Scarlet Magnificence - Not Since 1913: an August/September Story

More than 34 million sockeye salmon returned to the Fraser River this year, the highest number since 1913. The run gave the commercial fishery its first opening in four years, and provided native communities with the fish they had to forgo last year for ceremonial feasts. What did it mean for me...low cost salmon at the store!

A slideshow of the Adams River sockeye salmon run this past fall, pretty incredible!  Here's a CBC TV news story of the same thing.

For a Cold Weekend in B'ham: Persian Eggplant Stew

Recipe: 'Mitra Stricklen's Khoresht Bademjoon'

Chicago
by Molly O'Neill
November 19, 2010

Mitra Stricklen, a graduate student in anthropology at the University of Chicago, a gardener, cook and local food advocate, adores eggplant, particularly her mother's Persian-style sweet-and-sour eggplant. Ms. Stricklen says she carries the recipe for khoresht bademjoon in her head to farmers markets and modifies the basic formula to suit what is best in the market that day.

Serves 6
Ingredients:

• 2 large eggplants
• Kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 yellow onions, sliced
• 1⁄4 cup vegetable oil
• One 14.5-ounce can whole tomatoes or 6 large tomatoes, roasted and peeled
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1⁄2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 cup water or vegetable stock
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• Persian Herbed Steamed Rice (Chelo; page 63), for serving

Instructions:

1. Cut the eggplants into thick slices. Generously salt both sides of each eggplant slice and let drain in a colander for 15 minutes so the salt can pull out the bitterness.
2. Rinse the slices and pat dry.
3. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a skillet over low heat and add the onions. Cook until soft and golden brown, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes.
4. Heat the vegetable oil in a wide, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat and fry the eggplant slices until golden brown on each side. Remove from the oil and drain on a wire rack set over a baking sheet or paper towels.
5. In a large saucepan, combine the tomatoes, 1 tablespoon salt, the cinnamon, pepper, nutmeg, water and lemon juice and mix well. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the eggplant slices and cook for 5 minutes more.
6. Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with the fried onions. Serve with chelo.

Excerpted from One Big Table: 600 Recipes from the Nation's Best Home Cooks, Farmers, Fishermen, Pit-Masters, and Chefs by Molly O'Neill. Copyright 2010 by Molly O'Neill. Excerpted by permission of Simon & Schuster.

One Big Table: 600 Recipes from the Nation's Best Home Cooks, Farmers, Fishermen, Pit-Masters, and Chefs 
By Molly O'Neill 
Hardcover, 880 pages
Simon & Schuster 
List price: $50

BELLINGHAM - location, temperature, location

Bellingham, WA, 48°45′19.12″N 122°28′43.54″W / 48.7553111°N 122.4787611°W / 48.7553111; -122.4787611 (Bellingham City Hall) --> the northernmost city of more than 50,000 residents of the 48 contiguous states. Further north than all of Maine.

It is a misconception that Maine has the most northernmost point in the Lower 48. However, this is due to the type of map it is. A Lambert Equal-area conic projection, for example, appears to say that the western tip of Washington state is aligned with the northernmost tip of Maine. If you look at a cylindrical projection, you will see that the states bordering Canada west of the Great Lakes are well above the latitude that Maine sits on, and Minnesota has a small triangular tip at the border of Manitoba.

• Northwest Angle/Angle Township in Lake of the Woods, Minnesota 49°23′04″N 95°09′12″W / 49.384358°N 95.153314°W / 49.384358; -95.153314 (Northwest Angle) — northernmost point in the 48 contiguous states
• Sumas, Washington 49°00′09″N 122°15′06″W / 49.00249°N 122.25162°W / 49.00249; -122.25162 (Sumas, WA) — northernmost incorporated place in the 48 contiguous states (Because of a 19th century surveying inaccuracy, the international border lies slightly north of the 49th parallel here.)

