Pan Seared Trout w/ Garlic + Oregano

Ingredients: Trout fillets, MarketSpice Seafood Seasoning Rub, kosher salt, lemon, red garlic, fresh oregano, butter, olive oil

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Investing in any type of spice rub will make your food taste like you've been slaving away in the kitchen (or on the grill) for hours. It elevates the flavor of your dishes 10-fold and all you need to do is rub it on! This particular Seafood Rub has a blend of paprika, garlic, onion, parsley, mustard, turmeric, pepper, and dill weed. This trout literally took 10 mins to make, throwing it on a hot pan (skin-side down) and finishing it off with garlic, lemon juice, and fresh oregano leaves. 

MarketSpice is a great little store in a corner of Pike Place Market in Seattle, tucked away behind the famous yelling fishermen stand. It was a bulk spice, seasoning, and loose-leaf tea store that was absolute heaven. 

Spaghetti + Meatballs

Ingredients:

Spaghetti Sauce //  canned tomatoes, dried oregano, dried basil, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, bay leaf kosher salt, black pepper, sugar

Meatballs // ground turkey, spicy Italian pork sausage, Italian parsley, ground Parmesan cheese, fresh bread crumbs, soy milk, red garlic cloves, kosher salt, black pepper

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There is nothing like the flavor of homemade Spaghetti sauce. And I don't mean buying a jar of pre-made marinara and adding your fix-ins, I mean making your sauce. There is definitely a novelty of having your sauce simmer on the stove for the whole afternoon - the aroma really transports you into an Italian kitchen that no other jarred sauce could do. And since I don't have an Italian bone in my body, take my advice with a grain of salt. 

I combined a variety of Spaghetti sauce recipes that I referenced on epicurious.com, Bon Appetit magazine, and Cook's Journal. But in the end I just made my own.  I combined all the ingredients above and allowed it to simmer on low for at least an hour. I then poured it all into my food processor to puree the sauce in order to make it a smoother consistency and returned it to a low heat for another half hour.

It was my first time making meatballs, referencing loads of recipes and finally making up my own concoction. They turned out incredible - I seared them in a saucepan first, browning them on all sides and then finished them off to cook in the sauce. Throw in some al dente spaghetti pasta and you're in business.

Bourbon Ice Cream

Ingredients: heavy cream, half and half, egg yolks, cane sugar, brown sugar, Maker's Mark, kosher salt

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Here's a shot of my latest and greatest batch of homemade ice cream, fresh from the churning  and setting process. I went a little overboard with the bourbon... but that's not a problem. I had this vision of serving it with some grilled peaches which made it a picture perfect summer [happy hour] dessert.

Classic Caprese w/ Mozzarella di Bufala

 

Ingredients: tomatoes, basil, Buffalo mozzarella, olive oil, lavender balsamic vinegar

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If you've never tried Buffalo mozzarella, you have not lived. It is refreshingly creamy and soft and typically served chilled and kept in a water bath to prevent it from drying out. It is definitely an indulgence, much pricier than regular mozzarella, but worth every penny. Buffalo mozzarella is worlds away from the classic mozzarella which is usually featured on pizzas, lasagnas, and your standard Italian fare.  Someone told me once about the technical differences in making Buffalo vs. regular mozzarella, but I don't remember. All I know is that this is possibly the best cheese on the planet - and perfect with a caprese. You can find it at any cheese shop or Italian deli, and even at Trader Joe's. 

And while we're on the topic, here are some of my favorite Fromageries:

Cowgirl Creamery - San Francisco Ferry Bldg.

Berkeley Bowl West, Cheese Counter - West Berkeley

The Cheese Board - North Berkeley / Gourmet Ghetto

The Pasta Shop, Cheese Counter - West Berkeley

The Cheesestore of Silverlake - Silverlake, Los Angeles

Andrew's Cheese Shop - Santa Monica

Monsieur Marcel - Inside the 3rd & Fairfax Farmer's Market, Los Angeles

And one last thing, the lavender balsamic vinegar I have is out of this world! I was scared it would taste too flowery from the lavender, but it is so subtle that the folks at Amphora Nueva seemed to get it just right by extracting only the sweet flavors from the blossoms. It's so great on salads and with bread for dipping!

