Memento: We Love Chocolate!

Last night was the penultimate round of our current season of Memento - the cooking club Dan and I belong to.  David & Carolyn hosted this round with a theme appropriate to February: Chocolate!  The theme was in part decided or at least inspired by their kids, Logan and Zoe, who have been asking for a chocolate themed memento for years.

They started us off with trio of chocolate.  First, flatbread with a subtle but delicious white chocolate baba ganoush.  Next, a gluten free crostini with dark chocolate and fleur de sel - the first really intense taste of chocolate that gave my napkin a workout.  And last but not least, roasted carrots with chocolate balsamic vinegar dipping sauce (that now necessitates a trip to Pike Place Market to procure our own bottle.  

Next up, Lizzie and John delivered an silky smooth white chocolate parsnip soup with homemade dill oil and cocoa dusted macadamia nuts.  It was so good it may have converted some parsnip haters to fans.  It was one of my favorite items of the night. 

In honor of our sugar/alcohol/meat free January, Dan made a strawberry banana smoothie from homemade almond milk, chocolate/stevia egg white powder, libido enhancing maca powder, and chia seeds.  All served in a dark and white chocolate rimmed glass.

I paired that with an arugula and red butter lettuce salad with clementine and red grapefruit, homemade cocoa butter goat cheese, cocoa nibs (for crunch) and a homemade strawberry/white balsalmic "shrub" (sipping vinegar) & sunflower oil dressing.

Flying solo tonight due to a family medical situation, James served a creamy Brie cheese, chocolate and pear panini featuring local ingredients.  It was served with a little mâche greens and some crispy basil chips with Hawaiian sea salt I made last year and gave to he and Marcy.  It was a perfect serving size and the chocolate and Brie tasted so wonderful together, their creaminess balancing with the crunch of the pear and bread.

The second entree was the first to include meat, and it was done wonderfully.  Beef short ribs and Portabello mushrooms in a chocolate rosemary and tomato sauce.  Melt in your mouth goodness.  They were paired with horseradish mashed potatoes and sautéed carrots.

Finishing out our decadent chocolate meal was a white chocolate sphere hiding chocolate mousse and heart shaped Chez panisse Ginger snaps shaped like hearts, with poached pears.  I loved the cookies with the mousse - and scored a few extras.

As our final courses were enjoyed, snow was accumulating outside, so we wrapped up quickly to get people home safely.  Looking back, I see pears, balsalmic vinegar and root veggies (carrots, parsnips and potatoes) showing up repeatedly, weaving both adjacent and disparate courses together, sharing that responsibility with the chocolate, of course.  It made for an excellent night of food and friends.  And anything that could travel (sorry - no smoothie) was packed and sent home for Marcy to enjoy.

http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-almond-milk-at-home-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-189996

http://drinks.seriouseats.com/2011/06/cocktail-101-how-to-make-shrub-syrups.html

Food Truck Friday - Off The Rez

This week my Food Truck forays led me to Off The Rez - a truck serving Native American frybread as the base for delicious "Indian" tacos.







The tacos come in pork, chicken, beef and veggie, all served on top of the frybread, which is kinda like naan meets a donut: definitely savory, but fried and fluffy. I started with a Pulled Pork Indian Taco ($4.50), which was topped simply with a purple cabbage slaw.







Then I dove into a Chicken Indian Taco ($4.50), which was loaded with cheese, lettuce, tomato, cilantro and a crema.







On my next visit I opted to try something a little different, and went for their Burger ($5.50). I assumed it would be served on the signature frybread, but it turned out to be a beef burger on standard 4" diameter bun, with lettuce, bacon, cheese, cumin crema, and purple cabbage slaw. It was a pretty standard burger, cooked medium, with a nice smokiness from the cumin, and creaminess from the cheese. When I say standard, I mean it no disrespect - it was a tasty, satisfying burger of a good size (not too big, not a slider). It just didn't have any sort of spin on it, unless you count the cumin. Spin seems to be such a standard with food truck food, I come to expect it. But honestly, this burger didn't need anything else.







I was torn on what to get as a final item. The menu includes chili, fries, and a bunch of sweet offerings served on frybread, like the seasonal nectarine marmalade or nutella. But since I've been indulging a bit too much this week already (I made doughnuts for Dan & I to take to work, but ended up eating too many myself), I decided to go with a healthy option: the Quinoa Succotash ($3 for a small). It was a fresh mix of quinoa, corn, zucchini, asparagus, red onion and red pepper with a slightly spicy sauce served in a 4.5" diameter, 1.5" deep container. It turned out be the perfect pairing for my burger, giving me a mix of fresh, brightly colored veggies I could feel good about, packed with lots of flavor and a little heat.




Although the frybread is a bit of an indulgence, it definitely transforms the tacos into something unique, and something I'll be going back for. That, and the nutella frybread.

