Jade and Steve’s Huevos Rancheros (All Things Chill (Special*Dark)) by specialdark@allthingschill.com

I wanted to make a special breakfast before Steve and Jade flew back to SF, so I grabbed a few things from the Ballard market and mashed it up with the leftover grub from Saturday’s BBQ. Enter: HUEVOS RANCHEROS. WHHEEEEEEEE.

Here’s how I layered these bad boys (from bottom to top):

Fried corn tortilla
Black beans (w/ cumin and Mexican oregano)
Grilled corn (cut off the cob)
Ranchero sauce (tomato / ancho / jalapeno)
Fried eggs
Green onions
Grated monterey Jack cheese
Cilantro

I also had a bowl of crispy mojo pork to pick at too. I also served that with a huge plate of chicken hot wings (thanks Dallas). HAHA. Not the most traditional of breakfast side dishes, but these leftovers aren’t gonna eat themselves AND HEY WE’RE ALL ON VACATION. LOL.

Bfast with friends makes food taste better!

~Spec

iPhone Loves iTunes DJ (All Things Chill (Special*Dark)) by specialdark@allthingschill.com

iPhone Loves iTunes DJ

iPhone + iTunes = Crowdsourced DJ (All Things Chill (Special*Dark)) by specialdark@allthingschill.com

Again, for the party on Saturday. Hee hee. The iPhone remote.app can now request and vote on songs in an iTunes playlist… as long as the computer is connected to WiFi via the Apple Airport Express. It’s pretty freaking cool.

For example, if I find a song that I want to play, I would touch it & then hit “request” song. VOILA. It shows up as the next requested song. If your buddy also wants to hear it, he/she can vote that particular song “up” to boost up the charts. Once again, it’s pretty freaking cool.

Reason #23985723 to love your iPhone.

~Spec

Bastille Restaurant - Neighborhood Night! (All Things Chill (Special*Dark)) by specialdark@allthingschill.com

Bastille! Totally had fun at “neighborhood night” at the restaurant’s soft opening. We said hello to Tracy and Kevin from MoshiMoshi (seriously, thanks for the tip!) and passed along a few food samples to the guys and gals of Ocho. Lorna got a chance to get a sneak peek into the restaurant early this month and I’ll just say that they’ve done A LOT of work since then. It’s a beautiful place. The white tile, fireplace and huge archways felt like a traditional French bistro while the dark wood & exposed brick in the back room actually had me jonezin’ for a trip back to Chicago, getting my grub on before I hit the cloooobs (a la Sonotheque). Hee hee.

They’re not officially open yet, but a few things stood out last night: the octopus + preserved lemon, the Veil-styled lamb burger, falafel served on a spoon and the peanut butter ice cream were all top notch.

Bastille will be open seven days a week and will be serving dinner from 5 - 10PM. Their bar area in the back will be open until 2am for late-night noshing. Good times, good times.

Hooray Ballard!

~Spec

RB DLC FOR THE PAR-T (All Things Chill (Special*Dark)) by specialdark@allthingschill.com

WHOOO HOOO. I bought a handful of new tracks for the “Rock Band” station for Saturday. Everyone likes karaoke as long as it’s masked with plastic drums and guitars, right? Hee hee.

“Are You Gonna Go My Way” Lenny Kravitz
“The Joker” Steve Miller Band
“Shining Star” Earth, Wind & Fire
“Pick Up the Pieces” Average White Band
“Don’t Stop Believing” Journey
“Even Flow” Pearl Jam
“Smooth Criminal” Alien Ant Farm
“Linger” Cranberries The Cranberries
“Juke Box Hero” Foreigner
“Buddy Holly” Weezer
“Zero” Smashing Pumpkins
“My Best Friend’s Girl” Cars The Cars
“Just What I Needed” Cars The Cars
“Margaritaville” Jimmy Buffett
“Dr. Feelgood” Motley Crue Mötley Crüe
Jimmy Eat World “Sweetness”
“Mr. Brightside” Killers The Killers
“Just a Girl” No Doubt
“Sunday Morning” No Doubt

I might download the entire No Doubt “greatest hits” album, since I figure Mark was (is?) such a fan. What’s the most disappointing is that the drum parts aren’t very difficult on any of the songs. SRSLY. I WANNA RAWK.

I wish Harmonix would allow users to export a list of downloaded songs and let you know what you’re missing. I’m sure that SOMEONE’S response would be to BUY EVERYTHING just to make sure. YEAH THANKS JASON. LOLS.

That being said, am I missing any Rock Band gems?

\m/

~Spec

HD Video Blog: Office Loves Liana. (All Things Chill (Special*Dark)) by specialdark@allthingschill.com

HD video here. REALLY short, but uber cute surprise breakfast that Liana’s office threw for her. I had NO hand in any of it and everyone pitched in to make her feel warm and fuzzy inside. Frittatas from Stacy, Hashbrowns from Emi, fancy yogurt, Deb and her freaking Belgian waffle maker (lol), Shanti’s Prosecco and freshly squeezed OJ (OMG TOTALLY). Thanks EVERYONE who was there. I GET TEARY THINKING ABOUT IT. LOL.

