Yesterday, I had to attend a half-day “retreat” at work (Why try to fool us with “retreat”? It’s never as much fun as it sounds.) The one positive thing about these meetings, however, is that it means free lunch. Usually, this is some sort of standard boxed lunch: a salad or sandwich. These lunches are rarely delicious but, given that they provide a much needed diversion from the monotony of the day, they are always welcome (kind of like how you get excited about airplane food, no matter how gross it is, just because it gives you something to do.)

This year, we actually got really great boxed lunches for a change. They came from Baguette Box. Baguette Box has two locations in Seattle, one on Capitol Hill and one in Fremont. They specialize in sandwiches inspired by the classic Vietnamese sandwich known as bahn mi. Bahn mi are baguette sandwiches that are traditionally filled with meat or tofu and pickled carrots, daikon, onions and cilantro. Bahn mi are always really cheap; in the International District, you can get one for about $2. Of course, the sandwiches at Baguette Box aren’t as cheap as that, but $4.75 to $6.50 for a sandwich is still a pretty good deal by Capitol Hill standards. Plus, the quality of the baguette and ingredients at Baguette Box is definitely a step up from you what get with typical bahn mi.

My friend and I actually went to Baguette Box for lunch last Friday since neither of us had ever been there and we were feeling the need to try something new (it was during this lunch that we noticed that Baguette Box delivered boxed lunches and we thus decided to recommend it for the staff retreat.) I had the crispy tofu baguette. This sandwich is very similar to a traditional bahn mi. The filling consisted of pickled daikon and carrots, red onion and cilantro as well as tofu that had been marinated in a delicious coconut sauce and then fried until crispy. It also came slathered with a homemade aioli. The baguette was what set this apart from a typical bahn mi. It was hearty and crunchy (but not to the point that it ripped your mouth apart.) The tofu sandwich was really yummy. Other tasty-sounding options on the menu include crispy drunken chicken baguette, braised pork shoulder with red wine baguette, and grilled yellow squash and eggplant baguette. There are also interesting sides available such as truffle fries and beet salad.

Although the house-cured salmon gravlax baguette was tempting, I ended up ordering the tofu baguette again this week for the retreat. This time it was even better than before! The deliveries come from the Fremont location so perhaps the chef there is more generous with the fillings than the one up on Capitol Hill. This sandwich was oilier (in a good way) and much more flavorful than the one I had last Friday. Be forewarned, these sandwiches can be very messy. I dribbled aioli all over my meeting agenda making it more difficult to engage in my favorite retreat pastime – putting giant X’s though the agenda items as we finish them (like a countdown to freedom.) In addition to the sandwiches, the boxed lunches also came with a nice carrot and raisin salad and an extremely moist banana cake with coconut sauce. It was very rich and filling but oh so delicious!

Ah, Valentine’s Day. I’m never quite sure what to make of this holiday. On the one hand, I can think of lots of reasons to boycott it: those who are not currently in relationships either end up feeling left out or like they need to engage in special anti-Valentine’s Day activities while those who are in relationships are often duped into believing that they must lavish their significant other with expensive flowers and gifts in order to show their affection (or, in order to avoid sleeping on the couch that night.) How lame! On the other hand, however, I do always feel like I should do something nice for Robert on Valentine’s Day just so he knows that I care and am not a complete curmudgeon. Usually, this means planning a special dinner. Nothing too extravagant, just a nicer-than-average meal.

A nice meal in my household almost always involves some kind of seafood. Salmon, mussels, lobster; all of these are wonderful foods that can easily be transformed into a romantic meal. This year, I decided to make Mussels, Clams and Shrimp with Saffron Risotto and Green Olive Relish. Similar to a Spanish paella, this rice & seafood stew seemed suitably romantic for the occasion (but also very easy - a bonus!) And, because no fancy dinner would be complete without wine, I decided to turn this Valentine’s Day into a winesday. Though it’s not a traditional dish, the stew seemed Spanish enough that it should be served with a Spanish wine. I’ve been pretty excited about Spanish wines recently. I haven’t yet tried a Spanish white, however, so, for this winesday, I picked up a bottle of Condes de Albarei 2006 Albariño at The Spanish Table.

Albariño is produced primarily in the Galicia region of Northwestern Spain as well as in Northern Portugal where it is known as Alvarinho and is used often as a component in Portugal’s famous Vinho Verde. Albariño is widely considered to be one of the best of Spain’s white wine grape varietals. It thrives particularly well in the Rías Baixas D.O (Denominación de Origen.) Wines labeled “Albariño” from the Rías Baixas are 100% varietal whereas wines simply called “Rías Baixas” are made up of 70% or less Albariño grapes. Albariño is now also being grown in small amounts in Australia and North America.

It is believed that there is a genetic link between Albariño and Riesling. Both grape varietals grow extremely well in cool climates. Albariño wines are known for having very distinctive aromas, similar to those of Riesling or Gewurztraminer. Aromas and flavors often found in Albariño wines include oranges and citrus, grass, nuts, peach, and melon. Typically, these wines are very high in acidity and low in alcohol (alcohol levels are usually around 12% to 12.5%.) Some Albariño wines even have a touch of effervescence. These wines are meant to be drunk young; their vibrant flavors and aromas diminish within a few months of bottling.

