pinknest

a birthday whirl

2011-11-17T20:45:00.016-05:00

We celebrated Matt's birthday with dinner at WD-50, Wylie Dufresne's restaurant. It felt odd to be eating such a fancy meal in such a casual setting, but i suppose it all fits into the general theme of being thrown off track. But the track kept moving, and fast. I've never had such a rapid tasting menu before...Sure, yes, we were inhaling because we were starving, but at some point, usually a tasting menu halts you in your track and starts testing your will power and sanity. But this 12-course menu was like a contest, and one that I could actually win! Eat? Yes, I can.

The lovely, crispy, flaky sesame flatbread. So delicious. Yet it very disturbingly reminded me of skin, which I enjoyed repeatedly telling Matt.

Awesome, Brother! That's what I say to Matt whenever I like something. Actually, that was the name of my cocktail of rum, Saint Germain and passionfruit. Yummy and easy. Matt had the Green Hornet: celery gin tonic. A healthy cocktail indeed. I prescribe one every morning.

Fluke with whiskey-cranberry jam, smoked macadamia nut and nori. I love fluke, love. This would have been perfect but the fluke was a little tough. Nevermind, though. Next.

Our tour through New York began with the everything bagel, smoked salmon and cream cheese. My friends, this was bizarre, in a good way. Imagine it's Sunday brunch in your mouth. Except that the everything bagel is ice cream, the smoked salmon are threads and the cream cheese is the thin and crispy. Wha??

No time to consider what just happened to us. Because our plates were cleaned and cleared, a new fork and knife were brought forth and suddenly a new plate was there. We were exported to our favorite falafel joint to have the Foie-lafel. Now this was insanely delicious...falafel balls that contained hot tahini that oozed once you bit into them...very heady. Perfectly plump and pillowy pita bread, shredded lettuce, tomato and cucumber...It all sounds so like your everyday falafel but it was a far cry and one of our favorite dishes.

Another one of our favorites and it was completely unsettling: a poached egg in the shell, pumpernickel, caesar dressing and lily bulb. A perfectly dreamy and oozy egg. A perfectly crunchy shell...what? Yes, eat your shell. It's made with milk. And when you eat it, you will think...ugh, I think I have a piece of shell in mine. But no, you are eating it...all of it, and it feels like a mistake, yet you keep doing it because you think, when else am I going to eat shell?

King oyster 'udon,' sweetbreads, banana-molasses and pickled ginger. Soft, chewy and voluptuous noodles.

Coho salmon, carrot, root beer oatmeal and cherry. All I could taste was root beer!

Duck, nasturtium yogurt, turnip and nutmeg. Bloody good.

This was fun. Lamb loin, 'red beans & rice' and chayote squash. The red beans and rice were actually pine nuts, and it was shocking how much they tasted like red beans and rice! Uncanny. Although at this point, I'm starting to think I'm getting brainwashed.

At this point in the meal, I'm done with fish, meats and glands. I got full. I wanted something sweet. But then what looks like a giant ol' piece o' chorizo with some parsley lands in front of me. *gulp* But that hunk of bloody sausage was a lady. She was concord grape sorbet with cheesecake and lime. Wait a second, folks. Somebody forgot to put my cheesecake together! Nevermind, I got it.

Okay, I have to say it, but when this showed up, that squiggle made me want to throw up a little. What is that and why does it look like pistachio Easy Cheese? Sorry for my unsophisticated reaction, but really. It was apricot, buckwheat, brown butter, quince and green tea. And you most eat only a little bit of everything on your spoon at once otherwise you will be overwhelmed and confused and think you are eating nothing but green tea.

Soft chocolate, beet, long pepper and ricotta. This thing will own you. Own you, I say! I cannot stop thinking about that chocolate.

And for a nightcap, hot rice pudding balls and rice krispy treats.

the spectrum

2011-10-31T19:16:00.009-04:00

I'm not a fan of Asian fusion (remember that?), but a fusion of modern and tradition can be fun. Growing up, the Korean food I remember was always traditional. Okay, there really was no such thing as trendy, modern and fusion Korean back then. Chinese was as far as the average person went. But now, everything can be modernized, traditionalized, trendified, fused and gentrified. And you can have it both ways at Danji, a cute and tiny Korean restaurant in Midtown West that has a Michelin star. I feel like my mom would laugh at all this food. My god, bulgogi burgers?! I can hear her saying. But she'd also find them very cute, mockable and pretty good, all at the same time, and then wonder why am I am eating in such a place in such an area isn't it all dangerous?

Nevertheless, Tricia and I shared the bulgogi beef sliders with spicy pickled cucumber and scallion salsa. A nice bite from the Modern side of the menu. I think I would like to serve this at a cocktail party.

But it was the tofu that actually blew me away. And I can hear my mom saying, tofu? My god. But yes, the tofu, simply and unassumingly described on the Modern side of the menu as "tofu with ginger scallion dressing," was scrumptiously soft, crispy, spicy, zingy and etheral. But if you are like Tricia, you might find it offputting.

Over on the Traditional side was the japchae: stir fried vermicelli with beef and veggies. Sweet, salty and glassy. Yes.

Still on the traditional side, the kalbi jjim: "Danji" braised short ribs with fingerling potatoes, cipollini onion and toasted pine nuts. Hearty and succulent, but not anything different.

No, my friends, it's not corned beef hash and an egg. We finished up with the Modern: kimchi bacon chorizo "paella" with a fried jidori hen egg. How bizarre! How, Dr. Seuss! I want to put a fried egg on my next paella. As a matter of fact, I want to put a fried egg on everything now. All strange, intriguing and kind of silly, but deliciously addictive.

pre-dinner

2011-10-18T22:01:00.009-04:00

I did not expect a LINE outside the door shortly after 5:30 pm when Tertulia opened for dinner. Who are all these people who want to eat so early besides my old lady self? After managing to grab two seats at the bar, I was delighted to discover that the delicious sangria came from this oddity of a half-barrel mounted to the wall. I wondered if I should somehow install something similar in our apartment.

Okay, half-barrel daydreams aside...it was a relief to be up front at the bar to eat tapas, the ideal way to keep you from eating tapas for dinner, which inevitably leaves you underfed and overspent.

And was this dinner? Because it tasted like...

...breakfast! A glorious, glorious, eggy and bacony breakfast. For elves. Here, the cojonudo...revisted: two bites of smoked pig cheek, quail egg and pepper.

A rich and toasty pan con tomate, which is a far cry from all the other sad pan con tomates you think you've had.

The best way to eat tapas is also to eat OTHER people's tapas...ones that you didn't order but thought you had because you had wanted to but didn't and then ate and realized oh-dear-I-ate-someone-else's-tapas and they're sitting right next to me. That kind. Here, the culprit was the tosta setas: marinated mushrooms, smoked ricotta and pine nuts. And oh yummy it was good because it was so wrong. Oops. So sorry I ate your tapas!

But then the wild-caught amberjack comes along and makes everything even better. Lightly smoked amberjack with fabes beans and roasted peppers. Smoky, buttery, creamy, soft and melty.

Yes of course fried must rear its head at some point. The berenjenas rebozadas: fried fairytale eggplant, citrus yogurt and hazlenut pepper sauce. There was nothing fairytale about the way these things were devoured. Look away, people.

Who says you can't have dessert after tapas? Here, some rum-soaked cake with berries. Now, what's for dinner?

a sampler

2011-10-10T19:31:00.017-04:00

It was the 2nd Annual Good Food Fest on Sunday, so Lauren, Matt and I gathered our tickets and our appetites and headed out to the Meatpacking District to have a sampler, one of the best formats of eating if you're not buffeting.

Some pate, chicken liver mousse from Great Performances.

Possibly our favorite thing was the pulled pork and mango tostada from Delicatessen.

Some compressed apple with pickled beets on top...swashbuckingly pickly, from Gramercy Tavern.

From City Grit...

...a grits and pimento cheese concoction of goodness.

And from the Guilty Goose, round toasts with prosciutto, tomato, egg and arugula. A nice breakfasty bite. To get more of.

Tomatoes, onions, zucchini and olive oil bruschette from Dell'anima.

Spongy bread from Le Pain Quotidien.

Succulent peekytoe crab raviolis from Perry Street. Nice and peeky.

Yes, it was pretty hot out in the sun, and yes, we were eating some hot soup in the sun. But it was ridiculously good: a mulligatawny soup that was intensely creamy and rich, from BLT Bar & Grill. I could eat this hot soup all day, until I can't.

This was a tiny bite from a much larger piece of soft and creamy and bechamelly mushroom lasagna from Zampa.

Um...back for more of that pork tostada.

But save room for dessert...from Marc Forgione.

One must always double-fist dessert. Here, a "banana cream pie" and rum-soaked apple torta.

And Lady Ashton's Chocolate Cake.

And for later dessert needs, a cannele from Las Delicias boutique gourmet bakery.

our final day in seattle

2011-10-04T18:21:00.051-04:00

Our last morning in Seattle...no island hopping, just pastries. We headed over to Macrina Bakery, where there was a healthy line for some very unhealthy delights.

Like a spinach and cheese dumpling: a flaky pillow stuffed with spinach and parmesan. Do you think Bed Bath and Beyond has this for me? It might help me sleep better.

A softly scrambled egg sandwich on a toasty onion bialy. Yes.

I cannot resist the cute brioche...here, stuffed with egg, cheese and ham.

A morning roll: A swirl of yeasted croissant dough sweetened with vanilla sugar and baked to a golden brown. Sigh. This is perfection. I also want to sleep on these, roll over and eat them. Every morning.

Down the street, the perfect car for me to make my pastry getaway in.

But no. After pastries and egg sandwiches, we were off to hike around in Discovery Park. I don't know who killed Rosie Larsen, but if you see me at the bottom of this trail, you'll know I resting on a bed of those morning rolls.

At the bottom, a lovely view of Puget Sound.

Matt checks out what's around the bend: more Puget Sound.

Bainbridge Island, where we were earlier on our trip, in the distance.

I present Peloton with a clam shell, which he goes crazy over.

He furiously paws at and noses it until he has succeeded in opening it. Did I tell you that that's what I sometimes do with brioche?

Away we went, walking along the sound.

We were surrounded by blackberry bushes...they're actually everywhere, all over Seattle. Scott and Matt decide to reach for the most tippy-top ones...

Plump, juicy and deliciously sweet, we fed ourselves along the way.

None for you, pup! You'll just eat them without savoring!

Down near the beach.

The islands in the distance remind me of giant ocean pastries.

Rainier is always looming in the distance, like an eerie mirage. Strange to think we were there at the start of our trip.

Somehow, Matt wants to touch me with claw fingers and I prefer to touch him with just these two just so.

Reminds me of Hawaii for some reason.

Through the trees...

Thar she is.

I do say, sir, the earth is indeed round.

All this view is making me hungry. Actually, after what felt like an eternity of a hike, Matt and I were dragging our feet, starving. No more hiking.

Let's do some waiting...in the long line that forms at Paseo, an insanely popular Caribbean spot for everyone's favorite sandwich.

The Midnight Cuban Express: Cuban roast pork nestled atop sweet banana peppers, draped with slices of smoked ham and Swiss cheese melted between a hot press. Holy sandwich, this was insane. Once you pick it up, you cannot put it down because horrors will ensue. You will never recover your saucy, meaty sandwich from the mess you have created.

