Things I Have Learned Along the Way...

I am close, very close, to my goal weight, and thought that now would be a good time to tell you a little bit about things I've learned along the way. Some of my findings are funny, some are surprising, and a few fall in the "what the hell is Schelley thinking?" category. Enjoy!

By the way, I know a few of you are curious about my numbers and would perhaps like to see a few pictures. All will be published when I reach my goal, which hopefully, will be before Christmas. A gift from the Christmas gods, I believe.

• The Food Part Was Better Than I Imagined. Ok, well, the first few weeks of protein and berries were tough, but once real foods, like vegetables and dairy and fruits and grains were integrated back into my diet, managing to eat well and deliciously was much easier than I had ever imagined. I didn't feel like I was sacrificing, rather, I was making better choices.


• The Mental Part was Harder Than I Ever Imagined. It turns out that integrating the mental - through group and individual therapy - into 20/20 is a brilliant idea. While figuring out why I gained weight and my food/alcohol triggers, the coping mechanisms and having the mental support from a group going through the exact same thing as you, is all good, remaking yourself physically also brings up a number of emotions and feelings, some good, some bad, all needing to be processed and understood. I now understand why Jillian asks those tough questions when she's beating the shit out of the Biggest Losers - the mental has been the most important part. Which brings me to...


• The Support Network. My friends rock. Despite the fact that Pete consistently tried to tempt me along the way, everyone has been a huge rock of support. Compliments, always letting me have a sip, not making fun of my food, asking questions and listening to me talk about changes and frustrations and happiness and always, always providing encouragement. Beyond my core group, colleagues at the Big M, a few of whom have done 20/20, almost all of whom know someone who has done the program, have been fabulously supportive. Plus, the support from the 20/20 people, particularly my dietician and my trainer, has been amazing. No one judges.


• Sacrifices. I'm not going to lie - I have sacrificed a lot while doing 20/20. I've said no to social events, especially those involving food, just because it would have been too awkward. And when everyone around you is drinking and you're not, well, sometimes it's just sad and weird (although, watching others get drunk around me has its benefits). Has it been worth it? The jury is still fully out, but considering that I'm now running faster and stronger, and feeling so much healthier, and oh by the way, wearing sizes I never thought possible, well, you know which camp I'm leaning towards.


• Too Much Exercise = No Loss. Yeah, totally crazy, but for some people, over exercising inhibits weight loss. I was doing great until I started training for the half marathon, and then the weight loss window practically slammed shut. On the other hand, I lost an almost insanely high number of inches during that same period, so obviously, something was happening. Best compliment ever: my trainer told me that I wasn't sweating enough and had become an athlete. Second best compliment: A friend squeezed my thigh, and said "wow. You are all muscle. Wow."


• Peanut Butter is Delicious. My diet requires a daily tablespoon of peanut butter, which could be considered the best part of my day. It's been a long, long time since I've enjoyed peanut butter (I think I overdosed on PB&J in college), and I have to say, peanut butter is wonderful. It feels decadent, triggering my sweet and salty taste buds, tasting fatty and creamy against my tongue. It's a secret indulgence.


• Weight Loss is Expensive. I've dropped several sizes, which means that I am buying a brand new wardrobe. I tried my best not to buy too many "in between clothes", but at a certain point, I needed stuff that fit. For some reason, I naively thought that I could continue wearing all of my old clothes and then buy new ones at the end, proving that I'm not always the brightest. I've now bought the exact same pair of Gap jeans in three different sizes. Not that I'm complaining or anything, because really, it's shopping, but wow, it's expensive. If you're looking to buy me a gift, I think you know what would make me really happy.


• Shopping is Now Fun. I've never been a big fan of shopping, mainly because as a size 16, well, my choices were a bit limited. Now, I kind of enjoy shopping. Everything fits, I'm exploring new styles and wearing clothing that I would never have worn six months ago, an unexpected and very pleasant result.


• I Miss the Insulation, and the Twins. I've been making fun of friends who wear scarves inside for years, once saying, "I'm slightly suspicious of people who wear scarves indoors". Now I get it. Before, I didn't need to wear a scarf inside, because, well, I had a layer of natural insulation. Now, that layer is gone...and as winter has set in in Seattle, I've gotten really cold. And the twins...Carrie summed it up best for me a few weeks ago when she said, "Schelley, I love the way you look. But these," waving her hands in the direction of my chest, "I miss these!" So sad. And then she forced me to try on a sexy black dress. Hmmm...


• Croissants & Cupcakes: Periodically, I'll crave random foods, something that usually goes away after a few days. But there have been two consistent cravings: croissants and cupcakes. I think the croissant is somewhat out of habit - every few weeks, I'd treat myself to a croissant at either Fuel or Vivace with my morning coffee. A high quality croissant is really a delightful day to start the day. Now, I try not to gaze longingly at the croissant case, but it's hard not to think about the deliciousness of this French pastry. I'm more puzzled by the cupcake cravings. While longtime readers of this blog know that I am enamored with cupcakes, it's not like I ate a cupcake a day, or even weekly or monthly. But still, I think about cupcakes. Oh snap.


• Alcohol is Essential. I've already written about this, but let me once again repeat - I really miss wine. I am looking forward to bringing it back to my life, in a much more measured way, of course.


• I Didn't Know a Lot About Nutrition. I thought that I was a healthy eater and did a solid job of cooking healthy, and compared to a lot of other people, that's a true statement. And then I joined 20/20...and learned enough to know that I knew far less than I thought. Nutrition is complicated - I meal track, not just looking at calories, but trying to consume the correct ratios of protein, carbs and (healthy) fats. It's a moving target, depending on my exercise for the day or plans for the next day. And completely fascinating.


• Most of Us Are Not as Healthy as We Think. Enough said.

The Perfect Sunday

In terms of perfect days, Thanksgiving weekend Sunday ranks as one of my favorite Sundays of 2009. I got up early, ran a half marathon, brunched at Venus and watched the marathoners, and then spent the rest of the day on the couch, watching football, reading magazines and some phone chit chat. Check, check, check with some of my favorite things.

Ok, so perhaps I'm being a bit flip. I ran a half marathon, an activity not to be taken so lightly. 13.1 miles through downtown Seattle, part of the I-90 tunnel, along Lake Washington, through the Arboretum, along the backside of Capitol Hill and eventually winding my way back to the Seattle Center. In a self-congratulatory giant pat on my back, I did good. I had a strong run, pushing myself enough to keep going, but not so hard to have the "oh my, I'm going to die right now" feeling. My ultimate goal was to finish, and not be one of those poor souls we saw collapsed on the side of the street. Check. My second goal, finish with a time of 2:30. I beat that, with a time of 2:20:45.

I was also helped tremendously by running with boot camp friend Paula; I "pulled" her up the hills and she pushed me on the flat parts. Neither of us could stop...so we kept on going.

While brunching at Venus and admiring the marathoners passing out front, the waitress asked if I was "thinking about running the marathon?" "Definitely," I replied. "I ran the half this morning!"

Really, a perfect Sunday in my book.

Life Sans Alcohol

I've been nearly off the wagon since July, an astoundingly long period of time considering a lifetime of love for the wine, beer and hard liquor.

I knew that when I started 20/20, I would need to give up alcohol, at least for the short term. I somehow thought that I could work it in at some point, but it turns out that when you're watching your calories and your protein/carb/fat ratios and your time is being spent doing the 20/20 stuff and you're exercising 6 days a week, well, there isn't much room or energy for alcohol. A sad state, considering the wonder associated with those empty calories.

That's not to say I've been completely dry - I've had a few drinks along the way. A glass of champagne at Carrie's in July to celebrate her new job. A glass and a half of wine and a half of glass of champagne at Richard and Melissa's wedding. A glass of wine after Hump. A half of chocolate martini at Pete's house. A glass of wine in the middle of a stressful research project. Most recently, last weekend, two glasses at dinner with Nilay and two glasses the next day at the Big Game party. Oh, and a few sips of others' drinks along the way. Needless to say, I've turned into a big ol' lightweight. Two glasses and I am d-r-u-n-k. Seriously, did any of you ever expect that?

