Emily - - Page 45

by Emily

Killing Our Guilt: Seafood Stock From Start To Finish

I have a soft spot in my heart for southern delicacies, and last weekend my brother Eric and I ventured into uncharted territory: étouffée and jambalaya. Eric is an enormously talented cook who just graduated from culinary school, so we weren’t going to do this meal half-assed. We started as authentically as possible: freshly made seafood stock.

And when I say fresh, I mean fresh.

Aha! I saw boxes of live crawfish all over the sidewalks in front of restaurants in Louisiana, but I didn’t realize I could find them in Asian seafood markets in south Seattle. Excellent. We grabbed a bag full of these bad boys (with our bare hands, which was quite the exhilarating experience), along with about a pound of jumbo whole shrimp and we were ready to begin.

Seafood stock is a bit time consuming, and I’ll be frank: it’s not pretty. If you are uncomfortable with shrimp brains all over your hands, and boiling little freaked out creatures a la Chef Louie in Les Poissons, this might not be the ideal activity for you. But hey! I’m squeamish and I did it, because I knew in the end it would be so worth it. Anything for the sake of my jambalaya.

by Emily

The Legend of Umami

I first heard about the concept of umami when I was helping to open a Japanese restaurant a few years back. During our training, the chef was telling us about the Japanese word umami, which is the “fifth taste.” After sweet, salty, sour, and bitter, what is left? What is the taste that will truly satiate? Apparently it is umami, which loosely translates to “pleasantly savory.” Fair enough.

Umami seems to be a rather intangible concept. If you so desire, take a look at its Wikipedia article, which has all sorts of tips on what foods contain “high amounts of umami” and uses a lot of science-y terms that overwhelm me. To me, umami is my unicorn of the food world. It has a mystical appeal, only made more desirable by the fact that I don’t know if I fully understand or believe in it. But am intrigued by its powers.

A small restaurant chain in LA, unsurprisingly named Umami Burger, has attempted to harness the power of umami. Many of my California friends rave about it. On the cover of the June issue of Food & Wine there is an amazing-looking burger; Patrick and I decided we had to make it, and upon inspection of the recipe, discovered it was an Umami Burger with Port and Stilton. Perfect!

by Emily

Burns My Bacon: 1 Tequila, 2 Tequila, 3 Tequila, FAIL

The Irish bar next door to my office always has a sandwich board advertising the day’s food/drink specials. To my intense annoyance, said board often has misspellings and a ton of misplaced apostrophes (“$3 Bloody Mary’s!” etc). It has become a private, daily tradition of mine to check the board and make snarky mental comments about how dumb they are.

Today, though, this bar has taken it TOO. FAR. Time to get the venting out of my mind and into the world.

Come on, guys! As much as I hate bad grammar and spelling, I can usually let things slide. But tainting the hallowed name of tequila?! This offends me on a personal level. Please take note that this abomination occurs not once, but twice. Then they add insult to injury with the whole “qesadilla” situation. I mean, maybe Spanish isn’t their first language. It isn’t mine, either. But I at least know that Q is generally followed by a U. It’s like they are actively trying to spell everything wrong. You have a job in the bar industry! You are physically and metaphorically surrounded by food and drink words! How…?!

And don’t try to give them the benefit of the doubt by saying “But they’re an Irish bar, maybe they never learned basic Mexican food words because”… no. Not a legit excuse. (This also begs a whole different question — why aren’t they serving colcannon and Guinness as a special? I’ve almost never seen them touting any sort of Irish dish.) Plus it’s not just foreign languages that trip them up. Don’t think I didn’t notice that “provalone” travesty near the bottom of the sign. I got my eye on you, Sailor Jerry-themed specials board.

If you want to make your living hawking food and booze, at least attempt to respect your trade and your customers through attention to detail. If correctly spelling menu items is even considered a “detail” and not a glaringly obvious priority.

More rants: check out our Burns My Bacon archive. Better yet, feed us back and tell us what burns your bacon.

in Rants & Raves / Restaurants 4 comments

by Emily

What Does a $200 Meal Look Like?

A few weekends ago I was lucky enough to attend a dinner at the Herbfarm with my similarly food-obsessed friend, Shawna. The Herbfarm is not just any restaurant. It is one of the most lauded dining experiences in Washington state, if not the country.

Each evening is a set nine-course menu that adheres to a seasonal theme. Our night was “A Spring Forager’s Dinner,” featuring, unsurprisingly, a bounty of foraged Northwest ingredients. I honestly do not know how to use written words to adequately emphasize the amazing freshness of each course, or the intense satisfaction at the end of our meal. Actually, I think in this case it is more effective to show rather than tell.

These are all pictures taken in semi-stealth, meaning no flash or rearranging of plates/glasses at our communal table. I didn’t want to be the asshole with the repeatedly disruptive camera in this elegant atmosphere, blinding all the sophisticated diners who threw down hundreds of dollars for this meal. But I had to have something to show you!

