Summer Break!

Not my picture, but isn't it gorgeous!

Things are busy in pigletville these days. The summer event calendar is heating up and a few unexpected storms are adding to the to-do list. Somethings gotta give!

So, I bid my bloggery adieu. I'll be back to it after awhile I should think!

Happy living and eating!

Father's Day Steakhouse

Zack and I have such wonderful Fathers. It doesn't feel like there is any way to fully express our gratitude for them. They are men of legacy, strength and unfailing commitment and love for their families.

We had the honor of hosting them both last night for Father's Day. It was really fun to have them together, something that doesn't happen often. Interestingly, they have a lot in common. They are about the same age and worked as counselors and public servants in one way or another as we grew up. They served in the Air Force during Vietnam, both as medics. My Father was stationed in the Philippines. One of his duties was x-raying and loading wounded soldiers onto air transports bound for United States. Back at home in Bremerton, Zack's Dad served unloading those same types of transport planes, sending the men to hospitals and surgeries once they had arrived back in the states for treatment. As they sat sharing stories I was just so humbled by the fact that they had shared such a painful experience, and that so many of our fathers and grandfathers have. Humbled and blessed by their sacrifice, though they never speak of it as such.

For this special dinner, I wanted to make some classic steakhouse favorites - real "Dad" food, so to speak. My Dad gets excited about a few foods. Among them, hot fresh bread and good butter, wedge salads dripping with blue cheese and ice cream in all its forms. Since all that doesn't really make a meal, I filled in the rest with some other things I thought they'd both love.

The menu:

Buttermilk Cornmeal Crusted Onion Rings
with curried ketchup


Iceberg Wedge salad
with heirloom cherry tomatoes, cucumber,
maytag blue cheese dressing and applewood smoked bacon


Bistecca Fiorentina or in English...
Herb Crusted Porterhouse Steak

Zack claims this was my best steak ever. I've made it about 5 times now and as with anything, practice makes perfect! The key is to get a real wet crust on the meat. Do this by making sure to follow the dry herb and salt rub with plenty of olive oil so that the rub is fully adhered to the to the meat. The oil reacts with the heat to ensure a deep dark crust. Just what you want! The meat within was tender and luscious.

Baked Dutch Baby Potatoes
with lemon thyme sour cream and snipped chives

Mini-baked potatoes essentially, but about the size of thumbs, so you don't fill up on potato. Equal portions potato to butter and cream. Wicked.

Julie's Hot Rosemary Bread
and Kerrygold Irish butter

and for dessert...

Dana Treat's INCREDIBLE
Peanut Brittle and Caramel Crunch Ice Cream Pie

I was so happy with how everything turned out. Delicious food and such great company. My Dad actually said it was one of the best meals he's ever had. After sixty plus years of meals, I have to say I highly doubt it, but it was music to his "little girl's" ears all the same.

I definitely want to share with you this awesome onion ring recipe, adapted from Ina Garten. The corn meal adds a wonderful crunch and sweetness. The real highlight of this appetizer was the addition of curried ketchup. The curry may be surprising but it takes this humble condiment to a whole new level. Try it with onion rings, fries, potato chips, burgers, whatever you put ketchup on.

Curried Ketchup

3/4 cup ketchup
1 Tbl curry powder

Mix together and taste. Add more curry powder if desired.

Buttermilk Cornmeal Crusted Onion Rings

2 large Spanish onions (or 3 yellow onions or sweet onions)
2 cups buttermilk
3-6 dashes of Tabasco (depending on the heat you like)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup flour
1/4 cup (medium) yellow cornmeal
1 quart vegetable oil

Peel the onions, slice them 1/2 to 3/4-inch thick, and separate them into rings. Combine the buttermilk, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon pepper in a medium bowl. Add the onion rings, toss well, and allow to marinate for at least 15 minutes. (The onion rings can sit in the buttermilk for a few hours.) In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Set aside.

When you're ready to fry the onion rings, preheat the oven to 200 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with paper towels.

Heat the oil to 350 degrees F in a large pot or Dutch oven. (A candy thermometer attached to the side of the pot will help you maintain the proper temperature.) Working in batches, lift some onions out of the buttermilk and dredge them in the flour mixture. Drop into the hot oil and fry for 2 minutes, until golden brown, turning them once with tongs. Don't crowd them! Place the finished onion rings on the baking sheet, sprinkle liberally with salt, and keep them warm in the oven while you fry the next batch. Continue frying the onion rings and placing them in the warm oven until all the onions are fried. They will remain crisp in the oven for up to 30 minutes. Serve hot.

Market Report: June 17th

There's been a lot on my plate this week, so to speak, so I'll keep this report short and just show you lots of beautiful pictures. The colors are riotous and I love that.


There was a new booth at the market this week selling fresh caught, flash frozen wild coho salmon for $9 a pound. That's clearly a nice price so I decided I had to try it. Coho salmon is not my favorite. It's a little leaner and smaller than other varieties, but pan-seared with Zaatar seasoning and a chutney of rhubarb and apriums with fresh mint, the flavor was really nice and the flesh firm. Apriums were new this week as well - a cross between apricots and plums. They were good, but not as good as an apricot or a plum, so I probably would have left nature alone on that one.

