mary eats

Snow white and as soft as butter, Capricho de Cabra is a creamy and mellow young Spanish goat cheese. Produced from Murciana goats, the high fat content of the milk coupled with high traces of protein make for one versatile cheese, sans the graininess or grassiness associated with most young goat curds. Spread on morning toast then slather with jam, crumble atop a beet and arugula salad, cut into rounds, coat with bread crumbs and bake, or slather on your arm and lick off. It’s up to you.

Available at Whole Foods $11.99 a pound, around 3-4 bucks a container.

In the New York Times: Crock pots have always been thought of as the prep-it-then-fuggatabout-it cooking tool, Julia Moleskin takes a look at the rice cooker for one pot meals. I also covered this trick as one of my very first blog posts, though Julia’s recipes look way tastier. The next generation of eaters, more adventurous thanks to mom. In house butchery allows both cooks and customers to get closer to the source.  He had my heart at Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups.  Knowing exactly where your food comes from, grocery stores to begin labeling meat and fish.  The face of urban farming.

In the Washington Post: Mushrooms are in season, and what to do with them.  Jen Lin-Liu, Chinese cooking authority, is 31 and a Fulbright scholar. I might love and hate her at the same time.  A look at the food responsible for making me the foodie I am today, tofu.

In the Wall Street Journal: Get ready for more food magazines.  How chef/restaurateurs expand in tough financial times.  A tour of the Northwest’s own Clear Creek Distillery.  The WJS’s take on beef origin labeling. Pick your poison, er- energy drink.

In the SF Gate: I’ll have a Pinot Noir and Soda, wine cocktails from cocktail authority Gary Regan. Taking advantage of sunny fall days with a hearty picnic spread. 

In the LA Times: Keeping your Monday Morning Quarterback sated all season long, and expand your fungi lexicon to include King Trumpets, Maitake, and Shimeji.

There are many reasons to dine at Poppy, the newest restaurant to open on Captial Hill’s bloodline, Broadway.
A. It is the latest venture from former Herbfarm and Celebrated Northwest Chef Jerry Traunfeld.
B.  Northwest meets thali, it’s a new style of cuisine for Seattle.
and C. It’s the most talked about restaurant of the year, with feature length articles in all the dailies and local magazines.

But this is really why you should go. Poppy engages the senses and the taste buds, introducing diners to new ingredients, preparations, flavor combinations, all without being pretentious. It doesn’t hurt either that you can gobble up Jerry’s creative genius for $32, a mere 228 clams less that what it costs to eat at the Herbfarm.

Thali is an Indian style meal stemming from the Hindi word “plate”. Each thail contains some starch, usually rice or naan, and three to four curries, or vegetable dishes and one pickle in separate vessels delivered to the diner on one plate. The idea being that you get a complete meal, balanced nutritionally and in flavor for one price, instead of a la carte. Pardon me for the crude association, but imagine a TV dinner if you will. Every course of the meal compartmentalized, every need hit, spanning the range of taste and textures.

Only one thali du jour is offered, featuring Northwest ingredients and seasonings that highlight Jerry’s love for combining herbs and spices in creative and captivating ways. Once the thali was set before us, it was hard to contain our excitement. Kevin preferred to race around the plate taking just one bite of each before exclaiming his affirmation, me, I  went slowly from plate to plate, consuming one before moving on to the next, blocking out all distractions in an attempt to burn the experience into my memory.

Highlights from my meal included a lavender rubbed duck leg with huckleberries resting on a cloud of whipped parsnips. A plate of seared scallops with soy braised burdock root in a zingy carrot sauce was flawless. And I could have gulped down a pint glass of an addictive watermelon rind and lime pickle. Each plate provided just two to three bites, enough to entice and leave you wanting more, and unlike most small plate joints around the city, I didn’t have to share.

A day late, but not a dollar short. Words from the food world.

Original gin, the new boutique gin,  a new way with beets, a Rosh Hashanah recipe, and finding a silver lining in Hurrican Ike in the way of dining all in the New York Times.

In the Boston Globe the delima of Rosh Hashanah dinners explored, plus a host of mouth watering recipes.