Bellingham temperature range:
      Winter  32/51
      Spring  40/67
      Summer  48/71
      Fall  33/58
      Annual Precipitation  36.17"
      Annual Snowfall  8.60"

Monday, 27 Sept. 2010 - CNNMoney/Editors of Money Magazine say Bellingham is #5 of top-25 places to retire:

1. Durham, North Carolina
2. Hanover, New Hampshire
3. Lexington, Kentucky
4. Prescott, Arizona
5. Bellingham, WA

Thursday, 23 Sept. 2010 - National Geographic identifies Bellingham as an adventure town.

Off of Daylight Savings Time and a Chicken Vegetable Barley Soup

So last night we gained the hour, and this morning it was light earlier.  I'm glad I went to bed early and got up with the start of daylight.  At 5pm tonight it was dark, and by 6pm absolutely "pitch black". Soup for a Sunday:

• 1 cup celery, sliced
• 1 cup carrots, sliced
• 1 cup onion, sliced
• 1 cup mushrooms, sliced (I used crimini)
• 1 can (15 1/2 oz.) chopped tomatoes
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 1 bay leaf
• 2-3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1-2 TBS rosemary (1 sprig fresh)
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1 TBS parsley flakes
• 1-2 cups chicken, cooked and cubed
• 1 cup barley
• 2   32 oz. cartons chicken broth (or I used 1 carton chicken broth, 1 carton mushroom broth)
• salt and pepper to taste (I also threw in some whole peppercorns. Remove them and bay leaf before serving.)
• OPTIONAL: grated cheese sprinkled on top bowl when serving, or TBS of sherry in bottom of bowl before spooning in soup

I put it all in a crock pot and cooked on high for about 4 hours (or until carrot and barley are done). So good.

October is GLBT History Month

Ricardo Levins Morales - Art for Social Justice

You can see Ricardo's work here.

FACEOFF: Links to Nutella Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipes

You compare.

Nutella + Chocolate Chips + I would also add the 1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts:

Sugar Cooking's Nutella Chocolate Chip Cookies

OR

The Culinary Chronicles Nutella Chocolate Chip Cookies

Lamb and veggie kebabs on the deck

Played golf even though it was too hot to, especially given this summer cold/cough.  But it seems to have done some good.  I woke up in better shape today...less depth to the cough.  We'll see what happens after two more days of serious rest.

After golf I had three friends over, and oh what a splendid repast I prepared! I wanted things to be easy since I had this cold. The evening before I shopped for lamb in town and found a nice leg of lamb at Costco - $21.  At the Mediterranean Store and Cafe I picked up Baba Ghannouj for an appetizer and Baklava for dessert (with gelato, of course, my dessert of choice).  Here's the recipe for the lamb kebabs:

LAMB KEBABS WITH YOGURT SAUCE, VEGGIE KEBABS

Lamb Kebabs:

• 2 pounds lean lamb, cut into 2-inch chunks
• 1 or 2 onions, chopped in large pieces 
• 2 cloves garlic , minced
• 1 TBS ground coriander
• 1 TBS  ground cumin
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• Freshly ground salt and pepper

Directions for Lamb: Place all ingredients (except lamb and onion) in a blender. Puree until smooth. Place lamb pieces and onion pieces in a plastic bag or glass bowl, add spice mixture and toss to coat. Marinate in refrigerator, for example, up to 8 hours. Place onion pieces and lamb pieces on skewer interspersed. Set grill 6 inches from heat. Grill, turning, until lamb is browned and firm, 12 to 15 minutes (3 or so minutes/side - meat thermometer at 165 I think); serve warm.

Veggie Kebabs

• 1  small eggplant (about 12 oz.), cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1  red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1  yellow bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1/2  pint cherry tomatoes
• marinade is similar ingredients as above (I was low on cumin for the veggies, so I put in some fresh rosemary and thyme) 

Veggie Kebabs:  Thread vegetables on skewers, dividing evenly and alternating with red pepper, eggplant, yellow pepper, tomato. Brush marinade on veggie kebabs and refrigerate until ready to grill.

