluffy mascarpone, and topped off with chocolate shavings or cocoa powder. Known to many as “heaven in your mouth,” tiramisu is a scrumptious coffee-inspired dessert that's perfect for any occasion.

Now that your mouth is watering, on to the good stuff! This basic recipe forgoes the traditional use of raw eggs in the creamy layer, but is quick to put together and oh-so-delicious. And because so many of us in Seattle love to get our coffee fix, it’s one more way to enjoy the flavor of good, local beans. Serve with espresso and let this amazing coffee dessert melt in your mouth!

Get a jolt with more java on The Local Dish:

Cooking with Coffee: Making the Most of Seattle Beans

Catch a Buzz with Coffee Cocktails

Seattle Locals Love: Caffe Vita

Read more...

By: | April 11 2011
Posted in Find It - Seattle

Photo by: Michael Sarko

There's an excellence and attention to detail in French cuisine that is unparalleled in the world of food. Everything from the fresh ingredients to the exacting preparation, beautiful presentation and perfect service makes the French style the very epitome of fine dining. Great food town that it is, Seattle has a plethora of excellent French bistros for every budget.

Cafe Campage - 1600 Post Alley

Some of the longest-running French restaurants in Seattle are downtown in the market district. While it's tempting to aim for one of the fancier eateries at Pike Place, the much more laid-back Cafe Campagne is a local favorite. Located at the Pike Street opening of Post Alley, the cozy cafe is the more relaxed sister venue to Campagne Restaurant. Executive Chef Daisley Gordon keeps Cafe Campagne's menu fresh and simple. It's a perfect spot for a leisurely déjeuner, especially with a slice of the Quiche du Jour, green salad, fresh-squeezed juice and a latte. The menu is full of locally-grown and organic products, much of which is purchased just a few steps away at the market itself.

Le Pichet - 1933 1st Avenue

Just down the street from Cafe Campagne, one of its former chefs has his own take on classic French cuisine. Jim Drohman left Campagne's kitchen to team up with wine expert Joanne Herron to open Le Pichet in 2000. Whereas the Campagne restaurants focus on Southern French dishes, Le Pichet trots around the country a bit more, depending on the season. The cool autumn and winter months often find Alsatian delights like house-made sausage from the region's German influence, while spring and summer invite the bounty of coastal French seafood. Count yourself fortunate if you happen to visit Le Pichet when their Steak Frites are on the menu. The paté cognac pan sauce is among the finest flavors in all of Seattle.

Le Gourmand- 425 NW Market Street

But if you're looking for that iconic French service, the place to go is Le Gourmand in Ballard. Husband and wife Bruce and Sarah Naftaly not only run the restaurant, they also helm its kitchen. They aim for 100% local ingredients and they excel at their prix fixe menus that provide the classic, multi-course dinner that has long been associated with the French table experience. Their spring menu features innovative combinations like their gourmet salads with edible flowers and foraged greens - and their mouthwatering Lavendar-smoked Poussin (chicken stewed with fresh, in-season vegeatables).

Madison Valley
Between 28th and 29th Avenue on Madison, there's a veritable garden of French bistros blooming. There are haute cuisine stalwarts like Rover's, which uses traditional French flavors to enhance seasonal Pacific Northwest ingredients (try the Pacific Sole with Leek Fondue, Roasted Beets and Persillade), and easy-going cafes like Voilà! Bistro. The beautiful Lake Washington surroundings are just as much a part of dining in this neighborhood as the food itself. It's the best of France and the Pacific Northwest combined - including delectable classics like Coq Au Vin and Boeuf Bourguignon.

As with everything, finding great French food is worth a little exploration. These are excellent places to start, but are by no means the only places to find top-tier Cuisine Francaise in the city. Explore them on the map below, and add your own as you eat your way through Paris in Seattle. Bon appétit and happy hunting!

View Best French Restaurants in Seattle in a larger map

Experience the best of France in the Pacific Northwest on The Local Dish:

Seattle's Best French Eats: Crepes

Portland's Creme-de-la-Creme Cafes 

Read more...

By: | April 07 2011
Posted in Find It - Seattle

Photo: Andrei Rybachuk

Sausage is incredibly versatile, which is one the reasons we love it. Grill it up on its own and toss it on a toasted bun, crumble and layer it on pizza, bake it into a lasagna, serve it with eggs, add it to meatloaf or burgers…the possibilities are endlessly tasty. And with these three Seattle companies, everyone can savor the flavor of sausage while eating local.

German-inspired :
Uli's Famous Sausage
Pike Place Market, Main Entrance: 1st & Pike, Downtown

Located at Pike Place Market in the heart of the Seattle’s foodie paradise, Uli’s Famous Sausage is known for making sausage in the German tradition. Owner and master butcher Uli Lengenberg grew up in “sausage country” in Germany and masterfully crafts all-natural cuts of pork, lamb, and chicken into a variety of specialty sausages. Flavors range from South African Boerewors and French Style Bratwurst to Polish Kielbassa and Spanish Chorizo, including, of course, German Bratwurst. So the next time you’re in the market, pop into Uli’s and pick up some sausage for a hearty dinner. You can also find Uli's at local retailers and restaurants.

Italian-influenced:
Isernio's Sausage
Available at local Seattle and other National retailers

Using only whole-muscle, 95% lean skinless chicken thigh and 80% lean whole-muscle pork shoulder, Isernio’s Sausage offers an incredibly delicious alternative to higher-fat sausages. Less fat and calories but tons of flavor?  Yes, please.  Company owner Frank Isernio, whose Italian family immigrated to Seattle, learned the sausage making-craft as a child. The all-natural Italian sausage, which contains no fillers, preservatives, nitrates or MSG, was once reserved only for family-gatherings, but can now be enjoyed by the rest of us.  Most Seattle groceries carry a variety of Isernio’s sausage, including plain and maple breakfast links, sausage rolls and a host of savory and spicy Italian-inspired flavors.

Vegetarian:
Original Field Roast Grain Meat Co.
Available at local Seattle and other National retailers

For those who enjoy the spicy, sweet, aromatic flavor of sausage, but opt to enjoy a meat-free lifestyle, check out Field Roast. Produced in the Central District, they create grain-based sausages inspired by Asian-tradition and infused with European flavors, so even those who forgo animal products can enjoy Italian, Mexican Chipotle, and Smoked Apple Sage Sausage that's made right here in the Northwest. Many of their products are also available at health food stories throughout the Seattle area. Read more...

By: | April 05 2011
Posted in Find It - Seattle

Banana Chocolate Cream Crêpe from Crepan. Photo by: Michael Sarko

Believe it or not, the Greater Puget Sound area has a lot in common with the French region of Brittany. Both places are known for their rainy but generally mild weather, both are famous for their beer and cider, and both are great places to get that fussy French treat, the crêpe. These thin, versatile innovations have recently spread across Seattle in a variety of forms. Some can be found at classic French bistros, others in their natural habitat: street vendors, and more at specialty crêperies. It's worth exploring the several crêpe sellers around town to get a real taste of all the amazing things these sweet disks of dough can do. Make a day of it! Follow the map below to find each amazingly delicious crepe place.

La Créperie Voilà
707 Pike St

For a classic crêpe experience, La Créperie Voilà downtown (by the Convention Center) is a great place to start. In operation since 2005, the small but well equipped kiosk serves both savory Breton galettes and sweet Parisian crepes. For an especially delicious local (if not exactly Old World) recipe, try the Smoked Wild Salmon Lox crêpe (smoked salmon with crème fraîche, fresh spinach, lemon, and herb butter).

La Côte Créperie
2811 E Madison St

Moving up the hill, The Madison Valley neighborhood has a well-kept secret in its cornucopia of French cuisine. La Côte Créperie on a vibrant, local-friendly stretch of E. Madison Street. La Cote is more of a sit-down restaurant that encourages the indulgence of European-style crêpes, along with fresh housemade soup and a glass of wine - or if you're feeling especially authentic, they also serve cider. If you're lucky enough to visit on a day when their Smoked Duck crêpe is on the menu, order up this must-have treat.

Crepan Crepe World
1303 Madison St

But crêpes aren't just the purview of Breton cuisine and quaint bistros. Crepan, a sleek crêperie that transposes a little bit of Tokyo onto First Hill, specializes in international crêpes. Their Asian-style sweet crepes are a nice dessert alternative when ice cream doesn't perk up your tastebuds. The Banana Chocolate Cream crêpe is among their best. It's a good place to expand your palette once you've tasted some of the more classic, continental varieties.

Making your own

Once you've tried of a few of Seattle's crêperies, why not try your hand at making your own? Play around with the proportions of wheat flour, milk, eggs, and water, as well as salt and herbs for savory galettes, or sugar for sweeter crêpes. The most important thing to remember is an attentive eye. A real French crêpe uses butter to make the pan slick, but any butter-like substance should do. Just make sure to thoroughly coat the pan without turning it into a deep fryer. On medium-high heat, each 1-ounce spoon of batter should only cook for 30 seconds before flipping, and then just 10 to 15 seconds on the other side.

Flipping can be a tricky process. Gently shake the pan back and forth to release the crêpe, then carefully, but quickly turn it over with a thin spatula to prevent burning or tearing. Let the  crêpe cool for a few minutes, then fill. If you're feeling extra fancy, you can curl your crêpes by wrapping them around a smooth object like a rolling pin while they're still hot. Enjoy your tasty homemade treat with classic French fillings, or try some inventive flavor combinations with seasonal ingredients from your garden or local Farmers Market.

Whether you visit some of the city's best places for crêpes, or make your own delectable version at home - sit back and relax with your meal and a hot café au lait, and enjoy a little bit of Paris charm in Seattle.

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By: | March 25 2011
Posted in Find It - Seattle

Bluebird's creamy, delicious Oatmeal Cookies and Cream. Photo by: Amie Simon

Even though the temperature in Seattle is still under 50, springtime blooms are starting to appear, and a few sunshiny afternoons have left the city longing for hot summer days filled with icy patio drinks and triple scoops of ice cream. Buy why wait for June or July? Let Bluebird Homemade Ice Cream & Tea Room scoop up a taste of summer to brighten your day.

Built with high ceilings and fashioned from reclaimed furniture and salvaged materials, Bluebird's tea room is a cozy, inviting place with plenty of seating for people to lounge with a book, use their free wi-fi, and of course enjoy their fantastic ice cream treats. Also, check their blog for occasional free tickets to local film screenings and musical events.

 

Their menu is ever-changing, and each flavor is made from all-natural, sustainable, and organic ingredients - from local sources whenever possible. The beer used in their stout-flavored ice cream is from Seattle's Elysian Brewing Company, their coffee flavor is made with Stumptown beans, and they use Mighty-O vegan donuts in one of their sundaes. Their dairy also comes from hormone-free cows in Washington and Oregon, all their fruit is from suppliers in the Pacific Northwest. Creamy, delectable concoctions are made on site, and if you're lucky you'll catch them mid-batch to inhale unbelievably delicious smells coming from the back kitchen.

 

Flavors range from classic Vanilla Bean and fruit Sorbets to more inventive mixes like Chocolate Pudding (which tastes so much like pudding, you'll swear it's not ice cream), Coconut Mint Chip, and Horchata. We taste-tested the Snickerdoodle, which was a perfect blend of cinnamon spices and vanilla goodness, the Oatmeal Cookies and Cream: a heavenly blend of crunchy cookies and flavorful oats, and the Peanut Butter - just the right ratio of peanut butter to cream for an authentically smooth texture and taste.

The Afogado with a scoop of Chocolate Pudding.

If you're not feeling a plain scoop, you can also add toppings (like fresh fruit, house-made granola, hot fudge, sprinkles, cookie crumbs, corn flakes and more), or choose one of their suggested sundaes. The Bird's Nest sundae has three scoops of your choice rolled in granola, placed in a waffle nest, topped with fresh bananas and whipped cream, and then drizzled with honey and fudge. Yum! Or if you prefer a straw to a spoon, you can order a shake or a float.

 

Other items on the menu include a wide variety of loose-leaf teas brewed in an infuser at your table for full flavor, espresso drinks, sandwiches, salads, soups, and even pints of beer.

 

Insider tip: If you like coffee, try the Afogado: a scoop (or two) of Bluebird ice cream floating in a sea of espresso. It's the perfect remedy for a grey, rainy Seattle day. Swing by Bluebird's cafe at 1205 E. Pike Street on Capitol Hill, and they'll have you dreaming of warm weather in no time! 

 

Take a taste of some other Seattle treats:

 

On the Move: Parfait Ice Cream Truck

 

Pie: The New Cupcake in Seattle

 

Seattle's Sugar and Salt Kitchen is Makin' Bacon

 

Read more...

By: | March 23 2011
Posted in Find It - Seattle

The unforgettable Sunshine Burger makes a delicious impression. Photo by: Amie Simon

Burgers: it's what's for breakfast...at least in Seattle, that is. The gourmet patty experts at Built Burger have recently opened up their restaurant for Sunday brunch from 10am-4pm. With an innovative menu appropriately labeled as "blunch", Built's chef is winning this already popular restaurant even more fans.

 

The blunch menu is created every Sunday, and features weekly specials (such as Veggie Hash with potato, onions, poblano peppers, zucchini, bell peppers, mushrooms, and eggs cooked any style you like). Choices range from the Built Benedict (two 3-oz beef patties with roasted garlic, sauteed mushrooms, and spinach served open-faced with two poached eggs and hollandaise sauce) to the Denver Built (pork stuffed with sauteed red and green bell peppers, black forest ham, and caramelized onions topped with american cheese and a fried egg), including the absolutely fantastic Sunshine Burger.

 

The Sunshine Burger features an all-natural pork patty stuffed with caramelized fennel with honey, pear, and Danish blue cheese, and rosemary to add the final delectable touch. Each ingredient complements the other for a taste experience you won't forget, while a fried egg with a perfectly done yolk placed on top adds to the flavor explosion.

The B&G: big enough to share!

There's also the incredibly delicious B&G (AKA: Biscuits and Gravy), which has two 4-oz pork patties filled with sauteed onions, garlic, fennel and maple syrup - sandwiched in between fluffy house-made biscuits, topped with poached eggs, and covered in exquisitely seasoned roasted bacon gravy. Herbed pan-fried potatoes are served on the side (not that you have room for them once you've devoured the rest of the plate!).

 

Coffee, juice, and sides are also available, but the real star here is the way that Built Burger has redesigned classic brunch dishes with their signature stuffed pork and beef patties. Swing by their restaurant at 217 James St (between 2nd and 3rd Ave) on Sundays for a new twist on a classic weekend tradition. Insider tip: follow @BuiltBurger on Twitter for a sneak peek at the menu before you head down! 

Chow down on more burgers and brunches with The Local Dish:

Best of Seattle: Top 5 Burger Stops

Best of Seattle: Brunches 

 

Read more...

By: | March 15 2011
Posted in Find It - Seattle

Cajun Tempeh Sandwich, Sweet Potato Fries and Cucumber Citrus Water at Plum Bistro. Photo by: Michael Sarko

It's not easy being vegan. While it's usually little hassle to avoid meat, it's not so simple to find good food that uses no animal products at all. There's milk and butter in so many baked goods, and honey in a variety of desserts and sauces. It's tough to even find a salad these days that doesn't incorporate cream in a dressing, or sprinkles of sharp cheese. That's why it's important for those who choose to live the vegan lifestyle to know where they can get good eats that suit their diet. Seattle has a variety of vegan-friendly restaurants for all tastes and budgets. Here are a few of the best to get the ball rolling.