Real questions and answers about high fructose corn syrup in the San Francisco Gate.

In the LA Times the ins and outs of my culinary world boyfriend Jose Andres, his restaurants, TV shows, and cookbooks, any 21st century fusion in LA.

The toughest reservation in Tokyo, a restaurant with two tables. Food Security. Where does your beef come from? The Jack Rose, for Hemingway protagonists, gangsters and hostesses alike. The new Spanish taste makers, where to park your yacht and have a bit to eat from the Wall Street Journal.

Paying homage to the Omnivore’s list of 100 foods you have gotta try, Zen Kimchi has put together this thorough list of 100 Korean foods you gotta try. He says his list contains foods that paint a well rounded portrait of Korean cuisine, that goes beyond the usual tourist fare. On the list there were quite a few foods I’ve never heard of, and the one I’ve tried are bolded. I didn’t score too high, but for someone who was a vegetarian for the first 3 years (of 4) that she lived in Seoul, I’ll take it, (and I will not eat Beondaeggi ever so really this is a list of the top 99 foods you gotta try). If you don’t know what something is, I’ve linked what I could to photos, while the hangul is over on Fat Man Seoul.

What have you tried? Anything missing?

1. Myeolchi Bokkeum (Stir-fried Anchovies)

2. Samgyetang (Ginseng Chicken Soup) I love this soup. I love the flavors, the picking apart of the chicken the, rice, everything about it screams comfort food.

3. Bulgogi (Grilled Marinated Beef) I’m a sucker for a sweet marinade on a meat.

4. BulDalk (Burn-your-pants-off Spicy Grilled Chicken)

5. DalkBal (Spicy Chicken Feet)

6. Korean Fried Chicken Colonel Sanders ain’t got nothin’ on Korea’s fried chicken.

7. Dalk Galbi (Stir-fried Marinated Chicken and Veggies)

8. San Nakji, chopped (Semi-live Baby Octopus)

9. San Nakji, whole (Live Octopus)

10. Sundubu Jjigae (Soft Tofu Stew) My go to staple for Korean food.

11. Juk (Rice Porridge) Totally unassuming, but delicious in the most subtle way.

12. Galbi (Grilled Short Ribs)

13. Galbitang (Short Rib Soup)

14. Shinseollo (Fancy Hot Pot)

15. Gobchang Gui (Grilled Beef Intestines). I haven’t had Beef intestines, but I have tried stirfried pork intestinesfrom a street vendor in Dongdaemoon. Does that count?