It was awesome

~Herschell

Saturday’s Birthday Menu… Drawn in Fax Form (All Things Chill (Special*Dark)) by specialdark@allthingschill.com

SUUUUPER excited for Liana’s Bday on Saturday. I made a small “what you’d expect” list and a “sign up to bring stuffs” page for some of the invited guests. I’ll be doing some more grilling that day, but these are just things that I can get started on this week. OKAIES? Okaies.

WHEEE! EXCITED.
~Herschell

Snacks! (the Ballard Bodega) (All Things Chill (Special*Dark)) by specialdark@allthingschill.com

They’re giving away free softserve ice cream cones for the first week of operation!

Yay Ballard!

~Spec

Tenderloin in Spring (All Things Chill (Special*Dark)) by specialdark@allthingschill.com

Pork Tenderloin Stuffed with Cremini Mushrooms, Goat Cheese and Herbs served with Roasted Spring Onion Bulbs

Larger view here. Pork tenderloin is available at most supermarkets, but it’s really the quality of the meat that prohibits most people from cooking this tender and juicy cut of meat a second time. Because “today’s modern” pig is leaner than ever, pork tenderloin is often served dry and overcooked… pretty much CARDBOARD. *shudder* I hate eating dry pork. Hate hate hate.

So, what should you do? Go to a real butcher. A REAL ONE. Like with the paper hat and the super wholesome smile (lol just kidding). They will carry pork with FLAVOR and even tell you what to do with it when you’re clueless. Also, you can safeguard yourself from a horrible meal by stuffing the damn thing with delicious goodies inside. It thins the meat for faster cooking and gives you a bit more leeway when cooking your roast.

Before we begin, big ups to our landlords - I procured lemon thyme, sage, rosemary from their garden and some wild fennel fronds (sooo tasty) right outside our front door. I HEART FREE HERBS!!! Quick instructions follow:

Butterfly pork tenderloin in half. Pound out until 1/2” thin. Carefully spread your filling on top, starting one inch from the bottom. Roll from the top down and tie with kitchen string.

Here, you can place in plastic wrap and pull from the fridge when you’re ready to cook - I’d give it a few minutes on the counter to get relaxed when it hits the hot pan.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Preheat saute pan over medium high heat. Add 2 rounds of canola oil and preheat as well. Place the pork tenderloins on the pan and dance to the wonderful sound of “the sizzle” and don’t (OMG DON’T) touch it until you see a golden brown color creeping up the sides. Repeat for the rest of the sides and throw in the oven 20- 25 minutes. Pull out of the oven, let it rest for at least 20 minutes on a cutting board and slice evenly.

Serve with roasted onions, garnish ‘em with an herb of your choice (I used wild fennel fronds), make a quick pan sauce (add shallots & white wine, scrape the stuck bits and a whisk in a bit of butter off heat) and plate carefully (PRETTY ROCKS HELP TOO LOL JOKES).

I’ve NEVER liked those Hormel tenderloins you find at Safeway. Like I said, FIND A REAL BUTCHER AND GET TO KNOW THEIR NAME. If you eat meat, chances are you’ll eat meat 40 years from now - might as well start eating the right stuff right away, right? RIGHT? As always, let me know if you have questions!

WHEEE PORK TENDERLOINZ.

~Spec

Liana’s Birthday BBQ: Let the Debauchery Begin! (All Things Chill (Special*Dark)) by specialdark@allthingschill.com

Oh hi there! This is Liana. She’s been my sweetheart for 2+ years. This is not her normal face. LOL. She’s my harshest food critic and has the UNCANNY ability to determine who left his socks in the couch from the previous night or who left the toilet seat up. I MEAN, IT’S LIKE SHE’S FREAKING PROFESSOR X HERE PEOPLES.

I sent out invites for Liana’s (OMG GOLDEN) birthday party this month. We have a few things locked down, but the menu (couldn’t find a spit to make traditional Al Pastor) and some of the logistics (where’s the Wii and Rock Band gonna go) are still in the “conceptual” phase. lol. That’s the best way to say it really. We’ll be ready soon! There’ll be a ton of food, close friends and one or two of their doggies.

I JUST HOPE IT DOESN’T RAIN. *crosses fingers*!!!

NO. NO. NO.

~Spec

Kiss my Halibut Cheeks, Get in my Korean Pork Belly! LOL. (All Things Chill (Special*Dark)) by specialdark@allthingschill.com

Grilled Pork Belly Kimchi Buta with Halibut Cheek and Leek Scrape Buchimgae

I managed to get my hands on a few fatty pieces of pork belly from Ballard Market a few weeks ago and finally found the time to cook it. YAY. I was so excited I jumped out of bed, washed my hands, threw on my gloves, pulled it from the freezer, threw it the sink to defrost, placed my hands on my hips and said to myself…

“…now what.” LOL.

