My parents called me at work the other day and said excitedly, “We’re downstairs! At that waffle place!” Huh? Oh yeah, that waffle place. The one right below my office that I walk past nearly every day. Sweet Iron Waffles has been open for several months now but, for whatever reason, I had never thought to check it out. Today, I decided to remedy that. Sweet Iron serves what are known as Liège Waffles, a type of Belgian Waffle. Liège Waffles are richer, denser and sweeter than the Belgian Waffle most Americans are familiar with. They are made from a brioche-like dough and contain chunks of pearl sugar which caramelizes on the outside of the waffle while it cooks. Liège Waffles are sold by street vendors all over Belgium. I opted for a plain waffle my first time out in order to get the purest sense of what a Liège Waffle truly tastes like. It reminded me more of a sticky bun, than a waffle. It was yummy but very sweet. So sweet, in fact, that I really can’t imagine getting one topped with anything sweet (the bacon-topped waffle, on the other hand…) Sweet Iron’s waffle toppings range from the expected - chocolate, strawberries, etc. - to the more unusual such as bananas brûlée with caramel or brie and basil. They also offer seasonal waffles; current choices include cranberry-orange and date-blue cheese. The date-blue cheese waffle sounds awfully tempting. I might need to convince a co-worker to split one with me as an after lunch snack!
 |
 |
Robert and I had a fantastic dinner last night at Anchovies & Olives. Halfway through, we had already declared it the best meal of the year! Like many dining establishments, Anchovies & Olives was doing a special prix fixe menu for New Year’s Eve - five courses at $75 per person. That’s not cheap, but in this case it ended up being worth every penny. Each course came with a choice between two different dishes. We decided to keep it simple and order one of each to share. Might as well sample everything, right? Highlights for me included the tiny kusshi oysters topped with green apple ice, the hamachi crudo (raw yellowtail served with blood oranges, shaved beets and horseradish) and the seared arctic char with trumpet mushrooms and braised radicchio. Robert enjoyed the escolar crudo which came topped with spicy coppa, persimmon and arugula. Our favorite dish of all, however, was the squid ink spaghetti with sea urchin, mussels and bread crumbs. The pasta - made fresh in house - had a wonderful firm, chewy texture. Combine that with super-sweet mussels and perfectly crunchy fried bread crumbs and you end up with one truly unforgettable dish. Talk about closing out 2009 on a high note!
Inspired by the Spanish cooking class Robert and I attended last summer, my family decided to do a big Spanish feast for Christmas Eve dinner. It was one of the more hectic cooking experiences I’ve had. Since my sister couldn’t make it for the full day of cooking, and since we were now the so-called “experts of Spanish cuisine,” Robert and I were responsible for more of the cooking this year. Robert pitched in both with dicing various ingredients and attempting to keep a calm atmosphere in the kitchen. Unlike me. I’m very good at making lists, organizing tasks, and taking care of any leisurely advance cooking, but once the pre-dinner chaos ensues, I tend to freak out a little. Cooking two giant pans of paella while simultaneously sautéing greens, filling mushroom tartlets, making sure the table is set and that the guests have drinks in hand - all this plus a toddler underfoot, sweeping up after you with his brand new broom - makes for a pretty crazy time. It was a miracle the way everything came together. Here is the menu:
- Tortilla Española
- Mushroom Tartlets
- Seafood Paella
- Pork, Chorizo & Bean Stew
- Braised Artichokes
- Sautéed Greens with Almonds and Red Grapes
- Green Salad with Oranges and Red Onion
- Sangria
The paella and the pork & bean stew were the evening’s biggest hits. I was worried about the paella since, in spite of my planning, we ended up making it up as we went along. It turned out great. The rice was cooked perfectly and the seafood was moist and flavorful. We even managed to develop a nice socarrat, the caramelized crust that forms on the bottom of the paella pan and is considered by many in Spain to be the best part. The pork & bean stew was especially tasty. Then again, how could a recipe that calls for spicy Spanish chorizo and smoked paprika be anything other than wonderful? Other highlights included the sautéed greens, which we made using a combination of red chard and Tuscan kale, and the mushroom tartlets, which highlighted my sister’s perfect pie crust. Our Spanish feast will definitely go down as one of the most memorable Christmas meals in my family’s history. Happy holidays!
