Cheeseburger in Paradise

I've been a Jimmy Buffett fan of varying degrees for the past 10 years or so. His music has saved me from completely losing my sanity one summer when I was stuck behind a copy machine 40 hours a week, transported me away from my gloomy cubicle in the middle of a Washington winter (via radio margaritaville), and inspired real life travels to tropical places. So when it came to looking for a place to eat on the Las Vegas strip recently, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to check out the Margaritaville Cafe. At the outset, I was somewhat skeptical of it being overly cliche and having the marketing shoved down our throats, but in the end, I was pleasantly surprised. While the music was a little loud, it was good*. There were guys on stilts walking around making balloon hats, which gave everything a kind of party atmosphere. Then, once an hour, a bikini clad lady emerged from a volcano, slid down a water slide, and ended in an extremely oversized margarita glass. It was quite a spectacle. Besides the carnival atmosphere, the food was really good. I couldn't pass up ordering the cheeseburger in paradise. While it wasn't the best cheeseburger I've ever had, it was pretty dang good. Emily had a salad with onion and cucumber relish, bbq sauce, candied pecans, and fried chicken. While it sounded a little out there, it was actually really good. Yep, good music, good food, and good atmosphere = a dang good evening.

Monday September 3 2007

File under: travel, food

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on Mon 03rd Sep, 2007 02:10 pm PDT MOM said: I imagine that "good company" figures heavily into the equation as well--besides the parrots, I mean, 'cause I'm figuring that there were a few of them hanging out too. ************************ on Mon 03rd Sep, 2007 02:32 pm PDT Saxtor said: So how was the margarita? ************************ on Tue 04th Sep, 2007 07:25 am PDT Chris said: Does anyone else find it strange that Saxtor continues to hyperlink his name to his site? ************************ on Tue 04th Sep, 2007 03:19 pm PDT Saxtor said: Well you see, when BdW's hosting is being funky (which seems to be often lately), my blog is still the best non-kid or -indiecrap one around! And if we only wait a couple more months, the current post's topic will be current again! ************************ on Fri 07th Sep, 2007 08:07 pm PDT Joe Wilbur said: I never went there, nor will i don't think. i'm what you would call NOT a jimmy buffet fan...i honestly don't see what the big deal about him is. ************************

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Supertasters

I've found myself explaining it so much recently, I thought I might throw a quick post up about supertasterism*. Basically, as I understand it, it is the ability to taste certain substances that others can't, specifically some particular chemical. The chemical is very bitter to those who can taste it, therefore foods that contain this chemical are generally disliked by supertasters. Before I heard about this phenomenon, I, and often people I ate with, just figured that I was picky. After hearing about it, though, I found that many of the foods I dislike are disliked by other supertasters. While I guess it doesn't completely save me from coming across as a picky eater, it does make me feel at least somewhat validated. Coffee, grapefruit juice, and many dark green leafy vegetables have a bitter taste to me that other people don't seem to share. Wikipedia has a list of food associated with this chemical, and a very scientific exaplanation, here. Noticeably missing from their list is broccoli which I always heard was the main culprit. (And I was really looking for an excuse to avoid my broccoli too.) Curious as to whether you are a supertaster? Try this experiment or, for the lazier among us, this quiz.