Yogurt Dipping Sauce:

• 3/4 cup  plain yogurt
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• 2  TBS  lime juice
• 1/4 tsp cumin
• Freshly ground salt and pepper

To make dipping sauce: In a small serving bowl, combine yogurt, cilantro, lime juice and cumin; mix well (Some folks like garlic here too). Stir in salt and pepper. Adjust seasoning to taste. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Garnish kebabs with cilantro sprigs. Serve with dipping sauce on the side.

I served the kebabs on brown basmati rice which I cooked in my slow cooker.  And questions?

A May Visit from the Cousins AND Cooking for July 4th, 2010

Jeannie, Oh Canada Bear, Phyl

The Cousins Visit

Cooler weather this late June and early July.  Not jump in the lake weather until next week.  In the meantime, doing laundry, watching Wimbleton and World Cup.  And yes, Foodie again!

A few weeks back, at the end of May, I enjoyed a visit from cousins Phyllis and Jeannie from Ohio.  Weather could have been worse, but it was most often cold, and wet.  We did some fun things.  Upon their arrival, we drove into Seattle and ate at a Tom Douglas restaurant, Lola, because Phyllis had heard about the donuts on Food Network (Giada De Laurentis). Restaurant had nice middle eastern menu and atmosphere and we enjoyed salmon, lamb and pork kebabs with the honey-harissa sauce on the pork making it the winner. Donuts-first rate. And we caught the Chuckanaut Drive coming back into town... no matter what the weather, always a treat.

Donuts at Lola

On our Bellingham day, we caught the Chicken Tortilla soup at El Rinconcito which I've written about in another post, and walked Fairhaven, totally enjoying, as all the DeMarks would know, our visit to Village Books.  30-year old independent bookstore and here's some of the info on the bookstore's history.


Jeannie and I drove to up to Mount Baker until we could drive no longer...12 feet of snow that hadn't been cleared on the road, right before Ski to Sea on Memorial Weekend.  On our last day together in my home area, we drove to Langley, BC to Vista D'Oro Farms, that I've written about in another post, and we also visited with a friend of theirs for lunch at Bacchus Bistro at Domaine de Chamberton. On our way back to Sudden Valley, Christina hosted us for chocolate pecan pie and coffee - YUM. I'm sure my family enjoyed the Bay, the Lake, the mountains, the visit, if not the weather.  Such an unusual May!


Cooking for July 4th
For the 4th I decided to cook the kind of barbeque that would make me happy.  And so...the menu is

• pulled pork sandwiches with blueberry BBQ sauce and cole slaw
• side of bacon-corn stuffed peppers (cooked on grill) 
• dessert of either fruit (blueberries, peaches, green seedless grapes) or dark chocolate gelato

Details:
About 4 lbs of pork loin in crock pot, rubbed with salt and pepper, then  2 cans of root beer poured along the sides for the loin to cook in.  6 hours on low.  Remove pork and pull apart with fork...hence pulled pork.  I'm sure pork shoulder could be used too and be less expensive. (I actually didn't like cooking the pulled pork in the root beer, so there's probably other better crock pot recipes for this.)

Sorta like this-- blueberry BBQ sauce is actually dark blue.

BBQ sauce: Blueberry BBQ sauce was in the Bellingham Herald (and maybe your local paper too) with a grilled pork chop recipe! I'm including the recipe here:

Ingredients for the Sauce:

• 1/2 cup minced shallots
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
• 2 TBS olive oil
• 2 cups fresh blueberries
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 TBS Dijon mustard
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder (I actually a couple of cloves of garlic minced)
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 2 TBS water or lemon juice

Directions:

1. Saute shallots and jalapeno in oil in a saucepan over medium heat for about 2 minutes. Add blueberies, vinegar, brown sugar, Dijon, garlic powder, and salt; simmer until sauce thickens, 2-3 minutes.
2. Transfer mixture into a blender or food processor. Pulse until pureed. Return sauce to pan over medium heat. Stir in water; simmer sauce 1-2 minutes more, stirring often. Remove sauce from heat and it's ready for use. Brush on food for the grill, or I mixed it in with the pulled pork that I cooked.