16. Seng Gan (Raw Beef Liver)

17. Galbi Jjim (Stewed Ribs)

18. Bossam (Steamed Marinated Pork with Lettuce Wraps)

19. Japchae (Clear Noodles Stir-fried with Pork and Vegetables)

20. Jaeyuk Bokkeum (Spicy Stir-fried Pork)

21. Kimchi Jjim (Stewed Kimchi with Tofu)

22. Ddong Jip (Chicken Gizzards)

23. Odeng/Eomuk (Street-side Fish Noodles)

24. Hoddeok (Stuffed Street-side Pastries) Mmmmm. Fried dough with brown sugar. Well worth waiting in long lines for.

25. GeiJang (Raw Fermented Crabs) One of my favorite side dishes. Raw crab has a fanstastic gelatinous textures.

26. Hongeo (Fermented Skate)

27. Gochujang Samgyeopsal (Grilled Pork Belly Smothered in Red Pepper Paste)

28. Lotteria’s Shrimp Burger My favorite fast food burger.

29. Sae-u Kang (Shrimp Flavored “Fries”)

30. Doenjang Jjigae (Fermented Bean Paste Stew) One of the first dishes I ever tried in Seoul.

31. Cheonggukjang (Stinky Fermented Bean Paste Stew)

32. Boshintang (Dog Soup)

33. Seonji Haejangguk (Hangover Stew with Clotted Cow Blood)

34. Ddeokbokki (Chewy Rice Cakes in Spicy Sauce) My favorite after school snack.

35. YukHui (Raw Beef Salad)

36. MiyeokGuk (Seaweed Soup)

37. Mae-eunTang (Spicy Fish Soup)

38. Nakji Bokkeum (Stir-fried Baby Octopus)

39. Ojingeo (Dried Cuttlefish)

40. Beondaeggi (Silkworm Larvae)

41. Golbaenggi (Sea Snails)

42. Jangeo Gui (Grilled Eel)

43. Jaratang (Turtle Soup)

44. Bogeo (Blowfish)

45. Sae-u Sogeum Gui (Salt Grilled Shrimp)

46. Deodeok Root

47. BindaeDdeok (Mung Bean Pancake)

48. Pajeon (Green Onion Pancake) I am still looking for the perfect pajeon. Does a thin crispy one exist?

49. Bibimbap (Mixed Rice and Vegetables) The absolute first dish I ever tried in Seoul. It must have been my first week or so. I was so disappointed. Then a co-worker introduced me to dolsot bibimbap.

50. Boribap (Mixed Barley Rice and Vegetables)

51. Marinated Garlic My new favorite condiment/banchan. To be chased with several pieces of mint gum.

52. Patbingsu (Shaved Ice and Red Bean Treat) Korea’s national dessert. Shaved ice, red beans, sweetened consendened milk, and a host of toppings, from rice cake bits to cereal.

53. Dotorimok (Acorn Jelly) A gelatinous block generally served with a spicy soy sauce.

54. Naengmyeon (Chilled Noodles) Pear, beef, a hard boiled egg, chewy noodles, and a briny cold beef broth. Delightful.

55. Makkoli/Dongdongju (Rice Beer) Enjoyed by many of the elderly men we passed on our way up the mountain. Low alochol, midly fizzy, and you can polish off a bottle without to much pain the next morning.

56. Bokbunja (Raspberry Wine) Too sweet for my taste, but can be paired with soda water for a sundowner.

57. Soju (Rice Whiskey) A sweet potato liquer, strong, and will have you cursing the world if consumed in copious amounts.

58. Andong Soju (Strong Rice Whiskey from the Andong Region)

59. Jogae Gui (Grilled Shellfish)

60. Haepari (Jellyfish) Nice crunchy texture.

61. Gyeran Jjim (Steamed Egg) Pleasantly subdue, a nice counterpoint to spicier dishes.

62. Corn Ice Cream

63. Dolsot Bibimbap (Mixed Rice and Vegetables in a Sizzling Stone Pot) The dish that won my heart. Vegetables, rice and a fried egg…….Breakfast of champions.

64. Mandu (Stuffed Dumplings) I prefer my dumplings steamed over fired, kimchi being my favorite.

65. Ddeokguk (Chewy Rice Cake Soup) A traditional soup served for New Years. I love the variety of textures, the chewy rice cake, beef, eggs, and a delicate beef broth.

66. Songpyeon (Stuffed Chewy Rice Cakes) Rice cakes stuffed with sugar and sesame seeds, sweet potatoes, or red bean.

67. Hot Bar (Fried Fish Batter Street Food)

68. Shikhye (Sweet Rice Punch) Hot sticky summer days call for this refreshing rice punch.

69. Any product with Green Tea in it Green tea appears to be the bridge between traditional Korean desserts and European sweets, showing up in everything from frappuccinos, chiffon cakes and ice creams.

70. Gujeolpan (Nine-section Dish) I never had this in a restaurant, but I tried to make it once, and those little crepes did not turn out nicely.

71. Yogurt Soju Cocktail I raised my eyebrows the first time some one offered me soju mixed with a yogurt drink served to my preschool students, but one sip and it is the best darn creamcicle you’ve had in years.

72. Baechu Kimchi (Cabbage Kimchi) The traditional kimchi, made with nappa cabbage.

73. Any Kimchi that’s over 3 years old

74. Baek Kimchi (White Cabbage Kimchi) A nice way to ease into kimchi, pleasantly briny, vinegar-y and ferment-y without the chili flakes.

