Five Faves

May 31st. Already. Wow. Where does the time go? In a blink of an eye, I've got from New Years and unemployed to a day off from work on Memorial Day. I feel a touch of Rip Van Winkle-ness  in my life, especially when it comes to this site. But hey, I'm here now, right?

For me, life has settled into a routine revolving around Tucker, work, and my DVR. It's a bit sad to say that out loud. And even sadder is that I'm pulling B down with me. But it's so hard not too, especially when I'm working with a client, or when my dog is scratching at the door (and walls), or when the Seattle skies are constantly grey and Top Chef is on. So goes my life.

The one thing that B & I have continued on a constant basis is to explore the local restaurants in Seattle, in search for our next favorite dining joint. So for today's post, I thought I would do a top 5 of my favorite food related places in the area.


#5. BLUE SAUCER - This lil' coffee shop on Roosevelt resides in the lil' neighborhood of Maple Leaf. The ML  is often overshadowed by it's bigger and more boisterous brothers - Green Lake and Northgate. But there is a great community here, and the Blue Saucer is in the thick of it. The Blue Saucer not only serves up a great cup of Stumptown, but they bring in local pastries for great bakeries around the area (Macrina, Essential to name a couple). But what puts it over the top is how they try to keep things fresh, whether by bringing in an ice cream truck (Parfait), having coffee tastings, or have a community garage sale. So grab a latte, plop down on the bench seat, and groove to the Beatles. (I'm actually sitting at the Saucer right now, typing this entry.)

#4. MOLLY MOON'S- Speaking of ice cream, B & I are addicted to Molly Moon's. Located in Wallingford and Capital Hill, this place makes fantastic ice cream, of both traditional (chocolate, strawberry, vanilla) and contemporary flavors (meyer lemon, coconut curry, maple bacon). Rain or shine, it doesn't matter- you mention MM's, we'll be game. Even if we just had a nine course dinner. Besides, with the line commonly out the door and down the block, we'll have plenty of time to digest.

#3. BALLARD FARMERS MARKET- We don't frequent this market on a weekly basis, but maybe a monthly basis? I haven't been to a ton of farmer markets in Seattle, but enough to know that it's the largest and most food related one around. Great people, the freshest of food, and pretty easy to navigate. Oh, and of course, lots of samples to try. As an added bonus, a bunch of great restaurants and stores border the edges of the market, so it makes for a window (and stall) shopping mecca.

#2. TILTH- Yum. Yum. Yum. Yum. Yum. No matter what you order, this is what will come out of your mouth after every bite. Don't let the portion size fool you. You will leave Maria Hine's haven of scrumptious entrees with a smile on your face and warmth in your belly. Tilth is what I envision heaven's food to be like. The freshest ingredients, prepared in ways that can only make you crave it even more. Yum.
 
#1. DELANCEY- My favorite pizza. Period. Like Tilth, this place has gotten a lot of press over the past few years. And it's well deserved. I have to admit, I have a little food crush on Molly. I originally learned of her through her food blog, Orangette. But since then, I've gotten a little food crush on her husband Brandon too. Not only did he build his restaurant by hand, he has developed one of the best pizza crusts ever. It sets the stage, the foundation, for the delectable ingredients they choose to top the dish. If I could, and if B would let me, I would eat here every week. I like it that much.

So there you have it. Five of my favorite food places in Seattle. Believe me, there are a lot more places. But I'll just have to save those for a future post. And I promise that the next post won't be two months from now. :-)

Of Omelette Pans and Savory Goodness

I'll be honest... With all the travel, holidays, Tucker, and remodeling at my house right now, I haven't been in the mood to cook. But since I haven't posted  food related entry for a while, I thought I would try to conjure up something to write about.

For those of you who may have been visiting this site for a while, you know I love to cook. Along with that, I love the gear that goes with cooking. And in my mind, one of the essential things to own is a great, nonstick omelette pan. I've have mine for over six years now, and the nonstick finish is, well, finished. No longer does it release my eggs with a graceful flick of the wrists. Now, it needs to be scraped off with that of a spatula and chisel.

