spicy summer sesame noodles

We've been eating a lot of Asian food lately. Chinese. Thai. Vietnamese. A mixture of all of the above. Summer has set in on Denver, and the hot days make way to comfortable evenings perfect for eating al fresco. We set up Willa's bumbo by the patio table, and eat our noodles or tofu or stir-fry as the sun lowers in the sky.

The increase in Asian food chez nous is largely a result of receiving Every Grain of Rice from Rachel when she was visiting. That book, let me tell you. So good! Every single recipe. (Ok that's a lie. There have been a couple duds. But still. Most of them.) The recipes are so easy but so delicious. It's the Chinese food that families make for dinner on weeknights. Not the Chinese food American businessmen are served at banquets when they go to China on business.

Because I've been making so much Chinese lately, my pantry is well-stocked with Asian cooking ingredients. For example, I have a jar of chili oil. Many recipes call for just a teaspoon or two, so I have no clue how I'm going to get through that jar. So, the other night when I had a hankering for some spicy noodles, I grabbed the jar of chili oil, threw a few tablespoons into a bowl, and went from there. The result wasn't half bad. In fact, it was pretty darn tasty. And Willa thought so too. She devoured noodles by the handful. I thought the spice would be too much for her, but she reemphasized the fact that babies can really eat anything. Spicy sesame noodles included.

Spicy Summer Sesame Noodles
2-3T chili oil (depending on desired spiciness)
2t black vinegar
2t sesame oil
1/4c tahini paste
3 scallions, sliced, white and green parts separated
8 ounces noodles (I used gluten-free rice fettuccine, but anything would work!)
1c frozen peas

1. In small saucepan, heat a dash of chili oil. When hot, add white scallions and cook until softened. Scoop cooked scallions into a large serving bowl and let cool.

2. Add water to saucepan and bring to a boil. Cook noodles to desired softness. (I overcook noodles a bit these days for Willa. Gasp!)

3. Meanwhile, make the sauce in the serving bowl. To the scallions, add the remaining chili oil, black vinegar, tahini, and sesame oil. Stir until combined.

4. Once the noodles are almost done, add the peas to the hot water, and then drain.

5. Mix noodles and peas with sauce. Garnish with scallion greens.

pizzeria locale

We were struck down by an odd and agressive bug last weekend. Bug as in a sickness, not an insect. Just when we were excited to have a fun and relaxing weekend, I found myself in my pyjamas, curled up on the bed feeling feverish. Literally. I took one sip of an evening gin and tonic Dan made me with local Coloardo gin, and the next thing I knew I was down for the count. But let's not go into details. Basically Saturday was a day to forget, but we made it through the other side, and by Sunday evening we were all feeling mostly 100%. Thankfully, Dan had Monday off from work, so we were able to cram some fun into the last remaining day of the weekend. What does one eat when they've just recovered from a GI bug? PIZZA! Obvi. Having already tried the pizza options in our 'hood, we decided to take advantage of the A/C in the car (it got up to almost 100 degrees!) and head to Capitol Hill to try the newly opened Pizzeria Locale. The original opened in Boulder in 2011, but they recently opened a Denver outpost, and word on the street was they have a pizza in and out of the oven in 2 minutes flat. Impressive. Not to mention, fast-casual is ideal for our 11-month-old dining companion. She hasn't mastered patience yet.

We got there right at the lunchtime rush. 12:15ish. The place was full of young professionals enjoying pizzas and sipping fountain sodas. We craned our necks at the menu boards (they were mounted a bit high, I thought, although I am not tall) and quickly decided on a Margherita (tomato sauce, mozzarella, basil), a Bianca (mozzarella, sausage, broccolini, garlic, chili flake), and a Tuna Salad (arugula, tuna, green olives, capers, red onion, grape tomatoes, chickpeas, lemon). And two Peronis. Because after all, we were finally feeling better!

They weren't kidding about the 2 minute thing. I'd barely set up our nice, round, marble table with a highchair before our pizzas were delivered. They were pretty much perfect. The crust was burnt in all the right places. The ingredients were fresh and flavorful. I am usually partial to a white pizza, and the Bianca did not disappoint. The broccolini was so good. Willa gobbled up her fair share. And sausage! Who doesn't like sausage. It was just the right amount of spicy. Dan enjoyed the Margherita too. Gotta have tomato sauce, he says. There wasn't enough basil on it for my liking, just a leaf thrown here or there. I prefer chopped basil. Spread it out! Share the love!

Maybe the best part about Pizzeria Locale was the atmosphere. I'm a sucker for subway tile, and man, does this place have subway tile. And the hexagon tiled floor. Swoon. The space was bright and airy, and it felt friendly, even with all the fancypants professionals around. They cleared out right around 12:50pm, and we had the place more or less to oursleves. The staff was really nice ("Thanks for coming in!"), although when we ordered we had to tell a different guy each item (one pizza guy, one salad guy, one drink guy, and a cashier). Seemed a bit overkill.

Most importantly, the pizza. So good. The prefect way to revive our tastebuds after a day or two of nothing but crackers and water.

