Category: Food

Looking for a Restaurant Recommendation?

By Iron Chef Leftovers

Next time someone asks you for a restaurant recommendation, have them fill out the following mad lib:

I’d like to dine out with my (noun) this (day of the week), and am having trouble finding the perfect spot. I always prefer a restaurant that (everybody/nobody) knows about. I (don’t want to/don’t mind to) wait in line; what really matters is the (food/service/value/ambiance).

I’m envisioning a restaurant where we can drink a (craft cocktail/pitcher of beer/foreign soft drink) while (reading/listening to a server recite/trying to translate) the menu. I’m (adverb) devoted to local, seasonal cooking, and I (verb) if the chef kills his own (noun) or forages her own mushrooms.

I don’t eat (kind of food) or (kind of food), but I’m not picky. I love (type of cuisine). My favorite restaurant experience was in (city), where I ate at (name of restaurant). That place is so (adjective)!

I (enjoy/could do without) a leisurely, multi-course meal. I’m thinking my budget is about (price). Do you think that’s doable? I just don’t want (greatest restaurant fear).

That was written by Hanna Raskin of Seattle Weekly in response to constantly being asked about what restaurant should someone go to. I may start having to have Mrs. Iron Chef fill this out when she tells me she doesn’t care about where we go out, but actually does. You can read the full article here.

The Cottage Food Act of Washington

By Iron Chef Leftovers

There is an interesting item in the Seattle Times about the Cottage Food Act of Washington that will allow people to sell small quantities of “low risk” foods without having to rent a commercial kitchen to produce the food.

Some information on the act:

The draft rule stipulates which foods may be produced — among them breads, cakes, cookies, granola, nuts, jams and jellies.

It also requires annual inspections by the Department of Agriculture, which will ensure that surfaces and floors are smooth and easy to clean and that pets and children under 6 years old are kept out of the kitchen while food is prepared.

The home kitchens do not need the stainless countertops or three sinks required of commercial kitchens. And home cooks cannot sell by mail order or over the Internet. They are limited to selling products directly to consumers — from their homes, for example, or at farmers markets.

The new law also limits the revenue someone can make from a home kitchen to $15,000 a year.

I am actually pretty shocked that the state considers jams and jellies a low risk food. Anything that is canned or preserved and not done correctly is actually at pretty high risk for botulism, which makes salmonella look like a mild cold in comparison.

These kitchens will also be inspected by the local health departments like any other food business and the owners will be required to not only have a business license, but also a food workers permit, like any other bakery or restaurant. I can’t wait to see how many of these kitchens actually fail their inspections in Seattle, whose inspectors are known to be a bit hard assed.

I have to admit, I thought it was a bad idea until I read the actual proposal, so I am fine with it. Now we just need to convince Coltrane to start baking bread more than one loaf at a time…

Interactive Fast Food

by A.J. Coltrane

By “interactive”, I don’t mean the food itself. I mean the guy standing in the drive-through window.

I’ll back up.

I went for fast food this morning to help absorb last night’s beverages. The guy working the window clearly had little desire to be at work at 5:30am, but overall he was professional enough, even though it was obvious he didn’t give a crap. It was a low-key, low-work transaction. For both of us.

Contrast that with the guy who manned the position a few months ago. He was an assistant manager, and he was overbearingly chipper, customer service oriented, and relentlessly upselling. It got to the point where I wouldn’t go for early morning fast food, just because I didn’t want to deal with him at that hour.

It occurred to me as I drove away that I was actually happier with the somewhat sour dude at the window, and that I was more likely to return as a customer just because I could relax.

How much is too much customer service? I know for me, at 5:30am I just want my server to shut up and shovel food my way. Is that so wrong?

Kevin Spacey doing Jon Lovitz:

Vintage Beer Tasting Part 2 – The Darks

By Iron Chef Leftovers

Now for part 2 of the Vintage beer tasting. When last we left our heroes they had just made it through 4 vintage Belgian beers…

While Belgian beers are interesting and tend to age well, the really good stuff for aging are dark beers. Darker beers tend to cover a wider range of the taste spectrum and lend themselves to the addition of additive flavors (spices, herbs, oak aging) that the Belgians do not. So without further delay, I give you the darks:

2007 Anchor Christmas Ale
This beer is best described as a liquid Christmas tree almost every year it is brewed and the 4+ years of aging on this beer were no exception. Pouring up dark and frothy, with lots of malt on the nose and hints of evergreen. The initial taste yielded notes of sweet cinnamon and nutmeg with more evergreen fragrance rather than taste. It was like having a spice cookie sitting next to the Christmas tree around the holidays. The finish was long with some resin and evergreen but mostly just a fading spice character that was pleasant. A sweet and spicy beer with Christmas tree notes that got better with age as it tamed the evergreen from being the predominant player to being a supporting cast member. A great beer on a chilly winter day.

