Crumble & Flake

Last week I was taking a bus and we passed Crumble & Flake patisserie. I vaguely remembered that some big chef was supposed to open a pastry shop on Capitol Hill sometime this spring/summer.


The next morning we stopped by and picked up few items to try. The place is small - no place to sit, just order and go. Selection is limited but all pastries and cookies look small and elegant. From the reviews it sounds like they sell out fast. We got there 1.5 hours after opening and found decent selection. We bought Marionberry macaron, nectarine and lavender scone, croissant and apricot financier. Macaron was the best in the bunch for me.

Lunch with Produce from Sunday Farmers Market

I love going to Sunday Farmers Market. This morning we walked to it, bought fresh lettuce, fresh cheese, baguette from Columbia City, came home and made a nice lunch. Love this time of the year!

London - Oxford - London 2012

Last month we went for a week long vacation to London and Oxford. We stayed in two neighborhoods in London: Chiswick and Richmond. Here are few pictures from the trip to share. The above is a street in Chiswick.

Sights around London

St. Paul's

National Gallery

 Near St. Paul's

Court with some law offices

Paul Cafe

We stayed few days in Oxford and here are few shots from there

And to end the trip we went to Ana and Matt's Wedding in Richmond Bingham Hotel. Here is a link to the professional pictures by Sean Gannon. Congratulations Ana and Matt!

Avocado Feta Kale Quinoa Bulgur Salad

While visiting London last month I got an idea for another quinoa salad - making it with avocado and feta. This time I also added bulgur wheat to the mix. I made this salad few times now and it goes well as a side dish to fish and meat. Below is the recipe.

Ingredients:

1 avocado, cut in small pieces
1/2 bunch of dinosaur kale, chopped
6 oz of feta, sliced into 1/2 inch cubes
1/4 bunch of parsley, finely chopped
1/2 cup of white quinoa
1/2 cup of bulgur wheat
juice of 1/3 of lemon
2 tablespoons of Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper

Preparation:

1. To cook bulgur wheat use ratio of water to bulgur 1.5:1. In a small pot, pour 3/4 cups of boiling water over 1/2 cup of bulgur wheat, mix, cover with the lid and let bulgur cook for about 30-40 minutes. Yes, you don't need to cook anything on the stove.

2. To cook quinoa combine 1 cup of water with 1/2 cup of quinoa in a small pan, bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium low, close the lid and cook for about 15 minutes until quinoa is cooked stirring occasionally.

3. Combine quinoa, bulgur wheat and all other ingredients in a big bowl and mix. Salt and Pepper to taste.  Salad is ready to eat. Last night I served it with salmon.

Independence Day - July 4th

The picture says it all - Happy Independence Day! This was my first 4th of July celebration as US citizen. We had a nice barbeque with friends at our house. We had burgers, hot dogs, corn, chips and other foods.

The story behind muffins is - I got muffin pan made in the USA and paper muffin cups with USA design as a gift for my citizenship so I thought making muffins using these gifts for the 4th of July will be a good idea. I bought a box of organic apple cinnamon muffin mix from the Co-op, followed instructions on a box and made muffins. Came out festive, don't you think?

Let's Grill Some Corn

Lately we have been grilling corn. It is easy to do and makes for a quick dinner. Right now all the corn we have been buying has been very sweet. We spray corn ears with canola oil spray and then grill them on medium heat with the lid closed for about 15 minutes turning every 5 minutes to prevent burning. To serve we slice corn of the cob and add a little bit of butter.

June favorites: Copper River Salmon and Sugar Snap Peas

Nothing tells me that summer is almost here like fresh Copper River salmon and peas. These foods are now in season and my family has been enjoying them. Below are few quick ways that I use to cook salmon and peas.

Ingredients:

1 lb of sugar snap peas
1 lb of Copper River salmon
Salt
Canola Oil cooking spray
Olive Oil

Preparation:

1. Wash peas, cut the ends and remove the string. Boil peas for 2 minutes, drain and immediately transfer into ice water. Let peas cool. Once they cooled off, transfer to a bowl, salt and drizzle with olive oil. Peas are ready to serve. Blanching peas cooks them just enough to remove the toughness while at the same time preserves their crispiness.

2. For salmon, preheat oven to 425 F. These days I cut salmon into individual serving pieces prior to cooking. I then spray the pan (ovenproof type) with canola oil spray and fry salmon pieces skin side up for about 2 minutes on medium high until the flesh starts to get nice light brown color. I then flip the salmon skin side down and transfer pan into the oven and cook for another 5-6 minutes or until salmon is done. I prefer medium rare salmon so 5-6 minutes has been just right for me. Of course, you should cook it to your preference.