Welcome to feast! Seattle

What foods do you crave in the winter?

2011-12-22T11:11:00.001-08:00

Today is the first day of winter,but we're no strangers to cold temperatures. Seattle has been unusually cold at times.

When the temperature drops I crave warm, hearty dishes. Soup is at the top list. I'm eager to make a Ribollita soup - white cannellini beans mixed with tomato, veggies, toasty bread and Parmesan all on one bowl.

How about you? What are you craving?

First Book from Next Restaurant-Now Available #Chicago #Restaurant

2011-11-15T15:33:00.001-08:00

Got a note in email about this, I'm sure the 200+ photos are gorgeous...


We are excited to announce the first book from Next Restaurant is available today, exclusively on the iBookstore. Paris: 1906 is a complete, uncompromising guide to reproducing the 4-star opening menu of chefs Grant Achatz and David Beran.

This digital book includes: Recipes: exact recipes for every dish served, as documented by our chefs Photos: over 200 full-color photographs Video: a video of table-side duck press service Essays: short essays by the chefs describing the key dishes and concepts This full-color, stunning, illustrated book is designed specifically for viewing on the iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch and we've priced it at only $4.99 to make it accessible to everyone. Download Paris: 1906: iTunes.com/NextRestaurant We think there will be a few pressed ducks on Thanksgiving tables this year! Bon Apetit, Grant, Dave, and Nick

http://www.boxedwaterisbetter.com

Is Boxed Water Better?

2011-11-13T22:59:00.001-08:00

As I stepped outside one day, I noticed this interesting carton on the street. There was a bit of irony as the carton made a loud claim that "Boxed Water Is Better" whilst littering the street.

I did a bit of research and it turns out this carton hails from Grand Rapids, Michigan. There's a lot of thought being given to how we can minimize the negative impact to our environment and that is precisely what young entrepreneur Benjamin Gott had in mind with his Michigan-based start up. His goal for the company is to create sustainable packaging that also gives back to organizations that have similar environmentally friendly goals or philosophies.

As for the box itself, their website claims that it is more sustainable than plastic bottles - 76% of the container is made from renewable resources, trees. Also, these boxes are shipped flat and then filled, thus taking up less space than plastic bottles and in turn less energy is consumed in their transport.

You can read more about it at their company website:

Any given summer day at Cal Anderson Park

2011-11-13T21:38:00.001-08:00

Cal Anderson Park - May 2011

Capitol Hill neighborhood Seattle, WA

Grocery run in Capitol Hill

2011-11-13T21:30:00.001-08:00

Capitol Hill neighborhood, Seattle, WA April 2011

Pine Street (between Belmont & Boylston)

[View the story "Oysters" on Storify]

More on Oysters...

2011-11-09T17:26:00.001-08:00

Oysters & Wine at Taylor Shellfish Farms in Capitol Hill

2011-11-07T23:34:00.001-08:00

Taylor Shelfish Farms, which opened it's doors in Capitol Hill on July 21, 2011, was a great addition to Melrose Market.

What a lot of people are just getting turned on to is the fact that you not only can buy a selection of fresh oysters, clams and the ever perplexing goeduck, but it's also a great spot for lunch & or maybe even a light dinner.

I stopped in not too long ago to chat with Tom Stocks, assistant manager, and got a dozen hand selected and shucked oysters and fantastic glass of wine. They also have one or two daily made chowders.

The space is simple and pristine. I'm sure it's one of the tidiest seafood shops in town.

They have a great selection and it's easily accessible.

And this is the geoduck - native to the northwest cost of the US and Canada.

Did you know? The geoduck was once the focal point of a hot little campaign in 1987. It was revealed in U.S. News and World Report that "the Geoduck is threatened with extinction due to a voracious international appetite for aphrodisiacs." In fact, The Seattle Times featured a few articles about this campaign to "Save the Geoducks."

Later they were let in on the joke. It turns out it was all just a well executed prank.

Taylor Shellfish also had a great selection of Dry Soda.

I ordered up a dozen oysters and had Tom put together a mix for me. He got to work straight away...

I didn't waste any time.

Next time you're in Capitol Hill, stop in!

Dishcrawl Seattle & Local Seattle Chef Get A Little TV Attention

2011-10-05T15:32:00.001-07:00

If you haven't seen much of me these past few weeks it's because I've been busy working on launching an exciting social dining journey in Seattle. Last month I started working for Dishcrawl.

Dishcrawl is a national start-up founded on the premise that communities can be brought together through good food and good company, four restaurants in one night. We're rapidly expanding into new markets and Dishcrawlers can currently join monthly progressive food adventures in San Francisco, New York, Montreal, Ottawa, San Jose, Toronto, the Tri-Valley Area, and the Peninsula. Dishcrawl is currently headquartered in the Silicon Valley.

Next on the list is Seattle! The plans have been made, restaurants are confirmed and people have bought their tickets. Our launch is less than a week away and is taking place in my hood - Capitol Hill. This morning I got to do a big reveal on KING5 New Day Northwest. A tiny bit of the secret is out: one of our stops is Grim's Restaurant & Lounge!

The best part of the morning was the chance to cast the spotlight on some great local talent. Grim's Executive Chef, Khampaeng Panyathong did a fantastic cooking segment and featured the item Dishcrawlers will be enjoying next week. Laura Olson, Grim's Founder/Owner, along with her awesome assistant Lindsey were backstage to cheer Khampaeng on.

I'm very excited about what Dishcrawl will do for supporting local businesses. I hope to see you soon at one of the upcoming Dishcrawls!

Be sure to follow @dishcrawlSEA

Dishcrawl Seattle Launch Kicks Things Off In Capitol Hill

My Dishcrawl Portland Adventure!

2011-09-23T15:27:00.001-07:00

While working hard on the Dishcrawl Seattle launch, I had the opportunity to take a bit of a break and headed to Portland. Dishcrawl Portland launched successfully last month and this past Tuesday I joined their second crawl.

We explored NE Alberta Street in northeast Portland with a very social group of 38 food enthusiasts! Our first stop was The Grilled Cheese Grill. Co-owner Matt Breslow was a gracious host. This food cart spot features outdoor seating and the School Bus. Located on 1027 NE Alberta this is the original location. More recently they added a second location in southeast Portland that features the Double Decker bus.

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~ The Grill Cheese Grill 1027 NE Alberta

[[posterous-content:pid___2]]~ The Grilled Cheese Grill 113 SE 28th Ave

At 7 pm on the dot, people starting arriving and were welcomed by Katie, Dishcrawl Portland's coordinator. Already I could tell we had a gregarious group.

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Once everyone got checked in, Matt came out and introduced himself.

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Matt grew up helping his mom in the kitchen and became a little grilled cheese whiz. Later in life, Matt didn't attend a culinary school, but rather honed his skills working in restaurants. He always wanted to open a restaurant and he finally decided to do open a place that would feature one of his favorite foods, the grilled cheese.

He really looks like he's having fun with it.

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The group was getting hungry and you could smell the delicious cheesy goodness that was about to come out - even a small visitor was eagerly awaiting the grilled cheese.

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I snuck into their food cart to find Matt's crew hard at work. They were readying up the grilled cheese.

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We had the opportunity to taste a few of the grill cheese options on their menu such as the Jalapeno Popper - roasted jalapeños, colby jack, cream cheese and corn tortilla chips on sourdough.

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The Grilled Cheese Grill was a great start to the Dishcrawl and everyone was having fun meeting each other and checking out the bus.

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It was time for our next stop. Katie gathered up the group and we were off to the Yogio food cart. Yogio is not normally opened late on Tuesdays, but did not want to miss the chance to be included in the Dishcrawl so co-owner Ali came in to host our group.

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Yogio, owned by Timber Adamson and Ali Clarsy, features Korean snack food - all gluten free. I was very excited about checking them out especially after hearing they have ROCK, PAPER, SCISSORS on the menu. This evening we would get to try their most popular item on their menu - the Rocks. Ali gave us the scoop on what we were about to enjoy.

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The Rocks are seasoned rice stuffed with bibimbap vegetables. They crisp it up and place it atop of a homemade gochujang paste spread across a bit of seaweed and served up with their Crack sauce - no clue what's in this sauce, but it was so good. Everyone lined up right away to get their Rock.

[[posterous-content:pid___12]]I really liked the Rock. Let me just say, it was a great combination of flavors with a good spicy depth as provided by the gochujang paste.

[[posterous-content:pid___13]]Wow! It's only stop two, but with all of the great food so far, I'm slowly getting full! Katie once again got everyone on the move to stop number three.

Next on the agenda was The Tin Shed Garden Cafe. They have a simple philosophy of using fresh and wholesome ingredients and that definitely comes through in their food. It is no wonder this place is always busy and has very good reviews. Owner Jannette Kaden greeted the group upon arrival. We had the pleasure of sitting in their covered patio area.

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Jannette and two of her staff already had the food table set up with plates, silverware and napkins before we arrived. While they took drink orders and brought them out, Katie went around to each table to everyone know about the three different dishes from their menu we would be trying.

Berry Garcia - Roasted red peppers, jalapenos, black beans, Tillamook cheddar & berry jam in a grilled tortilla, topped with jalapeno creme fraiche & fresh cilantro.

Mac of the Day - this one featured Cavatapi pasta in a three cheese sauce, baked with a crispy bread topping.

Baby Beluga - Roasted yams, onion, zucchini, mushroom, garlic & black lentils in a yellow curry sauce, served over fresh spinach & jasmine rice, topped with raisins, peanuts and avocado.

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Everyone was able to grab a plate and help themselves. Believe me, there was plenty to go around!

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Our final stop was a real treat. We all headed down the street to the ice cream shop Salt & Straw - perfect choice for a warm evening. Salt & Straw is a brand new addition to Portland's NE Alberta Street. Their store front just opened last month.

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The aroma of the waffle cones on the griddles lures you in and the unique flavors on their menu are quite intriguing. Owner Kim Malek is a genuinely lovely person. She was so happy to host us in her new shop.

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All the preparations were made ahead of time for our large group. They had already scooped the ice cream into cups and had them waiting on trays in their cooler so we could get served right away.

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We tried their Honey Balsamic Strawberry with Cracked Pepper and a new flavor - the very creamy Olive Oil made with a locally produced olive oil from Red Ridge farms in Portland.

[[posterous-content:pid___21]]Owner Kim had a great opportunity to connect with new customers and everyone was very curious to ask her about some of the flavors on the menu like the Proscuitto and Melon.

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I had so much fun and it was great spending the evening with Katie!

