DailyWaffle - Page 86 of 117 - The Blog About Books and Bites

Urban Craft Uprising: Pretty Kitchen Stuff

In the way back times of the Internet, circa 2000, people were predicting you'd be able to watch TV shows online and be able to immediately click and buy the clothes Rachel or Monica were wearing. And though product placements have gotten waaaaaay more overt on TV and elsewhere, I'm still not seeing them convert that directly to purchases. What's interesting is ID'ing items, whether paid placement or not, has made its way into the food world to some extent. Have you noticed that Food and Wine has been adding prop captions to their photos? For those of us who have too many dishes and utensils, but always seem to find room for more, I love not having to see if they've included sources at the back of the magazine. I can't say I've bought anything as a direct result, but clearly there are a lot of us coveting pretty dishes and linens and utensils. This weekend, I went to Urban Craft Uprising in Seattle and picked up some tea towels and other kitchen accoutrement that I'm sure you'll soon be seeing here. So today's post isn't really about the raspberry mint sorbet, it's more of an excuse to show off some cute kitchen stuff I've picked up along the way. I will say, by Seattle standards, it was hotter than Hades this weekend, and when it's that warm, even ice cream seems a little too mookie to really provide the refreshment you need. Hence, the sorbet.

July 15, 2014

Cooking Recipes Side Dishes

Taco Bar: Mexican Rice & Roasted Tomatillo Salsa

Tacos seem like a simple food. A stack of tortillas, a little meat, a little onion, cilantro, a spoonful of salsa. Hit your local taqueria, order 2 or 3 and there’s lunch. At home, tacos quickly spiral out of control. No taco plate is complete without rice and beans. And wouldn’t some escabeche, pickled carrots and jalapenos, be good alongside? And what about guacamole? You’ve gotta have guacamole. Suddenly, your quick and dirty dinner has dirtied every pan in the house.

But what can you do? Summer, right about now, might just be the best time for a taco bar. Tomatillos and tomatoes are just coming in at our market, summer squash is plentiful. Chiles aren't far behind. There was no question we’d wrap the July 4th holiday weekend with tacos – with two different approaches to pork tacos from the Homesick Texan Cookbook and the accompanying sides.

July 8, 2014

Cooking Recipes

Make Strawberry Jam Before It’s Too Late!

Strawberries have a lot in common with regret. And with the old adage, “Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today.” If ever there was such a thing as a fleeting moment, strawberry season in the Northwest truly is it. The first local strawberries seem to appear in early June and by the end of the month, they’re nearly gone. If you want to get technical about it yes, there are ever-bearing varieties here, but the June bearers – the Puget Crimson, the Puget Reliance, the Rainiers – seem to make the most flavorful jam. For a kid who grew up in California, strawberry season stretches from as early as late January nearly all the way to the fall, before starting again. It’s a luxury that we just don’t have this far north. You’ve got to pay attention to the calendar and the moment the strawberries come in, start tasting and making jam. Unlike last year, when I first started dabbling with jam, I only made strawberry once, and as a refrigerator jam to boot, not realizing what I’d be missing come January and February. This year, I was ready. Sort of.

June 27, 2014

Cooking Pizza Recipes

FridayNightSlice: DailyWaffle Deluxe

If you're a Trader Joe's shopper, you know some items don't stick around long. They appear on the New Items shelf one week and a month later, they might be gone, not popular enough to keep their shelf space. I worry that the Hot 'n Sweet peppers are going to be one of those items, especially around here, where most people ask for 1-star spicy at restaurants. These little peppers are fan-freaking-tastic on pizza and they're one of the items on today's #FridayNightSlice -- the DailyWaffle Deluxe.

June 20, 2014

Dessert Recipes

Made: Cake Merchant’s Vegan Double Chocolate Cookies

Premise : Chocolate Chocolate Chip cookies gone vegan. Recipe: Cake Merchant’s Vegan Dark Chocolate Olive Oil Sea Salt Cookies Tweaks: I used slightly less granulated sugar (er, no I didn't measure) since I was using Pacific Foods' vanilla almond milk, which is sweetened. I also used mini chocolate chips to give these a better shot at…

June 11, 2014

Recipes Side Dishes

Keep It Simple, Smarty: Sesame Sugar Snap Peas

Read recipe headlines or captions and you might think cooking has turned into a version of Name That Tune. Take any dish, let’s say a salad in this case. Can’t you just see it, opponents stand across from each other on a cardboard cut out game show set, sizing each other up, looking for tells. The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly practically plays in the background. “Jim, I can make that salad in 7 ingredients,” says Contestant #1. “I can make it in 5,” replies Contestant #2. #1 rocks from left foot to right to left again. “Uhhh, Jim, I can make it in 3.” Sensing uncertainty, #2 points, “Make that salad.” Alright, let’s do it. Easy peasy Sesame Sugar Snap Peas.

May 29, 2014

Pasta Recipes Salads

Two-fer > Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto Pasta (Salad)

It’s the waiting that kills me. The calendar says late May, and yes, we’ve already been teased with some beautiful sunny days, but summer isn’t yet here. It’s a promise, it’s right around the corner. And as much as I like diving head first into a tomato salad, it’s not time yet. It is time…

May 25, 2014

Recipes Travel

How to Stock a Vacation Rental Kitchen

Resort vacations hold a certain allure with quick access to restaurants and poolside drinks and two towel refreshes a day, but if you’re traveling with more than two people or for an extended period of time, a vacation rental just might be the way to go. In major cities, a well situated apartment can give you a good home base for seeing the sites; at the beach, it can you give the peace and quiet, and privacy you just won’t get at a hotel. And, you can cook for yourself. On the one hand, some would say, “It’s vacation – why would you want to cook?” Well, if say, you’re entertaining the idea of a trip to the north shore of Kauai, a vacation rental with a kitchen gives you the flexibility to really enjoy farmers markets and eat local on your own. Depending on your budget, it can help save a few bucks as well.

May 21, 2014

Travel

Flying to New York for a Froyo Break

I blew through New York City a couple of weeks ago, rolling in on a Red Eye Tuesday morning, and jetting out on Wednesday evening. Road warriors, I do not envy you. The red eye is a killer. Even with my short legs and an open row --3 seats worth of luxurious space -- the shuteye I got was somewhere just north of dozing. I checked into the hotel, flipped on the TV, and after a shower, I looked down onto the street below at what I can only describe as an oasis. Green letters emblazoned at street-level. In my best Homer Simpson voice, I said (it even may have been out loud), “Mmmmm. Coffeeeeee.”

May 14, 2014

Travel

En Route to Walla Walla, Washington

If you've heard of Walla Walla, Washington, the first thing you think of is sweet onions. But over the the years, wine and grapes have been muscling in on that territory. It's in Eastern Washington, about a four hour drive from Seattle. A couple of weekends ago, we got in the car, crossed the Snoqualmie Pass and drove out for Nocking Point Wines’ spring release party. The pet project of ‘Arrow’ star Stephen Amell and his buddy Drew, Nocking Point is a small label with wines created by a few different winemakers. The party, held at sports bar in Walla Walla, gave us an opportunity to head out east and see some of Washington, at least I, hadn’t seen before.

May 11, 2014