"are you drinkin what I'm drinkin?"
Member Location:
Seattle, WA
Member Since:
July 2007
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purplelips's Postings
Last Entry Posted 7/22/2010
GENERAL POST
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Posted
7/22/2010 at 11:13 AM PST
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Breaking Rules with Cherry Mango Salsa
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You know when you are invited to a potluck and the host says, "why don't you bring some chips and salsa?" It's a crowd pleaser and it seems like most people can't get enough of chips and salsa. I think I am the minority in this. I like chips and salsa, but I don't love it. It's kind of like me and peanut butter- for the most part I could take it or leave it. But remember how I said I was obsessed with cherries? Yeah, they're pretty amazing. And a salsa with cherries in it? Now that is a salsa I can get behind. Not too long ago I had the most perfect pineapple in my house. I ate it raw, grilled it and simply stared at it with adoration, as it sat on my wooden counter top. When I had the opportunity to pair some of the pineapple with a lovely wild salmon fillet, I knew the cherries would be jealous if they were not included. Suddenly I was inspired and a new potluck salsa was born. You know what's great about making your own salsa? There are no rules. I think that is why I... ... View Full Post >>
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GENERAL POST
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Posted
7/21/2010 at 10:51 AM PST
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Grilled Sardines!
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Awhile ago, I organized a deep sea salmon fishing trip for Mark and some of his close buddies for his birthday. Mark loves fishing, but come on, this gift was just as much for me as was for him! In my head, I had these grand fantasies of him busting in the door on Sunday night with a weekend-long scruffy beard, holding an icy cooler packed with salmon, (all of course while still in his waiters).
Sadly, the only thing Mark came home with was an icy chest of sardines! Only two of the six guys who went with him came home with more than that. Of course I was bummed we didn't get to eat salmon, but still just as excited we were able to eat sardines! Even though they are considered fish bait to some people, I'm just smitten about them. I can imagine the confused looks he got from his buddies while he packed the sardines on ice to take home. Are you really keeping those?
It's funny, so many people around the world eat fresh sardines, why do Americans only know to eat them...
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GENERAL POST
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Posted
7/14/2010 at 1:46 PM PST
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Fennel Sage Rubbed Pork Tenderloin with Cherry Rhubarb Sauce
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I'm one of these people who takes full advantage of cherry season. The thought that I won't be able to eat cherries for another eight months after September is enough to create gluttonous and wanton desire for them. I don't know if there is a sexier fruit? The deep red juices alone are enough to speed the pulse. Besides eating them alone, I love making them into sauces. One in particular I like to make is a fresh cherry and rhubarb compote that accompanies grilled pork tenderloin rubbed with dried sage and fennel. It's a recipe from book 2 of EAT & DRINK in the Northwest. When Mark and I were invited to our friend's cabin on Herron Island for the Fourth, I knew I wanted to make this recipe. The grilled pork with the spice rub could easily be eaten on its own, but the combination of the caramelized sweet herbs with the tangy cherry sauce creates a whole new element. Herron Island is a private island that is only accessible by boat... ... View Full Post >>
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GENERAL POST
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Posted
7/13/2010 at 10:17 AM PST
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Leftover Watermelon Strawberry Smoothie
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One of my favorite things to make in culinary school was fruit platters. Learning to slice cantaloupe, honeydew melon and watermelon into identical slices to create the perfect Crayola crayon box affect of cascading colors was more than knife skills, it was art. It was sculpture.
I distinctly remember one night while working at Macina Bakery, and I was filling catering orders for the next day. Part of the order was to make several fruit platters and I got carried away. A fruit platter for 8-10 people turned into a platter for a small wedding party! The owner, Leslie came in the next morning and said, "We've had two different clients say there was just too much for their party, how big are you making these?" You can imagine how embarrassed I was.
So yes, when it comes to making fruit platters, I tend to get a little too creative. Which means, I am bound to have leftover fruit after the party is over. That's when I break out the blender.
