Its all Greek to Me

We wanted to broaden our cultural palate so we decided to try the annual Greek Festival hosted by St. Sophia Greek Orthodox Church on Saturday, September 8^th, a beautiful Bellingham summer day. The atmosphere was lively with traditional Greek music and many members of the Orthodox Church serving street fair. The setup is a bit different. Instead of money to buy food one needs to purchase tokens. Each menu item costs a certain amount of tokens.

We started with dinner, heading straight for the Gyro vender we were ravenous for the shaved meat treat but to our disappointment lamb was not on the menu. The options were beef, chicken and sausage, disheartened we chose chicken. The gyro, consisting of meat, onion and tomato, is served on pita bread with tzatziki sauce. The bread was good, great chew and held up to the wet ingredients quite well. The meat was bursting with flavor and spice but was a bit dry and needed the tzatziki. Gyros are simple and easy to make. I often use this recipe for the tzatziki sauce on Greek night at our house and I substitute Isernio's Chicken Spinach and Feta sausage for the meat. When I have the time I also make the pita bread from scratch, which is also a simple process.

Next we sampled their Souvlaki dinner plate which included a pork skewer, rice, salad and dolmathes. The dolmathes consisted of seasoned rice and meat wrapped in grape leaves and steamed. Then it was topped with a citrus-chicken broth gravy. This was the star of the plate. 

The pork, like the chicken, was seasoned well but dry. And the seasoned rice carried all the same citrus flavor as in the dolmathes.

The salad was refreshing. Large chunks of cucumber, tomato, olives, onion, bell pepper and feta were lightly coated in a vinaigrette. A good palate cleanser between bites of the rich food.

We moved on to desert. Trying the Tiropita, Spanakopita and Greek doughnuts or Loukoumades. The Tiropita, a cheese pastry, was rich and creamy with a perfect flaky phyllo wrapper. The Spanakopita, my favorite, was the just as rich as the first pastry with the balance of earthy spinach and salty feta. The consensus favorite was the Loukoumades but it is hard to compete with a deep-fried dough-ball dripping with honey and lightly dusted with cinnamon.

Overall we spent $30 sampling the various delights the Greek Festival had to offer. It was a pleasant way to spend an afternoon broadening our cultural palate.

Skagit River Brewery partie Dux

Second chance for the SRB. We wanted to give the restaurant another go to see if the consistency in their food, beer and service. If you haven't read the first blog post please view here before continuing on. We went for lunch on a Saturday afternoon and ate on the deck outside. The atmosphere was quiet and low-key. 

Our first stop was the beer sampler. We decided to go with the Scullers IPA, the Black Jack Lager, the Jenny Scottish Ale and the Farm-to-Market Ale. The Black Jack was full-bodied with a bold, strong flavor and a dry finish. The Scottish Ale was creamy with a malty flavor and dry finish. Both beers were good choices for full-glass pours. The IPA I found to be a well-balanced beer with a hop nose, mildly bitter flavor and dry finish. This was my favorite of the samples and quite possibly my favorite IPA. The Farm-to-Market Ale was a good balance of hop to malt and finished dry but had the “rubber hose” aftertaste that many of the micro-breweries tend to suffer from on their lighter beers.

Our lunch selections consisted of the Wood-fired Reuben, the Brewhouse Pulled Pork and (off the kids menu) the Quesadilla with sour cream, salsa and olives. We were most excited for the salsa but were quickly disappointed with the spicy condiment as it lacked in flavor and freshness. It in no way lived up to or resembled the fantastic salsa we enjoyed the first time. However the Quesadilla was perfectly crispy and cheesy with good flavor.

The Reuben is one of the best sandwiches ever created. I have only found one Reuben that I can say is the best I have ever had and this was not it. The sandwich itself met all of the correct criteria for a successful Reuben attempt with a good meat ratio, melted Swiss, tangy Russian and sweet kraut but the bread, although a tasty marble rye, fell short. The bread did not hold up to the juice from the corned beef and ended up being a soggy mush that disintegrate in my hands. I would still order it if I were in the mood for a Reuben but I would be prepared for a bit of a mess.

The Pulled Pork sandwich was a fine representation of slow-cooked sloppy meat in a bun. The meat was tender and melted in the mouth with each bite. The sauce was tangy with a bit of heat, and had a smoke element to it that was a bit over-powering at times. The coleslaw (on its own carried too much mayo) was a much needed component of the sandwich to cut the smoke flavor of the sauce.

We also shared a small side-salad that was adequate. Fresh greens, red onions and black olives with crunchy croutons and Parmesan cheese. Not much to go wrong there.

Overall I think the Skagit River Brewery is a great place to go when you are in Mount Vernon. Their beers are tasty and different enough from the Bellinghamster's brews that it is worth the stop. I feel that their food is still in the development stage and with time will hopefully become great pub-fare.

