Food Truck Friday - Evolution Revolution

For this week's Food Truck Friday, I tried out the truck offering "New American Street Food" - Evolution Revolution.

My first visit was on a beautiful sunny spring day, and they were offering Mahi Mahi tacos, so I couldn't resist.  They were loaded with fish and bright flavors, though turned out to be a little messy.   The staff were super friendly, even saying hi to my dog, Hilo.  Later, Hilo did his best to spill my tacos, pulling me toward an adorable puppy he really wanted to sniff.

On my second visit, I tried out two menu items.  First, the Fried Brussels Sprouts ($5), which were golden brown and fragrant and tossed in a house made sambal chili and honey dressing.  Not too spicy hot, more sweet really, but wonderfully satisfying if you dig Brussels sprouts.

Since that wasn't exactly a full lunch, I also got the Thai tofu wrap ($8), which was packed with noodles, fried tofu, basil, tomatoes, and lots of peanut sauce.  It was pretty large (I really should've stopped at half), and my only complaint was the simple flour tortilla was a little gummy, as they tend to be .

The service in both visits was very friend and this time Hilo got a treat, too.  The food was yummy and I'll definitely head back soon.

Food Truck Friday - Thai-U-Up

I just realized I'm the #6 ranked blog on UrbanSpoon's Seattle Leaderboard, so I figure I should probably get to work putting blog posts together, huh? I guess that explains them inviting me to special events.

As a first attempt to dive back into blogging, and Food Truck Friday (again), I tried out a couple dishes at the provocatively named Thai-U-Up



On my first visit, I couldn't help but try a dish that sounded vaguely Hawaiian and hopefully spicy: Volcano Chicken ($8.75). It seemed only appropriate to order it with at least 4 stars, so I did. Served with two scoops of rice (there's the Hawaiian part!) and on a bed of crisp iceberg lettuce, the Volcano Chicken itself is fried chicken pieces with what I suspect is a rice flour based breading studded with green onion and spices, that yields a super-crispy outside.



Add to that some sweet-spicy glaze and you've got chicken candy - and I ate every last piece. Very sweet and decadent... but surprisingly not very spicy at all. Not noticing much red pepper on it, I grabbed a packet of Sriracha, just in case, though I powered through my chicken candy so quickly I didn't end up using it.



On my return visit, I was in a less decadent mood, so opted for the Cashew Delight with Tofu. Based on my last experience, I asked for 5 stars this go-round. It was a pretty standard, as-expected Cashew dish with veggies and fried tofu, way too much celery (though for me, any celery is too much celery), no spice whatsoever. The interesting surprise of the dish was when I'd finished all the veggies and tofu (except the celery), and found the broth in the bottom of the container, which was rich and had wonderful depth of flavor... so I poured it all over the rice and devoured that, too.



Although they only take cash, which is inconvenient, I'll likely go back to Thai-U-Up the next time I craving some crispy delicious Volcano Chicken... and I'll be sure to grab some hot sauce. Cuz if someone's gonna Thai me up, I wanna feel smacked across the face by the heat.

Memento On A Diet

After a longish haitus due to lots of scheduling challenges, Memento (our supper club) returned tonight. We gathered at David & Carolyn's place in Northgate for a meal conceptualized by Marcy & James. This time, Memento was On A Diet. Specifically, each of our 6 courses was allowed to have only 367 calories, 4 grams of saturated fat, and 8 grams of unsaturated fat. It proved quite a challenge, particularly for Dan & I, who were providing dessert.



Marcy & James started us off with an elegant plate of grilled oysters on the half-shell. They came with two toppings - a blackberry vinaigrette and a cherry & tomato salsa. I put blackberry on one oyster, salsa on the second, and both on the third. The trio of oysters were served with grilled romaine lettuce (which we learned is one of the most nutritious lettuces), which had a pesto sauce. The oysters were delicious, sitting in a little briny nectar, and the salsa and sauce were bright and sweet compliments. The plate was such a perfect start to a summer meal out on the deck (and eventually, under the stars).




