Great Scotch!

Whether you're trying Scotch whisky for the first time or the 300th time, it is best enjoyed with great company. Throw in a kilted Master of Whisky and it's even more enjoyable.

Breck Taylor, Ladies and Gentlemen

If you don't know a kilt wearing Master of Whisky, we're inclined to say things like "Poor you!", "Terrible shame!" and "There was a kilted Master of Whisky at the District Lounge on April 21, 2011, where were you?"

We're not going to say any of those things, though because that's snooty and because we realize that foul mouth never won fair Scotch drinker; well-seasoned or new. So instead, we'll do our best to entice you to join us next time.







Scotch Regions

Obligatory Food Porn

If you can’t tell from the photos, The District Lounge is swanky. I snapped my fingers to a jazz trio on my way into the Scotch tasting room.

The table was set and the whisky was already poured when I arrived. The smell of Scotch greeted me in one big gust. What a way to be welcomed! Lucky me to have the opportunity to taste with Breck Taylor in an intimate setting with a small, enthusiastic group.

Having volunteered at the Hopscotch festival, I recognized Breck immediately. The Scottish garb helped a little as you can see in the first photo.

Now here is a man who enjoys his work. He’s part educator, part history buff (take this guy with you to trivia!) and part performer. Mostly, he is a scotch enjoyer as is evident by the comments he makes after tasting. Particularly: “Mmmm. I love my job.” That's a direct quote.

Now the most important thing, our scotch tasting list:

• Dalwhinnie 15 yr.


• Cragganmore 12 yr.


• Oban 14 yr.


• Lagavulin 16 yr.


• Johnnie Walker Green 15 yr.

The tasting was a four step process for each scotch. We tried each without water first, then with water.

The process went in this order:

• Smell


• Toast


• Taste


• Evaluate

To detect the nose the next time you try scotch, use this exercise that I learned from Breck:
First, place a drop of scotch into your palm with an eye dropper or spoon; then rub your palms together vigorously to burn off the alcohol. Once your palms begin to feel a bit sticky, bury your nose into your cupped hands and breath through your nose to smell with your mouth open.

Admittedly, I had trouble detecting the nose on any of the scotches, except for the Lagavulin. It may have been due to the scotch being poured thirty or so minutes prior to our tasting. I kept thinking, “Well, it smells like scotch.” Occasionally I could detect a hint of vanilla or caramel which comes from the oak barrels.

Tasting notes didn’t come easy to me either, which I found disappointing. I detected the caramel and vanilla that was so prevalent on most of the noses, but I had a hard time with peat and fruit.

You know what I need?

Practice, practice, practice.

The Lagavulin and the Oban were my favorites. I actually liked all of them, but I wasn’t overly impressed by the Dalwhinnie. I think I liked the Lagavulin the most because it had such a unique nose, taste and finish. I couldn’t help but be fascinated. I’m sure it didn’t hurt that this was the one scotch where I had no trouble detecting all of the notes that our little group discussed. “Band-aids”? Got it! “Old shoe”? Got it! “Oily nails”? Got it! “BBQ in your mouth”? Got it!

Sounds delicious, doesn’t it? It is unique and I probably want to like it just because it's weird (yes, you have permission to make fun of me). Anyhow, the Lagavulin is unique in the same way that beets are. Beets and Lagavulin are not for everybody and there are going to be haters always. Nevertheless I think it's great to try as many as you can and find one that bonds with you like a good childhood friend - you might end up making up silly songs together, you and your new friend Scotch. It will be just like playground days!

Between Breck's inexhaustible knowledge, the food (OMG! Great job, District Lounge!) and my delightful table neighbor, Glenda, my first scotch tasting was a fantastic experience. It was a great introduction to the world of scotch. I can even say Islay correctly now.

Join us next time.

Hit up Seattle Swirl on Facebook or leave us a comment below. I’d love to cheers you at the next event!

Elliott Bay Book Company Block Party!

Yesterday was the grand opening of Elliott Bay Books in its new location! Capitol Hill threw a block party complete with a band, beer garden, ice cream, pizza and cupcakes! Hundreds were in attendance and filled the store and street to celebrate.

Elliott Bay Book Co. Owner Peter Aaron

April 15, 2010 - Grand Opening of Elliott Bay Book Co.

Elliott Bay Cafe is under construction - set to open early May!

April 1, 2010 - Moving day

View more Elliott Bay Book Co. photos here!

Peruvian Cafe opens in Ballard!

