MGLloyd

At certain times of the year, they have to add more or less chlorine due to the amount of organic material in the watersources. Those of you in Seattle have read of the recent algae blooms such as red tide. In warm weather such as this, algae and other micro-organisms flourish in the water supply and must be eliminated by chlorine and other means of disinfecting the water supply. Seattle, and other water supply entities, prefer to keep the use of chlorine to a minimum, using other methods instead. But when you have a big bolus of water disinfecting to do, chlorine is easy, cheap and effective. It is often used as a supplemental method for situations such as algae bloom. The alternative is risking killing your customers, as occurred in Milwaukee in 1993, when the water supply was contaminated by cryptosporidium, resulting in over 100 deaths and 400,000 cases of serious illnesses. Pouring the water into a glass or pitcher and allowing it to outgas for an hour or two will usually reduce or eliminate the chlorine odor and taste.

The Seattle water supply comes from protected surface water sources in the Cedar River watershed. It is essentially melted snow. Being surface water, it has a very low mineral content. From tests that have been done, it is considered one of the better-tasting municipal water supplies in the country. Issues of taste and clarity can vary somewhat by season. As an example, during fall storms, leaves, fir needles and other organic debris can fall into the lake sources in the watershed or in the open reservoirs located in various areas around the city. This can cause a particular taste that cannot necessarily be filtered out at the water treatment plant. Other issues regarding metallic taste or particulates is usually a function of the plumbing (municipal or individual house) that brings the water to the tap. When I lived on Vashon on a well, the iron content of the water was so high that it was a pale tan color and tasted of rust. Seattle tap water is much better. I live north of the city in the Everett water supply, and it is even better than Seattle due to more modern plumbing in the municipal water supply trunks. Everett, too uses surface water sources from a watershed up in the mountains. PS: Edited for age-related memory loss

I vote for butter, brown sugar, raisins and milk.

Shalmanese, there is something to bear in mind about Amazon and your impending move to our fair city. Amazon is based here in Seattle, and any purchases you make from them that are shipped into the state will incur 8.2% Washington state sales tax. So that ordinarily, the prices may seem better on Amazon, but since you will pay state sales tax, sometimes it can be cheaper to buy at a local bricks and mortar store, although you will pay the same sales tax there.

I do this when I need an immediate lemon tart fix and don't have any homemade lemon curd sitting around: I bake off some individual puff pastry shells that I buy at Safeway or Fred Meyer's and let them cool Fill them with the jarred English lemon curd sold by Trader Joe's Top with whipped cream straight from the can and garnish with some lemon zest This approach will not win style points nor plaudits from the purists. I am embarassed just posting it. And yet, I have paid very good money for worse lemon tarts in restaurants and bakeries. Like some of the other posters here, I am a parent with a demanding professional job and must sometimes look for a quick approach for the weeknights.

Excuse the ignorant question, but this is located on Main Street and what? It sounds like it is worth coming down from Mill Creek for. Is it close to the Gregg's bicycle shop?

My favorite lemon curd recipe is from Pierre Herme: Tart Lemon Cream (2 ½ - 3 cups) 1 c sugar zest of three lemons, chopped very finely 4 eggs 3/4 c fresh lemon juice 10 ½ oz soft butter, in cubes In the top of a double boiler, rub the sugar and zest together until moist and grainy. Whisk in the eggs, then the juice. Cook over simmering water until it reaches 180°and is thick. Set aside to cool to 140°, then strain into the bowl of a blender and blend, adding the butter, five cubes at a time, then continue blending for 3-4 minutes. Will freeze for 1 month, or keep in the refrigerator for 4 days. Notes: I use a microplane to zest the lemons, and I then squeeze them to provide the juice. I don't use bottled lemon juice. The reason why I enjoy this recipe is that it has a pronounced lemon flavor, is less sweet than others, makes a reasonable amount, and sets up with a reasonably thick consistency. Many of the curd recipes I have tried are too runny for my taste. That may be OK in using the curd as a sauce, but not so much when using it as a filling.

In the very far north from you, I like L'Artisan bakery in the Silver Lake area of Everett. But to tell the truth, few bakeries make a better lemon tart to my taste than me. I have a favorite crust, I have a favorite homemade lemon curd and it takes very little time to put one together. An even quicker route would be to use my favorite commercial lemon curd, Trader Joe's.