Zucchini Fries w/ Homemade Ranch Dip

Ingredients: Zucchini, all-purpose flour, garlic powder, paprika, cayenne pepper, cumin, organic egg, black pepper, kosher salt, olive oil // Ranch Dip: organic mayonnaise, light sour cream, chives, Italian parsley, garlic, black pepper, kosher salt

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I wanted to take a crack at making my own Ranch dip. I was never really a fan of the dressing version, but a good Ranch dip goes so well with incredibly fattening and fried goodies. Since summer squashes are in season, I thought I'd fry up some zucchini fries and make a classic pairing. Eat these up fast because fried zucchini tends to get soggy quickly! 

The Ranch dip was so easy to whip up - it's just a matter of throwing everything into a bowl, with very minimal chopping for the chives and parsley. This is a much healthier alternative than getting the jarred stuff or that disturbing powder that comes in those little packets at the store. The fresh greens in the dip make all the difference, along with some freshly minced raw garlic which adds a tangy bite. 

From the Deli // Mole Salami

   

Possibly the best salami you've ever tasted. Aged and infused with chocolate, cinnamon, ancho and chipotle peppers, this Mole salami blew my mind when I first tried it at Salumi. Run by a very tight-knit and robust Italian family (who man the counter and the kitchen), this small charcuterie deli has made a name for itself in the Pioneer Square neighborhood of Seattle, WA. Other notable flavors to try are their Hot Sopressata and Smoked Paprika. 

Broiled Baby Back Ribs

 

Ingredients: pork ribs, DiLaurenti Barbeque Sauce, kosher salt

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It really is all about the sauce. I snagged a bottle of this BBQ sauce while in Seattle and slathered a bunch all over a rack of baby back pork ribs. I'm not a fan of tangy BBQ sauces, but this one is very sweet and full of an oak-y, charcoal-y taste with incredibly earthy flavors.

I coated the ribs before broiling in the oven at 350F, covered in foil for one hour. I then removed the foil, increase the temperature to 400F and broiled for an additional 20 mins until brown (alas, I have no bbq grill). It needed a bit of heat as I dug into them and decided to drop a bit of my secret hot sauce that I bring out for special occasions. I found it while in this great hot sauce boutique in downtown Austin, TX last summer, appropriately named Tears of Joy Hot Sauce Shop.

Travelogue // SEATTLE, WA

Who knew Seattle had so many food shops, tasty treats, bistros, and everything gourmet. This was probably my 2nd or 3rd time visiting and it has definitely bourgeoned in the last 10-12 years since I've been. Recently featured in a NY Times article which cleverly dubbed the Seattle food movement as "Fork by Northwest," is has definitely become a food mecca destination. The city has an incredibly unique flavor and a vibe that is of its own - worlds away from the food cultures in San Francisco, Portland, and Los Angeles.  There is an incredible seafaring culture here, with Dungeness Crabs bigger than your head and Lobster tails up to 20 inches long on display at the markets. The clam chowder is to die for at Pike Place Chowder, the local cheese at Beecher's Handmade Cheese is unlike you've ever tried, and the Chocolate Mousse at Le Pichet is out of this world.

Some locations featured in the above collage:

Salumi Artisan Cured Meats 

[http://www.salumicuredmeats.com/]

Serious Pie 

[http://tomdouglas.com/index.php?page=serious-pie]

DiLaurenti Specialty Food & Wine

[http://www.delaurenti.com/]

Dahlia Bakery

[http://tomdouglas.com/index.php?page=dahlia-bakery]

Tomatillo Salsa

 

Ingredients: tomatillos, cilantro, jalapeno, lemon juice, kosher salt

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Tomatillo salsa is my own spin on the classic salsa verde. Tomatillos are such a fun veggie to husk, clean, and prep. I never knew they were so white and juicy inside - the bigger ones yield a runnier salsa. I pretty much just threw all the ingredients in the food processor and called it a day. It took about 5 mins!

Chocolate-Chocolate Chunk Muffins

 

 

Ingredients: semi-sweet dark chocolate, unsweetened cocoa powder, all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, organic cane sugar, vanilla extract

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The muffin: the best excuse to have cake for breakfast. This is probably the most sinful muffin you'll ever have - super chocolaty, not dry, and not even that sweet. It goes perfect with a cup of coffee or espresso. The recipe was super simple! One of the differences I noticed right away while mixing up the batter is that it's a lot thicker and dryer than normal cake batter, but the result is very dense, very moist. There are huge chocolate chunks inside with every bite - don't use chocolate chips for these, it's better to chop up your own pieces from a block of chocolate.