seattle: the rundown so far

I promised you all a Seattle update after we got settled!

We have been Seattle residents for two months and man has it flown by. Likely due to the fact that I have made a 10 day trip to Boston/Cancun for two weddings, a weekend trip to Austin and a one week trip home to NY during that period, but still.

The trip home was to pick up my cats, Pot & Kettle, and bring them to live with us here. I have had them since I was a senior in college, but they have been living with my parents the whole time I lived in Cali. It was a lot tougher to find apartments that accepted pets in SF, whereas here, everyone does. The trip itself was a little stressful-these two are not used to going anywhere and despise their carriers. I had them cooped up in those things for hours, under the seat on a plane. Kettle actually ripped open her carrier at one point. Needless to say, I had a lot of wine on that flight.

Kettles head peeking out of the carrier on the plane

Now, two happy Seattle cats. Pots face always looks like that, don't worry.

Besides becoming cat parents, Mike and I have been decorating the apartment (I want to share that in a separate post!) and exploring our neighborhood and new city. We live in Ballard and have unlimited access to awesome bars and food, a gorgeous, year-round Sunday farmers market and parks within walking distance.

Before all of this was the 11 day road trip and movers from hell. It was a bit lengthy and more stressful than I would have liked, with very little communication from our movers on when our stuff would arrive. However, it gave us a chance to make so many unexpected stops and have an epic road trip.

We saw the worlds largest oyster in South Bend, WA, relaxed in Cannon Beach, Oregon at a cute BnB, ate and drank our way through Portland, and stocked up on a case of wine on stops in Sonoma and Willamette Valley.

Lets just say we were ready for home by the end of all of this.

On our last night of the roadtrip, in Olympia

Now we are happy Seattle residents, adjusting to real weather and preparing for the gray winter. Wish us luck :)

braised kale

Years ago I achieved what I thought was impossible: getting Mike to eat (and enjoy) kale. Turns out calling it a chip and seasoning it well does wonders.

Well, you all know me to be up for a challenge so once I tackled that, the next impossible feat seemed to be to get him to eat it in any other form. Then a salad worked, again if dressed and seasoned properly. Too easy. I decided I was going to braise this stuff and see where it took me.

I am a strong believer in certain ingredients making a dish instantly better. Butter. Salt. Goat cheese. But garlic is on another level. Its in my blood. The smell of garlic sautéing on the stovetop in a bit of olive oil transports me back to my parents' kitchen on Sunday mornings. Its heavenly smell overtakes my nostrils and makes my mouth water. So yeah, you could say I love garlic.

However, add this to the list of ingredients Mike hates (for those keeping track: its any fish, onions, mushrooms, sour cream and cream cheese in addition to garlic. He also isn’t a fan of tomatoes. Where did I find this one?!?)

fun fact: this dish was the side last night to salmon. Which MIKE ATE. I am as shocked as anyone. Recipe to be posted, obviously.

My thought process for this kale was to prepare it similarly to how my mom makes broccoli rabe: garlic and oil, a bit of red pepper flakes so it is infused with flavor and nearly melts in your mouth. I thought, maybe leave the garlic whole so I can pick it out after I infuse the flavor into the oil…

Find the recipe below and let me know what you guys think…about the recipe, how else I can force feed my boyfriend kale or just opinions on his picky eating habits.

braised kale

1 head of kale, chopped into bite sized pieces, or a bag of pre-chopped (I like lasciano kale which is a dark, Tuscan style leaf, or a curly leaf, but use whatever you can find/have)

3 garlic cloves, left whole and smashed (technique below) or minced finely for the garlic lovers in your life

salt, pepper and red pepper flakes for seasoning, about a sprinkle of each

about 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil
2/3 cup of water

• pre-heat oven to 375
• heat an oven safe pan on medium heat with half the olive oil
• add the garlic and lower to low-medium heat and let sauté. Watch it carefully, stirring in the pan so it doesn’t burn
• add kale and remaining olive oil (you want it to be slightly coated but not doused) and stir around
• season with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes to taste (I use a small dash of red pepper to avoid too much heat)
• let cook on the stove for about 5 more minutes, turning every so often, then add the water, cover with an oven safe lid and transfer to the oven
• let cook for 30-45 minutes, until leaves are tender to your liking (some people like a bit of a bite, I like them to melt in my mouth)
• if garlic cloves were left whole, remove before serving (unless whole roasted garlic cloves are your thing, then go for it!)

garlic smashing: If you don't know this trick, it will change your life!