Skagit River Brewery partie Un

We decided to give a local brewery a try that was not on the Bellinghamster's radar. The Skagit River Brewery is located near the train and bus station in downtown Mount Vernon. It is a bit hard to find parking but the central location is easy to find. We chose to dine on a Saturday night which happened to feature a live musician, Ryan LaPlante, who killed it with a solo steel-guitar blues performance that had everyone tapping their toes. 

We started with a beer sampler. For $6 you can choose four on-tap beers, ranging from light to dark. I chose to sample a lager, a hefeweizen, a brown ale and a porter. The lager, called the Del Rio Lager, was light and crisp. It was similar to a Raineer but with a smoother finish. The hefeweizen was really good, sweet with a hint of hop, I would compare it to a Blue Moon. The brown, called the Skagit Brown Ale, was my favorite. It was rich, full bodied and smooth. The porter, called the Highwater Porter, was the strongest beer with a complex flavor profile. The dry finish with a bitter hop taste was bit too much for me.

On to the food. We ordered two items that are staples for any Pacific Northwest pub, burger and fries and a pizza. 

The Big Pub Burger is advertised as a “wood-fired burger.” I am not certain what that means but I wanted to try it anyway. The burger is placed on a toasted onion bun and dressed with mayo, lettuce, tomato and red onion. A choice of cheese can be added for an additional charge, I chose Havarti. The burger is served with a mountain of waffle fries, which if you ask me is the king of all fries. The fries hot and crispy, lightly seasoned, a good fry. The burger was fairly thick, filling the 1/3 lb description, seasoned well but was a bit dry. We did neglect to ask for the burger to be cooked at the correct medium temp and were given medium-well, which is forgivable. However the mayo was a store-bought variety and did not add any value to the overall flavor. 

The pizza we ordered was the Padilla Bay, a hand-tossed nine-inch dough topped with prosciutto, feta, rosemary, mozzarella, Parmesan and fresh roma tomatoes. All pizzas are sauced with a roasted garlic tomato sauce. I am a sucker for anything prosciutto so this pizza was a must try. When the pizza arrived we noticed large chunks of feta covering nearly every square inch of the pie. This turned out to be this pizza's fatal flaw. The feta was so over-powering that we could not taste any of the other ingredients. It was still edible but required several drinks of water between bites. Once I removed 95% of the feta from a slice I was able to taste the garlic-tomato sauce, prosciutto and rosemary, a fantastic combination. The crust was great. Thin and fire-kissed, it reminded me of La Fiamma's crust without being too chewy. I will be trying this pizza at home, minus the feta.

A pleasant surprise was the salsa. Available as an appetizer, the chips and salsa was the best thing we ate that night. The prefect balance of ingredients with just a hint of heat. Overall there is enough good at Skagit River Brewery for me to make a return trip when I am down in Mount Vernon. I am interested in trying their Ruben and several pizza combinations on their menu. Plus there are more beers to sample.

Don't miss the second of our SRB review.

Here's the Beef!

I wanted to cover a popular menu item in the culinary world and kick off my “Best Burgers in Bellingham” series of blog posts. This post will be the standard to which I base my burger preferences on. Burgers are one of my most favored of foods. It is also a food that can be prepared several ways and has many schools of thought to how it should be prepared. Knowing that I found this recipe to be the best of the home-cook burgers.

Inspired by a recipe handed down from one of the greatest humans I have ever known, Bob Gieselman (Grandpa Bob), I have perfected this concoction over several years. As it should, it starts with the beef. Grandpa Bob choose his beef carefully. Picking a cow well in advance, he visits the ranch in Wyoming often to make certain the cow is well feed and well treated. I can't afford nor need an entire cow so I go with an organic beef, raised and packaged close to home. Fat content is important for maximum flavor and moistness. I use a pound of 85/15 but this recipe can be used with leaner mixes for those who are health conscious.

In order to have a great burger the meat needs to be juicy. Using a high-fat mixture helps but I find incorporating 3 tbs of panko breadcrumbs helps retain some of the delicious meat juices and blends in with the texture of the ground beef. I season my beef throughout the mixture to keep the spices evenly distributed, verses during the cooking process. I use 1 tbs of a Cajun spice blend to add salt, pepper and heat. I also add 2 tbs of an asian general tsao sauce to act as a binder and give a hint of sweet heat to the overall flavor. This mixture is intended to minimize the need for toppings.

I form my patties to fit the bun because the correct bun to meat ratio is a critical factor for maximum burger enjoyment. This 1 pound recipe is divided in fourths to yield a true quarter-pounder. I usually grill the meat until it just reaches medium-rare. Although if it does get over-cooked a bit the panko keeps the meat from drying out.

I do love my toppings, especially cheese and bacon, but I find that burger downfalls are caused by the over-topping of condiments and veggies. For most burger fans cheese and ketchup is all that is required. I like to put the classic lettuce, tomato and pickle. I usually choose only one condiment, if needed, ketchup or mayo suits me fine. On this burger I have a secret recipe, code named “hot toddy,” involving mayo and a certain green super-food (more on this sandwich spread later). These burgers have the big flavor and satisfying portion size that I require. Moist, meaty and marvelous. Enjoy!

