While strolling through the market on this gorgeous sunny day, I had to stop and admire the fabulous fiddlehead ferns that were on display at Frank’s Produce!
Chaz helped me select my uber-fresh produce and shared what he made for dinner last night with the new bounty of fiddleheads:
Roasted cauliflower soup sprinkled with horseradish cheddar (one of my favorites for grilled cheese!) then he sauteed some fiddleheads for just 60 seconds on each side in sizzling butter before sliding them onto the top of his soup- he said it gave just the right crunch! Thanks Chaz, now I know what I’m fixing for dinner tonight!
March 22nd, 2010 | No Comments »
To our loyal food loving listeners-
We have loved chatting with you every Saturday for the past 5+ years but unfortunately we must bid you adieu as our show has been cancelled. We are going to miss each and every one of you and your passion for cooking, dining and all things food-related. We hope to see you at the restaurants, and keep an eye out on www.tomdouglas.com and www.rovers-seattle.com for a possible new show as well as upcoming events.
Cheers to you and yours
-Tom, Thierry and Katie O
March 19th, 2010 | 75 Comments »
Marion Nestle, on her terrific blog, Food Politics, which is located under “Blog Buddies” to your right, reports on Michelle Obama’s speech to the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA), telling them to “stop fattening our children.” Nestle gives Mrs. Obama high marks for a speech which “gets the issues loud and clear.” For a brief example, Michelle said: “We need you not just to tweak around the edges, but to entirely rethink the products that you’re offering, the information that you provide about these products, and how you market those products to our children.”
Unfortunately, as Nestle says, ” the GMA is a tough audience for messages about childhood obesity.” Though GMA members applauded Mrs. Obama’s speech, the GMA claims that “its members are already doing what she asked.” Nestle details the not very impressive steps GMA members are planning.
Last Friday’s New York Times business section had a good article called “A Growing Discontent: Rapid Rise in Seed Prices Draws Government Scrutiny,” by William Neuman. Apparently, price increases for seeds “the most important purchase a farmer makes each year- are part of an unprecedented climb that began more than a decade ago, stemming from the advent of genetically engineered crops and the rapid concentration in the seed industry that accompanied it.” Under the Obama administration, the Justice Department began an antitrust investigation last year “with an apparant focus on Monsanto, which controls much of the market for the expensive bioengineered traits that make crops resistant to insect pests and insecticides.” To give you an idea of the jump in prices: “Agriculture Department figures show that corn seed prices have risen 135% since 2001. Soy bean prices went up 108%. By contrast, the Consumer Price Index rose only 20% in that period.”
March 18th, 2010 | No Comments »
One of the coolest things about my Summer Camp experience was meeting great local chefs and suppliers. Chuck and I took a trip out to Select Gourmet Foods for meat and lunch. We stocked up on moulard duck for confit, Berkshire shoulder for whatever, and applewood smoked bacon. Chuck picked up a ribeye cap for burgers, and I got a kobe ribeye for dinner tonight! Lunch was fantastic! Lamb merguez sandwich (lamb sausage cooked in harissa in a pita with tzatziki sauce, tomatoes, and onions) and a couscous salad. Or… they will cook anything they have, anyway you want it!
The shop, as you see, is simple, the meat selection is outrageous, and the lunch is definitely worth the trip.
March 18th, 2010 | 1 Comment »
Wow! Check out this awesome roof top view (photo right) at the Hard Rock Cafe!….. Seattle summers may never be the same!! Just imagine sipping bubbles (from the full service bar) around the large open fire pits while the sun is setting over Pike Place Market and Puget Sound! And if there’s a chill in the night air, just step down one flight to the expansive bar and performance stage, or on down to the first floor restaurant for a full service menu!
The staff was friendly and excited to be practicing up on thier service before the place opens its doors later this spring! The snacks were great and the drinks were even better!
March 18th, 2010 | No Comments »
If you do any edible gardening, you must check out digginfood, which you’ll find under “blog buddies” to your right. This beautifully designed site is run by Willi Galloway, who is the West Coast editor of Organic Gardening magazine, among other things. Willi and Chef Matthew Dillon will be teaching a Kitchen Garden Series in the Corson Building’s exquisite garden starting in April, but unfortunately the class is already full.