For you non-meat lovers, the Onion Obsession sandwich: caramelized onions sautéed in a garlic tapenade with fresh cilantro.

Fish in Rojo: delicate slices of fresh fish sautéed in extra virgin olive oil with a garlic tapenade. Ladled with rojo sauce comprised of tomato puree, diced onions and tomatoes, roasted red peppers and array of veggies.

Some of the yummiest black beans I've had.

After lunch, we drove over to West Seattle to visit our friend and former New Yorker Scott.

We headed over to Alki Beach to stroll along the waterfront in the searing heat.

We quickly sat down at a bar and happened to order some malt liquor beverages. Huh.

After Alki Beach, time for dinner at Madison Park Conservatory.

Cocktail, why yes I do.

Columbia City Bread, complimentary, says the menu. Interesting.

But the Golden Glen Creamery Butter had a price: $3. Holy sweet cream.

To start, flatbread with charred eggplant, taleggio and black olive oil. Delicious.

Fried sweet and hot heirloom peppers with Murray River salt. Mmm...blistery.

Roasted Stokesberry chicken with heirloom tomatoes, hand torn herbs and skordalia.

A side of braised spigarello with chili and garlic.

Pappardelle with local mountain mushrooms and marjoram.

Potatoes roasted in duck fat and herbs. But are these hand-torn?

Local roots' carrots, ras el hanout, creme fraiche.

Willie Greens' lettuces, fines herbs, lemon and parmigiano. A bowl of leaves.

Poached Alaskan halibut, summer squash, sultana salsa and saffron.

Olive oil gelato.

Bay leaf panna cotta. Overall, a local, seasonal yet very underwhelming meal.

But a spectacular trip. On our plane ride home early the next morning: a Macrina Bakery red velvet cupcake. I ♥ Washington State.

day 10: whidbey island

2011-10-03T19:16:00.037-04:00

The next day, we decided to...surprise...take a ferry somewhere. Can't...stop...the island hop. So we were off to our fourth island: Whidbey Island, which was very easy to get to from Seattle. Once off the ferry, we decided to try our mussel prospects at the famous Penn Cove.

I will eat all of you glorious mussels, all of you! Actually, I didn't really see any.

We sauntered over the wharf...

...then took a peek at the cute town of Coupeville, where you can eat all the scrumptious mussels you want in adorable restaurants.

But no. That was not for us. We much prefer...dry grasses.

And hey, I like me some squash.

And the cool and creepy blockhouse to protect ourselves from the Indians. For we were at Ebey's Landing, a National Historical Reserve.

We began our hike, with Peloton in tow and my sister carrying a bakery bag of ... pastries, lemon brioche to be exact. What, you don't power up with brioche while hiking? We passed through the prairie...

And passed by some lovely tilled land.

And began our coastal bluff hike...

Hallo, down there.

We leave the pastures behind, and walk along the bluff with gorgeous views of the Strait of Juan de Fuca.

So steep, so high! So bluffy.

So rural.

So hot.

More of that Juan de Fuca.

And some intriguing saltwater lagoons below us.

Can we please keep moving? (Both of them say.)

Do you think we can descend and bathe in those saltwater pools?

And...too far to hear my pleas.

We eventually come to the end of the bluff, and the only way down is, steeply, to the beach.

Now? Pools? But we hiked back.

And then drove around, coming back to the beach...

...below the bluff that we had climbed. No more bluffs. No more beaches.

It's time to eat.

Off to the Whidbey Island Greenbank Farm, once the largest loganberry farm in the world, and now owned by the county.

At the cafe, some blt paninis...

...and scrumptious blueberry pie.

We took a gander at some cheese, and then we were off, back on the ferry to Seattle.

That night for dinner, we headed over to Kabul Afghan Cuisine in Wallingford. Our appetizer, the Burta: crushed eggplant blended with yogurt, sour cream, garlic, mint, cilantro, olive oil and lemon juice, served with Afghan bread. Delicious.

And some bolani: turnovers filled with scallions, cilantro and potato, served with yogurt-garlic dip.

Kabuli Palaw - $9.50
Scott was apparently doing some serious carbo-loading. He started with a huge portion of Basmati rice cooked in the oven in a special blend of saffron, black pepper, cardamom, coriander and cumin, topped with raisins, nuts and julienned carrots.

Then moved onto Ashak: fresh pasta filled with scallions, leeks and cilantro, served with yogurt-garlic sauce and topped with a mildly spiced tomato and onion sauce, and sprinkled with mint flakes. Very addictive.

Sis had the Qorma-i Sabzi: a combination of spinach, cilantro, parsley and scallions, topped with a special lamb sauce, served with Basmati rice.

Matt had the Kebab Murgh: fillet of chicken marinated overnight in yogurt, turmeric, garlic and a touch of cayenne pepper.

For me, the Qorma-i Tarkari: Cauliflower, baby carrots and potatoes topped with our special lamb sauce in a blend of dill, saffron, turmeric and cumin, and served with Basmati rice on the side. All delicious, and a lot of it.

And for dessert, the yummiest thing, the Firni: custard pudding flavored with cardamom and rosewater and topped with ground pistachios.

day 9: hiking on lummi island, back to seattle

2011-09-26T18:59:00.044-04:00

The next morning at the Willows Inn...breakfast. Which unfortunately was a slight fiasco because somehow, despite the very-organized and efficient service, the morning staff didn't realize we never got our food. So, several cups of coffee later...

...the kitchen quickly fired up and we got our meal. Eggs with hollandaise sauce and salmon, smashed potatoes, zucchini bread and fruit. Delicious, but unfortunately slightly cold.

Off to Nettles Farm, where the restaurant gets many of its ingredients.

I eat you.

Glorious kale! I eat you, too.

Mmm...I don't eat. Ominous hole!

Quickly! To the chicken coop!

Chickens are good times...

...because they like to run at top speeds, for no apparent reason.

And they like to plop down in the middle of the path. Can't you see this is a walkway?

But they lay pretty blue eggs.

And don glorious feathers.

Stay away from me, sunflowers!

Goodbye, Nettles. We are off for some hiking.

Lummi Bay, full o' fishing boats and future meals.

A fern-filled hike began.

Is it too steep?

Too eerie?

Too dangerous!

We continued on.

Glorious, fantastical greens!

And nettles were everywhere. Shall we have a spot o' nettle tea?

Tree fight!

This looks like Jack and the Beanstalk.

Teen little flowers everywhere for me to exclaim over.

And some more intriguing ones, too.

What is this? Edible? Reminds me of kale. Sautee?

And just what do we have in here? (Yes, I look like an old crazy witch.)

At the top of the trail, a glorious, sweeping view.

On both sides.

Windswept!

Who moved the island! Where is the donkey wheel?

Is it full of delicious fishies?

Pondering said donkey wheel. And then we hike back down.

To eat lunch at the Tap Root Cafe back at The Willows Inn.

Matt had a Classic BLT with Hemplers thick cut bacon and coleslaw, both of which he loved.

I had a burger, which was very overcooked and reminded me of a hotel burger. Alas. Back to Seattle we went, so sad to leave Lummi Island.

After a ferry and a drive to the city, time for dinner at Revel, which bills itself as serving "urban-style Korean comfort food." Hey, anything that comes with a lot of condiments is good in my book.

A pancake of pork belly, kimchi and bean sprouts was nice.

My favorite was the lamb, goat yogurt and cucumber dumpling.

A rice bowl of yummy short rib, sambal daikon and mustard greens.

Another rice bowl with Albacore tuna, fennel kimchi and escarole.

Done and done.

day 8: dinner at willows inn

2011-09-22T20:33:00.032-04:00

After our lazy afternoon, we headed back to Willows Inn and it was time for a cocktail.

Plush, comfy chairs...

...some reading...

...and some yummy sangria until dinner at 7 pm.

Finally, it was time to eat. We were escorted into the small dining room, where dinner is served as a single seating and is a prix fixe 5-course, chef's tasting menu, with either a wine pairing or a juice pairing. Everyone this evening was a guest at the inn. And all the ingredients, from beach plants to wild herbs to fresh spring shoots, are all foraged on the island or harvested from the inn's own farm, Nettles Farm, which is nearby.

Prosecco was promptly poured. Don't you love it when prosecco is prompt? With refills!?

Blaine Wetzel, the chef, and his assistant chefs deliver the dishes themselves so they can tell you the backstory of each ingredient. It was like we were adopting a little pet into our life...and then eating it. Very special. And so was the first dish, which arrived in a cedar box, that, when opened, released a cloud of smoky, um...alderwood smoke, wafting from a perfect block of house-smoked Sockeye salmon. Biblical. It was reefnet caught from the inn's own reefnet gears in Legoe Bay. The menu says: "Reefnetting is considered one of the most sustainable fishing methods." I say, holy yumminess. We were instructed to eat this, as well as the next dishes, with our fingers.

Perfectly plush cod on a bed o' horseradish and potato chip.

Um, a basket arrived. A basket! With gloriously tender and sigh-worthy lettuces, pea shoots and raw turnips and radishes, sprinkled with edible "dirt" of hazelnut and malt and a little pot o' herbed butter. Everything in here was splendid and very Peter the Rabbit.

Lady bugs on a leaf? Or, truffle paste with toasted hazelnuts on a crispy kale leaf? What?! A perfectly truffly and crispy bite.

Large, very meaty, shigoku oysters harvested at Samish Bay arrived on a bed of cold rocks and frozen water. What a fun idea to emulate. Briny, my friends. Luscious, oystery, soft and slippery sea taste in your mouth.

Butter clams, harvested by Lummi Tribal members, was, yes, buttery, paired with grated horseradish "snow."

The actual menu hadn't even started at this point, so finally a break...for some homemade bread and butter. I love bread breaks, don't you?

Outside our window, a gorgeous sunset over Rosario Strait.

Finally, the menu began with heirloom tomatoes with field greens and tarragon and violets. Yes, this is just what my field looks like and I will not share.

Locally caught spot prawns with kohlrabi and seaweed. Sea! All deliciously sea tasty and those prawns were rich, buttery little friends that you wanted to mooch off of. Help.

Blaine Wetzel (a former chef at Noma), concocting.

Nettles farm potatoes with buttermilk whey and melted havarti. This was the magical potato extract! And I can speak no more. Once having sipped from the magical potato, you become one with magical potato.

2009 Amalie Robert Pinot Meunier - Willamette Valley...and we try a juice: huckleberry...

...because it was time for the final course: slow roasted duck breast with pickled mushrooms and woodruff, aka master of the woods. The duck was "lovingly raised by Koraley Orrit on Whidbey Island." And it was loverly indeed. Juicy, roasty, sweet and toasty.

What's next?

Dessert. Blackberries with pine ice cream and oats. It was like eating the Pacific Northwest. Pine-y, refreshing and sweet, it was a burst of foresty goodness.

And just to tip us over the edge, caramel.

And, done.

After dinner, we had a nice chat with Blaine and Aaron, and went to sleep with the fantastical Lummi Island in our stomachs.

day 8: lummi island

2011-09-20T21:03:00.017-04:00

The next morning began with a plate o' fruit and juice.

