Seattle Bon Vivant

Life is a bowl of Happiness Soup

We have been so spoiled here in Seattle. Weather has been beautiful. Dry, cool, sunny. Until yesterday that is. It was muggy and grey. Around 58F. Light rain. I love days like these. Perfect for soup. So, taking advantage of the chicken stock I made Tuesday night and to continue Pim's "Around the world in a bowl of rice" theme, last night, for the second evening in a row, dinner was rice based. I shopped for my "Courgettes" (Yellow Zuchinni) at Larry's Market. They were out of them but the produce manager told me Yellow Squash (imported from Mexico) is the same deal. They will have to do.

Last night's offering came out of from Nigella Lawson's Forever Summer book. Her Happiness Soup is just right for today's weather. She made this recipe on her Forver Summer serie, seen in the US on the Style Network (Episode: Yellow, #01). It looked so cheerful and tasty. I've been wanting to make it ever since.

I did, however, make a few adjustments to it. I'll explain...

I love to buy and read cookbooks. I devour them. Keep them everywhere. Usually have 2 or 3 going at the same time, reading them like novels, by chapters, bookmarking and annotating my favorite recipes and suggestions, new ingredients to try, sources, etc. I go back to them over and over. Even now, with all the wonderful culinary blogs on the web that I enjoy reading on a daily or weekly basis, cookbooks are still my main source of inspiration and my reference for most of the cooking I do around these parts. However, I indulge the kitchen scientist in me, more often than not, by altering recipes, adding this or skipping that, in the process making them my own or taking them to a totally different place, creating sometime new altogether.

This recipe was no different. The stock was made fresh from a lovely and plump chicken and not from a bouillon as Nigella does. Even after carefully and throughly skimming the fat from a still cold from the fridge and very gelatinous and beautifully clear stock this morning, there is plenty of yummy chicken fat there. Hence, I have only used one teaspoon of olive oil instead of 3 tablespoons.

A clove of garlic was also added to enhance the flavors and round off the lemon. Towards the end of the cooking time, I added a dollop of crème fraîche to thicken the soup and mellow the yellow. The carnivore in me felt compelled to add, right before serving, some of the chicken breast, pulled by hand from the carcass of the stock chicken last night.

RE:the amounts of lemon and lemon zest on this soup. Mind your lemons. Nigella says:" Zest and juice of one lemon". Just how big is that lemon? Who knows! But mine was big. A beautifully fat and yellow lemon from Larry's. So, what I did was zest the whole thing with a Microplane but used only one teaspoon of the zest.

As far as the lemon juice I added three tablespoons. I measured them in order to add the lemon juice bit by bit and avoid making unhappiness sour soup instead. It worked. Perfect balance of lovely tanginess and not a hint of sour or bitter undertones. Other than this, it is pretty much as per the Nigella's book. ;-)

Needless to say, the soup was delicious. We had it with a Sourdough Batard from Larry's Market . For dessert, Fage Total Greek Yoghurt with fresh blackberries, walnuts and a drizzle of Acacia honey. A very simple yet luscious way to end a meal.

Happiness indeed!

Nigella Lawson's Happiness Soup (adapted)

18 ounces yellow squash (2 large)
Zest and juice of 1 small lemon
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
4 cups fresh chicken stock
4 ounces (½ cup) Basmati rice
Maldon salt and fresh ground pepper

Last night's "Arroz Con Pollo"

Inspired by Sunday's Chez Pim's "Around the world in a bowl of rice" and with plenty of short-grain rice to spare I got a craving for Arroz Con Pollo.

I had shopped for most of the other ingredients while at Trader Joe's on Monday so it was a matter of coming home from work early enough to cook and invite our friend F for dinner.

We could have dinner and a little American Idol watching, just for kicks. I've missed most of the season but last night's show was quite good (the "finale" airs tonight)

So, it was Arroz con Pollo with all the traditional garnishes, wine and the last of the Arroz Con Dulce for dessert. Great dinner and no leftover rice. 1/2 hr of tv and off to bed early. Not bad at all, for a Tuesday.

Arroz Con Pollo

2 cups short grain rice
Thighs, drumsticks, wings and cut up breast of one fresh chicken. (bone in is traditional but you may debone the meat)
1 small can tomato sauce
About 10 Spanish Olives
1 teaspoon capers
½ cup sofrito (in bowl of food processor pulse one sweet onion, one bunch of cilantro and 2-3 Annaheim peppers)
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon salt
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 cups of chicken broth
1 can of Petit Pois (garnish)
Small jar of Spanish Roasted Red peppers (for garnish)

In a large saucepan brown the chicken parts in the olive oil
Remove chicken from the pot and set aside.
Add tomato sauce, olives, capers, sofrito, garlic, salt and pepper
Mix well and cook for 5 minutes over medium heat.

