Monday, April 29, 2013

Pho Than Brothers

Hello, and happy almost-May everyone! I can't believe how fast this year is going. Only a month and a half until I am done with graduate school, followed by a summer in Seattle and a move back to California. This past weekend, Stuart and I flew to Sacramento for our friends Beth and Stephen's wedding, where it was over 90 degrees!


When we landed back in Seattle we realized it was a whopping 40 degrees colder than the weather we left behind in California. It made me start thinking about a classic cold-weather dish that I have neglected to post about, called Pho. Pho is a staple here in Seattle, and I just had to post about it before we move. There are restaurants dedicated to it on nearly every corner. Pronounced "Fuh," it's basically a delicious Asian noodle soup that you top with selection of bean sprouts, basil, lime, peppers, and hot sauce. It is super cheap, filling, and delicious. One of the most popular chains that sell it is called Pho Than Brothers, where the pictures below were taken. I definitely recommend it on a cold and rainy day.
 









Saturday, April 20, 2013

Apple Oven Cake

Happy weekend! While it's still cloudy and gloomy in Seattle this spring, I know that days of sunshine are not too far away. Specifically, I have some news to share - in August of this year, Stuart and I will be moving back to California! I've dropped a hint or two during previous posts, and the now official word is that Stuart was accepted to the City & Regional Planning master's program at Cal Poly, and will be beginning graduate coursework there this September. We are so excited to enjoy life on the sunny central coast, surrounded by wineries and beaches!

For some reason, I am feeling in an apple mood right now. Years ago I tore this apple oven cake recipe out of Sunset magazine, and I've loved making it ever since. It's like a lighter, more savory version of breakfast pancakes, and is perfect with a dusting of powdered sugar. Plus, it looks awesome in the pan to boot, if you would like to impress some overnight guests. It's super easy to whip up, and I hope you make it sometime soon for a leisurely weekend breakfast!


Ingredients:
3 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1 sweet apple such as Fuji, peeled and sliced (I didn't bother to peel mine)
3 large eggs
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup milk
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon powdered sugar

Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 425°. Melt butter in a 12-in. ovenproof frying pan over high heat. Add brown sugar and cinnamon, swirling to combine. Add apple and cook until just starting to soften, about 3 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in a blender, whirl together eggs, salt, flour, and milk. Pour egg mixture into pan and bake until puffed and brown, about 15 minutes. Sprinkle with lemon juice and powdered sugar.






Friday, April 12, 2013

Monkey Bridge

Happy Friday everyone! I hope that you all had a good week, and that you are ready for a little R&R this weekend. The school week has been crazy busy for me because Stuart and I are heading our of town for the weekend and spending Saturday night at the Lake Quinault Lodge in the Olympic Peninsula. It's a belated trip for his birthday, which was last week, and also a pacific northwest destination we've had on our bucket list. We are expecting some rain, but we can't wait to go on some misty hikes, eat at this funky but (supposedly yummy) Salmon House restaurant, and enjoy the historic hotel property where President Roosevelt once stayed.

Tonight, we are probably going to grab some dinner at a casual but delicious Vietnamese restaurant called Monkey Bridge. It's only a 5 minute drive from where we live, and I have to admit that it's probably one of my top 5 favorite places to eat in Seattle. Not that it's extraordinary in any way, just consistently really good food at a really good price, with a nice ambiance to boot. So it's a least in our top 5 most-visited list! Just look at this bowl of Asian goodness below.






Thursday, April 4, 2013

Apricot Pie

So I know what you may be thinking with the title of this post -- it's only April, and apricots aren't in season until at least May??! Many posts ago, when I was in the beginning phase of this blog, I mentioned that there is a secret for having delicious apricot pie in the middle of winter (or any time of year that you choose). All it takes are some juicy ripe apricots, a freezer, and voila, you can have fruit pie year round.



Clearly I am obsessed with pies as evident from this blog, as I posted about strawberry rhubarb pie as one of my very first posts, follwed not too long after by a classic apple pie posting. As soon as spring turns into summer, I will be gathering a new batch of apricots and preparing pie filling all over again. Check out the how-to below...



Ingredients:
Filling:
Approximately 15 ripe apricots
1 cup sugar or a bit more

Pie Crust:
2 ¼ cups unbleached flour
¼ tsp. salt
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup milk

Directions:
1. Cut apricots into 6ths
2. Mix with sugar in a large bowl.
3. If freezing for later use, place the filling in a ziplock bag. In order to give it a good "shape" so the bag will store well in the freezer, place it in a loaf pan in the freezer for about one hour. remove from pan when the fruit has frozen solid, and store in freezer until ready to thaw and use!

Pie Crust:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Mix the above ingredients together until blended.
3. Divide dough into two parts; shape each half into a round ball using your hands.
4. Place the first ball between 2 sheets of waxed paper (tip: sprinkle a few drops of water under the bottom sheet of waxed paper to keep it from moving around as you roll).
5. Flatten with a rolling pin and (slowly!) remove the top sheet of paper.
6. Use the bottom sheet of wax paper to flip the flattened crust into your pie pan, then tidy up the shape of the crust however you like.
7. Prick crust several times with a fork to prevent air bubbles.
8. Pre-bake the bottom crust on lower third of oven for 10 minutes. Cool on wire rack while preparing the filling (above).
9. Fill prepared bottom crust with fruit mixture (if mixture was frozen, make sure it has been fully thawed by letting it sit in the fridge overnight).
10. Roll out top crust, using same method to flip crust onto pie using the waxed paper.
11. Poke top crust with a fork several times to vent during baking; baste with milk and sprinkle sugar over the top.
12. Bake pie at 400 degrees for 10 minutes, then turn down the heat to 350 and bake for 45 minutes or until ready.







If you are freezing for later use, store in an air-tight baggie
And set in a loaf pan to get a nice rectangle shape that will fit in your freezer
Pie crust time! The same no-butter crust I've posted previously






Serve warm with lots of vanilla ice cream