We've been trying to eat on the leaner side to recover from last weeks festivities, so along with the salmon a simple salad of Alm Hill's spicy greens, roasted yellow beets, radishes and sugar snap peas was perfect. I topped with some crisped prosciutto and a couple ounces of goat cheese.




I drizzled on the most incredible olive oil, which was given to me as a hostess gift recently. Trampetti is so excellent for those fresh uncooked dishes where you are really looking for the olive oil to enhance the dish. It's the perfect finishing drizzle. You can find it at Whole Foods if you're interested.

Staycation Notes: An Indian cooking class

Why do I look so intense? I'm grating ginger for goodness sake!

About two weeks ago now, Zack and I went on Staycation. I told you we were going, but haven't had a chance yet to tell you all about it. I figure, when I want to blog but don't have something more immediate to tell you, I'll go back to those wonderful five days and relive one of our adventures.

Today I give you, our cooking class evening at the Blue Ribbon Cooking School. This was the first time Zack and I had taken a cooking class together and I was so excited. The cooking school is located on the Lake Union waterfront, just off Eastlake. We arrived a bit early and helped ourselves at the self-service bar. It was set up with a wide variety of wines and some Indian inspired cocktails. The Ginger Cosmo for me and a Tamarind Cocktail for Zack. The school is quite large with a demonstration kitchen, dining area and reception space, as well as an open air deck where we sat and sipped our libations in the evening sun. Before long, there were thirty of us and class was in session.

Our instructor had lived for seven years in India and spoke with authority on the dishes, as well as a lot of humor. She got us started right to work making vegetable samosas and explaining the basic elements of Indian cuisine, including some of the unique ingredients essential to it. After about fifteen minutes, we reviewed the evenings menu and broke into teams to cook. If you don't know much about cooking technique, this would be a bit of a shock, because it was basically, "here's your recipe, here's your ingredients, now whip up your dish and we'll all eat it for dinner!" Zack and I joined forces with a woman in her 50's who had never eaten Indian food before in her life. I took charge. We made vegetable pulao, which is the saffron and garam masala scented rice often served with saucy meat dishes. This recipe was also studded with lots of great vegetation. The kitchen was quite a bustle as we all tripped over each other cooking our dishes. The resulting buffet was all good, although some dishes much better than others. We met a lot of fun people, the comradery was thick and after dinner spread we just about rolled out of the place. Here are just a few of the items the group made and my heaping plate...of seconds!


You may find this absurd, but I expected to come away from the class inspired to plan and throw long Indian dinner parties in our home. In these daydreams, I saw Zack and I working together on the meal and it being known that our "thing" was to cook Indian dinners in tandem for our blessed guests. I often create lofty ideas like this for my culinary forays. We enjoyed the class, but walked away relatively unchanged. Imagine that - NOT transformed by a three hour cooking class. What a shocker. :) Indian food is wonderful, and we'll enjoy it for lazy evenings of take-out and movies as we always have, but its not something I'm really inspired to cook at home. I think my culinary heart is pretty much trapped between Northern France and Southern Italy and I need to come to terms with that. All the same, it was a fabulous evening and worth every penny. I highly recommend it.

Ultimate Dessert Championship

So, as I'm sure all my readers know (because all my readers are personal friends and family, to my knowledge!) I am a committed member of an incredible church called Mars Hill. I attend its Downtown Seattle campus. One of the main ways I serve at church is through throwing, coordinating, planning, hosting, whatever is needed...events.

I have been an event planner since I was old enough to formulate a to-do list, I'd say about 7. In my early 20's, I followed this passion into the professional world as an event planner for a wonderful catering company. Since then, I have planned events professionally for a number of different companies, as a service to my church or community and as a personal entertainer - pretty much non-stop! There is always the next event on the horizon and I like it that way. So this leads me to last Saturday. Well, lets start in January. My pastor asked if I had ideas or could help him plan an event geared towards the single people at our campus, of which there are many. I said yes, and as is typical for me, I have taken a bite of this need and I haven't let go. The first event was a bit weak and we were determined to create a better experience the second time out. After much deliberation with the team, the Ultimate Dessert Championship was born. A knock down, drag out dessert bake-off, where only one comes out standing! At least that was the idea behind the marketing (think UFC). :)

Anyway, I was so happy with the event, because I really felt it broke a lot of ice and helped everyone meet someone new. 110 people attended and 30 of them baked and entered desserts. The guests ate dinner, competed in trivia and other competitions and judged desserts. They really got into the scoring and had a great time. We shook up the evening by having the guests sit at tables with people they didn't know, using a fancy arbitrary placement system (yeah right, we put numbers on the bottom of their paper plates that coordinated with what table they had to sit at). Now, in my experience with these competitions, a cheesecake always wins, UNLESS, there is a molten chocolate cake of some type. In which case, no one else even has a chance. This winning chocolate cake was even better than the normal molten gooey goodness, because she used almond paste as well. Chocolate and almond, OH MY! This was the high scoring, absolute winner and I'd definitely recommend it if you really want to impress someone with dessert!


Ultimate Dessert Champion of the World: Almond Chocolate Torte
(pictured in main space above) by Megan Behrmann

For Cake:

1 tsp instant coffee powder
2 Tbs hot water
4 oz semi-sweet coffee
1 Tbl shortening
3 eggs seperated
1/2 cup butter
2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup almond paste
1/2 cup flour
a pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 8 inch round pan and sprinkle with
cocoa.

