Category Archives: Food and Wine (and Coffee)

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Pet Peeve of the Day aka I’m thinking of an even better place to shove that spoon

I have found that I work much better at home. I get more actual work done at my home computer in my sweats with no underwear on than I do at my desk in the tiny cubicle I share with a man whose amazing head of hair distracts me. I know what you’re thinking. You’re not wondering what’s so great about his hair, or why I don’t have any underwear on (but why would I, I ask you). What you are thinking is “Hey bitch, blogging doesn’t count as work.” And seeing as we were specifically told we couldn’t work from home, I want to take a moment to defend myself.

If I were at work, Amazing Head of Hair and I would be answering some jeopardy questions from my calendar right now. Questions like “what flower is also a nickname for liberals” or “who’s going to get this peri-op work done” (oh wait, no, that second one came from my boss). Then we follow jeopardy with a tuna melt sandwich from the roach coach (with fries of course). This means a trip out of the building down to the van that sells the sandwich, some chatting with other co-workers, then a trip back to the desk, followed by eating and internet surfing (because this is of course my lunch break). Then after that I feel sick from the tuna melt and fries (what was I thinking…each time) so when I hear another co-worker is driving to a place for food I say I’ll go for the company so I can grab a coffee or smoothie or fruit or something to make me feel better than the deep fried greasy skank that I am.

Now when I get back, it seems so close to the end of the day that I begin my ritualistic bitching about emails I’m receiving or work that I don’t think is necessary, to which Amazing Head of Hair listens attentively because he’s sweet that way and wherever he came from I think he was taught that you give your undivided attention to silly women rambling at their computer screen. This attention of course makes me feel like I need to say more. Before I know it, the day is done, and neither of us really seem to have gotten anything accomplished.

So, here I am skivvy-less in my bedroom and I have already taken care of half the stuff I need (that should have been done all yesterday). Which leads me to my pet peeve of the day. I’m just going to go ahead and post it inside this post because it seems somewhat relevant to my morning.

To set the stage, we must remember I’m at home, in my sweats, sans underwear (what a wonderful feeling), and ready to have a snack. So I grab the GIANT tupperware container from my fridge and sit down with a fork to gorge myself on the contents. It’s obviously not fries, although now that sounds good, but instead it is a big thing of fruit. I made stir fry last night so in trade my sister cut up pineapple, peaches, and strawberries for dessert. And when I say giant tupperware container, I’m talking the size of a basketball. But it’s fruit right, so I can’t feel like a total fat ass.

Anyhow, I open the container (still feeing a little rebellious that I’m planning to just sit and eat out of it like a trough) and what do I find? A big silver spoon sitting on top of the fruit. Okay. Here’s the deal. I’m not very picky or anal or anything like that. Honestly, my sister thinks I’m a slob and that I behave like a man most of the time especially when I don’t notice things like the newly mown lawn OR the blooming flowers OR that she just put toilet bowl cleaner in the toilet and how could I not have noticed that! (For the record, the toilet is for peeing and I had to pee. I didn’t turn on the light in the bathroom, because I’ve peed a million times before and I know how to do it in the dark, so NO, I did not notice the blue water waiting to be scrubbed.)

But I do have a few things about the kitchen and the fridge that put me in the less than male category. Do NOT put leftovers in the fridge with nothing covering them (and as my former roommate will attest to, another plate turned over on top of that plate of food does not constitute covering it: Tupperware, plastic wrap, some sort of smell blocker so my milk doesn’t taste like mushrooms or curry or fish.) I also don’t understand why even if you’re not going to wash the dish that you’ve set by the sink tonight, you can’t just rinse the food off so I don’t have to use sandpaper to get whatever that crud is off the dish.

But finally, I know you didn’t want to wash the spoon. I know exactly what your thought process was. You used that spoon for the salad, you don’t want to wash it, you leave it in the tupperware container with the fruit thinking that you’ll use it again when you get more fruit. Tell me honestly, that spoon is friggin’ cold to touch now that’s it’s been in the fridge all night. You know what else? It’s sticky as hell from all the fruit. Are you going to use it? I didn’t think so.

Just so we’re clear, I’m using this as a means to justify the fact I just ate all the pineapple. Sorry.

