Burger Me

These burgers tasted as fantastic as they looked. If you would like to get your hands on one (or three), head over to the Lunchbox Laboratory in Ballard. Mine was the bottom left burger -- the "Mork's Dork from Ork" special. The "Dork" means the patty was a combination of Duck and Pork. Excellent.

What do you get when you add a half pound "Dork" patty + six pieces of maple bacon + Zillion Island sauce? A heart stopping, flavor filled burger of tastiness!

Faster (& Better) than Delivery

I love pizza. I can't seem to get enough of it. You know that childhood comment, "If you love it, why don't you marry it?"? Well, I would if I could. Except I wanna have kids one day, so I don't think it would work out between the two of us. Plus, do I really want offspring that are half Chinese half Canadian Bacon? No.

But I digress. The reason I brought up pizza is that tonight, B and I made a tasty - and dare I say gourmet - pizza in the time it would have taken to get delivery. We had a hodge-podge of ingredients that we thought would go well with one another. And at the last minute, we decided to use some fruity olive oil instead of tomato sauce for the base. The end result? I still love delivery (Pagliacci's!), but this definitely is up there.

So how did our homemade pizza idea come about? Well, this past Saturday, B and I were grabbing a quick lunch from the Metropolitan Market. We had our Ethic Dinner group later that evening, so we didn't want anything heavy. We decided that we would get some cheese, some soup, and a few slices of Salumi salami to tie us over until dinner. Well, through a mixup with the deli-guy, instead of ending up with a few slices, we ended up with a mega-batch of salami. And since I didn't have the heart to tell him the mistake, we ended up taking home a pound of Salumi's finest (at $18/lb!). Needless to say, we didn't want the sliced cured meat to go bad, so we came up with idea of using it on pizza. So we had picked up some premade pizza dough from Trader Joe's on Sunday, and made ourselves a pie tonight. So if you get the hankering for a few slices, consider this. It's quick, it's easy, and it's delicious!

Much like the vegetable soup recipe I posted previously, this recipe is very flexible. You can add whatever toppings you wish. Want pineapple? Go for it. Love anchovies? Throw 'em on. Hate mushrooms? Skip it. It's really whatever your heart desires. A couple tips for you: 1) although you can pick whatever ingredients you want, don't pile them on too high. Otherwise, you just might end up with a "deconstructed" pizza. 2) I have a pizza stone that I leave in the oven. They're pretty cheap, but I've also heard you can buy a large, terracotta planter plate at your local gardening store, and use it. Just flip it upside down, and you're good to go. 3) And finally, you can use premade pizza crust like Boboli, but I recommend buying pizza dough (or making your own if you're feeling ambitious) and baking it yourself. Just bake it according to its instructions, but without the ingredients. When it's about done, pop it out, throw the toppings on, and then stick it back in the oven. I found by doing this, your dough is cooked through.

The Salumi Salami Special

Ingredients

• 1 package unbaked pizza dough (I bought mine at Trader Joe's)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• A tenth of a pound of salami
• 1-2 large mushrooms, sliced thin (not paper thin, maybe a fifth of an inch)
• 2-3 cloves of diced garlic
• 1 cup sliced red onion
• 1 cup sliced cherry or romalita tomatoes
• Pinch or two of kosher salt
• 1 sprig of rosemary, leaves removed from stem
• 8 oz of fresh mozzeralla, sliced

Prepare the pizza dough according to the instructions. However, do not add the ingredients.

While the crust is baking, in a fry pan, saute the mushrooms, red onion, and garlic together until the mushrooms are soft. Take off the heat, and put aside.

After the crust is complete, drizzle the olive oil over the crust. Then proceed to add your ingredients. There's no order, but I do like to add the cheese last... I feel like it binds the ingredients together when it melts.

Place back into the oven at 350 degrees for 6-8 min. This will allow the cheese to melt, and the tomatoes to sweeten a bit. Keep an eye on it so it doesn't burn.

Take out, let it rest for a minute, and then devour. Careful of the hot mozzeralla. You don't want to burn the roof of your mouth.

It's Not Easy Being Green... Unless you're Mossy.