Next up, keeping things very light, was Anna & Jason's salad course. Mixed greens topped with candied red walnuts shared the plate with blueberries, radish slices, orange cherry tomatoes, and tiny 'sweetie' peppers, all delicately plated with what has become their signature style. All the fruits and veggies were so fresh and flavorful, with the fat of the walnuts adding just the right amount of richness.



Not included in the calorie counts were the drinks, thankfully. Jason & Anna shared a nice crisp white that followed the rosé I had been drinking.



For our third course, Linda & Nancy served a vegetarian version of the Thai dish Larb. Dan & I have made it with chicken (in fact, just this week), but this version used tofu, presented in a butter lettuce cup. You'd never have guessed it was vegetarian if you didn't know, though. The texture and flavor were outstanding. Linda shared her tip for perfect tofu every time - a very hot, completely dry pan. No oil at all. Along with the larb, they served a modern take on a Korean kim chee and a Thai cucumber salad, both of which were vinegary and kept the bright, fresh, summery goodness going. In their entire plate of food, the only fat came from a few peanuts on the cucumber salad.



We also got to try (those of us brave and/or stupid enough) the first batch of traditional kim chee they made, which was deemed un-servable. A mixture of primarily cabbage and chili powder, it was incredibly hot. Not habanero hot, but just the couple bites I had were more than enough. It wasn't one-note, though, and had a wonderful smokiness. At the end of the night, Anna ended up going home with it, but I was ready to fight her for it.



Next up, Carolyn & David prepared an amazing Vietnamese Summer Roll filled with shrimp, vermicelli and Thai basil.



The wrapper was so tender - not toothsome like they so often are (including the ones Dan & I had earlier in the week). They were delicate but sturdy enough to hold together when dipped in the delicious coconut & peanut sauce. This was likely the highest fat dish of the night, given the peanut and coconut... and the fact that everyone enjoyed them so much that Carolyn went in and made another for each of us. Thankfully, there was more peanut sauce to go around, too, as many of us had already licked our dish clean.




The Asian cuisine continued with the next course, presented by Lizzie and her date, Mike.



Based on a recipe from Tom Douglas' I Love Crab Cakes! cookbook, Lizzie prepared scallop and crab cakes steamed in banana leaf wrappers. Some of the scallops are chopped and mixed with the crab, while another portion is pureed, which acts as a binder when the cakes cook. When unwrapped, inside each wrapper was a perfect cake with great seafood flavors, and a texture that reminds me of fish cakes (which I absolutely love). They were served with a spicy & sweet dipping sauce, as well as an Asian slaw.



They also served a cocktail to go along with their dish - a Thai iced tea spiked with Sweet Tea vodka that was a great accompaniment and (since it wasn't included in the calorie/fat counts for the course) added some serious creaminess and sweetness - which was a welcome decadence just before dessert.



Dan & I rounded out the meal with a calorie and fat conscious dessert. I love to bake and make pastries and candies, but after a few checks of calories & fat in things like eggs, butter, cream... even coconut milk or avocado... we had to go in another direction. And the answer was staring us in the face: the shave ice machine I bought for Dan several years back, which has had very little use, until tonight.



With a base for our dish of zero calorie ice, we were able to add all the fixins' traditional in Hawai`i. At the base was a sweet red bean paste I made by soaking, blanching, and then cooking dry adzuki beans with sugar (using a recipe found here). On top of that was a custard based ice cream using eggs from our chickens, cream, milk, sugar and vanilla beans churned in our little Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker. A healthy handful of shaved ice topped that. Shaved Ice is much finer and more like snow than the ice you get in a mainland style 'sno-cone', and is the style of ice used both in Hawaiian Shave Ice (aka Ice Shave, aka Shaved Ice), as well as Filipino Halo-halo. Dripped onto the ice were two syrups - one made of Liliko`i (passionfruit) juice and sugar, and one made of water, sugar, ginger, lime juice and lime zest. Finally, a light drizzle of store-bought evaporated milk, since my homemade version that combined water, dry milk powder and sugar scorched, boiled over, and tasted gritty. It also tasted exactly like a toasted marshmallow, but was just too texturally wrong to serve.

