West Seattle Food-down

Ari, however you spell his name, reads my blog! Someone all the way over in Michigan or Wisconsin...well far away anyhow reads it! Course it seems he never comments (which, by the way, has me seriously thinking about moving this over to Wordpress so I can track views and what not) just like most others who peruse this web page frequently, but really that sounds like more work than I am willing to put in at this time for now.

So Friday the 16th was an eventful day, lots of food and drink tasting and a little walk/hike on Alki , and some reading of Cryptonomicon. I have been a fan of Neal Stephenson ever since I read Zodiac, a pretty darn good eco thriller. I have a fondness for these types of things (eco thrillers and saving the world and all that jazz), like the Audi A3 Super Bowl Green Police Commercial. After I saw that I wanted that job really bad. Course I want one of those cars as well.

But anyway, let's get on with the reviews, shall we?

First I visited Two Beers Brewing and had a beer and chatted with owner/brewer Joel. I have visited Two Beers before, and have enjoyed their beer on tap at such well known places as the Bothell Main Street Ale House and the Montlake Ale House. Always good, always refreshing, they just consistently make and serve a darn good beer, in my humble opinion. Joel is having some decent success in ...ask him some questions here and have a q & a.

I then rallied over to Elliot Bay Brewing in West Seattle to drink some of their potion and try their food offerings to the food review blog gods.

Should I walk along Alki here or after the Italian meal?

Then it was off to Cafe Revo for a nice Italian meal and some wine.

...or not!

What a day that would have been, but alas, best laid plans and all, right?

Well, what actually happened was I did meet Joel and all that. I then tried to go to Naked City Taphouse but they do not open until 3pm! What? I am starving now and need a beer as well! How could you?

So, guess what? I can not recall what I did then. Crap. That is what I get when I do not update on a as I go basis or even, * gasp* more often! The thought, the sheer brilliance of it is a bit...well blinding and all that. But not only do I owe it to you dear, dear reader, but to myself as well. I am sure some day in the far off future my memory will begin to fail me even in some greater capacity and I will be reduced to reading these very same pages to fill in the gaps on my pothole marked memory.



So I planned a picnic and had the crazy idea of making PB&J in a ravioli form and serving it with a strawberry goji berry type sauce that is sort of kinda like jelly I suppose. More sauce like, no knife needed to spread it all over.

My take on a summer time picnic PB&J

Ravioli (used Whole Wheat flour), stuffed with honey roasted peanut butter that has been mixed with maca, a twist of salt (just one really) cinnamon and nutmeg, boiled, slightly broiled to give the cooked pasta a caramelized toasted bread bend to it. The sauce is homemade strawberry goji berry goodness.

Let me just say, making these guys was a total pain in the ass. Probably due to the very affordable ravioli die I was using in my vain attempts to be frugal. The next time I make ravioli I will use white flour instead of whole wheat and maybe even use a high end machine to churn them out.

The Product

The Drink

Not sure what to call this here combo, it was good (well, I liked it at least). Not as good as my watermelon, gin blend (dubbed the Wet Ruby) but good non the less. I did use that Ginger People drink thingy, but I would have liked to have juiced my own ginger juice, that would have been awesome. Man I miss my juicer.

The Helper

Joshua

ps...dang! I missed July, like that *snaps*! And now when I wake up, some mornings smell like Fall.

Dear Summer,
Our affair was much too short for my liking. Please come back to me.
Forever yours truly,
Joshua

Fortune

Fortune (according to Merriam-Webster) is as follows: a hypothetical force or personified power that unpredictably determines events and issues favorably or unfavorably (there are other entries but this one,1, will do).

I have had the good fortune, thankfully, of going to check out the Georgetown Music Fest (or is it called the Seattle Weekly's Artopia? They clearly take place the same weekend, within the same 3 block radius, and both offer music. Confused much? Welcome to my world)this past weekend to catch some live music and I ran into a couple of old friends I had not seen in some time. The weather turned out to be great also.

All in all, that weekend was pretty damn sweet.

The Best Comics in the GPNW?