4 Tannenbaums out of 5.

2009 Alaskan Baltic Porter
I originally bought 6 bottles of this beer when it was released, it was drinking extremely well when it was young and I drank 4 of the 6 bottles. Sadly, this particular Baltic porter recipe was retired with the 2009 batch.
An inky black pour with notes of roasted malt, vanilla and oak on the nose. The palate provided a wonderful booziness from the vanilla and a restrained sweetness from the brown sugar with a hint of cherry teasing your palate, making you wonder if it is really there. The finish yields slight hints of oak and vanilla, fading quickly into a milk chocolate covered cherry that lingers for a while. This was probably the only beer we tasted where the taste profile did not change as the beer warmed. Personally, I thought this was the best beer of the group, one of the 10 best beers I have ever had, and I am really sad that I don’t have anymore. This is one that I would fly to Juneau for and beg and plead with the brewer to either make again or tell me where they are hiding their stash.

5 Cossacks out of 5 (I would have given this beer a 6 out of 5 if my rating score allowed)

!!!!! ALERT!!!!!– I just checked the Alaskan Beer website and they are bringing the recipe back in September 2012. Seriously, when this comes out, buy a case of it and lay at least 6 bottles down.

2007 Dogfish Head World Wide Stout
The highest alcohol beer in the tasting, coming in at a whopping 20% on the 2007 vintage. This beer pours like a black hole – no light will escape its inky depths. Slight hints of oak on the nose with plenty of malt and booziness, smells more like a subtile malt whiskey than a beer. Surprisingly sweet on the palate with chocolate and brandy notes on the front fading into milk chocolate sweetness on the long finish, providing a slight alcohol burn, just to remind you this beer has some legs to it. The brewer recommends serving at 50-55 degrees, and the chocolate and brandy notes are joined with more pronounced vanilla flavors as the beer warms. I really think this beer could go for another 5 years easily and still be great. There are at least 2 more bottles of this vintage in the Iron Chef cellar with bottles from 2008-2012. One of these days there will be a vertical tasting on the WW Stout, until then…

4 Squalidae out of 5

Vintage Beer Tasting, Part 1

By Iron Chef Leftovers

Recently, Coltrane, Annie S. and I got together with a group of friends and had a rather unique beer tasting, one that involved a number of vintage beers. With the exception of one of these beers, it was a one shot deal: I had only one bottle of everything that we tasted from the particular vintage.

Cellaring beer is not like cellaring wine, even under the best circumstances you don’t really have a great idea how long a beer is going to last; will it get better with age? Will it even be drinkable? At least with wine, there is some indication from a reviewer or wine maker that a bottle will be best consumed in x years. I have never seen that in a beer review so I made a best guess based on my experiences with these beers.

Interestingly, beer bottles can also get that weird "leaning tall buildings" perspective issue. I'm sure it wasn't because *I* was leaning after all those beers. (Coltrane)

The cast for the evening (in order of appearance):

2006 Ommegang Three Philosophers
2010 Ommegang Three Philosophers
Batch 68256 Boulevard Brewing Sixth Glass (I believe this was a 2008 vintage)
2007 Panil Barrque
2007 Anchor Christmas Ale
2009 Alaska Baltic Porter
2007 Dogfish Head World Wide Stout

There were a couple of backup beers in case none of the bottles that I opened were undrinkable. Fortunately, all of the beers were at least drinkable and some were outstanding, making me sad that I may never get to consume that particular beer/vintage again.

Since I took pretty extensive notes on each of these beers, I am able to provide a review for each and hopefully make a few beer drinkers jealous in the process. The reviews will be presented in 2 parts, the Belgian Style beers (which oddly none of them are actually from Belgium) and the dark beers.

Without further delay, I present to you the Vintage Beer Tasting (Part 1).

