Salumi and more Seattle

I have to share a few more bits and bites from our explorations of Seattle...



Don't miss Armandino Batali's (yes, Mario's dad) Salumi in Pioneer Square. Artisan cured meats. That's all my husband needed to hear and this stop went to the top of his list.



We made the pilgramage. We stood in line. We squeezed into the tiny shop. The gods of porcine pleasure were looking out for us and we even scored a table to sit down and eat our otherworldly meaty wonders. Our only heartbreak — the porcetta sandwich sold out. Get there early!


He had a sandwich piled with porky goodness.


I had the lamb ragu: pure comfort.



Of course, we also explored Pike Place Market. It was torture not to have enough time to shop and cook and fully experience what Seattle had to offer by cooking for ourselves.



Beecher's Handmade Cheese shop was our favorite stop here. Their cheddar is just so much more than any other I've ever had.



Do not, I repeat do not, miss their mac and cheese. It took great effort on my husband's part to pause long enough for a photo once it was in his hands. And it lived up to the hype of being the world's best. (Recipe here - but be sure to make it with their cheese. In Austin, look for it at Central Market.)


Belltown graffiti

Seattle is a visual and taste paradise. A couple of other places I have to mention: Branzino Italian restaurant in Belltown. It was too dark for photos but the food was very well prepared. We had lamb sausage, spinach-mushroom-walnut ravioli and an asparagus, arugula and kumquat salad. And last, Uwajimaya Asian Market for everything from ceramics to sauces to fresh rice noodles to an incredible array of Asian produce. I'd be shopping here every week if I could.



Salumi
309 Third Avenue South, Seattle (Pioneer Square)
206.621.8772
Tuesday - Friday 11am - 4pm

Beecher's Handmade Cheese
1600 Pike Place, Seattle (Pike Place Market)
206.956.1964
daily 9am-6pm
Order online here.

Branzino
2429 Second Avenue, Seattle, (Belltown)
206.728.5181

Uwajimaya
600 5th Avenue South, Seattle (SoDo)
206.624.6248

Back in time to Basils

soft-shell crab

I'm taking a break from our Seattle and Vancouver trip adventures to share a decadent treat with you. My husband hasn't lived in Austin as long as I have so there are some old Austin classics that he never got the chance to experience. One of my long gone favorites is Basils - the sweet little Italian restaurant in a cottage that used to be at 10th & Lamar. This was back in the day before Austin had such a bounty of culinary offerings. Basils was such a treat — consistently excellent food in a cozy, warm, inviting atmosphere. It was a special occasion destination without being too flashy. A friend and I, who shared birthdays the same week, used to go there for a birthday splurge every year.

This week, Aquarelle is offering Basils fans an opportunity to travel back in time and enjoy some of their old favorite dishes from Basils' menu. Tonight, I got the chance to share with my husband some of my favorite dishes that he never got to experience. What a treat! The perfect setting for a fancy date night.

The folks at Aquarelle told me that a lot of their staff are former Basils employees and they get a lot of requests for Basils dishes. So this week, they've put together a special Basils favorites menu. For $35/person, you get to put together your own choices from the menu of favorites for a 3-course meal.

Here are a few of our choices. Sorry for the progressively grainier images (iPhone).

From the antipasti choices, we had my old favorite, the soft shell crab (photo at top) — crunchy with panko and served with blue cheese aioli. Even better than I remember it.

My husband tried the salsiccia marciana — housemade Italian sausage with red peppers, melted mozzarella and a kicky marinara.


housemade sausage

Then I had to have my all-time Basils favorite, paglia e fieno — egg and spinach fettuncine with salty bites of prosciutto and mushrooms in the richest cream sauce of all time. It was so thick I could hardly twirl it around my fork. Pure decadence!


straw and hay fettucine

My husband had the spinach ravioli stuffed with three cheeses alongside the ultimate essence of tomato sauce — how do they get the tomato sauce so perfectly balanced?

We could have stopped here. But we were both seduced by another of my old favorites, the pesce angelica — Red Snapper topped with fresh crab, artichokes and a mustard cream sauce. Heaven!

Tomorrow (4/21) is the last night for the Basils menu offerings. But don't despair if you can't get there in time, the waiter told me they're considering doing it again this summer.

