Inn at Tough City Sushi Bar, Tofino, BC

Yeah, we skipped HPotD #7. I got a cold the other day. Stuffy nose, watery eyes, the works. Spent the day in Errington/Parksville pretty miserable but I think I am getting better. I could almost taste the wonderful looking sushi we had for dinner.

Anyway, I think I am on the mend just in time for our dinner at the Pointe Restaurant tomorrow night at the Wick Inn. Oh and our room here is awesome. See flickr if you don’t believe me.

Day 6: Sooke, BC, along E Sooke Road

Yesterday we arrived in Sooke and drove around. Very cute. Went to the Whiffen Spit Park and explored and stuff. Found the B&B where we were staying and then went out and had a wonderful, casual meal.

Of course, I forgot my camera

Fuse Waterfront Grill wasn’t too far from our B&B in East Sooke and it was recommended to us by the B&B lady.

We had an appetizer plate with hummus, a yam spread, olives and foccacia. Also tasty, tasty Sooke lager (logger). And jwa tried to get a burger medium rare and was told that in Canada, the law is that all burgers (in restaurants?) had to be cooked “well”. Who knew? The waitress was apologetic and we were understanding and the kitchen was awesome, because the chef sent out a free (I’d say) 4-5 ounce piece of medium-rare, organic strip loin steak for jwa as a consolation. What a cool, unexpected thing to do! And it was super tasty too!

I had a salmon burger with preserved lemon mayo and red onions and a cup of the clam chowder. Really good. If we are back in Sooke we will definitely try to hit this place again.

Yesterday, we kind of took it easy. Saw a play in the Fernwood Neighborhood and made dinner in the room. Some pasta, chicken and a HUGE salad.

Going to Sooke today and spending the next four days traveling around the island — Errington/Parksville area and then Tofino. I hope to have faster wifi in Sooke and I should be able to get some more pics on flickr soon.

You know, just walking around Old Town and Darth Vader is playing violin with a Yoda puppet. jwa poses with Darth and the puppet.

Last night we went to the Wild Saffron Bistro for dinner. That place was really good. I had a green salad and some roast chicken and jwa had a smoked tuna loin appetizer and salmon in miso broth over a dumpling or something. We split a white chocolate creme brulee for dessert. Excellent!

Today, we’re seeing a play, and the dude from Battlestar Galactica is in it — Felix Gaeta. He almost got airlocked last season, you know.

PS: Happy Mother’s day.

Day Three: Victoria, BC.

We got to Canada (thanks Coho Ferry!) and our room just fine. Where we are staying is above a bakery and an Italian restaurant. The room smelled awesome when we arrived — like tasty pizza. We also get $20C worth of baked goods and coffee drinks per day at the bakery below for breakfast each morning in the bakery’s restaurant below. It’s like jwa’s dream come true…

I’m not sure how much I’ll be uploading to flickr as the connection here is a little slow, but we’ll see.

Last night I made some halibut, pasta and local (Saanich) asparagus for dinner in our apartment.

Tyler Street Coffeehouse, Port Townsend, Washington

Honeymoon: Day Two.

At the reception dinner, Will told us stories of an elusive pizza scone at Tyler’s Coffeehouse. Sadly, they only bring the scones out on weekends

We had to make due with croissants and tarts. So tragic.

Thursday, we also had an adventure at Les Schwab tires. We had a run-in with a piece of wood on Hwy 30 on the way to the wedding, and it apparently messed up the rim of one of the mazda’s tires. The Les Schwab dude bent it back with a hammer and didn’t charge us. Les Schwab: fixers of honeymoons and bringers of the pixies to Bend (like 3 years ago). Hooray!

Today (Friday) we head to Port Angeles and the ferry to Victoria, BC. Next post from Canada (woohoo!).

Edited to add…Bonus HPotD

So, we’re getting ready to check out of the Palace Hotel and this picture on the mantle suddenly falls over on it’s side and starts rocking back and forth! Boo! Miss Marie wants us to stay and watch The Office with her more often.

Port Townsend, Washington. May 7, 2008.

I haz a honeymoon!!! Our room in Port Townsend is awesome.

So, my plan is to post an image each day from the previous day. This plan will obviously not work if I can’t find wireless each day. But, I should be able to…if not, I’ll catch up on the previous days pictures when I can.

Note to self: Make Picture a little smaller tomorrow.

