Dairy, Oddfellows

i used to drink a lot of milk, but not so much anymore. however, the goat milk in my fridge was intriguing to me, so i decided to try it. definately more into that than the cow milk. its got a little sour taste, but creamier. the label claims its easier to digest. hopefully this proves to be the case. 

i went to oddfellows cafe the other day, to grab a pre-show drink and bite to eat. i ordered their aviation cocktail (named after aviation gin). it was a strange gray color, and i found the taste somewhat non-descript=(. my food was better, thankfully. i had pork with sautteed mushrooms. Definately the filling and flavorful dish i needed before a show, and the mushrooms were of an interesting variety. 

new restaraunt outing!

in my quest to visit every french restaurant in seattle ever, i decided to hit up place pigalle in the pike place market. i took my man there for his birthday, and though it was a little spendy, i thought it was totally worth it.
its a cute little place, with a great view of the water. i started off with a cocktail, and an appetizer of warm bitter greens, all of which was satisfactory. the main course, however, was really what made the meal. i had soy glazed duck, which came with fingerling potatoes. every bite was sheer joy. i enjoyed a delicious glass of syrah as i inhaled my duck.
for dessert, we shared a creme brulee, and the server brought us complimentary liqeur. yum!

steak!

mentioning julia child might bring to mind complicated recipes with long lists of ingredients, but she has some simpler recipes which are also delicious. 

I sauteed a pound of steak in olive oil and butter on the stove, and then placed in the oven to cook more (it was really thick). after draining meat fat from the pan, i added more butter (!) and a large shallot that i had minced. once the shallot was nice and transclusent, i added 1/2 cup of the red i was drinking (which happened to be a tasty malbec) and simmered that shit down. off heat, i stirred in another dollop butter and chopped parsley, salt, and pepper. I drizzled that on my steak and roasted veggies, drank more malbec, and felt pretty good about life. 

thanks julia!

back to cafe presse

i love those chill sunday evenings at restaurants....anyways, my habeeb and i split a chicken liver appetizer, which we spread on baguette with cherry compote and mustard. 

i ordered a salad with pear, endive(?), blue cheese, and......beets (my winter favorite)! it was pretty refreshing, and tasty. among the many beet salads i've had this winter, pretty far up there. 

we shared a piche of les hexagonales touraine, which was all right, but not the best thing ever. 

i've been eating a lot of exciting stuff lately....

a friend and i cooked goulash from my william sonoma soup book, it was pretty awesome. i only put 2 potatoes in, as the recipe suggested, but i probably could have used more....i am anxious to try this recipe with tomatoe paste, and noodles. 

i also enjoyed some homemade fries and an exceptionally tasty cote du rhone with this meal. 

it's no great secret that i love le pichet. i talk about it quite frequently and openly. but my love might have increased since my last visit. 

yesterday's dinner at le pichet started with a gin/vermouth/framboise cocktail (just the right amount of sweet). me and my habeeb shared a duck liver, pear, beet, endive, radichio salad. it was delicious, a wonderful assortment of textures and flavors. 

i moved onto wine, not sure what it was, but the waitress selected a full-bodied red wine to accompany my steak. I enjoyed the wine, and the steak.....perfectly cooked, on a cream sauce, with brussel sprouts and frites. it might be the best steak that i've ever had in a restaraunt. 

its always worth saving room for dessert at le pichet, especially for their house made ice creams. the prune-armignac ice cream was a tasty novelty, and my pear brandy finished the meal off well. 

of course, there are always the chocolate madeleines which come with the bill....

in all my time of going to palace kitchen, i was unaware of their happy hour. now, however, i am aware. and let it be known, $3 glasses of sangria are to be had. always a refreshing and fruity treat, it did not disappoint. for food, my dad and i had chicken wings, a pork sandwich, and a beet salad. the sauce on the chicken wings demands bread to soak it up. the pork sandwich, also tasty. the beet salad.... was lacking in the usual greens that accompany it in other seasons, but still good.