I didn't really miss alcohol in the beginning. My meals were weird, I was adjusting to the diet and the lifestyle, and I was just fine. And since starting, with about two exceptions, I've never really missed beer or hard alcohol, even my beloved Sierra Nevada or greyhounds. (This points to some changing dietary tastes, another topic).

But wine...oh, I've missed wine, my friend. This desire for a glass of wine kicked in once my meals seemed to be a bit closer to what I considered "normal", when I really felt like I was in control of my food choices to a greater extent. And wine is almost always complimentary to a great meal - the right glass of wine brings out the best in food. There have been more than a few meals when I've thought "wow, this is fabulous. If only I had a glass of wine to go with".

Despite this, I've been ok with life sans wine. But there have been periods when I've swung to the opposite end, when I've been angry that I "couldn't" have a glass of wine. A very stressful October just pushed me into a zone...I desperately wanted wine, viewing it as one of the only stress relievers I had left to pull in my life. Regardless, with one exception, I still chose not to drink, which considering my history, is a huge change (note that I did not say that I "resisted", rather "chose". Think about that).

As I've learned about food and its relationship to my body, I've figured out that alcohol has had two major, interrelated impacts. First, the empty calories do count for something (as hard as it is to acknowledge that alcohol is calories)...and drinking never helps anyone's weight. From a scientific level, I also figured out that once alcohol carbs hit my system, it caused a chemical reaction that well, created a desire for more alcohol and (ironically) more food. So having a late afternoon beer, and then a pre-dinner glass of wine kicked off a chain reaction of more wine with dinner and overeating. Second, alcohol functions as a depressant, and in my system, it almost always creates feelings of exuberance and happiness. If I'm bored or lonely or happy or sad, alcohol almost always makes me feel better, happier. I've almost always been a happy drunk, and really, alcohol helped me avoid some of my problems. Both - the calories/chemical reaction and positive stimulant - worked together quite nicely to maintain my BMI at an "obese" level.

So it's not surprising that I've been addressing a few issues with my therapist.

Nevertheless, I'm looking forward to reaching my goal and completing 20/20. I have figured out how to bring wine (and others) back into my diet and my life in a much saner, reasonable way. It's an important part of my life that regardless of all that has happened and that I've learned, I'm just not ready to give up. After all, the great muse Homer Simpson once said "Here's to alcohol, the source of, and answer to, all of life's problems". Sage words, indeed.

The Bones

The changes have been dramatic, or at least, that's what others tell me. Really, most of the time I have a hard time seeing a difference. But there are moments when suddenly, clearly, I am acutely aware that something is different. I've caught glimpses of myself in a mirror when I'm surrounded by people, and will pause and think "wait, I'm which one?" Sometimes, I feel as if my body occupies a different dimension and space. Chairs that I regularly sit in - like my office chair or the standard conference room chairs - have begun to fit different. The aisles of an airplane are a bit wider, the seats a bit roomier, but still, just as uncomfortable.

Mostly, I am now acutely aware of my bones, not in the "time for the chiropractor" way, but in how they seem to poke out in places that I never expected. About 2 -Ohm months ago, while taking a shower, I was surprised to feel my front ribs. A few weeks later, while talking to Hilary in her office, I reached around to scratch my back and exclaimed "oh my goodness, I feel back ribs!" My hip bones are pokey. My collar bones stand out. And my spine seems to float dangerously close to my skin.

Will my bones miss the comfortable layer of protection? More importantly, can any of these pokey bones be used as a weapon?

New Eating

That, my friends, is a beautiful piece of romanesco broccoli from the Capitol Hill Farmer's Market. I'm a big fan of the Farmer's Market, and try to do a sweep every Sunday. Not only is the food delicious...but well, I have a healthy lifestyle to maintain.



In terms of "diets", the 20/20 program actually hasn't been that bad. In fact, as I've progressed, I've learned to make adjustments to my cooking style, using old recipes and finding new ones. We all know just how picky I am with food - it's all about quality ingredients and what tastes good - and I've succeeded in maintaining my standards. I've learned a ton about nutrition and how to cook food that is healthier. It's not that my cooking wasn't unhealthy to begin with, but I needed to make small changes, moving the dial about 20 degrees. (Although it's fair to point out that if I cooked as healthy as I thought, I wouldn't be doing 20/20).

I fully admit, food wise, the first few weeks on the program were rough. I cried regularly, had to work at home a few days just because I couldn't bear to face seeing anyone else. I also had to decline a few invitations to foodie events. The food situation was just not optimal. An elimination diet, I spent a week eating large amounts of protein and berries. Theoretically, I was also supposed to drink special protein shakes with every meal, but alas, I was part of the small percentage that got violently ill from the protein shakes, so my life was all protein, all berries. I won't go into some of the gruesome details, and while I was satiated and did drop a significant amount, I don't ever want to repeat this part of the diet. My energy levels were low, I almost passed out at the gym and my hands were tingly. And the hardest part: walking through the farmer's market, seeing all of the beautiful produce and just being sad. So sad.

One week in, most vegetables came back in (starchy vegetables, like winter squash, corn and potatoes, weren't allowed until recently). That was a happy, happy day.

In subsequent weeks, other things have been added: dairy (non-fat Greek yogurt rocks, pineapple and cottage cheese is a treat, and the quality of the non-fat/low-fat cheeses has improved substantially since I worked in the deli in the early 1990s); fruit; legumes (mmmm, hummus!); grains (of the whole variety, like steel-cut oats, whole wheat couscous, quinoa, brown rice); and most recently, bread (whole wheat, of course, and here's to Dave's bread, which I loved even before I discovered that it's good for you). At this stage, I'm really only missing chocolate and wine (you know which one I miss the most of the two).

As each food has been added, I've had to figure out how it makes me feel. Luckily, nothing has made me sick. And I've discovered a few things. Dairy makes me hungry, thus explaining how I can't stop myself once I've started snacking on cheese. So, if I do yogurt for breakfast, I need to add some form of protein. And speaking of protein, I've found that eating protein in the morning helps curb hunger throughout the day. I eat a lot of egg whites. The jury is still out on bread - I have a feeling that it may be a trigger food, i.e., something that inhibits weight loss.

I cook a ton, I plan ahead: it's a constant balancing act. I need to maintain a set number of calories, and that requires making some big choices each day, ensuring that I get the proper balance of protein, carbs and fat (which, I've learned, should be a balance for each meal). So for example, if I want to treat myself to t-bone steak for dinner (allowed), I need to keep my calories down at lunch and breakfast. If I make a sandwich for lunch (bread is pretty high caloric), I consume fewer calories for breakfast and dinner. I can either have grains or legumes, so if I eat oatmeal for breakfast, no snacking on hummus with my carrots when I make dinner. I meal track (hurrah for iPhone apps, LoseIt is pretty good), not only looking at calories, but trying my best to maintain the correct protein to carbs to fat ratios.

And I experiment. Some meals have been downright boring - turkey cutlets are just uninspiring. And I've done my best to avoid the ultra-boring chicken breasts, an amazing feat. I've also begun to tinker with recipes, making adjustments to cut the fat, substituting ingredients. There's a ton of play with many recipes, and it's fun to experiment. And the farmer's market: I've always been willing to try new stuff, and this new lifestyle has pushed me to try even more. It's fun...and delicious.

That romanesco? I steamed with some chicken broth, then served with a reduced balsamic vinegar. Fabulous!

And for show, a few other dishes that I've recently feasted on.

First up, Lebanese Style Stuffed Eggplant, courtesy Smitten Kitchen. My adjustments: left out the pine nuts, used about one tablespoon of olive oil to saute the onions and substituted bison for ground lamb and brown basmati rice for the jasmine rice. So delicious, and happily still snacking on leftovers. Oh, and speaking of bison, I've discovered that it's a pretty tasty meat.



Next, roasted turkey breast (deboned, brined and then grilled), baked squash, beets and black quinoa (there's also red quinoa, and the very traditional and much more available white varietal). Another delicious meal, with enough leftovers for turkey sandwiches and dinners.



