A Cheeky Good Time

Revenge of the (food) Nerds

Melanie told me yesterday morning that she was bringing carrot cake cupcakes with cream cheese frosting, so I went to the gym and ran FAST before heading to Green Lake last night for family dinner. I'm not a huge dessert person, but carrot cake is my weakness. Love it. Totally worth the cherry red face I wore for the duration of the night.

As usual, Charlie dog greeted me at the kitchen door and lead me into the crowd standing around enjoying happy hour. It was a small gang this week - Grandpa, Ted, Johnnie, Mel, Morgan, Eddie and I - but we managed to have a great time. This should come as no surprise.

Ted made me a mango and hooch cocktail, garnished with a wedge of lime and it quenched my after-gym thirst perfectly. We had exciting family news this week - Courtney got into nursing school! I talked to her a few days ago and got the whole scoop so I could update Grandpa. He tried to break the news to me and I had to give him a hard time. She's my sister, of course I've heard the news already! And I got all the details so I could give him a good report.


My investigative journalism skills held true because I was able to give him more information than he had AND answer his questions. I even updated him on her new job. It's not often I know more than him, so I'm counting it as a win.

As Ted finished up the cooking, we migrated to the table. Dishes passed around the group and plates filled with green salad, Something Something Broccoli (that's Broccoli Diablo Au Gratin minus the Au Gratin), brown rice, baguette and Halibut TWO WAYS!!!!!!

We are at the beginning of halibut season and apparently Johnnie had to remind Ted that it was time for some tasty white fish. He was a little taken back that she had mentioned it first, seeing as 'that's the kind of shit he talks about'. We all had to laugh, because really, that's the kind of shit we all talk about.

As we dug into our plates, we were trying to identify one of the characters in the salad. Was it a water chestnut? No! And in unison, Morgan and I named the mystery veg - heart of palm!  Another round of laughs for the fact that we are indeed food nerds.

And now to give the star some attention. We had halibut fillet sauteed in lots of garlic and butter and finished in the oven. We also had halibut cheeks in a buttery sauce that I did not get all the components of because I was too busy enjoying the end result. After gladly taking the last cheek, I decided it was my preferred piece of the halibut. It had a completely different texture and flavor from the fillet. But honestly, I'm splitting hairs here. Both ways were delicious.

Turns out Johnnie's dad was quite the fisherman and she told us about the parties her folks would throw when he brought home a big catch. Can you imagine thinking of halibut or troll-caught salmon as a poor person meal? With all the emphasis we now put on the protein we eat and the money we pay for it, it's crazy to think of these catches being the undesirable/cheap option for feeding the neighborhood.

As we cleaned our plates and cleared the table, Melanie brought forth her entry into the dessert category. Our normal dessert maker is in Spain right now and Mel was brave enough to step in and make sure we all got something sweet to finish the meal. Like she had told me, she made carrot cake cupcakes with cream cheese frosting and they were the bomb. I'm not the only one who ate more than one. Totally worth being that girl at the gym huffing and puffing to finish out the night with a great dessert. Thank you Mel for taking the dessert maker title this week.

Over the course of the evening there was lots of talk about lots of things. Boyfriends, bike rides, family, food, comicon, Tacoma, more food, restaurants, hiking season, allergies, Thanksgiving, turkey, work, vacation and the different ways in which people travel. Big parties on Wednesday nights are fun, but there is something special about a smaller group. Last night was a testament to being able to hear everyone sitting around the table.

PS: I took pics. I will upload them tonight. This will be standard protocol.

The Our Family is Very High-Mantenance Dessert

Some of us are trying to fix GI problems, other have allergies and one just wants to take the gold at sporting events. But whatever the reason some one in our dinner group is always cutting something out of their diet. This week, I made an effort to accommodate everyone's needs and fit in with the Thanksgiving theme. Here is what I came up with.

