seawakim

Which model do you own?

I bake rather frequently, but usually bake more a variety rather than quantity. I generally bake sweet things (everything from pastries to pies and cookies). I haven't done much bread baking. One of the things that intrigued me about the KitchenAid was the availabilty of attachments for making pasta, sausage and all kinds of things. Do you have any experience with these? Do they work well?

I am finally getting a "real" stand mixer and am confused with all the variety available to me. It seems that a lot of people own KitchenAid...I don't know if that means they are the best, but they certainly seem to be among the priciest. Then there are the sizes...4.5qt, 5qt or 6qt? What are your experiences? Can anyone provide some insight?

You're right IslandMom. The BEST dishes I've ever tasted were always cooked (and slightly undercooked). However, I love unique salads and can only image that given the right creativity and skill, a good chef could prepare some very interesting dishes using raw ingredients. That is what sparked my interest in this cuisine. I don't think it could be a way of life for me but I would love to try it simply because it's different and it's something else to add to my repertoire

Wow, Costco and gourmet? Interesting. I agree that Larry's has gone downhill. I generally use them for things like Chestnut Puree, chocolates and an occasional lunch. Trader Joe's is my favorite, because they carry unique items at a great price and shopping is much more fun when sampling all the goodies they put out. A long time ago Cost Plus was a good resource for some things, but it seems that they too have gone downhill. I'm so glad we have our beloved Pike's Place Market. What would one do without all the fresh produce and seafood we are so lucky to have up here in the NW

I went to Pacific Food Importers (thank you NSM) today to stock up on almond paste and Callebaut. What a great value. Silly me, I've always been a Larry's Market shopper for most specialty food items. It got me thinking about all the specialty shops and little hideaway stores, etc. that may be specific to neighborhood or specialty....the kind of place sometimes known only by word of mouth. I'm really interesting in hearing about all the places to shop at. Any thoughts?

Being curious about all things food, I'm looking to sample raw cuisine. Has anyone had it? Is it good? (other than the plentiful sushi venues) Are there any raw food restaurants in Seattle?

LOL, I was trying to hit them ALL! I never get the chance to sample Seattle restaurants (I'm always travelling for work).....there were some days on which I ate lunch and dinner and there were other days on which I was forced to eat solo because my husband was unable to juggle his schedule accordingly. I actually didn't mind it at all. Eating alone is a whole different experience because one is not as distracted by their companion and therefore more able to focus on the food. Malarkey, when they do the promotion in March I would love to have an eGullletaire join me in touring the restaurants.

Good for you Tommy, way to go! My husband was under that same "low fat spell" and I've freed him. He's now happier and healthier. I think the biggest mistake made in home cooking is OVERCOOKING !!! I'm so tired of going to peoples houses for dinner and eating their overcooked beef, chicken, salmon, everything dry, dry, dry. WHY?

I have to be honest here. I don't really remember what I ate. Knowing that it was during the 25 for $25 promotion, it was one of everything they offered on that special menu. I was really looking forward to trying the restaurant. I didn't have any preconceptions, nor did I have any knowledge about the philosophy of Cascadia. I went in with an open mind and expected a fine dining experience. I liked the "waterfall" by the kitchen, I liked the decor and the colorful plates but I didn't like the pretentious attitude of this venue. There were only two occupied tables in the whole restaurant, yet the reception was turning down walk-ins. The waitstaff was very short with us and frowned upon us not ordering any wine to go along with our dinner selection. (pardonez moi, but since when is it a faux pas to not partake in the wine selection when dining? Another thread? Perhaps.) We ordered "one of everything" on the menu and as the dishes came out I felt more and more like I was eating at a healthfood restaurant. Everything seemed very fresh but had no flavor. There were no distinct spices or herbs, no interesting sauces, no complexity to the dishes and the presentation was not especially creative either. All of the aspects that make a fine dining experience enjoyable for me were not represented here at all. I jokingly mentioned to my husband: "This is the ideal place to go when you're on a diet...not only is all the food healthy, but it's prepared so bland that you won't want to eat much of it", his response: "and you'll leave lighter too, because your wallett will weigh less"......ok, ok, ok....sorry about all this, but I couldn't help it. To summarize, IMO Cascadia is a great restaurant to dine at if simplified cuisine is the goal. Health, freshness, simplicity and colorful dining is what best describes my dinner there. With the increased awareness to healthy eating and exercising that seems to be so heavily promoted especially on the west coast I can understand why it has become a popular place to dine. This does make me wonder though: Where's the Ban'Cha?

Did anyone try Cascadia during this promotion? After talking to some of the Canlis staff and finding out that they consider Cascadia to be one of their competitors, I was excited to go and try it out. My experience was anything but positive. IMO I'm sad to say this, but the food was bland for the caliber it was raved to be and the staff was unfriendly. What are your experiences?

