it's snow!

It's been a rainy November in Seattle. And today, very cold. Actually, let me restress how cold it is. While I'm in doors, my heat is only working about half power, so it's fairly cold in my apartment.

But it did get very quiet in the early evening, and when I looked out the window, I noticed that the rain had frozen into snow. I took some pictures and spent some time sitting on my patio. For the first time, I'm actually living in a city with snow. Picture of the Park Rose Terrace patio below.

View image

gobble, gobble, gobble

"So every year, I run a 4-mile race on Thanksgiving day. Why don't you run with me?" my brother asked. "No, I'm not really a runner" I replied. "Oh, well it ends at a bar with free Guinness for the runners", valuable information that pushed me to start running (luckily, I already clock 4-5 miles on the elliptical 4 times a week, so the transition to running was easier than if I'd started cold turkey. No pun intended).

So, after taking a Jet Blue "shut eye" from Seattle to Boston, I ran my first race ever, the 10th annual 4-mile "Gobble, Gobble, Gobble", beating my 60 minute goal by 8 minutes, with a final time of 52 minutes (Aimee, the Northwood elementary school fun runs do not count). I was actually surprised at my time - there was some walking spent in between the running. Sadly, by the time I got into the bar - it turns out that runners are a very thirsty bunch considering the length of the line to get in - the Burren had switched to something decidedly non-Guinness. But the important point is that I'm now running and I finished my first race!

Ed, my brother, spent hours planning the Thanksgiving meal. He bought an 11.6 pound turkey (scientist answer, cook's answer would be 12 pounds), brined the good looking bird for 6 hours in 2.5 gallons of liquid and then air dried for 18 hours. The turkey was fabulous - juicy, flavorful, crackling yummy skin, everything that I dreamed a turkey could be and even better. Ed also made giblet gravy (took about 4 hours over two days), mushroom stuffing (using Clear Flour bread), mashed sweet potatoes, sauteed brussel sprouts (I helped with this), cranberry sauce, a green salad and wheat bread. Plus, a layered dip with guacamole, black beans and goat cheese and crudites and veggie dip. For dessert, I brought a pumpkin sage cheesecake (surprisingly, TSA didn't even bat an eye when the triple foil layered springform pan ran through securtiy screening) and Ed bought a Clear Flour chocolate whiskey cake.

I can't really say which was my favorite dish. The turkey was, well amazing. The buttery stuffing had huge chunks of mushrooms and crispy bread. The sweet potatoes were a perfect flavor combination, and not too sweet. The brussel sprouts were crunchy and garlicky and lemony. Wow.

Being Olhava's, wine was a fundamental part of the meal. We began with a Rose champagne (Spanish cava sparkling pinot noir). With dinner, we enjoyed a Montinore Estate 2005 Pinot Noir (it was ok, Ed said that it didn't have much presence) and a 2004 Mendocino Zinfandel (much better, very full bodied). And with dessert, a 1994 Porto Niepoort Colheita, very delicious, particularly with the chocolate cake. We were also joined by Ed and Phoebe's friends Jarrod and Annalisa and Gretchen. And, in a completely unrelated side note, I got to spend some time with Greg the day after and Amy the day after that!

The entire meal was fabulous and wonderful. It was Ed's first Thanksgiving dinner ever, which is a huge testament to his cooking skills. And being with family has been very nice - Eddie, Phoebe and the 2 1/2 year old very fun (and energetic) Alex. Hopefully, the tradition can continue going forward. Gobble, gobble, gobble.

PS - Jet Blue is now my favorite U.S. domestic carrier. 150K miles on United be damned - JetBlue's planes are clean and the flight attendants fun and nice and actually like their jobs (plus the young male ones are cute!). They even passed out a Bliss package. Whoa...

PPS - My brother is a chemist by trade, meaning that he is incredibly precise when he cooks. Not surprisingly, he was sitting next to me while I blogged about Thanksgiving.

cake + champagne & some food

Thus the title of a little invitation to a few good friends in Seattle. I threw a party to celebrate my 34th birthday, because after all, a birthday requires a celebration. And I felt the best celebration for me, this year, involved champagne and cake (from Coco, of course) and some food, to tamper the effects of the champane.

