Worth the Dough-Daily Candy 7-31-09

Worth the Dough-Check out the Daily Candy piece on FROST Doughnuts

The Bounty of Summer-Early in the NW this Year

The master gardener living across from us gave us some zucchini and I wanted something other than Zucchini Bread. So I found this recipe on cook.com
for a sweet/sour hot dog relish. I made it with a few changes, I canned the finished relish, and I also added some FireSpices. David Hunt, with whom I used to work at an advertising agency....has turned a little something he just used to do for fun (make spice rubs) into a business. His spice rubs are hot and should be used with care, but they are also blended with other herbs and spices and are very well rounded in taste. The hotness comes from powdered, dried habanero peppers, they cost $33.95 dollars a pound wholesale. You can order the rubs on line through the company website, (link above). I have been using them in EVERYTHING since David brought me some about a week ago. This relish is already almost gone, every time someone tastes it, they want a jar. I made smoked chicken, tartar sauce, St. Rosa Plum, Strawberry and Tomato Salsa, which I also canned.
There are the plums, strawberries and homemade tomato paste (from last year) boiling away in the canning pot. I can't wait to try this on duck. Also, see the finished salsa next to the little jars of FireSpices! I am not sure how I lived or cooked without this stuff......before. Thanks, David!

"Yappy Hour" @Kafe' Neo Mill Creek Town Center

The dog is Grigio (Pinot), owned by Mark & Kristin Garka.......who love wine, dogs and gardening! Kafe' Neo has had 2 Tuesday "Yappy Hours" on their patio and we have seen some great dogs and dog people....what fun!

Frostology @ Mill Creek Town Center

These 3 young men are going to be very successful.....only open since 7-70-9....this is a "brand" to watch!

source

Contance's Coleslaw: Super Star- one of the best ever!

If I had to choose just one vegetable as a favorite it wouldn’t be what most people would think: it would be the lowly cabbage. I love the fact that you can make so many things out of cabbage. I love the fact that it is a stand-by, in most places in the world at most times of year you can find a cabbage of acceptable freshness, ready to be turned into something great to eat.
I am known among family and friends for my potato salad (2 kinds-a summer and a winter) and my coleslaw, a white cabbage version and a red cabbage version. We make sauerkraut every couple of years, I make cabbage rolls, I braise cabbage, I put it in Asian dumplings, soups….pretty safe to say that it is the one thing that we always keep in the house. It keeps well and comes in handy.
Recently, we went to the home of Arnold Shain and Constance McGinnis for Arnold’s “surprise” birthday party. The food was without question some of the most fabulous I have tasted in a very long time. The variety and taste of everything that was served was impressive: and I don’t say that very often. There were a lot of people there, kids, multi-generations, coming in and out: lots of action. And, in the middle of it all, Constance (Bunny) calmly stood in the kitchen just before show time and threw together some coleslaw.
It turned out to be some of the most memorable I had ever tasted. Earlier this week, I got the “recipe” and it is listed below. Try it, you will love it!

1 Package of shredded cabbage (Trader Joe's)
½ Bag Nut & Berry Mix (Trader Joe's)
3 Tbsp Wasabi Mayonnaise (Trader Joe's)
2 Tbsp Orange Muscadet Champagne Vinegar (Trader Joe's)

Note: I like spicy food, but I would replace some of the Wasabi Mayo with regular mayo or plain yogurt......the Trader Joe's product has Hot Horseradish in it and it is hot!

Note #2: I made this earlier this week and I varied the cabbage a bit with great results. I took a food processor and put the chop blade in first....put in a bit of Walla Walla onion and parsley....processed it until minced. Then I replaced the blade with the 2mm slicer: put in a peeled carrot, and a couple of hunks of cleaned and trimed broccoli. Then I followed this with chopped up pieces of a half a head of cabbage. I turned this out into a bowl in which I already had the mixture above waiting. Fold the liquid and the sliced/minced vegetables with the sauce and you are ready to eat! Yumm!

(Here we eat it with lightly floured, salted, sauteed scallops and some left over-you guessed it-potato salad)

Dinner on Sunday July 5th: What do you eat after a weekend of fireworks?

Rocket & random herb salad (from our garden) with a lime/grape

fruit marmalade vinaigrette and breaded, sautéed, goat cheese rounds. The herbs were pineapple sage, mint and parsley. The pasta was dressed with a cold dressing made of: good non-fat yogurt, a shot of liquid whipped cream (you are supposed to use full fat yogurt) 2 minced toes of fresh garlic, salt to taste and a pinch of sugar, zest of 2 lemons and minced parsley. I also put in some medium/mild heat dried red flakes. Mix well…..drain cooked pasta well and slide it into the bowl with yogurt sauce mix….the sauce should be abundant….let stand for 5 minutes…..it will soak in. We topped it with some grated sheep’s milk Gouda. It was a bit of a cheese centric meal…..so maybe not great together: but each dish was great as a stand- alone item. Next time salad with lamb or the pasta with a tomato salad.

Best Happy Hour Mini Burgers: Terra Vista @ The Snoqualmie Casino

Go for Happy Hour and try to snag a seat on the deck, the view is very nice

and worth the trip. The wagu beef/foie gras slidders come as a pair stacked on a skewer.....as you can see.......there is only one remaining. The mini brouche buns and sauce American were a tasty twist. Great! From the $4 dollar food and drink Happy Hour menu. Dish in front, a bowl (the china was beautiful) was billed as casserole which it wasn't, but a combination of chicken, rabbit and white beans, tomato, aromatics: I would love it in the winter even more.

Side Note: Interesting and well priced wine list, worth remembering that fact.

July 4th George, WA: World's Largest Cherry Pie

It depends whom you believe but this is supposed to be the largest cherry pie...the locals fess up saying its more for effect than taste: it doesn't really taste that great. Huge pan, lots of cherry pie filling and baked pieces placed on top.
Both Michigan & Canada also lay claim to "the largest cherry pie".

Real Cowboys & Gals: in George, WA

These kids and the dogs and the goat.....it was so cute....they were selling the blue heeler pups......very cute as well!

Quick Trip over the mountains: July 4th.....early AM

Mt. Steward-looking majestic....as ever.

Wild Horses-over looking the Columbia River.....public art at it's finest.