Mt. Adams, Sushi and more.

     Since summer is now officially over, we can expect the weather to start turning into the typical fall patterns of rain with sun breaks, followed by more rain.  However, since it has not started yet, we decided to take a trip to Mr. Adams.  This is a place that I have never been to so I was excited to go. 

     Let me start by saying that this is a bit of a drive.  It took about 3 to 3 1/2 hours to get there.  We had to take several small highways (Hwys. 7 and 12), and then on to the Forest Service roads (23 and 29).  But once we got there it was worth the drive.  We parked the car at the Tahkalak Lake campground and put up our America the Beautiful Pass, as this is land that is operated by the U.S. Forest Service.  We ate something and then started out hiking.  I was amazed that we were the only ones on the trail.  Had this been a National Park there would have been about 10,000 people on the trail.  It was so nice having the trail to ourselves.  I had forgotten about the whole purpose of hiking.  It was fun trying to stay on the trail as it disappeared several times. 

     One of the interesting things I learned on the trail is that there was a huge eruption of Mt. Adams a mere 3,500 years ago.  That is fairly recent in geologic terms, in fact it has just cooled.

     These rocks are from the lava flow that occurred some 3,500 years ago.  At first I couldn't figure out what all these rocks were doing here.  As I looked a more closely I could see that it was in fact volcanic rock.  We then came across the sign above and then it all made sense.

     At one point we were actually able to hike to where we were on top of the lava flow and what a view.



     Yes, that is Mt. Rainier in the distance.  How cool is that!

     There was also a beautiful meadow on the trail.  I loved how the sun was just lighting up the whole meadow.

     So on the long drive back home we, by which I mean Kieko, decided to eat Japanese food when we got back.  OK, I was in complete agreement with it, so we went to Miyabi's in Tuckwila.  This place is pretty good and they do a wonderful job on the rolls.

           The rainbow roll was just what we were wanting as it had a variety of fish wrapped around the rice. 

     Then there was the geoduck butter.  Geoduck sauteed in a butter sauce and served in the clam shell.  Now this is comfort food.

     And then there is my new favorite thing in the world. The Uni Shot!  The Uni Shot is Uni (Sea Urchin) with a single raw quail's egg. 

     How good does that look?  It is soo good, I could eat this everyday.

     However, I must cook as well, and it can't be all sushi.  Tonight at Kieko's request I made some paella with clams and bay scallops.  It turned out pretty good, but next time I think I will add some shrimp, squid, and maybe rabbit as well.

     Trust me, it tasted better than it looks. 

     That's all for now.  I'll see ya soon.

Circa

     Tonight Kieko and I went to my favorite restaurant in West Seattle; Circa.  Circa is a very small rustic type of eatery that serves some of the best comfort food around the sound.  It is located at the intersection of Admiral Way and California Ave. tucked between a dry cleaners and pet shop. 

     Like I said earlier, it has amazing comfort food fare.  Kieko had the grilled steak salad with chevre and balsamic vinaigrette.  The steak is skirt steak cooked to order which Kieko ordered medium rare.  That is a meal all by itself.  I was happy to help her eat it.

     I had the ultimate in comfort food, meatloaf.  That's right, meatloaf.  Not just any meatloaf, but meatloaf wrapped in bacon.  Orgazmic moans may now comence.  This was served on top of mashed potatoes with green beans and red bell pepper, and covered in a rich brown gravy.  Man I.m getting hungry all over.

      Against our better judgement, we decided to order dessert.  Why?  Because we could.  You gotta problem with that?  I didn't think so and we didn't either.  We decided on the coconut cream pie.  It seemed like the lesser of evils.  The others were Creme Brulee, and a Double Layer Cake.

     I absolutely love this place and I think you should go there as well.

     I wanted to mention a very important event happening tomorrow night at Magoos Annex in Tacoma.  It is the Tacos for Ta-Ta's night.  Tacos and cupcakes will be sold with all the proceeds from those sales going to the Susan G Koman Foundation for the Cure. 

     This should be a great event for an important cause.  Yours truely will be in attendance as these are two of my favorite things!  ; P  http://www.facebook.com/events/#!/event.php?eid=207372002659141

TomatoFare

     Today we went to the TomatoFare at the Cedarbrook Lodge in Seatac WA.  Because when you think of destinations resorts you automatically think of Seatac.  Well, not really, but the Cedarbrook Lodge in Seatac is just that.  It is a very classy, yet laid back resort with a definite Northwest feel.  Everything from the architechture to the grounds to the cuisine is all about the Pacific Northwest.

     The staff were also very nice and welcoming.  This is a place you might want to stay the next time you come to Seattle.

      So the star of today's event was of course the Heirloom Tomato and all of her juicy goodness.  First there was a table filled with all kinds of heirlooms that you could sample.  I was able to sample just about everyone of them.  I never knew that so many different tomatoes could taste so different from each other.  I think I need to start cooking with more heirlooms.