I’ve had a lingering thoughts about this meat/fat layered protein ever since it exploded onto the Internet. There was that peanut-butter pork belly that was all over the webz, the many times I tried it at restaurants around San Francisco (DTRB did it with bitter greens) and the fact that it received so much damn interest because YES VIRGINIA, it is “raw” form of bacon.

I ended up scoring the fat 1/2” deep with a knife and marinated the 2 1lb. slabs in 1/2 cup soy, 1 tbsp. of sesame oil, 1/4 cup of white wine vinegar, a squeeze of honey, a few knobs of ginger, 2 garlic cloves and 1 stalk of “back of knife beaten” lemongrass in a zip top plastic bag overnight to get it sexy for the next day.

I started up my grill (switching to hardwood charcoal next -thanks cb!) and placed the meat on a canola oil greased grate directly over the fire for about 5 minutes each side. I then let it cook over indirect heat for another hour, until the fat separated into cute lil’ diamonds like you can see here:

Sexy. After allowing the meat to rest for 15 minutes, I carefully sliced the meat into uniform chunks - the fat is quite delicate so sharp knives will help in your presentation. I then combined it with kimchi (in honor of Kushibar’s kimchi buta) and a few quicly pickled leek scrape buds for color and sharp onion flavor that I picked up from the Ballard farmer’s market last Sunday.

Assuming you receive a bit of everything in each bite, you’ll instantly feel the heat and tartness from the kimchi, a spike of brightness from the leek, the satisfying bite from the pork and the luscious, rounded layer of fat melting in your mouth, begging to be equalized by a small cloud of piping-hot, freshly cooked white rice…

…ROFL.

*ahem*

WHOA. Got a little explicit with the description there! So to recap: marinade, grill direct heat then indirect, let rest and combine with kimchi and serve with white rice. There ya go!

The side dish was an adaptation of this recipe from MyKoreanKitchen of buchimgae (Korean pancake) using halibut cheeks, leek scrapes, shiitake mushrooms and carrot. I’ve got a bit of batter left, so there might be a video forthcoming! WHEEEE.

YAY. Pork belly!

~Spec

Georgia’s Happy Birthdy Basil Bud :) (All Things Chill (Special*Dark)) by specialdark@allthingschill.com

Happy birthday Georgia! Also, happy birthday Emi! Celebrating in Ballard! I hope this lil’ guy makes it though the night!

~Spec

Mt. Townsend Cirrus with Homemade Strawberry, Rhubarb and Basil… (All Things Chill (Special*Dark)) by specialdark@allthingschill.com

Mt. Townsend Cirrus with Homemade Strawberry, Rhubarb and Basil Jam

On the bus, so quick recipe!

3 strawberries, diced
1 stalk of rhubarb, diced
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup water

Throw everything in a pot and bring to a strong boil for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Allow to cool to room temp - about 30 minutes (it’ll thicken up a bit, so don’t worry if it is too watery). Stir in 3 chiffonade’d (rolled up and sliced thinly) basil leaves and store in the fridge for 2 weeks!

YAY BUS BLOGGING!
~Spec

HD Video Blog: How to Make Lumpia (All Things Chill (Special*Dark)) by specialdark@allthingschill.com

Youtube link here. LUMPIA = FILIPINO EGG ROLLS. YAY. I can’t really add more than what’s already in the video, other than it was made with my Kodak Zi6 and iMovie ‘09. I had a great time making the video since I actually took the time to plan it all out instead of leaving the camera on and hoping for the best. Hee hee.

Equipment list:

Crate and Barrel Veggie Peeler
Wusthof Grand Prix II Chef’s Knife
Cuisinart DLC-5BK 7-Cup Capacity Food Processor
Frying pan (deep fryer for mass quantities)
Baking sheet
Cooling rack
Tongs
Ramekin for sauces

Ingredient list:

2 Carrots
3 Stalks of celery
1 Large onion
2 cloves garlic
2 green onions (put in with the other veggies)
1 lb. ground pork
1 lb. ground beef (85% lean)
3 tbsp. soy sauce
1 tbsp. sesame oil
1 tbsp. cornstarch
Canola oil, enough for 1/2 inch up pan
2 packages of Menlo brand wrappers (30 sheets each)
Shredded cabbage for garnish

Dipping sauce:
1 side Hoisin (LOL NOT HUNAN) sauce
1 side Sriacha sauce

Video notes:

* To defrost eggroll wrappers, leave it out flat on your counter in a container until it reaches room temp. Microwaving / running under cold water makes them mushy.

* While wrapping rolls, keep a damp towel on wrappers so they don’t dry out.

* You can get about 3 eggrolls from one wrapper, two if you want bigger rolls.

* Yes, you can eat the cabbage, but it’s mainly for looks.

* I really like a big container of white vinegar with a bit of soy and a splash of tabasco for my eggrolls… oh AND A BIG POT OF RICE. But that’s just me. Hee hee.