But do not fret, for I have a solution! It is -- a new omelette pan! I know, I know, a bit anti-climatic. But the reason I bring this up is because I have actually had it's replacement sitting in my attic, waiting for this very moment. And the reason it was sitting in the attic was because when I purchased my original pans, Calphalon was phasing out my line of pots and pans. This allowed me to purchase a couple replacement pans at super cheap prices, knowing full well that the nonstick finish wouldn't last forever. And so it hasn't. And so, I have a new pan that's been waiting to take its place. (So here's my tip- if you like nonstick cookware, keep your eye out for bargain sales. You may not need the replacement at that time, but you can literally save hundreds of dollars if you buy it on sale/clearance.)

So to initiate my new replacement pan, I decided to make one of my favorite comfort foods. Mind you, this is a VERY basic dish.But I don't think that's a bad thing. I believe everybody has their super-easy, make in 10 seconds, comfort dish. It's along the lines of cinnamon/sugar toast, bowls of cereal, or crackers and cheese. For me, it's sunny-side up eggs on white rice with soy sauce.

Now, before you judge me, hear me out. The combination of the three ingredients in this dish come together to make what I consider an Asian simplified version of Italian carbonara. See, first you place the egg on the rice, and drizzle a bit of soy on top. They you break the yolks and mix it into the hot rice. As the yolk coats the rice, the heat from the rice cooks it into a savory goodness. As you eat it, it warms your body and fills your belly.

So now that you know one of my go-to quick fixes, tell me what you like to whip up and eat when you're having that certain craving.

Day Dos

Although B was unable to join me on this trip (don't you hate it when work gets in the way?), I'm not without travel companions. Three of my friends from Seattle are along for this Big 5Six adventure. (For one of them, it'll actually be her Bigger 6Seven trip. Antartica will be her last continent to have set foot on.) In the past I've journeyed solo, but in my opinion, like a meal, it is infinitely better to share the experience.

So on the morning of my first full day in Argentina, Naomi, Carol, and I met at Plaza St. Martin to take a bike tour through the south side of the city. Awaiting us was Xavier, a short, trim yet stocky gentleman and what looked to be a hodge-podge of bicycles recently allocated from your local garage sale. Nevertheless, we each chose our metal steed and donned on our helmets (safety first!).

I don't consider myself a cyclist, but I have ridden extensively through the US. And let me tell you, there is nothing in the States that matches the first 10 minutes of utter chaos that is biking in downtown BA in Monday morning traffic. Aggressive drivers + cobblestone roads + unfamiliarity with local bike ettiquette = harrowing experience. Regardless of the risk though, we pushed forward.

The tour itself was a great way to see the city. As we pedaled our way south, the architecture of the neighborhoods (and the level of wealth associated to it) began to change. The south side of the city is known to be rougher, poorer, edgier. But in the heart of this area is a vibrant neighborhood called "La Boca". With the brightly painted buildings, streetside tango buskers, and stalls of arts and crafts, this area attracts tourists like a Pooh Bear to honey. It was here Xavier gave us some time to get off the bike and wander the streets.

For me, the best part of La Boca wasn't the sight seeing. It was participating in a truly authentic Argentinian social experience: "mate" (ma-tay). Similar to green tea, Mate is a drink comprised of ground up leaves and hot water, and the flavor is strong and bitter. It is steeped in a cup often made of ceramic, wood, or most often, pumpkin. From the vessel, a metal straw with a strainer attached at the bottom runs from the vessel. Once steeped, the cup is given from the host to guest. The guest drinks from the straw and finishes the cup, then passes it back to be refilled and handed to the next participant. Xavier explained that mate was a very social experience- just friends sharing time and beverage together.

Once we finished the mate, we mounted up and headed back north. Buenos Aires is very flat, therefore the pedaling was at a leisurely pace. We finished at Plaza de Mayo. For those of you who either are history buffs and/or Madonna movie fans, you would like to know that the balcony which Evita addressed the crowds was in this very square.