And finally, another one of my farmer's market favorites: purple carrots. Sweet, crunchy, they taste just like carrots should taste.

The 20/20 Life

Hello. I've been gone for a while. So here's my "excuse": I joined the 20/20 program to well, get my body and mind in order. Or in other words, the Biggest Loser club, only without the TV cameras, Bob and Jillian and the insane competition.

Why? Well, a few weeks into boot camp this spring, I had an epiphany: I wasn't going to run faster carrying around extra weight. My endurance was so-so, and I really wanted it to increase. As I thought about this a little longer, I realized that despite leading a fairly active lifestyle, with the whole running and gym thing and living in a neighborhood where I walked everywhere and trying to be a healthy eater and avoiding processed foods, I was still "fat". Clinically, according to the handy-dandy BMI chart, I was obese. Kind of an odd contradiction, as I always thought of the obese as spending quality time on the couch, eating copious amounts of McDonald's, cheetos and freetos, not waking up in time for 6AM grueling trail runs. But still, the numbers don't lie.

And then I started to think about other things, like how I'm enrolled in the privileged cancer club. Genetics has already put me at risk for the breast (horror!) and colon type; fat around your middle gives you a VIP club entry. Thanks to free screening at work, I discovered that my bad cholesteral was high (and oddly, the good cholesteral normal. whatever). And, since I'm now 36 and officially an "older mother" candidate, it goes without saying that the debate about whether or not to reproduce has begun, and from what I can tell, a healthy body from the start is a good thing. And then I realized that despite all of my best intentioned efforts over the years to reduce, I had always, always hit a wall and just couldn't move past it on my own.

Since starting at the Big M, I'd heard about a program at my gym, called 20/20 Lifestyles. I didn't really know much about the details, asked around, and word on the street said 20/20 was a good thing. I even heard things like "exceptional" and "life transforming" and "if you do it, you won't regret it." People, considering that this comes from colleagues, all of whom are required to be type A and highly critical to work here, well, praise like that can not be ignored.

I made a decision to enroll, and over the span of three weeks, got doctors permissions, approval from my insurance company, and booked a bunch of appointments for things like blood work and health and fitness assessments and more doctors appointments. Oh, and I boozed it up and said farewell to a few foods.

On July 8, I officially started the 20/20 program.

You're probably wondering what this really means, right? Well, first, the basic facts of my 20/20 life. I work with a trainer three times a week and promise "cross my heart" to work out on my own twice a week (hello, boot camp!) I track my meals, I meet with a nutritionist once a week. I attend individual therapy sessions and am working my way through 10 group therapy sessions. At the end of 16 weeks - approximately the beginning of November, give or take, I begin 12 weeks of maintenance, with personal training twice a week, complemented by my own workouts three times a week, a nutritionist appointment every other week, and more individual therapy. Plus, there's the time spent cooking and organizing for the next day or the next week.

This is serious stuff: I signed a contract, I wrote a check, my insurance company wrote an even bigger check, I agreed that I would dedicate 10-15 hours per week to the program, which in reality has expanded to 15-20 hours per week. Basically, I'm participating with all of my heart and soul.

So what about the results? All goodness, to report. First, my running speed is up, not a huge amount, but enough to make a difference. But my running endurance, wow, has zoomed up - very little walking, and runs that seemed to take forever now just zip along. Poundage has been lost. New clothes in smaller sizes are being acquired. It is all downhill from here. Or really, down poundage.

Oh, and my BMI? Now, I'm just "overweight".

I had big plans to blog about my experience, and started a journal. But a week and a half in, I just couldn't write. I was depressed and it just seemed, well, not fun or interesting. And then, for a long time, I just couldn't bring myself to write in this blog. Not that the food part is bad - the flexibility is amazing and I've made some tasty stuff - but what could I say? So I've been silent for a while. Plus, I've just been wiped - it's a lot of stuff going on at once, but that's for another entry. Which there will be more of - thought pieces, touching on topics like the food situation, life sans alcohol and the emotional stuff.

So now you know all about my excuse. It's my 20/20 life.

Blog Updates

Note: This was supposed to be published two weeks ago, but when I thought I clicked publish, it was actually unpublished.

I haven't published much over the past few months. It's not because I haven't been cooking and eating and drinking really delicious wine, but really, all of the other things called life that get in the way.

Boot camp started in April, I found out that the fun and challenging sports conditioning class that substituted for Boot Camp over the long, long winter was now available on Fridays, meaning three 6AM gym times each week. I started playing ultimate frisbee once a week at the beginning of June. The sun came out, which meant more running outside. Plus I still try to do my "regular" workouts (40 minutes on the elliptical seems like such a low stress workout now). All of this means that exercise time has increased a bunch. And on top of that, work became much, much busier, but that's good. And if you were wondering, I have survived the recent well-publicized cuts that Bill's empire doled out.

Oh, and let me repeat: the sun has come out. I can't even explain how that has changed everything about Seattle. Life is so much better with a daily dose of sun, limited layers and almost zero threat of snow.

And finally, I just wasn't feeling motivated. This blog is created with software that is painful to use and has caused me more than a few grey hairs. I thought that upgrading to the newest version would mean "easier" to use and make changes, but alas, that has not happened. I manage to get pictures posted, but, it's a multi-step process that I find ridiculous and stupid. I really, really would like to add a list of "blogs that I read and recommend", but despite hours spend reviewing the instructions written by and for engineers, obviously, haven't figured it out. I'd like add some of the cool templates as backgrounds, but for some reason, clicking "add template" does not actually and automatically add the template. I recently attended a Seattle Food Bloggers meet-up, and found myself getting emotional about how hard I thought Moveable Type was to use as a blogging tool and how the dread associated with using the tool made me less than motivated to write. I may have cried later that evening.

So I'm at odds about whether or not to keep this blog. I may move musings.schelley.org to a different blogging service (fellow bloggers mentioned that Wordpress was much easier, and a colleague loves posterous.com, and no worries, the address will stay the same and should be transparent to all of you). I may take a long break and put this blog on hiatus. I'm also working on another idea, which could shape up into a new blog. Never fear, this would still be food related, but albeit, from a much different angle than what I've had with this one.

I'll keep you posted. In the meantime, if you have any strong thoughts about this blog - should I keep it? Should I go elsewhere? Should I do something different? - please ping me.

Cake Decorating

Proper cake decoration has always vexed me. Nothing seems to pipe correctly, and my attempts have always resulted in angrily smearing the piped decorations into oblivion, always ending up with a simple, straightforward frosting job.

Paul assured me that he could teach me to decorate a cake, so on a Saturday afternoon, he came over, cake decorating tools in hand.

The final results:



And of course, a slice of the cake:



I made my favorite chocolate cake, the sour cream chocolate cake from Sky High, filling it with white chocolate mousse. We made a massive batch of swiss buttercream frosting, which is absolutely perfect for all things frosting. I may be making cupcakes for a work-related celebration later this month, and am excited because of the chance to practice piping!

A few lessons learned: piping isn't as hard as I've made it out to be; using the tools properly help; a mid-afternoon martini never hurts when it comes to cake decorating; and sparkling always goes well with the finished product (in this case, Delmas Blanquette de Limoux Languedoc).

Thank you, Paul! I can not wait to visit you in Miami and check out those beaches...

Capitol Hill Farmer's Market

After a several month long absence, the Capitol Hill Farmer's market finally opened in early May. And the people of Cap Hill were happy, because not only were our favorite and beloved vendors back, but the market was even bigger and better with new vendors. And, it would last longer, through December 20, meaning that Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners could be composed from market ingredients.

My favorite returnees: the farm with the amazing selection of peppers (no peppers yet, but asparagus for the first month, amazing spring onions and now, fava beans and squash blossoms, among all of their bounty); the pretzel guy; the salmon guys; the honey guy; the chicken egg lady; the beef guys; Tiny's Organic product; Half Pint, delicious ice cream; and the little farm with the great vegetables that I'm not always sure what to do with, but they sample everything and always have a preparation idea. Among my favorite additions: another cheese stand (that now makes two, sometimes three!); the Green grilling guys, who grill burgers, which look delicious, but I've been all about the fried egg and bacon sandwiches; more prepared foods; the crepe stand; and the fresh from the sea couple with fresh oysters and clams. Uh-huh. Yes. Deliciousness to be had just a few blocks from my house, every Sunday from 11-3.

