May 14

Riding the (Light) Rails

Seattle has had a light rail system for several years that connects downtown with the airport. Only recently has it expanded to Capitol Hill and the University District. Yesterday I used the train for the first time as part of my bike commute.

The infrastructure for the light rail expansion involved more than just digging a hole, although that was a feat in itself. Access to the station (and the University of Washington’s stadium and basketball court) for bicyclists and pedestrians was completely overhauled so one does not have to risk life and limb to cross what I charitably refer to as “The Montlake Mess.” The landscaping and station do not obstruct views of the mountains or the campus, and the paved walks provide easy links to the Burke-Gilman Trail. Ramps, stairs, escalators, and elevators supply universal access. Whereas the buses up Capitol Hill from the University only run every 15 minutes, the trains leave every 6 minutes during rush hours and are non-stop.

Infrastructure on Capitol Hill was also altered for its light rail station. The biggest innovation was addition of protected bike lanes along Broadway. When I first started bringing the bike to work, riding on Broadway required considerable chutzpah to dodge moving and parked vehicles. The bike lanes and separate traffic lights make the street much safer for commuting.

I opted to take the train back to the University to see what the afternoon commute was like. The train was more crowded at 4:45 pm than it was at 6:30 am, but it still saved a lot of time (and wear on my out-of shape bike knees). This could even make for a feasible walk and transit commute when my office moves closer to the Capitol Hill station later in the year.

Yesterday’s Seattle Times published an article on the expensive grand opening of the light rail stations at the University and on Capitol Hill. According to the article, Sound Transit has already recouped the cost of the party in greater-than-expected fares. I’d say it was money well spent, to convince folks that taking the train is a viable and attractive option.

 

Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2016/05/14/riding-the-light-rails/

May 07

Goslings at Last

Last night we finally saw two gaggles of goslings with their parents in the back yard. One set of five were little peeps; the other set of five still had their fluff, but were acquiring a more adult body type. Perhaps nesting season is late this year.

Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2016/05/07/goslings-at-last/

May 04

Where Have All the Ducklings (and Goslings) Gone?

One of the attractions of our home is the Sammamish River that runs behind it. Many species of birds call the river home for at least part of the year. In previous springs the river has been a veritable nursery of young waterfowl. This year I’ve only seen one clutch of four mallard ducklings. The photos below were taken in previous years.

Mergansers on the river. Taken by Julian two years ago.

Mergansers on the river. Taken by Julian two years ago.

Mother goose and goslings. Taken by Julian.

Mother goose and goslings. Taken by Julian.

The reason for the dearth of baby birds this year is unknown. It was a mild winter, so climate change could be partially to blame. I can’t imagine that the neighborhood coyotes and eagles ate them all. A more ominous cause may lie uphill. Several new housing developments have gone up in the watershed that feeds the Sammamish. The chemicals used in the construction or seeding of the developments could have leached into the creek. Alternately, soil runoff from the construction could have choked off the food sources for these birds. Input from bird experts would be most welcome.

Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2016/05/04/where-have-all-the-ducklings-and-goslings-gone/

May 01

Cottonwood Season

Not snow, cottonwood fluff.

Not snow, cottonwood fluff.

Around May, those of us who live near bodies of water suddenly find the air full of puffy white things that look more like dandelion seeds on steroids. These contain cottonwood seeds. In some areas the trees are so plentiful that the cottonwood puffs coalesce to form tumbleweed-type balls a couple of inches in diameter. The river behind our home has sheets of the fluff on the surface. At least the ducks seem to enjoy eating it.

Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2016/05/01/cottonwood-season/

Apr 30

Something for Everyone

We had our crew of friends over for dinner this weekend. As you may know, some of them have food allergies and intolerances. Julian decided to offer paella and tapas (Spanish appetizers) at this feed.
Paella takes care of the most pressing allergy in our crew, as rice is gluten-free. From there, the challenges begin. We made a small pan without onion and garlic for our friend who has allium intolerance. A second small pan was made without meat, seafood, and nightshades (capsicums, tomatoes, paprika) for another couple. The large pan consisted of chicken and Spanish chorizo sausage with the works.

[An aside: If you want to make paella at home, make sure you use the Spanish chorizo rather than the Mexican. The two sausages are entirely different. The Spanish chorizo is cured, whereas the Mexican is more like Italian sausage links–except fattier. We made the mistake of buying some Mexican chorizo years ago and it devolved into a pan full of lard upon heating. Needless to say, we wound up going out to dinner that night.]
The tapas were manchego cheese with membrilla (quince paste), skewered vegetables and meats (banderillas) with a garlic-parsley sauce, and white anchovy toasts (boquerones). We made sangria to go along with the tapas.We also had two varieties of gluten-free crackers and the infamous “popcorn crack” (popcorn with white chocolate and cayenne pepper). Guests brought salads, desserts, and wine.

Anchovy toasts are in the background. The peppers are Spanish piparras.

Anchovy toasts are in the background. The peppers are Spanish piparras.

These are the banderillas. We adjusted the contents of each skewer to accommodate the assorted dietary restrictions.

These are the banderillas. We adjusted the contents of each skewer to accommodate the assorted dietary restrictions.

Julian cooked the large paella on the mighty Weber gas grill, while I cooked the other two indoors. The vegetarians had to cancel at the last minute due to illness. No worries, we sent the vegetarian paella home with another guest to give to the vegetarians. As usual, nobody left hungry.

The allium-free paella.

The allium-free paella.

Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2016/04/30/something-for-everyone/

Apr 24

Discoveries of the Week

On Friday I had a “routine screening procedure.” I won’t go into gory detail (you’re welcome), but the bottom line was I needed real food thereafter. Julian found a relatively new restaurant around the corner from the surgery center called Trove. This is actually four establishments in one: A walk-up ice cream (parfait) truck, a noodle bar, a bar, and a barbecue restaurant where you can grill the meat yourself at the table or let the kitchen do it for you. At the hour we were there, the parfait and noodle bar components were open. We had udon and pad Thai, along with parfaits. Mine was cookie and cream; Julian had a tea lime parfait, with matcha green tea lime ice cream and graham crackers. The other flavor of ice cream was ube (purple yam).

Yesterday we went downtown to spend our rebate at REI and get some caffeine. We had lunch at Lunchbox Laboratory. This started as a food truck, but now has locations in South Lake Union (Seattle), Bellevue, and Gig Harbor. The décor is a cross between vintage elementary school lunch boxes and your worst nightmare from freshman chemistry (flasks, ring stands, and the like). I had an Upstate New Yorker burger, in homage to my birthplace. A good burger, but only one problem: Monterey Jack cheese. Please! The only appropriate cheese for someone from Upstate New York is NY State sharp cheddar. Julian ordered the same burger, but he wanted Swiss cheese on his. (Philistine…)

We also hit the Spanish Table. A friendly gentleman was giving samples of two Portuguese wines. One was a red Dao, which was a bit too young and astringent for my palate. The other was a most unusual vinho verde (below). Most wines of this type are low-alcohol (~7%) and slightly effervescent. It’s our go-to summer wine because it’s so light. This vinho verde had 11% alcohol and had more body without the fizz. We served it with some salmon for dinner last night. The salmon recipe I used was nothing special, but the wine made up for it.

vinho verde

Not your mãe’s vinho verde.

Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2016/04/24/discoveries-of-the-week/

Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2016/04/23/the-skagit-scramble/

Apr 15

Another One Bites the Dust

My reactions to restaurant closings come in three varieties:

  • Dang! It only just opened! We never got to eat there!
  • Shoot! That was one of our favorite joints!
  • How the hell did it last so long?

On the bus home last week I noticed a restaurant that belongs in the third category. Ying’s Drive-In was an old-school Chinese-American restaurant that had been on Lake City Way in Seattle for 45 years. I used to get off the bus there when we lived around the corner from it. I couldn’t figure out how it stayed in business; I never saw anyone eat there. Julian always assumed that it was a money-laundering operation. Chances are the property was sold for another soul-less apartment or townhouse complex–or a self-storage place.

Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2016/04/15/another-one-bites-the-dust/

Apr 02

Gemisches of the Week

As I mentioned in an early post, gemisches are items you whip up with whatever is on hand. Maybe you need to finish off some leftovers or use some produce you have languishing in the fridge. Here are two gemisches from the previous week.

On Wednesday night Julian made sukiyaki.For those new to Japanese cooking, this is more than that cheesy song from the early 60’s. Sukiyaki is thinly sliced meat, tofu, and vegetables simmered in a broth. The broth contains mushrooms and soy sauce to ramp up the umami factor. The following night I made hot and sour soup from the leftovers by adding more tofu, dried shiitakes, and broth to the mix. I also threw in a few small shrimp for good measure.

Tonight I made a variation of eggplant parmesan, courtesy of Mario Batali. I like this particular recipe because it doesn’t require me to bread and fry the eggplant; rather, the eggplant slices are roasted in the oven. The gemisch was a quasi-Italian coleslaw I cobbled together from some leftover shredded cabbage, olive oil, white wine vinegar, chives from my herb garden, kalamata olives, and Peppadews. I thought it complemented the eggplant nicely.

Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2016/04/02/gemisches-of-the-week/

Apr 02

Di-Zoster!

Last month I suffered through my first (and, I hope, last) bout of shingles. As you all know from watching the commercials featuring Terry Bradshaw, the chickenpox virus (Herpes zoster, not the Herpes simplex that causes cold sores) hangs out in your central nervous system until you get a bit stressed. Then it comes out to play and makes your life miserable. I had some awkward pain on the right side of my trunk. It first felt like a muscle strain. Then the ice-pick-in-the-back sensation hit. The rash appeared several days later, only on the right side of my lower ribcage. As a result, it took me a while to discern what might be happening.

I ruled in the possibility of shingles on a Saturday night. I wasn’t feeling bad enough to go to the emergency room, so I did the next best thing: Call a doctor friend, who confirmed my suspicions. He phoned in prescriptions for an antiviral drug and a nerve blocker. He also recommended colloidal oatmeal baths, where the oatmeal is ground finer than sand.

It took about three weeks, but the rash and pain finally left. I alternated taking the nerve blocker with over-the-counter naproxen, since I don’t do opioids well and needed a clear brain for work. I only took two oatmeal baths, but I also bought an oatmeal body wash for the shower. Both helped to tame the rash. I also turned on the Jacuzzi and let the jets pummel my pain into submission. I used the tub more in two weeks than in the prior three years we’ve lived here.

I asked my doctor about getting the shingles vaccine at my appointment today. She said it probably wouldn’t give me any additional benefit this year, since my immune system is ramped up after last month’s attack. However, next year I can get it. The additional advantage will be that I’ll be at the magic age when the insurance company will pay for the vaccine. I just hope that the viruses stay at bay that long.

Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2016/04/02/di-zoster/

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