Aug 16

One Thing Leads to Another

Ah, the joys of home ownership. If one thing needs repair, it usually cascades into several. See my previous post, The Homeowner Begets. We’ve had an annoying problem with dishwasher odor, even after we’ve run a dishwasher cleaner. If plumbers are going to come fix one thing, we may as well have them fix several items. The master bath sink, washer taps, and hose tap all had a leakage problem. They were fixed, along with installing a cap on a gas tap on our upper deck.

The plumber’s visit got Julian thinking: Wouldn’t it be nice to have a single-basin stainless steel sink with a restaurant-style faucet? On last week’s trip to the hardware store, we gawked at sinks and faucets. We haven’t pulled the trigger – yet.

But wait! There’s more! To access the faucets for the washer, we had to take off the folding doors to the laundry alcove. These doors were warped when we moved in (or so we thought), so we decided to replace them. The doors we bought were damaged when we opened the packages. Julian exchanged one, but the new one came without the installation hardware. He spent hours on the phone haggling with the manufacturer and the hardware store. He finally wound up with two that were reasonably intact, but required painting. So our garage turned into a painter’s studio. Last night we installed the doors. Julian’s cursing could have been heard two towns away, but they finally fit in place. The problem is they look just as warped as the original set. It turned out that the track for the doors was installed improperly.

The plumber added another potentially expensive insight on his visit. The garbage disposal is over 20 years old and probably merits replacing. The assault on our bank accounts continues…

Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2019/08/16/one-thing-leads-to-another/

Aug 09

A Night at the Opera

This post has nothing to do with the Marx Brothers or Queen. I went to the dress rehearsal of Rigoletto last night. Our friend Bruce volunteers with the Seattle Opera. Since his main date was out of town and Julian wasn’t up to go, I joined Bruce.

The Seattle production of Rigoletto is set in a more modern time than 1840’s Italy. Some operas can get away with such a treatment. Rigoletto, unfortunately, can’t. The plot is sadly dated. Rigoletto, the main character, is a hunchback who is the object of derision. His patron, the Duke of Mantua, keeps him around because he tells jokes. The Duke is a lecherous cad who’ll seduce anyone with two X chromosomes. The Duke’s entourage kidnaps Rigoletto’s daughter so she can be the Duke’s latest conquest. I think the opera would have been better in its original setting.

To be fair, the music was excellent and the singers were first rate. I just couldn’t wrap my mind around the story.

Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2019/08/09/a-night-at-the-opera/

Aug 07

A Plethora of Pepperoncini

I have four varieties of pepper plants on the upper deck this summer: One hot (mirasol), the other three less so. The two padron plants are doing well. The mirasol is slow, but steady. It has two peppers that are nearly ready to pick. I started the Japanese variety from seed late, and they haven’t blossomed yet. The big surprise is the pepperoncini plant. It’s going berserk. This morning I went out and picked these off the plant. These are destined to be pickled.

One plant, one morning’s harvest.

 

Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2019/08/07/a-plethora-of-pepperoncini/

Jul 24

Recent Acquisitions

It goes without saying that no trip to Portland is complete unless we stop at Powell’s Books. Because there was a blues festival downtown when we were there, we went to the home and garden branch on Hawthorne Street. I showed admirable restraint and walked out with four books, one of which Julian bought for me. The four from Powell’s are at the top of the stack.

More sources of inspiration.

The bottom book was purchased by Julian on Prime Day.

I used the Georgian cookbook for a cold leek and walnut salad on Sunday. This was in response to a suggestion from Julian. Unfortunately, he meant the leek recipe in Memories of Gascony. No matter. I’ll get to it eventually.

Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2019/07/24/recent-acquisitions/

Jul 16

Calling a Spade a Spade

The title of this post was a popular slang term in our parents’ or grandparents’ day. More recent equivalents are telling it like it is, cutting the crap, or speaking truth. It’s time for all good people to call a spade a spade: The current President is racist, sexist, xenophobic, homophobic, and a serial liar. Not to mention narcissistic.

Back in the day, children were told that their Presidents set (some) examples that should be followed. Franklin Roosevelt, who battled back from polio. Dwight Eisenhower, a self-effacing war hero. John F. Kennedy, the first Roman Catholic President. Barack Obama, the first African-American President. I am hard-pressed to see anything worthy to emulate in our 45th President.  I certainly wouldn’t want my 5-year-old nephew to do so.

Today’s post coincides with the death of former US Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens. Stevens earned a Bronze Star in World War II and was the 3rd-longest-serving Supreme Court Justice in history. At a gathering with his former law clerks earlier this year, Stevens exhorted  them to keep fighting for the rule of law. Now there’s an example worth emulating. Be at peace, Justice Stevens.

Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2019/07/16/calling-a-spade-a-spade/

Jul 13

How Do You Like Them Onions?

I’ve been disappointed by the quality of yellow/Spanish onions in grocery stores hereabouts. They  often have soft spots or are on the moldy side. Last night I asked the produce guy in our regular store why that’s the case. He admitted that they weren’t particularly good, and suggested I substitute the Walla Walla sweet onions. Walla Wallas have their place, but it’s not in cooking.

This morning I went to the fruit stand, thinking it would have a better quality onion. No dice. I think it’s because the California growers don’t cure them properly. They just crate them up and send them north. My friends back east who grow onions could teach the Californians a thing or two.

Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2019/07/13/how-do-you-like-them-onions/

Jul 09

Seattle vs. Portland Smackdown!

