A Tale of Two Tartares

By Karen

There were times when the thought of eating raw beef would send shivers down my spine, but times have changed, and now steak tartare is a delicacy that I really enjoy. 

Two of my favorite restaurants in Seattle have two very different and very delicous preparations of steak tartare: the French-influenced style at The Walrus and the Carpenter (which I had this summer as a part of my birthday dinner) and the Korean-influenced style at Kaya, which I have had a few times (most recently again this past weekend with my parents who were visiting). 

The French and Korean styles of tartare both feature seasoned raw beef topped with a golden-yellow egg yolk, but taste completely different.  Here is a comparison tartare lovers in the Seattle area:


 

French-American Steak Tartar at the Walrus and the Carpenter in Ballard ($12)

The beef in The Walrus and the Carpenter's  tartare is finely minced and seasoned with mustard, cornichons, and herbs.  The texture is smooth and creamy, and goes fantastically well with the savory oiled toasts that accompany the tartare. 

Korean Steak Tartar at Kaya in Shoreline ($15)

The beef in Kaya's tartare is julienned into small strips and seasoned with  sesame oil, garlic, and pine nuts.  Strips of asian pear accompanying the tartare get mixed into the beef and egg yolk, adding a light sweetness to the dish.  Compared to the tartare at the Walrus and the Carpenter, this dish is lighter in beefy flavor and has a more distinct texture.

Holiday festivities in and around Seattle!

 By Karen


 

A tiny little tree for my tiny little apartment!


Inspired by my cute little three-foot tree (and a bout of insomnia), I thought I'd share some of my favorite things to do in Seattle to celebrate the season.  (Warning: I love cheesy holiday stuff!)


  

1. Nutcracker by the Pacific Northwest Ballet at McCaw Hall:

The gorgeous set before the performance

The Nutcracker is  one of the most popular ballets in the world.  It is not the most high-brow of ballets, but is one that can be enjoyed by almost anyone regardless of whether they are young or old and whether it their first ballet or their fiftieth.  I began attending the Nutcracker in high school, when my dear ballerina friend Natalie performed in in local productions in Portland, and my friends and I would go to watch her perform.  PNB's production of the Nutcracker is one of the most extravagant, beautiful, and fun productions of the Nutcracker I have ever seen.  It was thus no surprise to me that the New York Times recently reviewed PNB's Nutcracker to much praise.  The dance, the music, the sets, the costumes, and most of all, the story embody the holiday spirit like nothing else! Tickets range from $23 to $118. 

2. Christmas Ships by Argosy Cruises: 

The ships from Alki Beach

Seattle's landscape is defined by its lakes and surrounding waters, so a wintertime celebration on the water seems like the only proper complement to summertime's famed Seafair.  A few years ago, James surprised me by taking me out on the Argosy Christmas Cruise, where a choir on board a lead boat sings holiday songs that are projected over the water to various points (and people) on the shore.  The lead boat is followed by a parade of private boats decorated with lights.  Last year, James and I went with our friends Tim and Dimay to experience the Christmas Ships from the shore, and it was almost as fun as being on the lead ship itself (without the cost!).  The Christmas Ships take a variety of different routes, but the routes with the greatest parade of boats are the ones that are on Lake Washington.  Tickets for the lead boats range from $25 - $35 for adults and $12 - $19 for kids, but viewing from the shore is free! 

3. Garden D'Lights at the Bellevue Botanical Gardens:  

  

A glimpse of the light spectacle

I have never seen the Bellevue Botanical Gardens during the day, but on winter evenings, it is a sight to behold.  The entire garden is covered in thousands of elaborate plant-themed lights, creating a unique and beautiful spectacle.  Tickets are $5.

4. Zoolights at the Point Defiance Zoo in Tacoma:

If plant aren't your thing, Zoolights offers spectacular animal-themed lighting displays.  I loved going to the Zoolights at the Portland Zoo growing up, but have never made it to Zoolgihts at the Point Defiance Zoo.  However, my good friend Steve has been there, and and highly recommends it!  Tickets are $6.50 - $7.50.

