rocky mountain table co.

We need a dining table. It shouldn't surprise you that I feel very strongly about bringing family and friends to the table to enjoy meals together. So we've been on the hunt for the perfect table. A couple weeks ago, through Etsy, we came across Rocky Mountain Table Co. They make all their tables in Denver, and have some of the most amazing styles. We were able to stop by their showroom this past weekend to check out some of their work. I found I couldn't decide - all their tables were so beautiful! (Not to mention, their showroom was georgously designed in an old brick market in the Baker neighborhood. I kind of just wanted to plop down at a table, crack open a beer, and never leave.)

I hope one of their tables is in our future. But if you need a table, too, definitely check them out. Who can resist a table made locally from reclaimed wood!? (The real stuff too, not that silly wood that's stained grey to look reclaimed.)

triple crème brie + josh ritter

I ate triple crème brie yesterday and it changed my life. Or at least my picnicking-life. I will never go back to regular brie. Or even double crème brie. I love good food, but I'm also thrifty. I'm not usually cheap, I just like to use my money wisely. I don't like to pay more for something that I could get for less. So when I buy brie at the grocery, I look at which one is the least expensive, or on sale, and that's the one for me. But, yesterday, I went big. I was buying provisions for an evening picnic at the Botanic Gardens for a Josh Ritter concert. Special food was in order. So, despite it's higher price per pound, I carefully picked out a wedge of triple crème brie.

Hours later, Dan and I were relaxing in the grass on a high in the UMB Amphitheater and discovered picnic perfection:

triple crème brie + Dalmatia fig spread + a baguette + white wine

Now, I recognize that this isn't exactly revolutionary. Everyone who reads this blog has enjoyed some brie and fig spread on bread washed down with wine. But, I must ask, was it triple crème? Because having at least 75% butterfat content can be pretty important when you're dining outdoors. For example, last night, an hour after we finished our picnic, when the skies opened up and poured rain for the entire concert, we were pretty pleased to have bellies full of that much fatty goodness.

The rain was the bummer of the evening. The highlights were the brie, the vintage French white wine we brought, and Josh Ritter's always fantastic music. I highly recommend all of the above. Rain or shine.

My Favorite Josh Ritter songs:
Kathleen
Me & Jiggs
Lark
Girl in the War
To the Dogs or Whoever
Mind's Eye
Joy to You Baby

cherry pie

Oh hey there. It's almost mid-August? Where'd the summer go? Oh, right, we moved. That took some time. Still is. Yikes. Moving is the best and the worst, isn't it? Those little piles around the house that you're going to "get to" sometime but you just never seem to have the time... Anyway, enough about that. I want to write about pie. Cherry pie. Last month, we set out on a quest to find some pie cherries. Dan grew up having cherry pie, and he really wanted to try to make one. Searching online, I found a farm in Brighton, Colorado that had "u-pick" cherries. Perfect. But it was not to be. First we tried to go on a day they were closed. Then we tried to go in the afternoon but they were only open in the morning. Finally we set out to go but saw on the website that their cherries were all picked out. We called, and they said they still had some for sale in their farm store. We jumped in the car as fast as possible, throwing Willa's nap to the wind. They'd sold out, so Willa met some chickens.

A week or so later, Dan couldn't shake his hankering for pie, so he decided to make a blueberry one. But his heart wasn't in it. He cut corners. He rushed. The pie was edible, but barely. Major pie disaster. Let's not even talk anymore about it.

But fear not our last-month selves. A cherry pie was still in our future! We were up in Estes Park for the wedding of my dear friend Gena, and on our drive home we saw the Colorado Cherry Company. They must have cherries, we said! And indeed, they did. We bought 2 pounds of sour pie cherries, and despite an absurdly long wait (perhaps their freezer was 7 floors underground?), it was all quite simple.

A week later, the pie baking commenced. This time, no corners were cut. Everything was carefully read and measured and thought-through. We combined recipes and advice from a few different baker-extraordinaries, and came up with what I dare say is one of the best pies ever. So, if you can figure out a way to get your hand on some pie cherries, I highly reccomend you make this bad boy. It's a good one.

Our Elusive Cherry Pie

To prepare the crust dough:
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
pinch of salt
1 cup butter
1/3 cup non-hydrogenated vegetable shortening
1 large egg
1T lemon juice
1/4 cup ice water

1. Sift the flour and salt together into a large mixing bowl.

2. Cut the butter and shortening into the flour mixture with two knives or a pastry blender.

3. In a separate bowl, beat the egg lightly. Stir in the lemon juice and add water.

4. Pour the wet mixture into the flour mixture.

5. Bring the dough together quickly using your hands.

6. Knead until smooth, either in the bowl or on a lightly floured surface.

7. Divide into two equal halves, wrap in plastic wrap/bags, and chill in fridge for 45 minutes.

//

To prepare the crust for the pie filling:

1. Remove one ball of dough from the fridge. Using a rolling pin (or empty wine bottle) on a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out until it is approximately an 1/8 inch thick and roughly the size of your pie pan.

2. Press carefully into a pie pan.

3. Freeze for 30 minutes.

4. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

5. After 30 minutes have passed, remove crust from freezer and cover with tin foil that has been lightly greased on the underside. Add dry beans of any variety to the top of the foil to add pressure to the crust to prevent it from puffing up.