Probably not to your surprise, I've been buying and cooking from the market. My obsessions this year: pea vine greens, fava beans and now, squash blossoms.

Luckily for you, I've been taking pictures along the way!

First up, clam linguine with fresh herbs, a recipe courtesy of the Herb Farm cookbook, and clams, linguine and some of the herbs from the market. I think it had a bit too much parsley, but I also added a liberal amount of tarragon, chervil and basil, which was a good addition.



Next, one of a series involving pea vine leaves. I can't describe just how delicious these are, a simple green that is lighter than spinach, a bit less harsh than lamb's quarter, and despite a by-product of the pea, not tasting like peas. I found that simply sauteeing with some olive oil, perhaps some salt and pepper, or truffle salt, the pea vines were delicious. As an aside, Joe Bar, my go to coffee shop and crepery, featured a crepe with pea vines and chevre. I could not resist, twice, and after commenting about the delicious pea vine crepe on Facebook, discovered through a few friends that pea vines are actually a traditional Chinese food. That lead to one of my favorite dim sum experiences ever at Jade Garden in the International District, with not only all of my dim sum favorites, but a heaping big plate of pea vine leaves. Yes.

Picture #1: pea vines sauteed with olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper and dressed with seared scallops and a tarragon buerre blanc sauce. I drank a very tasty Domaine Pellehaut Chardonnay Gascogne from France along with. This was one of about four different treatments involving scallops, because I really love scallops.



Picture #2: pea vines, sauteed with olive oil, truffle salt and spring onions, and with glazed, grilled salmon.



Picture #3: pea vines, sauteed with olive oil, truffle salt and with grilled salmon.



I was eating other things besides pea vines and [insert name of fish/shellfish]. Fava beans! Here they are, in a spring vegetable ragout. Which, by the way, was insanely delicious. Spring peas, fava beans, artichokes (the fresh were too big, so I substituted canned), spring onions and pancetta, with mint and garlic tops for additional flavor, as if the other ingredients weren't enough. A very bright and tasty rose, Charles and Charles, from Washington's Columbia Valley went extremely well with this dish. The rose, a varietal that is all about spring, with bright, fresh notes that taste like sun, was well, more than perfect with the ragout.



More fava beans, this time with pancetta, garlic tops and mint, and seared shrimp. I would have grilled the shrimp, but I had run out of gas for the grill. Sacrifices, I tell you. And, a bottle of Gavi, Picollo Ernesto from Piedmont was just perfect with this dish.



There market also hosts a few vendors that sell beef, lamb and goat. It's not cheap, but good stuff, a la, the kind of meat that I probably ate when my parents would buy a side of beef when I was a kid, before agribusiness really started their evil practices. Ahem. "Dirty" skirt steak and bok choy. Funny story about the marinade: the night before, my upstairs neighbor and I joked about borrowing random stuff, such as a a cup of rum. The next day, I actually needed a tablespoon of rum to finish the marinade. Good timing!

The steak was delicious - the marinade added a nice salty goodness that was balanced by the warm flavor of the rum.



I won't even mention the delicious cherry varietals that are hitting the market, because I would not want to make you jealous. But I will leave you with one final picture: strawberries. These were the first of the season. They looked small, the baskets weren't completely filled and I wondered if they were worth the price.

One of Tiny's guys looked at me, and said, "yeah, they don't look like much, but trust me, they are amazing. I can guarantee you, they are delicious and you'll come back and want to buy a flat. We don't have a lot, we aren't even sampling." I pondered this, especially the lack of samples, because Tiny's thrives on samples. They never sell anything they won't sample...unless there's a reason. It turned out that there was a reason. I bought, promising to be back if they weren't worth the price. "Oh don't worry," he said, "you'll be back for more".

The strawberries were amazing. While they may have looked tiny and anemic, and been priced more than what I could have bought at QFC across the street, they packed a punch that I just wasn't expecting. Deep red flesh, full of juice, bursting with strawberry sweetness.

Some Good News, Some Not So Good News

First with the good.

Molly Moon's opened up a location in Capitol Hill. Between Molly's excellent ice cream, the ice cream lady (Half Pint) at the farmer's market, and my own ice cream making experiments, I can only think, thank goodness boot camp and long runs started up.

And, it looks like a real cheese shop may be opening in Capitol Hill. The rumored location is about a 15 minute walk from my house, near Quinn's, the taqueria, Molly Moon's, Cafe Presse, and I'm pretty sure, close to the soon-to-be-opened Cupcake Royale new location. I think Capitol Hill is turning into a little gourmet grotto.

A real cheese shop - a la the cheese shop I would hit in the Marina after acupuncture in San Francisco - is going to be a very excellent addition in Cap Hill, and by extension, my life. Currently, the best cheese selection is at Whole Foods in Eastlake. Cosa Bella in Wallingford was good, but limited, and now that they've changed owners, I haven't been back since the close out sale. QFC and Trader Joe's have doable, but not inspirational selections.

And now for the not so good.

Thai Siam closed. I think many of us have a go to Thai place, and Siam was mine. The people were always friendly, the food was always dependable and delicious. I bought takeout from Siam the night I decided to live at the Park Rose Terrace and in Cap Hill, and I've picked up take out after each move in Cap Hill. Good food memories. Farewell.

PS - Jan, you have to visit, and soon. Mollie Moon's has delicious salted licorice ice cream!

Easter Dinner

I always think that Easter is a holiday worth celebrating. Strip out the religious overtones, and Easter is just plain fun. Easter eggs, giant bunnies, candy, and of course, an excuse to cook a pork-themed dinner.

In the Olhava family tradition, Easter is also a holiday of potential disasters. Two years ago, the oven caught on fire. There were a bunch of years of wine-fueled Olhava cousin Saturday night Easter rib-fests, with the hangovers to prove it. Suddenly, the traditional American Polish breakfast of Polish sausage, hard-boiled eggs and coffee cake makes sense. My brother once threw up all over my cousin (so sorry to have been at Sunday school and missed that spectacle). And last year, my nephew had a complete meltdown, because he really, really wanted to make pie crust with his Aunt Schelley, and by the time he got home, the crust was already chilling in the fridge. Regardless, I'm always game for Easter. It's a tradition.

Invites went out, six brave souls arrived, and Easter dinner happened sans disaster.

Of course, we started with appetizers. I should note, you may get hungry and/or feel slightly full while reading this. I almost always miscalculate food portions, and Easter dinner was a perfect example of too much food. Alas. I made miniature crab cakes and artichoke heart and olive dip. Hilary brought a very excellent cheese ball (recipe courtesy of a now defunct Phoenix restaurant) and Gavin and Elaine brought the always popular spinach dip. Plus wine and champagne, because really, it's a necessity.





Richard was kind enough to carve the ham, glazed with a honey-thyme sauce. A number of dishes accompanied: potatoes au gratin with arugula, spinach and bacon, spanish tortilla (plus a bottle of chalupa sauce, both thanks to Tracy), artichoke hearts poached in lemon and olive oil, lemon asparagus salad, cauliflower and broccoli with some delicious cheese (a la Gavin and Elaine), and dinner rolls. Whew.



Richard labored on a very delicious lemon tart, even cooking the lemons that decorated the tart! I contributed a raspberry chiffon pie, and in a moment of self-congratulations, should say that the crust was one of the best I've ever made: flaky, flaky, flaky.

Lessons learned. First, a big meal, plus wine and champagne, requires time to digest. I should have started dinner about two hours earlier. Second, every single food on the table was on the rich end. A simple, straightforward, non-olive oil/cheese/high-in-fat component would have been a nice swap for something else on the table. But really, there were no complaints.

