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/

Mar 30

Truer Words Were Never Written

…On an office whiteboard.

true words

Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2016/03/30/truer-words-were-never-written/

Mar 27

Dirty Rice, Cher!

[Cher translates from the French or Cajun as “dear”.]

Cajuns in Louisiana are experts at making great eats with inexpensive, often overlooked foods. Consider dirty rice. They grind up chicken gizzards and brown them, then add vegetables. Rice, seasoning, and liquid go in and the mixture cooks until the rice is tender. It’s also a good way to clean out the produce bin. Half an onion? Cut it up. A jalapeño that you couldn’t add to last week’s chili because your friends are wimps? Use it. How about that sorry celery heart? Certainement! No chicken gizzards? Pas de problème, use ground meat, leftovers, or even a can of red or kidney beans.

I’ve been making dirty rice since my days as a poor lab technician in Dallas. As a new mortgagee, dirty rice still hits the spot taste- and budget-wise. I made a batch last Wednesday with some gizzards we had in the freezer. I needed to buy a bell pepper and some celery, but everything else was on hand. Dinner was ready in less than 45 minutes.

Some ground rules:

Use the food processor fitted with the steel blade to grind up the gizzards, if you use them. To save time, you can chop up the onions in the food processor after the gizzards.

Don’t overdo the celery and bell pepper. Use about twice the amount of onion as celery and bell pepper combined.

Don’t forget the garlic.

Season more than you think you need to. Use lots of Cajun seasoning. I used the “Cajun Foreplay” I bought at the Dinosaur Barbeque last fall. Also, use broth instead of water.

Use about 2 parts broth to 1 part rice. The veggies will give up a little fluid as well.

Set the table while the rice is cooking, mix up a salad or microwave some frozen green vegetable, and open up a beer. Julian’s preferred accompaniment is Dixie Blackened Voodoo, but any IPA will do as well. Put extra hot sauce on the table if you didn’t add enough oomph to the pot. Once it’s ready, sit down and break into your best Justin Wilson imitation. I gar-on-tee some good eating.

Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2016/03/27/dirty-rice-cher/

Mar 19

Almost-Diners in the Northwest

In an earlier post I wrote about the diner culture in the metro New York area. We have a few places hereabouts that could qualify as almost-diners. These are two examples in the Seattle suburbs.

Jay’s Café in Kenmore. Jay’s has the all-day breakfasts and daily specials, along with the paper placemats featuring local businesses. In addition, it has a regular group of retired men who sit around, drink coffee, and bemoan the state of the world. (Julian told me about this, since he fits into that demographic; however, he has yet to join such a group.) We’ve stopped there for lunch a few times on our way to downtown Seattle.

George’s in Kirkland. To my mind, downtown Kirkland is an odd place for a diner. This town has more plastic surgeons and BoTox/collagen injectors per capita than anywhere else in Washington. (Cheaper rents than Bellevue, maybe?) The city’s vibe is also more arugula than iceberg lettuce. However, George’s thrives. It’s run by a Greek family, so it has the standard gyros, dolmades, and moussaka. You can also get pasta, burgers, and the all-day breakfasts. Last month George’s had a scratch-off card promotion. You could get discounts off your check, and be entered in a raffle for a large-screen TV. One night on our way to French class we got a 20% discount on our check. Not bad at all.

One reason I refer to Jay’s and George’s as almost-diners is they both lack the killer dessert case. No respectable diner in New Jersey or New York would survive without one. Even if you have to haul half your dinner home (as we often do at George’s), you’re still supposed to be offered the temptation of some pie. Just ask the patrons of the Double R Diner from Twin Peaks.

Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2016/03/19/almost-diners-in-the-northwest/

Mar 19

Boxed Out

We had a chest freezer delivered today. It’s now chilling in the garage. We had to move or get rid of a bunch of stuff to accommodate our new acquisition, including a boatload of empty boxes, styrofoam peanuts, and air pillows. This brings up an interesting “Venus vs. Mars” question: Do women keep stuff and throw away the boxes, while men keep boxes and throw away the stuff?

Julian has a habit of keeping every box anything he bought came in. A widget from amazon.com? Keep the box. The shipping box for a lens cover from B&H in New York? Keep it. His logic is simple: “I may have to send it back.” Never mind that we have a LOT of folded-up boxes in our storage closet from our move here. Yesterday he had to pack up one of his camera lenses to send back for a software upgrade. We had to stop at a UPS store to get a box, even though there was a perfectly good one that the lens would fit in ON THE SOFA from a delivery he received the day before.

This box-hoarding habit is not just a Julian phenomenon. Years ago I commented on a friend’s collection of packing boxes in his garage. His reply was classic: “I have boxes for stuff I don’t have anymore.” Since he’s lived in the same place for the better part of 30 years, he probably still has the box that his original Macintosh came in. (I half expect an email from him with a picture.)

When the freezer was delivered, the delivery guy asked if we wanted the crate and packing material. I answered quickly, “NO.” After the truck drove off, Julian commented, “It’s a good thing they didn’t leave the crate. I think I’m cardboarded out.” Alleluia!

 

Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2016/03/19/boxed-out/

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