University of Washington Oceanography researchers say that they see a spike in cinnamon and nutmeg levels in our lakes, streams and sound from November through the New Year.
Their research is one way of reminding people how much daily activities affect the environment. They invite local citizens to participate in the research by collecting, testing and sending in a water sample.
My kit arrived in the mail yesterday and I look forward to collecting my sample soon!
Friday, January 30, 2009
Monday, January 26, 2009
Chinese New Year
Happy Chinese New Year today!
Green beans are one of my favorite vegetables and I eat them every week. I pretty much never get tired of them. ever. I would like to say that I am always looking for new things to do with them, but that would not really be true. I usually dry fry them to eat hot or blanch them to eat cold in a salad. The other day I decided to get a little more creative than usual with my green beans and added some prawns. Here is the resulting recipe that I could like to share with you.
10-12 medium-large uncooked prawns
½ pound fresh green beans
½ teaspoon Chinese five spice, dash of salt and white pepper
1 small knob of fresh ginger, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
¼ of a fresh jalapeño pepper, minced
1 tablespoons of soy sauce
Heat one tablespoon of oil in a wok or sauté pan and heat on medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the prawns and keep them moving to cook quickly and evenly. As soon as they turn pink, add the minced garlic, jalapeño and ginger. As soon as you can smell the aromatics, add the spices. Stir to coat. Remove the prawns and set aside.
Heat the pan again, adding a little oil if the pan is dry. Wash the green beans and snap off the ends. Add to the pan without drying them first so that a little bit of water still clings to them. Cook on medium heat, stirring frequently.
After 10 minutes, add the soy sauce to the pan and stir to coat the beans. Cook a couple more minutes. Add the prawns back into the pan and cook until warm again.
Green beans are one of my favorite vegetables and I eat them every week. I pretty much never get tired of them. ever. I would like to say that I am always looking for new things to do with them, but that would not really be true. I usually dry fry them to eat hot or blanch them to eat cold in a salad. The other day I decided to get a little more creative than usual with my green beans and added some prawns. Here is the resulting recipe that I could like to share with you.
10-12 medium-large uncooked prawns
½ pound fresh green beans
½ teaspoon Chinese five spice, dash of salt and white pepper
1 small knob of fresh ginger, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
¼ of a fresh jalapeño pepper, minced
1 tablespoons of soy sauce
Heat one tablespoon of oil in a wok or sauté pan and heat on medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the prawns and keep them moving to cook quickly and evenly. As soon as they turn pink, add the minced garlic, jalapeño and ginger. As soon as you can smell the aromatics, add the spices. Stir to coat. Remove the prawns and set aside.
Heat the pan again, adding a little oil if the pan is dry. Wash the green beans and snap off the ends. Add to the pan without drying them first so that a little bit of water still clings to them. Cook on medium heat, stirring frequently.
After 10 minutes, add the soy sauce to the pan and stir to coat the beans. Cook a couple more minutes. Add the prawns back into the pan and cook until warm again.
Friday, January 23, 2009
Butternut Stow-Away
Okay, I have to admit, I did not actually intent to buy the butternut squash. I didn’t notice it in my virtual “grocery cart” on SPUD and it slipped into the weekly delivery like a stow away. It’s not that I have anything against winter squash. I like pumpkin pie, don’t I? It is just that I often don’t know what to do with their sweetness on the dinner plate. Its mega dose of Vitamin C does make it worthy of a good effort though.
If winter squash is not going to be whipped with egg and nutmeg and poured into a pie crust, it will need some strong savory flavors to temper its natural sweetness. I recently noticed a recipe somewhere with squash and bacon it in. Now I cannot remember where I saw the recipe… maybe it was in the newsletter that comes in my food box? Well, the important part it the bacon part. The thought of crispy, smoky bacon was enough to make me pull out the butternut squash from where it was hiding behind the onions and potatoes in my pantry.
I have kept the quantities simple here. Please feel free to alter the amounts to make it work for you. Trim down the bacon if you are weary of pork fat or cut the pasta in half if you are avoiding carbohydrates.
