LaurieA-B

Abra, I think this is a wonderful idea for a thread and would love to read more about retro baking, but your cookie-press treats deserve their own thread and more details, please. My little daughter would be thrilled beyond all measure with an ancho-chipotle cookie (she is her father's daughter), and I'm intrigued by the orange-cinnamon. andiesenji, does your copper colored press have a sort of purplish barrel, with copper rings on the ends? That's what my mom's looks like, and I've never seen it anywhere else. The two metal presses I have are both silver-colored.

My husband gave me some Pralus chocolate for Christmas, and then a couple of weeks ago brought home booty from a local artisan chocolatier, so I've been eating fine chocolate daily for weeks. Last week I was in a staff meeting where Valentine candy--Hershey's kisses, M&Ms, etc.--was available. I popped a Dove dark chocolate in my mouth, and almost spit it out. That's when I realized I was spoiled. (I nibbled M&Ms, however, since it seems that nothing can spoil M&Ms. They are what they are.)

Here's a link to the information about the program and when it is on: KCTS Chefs 2006

Treasure Thai, on the south side of 45th, right? May Thai is on the north side.

I've been meaning for months to post that I had dinner at Dinette in December, and really, really enjoyed it. I accompanied Matthew while he worked on this review. One highlight was brandade served with delicious crunchy toast. We also had gnocchi in rich short rib sauce. My only disappointment was that they had run out of the dessert I wanted, cranberry pecan tart. Next time I'll order dessert early. It's really a charming restaurant, and we love having good restaurants that we can walk to. Of course, now that Fork's moved in, it's hard to plan walking anywhere else--but I do want to return to Dinette.

It's not about Green Leaf, but here's an article about banh xeo that Matthew wrote for the Seattle Times a couple of years ago, with recipe.

Just skimmed through the thread and I didn't see any mention of Peanut Butter Brownies. Does anyone have a good recipe? I'm thinking of trying the one from the latest Martha Stewart Holiday Cookies magazine. Peanut butter filling is swirled into the brownie batter. Last weekend I made the Chocolate Chip Cookie-Brownie Double-Deckers from the book The Weekend Baker. When I first saw this recipe I knew I had to try it, and they were very moist and delicious. Each batter is easy to make (made with melted butter, batter mixed in the pot), then layered in a 9x13 pan.

First, jkonick, you're welcome to join us over on the Pacific NW board; lots of good Seattle food discussion. From my acquaintance with several food writers, I think it would be a good idea to look into becoming either a writer who focuses on food or a food professional who writes, rather than just a "food writer." I think that is a narrow focus for building a career; you'll want to have a broader and more marketable skill set than just food writing. Also, if you become a freelance food writer (like my husband) it's very helpful to have a spouse/partner with a salary and health insurance (that's me).

Rave review in the Weekly this week. I'm glad they got their liquor license; I remember reading that they were having trouble with that because of being so close to the elementary school.

Just got a new Baker's Catalogue from King Arthur and they are selling the Baker's Edge pan. Unfortunately their website is having technical problems so I can't find it online, but it's item number 5751, priced at #36.95. I won't be trying it since I don't prefer edge pieces, but it's an excellent idea for those who do.

Do you like Mexican? Burrito Loco (Holman Road, I think) is very tasty.

The OED lists one definition of "gift" as "to bestow as a gift; make a present of." First usage 1619. Not that I think McDonald's copywriters consult the OED.

I was one of the lucky recipients of Judy's Pix treats, and they're pretty fabulous. The packaging is AMAZING. Two chocolate-covered cherries were in a tiny box that was so gorgeous, it made a Tiffany box look dime-store. Matthew had a fabulous little box of chocolates with a sliding lid, and we also got some very delicious candies in the more usual cellophane bags and boxes (truffles, caramels, pates de fruits). My New Year's Eve treat from my stocking was a bag of Cocoa Nuts, mixed nuts that were candied/caramelized and then coated in cocoa powder. If you need any impressive treats when Valentine's Day arrives, try Pix.

