FlavBlog

June 4, 2010

Food: allium

Filed under: Food,Restaurants — admin @ 7:51 am

Allium opened on Friday, May 28th and we visited on Saturday, May 29. With somewhat limited food options on the San Juan Islands, we jumped at the chance to eat at Lisa Nakamura’s new restaurant. Lisa’s trained in Seoul, Munich, Paris, and with Chef’s such as Gerard Pangaud, Thomas Keller, and David Kinch. (Our friend, Dawn passed along the news of the opening, a big thanks to to her).

The “Bite of Orcas” (a Wild Life benefit) happened to be scheduled on the same day as our visit to Orcas Island so we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to snack on some local food, and we’d heard via Twitter, that Allium would be there serving up treats. Typically, I like to avoid these activities, because after a while I become overwhelmed with the crowds and the shoving for tiny morsels of food. However, since the population of Orcas is relatively small, we took full advantage of our numbers -3- Michael, my mom, and I. We had samplings of pretzel bread with braised pork, and onion marmalade, blackberry pie, clam chowder, wheatberry and rhubarb salad, and pomegranate ice tea.

I asked for reservations early (5 pm) at Allium so I could avoid a late ferry return to Friday Harbor. This proved wise because even on the second night of opening the restaurant was full by the time we left, at 7:00pm. We had a beautiful window view of the East Sound. For these first few evenings the restaurant lacked a liquor license (Michael referred to it as our “Mormon dinner”), but planned on having one later in the week (in fact, they have wine now). Michael and I ordered the Rosemary lemonade and my mom selected the Bellini temple (peach nectar with soda and ginger ale). Mom’s drink tasted almost as good as the real thing, I felt the lemonade tasted like a solid “lemonade.” I missed the rosemary but it definitely had the puckering tartness from the lemon zest. Normally I skip eating pre-dinner bread, but previously in the day I had a small taste of the pretzel bread and I knew I would need more. It was served with butter and a red onion marmalade. I could have ended the evening with only the pretzel bread and jam and been perfectly content. Allium’s pretzel bread has a hard crusty exterior with a soft doughy center. It tastes sweet, yet has small hints of sour and salty.

To Start:

-Creamy Carrot Soup with julienne of radish and fresh cilantro: The word creamy does not truly speak to the smooth, buttery, and feather-like texture of the soup. Chef Nakamura must have really pureed the soup to create enough air to make the spices dance?

-Smoked Paprika Braised Pork Shoulder stuffed in mini soft flour tacos topped with mango rhubarb salsa and guacamole: Now that rhubarb is in season and if it is on the menu, I will order it for any or all courses. That being said, Chef Nakamura cleverly used the main ingredient in this dish for multiple dishes. (We had it in the pretzel sandwich at Bite of Orcas.) The taco was a refreshing balance with each bite, as the smoky braising liquid mixed with the sweet and tart salsa that oozed out onto my fingers.

-Yukon Gold Potato Gnocchi, Yakima asparagus, drizzle of white truffle oil: Nothing is better than potato and truffle oil. It doesn’t matter if the potato is fried, roasted, or boiled….truffle oil makes everything better. The blanched asparagus cut through the gnocchi as it melted in the mouth.

Bigger:

-Open Ravioli with Forest Mushrooms, Black Dog Farms duck egg pasta, sage, Mt Townsend cirrus cheese: Take two strips of “lasagna width” sheets crossed like and “X,” fill with king oyster, shiitake, moussam, and morel mushrooms, sage, and cheese. Then, cross over the other sheets to make a square. It makes for a gooey, woody, earthy-herbaceous combination.

-Pan Roasted Alaskan Halibut, olive risotto, pickled kumquats: The saltiness in the olive risotto balances out the richness of the lightly roasted, yet moist Alaskan Halibut. I felt that the kumquats didn’t add the intended depth to the dish, but were nice addition for color. Roasted turnips were seemed a second thought to the dish as the vegetable.