The Gluten-Free, Dairy Free Marbled Pumpkin Cheez Cake

Crust:

1 Bag gluten free ginger snaps, crushed finely (about 1 1/2 to 2 cups)

About 2 tbsp unsweetened applesauce

1 tsp ground ginger

2 tbsp melted Earth Balance spread

Filling:

2 8 oz containers of Toffuti spread, softened

3/4 cup raw sugar

2 eggs

2 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1 15 oz can organic pumpkin

1/4 tsp apple cider vinegar

What to do:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, mix together the crushed ginger snaps, applesauce, melted earth balance and ginger. Press into the bottom, and about 1 inch up the sides of a 9 inch pan. Bake the crust 10 minutes the in preheated oven. Set aside to cool.

2. In a medium bowl, mix together the softened Tofutti, 1/2 cup of the sugar, and vanilla until smooth. Mix eggs in one at a time, blending well after each. Set aside 1 cup of the mixture. Into the remaining mixture, blend 1/4 cup sugar, pumpkin, pumpkin pie spice, and apple cider vinegar.

3. Spread the pumpkin flavored batter into the crust, and drop the plain batter by spoonfuls onto the top. Swirl with a knife to create a marbled effect.

4. Bake 1 hour in the preheated oven to set the fill. Cool and then chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours before serving.   

(This post is brought to you by Jessie, I just had to play with some formatting, so give her all the delicious credit)

Enjoy! We sure did.

This is Walker. He is 2.5 years old and loves to play outside. He also really likes salad and ice cream.

This is the turkey. It was brined for a day and smoked for 6 hours.

This is Ted doing his thing. Some people are intimidated by carving a bird. Not Ted.

This is where it all goes down. I wonder how many calories have crossed this table?

This is my plate. Oh! I forgot to mention the German Potato Salad in the post! One of my favorites! Take note of the nice pink smoke ring on the turkey. It was so tasty.

This is mid-meal. I wonder what Ted and Grandpa were discussing?

Springtime Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is a serious deal in our family. A couple weeks ago we figured out that half-Thanksgiving is on 5/22/2012 and decided we should do a turkey feast to celebrate. Back in January Ted did a smoked turkey and people fell in love. But in talking about tradition, Ted hasn't seemed ready to switch things up in November and trade the oven method for the smoker method when it comes to the bird.

It was decided that at half-Thanksgiving we could do the smoked version and at Thanksgiving we (and by we I mean Ted, our excellent cook) would keep with the also-delicious oven action. Awesome! Thanksgiving twice a year!!!

So when the head-count email came around on Monday and stated that Mark would be in town and a smoked turkey was on the menu, I was overtaken by the sense that I am a lucky, lucky lady. Thanksgiving three times a year!!!

Turns out in addition to Mark, who has been at school in Eugene and only been able to make a couple family dinners, we also had Steve and Walker join us for their first Wednesday night feast. Walker is about the cutest two-and-a-half-year-old around. When I showed up he was rocking corduroy Toms and a couple strands of golden mardi gras beads he found somewhere in Ted and Johnnie's house earlier that day.

Ted and Grandpa were on kid duty all afternoon and it sounded like they had quite the time throwing rocks into Green Lake, chasing ducks and doing other dude things. Walker knows how to work a room and added a fun vibe to the evening's affairs.

In addition to cooking, Ted was also making drinks and there were lots of options on the table. I started with a classic Rapture Hooch Gimlet and followed that with my new favorite drink, the Ginger Hooch Lemon Drop. YUM.

As Ted sliced up the turkey he had brined for a day and smoked for six hours, we took everything else to the table and got situated. Chairs were filled by Grandpa, Mark, Jessie, Steve, Walker, Eddie, Ted and me. Plates were filled by smoked turkey (lots of dark meat in my case), sauteed cabbage in butter, brown rice, baguette and green salad.

Everything was delicious! And the glass (or two) of robust red wine didn't hurt, either. Eddie and I got into a good conversation about traveling in Arizona with the intention of seeing the wildflowers in bloom. I think we are all in desperate need of spring weather right now. 80 degrees in Chicago yesterday? Something strange is going on...