I did a combination sit down and buffet style dinner. The (very small) Appetizers are served in 4 courses. 1. Butternut Squash Soup with Pumpkin Seed oil and toasted pumkin seed 2. Maple Sweet Potato Ball with Toasted Pecan Crust 3. Wild Forest Mushroom Soup served inside Portobello Mushroom Cup 4. Cranberried Brie en Croute The buffet consisted of the following: Rosemary Sage Roasted (brined) Turkey Maple Sausage Cranberry fruited Stuffing Herbed Green Pepppercorn Cognac Gravy Zested Orange Cranberry Sauce Shittake and Oyster Mushroom Green Bean Casserole Toasted Pecan Yams Cornbread Pudding Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes Gingeres Swiss Chard Coconut Sweet Potato Casserole Southern Greens German Braised Cabbage Creamed Spinach Marie The Dessert Course was served sit down once again in 4 courses: 1. Gingersnap Graham Pumkin Pie 2. Chocolate Chestnut Ganache Torte 3. Mini Pecan Pie 4. Autumn Pumpkin Cheesecake Tart The dinner was a success! There were only 4 of us, so we obviously had lots of leftovers and look forward to eating them all.

I can't believe it's all over This was a wonderful month of visiting restaurants. Unfortunately I was only here for half of it and could only go to a few of them. I was lucky enough to go to Assagio's, Cascadia, Szmania's Lake Street, Tulio, Yarrow Bay Grill, 727 Pine, Earth and Ocean, Etta's, The Hunt Club at the Sorrento, Ponti, Vivanda and Canlis. Reviews may or may not be p[osted in the near future. I really wanted to try Nell's and Restaurant Zoe but am hoping that the promotion will be on again in March....did they do this in March of this year?

After reading all of these reviews I'm left wondering if my experience at E&O was an anomaly. I have to admit that the service could have been better (to rank among 727 Pine, Canlis, etc.) but my experience was by no means negative. Since my posting I have talked to several people about E&O and I am finding a huge division in experiences and opinions. I wonder if inconsistency is E&O's drawback? However, as I mentioned in my review, I will definitely return and dine at E&O again in hopes of having another delicious meal.

Have they really brined it already or just stuffed a bunch of butter inside?

Doesn't even Alton Brown say to get a frozen turkey?

Scrat and Tighe, thanks to you and other eGulletaires, I had a delectable dinner at 727 Pine tonight. The staff was very informative....I will post a full review in a few days. Thank you for the recommendation and the resource for the Kobe beef. What a delightful addition to add to my holiday cooking.

A short review of my lunch yesterday at Earth and Ocean. Upon entering the restaurant we immediately knew we must be near the "W". The simple, yet nuveau stylish décor, the fast paced music beating in the background, the young and sophisticated, but hip atmosphere laid the foundation for an interesting lunch to follow. We were immediately greeted and seated to be taken care of by a very courteous staff. We ordered "one of everything" on the prix fixe lunch menu. The continuously attentive bread service was cold bread served individually and from a large tray with tongs and a small tray of butter which I considered to be at just the perfect temperature. The first course was a nicely presented Corona Bean Soup with Duck Confit and Pumpkin Seed Oil. The soup had been pureed into a creamy and delicious dish and the pumpkin seed oil topped off the deep complexity of flavors in this appetizer. I really enjoyed this soup! I will order it again. The other first course was a White Salad of Shaved Fennel, Celery Frisee and Pecorino-Romano with Truffle Vinaigrette. The presentation of this dish was poor. The only color on the very white plate was the light green mixture of celery and fennel topped with pecorino-romano cheese. Imagine how boring that looked. How about a tomato or some truffle shavings?  The taste of this salad was pretty bland with the truffle flavor being only slightly detectable. The second course was a Bucatini Pasta with Smoked Chicken, Wild Mushrooms and Butternut Squash. This dish was a unique combination of flavors and absolutely delicious. A great marriage of smoked chicken, flavorful wild mushrooms, colorful butternut squash, spinach and crunchy pine nuts. There was also something tangy in the sauce, perhaps mandarin? I loved how creative these ingredients were and the medley of flavors they represented. The only way to describe this dish is amazing. The alternate second course was a Bacon Wrapped Pacific Sea Bass with French Lentils and Apple Balsamic. The Sea Bass was absolutely the best texture in a cooked fish. It was tender, soft and very juicy. It was such a perfectly prepared fish that it actually had a silky texture. The bacon was not overpowering and gave it a perfectly nice crust. This incredible piece of work was served atop very small, young and sweet French Lentils and Apple Balsamic. Also very delicious. I think both main courses were incredible. For Dessert we were served "Cherry Crackle Pop" and "Oh Baby! Nutter Butter Peanut Butter Parfait". I had no idea what to expect from either one. The Cherry Crackle Pop was a serving of 4 small "poptart-like" 1-inch squares. The crust was sweet and flaky and the filling was tart. These delicious little tarts were served with a small scoop of passionfruit sorbet and nicely presented with passionfruit and cherry sauce. The "Oh Baby!" Nutter Butter Peanut Butter Parfait was a very small glass (just a bit larger than a shotglass) filled with a creamy custard and chopped peanuts. The custard was decorated with a touch of gold powder and tasted great. I was thoroughly impressed with Earth and Ocean and look forward to trying all of the menu items (esp. the truffle fries which I hear are great!). E & O is also offering an intriguing thanksgiving menu featuring some Tundra dishes like Venison, Elk Steak, Wild Brown Hare, etc. WOW, I really like this place!

I'm desperately seeking a great restaurant in the Seattle area that serves delicious dishes (a really good ahi tuna and other fish dishes....vegetarian ok also) with breathless presentations. Can anyone help?