Family, meet Palomino

After hubby and the kids' church service (yes, you caught me, hubby was raised Catholic, and he intends to raise our kids that way as well) and my weekly Williams Sonoma class, I lured them to Palomino for lunch so that I could meet my beloved apple drop again. As the day was beautiful, we decided to take advantage of the Happy Hour on the patio. Without a moments loss, I ordered the apple drop as soon as we sat down. This could become a habit, and that's not half bad at all. =) After choosing J's kids meals of grilled chicken breast, seasonal fruit, apple juice, and sundae, we decided on Taleggio and Cambozola fondue, grilled wild forest mushrooms salad, and sausage and mushroom pizza.

Once the most difficult of decision making was over, we sat back, soaked up the sun, and ready to enjoy our food. J's kids meal portion was very large, it must have been a whole breast (chicken that is) on the plate. The fruit disappeared so quickly between the kids, you'd think they never get any at home. Our brick oven fired fondue was served alongside pear, apple, honey, and Roma style pizza crisps. The cheese tasted wonderful, only due to the lack of a heat source, it started solidifying as we worked our way into it. I think the menu also mentioned pistachio crust, there wasn't any. But I wouldn't complain, it tasted just fine. =) The pizza crisps were really their normal pizza dough sans the topping cut into quarters. I was expecting strips as the pie shape wasn't as easy to use as utensils without breaking. The salad was topped with walnuts and Gorgonzola, then tossed in a vinaigrette. It was a perfect balance with the meaty and earthy mushroom, the salty Gorgonzola, and the sweet and sour dressing. As for the pizza, well, it was good, I only wish I were a neater eater so I wouldn't have dropped any sausage bits.

What more could a gal ask for beyond having a great meal (at bargain price too!) with the family on a perfect summer day?

Palomino Bellevue
610 Bellevue Way NE, Bellevue, WA 98004
(425)455-7600

All Natural. All Natural?

The new Costco Connection came in today. One article caught my eye. These days, it's in to buy organic and natural products. But who knew that "natural" didn't really mean natural or anything quantifiable. It sounds like a marketing gimmick.

Taste of Main

Old Bellevue hosted its first Taste of Main event today. All proceeds from this food, music and all day of fun charity event benefit the Children's Response Center. Adult tickets were $25, which included 2 drinks, appetizer and entree, and 2 desserts. Children's tickets were $10, which included 1 drink, an entree, and 2 desserts. After a little play time at the downtown park, we headed over to Main street for a little "Taste". First, just so that I don't keep on repeating myself, I have to say EVERYONE was super nice at this event. I really mean EVERYONE, not a single soul excluded, whether they were selling tickets at the booth, marking tickets, or entertaining kids, whether they were volunteers, or staff from the participating restaurants and shops.

We stopped at Ginza at first to try their sampler of 2 pieces of California rolls, 2 pieces of karaage, 1 piece of salmon teriyaki and some cucumber sunomono. The kids ate just about everything. We then headed to Bis on Main. They set up a buffet table with the mini grilled cheese sandwich, beef skewers and fish tacos. This had to be the most generous offering of the day. People were allowed to take whatever they wanted. More food continued to come out of the kitchen throughout the day. J loved the mini grilled cheese sandwich so much, he had 2! (It's normally very difficult to get J to eat. He's so skinny, his chest looks like a washboard. No kidding!) The beef skewers with mushroom, onions, and red bell peppers soaked up all the nice flavors of the balsamic marinate. The beef could be a little more tender though. The halibut tacos with pico de gallo were soft, warm, and refreshing with the lime juice and cilantro. Hubby also enjoyed a glass of Reisling. We then headed over to Emerald City Smoothies and got an Island Breeze Smoothie and a Marionberry Fuel Smoothie. The kids drank up the smoothies while decorating their own glasses at Ottica, getting an ID badge, wearing a balloon hat from the balloon artist, getting their faces painted, and finally decorated the sidewalk. When everyone was exhausted, we sat down in Monsoon, and sampled the Carleton Farm Pork Ribs with Hoisin BBQ Sauce, and Nem-Nuong & Pineapple Lettuce Wraps (only they didn't have the lettuce). Unlike the other restaurants, where everything was pre-made, things were cooked to order at Monsoon. But we didn't mind the wait. The ribs were finger licking good with ginger, hoisin and five spice. The grilled pork sausage (Nem Nuong) was very flavorful. On top of all these, we also got chocolates from Amore Chocolates and Fran's. Though the cookies they offered outside of the Massage Center were a little disappointing, as they came straight out of a box from Safeway, we still went home with very satisfying stomachs.