75. Shake-’em-up Dosirak

76. Mul Kimchi (Water Kimchi) Individual bowls to be consumed like tea at a Chinese restaurant.

77. Oi Sobagi (Stuffed Cucumber Kimchi) Crunchy cucumbers, stuffed with the “guts” of kimchi, garlic, chili, and salted shrimp.

78. Ggakdugi (Cubed Radish Kimchi) Cubes of mu, tossed with garlic and chili flakes, can be made quickly and is easy to eat like candy.

79. Sae-u Jeot (Salted Tiny Shrimp) Essentle for makng kimchi, stinker than fish sauce.

80. Myeongran Jeot (Salted Pollack Roe)

81. Changran Jeot (Salted Pollack Guts)

82. Ssamjang (Mixed Soybean and Pepper Paste) A great dip for raw veggies.

83. Kalguksu (Hand-cut Noodle Soup) Another conforting soup, teeming with veggies, hand cut noodles and thin broth.

84. Ramyeon (Ramen Noodles) in a Tin Pot One of my lunch favorites.

85. Entire Hui Meal (Korean style Sashimi) We are ours at Seoul’s Norangjin fish market, but weren’t blown away. Perhaps something to try with someone who knows their way around hwe.

86. Gimbap (Seaweed Rice Rolls) The sandwich of Seoul, my personal favorite, the tuna gimbab, sans odeng.

87. Jokbal (Pigs Feet) I didn’t love this when I tried it in Seattle, but it made a great sandwhich the next day. What a little mayo can’t do!

88. Sundae (Blood and Noodle Sausage)

89. Yeot (Traditional Korean Candy) I was too woried abut breaking my teeth on this stuff to really get into it, though I did enjoy the peanut foam looking one that instantly gave way to the least bit of pressure.

90. Naengi (Shepherd’s Purse) blanched and seasoned with salt and sesame seeds is the best way to eat this namul.

91. Kimchi Jjigae (Kimchi Stew) Oddly enough I never had this in Korea, but first had it a week ago in Seattle. I’m a sucker for the permeated funk the kimchi brings.

92. Budae Jjigae (“Army Base” Stew, traditionally including hot dogs and Spam)

93. Agu Jjim (Stewed Monkfish)

94. Haemultang (Seafood Soup) I still find the intense flavors and aroma of the sea to be a bit much for me.

95. Nurungji (Hot Water Mixed with Rice Scrapings in a Stone Pot) If you explore Korean food without a guide, some of the assumptios you make about what you are being served are quite amusing in retrospect. I was sure the ajuma wa sporing hot water in my rice bowl to soak the rice, making clean up easier for the dishwasher.

96. Sujebi (Rustic Dumpling Soup) These dumplins are usually made from potatoes. A nice departure from rice cakes or noodles.

97. Janchi Guksu (Thin Noodles in a Seaweed Broth with Condiments) Thinner and less dense than hand cut noodles, add a light broth and darn near any condiment you can think of.

98. BungeoBbang (Goldfish-shaped Stuffed Pastry) Red bean jam encased in a sweet dough is a staple for street snackers, but I prefer the one with the cooked egg inside.

99. Raw Ginseng or anything with Ginseng in it Candied, in tea, or the classic, samgyetang.

100. MakHui (Chilled Sashimi Soup)

It’s finally Fall in Seattle and with it a comes whole new set of cravings. Gone are my desires for briny cold soups and fiery sauces, dinners that fit in a leaf or rolled up in rice paper. Bring on the stews and the eggs.

All I could think about this last week was egg toast, a daily staple for me and Kevin back in Seoul. Every morning, stepping sleepily out of Guro Station, Kevin and I would greet our regular pojangmacha ajuma (street food vendor) and wait for our breakfast.

Sitting in her mobile restaurant, she would coat the wide griddle separating her and us with ample butter, rubbing the brick back and forth over the hot surface as intently as I slather softscrub in all corners of my porcelain kitchen sink. Once satisfied with the amount of fat now glistening, she would place down two slices of absolutely square white bread.