Add the chicken and rice to the pot and stir.
Add broth (broth level should be about 1 inch above the rice)
Boil uncovered, over medium heat until broth is absorbed.
Once broth is absorbed, gently stir from bottom no more than twice.
Cover and continue to cook over low heat for thirty more minutes or until rice is tender.

Garnish with petit pois and strips of red bell pepper

“The gift of the Gods” or Fage Total Greek Yogurt at Trader Joe's

While shopping at Trader Joe's some time ago I came upon the cutest and most delicious product: Fage Total Greek Yogurt. Greek Yoghurt has never been the easiest product to find in the US but Trader Joe's has been importing Fage's Total Greek Yogurt for a while now and will continue to be a staple at their shops. Eureka! This has go to be the best, richest yogurt I've ever had. At 250 calories per 5.3 ounces, the fat content is quite steep but the silkiness is worth every spoonful and calorie.

Greek Yoghurt is not your average yogurt. Is the real McCoy. So creamy and thick it adheres to a spoon with all its might, and never budges. Fage's single serving size ($1.59 for 5.3 ounces) is a combo of 2/3 Greek yogurt with 1/3 Greek honey. The honey is the perfect counterpart to the tangy, creamy and thick yogurt to be drizzled over the yogurt or just dipped into with the tiniest of spoons and plenty oftieme to savour. Trader Joe's also carries Fage's 500 mg tub of Greek yogurt (plain) for $3.99 which is my choice for cooking with as greek yogurt is perfect for thickening soups, making Raita, etc.

Greek yogurt is the traditional ingredient for making Yaourtopita (Greek yogurt cake), Spaghetti with yogurt (Makaronada me saltsa yiaourtiou) and Tzatziki. Serve it for breakfast or dessert with fresh berries or fruit. With honey and walnuts is a great and healthy way to start the day or a fab mid day snack or lunch. Greek yogurt is an excellent alternative to sour cream, plain American and French yogurt or even crème fraîche.

So, next time you find yourself at the supermarket, pick up a container of Greek yogurt. Once you try it, you'll be hooked, wondering why you never discovered this gem before. You might never go back to the sweet, runny stuff again.

Tzatziki

500mg Greek Yogurt
2 cucumbers (seeded), diced
3 cloves garlic, peeled and grated
2 tablespoons Olive Oil
Juice of 1/2 lemon
One tablespoon fresh dill
Salt and Pepper to taste

Combine ingredients by hand or in bowl of food processor, pulsed lightly a few times. Transfer to a bowl and chill in the refrigerator for at least a couple hours before serving.

Yoghurt

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Travel the world without leaving home

Lunch at Rancho Bravo in Bellevue

California's Wine Country is one of our favorite travel destinations. We love it because its beautiful. Warm, sunny. Oak trees covered in moss. Mustard colored hills. Roses and poppies everywhere. Dean & Deluca. Oakville Grocery. Bouchon. Great food and wine. Fun people.

Last year, while driving on Route 29 in Calistoga, we spotted a roadside Taquería. It looked like an old school bus, only it was serving food. We were hungry and it was a beautiful day and having never tried this type of roadside dining before, we just had to stop and have a "tasting". We ordered tacos de carne asada y de pollo (steak and chicken tacos) They were served in a corn tortilla, with fresh cilantro, avocado, onion, radishes, roasted jalapeños, a slice of lemon and plenty of "salsa" (red and green). We ate under the trees and savored every bite. That night we  reminisced about that scrumptious yet simple lunch. The next day we returned to the same spot. It was that good.

To this day, we still remember those lunch stops in Calistoga as some the best food we had in the wine country and perhaps one of the best Mexican meals ever. Simple food. Fresh, made to order. Cooked by people who know what they are doing and are not compromising their roots and traditions tweaking their recipes or presentation to fit  the "Gringos" palate or demands. This is Mexican food by Mexicans for Mexicans and those wit ha soft spot for "la cocina Mexicana".

Today has been, so far, a beautiful day in Seattle. Sunny and warm. Green and flowers everywhere. This is not a day to waste away working. This is a day to get  on 520, cross Lake Washington, drive to the Eastside, shop, eat outside, have a picnic even, grill your dinner.

I needed to go grocery shopping so I decided to drive all the way to Trader Joe's at Bel-Red and 156th. On the way home I stopped at my favorite Mexican food joint in all of Seattle. As humble and friendly as those Napa Valley roadside Taquerías, with food just as delicious. No need to get on a plane for it.

Rancho Bravo is managed by two wonderful and ever so friendly ladies: Ruth and Fidelia. Ruth hails from Veracruz, off the Gulf of Mexico, home of fabulous coastal cuisine and delicious seafood. Fidelia, from Guerrero, on the Pacific coast.