There's no reason vegans need to miss out on Seattle's fine dining scene. One of the premiere spots in town is Plum Bistro on Capitol Hill. Makini Howell, who owns Plum and runs its kitchen, aims for vegan gourmet. The trick is in letting vegan staples like tofu, seitan, and vegetables work by their own merits instead of attempting to imitate meat and dairy dishes. Items like the savory mini sliders on the happy hour menu make a strong case for vegan sandwiches, with the flavors of the crispy tempeh really popping together with the lettuce, tomato, grilled onion, and lemon-basil aioli. The fresh cut fries are also excellent, especially the sweet potato and yam varieties.

For a more traditional vegan dinner, Asian restaurants like Bamboo Garden near the Seattle Center are great choices. A lot of Chinese cuisine is already vegetarian or vegan by default, and many standard meat dishes can easily replace the meat with tofu, mushroom, or eggplant without significantly changing the flavor. One of their signature dishes, The Buddha's Basket, is a satisfying saute of mixed mushrooms, fresh vegetables, and nuts that really shows off their Szechwan flare for vegan dishes. Speaking of Szechwan, the Eggplant Hot Pot is a sweet, spicy must-have.

Seattle also has a number of more casual vegan eateries, especially in the University District. A local standard is Pizza Pi, the city's favorite vegan pizza restaurant. Pi has a real sense of humor about its niche, filling the menu with items like Phoni-Pepperoni and the Ex-Meat Lovers pizza. Not too far away from Pizza Pi is Wayward Vegan Cafe, one of Seattle's best places to get a vegan breakfast. They serve tofu scrambles that rival their eggy counterparts over at Beth's Cafe, and some pretty impressive vegan French Toast from the griddle.

Back on Capitol Hill, vegans looking for a night spot should check out Highline, a low-key bar with a 100% vegan menu. Their house specialty, “nubs”, are the perfect vegan bar food. They're reminiscent of boneless chicken wings, and they come in a variety of sauces. Teriyaki is one of the best, though the Buffalo sauce is great for those who like something spicy with their hard drinks.

There are plenty of other vegan-friendly restaurants around Seattle, but these are some of the top spots in town. They each bring a lot of atmosphere and flavor to a misunderstood lifestyle, and might even inspire non-vegan patrons to try something different.
View Top Vegan Spots in Seattle in a larger map

Explore other vegan-friendly options on The Local Dish:

Diet Restrictions Meet Their Match at Seattle's Flying Apron Bakery

The Raw and the Cooked

Missionary Vegan Chocolates  

 

Read more...

By: | March 14 2011
Posted in Grow It - Seattle

Radish sprouts from seed. Photo by: Amie Simon

In the PNW, it's the time of year when veggie gardeners are prepping for bountiful Spring harvests by getting seeds planted indoors for healthy, strong starts. We started some seeds about a week ago that are happily cooking away in our greenhouse. I know most people don’t have the luxury of their own greenhouse, so I’ve compiled some helpful information below about getting seeds to sprout into starts that will produce wonderful, flavorful vegetables.

Green Thumb Tips
Most seed packets have simple directions on the back which can be used as a guideline for planting outdoors. If you're planting indoors due to a colder climate, plan to start the seeds earlier than the designated zones suggested on the package. A good rule of thumb for planting seeds is to put them in the soil three times deeper than they are wide. This should provide the optimum setting for seeds to get enough sunlight to germinate. If growing indoors, look for the sunniest spot in your house. You can use a wide window seat area, or just look for a place on your kitchen counter that gets at least 8-12 hours of light. You can also purchase a lamp or a kit to provide extra light for your seedlings (some need up to 16 hours), and adjust the angle as your plants sprout and grow. 

Types of Pots
We planted our seeds in 4-inch pots with potting soil and a bit of organic fertilizer, and head out to the greenhouse daily to ensure they don't get too dry - or are developing mold from being too wet. You can purchase a seed tray or starter kit if you're nervous about knowing what kind of pots would work best in your growing environment. Recycling some types of containers like egg cartons works well for germinating seeds too. Seeds also like a warm environment (65+ degrees). A good trick for creating enough warmth for your seeds to sprout is to place some plastic wrap around the top of each pot. Most starter kits and trays come with a plastic lid that simulates a "greenhouse" effect. 

Snap Pea and Tomato seeds in recycled egg cartons.

Keeping Seeds Watered
While seeds require plenty of water, too much H2O will cause them to rot. The soil your seed is planted in should be moist, but not overly wet. Seeds are very good at absorbing moisture from the soil around them, so it's important to check your soil daily to ensure it's getting enough moisture. 

Next Steps
Once you see some good growth happening in your starter pots, remove any plastic wrap or lids so they can breathe in some fresh air. Plenty of light and water is still important at this stage. When the starts are getting too friendly with each other (i.e., crowding) it's time to thin them out. You can use scissors to gently trim down to the base, or simply pull out what you don't want. Thinning allows each start to get large and robust, helping ensure the ones you transplant to your outside garden have the best chance of surviving bad weather and bugs for hearty homegrown veggies all season long! 

Dig deeper with more gardening ideas from The Local Dish:

Does Your Dirt Have What It Takes? 

Culinary Flavor: How Does Your Garden Grow?

5 Good Reasons to Grow Your Own Herbs

Read more...

By: | March 10 2011
Posted in Find It - Seattle

Oregon Beef at Rain Shadow Meats. Photo by: Michael Sarko

Back in the early 1960s, there was a grassroots citizen's movement in Seattle known as "Save The Market". It was an effort to keep the Pike Place Farmer's Market alive in the decade's unfriendly atmosphere of supermarket culture. As we know today, the local producers who favored Pike Place and the Big Agro industry that supplied the supermarkets found a way to coexist peacefully, but it was a real battle for a while. On the front lines were the city's butcher shops, the personable meat providers who saw a lot of their business swallowed up by lower prices and mass-packaging at bigger stores. Today, it's that same boutique style and personal attention that keep Seattle's best butchers thriving.

The Local Dish has already given the spotlight to rightly famed Bill The Butcher, the local chain of neighborhood shops known for their high-quality, organic meats at several locations throughout Seattle and the surrounding suburbs. That doesn't mean folks in the downtown core have to truck outside the grid to get good cuts.

Perhaps most famously, Don and Joe's Meats (in the main arcade of Pike Place Market) have been slinging fresh slices in one form or another for over a century in Seattle. They're the natural continuation of the market's first butcher, Dan Zido of Dan's Better Meats. Don Kuzaro and his brother-in-law Joe Darby bought Dan's shop in 1969, and have kept it in the family ever since. Though the fish-throwers next door steal a lot of thunder, their products demand plenty of attention. Don and Joe's is one of the best places to go for classic cuts of beef, chicken, and lamb - both because most of their meat is sourced from the Northwest, and because their staff are especially good at advising customers on which cuts work best for which dishes, as well as the best marinating and cooking methods for delicious results.

For those who live in the hilly east end of downtown, Pike Place can be a bit of a jaunt. That's why the availability of Rain Shadow Meats at Melrose Market is a hidden gem. The quality of meat at Rain Shadow is every bit as high as Don and Joe's, and with comparable prices. They also carry a few rarer and specialty-style products like duck confit and rabbit, and each item's origin is labeled directly below the price.

Galantine, a work-intensive delicacy. Photo by: Michael Sarko

There's also Bob's Quality Meats in nearby Columbia City. Their "28 Days Later" items go through an aging process that transforms ordinary beef into gourmet steaks like those found in the best restaurants. Bob's carries some of Puget Sound's finest aged beef on a regular basis, so it's definitely worth the excursion to bring home something special for dinner.

Regardless of where you go for your meat in Seattle, it's the guarantee of individualized service and locally-sourced products that set small butcher shops apart from the plastic-wrapped blandness of supermarket fare. Our butchers fought for these principles fifty years ago, and their efforts paid off with several options for Seattleites to prepare great meals today.

Stock your fridge with more quality meat from around the city:

Seattle Locals Love: Salumi Artisan Meats

A Seattleite's Mission with Meat: Bill the Butcher 

 

Read more...

By: | March 03 2011
Posted in Find It - Seattle

Salami plate with fresh Italian bread. Photo by: Michael Sarko

Salami is a beautiful thing. Sure, its roots as a popular way for people in European cultures to preserve meat before the advent of refrigeration are humble, but the artisanal ingenuity of the curing process has also yielded some of the finest cuisine in the world. There's nothing quite like a plate of thin-sliced salami with a good cheese, some fresh bread, and a glass of bold wine. Armandino Batali had a life-long passion for the art of the cured, dried sausage, which is why he and his wife Marilyn decided to apply their expertise to providing Seattle with some of the most flavorful salami in the nation. It's for that appreciation of classical Italian eats that the locals love Salumi Artisan Cured Meats in Pioneer Square.

Armandino Batali's family has a long history with Seattle's culinary scene. His grandfather, Angelo Merlino, opened the city's first Italian food import shop back in 1903. After Armandino gave 30+ years to another Seattle institution, The Boeing Company, he and Marilyn took the reins of the family craft and opened Salumi on 3rd Avenue in the historic Pioneer Square neighborhood.

Long before tasting Salumi's hand-made products, there's no doubt that it's a local favorite. Especially in the warm months, it's not uncommon to see a line of patrons running the length of the entire block out the little shop's door. This is all part of the initiation experience. Once at the counter, it's just a matter of choosing which of their unique creations to take home.

First-timers should spring for a variety platter to get a good idea of the range of flavors in the different salami. The traditional Salumi Salami is a good place to start. It isn't too bold, but the ginger tones keep it lively. The Smoked Paprika salami is also out of this world, especially when thick-cut with hearty bread. Those looking for something a little different should definitely check out the complex Mole: spiced with chocolate, cinnamon and hot peppers, or the Finocchiona with its full-mouth fennel and curry character. Salumi also cures a few non-salami products like the rich Coppa pork shoulder and the unique, must-try Lamb Prosciutto. Budding chefs should also take note of the homemade Pancetta, often the secret ingredient in delicious gourmet dishes.

Salumi operates Tuesday-Friday from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM, but it's best to show up early enough to secure a spot in line (or go on a rainy day). It's definitely worth the wait, as there's no better place in Seattle for cured meats.

Explore other shops that please Seattle locals' taste buds:

George's Delicatessen 
Macrina Bakery
Caffe Vita

Read more...

By: | February 28 2011
Posted in Find It - Seattle

Photo by: Wes Simons

Few towns rally around the local farmers market like the residents of Bellingham, Washington. A stroll through downtown on a Saturday morning would leave you to believe that the citizens have abandoned their quaint town, but just a few blocks off of the main drag is a bustling market where the farmers, merchants, and crafters gather to hawk their wares.

Bellingham has a unique atmosphere that encourages citizens to shop locally and buy more efficient products. The population is small enough that the market has a very friendly feel, yet there are enough people to support a large number of vendors. It also happens to be located close to pristine farmland and a host of growers who are more than happy to spend their time producing high-quality produce for direct-to-consumer sales.

The market features all manner of product, from the standard vegetables and smoked meats, to slightly more exotic choices like homemade pasta, gluten-free baked goods and smoothies blended by the customer on a modified bike. There is also a restaurant row where a wide variety of culinary goodness can be found, including Ethiopian food, Indian cuisine and fresh-baked pretzels that will literally make your mouth water (they are quite salty).

The market is more than just somewhere to walk around for an hour, as each booth hides a few secrets about brewing better tea or how to choose the right cheese. There's also more to enjoy besides eating and food (although I'd say that alone would be plenty). The entertainment is as varied as the selection of goods, with bands playing folk music and young virtuosos enjoying the chance to perform. Stop by and get a good dose of local flavor, both culturally and gastronomically.

Take a virtual stroll through the colorful booths of the Bellingham Farmers Market on their Flickr page. 

Stop by more markets on The Local Dish:

A Food Oasis in the Heart of the City

Springing for Strawberries

Market Watch: Eastern Market Street Food

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By: | February 23 2011
Posted in Cook It - Seattle

Photo by: Amie Simon

Nothing's better than waking up to a delicious hot cup of coffee—especially on a chilly winter morning. There’s comfort in wrapping your hands around a warm porcelain cup and holding it close. Here in Seattle, we love our coffee all day, every day, and we have the coffee shops to prove it. But that doesn’t mean we have to stick to the same old, same old. It’s time branch out, and we’re not just talking iced lattes or frothy blended beverages. We’re talking cocktails. Warm, cold, shaken or stirred, coffee lends itself perfectly to cocktail recipes that are sure to warm you from the inside out—no matter how cold it gets outside.

When crafting your concoctions, make sure to pick local, organic coffee—we love Victrola and Caffè Fiore—and locally distilled liquors whenever possible. You can get Vodka, Gin and Whiskey from Bainbridge Organic Distillery, or Vodka from Ebb+Flow or Soft Tail Spirits.  Plus, with the craft distillery law approved in Washington State in 2008, there are plenty more distilleries working on perfecting their liquors and opening up shop.

There are a variety of recipes available (like those listed below) but if you aren’t a recipe follower, simply brew up your favorite coffee (or use an espresso machine - as shown in the video below), spike it with your choice of local liquor, and add a splash of a half and half or a dollop of whip cream - and you have a winter warmer perfect for any evening.

DIY tip: When a recipe calls for coffee liqueur, instead of buying a mass-produced brand, consider making your own by picking up some locally-distilled Vodka and trying out your infusing skills with this recipe.

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Winter Warmer: Cafe Seattle
Recipe based on this one.

Ingredients:
3/4 shot Irish Cream Liquor
3/4 shot Ebb+Flow Vodka
1 oz chocolate syrup
Freshly brewed Victrola Coffee
Whipping Cream

Directions:
In a mug add Irish Cream and Vodka. Stir in chocolate syrup. Fill the mug with coffee, top with whipped cream and enjoy. Makes one cocktail.

Other Steamy Coffee Cocktails:

Nose Warmer
Chocolate Hazelnut Coffee
Capetown Coffee

Cool Concoctions: Espresso Cocktail
Recipe based on this one.

Ingredients

Ice

1 1/2 ounces grappa

3/4 ounce coffee liqueur (try making your own)

1 shot of espresso, chilled

If desired garnish with cream

Directions

Fill a cocktail shaker halfway with ice. Add the grappa, coffee liqueur and chilled espresso. Shake vigorously for 30 seconds, then strain into a martini glass and drink up. Makes one cocktail.

Other chilled Coffee Cocktails:
Sassy Coffee Soda 
Orange & Coffee Martini
Chocolate Coffee Cocktail

Get spirited with some more Seattle cocktails:

Emerald City: Three Locally Sourced Seattle Cocktails

Ebb & Flow: Seattle's Native Vodka

Bar Tabs: Here's to Happy Hour in Seattle! 

Read more...

By: | February 10 2011
Posted in Find It - Seattle

Photo by: Amie Simon

Forget to make a dinner reservation for Valentine’s Day this year? Or maybe you think sitting in a loud restaurant crammed with strangers isn’t so romantic. Since Seattle is home to four year-round farmers markets (U District, West Seattle, Pike Place Market, and Ballard), why not hit one up for fresh, local ingredients and whip up a home cooked meal for your sweetheart instead?

The Details
No matter what anyone says, flowers are always a good idea. Right now it’s the season for tulips and daffodils, and you’ll find buckets of them available at Seattle-area farmers markets. Set the mood with a bouquet of colorful orange, red, and yellow blooms from Alm Hill Gardens, and grab a bottle of Rockridge Orchards Honey Wine or Quarry Stone Hard Cider (they also have tasty non-alcoholic options) to start the evening off right.

Hard Cider, Mead, and Wine from Rockridge Orchards

The Appetizer
Start with a sure crowd-pleaser: soft, crusty French bread spread with mouth-watering spreadable cheese or flavored butter. Grateful Bread has giant baguettes that are the perfect complement to Golden Glen Creamery’s delicious garlic & sea salt, honey, or chocolate & orange butters. Thrill your tastebuds by adding some truffle-flavored cheese from Mt. Townsend Creamery to the mix.