After running a few errands around the neighborhood, Robert and I decided to swing by Po Dogs for a snack. Po Dogs is a brand new gourmet hot dog shop that opened up just down the street from us. Po Dogs’ toppings range from old classics to wacky. If you’re feeling brave, perhaps you would be interested in a dog topped with peanut butter and bananas. Or, how about the Wasabi Egg-roll Dog, a hot dog wrapped in an egg roll wrapper and deep fried with wasabi aioli on the side? We opted for slightly more pedestrian choices - a Chicago Dog for me and a Texas Dog for Robert. The Chicago Dog comes with a plethora of classic toppings: sweet relish, onions, tomatoes, dill pickles, sport peppers and a spicy-sweet mustard. The Texas Dog features mesquite BBQ sauce, Tillamook cheddar cheese and house-made crispy onion straws. Both were delicious. Any dog on the menu can be ordered beef or vegetarian (vegetarian dogs are made by Seattle’s own Field Roast Grain Meat Co.) Hot dogs are served on custom-made buns from Macrina Bakery. These delicious brioche-like buns are sweet and soft and definitely a step above your average hot dog bun (and their unique shape helps keep your dog from completely falling apart.) Po Dogs’ hot dogs are a bit on the expensive side, but that seems to be par for the course in my neighborhood these days. They did manage to brighten up a depressing, rainy Sunday - in that respect, I’d say they were worth every penny!
To thank me for working some magic on one of his old tax returns, Robert took me out for dinner at Harvest Vine. Harvest Vine is a popular tapas restaurant located in the Madison Valley neighborhood. Opened in 1998 as a small gourmet take out and wine shop, Harvest Vine quickly grew into a full scale restaurant that has had critics and patrons singing its praises ever since. Tapas restaurants are so prevalent these days, but few do it as well and as authentically as Harvest Vine. The menu features a unique blend of seasonal local produce and traditional Basque ingredients imported from Spain and France. The tapas may vary with the seasons, but one thing never changes – every dish at Harvest Vine exemplifies their passion for creativity and commitment to excellence.
The first thing you notice upon entering Harvest Vine is the lively atmosphere, largely due to the open kitchen. The main dining area is tiny, with barely enough room for three tall tables and virtually no waiting area (and there are always people waiting.) Most of the seating is at a counter directly overlooking the kitchen. There is also a separate dining area downstairs which is much more spacious and quiet but not nearly as fun. Most people would argue that a seat at the counter is the best seat in the house. Service is friendly and entirely unpretentious – in fact, our server was kind of gruff (but in a very charming way!)
We started off our meal the best way possible: a bottle of Rioja and a cheese plate. After that, our tapas came out slowly, one at a time. Highlights of the meal included red chard sautéed with marcona almonds and red grapes and grilled squid served with braised pork cheek and pimentón. The pork cheek was cooked in an ultra-rich red wine sauce which actually paired surprisingly well with the squid – the squid was so deeply charred that it actually needed a bold accompaniment. We also enjoyed that evening’s venison special. Harvest Vine recently got their hands on a whole deer, and the chefs have been making their way through it by featuring different cuts each night. Our dish was a seared venison loin, thinly sliced and served over greens with yet another incredible rich sauce. Thank goodness Harvest Vine gives you plenty of bread for sopping up all of the amazing sauces!
