In the Meantime…

port townsend
Bricks of Port Townsend.

So the new job and early hour (I get up at 6:00 now!), have kept me from getting a new post together. But, I have a good feeling about tonight. In the meantime, here are some pictures of our meal at the Silverwater Cafe in Port Townsend.

crab
Crab Shooter — crab leg meat, creamy crab bisque and sambuka-infused cream, all in a shot glass.

tuna
Lavender pepper crusted ahi tuna.

tea
Post-dinner tea infusing.

dahlia
Dahlia in . . . → Read More: In the Meantime…

Second Annual Julia Child Birthday Event: Waterzooi of Chicken

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When I first came across this event hosted at Champaign Taste I knew I wanted to participate for many reasons:

1. She (Lisa, not Julia Child) has a cat that looks like one of my cats
2. I fondly remember watching Julia Child with my mom on the weekends
3. does a person really need a reason to make a meal inspired by Julia Child?

So, I started my research. I knew I wanted to make chicken…but what kind of chicken? During my research I came across this article in the New York Times from 1987. It was written by Julia and is entitled, “The Most Interesting Recipe I’ve Clipped.” Well, hell, if a recipe is good enough for Julia Child to clip and expand upon, then it’s good enough for me. Plus, it’s really a one-pot dish — that’s always a bonus.

I added a couple of things to the original recipe . . . → Read More: Second Annual Julia Child Birthday Event: Waterzooi of Chicken

A Quick Dinner: Blueberry-Goat Cheese Spinach Salad

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So, you might think that with a week off, I would be all lazy this week and not post. Nope. A really tasty salad today and hopefully, a tribute to Julia Child tomorrow. After that? Yep, probably lazy.

This was a quick meal for a hot day when jwa was working late and I wanted a big bowl of…something. Thankfully, it was too hot for pasta so a salad worked out perfectly. For the dressing, I didn’t really measure, I just know I used the ingredients in the ratio listed below. Start there and tweak as needed.

Blueberry-Goat Cheese Spinach Salad
1 bunch spinach, washed and torn (or baby spinach)
1 pint blueberries, washed
1/4 cup walnuts, toasted
1/4 – 1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese
2 tbsp Walla Walla onion, diced finely (or any sweet onion will work)

Dressing
1 part honey
2 part balsamic vinegar
3 parts extra virgin olive oil
salt & pepper

salad

Make the dressing:
In . . . → Read More: A Quick Dinner: Blueberry-Goat Cheese Spinach Salad

Barefoot Contessa’s Peanut Butter & Jelly Bars

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As the title suggests, this is a recipe by Ina Garten. I saw her make them last week and immediately went to see if we had all of the components on hand. We did, except for some peanuts. No problem though, as we had some trail mix in the fridge. Trail mix with peanuts! Just sorted some out of there and I was good to go.

When I made these, I did a half recipe of what’s listed below. I found that the half size fit well in a square, brownie-shaped pan. Use really good jam — we used this homemade stuff we get at the open produce market on Hawthorne. I forget the name right now, as we just always call it Produce Pete’s — but I know that’s not it. But there’s a “P” in there somewehere.

Barefoot Contessa’s Peanut Butter & Jelly Bars
1/2 pound (2 sticks) . . . → Read More: Barefoot Contessa’s Peanut Butter & Jelly Bars