1. From the Edge of the Sea

Kombu-Cured Albacore Tuna on Seaweed Crackers with Oregon Wasabi Root
Pickled Bull Kelp Stalk with Puget Sound Geoduck on Nori Seaweed Sauce
Local Spot Prawn Soup with Smoked Quinault River Steelhead Roe & Chives

2. Hen ‘n’ Nettle

Pan-Roasted Eastern Washington Spring Chicken & Its Crispy Confit
With Poached Hanna Hama Oysters, Radish, Stinging Nettle Sauce, and Lovage Oil

in Photos / Restaurants 1 comments

by Emily

A Celebration of Iced Tea… and Booze

This is a very special day. For starters, yes, it’s Friday, but not just any Friday. It is, apparently, National Iced Tea Day! Duh. On this holiest of days, everyone must appreciate the refreshing luxury iced tea brings to our lives. I know I certainly do.

Of course, there is one glaringly obvious inherent flaw in iced tea: no booze! What is the point of even drinking any liquid if it’s not going to get you buzzed, you know? Never fear. Many geniuses out there agree with my “iced tea needs more alcohol in it” conclusion. These days we have a cornucopia of boozy sweet teas to choose from: Firefly, Jeremiah Weed, Sweet Carolina, etc…

This is a somewhat controversial beverage; I have personally encountered haters who proclaim it “too sweet” or even “disgusting” …but you know what I say? The same thing I say any time someone turns down delicious alcohol: great, more for me!

Now, let’s state the obvious: classic iced tea makes a great mixer. Just ask Arnold Palmer, the great man who discovered the glory of combining lemonade and iced tea, so brilliant that his name will now forever be associated with beverages instead of just golf. Tragically, this drink possesses the same drawback as traditional iced tea: non-alcoholic. However, let’s do the math. Iced tea (good mixer) + Lemonade (good mixer) = Good mix of good mixers = one GREAT mixer = Arnold Palmers are alcohol’s best friend! In-depth historical research informs me that we can call an alcoholic AP either a John Daly or a Happy Gilmore (…no) or a “Donovan.” What? Has anyone ever ordered a Donovan without feeling like a douchebag?

Anyway, the problem with alcoholic Arnie Palmies, Donovans, whatever you want to call this heavenly nectar: during the summer I want to drink them all the time. But the man wants to keep me down. Unlike mild-mannered sober iced tea, which is accepted everywhere, society frowns upon constant public consumption of iced tea cocktails. I say enough is enough! On this momentous holiday, I shall share my secret recipe for limitless summertime boozin’ fun. Mix up one of these bad boys after work today, and raise a glass to the weekend.

Public Palmer Cocktail

in Drinks / Holiday / Recipe 6 comments

by Emily

Hauntingly Good Tuna Salad

When I received a review copy of At My Grandmother’s Knee by Faye Porter, I knew it would be perfect for the approaching summer weather. These lovely Southern dishes just beg to be served alongside a pitcher of iced tea on a porch on a hot, lazy afternoon. All of the recipes in the cookbook are contributed by lucky women who have treasured memories of learning to cook by their grandmother’s side. Included with each recipe is a short story about the grandmother who shared it with her family; very precious, and dare I say it, heartwarming. Even though I don’t have any personal recollections of Southern cookin’ with my grandma, I was able to live vicariously though the accessible recipes and vibrant, inviting photographs.

This book is great for kitchen novices; since the recipes have been handed down through families, most of them have fairly simple instructions and small lists of easy-to-find ingredients (rest assured, butter and bacon make the cut). Not that a more adventurous cook couldn’t find something to try – if you’re in the mood to jar your own pickles or make ketchup from scratch, Grandmother’s Knee has got you covered. It’s always nice to get back to basics, though, and in the summer nothing pleases me more than classic picnic fare. Obviously I was in heaven when I beheld the bevy of mayonnaise-friendly salad recipes to choose from!

in Fish / Recipe 1 comments

by Emily

Peanut Butter Bacon Hot Dogs. Seriously.

This past weekend I journeyed to Tacoma, Washington to visit my dad. I”m pretty unfamiliar with that area of our state, so I assigned him with the task of picking a cool place to meet. My dad is a man with excellent taste, so I knew he would not disappoint. And boy was I correct!

We ended up at the Red Hot, an unassuming little joint that specializes in creative hot dogs. The menu revealed that the Red Hot has been featured in a variety of local media and even appeared on Food Network”s Chef vs City. All this is well and good, but let”s get to the real The driver ed games will also help students find financing through the U. question on everyone”s minds: does the Red Hot offer a hot dog slathered in peanut butter?

YEP.

Upon spying this option, called the Hosmer Hound Dog, I remarked that it probably was delicious but I felt too guilty ordering it. Little did I know that fate had other plans. A super friendly local, who was sitting next to us at the bar, had overheard our conversation and asked the waitress to bring us two of the Hosmers, his treat.

I”ve always depended on the kindness of strangers.

in Bacon / Endless Bacon / Featured / Pig / Restaurants 7 comments

« Previous