Simple cole slaw recipe from food52 blog, Amanda and Merrill's blog, although I also favor the one on the Old Bay Seasonings can.  Side dish: Bacon-corn stuffed peppers from Taste of Home magazine online. Haggen's brand gelato from Italy, and fruit from grocers.

Beverage suggestions anyone?

Easy Cookies - Student Employee Appreciation Week Coming Up

The WWU Viking Union/Dean of Students unit has a cool tradition on our campus.  For one week in April we have a week to appreciate student workers.  That's next week and special things will happen all week, but I like how it starts...  Staff (those inclined to bake or purchase that is) bring in 2 dozen cookies.  They are distributed across several display  trays and then put where our student workers are in the VU for them to enjoy. So for me, it's this question: what is the yummiest, easiest cookie I want to make this Sunday?

This year I am going to try a variation on the variation described at the Bake or Break blog (BoB) of the Double Delicious Cookie Bar, except I'm going to use chocolate toffee chips instead of caramel chips.  And I'm staying with graham cracker crumbs (not the chocolate grahams) and thinking about coconut: 

Traditionally, I make these with chocolate chips and peanut butter chips. Because Quinn was my reason for baking these, I let him have his say this time, and he wanted chocolate chips, caramel chips, and hazelnuts (about 3/4 cup). For an extra variation, I also used chocolate graham cracker crumbs.

Looking at BoB, you may think that I bake all the time. I do bake frequently, and I love doing it. But, there are days when I’m just not up for it. That’s when recipes like these can be your best friend. While these are certainly not a culinary masterpiece, they are definitely good. And, what a great return on your time and effort!

Here's the original version with the baking instructions and ingredients from the Eagle Brand recipes website:

Double Delicious Cookie Bars

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1 (14 oz.) can Eagle Brand® Sweetened Condensed Milk
• 1 cup (6 oz. pkg.) semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup (6 oz.) peanut butter-flavored chips

Instructions

1. HEAT oven to 350°F (325°F for glass dish).
2. COMBINE graham cracker crumbs and butter in small bowl; mix well. Press crumb mixture firmly into bottom of 13 x 9-inch baking pan.
3. POUR sweetened condensed milk evenly over crumb mixture. Layer evenly with remaining ingredients; press down firmly with fork.
4. BAKE 25 to 30 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool. Cut into bars.
5. For perfectly cut bars: Line entire pan with a sheet of foil. Coat lightly with no-stick cooking spray. When bars are cool, lift up edges of foil to remove from pan. Cut into individual squares. Lift off foil.
6. You may substitute butterscotch flavored chips or white chocolate chips for the semi-sweet chocolate chips and/or peanut butter chips.

Bits about Bellingham and Area

These are some of the things I found out about Bellingham before I actually moved here.

Bellingham, a coastal city built around the deep water of Bellingham Bay in Whatcom County, lies 23 miles south of the Canadian border and 90 miles north of Seattle in northwest Washington. Washington has no state income tax.
   
Bellingham Temperature Range
      Winter  32/51
      Spring  40/67
      Summer  48/71
      Fall  33/58
      Annual Precipitation  36.17"
      Annual Snowfall  8.60"

Yahoo Introduction to Bellingham, WA
BELLINGHAM - a happy blend of industry, Victorian architecture and college-town liveliness - runs ten miles along a broad curve of Bellingham Bay, 85 miles north of Seattle and just eighteen miles south of the Canadian border. Its notoriety is largely due to its being the southern terminus of the Alaska Marine Highway. The ferries sail from the Cruise Terminal on the edge of the brick-and-sandstone Fairhaven district - three miles south of downtown (I-5 exit 250) - which, with its hip bookstores, cafés and clothing stores, is easily Bellingham's most appealing area. In contrast, downtown itself (I-5 exit 253) is fairly mundane, but likeable enough and has a few good restaurants.

