A friend sent me this and I thought it was pretty damn funny:
http://blarthox.com/letters/pages%20and%20menus/industry.html
Or pure genius. I can’t quite tell…
Monday, April 10th, 2006
Seattle Food Blogger Get-Together
It’s high time we scheduled another Seattle Food Blogger event—so the next one is set for Tuesday, April 11th.
If you’re in Seattle, blog about food and would like to join us, please leave me a comment and I will email you the details!
Thursday, March 9th, 2006
2006 Independent Food Festival Award – Best Result of Pigs Gone Wild
The second annual Independent Food Festival is here, and I have been asked to give an award. I know it’s predictable, but something in the world would be amiss if I didn’t give my award to bacon. Not that I’m giving this award out randomly; this bacon truly deserves an award—or maybe even several. So I present to you the 2006 Independent Food Award – Best Result of Pigs Gone Wild: Wild Boar Bacon.
I discovered wild boar bacon about a year ago and ever since have made it my mission to introduce it to as many people as possible. I’m like a drug dealer except what I’m pushing is legal and much better than crack (so I’m told).
In researching my award, I was shocked to find out that there are an estimated two million wild boar (a.k.a. feral hogs) roaming wild and free in the state of Texas. So many that they are deemed pests—albeit 200 pound pests with razor sharp tusks and a nasty fighting technique called disembowelment. Wild boar are also 90% vegetarian (i.e. they create significant crop damage) and have no natural predators, so hunting season for wild boar is open year-round with no limits, and can be hunted by any means possible, at any time of day.
For this particular bacon, the meat comes from Southern Wild Game, Inc out of Devine, Texas where freelance trappers can exchange their hogs for cash. The wild boar are then sold to Sierra Meats in Reno, Nevada, which then sends the bellies to Dale’s Exotic Game Meats in Brighton, Colorado for smoking. The boar bellies spend 2-3 hours in a vacuum tumbler with a salt and sugar brine, then are cold smoked over hickory for 10 hours. Then the bacon travels to Exotic Meats in Bellevue, Washington where it can be purchased by the public. Yes, the food miles are ridiculous, but this bacon is so worth it.
UPDATE: Keiko just posted a beautiful award for rare breed pigs… check it out!
====================
THE BACON RATING SYSTEM
====================
(see B.R.S. for more information)
BACON STATS
Brand: n/a
Name: Wild Boar Bacon
Cost per pound: $9.50 (sold in 1-2 pound packs)
Where purchased: http://www.exoticmeats.com
Packaging: Vacuum-sealed in thick plastic and flash frozen
Cut: Whole slab; sliced at home into medium-thick slices
Preservatives: Sodium nitrate
Cooking heat: Low
Total cooking time: 25-30 minutes
BACON RATING
Pork Flavor
not enough << 1 2 3 4 5 4 3 2 1 >> too much
Smoke
not enough << 1 2 3 4 5 4 3 2 1 >> too much
Salt
not enough << 1 2 3 4 5 4 3 2 1 >> too much
Sugar
not enough << 1 2 3 4 5 4 3 2 1 >> too much
Fat
not enough << 1 2 3 4 5 4 3 2 1 >> too much
Texture
too chewy << 1 2 3 4 5 4 3 2 1 >> too crisp
OVERALL SCORE: 4.67 out of 5
BACON TASTING NOTES
- Beautiful raw slab with deep, deep red meat—colored more like venison or elk than pork.
- Very hard to visually tell the “grain” of the meat, but knife meets slight resistance if cutting with the grain. You want to cut against the grain, otherwise the bacon is too chewy.
- Optimal cooking requires low heat for a long time in order to render fat and crisp bacon without burning; it’s like torture waiting for bacon to cook as the smell is incredible.
- Extreme shrinkage was evident, due to the large amount of fat rendered. Keep fat at all costs, it’s simply amazing to cook with—much more flavorful than regular bacon drippings.
- Flavor is out of this world. I wouldn’t call it gamey, but it has a pronounced, rich pork flavor that’s almost sweet. The bacon tasted almost maple-y and bordered on slightly too sweet and too salty, but the whole combination was heady and gluttonous in the best possible way. This is bacon that’s meant to be savored.