Mix instant coffee and hot water together. Melt the shortening and
semi-sweet chocolate together over a double boiler or glass bowl over simmering water and cool. Stir in coffee.

Whip egg whites into soft peaks.

Cream butter and sugar. Add almond paste, egg yolks, salt and flour. Add
chocolate coffee mixture and mix until fully incorporated. Fold in egg
whites in thirds.

Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 25-30 minutes until tester pierced 1 inch from the edge comes out clean (note: the center will still be quite gooey and delicicious). Cool
for 10 minutes and then turn out. Allow to cool completely and then top with
glaze and let sit for 2-4 hours.

For Glaze

1 and 1/2 oz unsweetened chocolate
2 Tbl butter
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp almond extract
2-3 Tbl warm water
a pinch of salt

Melt chocolate and butter together. Whisk in sugar, salt, almond and
vanilla. Add warm water to thin as needed. Pour over cake and allow to
harden.

Supper Thyme - Southern Style

What is Supper Thyme? Let me tell you. Supper Thyme is the most wonderful potluck you can imagine, where each guest brings the best from their culinary arsenal to compliment the meal. It is not haphazard. There is a specific theme and four or five courses. Two people are assigned to each and the normal formula is that a dish and paired drink is their responsibility. A theme is ESSENTIAL. This is similar in concept to the group of ladies I dine with quarterly, but it is really very different. That group is fixed - five ladies...the SAME ladies, every single time. Supper Thyme is a rotating band of wonderful food lovers, with each new dinner bringing some regulars and some newbies to the table. It happens sporadically, on average 5 times a year I'd say. We've done many wonderful themes, that you can check out here. To Supper Thyme you bring your very best. You research and test and you consult regularly with one another to ensure that the perfect meal is designed, or as close as you can get to it!

The Southern theme was probably the most discussed yet. Southern food is innately comfort food and there are so many elements of it that we wanted to experience. The issue was really narrowing it down to a reasonable amount of food that a reasonable human could eat in one evening. It didn't really make sense to do a lot of wine pairing with this meal, because cocktails and beers are more authentic to Southern meals, so we set up a fabulous bar and set out a couple recipes and people went to town. Fresh fruit old-fashioneds and whisky sours were the favorites.

It was a mind boggle. I am not 100% sure, but I am 95% sure that this was my favorite Supper Thyme yet. Here is the menu, with my comments.

~Cocktail Hour~

Fresh Fruit Old-Fashioneds

Crab Cakes Balls via Maryland

Spicy Pimento Cheese

Roasted Dates
wrapped in bacon and stuffed with Pecans

I wanted to pick one recipe from the evening to share with you and I chose the crab balls. The balls were so lusciously moist and filled with crab and the peppadew aioli a brilliant compliment. Really though, all the appetizers were amazing and the fresh fruit old-fashioned has turned me onto the possibilities of bourbon.

~First Course~ Plated

Sauteed Giant Shrimp
with country ham and andouille sausage

over the creamiest grits you've ever tasted in your life.

Oh Azie, these were so wonderful! There was much discussion over whether to have this course and would it be too much food and my oh my am I glad we did! These were the best grits I've ever eaten and the shrimp were perfectly spiced by the andouille sausage and smoky, salty ham. Delectable.

~Main Course~ Family-Style

Double Dipped Buttermilk Fried Chicken

Collard Greens
cooked with ham hocks

Blue Cheese Coleslaw

Southern Bread Basket:
Jalepeno cheddar cornbread, Country Bisquits
with honey butter

Okay, it was my job to make the fried chicken. Fried chicken is no easy matter. I tested a couple recipes earlier that day and determined a few key things. Don't add a bunch of smoky spices like paprika and cayenne to the chicken. It takes away from the pure flavor. Salt, pepper, garlic powder and dried thyme ended up being perfect. Another important thing is double-dipping for maximum crust. I mean, isn't that REALLY why we eat fried chicken? So, soaked in buttermilk for 24 hours, then dredged in the seasoned flour, then buttermilk again, then flour, then rest for 5 minutes and into 360 degree oil. 3 minutes per side and then 25 minutes in the oven. I am telling you, I was very proud of that chicken. Which made me feel better when the blue cheese coleslaw was totally a waste of space. Fortunately, the collard greens were amazing as were the breads. Seriously, my friends Beth and Tim killed it on the baking. I have never seen such tall, fluffy biscuits come out of a home kitchen.

~ Dessert ~
Served much, much later, standing around the kitchen

Rhubarb Peach Cobbler
with Buttermilk crust, topped with Buttermilk ice cream
garnished with Grilled Bourbon Peach & Bourbon Drizzle

Ah me, it is too much. An incredible meal and then THIS! It was so perfectly golden, with the proper ratio of topping to fruit that is crucial to a good cobbler. The rhubarb and peach were a perfect combination. Tart and sweet mingling together in a symphony of...okay, I'm losing it. Breathe, Julie, Breathe. This was Amy's first attempt at homemade ice cream and the flavor was perfect. The sweet tangy buttermilk came right through. The grilled peach and bourbon drizzle took this to another planet. Stop Julie, you're doing it again! Point being, I really liked this dessert.

So, back to that recipe I promised you. This is in Rachel's own words.