Sunday August 26 2007

File under: food, misc

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on Sun 26th Aug, 2007 10:23 pm PDT MOM said: Wasn't it Bush the Elder who dissed Broccoli and took it in the shorts for it? Perhaps he was a supertaster too. I don't like that stupid quiz--obviously they never ate at Adrift. ************************ on Sun 26th Aug, 2007 11:44 pm PDT Horge said: Did you take the test? You should post pictures of it. Or everyone should send you pictures. Then you can add it to your Match Game. Match the tongue to the BdW commentator. :) ************************ on Mon 27th Aug, 2007 01:53 pm PDT Jim said: I'll second your mom's comment--that is one stupid quiz. I can't see how they can arrive at any conclusions from questions like whether you 'tuck into your food right away' or whether you continue to converse with your dinner partners. If you're basing your supertasterism on that quiz, I suggest a second opinion. ************************ on Mon 27th Aug, 2007 05:12 pm PDT I said: the quiz rated me as a supertaster so i don't think it's stupid. it made me feel special.i wonder if beer would also make the supertaster list? i have never, ever taken a liking to beer, even when it's free, and i've wondered why everyone else can 'acquire' that taste but me. ************************ on Mon 27th Aug, 2007 08:25 pm PDT Saxtor said: The quiz informed me that I am either a "supertaster" or a "non-taster." Way to narrow it down... ************************ on Mon 27th Aug, 2007 08:50 pm PDT Wren said: Admittedly, the quiz isn't perfect. The best way I know how to judge your supertasterism is to compare your likes and dislikes to the list over at wikipedia. No need to get sore at me just because you aren't among the few, the proud, the supertasters. (Oh, and "I" (who, by the wonders of sneaky internet tracking, I've found to the same person as "me" from the previous post) is not me in case there was some mix up, and is also not "me" as previously established here at BdW. You're going to have to get a little more creative, sensei) ************************ on Tue 28th Aug, 2007 06:49 pm PDT Jule said: Is that chemical you taste called "vegetables"? ************************ on Wed 29th Aug, 2007 09:44 am PDT Sean said: I couldn't find banana runts on the list. I guess I'm not a supertaster. ************************ on Wed 29th Aug, 2007 11:56 am PDT gretchen said: uh, i'm pretty sure banana runts are the best flavor. ah, runts how i haven't thought of you for many a year. do they even still exist? ************************ on Wed 29th Aug, 2007 04:10 pm PDT Joe said: i whole heartedly agree with gretchen. best runt flavor ever is banana by far. and yes they're still goin strong, as far as i know. i haven't had them in some years as well. and i'm too lazy to take even the lazy quiz. i know i'm picky so i don't really need the euphemism of "supertaster" instead. ************************ on Wed 29th Aug, 2007 07:36 pm PDT Jule said: Banana runts? Are you crazy? the only thing that should take like bananas are bananas and possibly some kind of pudding. ************************ on Wed 29th Aug, 2007 07:47 pm PDT Wren said: Food Pavilion carries chewy runts in their candy aisle (I didn't check bulk because, since the redesign, it is hard to find anything). On this fact-finding mission, the rumors of new flavors were also confirmed. Pineapple and mango are now included. (I heard that two flavor were taken out to make way, but I don't remember which. All I know is that banana is still around.) ************************ on Thu 30th Aug, 2007 04:43 am PDT Andrew said: this shit is bananas. ...but seriously. Jule is right. the fruit and the bread are the only objects in this world that should have any semblance to the yellow. All else is no bueno. ************************

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Homemade Salt

When I tell people about the local foods party (now an annual tradition!), that which I get the most comments about is the homemade salt. Because I've had so much fun making my own salt, I thought I would share with you the process so you can make your own salt too (assuming you live near a salty body of water)*. First step is to harvest the sea water. Needless to say*, the cleaner the water the better. I try to take my water from below the surface so as to avoid floating badness, such as oil and gas, but away from the bottom where lurks grunge such as fish poop and sand. In my experience, a liter of water will make about a half cup of salt. Next, you need to find a shallow pan. I've tried both a metal cookie sheet with shallow sides and a pyrex 9x13 baking dish. The metal cookie sheet more quickly evaporated the water, but scraping the salt away was more difficult than in the pyrex, plus, I was a little unsure about what chemicals/sealers the salt might have bonded to on the metal. My solution is to contain the water in the pyrex and let the pyrex rest on the metal sheet like this. When you've got your pan set up, find yourself a sunny spot. Decent wind helps too. As the water evaporates, add more, little bits at a time, so the bottom of the pan is continually covered. On average, I would pour about one cup of new water in per day, depending on the sun and the wind. After about a week, the salt build-up on the bottom of the pan starts to be significant. In my experience, the sun has a hard time completely evaporating all the water leaving you with damp, hard to spread salt. My solution is to throw the near finished pan of salt (just the pyrex, not the cookie sheet) in the oven after it's been used. The residual heat is more than enough to finish off the drying process. Presto, now you've got some homemade sea salt.