Jessie made us another great dessert that she was a little apprehensive about. We've got some dietary restrictions in the bunch - gluten, dairy - and she accommodated until we put a scoop of ice cream on top. She made us a restriction-friendly pumpkin cheesecake! It looked beautiful and tasted really good, even though it was made with tofu and no cream cheese. I think she could have sold it as regular cheesecake and gotten away with it. No one was complaining; we were too busy licking our plates.

And the surprise of the night? I remembered my camera! But I haven't uploaded pics yet, so you are just going to have to wait to see the mouth-watering, golden-brown smoked turkey until tonight when I have a chance to post them!

And now I'm going to eat some leftovers.

All the answers to this week's burning questions

Here's what we learned this week:

 

corned beef and cabbage.

Question,  Why is it called corned beef?

Hint, it has to do with the salt.

 Answer: because the meat is preserved with salt "corns"

who's wearing green?

Answer: Ted, Morgan and Chelsey were the only ones that pulled through, all by wearing green scarves

 

Will there be guinness?

Answer: Yes, it appeared in the form of Black&Tans

 

There will not be Irish Whiskey.

Fact (but of course there is always hooch)

 

What do the Irish have for dessert?

Answer: The only one of the group who has actually been to Ireland (Morgan) states that the Irish have potatoes for dessert, well the women anyway, the men just drink more

I however stuck with a classic, although probably all-American, sugar cookie in the shape of a shamrock with green butter cream frosting.

These and many other topics may be discussed.

True. Other topics included bike racing, car troubles, what makes the corned beef meet so red, and probably more but someone who drank less will need to chime in on that.

 

who's in?

Answer: the attendees were Grandpa, Jason, Melanie, Morgan, Chels, Ted, Johnnie, Jess and Char

Flaming Bananas Foster

This post is a little delayed, but you know what they say...better late than never! A few weekends ago Jason and I stopped by the house to snag Famous for dinner. We went to one of Pres's favorite spots, The Greenlake Bar & Grill, for some dinner and dessert. Back at the house Ted and Johnnie entertained us with stories from their Valentine's day party and pretty soon Ted was pulling out the hooch for a special Flaming Bananas Foster night cap.

Jason caught it all on video (sorry it's sideways) -  my favorite part is the background commentary "Holy Mackerel!". Enjoy.

Have you had something stolen?

Get it back! Operation Oliver Twist came up at dinner last night. Check out the catalog of stolen goods and see if your stuff is waiting for you.

From the SPD:

"In an effort to combat rising property crime in Seattle, members of the Seattle Police Department’s Major Crimes Task Force (MCTF) and Pawn Shop/Property Recovery Unit rounded up burglars, car prowlers, and other criminal suspects caught selling stolen goods to undercover detectives at an SPD-run fencing operation during a year-long investigation, Operation Oliver’s Twist...Victims should call 206-733-9616 to talk to a detective or to leave a message for a detective to return their call. Callers must have a police case number with them at the time they phone detectives. Please note that the items posted are the only items that were recovered during the operation and there is no other property to view. The Flickr address is www.flickr.com/photos/seattlepolice/sets/72157629133932896 "

Post Meal Yoga

Anyone feeling a little stuffed post Luau?



I'm in the purple! Do Not Attempt if you have consumed flaming Mai Tais recently!


A request to post the picture from the add I was in inspired me to contribute some yoga poses that would improve digestion. So here are my suggestions:

5 yoga poses to improve digestion

1. Seated Heart Opener
- Creates space in your stuffed torso
2. Seated Spinal Twist
-Gives your organs a quick squish which can help jump start sluggish digestion, also relieves low back tension if you sat at the dining table too long
3. Knees to Chest Pose
-Relieves bloating and gas pain (maybe wait until you are alone to do this one)
4. Prayer Squat with a Twist
-Stimulates intestines and opens hips
5. Child's Pose
-relaxing pose that keep the digestive juices flowing

I'm the 3rd one back



Well I was at the first one

What's the first thing you do when you wake up on Saturday morning? I know I'm not alone in grabbing my phone, checking the time/gmail/facebook and then turning over to try and get a few more it's the weekend and I can sleep in moments before cursing my internal clock and making my way to the shower to start the day (man, I feel old).

