August 2011
50 posts
6 tags
Voodoo Donuts
I’m here with news from the streets of Portland. I have recently been sampling my way through the menu at Voodoo Donuts in downtown Portland. Now something you have to understand me is that I am a donut fanatic. There’s a donut place really close to my house in Mukilteo called Henry’s Donut, and they have the best donuts around. I have sampled many other varieties of...
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Por Que No?
I have recently moved into my college dorm at Lewis and Clark College. Expect more reviews and rants from the Portland food scene coming soon.
In the meantime, I will at least tell you about one little taqueria I tried on my first night in Portland. Completely on a whim, I went to Por Que No? on Mississippi. This little dive delivers what I believe to be a quintessential Portland eating...
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Shrimp and Chicken Etouffee
For my last meal before I head off for college, I requested my personal favorite: Etouffee. This dish is packed full of deep, bold flavor. If done properly, you will be greatly rewarded.
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil - 1 pound andouille sausage, diced - 3 pounds skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs - Kosher salt - 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour - 4 stalks celery, diced...
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The Sandwich Nazi
Remember that Seinfeld episode where they go to the soup shop where the owner is a real asshole? They called him the soup Nazi, and he was relentless in making the gang’s soup ordering a living hell. There’s a place in downtown Seattle on Cherry street called Bakeman’s that is run by a Korean man who is referred to in Seattle as “The Sandwich Nazi”, because...
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Cherry Garcia Cookies
Remember that delicious Ben and Jerry’s ice cream, Cherry Garcia? I eat those by the pint every once in a while. But my mum just gave me her coveted recipe for cookies inspired by the ice cream that taste just like it! I love it, and it’s not too hard. Ingredients: -1 cup dried sour cherries -1/3 cup cherry liqueur -1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature -1/2 cup sugar -1/2 cup...
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My Top 5 Must Try Places in NYC
OLDER POST BY BREANNE SPONAUGLE
I am a poor college student so I can only go out to eat so offten. I have an ever growing list of places I NEED to try this year.(I’ll write a review after I go) Here are my top 5:
5. Alice’s Tea Cup (West 73rd St.)
-Now I haven’t been able to decide if this place is just hype or not, hence me not making the pilgrimage to W 73rd to try it out....
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Chicken Cacciatore
OLDER POST BY BREANNE SPONAUGLE
So many Chicken Cacciatore recipes are dry and blan. This one is amazing, I made it a while ago for my whole family (who are very picky and health conscious) and they were very impressed.
Ingredients
6 chicken breasts
2 teaspoons salt, plus more to taste
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
1/2 cup all purpose flour, for dredging
3...
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The Man Who Ate Everything
Ever since I was a little kid watching Iron Chef, my favorite judge (and subsequently my favorite food writer) has been Jeffrey Steingarten. Former lawyer turned food writer for Vogue, Steingarten has written many articles that he has compiled into a book that is wildly popular. The Man Who Ate Everything is a wonderfully written book that I would recommend to any foodie. Steingarten reveals...
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Turkish Street Food
Sorry I haven’t posted in a little while: I’ve been watching a lot of Doctor Who. But more to the point, let’s talk about Turkish Street Food. As with every culture and every major city, there are many different varieties of delectable and cheap street eats. The food, although sold from dingy looking carts, is always fresh and flavorful. Corn, both boiled and grilled, is a big...
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Turkish Drinks
The Turks do an okay job with wines. They’re certainly not wines I would serve to a Frenchman, but they do go quite nicely with a Turkish meal. Fortunately, they don’t bother to export their wines, so they don’t have to compete in the European wine market. But the national beer, by contrast, is excellent. Efes is a light, crisp pilsner that you an find almost anywhere in...
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Turkish Seafood
Being a country surrounded on three sides by water, Turkey has a wonderful array of seafood options that are always fresh and well prepared. Turks typically choose from a selection of about 20 fish at a usual restaurant, and about double that at the Balik Bazaar (Seafood Market). My favorite is the deep fried mussels, lightly coated in a tempura-like batter and served with a delicious garlic and...
