The place for chocolate and the place for drinks April 20, 2009

There are two places I have visited this weekend and want to recommend :) I had no opportunity to start sharing my Seattle area food experiences though I moved here over a month ago but I really want to try and catch up…

So…an incredibly great place to come for drinks with an undisturbed view of Lake Washington, on the east side, facing the sunset (obviously) is the Beach Cafe in Kirkland – the view is a million dollars! I do not know anything about the food but a glass of wine or a beer at this place are bound to set you in a good mood.

Address: 1270 Carillon Point, Kirkland  Tel: 425-889 0303 ext. 4

WWW: http://www.ybbeachcafe.com/

The second place is a paradise for chocolate lovers, especially those who value good quality chocolate, it is a small store on Queen Anne avenue in Seattle called Chocolopolis. Whats so good about it? a large selection of chocolate bars from different countries, quite a few are dark chocolate from single origin beans, as well as a small counter with a nice selection of truffles both local and foreign. Oh, yes…there is hot chocolate too :)

Address: 1527 Queen Anne ave. N., Seattle  Tel: 206-282 0776

WWW: http://www.chocolopolis.com/

Zucchini and Ricotta pancakes with smoked trout April 20, 2009

The mild flavour of  ricotta makes it  perfect for both sweet and savoury dishes; you can eat it as is or cook it, use it as a base for a sauce or as a sandwich topping (french toast with ricotta, drizzled with honey and some fresh fruits like figs for example…). This pancake recipe is also diverse as it could be a full meal, a side dish or even a snack in a buffet style meal. I paired mine with some smoked trout but you are welcome to use any type of smoked fish or use nothing at all and keep it vegetarian.

You need: 2 small-medium zucchini * 1 clove of garlic – minced * 300 gr ricotta cheese * salt and freshly ground black pepper * bread crumbs (plain)

You do:Grate the  zucchini, mix in a bit of salt and let it stand at room temperature for just a little while (not more than 30 minutes), squeeze out as much water as possible out of the zucchini. Mix it with the  garlic, ricotta (a bit more than 300gr  if the zucchini are medium or less if you have really tiny baby ones), salt and black pepper to taste. Form your cakes and roll them in the bread crumbs, saute in a non stick pan with a mild flavoured oil like Canola. Yields 6-8 pancakes.

To serve: fresh dill and sour cream – mandatory! smoked trout, salad greens and tomatoes - optional :)

 

Thomas Haas, Vancouver March 11, 2009

It was a very pleasant discovery – a proper bakery in North Vancouver, making European pastries on a professional level, the only unpleasant part was that I discovered it only recently and now I moved back to WA so the next visit will not be any time soon.

Thomas Haas is famous for his chocolates and you can purchase them in high-end grocery stores like Whole Foods, Meinhardt’s and Capers…to be honest I have tasted the chocolates but wasn’t impressed, neither was my husband but the pastries do compensate for it big time! The space is tiny with two counters inside and a couple of outside tables. We have visited a couple of times and it was packed! The sandwiches are delicious and grilled if you want them to be, coffee is good and the pastries and delicious – both the cakes of sorts as well as the croissants and tarts – worth a detour even if you do not live in the neighborhood :)

WWW: http://www.thomashaas.com

Address:  998 Harbourside Drive, North Vancouver   Tel: 604-924-1847 

Now, go play with your food! March 11, 2009

Its spring -sort of- but even if its not totally here you can see it right around the corner and it is the season for all things fresh and colorful…So many dishes could be altered to be happier, prettier and so much more exciting using slightly different ingredients here is one idea I implemented rather recently :) It is sort of a salad or a side dish or an appetizer or a snack or whatever you want it to be:

You need:

Purple potatoes -boiled, pureed with butter & salt, chilled.

Avocados – food processor or fork mashed with a bit of salt and  lemon juice to brighten the flavor and prevent it from discoloring.

Radishes – regular or even watermelon ones.

Quail eggs – hard boiled.