     About a half a dozen restaurants and wineries were represented at today's event.  I didn't do a very good job of keeping track of who made what, but here it goes. 

     My favorite was the Tomato Bavarian.  It is a layered parfait with pureed Parmesan on the bottom, the pureed tomato in the middle topped with pureed basil and candied olives. 

     There was the heirloom and watermelon salad with goat cheese and toasted pine nuts.  This was also a favorite of Kieko's.  I love savory and sweet together.

     I also enjoyed the tomato water jelly sample. 

     Tostadas!!!!!!

     Geoduc ceviche on crostini.  That's right geoduc (pronouned gooy-duck).

   
     The tomato gazpacho with an olive, goat cheese trifle was also delectable.

     And for dessert there was tomato sorbet.  There were two kinds:  A red heirloom tomato sorbet with basil, and a yellow heirloom tomato sorbet with mint.  The red was nice and savory with the basil and almost had a spiciness that made Kieko think it had some sort of chilies in them.  The yellow was nice and refreshing.  I had a couple of helpings of the sorbet.

    
     After several helpings of, well, everything, I was stuffed.  Who knew you could get that full from tomatoes.  Again, I think I need to start cooking with heirloom tomatoes.

     When we got home a nap became absolutely necessary.  After a shortish nap, OK, it was about an hour, and watching TV for a while we were once again a little hungry.  Yeah, apparently tomatoes don't stay with you for very long.  It was long enough I guess.  Kieko made some delicious miso soup with mushrooms, tofu, and udon noodles.  It was just the thing on a cold rainy night.  Yes, it's cold again.

     So I hope this gave you all a greater appreciation of tomatoes, especially the heirloom varieties.  I know I did.  I'm probably going to be dreaming of tomatoes tonight. 
    

Catching up.

      Ok, so it's time to catch up on the old blog here.  Bad blogger, Bad blogger.  Anyway, not a lot has happened but some things that I would like to share. 

 On Sunday I went up to Chinook Pass, again. This time Kieko came along so she could see the wild flowers. Wow, what a difference a week makes. There were about twice as many flowers as there were last week and therefore the fragrance twice as, well, fragrant.

   
     See what I mean!  It's the most beautiful place on the planet in late summer.  You know, because I've been to every place on the planet, right!  Anyway, it is one of my favorite places just because the views are amazing. 

     So when you come we will probably be going up there, if for no other reason than the wildflowers.  That's reason enough actually.

Food:

     Ok, so it would have been helpful if someone would have let me know that okra takes a while to cook.  I made some Cajun pasta with okra and clams on Tuesday.  I basically sauteed everything:  onions, garlic, zucchini, okra, spicy oregano, cilantro, tomatoes.  It turned out pretty good, but again, I didn't cook the okra long enough.  I should have put the okra in the pan first and really let it cook.  Oh well, I'll know next time.  By the way, I got all of the ingredients from the 6th Ave. Farmers Market in Tacoma.  Even the clams.

     We had a fun experience for dessert tonight.  After eating at a Ramen House in Federal Way called "I Love Ramen", which was ok but not great, we Sub Zero.  This place is kind of fun.  It's kind of a mix of Coldstone, Studio 54, and your Jr. High science class.  You pick a base, either premium (ice cream), custard, or yogurt, and then a flavor.  There is a whole list of flavors.  You then pick some "mix ins", of which there is an equally extensive list.  We chose premium, huckleberry, and berry mix in.  They put it in a metal bowl, where it is still a liquid.  They then blast it with some liquid nitrogen.  That's right I said liquid nitrogen. I wonder if you need a special license for that.  Anyway, the end product is delicious.

     Well, that's it for now.  This weekend is going to be all about food.  We have a couple of foodie events this weekend so I will be reporting on those.  Hopefully I can get some better pics.  A better camera would probably help.  Hint, hint.

9/11

     Tonight I just wanted to share some thoughts regarding the 10th anniversary of 9/11/01.  I'm sure much has been shared, and probably more eloquently than I can share here.  However, I feel like I need to say something.

     I'm normally not that sentimental about anniversary's, I sometimes feel that some things should be left in the past and we need to move on.  I'm not saying we should forget but we can't be stuck in the past.  Having said that, the events of that day have indeed changed us as a nation forever.  Both in good ways and in bad.  I'm glad that we have been able to rebuild, that is an amazing accomplishment.  What is not good is that it has taken this long for it to happen.  We can thank our wonderful political parties for dragging things on and using this event to further political agenda's.  This aspect of 9/11 makes me sad. 

     I'll try to make make the rest of this rant more positive.  But I make no promises.

     I just got done watching a piece on 9/11 on CBS.  I know, it's pretty hard to avoid today but I figured why not.  So this piece was done by a couple of Firefighters in one particular engine house near the WTC.  This was started by a couple of the guys there about two months before the attacks.  They were documenting the the progress of a rookie firefighter when it all went down.  It this one engine that did not lose a single member that day.  The footage was real and quite amazing.  The one running the camera was in the lobby of the North Tower after the first plane hit.  The footage rolls even as the tower collapses on them.  It was truly amazing stuff.  Anyway, long story short, they all survive and of course have to live with the consequences of that.  Yes there were consequences.