Bellingham's chief attraction, however, is its access to a wide range of excellent parks - set among the bluffs and forests surrounding the city, with myriad hiking trails - and, further east, the foothills of Mount Baker, 56 scenic miles along Hwy-542. Lummi tribal myths have the mountain as a sort of Ararat, surviving the Great Flood to provide sanctuary for a Native American Noah in his giant canoe, but it's better known today for its skiing, with a seven-month season from early November until late May.

Forbes.com ranked Bellingham number 2 on its list of the Greenest Cities in the U.S. released in April, 2006. The rankings were based on the American Lung Association's 2005 statistics for ozone and small particle pollution.  Outside Magazine's August 2006 issue ranked Bellingham the Best Paddling Town in the U.S.

I love wikimapia and panoramio.  Cool map apps!

satellite view:  http://www.wikimapia.org/#lat=48.750178&lon=-122.474975&z=12

Wikipedia Info on Bellingham

#35 on Forbes 2009 list of Best Small Places for Business and Careers
 

Bellingham's Top Ten
   
1. Scenic Drives - Mt. Baker Highway & Chuckanut Drive  
      Mt. Baker Highway (State Highway 542) beckons one towards the mountain, a 10,778 ft. glacier-covered volcano and the world-record setter for the most annual snowfall. Mt. Baker is consistently rated by national publications as one of the best snowboarding, skiing, snowshoeing & hiking havens in the nation. A trip up the 58-mile scenic byway is breathtaking, including views of farms, the Nooksack River, a winery, hatcheries, eagle watching park, and forestry center. Feel the immense energy of Mother Nature at Nooksack Falls, a 100-foot waterfall! Photograph Mt. Shuksan reflecting on Picture Lake before finishing at Artist Point -- it's the apex of my adventures!

      Chuckanut Drive (State Hwy 11), once the major connecting route between Seattle and Bellingham, is one of the best scenic drives north of Big Sur. This 21-mile winding road hugs the coastline and offers extraordinary views of Chuckanut and Samish Bays, Orcas, Lummi and Guemes Islands. Water view restaurants and galleries dot the roadside. The drive connects Bellingham and the Skagit Valley taking you through tunnels of towering trees, Larrabee State park and farmlands.
   
2. Historic Fairhaven District
          http://www.fairhaven.com  
      This waterfront district is noted for its colorful 19th century history, including an 1880's developer and ex-rum-runner named "Dirty Dan." With hopes of being the next Chicago, Fairhaven bustled with hotels, taverns, an opera house and brothels. Today, original brick relics survive among new buildings whose architecture reflect that of Fairhavenâs era and are home to a variety of unique eateries, pubs, art galleries, bookstores and a boutique hotel. Sidewalk markers and brass plaques on buildings tell wild tales of Fairhaven's past.

3. Lynden - Dutch Town

      http://www.lynden.org  
      Located north of Bellingham on Highway 539, Lynden clings passionately to its authentic Dutch roots. As Washington State's largest Dutch settlement, about 30% of its residents have Dutch ancestry. It's also the heart of the region's farmland. The four-block span of Front Street, known as Dutch Old Town, greets visitors with a 72-foot tall working windmill that towers over the street. You can even make reservations to spend the night in the windmill. Adjacent is the Dutch Village Mall, complete with canal and featuring shops with Dutch goods. Savor traditional Dutch food at a local restaurant and bakery. Reserve at least an hour to tour the Lynden Pioneer Museum with its premier collection of 40 antique buggies and its two-story replica old Lynden.

4. Bellingham Waterfront  
      Offering spectacular views of Bellingham Bay, Mount Baker, the San Juan Islands and the Olympic Mountains, the waterfront features Squalicum Harbor (commercial & private marina), Zuanich Point and Boulevard Parks, promenades, specialty shops, restaurants, Chrysalis Inn and Spa, Hotel Bellwether, and the Bellingham Cruise Terminal where the Alaska ferry and seasonal cruises depart.

