Do you like Pina Coladas? What about Onions?

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I think by now I probably don’t need to go on about my sweet love affair with the sweet Walla Walla onion. But, as I approach my 11th summer here in the Northwest, I realize that the novelty of the WWO has faded some. Summer approaches and I no longer get that excited feeling for the ultimate grilled cheese and onion sandwich. Was I taking it for granted? Did I not remember the twenty plus years I spent unaware of the sweet and spicy combination that I fell in love with oh so many years ago? Maybe it was the 11-year itch that crept up on us. The excitement of this relationship was gone.

So, imagine my surprise when, upon opening the Pagliacci Newsletter that arrived in the mail last week, I learned that their seasonal pizza, the Crostata, was none other than a cheese and onion pizza. That’s right. Grilled WWOs, with fontina, gorgonzola and mozzarella cheese. Well, this I hadn’t seen before. I immediately requested to the husband that we order pizza. We scheduled it for Saturday (we had meat defrosting in the fridge, and defrosting waits for no one).

Oh tasty Crostata. Oh sweet Walla Walla. How I missed you so. It’s like that Pina Colada song. You were there all along, I just didn’t know you liked Pina Coladas and getting caught in the rain.

Crostata Pizza, the seasonal from Pagliaccis

Crostata Pizza, the seasonal from Pagliacci's

Hooray, we’ve found each other again. This weekend, we’ll celebrate with a delicious grilled cheese and onion sandwich.

Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jack…

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The firm took me and my co-workers out to the ball game yesterday. The M’s hosted the Padres and we had great seats … a couple of suites above the Hit it Here Cafe, in Ichiro‘s turf. It was a terrific view, one that normal folk like me don’t get to experience every day (or every decade). If you’ve ever wondered how the high-rollers, um, roll, well I’m here to tell life is pretty good. Open the fridge to a variety of beers and soda pops. Wine also available if that’s your poison. Before the game, munch on buckets of popcorn and peanuts. Sure, it’s typical ball park fare, which is just up my alley, especially when you’re at a ball game.

My pal Mags declared, “Hot dogs taste better at the ball park,” and I couldn’t agree more. In fact, I can’t remember the last time I even had a hot dog. Oh. Scratch that. Other than the dog I enjoyed two weeks ago at Andrea’s graduation bbq, I can’t remember the last time I even had a hot dog (I remember getting a wiener at the Wiener Circle when I was in grad school … could it have been that long?)

hot dog!

hot dog!

Mine was a simple dog. Ketchup, of course. But then I tried to add relish, but the relish they provided was in a squeeze bottle, and instead all I got was relish juice. Oh well. I did not let that deter me from enjoying said dog. A little potato salad and mac & cheese on the side. Tasty. Mags and I continued to scout out the suite, to see if the catered affair would eventually include some type of sweet dessert. But, alas, I needed to leave a tad early to bus it home to see my sweet little baby and feed her some dinner. Sure enough, as I left the downtown bus tunnels headed home, I received a text/picture message from Mags:
how the high-rollers eat

how the high-rollers eat

Wouldn’t you know it!
Best of all, the M’s won! 9-3. Ichiro scored a home run to lead off the first inning. Can’t get much better than that (well, I suppose if I was able to stick around for a cookie, that would have been pretty swell, too).

U District Farmers Market

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I’ve been meaning to go to the Farmers Market for a couple of years now. It’s no more than a few miles away; there are just some very very very large hills separating us. Anyway, we packed up the babe and finally made the (short) trip. I had hoped to get some blueberries, but apparently the big seasonal things were cherries and strawberries. So I bit. The cherries were Tietons (never heard of them). For both vendors, sad to admit, I remember neither of the names of the farms.

yay summer!

yay summer!

Both were incredibly tasty. Fresh, ripe and juicy, with just the right amount of sweetness. Worth the exorbitant prices I paid for them. From what I can tell, the prices at this market aren’t necessarily any less expensive than at the grocery store. The berries were most definitely better quality, though.

Here is one vendor at the market that I will say by name. Belle’s Buns. I hear about them all the time in the local food blogs and at last I got the opportunity to have a taste for myself. After careful thought, I chose the cinnamon brioche (the customer before me also ordered one, and the customer after me followed suit).

cinnamon brioche from belles buns

cinnamon brioche from belle's buns

What a delight. I savored every bite of a soft, pull-apart pastry with rich, sweet dollops of sugary cinnamon stickiness. Plus, the piece itself was not too large, so I didn’t over do it. I did it just right. Makes those silly Starbucks pastries look pitiful.