-Half-a-Chicken Coq au Vin Leg, Roasted Breast smashed potatoes, spring onion medley: Yum! Yum! Yum!…is really all I can say. First off, there was both dark and light meat to dredge through the rich wine reduction sauce. Michael felt that the wine reduction brought out some sort of intense huckleberry components from the wine. Perfectly cooked onions and dense potatoes added the heft to the dish. One cannot go wrong with the Coq au Vin dish, but Chef Nakamura and team hit this one out of the island! The portion was huge and no way could I eat all it. I asked for the last portion to go. Unfortunately, I never received the to go box from the kitchen, and only until I was back at Friday Harbor did I realize this was the case. Sucks, because the next day I would have enjoyed the leftover chicken….

End:

-Rhubarb Meringue Pie with candied citrus and whipped cream: The square pastry base was flaky and held the very tart rhubarb puree, egg whites, and sugar. The whipped cream spiraled to a point rising out of the center. The candied citrus added color dimension to the dish, but little flavor.

-Almond Pound Cake with strawberries, passion fruit, and mint syrup: The cake was dense and heavy but had strong notes of almond. Disappointingly strawberries are not quite in season, but often used in dishes too early this time of year. Cultivated strawberries can ruin a dish (these were bright white inside), not only on appearance, but also in taste.

-Not ordered but received: Chocolate Espresso Semifreddo bourbon sauce chantilly cream: Strong flavors of coffee wafted in the air from the semifreddo, but the bourbon sauce was the key to cutting through the sweetness of the chocolate. Michael had this with a french press of Local Goods coffee – called Peruvian Dark from the Matagalpa region of Nicaragua. Osa also mentioned that Local Goods is making Allium their own special blend, which will be fun to try on a future visit.

Final notes:

Osa Caudill (House manager and one of our servers), Chef Nakamura, and team produced an excellent evening with flavors that comforted our palettes, a fantastic view that you could spend hours staring at, and a wonderful friendliness that reaches across the islands. Do not pass up the opportunity to eat at allium. It is worth way more than the ferry ride to get there.

Click here for more photos from the San Juan weekend.

allium

310 Main Street

Eastsound, WA 98245

(360) 376-4904

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May 25, 2010

Food | Beer : Seattle Beer Week-Recap

Filed under: Beer,Food,Restaurants,Seattle — Tags: Pizza, Seattle — admin @ 8:41 pm

Seattle is a beer mecca, an absolutely outstanding city to sample the very best of America’s more recent explosion in craft beer. For the past 6yrs we’ve been fortunate enough to experience and sample the Northwest’s finest IPAs, porters, stouts and sours, some of which you may have read about in this blog (beer). This past week Robin and I explored beer, in an intense night-after-night adventure, through the vehicle of Seattle Beer Week 2010. We tasted so many fabulous beers to write about each in detail here, but I will try to highlight the events, and the beers that we thought stood above the rest.

Chuckanut Beer Dinner at Delancey: Chuckanut is a brewery out of Bellingham Washington and they paired up with arguably Seattle’s best pizza joint Delancey, to bring forth a beer dinner to be remembered. We shared the fun evening with our friends Dawn and Eric (WrightAngle). The dinner was hosted by Kevin Davey of Chuckanut, who described the philosophy, history, and beers from the brewery as the evening progressed. Basically, the concept for most of the beers was that they are heavily inspired by the travels of the owners and brew master throughout Germany and Eastern Europe. The beers we had that evening, with the exception of the Stout, were all in the classic German style brewed with German style yeasts, and local German hops. The Kolsch and the Pilsner were both crisp and delicate, slightly fruity with a mild accent of hops. The pairing of the Kolsch with Kumomoto oysters and beer-vinegar with shallots was my favorite pairing of the evening, although the Pils was the favorite beer. All the dishes were well crafted and seasoned perfectly, especially the duck fat roasted potatoes. The pizzas at Delancey are always the show stopper and we all agreed that the classic Brooklyn, essentially a margherita sans the basil, was the best, with its tangy sauce, beautiful texture, and well seasoned crust. The final beers of the evening were the Helles, a Munich style beer with crisp finish and slightly sweeter aspect, the Stout which was toasted with hints of coffee and bitter cacao, and an Alt- or fruity German ale, with very malty character. These beers were all great in their style, but their pairing with the pizza and soup didn’t seem come out as a strength. In any case, the event was quite fun, and we were exposed to a series of delicious local Northwest brews outside of the tradition of local Northwest IPAs, porters, or stouts.