And what is this cute little duck dish that I must have?

Creamy baked eggs and cheese on a bed of mashed potatoes and a side of some maple-y bacon.

And this morning unfortunately, it was straight to Friday Harbor to catch the ferry back to Anacortes. Park the car, grab a latte and wait...

Once in Anacortes, we drove to Bellingham to catch another ferry to Lummi Island.

Pulled up to the small ferry terminal at Gooseberry Point, and just as we moved up in the line, the barrier closed in front of the car in front of us. Ah, well, we'll get on the next one. And twenty minutes later...

...we got on the impossibly small ferry, which looked like a little tugboat that could only hold six cars! In reality, it held about 15...and we happened to be one of the first cars in line. Doh! It felt like we were driving our car on the water.

Lummi Island is a wooded, rural island, with a population of about 800-something people, and pretty much nothing else here. It's a mix of fancy vacation homes and rundown "hoarders" ones, and most of the island is private property. There's a church, school, library, grocery, post office, espresso place, a few bed and breakfasts and two restaurants on this island. Why were we vacationing on this island?!

Well, one of the main reasons for our trip overall was to eat at the Willows Inn, where Blaine Wetzel is the chef as of last year. Wetzel, 25, worked under the tutelage of the legendary Rene Redzepi of Noma in Copenhagen, who is one of the pioneers of the "new Nordic" style of cooking. (Noma was named the best restaurant in the world by the S. Pellegrino World's 50 Best Restaurants this year.) Willows Inn was supposedly the North American Noma. Done. Then the next think you know....The Times mentioned Willows Inn as one of the 10 Restaurants worth a plane ride; one of the 41 Places to Go in 2011; and Frank Bruni touted its "incomparably fresh food," and used the words "rich," "buttery," "precious"... but he had me at "magical potato extract." Yes! This is for me. I'm drinking the potato Kool-Aid.

As soon as we got off the ferry, the first thing we did was pull into The Beach Store Cafe...

...right across from the ferry dock...

...to have some of these.

Matt had some fried oysters...

...and I had a big heap o' nachos!

After checking in, not much to do but a nice view...

We headed down a path...

...to the beach.

Gorgeousness one way...

...and surprise, the other way, too.

So many islands everywhere!

We took a walk south...

...and encountered this grossness...what looked like a skinned baby seal, with a skull sitting next to it's head...don't know if it's its own skull or what, but I'm leaving.

And I'm just going to lie here and mentally prepare myself for dinner.

day 7: san juan island

2011-09-15T21:27:00.058-04:00

The next morning, breakfast started out with fruit smoothies and fresh fruit and yogurt...

...which we ate in our little nook. I don't really enjoy eating with other people at bed and breakfasts, so this was perfect.

A giant and fluffy herb and cheese omelet accompanied by a giant slab o' ham. Yum.

Just in case that's not enough, some applesauce bread.

After breakfast, we headed over to Lime Kiln Point State Park, which was nearby.

And there's the Lime Kiln Point Lighthouse, which was completed in 1919, and Deadman Bay right in front.

This is the premier spot to watch for killer whales as they pass through Haro Strait. Unfortunately, there hadn't been any for a couple of days.

Yet everyone still keeps an eye out.

This little blubbery bit was lolling about, though. Unfortunately he seemed wounded, with some red areas around his neck.

We hiked around the area, passed by one of the restored limekilns, and then decided to head over to English Camp, an area that's on the north part of the island near Roche Harbor.

At English Camp, we began our hike of the 650-foot Mount Young, which rises directly behind Garrison Bay.

Along the way, a little British cemetery, where six Royal Marines are buried, though none of them died in a battle over the islands. From what I remember, the majority of them accidentally drowned, and one was accidentally shot by his brother.

Up we went...through some second-growth forests...

...and mossy mossiness.

Finally, at the summit of Mount Young...

...some wonderful vistas.

And some more here.

You better enjoy these vistas after hiking up here.

And after that...

...we hiked over to the other side, just to see what those vistas looked like from that angle. We liked it.

And, enough.

We're done here, right? Time to head back down...

...and freshen up at the Cask & Schooner back in Friday Harbor.

So close to Canada (actually, my cellphone determined we actually were in Canada and went on roaming), we had some poutine. Nothing like poutine after a morning of hiking.

Fish and Chips for lunch...

...and some clam chowder. This one actually jiggled...a lot. Definitely more liquidy.

After lunch, on our drive down to the southern tip of the island known as Cattle Point, we passed by a lookout point and swerved to pull over because we spied this little guy hanging around another car.

Silver fox!

He ran from that car...

...to our car....

...and back again, clearly unafraid of people, possibly having been fed before, clearly hungry and scrawny.

Stop for rest.

Oh, this way now?

Second thoughts?

Then back at it.

Foxy!

Then something suddenly spooked him and he was off in a split second, bounding up the hill.

And we left our lookspot over South Beach.

Off Cattle Point Road...

...we follow a trail...

...to the Cattle Point Lighthouse.

It's an oasis!

Haro Strait.

Windy up here.

And then that was the end of the trail.

We left Cattle Point...

...and drove down to South Beach, the island's longest public beach...

...covered in driftwood!

Back to lounge on the deck before dinner.

On the way to dinner, a field of purple at Pelindaba Lavender Farm.

After a drive over to the northeast side of the island, we get to our dinner destination...

...Duck Soup Inn, which the locals love as the "gourmet" spot.

It had a very cute and rustic interior.

The homemade bread here was delicious, as well as the anchovy butter.

Oddly, though, the soup and salad are part of the dinner price. At least both were good...here, our organic and local salad with watermelon, beets, greens, walnuts and blue cheese.

And a cup of the chocolate chili soup, yummy and southwestern.

We had an appetizer of heirloom tomatoes and basil from the garden...okay.

Matt had some local, wild salmon with sweet corn-basil butter, pickled Waldron Island red onions and fresh corn polenta...It was good, but not very exciting.

I had a seafood stew with scallops, prawns and salmon in a coconut curry sauce...Also fine and good, but it was just like any other seafood in coconut curry sauce you've had before. And it struck me how our previous night's dinner was also Southwestern and Asian. Hmm.

day 6: san juan island

2011-09-13T20:01:00.053-04:00

The next morning, Matt and I woke up super early to drive the 1.5 hours from Seattle to Anacortes to get on a morning ferry to Friday Harbor, San Juan Island.

The ferry ride was just over an hour, and in the morning it was gray, foggy and a little misty.

Once in town...

...some coffee at The Bean Cafe for a little pick-me-up before we headed over to a southern area of the island called American Camp, which the U.S. Army occupied from 1859 to 1874.

Dry and windswept prairie grasses abound.

The trail started out going through these grasses with a nice view of the beach and fields below, as well as Cattle Point Road.

We headed up a hill called Mount Finlayson, 290 feet highh. Okay, I'll put my climbing ropes away. But it was a quick ascent!

Up ahead, some crazy-looking and fast-moving fog was rolling in from the ocean.

I kept track of this wizardly fog...

...but soon the beast was behind us and we continued on our way on top of the hill, with the Haro Strait on our right and the forest on our left.

Speaking of beasties...all of a sudden, out of the corner of my eye, I noticed something nestled deep in the woods. Mr. Fox! I was so thrilled because I love red foxes and have never seen one in the wild.

Mr. Fox took notice of us, stared at us for a bit, then went back to basking in his sunny spot, bored with our excitement.

Back along the ridge...Haro Strait, a prime spot for whale watching, blended into the sky. We saw no whales.

We did startle a few deer as they were eating some berries, though. Actually, they startled me because they were so close and loud as they bounded away.

At the bottom of the hill, the scenery changed as we cut across a field and toward Third Lagoon. Here, I spied a perfect Christmas tree. Ship it!

Looking up from the open fields, we spied an eagle.

Then we headed into the woods, surrounded by Douglas Firs, western red cedars and Western hemlock. Check, check and check.

And promptly spotted a wonderful fungus.

With it's giant slug of a friend right next to it. Bleh.

I want to live THERE.

An opening to Third Lagoon.

Thar' she is on the left...

...and thar' she is on the right.

And thar' we are in front of Griffin Bay.

A nice layer of green scum on top of the lagoon.

It prompted Matt to throw some rocks.

Until he took interest in this large tree that appeared to have toppled off from the bank above.

Away we go, back into the woods.

Where we found some bright orange fungi. Good times.

We hiked over to Jackle's Lagoon...

...which had a lot o' driftwood all over the place. Look at this mess! Clean it up!

Come here, birdies! They pay me no heed.

Crab shell. Hello, sir.

This crane, clearly bothered by our presence, made some loud, deathly shrieks as it flew away across the water. Banshee!

So rocky...so quiet...with not a soul in sight.

Except for this little dude. Je suis un petite crabe.

Back in the woods...what on earth are these?!

Enough hiking. I need one of THESE.

We sat on the deck overlooking the harbor at Friday's Crabhouse...

...and shared a fish sandwich and fries.

Then we drove over to the west side of the island, through the lovely countryside, to get to our bed and breakfast: Highland Inn.

Only two wonderful rooms here off opposite ends of the living room...

...each with its own fireplace...

...and a spectacular deck...

...that overlooks Haro Strait. It almost felt like Hawaii here.

And homemade cookies on the table.

Soon enough though, dinner time. A drive through the valley to Friday Harbor...

...to eat at Backdoor Kitchen.

An "organic, natural" restaurant with an international menu...cozy and cute inside.

...we started with the Corn Masa Cake, topped with sharp white cheddar, sliced avocado, green onions, and red cabbage salad. Served with chipotle sour cream, pickled carrot and a lime wedge. Delicious! And very southwestern, one of my favorites.

Matt, being a messiah of the coconut, had the seared wild prawn skewer, served over a coconut-lime cold rice noodle salad with cucumbers, sugar snap peas, napa cabbage, watermelon, fresh mint, Thai basil, and green chili and topped with fried shallots. Love.

And I had the pan seared sea scallops topped wth a ginger sake beurre blanc and served with sesame scallion rice cakes and seasonal vegetables. Also, love.

And for dessert, to go, a coconut cream pie.

day 4 and 5: seattle and bainbridge island

2011-09-12T08:15:00.001-04:00

The next morning, we took a walk around Green Lake Park in Seattle and stopped by Mighty-O, which makes organic doughnuts, for a desperate pick-me-up. Here, a chocolate-iced doughnut with peanuts, and one with coconut.

A raspberry doughnut, some iced coffee, and we're all set.

After our morning walk, we drove over to Woodinville wine country, about a half hour drive away. And yes, it was already time for lunch, so we headed over to Purple Cafe & Wine Bar. A selection of cheeses to begin.

I had a yummy San Marzano tomato soup...

And a blta: thickly cut crisp bacon, greens, tomato, avocado and red pepper mayo. Delicious.

And the same for Matt, but with an apple, walnut and stilton salad.

Our first stop was Darby Winery, followed by DeLille Cellars. Tell us, Scott...do we spittoon our wine too much?

I concur, yes, we all concur.

Our favorite wines were at Stevens Winery, the last tasting we did. Excellent 2010 StevensDivio Viognier and 2008 StevensFranc, Cabernet Franc.

Back in Seattle, it's cocktail time at Via Tribunali in Fremont.