Thursday August 23 2007

File under: food

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on Thu 23rd Aug, 2007 09:57 pm PDT Mom said: Let me add that it is the saltiest salt any Old Salt could want--far saltier than the table variety which lacks all those great minerals from the sea. mmmm, finger-lickin good. ************************ on Thu 23rd Aug, 2007 11:24 pm PDT Andrew said: yeah. But Creepy goes to Old Salts. ************************ on Fri 24th Aug, 2007 04:52 am PDT Chris said: Most bodies of water around here are saltless and chock full of ducks/geese- I shudder to think what my pan would look like. ************************ on Sat 25th Aug, 2007 10:14 pm PDT Emilly said: I've got more than enough sun to dry out that puppy...no salt water though. The salt distributors must be in on it- keeping the goods apart so we are forced to buy that packaged NaCl with the umbrella girl in the yellow dress. ************************ on Sun 26th Aug, 2007 07:39 pm PDT me said: do i get a thousand yen if i create salt from the tears of a [japanese] girl? ************************ on Mon 27th Aug, 2007 08:22 pm PDT Saxtor said: That photo just screams "I'm a sassy lad!" ************************

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Local Foods and Local Fun

I'm pleased to announce that this year's local foods party was a resounding success, although anyone who stopped by knows that already. Round about 30 people contributed to a menu of over a dozen dishes of all* local ingredients. Recipes and tips were exchanged as well as origin and often times history of the ingredients ("The currants were from the neighbor up the street and the apples from my own tree.", etc.). It was truly delicious food for the body and, for me, food for the soul. For those of you unfamiliar, a bit of history: last year I conceived of the idea of having a collaborative meal where all ingredients were from the local area, as arbitrarily defined as a 100-mile radius (this is not a new idea and has been gaining lots of media attention recently). The idea is to understand where our food comes from, appreciate what northwest Washington has to offer, capitalize on the bountiful season, and do it all in an inspiring, educational, and fun way. The party went extremely well and drummed up much enthusiasm and discussion. (A write-up of last year's party including pictures and a menu can be found here). This year's party wouldn't have been nearly as successful if it hadn't been for all who those who contributed and participated. Being able to share my enthusiasm for local foods and getting such a positive response is what makes it so much fun. Also, a big thanks to Andrew and Ma for the pictures (1, 2, 3, 4, 5). Hey, I got an idea: let's do it again next year!

Monday August 20 2007

File under: Anacortes, food

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on Thu 23rd Aug, 2007 08:19 am PDT Sean said: I am craving healthy food like you wouldn't believe. Even green veggies. ************************

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Now THAT is a Farmers Market

I don't have anything against the Anacortes Farmers Market; the bounty of the Skagit Valley, and access to it, is important to me; it is neat to see people behind the counter that I recognize; and Samish Bay cheese will always hold a special place in my heart. But compared to the Portland Farmers Market at PSU, it leaves much to be desired. Yesterday, I journeyed downtown via my favorite form of public transportation (non-bus) to bask in all the local foods that NW Oregon has to provide. What did I see? Berries, cherries, buffalo meat, goat cheese, mushrooms, honey, walnuts, veggies, oysters, flowers, bread, and so much more. And there wasn't just one stand for each, but lots to choose from. The fruit stands alone were easily larger than the whole of the Anacortes Farmers Market. Although I ended up only coming away with cherries, a focaccia bread, and some chipotle cheddar, I could have easily spend about $200 dollars and had myself quite the little feast. Speak of feasts, not only was there fresh local produce etc., but there were food stands to beat the band: pizza by the slice, organic breakfast burritos, and plenty more that I would have loved to sampled. I decided on a spicy sausage with grilled onions and green peppers. I sat and enjoyed my lunch while listening to the [local, (I assume)] band rocking out on stage. Yep, the Portland Farmers Market is a good way to spend a day.

Sunday July 15 2007

File under: food, travel

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on Sun 15th Jul, 2007 11:12 am PDT Saxtor said: The last time I was in Portland, I managed to squeeze in about 10 total minutes downtown, and those 10 minutes were spent at said farmer's market. It was definitely one of the highlights of my trip. Some of the other far-off and smaller farmer's markets (the ones in the Hollywood and Belmont neighborhoods, in particular) have aspects that are better, despite being smaller than the downtown bigboy. ************************ on Sun 15th Jul, 2007 01:08 pm PDT MOM said: Wren, whaddaya say we flex the rules a bit for our local foods party to expand the territory to include Portland? This blog post is making my mouth water. ************************ on Sun 15th Jul, 2007 01:46 pm PDT Chris said: Yeah, I gotta see if I can find something in Ohio, Texas was not the place for bounty or organic unless you want beef. Most of the cities I've been in lately have a groccery store with an "Organic" food section which means they have soy milk and a few pieces of produce they claim to be organic. Someday I shall retrun to the fabled land of the Northwest and take back my birthright of delicious food! ************************ on Sun 15th Jul, 2007 04:43 pm PDT cardboard said: judging by saxtors comment i think its safe to say one could look at the downtown farmers market and say "thats your big boy" ************************