Food Truck Friday - Athena's

This week's Food Truck adventure took me to Athena's - a Greek food truck that seems to have won the SLU lottery. You see, South Lake Union is going through some growing pains right now. Up until a few weeks ago, there were tons of parking lots, and many of them rented portions of their parking to food trucks. It was a veritable food truck heaven. But all those property owners are now attempting to cash in on the growth in the area, turning their lots into underground parking with buildings on top. I've been forced out of two parking lots now, and we lost two of the best food truck 'pods'. That means a big reduction in food truck options. Hopefully, I'll still be able to find new places to try out so I can keep this series going!



But enough about my first-world problem of not enough food truck options...





My first trip to the truck was way back in October, and I took an old friend's advice and went for the Souvlaki. I'd never had it, but it's apparently her go to item. I went for the Chicken Souvlaki Gyro. The meat was a little over-done (chewy), but the sauce helped that a lot.







I followed that visit up (8 months later) by giving the 'Greek Philly' a try. It's described as "Thin shaved beef, green peppers, grilled onions, Provalone melted to perfection, Wrapped in a warm pita.". The pita and beef were definitely there, and a little bit of cheese, but almost no peppers.




If they end up being one of the few trucks around, I may find myself there again to try some other menu items (the lamb has my attention), but I wasn't blown away by either of my selections so far.






(sorry for the delay on this post - I lost my phone the day I was supposed to write it, then got very busy)

Beef Fest @ Verve

After our return to the Columbia City Farmers Market today (picking up some tasty food for the near term and some carrot, rhubarb and pea plants for the future), Dan & I had a heck of a time figuring out where to go for Date Night. It was drizzling out, which made picking something quick ideal, but given my follow up treatment Friday, I intended to go somewhere with soup. But somehow, the pull of the Verve burger was too great.



I've been longing to try the Verve Burger ever since our first visit to Verve Wine Bar over a year ago. So much so that I included it on my 'Discover South Seattle: Columbia City' Foodspotting guide, as a reminder. Why it's taken me this long to finally get it on a plate in front of me, I don't know - but tonight I skipped the soup and got a Verve Burger with bleu cheese and avocado that was heaven.



Turning our dinner into a full fledged Beef Fest was Dan's choice for dinner: The Painted Hills Steak. Our server, Heather, was incredibly friendly and (unlike too many places out there) was fully supportive of us ordering our beef rare - apparently also supported by our chef, who prefers his meat rare, too. Both the burger and steak were delicious, flavorful and tender, and paired with great sides. Mine came with roasted fingerling potatoes, while Dan's featured garlic smashed potatoes and eggplant with a demiglace. Dan's plate was clean before I knew it, and mine wasn't far behind.

And what to drink along with pink meat? Pink wine, of course! We had a great Yakima Valley Cabernet Franc Rosé called 'Pink Paintbrush', and we got a bottle cuz the re-corking fee is waived on Wednesdays.

As we walked back to our car, me lugging our 3/4 full bottle of wine, we both noted how great every experience at Verve has been. The food and drinks are excellent, but the friendly staff really make the place. Heather was the component that made our dinner great, just as Dan (the bartender, not either of us) has on visits when we sat at the bar.

I just discovered they've added a lamb burger to the menu, so another visit soon has moved to the top of my Date Night wish list.

Beba's Fix in SLU

After another run along Lake Union today in the beautiful (and all too transient) Seattl esunshine, I made my way over to Yale Avenue - home of REI. But it wasn't about carabiners and camping gear for me today... I was seeking out Beba's Deli.



The move of my office to SLU has opened up a lot of food options, but there are going to be a couple places back at Columbia Tower that I'll miss. One of those was Beba's & Amigos - a little restaurant at the Municipal Tower with cheap, fresh Mexican fare and deli sandwiches. I was so happy to discover another outpost of Beba's in the SLU area - this one serving an even wider range of cuisines, from Mexican to Italian to Indian... and even some fusion offerings, like the Texas Tijuana Taco Penne pasta.

I didn't get quite that adventurous, opting for the carne asada quesadilla - a favorite at the downtown Beba's. It was just what I expected and just what I wanted, and I'm very glad my Beba's fix is only a few blocks away.

Eating Blood, Tendon & Knuckle at Hoang Lan

The area around the Othello Light Rail station is jam-packed with restaurants - from Mexican to Cajun, Chinese to Southern, Thai to African. But more than anything, there are Vietnamese restaurants. I count about a half-dozen in a two block radius. But reportedly the best is Hoang Lan.



Not much to look at, it's your typical acoustic tile ceiling, formica tables kinda place, with a TV in the corner playing Vietnamese shows, and a clientele of exclusively Vietnamese folks. In fact, a fair number of the people eating tonight appeared to be family of the owners, as they all sat together to eat.

What's not typical at Hoang Lan is the soup. I'd read some reviews that claimed it serves possibly the best Pho in Seattle - a title it vies for with Pho Bac III. But I was there for something slightly different: Bún bò Huế.