Ommegang Three Philosophers
Three Philosophers in general is a Belgian quad brewed in Cooperstown, NY with 2% added cherry beer from Duvel in Belgium.

2006 Ommegang Three Philosophers Cave Aged Beer
This beer was stored for a year in bottles after brewing in Howe Caverns, a cave system near the brewery at a constant 50 degrees and I picked up a single bottle from the brewery when I was there in 2008. The nose presents with aromas of malt and subtle cherries. Initial sips indicate a touch of wood (I don’t believe this beer was ever aged in oak though), giving way to sweet cherries and sugar fading with a slight sweetness on the back of the palate. As it warmed, the malt and cherry became more pronounced and the finish became reminiscent of drinking a fine sherry or Madeira; flavors that were completely unexpected and left me wanting another bottle of this beer. This beer was phenomenal and may have been the best beer in the tasting and was certainly a favorite among the tasters.

5 Monks out of 5.

2010 Ommegang Three Philosophers
What a difference 4 years of aging made. The 2010 was restrained compared to the 2006, with some malt on the nose and no indication of cherries. Greater carbonation than the 2006, with the initial taste yielding great maltiness and sweetness with just a hint of tart cherries. The finish was overwhelming with alcohol and sugar but that gave way to a more classic Belgian finish of nutmeg and bananas as the beer warmed to 55 degrees, but the cherry was almost non-existent in the beer. It probably could have stood another couple of years of aging, and, if I could do it again, I would pour the 2010 before the 2006. It was good, but disappointing compared to the 2006.

3 Friars out of 5.

Overall, my experience with Ommegang Three Philosophers is age at least 3-4 years before you drink it. It is worth it.

Boulevard Brewing Sixth Glass Batch 68256
Another Belgian style quad, this one out of Kansas City, and I believe a 2008 vintage. The nose is very malt forward and smelled slightly astringent to me right after I opened it, which lead me to wonder if the beer might have gone bad (it hadn’t). Overly sweet with lots of malt, to the point of being overpowering. Some fruitiness on the finish, but it would fade and then return. The malt becomes a little more balanced as the beer warms, but is still very prominent and we started to get a hint of a sherry like finish when the beer warmed to about 55 degrees. I like the beer when it is fresh, but I am not sure if I liked the aged variety of this beer. One taster made the comment that this beer was trying to be the 2006 Ommegang, but it wasn’t successful at it. With Sixth Glass, I would not recommend laying it down.

3 Gregorian Chants out of 5

On a side note with this beer – it actually paired well with the chili the Coltrane and Annie served; it brought out hints of banana and spice that I did not find just drinking the beer on its own.

Panil Barrque 2007
This beer is an Italian Saison aged in oak barrels.

The nose had hints of oak and vanilla with some light smoke. Sweet pickles and sauerkraut on the initial taste fade into a sour oak finish that lingers with hints of stone fruit (cherry possibly?). Reminded me more of a homemade wine – grapey and slightly sour as it warmed. This beer was definitely not a crowd favorite but the sourness is much more restrained in the aged version than the fresh version. It aged well and was probably a little past it best drinking, but I wouldn’t mind laying down another bottle for 3 years or so and giving it another shot. The only drawback, this beer runs $25 for a 750 ml bottle, so I think you are better off with taking that money and buying a nice wine. If the bottle was less expensive, it would have scored higher.

2 Pisanos out of 5

The Task of Finding Great BBQ in Seattle

By Iron Chef Leftovers

It is difficult to find a great BBQ place in Seattle – there are a lot of them, but they generally range from mediocre to bad (and yes, I have gone to see the man, and I was underwhelmed). I am usually cautiously optimistic when a new place opens, and then usually disappointed because the quality is not up to snuff. There are 3 food items that any BBQ competition judges on – pulled pork, brisket and ribs. Those are the BBQ staples (although I long for burnt ends) and, like a cheese pizza, any place that can’t do those well is probably not worth going to.

A couple of months ago, a new BBQ place opened in Ballard – The Boar’s Nest. I decided to give it a shot. The place is small, seating about 30, with a minimal décor, rolls of paper towels on the tables and a nice selection of sauces – 6 in all, ranging from vinegar based, to mustard, to “classic” BBQ to spicy, so there is a little of something for everyone. The menu is small – 4 sandwich options (pulled pork, brisket, sausage and chicken), 2 sizes of ribs and a smattering of your classic sides. They also have a veggie option on the sausage. It is a pretty basic BBQ menu, but one that is generally perfectly acceptable.