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PDX

(For all you uninitiated, "PDX" is what the cool kids call Portland, OR. Or at least that's what I am told. I sure hope another naming discussion stems from this one*. I'll just stick with it purely for convenience. PDX is easier to type than Portland*.) Portland, Oregon is a city that is held in high regards by many Northwesterners. It isn't too large to be overwhelming. It is large enough to have all the culture you could hope for. And it is a well planned city with public transportation, city parks, and more. I've passed through here a couple of times before, but never really gotten a chance to really immerse myself in all that is PDX. Well, in the continuing vein of the Year of Wren, things just seem to go my way. I've landed a 10 day housesitting gig in a gorgeous home in a lovely part of the city. Within being here only a couple of hours, I get treated to dinner with old friends at the 2007 Restaurant of the Year, Pok Pok*. Now, as a cool breeze flushes the house of the warmth built up through the day, thunder and lightening echo in the background really adding to the sense of adventure I'm anticipating for this lovely visit. So any BdW readers in the area, let's get together! Let's do a movie in one of those famous McMenamin's pub/cinemas. Shall we check out the Farmers' Market? You must know a good swimming hole. Show me your favorite park*. Or if you were here but aren't now, drop a suggestion for what I simply mustn't miss. Three cheers for a PDX adventure!

Thursday July 12 2007

File under: travel, food

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on Fri 13th Jul, 2007 12:56 am PDT Saxtor said: Well, I'm currently strapped for suggestions, but I will tell you, since you mention geocaches, some of the most amazingly clever ones are in that area. Definitely check some of those out. Also, be sure to check out some of the CityRepair sites. There are a few Geocaches associated there too, but the draw is way cooler than the cache. ************************ on Fri 13th Jul, 2007 09:01 am PDT gretchen said: if it ever rains while you are there and are running out of slightly more adventurous things to do, omsi is currently hosting the body exhibit. ************************ on Fri 13th Jul, 2007 10:09 am PDT Amanda said: I second Gretchen's suggestion. We just went last weekend and it was amazing. Also... Japanese Gardens. It costs $8, but it's worth it. And um... POWELLS. ************************ on Fri 13th Jul, 2007 01:47 pm PDT Sweet Julie said: HIP....HIP.....! ************************ on Fri 13th Jul, 2007 01:48 pm PDT Strong Beef said: Chicago style for Portland. Italian beef ordered wet with hot peppers. ************************ on Fri 13th Jul, 2007 02:06 pm PDT Wren said: Strong Beef's comment is right on the money. Not a truer word has been spoken. ************************ on Fri 13th Jul, 2007 10:19 pm PDT MOM said: Wren, The Japanese Gardens are a true favorite for me but for a real cultural experience from the East visit the amazing Classical Chinese Gardens. Talk about a Great Wall of China! They have summer concerts too--like this coming Tuesday already. ************************ on Sat 14th Jul, 2007 09:06 am PDT cardboard said: HEY Wren, You should check out those city repair sites that saxtor pointed out, I was just looking at the pictures of them and they look like greattimes. You should really have the ROD with you on these adventures. ************************ on Tue 24th Jul, 2007 06:28 am PDT Chris said: Just heard a quote on NPR you might like "Portland is where all NPR announcers want to go when they die. Either that or be turned into compost for growing hemp." Ohio may not be PDX, but I get a lot less grief for listening to NPR than I did in Texas; "Why you listenin' to that commie propaganda boy!" ************************