We paired our dish with a cocktail, as well - a vodka soda made with a home-infused ginger & green tea vodka, with club soda and lime.



The entire meal was wonderful, and the company couldn't be beat. This was definitely the lightest Memento Meal we've had, and also the most Asian influenced. There was a strong thread of greens running through the meal, and Marcy pointed out the common element of condiments. We didn't feel at all heavy at the end of the night, and James tallied all the calories and fat grams and we came in under. However, we discovered one challenge of eating such a low-calorie, low-fat meal: there was very little to counteract the cocktails and wine consumed along side our courses. Thankfully, that's spread over a 6+ hour period, but I know I was a little extra boisterous, Dan was pretty tipsy, and we both slept in until 11am, waking with hangovers and a hankering for burgers and fries.

Green Papaya Salad

Dan & I have acquired a taste for the classic Thai Green Papaya Salad, and it's even helping us warm up to papaya (which I used to think tasted like feet). It was no surprise that Dan put it on our meal plan for this week. The only problem was finding green papaya, red chilies and shrimp paste, which wasn't available from our usual source.

But while we were down at Southcenter yesterday for lunch, we swung by Seafood City (a Filipino Superstore) and they had everything we needed.

I ended up using 3 red chilies, and thought it could still use some red pepper flakes. But we tend to like things spicy.

Green Papaya Salad
1 small green papaya, or 1/2 large (your papaya should be very firm, the flesh white to light orange in color)
1/2 cup roasted peanuts
1-2 cups bean sprouts
1 to 2 tomatoes, cut into long thin strips
1 red chili, minced (seeds removed if you prefer a milder salad)
3 green onions, sliced into long matchstick-like pieces
1/2 cup fresh basil, roughly chopped if leaves are large
1 lb peeled, cooked shrimp

DRESSING:
1/2 tsp. shrimp paste
2 Tbsp. sesame oil
2 Tbsp. fish sauce
3 Tbsp. lime juice
1/2 to 1 Tbsp. liquid honey

Prepare the dressing by mixing together all dressing ingredients together in a cup. Make sure shrimp paste and honey dissolve fully. Set aside. Peel the green papaya, then slice it in half and remove all the seeds. Using the largest grater you have, grate the papaya (or you can use a potato peeler to create thin, ribbon-like strips). Place in a large bowl. Add the sliced tomato, onion, chili, bean sprouts, and basil. Add the dressing, tossing to combine. Add the peanuts and shrimp. Toss again. Taste-test the salad. If not sweet enough, add a little more honey. If not salty enough, add a little more fish sauce. If too sweet or salty, add more lime juice. If you prefer it spicier, add more fresh-cut chili or dried crushed chili.



(Recipe courtesy About.com)

Slow Food in Sleepy Pahoa at Sukothai

Big Island Pizza is GENIUS!

This is our first visit to Hawaii since my discovery of Foodspotting, and it's been really handy to discover new restaurants and dishes to try out. In particular, Foodspotter Luke Watkins has turned out to be a virtual tour guide of sorts - thanks to his spots and nomms of foods in Hilo & Pahoa.



Today we took his advice to try the Coconut Prawn pizza at Big Island Pizza, in Hilo. And we weren't disappointed.

The pizza starts with a base of Sweet Chili Sauce, which is then topped with Shredded Coconut, butterflied Prawns, Cilantro, Peanuts, Mozzarella, Mint, Red Onions and Smoked Gouda. The pie is light on the cheese, letting the decidedly Thai toppings stand out as the stars. It was like no other pizza I've tried, and it was amazing. The flavors remind me of Phad Thai, with the chili sauce, peanuts and prawns. The nuttiness of the gruyere ties well with the coconut and peanuts, and the whole thing comes together in a beautiful, delicious package.