A full day of fun for a good cause, this is definitely a nice way to spend a weekend.

Do You Diet?

Do you? If so, are you willing to give up your favorite food?

I can't. I just know that I will never have the willpower to pass on something delicious no matter how many calories, and how many grams of fat it contains. I would still eat foie gras and chocolate souffle every chance I get.

I always thought I was blessed with the skinny gene. My dad is one of the skinniest people I know. Really! The man is barely over 130 lbs at 5'9" (and that's relatively tall for a Chinese guy). He's got no fat! And he loves to snack! When I'm at my parents', almost every time I turn around, he's eating something. And he's got a sweet tooth. He would eat anything with sugar in it. The only thing he ever mentioned being just a tad too sweet was the Costco All American Chocolate Cake, you know, the four layer, 5+ inches tall one. And my grandfather was skinny too. So of course, I was sure that I'd never gain weight no matter what I put in my mouth. All I had to do was eat a little less for 2 days, and I'd be back down again. I just ignored the people who told me that it would catch up with me when I turn 30, or 35, or whatever.

Each time I get pregnant, I put on a whopping 45+ lbs. So it takes a looooooooooong time to lose all of that. Truth be told, I still had 4 pounds left from the first pregnancy when I got pregnant with DiDi (little brother in Chinese). The last couple of years, I have been losing the 2nd pregnancy weight ever so slowly. Then this year hit, all of the sudden, I couldn't lose anymore weight. It was a little annoying to say the least to see the little pouch disguised as my tummy. But what was I to do? I couldn't give up anything really scrumptious. My best friend E told me to try Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred. Really? I've never been the workout type. I was kinda doubtful. But it really works! I've been doing it everyday (shhh, those were special circumstances, don't tell anyone. =) for 2 months now. And I started losing weight again. True, I didn't lose that much. I'm only back to pre-2nd-pregnancy weight. But what's more important is that my shape is changing. The fat on my tummy is going away. Who knows, I might actually get a six-pack.

So maybe you'd like to give it a try too. Then you can continue to eat what you love. (Yes, a little moderation wouldn't hurt.)

Happy hour, New love, and Pizza

I did it! I've finally done it! For the first time in my life, I had a solo lunch at a bar. Well, it's not really a bar, I suppose, just the lounge area of Palomino, but still. (You can see how boring my life must be, if a trivial matter like this would cause such excitement.) And I found my new love! My new squeeze, or should I say new sip, comes in a martini glass, namely candid apple drop. Unlike a stereotypical Asian girl who can't drink, I have very good alcohol tolerance. (Must be my northern Chinese heritage. It runs in the family. My cousin told me she could drink 12 beers in one sitting! I can't even drink 12 glasses of water!) I have been known to shock guys with my drinking ability, and can drink quite a few of them under the table. However, I don't like the taste of alcohol. I prefer foo foo drinks, something sweet and fruity with a pink umbrella. =) For years, my favorite drink had been midori pineapple. Now, midori's got competition. The apple drop is tangy and syrupy sweet at the same time. Perfect for a summer afternoon.

I've been meaning to try all the fabulous happy hours in Bellevue. Today, I finally got around to it, even though I felt kinda silly sitting in the lounge all by myself. (Note to self, no one really cares. Just be normal.) I have heard that Palomino has the best happy hour. And best is where I would start. I couldn't decide between the baked clam or a pizza, then I saw the words that sang to my heart: "Vongole, Manila clams, four cheeses, crushed red chili peppers, extra virgin olive oil." It's like the chef knew what I wanted, baked clams on a pizza! The bartender Jason took my order. He was very nice, and let the kitchen knew I was in a rush. Minutes later, I had my elegant martini glass. Doesn't a martini glass remind you of a ballerina? It does to me. So poised, with its head held up high. Anyways, today we met, apple drop. There will be many more encounters, especially when you are only $4. The pizza came shortly. It had a thin crust, and fresh parsley on top. The baked clams all opened up nicely. Every bite was packed with heat from the red peppers. Now, I would have totally loved this pizza if it wasn't too salty. As much as I prefer my food on the salty side, this was a bit much. I could barely taste the clams due to the salt. I sincerely hope that one of the cheeses was the culprit. Regardless, I'm already planning my next visit. The other happy hours can wait. I need to sample a few more items, and get myself more acquainted with the lovely apple drop.