Heart-shaped baguette at Grateful Bread

Golden Glen Butter & Mt. Townsend Cheese

 















The Entrée
Plenty of butchers, poultry farms, and fisheries sell their freshest offerings at farmers markets. You can find everything from smoked salmon to lamb, chicken breasts, steaks, and hand-cased sausage. Try a classic recipe that will woo your partner all over again. Throw some good quality beef from Sea Breeze Farm, gourmet potatoes from Olsen Farms, and colorful root veggies from Full Circle into a pot for a few hours and you’ll end up with plates full of satisfying French-style Roast Beef and vegetables.

Root vegetables from Full Circle Farm

The Dessert
If you really want to go the distance, you could whip up an apple pie or pear cardamom cake with fruit from Collins Family Orchards—or you could take an easier (and just as impressive) way out with a pair of pre-prepped Hot Cakes. Each glass jar holds just the right serving of frozen molten chocolate cake, available in dark or milk chocolate. Just defrost and bake for 15 minutes for a gooey, decadent finish. Let the romance begin!

Dark Chocolate Decadence molten chocolate cake from Hot Cakes

Take a stroll through some more Farmers Markets:

Farmers Market Plus
Spring into Spring at the Portland Farmers Market
Hot Sauce, No Parking and the Ballard Farmers Market
Love and Vegetables in the heart of the City

Read more...

By: | February 03 2011
Posted in Find It - Seattle

Crimini Mushroom Burger, Uneeda. Photo credit: Amie Simon

There’s always been great burger places in Seattle (including the classic Dick’s Drive-In), but within the last year or so, specialty burger places have been popping up all over. From the classic cheeseburger to more unusual combinations, Seattleites now have a lot of options for tasty grilled goodness to get their mouth around.

 Uneeda Burger

Located in upper Fremont, this burger joint opened by the owners of gastropub Quinn’s offers rustic charm. Built in a warehouse that was originally called Uneeda Auto & Boat Rebuild, the now-converted space features natural wood, community tables, and a big covered patio that will double its size in good weather. All burgers are made with all-natural Painted Hills Beef, but if you want to treat your taste buds, you can upgrade to Whidbey Island Crescent Harbor 100% Kobe Grass-Fed Beef for an additional $3 or $4. They also have a Lamb or Veggie option, and a variety of sides ranging from plain fries to gravy and cheese poutine. Burger prices vary between $7.25-$12.

Recommended burger: The Philly Smash. Charred peppers and onions, Gruyere and special sauce. Try it with some of their thickly battered onion rings and a Mexican Coke.

Dope Burger

The newest of the bunch, this Belltown burger place is already earning rave reviews for its delicious offerings. With a colorful graffiti mural on the walls, Dope Burger has a fun and funky atmosphere to go with its “dope” attitude. Their ¼ pound patties are made with 100% Angus twice ground chuck, and served on fresh baked buns. In addition the usual sides, you can get avocado or sweet potato fries, and deep friend mushrooms. Burger prices range from $5 to $7, with options to sub a chicken breast for $1.50 extra.

Recommended Burger: The Super Mario. A Portabella Mushrom Cap filled with cheddar, swiss, and avocado, breaded and fried. Topped with iceberg lettuce, tomato and dope sauce (hint: you can also add a Super Mario to any burger for $3.75 – yum!).

Lunchbox Laboratory

With a recent move to South Lake Union (formerly located in Ballard), this home-style burger counter is guaranteed to drum up new business and satisfy loyal fans with its signature “build your own burger” menu. Patty choices include beef, prime rib, lamb, buffalo, dork (duck/pork), filet mignon, wild boar, red quinoa-falafel and more. You can choose to add toppings like maple bacon, pickled jalapenos, candied balsamic onions and cornbeef chili. They also offer 10-15 cheeses, over 20 different sauces, and sides including “tato tots” and mac n cheese. Burger prices vary depending on each component (starting at $9 for a plain, no-toppings beef burger). With so many options, it should be no surprise that these burgers are HUGE—so you might want to consider splitting one with a friend, or preparing to take the rest home for dinner.

Recommended burger: Lamb patty with feta cheese, lunchbox onions, and basil aioli with a side of sweet potato fries.

Built Burger

Evolving from an online patty delivery service, this small Pioneer Square space with minimalist décor and vintage signs cooks up unique, mouth-watering burgers. The secret is packing flavorful ingredients inside each patty, instead of just on top. Offering a menu of regular Builts, from the Pinnacle Bacon Bleu to the Thrill BBQ Pork, they also have daily specials on the board, and an array of dipping sauces for your burger and sides. Burger prices range from $7.50 to $8.95, or you can get one of their tasting plates with 3 Little Builts for $11.95 (flavors change daily).

Recommended burger: Supreme Pastrami. Braised market house pastrami with beef, mustards and pickles in the patty, topped with swiss, sauerkraut and thousand island—and don’t miss the savory potato beignets, which are like delicious little explosions of mashed potatoes in your mouth.

Red Mill

The most traditional burger place on the list, Red Mill burgers originally opened in 1937 but had to close in 1967. Fortunately, they re-opened in 1994 and now have two locations in Phinney Ridge and Magnolia. With a 50s-style atmosphere, this classic diner serves up basic burgers at a decent price, just be prepared to wait in the long lines. Their menu is pretty basic, but always fresh and delicious. The Red Mill Deluxe with Cheese, Double Bacon, and BBQ Burger are all popular favorites. Burger prices range from $4 to $8, with fries and onion rings for sides.

Recommended burger: Verde Burger. Fire roasted Anaheim peppers, jack cheese, lettuce, tomato, red onion and mill sauce. FYI: If you’re not a meat eater, the flavors in the Verge Veg Burger are also amazing!

View Best Seattle Burger Stops in a full screen map

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By: | February 01 2011
Posted in Find It - Seattle

English Meat Pie, Mac N Cheese Pie. Photo credit: Amie Simon

Expanding beyond its "coffee lovers" label, the city of Seattle is quickly becoming a dessert town. Ice cream, cakes, and pastries have all been making waves, but within the last year or two, pie shops have been gaining popularity with locations popping up around town—leaving locals wondering if pies are the new cupcakes.

Pie

 

Located in a narrow Fremont space, Pie serves up a variety of sweet and savory hand-held pies baked in muffin tins for breakfast, lunch, and dinner—with a late night window on Friday and Saturday until 2am so you can satisfy your pie craving after last call. Daily creations like huevos rancheros, cheddar and bacon, blueberry pear with brown sugar crumble, and monkey madness (vanilla and chocolate cream with bananas and toasted coconut) have been luring crowds of pie-lovers in. Pies range in price from $4-$6, except during “Pi” happy hour, where select pies are discounted to $3.14 each. 

Recommended pie: English meat pie. Ground beef, onions, and spices with cheese baked into the crust. It’s savory and filling.

3515 Fremont Avenue N., Seattle, WA

Shoofly Pie Company

This brightly painted shop in West Seattle offers home-baked warmth and a large variety of sweet pies from traditional apple and strawberry rhubarb to peach-raspberry galette and coconut cream. Pies are available by the slice, 9” whole pie, 5” mini pie, and cupPies and cutiePies. For those who want something savory, Shoofly offers a caramelized onion, veggie, chicken, or beef pie. They also have a featured pie of the month, and quiches so they’ve got you covered on all bases. Pies range in price from $3.50-$4.95 per slice/cup, and $20-$30 for whole pies.

Recommended pie: Shoofly Pie. This house specialty has dark molasses and a crumbly, buttery crust, which pairs perfectly with a piping hot cup of coffee.

4444 California Avenue Southwest, Seattle, WA (206) 938-0680

High 5 Pie

Originally sold at all Fuel locations, baker and coffee shop owner Dani Cone decided to take the plunge and open a bakery on Capitol Hill. The spacious spot has a great retro vibe and lots of pie options:  Flipsides (handheld crescent-shaped pies), Piejars, Cutie Pies, 7” Deep Dish, 9” Pies, Petit-5s, and even take-and-bake pies. Most flavors change seasonally, with regular standbys like Apple-Cinnamon. You can even get your pie a la mode with Bluebird ice cream. Pies range in price from $3.50 to $90 (for the Mile Wide Pie, which feeds 30 people).

Recommended pie: When in season, you can’t beat the Peach-Ginger-Raspberry. The Rosemary Apple Cheddar is also a nice fall treat.

1400 12th Avenue, Seattle, WA (206) 695-2284

Seattle Pie Company

Located in a homey space in Magnolia Village, this family-run pie shop made Seattle Magazine’s Best of Seattle list two years in a row (2009 and 2010). Choose from different fruit pies like Apple Huckleberry Crumb or Sour Cherry, or get your savory fix with a Southwest Pot Pie or Meatloaf Pie. In addition to enjoying a slice in their inviting space, you can also find Seattle Pie Company pies for sale at local Metropolitan Markets, Town & Country Markets, Central Markets, and select QFCs. Pies range in price from $3.50-$5 a slice, and $16.50-19.50 for whole pies.

Recommended pie: Desserted Island Pie. A mix or raspberries, marionberries, strawberries and granny smith apples with a crumb topping. Yum.

3111 West McGraw Street, Seattle, WA (206) 217-4743

Home Delivery Pies

Don’t feel like making at trip out of the house? Get your dessert fix by having a pie delivered to your door! There are two options for Seattle residents: A La Mode Pies, and The Piecycle (AKA Max Kraushaar and his bike).

A La Mode Pies is a delivery-only pie shop run by Chris Porter, who turned his childhood love of pies and baking into an online business. A seasonally rotating menu offers up everything from a Lemon Macaroon Tart to a Chocolate Cream pie with a Pretzel Crust. Delivering whole pies only, prices range from $25-$30. A La Mode offers free delivery to Seattle and Bellevue-area neighborhoods.

The Piecycle takes orders via his Facebook page, text and twitter, and currently only delivers in the U District (including the UW campus), accepting late night pie orders on Friday and Saturday nights. His flavors vary, but he does take custom requests. Recent offerings included Grandma’s Lemon Meringue and Georgia Sweet Potato, with prices at $3 a slice or $20 for a whole pie. Check out this cute YouTube video by The Daily for more info on Max.

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By: | January 31 2011
Posted in Find It - Seattle

Honey Pear Salad with Homemade Dressing, Photo by Michael Sarko

Honey is the world's first sweetener and it remains a favorite to this day. That distinct, warm flavor appears everywhere, from desserts to tea to glazes and more. But honey is also a work-intensive luxury that doesn't come easy. Modern honey production isn't as dangerous (or as painful) as it was for the majority of human history. There are cave paintings dating back to 13,000 B.C. depicting people using smoke to force bees away from their hives to get at the honey inside. Later, people began keeping artificial hives made of clay and straw, a process that didn't change much until the Industrial Revolution saw innovations in the development of the moveable frame bee hive, an invention of Polish inventor and apiarist Johann Dzierzon.

This incredible device made it possible for people all over the world to keep sustainable honey farms without harming the bees themselves. This turned modern apiarists, like Washington's own Mech family, from honey producers into a cornerstone of natural agriculture. Apiaries transport their bees all over their region to pollinate local crops, including nut trees, fruit trees and bushes and all varieties of flowers. Though their honey is delicious, the locals ought to also love Mech Apiaries for their contribution to the Pacific Northwest's bounty of unparalleled produce.

Those apple and pear trees in Washington and Oregon, those berry bushes growing throughout the greater Seattle area, even those beautiful almond orchards in California all have apiarists like Doris and Don Mech to thank for their yearly blossom. Mech Apiaries has been selling the products of their buzzing work force at Pike Place Market since 1974. Every Saturday they travel from the lake-touched region of Maple Valley to Seattle to sell everything from raw honey to bee's wax candles and even Doris's home-made honey cookies.

Just a few years ago, Mech Apiaries suffered from the same catastrophic Colony Collapse Disorder that affected bees all over the world. They lost whole bee boxes in the process, but have persevered to keep bringing locally-produced honey to Seattle. Their Maple Blossom honey from the springtime flows is a favorite, though for something a little extra-special they bring out their Fireweed honey care of the powerful Mount Rainier.

While it's good on its own and practically begs to be included in baked goods, the Mech family's honey also deserves some recognition for its use with other local products. That's where the inspiration for this original Local Dish recipe for Honey Pear Salad Dressing comes from.

Core and slice one pear of any variety and place the slices in a single layer in a large bowl. Sprinkle a pinch of course salt over the slices to coax extra moisture out of them and then apply just a few drops of orange juice to each slice to prevent browning. Let the fruit rest in the refrigerator for a half hour, then pour the liquid off into a small container. Add one tablespoon of Mech Apiaries honey to the juice along with two teaspoons of milk or cream for body. Stir until the honey dissolves and then drizzle over the pear slices resting on a bed of lettuce. Add freshly ground pepper to taste.

 

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By: | January 27 2011
Posted in Find It - Seattle

Photo credit: Jessica Ivaska

We’ve noticed something happening up in Seattle lately. In all fairness, it started over a year ago, but it keeps gaining momentum. We’re talking about the return of the butcher shop.

Sure, there were few butcher shops here and there, but in the name of convenience and one-stop-shopping, most people have been buying their meat from the grocery store, not giving a second thought to where it came from. (We aren’t kidding about this. One package of ground beef we saw said “May contain meat from the USA, Australia or New Zealand.”)

But for residents all over Seattle, that’s changing. And the reason it’s changing is Bill the Butcher.

Bill the Butcher focuses on selling high-quality, all-natural, often organic beef, pork and poultry from farms and ranches that focus on sustainability and natural-farming practices. That means much of the meat they sell comes from animals who receive no hormones, no steroids and no genetically modified feed. That also means the meat is healthier because, just like people, healthy food makes for healthy animals.

In addition to partnering with farmers who use natural farming practices, Bill the Butcher works with farms and ranches that are nearby. Suppliers are located in Carnation, Arlington, Marysville, Mount Vernon, Lopez Island, Anacortes, Duvall, Bow and Spanaway, as well as in Wyoming, Montana and Oregon. Word has it they are even working on a system to track every single cut of meat from farm to shop.

Plus, these guys not only know where their meat comes from, they know how to cook it. They can help you with recipes, choosing the best cut for your specific dish, marinades, rubs and roasting and grilling tips.

With a mission to, “Support the return of the sustainable way of raising animals on grass, return freshness, flavor and healthful benefits to your meat, help support the growth of small local farmers and ranchers, and in the process, improve the health and longevity of the land,” we’re glad that Bill the Butcher is taking Seattle by storm.

Bill the Butcher’s Current Locations

Woodinville
Laurelhurst Shop
Redmond
Madison Valley
Magnolia
Bellevue

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By: | January 20 2011
Posted in Find It - Seattle

Holmquist Hazelnut Orchard, Photo credit: Richard Holmquist

The historical accounts of Whatcom County, Washington have plenty of good things to say about one John V. Holmquist, a Finnish farmer who left his native country in 1905 to escape the drudgery of his first profession, that of a drug store clerk. He and his father bought a plot of heavily wooded land and set to clearing it for cultivation. Today, that land is known as the home of some of the finest hazelnut products in the nation. Holmquist Hazelnut Orchards has been operating since 1928 when John and his son Anton planted their first hazel trees. The family sells the bounty of their orchard at farmer's markets all around Washington, including at their table in the Pike Place Arcade.

The secret of Holmquist's success in the hazelnut business is their focus on the DuChilly variety of the nut. It's a cultivar unique to Washington state, a hybrid of predominantly European Common Hazel and the mild Filbert Hazel mostly found in Turkey and the Balkan states. The DuChilly is far more versatile than the common hazelnut. While most hazelnuts have a heavy, deeply bitter skin and only a mild flavor, DuChilly nuts have only a thin skin and the meat is naturally sweeter. This means that DuChilly hazelnuts are excellent snacks after just a light roasting, as well as being useful in a variety of other products without necessitating as many additives.