Overall, it was a delicious meal. The food was of the highest quality and was presented beautifully. I particularly appreciated the pace at which Harvest Vine serves their tapas. I’m pretty sure they don’t even queue up your next dish until you have completely finished the one before. Some people may find this tedious, but I love that it allows you to really linger over your meal. It’s nice to not feel rushed. Besides, if you are sitting upstairs, there is plenty of activity to keep you entertained while you await your next dish. The downside is that this style of eating allows you to drink copious amounts of wine without even realizing it! If you like tapas, or are simply a fan of well-prepared, interesting food, be sure to check out Harvest Vine (and try to snag a seat at the counter!)
Harvest Vine is located at 2701 East Madison and is open 7 nights a week from 5pm to 10pm
One of my favorite things to do in October is sample the season’s freshest crop of pumpkin ales. Robert and I tried to attend Elysian Brewery’s “Great Pumpkin Beer Festival” earlier this month, but it was insanely crowded. I guess I’m not the only one who looks forward to pumpkin ale season. Since we couldn’t get in at Elysian, I decided to do my own pumpkin ale tasting at home. Here is a roundup of some of my favorites.
Dogfish Head’s “Punkin’ Ale” – Punkin’ is a brown ale brewed with fresh pumpkin, brown sugar, allspice, cinnamon and nutmeg. The aroma is subtle, hinting ever so slightly at pumpkin pie. The flavor, on the other hand, is sweet and spicy and unmistakably pumpkin. These flavors are so well-integrated with the beer, it feel like a very natural match, almost as if all brown ales could be improved with a little pumpkin and spice. This ale is full-bodied but still highly drinkable. I had it as an after-dinner treat, but I think it would also pair well with food.
Elysian Brewery’s “The Great Pumpkin” – Elysian doesn’t bottle The Great Pumpkin too often so I stopped by the brewery to sample it. This is one of the most lauded pumpkin ales out there and with good reason. The Great Pumpkin is made with roasted pumpkin seeds, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, allspice and a whole lotta pumpkin. It is an Imperial ale which means that it is stronger and higher in alcohol than your average beer. The color is a beautiful copper-brown. You can certainly taste the pumpkin and spices, but the beer is incredibly well-balanced. It is sweet, but this is offset nicely by a hoppy bitterness. This is a very easy to drink beer. Very easy.
Elysian Brewery’s “Dark O’ The Moon Pumpkin Stout” – With its dramatic werewolf label and spooky black-as-night color, Elysian’s Dark O’ The Moon is a perfect choice for the Halloween season. This beer is so dense and thick that I couldn’t see any light shining through it. The mouth feel is amazingly smooth. Delicious notes of chocolate, roasted coffee and caramel abound, and there is just the right amount of bitterness on the finish. Unfortunately, I really didn’t detect any pumpkin. If you’re looking for a pumpkin beer, you will likely be disappointed. On the other hand, if you are a fan of stout, you don’t want to miss this one!
The Bruery’s “Autumn Maple” – This is not actually a pumpkin beer. It is made in the same manner as pumpkin beer but uses yams instead! Autumn Maple is brewed with 17 pounds of yams per barrel along with spices, vanilla, molasses and maple syrup. It is a Belgian Strong Dark Ale and has a whopping 10.5% alcohol by volume. This beer has a lot going on. It is sweet and tart and spicy all at once. Yams, malts and sweet spices are all present. Unexpected flavors, such as prunes, come through as well. And then there’s the classic yeastiness that you get with the Belgian beers. This beer is kind of crazy and quite different from the other ales I tried. It might not be for everyone, but I enjoyed it!
Several months ago, I came across this irresistible-sounding recipe for Jamaican Veggie Patties. It comes from Bryant Terry’s new cookbook: Vegan Soul Kitchen. Jamaican patties are traditionally filled with ground beef, but this vegan version features a delectable mix of vegetables cooked in coconut milk and sweet spices surrounded by a flaky, coconut oil-rich crust.
