The Golden Piglet

Cinnamon Streusel Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake

2010-04-08T20:21:00.000-07:00

Anyone who occasionally reads this blog knows that I make treats every week for the staff of The City, the company where my husband is the software architect. This week, my treat was a shame. I think I'll blame convection. My oven has that option and sometimes I flip the little switch to speed up a baking process. This is rarely a good idea. The cake ended up crusty hard and brown on top and dry throughout. The recipe itself wasn't my favorite anyway. Chocolate and cinnamon are wonderful together, but the method just wasn't quite to my liking. The chocolate chips were layered in the middle of the batter and not incorporated throughout and the topping was a heavy sprinkling of cinnamon sugar and a cup of chocolate chips, but no struesel. I sent the cake anyway, my frugal roots not wanting it to be wasted, but the rating was a paltry 3.5 stars and Zack confirmed a disappointing result. I just couldn't leave things like that! So, tonight, I did a do-over, making some changes and adding a thick struesel topping. The resulting cake was inspiring enough to deserve an entry here. It was moist, chocolaty, cinnamony, struesely perfection.

Cinnamon Struesel Chocolate Chip Coffeecake
loosely adapted from two Smitten Kitchen recipes

For the crumbs:
1/3 cup dark brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon kosher salt (This is a lot, but I think the salt really balanced it out)
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 3/4 cups flour

For the cake:
2/3 cup sour cream
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
1 tbl vanilla extract
2 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
12 tablespoons softened butter, cut into 8 pieces.
1 1/4 cup miniature chocolate chips (miniature really is key here)

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease an 9 x 13" baking pan or 12 6oz ramekins (for individual cakes)

2. To make crumbs, in a large bowl, whisk sugars, spices and salt into melted butter until smooth. Then, add flour with a spatula or wooden spoon. It will look and feel like a solid dough. Leave it pressed together in the bottom of the bowl and set aside.

3. To prepare cake, in a small bowl, stir together the sour cream, egg, egg yolk and vanilla. Using a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, mix together flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add butter and a spoonful of sour cream mixture and mix on medium speed until flour is moistened. Increase speed and beat for 30 seconds. Add remaining sour cream mixture in two batches, beating for 20 seconds after each addition, and scraping down the sides of bowl with a spatula. Fold in chocolate chips.

4. Scrape batter into prepared pan or fill ramekins each half way full.

5. Using your fingers, break topping mixture into big crumbs, about 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch in size. They do not have to be uniform, but make sure most are around that size. Sprinkle over cake. You can put a few chocolate chips on top so its clear that its chocolaty. Bake cake until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean of batter, 25-28 minutes for individual cakes or 35-40 minutes for a 9 x 13 pan. Serve warm or room temperature, dusted with powdered sugar. This is a great breakfast treat, but if it happens to come out warm at 9pm, serve it with some ice cream. :)

Yield: 12 individual servings or 16-20 squares.

Cinnamon Sugar Dipped Apple Muffins

2010-03-26T17:03:00.001-07:00

Growing up, Zack had a few favorite foods, but I would say none has a more lore-like nostalgia in his mind than these apple muffins. Well, maybe Norwegian potato balls, but that's another post, and likely never will be. Anyway, back to apple muffins. I've heard of them many times in our five years of marriage, but until about a week ago I had never eaten one and didn't know what all the fuss was about.

Apple muffins? Doesn't really sound like anything special! But the thing is, these muffins bake up with the texture of cake donuts and once baked are rolled in melted butter followed by cinnamon sugar. Now I get it. Last week, Zack's brother gave me a photocopy of a very old and sacred recipe card. Armed with it, I baked these muffins for the first time on Tuesday morning. I sent them with him to work for the weekly treat, still warm from the oven. He emailed me with this report - "they are dead on - totally delicious". That made my day, really totally made it. The recipe card didn't talk much about the method and (GASP!) called for shortening, but I used butter, and regular muffin techniques apply. Here is my adapted version and method, just in time for you to make them for breakfast tomorrow morning.

Cinnamon Sugar Dipped Apple Muffins
adapted from Suzi Hubert's kitchen
makes 10 small muffins, you may want to make a double batch...

1/3 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 cup flour
1 3/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp fresh grated nutmeg
1/3 cup milk
1/2 cup peeled, grated Granny Smith apple

1/4 cup melted butter
Cinnamon sugar

Cream together butter and sugar for 2-3 minutes until fluffy. Add egg and mix till incorporated. In a seperate bowl, whisk together dry ingredients. Starting and ending with the flour, alternately add the flour mixture and the milk (will be 3 additions of flour and 2 of milk), mixing till just incorporated between each addition and occasionally scraping down the sides of the bowl. After final flour is just mixed in, add grated apple and any juice and fold in until just combined.

Coat a muffin tin well with non-stick spray. Then use a regular ice cream scoop to distribute batter evenly to 10 spaces.

Bake for 20-25 minutes in the middle of your oven. Check after 20 minutes. Test with a toothpick. When it comes out clean, the muffin is done.

Melt 1/4 cup butter in a small bowl. Dip warm muffins, top and bottom and roll them liberally in cinnamon sugar. You can make the cinnamon sugar to your liking. I like lots of cinnamon so used about 2 tsp for 1/3 cup sugar.

Serve warm!

Adventures in January

2010-02-02T12:58:00.000-08:00

January held a lot of culinary high points. When I wrote my last post, I was on my way to NYC to sit in the audience at the Martha Stewart "Blogging" themed show with my friend Ashley. The 48 hours we enjoyed in that taste-bud playground were unforgettable. The words aren't flowing today so let me just hit the highlights.

Frankie's Spuntino in Brooklyn - candlelit, red-brick, pressed tin, modern Italian-American comfort food. The best dessert of the trip were their prunes cooked in spiced red wine, served with marscapone. The deep, syrupy sweetness of the prunes was amazing against the tartness cream of the marscapone. One of those desserts where you take a bite and you can't believe that what you are looking at tastes even half as amazing as what your taste-buds are telling you.

Eleven Madison Park for an early Ashley birthday lunch - 50 foot ceilings, the ultimate in elegance and service, beautiful plating and food. A really special experience.

Peasant - a restaurant that made me gasp with delight. The ambiance is like none other. Utterly lit by candles and open hearths along the whole back wall of the restaurant - it feels like a renaissance castle kitchen.

Buttermilk Channel - the best meat loaf of my life, made of duck and topped with an onion ring dipped in thick cornbread batter and fried.

A long stroll from Brooklyn, across the epic Brooklyn Bridge, up through lower Manhattan to meet Ashley for grilled corn at Cafe Habana, followed by frites and pavlova at the most Parisian bistro that's not in Paris - Balthazar. Oh yes, and a lovely time at Martha. We appear for .3 seconds at the 51 second mark of the show. In my split-second of screen time, I am pretending to blog while smiling widely at the camera. A now infamous pose that has been the source of much good-natured mockery.

On January 30th, I hosted my first Not Without Salt cooking class, taught by my friend and NYC travel buddy, Ashley Rodriguez. I felt perfectly happy in those three hours, chatting with friends old and new, enjoying delicious treats, making people feel welcome and truly learning! I mean, I learned how to make puff pastry! Something I never would have thought to make for myself, but now I really feel I can. I'll be hosting 1-2 classes a month as long as Ashley wants to teach them. She is a natural born baker and has so much to share, so I think there will be many, many more. If you'd like to join one, email classes@notwithoutsalt.com to get on the list. We're also cooking up some special events and dinners!

I've done a lot of bread baking this month, but last night, Zack and I whipped up a wonderful cake, for The City weekly treats tradition. I had Granny Smith apples leftover from the cooking class, so I made this apple cake from the blog Smitten Kitchen. The critique from the offices today was good - a smashing success, Zack said, definitely worthy of including here. It's an incredibly moist, lush cake. Great for breakfast OR dessert. I followed the recipe almost exactly, with the exception of the type of apple used and a drizzle of maple cream cheese icing to top it off. Gratuitous I'm sure, but I didn't hear any complaints.

February is a special month in my family - lots of celebrations. Three birthdays on my side and four on Zack's, as well as Zack and I's anniversary. This year, we celebrate FIVE big ones. I was poking around to find a good place to go that would allow us to use miles to purchase the tickets and Montreal leapt to the front of the line. The Paris of North America they say, and only about five hours away. Should be a wonderful adventure and I'm counting down the days. Literally - I have a large white dry erase board and each day I cross out one big box. There are fifteen more boxes. I'm so excited for four days of total, undisturbed time with Zack - there is nothing better (except more than four days). Got any Montreal tips? I'd love to hear them!

Bread you won't believe you made

2010-01-12T17:02:00.000-08:00

First of all, WHEW! It has been forever since I posted. The past six weeks have included a more concentrated period of baking and cooking than any other in my life and I'm sure that has contributed to my absence. But...inspiration has been growing. Every day for a week my desire to actually sit down and write this post has grown and today finally, it is so strong that I am absolutely compelled to do so. I cannot resist the urge, and if I miss the chance to exercise, or dust the banister, so be it. I can be silent NO LONGER! And this post in sheer length, will make up for lost time!

No-knead bread. Have you heard of it? I'm told that a few years ago, this phenomenon, developed by Jim Lahey of New York's City's Sullivan Street Bakery was spread far and wide across the internet by a video post on Mark Bittman's blog. Mark Bittman is a famous chef and foodie, who's credits include the masterful tome, How to Cook Everything. Well, I don't know where I was during that blogosphere wild-fire, because I didn't know anything about it. That is, until about a year ago when a fellow foodie brought a loaf of this bread to one of our supper clubs. It boggled my mind that he had made, in his very own kitchen, such a bread. A bread which rivaled most and easily surpassed many of the $5 loaves in the Artisan section of my local grocery store. The crust was crisp and dappled with flour, the crumb chewy but airy at the same time, the flavor tangy and complex. I was sold. Since then, I have been baking this bread often, but something happened over Christmas that took my bread-baking to a whole new level. I have been feverishly baking a loaf almost every day since. That something was the gift of Jim Lahey's very own cookbook, My Bread , which came out this fall. In his book, he goes into the detail of the method and then inspires with ideas for tweaking the ingredients and adding different flours, liquids and "mix-ins" to make dozens of different varieties. Not only that, but his ideas have inspired me to try my own and my creative juices have been flowing!

Let me answer a couple questions you may have, such as; "what is the method?" or "what is the big deal?" Well, I figured the best way was to show you step by step so you can easily follow along and recreate. I will tell you that active time with this bread, is about 8 minutes, but the total time, which includes time to let it rise and bake is about 15-21 hours. But you must understand, that's 8 minutes of your actual life doing actual work and the rest of the time the bread is sitting happily on its own, becoming beautiful for you and yours.

A word about flour: Another of my Christmas gifts was a kitchen scale. I have never baked with one before but I enjoy it. I feel like a little scientist and my baking is better for it, but its not essential. If you don't have a scale, just make SURE that when you measure the flour that you FLUFF IT FIRST! I have found that if you scoop and fluff up the flour before going in for the measuring cup full and then leveling it off with a knife, that it is almost exactly accurate to the weight Jim suggests. However, if you just go into flour that's rested and start scooping without the fluffing step, you will end up with about 1/4 cup too much flour in the dough and that really does make a difference in the final product. So, fluff people, FLUFF!

