Soup Day

I'm still here...three days into a pesky cold and my second day off work and I'm getting antsy. As my faithful followers may remember, when I get sick I often cook. Something about chicken soup shortening the lifespan of a virus. Well I also tend to develop a craving for spicy foods when I'm sick, so this afternoon I'm sitting here beside a simmering pot of hot (like spicy hot) Asian chicken soup. Since I don't feel like going out, here's what I found in my refrigerator, freezer, and pantry to create my own version of the chicken soup cure:
1 Tbsp. Asian sesame oil
3/4 box chicken broth
2-3 Tbsp. Tamari sauce
1 cup (?) sliced mushrooms
1/2 an onion, chopped
1/4 cup or so shredded carrots
1-2 cups chopped spinach
1-2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
and to fulfill the spicy craving...about a tablespoon and a half of green chili paste.
Then half a lime squeezed into it.
Just remembered I have some dried lemongrass...better throw that in too. About a tablespoon or two.
[insert 15 or 20 minutes of simmering]
First bite just now. Yes, that will definitely clear my head!*
*Measurements are an estimate


Enjoy! I'll sign off now so I can finish off the bowl without spilling the contents on the computer.

All in a Sunday

Often Sunday lunch is a meal at a chain restaurant or a potluck and once in a while, now that my parents are nearby, a family affair. Yesterday a few friends and I crossed the 520 bridge to find a new place: Volunteer Park Cafe."Find" I mean literally...after a series of turns the wrong direction down the wrong streets we finally happened upon this little cafe in the corner of a lovely little neighborhood in the Madison Park meets Capitol Hill area. [Note to self: when asking your Blackberry for directions, it is necessary to specify whether the street goes east or west or down a hill or up or this way or that. Ahem.] If you've been to Volunteer Park, this cafe is sort of tucked away in the southeast corner, but it's a couple blocks from the actual park entrance. Anyway...it's a Sunday brunch kind of place, where young families or groups of friends wander in after sleeping all morning to read the paper or a new magazine and have a breakfast panini with a Stumptown cappuccino or perhaps a morning strata with the brew of the day. Volunteer Park also serves salads and sandwiches along with the brunch fare. Members of my group had a brie & apple panini with cup of coffee, the "big boy" panini with root beer (big boy meaning 3 kinds of meat and a few veggies), and the chicken potpie with, again, root beer. They proclaimed the root beer good. I had the strata and a side salad. The strata was shaped in the form of a jumbo muffin cup: yummy layers of bread, egg, thick bacon, and veggies. The side salad had a light but tasty vinaigrette, somewhat sweet and somewhat sour. There is a long communal table in the middle of the room with booths and tables and chairs along the walls. For a minute we weren't sure we were going to find seats, but then a table near the window opened up just as our food was ready. While sitting facing the window I spied with my little eye a bungalow for sale across the street...hmmm....[accepting donations]

Leaving the little neighborhood us girls drove through Volunteer Park with plans to return on a nice day to take photos of Seattle through the "donut hole" and climb the water tower stairs...on to Cap Hill to grab some sweet treats at Cupcake Royale's latest digs at 1111 11th Avenue. Babycakes are truly a fabulous invention: you can try multiple seasonal flavors--Cranberry Orange and Pumpkin Maple--on the same day!

Later in the day I realized I had an Anthropologie birthday coupon burning a hole in my bag so I made tracks to the Shops at the Bravern. The Bravern has been open for about two months and is a collection of high end designer shops. While my status in life does not warrant more than window shopping for the most part, The Bravern contains an Anthropologie, Sur La Table, and Trophy Cupcake, and so I expect I shall pay it a visit from time to time. I nearly lost track of time while wandering through Anthropologie oohing and aahing and wishing but managed to find myself a scarf to complete an outfit. A scarf you ask? that's all? Well, those bungalows aren't free, you know!

And I just have to add...

I still get so excited when I am in the vicinity of Cupcake Royale and can have a Verite cappuccino. Beautiful foam. Strong espresso. It's a lovely thing.

Last weekend I had not one, but two, chances to visit Cupcake Royale. Friday night after Delancey we headed over to Cupcake Royale for dessert (the cookie was, uh, just a second course, kinda like the cheese plate that comes before dessert in some countries, ahem). Unlike the last time I was in on Labor Day, this time they actually had...drumroll...Blue Mountain Huckleberry (September's flavor of the month). Oh, yeah.