See the full menu offered here. Your choice of three courses for $35.

Aquarelle
606 Rio Grande
479-8117

Pancetta-Wrapped Asparagus with Citrus

Asparagus. Wrapped in pancetta. And grilled until the pancetta shares it's juicy porkiness with the asparagus and then crisps up. Top that with a little orange dressing and a spinkle of thyme. Nirvana.

We made this recently as a side to go with some grilled fish. But this is one of those things you could sit down in front of a platter of and go to town. It's that good.

Aside from the big flavor, this is really easy and quick to put together. You'll want the biggest, fattest asparagus you can find. Otherwise, those little pencil-thin spears will turn to charcoal before the pancetta gets crisped. If you use the really big spears, they'll be perfectly cooked, with just a little snap left by the time the pancetta cooks and crisps on them on the grill.

You can even wrap the pancetta around the asparagus ahead of time (up to the night before) and keep them in the fridge. Three tips: be sure to wrap the pancetta around each spear as tightly as you can; refrigerate the wrapped spears for at least 30 minutes to an hour before grilling -- they won't unravel that way; and use skewers to make sets of two asparagus spears each for easier turning on the grill. We ran two skewers, spaced about an inch and a half apart, through sets of two asparagus spears, inserted horizontally. That way, you can grab the skewers and quickly flip them over. Much easier than chasing the individual spears all over the grill. I also noticed that when my husband tried putting in the skewers, the asparagus spears kept breaking apart. Instead of shoving them in with brute force, try twisting the skewer as it goes in. Didn't take as much effort and I didn't break a single spear that way.

You could probably also skip the skewers and just roast these under the broiler or in a grill pan for almost the same effect.

The dressing or "citronette" goes together really quickly with only orange zest and juice, mustard, olive oil, and salt and pepper. The thyme gets sprinkled over the top at the end.

This would be great at a party as a finger food or goes well with anything grilled.

I thought two pounds of asparagus would leave plenty of leftovers when served for four people. But we scarfed these up, so be prepared.


Grilled Pancetta-Wrapped Asparagus with Citrus

2 pounds large asparagus spears, ends trimmed or snapped off

3/4 pound very thinly sliced pancetta (one slice for each asparagus spear)

zest and juice of one large organic orange

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper to taste (remember the pancetta is salty)

2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, stripped from stems

bamboo skewers


Ahead of time (the night before or at least 30-60 minute before grilling), wrap each asparagus spear with one slice of pancetta. Wrap as tightly as you can. You can even wrap your hand around each finished one and give it a little squeeze to sort of glue it together. Cover and refrigerate until ready to grill. Before grilling, insert the skewers, about 1 1/2 to 2 inches apart into sets of two asparagus spears each.

Make dressing: combine the orange juice, mustard, and olive oil in a small bowl. Whisk together.

Grill the asparagus over moderate heat on the grill until the spears are slightly tender and the pancetta is crisp, about 5 minutes. Use the skewers to flip them.

Pull the skewers from the asparagus and serve on a platter. Drizzle the dressing over the top and sprinkle with thyme.

Serve immediately.

Serves 4-6,(depending on how greedy you are).

Adapted from Mario Batali in Food & Wine, May 2008.

Asparagus & Eggs

This tasty nibble is simplicity and elegance itself. Roast some asparagus, fry an egg and serve it all with a few shards of salty, tangy Pecorino cheese. This makes for a fast but fancy breakfast or an easy dinner.

We placed it atop some crusty Italian bread to catch the runny bits. While very tasty and effective, that made for slightly awkward eating as the asparagus proved elusive to bite into. Next time, I'd serve the bread alongside to wipe up the sauciness instead.

This recipe comes from one of my recent finds at the library, Osteria by Rick Tramonto. It's full of simple, but satisfying recipes like this one. I'll be trying more soon.

The asparagus for this can be grilled, blanched or roasted, as we did. Whatever works for you. I like the way roasting intensifies the flavor.

I tried a couple of different Pecorinos at the market to see if I could distinguish a difference. They were remarkably distinct. A Pecorino Nero was softer, milder, richer and creamier. The Pecorino Toscano was more of what I was looking for...salty, tangy and a little sharper. It made for a better compliment to the roasted asparagus and rich runny eggs. I'm not usually a fan of runny eggs. I like them firm, not wobbly. But in this case, the runny yolk from a softly fried egg makes the perfect sauce.