Lunching in DT Bellevue

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Now that I am working in a downtown-city-big-office-building type setting, as opposed to a sprawling-greens-campus type setting, I find myself going out to eat more often. My first day back at work, my team went out to a restaurant called (and I kid you not), What the Pho?. We went because I was crazy about the name. The next day, it was the Rock Bottom Brewery. Most recently, an “under new management” Asian cafe, serving a little bit of everything: Japanese, Chinese, Thai and Korean food. I saw this on the menu and instantly knew it would be mine:

Bi Bim Bop

Bi Bim Bap

Thinly sliced vegetables (shitakes, cabbage, sprouts, carrots, and more), seaweed, beef and rice with the fried egg on top. They serve it to you along with a bottle of some kind of spicy Korean sauce. You squirt the sauce and mix everything up right before eating.

Oh, Bi Bim Bap, how I love you so.

I wish I could remember the name of the restaurant. It’s connected to the Courtyard Marriott on 8th. When I learn the name I’ll update the post. Until then it is called “Under New Management”.

All of these restaurants were no more than an 5 – 8 minute walk from the office. And there are so many more. Got me thinking of those MSG150 guys who spent a year or more visiting every restaurant in the International District.

Perhaps *I* should … nah.

Blue Ribbon Cooking School

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So as you know I’m back at work, it’s been a full week now. Just in time to attend my (new) team’s morale event, at the Blue Ribbon Cooking School. We basically gathered together to cook a really great meal and eat together. We had a terrific time and I discovered that cooking and baking is soooo much more fun when there are people hired to clean up after you; when the kitchen you are using is larger than the studio apartment I lived in as a grad student; and when bowls, spoons, pans and other tools are stacked up to the ceiling, available for you to use.

I, along with two wonderful bakers, volunteered to bake the dessert, Caramel Walnut Upside-Down Banana Cake with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream. It was simple and delicious. Here are some pics of our creations. We didn’t create the first two apps … the chefs at the school had them waiting for us when we arrived (along with the exciting beverages)

Italian Bread filled with Warm Herbed Mushrooms and Gorgonzola

Italian bread filled with herbed mushrooms and gorgonzola

Mini Salami and Roasted Red Pepper Puff Sandwiches with Cognac Mustard

Salami and roasted red pepper mini puff sandwiches with cognac mustard

Of the two, the mushroom/gorgonzola app was much more appealing to my palate.

Lavendar Lemonade, Strawberry Ice Tea, Cranberry Ginger Ice Tea

Lavendar lemonade, strawberry peppermint iced tea, cranberry ginger iced tea

Lovely beverages, for ChattyCha, who prefers non-alcoholic drinks during work functions.

Grilled Marinated Eggplant, Fresh Mozzarella and Heirloom Tomatoe Salad with Basil

Grilled marinated eggplant, fresh mozzarella and heirloom tomato salad with basil

Our first creation, by Matt and Reed. Wonderful. Some people do not like the texture of eggplant. I am not one of those people.

Artichoke-stuffed Chicken Breast with Proscuitto and Basil

Artichoke-stuffed chicken breast with proscuitto and basil

Main entree, plus Lemon Pasta Salad with tomatoes and feta; skillet-glazed baby carrots and sugar snap peas. Main entree credit goes to: MattH, Phil, Stewart, Keith, Jen. Pasta salad goes to Rob and Laura, who I think also did the veggies. Everything was cooked quite well. No disasters with our group.

Caramel and Walnut Upside-Down Banana Cake with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

Caramel and walnut upside-down banana cake with vanilla bean ice cream

Finally, the dessert I mentioned earlier, which I helped bake next to the boss and Jessica. Incredibly sweet caramel sauce combined with a subtle cake made for a sublime dessert. A modest portion (we baked in individual cups) meant no overindulging.

Lovely meal! I didn’t stuff myself and really enjoyed having a nice meal that wasn’t rushed or wolfed down, for once. Eating with a baby at your side, you don’t always get that opportunity.

Good Burger

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One final food post before I turn in for the night.

The husband makes a good burger. While the Le Crueset stovetop grill we have does a great job, it wasn’t always consistent. A few weeks ago he decided to try broiling the burgers for a change of pace. On the middle rack for 5 or 7 minutes, then top rack for a few minutes. This turned out to be the best burger I had had in a long time. I was so excited about it. The next morning I was still raving about his burger. The husband was pretty pleased with it, too. Sadly, I didn’t take a picture because I did not realize I was going to be in Hamburger Heaven.

So, today as we passed by Kidd Valley on our way home, my burger-reflex was triggered and I suggested we have burgers for dinner tonight. The husband was more than happy to oblige.

I forgot to take a pic the last time, so here it is the second time around.

Mmmm ... burger ...

Mmmm ... burger ...

We like it simple. A little cheddar cheese melted on a toasted ciabatta roll. Mine had ketchup and mayo. His had ketchup, mayo and relish. We ate them outside on our deck with a side of potato salad. Summer doesn’t get much better than this.