But when I got an email stating "The gentleman in the picture below has offered to make flaming Hooch Mai tais and Kahlua pulled pork sandwiches on Wednesday. Who's in?" all bets for a little more sleep were off. The laughter and excitement took over and my day had begun.

Turns out Ted's birthday was Tuesday so family dinner this week had the requisite tropical theme. As always, it was awesome. As Matt and I pulled up to the house, I could see Grandpa sitting in the nook but something was off. Walking in the door, Charlie dog greeted us and I soon figured out what was different. The lights in the kitchen were down because of the flickering blue flames making their way around the room!

A round of hugs for all lead me to the Birthday Guy, who promptly handed me a flaming hooch mai tai - slice of fresh pineapple expertly placed on the rim of the glass. Hawaii in Green Lake woo hoo!!! Seth and Lisa were the wild cards of the night, with the rest of the usual crowd - Grandpa, Ted, Johnnie, Morgan, Chelsey, Jessie, Eddie, Charlie dog, Matt and I - in attendance. 

As the food and wine made it's way to the table, so did the people and pretty soon we all had full plates and glasses in front of us. "I'm kind of drunk!" came from one end of the table and lead to a round of cheers for another great evening. Flaming Hooch Mai Tais are fabulous.

The menu for the night was Kahlua pulled pork sandwiches, green salad and spaghetti squash with a heavy emphasis on the pork. Ted and Grandpa got 10 pounds of pork shoulder for the meal. Did you know that pork shoulder is actually pork butt and it is called pork shoulder because pigs use their shoulders to 'butt' into things? You can thank Seth for that tidbit. Some day you will totally win bar trivia night with that.

So Ted brined the pork for 18 hours and then smoked it for 6. And the real labor of love came in the pulling, which took him 45 minutes to complete. IT WAS SO GOOD. The Kahlua barbecue sauce was sweet and hot and the perfect complement to the smoked meat. Are you dying for a picture yet? I forgot my camera again!!!!! And I even said it out loud so as not to forget...

Lucky for you, Seth pulled out his phone and got the shot. Let the mouthwatering begin.

There were lots of conversations going on over these delicious plates. Jessie got famous last week as the poster girl in an ad campaign for a yoga studio. Post the pic please, Jess!!! Eddie is a connoisseur of silent films, who knew? Everyone who has seen The Artist has liked it. Why did the Oscars decide to have 10 nominees for Best Picture? We could only name 5 in the running and there are some movie-goers in the crowd. 

As we moved into sweets mode, the table was cleared. Empty plates were replaced with a bunch of bottles of different liquors, liqueurs, brandies and ports and little glasses for those who opted to imbibe. Next, dessert plates made their way around the table. Jessie made pineapple upside down cake and Lisa made plum crisp. Each plate carried a slice of both with a healthy dollop (thanks Kate for that Midwest jargon) of homemade whipped cream. 

I wish I had a picture of this round for you, but we were all too thoroughly involved in what was on the table to even mention taking a photo. You're just going to have to take my word for it, it was all delicious. 

Grandpa insisted on a round of Happy Birthday and afterwards I asked how long he and Ted thought it had been since they had celebrated Ted's birthday together. They both paused for a minute and Grandpa finally responded, "Well, I was at the first one!"

Drippy Drippy Ocean Water

Despite what I've heard on the bus to First Hill lately, Leap Year comes around every four years (not 20) and wouldn't you know, family dinner fell on the special day! To be honest, until arriving at Ted & Johnnie's house, I could have counted 2/29/12 as a wash and pretended it never happened. I might have almost really screwed up the database at work, oops! But the database got fixed and I made my way to Green Lake, knowing a hooch cocktail would turn the day around.