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Bright Copper Kettles

After a regrettably pathetic drunk display a few weekends ago, I was feeling like a vessel of poison. After wandering around the store looking for the Ruby Red Grapefruit Tea already featured as a Favorite, I discovered Triple Leaf Detox Tea. It sounded divine, even if it is a crock of shit.

Things it claims:

  • Supports healthy function of the liver, kidneys, lungs, and blood.
  • Cleanses your body of toxins
  • Promotes clear, healthy skin.
  • Increases the flow of energy (chi) to the body and mind, thereby promoting calmer, more positive and peaceful emotions.


I’m still waiting for the positive emotions to kick in, but maybe that’s how Bright Copper Kettles was born since I started this feature post-detox tea purchase.

Truth be told, I love the flavor and it definitely doesn’t make me feel any worse. I’ve always figured if I like something and it’s supposed to be good for me, whether it really has a positive effect on my health or not, it can’t hurt. I’ve started almost every morning with it for the last two weeks.

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Pet Peeve of the Day

If I order an appetizer it means I’m friggin’ hungry and I would like to have a little bite before the rest of my food comes, so don’t fucking bring me my appetizer WITH my dinner or even worse, a few minutes after you’ve already brought my food. Are we clear?

If you’re running behind ask me if I still want it. Chances are I’ll say ‘Hell no.’ We all know that we shouldn’t order an appetizer anyway because then we’re not hungry enough for dinner so if you bring it with my dinner it’s as if I ordered TWO dinners. Jesus people.

(Afterthought: and if I ask for dipping sauce for something, most likely it’s because I don’t want to eat what I have without the sauce. Know what this means? If you don’t bring it to me until the end of the meal, my food will be cold because I’ve waited. Or if I couldn’t wait, then I’m one cranky bitch because I just ate a meal without a key ingredient. Anyone who knows me knows it’s all about the sauces. I order based on sauces and side dishes.)

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Pet Peeve of the Day

Dream about making stirfry all day long, take a mental inventory of the onion, yellow pepper, broccoli, tofu, carrot, and yellow squash purchased recently for said stirfry, only to arrive home and open refrigerator drawers to find liquified veggies.

How has it really been a month since I went to the store and planned this feast? This same neglect can be applied to my “promptness” in returning phone calls and emails. To me, each voice message or email that comes to me was sent a mere day ago, not the actual month or so that you left it. May my pet peeve for liquified veggies be the karma all you have been wishing upon me.

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Portland. The city that makes you wanna quit your job.

As you can see I have a new format for my blog. You may recognize the layout because it is the generic WordPress layout as you can see on Joey’s blog. I’ll be personalizing it soon.

A great trip to Portland and our cult leader KB brought about:

    -a transfer from MT to WP
    -a subscription to metafilter
    -two pairs of great pants from REI only to discover I had a $100 dividend I didn’t know about.
    -consumption of the best oatmeal from Kornblatts
    -cheese tasting at the gourmet City Market followed by purchase of great cheese and a bottle of 2001 Tedeschi’s Capitel Dei Nicalo Valpolicella which I consumed myself
    -the traditional new cd that I let Kris pick out for me
    -my first viewing of Kill Bill (awesome!)
    -the popping of my Halo2 cherry (I suck at it)
    -a personal one on one tutorial in PhotoShop from the guru himself
    -and of course the obligatory trip to Powell’s where I walked out with some great books including “The Phantom Tollbooth” which Kris bought for me (thanks Kris!)

Ah yes, a great visit as usual and much needed. But speaking of childhood books and memories (Kris bought me the book because he couldn’t believe I hadn’t read it and I can’t believe it either), I found out something interesting regarding an old childhood song I used to sing all the time.

When I was a little girl my mom would teach us songs and sing with us a lot. At least I remember doing this before I was old enough to go to Montessori and maybe a little after. One of my favorites was “Aloutte” which was in french but I managed to learn it anyway. Of course now upon reading it I realize that I had butchered the language and in my head it looked entirely different. 🙂 Regardless, the bigger shock was what the translation was. Check it out.