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Just think how much fun we'll have at the Dishcrawl Seattle launch. There are still a few tickets left. Hope to see you soon!

~~~~~~~~~~

Dishcrawl is coming to Seattle! We couldn’t think of a better way to kick this off than by taking on Capitol Hill.

Join us in this social food tour of some of Capitol Hill’s favorite spots. We’re making dining out just a bit more social as you take this food tour with other local food lovers at four different restaurants through the night.

To reserve your seats, please register quickly. Tickets tend to sell out.

For those of you lucky to get in, see you soon!

How Does Yelp Rate In Your Book? #question #opinion

2011-08-06T14:49:00.001-07:00

The Stranger had an "I, Anonymous" (QUIT YER YELPING) a while ago that caught my attention. It is true, there are some horrible reviews out there from many who fail at basic English grammar. Comments at times are ludicrous and perhaps have little to do with how well an establishment delivers its core product or service.

The concept of Yelp is admirable, but I personally place little value on what people write. I feel like it's noise and doesn't necessarily represent how well a business delivers products or services to consumers. Many of the reviews that I've read are not very helpful to me. Some examples:

The problem: the service. When we got the bill we were pleased with the amount: $46 for a pretty good little dinner. However, when we got the "receipt" we noticed we were charged $68. Well, that was not good. That is not a very easy "mistake" for a waitress to make, and it is an "old trick" for scamming a big tip. Away went the $15 tip we were ready to leave (we know waitresses and believe whole-heartedly in leaving about 1/3 of the bill as gratuity), and out we walked with the residual bad taste in our mouths, and knowing we are a lot smarter than we look. ::sigh:: - Excerpt: Yelp Review about Revel, Fremont

I would certainly consider editing my review if someone wanted to whisk me away and show me the positive aspects of Paseo. Of course, I'm gluten free so can't eat sandwiches. - Excerpt: Yelp Review about Paseo, Fremont

Too pretentious to be in such a cool neighborhood, I wish it never opened or that a less uppity place were there instead. The staff there was just too cool for school and it took forever to get a drink order in, and I am never a fan of a place that serves foie gras. They need to get with it and have some common decency. Overall, just horrible. - Excerpt: Yelp Review about Quinns, Capitol Hill

Loved it all! Boyfriend took me here for our 3-year anniversary, because we wanted to eat someplace fancy. Personally, we love to dress up, so the dress code here is no problem. On a side note, BF humorously observed, "The family sitting next to us is actually fancy. We just like to pretend we're fancy." - Excerpt: Yelp Review about Canlis, Queen Anne

Though I used to appreciate the open kitchen, exposed brick wall, unfinished floor, dishcloth-as-napkin establishments of Seattle, it's starting to get trite. But that is not my real issue with this place. - Excerpt: Yelp Review about Staple and Fancy Mercantile, Ballard

Some reviews have severely damaged any chance of businesses making things right if they did do wrong. Many business owners try to fight back. Consider another example. Scott Parker of Denver, Colorado even took a stab at who these Yelpers are:

When asked - What you'd like to see less of in Denver from a culinary standpoint, he replied:

Amateur instant online restaurant critics -- specifically, those who write reviews for a website that rhymes with "kelp." Think about it: They review a McDonald's and then turn around and review Mizuna. I just imagine bored, jobless layabouts with not many friends who are convinced that they're going to have a bad time before they even step through the door of a joint. The kicker is, you can't respond to these inbreds and try to educate, or at least explain, why some things happen the way they happen. Have a little fun, for chrissakes. Loosen up when you go out, and let me be the stress ball in the kitchen busting my ass for twelve-plus hours trying to make you the best food I can.

- blogs.westword.com Nov. 2010

Some owners take the opportunity to find the humor in the awful reviews. My personal favorite is Zach Bolotin, owner of Porchlight Coffee, Capitol Hill:

How do you get credible reviews, call out things that truly need to be fixed and still have an appetite for what a business is offering? Hard problem to solve. Perhaps there are better ways to qualify reviewers by topic and actual expertise. Additionally, what can business owners do to turn people's opinions around when the bad reviews are still up and visible on Yelp?

What do you think?

Little black box deconstructed #sweetsurprise

2011-05-09T14:29:00.001-07:00

A sweet surprise delivered directly from Paris :)

The most fantastic wedding video I have EVER seen :)

2011-05-07T21:05:00.001-07:00

Seriously, this looks like it was so fun to make! What a fantastic keepsake that everyone had a part in.

joya and emre | wedding music video from David Robin on Vimeo.

DRY Soda Savor the Flavor Tour Launch Party #drytour

2011-05-07T11:57:00.001-07:00

Keep an eye out becuase you may soon see the DRY Soda Tasting Truck touring your neighborhood soon. This past Monday (5/2/11), DRY Soda hosted a little party. I got to check out their truck and tasted a few of their DRY Soda flavors. The highlight was the creative DRY Soda cocktails!

Can't wait for the truck to hit Seattle in full force. I also heard that there might soon be an phone app that will help you find the closest spot to buy DRY Soda. Want to know where the DRY Soda Tasting Truck is headed next? Find DRY on Facebook, Twitter and Yelp .

Downtown Seattle and it's many food spots were full of @SakuraCon characters this weekend

2011-04-25T01:30:00.001-07:00

This weekend Seattle's Washington State Convention & Trade center was host to Sakura-con, the oldest and most well attended anime convention in the Pacific Northwest, now in its 14th year. There were plenty of attendees in costume. It was fantastic to see such creativity and all were ready to show it off.

Marination Station (@curb_cuisine) is open for business!

2011-04-25T00:19:00.001-07:00

It was opening weekend for Marination Station in Capitol Hill Seattle this past weekend. The location is great, but also a little quirky. Marination Station makes it home on the corner of Broadway and Pike above the QFC grocery store.

It also happens to be next door neighbors to a most baffling Chinese restaurant, Little Shanghai. Baffling because that place has been open for years,is never busy and yet somehow it's still around...just a bit suspicious.

Unlike its neighbor however, Marination Station is going to have no problems staying busy. I had the chance to stop in this weekend to check it out.

Inside are a few nice touches, like the quotes on the fridge.

And of course, Kamala Saxton (one of the owners) was there front and center!

You should know by now that I am a vegetarian, although I can appreciate how mouthwatering meat dishes look. I can say first hand that the Sexy Tofu Tacos and the Kimchi Fried Rice were full of flavor! As for the meat options, I got a couple of quotes from a few anonymous carnivores:

"These [Kalbi beef tacos] are so good! Are you sure you don't want one?"

"Wow, wow! Heaven..." Referring to the Kalua Pork sliders.

This virtual music box will keep you busy for a while - http://ow.ly/4x9Vm

2011-04-10T15:54:00.001-07:00

Found this app online and can't stop creating random music patterns. There's no way to share the music patterns that you make but if you take a screenshot of your pattern, you can share that with friends who can recreate it to listen to your tune or make their own. I am warning you though, you may be playing around with this for hours...

A Look Back: 16 Seattle Restaurants Step Up To Provide Aid To #Haiti

2011-01-24T20:31:00.001-08:00

One year ago today, I rallied together sixteen Seattle-area restaurants asking them to donate much needed financial aid towards the relief efforts in Haiti. It was a proud moment to see such a fantastic response.

Download now or watch on posterous

Dine_Out_Seattle_for_Haiti_01-24-10.wmv (14308 KB)

It was not possible for all of us to travel to Haiti to assist with relief efforts, but many of us still had a tremendous impact on getting this island country the help they needed. Local artist Jesse Link created a poster for the event to help spread the word. Then on Sunday January 24the 2010, many Seattle-area residents gathered their friends and family for a meal at participating restaurants (listed below) who would donate a percent of the evening's proceeds towards relief efforts in Haiti.

I want to thank all who took part in the Seattle Dine Out for Haiti last year and to those that made their own personal donations. Much was accomplished with your contributions, but there is still much that needs to be done. The people of Haiti are now dealing with Cholera and hurricane aftermath and they still need our help.

Many of the participating restaurants donated to NetHope. Below is a fantastic update that I received from them not too long ago. Thank you once again - Seattle rocks!

January 5, 2011

Dear Friends,

Next week marks the one year anniversary of the devastating earthquake in Haiti which took the lives of over 200,000 people and left over 1.5 million Haitians displaced in tents and other transitional housing. It’s predictable that there will be a lot of news about what’s not working in Haiti. While a lot of good work has been done, Haiti still suffers from political instability, unfulfilled donor commitments, cholera outbreak and a painfully slow rebuilding process.

NetHope member agencies and several of our partners have been operating in Haiti for many years. Our team is committed to support the Haitian people over the long haul—no matter what the obstacles. We must remember that there are also many bright spots including the amazing resiliency that defines how every day Haitians live and adapt.

Accomplishments

In the wake of some enormous challenges this past year, the NetHope community, which includes all of you, can stand very tall for the work that we have done together. Here is just a partial list of accomplishments:

In the hours and days following the earthquake, NetHope partnered with Inveneo, our member agencies and the technology sector to restore communications capabilities for emergency responders. Communication is the lifeline of every major humanitarian response. Today the relief communications network is still operational and is self-sustaining with every dollar reinvested with our Haiti partners. Read more on our work in Haiti ›
With the huge influx of humanitarian staff, computing equipment was badly needed. The tech sector responded generously, delivering almost four tons of equipment. A special thanks goes to NetHope members CHF International and Catholic Relief Services for providing logistics services so that the equipment could be shipped in bulk and distributed by NetHope in-country. This spirit of collaboration was evident time and time again with NetHope members working together to support each other during this crisis.
The shortage of IT professionals in Haiti is a very real problem for both the humanitarian sector and private industry. The NetHope Academy selected 36 young Haitian computer science graduates and is providing them with internships to gain 'on the job' work experience, coupled with “boot camp” style classroom and self-study instruction around key need areas. The progress to date has been simply amazing thanks to the hardworking interns and their IT mentors from 14 different host organizations. We would like to thank our new friends at Voila Foundation and our longtime supporters Microsoft, Cisco and Accenture for their generous support of this important program.

The Road Ahead

Nothing has been easy in Haiti this past year, and the future will not be any easier. NetHope member organizations and our partners working in Haiti are committed for the long haul. NetHope will continue to focus on “game changing” technology interventions that leverage our unique interagency collaboration and public/private partnership model.

We still see connectivity and IT skill development as being core to our mission and crucial for the country's needs from an information technology infrastructure standpoint. To that end, we are:

Supporting our partner Inveneo in their broadband connectivity buildout for the under-served provinces outside of Port-au-Prince. We can help strengthen the business case for extending services to rural communities by aggregating our member agency connectivity requirements. Our member organizations benefit from better bandwidth at lower prices, and surrounding communities are able to connect to a whole array of information technology enabled services.
We remain committed to building the IT skills capacity in Haiti through our innovative NetHope Academy internship programs. The country needs qualified IT professionals to support the long-term use of information and communications technologies for health, education, commerce, government, conservation, tourism and more. We already have commitments from Microsoft, Cisco and Accenture to continue their support of the NetHope Academy program into Fall 2011.

Learn more about we responded to the Haiti Earthquake with the help of Inveneo:

The Future is Near

We are already seeing our partners and our members begin to innovate with proven technologies to support the rebuilding of Haiti. Some examples of great work that is already underway include:

Mercy Corps and Voila partnering to deliver mobile banking services for the poorest of the poor in Haiti. Read more ›
Red Cross and Voila delivering an SMS alerting system that provides lifesaving Cholera health information to “at risk” Haitians. Discover more about the system ›