1 pound of your favorite dry pasta
1 butternut squash
½ pound of bacon, chopped into ½ inch pieces
½ cup of white wine
1 small spring of fresh rosemary or a few sage leaves
4 cloves of garlic
1 bunch of parsley, de-stemmed and minced
¼ pound of blue cheese, crumbled
Salt and black pepper to taste
Put a large pot of water on to boil. Meanwhile, begin cooking the bacon pieces over medium heat in a large sauté pan.
While the bacon is cooking, peel the butternut squash. I do this by cutting off both ends of the squash and then cutting the shaft of the squash from the bulb. Discard the seeds. Working with one piece at a time, I place it cut side down on a cutting board and use a chef’s knife to cut the rind off, working my way around. Once peeled, cut the squash into a small dice, about the size of the tip of your finger.
Use a slotted spoon to remove the bacon from the pan. If there is more than 2 or 3 tablespoons of fat in the pan, drain off the excess (and buy better bacon next time). Set the bacon aside. Add the diced squash to the bacon fat and cook on medium heat. Mince the garlic and fresh herbs together and add to the squash. Add a dash of salt and pepper , you can add more later if needed. Cook for about five minutes then pour the white wine into the pan and stir to deglaze the pan. Continue to cook, allowing the squash to simmer in the pan. If the pan begins to dry out before the squash is done, add some water from the pasta water.
Speaking of pasta water, if your water has boiled… well, cook your pasta!
A minute before your squash is finished cooking, add the minced parsley. Taste and add more salt and pepper if necessary. Drain the pasta and toss with the squash in the pan. Add the blue cheese and toss again.
This recipe should serve 4. Enjoy!
If winter squash is not going to be whipped with egg and nutmeg and poured into a pie crust, it will need some strong savory flavors to temper its natural sweetness. I recently noticed a recipe somewhere with squash and bacon it in. Now I cannot remember where I saw the recipe… maybe it was in the newsletter that comes in my food box? Well, the important part it the bacon part. The thought of crispy, smoky bacon was enough to make me pull out the butternut squash from where it was hiding behind the onions and potatoes in my pantry.
I have kept the quantities simple here. Please feel free to alter the amounts to make it work for you. Trim down the bacon if you are weary of pork fat or cut the pasta in half if you are avoiding carbohydrates.
1 pound of your favorite dry pasta
1 butternut squash
½ pound of bacon, chopped into ½ inch pieces
½ cup of white wine
1 small spring of fresh rosemary or a few sage leaves
4 cloves of garlic
1 bunch of parsley, de-stemmed and minced
¼ pound of blue cheese, crumbled
Salt and black pepper to taste
Put a large pot of water on to boil. Meanwhile, begin cooking the bacon pieces over medium heat in a large sauté pan.
While the bacon is cooking, peel the butternut squash. I do this by cutting off both ends of the squash and then cutting the shaft of the squash from the bulb. Discard the seeds. Working with one piece at a time, I place it cut side down on a cutting board and use a chef’s knife to cut the rind off, working my way around. Once peeled, cut the squash into a small dice, about the size of the tip of your finger.
Use a slotted spoon to remove the bacon from the pan. If there is more than 2 or 3 tablespoons of fat in the pan, drain off the excess (and buy better bacon next time). Set the bacon aside. Add the diced squash to the bacon fat and cook on medium heat. Mince the garlic and fresh herbs together and add to the squash. Add a dash of salt and pepper , you can add more later if needed. Cook for about five minutes then pour the white wine into the pan and stir to deglaze the pan. Continue to cook, allowing the squash to simmer in the pan. If the pan begins to dry out before the squash is done, add some water from the pasta water.
Speaking of pasta water, if your water has boiled… well, cook your pasta!
A minute before your squash is finished cooking, add the minced parsley. Taste and add more salt and pepper if necessary. Drain the pasta and toss with the squash in the pan. Add the blue cheese and toss again.