Then Sunday afternoon I went to Golden Gardens with two friends for one last chance to soak up the warm sun and fresh air. After walking the beach, and being in Ballard, naturally you have to go get a cupcake. Next up: Salted Caramel. Yep, also delicious!

On a side note: I was able to burn off at least one cupcake (I hope) by getting in one last hike on Saturday. Got up early and drove over Snoqualmie Pass with a friend to hike in the Teanaway area to Ingalls Lake.  The sky was an incredible deep blue. It was somewhat windy and up at the lake the chill in the air meant pulling out the fleece, but the weather was otherwise perfect. We were hoping to see the larches turning yellow but unfortunately not much was happening yet. However, the blueberry bushes are crimson and there are a few flowers here and there still blooming. The hike climbs steadily through forest and then down into meadows with lots of good campsites. The last bit is some scrambling and then you crest the rocks and suddenly you're at the lake. We ate lunch there while enjoying the views of the craggy peaks across the lake. A man who was taking a break by the lake pointed out two mountain goats way up on top of one of the peaks to the west. Their climbing skills are amazing!

That Coffee Shop & Their Latest Attempt

Stopped in this morning at That Coffee Shop (sometimes referred to as Starbucks) for a tall morning pick and the first pumpkin scone of the season (probably the last of the season as well if I want to maintain, or should I say attain, a fit and trim figure). Today's marketing plan apparently was to give out as many sample of the new Via instant coffee as possible.

My grimace at the mere mention of "instant coffee" was enough to launch the barista on a persuasion pitch to get me to try Via. Yeah, I thought it was a bad idea too...instant? gross!...but you'll be surprised...try it...really...etc...etc. So I walked out this morning with a sample of Via in hand.

Then this afternoon I'm thinking it's time for a hot drink so back to the breakroom I go to boil water in the electric tea kettle and give the Via a test run. I was expecting the large grounds that you get in a jar of other brands' instant coffee and was surprised to pour finely ground coffee out of the packet. Nice.

I.actually.liked.it. Gulp. Not good enough to replace a real brewed or French-pressed cup, but if you're desperate and not near a coffeemaker or French press it's definitely a good thing to have on hand. I'm thinking that Via would be perfect for camping and backpacking. No more dragging along the old metal percolator or French press. No more dumping coffee grounds in the forest (oh, uh, who me?).

For those of you who don't like strong coffee, a.k.a. Starbucks' bitter dark-roasted beans, you'll probably be able to get two cups of coffee out of one packet of Via.

Delancey

For those of you who know, the title is perfectly clear...I finally got to eat here! So they're still working on a sign and it's nearly impossible to realize that tucked away along NW 70th Street in Ballard is this sweet little spot. Unless, of course, you've gone to the website and dutifully Google-mapped the location.

For those of you who don't know, Delancey is the creation of blogger Orangette's husband. We did, in fact, see Molly, but since I had neglected to bring my book we didn't bother meeting her.

The idea behind Delancey is to offer New York-style pizzas with a thin crust. The pizzas are fired, not baked, at a very high temperature in a brick oven, producing yummy charred, blackened bits amid an otherwise soft and chewy crust. The four of us shared 3 pizzas: A margherita, prosciutto, and foraged mushroom. The margherita was pretty much your standard pizza with tomato sauce (but really, really, really...good tomato sauce), mozzarella, and basil. I found it interesting and point-winning that the tomato sauce on the margherita tasted different from the one on the prosciutto and both complimented their accompanying ingredients well. The mushroom pizza was a whole different animal: No tomato sauce, just the mushrooms and cheese. It was delightful, actually.

Dessert: Grey salt covered chocolate chip cookies. 'Nuf said. Well, maybe not: Gooey, oozing chocolate on a warm cookie with a crispy edge and chewy center, topped with a smattering of salt crystals to create that just right blend of salty and sweet.

We had been told the wait would be about an hour, but the party before us were no-shows, so within 10 minutes we were seated at the table by the window (in the blog Molly mentions that she wants to sit at this table someday). Otherwise, they don't take reservations unless you have a party of 6 or more, for which one table is reserved.