Made it over to Cafe Cuzco yesterday for lunch. They are currently serving coffee, pastries, salads, and classic Peruvian food. Cafe Cuzco is a comfortable cafe with beautiful wood furniture (most of it built by owner Dario), free wireless, a comfy couch, peaceful classical music playing in the background and Peruvian art hanging on the walls.

I can't wait to go back next weekend!

Peruvian Causa (Layered Potatoes with avocado, peppers and Aji Amarillo Paste)


Cod Ceviche

Huancaína - Boiled Yellow potatoes in a spicy, creamy Huancaína sauce



Cafe Cuzco
5701 15th Ave NW
Seattle, WA 98107
(206) 784-2112

Shaking away the Monday blues

These days, we're all going back to school. Additional degrees and career-focused seminars are very much the norm as we all work to continue our education. Keep in mind, however, that not all continuing education has to be career focused.

Though the Sorrento Hotel's new Night School series might sound like another chore to do when you get home from your day job, it's really just a good opportunity to dust off your weekend drinking and eating shoes and slip them on – uncharacteristically, of course - on a Monday night.

No one has to know.

Last Monday night, I spent a couple of hours with eleven or so fellow drinkers at Night School's latest Drinking Lesson with Kathy Casey. Armed with shakers and strainers, Kathy set the stage at the Sorrento's Hunt Club bar for a great time learning about the mixing of cocktails as well as tidbits about the history behind the sipping of those cocktails too.

Kathy started at it with her shaker right away. Now I believe the idea was that if we learned all the right ways of going about making these signature cocktails of Kathy's that we could in theory, successfully make them at a party of our own with little chance of disaster, right?

Right.

Up first was the Douglas Fir Sparkletini.


Though the last part of the name makes it sound like something that you would be served if you were an extra on the set of Sex and the City on the day they ran out of cosmos, it's actually a dry cocktail. I myself am not fond of sweet drinks and the Doug Fir Sparkletini was not like a cosmo at all. As Kathy put it, this cocktail (and I believe all of the other cocktails that we sipped that night) would be best described as “Spirit Forward” - Kathy's words, not mine. I like the term though. This is a demure way of letting people know that they should 'sip wisely'. I like Kathy Casey.

The gin in this sparkletini was infused for twenty-four hours with a sprig of douglas fir. As Kathy pointed out: make sure not to use your treated Christmas tree if you're going to attempt this infusion! White cranberry juice, lemon juice and simple syrup were shaken up with the aforementioned gin and strained into a glass. Brut champagne topped it off. The doug fir sprig and floating cranberry garnish added just the right touch.

Next up on the menu was Kathy's Green-Eye Daiquiri. As you might guess from your experience with this cocktail's blended alter-ego, it is a rum-based drink and in this recipe, is mixed with Chartreuse, lime juice, thyme and a bit of sugar.

According to Kathy, the original recipe for Chartreuse was invented 500 years ago by monks. It has been passed down and even today, only three monks know the recipe. Something even more interesting about this tradition is that none of the three monks know the full recipe. It is a collaboration. I think that makes it a little bit special. One sip of that daiquiri, and I was enlightened. A daiquiri isn't meant to be pink and foofy!



My favorite drink of the night was the Number One Manhattan.


Brown spirit season has definitely arrived and this was a great way to kick it off. Rye and St. Germaine Liqueur with vermouth made up this cocktail and it was topped with a gold dusted Amarena cherry.



The gold swirls left behind in the drink were fun and very festive.

I felt like Kathy gave us, her twelve Drinking Lesson students, the confidence to like whatever it is we like. Terms we deem to be fancy like “double strained” simply means that your cocktail gets a second ride through the strainer. What is important to know about shaking vs. stirring? All I know is that if I ever have the opportunity to make Kathy a martini, I'm sure as heck not going to stir it! She's just not into that! Really though, it's all about what your preference is, so if you want your martini shaken, don't be afraid to speak up!

Oh! Let's not forget about the bites from the Sorrento kitchen too!


Since we were drinking some serious cocktails over the course of the night, I was very grateful for the substantial snacks that were laid out for us - grilled cheese, tomato soup, a Scotch egg and steak with bell peppers atop a thin slice of rustic bread.

Drinking Lessons are not the only thing shaking up the Sorrento these days. Earlier this month Chamber vs. Chamber, another event on the Night School menu, emerged with a showdown for it's inaugural night: Chamber Music vs Indie (Chamber) Rock.