Palomino Bellevue
610 Bellevue Way NE, Bellevue, WA 98004
(425)455-7600

San Juan Island

We are such boring people that we normally don't do anything but sit at home. Once in a while, I feel like I'm about to go crazy in this boredom. In an attempt to break out of this shell, I decided on a little adventure before the summer ends. We went to San Juan Island this past weekend. This is our first time visiting the San Juan. Even though we had fun, I will have to say that the San Juan Islands are not really for families with little kids. It's a great place if you love the outdoors, kayaking, biking, hiking, camping, whale watching, you name it. You can also make it into a romantic getaway with spas, and wine tasting, etc. However, if your kids are too young to partake in these activities, you are out of luck. There isn't too much to do. Most accommodations won't even allow kids under 10.

Luckily, I picked the weekend of San Juan County Fair. After getting off the ferry, we made a quick stop at the farmer's market, and had a yummy blueberry and raspberry tart that came freshly out of some one's oven. We then headed straight to the county fair. I had very low expectation as the fair is very small compared to the Puyallup Fair. The kids had a blast, watching sheep sheering, egg tossing, and petting bunnies. Even I had a lot of fun watching rabbit and chicken races. Apparently one of the kids in the chicken race brought his chicken over the ferry that morning.

We stayed at the Harrison House Suites. It was only 2 blocks from the ferry building. In the afternoon, they leave these freshly baked oatmeal raisin chocolate chip with walnut cookies in your room. They were so soft and chewy, even the next day. Probably loaded with butter and sugar, but I didn't care. =) The only complaint I have would be that they kept on falling apart. It would be the same in my tummy though. So no biggy.

For dinner, we went to Coho, by the owners of Harrison House Suites. They didn't have a kid's menu, but were willing to put together whatever we had in mind for J. We went with a home made fettuccine with carrots and peas in a butter sauce. It was simple, light, and very nice. Hubby went with the organic chicken breast grilled with peaches, coconut curry and lemon grass scented rice served with fresh vegetables. He loved it, the chicken was tender, the peaches succulent, and the rice perfect. I have a weakness for duck, so I got the smoked long island duck breast with a corn yoghurt cake, rhubarb pomegranate coulis, grilled radicchio and toasted pistachios along with fresh vegetables. I don't remember the radicchio and pistachios at all. The duck was nice and tender. The coulis was a perfect balance between sweet and sour. I really liked the taste of the yoghurt cake, but didn't care for the grilled burn marks on the crust. Just like anything on the San Juan Islands, the price is a bit high. But it was a very full and satisfying meal. Oh yeah, and I love their pumpkin rolls with sunflower seeds.

For breakfast, we were served with oatmeal raisin pancakes and chicken & apple sausages. Both were good. But the sausages taste like the ones you get at Costco. They even made special dairy and egg free pancakes for my son. Needless to say, we all left completely stuffed.

We spent the morning wondering around the downtown area. There is a toy store called the toy box where the kids played with cars, and planes and such. There is also a used bookstore called Serendipity that had a little sitting area surrounded by children's books. There is also a little park called Sunken Park where the kids spent a joyful hour.

My lunch plan, however, totally fell apart. At first, I was set on having lunch at Market Chef after reading their raving reviews on tripadvisor. It turns out that they are closed on weekends. Bummer! Then we decided to take an earlier ferry back. I'm known for being indecisive. But here, with only 40 minutes till the ferry, I was forced to think quickly on my feet, pick a restaurant and order some takeout. I went with Downriggers remembered seeing their name on tripadvisor. Within 5 minutes I already ordered crab burger for me, California clubhouse for hubby, fruit and cheese plate for the kiddies, AND signed the check. This must be some record! The aggravation all paid off when we got to enjoy the nice and warm meal instead of some ferry food. I really liked the crab cake in my burger, it was very fluffy, not greasy at all. The fruit and cheese plate, must had 2 cups of fresh fruit in it, made a very nice dessert. The hostess at Downriggers was very friendly and helpful. The place had an outdoor seating area with a great view of the harbor. Next time, I'd like to sit down and enjoy a relaxed meal there. Again, the only downside was the price - our little takeout was $30 (including tax).

Coho Restaurant
120 Nichols St, Friday Harbor, WA 98250
(360)378-6330

Guacamole?

You know the saying "if it looks too good to be true, it probably is". Well, do you ever wonder how some restaurants can charge you only $1.5 for a big bowl of guacamole? Avocados are expensive! A friend of mine solved the mystery for me a few days ago. Yes, restaurants can get the avocados cheaper, but not THAT much cheaper. The trick these restaurants use is (shhh) mashed potatoes! Yes, plain mashed potatoes, with a little green food coloring and some seasoning. Then they'd put a few cubes of avocados on top just for show. So next time you think you are getting a great deal, think again. I wouldn't eat anything from a restaurant like that. Who knows what other tricks they are using!