Take your unpeeled garlic cloves, and one at a time, press them under the flat side of your knife and smash down with the heel of your palm. This will help them peel so easily, and also smash them a bit to release their fragrance and flavor.

You can see a demo in my #instacookingvideo

What do you guys want to see next? Any advice or tips that would be helpful? Comment away!

summer pasta salad made lighter

I will be the first one to profess my love for macaroni salad or a creamy potato salad, both covered in mayo.

BUT-why not try something else? Greek yogurt has become a staple on every grocery store visit. What used to be the base for my smoothies is now also a salad dressing component, a sauce for latkes, a veggie dip and the coating for a delicious and light summer pasta salad.

The ironic part about this is that I made this recipe on the least summery day we have had in Seattle. Since moving here in June, we have experienced record temps in June (hottest ever!!) and July while never seeing it drop below 70. Until the day I made this pasta salad, as it rained in sheets for hours and hours and I sipped hot cocoa on the couch.

I was originally inspired to make this salad after finding mini farfalle (bow tie pasta) at the store and realizing it had been forever since I whipped up a pasta salad. The greek yogurt lends the creamy texture I crave, and by thinning it out with lemon juice and olive oil, it perfectly coats the pasta. The peppers add a great crunch and feta balances out the sweetness of the tomatoes perfectly.

Make this before summer is over!

summer pasta salad 
(serves about 10-halve the recipe if you don't plan on bringing to a party or eating this for at least a week like me)

1 pound of pasta-your choice!
1 cup of bell peppers (red, orange and yellow), diced. I cut mine pretty small, but any bite sized chop would work
1 cup grape or mini heirloom tomatoes, quartered
1/2 cup of feta, cubed
1/4 cup parsley, diced
2 tbsp of salt
1 tbsp pepper
1 tbsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 and a half cups greek yogurt (I used 0%)
juice and zest of 2 lemons
1/4 cup of olive oil

• bring a pot of water to boil, add 1 tbsp of salt and pasta, cook per directions, drain and transfer to a large bowl
• mix yogurt, lemon juice and zest, olive oil, remaining salt, pepper, onion and garlic powder and whisk together. You should have a thinned out consistency that still sticks to the back of a spoon without running when you run your finger through it

tip: if its too thin, add a tbsp of yougurt and stir in; if too thick add a bit more olive oil in. as with all my recipes, its not an exact science

• pour the mixture over the still warm pasta and toss
• once well combined, add remaining ingredients and toss together
• serve warm, room temp or chilled right from the fridge

The best part about this is how many variations you can make of this. Of course, any pasta would work and I love orzo or elbows for any pasta salad. But the veggie and cheese options are endless: mozzarella would be really delicious, or any cubed, hard cheese (this is probably the only time I would pass up the goat cheese, since its mild creaminess may get overpowered by the sauce. Shocking, I know.) Shred carrots and zucchini, dice up grapes, toss in arugula. You can even do lemon juice and oil and skip the greek yogurt--though after you try it, I doubt you will want to.

#eggseries finale: omelette

Months later, I woke up and finally decided to make an omelette. I have to admit, I never really learned the proper technique (and I can't promise that has changed much) but it is one of the most popular egg preparations and I felt I owed it to myself to give it a shot.

I think I understand why this is something every chef is expected to know how to make. It's not easy, it takes practice and technique and flaws are clearly visible.

For example, my omelette ripped when I tried to turn it, didn't come out as smooth and round as I wanted and was maybe a little too brown. After the recipe I will share suggestions for how to improve next time and later share with you all any progress I make as I work to perfect this.

I turned to Alton for this one and his steps were very specific, but the recipe felt complex to me. I dutifully followed his "egg warming" technique but he lost me on "snapping" the omelette back towards me and I wished there were pictures.

3-egg omelette
3 eggs
1 tsp butter, softened or room temp
a pinch of salt
any toppings you prefer

I sautéed kale, peppers and turkey before hand, sprinkled in some goat cheese and set it aside in a bowl for later. Use ANY toppings you like.