6. Once oven is heated, bake crust for 10-12 minutes. Set aside.

//

For the pie filling:
5 cups tart pie cherries
2 2/3 Tablespoons instant tapioca
2/3 cup sugar
1.5 Tablespoons lemon juice
2 drops of almond extract (scant 1/8 teaspoon)

1. Mix cherries, tapioca, and sugar together in a medium bowl. Let sit for 15 minutes.

2. Add lemon juice and almond extract.

3. Transfer mixture to pie crust.

4. Increase oven temperature to 450 degrees.

5. Remove second ball of dough from the fridge. Roll it out until it is 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick (we like it a bit thicker).

6. Cut dough into 1 inch thick strips. Weave a lattice on top of the pie, pressing the end of each strip into the lower layer of pie crust and trimming off excess dough as necessary.

7. Bake pie at 450 for 10 minutes. Place a cookie sheet underneath pie to catch drippage.

8. Turn heat down to 350 degrees and bake for 40-45 minutes until crust is golden brown and cherries are bubbling.

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}

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

deliciousness in denver

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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.

changes

Back in January, I went on and on about posting more. It's been over four months since my last post. Whoops. Although, I think it's kind of like being overdue on correspondance to friends. You apologize for being delinquent, but you can't dwell on it too much. It's more meaningful if you spend your words on sharing what's new in your life and asking them about theirs. So that's what I'll do here. Just move along. Lots has happened in four months. I had a baby. We moved to Denver. We vacationed in South Dakota. We barbecued lots. I ate more meat. I realized I really can't eat quinoa after all.

I've come out of the haze, and I have been missing this blog. The writing, pictures, and organizing of thoughts and recipes is an important outlet for me. No apologies, but I'm going to keep trying. I hope a few of you will keep reading.

{16th Street Mall, Denver}

november + december

I'm sure I'm just one of a million people who is saying to themselves, "Hey, it's a new year. I should blog more." However, I'm not sure the lull in my blogging had much to do with the specific dates. Mostly, I haven't written much because November and December of last year got a bit hectic. There was a lot going on in our lives...several trips, dramatic changes to the daily routine, and as a result, not much cooking. The months were not without culinary highlights though. Looking back through pictures (my culinary memory), I recollect a lot of satiating eating experiences. So, before I, like so many others out there, refocus my efforts on posting more in 2012, I want to document a few highlights from the last months of 2011:

Ottolenghi's Black Pepper Tofu.After a trip to Uwajimaya to stock my Asian pantry, I made this relatively straightforward tofu recipe. The pepper was intense, but in a good way. Incredibly rich and flavorful, this dish is fancy enough to shine as a weekend meal for sure.

Serious Biscuit.

Before they changed their name from Dahlia Workshop, we made our way down to South Lake Union on a sunny weekend morning to try Tom Douglas's latest breakfast joint. The breakfast sandwiches finally filled the void in my life that has been vacant since we left the driving radius of 

Middlebury's Bagel Deli. 

The biscuit is of course a much different medium than the bagel, but the enjoyment factor was in the same ballpark. I'd recommend steering clear of the "holy cow i feel ill"-inducing options such as fried chicken with tabasco black pepper gravy, and instead going with something more simple, like the fennel sausage and egg with pepper relish and fontina. But then again, who am I to say what your weekend morning might call for.

Pecan Pie. This Thanksgiving, for the first time, I added a third slice of pie to my already crowded dessert plate: chocolate pecan. I couldn't believe what I'd been missing for so long! And then, at a delightful holiday party around Christmas, the hosts served me my second pecan pie. It totally hit the spot again. Although I have to say I would have switched the pies if possible. I think a delicate, slightly sweet pecan pie is great alongside pumpkin and apple, whereas the chocolate pecan stands out solo. My friend Leigh shared a recipe for the latter which I can't wait to have the occasion to bake.

Delancey. When I turned 28 in November, I was lucky enough to gather ten of my closest friends for a dinner at Seattle's best artisan pizza joint. The best part about having a party of 11? Making a reservation! They only take reservations for parties of 6+, and without one the wait is still usually 2 hours, even years after their opening. We kept the ordering simple: one of each pizza on the menu. The crimini was my favorite as always, but everything was sensational. I love that place. Orangette was even in the house - I decided to pretend she knew it was my birthday and was nearby to celebrate. Yeah right.

Euclid Hall. On an early December trip to Denver, we wanted to try some of the region's famous microbrews. And of course one can't just drink a high-quality beer solo. Delicious gastropub fare alongside is often our requirement. Thankfully, a quick internet led us to Euclid Hall, ranked by Esquire magazine as having one of the top ten beer menus in the country. The beer list was indeed impressive: great selections on tap, and a bottle list organized by increasing complexity by mathematic terms.

The food didn't disappoint either. We had wild mushroom poutine with porcini gravy and Wisconsin cheddar curds, a double decker chicken schnitzel sandwich on dill rye with aioli and apple cabbage caraway slaw, and some "hot, spicy and very sincere pickles" on the side. Based on this restaurant and our lunch at Masterpiece Delicatessen, I was quite encouraged by Denver's food scene.