"I don't like scallops..."

"I don't like scallops." she said. "They taste like fish-flavored gum." I knew exactly what she was talking about as she went on to tell me her previous experiences ordering scallops at various restaurants. I do believe it's one of the highest culinary sins to serve someone a fishy, rubbery, overcooked scallop, especially when that person is paying restaurant prices. The worst part, however, was not that she had eaten so many poorly executed scallops, but that she had never actually tasted a properly prepared one. They shouldn't be fishy; a good scallop should smell fresh like the ocean. Nor should they be rubbery; this is what happens when these delicate bivalves get overcooked. At restaurants often the culprit is not the preparation of the scallop, but rather the time it spends under the heat lamp once prepared. So the more I thought about this the more it began to eat away at me. Finally, when I simply couldn't stand it any longer, I insisted that she join me for a Saturday lunch over at my place so that I could remedy this epicurean tragedy.

Seared Scallops and Fried Artichoke on Green Salad

Dressing

• 2 Tbsp prepared sun-dried tomato pesto
• 1/4 cup light olive oil
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1/2 tsp granulated sugar
• Salt and pepper to taste

 Fried Artichokes

•  Vegetable oil for frying
• 1 jar marinated artichoke hearts
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 heaping cup fresh breadcrumbs (you may substitute panko)

Scallops

• 7 ea large scallops
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 3 Tbsp light olive oil or vegetable oil

Salad

• 6-8 cups baby salad greens
• 1 cup red onion, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
• 3 strips cooked bacon, finely chopped
• finely shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano (for garnish)

Combine all dressing ingredients except oil in a small bowl. Gradually whisk in the oil and season to taste with salt and pepper. Toss scallops with 2 Tbsp of the dressing as well as salt and pepper to taste and set aside. In a large bowl mix together salad ingredients, but do not add dressing until ready to serve.

Heat vegetable oil in a small sauce pan over medium heat until hot. Drain the artichoke hearts and toss with flour to coat, dip into the egg, then remove and press into the breadcrumbs. Fry in small batches until golden brown and crispy, then remove from oil and allow to drain on paper towels. Set aside.

To prepare scallops heat oil in a frying pan over high heat. Just as the oil begins to smoke gently place scallops in pan on their flat, circular sides. Cook for 2 minutes, or until the bottoms have become dark and well caramelized, then flip each scallop and cook for another 1-2 minutes (scallops should yeild to a gentle poke and should not feel rubbery to the touch). Once the scallops are finished this dish should be served immediately.

To serve, toss salad with dressing and plate, then top with fried artichokes and seared scallops. Garnish with Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Oh Boy!

Richard Oh, a California winemaker and self-proclaimed "all-around dude" has recently released his first distilled product: Ohzone. The liquor is best described by Richard himself, so here's an excerpt from his website: http://www.ohzonespirits.com/

"Made from first quality grapes via cold distillation, extraction and filtration, Ohzone is an entirely new category of spirit, so ask for it by name – it’s the only one of it’s kind. It’s not a vodka or gin or rum or tequila or brandy or moonshine or anything else out there…By itself, Ohzone tastes smooth and clean, with a hint of grape. And as the primary spirit in a never-ending, whirlwind tour of cocktails, infusions, culinary recipes – and in anything else the imagination may imagine – Ohzone transforms a spirit into the spiritual."

On my recent trip down to California I had the chance to give his new liquor a try at a small release party in Pacific Grove. He talks a big game, but the product surely speaks for itself. While Ohzone's mild nature will do just fine in familiar drinks like the cosmo or lemon drop, the sublte flavor lends itself much better to a more classic take on the cocktail that's becoming increasingly popular. I managed to get a bottle sent back up to Seattle for me to play around with. Give this one a try, if you're lucky enough to find a bottle of your own.

PomOhgranate Sour

• 2  oz. Ohzone
• 1 oz. homemade sour mix (recipe follows)
• 1/2 oz. pomegranate juice
• 1/2 oz. egg white

Fill shaker with ice and shake ingredients vigorously. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a twist of lemon.

Homemade Sour Mix

Nothing ruins a good drink faster than a bad sour mix. There are several premade sour mixes on the market, but I have yet to find a national brand that does justice to a quality cocktail. This simple recipe is a much better option. It can be made in large batches and keeps in a refrigerator for at least two weeks. Don't bother with store bought juices here; just squeeze the fruits yourself. The end result will be well worth the extra effort.

