UnRecipe: Meat n' Potatoes

There's nothing fancy about meat loaf, but it's one of those dishes we all return to many times over. It's like a giant hamburger, minus the bun. Maybe that's what makes it such an All-American dinner staple. And there's no single, authentic way of making it, so it becomes this cultural symbol of comfort food, like chicken soup, where no single person gets to own it, but everyone gets to have a part in it. So to that, I say, Hooray to you, Meat Loaf!

Meat loaf the meal, not the singer - Photo by Wasabi Prime

Not unlike a lot of people, my mom used to make meat loaf. Not because it was fancy or because our family was craving it, but because it was simple. And, to be honest, I didn't much care for it, mostly because at the time, I wasn't a fan of hamburgers either. So weird, right? Downright un-American. But I think one of the significant turning points in my long, notorious history as a picky eater was when I had to start making meals for myself and I discovered the magic behind meat loaf. It's easy, relatively inexpensive and it yields plenty of leftovers. Ground beef, seasonings, an egg and some breadcrumbs to bind, and either shape into a loaf or shove into a loaf pan before letting the oven do its thing -- shazam, done.

I've done variations on the loaf of meat, using ground turkey, seasoned pork sausage, mixing in finely chopped vegetables, shredded cheese, and seasonings that make it Italian-themed or Southwest-themed. It's as versatile as making hamburgers, adding different ingredients and flavors as one desires, which I think also lends to its refusal to disappear from restaurant and home kitchen menus.

It was nice to have retro-worthy dinner, keepin' it real with meat loaf. But there was a little gilding of the lily by roasting some sweet potatoes with herbed grey salt and par-boiling some asparagus and tossing with gorgonzola crumbles. The meat loaf itself was a little fancier than usual, being mixed with chunks of gorgonzola cheese, giving it a nice richness of flavor. Even with all the little extra upgrades, it didn't push the meal into anything fussy, it just emphasized how comforting a meal like this can be, and how good it is to have a home cooked meal.

Asparagus cooking and a meaty loaf, baked fresh from the oven - Photos by Wasabi Prime

Mixed Plate: Love is Never Having to Make Pancakes

Love is gentle. Love is kind. Love is not having to go out to eat pancakes and having your significant other make it for you. I'm pretty sure if Mr. Wasabi and I did get hitched, I'd want that written in our vows. Rainy day weather kept us from trekking out one Sunday for breakfast, but I was glad to turn over the reins in the kitchen and let Mr. Wasabi take us to flapjack heaven.

The best meal is the one you don't have to cook yourself - Photo by Wasabi Prime

I don't know what Brock used in his pancake recipe, I don't know where he got the recipe from, and I don't care. Honestly, that's what makes a truly good meal, not having to be involved in making it or cleaning up after it, for that matter. Don't get me wrong, I love cooking, I love getting down to the nuts and bolts of a meal, but at the end of the day, if someone wants to make something for me, be it family, friend or just going to a restaurant, I'm totally down with that.

It was, of course, extra nice to have pancakes. I can't think of the last time when I had a pancake. Usually if I'm given  the choice of breakfast at a restaurant, I choose savory over sweet. But we had pancakes on the brain and Mr. Wasabi was kind enough to offer his skills in the kitchen while I got to sit back and take photos.

Breakfast and Quantum Leap coffee mugs, the right way to start the day - Photo by Wasabi Prime

We didn't have maple syrup since we don't usually make pancakes, but a light drizzling of honey was just fine. Paired with turkey sausage and a fried egg, it was a great way to start a lazy Sunday. And we had the added rocket fuel of coffee, poured in my fantastically nerdy Quantum Leap mugs. If anyone was wondering, I had the Sam mug and Brock took Al. Scott Bakula, you complete me. I got these shamefully awesome mugs at an equally shameful/awesome Star Trek convention in high school. I didn't even drink coffee at the time, but I had the conviction that, Someday, these will find their place in the world. And sure enough, they did, serving morning coffee on rainy days, and eliciting many comments of, "Where the hell did you get these things? I can't believe you'd bring them out in public." Well, at least there were pancakes.

The best part of waking up... is sci-fi nerds on a cup! - Photos by Wasabi Prime

FoodTrek: To the Beermobile, Robin!

Da-na-na-na-na-na-na-na, Da-na-na-na-na-na-na-na - Brewer's Festival! It's Beer-thirty or close to Beer-o'-clock somewhere in the world and Washington knew how to do it up right with sudsy goodness at the annual Brewer's Festival, put on by the Washington Beer Commission. Literally hundreds of beers were presented by over fifty brewers from across the country for a weekend to celebrate dads and beer, and I'm sure Duffman would have heartily approved. Oh Yeah!

Duffman covets this car and hip-thrusts in the direction of it - Photo by Wasabi Prime

I should make a Father's Day-related note that while my dad is beer's #1 Fan, his choice tends to lean towards Bud Light, and having it from the bottle is considered a special occasion. In a household where I recall such classics as Hamms and the generic "Beer" written on white cans gracing the shelves of our hallowed fridge, I can't say I was raised with any particular pedigree of brew-sipping. But you leave the nest, learn new things and discover there's a wide, wonderful world of frosty beverages that don't require a cute animal mascot to make the product more appealing. With the growth of craft beermaking steadily on the rise, festivals like the Brewer's Festival are like a foamy oasis, with a strong aroma of hops in the air. This is probably my favorite of all the local beer festivals -- St. Edwards Park is the ideal location, with the huge monastery in the backdrop for tents teeming with brewery tables, cider and wine tastings, food vendors that just need to say Sausages! to get a crowd to gather, and a big stage for live music. And yes, I saw some people moshing near the stage. This is why it's held outdoors for the open air and soft ground for which to collapse upon.