Margherita D.O.C. pomodoro, mozzarella di bufala, grana, basil.

Funghi: pomodoro, fresh mozzarella, oven roasted mushrooms, grana, basil

Salsiccia: pomodoro, fresh mozzarella, italian sausage, grana, basil.

All delicious, chewy, soft and nicely charred on the crust...and they give you a giant pair of scissors to cut your slices! Well, I've never done that before, but what fun.

The next morning, Scott makes us some espresso in the morning.

And then it was off to get more...coffee. I guess this is what everyone does in Seattle. Off to Espresso Vivace, where Matt and I get iced lattes. Excellent, yet not as strong as Freemont Coffee Company's.

Giant Top-Pot apple fritter anyone? Why, yes, thank you.

And then the four of us were off to catch the ferry to Bainbridge Island...so foggy! So creepy!

At least I can make out our wake here...how does anyone know where we're going?!

Hi, there. Can you get us out of this fog? I'm worried.

It's the opposite of dark and dreary inside the ferry.

But once we reach the island after about 45 minutes or so, the fog has lifted and it was gloriously blue.

The island was nice and quiet when we arrived on a Sunday morning...we strolled around the waterfront and through the fancy little town full of shops and galleries, and stopped in at Blackbird Bakery for some bialys.

Sat outside...

...as Peloton howled and howled as I cast a spell on him.

A drive around the island to took us on a tour of some magnificent houses all along the water...

...and some more light fog. Then it was time for lunch...

...at Fork and Spoon back in town. Here, a tunafish sandwich...

...quiche and farro and golden beet salad.

Goodbye, Bainbridge, you fanciful place.

Rainier in the distance...

...and back to Seattle...

...to grill some halibut...

...and peppers for fish tacos.

Well that's handy.

A view of Fremont bridge from the roof...

...and the Queen Anne neighborhood across the way.

A lovely evening.

day 3: mount rainier and seattle

2011-09-08T18:35:00.051-04:00

The next morning, we headed out to hike an area near Paradise called Bench and Snow Lake trail.

It started out as if we were walking around in someone's wonderful garden leading to a secret house.

Rainier in the background.

Farther down the way, a lake...

And it was a stunning view of Bench Lake, with Rainier in the background. Breathtaking! Apparently Bench Lake is so named because the flat area around the lake is called "The Bench." I wish there was one for me now to sit upon.

And...the other side of the lake. So lonely without Rainier.

So clear! So inviting! Yet so freezing.

We continued our hike up, which became a little steep and tiresome.

Crossed a log. I love log crossings! I want to specialize.

I can start practicing now, yes?

And thar' she is! A most exquisitely turquoise lake, clear as day and kind of creepy.

Remains of a glacier from the Tatoosh Range were melting right into it.

Peer into its eerie shallowness! Sunken trees were like strange corpses.

This very lovely area also had two nice campsites.

But no camping for us. Matt wanted to traverse this area full of rocks, which looked frightening to me, and I swore I heard some creaky noises as if the rocks were all going to release upon us!

We traversed, hopping across larger rocks, and spied a waterfall across the way.

Goodbye, Snow Lake. Time to hike back and find a spot for lunch.

Apparently this bugaroo has done the same on our car.

Our last afternoon in Rainier before heading back to Seattle to visit my sister, Scott and Peloton.

Back in Seattle...Pearl Jam's recording studio in the neighborhood.

First order of business, after a most delicious iced coffee at Fremont Coffee, were some pies at, well, Pie. Here, an English meat pie. Very meaty and very Englishy...

...and then a sweet pie: pineapple meringue.

Some entertainment from Peloton the puggle doggie.

Before dinner, some wine tasting at Almquist Wine & Spirits, which makes 12 single varietal wines and one blended, all from Washington grapes.

I concur, it's tasty.

Next door, dinner at Book Bindery, which is the southern bank of the Ship Canal in what used to be a book bindery.

The inside reminded me of a Hamptons/Connecticut style, although it really was supposed to resemble a reading room. But we sat in the greenhouse.

A gingery lemon cocktail for me.

A goat cheese tartlet amuse bouche.

The herbed butter with bread was outrageously good.

Scott started with the farro salad: quinoa, mint, compressed cucumber and lemon oil.

My sis had the compressed watermelon with caramelized pork belly and a basil-coconut sauce. A lot of compression going on here!

And Matt had a special appetizer of the evening, which was a fluke crudo with radishes and cucumber. There were several hilarious moments as the excellent waitstaff told us all the components of our meal in great detail, even explaining the positioning and shapes of things: squares placed in the center of the plate, and a sauce just around the perimeter. It all reminded me of that episode of "Portlandia" where the couple asks about their farm-raised chicken or salmon.

So when my bowl of chilled white gazpacho with dungeness crab, pickled grapes and Marcona almonds came around, I had a great moment of hilarity. Before the soup was poured by the waiter, he explained the pile of ingredients in my bowl. "This ring represents the components that make up the gazpacho: the grapes, almonds and crab." Ring?! Represent?! Nevermind mind that they actually ARE the components. No, no. Here, my friends, they represent the soup. Love it. Then, as he proceeded to pour forth the sacred liquid from his little pitcher, he warned me, "I will now obscure the components." Nooooo! I cannot eat obscured food! Must...see...everything! (It all, by the way, was delicious.)

Sister had the caramelized sea scallops with chanterelle mushrooms, green asparagus and bacon jam.

Scott enjoyed the seared halibut with brandade, radishes and a piquillo pepper vinaigrette.

Matt had the duo of rabbit: bacon wrapped loin and stuffed leg with summer corn, herb spaetzle and maple-bourbon jus.

Once I emerged from my curtain, I enjoyed my entree of Anderson ranch lamb with house made falafel, young artichokes and a lemon chickpea puree. All delicious, although I could have used a little more puree and falafel! Or maybe that was just the falafel pita in me talking.

And for dessert, a very lovely strawberry cream financier. A wonderful meal that was a far cry from mountain lodge-style, gravity-defying clam chowder.

day 2: mount rainier

2011-09-06T21:32:00.064-04:00

The next morning, eggs, sausage and potatoes...can't go wrong. We were headed to Sunrise for some hiking, which is on the northeast side of the mountain.

Leaving Paradise to begin the 1.5 hour drive around Rainier, we pass by the Reflection Lakes.

Our trusty Impala.

The drive felt super long, but was breathtaking along the entire way.

Finally we reach Sunrise, and it's perfectly sunny and had many more wildflowers than at Paradise.

And...hike to there!

We head out on the nature trail.

Rainier in the distance.

I spy Shadow Lake, where we'll eventually hike down to.

The hills are alive! I break out into song.

On the Sourdough Ridge Trail. Beware of falling rocks!

Or flowering ones.

And posing with mountains.

We reach Frozen Lake. What's that shelf of snow doing there? Shovel it off!

At the bottom, a chipmunk expresses interest in an abandoned pack.

After crossing a bit of snow, we head down toward Shadow Lake.

This part of the trail had a nice amount of purple and red wildflowers.

And some more large chipmunks. This one was backpack free.

We reached Shadow Lake, which had all sorts of crazy colors going on.

Ready for a dip? No swimming or fishing allowed!

Okay, I'll make do with my flowers.

We leave the lake...

...and make our way to more foresty...

...and flowered trails.

A view of the Cascades.

A swimming pool of sorts. I'll take it.

An interesting ridge catches our eye.

As does some bear poop! What?! Oh dear....this causes me to freak out and start walking the trail while shouting and clapping my hands like a fool so as not to surprise any potential bear. We...musn't...surprise! When will this trail end?!

And the trail does end...and there she was. Bear! In a sunny spot about 50 feet away from us.

Oh dear, bear, bear, BEAR!

But as I took great interest in her, she seemed to have no interest in us, only in her foraging.

Um, did I say bear?! After my hysteria and finally absorption of the bear, our hike came to an end. Time for lunch and a break, and then a drive to Sunrise Point for a different hike.

It was all the way downhill until we reached that lake over yonder.

Sunrise Lake.

Okay...fine with me.

But Matt goes on to explore and report back.

And then back up we go, and back to the car.

Ew, and this thing was on our window. Git!

On our way back to Paradise, we stop in Ohanapecosh to walk through the Grove of the Patriarchs, just west of the Stevens Canyon entrance.

An old-growth forest surrounded us, but unfortunately this trail had more people on it. And a lot of fallen, humongous trees.

And more creatures on the trees. What is this frothiness?

Oh, just a second as I get this out of our way.

The trail runs along the Ohanapecosh River...

Until you have to lift a huge tree out of your path, like so.

Cross a rickety bridge...

...to peer into the abyss.

The abyss, I say!

Or just an island of ancient Western red-cedar, Douglas-fir and Western hemlock.

Not as big as in California, but very lovely.

Some strange red, coppery and toxic-looking things resided in the water.

Quickly! Back across the bridge and away we go, back to Paradise.

Back at the lodge, some time to relax in the great room with some wine and spinach artichoke dip. A good way to start to fill up before eating dinner. Our new gameplan.

This time, I ordered a smaller salad, the Paradise Greens: "gourmet salad mix, vine ripened tomato, fresh cucumber served with Trailblazer blackberry vinaigrette." BS! The salad was very salad-bar-esque. At least it was small, and at least it was edible. And the dressing was pretty decent. But they actually chose to put it on the side, in a little glass bowl. Instead of the requisite drenching of nastiness they had done earlier with Matt's meatloaf the previous evening.

Matt had the caprese salad: "vine ripened tomato and fresh mozzarella cheese drizzled with balsamic vinegar, garnished with fresh basil." Uff! That balsamic was horrendous...it was not balsamic. I don't know what it was...some sort of ancient brew. Fail!

In order to avoid being surprised by anything newly inedible, I ordered a bowl of the clam chowder, which we had tried the night before. Somehow, it was the only tolerable thing, even in its barely jiggle-able Campbell's tasting form.

Sticking only to salad and soup, Matt ordered the Soup du Jour, which we were pretty sure was the soup du jour all 365 days of the year: potato leek. Bearable. Barely.

We ran outside to beg the deer to share their berries with us.

And spent the rest of the evening lounging in the great room, listening to the piano player and gawking at the vast array of stars in the night sky.

day 1: mount rainier

2011-09-06T18:37:00.040-04:00

Our trip to the Pacific Northwest began early. After a 7 am flight from Newark to Seattle, we picked up our car rental then hightailed it to Mt. Rainier, quickly changed our clothes and immediately began hiking as if we were in some sort of Amazing Race. During the two hour drive from Seattle to Mt. Rainier National Park, the glacier-encrusted mountain loomed in the distance like a mirage. And you're always looking for it...there, over there...and look, there! And then finally, BAM...it seems smack in front of you on the road.

We were staying at the Paradise Inn at one of the five bases, this one called, well, Paradise (5,400 feet). Before our trip, I had read about the record amounts of snow that wasn't melting and was turning hikers away during the long, cold summer. Disappointed wildflower seekers were having to scour for flowers in the parking lot. Forty-four inches of snow at Paradise was what I kept hearing, and of course, freaking myself out about. Visions of hiking in shorts (what, you don't have these visions?) went down the drain. Ski hat, gloves and vest were packed.