Klutz and Western Fried Rice

I'm such a klutz!!!!!!!!!! I don't know what's gotten into me this past week. I've been dropping things left and right. Last Friday, I cut BOTH of my thumbs on the food processor blade while washing up. Not one, BOTH of them! Especially the second time, I was trying to turn the blade in the drying rack so that no one else would get cut. Grrr. And today, I microplaned my knuckle while shaving Parmigiano Reggiano onto my fried rice with leek, arugula, sun-dried tomato and heirloom tomato for lunch. Don't ask me how. So mad at me!

Oh yeah, lunch. When I had to take care of my son, I used to think it would be so nice when he finally went to daycare, and I could have lunches at leisure. He started daycare this month. But now I feel a little silly cooking just for myself, so I try to do things that are simple and quick, and use up things that no one else in the house would eat, such as bok choy, leek, or arugula. Today, I initially wanted to make pasta with leek and arugula. But there was a little bit of rice left in the fridge. So I stir fried the rice with the leek instead of tossing in the pasta. The whole thing took less than 5 minutes. And the result? Well, surprisingly good. Other than rice, I didn't even use any soy sauce. So I guess this cross breed is more Western than Eastern.

Cherry and Blueberry Cobbler

It feels like the fall is here with the overcast and the drizzles. Time for some warm dessert, and I still had plenty of cherries left. =) So I made a cherry and blueberry cobbler based on the Blackberry Cobbler recipe from The Gourmet Cookbook by Ruth Redichl. You can substitute just about any fruit for this. Though I used shortening, the original recipe called for butter. This isn't a very photogenic dessert, but the taste more than makes up for it. Besides, doesn't it all look the same in your tummy? =)

Pan Roasted Corn Salad with Tomatoes and Feta

The biggest hit so far out of all the Williams Sonoma technique classes I've taken is the Pan-Roasted Corn Salad with Tomatoes and Feta that they demonstrated couple of weeks ago. Everyone in the class loved it. The star of the salad is obviously the sweet corn. The feta didn't do too much for me though.

Today, I needed a quick salad dish for lunch, so I thought I'd give this a try. Since my son is allergic to diary, I just omitted the feta and butter completely. It was a huge hit. Everybody loved it, we didn't have a drop left.

Paddy Coyne's

We are a pair of real pack rats! It's disturbing. I've spent most of the day sorting through bags. I kid you not! All kinds of bags - paper bags, plastic bags, big ones, small ones, all that I or we have collected through the years. I don't know what I was thinking. What use could I have of them, even if they are beautiful! But hubby still thinks we should keep them, since the stores are probably going to start charging for bags in a couple of years, at the rate things are going.

All the bag sorting made me a little crazy/depressed, so I suggested we go out to eat (plus I ran out of clean dishes ;). Somehow I convinced hubby to go to Paddy Coyne's Irish Pub in Bellevue, even though we have 2 little kids.

The place has opened since March. The decor was typical for an Irish pub, with Irish music playing all night and sports games on the TV. It was 7:30 on a Saturday night in downtown Bellevue, but the place was only a little more than half full, and there weren't even THAT many tables. I was a little worried. I got the angry chicken - Asian noodles in peanut sauce with a chicken breast in sweet and spicy sauce. The noodles tasted OK with the peanut sauce, soy sauce, green onions, and peanuts. I didn't realize until half way through that there were sun-dried tomatoes in it. It was an interesting combination, and not in a bad way. I always liked the sweet and sour flavors of sun-dried tomatoes. So yay for me. The chicken was a little dry, but the sauce tasted OK. Hubby had the hot turkey sandwich, which is more like a turkey dinner with 2 slices of turkey breasts drowning in gravy on top of 4 slices of toasts sitting on mashed potatoes. I've never been a fan of turkey. But hubby seemed to enjoy it. My son got the steak and fries. Since this is his first steak, I requested medium well not knowing how he would react to a piece of rare meat. This was probably a mistake. The steak was overcooked, and barely seasoned. However, the kids finished it all. So I guess overall it wasn't bad. We wouldn't recommend the Oak Grove Pinot Grigio though.

The staff was friendly. The location was convenient. And the environment unassuming. I'm pretty sure we will visit again. The total, with 2 entrees, 1 kid's entree, 1 glass of wine, and 2 kid's juices, came out to $39.19 + tax ($4.32, this is a little confusing to me, I thought the tax is 10% at restaurants. Is there a higher tax rate for alcohol or something?) + tip.