I went to the GTMF to see and hear Ladyfriend and The Black Whales. I got to the GTMF early, not knowing what to expect for parking and crowd size. Parking was easy, and the crowd was not large yet. So I wandered around to check out the lay of the land, you know, where the beer gardens, portajohns, music and food vendors were. I was glad to find out that Fantagrahics was local to GT. At first blush, this was after all my first time to be in GT (Georgetown), it seems I was falling for it hard.

I wandered across a busy street to what appeared to be the food vendors area, but to my surprise and delight, it was the GT Farmers Market. Lots and lots of fresh good food, and some raw food!

I know the owner of this company, but it had been some time since I was in touch with him, but it was nice to run into him and catch up. Plus, the raw food he makes is ridiculously good and all raw and vegan. Out. Of. Control. Kind of like this.

Ladyfriend

I went to the Ladyfriend stage/flatbed truck and found myself presented with a great find; there was a beer garden directly across from them. That is actually where I took this picture from. I got to the garden early, the beer was just starting to flow and I was a little unsure if I was at the right place. So I asked the person pouring the beer and the other patron in the garden if they knew if this was the stage Ladyfriend was playing at. The other patron said yes it was, she knew because she was in the band. So I introduced myself to Taylor and she went to the stage to perform.

Aside from the fact that there was some damn jet show going on at the Boeing Airfield and some crazy jets flew by overhead, Ladyfriend's set was great. I mean, just listen to their song "Backyard Seance", it is cool and catchy all at the same time, or at least I think so. Another excursion where I find great people who make great music.

I then made my way to another stage to see a band called Black Whales perform. They played at a much large stage/beer tent. In fact there were two stages. And another friend I had not seen in some time. Crazy day.

Black Whales

I first found out about the Black Whales a few months ago when I was searching for local entertainment/bands for a school club book release event I was planning. I really liked their song "The Diamond Divide", but unfortunately they were not available to play our gig. So I saw them play live at the GTMF.

Strong musicians all around, their new songs, or at least the songs I did not recognize from them I considered new, were different, but still well crafted and played. I think the newness of the songs had the crowd just appreciative of them, but when they busted out Diamond Divide, the crowd started to bob and weave to the beat.

Megasapien

I stuck around to finish my beer, but really what I was there for was to listen to the power duo that is Megasapien. They started playing and I started listening and was like "Who the hell are these guys?". The drummer is good, damn good. Pretty much they are straight ahead rock, and they use a Mac for some added sounds here and there (like at the end of their set when they were playing the Superman theme song while they broke down. It was a nice touch). I will say this, their live performance blows away their recordings online. Their live show brings more energy and a stage presence that adds lots to their songs.

Magically Delicious

So I get lazy when it comes to cooking for me, but still require putting minimal effort into making something better than stock. For instance, frozen cheese pizza. Not my usual M.O. to say the least, but I think it turned out pretty good, for frozen pizza at least.

Pre-baked

Take one stock bare bones frozen cheese pizza, add more cheese of your choice (obviously), some greens (spinach or in this case I used mixed baby greens), seasonings such as: salt, pepper, chili powder, red pepper flakes, and fresh pressed garlic. Lots and lots of garlic. I used 8 cloves. It could have used more.

Post Baked

Of course, some your might say I ruined it in the end because I drenched it in La Victoria Red Taco Sauce. But what can I say, I was in the mood for spicy.

I will say that I am not lazy all the time when it comes to cooking. For instance, an upcoming potluck picnic I am making come home made peanut butter toasted ravioli with this bad boy.

So I have some guilt about always reporting about cool bands I have seen and giving no preview of upcoming things that people might like. Well, I now have the opportunity to present something some of you might like and even enjoy. If you like the movie Amelie, that same director has a new movie out called MicMacs, and it happens to be playing at The Egyptian Theatre. I have yet to see this, but plan on doing so this week or weekend sometime.

Also, I am really dying to check out emmer&rye on Queen Anne. Local seasonal food paired with some good drink selections, what is not to like?

What else might you, or dear reader, like? How about The New Pornographers playing with The Dodos & Imaad Wasif at the Showbox @ the Market on July 31st?

Or maybe a new funny show? (this might offend some people, it airs on Adult Swim at night).

Have a great day in the Sun everyone, I know I will.

Joshua

It must be the shoes.