Be sure to check out the events calendar for other gems like this. My art, music and food tummies are all growling simultaneously.

Have a happy Monday, folks. Perhaps you'll find yourself venturing out for a delicious cocktail this evening or making one for yourself at home! Cheers!

Foodportunity2

(the Joule table)


The first Foodportunity and Foodportunity2 are the only food networking events that I've ever attended. To be sure, they were both a whirlwind. Between the panel, the wine glass I was carrying, remembering dish ingredients long enough to write them down, attempting photographs, having conversations and trading business cards mid-bite, I'd say that my second Foodportunity was a demonstration in efficient multitasking.

I finished up my work day later than I'd intended, so when I entered the Palace Ballroom at five past six, everyone was a-buzz and the event was full. I was surprised because the first Foodportunity didn't fill up until an hour after it had started. Not this time. Most were already carrying their first pour of wine and getting ready to hand out a fresh business card.












(A few food tweets)

Okay! We're not messing around this time!

I got in line for my complimentary pour of wine (I chose the Reserve Block 8 Syrah from Columbia Valley winery Terra Blanca) and then headed straight to the into the crowd of people huddled around the panel. Keren Brown, organizer of Foodportunity and the blogger known as the Frantic Foodie, was already at the mic making announcements and then as I walked up, introduced the panel.

Here we go!

Panelists:

Ethan Stowell
(How to Cook a Wolf, Tavolata, Union and Anchovies & Olives)

Kurt Dammeier
(Bennett's Pure Food Bistro, Pasta & Co., Maximus Minimus and Beecher's Cheese)

and a surprise panelist
Tamara Murphy
(Brasa, Elliott Bay Cafe and the upcoming Terra Plata)

I liked the change in panelists from food bloggers and journalists at the first Foodportunity to an all-chef panel the second time around. I enjoyed hearing about the Seattle food scene from people who know the business and the setting.

I will be the first to admit that the Seattle food scene is something that I stumble around – kind of like how an old movie might depict its main characters on a spontaneous trip through France. It's a lot of me walking around (perhaps with an umbrella in my hand) surprised and delighted by giant posters of Paris and Normandy, except that in this fantasy, you can replace the posters with a new CSA box item, a well-lit restaurant front or maybe frog legs from Anita's Crepes (those were certainly surprising and delightful.)


Of all of the topics, the one that resonated with me personally was the discussion about the challenges of operating a restaurant in Seattle. Of course, I am not operating a restaurant in Seattle, bu Kurt pointed out that Seattle goes to bed early. As I mentioned in my previous post, I am a night owl. For a restaurant, this early bedtime can be an issue because the Seattle restaurant doesn't typically get that late-night table-turn.
I grew up on the Kitsap Peninsula but lived in the Midwest for a handful of years before I made my way into Seattle. When I arrived, I spent my first few months of nightlife wondering where the heck all of the people were.

It's eleven-thirty on a Friday night!

I remember exclaiming to a friend during my third week in Seattle.

Where is everybody?!

Though the late-night dinners of my past are no longer conducive to my nine-to-five work schedule, I still find myself longing for that late-night dining hour some days.

The Seattle scene in general, definitely poses its challenges from traffic to neighborhood loyalty, but something the panel gave a unanimous thumbs-up on was the quality and freshness of the food in Seattle. This was a common thread between the three chefs and as they all noted this as one of their favorite parts of the city.

From Ethan, who has been applauded for his simple and clean approach to food by using seasonal and fresh ingredients to Tamara and her Life of a Pig project, as well as Kurt who aims to help change the way people eat with Sugar Mountain; these are three well-loved, Seattle chefs who are invested in the local environment (check out Ethan's latest efforts towards cork recycling) and in creating outstanding dishes from our Northwestern bounty.

Fantastic panel, Foodportunity!

In the interest of giving a glimpse of the food at the event, I am going to post a few photos. The only complaint I have about Foodportunity2 was that the lighting in the Palace Ballroom was devastating to a novice photographer who needs a new camera. So with that said, please sprinkle in a little pinch of imagination to these photos. I did the best that I could with one hand and limited table space.


(The Tom Douglas table did a tribute to Gourmet magazine (RIP!)with these Stout Floats.)

Based upon my Guinness float attempts from the past, I'd say that the blackberry brandy in this simple concoction makes it work! We miss you already, Gourmet!



(Also from the Tom Douglas table came Gourmet-inspired filet mignon with brussel sprouts. Yummy.)