IDB and Microsoft partnering with the Haitian government to deliver an e-government platform that provides secure communications solutions and essential information repositories. Find out more about this partnership ›
World Vision rolling out an innovative solution for capturing information in remote field locations called Last Mile Mobile Solution. This program has tremendous potential for helping humanitarian agencies gather and report on information from the field. Learn more about the program ›

How Can You Help?

There are two areas where we are focusing our efforts:

NetHope has a whole array of scalable solutions to support health, education, conservation and economic development in Haiti. If you would like to learn more about how to join forces with us in any of these areas, please contact me ›
The Haiti earthquake has demonstrated the importance of investment in Emergency Preparedness. NetHope and select technology partners are coming together to invest in this high-payoff area. “An ounce of prevention IS worth a pound of cure," so please consider becoming part of a broader Global Emergency Preparedness program that NetHope is leading.

As always, we want to thank you for your support of NetHope's activities. NetHope, our member agencies and our public and private sector partners have made a positive impact in Haiti this past year. We are committed for the long haul and look forward to your continued support.

Kind Regards,

Bill Brindley

William A. Brindley
Chief Executive Officer
Executive Director
NetHope
www.NetHope.org
Connect. Collaborate. Innovate.

See the full gallery on posterous

Thai-gotta go...Thai Curry Simple 2 in Capitol Hill

2011-01-19T16:00:00.001-08:00

I finally had the chance to check out the Thai Curry Simple 2 stand. I stumbled upon it one day on one of my walks if you're driving you might even miss it. It's located at 1122 E. Madison (corner with 12th Ave) taking up some of the Cobra Lounge parking space and has been up & running for about a month now.

They offer a handful of lunch choices as well as iced Thai coffee and Thai tea. I tried their green curry and really liked it. The curry was very flavorful. It's definitely worth checking out for good curry to go.

Should You Visit The Farm Where the Chicken You Are About To Eat Was Raised?

2011-01-15T13:14:00.001-08:00

It's good to know where your food is coming from. Portlandia pokes a little fun on how serious one can get about knowing all the details.

#BitToSelf: Music To Check Out

2011-01-05T17:40:00.001-08:00

Thank you interwebs for introducing me to some new music.

The Knife - a Swedish electro-pop duo that's been around since '99. The song "You Make Me Like Charity" (Deep Cuts) - pretty sweet. Will have to check this album out...

NewsBit: The Worlds 50 Best Restaurants - How many have you visited?

2010-12-22T12:44:00.001-08:00

This is a list that is created after polling top chefs, well respected food critics and well-known restaurateurs - you can find the full list at: http://www.theworlds50best.com/

Awards night video:

Real Farm-to-table experiment ends in a 6 course tasting menu - NY Mag: Splotch and Me http://t.co/BwFjClt

2010-12-22T12:23:00.001-08:00

This is a story about Splotch the pig and his journey into the culinary world - literally. It made me recall the year in my youth when some friends of the family asked if we wanted them to raise some chickens for us. The chicks were so cute. Little did I know that I would eventually be asked to help butcher the poor things. The whole thing just weirded me out. Perhaps that's one of the reasons I don't eat meat...I will not lie though, I do remember that farm-raised, free-range, organic chicken tasting very good & 100% better than what we got at the store.

My New Favorite Game Online - www.knoword.org I'm hoping to give my vocabulary a jolt :)

2010-12-22T11:31:00.001-08:00

I was hopping around the Internet and discovered a cool site for word geeks like me - http://www.knoword.org. I see a new addiction in the making! This is actually a game that presents you with the definition of a word and the word's first letter, then it's up to you to fill in the rest of the word for points; the faster you go the better. You'll be hooked soon :)

No, no, no...give me a million dollars!

2010-12-22T10:19:00.001-08:00

Remember the days of chain letters asking for money? This is way better! A video and a list of people you're addressing with your message - funny bit of humor:

The guy even made a follow-up:

Sneak Peek of Eltana: Let's Get Down To Serious Business - Real Bagels in Capitol Hill

2010-12-17T11:52:00.001-08:00

I had the chance to get a preview of the bagels at Eltana yesterday. You will definitely want to check this place out. If you've tried Montreal bagels and have been missing them, this will certainly help fill a void. The bagels at Eltana are not meant to be exact copies of the Montreal bagel, but they really do capture the flavor and texture of the Montreal bagel. You can be sure Eltana will be your only true bagel shop in Seattle for a while. Give it a try for yourselves today during their soft open! They are fully open for business starting on Sunday.

Eltana is making bagels the right way - starting with great ingredients and a good bagel recipe. They mix up the dough and hand-rolling their bagels.

Once the bagels are ready they are boiled in water which has a few usual extras in it like honey.

The bagels are seeded with sesame seeds or poppy seeds at their seeding station.

Then it's off to the wood-fired gas oven.

The hot, fresh bagels are ready.

Bagels are at the heart of what Eltana does and they have chosen to really showcase that. All of it is within sight and their display is fantastic.

Ethan Stowell's New Italian Kitchen: Bold Cooking from Seattle's Anchovies & Olives, How to Cook A Wolf, Staple & Fancy Mercantile, and Tavolàta

Some Of My Favorite Food Books In 2010 featuring Ethan Stowell and Shauna James Ahern & Daniel Ahern

2010-12-16T18:29:00.001-08:00

So many great food & drink related books were released this year. It was really tough to keep up, but very fun trying even if it meant just hitting the highlights. I only got through just a fraction of all the books of my list. Hope you get the chance to check some of these out especially my two local favorites:

Having dined at each of Ethan Stowell's Seattle-area restaurants, I find that his latest book really gives insight into the experience he aspires to create for his dinners. Ethan starts this book by describing his ideal dinner: "There are two of you --cozy, but not alone. Laughter and music float around you, as does the muted percussion of silver on porcelain. There's that soft light that makes everyone look better and a bottle of wine on the table. It doesn't have to be pricey, just good." His book is a collection of dishes not unlike you would find at his restaurants - tasty combinations of simple, but high-quality ingredients. These are recipes that have a reliance on good technique and Ethan is able to convey this throughout the book with a good amount of pictures.

Shauna James Ahern and Daniel Ahern's Gluten-Free Girl and the Chef

You don't have to be on a gluten-free diet to enjoy this book, you simply have to share Shauna & Danny's love for good food. Many think that a dietary restriction means a severely limited diet, but the recipes in this book prove that it doesn't have to be like that. In fact, for Shauna, having to go glutten-free meant getting introduced to new foods that she hadn't tried before. The recipes in this book are full of flavor and full of warmth as they mingle in the story of their family. I had the chance to feast on some of these recipes at the lunch they hosted at the International Food Blogger Conference in Seattle. It would be lovely to meet them someday :)

Here are some of my other favorites:

Around My French Table: More Than 300 Recipes from My Home to Yours

by Dorie Greenspan

This is approachable French home cooking. Dorie includes some classic dishes and plenty of tips.

Thai Street Food

by David Thompson

I picked this one up after my trip to S.E. Asia and it took me back to the delicious street food that I thoroughly enjoyed. These recipes are fantastic!

Heart of the Artichoke and Other Kitchen Journeys

by David Tanis

Ahh...the talent of David Tanis. This is a fun book and gives you ideas for times you want to cook for just you or for a big group.

DeMarle 2409 Silpat 11-5/8-by-16-1/2-Inch Nonstick Silicone Baking Mat

Load Up Your Kitchen With More Stuff

2010-12-11T21:49:00.001-08:00

There are a ton of great deals to be found right now! I strolled through a few stores in downtown Seattle and saw a ton of sales and discounts. This time of year is often an ideal time to stock up on kitchen gear and books. It does require some research and a little bit of being at the right place at the right time. Here are some ideas to get you started on what's hot right now:

Microplane 40020 Grater/Zester

Wilton 2105-459 Excelle Elite 3-Tier Cooling Rack

Wilton 570-1121 Easy Flex 3-Piece Silicone Spatula Set

Oxo 73281 OXO Good Grips Pastry Scraper

Fred M Cup Measuring Matroyshkas, Set of 6 Dry Measuring Cups

Baker's Edge Nonstick Edge Brownie Pan

Prepara Herb Savor

An Evening In With Top Pot

2010-12-11T21:09:00.001-08:00

I have been craving Top Pot Doughnuts for at least a couple of weeks now. For those who are not from Seattle, Top Pot are some of the best doughnuts in town. At Top Pot you can pick up a Classic Old Fashioned, Apple Fritters and filled doughnuts among others. They offer more than 40 different types of doughnuts. I love going there on a crisp rainy weekend day to grab a doughnut an Ovaltine Latte.

I got a Chocolate Iced Ring and this doughnut is huge! I'm really going to enjoy this...

http://eater.com/archives/2010/12/10/paul-mccartney-and-jimmy-fallon-sing-scrambled-eggs-aka-yesterday.php

Awesome! Paul McCartney and Jimmy Fallon Sing "Scrambled Eggs"

2010-12-10T16:54:00.001-08:00

It was an unexpected surprise to hear Paul McCartney and Jimmy Fallon's ode to food :)

Start Your Own Food Quest!

2010-12-09T23:33:00.001-08:00

Food quests are sweet! Just started reading through Mimi Sheraton's The Bialy Eaters: The Story of a Bread and a Lost World. She travels to the Polish town of Bialystok to research the history of this traditional Jewish bread, the bialy. It was a food report trip for Conde Nast Traveler magazine set this research in motion. Mimi is really a pro at this kind of investigation having already researched the origins of what we know in the us as Danish pastry, French toast and Turkish Delight.

I think this is such a fantastic idea for anyone to try. Think of all the food you've know since childhood. Ever been curious of how it became such a typical dish or well know staple? If anything this would prove to be a good writing exercise. What would you investigate?

Note: Photo by stumptownpanda

Pelted With Oysters

2010-12-05T16:37:00.001-08:00

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How can I begin this tale with anything other than a food metaphor? Saying that I've been pelted with oysters has to be the best way to describe what happened to me last Sunday and what I've been through this past week. Long story short, last Sunday my home was severely damaged by a major water pipe leak that happened on the upper level. I'm not sure how long it will take to get things back to normal and right now I'm without a home.

This has been such a rough experience. The entire week has felt as if I were getting pelted with oysters - first the pipe leak, then the flooding, then all the many things that could go wrong when that much water flows through a house. As awful as it may be, I have to keep my spirits up and I have been trying hard to find a pearl or two among all of these hard-hitting oysters. It's hard to do, but pearls can be found. I've had friends really come through for me when this happened and my family has been supportive from afar.

It's unreal how you can never really be prepared for something like this and it happens so unexpectedly. I mean, nothing about last Sunday was unusual. I woke up ready to enjoy the last bit of weekend. I met up with a friend for a fabulous brunch at Corson Building. It's such a great treat on a Sunday morning. Despite it's location under the shade of the I-5 overpass, once you step inside, Corson feels more like a welcoming home rather than a restaurant. There are communal tables set up in the dinning area and at the far back you can see the kitchen.

They have several items that you can serve up for yourself - most were vegetarian options. They always seem to have yogurt with honey, fruits, nuts and seeds. You also get an option on your egg or hot dish. I had thesavory anchovy and caramelized onion quiche.

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The food was good, company was excellent and the conversation was fierce - brainstorming, scheming and getting geared up for research!

After brunching I did a little touring around Corson Building.

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Brunch - check! Onwards to the next leg of our journey that put us at the top of Queen Anne at a new place - La Reve Bakery.

Cute place, just a few steps away from one of my favorite spots, El Diablo Coffee Co. Coffee and pastries is what they do, but even with their best efforts to make it look homey, it still somehow felt like a Starbucks to me. It wasn't as cozy as I imagined and the noise level is relatively high for a small space. We treated ourselves to hot chocolate and a twice baked almond croissant (I think it was thrice baked-oops! It was baked too long giving it a hardened crust rather than a proper crispness).

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As we were chatting, I noticed a missed call on my phone. I was listening to the voicemail and sipping on the hot cocoa.

Screeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeech!

Mid-sip, I look up and say "I gotta go!" I received awful news in the form of a voicemail from the water company. They called to let me know they had shut off the water to my home. They had received a call from a neighbor that there was a waterfall running out of the second level and that most likely a pipe burst.