I heartily endorse Wendy's opinion, particularly in regards to In and Out. Dick's is OK, but the other two places are a level of magnitude above.

Marble cream cheese brownies Cheesecake brownies 1/2 CUP BUTTER OR MARGARINE (1 STICK) (softened) 4 SQUARES (4 OUNCES) UNSWEETENED CHOCOLATE 4 SQUARES (4 OUNCES) SEMISWEET CHOCOLATE (I prefer 70% cocoa mass) 2 CUPS SUGAR 5 LARGE EGGS (room temperature) 2 1/2 TEASPOONS VANILLA EXTRACT 1 1/4 CUPS ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR (dip and sweep) 3/4 TEASPOON BAKING POWDER 1/2 TEASPOON SALT 2 PACKAGES (8 OUNCES EACH) CREAM CHEESE (softened) 1. Preheat oven to 350' F. Grease 13" by 9" metal baking pan. 2. In 4-quart saucepan, melt butter and unsweetened and semisweet chocolates over low heat, stirring frequently. Remove saucepan from heat. Beat in 1 and 1/2 cups sugar. Add 4 eggs and 2 teaspoons vanilla and beat until well blended. Stir in flour, baking powder, and salt. 3. In small bowl, with mixer at medium speed, beat cream cheese until smooth; gradually beat in remaining 1/2 cup sugar. Beat in remaining egg, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon vanilla just until blended. 4. Spread 1 and 1/2 cups chocolate batter in prepared pan. Spoon cream-cheese batter in 6 large dollops on top of chocolate mixture (cream-cheese mixture will cover much of chocolate batter). Spoon remaining chocolate batter in 6 large dollops over and between cream-cheese mixture. With tip of knife, cut and twist through mixtures to create marble design. 5. Bake 35 to 40 minutes, until toothpick inserted in center of pan comes out almost clean with a few crumbs attached. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. 6. When cool, cut lengthwise into 4 strips, then cut each strip crosswise into 6 pieces. Makes 24 brownies. This is one of my favorite recipes for two reasons: it is not too sweet and the proportions of cheesecake to brownie is about 50/50. I wrap individual brownies in plastic wrap, and freeze them inside of a freezer Ziploc. They freeze very well. PS: I forgot to mention. A couple of popular variations I have done is to omit the vanilla extract from the cheesecake batter and substitute either 1/2 teaspoon almond extract or orange oil or orange extract. I especially liked the orange myself, since I am a sucker for the combination of orange and chocolate. Using orange oil rather than extract gives it a more pronounced orange flavor, in my view. A friend of mine also reported good results by using some Amaretto in the brownie batter. ( RG1761 )

I think it will come down to Heather and Keith, with Heather winning.

I am interested to see that Ms. Phillips is also a fan of citrus oils, in the right application.

I am struggling with the concept of using a packet of KoolAid mix in this recipe. I don't know why I am struggling, I just am.

Cheesecake brownies 1/2 CUP BUTTER OR MARGARINE (1 STICK) (softened) 4 SQUARES (4 OUNCES) UNSWEETENED CHOCOLATE 4 SQUARES (4 OUNCES) SEMISWEET CHOCOLATE (I prefer 70% cocoa mass) 2 CUPS SUGAR 5 LARGE EGGS (room temperature) 2 1/2 TEASPOONS VANILLA EXTRACT 1 1/4 CUPS ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR (dip and sweep) 3/4 TEASPOON BAKING POWDER 1/2 TEASPOON SALT 2 PACKAGES (8 OUNCES EACH) CREAM CHEESE (softened) 1. Preheat oven to 350' F. Grease 13" by 9" metal baking pan. 2. In 4-quart saucepan, melt butter and unsweetened and semisweet chocolates over low heat, stirring frequently. Remove saucepan from heat. Beat in 1 and 1/2 cups sugar. Add 4 eggs and 2 teaspoons vanilla and beat until well blended. Stir in flour, baking powder, and salt. 3. In small bowl, with mixer at medium speed, beat cream cheese until smooth; gradually beat in remaining 1/2 cup sugar. Beat in remaining egg, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon vanilla just until blended. 4. Spread 1 and 1/2 cups chocolate batter in prepared pan. Spoon cream-cheese batter in 6 large dollops on top of chocolate mixture (cream-cheese mixture will cover much of chocolate batter). Spoon remaining chocolate batter in 6 large dollops over and between cream-cheese mixture. With tip of knife, cut and twist through mixtures to create marble design. 5. Bake 35 to 40 minutes, until toothpick inserted in center of pan comes out almost clean with a few crumbs attached. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. 6. When cool, cut lengthwise into 4 strips, then cut each strip crosswise into 6 pieces. Makes 24 brownies. This is one of my favorite recipes for two reasons: it is not too sweet and the proportions of cheesecake to brownie is about 50/50. I wrap individual brownies in plastic wrap, and freeze them inside of a freezer Ziploc. They freeze very well. PS: I forgot to mention. A couple of popular variations I have done is to omit the vanilla extract from the cheesecake batter and substitute either 1/2 teaspoon almond extract or orange oil or orange extract. I especially liked the orange myself, since I am a sucker for the combination of orange and chocolate. Using orange oil rather than extract gives it a more pronounced orange flavor, in my view. A friend of mine also reported good results by using some Amaretto in the brownie batter.