• 1 part granulated sugar
• 1 part water
• 1 part fresh lemon juice
• 1 part fresh lime juice

Combine water and sugar in a pan over medium heat. Whisk constantly until water is simmering and sugar has disolved, doing your best not to let the mixture boil. Remove from heat and allow to cool in the refrigerator, then combine with fresh juices and store refrigerated in large bottles or jars.

Variations: If you don't care for (or for some reason can't find) pomegranate juice you can make the drink plain by omitting it and increasing the quantities of Ohzone and sour mix by 1/4 oz. Also, I've found that this cocktail works quite well with my homemade blackberry liqueur taking the place of the pomegranate juice. If you're really in a pinch you can use bottled sour mix instead of the homemade version, just don't tell anyone you got the recipe from me.

Gone Camping, Pt. 2

As requested, here's a few more photos from my camping trip.

Gone Camping

Let me start by saying that I love Seattle. This city has the kind of pulse that you can't find just anywhere. From time to time, however, it all just gets to be too much; too many people, bright lights, jobs and responsibilities. When that happens there's only one remedy: pack up the truck and go camping.

So let me tell you how my Saturday began. I woke up early and wandered away from the

campground a bit. It was a good morning hike that made for some great photos. Once I'd found my way back to my camp it was time to start cooking. I'd be lying if I told you I got my fire started right away, but after some trying I'd built something hot enough to boil water for coffee. After my first cup of French press the fire had given off enough coals to make some real food. I hadn't bothered to bring measuring cups so there are no recipes. Everything here is done to taste.

Campfire Breakfast Burritos

Breakfast burritos are an awesome camping breakfast. It's a dish I've done many times over an open fire with a cast iron pan, but this time I wanted to up the challenge a bit. Perhaps I was stepping out of my league; I've never made my own flour tortillas at home, let alone over an open fire, but it turned out to work remarkably well. I found this recipe for flour tortillas on the Homesick Texan's blog and discovered that with little effort it could be adapted to work in a camping situation. Once I had a couple tortillas I kept them warm by the fire while I cooked off a few medium diced potatoes, then added onions, bell peppers, mushrooms, and a little jalepeno. When this was finished I stirred in a bit of store-bought salsa and scooped the mixture into my tortillas, then topped it with sour cream and shredded cheese. It was the perfect way to get my day started.

Once I'd cleaned up from breakfast I strolled down to the lake for some more pictures. My timing was perfect as the fog was just rolling off of the water. After that and another short hike it was time for lunch.

Soft-cooked Egg over Green Salad

This is a trick I'd heard of before, and I've always wanted to try it. Rather than boiling your egg, simply suspend it near some coals using a paper clip and a stick or coat hanger. The cooking time will vary depending on the strength of your fire and position of your coals, but for me I found that cooking the egg for 5 minutes, then turning it and cooking for another 5 resulted in a perfect "soft-cooked" egg like the one pictured. To give you and idea of temperature the egg was hung in a place where I could stand to put my hand for about 3-5 seconds. The salad itself was tossed with some homemade dressing: a simple combination of oil, vinegar, and a small amount of mustard and sugar, seasoned with salt and pepper. You could just as easily bring along your own store-bought brand.

For dinner I brought along some halibut, and from there I tried to use the ingredients I already had. I seasoned the halibut and tossed it in flour, then pan fried it in butter with the last of my mushrooms. It was certainly delicious, but the real star of the day was dessert.

Fried Bannocks with Huckleberry Jam

Using the leftover tortilla dough that I had I pulled off a few pieces and formed them into 1" balls. I set a pan on the fire and added a cup or so of Canola oil for frying. Once this was nice and hot I carefully dropped in my dough balls and cooked each side for a minute or two until they were all a dark golden brown. I then slowly picked them out of the pan, allowing the excess oil to drip off, then set them on a plate of granulated sugar and rolled them around to coat. Served with some huckleberry jam, these were a wonderful departure from the classic s'more we're all so familiar with on camping trips.

With the last of the light for the day I got caught up on some reading. As the sun set I walked back down to the lake to snap a few more pictures, then headed back up to my camp to play some guitar before turning in for the night.