Everyone knows that hazelnuts go great with chocolate, so Holmquist sells several types of chocolate-covered nuts in 6-ounce bags. They also experiment with other flavors, like Lemon Honey and spicy Southwestern. For those who have never gone beyond the standard PB&J, try making a sandwich with hazelnut butter instead. Holmquist's isn't too sweet and it has the texture of any proper, organic nut butter.

For those who like to bake but aren't thrilled with the impact a batch of cookies can have on a strict diet, consider the heart-healthy properties of nut flour. Holmquist makes a hazelnut flour that has a number of unique uses, but one of the finest is the delicious hazelnut cookie. Hazelnut cookies are naturally low-carb and don't require as much sweetener as a standard batch of grain flour cookies. Check out this Local Dish recipe for a hazel twist on the classic chocolate chip cookie.

Hazelnut Chocolate Chip Cookies

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix 1 to 1 ¼ cup of hazelnut flour with a cup of sugar or your preferred sweetener.

Fold in one egg, ¼ cup of melted, unsalted butter and a few drops of vanilla extract.

How may chocolate chips you add depends on your craving, but a half cup is a good starting point. Combine with mixture.

Roll pieces of dough into 1-inch balls and place on a parchment covered cookie sheet. Bake for ten minutes.

Because these are nut cookies you'll want to resist the urge to let them brown, as that will mean burnt flour. The resulting cookies should be soft, chewy and full of hazelnut flavor.

 

Seattle locals love these, too!

Chukar Cherries

Mick's Peppourri Jelly

 

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By: | January 17 2011
Posted in Cook It - Seattle

Photo credit: Flickr

There’s no denying that Seattle residents love their coffee.  Black and strong, light and frothy, with non-fat milk, or in a breve latte…there’s an inexhaustible number of ways we enjoy it. And because most of us lap it up in the morning (ok, and afternoon…and evening) we can forget there are other things to do with coffee besides drink it. Like cook with it.

Of course, adding coffee to desserts might not be a surprise to most foodies—even people who aren’t coffee drinkers devour sweet delights like Italian tiramisu and hand-crafted mocha ice cream—but using it to enhance the flavor of meat is another story. Using coffee in meat dishes may sound strange, but it shouldn’t. Once you try it, you may just want to add it to, well, everything.

Coffee and meat make a perfect pair. Coffee brings out the flavor of a great cut of meat without being too overpowering. We promise, you won’t feel like you’re eating your morning cup of joe. Try the recipe below for coffee-rubbed flank steak from Whole Foods and you’ll see what we mean.  

Since Seattle has such a bounty of great grinds, try the recipe with a different coffee roast to see how the flavor changes once you get the hang of it.

Cedar-Grilled Flat Iron Steaks with Coffee Rub

Ingredients

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 1/2 tablespoons finely ground Allegro Espresso Sierra, or other dark coffee

2 teaspoons chili powder

1/8 teaspoon cayenne

2 teaspoons kosher salt

2 1/2 pounds Flat Iron steaks

Cedar planks for grilling, soaked in water at least 3 hours before use

2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for oiling planks

Method

Combine sugar, coffee, chili powder, cayenne and salt in small bowl.

Cut steak to fit on cedar planks, if necessary.

Brush steak with 2 teaspoons oil; sprinkle all over with coffee rub and press to adhere. Set aside.

Prepare a grill for high-heat cooking. When very hot, bank coals on one side of grill, leaving one side free of coals; if using a gas grill, turn burner off on one side. Have a spray bottle filled with water handy.

Heat cedar planks on cool side of grill for 3 minutes; remove from grill, brush one side lightly with oil and set aside.

Grill steaks on hot side of grill until just seared, 1 to 2 minutes per side.

Transfer steaks to oiled sides of planks and place planks near (but not over, if possible) hot zone on grill; close grill cover and cook until steaks reach desired doneness, 8 to 12 minutes for medium-rare. Spray edges of planks with water if they catch fire. Remove planks from grill; rest steaks on planks 10 minutes before slicing.

Serves 6.

 

So, the next time you’re contemplating what to do with that beef roast, lamb shank or farm-raised chicken, try adding some ground coffee to your favorite spices for a rub (keep in mind that the smaller you grind your coffee the stronger the meat flavor will be), or marinate your meat in leftover coffee with some spices thrown in.

Coffee Braised Beef Ribs. Photo credit: Flickr, Food Thinkers

When you’re ready to branch out, Epicurious has pulled together a list of 14 of their favorite coffee recipes, from Jamaican Coffee Brownies to Short Ribs Braised in Coffee Ancho Chile Sauce.

 

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By: | January 12 2011
Posted in Find It - Seattle

Photo credit: Michael Sarko

The noble cherry. Sweet, firm and pleasant to the eye, it's one of the many natural bounties that make Washington such a great state. And yet that little stone fruit is rarely loved for its versatility. It's astounding how few people explore cherries beyond pie and cocktail garnish. Sure, cherries are great at both of those things, but dessert pastry and chilled Manhattans are far from everyday foods. There's so much more to this red wonder, so many ways it could become a regular part of the Pacific Northwest culinary routine. For a little inspiration, just take a trip to Pike Place Market and find out why the locals love Chukar Cherries.

Chukar Cherries is a Seattle institution, providing a wide variety of snacks, treats and curiosities to market-goers since 1988. Pamela Montgomery, a member of the International Association of Culinary Professionals, decided to share the products of her family's orchard in the peaceful river community of Prosser, Washington. Prosser is a town in Washington wine country along the Yakima river, a semi-arid climate that has been home to some of the state's finest vineyards and orchards. Pam and her husband JT fell in love with the 100 acre plot that would become Heirloom Orchards and set to growing premium cherries, including the popular Bing and Rainier varieties, as well as other tree fruits like peaches.

Aside from their delicious chocolate-covered cherry treats, Chukar makes a killer trail mix called Nuts Over Bings, a combination of dried cherries, pistachios, cashews and almonds. For a more indulgent snack, the Cherry Pecan Caramel Corn is out of this world.

But if you're looking for something you can cook with, there's a lot of potential in the Red Sour Cherry Preserves. A goat cheese pairing? Sure. A cheesecake topping? Of course. But what about a cherry tart? More specifically, a Cherry Nut Tartelette using all local ingredients? You can start with this original Local Dish recipe.

Start with 2 cups of your favorite nuts (almonds, pecans and especially hazelnuts, or any combination work wonders).

Roast and grind the nuts to a fine consistency. Then mix them together with ¼ teaspoon of ground cinnamon, ¼ cup of granulated sugar and just a pinch of brown sugar.

Once combined, throw in ¼ cup of melted, unsalted butter. Stir to combine. Divide the mixture into 4-6 miniature pie tins or small ramekins, making sure to press and compact the mix firmly and uniformly into the bottom and sides.

Let them chill in the refrigerator for an hour and then pop the mini-crusts into a preheated, 350 degree oven for 10-15 minutes. Keep your eye on them to make sure they don't burn.

Once your crusts are finished, let them cool for a half hour, then fill them with the Chukar Red Sour Cherry Preserves.

If you're feeling particularly indulgent, you can also add a small dollop of crème fraiche to really liven up the tartness of the cherries.

Chill and serve.

 

Look for Chukar Cherries in the Main Arcade at Pike Place Market, at their headquarters in Prosser, WA, or online.

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By: | January 06 2011
Posted in Cook It - Seattle

Photo credit: Jessica Ivaska

As you may have heard by now, it’s Dungeness crab season in the Pacific Northwest. Named for the city of Dungeness, near Sequim, WA, people around the country go crazy for this tasty crustacean. Lucky for us locals there’s plenty available right now, and because it’s in season, prices are about as good as they get. Crab at incredible prices? You bet! It’s just one more reason eating local has its perks. 

And while it may be a bit too chilly to hit the park and spread a picnic table with newspaper and crack open the shells of freshly steamed beauties, it doesn’t matter. The winter season allows you to get creative. The delicate and slightly sweet flavor of Dungeness crab lends itself well to soups, omelets, sandwiches, pastas...and simply dipped in fresh cream butter.

You could add it to some of your favorite recipes for a new twist, or whip up a seafood salad, make warm and rich crab bisque, fry up some crab cakes, or try the delicious crab and asparagus risotto below. Whatever you decide, just make sure you take the opportunity to enjoy the bounty of our frigid winter waters. We promise, your mouth—and your stomach—will thank you.

Since the season lasts only until quotas are met, there’s no way of knowing for sure when it’s going to end.  So why wait? Head to your favorite fishmonger or market and bring home a few fresh crabs to crack open.

Tips for Selecting Fresh Crab

When buying for specific recipes, keep in mind that about a quarter of the crab’s weight is meat.

If you’re buying live crab, hold it behind the claws to avoid getting pinched.

As with all seafood, the fresher the better—if the legs of cooked crab are too flexible, it means it’s getting old.

Crab and Asparagus Risotto

Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 cloves garlic, crushed

1 medium yellow onion, diced

1 cup short-grain white rice such as Arborio

½ pound asparagus, steamed and roughly chopped into ¾ inch pieces

5-6 cups chicken stock, hot

½ tablespoon dried tarragon

½ tablespoon dried parsley

½ cup dry white wine

½ pound Dungeness crab meat

1 tablespoon butter

½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese, more for garnish

Directions:

Heat a pot over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons olive oil, heat until oil is hot, add diced onion and cook until translucent

Add garlic and cook for about 1 minute

Add the rice an stir it so it is coated in the oil and onion and garlic, toast for a moments

Pour in the wine and cook until liquid absorbs

Sprinkle the tarragon and parsley over the mixture and stir to combine

Add the stock ½ cup at a time, stirring often. Cook until liquid has absorbed before adding another ½ cup.

Continue adding stock until the rice is starting to become translucent and is tender, approximately 15-20 minutes.

Add the steamed asparagus and stir to combine, cook for a minute or so until the asparagus is heated through

Take pot off heat, stir in 1 tablespoon of butter until melted.

Stir in the crab; incorporate the Parmesan cheese until melted and combined.

Salt and pepper to taste

Serve with additional Parmesan on top

 

Here are a few other crab recipes to try:

Crab Chowder

Dungeness Crab Fresh Rolls

And if you have so much crab you’re looking for a few more suggestions, Sunset Magazine has a list of 22 ways to enjoy the fresh, rich flavor of Dungeness crab.

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By: | January 05 2011
Posted in Find It - Seattle

Photo by Michael Sarko

The setting: Your home.

The event: A dinner party.

The problem: Fear of boring your guests with the same, old dishes.

The solution: A little jar of Washington State innovation.

Pike's Place Market in Seattle is full of delights and surprises for the visitor and the Seattleite alike. One of the longest-lived tables at the market is a custom booth slinging jars of some of the most unique spreads in the world. Put away the strawberry preserves, keep the marmalade on the shelf. Seattle is a town that knows the joy of pepper jelly. Sweet, spicy and delightfully strange, this unique creation is potent, organic and versatile. That's why the locals love Mick's Peppourri jellies.

Walt Mick was an elementary school principal in the late 1970's when some of his cousins, farmers in Eastern Washington with a nose for peppers, passed along their homebrew recipe for pepper jelly to him as a gift. What began as a hobby for Walt and his wife Ginger soon evolved into a business. They set up shop at Pike's Place to sell their Peppourri in 1982 and have since become a fixture at the market, providing adventurous passers-by with free samples delivered on long, wooden sticks and engaging in some friendly banter.

Since then, Mick's has expanded the menu to include what is now 27 varieties of unusual jelly. Neophytes should start with the award-winning red pepper jellies (of which there are both mild and hot versions), then move up to some of the harder-hitting styles like Death Valley and Beyond Buzztail for an intense habanero experience.

Mick's has also branched out into luxury jellies, including their wine, sake and beer varieties. The Cabernet and Chardonnay styles practically beg for a melted brie while the sake jelly could bring some diversity to a sushi plate.

But if you want to use Mick's like some of Seattle's premiere restaurateurs have been using it for years, you're going to want to learn the art of the glaze. The good folks at Mick's are happy to provide some killer recipes, including this one for grilled prawns.

Larry's Grilled Prawns

1 lb. prawns, cleaned and deveined
8 oz. jar Mick's Peppourri
3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2/3 cup olive oil
3 cloves garlic

On hand: Bamboo skewers for prawns

Preheat grill or broiler to very hot for 8-10 minutes. Brush with vegetable oil. Skewer 3-4 shrimp to each skewer.
Grill 1-2 minutes on each side or just until they curl and turn pink

Glaze: Gently warm pepper jelly with the vinegar just until jelly melts and starts to bubble.
Brush prawns with glaze. Serve on platter sprinkled with chopped cilantro.

Serves 4-6.

 

Look for these other local favorites at Pike's Place Market

Chukar Cherries

Holmquist Hazelnuts

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By: | December 26 2010
Posted in Find It - Seattle

Photo credit: Flickr

New Year’s Eve is just around the corner, and you know what that means: cocktail parties with scrumptious nibbles and a midnight toast. So as you’re shopping for that perfect bottle of bubbly, don’t forget about local sparkling wines from our Pacific Northwest. They may not be from France, but they are delicious.

Christopher Chan, Director of Wine & Spirits at The Rainier Club in Seattle, has a few top picks that are sure to help you start off 2011 with just the right flavors.

Photo credit: Christopher Chan

TLD: We know that true champagne comes from France, but are there some local sparkling wines that are just as outstanding?

CC: When it comes to wine in the Pacific Northwest, we are best known for our rich and robust reds, bright and racy Rieslings, and sublime and sexy Pinot Noirs and Pinot Gris. But we do have more to offer than these classics gems, we have some great sparkling varieties as well.

TLD: With so many great wines coming from Washington and Oregon in recent years, we knew there had to be at least a few top-notch sparkling ones. What are your top picks for ringing in the new year?

CC: Always affordable and widely available, Washington’s Domaine Ste. Michelle produces a host of sparkling wines. They have everything from a 100% chardonnay “Blanc de Blancs,” to a Brut, an Extra Dry Brut and a “Blanc de Noirs”, a white made from Pinot Noir.  All of these wines have flavors of fresh fruit and lively acidity.

If you’re seeking something with a bit more of a sophisticated flavor, I recommend LUXE, which is Ste. Michelle’s premier pure chardonnay sparking wine. It’s fermented in oak for richness and aged for five years in the bottle (just like Champagne). LUXE is lightly textured, with flavors of tart lemon, apple blossom and bread crust notes, and it has a crisp, dry lingering finish.

TLD: The LUXE sounds delicious. Do you have any favorites from the Willamette Valley? 

CC: From Oregon, I recommend several fantastic sparklers from Argyle Winery. The Brut, Brut Rosé and Extended Tirage (ET) wines are all fantastic. All are vintage dated and unique each year, depending on which vineyards boast the best grapes. In my humble opinion, Argyle’s ET is by far the most outstanding Champagne-like sparkling wine made in America.

On the other end of the spectrum is a beautiful, low-alcohol, highly floral, aromatic and slightly sweet Muscat from Oregon’s Tualatin Estate, which is one of Oregon’s older vineyards that consistently produces award-winning wines. I love this wine because it’s light, flavorful and just plain fun. It’s perfect for toasting at midnight paired with desserts, or even served with pastries over New Year’s Brunch, It also makes delectable mimosas.

TLD: Thank you so much for sharing your expertise with us.

CC: My pleasure. Washington has some incredible wines and these are a few of my favorites for ringing in the season with great food, fine friends and family. Salud!

How to Pop the Cork—Perfectly

Popping the cork on a delicious bottle of bubbly can be almost as fun as drinking it. Here are some no fail tips to make sure the cork doesn’t go flying and the wine ends up in your glass. 

