DRColby

We have stopped in the one in Burien and also the one on Pacific Highway at anout 268th. They are Quite good. Only complaint would be you can't get a Mexican beer with your meal. Each Mexican resturant is a little different. Tonight we are going to Mexican Lido in Kent, one we have been patronizing almost 25 years on Thursday nights, and it to is different. dave

I was very happy today to find a new coffee roaster in Burien, sonofresco, on 152nd, in the building that replaced one leveled in a gas explosion about a year ago. These guys appear to be very good with green beans for roasting from all over the world at a reasonable price. They will roast whatever you want to blend and have lots of intructional help. Pretty amazing to me. Didn't have time to stop, but next door is a new Baltic food store. I used to be a Burien basher, now I am a real booster. Perhaps it's because of all the ethnic groups that have moved in. Anyhow I can do most of my shopping right on 152nd. Wayne's Asian Produce across the street, Wayne's Mexican food store and fish market right next door and a discount grocery store to the west. The grocery often has great buys on items like proscutto, hard to find cheeses, etc. It also knocks the hell out of Trader Joe's on wine prices with its close outs. Need to be careful of what you buy in all these places, though; they ain't Safeway. If I want a good bottle of wine I can always go around the corner to EB Foote. Now if someone could work on the resturants..... dave

We haven't taken our own wine into a Seattle resturant for a while. The last time, as I recall. the corkage was $15. We called in advance to see if it was okay. The experience was quite pleasant; the wine waiter (or solmier (sp) or whatever) admired the bottle, said we had good taste. and I think everyone felt good with a win-win situation: corkage with no tax to the state from the esblishment, 100 % profit off a couple of wine drinkers, and no inventory shrinkage. It's a real money maker....... dave

We dined last night at le Pitche. Before going we knew exactly what we were going to have (thanks to all the posts here): the chicken. Let me first say, it was excellent. We also had an idea what we wanted to drink, a nice French chardonnay or a dry Loire. Before the meal was over i had sprung for two demi-pitchers of Sancerre because, as the waiter said, "one is never enough." I don't mind reasonably priced wine cards. I do protest when I can't find what I think I want, or feel the price is high. I have taken bottles of wine into Seattle resturants before (not without asking first) and paid the corkage fee. Probably the nicest aspect of this is that you can take back out what you don't drink to finish it at home. I know in SF I have watched as kinds of people pop in and out of a little deli across the street from a Puck resturant carrying out brown paper bags the shape of wine bottles. Somehow, I don't feel quite right with that kind of situation. Still, if I were to go to the Herbfarm again, and knew the advanced menu, I would probably bring a few bottles of my own. Anyone have further thoughts on the "bring your own" program? dave

Just got back from 2-week emergency trip to Columbus, OH. Weather was beautiful so I planted by sister's -who was hospitalized - beds and garden. Forgot about how mucky mid-Ohio clay was until my shoes weighed twice their weight and wife screamed about mud in the house. Anyhow, planted things my way: lots of tough, simple old perennials, some herbs, and some new tender annuals. Weather looked good. The day we left they had a half-hour hail storm so I am waiting to hear how much of my time and investment was destroyed. Meanwhile back in the great Pacific Northwest I am planning to set out some scarlet runner starts today (if I can figure out how to keep the crows from picking them off), sew some lettuce, say goodbye to the celery root, and try to end the slugs from climbing on the Savoy cabbage and horseradish (never knew they even considered horseradish until yesterday). O well, lots of work and a great Summer ahead. Dave

Don't know exactly what you mean by "quality" but Pacific FGood Importers (PFI) on south 6th in Seattle carries lots of olive oils (along with a lot of other wonderful things) that are by far the most reasonable prices in town. Not designer oils but great for everyday salads etc. dave colby

The only wild mushroom I wash is the cauliflower, which I soak in salted water to get the bugs out, rinsed, and then dry on some newspaper. Most of our mushrooms are shaped like umbrellas, the tops get wet and the gills or pores stay dry. If you want a mess get bolitus pores or portobello gills wet. Would you rather eat chantrterelles from early in the season when they are dry or those that are 4-to-the-pound after two weeks of rain? Big difference. The best way to clean wild mushrooms isto use a soft brush, sharp knife, and damp cloth. Use the brush on the whole mushroom, the damp cloth on the top and stem. On stems such as matsutakis scrap with the knife to get the dirt off. The knife also is used to pry out needles and dirt. The knife also comes in handy to split open the morels (the orignal mushroom in question) and look for slugs and snails , found to also enjoy morels in may parts of the country. Of course a little extra protein never hurt anyone.... dave

