Blue Heron

I have to say, migas sound absolutely delicious and something I want to make very soon. Thank you so much for the info. One more thing.... I've seen 2 types of chorizo in our market (in Seattle). One is rather soft and kind of crumbles & is somewhat greasy, and the other is hard and slices, which I think is maybe more of a Spanish chorizo? Are both types used in the Texas migas & b-fast taco, or is one preferred over the other? Also, does one see guacamole served along side? Thanks! PS..it's so nice to see so many Texans & other new people on eGullet. Welcome.

For anyone interested in viewing Seattle Restaurant menus online (as well as menus for 5 other major cities), below is a cut & paste of a post I made on the General board earlier today. I checked a few, and Seattle has a good start on this. Today I've been busy perusing menus of Earth & Ocean, Salumi, Au Bouchon, Kingfish, Le Pichet, Le Gourmand and more. Papachef, I didn't see the Blue Onion Bistro on there...please give them your updated menu if you get a chance. ******* I don't know if this has already been mentioned on eGullet (apologies if it has), but Amazon.com has a beta test going on for a new feature, a restaurant menu service, which at the moment includes scanned online Restaurant Menus for 6 select cities (NY, Seattle, Wash DC, Boston, San Francisco, Chicago), with more to follow. In addition to viewing hundreds of menus online, one will eventually be able to make reservations & place take out orders through their site. They are encouraging feedback to their site regarding this new feature, so if you want to see your city or restaurant featured, let them know . Click here to view menus

Hi, if you get a chance, could you please tell us more about the Migas, which I have not heard of before. How do you make a migas and what goes in it? Also many thanks to all for the add'l info on the breakfast taco, and the clever way to keep the salsa from dripping out. What a great tip.

Grocery card haters aren't going to like this....but Safeway's ad this morning has fresh Copper River Sockeye Salmon Filet for only $6.99/lb May 24 though May 27 (4 days only). Last week they had fresh Wild King Salmon at $4.99/lb, and although they were out when I went, I did get a rain check. I have a hard time turning away from prices like that, and am not bothered if they want to track that I like salmon. Yesterday I finally was able to stop at Admiral Thriftway for a sample taste of their CRS in the Kiosk, and wouldn't you know, the Chef (from Sazarac) had already left early, so I didn't get any. I forgot to check the price there. I believe Safeway's price was $15/lb yesterday for CRS fillet....but only $6.99/lb come Friday!

After watching chef Johnathan Sundstrom from Earth & Ocean last night on Food Nation (w/Bobby Flay), I'm also adding E&O to the list of places I would like to visit. He prepared several delectable dishes, with an emphasis on local ingredients: 1. Mussels with Bacon, Shallots, and (Carmelized) Apple. He added a touch of cream, and they looked absolutely heavenly, 2. Alder Roasted King Salmon with Wild Fennel Pollen, cooked Indian style on a plank over coals, (there you go girlchow, & it looked fabulous), and 3. Oyster and Clam Pan Roast with Turnip, Truffle, and Thyme, which he might have substituted fresh Morel Mushrooms, as I definitely saw those being used, and he also added wild nettles (leaves) and something else wild which I can't remember (and is not listed in the recipe). The recipes for these can be found: Here He also showed off some Dungeness Crab w/ green onions, simply steamed. The dessert by his pastry chef, which was a berry something that Bobby said looked like a jewel box (it did) looked beautiful & delicous. I think the show repeats on June 1. Another highlight from the show was Bobby Flay's tour of Uwajimaya Asian Grocery store in the Int'l district. Afterwards, the owner prepared a delicious looking Sukiyaki with ingredients from her store. Her recipes are also on the link above. Bobby also took an interesting tour through Taylor Shellfish farm in Shelton, WA, who are the largest producers of clams in the nation, I believe, and stopped at Pike Place Market.

hey everyone.... thanks so much for posting on your lunch at Salumi. I can never hear too much about that place, so reading about it was the next best thing to being there. Your mouthwatering descriptions have left me really sorry that I wasn't able to make it today. I'm adding oxtails to the list of things I want to try there. BTW, what does tongue taste like? chewy? I'm so glad to hear you had morels, too! What a bonus. How did they serve them?