And finally, leftovers. I'm writing this entry about a week later, and still have a few leftovers to deal with. After a few repeats of the Easter meal, I couldn't take it. So, I chopped up the asparagus and artichoke hearts, sauteed in the olive oil and lemon dressing used in the asparagus salad and added to pasta, along with some parmesan and a few squirts of lemon (I later added spinach, and then later, sausage). Sadly, the potatoes will probably not make it...they're just too rich for another meal. As for the ham, I made a few sandwiches, and later, turned more into a very excellent quiche (I had to do something with the extra pie crust). I don't have a huge amount left, but don't want to waste it. Meaning, it will go in the freezer and at some point, I'll be inspired and use up the rest.

A few final images. First, the bar, ready to go before anyone arrived. I love the bar. My love for the bar is only eclipsed by my love for the new kitchen table, which is all stretched out, covered in food and ready for guests to sit, dine, drink wine and enjoy conversation.

Distractions

The blogging has been a bit sparse in 2009, and for once, I have a good excuse. Two words: Battlestar Galactica. Yes, I've been sucked into the geekdom that is the BSG university. Free time is spent not only working my way through the episodes (thank goodness for the punctuality of Netflix), but reading up on the shows, pondering the plot twists and turns, the what-ifs, the theological and moral messages woven so brilliantly into every episode.

Now, just because I've been eyes glued to the TV does not mean that I have not been cooking and eating (although, the alcohol consumption on board the Galactica and surrounding civilian ships is fairly impressive, the food they eat is barely mentioned or considered, except for one crucial story arc. Moving on). I'm saving a few things for their own entries, but thought that I'd cover some topics:

Crispy Tacos. I am so in love with Smitten Kitchen. Her recipes are rock solid, her writing is fabulous and pictures are beautiful. I've made the crispy black bean tacos with slaw and feta cheese approximately a dozen times, and am still not bored. If the weather doesn't feel like bbq today, it's tacos for me. Speaking of tacos...

Rancho Bravo: Capitol Hill now has a taqueria, Rancho Brav. Woo-hoo! Originally a taco truck in Wallingford (tasty food in those taco trucks, as I've discovered since moving to Seattle), they've set up shop in a former KFC. Just about as good as Bay Area taquerias, plus with the added bonus of the soullessness of the former KFC as the taqueria. I'm eager to see how they morph and evolve and become even better.

Vietnamese Sandwiches: After hearing people rave about Saigon Deli in the International District, I finally gave it a try. Wow - the best Vietnamese sandwich I have ever had. Light fluffy bread, a generous helping of pickled vegetables and the meat, oh soo tasty. I have always loved the sandwiches, but Saigon Deli has raised the bar to a whole new level.

Pork and Vegas: I spent a February weekend in warm Las Vegas, visiting Adam and Aimee and their three kids (two more and they have a basketball team!) Somehow, I succeeded in eating some variant of pork with every meal: Adam grilled ribs for dinner (plus bacon in the beans and corn casserole), bacon both mornings for breakfast, pork leftovers for lunch, and I just couldn't resist the spicy shredded pork taco from Rubio's. I've been to Vegas at least a dozen times in the past 10+ years, but this was the first time that I didn't go for work. Except for seeing the hotel skyline - which, from a distance, looks a lot like the skyscrapers of every major American city, only those skyscrapers aren't filled with offices and condos, rather, hotel rooms - I barely knew that I was in Vegas. No crazy days filled with too many meetings in the LVCC, no presentations to stress over, no client/press events, no hangovers. It was really, really nice. Oh, and worth mentioning: Red Rock Canyon is exceptionally beautiful. I highly recommend. And Retro Cupcakes - honey and peanut butter, yum! Finally, I'm awarding Aimee with the best hostess ever prize: she actually emailed me before my visit asking for my breakfast food preferences!

St. Patrick's Day: Mom and Dad came to visit the weekend before St. Patrick's Day, and since it was the season, I decided to make corned beef. Elise at Simply Recipes wrote about baked corned beef, so I gave it a try. The corned beef wasn't bad, and the recipe for caramelized onions and cabbage absolutely rocked, but there is a reason most recipes call for boiling corned beef.

Finally, the weather. I'm not going to lie, and the following statement probably doesn't surprise you: this has been another long Seattle winter. Cold, rain and more snow than I ever expected in the Emerald City. Luckily, the 2008 snowpocalypse hasn't quite repeated in 2009 (although we still have November and December 2009), but there have been plenty of "oh my goodness, more snow" moments. Like when it started snowing about 2 minutes into my 15-minute walk to a bar to celebrate Pete's birthday, and I had to wait in line in the snow for another 10 minutes to get in (I still can't figure out why they didn't let me, a girl, into the *gay* bar). I walked in, found Pete, and he laughed and told me that I looked like a drowned rat. I then spent 5 minutes in the bathroom drying my hair with paper towels. (Pete was properly punished for that comment with a wicked hangover the next day). Or the St. Paddy's Day Dash: nothing really spices up a run more than running in a combination of snow, sleet and driving rain. Or, the Friday morning just a few weeks ago when I left my house at 6 for a run, and was greeted by cars dusted in a layer of snow. That was the most terrifying, when I did the math and realized that boot camp was starting in 6 short days. (First boot camp run: on mud-covered trails, in the rain). But, spring is now here, sort of. The cherry blossoms are gorgeous (check out this link for pictures of cherry blossoms in my neighborhood), flowers are blooming, the Mariners are playing, sunglasses are now worn more often, and I've been opening windows, sitting on my little balcony and renewed my spring relationship with Claritin. Yep, summer is almost here.

3 Years in the Emerald City

Three years ago, I packed up my San Francisco apartment (when I say "I", I actually mean professional movers), put Lolita on a big strapping car carrier truck and said goodbye to friends and Hayes Valley. Hello Seattle, rain and snow, Capitol Hill, the Park Rose Terrace and Club Shag at the Vertigo, and the Big M.

You all know that I'm not the most sentimental person ever, so to mark the anniversary I decided to write up some fun facts about the past 3 years (and if you bet that I'd last less than 3 years in Seattle/at the big M, you've lost):

,Aec Bought my first home
,Aec Learned how to paint
,Aec Picked up running
,Aec Realized that driving in a snowstorm is even scarier than I had ever imagined
,Aec Survived boot camp and winter sports conditioning
,Aec Learned how to install door stoppers
,Aec Successfully cooked from Mastering the Art of French Cooking, twice
,Aec Developed a taste for Manhattans, sidecars and Fran's sea salt caramels
,Aec Starting shopping weekly at the Sunday Farmer's market
,Aec Made friends with a few local bartenders
,Aec Finally learned to eat broccoli
,Aec Sharpened my bbq skills - I now grill a damn fine t-bone and popcorn (!)
,Aec Developed a latte habit
,Aec Got over my fear of frying food - mmmm, zucchini blossoms
,Aec Now buy flowers for no. reason. whatsoever

About the big M: yes, I still have a job. That I like. Working with people who I think are pretty cool and super smart. Life is still good on that front.

Finally, two kitchen-themed pics for you: This morning, Pete installed my new kitchen light. The first is up close, the second also shows off the new table. Isn't it pretty?

Single Girl Salmon

Despite my best intentions, I just could not bring myself to attend the Stranger's annual Anti-Valentine's Day party. So, instead I stayed home and treated myself to gougeres, champagne and single girl salmon.

Several years ago, I picked up Amanda Hessers' very excellent Cooking for Mr. Latte, a compilation of her columns and recipes from the New York Times, beginning with her first date with "Mr. Latte", chronicling dating stories to engagement, and culminating in their wedding. One of my favorites, and a standby for years, is Single Girl Salmon, a recipe designed for one.

Cover lentils with water (I usually use French green, but only had red, which cook very fast), add a bay leaf and I always add a shallot, and bring to boil. When lentils are done, drain, salt and pepper generously, then fold in olive oil, fresh lemon juice and if you have it, white wine vinegar. Balsamic also works. This should be done to taste...I like mine tart, but that is just my taste, which if you read this blog, know it can be a bit off.