5. Christmas Lighting Ceremony in Leavenworth: 

Downtown Leavenworth in the fall (photo c/o Phong and Duyen)

Every city has a tree lighting ceremony, but few go all-out like they do in Leavenworth, WA, a Bavarian-themed town set in the mountains about two hours east of Seattle.  When James and I went to Leavenworth in the wintertime a few years back, the sight of the adorable Bavarian buildings covered in snow already make it seem as though we had been transported Santa's Village in the North Pole.  On top of this already picturesque setting, the town hosts a ton of holiday events, including tree lighting ceremonies every weekend and performances every evening.  If you decide to go, make sure to check road conditions through the passes.  Free!

6. Snowflake Lane in Downtown Bellevue:

The corridor between the Bellevue Square Mall and Lincoln Square Mall fills with with foamy faux snow and real-life toy soldiers marching down the street with drums at 7:00 PM every evening during the holidays for a 15-minute show.  While you may not want to go out of your way to watch this show,  it is definitely worth stopping by if you happen by to be at the mall or in the area!  Free!

7. Ice skating at the Bellevue Downtown Park:

 

Skating with my friend Jennie, who can do all sorts of cool tricks on ice!

Something about gliding on ice can bring forth a sense of adventure and excitement in some... but for others, it can bring out a sense of fear and loathing.  I took a few ice skating lessons when I was a kid, and love the thrill of zipping around the ice, but James had never gone ice skating before until I dragged him a few years ago.  While he is otherwise incredibly coordinated on dry land, his internal gyroscope seemed to be completely thrown off the moment he set foot on ice.  Luckily, we went again last year my good friend Jennie, who was formerly a competitive figure skater.  She taught James a few tricks, and he finally started to get the hang of it!  If ice skating sounds like fun to you, the rink in the Bellevue Downtown Park is a must-do!  Tickets are $10 including skate rentals.


(Note: I have been to the ice skating rink at Seattle Center during the holidays, and it seemed chaotic verging on dangerous, so I would not recommend it.) 

8. Running off to Jamaica:



Enjoying the sunshine in Negril, Jamaica

If the cold weather has got you down, consider running off to Jamaica as James and I did one winter while I was in law school.  The warm sunny beaches were a welcomed escape from the gloom of wintertime in Pacific Northwest.  Jamaica is generally not a place to go to soak in the local culture - doing so can be dangerous and is ill advised.  Instead, all inclusive resorts are the norm here, and if a relaxing getaway is what you need, this is the place!

Spam Eggs Benedict

By Karen

Our good friend Steve recently invited us and a couple of friends to spend a weekend at his family's beautiful lake house in Bellingham, Washington (about two hours north of Seattle).  When James and I picked up groceries for the weekend, I grabbed eggs because every proper breakfast should include eggs, spam because our good friend Soo is a big fan of the notorious luncheon meat, and English muffins because I cannot resist those delicious nooks and crannies.  It wasn't until we arrived and were unloading groceries that somebody saw the ingredients and asked "Are we going to be having eggs benedict?"  And so it was that spam eggs benedict was born. 


Spam eggs benedict is just like traditional eggs benedict, but substituting spam for candian bacon.  This modificaition really added a nice and interesting flavor to this breakfast classic.  Say what you will about spam and the rumors surrounding the mysterious luncheon meat, but it tastes great in eggs benedict!


Spam Eggs Benedict


Ingredients:

• 4 egg yolks
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter - melted
• Juice of 1 small lemon
• 8 eggs
• 8 slices of spam
• 4 english muffins - split
• Salt and cyenne pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Make hollandaise:
• Whisk lemon juice and egg yolks together vigorously in a stainless steel bowl
• Place bowl over a pot of barely simmering water and slowly drizzle in melted butter while continuing to whisk rapidly (taking care not to "scramble" the eggs), and continue until thickened
• Season with salt and cayenne pepper, remove from heat, and store in a warm spot
2. Toast english muffins
3. In a non-stick pan over medium-high heat, brown spam evenly on both sides
4. Bring water to a simmer in a pot and poach eggs
5. Stack english muffins with spam, poached egg, and top with hollandaise

Chouquettes

By Karen

 Chouquettes, fresh out of my oven

One of the highlights of the trip to Paris that James and I went on this summer was discovering and tasting chouquettes for the first time (and then many times again thereafter).  Chouqettes were, like many of the best things in life, a sweet surprise (which later inspired the name of this blog).