This recipe should serve 4. Enjoy!
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Welcome President Obama
When I saw the corners of President Obama's mouth hinting at a smile today while he held his hand up high and took the oath of office to become our nation's first Black president, I smiled too and I cried. I cried the way I cried when I got married. It is a feeling of overwhelming joy and pride and the acknowledgement that something grand and important is taking place. So this is what it feels like to be proud of one's president? This feels good.
You know what I really love? The Obamas are bringing Michelle's mom to the White House with them to help care for the girls. How great is that? Conservatives think they own family values? After watching the President and First Lady dancing in each other's arms tonight, I say, "how's that for family values, huh right-wingers?!"
You know what I really love? The Obamas are bringing Michelle's mom to the White House with them to help care for the girls. How great is that? Conservatives think they own family values? After watching the President and First Lady dancing in each other's arms tonight, I say, "how's that for family values, huh right-wingers?!"
Monday, January 19, 2009
Thank you for speaking with me Mr. Chioggia
I am here with Mr. Chioggia, a member of the Beet Family, who has invited me to his home here in the rainy Pacific Northwest. He has agreed to speak with me in hopes of addressing some of the things he has heard said about him and his family, which he claims are unfair and unkind.
Lara: Thank you Mr. Chioggia for having me over this afternoon.
Chioggia: Welcome Lara. I have looked forward to speaking with you.
Lara: Let’s get straight to the point. You are not well liked.
Chioggia: Well, Lara, I think that is unfair. Most people that speak about me publically have never even met me. People talk about me like they know me, and they don’t. Frankly, I think it is tantamount to slander.
Lara: To be fair, don’t vegetables in general get a bad rap?
Chioggia: I don’t think it is fair to compare what people say about me to what they say about other vegetables. I mean, I am friends with Broccoli, but frankly he really is gassy. An Onion? She does actually have a problem with bad breath and she admits it. But me? What people say is hurtful and untrue.
Lara: People say that you taste like dirt. That you are dirty. What do you say to that?
Chioggia: That is downright mean. I have a really sensual earthy flavor. Ask anyone that really knows me and they will tell you that it is true. People say these things, but then they don’t tell you that I have the highest sugar content of any vegetable. Why is that?
Lara: I guess saying you are sweet doesn’t really get the good ratings in the media. But talking about how dirty tasting you are… that makes for high ratings.
Chioggia: But ask anyone that has ever really met me and they will tell you how sweet I am. And complex, I am the real onion of the vegetable world… I have LAYERS of flavor.
Lara: Maybe it is your complexity that intimidates people? I mean, I have heard people just don’t know what to do with you. They are scared to invite you to a party because they don’t know if you will get along with others, that you won’t have anything in common.
Chioggia: I disagree Lara. I get along really well with blue cheese. I am best friends with balsamic vinegar. I go way back with garlic and onion and when I was younger, I spent a lot of time with basil. And ginger? Ginger and I always have a good time together.
Lara: You have an impressive list of friends.
Chioggia: Like I said, I am complex. What some people don’t know about me is that my greens are good too. When you invite me over, you actually get two for one. You can have dinner with my greens one night and then have lunch with me the next day.
Lara: Clearly, you think about this a lot. Do you have any insight into your negative reputation?
Chioggia: Well, you know, I think a lot of it has to do with my uncle. He spent a lot of time in the can. It’s really made him miserable and brought out the worst in him. He is well known in the United States and people just assume that all of us beets are like him.
Lara: That is really unfortunate. I know personally, I am a big fan. I mean, you do take a long time to cook, but so do lots of things.
Chioggia: And I can be eaten raw if you shred me first.
Lara: Good point. That is true. Also, I have to say at the risk of embarrassing myself, you are really good looking. I mean, the red and white rings are really something and your sister’s deep red and your brother’s rich gold color really blow me away. I mean, other vegetables literally pale in comparison.
Chioggia: Oh Lara, now I am the one who is embarrassed!
Lara: Well, thank you for speaking with me today, I hope that people will give you another chance.