When the lentils are done, heat olive oil and saute a thinly sliced shallot until brown. Salt and pepper a piece of salmon. Center cut works best, and you should probably salt and pepper earlier and let the salmon sit at room temperature. I happen to live in an area that has access to a good supply of salmon, so for Saturday night, I bought a pretty piece of Coho. Once the shallots are done, remove, then cook the salmon, skin side down. Flip at some point and from here, cook to your tastes. I find undercooking preferable to overcooking; it continues to cook as it sits, and really, overcooked, dry salmon is an injustice to the mighty fish.

Note, the recipe provides a few more details, but I think that adjusting recipes for you is always acceptable and encouraged.

Plate the lentils, plate the salmon on top of the lentils, and then sprinkle with the browned shallot. If you have parsley, you can even sprinkle a few leaves on top.

And that was Valentine's Day.



PS: I am currently looking for a permanent kitchen partner, a sous chef if you may. Requirements: must be useful with a kitchen knife, must like eating and wine and football. Send recommendations my way. It would be nice to write about doubling the recipe on Valentine's Day in 2010.

A Thank You Dinner

Pete and Paul spent many hours on the backsplash in my kitchen, so to properly thank them, I cooked. In retrospect, I may have spent about as much time planning, shopping and cooking as they spent tiling, but I'm not keeping track or anything. No, I would not do that.

We started with french onion soup. I used Cooks Illustrated latest incarnation, which was slightly more complicated than necessary, in my opinion. While Pete and Paul loved, I thought it tasted slightly burnt; the recipe called for deglazing the caramelized onions several times, but the deglazed bits turned burnt, a problem that I've had in the Le Creuset soup pot, but that's never made the food taste burnt. I wasn't able to properly bake the soup with croutons and gruyere - someone didn't pay attention to the texts asking for the proper pottery - so I sprinkled the toasted slices with gruyere, melted under the broiler for a few and topped the soup. I also opened up a bottle of 2005 Les Jamelles Chardonnay, a non-oaked varietal that was smooth and somewhat flavorful, although despite reading that it would go well, didn't really match the soup.



The main course featured what was the probably the best piece of beef tenderloin I have ever tasted. I've never been that thrilled about roast...and this cut and recipe completely changed my opinion. I've found that Cooks does a great job with meat, and they did not fail me with this cut. Directions: use a two pound cut of beef tenderloin (note, this is not an inexpensive cut), tie, salt and let sit for an hour at room temperature. Rub with shallot-garlic-parsley butter and bake until cooked to desired temperature. I like my meat on the rare end, so about 35 minutes. Then, sear in vegetable oil, resulting in a tasty, tasty crust, put on a cutting board and rub with more of the butter. Let it sit, ask someone to carve...and enjoy. I kid you not, this meat was melt in your mouth delicious. The butcher tried to sell me on some other cut, telling me that the tenderloin didn't have as much flavor, and she may have been right, but didn't bargain on my Cooks Illustrated directed recipe skills. Many sounds were made the table, and I knew that the meat was perfect when Paul told me that the meal "was totally worth the backplash". Good to know, Paul, good to know.



I also made Cooks' rustic dinner rolls, which are quickly becoming a Sunday night dinner mainstay, artichoke and leek potato gratin, and roasted asparagus with lemon. Oh, and a bottle of 2007 A to Z pinot noir. The wine was a bit syrupy, but opened up nicely and did well with the meat.



For dessert, a long-time go to recipe: lemon cheese with a hazelnut crust. Delicious, not too rich and just the right type of dessert to end a rich meal.



By the way, it may not be too noticeable, but that's a brand new table. Yes, after a several month absence, I now have a real life kitchen table. Four chairs, a beautiful finish, a built-in leaf, it is absolutely perfect.

The Herb Farm

Ok, so this blog should have been written about three weeks ago. But it's a tough one; writing about a foodie's dream is not easy. I tried for witty, I tried for intelligent, I tried for humorous, and nothing worked. So...you are getting this entry, which tries to do the meal justice. If you were present and I missed any details, feel free to add to the comments.

In just a few words, the Herb Farm was amazing, a meal that just about equaled the French Laundry, Michael Minna and De Kas. I had heard the stories, and the Herb Farm delivered. The quality of food, the combination of ingredients, the "you don't even know the servers are serving you" experience, the atmosphere, one of the best wine pairings I have ever experienced. And, the monthly theme - truffles - had me salivating two weeks before the dinner. My only complaint: the d/(c)cor is more country than suits my taste, but really, it's ok.

The Herb Farm serves a set 9-course meal every night. The food changes with the season, and the chefs take great pride in using local ingredients. Really, it's a formula for success. So, knowing that, read on for my descriptions of the meal and the details, the very important details:

Arrival: Socialization in the waiting room, with wine or a pinot noir champagne (which I chose, because I love pinot noir and think that its use in champagne is absolutely brilliant) and spiced cider for the non-drinkers. I should also point out that they do well by the non-drinkers, pairing infused juices and teas with the meal.

On the New Tide: A Kumomoto oyster pan-fried with a dusting of cornmeal, served with aioli studded with char roe. The roe were good sized, and when bit, spurted a fabulous brine flavor in my mouth. It's also worth noting that this is the second time I've had char (the first was in Sweden last April), both times with colleague Char. Coincidence or conspiracy, I'm not sure which. A small bowl was filled bite-sized scallops,similar to ceviche, with leeks and a few slices of white truffle. And, a piece of flatbread with wild mushrooms, winter savory and pancetta. A glass of Capitello Oregon Brut was served along with, infused with juniper simple syrup (my other choice was bay simple syrup). Schelley's Opinion: I love, love, love oysters on the half shell, so was only slightly disappointed that the oyster was cooked. But, it was all delicious, and I have to admit, the spurt of briney char roe with the silky, slightly sweet aioli was a delightful surprise. And well, scallops any way is always a good thing, especially with leeks and a bite of truffle. (Sadly, the picture only shows the cup, not the scallops inside).



Crab Nebula: Ravioli's stuffed with Dungeness crab, salsify and mustard greens, topped with a delicious cream sauce and more white truffles. The wine was a tender 2007 Love and Squalor Riesling from Eola Hills in Oregon. Schelley's Opinion: This course marked the first time that I really got the wine and food pairings - for some reason, it worked like no other that I've had in the past. And the ravioli was delicate and rich and delicious. I could have had seconds...but I knew more was coming my way.



Chicken and its Egg: Shredded chicken was molded in a circle, wrapped with spinach and topped with a poached egg. A few spoonfuls of bonito truffle broth accompanied; the broth had flakes of truffle and perfectly cubed pumpkin. The wine, a 2007 Ponzi Vineyards Arneis from Willamette Valley. Schelley's Opinion: The egg was amazing - the yolk was bright yellow and creamy and rich. The egg came from a real chicken, one that spent its life happily poking around the dirt for bites and mites and bugs and other delicious chickeney things, running around, squawking and having fun with roosters. And the spinach and dashi broth were delicious. Sadly, the chicken just didn't impress me, but I think it had nothing to do with the quality, rather, my well-documented "meh" opinion of chicken. (The first picture is before I broke open the egg, the second shows off the bright yellow yolk).





In the Belly of the Pig: The pork belly was cooked for 18 hours, a very fine length of time in my opinion. The generous slice of pork was veined with fat, which may sound disgusting to a few of you, but was really, truly an out of world experience (I'm not sure why the pork is out of focus, but if you look closely, the fat is there). This came from a pig that was allowed to get fat, not the super engineered lean pork we get today. A few other tidbits accompanied the pork, including savoy cabbage, squash, potato and black truffle. Really, this dish incorporated so many of my favorite things. the biggest surprise: a glass of 2006 Mannina Cellars Sangiovese from Walla Walla. Schelley's Opinion: My FAVORITE course. Ok, you are probably thinking - a sangiovese with pork? Yeah, I was skeptical too, until I tasted and discovered that the flavors worked very, very well. Seriously, they could have stopped the dinner right there and served me another helping or two of the pork belly. Although, on second thought, I'm glad that they didn't because next we had...