(Deviled quail eggs for Rover's dish, a sweet pumpkin soup.)



(From the Rover's table: Pickled golden chanterelles, apple, sweet pumpkin soup with a quail egg and a hint of heat. This was my first quail egg. Loved it!)


I loved the Lunchbox Labratory people. They were super friendly. The biscuit, pulled pork and slaw were all piled on top of each other in that order, creating a very tall dish. I pointed this out to them and they responded that they liked meals that were messy. I like them. Their spicy dish was enjoyable too!

While I was at the Lunchbox Labratory table, a conversation was started regarding Wink Cupcakes, one of the few tables with a sweet. Apparently the Wink red velvet is creating a stir with its cake.Now I'm not a red velvet fan, but I do have to say that Wink's red velvet is definitely special. The cake is dense and very moist. Once their Queen Anne store front opens up, I have a feeling that red velvet fans might migrate from their current cupcake shops. Oh yeah, I said it.

Wink sent me home with a box of four cupcakes. I wanted a box for one cupcake. They only had a box for four, so they threw in an extra three cupcakes. I couldn't argue.

(Wink's vanilla and lemon cupcakes)

Unfortunately, there was just not enough time to photograph everything that I ate, but I'd like to make a note of the two dishes Huiyona served. Their sweet corn potsticker was very tasty and the seared tuna with house-pickled cucumber and asian pear and celery salad was refreshing and stuck out in my mind even though the two dishes were my first tastes of the night.

Ethan Stowell, after speaking on the panel, was set up at his How to Cook a Wolf table. They were serving up a chanterelle, bacon, kale and farrow soup. Kale has been one of my favorite things this season and it goes swimmingly with bacon.

Lastly, the Sugar Mountain table offered poblano peppers and onions atop hominy in a Flagship cheese sauce. A delicious and wholesome end to my night.

Frugal Wallingford Remedies for the Grazing Nomad

Most of my August through October weekends were spent out of town with close friends who are somewhere in the process of getting hitched. Now that things have settled down a bit, I have as well. A nomad by nature, I've temporarily changed my habits and have taken to hibernating next to the fireplace and getting the house ready for winter. Naturally I've also been staying close to home when it comes to dining. One of my biggest financial weaknesses is eating out (ALL OF THE TIME,) however traveling and weddings quickly wither away one's dining budget and one can end up consuming a lot of pasta and peanut butter and jelly in no time.

As is the case with any wanderer, it is only a matter of time before she will move. For me, it is only a matter of time before I come home from work in a good mood with restless feet and a desire for delicious food and drink to celebrate the day. This is when financial intentions are torn up into confetti and thrown into the air and this action is followed immediately by the sound of a key in the front door and the fading echo of excited footsteps.

So we know now that no matter what, for me, dining out is going to be inevitable (sigh) and so here are my favorite frugal options within walking distance of my home. I've tried to keep the budget to $15.00 or less. Enjoy!


Jhanjay Vegetarian Thai

The other day, I came home to a cold house with a sinus headache and I was craving spicy Thai food to remedy my situation. I refer to myself as a pseudo vegetarian and this just means that I go on the occasional meat hiatus. Jhanjay on 45th and Wallingford Avenue is a delight for veggies and non-veggies alike.
The interior offers polished surfaces, clean woodenen fixtures and a friendly yet unobtrusive staff. Most entrees hover around the $9 mark and though I was picking up an order for take-out, the hospitality wasn't sparse. My Thai food cravings are usually curry-based. I have hard time not getting the panang curry every time I go out for Thai.
Since my order was for take-out, I plated my food upon arriving at home and as you can see the brown rice and curry is as appealing to the eye as the belly. Go and taste for yourself! Jhanjay is opened until 10pm every night and their panang curry is only $8.95, so get yourself a side of rice and a Thai iced tea to quell those spice stars!





Irwin's Neighborhood Bakery and Cafe

[A Snickerdoodle Cookie]


I walk past Irwin's every day on my way to my bus stop and daily they are serving up fantastic breakfast cookies and other tasty treats like pizza, pie and tarts of all sorts. Recently I stopped in for a slice of pizza on my way home from the bus after work. Tucked away on N. 40th St. and Bagley Ave. N., Irwin's is frequented mostly by neighborhood folk and so as you can imagine, it's a friendly joint.
My tomato basil pizza had a delicious herb crust, large tomato slices and a generous sprinkle of basil. At $3.00 - $5.00 for a slice, it's hard to pass up (and I'm very sorry to say that my pictures of the pizza turned out blurry). The slice is comprised of about a quarter of a 12" pizza. I just eyeballed my slice, so if you end up with a slice of pizza from Irwin's, no rulers please.
The snickerdoodle cookie pictured above was as good as it looks.