Lara: Thank you Mr. Chioggia for having me over this afternoon.
Chioggia: Welcome Lara. I have looked forward to speaking with you.
Lara: Let’s get straight to the point. You are not well liked.
Chioggia: Well, Lara, I think that is unfair. Most people that speak about me publically have never even met me. People talk about me like they know me, and they don’t. Frankly, I think it is tantamount to slander.
Lara: To be fair, don’t vegetables in general get a bad rap?
Chioggia: I don’t think it is fair to compare what people say about me to what they say about other vegetables. I mean, I am friends with Broccoli, but frankly he really is gassy. An Onion? She does actually have a problem with bad breath and she admits it. But me? What people say is hurtful and untrue.
Lara: People say that you taste like dirt. That you are dirty. What do you say to that?
Chioggia: That is downright mean. I have a really sensual earthy flavor. Ask anyone that really knows me and they will tell you that it is true. People say these things, but then they don’t tell you that I have the highest sugar content of any vegetable. Why is that?
Lara: I guess saying you are sweet doesn’t really get the good ratings in the media. But talking about how dirty tasting you are… that makes for high ratings.
Chioggia: But ask anyone that has ever really met me and they will tell you how sweet I am. And complex, I am the real onion of the vegetable world… I have LAYERS of flavor.
Lara: Maybe it is your complexity that intimidates people? I mean, I have heard people just don’t know what to do with you. They are scared to invite you to a party because they don’t know if you will get along with others, that you won’t have anything in common.
Chioggia: I disagree Lara. I get along really well with blue cheese. I am best friends with balsamic vinegar. I go way back with garlic and onion and when I was younger, I spent a lot of time with basil. And ginger? Ginger and I always have a good time together.
Lara: You have an impressive list of friends.
Chioggia: Like I said, I am complex. What some people don’t know about me is that my greens are good too. When you invite me over, you actually get two for one. You can have dinner with my greens one night and then have lunch with me the next day.
Lara: Clearly, you think about this a lot. Do you have any insight into your negative reputation?
Chioggia: Well, you know, I think a lot of it has to do with my uncle. He spent a lot of time in the can. It’s really made him miserable and brought out the worst in him. He is well known in the United States and people just assume that all of us beets are like him.
Lara: That is really unfortunate. I know personally, I am a big fan. I mean, you do take a long time to cook, but so do lots of things.
Chioggia: And I can be eaten raw if you shred me first.
Lara: Good point. That is true. Also, I have to say at the risk of embarrassing myself, you are really good looking. I mean, the red and white rings are really something and your sister’s deep red and your brother’s rich gold color really blow me away. I mean, other vegetables literally pale in comparison.
Chioggia: Oh Lara, now I am the one who is embarrassed!
Lara: Well, thank you for speaking with me today, I hope that people will give you another chance.
Winter Beets
I recreated this simple, graceful, dish after ordering it at Alice Waters' restaurant in Berkley, California. It has turned beet skeptics into beet eaters.
Place 6 small beets in a baking dish, spritz with the juice of half of an orange and drizzle with a little olive oil. Cover with foil and roast for 45 minutes at 400 degrees or until just fork tender. You don’t have to roast it to death, just until you can stick a fork in it with a little resistance. Allow to cool and them slip them out of their skins and quarter.
While roasting the beets, mince one knob of ginger and soak in two tablespoons of good olive oil and some sea salt.
Assemble the beet quarters on a plate. Cut and avocado in half and remove the pit. Score the meat of the avocado with a knife, three cuts in each direction, and remove the pieces from the skin with a large spoon. Arrange the avocado pieces with the beets. Do this just before serving otherwise the avocado will brown and the beets will bleed on to it. Drizzle the beets and avocado with the ginger oil. Serve at room temperature.