I asked my friend to join me because I really didn't think I could handle seeing the damage on my own. We would have left right away, but since in many places in Seattle you have to bus your own table, I felt guilty just rushing out the door. We cleaned up the table and took our dishes to the bin and took off.

Later I found out that a pipe can gush around 25 gallons of water a minute. The water most likely started leaking in the morning and the call I got from the water company came in at 3 pm. From that point on, it seemed like things were moving so fast. At first glance, things looked bad but not as tragic as I imagined. The first call I made was to my insurance. Thank goodness most of my important files were in a filing cabinet. Since then I've had a number of strangers in my home drying up the water and demolishing most rooms. The water made its way across the upper level and started running down to the lower level. Many of the walls and ceilings had to come out. My house is no longer home. It really looks foreign to me. It will take a ton of time and patience to rebuild.

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(Note: Oyster photo by Chef Matt Rock http://www.flickr.com/photos/chefmattrock/)

Where Did I Go? My Southeast Asia Tour

2010-10-16T15:36:00.001-07:00

It was long trip number two this year and it was a completely different experience from Central America. There's nothing like the comfort of speaking the language when you travel abroad and as a native Spanish-speaker, Central America was a breeze. Although, by the looks of me, the locals often didn't believe I was a Latina. I have light skin (even lighter due to my Seattle tan), light brown hair and light hazel eyes. Southeast Asia was similar in that regards, I was most often pegged as Russian or Italian. The funniest one was a woman who thought I was half Asian - oh, my!

The trip was fantastic, but I wish I would have taken more that just a few Thai classes. That's the perfectionist in me. I was happy that I did learn the little that I had though. It was an important part of showing respect and being polite to be able to say please and thank you.

So where did my travels take me? My trip started in Thailand where I spent a week and a half. The countries that followed were Burma (Myanmar), Laos, Cambodia, Malaysia and Singapore. I hit the highlights and I hope to someday return to see more of these wonderful countries...

I took a tons and tons of pictures and I'm still going through all 5,000+. Many of my pictures feature all kinds of food. It was unbelievable how endless the food choices were at markets & with street vendors. Needless to say, I ate and ate and ate and thoroughly enjoyed all the things I tried - well almost all of it - there was one particularly pungent fruit that was not my favorite. The shopping was excellent and very inexpensive. I'll be sharing more soon.

Pre-trip Packing for Mini SE Asia Tour

2010-09-28T02:51:00.001-07:00

I'm so excited about my upcoming trip, but it really snuck up on me! I booked this trip to SE Asia back in May feeling like it was so far away. Now it's crunch time and I have to get packing! Taking the same approach as my last trip, I am limiting myself to my simple trusty backpack that got me through Central America. So as not to deviate from my usual M.O. I'm find myself packing the evening before my trip. Yes, I know, crazy procrastination! My single backpack system is definitely not for everyone. I'm not packing for fashion; I'm packing for function. I'm definitely not sporting the hardcore backpacker look, but at the same time I'm not decked out in cute sundresses and accessories. Unlike like last time, I'm taking my little Acer netbook. Not sure if this will prove to be a burden or not, but I also remember missing it on my last trip. The weight is starting to add up and I might tip over when I throw this on my back. The great thing about travelling to a warm climate is that the clothes take up less space, so I guess I'm not sure if my method would work if I were headed somewhere cold. Sweaters and the like would definitely take up much more space. Love the thought of that challenge though. That definitely has got my mental gears spinning with ideas for the next trip! There's actually a ton of tips online in the form of blogs or videos on how to be a minimalist packer. For girlie girls that may be a tall order, but definitely not impossible. It is pretty cute how my stuff is smaller than the equivalents for guys - underthings for example, socks, tops - a girl's got an advantage over the average sized guy. I've had a few people ask me to give them a list of things that they should pack to take this same minimalist approach without missing anything. I would really hate to give you a list of items to pack though because I guess the best piece of advice I could give you is a bit simple and obvious, but still takes a bit of thought: Take what's important to you and skim the fat. You want to take a little bit of home with you if that's going to make your trip comfortable. For me, going without a blow dryer is not a big deal for example and I'm ok scaling down the products I use for hair and make up.

For three weeks, the things that I pack are really the basics. Under things; enough for a week and a half and a plan to do laundry 2 - 3 times over the course of my trip. Stick to natural, breathable fabrics. Up to you, but I have at least two pairs that are a quick dry material, just in case I can't do laundry for some reason and have to wash it myself to air dry overnight. When I say do laundry, I mean paying someone to do it while I'm having fun. In places like Central and South America that's a very inexpensive must so that you don't waste your time. As for clothes, 5 days worth of tops and a thin long sleeve T-shirt or button up shirt. These should breathe really well. I usually stick to cotton or the specialized blends optimized for hiking. I always have two dressy tops just in case. To that I add two pairs of comfortable pants - one that could be used for hiking one that could work for hiking and as good casual wear or could get dressed up with a nicer top and a comfortable pair of heels. I take on pair of hiking shorts& two skirts that work with the dressier tops. As far as colors, I stick to neutrals and earth tones and I do one top item in a good variation of a primary color - pick one that looks good on you. For me that's red. This will make your shoe choices easier. For a warm climate, I take one pair of comfortable sandals, and one pair of dressier shoes - that could either be a pair of flats or a really and truly comfortable pair of not too high heels. For the most part I know I'll be wearing a pair of comfortable & broken in hiking shoes. These should be breathable and light. Ideally they should also be waterproof. Just be sure to know if it's rainy season where you're heading. You'll want to take a light rain jacket with you and a light hoodie for bus rides where they crank up the AC. I take 2 pairs of sport socks & 4 pairs of good hiking socks. I've really taken to Smart Wool socks, even in really hot climates. They're really comfortable and wick moisture really well. My feet don't feel hot in them, but make sure they work for you before you take them on your trip. Just a note that these do not air dry fast.

Next I pack toiletries. I take small containers of face wash, a good everyday face moisturizer and sunscreen (this is not optional) . A small container of makeup remover and a toothbrush. I take a travel sized tube of toothpaste, but I don't take things like shampoo or body soap. If I don't have any where I'm staying, I just buy some at my destination as it's usually pretty cheap to get. I take a bare minimum of make up with me that I can use for day and night. I take a good powder foundation (much better than liquid when in a super warm weather) and a 4shade set of eye shadow and a black mascara. One eye shadow brush, one eye liner brush and one powder brush. I use the mascara as eye liner applying it with an eye liner brush so that I don't have to bring any eye liner. Honestly, though, most days I skip make up. You'll also want to grab some of the travel rolls of toilet paper, fill a small container with handsoap and take a packet of antibacterial wipes. Believe me, these are things that you take for granted at home and you definitely miss overseas when traveling. Consider taking a nail clipper, small file and tweezers and a good supply of over-the-counter pain killer and any other drugs you need. I'm taking malaria pills just in case, but make sure you talk to a travel clinic at least a month before your trip. An mp3 player (iPod) is always a good idea as well as a good camera. Be sure you have all you power cords/chargers. Throw in a reusable cloth bag that you can fold up, just in case. I carry a small bag/purse with things like a paper notebook, a pen, lip balm, and my wallet & passport as well as a travel book for the area you are visiting.

Well, that should do it, all of that should fit in a medium backpack and you should be set to carry this on with you. On some smaller domestic flights, you might have to check it plane side, but that's much better than checking it in. I'm ready to go! I have no idea what SE Asia will be like, but I'm about to find out.

Food Photography with Penny De Los Santos - Live From the International Food Bloggers Conference #IFBC

2010-08-29T12:33:00.001-07:00

At first glance, you can somehow see Penny De Los Santos' huge personality and wonderful curiosity. She is constantly looking around and studying everything. Then she starts talking about her work and you feel her tremendous passion. I walked away quite energized and I'm not even a photographer. Penny De Los Santos doesn't take pictures, she makes pictures and they are beautiful.

Penny spoke to the group about how to make food portraits. The shoot that she self assigned herself, shooting women in a prison in Mexico, got her where she is today. She landed at National Geographic. Some time later a colleague, who had moved to Saveur, was asking her to do some shoots for Saveur and that's how she got into food photography. To date she's done 6 cookbooks and she never thought she would be doing cookbooks. Apparently steak is tough to shoot (no pun intended). She just recently did a vegan dessert cookbook and at first she said "hell no!" Not because she hates vegans, she's just not a dessert person and she feels you kinda have to be excited about what you shoot. She got excited about it though because she decided to sex up the photos of the desserts. And with that she shared her tips on food photography.

Philosophy - "I shoot food like I shoots prisons." She takes a very organic, natural approach, Everything on the set is edible with beautiful ingredients in natural light. She showed us her first Saveur cover (The Breakfast Issue - Issue #114).

What makes a good photo

light
color
composition-people don't spend enough time thinking about this so that they can stretch themselves visually and avoid shooting the same photo time after time
appetizing food
pick good subjects
scout your food - do your research ahead of time.
practice a lot - she practices a lot. She shoots manually and meters her camera. If you want to take pics up a notch, shoot manually. The first time you do that it's pretty inspiring because you are in control.

Primary camera angles in food photography

overhead
3/4 view, side view is best when food is taller.
give it some space, you don't need to get so close because your viewers may be looking at your shot and think "what the hell is that?"

Think about your background

it should give information to the subject
they shoud be clean, not too cluttered

Why varied angles are important

Visual pacing
For the creative process-exploring the image - in her best southern access she related how a friend explained this - like a dog before he urinates - the dog will smell everything walking around and checking everything out. She was encouraged to explore just like that dog. Not all food looks good from the same angle - think about what you want to say about your subject and the best way to show it and explore it

Using available light

light direction
light quality
how to diffuse (softening the light with a napkin, wax paper, buy an $80 disc) and modify light - window light and doorway light is great,

Editing a dish

Mostly applies at a restaurant - you ask another plate and then you plate it or ask the chef to rebuild it.
Or you take a food subject and put it in a completely different element - like her picture of tamales that she put on a towel.

Creative devices

Food preparation shots - she showed a pic
Meal in process - shooting a meal as it's being eaten
Ingredients in its original wrapping
Vegetables after their washed
A spoon covered in sauce
Ingredient shots in jars, bowls

Camera Angles

light
edit your food
photo food in prep and meal in proc
be creative - use props

Food Culture

Penny related a story about her food shoot in Peru and the woman that walked her through the market full of knowledge and information. The best experiences started by her being invited into the kitchen and she loved it. She showed the pictures that are representative of the stories that she loves so much.

How to grow as a photographer

look at phot daily, mags cookbooks study the phots and styling
practice daily - she self assigns things to her all the time.
Keep a visual journal to develop good habits. She would make a pic a day and listen to her instincts. As she sees things she thinks about whether it make a good pic or not. She was on a street and a women walked thru a beam of light and she though that would make a good pic. So she waited for someone else to walk thru it to shoot it. thinking aobut moments, color, composition..she's not talking to anyone, she is completely in her head, listening the whole time. When asked what lenses she uses in her photography she told us that she shoots everything with one lens. The more you move the more uncomfortable you are.