The sandwiches are excellent, easily at the top in Seattle, and on par with some of the best BBQ that I have had. The pulled pork is tender and smoky, with the right amount of fat mixed in with the meat. My biggest complaint about most of the pulled pork I have had in Seattle is that it tends to be very dry or overly fatty, and the only way to save it is to drown it in sauce, which then eliminates the flavor of the meat. I would highly recommend the sandwich with the coleslaw on it and a small squeeze of the vinegar based North Carolina Sauce, to add just a bit of tang and sloppiness to the sandwich and really allows the pork to shine.

The brisket is another well prepared sandwich, served on Texas toast. You could see the classic smoke ring, which is essential to good BBQ and the meat itself was tender with nice amounts of char and smoke without being fatty or stringy, the sandwich stands up well to a dash of the Texas sauce to bring a bit of heat to the party. My only complaint – save me the burnt ends and put them on a sandwich for me!!

The sides are pretty standard BBQ fare offerings, and I highly recommend the fried mac+cheese, 4 crunchy, gooey, cheesy balls of happiness, the slaw, a nice balance of vinegar and sweet with a pleasant crunch, and the cornbread, moist and tender, but if you get it to go, have them give you the butter on the side – if you put it in the bag, you will end up with melted butter. Both of these sandwiches would have held their own to anything I have tried in BBQ competitions.

Since I was 2 for 2 at The Boar’s Nest, I got adventurous and decided to try the ribs. Ribs are classically the downfall of just about every BBQ place in Seattle – they are either too dry or mushy or just not really well smoked. A perfectly done BBQ rib should be very tender and not stringy, have a slight resistance to coming off the bone (it should NOT just fall apart when you bite into it), a smoky flavor and a visible smoke ring. It should also hold its shape when the rack is cut into individual ribs. If you ask BBQ lovers if the ribs should be wet or dry (sauce or no sauce), you will get very different answers, but either way, the meat should hold up to what I just described.

The ribs are where the Boar’s Nest fell down. First, they used baby back ribs, instead of the full ribs, which is a no-no as far as I am concerned with BBQ. Baby back ribs tend to cook more quickly and don’t absorb the smoke as a result, which is one of the problems The Boar’s Nest ribs suffered from. The meat was too tender – the ribs fell apart as I was trying to cut the slab into individual ribs, leaving me essentially with a pile of pulled pork. The meat was bland, despite being bathed in the Kansas City sauce (opted for the ribs wet), it lacked any real hit of smokiness and I actually had to add salt to the meat as I was eating it, which is not a good sign. I probably could have just added more sauce, but I wanted to try the ribs naked, just to make sure I got the full effect. This was really the only disappointing thing I have had off their menu. On the plus side, a half rack could probably feed 2 people easily.

While The Boar’s Nest isn’t perfect, it is still better than just about any BBQ place in Seattle. I would recommend without hesitation the sandwiches and any of the sides, but stay away from the ribs unless you like fall-apart tender baby back ribs. I would highly recommend trying all of their wonderful house made sauces to find your favorite.

Overall The Boar’s Nest scores 4 smoke rings out of 5.

The Dirt: Sandwiches run $7-8 without sides or $12 with 2 sides and cornbread and the ribs are $15 for a half slab and $25 for a full with 2 sides and cornbread. The sides are $2-3 each. They do have a couple local beers on tap and small bottles of wine available. Located at 2008 NW 56th St in Ballard.

Musical Chairs: The Restaurant Edition

By Iron Chef Leftovers

It seems that there is plenty of movement around the Ballard/Wallingford/Fremont restaurant scene these days.

Joule, the really great Korean/French/American fusion place has closed its Wallingford location and is moving to 35th and Stone with an opening sometime in June (hopefully).

Hunger, the really great Mediterranean comfort food place is (supposedly) moving from its current location on 42nd and Fremont Ave. to the old Dad Watson’s space just down the street. This was supposed to happen in February, but as of yesterday, Hunger was still located on 42nd.

Elemental and Elemental Too, the funky and somewhat obnoxious but incredibly good Northwest inspired places, are closing in June. They lost their lease and haven’t decided if they are going to open in a new location. Phred, the owner/server/sommelier at Elemental can be gruff and rub people the wrong way, but if you are willing to put yourself in his hands with both food and wine and know when to ask questions about what you are eating (read as – AFTER you have finished it), it is an amazing dining experience.