Spring Salad with Beets
Clean and dry three large handfuls of assorted baby greens and place in a large serving bowl. Fit your food processor with the grating blade (or do this the old fashioned way with a box grater) and shred one medium sized raw beet and two raw carrots. Sprinkle the grated vegetables over the greens. Sprinkle the salad with 3 tablespoons of sunflower seeds. Crumble three ounces of a dry blue cheese and sprinkle over the salad.
Mince one shallot and place in a bowl with one tablespoon of balsamic vinegar, two tablespoons of olive oil, a pinch of sugar and a dash of salt and pepper. Whisk. Drizzle over the salad.
Summer Beets
Boil 6 medium sized beets until fork tender. Drain, cool, and slip from their skins. Slice half of a sweet onion into thin slices. Rip a small handful of basil into rough pieces. Toss with the beets. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and drizzle with a tablespoon of olive oil. Serve cold or at room temperature. This makes a good picnic salad with a baguette and cheese.
Clandestine Autumn Beets
Use a box grater or your shredding blade on your food processor to grate two beets, two carrots, one small zucchini and one red onion.
Cook one pound of lean ground beef over medium heat. When most of the red is gone, add the grated vegetables. Cook for another four or five minutes.
Following the directions on a packet of dried taco seasoning, mix the seasoning with water and pour over the meat and vegetables. Cook as directed, probably another four or five minutes.
Use your favorite tortillas, cheese, beans and salsa to prepare a burrito. Add the meat and vegetable mixture and top with shredded lettuce.
Your kids (and my husband) won’t even notice the vegetables in the ground beef.
Need more encouragement to try beets again? Click here to see the nutritional benefits of this low calorie root vegetable and its leafy green tops.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
LaConner, Washington
The French sounding little town of LaConner was actually named for Mrs. Louisa Ann Conner, the wife of the man who purchased the small trading post, which sat across the slough from the village of the Swinomish tribe in 1867. From a small trading post, LaConner grew into a thriving port town and for a while enjoyed the position of county seat. While town’s commercial heyday was in the last decades of the nineteenth century, the town became an attractive post for artists beginning in the 1930’s and today is a charming destination for a relaxing weekend.
If you have heard of LaConner, you probably think of it as a place to stay during the Skagit Valley tulip festival every April. This attractive town would be a good place to stay to see the tulips. While you are tromping around in the mud already, you could pay further tribute to Skagit County’s farm heritage and stop by the Golden Glen Creamery in Bow for a tour. If you are really interested in farm visits, you may consider visiting the area in the fall to participate in the annual Skagit County Farm Tour where you can see everything from oysters to cows to carrots.
Even if your idea of a good weekend does not include knee high rubber boots and cow manure, LaConner has plenty to offer. My family enjoys an annual pilgrimage to the town every December just before Christmas. Unlike most of Western Washington, the road to LaConner is flat making it a good destination when ice and snow could cancel other road trips.
The off-season is probably the best time of year to explore the area when the tourists are gone and there are price specials to be had. Consider staying in The Heron Inn, an eleven room Bed and Breakfast with an in house spa offering massage, facials and specialty treatments. If you prefer a hotel, the three story La Conner Channel Lodge is great for families. Their rooms are comfortable, some have huge Jacuzzi tubs, and they offer a better than average continental breakfast and all day hot beverages and cookies. If your idea of interior design includes floral wall paper, you might like Hotel Planter which is located conveniently in the middle of quiet First Street.
For dinner, I would recommend skipping the fine dining to save your money for shopping and find the LaConner Brewing Company for wood fired pizzas and microbrews. It is my family’s favorite and although we have strayed from the Brew Pub on the odd year, we always return.
Before dinner, enjoy a stroll down First Street. The Wood Merchant offers beautiful handmade wooden furniture that are worth looking at just to admire the craftsmanship. The Ginger Grater is a kitchen shop that now also houses the Olive Shoppe. Stop by for an olive tasting, my favorite is the jalapeño garlic stuffed. The Next Chapter Bookstore will whip up a latte for you to sip as you browse their shelves. The Caravan Gallery has a large collection of stone jewelry from around the world as well as textiles and carvings.
