Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Garden Update
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Saturday Morning Brunch
Saturday, June 26, 2010
My Friday night bottle

Even though the Cab is the dominant varietal in terms of percentage it definitely does not drive the flavor and character of this wine.
Deep purple in color with a nose of ripe cherries and red plum and a similar palate that finishes with a very slight hint of pepper. Primarily fruit forward with very little else to add to the character. This is still a nice wine with a lush mouth feel."
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Cierra Pera Photography...

...makes me happy.

Last weekend, with some fantastic help, I made the food for a brunch with some great old friends.

Nothing special. Just a couple of salads and some bagels.

She made it look beautiful.

I wish you were closer to me!
www.cierraperaphotography.com
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Have you tried pesto rice?

Wednesday, June 09, 2010
Everywhere I turn

Monday, May 31, 2010
Put these on your Netflix list

Food, Inc.- Probably the most popular, and for good reason. "The filmmaker takes his camera into slaughterhouses and factory farms where chickens grow too fast to walk properly, cows eat feed pumped with toxic chemicals, and illegal immigrants risk life and limb to bring these products to market at an affordable cost."

King Corn- My personal favorite because of its ironic humor. "Engrossing and eye-opening, KING CORN is a fun and crusading journey into the digestive tract of our fast food nation where one ultra-industrial, pesticide-laden, heavily-subsidized commodity dominates the food pyramid from top to bottom - corn. Fueled by curiosity and a dash of naivet‚, college buddies Ian Cheney and Curt Ellis return to their ancestral home of Greene, Iowa to figure out how a modest kernel conquered America. With the help of some real farmers, oodles of fertilizer and government aid, and some genetically modified seeds, the friends manage to grow one acre of corn. Along the way, they unlock the hilarious absurdities and scary but hidden truths about America's modern food system."

Supersize Me- Hopefully you've at least heard of this one by now. "Documentary filmmaker Morgan Spurlock makes himself a test subject in this documentary about the commercial food industry. After eating a diet of McDonald's fast food three times a day for a month straight Spurlock proves the physical and mental effects of consuming fast food."

THE FUTURE OF FOOD offers an in-depth investigation into the disturbing truth behind the unlabeled patented genetically engineered foods that have quietly filled U.S. grocery store shelves for the past decade. From the prairies of Saskatchewan Canada to the fields of Oaxaca Mexico this film gives a voice to farmers whose lives and livelihoods have been negatively impacted by this new technology. The health implications government policies and push towards globalization are all part of the reason why many people are alarmed about the introduction of genetically altered crops into our food supply

Sweet Misery- Although many artificial sweeteners have been proven toxic and dangerous since they were first created, they have somehow still ended up in our food. "This documentary is a close examination into what some consider to be a "hoax": aspartame toxicity. This documentary attempts to look at what is definitively known about aspartame and discovers that the label "hoax" in this case is a dangerous misconception. This controversial documentary is sure to open eyes to the possible dangers of what lurks in our food."

The World According to Monsanto- Did you know that much of the world's seed supply is owned by one multi-billion dollar company? Did you know that they genetically alter these seeds to require one kind of fertilizer that the very same company produces? Do you know the terrifying implications of that? It kind of makes me wonder why this DVD is hard to find...
Saturday, May 22, 2010
"At least it's not as bad as going vegan..."
Grrr...
Ok, scratch that entire opening paragraph.
New Title: "How to show my love"

So, for the summer, at least, Raj can't eat wheat, dairy (butter is OK), or almonds. As a baker, I find this an enormous- but really fun- challenge. You all know by now that I don't like fake things- tofurkey, milk substitutes, etc, so I refuse to go out and buy some wheat free baguette.* However, wheat gluten also shows up in a plethora of surprising places. Oats, for one, unless you buy them specifically gluten free. This has blossomed into a request for home made granola, which I am working on as we speak...er....type.
Friday, May 14, 2010
Deep thoughts of the day.

I'm not sixteen anymore. What I eat makes a difference.

Ok, I was totally eaves dropping.

I'm sure she's very nice. I don't know her at all.
My ears perked up when she started talking about how she stays fit.
"I only have to work out sixteen hours a day..."