Lawn: ground (as around a house or in a garden or park) that is covered with grass and is kept mowed. (www.m-w.com)

By the definition above, I no longer believe I can accurately refer to the green areas around my house as a "lawn". The ground that surrounds my house is now more moss than grass. Believe me, it's not for lack of effort. Over the years, it's been a battle between me and the resiliant, moisture loving, cushy vegetation. Sometimes I win, but most of the time, I lose. It is with that in mind that I am taking a new tactic this year.

Call me Lazy. Call me Frugal. Call me Green. Any of these adjectives would describe my latest strategy for my "lawn". This year, I've decided to do nothing about the moss. Don't get me wrong -- I love a nice, plush carpet of green grass. It instills a certain happiness in me, and of course, it's aesthetically pleasing. However, I just don't think it's quite worth the work, cost, and effort to try to make my yard something it's not. In fact, the more I think about it, the more I think that moss has gotten a bad rap. After all, it requires little or no watering, is very low-maintenance, and is constantly greener than the rest of my grass. (In this case, I mean greener in both the color and the environmental friendly definitions). And as an added bonus, it's spongier than grass and a pleasure to sit on. So I have to ask myself, why do I fight it? Why indeed. Therefore, this year, I will be conducting the Great Moss Experiment. I will let it live its life, and I will live mine. I'll save on time, water, gas (for the mower), and money. Sounds like a no-brainer, right?

Spencer's Easter Brisket

I've been making brisket for Easter for the past 3 years. Normally, I used Tyler Florence's recipe, with tweaks here and there. This year, I decided to document the changes, and incorporate some aspects from other recipes I have found to create what Tyler would refer to as the "Ultimate" brisket recipe. I'll let you know how it goes...
Recipe Summary
Difficulty: Medium
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 2.5 - 4 hours (roasting time), 1 hour (reheating)
Yield: 12-14 servings

• 8 large garlic cloves, smashed
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
• 6-8 sprigs fresh rosemary, needles striped from the stem and chopped
• Extra-virgin olive oil and vegetable oil
• 1 package (10-12 pound) beef brisket, untrimmed
• Coarse ground black pepper
• 4 medium carrots, cut in 3-inch chunks
• 3 celery stalks, cut in 3-inch chunks
• 2 large red onions, halved
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 2 cups dry red wine
• 1 (16-ounce) can whole tomatoes, hand-crushed
• 6 cups chicken stock
• 1 handful fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
• 1 large sprig of thyme
• 3 bay leaves

Let the meat come to room temperature and dry well.
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

In a mortar and pestle, mash the garlic and 1 teaspoon of the salt together to form a paste. (Alternatively, on a cutting board mash the 2 ingredients with the flat-side of a knife into a paste.) Add the rosemary and continue to mash until incorporated. Put the garlic-rosemary paste in a small bowl and add a couple tablespoons of olive oil; stir to combine.

Season both sides of the brisket with a fair amount of salt and ground black pepper. Place a large roasting pan or Dutch oven over medium-high and add with a large amount of olive and vegetable oil. Put the brisket in the roasting pan and sear to form a nice brown crust on all sides. If the brisket is too large, cut it in smaller portions, and do in batches. Once complete, lay the brisket fat side up, spread the vegetables around it, and pour the rosemary paste over everything.

In a separate pot, add the butter and flour, stirring well to mix the two. Stir in tomato and red wine, and then add chicken stock. Bring to a boil.

Pour the mixture into the roasting pan, and add the parsley, thyme and bay leaves.

Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil and transfer to the oven. Bake for about 2.5 to 4 hours, or until the beef is tender. (If you poke the thickest portion with a skewer or metal thermometer, and it doesn't face resistance, it's done.)

Now if you are preparing this the day before (which is *HIGHLY* recommended), let it cool, and then refrigerate overnight.  

 

The day of serving, remove from the fridge and degrease the fat. Remove the brisket from the roasting pan.  Then place some of the cooked vegetables and braising liquid into a blender and puree to create the gravy (Will probably be a few batches). Once the gravy is done, cut the fat off the meat, then slice the brisket thickly across the grain (the muscle lines) at a slight diagonal, and place back into the roasting pan. Pour the gravy back in the pan (if it's not already there), and throw it back in the oven to reheat at 350. It'll take about an hour or so. Finally, when warm, take it out, season to taste, and the serve.