Using Cooks pizza dough recipe as a base - which required a certain amount of thought around timing since I was dealing with yeast - I made several varieties of pizza. Truffled mushroom, potato and garlic, margarita, sausage, caramelized onion and red peppers, and mushroom and caramelized onion, I think. It was fun - throwing ingredients together and tasting the results. I had a slice of each, my favorite was the truffled mushroom. Plus, there were some appetizers of the cheese and olive variety and Lee's dainty little sandwiches with avocado mousse and tuna spread. (Cheese was the always excellent Arina Goat Gouda; sadly, the Cowgirl Creamery Red Hawk was spoiled and did not have that pleasant cheese smell, but something unpleasant best not explained).

Dessert. I was so enchanted by the Loveless Cake at Coco la ti da, I ordered one for my birthday. Sue made a fabulous cake, three layers of chocolate cake, with a layer of strawberry buttercream and another of vanilla buttercream, encased in pink fondant (with specks of gold!), and decorated with three marizapan strawberries. (pictures posted someday. maybe). The cake was beautiful, elegant and delicious.

Champagne flowed freely. We began with Freixent Brut, then moved to a Domaine St. Michelle from Columbia Valley to a Cristallino Rose Brut to a Rive Della Prosecco to a Lucien Albrecht Cremant d'Alsace Brut Rose (my favorite, I discovered in one of my SF adventures and have a funny story that goes along). I was going to open a bottle of Sofia (also available in dainty pink cans with straws!), until Jill wisely pointed out that we'd had a lot to drink and best to go with less expensive alcohol. Thus, some port.

In a side note, Lee goes down in history as the first of my friends to spill drink on my couch. Luckily, quick blotting action and clear colors meant zero damage to the couch. I always thought that Carrie would be the first, with a bright pink cosmo, but alas, the award goes to Lee. Congrats!

Thank you Jill and Jamie, Asra and Hani, (the newly engaged) Gavin and Elaine, Lee Dicks and Alan for a fabulous birthday party! I can't think of a better way to start 34.

Coco La Ti Da

Coco La Ti Da opened! Fabulous! Amore!

Sue McCowan, owner and head chef, created a wonderful little space of tables and an even more hip and casual side room with moveable mirrored tables and couches (not so moveable). Her designers did an amazing job with the space and murals (especially considering that they are a tad bit gothic, but can not be removed, as the Loveless Building, which houses Coco, as well as Joe Bar, Massage Sanctuary, other shops and a slew of apartments, is a historic landmark, and thus, the murals must stay). Fabulous background music, great atmosphere, and one of those places that works dressed down and dressed up, for a date or with a group or by yourself.

Asra and I - both super excited - went the day after opening. The menu is arranged beautifully, with multiple small dishes that allow combinations and sharing (there are usually two or three entree specials). We began with cheese - jasper farms cows milk, a goat cheese and semi-firm cow cheese. Next, we enjoyed savory lollipops, which as implied by the name, were savory bites on sticks. A slice of baked apple, a warm fig stuffed with goat cheese and a warm date stuffed with cheese and wrapped with pancetta. We also split a plate of curried lamb skewers. And finally, for dessert, we shared four dessert lollipops, slices of cake on sticks. "The Loveless", chocoate cake layered with strawberry buttercream (my favorite, and more on this in another blog), "The Exit", chocolate, caramel, sea salt and dried pears, "Sweet Relief", lemon cake and meringue and "Tomboy", spice cake with cream cheese frosting. I also had a glass of Sangiovese (ok) and a glass of pinot (much better). The mixed drink menu looked absolutely scrumptious.

For San Francisco friends, this place is similar to my beloved Citizen Cake, but different enough that it doesn't really draw comparisons. Coco La Ti Da is certainly a sexy little dessert lounge, and I have a feeling, will become an expensive little habit in my life, along with Sun Liquor and Cafe Venus.

What to Drink With What You Eat

What to Drink With What to Eat is a just published book that's well, all about what to drink with what you eat.

The authors, Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page, received a James Beard award for a previous book (either Becoming a Chef or Culinary Artistry), which they joked may be a bit hard to top with any book. It's an excellent skimming read - I received a free copy when I attended a special dinner at Dahlia Lounge and got a chance to chat with the authors. Without going into a lot of details (because you can either read the book or the reviews on Amazon), the authors do a fabulous job of listing a variety of liquids and foods and what pairs best. It's not just wine, but covers everything from fruit juice to sake to spirits to water to champagne. I'm happy to see that the "chocolate" category has a significant list of items, including my all-time favorite chocolate pairings porter and cabernet.