My first attempt at this recipe yielded mediocre results. The filling was great, but I completely messed up the crust (my own fault, not anything to do with the recipe as written.) The crust recipe calls for chilled coconut oil. Having never used coconut oil before, I decided to put it in the fridge to chill overnight - the colder the fat, the flakier the pastry, right? Big mistake! The coconut oil hardened up so much that I couldn’t even get my knife through it. I let it soften for a while at room temperature, but I still had a tough time incorporating it evenly into the dough. Not surprisingly, the crust wasn’t very good. It turned out dry and crumbly rather than flaky. At least the coconut oil made my hands nice and soft!
I decided to attempt the recipe again but this time, instead of making patties, I chose to make pot pies. Pot pies are easier to assemble and provide a higher ratio of delicious filling to pastry (I felt that the flavor of the filling was kind of lost in the patties.) For the crust, I followed a basic butter pie crust recipe which I tweaked slightly to bring it more in line with Mr. Terry’s recipe. I added 1 teaspoon of turmeric to the flour, and I used a combination of butter and coconut oil for the fat. This time, I chilled the coconut oil for only 30 minutes or so – it is already solid at room temperature so it just needed a short time in the fridge to cool down. I followed Mr. Terry’s filling recipe to a tee, although I doubled it to make sure I had enough for two pot pies (I actually ended up with more than enough– fortunately, leftover filling is delicious on its own or over rice!)
I divided the filling into two 2-cup soufflé dishes, topped them with the crust, brushed on a little egg wash and baked them in a 350-degree oven for 45 minutes. Except for my slightly misshapen crust, the pot pies turned out beautiful! The turmeric gives the crust a nice golden color. They were very rich and flavorful and provided some much-needed comfort on our first stormy night of fall. Jamaican pot pies – a unique twist on an American classic!
I recently went out to celebrate a friend’s birthday with dinner at Via Tribunali followed by drinks at Tavern Law. Tavern Law is the latest “speakeasy style” bar to open up on Capitol Hill. When I think of a speakeasy, I imagine someplace secret or at the very least subtle. Someplace dark and quiet you could pop into for a cocktail and go unnoticed. In many ways, Tavern Law has none of that: instead of mysterious and quiet, it is bustling, loud and completely accessible. It is a very open space with high ceilings, tall bookshelves lining the walls and an over-sized mahogany bar that curves around the entirety of the main room.
But, wait. What is this strange phone doing on the wall? Pick it up and, if you’re lucky, you might be buzzed into the secret and secluded upstairs bar! Follow a dimly lit wooden stairwell lined with vintage nude photos to find an intimate bar with small tables nestled about. Personalized service and hushed voices are the atmosphere here. The upstairs bar feels like a hidden oasis and makes the downstairs bar seem downright rowdy by comparison.
The cocktail menu at Tavern Law is extensive, with drinks divvied up between fizzes, cups, punches and more. There is a helpful glossary at the back of the menu in case you want to learn the histories of these various types of cocktails. Many of the drinks are classics (for these, the menu lists the dates and locations where the drink was made famous.) Most, however, are original cocktails inspired by the classics. Fresh ingredients and traditional (at times obscure) spirits are used liberally. Tavern Law also has a short food menu, consisting mostly of small bites designed to go perfectly with that hand-crafted cocktail.
I’m easily overwhelmed by lengthy cocktail menus so I decided to order the very first drink that caught my eye: Farewell Romeo. This cocktail features Tequila, Strega, lemon and orange juice. It is shaken with ice, strained into an attractive martini glass and topped off with a spoonful of red wine (in this case, a fruity Tempranillo.) It was a beautiful drink – golden in color with a thin layer of deep red at the top. I feared that the wine might clash with the other ingredients, but it actually provided a nice aftertaste. It was like a super-strong sangria. Delicious!
My second drink was equally tasty despite having a somewhat odd list of ingredients. The Red Rum Daisy consists of rum, muddled red bell pepper, lime, ginger and a splash of grenadine. This drink is sweet, sour, spicy, and vegetal all at once. It was spicy enough that I wondered if they might have thrown some cayenne in there, but the waitress informed me it was only red bell pepper and ginger. This certainly isn’t a drink for everyone, but it was a highlight for me.