     After the towers collapsed, they all made it back to the station and were all accounted for.  They had all been separated during the day.  Once they were all accounted for they went back to the site and started looking for survivors, which of course there were very few.  Of course, during this time they're breathing in that soup of lead, mercury, and asbestos.  You know, the stuff that the Bush Administration said was safe.  Yeah, I know, I'm getting negative again.  Well, to bad.  My blog, my emotions.  Anyway, this is the stuff that will end up killing more first responders than the actual attacks.  So when I hear Republicans and Democrats say "We will never forget", I kind of have to call Bulls*** on that.  We have forgotten.  We have forgotten those that went in there to save lives and came out seemingly unscathed, only to get sick and die years later.  They did what was right and now they are getting screwed.

     I guess my point with my rant (remember this is my blog so I will say whatever the hell I want) is that if you want to honor and remember those who were lost on that tragic day, stop listening to "talk radio" or the 24 hour cable "news" networks.  I'm looking at you Fox.  You to MSNBC and CNN.  Just inform.  I'm so glad I don't watch those guy.  A complete waste of time if you ask me.  They don't inform, they entertain.  So stop listening to those knuckleheads and live your life.  Help some one in need.  Bring flowers to you spouse or significant other.  Cook a great meal.  Don't take your friends for granted.  In other words, do what you already doing, don't let the 10th anniversary of this tragic event change.

     Thank you for your time and goodnight.

Tacos, Baseball, Blues, ect...

     So I guess I will start with Thursday.  THE MARINERS WON!!!!!   It has been a pretty rare event these days, and I suspect it will continue that way until well into next season.  I don't know why they don't seem to want to win.  Ichiro is even in danger of not getting 200 hits this season.  He has gotten 200 hits in every single season he has been in the Majors. 

     Did I mention I love going to Safeco Field?  I did didn't I.  Well, there was no dog this time.  There was however an amazing taco truck outside of Century Link Field (formerly Qwest Field.)  I had three tacos; fish, carne asada, and chorizo.  Man were they good.  Kieko had the chicken mole plate which was almost as good as La Carta de Oaxaca in Ballard.  Almost that is.  The tacos are of course served with a lime and salsa.

     Friday was stay at home dinner time as Kieko had to work late so I made dinner for as I do from time to time.  Since it has been warm lately I wanted to make something that wouldn't require using the stove or oven.  I had decided on a gazpacho that also includes peaches.  Yes, that's right peaches.  It really is a good mix.  It has the perfect balance of savory and sweet.  Add some basil, red onion, olive oil, white wine vinegar and salt and pepper and put it in the blender.  Put some ice in the blender as well to get an instant chill and you are pretty much ready to eat.  So it was almost an entirely cold meal until Kieko requested some grilled sausages.  How can you refuse that; I mean sausages for crying out loud.  I love it.

     Today was the Poverty Bay Brew and Blues Festival here in Des Moines, WA.  The best thing about this event is that it was pretty much right next door at Des Moines Beach Park.  There was plenty of sun and music and libations.  There were also brats and tri tip sandwiches that were also very good.  The music was hopping and the brewers were doing everything they could to keep everyone cool.  Thanks to all that made it such a great day.

     We are thinking of going hiking tomorrow, but I don't think it will be in the Olympics as there is a raging forest fire there at the moment.  It does make for a great sunset though.

Cuoco and Masseria Li Veli

  
  Well, tonight was another great night of food and wine and great company.  Oh, did I mention food?  Tonight was another Tom Douglas experience, this time at Cuoco in downtown Seattle.  It was a dinner featuring the Masseria Li Veli Winery in Southern Italy, which was presented by Eduardo and Alessia.   The two complemented each other so well; even the radicchio which is a bitter green but with a light anchovy vinaigrette.  That was a hard one to pair but they did it with a subtle Primonero '08.  

     The mussels with garlic and broth and bruchetta was particularly good.  I wish I could have had more but apparently there are only so many mussels in the sea. 

     The best of course was yet to come.  The slow roasted pork shoulder was so tender but with a nice crust on the outside served with fennel.  The pork was accompanied by a rigatoni and spicy tomato sauce.  Both were so good, but especially the pork.  Also being passed around were the sweet and sour eggplant and roasted peppers.  Aww man, can I go back there now, I think I'm getting hungry again.

     The really great thing about tonight was the wonderful, charming people we got to meet tonight.  Everyone was so kind and friendly.  There was no pretense from anyone and everyone was truly happy to meet you.

    
     I'm really sorry about the quality of some of the pictures.  The subjects themselves were all great, it's just that an iPhone 3G camera is not the best camera to create a blog with.  Well, Christmas is coming. Hehe.

      Cuoco is definitely a place we will be going again.  Not just for the food but for the service and the friends.  Thanks again!