Broccolo romanesco: The Fractal Veggie

August 31, 2012 by 1 Comment

This vegetable caught my eye at the Portland Farmers Market at PSU for its fractal looking florets of spikes in logarithmic spirals. It is basically a relative of the cauliflower (in fact it is sold as one of the "colored cauliflower" at the farmer market stand of DeNoble's Farm), though its greenness might make you think of broccoli. Why not both?

In fact, this is Broccolo romanesco, also known as Roman Cauliflower or broccoflower, a typically Italian vegetable that goes sublimely with fresh pasta with good olive oil and some Italian cheese. And so that's exactly how I decided to have it.

First, I separated the florets and chopped the stalks.

I did a quick blanch and shock of the broccolo romanesco after the chop- my kitchen is still in a state of remodel, so I have an oven but no sink, and I couldn't really wash these in the bathroom sink or tub, so this was my way to get around that (filling a pot with water from a sink is do-able. I saved the water from the blanching to also briefly cook the fresh pasta later (I got fresh pasta from the Farmers Market stand Pasta Del Sol, he always has an interesting quote on a whiteboard at the market too). Also, I admit I did sneak in several bites of strands of the raw pasta. Quality checking.

Next, I used a few tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and heated up some smashed fresh cloves of garlic in a pan, and then added some (but not all) of the florets and chopped stalk for a saute. Pepper and salt to taste. After the saute I also smashed all the chopped stalk portions in a  food processer to get them to a creamy consistency so that they could coat the pasta.

I left some of the florets to keep a cool texture and look to the dish  by taking those and after a spray of misty butter-flavored cooking spray, then roasted them in the oven at 400 for about 15 minutes for a bit of char.

Then, the al dente pasta and the smashed garlic/broccolo romanesco mixture were then mixed together in a big serving dish. It was all finished with the roasted florets of broccolo romanesco and a generous sprinkling of fresh grated parmesan romano and a few red pepper flakes for heat. The photo below is pre-mix- I had put all of the broccolo romanesco in, but in hindsight, wait for the roasted florets after the mix.

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Oven & Shaker: a second visit for Aracine and Cauliflower Pizza

August 28, 2012 by 2 Comments

I arrived specifically at Oven & Shaker because I wanted the Cauliflower pizza, which had not been on the menu my previous visit. I was really tempted, just like last time, with the Bianca pizza, boasting teleme, truffled sottocenere, bufala mozzarella and fried sage.

Also new to the menu was a pizza of Blackberry and Peach with garlic, arugula, pecorino, rocotta and aged balsalmic. They also had more specials in the Finger * Fork section (the small plates). But, fearing that the Cauliflower, just like the Brussel Sprout pizza, might be a seasonal and therefore temporary offering, I went with that as my pizza choice. I was very glad I did. But damn you Oven and Shaker, with your temptations that will bring me back again…!

Oven & Shaker, Cathy Whims, Wood fired pizza, Portland Oven & Shaker, Cathy Whims, Wood fired pizza, Portland

I started with the fried risotto balls, or aracine. They came in four different flavors, and not able to decide, I didn’t decide at all and got them all. They are very filling- I would only be able to eat 2 slices of my pizza when it would arrive later, and based on delicious the pizzas are, would rather leave the room for more slices. Ranked in order of
what tasted best of the four Aracine:

Oven and Shaker aracine Oven and Shaker aracine

  1. suppli al telefono, wild mushroom risotto, smoked mozzarella and tomato ragu aracini
  2. lager beer risotto cheddar salami aracini
  3. aracini of basil risotto with house mozzarella  and fresh tomato sauce
  4. herb risotto wtih summer vegetables and  fonduta aracini

Even though it was Friday, the restaurant was not very busy, possibly because there were other summer festivals going on that night as well, though it was also pretty early on a Friday- maybe everyone was at happy hour still (O&S’s happy hour is only until 2:30-4 or 10-midnight). Thanks to the lack of crowd, I was able to really admire how long and incredibly well stocked with bottles the bar was.

Also, not being in the weeds greatly improved how quickly I got my food and how well it was executed, and the staff was able to be more attentive in checking on me, bringing food to me promptly, and removing finished service ware.The atmosphere was much more relaxed and casual, rather than leaning on the frenetic side during my last visit.