Turning on her stool only slightly she would grab a silver bowl and crack in just enough eggs and a handful of finely shredded vegetables. On the griddle the omelet went, followed by a turn of the bread, one side now perfectly golden. Before assembling the sandwich, a quick swirl of ketchup graced one slice of bread followed by a dusting of sugar. The whole deal was wrapped neatly in a square of aluminum foil by her husband (his only job aside from chuck and jiving with passers-by as far as I could tell), and off we went, the two blocks to our middle school, lost in the moment of good food, temporarily forgetting about the day’s work that lie ahead.

And so my craving reared its head and I answered. But this time I was looking for something a little more from my egg toast; bigger flavors. Tweaking the ingredients and giving it the gastro-pub treatment, I landed at The Luxury Egg Toast.

Luxury Egg Toast
Serves 1

1 tablespoon butter
1 Brioche bun
1/4 cup shredded cabbage
1/4 cup carrots, julienne, grated, or brunoise
1/4 cup white onion, julienne
1 duck egg
1 tablespoon tomato jam, recipe from NY Times column The Minimalist
3 curls Parmesan or other high quality hard cheese- optional

1. In an 8-inch skillet (or griddle pan if you have one) heat 1/2 tablespoon butter. Cut the brioche bun in half and place in the pan cut side down. Turn heat down to medium low and allow buns to achieve the coveted golden brown.

2. Meanwhile in a small bowl mix together the cabbage, carrots, and onion. You’ll only need to use a healthy pinch of this mixture. Take what you need and wrap up the rest and place in the refrigerator for tomorrow’s egg toast.

3. In a second small bowl, beat the duck egg to combine the yolk and white. Add the cabbage mixture, a pinch of salt and pepper if desired.

4. Heat a second sauté pan over medium high heat with the remaining butter. Add the egg mixture and reduce the heat to medium low. Personally I like a brown free egg, and this is achieved by low heat and constant movement of the egg, much like how we made our French omelets at Veil. But cook the egg as you see fit, the end result should be a nice patty-ish shape.

5. Remove the now very warmed brioche and slather one side with tomato jam. Slide on the egg, followed with cheese if using. Top with remaining brioche and eat- you could wrap it in aluminum foil and eat it on the run but since this is the luxury egg toast I suggest sitting down and enjoying it with a nice chilled glass of rose.

In the New York Times, Orange juice laced with anchovies, and other tales of frakenfood from Julia Molskin. A rethinking of Americans’ eating habits results in healthier dieting and more home cooked meals, from Tara Parker Pole. Kim Severson explores eating local in Alaska; moose. Deciphering the claims of the egg carton. The minimalist serves up an antidote to bland poached chicken.

Boston area chefs spill the beans on their secret ingredient for upping the wow factor in today’s Boston Globe. More spice than vinegar, fruit pickles to add an element of bright, sharp, sweet-tart flavor to the plate.

An inspired office lunch for one in today’s Washington Post. First it was scents, now it’s spirits. Jason Wilson of the Washington Post explores this new celebrity brand market.

The Wall Street bangs out more impressive Wednesday reads with Fall’s top 10 foods to eat. Eric Felten uncovers the not so delicious truth behind cocktail pre-mixes. Foodie Baseballer Andre Ethier’s tips for throat meat tacos in LA. A look at one of Indonesia’s famous dishes, Gado Gado explored. Read before buying, Comparing ceramic knives.

In the San Francisco Gate, fat takes over the hearts of chefs around the country.

Enjoy

It’s a traditional Flemish red ale with an almost impossible name to pronounce: vich-ten-AAR? VICH-ten aar? vich-TEN-aar? (From a brewery with a more impossible name to pronounce- Brouwerij Verhaeghe). Chilled, this refreshing sipper smacks you in the face with notes of sour fruit, vanilla, and port. No artificial flavors added (this ain’t DeKuyper’s sour apple puckers schnapps), Vichtenaar is matured in oak casks for a minimum of 8 months. Perfect for shaking up your beer routine and duping all your wine friends who, “don’t drink beer.”