Wednesday, March 8th, 2006
Yen-Yen’s 89th birthday
consumed 03/08/2006
So now I know where I get it from.. for my grandma’s 89th birthday, my aunt planned a party for a hundred of my grandma’s closest friends. I guess when you’re 89 years old you can really rack up the friends.
The menu:
- 17 fried chickens
- 8 smoked hams
- 6 baked salmon
- 2 smoked turkeys
- 20 lbs macaroni salad
- 20 lbs potato salad
- 5 boxes fried shrimp chips (they filled almost two kitchen garbage bags)
- sticky rice with lop chong
- 200 curry turnovers
- lumpia (bought frozen at uwajimaya – really good)
- seafood and chicken chow mein (from sun ya)
- baked hum bow (from sun ya)
- sheet cake (from sweet & fresh)
- tai doi (homemade sesame balls filled with bean paste)
- egg custards
Tuesday, March 7th, 2006
Introducing the B.R.S.
A while back I decided it was high time for me to start reviewing bacons, so I devised a Bacon Rating System (B.R.S.) to accurately rate and compare bacons without having to eat all the bacon in one sitting (not that there’s anything wrong with that).
I promise that all reviews will be entirely subjective and totally biased, but I encourage debate—if you disagree with a rating, please let me know! If you are interested in rating your own bacon using the system below, please send me a link to your post or contact me at baconreviews@iheartbacon.com and I will post your review.
Insert tongue in cheek and then read on:
If you are a bacon maker (i.e. my hero) and would like me to review your product, I will absolutely accept free samples. But please note that Free Bacon != Good Review. If I like the bacon, I’ll say so; if it sucks, I will tell you it sucks (although I’m not entirely sure that bacon could suck).
For the ratings, all bacon will be pan-fried over optimal heat and cooked to optimal doneness; until just crisp, but still a little chewy (total cooking time and heat will be recorded). The Bacon Rating System will work as follows…
(Stay tuned for the first review which will be posted on March 9th!)
====================
THE BACON RATING SYSTEM
====================
BACON STATS
Brand:
Name:
Cost per pound:
Where purchased:
Packaging:
Cut:
Preservatives:
Cooking heat:
Total cooking time:
BACON RATING
The scale looks like this: 1 2 3 4 5 4 3 2 1
The left end is “not enough” and the right end is “too much”, so a perfect score would be 5
Pork Flavor
not enough << 1 2 3 4 5 4 3 2 1 >> too much
Smoke
not enough << 1 2 3 4 5 4 3 2 1 >> too much
Salt
not enough << 1 2 3 4 5 4 3 2 1 >> too much
Sugar
not enough << 1 2 3 4 5 4 3 2 1 >> too much
Fat
not enough << 1 2 3 4 5 4 3 2 1 >> too much
Texture
too chewy << 1 2 3 4 5 4 3 2 1 >> too crisp
OVERALL SCORE:
BACON TASTING NOTES
Friday, February 17th, 2006
Gummy Bacon
I just received Archie McPhee’s latest newsletter and was floored to see that they now sell Gummy Bacon. Brilliant!
Too bad it isn’t bacon flavored…
Thursday, February 9th, 2006
Bacon card for bacon lovers
I don’t buy into the whole Valentine’s day thing…
However. If someone were to get me a card, I would hope that it would be the best bacon card ever:
http://www.twopiglets.com/letterpress.php?product_id=264
Thursday, February 2nd, 2006
Vios Cafe & Marketplace
consumed on 9/29/05
There are many reviews about Vios Cafe and they all have a similar consensus: a tragic story, good food and lots of kids. Before visiting Vios I thought it was odd how many of the reviews mentioned the presence of kids, but seconds after walking in I realized what they meant: there was a literal mosh pit of screaming kids at the back of the cafe. Other than that Vios was a pleasant, large, open space with lots of windows. The casual dinning area was scattered with shelves of imported pantry items for sale, up front there was a deli counter, and in back (near the mosh pit) were refrigerator cases filled with more goodies for purchase.
I ordered the lamb picadillo ($13.50) and when it arrived I was shocked at how small the portion was: two teeny peppers stuffed with lamb on a bed of greens. In the back of my mind I was thinking “what a rip off” and then the flavors hit my tongue and those thoughts quickly melted away. This was the best stuffed pepper I’ve ever had. The lamb stuffing was beyond tender, heavily spiced with rich, savory-sweet Mediterranean flavors and the soft red pepper was a perfect piquant foil.
