Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Dining is fine, but whining is better

Just you, me & these
noble giants.
Yes, it's been a month. Yes, I've been dutifully dining in this interim, but whining to myself. Here's what you missed:

Wolf song by Christopher.
New trend!
Went to Seattle's Folklife festival. Where giant xylophones go to show off,  and the best acts no one admits to loving shine, like didgeridoo and djembe prodigy Christopher of the Wolves. Like most festivals, they had the typical NW festival food train, crepes, corn, elephant ears, and my new favorite, Salmon piroshky.


What's that you got there? Can I stuff it with
salmon, dill and cream cheese and deep fry it?
I'll be your best friend...

Drowning Rama
I tried Bell Thai, ordered the Swimming Rama with tofu and won't do it again. If they fry their own tofu, they're doing it without any dignity, and if they buy it, well, they're skimpin. The spinach, for which I ordered the dish, was indeed swimming, drowning in a peanut sauce that was out of key with the rest of the plate. My top complaint was getting secretly charged $2 for the worst, most limp and overcooked flat rice noodles I've ever had the occasion to complain about. Slimey. Did enjoy the black sticky rice pudding. Plan to enjoy it again soon, too.
Okay very good creamy sensation pleasures.
There was a week where I ate pizza exclusively. The highlights:



Slices on Alki. The salami should be prosciutto, but who's complaining?
Best crust within a .2 mile radius of my home. Like naan. Soft. Doughy, flavorful. 

Z pizza, best $2 happy hour pizza & beer (after 9pm) within 30 seconds of rehearsal.
Definitely corporate pie, but with local zest. Vegan slice pictured.

Hot Momma's: Best/only pesto pizza with a .1 mile radius of rehearsal. Could improve their dough recipe.

Safeway 5 cheese oven ready pie, with some embellishments.
Best bang for the buck.



We stopped into Jillian's for pool & beer. Note, they do games, tv & beer. Not nachos. Don't order these nachos. You want nachos you go to Cactus.

The olives were delicious.



I took a page from the Alton Brown bible and discovered my new favorite steak. Dry aged in the fridge, seared in the cast iron then broiled. I added it to a salad of field greens, nectarines, radish & sugar snap peas. Alton suggests a three day stint in the fridge, finishing the steak under a makeshift outdoor chimney, but  a few hours aging and an oven does quick work. After a few quick minutes under the broiler, I let it rest, covered, then sliced it, doused it in balsamic and threw it in. Not to brag, but it was sooOooOoo good.




Other notable home-cooking success stories include Bill's pancake chefery...



Most improved pancake award. Medal to follow.


...and my continued command of frying up salmon croquettes. I tried adding a cream cheese, caper & horseradish filling, which was a stroke of melted, savory genius on my part.




Salmon Croquettes
Mash up one can of pink salmon
Add a beaten egg, half a sleeve of crushed saltines, 2 chopped shallots, 1 T capers, salt & pepper.
Blend, form into a shallow patty, make a well and add 1 t of cream cheese horseradish.
Cover with another shallow patty and fry in a half inch of oil until golden brown.
Serve with ketchup. Or something you hold in high esteem.







Dine of the month

Wild fennel growing taller than me like weeds in someone's yard off the beach.  I know. A whole month and this was the best. But it was so good! I didn't even get to the bulb, (I haven't dug up food in someone else's yard in years), but the sweet fronds were so wonderful and unexpected. I crumpled them up and put them in Bill's sweater pocket, where they're now dehydrated, crumbling, but fragrant. I've got to get on this.
See you next time. Missed you!