1. Mix the dough: The base recipe is:

3 fluffed, scooped and leveled cups of all-purpose or bread flour.
2 teaspoons kosher salt or 1.25 teaspoons table salt
1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast
1 1/3 cup cool tap water.

I like to mix this in my stand mixer with the paddle attachment but you can also use a bowl and wooden spoon (as Jim recommends). I put in all the dry ingredients, blend them for 10 seconds, then add the water and blend for another 30-60 seconds until well incorporated.

2. The first rise: Scrape down the sides of the bowl and leave the dough in the bottom. Cover with plastic wrap and set in the warmest spot in your house, although not above 72 degrees. Let it sit undisturbed for 12-18 hours. I always try to leave it for 18, but I've done it after as short as 8 (gasp!) and its been delicious. The longer it sits the more the flavor develops as the yeast works with the flour. The top two pictures show the dough in the beginning, the bottom two are after 16 hours.

3. The 2nd rise: Flour a board or your countertop generously and turn out the sticky, stringy dough onto it. By folding the dough over itself, form a small round. Generously flour one half of a kitchen towel (not terrycloth which the dough won't release well from) and set the dough on it. Dust the top of the round generously with flour and cover the bread with the other half. Let rest in a warm place for 2 hours. Most homes are 67 degrees plus and will work. I put mine about 10 feet from my gas fireplace, so its rises really nicely in the ambient heat.

4. Preheat the oven to 475 degrees: Do this 90 minutes into the 2nd rise. It needs to preheat for 30 minutes WITH your baking vessel inside. That way the oven and the vessel are fully preheated when you start to bake the bread. So, what kind of vessel do you need. Jim calls for a dutch oven of some sort. Le Crueset makes expensive ones, Martha Stewart makes ones half that price, you can get cast iron ones at some hardware stores, etc. I have used a Le Crueset, but I have to say, this sad little Ikea cheapy works great and I like to use it because it makes a nice small round loaf that is deeper, which makes for nicer size slices. So what I'm saying is, as long as you have a round 4-5 quart pot with a lid, you can follow this method. The covered pot is absolutely essential because it traps the water as it evaporates from the dough during the baking process, mimicking the steam in bakery ovens and creating the crisp outer crust.

5. Bake your bread: So, once your oven is fully preheated and your bread has risen for 2 hours, remove the pot from the oven and dump your bread unceremoniously from the towel upside down into the pot. Shake the pot a bit to let the bread settle in the bottom. Now, put on the lid and put your bread in the oven covered for 30 minutes.

6. The final browning: Now, remove the lid from your pot of bread and leave it in the oven for another 15 minutes. Total baking time is 45 minutes.

7. Cooling: Remove your bread and lift it from the pot and onto a cooling rack. Let it cool AT LEAST 30 minutes but preferably an hour. The bread is still completing its baking process during the cooling, so don't disturb it too soon.

The bread is best eaten in the first 24 hours and should be stored in a paper bag or wrapped in parchment paper. Never put it in a plastic bag, as the crust will lose its crunch and the bread will turn chewy in a way you don't want.

A word about timing: I often want the bread to be ready at a particular time for a meal or a gift. This is how I figure out the timing. First, decide when you want it to be ready to eat, warm and fresh. Subtract 3.5 hours from that time and you have the time to begin the 2nd raise. Then, subtract at least 15 hours from that time and you have the time you need to make the dough. I figure this out well in advance and put it on my calendar (I put everything on my google calendar, it makes me feel safe).

When doing bread variations, you should add any mix-ins after the flour/water/yeast mixture is well mixed. Just toss in what you wish and mix again for 20-30 seconds to incorporate. If you are doing a liquid mix-in, such as truffle oil, put that in with the water and then pour it in. Definitely put all your components in the dough initially, prior to the 12-18 hour rise. The dough will grow flavorful during that time with whatever components you've added. I give suggested amounts, but you can play with it! Some bread variations, including my hands-down favorite:

Walnut Truffle (my hands down favorite): Add 1 teaspoon white truffle oil to the water and 3/4 cup chopped walnuts at the end. The resulting bread is lightly purply and so full of flavor you may just think its the best bread you've ever tasted.

Caramelized onion and Rosemary: Caramelize a medium onion by slicing thinly and cooking over low heat for 20-30 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes or so. Add to the dough at the end including 1 tablespoon roughly chopped rosemary.

Hazelnut and Thyme: Add 3/4 cup chopped hazelnuts and 1 tablespoon fresh chopped thyme leaves to the dough.

White Chocolate chip and Dried cherry: Add 3/4 cup white chocolate chips and 1/2 cup chopped dried cherries to the dough. It is amazing what adding sweet flavors to a bread dough can do.

Kalamata olive: Decrease salt in dough to 1 teaspoon kosher salt, add 3/4 cup roughly chopped kalamata olives.

Buttermilk Stout: Replace water with 2/3 cup stout and 2/3 cup buttermilk. Substitute 1/4 cup of the white flour with whole wheat flour.

I really implore you to try the no-knead method and make a loaf. There is a great sense of satisfaction that comes with creating something so spectacular with little effort. Comment here if you try it and if you have other ideas for unique mix-ins and flavor combination's.

Lastly, I must tell you that I am so excited to be leaving tomorrow for New York City. While I'm there, I'll be in the audience on Martha Stewart's annual blogging show, with my inspirational friend and baker, Ashley of the blog Not Without Salt. We'll be dining at some amazing places and of course I'll be visiting Sullivan Street Bakery. You can bet I'll have Jim's book in hand, hoping against hope for an autograph.

Thanksgiving Thoughts

2009-11-22T21:06:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving, that blessed event, is in just three days. I'm so looking forward to it and wanted to share that with you, as well as some practical help that might be of use. I know you're very busy this week, and may just want the practical part. If so, skip to the last paragraph. If not, and you have time for a little nostalgia, here you have it.

1) My birthday is November 26th, so each Thanksgiving is somewhere within a week of it. The holiday is not only a celebration of national, familial and faith-filled significance, it has special meaning as I personally reflect not only on what I am thankful for in life, but what the past year of my life has brought and what I look forward to in the coming one.

2) Thanksgiving REALLY IS about giving thanks! No matter what trials we may be going through, there are also immense blessings on so many levels - family, faith, freedom, provision and so on! This day is a time to look squarely at those blessings and not let them be obscured in the periphery. At the dinner table, after we are full from a wonderful meal (see #3!) we all go around and say what we are thankful for. I tell you what - it is the most beautiful part of the whole meal and probably any meal, all year long. We always thank God for this country and for the men and women who serve it, for the wonderful freedoms we often take for granted. We thank Him for freedom to worship and serve our Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave his life for ours 2009 years ago. We thank Him for family, health, provision and many individual joys and victories we each may have experienced in the past year. Last year, my Father also read the original Thanksgiving proclamation by Abraham Lincoln. Our eyes flooded with tears as we listened to these incredible words. I cherish this time of sharing so deeply.

3) The meal. Along with most of America, I love the foods of Thanksgiving; the nostalgia, the variety of options, the whole taste bud sensation! But as a person who loves to cook, host, and serve, Thanksgiving offers more satisfaction than any other meal. It's beloved family and the sky's the limit! I also delight in the process of planning the sumptuous event. I'm sure I've said this before, but I am a planner. If I was an artist, planning would be my medium. So basically, Thanksgiving gives me a chance to do most of which I most enjoy, for my wonderful family.

My first Thanksgiving in the driver's seat was the year I turned 21. That year my birthday landed on the actual day (as it does this year) and I determined that as a fully legit adult it was time to take charge. It was a shaky start let me tell you. I'm not lying when I tell you that I found myself in the fetal position on my Mother's floor at one point, crying hysterically because she had dropped my painstakingly created raspberry puree, rendering it useless. OH THE TRAGEDY!

It's been eleven years now and I've learned so much. My Mother has been a wonderful, patient teacher and along the way I know I've shown her a few new tricks as well. I've also opened my families mind to all the possibilities this meal can have, especially when you take the basics and give them a twist.

This year has been a special joy as a couple of my dear friends are cooking Thanksgiving dinners for the first time. The emails of ideas, advice and menus have been flying and I'm so excited for them. I've shared with them my planning document and they thought it was helpful, so I'll share i t with you. I think its important to work within your own experience, know your space limitations (oven space, serving and cooking dishes), and determine how much help you have. Then, make a plan and refer back to it as you go along. I keep mine prominent in the kitchen. By biggest caution is not to try to do too much! As I told my friend, better to do 5 things really well, which come out hot and on time, than 8 things and some of them suffer.

Happy Thanksgiving week to you all! If you have questions or thoughts or advice desired, please post them here! I'll try to help.

Moravian Lovefeast Buns

2009-11-21T08:46:00.001-08:00

Quite an impressive name for a dinner roll. Well, this absolutely amazing roll has its origins in a very unique religious gathering that I only know anything about because they make dang good buns. Where my darling Mother first got this recipe I do not know, but they have become an absolutely essential part of our holiday meals. In fact, despite all the wonderful things we make and bake for the holidays, these rolls are the one thing that I can't serve Thanksgiving OR Christmas dinner without and the thing that often receives the most sighs of delight. I'm sure we are not alone in finding a little piece of heaven in a truly perfect dinner roll. These buns are made with a fortified dough which includes potato, butter, eggs and a good bit of sugar. The resulting bun is slightly sweet, buttery and the texture, oh my goodness the texture! Fluffy and light but with a tight enough crumb to be just a little bit chewy. I need to tell you that these ARE your holiday dinner rolls. Please trust me. They are. Look no further.

Moravian Love Feast Buns
adapted from the kitchen of my mother, Mrs. Mary Brown

I recommend making the dough through the first rise and then refrigerating and doing the second rise and baking the next day. The time in the refrigerator allows the flavors to build.

4.5 cups flour
1 cup sugar
2 tsp salt
2 pkg. active dry yeast or 4.5 teaspoons
1/2 cup butter
2 eggs
2/3 cup mashed potatoes, cooled
3/4 cup lukewarm water (maybe a little more)

Heat butter and water until the butter melts and the water is hot.
Add mashed potatoes, then eggs when mixture is cooled to lukewarm. Add these to the bowl of Kitchenaid fitted with paddle attachment. Whisk together flour, sugar, salt, & yeast in a separate bowl. Now, gradually add dry ingredients, combining to make a soft dough.

Let rise until double, about 1.5 hours and then punch down. (Can be refrigerated overnight at this point, which I recommend)

Butter a 9 x 13 casserole. Form rolls slightly bigger than golf balls and place in pan, giving space for them to rise. Cover and allow to rise until more than double in size in a warm place for 1 - 2 hours, depending on whether they were refrigerated.

Bake in preheated oven at 375 degrees for 15 minutes. Remove and brush tops with egg wash. Bake another 10-12 minutes or until they look perfect like the ones in the picture. (I know, how very smug. :) )

Suzi's Roast Turkey

2009-11-19T10:39:00.000-08:00

My mother-in-law is a wonderful cook and gracious hostess. She not only makes delicious things but she is unfailingly generous with her skills. She makes many things, especially for the holidays, which I look forward to every year. I'll be posting at least one more of these in the coming month. A few years back, I had her roast turkey for the first time and was totally hooked. But it seemed somewhat complex and while Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday and I plan for it with a passion bordering on the absurd, the bird is never my greatest focus. I think I was pretty resigned to it being a little dry and a little bland no matter what concoction I rubbed it with, injected it with and so forth. Suzi's turkey however, had a truly moist breast. That is the part I most remember and desired to replicate. Moist, more like cutting into beef tenderloin. Perhaps time has caused the memories to plump a bit, but I'm confident that her bird was the best I've had.