5. Trail Town USA  
      The American Hiking Society and the National Park Service designate Bellingham as a Trail Town USA. Only 30 cities nationwide have been so honored. Bellingham's city park system has 70 miles of pedestrian, bicycle and equestrian trails. The ten largest parks comprise most of the nearly 2800 acres of park space.

6. Culture  
      The Bellingham Mt. Baker region boasts culture-rich communities with offerings such as the Whatcom Museum of History & Art, Mount Baker Theatre, Lynden Pioneer Museum and the American Museum of Radio & Electricity. Western Washington University has galleries, outstanding performing arts, Distinguished Lecture Series and the Outdoor Sculpture Collection. Events include the world-class Bellingham Festival of Music, Chalk Art Festival, as well as gallery walks & tours, symphony concerts, renowned author readings, and many theatre and live music venues.

7. Orca Whales
         http://www.orcawatch.com  
      The region's close proximity to the Georgia Strait affords our vessels quick and easy access to waters inhabited by pods of Orcas. There are several whale watch and nature cruises that depart from Bellingham late May-September, in search of these enchanting creatures. Visitors may also see Minke whales, harbor seals on rock outcroppings, Dall's porpoises surfing in ship wakes, Bald Eagles, grebes, loons and blue herons.
      More links: www.whales.com , www.orcawhales.com  
   
8. Peace Arch Park, Blaine  
      Blaine is home to the Peace Arch, an alabaster-white 67-foot symbol of friendly relations between Canada and the U.S. Samuel Hill spearheaded the project, built in 1921, and partially funded from coins donated by school children in Washington State and British Columbia. Thousands of visitors walk through the arch each year, and May-September the International Sculpture Exhibition graces the landscape.

9. Dairies, Berries and Chocolate  
      Bellingham Mt. Baker region's agricultural acreage ranks among the top 3% in the nation. A plant in Lynden is the second largest producer of milk byproducts in the U.S. More than 65% of the nation's red raspberries are also produced here. Visitors can reference a Farm Map & Guide with more than 40 farms open to the public. Attend one of many farmers' markets spring-fall for the fresh produce and unique crafts. Local chefs frequently take this advantage to create dishes exclusive to our area. Nothing tops off a fine meal as well as chocolate. Connoisseurs migrate to Chocolate Necessities in Bellingham where truffles are handcrafted using Callebaut chocolate.
   
10. Spectacular Festivals & Events (just to name a few!)

MAY: Holland Days in Dutch Old Town, Lynden
      The community celebrates its heritage with an annual festival, which features washing of the streets, parade of Dutch costumes, music, food and merriments.

MAY: Ski to Sea Race, Festival & Carnival
      This Memorial Day weekend Northwest tradition draws thousands each year. The 85-mile multi-stage relay race runs from the Mt. Baker Ski Area to Bellingham Bay. Legs include downhill and cross-country skiing, running, canoeing, bike riding and kayaking. Other activities include: Ski to Sea Junior and Grand Parades, Junior Race and It All Ends in Fairhaven Festival.

JUNE: Deming Logging Show
      This two-day show held the first full weekend in June is a display of iron muscles and steely nerves. Lumbermen enthrall the arena crowd with their daredevil stunts and feats of strength, spiced up with a good dose of humor. The long lists of events include: log rolling & chopping, ax throwing, kids tree climbing and choker setting.

JULY: Old Fashioned 4th Festival, Blaine
      Give tribute to the day in old-fashion style while enjoying a grand parade, street fair, food, arts & crafts, car show, live music and, of course, fireworks!

AUGUST: Bellingham Festival of Music
      A musical delight! This two-week celebration of classical, jazz, opera and world music attracts world-renowned artists to the Pacific Northwest. Performances nightly and at various venues including Western WA University, Mt. Baker Theatre, Bellwether by the Bay, Fairhaven on the Green, Semiahmoo Resort and Mt. Baker.