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Julia Child’s got nothing on me…now that she’s dead

Lately I’ve been cooking at home a lot. My sister loves this because when she gets home from work around 8pm, I have dinner waiting for her. First night, I made Lemon Chicken Linguini with a Tomato Basil mixture tossed in. Second night, I made a New York Roast Beef with sides of rice and broccoli that I cooked in a parsley/garlic/shallot butter. Yummy.

Something you have to know about me is that without a recipe I really don’t know much about spices, portions, and timing. I have been watching Jay cook for the last six months and have been picking up a lot of great tips. First thing I learned is that I don’t know how to cut vegetables in an efficient way. Second thing is that I should become better acquainted with cumin, tamaric, and sage. Three spices I had never touched before. (Sidenote: Being around Jay always made me giddy and I think it’s because he smells like these spices all the time. A true cook.)

Tonight I made Tofu fajitas for Dave. I plan on making this again this weekend, but figured I could always use the practice. I had purchased this fajita powder pack, but when I opened it the smell was horrible. I tossed it in the garbage and headed for the spice rack. I picked up the cumin, opened it, smelled it, and realized it smelled exactly like Mexican food. Ta-da! Anyone who has cooked is probably laughing at me, but remember that this is all new to me.

I decided to have a little fun so I made spanish rice. First I cooked the rice. Then I saut�ed chopped onions and carrots with some olive oil and cumin. Then I tossed in some canned diced tomatoes, salt, and pepper. Finally I tossed the rice in and let it sizzle up a bit. I also added some Tabasco for good measure. The tofu fajita part was amazing as well with onions, red pepper, tomatoes, broccoli, and carrots. Yummy! Dave was impressed.

Here’s my rice. Isn’t it pretty?

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New Seattle Treat! — Crave: Contemporary Comfort Food

Capitol Hill has seen a lot of great restaurants come and go. I have always believed that people in Seattle support their local businesses more than most cities, but with the turnover on Broadway I have become pessimistic in our attempt to think locally. Well I encourage all of you to “go local,” as Michael Shuman would say, and partake of a great new restaurant that we are lucky enough to have in Capitol Hill.

“Crave” opened it’s doors three weeks ago to a slew of eager hipsters looking for a great place to eat and experiment with new flavors. There is something comforting in the 12th street location, perhaps due to the fact it is so closely tied to the Capitol Hill Arts Center. Not to mention that parking is slightly easier due to being less of a main dining drag. Driving by, my sister and I caught a glimpse of the new spot out of the corner of our gluttonous eyes and vowed to try it within the week. After perusing their clean web page, we discovered that Tuesday was half price wine night and that was enough to draw us there.

At 7:15 we wandered through the doors and were greeted immediately by Nathan who would also act as our server for the remainder of the evening. With a view of the kitchen from the foyer, Maddy and I eyed their cheese plate with anticipation. I also noted that you could order any coffee drink of choice at the welcoming counter throughout the day. I like keeping my daily cappuccino options open since I have vowed to support local coffee shops as well.

The menu is the perfect size not to be overwhelming, but varied enough to entice any appetite. While Maddy debated over appetizers I immediately grabbed the wine menu as Nathan encouraged me to ask questions about it, since he had helped create the wine list. Entranced by the myriad of choices I just smiled and he left us to decide. After convincing Maddy that you don’t waste a half price wine night on a glass of wine, but instead buy the whole bottle, we agreed on the Merlot/Cab blend. Then we pondered our appetizer options together.

We settled on the cheese plate of course, but added the Miso Cured Salmon which came with a Wasabi-cucumber coulis, and then agreed that we should share the Duck Confit for an entree. The Salmon was unique, in a good way. On a wedge of sesame cracker, the salmon laid over it like lox, and was lightly covered in the wasabi mix, accompanied by pickled red onions. We both devoured it and enjoyed the Japanese inspired flavor of it all. If you are not a wasabi fan, rest assured that it was a very subtle hint that was a perfect accompaniment.

The cheese plate consisted of a blue cheese type wedge, a rosemary encrusted sample, and a familiar strong cut of something I liked very much but couldn’t place. Alongside of this was a sliced pear sitting in an apricot spread with giant grapes and sweetened, toasted almonds. We held onto this the entire evening, nibbling bits along side our other treats. Then came the duck.