But it was glorious! Glorious, warm, shorts-hiking weather. Yes, shorts-hiking is a forecast! So, we changed into...shorts...and off we went to start our wanderings around Paradise.

Oh...hmm...I'm starting to see some snow patches here and there. Not so bad.

Oh dear! Quite snowy and ominous over there. Stay away from there.

We'll stay here.

Now this looks nice, yes please. Very "Sound of Music."

Babbling brooks and waterfalls...done and done.

Okay, a little more than babbling.

I'm going to eat you for sustenance. I learned it on Man vs. Wild.

No! What is this? We trek across the snowy patch, which was slippery slidey.

We continue on our merry way.

No! Whaa?? I didn't bring skis!

THIS is as far as I go.

But Matt forges on through the snow and I can only follow, slipping and sliding.

Eventually, I protest after even more steep snow and warnings from some passing hikers about bears up ahead. Um, not for me. So we hike back down and head into some verdant green.

A hoary marmot! And that's not an insult. We saw a few of these digging around.

We pass Myrtle Falls...

...on our way back to the lodge.

Paradise Inn was originally built in 1916. Very rustic!

I love all these lanterns and the toasty fireplaces that flanked the room.

Dinner was served in the large dining room between 5:30 pm and 8 pm. And, sad to say, we were in there eating at 5:30 pm, still being on New York time.

The bread was warm and dinner rolly enough.

I started with a salad. Actually, "started" is an understatement. What is this monstrosity?! I ordered the Alaskan smoked salmon Caeasar salad because it was marked as "local, organic or sustainable." All well and good, and most of it highly dubious. This should have been marked as an entree. What a monstrosity! It was on a large dinner-plate sized shallow bowl and packed full of boringness and tastelessness. And do you like my little clump of odd rectangular pieces of what was clearly not Parmesan cheese? Cards anyone?

Matt made the same mistake, except where mine failed in both flavor and portion, his dish at least had some goodness to it. But this bowl of Northwest clam chowder was not what I would call a bowl. It was another dinner-plate sized "bowl" of crazy. Although the clam chowder was good, it's texture was a little insane. It barely jiggled when shook and eventually you felt ill, as if you were spooning mouthfuls of thick, heavy cream into your mouth every few seconds.

But that was only the beginning of our TGIF's-meets-National-Park cuisine. Matt ordered a so-called favorite: Bourbon Buffalo Meatloaf, which was ground buffalo sirloin, beef and pork with a Jack Daniel's sauce, served with Yukon Gold mashed potatoes and fresh seasonal vegetables. Um, would you like some sauce with that? According to Matt, this dish was awful...a pile of sawdust covered in a thick, cloying sauce. Okay, I know we are in the mountains, far far away, and most everything must be frozen and shipped in an expensive process. But I have had frozen vegetables that are better than this sad, sad medley that should never be called fresh nor seasonal on the menu. The hard carrots had a white coating to them, and everything tasted of freezer burn. Yes, fresh, as in freshly poured from the icy bag.

You cannot look at this Parmesan chicken dish and not laugh. It's hilarious! It's like Sponge Bob Square Pants exploded, then quickly threw on some rectangular sheets of "Parmesan" cheese that he found from my Caesar salad. Once again, those "fresh seasonal" veggies reared their freezer-burned heads. We accepted our meals for what they were and were in bed at the glorious hour of 8:30 pm.

a jaunt

2011-08-24T00:00:00.000-04:00

Off to sunny Seattle and the San Juan Islands. Be back soon.

north fork day 3

2011-08-14T14:46:00.020-04:00

Our final morning in the North Fork began with some delicious salmon, dill and cream cheese.

And again those scrumptious scones.

As well as a mushroom and homemade ricotta tart.

Compressed melon, meaning it was compressed a la sous vide, which turns it a vibrant orange and has a very different texture than regular melon.

Then it was off to Kenny's Beach, which had a nice breeze going.

And was also nice and quiet...

...on both sides. I think this beach turned out to be our favorite one.

Back to the Lunch Truck for a bite to eat...

Matt had the North Fork-style Berkshire pulled pork roll with charred tomatillo-poblano sauce and pepper jack cheese. Saucy, spicy, sloppy goodness.

I had the Hartmann's artisan all-beef hot dog served on a toasted Blue Duck Bakery roll with bread & butter pickle relish, apple cider vinegar-glazed onion and housemade sauerkraut. Also sloppy goodness.

And for dessert, a deliciously chewy chocolate chip cookie was perfection. I tend to like them chewy and thin.

We sat outside in our lawn chairs and sipped our lemonade, savoring our last bit o' vacation time.

On our drive back, we stopped in at...

Briermere Farms.

Were we here for the peaches?

The corn, perhaps?

Or some pretty little lettuce heads?

No, we were here for the pies.

They didn't sell pies by the slice, so the logical solution was to buy a whole pie. We opted for blueberry because we couldn't travel with a cream pie. I suppose we could have just eaten the whole thing in the car.

Instead, when we got home, it was blueberry pie for a good portion of dinner. It was wonderful, with a flaky and buttery crust and blueberries that held together nicely. Pie. A perfect end to our jaunt.

north fork day 2

2011-08-07T15:06:00.032-04:00

The next day began with a breakfast of a delicious spinach, cheese and potato quiche, and possibly the best homemade blueberry scones...

...served in the common room at the inn.

We decided to head back to Orient Beach State Park this morning.

On one side of the road were a few osprey nests.

On the other side, the beach.

Where it was nice and empty.

After a few hours of beach time, it was time for lunch.

So off to the North Fork Table & Inn's Lunch Truck, also run by Chef Gerry Hayden and Claudia Fleming.

We each had the most scrumptious lobster roll...

...North Fork potato chips...

...and passionfruit ice tea...

...and sat in the inn's patio area to nosh.

Are you gonna finish that?

After lunch, we headed over to Goldsmith Inlet Beach. In the shallow area were a few people digging around in the water for creatures.

So instead, we headed over a sandy mound...

...and found a quiet stretch of beach.

Apparently there were jellyfish in the water.

The other way, too.

All that relaxing seems to somehow work up an appetite.

So back to Greenport for dinner.

We peeked in at Claudio's to see if we should get a drink, but the place was full of loud families and children.

So instead we headed over to The Frisky Oyster for dinner, which unfortunately didn't have a very inviting bar area. So we got seated in the dining room which had a lounge/club atmosphere going. It wasn't just the impossible darkness, red crazily-pattered wallpaper and booths that helped that scene, but also the Hotel Costes that was playing on the speakers. I have to say, that makes for a very nauseating eating experience. Seriously!

I actually did get nauseous. But quickly stuffed myself with some delicious bread and that rapidly helped.

Matt had a wonderful corn soup with truffle foam to start. The corn was from Sep's, which we passed several times in Orient, and it was sweet and truffly very lovely.

Sadly I didn't make a good decision and had the Pipes Cove Oysters Friskafella, which the waiter told me was very popular and one of their signature dishes. The oysters were baked with garlic-scented spinach, chipotle and parmigiano aioli. It was too salty, and I didn't taste any oyster...just the overwhelming flavors of cheese, spinach and garlic, which is fine, but...after a few bites I felt like I was eating spoon after spoon of spinach artichoke dip. Can I get a cracker?

For my main dish, I had the local striped bass with salsa crudo, gazpacho and crispy tortillas. Which was fine, nothing great. The fish was cooked very nicely and tasted fresh, but basically the overall dish was one of those "it is what it is" dishes: bass sitting in gazpacho.

Matt had the Crescent Farms Duck Breast, with local corn pudding, roasted aucchini and Wolffer verjus gastrique. All, what Matt said, was fine but forgettable.

The Parmesan truffle fries were all brown and soggy, but despite their sad texture, tasted good. But hey, no crispy fries? Sacrilege.

And for dessert, we got the local peach and blueberry cobbler with vanilla ice cream. The peaches and blueberries were perfection, but unfortunately the taste of raw dough sank it all. Ah well. At least that soup left us with a happy memory.

the north fork: day 1

2011-08-02T19:08:00.036-04:00

A jaunt to the North Fork began with our stay in Southold, which was glorious, quiet and delicious countryside. This little red barn and green fields was right next door to where we were staying.

Which was here, at one of the four guestrooms in this historic little house...

...The North Fork Table and Inn. Which is also the home of a restaurant run by Gerry Hayden — an alumnus of Aureole and nominee for the James Beard Best Chef: North East — and his wife, the pastry chef Claudia Fleming, who was once at Gramercy Tavern and won the James Beard Award as Pastry Chef of the Year in 2000.

The drive there is pleasant, full of fields and farms...

...and vineyards, of course. It's Long Island Wine Country. And signs will tell you so.

After arriving in Southold, we headed over to Town Harbor beach for a brief respite overlooking the bay.

When it was time for lunch, we drove to Greenport, about a seven-minute drive into a much more crowded and trendy town where the typical art galleries, ice cream parlors and Calypso St. Barths abound.

Front Street...doesn't look like much in this photo, but this is sort of the main drag.

Matt contemplates the restaurant across the street, which vouches for its real authentic Texas barbecue.

We decide not to go there, and head over toward a place right on the water.

At Scrimshaw, it was way too hot and searing to sit out on the dock, so we ate inside, in a space that was totally devoid of any atmosphere except for the one created by its discombobulated and untrained teenage waitstaff. Which I didn't mind, because hey, it's a beach town. But that soon devolved into a little absurdity. And why were the shades down in this water-view place?

I should have stuck to some North Fork wine, but I was so hot that I ordered this somewhat tasteless but good enough hibiscus ice tea to cool down.

Is it just me, or is it bizarre that some people have no clue what an oyster po boy is? Like, no inkling that it's something with oysters, potentially a sandwich of some sort? What are they imagining? I sort of don't want to know, I guess. Well, poor boy or po boy, I was kind of perplexed by this when two different customers at two different tables asked the waiter what an oyster po boy was. And the waiter's response? "Hmmm...I don't know, I'll have to check on that for you." What?! That immediately made me brace myself for what we had ordered, po boy or not. But thank goodness that it was delicious and that it came with a very yummy and refreshing homemade coleslaw.

I went for the salmon and shrimp cake sandwich (hope that is clear) with homemade coleslaw as well. Loved, although could have used a little more salt. The boy waiter eventually came around (twice) and asked us "if everything was really good." Bizarre choice of phrase, but we concurred. As I was still delving into the second half of my sandwich, the boy waiter asked us if he could get us any dessert.

What?! Now, yes, ordinarily I would like this kind of thinking. Ready for dessert always and any ways. But I literally had my mouth full, eating my main course, nowhere near finished, and I was thinking, um, yeah, bring it, bring it now, just put the dessert RIGHT HERE. (Instead, I said no thanks.)

After lunch, we headed to the very tippy tip of the North Fork: Orient Point, and then out on to the thin strippy strip of beach that is Orient Beach State Park, surrounded by Long Beach Bay and Gardiners Bay. So thin! So narrow!

So blue. I believe that's Gardiners Island out in the distance.

Sailing anyone? Not I.

Orient Ferry in the left corner.

In East Marion, we stopped by a lavender farm called Lavender By the Bay. Unfortunately, it was all already harvested. Don't you hate it when that happens?