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Simple Solar Power

Sunny days here in the Pacific Northwest aren't as frequent as some other places in the world. In fact, we probably rank pretty low on the number-of-sunny-days-per-year list. But for a brief time during the summer, the sunny days outnumber the grey ones reminding all us Washingtonians that NW Washington is a great place to live. For this month's Environmental Project of the Month, I thought I would focus on the sun. Part one of the project is nothing new for me, but I want to share it in hopes of encouraging you to give it a try. Hang drying clothes is a wonderful way to harness the power of the sun and save electricity [and fossil fuels, if you have a gas powered dryer]. Not only is it great for the environment, hanging your clothes on the line is a great excuse to be outside on a beautiful day, if even for 10 minutes or so. Drying your clothes on the line isn't a summer only practice, even here in the northwest. For the past 5 years or so, I would say 90-95% of my drying needs have been met by the sun and wind. Part two of this month's EPotM is what I am really excited about. From junk found around the house, I've built a solar oven. (Plans abound on the internet if you are interested in giving it a try yourself.) Basically an insulated cardboard box with aluminum foil covered collectors, a well made solar cooker can get to 250-275 degrees. In test runs, I've only got mine up to 214. Right now, I've got a couple of baking potatoes and some lentil beans cooking. We'll see how my first home solar-cooked meal turns out. For those of us not ready or not in a place to make the leap to photovoltaic panels for supplementing our electricity needs (or even for those who are), harnessing the power of the sun through simple methods is a great way to reduce our impact. And speaking of how awesome the sun is, check out this audio ode to the sun. (For those of you at work (esp. in cubicles), be warned: The audio is embedded and hidden in the page so no volume controls or stop button is present. When will people learn that just because you can doesn't mean that you should?)

Tuesday June 19 2007

File under: food, environment

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on Tue 19th Jun, 2007 05:23 pm PDT Emilly said: Got Solar? ************************ on Tue 19th Jun, 2007 06:27 pm PDT Saxtor said: Speaking of photovoltaics, check out Google's Solar Panel Project website which appears to have just come online two days ago (and they've already generated ~20,000 kilowatt-hours or 3883 45min clothes dryer cycles!). The video that shows the scale of the array is pretty impressive. ************************ on Tue 19th Jun, 2007 07:20 pm PDT Saxtor's Boss said: Firstly, nobody would ever read any blogs at work, so crank the speakers. Secondsty, how does the bottle of pee on the table figure into the solar EPotM? ************************ on Tue 19th Jun, 2007 08:24 pm PDT jenelle said: nice sun illustration. my retinas burn. now my blood hurts. ouch. ************************ on Wed 20th Jun, 2007 04:27 am PDT Horge said: Think I'll use this opportunity to toot my own horn a bit (hope Wren doesn't mind). Anyone else wanting to go solar can read a book (pdf, 5.2 MB) I wrote as part of my work at my Bosnian NGO. If you want to see some of the other work I/we did on this project you can check out our website. ************************ on Wed 20th Jun, 2007 04:44 am PDT Horge said: Fine. BduW doesn't like the last part of my comment, so I'll just add it anew by itself: Y'all should also check out this NYT article about saving energy, and don't forget to try out the mentioned computer program to save energy, money, environment... ************************ on Wed 20th Jun, 2007 08:50 am PDT gretchen said: if your pee is that color, saxtor...errr, saxtor's boss, you've got some problems. plus you should read picture captions. ************************ on Wed 20th Jun, 2007 08:50 am PDT Saxtor's Boss said: Timely article about pee color And thank's for the heads up, I called Wren into my office to solve the mystery of the missing javascript captions ************************ on Wed 20th Jun, 2007 11:18 am PDT Sean said: Pfff, my pee's way darker than that. ************************ on Thu 21st Jun, 2007 12:11 am PDT Horge said: Thank you Wrennie for cleaning up my htmess. :) ************************ on Thu 21st Jun, 2007 12:11 pm PDT Sean said: My boots get hotter than your oven. ************************ on Thu 21st Jun, 2007 12:18 pm PDT Wren said: Sean, I don't doubt it. It turns out that NW sun isn't best suited for baking potatoes or cooking beans. That doesn't mean that I have given up, though. You should totally make yourself a solar cooker for over there. I would be impressed, and even give you a guest post if you got a picture and an account of your endeavor. ************************ on Fri 22nd Jun, 2007 08:20 am PDT Sean said: Would it help if you put some glass or something like that over the top of your oven? ************************ on Fri 22nd Jun, 2007 08:56 pm PDT Wilbur said: do solar ovens work inside too? cuz if it's raining i wanna be able to cook stuff still......hey where'd everybody go? ************************