After we had finished our tour, we decided to run a couple errands and grab a bite to eat. We ended up at the oldest cafe in the city. It's clientele was a balanced mix of locals and touritas. The decor was elegant, the food satisfying.

With our appetites quenched, the three of us decided to return to the hotel for a well earned siesta and meet later for dinner. Dinner in Buenos Aires tend to be much later than most Americans are accustomed to. The restaurants typically get busy around 10pm. With this in mind, we agreed to meet at 9. Unfortunately our first choice was closed, so by the time we arrived at the second choice "El Primo" (a parrilla recommended by Xavier) dinner was in the full swing.

Many parrillas will offer a "mixed grill" that a group can order -- various cuts of meat (primarily beef, but with some pork as well). Since Greg and I had not experienced this yet, we ordered it for the table. Included in the heap of meat were pieces of sirloin, ribs, ham, flank, skirt, chorizo sausage... tasty and popular picks. But the asado also included some less popular selections (by American standards) such as kidney, sweetbreads (we had the thymus/throat variety), and blood sausage. All of this is served on brasero, a charcoal fired mini-grill. I am proud to say that our table ate almost everything (and even like some of the "variety" meats). A quick review from me: 

Kidney- texture was like pork, taste similar to liver; I did not like it.

Sweetbread - texture and taste reminded me of pork tenderloin. I enjoyed it.
Blood Sausage - unlike it's European counterpart, it did not have much grain to firm up the sausage. Instead, it's consistency was like a dough type pudding, flavored with spices. It wasn't bad, but I wouldn't crave it either.

Overall, the meal was very good. Both the waitress and the owner were patient with their gringo guests, and we all left the restaurant with our bellies full. But as much as I hate to admit it, I was starting to get "beefed" out -- I had beef 3 out of  4 meals in BA so far. I was ready for something different. Fortunately, in a city such as Buenos Aires, you don't need to look to hard to find something delicious to eat.

Stories of Life and Food (and Pizza)

During my sabbatical, I've been catching up on things that-I-like-to-do-that-I-never-really-have-time-to-do-while-working. Teaching myself photo-editing, playing video games, and reading. They are some of the activities that I find leisurely and relaxing.

Most recently, I read "A Homemade Life: Stories and Recipes from My Kitchen Table" by Molly Wizenberg. I first learned about Molly from her blog "Orangette". I discovered her blog back while working at my old job. In the latter months, the work day often was a bit slow, and I passed my time reading various technology and culinary blogs (they were independent of one another). In many ways her blog is what I aspire mine to be. Not neccesarily because of the popularity, but more because she draws you in with her stories of food and life. I would love my blog to have the same traits -- that I can share my tales and photographs of my travels and food related adventures with you, the reader.

Anyway, few months ago, Molly penned some of her life stories and published them onto the pages of a book. And at the end of each chapter, she includes recipes from the particular experience. Much like her blog, her book is a breezy yet insightful look at some of the experiences that have shaped her food related life.

I tell you all of this is because I just finished reading her book a couple weeks ago. (I would have probably finished it sooner, but B book-napped it while I was in the middle of it, and managed to finish it before I really could tell it was gone.) Both B and I really enjoyed it. But one of my favorite things about the book is that with the recipes that Molly's included in each chapter, not only can we read about the experience, but we have the opportunity taste it as well. And that makes for an unique literary experience.

So if you're looking for some light reading, I recommend "A Homemade Life". Be warned though, you might want to eat something before cracking open the book. Otherwise, you might be hungry afterwards.

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PS- In case that wasn't enough, I have one more reason to be a big fan. Recently, she and her husband opened a pizza restaurant in Ballard called Delancey. And it's my new favorite pizza place. Her husband Brandon, much like many from New York, has a deep love of pizza. So much so he decided to research some of the nation's most iconic and popular pizzas, and develop his own. The result? The best pizza crust I've ever had. It's smoky and slightly charred from the wood-fire oven, thin but not cracker crispy, with a bit of chewiness that I love. Top that with some fresh ingredients, and you've got a pizza winner. Mmm... just thinking about it makes me want to go back again. If by chance you go and visit, I highly recommend the homemade fennel sausage. Plus there is an appetizer of the best ever fresh mozzerella. I can't remember the name, but WOW. Order them both. You'll thank me later.