Delancey

1415 NW 70th St.

Seattle, WA 98117

Art of the Table open house with Pike Brewing and Dog Fish Head: We’ve been to beer events at Art of the Table before, which have been simply fantastic. Dustin Ronspies and Matt Younts take their food and beer passions both very seriously, and they pair food nearly perfectly with beer. Having access to the breadth of excellent choices from Dog Fish Head and Pike Brewery made leaving work early in the mid-afternoon really very worthwhile. First of all it was a great chance to meet and chat with several players in the beer industry. We had the great opportunity to talk with Rose Ann and Charles Finkel, owners of Pike Brewing as well as Sam Castiglione of Dog Fish Head, and Matt Younts. It was a small group so we had the chance to ask questions and get the stories behind these 2 brewery’s excellent beers. The event offered 6 small plates along with 3 beers from each brewery. The highlights were as follows: The Midas Touch, a spiced beer (DogFish) brewed with a 2700 yr old recipe was Robin’s favorite (I also enjoyed it). Hard to describe, but the best I can do is- it is like drinking saffron infused honey with a hint of malty beer flavor. It was paired well with saffron caulifower, carmelized onion, and hummus flatbread. We also enjoyed the 90 minute DogFish Head IPA, brewed by injecting hops into a closed kettle each minute for 90 minutes. This IPA is perfectly balanced and well rounded, even the hop fearing folk are likely to enjoy it. It was paired with an Albacore Tuna Poke, Spicy Jicama, Nori, top on a fried wonton.

Pike Brewing brought forth their Double IPA, which first debuted last year during Seattle Beer week. This beer has a more chewy hops flavor, a bit more heat, but still has nice malt balance in the finish. It was paired with a shooter of cumin-corriander carrot soup, topped with cilantro-preserved Lemon-yogurt which contrasted the bitterness of the hops well. We were told that Pike downtown has lots of great seasonals on tap including a dry wit beer, which sounded fabulous for this time of year.

(more…)

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March 21, 2010

Food: Po Dog

Filed under: Restaurants,Seattle — Tags: Fast Food, Hot Dogs — admin @ 4:01 pm

Normally, I avoid hot dogs after a childhood full of eating them all to often. However, when Po Dog popped up in Capitol Hill recently and we had menus stacked at our apartment entrance, we were enticed. Po Dog’s funky minimalist decor breathes hip and the menu features about 12 dogs plus usually one special of the day. For sides, they have homemade potato chips, string french fries, and deep fried pickles. On our first visit we ordered the “Dub T Dog”, “Deep Fried Danger Dog”, and the fried pickles. Each dog sits inside a soft slightly toasted brioche bun. While each dog stood well on it’s own, we both felt each dog was lacking something. The Dub T concept is accurate, (-I love potato chips on my ham and cheese sandwiches-) but the chips only added a crunchy texture with little added flavor. Perhaps, they should have used their homemade chips or chips with flavored salt and vinegar for adding extra punch. The Deep Fried Danger Dog screams excitement by being fried. It is topped with the mildly spicy chili sauce and soft but slightly sweet onions adds more dimension. I missed the pepper bacon flavor and didn’t get the crunchy texture of the dog I expected from being fried. The deep fried pickles came out a bit late, but they were as Michael remembered them from his college days when he’d devour them at a local diner in Omaha, NE called Goldbergs. On another visit I had the Mac‘N’cheese dog. The Tillamook cheesy elbow macaroni overflowed an otherwise standard dog. Overall both experiences were good, inexpensive options, and the young atmosphere only adds the potential of the place. For the price point and potential for more creativity we are likely to return.