Somewhere in one's life there should be a catagory to calculate:"Why are things so expensive?" (Especially in this country where packagaing and marketing dictates the food industry.) Anyway, my wife and I spend a day each week volunteering at a food bank. You should see the volume of H&D "undeliverables" we pickup at holiday time from a regional post office. it is staggering. After a few years in business I can imagine the price premimum that this type of goods commands simply just because of the spoilage. My guess is that approximately 20% of what is shipped is undeliverable.... and Harry and David ain't gona accept returns of rotten pears. Don't get me wrong, the food bank is grateful for these gleenings, but, my, what a costly, wasteful product. dave

Yes, we live in an acid zone. My beds are under huge firs and redwoods; the azalas, rhodys and blueberries love it. For most most of the vegy beds I sweeten with lime. add alfafa pellets (rabbit food) and epsion salts. This I know about the coffee grounds and compositing: When I just add kitchen vegtable scraps and egg shells, I get none of the little red wigglers; add the coffee grounds and the worms show up and the compost heats up. Couple of questions: We do well with artichokes and other members of the thistle family, I screw around every year and try growing something new (that's half the fun of gardening, isn't it) and last year I put in some cardoons. They grow well, but what in the hell do I do with them? I have tried peeling the string parts off the stems, steaming them in chicken stock and then sauting them. All I get is a bitter, soggy mess. Cooking or growing suggestions to make them edible? I haven't tried wrapping to blanch the leaves but I have read this helps. One of the more interesting winter vegtables we have had is celery root. My plants are probably close to 300 days old. We have been eating them (last night in a salad with fresh tarragon, Gorgozola and a mustardy dressing) but it still takes three of mine to make one of Safeways. Any suggestions to get the roots bigger? I thought maybe trimming some of the green growth ? Thanks all for the tip on watching the acid build-up. Dave

Once upon a time, long ago and far away - when I lived in Wisconsin - we picked wild asparagus and ate it until we peed green... great stuff. One of the simplest and best ways I like asparagus is to put it with some fresh herbs (including a bay leaf) in cold water, bring it to a boil, let it steep until a rich green, empty the pan and put the asparagus back in to keep it warm. Poach a couple of eggs, make some toast, put the aspagus on the toast, poached eggs on top, and then sprink with fresh parmasan cheese. Better yet add some fresh morels as well and open a bottle of French chardonnay

Was plesantly surprised this week on one of my wife's daily trips to Starbucks; they give away their used coffee grounds. Since early this week I have probably picked up 200 pounds packed in bags abour 15 pound each. I use the grounds in my composoting (they attract worms) and also direct around my pernnials and shrubs. Great stuff. ADD NOTE: we are on Puget Sound in the Northwest, today my fava beans were peaking through yje soil. Just finishing my Winter greens that I grow under a clotch; lots of endive, spinach, beet greens and mache which is a great over-looked winter salad item. dave

I tried this recipe the other night and would have to say I was disappointed. Made a few minor adjustments: ( I brine before cooking), added a little Bay seasoning to the bread crumbs and let set up in refrig for about an hour before cooking. Cooked to done after oil/butter was hot enough but end result was bland and cried for addition of some fresh herbs or a good sauce. Perhaps. as was mention in article, it makes an acceptable substitute for veal. dave

Anyone know what happened to Greg, owner of the Poor Italian? Think he came from long line of resturant owners, believe family was from Bay area. He was great host who loved to escape to 'Vegas. Put together good staff that servered up some pretty good fish in ample portions. Know he had tried other openings (think on Eastside); do hope he's still in trade. Dave

To me, as a forager, wild mushooms mean seasonal eating. Combined with my garden nothing beats that. That said , as we shiver in our hovels, thinking thoughts of parting snow, verpas under the cottonwoods, and morchellas popping up all over the burn areas, I lust for this: Grilled sweatbreads with green beans and morels cooked til just safe in some butter, shalots and white wine, served on a bed of greens with a vinegarette. Some crusty bread, a nice light red; bing: Spring is here. Fortunately the above can be made with my hoard of dried morels. Ain't quite the same but will have to do 'til at least April Fool's Day. Dave