The Tin Table and a show at The Crocodile

Tin Table

Okay, so school is done for a whole week. Bonus, I only have to take 6 credits over the Summer! Man, talk about some serious blogging time that I will have. What that really translates into is getting to hike, eat, listen to music and write.

So to celebrate these events, and because I believe in the Universe giving signs for a reason (I mean how else do you explain ads for the Tin Table that just keep showing up in front of my face, and I got an email coupon for $50 of food/drinks for only $25. So I bought it.) I ate there on Saturday.

Oh Saturday, how eventful you turned out to be. So I had my whole day planned, eat at the Tin Table, see a rocking show at the Crocodile, ride my bike home. I mean, what a perfect way to include three of my favorite things?

Folks, I literally live between the 2nd and 3rd bus stop in Redmond of the 545 bus. I had never encountered a bus that had a full bike rack (they can hold three), until Saturday. Really, I was amazed. First of all the weather was amazing, second of all one of the bikes and the bikes owner had paper race tags pinned on them, so clearly they were in a race or event of some sort.

So I was faced with a situation; leave my bike and catch the bus and not be late for my reservation or wait for the next bus and be late. I chose to lock up my ride at the bus stop and hop on. Well, so much for my master plan on how to get home after the show.
(As I was writing notes for my blog on my bus ride, trying my best to capture the essence of the day, I noticed that 520 is kinda shitty in some places. Or maybe it was the shocks on the bus?)

I got there and the place was empty. Which was great, I got to talk to the bartender (who also works at Ocho in Ballard) and tell him the ingredients that go in my newest, and possibly all time, favorite drink:

The Brain Duster
1 oz Rye Whiskey (preferably 100 proof)
1 oz Absinthe
1 oz Vermouth, Italian
1 dash Angostura bitters
mix well with ice, strain into a chilled cocktail glass

This drink, of which I had two of, does an amazing job of living up to it's name. The bartender and I chatted a bit about different choices of rye and absinthe, and I am interested to try a few different places and see how they make them.

I ordered the fish tacos off the menu, and they were great. Perfectly done fish bits; not too dry or moist, smothered in a red sauce of some sort that was wicked good. Copious amounts of cilantro and some Cole slaw.
My guests and I had to move seats once as the table we were seated at was reserved for 7pm, so we moved to a bar seating area by the windows. The windows were cracked open some and the fragrant odor of fresh cooked waffle cones was wafting in from Molly Moon's below. So we ordered some dessert: The lemon blueberry brioche pudding and New Orleans style beignets.

Overall, the place was great: I liked the location, the decor (although, sad to say not one table made of tin) and the food was great. One issue, the music they were playing was not in line with the overall ambiance of the place, I hope they change it.

The Crocodile

Okay, you may have noticed like I have that some of the bands I like (and by like I mean support monetarily and in person) play at the Crocodile in Seattle. Often apparently. Not that I mind, I like the excuse to make a day of it, with food and drinks and all. Fortunately some of my good friends were accompanying me this fine evening, so that made it even better.


The opening band was called Skeletons with Flesh on Them which I am guessing it means people are just that, or maybe there is some deeper meaning to their name, I'm not sure. In any case, they are great. I heard them first on KEXP awhile back. They have a very nice, pop-ish sound reminiscent of other popular NW rock acts like Pretty Girls Make Graves (RIP), Modest Mouse, etc. Highly recommend them.



The second band, whose name is awesome, Math and Physics Club, was a little subdued live. A kind of alternate 50's light rock with awkward endings. Clearly they are talented, maybe it was the sound levels or an off night or who knows. Or perhaps it was because they were tucked between other bands that were loud, punchy, pop? Who knows for sure, and even then can they say?



The last band, Aqueduct, pretty much stole the show. Or more accurately, took it with force. Pop hooks galore and a heaping dose of enthusiasm coupled with some vaguely familiar songs made for a great, great show. I mean, I am not even sure I can explain to you, dear reader, how much they rocked without sounding like a brain hemispheres fused idiot set to redundancy. I am surprised that they are not more popular. I mean, they do play biggish shows, go on tour, and had at least one song on a soundtrack to a movie.