Ugly Bagels

I love to bake and equally, I love bagels but I am terrible at making my baked goods look as good the ones you would get from a professional baker. Thus the Ugly Bagels were born. I found a recipe online at allrecipes.com that I felt fit the classic bagel requirements. It calls for the boiling of the dough prior to baking. In this batch we made three different flavors. Plain, kosher salt and sesame seed.

The first try was rough. I boiled the dough as instructed but I found the bagels too tough and chewy. On this batch I shortened the boil time with better results. I find the shortened time yields a lighter, softer center and doesn't leave your jaw sore from chewing. Give it shot, there are quite a few steps but overall an easy process. Let me know any tips you may have for making them look better than mine.

Homeskillet is killing it in Sunnyland

I love this grub! Everything I have had at Homeskillet has been awesome and I always feel welcomed. Plus they serve BEER! This particular day I ordered the Hot Green Mess. This crazy concoction must have originated in some herb-induced late-night munchies binge. It starts with the home-made mac n' cheese. The melty goodness is then topped with their spicy pork green chile. A wonderful mixture of roasted pork, chiles, peppers and onions. Then its all topped again with more cheese! 

They put a pile of perfectly fried tater tots on the side which you think would be over-kill by now but NO! It is a stroke of culinary genius as you mix a bite of the gooey-soft cheesy noodles with the spicy-savory chile and the salty pop of the tots. Fantastic! Bring a friend to share because the portion is LARGE! So will be your belly if you did as I did by polishing off each bite with a swig of vitamin R, which I do encourage, but you have been warned! I will be back to Homeskillet again and again and so will you. But please, for the sake of Kirby, Tina and the crew, come on a weekday. The weekends just get too jammed up.

Avenue loosens the B(e)LT

Classic BLT on a freshly baked ciabatta roll in itself sounds great but add stone-ground mustard and two over-easy eggs and you have yourself a party in your mouth! Avenue'sJames Street Cafe has been a favorite of mine for a number of years. The first time I tried the Sunnyland location I ordered this sandwich (the BELT). I consider myself well versed in all things sandwich and I feel this particular one hits on all levels. Starting with the bread, as all sandwiches do, is a wheat ciabatta baked fresh daily. It is soft on the inside with a slightly chewy crust. The bread holds up well to the filling. The bacon, the single-most important ingredient to the BLT, hands down, not debatable. Don't try and fool me with some vegan substitute or some crap made from turkey it has to be the real thing. Crunchy, salty pork bacon is the foundation of this great sandwich. The lettuce is crisp and lends a great counter-texture to the bread. The tomato is sweet and counters the bacon nicely. 

The eggs, although typically fried, I recommend getting them cook over-easy or sunny-side-up. Over-easy is a little less messy but the richness the yolk brings, covering each bite with a warm blanket of good morning, is well worth the extra napkins. The stone-ground mustard sends this breakfast grinder into the stratosphere. Playing the roll of savory and spicy all at once. Overall this is one of my top 10 sandwiches (a subject I will cover in a later blog) and would recommend it for your next adventure in eating.  

Dutch Oven Pizza

Considering making pizza and camping are two of my favorite hobbies, this a something I've wanted to do for a long time.

The start of any cooking venture is the preparation. I have here a 12" dutch oven with lid hook, tongs for briquette distribution, briquette chimney, fire pit and table to hold ingredients.

On the preparation table I have my homemade pizza dough (which I will discuss in a later post), cheese, meat, tomatoes, a board for dough prep, a silicon brush to spread the oil and a peel to receive cooked pizza.

While the briquettes reach perfection I prepared the dutch oven using olive oil to keep the pizza from sticking and to add flavor to the crust.

I fit the dough inside the dutch oven and added a bit more olive oil to help keep the crust from getting too dry.  One could use a tomato or white sauce here instead. I topped this cheese only pizza with a blend of mozzarella and sharp cheddar cheese.

Using the tongs place 4 to 6 briquettes on the fire pit floor (I used a small bbq grate because the ground in the Pacific Northwest is always damp). You don't need much heat on the bottom but be sure to evenly space the briquettes. Dump the remainder on the lid of the dutch oven. This will drive the heat down and cook your toppings without over-cooking the crust. As time passes you may need to transfer briquettes from the lid to the bottom. Cook time should be roughly 12 minutes. However you will need to check and rotate the dutch oven periodicity.

When cooking multiple pizzas using one dutch oven be sure to remove the oven from the heat and be cautious while building your next pizza in the hot dutch oven. The second and third pizzas were topped with olive oil, serrano ham, chorizo sausage, spanish salame, tomato, a blend of asiago, mozzarella, parmesan, provolone and fontina cheeses. The results are a crispy-thin crust with a moist top and a great chew. A light delicious pizza while you are roughing it.