In and Out of My Kitchen

IMK May 2017

Photo: Some days it's so wet and windy that even the Canadian geese hunker down and wait for a break in the weather.

Seattle's wetter than usual Winter-to-Spring transitional weather has contributed to symptoms of cabin fever. I wait for big breaks in the clouds to grab a jacket and head outdoors, hoping to complete a walk in between major showers or downpours. Sigh, I am such a weather wimp! The Pacific Northwest is living up to its rainy reputation.   

"The city measured 44.7 inches of rain between October and April, making it the wettest such period since records began in 1895, the National Weather Service in Seattle said"

 ...and that was a week ago. It's still raining;140+ days straight with measurable precipitation. Tulips need umbrellas, mosses flourish everywhere in the yard, and I long for some back-to-back sunny days. Omigosh, was that a whine?!

  
Back in the kitchen...30 to 40-degree Spring mornings have justified a few hearty, wintery meals like braised kale with a fried egg and mounds of applewood smoked bacon. This might have been a form of food therapy, combining healthy, beneficial kale with not-so-healthy bacon. On most days breakfast means almond milk and fruit smoothies, or yogurt-topped granola, maybe a bowl of steel-cut oats with dried fruits and nuts. But oh! I do love an occasional bacon feast.  

What do you eat for lunch? Soups, salads and lots of leftovers are routine Spring choices in my kitchen. Leftover roasted chicken inspired this tasty Curried Chicken Salad snack. (link, link) Some store-bought California grown strawberries added more color than flavor to the plate, but I couldn't wait for our local berry harvest. That won't happen until June. Our lakeside strawberry bed of fragaria virginiana is primarily a groundcover that feeds the birds and squirrels days before the fruit completely ripens. How do they know when to nibble? We appreciate the sparkle of these sprightly white blossoms during April and May, but cede the summer fruit to the local critters.  

I haven't done much with pasta lately, but this recent version of a peanut-sauced Asian noodle salad was a filling side dish to a grilled meat entree. Salad leftovers filled my lunch bowl the next day. Soba noodles, fresh peapods, spring onions, cilantro, sesame seeds and a spicy Thai peanut sauce dressing tasted even better on day two; perfect.  

An empty cookie jar whispered to me, "diets are fine, but cookies are an essential food group." Okay, I believe, and why would I argue with an empty cookie jar? Adding grated zest from four sweet little clementines brought a bright citrusy tang to a batch of Shipyard Cruising Cookies; a restrained but noticeable flavor note. Just remember to remove the zest before peeling the fruit; just saying... 

    

In and out of the kitchen...

April birthdays of two friends prompted a ladies lunch celebration at Meet the Moon in the nearby Leschi neighborhood. When we arrived the cafe was already humming with activity since Seattle Restaurant Week was in full swing, but service was pleasantly attentive and the menu held enough tempting choices to make selection difficult. Here's a peek at my choice, a deliciously satisfying poke (po keh) bowl. The city has seemingly gone mad for poke, a bit surprising since ceviche hasn't been that ubiquitous.

ALBACORE POKE BOWL* 

seaweed, sesame seeds, togarashi, ginger, soba noodles, green onion, cucumber, cabbage, red bell pepper, carrot, chile akes, avocado, fried wonton and soy dressing

RL and I finally visited a newish local lunch spot, Raconteur. Just a mile away from the house, this restaurant/coffee shop/bar shares a building and open space with an independent bookstore, Third Place Books (link). I love them both; Raconteur for its good food and friendly vibe, and the bookstore for its selection of new and super-quality used books. Yes, my waistline and cookbook collection are both growing. My order of Carne Asada Tacos arrived upright, well-supported in a handy aluminum device. What a useful gadget!

Two tortilla racks now reside in my kitchen, and more may soon join the party. They are useful for the two of us, but I need want more for future taco bar entertaining. Ahem, I had good intentions to avoid buying any more single-purpose kitchen gadgets, but Amazon Prime makes it SO easy to succumb to temptation.

Several more single-use items have entered the kitchen via Amazon. I'm proclaiming a "no guilt zone", even while I work on excuses: 
1. Hilary and I signed up for a ravioli making cooking class. These tools will encourage us me to practice. 
2. My already underused pasta machine and various cookbooks need a workout.
3. A gazillion online recipes for ravioli, both the pasta and the filling, exist online and need testing.
4. I just wanted them.   

April has been a generous month, loaded with welcome edible and visual treasures: 

• Local asparagus, ramps, fiddleheads, rhubarb, radishes and a wider selection of greens are newly available citywide at farmers' markets. It's time to get more creative working with fresh, seasonal produce. 
• In all directions colorful blossoms on bulbs, bushes and fruit trees are showcased by the soft greens of newly opened foliage. What an invitation to grab the camera and enjoy the display.
• Newly-hatched goslings, such comical little fluffballs, dart about like windup toys as they explore the shoreline, plopping in and out of the water.    

Photo: This flowering pink dogwood, a memorial tree for a friend's daughter, lights up a corner of the fragaria planting bed, drawing me out of the kitchen.

Sherry Mackay is the new host of the monthly In My Kitchen gathering. Click over to Sherrys Pickings (sherryspickings.blogspot.com.au) to add your post to the group or just to enjoy the writing and photos from others in the IMK community.