My take? I'm not a New Yorker, but having grown up on the East Coast I feel like this pizza is more Italian than New York style, especially with the Europe-dominated wine list. However, it's tasty and the place is homey. I'd like to go back for my autograph, of course, and another cookie. I'd definitely take friends here who read Orangette and have followed the restaurant's saga.

How to satisfy cravings

The ice cream aisle at Fred Meyer: Good
Laughing hysterically with your sister while choosing said ice cream: Better
The resulting photo: Priceless

Ben & Jerry's Oatmeal Cookie Chunk: A

Tillamook Marionberry Pie: A+ (always a favorite)

Starbucks Caramel Macchiato: Familiar taste of Starbucks coffee, A, but the whole effect of the ice cream, B+

Fred Meyer Private Selection "Fried" Ice Cream: A+ (cinnamon tostada chips...nuf said)

Haagen Dazs five (Passion Fruit): A- (I hate to say it, but all those fake ingredients in the other stuff pull it together; however, this does taste very much like the product of a home ice cream machine)

Ben & Jerry's Dublin Mudslide: B- (too much happening)

I think my scores above were slightly skewed by my secondary cinnamon craving tonight.

Note to the diet police: We only sampled one spoonful of each one. Really. Ok, I might have had two of the "fried" ice cream.

These are the days when birds come back...

A very few, a bird or two, to take a backward look. (Emily Dickinson, Indian Summer)

Last day of the market. Summer's unofficial end. Sigh. And it was 80 degrees, perfectly described in the above mentioned poem--
These are the days when skies put on
The old, old sophistries of June,
-A blue and gold mistake.

Since I couldn't break my promise to you in June, I finally had a chocolate truffle today. I chose Xocolatl: A velvety rich bit of chocolate garnished with chili pepper flakes and a sprinkling of salt. It was tasty!

After the chocolate appetizer came dinner - phad Thai and potstickers from one of the vendors (who, perchance, is opening a restaurant at the end of October on Lake Street along the waterfront in Kirkland, so there will be ample opportunity to try her food cooked indoors this winter).

I came home armed with a flat of raspberries, pluots, plums, leeks, corn on the cob, and cucumbers. Due to a proliferation of dinners out and being away for the weekend I am still working on last week's blueberries and zucchini.

Otherwise...I had a friend visiting for the greater part of the last two weeks during which time I showed her my favorite haunts around Seattle while discovering new ones. I promise to share all the new (and some of the old) discoveries with you in a future post.

The Most Expensive Ice Cream Cone Ever

Really...it came to a grand total of almost $14:

Roundtrip ferry to Bainbridge Island from Seattle: $6.70

Small waffle cone with 2 scoops: $6.95

Was it worth it, you ask?

Indeed...every lick.

So here's the long story: a few friends and I decided to take the ferry to Bainbridge Island and wander around. Originally we were going to drive on and explore the island beyond what is within ferry walking distance. Last minute we decided to park under the viaduct (yes...still standing...) and walk on. Good decision, the vehicle line was at least two ferry waits long.

So our parking spot had a two-hour limit, which meant that basically we had time to take the ferry over, get something to eat really quick, and get right back on the ferry. (This is all worthwhile, locals and tourists both do it often.) Yesterday's ferry trips were immensely interesting in the people-watching department: Seahawks fans going to the preseason game against the Denver Broncos, cruise ship passengers seeing Seattle before catching their flights home, and island-dwellers heading to and from weddings and other parties, along with the rest of us.

But I digress...

The ice cream in question is from Mora Iced Creamery. To get there, walk up Winslow Way and turn right on Madrone Lane. Mora is tucked in back. Inside is a dizzying menu of ice cream and sorbet flavors such as lavender, spicy chai, and mojito. Check out the website for a full list: http://www.moraicecream.com/icecreams.html.

I gingerly plunked down almost $7 for a two-scoop waffle cone with one scoop of lavender and one scoop of espresso mocha. My first taste was pure delight, at which point I forgot how much it cost. It only got better. The espresso mocha was strong with obvious black flecks of ground espresso beans, more coffee than chocolate, which was fine with me since I had in previous moments been wishing for a latte. Then came the lavender, a perfect amount of the little purple bits floating in a melt-in-your-mouth vanilla base.