Duck, Duck, Goose!: Three creations looked up at me from the plate. First, a chunk of succulent duck breast with shallot marmalade. Second, a pave (fancy French word for square) of duck confit with a pickled Montmorency cherry. And third, a little cannoli-type pastry filled with goose liver and duck tongues (!) and topped with foie gras froth and rested over a bed of black truffle-parsnip fondue. Schelley's Opinion: My second favorite course, despite the liver. Both iterations of the duck were rich and succulent and all that I want when I eat duck. The paired wine, a 2005 L'Herbe Sauvage Pinot Noir, Grapes of Wrath Cuvee from Oregon was perfect. I took a bite of the duck confit with the pickled cherry, then a sip of the wine, and I kid you not, the flavors danced in my mouth. And about the goose - I am not a fan of liver, but found the taste slightly muted by the foie gras. And, the truffle-parsnip fondue was simply delightful, creamy and rich and a nice contrast to the liver. As for the goose tongues, well, luckily, they were chopped up and mixed with the liver, so I really couldn't taste. I have a feeling that they served as filler (much like oysters in Ed's Thanksgiving stuffing). And I can't rave enough about how perfectly matched the wine was to the food. Plus, foie gras...mmm...foie gras.(I'm not quite sure how the picture ended up so art deco. Hmmm)



Say Cheese: Ahhh, the cheese course. A healthy chunk of Mt. Townsend Trailhead Cow's Milk Tomme. The creamy, grassy flavor of the cheese was offset perfectly by the nice crust. And if you don't eat the cheese crust, you are missing out (yes, that means all of you who scoop the brie cream and leave the crust. Eat the entire piece, dammit). A nice piece of poached endive and pair and sprinkled with pine nuts, all folded in truffled vinaigrette, went very well with the cheese. Wine was a 2005 Bella Vallee Pinot Noir port. Schelley's Opinion: I wish I had a slice of that cheese right now. And, really, as you're nearing the end of the meal, what is better than a glass of port with the cheese? (Look at the picture and note the carefully placed greenery on top of the "salad". The kitchen is open, and we watched the sous chef carefully choose and plate the best pieces).



Beet Sorbet with Straw: Just as billed, beet sorbet with "straw", a parmesan cracker. Oh, plus mascarpone and chestnut-truffle puree. I swear there was some chocolate on the plate, but considering the food and wine, things may be just a tiny bit blurry. Schelley's Opinion: Despite knowing that beets are sweet (beet sugar, beet syrup, etc.), this dish didn't really fly. I still ate, but I really think I prefer my beets with a tangy, non-sweet dressing. (Sorry, the picture was too sorry to post).

Chocolate and Truffles: Our second dessert was a delicious bittersweet chocolate and star anise milk chocolate terrine and a scoop of truffle ice cream nestled on a bed of malted-gianduija sauce (also known as hazelnut and chocolate, one of the best flavor combinations ever). Around this time, a bottle of 2004 Feather Cabernet was opened...which I happily drank way past the end of dinner. Schelley's Opinion: Um yeah, not sure what else I can say here. I loved the combination of bittersweet chocolate and star anise milk chocolate - I would have never paired the flavors - and was delighted that they worked so well. And the ice cream with gianduija sauce, I could only describe as truffle ice cream, already delicious, and a confection quite similar to Nutella, but much, much better. And the wine...well, I found my new favorite wine. It was rich and complex and full of oak and everything and more than I could ever want in a Cabernet. A few days later, I asked the wine guy at QFC to see if they had Feather, and after he laughed at me, told me that it's fairly rare and if I find any I "should snap it up".



A Selection of Small Treats: We shared little plates of confections. Bay-fig shortbread, Alaskan sea salt caramels (different from Fran's, just as delicious), and three types of truffles: dark chocolate cognac, pink peppercorn white chocolate and smoked tea milk chocolate. A tiny dessert glass of 2007 Bonny Doon Late Harvest Roussane accompanied, although I have to say that as delicious as I know the wine must have been, I'd had a lot to drink, and really, my attention was completely focused on the Feather Cabernet. Schelley's Opinion: Not much more to add at this point.



A Few Last Notes: In order to get to the bathroom, I had to make my way through the well-stocked wine cellar. A few bottles of Opus One caught my eye, and I wondered, what would happen if I took one? Of course, I decided against, but that one example does illustrate the Herb Farms' amazing wine cellar, if the Opus One is out for the taking and they stock the hard to find Feather, what else lurks? On a related topic, after reading about the food and wine, you are probably wondering how I felt the next day. Well, it was a rough day. Pete gave me a ride (my car was in Redmond), making a few snarky comments about my appearance and speech difficulties (he still had to listen to a long description of the meal, so payback was joyful). I may have moaned out loud a few times (sorry Char!) and definitely took advantage of the comped Office Advil. I felt mildly better when a colleague who also attended replied to my email at 4:30 with the statement "I'm surprised that I can even write an email at 4:30." I didn't admit to him that at 3:00, it took me 30 minutes to write the single paragraph email.

And that, friends, is the Herb Farm. Perhaps not my best or most eloquent blog, but this was a tough one to write. I apologize for the overuse of words such as "amazing" and "fabulous", and especially, I apologize for the pictures - the lighting was bad and there are some limits to my food photo skills. If you want to see and experience the Herb Farm in person, well, you'll have to visit. And yes, Nilay, I'm talking to you.

Finally, Some Decent Airline Food

A few weeks ago, I got to bust out of the cold and drear of Seattle and head to LA for a quick trip. Two notable food moments: La Salsa, a Cali taqueria chain, where I ate tacos and sat outside; and airline food. Why write about airline food? Because Virgin Air America rocks.

Look at the picture below - it's a fruit and cheese box lunch. Yes, that's fresh fruit. Yes, that cheese is not an overly processed piece of who knows what preservatives its' filled with wrapped in plastic cheese attempting to pass as cheese. For $7, I had generous hunks of cheddar, brie and manchego. A bunch of grapes. Walnuts. Dried apricots. Delicious.



I should note that not only was the food tasty, but the service was impeccable and friendly, the planes were clean (as in scrubbed regularly), they even had Method soap in the bathrooms. I hope that Virgin survives, because it's a damn fine airline. I can't wait to fly them again, and for the first time in years, my airline choice is not made in an attempt to maintain status.

And, to clear up any misconceptions, I absolutely do not mind paying for airplane food. My objections are really about the high price of mediocre food. Seriously, give me decent, non-processed food that warrants the cost.

PS: While I was slaving over a hot stove, cooking an absolutely fabulous dinner, my dinner guest inserted these lines into entry: BTW - My friend Pete totally rocks. There isn't a better friend out there.. Hmmph.

Herb Farm Inspirations

Warning, this is not an entry about my recent dinner at the Herb Farm, but I promise one will be coming, soon. There's a lot to write, and trying to capture the perfection and fabulousness of that meal is not easy. Be patient.

Without a doubt, the Herb Farm inspired me, partly because the food reminded me once again of the deliciousness that a kitchen can produce, and also because I recently received Jerry Traunfelds very excellent Herb Farm Cookbook (he's the former Herb Farm executive chef, now owner of Poppy, which deserves an entry in this blog).

Despite a hangover from excesses of the wine variety during the Herb Farm dinner, truffles were front and center in my mind the next morning. Soooo, I soft boiled an egg and sprinkled it with truffle salt. It sort of put me on better footing, but I would be kidding if I didn't say that the day after the Herb Farm was a tough, tough day.

More cooking! For Saturday night dinner, I made the Herb Farm braised red cabbage with apples and cilantro, an eyebrow-raise of a recipe. Seriously, the combination sent my "oh dear, this may not work" instincts roaring. I'm sure you'll agree: saute a cubed apple, add thinly sliced red cabbage, then add lime juice, sugar and salt, and braise until tender. When tender (a process that took twice as long because my cabbage was not thin enough), add a few green onions and a seemingly huge amount of cilantro.