 

Top Picks for Northwest Sparkling Wine

Most Affordable ($10-$15 per bottle)

Blanc de Blancs, Domaine Ste. Michelle, WA

Blanc de Noirs, Domaine Ste. Michelle, WA

Cuvee Brut, Domaine Ste. Michelle, WA

Extra Dry, Domaine Ste. Michelle, WA

Moderately Priced ($15-$30 per Bottle)

LUXE, Domaine Ste. Michelle, WA

Argyle Brut, Argyle Winery, OR

Semi-Sparkling Muscat, Tualatin Estate, OR

Higher-end Toasting ($50-$60 per bottle)

Argyle Brut Rosé, Argyle Winery, OR

Extended Tirage Brut, Argyle Winery, OR

 

Read more...

By: | December 10 2010
Posted in Cook It - Seattle

Photo by Michael Sarko

What do you get for the budding foodie who has already collected all the kitchen equipment, top-notch cookbooks and rare oil infusions one could want? Well, you could certainly do worse than paying their way to a cooking class that suits their adventurous, refined tastes. Seattle is home to a variety of excellent schools of cuisine that are open to the public. It doesn't take years at Le Cordon Bleu to get access to skilled chef-teachers and five-star restaurant recipes. Some cooking classes are one-off crash courses in a particular dish, others are longer surveys on whole areas of cuisine, much like the friendly format of ballroom dance classes. Whether you're in it to pick up some new moves in the kitchen or looking for the perfect gift for that amateur gourmet in your life, be sure to check out some of Seattle's most impressive public culinary programs.
Just north of University Village you'll find the campus of Cook's World, a teaching kitchen that has been training aspiring chefs in Seattle for over 20 years. Their year-round classes cover every point on the cooking spectrum, from the basics of bread-making to the fundamentals of knife work and the nuances of regional cuisine. Cook's World ensures its students get a proper education from proven masters. They pull in guest teachers from some of Seattle's finest restaurants, including Dylan Giordan of the Italian eatery Serafina in Eastlake and Nick Musser of the 5^th Avenue favorite Icon Grill. Don't let this intimidate you, though. Cook's World offers classes for people at every skill level. If need be, they'll teach you how to boil water before you dive into the subtleties of gourmet pasta.

If you're looking for a way to introduce a young person who dreams of being a chef to the culinary arts, there's no better way than a kitchen camp experience at Blue Ribbon. The Children's Cooking Camp is the invention of Blue Ribbon founder Virginia Johns-Duppenthaler. A long-time resident of Madison Park, Virginia decided to bring kids into the kitchen for some serious (and seriously fun) cooking that went beyond the cookies and s'mores of the average summer program. 15 years later and the camp is going strong.

If fresh and local is your thing-- and why shouldn't it be? --the place to look in Seattle is at Diane's Market Kitchen. Minnesota native Diane LaVonne parlayed her career in catering and hospitality into a Seattle business aimed at bringing local foodies together with local ingredients to make intrepid chefs and proud cuisine. Located in Post Alley, that go-to spot for savvy Seattleites with big appetites, Diane's Market Kitchen is just around the corner from Pike Place Market and it uses that geographic convenience to its advantage. Diane's cooking classes focus on Northwestern food and wine, using the region's abundance of fresh ingredients to make truly stunning food. And hey, you might make some new friends while you're at it.

Cooking classes are great gifts because they provide lifelong skills and open up a world of possibilities for the essential experience of eating. Improve what's on your plate and you'll improve a fundamental aspect of your life. Seattle has plenty to offer in that realm, so get out there, get cooking and start eating better.

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By: | December 06 2010
Posted in Find It - Seattle

Punch and Company at The Knee High.   Photo by Michael Sarko

It's Saturday night. You're dressed to the nines. You've got a whistle to wet and not just any drink will do the trick. You need something strong, something sophisticated. You need a cocktail. So, you step out into the rainy streets of Seattle, confidant that your unique know-how can take you where you need to go. You slip into an alley adorned with torn posters of by-gone burlesque acts. You stop in front of an unmarked door that looks like it hasn't been opened in ages, glancing over your shoulder to make sure you weren't followed. When you ring the bell, a face gazes out to assess if you're all right. A quick nod and you're in.

It's just a quick jaunt down an unassuming hallway and you've finally arrived. A warm, cozy room with bottles on the wall, a magician of a mixologist ready to serve and the comfort of knowing that none of the riff-raff will be joining you tonight. Either it's 1930 and you've just found your way to a proper speakeasy or it's 2010 and you know how to get to one of Seattle's best, most hidden bars.

Perhaps you've ventured into a quiet corner of Capitol Hill and used your foreknowledge of the esoteric method of entry to nab a seat at The Knee High Stocking Company. There's no sign, the door was locked and the windows were all dark, but your dapper appearance and polite demeanor got you out of the rain. The only question now is whether you'd like to sip on one of the bar's excellent Happy Hour punch concoctions (be the first to order one and you'll get to name it) or if you're in the mood for a classic cocktail like the stinging Widow's Kiss or the gingery Dark & Stormy. While you're at it you might as well indulge in a plate of Lamb Mini Burgers served with fresh pepper and dressed in mango chutney.

Lamb Mini Burgers with Mango Chutney.   Photo by Michael Sarko

Of course, you may have actually ducked into Post Alley to find The Pink Door Cabaret. It's a sophisticated joint for the literal-minded aesthete. Word has it you just look for the big, pink door recessed into an otherwise unremarkable building, follow the signs through the hallway and down the stairs to catch a stimulating stage show and a stiff drink. Enjoy some house wine or a seasonal cocktail while you dig into a Crème Brulee made fresh for you.

If you didn't get as far as Post Alley, you were probably drawn to the vibrations under your feet at Pike Place Market where you followed the sounds to The Can-Can. While munching on a delightfully unusual Toulouse Pizzette with grapes, walnuts and caramelized onion, you no doubt caught the other patron's whispers about that European vice called Absinthe. How were you to know you were sitting among the city's largest collection of the stuff? Tempted, as many have been, by the Green Fairy, you indulged in its anisette spark while watching a lively performance on the nearby stage. You could see people pass above you through the glass imbedded in the sidewalk, unaware of the unique experience just below their feet.

Though you may have gone someplace else entirely. Inquiring minds want to know: Where did you disappear to on that rainy Saturday night in Seattle?

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By: | December 04 2010
Posted in Share It - Seattle

Photo:Patricia Eddy

In addition to pledging to buy locally for the holidays, how about creating your own homemade food gifts? Cooking up tasty treats in your kitchen and gifting them in hand-decorated jars or other containers is a great way to give something personal and thoughtful. To help you get started, The Local Dish talked to five Seattle food bloggers and got their favorite gift-giving ideas for a holly-jolly homemade holiday!

 

John and Patricia Eddy, CookLocal.com
We have a few favorite holiday gifts. If we're traveling and liquids are hard to pack, we always reach for a jar of Secret Stash Salt. Our favorites are the vanilla salt and the lavender rosemary salt. A bit of flavored salt is a simple way to add variety to your meals. If we're looking for something homemade, we opt for a jar of quince marmalade. We've made this for the past two years and it's simple to make, keeps for over a year, and is very versatile. Not only can you put on toast, but it also makes a wonderful cheese companion, and you can even put some in a tea ball and brew a lovely and decaffeinated hot drink with it.

 

 

Lara Alexander, food.soil.thread.com.

This year, I'm skipping the mass cookie baking and giving a treat that is more in line with healthy New Years resolutions than holiday gluttony. I brought back a killer recipe for granola after a trip to British Columbia a few years ago, and it's about time that recipe gets put to good use. A trip to the bulk bins of the grocery store, a big bowl, and a few shakes of the baking sheet, and this breakfast treat will be ready for a clear bag and fancy ribbon.

 

 

 

 

Lil Welch, ObsessedwithDinner.com
Every year at Christmas I make a gift to give to friends and family. Sometimes it's crafty, sometimes it food-oriented, but the budget is always $10 to $15 per person. This year I'm canning homemade tomatillo salsa and giving it with a bag of Have'a Corn Chips (ridiculously good/weird tortilla chips made with a touch of soy sauce and lime), and a bowl for serving. I bought a case of the bowls from a restaurant supply store so that I could stay on budget.

 

 

 

 

SJ Alexander, TheQueensScullery.com
For 2010, I have been modifying Victorian recipes so they remain authentic and yet easy to prepare in a modern kitchen. As I'm anticipating holiday parties and open houses thrown by my foodie friends who have seen and eaten everything at least twice, I was thinking about a more unusual host or hostess gift. I settled on Potted Ham and Potted Rabbit, which is not only fun for meat lovers and historical food buffs, but is also delicious and pairs well with the cheeses, jams, and wines of the season.

 

 

 

 

From Leslie Seaton, FreshPickedSeattle.com
Spiced nuts are always a good crowd pleaser, and I like to use a recipe for Rosemary Pecans that is simple and delicious. The best part is that most Seattleites can just cut the rosemary from their own (or neighbor's) yard! A perfect way to wrap up this delicious snack is to use clean jelly jars or tins, and apply decorative paper and hand written labels to the outside. For more great homemade food gifts, check out this round up of Gifts from the Kitchen.

 

 

 

 

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By: | November 20 2010
Posted in Find It - Seattle

Photo: Amie Simon

Looking for some unique holiday gifts native to Seattle? This list of local Pacific Northwest foodie standouts are great for stuffing stockings, placing under a tree—or even wrapping in a bow and placing in your fridge or freezer, and will really make your special someones convinced that Santa made a visit!

Photo: Amie Simon

1. Secret Stash Salts: These gourmet sea salts are designed to enhance the taste of everything from veggies to popcorn with flavors like Chorizo, Coconut Masala, Truffle, and Almond Cardamom. Pick them up at local shops like Dish it Up in Ballard, or purchase online. Prices vary from $5-$20 depending on the size and variety, and you can order a holiday sampler of four 1-oz. samples for $22 from their site.

2. Theo Chocolates: Almost everything from this organic, fair trade chocolatier is amazingly delicious. Try this year’s special Theo Chef Sessions, which has 7 chocolates created by local Seattle chefs including Maria Hines from Tilth and Jerry Traunfeld from Poppy. Adding to the goodnes of this box set is that $15 from the $37 purchase price goes to Food Lifeline, a nonprofit food bank dedicated to ending hunger in Western Washington. Available for purchase online or at their retail store in Fremont (3400 Phinney Ave N).

3. Built Burger Patties: This popular online gourmet burger store just opened a stand in Pioneer Square that’s been drawing huge raves from Seattleites. Order up a 6, 12, or 18-pack of burger patties in flavors like Heavenly Lamb, Brilliant Prosciutto, Pinnacle Bacon Bleu and more for the BBQ fanatic on your wish list. If you’re lucky, you might even be able to snag one of their Limited Edition Builts like the Fantastic Firecracker. Prices start at $49.50 for a Build Your Own Built Burger 6-Pack.

4. Bacon Jam from Skillet: An essential ingredient to the mouth-watering burger from Skillet Street Food (along with grass fed beef, arugula, and cambozola cheese), Bacon Jam is a puree of rendered bacon, spices, onions and magic that is so amazing you can throw it on a simple cracker and call it lunch. Pick up an 11-oz. jar for $13 at their mobile truck, The Swinery in West Seattle, DeLaurenti in Pike Place Market—or even online (shipping costs vary depending on your location).

5. Macaroons from Bakery Nouveau: Classically trained pastry chefs whip up these traditional Parisian treats in a rainbow of pastels, which makes them perfect for gift-giving. Put together your own box of Café, Passion Fruit, Chocolate, Raspberry, Pistachio, Coconut, Caramel, Salt Caramel, Blood Orange and Cassis cookies for $1.50 each, add a big red bow and a pretty tag, and you’re all set! Bakery Nouveau is located in West Seattle at 4725 California Ave SW.

6. Jensen’s Smoked Salmon: This Greenwood smokehouse is a favorite among locals for their rich-tasting fish and delicious variety. Grab some Hot Smoked King Salmon, Garlic and Pepper King, or White King for $9.99 per 7-oz package, or try the King Candy for $10.99: salmon strips brined and rolled in brown sugar, than hot smoked with natural hardwoods. They also have cold-smoked Nova Lox at $5.99 to top your bagels for holiday brunch. Jensen’s Smokehouse is located at 10520 Greenwood Ave N, and you can also order online.

7. Boat Street Pickles: Patrons of the Boat Street Café all agree on one thing: Chef Renee Erickson’s pickled figs and raisins are a delicious treat. The black mission figs are made with red wine, balsamic vinegar, rosemary and sea salt, while the raisins bathe in a syrup of cider vinegar, mustard seed, thyme, chili and bay leaf. Boat Street Pickles are available for purchase at Pike Place Grocery & Deli, Savour Specialty Foods in Ballard, and online from Murray’s Cheese. They retail for $12.99 per 9-oz. jar.

8. Molly Moon’s Pint of the Month Club: The cold weather certainly hasn’t deterred fans of Molly Moon’s. This gourmet ice cream shop is currently offering a gift card for $50 which will get the recipient one pint of locally made frozen goodness in a flavor of their choice each month. Standards include Maple Walnut, Balsamic Strawberry, Salted Caramel and Vivace Coffee, with special seasonal offerings that vary depending on what locally sourced ingredients are available. Pick up the Pint of the Month Club Card at Molly Moon’s shops in Wallingford or on Capitol Hill. You can also get regular gift certificates online.

9. Charcuterie from Zoe’s Meats: This environmentally friendly meat producer is well-known in the Seattle food community for producing an excellent product—so much so that many restaurants feature Zoe’s Meats on their menu. Meat lovers should find their assortment drool-worthy, with several salamis, 12-month-aged prosciutto, sweet and hot coppa, mortadella and more available. The Charcuterie Party includes 1-pound pre-sliced prosciutto, 1 hot coppa, 1 uncured salami and 1 Spanish style chorizo for $89.99. You can order online, or find some of their other products at Madison Market (1600 E Madison St).

10. Cooking Classes at Dish It Up: A combo kitchen store/cooking demo space, Dish It Up has two locations (Ballard and Magnolia) that offer classes 2-3 times a week from local chefs and authors like John Neumark from Bill the Butcher, Hajime Sato from Mashiko, Becky Selengut of Chef Reinvented, and Matthew Lewis from Where Ya At, Matt. Prices vary from $25-$85 depending on the length and course offered (including tastes of each course prepared). Reserve a class spot online to make the at-home gourmet on your list smile.

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By: | November 18 2010
Posted in Find It - Seattle

Photo: John Legge

Searching for the perfect holiday gift for your favorite foodie? Seattle's Sugar & Salt Kitchen has set up shop in The Swinery's bakery case, and on Etsy, with sweet and savory goods that make delicious presents like Bacon Pecan Brittle, Evil Chocolate Brownies, and Pumpkin Mini-Cakes.

After sampling a few of their creations, The Local Dish sat down with husband and wife co-owners, John Legge and Lil Welch, to get the inside scoop on their fantastic new business, already a darling of Seattle foodies.

 

The Local Dish: So what inspired you to start Sugar & Salt Kitchen?

John Legge: Well, I've always wanted to start my own business, and when I was laid off from Essential Bakery, I was looking for a job and trying to figure out what I wanted to do, which is when I saw an apprenticeship at The Swinery. Then, I just decided to go ahead and create items intending to sell them at local bakeries.

Lil Welch: And it was partly too, that unemployment was going on long enough that we had to think about what would happen if he couldn't find a job right away—so it was just time for him to create his own job. We had always planned to open a café of our own in the future, so we just decided to jump-start that.

John: It would have been great to open the café now, but obviously there are a bunch of factors like, not having enough money. Obviously, with the economy the way it is right now, it might not be the best time to do something like that.