Oven & Shaker, Cathy Whims, Wood fired pizza, Portland Oven & Shaker, Cathy Whims, Wood fired pizza, Portland

While I awaited my meal, I enjoyed a drink that had caught my eye on a previous visit and had remembered, so this visit I didn’t hesitate to reward myself. The Oven and Shaker’s Pepper Smash comes with lots of mint leaves, Krogstad Aquavit (a caraway/anise flavored vodka), lime juice, maple syrup, and freshly extracted yellow bell pepper juice for a very smooth liquid taste of… the description that comes to mind is je ne sais quoi.

It had citrus flavors and a little tartness from the lime but not too sour or acidic thanks to the maple syrup, and then add in that freshness of the bell pepper with the flavors of caraway and anise… it all came into to a unique medley that is refreshing and easy to drink but that you want to sip to have those flavors roll and rest on your tongue.

Oven and Shaker Pepper Smash cocktail, Oven & Shaker, Cathy Whims, Wood fired pizza, Portland

Meanwhile, the pizzas are all cooked in the wood fired oven so it is ever so lightly scorched for some burnt smoke flavor: this time when it arrived rather than soggy it was a nice thin crisp yet doughy consistency which I enjoyed.

Oven and Shaker Cauliflower Pizza, Oven & Shaker, Cathy Whims, Wood fired pizza, PortlandOven and Shaker Cauliflower Pizza, Oven & Shaker, Cathy Whims, Wood fired pizza, Portland

The ingredients on the pizza of the roasted cauliflower, mozzarella, provolone, olive, spring onion, Mama Lil’s chilies, crumbled salami was a wonderful mix of the crispy salami and the soft creamy cheese with the tangy bits of olive and taste of smoke from the slightly scorched pizza foundation.

I’m coming for you Bianca pizza… I’m coming back for you.

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Chicken Adobo from Verde Cucina

August 26, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Adobo Chicken at Verde Cucina– the smell of the chicken cooking in the open market air of the Saturday Portland Farmers Market at PSU was irresistable.

What, I said IRRESISTIBLE. I made a mess of my fingers and face eating every last bite of chicken from the bone. Although my mom never made chicken adobo, it also brought me back fond memories of bbqs in the back where we would grill the marinated drumsticks of Gai Yang to this similar look and crispy skin, and eat them still warm right away outside in our backyard with all 10 child fingers and it would get on my cheeks as I bit into the meat rather than cutting because I was so hungry after smelling it being prepared and waiting, teased by the scents, and just scooping rice with my fingers rather than getting a silverware involved. Similarly lhere, local meats and produce (anything from the market that's fresh that morning), homemade corn tortillas and fresh salsa make this traditional Mexican classic taste as good as it looks and worth any messy fingers.

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Final Bites in Seattle: La Toscanella Bakery, Marjorie Restaurant, Portage Bay Cafe

August 25, 2012 by Leave a Comment

La Toscanella Bakery is a newly opened Italian bakery with lots of beautiful cookies and pastries. When I stopped by for a small breakfast before work (fortunately it is on the first floor of the building I was staying in South Lake Union), I had half a dozen quiches to select from, and went with the bacon and leek one. Though I wish it had been warmer when served, my friend's scramble took 30 minutes and was overdone so maybe I was better off not letting it get forgotten in their grill oven. The iced mocha I had was really chocolatey coffee goodness.

Marjorie Restaurant, the time I had that super green meal for dinner. First, the table shared an appetizer of a special of the day scallop ceviche and Miss Marjorie’s Steel Drum Plantain Chips with Pineapple, Avocado, Tomato, and Chaat, which they plated together. For me this was accompanied by a Sidetrack Raspberry Ricky with Sidetrack Raspberry (Sidetrack is a local distillery), Lime, Cachaca, Soda).  The plaintain chips were surprisingly fresh and warm.

But, then when it was time for the main play, I ordered that I realized as they placed my order before me, in a way that totally went green. First, for drinks a Marjorie Mojito of Golden Rum, Muddled Mint, Fresh Lime, the Right Amount of Sugar and Love." (very green love apparently). And for my dinner I had Spinach-­‐Ricotta Gnocchi with Kale, Cherry Tomato, Baby Carrot, Pecorino Romano… so green. Must be healthy right.


The next morning, as I perused various breakfast options that were nearby, my eyes lit up at grits. So off to Portage Bay Cafe's Summer Grits and Egg plate, a dish of soft stoneground white hominy grits cooked up with sweet peppers and shallots, topped with Beecher’s Flagship cheddar, and two poached eggs, accompanied by a small bowl of fruit and toast. The grits were just what I wanted.