Just take a ring/rectangular mold or a cookie cutter and create the layers…If it is an appetizer add some boiled shrimp or smoked salmon on top or as an extra layer. You don’t have or do not like quail eggs – boil regular eggs. separate the yolk from the white and grate on a fine grater – this will create extra two colorful layers and it will be fluffy and pretty :)

Same thing could be done soon with the heirloom tomatoes, cut red, yellow, orange, rosso-bruno and green tomatoes, alternate the slices with bocconcini, basil leaves and a drizzle of olive oil – so pretty and lively right away!

Another colorful thing is this simple bean and pine nut salad – cook the beans like you normally would and while they are still warm add a good amount of pine nuts, minced garlic, a good amount of olive oil, some chopped cilantro or parsley and salt & freshly ground pepper; let cool to at least room temperature…

 and if you pair it with baked salmon (just a brush of butter, salt and pepper and into the oven on 450F for about 15 minutes for a small piece for two) covered in a tomato Mediterranean style salsa – the smell will get you to drop right there and then. By the way the salsa is super simple – cut your tomatoes into fine dice, add minced garlic, a small shallot, lemon zest,  fresh chives and basil, olive oil and a tiny bit of red wine vinegar, salt and pepper to taste and let stand in the fridge overnight (use cold).

Lumiere in Vancouver – review February 2, 2009

Lumiere had an introductory $58, 3 course prix fixe (instead of the usual $98) during the 2 weeks of DineOut Vancouver 2009 – I do not know if it had anything to do with that but frankly my darling(s), I don’t give a damn!

The restaurant was almost full Sunday night @ 8:30pm, except for maybe 3 tables; the decor is great, the music is a nice background, service is professional and attentive, wine picks were perfect and the food was definitely interesting and rightfully praised by the various critics.

The amuse bouche was a selection of 3 miniature treats – a crab salad wrapped in lettuce with some squash strings at its basis; a squash soup with brown butter and sage foam; a squash quiche with yogurt topping which was tangy and was a nice offset for the sweet squash. For the appetizer we both chose the Lobster Bisque with lobster meat medallions (which I assume were made from lobster meat processed into a smooth cream and combined with some gelatin creating cute lobster coins of sort) which was delicious and appropriate for the weather the only thing I did not care for were the chipollini onions and carrots which were few but not required in my opinion. Seconds…I had the squash ravioli with pork belly and black trumpet mushrooms, those were delicious and very pretty; my husband has the veal trio (tongue grebiche ,tender loin with chanterelles and sweetbreads with ziti) which he enjoyed as well. A cheese selection followed (not included in the 3 course prix fixe) and it was a well selected one :) Desserts – if a meal was good but desserts were not, for me its a deal breaker and I was really glad this wasn’t the case here! My husband, the conservative, had a warm chocolate cake with Sicilian pistachio gelato and I had the caramelized pineapple with coconut rice pudding and pina-colada ice cream which was both refreshing and interesting – exactly what I wanted it to be! With the bill we got another treat, warm-out-of-the-oven mini citrus madeleines – nothing tastes or smells better than a baked anything right out of the oven :)

Bottom line, go and enjoy :)

WWW: http://www.lumiere.ca/

Address: 2551 West Broadway, Vancouver, BC   Tel: 604-739 8185

Kintaro Ramen on Denman (corner of Robson) February 2, 2009

It was very good, the noodles are delicious and are cooked to order. There are a few selections when it comes to the soup itself-  fat or lean, light/medium/rich same goes for the various toppings. I found the portions to be very large like in Benke Ramen only with larger amounts of pork. I ordered the medium and fat version and found it to be too fat so next time I will opt for the lean one. Overall a yummi experience!

I’ll begin by wrapping up 2008 February 2, 2009

I had no time to blog for probably a month or so and I want to wrap up 2008 before I go on into 2009…

Our New Year’s eve had a traditional component – a roasted Goose, a festive, fatty, deliciously smelling Goose (with a capital G) with apples and cranberries which are the staples of the season.