Lil: So it's basically like a five-year plan. We'll slowly add products to the Etsy site, and The Swinery case—all the while recipe testing. We already know we want to have yogurt and cheese made in house, as well as pickles, etc., in addition to the baked goods. We'll eventually sell all these things at our own place.

TLD: And so right now The Swinery is the only place you're retailing at?

Lil: Yes. Since we make the stuff at The Swinery, it makes sense to sell it there, as well as through our Etsy store. And they're super-generous and nice to work with, so we lucked out. I feel lucky.

TLD: Can you talk a little bit about the name?

John: We were trying to think of a name that didn't pigeonhole us into just a bakery, so it would apply to our future space. Yes, I do a lot of baking, my background is as a baker, but we also do a lot of experimenting in the kitchen for meals too. So we didn't want to pick a name that would only apply to a bakery in the future.

Lil: Yeah, we wanted to come up with a name that would express both our interests: baking, but also other types of cooking. We knew we wanted to do dairy, too, so we needed something that would apply to everything. We kind of thought of the name originally as...these are the two things we do: sugar AND salt". And then, just the nature of selling baked goods a butcher shop made it seem more like a good combo: sugar & salt – together. The baked goods we make without bacon (like the Evil Chocolate Brownies) don't sell as well there as they do on Etsy. And I'm the salt. He's the sugar! People tend to think because I'm the girl, I'm sugar. It's not true.

TLD: So did you tailor your goods to the butcher shop then? For instance, coming up with baked goods that included bacon?

John: Yeah, it kind of just turned out that way...

Lil: You know, to me, I definitely thought that bacon was a trend that was going to be over by now. I mean, not because bacon isn't GOOD, but just because of the availability of bacon items, I thought people would be over it by now. But, bacon is still going strong! It's still catching the public's attention. You have to think that eventually we're going to take bacon as far as it's going to go—but for now, we're continuing to create new baked items with bacon from Zoe's Meats.

TLD: That's good news! As a bacon lover, and a devotee to all things sweet and salty, I approve.

Photo: John Legge

Having tried the Evil Chocolate Brownies, the Bacon Caramels, and the Bacon Pecan Brittle, this writer can attest to the supreme yumminess of treats made by Sugar & Salt Kitchen, and highly recommends you give them a try. Also available: Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookies, Bacon Joys, Bacon Shortbread Cookies, full-size Pumpkin Cakes, and non-bacon Homemade Joys with Almonds.

If you're in Seattle, swing by their retail location for a quick chocolate fix, and if you're not, check out their Etsy store. All their goods are made to order and shipped ASAP for maximum freshness so place your holiday order now. You can follow Sugar and Salt Kitchen on Facebook or Twitter for updates on new items!

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By: | November 17 2010
Posted in Cook It - Seattle

Traditional Krumkaker, Photo by Jona Thunder

Scandinavian culture has been an influence on the city of Seattle for over a century. During the heady days of commercial fishing, ship-building and lumber production that characterized Seattle in the early 20^th century, Northern European immigrants flocked to the Pacific Northwest to take advantage of their expertise in all of these areas. They were particularly interested in the business of salmon fishing in Puget Sound, so many of them settled near the waterfront in the Ballard neighborhood where much of the non-industrial moorings were at the time. Though the post-WWI era saw a major decline in the kinds of business that made Seattle a thriving metropolis, the Scandinavian Americans who made their home in Ballard had already put down roots in the city. That's why the Nordic Heritage Museum was established there in 1980. Today, the NHM doesn't just preserve the record of the Scandinavian culture that helped make Seattle what it is, it also teaches modern locals many of the unique skills brought to the region from those Nordic climes. Naturally, passing on recipes for traditional Scandinavian food is among the museum's top priorities.

So, what are some of the dishes you can taste and learn how to make yourself at the Nordic Heritage Museum? Well, get your tongue ready to learn the names of these foods that are as fun to say as they are to eat. You can find each of them at the upcoming Yulefest event on November 20^th and 21^st.

Aebleskiver are among the many European precursors to the modern pancake. The name literally translates as “apple slices” because the traditional version of the dish involves an apple filling, though the modern version tends to leave out sliced fruit in favor of a sweet dipping sauce like raspberry jam. Unlike pancakes, aebleskiver are round and airy, and just slightly rich thanks to the addition of eggs and milk to the recipe.

Krumkaker are another sweet holiday treat with an interesting shape. Meaning “bent cake”, this dish hails from Norway and is considered an essential part of the Christmas meal. Rolled flat and heated on an iron with a decorative engraving, each krumkake is then wrapped to form a cone and allowed to set in that shape, firming up as they cool. For an extra-fancy krumkake, a dusting of powdered sugar is added like a fresh snowfall and the center is filled with a traditional multekrem, a fluffy whipped cream flavored with the aptly named cloudberry.

For a more savory Norwegian dish, look no further than a freshly-baked Lefse, a classic flatbread. There are a variety of different kinds of lefse, from the sausage-wrapping favorite potetlefse made from a potato base to the preferred coffee accompaniment in the tykklefse (thick lefse). The NHM serves a variety of popular Scandinavian sandwiches, some of which feature this unique flatbread recipe.

Though Seattleites are used to hot cider in the cold Winter months, Yulefest does its best to introduce the apple-minded to Glogg, a hot, mulled wine that has been popular throughout Northern Europe for centuries.

Throughout the year the Nordic Heritage Museum also offers a variety of cooking classes for those interested in learning how to make these and other dishes at home. Some workshops, like Marietta Ronnestad's cooking class, give students the chance to prepare a full Scandinavian meal, while others such as Malena Grundel's “Seven Kinds of Cookies” survey are more focused on a particular variety of traditional dishes. Of course, you could always just stop in this December for a family-friendly Gingerbread House construction project. The museum website updates frequently, so make sure to check back for new classes every month.

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By: | October 21 2010
Posted in Grow It - Seattle

Photo: Flickr

It’s that time of year when the brisk fall air reminds us of the sweet crunch of a perfect Honeycrsip apple. Yes, it’s apple season and here in Washington, we take our apples very seriously. How could we not? We’re known worldwide for our delicious fruits.

So what makes a Washington apple so special? The right climate, perfect soil and a whole lotta love.

Jones Creek Farm, owned and operated by Washington's own Price family, is a place where that love is all around. Located 65 miles north of Seattle in beautiful Sedro Wolley, the 34-acre farm boasts a variety of crops including tomatoes, garlic, plums and pears, but specializes in apples—lots and lots of apples. Right around 120 different varieties. Yes 120! So whether you’re looking for apples to slice, dice, bake, roast or munch, you’re sure to find the perfect one.

Photo by Les Price

With a vision to provide great and varied fruit, the Price family planted their first apple trees in 1993. They and their customers have been reaping the benefits ever since. The best part? You can pick them yourself.

Apple picking season is in full swing at Jones Creek Farm and there’s no better way to spend a fall afternoon than strolling through the orchard. It's one of life's simple pleasures to reach up and grasp a firm, sweet Braeburn, Jonagold, Fuji or Gravenstein before heading for home with your basket full, ready to enjoy some of this season’s sweetest offerings.  After enjoying a few right off the tree, try whipping up this apple sauce recipe, straight from the farm:

Jones Creek Farms Pink Applesauce

Ingredients

5-6 lbs of Jones Creek Farms King and Pink Pearl apples

1 cup water

1 cup sugar (adjust to taste)

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

dash of cloves

 

Directions

Core, peel and slice apples.

Place apples in a large dutch oven or canning pot with water.

Heat slowly until water begins to boil.

Lower heat to simmer and stir occasionally until apples become tender.

Stir in sugar and spices.

Slowly return to a boil then remove from heat and mash to the desired consistancy.

 

Farmer Les Price has just one tip when you’re selecting apples: Don’t go to the grocery store! “Tree ripe is everything,” he says, “And you will never find that in a grocery store.”

If you’re pressed for time and can’t spare an afternoon at the farm, you can still enjoy the harvest by stopping by the Jones Farm Booth at one of these Seattle-area farmers’ markets:

Redmond Saturday Market
University District Farmers Market
Broadway

Jones Creek Farm offers over 100 varieties of apples, including popular choices for cooking and eating on their own.

 

Best for Cooking:

Gravenstein

King

Bramley's

Cortland

Boskoop

Northern Spy

Callvile Blanc

 

Best for Eating:

Akane

Spartan

Cox Orange Pippin

Melrose

Karmijn

McIntosh

Ashmede's Kernel

 

Storing Apples

Don’t wash apples until you’re ready to use them

Keep apples in a cool, dark place to help them maintain their texture and flavor

Wrap apples individually in newspaper to keep them from bruising and spoiling

 

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October 21 2010
Posted in Find It - Seattle

Photo courtesy Vanessa Wesley

Vanessa Wesley, the Chef at Poco Wine Room in Seattle's Capitol Hill district, has always loved food. Growing up in a busy household, her mom didn’t have much time to fuss in the kitchen, so Vanessa took it upon herself to discover what went into the perfect dish.

“My best friend’s mom was a professional cook. She was amazing. I used to bake bread and cook with her. From a young age I knew that I wanted to cook really well.”

That desire led her to work at a catering company throughout high school and then attend culinary school at The Art Institute of Seattle. It also helped her make her way to Poco Wine Room, where she crafts menus and whips up culinary creations using the best seasonal, local ingredients.

 

And when it comes to using seasonal ingredients, it doesn’t get much better than the flavors of fall.

“Fall is my favorite season. I love the food, the flavors that come from fall. I look forward to it every year. It’ the season where I like to start braising and roasting and using all the warm spices. Ahhhh,” she says with deep affection.

All those warm spices lend themselves perfectly to one particular fall fruit, one that is so versatile it can be used in virtually any course: The magnificent apple.

Vanessa, who often crafts her dishes with wine pairings in mind, was kind enough to share some of her favorite apple recipes with wine accompaniment, of course.

Apple Brioche Bread Pudding with Rum Raisins

Blue Cheese Waldorf Salad

Calvados and Cranberry Baked Apples

Steamed Mussels with Apples and Thyme Scented Cream

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October 20 2010
Posted in Grow It - Seattle

Recipe by Chef Vanessa Wesley, Poco Wine Room, Seattle
 

Ingredients

3-4 lb. fresh mussels

2 Gravenstein apples, cored and thinly sliced

4 strips of thick cut bacon, cut into ¼ inch strips

1 leek, finely sliced (white part only)

1 bunch thyme

2 cups cream

2 cups dry white wine

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 large shallot, minced

Salt and Pepper to taste

 

Directions

Steep thyme in warmed cream for about ½ hr. Reserve a few sprigs for garnish.

Heat a large sauté pan on medium high heat and render bacon.

Add leeks and sauté until tender, 2-3 minutes. Add shallot and garlic.

Deglaze pan with white wine and add apples, cream and mussels.

Cover pan and cook mussels until they just open, 3-5 minutes.

Add lemon juice and salt and pepper.

Pick leaves off the remaining thyme sprigs.

Divide mussels into 4 wide bowls and pour cooking liquid over the top. Sprinkle with thyme leaves and serve with thick slices of hearty bread.

 

Serves 4.

Pairing: Rosé or Sauvignon Blanc

By: | October 12 2010
Posted in Find It - Seattle

Photo: Michael Sarko

Bread. It's one of the oldest culinary inventions and it's nothing short of genius. Bread is a high-energy, belly-filling staple around which much of society grew. Ancient cities were only as wealthy as their grain stores and most religions view the substance as sacred. Bread is life, but in the modern world it seems to have fallen from its lofty station. Supermarkets are full of airy, pre-sliced bags of stuff that has no real application outside of hasty lunches and many restaurants have stopped welcoming their patrons with the traditional basket of bread. Where are people supposed to find proper bread in the modern world? As with so many fine foods, they must look to the artisans, those boutique crafters of impeccable taste and dedication. In Seattle, the word “bread” is synonymous with the name of a Cappadocian saint (two of them, actually). For its classically hand-made bread, the locals love Macrina Bakery.

 

Well-traveled and accomplished food professional Leslie Mackie opened Macrina Bakery and Cafe in 1993 after making her bones in some of America's most respected culinary destinations, ending with her tenure as the commander-in-chief of Seattle's Grand Central Bakery. The idea behind Macrina is simple in sentiment but no easy task for an artisan. The organization is dedicated to hand-made baked goods, bread being paramount among them. At Macrina's three locations (Belltown, Upper Queen Anne and SODO), every loaf is formed in the hands of master bakers. This is no empty claim to quality. The nuances of proper bread dough are almost exclusively determined by touch. Dough that's too sticky, tough, airy or firm will result in a ruined loaf. No machine can do what human nerves can do, especially nerves as well-trained as those of Macrina's staff.

This principled approach to bread doesn't mean that Macrina's products are pretentious, though. The flagship loaf, the Macrina Casera (lit. “of the house”) is a simple, rustic bread that is intended to fit in any meal. It follows that most important criterion for sandwich bread: It's good on its own. Among other traditional breads like the bare-bones Italian Giuseppe or the rich, eggy Challah are some of Macrina's more flavorful varieties, including the Apricot Nut loaf and the breakfast-ready Cinnamon Monkey Bread. It's important to note that Macrina makes its bread starters, those wild yeast bases found in all real artisan bread, in-house from fresh, natural ingredients. They even have a step-by-step walkthrough of the starter-making process on the Macrina website.

Macrina also makes a wide variety of other pastries that pair well with one of Seattle's exemplary local coffees. The Lemon Sour Cherry Coffeecake is a stunning standard and the Dill Scones practically beg for smoked salmon. Macrina breads can be found in various other restaurants, cafes and markets around Seattle. After 17 years, the company is a proud local institution.

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By: | October 05 2010
Posted in Find It - Seattle

Photo: Michael Sarko

Seattle has no shortage of coffee houses and everyone has their personal favorite. Some folks like laid-back java spots that are designed to be everyone's living room away from home, others prefer posh coffee bars or European-style cafes. While the coffee trend has been one of Seattle's trademarks for a long time, a lot of these vendor varieties are relatively new additions. For a taste of the town's authentic cafe experience, look no further than the shop with Punchinello on the sign because the locals love Caffe Vita.


Caffe Vita has been serving Seattleites coffee, tea and locally-sourced baked goods since 1995. Mike McConnell opened the original location in Lower Queen Anne and has since expanded to five other venues in the Puget Sound region. There's one in Olympia and four others around Seattle, including Fremont, Pioneer Square, Seward Park and the iconic, two-story Capitol Hill cafe on Pike Street.

Caffe Vita's coffee is, like the place itself, simple, casual and unpretentious. While complex European roasts and intense Ethiopian blends are in fashion right now, Vita's coffee can best be described as Cafe Americano done right. The roasts are gentle and not overly acidic, nor do they have enough power to inspire caffeine jitters. Caffe Vita makes mellow coffee for mellow people, the kind who like to relax with friends in spartan surroundings on a rainy day. The expanding list of house blends at Caffe Vita reflect a lot of other local flavors, most notably in the smooth, sweet Theo Blend a la Seattle's favorite artisan confectioner Theo Chocolate. It's a new favorite for the autumn and winter months.

Photo: Michael Sarko

But what really makes Caffe Vita beloved by locals is the welcoming atmosphere of the cafes themselves. They're neighborhood haunts and meeting places for friends, casual dates and writers' groups. Though the company has branched out considerably since Mike McConnell first opened the doors in Queen Anne 15 years ago, Caffe Vita hasn't lost its identity. Like an old friend who made it big but never forgot those humble, early years, Caffe Vita is still one of Seattle's most revered local businesses.