The real content for this blog however, is about the Dahlia Lounge dinner, a scrumptious eight-course meal carefully paired with wine in honor of the book and the authors. I can honestly say that this meal is one of my all-time favorites, close in quality and arts to memories of the French Laundry, Michael Minna, Quince and Fifth Floor. Tom Douglas gave a small speech about the moment in France years ago when he realized the perfect pairing of cheese and wine. He also spent a few minutes explaining the forthcoming meal, which while eight courses, would be small plates (despite the small plates, I was stuffed at the end, the portions were sized perfectly). He also hung out for a while, talking around the room (not to me, because, well, I get a little flustered around amazing chefs); a few of the women at our table convinced him to bring us a pizza from Serious Pie (his very excellent new pizza place, similar to my beloved Pizzeria Delfina in San Francisco), which was a lovely addition to the meal. The authors also said a few words. And then the food and drink began.

First course: A small piece of slow roasted pear, with a few scattered hazelnuts, slivers of bacon and chicory salad. This was great - the salt and sweet were nicely combined, and the salad was lightly dressed with a lemon based dressing. I enjoyed the Steinberge Riesling Qba 20045 from Germany; it had some fruity flavors that perfectly matched the pear.

Second course: A piece of caramelized fennel with a sort of green olive tapanade and then what was called "fennel frond verjusenette", basically pureed fennel. I especially love fennel, and it was perfectly caramelized which was so delicious. I did remark to Jackie (my neighbor at the Park Rose Terrace) that this was my favorite course. Little did I know what else was coming. Two wines were poured for this course and carried to the next: a 2005 Mark Ryan Chardonnay and a 2005 Chinook Sauvignon Blanc. I did not care for the chardonnay, I'm just not a chardonnay person, although I should note that I did manage to drink it, as it makes me sad to waste wine. The sauvignon blanc was fabulous, and I loved it with both the fennel and the next course.

Third course: This became my favorite dish so far: a small portion of thick cauliflower-lemon soup adorned with a spoonful of curry infused oil, topped with a perfectly seared scallop and crispy garlic. The scallop was amazing and the flavors worked very well together. I wanted seconds.

Fourth Course: A piece of Dahlia's smoked salmon with a sesame seeds and hot mustard. Good and a nice way to move into the heavier meat courses.

Fifth Course: Duck was served with a 1999 Castillo Labastida Rioja Reserva. Actually, it wasn't just duck: it was a generous helping of five spice duck with a scallion pancake and a kung pao cashew mixture. The duck was cooked with "five spices", which gave it a great depth of asian flavors and made the skin extra tasty.This was absolutely delicious, although I wasn't so fond of the rioja pairing with the duck - for some reasons, the flavors just did not marry well. However, the Rioja went very well with the next dish...

Sixth Course: A wood roasted lamb chop with a gratin of kale and potato and a "roasted pepper-anchovy chow chow", sort of a relish. This dish was delicious; the anchovies weren't too overpowering and held up nicely against the lamb. And the rioja, well, the rioja was deep and tasy and perfect with the lamb.

Seventh Course: As I'm typing this up, I've begun to realize just how decadent this meal was. A tiny apple dumpling was paired with a piece of soft cheese from Jasper Hill Farms (which I think is located in this area, since I've seen the same cheese on other menus). The cheese was soft like a brie, although the flavors were not as pungent. I enjoyed the 2003 Townshend Late Harvest Viognier. I also never realized that Viognier was a sweet dessert wine wine - I had always assumed it was a blend of white wines and paired with chicken and fish. Or maybe I'm just confused.

Eighth Course: It makes me sad to write this, but the final course simply fell flat. I would have been content with a piece of Tom Douglas' signature coconut cream pie, although it may have been too rich, and perhaps too plain to stand up to the rest of the meal The dessert was good, don't get me wrong, but it just did not stand up to the quality and genius of the previus courses. A vanilla-citrus ganache, cocoa nib spice cake and mulled wine sorbet, which seemed to be a mishmash of leftovers rather than one signature dessert that would have sparkled all on its own. However, the wine, a 2005 Brachetto d'Acqui Prieto from Italy was simply out of this world. It was sparkly, like a champagne (and was served in a flute), but creamy and deep rich color at the same time. I had a second glass and want to pick up a few bottles.