I spy some potted lavender at the store. How sad.

But you can see that Matt has enough lavender satchets that he doesn't need to browse for more. Okay, time to get out of here and head back to the inn.

The real purpose of the trip was to eat at the North Fork Table & Inn, where we were staying. The restaurant's menus focus on seasonally inspired locally grown biodynamic organic produce, and seafood from the Peconic Bay and Long Island Sound. Yes, please.

Our Chef's Tasting dinner that evening began with an amuse of some deliciously spicy and creamy gazpacho.

Warm bread and scrumptious butter.

Raw hamachi and seared Hudson Valley foie gras with glazed daikon, radish syrup and micro red mustard greens. A little sweet but when served such a thing it's hard to complain. And it was so cute, like a little pet to keep in a tank or something.

Sea scallops with sunchoke cream and pickled carrots. My favorite dish.

Um, maybe this was my favorite dish, actually. Creamy and corny sweet corn risotto...sweet and succulent.

Already getting full, this was the perfect portion of ridiculosity: charred grassfed black angus striploin of beef with garlic scented Swiss chard, chicken mushrooms and crispy potato cake.

Okay, now this really was my favorite...a pre-dessert to cleanse the palate with dessert before dessert: coconut tapioca with passionfruit sorbet. Creamy, coconutty, almost like a rice pudding.

Chocolate soufflé tart with mint ice cream. Yes, lava inside.

But this was the best dessert: mixed raspberries with raspberry sorbet and yogurt sabayon. Must. Eat. Every. Day. For breakfast, yes?

And a post-dessert: mini high-falutin' s'smores...a nightcap indeed.

sour season

2011-07-24T15:43:00.003-04:00

The high heat of July brings with it sour cherry pie. I had heard from a sour cherry scout that the cherries weren't that great this season, and I didn't see that much at the Greenmarket in Union Square either. But Matt's family went sour cherry picking upstate and brought back a loadful. And pie it had to be.

Sour Cherry Pie
(makes one nine-inch pie)

6 tablespoons flour
homemade all butter pie crust
2 large eggs, beaten
1 tablespoon milk
7 cups sour cherries, pitted
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter cut into small pieces

On a lightly floured surface, roll out one of the discs of dough very thinly, about 1/8-inch thick, and about 13 inches in diameter. Drape over a 9-inch pie pan and chill in the fridge for about 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk the beaten egg and milk together and set aside. In another large bowl, combine the cherries, lemon juice, sugar, flour, salt, vanilla and cinnamon, and pour into the chilled bottom crust. Dot all over with pieces of the butter.

Roll out the remaining dough to the same size and thickness. With the eggwash, brush the rim of the bottom crust, place the top crust on top, trim the excess overhang, and crimp the two crusts together into a decorative pattern with a fork or your fingers. Or make a fun lattice crust if you desire! Chill the whole pie in the fridge for another 20 minutes or until firm. Brush the top with egg wash, sprinkle with some sanding sugar and bake for 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350 degrees and bake another 30 to 40 minutes. Some juice may leak out the top. Let cool before serving. Mmmm. Delicious!

happy fourth

2011-07-11T21:17:00.005-04:00

Loose and juicy. It might be how you describe yourself, but it was also what came to mind for a dessert on July 4. With no real plans but work this year, I decided the least I could do was whip up an easy blueberry crisp. Because it's simple, it's fast and it's, well, loose and juicy.

Blueberry Crisp
(serves 8)

3 pints blueberries
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch (or a teaspoon more if you want it thicker)
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt

3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup sugar

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Mix the blueberries, sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice and salt in a bowl. Transfer to an 8-inch square baking dish.

In another bowl, stir together the flour, oats, baking powder and salt. Cream the butter and sugar in a mixer until pale and fluffy. Stir the dry ingredients into butter. Using your fingers, squeeze the topping pieces together into clumps.

Sprinkle the topping evenly over the blueberry filling. Bake until bubbling in the center and brown on top, about 1 hour. Transfer to a wire rack to cool for 30 minutes before serving. Serve with blueberry ice cream if you desire.

it takes a village

2011-07-03T18:27:00.012-04:00

The best meals are often the sloppiest hot messes of a dinner...One that begins with fighting through a busload of Chinese people, rationalizing an hour and a half wait, and downing vodka sodas as you wait for your deli-ticket number to be called to be seated, yet somehow your ticket reads number 86 (or is that 98?) and they're only on number 44. Yes, it was dinner at Congee Village.

I mean, is there a better way to start a meal than waiting on a chair like this? It screams good times.

Finally, a table arrives, hot tea is spilled everywhere and a waiter's rushed and authoritative presence seems to make us only helplessly grovel and order food apologetically. First up, hot and sour soup.

Steamed juicy buns. I'm climbing in.

Pork fried rice. It does the body good. No, you say?

Singapore-style Mei Fun. Indeed.

Hot beef sauteed with satay sauce in sizzling hot plate. You had me at hot.

Scallion pancake.

And of course, congee, or plain porridge.

And that was dinner.

day trip

2011-06-25T15:42:00.020-04:00

The other weekend, Matt and I made a jaunt to Rhinebeck, NY, where we hiked around Ferncliff Forest, a preserved old-growth forest on 192 acres.

Sporangium! Or somesuch.

Gross! But kind of cute, too.

We made our way around a pond and on a short trail, climbed a watchtower...

...and we rewarded with a wonderful view of the Hudson.

Huh...far nicer than the Hudson I know in Manhattan.

A spy a little house down there that must be mine. Anyway, seriously hot, and seriously sweaty and hearing mosquitoes all around me, I've had enough. Must eat!

Back in town, we sit outside at Terrapin and cool down with a beer and ice tea.

A slider...extremely rare, juicy and delectable. Always a good thing to have a burger as an appetizer.

Matt had the potato gnocchi with sauteed duck livers, shitake mushrooms and leeks in a sage cream sauce. Delicioso. What, that's not how you follow up a hike?

I had the crab cakes with cipotle remoulade, shitake mushrooms and sesame seeds. Again, delicioso. Except that mixed salad was DRENCHED in salad dressing.

These trees were calling us in in Hyde Park...so we stopped.

They belonged to the grounds at the Vanderbilt Mansion.

Look at this one! I love it...it's like it's screaming, I'm too beeeg! So sleepy...so tired...

We somehow end up with a tour of the mansion...Very Frenchified, very gilt, very musty...

Finally, Matt kicked some sense into the both of us and said, What are we doing? We didn't come here to be cooped up inside in some musty mansion!

So we deserted the tour group and inspected the grounds...so many crazy looking old trees...

...lazed about in the grass...

...and then called it an afternoon.

wanderings

2011-06-12T17:18:00.017-04:00

They say never to go to a grocery store hungry. Well, the same can be said for just leaving your apartment. Here, a round-up of snacks, bites and maybe-we-shoulds as a result of strolling while hungry. First up, a toast with smoked red trout and three onion cream and capers from Blue Ribbon Bakery Market.

Another toast with egg shooters and pickled peppers and olive oil mayo.

This vanilla macaron from Mille Feuille tastes just like vanilla icing. In a good way.

And their croissant is intensely buttery, also in a good way. Possibly one of the butteriest.

One of my favorite things from The Adore, when it shows up because it's not always there, is the strawberry cream cake. I want to nestle into one of those layers.

Can't resist a sugar donut from Panya Bakery.

And the curry donut.

The vanilla macaron from Francois Payard Bakery is my favorite in all the city.

Quiche Lorraine with ham, Swiss cheese and bacon is heavy, custardy and lovely.

For some reason, I'm always drawn to pretzel baguettes. Here, one filled with a chive omelet, apple smoked bacon and tartar sauce.

Over at the Boise Tea Parlor...

...there are all sorts of macaron flavors like yuzu and chai...wasn't so crazy about the untraditional flavors.

Matt enjoyed this matcha eclair, but I did not.

I do love the lamb paneer roll with grilled cheese, red onions and coriander from THELEwala...

...and the Tawa chicken fry, sauteed with onions, coriander and house blend masala, served with paratha.

The BLT from Organicoa on the Hudson River Greenway makes for a lovely waterside brunch bite.

a pilgrimage

2011-06-02T18:42:00.012-04:00

I have been away, making a pilgrimage to the holy mecca of Tex Mex. I worshiped at the alter of refried beans and cheese, self-flogged over some cheese enchiladas and witnessed miracles by way of chili con queso. Okay, I was really just in Houston, basically doing a quick carb-load on some of my favorites: Tex Mex (you can pretty much walk into any place in Houston and get it good); Cafe Annie and Taco Milagro.

We went to the newly opened El Real Tex-Mex Cafe, which specializes in vintage Tex Mex, brought to us from the guys who opened Reef. Under the watchful eyes of giant portraits in the dining room of Tex-Mex legends Felix Tijerina, Leo Reynosa and Mama Ninfa Laurenzo, I indulged in the hot mess you see here. And you know you're eating real Tex Mex if it looks like an unidentifiable hot mess of cheesy and gooey wtf. Otherwise known as Enchiladas #7: 3 cheese enchiladas with chili con carne. The diced onions on top are a must. And my pants are a bust.

Chips and salsa, as it should be: free, fried and spicy.

My sister had her own hot mess going on. Here, the Veggie #7: 2 cheese enchiladas, friday sauce, refried black beans. Git 'er done.

On to the next: Taco Milgaro. That's Taco Miracle to you non Tex-Mex types. Although, this isn't really traditional Tex Mex, it's a different take on it and it does the body good. (But not if you want to remain skinny.) I must come here at least once or twice when in Houston, and get the grilled chicken burrito with refried beans and chihuahua cheese.

Grilled fish tacos with cucumber, pico de gallo, shredded lettuce and spicy sauce.

And the final stop is RDG + Bar Annie. Put all your worries about the BP oil spill behind and enjoy your Gulf crab cocktail with jicama lime and avocado sauce with tortilla chips. In Texas, most things should be...chip-able.

And in that vein...the chile con queso.

Snapper over polenta.

Wood-grilled filet mignon with tarragon Bearnaise, potato and asparagus cake.

Crispy rolled chicken tacos with avocado and tossed greens.

And I had the Steak and Fries: NY Steak with RDG Steak Sauce...

...and handmade fries. (Glad they're not robot made.)

And for dessert, a cheesecake with strawberries...

...and an apple and goat cheese crepe with cajeta and dulce de leche ice cream.

the patriot act

2011-05-18T21:09:00.009-04:00

American. Not New American. That's what Andrew Carmellini's new restaurant, The Dutch, is labeled as. And what does American even mean? Steak? Yes. Fried chicken? Yes. Burger and fries? Yes. Turkey sandwich? Yes. Pot pie? Yes. Apple pie? Yes. Seriously, everything and anything is here, and I guess that's pretty fitting for American. But it all had a very odd effect on me, which I like to call the TGIF-ification of my dinner. All these choices were a little overwhelming and little too all over the place. I definitely prefer less choice to more, and this vast array made me want to corral it all in a spiral-bound and sticky laminated menu a la Cheesecake Factory. Nevertheless, I digress! But it's hard not to when there's so much to digress to.

We begin with a little fried oyster sandwich. So adorable I must leash it. But I eat it instead and love it. This photo makes it look a whole lot bigger than it is. Trust me. It's a lap puppy. Leash it.