Based on the descriptions above, the Condes de Albarei 2006 Albariño certainly seemed to be a good example of this type of wine. The nose was quite sweet and floral like a Gewurztraminer, but, unlike a typical Gewurz, the wine was bone dry and citrusy in flavor. This contrast between the sweet aroma and the acidic palate made me appreciate the wine even more. Very unique! Our dinner was delicious. The saffron rice was creamy and flavorful and provided a striking backdrop for the black mussels. And the green olive relish added an unusual but tasty touch. A simple salad was all that was needed to round out the meal. I also splurged on a Nutty Brownie and some cookies from Three Girls Bakery in the Market for our dessert. Maybe this makes me a sucker after all, but what Valentine’s Day would be complete without chocolate?

It was caucus day in Washington State today! I had a total blast at my caucus. I met a bunch of my neighbors and got to witness plenty of mayhem and revelry. And, my precinct elected me to serve as one of our four Obama delegates! That means I will be representing the Obama supporters from my precinct at the Legislative District Caucus in April. Who knows, maybe I’ll make it all the way to the Democratic National Convention in Denver (doubtful.) I’m really looking forward to this next caucus, especially since three of us Obama delegates are knitters! We’re going to have a really fun time.

In honor of today’s events, I got up early and made these Democratic Party-inspired cookies. The cookie cutter that I bought was supposed to be a donkey but it really looks more like a dog or hyena or something. Still, at least they are very patriotic-looking hyenas. I brought the cookies over to my parents’ house this evening where my whole family congregated to share stories from our respective caucuses and watch the caucus results on the news. Hooray for the democratic process!

One of my favorite snacks of all time is chips and salsa. This is actually true of my entire family; chips and salsa is almost always the featured appetizer at my parent’s house, regardless of whether or not we’re having Mexican food for dinner. My mom has been known to put out a bowl of chips and salsa on Thanksgiving Day or even before a big meal of Chinese takeout. And, hey what’s not to love? You’ve got crunch, you’ve got spicy, and salsa has to count as one of your daily servings of fruits and vegetables, right? Add a bowl of guacamole to the mix and I call it dinner!

Over the past few years, however, Robert and I have noticed that we are finding fewer and fewer salsas that we really like. Most of them are too sweet and few of them are spicy enough for our tastes, sometimes even those that are labeled “extra hot” (we’re not masochists or anything, but a little bit of a burn would be nice.) Some of the novelty salsas (e.g. black bean and corn salsa) are good every once in a while, but we have yet to find a really great everyday tomato salsa. And, when you’re facing price tags of $6 to $8 per jar, it’s tough to go out and try a bunch of different kinds in search of the perfect one.

Recently, I discovered the canned salsa shelf in the Mexican section of my grocery store. Right next to the small cans of chopped green chilies, I found a plethora of small cans of salsa imported from Mexico. Actually, I’ve kind of known about this section for some time now because I have been buying cans of green salsa to serve with my Banana-Cheese Empanadas. Robert isn’t crazy about green salsa so buying these small cans was a good way for me to avoid having lots of leftover waste. For some reason, however, my brain just never made the connection that these cans of salsa could also be served with chips (and were probably, in fact, intended for that purpose.) With prices ranging from as little as $0.80 to $1.75, I could try them all without breaking the bank! On Superbowl Sunday, we had a little canned salsa tasting. Here is a brief rundown:

Embassa Salsa Mexicana – This was our favorite as far as consistency. It has plenty of chunks but isn’t watery at all. It has a nice, tomato flavor (although it could be spicier.)

El Herdez Salsa Casera - This is a very basic tomato salsa. Ingredients include nothing more than tomatoes, onions, peppers, salt and cilantro. It is nicely spicy. I only wish that it was a bit less watery (and it’s also kind of high in salt.)

El Pato (”The Duck”) Tomato Sauce - This is actually a Mexican-style tomato sauce, not a salsa (yes, yes, I’m aware that salsa means sauce in Spanish, but you get the point.) Robert and his buddies used to use this in place of salsa back when they were on a tight budget, and then he later introduced me to it. It’s pretty good on chips, but perhaps we just feel that way for sentimental reasons. Robert also uses this as his secret ingredient in bloody marys.

Embassa Salsa Verde - This one is flavorful and somewhat spicy. It is quite tart (not entirely unexpected considering that the main ingredient in salsa verde is tomatillos.) I think this would be great doctored up with a little fresh cilantro.

El Herdez Salsa Ranchera – Like the El Pato, I don’t think this one is meant to be eaten as a salsa with chips. Although tomatoes are listed as the first ingredient, dried red chilies and vinegar are the dominant flavors. Robert liked it fine as a salsa, but I thought it was a little bitter due to the high amount of dried chilies. For some reason, I think this would be really good served over eggs.