Seattle Bon Vivant

Chew on this: A sneak peek at Tom Douglas's Serious Pie

Uploaded to Flickr by Seattle Bon Vivant on 14 Sep '06.

Last Sunday afternoon, through a paperless spot in the door, I snapped a photo of what will become, very soon, the place to go for pizza in our neighborhood. I heard it is opening within a week.

And we can't wait! Because as much as we love Tutta Bella and Café Lago (and the veggie options at Cafe Flora) we downtowners have been seriously lacking a really good and local pizza joint that we can walk to.

"Soon to open is Serious Pie, a pizzeria attached to the Dahlia Bakery. In fact, Douglas has combined three spaces that used to be a dry cleaner, a coin shop and hair salon into his bakery and pizzeria. "The bakery will anchor the space," he says. Expect a medium crust, well developed and chewy" Puget Sound Business Journal

Tom Douglas is serious about pizza

Update: Serious Pie will open September 22nd. 11am to 11pm

Lime & condensed milk= sweet and sour heaven

Uploaded to Flickr by Seattle Bon Vivant on 12 Jul '06.

Just made with the freshest of limes (my parents Fedexed them to me as part of a huge care package of fruits and vegs from their Caribbean garden).

All I did was make a strong limeade with very cold sparkling water (I use Gerolsteiner because I find it cheap, by the case, at Trader Joe's but you can use any or you can always use tap water if you dislike gas)), added a couple tablespoons of condensed milk and stirred, added 2 ice cubes (or blitz in blender) and served it in one of those cute O Riedel glasses. Delish! I first tried this at Tamarind Tree as it is a traditional Vietnamese drink but I think mine (perhaps due to the freshness of the limes) is --modesty aside--much, much much better.

Imagine a little bit of Coconut or lemon infused white rum added to this and it might be just the thing to turn this simple beverage into a little party in a glass. I'm just saying...

Taste: Olive Oil and Tahitian Vanilla in White Ganache Chocolate

Uploaded to flickr by Seattle Bon Vivant on 27 Jul '06.

"Olio di Oliva - This unique chocolate is a favorite from Florence and Perugia.  It is a unique blend of fresh extra virgin olive oil blended with Tahitian vanilla in a white ganache.  The ganache is tinted slightly green from the infusion and is left with a sweet yet slightly spicy flavor from the oil. 

It is not at all oily though.  Rather its flavors melts from the warmth of your mouth with the mellow flavor parted by the fresh vanilla.  This one is really a delight to make...well actually to eat.  :)" Lee Johnson

What's better than having a great cup of hot chocolate? Chasing it with a piece of great chocolate. This fits the bill in every way.

And speaking of olive oil tasty things available in Seattle right now, how about pairing this bite with a serving of Sitka & Spruce's Olive Oil Gelato and their Olive Oil Cakes. What an excellent way to pile up on your Omega 3's.

For more information on where to find these, click here.

Tostones & Matouk's

Uploaded to Flickr by Seattle Bon Vivant on 19 Jul '06

The last batch of tostones made from the *green plantains my parents sent last week in a care package. Served with my favorite hot sauce of all time, Matouk's.

I fell in love with this thick and fruity hot sauce on one of my trips to St. Martin/St Maarten over 15 years ago. I've been buying it ever since. In Seattle, DeLaurenti's has been known to carry it from time to time. 

If hot sauce by itself is not your bag, you can always use a bit of ketchup to soften the heat. Or you can make a garlic sauce with olive oil, salt, pepper and minced garlic (to taste) to dip these in.

*In the Seattle area I've been able to find pretty decent green plantains at Whole Foods, Metropolitan Market, Larry's Markets, Uwajimaya and Viet Wa. Peanut or Canola ( I really like the Spectrum Organics brand) are the best oils for frying these.

Crabapples poached in 2004 Rancho Sysquoc Sylvaner and Lemon Verbena

Uploaded to Flickr by Seattle Bon Vivant on 23 Aug '06

My friend Su and I purchased the crabapples and lemon verbena from Langley Fine Gardens farm stand last Sunday while on our daytrip to Vashon and Maury Island. As we had missed the Vashon Farmers Market by a day we figured other than U-Pick farms it would be slim pickings for us, tooling around in a car.

But we drove down this street looking for beach front access and came up to a sign that said "Farm Stand Open", right in front of a big fence with lovely artsy house numbers that we imagined was shielding a fab house with a great garden.

There was a table and refrigerator with produce and eggs and you pay using the honor system. How cool is that?

Of course we went shopping!

When we returned home Su prepped the little applettes and I trimmed the verbena and dug a bottle of the 2004 Rancho Sisquoc Sylvaner from the cellar.

Wine (2 cups), sugar (1 cup), crabapples (a pound) and lemon verbena, simmered until apples are tender and wine/sugar reduced in half. Couldn't be simpler or more delicious. Best of all, not too sweet so it is tart and refreshing enough to have on its own or over very good quality vanilla ice cream.

*Su suggests saving the liquid for granita or sorbet and serving the apples with cheese.

Click here for more photos of Jams & Jellies, Compotes & Preserves previously featured on this blog.

Three Berry Jam

Uploaded to Flickr by Seattle Bon Vivant on 27 Aug '06

Made with the Vashon u-pick berries we collected last Sunday, put to very good use in the Christine Ferber overnight jam cooking method. Little sugar, no pectin, only the juice of a just squeezed, super fresh lemon.

The glass jar is a recycled (and generously sized) Maille mustard jar, one of the too many jars of mustard we always bring back with us whenever we travel. This one brought back from one of our Paris trips. This particular size and style jar comes from Monoprix in the Marais.

As the jam is so fresh and delicious we plan to eat it exclusively over the next couple of weeks. No sealing necessary, only refrigeration. By modifiying the basic recipe I was able to make enough jam for two full jars like these. About 8 ounces each.

*When cooking with fresh berries, organic ones in particular, it is imperative to use them up ASAP. We did the first cooking of the jam the same night we picked them, last Sunday. Jam was finished the following day.

Click here for the rest of the photos of our recent day trip to Vashon & Maury Island