And that was a Monday night at the Dahlia Lounge.

the Meaning of a Birthday

A friend of many years sent me an e-mail, wishing me happy birthday, on the day of. A "happy birthday and hope you have a great day" followed by a couple of happenings in her life. Her final line, "Anyways, I know our birthdays aren't as meaningful anymore..." I instantly felt like I had been punched in the stomach - the excitement of having a day that was, in that birthday sort of way, my own day, completely deflated. Thirty minutes later, a co-worker sang me a happy birthday song at the staff meeting. Birthday wishes floated around. Coincidentally, someone brought Top Pot donuts, and I found two with pink frosting and sprinkles (which I took to be a sign and ate). A few others, when I related the story, gave me a funny look and said, "No. Birthdays are very important. That wasn't a nice thing to say."

I agree. Birthdays are meaningful. A birthday always, instantly, justifies some sort of celebration. My birthday is really the only celebration I have that can be publicly all about me, a distinct difference from the private smaller ones of "oh, I got a new job" or "I finally finished that project" or "hey, it's Sunday dinner!" And, as I told Carrie "It's only me - I have to celebrate when I can".

I think that birthdays are meaningful in another way: it's a milestone, of sorts. It signals that you've survived happy and sad and difficul and exciting and the flatlining moments of life for another year. And, it is always a time for reflection, how life has changed (or not) and how I have changed (or not) since the last milestone. Two years ago, things were going badly, and I remember crying in my office on Caroline's shoulder in mid-October, an event prompted in part by pre-birthday reflections (I still listen to the excellent mix CD she made me to reflect that mood). A year ago, for number 33, I was in London, celebrating with lunch amongst the tragic upper crust at Harvey Nichols, a massage, the world's best martini at the St. James Hotel (so good, I had two) and amazing Fahlkredine dinner, surrounded by Nilay, Gabe and Carrie. I was desperately unhappy in my job and knew that I needed to make a change soon, before I lost my mind. And, I was chasing after someone who completely failed to notice.

A year later, I've moved to a new city, made new friends, deepened friendships with many of the old ones and am now in a job that makes me so much happier (and I'm not just saying that, Jeff). This past year has not always been easy - but I can honestly say that I've learned a lot about myself and what I want and set some goals for where I should be. Balance, peace, things that are personally fulfilling are more important than ever. I have stopped chasing.

Because it's my birthday, I will celebrate. I've planned a quiet little gathering, involving cake, champagne and some food. Because, it is a birthday and it means something to me and to my friends. (Apologies to friends that can't be here. Let me know and I'll drink a champagne toast in your honor).

So what about the comment? Likely, my friend would be shocked if she knew how much those words stung. It could have been a meaningless comment, something to fill the space of a four paragraph e-mail message. It may also have been driven from a much different perspective, of the dramatic differences in our lives and the paths we have taken over the past ten years. The differences and the comment don't invalidate the relationship we have, in fact, I like hearing stories of her life, and I suspect that she likes hearing my stories. The right thing to do is to go forward.

Just as an aside, my birthday falls on Muerta de las Dios, the Day of the Dead, a holiday to honor our deceased ancestors in the Mexican/Latina tradition. I'm still not sure what to make of it, although it is kind of cool that candy, in the shape of skulls and skeletons and other ghoulish stuff, is distributed. The date is November 2, for all of you not familiar with the holidays of our friends who live south of us.

And, to talk about food and alcohol, the themes of this blog. Tony sent me a very excellent "tapas" package from Dean and Deluca, with clay tapas dishes (the kind that a bar in Madrid used to cook me gambas), marcona almonds, black and green olives, chorizo, piquillo peppers and tuna in olive oil. Mom and Dad sent a set of beautifully decorated martini glasses, from a company named "Lolita" (!) and sporting the "Cosmopolitan" theme. The cosmo recipe is hand-painted on the bottom, in case I ever forget. And yes, the glasses have already been baptized.

Birthdays do have meaning, after all.