Crab Cakes Balls via Maryland
This recipe is inspired by my Mother-in-law Donna's crab cake recipe. I modified it to make it into crab cake balls which make a very special appetizer. For the record, it's more economical to buy the already shelled crab meat believe it or not. The monger at Central Market convinced me.

1 pound fresh jumbo lump crabmeat (splurge)

1 3/4 cups panko

4 large eggs beaten

2 Tbl olive oil (plus a bit more to coat the cookie sheet the balls are baked on)

1 Tbl butter

1/2 sweet onion finely chopped

2 large garlic cloves finely minced

3 Tbl mayo

1 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard

1 Tbl Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp hot sauce of choice (Iguana habenero)

1 tsp Old Bay seasoning

3/4 cup finely processed parsley

1 tsp fresh chives

Kosher salt

Fresh ground pepper

Process the onion and garlic together until very fine. Then, saute the onion and garlic in olive oil and butter until it gets caramelized and brownish. Break up the crab meat into smaller pieces that will mix well. Big chunks will not work well in a ball. Add to bowl. Add crab meat to bowl. Add all other ingredients to bowl and mix or fold together gently until everything is well combined. Do not over mix. Once combined, use a tablespoon measure to scoop out amount to mold into balls. Gently roll crab batter into ball and place on lightly olive oiled cookie sheet. Should make about 40 balls.

The balls need to set for at least a few hours to firm up before they are baked. This is a great recipe to make the day ahead and let them rest. Cover with plastic wrap.

Bake in middle of oven at 400 degree for 25 minutes.

Peppadew Pepper Aioli

1/2 cup olive oil mayo (more if you want the aioli thicker)

Juice of half a lemon

1 Tbl fresh chives

1/4 cup fresh italian parsley

about 5-7 peppadew peppers with juice (found in olive bars in finer grocers)

1 Tbl hot sauce of choice (Iguana habanero sauce)

Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Blend all aioli ingredients together in a blender. Serve with warm crab cake balls.

Don't forget the toothpicks. And chives with parsley make a lovely garnish. Enjoy!

A "Serious" New Happy Hour

Picture from www.tomdouglas.com

It may be clear already, but if it isn't, let me state for the record. I love pizza. Zack loves pizza. Together, we are pizza junkies. So I just have to share with you something that I got very excited about when I recieved my Tom Douglas Newsletter this month.

SERIOUS PIE HAS HAPPY HOUR!!!!!!!!!

Serious Pie is the pizza joint in Tom Douglas's Seattle restaurant empire. I'm a big fan. The pizzas at Serious Pie are unique. The olive oil content in their dough is such that when the pizza hits the hot oven its more like the dough is frying than baking and the resulting crust is delicious, as fried bread inevitably is. His topping choices are inventive too. Chantarelles with truffled cheese is my favorite, though close on its heels is the cherry bomb with sweet fennel sausage. Oh and don't forget the guanciale with soft egg and arugula! Okay, I love them all.

Granted, this happy hour is at a weird time, I mean, 3-5pm is really not quite happy hour. I think a happy hour should go till 6pm at minimum, to be fully legit. BUT, I will not quibble with the "man" (Tom Douglas is THE "man") . The half-size pies they are offering is genious! This way you can try a wider variety. In fact, I wish they did this at all hours.

The setting is small, simple and rustic with tall communal dining tables. Come with friends or be prepared to meet some new ones. In this casual enviroment, communal works.

Anyway, scoot out early one day soon and try this new happy hour, Seriously. :)

Wine Tasting Report!

I have to say, Richard Kinnisies of the Wine Outlet outdid himself. I asked him to put together a tasting of five wines, each under $15 and he not only did that, but every single one was delicious! I'm serious. Here are my notes.

Rive Della Chiesa Frizzante Rose: Veneto, Italy
A refreshing and fun semi-sparkling wine with a blend of Prosecco and Merlot. Different and delicious. At $10 a pop (ha, ha, I made a pun) it is a wonderful buy and will be a perfect summer wine that goes with just about anything.

Foffani Pinot Grigio: Friuli, Italy
Great aromos and flavor of apple and fig notes with a clean and crisp finish, totally classic Pinot Grigio. $10

Zwei.1: Austria
This is an unusual varietal, a cross of two that I'd also never heard of; St. Laurent andBlaufrankish (Lemberger). It reminded me of syrah with medium body and flavors of raspberry, strawberry and cherry with a peppery finish. $13

Mas de Boislauzon: Southern Rhone, France
From the northernmost sector of Chateauneuf in southern Rhone.
This one was my favorite. Medium to full body with a blend of Grenache, Syrah, Carignan, and Mourvedre. It is ripe, dark ruby in color and nice dark cherry fruitiness. $15

Rossosole: Umbria, Italy
A lovely Italian red blend of Sangiovese and Merlot with lots of body, dark fruit and smooth, velvety finish. $15


With these, I put together some creamy snacks...

A platter of creamy Spanish blue, jamon serrano, fig preserves and fried marcona almonds and from Provence, a goat cheese spread with raspberry vinegar and blackberry honey.


We had about 20 beautiful people come and taste, with a great talk from Richard and and a rousing game of overly difficult food and wine trivia (sorry folks!). Richard joined one of the ailing teams and they won by a mile - each taking home a bottle of their favorite wine from the tasting as a prize.