The Legendary Rum of St. Croix

Last night I attended an exclusive dinner put on by Cruzan Rum to kick off their new advertising pitch "The Legendary Rum of St. Croix." Of the 25 in attendance were some of the best and brightest in Seattle's bar scene. Needless to say I felt a little out of place, but that didn't stop me from enjoying six couses of tropical seafood dishes accompanied by seven delicious rum-based cocktails. The lighting was too dim for good photos, but hopefully seeing some of my favorites from the menu will serve to evoke a little jealousy.

Tandoori Coconut Prawns - Tandoori marinated, coconut crusted white prawns served with tropical fruit chutney and rum plum sauce.
Paired with Single Barrel Cider.

Crispy Pan Fried Hawaiian Snapper - Opakapaka marinated in light rum and pan seared served with quinoa cakes, citrus salad and rum infused passion fruit-coconut sauce.
Paired with a Hemingway Daquiri.

Rum Battered Fried Banana - Banana battered with rum-ginger ale tempura and fried. Served with rum caramel sauce and ginger bread ice cream.
Paired with Bananas Foster in a Glass. 

Of all the cocktails the one that stood out the most to me was the Single-Barrel Cider. The combination of ingredients would also work well if served hot, and the good people at Cruzan were kind enough to provide me the recipe.

Single Barrel Cider

1 1/2 oz. Cruzan Single Barrel

3/4 oz. Fresh Lemon Juice

1 oz. Simple Syrup

2 oz. Apple Cider (Fresh, cloudy kind)

Freshly grate Cinnamon on top.

Rain Hat

It rained all week, then all day Saturday. Finally, it gave us a break on Sunday. When the weather gets like this I always find myself craving a cozy bar and some warm food. That's how I ended up at Hattie's Hat on Friday. A self-proclaimed "dive bar" this place has been in Ballard since the dawn of time. The bar itself is four-times my senior, and the food and decor would definitely be considered "classic", but sometimes it has exactly what I need; Chicken-fried Chicken with Mashed Potatoes and Spinach Casserole, a Pabst, and a Wild Turkey on the rocks. It was just the trick to keep me warm on my walk home in the rain. It hit the spot so well, in fact, that I decided to reconstruct it here as something a little more updated, while still retaining its classic charm. This dish can be easily made for 1-2 people or multiplied to serve more, and is much faster to prepare than the original.

Pan-Fried Pork Chop with Spinach and Crushed Potatoes

Here I used boneless pork chops instead of chicken breast, and only dusted dusted them with flour rather that full-on breading them. The spinach I used was from the farmer's market and was large enought that it had to be cut up, but generally when using store-bought this wont be necessary. Finally, while I've seen the technique before, this is the first time I've prepared potatoes this way. The result is crispy and flavorful, not unlike homefries or hashbrowns.

Crushed Potatoes 

• 1 small bag baby potatoes, golfball sized
• 2 Tbsp butter
• salt and pepper to taste 

Pork Chops 

• 1 Tbsp Canola oil
• 2 thin cut boneless pork chops 
• salt and pepper 
• 3 Tbsp all-purpose flour 
• Parmigiano-Reggiano (for garnish)

Sauteed Spinach 

• 1 small onion, julienned 
• 2 tsp Dijon mustard 
• 1/4 cup buttermilk 
• 1 bunch (or bag) spinach 
• Salt and pepper to taste 

Place the potatoes in a large saucepan. Add salt generously and cover with water. Bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat and cook at a low boil until they are tender enough to slide a knife in easily, aproximately 10 minutes. Drain the potatoes and refrigerate.

Heat canola oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Measure flour into a shallow dish. Season each pork chop with salt and pepper then lightly coat with flour. Place chops into preheated pan and cook 2-3 minutes per side. When both sides are nicely browned remove chops from pan and cover with foil to keep warm. Return pan to heat and add butter.

At this point the potatoes should be cool enough to handle. On a cutting board gently crush each potato with the bottom of a glass, season liberally and set each gently into the pan. Cook two minutes per side, remove from pan, and add the onions. Allow these to brown and soften, 3 minutes, then stir in mustard and buttermilk. Add spinach and toss to wilt. Portion spinach onto plates, top with crushed potatoes and pork chop, and garnish with large shavings of Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Walking Between Raindrops

Alright Seattle, it's time. Pack up those Tevas and strap on your Dr. Martens. Then, if you haven't already, go ahead and put that barbeque back in the garage; you won't be needing it for awhile. Once that's done take a look at the pictures I took this weekend and try to think of something nice to say about fall.