Our hotel was located in a residential neighborhood near the Eiffel Tower, and after a day or two, we quickly made it a habit to stop by the local patisserie for croissants and espresso.  In addition to to wonderfully flakey croissants, this bakery had a number of other breads, pastries, and curious looking treats.  One treat in particular caught my eye - chouquettes.  They were small, round, and golden brown with mysterious white flecks - I knew I had to try them.

While my high-school-level French was sufficient to ask "Qu'est-ce que c'est?" ("What it this?"), it was far too deficient to understand the answer.  (Honestly, I'm not sure why I even bothered to ask.)  After a flurry of incomprehensible French, I remained undeterred and ordered two of them  (my grasp of French was also too poor to understand that the chouquettes are generally only sold in bags of ten).

It was love at first bite. The chouquettes were, surprisingly, hollow on the inside, and consisted of a light, eggy dough studded with crunchy chunks of pearl sugar.  In a word - delicious.  James and I devoured our chouquettes, and quickly ordered a (proper) bag of ten to take with us.  

During the rest of our trip, chouquettes became a constant.  After our morning espresso and croissants, we would toss a bag of chouquettes in my purse and snack on them throughout the day.  We munched on them while waiting in line at the Notre Dame, snuck bites underground while waiting for the Metro, and took chouquette breaks to recharge us on our long walks around the city. 

When I returned home to Seattle, my stomach suffered withdrawals from the regular chouquette doses it received in Paris, and there were sadly none to be found in any of the bakeries in the city.  Luckily, one of the books I happened read in anticipation of going to Paris was The Sweet Life in Paris by David Lebovitz, a well-known American pastry chef and author who loves in Paris.  This book is a collection of short essays with recipes that relate to each story, and was a fantastic read for its insight into finding the best pastries in Paris (and for its insight into Parisian life). 

Imagine my surprise (and joy!) upon coming home and discovering that the Sweet life in Paris had a recipe for chouquettes all along!  I have attempted David Lebovitiz's recipe several times now, and they are (surprisingly) easy to make and have turned out beautiful each time.  While the are not the same as those from the Patisserie in Paris, they still manage to hit the spot when a chouquette craving comes up.

Recipe for Chouquettes (adapted from The Sweet Life in Paris by David Lebovitz)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup water
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small chunks
• 1 cup flour
• 3 large eggs, room temperature
• 1/2 cup pearl sugar

Instructions:

1. Position oven rack in the middle of the oven; preheat oven to 425 degrees, and line baking sheet with parchment paper
2. In a medium sized pot, heat water, salt, sugar, and butter, stirring until butter is melted and water begins to boil
3. Remove pot from heat and dump in all flour at once, stirring rapidly until the mixture is smooth and pulls away from the sides of the pan
4. Allow dough to cool for two minutes, stirring occasionally to release the heat
5. Beat the eggs one at a time (by hand or with a mixer) until the paste is smooth and shiny
6. Drop golf-ball sized mounds of dough by scooping with two spoons on the baking sheet, evenly spaced
7. Sprinkle pearl sugar liberally over the top and sides of each mound
8. Bake the chouquettes for 35 minutes, or until puffed and well browned 

Notes:

• This recipe makes about 25 chouquettes
• The chouquettes are best eaten warm or at room temperature the same day they are made
• Pearl sugar is an essential ingredient, and can be found on-line, at Scandinavian specialty stores (such as Scan Specialties in Seattle), or at some Ikea stores
• I find that the best way to get maximum sugar coverage is to scoop out a mound of dough in one spoon, sprinkle pearl sugar on the dough over a bowl to collect the excess sugar, and then transfer the dough onto the baking sheet with a second spoon

Ira Glass

By James

About two years ago, after I finished work, I was flipping through radio stations while sitting in some really bad traffic.  I happened to come upon NPR and started listening to a show called This American Life. 

The basic concept of the show was to have a particular theme, and to have usually 3-4 stories about that theme.  The particular show I was listening this particular afternoon was called Something For Nothing.  It was a simple concept that they were talking about, getting something for free, but then started going through a series of stories of how hard it is to truly get something for nothing.  One of the most entertaining that evening for me was about how some contestants could win a free truck simply by keeping their hand on a car.  Again, a simple concept, that becomes much more complicated than an average person realizes.

After listening to the whole one hour show (yes I was in traffic for over an hour), I became an instant fan of the show.  It has since become a show that I try to listen to regularly and makes sitting in Friday evening traffic much more pleasant.