Le Gourmand, the venerable French/Northwest institution in Ballard, has moved it closing date to June 30 to accommodate more reservations.

Where Ya At Matt, the popular food truck (where I had the worst gumbo of my life), is opening a sit down location at the site of the old Buckaroo Tavern sometime this summer.

I am sad to see Elemental go, I really think it is one of the best places around, but you really have to be willing to give up control over what you are eating and drinking – sort of like coming to an Iron Chef Leftovers dinner. I have been twice (with a plan to go one more time) and both times the food was outstanding and the wine pairings were spot on. Considering that they don’t accept tips (really), I got out of there both times with a $80 tab (4 courses, 6 generous wine pours) and I found Phred, the eclectic owner, to be a great host.

I am concerned about Hunger and Joule. Both are relatively small places that put out great food. I have generally found that every time a restaurant that fits that bill moves to a bigger location, the quality tends to drop. I really hope that is not the case because Hunger is a favorite of the Iron Chef Leftovers clan and I really loved Joule’s quirky fusion menu.

Beer of the Week: Hale’s Brewing Tres Fem

By Iron Chef Leftovers

I really liked Hale’s Tres Fem when I had it on tap at the Belgian Beer Festival in January, so I figured I would give it a shot in the bottle, since it is a much more convenient delivery format that getting a keg. Tres Fem is a collaboration beer between Kathleen Hale of Hale’s Ale and Jessica Husted and Reina Powers of Der Blokken Brewery. Belgian yeast blend, Saaz hops, 2-Row Pale Malt, Flaked Barley and Wheat Malt, and finally Tart Cherries make up this brew.

The beer pours with a slightly red, amber color, capped with a milky white head. Subtle hints of yeast and cherries are present on the nose and the initial taste was slightly sweet giving way to a dry palate followed by a pleasantly lingering finish of sour cherries. As the beer warms, it becomes creamy and sweet with a strong cherry flavor, but lacking some of the tartness that I initially loved in the beer. Overall, a wonderful drinking experience if you like cherry in your beer. I would recommend serving at 50 – 55 degrees to get a full appreciation for its range of flavors.

Rating – 4 Rainiers out of 5.

Caesar Dressing – Good Eats Style

By Iron Chef Leftovers

I love Caesar Salad but the store bought dressings are somewhat lacking and there are too many people who are scared off from eating the real stuff due to a raw egg yolk in the dressing. I won’t go into it here as to why that is nothing to worry about, but needless to say, I wouldn’t make Caesar dressing with just any store bought egg. Alton Brown devoted an episode of Good Eats to tofu a number of years ago, which lead me to discover the Tofu Chocolate Cake, which is really an easy and wonderful dessert item. Also in this episode was a recipe for Caesar Dressing, replacing the eggs with tofu, so I decided to give it a shot. You know what, it is pretty tasty and about 100 times better than the store bought dressing.

The Software
2 ounces cubed Parmesan
2 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
11/2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
11/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Pinch kosher salt
Pinch freshly ground black pepper
1 cup silken soft tofu
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

The Dressing
Starting on the lowest speed, chop the cheese cubes in the blender jar until it settles into the bottom of the jar, gradually increasing the speed. With the blender running, add the garlic down the chute and chop until minced. This step will take 30-60 seconds, depending on your blender

Next, with the blender off, add the mustard, white wine vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper, and tofu to the blender and blend until smooth. While the blender is running, drizzle olive oil down the middle of the vortex that has formed. Slowly add the olive oil (can’t stress SLOWLY enough) and blend until it reaches salad-dressing consistency anywhere from 1-3 minutes. You may need a bit of extra oil, depending on how much liquid is in your tofu.

Notes
The above is the original recipe ratios, I adjusted the instructions. This dressing probably takes about 5 minutes to make. The first time I made it, I made it a couple of hours in advance and while it was very tasty It thickened considerably, so you need to bring it back to room temperature before serving it. I would actually just make it right before serving, as it is so easy to do. Taste the dressing before you serve it, I have, at times had to add more mustard or garlic or vinegar to it. The dressing could also stand the inclusion of 2 anchovy fillets, if you are so inclined.