LaConner is home to a number of museums and galleries. The Museum of Northwest Art is worth a visit and even if you don’t check out the exhibit, their museum store is great on its own. Up the hill from First Street is the historic Gaches Mansion which houses Washington State’s only Quilt Museum. In addition to their own collection, they host a different show every few months and offer workshops.
For more information on the town of LaConner and what it has to offer, visit their Chamber of Commerce website.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Garden Dreams
There is this wonderful place I find myself sometimes where the combination of joyful energy pumping from my heart and the blissed out calm of my mind come together in a harmonious way. It is a place where thoughts can drift in and out as they will. This joy is too active to be meditative and too peaceful to be excited. This place can be found where love and creative energy come together.
The hum of my sewing machine gliding over colorful strips of fabric will take me there. Watching my hair float in front of my face as I sink to the bottom of a warm summer river. Tending little seedlings as they push their way through the soil as they perform the miracle of making food from nothing.
Most of these things take place in the summer. So, I spend a lot of winter thinking about the summer. Right now I am spending most of each day thinking about seeds and soil. I found a local church who will rent me a plot of land this year to garden in. I rode my bike there yesterday to take a look and was glad to see that it will get all day sun.
After a lot of thought, I have come up with a tentative list of what I will be planting this year. Some of them are safe reliables that I have had good luck with before like beets and zucchini. Some are new for me and will require some babying in our cool northwest summers. I have plans to use both plastic mulch and home made bottle cloches to make them cozy enough to produce for me.
Here is my list for this year:
Red and Gold Beets
French Pole Beans (Cupidon)
Peas
Carrots
Genovese Basil
Flat Leaf Parsley
Spinach
Batavian Escarole
Blacktail Mountain Watermelon
Black Beauty Zucchini
Sweet Corn
Orangetti Spaghetti Squash
San Marzano Tomatoes
Sun Gold Tomatoes
I am tempted to get two plots to grow on this year, but after seeing how much grass is growing on the plots I am wondering if I will be able to prepare that much space. I made beautiful beds of fluffy rich soil that I had been working in for the last two years, but those beds are not mine any more, so I am starting from scratch. The photos that I have included here are from those beds.
Friday, January 9, 2009
Don't get in a January funk!
I am not sure why I was born in Seattle. I am pretty sure that I was meant to be born somewhere that would allow me to keep a year round tan. But instead, somehow, I was born in grey Seattle where the long wet winter gets me S.A.D. sometimes. Especially around mid January. The holidays are over, the last hint of tan long gone, the memory of skin warm from the sun hard to conjure up, and then I realize that winter just started. How is this possible?! You mean winter is not even half way over?!
I feel like I am perpetually cold. Thank goodness that I got sweaters for Christmas. Sweaters and more sweaters. And did I mention that I got another sweater for Christmas? Five to be exact.
Well, now is the time to stay busy. We must resist the urge to stay in sweat pants and under covers. So, I have compiled a short list of ideas to share. Maybe one of these will get you out into the rain and traffic to fight for a parking space and make a dash for cover.
One of my favorite non-fiction writers, Malcolm Gladwell, brought to you by Elliot Bay Book Co, at Town Hall. January 17th at 7:30 pm.
Malcolm Gladwell carefully takes small 'stories' and makes them help illustrate larger points. $5 tickets are available in advance via http://www.brownpapertickets.com/, 800-838-3006 or at the door, starting at 6:30 p.m., with preferred seating for Town Hall members. Town Hall Seattle is located at 1119 Eighth Ave (at Seneca).
The beautiful and graceful Gina Salá and Friends will be singing and chanting on Friday, January 16th at 8pm at Samadhi Yoga.
Gina Sala says: Come as you are, participate as you like - sing, dance, or rest back in the powerful and bhakti vibrations that also sing through you. Remember your innocence.
WHERE: Samadhi Yoga – 1205 E Pike, Capital Hill, Seattle
FEE: $15-20 for space and musicians and beneficiaries. Sliding scale always available upon request. Water bottle recommended, along with favorite cushion (or chair) if its convenient.
