Mar 31, 2010

Tamara Murphy, and her new book, in Foodista

Foodista interviews Tamara Murphy of Brasa about her current projects and passions. Below are the first bits of the interview. Read the whole thing on Foodista.


James Beard award winning chef, restaurateur and soon-to-be author, Tamara Murphy has more than a couple irons in the fire right now. We asked the Seattle chef about her new book, her passion for locally-sourced ingredients and the future of Terra Plata.

There is a lot going on in your world these days, besides running Brasa, you are currently working on the relocation of Elliott Bay Café and hoping to open Terra Plata in the near future, how are you holding up?I definitely feel challenged. I feel confident knowing that I have handled my challenges respectfully and with integrity. Considering the circumstances, I am doing well.

What would be the ultimate outcome for everything you have going on? Terra Plata is open and thriving, and I am able to put my energies towards the creative side of my life, which is what I love most. Elliott Bay Cafe will be staying in its current location in Pioneer Square and I am opening my second Elliott Bay Cafe in the new book store on Capitol Hill.

You also have a book coming out this spring, congratulations! Can you tell us more about TENDER: farmers, cooks, eaters? What was your inspiration behind it? And where can we find it once it’s released? I have been working with farmers for a long time. Our local farmers are truly inspiring to me. They grow and handle our food with care and in a sustainable and respectful way, which is very important to me. Our farmers take care of our rural landscape and our farmers markets take care of our urban landscape. I wanted to share this simple message. TENDER is about honoring those farmers and the message behind their work. Its not just a recipe book. The photographs are beautiful. TENDERthat which requires careful handling; soft and easily chewed; a softness or gentleness in ones relations with others that is expressive of warm affection, concern; to offer, to give; a means of payment; has or expresses affection, love, consideration; someone who tends. The name reflects the connection we share with a farmer, a cook and an eater. TENDER is currently available for pre-lease to reserve a signed copy of the first printing. It can be reserved at http://www.farmerscookseaters.com/purchase-tender.

Ferran Adria Goes to Harvard

Some of you were talking about this on Saturday. Here's the scoop:

From Slashfood:

"Now that El Bulli, the world's most famous restaurant is closing, chef Ferran Adria can concentrate on other projects, like teaching a class at America's most famous college, Harvard University.

This fall Adria is teaming up with his old friend, Jose Andres to teach a 13-week 'culinary physics' course at Harvard. Andres runs several D.C. based restaurants and is often credited with introducing traditional Spanish cuisine to the U.S.

Other chefs will be joining them including Blue Hill's Dan Barber and Spanish compatriot Joan Roca (who has snagged his own Michelin star).

The course is not a typical cooking: the chefs will be instructing students on the abc's of physics and then moving onto demonstrations on how to make the emulsions and foams that are Adria's trademark.

Andres told Slashfood that "Harvard is a world-class university and when Harvard does something, other institutions around the world take notice. This is something completely new and I think you will see other universities starting similar programs."

Mar 24, 2010

February KTC Event: Moroccan Madness!

With Meg, William, and Fernando missing, February’s KTC event at Rick and Anne’s house could have felt oddly unpopulated. However, we were fortunate to have some very special surprise guests: Mom and Dad Allen!!

I arrived at Anne and Rick’s place, went in and went around to say my hellos. I introduced myself to Joyce’s mom, and then I spied Joyce’s dad sitting on the sofa, reading a book. I walked over to introduce myself, and knew we were all in for a treat when this exchange occurred:

Me, effusive: “Hi there! I wanted to come over and introduce myself, my name is Shawn, I’m so glad you guys were able to join us! What a nice surprise!”
Dad, after a slight pause: “You talk a lot, don’t you?”

Brilliant stuff!!

Joyce’s parents weren’t the only special guests, however. Elli and her gal pal Olivia (I think?) joined us, and Flat Stanley was also in the house, helping cook and serve. And no one said a thing about his dog being in the kitchen!


Moroccan food was our carte du jour, fun! I had read somewhere that nearly every Moroccan meal is accompanied by pickled lemons. On my way to Anne and Rick’s, I popped into the Mediterranean/Middle Eastern market near my house and picked up a jar. Anne and I opened it to check out the goods, and first noticed the color of the lemons: a somewhat unappetizing mustardy camel color. Immediately afterwards, our nostrils were assaulted by an extremely pungent herbal aroma, reminiscent of pine. We sliced off a tiny bit to try, and, ladies and gentleman, it was as if we were chewing on solid bits of Pine-Sol! It was horrible!


Since she’s amazing like that, Anne cracked open a jar of her own homemade pickled lemons. They were actually lemon colored, and smelled zingy and lemony. Plus, they were delicious! Maybe next year I’ll pickle some lemons.

Needless to say, the Pine-Sol bits were, shall we say, a dud. What a disaster!

Amidst the pickled lemon activity, lots of other groovy cooking and preparation was going on. Onions were diced…


Olives and cilantro were chopped...


Which didn't make Rick too happy...


Moroccan bread, called khobz, was baked...


Vegetable tagine and chicken and olive tagine simmered…


Couscous was prepared...


The table was set…


And everything was plated up and served!




We had a thoroughly enjoyable dinner and conversation, and most of us even manned up to eat with our (right!) hands. Elli’s friend Olivia was put on the spot to guess the age of everyone at the table—a potentially uncomfortable situation which was defused by her sense of humor and sensibility to low-ball her guesses.