On Saturday night, Karen and I got the opportunity to see Ira Glass speak at Benaroya Hall.  We found out about Ira Glass coming into town a couple of months ago and instantly bought tickets.  Despite the fact that we bought the tickets a couple of months in advance, we ended up in the upper deck, two rows from the very back.  We (and I assume a lot of people) bought tickets not even knowing what it was going to be about, but at this point we had become such big fans that it didn't matter.

It was truly strange, yet amazing, to me to think that here is a guy that I and many others have only heard on the radio.  He was having a show at Benaroya Hall talking about who knows what, and yet there we were there to see him.  The place was sold out and he received a rock star reception when he entered.  He sat down behind a single table, with just a mike and CD player.  He talked about what it takes to produce his show, his favorite clips, his funniest moments and whatever else he felt like such as what idealistic journalism is to him.  Overall it was a great talk and lasted two hours.

My personal top 3 favorite This American Life episodes:

1.  Something for Nothing - cause it's the first episode I ever heard.
2.  #1 Party School - about Penn State's reputation as the #1 party school in the nation and what life is like there from different perspectives.
3.  Nummi - about the auto industry in the 1960's and the struggles of the Nummi autoplant, which was a joint venture between Toyota and GM.

Twenty-six years and counting...

By Karen

Where I spend 40-60 hours a week

There is a saying that people like to espouse, which is that one should "work hard and play hard."  What they do not tell you is the consequence of both working hard and playing hard... exhaustion!  With lots of late nights at work (see my lack of posts) and weekends packed with activities (see James's posts), I was beginning to feel a bit run down lately.  Fortunately, everything slowed down just in time to allow me to have a proper birthday celebration.

I turned twenty-six last week.  Twenty-six plants me firmly in my mid-twenties, and fact that is still somewhat startling to me.  Growing up, I viewed the mid-twenties as a time of fabulous adulthood - a time when you would have both legitimate responsibilities and the freedom to to do what you wanted.  And while this has come true to a large extent, I cannot help but feel like I am still just a kid playing dress-up and make-believe. 

After surprising me by sending flowers to my office during work, James took me out to dinner at a new restaurant in the Ballard neighborhood of Seattle called "The Walrus and the Carpenter."  The Walrus and the Carpenter represents a culinary trifecta of my favorite things: french food, local organic northwest ingredients, and oysters!

   

Pretty interior of the restaurant

We had a wonderful meal at The Walrus and the Carpenter, and will undoubtedly add this restaurant to our roster of favorite places to eat in Seattle. The space is small, intimate, and immaculately decorated, with a large back patio for extra seating in warm weather.  The open kitchen is illuminated by a dramatic chandelier, and is flanked by large baskets of live oysters ready to be shucked.  Speaking of oysters, we had two different types of kumamoto oysters (my favorite!) to start off our meal, followed a seemingly never-ending parade of dishes.

We ended up sampling about half of the menu of small plates.  Each dish was fantastic, but the real knockout dish of the night was the beef tartar.  It was the highlight of the meal, and one of the best beef tartars that James and I have ever tasted.  And, to top things off, they had one of my favorite desserts on the menu that evening, a vanilla bean panna cotta with poached apricots.  Thanks James!

 

Since my birthday was on a week-day, I waited until the weekend to celebrate with my friends.  This year, I decided celebrate with one of my favorite summertime activities - a beach bonfire!  We set up a bonfire at Golden Gardens Beach Park in Ballard, and throughout the evening, friends from high school, college, law school, and various points in between came by to celebrate with me.  It was a great Seattle summer evening with a magnificent sunset over the Olympic Mountains, and we ended up staying late into the night until the park closed.  I didn't manage to take any pictures, but my friend Leon, a talented photography enthusiast, managed to take some really nice photographs that evening.  Check the pictures out on his flikr!  Thanks to everybody who made it out!

All in all, it was a wonderful birthday, and I am glad to have been able to share it with so many of the dearest people in my life.  With a handsome fella' by my side and a crop of wonderful friends, this game of make-believe has turned out pretty well.  =)

*Our good friend Gennessey has just recently started her own blog, Welcome to the Gsp0t, and has put up some fantastic (and delicious) pictures from her recent travels to Asia and the Maldives.  Check it out! 