I love how these humble ingredients when combined make for such elegant eats.

Note: go easy on the salt here, as the cheese is salty enough.


Asparagus & Eggs

1 bunch (1 pound) asparagus
olive oil
salt & pepper
butter
4 eggs
4 ounces Pecorino Toscano cheese
crusty, chewy Italian bread, split into slices

First, brush your bread with a little olive oil and toast it under the broiler. Remove when ready and leave the broiler on. You'll want 4 slices.

Snap the ends off of the asparagus spears to remove the woody bits.

Drizzle a bit of olive oil into a large roasting pan and spread it around with a brush or paper towel.

Align the asparagus in the pan so that the spears are all flat and touching the bottom of the pan (instead of jumbled). This will make for better caramelization.

Drizzle a bit more olive oil over top of the asparagus and sprinkle with a little salt and pepper.

Roast them under the broiler for 3-4 minutes (depending on the fatness of your asparagus) and then pull them out and flip them over with tongs. Put them back under the broiler for about 2 minutes more. Keep a close eye on them.

While the asparagus is roasting, melt a thin pat of butter and a little bit of olive oil (to prevent burning) in a skillet. Add an egg, or if your skillet is big enough, two, and fry them softly, sunny side up. I placed a lid over the skillet for a moment to help the top cook faster without having to flip it over. Be careful not to cook too high or fast -- you don't want the yolk to solidify.

Place a pile of asparagus on a plate. Top with two eggs and then use a veggie peeler to shave shards of the Pecorino over the eggs. Serve with the toast alongside.

Repeat frying with two more eggs for the second serving.

Serves 2.

Adapted from Osteria by Rick Tramonto.

San Francisco Soup

This week is my friend Kelley's birthday. She and her husband used to live in San Francisco and I was lucky enough to visit them there frequently. Bless them for their generosity and hospitality. It was always a delight to get to spend time with them there and get to know the city with them as guides. I first made this soup for them there after a day of walking up and down those hills and foraging for fixin's at the neighborhood market in Pacific Heights. I always think of them and want to be back in San Francisco whenever I make it.

This is basically a minestrone with pesto. It's not so much a recipe as a guideline. You can make it with what you like. The thing that makes it is the dollop of pesto you add just before serving. I've been making this for years. I used to make it with chicken but now we use chicken Italian sausage for a little more flavor. I sometimes make it using (store-bought) veal stock mixed with chicken stock, sometimes just chicken. Sometimes I add beans, sometimes I don't. Do what you please. Experiment and make it your own. It's good to warm your bones on a cold, foggy day. It's best served immediately when it's made so the veggies and pasta keep their snap.

San Francisco Soup

1 pound chicken Italian sausage
olive oil
1 medium onion or 2 leeks or 2 shallots, peeled and chopped
veggies: 1 yellow squash, 2 zucchini, 2 carrots, 1 pound green beans, chopped into bite-sized pieces
herbs: thyme, rosemary, basil, parsley, as much as you like
1/2 - 1 cup white wine
32 ounces chicken stock
16 ounces veal stock
1 small can (approximately 15 ounces) cannellini beans
1/2 - 3/4 pound short pasta like penne or rigatoni
2 large tomatoes, chopped, or 1 pint cherry tomatoes, cut in half, to serve
1 cup basil pesto to serve
chopped parsley to serve
shredded parmesan to serve

Brown the sausage on both sides over medium heat in a little olive oil.

Remove from pan and cut into slices. Set aside.

If necessary, add a little more olive oil to the pan and cook the onion, leek or shallot until softened, several minutes.

Add your veggies and herbs and cook 2-3 minutes more.

Add your white wine and continue cooking 2-3 more minutes.

Add stock and sausage and bring heat up to high. Add your cannellini beans, if using. Bring up to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer.

Add pasta and simmer until pasta is ready. Serve immediately.

Ladle into individual bowls, then add a few chunks of tomato. Serve with a spoonful of pesto on top of each serving and spinkled with fresh parsley and parmesan.

Serves approximately 6.