We're always told to back up our hard drive, so we did. Here, a Malpeque, P.E.I., and a Wellfleet, MA. Unfortunately, one of them was not good. At all.

But forget all that Eastern Seaboard stuff. Let's go to Texas, where the jalapeno cheddar cornbread is just right. I obsess over this stuff because I ate it growing up, and this one does the body good.

If anything screams Chili's or TGIF's, it's having an Asian-inspired salad somewhere on the menu. And here it was...dressed string beans with peanuts. Good, but hey. You look familiar...

For a main course, the sea scallops with spring peas, bacon and pickled ramps. Delicious, springy and refreshing, yet somehow pretty much as you would expect a nice scallop dish to be.

Sadly, I wasn't crazy about my main dish! I wanted to like it so much, but it was a disappointment: steamed striped bass with citrus and achiote, accompanied by what was supposed to be arroz verde but was dirty rice. The fish itself was nice, but it was DROWNING in this cloying and less than spectacular sauce. Drowning! Of all the dishes, this seemed the most TGIF's.

But! You will find here the quintessential American thing done spectacularly right: French fries! So crispy, so golden and so perfect.

And even better, and a real surprise, was the amazing coconut cream pie. This, my friends, was my favorite thing here and I am coming back early and often for this sultry and silky delight.

mother's day brunch

2011-05-11T20:03:00.001-04:00

Mother's Day brunch. On the menu: salmon eggs benedict with a dill bernaise sauce, roasted potatoes and mixed greens from the Union Square greenmarket. I've made bernaise several times, and it's the simplest thing, yet the most persnickety! Any little bit that's off turns the whole thing into a fiasco, yet when everything goes right, you can't ever believe why people think it's difficult. I've made it ahead of time instead of serving immediately (shocking!), keeping it warm over barely simmering water; I've made it and served it immediately (stressful!) and I've made it with shallots (fancy) and without. I've scrambled the egg yolks, had the butter separate, and yet, when you don't do any of that, and achieve silky, rich perfection, the whole thing takes 3 minutes. Persnickety!

For dessert, a berry pudding with whipped cream.

Finally, peonies are here. Rejoice, people.

easter brunch

2011-05-02T21:19:00.014-04:00

Ready? Easter brunch. Go!

I don't know about you, but sipping pink soup out of a gold-rimmed cup is a fine way to wile away the afternoon.

But we must move on ... to other pink food! Here, a beet and herring salad.

Perhaps some Polish ham and sausage?

And a riveting ruby shade of horseradish to top it off.

What, you don't like pink? Fine, no color for you, then!

Okay, fine. Sadly, I will have to move on from pink. But there are other things to tend to. Such as deviled eggs.

This is my bed pillow. It is made of duck pate. It is unavailable at Macy's.

Peas? Corn? Carrots? Take a number.

Sauce! One of my best friends.

Mazurek for dessert.

I made a Polish babka with raisins, almonds and orange and lemon zest. Leftovers will make a bread pudding.

Happy Easter!

southern fried

2011-04-19T20:38:00.009-04:00

There's nothing that speaks to me more than southern country food or Tex-Mex. And both can be surprisingly difficult to find in this city with every possible niche. Sure you can FIND them, but there's always something missing or something not quite the way you want it to be at each of these places, like the refried beans being black instead of pinto or there's brown gravy instead of white with the chicken fried steak. But Pies n Thighs in Williamsburg comes pretty darn close to a southern fried delight. We met up with Erik and Maria for an early brunch and ordered what felt like everything. Here, the fried chicken with a side of spicy black eyed pea salad.

The Rob Evans: sausage gravy, egg and cheese on a biscuit. Ridic.

The Hippie Banjo: egg, cheddar, avocado, tomato, sprouts and mayo on homemade anadama. At least somebody is eating something garden-y.

Two fried eggs with a biscuit and grits...love the salsa on the side.

And if there's one on the menu, I must have it: the chicken biscuit. Nice and spicy! I die.

For dessert, a fried apple pie. Omg I cannot resist one of these either. I mean, I'll eat a Mrs. Bairds fried pie any day, don't get me wrong, but when one of these handmade pies is fresh, I feel like I sort of short circuit for a little bit.

And to top it all off, an old fashioned donut. *quiver*

dinner party

2011-04-10T21:53:00.003-04:00

For a little dinner gathering, Matt and I made a roasted leg of lamb (marinated in lemons and garlic) with some creamy polenta and haricot vert in a dill dressing. For all you entertainers out there, I'd like to proclaim that yes, you can successfully reheat polenta, if you do it slowly and add more liquid. I have been tormented by polenta before, its thick, hot and bursting bubbles splashing on my arms as I furiously try to whisk for 20 minutes straight over a hot stovetop and then serving immediately in a sweaty mess. Unpleasant. After experimenting with all sorts of polenta variations, I'm going to go with what I know: cheesy and creamy is best. And easy.

Cheesy, Creamy Polenta
(serves 6)

4 cups chicken stock
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1/2 cup whipped cream cheese
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan, and some more for garnish
2 tablespoons good olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup to 1 cup milk if you're reheating

In a medium saucepan, heat the chicken stock. Add the garlic and cook over medium-high heat until it comes to a boil. Reduce to medium-low and very slowly whisk in the cornmeal, whisking constantly to avoid lumps. Switch to a wooden spoon and simmer over very low heat, stirring almost constantly for 10 to 15 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat and stir in the cream cheese, Parmesan, olive oil, rosemary and salt and pepper. Serve hot (and topped with extra Parmesan).

If you're reheating this, set it over low heat and stir to declump. Add a little bit of milk at a time until it becomes nice and smooth and is hot.

a guest post

2011-03-29T22:12:00.003-04:00

A guest post from my good friend, Pink's Pal:

Dear Friends and Fans of the Fabulous Pinknest.

Occasionally, we Type A amateur bakers have some sort of baking failure (It's rare, I assure you.). Tonight was mine. I attempted an "easy" (as recommended by a former pastry chef friend!) Lemon Blueberry Shortbread tart. It involved a shortbread crust (sugar, flour, butter) baked, with blueberries thrown on top and then a lemon custard of eggs, sugar, lemon zest and juice poured over and baked. When I removed this dessert from the oven, it looked lovely.

The custard was "set" and browned on top. I cooled and placed it in the refrigerator overnight. In the morning, I wrapped it in foil and took it to work, where I left it untouched for the day in the refrigerator. I brought it to my dinner club (where I have an unscathed record of amazing desserts, one of which was a two day buttermilk chocolate cake with milk chocolate custard frosting and fresh raspberry sauce side...) and took the foil off only to find the custard had completely melted into blueberry soup in a springform pan. Nothing in the recipe indicated to serve immediately!!!

Lucky for me I had made two different kinds of chocolate bark (dark with apricots and pistachios and milk with Marcona almonds, cranberries and apricots) as a back up plan. I insisted I could not serve the blue berry soup dish, but one or two tried to convince me. Thirty minutes later, only a few pieces of the blueberry soup over shortbread (with fresh whipped cream) were left. I tried it and it was not what I expected at all, but really quite tasty — the short bread was really quite delicious. And at least half the attendees would honestly tell me if it was awful — and they devoured theirs. The remainder was snatched by hungry college students who assured me it was amazing, but as a Type A, I was so disappointed by the abysmal presentation, I considered it a full failure, even though there was none left. It was so ugly, in fact, that I could not bring myself to take a photo. So you are stuck with the only good photo I have and a recipe for the lemon blueberry tart that I did make one time that was not only delicious, but also beautiful.
xo,

Pink's Pal

Lemon Blueberry Shortbread Tart

1 stick plus 6 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups flour

Preheat oven to 400.

Using your fingers, combine the butter 1 stick + 6 Tablespoons, 1/2 cup of sugar, and 1 1/2 cups of flour — blend together until coarse crumbs form. Pour the mixture into an ungreased 10 inch non-stick springform or removable bottom tart pan. Press down evenly to form a crust. Bake until lightly golden, about 20 minutes.

For the lemon curd/blueberry topping

1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 tablespoon finely grated fresh lemon zest
3 large eggs, beaten
1 prepared shortbread crust in a springform pan (see below)
1 pint fresh blueberries, rinsed and stems removed
1 cup sweetened whipped cream, optional accompaniment

In the top of a double boiler over simmering water, cook the sugar, lemon juice, butter, zest, and eggs, whisking frequently, until a custard forms and bubbles appear on surface, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and strain through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl.

Spoon the lemon curd into the prepared tart shell, smoothing the top with the back of a spoon or rubber spatula. Arrange the berries in a decorative pattern over the top, and serve with whipped cream on the side, if desired.

veggie stress

2011-03-23T20:41:00.013-04:00

I like to make plans, and lists, and preparations, and preferably well ahead of time. I like things organized and prepared, and as Matt likes to mock, I like things "just so." So last month, when we decided to join Basis Good Food To You, which delivers sustainable produce sourced from small farms, I braced myself. For what exactly? Well, the unknown fruit and vegetable, the one I didn't pick out according to grocery list or recipe. I was going to be assaulted by the vegetable that just showed up without me really inviting it (another pet peeve of mine).

The day of delivery, I waited nervously, slowly becoming overwhelmed with animal, mineral vegetable stress. What was there? What was in the bag? What am I going to do with you?!?! And in such little time before you lose your freshness?! Seriously, I've never been so discombobulated by the likes of a legume before. Is this sort of thing for me?

Watermelon radish (above) showed up. White on the outside, fuschia on the inside and with a soft spiciness.

Daikon radish, broccoli and red chard...

Mushrooms...

...and kale as well as a giant celery root and some onions. Ideas, recipes and mullings overs were running through my head...I can do this, and perhaps that, and maybe save that for later and do this one now...I was sweating, people, and I felt like I was in my own version of a quickfire challenge.

Something that I did know was coming were these pretty little eggs. *Pet pet pet*

A meal was in order. I poached some salmon...

...and made a celery root puree along with a sautee of kale and mushrooms and I pickled those radishes with the onion.

The next day, some broccoli soup. Phew. Now I brace myself again.

neighborhood thai

2011-03-13T15:40:00.007-04:00

We finally made it to Kin Shop, on the cursed stretch of 6th Avenue where restaurants and stores open and close seemingly every day. Yet puppies, Charlie Mom and BLT Burger prevail. And probably Kin Shop, because it's Harold Dieterle's. We started with the fried pork and crispy oyster salad with celery, peanuts, mint and chili-lime vinaigrette. LOVED. I'm a sucker for crispy, but this was both refreshing and devilish.

For a bit o' greenery, the stir fry of aquatic vegetables: water spinach, water chesnuts and watercress. Although the name sort of freaks me out, I enjoyed this smoky stir-fried flavor.

Here, the fresh egg noodle and maitake mushroom broth with a poached duck egg, green onions and spinach. Also loved! Mushroomy earthy goodness in the broth, and a lovely swirl of yellow from the egg mixing in and making everything a little richer. The noodles were nice and chewy.

And finally, from duck egg to...a succulently soft duck breast, which was roasted and served with green mango, fresh herbs and tamarind water which was quite spicy and sublime...