So, for my bi-weekly women's Bible study/dinner party the theme was Thanksgiving Test Kitchen and I decided to give Suzi's bird method a try. It really is a method more than a recipe and I thought the results were excellent. First, a couple things you should know. One - it wasn't as good as hers, but it WAS moist and better than any bird I personally had made before. Two - This is no fancy free-range fresh turkey. This was an 11 lb, 27 cents a lb bird from Safeway. I am not about to spend $60 on a fresh expensive bird when I can get one for $2.97 and it tastes this good. I know, how terribly NOT politically correct I am! Not that I have any problem with those that buy the expensive boutique birds, but I'll do my eating local from the produce table at my Farmer's market, where I can really taste the difference in the end product and it doesn't break the bank. Okay, back to the matter at hand.

First, start by soaking your turkey in brine. For the science behind why this is a great idea, check this out, but simply, brining your turkey forces salt and flavor into its cells, which allows the turkey to be flavored from the inside and not just during roasting with whatever you put on or under the turkey's skin.

Full-Flavored Roast Turkey
Adapted from USA Weekend magazine, from Suzi Hubert's warm and cozy kitchen.

Start this process 15-18 hours prior to roasting. And don't forget to put your turkey in the fridge 48 hours before that, if it's a frozen one. The total roasting time for a 11 - 14 lb turkey by this method will be 2.5 - 3 hours. Do not stuff your bird, it will dry it out and extend the cooking time by quite a lot. Allow 25 minutes for the bird to rest before carving. Don't cover it when its resting! It will decrease skin crispness and cause it to overcook.

Special Equipment: A roasting pan with a V-rack (easy to get at Fred Meyer, Target, all over) and a meat thermometer

STEP 1: Turkey Tea - Here is the one divergence I did from Suzi. Adds more flavor to the brine.

20-25 black peppercorns
3 bay leaves
2 tbl dried thyme
2 tbl fresh sage
2 cups boiling water

Allow the herbs to steep in the hot water for 30 minutes or so.

STEP 2: Brine

1 1/2 cups kosher salt
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 gallons of cold water
Turkey Tea
1 turkey (thawed, giblet bag, neck and tail removed)

Mix water, sugar and salt together until dissolved. Add your cooled turkey tea and your turkey - breast side down. You'll need a 5 gallon bucket or very large stockpot for this. Put this in fridge now for 15-18 hours. OR, like I did, pour 2 cups of ice over the turkey and put it in your garage if you're doing this overnight and the temperature is going to be 45 degrees or below. Cover the pot and don't worry, it will be fine.

STEP 3: Roasting

Remove your turkey from the brine, rinse thoroughly with cool water and pat very dry. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and place oven rack on the lowest position.

2 medium onions, coarsely chopped
1 carrot, coarsely chopped
1 celery stalk, coarsely chopped
3 tbl butter, melted
grey salt or kosher salt

Loosely stuff the cavity with 1/2 the chopped onion, carrot and celery. Scatter the rest on the bottom of the roasting dish under the V-rack. Add 1-2 cups of water to the pan, depending on how large it is. This helps the vegetables not burn. They are there to improve the flavor of the drippings.

Tie the turkey legs together and secure the wings, with kitchen twine wrapped around the bird. Now, place V-rack in the roasting pan and place turkey breast side DOWN, on V-rack. Brush back and sides with melted butter. Sprinkle generously with grey salt and fresh cracked pepper. Place in oven now and roast for 50 minutes.

Remove pan from oven, close oven door. Baste turkey's back with drippings. Now, with two towels, turn the turkey until it is on its side with one leg and wing up. This is why you need the V-roaster. Brush the exposed side with melted butter. Sprinkle generously with grey salt and fresh cracked pepper and place it back in the oven for 20 minutes.

Remove pan from oven, close oven door. Turn the turkey over so the opposite side is up. Brush the exposed side with melted butter. Sprinkle generously with grey salt and fresh cracked pepper and place it back in the oven for 20 minutes.

For the third time, remove turkey from oven, close door. Turn turkey breast side up and baste with drippings, melted butter and sprinkle with grey salt and fresh cracked pepper. Roast for 40 more minutes.

Remove the bird and check its temperature with a meat thermometer into the breast, but not all the way to the bone - just right into the meat about 1 inch down. You are looking for a temperature of 162-165. When you are there, remove the turkey and let rest. If you are not, put it in for 5-10 more minutes depending on how far you are away.

NOTE: My cooking times were for a 11 lb bird. Yours could very likely be bigger. You'll need to adjust, probably 30 minutes longer total time for a 14 lb one. The cooking of the turkey doesn't happen in a linear fashion. There is a point in the roasting of the bird where it starts to heat exponentially as it reaches doneness. So you could take it out after 2.5 hours and the breast could be at 150 and 15 minutes later it could be at 160-165, which is when you want to take it out. So watch it closely in the 15 minutes to ensure you don't overdo it. Use your kitchen timer!

As for serving portions, I think a 11 lb bird serves 8 people with plenty of back meat left for soups and leftovers.

The reasons for doing your turkey this way are many. The brining adds moisture and flavor, roasting it upside down keeps the most sensitive part of the turkey - the breast - from becoming overdone and too dry, and rotating the bird has the effect of establishing brown crusty skin all over the bird, which seals in moisture but also tastes delicious.

I hope someone gives this method a try, or I just spent way too much time retyping this recipe!

Oaxacan Black Mole

2009-11-12T21:11:00.000-08:00

For the second time, and quite possibly the last, I made this incredibly complex and time consuming dish. With its roots squarely planted in a Oaxacan (a region of Mexico) grandmother's cooking tradition, it has a way of making you feel like a martyr/saint when you make it. Perhaps this is no coincidence and mothers and grandmothers for centuries have been wielding their culinary power and racking up undying commitment from their families for going through this long and grueling process. More than thirty ingredients, four hours of chopping, frying, toasting, blending, straining, reducing and one disastrous kitchen later you have an immensely complex sauce and perfect to serve at your most authentic Mexican dinner party. And that is exactly what I did, for Supper Thyme this past Saturday.

The process really comes down to making four different purees. Counter clockwise, starting top left, these purees contain the following. First - roasted onion and garlic, banana, charred bread, oregano, canela, cloves and thyme. Second - tomatoes and tomatillos, Third - dried Pasilla, Chilhualces, Chipotle secco and Mulato chilies that have been toasted in hot oil and reconstituted in water. Fourth - blackened seeds from inside the afore mentioned dried chilies as well as deeply toasted almonds, pecans, sesame seeds and peanuts.

Once you have the four purees, you cook each one down until reduced to the consistency of tomato paste, then add the next and repeat this process. I know, it doesn't look appetizing, but you know what they say about judging, books, covers, etc.

After all purees are added in turn and reduced to a thick paste, Mexican chocolate is added. This special chocolate contains cinnamon, chili powders and other spices and is only slightly sweetened. The final step is adding stock to bring the sauce to a pouring consistency, season well with salt and a bit of sugar to mellow the toasty flavors just a bit.

After all this, my kitchen looked like all this.

So, you may ask, why bother? Well, for me, making this sauce was one of those things I needed to do in my culinary lifetime. I absolutely love the flavor but more than that it was a challenge to see if I could do it and do it well. I am satisfied, and honestly, I totally enjoyed my time in the kitchen. Cooking certainly shouldn't always be a rush to be done. I got to savor the process.

I won't type out the whole recipe here but if anyone wants it, email me at goldenpigletmail@gmail.com and I'll send you a copy straight from Rick's book.

Pantry Weeks and Pizza Patate

2009-11-05T20:44:00.000-08:00

This coming weekend is my husband's 35th birthday. Birthdays are a huge deal for him and I always try to plan something really special. A birthday that ends in a 5 or a 0 is particularly important and must be celebrated with extreme gusto. As I've mentioned before on this blog, he works incredibly hard and I'm taking him away in hopes he can really rest and relax. To make it more fun, I've kept our destination a surprise. I'm quite proud of myself, 8 weeks of surprise self control. :)

So, you might ask, how does this all relate to pantry and pizza? Well, knowing I'd be taking him out of town I decided I needed to be very budget conscious in the weeks leading up to the occasion. I'd heard of pantry weeks from many sources and after trying it, I highly recommend it. Basically, I cooked almost entirely from my pantry, fridge and freezer for two weeks, from stockpiles of frozen chicken, veggies, beans, stocks, canned tomatoes, hard cheeses and baking products. Of course you'll need some fresh items like milk and some veggies, but for the most part it worked out really well and I spent less than a quarter of what I normally do at the grocery store. I actually got a big kick out of this. It requires some recipe searching, modification and substitution, but it was a fun challenge. I also found that by making fresh breads I could elevate some pretty simple things to a nice meal.

Some of the items we had were vegetable risotto, Sourdough BLT's and beet salad, butternut squash curry, potato, bacon and corn chowder with buttermilk biscuits, tomato soup with chickpeas & Irish soda bread, and sausage & pepper calzones. Nothing fancy, but Zack and I were happy as clams and everything was yummy, though I certainly didn't feel inspired to blog. Pizza Patate changed that. What a case of something being more than the sum of its parts! It is creamy, crispy, savory delight. You must make it. I bet you have all the ingredients in your house RIGHT now. In your pantry.

Pizza Patate
Adapted from My Bread by Jim Lahey, reprinted in November 2009 Gourmet magazine.

Makes 1 large pizza, 8 slices. Serves 2-3 for entree OR cut in small squares for a great appetizer!

BASIC PIZZA DOUGH (you could use store-bought dough, but this is cheap and easy.

Start this 3 hours before you want to eat.

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
1 tsp kosher salt or 1/2 tsp table salt
1 tsp sugar
2/3 cup room-temperature water
extra virgin olive oil for the pan

1. In a medium bowl (I used my kitchenaid with paddle attachment), stir together the flour, yeast, salt and sugar. Add the water and mix until well blended. The dough is quite stiff, not wet and sticky. Cover the bowl and let sit at room temperature until the dough has doubled in volume, about 2 hours. Then, start the potatoes for the topping.

TOPPING

1 quart lukewarm water
4 tsp table salt
2 lbs russet potato (or any kind of potato you have)
1 cup diced red onion (or any onion you have)
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
3 tbl extra virgin olive oil
2-3 tsp chopped fresh rosemary (I have this in my yard, if you don't, take a walk, you'll find some to "borrow")
Optional, but really adds a lot: 1/2 cup gorgonzola cheese (or whatever you may have in your fridge going unused - feta, goat cheese would be great here)

1. In a medium bowl, combine water and salt, stirring until the salt is dissolved. Use a mandoline or knife to slice the potatoes very thin (1/16 inch thick) and put the slices directly into the salted water so they don't oxidize and turn brown. Let soak in the brine for 1.5 hours at least, until the slices are wilted and no longer crisp.

2. Drain the potatoes in a colander and use your hands to press out as much water as possible, then pat dry with a clean dish towel. Now, toss together the potatoes slices, onion, pepper and olive oil.

