Silent Saturday: Weather Forecast

"Weather forecast for tonight:  dark."   - George Carlin

Trebol and a Tequila Girl

Last Friday night, My Pirate took me out to Trebol for dinner.  I’ve wanted to go for over a year now because they cook local and seasonal organic ingredients plus they have a roof top garden to reduce water run off.  But my main reason is that they have over 75 different tequilas in their bar.  I’m such a tequila girl.

I punctuate all the big moments in my life with tequila.  So, this past Friday, I wanted to sip some tequila and toast my grandpa’s life. 

We ordered the flight of El Tequileno tequilas to taste. The flight demonstrated how tequila changes when it is aged in American Oak Casks. The Anejo had been aged over 12 months and it looked and smelled more like a rich bourbon than tequila.  It was delicious while we nibbled on an appetizer of crunchy tacos.

The pineapple and habanero margarita with a cumin spiced rim was sweet and very spicy.  But far too spicy for My Pirate. His loss.

We enjoyed our dinners and I snapped a few shots on My Pirate's iPhone. The food was thoughtfully prepared, and beautiful with balanced flavors.  While we were eating, My Pirate leaned in close to me and said, “I never enjoy a meal out at a restaurant as much as I enjoy your cooking at home.”

And I about fell off my stool.  What a sweet talker…he’s definitely a keeper.  Don’t you think?    

And then we shared the fried spice donut holes topped with chocolate mouse and served with Chantilly cream  for dessert.   Then he swept me off my feet.

 We plan on trying Trebol's happy hour next.  Their drinks and appetizers are amazing.  Would you like to join us?

Trying New Foods

 I’ve found that the only way to grow as a cook and gardener is to try new things and stretch myself.  This results in eating some meals that I try to forget and killing plants.   Last week, I tried two new dishes at two restaurants that I enjoy and regularly frequent and I absolutely hated the food.  Only my manners prevented me from asking for some lemon water or soap to wash out my mouth.

Revulsion is a strange and fascinating response that is best shared.  As a teenager, our high school marching band went on tour to Victoria Island for a parade.  I remember the day that we spent exploring China Town.  A fellow student, a trombone player--if you can imagine, purchased a box of sugar cane juice and almost spat it out after trying it.  He exclaimed, “This is awful!  Do you want to try it?”  

And the box made it’s way around the entire bus and we all squinched our faces up in disgust and only afterwards did someone read the box and point out that it had passed it’s expiration date.  Ahh…that explains it, we all nodded together.  Whenever I taste something awful, I always offer to share the experience.  Fortunately, it doesn’t happen very often.

 I went out to lunch with my friend, Jill, last Monday and I led her astray when I suggested that we try the Spanish Posole for lunch at Roots Restaurant.  I’ve been wanting to try Posole after volunteering with a lovely lady from Spain that told me all about her cooking style as we weeded, and she said that Posole was her specialty.  So, when the young man on the phone at Roots, told me that Posole was the lunch soup special, I felt compelled to try it.  I took pictures of the dish and took my first bite and thought to myself, ‘ewww!’.  But, I tried to smile politely at poor Jill.  I really do hope that she forgives me.  It tasted like over boiled chicken with bland bits of hominy and unbalanced spice.  It tasted brown and weird.  Not my thing at all.  Poor Jill. I ordered their fantastic creme brûlée to try and make it up to her.  

 And then on Saturday, My Pirate and I dropped by Sushiland for like the millionth time.  I’ve been on a wild seared salmon and miso soup kick that even has the sushi chefs shaking their heads at me in bemusement.  Susie, the hostess, hugs me when I come in.  This is getting embarrassing.  Anyways, there we were eating our sushi, when the gentleman beside us asked for sea urchin.  I’ve always wanted to try sea urchin!  

So, I ordered the fresh sea urchin.  And it arrived quivering on my plate looking like the insides of a slug cut in half, with the definition of a monkey brain.  I threw it back, and it coated the inside of my mouth like raw liver with a strong bitter seafood flavor and I just couldn’t escape it.  People like this stuff?  Absolutely revolting.  And as I tried to chew my way through and swallow it, I offered My Pirate the other bite.  And he took it, the poor chump.  So, we both sat there trying to politely mask our revulsion.  We laughed in the car all the way home.

What new dishes have you tried lately? 

I Might Be Catching A Cold SOUP

Tonight, after a fantastic weekend of being spoiled rotten by My Pirate; my throat is feeling itchy and thick, my nose is running intermittently, and I’m coughing up chunks of phlegm.  There is only one thing to do:  make soup.  And not just any soup, but a nutritiously balanced soup, because my new nutritionist, Olivia at Nourish Northwest, will be asking.  I just love that about her.  It’s moments like these that make me grateful for my obsession with hoarding homemade chicken stock.

I dug through my freshly replenished kitchen since payday was on Friday.  And I quickly compiled a soup of onions, carrots, celery, cauliflower, kale, and the whole grain farro.  This is the first time that I’m trying farro in soup.   I seasoned the soup with saffron, salt, red pepper flakes, and the juice from a left over wedge of blood orange.  I even snapped a few clumsy shots of the soup with my iphone.  The soup’s burbling away on the stove top right now with the electric burner going creak, creak, creak.  The Assistant and Maya are laying on my feet.  I’ve diced up a chicken breast from a roasted Costco chicken and I’ll slip that in at the end, just to warm it through. 

I find chicken stock based soups to be an excellent way to trick my inner five year old into eating healthy.  Warm soup feels like a hug you can give yourself.  And when you fill it with nutritious veggies, whole grains, and lean protein, it is also a gift that you give your body.  I love soup. 

Hopefully, I’ll wake up feeling like a million bucks tomorrow morning, but if not, I’ll have a pot of soup to sustain me.  

Silent Saturday: A Thought on Happiness

"Happiness isn’t about being cheerful all of the time.  It’s being interested in things--finding out more about something, learning how to appreciate something better, incorporating something new that fits with what you already have."  Dr. John Sharp