For dessert I tried the galakto cake ($5), which was a bit of a departure for me since I’m not a fan of polenta cake. Galakto is made with semolina (as opposed to cornmeal) and has a slightly grainy, but wonderful, texture. It was served warm and topped with a hot, sugary syrup that made me swoon. I instantly thought of my mom (who loves polenta cake) and made a mental note to bring her here ASAP.
This is definitely a place I will return to—although probably not for a romantic date or with those that are hard of hearing.
Friday, January 27th, 2006
Red House Beer and Wine Shoppe and Tapas Bar
consumed on 9/29/05
In writing this post, it struck me how ridiculous the name of this restaurant is: Red House Beer and Wine Shoppe and Tapas Bar. For the sake of staving off carpal tunnel another year I’ll refer to it as “RHBWSTB”. On second thought, let’s just make that “Red House.”
Red House is hard to find. And if you follow Mapquest’s directions, you will end up at the airport. Trust me. Through a stroke of luck, we managed to find Renton. Through a stroke of genius, we found a red house, which just happened to be the red house we were looking for.
Red House’s name says it all (and then some); it’s in a red house, they sell beer and wine, they serve tapas. What I wouldn’t have guessed is that you have to physically go pick out the beer and wine you want to drink with dinner. The catch is that the wine selections are stored in the dining area—and there isn’t much room to maneuver.
We wanted champagne, but the bubbly section was wedged into a corner behind an occupied table. My conversation went a little like this: “Excuse me ma’am, I’m not grabbing your husband’s ass, I’m just reaching for this bottle that happens to be located near his rear end.” I retrieved the bottle, brought it back upstairs, waited for our server to return, then handed it to him for chilling. I assumed that Red House would have one of those rapid cooling thingies, but no. Thirty minutes later we were drinking slightly less warm champagne.
I’m sure that some (or even most) people would find this system charming or quaint, but I’m just not one of those people. I’m too pragmatic to find it anything other than inefficient, and therefore annoying. But the menu looked good, so I turned my attention elsewhere.
The list of tapas was fairly large, so it was a good thing we had a large party; I think we ordered one of almost everything on the menu:
Red House Salad with Gorgonzola Cheese ($6)
Farmers Market Caprese Salad ($7.50)
Warm Wild Mushroom Salad with Pancetta and Goat Cheese ($8)
Fried Artichoke Hearts with Caper Garlic Aioli ($7.95)
Side Order of Grilled Rustic Bread ($2)
Lamb Meatballs w/ Smoked Paprika Tomato Sauce ($7.50)
Chicken Kebabs with Saffron Rice ($7.50)
Red House Meat Platter ($9.50)
Clams with Garlic, Lemongrass & Coconut Milk ($8)
Hot and Spicy Garlic Shrimp ($7.50)
Chipotle Deviled Eggs ($4.95)
Yam Fries ($4.50)
Jamaican Spiced Chicken with Pineapple Salsa ($9.95)
Beef Souvlaki with Pita and Cucumber Sauce ($8.50)
Crab Pasta ($12.95)
I would give the food a solid “Good” rating. Nothing was great or outstanding, but everything was reasonably priced and Red House doesn’t skimp on portions; these were the first tapas I’ve ever had where each plate looked more like an entire meal.
Would I make the drive out to Renton to eat there again? Probably not. If Red House were in Seattle would I eat there again? Maybe. Would I have a different opinion if they didn’t make you hunt for your wine? Probably. Does that mean I’m just incredibly lazy? Uh… no comment.
Thursday, January 26th, 2006
B’s bday party
consumed 1/26/2006
My friend B makes a big deal for other people’s birthdays, so I wanted to do something special in return and planned a roving cocktail party. After NYE I needed a menu that wouldn’t kill me with lots of things that could be made ahead:
Duck rillettes
Baked brie
Mini cheese palmiers
Wild boar puff pastry
Shrimp cocktail
Dry ribs
Crab in endive
D-I-Y hot fudge sundaes complete with sprinkles & maraschino cherries
Can’t really go into the details of the rest of the night, but let’s just say it involved a white limousine, two coolers full of Prosecco and a strip club. Don’t ask.