{going after a third piece of pizza with her mouth, since each hand was occupied}

recipe list for molly wizenberg’s “a homemade life”

Have you read "A Homemade Life" by Molly Wizenberg (aka Orangette)? It's a lovely book about Molly's life experiences and how they relate to food and eating. I bought it a few years back at her book signing at the University of Washington. I've slowly read through it, chapter by chapter, each one ending with a recipe. I've added a few post-its on things I want to make, but for the most part I forget what recipes are in the book. She includes an index in the back of the book, but I find it hard to navigate. So I finally took the time to compile a recipe index. It's been useful for me, so I thought I'd share, in case someone else might be having the same frustration with her book. All of the recipes I've made so far from the book are fantastic. I wholeheartedly recommend you try the Stewed Prunes with Citrus and Cinnamon (page 49). I know, I know, you're probably thinking, "prunes? ewwwww." But honestly. They're just dried plums. And once softened, they're so good atop yogurt. Try them.

Recipes from "A Homemade Life" by Molly Wizenberg

Breakfast
Burg’s French Toast 39
Buckwheat Pancakes 68
Dutch Baby Pancakes with Lemon and Sugar 131
Italian Grotto Eggs 140
Stewed Prunes with Citrus and Cinnamon 49

Salads
Burg’s Potato Salad 14
Bread Salad with Cherries, Arugula, and Goat Cheese 115
Fennel Salad with Asian Pear and Parmesan 238
Spring Salad with Avocado and Feta 246
Frisee with Ham, Eggs, and Mustard Vinaigrette 264
Arugula Salad with Pistachios and Chocolate 296

Soups
Ed Fretwell Soup 156
Tomato Soup with Two Fennels 256
Butternut Squash Soup with Pear, Cider, and Vanilla 226

Mains
Bouchons au Thon 101
Roasted Eggplant Ratatouille 124
Doron’s Meatballs with Pine Nuts, Cilantro, and Golden Raisins 168
Cider-Glazed Salmon 181
Chana Masala 233
Little Corn Cakes with Bacon, Tomato, and Avocado 304

Vegetables
Cream-Braised Green Cabbage 186
Red Cabbage Salad with Lemon and Black Pepper 222
Slow-Roasted Tomatoes with Coriander 192
Slow-Roasted Tomato Pesto 193
Cranberry Chutney with Ginger and Dried Cherries 210
Caramelized Cauliflower with Salsa Verde 271
Zucchini Noodles with Pesto 273
Spicy Pickled Carrots with Garlic and Thyme 290
Pickled Grapes with Cinnamon and Black Pepper 291

Sweets
Blueberry-Raspberry Pound Cake 20
Banana Bread with Chocolate + Crystallized Ginger 26
Coeur a la Creme with Raspberry Puree 33
Chocolate Cupcakes with Bittersweet Glaze 44
Hoosier Pie 55
Fresh Ginger Cake with Caramelized Pears 75
Fruit-Nut Balls 80
Espresso-Walnut Toffee 83
Vanilla Bean Buttermilk Cake with Glazed Oranges 88
Coconut Macaroons with Chocolate Ganache 94
Tarte Tatin 108
Jimmy’s Pink Cookies 132
Dried Fruit Pie 147
Rum Cream Pie with Graham Cracker Crust 150
Scottish Scones with Lemon and Ginger 174
French-Style Yogurt Cake with Lemon 204
Custard-Filled Cornbread 251
Pistachio Cake with Honeyed Apricots 278
Vanilla-Black Pepper Ice Cream 285
“Our Wedding Cake” 312

the best malaysian dish ever

In July 2011, we went on a monthlong trip around Southeast Asia. We started in Hong Kong, then went to Singapore before taking a train north through Malaysia, stopping to spend several days on Penang island. We then took an "international express" train (over 24 hours!) to Bangkok where we spent time on both ends of a week on Koh Chang island. Before the trip, I couldn't have told you much about food in Malaysia. I had heard, however, that it was a street food paradise, and travel magazines and websites were starting to call it things like "the next big foodie destination." Everywhere we went that trip, we ate delicious food. Dumplings and dim sum in Hong Kong...fresh salads in Thailand...condensed milk sweetened coffee everywhere. But amidst all the deliciousness, one dish made an impression like no other: char kuih kak. Stir-fried radish cake with bean sprouts, eggs, dark soy sauce, and a hearty amout of oil.

During our week on Penang island (Malaysia's "foodie capital"), our days were organized around eating. We'd splurged on a fantastic place to stay; a renovated two-story house on Armenian Street. Each day, we would venture out for some food, then return home to relax and digest, before heading out again. Using EatingAsia's fantastic blog as our guide, we sought out every food Penang had to offer. Indian. Chinese. Malay. And more.

Typically, I don't like to eat the same food over and over again. I like to try new things. But once we'd hit up Chowrasta market and eaten char kuih kak, we were hooked. We probably went back once a day for our remaining time there. Before catching our ferry back to the mainland, we got up extra early for a final meal. I practically cried as we ate the last bite. I wasn't sure if I would ever find the dish again. I hadn't seen it in Singapore. And we were off to Thailand where food would be equally delicious but much less greasy.

In the almost two years since we were in Penang, I've thought about char kuih kak at least weekly. It's the ultimate comfort food. Good for any meal of the day, at any time of the year. When I was 9 months pregnant, I insisted we figure out how to make it. I procured the ingredients from Uwajimaya, and we went to work. We followed a recipe that had been posted on EatingAsia, but it didn't produce the desired result. Too much soy? Who knows. It wasn't right. So we tried again. And again. Until the radish cake ran out. We finally got something tastey, but not perfect. A few weeks later, I had a baby. Char kuih kak was not forgotten, but finding radish cake wasn't at the top of my sleep-deprived to-do list.