One of my friends ordered her standard, the plain old vanilla, and declared it the best ever. Another friend had the blackberry, which is the namesake ice cream ("mora" is Italian and Spanish for "blackberry"). Both were fabulous as well.

I recommend Mora. It's worth every penny for the amazing flavor. Oh, and the shop is really cute too, with silver lids on the long rows of ice cream and an artfully created menu.

I'm already dreaming of pumpkin pie ice cream in November...

Market Dinners

The epic Pacific Northwest summer continues: sunny, hot, and dry. My days are full of work, play, and generally attempting to avoid homework, which is easily done by shopping at the Tuesday market and cooking the goodies.

Dinner was inspired by the remains of last week's market expedition and tonight's visit to the market with a little Metropolitan Market thrown in for good measure.

What you see here is a collection of vegetables--Walla Walla onions, crimini mushrooms, bok choy, and arugula---sauteed in olive oil, fresh basil from my back porch plants, and black pepper. On top of which is a piece of delightful Wild Alaskan salmon from Metropolitan Market, with a slice of lemon. Having eaten a lot of fish throughout my detox diet in February and discovered that it is quicker to cook than any other meat, I now feel like my week is not complete without eating it at least once. As a gal from the East Coast who grew up eating fish maybe once a month from the grocery store IF it went on sale, the availability and affordability of salmon and other fish here in the PNW still amazes me. Thanks to a friend we occasionally even have a fresh salmon from a local river filleted and delivered straight to our freezer!

Dessert was a handful of blueberries, which are bigger and sweeter this week than their predecessors last week. Tiny's Organic finally has pluots, the combo of plums and apricots that has become my favorite stone fruit. I also saw a small group of tomatoes at the market today, and am happy to report that my plants have little green fruit and several more flowers.

The sunflower placemat? Target, $1.99.

A Midsummer Night...

Tonight's adventure was with two friends to Woodland Park in Seattle to take in a showing of Shakespeare in the Park. This summer's shows are The Comedy of Errors and King John. We were treated to The Comedy of Errors. The show is conducted by GreenStage, the company in Seattle that conducts Shakespeare in the Park during the summer.

Prior to the 7 p.m. showing a visit to QFC had produced fried chicken, an Asian-inspired cucumber salad "new today," (get some...it's fabulous), a baguette, and rocky road brownies. Oh...and Twizzlers...because I must chomp on a couple...or three. Sidebar: This tradition hails from summer days at the local amusement park back East that ended with us sitting under the stars eating Twizzlers through fireworks set to patriotic tunes and all the way home.

Arriving at Woodland Park a good while before the show we promptly wandered around for a quarter hour looking for "just south of the lawn bowling area." Said location was not found and instead we decided to commence with the picnic. Blankets were spread and the food was enjoyed while we watched runners, Bocce players, dog walkers, and families enjoying the beautiful summer evening. We also closely observed people carrying chairs, picnics, and blankets for clues about where the play would be held.

Note about the play's location: Woodland Park has various entrances and many open green spaces, but to find the precise open green space on which GreenStage performs enter at the 60th and Aurora Avenue (Highway 99) entrance. There was plenty of parking and close bathrooms.

Without giving anything away but providing some idea of what's to come, The Comedy of Errors is about two sets of identical twins, someone in a country he doesn't belong in, and various and assorted other characters. At various times the cast became part of the audience, making for a fun evening.

Shakespeare in the Park happens at about eight different parks this year, including Volunteer, Magnuson, Fall City, Lower Woodland (where we went), and Discovery. If you want to go, check out this link to find one: http://www.greenstage.org/2009/performance-calendar.

I shall leave you with a quote from the play: "Every why hath a wherefore." Act II, Scene II

Summmmmmmmerrrrrrrrrr

BBQ and volleyball evenings at the park by the lake...running outdoors...biking the trail without freezing my hands off...breakfast on the patio...walking out the door to work without needing to put on a coat...sandals and flip flops...more sun than rain...more warmth than chill...summer is here! Thirty straight days without rain, so different from last June.