Thursday, January 19th, 2006
Attention Seattleites!
In case you missed the last post, tonight’s the night of the Well Fed Blog Warming Party!
This is a chance to get together and meet other Seattle area food bloggers and food blog readers. Everyone is welcome. We’ll be celebrating at Barca (on Capitol Hill) tonight at 7pm.
If you live near Seattle, stop on by and say hello!
Thursday, January 19th, 2006
Goodies from Guam
A while back, Santos from The Scent of Green Bananas wrote a post about ice candy bags. Her ice pops looked so beautiful that I was tempted to make my own. I had no clue where to find the cute plastic bags, so Santos offered to send me some, which then turned into a “let’s send each other a goodie package”. Then a month later, a package arrived from Guam.
In the package were two packages of the coveted ice candy bags. I’ve yet to use them as the weather in Seattle has been so dreary that just the thought of opening the freezer makes my bones cold. I’m saving them for the summer time.
Santos also included some curried macadamia nuts, a tin of hot & spicy spam (specially formulated for Guam), a hot pepper paste made from Guam peppers (Guam likes it hot!) and a jar of really delicious jerk seasoning.
The last two items were a little more random.
The box of Korean Chicken Snacks looked scary, but after my bout with bacon spray, I figured I was ready to take on anything. The Chicken Snacks reminded me of Munchos (remember Munchos?)—except that they were shaped disturbingly like chicken drumsticks and tasted like stale chicken bullion.
Lastly, Santos sent me a bag of maxi-pads.
This seemed a little too personal. But then I found her note telling me that no, she wasn’t sending me maxi-pads, but rather, clever little pads that are used to soak up and dispose of cooking oil. So when you’re done deep-frying your chicken, French fries, or what have you, you toss in this pad (which has crazy absorbent properties) and it swells up and consumes all the oil. Then you put the whole thing in the trash. It’s all very handy and clever. Although, I wish they were shaped more like… well, anything other than a maxi-pad.
Thank you Santos!
Monday, January 16th, 2006
Meme: Weird & Random
Kevin over at Seriously Good just tagged me for the “10 Weird and Random Facts About Myself” meme. Here are mine:
1. When I was 12, I started a newsletter called “Kitty on the Front Page.”
2. I think it’s disgusting when people put lemon slices in their water.
3. I like to stay up really, really late watching bad TV.
4. I’m a native Seattleite and I don’t drink coffee.
5. I like haggis. A lot.
6. I’m terrified of flying.
7. I microwave things in plastic containers.
8. I would never date a vegetarian.
9. I love Mexi-Fries.
10. I live in Seattle and I hate the fucking rain.
Monday, January 9th, 2006
Chez Panisse
24 hours in San Francisco. Chez Panisse is a must, but I can’t get dinner reservations. The solution? Lunch!
Wood fired shellfish soup with aioli ($13)
Chicory salad with cream, garlic and bottarga di muggine ($10)
Hoffman Farm chicken alla diavola with cauliflower and salsa rustica ($18) – The best chicken I’ve ever eaten, seared to perfection and served with farmers cheese, tomato and garlic salsa, and beautiful florets of Romanesca cauliflower.
Grilled Marin Sun Farm beef sirloin roast with creamy kale and shoestring potatoes ($22) – Amazing garlic-y, salty, creamed kale, fries sliced on a mandolin – almost like skinny potato chips, a luscious sauce on tender beef medallions.
Vanilla bean creme carmel with currants in calvados ($8) – Unbelievably smooth. Melt. In. Mouth.
Jim Churchill’s kishu mandarins oranges and barhi dates ($8)
Oh, and on the way to the airport a quick stop at Fatted Calf for airplane provisions – duck liver mouse & pork rillettes!
Saturday, January 7th, 2006
Blog Warming Party… and you’re invited!
Are you obsessed with food? Do you own a blog? Are you just really bored?
Come to our blog warming party, where we will be celebrating our freshly launched Well Fed Network. This is simply a chance to get together and meet other Seattle area food bloggers and food blog readers. Everyone is welcome.
We’ll be celebrating at Barca (on Capitol Hill) on Thursday, January 19th at 7pm.
If you live near Seattle, stop on by and say hello!