* When you’re finished with your batch, tightly place them in single layers, separating with wax paper. Freeze for a few hours, transfer to big ziptop bags and store for up to 6-months. Go ahead and fry them right out of the icebox, but beware of oil splatters!

* You can quote me on this: Playing Halo makes the marination perform better. LOL.

Like I said before, it was a lot of fun making this video. I hope you enjoyed watching it!

~Spec

Good Morning, Eggy in a Basket! (All Things Chill (Special*Dark)) by specialdark@allthingschill.com

Good Morning, Eggy in a Basket!

Spring Scallops, Shiitakes and Sea Beans (All Things Chill (Special*Dark)) by specialdark@allthingschill.com

Seared Scallop with Shiitake Mushrooms and Sea Beans

Larger view here. Liana and I rolled down to the Ballard Sunday Farmer’s Market to get a few things: eggs, a hot dog (lol) and flowers. We came back with so much more. LORDY. LOL.

During this eversosmall sliver of Spring, so many “windows” are open for interesting seasonal produce. Fiddlehead ferns, which I cooked with a few weeks ago probably have about 2 weeks left. Garlic and leek scapes (think a tender asparagus-like part of a young garlic / leek stalk) just hit the market. The first batches of Spring Mix greens are being sold with tender flower petals strewn in. Green garlic (the bulb of young garlic) will be here for a bit too!

We came home with eggs from Skagit River, a piece of carrot cake from “Honey, I’m Home” catering (OMG HUGE SLAB OF CREAM CHEESE), a few pounds of sea beans and garlic and leek scapes. Liana ended up with a beautiful bunch of peonies too!

Today also marked the inaugural opening out MoshiMoshi’s Sunday brunch! We stopped in to say hello and wish them well and we ended up having two bloody marys that the bartender Eric created. Infused with lemongrass, the vodka was deceptively smooth and had FRESH horseradish AND sriracha (lol). Word to the wise, if you try one (and subsequently finish off your gf’s portion), get from your chair SLOWLY. That first step is a doosy. LOL.

On the way back, I was thinking about the sea beans. Their crisp green bean-like crunch with a rush of briney liquid could only be described as an bite from an unripened watermelon with a heavy hand of salt. They’re DELICIOUS and hilarious to see people sample one. Confusion, then a look of savory satisfaction. I had to HAD TO use them in yesterday’s dinner so we walked a few more blocks over to Ballard Market to pick up some BEAUTIFUL scallops.

On with the dish construction:

Shiitake Mushrooms
I cleaned and sliced the fresh shiitake mushrooms in 1/4” match sticks and set aside. I preheated a pan over medium high heat and then added canola oil and preheated that too (important!). I added the mushrooms and let sit for three minutes before tossing in some minced garlic. Once the garlic has been cooking for 2 minutes, I scooped out the contents, placed it in a small ramekin and set aside for plating.

Sea Beans
The sea beans were soaked in water for 20 minutes (in case there was any residual dirt / sand) and then blanched in boiling water for 45 - 60 seconds. They were removed and placed in an ice water bath to cool and then set aside for plating.

Using chopsticks (if you’re able to), pull your sea beans and mushrooms into a tight circle. Layer the mushrooms and sea beans on top of each other to create some “height” in the dish. Like this:

As for the seafood…

Three scallops (1 per person) were CAREFULLY rinsed with water and pat dry (and I mean DRY) with paper towels. I preheated a stainless-steel pan (not nonstick) over medium high heat. Next, I added clarified butter and canola oil to preheat (again, super important that you preheat). Once you see wisps of smoke, CAREFULLY add your scallops. You should instantly hear a SEARING sound. That’s good. Now, don’t touch them for 4 minutes. You should see that golden brown crust creep up the sides of the edges. After 4 minutes, flip and cook for another 2. Scallops as a rule should be served a bit medium rare, with a bit of translucence in the middle. Place on top of the “nest” and garnish with whatever you had - I used our neighbor’s flowering broccoli raab!

With a squeeze of lemon juice on top and a few drops of good quality olive oil, it really screams SPRING! Since that was our appetizer, I ended up making dijon mustard pork chops and the garlic scapes for our main course - but that’s for another post.

Maybe

~Spec

Still Grillin’ - Clam/Corn Contraption (All Things Chill (Special*Dark)) by specialdark@allthingschill.com

This is what you do when you don’t have much grill space because you bought too much white sweet corn (3 for $1) but you still want to cook the manila clams that you bought ’cause you need more room for the chicken wings and the salsa with roasted anaheim, Jalapeno and dried (and then reconstituted in warm water) New Mexican peppers is running out because that’s all there is to eat but this is how it all came out:

Also, no leftovers. Sad.

