August 2011
7 posts
easy capreasy
Want to know the best part about summertime? It’s not the bike rides, lazy days at the park, or campfires and fireworks, although those are all awesome. Nor is it the jell-o shots, cherry clafoutis, or grilled corn, which are also pretty great. My friends, the best part about the summertime…
is T O M A T O E S !
Green Zebras, Brandywines, Cherokee Purples, and Brad’s...
be coolinary book report: david and julia
So I am book reporting to you today regarding two excellent pieces of literary work I have just read. Both books were written by, you guessed it, chefs. And not just any chefs mind you, but two well-published and well-fed American culinary icons. The first being relevant to anyone that has ever eaten an omelet, watched PBS, or heard the phrase ‘Bon Appetit!’ (I am hoping that includes you and any...
July 2011
6 posts
more like stupidcakes...
I have a question:
When will cupcakes be done?
I am over them. They are over. I do not like them, have never truly accepted them into my pastry repertoire, and find them quite disappointing. So, I am here to tell you that they are over. Retired. It’s official everyone. I have decided. They are done.
Yet they are everywhere…still. Ubiquitous. Seemingly eternally trendy and forever...
happily reporting for clafoutis duty
Question: What tastes like a delicious dessert pancake and rhymes with cutie?
Answer: A clafoutis of course!
It may change your life forever so take note of how it is pronounced. Say cluh-foo-tee. It is a quick, easy, and delicious traditional French dessert that is described in a French-English dictionary as a ‘batter pudding’. It tastes kind of like a pancake, dutch baby, and flan all in...
happy 4th of jell-o!
Happy Fourth of July everybody! To celebrate I am going to share with you my most American of dessert concoctions: the Jell-O shot. What better way to celebrate this patriotic holiday than with a bunch of brightly colored, artificially flavored, pig skin-derived, jiggly, boozy, and gelatinized treats! Add some fireworks that I bought outside the county over the weekend to the equation and now...
baby got buns
So as promised, I am writing today to tell you about my buns. Soft, squishy, and oh so tasty, these hot dog buns were made special just for Sausagefest 2011. I had never made such buns before but I felt that Sausagefest just wouldn’t be as epic without some homemade hot dog buns. I simply just changed the final shape of a basic white sandwich bread recipe from Rose Levy Berenbaum’s...
June 2011
7 posts
analog coffee is here!
Look everyone! After a much anticipated arrival, Analog Coffee is here!
The owners Tim and Danny are my good pals and have been working on this coffee shop for quite a while now. And, as of yesterday, they were able to officially open for business! The place is amazing and so are they.
Swing by and order a cup of their french press, or a latte, or better yet, get a cup of pour over and...
sausagefest 2011!
Guess what last weekend was? Yes, Fathers Day of course but also SausageFest 2011! Last Sunday, my pals Andrew and Megan and I all made sausage together and then had a potluck barbecue with lots of friends. Along with roasting my first chicken, it will go down on my running list of culinary firsts. It can also be considered one of many mandatory coolinary adventures I must complete before I deem...
it's pride week!
Taste the rainbow everbody!
attention roast chicken virgins!
Last week I roasted a chicken for the first time in my whole entire life. Somehow, in my 28 years on this planet I had never cooked a whole chicken before. Ever. It was cathartic. A culinary rite of passage if you will.
Up until recently, I just never really cared about cooking poultry. It probably had something to do with this, this, and this but, fortunately, I impulsively bought a cute...
throw another ear on the coil!
There are two more weeks until summer but guess what tasty treat is making an appearance in a produce section near you right this minute? Corn! Albeit the first corn of the season is definitely not from anywhere around the Pacific Northwest (it is all from California), but how can I possibly resist! Washington state probably won’t have local corn for another month or so, but I need something...
pyramid shmyramid
Today, I feel old. Apparently, when I learned “facts” as a child my teachers actually meant “things that we might change later”. First they removed Pluto from the list of planets in the solar system (!), and then today, thanks to Michelle Obama, the food pyramid is not important anymore…
Next they are going to eliminate a portion of the alphabet or tell me that...
May 2011
8 posts
gurl, you needa make this pita!
Hey everyone! It’s finally starting to feel like spring in Seattle! The sun has come out a couple of times, coffee shops are starting to make toddy coffee again, and Seattleites are sporting t-shirts and shorts despite the fact that it’s only 55 degrees! Time to celebrate! Over the weekend, upon reaching this fantastic realization whilst absorbing said fleeting bursts of sunshine, my...
please cook with charlie
food culture map!
So the people at Hartman Salt have come up with a creative, colorful, and innovative way to illustrate the connections and pathways of modern food culture: with an awesome subway map! Click the link to see a better picture as well as explanations of who is who.
Seattle was represented surprisingly well. The map includes Pacific Northwest restaurant mogul Tom Douglas, local chefs Matt Dillon and...
fwee time
So, I have a secret to tell you. Sometimes in really fancy restaurants, they serve candy after dessert. I know it sounds crazy. It sounds like something I would make up, but it’s true. It is a course unto itself called mignardises. Traditionally, they are a few small, sweet bites that are served when all is said and done along with the bill. It’s almost like a small thank you from...