Yet, I also really wanted a reason to go up to their center table/bar area that was overflowing with fruit and cream for you to top your pancakes or waffles or even your special fruit side plate that you could order as a side (check out Yelp for some photos taken by others). But remembering Sunday and Spinasse and the fullness level I was at then, I wanted to save room for my visit to Beecher's later. My goal was to get a grilled cheese for the Amtrak and some frozen World's Best mac and cheese (I bought mariachi since it came with "vegetables", and I like to buy it frozen because when I put it in the oven I add some panko for more crunch and also let it burn a little) to take back to PDX. Next time. Next time, I would find a way to make it to that fruit toppings bar that just looked gorgeous. It was just brimming with berries and lots of cut fruit, which is my favorite way of having large fruit: already cut for me like I'm a celebrity. Who wouldn't find that appealing?

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Spinasse Dinner: Italian Heaven in Seattle

August 23, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Delicate lovely Italian restaurant Spinasse was a request on my part because I wanted to feel the Tajarin Love. Even before we had ordered (though I had been reading and rereading the menu and photos on yelp and Foodspotting for a few days, so I was quite ready) we were greeted with an amuse bouche of a salmon mousse on bread cracker. Our waitress was very patient and generous with big smiles and checking in while leaving us alone as we lingered throughout our meal, eating slowly and savoring the flavors… and also because we were full even before we walked in. But we were determined to enjoy anyway!

We started our overindulgance (ok, this was my fault again) with Antipasto misto della casa, which is “A taste of all our house antipasti”. That’s right, instead of picking I just picked them all, muahaha. For this visit, that included

Spinasse Dinner Seattle antipasto

  • Pio Tosini prosciutto di Parma Prosciutto di Parma aged 14 months with marinated apricots.
  • Bruschetta di salmone Cured salmon bruschetta with Spinasse’s own ricotta and roasted beet.
  • Insalata di cicoria di campo, a local chicory salad with marinated rabbit, parmigiano-reggiano and balsamico.
  • Insalata rusa, a Summer Russian salad with carrots, cherry tomatoes, spring onion, salsa tonnata and anchovy.

These were delicious, I loved the textures and slight bitterness with the chicory salad that was balanced with the rabbit contrasted with the parmigiano-reggiano saltiness and acidic yet sweet aged balsamico; the prosciutto was a generous portion that I layered atop the soft bread; the bruschetta had the bright roasted beets where I made sure not to lose a single little cube; and my favorite of the four was the Insalata ruso with the flavors of the carrots and cherry tomatoes with the creaminess of the salsa tonnata.

Ah, and then the promised and well reviewed Tajarin al ragù o burro e salvia, a fine hand cut egg pasta with ragù or butter and sage. I went with butter and sage because I wanted to taste the handmade pasta in all its subtle detail. It was ridiculously amazing, I think I could have eaten that pasta dough raw with the butter and sage out of the way because that pasta was just so fresh and good. The strands of the pasta were just so impossibly thin, like the gold thread you would expect Rumpelstiltskin to spin. Each forkful is luscious and melt in your mouth- though that could have also been the ridiculous amount of butter. Well, that’s why I agreed to try out a Flywheel spin class the next morning at 6am- so no worries about what I’m eating here. If the reward after every spin class was this dish, I would buy a membership today. I tried not to scare other diners by letting them see my eyes roll back as I enjoyed these exquisite silky strands sprinkled with Parmesan .

Spinasse Dinner Seattle tajarin

We finished with the Anatra con prunge, a dish of braised duck leg with plums, tremiti olives and basil. So complex in flavors, with each of the components really great on their own, and a symphony all together. But boy was I uncomfortably full, and also mad at the Unicorn and my lack of forethought earlier when ordering at Skillet Diner. I had read that Spinasse had been called the best Italian in Seattle, which I wondered if that was hype… but it really isn’t.

Spinasse Dinner dinner duck leg

Seriously, just looking at the tajarin again and this video which highlights how they create the pasta and the dish, I want to go eat it right now, and I just ate it for dinner the other night… Except this time I would save up so I could order more rather than having 2 other meals that were not Spinasse that day. I have a crush on Spinasse and want to stalk it- how fortunate for it that it is located in Seattle and not where I live.

Pasta: Unique Eats from Lissa Gruman on Vimeo.

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