In between working an average of 50 hours per week I have found time to do all of the above plus....www.rentonfarmersmarket.com. The market opened June 2. I was teaching a late class that night and missed the opener but was able to go this week and last. I filled my trusty little canvas bag with the sweetest strawberries imaginable, baby bok choy, spring greens, asparagus, and Rainier cherries, among other delectable locally grown foods. I take a twenty and stock up with fruits and veggies or other assorted goods for the week...then the following Tuesday do it all over again. One of my favorite vendors has an arrangement of baskets filled with baby carrots and beets (tops still attached) and assorted greens, like the bok choy; you can mix and match 3 bunches for $6. There's a vendor selling chocolate truffles in cool flavors like jalapeno and lavender...I'll report on those when I try them. I also sometimes splurge on a good loaf of bread and usually pick up a gorgeous bouquet of flowers as well. Last week the students from the technical college's chef program were giving demonstrations, and there is always live music as well.

So from the farmers market finds I'm enjoying strawberries on my granola, Rainier cherries for a midmorning or midafternoon snack if I'm actually sitting at my desk at work, baby bok choy sauteed in sesame oil and garlic as a salmon topping, and asparagus broiled with pepper and olive oil.

Tonight's dinner, however, was more Trader Joe's-esque: I unearthed some spring roll wrappers while reorganizing our pantry last weekend, so I folded in leftover rotisserie chicken, shredded carrots, shredded cabbage, and cilantro, then dipped the rolls in TJ's Gyoza Dipping Sauce. The wrappers have to soak in water for a couple minutes to soften, so I ended up filling and eating a roll while soaking the next wrapper.

Memories & Bubbles

Totally off topic, but...what smells or tastes bring back a memory lying dormant in your past?

Drank a can of Coke today. . .I do this about every 3 years when something other than coffee, tea, or water beckons. I poured it into a glass and took a sip before the bubbles had dissipated, causing a fine spray on my face (hey, they say caffeine and sugar are good for the skin, right?) The spray and the taste transported me back to a grade 8 field trip to Washington, D.C. The Coke was part of a brown bag lunch eaten under the trees by the National Mall within view of the Lincoln Memorial. The rest of the sack? Ham and cheese on a thick white bun slathered with mustard, a bag of chips, an apple, and a chocolate chip cookie...the requisite school-days meal. We thought the best part of the trip was...mind you, not the amazing history contained within the District of Columbia...the comfy air-conditioned coach buses we got to ride for a day instead of the big yellow bus.

Pedals & Petals

Last weekend a group of friends and I decided to drive north and explore the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival via bike. Since my first trip to the cold, gray, wet Pacific Northwest many years ago where I was first introduced to the fields of glorious color, now that I live here I make a point to go every year.

The festival is April 1-30 but the weather does not always cooperate with those dates. Apparently the festival dates were extended to yesterday this year due to the late blooming. On April 11 only the daffodils were blooming, with no sign of the stars of the show - the tulips. However, amid pouring rain we drove north on the 25th hoping that the stars were finally shining. Indeed...

For those of you interested in biking the fields, exit I-5 at downtown Mt. Vernon and drive through town to Edgewater Park. We enjoyed a picnic lunch on the banks of the river before hopping on our chosen transportation. We biked a couple miles on the main route to the fields and then turned left and continued biking around to the various fields.

Seeing the fields by bike has multiple perks, as we discovered. While waiting to turn left at an intersection we were given first priority by the crossing guard. Driving into Tulip Town's parking lot we were able to bike through the lot straight into the fields for free. Biking into the wide rows between the fields is permitted and enhances the photo ops.

I'd highly recommend this method of seeing the tulips. You missed it this year, but make plans to do it next year!

There.are.no.words.

Just about the time you begin to think that the rain will never stop...the clouds will never part...the winter wools will never get a chance to be put away...along comes a perfect day...or three.

Above: What to do with an abundance of citrus? Place them randomly in a fancy bowl. In case you are wondering: Meyer lemons, plain old everyday lemons, key limes, and mini tangerines.

Eating Well

Occasionally there is a recipe that really hits the spot. Tonight's dinner will live in my memory for a while: Tuna Scaloppine with Onion, Mint, and Almond Topping. It's from the April 2009 Cooking Light, and here's the online link: http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1886426. If you're not used to mint in your main dishes it might sound odd but was so delicious I'm craving the leftovers already.