A couple of weeks ago, I made a recipe that required a few sheets of phyllo dough and then I was stuck with an open roll in the fridge. What to do? What to do? Well, this for one…

Now, you can make this recipe as written, making one galette of each or you can just double the ingredients for the kind of galette you want to make and make 2 of those. The 5 sheets of dough, 1 apple, squirt of lemon and 1 tbsp of butter will make two galettes, no matter which variation you choose.

Apple, Rosemary & Gruyere Galette vs. Apple, Pecan and Cinnamon Galette
5 sheets phyllo dough, thawed
1 apple (I used a gala)
squirt of lemon juice
2 tbsp sugar + 1 tsp cinnamon mixed together
1 handful pecans (about 1/4 cup)
1/2 tsp chopped, fresh rosemary
1 tbsp honey
1/3 cup gruyere, grated
1 tbsp butter, melted

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Lay one piece of phyllo down on a work surface. The long way. You know, horizontally. Cover the other pieces you are not using with a damp paper towel to keep them from drying out. Brush some melted butter on the dough. Sprinkle one half with the cinnamon sugar and one half with a little cheese — just a little.

Add another piece of phyllo down and brush with butter and sprinkle each half. Keep doing this until you’ve used all 5 pieces of dough. Cover with your damp towel.

Next, slice your apple up and squirt with a little lemon. Dived your apple slices in half. To one group, add about 1 tablespoon of your cinnamon-sugar mixture and the pecans. To the other half, add the honey and the rosemary. Toss both to combine. Do the best you can with the honey — it doesn’t really want to toss.

Now, cut the phyllo in half, vertically, seperating into the cinnamon sugar side and the cheese side. Mound the apple-pecan mixture in the middle of the cinnamon sugar dough and the apple-rosemary mixture in the center of the cheese dough. Bring the sides up. It will not cover the filling, just come up the sides a bit.

Brush each with remaining butter and sprinkle a little cinnamon-sugar and cheese on the respective tops.

Into the oven with them! About 30 - 35 minutes.

Let them rest for a moment or two and then nom-nom-nom-nom-nom!

I had a hard time picking my favorite. I think the cinnamon-sugar one would be great with a little vanilla frozen yogurt or ice cream and the cheese one…hmmm…maybe a balsamic reduction drizzle? Hell, they were good just as they were from the oven.

Okay, this will probably be the last post until next week. Wedding-Sunday is fast approaching! Everything seems to be going well and, dare I say it, to plan.

eeek!

This is super simple pasta. I first came across the recipe in like, 1997 or 1998 on, of all places, the 4AD mailing list. I know, wacky! I couldn’t find the original recipe when I set out to recreate it but what I could remember was: cottage cheese, milk, diced tomatoes, hazelnuts and tarragon. And I remembered thinking, huh, cottage cheese and pasta? But, it was quite tasty. You could also, of course, probably use ricotta.

So, here’s how I have been recreating this around the house lately. This dish also works excellently as a work lunch. In fact, that has been its purpose for us. I just pop it into containers and when it’s reheated in the microwave at work, the sauce is all creamy and good.

To eat right away, you probably want to toss the cottage cheese and everything in the hot pan, after you’ve drained the pasta, and then all the pasta back in. Heat gently over low heat.

Oh and if you see this and this was basically your idea and you posted the recipe to 4AD-L about 10 years ago, let me know and I’ll give you credit! So, everyone dig out your Cocteau Twins 12-inches and make some pasta!

Rigatoni with Hazelnuts, Tarragon and Tomatoes
1 lb rigatoni (more than rigatoni will work here)
1/3 cup toasted hazelnuts, chopped roughly (I add to a plastic bag and beat with a rolling pin)
1 container (16 oz) cottage cheese (either low fat or regular fat — no fat free)
1/2 cup low fat milk (I have used both fat-free and 2% here)
1 1/2 - 2 tbsp fresh tarragon leaves, chopped
1/3 - 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
2 tomatoes, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2-3 shakes green Tabasco sauce
Salt & Pepper

Combine the hazelnuts through the Tabasco. Mix to combine. Add salt & pepper to taste. Cook your pasta in boiling, salted water. Drain and combine with the sauce. Pack up for lunches during the week, or warm gently on the stovetop for supper.

Awesome!

Image from Wooden Shoe Tulip Farm’s Website

I have been putting off calling the farm where we are purchasing bulk tulips for a crazy-awesomely low price, as I was scared all of the tulips had been killed off in our Freak April snow and 20 degree lows. I wanted to call and ask how the tulips were doing but I was kind of scared to know.

But after a quick check of their field report, it seems the tulips are alive! And the tulip fest has even been extended, as the flowers are in such good shape still! Hooray!

It seems tulips are tough little buggers.