Cozy Day in Seattle

Fall has officially arrived here in Seattle... This isn't entirely bad -- I do love the sunshine here in Seatown, but something can definitely be said for autumn in the Pacific Northwest too. The leaves are turning golden hues and rosy reds and there's a crisp bite to the air. In response, t-shirts have been replaced with fleece jackets, iced lattes with hot mochas, and AC with crackling fires.

Speaking of the latter, B and I decided to wrap up our Sunday yesterday with a cozy fire and even cozier meal. We had a bunch of tomatoes from the garden (which by the way, anybody out there have a recipe for green tomatoes?) and a bagful of leftover hot dog buns from Saturday's football tailgate. With a little help from Mr. Tyler Florence, we were able to tranform these ordinary items into a warming, roasted tomato soup.

First we converted the hotdog buns into croutons -- typically I like my croutons a bit more dense, but the airiness of these actually were nice in the soup. The crutons are the Robin to the soup's Batman. It plays an active role in the dish, but it was definitely the sidekick of the duo.

With the tomatoes we threw the batch into the oven at 175 degrees for almost two hours. Depending how much you like it roasted, feel free to cook it longer or turn up the temp a bit higher. Afterwards, we pulled them out, combined them with some sauteed onions and garlic, chicken broth, and butter. After simmering for 30 minutes, we zipped it in the blender and WALLAH! (is that how you spell "wallah"?)(update: With a twinkle in her eye, B pointed out it's not "Wallah", but rather "Voila". I knew she was a smart one.) : Tomato soup fit enough for a king. Or two food lovin', hungry people.

Don't let the amount of time involved intimidate you... It's pretty laid back. Most of time is either roasting the tomatoes in the oven or waiting for the soup to simmer. During that time you can watch a movie, clean your room, knit something, or play some video games. But if you're really in a hurry, you can crank the heat to 450 degrees for 20-30 minutes. And believe me, the end result is well worth it!

Ok, here's the recipe.

Roasted Tomato Soup

Recipe adapted from Tyler Florence

Prep Time:20 min

Cook Time: 2 hours

Serves: 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 pounds fresh tomatoes (mix of fresh heirlooms, cherry, vine and plum tomatoes)
• 6 cloves garlic, peeled
• 2 small yellow onions, sliced
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 quart chicken stock
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 tablespoons butter (we used this much, but in the future we'll probably halve it)

Directions

Preheat oven to 175 degrees F.

Wash, core and cut the tomatoes into halves. Spread the tomatoes onto a baking tray. Drizzle with 1/2 cup of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 1.5- 2 hours or until caramelized.

With about 20 minutes left for the tomatoes, add the onions and garlic to a large stock pot. Saute the two until caramelized. (Tyler says to roast the onions and garlic with the tomatoes in the oven, but the first time I did, the onions burned. Not pretty, but definitely roasted. I like my method better.)

Remove roasted tomatoes from the oven and transfer to a large stock pot with onions and garlic. Add 3/4 of the chicken stock, bay leaves, and butter. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes or until liquid has reduced by a third.

Use a blender (immersion blender if you have one) to puree the soup until smooth. Be careful not to fill up the blender -- hot liquid expands/explodes. I know from personal experience. If the soup is too thick after blending, return to the stove and add the remaining stock until it's the consistency you want.

Add croutons (see below) and enjoy.

Croutons

Two hot dog buns, cubed. If you wish, you can butter and season, but we found it was fine plain.

Place on baking sheet, and toast in the oven for 30 minutes. This can be done near the end of the tomato roasting.