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Turkish Food
My uncle and aunt, who are quite lavish, decided to take me to Turkey, mainly Istanbul, for two weeks over the summer. One would not usually think of Turkey as a travel destination, but I was more than willing to go and see what it had to offer. I was certainly impressed by the magnificent country, and especially surprised by the fabulous cuisine. Turkish food is something very different from...
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Classic Mac and Cheese
Well go figure, I caved the third day into my fast. But it was for a good cause: I toyed around with a recipe I’ve been working on and finally got it perfect. This is a classic, baked macaroni and cheese with wonderful round flavors.
Ingredients:
-3 tablespoons butter -3 tablespoons flour -1/2 cup onions, finely chopped -1/2 teaspoon cayenne -1/4 teaspoon thyme -1/2 teaspoon pepper -1...
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Der Bratwurst
I’m going to be taking a brief break in the following week, for I will be fasting, so I figured I might as well write about something now. I was stumped for the longest time on what to write about, but as I was at the grocery store this afternoon, it struck me: Bratwurst. I am a big sausage fan. Hot dogs are great, Polish Sausage even better, Chorizo simply wonderful, but I firmly...
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Zab Thai
It’s about time I did a review of a restaurant I frequent. We love this place, and we always go there when Bree is in town. It’s a quaint little restaurant tucked in a dingy area of South Everett, this place really takes you by surprise. Before you even sit down, you’re struck by the stone waterfall and the vibrant, inviting colors and decor. On each wall is a mural of a...
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Five Guys Burgers and Fries
I went to Five Guys Burgers and Fries yesterday with my brother. I must say, of all the fast food burger places I’ve been to, Five Guys eclipses them all.
From the moment you walk into the restaurant, you are immediately struck with the 70’s rock and the white and red decor. Everything is very Americana. There is a huge line at the counter, and they move it along very quickly. ...
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The Coca-Cola Challenge
As my final for my statistics class, I had to design a research study. Being a massive foodie, I decided to do a taste test, and began thinking of things to test. Soda is one of my favorite things, especially gourmet soda in glass bottles, so I did a test of Coca-Cola with a simple question: which do people prefer between Coca-Cola in a glass bottle, a plastic bottle, and a can? This is not a...
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PHO
I recently went on an adventure with my dear friend, Paisha, a few days ago to a hovel of a strip mall restaurant called Pho Tham Brothers. We sat down, and the shrimpy little Asian man came over with water and a plate filled with bean sprouts, basil, limes, and chilies. I had never had Pho before, so I asked Paisha which one I should get, and she told me to order the one with everything in...
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Summer Lemonade
It’s been starting to feel more and more like summer, and to me, the best summer drink is fresh lemonade. Here’s my simple recipe for delicious homemade lemonade. Ingredients: -1 1/2 cups sugar -5 1/2 cups water -zest of 2 lemons -1 1/2 cups of lemon juice, strained Method: In a small saucepan on low heat, combine the sugar and 1/2 cup of water to make a simple syrup,...
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Mild Ginger
I recently went to Wild Ginger in Seattle. It’s a posh place in the middle of the city with a reputation bigger than the restaurant itself, which is already quite large. The ambiance is a bit confusing, to be honest. The restaurant is dark and colored with “modern” looking things that give it a sleek and sexy look. But if you take a look around the entrance area or the bar or...
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Alex's Coconut Chocolate Pinwheel Cookies
The other day, my friend Alex and I were making cookies, and she suggested we use on of her recipes. I happily obliged, and I was astounded by the end result. They’re not the easiest to make, but they’re amazing cookies.
Ingredients: 1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature 1 cup sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 whole egg 1 egg yolk 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 2 1/2...
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RED VELVET PANCAKES
OLDER POST By BREANNE SPONAUGLE
Just looking at the picture makes my mouth water…
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons white sugar
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 large egg, lightly beaten
3/4 buttermilk
1/4 cup creme fraiche or sour cream
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 tablespoon red food...
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Basta's Trattoria
I was in Portland recently, and on a whim, I decided to try out an Italian restaurant a friend had suggested to me called Basta’s Trattoria. It’s a tiny little place in downtown Portland that serves classic Italian food.
The restaurant itself is quite small, and is divided between the bar section and the dining room section. I have a suspicion that it wasn’t always a...