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Re-Taste of Anacortes

Once again, we (Amanda and I), accompanied by Marg, hit the town for the Taste of Anacortes. Like last time, it was a blast. Good food, a night on the town, and a little class (enough class that I felt out-classed, but we all know how much class that takes...). Sadly, this was the last Taste of the year. Here's hoping that they do it again next year! For all of you who didn't get to experience it all, here's what was served: The Store: A smattering of hors d'oeuvres all made from ingredients available at the Store. They included asparagus with a chardonnay mustard sauce, cherry tomatoes stuffed with blue cheese, prawn with "green" tampanade and caper, snow peas piped with egg salad, and a couple of breads with some sauce. Il Posto: Chicken wrapped with something served over polenta with gravy. Yummy! Randy's Pier 36: Battered and fried calamari strips served with aioli and lemon. El Jinete: Pollo al crema and rice. Cheesecake Cafe: Chocolate truffle cheesecake and shortbread cookies with pink frosting.

Wednesday March 21 2007

File under: food, Anacortes

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on Thu 22nd Mar, 2007 08:27 am PST amanda said: i liked The Store the best! it was pretty cool to have the option to buy and make all of the hors d'oeuvres myself (mmmmm, smokey chardonnay mustard) ************************ on Thu 22nd Mar, 2007 11:25 am PST Sweet Julie said: Pictures? Pictures, Wren-Wren?! ************************

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Taste of Anacortes

Does any body remember the good old days in high school when we used to go to Mt. Vernon/Burlington on eating excursions where we'd visit 3 or 4 different restaurants and just indulge ourselves? Okay, for a lot of you, you prolly don't. And anyway, it's not important. Last night, however, I was reminded of just such good old times while I was hopping from restaurant to restaurant during the Taste of Anacortes. Granted, the food and establishments were much nicer than the Taco Bell, McDonald's, etc. of those old, uninformed days. I caught myself somewhat hyperbolicly[sic] commenting, "This is the best night ever." The deal was we cruised to 5 different restaurants (out of a possible 15) and had a little nosh at each. Listed below are the ones we chose and what each served. Flounder Bay Cafe Choice of shrimp or chicken caesar salad or clam chowder Aloha Bar and Grill Sampler plate of BBQed pork(?), chicken, pasta salad, rice, pineapple, and passion-orange-guava juice El Jinete Chili con carne with onions, cheese, and chips Adrift Taco with sweet potato and lots of other goodness Penguin Coffee 12oz. drink of choice and cookie The verdict: what a great way to spend a mid-week evening. I can't wait until next month to sample what other restaurants in the area have to offer.