Last week, when Rachel was in town, she motivated me to finally find an Asian market in Denver. We found a fantastic one, actually much better than Uwajimaya (gasp!). They had fresh radish cake! So char kuih kak was a must.

On Rachel and Rob's last night here, we heated up the stove, chopped up the radish cake, poured some microbrews, and went to work. The recipe I'd used previous was no longer online, but it was a blessing in disguise. Using my memory as a guide, we were able to recreate the Penang magic. As each batch came off the stove, all four of us dove into the steamy, greasy goodness with our chopsticks. The night only deepened my love for char kuih kak. As far as I'm concerned, it's not only the best Malaysian dish, it may very well be the world's best dish. Needless to say, you should try it.

Char Kuih Kak The Asian ingredients you find might be in different amounts. Use the proportions below as a guide, but really you can tweak the amounts to your liking. I like a bit extra egg in mine, while others might enjoy more radish cake or bean sprouts. It's up to you.

23oz radish cake
8oz bean sprouts
4 eggs, beaten
dark soy sauce
sambal oelek (or other chili paste)
Chinese chives (optional), chopped
oil for frying - preferably canola, sunflower, or peanut

1. Cut radish cake into 1/2" x 1/2" cubes.

2. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large, non-stick pan. Once hot, add half of the radish cake cubes.

3. Stirfry cubes until most sides have browned. Stir or flip them only occasionally to get a good crunch on the sides.

4. Once the cubes are crisped in places, drizzle with 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce, and 1-2 teaspoons sambal olek, depending on the desired spicyness. Toss to coat.

5. Move cubes to the side of pan. Adding a tad more oil if needed, pour in the two eggs and scramble them using a spatula or spoon.

6. Once the eggs are almost done, add approximately 4oz bean sprouts and toss until combined.

7. Mix egg and sprouts with the radish cake in pan, tossing until well incorporated. Add an additional 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce to coat the entire mixture.

8. Sprinkle with chives, if desired, and eat immediately!

Repeat with the remaining radish cake, eggs, and bean sprouts.

friends. grilling. + artichokes.

You know how a recipe often tell you how long it should take to be made? "20 minutes active." "35 minutes total." It always takes me double the amount of time stated. At least. I tend to be slow. In all aspects of life. It takes me longer than my friends to get myself dressed and ready to go out the door. It most certainly takes me longer than my husband. I'm not quite sure why. I don't think I'm that high-maintenance. I guess I'm just detail-oriented? I like to have everything just so. And that takes awhile? This trait is definitely not the best when it comes to cooking. It takes me a long time to get dinner on the table.

My dear friend Rachel and her husband Rob are in town visiting. Rachel is the exact opposite of me in the speediness realm. She's the fastest person I know. I'm so thankful she's my friend after so many years of having to wait for slowpoke me. She can look fabulous for a night out in about five minutes, and always finished her Chinese homework long before I did. After years of spending time with her, and many a meal cooked together, I may have improved slightly on my speed, but I'm still not that fast in the kitchen. She, on the other hand, can throw together a meal in minutes. It's one of the many things I love about her.

This past Sunday night, we found ourselves around the table in our backyard, eating in the warm, fresh spring air. Mismatched candles light our faces for precious moments of reminiscing, reconnecting, and laughter. We started with whole artichokes dipped in olive oil and lemon juice vinaigrette. Next off the grill was bison flank steak marinated in soy sauce, honey, and garlic. And thick-cut pork chops with paprika. Portabella mushroom caps with olive oil. Whole grilled asparagus and zucchini spears.

Just a few hours prior, I'd had no idea what we were going to do for dinner. After a intended hike turned short walk in the woods, we decided we should grill that night. I mean, it was 80 degrees! We stopped at Whole Foods to pick up some ingredients, and not only had we not picked out any recipes beforehand, but we were tired, hungry, and a bit rattled by a baby that had been crying with extraordinary force in the car due to the windey mountain roads. Thank goodness for Rachel. She and Rob decisively picked out some vegetables and cuts of meat that I would never have known what to do with.

Sometimes I'm too caught up on recipes. And doing things "just right." Rachel reminded me that all you need for a wonderful night is good food, good company, some salt and pepper, olive oil, lemon juice, and spices. And a vintage port doesn't hurt either.

///

Steamed Artichokes
One of the many, many things Rachel has taught me.

1 whole artichoke per person olive oil lemon juice salt + pepper

1. Trim stems off artichokes.
2. Place stem side down in a pan.
3. Add an inch or two of water. Bring water to boil, and steam until artichoke leaves are tender to bite.
4. Place each artichoke in a bowl, drizzle with vinaigrette made of lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper.

vietnamese sandwiches

Um, have you ever had a bánh mì sandwich made with sausage? Because I hadn't. Until this past weekend. And let me tell you, they're on to something. The first time I made bánh mì with pork meatballs I thought it was genius. But those meatballs have nothing on sausage. Homemade handmade housemade sausage. Let me back up a bit. Last Sunday, Dan and I headed out on our bikes for what I was calling "date day." We've been out on a handful of "date nights" in recent months, but we felt like getting out in the sunshine and enjoying the city just the two of us. I planned a little bike excursion for us since we haven't been able to bike together since W was born. We crusied along the bike trail alongside the Platte River, and our first stop was for some smoothies at Parsley. I'd heard they were the leaders in juicing in Denver, and some healthy drinks mid bike ride seemed like a good idea. Their smoothies were good, but they were nearly out of blueberries. So, they subbed in half raspberries for the "blueberry bliss" I ordered. It didn't work out well. You can't just mess up the integrity of your concoction, can you? I mean, I'm not in the juice business. But it seemed flawed.