~Spec

A Grilled Breakfast (All Things Chill (Special*Dark)) by specialdark@allthingschill.com

A Grilled Breakfast

Grilled Dinner (All Things Chill (Special*Dark)) by specialdark@allthingschill.com

Grilled Dinner

HD Video Blog: Cheese and Wine Weekend in Washington (All Things Chill (Special*Dark)) by specialdark@allthingschill.com

Youtube link here. Liana, Don, Matt, Deb and myself hit up the Seattle Wine and Cheese Festival last weekend. Pike Place Market is even MORE overwhelming on a festival day compared to a regular sunny weekend. Taste of Chicago overwhelming (shudder lol). Everyone was pleasant and very conversational aaaaannnnddd… surprisingly… there weren’t any drunkards out and about in the afternoon (I’M LOOKING AT YOU OAKLAND lol).

From what I can tell from my chicken scratch and my random notes, we tried the following wines at the wine garden (read: cramped tent with tables for each vendor). The notes below the vineyard were from the wine garden flyer - kinda fluffy, but pretty much spot on. I stayed mostly with white wines because it was such a sunny day out and I didn’t want to get the red wine sweats. LORD KNOWS I’VE BEEN THERE BEFORE. Here we go!

Spain
Licia Albarino
Fresh and elegant on the palate with a clean, crisp finish
Cheese pairing: Cypress Grove, Midnight Moon

Vina Reboreda
A light refreshing white wine from Spain. Crisp and clean with a bright finish. Perfect with seafood.
Cheese Pairing: Cypress Grove, Midnight Moon

Italy
Kris Pinot Grigio
Pale yellow with aromas of citrus and tangerine as well as hints of apricot and almonds. Clean and refreshing.
Cheese Pairing: Sierra Nevada, Caprae Chevre

France
Campuget Tradition Rough
Scents of ripe fruit dominated by black currants mingle with hints of spice and pepper. Round and harmonious
Cheese Pairing: Kerrygold, Dubliner

I enjoyed all of them except for the French wine - way too spicy. It would have been nice if they served cheese with them (or hell if I’m complaining, caviar lol) but they weren’t very stingy with the pours and people were willing to answer any question about grape varietals and tasting notes.

We tried cheeses from all around the world and the only one that really stood out to us (besides Cypress Grove Cheese, which we’re already quite familiar with) was “Remembrance” from Tumalo Farms in Oregon. Information from their site follows:

A creamy farmstead goats milk cheese made with high desert rosemary. It has soft, clean, pleasant aroma and taste of rosemary. The finish is wonderfully long.

Texture: Semi-soft; cooked,pressed. Scattered rosemary leaves
Affinage: 8-10 weeks, wiped and turned daily. Cellar aged at 58º F and 85% RH
Available all year - Sold by the pound
Suggested Wine Pairings: Sauvignon Blanc / Viognier
Ingredients: Pasteurized Grade-A goats milk, culture, rennet, salt and high desert rosemary

If you try any of the wines or cheeses, let me know. I’d love to hear any other recs you can dish out! Also, one more thing…

YAY TO NON-LACTOSE INTOLERANCE!

~Spec

Hello Summer. (All Things Chill (Special*Dark)) by specialdark@allthingschill.com

Hello Summer.

In Marination, Butterflied Chicken (All Things Chill (Special*Dark)) by specialdark@allthingschill.com

In Marination, Butterflied Chicken

What’s on My iPhone Right… Now (05.09.09) (All Things Chill (Special*Dark)) by specialdark@allthingschill.com

I think now’s a good a time as any to post a refresh of my current iPhone homescreen on the blog for prosperity. Let me say this first: I *love* my iPhone. It’s an extension of my hand and honestly gets me through EVERY girlfriend-related restaurant table debate now and until eternity.

I’m on my phone constantly (lol not making phone calls) to check information at work, change songs on the audio system at home or update my life whenever the mood suits me - and there’s an application for all of those things and more.

If you own an iPhone / iPod touch, you’ll be very familiar with the top screen:

Remote: If you have an open session of iTunes, you are able to change songs on the fly via your phone. If you have an Apple airport express (wifi router), you have the option of connecting that to a speaker system and have multiple “rooms” of audio. Awesome stuff.

Located on the second row, Twitteriffic released its 2.0 upgrade on May 7 - and it is heavy. HEAVY. Multi-account use, color-coded markings, easy user-interface and lots of filtering. I didn’t bite when Tweetie came out (although a lot of people love it), but I like Craig Hockenberry, the guy who made Twitteriffic, and that’s good enough for me.

If you’ve been through the “droughts” that happen on this blog from time to time, you might not know that I share OOOODLES of information through my Google Reader “Shared Items” link at the top of this page. There, I feature articles / posts from around the Internet that I find are suuuper-dandy and even through in a few lines of comments here and there. If I’m not posting *here*, you can always see activity THERE. (To put google reader on your iPhone screen, save as a bookmark and “add to homepage” and the icon automatically pops up!)

Wordpress recently updated their app as well and it’s a bit easier to check comment activity, rather than jumping on Safari and checking it there. I hardly ever write posts on there since it’d be a headache trying to link to anything or add a perfectly cropped picture, but whattaya gonna do. OCD users will notice they change the shading and color scheme every update. Annoying. Hee hee.