The Economy Takes Its Toll on Local Eateries

RIP Boss Tweed restaurant, Burger Me, and Speak Ez's BBQ

Restaurants and businesses come and go, I know.  The economic downturn has (using that Italian N'awlins chef's phrase) "kicked it up a notch."  For me, this means the loss of some particular dining out experiences that I am sorry are gone.  It remains to be seen how or if these will be replaced:

When I came to interview at WWU, during the extra day I added to the trip to see how I liked Bellingham, before heading to Fairhaven, I took myself to lunch at Boss Tweed.  I had some delicious fish and chips there.  And when I moved here, in those first couple of months I ate at Boss Tweed's a few more times.  I liked the fried clams and fried oysters as well.  The cole slaw worked for me too, and I can be picky about cole slaw. Before I made it back to try the Friday night grilled salmon, Boss Tweed's closed.  One can still get Boss Tweed catering, and that is good to know, but no more drop in lunches or dinners.  Bye, bye Boss Tweed, 400 W Holly St (cod and chips, halibut and chips, Friday night grilled salmon, fried clams and fried oysters - order at the counter ... no more.)

Right after the bottom dropped out of the economy, within days, the Burger Me eatery and drive-thru closed its doors.  All the burgers were called "something" me.  Like my favorite was the Olive Me, a burger with lettuce, tomato, onion, chopped green olives, mustard and ketchup.  A greasy burger joint, kinda like the In-n-Out Burger in Gainesville, FL (no relation to the California, Las Vegas drive through) which had the most delicious burgers with grilled onions, fries done to perfection, and a great shake or malt.  Burger Me wasn't quite there, but I could get a craving for that Olive Me, and joy of joys, Burger Me carried frozen custard, vanilla, chocolate, and the flavor of the month.  Scrumptious. The place definitely didn't have the amount of clientele or financial float to survive what happened in our economy, so it was one of the first businesses to hit the dust. Bye, bye Burger Me, 1220 Lakaway.

Spending most of my adult life in the South, BBQ becomes a very special thing.  Between Florida, Georgia, and North Carolina, I could get a range of BBQ - Florida white BBQ, Florida black BBQ, Kansas City BBQ, North Carolina BBQ, Memphis BBQ, and a few in between.  I love BBQ and when that craving comes, look out!  What a surprise and delight that Bellingham has had a great little BBQ joint called Speak Ez's.  Let me just name a few of the items and see what happens in your mouth as you read:  smoked plate including pork spare ribs, pulled pork, beef brisket and a quarter of chicken, topped with BBQ sauce and served with sides, hush puppies, baked beans, okra, collards, spicy potato salad, onion rings, Texas toast, complimentary jalapeno cornbread muffins with honey butter, seafood gumbo, fried catfish, sweet potato pie, pecan pie. Most recent casualty to the economy or induced into an attractive retirement for Rosie and Dennis Rayborn (Diamond Jim's to move to Fountain District), I'm not sure. I think I'll have to look long and hard to find something to replace the calibre of this one! Bye, bye Speak Ez's BBQ, 2400 Meridian Street (heart of the fountain district).

Online Food and Shopping Tools

Recipe Key is a location where you can enter the items of food you have around in your refrigerator, pantry, and so on, and then you can find recipes that match what you have on hand. I actually don't use it for my shopping list as much as for recipes, but I can check my pantry items here and then put what I'm missing on my Cozi shopping list(s). Here's The Official Recipe Key Blog

I submitted three recipes to Recipe Key, a quiche, an echiladas, and a chicken salad. Two of them have already been improved and are here. The Chicken Salad recipe is my newest and yet to come. The Florentine Quiche is a recipe from the Gainesville Sun circa 1978; that's how much a love this recipe...ricotta and spinach pie....who could resist? The other is that great Spicy Chicken and Hazelnut Enchiladas from the Oregon Hazelnut Farmers website.