What I did not expect were dozens of OYSTERS!!!!!!! Forget the work stress, there were OYSTERS in the house! I swear, someone really likes me (Grandpa) because oysters two weeks in a row is more than I could ask for. We had oysters on the half shell AND baked oysters with bacon aka Oysters Bratrude.

While Ted was stationed over the kitchen sink shucking each little superstar mollusk, I was stationed in the kitchen nook with Grandpa. Turns out this is a great spot to plant yourself for a few reasons. First, you get a front row seat for the appetizers. Slurp, slurp slurp go the fresh Penn Cove gems. Second, people gravitate there to both say hello to Famous and grab a bite of whatever is on display so you get to chat with everyone. And third, when more people squeeze onto the little bench and you are stuck on the inside, people take care of you!

I'm talking cocktails, people. From my stuck position, I was not only able to indulge in a bunch of OYSTERS and catch up with my cousins, but I was also able to try all the beverage available.

• homemade hard cider - Loved it. Good carbonation, right amount of sweet. Nose of kombucha, taste of apples. 
• Ginger liqueur - A little sipper of this one was enough to give you spicy root flavor and smooth heat. 
• Apple Hooch Sour - My favorite. Whatever magic happened with the mixing of citrus and apple hooch made for a delicious drink. That one didn't last in my glass long. It was a long day, people, you understand!

Before we sat down for the main meal, we made a detour to the TV because Evening Magazine was doing a segment on the World Extreme Pencil Fighting League. Thaddeus P. Skrilla (Matt) was the World Champion for about a year, so we gathered around to watch the story.

 

It was fun to see a bunch of my friends on TV and how they edited the event to be TV-appropriate. It's a bar show, it is not that tame. Pencil fighting is every third Thursday at Re-bar.

After getting everything on the table, we all sat down to enjoy Ted's hard work. It was another small group - Grandpa, Ted, Johnnie, Jessie, Morgan, Chelsey, Charlie dog and I. Since I forgot my camera AGAIN Johnnie saved the day with a quick iphone shot. Sorry it's grainy. I promise to do better next time.

The menu included homemade split pea soup, green and purple salad, OYSTERS two ways, baguette, quesadillas, salsa and wine. Everything was delicious. And this is where the story came out about how we got so lucky with oysters round two.

Ted took a bike ride to Cash&Carry a couple days ago with the intention of picking up a couple slabs of ribs for family dinner. As he rode up to the store, he noticed a Penn Cove Shellfish truck parked in front. I don't know if you've every been to Cash&Carry before, but it's not really a Penn Cove-type place. It's more about quantity and savings than exceptional seafood.

So Ted spots the driver and says hi. He asks if he's selling off the back of the truck, and lucky for us, he is! First Ted asked about mussels, but it's mussel season and the guy is fresh out. Then they talk oysters and Ted winds up with 10 dozen, packed in ice. Now remember when I started this story I told you that Ted was on his bicycle? Ya. So getting the surprise oysters home required a bit of finesses.

To avoid Drippy Drippy Ocean Water getting everywhere, Ted had to empty his saddlebag content into his day-pack, fill the saddlebag with oysters, stuff that in his day-pack and shlep the whole bounty home. This is why I love my family. Serious dedication to a great meal.

We had a good laugh about Ted's oyster adventure and everything tasted better to me knowing it was a fluke that I was enjoying oysters for the second week in a row. As we finished up, Jessie was preparing our tasty dessert. There was a quick discussion about whether what we had last week was actually a Kringle. Regardless, we all decided we like the desserts made by our family baker best.

She made us GF vanilla cupcakes with baked bananas and ice cream. So good. The smell of the caramelized bananas was mouth watering and went perfectly with a little more hooch. Jessie admitted it was a bit of a wing-it production and that caused a big laugh since a lot of the Bratrude's follow a recipe about as well as they shy away from food. NOT WELL.

Are you jealous yet?