Hold the phone...excuse me, ma'am, I was rudely listening in on your conversation about how you manage to stay perfect. Did you say what I think you just said? Mmhmm, that's what I thought.

No thanks. I think I'd prefer to keep my less than perfect, sugar filled life, if you please.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
It's time! It's time!

University District (Saturdays, 9am-2pm, Year-round.)
West Seattle (Sundays, 10am-2pm, Year-round.)
Broadway (Sundays, 11am-3pm, May 9 - December 19)
Columbia City (Wednesdays, 3-7pm, April 28 - October 20)
Phinney (Fridays, 3-7pm, May 28 - October 1)
Lake City (Thurs, 3-7pm, June 3 - October 7)
Magnolia (Sat, 10am-2pm, June 5 - September 25)
Monday, May 10, 2010
VIYM
The star of mother's day...

It's amazing, fresh, easy, healthy, and fast. Just like mom....kinda....
2. Crush a clove of garlic into a few tablespoons of olive oil.
3. Mix salt and squeezed lemon (teaspoon, perhaps, each) into oil.
4. Mix everything together.
5. Stir in about a quarter cup of parmesan cheese.
Thursday, May 06, 2010
The best ways to spend $5 (on food) in Seattle

Is that all you have? No problem! Despite what you may think (and you know who you are), I'm a fairly low maintenance girl. I do not need (nor do I usually like, actually) extremely posh dining. I just like good food, and as that is the case, I have managed to move my way around the city, discovering all the best $5 treats as I go. That's not easy to find 'round these parts, so I have done all the hard, delicious work for you. I tried to find a few things for the list that are not sweet. So, It's not all sweet, anyay...
Wednesday, May 05, 2010
Current obsession: the apple
I feel like this guy:
Monday, May 03, 2010
Solid Potato Salad
Monday, April 26, 2010
This is why we can't have nice things.
I gave up on nice glasses a long time ago. We break them so often that every few months when our collection is waning I just go buy more of the 99 cent glasses from Ikea (come to think of it, I think it's time for a trip there for more).
Our plates and bowls last at least a little bit longer. However, recently as I was looking at our sad little collection of cracked and chipped pieces- of which about 2/3 of the originals are even left- I realized that the time has come to perhaps find us a real live dinnerware set of matching plates, bowls, and maybe even serving dishes (did I mention that our dinner plates don't match our salad plates, and neither match our bowls?). My hope is to find some sort of set that shows that we are real, working grownups now. This isn't as easy as it sounds.
My criteria is specific, and the first and most important thing for me to remember is how much of what we buy will get ruined at some point ("Know thyself"...) In other words, we can never buy $50 a plate sets, because I think every time one broke I would sit on the floor and cry. Second, you all remember the whole "lead might be in my dinnerware incident" of a few months ago. This significantly lowers my options of brands to choose from, which in a way is a good thing because my choices are less overwhelming.
I've narrowed it down to a couple of very neutral sets that would hopefully stand the test of time, and my very fickle taste.



"Fiesta" doesn't usually describe my decorating style, but I have to hand it to Fiestaware. They have made themselves a classic name, and I know they'll be around until Armageddon. Most of the colors are entirely too bright and wouldn't work unless I made Mexican food for dinner every night, but I've always like this turquoise color. It's pretty well priced and durable, also.


Sunday, April 25, 2010
My garden haiku

By: Annika


Saturday, April 24, 2010
My least favorite things
Friday, April 23, 2010
And speaking of cookies...



Wednesday, April 21, 2010
The cookie problem (and solution)
Believe it or not, too much cookie dough can be a problem. (I know, I know...whaaat?? But yes, it can!) Often when I make a full batch of cookies, my husband and I sound eerily similar to the classic Frog and Toad story:

Toad baked some cookies. “These cookies smell very good,” said Toad. He ate one. “And they taste even better,” he said.
Toad ran to Frog’s house. “Frog, Frog,” cried Toad, “taste these cookies that I have made.”
Frog ate one of the cookies, “These are the best cookies I have ever eaten!” said Frog. Frog and Toad ate many cookies, one after another.
“You know, Toad,” said Frog, with his mouth full, “I think we should stop eating. We will soon be sick.”
“You are right,” said Toad. “Let us eat one last cookie, and then we will stop.” Frog and Toad ate one last cookie. There were many cookies left in the bowl.
“Frog,” said Toad, “let us eat one very last cookie, and then we will stop.” Frog and Toad ate one very last cookie.
“We must stop eating!” cried Toad as he ate another.
“Yes,” said Frog, reaching for a cookie, “we need willpower.”
“What is willpower?” asked Toad.
“Willpower is trying hard not to do something you really want to do,” said Frog.
“You mean like trying hard not to eat all these cookies?” asked Toad.
“Right,” said Frog. Frog put the cookies in a box. “There,” he said. “Now we will not eat any more cookies.”
“But we can open the box,” said Toad.
“That is true,” said Frog. Frog tied some string around the box. “There,” he said. “Now we will not eat any more cookies.”
“But we can cut the string and open the box.” said Toad.
“That is true,” said Frog. Frog got a ladder. He put the box up on a high shelf. “There,” said Frog. “Now we will not eat any more cookies.”
“But we can climb the ladder and take the box down from the shelf and cut the string and open the box,” said Toad.
“That is true,” said Frog. Frog climbed the ladder and took the box down from the shelf. He cut the string and opened the box. Frog took the box outside. He shouted in a loud voice. “Hey, birds, here are cookies!” Birds came from everywhere. They picked up all the cookies in their beaks and flew away.
“Now we have no more cookies to eat,” said Toad sadly. “Not even one.”
“Yes,” said Frog, “but we have lots and lots of willpower.”
“You may keep it all, Frog,” said Toad. “I am going home now to bake a cake.”
Another option is to figure out exactly what to do with all the extra cookies you have on hand. I looove frozen cookies, and that's easy enough. My boss prefers to have cookie dough on hand so that she can bake fresh cookies whenever she wants to. Either way, all recipes has a great little summary of how to freeze cookies and cookie dough properly, including which doughs are good to freeze and how long they stay good. I also like eHow's idea of scooping and then freezing the raw cookie dough in little, easy to bake balls. This is what we did quite a bit in pastry school.
Now you, too, have willpower! Lots and lots of it.
Monday, April 19, 2010
A few of my favorite things....
Stone ground mustard, candied ginger, olive bars, cheese and bakery samples, jarred New Mexico green chilis, honeycomb, fresh Mozzarella balls, expensive crackers, smoked salmon, smoked salmon spread, Muscat grapes (in season!), fennel, garnet yams (I have yams at least every other day), crusty bakery fresh bread, duck, leeks, caramelized onions (you can't really buy those), San Marzano (sp?) canned tomatoes, good olive oil and balsamic vinegar, chevre, ezekiel bread (for breakfast), rooibos teas, english breakfast teas, jasmine green teas, almond butter, pink lady apples, clementines, bulk dried beans, high quality maple syrup and vanilla extracts, whole nutmeg, wedges of parmesan, jerusalem artichokes, and rhubarb compote.
And making non scary movies look scary.Friday, April 02, 2010
My Thing
With that said..no one is perfect, and everyone, no matter how eco friendly, needs their "thing." I have two: paper towels and zip lock bags. Yes, we plow through both, and no, I feel no personal shame or guilt. Both items extend far beyond the reaches of my kitchen, and make my life easier. Think about it- a paper towel can be a napkin, plate, sponge, rag, tissue, or toilet paper,** to name a few things. The organization help that zip lock baggies provide (especially the gallon sized ones) proves to be limitless. Especially for travel (you can thank the FAA for that one).
One must be prudent, though. I only buy the paper towels that come perforated into smaller sheets. Also, we do reuse the baggies as long as they're not soiled. I can't say we reuse paper towels. Does anyone, really? I mean, who actually does wring out a paper towel and then use it again.....anyone?
*Although, this habit was formed more out of sheer terror of the judgmental eyes that peered down at me during my shopping trips to health food stores. Healthy eaters, as a group, are usually also very environmentally conscious. It goes with the territory.
**You know you've all done it.