Vichtenaar is sold by the bottle, $2.99 at Whole Foods locations around Seattle

From the New York Times: Local Wheat is a growing trend around the US and other parts of the world as folks worry about food security. Mark Bittman shares the secret of a SCA box success with a recipe for Summer Vegetable Soup. Melissa Clark comes up for a recipe for plum sauce- using real plums, thanks to an inquiring 9 year old. The evolving start of dining options at the airport. Vegansstill in search of something to eat.

From the Washington Post: El Bulli followers get a chance to recreate dishes at home, sans the $250 price tag for the cookbook, Texturas kit not included. The anatomy of the American freezer. Learn how to do it right.

In the LA Times: Uses for fresh bay leaves. Strange but true- Politics and cooking showsdon’t play nice in Thailand. French Laundry Chef Thomas Kelleron navigating the new avenues for the modern chef. A long held culinary tradition translated for the home- aioli. Do not fear the raw egg.

From the SF Gate: Beyond calamari- the secrets of squid revealed.

The Wall Street Journal bring us musings on why Chinese food isn’t hip. From Georgia (the country) with Love, Brandy usually headed for Russia, now to the US. The $20.00 slow food challenge. Can you make a meal out of twenty bones shopping at the farmer’s market?

There is no denying that Spring Hill is a beautiful addition to the West Seattle dining scene. The minimalist space, blond wood, exposed concrete, limestone green wall; it is smartly decorated, the open kitchen the center of attention. But does it justify at trip over the bridge?

I’m not so sure.

What does it say about your establishment when a diner walks away thinking the best dish on the menu is something you have nothing to do with? Olympia oysters, served in a stunning bowl of ice, were assertively briny. No mignonette needed.

The other winner of the evening was a heap of fried sweetbreads served with a trio of sauces. Deep fried to a crispy golden brown, these nuggets housing a creamy interior when dipped in the coffee barbecue sauce were 100% delightful (though I could have done without the other two dipping sauces, a boring tarragon aioli and equally unexciting mustard-MORE COFFEE BBQ PLEASE Come to think of it, they could sell it, start their own little condiment empire a la Tom Douglas- Ridiculously long sentence for a parentheses noted).

However the remaining dishes of our “small plate” dinner (there are full size entrees available amongst the fish and cold plates) were overwhelmingly unbalanced in flavor and texture, but showed skill in terms of doneness. Smoky grilled prawns? Horrible. Way, way, way too smoky. Hello? 911. Yes. I’m at 4437 California Ave SW. Yes. I’m afraid we’ve lost some prawns to smoke damage. Completely overshadowed the hen of the woods mushrooms, but, again- to give kudos where kudos are due, cooked right to the point of doneness.

A duo of steak yielded excellent meat in terms of taste and quality. A tartar fit for a king. So perfectly diced into bits, molars not needed. But the potato cracklings proved too cerebral for this diner. The waiter tried to explain the complicated ten step El Bulli-ish procedure of the tartar vehicle. Try as he might, we were lost at step 7 when the previously cooked, then cooled potatoes were transfered under a radiation microscope, only to be broken into thousands of bits and transmitted over the air and pulled out of a TV in crackling form by Willy Wonka himself. We liked the acidity of the powdered sour cream but as a whole the cracklings tasted a little stale.

More disappointments included a duck raviolo- too soft texturally all around, could have benefited from a snap in crunch or acidity (was this to be the job of the soggy garlic chip garnish?). And the cheese plate had too much going on for one little wedge of cheese- and those house smoked hazelnuts? Nothing to brag about Spring Hill. I’ve been subject to smoke bombs headier than this. Oh. Wait. Smoke bombs are meant to be to be smoky where as smoked hazelnuts are only meant to be perfumed with smoke. Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight?

Dessert. This one almost slipped past me. Thank god for the pastry chef. Salted peanut ice cream? Brilliant. Topped with honey roasted peanuts? Brilliant. Sitting on a slice of chocolate chocolatelyness on a swath of even more chocolately chocolateness? Mensa.

I won’t be making the trip across the bridge just to dine again at Spring Hill, but I also won’t turn down a chance for a second helping of sweetbreads and dessert if I’m in the area (and thanks to friends with a karaoke system in their basement….). Not that I could get in on a whim- reservations heavily recommended.