Puff Goes the Magic Pastry

Puff Pastry is seriously magic in a box.  It can make almost anything taste amazing with all its flaky layers of buttery goodness.  After buying it at almost every grocery store around, I have found the cheapest place thus far................Fred Meyer $3.87

Disappointed

I am very disappointed in Metropolitan Market.  I went there all excited to browse around and discovered they sell Lunchables, which are basically processed junk in a box.  That's my two cents. 

Ahi Tuna Tester

I absolutely LOVE ahi tuna, especially the sashimi grade served rare!  One of our favorite Seattle happy hours, El Gaucho, has an awesome melt-in-your-mouth ahi tuna appetizer that is served with an array of toppings to put on crostini.  When I ordered this I had to keep a straight face, because the waiter marched over and knelt down next to me, asking permission to mix the toppings together.  He took two spoons and started gently mixing the ingredients, remaining very serious with an intent look on his face.  Then like magic, the delectable appy was ready.  It is a somewhat beguiling mixture, but very delicious.  I decided to try this at home, and I swear it makes the tuna even better tasting!

Ingredients:
1 diced jalapeno
handful of toasted pine nuts
handful of capers
about 2 teaspoons of chopped sauteed shallot
1 ahi tuna sashimi grade steak

Season the tuna on both sides with salt and pepper.  Heat a pan with a little olive oil over medium-high heat.  Sear for about a minute and a half on each side, so it stays very pink in the middle.  Put in the fridge to cool.  While the tuna chilled, I basically toasted the pine nuts over low heat for a short bit, then sauteed the shallots, chopped all the ingredients, mixed them together and bam! toppings were done.  Cut the tuna against the grain into thin slices and arrange nicely on a platter, with the toppings in the middle. I added a small drizzle of teriyaki over the tuna for added flavor, which was very tasty. Spoon over tuna and serve with crostini. 

Riddle Me This

I just have to share this.  My friend Sarah and I were walking into a bar and a man with a mullet and a handlebar mustache bowed and declared, "Good evening, gentlemen!"

Do I look like a dude?  If so, someone please have an intervention with me quick.

Maybe this causes some confusion.

Christmas and New Years 2009

Yes, this is late, but I was having too much fun to blog during Christmas! We had a wonderful Christmas season, filled with events and *ahem*, a little too much good food! We spent Christmas Eve with my dad and brothers, and then went to Mike and Shirley's on Christmas day. We even got to see Curtis and Emily on Christmas day, which involved a little champy and cheer! I got some fun foodie gifts, like a Corningware set, a Le Creuset mini casserole (so cute!), and a bird apron (pictures coming soon). The biggest surprise of all was a scavenger hunt from Paul, which ended in a secretly planned trip to Maui! Now I have a reason to work off all the extra "cheer" I accumulated! This year I decided to decorate our tree with a theme, so I made bird ornaments and stuck to a blue, silver and pink color scheme. I found a creamy satin ribbon and intertwined it with a sparkly silver one as a finishing touch. I really liked the way it turned out, and am really sad to take our tree down (yes, it is still up!). I am excited for a new year and all that is in store for us! Happy New Year!

Christmas Card 2009

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Tapps and Apps 2009

Our friends the Cudworths sure know how to throw a party. They hosted an event called, "Tapps and Apps" a fun contest of pairing an appetizer with a beer that compliments it. This was literally a food smorgasbord sent from heaven. I left 10 pounds heavier, with cheese sauce and a smile smeared on my face. Good thing I wore my leggings.

The entries were not your basic appetizers but gourmet delicacies, arranged beautifully throughout the room, which was also decorated and cozy thanks to Missy's skills. Some of my favorites were mini-paninis with carne asada, grilled Anaheim chilies, feta and carmelized onions paired with Slim Chance, and Obatzda, an addicting cheese spread which was served with warm pretzels and paired with Hofbrau Hefeweizen.  I made "Chicken Pot-Pockets" which were puffed pastry pockets filled with roasted butternut squash, carmelized leeks, and chicken breast.  We paired these with Newcastle Brown Ale, which turned out to be a great combo.  The event was so much fun and I hope it keeps happening year after year! 
Here is the recipe for our entry: (I don't know why it is so small!) You can click on it to make it bigger