Camping For Two

By James

Lots have been going on lately, thus the lack of anything remotely resembling a post.  I decided to pick the best of most recent, and decided upon the recent camping trip Karen and I recently took...

Two weeks ago, Karen and I decided that we were to go camping with only a few days to plan. We found Dosewallips in the Hood Canal area as one of few places still available.

With only Karen and I going, we found that packing was incredibly easy.  With gear for just two and our cooler barely packed, we found that all we needed was to fold down the seat of my car, with plenty of room to spare.

On the ferry

Campfire lil smokies

We got out of work on Friday evening and immediately left for the Fauntelory ferry to Hood Canal.  It has almost become a standard for Karen and I to have to take the ferry to go camping.  Even though we're less than a hundred miles away, riding the ferry certainly adds to the feeling that we're getting away from it all.

The closer we got to Dosewallips, the darker it got.  We barely had enough time to set up our tent and put up a campfire to enjoy our marshmallows and lil smokies.

Tarp then clamming!

Once morning hit, we woke up to cloudy skies, but came prepared with a tarp and rope.  We quickly put it up and had breakfast of ham/egg/cheese crepes.  Afterwards, we went down the road to start our newest hobby, clam digging!

With shovel, bucket and shellfish licenses in hand, we started getting to work.  On our last clamming trip, we dug up butter clams, which were about the size of your palm.  This time around, we dug up your standard super market manila clams.  We also found that there was quite a bit of oysters, but came without oyster shuckers (state law requires that you shuck the oysters on the spot).  As time went by, the tides pushed us back further in and the clouds started sinking lower.  It was a clear sign that it was time for us to head back to our camp site for lunch.

As we got back to our camp site, it started sprinkling. We tightened our tarp rope, with each tie getting progressively more and more elaborate. Despite our efforts, there was still ponding on the edge of one part of our tarp and I was forced to poke a hole. We took advantage of our dripping fresh water by placing our bucket of clams underneath for them to spit out their sand.




After getting our tarp situation straightened out again, we prepared and ate our lunch of Korean BBQ.  This idea stemmed from our love of Korean BBQ and last year's camping trip at Lake Wenatchee.  Last year, we were bestowed by the deliciousness of Soo's cooking and her idea of having Korean BBQ for dinner...while camping.  This year, we took the Korean BBQ out of the campfire, onto a camping stove, with a grill.  It's amazing how simple it is and makes me wonder why anyone would ever want to eat a burger or hot dog while camping.  It might even be easier to prepare and make than most camping foods, just bring the grill, the meats (some pre-marinated) and bring some potato salad.

Post awesome lunch, the rain decided to definitely set in with no end in sight.  Under the protection of our tarp, with a warm rain, a nice campfire and stomachs full, we sat back and relaxed with our own favorite books.  Despite the weather, it was definitely nice to be clamped down by the rain and forced to open up a book, reading is something I definitely do not do often enough.

At Xinh's

With some solid reading time in, we cleaned up and headed one hour south towards Shelton.  It is here, where we got to enjoy one of our favorite restaurants, Xinh's.  The first time we came here was last year while at Alderbrook Resort.  We've been trying to find a reason to go here ever since, but due to Shelton being close to nothing, we had been unable to find a reason to go or pass through there.  Camping was a good enough reason for us.

Xinh's was opened by a Vietnamese lady (named Xinh of course), who worked for Taylor's Shellfish Farm as an oyster shucker.  She also just happened by to be the oyster shucking champion for something like ten consecutive years.  Along with being known for her oyster shucking, she was known for her good cooking.  As a result, Xinh's was born.

The food is quite simply amazing here.  I'm not sure if it's the fact that it's in the middle of nowhere, or that Xinh is right there to greet you, or the massive amount of food that is what makes this place terrific.  But the three combined does make for something quite delicious.  Karen ordered some mussels, which meant she had a plate of literally 40 mussels.  I ordered the oysters, which meant I had a plate of literally 30 oysters.  All the dishes are cooked in distinctly familiar southeast Asian flavors.  It is definitely worth the trip if anyone is able to find a reason to pass through Shelton.

One of the most enjoyable parts of this trip was driving back from Xinh's.  As the sun was setting, the clouds started to clear.  There is something unexplainable about driving through fresh evening air, through windy roads, while taking in the waters of Hood Canal.  Karen and I have been through Hood Canal three times, twice for camping and once at a resort.  Every time, there is something new to see, and every time I look forward to the consistent beauty of driving through there.  As we got back, we set up our last campfire of our trip and enjoyed our last smores and lil smokies.