Great sound, good crown interaction, they rocked, and man the cymbals sounded great! I love, love, love the sound of Zildjian K's. It's great because I need new cymbals myself and had no idea what kind to even look at. Listening to samples of cymbals online is hardly accurate or telling. So I was resigned to going to several music stores and hitting cymbals and then trying to imagine what they would sound like in comparison to my drums. But after seeing several live shows where the drummers sounded great, and noticing they were playing Zildian K's, the deal is sealed.

Also revealed at the show it was the Three Imaginary Girls 8th anniversary, so that was cool. Apparently, one of them was there, or at least that is what David Terry said. Or is that what she said? Anyway, a big THANK YOU goes out to those girls, they have been rocking the Seattle scene for 8 years, here is at least to another 8 more!

Yours Truly

The Tractor and Voracious

Voracious Door Stamp. Yes that is a Martini. It was indeed time to get my drink on.

Dear fellow blog readers,

Hi! Hope you all are doing well, it has been sometime hasn't it? Well, I don't mean to expound upon the obvious, but I have been kept fairly engaged recently hence the late blog update. Please forgive me, I will try to be more dutiful to you all.

So awhile back I visited The Tractor Tavern in Ballard , WA where I saw a few bands play that you should all really know about. Well, two of them at least. The first band, Doctor Doctor, was not band per se, I think they were par for a rock band. My opinion of course, but you should check them out for yourself. The next band was Spanish for 100 (which I think is a pretty clever name) was great, I really thought they sounded like a sort of cross of Vampire Weekend, Modest Mouse, and them. Be warned, Spanish for 100's recording quality online is not what they sound like live(Hmm, much like another band I know of). And then there was Slender Means (another name I really like) who blew that place out. I mean, these guys are pretty good. (No pics, my camera is being recycled as we speak because it ate batteries as fast as you could put them in it. So I am in the market for a new one. Suggestions are gladly accepted).

After the show, my compatriots and I we a bit peckish and realized other than the hot dog cart on the sidewalk, there were some slim pickins in Ballard for late night grubbing.

We ventured forth and found sustenance, but in light of that evening wheels have begun to churn...

So you may have heard about this little food thing in Seattle called Voracious. It is a Seattle Weekly column, blog, and annual event the weekly hands out awards for this and that. But more importantly, the event has food, good food and lots of it. And, as I found out, drinks galore! The ticket was decent, only $25 for entry and all the good food you could stuff in your face and pockets and open bars as far as the eye could see. And the venue, it was held at The Paramount (a great place where I saw The Shins play) and if you have never been there, you should go. The words I would try to use to describe it's ambiance, it's feel, would not due it justice. The closest thing I can do, dear readers, is tell you that it reminds me of a theater in my hometown of Sioux City,Iowa called The Orpheum. I remember going to see many great movies in the Orpheum, like when my grandparents took me to see The Swiss Family Robinson as we brought our own homemade popcorn in a big brown paper bag. Or that time my dad took me to see Tron there, and they had the Tron video game in the lobby. Every time I step into The Paramount, the nostalgic feeling of what it was like at The Orpheum is there for me. Old yet modern, filled with lots of lost history, and you just know whatever is going on inside is going to be so worth it just from the ambiance the building provides, the buzz, the juice the place has. Places like this are very much alive in a sense. Just like the recently refurbished Columbia City Theater.

This is indeed what I would classify as a true America bargain. However, as in all things in life, there were some places that clearly brought their "A" game, and some places there were clearly mailing it in, resting on their laurels as it were.

Scotch (well, what was left of it) and Cupcake

I mean, seriously, how can one place be serving Fillet Mignon, to order, on a separate plate and another place *cough* Uli's *cough* that was serving their product Ala weekend Costco style? I mean, yes I understand, you make a damn fine sausage, that is why you are a staple in Seattle. But even a little effort would have been nice. What you did was kind of a slap in the face, which part of me can kind of respect. Like giving a little finger to the fancy pants places, but still, I wonder how all the people in attendance took it.

What were some of those other places you ask? Well, I tried many, but only want to comment on a few. Boka, for instance, was serving (well, what I think they were serving) a de-constructed potato chip. A slice of potato (raw or very lightly cooked) with toppings that made it taste like a really good version of a fully loaded potato chip you get in a grease filled bag. Expect, this had a really nice subtle flavor profile, and no grease. It could of used more salt, but then again I think that about most things. (Although, thanks to Joe, I have been reminded how good a nice coating of fresh ground tellicherry black pepper makes everything better. Even popcorn. Try it, you will be amazed).