So far, Tavern Law seems like a great addition to the neighborhood. Drinks are on the expensive side; quality ingredients and craftsmanship are never cheap. I especially appreciate that Tavern Law has a little something for everyone. If you like an approachable place with lots of people, great cocktails and a fun atmosphere, swing by the main bar. If you are like me, and prefer a quieter hideout in which to enjoy your hand-crafted drink, check out the “speakeasy” upstairs.
Robert and I recently spent a few days backpacking at an amazing and somewhat secretive location. It was a tough hike over boulders and steep slopes with barely a trail to follow, but we were rewarded with absolute solitude, perfect weather and, of course, delicious homemade meals! Each trip to the woods gives me the opportunity to develop a new backpacking recipe or two. This time, I decided to make a curried dal.
For this recipe, I started off with Taste Adventure’s Sweet Corn Chowder mix which is available in bulk at my local co-op. Despite the name, this soup really doesn’t have much in common with chowder. In fact, the primary ingredient is not cream or corn but dried yellow split peas. This made it an ideal base for my curried dal. To add bulk, I combined the corn chowder mix with some instant rice. Because the soup mix was essentially unflavored (seasoned only with salt, pepper and parsley,) I added in some curry powder and a touch of cayenne pepper for heat. Also, because I love it and thought it would add just the right amount of richness to the dish, I threw in some ground coconut (for this, I simply powdered unsweetened coconut flakes in my food processor.) I wanted to include some vegetables for texture, but I didn’t have time to dehydrate my own. To remedy this, I bought a packet of Just Veggies which is a colorful blend of dried peas, carrots, corn, bell peppers and tomatoes. Finally, for a garnish, I chopped up some roasted cashews.
By preparing my own backpacking meals, I get the satisfaction of making delicious and nutritious food as well as the added bonus of saving some money. Commercial backpacking meals are typically very expensive. Just Veggies, dried coconut and roasted cashews aren’t the cheapest of foods so I’m not sure this meal really saved me any money. Still, I was able to tailor the recipe to my exact tastes, and it’s always fun to figure out how to make gourmet food that is lightweight, packable and easy to prepare in the wilderness (all of my backpacking meals are designed to be made in one pot with minimal effort.) The extra expense was worth it in the end. This meal was incredibly hearty and full of flavor. It proved to be one of the tastiest dinners I’ve ever eaten in the back country - a perfect meal to end a wonderful trip!
Friday night, Robert and I headed over to Metro Cinema to see District 9. Since we were already in the University district for the movie, I thought it would be nice to grab a pint & a bite at my old stomping ground: The College Inn Pub. This dark, windowless basement pub is a haven for UW students. It is laid-back and unpretentious and attracts a good crowd (read: no obnoxious fraternity types.) The pool tables, dart boards and rotating taps provide plenty of much-needed distraction for college kids. As a geology student, I spent a good portion of my time “studying” at the College Inn Pub.
The menu consists of standard pub classics including some of the best nachos in town. For $6, you get a big pile of hot corn chips topped with melted cheese, chopped fresh tomatoes, black olives, spicy jalapeño peppers and a huge dollop of sour cream. Salsa is served on the side. For an extra $1, you can have some of the pub’s delicious black bean chili added to your nachos. The jalapeños and black bean chili make these nachos truly awesome, but perhaps even more important is the fact that the nachos are well-layered. I hate it when all of the cheese is stuck on the top layer of chips and everything underneath is dry and devoid of toppings. There certainly isn’t anything fancy about this food. Still, as I sat there reminiscing about my college years, washing my nachos down with a nice, cold Old Seattle Lager, I couldn’t help but feel like it was the perfect way to top off a movie night.
The College Inn Pub is located at 4006 University Way NE. Nachos are half price on Mondays!