Spanglish Dish

Today I made an early dinner of grilled chicken thighs that I shredded and mixed with black beans that had been simmered with garlic, thyme, bay leaf, oregano, and minced cilantro stems (they have lots of flavor). What made the dish for me was the perfectly plump corn that I grilled in the husk after soaking in a water bath for twenty minutes. The corn steams inside its own skin and comes out beautifully sweet and tender, just watch it, mine caught aflame a bit but was easily tamped out. Browning both sides of the corn in a medium hot space on the grill should do it, squeezing with the tongs you should be able to feel a bit of give that will let you know it's done. I mixed the corn, chicken, and beans together, making sure to add the delicious juices of the chicken that came out while cooling. To this I added some extra virgin olive oil, just a bit to round out the flavors, and adjusted salt levels to my liking. Served over rice, topped with sour cream, sweet sauteed onion, a bit of chili paste, and some fresh sprigs of cilantro. A simple dish that's made great by the addition of the grilled chicken's juices, and by using local corn in season you transform something simple into the sublime.

Paseo Carribean in Fremont

Yesterday I traveled two hours by bus and foot just to eat this sandwich and let me tell yah' it was oh so worth it. It's a monster Cuban, filled with the juiciest pork you'll ever eat, tender caramelized onions, peppers, cilantro and special mayo sauce on crusty bread. If you get the chance, or even if you have to commandeer an airplane, try the #8 Midnight Cuban, all future sandwiches will just be a sneering reminder of how much better your lunch could be.

This place is not on any major traffic artery, but it's always packed. I ate at two and was lucky to get a chair to sit in, no table, just a chair on the side walk, I would have happily sat on nails! Seriously though, the food came quickly despite the crowd (there's only seating for maybe a dozen so it goes quick) and the local vibe is a welcome thing in this cookie cutter world. Visitors; feel free to skip the Space Needle and head to Fremont for an out of this world gustatory experience.

Sichuanese Cuisine

Had a great dinner tonight in Chinatown. This place may not be swank, in fact it's a dive, but the food is excellent and the servers are actually prompt and friendly! I had the Cumin Lamb, xinjiang style, I guess that means rockin' style, my loose translation. I was surprised at the volume of lamb and the heaping mound of rice they served with it, I nearly polished it all off too, the spice fueling my appetite. I honestly don't remember forking it in with such gusto in recent memory, the lamb was perfectly tender and the multitude of sauteed onions were a treat.

My only regret is that the cutie at the adjacent table didn't agree to join me, well, we'll always have Sichuanese...

Grilled Chicken For Family

I made this quick dinner for my brother and his wife. The weather was perfect so it was a no-brainer to throw some chicken thighs on the old barbie. I use thighs because they are so much more juicy than breasts. The thighs I marinaded in olive oil with rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper; nothing crazy. For veg I tossed wax beans in hot olive oil with garlic, and sauteed briefly then covered till tender. At that point I added bokchoy leaves I tore up and dashed the whole lot with soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, and sugar. Everything over Jasmine rice, because regular rice just pales in comparison, and with the crispy skinned chicken we had a mighty fine dine!

35th Street Bistro

Pictured is the almond crusted trout on mashed potatoes with lemon butter that I enjoyed as an early dinner at this pleasant bistro in the Fremont area of Seattle. If you add a nut crust to any meat I'm probably going to sample, it's a great way to add flavor and a bit of crunch to tender meats. Almonds were a nice mellow paring for the trout and the perfectly smooth and delectably seasoned mash potatoes threatened to outshine the fish for star of this dish. My only complaint was for the undressed and bitter greens on top.

I have to mention that Sarah, my server, did a fantastic job because fantastic is a word not often associated with service in America.

El Camino

Yesterday I had a great little lunch at El Camino in the Fremont area of Seattle. Nothing revolutionary here but for just six bucks you can score these delicious steak tacos, which are featured at the top of their bar menu. The meat inside the soft corn shells was tender and accompanied by fresh cilantro and onions. Included is a bit of guacamole, and while lacking a bit in acidity and salt, was perfectly acceptable especially since there are nice bits of crisp plantain chips wedged into it.

East Meets Lazy

I've been living like a lazy bachelor and not cooking much these last few months but today I roused myself to cook an impromptu lunch. I've been taking advantage of the great farmers market that is held Tuesdays just a few blocks from my residence and getting some really great produce.

I simply sauteed crimini mushrooms with garlic and onion then tossed in spinach and basil at the end with a mix of soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, and sugar. Surprisingly it needed more salt, because the spinach was greedy for it, and a little olive oil at the end added depth of flavor and a better mouth feel. I spooned this mix over some hot pasta and that was it. I think I'll add some red pepper flakes next time but this definitely made for a vegetarian dish you would never miss the meat in.

Imo sushi

Found a nice sushi spot. I sat down for an early dinner at the upstairs bar. The bartenders and regulars at the bar were all friendly Indie vibe twenty somethings. The sushi was good and the music and decor fun and comfortable, lots of seating, I was there on a slow Monday early so I'd be interested to see how they do on a weekend night, I've read on Yelp that it isn't as great when busy.

Seattle Pho

Seattle is a great town for Pho, a wonderful Vietnamese soup with rice noodles and a terrific beef broth. This one I had downtown on 3rd at Cafe Pho and it was very good and affordable. I love this soup because it is filling but not heavy or fatty like most American food. The bun at the bottom was purchased at Sun Bakery in Chinatown and despite the cheap cheese used it was excellent! The dough was sweet and just slightly salty, think ephemerally light cheese pretzel, the big soft doughy kind. I was lucky to get three buns right out of the oven as I showed up at 11 for an early lunch (my breakfast). Not shown are the BBQ pork and curry beef buns I also eagerly consumed.

If anyone out there knows about the Seattle food scene, please drop me a line about any favorite places I should visit. I love affordable ethnic places and the more creative of the high end type restaurants. I'm also looking for foodie dining buddies so let me know!

Creamy Crimini Soup

Here is a simple soup I've made before but improved a bit with the addition of white truffle oil. The oil is a rather strong and distinctive flavor I've tried before on eggs and pasta but a light hand is required or it will overwhelm these subtle flavors. Potatoes however contain large starchy molecules that can absorb lots of flavor so more is necessary, just as potatoes require a good deal of salt to taste seasoned. This time the soup was started with a saute of criminis, garlic, and leeks; to which diced peeled potatoes were added then covered with chicken stock and left to simmer till tender. I cooled the soup quickly with chicken stock ice cubes, pureed most of the soup, passed through a sieve to create a more luxurious mouth feel, then added back to the pot with some of the chunky bits I wanted for textural contrast. The soup was gently reheated with a touch of cream then finished by stirring in the truffle oil and garnished with a few more, nicely seared criminis. Quick, simple, and deeply satisfying, perfect for a rainy day meal.