Audioboo is my newest addition to the front page. I’d love to write more, but maybe it’d be easier for you to listen:

(I’m assuming if you’re reading this on the iPhone, the flash module is disabled. Simply put, you download the Audioboo app, record a <3 minute audio clip and publish for everyone to hear. Perfect for street musician archiving or important speaking notes! Hee hee.)

Epicurious’ new application is a gift from the heavens. If you’ve ever tried to navigate Epi’s website on the Safari iPhone browser, you’ve felt the urge to crack the damn thing in half. It’s too big, clunky and refreshes at the most random times.

All that’s been replaced by a soothing UI, fast loading times and a filtering ability that’s beyond my expectations. It’s completely easy to use and is a great resource for flavor combinations. If you don’t get a search result for “Mexican chocolate and bitter melon,” you’re really ON TO SOMETHING or in for a culinary disaster. The app has advertisements, but they aren’t obtrusive at all. Let me reiterate: shear breadth of knowledge in this app far outweighs anything Visa can make me read for 3 seconds.

I have a love / hate relationship with Yelp (to explain would require longer than few paragraphs), but their new update has a lot more functionality that I have yet to take advantage of. I don’t think I ever will, but HEY who knows! I do however use it VERY frequently to find addresses of cafes, restaurants and shops then have it pop me over to the Google Maps application for precise directions.

I cannot express how much I use the calculator on this damn thing. It is the best damn calculator in the entire world. Maps gets me around EVERYWHERE and has sadly replaced my GPS. Zenbe is a lists app that I’m to lazy to find a replacement for and 1337pwn is an Xbox360 application that allows me to see who’s playing what online before I even turn the damn thing on.

This turned into a big post! LOL. If you have ANY questions, let me know. As a disclaimer to the previous sentence, I have NEVER jailbroken my iPhone - but Gizmodo has tons of info. I’d like to think I’ve maximized what this lil’ gadget can do. I want you to heart your iPhone too!

YAY IPHONEZ.

~Spec

A Chicken Supreme, Where Culinary Inspiration Comes From (All Things Chill (Special*Dark)) by specialdark@allthingschill.com

Sauteed Chicken Breasts with Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Fiddlehead Ferns and Sauce Supreme

Thanks to the fine folks whom I met yesterday at the Seattle food blogger / writer meetup (more on that later!), I had an insane desire to cook something refined using some of the produce that I bought locally around this fine city. Geeking out with like-minded people (who may or may not be geeks lol) always gets the creative juices flowing. I don’t think I’ve said it before, but I really love Seattle. WHEEEEE. Fabrication deets follow below:

Chicken Breast
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Preheat saute pan over medium-high heat. Add in canola oil and preheat for another minute. Pat chicken breasts dry and add healthy pinches of Kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper to the chicken breasts. Add the “presentation side” of the chicken breasts down on the pan and let sit for 4 minutes (seriously, don’t touch!), or until you can see the edges crisp up and become golden brown. Flip breasts over, add 1 tbsp. of butter and throw the pan in the oven for another 8 minutes, or until cooked through.

Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Staple side dish. The potatoes were peeled and started in a pot of cold water with 5 hearty pinches of Kosher salt. Bring to a boil and bring it down to a simmer until fork-tender. While you’re waiting, throw 3 heads of garlic, minced into a pan with 1 tbsp. of butter and let it sweat over low heat until the potatoes are done. Drain the potatoes, add chicken stock (if you have any), a splash of milk or cream and add the garlic and butter. Mash to your heart’s content!

Fiddlehead Ferns
The fiddlehead ferns from Sunday’s Ballard Farmer’s Market, following the instruction I received from the people at the meetup yesterday (awesome, btw), only need a quick blanch (35 seconds) in boiling water to get them clean. Drop in an ice bath and serve simply. I liken them to a crisp and hollow green bean - super light and tasty!

Sauce Supreme
The sauce supreme requires 2oz. of unsalted butter and flour (yes, by weight). Melt the butter in the pan over medium heat and slowly whisk in the flour and cook until you start smelling roasted nuts and the color is a VERY light beige. If you think you messed up, start over, it only costs $0.20 for both ingredients!

Once your roux is sexy and thick, slowly whisk in 2 cups of good quality chicken stock (homemade makes everyone happy!) until completely combined. Set aside. ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED: Congrats, you’ve made veloute, one of the French mother sauces! But wait, there’s more!

In another pan, add 2 tablespoons of butter and saute off 1 tablespoon shallot. Add 1 glug (lol. 1/4 cup) of white wine and reduce it until 80% has evaporated. Add the 1/2 cup of cream and heat until barely simmering. Sloooooowly add the cream to the roux / stock mixture until combined. Add in Kosher salt and black pepper (white if you’ve got it) so it tastes a bit saltier than you actually want and serve! I’ve always thought that sauces should always taste a bit stronger so that the mellow flavors in the dish can counteract them - more harmony with flavors, rather than “individual notes.”