• run the eggs under warm water (not hot) for about 3 mins
• heat the pan on medium high
• crack eggs into a bowl and whisk with a fork (add salt here or at the end as I did)

tip: Alton suggests a fork instead of a whisk to avoid too much air getting into the eggs

• butter the pan with one tsp of softened butter, and spread it all over the pan
• pour your egg mixture in and stir with a rubber spatula vigorously for 5 seconds
• spread the mixture around the pan by tilting it and then loosen the edges and spread the eggs with the spatula to form a circle and keep edges from sticking
• let sit untouched for ten seconds
• shake the pan to loosen, then add toppings to the center
• fold the edges over each side and slide onto a plate (season with salt here if you did not do earlier)

#instacookingvideo here

Changes to make:

• add another egg, or a smaller pan. I don't think I had enough egg to cover the pan fully. You can see gaps in the omelette forming
• move quicker to spread the eggs out
• lower the heat slightly--the recipe I followed called for medium-high heat, but I think with trying this for the first time, cooking it lower and slower may have helped me
• lessen the topping amount-that definitely caused my omelette to tear

What do you guys want to see next?!? I have a kale recipe coming up (NOT kale chips), a new spice mixture that I am obsessed with this summer and a tasty spin on quesadillas.

#eggseries: scrambled eggs

After a brief hiatus to move to another state (lots of stories and pics to share there at a later date), I am finishing up the #eggseries with the second to last tutorial on scrambled eggs.

Once I learned this method, they came out light and fluffy every time! You can watch the video here.

fluffy scrambled eggs
2 eggs, beaten with a whisk
salt and pepper for seasoning
1-2 tablespoons of butter

• melt the butter in a pan on medium-high heat
• once melted, lower to medium-low heat and wait for the pan to cool down slightly
• add your eggs and let them sit fow about 30 seconds--the edges should start to firm up a bit
• slowly move the eggs around the pan with a rubber spatula, scrambling them together until they start to set but still look a bit soft and slightly liquidy
• remove from pan immediately (or they will continue to cook)
• season with salt and pepper

tip: you can add goat cheese, grated parm, other herbs such as parsley or tomatoes, among many other things. I add these in after the eggs have been added to the pan and let them cook and melt in together.

(serves one)

Let me know if you guys have requests for other egg-related dishes. I have to conquer this omelette that I have clearly been putting off...

Also, comment with any other requests!

tzatziki sauce

Writing to you guys from my parents house in NY!

Its been a hectic few days at home and have been busy gobbling up my faves so not much cooking has been happening. Last night my dad fired up the grill and made some steaks and shish kebabs that we got from this amazing greek butcher in queens. They are authentic lamb and beef: I watched the butcher cut them up and skewer them myself.

A little tzatziki sauce to dip the meat into is my favorite thing and I have loved experimenting with yogurt sauces lately, so I whipped up a quick one to go with dinner. I would pretty much put this on anything, but it would make a great sub for mayo on a sandwich, or just to dip pita chips into!

tzatziki sauce
1 cup of 1 or 2% plain greek yogurt
juice of half a lemon
2 tbsp dill
1/4 cup finely diced cucumber
1 garlic clove, minced and made into a paste (steps below)
salt and pepper to taste

combine all ingredients and season to taste. chill before serving

garlic paste
finely mince 1 garlic clove and season with a few sprinkles of sea salt
using the back of the knife, mash the salt and garlic into a paste, scraping the back of the knife against the cutting board
repeat until the mixture is a paste consistency

Give me some ideas guys! What would everyone like to see in a future post? More videos, detailed tutorials..?

#eggseries: soft boiled eggs

I am so excited for the response I have gotten on the #eggseries and can not wait to share some more tips with you! I hope everyone is happily poaching eggs and ready for the gooey, dipable soft boiled eggs you are about to get.

I have seen a few variations on cooking these (including boiling the water, then placing the eggs in), but this is the way my mom has always done it, so I am teaching you her way.

heres what to do:

• place eggs in pot of cold water, make sure the water covers the eggs and bring to a boil
• once boiling, remove from heat, keep covered for 1 1/2 minutes (watch it closely!) and then remove and place in egg cups 

tip: if you don't have egg cups, use small cups or mugs and cushion with napkins or paper towels

• crack open the tops of the eggs with the back of a spoon and scoop off, removing any egg shells
• season with salt and pepper and dip butter toast or english muffin sticks in.  

//sorry for the poorly focused second half--its tough to film some of these angles!//

Next up: I am going to take the weekend to research and teach myself the proper omelette and #instacookingvideo it for you next week. Mike and I leave for my parents on Monday, so you may get some demos from the parents household, and soon, all demos to come from our new Seattle kitchen!

Enjoy your eggs people!