Dessert was ice cream, one was coconut with saffron, which I loved and which Anne made. The other one was good, too, but I don’t remember now what it was or if Anne made it! Anne? Do you remember?

Post dinner, Joyce, Jessica, and parents retired for the evening. After a light straightening up, those of us remaining sat around in the living room and chatted, which was really nice and relaxing. Even the cat enjoyed it!


All in all, a superb evening was had by all. We were sorry to have missed Meg, William, and Fernando, and will look forward to seeing you all this weekend at Meg’s! Golly the time flies……

More soon, Kissers!

Mar 21, 2010

Seattle Walking Tour: Mmmm, Chocolatey!

I recently heard about a visitor who took Savor Seattle's Chocolate Indulgence Tour, and it sounds really fun! Offered weekend mornings at 11am, the tour includes at least 6 stops and costs around $50. Maybe we can plan for an outing as a group - Chocolate for breakfast for everyone!
The website states that the two-hour tour includes:
  • Decadent chocolate truffles and caramels
  • Mini cupcakes and chocolate enrobed brownies
  • Tom Douglas's famous Triple Coconut Cream Pie
  • Gourmet popcorn with chocolate, nuts, and cocoa nibs
  • White chocolate raspberry cheesecake
  • Colombian drinking chocolate
  • A hand-crafted chocolate cocktail
  • Smooth and creamy gelato and sorbet
  • Chocolate truffle cookies
  • And more... if you can handle it!
Venues include: Oliver’s Lounge, Dahlia Bakery, The Chocolate Box, The Confectional, Kukuruza Gourmet Popcorn, and Fran’s Chocolates

Chef Gabriel Claycamp presents Vagabond Dinners at Swirl Wine Bar

I just found this - there's still time to plan for next weekend! Any takers?

From The Swinery's website:
Chef Gabriel will be cooking for two Vagabond-style dinners coming up later this month at Swirl Wine Bar in Magnolia! If you've never been, Vagabond is a communal, family-style dinner of "sexy peasant food." Three mouthwatering courses for $35; wines are available by the glass or bottle.

Reservations are available at www.localwineevents.com; links below are for each dinner.

The menu is as follows:

Sunday, March 28

Swirl Plateau de Fromage

Roasted Heirloom Potato Salad
salt cod, bacon, parsley, rosemary oil

Smoked Lamb Shoulder
Lamb tongue agnolloti, roasted beets, pickled prunes, tarragon gremolata

Black Berry Brownies
goats milk caramel, vanilla ice cream, candied walnuts

via: The Swinery

New Kitchen Gadget:: The FoodPod!

This gadget looks like a cross between a plastic garlic clove and a budding flower, and reportedly saves "time and water when preparing a meal, keeps foods together for easy removal and even cooking and acts as a strainer, reserving the cooking liquid." With a 1.75 quart capacity, it holds up to a dozen large eggs or several heads of broccoli.

The FoodPod is made of dishwasher-safe silicone and nylon and has a built-in clip for attaching to the side of the pot and for use as a handle to yank it out of the water at the end of cooking.

Plus, it's really cute!
Thanks, Food Section!

Do you want to enjoy crispy-fried yummies without all the fat?

Well, welcome to the club. I’ve just read about the ActiFry Fryer – a new French gadget that promises to do just that!

Check out this interesting article – I’ll be watching for more information about this machine. Could there be hope on the horizon for indulging my French-fry obsession and STILL taking good care of my body? Stay tuned…!

via David Lebovitz

Mar 17, 2010

FINALLY posting: January's fabulous KTC cakes!

Well, this post is purely hearsay, since I didn’t personally attend. However, I have word from a reliable source that a good and cake-filled time was had by all! And by “reliable source,” of course I mean our gal Joyce, who sent this email:

“Shawn, Mike, Fernando, you missed some amazing food from Frank's hands and some fancy cake decorating ala everyone. We had a good time and appreciated the potential for artistic expression. Fernando, you would so have loved the sculptural aspects of this event! And since the skills are hard to perfect, I am sure we will make another opportunity for this in the future. Piping tips - Mike, bigger is not necessarily better. It is the variety of sizes that make fine art and William definitely had the right instruments!! Ohh, sorry Jessica.

:-)

Smooch

Joyce

Wow! Cake decorating skills, AND life lessons. Only in our cooking group do these two topics meld so seamlessly!

Fernando and I were very sorry to have missed Frank’s return dinner (Short ribs? Without us? I only cried a little…), and sorry to have missed our chance to decorate a cake. Sadly, at the very moment the subtleties of piping were being discussed, Fernando and I were landing in Salt Lake for a week in Deer Valley, a fancy-pants ski resort in Park City. It was the same weekend as Sundance, and we saw a couple of Hollywood folks at the airport – Diego Luna and Juliette Lewis! That was kind of exciting, and little bit satisfying, too – Poor Juliette Lewis had to sit around and wait on her shuttle just like we peons did, and the shuttle company goons didn’t appear to be any nicer to her than to us!

While the other Kissers were sleeping off a frosting-induced coma the next day, Fernando and I were up early doing things like renting skis and trying on boots and buying extra socks. Because it was 14 degrees. And snowing. With no cake.

Yes, F and I were sorry to miss the fun, but Joyce is amazing and shared some photos with us! I’ve cropped them down to display the baked goods in question (in case folks feel funny about having pics online—however, let me know and we can definitely include the whole photo.) and now I’m even sorrier to have missed it. I do love a good cake!