 

(Recipe adapted from Tyler Florence, David Tanis, & Diane Rossen Worthington.)

(Update 4/13/09: After making this on Saturday and serving yesterday, I have to admit, it was the best brisket I've made yet. I highly recommend letting it rest over night... the meat was tender and the pureed veggie gravy was awesome. I've updated the recipe to reflect some of the tweaks I made while preparing the meat.
A couple final thoughts -- For a brisket this large, I think I would double the garlic-rosemary paste amount next time. The current recipe barely covered the meat, let alone the vegetables. And secondly, don't cut the fat off until your slicing the brisket to serve. This should help keep the meat tender and flavorful. I hope you enjoy it!

Update 4/26/11: I updated the recipe again with a couple minor adjustments that I've learned over the last two years. Although the recipe may seem very involved, it actually isn't too bad. Most of the time it's sitting in the oven, doing it's own thing. So you can sit back and relax, especially if it's the day before Easter.)

Free App Junkie

When it comes to the iPhone, I am a free app junkie. Maybe it's the thrill of the hunt, but I love thumbing through the App store, and trolling for the next hidden jem. In fact, since I got my iPhone 3G, I have probably tried over a hundred various ones. And over that span of time, a few have risen to the top...

So in no particular order, here are the top 16 as of April 9th, 2009. (Most of these are still free, but there's always a chance the owners will start charging for them. All the more reason to download them now.)

Facebook - This app is an addictive time killer for me. So addictive in fact, that I gave it up for Lent. It's an easy interface and let's me post a status from anywhere.

Pandora - Some people have griped about the iPhone not having a built in radio? I say, "Who cares?". I can get free streaming radio customized to my taste with no commercials. Love it. (And it's great on your desktop too.)

Shazam - Wanna know what song is playing over the speakers at the grocery store? With this app, raise your phone to the heavens, and in 15 sec, you'll have your answer.

Stanza - A customizable reader that I use to catch up on some literary classics. Plus, it's a lot easier to carry than a backpack full of books.

Backgrounds - I often use my own pictures as my iPhone wallpaper, but this is a great app for finding a variety of diverse themes. There's sure to be a background to fit your mood.

Palringo - If you like Instant Messenger, but have multiple accounts with various systems (MSN, Yahoo, Gmail, etc), this is an app for you. It combines all your accounts into one platform.

Skype - I don't use Skype very often, but free (or very cheap) international long distance over a clear connection? Sign me up!

Holy Bible - There are a bunch of Bible apps with multiple translations out there, but this is the only one that provides NIV, NASB, and the Message for FREE. Sure, you need a connection, but on a daily basis, I always have one. If I anticipate going somewhere without a mobile signal, there's an easy fix. I bring my real Bible.

Wikipanion - A simple Wikipedia search app. You can find out if Greenland is part of North America or Europe in jiffy. (BTW, physically, Greenland in NA, but politically, it's a part of the Kingdom of Denmark. Go figure.)

Sportacular - Sport scores in a easy to use app. Go Huskies! Go Mariners! Go Seahawks! And yes, the Thunder lost again!

Easy Wi-Fi - Starbucks gives registered card members free wi-fi. But what a pain to connect to it... that is, up until this app showed up. Now, instead jumping thru Starbucks' text messaging login hoops, I'm literally online with a touch a button.

CountDown to Events - A simple countdown tool which you add your own events. It then calculates how many days are left... You better believe both my sabbatical and Antarctic trip are already loaded!

ShopShop - a straight-forward app for shopping lists. I also use it for any other type of list where I like to cross things off (packing, to do, etc).

Bloomberg - Granted I haven't used this very much since the economy (and my stocks) went down the toilet, but if you're curious how much money you've actually lost inthe stock market, this app is great. Financial news, current share prices, stock trends -- it has it all.

Light - As simple as it gets. I've tried the fancier flashlight apps -- sure, if you want various colors, strobe ability, numerous options, then this is not your app. All this one does is shine a white screen. For me, it's perfect. I can find my way, my keys, or the monster beneath my bed with no fuss.

