Seattle

I have lived in Seattle for 11 years now. I like it here and like any resident of this city, I wish for less rain. In the time that I have lived here, it does rain a lot but I think it has varied in amount over the years. This spring has been terrible though. Tons and tons of rain. And it has some effect over me. I don't want to do anything and I dream of living in Costa Rica or somewhere in the Caribbean...or Spain! But all of those thoughts go away when we are blessed with beautiful days.

Hollandaise....yum

I've been making this sauce for a long time now. I barely can order it in a restaurant because Anthony Bourdain RUINED it for me! RUINED. I read his book Kitchen Confidential... and there was this section about eating out do's and don'ts and Hollandaise sauce was included in the "don't you F**king dare order it unless you want salmonella poisoning" section. So unless I am going to a restaurant where I know it's good and fresh, like Portland City Grill, I just make it at home. SO, Brit - this is for you!

Hollandaise Sauce

4 Egg Yolks
1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice
1 Teaspoon White Wine Vinegar (or just plain vinegar)
1/2 Cup (1 stick) butter, melted
Pinch of salt
Pinch of Pepper
A couple of Dashes of Tabasco (or a pinch of Cayenne)

1. Melt the butter in a heat proof bowl or measuring cup
2. In a double boiler over medium heat(or heat proof bowl a-top a pot of simmering hot water) whisk egg yolks with lemon juice, vinegar, salt, pepper, and Tabasco (or Cayenne) until completely combined.
3. Slowly add the melted butter, whisking butter into yolks vigorously until butter and yolk mixture are a creamy consistency. Serve immediately.

** If it's too thick for you, add a little bit of warm water until you reach desired consistency. If it's not lemony enough, add another teaspoon of lemon juice or for super zing, add 1 teaspoon of lemon zest.

*** To prevent curdle, do not have heat on higher than medium. If sauce does curdle, remove from heat and whisk in a teaspoon of water until sauce is creamy.

Enjoy!!!

Out for Brunch

I haven't been known to take photos of the food that I am about to consume at a restaurant. There is something annoying about it. I feel like I am hopping on a bandwagon carrying wannabe foodies. You know who I am talking about, those who think they are foodies but really don't know shit about it or what it is to be one. And really, what is a foodie?

I certainly am not a foodie, a gastronome, or a food-porn addict. I am a person who enjoys food, loves the art of making food, and enjoys beautiful presentations of food. I am not presumptuous nor am I overly critical. I either like something or I don't. BUT who cares - lets get to those photos above! We went for brunch yesterday and we were treated so kindly by the staff of Harvest Vine. They made us such beautiful food, that as an artist, I had to take a picture. (You like that, as an artist I will take a picture!)

On the top: Castillo, Sunny Side up egg, on top of celery root mousse, and braised short ribs
On the bottom: Huevos a la Flamenca, eggs baked with tomatoes, asparagus, and chorizo

Go there and enjoy brunch!

Pasta...delicious, delicious pasta

photo taken from Goop

I had some intention of dieting. I still have the intention - but I have decided to go the realistic for Mimi route. What route is it? It is the eat what I love in moderation or in alteration.

Moderation - sure, easy to understand. Alteration - I will do some altering of the recipe for a healthier option, whether it is cutting back on fats and salts called out in the recipe or substituting ground beef for ground turkey.

I love to eat. I love food. I am trying to love exercise so I can continue this love for food. And speaking of love of food - I LOVE PASTA. Mrs. Martin (aka Gwenyth) is at it again with awesome food on her website. The above photo is a Duck Ragu, recipe from her new cookbook, which I'll be sure to get! This particular newsletter also includes a duck taco. I will try both... most likely substituting the meat for chicken in the ragu and pork for the taco. I don't see myself making duck anytime soon. Not that I don't love duck, I do.

So go forth, look at these recipes on her newsletter.

Enjoy!

Learning from Recipes

I feel like I have been have been stuck in a cooking rut. I am feeling like I need to get back to the basics and learn some new things by cooking from recipes. I have decided to cook from the sources I subscribe to: Cooking Light, Bon Appetit/Epicurious, and (ahem) Martha Stewart.

I had recently bought a whole bunch of basil and I had some lemons that I needed to use up. I did a search on Epicurious for basil, lemon and chicken and it pulled up a quick and easy recipe. It turned out great! Sadly, I did not photograph it. Next time!

So try this dish - it is fast and easy! Enjoy!

Chicken with Lemon-Basil Sauce

Inspiration.

Inspiration can be fleeting and difficult and frustrating for creative people. There can be dry spells that last for years... well for me, it has been years. I wouldn't say that it has been a COMPLETE dry spell. I have been creating great food and really putting a lot of my creative energy in the kitchen. But I have been lacking in the fine arts department for, what seems like, an eternity. I have not picked up a paint brush in...years. Upwards of 5 years. That is depressing.

Why? It is a host of things. I do attribute it, in part, to a lack of inspiration. But it is spring and a change is coming. I've been gearing up and preparing for it. I bought a new easel and some paint. I have canvases all over the damn place. I will buy more. I have a plan. I bought an iPhone and bizarrely have really loved taking photos with it. That has partly been inspiring. I have also been inspired by a these little angels that have recently come into my life. They are... adorable. They have also made me realize that inspiration is everywhere...

Jewels

My friend Jenn Tapp is a really great artist/designer/crafts woman and has some really beautiful jewelry for sale on Etsy (visit her here). The earring shown above now belong to me!