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GENERAL POST
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Posted
7/12/2010 at 5:36 PM PST
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2010 Wine Blogger Conference Wrap Up
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“I’m brimming with inspiration and fired up to write!” That was the mutual afterglow of the wine bloggers who attended the 2010 Wine Blogger’s Conference. The three-day conference was held at the historic Marcus Whitman Hotel in Walla Walla, Washington; an anticipated change from previous wine blogger conference venues in the California wine country. Would wine bloggers actually make the trip out to this teeny town in the middle of nowhere? A sold out attendance of 300 wine bloggers with a waiting list proved they would! By seeing a show of hands that almost half the room was first time conference attendees, I assume their waiting lists will only grow in time. From the moment I arrived, it was like I had walked in on a family reunion. “It’s so nice to finally meet you!” was the common greeting. Even though many of these people had not met yet, they all knew each other very well. There were far more hugs than handshakes; these people ... ... View Full Post >>
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GENERAL POST
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Posted
6/30/2010 at 1:08 AM PST
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Vanilla Panna Cotta with Blueberries You Can Make at the Ocean
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I recently went on a two-day vacation to the ocean with my mother. I thought it would be a good thing for us to get away and reconnect outside of Seattle, outside of all my father's shirts still hanging in their closet, his shoes at the foot of the stairs and even his breath mints sitting on his desk next to his watch. Each morning, I can imagine these constant reminders making the nights longer, everyday tasks more challenging and the healing process of trying to move on seem like walking in wet cement. Not only was it good for both of us to get out of town, it was great for us to go together. I'm 31 years-old and I have never been on a road trip with my mother by myself. It's always been family outings growing up, laughably classic were our family's 24-hour vacations to be exact. We didn't have a ton of money growing up, so our vacations were short and sweet. While on our trip, my mother brought all the necessary ingredients to make ... ... View Full Post >>
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GENERAL POST
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Posted
6/28/2010 at 4:10 PM PST
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Taking Stock
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Time warp. That is what happens when you miss spring entirely and suddenly it's summer. It's been just over two months since my dad passed away and I feel like I am finally hitting the brakes and taking a deep breath. There is a lot to take in if you have been going for six years without ever slowing down. After my dad was diagnosed with brain cancer last September, my life took an entirely different path. I was careening full speed ahead with projects. I had just wrapped up publishing the fourth EAT & DRINK in the Northwest recipe book and transitioning out of my position at the Herbfarm, where I was as an apprentice in the culinary gardens, to focus full time at Foodista as an Editor and Community Developer. On learning the news of my father, Mark and I were on month six of the seven months that we lived with my brother while our new house was being remodeled. We lived out of a small bedroom that we nicknamed, "the dorm room." We expected our... ... View Full Post >>
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GENERAL POST
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Posted
2/12/2010 at 5:25 PM PST
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February is when I start dreaming of warmer weather
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A fresh seafood salad, 80 degrees with a breeze and the feeling of heat from the sun on my face. Oh sun how I miss you.
This picture was in Fiji, near Rainbow Reef...already five years ago.
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GENERAL POST
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Posted
2/3/2010 at 11:01 PM PST
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Team Hope
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My dad has been battling brain cancer since he was diagnosed in September. Since then, I've done what I know to help, and that is to heal with food. His health has dramatically declined, but I'm not giving up hope. None of us are. Above is an image of my father standing on stage at the Seattle Symphony after we had the incredible chance to listen to the symphony while they rehearsed on stage. It was a gift for my father's 60th birthday in November. These past couple months I've been overwhelming busy moving into a 102 year-old house that Mark and I remodeled, busy working for a fantastic start-up company and busy helping my father battle cancer. When I am able, I'll be posting a few cancer fighting recipes with you all. Next project is to plan a fundraiser for his medical bills.
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GENERAL POST
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Posted
12/20/2009 at 8:51 PM PST
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Spice Rubs
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Hubby Mark is in the kitchen experimenting with spice rubs for steak as we speak
Pretty cool.
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GENERAL POST
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Posted
12/12/2009 at 9:31 AM PST
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Food Porn
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GENERAL POST
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Posted
12/10/2009 at 10:01 AM PST
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Foodista's Best of Food Blogs Cookbook!
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Very Exciting News!
Foodista has put out a call for entries for the Foodista Best of Food Blogs Cookbook.
For the next couple months, food bloggers can submit their photography, writings, and original recipes to Foodista.com. The public can view all submissions on the website and vote for their favorites. That feedback and editors at both Andrews McMeel Publishing and Foodista.com will determine 100 entries chosen for inclusion in "The Foodista Best of Food Blogs Cookbook." More info available here: http://www.foodista.com/blogbook.
I'm telling everyone I know that has a food blog! You should too!
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GENERAL POST
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Posted
11/21/2009 at 10:56 AM PST
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Kabocha Squash and Ginger Soup
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Lumpy, warty Kabocha squash is one of my favorite winter squashes. Sweet, understanding and forgiving in the kitchen, Kabocha makes a fantastic cooking companion. When picking out a Kabocha squash from your farmer’s market or grocery store, choose one with firm skin and a woody stem. After I scrubbed and rinsed the outside of the squash, I split it in two and roasted it in a 375 F degree oven for 30 minutes, until it was fork-tender. After removing the squash from the oven, my kitchen was perfumed by its scent- creating a quintessential autumn kitchen. The Kabocha effortlessly gave up its seeds, leaving behind vibrant, marmalade colored sweet meat. After discarding the seeds and scooping out the steaming flesh, the outer shell of the gourd stayed mostly intact, resting like a helmet on the roasting pan. With a squash this easy to cook with, it was hard not to think of other ways to utilize it other than soup. At the same... ... View Full Post >>
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GENERAL POST
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Posted
10/19/2009 at 10:10 PM PST
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Salmon with Chanterelles and Slow Cooked Tomatoes
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Even though it’s mid-October, I am still picking tomatoes off my plants. Yesterday I had an entire gallon-sized bag of tomatoes that I wanted to use up. So ripe, juicy and sweet- I knew these tomatoes would likely be the last of the season and therefore needed to be used in a special dish. Earlier I had bought some wild salmon, fresh herbs, a sweet onion and some chanterelle mushrooms. Normally, I wouldn’t pair a delicate flavor like chanterelle mushrooms with rich salmon or tomatoes, but I was in a risky mood. What could those flavors be like together? Would the chanterelles get completely lost in the dish? I decided to find out. I sliced about two cups of the tomatoes in half and gently coated them with olive oil, salt and pepper and fresh thyme leaves. Next I spread them out on a sheet tray and put them in the oven to roast. When sweet tomatoes are slow cooked, they get even sweeter. Candy-like actually. To really slow cook them, I would have had to cook them in a 200... ... View Full Post >>
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