You're going to be at Mashiko's tonight? what time? ah,ha...remember when you gave us their website which also includes a webcam of their sushi bar? Click here so now we can all watch you on the webcam Don't forget to wave to us. Just kidding, we won't watch you eat It sounds kind of voyeuristic. What would be really funny would be to link this thread to a topic in the general forum so everyone at eGullet can watch you on the webcam tonight.... I'm having such a fun time just thinking about it. NO, I'm not going to do it, but it does sound fun

gc, you are the sweetest. Thank you so much for the fantastic list of farmer's markets. It is much more thorough than anything I have ever seen. The Washington State Farmers Market Association has a website, but it isn't very comlete: Click here btw, how is your veggie garden coming along? We're hoping to plant ours this weekend. I think we're pretty late this year.

tsquare....and everyone, your gardens are inspiring. We're hoping to plant ours over the weekend. tsquare, if you get a chance, could you please share with us what types of beans you have planted, and what are your favorites? (are they all from the Territorial Seeds)? Also, what type of eggplant do you plant? Also, if you get a chance, could you please share with us either here or on the Homegrown Tomato thread, what your 10 varieties of tomatoes are? I listed the ones we normally plant each year, but am always looking for new ideas for ones that do well in the NW. Thanks. Pitter... if you are still looking for a source for cornichon seeds, Shepherds Seeds carries them: Click here

oh... a new word for small mesclun, baby lettuce, or like mache, etc. I get it.

I'm showing my ignorance (yet again ), but could somone please tell me more about micro-greens? I don't believe I've heard this term before, and now I see it twice in one post. Thanks.

Wow, I can't believe how big your morels are B edulis. Thanks for posting your photos. Good luck Rachel & jaybee on your mushrooming. Mr. H picked me some various wild mushrooms over the weekend, including 1/2 lb. of morels. So I had my first experience cooking morels. My favorite preparation by far was the Dungeness Crab Stuffed Morels. Infact, I think it is maybe the best thing I have ever eaten in my entire life. I prepared them by sauteeing them in butter first, then filling the halves with a mixture of Dungeness Crab, parmesan cheese, chives, mayo, egg yolk, S&P, and finished off in the oven...inspired from a recipe from foodtv.com. My next favorite preparation was simply dusted in flour, S & P, and sauteed in butter until almost crisp. The flavor of the morel really shines with the simplicity of this preparation. My least favorite preparation was the delicious Gruyere, Shallots & Morel Omelet I made. The other ingredients overpowered the flavor of the morel, I think, at least in my opinion. I made another cheese omelet the next day using wild Oyster Mushrooms, and that was a much better fit. I still have a few morels left, and will try something new tomorrow.

Great photos Mark. In Seattle, we have a pretty short tomato growing season, so we maximize our efforts by planting several Early Girls (the most popular tomato in the NW). Last year we also tried a super early one called Stupice, (a mid size tomato nice for salads). It was by far our earliest producer, so we'll look for that one again this year-does well even in cool summers. My favorite (and looks like everyone elses, too) is the Sungold. The sweetness is almost tropical in flavor. If anyone has not tried this yellow cherry (not pear shaped), I highly recommend it. We also plant Sweet 100's, Champion, Celebrity, Roma & Mamma Mia. This year I'm also going to try a few Heirloom tomato plants and see how they do. Hubby usually plants about 30 plants each year.

I just happened to see your birthday listed on the front page of eGullet (at the bottom of the page), so now everyone knows. :wow: You also got b-day wishes in the birthday thread, Click here I hope you have a really great dinner, and that we'll get to read all the delectable mouth watering details afterwards.

Did anyone see Tony Bourdain's review of Salumi this weekend in the NY thread re: book signings? Click here Now I wonder why he didn't post that on our board? Has anyone here had that gnocchi? Maybe he will include Salumi in his sequel to A Cook's Tour. I'm going to Salumi...verrry soon.

Has anyone seen any seasonal yummy things at the market as of late? Or finding edibles in the wild? What are you making at home or finding in restaurants that are in season? Mr. H came home from a mushrooming trip with several wild mushrooms, including 1/2 lb of morels. This was my first time cooking morels, and I've only had them maybe a couple times in restaurant sauces. Wow. Was it ever a treat. The first night I made a Gruyere Shallot Morel Omelet. It was delicious & fantastic, but I felt the other ingredients overshadowed the flavor of the morel. The second day I bought some dungeness crab and stuffed them with a recipe I improvised from foodtv.com. I sauteed them first in butter, and finished them off in the oven. I think these stuffed morsels were about the very best thing I have ever eaten in my entire life. I can't wait to make them again. Any other ideas on what to do with morels? We also fixed a cheese omelet with the wild oyster mushrooms hubby brought home, and that was a very good use for them. Near the Duwamish park shore, we picked several wild fennel fronds. (thanks to Jim Dixon for the tip on wild fennel in the NW). What do I do with them? Has anyone fixed these? I'm thinking of making Wild Fennel Gravlax, using the fronds in place of dill. What else can I do with them? They are growing all over the place. We've also been enjoying the wonderful fat and flavorful Yakima asparagus. Steamed (or micro'd) w/ mayonnaise is a favorite of ours, as well as grilled or roasted. I have some tofu in the fridge, so will probably make a stir fry with them next. Oh, we also have had some Swiss Chard from the garden. I'd love to hear what everyone else is doing. Has anyone had ramps? I just learned about these Spring treasures on a thread by Jinmyo, can't remember which one. They also sound fantastic. I wonder if any place in Seattle carries them? Also, does anyone know if any place carries morels?