Similar to Pho in many regards, Bún bò Huế is like its cousin from the wrong side of the tracks. Like Pho, it's a beef broth with vermicelli noodles (thicker here than at other Pho places). And it's served topped with onion and cilantro, with a plate of lemon wedges, shredded lettuce, bean sprouts, basil, jalapenos, and some sort of shredded vegetable we couldn't identify. But unlike the tamer Pho variations, Bún bò Huế has pork hock, pork blood cake, and delicious little beef tendon meatballs swimming in the broth, along with strips of beef. It's like a big bowl of offal, and it's really, really good. I can definitely see now why the words Bún bò Huế are bigger on the sign out front than Hoang Lan.

Dan stuck with the more familiar Pho Ga (chicken soup), which he said was equally great.

A Night at The Attic - Salish Lodge

After a holiday lunch with extended family up in Snohomish, Dan & I drove through torrential rains to Snoqualmie, WA to meet up with Ruth & Paul for a night away at Salish Lodge.



There was a mini-mixup with whether we had room reservations, but in the end the lodge found us a room that was just perfect, and we headed up to meet Ruth & Paul in The Attic - the lodge's casual restaurant.



After a round of drinks, we ordered some of the bar menu fare - including a goat cheese and grilled pear pannini, a beef pot pie, a smoked paprika chicken sandwich, and Cap'n Crunch Chicken - which was pretty good, and served on a bed of it's namesake (which was also used for the breading).



Despite being fireside, the lighting was a bit dim for my camera, so the photos are a little sad - but we had a great time eating and drinking, goofing around in the library, then heading to bed.

Memento Meal - Childhood Favorites

The supper club Dan & I are part of, known as Memento, started it's second year tonight in a slightly new incarnation. There's been some changes in the "cast" and the rules, but the food is still the star.

Tonight's hosts, Anna & Jason selected a theme of 'Childhood Favorites' to kick things off, and everyone delved deep into their memories to share flavors that brought smiles to their faces as kids - and to our faces tonight.



Anna, Jason & Otis shared with us a trio of mini tacos representing their childhood favorites.



Anna gave us an amuse bouche version of the taco her Mom made her as a kid



Otis' love of mashed potatoes and gravy translated into a mashed potato taco with gravy on top



And Jason's childhood love of cream tuna on toast became a delicous little fish taco with crema



Our second appetizer came from our guest - Shannon. One of the changes to Memento is that the second appetizer will always be a guest of the host, trying their hand at the Memento concept for the first time.



Shannon seriously delivered with a mouthwatering dry-rubbed pork rib, oven roasted due to the cold, wet weather (as opposed to her preferred barbeque technique). It's been a favorite of hers since childhood, and is one of the few meat items her son Soren enjoys, and it was clear why. Spicy, sweet, moist and amazing, with homegrown coriander, cumin, fennel and brown sugar.



Gerald & Liz combined childhood faves into a steak 'Crying Tiger' salad.



Served on her good China (representing her Chinese heritage), butter lettuce wrapped around heirloom tomatoes and perfectly cooked steak, which we dipped in a tamed down (but still hot) sauce of roasted chilies.





The Manta-Kennedy clan treated us to a Shirley Temple (Zoe & Logan's fave) to start off our first entree course...



A Roasted Pork Loin (a staple of David's childhood)...



A side dish of the filling from Carolyn's family Spanikopita recipe (the secret ingredient is... SECRET!)...



And a ramekin of panko topped macaroni & cheese, featuring mushrooms and truffle oil.






James, Marcy & Penelope translated a love of steak into a buffet steak tartare, with every possible topping.



Cream cheese, capers, red onion, green onion, hard boiled egg, anchovies... it was all there to further elevate the raw, shaved steak



And for the dessert, course, Dan & I shared a duo of chocolate decadence, translating Dan's childhood love of Hostess Ding Dongs and my penchant for chocolate chip mint ice cream.



The ladies were served an organic Dagoba chocolate sorbet, while the gentlemen enjoyed a Guittard chocolate ice cream, each homemade and topped with candied mint leaves.



The ding-dong began as a flourless chocolate cupcake, which I filled via a piping bag with homemade marshmallow fluff, then covered with melted bittersweet chocolate to create a hard chocolate coating.

We also shared a bottle of Chocovine that we purchased at The Herbfarm last week - a mixture of red wine, chocolate and milk that's winning awards, despite how dubious it sounds.



Marshmallow Fluff
3 egg whites
2 cups light corn syrup
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups confectioner's sugar
1 Tbsp vanilla extract

In large bowl of an electric mixer, add egg whites, corn syrup, and salt. Using your electric mixer on high speed, mix for approximately 5 minutes or until the mixture is thick and volume has almost doubled. On low speed, add powdered sugar and mix until well blended. Add vanilla extract just until well blended. Use immediately, freeze, or refrigerate in a covered container for 1-2 weeks.