I'm happy to report that the braised cabbage was much better than expected, a nice dose of sweet and sour with a punch of cilantro. I became a believer. Oh, and the crunchy pork chop and buttermilk mashed potatoes served along were quite tasty, too. Sadly, the gougeres that I whipped up for pre-dinner snacking were a bit flat, mainly because it turns out that completely substituting a teaspoon of sea salt with a teaspoon of truffle salt, while sounding fabulous in abstract, results in less than puffy gougeres. The meal did go well with a 2007 Moulin de Gassac Guilhem, from the Languedoc region in France. If you don't know what kind of wine that is, neither do I. But my handy guide told me that it's a blend of Syrah, Grenache, Carignane and Cinsault.

It snowed the next day, and once again, the Herb Farm inspired. White bean soup with cubed squash and basil pistou spooned on top (pistou is pureed basil, garlic and salt, with a healthy dose of olive oil holding it together, or parsley instead of basil). I used a base of beef broth, chicken broth punched up with vegetables (left over from spring risotto) and a bottle of Winter Hook Ale. Hilary was helping, and when I realized I didn't have enough broth, told me that the Red Hook tour guide suggested using beer as a substitute for broth. It worked. I also made rustic rolls (snowy days and baking bread seem to go well together). A very tasty 337 2006 Cabernet and 2003 De Beaumont "Very Special Reserve" meritage went well with the soup and conversation.

Sadly, no pictures to share. However, I made the same rolls for Thanksgiving, and took a picture of my nephew happily chewing. So, there - a picture!



Finally, notice how I mentioned that it snowed? Yes, it has been snowing in Seattle. Luckily, most of the snow since the new year has appeared and quickly left, not quite repeating the pre-Christmas snowpocalypse. And, by some twist of weird fate, the Seattle area has also dealt with flooding, a week of pea soup fog, lots of rain and bitter, bitter cold. I just booked a ticket to Las Vegas for a weekend, where I've been told it's quite sunny and warm and am wondering if I made the right decision by not turning a one-day business trip to LA into a weekend. Alas...

Pizza!

I love pizza.

There, I've said it. On average, I eat pizza about once a week, half the time on Friday nights. Nothing says Friday like pizza, from Toscano or Padrinos, my two favorite take out places in Seattle. Sadly, Il Forno went out of business due to health reasons, after I'd finally rediscovered how good it was despite my bad first impression, which was caused by a dining companion about whom I was less than enthused, not by the food. On a positive note, the "for sale" signs are down, the windows are covered in paper, and maybe, just maybe, Il Forno will reopen and serve its delicious pizza. But I digress.

There's also the homemade pizza, which I've written about in the past, and which of course, I also adore just as much as take out. My latest creation came from the always excellent Smitten Kitchen: pizza with caramelized onion jam, ricotta cheese and prosciutto. The sweet caramelized onions and mellow ricotto is tempered perfectly by the salt prosciutto. If you're interested in the recipe, you can find it here, although I should point out that I used Cooks Illustrated for the dough, a sturdy recipe that has never failed me over several years. And, I would post a picture, but Deb's pictures are so much prettier, and really, my pizza looked much like hers. So I'll save myself the five minutes it would take to upload pictures, reduce for the website, post, etc.

A leftover pizza tip, straight from Mark Bittman. Squeeze some fresh lemon juice on the room temp pizza (seriously, don't reheat leftover pizza in the microwave; it becomes a soggy mess that only slightly resembles pizza, if you want it warm, use the oven). A bonus tip straight from me: squeezing lemon juice on piping hot pizza isn't a bad thing either.

New Years Day Meal, Plus Leftovers

It's a new year, so I decided that it was only fitting to start the New Year off with a proper meal. While purchasing lamb shanks and various odds and ends and a bottle of pink Lucien Albrecht, the clerk asked if I was having a party. "Um, yes" I stammered, thinking about my party of one. For once, no invitations went out. Dinner was just me.

I used Alice Waters' braised lamb shank recipe from her almost always excellent The Art of Simple Food. I say almost always excellent, because I just didn't care for the lamb shanks. They weren't bad, braised in chicken broth and vegetables and tomatoes. But, they were much too close to lamb stew for my taste. Probably, too, because I had in mind the rich and delicate meat that my brother made a few months ago (he uses a Cooks Illustrated recipe, involving herbs de provence), rather than what I ended up with. Such is life in the fast kitchen lane.

The other thing to note - the shanks were chock full of meat, and after about three meals of picking small hunks of meat off of the bone, I needed to refresh the basic meal. Thus, I improvised lamb ragout, sauteeing an onion and garlic, adding herbs and tomatoes, letting it cook for a bit, and then adding the deboned lamb. Delicious, especially served with mashed potatoes or polenta. And, for breakfast, with a fried egg. I kid you not, I ate at least ten meals from the four shanks. Whoa...

Also, for the wine people. I drank a very tasty bottle of Grenache, a Vaucluse from Abel Clement in France with the ragu. Nice and meaty wine, it went well with the remade braised lamb. At least, I think I have the name correct for the wine. The French are difficult, with all their words and appellations and regions and stuff.



By the way, in the vein of repurposing leftovers, I used most of the chicken from chicken in a pot of a few months ago to make absolutely delicious enchiladas with tomatillo green sauce. They were so delicious, I refused to share with anyone, although because I can be mean, at least I'm posting a picture. They were all mine...enjoyed over about four meals, down to the last bite of enchilada with jack cheese and tomatillo sauce. I guess this proves that in some cases, I think chicken can be tasty.

Street Food in Mexico, and in General

I've always said that street food is tasty, tasty, tasty, a point proven correct once again during a trip to Mexico. Pictured below is my favorite meal of the trip, found at one of the food stalls that dotted Merida's central square. Sadly, I forget the name of this dish, but what matters is that it was delicious. A crispy tortilla stuffed with a bit of cheese, then topped with marinated grilled steak, cheese, pickled onions and a bit of spicy tomato-based sauce. Delicious, I tell you, delicious.



The marquesita was my second favorite food, also bought from a street vendor. The pictures doesn't quite do it justice, but imagine something similar to a waffle cone cooked in front of you, then sprinkled with grated Gouda cheese and rolled up. Non-savory marquesitas used nutella (my favorite food to eat with a spoon), caramel and/or some type of sweetened condensed milk.





Ceviche is fairly common in the Yucatan - definitely a different taste than the Panamanian (especially the Panamian, which absolutely bursts with enough citrus to cause some puckering), Peruvian and Brazilian types of ceviche that I've feasted on in the past. There was also some sauteed squid, some plantains, some tacos, chorizo, bacon, eggs and potatoes for breakfast, a salbute (may be the wrong name, but soft tortilla smeared with beans and topped with marinated steak, iceburg lettuce and pickled onion) and lots of delicious, delicious black beans. Oh, and all washed down with margaritas and/or beer, because it was vacation.

Among other tidbits about the trip: bribing the policia; some long, very long, road trips in the about ready to fall apart rental car (and especially, holding our breath each time we went over a tope, a huge speed bump capable of causing serious damage); lounging by the pool; exploring Mayan ruins at Chichin Itza and Dzibilchaltun; getting chased by dogs while jogging; and accidentally making margaritas with rum instead of tequila. Finally, my favorite moment of the entire trip - swimming in the cenote at Dzibilchaltun. I can be found in the very center of the picture, with a smile on my face.

Cupcake Food Porn

When I signed up to a bring a salad to a team holiday pot luck, someone threw a fit. Not quite what Grandma Luttrell would have called "a jazz horn fit", but close enough. I was finally forced to promise to bring dessert to our next meeting, just to stop the insanity.

The finished baked goods are pictured below - chocolate-peppermint cupcakes with peppermint frosting and crushed candy canes.



Sadly, the cupcakes never made it to the meeting, which happened to fall on the first day of Seattle Snowpocalypse 2008. But, the baked goods were in the car when I took my early morning drive through the blizzard. And, since I had the opportunity to eat more than my fair share, I can absolutely, positively say that the little cakes were delicious. Deep chocolate with a touch of peppermint and the added punch of a pepperminty buttercream and candy cane crunch.