When we return to Seattle, I'll be starting a campaign to get one of the local pizzerias - ANY of them - to add this to their menu. It's really that good. And given Seattle's love of Phad Thai, I think this could be a real hit.

Thanks for the tip, Luke!

So THIS is what First Class is Like!

Due to big projects on both our plates throughout Spring/Summer/Fall 2010, followed by the Holiday peak season at my work, we weren't able to sneak in a real vacation until 2011. So we decided if we had to wait that long to get back to Hawaii, we deserved to splurge a bit.



First on the splurge list was our introduction to flying First Class. Hawaiian Airlines is already rated #1 among US airlines, so my expectations were high for a great experience in the 'big seats' at the front of the plane.



Things kicked off nicely with a glass of champagne while we waited for the folks in the 'cheap seats' to load into the plane - though I was a little disappointed that while I sat in my aisle seat, I got kind pummeled by over-sized luggage that was clearly not carry-on appropriate. Did I mention the champagne came in a glass. A real glass, glass?



Next up, one of our flight attendants laid a tablecloth over our tray table, and brought us a ceramic bowl of mixed nuts and dried fruit, and a glass of water. Again, a GLASS of water, with a wedge of lemon.



After a little while - but before Coach even got their $5 mini bottles of wine - we were brought our brunch, featuring a dishes by Honolulu Chef Chai Chaowasaree.

I dug in first to the Scrambled Eggs "Magda" with toast points and sausage.



Then I dug into the Bananas Foster Crepe Bundle with Maple Rum sauce. And then I started dipping the fresh fruit plate into the leftover rum sauce. I wanted to try a little of everything, so I had a bite of my muffin - which was just a simple bran muffin with raisins. Soon after, my flight attended decided I was done, and took away my plate without asking (a little weird for first class, no?).

The food was delicious, and I'm very much looking forward to the trip home, when I know what to expect and will get to enjoy some dinner and cocktails on our trip home.

Thai 65 at The Landing

It's Movie Awards season, which means my film-loving (obsessed?) husband has commandeered our Netflix queue to move all the Golden Globe Nominees and Oscar contenders to the top. It's only fair, given I do the same in October (pushing horror flicks to the top of the queue) - and it's a great way to see a lot of really great films, and enjoy the award shows more, since we actually have opinions about who should win. Another aspect of that is that awards season gets us out to the theater more, and last weekend we decided to check out The Black Swan. A quick check online turned up a theater down in Renton showing it, not far from our place, so we headed there. The film was great, but we were also impressed by The Landing - a little shopping/dining/movie complex that's recently cropped up there in Renton. Notable spots are a Five Guys Burgers and Thai 65 - a favorite of Dan's in the U District.

Tonight, we took date night to The Landing, and to Thai 65.



Dan started off with a Blue Mojito, while I obstained (given my weight loss plan is easily derailed by tasty cocktails). I did, however, try a sip, and it was very good. The Blue Curacao (an orange liqueur) combined with the lime to give a Margarita like flavor, but didn't overshadow the classic lime & mint flavors of the classic Mojito.



Shying away from anything with delicious, creamy (and insanely calorie-rich) coconut milk, I went for a seafood & vegetables stir fry dish called Phad Talay.



It included squid, salmon, shrimp and scallops (all your major seafood S's), all of which were wonderfully cooked, and tossed with carrots, green & red peppers, green beans, mushrooms and more. I went with 3 (out of 4) stars and it had a good kick without being guzzle-your-drink hot, and I could still enjoy the salty-sweet-sour flavors of the sauce.

Dan went for the Garlic Prawns, which he was equally happy with, and we shared a bit of a HUGE portion of rice Dan ordered - leaving about half our food and most of the rice for lunches tomorrow.



This had to be our quickest date night yet, as the service was quick yet courteous, and since we didn't devour the entirety of the huge portions, we finished fairly quickly, too. In and out and completely satisfied in maybe less than a half hour. I can definitely see why Dan enjoys their U-District location, and we'll be returning to The Landing & to Thai 65 (perhaps soon to see The King's Speech).