{sprinkle goose with salt and pepper and roast in a dutch oven for 2 hours at 400F, pour off the fat leaving a thin layer on the bottom, lift the goose and place apples, cranberries, sugar, black peppercorns and cloves on the bottom, put the goose back and brush it with cranberry gelee and roast with the lid off for another 20 minutes or so until the skin is crispy and golden brown}

 When I unpacked my Goose I discovered it had all sorts of things inside it and they weren’t in a bag (like gizzards usually are) and I thought to myself “great…they didn’t clean it inside and now I have to do it myself” but after a closer observation I discovered, to my surprise, only three components – neck (which would be good for a sauce or stock), liver and some other un-identified organ which I discarded. The liver was a nice surprise and gave me an instant solution for my first course – liver pate (genius, I know…). Making pate (on an amateur spare of the moment no recipe required way…) is incredibly simple – melt some butter in a pan, grate in a shallot and sprinkle with some salt – saute the liver (duck, goose, chicken etc…); deglaze the pan with a tiny splash of cognac or brandy (I used Calvados) add it to the liver; puree with a tiny bit of cream and let chill (if too runny, use some gelatin).

I served mine with some fleur de sel, pink peppercorns, toasted sourdough and strawberry-ginger preserves – yum!

Last but not least was THE cake, a chocolate-hazelnut cake that turned out just unbelievably good!

 

So a sweet and yummi year is practically guaranteed :) 

Christmas Rum Stollen December 21, 2008

Stollen is a traditional German holiday bread with rum dried fruits and marzipan. It has quite a few ingredients but the process is not cumbersome so if you have a bit of patience to read through this and make it over one of these days when the weather outside is properly winter like (at least here in Vancouver, its snowing and its -6c) and you want to feel the smell of freshly naked goods and add some heat by cranking up the stove.

The Stollen has 4 components – dough, filling, marzipan surprise and glaze so get a pen :)

Marzipan surprise

Two components – plain marzipan and almond cream (creme d’amande) – you will need:

 200 gr natural marzipan cut into pieces

60 gr unsalted butter

60 gr (1/3 cup) sugar

60gr (2/3 cup) almond meal (=ground almonds)

1 1/2 Tbs flour

1 egg (large)

1 Tbsp Rum

Cream the butter with sugar until pale and fluffy; add almond and mix; add flour and mix; add egg and rum and mix again. Keep in an air tight container until you need it (can make it a few days in advance).

Filling

90 gr (2/3 cup) raisins (preferably golden)

50 gr (1/3 cup) Glace cherries (I didn’t have any but I had sugared dried cherries so I used those)

100 gr (3/4 cup) candied citrus peel (usually sold as a mix of lemon and orange, mine had lime in it as well)

30 gr (1/4 cup) toastes slivered almonds

2 Tbsp rum

1/2 tsp cinnamon

Mix all of the ingredients :)

The Dough

500 gr (3 3/4 cups) white bread flour

1 Tbsp dry yeast

250ml (1 cup) warm milk

100 gr unsalted butter

25 gr sugar 

1 tsp salt

2 large eggs

 To make:

1. Add the sugar into the warm milk and sprinkle the yeast on top, mix and leave in a warm place for about 10 minutes until it becomes bubbly.

2. Combine all other ingredients and the yeast and milk mixture together. Knead the dough until smooth.

3. Shape the dough into a ball and let rest in a lightly floured bowl, covered by a baking cloth or cling film for 1-1 1/2 hours.

4. On a lightly floured surface flatten your dough, sprinkle with the “filling” and incorporate it into the dough by folding it.

5. Form again into a ball and back into the bowl for 1/2 hour.

6. On a lightly floured surface cut the dough in half. Flatten each piece into a rectangle, spread half the almond cream and arrange half of the marzipan pieces on each.

7. Fold one of the long sides (over the marzipan and cream) into the center, then fold the other side over the top, fold at the ends to seal the filling. Put seam-side down on a buttered baking tray.

8. Cover with a baking cloth and let rise for 2-2 1/2 hours until doubled in bulk.

9. Bake at 350F for 30-35 minutes until light golden.

10. Make the glaze (before they come out of the oven): melt 50 gr of butter, add 2 caps (from the bottle) of rum and mix to incorporate.