Show a sense of place with your photos. This gives people an idea of where you are and the culture.

Penny closed with...Be Inspired. Love what you do. Have an insatiable curiosity. Like everything - LEAD with your heart, be open follow your instincts. listen.

Modernist Cuisine: The Art & Science of Cooking - Live From the International Food Bloggers Conference #IFBC

2010-08-29T11:14:00.001-07:00

Modernist Cuisine: The Art & Science of Cooking - Live From the International Food Bloggers Conference #IFBC

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Dr. Nathan Myhrvold talked about the book Modernist Cuisine:The Art & Science of Cooking and had slides that showed some pages and photography from the book. I was too busy looking at the photos and video and didn't take many notes.

Writing/Technology: Law & Ethics of Food Blogging - Live From the International Food Bloggers Conference #IFBC

2010-08-28T16:31:00.001-07:00

Writing/Technology: Law & Ethics of Food Blogging - Live From the International Food Bloggers Conference #IFBC

Not taking many notes of this one because you will find the copy of the presentation to be more meaty. It's a bit harsh to sit through this on after lunch, but it is picking up.

___________________________________

Robert Schroeder, Director of FTC Office Seattle:

FTC is about protecting the consumer. For more details information check out: http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2009/10/endortest.shtm

___________________________________

Recent Advances in Bullshit Reduction, Robin Goldstein (blindtaste.com)

Robin did some investigative work to determine credibility of the Wine Spectator Award. He created an online presence for a fake restaurant, put together a wine list that show ratings of "undrinkable" and sent in his $250. Some time later he received an award. Crazy story, but we have to watch out for these types of things. You can find the full text and menu of his fake restaurant on his blog.

On a related note, Barnaby Dorfman, CEO of Foodista shared how he and others have been working on a site to create a system of disclosure for bloggers who review and endorse products. If you are passionate about this topic area, please take a look at their site: http://bloggerdisclosure.org/

A site you might want to take a look at if you are interested in protecting your work as a blogger: http://creativecommons.org

Writing With All Five Senses - Live From the International Food Bloggers Conference #IFBC

2010-08-28T11:55:00.001-07:00

Writing With All Five Senses - Live From the International Food Bloggers Conference #IFBC

Lemons are being passed around for a little exercise in writing with all five senses.

Participants are asked to describe the way a lemon looks as if to someone who has never seen one. Some of the description are quite poetic and some very funny.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Building Traffic and Social Media-Live From the International Food Bloggers Conference #IFBC

2010-08-28T11:24:00.001-07:00

Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Building Traffic and Social Media-Live From the International Food Bloggers Conference

I will be posting my notes from each of the session at the IFBC, but please keep in mind they are very rough and just the highlights. Hope you find them useful, especially if you are not able to attend. Be sure to check http://www.foodista.com/ifbc2010/ for IFBC presentations.

Joy Victory (@thejoyvictory) - editorial czar for Wordpress.com New job role, updates the wordpress.com site and manages new user experience.

How to Make Friends with Search Engines

Coming soon: FoodPress

Traffic:

Front door - direct traffic
Back door - traffic from search engines

Look at your stats often - take time to understand the terminology and graphs. Who is coming to your site and from what sources. A tool you can use is Google Analytics.

Recommended tool: Google Insights

Write with keywords in mind. Make sure you use this in your blog titles and be very specific. Use them in the first sentence of your post, in sub-titles, in photo captions, in any links you create to the post (when you tweet about your post as an example). Do some research for yourself - go to Google and do some searches. Take a look at what comes up in the search results.

Other things to keep in mind-

SEO also improves when you:

update often - the more content the better
have in/outgoing links
along with new trends, blog about the tried and true trends like well know dates, events, topics

_____________________________________

Mani Dhillon, General Manager - Urbanspoon

As they put this site together:

they found that people look for restaurants by neighborhoods and zip codes
SEO link bait, novel ways to present their data that other wanted to link to. They picked a black background and created Restaurant At Night and found this attracted visits because of how it looked. They also used current trends and used them in their posts.
spoonbacks - presents reviews from bloggers, critics and readers. Bloggers that participate in the spoonbacks program (over 2000 participate) get million of users viewing their posts and linking back to their blog.

---------------

Questions

Q: What are your thoughts on integration with Twitter and Facebook and advice you have.

Joy - WordPress.com - when FB and Twitter came along we were asked, 'do you see them as competition?' No because they are very different especially as you can't see your Twitter content several years back like in a blog.

Mani - try to encourage people to register on Urbanspoon so that that can share the information on Facebook and Twitter. They're keeping their eye on new things like Facebook places.

Q: We've talked about SEO, for the people just getting started, what are 2 -3 things you recommend?

Foodista - used Twitter to grow their audience - tweeted trivia for example and then Twitter added them in their food follow list. Their advice - Be clear on what your goal is. Do you want to make a living on your writing? Do you want to make money on advertising? Is it a way to do PR and marketing for your company?

Joy - have a niche and be specific. Keep in mind that it takes time to build a following. Update often.

Mani - find an area that is unique. Get links for your blog.

Q: Recommendation for blog titles when a name or word uses special characters?

A: Don't use special characters as that is better for SEO

Q: I am very succesful on Twitter, is there something like Google Analytics for Twitter and are advertisers looking at that?

A: Not many good tools, but Google is indexing Twitter content.

Q: For a person just starting, how do you determine the value of your time when using things like foodbuzz, foodspotting?

A: It takes a lot of experimentation.

Q: Saveur - Is there a widget to put FB/Twitter comments into your blog?

A: Not any that we're aware of.

Q: What advice you have for SEO when you use video?

A: Use the keyword VIDEO in your titles, descriptions and tags.

Late Night Dinner @Tavolàta

2010-07-21T19:05:00.001-07:00

Once again my Facebook friends came through with a great late night dinner suggestion:

Tavolàta (2323 2nd Ave Seattle, WA) I forgot that they serve food until 11 pm. Tavolàta, who participated in my Dine Out Seattle for Haiti earlier this year, has a great dinner menu.

Last night's selection consisted of -

Warm Baguette served with Arbequina Olives in an olive oil & balsamic vinegar dip. They are serious about the warm bit. It took them a little bit of time to get it to the table so make sure you ask for it right away so that you have it with your meal.

The Stone Fruit Salad was a tasty antipasti that mixed savory and sweet. It had naturally sweet fresh juicy peaches, plums and cherries tossed with fennel, olive oil and balsamic and was topped with a thinly sliced juniper flavored ham (that one was described to this non-meat eater). This salad was the definitely the highlight!

I followed this up with the Grilled Summer Beans. This was a fried egg atop the edge of a bundle of grilled wax and green beans wrapped in slices of cured capicola (you guessed it, I passed this on). Dessert was the Affogato - a sweetly caffeinated way of ending a meal - for some reason caffeine doesn't keep me from blissful sleep. I was excited about this dessert, but it wasn't what I was expecting. Something was up with the ice cream - it just wasn't creamy. I like Via Tribunali's much better.

This work by tastyfeast.com is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

Sushi Kappo Tamura Opening Night

2010-07-18T21:22:00.001-07:00

Had the chance to stop in at Sushi Kappo Tamura on their grand opening tonight. This is the third venture for Kyoto-native Taichi Kitamura. I wish I could tell you that all three of his restaurants are open, but the sad news is that Sushi Kappo Tamura is meant to replace Kappo while Chiso remains open.

Kappo was by far more than a restaurant, it was an experience that put you at the table with Taichi-san himself as he prepared a wonderful array of selections for you.

Sushi Kappo Tamura does not come close to Kappo, but it does make a Kappo-style experience available to more people in a large space.

Seattle and The Beatles

2010-07-17T21:33:00.001-07:00

I recently shared a little fact that Seattle was the first city to play a Beatles song on the radio. I have been told that song was "I Want To Hold Your Hand." That would make sense since it was their first #1 Hit on the Billboard Top 100, but I'm not 100% sure if that was really the song played on air in Seattle. I'm still looking for the best way to confirm this little fact.

I never grow tired of the Beatles. My dad was the one who got me hooked as a child and so many Beatles songs take me back to memories of my dad playing his Beatles records and me and my brothers singing along with a hairbrush mic. Picking a favorite song would be really tough, but I think the song "Things We Said Today" is in my top 10 for sure.

Isn't it so cool how memories are triggered by music? It makes me think of an experiment with sound and memory that I read about a while ago; something called The Memory Machine that was installed at the British Museum back in 2003. Cathy Lane and Nye Parry, two composers, built an interactive sound installation into which visitors spoke memories via a telephone and those memories were spun into a mix of constantly changing musical sounds. It was described as an "aural metaphor for the workings of human memory." Beautiful!

"Someday when we're dreaming,

Deep in love, not a lot to say.

Then we will remember

Things we said today........"

Disappearing Mountain Makes A Comeback Today

2010-07-14T12:07:00.001-07:00

One of the main attractions of Seattle requires no tickets, no line-ups, no need to pack into a stuffy room - you just need to wish for a clear blue Seattle skies, good weather and some time to sneak out for a look.

On the corner of West Highland Drive and 2nd Avenue West in Seattle you will find Kerry Park and one of the best views of Elliot Bay, downtown Seattle, our famous Space Needle and on very clear days Mount Rainier makes it's majestic reappearance.

As soon as I found this spot, it became one of my favorite places in Seattle. I continue to be amazed by the disappearing and reappearing of Mount Rainier even after living in this city for three years now. The truth is, even longtime Seattleites never get bored of this spectacular view. Seeing Mount Rainier simply gets the heart pumping and reminds us what a great place Seattle is and how wonderful it is to be surrounded by natural beauty.

Mount Rainier is actually an active composite volcano formed by layers of lava and rock. Just 54 miles southeast of Seattle this mountain stands tall over the Cascade Range at 4.03km/13,211ft. of prominence (in its glory days it used to be more like 4.9km/16,000 ft). It is Seattle's naturally showy beacon and on the clearest days Seattle shares this view with our neighbors in Portland and Victoria, British Columbia.

To truly appreciate what I mean by "disappearing mountain" you have to see it or not see it to believe it. Take a look at the pictures in my gallery and you'll see no mountain to the right of the Space Needle. I'll try to get out today to take some with the mountain so you can see this natural wonder. For an even better experience, you really just have to plan a visit!

New to Capitol Hill - Food from El Salvador

2010-07-13T16:19:00.001-07:00

I got to reminisce a little this weekend about my trip through Central America. Capitol Hill regulars can now enjoy food from the Central American country of El Salvador. Guanaco's Tacos Pupuseria has opened a second location to it's original restaurant located in University District. The new place is located on 219 Broadway E inside the building that houses Table 219.

Although there are other things on the menu, a must try are the "pupusas." "What are they?" you ask. Well, these are deliciously handmade creations that start with a corn or rice flour dough that is patted into a thick disc shape and then stuffed with your choice of chicken, cheese, spinach, refried beans, fried pork, or zucchini. You can also try them stuffed with cheese and "loroco" for a truly authentic experience.

Loroco is a vine that is native to Central America. Off of this vine, the unopened flowering buds are taken and used to stuff into a pupusa. The loroco bud is slightly aromatic with the consistency that I would say resembles a tender broccoli stalk with a very slight nutty hint. It's actually a good source of vitamins A, B, C, calcium, iron and fiber. I'm surprised it doesn't get used more in gourmet cuisine.

Pupusas are served hot with a side of something called "curtido" which I can best describe as a spicy cabbage slaw. To eat, top the pupusas with the curtido add a bit of Guanaco's hot sauce and enjoy them with a side order of fried plantains with crema.

This is a great break from the usual and something you're sure to enjoy!

Espresso Vivace: One of Seattle's great coffee spots

2010-07-02T12:30:00.001-07:00