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Fromage
Today, I wanted to talk about the most sacred of all food, in my opinion: cheese. There are a lot of different types of cheeses out there, and it can all get very daunting when you walk up to the cheese counter. For the most part, you can break cheeses down into three groups: hard, medium, and soft. This goes mostly by texture, not taste, as it is much easier to categorize cheeses this...
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Figs Stuffed with Walnuts
I had the most amazing dessert while I was in Turkey in a cooking class. It’s very simple and will completely amaze you.
Ingredients:
- 12 oz. Dried Figs - 1 cup Chopped Walnuts - 1 1/2 cup water - 1 1/2 cup sugar - half a lemon - 1/2 teaspoon of cloves - bay leaf
Method:
Soak the dried figs for an hour before slicing. Once the figs are soaked, cut them horizontally down...
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Scrambled Eggs: Gordon Ramsay style
I’ve been meaning to put this recipe up for a while. It’s for a different sort of scrambled eggs that are wonderfully delicious and sexy. I love eating these on a weekend morning with a nice cup of coffee. This is a recipe by Gordon Ramsay Ingredients: 3 large eggs 2 tablespoons butter 1 tablespoon creme fraiche (or sour cream) 2 large pieces of crusty white bread (sourdough works...
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O true apothecary! Thy drugs should be quick.
There’s been something nasty going around lately. I seem to have caught it, and whatever it is, it’s wrecking havoc on my body. Over the years, I’ve discovered a few natural remedies for some sicknesses which I feel I should share with you. I’ve only tested the remedies on myself, so I don’t know how well they’ll work for others. Obviously hot things work for...
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Serafina
My birthday was only a few days ago, and for my birthday dinner, I went out to a little Italian place in eastlake called Serafina. It’s a cozy little restaurant, and it doesn’t seem like it was particularly well-laid out, but the ambiance is very hip, classy, and even sexy. It’s a bit like Tango in that respect, and I think the concept really works. There’s a small stage...
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Best Fish In Seattle
If you live even remotely close to Seattle, I suggest you go check out Jack’s Fish Market in Pike Place Market. It’s home to some of the best fish I’ve ever had. You can buy clams, oysters, salmon, and many other things to cook at home, but one of the best kept secrets of Pike Place Market is the lunch counter behind Jack’s.
It’s the same employees and the same...
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Ozu Sushi Bar
OLDER POST BY BREANNE SPONAUGLE
If you live in the New York area you know how popular sushi is. Everyone claims to have the best place to go so you can trust me if you want to, but I will never go anywhere else.
In Brooklyn heights (just steps away from the 2/3 Train) on the corner of Clark and Henry Street in OZU.
First Off: The place has a really modern Asian twist to it. (I hear they are...
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Solace in Seasoning
OLDER POST BY BREANNE SPONAUGLE
I’m not really one for packaged seasoning. I usually make my own because it always tastes 1000 times better. But being a poor college student has left me no choice but to give in. (Trust that I have so much Salt, Pepper and Paprika its not even funny) But surprisingly I’ve found some pretty good pre-made seasonings. (Obviously from Trader Joe’s)
...
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Sushi and Why It's Good For You
I am an avid sushi lover and have been all my life. There seems to be an entire culture that revolves around the stuff, and I absolutely love every bit of it. But beyond the culture of this interesting food lies a few benefits that most people don’t know. Sure, sushi is good, but it’s healthy too. Most people are intimidated by the thought of eating raw fish. “Eww!”...
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Homemade Ginger Beer
Kevin once again. Bree knows that I am obsessed with fancy sodas, especially ginger beer. But there is something about making ginger beer oneself that is so rewarding, and it’s very simple. I’ve refined the technique, and here’s what I’ve come up with.
Ingredients: 1 cup of water 1 cup of sugar 4 inch knob of ginger Sparkling water Method: Peel the skin from the...
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Bacon Wrapped Dates
I love bacon in any way, shape or form, so when I heard about this concept, I went crazy. It’s very simple, but involves a fair amount of prep work, but the end result is delicious.
Ingredients Dates Bacon Manchego cheese (or another hard, salty cheese) Maple syrup Directions Pit the dates and open them up. Stuff the dates with slices of Manchego, then close them back up. Cut bacon...
