January 2019 archive

We Are in Culinary End Times

When I ride the bus to work, I go past a little storefront in downtown Seattle that calls itself the Grilled Cheese Experience. Really? Are people so culinarily challenged that they have to get grilled cheese sandwiches at a restaurant?

Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2019/01/31/we-are-in-culinary-end-times/

The Joy of Gemisch

Last night’s French dinner left us with a variety of leftovers. So what to do? Make a casserole from the odds and ends. This is what we call a gemisch. I got out the leftover brown rice, chicken thighs, cooked leeks, and chicken broth out of the refrigerator. I also got a partial bottle of …

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Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2019/01/27/the-joy-of-gemisch/

Medieval Night

Last night was our 2019 French dinner. Since many of the churches we saw during our December trip to Paris were built in the Middle Ages (Saint-Denis, Notre Dame, Chartres, Sainte-Chapelle), we declared that this dinner would hew to the Medieval Diet. So what is the Medieval Diet? We eliminated ingredients that French folk would …

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Counter Intuitive

Does anyone ever have enough counter space? The answer rumbles from galleys to Architectural Digest-worthy kitchens: HELL, NO! I hypothesize that stuff expands to fit the amount of counter space in any given kitchen. People in tiny apartments are forced to store their countertop appliances under beds or in closets. A friend of mine in …

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Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2019/01/26/counter-intuitive/

In Search of Pastrami

David Sax, in his 2009 book Save the Deli, bemoaned the loss of traditional Jewish delis. Here is a list of delis that are of blessed memory : Ithaca, NY – Hal’s Dallas – Phil’s Miami – Wolfie’s, Corky’s, The Rascal House Since we’ve lived in the Seattle area, several delis have gone extinct. The …

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Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2019/01/13/in-search-of-pastrami/

Lyrics to Live By

The service at my church today was about immigration and the current situation. Verses two and four of the opening hymn were highly resonant to the congregation. Here they are: Our world is one world. The thoughts we think affect us all. The way we build our attitudes, with love or hate, we build a …

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Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2019/01/13/lyrics-to-live-by/

Vacancies at University Village

University Village is a major shopping center in Seattle, just north of the University of Washington. In recent days two businesses within close proximity of each other have closed. Mrs. Cook’s closed January 6 because the owner retired. It had a great selection of appliances and utensils, along with a small cookbook section. We’ve bought …

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Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2019/01/13/vacancies-at-university-village/

The Spice Cull

From time to time one has to get rid of herbs and spices that have long outlived their usefulness. I confess that some of those bottles predated our move to Casa Sammamish six years ago. Julian complained that he was unable to find anything in the spice cabinet. So on New Year’s Day I went …

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Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2019/01/12/the-spice-cull/

Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2019/01/05/worst-day-run/

A Bittersweet New Year

We attended the traditional New Year’s Eve gathering in the old neighborhood. Our host made soup with black-eyed peas, spinach, and sausage. (In the Southern US and in Northeast Seattle, eating black-eyed peas and greens foretell a good year.) Julian brought herring, which he considers a good luck food for the New Year. (Personally, I …

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Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2019/01/05/a-bittersweet-new-year/