...and served with one of my favorite things...crispy roti. Roll me up.

quick cook

2011-03-03T21:38:00.002-05:00

A quick weeknight meal of spicy potatoes and peas with chicken that was delicious, but, um, not spicy. I don't really understand why people like to label things as spicy when a small pinch of cayenne is involved. So, some dousing with the hot sauce ensued, which eventually led to us dousing many things in hot sauce for some reason...poached chicken another night, scrambled eggs, black bean tacos, soup, vegetables...it went on and on to the point that I said to Matt, Umm...what's happening? Are we becoming that person who puts hot sauce on...everything? Are we becoming like my dad? Who doesn't necessarily put hot sauce on things, but likes things spicy. Everything. From pizza to porridge. If it exists and is eaten, it must be spicy. Unless it's sweet. I guess it's a fine mantra indeed.

Anyway, the hot sauce chapter continues. And this recipe was quick and lovely, but I'd spice it up a little more.

Spicy Potatoes and Peas With Chicken
(adapted from Everyday Food)

Serves 4

1 1/4 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/4 teaspoons ground coriander
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or more for well, more
1 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
salt and pepper
1 bag (10 ounces) frozen peas
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 boneless, skin-on chicken thighs (about1 pound total)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a small bowl, stir together the cumin, coriander and cayenne. In a medium pot, bring potatoes to a boil in salted water over high heat and cook until tender when pierced with a knife, 10 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer potatoes to a paper-towel-lined plate and set aside.

Return the water to a boil, then add the peas and cook until just tender, 3 minutes. Drain peas and set aside.

Meanwhile, in a large ovenproof skillet or castiron pan, heat oil over medium-high. Season chicken with salt and cook, skin side down, until golden brown and crisp, about 5 minutes. Flip and transfer skillet to the oven; roast until chicken is cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes

Remove the chicken from the skillet and pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the fat. Add the potatoes and as much of the spice mixture as you like. Cook over medium-high, stirring every now and then, until the potatoes brown a little. Stir in the peas and lemon juice, and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve the chicken on top of the peas and potatoes. And douse in hot sauce if desired.

sixth sense

2011-02-18T21:17:00.035-05:00

Corton is the kind of delicious place that gives so-called foodies a bad name. The food is deconstructed, strange yet fascinating looking and crying out to be mocked by people who like to, well, mock foodies. There are teeny tiny portions that slowly overwhelm you and make you comatose in the end, but any good drug does that. There are a lot of what-the-hell-am-I-eating-I-don't-know-but-oh-my-god-it's-good moments. (And I don't know if that's because I can never pay attention when a waiter is explaining things.) I've never been so surprised by a meal before, nor tasted so many intense and mysterious yet familiar flavors. It was something truly intriguing, and with each dish, I felt like I was Colonel Mustard with the candlestick in the library. Is it the kind of place I'd eat at once a week? Once a month? Never. But a once a year? For a special occasion? Absolutely.

To start, a grouping of minuscule dollhouse food was presented. Of course. And it was gorgeous! But it came with instructions...this is filled with hot cheese, so we suggest you let it cool down a little and eat it in one bite. Duly noted. (By the way, you had me at hot cheese. Or, is that gross? I don't care.) We followed instructions and holy cheese, it was delicious.

More cheese-filled pockets. (Did I mention you already had me at cheese?) This one was actually my favorite...it was like a little hot pocket. And in the background, some green tea financier-like treats. All amazing, all with the strangest presentation: balanced on a piece of Saran-wrap stretched across a measuring cup. Hmm. But I was impressed with how taut the piece was, and without any crumply, ragged edges! Somebody is talented with the plastic wrap.

Some sort of marshmallow...it was kind of cold yet sublimely soft, yet, very industrial and product-y tasting. Did not like. No.

An amuse bouche of of roasted red pepper gelée on top of a foie gras chantilly. Holy bouche, please help me, this was one of the best bouches I've eaten. Rich, creamy,smokey, gelée-y and ridiculous on so many levels. We ate it like fiends.

Vermont butter and seaweed butter. On little pieces of cold granite. Dammit, did we throw out all our leftover chunks of granite? We could have had some fancy little butter displays.

Wild mushrooms and pea shoot puree poured over a delectable little gnocchi. Springy-ness in the winter.

Layers of insanity wrapped in a tight package: Yukon gold potato, eggplant, foie gras and coffee.

Violet Hill farm egg with serrano. What's at the bottom!? What creature is it!? Black trompette royale.

I want to try the Sea! It began with the Kindai Kanpachi with Sansho pepper and goat milk chantilly.

Marble shrimp with bergamot. The bergamot, which was freshly zested on a microplane zester in front of me, was all I could taste and smell for quite a while. I wanted to wear it.

Peekytoe crab with clam chowder and pomelo. Love. Rich. Saucy.

Kumamoto oyster terrine with grapefruit and Xeres crème. Encased in its gelée shell, it was kind of freaky, but yum.

Matt says, What are those? The response: Pieces. Am I right or am I right?

Release the kraken!! Or, er, tempura prawn. But lay it gently on a salt rock. Pronounce it salty. And creature-like.

Then the most bizarre and fascinating moment happened. We had ordered the Mangalitsa pork, something that I had been long wanting to try, and the slab of meat arrived under a steaming glass cloche carried by an excited waiter. He presented it to us, lifted the cloche, and steaming waft of rosemary and smokiness hit us. Wow. Then he whisked the madness away and it felt like an Alice in Wonderland pork moment.

And the Mangalitsa pork arrived, carved with its thick layer of at like a luscious stole resting atop, along with smoked eggplant, tamarind, quince and rosemary with baby turnips. You must slice this thinly for each bite and eat it slowly with all its components. Otherwise you will die. Stuffed. Truly, I felt a second stomach growing.

Not your ordinary french fry. Tonight, a "potato fondant" with rosemary scented aligot. Sublime.

Pre-dessert of cassis and cream. I've really gotten into this genre of pre-dessert. Try it. You will be satisfied. Twice.

Matt had the Anjour Pear, which came with a with Pain d'Épices, 'Trifle Anglais,' Cassia Bark. Here, the chocolate dome covers...

...a madness of Marcona almonds, raisins and cream...

A cannele of creaminess, which all tasted like a wonderful churro to me. Except topped with a red wine sheet! I was entranced with this little thing...red wine sheet! Crispy bits of red wine!

Eat me.

The best thing of all was the trifle. Heavenly layers of foam and cream and trifly goodness.

I had, apparently, SpongeBob SquarePants for dessert. This was part of the Winter Citrus: sabayon of lemon, blood orange and carrot cake. Here, the sabayon part. Tart!

And here, would you believe it, the carrot cake. With carrot foam. Yes, please.

And after having gone pre-dessert and dessert, only post-dessert can be left. A plexiglass box of macarons, truffles and chocolates were brought out, and we tried the Sidecar and Mojito macarons, salted caramels, dark chocolates and cassis chocolate. Yes, yes, yes and yes. *sigh* And that was sensory overload.

accessorize

2011-02-11T08:00:00.000-05:00

I have come to realize that I'm a bit fastidious when it comes to asparagus. I find them boring to eat when served plain, a horror when they are served fat and quickly lose interest after a few bites. That all sounds offensive when applied to other things in life. But I want my asparagus gussied up, served with a topping (at least Parmesan cheese), have every accessory piled on top of it and just one taken off. It's the one vegetable that I'm not crazy about eating as is. So when I tried this recipe from French Food at Home for asparagus with orange sauce, I knew I would be making it over and over.

Asparagus With Orange Sauce
(adapted from French Food at Home)

Makes 4 servings

2 oranges
1 shallot, minced
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper
20 spears green asparagus, trimmed
1 egg yolk from a hard-boiled egg for garnish
Parmesan cheese for garnish

In a bowl, zest one orange, then juice both oranges and boil the juice down in a small saucepan to about 3 tablespoons. Mince the shallot and put it in a small dish with vinegar poured over. Set aside for about 5 minutes. Add the mustard to the zest. When the orange juice has reduced, strain it over the zest. Drain the shallot, discarding the vinegar, and add. Whisk everything together, then slowly whisk in the oil. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Bring a saute pan full of water to a boil. Salt it, then add the asparagus and cook until tender. Drain and immediately rinse under ice-cold water to set the color. Pat dry with paper towels and transfer to a serving platter. Spoon over the sauce. Sprinkle the egg yolk and shave the Parmesan cheese over the asparagus.

i'll take three of each

2011-01-30T17:35:00.008-05:00

Off to Fedora, the former speakeasy in the hood, and now one of Gabriel Stulman's restaurants, which we are fans of. Down the steps and into a warm glowiness of shiny, tufted black banquets, brass and a shimmery long bar that's been there pretty much since 1917, and where Mr. Stulman himself was perched at. I ate it all up. Oh, and what else was there? Deliciousness, thank goodness.

To start, the Scottish salmon with bacon, microgreens and avocado puree. Oh dear, loved it. And want to imitate it at home. And other inappropriate things.

I had a special of the night, tilefish with homemade gnocchi. Buttery, tender and creamy. I'm using it as my new nightcream.

Matt had an insanely yummy crisped duck leg with barbecue sauce, dates and herb salad. I was jealous. He declared it the best duck leg he has ever had. It would have made Boehener cry. Where's my giant gavel? I have to bring order to this hot delicious mess.

And for a side, shoe string potatoes with salt and vinegar. These were cold, which startled us, but the waitress told us that's how they were supposed to be...more like a chip. Okay. Doesn't matter, because I could eat these all day. I couldn't stop stuffing them into my mouth like a fool, which prompted me to ask Matt, "What's the appropriate way to eat shoestring fries? Besides just...stuffing them in your face?" Inconclusive. Testing underway.

And for dessert, warm honey and lime madeleines with a maple syrup sabayon. Although a little unevenly cooked, they were still holy ridiculousness. Get rid of Proust because these are all mine. Mine! We will be back.

birthday brunch

2011-01-24T21:17:00.010-05:00

The other weekend, we celebrated Matt's father's birthday with a little brunch at our place. I can't resist a fingerfood, they're like little baubles. That you can eat. And eat again and again. So we made some smoked salmon deviled eggs, topped with salmon roe.

On some pumpernickel bread, smoked trout on a bed of caper and chive cream cheese.

Smoked-Trout-and-Caper-Cream-Cheese Toasts
(Adapted from Food and Wine)

Makes about 10 servings

4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1 small shallot, minced
1 tablespoon chopped chives, plus 1-inch lengths for garnish
1 tablespoon drained and chopped capers
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
salt and black pepper
small slices of pumpernickel bread (or split and toasted English muffins)
1/2 pound of skinless smoked trout fillet, chopped

In a bowl, combine the cream cheese, shallot, chopped chives, capers and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper. Spread the muffins or bread with the caper cream cheese and top with smoked trout. Garnish with the chive pieces and serve.

Citarella has the best smoked salmon, I don't care what you say. I am eating it early and often.

Some pickled cabbage made nice and pink with red wine vinegar, sugar and caraway seeds.

Matt's mom brought some homemade cabbage rolls stuffed with mushrooms and barley.

And everyone's favorite, pierogies.

And for a birthday cake, I made my favorite kind of chocolate cake with Valrhona cocoa powder.

Seconds and thirds, please.