ASSEMBLY

Preheat oven to 500 degrees and position a rack in the center.

1. Oil a 13 x 18" rimmed baking sheet. Scrape the dough across the surface of the pan, use you hands to press it evenly out to the edges. If the dough sticks to your fingers, lightly dust it with flour or coat hands with oil. Pinch any holes together.

2. Spread the potato mixture evenly over the dough, going all the way to the edges of the pan; put a bit more of the topping around the edges of the pie, as the outside tends to cook more quikcly. Sprinkle evenly with rosemary & a little kosher salt (not much, the potatoes are already salty.)

3. Bake for 18 minutes, remove and sprinkle with the cheese. Bake another 8 minutes until topping is golden brown and the crust is pulling away from the sides of the pan. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Mexican Cooking Class, in Mexico

2009-10-20T10:26:00.000-07:00

I just returned from vacation with dear girl friends. I rarely return to the same vacation destination - there are just so many amazing places to see on God's green earth. But occasionally, a place just needs to be revisited, and for me, one of those places is Zihuatanejo, Mexico. I have been many places in Mexico, but this little fishing town is different.

Set on a beautiful bay, with sloping tropical hills rising straight up from azure waters, there are stunning views at every turn. Even simple hotels like this one, offer bay views from every room. The little town is quaint and feels lived in by locals, not just tourists. Strangely, this is actually very different from many other popular Mexican destinations, which often feel like nothing but shop after shop full of tacky souvenirs. The streets and the central market are filled with locals, shopping for the food and wares that will sustain them through the day. It is a real part of their everyday life and it is where our Mexican cooking class started, with chef Freddie as a willing tour guide.

We wandered through the fish stalls selecting from that days catch. Mahi mahi, giant prawns and red snapper made the cut. Then, off to the vegetable stalls for avocados, fresh peppers, tomatoes, herbs and more. From one of the many little food stands, I had the best tortilla of my life. It was wrapped around an unknown but delicious braised meat. The tortilla was ridiculous - so tender and soft. That tortilla was as soft as a babies bottom, that's what it was.

Back at The Tides hotel, the cooking class was set up on the beach. A cauldron grill for cooking, mocahetes for salsa and guacamole and a lovely table set on the beach where we'd sit down to our meal once we finished cooking.

The menu started with fire-roasted salsa, guacamole, pico de gallo, all incredibly fresh and flavorful. Then as we munched away at these dipping delights Freddie filleted the red snapper, we peeled the prawns and sliced mahi mahi for Tiritas. The latter is a signature local dish; thinly sliced FRESH white fish, lime juice, cilantro and red onion and the wonderful local sea salt (of which I got an 2 lb bag for 50 cents at the market!). The citrus juices cook the fish quickly. Freddie sauteed the prawns with heaps of garlic, olive oil and thinly sliced dried guahillo pepper and finally made an incredible adobo sauce to slather on the grilled red snapper.

The resulting meal was so vibrant and delicious. How could something NOT taste amazing when composed with our very own hands of perfectly fresh ingredients, not to mention the sand between our toes, the waves lapping 10 yards away and cold local beers in our hands. What a way to experience a cuisine. What a good day.

Cinnamon Roll Quest

2009-10-05T23:00:00.000-07:00

Zack loves cinnamon rolls. He really loves cinnamon anything, but cinnamon rolls sit on a special pedestal in his pastry worldview. A fun thing to do on a Saturday morning is to go in search of a good one, a kind of rolly quest. We have yet to find a really awesome one in Seattle because he has particular standards. He likes a classic cinnamon roll, the one with the buttery white glaze and no "fillers" which are what he calls nuts and raisins. These are surprisingly hard to find out side of Cinnabon, which is totally unacceptable and just over-the-top sticky sweet.

Yesterday, we were sitting at lunch and thinking about what to do next. It's a really huge week for him and the team at The City so we decided that baking something extra nifty was in order. He immediately suggested cinnamon rolls. Not just cinnamon rolls, but rather, miniature cinnamon rolls. "Miniature" I asked? "Yes", he said, "miniature is key." He is very funny sometimes.

Home we went to get baking. The thing is, though Zack loves these gooey treats, I've baked them only 1-2 times in five years of marriage. I certainly bake many things, but for some reason, I have always considered the cinnamon roll something we should go out and find, not something I would make myself. This, as I type it, is ridiculous. I think this happens a lot in my kitchen. There are many things I am comfortable with and will make or even stretch myself to attempt, but some things seem out of bounds. I'll make any kind of bread, dessert, Italian or French dish, no matter how challenging its supposed to be, but I've never endeavored to make my own Chinese food, for instance. It always seems like something I need to buy, not something I can make myself. It's a weird culinary cage I put myself in. Maybe you can relate? But I digress...

Anyway, we made miniature cinnamon rolls. First, I searched all my favorite blogs to no avail but ended up finding a recipe that looked promising on www.epicurious.com Like I said, Zack is a purist, no added nuts or fruit in his rolls! Just perfect dough, butter, cinnamon, and sugar filling and icing. Not hard cracky icing, something smooth and creamy. I consider these rolls a good first try. The dough itself was actually wonderful. The filling, according to Zack, needed more cinnamon and texture. We've decided to continue to work on this recipe in a quest for perfection. I'll post the recipe as Zack's Ultimate Cinnamon Rolls once we've gotten there.

Meanwhile, these little treats were delightful and I'm told caused an impromptu staff meeting around the coffee pot today.

Meeting Agenda: Demolish contents of two pans of miniature cinnamon rolls.
Meeting Notes: Task accomplished in record time.

A wonderful weekend and Butternut Squash Curry

2009-09-29T08:42:00.000-07:00

This weekend, Zack and I went away. His work has been intense for months and promises to be more so in the coming weeks. I decided an overnight outside of our normal habitat was needed. My friend and neighbor, Dana, writes often on her blog about Lopez Island. Over the past six months I have grown more and more convinced I needed to experience it for myself. As you might expect, it was her talk of the food sealed the deal. Honestly, its a beautiful island and I knew that, but if it didn't offer good eating, I wouldn't be tempted to go there. But, it does - a wonderful little bakery called Holly B's and a waterside restaurant called the Bay Cafe. In 24 hours on the island Zack and I arrived at the bakery for sustenance three different times (2 lunches and a breakfast) and were never disappointed - almond butterhorns, cinnamon rolls, unique pizza, cookies and more! Saturday evening we had a wonderful meal at the Bay Cafe. This isn't fancy food, but it is truly tasty and generous. We had dinner at 5:30pm and enjoyed the 3 course meal for $30 while sitting in one of the most beautiful settings I have ever eaten dinner. Al fresco, right on the edge of the water, 70 degrees, warm breeze, delicious unpretentious food and THIS view!

So, how does Butternut Squash Curry fit in? The thing is, that after a weekend like that, I feel relaxed and satisfied, but also a little roly-poly and post-vacation eating is in order. Enter this curry. I saw it in Martha Stewart's current issue of Living and it called to me. So healthy, full of favorite spices and butternut squash cooked until soft and soaked in flavor. 2 cups is extremely filling, packed with nutrients and fiber and only about 250 calories! And that's dinner! It could also be blended into a smooth soup if you prefer. Definitely top it with Greek yogurt or low-fat sour cream, a squeeze of lime and a shower of cilantro.

Butternut Squash Curry
Adapted from Martha Stewart Living, October 2009

2 lbs butternut squash, peeled halved and seeded
1 large onion, cut into large chunks
4 garlic cloves
2.5 cups chicken stock, plus 2 tablespoons
2 tsp olive oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp fennel sedds
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1 two-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
2 tbl tomato paste
2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp crushed red-pepper flakes

Optional toppings: Cilantro, yogurt and lime

METHOD

Cut squash into large chunks, about 1 inch.

Puree onion, garlic, 2 tbl stock and ginger in a blender until smooth

Heat oil in a 4-quart pot over medium heat. Add mustard seeds, fennel seeds, and coriander and cook until fragrant, 1-2 minutes. Stir in onion paste. cook, stirring often, until caramelized lightly, about 12 minutes.

Add tomato paste, scraping bottom of pot if needed. Stir in 2.5 cups of chicken stock, the salt and crushed red-pepper flakes. Add squash, (liquid should cover 90% of squash at least) cover partially and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, uncover and simmer gently until squash is tender, about 20 minutes. Serve over rice if you want, but for lighter version, just eat as is with yogurt, cilantro and a squeeze of lime.

Birthday cookies for Matthew

2009-09-24T12:02:00.000-07:00

My husband works with the most amazing group of people. They are dedicated, funny, talented and tireless, and that is just to start. One of those people is Matthew. He runs the business side of The City - a community networking site for churches. My husband runs the technology side. Matthew is an immense gift. He is talented and experienced in a wonderfully complimentary way to my husband. When it comes to The City, Matthew and Zack are peanut butter and chocolate, salt and pepper, fish and chips, beer and brats. Essentially, excellent on their own, but together - more than the sum of their parts.

So, Matthew's birthday is on Saturday and I wanted to bake in his honor. A reliable source cited a few possible favorite foods as Mexican coke, chocolate, ham sandwiches and a constant supply of trail mix. Inspiration - look no further! Trail mix cookies! I search my favorite blogs for a recipe and found none. Then I Bing'd it and found a number of options on allrecipes.com, epicurious.com, etc. I didn't like any one as written, so this is my own, with inspiration taken from many. Now, baking is of course, a science and I am notorious for changing things up when I probably shouldn't, but this recipe worked perfectly. The cookies taste like trail mix, are crispy on the edges but chewy and tender inside, really a great cookie, which I have to admit was a very pleasant surprise! So, Matthew, this recipe is dedicated to you. Saying thank you really doesn't go far enough, but hopefully these cookies do.

Matthew's Trail Mix Cookies

INGREDIENTS

1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
1/2 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1.5 tsp vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1.5 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 cup sweetened flaked coconut
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup roasted roughly chopped peanuts
1/2 cup golden raisins
2/3 cup quick oats

METHOD

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place 2 racks in as close to the center of the oven as possible with 4 inches between them at least.

In a bowl (Kitchenaid or hand-held mixer) cream the butter and shortening with the sugars for 3 minutes. Add egg and extract and beat until well incorporated.

In a separate bowl, mix the flour, salt, baking soda and cinnamon. Wisk together and then add to the bowl with the wet ingredients and mix until just incorporated. Add coconut, chocolate chips, peanuts, raisins and quick oats and mix until just blended.

Roll a heaping tablespoons of the dough into balls the size of silver dollars. Place on cookie sheet with 4 inches between them. With a fork, flatten them one way and then the other, like when you are making peanut butter cookies. I added a chocolate chip to the top of each at this point.

Bake the cookies for 12-14 minutes, rotating the pans after the first 6 minutes for even baking. (switch their positions).

Dessert Inspiration

2009-09-14T22:34:00.000-07:00

A lot of my inspiration for special occasion baking comes from a few key places, kind of an 80/20 rule for Julie's culinary inspiration. 80% of what I bake comes from Bon Appetit magazine, Gourmet magazine and the blogs of Smitten Kitchen, Dana Treat and Not Without Salt and 20% from everywhere else. The magazines are nationally recognized and always filled with great ideas and beautiful photos. The blogs are written by women whose taste can be trusted, something I have come to be certain of after trying many of each of their recipes and reading dozens more. They are true flavor enthusiasts and they post recipes they have adapted, tried and tasted.