Thank you very much for your replies. A phone call confirmed what you posted: food service during all open hours. My family had dinner at Rangoli earlier this week and absolutely loved it. It was perfect, because Vij's was closed for the holidays, and we wouldn't have taken our two-year-old there anyway. But the three of us had a wonderful dinner at Rangoli. Matthew wrote about it here: Vij's Rangoli

The hours at Rangoli are listed as 11 am-8 pm, but the website mentions serving lunch only. Are those the hours for the market, and diner service has more limited hours? Thanks for any information; I am looking forward to trying Rangoli during an upcoming visit.

I was just at North Hill Bakery (15th Ave E on Capitol Hill) and they had a lovely buche de Noel in the front case. It was the small ($22) and they also make a large for $45. Call now if you're interested. It looked great, and all the pies, cakes, and cookies I've eaten there have had great homemade flavor.

I spotted one yesterday in Le Panier at Pike Place Market.

These were one of Sunset magazine's top cookie recipes a few years ago, and I have the ingredients sitting on my counter right now. They're delicious. I've been trying to come up with a new name as that doesn't do them justice.

More information on black cocoa, including the recipe nightscotsman posted for Spicy Black-Cocoa Cookies, here: Cocoa Thread.

Just picked up a box of these chestnuts (they were near the baking items). Vacuum packed inside a box, "peeled, cooked and ready to use." We haven't tried them yet but they look good. Another new product I like: cranberry dinner rolls. Soft white rolls with studded with berries--would make a great ham or turkey sandwich.

Those guidelines are very similar to what we have in the Seattle School District. I often see kids with bags of baked Lay's potato chips from the lunchroom. As far as the whole milk issue, giving kids only nonfat or 1% milk is a very standard recommendation in the U.S. Everything I read about children's nutrition now says to eliminate full-fat dairy products from your child's diet after the age of 2. (My daughter's almost 2, but we won't be doing that because a) she can use the fat and calories; b) we--the parents--have gotten too accustomed to enjoying the full-fat yogurt and milk ourselves.)

I stopped by today (it was open in "pre-opening" status) and yes, the staff mentioned that they are based in Bellevue. Right now they are bringing cupcakes over from Bellevue but he said they plan to be full-service (not sure if that means baking on-site) in February. I brought home a lemon-frosted cupcake that tasted terrible. It did not compare in any way to Cupcake Royale (where I had a light and delicious orange-frosted chocolate cupcake yesterday). Hopefully Jason's cupcake was a better reflection of New York Cupcakes than mine.

I was downtown the other night and took a peek at the cupcake store on Westlake. It is called New York Cupcakes and has a big poster of Magnolia Bakery-style frosted cupcakes on the front. There was a small sign advertising a pre-opening special (cupcake and cocoa for $3), but the space was absolutely empty and bare, so it was unclear whether they're open during the day for pre-opening or not.

Several empty ice cube trays The oven thermometer (it always gets knocked off when we're baking) Empty juice pitcher Cast-iron aebleskiver pan Bag of Veggie Booty Bag of Tim's Cascade Habanero Potato Chips The funny thing is that I had no idea what was on top of ours until I looked, but I can remember exactly what was on top of my childhood refrigerator: a large cookie jar shaped like a squirrel (which we never used), a large wooden tub lined with a plastic bowl that said "Popcorn" on the side (often used, with our air popper), and my dad's medications. The cupboard above the refrigerator was opened perhaps once a year, and contained mysterious, little-used items, some of which were my parents' wedding gifts (I think there was a fancy cheeseboard, for example).

Red Line is pretty much my favorite place to eat on Capitol Hill, and I LOVE their sandwiches. They come either cold (my favorite is the chicken blue cheese) or hot from their fiery oven. They re-tooled the menu recently and Matthew is devoted to one of the new sandwiches, the Texan, which is roast beef with chipotle jus. All the sandwiches I've eaten there have been great, including their versions of Reuben, chicken torta, and Italian grinder. (Arianna's post went up while I was typing this. I'm so glad you found Red Line.)