Anyway. Post smoothies and a stop in the park to play some catch, we ended our ride at the new Über Sausage in Lohi. They'd just opend a few days prior (no alcohol yet), but the place was shiny and new and the staff was über friendly. Ordering "The Vietnam" was a no brainer, and we also got "The Club" (rosemary chicken sausage with swiss, bacon, avacado, and tarragon aïoli). They let you pick if you want your sausage on a baguette, pita, or salad. I like the choice, but it also seems like your choice could mess up the overall taste. I mean obviously "The Greek" should be on a pita, but why would you get "The Vietnam" on a pita? We got the "The Cobb" as well, and ponied up $1.25 extra to have siracha mayo on our tater tots (um, how on earth can a little mayo and siracha cost $1.25!?).

Both sausages were fantastic. The best part about The Vietnam was that the baguette was the perfect thickness and consistency. There's nothing worse than a baguette that overwhelms the rest of the sandwich.

Moral of this story: if you're in Denver, go to Über Sausage. If you don't, buy yourself some appropriately flavored sausages and make your own bánh mì. Stat. Oh and get out on your bike this spring. Biking is fun.

GOOD LOOKIN' VIETNAMESE SANDWICHES
Pork Meatball Bánh Mì
Saveur's Banh Mi
Master Banh Mi Sandwich
Banh Mi with Lemongrass Pork
Vegetarian Spicy Banh Mi

great recipes. that your baby will like too.

Before having a baby, I hadn't thought about many of the challenges that would come along with a little one. (The crying, for example. Oh my gosh the crying. I naïvely thought that babies only cried when they needed something and if their needs were met they didn't cry much. Maybe this is the case for some magical babies out there, but not mine. I was not prepared for the crying.) One thing I did think a lot about, unsurprisingly, was food. I was barely pregnant when I was thinking daily about how my little one would not EVER be ordering off the "kids menu." I read Hungry Monkey and French Kids Eat Everything, and formed a lot of strong opinions about how kids should be eating and what is wrong with how a lot of kids in our country are fed. Now, who knows what will actually happen...I'm sure there will unfortunately be quite a few chicken tenders in our future. But nevertheless, I set some mental goals for how I want to feed W, and how I hope she'll eat. My main principle has been to try my  best to feed her whatever we're eating, as early as possible. Since she started solids at 6 months, she's tried quite a few new foods. I started off making purées of mostly vegetables (didn't have her try fruits until after 7 months) but by 8 months she was pretty much done with purées. Despite not having any teeth, she wanted to eat whatever we were eating. Fantastic! Since this is what I wanted anyway. However, there are still some considerations that must be made when planning meals. I tend to make a lot of salads, and salad greens aren't really something a toothless 10-month old can manage without gagging. But I've found a good number of meals that satisfy all members of the table. Including our dog, who gets lots of scraps these days.

{enjoying some cantaloupe // we love her phil + ted's high chair! it attachs anywhere so she's part of the fun}

{whole wheat coconut waffles // baked polenta with tomato basil sauce}

FAVORITE RECIPES. Black Bean Sweet Potato Enchiladas (Cookie + Kate) This is one of my all-time favorite recipes. I've written about it before. It's just so easy. So healthy. So delicious. And on top of all that, it's great for little ones. The sweet potatoes are so soft that they're easy for little gums to chew, and the black beans with cheese make for yummy and nutritious bites as well.

Baked Polenta with Tomato Basil Sauce (Joy the Baker) This is a delightful comfort dish. Lacking a bit on the nutrition side, but it's still a good introduction to the taste of tomatoes and basil. I'd leave out some of the hot pepper flakes, or portion out some polenta before adding the pepper, depending how your kids feel about spicy. I figure kids all around the world are eating spicy food, so you might as well try giving it to them! Also note that this dish gets really hot. Make sure to let it cool before feeding your little one. (Yep, I maybe made that mistake. Felt like a terrible mother...)

Creamy Curried Cauliflower Soup (The Kitchn) So good! So easy! Delicious for all members of the family. Also freezes well.

Market Fritatta (Lottie + Doof) This is one of my favorite fritatta recipes. Easy and delicious. And eggs are great for little mouths. (I know some parents prefer to wait until a certain age to give eggs...I subscribe to the research that indicates there's little evidence that waiting to give children certain food will prevent allergies and in fact being exposed to foods earlier rather than later may prevent some allergies. But of course do whatever you're comfortable with!)

Red Lentil Dal with Tamarind and Asparagus (Food + Wine) I make a lot of lentil/dal dishes for W. They're easy to eat since they breakdown so much, and are also a good source of protien and fiber. I really liked this recipe though, because it introduces some new flavors - tamarind and asparagus. Asparagus tips are easily chewed. W wasn't sure what to make of them at first, but started to like them after a few tries.