My coffee addiction can resume now that I am back in Seattle. I have tried a few things on the Vivace menu from a simple shot of espresso to the more complex Caffe Nico. My favorite is the Caffe Caramel that is subtly sweet and topped with a creamy, hand-designed foam. Now that I've been spoiled by these espresso drinks, it's hard for me to find equivalents when I'm out of town.

Espresso Vivace, started up by David Schomer and Geneva Sullivan, has an interesting story that involves 15 years of research and scientific precision! They definitely have lived up to their motto at everyone of my many visits - I always get "una bella tazza di cafe."

Schomer's book is also a good read. It's a book that's pretty well known by many pro baristas.

WARNING: Visit the Vivace closest to you and you might just hooked!

Vivace Espresso Bar at Brix
532 Broadway Ave East
Seattle WA 98102
Telephone 206.860.2722
Open 6am until 11pm daily

Espresso Vivace Alley 24
227 Yale Ave N
Seattle, WA 98109
Telephone 206.388.5164
Open daily 6 am until 11 pm.

Espresso Vivace Sidewalk Bar
321 Broadway Avenue East
Seattle, WA 98102

Great Breakfast Spot in Redmond, WA

2010-07-01T16:26:00.001-07:00

Today I discovered Village Square Cafe in Redmond. When I worked in Redmond, I would leave the house early to beat traffic and often had to sacrifice breakfast. Sometimes leaving early to beat traffic meant getting to work early and I never knew there was a worthy breakfast place nearby.

If you find yourself in Redmond and need a good breakfast to start your day, check this place out. They have a full breakfast menu. Today I tried the the Florentine Benedict and was happy with my choice. It had a good lemony hollandaise over two sunny side up eggs, spinach, tomato and English muffins. It's a comfy restaurant and the service was good.

http://www.uwajimaya.com/locations.html

A New Addiction - brought to you by Uwajimaya

2010-06-30T13:17:00.001-07:00

I love strolling thru Uwajimaya market and trying new things. Not too long ago, I found this sweet treat and was stunned by the size of the container. It conveniently has a handle on the lid :)

Little did I know that there is perhaps a reason for the mega-sized container. I jest not, I finished an entire container in one day - yikes!

Want to see if you have a little more self control than I do? You can find them your closest Uwajimaya market. I also discovered I can order smaller sizes on Amazon - Jin Jin Coconut Jelly Mango Flavor

Seattle Uwajimaya
600 5th Avenue South
Seattle, WA 98104
Phone: (206) 624-6248

A Record-Breaking SIFF 2010 Comes To A Close Last Night - Share your highlights!

2010-06-14T17:28:00.001-07:00

The 36th Annual Seattle International Film Festival 2010 came to a successful and record-breaking end last night. My travel schedule was a bit hectic and I was only able to make it to two SIFF movies, but it's so great to hear that there was high attendance overall this year. It is so awesome having the nation's largest film festival right in our backyard and although my presence this year was low, I do have fond memories of last year's.

Two of My SIFF 2009 Highlights from SIFF 2009 -

I caught a tremendously moving Phillipe Lioret film called Welcome at SIFF 2009. It's tale of a 17 year old love-driven Kurdish refugee who's determination to be reunited with his sweetheart takes him on a heart-wrenching journey.
I was invited to a wonderful tribute dinner hosted at Cafe Vita's "Green Bean Warehouse" on Tuesday May 26th and had the chance to meet Spike Lee. Spike was presented with the 2009 Golden Space Needle Award for Outstanding Achievement in Directing to recognize his noteworthy film-making career. I honestly didn't know what to expect. I am a fan of some of Spike's work and had seen him in a number of televised interviews. He comes across as very focused and pensive in his interviews. That evening was no different, but his demeanor had hints of impatience. Spike wasn't very conversational, but the NBA Playoffs were also in full force that week and perhaps that was distracting him a bit. Spike was often on his Blackberry and I'm sure he was checking the scores, but he did loosen up a bit after having some of the great food and wine that was served that evening.

What has Spike been up to since his visit to Seattle for SIFF 2009? It looks like he's worked with Absolut on a limited edition Brooklyn Heights ginger and red apple flavored vodka in a bottle that looks quite sharp. You can find it at Michael Towne Wines & Spirits at 73 Clark Street in NY.

Their bottles and ads are always so clever. ABSOLUT: BIOGRAPHY OF A BOTTLE was a good read.

I did get a peek at the gift bags handed out at the Opening Gala this year and they looked awesome! A number of SIFF volunteers worked very hard on stuffing those Le Sport bags full of goodies!

Now it's your turn to join the conversation! What were your SIFF 2010 highlights? Can't wait to hear from you!

A Record-Breaking SIFF 2010 Comes To A Close Last Night - Share your highlights!

2010-06-14T13:00:00.001-07:00

Two of My SIFF 2009 Highlights from SIFF 2009 -

I caught a tremendously moving Phillipe Lioret film called Welcome at SIFF 2009. It's tale of a 17 year old love-driven Kurdish refugee who's determination to be reunited with his sweetheart takes him on a heart-wrenching journey.
I was invited to a wonderful tribute dinner hosted at Cafe Vita's "Green Bean Warehouse" on Tuesday May 26th and had the chance to meet Spike Lee. Spike was presented with the 2009 Golden Space Needle Award for Outstanding Achievement in Directing to recognize his noteworthy film-making career. I honestly didn't know what to expect. I am a fan of some of Spike's work and had seen him in a number of televised interviews. He comes across as very focused and pensive in his interviews. That evening was no different, but his demeanor had hints of impatience. Spike wasn't very conversational, but the NBA Playoffs were also in full force that week and perhaps that was distracting him a bit. Spike was often on his Blackberry and I'm sure he was checking the scores, but he did loosen up a bit after having some of the great food and wine that was served that evening.

Their bottles and ads are always so clever. ABSOLUT: BIOGRAPHY OF A BOTTLE was a good read.

I did get a peek at the gift bags handed out at the Opening Gala this year and they looked awesome! A number of SIFF volunteers worked very hard on stuffing those Le Sport bags full of goodies!

Now it's your turn to join the conversation! What were your SIFF 2010 highlights? Can't wait to hear from you!

Ken Griffey Jr Retires and one man will get all the scoop on paper!

2010-06-02T18:08:00.001-07:00

Breaking News: Ken Griffey Jr Retires: http://ow.ly/1TlRY

I caught in on the news just now and I love these images of a Seattle reporter working hard to get the scoop :)

See the full gallery on posterous

West Siiiiiiide vs East

2010-06-02T16:22:00.001-07:00

Spent my morning on the East side today - Bellevue/Redmond/Woodinville area - nothing but rain.

It was so nice to be warmly welcomed to the West side - sunshine and no rain!

Seattle gets a gold star!

Seasonal Ingredient Map

2010-06-01T21:07:00.001-07:00

Have you ever had this rambling thought: "I wish I knew what's in season. I would know what to pick up fresh for dinner tonight. It would be great if I also knew what to make with it....hmmmm"

I definitely did and gathered up a list for Washington state, but the technology prowess of someone else prevails and I like it. Yes, this find tops my simple little list that I put together for what's in season in Washington. It's a cool interactive map on epicurious.com that shows what's in season across the US by month and more! A handy little thing to bookmark. Allow me break it down for you -

The Seasonal Ingredient Map is a map of the US and you can click on each state to get a list of what is in season.

You can then hover over an item and a small thumbnail appears,

You then have two choices:

1) Learn a bit more about it

2) Check out recipes that feature this ingredient. - My favorite feature and they have some nice search capability on their site.

You can find it HERE.

Partners Flatbread Style Crackers, Cracked Black Pepper, 5.8-Ounce Boxes (Pack of 6)

A Worthy Local Flatbread Cracker

2010-05-25T17:05:00.001-07:00

I got a new selection of locally made cheese to sample and thought it would be great to stay local with the crackers that would accompany the soft goat cheese and Gouda. It's hard enough to find a worthy cracker, but a local one??? With a little searching I found Partners crackers. Partners is a local company based in Kent, Washington. The three partners are Marian Harris (mother), Cara Figgins(daughter) and Greg Maestretti(son). More than 15 years ago, Marian was owner of The Bakery (Pioneer Square) and Marian's restaurant (Bellevue).

Back then they used to hand roll the crackers they sold but today they have machines helping them out. The result is a selection of delightful crackers enjoyed by people in countries as far away as Japan. I selected their Cracked Black Pepper flatbread cracker and was not dissapointed.

I opened the package and pulled out the sealed plastic bag that holds the flatbread crackers. Upon opening the bag, a buttery aroma with hints of pepper gives you a glimpse of what is about to hit your palate. As you pull one of the crackers out you can see the black pepper on one side of the cracker. The first bite introduces you to the crisp, smooth texture of these wheat crackers and then the black pepper comes through. There is almost a rich creamy taste to the cracker most likely due to the buttermilk in the recipe.

Want to give these a try? Check your local Trader Joe's, Target, Costco or you can even get them delivered to your home via Amazon:

For more information, check out their website: http://partnerscrackers.com/partnersframeset.html

Cheese Anxiety

2010-05-16T11:59:00.001-07:00

Have you noticed all the great little shops in Seattle where you find all kinds of cheese? The thing is that there are so many choices in cheese! Selecting a good variety of cheese for a cheese plate can cause as much anxiety as selecting a good bottle of wine.

Are you excited about trying something new but don't know where to begin? Deep breath...you do not have to be an expert fromager. With just a little bit of the basics you can pick a delicious cheese or even put together a cheese plate that is sure to impress.

Let's start with a bit of history. First there was milk...it was perhaps ignored and it curdled. Before getting tossed someone thought to add a bit of salt, gave it a taste and it was GOOD. History lesson over. Actually there are so many legends about how cheese came about, but cheese seems to predate recorded history. You could spend hours reading about it. I kept it simple intentionally because it leads me to the basics.

The Basics

The cheese that you love was once milk - cow, goat, sheep, buffalo, reindeer (oh yes, like in Finland) - add a little fire, throw in some enzymes and bacteria (the good kind) and the milk separates into curds (solids) and whey (liquid) - way! Got it? Now all you have to remember is the number 5 (five) - easily done by the fingers on one hand. Why 5? That is the different stages of cheese. You see, the curds are plucked from the whey, pressed and in some cases aged to become CHEESE.

Those stages are the basic categories of cheese that you will need to remember:

FRESH: this category represents cheese made from the curds to which either some souring culture is added or in most cases rennet (or a vegetarian equivalent) is added. This sets the cheese that is then placed in container and allowed to drain some more. It doesn't lose all of the whey and depending how much it keeps determines how soft it will be. Examples: Mozzarella, Ricotta

SOFT: a little more mature than fresh with a smooth taste and texture. Examples: Brie, Camembert

SEMI-SOFT: less moisture content than semi-soft. The curd for this category of cheese is often cut to release the whey, put in moulds and lightly pressed. Examples: Provolone, Raclette

FIRM: the ripe and aged cheeses that become harder and more concentrated as they age. The curd is cut up into a smaller grain and sometimes cooked before it is pressed. Examples: Cheddar, Gruyère

HARD: ripened and aged measured in years not months. Deep intense flavor. Examples: Parmigiano Reggiano, Aged Gouda

Going Beyond The Basics

The basics are your starting point. There is a great deal of variation among those categories. Start by selecting one of the categories and become familiar with cheese in that category and move onto the next category. There are some great shops in town. Don't be afraid to ask the experts a lot of questions. Need to to put together a cheese plate right now? I refer to this wonderful cheese clock that can be found at http://www.artisanalcheese.com/cheeseclock/

Start TODAY

Seattle is always sure to cater to foodies, food lovers and those with an appetite. Don't miss out on opportunities to try, learn and buy - starting today:

Go to the Seattle Cheese Festival
Meet Cheesemonger Gordon Edgar at Elliott Bay Book Company
Check out a new cheese shop - The Calf & Kid

Walgreens trip to pick up a DNA test???

2010-05-13T10:02:00.001-07:00

Walgreens was slated to be the first to carry a take home personal genetic testing kit for around $30 but decided to hold off because of a bit of pressure from the FDA. Apparently the FDA has not approved the selling of this kit. The company that is offering these kits, Pathway Genomics, seems to think they're okay without FDA approval since they are not diagnosing or treating. They have actually been offering similar kits on their website. They say that "everyone has the right to know the secrets hidden within their own DNA." I'm not sure that's such a bright idea. It could do more harm than good. Will the average consumer really understand the results and more importantly will they know what to do or what not to do? You can take a look at the NY Times article here: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/13/health/13gene.html?dbk

http://www.facebook.com/?sk=fe&s=2#!/event.php?eid=116559185050264