Recently, I was a part of another Supper Thyme, a bi-monthly supper club I started with friends. The guests and theme rotate and this month was Farmer's Market, for obvious reasons! My course was dessert and as usual, I looked to my favorite blogs for inspiration and most certainly found it. Instead of re-posting the recipes, I'll just link you right to the ones I made and tell you that they were AMAZING and I made very tiny adaptations. I opted for the more seasonal blackberries instead of cherries in the Brown Butter Bars and actually made them into individual tarts. I used heavy cream instead of half and half in the Brown Sugar Sour Cream Ice Cream. Other than that, I followed the recipes to a T.

The response to the dessert was just what any baker would hope for - total delight all around. I'm not saying that lightly either. They really, really liked it. Definitely a great base recipe on the tart especially - brown butter is just such a luscious flavor and one we don't experience often enough. Use it with plums, blueberries or apricots and it would be wonderful as well. I'll make it with pears for a Thanksgiving dessert. And then, as if that combination wasn't enough, I decided to make a little candy to go with coffee and Bacon Caramels seemed just the ticket. Honestly, it was overkill after the dessert, but there were very nice just the same.

Poulet aux Julia Child

2009-09-08T08:54:00.000-07:00

Julia Child has been getting a lot of notice these days and for good reason. By all accounts she was an incredible inspiration to cooking in America. I read her autobiography, My Life in France, about two years ago and was completely mezmorized by her journey - falling in love with a city, a country and a cuisine and allowing to to shape her destiny - meanwhile being a wonderful wife, loving friend and eventually a master of the craft I so dearly love as well.

I immediately bought Mastering the Art of French Cooking, her first and most famous cookbook and began to read it, filled with grand dreams of cooking from it regularly. But then I realized something. Most of her recipes just didn't appeal to me. I wasn't drawn to them at all. Aspics, meats in gravies and buttery creamy sauces, and cold desserts using gelatin galore. I am sad to say I was very put off and this epic piece of cookbookery (as she often called it) was placed on the shelf and left there to age.

Then, I received my August 2009 Bon Apetit magazine. Julia's birthday is on August 15th (or would have been - she passed away in 2004) and they had suggested a birthday dinner party in her honor, using recipes from Mastering. Each of the recipes looked delicious and I decided I needed to finally give her a chance. So, last week, I did. Let me just say that her Poulet saute aux herbes de provence (chicken with Provencal herbs) was so wonderful, so herbaceous, rich, and tangy that every drop of the sauce had to be sopped off the plate. If you are looking for an inexpensive and totally palette pleasing, soul satisfying dish to entertain friends or delight your family, look NO further. It seemed so simple, yet the result was far more than the sum of the parts. I adapted it only slightly. I note my adaptations in line. Oh, and I mean it, you must serve warm bread with this, unless you'd prefer to lick the serving platter.

Poulet Saute aux herbes de provence
from Mastering the Art of French Cooking (Julie - my adaptations listed like this in line)

Chicken:

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 3 1/2 - 4 pound chicken, cut into 8 pieces, rinsed, patted dry
1 teaspoon dried thyme or savory (Julie - I used 3 tsps fresh thyme)
1 teaspoon dried basil (Julie - I ommitted this, I really don't like dried basil)
1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds, ground in spice mill/morter&pestle (Julie - I used 3/4 tsp)
3 unpeeled garlic cloves
2/3 cup dry white wine or 1/2 cup dry white vermouth

Sauce: (Julie - oh this sauce is amazing! You MUST use the fresh fennel fronds.)

2 large egg yolks
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon dry white wine or dry white vermouth
2 to 3 tablespoons butter, cut into 1-inch cubes (optional)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil, fresh fennel fronds, or fresh parsley (Julie - I used 2 tbls chopped fresh basil and 2 tbls chopped fresh fennel fronds)

METHOD

For chicken:
Melt butter in large wide pot over medium-high heat. Working in batches, if necessary, add chicken pieces and cook only until golden (Julie - I recommend you cook them for the most part skin side down, thus rendering the skin fat and making it crispy), turning occasionally, about 8 minutes per batch. Transfer chicken breast pieces to plate. Sprinkle remaining chicken pieces in pot with half each of thyme, basil, and fennel seeds, then salt and pepper. Add garlic to pot. Cover pot; reduce heat to medium and cook 8 to 9 minutes. Sprinkle chicken breasts with remaining thyme, basil, and fennel seeds, then salt and pepper. Return breast pieces to pot; baste chicken with butter in pot. Cover and cook until chicken is cooked through, turning and basting occasionally, about 15 minutes. Transfer to hot platter; cover.

Remove peel from garlic cloves; mash garlic with spoon or fork in same pot (Julie - I used my garlic press). Add 2/3 cup wine to juices in pot; boil until liquid is reduced to 3/4 cup, occasionally scraping bottom of pan, about 8 minutes. Pour reduced pan juices into measuring cup and reserve for sauce.

For sauce:
Off heat, whisk egg yolks in heavy small saucepan until beginning to thicken. Whisk in lemon juice and 1 tablespoon wine. Gradually whisk reserved pan juices into eggs, 1 teaspoon at a time. Set sauce over very low heat and whisk constantly until warm and slightly thickened, 3 to 4 minutes. If desired, whisk in butter, 1 piece at a time. (Julie - I used 2 tbls butter here) Remove from heat. Stir in herbs, if desired. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper. Spoon sauce over chicken and serve.

I'm back...I think

2009-08-27T16:28:00.000-07:00

This has been an incredible summer. Beautiful and FULL of awesome occasions. Back in June I was starting to feel overwhelmed with what was on my plate from a hospitality/party planning/events perspective so I sat down and made a list. Then, I labeled that list "Entertaining & Travel this Summer", printed it out and framed it in lovely tortoiseshell. Since then it sits by my computer and slowly but surely I have checked them off. All of it is a joy. Baby showers, church events, birthdays, Disneyland, retreat, weddings, dinner parties, road-trips, concerts, and more. It was a lot and I was intimidated. Some other less pleasant things were going on as well requiring a lot of time and I decided I needed to simplify. First to go...blogging! But here I sit, only 2 more things left on my list (including an awesome concert next weekend I put together at my church - you should come!). I'm feeling peaceful and ready to write again of my culinary escapades. I didn't keep my camera at the ready for everything, but here are a couple collages of times when I did. We'll get back to recipes next time. I did just take a peach pie out of the oven that is looking mighty fine.

Two of my dear friends are expecting this week. One delivered on Saturday, one is ready to go any minute. They both needed fabulous showers!

Our niece Maiah had never been to Disneyland. We went and it was a blast.

I have a best friend like no other. I met her the 2nd day of kindergarten and we have more memories under our belts than I have with anyone else. Her 30th birthday party got rained out, so I threw her a 31st SURPRISE birthday party. The theme was Pizza and Prosecco and her aunt made these mind-bogglingly cute cupcakes. The evening ended with wild dancing and some women doing the worm in the living room. Clearly, a massive success.

My dear brother Andrew needed to drive his car down to San Diego where he is stationed next. ROADTRIP! It was a bro-sis-foodie-extravaganza! Pok Pok in Portland, Zuni Cafe, Ferry Plaza, and all over San Fransisco, Pizzeria Mozza in Los Angeles. Incredible time and I know one I'll cherish for a lifetime.

So, that's a little recap. Now, let's move on! I'll be back soon...I'm sure!

Summer Break!

2009-06-25T23:36:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-22T11:08:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-19T13:44:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-17T16:26:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-15T17:13:00.001-07:00

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

2009-06-14T09:24:00.001-07:00

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

2009-06-13T10:55:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-06-12T15:06:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-11T11:49:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-10T19:49:00.001-07:00

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

2009-06-08T16:51:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-06-06T16:30:00.001-07:00

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

2009-06-06T14:05:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-05T11:56:00.001-07:00

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

2009-06-04T17:11:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-03T18:25:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-03T13:12:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-01T15:16:00.001-07:00

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!

Staycation

2009-05-30T05:55:00.000-07:00

Today, it begins. We're taking five days off from regular life and going on vacation - at home. I am so excited. When Zack and I go on vacation alone its about the two of us being all about each other, not distracted by work, tasks or other relationships (however wonderful they may be). Well, we love our home and our city and we needed a vacation, but didn't want to leave. Our staycation was born. What will we do? The same things we do on other vacations. Sleep in, have long mornings over cappuccino's and baked goods, adventures during the day, leisurely afternoons and big nights out. This is our formula for perfect vacationing.

This staycation has the special note of beginning with the beautiful wedding of my precious friend Holly. It went unbelievably and our happiness for them has gotten our time together off on a wonderful foot. Plus, the weather is promising to continue to be sunny, clear and gloriously warm. Over the next five days we'll be doing some wonderful eating, hitting up some favorite spots like Senor Moose for brunch - unbelievable authentic Mexican food - and some new spots that we're super excited about, like a wine lunch at Pizzeria Pulcinella in Rainier Beach - a Neopolitan pizza wonder in the 'hood! We're also going to be attending an Indian cooking class at Blue Ribbon Cooking School. It's our first class at this school and Indian is a cuisine we love but I have no idea how to truly cook, so anticipation is high for that! We're going to see Star Trek at the Cinerama, go to a benefit show, take at least one road trip and do lots of laying around on chaise lounges in the back yard. Somewhere in there I'm going to try making my own ricotta.

I'm going to hold my husbands hand and hug him and kiss him a lot. We're going to talk about mushy stuff and stare into each others eyes. He tango danced with me on an EMPTY dance floor at the wedding last night. From that genius introvert to this raging extrovert, THAT was loving me sacrificially, I'm telling you! So, the next five days are all about us and I'm going to be all about HIM. I've never loved or adored him more. A wonderful wedding was a great reminder of my cherished marriage and how it really has just gotten better and better.

Wine Lunch!!

2009-05-24T15:43:00.001-07:00

I love a cold, crisp white wine. In Italy, Zack and I would always order a quartino (quarter liter) of the house white wine with lunch, which was almost always a perfectly charred pizza to share. Wherever we were, the wine was brought well chilled and often it had a slight effervescence to it. These "wine lunches" are one of our favorite memories of our time in Italy and we try to recreate them here. The inexpensive Italian white table wine of our memory is not as easy to find here as one might imagine, but many varieties hit the spot; prosecco, vinho verde, albarino, and some sauvignon blancs to name a few. Recently though, I came across Albero, a Spanish sparkling white wine sold exclusively at Trader Joe's for $4.99 a bottle. To me, its the perfect combination of sparkles, light fruit and incredible value. It goes great with so many foods and just feels like summer. A definite perfect foil for one of my fresh pizzas. Try a bottle and tell me what you think! Here is my pizza method and a simple one I commonly make. The dough is absolutely awesome and is inspired by this one on my friend Dana's blog. It's great because it only has to rise for an hour, so I don't have to plan far ahead to make this meal. The crust is the soul of the pizza for me and this crust and this method of baking really come close to recreating the Italian pizza memories. Crisp, chewy crust, nice yeasty flavor and plenty of salty bite. Fresh mozzerella is really important here. It gives a completely different and much less greasy result than typical pasturized mozzerella. The reason I use parchment paper is because I can never seem to keep the pizza dough from sticking to the peel and making a mess when I try to transfer it from the peel to the pizza stone in the blazing oven. This alleviates that issue with great success and I always do it this way now.