A good time was had by all and we left happy with gooey espresso ganache covered marshmallows still on our lips.

Oh, and P.S. The Wine Outlet is having its its first ever clearance sale this weekend. Don't you miss it! The bargains are going to be fast and furious.

Market Report: June 10th

I had a guest with me on my trip to the market this week, my beautiful niece Maiah. I love spending time with her and she is wonderfully encouraging and adoring, assuring me that I am so beautiful and fashionable that I should be a designer and other such vast, but delightful overstatements. We stopped first at the Little Prague pastry stall, where she stood for awhile, daunted and overwhelmed. The variety of fruit danish, poppyseed rolls and nut confections were just TOO much! She simply could not decide. After awhile, she decided we must move on; everything looked so good that she could not decide, so she would pass. This logic is mind-boggling to me, as I would have opted for the I can't decide I'll take 4 option, but move on we did.

I was a bit stumped this week. The challenge and knowing I must write about it has definitely added pressure. I really wanted to make salad, but I couldn't do that two weeks in a row! Oh no, they are watching! Maiah suggested spaghetti and meatballs, which inspired me to make a fresh pasta with a sauce of market ingredients. Pasta Primavera, just the thing! My inevitable visit to the bacon counter that is Seabreeze Farms inspired the addition of bacon to the dish. I would saute the bacon until crisp (cut into lardon), remove it, and then cook the vegetables in its unctious juices. Yes, I thought, I am on the right track. English peas were available this week, and I hadn't seen them the week before, so that was a must. Maiah could shell them while I made pasta. I picked up some lovely looking spring onions, and a striped variety of zuchini that the stand owner called Mexican. I had fresh basil and parsley at home, so I'd toss those in at the end. I also bought some parmesan cheese from Golden Glen Creamery out of Bow, Washington. They're having a Dairy Month Open House on June 27th - don't miss the hay rides and petting zoo! This parmesan was certainly not like a classic reggiano, but did have lovely nutty flavor and added some complexity to the pasta. Our market basket full and Maiah munching on a loaf of La Panzanella focaccia to tide her over, we left the market. It's worth mentioning that it was the first week that cherries were at the market, so I plan to utilize those somehow next time.



At home, we went to work. I made a simple pasta dough of 1.5 cups flour and 2 eggs, mixed in my food processor, squeezed together, wrapped in plastic wrap and allowed to rest 20 minutes or so. While the pasta rested, I sauteed the bacon lardon, removed them and added onions, zucchini and peas in that order, giving them each about 3-4 minutes before adding the next item. I wanted the onions to carmelize a bit and zucchini take longer than peas. I added dashes of chicken stock whenever things got dry and started to stick to the skillet to much and that deglazed things nicely and created a sauce. The zest of half a lemon and juice of the whole thing were an important edition and really brightened up the flavor. I added a touch of cream to the sauce and 1/4 cup of finely grated parmesan. I rolled out the pasta with my Kitchenaid pasta attachment (what a wonderful investment THAT has been) and then again into fettucine, dropping it almost immediately into boiling salted water for just 2 minutes and then into the sauce. I tossed it all together with 1/4 cup each flat-leaf parsley, fresh basil and the parmesan, added a touch of cream and plated. I have to say, I really really enjoyed the flavor and the pasta was perfect. Not overcooked like my pasta from the other night (that was so sad - still recovering)! Maiah also really enjoyed the dish, although Zack was not overly impressed. I dished him up first and I think his pasta had less of the sauce coating it and so was not as flavorful as the servings deeper in the skillet. That said, I feel decent about dinner. It was better than a finger in your eye.

Hope to see some of you tonight at Luscious Vino Values!

Winemaker Dinner: Produttori at Cantinetta

In January, the inaugural Golden Piglet was awarded. That prize (for what its worth!) went to Cantinetta restaurant, a wonderful Tuscan dream in Wallingford that takes me back to that beautiful place while at the same time giving me only the best local, seasonal ingredients.

So, occasionally, this dear place hosts winemaker dinners. I absolutely must call your attention to a very special one coming up on Tuesday, June 23rd, featuring my favorite red Italian style, Barbaresco. Produttori is a legend in Italian wine making, with an outstanding reputation for unwaivering quality and integrity in their production. This dinner features not only its exemplary wines, but also its most well known representative, winemaker Aldo Vacca. This is a very intimate enviroment to taste through many of his outstanding wines and also the sigh-worthy culinary delights of Cantinetta. To wet your appetites, the menu...

~Aperitivo~

Broglia Gavi di Gavi "La Mierana" 2007

Avocado, grapefruit, oil cured olives, chilies

~Antipasti~

Produttori Nebbiolo Langhe 2007

Arugula, tuna, fagioli, tomato, egg, balsamic

~Primi~

Produttori Barbaresco 2005

Casoncelli, pancetta, amaretti, sage

~Secondi~

Produttori Barbaresco Riserva "Ovello" 2004

Hanger steak, walla walla onions, porcini

~Dolce~

Marenco Moscato d'Asti or Brachetto d'Acqui 2007

Bombolini, mascarpone, citrus sage

Zack and I wouldn't miss this and we'd love to invite any of you to join our table! The evening is $85 for all courses and paired wine, excluding tax and gratuity. In my experience, this is a great value for this quality of wine and food. And what better way to experience a Golden Piglet, and one of my favorite desserts in the city, BOMBOLINI!