However, going to Po Dog has us wishing for other hot dog venues that have simply stole our taste buds: 1) Japadog in Vancouver, BC and 2) Hot Doug’s in Chicago (click here for slide show via Saveur) long before Po Dog came on the scene. One can really not go wrong with any hotdog at Japadog. Yet the Oroshi remains my gold standard for gourmet hot dogs. It has a pork Bratwurst, grated diakon, green onion and a special soy sauce. Japadog serves the brat sliced so you have the perfect amount of meat, veggie, and sauce in each and every bite. My mouth waters as I write and Japadog is a must stop whether you are traveling to or through Vancouver.

Michael hit Hot Doug’s on a recent trip to Chicago and waited in the 30+ minute line to try some of Doug’s creations. These dogs are truly outstanding in their creativity. Michael’s favorite from the trip was a hot dog that had truffled aoli, fois gras, and sel gris on top. The line is long and they only take cash, but if you are in Chi-town, Hot Doug’s is an absolute must for at least one visit, maybe two.

Po Dog would benefit from adding some higher end condiments to their dogs for added creativity and enhanced flavor. They don’t need Fois gras on them, but perhaps some more Seattle local specialty elements to really stamp them as unique. Rumor has it that Po Dog is doing well, as they are opening up a 2nd restaurant in the U-District. The UW students are likely to enjoy the variety and options of Seattle’s only (that I know of) creative hot dog joint.

Po Dog

1009 E Union St

Seattle, WA 98122

(206)-325-6055

Hrs: Mon-Thurs 11am-12am | Fri-Sat 11am-2:30am | Sun 11am-10pm

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March 7, 2010

Books: Food, Culture, and Eating

Filed under: Books,Food,Life — Tags: Books — admin @ 4:32 pm

I enjoy reading immensely. One can find my head in a book reading on the bus to and from work, at my work commons during lunch, walking the streets of Capitol Hill, or sitting on my couch at home. For the last year, I’ve read a variety of different food books. A large portion of my nonfiction reading for the past couple of years has focused on food literature. Some reads have influenced me in a way that it altered our purchasing, cooking, and eating habits. Others, I found entertaining and generated fond memories of past and hopefully future food-related travels. The rest were simply informative and helped me add random trivia or food facts to conversations. What food books have influenced you recently?

"Food Rules, An Eater’s Manual." By Michael Pollan: Easy to flip through health guide for eating. Some of the "rules’ seem obvious- "19. If it came from a plant, eat it; if it was made in a plant, don’t (pg.41)," wise but rarely thought about- "27. Eat animals that have themselves eaten well (pg.61)” and necessary- "44. Pay more, eat less (pg.99).” The one we live by in our home: "51. Spend as much time enjoying the meal as it took to prepare it (pg.113)" Recommended to people who should learn about a healthy eating lifestyle.

"Eating Animals," By Jonathan Safran Foer: Foer’s "Eating Animals” made me conscious think about all the animals I’ve eaten since a kid and will continue to eat as I grow old. He does in a subtle manner push a veggie lifestyle. But to be frank, I will never give up meat. I like it too much. The least I can do is to make a conscious choice to eat ethically treated meat and seafood versus factory farmed. On his website he has a Call for Action. I thought this aspect was missing from the book, which begged for people to act. Recommended to people who eat way too much meat.

"The Edible Series" A Global History. (Hamburger. Cheese. Pizza. Pancake.): Each subject matter stands alone in roughly 125 pages and there are several other single subject matters in publication. They review the food from it’s origins, focuses on subgroups within the subject matter, and offers a short list of recipes. The books are brief enough to keep them entertaining and yet filled with trivia (e.g. the first fast food hamburger stand in CA selling burgers for a few cents). These books are not for the person who wants an extensive thorough background on a food subject. Recommended to people who play Trivia or watch Jeopardy.

"Eat My Globe," By Simon Majumdar: Majumdar spent one year traveling around the world eating everything he could. His descriptions are not for the faint hearted, but for those with tough stomachs. He is raw and brash and at times it can be disappointing because of his fast paced travel schedule. He did hit some excellent food cultures of the world (France, China, and Argentina), but was rather brief and apologetic about other food meccas, specifically San Francisco. Recommended to people that read arm chair travel.