I have not forgotten this thread. I am still watching the recipe development with interest. Based on my previous experience, I am wondering about sour cream and orange oil myself. I think that orange oil gives a more intense and true flavor than extract. But zest is important, too.

I will dig up my recipe and post it. Mine is sized for a 9"x13" pan, since I usually make them for parties and office functions. They go quickly, so I have to make a bunch. I make them in a 9"x13" rectangular springform pan so I can easily slice them into even bars. They are very moist and freeze well. In fact, now that I am thinking about it, I should make a batch and freeze them. It is nice to be able to pull out a single brownie and eat it.

Hello from another former grad student at the UW! And undergrad too, for that matter. In terms of a good area to live with decent bus transport, think north of the Ship Canal for areas such as the U District, Fremont, Ballard, Roosevelt, Phinney Ridge, Ravenna or the like. If you are in a grad program where you have to work in the labs at all hours when the bus transport is out of service, living closer so that you can bike or walk may be a factor. Grad student housing is the best deal if you can get it. Rents in the Seattle area, and in the areas I just mentioned, are quite high. It is somewhat unusual to find rentals with a gas stove. For many decades, the energy of choice in the Pacific NW was electricity. Especially in multi-family housing or in the older housing stocks, gas was never even plumbed into the residence. The cured meat place you are thinking of is called Salumi. In downtown Seattle, two good kitchen stores are City Kitchen or Sur La Table. Outside of the Pike Place market, there are not that many freestanding butchers, fishmongers or greengrocers, although there are some. You will be entering America, the land of the mega supermarket, where everything is under one roof. We have lots of ethnic markets for all cuisines. In general, Seattle is a pretty good food place. I hope you like seafood, since we have a lot of it.

A roast chicken. Basic, yet more difficult to execute well than one might think.

In the USA, 'butterscotch chips' are the butterscotch equivalent of chocolate chips. They are not a hard toffee or hard butterscotch product.

I am following this thread closely, since I can think of few things better than a nice muffin with an intense orange flavor. I will be most interested to see the final recipe. Color and crumb are of less concern to me than flavor.

But, but, but, I want that hop build up. I pay good money for that hop build up and flavor. Otherwise I would drink Budweiser.

My best memory of the Broadway Dick's was from a couple of years ago. My wife and I had seen a play at Seattle Central, and stopped at Dick's for a quick burger and shake fix on the way home. While I was in line, and in plain view of the uniformed SPD officer there for security, a disheveled and chemically-enhanced woman staggered up to me, and in a loud voice, offered to perform a very personal act in the back of the parking lot for $ 15. My wife didn't think it was that funny when I turned to her behind me in line and asked if I could borrow $ 15!

If you use rice to clean your grinder, it should be uncooked Uncle Ben's or another type of parboiled quick-cooking rice. This is much softer than uncooked long-grain or short-grain rice, which can accelerate wearing of the grinder burrs.

Hmm, I very commonly see 'steak cut' salmon here in the Seattle area. It is popular to serve halibut that way as well.

I am one of the few remaining Seattle-area natives. Bellingham or Mt. Vernon are two places I could easily retire to. Lovely, lovely cities, with an edge to Bellingham for the cultural opportunities afforded by Western.