Calabrese Salami & Oregano Pizza

For the dough

2 tsp active dry yeast
2 tbsp. sugar
2 cups bread flour
3/4 cup warm water plus 2 tablespoons
2 tsp. chopped fresh oregano or 1 tsp dry oregano
2 tsp. kosher salt

Toppings (obviously you can use whatever you'd like)

1/2 cup of your favorite marinara sauce (I like Barilla tomato basil or roasted garlic)
15 slices calabrese salami
4 oz fresh milk mozzerella, chopped into nickle size pieces about 1/4" thick
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp dry oregano (or fresh would be even better, in which case put 1-2 tsp on after baking)

1/8 cup freshly grated or shaved reggiano or grana padano

Method:

1. In the bowl of kitchanaid, whisk the yeast and sugar with 1/4 cup of the flour. Stir in 1/4 cup of the warm water and let stand until slightly foamy, about 5 minutes. Add the oregano, salt, and the remaining 1 3/4 cups of flour and 1/2 cup of water; stir until a dough forms. Put the dough hook attachment on your kitchenaid and turn on, kneading in the bowl for 6 minutes. Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a draft-free spot until billowy and doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.

2. Meanwhile, place a pizza stone in the bottom of the oven, and preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Make sure the oven has preheated for at least 30 minutes.

3. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured very large sheet of parchment paper. Press and stretch the dough into a 15-inch round, nice and thin is good. Top with sauce, fresh mozzerella and toppings of your choice.

4. Slide the parchment paper with pizza onto the back of a cookie sheet and slide it from there onto the pizza stone in the oven. Bake for 12 minutes, until the crust is golden.

5. Top with reggiano and final fresh herbs if desired.

The King of Steaks

2009-05-22T16:48:00.001-07:00

It's Memorial Day weekend in Seattle and an amazing thing is happening! Notoriously, this "beginning of summer" weekend is cold and rainy, but not this year! It is brilliantly warm and sunny. I woke up at 5:31am today, because despite closing every blind tightly, the room was still filled with creamy yellow light. Not only is it sunny today, but there is not a cloud in the forecast for four days. Glory to God it's thrilling!

This much sun calls for some serious grilling and I have the ultimate steak for you. I learned about this cut of steak and method about 5 years ago as I was researching an upcoming trip to Italy. It's most famous representative is Dario Cecc hini, otherwise known as the "Butcher of Panzano" A wildly charismatic fellow, he owns a legendary butcher shop called Antica Macelleria Cecchini in Panzano, Italy. The cut he is most famous for is called Bistecca Fiorentina and traditionally comes from giant white Val de Chiana cows lovingly raised in Tuscany and found nowhere else in the world (to my knowledge). When Zack and I went to Tuscany almost 4 years ago now, a trip to Dario's famous butcher shop was essential and unforgettable, made even more wonderful by stumbling on a wonderful local outdoor wine tasting on the open square in his beautiful Tuscan hilltop town. That day, I could only gaze carnivorously on the giant cuts of meat. We had only the smallest kitchenette in the apartment we were renting and no grill on which to roast a 3 inch thick, 4 lb T-bone steak. It has held great culinary fascination for me since then. Here I am at this temple of beef!

Since then, the Bistecca Fiorentina has become one of my favorite really special company dinners. It is always impressive and delicious and its sheer enormity makes for definite wow factor. Because the heavily herbed rubbed steak is incredible thick, it must be cooked on a preheated grill for 12 minutes per side, ending in a crusty blacked exterior and a wonderfully rare to medium rare center.

If you like your steak more done, you can take it to medium by adding a couple minutes but please, I beg you, don't go beyond that. Once you've let it rest, carve it and drizzle it with black truffle oil or good olive oil if you prefer. The truffle oil option takes it to the next level.

Bistecca Fiorentina

Recipe:
Adapted from Mario Batali's Italian Grill, serves 4

1 3inch, 3-4 lb T-Bone, or for a larger piece of meat (as seen in the pictures above), ask for a porterhouse. With the porterhouse, you get a very large piece of filet, which is the most tender part cut of beef you can get. You will have to order this cut in advance. In Seattle, I always drive up to Mountlake Terrace and the incredible Double D Meats for mine. They are used to getting this order now as there are a number of us that place it regularly. I learned about this wonderful place from fellow friends and foodies, Tim and Beth, and I am ever in their debt. The meat is incredible as are the prices. Absolutely worth the jaunt up I-5!

For the rub:

1 Tbl chopped fresh rosemary
1 Tbl chopped fresh thyme
1 Tbl chopped fresh sage
1.75 Tbl kosher salt
1.5 Tbl freshly ground black pepper (a morter and pestle on peppercorns works well)

Method:

Remove steak from fridge 60 minutes before grilling. Rub with above mixture and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of oil, pressing the rub into the meat and making sure its damp with oil all over. Preheat a grill for about 20-30 minutes. It needs to be at least 450 degrees and hotter is better. Ideally 550 - 600. After meat has sat for 60 minutes with the rub, place on the hot grill. Cook for 12 minutes per side or until internal temperature hits 120 degrees for medium rare and 125 for medium. Remove immediately and let rest for 12 minutes. It will continue to cook quite a bit while it rests, so don't leave it on the grill past these temperatures. For true rare, take it off at 115 degrees internal temp. After the meat has rested, cut it from the bone and slice. Drizzle with your choice of truffle or olive oil and serve!

Restaurant Review: Cascina Spinasse Trattoria Pastificio Artigianale

2009-05-19T12:35:00.000-07:00

A long and complex name for a small, quaint and authentic restaurant on Capitol Hill. A trattoria is generally a more casual restaurant in Italy and Pastificio Artigianale translates to artisan pasta and that is what this restaurant is most lauded for. Monday night, I celebrated a friend's birthday there and the pasta WAS perfection, but that was just one of the many reasons the experience was glorious. The ambiance, food and wine were suberb overall and the warm, overjoyed company of dear friends made everything taste, look and feel even better.

The restaurants decor is a whimsical collection of mismatched tables and chairs and pretty antiques. Lace curtains cover the front windows and a dining bar overlooks an open kitchen. It's comforting to see the restaurants well-known chef owner, Justin Niedermeyer, working feverishly in the kitchen. We truly had the best table in the house - a small round Cararra marble four-top in the restaurants front window. It's the only table that is not given to the currently very popular trend of communal dining, which means you might be dining with strangers. This is not something I am a big fan of. True, it can be fun meeting new people at dinner, but I would prefer to enjoy the company of the people I chose to go out with in the first place. I really want to focus all my attention on them and the meal. Anyway, so we three were more than delighted to find this perfect little table stood waiting just for us. Definite squealing commenced. Things were off to a wonderful start.

We all had a glass of the prosecco - Villa Sparina. It was lush, with more honey and body to it than most Italian sparklers I've had. We decided to forgo the family style courses option offered on the menu and pave our own way, sharing everything. We started with the Antipasto misto della casa. Roasted cardoons with toasted bread crumbs, anchovies with arugula pesto and firm egg yolk crumbles, thinly sliced poached veal with a rich tuna aioli (heavenly!), a chicory salad with roasted rabbit, prosciutto, lardo, soppressata and lovely lovely bread. It was the perfect combination of familiar and totally unique items and we were all very impressed and happy. Next, we had Tajarin al ragu. This hand-cut pasta is the most finely cut strand I've ever seen (think of angel hair cut in half!). The mouth feel was so wonderful and it was combined with a rich and classic bolognese style ragu. Another pasta was ravioli stuffed with ricotta, with shaved porcini, sauteed nettles and a butter sage sauce. Very nice, though a bit too subtle. Sauteed housemade sausages on lacinato kale were awesome. With the pastas and sausages we enjoyed an absolutely wonderful Barbara d' asti. This varietal is such a consistently delicious choice when picking from Italian wines and we all loved it.

I have to say, I personally did not like the dessert. It was a steamed chocolate custard that was infused with a minty flavor, but not in a familiar chocolate mint kind of way, but more in an herbacious soapy flavor way. I was alone in this impression at the table however, so it wasn't a matter of it being bad, simply that I didn't personally like it. The hazelnut meringue cookies we had alongside were better. Not too sweet and powerfully toasty nutty.

This is a wonderful, homey restaurant. There is nothing urban or modern in its feel. It is comforting and feels truly Italian, with great pride in ingredients and techinque on all levels. I highly recommend it.

Sunny sanity and strawberry sorbet

2009-05-18T11:13:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was such a promising day in Seattle. Wow. Incredibly warm, sunny, and perfectly breezy. This is the kind of day that keeps you sane when you live here. In between the days and days of gray and rainy that add up to 9 months out of the year, there are days like this. Their rareness making them that much more cherished. I made lunch on the patio for my longtime friend Kacper and for dessert I made a simple strawberry sorbet. I love fruit sorbets because they are simply a chilly, lickable version of the fruit at its best. You can use this simple recipe with so many different fruits and will always have a good result and its so healthful to boot!

Strawberry sorbet
(makes 1 pint)

Ingredients
3 1/2 cups whole strawberries
1/4 cup simple syrup* (more if your berries aren't sweet very sweet)
2 tbls fresh lemon juice
pinch kosher salt

Special Equipment: Ice cream maker

*Simple syrup is just equal parts sugar and water, heated and stirred until the sugar is thoroughly dissolved

Method
Blend these together in a blender until well pureed
Pour into the frozen bowl of a home ice cream maker
Turn on and freeze for 20 - 30 minutes, according to manufacturers instructions
Place in container with lid and freeze for at least 30 more minutes before serving. It's best served between 30-60 minutes of freezer time, before it gets TOO hard. Or take it out for 10 minutes before scooping. Because it has no fat, it freezes very solid.

If you don't have an ice cream maker, consider adding one to your wish list. It is such a special treat to enjoy homemade sorbets, ice creams, gelatos and frozen yogurts and I swear, its incredibly easy. Here is the brand I have and it works great for the home cook.

Fluff in Stuff

2009-05-17T12:23:00.001-07:00

The idea of homemade marshmallows always peeks people's interest. I recently made my first batch and have been sucked into the vortex. For my friend Holly's "Dinner at Tiffany's" themed bridal shower I made these Lillet marshmallows. I tinted them tiffany blue and was surprised and delighted when all worked out perfectly. They actually tasted deeply of Lillet, the unique French apertif which fuses white wine with herbs and always served ice cold. I can't say I LOVED these marshmallows, they were more of a novelty than anything, but I was hooked on the idea of making them and trying lots of flavor combination's.

Today, I made a more classic version, flavored with almond & vanilla extracts and dipped in dark chocolate. At the inspiration of my friend and baking ingenue Azurae, I added a little flaked fleur de sel on top and the resulting confection was heavenly. I like making marshmallows because they are unexpected and special. They'll make a perfect little gift or a fine addition to a dessert buffet. You can add any flavor extract, or use different liquids to dissolve the gelatin, thus imparting that liquids flavor subtly to the marshmallows. They are also very satisfying for their low caloric damage, which is of interest to me as I Weight Watcher my way to Holly's wedding. Two weeks left!

I just ate one, fluffy, soft, sweet, the chocolate still warm and oozy, the fleur de sel truly a surprising and perfectly savory note. Anyway, don't be scurred, make marshmallows. It's easy. I'll loan you my candy thermometer.