The other place I really liked was a little, unassuming fish fry place. That is right, fish fry. Catfish Corner was serving up fresh fried catfish and hush puppies, and I think it was the best food I ate that night. Not overly coated or spiced, fried to golden perfection, along with the smartersauce (their version of tartar sauce) they were serving made for just really great food. The people working their booth were nice and friendly.

Speaking of nice people, lots of great people there. I am sure all those free drinks and free good food (well, not really "free" but you know what I mean...) probably loosened everyone one up. It is like I stated in a previous blog, good food is about bringing good people together and celebrating, and that is exactly what this was. I hope to be attend it for years to come.

On a closing note, I just want to thank you readers. I know I have not been the most punctual of bloggers, however this is something I truly enjoy. Now that the quarter is almost over and I am only taking 10 credits over the summer, I hope to get back on my blog more often. Oh, that reminds me , the Creative Arts Club I am part of at Cascadia Community College is having their 2010 Arts Magazine release event on Wednesday, June 2nd from 3pm - 7pm on campus at Mobius Hall. If you show up, there will be sandwich boards up to provide directions. There will be live music, Greek food, art presentations, and copies of the magazine all FREE!

Italian food and Simplicity

Bowl full homemade of goodness

Recently, I had the distinct pleasure of having some incredible, made from scratch, Italian food. I have never been to Italy (or Europe, yet) but I have to confess that in the past I was somewhat of a food network addict and watched that channel often. I hardly dared to ever recreate anything that I saw. Sometimes I visited the web site to swipe recipes and translate them to my own liking, but never directly tried to recreate something from those recipes.

I do make a pretty good red sauce of my own concoction, but usually I skip the making pasta part and just roll with some store bought goodness (thanks America's Test Kitchen). I always figured it was the sauce that made the pasta anyway. And while I may be correct in certain aspects in my train of thought, it is now incredibly clear to me that having both home made red sauce and good fresh hand made pasta is, how do I say, a culinary delight of the highest order.

Apparently Italians eat their pasta separate from their meat (beef, lamb, what have you), so that was how we enjoyed the evening. The sauce that was used on the pasta was the same sauce the beef cooked in for who knows how long. It had good, deep flavor and roundedness that can only be coaxed out of food with time and deliberate love and intention.

The pasta itself was tender, wide, and thick, with just enough topography to have the sauce cling desperately to its sides and not slip off when the fork is half way between your mouth and the bowl. It was perfect.

The beef, I'm not not sure of the cut, the brand, or about the recipe used to prepare it. I do know that it was delicate, moist and , like the sauce, had flavor that was deep and rich, but not over powering on any note. It was the kind of beef you could eat for dinner for days, no months, on end and never get tired of it. So, it was much like the pasta.

Dessert was the real Italian deal. Authentic almond biscotti (direct from Italy in fact I think) that we dipped in some after dinner wine (of which the name escapes me). Espresso and some more wine made the night fly by, and before we all knew it, the new day was upon us.

I dare say, with all due respect to my mother, it was the best birthday meal I have had since, well, my mothers home made lasagna. Many thanks for good friends. Next meal is on me (I mean the cooking, not literally).

Simplicity

It seems the more and more I explore the craft of food, the saying "less is more" is very true. Basic good, local and fresh ingredients, mixed and made with love and care always outperforms any and all other foods, period. A simple beet salad, lentils with curry, a glass of vodka straight from the freezer; small and simple delights will never lose their appeal.

The sun has begun to poke it's head around, and I am glad. I am ready to start hitting the trails again, ride my bike everywhere, and get back to letting you all know about the hiking around here. One of the main reasons I enjoy doing this is that it makes me look to new areas to hike in and around. So I get to see new areas, and hopefully you get to read about hikes that not everyone in the GPNW has already been on or blogged about. And the trails I do end up hiking on that have been done before, I hope that I can see it or present it in a new way to you.

Jamie Oliver has a new campaign going called Food Revolution. He is on an education trail to empower people in eating well (which usually also means better tasting also) with a focus on children and school meals. It is a great cause and I encourage you all to sign his petition on his sight.