The most awesome of all home grown circus acts is here in Seattle in the Theo Chocolate Factory in Fremont. Starting February 13th their SHOW TO END ALL SHOWS is coming back in case you missed it last time!! Circus Contraption!
Seen any good movies lately? One of the best movies of the year (according to me and my husband) was Tell No One a French thriller that manages to be suspenseful and exciting without being unnecessarily violent. It is playing at the Crest for a whopping $3 along with the very entertaining movie Aapaloosa, and the disturbing story Changeling.
ACT Theater: Pay-what-you-will dress rehearsal - 1/21/09 at 7:00 p.m
Project Two at the Act Theater "is a repertory modern dance program offering works by Kiyon Gaines - PNB dancer, Edwaard Liang - former NYCB and NDT dancer, Heidi Vierthaler - former PNB and William Forsythe dancer, and Maureen Whiting - director of Maureen Whiting Company." RSVP here.
Have fun! Keep warm!
I feel like I am perpetually cold. Thank goodness that I got sweaters for Christmas. Sweaters and more sweaters. And did I mention that I got another sweater for Christmas? Five to be exact.
Well, now is the time to stay busy. We must resist the urge to stay in sweat pants and under covers. So, I have compiled a short list of ideas to share. Maybe one of these will get you out into the rain and traffic to fight for a parking space and make a dash for cover.
One of my favorite non-fiction writers, Malcolm Gladwell, brought to you by Elliot Bay Book Co, at Town Hall. January 17th at 7:30 pm.
Malcolm Gladwell carefully takes small 'stories' and makes them help illustrate larger points. $5 tickets are available in advance via http://www.brownpapertickets.com/, 800-838-3006 or at the door, starting at 6:30 p.m., with preferred seating for Town Hall members. Town Hall Seattle is located at 1119 Eighth Ave (at Seneca).
The beautiful and graceful Gina Salá and Friends will be singing and chanting on Friday, January 16th at 8pm at Samadhi Yoga.
Gina Sala says: Come as you are, participate as you like - sing, dance, or rest back in the powerful and bhakti vibrations that also sing through you. Remember your innocence.
WHERE: Samadhi Yoga – 1205 E Pike, Capital Hill, Seattle
FEE: $15-20 for space and musicians and beneficiaries. Sliding scale always available upon request. Water bottle recommended, along with favorite cushion (or chair) if its convenient.
The most awesome of all home grown circus acts is here in Seattle in the Theo Chocolate Factory in Fremont. Starting February 13th their SHOW TO END ALL SHOWS is coming back in case you missed it last time!! Circus Contraption!
Seen any good movies lately? One of the best movies of the year (according to me and my husband) was Tell No One a French thriller that manages to be suspenseful and exciting without being unnecessarily violent. It is playing at the Crest for a whopping $3 along with the very entertaining movie Aapaloosa, and the disturbing story Changeling.
ACT Theater: Pay-what-you-will dress rehearsal - 1/21/09 at 7:00 p.m
Project Two at the Act Theater "is a repertory modern dance program offering works by Kiyon Gaines - PNB dancer, Edwaard Liang - former NYCB and NDT dancer, Heidi Vierthaler - former PNB and William Forsythe dancer, and Maureen Whiting - director of Maureen Whiting Company." RSVP here.
Have fun! Keep warm!
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Restaurant Review: Divine
Divine: Modern Green Cuisine
I read in the paper last week that one of my favorite restaurants has two specials going on. In addition to their daily happy hour from 4 to 6 pm, they are participating in Urban Feasts fix prix dinner of three courses for thirty dollars on weeknights (Sunday through Thursday). It was not difficult for me to convince my husband to give their happy hour a try tonight.
Divine is located on the corner of 80th and Roosevelt in the Maple Leaf neighborhood. In a world of gyro shacks and greasy Greek style diners, Divine is stylish and creative Greek food. The dining room seats maybe two dozen people and in true Seattle style, my high heels and the sneakers at the table next to me seemed equally at home in this upscale yet comfortable neighborhood bistro.
