Taking Stock

Thanksgiving may be my favorite holiday of the year.  The entire focus on the meal, the prep, and what to do with left overs gets my toes tapping.  The prospect of making giant vat turkey stock makes my heart soar. Roasting the bird for the Thanksgiving feast takes care of half the battle.  This year…

Quincemeat

I have been hoarding quince for at least two weeks waiting for the right moment to dive into Nigella Lawson’s ‘Quincemeat’ recipe.  It is a bit of a mystery what is taking me to kickstart this project as the recipe claims the most difficult task will be the peeling and chopping of said quince. Most…

Soup savvy

  At this point in the holiday weekend it would seem a natural response to shy away from anything involving potato, turkey or perhaps even eating in general.  As evening set in so did some appetites.  Keeping things simple shallot, garlic, celery root (celeriac) and potato are combined for a bland looking but superbly satisfying…

The Final Countdown

The countdown to turkey day continues in the waning hours of Tuesday evening adding a bit more pressure to the preparation.  Come Thursday all that should be left to be done is to roast the bird perfuming  the house with the most sublimely savory bouquet. Tonight to cross things off the list the chanterelle and porcini mushrooms…

Practice makes perfect

Roasting a game hen tonight. Salt, pepper, oil in the pan, a stark contrast to the more complicated process planned for Thursday. There is much to be done in preparation for said dinner.  The sides have been delegated: squash soup, mashed potatoes, brussel sprouts.  I am tasked with roasting the turkey, gravy making, stuffing, and…

Cahors – 2014 Le Pur Fruit du Causse

To call this wine from Julien Ilbert an entry level wine would diminish the ability of this Cahors to delight and engage.  Traditionally Cahors is all Malbec and a tightly wound, highly tannic one at that.  These big bold reds pair well with the traditional food of the region – think duck confit and cassoulet….

Rain Shadow Meats

On paper a ham and brie sandwich can sound like a safe bet.  There is nothing revolutionary in the flavor combination, or so it would seem… Rain Shadow Meats has been a fixture in the Seattle food scene since the butcher shop opened as part of the Melrose Market in 2009.  It’s expansion to a…

Beaujolais

Before getting too carried away with the Beaujolais Nouveau celebrations later this week Bastille Cafe in Ballard is offering a chance to try a flight of Cru Beaujolais.  On Thursday night the space will be jam packed with revelers singing the praises of the fresh, fruity harvest wine.  Tonight there is ample space at the stunning…

Sweet Simplicity

There are items that provide the fundamental backbone to cooking.  They show up meal after meal with nary a remark, doing their job adding depth and complexity  to the final product. It is not often they are given a spotlight to shine.  French onion soup, beef stroganoff, pissaladière – all opportunities to give the humble…

Brassica humbly served…

Towards the end of October, right around Halloween, they start popping up at the farmers markets.  The stalks stacked high dotted with one of fall’s more polarizing vegetables.  Of all the members of the Brassica family the humble brussel sprout gets its fair share of criticism. In recent years it feels like there is a shift.  They…

Mini madelines

Any baking recipe that asks me to melt the butter instead of creaming it with sugar has my immediate attention these days.  This madeline recipe still requires butter and sugar to be whipped together using a mixer.  My patience is satisfied by the fact that the stove top will bring the butter to the desired…

Friday Night

Here I am again, braising away on a Friday night.  Once again setting myself up for an easier night of cooking on Saturday. Red Cabbage, 1 Apple, 1 medium dish Quince, 1 medium dice Garlic, 1 clove minced Shallot, 1 minced Chicken stock, 2-3 c Cardamom, 1 t Red cabbage when braised in a low oven…