Pad Thai & Pasties

So today was our last day in the U.P. Norman wanted to have a final pasty before leaving Michigan, so I consulted my Lonely Planet guidebook, and checked to see if there was any recommendations. Turns out Marquette not only had a good pasty place, but was home to the "best pad thai in the world". Since we were driving through the town, we thought it fitting to accept the challenge of enjoying both a pasty and pad thai for lunch. After driving along the south shore of Lake Superior, we cruised into Marquette, located the Jean Kay's Pasties & Subs on my iPhone, and pulled into the parking lot. Long story short, we both ordered steak pasty, consumed it (best crust of the three we've had), and then walked outside, wondering where the Thai joint was. We looked around, and realized the Rice Paddy was a block away. But since the JK Pasty lot was for customers only, we got in the car, drove a block down, parked, and strolled into the aforementioned restaurant.

Rupert, the traveling food critic.

Upon entering, we were greeted by a white guy cashier and the owner, Aoy (no idea how to actually pronounce her name). She's apparently quite popular with the college crowd (Marquette is home to Northern Michigan University) and winter Olympic skaters (they have a training facility in town). Anyway, when she sees me, she asks with twinkle in her eye "Are you a spy from the Hong Kong Buffet? No, your English is too good boyfriend." Nice way to be greeted, huh? Apparently she calls everybody girlfriend or boyfriend. Anyway, we order the pad thai, and although she's swamped with orders, she whips up a couple entrees in a couple minutes. Then, having learned that we came because of the "best pad thai in the world", she wants to watch us eat it... The final verdict? Norman, who lives in Ann Arbor, gave it a 8/10 (admitting that he hadn't had pad thai for over a year). And me? Perhaps it's because I lived in Thailand for a year, or maybe that Seattle has some great places too, I rated the food a 4/10. But factoring in Aoy, it bumps up the experience to a solid 7.

So that's was our dining experience for the day... We've got a couple things on our food radar still to eat (egg bakes, pies, and ice cream scoop for N, and the Cracker Barrel for me). Any suggestions on what else we can try? Anything specific to the regions?

Spencer and Norman go to White Castle

Norm and I have never experienced White Castle, so it only made sense that we hit it at 2am. And we knew it was destiny when their website had free slider coupons. So now with bellies full, we head back home. Mission accomplished.

Four Food Filled Days...

It's been a busy past few days. My brother arrived a few days ago from Miami. He's spending the summer traveling cross country photo-documenting Push America's summer cycling and build teams. Since one of the teams kicks off from Seattle, he was here to capture the festivities.
As luck would have it my cousin from Australia also came into town, having decided to swing by Seattle for four days on his way home back to Sydney. Even Mother Nature cooperated by providing perfect 70 degree sunshine for the fellas' time here. I couldn't have scripted it any better if I wanted to.

During their stay, Calvin (the cousin) played tourist, and Jenkins (the brother) played guide/driver. I unfortunately still reported to work, but I know they were able to extensively explore Seattle. And at least I was able to get home each day at an early hour to join them for dinner... And what meals we had!

Here's a breakdown of the food during their time here: Sunday night: I made dinner -- stirfried pork loin w/ julienned carrots, sauteed garlic green beans, and rice. Quick, easy, healthy, tasty.

(photo courtesy of C.Chan)

Monday night: Taste of India on Roosevelt in the UDistrict. The former owner of Cedars' relative (brother or son maybe?) own this place. The food's just like Cedars (terrific), and their home-brewed, bottomless Chai is heaven. I'd come for the food alone, but their service matches the tastiness of the food.

Tuesday lunch: J & C were downtown, so they swung by and picked me up for lunch. We went to the renowned Salumi, and proceeded to get three of the messiest, satisfying pork sandies ever. Calvin chose the "Porkchetta", I selected the daily special of "pork cheeks" , and Jenkins went w/ the classic meatball sub. Since Salumi is such small establishment, we went around the corner to the downtown waterfall, and dug in. Succulence ensued.

(photo courtesy of C.Chan)

Tueday dinner: With a guest in town from as far away as Sydney, we decided to go to one of Seattle's premier restaurants, Canlis. It met our very high expectations easily. The service was second to none, and the food was cooked perfectly (For those keeping track- appetizers: pork belly, Kona ceviche, crab cake, and the Canlis salad. Entrees- lamb chops, wild king salmon, and two orders of duck breast. Dessert (shared)- A pear cake with thyme ice cream in a pear consumme).

