ramblings of a Seattle travel, food and photography hound
The greater Seattle area—as a matter of fact, the entire western Pacific Northwest—has been basking in sunshine since late last week, and is expected to continue to do so through the next. I can't ever recall sunny skies with temperatures in the 70s-80s this early in May and for such an extended period. The inevitable... Continue Reading →
Soft tacos are such a popular snack in Mexico that it was inevitable that they should make an appearance across the border. This has been a relatively recent phenomenon because the Mexican restaurants of yesteryear—at least the ones I frequented in Southern California—usually served tacos with crispy, fried shells and ground beef fillings. I have to... Continue Reading →
I have never wanted to take a cooking class. Wine tasting, conversational Italian, taiko, stained glass, piano, pottery class—yes. But, cooking class? No. Why?—since I love to cook and food is one of my passions. Maybe I felt that I could learn whatever I needed by poring over cookbooks and making some of the recipes.... Continue Reading →
One kind of breakfast I don't have often is French. In fact, I have to wonder if I ever have. French meals at other times are another story. You can take bacon, sausage, eggs, pancakes and cereal, and all their variations, only so much before they get, well, old. Don't get me wrong, I love... Continue Reading →
Among the many purveyors of mussel dishes for sale at the Penn Cove Musselfest was Bayleaf, a deli that ordinarily sells wine, cheese and other food items. In front of the store, a chef was preparing a large pan of mussels in a broth of chopped tomatoes, basil, garlic, ginger and other ingredients, a bowl... Continue Reading →
I tend to take for granted the natural bounty we have here in the Pacific Northwest. I'm not alone either. This could be because the Seattle area is a highly developed, urban area where we have become physically and spiritually disconnected from our natural surroundings, here where mountain and sea are close at hand. Unless... Continue Reading →
All the times before that we've dined at Din Tai Fung, we were never able to get seated at a table right away. Always there was a wait. It is that popular. Tonight was an exception. We waltzed right in after seeing Amour at Lincoln Square Cinemas (a remarkable, unsettling, superbly acted movie, by the way).... Continue Reading →
We're fortunate here in the Seattle area to have several delis and bakeries that serve good bánh mì sandwiches, Vietnamese inventions that transform a version of the French baguette into a savory fusion of bread, meat (or tofu) and vegetables. Seattle is one of those lucky cities in America to have a thriving bánh mì culture,... Continue Reading →
In the sea of cookie-cutter Mexican restaurants in the Seattle area, one on the Eastside stands out for its great food and interior decor kitschiness. When you walk through La Cocina del Puerco's doors, it's refreshing to be surrounded by piñatas hanging from the ceiling, the turquoise- and pink-painted walls, rickety metal card tables doubling... Continue Reading →
I've eaten at Pestle Rock twice before, having come away impressed both times. The occasion of having lunch with my daughter marked my third visit. What caught my eye was a noodle soup dish called Guay Tiow Lao, which I presumed from its name was Laotian in style. How it's Laotian in influence I have no... Continue Reading →
zoomeboshi 