I have never had such a filling and delicious assortment of food in one entree. The duck itself was cooked perfectly with a fig compote and was nestled in the most creative green chile bread pudding. This and the sautéed winter greens made the duck the perfect meal for a chilly January evening.

As Nathan explained when I tasted the wine, he chose that particular blend only after it had been sitting open for a bit and had time to breathe and became less “tight.” After he left us to drink it, Maddy and I discussed what he meant by that, and I speculated that the strong dryness of it might soften a bit. By the end of the meal I think we agreed it had improved during the night and we could really taste the difference. I am confident in Nathan’s recommendations from now on.

He didn’t push us when we said we were full, but somehow glancing at the dessert tray sounded like a grand idea. We told him it would just be for fun and definitely for next time, but after he brought it over to our table we couldn’t say no. We had the choice between three desserts: one was a mango fruit tart that looked quite refreshing, another was a grand mariner mousse type of dessert that towered over the others, but the one that made Maddy and I catch each other’s eye in mid-drool was the mini cream puffs covered in chocolate sauce. Now that may sound sort of trashy, but they were a special almond cream filling inside of a fluffy puff pastry with a warm rich chocolate poured over it. To our surprise it was accompanied by sliced mandarins and a cup of raspberry sauce that made me shiver with a melting happiness.

We both ordered a cappuccino as well, but he took one look at me and suggested a tawny port. Anyone who knows me will know how I swoon for port so I instantly clapped my hands in glee and said yes. With my port, Maddy’s perfect cappuccino, and a dessert to sleep with, we decided we needed to spread the good word before another superb restaurant gets overlooked. Although by the time we left, people were waiting at the door to get in so I am hoping this is a good sign of things to come.

They also serve breakfast and lunch, both of which I can’t wait to try. Breakfast can be had for under $8 and lunch falls into about the same range. Dinner is well worth the $11-15 entree price with appetizers and salad between $3-$8. There are a few vegetarian options as well. It is a small quaint place; try it soon before the word gets out and you have to wait in line for a table. And the best part? They have free wireless internet all day and $2 espresso drinks between 2-4pm. Need I say more? I’ll see you there.

Crave
1621 12th Ave.
Seattle, WA 98122
(206) 388-0526
Open Everyday 7am-11pm

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Wine A Little, You’ll Feel Better

Well, Katie is lounging in the backyard relaxing and enjoying her “sabbatical”, so you all will just have to settle for me, Christy. I have totally corrupted Katie this weekend in California’s lesser known wine country, Paso Robles. Let’s just say that she is now very educated in the way of wine. I think that the three most interesting things that she learned this weekend are as follows:

1. No matter what color the grape is, if you squeeze it the juice runs clear. The red color of wine comes from the skins.

2. Zinfandel is NOT white.

3. No matter how much time has passed, true friends can pick up where they left off and never miss a beat.

The weekend started out with a drive down to Paso from Salinas. We discussed many things including the people in that list over there on the left (ya’ll are so fun to read about) and listened to the music of our past. Friday night we went to dinner and ate WAY too much. For a girl that is not from Cali (me), it was nice to have someone else who actually EATS (Katie). The sushi was good, the teppan grill was even better and the Zinfandel was not white (much to Katie’s surprise).

Saturday we started our day with the world’s most beautiful mimosa. We came to the conclusion that everyone should have a morning drink to take the edge off the day. Try it for one week and see if we are correct in our assumption. I then took Katie wine tasting. I can honestly say I think she really enjoyed herself. For the sake of saving space and your time, I will cut to the end of the day when we finished our tasting tour at Tobin James where the third blonde works. So, now that we had the power of three back together we started…um…indulging ourselves in the miracle of wine. I am sorry to Johnny for torturing him with a couple of not so sober phone calls. But, we had a great time and danced to Justin Timberlake in the middle of a tasting room. A great time was had by all and for anyone who received a phone call, text message, or picture from us that night….you have been blessed by the Three Blondes and should feel lucky…hee hee hee. I am going to sign off because I think a wrestling match has begun between my husband and Katie regarding the Niners/Seahawks game. Thanks for letting me borrow my little Katiedid for a weekend. She is THE BEST!!!!