Great Lunch Date Idea: Paseo & Piano

2010-05-12T23:25:00.001-07:00

Trying to win someone over? This is sure to impress :) If you have not tried a Paseo sandwich (what the heck??!!) this is your chance.

Check it out!

"Lunch Date With a Piano"
Featuring Kristine Thomas, solo piano
Noon to 1:00pm,
First and Third Thursdays of the month in the Great Hall, Fremont Abbey
Begins Thursday May 20, 2010

Kristine has offered to simply play our grand piano for the lunch hour. You may come and listen at any time during the noon hour. Just slip in quietly please and enjoy the music and sunlight filled Hall. Do some yoga, relax, breathe, lay down under the piano, eat lunch in a corner, but no talking please.

From Kristine: "I would play 50 minutes of solo piano. Anyone could drop in and take in the music. I would accept donations and give them to the Abbey. I play a variety of music: American Songbook, jazz standards, classical and sacred." (She's really good!)

Donations to the Fremont Abbey gratefully accepted (and to help cover Kristine's transportation costs)

Feel free to bring in your lunch from Paseo or wherever as long as you cleanup after yourself. :-) You can sit quietly on the couch, floor, or padded chairs are available.

An Unlikely Food Spot

2010-05-12T11:17:00.001-07:00

Yesterday I was in need of a late afternoon snack and decided to wander down E Pine in Capitol Hill. What I found was an unlikely place for a spicy chai and delicious somosas filled with potatoes, peas and spices and served with a tamarind chutney and a fresh tasting green chutney that tasted of coriander (cilantro), lemon juice, green chilies, garlic and maybe even a little aam choor.

The spot is a shop I have probably passed hundreds of times called Travelers where you can find a nice variety of goods mostly from India - herbs, spices, incense, books, clothing, accessories, essential oils, candles, jewelry and saris. The real gem is the tea bar and cafe. The cafe is open from lunch on Tuesday - Saturday 11:30 am - 3 pm and Sunday 12 pm - 3 pm. The lunch menu includes things like spinach pakoras, samosas, naan pizza, parantha with or without aloo paneer, dal and saffron kheer. They are also open for dinner Friday, Saturday and Sunday 5 - 8 pm when they serve a full Thali that features to vegetables, dal, rice, salad, raita, fruit pickle, papadam and chutney.

Travelers serves a wonderfully spicy masala chai that they whip up themselves starting with the full bodied Assam black tea to which they add their own organic spice blend. They give you the option of whole, non-fat milk, soy or rice milk. You will also find mango lassi, a variety of fruit drinks, Limca soda, Thumbs-Up soda and a good selection black, green, white and herbal teas.

I can't wait to return on the weekend and try their Thali. I'm so glad I discovered this place for myself because it's hard to find a good chai around here. So tough that I have made it myself on occasion. I don't have an exact recipe since I prepare it by taste and rarely measure anything, but I'll try my best to give you good estimates on the amounts.

Recipe Teardown

1. Gather the tea and spices. Assam is preferred because of its malty flavor, you'll need 1 teaspoon of tea per cup of boiling water. The spices I like to use are cardamom pods, cloves, cinnamon stick, ginger root

2. Boil water. The amount depends on how many cups you want to make.

3. Steep spices and tea for 5 minutes. The result should be a beautiful rich amber color.

4. Add milk. I like to add the milk & coconut milk, bring it to boil and switch to low for 1 minute to really infuse the milk with the spices. You can substitute with a non-dairy milk.

5. Enjoy. Add a little honey if you like a sweet tea.

Recipe

Masala Chai

Serves: 4

Ingredients

4 c. water

4 tsp. Assam tea

4 cardamom pods

1 cinnamon stick

1/4 inch ginger root, peeled and grated

2 - 3 cloves

1/2 c. milk

1 tsp. coconut cream

Honey to taste

Preparation

Bring 4 cups of water to a rolling boil in a medium sauce pan. Turn off the heat and remove from burner. Add the tea and the spices, cover with a lid and steep for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes add the milk and the coconut cream. Return to the burner and turn the heat up to medium. Bring the milk to a slow boil and stir constantly. Boil for one minute, turn off the heat and remove from burner.

To serve, pour the tea through a tea filter into a tea pot. Once you pour out into individual cups, each person can add a little honey if they like their tea sweet. I know I do!

And now for a fun look at how the pros do it:

http://pages.teamintraining.org/wa/bigktri10/astowell

My AFF's (Awesome Facebook Friends)

2010-05-12T09:28:00.001-07:00

This is what I mean about my AFF's: Angela Dunleavy Stowell is training for Big Kahuna half Ironman & raising money to help in the fight to stop leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin lymphoma and myeloma - please help them reach their goal.

Don't Miss Children's Book Week May 10 - 16

2010-05-10T13:52:00.001-07:00

I really fell in love with reading as a child and have so many fond memories of reading with my parents. I loved reading Amelia Bedelia books with my mom and they still make us laugh! The joy of reading is truly a gift that every parent must give to their children.

This week is Children's Book Week, an annual event that began in 1919 and the nation's longest running literacy effort. It's a great week to take the kids to your local bookstore and check out a few new books!

A few ideas:

Tuesday 5/11 @ 11 am - Elliot Bay Book Company is hosting a story-time
Saturday 5/15 & Sunday 5/16 - Ravenna Third Place Books - 20% off all children's books
Saturday 5/15 @ 2 pm - Barnes & Noble downtown is hosting a reading and book signing of "Whisper" which is by Greek-American writer Phoebe Kitanidis. Phoebe moved to Seattle back in 2004 and it where she began her writing career. Following the book signing she will be doing a talk for aspiring young authors.
Sunday 5/16 @ 2 pm - Queen Anne Books is hosting a story-time. You can even grab a great coffee next door at El Diablo Coffee Co.
Fremont Place Books is doing a book drive this month for Page Ahead: Children's Literacy Program.

A Culinary Voyage Through Time

2010-05-04T18:31:00.001-07:00

What's Next? Have you ever asked a Chef that question? You will probably get a glimpse of their vision of how to take the culinary art to the next level with their creative dishes. Chef Grant Achatz has apparently challenged himself with that question. His vision is grandiose and goes far beyond the food. In his latest endeavor, appropriately called Next, he will introduce Chicago to a new dining experience that is certain to create a ton of spin and rock a foodie's world. That is, if you can snag your golden ticket.

Yes, you read that correctly. I did say ticket! Upon opening (rumor indicates sometime this fall), if you want to dine at Next, you will go to their website and pay in advance for your ticket. And in a bold move, Achatz has decided to offer lower priced tickets for off-peak hours. The price for the five- or six-course meal will range from $45 to $75. The range is due to the fact that the menu will change and that will determine the price of your ticket. Unlike many restaurants, Next's menu will change 4 times a year. That holds the promise of a great deal of culinary creativity. In fact the changes will be thematic each representing a different place and, get this, a different time. Achatz debut place and time will be Paris in 1912.

Just like the movies and there is even a trailer. I can't wait to travel back in time!

What's in season?

2010-05-04T12:53:00.001-07:00

This is not an exhaustive list, but a good guide to what's in season right now in Washington state. When your dining about town, be sure to try the dishes with these fresh and in-season ingredients!

Arugula, May through December
Asparagus, April through June
Chard, May through February
Collard greens, May through February
Edible Flowers, April through September
Fava beans, April through June
Fennel, year-round
Fiddleheads, April and May
Garlic scapes/green garlic, spring
Green onions/scallions, spring through fall
Greens, May through February
Herbs, various year-round
Kale, May through February
Lettuce, May through November
Mint, May through December
Morels, May
Mushrooms (cultivated), year-round
Mushrooms (wild), spring through fall
Nettles, March through May
New Potatoes, spring
Oregano, May through December
Parsley, May through December
Pea greens, May
Potatoes, year-round
Potatoes (new), spring
Radicchio, May through November
Radishes, May through November
Rhubarb, April through June
Rosemary, May through December
Sage, May through December
Scallions/green onions, May through November
Sorrel, May through November
Spinach, May through December
Sprouts, May through October
Stinging Nettles, April and May
Thyme, May through December p]
Watercress, May through December

Music Cleverly Matches A Scene

2010-05-04T11:42:00.001-07:00

I was channel surfing last night and a movie called Waiting To Exhale (feat. Whitney Houston/directed by Forest Whitaker) was playing. I never saw it and just watched one scene. It was the music that caught my attention. It cleverly matched the scene and I wonder how many people made the connection unless they got the soundtrack. Keep in mind I haven't seen this movie - the music was featured in a argument scene where one of the male characters is standing outside looking up at his girlfriend's apartment balcony - clever. Why?

The music was the "Romantic theme" composed by Italian composer Nino Rota for Franco Zeffirelli's 1968 cinematic adaptation of William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet . There was an alternate version of this composition that had lyrics and is known as "A Time For Us" and the film version was called "What Is Youth".

Download now or listen on posterous

ninorotatrack6.mp3 (2289 KB)

Mr. Rota has an impressive resume. He has worked with the great Fellini, was a good friend of Igor Stravinsky and composed music for the first two films of The Godfather trilogy among other things.

I remember watching Zeffirelli's adaptation after reading Romeo and Juliet in high school because Baz Luhrmann's hadn't come out yet. I actually liked Zeffirelli's film better and the boys in class loved what was a little controversial at the release of the film - the nude shot of Olivia Hussey. In fact, originally the film was rated G and then switched to M because of that scene.

I loved Rota's composition and somehow found the sheet music at antique shop in high school thinking I could teach myself how to play it on the piano without knowing how to play. I didn't learn it. :) I wonder if it was Whitaker's call to use it in his movie? It's fun running into interesting little surprises in films - even ones that you don't actually watch!

See the full gallery on posterous

Food shots from my trip through Central America

2010-05-04T08:10:00.001-07:00

Super easy lunch or dinner - rich Tom Kha in just 20 minutes

2010-05-03T20:31:00.001-07:00

Tom Kha is sinfully delicious! I have had this traditional Lao/Thai rich spicy soup at various restaurants, but have always been a bit intimidated to make it. It tastes like you have to slave for hours to produce this mouth watering soup. I also was afraid that I wouldn't be able to get it right and it would be an unnecessary blemish in tasty memories I have of thoroughly enjoying it.

Today, I got bold and decided to go for it! Plus, when I'm craving a dish, I am known to accomplish some pretty daunting feats. It's all about the food, baby! The verdict: Success! And it was a lot easier than I thought...

Feeling a little bold yourself? I will give you the easy recipe tear-down and include the actual recipe below. For those of you who are also vegetarians, substitute veggie broth for chicken broth and your favorite mushrooms, veggies or even tofu rather than chicken.

Please let me know how it goes or if you have a better recipe. I do warn you, this is not a low-fat dish. :)

Recipe Teardown:

1. Start a base stock - You'll bring together the chicken stock with the lemongrass, galangal, sugar and kefir lime leaves into a boil. Simmer for 5 minutes.

2. Add the Coconut Milk, Fish Sauce & Chilies - You'll add these to the base stock and simmer for 5 minutes.

3. Add the Chicken - Or veggies, mushrooms or tofu. Cook only until chicken is cooked through or the vegetables are tender.

4. Add lime juice and garnish - add lime juice and adjust level of fish sauce and lime juice to taste.

5. ENJOY! Serve and garnish with sprigs of fresh coriander (cilantro). You can eat a smaller bowl with rice or skip the rice and have a bigger bowl!

Recipe:

1 cup chicken stock

1 cup Coconut milk

1/2 stalk of Fresh lemongrass

6 slices of fresh Galangal

2 hand-torn Kaffir Lime Leaves

2 - 3 Thai bird's eye chillies (or Serrano chillies) cut into thick slices

1 Tbsp of Fish sauce - some brands can be very salty, so start with a little at a time and taste

2 Tbsp Lime juice

1/2 tsp brown sugar

2 Tbsp fresh Coriander (cilantro) leaves

4- 8 oz boneless chicken breast cut into small pieces

OR - Substitute your fave veggies or tofu

4 sliced straw mushrooms (or regular button mushrooms)

Preparation:

Prepare the lemongrass. Use the white part only and not the woody grass part. With the flat side of your knife, pound and bruise the lemongrass to releae its flavor. Cut into 2 inch segments.

Put the stock into a pot and bring to a boil. Toss the galangal, lemongrass, sugar, and lime leaves in. Simmer for 5 minutes.

Add the coconut milk, chillies, fish sauce and simmer for another 5 minutes.

Finally, add the chicken and mushrooms and cook till the chicken is just cooked.

Turning off the heat, add lime juice. Adjust with the fish sauce (salt) and lemon juice (sour) to taste as needed.

Garnish with coriander (cilantro) leaves and enjoy!

http://www.gossipgirlshow.com/video/get-look-how-get-blake-livelys-glam-hair

BLOW

2010-05-03T12:22:00.001-07:00