I am the un-handiest person in the world, but the DIY projects on this site make me salivate. Look at this salad table!
(Note: photo is my veg garden, last May)
March 17th, 2010 | 3 Comments »
Here are a few photos that Tom Douglas Culinary Summer Camp Lifer and intrepid Seattle Foodie, Bruce Miyahara, sent me of his adventures curing and cooking corned beef. If you’ve tried your hand at curing your own corned beef this year, of if you picked up some brine cured and ready to cook brisket at the supermarket, here’s a great recipe for the leftovers, Tom’s Corned Beef Hash with Yukon Gold Potatoes.
(Note: if your corned beef is already cooked, start the recipe at the part where you chop and shred the cooked meat.)
Happy St Patrick’s Day!!
March 17th, 2010 | No Comments »
At the Dahlia Lounge last week, Frank and I enjoyed one of the most delicious dinners ever! From the oyster mushrooms with Anson Mill grits and goat butter to the first of the season halibut with baby artichokes, green olives, and spring garlic sour cream, everything was terrific. If I were to urge you to head to the Dahlia to try one dish it would be the tsuyu broth with foie gras shiitake dumpling (see photos). Tender, well-crafted dumplings (sous chef Adrienne showed how to make them in this post) with flavorful broth- I especially love the way the richness of the foie gras haunts the edge of your palate at the end of each bite. Stunning.
This is the first time we’ve eaten in one of the Tom Douglas restaurants when a Washington wine maker was there to pour us a taste and chat. Ron Coleman, owner/winemaker of Tamarack Cellars in Washington, poured us a taste of Tamarack Chardonnay and we adored it! Rounded flavor and creamy richness with subtle oak that pairs well with food and doesn’t overwhelm. We want a case of this stuff! It was fun to chat with Ron about Walla Walla, since Frank and I have made a couple trips there to enjoy the wineries and restaurants. Ron told us he also owns Ice-Burg Drive-in, a casual burger joint, so we’ll be stopping there on our next trip to Walla Walla. Check out where to find more Washington winemakers at our joints for the rest of Washington Wine Month, here.
Speaking of Walla Walla, be sure to pick up the new April issue of Food & Wine to read this article about actor Kyle MacLachlan. MacLachlan is owner of the Walla Walla winery, Pursued by Bear. Chris Ainsworth (a Tom Douglas alumnus, by the way), chef/owner of Walla Walla’s excellent restaurant, Saffron Mediterranean Kitchen, cooks a party feast for MacLachlan featuring a giant pan of the Spanish noodle dish, fideos, at Jimgermanbar in tiny Waitsburg. Jimgermanbar is well described in the article this way: “the bar looks like it’s been dropped in from New York but somehow retained the building’s original Northwest attitude with high ceilings and the original fir and pine.” Our favorite little Walla Walla cheesemaker, Monteillet Fromagerie, is also mentioned in the article.
We must get over to Walla Walla this spring or summer! So much fun stuff to do there!
March 16th, 2010 | No Comments »
The week I went to Pizzeria Bianco, Oprah had just named it “the best pizza in America.” That didn’t contribute to our 2.5 hour wait. It’s like that every night. If you decide to wait, they’ve got you. Located in a tiny area of historic downtown Phoenix, you are surrounded by parking lots and skyscrapers. Nothing to do but drink at their bar next door and wait for the host to find you.
The wait was well worth it, and those guys were fast. The atmosphere is warm, and the pizza is great.
However, with all respect to Oprah, Serious Pie is better.
March 15th, 2010 | No Comments »
First we tried the Rub with Love Chinese 12 Spice on popcorn for the NW Flower and Garden Show to rave reviews. Then our fabulous pastry chef, Stacy, used the Chinese 12 spice rub in a very delicious pots de crème at the Dahlia Lounge. Last night I was baking snickerdoodles for my niece and thought, “why not try something a little different?” So I rolled the cookies in Rub with Love 12 Spice rub….. you just get a little kick and extra saltiness from the rub. Like I keep saying, Rub with Love is not just for the grill anymore!
March 15th, 2010 | 1 Comment »
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