Cantinetta info:
3650 Wallingford Ave N, Seattle 98103 | 206-632-1000
Please call or email trevor@cantinettaseattle.com for reservations
Event Date: Tuesday, June 23 6:30pm

An wildly memorable Tuscan Tavolata

Kay's fabulous table"scape"

This weekend marked the most hilarious dinner party I have ever been a part of, hands down. It started innocently at 6:30 with plates of delicious antipasto and ended after midnight with dancing and cartwheels on the lawn! I'm pretty sure a conga line was in there somewhere too. But I digress...

Once a quarter, a group of women I have known since I was six years old get together to cook a wonderful meal. We don't all get together at once for any other occasion, but our shared love of the kitchen and enjoyment of each other makes it seem like no time has past. We haven't really settled on a good name for the group, though this issue is always a source of discussion. The working title is Le Cinq Gourmandes, a nod to the fabulous Julia Child.

Each dinner has a theme. We discuss and debate the merits of each upcoming theme at length and the first time it came to a vote. We take turns hosting and each of us cooks a course and offers a paired wine or other special libation. Tuscany was the inspiration for this meal and the variety and beauty of the meal was copious to say the least. In this case, a picture really is worth a thousand words.

~ 1st Course ~

A sensational Antipasto with everything your little heart could desire

~2nd Course~
Ricotta, Reggiano, Corn and Basil Ravioli
with butter sauce, pine nuts and more reggiano

This was my course and I am really angry with myself because I skimped on the butter and why in the WORLD did I do that? I've made this better on other occasions. It still makes me cringe. But I didn't let it ruin my night. I swallowed hard and moved ON!

~ 3rd Course~

Sauteed Scallops with Heirloom tomatoes
and grilled red onions

This was the perfect Main course. Anything heavier would have been the death of us after the antipasto and pasta courses. The tart acid of the tomatoes with the creamy scallops was a wonder.

~ 4th Course~

Chocolate Hazelnut Tart
with vanilla cream

Kelly's first tart! And it was glorious. Chocolate and hazelnut are such a perfectly Italian combination. Nice choice girl!

So, there it is! Just a few of 115 picture taken, but some of the best ones. Sadly, though honestly I'm sure we're all relieved, the camera ran out of juice around 10:30pm. And it was after this that dancing ensued. Perhaps the Dancing Gourmets would be a good name?

Wine Tasting: Luscious Vino Values!

Attention fellow foodies and vinophiles! On June 11th from 6:30 - 8:00pm, I am hosting a private wine tasting event at Seattle Wine Outlet. The store is reserved and store owner Richard Kinnsies will be hand selecting 5 wonderful wines under $15 a bottle for us to taste! It is a great opportunity to meet other food and wine lovers, as well as find some fabulous wine values. Cheeses and my chocolate dipped marshmallows will also be served. Stop in after work or stay for the duration but don't miss the chance for great community, plus wines and insight from one of Seattle foremost wine experts. There will even be a little friendly competition with vino prizes. :)

COST: $12 Paid in cash or check at the door. This simply covers the cost of the wine tasting, space rental and light snacks. You may buy additional wine directly from The Wine Outlet with your Visa or MC.

RSVP: Please, PLEASE RSVP to goldenpigletmail@gmail.com if you plan to attend, so that I can plan accordingly.

LOCATIONS: This is at the Wine Outlet's Interbay store: 946 Elliott Avenue West

Turkish Grilling - Yogurt-Marinated Chicken Kebabs

A friend of mine recently mentioned that her cooking magazines right now are all about barbeque or grilling. So, so true - tis the season! Each cover is graced with slathered ribs, towering burgers or well dressed hot dogs. I was delighted with my July Bon Apetit to find a story about grilling from around the world, an article filled with items that aren't classic American grill, but showcase the traditions of the world when it comes to the oldest of cooking techniques...fire! I picked this recipe from the mix because I love Turkish flavors, but more important than that, I had the necessary ingredients already in my fridge or pantry. I love it when that happens. I've modified the recipe somewhat and added red onions and dates to the skewer, which definitely made it a bit more interesting. The chicken recipe is awesome and gives wonderful heat and flavor but the sweetness of the grilled onions and dates were a perfect foil. It is an inexpensive main dish, and one that I'd feel very confident serving to company, with a pine nut, fresh herb and dried apricot studded cous cous and a interesting green salad or grilled vegetables.

Yogurt Marintated Chicken Kebabs
with red onions and medjool dates
Adapted from Bon Apetit Magazine, July 2009

Makes 8-10 kebabs, serves 4-6 for dinner

3 teaspoons dried crushed red pepper
2 teaspoons smoked sweet paprika
1 cup plain 2% or whole-milk Greek-style yogurt (8 ounces) (Trader Joe's Faje is GREAT)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 garlic cloves, peeled, flattened
2 unpeeled lemons; 1 thinly sliced into rounds, 1 cut into wedges for serving (optional)
2 1/4 pounds skinless boneless chicken (thighs and/or breast halves), cut into 1 1/4-inch cubes
1 small red onion, cut in thick wedges and then in half*
16 Medjool dates, pitted (Trader Joe's)*

*Note: You could use other fruit or vegetables here, like peppers, mushrooms, pineapple.