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By: | September 30 2010
Posted in Find It - Seattle

Photo: Michael Sarko

Tini Bigs is one of Seattle's most revered cocktail bars. Located at the very base of Queen Anne just a few blocks from Seattle Center, it has carved out a place for itself among the city's finest watering holes thanks to its menu of unique drinks and its knowledgeable staff. For those who not only enjoy drinking the cocktails at Tini Bigs but want to understand what makes them tick, the bar hosts a monthly mixology lesson with guest speakers, gourmet edibles and naturally a tasting of the day's featured spirit.

 

The Local Dish was on hand for the September class at Tini Bigs when the day belonged to Absinthe, perhaps the most misunderstood liquor in history. Marc Bernhard, the man behind Pacifique Distillery in nearby Woodinville, Washington, was on hand to educate his bar stool students about the history, character and versatility of the Green Fairy. Bartender Mike McSorley backed him up with an age-old Absinthe cocktail and his own lesson about digestivi, the class of liquor to which Absinthe belongs.

For those who have never tried Absinthe (don't feel bad if you haven't as none was produced in the United States between 1912 and 2007), it's a potent, green liquor distilled from a variety of herbs, most prominently the bitter wormwood leaf and the powerful candy flavors of anise and sweet fennel. The drink's reputation as an hallucinogenic drug is a falsehood resulting from Prohibitionist propaganda and incorrect medical conclusions in the early 20^th century. It's actually just another liquor, like whiskey or gin. Originally concocted as a medicinal extract, Absinthe has a very high alcohol content and is meant to be served with as much as five parts water for every one part liquor, the water introduced slowly while running over a cube of sugar. This is known as the French Drip method. The resulting solution should have no more alcohol content than a glass of wine.

The digestivi, so named because they are meant to be served after a meal, featured in the second half of the lesson were Amaro, Fernet Branca, Drambuie and Chartreuse. Amaro has a sweet top note with a bitter orange finish, while Fernet Branca has an unusual minty flavor that goes strangely well with a squirt of cola. The scotch-based Drambuie is much like modern liqueurs with its syrupy feel, though it ends with a deep sting most first-time drinkers don't expect. Finally, Chartreuse may be green like Absinthe but its flavor, reminiscent of cinnamon and ribbon candy, couldn't be more different.

Photo: Michael Sarko

Because of the leisurely pace and small crowd at the Tini Bigs mixology classes, the bar's kitchen has a chance to roll out some of its more time-intensive dishes, specials that usually don't appear on the regular menu of classed-up bar food available at Tini Bigs any night of the week. September's students were treated to a mushroom and mozzarella crostini followed by a savory, Asian-inspired eggplant spread and a thin-crust pizza with roasted red peppers.

Photo: Michael Sarko

The mixology classes at Tini Bigs aim to make sure their students get the most out of each lesson, so their day and time tend to revolve around the availability of guest teachers. You can contact the bar through their website to receive a full schedule of upcoming classes.

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By: | September 27 2010
Posted in Cook It - Seattle

Photo: Amie Simon

"Out of the Box" is a weekly column written by Seattle-based writer Amie Simon about the divine dishes she creates using the ingredients in her local CSA box.

Combining Vegetables
My delivery box this week yielded two large ears of corn, sweet bell peppers, and a heady bunch of cilantro. Since we're having a very late tomato harvest here in Seattle, I decided to combine all three with a few Moskovich tomatoes for a tasty, super-fresh salsa—which I thought would be a perfect complement on chicken rolled up in a tortilla.

Local Poultry Shopping
Having made a pact with myself to procure as much of my produce and dairy as locally as possible, I recently decided to up the ante by trying to buy all of my meat, poultry and fish from local purveyors as well. Everything I've purchased from Don and Joe's Meats in the Pike Place Market has been amazing, so I headed there to buy chicken for this meal. They were so big, one was all I needed for a 2-person dinner, and it only cost me $5.75!

Ingredients
For the Salsa
2 ears of corn
2-3 small tomatoes
2-3 small bell peppers
1 teaspoon olive oil
A handful of cilantro
1 teaspoon ground chipotle

For the Burritos
1 large chicken breast
½ cup regular tomato-based salsa (optional)
Large flour or corn tortillas
Sour cream

Directions
For the salsa, roast corn ears and the peppers on your grill or in the oven with a little bit of olive oil. When done, cut kernels off the cobs and place in a large bowl. Chop tomatoes and peppers coarsely, and add to corn. Drizzle in olive oil, then add cilantro (I used kitchen shears to cut my cilantro leaves to the size I wanted) and spices. Mix well and set aside.

Photo: Amie Simon

For the chicken, preheat oven to 375 and place chicken in a deep glass dish. To keep the chicken moist and juicy, and to add some extra spiciness, I covered mine with Trader Joe's Salsa Authentica, using a spatula to make sure it was spread evenly. You could skip this step and just salt and pepper the chicken to taste, or add your favorite chile pepper instead. Bake for 30-35 minutes, depending on size.

When your chicken is ready, slice into thin strips and place on the tortillas. Top with roasted corn salsa and a dab of sour cream. You can serve with additional salsa with some chips on the side to complete your meal!

By: | September 23 2010
Posted in Find It - Seattle

Photo: Michael Sarko

Let's say you find yourself in downtown Seattle and you want a sandwich. Not just any sandwich but a real sandwich, one made of foods that seemed destined to be stacked together for the sake of your hunger and enjoyment. Sure, you could stop into a franchise shop to eat a thoroughly corporate sandwich, but you know better. You've asked around, you've kibitzed with Seattle's most discerning palates and you've discovered that the locals love George's Delicatessen on Madison Avenue.

 

And what's not to love? Located at the corner of 9^th and Madison in the First Hill neighborhood, George's is regarded as one of Seattle's finest delis. Just like the Batali family's famous smoked meats shop Salumi is the Emerald City's favorite place to get cured, Italian-style meats, George's is the go-to spot for mitteleuropean delights. The tiny deli has a wide assortment of Polish smoked meats, like their popular kielbasa, as well as homemade soups and fresh bread. All the meats are smoked in-house and their potato salad is legendary among the lunchtime crowd.

But back to that sandwich. With a few notable exceptions, deli just isn't Seattle's thing. It's not a town where you can find a nice, thick sandwich on every corner. That's what makes George's so special. They make lunch meat sandwiches that are truly unlike anything else in Seattle. They're piled high with meat, vegetables, strong mustard and mild rye bread. George's corned beef will bring a tear to your eye, especially since it's still so hard to find proper corned beef west of Chicago. At $5 a sandwich, this may just be the best lunch deal in Seattle.

Even if meat's not your thing, George's has a nice selection of Central and Eastern European treats on the shelves. They have German chocolate, Ukrainian cookies and Polish beer for sale year-round. George's is small enough that it doesn't have any seating inside, but frequent patrons have a habit of taking their lunch on the steps of the nearby St. James Cathedral. It's a fittingly humble way to enjoy one of Seattle's most homey gastronomic delights.

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By: | September 22 2010
Posted in Cook It - Seattle

 

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By: | September 22 2010
Posted in Cook It - Seattle

Photo: Amie Simon

"Out of the Box" is a weekly column written by Seattle-based writer, Amie Simon, about creating delicious meals using the ingredients in her weekly local CSA delivery box.

Comfort Food
One of my favorite recent discoveries is a dish called "Stamppot". A traditional Dutch dish, Stamppot is basically any combination of potatoes, greens, veggies and meat—so it's great to whip up when you have veggies you need to use and some leftover bacon or sausage. It's hearty, basic, and perfect for comforting your tummy as the weather moves into cooler fall days.

CSA Synchronicity
As luck would have it, my delivery box this week contained some leeks, fingerling potatoes and spinach. I happened to have some bacon left over from Saturday's brunch, so I decided to combine all of them with some cheese from Beecher's for dinner.

Ingredients
5-6 fingerling potatoes
3-4 slices bacon
Olive oil
1 bunch spinach
2 leeks
2-3 tablespoons butter
¼ cup shredded cheddar cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Peel and boil potatoes for about 15-20 minutes (depending on size) until they're soft and mashable. Slice bacon into small pieces and cook in a large skillet until done. Remove from pan, reserving bacon drippings. Add olive oil, sliced leeks and spinach to skillet, and sauté until greens are wilted and onions are golden brown.

Mash potatoes (an easy way to do it is with a potato ricer) and mix in butter, salt and pepper. Add greens, onions, bacon and cheese and mash all together until thoroughly mixed. Serve on a cold, grey day for immediate comfort.

By: | September 20 2010
Posted in Find It - Seattle

Photo: Michael Sarko

In the one-room Sound Spirits Distillery on an industrial stretch of Queen Anne, Steven Stone carefully checks the day's output. His product? A unique vodka he calls Ebb & Flow, Seattle's first locally-produced vodka. It starts as a mash of 100% Washington-grown barley that ferments for one week and ends as a liquor that pushes the boundaries of what can be called vodka. Sure, it's a clear, high-proof distillate without any added flavors, though to call Ebb & Flow “neutral” would be inaccurate. In a word, the stuff is flavorful. It hits the tongue with an immediate warmth then blossoms into a sweet, strangely full-bodied tincture that evokes sweet nuts, Kalamata olives and finished wood, though it spends no time in any barrel.

Two things contribute to the unusual taste and feel of Ebb & Flow. First, it isn't common practice to make vodka entirely out of barley. Vodka is more often made of wheat these days (potato vodka, while still available, has more or less fallen out of fashion). The reason most 21^st century vodkas are made of wheat is because it isn't as distinct or sweet as other grains. This blandness allows distillates to be as neutral as possible. Ebb & Flow's barley character really comes through, though it's more like a brandy before aging and less like beer.

The second factor in Ebb & Flow's flavor is its peculiar lack of filtration. Modern vodka tends to be filtered within an inch of its life, running through everything from vegetable charcoal to quartz and cheesecloth to remove any impurities or pesky esters than might imbue the solution with any foreign tastes. Ebb & Flow forgoes the filtration process in order to deliver a more insistent, old-style vodka. The final product still tastes clean and smooth, it just brings a lot of character to the party.

Aside from an out-of-the-ordinary sipping experience, Ebb & Flow will need to find a special niche for cocktails. It won't make the sharp Martini Americans have been enjoying for decades and it won't play well with most sweet liqueurs, especially those used in cream drinks. Ebb & Flow wants something older and more spicy, like a splash of Lillet or Fernet Branca for the heady punch of those cocktails found on the original Savoy menu. It should also perform well with any bitter orange flavors, though it would also be exciting to see what it does with a crushed, unsweetened blackberry.

Photo: Michael Sarko

One thing about Ebb & Flow is for certain: It's unlike any other vodka on the shelf, so it'll need some keen experimentation to flourish behind the bar. Considering Seattle's recent love affair with cocktails both classic and innovative, this is as good a town as any to send Ebb & Flow on its maiden voyage. You can get it on special order through most Seattle-area liquor stores and it's set to appear in some of the city's more proficient cocktail lounges over the next few months. Of course, if you're dying for a taste today you can always pop down to the distillery and purchase a bottle (or a case) from Steven Stone himself. Ebb & Flow retails for $31.00. Look for the apothecary-style bottle with the octopus tentacle on the neck label.

As soon as you've secured your first bottle of Ebb and Flow, you can put it to good use in this Tomato Vodka Sauce.

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By: | September 20 2010
Posted in Cook It - Seattle

"Out of the Box" is a weekly column by Seattle-based writer Amie Simon about creating tasty fresh meals using ingredients from her local CSA delivery box

Since we have such mild summers in Seattle (this one was the mildest yet!), we tend to keep our grills out and ready until the temperatures dip way below 50 degrees—using any tiny amount of sunshine as an excuse to fire them up.

Grillin' Ingredients
My delivery box inspired me to squeeze at least one more use out of my grill this season by providing some local red peppers, which I thought would be excellent on top of some free range chicken breasts from my local market and served on a bun.

 

Garden Harvest
Luckily, my garden also yielded a few cippolini onions that I immediately designated as a second topping, along with some ripe heirloom tomatoes that would make a nutritious side dish.

 

Ingredients
For the Garlic Aioli:
3 tablespoons mayo
2 cloves garlic
fresh lemon juice

For the Chicken Burgers
1-2 chicken breasts (depending on size)
salt and pepper to taste
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
2-3 small onions
2-3 red peppers
2 wheat buns

Directions
It's easiest if you make the garlic aioli first and then put it in the fridge so the flavors blend while you cook. In a small bowl, chop or press garlic cloves and add to mayo. Slice lemon and squeeze into mixture, stir well and set aside.

I set my grill at medium-high heat, generously salt and peppered the chicken, and cooked them until the internal temp was at 160 (about 15-20 minutes each side).

When there's about 15 minutes left of cook time on the chicken, trim the stems off peppers and split them open so they'll lie flat on the grill. Put olive oil into a saucepan, slice onions thinly and sauté until golden brown. Grill peppers for about 5-6 minutes, until they're semi-soft (some black spots on the skin are just fine).

When chicken is done, spread aioli on buns, then add chicken breasts and top with slices of pepper and sautéed onions. I served mine up with a side of fresh heirloom tomatoes from my garden, seasoned with salt and pepper.

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By: | September 17 2010
Posted in Cook It - Seattle

Fresh rolls can sound a little daunting to make. But once you get rolling they come together in a snap. Often found on menus in Thai and Vietnamese restaurants, these tasty little appetizers are much healthier cousins to the beloved egg (or spring) roll -- and they're gluten free.

Photo: Jessica Ivaska

Traditionally full of vegetables, rice noodles and a bit of lean protein; fresh roll (also called salad rolls) recipes can be altered to include what's in season. Because they don't require baking or frying, they won't heat up your kitchen on a warm summer day. Plus the absence of frying allows the freshness of the individual ingredients to really shine through.

Seeing as Seattle has some of the tastiest crab around (Dungeness crab is hard to beat). I decide to try using crab instead of the traditional shrimp. The flavor was more delicate -- and utterly delicious.

Even though fresh rolls are frequently served as appetizers for an Asian-inspired meal, these little pillows of delight make a great light lunch. Don't forget to try out a variety of dipping sauces since the accompaniment of peanut or plum sauce really changes the flavor of the dish.

Check out the Dungeness Crab Spring Roll Recipe.

 

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By: | September 14 2010
Posted in Find It - Seattle

In a Seattle, it's common to see people sipping coffee while they run errands, take their dog for a walk, or go shopping. The familiar white to-go cup emblazoned with coffee shop logos is everywhere, but there's more to it than just Starbucks. Our city is filled with smaller coffee houses that serve up cups worthy of applause!

Stumptown
This espresso bar on Capitol Hill is known among coffee drinkers for having the best beans, so it's no surprise that many cafes and restaurants buy wholesale here for their own menu. The bar packs a lot of atmosphere into a small space, with baristas spinning vinyl on an old-school turntable and cozy leather booths lining the walls. Recommended drink: Americano, plain or with a little cream & sugar.

Fuel
With three locations across the city (Capitol Hill, Montlake and Wallingford), Fuel has quickly become popular for its friendly service, chic retro décor and walls showcasing local artists—as well as their coffee. To top it off, they have some of the yummiest pastries, including homemade single-serving High 5 Pies. Recommended drink: Iced Vanilla Latte—a perfect mix of creamy coffee & vanilla.

Joe Bar Cafe
Inside a sunny building on the north end of Capitol Hill, you'll find 2 stories of warmth and charm run buy one of the friendliest coffee house owners in Seattle. With a variety of delicious crepes available, you can relax and enjoy a filling breakfast, then head across the street to The Harvard Exit for a film. Recommended drink: Cappuccino, for layer upon layer of dreamy foam.

Espresso Vivace
Vivace has two larger coffee bars (Capitol Hill and South Lake Union), and a smaller walk-up location on Broadway with outside tables for sipping. Spacious seating, lots of outlets and a quieter closed-off meeting room provide the ideal working environment, so you can check off daily tasks while enjoying your cup 'o Joe. Recommended drink: Café Nico, a tiny cup of heaven (espresso & cream w/fresh orange peel).