Wednesday dinner: Since this was Calvin's last day in the US, we thought it would be fitting to end his time here with hamburger. But not just any burger would surfice -- so we headed to the Lunchbox Laboratory. Calvin was introduced to the Dork... I'll let the pictures below tell the rest of the story.

(photo courtesy of C.Chan)

So all in all, it has been a great few days. We were able to send an Aussie cousin home with a grand impression of Seattle, both of the area as well as the dining. Hopefully it was enough to warrant a quick return!

A New Pig In Town

My coworker and I headed out to lunch in the beautiful sunshine and stumbled up on this metallic swine of beauty...

Move over Rachel (the beloved mascot of the Pike Place Market)! There's a new pig in town, and he goes by "Maximus-Minimus". Max, as I will refer to him/it, is the newest taco-truck-type-vendor in the street food craze that's hitting Seattle. And that is a very cool thing indeed.

Today was their second day serving lunch on the corner of Second & Pike... So far, their menu is pretty small, but the line for food was not. Fortunately for us, we beat the noon rush, and were able to grab a pulled pork sandwich with Beechers cheese in about 5 minutes. The sandie was decent -- the meat was a bit dry, but the flavor was good, and the addition of cilantro added a nice twist.

All in all, it was a memorable lunch experience. I had read about the metal porker on various food blogs over the past month, so it was cool to actually see it in person. I look forward to seeing how things change and improve over the next few months for Max.

For more info on Maximus-Minimus, you can go to their website and/or check this out. For a couple more pics, see below for the business side of the swine, and what he serves up...

Homemade & Home Grown

It's been a slow evolution. It first started with trips to the Ballard Farmers' Market. We'd see stacks of produce, cheeses, and meats. All supplied by local farmers. Then came the homegrown eggs. (Well, homegrown by one of my coworkers who sells them to me. ) These eggs, most brown, but a couple green, some freckled, some not, have the richest golden yolks... When placed side by side with store bought, there's no comparison. And now I've created a vegetable garden. What's next I wonder?

*******

For a while now, one of my "popcorn" ideas was to have a garden where B & I could enjoy some fresh cherry tomatoes and maybe even save some money by having home grown veggies. So about a month ago, I decided to act upon that idea, and build a garden box. I scoped out the location, took some measurements, and went to my nearby home store for some lumber. Quickly I realized that any notion of saving cash in this venture was quickly dashed -- untreated Cedar is EXPENSIVE. But nonetheless, I bought the wood, and hauled it home. Too bad the buck didn't stop there.

Another thing I realized was I didn't have enough dirt around my house to fill the boxes. So I decided to load one box half full of garden soil (I'm fortunate enough that the dirt I do have has is pretty rich), and combined it with store-bought top soil. In the other box, I filled it with only purchased potting soil. I figured I could compare the two throughout the summer, and whichever box produced more, I would do the same with both boxes next year.

So after dropping around $250 on wood and dirt (Two things I never thought I'd have to pay for), I have myself two nice garden boxes. But no veggies. So, it was time to go shopping again.

Long story short, after purchasing vegetables from the Seattle Master Gardeners' sale, Home Depot, and three school fundraisers (Olympic View Elementary, Nathan Hale HS, and B's own Franklin HS), we have following: multiple tomato plants, spearmint (2 types- one regular, one chocolate), basil starts and seeds, various lettuces, snap peas, broccoli, fennel, cucumbers, strawberries, cilantro, chives, and carrots. We planted some of the lettuce and seeds right after the garden box was installed, but most of them we "hardened" (keep indoors until it warms up more outside) until last weekend. And the lettuce we planted first? We were able to enjoy our first "harvest" on Sunday. The romaine was the perfect wrap to go with our homemade grilled chicken skewers. Just thinking of it now makes me hungry again.

So in what started as a simple home project for me has morphed into something bigger. After hundreds of dollars, and tens of hours, I have my own garden. My hope now is that my plants will grow as large as my expectations. If so, B & I will literally be eating the fruits of our labor all summer long!

(Hopefully, the first of many harvests to come!)

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.

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.)