Paddy Coyne's Irish Pub
700 Bellevue Way NE (between 6th St & 8th St), Bellevue, WA 98004
(425)453-8080

Farmers Market

I can't believe I haven't been to even one Farmers Market until today. I went to the one in Downtown Bellevue. The ones I've been to in California are much bigger, however, this is very well organized. They even had a chef demo. Today's guest of honor is Executive chef Darin Leonardson from Toscano. It's so nice to see all these people wondering down the aisles in search of their favorite fruit, veggie, or a bouquet of flowers. And I bought the first lemon cucumber in my life! =) I think every fruit and veggie I saw today was marked organic. I don't think this was the case a few years ago. Sometimes I wonder if we are going a little too far with this organic business. True, anything I'd eat raw with the skins, I would prefer to buy organic, peaches, grapes, berries, tomatoes, etc. But do organic bananas really make a difference?

The Stone House, Again...

I went to the Stone House for lunch with a friend today. I was the one who suggested it due to the wonderful dinner we had before. However, I'd have to say, it was a little bit of a letdown.

They had a reasonable number of people for a weekday. However, just like dinner, they were short-staffed, with only 1 waitress this time, and no bartender at all. Needless to say, the service was a bit slow, even though she was very nice.

As the weather has turned chilly all of a sudden, I got a cup of tea, and my friend, a cup of coffee. They have a simple selection of Tazo teas. I chose Orange. They only serve French press, no drip coffee. I like that, it feels classier.

I couldn't decide between the Prosciutto, goat cheese panini and the chicken, brie panini. So my friend offered to share both with me. I also had a cup of the salmon and corn chowder, he went with a side of house salad with balsamic vinaigrette.

Now, everything looked great. The chowder creamy. The goat cheese all melted swimming between the prosciutto and wild mushroom. The brie, while holding its shape and place between the chicken and pear, was oozing through the bread where it could. The bread was brushed with a healthy dose of butter (I assume), and showed slightly brown grill marks. The house salad was freshly tossed with cherry tomato, cucumber, red onions, and lettuce. I picked up my spoon with great anticipation. (I admit that my expectation was high because what the yelpers said about the paninis). The first spoonful of soup, I was a little puzzled. Maybe I missed something, I tried again. Well, it wasn't me, the soup wasn't bad, but a bit bland. I ended up sprinkling quite a bit of pepper on top. Next up, the prosciutto, goat cheese and wild mushroom panini. Again, it wasn't bad, but this one was a bit too salty. Maybe it was just the prosciutto. But it was so overpowering, I could barely taste the mushroom. The chicken, brie and pear panini was a little better. I enjoyed the sweetness of the pear. I also really like the tangy honey mustard sauce, not the pasty golden stuff you get in a packet at fast food eat-outs, I could actually see the mustard seeds! However, the chicken was rather bland again. I think the waitress mentioned it was pre-cooked. As stuffed as I was, we decided to try the roasted banana split. I had high hope, wanting to believe the reason I didn't share the love for the infamous banana split was our silly request of putting the banana on the side. What was a banana split without the banana?! However, I was let down again. Don't get me wrong, it was good. I really liked the combination of roasted banana, brownie bites, ice cream and toasted coconut shreds. But the caramel was just too sweet, and the brittles were overkill. I think the concept of every dish was good, but just missed the mark a little bit in execution.

Our total came to $34 + tax + tip. Overall, I enjoyed lunch. It was relaxing. The company was good. I would still come back. Maybe for happy hour, next time.

Stonehouse
16244 Cleveland St, Redmond, WA 98052
(425) 558-5625

Shout Out: Seattle/Eastside Asian restaurants

Shout out! We moved here from bay area, California. So far, I have been pretty disappointed with the Asian food here (Chinese, Japanese, Korean, etc.) Yelp recommendations have been hit or miss too. Does anyone know any good/authentic Asian restaurants in the Seattle area, preferably Eastside? Thanks a bunch!

Williams Sonoma

I have been taking the complementary technique classes at Williams Sonoma the last couple of months. Since it IS a free one-hour class, the result is hit or miss. While the purpose of the class is still to try to sell/demo their tools/mixes/sauces, if the instructor is good, you will learn a thing or two. And who knows, you might even learn something from other people in the class. There is a woman who creates recipes for DariGold that comes to my class once in a while. So if you don't mind spending an hour on a Sunday morning with fellow food enthusiasts, check it out.