Wild Mushroom Tomato Sauce with Bison

So the other day, I'm taking the dog for a walk. It's recycling day, so everyone's blue bins were out on the curb. I don't like to be a snoop, but I couldn't help but notice that in almost every bin was an empty spaghetti sauce jar. Really?

Now don't get me wrong, I'm all for shortcuts that make sense. These days it's a challenge just to get home at a decent hour, much less to have time to plan a meal, shop for provisions, and then come home and put it all together. But I've never had a jarred spaghetti sauce that tasted like anything but adulterated ketchup. Even if you only took a can of roasted chunky tomatoes and heated it up with some basil and maybe a little garlic, you'd be much better off. I always thought spaghetti sauce was one of those things that was universal. Something everyone made, whether they "cooked" or not. Guess I was wrong.

Spaghetti sauce is easy enough for kids to make and is incredibly versatile. Make spaghetti, lasagna, stuffed shells, baked pasta dishes, stuffed peppers... It's good to have in the freezer. And who doesn't like spaghetti? Kids, adults, make it fancy or just homey and comforting, it's all good.

This is a basic recipe I've been using for years that relies on lots of mushrooms for meaty richness, whether we add meat or not. You can make it vegetarian (serve it with grilled portobellos) or not, tinker with the flavorings as you like. It still stands up. One addition we've made recently is to use ground bison meat instead of ground beef. I don't want to get into preaching about grass-fed versus grain-fed, but suffice it to say, it's worth learning about. The average supermarket grain-fed, antibiotic-filled and steroid-loaded ground beef from industrial feed lots is scary, scary stuff. Not to mention, who needs more unnecesasry fat and cholesterol?

Enter buffalo meat. It's low fat, low cholesterol, full of nutrients and has as many Omega-3s as salmon. Did you know that? 100 grams of beef can have over 8 grams of fat. The same amount of skinless chicken, over 7 grams of fat. Grass fed bison has under 2 grams of fat. So if you're craving red meat, try bison. You'll be satisfied in your tummy and in your heart.

We've been buying bison locally from Thunderheart Bison at the farmer's market. Find out more about bison on their web site. Their jerky is also really good, not too salty and not full of bad stuff.

Now you're saying, but yeah, how does it taste? Bison is very lean. So in a cut like a steak, it's going to be a little different than beef. But in a sauce, it's perfect. I truly can't distinguish any taste difference. We've served it to folks who would have thought bison just plain weird and they loved it. So you can have your red meat spaghetti sauce and eat it too.

This recipe freezes really well. We made a double batch before going on vacation and took a frozen container of it with us to have at our little cabin. This is a good dish to make ahead, to allow the flavors to fully develop. It's really better if you can make it a day ahead and let it all come together overnight in the fridge.

Wild Mushroom Tomato Sauce with Bison

1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
1 cup boiling water
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
12 ounces button mushrooms, quartered
8 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1/8 - 1/4 teaspoon dried, crushed red pepper flakes
1/8 - 1/4 cup dry red wine
1 pound ground bison
28-ounce can crushed, roasted tomatoes with added purée

Put the dried porcinis in a small bowl and pour the boiling water over them. Cover and let soak for 30 minutes. (Tip: it sometimes helps to put another bowl on top to cover them and help fully submerge all the little dried pieces.)

Strain the mushrooms, reserving the soaking liquid. Remove the stems and then slice the mushrooms.

Heat the oil in a large soup pot. Add the onion and cook until tender and translucent, about 8 minutes. Add the fresh and rehydrated mushrooms and garlic. Sauté another 5 minutes. Add the rosemary and red pepper flakes.

Add the ground bison, stirring occasionally, until cooked through.

Add the wine and reserved mushroom soaking liquid. Increase heat and boil until the liquid is reduced by half, about 5 minutes.

Add the canned tomatoes. Reduce heat and simmer for at least 30 minutes to allow flavors to come together. You can simmer much longer or let cool and refrigerate overnight. The flavors will marry in the fridge and be even richer the next day.

Serve over your favorite pasta. We like to use whole wheat linguine or perciatelli. (Perciatelli is like spaghetti, but a little thicker and with a hollow center. Gives it a wonderful toothy bite.)

Serves 4-6. Can be easily doubled.