Vanilla Almond Marshmallows dipped in Chocolate
Adapted from Alton Brown, originally inspired to me by Not Without Salt

Marshmallows
3 packages unflavored gelatin
1 cup cold water, divided
1 ½ cups granulated sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1.5 tsp vanilla extract
.5 tsp almond extract
1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
Nonstick spray

Special equipment: Candy thermometer

Chocolate Dip
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips or equivalent chocolate using your favorite chocolate bar, chips, etc. You could also use butterscotch chips or whatever!
3-4 tbls cream (depending on how thick or thin you want the dip)

Method
Place the gelatin into the bowl of a stand mixer along with 1/2 cup of the water and the extracts. Have the whisk attachment standing by.In a small saucepan combine the remaining 1/2 cup water, granulated sugar, corn syrup and salt. Place over medium high heat, cover and allow to cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Uncover, clip a candy thermometer onto the side of the pan and continue to cook until the mixture reaches 240 degrees F, approximately 7 to 8 minutes. Once the mixture reaches this temperature, immediately remove from the heat.

Turn the mixer on low speed and, while running, slowly pour the sugar syrup down the side of the bowl into the gelatin mixture. Once you have added all of the syrup, increase the speed to high. Continue to whip until the mixture becomes very thick and is lukewarm, approximately 12 to 15 minutes. While the mixture is whipping prepare the pans as follows.

Combine the confectioners’ sugar and cornstarch in a small bowl. Spray a 9 x 13 inch square metal (or glass if you must) baking pan with pan spray. (NOTE: I used a 9 x 9 pan to make the marshmallow in the picture above, but it was too big, so next time I'll use a 9 x 13 inch pan) Add the sugar and cornstarch mixture and move around to completely coat the bottom and sides of the pan. Return the remaining mixture to the bowl for later use. When ready, pour the mixture into the prepared pan, using a lightly oiled spatula for spreading evenly into the pan. Dust the top with enough of the remaining sugar and cornstarch mixture to lightly cover. Reserve the rest for later. Allow the marshmallows to sit uncovered for at least 4 hours and up to overnight.

Turn the marshmallows out onto a cutting board and cut into 1-inch squares using a pizza wheel or sharp knife dusted with the confectioners’ sugar mixture. Once cut, lightly dust all sides of each marshmallow with the remaining mixture, using additional if necessary.

Method for chocolate dip
For chocolate dip, warm cream in the double bowler until hot, add chocolate chips, stirring to combine. When chips are thoroughly melted and mixture is smooth, dip marshmallows in, rolling to cover one end and ¼ up sides or as much as you’d like. Top with a few grains of fleur de sel. Allow to sit 2 hours uncovered to hardened. Although I definitely recommend you have one still warm!

Store in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks.

We'll call it Rustic Italian bread

2009-05-15T14:45:00.000-07:00

Recently, my girlfriends and I went to Vancouver B.C. for a weekend of shopping, dining and total food delight. On Saturday afternoon, we made our way to the amazing Granville Island Public Market and spent three hours perusing it thoroughly and trying to decide what to make for dinner. That dinner ended up being very simple, but something we ladies always can agree on; a spread of artisan cheeses, 3 different types of prosciuttos and 2 types of salami, fig jam, fresh berries, caprese salad, walnut bread from the most incredible bakery and some fresh stuffed pasta with pesto. In our meanderings we met a man that sells balsamic reductions. The reductions were delicious and a perfect drizzle with the rest of our items but it was the bread he made that blew us away. I shouldn't have been surprised to find that it was a version of the now famous No-knead bread from Jim Lahey at New York City's Sullivan Street Bakery. I make his no-knead bread recipe at least once a week (with twice the salt he does) and find it to be incredible for all my bread needs. Not to mention it makes a simple, homey gift that is always sure to please.

So anyway, today I baked Mr. Reductions version of the bread (with a few modifications) and I love it. For sandwiches, I love a bread in the long, flat style of ciabata, sliced lengthwise. You can experience both the soft crumb of the bread but also the different flavor and texture of the crisp crust. Often though, ciabata is just too hard and too crusty, don't you think? Well, this bread offers me just what I want for sandwiches with the perfect balance of crust and crumb. Because it rests for 18 hours, the flavor is wonderful - yeasty, perfectly salted, it really is scrumptious. It's hard to believe how much flavor is imparted to a bread by these simple techniques.

Today, I'm going to slice it down the center and slather it with a sauce I made of blue cheese, sour cream, lemon juice, dijon and fresh ground pepper, cover that with slices of roast beef and then sprinkle on some arugula. A classic combination. I'm going to add some sliced medjool dates to the party for the sweet touch I like in many savory dishes. Another way I'd love it is sprinkled with cinnamon sugar and chocolate chips. Or pretty much any way I can get it into my mouth, it's good by me.

RECIPE: Rustic "Italian" Bread

Ingredients:

3 cups flour
2 teaspoons kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon yeast
13 fl oz lukewarm water

Special tools: Parchment paper, pizza stone

Method:

1) Mix dry ingredients in the bowl of your Kitchenaid, fitted with paddle attachment (or another large bowl). Slowly stir in water until it is fully incorporated and there is no flour on edges of bowl. The dough should be coming away from the sides but not forming a ball in the middle. This is a very sticky and loose dough. Scrape down the sides and leave the dough in the bottom of the bowl. Spray lightly with non-stick spray and cover with plastic wrap. Place bowl in a plastic bag (kitchen garbage bag works well), force out most of the air and tie securely as airtight as possible. Set this aside for 14-18 hours in a 67-74 degree place (pretty much anyplace in your house).

Suggestion: A great time to do this part is right before bed, say 10:30pm, that way it will be ready to fold at 5pm the next day, proof 2 more hours and bake for dinner at 7:30pm or 5:00pm if you are home during the day, allowing you a 10:00am fold and a noon bake-time for hot bread for lunch.

THE NEXT DAY...

2) Open the bag. With damp hands, so it doesn't stick to them, fold the dough over on itself 4-5 times. You are releasing the air from the dough. Cover it with plastic wrap again, put it back in the bag for another 2 hours.

3) After 2 hours, put a pizza stone in your oven and preheat your it to 400 degrees. Lightly dust a large piece of parchment paper (you must use this) with flour and dump the dough out onto it. The loaf will be soft and settle to about 1 - 1.5 inches tall all over. Flatten a bit with your hands if need be. The loaf will be freeform in shape and that is good. Dust the top with flour.

4) Pull the parchment paper with dough onto the back of a cookie sheet and slide it from that onto the pizza stone in the oven (this method is also awesome for pizza making - I can NEVER get the pizza to slide nicely off the pizza peel).

5) Bake for 40 minutes. Remove the same way you put it in and let cool on a baking rack for at least 20 minutes before you cut it.

6) Eat your heart out.

The Golden Piglet - Part Deux

2009-05-14T21:50:00.001-07:00

So after a long hiatus, I'm back, with a new and broader approach. I found myself frustrated with my blog. It demanded that I write about restaurants and what if I didn't want to? What if I had an inspiring restaurant experience but I didn't want to write about it or what if I simply was inspired elsewhere? What if I cooked something amazing? What if I threw a happy party and was really excited about the way things came together? And so, the Golden Piglet is reborn. No longer exclusively restaurant reviews, I will write about anything that tickles my taste bud fancy. Reviews yes, but also recipes, parties, plans, products, whatever I darn well feel like! We'll see how far this approach takes us. This time I'm going to do it because I enjoy it and want to and not feel pressured to be spectacular. Just write and not overthink it. A Golden Piglet is still the pinnacle of foodie delight, but it could be a pie, a party, a cafe, or just about anything. Thanks for reading, all three of you, this blogs for you.

A special thanks to my dear friend Caitlin, of Roostblog, who created my nifty new look and inspires me with her writing and recipes every week.

More Wood-Fired Pizza is Never Enough

2009-05-14T20:26:00.001-07:00

Seattle has seen an explosion of incredible artisan wood-fired pizza spots, lead by Tutta Bella and followed by ViaTribunali, Serious Pie, Mioposto, and Pizzeria Pulcinella, to name a few. “Bring it on” I say, followed closely by “I can’t get enough!” So, with great anticipation, I must make sure you are aware that slated to open in May, is Delancey, a project of husband and wife team Brandon Pettit and Molly Wizenberg (the latter of Orangette blog fame). It’s New York style pizza on 70th in Ballard, in a great little enclave of new dining delights, including Honore Bakery and A Caprice Kitchen. Read the latest update of the restaurants progress on Molly’s blog. It doesn’t take a crystal ball to predict that this place is going to be hotter than a cheese burn – WATCH out!

Reviews to watch for: La Medusa – I’m hitting this Seattle classic spot for the first time this Friday night to celebrate a dear friend. I’ll tell you all about it!

I Have Returned From Cloud Nine

2009-05-14T20:24:00.000-07:00

The StarChefs event blew my mind. I didn’t even want to start writing about it because I knew I couldn’t do it justice. Culinary experiences are each to their own. I don’t compare a seven course tasting menu at Auberge du Soleil to brunching on sopas di tinga at Senor Moose. Both are spectacular in my mind, the best (for me) in their unique niche. StarChefs was that in the world of food and wine chef showcase events. Other events like this are Taste of The Nation or Taste Washington to name a couple. The StarChef’s revue blew these other events so far out of the water that they are still falling towards earth as we speak. For the first time at an experience like this, the food was just spectacular. The chefs spared no expense and pulled out every stop to serve the best from their arsenal, and under less than ideal cooking conditions. It makes sense that they did this. This event was attended by restauranteurs, wine makers, columnists and just plain old food lovers and awards new and up and coming chefs for their contributions to a cities dining landscape. Clearly, it was NOT the venue to serve goat cheese and sundried tomato crostini. This was the time to do it up and do it right and they truly did. The relatively small numbers also allowed for this, perhaps 750 people versus Taste Washington’s 3000+. In addition to the food being ridiculous, the wine was too. Premium wines, not a one of which did I taste and experience the shallow, somewhat spare experience that characterizes much of the wine my conscience affords me to purchase. I cannot begin to describe all that we ate and drank but I must point out a few standouts and based on them recommend these restaurants to you.

Chef Jason Wilson | Crush Restaurant: This chic elegant and definitely special occasion restaurant is in Madison Valley. Jason served Butter-poached lobster with gnocchi and white truffle cream. This insanely rich dish was brilliantly served with supremes of orange and leaves of arugula. The citrusy, peppery freshness of these additions brought this dish back from the brink of too rich and into the realm of perfection. As we stood there freaking out, they spooned more hunks of the lobster onto our plates. Love them, love them.

Chefs Brian McCracken, Dana Tough | SPUR: This is a fairly new gastro-pub in Belltown. I have never been but plan to remedy that immediately if not sooner. His dish was genius and a truly wonderful use of molecular gastronomy. Beef Carpaccio, Tarragon, Mustard Leaf and FRIED BERNAISE sauce. I can hardly describe this wonder. On top of perfect shaved beef tenderloin, sat a breaded and fried globe of something the size of a nickle. Gathering all the ingredients on the plate onto your fork, you put them in your mouth and the fried globe burst with warm, oozing, powerfully flavorful bernaise sauce! It was such a surprise, such a unique sensation and the flavor incredible.