Equipment: Metal skewers OR the thick bamboo ones, soaked for 30 minutes in water before skewering

Method

Place dried crushed red pepper and paprika combination in large bowl and stir in 2 tablespoons warm water and let stand until paste forms, about 5 minutes. Add yogurt, olive oil, red wine vinegar, tomato paste, 2 teaspoons coarse salt, and 1 teaspoon black pepper to spice mixture in bowl; whisk to blend. Stir in garlic and lemon slices, then chicken. Cover and chill overnight.

Preheat barbecue for 10 minutes (medium-high heat). Thread chicken pieces, onions and dates on skewers, dividing equally. Discard marinade in bowl. Sprinkle each skewer with salt, pepper. Brush grill rack with oil. Grill chicken until and cooked through, turning skewers once, 10 minutes total. Transfer skewers to platter. Surround with lemon wedges and serve.

Fresh ricotta - a dismal failure

Okay people, I do not know where I went wrong here. I was so sure it would be a piece of cake. The recipe looked so easy. I bought cheesecloth. I daydreamed of stuffing fresh pasta ravioli for a dinner party tomorrow evening with my ricotta, reggiano, corn and basil and nonchalantly saying "Why yes I DID make this ricotta myself" Well, pride goeth before a fall. I will now humbly head to Whole Foods for whatever fine product they carry (which likely is better than whatever I would have come up with anyway).

So, I followed the recipe exactly, but it barely curdled. A few fine little milk solids not true curds. The only end result that might possibly be called ricotta is the little white turd at the bottom of the enormous plastic container I had ambitiously planned to store my handiwork in. If anyone has any ideas, I'd love to hear them. I want to make fresh ricotta, but apparently I'm cheese challenged. Can someone else try it? ...and bring me some?



From now on, culinary failures shall be labeled Pigsty's.

Market Report: June 3rd

What an incredible week at the market. It was 85 degrees walking over and feels like the dead of summer, though its still spring!

A couple of the stands stood out to me today. The gentleman behind the counter at Seabreeze Farms was so nice and helpful. I definitely want to try some of his myriad of products this summer. Seabreeze is located on Vashon Island and they do a little bit of everything; incredible pork products, lamb, beef, produce and wines to name a few. I definitely want to try their lard for a pie or two this summer and the bacon glistening behind the glass will be a must as well. I asked him where he recommended I buy asparagus and he sent me to the Alm Hill stand. He was right on. From them I picked up a bag of the most delicious lettuce mix I've ever had. They called it their spicy mix and it had so much variety and flavor that it didn't even need dressing (though I dressed it anyway). A bunch of asparagus with lovely purple tips and baby walla walla sweet onions were next in the bag. A couple stalls over a man was selling raspberry vinegar. It tasted wonderful. Truly raspberryesque. I bought some, thinking of a recipe I'd seen for a goat cheese and raspberry vinegar appetizer spread on baguette and drizzled with lavender honey. Planning ahead, I can't help myself. Darned if I can remember the meat vendors name, but from him I got a pound of lovely grass-fed tri-tip. The marbling in the meat was very intramuscular and all the exterior fat was well trimmed, which is something I really appreciate in a butcher. With that, our shopping was done. Next step, make dinner.

I had already decided on a big entree salad. We've been eating like golden piglets during our vacation so something very light was definitely in order. The result was so tasty and just felt good to eat. Zack was exclaiming over the deliciousness of all the elements. I really didn't do anything special here, it was just amazing ingredients, plenty of salt & pepper, the char of a good grill flavor and some creamy yogurt sauce. Here's the recipe, but again, its really just a method. You could substitute whatever was fresh and in season and make a great dish. I used a few things from my pantry which is allowed! :)

Grilled Asparagus, Onion and Tri-Tip Spicy Greens Salad
with shaved parmigiana reggiano and balsamic vinaigrette

Serves 2 generously, we were eating this and only this for dinner so I made a lot.

1 lb asparagus, trimmed
6 baby walla walla onions, stems cut so only 2 inches of green are left
7 cups freshly picked salad greens (Alm Hill's spicy mix or other farmstand lettuce mix is key here - fresh picked lettuces taste amazing compared to storebought)
1 lb tri-tip steak, fully trimmed
2 tbls balsamic vinegar
3 tbls olive oil
20 shavings of parmigiana reggiano (use a vegetable peeler)
4 tbls greek yogurt
1 tsp ground cumin

Kosher salt & pepper to season along the way

Method:

Pre-heat grill for 10 minutes to medium-high. Drizzle the asparagus and onions lightly with olive oil and generously season with kosher salt and pepper. and grilled them over medium-high, 7 minutes and 12 minutes respectively. Remove and allow to cool somewhat. Chop to bite size.

GENEROUSLY season steak with kosher salt, pepper, olive oil and 1/2 tsp of fennel seeds each. Grill to your desired temperature. Mine was 4 minutes per side for medium and 10 minutes total for medium well (for Zack!)

Mix together yogurt with cumin and a pinch of salt and pepper.

To assemble: Toss spicy salad greens mix with asparagus, onions and vinaigrette. Shave cheese overtop. Serve steak on top of salad with dollop of yogurt sauce (my preference) or alongside with cumin yogurt (Zack's preference).