NOW, just plate how you would like! I spooned the sauce on the bottom of the plate, added the mashed potatoes in a metal round (for shape), sliced the chicken breasts on the bias and TIGHTLY laid them next to the potatoes, added the fiddleheads on top and garnished with minced parsley for freshness and color.

Whew.

IT’S NOT AS BAD AS YOU THINK LOL. As long as you keep tabs on what’s going on your stove and in your oven, you’ll be fine. If you have questions, let me know! I’m always here to eat… er… HELP.

HELP.

~Spec

CSA Carrot Sticks, Rye Toast with Hazelnuts and, Roasted Garlic… (All Things Chill (Special*Dark)) by specialdark@allthingschill.com

CSA Carrot Sticks, Rye Toast with Hazelnuts and, Roasted Garlic Cream Cheese

HD Video Blog: CSA Brka - Brka - Breakdown (All Things Chill (Special*Dark)) by specialdark@allthingschill.com

Watch it in HD here! We got our second New Roots Organics CSA delivery yesterday and I did a quick video to show what was inside. Essentially, I give them $25 every other week, and I get a box full of beautiful organic produce! Think a “less-evil” Peapod - LOL JUST KIDDING YOU GUYS. Here’s what we got:

Braeburn Apples x4
D’Anjou Pears x4
Minneola Tangelos x4
Butter Lettuce x1 Bunch
Asparagus x1lb
Broccoli x1 Bunch
Carrots x1 Bunch
Zucchini x1 lb
Strawberries x1 lb
Spring Onions x1 lb
Hass Avocados x2

Everything looked great (even though I think I was missing another avocado hee hee)! We haven’t had any problems so far. I’m super excited for the butter lettuce - uuultra light salad - and the spring onions - chicken served en papilote - just with REAL parchment paper this time. Hee hee.

If you’re looking for a CSA for your home, check out localharvest.org. They have tons of information on online retailers, farm blogs and seasonal recipes to make whenever and wherever you are. If you’re still on the fence, my friend Jeters has been doing a “CSA vs” series on her blog. CHECK IT OUTS!

YAY Seasonal eating!

~Spec

Champion of Champong, Bulging from Bulgogi! (All Things Chill (Special*Dark)) by specialdark@allthingschill.com

KOREAN FOOD TUESDAY! lol jokes. It’s been cooooold and rainy here in Seattle the past few days, and with me being a bit sick, I needed to make something with a bit of bite to jump start my work week.

Bulgogi - made just like my video on kalbi with the only difference being the choice of meat. Ballard Market had a special on big 2lb. hunks of boneless chuck roast ($5!!!), which has a good amount of fat and a great beefy flavor.

Normally used for long braises because the meat and connective tissue take a long time to break down, chuck roast *can* be cooked quickly IF sliced thinly. So I broke down the slices with a long 10” slicing knife (you could totally use a sharp 8” chef’s knife for this) and marinated the slices in a bowl overnight - the acids in the marinating liquid break down the meat and make it tender and easy to eat! All you need to do then is spread the pieces evenly on a foil-lined baking sheet and broil on high until bits get charred on top! *pushes glasses up with a finger* ENOUGH FOOD SCIENCE, MOAR COOKING!

The champong, spicy Korean seafood soup, is always mandatory when Liana and I head out to a Korean restaurant. It’s her favorite. It was kinda last-minute, but I threw in…

8 cups of homemade chicken stock (use broth if you want)
1 bunch of green onions chopped into 1.5” pieces
a healthy handful of bean sprouts
3 garlic cloves
1 small nub of ginger
3 tablespoons of Korean red pepper paste

…in a pot and brought to a boil. I then dropped in some shredded chicken breast and (previously frozen) calamari rings and lowered it to a light simmer for 30 minutes. I scooped it in a bowl and dropped an egg inside and threw down immediately with a big bowl of rice! I made the soup without the use of any of the traditional Korean flavor bases like KELP or indigenous (lol did I just write indigenous?) veggies. I’m sure it made a difference, but I’ll make it right next time, next time. Hee hee.

Oh, if you were wondering, the list of “accoutrements” follow (top to bottom):

Tofu with sesame oil, sesame seeds, a touch of soy and green onions
Kimchi, straight up
Corn (added furikake afterwards in honor of Playground)
Quick pickle (salt, sugar rice wine vinegar) of cucumber and red onions

It was a tasty meal that could have fed 4 to 5 people - more than enough for leftovers the next day. Hee hee.

Check out the aftermath. LOL.

~Spec

My photo, her flowers, our books (All Things Chill (Special*Dark)) by specialdark@allthingschill.com

My photo, her flowers, our books

Newsflash - Tuna Tartare “Beets” Death! (All Things Chill (Special*Dark)) by specialdark@allthingschill.com

1st Course: Beet and Tuna Tartare with Wasabi Cream
2nd Course: NY Strip Steak with Zucchini Ribbons and Chimichurri Sauce

Tuna tartare isn’t dead! YAY. I’ll be honest. I have to give credit where credit is due. The one time I have seen this delicious combination of beets and tuna was 3 years ago at the Lark Creek Steakhouse in downtown San Francisco under chef Jeremy Bearman - who incidentally is the new chef at Rouge Tomate NYC. Jeremy sent this out to me between courses of chorizo butter (omg yes I know) and the most sexy ribeye and luxurious sauces, so remembering the exact flavors were impossible to recollect… but I *did* remember something:

It started with the deep maroon color. I mentioned to the server that the colors were beautiful and the cream had such a distinct shade of green from the wasabi paste - he waited for me to taste it first before he told me the basic ingredients: beets and sashimi grade tuna. It blew my mind.