I could go on an on...so many great recipes! Check out my pinterest pages for more ideas!

sweet potatoes

Fall has arrived. Well, actually, the weather got a bit carried away and skipped fall pretty much altogether and jumped to winter. And then it jumped back to summer. It was 28 degrees two weekends ago and yesterday it was almost 80. Whatever the temperature, the leaves are changing and I'm finally able to feel excited about fall flavors in a way I couldn't a few weeks ago. I haven't dove in on the squash yet, but I have been enjoying a lot of sweet potatoes. Sweet potatoes certainly aren't just a fall food. I am known to enjoy a sweet potato fry any month of the year, but the do lend themselves well to heartier fall dishes. And word on the street is they're pretty darn good for you too.

{colorado aspens}

Before I go any farther, we must address the nomenclature of the sweet potato. In most grocery stores I've shopped in, I see the "sweet potatoes" sitting next to the "garnet yams." For the longest time I had no idea what the difference was, and when I was shopping for a recipe that called for "sweet potatoes," I'd buy either one. Usually I'd go with the ones labeled "sweet potatoes" (obviously), but if all they had were "yams" (or if the "yams" were on sale!), I'd go with those.

Turns out, there are many varieties of sweet potatoes. Check out this Saveur slideshow of 16 types! I think the "sweet potatoes" you see most often in stores are Beauregards or jewels. And those "yams" are usually garnets. Because, get ready for this, yams are actually nothing like sweet potatoes! They're a different food altogether. Huffington Post gets to the bottom of it, if you're curious. I was.

Anyway. The point is you can buy whichever type of sweet potato your store happens to carry, and maybe if you're lucky you'll be able to find an heirloom variety. My hands-down favorite thing to do with sweet potatoes is to roast them. With some ancho chili powder. Or whatever seasoning you like. Smoked paprika works well. Or regular paprika and a little bit of cayenne. Once roasted, I love to eat them plain, or eat them on an arugula salad with a bit of crumbled goat cheese or feta. Here's what you do:

Ancho Chili Roasted Sweet Potatoes
2 medium sweet potatoes, any variety
2T olive oil
2-3t ancho chili powder
1T coarse salt

1. Cut sweet potatoes into 1/4-inch rounds. (You can peel the potatoes if you hate the skin, but I wouldn't recommend it. The skin is completely edible and contains lots of nutrients.) 2. Preheat oven to 450. 3. Mix olive oil, salt, and spices in a large bowl. 4. Add the sweet potatoes and stir or toss until most potatoes are coated in oil and spices. 5. Arrange rounds on a parchment or foil lined baking sheet. I like to baste the rounds with more seasoning, using a pastry brush. 6. Bake for ~40 minutes, flipping potatoes rounds over (and adding more seasoning if desired) over after 20.

{sloan's lake, denver | photo courtesy of my mom}

OTHER FANTASTIC WAYS TO USE SWEET POTATOES
Sweet Potato Chocolate Chip Pancakes
Black Bean Sweet Potato Enchiladas

SWEET POTATO RECIPES I WANT TO TRY
Sweet Potato Buttermilk Pie
Sweet Potato Falafel

deliciousness in denver

{1}

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{4}

{5}

{6}

1. breakfast sandwich at masterpiece delicatessen.

2. homemade mexican salad: black beans, tomatoes, wheat berries, romaine lettuce, and cilantro with a lime olive oil dressing.

3. "el gaucho" grilled steak sandwich from route 40 argentinean grille truck at civic center EATS.

4. our five year (!) anniversary dinner: buffalo mozzarella with fresh herbs and cumin from ottolenghi's PLENTY and olli salumeria's "toscano" salame, both bought at our neighborhood cheese shop.

5. corn salad for an afternoon lunch al fresco at spuntino.

6. happy + fun "evolution" wine from our awesome local liquor store.

quinoa

Quinoa scares me. Or, to be more accurate, it scared me until recently. I avoided it. Not because it wasn't tasty, but because it wreaked absolute havoc on my digestive tract. If you'd asked me, whomever was making up songs about beans, should have been singing about quinoa. Maybe it didn't rhyme as well?

I tried quinoa for the first time several years back, and have always liked the taste of it. Both red and yellow quinoa are delicious, and a great addition to any substantial salad. But every time I ate the little, harmless looking grain, I regretted it. I stopped buying it, and started substituting in other grains in recipes (cous cous works well!).

But then, a few months back, my friend Brenna needed to clean out her pantry, and I reaped the benefits. Which included a 5-pound bag of organic quinoa. I couldn't let it go to waste.

Turns out, there was a very easy solution to my problem. A solution that is written as plain as day on all bags of quinoa and most recipes that call for the grain. RINSE WELL before cooking.

I'm not sure why I always thought I was exempt from this step. Apparently I thought I was above rinsing? Pretty sure I was just lazy. Or I didn't know why rinsing was necessary. My quinoa always looked pretty clean. Turns out, rinsing removes the saponins, which aids digestion. Well there ya go!

Needless to say, armed with this newfound trick up my sleeve, I've been cooking up a storm of quinoa the past few weeks. I've listed some of my favorite recipes below. I recommend you try one. Just don't forget to rinse!