Egg

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Lots of co-worker and food stories. Stewart and his wife, Cindy, have a farm in Snoqualmie. A small farm. Chickens, turkeys, maybe some goats. They let the hens lay eggs naturally, and do not use artificial lights or anything to trick them into laying more eggs. I’m sure Stewart could go on about the other stuff they do, and as I learn more I can report back. The small farm life is really quite fascinating. I’ve been meaning to try Cindy’s damn fine poultry on for size since I learned of the farm. Lucky for me, Stewart came by on Friday (his day off) with free eggs for a select few (woohoo!). The husband had one in his salad last night, and this morning I gingerly fried one up for breakfast. I wanted sunny-side up but we have no bread in the house so I would have nothing to mop up the yolk with, so before I smashed the yolk and cooked it “overeasy-smashed”, as we like to say in our household, I snapped a picture.

damn fine egg from cindy

damn fine eggs from cindy

My camera does not do it justice, but the amazing thing about these organic, homegrown eggs is the bright color of the yolk. What a beautiful color. Makes me wonder what those commercial farms (even the organic ones we purchase) are doing to their hens.

Birthday Pie

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The in-laws were in Palm Springs in April during my birthday. The new tradition, as I mentioned last year, is the coconut cream pie (instead of boring ol’ birthday cake). So, on my first day back to work, I came home to a delayed birthday pie. It tasted amazing. The MIL really goes all out for this. The next day I had to bring it to work to help finish it off (and to incent people I hadn’t seen for a while to stop by). After all, I am trying to lose the pregnancy pounds, not gain it all back. One co-worker saw it and did not believe it was homemade. I believe Mike O., a proclaimed pie-lover, called it, “world class pie.”

coconut cream pie via chattycha on flickr

Fantastic birthday pie

It was pretty fantastic.

The (Italian) Hangover

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Hangover breakfast special

Hangover breakfast special

Hangover breakfast special. Only, I don’t drink enough to have a hangover. Actually, I don’t drink at all. We had some leftover pasta and chicken from the previous night, so I warmed it up in a small skillet, added an egg and some egg whites, let the eggs set then put it under the broiler for a few minutes. Easy enough instructions, eh? So why did the husband feel the need to direct me at every turn? And why did I feel the need to let him butt in?

The husband cooks alone. And so do I, so getting us in a kitchen together can sometimes be nightmarish. I sarcastically told the husband that he should have his own cooking show. We decided it would be called “Cooking with @$$hole”. Everytime a guest shows up on the show the husband’s signature line would be, “You’re doing it wrong! Get out. I’ll just do it myself!” And at the end of the show we’d say in that talk show voice, “If you know someone who has never watched this show that would like to be a guest, please call now.”

Heh. All in all, the leftover egg dish (I think I’m calling it The Italian Hangover) was quite delicious. And the making of the dish quite amusing to me.

The end is near!

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The end of my maternity leave, that is. I am taking advantage of my gym membership in Seattle. Come the return of work, I’m not sure how I will fit lifting into my schedule, since I’ll no longer be a 10-minute walk from the gym at work, nor will I have tons o’ time during the weekends (I imagine I’ll want to spend that time with the little peanut, and I’m pretty sure my stay-at-home dad of a husband will not appreciate me taking off on Saturday and Sunday after he’s taken care of said peanut all week). Not like I’ve got the time right now. Taking care of a baby is hard work. A little bit nervous about it, but we’ll see how it goes.

Today was a basic supersets scenario:

  • DB Step Ups (8 reps each side @ 20#) / Prone Jackknife (12, 12, 15)
  • DB Chest Press (10 reps @ 20, 22.5, 22.5) / Ball Leg Curl (12, 12, 12)
  • DB One-arm Row (10 reps @ 22.5) / i for the life of me can’t remember what I did and my training log is in the baby room and i don’t want to go in there for fear of waking the babe but i’m pretty sure it was a ball exercise and when i finally remember or tomorrow when the babe wakes up i’ll update this with the right exercise. man, my mind is mushy if i don’t get enough sleep.
  • BW Lunge (15 each side) / Plank (30 sec)

Did three sets no rest, then rested for one minute in between exercise switches. Kept the weights light, as I attempted to keep this more circuit workouty. This workout courtesy of Women’s Health Magazine, which has gotten a little more about fashion and beauty, and less about exercise and fitness, if you ask me. They do, however, offer mini workout slideshows that you can download onto your iPod, which is kinda gimmicky and neat at the same time.

In addition to this official workout, I’ve started doing random stuff at home. While the babe is in her bouncer and I play with her, I also sneak in 60-second planks and 45-second side planks (btw it takes 40 seconds to sing “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star”), then throw in some push ups for good measure. While I’m holding her in front of a mirror (one of her favorite activites), I do body weight squats (my weight and another 13.5 lbs!). I use my fitness ball to bounce the babe around on, but also do some crunches as well. While it’s not perfect nor ideal, in the end that is more plank, pushups and squats that you’ll do during the day than if you didn’t do any at all.