The next morning Karen and I packed up and headed out.  As we drove back, trying to soak in the final views of Hood Canal, we ran into a herd of elk.  Cars were pulled over with everyone struggling to keep their distance.  There must have been at least 50 in total, mothers, fathers and baby elk.  They struggled to get across the road, which really explains the elk crossing signs and eventually gave up.  We eventually gave  up on them crossing also and headed towards the ferry.

While waiting at the ridiculously long ferry line, we ran into one last surprise, Mora Ice Cream.  This is a place Karen and I had heard of before, but never thought we would have a chance to try.  There are a couple of locations, all of which are located in the Hood Canal area.  The ice cream was creamy and smooth; and absolutely helped in our long wait to get back across towards Seattle.  This place could give Molly Moon's a run for their money.

Going to Hood Canal has definitely become a once a year affair for Karen and I.  Despite the fact that we couldn't fly our kite or see the stars and milky way, because of the rain and clouds, it was a successful trip.  Summer is coming to an end soon, but we will for sure look forward to another trip next year full of camping, shellfishing, eating, reading, kite flying, star gazing and whatever else might come up.  Who's in for next year?  Rain or shine.

Canada, with two points and people in between

By James

Last weekend, as with what seems like all our weekends, mine and Karen's plans changed again and again until we came upon our final plan and destination(s), Canada.  We invited Bruce and Soo (affectionately known as Broo) to come with us and at 12:30PM (yes, late start) we were off!  Knowing that our plans primarily made up of eating, we tried to keep all our meals small with plans to do some shopping to induce further hunger later.

Our first stop was to Bellingham to visit both Dan's and Soo's parents restaurants.  There is something that is very charming about going to friends' restaurants and seeing their parents there. Seeing welcoming eyes and big smiling faces, it always makes it definitely worth it to visit and have some grub.

Soo's mom had just recently opened a Korean restaurant in Bellingham and we were very excited to go and try it.  It's a small little restaurant with two Korean ladies in the back kitchen.  We ordered seafood pancake and japchae.  Unfortunately our plans to eat small was quickly foiled with the arrival of a giant plate of japchae and a seafood pancake filled with ridiculous amounts of seafood.  Considering the fact that Soo is a terrific cook, and along with that the natural assumption that her mom is also, the food definitely lived up to our expectations.

Our second stop in Bellingham was Morries.  It is amazing to both Karen and I that this was our first time here since we know Dan so well.  As we pulled into the restaurant, Dan's parents instantly saw and recognized us with huge smiles on their faces.  Soo popped out of the car and saw Dan's dad and instantly started pointing with a "is that....is that....is that...", yes Soo that guy that looks like Dan in 40 years is Dan's dad.  It is here where we had some delicious milkshakes.  It is also here that our plans to eat small was foiled for a second time, we ordered just two milkshakes and four came out along with two plates of fries.

Thanks Dan and Soo (Doo) for your parents' hospitality!

With our bellies already full and food coma already setting in, we headed towards the border.  We decided on not going to Vancouver and just staying in Richmond, which I believe may have been a first for me.  Being very aware of our fullness, we tried our best to delay further eating by doing some shopping at Aberdeen mall.  One of mine and Karen's favorite stores there is Daiso.  It's a store from Japan where everything is $1.50, unless specified.  This particular Daiso is two stories, you can literally fill your basket full of stuff and only spend $20.
After our Daiso "spree", we finally gave in and headed up to the third floor food court. Our first introduction to this food court was through Dan. I still remember how excited Dan was to bring us here...SO excited, actually, that he paid for everything. Karen and I have both brought our parents here and it is here that I was able to fill my mom's long unfulfilled void of good soup dumplings at Shanghai Shanghai. Though we're sure that there are better places for soup dumplings, I do particularly enjoy this place for the modest Chinese lady standing in the front and rolling them out right before your eyes.  Of course, no stop at Aberdeen is complete without a stop to get wings.  If you look around the food court, most tables will have at least one order of wings with them.  I forget the name of the place, but it's something "Dessert" and no matter how long or short the line is, it is pretty much guaranteed that you will have to wait 10 minutes to receive your order.