As I said, I use Cozi for my shopping lists; it's a cool tool and I can access my list from my phone when in the store. I really like the combination of the two online products for my tastes.

What's Cookin' Italian Style Cuisine: Italian Lemon Garlic Shrimp with Pasta Marinara

What's Cookin' Italian Style Cuisine: Italian Lemon Garlic Shrimp with Pasta Marinara

Loving the Bellingham area...some publications that help

Bellingham has its own travel literature that helps to learn this area.  One I like is the Whatcom County's travel planner at Bellingham Whatcom County Tourism.

Another good source is Experience Washington with their Washington State Visitor's Guide, and other helpful publications which you can view online or have mailed to you for free. I love the info on the Northwest Washington (including Bellingham, and the Islands (pp 44-61) in the 2009 Experience Washington Travel Planner.

And then there's the Bellingham Farmer's Market which has good online info here. They even have their own Flikr site so you can see photos from folks visiting the market.

New Year's eating for good fortune

LUCKY FOODS TO EAT

Epicurious writes about what foods get eaten for luck around the world.  In Italy it's cotechino (zampone) con lenticchie or sausages and green lentils.  Here's a recipe that I got from Vietri, who are the North Carolina women who import Italian dinner and house wares; I'm on their email list:

 

Sausage with Lentils

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups green lentils
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 pound prosciutto, pancetta, or bacon, diced
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 carrot, diced
• 1 small fennel bulb, diced
• 1 shallot, minced
• 2 or 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 pound sweet Italian sausage with fennel
• 1 medium can of chopped tomatoes
• 1 small dried chili pepper, or red pepper flakes to taste
• 1 bay leaf
• salt and pepper to taste
  

Directions

1. Place lentils in a pot of boiling, salted water; when the water boils again, cover and simmer for about 30 minutes or according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
2. Sauté bacon, onion, carrot, fennel, shallot and garlic in olive oil in a large skillet. Remove vegetables from skillet when soft and brown sausage in the same skillet. Set sausage aside on paper towels.
3. Remove all fat from skillet and return bacon and vegetables to pan; add tomatoes, hot pepper, and bay leaf, and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the sausage and heat through, simmering for 5 minutes or more.
4. Season with salt and pepper and serve on a large platter accompanied by mashed potatoes.
   

Chianti is a good wine to enjoy with this dish. Enjoy!
Serves 4 to 6 people

I was a Phyllis and Jeannie's for the holidays, and with some leftover lentils from Aladin's Mediterranean, Phyl whipped up a similar version for us to have with rice at New Year's Eve.

While we are on the topic of lentils, here's an Epicurious lentil stew recipe I made for my staff before the holidays:

Lentil Stew with Spinach and Potatoes

I subbed the kale for the spinach, and doubled the recipe. I made it in the crock pot which meant no early saute, and I held back the kale, lemon juice, and lemon peel until after 8 hours on low. One hour or less on low at end was enough to cook kale. Don't over mint and don't over cook kale.


You can view the complete recipe online at: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/349

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 large garlic cloves, chopped
• 3 cups canned vegetable broth
• 1 cup lentils, rinsed, picked over
• 8 ounces red-skinned potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 lemon
• 6 ounces torn fresh spinach leaves (about 8 cups)
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
• Crumbled feta cheese (optional, though I think it's essential)
  

Directions

1. Heat olive oil in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and stir 30 seconds. Add vegetable broth and lentils; bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 10 minutes. Add potatoes; cook uncovered until potatoes and lentils are tender, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, grate 1/2 teaspoon peel from lemon; squeeze enough juice from lemon to measure 2 tablespoons. Add lemon peel, lemon juice, spinach and cayenne to stew. Cover and simmer stew until spinach wilts and is cooked through, about 2 minutes. Mix in mint. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Rewarm over low heat before serving.)
3. Spoon stew into large soup bowls. Sprinkle feta cheese over, if desired.
   

Bon Appétit
May 1995