I made some alterations based on my current kitchen stock. I used Trader Joe's sashimi-grade swordfish steaks in place of tuna. Rather than chop almonds I dug into my supply of TJ's slivered almonds. Last but not least since I'm not a fennel fan I did not use those seeds.

Speaking of Trader Joe's, here are a few of the things I go crazy for:

• Arugula in a bag: The best green ever invented - nutty, peppery goodness
• Pomegranate arils (seeds): Imagine! No more sticking a whole pomegranate in a bowl of water and fishing out the seeds! No more bright red hands!
• Fish in the freezer: Salmon, tuna, whatever they happen to be buying this week
• Cartons of cubed frozen herbs: Basil, cilantro, and garlic - each cube equals one tablespoon, add to anything you're cooking that calls for the above and you will get a fresh flavor
• Unsulfured dried apricots and prunes
• Brown rice penne pasta: Has a better texture than whole wheat pasta and is gluten free for those of you out there who are trying to find healthier carbs or have been diagnosed with celiac disease
• Goat cheese brie: Good with bread or the Savory Multigrain Thins - it melts well too
• Steamed baby beets: They are in a box in the produce section, and are good warmed up as a side dish or on a salad
• Myntz: Tins of sugar-free mints at the checkout counters - they have no aspartame to keep me headache free
• Bacon & Feta Crustless Quiche or the Mexican quiche
• Almond Meal: It's just ground almonds, and makes a great alternative to bread crumbs for chicken parmesan
• Greek style yogurt: Apricot Mango or Honey
• Harvest Grains Blend: A concoction of couscous, orzo, baby garbanzos, & red quinoa that is really colorful and cooks in 10 minutes. Substitute it for rice or add some veggies and/or meat for a complete dinner.
• Teas: My particular favorites are the cranberry green tea (I think that was only around for the holidays), jasmine green tea, blackberry fusion tisane (herb tea), and pomegranate white tea.

I could keep going...something I think is new, anyway I just noticed it, and will probably buy after our freezer is not so overloaded: Mint chocolate ice cream between Oreo-like cookies in a just-the-right-size sandwich. Anybody try those yet?

The only problem with TJ's is that sometimes one of your favorites disappears from the shelves. That happened last month with the frozen basil cubes, but I discovered this week that they are back. Yay! I know, I'm lazy, but hey, I chopped mint tonight.

Diversions

In the business of keeping life interesting two weekends in the last month have found me traveling east of the Cascades...one on a plane bound for a little town in southern Idaho to visit relatives and get in some skiing on Utah powder, and the other in my car crossing Snoqualmie Pass (a feat of some renown between November and March) to visit friends in Spokane. Should you wish to someday venture in either direction I offer details.

In Utah (according to the local on the chairlift next to me) I skied "the best kept secret" - Brighton. Fresh powder...what more can I say? Brighton is about 40 minutes from Salt Lake City and is now on my list of favorite places to ski. A good selection of trails at varying levels of difficulty, and...well...Utah pow!

Closer to home...Spokane. The city gracing the eastern side of Washington's map. The architecture is charming, old downtown buildings with lots of personality and some of the quaintest houses you can find. We went to Cafe Marron for breakfast -http://www.lunaspokane.com/cafemarron/content.php?id=182. The avocado sandwich was a joy to eat, and the perfectly brewed coffee kept flowing. The owner also has a bakery so lots of delicious-looking loaves sat on shelves near the entrance screaming "take me, take me..."

I'm home now...for a couple weeks anyway. Maybe I'll discover something else to share with you in that time.

Sick Day

A project postponement, a canceled meeting, sniffling and coughing - and I decided to give my coworkers a break and stay home from work today...

What better time than a sick day to get creative with the best meal of the day...Breakfast! I got out my trusty cast iron skillet and dumped in a few Schwann's Pork Sausage Links and one sliced apple along with a tablespoon of brown sugar, some lemon juice and salt and sauteed for about 20 minutes. Apples cooking also gives off a pleasant scent...Meanwhile I dug around for some good additions to scrambled eggs and found chopped spinach and onions. I topped the eggs with cheese and...a fabulous meal to start the day with the last of my Starbucks Thanksgiving Blend (waaaaaa...that was good stuff). Somehow...I feel better already.

In other news: Trophy is opening a second shop in University Village, possibly in May. Hmm...sounds like a future shopping day with a cupcake treat at the end.