KOMO Traffic - Ok, so this isn't an app per se. But I use it ALL THE TIME. I simply bookmarked the traffic page on komotv.com's site as a Home Screen link icon. Now, I can check to see how bad 520 is before I head to the Eastside.

So there you have it. My personal app freebie fave's. Of course, there are new apps being released all the time, so I'll probably periodically update this list. And of course, if I missed your favorite app, let me know in the comments below...

An Antidote for NW Dreariness

For many of us here in Seattle, winter/ early spring can be a serious problem. The drab monotone of grey skies, the moodiness of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), the subtle sogginess of drizzle -- it is enough to push you over the edge. But there is a cure. Take 2 parts sunshine, 1 part vitamin D, and a splash of UV, and you'll get a life-restoring cocktail of Spring.

People who live in sun-soaked regions, such as San Diego, Arizona, and Florida can take the sunshine for granted. However, we Seattle-ites crave it. Give us a day of sun (especially when temps rise over 65), and we will be outside, soaking in the warmth. The layers of fleece and gore-tex peel off, and soon the pale skin of winter is exposed. It refracts the light at first, but then quickly absorbs it, and turns into a nice shade of burn. Well, at least it does for most of my Caucasian friends.

Anyway, this weekend was a sun filled escape for those of us who haven't been able to flock to warmer areas. Personally, B & I headed to the UW campus, to soak in the rays and enjoy the blooming cherry blossoms. Apparently though, we were not the only ones to have this idea. The Quad, where the trees are located, was saturated with people. But we were able to find a spot, throw down a blanket and people-watch as we picnic'ed. It was marvelous.

The blossoms did not disappoint either. The flower laden trees line three sides of the quad, adding a softness to the brick exteriors of the buildings. Rumor has it that if you get a bird's-eye view from the air, the cherry trees form a "W". But I've never been able to confirm this. So I guess I'll just have to write it off as urban myth...

Anyways, I hope that wherever you are, the sun is shining bright upon you as well. If not, hopefully, the photos below will help a little. (Not that you probably care, but the first couple pics are via my iPhone, and the last 3 blossom are from my DSLR which I added later. Oh, and I'm messing around with borders, hence the various sizes. - SKC)

A Book Report (alternatively, Trip Envy)

Although I still have 247 days (as of this posting) until I leave for my Antarctica trip, I've been reading up on the icy continent in an effort to get my Antarctic fix. Between scouring the web and returning home with a stack of books from the local library, I've found some pretty good material.

So far though, the best find has been a book called "Life on the Ice: No One Goes to Antarctica Alone" by Roff Smith. In his book, two vantage points weave through the narrative. One is a glimpse into what life is like for the hundreds of people (scientists, military, staffers) from various nations living on the continent of Antarctica. The lengths of their stays are as varied as their backgrounds. But regardless, they are all bonded by the communal living conditions. The second perspective of the book shares his personal observations as a visitor. His enthusiasm to explore the continent is infectious; I can't help but get excited for my trip. Throughout his book, he is constantly filled with with the wonder, awe, and excitement, that are typically only found in the eyes of a child. It is this energy that makes the book a joy to read.

So here's the rub-- Mr. Smith was given granted access to military/scientific bases that most of us will never be able to visit, and a chartered sailboat that most of us will never be able to afford. Because of these advantages, his narrative portrays unique and rare experiences not common for even the Antarctic "locals". Hence, I am extremely envious of his adventures. I find myself wishing I could explore the continent as he did... to live a scientific station for a couple weeks, to peer down into the crater of Mt. Erebus and see the glow of a permanent lava lake, to chopper over the vast icescape, and to sail through the pristine crystal waters that very few people have ever seen. Compared to his time and experience on the frozen continent, my trip this December looks miniscule and pultry. I constantly remind myself that I too have been given an opportunity to visit a place that is out of reach (whether by remoteness or by expense) for many other people. And for that I am very lucky.

Mother Nature's April Fool's joke

It must be April Fool's Day because it is snowing here in downtown Seattle! Ridiculous!