Thursday February 22 2007

File under: food, Anacortes

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on Fri 23rd Feb, 2007 04:25 am UTC Jule said: You could get all of that and more at the Royal Fork. One stop shopping ************************ on Fri 23rd Feb, 2007 07:48 pm UTC amanda said: "the taste" was fun! you forgot to mention the chardonnay at Flounder Bay though, just cuz you didn't have any doesn't mean it didn't exist! ;) ************************ on Sat 24th Feb, 2007 01:17 am UTC Andrew said: with so many choices, you could argue that it was truly the "Omnivore's Dilemma"! err. no wait. I mean the "DaVinci Code". yeah. that is what i meant. good book. all those riddles and clues. the illiterati. or was that "Angels & Demons"? i forget. they were both so great. true masterpieces. and to think, i would have never picked them out if it wasn't for the stellar reporting of Georgie LaForge. take a look kids. it's in a book... ************************ on Sat 24th Feb, 2007 01:19 am UTC Andrew said: with so many choices, you could argue that it was truly the "Omnivore's Dilemma"! err. no wait. I mean the "DaVinci Code". yeah. that is what i meant. good book. all those riddles and clues. the illiterati. or was that "Angels & Demons"? i forget. they were both so great. true masterpieces. and to think, i would have never picked them out if it wasn't for the stellar reporting of Georgie LaForge. take a look kids. it's in a book... ************************ on Sat 24th Feb, 2007 01:21 am UTC Andrew said: yes! the ellusive double post! and i owe it all to the illuminati! damn. i called them the illiminati in the first two posts. total ignorance. ...if only i had actually read any Dan Brown book. to be honest, i just looked at the pictures. ************************ on Sat 24th Feb, 2007 05:31 am UTC Mom said: Okay, count me on the next one. BTW, what's with the Beta version under BDW? I'm confused--maybe it's the searing NZ sun and sound of waves just beyond the door that causes the befuddelment. (is that a word?) ************************ on Sat 24th Feb, 2007 05:31 am UTC Mom said: Okay, count me on the next one. BTW, what's with the Beta version under BDW? I'm confused--maybe it's the searing NZ sun and sound of waves just beyond the door that causes the befuddelment. (is that a word?) ************************ on Sat 24th Feb, 2007 05:32 am UTC Mom said: Okat, Count me in twice for the next TOA--whatever, I can't let A'drew get ahead of me. ************************ on Sat 24th Feb, 2007 01:21 pm UTC Sean said: HA HA! I love the double posts! Perhaps I'll physically double post this one and go for the elusive... QUADRUPLE POST. Or perhaps I shant. Back to some more fair and balanced news! ACLU most dangerous organization in America says Bill O-Reilly! ************************ on Mon 26th Feb, 2007 01:57 pm UTC Chris said: All I need to know about Anacortes Cuisine is whether or not Cafe Adrift is still in business and if they still sell the Skagit Burger. Apparently it captivated my wife the last time she was there and I'm pretty sure it's the only real reason she's coming back with me in April. So, what's the word - If it's gone I need to know so I can start planning some giant Saved-By-The-Bellesque ruse to trick my wife in to coming up there. ************************ on Mon 26th Feb, 2007 09:54 am PST Saxtor said: Psssssh.....Chris, tell your wife that it's all about the Samish burger with oysters. That is my favorite sandwich in the world. ************************ on Tue 27th Feb, 2007 05:33 am PST Andrew said: hmmm. interesting Saxtor. My favorite sandwich is WORLD PEACE! ...but i guess some people are just greedy. ************************ on Tue 27th Feb, 2007 06:51 am PST Stacy said: The Royal Fork... ah that fateful place... meeeeeeemorieeeeeeeeeeeeees, like the corner of my miiiiiiiiiiiiiind..... ************************

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Any Excuse for Potstickers

Chinese New Year was this past weekend, in case you missed it. From my sources still over in that part of the world, I hear it was a wicked good time. But just because I can't join in the authentic festivities over there doesn't mean I can't have a celebration of my own. For my own little celebration of the Chinese New Year, I decided to make potsickers. Potstickers have been my favorite food ever since I was a wee lad, but it wasn't until lately that the family secret of how to make them was passed down to me. While over in China, I [extensively] studied how they were made and served (remember?). I didn't incorporate any of the eastern techniques this attempt, but I tried a few new approaches. For the innards, I used a shrimp filling and a faux-sausage filling. (This year is the year of the pig, so I thought I might give those porkers a break.) Along with a somewhat non-traditional filling, I tried a varied of folding methods. The grocery bag, which the family recipe calls for, seemed to work best, although the triangle fold led to a crispier dumpling. Having the multiple fillings and multiple folds made for a great finished product. I was also able to freeze a bunch uncooked for next time. Yum!

Tuesday February 20 2007

File under: food

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on Wed 21st Feb, 2007 05:57 pm UTC Saxtor said: I recall it was for someone's potluck last year but don't really remember who's, however, the potstickers we made last year were tasty! These sound even better! ************************ on Wed 21st Feb, 2007 06:05 pm UTC Wren said: It wasn't a potluck, it was a gentlemen's party. ************************ on Wed 21st Feb, 2007 10:53 pm UTC Jule said: those look so tasty! YUM! I have had success filling them with tofu, but they taste like tofu. ************************ on Thu 22nd Feb, 2007 04:03 pm UTC Chris said: Admit it, the only reason you went to Asia was so you could drop little comments like "While over in China" into your conversation and sound cool. I know because I try it, but somehow when I drop comments like "Last time I was in Tacoma" I just don't get the same cool points. ************************ on Sun 25th Feb, 2007 05:56 pm PST Siri said: Wow! You\'ve really stepped up your game since the Top Ramen Days. . . impressive. Speaking of food & Schultzes, I ate lunch at the Globe the other day & thought of you (& yer pa). ************************

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