We stuck to the happy hour menu and ordered a half dozen dishes, which turned out to be enough food for both of us even though we came in hungry. With my husband’s beer, the bill totaled an economical $30. Although we did not partake, the restaurant carries an extensive wine list with a few bottles offered at half price during happy hour.
The best dish on the table were succulent meatballs so light and velvety that one wonders how they hold their shape. Served with a thin coat of spicy tomato sauce and a single, warm, soft fried egg, it is decadent without being too rich. We added soft pita triangles which had been warmed on the griddle with minced herbs and were perfect for scooping up the last of the tomato sauce.
Next, a single grilled pork skewer, very flavorful and certainly not lean, came served over a bed of arugula and garbanzo beans. The fresh greens and dense beans serve as a good counterpoint to the richness of grilled pork fat.
An impressive three jumbo prawns sat regally with a hat of crinkly spun phillo strands. They were well worth the six dollars they ask for on the happy hour menu. I ordered a garden salad of arugula with feta cheese and cucumber which, while rather plain, provided a necessary brightness to an otherwise rich spread of dishes.
The Greek french fries were of the thin variety and sprinkled with a tasty mix of herbs and feta cheese, but were fries all the same and next time we could do without them.
Coming to Divine during happy hour cut out bill in half compared to the times that I have been here for dinner. Certainly, the dishes on the happy hour menu are substantial and varied enough to make a good dinner. However, if you don’t feel like eating so early, it would be well worth the money to come a little later for a dinner from their full menu. This neighborhood joint does not disappoint.
7919 Roosevelt Way NE
Seattle, WA 98115
(206) 526-7919
I read in the paper last week that one of my favorite restaurants has two specials going on. In addition to their daily happy hour from 4 to 6 pm, they are participating in Urban Feasts fix prix dinner of three courses for thirty dollars on weeknights (Sunday through Thursday). It was not difficult for me to convince my husband to give their happy hour a try tonight.
Divine is located on the corner of 80th and Roosevelt in the Maple Leaf neighborhood. In a world of gyro shacks and greasy Greek style diners, Divine is stylish and creative Greek food. The dining room seats maybe two dozen people and in true Seattle style, my high heels and the sneakers at the table next to me seemed equally at home in this upscale yet comfortable neighborhood bistro.
We stuck to the happy hour menu and ordered a half dozen dishes, which turned out to be enough food for both of us even though we came in hungry. With my husband’s beer, the bill totaled an economical $30. Although we did not partake, the restaurant carries an extensive wine list with a few bottles offered at half price during happy hour.
The best dish on the table were succulent meatballs so light and velvety that one wonders how they hold their shape. Served with a thin coat of spicy tomato sauce and a single, warm, soft fried egg, it is decadent without being too rich. We added soft pita triangles which had been warmed on the griddle with minced herbs and were perfect for scooping up the last of the tomato sauce.
Next, a single grilled pork skewer, very flavorful and certainly not lean, came served over a bed of arugula and garbanzo beans. The fresh greens and dense beans serve as a good counterpoint to the richness of grilled pork fat.
An impressive three jumbo prawns sat regally with a hat of crinkly spun phillo strands. They were well worth the six dollars they ask for on the happy hour menu. I ordered a garden salad of arugula with feta cheese and cucumber which, while rather plain, provided a necessary brightness to an otherwise rich spread of dishes.
The Greek french fries were of the thin variety and sprinkled with a tasty mix of herbs and feta cheese, but were fries all the same and next time we could do without them.
Coming to Divine during happy hour cut out bill in half compared to the times that I have been here for dinner. Certainly, the dishes on the happy hour menu are substantial and varied enough to make a good dinner. However, if you don’t feel like eating so early, it would be well worth the money to come a little later for a dinner from their full menu. This neighborhood joint does not disappoint.
7919 Roosevelt Way NE
Seattle, WA 98115
(206) 526-7919
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