"Beans, A History," By Ken Albala: Albala offers the most extensive review of beans I have ever seen or read. The legume’s history ranges from various Western nations and parts of Asia. I chose to read the book because I rarely buy, order, or eat beans and thought maybe if I learn more about them…..I’ll want to include them more often in our cooking. Recommended to people who think they know everything about beans.

"Grape vs. Grain," by Charles Bamforth: Bamforth sets up a entertaining debate of grapes (wine) versus grain (beer). Which one wins? Probably beer, at least he spends more pages talking about it. I enjoyed the descriptions of the different malts, grains, and hops. However, I found the wine sections lacking in detail and breadth. Regardless, he challenges one to reach out for the variety of flavors and blends a beer has to offer, and brings up an interesting point that beer has amazing complexity. Recommended to people who think they dislike beer.

"The Botany of Desire," Michael Pollan: Pollan sets out to describe four subjects: apples, tulips, cannabis, and the potato. He nails each one in a picture perfect sense. He sets out to say that there is still hope for maintaining a unique apple species. The largest variety of cut flowers are sold daily at the Aalsmeer flower market. The cannabis bud continues to ignite controversy in both theory and use. The NewLeaf genetically modified potato was stuffed, yet other genetically modified preservative "food" remains on the table. Recommended to people who desire more truth and detail about botanical delights.

"Salt: A World History," Mark Kurlansky: Kurlansky explores every aspect of salt: cultural and religious history, chemistry, and economics. This text exclaims the significant use of salt throughout Chinese, British, Middle Eastern, and United States. Salt’s amazing ability to be used in so many contexts both within and outside the world of food makes it one of the worlds most important minerals. Recommended to people who like history.

"Fat, An Appreciation of a Misunderstood Ingredient with Recipes" By Jennifer McLagan: McLagan stresses the importance of fat in the diet for a healthy lifestyle. Yes, fat, the part people cut away, throw away, or request to be removed before purchase. Fat is demonized by our society, and McLagan goes into great detail to contrast many of the preconceived notions about fat. Her book provides specific examples of fat’s benefits, types, and recipes. Recommended to people everyone who eats and enjoy fat.

"Shark’s Fin and Sichuan Pepper," Fuchsia Dunlop: Dunlop took me back to the sights, sounds, smells, and tastes of Sichuan, China. This is one of my favorite non-fiction books of the year because it brought back the memories of the hot, spicy numbing Sichuan pepper hot pot, tea in the People’s Park at Chengdu, Buddha’s hands in the Red Sea (pig feet) at the Chengdu cooking school with Mr. Lee, or the fried bread balls with a sweet sugar sauce at the Wolong Manor Hotel. I laughed out loud as I read Dunlop’s descriptions because many people share similar eating and cultural experiences as Westerners traveling in China. Recommended if you have ever traveled to China or desire to travel to China, this is the book to get you started or to rekindle old memories.

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February 20, 2010

Can you guess what these “mystery items” are?

Filed under: Kitchen tools,Recipes — Tags: kitchen, mystery — admin @ 10:02 pm

My mom, who’s a very good gift giver…sends Robin and I creative and high quality care packages 2 times per year. Once on St. Nick’s day (Dec 6th), in honor of a tradition we established as youngsters living in Germany, the other time on Valentine’s Day, because it was a family tradition to her when she was young. This year, on these two occasions my mother sent us gifts that were quite interesting, so I thought it’d be fun to share them. She termed them the “The Mystery Gift“. They are an item that we have to guess what they are used for after we open it. The pictures of them are below. Can you guess what they are? The only hint is that they are both used in the kitchen.

Mystery Item #1

The first item may be more recognizable to many of you. This second item took us substantially longer to figure out what it what used for. We searched up and down the web, and eventually we came across the answer.

Mystery Item #2

After a few weeks I’ll post the answer below here in white, and you can simply highlight over it to find out what these kitchen tools are used for. Robin and I always think we know of every kitchen gadget out there, but these 2 items will certainly come in handy. Good luck.

Answers Below (just highlight over them with your cursor, click on link if you want more detail):

Mystery Item #1: Gnocchi Board

Mystery Item #2: Turkey Lacer