So, when I remembered I had beets waiting for me at home, I decided to stop by Pure Food Fish (they’re a bit pricier, but they’ve never let me down) and grab a small chunk of tuna and give it a shot. I mean, if I struck out, I’d be out $8, right? RIGHT. ADVENTURE COOKING AHOY. LOL.

Beet Component
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Take 3 beets, cut off tops with a paring knife, sprinkle with Kosher salt and pepper and individually wrap in foil. Place beets on baking sheet and bake for at least one hour, or until beets are fork tender (trust me, it’ll be at least an hour). Pull out of oven to cool and use a paring knife to take off the thin layer of skin. Carefully slice into 1/4 inch cubes.

Tuna Component
8oz. of sashimi grade tuna, cut into 1/4 inch cubes and set aside. 15 minutes before serving, add 1 tablespoon of dark soy sauce and carefully mix with your hands or a spoon.

Wasabi Cream Topping
Take 2 teaspoons of wasabi paste and 1 cup of ice cold heavy whipping cream and beat until you see soft peaks from your whisk. You may have to play around with the ratios since different people have varying degrees of wasabi tolerance - and that’s saying it politely. Hee hee.

Right before you plate, ccaaarrreeefully mix the beets and tuna together. You’ll notice that the beets will impart a bit of its color onto the fish cubes. Spoon into serving vessel and then top with wasabi cream. Serve with slices of lemon!

The sweetness of the beets butts up right against the salty soy and freshness from the tuna. The wasabi cream reminds the brain that each bite is somehow familiar… but the overall experience is new.

As for the steak and chimichurri sauce, you can find them here and here (I subbed mint for cilantro for the sauce). For the zucchini, I just took long slices of the squash with a veggie peeler and boiled them for a minute and tossed with olive oil, Kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper!

Stop eating boring tuna -> stop having a boring life (thx Clint!) LOL.

YAY for great color contrasting plating!!!

~Spec

Back to Chicken Breasts (with Pasta) (All Things Chill (Special*Dark)) by specialdark@allthingschill.com

CHICKEN CHICKEN CHICKEN. LOL. Last month, I decided that I’ve favored the beautiful chicken thigh/leg meat to breast meat for far too long. I always choose it due to the fact that it has a deeper flavor profile during stews and marinades… which is true, but that doesn’t mean that breast meat isn’t delicious too!

Thankfully my local QFC (Think the midpoint between a Safeway and a Whole Foods) had a great deal on locally grown organic chicken breasts so I picked up 2-three pound packages and portioned out two breasts to each zip top bag, tagged them with “what” and “when” and threw everything in a freezer. It was even cheaper than breaking whole chickens down themselves! All I have to do now is pull them out in the morning and when I get home, I have two beautiful chicken pieces to work with!

Chicken breasts don’t need long to cook, so I made a quick saute of chicken scallopini with a lemon-caper sauce on pasta with mushrooms and arugula. Instructions follow bellloooowwwwww:

Cut 1 chicken breast in half lengthwise, lay a sheet of plastic wrap on top and pound each slice out with a mallet / pan until thin - about 1/3 of an inch’. Coat chicken with flour, Kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper and preheat a pan over medium high heat. Add oil (I used a mixture of olive and canola -eyeballed 2 to 1 ratio) and wait for wisps of smoke and CAREFULLY lay the chicken AWAY from you so oil doesn’t splatter on your favorite shirt. Cook until golden brown on one side and then flip for another minute.

Once you pull the chicken from the pan, drain excess oil and add minced shallot and garlic - about 1 tablespoon each. When fragrant, add red pepper flakes (1 tsp) and 1 cup of tasty white wine. If you’re also making pasta, add about 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid, the juice of 1/2 a lemon, some sauteed mushrooms and arugula. Reduce by half, take off the heat and whisk in 3 tablespoons of butter cut into small cubes.

Combine the sauce and drained pasta (I used spaghetti, would’ve liked linguine!) and top with crispy chicken. Garnish with parsley, Parmesan cheese or toasted nuts and serve.

The meal was brought to you by Ella and Louis Again, another vinyl gem we found scourging the thrift stores during our trip in Portland last weekend.

It’s a simple dish that has a bit of crunch, a creamy sauce, peppery notes from the arugula, earthiness from the mushrooms and a bit of brightness from the lemon juice. Perfect for a weeknight meal, but unfortunately, it doesn’t allow for leftovers the next day. Hee hee.

YAY CHIX + PASTA

~Spec