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Peanut Butter Hot Cocoa
OLDER POST BY BREANNE SPONAUGLE
So it’s been pretty chilly here in NYC, and with all the walking we do a hot beverage is always needed for our busy mornings. No one can afford Starbucks, and after a while those roach are gross after a while. This hot chocolate is guaranteed to make your morning delightful. Ingredients
2 cups skim milk 1½ ounces bittersweet chocolate 1½ ounces milk...
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Simple Pesto Pasta
I love pasta, especially with pesto. This recipe is so simple and wonderfully delicious. You’ll love it. By the way, I don’t know why Bree hasn’t posted in a while (probably just busy), but I’ll keep the posts coming until she starts posting again. Ingredients: 1 pound penne pasta 4 Roma tomatoes, sliced 4 cloves of garlic 8 oz mozzarella, cubed 1 cup pesto (store...
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The Universal Solvent
Garlic has to be one of my favorite ingredients. It shows up in almost every cuisine, to the extent that we all know and love it. But how well do we really know it? A few days ago, all I could’ve told you is that garlic goes well on bread, is used to flavor almost everything, and gives French people that distinctively gross smell. But I’ve done some research on my favorite food,...
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Morning Coffee
Feeling stuck in a rut about your morning coffee? As a life-long Seattleite, I have the cure. It’s a very simple recipe that can turn anyone into a coffee-lover. This is my mother’s recipe, and I have always loved it. Add this mix to your ground coffee before brewing. Zest of 1 orange 1 teaspoon of cinnamon 1/8 teaspoon of cloves A pinch of nutmeg It’s best when black, but if...
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Et tu, Caprese
Since I’ve been writing more, I have been experimenting with a lot of different healthy snack foods. It always breaks my concentration to get up and make something complex and then come back to my writing, or to eat something that isn’t very satisfying as a snack, like Chex Mix. Don’t get me wrong, I love Chex Mix, but I just feel this horrible weight in the pit of my stomach...
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Montignac
Oh hello bathroom scale, my mortal enemy. It’s your old friend, Kevin. I have been struggling to attain a normal weight for most of my life, but after years of no diets and no exercise, it’s time for that to change. I have decided that I will put myself on a diet and start exercising a bit. Now I know what you’re thinking: diets are stupid. I agree. But I think I’ve...
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Sweet Indulgence at Tango
I have lived in Seattle for almost all my life, and I have always loved looking around Seattle for new restaurants and interesting foods. This time, I think I have found the one that tops them all. I was going to see a Jerry Seinfeld show one evening and I stumbled across Tango quite by mistake as I was looking for restaurants to go to before the show. As soon as I walked in, I was greeted by a...
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Know Thine Enemy
Kevin here! I tried it again: McDonalds. I haven’t eaten there in over 5 years. Just the thought of their cooking methods and slopped together food was enough to keep me away. But today, something inside me really felt like a big mac. Usually when I hear voices saying “Go eat a Big Mac,” I would consult a therapist. I was able to suppress the urge today. Of course, I...
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Dora Wat Chicken
I’ve been so busy lately performing “The Man Who Came To Dinner”. It’s a wonderful, older play, and I absolutely love it, but it takes so much time and energy that I haven’t been able to cook much of anything lately. I resorted to Mac and Cheese from a box and quick Paninis, but my food rut came to an abrupt stop: I found an amazing recipe for Dora Wat Chicken, an...
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Tender is the Light
The other day I was eating a wonderfully deep Mexican soup, but it was just one of those days where everything tasted too dark and heavy. Especially with many hearty, earthy dishes, chefs tend to forget how to lighten things up. So I thought “If candy bar companies can make a Three Musketeers so light it starts to float away, why can’t I lighten up this soup?” Unfortunately,...
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Fried Mashed Potato Balls
OLD POST BY BREANNE SPONAUGLE
Ingredients 3 cups stiff mashed potatoes (preferably cold) 2 medium-size eggs 1/4 cup of sliced green onions 1-1/2 cups of panko Oil for frying Directions Heat about 1-1/2 inch of flavorless oil to about 375 degree in a shallow frying pan (you want something with a pretty good surface area since the balls need to be fried in smaller batches to ensure that they’re...
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