Irwin's bakes their own breads and "Everything Cookies" daily. My roommate gets his Everything Cookie and drip coffee warm every morning. This is a great bakery to stop at if you have friends to catch up with or just need a fast slug of coffee and some sustainance. They do have free wi-fi. Stop by and say hello!


Chocolati - Wallingford

This is the place where you want to take a friend to chat and watch the cars go by. I also really enjoy their study-sized tables and available space which is much bigger than the Greenlake location. If you have work to do and just can't possibly sit in your house, this is a great place to go. They're open late as well, which is one of my favorite things. This nomad stays up past her bedtime quite frequently, even if it's just to day dream the time away.

Try the Cayenne Hot Chocolate when you go. That's all I have to say. It's spicy and is great for a chilly day and a wandering mind. Find it on 1716 N. 45th Street.


Musashi Sushi

Musashi's is one of those great neighborhood sushi gems. When I lived in Capital Hill, HaNa was my favorite staple sushi joint and I'm glad to have found a comparible (if not superior) location in Musashi's. If you've driven by Musashi's at 1400 N. 45th St. on any given night you've probably noticed a long line out front. I'm of the belief that it's not as bad as it looks. It's not even one-cocktail-across-the-street long but it does look interminable. I've been a few times and my longest wait was thirty minutes.

If you decide to brave the line, I recommend trying the Chirashi bowl while you're there. As you can read in the yelp.com reviews, it's not offered on the menu, but is available by request. This bowl is a solid dinner with quality fish accompanied by seaweed and rice. I've gotten it every time I've gone. For about $12.99 you'll find sixteen (plus) pieces of fish in your order. My recent bowl had salmon, tuna, Unagi (eel), bay scallops and shrimp.

photo courtesy of Alexis Hoverter

I think this speaks for itself.

If you're going with a few extra peeps and are sharing, the nigiri is also recommended. The nigiri (especially the salmon by my memory) comes in generous cuts and is immensely appetizing. It had our house visitor from St. Louis raving! I don't think you can't get better sushi in the city for this price. I'm a purist when it comes to sushi and so I'm not really looking for fancy rolls with cream cheese or a polished atmosphere. I just want good fish. The service at Musashi's is earnest and the fish is fantastic. I love this place.

What's your favorite Wallingford bite? Feel free to leave it in the comments section.

Some places I'd still like to explore are Joule, Cantinetta and the Teahouse Kuan Yin.


Stay tuned for a full report on Foodportunity2 next week!

A Taste of Peru!

One of the things I miss about living in NYC is how easy it was to satisfy my craving for Peruvian food. Inca Kola, chicken marinated to perfection, papa rellena, and lomo saltado are all my favorites and Peruvian staples that haven’t been easy to find here in Seattle.

Just recently a co-worker told me about a little place in Lynnwood called San Fernando Roasted Chicken. So of course I had to go ASAP! San Fernando opened about 9 months ago, is located in a strip mall, has simple decor, clean exposed kitchen, and a basic authentic Peruvian menu! It is decorated with Peruvian art and the server only spoke Spanish. I highly recommend this restaurant if you are looking to try quality Peruvian food at a good price. The roasted chicken will be one of the most flavorful you have ever had!

Pollo A La Brasa - Peruvian Rotisserie Chicken

Papa Rellena - Crispy fried stuffed potatoes

Papa Rellena - Stuffed with ground beef, onions, and eggs

Lomo Saltado - Top sirloin strips sauteed with onions, tomatoes, Peruvian peppers and french fries

Chicha Morada -Purple Corn Punch

Purple corn that is used to make Chicha Morada

Some of the dishes I plan on trying the next time I visit San Fernando:

Papa A La Huancaina - Halved Potatoes served in bed of lettuce with delicious cheese sauce

Chicharrones De Cerdo - Crispy fried pork with yucca and special salad

Ceviche and Seafood - served only on weekends

Helado De Lecuma - Lecuma Ice Cream. An exotic fruit grown in quanitity only in Peru

San Fernando Roasted Chicken

20815 67th Ave W

Lynnwood, WA 98036

425.275.9597

They do not have a website yet...