Seattle and Portland are friendly rivals, be it on the soccer pitch or in the national imagination. In the spirit of my previous compare and contrasts, here is the Seattle – Portland smackdown!

Coffee. Seattle has Starbucks, Caffe d’Arte, Vivace, and other outlets. Portland has Stumptown. Stumptown has come to Seattle, with one outlet on Capitol Hill.

Microbreweries. Ubiquitous in both towns.

Water. Seattle is hemmed in by Puget Sound, Lake Washington, and the Ship Canal. Portland has the Willamette and Columbia Rivers.

Restaurateurs. Portland has Vitaly Paley and Andy Ricker. Seattle has Tom Douglas and Eric and Sophie Banh. Each of them has multiple outlets in their respective cities. (Yo, Andy, when is Pok Pok coming to Seattle?)

Farmers’ Markets. We’ve been to Portland’s Saturday market before, but that struck me as more of a flea market. Pike Place Market rules.

Academics. Both Seattle and Portland have state-supported medical schools. Each also has a variety of public and private colleges and universities.

Hipsters. Both cities have them in abundance. Julian remarked as we walked up Hawthorne Street in Portland on Saturday, “I don’t think I’m hip enough for this neighborhood.” I feel that way in Seattle’s Fremont neighborhood.

Television. Portland has Portlandia. Seattle has had Frasier and Here Come the Brides (“The bluest sky you’ve ever seen, in Seattle…”) And, lest we forget, Bill Nye the Science Guy.

The score? There is no score. We’ll gladly visit Portland any time.

Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2019/07/09/seattle-vs-portland-smackdown/

Jul 07

USWNT 2020!

After Team USA’s World Cup 2-0 victory today, I need to revise my post of earlier in the week. I think the whole team should run for national office. At least we’d have competent women (and a few men from the coaching staff) in Cabinet posts.

Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2019/07/07/uswnt-2020/

Jul 07

Days in the Hood (River)

Hood River, Oregon is known for two things: It’s the windsurfing capital of the world, and it serves as a dividing line between lush forest and desert ecosystems along the southern bank of the Columbia River. Tourism plays a big role in the local economy, between windsurfers, mountain bikers, and backpackers. It is also the home to several wineries and microbreweries.

On our way to the Hood River July 4 fireworks, we learned another interesting fact: Hood River is the headquarters for Tofurky, the soy-based meat substitute. Julian was horrified. It became a running joke throughout the trip. He speculated that instead of the buffalo meat loaf served at Mount Rainier, the Timberline Lodge at Mount Hood served Tofurbalo (tofu buffalo). It did not, at least in the Ram’s Head Restaurant. He also warned me about hitting a wild Tofurbalo on the way to Mount Hood: “Leaves a nasty white mess on your car’s grill.” By the way, Hood River’s July 4 fireworks show was spectacular. It was probably the best show we’d seen. Not only was it 25 minutes long and featured great pyrotechnics, but we had a ringside seat for the show.

I thought that the chop suey genre of “Chinese-American restaurants” had gone the way of the dodo bird in the Northwest. I was wrong. Hood River has one that’s alive and well. The sweet and sour pork was a pile of batter-fried pork hunks in a dark sauce, with more sauce on the side. (At least the sauce was not violently hot pink.) Even though the pile was a “children/seniors” portion, I could barely make a dent in it. Julian’s spare ribs were drowned in a similar sauce.

One highlight of the trip was the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center and Museum. It had interesting exhibits on the Lewis and Clark expedition, the Oregon Trail migration, indigenous tribes and their lost way of life. The Center also has a raptor exhibit of birds that have been rehabilitated, but could not be released into the wild. The birds featured in the Q&A session we attended were an American kestrel and a red-tailed hawk.

We had two breakfasts at the Columbia Gorge Hotel. Before we left for Portland, we had breakfast at a place called Brøder Ost (Swedish for Bread and Cheese). The restaurant was next to the Hood River Hotel, which had a distinctively younger, hipster vibe to it than where we stayed. I had aebelskiver (Danish pancakes), while Julian had lefse (Norwegian potato flatbread) with salad and egg toppings. The former are made in a special pan and turned with chopsticks or a spoon to get evenly cooked. Mine were served with lingonberry jam (to right of photo) and lemon curd (hidden).

Aebelskiver in background, lefse in foreground.

We recommend Hood River as a jumping off point for sightseeing and wine tasting in the Columbia River Gorge. The towns on the Washington side are pretty small, and The Dalles is a bit farther east. Hotel reservations are strongly recommended in the summer months.

Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2019/07/07/days-in-the-hood-river/

Jul 03

July 4th Follies

It’s been our tradition since we moved to Seattle to do a short trip around July 4. The last two years we were in Vancouver. In previous years we’ve gone to the Olympic Peninsula. This year we’re in Hood River, Oregon.  Our home base is the Columbia Gorge Hotel, an old school hotel perched on a cliff. We stayed here 15 years or so ago. The items on the agenda (such as it is) are to visit the Maryhill Winery and do a day hike on Mount Hood. On the way home we’ll swing by Portland and have dinner at Paley’s Place. Malheureusement for Julian, we will be there nine days too early for the Paley’s Place Bastille Day celebration, featuring a meal made from a cannabis-fed pig. (Sounds to me like an episode of Portlandia: “Was Arnold fed an organically-grown, high CBD strain of cannabis?”)

Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2019/07/03/july-4th-follies/

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