Wednesday Market Challenge

Today was kind of a big day in my culinary life. I went to the Wallingford Farmer's Market, bought fresh local ingredients and made dinner entirely out of them. Now, I have been to farmer's markets more times than I can count. They are a visual joy. Impeccable produce, breads, meats, pasta, etc. The promise of the market just appeals to me on a deep level. So why haven't I purchased from them in the past? A couple of reasons...

Zack and I just don't eat many vegetables. He just doesn't like many of them and I haven't learned how to cook them well. I definitely make a lot of salads, but they are generally of the spring greens, fruit, nuts and cheese variety and lacking in true, healthful vegetation. Farmer's markets are also more expensive and I have a strange dichotomy when it comes to money and food. When it comes to every day groceries I am very cheap. When it comes to dinner party groceries I am very generous. When it comes to dining out, I am very very generous. So, despite delighting in food and cooking, I can also be very basic and Zack is perfectly happy with that. Toasted tortillas, sauteed chicken with taco seasoning, beans, salsa and sour cream are a regular weeknight dinner. I know, its a shameful secret. :) Here's another one - my favorite on-the-go lunch is a large diet coke and hamburger from McDonald's. Hey - it's only five points! The third reason is that true farmer's market shopping is not conducive to deciding what you want to make, shopping for it and cooking. The opposite is true. I am a big-time plan ahead person, so this is hard for me. You go to the market with only the vaguest (if any) idea of what to cook and based on the ingredients available, you are inspired. The balance is that the excellence of the ingredients will stand out and require less manipulation. The foods can be enjoyed simply prepared without complex recipes.

So, I set out for the market today with the desire to buy and cook our dinner from what was available there. I have a great desire to bring more vegetables to our dinner plates and have Zack actually enjoy them! I have to tell you that it was a wonderful experience and has inspired me to create for myself this Wednesday Market Challenge. Every Wednesday, at 3pm, I'm going to wonder the Wallingford Farmer's Market. Each week, I will buy the main ingredients for our dinner there. In this way, I hope to learn more about what's in season when, to grow in my ability to cook without recipes, to feed my little family well, to grow to know the purveyors of the food as many other writers have inspired me to do and to support a wonderful network of farmers, bakers, ranchers and food products that make our dinner tables more delicious. I'll be posting the Wednesday Market dinner here each Thursday morning.

If any of you would like to join me in this challenge, feel free to post your farmer's market creations on my Wednesday posts or if you'd like to join me at the market, that would be wonderful too!

Restaurant Review: Pizzeria Pulcinella

Pizzeria Pulcinella is a Italian memory brought right into present day. But wait, its in Rainier Beach of all places! In a way, it makes it even more fun, a real "find" and an evening's destination. The owner, Vince Mottola Jr., was a part of some of my earliest restaurant experience. Vince's Italian Restaurant is a tradition in the grubby (but up and coming I swear!) town of Burien, where I grew up. Started by Vince Sr in 1957, its a classic American Italian restaurant with red and white checked tablecloths and all the usual suspects on the menu. I have to say, I personally don't recommend it. Italian food in America has come a long way since Vince's heyday and Vince Jr. gets that. With Pizzeria Pulcinella, his quest was not to make an Americanized version of Italian food, but to do true, authentic Neopolitan pizza, and he has succeeded.

The restaurant has a great feel to it. A big open room with high ceilings, tile floor, the pizza station and wood-burning oven right in the center. As soon as I went through the doors my excitement went through the roof, I love the look of the place. Vince's adorable blond wife, who lovingly attends the host stand, could sense it immediately and gave us the best two seats in the house. They're at the bar, facing the door, right in front of the pizza station. I loved that because it was awesome to talk to the pizzaiolo and learn some tips and tricks. We did it "wine lunch" style (though it was dinner time) - just a pitcher of cold crisp white wine and pizza. The menu has pasta as well, but who are they kidding? We know what we're here for!

We ordered two pies. the Vomero, with tomato, mozzarella, prosciutto, and arugula and the Vesuvio, with tomato, mozzarella, sausage, and red onion. They were the stuff of dreams. The crust was just lightly crisp with a little blackening on the bottom (very important!) and nicely chewy with a hint of yeastiness. San Marzano tomato sauce follows and the brightness and acidity of these little gems makes such an enormous difference in the overall effect. The mozzarella used is the fresh milk variety. My favorite of the two, the Vomero, is baked with just the tomato and mozzarella and then topped with the prosciutto and arugula after baking. The Vesuvio was also delicious and I loved the addition of red onion, which had been roasted to bring out its sweetness.

For dessert, we ordered cannoli, which was a first for Zack. Crispy pastry shell filled with marscapone cheese dotted with tiny chunks of chocolate - wickedly delicious and washed down with a dark mahogany shot of coffee.

It was a wonderful meal. A perfect staycation meal. We got to travel to Italy with our tastebuds. I'm going to reserve judgement on a Golden Piglet for this because I've only been once, but I think it could easily get there. Most assuredly, it IS the best neopolitan wood-fired pizza in Seattle.

I stop and smell the roses

So far, this staycation is a stunner. We just returned from a walk at the lake. I'm figuring out how to use my recently purchased SLR camera and really enjoying the difference between IT and my i-phone photos, which (absurdly) have been what I have been using up on this blog until now! I couldn't resist logging on real quick to share a couple.


I'll have lots to report in a couple days including wonderful experiences at a couple great local and fabulously affordable restaurants!