Highly addictive, or so I hear. I believe this may actually be affecting a lot of women in Seattle; young and old alike. Studies do suggest that it affects our brains differently than men. I hear once you try it, you're hooked. Women sneaking out of work early or even doing it on their lunch break. There is potential for a widespread addiction. Some women are not shy about it either, they will offer up details without being asked, even recommending it to their very best girlfriends. Others are quite closed lip about it and confront them about it and they will deny it despite the effects being so obvious. You can't even imagine the parties that these ladies go to. They make it seem so glamorous, I'm even thinking of trying it. I mean, why not, it could be fun. I think I could keep from getting addicted, but from the sound of it, maybe a few times a month wouldn't be so bad. Could be quite the thrill actually.

You should try it with me. Who's in??? Why do looked so shocked??? Umm, wait, what exactly did you think I was talking about. Oh! I get it. Leave it to this little Bolivian to cast a shadow of suspicion and cause a few raised eyebrows. Seriously, I stick strictly to coca tea and not it's more refined cousin.

What I am talking about is a BLOW OUT! There was a time when ladies would gather at the hairdressing salon to exchange the latest juicy gossip while they all got their hair styled in the latest fashion. The ponytail and the French plait were the latest trend, but there was also the bouffant, the poodle cut, the beehive or just long loose curled tresses.

Fast forward from the 1950's and today you have blow dry salons. Not a single hair is cut in these salons. It's all about the styling. Seattle has recently jumped on this trend that has already been gaining popularity in New York and London. It's genius really. How many times have you had a long day at work and your rushing home to make it out to that party your friends are having or that hot date with the future Mr. Right and wish you could do something amazing with your hair?

There's an ap...salon for that! Swink Style Bar downtown at 611 Stewart Street. They have a menu of do's that you can pick from and it starts at $30. This would be a great way to start a girls night out! What a great gift for the women in your life too! *hint, hint*

Here's a little vid of Swink recreating Blake Lively's glam hair:

I have yet to try it myself, but I already picked up an amazing deal and I will be stopping in soon! Get your amazing deal - 50% off - HERE today only.

Please share your stories if you end up checking it out!

Earth day idea from Nicaragua :)

2010-04-22T17:31:00.001-07:00

I recently spent some time travelling in Central America and one of the things you learn quickly while visiting these countries is that their plumbing is not as great as it is in the U.S. You definitely do not flush the toilet paper in the toilet. It's actually not common to even find toilet paper in the bathrooms. You have to be prepared with your own, just in case. I was getting very used to the drill. I stepped into the bathroom of an eco-lodge on the island of Ometepe, Nicaragua with all that in mind and prepared, but something looked a little different.

This is a composting toilet - no flushing required. What a great way to conserve water and get some natural fertilizer. :) Let me know if you end up replacing your toilet at home with one of these.

Untitled

2010-03-18T13:42:00.003-07:00

Guatemala to Belize - a beautiful start in Central America!

2010-03-18T13:42:00.001-07:00

Had a great time in Guatemala and checked out a few places and got to Belize yesterday! The beaches are gorgeous and the weather is amazing. I wish I could share pics, but just getting online at cafes. We are in San Pedro today and will be relaxing on the beach. There is definitely a island spirit here. Everyone is very chill and no one is rushing :) Lovely place to decompress!

The food has been amazing all along the way. Fresh ingredients and spices. I love all of the fresh fruit!

Hope you are all doing well!

On my way to Central America!!!

2010-03-11T03:19:00.001-08:00

I am so excited to be leaving for an entire month to Central America....I will hopefully be posting when I get the chance. See you soon!

Mobile Chowdown III http://ow.ly/1fAUA

2010-03-08T07:57:00.001-08:00

Aw, I always manage to miss these :( Hope some of you can make it and tell me all about it!!! :)

Pop Quiz! Who can tell me what a salteña is?

2010-03-04T07:57:00.001-08:00

This questions takes us to my place of birth in South America...I'm curious how many of you foodies know what a salteña is. (oooo! Did I just give you two hints??? )

A Simple Broth That's Packed With Flavor - Who loves Phở? Share your fave recipe or restaurant.

2010-03-02T09:57:00.001-08:00

Phở is one of the tastiest soups I've had and yet I'm amazed at its sheer simplicity. Phở has its origins in Vietnam and it's spices are as varied as are its influences. It is believed that Phở has a French and Chinese connection. Most sources concur that Phở was first created in Hanoi about a hundred years ago. The most popular theories contend that it was the French who actually spawned its creation due to their love of meat and its use as a base ingredient in soups. Still others will argue that is the Chinese who deserve all the credit. Whoever it was, their inspiration led to a wonderful meal in a bowl that is being enjoyed across the US and across the world. I even have an authentic little spot that I like to stop at when I'm visiting my family in Des Moines, Iowa.

I've seen a number of recipes, but all have a similar vein - roasted spices, charred onions and ginger, beef and the ingredient the Vietnamese used to add their own touch and make this soup all their own - nuoc mam (fish sauce). The most common spices used are star anise and dried clove, but if you want a little more flavor, you can also use things like cardamom pods, coriander seeds, Saigon cinnamon bark. Wow! You can imagine the mouth watering aroma that will fill your kitchen as the broth is simmering. Such a great combination of spices can lead many to think that Phở is tough to make, but it's just a few simple steps from stove top to table!

I will give you the easy recipe teardown and include the actual recipe below so that you can try your hand at this popular Vietnamese meal. Please let me know how it goes :) I'd love to hear where you've found the best Phở or if you have a recipe you'd love to share.

Recipe Teardown:

1. Boil Water - You'll boil TWO pots of water - Pot #1 - large enough to hold final stock. Pot #2 - large enough to quick boil bone marrow bones and beef. Once you boil the bone marrow bones and beef on high for 5 minutes use tongs to transfer them to Pot #1. You will use Pot #1 for the rest of the process.

2. Roast Veggies and Spices - Over a gas burner you'll roast the onion and ginger to give them a good char and to release the aromas. Give them a quick rinse. In a medium skillet/pan you'll roast the spices to release their aromas.

3. Simmer the stock - Add the remaining ingredients like sugar, salt and nuoc mam. Simmer for about 1.5 hours - until meat is tender - skimming the foam throughout. Then transfer meat into a bowl of cold water for 15 min. Add 2 cups of water to the stock. You'll place all the spices into a dampened spice bag (you can make a homemade pouch from dampened cheesecloth and tie it closed). You then add the onion, ginger and spice bag into your stock (Pot#2). Simmer for 1 hour then remove onion, ginger and spice bag. Add salt to taste and keep at low simmer.

4. Prepare Garnish and Noodles - Rinse the bean sprouts and place in a bowl for serving, thinly slice up a yellow onion, cut stems and rinse a bunch of cilantro, rinse a bunch of Asian Basil and saw-leaf herb (ngo gai), slice up some green Thai chilies and cut wedges of lime. Cook the noodles.

5. ENJOY! Return the stock to a boil. Place the garnishes at the table. You can also have Sriachia and hoisin sauce on hand. Serve up the noodles in a bowl and top with thinly sliced raw sirloin (or slices of the cooked beef or both) and pour a ladle of the HOT stock over it. The thinly sliced sirloin will cook in the stock. Garnish up your soup and eat!

The following recipe is one that was shared by Mai Pham who is the chef/owner of Lemon Grass Restaurant and Cafe in Sacramento and author of ``The Best of Vietnamese and Thai Cooking.'' Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/1997/11/05/FD48543.DTL#ixzz0h2Y245FF

VIETNAMESE BEEF NOODLE SOUP (PHO BO)

You can prepare the beef broth in advance and assemble just before serving.

INGREDIENTS:

The Broth -- 5 pounds beef marrow bones -- A 3-pound chuck roast -- 2 (4-inch) pieces fresh ginger, unpeeled -- 1 large yellow onion, peeled -- 1/3 cup Asian fish sauce -- 5 tablespoons sugar -- 8 whole star anise -- 3 whole cloves -- 1 tablespoon salt, or to taste

Noodles & Assembly

-- 1/2 pound beef sirloin steak, slightly frozen, then sliced paper thin -- 1 1/2 pounds fresh or dried flat rice stick noodles (about 1/8 inch wide) -- 1 yellow onion, sliced paper thin -- 4 green onions, chopped -- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro -- 1 pound bean sprouts -- 20 sprigs Asian basil -- 20 leaves saw-leaf herb (optional) -- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh Thai bird chiles, or thinly sliced serrano chiles -- 2 limes, cut into thin wedges -- Pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS: Bring 6 quarts water to a boil in a large stockpot (FeistyFeaster's NOTE: I refer to this as Pot #1 in my recipe teardown).

Place the bones and chuck roast in a separate pot (FeistyFeaster's NOTE: I refer to this as Pot #2 in my recipe teardown) with water to cover; bring to a boil and boil vigorously for 5 minutes. Using tongs, remove the bones and meat and add to the first pot of boiling water. When the water returns to a boil, reduce to a simmer.

Using metal tongs, hold the ginger and onion over a gas burner until slightly blackened and aromatic. (If you have an electric stove, dry-roast the ginger and onion in a skillet.) Rinse the ginger and onion and add them to the pot with the meat and bones.

Add the fish sauce and sugar to the pot. Simmer, skimming off the foam, until the meat is tender, about 1 1/2 hours. Remove the chuck roast and submerge in a bowl of cold water for 15 minutes. This prevents the meat from darkening and drying out. Place the star anise and cloves in a dampened spice bag and add to the broth. Add 2 cups water to the pot. Simmer for 1 hour, then remove and discard the spice bag and onion. (Cooking the spices too long makes the broth dark and pungent.) Add the salt to the broth and keep at a low simmer while preparing the noodles. The broth should be rich enough to serve after 2 1/2 hours total cooking time. It will taste salty, but will balance once the noodles and accompaniments are added.

Noodles and Assembly: Cut half of the roast into thin slices; reserve the remaining roast for another use. Cut the partially frozen sirloin into thin slices. Place the sliced chuck and sirloin on separate plates and set aside. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Place a handful of fresh noodles (enough for 1 serving) in a sieve and lower into the boiling water. Using a fork or chopsticks, stir for 15 seconds, then lift and shake off excess water. (If using dried noodles, soak them in warm water for 20 minutes. Cook them all at once until al dente, about 2 to 3 minutes. Rinse extremely well in warm water.) Divide the noodles among heated serving bowls. Arrange a few slices of roast and sirloin on the noodles in each bowl.

Bring the beef broth to a rolling boil. Season with salt (if necessary) and pepper. Ladle 2 to 3 cups into each bowl. Sprinkle each serving with 1 tablespoon sliced yellow onion, 1 tablespoon green onions, 1 tablespoon cilantro and pepper to taste. Let diners garnish their bowls with bean sprouts, Asian basil, saw- leaf herb, chiles and squeeze of lime as desired. Serves 6 to 8.

PER SERVING: 390 calories, 28 g protein, 51 g carbohydrate, 6 g fat (2 g saturated), 66 mg cholesterol, 1592 mg sodium, 2 g fiber.

Please keep the people of Chile in your thoughts and prayers.

2010-02-27T20:34:00.001-08:00

There is a great deal of work that will need to be done to repair the damage done by the earthquake in Chile. Please do what is in your reach to help.

Lynn Shelton's $5 Cover: Seattle featuring many local bands - screening 3/1 at SIFF Cinema

2010-02-27T12:26:00.001-08:00

Lynn Shelton's $5 Cover: Seattle will be screening soon. If this is your kind of series, you may want to go check it out. I'm sure you'll recognize some of the spots they shot at and many of the great local bands that were featured.

More details: http://www.siff.net/cinema/detail.aspx?FID=180&id=29435

I made it in the trailer very briefly as an extra :) We shot this at 20/20 Cycles at 2020 E Union St. with local band The Correspondents. Check out online MTV show $5 Cover directed by local Lynn Shelton producer/writer of movie "Humpday"

Trailer:

What's up Seattle?! I've been travelling a bit. First stop, the midwest and then a tour thru Central America!

2010-02-20T13:11:00.001-08:00

Hey! What's up Seattle! I have been terrible about staying in touch. I have yet to post the result's of Dine Out Seattle for Haiti which took place on 1/24...it's coming. I'm doing a bit of travel. In the midwest at the moment. While it sounds like you've been enjoying some great weather in Seattle, I have been all bundled up! Cold snowy weather, but it certainly has its charm.

I'm also getting ready for a month long trip through Central America...I'm putting the final touches on the itinerary and hope to immerse myself in the culture and feast on their food! Let me know if you've been and have any suggestions or "must do's"...

Don't forget! TASTE's participation in Dine Out Seattle for Haiti is TODAY!

2010-01-27T18:46:00.001-08:00

TASTE will be donating a percent of tonight's proceeds to support the relief efforts in Haiti. Don't make dinner tonight, make reservations and support relief efforts.