11. As soon as the Stollens are out brush each with 1/2 the glaze. Sprinkle liberally with powdered sugar and Enjoy!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

*** I found that the rum was not very noticeable so if you do not like alcohol in your baking just avoid it altogether and if you do just double the quantities I have given – I will try to double them next year when I make it again :)

*** The quantities given are for 2 large Stollens.

*** The recipe belongs to R. Bertinet.

The Last post about squash this year December 20, 2008

Tomorrow is the day of the equinox, the first official day of winter which makes today the last day of Fall and since squash is a Fall vegetable I want to share two more recipes with this super versatile vegetable.

Squash, Yam and Potato Soup 

1kg (2lb) cubed squash

2 medium yukon gold or any other potatoes

1 yam

scant tsp corriander seeds – crushed

for serving – grated gruyere cheese, ground corriander and sea salt.

1. Cube the yam, potatoes and squash into equal pieces; add water to cover – not more!

2. Add coriander seeds – I use an infuser (just like the ones used for tea, the small metal ball with the holes) because I find that the food processor or immersion blender do not always get those and I don’t like encountering whole coriander seeds when I eat the soup. You can use cheese cloth instead – just make a little bundle :)

3. Cook until the vegetables are soft 20-30 minutes. Puree with an immersion blender or in your food processor until smooth. 

4. serve with grated Gruyere, a sprinkle of sea salt and ground coriander.

Acorn Squash, Potato and Corn Puree

1. Preheat the oven to 450F

2. Cut your squash in half, remove the seeds and strings.

3. Put the squash together with 2 medium Yukon gold potatoes and roast until soft.

4. Scoop the flesh out of the squash.

5. Peel the potatoes.

6. Mash the squash and potatoes with a bit of butter, salt to taste and a small dash of nutmeg.

7. Mix in 1/2 a cup of corn kernels.

8. Return the puree into the empty squash shell or transfer into a baking dish; sprinkle some grated sweet Swiss cheese (like Emmental) on top and reheat in the oven melting the cheese at the same time.

Thai Style Seafood coconut soup December 20, 2008

This is super easy, super quick and could be also super hot if you make it so :)

SO…go to your grocery store and get:

1. Jar of Red Thai Curry paste – I get the one made by “Thai Kitchen”, its a small glass jar – 112gr and it is made of garlic, lemongrass, ginger, onion, coriander root, kaffir lime peel and spice among them red chili.

2. Coconut milk – I buy the “light” version also by Thai Kitchen.

3. Thai noodles – stir fry rice noodles, the ones that do not require cooking only a few minutes in boiling water.

4. Chicken stock – your choice, I use a low sodium organic one :)

5. Your favorite seafood – I get shrimp, bay scallops (because they are small and cook as long as the shrimp does) and/or squid tubes and tentacles. You can use all of the above or whatever you have at home, you can add white fish or salmon, clams or mussels – really…your choice…

6. Other ingredients – bean sprouts, peas in a pod or snow peas (which I like to cut into strips), tomatoes, green onions, bell peppers or anything else that comes to mind. The only ones I am afraid I will have to insist on are Cilantro, garlic and fresh ginger.

How much to buy…?

For 4 people you will need:

One can of coconut milk (400 ml)

400 ml of chicken stock

1/3 of the red curry paste jar (about 40 gr)

1/2 package of the noodles (100 gr)

2 garlic cloves and and equal amount of minced ginger

 A hand-full of seafood per person and whatever vegetables you choose, including 4 Tbsp or so chopped cilantro.

How to make:

1. Prepare the noodles according to the directions on the package.

2. Chop your veggies of choice.

3. Divide noodles and chopped veggies between your serving bowls.

4. In a pot combine coconut milk, chicken stock, garlic, ginger and red curry paste and bring to a boil.

5. If you are planning to consume all of the soup at this time add your seafood in order of cooking time (for example: shrimp and bay scallops together first and calamari a couple minutes later as they cook much faster). If not, cook your seafood separately and divide it between the bowls, it will heat up when you pour the hot soup over it.

6. You are done actually as soon as your seafood is ready just pour the soup into the bowls, chop your cilantro and sprinkle it on top – Bon Apetit!