After walking around Aberdeen a little bit more, and the Yaohan supermarket where we watched Bruce and Soo buy massive amounts of pastries, we headed our to our final destination.  With our bellies still full and digestion not setting in fast enough, we were headed towards the original point of our trip, the Richmond Night Market.

This place opened a couple of years ago and Karen and I first coming here a couple of years ago, and it's been a go to summer destination for us ever since.  Though not quite a Taiwanese night market, it is definitely a place to get your fix on various asian street foods.  The place, stands and crowds here get bigger every year.

A must for me everytime is lamb skewers, while for Karen is octopus balls.  One new and very popular item this time around is the hurricane potato, which Karen and Soo our holding on the picture to the left.  Though not as awesome tasting as it looks, it was definitely worth the try.  Other interesting, new and worth a try items were: a giant corn stand, a new filipino stand, curry fish balls, squid and octopus skewers.  All and all, lots to do and lots to buy, Soo ended up with a new iPhone case at the night market.

Again, theme of the trip, bellies still full and near comatose, we finally headed back home.  A successful trip with Soo getting her first introduction to Aberdeen mall and the night market.  Definitely lots to do in Canada and lots to see.  Haven't done everything for sure, but this is mine and Karen's Canada.  Great trip and will definitely do it again!

Something old, something new...Whidbey Island

By James

One of mine and Karen's all-time favorite places to go to is definitely Whidbey Island.  We usually end up going 2-3 times a year, at least, and it doesn't really matter what time of year it is.  In the fall, there is pumpkin picking and corn mazes; in the winter the beaches are desolate and windy, yet nice somehow; in early spring there is a mussel festival with lots of seafood to be enjoyed; and in the summer there is just nice weather, warm beaches, art festivals...the things to do at Whidbey are endless.

After changing our plans a couple of times for this past weekend to go to Yakima, Carnation and what feels like all points in between, Karen and I finally landed upon going to Whidbey Island (big surprise, right?).  We've always "planned" on going clam digging, but never got around to doing it.  This time around though, Karen found out that there was a clam digging class and we decided to go.  We were definitely glad we went to the class, despite the general reaction of, who needs a clam digging class, aren't the just stuck in the dirt?

We hopped on the ferry at Mukilteo and made it to the class a little late.  The instructor was a nice older gentleman named Eugene.  He had been doing it for 10 years and was ranting about the internet for a bit.  Simply put, he was awesome!  He gave us a run down on what to look for, how to open the clams, and which parts were used/cooked for what.

What to come prepared with...
- a good pair of shoes, shovels and buckets

- don't forget your shellfish licenses also, $14 for a day or $17 for a year, we went with the yearly  

As you can tell by the way we're dressed, it doesn't really matter what else you're wearing. Karen opted for the skirt and Run DMC tank. She's got her poka dot rubber boots, I found a reason to buy Crocs. Also, check the tide table to make sure it's low tide. It's really nice and picturesque during low tide.

After the class, we got to work. The beach we were at (Double Bluff) had butter clams, imagine a clam the size of your hand. We spent about 2 hours walking around and digging, we worked up a sweat for sure but it was well worth it. This hole gifted us with 21 clams for us! The things near my right foot are not rocks, those are the clams.

After hitting our quota, we headed north to Coupeville to start the food part of our adventure. This time of the year, Whidbey is definitely a nice drive. Certain parts of the road are surrounded by lavenders, just literally roll down your windows and enjoy the sweet breeze.  Last time we went to Whidbey Island in the spring, there was a mussel festival in Coupeville. We had some good mussels, but a lot of the vendors were sold out. So of course, we decided to fulfill our void from last time of mussels in curry from a local Thai restaurant.

It's a great little place, a house turned into a restaurant.  The owners came out and asked us how we wanted our mussels, in the shell or outside the shells.  They made sure to remind us also that these mussels were from the very nearby Penn Cove mussel farms.

Afterwards, we drove to one of our standard stops on Whidbey, Dugualla Bay Farms.  They always have u-pick produce year round and Whidbey Island Ice Cream.  Last fall, we came here to pick pumpkins.  We didn't get any ice cream this time, but we did get to pick some strawberries.