Quinoa with Grilled Zucchini, Garbanzo Beans, and Cumin (Epicurious) This recipe incorporates lots of healthy foods, from the quinoa and chickpeas to the turmeric and cumin. We only have a little Weber grill that requires too much effort for just grilling some squash, so when I make this I chop the zucchini and saute it in my Le Creuset with spices before adding to the salad.

Double Broccoli Quinoa (101 Cookbooks) This salad is heartier than expected, and tasty of course. However, I significantly cut the garlic in the pesto, or I find it much too overpowering. But to each their own!

Strawberry Spinach Salad with Quinoa (Cookie + Kate) This recipe is from one of my new favorite blogs, Cookie + Kate. It's a perfect salad for an early summer night when strawberries are in season.

P.S. - Quinoa is gluten-free.

springtime pasta

Often, I get so caught up in trying one of the 500 recipes I've bookmarked recently that I forget to exercise my own culinary abilities. I'm no gourmet chef, but part of the reason I like cooking so much is that I'm mildly good at it. I can come up with my own dishes using just what I have on hand and the ideas in my mind. Really, I can! I actually do this most days for lunch, but dinners have become very recipe-focused. Even when I have an idea what to make, I find myself searching for a recipe that matches my idea, so I can follow it. The other night, I had a little chat with myself, and told myself to gain some confidence. Just make dinner. I had fresh basil crying to be used (from making this salad the other night) and some lovely organic grape tomatoes that had miraculously been on super sale at Safeway. The dish I made wasn't revolutionary. In fact, it was pretty predictable. It won't win any accolades. But it was healthy, delicious, and quick; the perfect meal for a sunny weekday night. Our first meal al fresco in fact, since spring has finally made an appearance in Seattle!

I of course recommend you try making this pasta for dinner some night. But more than that, I encourage you too to remind yourself to throw recipes out the window once in awhile and go at it alone.

Tomato, Basil, and Olive Pasta

pint grape tomatoes, halved or quartered
1 cup basil, chopped
½ cup kalamata olives, coarsely chopped
¼ log (~2 oz) goat cheese
olive oil red
pepper flakes
salt + pepper
½ lb. pasta of your choice (I used gluten-free quinoa + corn)

1. Boil water for the pasta. While waiting, slice the tomatoes. 2. Cook the pasta in salted water until al dente. 3. Place the goat cheese in the bottom of a serving dish. Drain the pasta, and pour on top of the cheese. Add olive oil and mix until the oil and cheese coat the pasta. 4. Mix in tomatoes and olives. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and red pepper. 5. Gently incorporate basil so it doesn't discolor.

Serves 2-3.

anchovies

Months ago, I was flipping through Jamie's Italy, and I came upon a recipe that called for "salt-packed anchovies." Oliver said these were what they used in Sicily, but I knew I hadn't seen them at Whole Foods. What were they exactly? Every anchovy I'd ever seen had come packed in a small tin immersed in oil. But then, a sigh later, my mind and mouth were transported back to July 2010 in Italy's Cinque Terre when I sat in an oceanside restaurant devouring bread topped with anchovies, mozzarella, tomatoes, basil, and capers, all washed down with a dessert sambuca. Whatever these "more authentic" anchovies were, I needed them.

With just a little Google-ing, I found them on Amazon, and also at DeLaurenti, a fantastic European food store in Pike Place Market.

In November, around my birthday, a few friends asked what I'd like as a gift, and my thoughtful husband responded, "salt-packed anchovies." Not surprisingly, no one got them for me. But then, at Christmas, "Italian Santa" brought me a giant can! I am a notoriously bad present-opener, but I couldn't contain my excitement for my newly acquired culinary ingredient.

Back in Seattle, I pulled out the anchovies and Oliver's recipe for pasta con acciuche e pomodoro. The recipe is full of approximations: "a big handful of raisins," "a large wineglass of red wine." Whose handful? A gigantic American red wine glass? And on top of that, I had to tackle the anchovies. They were kind of scary. Whole, headless, fish.

Once I got over my squeamishness, they weren't too hard to prepare. Chop off the tail, slice down the belly to open them up, and pull out the bones. (If you miss a few bones it's not the end of the world because they're so small that most will disintegrate when they're cooked.) The lack of specifics in the recipe, combined with my inexperience with salt-packed 'chovies, resulted in a dish that was not very good at all. The proportions were off. But the taste was there. Somewhere in there, through the intense saltyness that would have gotten me kicked off Top Chef immediately, there was a hint of an amazing dish.

A few attempts later, I think I've finally got it. The proportions are now quite different from Oliver's, but it's to my liking. And I hope to yours too.

Palermo Pasta with Anchovies, Raisins, and Pine Nuts
Adapted from Jamie Oliver's "pasta con acciughe e pomodoro"

2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
3 Tablespoons olive oil
¼ cup pine nuts
¼ raisins
3 Tablespoons tomato purée
2 ounces red wine
6 salt-packed anchovy fillets (or 8 from an oil tin)
½ pound dried pasta (in this case you really do want to splurge on a "fancier" pasta but the type is less important - margarita, bucatini, spaghetti, fettuccine all work well)
homemade breadcrumbs

Heat oil in large, deep skillet over medium-low heat. Fry garlic slowly. Once garlic is golden brown, add raisins, pine nuts, and anchovies. Continue frying, stiring regularly, for 2 minutes. Add tomato purée and wine and stir well until combined.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta until al dente. Try to time it so the pasta is done at about the same time as the sauce. (Serious Italian cooks tell you that rinsing pasta in cold water ruins it, but I've been known to do it quite frequently. I'm working on my timing.) Add the pasta to the sauce and stir until incorporated. Serve garnished with breadcrumbs (they're missing in the picture below, but the crunch they add is really essential!).