Café Vita
Each of Café Vita's four cafes have comfortable seating, large windows that let a nice breeze through on warm days, and ever changing art adorning the walls. Take home some of their organically roasted beans for your own coffee maker; the Theo Blend (created with local chocolatier, Theo Chocolate) is particularly tasty. Recommended drink: A classic Mocha—the mix of chocolate and coffee is always perfect.

 

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By: | September 13 2010
Posted in Cook It - Seattle

"Out of the Box" is a weekly column written by Seattle resident Amie Simon about creating tasty dishes from the contents of her local CSA delivery box.

Making homemade pizza is one of the best ways to use fresh ingredients for a quick, easy-to-assemble meal. This week I got some red peppers in my CSA box, so I decided to use them with some arugula and oregano from my garden to make a pizza.

Photo: Amie Simon

 

Easy pizza dough
Making homemade pizza dough isn't as hard you might think. I use a basic bread recipe from the book Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes A Day, rolling the dough out very thinly for the crust. Just FYI: you'll need to have the bread dough ready to go beforehand, as it needs to rise for about 2 hours before it's ready.

Flavorful sauce
For the sauce, I like to keep mine as simple as possible. Of course it's best if you can use fresh tomatoes, but if none are available, canned will work just as well. I like the Muir Glen organic variety – either crushed or diced. As always, using fresh herbs adds a lot more flavor to your sauce than dried.

Pizza Essentials
Two good things to have: a baking stone and good quality parchment paper. A stone cooks pizza quickly and evenly, and parchment paper makes sliding your finished pizza from the work surface to the oven and back to the serving plate SUPER easy. If you don't have a stone, you can use a regular baking sheet, but the parchment paper is really recommended.

Ingredients
Toppings
shredded mozzarella
3-4 thin slices prosciutto
1 red pepper
4-5 leaves of arugula

Sauce
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
1 can crushed or diced tomatoes (14.5 ounces)
1 can tomato paste (6 ounces)
2-3 garlic cloves
3-4 fresh sprigs oregano
5-6 fresh basil leaves
salt and pepper to taste

Photo: Amie Simon

Dough
Basic Boule recipe from Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day

Directions
It's a good idea to have all your toppings ready to go before you start rolling out the dough, as it's best to top the pizza immediately after rolling and then bake. Preheat the oven to 500 while you slice the pepper, shred the cheese, and tear the arugula leaves.

For the sauce, pour olive oil into bottom of saucepan and then add tomatoes and paste on top. Stir over medium-high heat until combined, then add garlic, fresh oregano, basil, salt, and pepper. Mix well and let simmer while you roll the pizza dough.

For the pizza, you want to start with a grapefruit-sized piece of dough formed into a ball. Let it warm up a bit, then dust a large piece of parchment paper with flour and start to roll it out with a rolling pin, stretching the sides and occasionally flipping over for a more uniform crust. If you have a pizza peel, place the parchment paper on top of it and try to roll the crust out until it covers the entire surface of the peel. You can fold up the outside edges to make a thicker edge, or leave it flat if you prefer.

Photo: Amie Simon

Once your dough is ready, ladle 3-4 tablespoons of the sauce over it, spreading evenly across the dough with a spatula. Top with enough cheese to almost cover the sauce, than add prosciutto, red pepper and arugula. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until cheese is melted and outside edges of crust are browned.

While you let your pizza cool for about 10 minutes (500 degrees is a bit hot for eating right away), it's easy to throw a salad together for the side - I tossed cherry tomatoes with fresh basil, olive oil and salt and pepper to serve with this one.

 

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By: | September 12 2010
Posted in Find It - Seattle

Sour beer. What is it and why has it been sprouting up (however quietly) in Seattle in 2010? More importantly, how can thirsty Northwesterners find the stuff in Seattle's sometimes labyrinthine milieu of food and drink? A friend of mine has a joke about Seattle's drinking scene. Because Seattle doesn't yet have a national reputation as a great bar town, visitors are often surprised at the volume and variety of our watering holes. So, this friend of mine likes to tell visitors, “Welcome to Seattle! Have a drink!.. now walk up a hill.” Indeed, if one were to stop into even a fraction of the unique drinking establishments found in any given neighborhood, navigating Seattle's more vertical segments would be ill-advised, if not impossible.

But Why? What is it about the culture of Seattle that fosters our ever-growing number of cocktail lounges, wine rooms and brew pubs? Short of being a city full of lushes, it's probably thanks to our appetite for the unusual, the excellent and the unknown. We don't just want coffee, we want an unforgettable roast from a perfectly cultivated plot of land in Ethiopia. We don't just want chocolate, we want hand-made artisan treats with locally-sourced infusions. Of course, when it comes to beer we don't just want any old brew, we want a beer that routinely knocks off socks with powerful top notes and lingering personality. That, my thirsty readers, is why Seattle is embracing Belgium's little-known invention, the sour ale.

Sour ale is a special kind of beer created by using the culture lactobacillus in the fermentation process. Lactobacillus is the heroic microorganism responsible for yogurt, cheese, various kinds of pickles and other delicacies. Beer enthusiasts will also note that some strains of lactobacillus are the culprits in the spoilage of their suds, but that doesn't mean that Belgian-style sour ale is just beer gone to seed. Especially when combined with the fruity tones of a Lambic or the wine-like complexity of a Flanders Red, that sourness ends up making the ale more rich and lively.

One of Seattle's most seasoned sour beer crafters is Dick Cantwell of the Elysian Brewery. He has used his facilities at Elysian Tangletown in the Greenlake neighborhood as a sour ale lab, beginning in 2003. It took around five years to bring out the first sour on the menu, which he called Pandemonum (featured during the 2008 Seattle Beer Week), followed by his pumpkin-themed Mr. Yuck, a precursor to Pumpkin 8472. With that knowledge and experience, Dick Cantwell has given the world Krokus (a saffron-based sour ale) and has plans to return to the pumpkin patch with an as-yet-unnamed sour with a cherry finish. These are definitely Belgian-style sours, but they're not exactly traditional. They're the result of Elysian's stated mission to “take a precept and propel it into an unexpected realm”. Well, cherry and pumpkin side-by-side is definitely unexpected.

Cantwell and company will have some friendly competition in the sour ale market in 2011. The small but savvy Fremont Brewing Company began souring a batch of its Universale in Cabernet barrels just a few months ago where they'll rest for a year and come out nice and tart. They have master brewer Matt Lincoln formerly of the Goose Island Beer Company in Chicago to make sure they get their sours right the first time.

Pairing sour ale with food is a fairly intuitive process. Because it has a common culture with cheese, match it with a plate consisting of sharp blue cheese and mild goat cheese. It also performs excellently with entrees that traditionally work well with fruit, such as lamb. Personally, I think it has a lot to offer to rich, tender dishes like slow-roasted oxtail. The fatty meat really comes alive with the layers of the beer. As always, you're likely to find your favorite pairing with some hands-on experimentation. Sour ale deserves a little TLC for beer enthusiasts, so pair it with whatever feels right. Beer, after all, is a thoroughly democratic drink.

 

 

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By: | September 06 2010
Posted in Cook It - Seattle

"Out of the Box" is a weekly column written by Seattle resident Amie Simon about creating tasty dishes at home from her local CSA delivery box.

Sometimes it's the simplest ingredients that get me cooking – as was the case this week, when I received some great herbs that I knew would complement the salmon I had waiting in the fridge.

Photo: Amie Simon

 

Inspirational combinations
One of my favorite books to pull recipes from is "French Women Don't Get Fat" by Mireille Guiliano. I've made her Halibut en Papillote before, and knew it was delicious, but since I had fresh salmon I picked up at the Wallingford Farmers Market, I decided to make a few substitutions.

Flavorful herbs
My delivery box had a good-sized fennel bulb in it with the fronds attached, so I knew that instead of using the dried fennel seeds called for in this recipe, I wanted to try it with fresh, grated fennel and some of the fronds to bring out the flavor even more. I also needed parsley, and I was given an impressive looking bunch! Luckily, you can add parsley to almost anything (potatoes, soups, sauces, etc.) so I'll be able to use it up before it goes bad.

Ingredients
Olive oil
Fresh fennel bulb, grated
2-3 fennel fronds
2 stalks fresh parsley
1 small lemon
champagne
1-2 zucchini squash
salt and pepper to taste

Photo: Amie Simon

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Start with a piece of foil that's a bit larger than your piece of salmon. Fold up the corners so it makes a packet, then drizzle olive oil in the center. Lay salmon fillet on top of oil, then distribute grated fennel, fennel leaves (they just pull right off the fronds), chopped parsley, salt and pepper, and lemon slices across the fish. Pour a few tablespoons of champagne over the top, then cover with another piece of foil and wrap up ends tightly. Cook in the oven for about 10-15 minutes (depending on your fillet size), until salmon is flaky and opaque.

While your fish is cooking, slice the zucchini and add it to a sauté pan with olive oil. Add salt and pepper and sauté for about 6-8 minutes. This simply prepared squash is a perfect accent to the more complicated salmon dish. Add another sprig or two of parsley as a garnish for serving.

 

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By: | August 19 2010
Posted in Find It - Seattle

In Seattle, brunch is kind of a big deal. For a city with an active nightlife, it's essential to have big plates of comfort food available well into the afternoon on weekends. With new restaurant menus popping up all the time, there's no shortage of options—but how do you know what's good and what's not? Here's a list of some of the best weekend brunches in Seattle to get you started.

Photo: Flickr

Café Campagne
www.campagnerestaurant.com
Saturday and Sunday: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
This cozy Paris-style café is located in Post Alley next to the Pike Place Market, so it's the perfect place to have brunch if you need to do some shopping or sightseeing afterwards. They offer basics like the Omelette Choisy (served with house made chicken & pork sausage) and an amazing Croque-Monsieur, but more adventurous eaters should try the Oeufs en Meurette: Poached eggs on garlic croutons with onions and bacon in a red wine foie gras sauce, which comes with a basket of pomme frites so you can soak up every last bit of goodness. Bonus points: Really, really, really good coffee.

Smith
www.smithseattle.com
Saturday and Sunday: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Decorated in dark woods with taxidermy and imposing portraits on every wall to watch you as you eat, Smith is both quirky and charming. This gastropub offers a variety of traditional brunch items and specials built around what's in season. The Baked Egg dish changes ingredients frequently, but is always delicious—and if you're craving something on the sweet side, try the Brioche French Toast with mascarpone and fresh berries. Need a few drinks to get your day started? Smith offers pitchers of mimosas to share. Bonus points: Most ingredients are sourced locally and sustainably.

Toulouse Petit
www.toulousepetit.com
Daily: 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
This beautifully decorated New Orleans-inspired restaurant offers more than 50 brunch items, so there's no problem finding something for everyone to enjoy. It's an absolute must to start out with a plate of warm beignets, a French press filled with coffee (available in two, four or six cups), and one of their unique morning cocktails like the Breakfast Flip. To really bask in the NOLA atmosphere, the Crawfish Etouffée and Eggs, Biscuits and Spicy Creole Sausage Gravy, or "Big Easy" Andouille Scramble should follow. Bonus points: $6 plates during Breakfast Happy Hour, Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.

Volterra
www.volterrarestaurant.com
Saturday and Sunday: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Volterra's warm, inviting dining room is the perfect place for long, relaxing brunch with friends or a cozy morning date. The innovative menu marries local Pacific Northwest fare with Italian tradition, creating culinary masterpieces like the to-die-for Milano! Milano! (savory bread pudding with asparagus tips, eggs, and smoked Gouda cream), and the Wild Mushroom and Truffle Cheese Scramble. For those with a sweet tooth, the Challah Bread French Toast with Flambéed Bananas should not be missed. Bonus points: Their Peach Thyme Bellini is a refreshing twist on a classic brunch cocktail.

Wild Mountain Café
www.wildmtncafe.com
Tuesday to Sunday: 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Operating out of a restored 1900s house, every bit of this café's business is sustainable, from meal ingredients to the mismatched coffee cups, tableware and furniture, to the bar top made from salvaged schoolroom chalkboards. Try the Eggs Benedict with homemade hollandaise or the Surefire Thing Scramble with green chiles—both are served with their signature roasted garlic potato cakes. Bonus points: Their made-from-scratch cinnamon rolls (Saturday and Sunday only) are big enough for 2-3 people, and arrive at your table warm and dripping with cream cheese frosting.

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By: | August 19 2010
Posted in Cook It - Seattle

Cozy Seattle restaurant Cantinetta opened January 3, 2009 and has enjoyed a reputation for some of the best dishes in the city ever since. This Wallingford neighborhood favorite specializes in hand-made pasta and seasonal organic ingredients from the Pacific Northwest.

Photo: Amie Simon

Although Chef Tomer Shneor was busy getting ready to open a second location in Bellevue, I had a chance to talk with him and try some of his specialties for myself. Luckily, for readers of The Local Dish, he was generous enough to let us share one of his favorite recipes using an abundant seasonal ingredient: oregano, paired with locally sourced spot prawns from Lummi Island (in the San Juans), and zucchini.

Chef Shneor says the best oregano you can buy is Calabria or Sicilian Oregano that comes dried on the branch. The plant grows wild, and is picked, dried, and sold whole. It stays really green when cooked, and the flavor is very intense. He likes to use it because of its distinct flavor, which can come across as intense, or complementary, depending on how it's used.

This dish is on Cantinetta's menu right now, and will also be available at the new location through the first few weeks of September, while the Lummi Island prawns are still in season.

Photo: Amie Simon

Lummi Island Spot Prawn Risotto with Oregano Zucchini Salad
(Serves 4-6)

Ingredients

For the risotto
2 cups Arborio rice
1/2 cup white wine
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 small onion, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
1 glove garlic, diced
4 sprigs thyme
1 bay leaf
5 cups vegetable stock
Salt to taste
Coarse ground black pepper to taste

For the prawns
8 spot prawns
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 teaspoon oregano
Salt to taste
Coarse ground black pepper to taste

For the salad
1 zucchini, julienned on a mandolin
1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves
Juice from ½ lemon
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt to taste
Coarse ground black pepper to taste

To finish the dish
1 tablespoon oregano leaves
2 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper

Directions
To prepare the salad, slice zucchini on the mandolin, then toss with oregano leaves, lemon juice, olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste.

To prepare the risotto, put vegetable stock on to boil. Melt the butter and the olive oil together over high heat in a large pot. Add onion and sweat until really soft, about 2 minutes, stirring as needed so they don't color or brown. Add the Arborio rice to the onion-butter-olive oil mixture and mix well, so all the rice grains are coated, about 1 minute.

Add white wine to the rice mixture and continue cooking, stirring constantly to ensure that none of the rice sticks, until the wine has been completely absorbed and the rice is soft but not sticky, about 1 minute.

Add 3 cups of the boiling stock, and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the rice is al dente, just beginning to cook through, and the stock has evaporated (about 7 minutes). Add the remaining 2 cups of stock and continue to cook, stirring well and often, until the rice has absorbed most of the liquid and become a thick, liquidy stew – another 7 to 8 minutes or so.

To prepare the prawns, heat a large sauté pan. When hot, add olive oil. Remove from heat and add spot prawns to the sauté pan, then return to heat and season with salt and pepper (this step will ensure that the oil will not splatter on you), cook for about 1 1/2 minutes on both sides, depending on prawn size. Add butter and oregano leaves to pan, turn off heat and let the flavors blend.

To finish the dish, remove the risotto from the heat and add butter, oregano, and salt and pepper. Mix well, so the flavors become rich and well combined. If the risotto is too thick for your taste, add a little leftover stock.

Serve in individual bowls, topped with the zucchini oregano salad and roasted spot prawns.

A note about the prawns: You can de-shell them if you like,