MsRamsey, Happy Birthday! Your luncheon salad yesterday sounded wonderful. I love lobster. Have a great day today, and I hope you get to eat something especially delicious today for your b-day.

I wanted to hear you on the radio today, but unfortunately missed it. Will you share with us a little of what you spoke about today when you do your Vancouver report? Also, will you be sharing with us a recipe from the Vancouver area? (no pressure, only if you fall upon a good one, and have time). I missed your recipe in the Austin TX report, but was glad to get more details on your breakfast tacos. Thanks.

If you get a chance, can you please tell us a little more about the breakfast tacos you had in Texas? They sound really delicious. Were they served in flour tortillas and wrapped up like a burrito? Or were they in corn tortillas, taco style? Were the eggs scrambled, potatoes cubed & fried? Anything else in there besides salsa & sour cream? Did you see any variations that included things like...bacon, sausage, cheese, lettuce, avacado, tomato, cilantro, onions, etc, or is it mostly eggs & potatoes? Was this something you mainly saw in Texas Taquerias?

I second tommy's recommendation/recipe. You could also add chopped basil and chopped tomatoes to it, and that would also be delicious.

Wilfrid, razor clams are also one of my favorites, too. wow..I have not heard of grilling them in the shell, nor steaming them in broth, both of which sound very interesting. I would like to hear more about both of those presentations. Are both of these methods for razor clams that are served alone as an appetizer, or as part of a main course? ie. Would the steamed ones be served w/ steamed veggies and rice for instance? How long do you steam them? Are they served with a sauce in either case? For the grilled ones, do you remove them from the shell to clean first, and then place back in the shell for grilling? Or do you grill them intact? I like to make oysters on the grill, and after they open, I spoon a little wine-butter sauce on them. For pan frying razors, the secret is frying them quickly about 1 minute per side (or until brown) at a medium high heat. I use a breading which consists of dipping them in seasoned flour, then egg, then Progresso plain bread crumbs. If I am lazy, sometimes I just dip them in dry pancake mix that has been salted & peppered and fry them, (and skip the egg). The neck portion is always chewier than the digger (which is soft and tender). I actually like the necks the best. Have you been razor clam digging before? I used to, and my dad and brothers still do. The ones this season were nice big ones, about 6 inches in length. Are East Coast razors the same as Pacific Coast razors? If you'd like to see a site featuring everything you might ever want to know about our Pacific Coast Razor Clams, including pictures and instructions on how to dig, clean and cook them: Click here

We've recently switched to having our main meal at lunchtime, and a light meal or snack later on. This method agrees with my hubby, who has lost weight and feels better, but for myself, I have mostly just noticed I have more work to do at lunchtime. :confused: This week I made the following: On Monday, I pan fried pork blade steak w/ Louisiana Cajun seasoning, Baked Potatoes, Salad. Tuesday: Fresh pan-fried razor clams w/tarter sauce, coleslaw, parslied boiled potatoes w/butter. Wednesday: One Pot Dish, which this time consisted of dried haricot verts soaked in Swiss beef bouillon (Muller), and then simmered w/ sliced potatoes, onions and Hempler's smoked bacon. On the side I served a leafy green lettuce salad w/ avacado & mushrooms and buttermilk dressing (I cheated though, by making the dressing with Uncle Dan's Original Southern, which I love). 3. Today I made Swiss Chard from our garden. I cooked, chopped and mixed it into a cheese sauce I made from sauteed chopped onion in olive oil, flour, beef bouillon paste, milk, cheese, nutmeg, s & p. I served it over sliced boiled potatoes, w/ another lettuce salad on the side.

Hi papachef, how are plans coming along for your new restaurant? Will it be like the Blue Onion Bistro? I seem to recall you said it would serve breakfast though? Please keep us posted.

In that case it's completely irrelevant whether or not my derivation is correct or not. I've often wondered if the truth is any better than a fiction if either can serve to stimulate one to think. That thought came to me as I was reading two guide books that offered rather separate and different stories about the same site in my travels. egg-zactly.

an update... I tried the 10 minute method from the article, using 1 egg, and it turned out beautiful. Thanks.