Serves 2-3.

OTHER RECIPES WITH ANCHOVIES I WANT TO TRY
Capellini with a Sauce of Anchovies, Capers, and Fresh Tomatoes
Tonnato Deviled Eggs
Spaghetti with Fried Capers and Anchovies
Pesto di Prezzemolo (Parsley Pesto with Anchovies)

book club

Last week, I was the host for my book club's monthly meeting. I really like the set up we have: each month, one member is the "host." This means they pick the book, hosts the event at their place, and provides all the food and drinks. If someone feels they don't have enough room for all the ladies, another member can offer up their home, but the "host" still provides the food and libations. I'm a huge fan of this kind of reciprocal hosting set up because I often find it stressful when I'm heading over to a friends house for a party or casual occasion and I have to contemplate what I'm supposed to bring. I always more than happy to provide snacks or wine or whatever, but I'm a planner. I like to plan ahead. Plan out the menu. Picking up a random bottle of wine on the way to someone's place feels a bit lackluster. The point is, I was excited to host all the lovely ladies in my book club for an evening of food and conversation. I had extra time to plan this gathering because it was actually supposed to be a week earlier but we postponed due to the snow and freezing rain. The extra time was key, because I ended up being happy with the food I made. I don't mean to sound braggy at all, because quite often, despite my best efforts to plan out a menu, the food I serve guests is a big flop. Last time I hosted book club I think all I served was a red pepper dip and everyone left hungry I'm sure. Another one of my blunders is that I misjudge what my guests will want to eat; just a few weeks ago I thought about making a raw kale salad for a dinner party. Luckily my husband kindly guided me away from that plan.

Long story short, if you're hosting a book club or any other dinner gathering, I highly recommend the recipes below! And if you don't belong to a book club, you should create one. They're really great.

APPETIZERS
Red Pepper Spread with Eggplant and Garlic (Trader Joe's)
Hummus (TJ's)
Pitas - regular & whole wheat, cut up into triangles (TJ's)

DINNER
Double-Dutch Mac and Cheese with Chard(Bon Appétit) I added extra chard (the whole bunch I bought, I didn't measure) and an extra 4 ounces of pasta. I also didn't parboil the chard, but instead I finely chopped it before washing and then added it to the cheese sauce as the same time as the pasta. This caused it to wilt slightly and mix well throughout the whole dish. I didn't make any changes to the cheese sauce, but it still ended up cheesy enough!

Arugula, raisin, dried cranberry, and peacan salad with balsamic vinaigrette I stumbled upon this balsamic vinaigrette recipe a few months ago, and it's quickly become a staple in my fridge. It comes together so easily and stores beautifully in a jar in the fridge.

DESSERT
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles(our little bee hive) These took work. I'd never made truffles before, and thought I should try. Well, dipping truffles is no easy task, I learned. I perfected my technique as I went along, finding out the best way was leave a little opening at the top of the truffle so I could push it off the fork, and then fill in that hole immediately (before the chocolate started to dry) with a dab of chocolate from a spoon. Time intensive for sure, but worth it. Yum.

specialty items

Last month, I was at Pike Place Market with my dear friend Katie. It was her first visit to Seattle, and after showing her the flying fish, the first Starbucks, and all the amazing food vendors, I paused on the cobblestone street and said, "I just need to grab something from this Indian grocer." I quickly strode into The Souk and found what I was looking for: black mustard seeds. After paying a couple dollars, I reconvened with Katie outside the store, and she commented, "I don't think I'll ever cook anything that calls for a spice that's not available at a regular supermarket." Katie's comment got me thinking. Trips to multiple markets = delightful or aggravating? Certainly it depends on the person. But me? I've never met a market I didn't love. Just yesterday I went to three groceries before noon (no way am I buying romaine hearts at Fred Meyer for $2.99 when they're $1.99 at Trader Joe's!). And markets that carry specialty items are the best. Many agree with me, obviously. But several fall into the other camp, usually sticking to the standard spices and ingredients. And then there's actually a third camp, which I sometimes fall into. This is those of us who love using special ingredients, but often don't have what we need on hand and decide to make the recipe anyway, hoping it'll turn out okay. Sometimes it does, but often it doesn't. So from the me who went into The Souk that day to get the mustard seeds, here's my reccomendation:

Step 1: Find a recipe that calls for something you've never heard of. Step 2: Google the ingredient so you understand how it's sold in the U.S. and what you're looking for once you get to the store. (Be sure to check if it has any alternate names in English.) Step 3: Find a store. Step 4: Make the trip, even if it takes some effort. Step 5: Cook the recipe and be prepared to have your taste buds amazed.

For inspiration, here are a few of my favorite recipes that call for ingredients not available at most "regular" stores.

Cucumber Peanut Salad 101 Cookbooks This is the salad that calls for black mustard seeds. It's very easy to make, minus the chopping of the cukes, and the cheapness of the ingredients makes up for the effort you have to make to get the mustard seeds!