These ladies know how to cook and at lunch time there is always a line at Rancho Bravo. A long, multi-lingual, multi-cultural line. From truck drivers to Microsoft execs.

The menu is simple but fantastic. Something for everyone. Tacos, Burritos, Quesadillas, Tamales, Tortas, Rice and Beans, Fish Tacos and Sandwiches.  In the colder months, Fidelia makes the best Mexican Hot Chocolate you'll have this side of the border. Hot, thick, flavorful and whipped to perfection.

 

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Is My Blog Burning? Arroz Con Dulce

The 4th Edition of "Is My Blog Burning?" is today, Sunday May 23th. Pim is hosting this installment. The theme is: "Around The World In A Bowl Of Rice".

I've finally decided to join in the fun. What to make for the occasion has been based on whatever ingredients I already had in my pantry and on ease of preparation. It’s a lazy Sunday. After yesterday's party I was not up for a big cooking production.

My mother has made this recipe for thirty plus years with fresh coconut flesh and milk. Grated and processed (think elbow grease and cheesecloth) painstakingly by hand. Its a whole day affair.

Others, for convenience, especially around the holidays, use Coconut Cream, canned, such as Coco Lopez. I've used canned Thai Coconut Milk. So, here goes:

Warm Coconut Rice Pudding
(Arroz Con Dulce)

3 cups water
1 teaspoonful salt
1 teaspoonful cloves
1 tablespoonful grated ginger (fresh please!)
1 14-oz can coconut milk (I used Thai)
1 cup regular, uncooked, short-grain rice (Goya)
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cooking oil (canola)
1/2 cup golden raisins

Soak rice in water for two hours. Drain. In a deep sauce pan bring three cups of water with salt, cloves and ginger to a boil (I use these Japanese Tea Bags to contain the cloves and ginger for easy removal. You may use cheesecloth or just strain liquid after boiling)

Add rice, raisins, coconut milk, sugar, and oil. Stir well. Cook covered over medium-low heat for about twenty to thirty minutes or until rice is cooked and has absorbed all liquid. Creamy, even a tad wet but not runny (as long as you do not overcook the rice you can't ruin this dish). Pour onto a shallow platter or individual bowls. Sprinkle ground cinnamon and serve warm.

This dessert will keep for several days in the refrigerator (delicous cold too!) but I promise you it won't last overnight. ;-) Enjoy!

Michael Moore and the madness of King George

Agence France Presse

Michael Moore not only has denounced the President and the Irak war but has won the support of the film industry AND the prestigious Palme D'Or at Festival de Cannes .

Could this be the first Summer Block Buster documentary? Will it finally get its longed for 4th of July weekend nationwide release? Could “Fahrenheit 9/11” and its "scathing indictment of the White House actions after Sept. 11th" be the catalyst for change when Americans go to the voting booth to elect or re-elect their President in November? Andrew Anthony at The Guardian already has an opinion.

Stay tuned...this promises to be a very interesting week.

En Garde! His name is Puss in Boots

Photo © Copyright DreamWorks Pictures

Antonio Banderas steals the show in Shrek 2 as Puss in Boots, that darned cat that will have you laughing out loud and wishing that your kitty cat could look and act like he does. And that accent! Rrrr!

Shrek 2 is f-a-b-u-l-o-u-s. Ab Fab's Jennifer Saunders, is spot on as The Fairy Godmother. Even Larry King voices one of the characters (look carefully but you'll figure his voice out right away!)

The film is even funnier than the first one. The effects (lighting, rain, facial and body moves, forest and sea) are better, there are more characters and more nuances to the original story and sub-themes. And the social parody! Heck, even Joan Rivers makes an appearance. Ruppert Everett and John Cleese are brilliant as is, once again, Donkey.

Shrek 2 already rules the screen. $125.3 million in ticket sales in its first five days of release. A record opening, beating "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King", "Spider-Man," "Finding Nemo" and even "The Passion of the Christ".

I'll be watching it again and already look forward to Shrek 3. More Puss in Boots, please! Meow!

On today's French newspapers...

The Happy



The Sad.

¡Que vivan los novios! ¡Mayo, Madrid y Memoria!

Me he levantado tempranísimo para ver la boda del siglo.

Hoy día, han contraído matrimonio en la Catedral de Madrid Don Felipe de Borbón y Grecia con Doña Letizia Ortiz Rocasolano.

Felipe, trigésimo quinto Príncipe de Asturias, Heredero de la Corona y uno de los solteros mas elegibles de Europa y Leticia, plebella de 31 años, divorciada y muy guapa.

La ceremonia, la primera "Boda Real" en Madrid desde el año 1906, ha sido televisada a mas de un millón de personas alrededor del mundo.

Que sean felices y coman perdices.