Last part of this story?  Sweet D's Shrimp Shack!  This is the standard of all standard stops for us.  Usually we come from up north and drive through Deception Pass and stop by Sweet D's on the way down south.  This time around, we drove from south to north, ferry first then through Deception Pass to Sweet D's.  We discovered this place three years back on our first trip to Whidbey in the spring and have been going here ever since.  It feels like every time we come here they have something new going on.  First they put in a new giant fridge room, then the temperature signage and now they have a giant smoker.  Dieder, the owner of Sweet D's was standing around his smoker.  He definitely looks like a man who's living the dream, just hanging out and chatting it up with all the customers.

I've never had anything bad here, but it's been well confirmed that the plain boiled shrimp is a must.  I'm not sure what they do with it, but it's delicious!  This time of year, you're going to get spotted shrimp since that's what's in season.  

Being full already, we attempted to order just a pound of shrimp.  The lady at the counter nonchalantly asked us if we were sure we wanted just a pound "cause I can eat a pound all by myself."  We had to explain to her that we had been eating all day but relented to a pound and a half, she seem decently satisfied with the updated order and finally gave it to us.

Overall, another awesome trip with Karen through Whidbey Island.  Always something to do here, and always something new to experience.  The next day, we shared our bountiful harvest with some friends and made clam chowder, clam strips and sashimi.  Sashimi was a bust, tasted way too much like the sea for me, but the chowder and strips were definite winners!

Chicken Vindaloo

By Karen

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Photo Credit: Gourmet

 When James and I saw Ruth Reichl make Chicken Vindaloo a few months ago on Gourmet's Diary of a Foodie, we knew that this recipe was for us.  Simple to make, healthy to eat, and packed with flavor - this is exactly how we like to cook and eat. 

As a bonus, most of the required ingredients were already staples in our pantry - the only special ingredient we had to buy was Patak's brand Vindaloo Paste.  We were initially found ours at Mayuri, a local Indian grocery store, but have since discovered that it is also availible at many mainstream grocery stores in the "ethnic food" aisle and online.

Over the past few months, Chicken Vindaloo has become a regular part of our cooking repretoire.  Last night, James whipped up batch for us both to bring to work today - his over basmati rice and mine over baby spinach with a cucumber-yogurt dressing.  Delicious both ways!

Recipe for Chicken Vindaloo (adapted from Gourmet)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup plain greek yogurt
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 tablespoons Patka's brand vindaloo paste
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon pepper
• 6 boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into strips

Instructions:

1. Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 500 degrees farenheit
2. Add water to fill bottom of brioler pan 1/3 full and line top of broiler pan with foil
3. Stir together all ingredients except chicken in a large bowl until combined well. Coat both sides of chicken well with yogurt mixture (use all of it), then transfer to broiler pan, arranging them in 1 layer.
4. Roast chicken until charred in some spots and cooked through, about 20 minutes

Notes:

• This would also be great with cubed chicken on skewers cooked over the grill.
• The original recipe called for skinless chicken legs, but used boneless skinless chicken breast instead to make the recipie healthier.

Rain, 4th, rain, clouds...sun!

By James

It's been an eventful weekend for sure. One of Karen's future bridesmaids came up from San Francisco with her boyfriend to visit. Being that Karen's place has a rooftop deck, we had to take advantage of this and invited some friends over to enjoy the awesome view of Gasworks, Lake Union and, of course, the fireworks. It was sunny all week, then the clouds decided to move in on the 4th, rain and then just plain stay cloudy. Our camera didn't take any good pictures, but I got one to share with a cool camera effect (starry starry):


Late Monday afternoon, the sun finally decided to come out and Karen and I got to spend some quality time together. We went to our go to sun spot (though it was quite cold) at Gasworks park. Everytime I come here, I am reminded of how our life revolves around this park. Our first real date involved Gasworks on a cold wintery night. We spent an anniversary at Gasworks park...on a cold wintry night. And, of course, I proposed to Karen here.


Needless to say, we love coming here. It's built on an old refinery that has been mostly covered up, thus the big hill, with a great view of Lake Union, downtown, and the Space Needle. Boats drive by, sailboats are sailing and kayakers are exploring. As the sun set, it started getting cold we started heading back to our car and walked upon the following on the ground written in chalk...

Being inspired and the ever-opportunists we were, we decided to go to McMenamin's and get some cajunized tots.

Maybe we'll take up working out again...