Pasta with Mustard Greens Pesto, Shiitake Mushrooms, and Smoked Mozzarella Bon Appétit This recipe is borderline. It's very possible to find all the ingredients in a standard grocery, and definitely at Whole Foods, but there are still some specialty ingredients that are necessary to make this recipe as written. And if you're not going to try it as written, you shouldn't bother. The smoked mozzarella and shiitake mushrooms are a must.

Palak Daal 101 Cookbooks The first few times I made this I couldn't find urad dal anywhere, so I substituted chana dal and brown lentils. And the dal was good. But when I finally found urad dal at an Indian grocer, I was delighted by how improved this dish was.

Laarb (Thai chicken "salad") Mark Bittman's "The Best Recipes in the World" Laarb (Laab, Larb) could very well be my favorite dish in the entire world. It's a Laotian dish made with meat, fresh herbs, fish sauce, and lime juice. It's usually served with cabbage and other fresh vegetables. Ground toasted rice is an important component of the dish. It's not too hard to make, but you do need to stock your pantry with some specific ingredients from Asian grocery stores.

Salmon in Bengali Mustard Sauce  Saveur Shout out to Rachel who told me I had to try this recipe. It fit well with a weekend trip to Pike Place, where we picked up salmon and mustard powder. I think it would work well with other fish besides salmon. Serve with some yummy basmati rice.

skillet

I have never been to the Skillet Street Food truck. There, I said it. So embarrassing. So hypocritical. While I can't remember the exact moment, I'm pretty certain I've gone on and on to someone about how great Skillet is. Without having ever actually eaten there. Yep, that makes me a liar. Yikes.

I've lived in Seattle three years minus a week or two, and since day one I've heard nothing but rave reviews of Skillet's comfort food out of their signature silver trailer. We've tried to go. I've tracked them online, on Facebook, on Twitter. I just never seem to be in the right place at the right time. Or I get delayed and pull into the Phinney parking lot directly behind them as they're pulling out. Grrrr.

Maybe I just didn't try hard enough? Maybe I'm not really a committed eater? Either way, I never gave up hope. I knew I'd eat some Skillet delights. Someday. When Skillet Diner opened last month, I was elated. A solid, unmoving, eatery where I could find that poutine I needed to try. And open seven days a week from 7am-midnight!? Now that's service.

I finally got myself there this week. My parents are in town visiting, and while they really wanted something like a Plan B burger, that doesn't exist in Seattle as far as I can tell, so Skillet seemed like the best option.

It was Monday night but felt like a Friday, or at least a Thursday, given the crowd. We just beat the rush, arriving at 6:45pm to a 30 minute wait. The hostess didn't take our phone number, but we decided to live on the edge and skipped down the street to Elysian so my Dad, a hardcore beer connoisseur, could taste a few microbrews. Immortal IPA and The Wise ESB, yes please!

We were seated at minute 28 or 29 of 30, which is always a plus. The ambiance of the place is fantastic. People everywhere; laughing and casually enjoying their comfort food. The service was good. It appeared the servers' uniform is plaid shirts, which seemed a little much to me (forced hipsterism?) but then again I was a total sucker for the "let's serve everything in a different-sized mason jar" approach. I will have the "cheap beer du jour." In a lowball Kerr jar. Thankyouverymuch.

Our party of four ordered: poutine, mac + cheese, 2x the burger, and the salmon burger split two ways. Overall, it was very, very solid food. Here's what made me happy (in addition to the mason jars):

• The Menu. So many options! Something for everyone! Breakfast all day! There were so many things I wanted to eat, I need to go back at least 20 times (given my history, that'll take me my whole lifetime...). That's what a diner should be like though. Nice work.
• Mixed greens. When places offer up a mixed green salad, you usually get baby lettuce, baby chard, and maybe some radicchio. Skillet did not mess around with their greens. There was kale in there! So good.
• Speed. Our food came out quickly despite the crowd. And the temperature was perfect. Again, true diner form. Impressive.
• Beers in cans. Unsurprisingly, my "cheap beer du jour" was a Kokanee tall boy. But the other craft beers we ordered were also in cans. I I liked this. I'm a big fan of the "microcanning revolution."

However. Me being me, I had some complaints:

• The poutine is not poutine. Everyone knows fries and cheese is delicious, heck fries with anything salty on top is amazing. But I feel pretty strongly that you can't take the cheese curds out of the poutine. Well, that's not true. Quinn's does, and it's still poutine. What you need is distinction between gravy and cheese. I want white punctuating brown, and a mixture of textures. Skillet's poutine was fries with a uniform covering of ample herbed gravy. Tasty? Yes! Poutine? Not so much.
• Mac + Cheese = Poutine? The two dishes tasted alarmingly similar. Both really good, but wouldn't again order both on the same visit.
• Burger switch. We ordered two burgers: one medium rare, one medium. They were delivered, and midway through eating, we realized they'd been swapped. The medium rare diner was not wowed by the medium burger, and the medium burger lover was a bit pained to eat pink meat. Definitely detracted from the burger reviews.
• No beers on tap. While they do have a tap list, they were out of all of them. Sure, that happens. I understand. Busy weekend. But did it make us happy? Nope.

I'm quite relieved I no longer have to be a liar when I talk about Skillet's food. But I do still need to keep chasing that truck...