Chef Stuart Lane | Cafe Juanita: This wonderful Northern Italian artisan restaurant holds a very special place in my heart. Stuart’s dish of Venetian Rabbit livers with carmelized onion, anchovy and currants, served with teeny tiny rabbit ravioli was savory and had such a play on texture. The rabbit livers reminded me distinctly of seared fois gras and the pasta was perfectly toothy as fresh pasta should be.

Chef Vuong Loc | Portage: This is another restaurant I haven’t tried, a French bistro at the top of Queen Anne. Vuong served me the best piece of lamb I have EVER eaten. A chop, stuffed with parlsey mousse, brussel sprouts and honey glazed bacon lardons. The lamb meat itself was so intensely flavorful and tender. Butter tender. How DID he do it?

Chef Adam Stevenson | Earth & Ocean at W Seattle: This one truly truly surprised me. Earth & Ocean has changed hands many times since it came to Seattle ten years or so ago and Adam is its best chef thus far. In my mind, his cuisine has revived the restaurant. His dish of wild day boat scallops with citrus braised endive, radishes, smoked bacon and garlic puree was so balanced and surprising. I stood there chewing, watching my friend chewing, our eyes communicated total surprised delight. This was no ordinary scallop dish and we agreed it was our favorite dish of the night. Adam also makes his own salami and I’m going to say the unthinkable – his fennel salami knocked Salumi’s out of the park, as did his hot soppressata. I’d go there just for the meat plate.

So those are a few of my favorites, although I didn’t eat one dish that wasn’t better than good. This was easily the best $75 I’ve ever spent on an event like this and honestly one of the best $75 I’ve ever spent on food and wine, period.

CANNOT WAIT FOR NEXT TIME! And I’ll be sure to give you all more advance notice!

StarChefs.com 2009 Seattle Rising Star Review

2009-05-14T20:23:00.000-07:00

I LOVE these walk-around food and wine events. It is such a fun way to try a totally varied selection of items from different restaurants and the list for tonight includes some of my very favorite Seattle chefs, Mark Fuller, Ethan Stowell and Jason Wilson. StarChefs is a magazine for those in the professional culinary world and those that like to follow it. This is an annual event highlighting and awarding Seattle’s rising culinary stars. Obviously, this is NOT the way to fully assess and judge these chefs, but it is a representative taste and the atmosphere is always buzzing, no pun intended!

So, I’m headed there tonight and I’ll be back with a report tomorrow.

Representing this year:

Mark Fuller | Spring Hill

Stuart Lane | Café Juanita

Vuong Loc | Portage and Pig ‘n Whistle

Brian McCracken & Dana Tough | Spur

Colin Patterson | Sutra

Jason Wilson | Crush

Hotel Chef Award:Adam Stevenson | Earth & Ocean at W Seattle

Sustainability Award: Maria Hines | Tilth

Restaurant Concept Award: Joshua Henderson | Skillet Street Food

Restaurateur Award: Ethan Stowell | Union, Tavolata, How to Cook a Wolf

Pastry Chef Dana Cree | Poppy

Pastry Chef Matt Kelley | Rover’s

Sommelier Nelson Daquip | Canlis

Mixologist Jim Romdall | Vessel VIP

There might still be tickets, so if you’ve got the evening free…!

Restaurant Review: Anchovies & Olives: Italian Sea Specialties on Captitol Hill

2009-05-14T20:22:00.000-07:00

I’m fresh off the Anchovies and Olives boat and eager to dish. I loved this place. It helps that I was so excited to try it. It’s pedigree is exceptional, as brother and sister to such favorites of mine as Tavolata and How to Cook a Wolf. This brother is the seafaring kind, focusing on seafood to some degree in every item on their menu. But I beg you, do not be put off by this. Within, you will find such subtlety and nuance of flavor, such pure and simple goodness. The American penchant for fried and overdone fish has destroyed this understanding for many of us. Anchovies and Olives asks you to try fish again, for the first time.

The menu is set up in four parts; crudo – a selection of raw fish served cured or treated in different ways, but raw none the less, appetizers, pastas and finally main courses. All the food is uncomplicated, often with 5-7 ingredients or even less, all with some seafood element, and of such pure and stellar ingredients that nothing more is needed. A piece of pristine pish, a pinch of fine salt, a drizzle of Trampetti olive oil, a crush of good herbs, and all is perfect. We started with Hamachi, sliced thickly, served raw with olive oil, crushed olives and pesto. Spectacular flavor. A mound of prosciutto served with olive oil marinated anchovies, served on a rustic wooden board. Columbia City Bakery’s perfect focaccia is $2 and you get half a loaf, which can be enjoyed underneath or alongside everything you order, or not, whatever you’d like. The grilled octopus is blackened and served with watercress, new potatoes and romescu. This is good but not my favorite. Definitely needs salt. There are a selection of oysters with interesting accompaniments like meyer lemon ice. Not my speed but interesting and lovely for you briny slime lovers out there. Next, we enjoyed the absolutely simple but perfectly toothsome spaghetti with anchovies, red chilies and garlic. I love this dish. The flavor is good but the chew and bite of the fresh pasta is even better. I love the mouth feel. Gnocchi is served stuffed with crab and served with lobster and roasted cauliflower! How interesting a combination and how decadent! Our food, overall, was wonderful. The company, a foursome of seafood loving, soulful ladies, was perfect.

And the service…lovely. Our waiter was attentive, informative and helpfully opinionated. He suggested a couple of different bottles of white wine to pair with our fishy feast and the one we chose from his selection was very good. Darned if I can remember the name, but it was $35 and had a wonderful peachy note to it. Ask them – they’ll know. The wines are all Italian and trusting Ethan Stowell (owner and chef) and his team, any of the waiters will offer you a great recommendation. Anchovies and Olives has a similiar aesthetic to his other two Italian restaurant spots. It is at once rustic and modern, urban and urbane. It is absolutely not a recreation of an Italian restaurant in Italy, but rather a reinterpretation, perfectly suited to todays trends, tastes and times.

It is not, for whatever reason, a Golden Piglet, but its just a few piglet-tail-hairs short, and if you appreciate the fru-ITS of the sea and the inspiration of ITaly, you must not miss it.

(Please forgive the lack of pictures. I took some, but my camera is absolute crap and they really looked awful.)

Restaurant Review: Cantinetta: Unforgettable Italian-A Golden Piglet

2009-05-14T20:21:00.000-07:00

PIGLET NOTE: I wrote this review on January 10th of this year (2009), after my first incredible experience at Cantinetta, a restaurant which opened this year in the Wallingford neighborhood of Seattle. I have since gone back many times and dear friends have agreed, this restaurant truly is special. It now has the honor of being given the first ever “Official” Golden Piglet award. I dined there again this Tuesday and was wowed AGAIN, as was Zack and our dinner guest. I must admit, I am deeply biased towards Italian food and experiences, but whether you typically are or not, you can’t help but be moved by this little slice of delight.

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I was sure I was going to love Cantinetta before I walked in the door. The restaurant is on the corner of 37th and Wallingford avenue in what I call Wallingmont and its front and side are a wall of tall windows. The amber light from candlelight and hanging wrought iron and glass chandeliers feels physically warm to me as we drive past. You can see its interior very well in the dark and it looks like Italy to me. Which pretty much guarantees that on an ambiance level, I am going to love the place. I start clapping my hands like a kid and saying to Zack “Oh oh, I’m going to love this, I know it, OOOOHHHH, I’m so excited!”

We park easily on a side street and walk in. White walls, dark mahogany wood trims and beams, rustic tables, gilded mirrors, and well planned lighting is combined perfectly to feel at once casual and elegant. A special occasion you could enjoy every evening without feeling stuffy. Again, I feel I could be in a trattoria in Italy.

We’re joined by our friends Dan and Azurae, who are wonderful dinner companions and adventurous eaters. Together we will try as much as we can of a menu that offers too many enticing choices.

It is set up in the traditional Italian style with antipasto (appetizers), primi (pastas & risottos intended for 1st course), secondi (main dishes) and contorni (vegetable side dishes). This is not American Italian in any way. It is authentic in many ways, but also showcases local sustainable items and puts a contemporary spin on dishes, while still maintaining an unpretentious feel in the presentation.

For instance, we started with Grilled Pancetta wrapped dates with red oak and balsamic. Oh yum. Sweet dates, salty savory pancetta, roasted and served with a nice pile of red oak lettuce dressed simply in a balsamic syrup. Red oak was new to me and is an incredible little leaf. So much complex flavor! Peppery for sure, but as Zack noticed, it almost had a beefy note to it – I know, strange to call lettuce beefy, but it really did. The closest thing I’d compare it to would be arugula. Next, Trotter Milanese, essentially braised pig leg with the meat pulled to small pieces, formed into a meat loaf, breaded and deep fried (breaded and fried is what is meant by Milanese, or, in the style of Milan). This was unique and not as all gross, as one might fear. I enjoyed it but definitely needed my salt treatment. I’ll take a moment hear to say that I have a salt problem. My palette seems to require more and more of it the older I get. I think almost everything, no matter how delectable it is when served to me, is just that much better with a few grains of kosher salt or fleur de sel added. Nuff said.

We ate many items that night and let me say right here that the price is right. Antipastas and contorni range from $7-9 and primi and secondi from $14-$17 . The pasta is excellent. Handmade each day, the pasta itself is toothy in the right way and just as it should be. It is used in many interesting preparations and huge kudos to the chef for his many thoughtful combinations of ingredients. Unlike some restaurants, every single one of the dishes sounded good to us. The final products were all good, but some better than others. Goat cheese agnolotti with blood oranges and port was a little too much sweet and not fully balanced. The Black pepper tagliatelle with creme fraiche, farm egg and lemon was decadent and delicious. Kind of a carbonara without the bacon. Butternut squash mezzaluna (crescent shaped ravioli) with barbera braised oxtail and sage was delicious. The squash flavor was subtle, as the oxtail braised in that red wine was so flavorful and took the forefront. Savory and a touch sweet and so tender from what must have been a six hour hot bath in the wine. Hazelnut fed pork ravioli with ricotta, broccoli rabe and brown butter was also good, although maybe a little more brown butter than was needed. Contorni were beets, farro and fennel pollen, delicious, and an absolutely standout dish of the oft hated brussel sprouts, pairing them with duck confit and roman sea salt. Serious, serious yummage. No joke. Try them again, for the first time.

After all this, we found we were wonderfully comfortable, not full. The portions are nice. Not huge, but not the tiny little overly designed specks you find in more fine dining establishments either. We were able to all eat from each plate, which is good for four people.

We had room for dessert! Okay, this is a must. They have something called Zeppole. An Italian doughnut that I attempt to make at home but don’t even come close to this. Dark golden brown deep friend dough, which is clearly fortified with eggs and butter. They are at once dense and light, I loved the feeling of cutting through them with my fork. Steam is released, swirl it around in a pool of sweet espresso creme anglais, chew, repeat. A perfect end to our meal, with a nice shot of espresso (Cafe Vita).

So ends our foray to this lovely new restaurant. It is just a week old as I write. They are surely still working out some kinks, but we didn’t really experience them. The service was warm and attentive, the food interesting, flavorful and satisfying, the ambiance one of my favorite around town, though admittedly it got pretty loud by the time we left. Surely the effect of good wine, scrumptious food and an environment that lulls you into truly enjoying them.