Popcorn built the Aztec Empire

It's a"maize"ing

(ugh, sorry about that)

I love me some popped corn. Especially when it is cooked proper like; in a big pot with salt, pepper, oil and butter. Of course I occasionally add other spices as needed; like oregano or Lawry's. If I end up using coconut oil to pop the corn in, I add curry as well as salt. What you end up with is some very tasty coconut curry popcorn that is as addicting as it sounds.

Food & Good are only one letter apart. Coincident? I think not.

Molly Wizenberg @ Cascadia Community College

Hi everyone, it has been awhile since I posted. How have you all been?

First of all, let me give you some advice. If you ever blog, please write all your entries in word or some other doc format. I had over half of this entry done and usually blog spot auto saves every so often. However, something went batty and nothing was saved. Redundancy, it's never a bad idea.

Food, the one thing that I can truly say is important in everybody’s life. You only live once; you deserve to eat good food. A life well lived is filled with amazing foods right?

But what I recently discovered is that when I prepare meals just for myself, the food is usually just meet my nutrition standards (and those fluctuate from time to time). I never really go out of my way to prepare great meals for myself. But when I cook for friends, look out.

Why? Well, Michael Hebb (this article) and Molly Wizenberg’s (public speaking at Cascadia Community College) pointed out some very interesting things to me.

Cooking food, for me, has never been all about the food, but about bringing people together around good food. For me, it is about taking care of other people and surrounding myself with good fun happy people. For exqample when I make myself breakfast (when it is not just buttered toast and our the door!), I will fry up some eggs, heat up some refried beans, dollop some cottage cheese on top, sprinkle some hot sauce on it and call it done.

The Breakfast of champions

But when I cook for others, it’s all eggs Benedict with hollandaise from scratch and free range chicken eggs. Or fresh picked berries from the alley to put in the pancake batter and in the warmed syrup.

Soup and Trees, what they mean to me is everything.

Which brings me to this: I love soup. My grandfather, Morris, has always been a mastermind when it came to making soup and being able to identify trees of all sorts. He makes the best soup out of leftovers: raid the fridge, scraps of pasta, maybe some canned tomatoes from the garden, and bang, the best ham slop you ever did taste.

Cabbage Soup

I made some cabbage soup recently, andI made a huge batch of really good spicy cabbage soup. While the soup was good, the best part was the fresh cracked pepper. I loved savoring the half cracked bits of pepper in my mouth. I relished the experiencing of getting to know the spice and did not grab for a glass of water to wash it out. How else am I supposed to get acquainted with it? Spices make the world go round.


The cabbage soup recipe was a snap. Water, cabbage (both red and green), spices (I used a handful of dried green ones like basil, oregano, etc), salt, pepper, a dash of hot sauce, onions and garlic. I first sautéed the onions and garlic in the bottom of the soup pot with some spices in a little butter and olive oil. Then the water, cabbage and fennel went in. Simmer it all until warm and ladle it out. Easy peasy.

Steak, the other white meat

I also have to plug Bill the Butcher in Woodinville WA. His steaks and raw goats milk are local, hormone and antibiotic free. Plus he dry ages his steaks. They are more than amazing. His butcher's choice ground meat for burgers and chili is concocted of the scraps of meat he has lying around (pork, lamb, steak, etc) and let me tell you, that stuff makes the best burgers (or anything for that matter) in town. Some of that, and his local bacon, were used to make this:

Possibly the best baked beans, ever.

And now a preview, the star of an upcoming event, real Russian vodka. I have no idea what the label says, so if any of you speak Russian komrad, please tell me what this says.

Russian Star

Creative Arts Club presents...

Dear Blog Readers,

I would like to invite you all to a speaking event taking place next Tuesday, January 19th at the North Creeks Event Center of Cascadia Community College. The Creative Arts Club is proud to present Molly Wizenberg, local Seattle Author (Books and blogs) and owner of Delancey's will be reading selected passages from her book beginning at 4:30pm. There will be light refreshments for this event.

This event is free and open to all, so if you come bring friends! This is sure to be a great event, and did I mention it is free!

I hope to see you there.
Joshua