Wholesome family fun - beer and bouncy castles - Photos by Wasabi Prime

So, to brass tacks -- what were the notable beers? As always, one of the longest lines was local favorite, Redmond's Black Raven Brewing Co. The trick to these shindigs is to go right when it opens and get to all the popular samples before the lines get crazy or worse, they just run out. I got a sample of their Bourbon Barrel Aged Scotch, which was a nice, rich, lightly smoky-flavored beer, which is a good overall sense of their beer flavor profile, and why the lines get so crazy-long. They qualified as a "two sample" beer, because you had to get a sample from another brewery to drink while waiting in line for the sample you really want.

One of my early beeline samples was to the Rogue-owned Issaquah Brewhouse, which offered their White Frog, a Belgian style wit beer. It was a light, summery beer, but I think I still love their fall/winter beers best, which have been standouts at previous festivals. But I have to give them extra props for handing out temporary frog tattoos and green condoms with a frog printed on the wrapper. Beer, tats and rubbers -- it's like the Trinity. Cheers to your smart-thinkin' Issaquah Brewhouse!

An early view of the festival, before the crowds totally obscured the booths - Photos by Wasabi Prime

I had a chance to chat with the owner of Gallaghers' from Edmonds, a brewery where people can brew their own beer, plus they brought some brews of their own. Their Citra Blond was like a Sha-zam of citrus flavor, minus any actual citrus, as the hops provided that kick of vitamin C goodness. Another charming summer-themed beer was Elysian's Avatar Jasmine IPA -- very floral, so it's something that's good to have on its own or bookended with really light-tasting beers, so the jasmine flavor doesn't feel off-putting. Another summer beer I liked was Seattle's Schooner Exact Brewing Co's Seamstress Union, a raspberry wheat having a beautiful blush, like grapefruit juice. It had a nice mellow grain flavor with fruity notes that wouldn't put off the "no fruity beers" brew-drinker.

Beer, beer, and more beer -- and cans of beer! - Photos by Wasabi Prime

What would probably put off the "no fruity beers" brew-drinker is this part -- I love ciders. Not the sugary, illegitimate booze-child of Zima and Hard Lemonade, but real ciders that truly take on the flavor of the orchard. The cider tables are usually slower traffic, since they require two tokens, but that's because they pack a higher alcoholic punch. I visited the Snowdrift Cider table not once but twice, to sample their Dry Cider and Semi Dry New English style ciders, which were crisp and fresh-flavored, especially the Semi Dry. They're based out of Wenatchee and their bottles of sparkling apple goodness is starting to make its way into the Seattle area. They mentioned they'll soon be carried in specialty stores like Malt and Vine, so I look forward to seeing their lovely-designed labels soon in shops.

In the immortal words of Ice Cube, I gotta say it was a good day. Even if the sun made no cameo appearance. Actually, for something like the Brewer's Festival where you're sitting out in the middle of a grassy park with little to no cover for hours at a time, an overcast day is ideal. Learning from past festivals, it's good to bring your own food and snacks, just to save on the pricier festival food, although the Tim's Cascade chips booth was a rare bargain for $2 full-sized bags. Salt and Vinegar chips, thy name is Kryptonite. Aside from that festival indulgence and a trip past Bluebird Ice Cream's tent for a stout-flavored ice cream run, people brought a wide mix of nuts, jerky, cheese, crackers and veggies, which made for a perfect snack buffet to keep the beer from going to anyone's head. I can gladly say that the Kraken was released in a responsible, non-belligerent manner.

Beer festival tips - be protected and bring your own snacks - Photos by Wasabi Prime

Much Wasabi Thanks to the Washington Beer Commission for throwing yet another fantastic festival and for the invitation to raise a glass at one of my favorite events!

OMG a Recipe: Blissed Out on Burgers

It began with a hamburger bun. I came to the agreement with myself that if I'm really craving some bready goodness, I can have it as long as I make it myself. That's fair, right? I can buy hamburger buns from the store easily enough, but I thought, I've got the time, the bread hook attachment for our almighty Kitchen Aid mixer, so no excuses Ms. Wasabi -- get to work! So I made it a point to not only make the buns, but also give the burger the royal treatment and make it feel as kingly as possible before I blissed out on burgers. Large patties of meat were seasoned, stuffed with gorgonzola cheese, and topped with pickled onions, provolone cheese, and Maui sweet onion mustard before being nestled between toasted home-baked buns. I did it My Way - extra cheese.

Burgers with an arterial vein of gorgonzola cheese - Photo by Wasabi Prime

Buns, buns, buns! So much room for naughty jokes. The recipe I have to offer isn't even mine, it's thanks to Epicurious and their dutiful collection of recipes from Gourmet, which is where this hamburger bun came from. I liked this recipe in particular as it's got a nice sturdy texture, but has an eggy, slightly sweet brioche flavor. It didn't ask for sesame seeds, but I added them right before baking, stuck on the egg/milk wash. I made the same recipe again a few days later, minus the sesame seeds and it was fine and less messy without the seeds falling everywhere. But the sesame seeds do add a visual bit of authenticity, no?

I had a couple of little cippolini red onions from the farmers market and I could have cooked with them, but they were so adorable, I wanted to use them in a way that would celebrate their cuteness. Somehow pickling them seemed like the right choice, although you wouldn't know they were cute cippolinis once they were sliced thin and set in the brine. Well, the intent was there, right? I shot from the hip on the brine -- when UnRecipes Attack! I took some white wine vinegar, sugar, mustard seeds, fennel seeds, peppercorns and sugar, and simmered the whole thing on the stove for a bit before pouring over the onion slices. I drained off a jar of cocktail pearl onions and used the rest of this sweet/sour mustard brine to change the flavor of those onions as well. Gads, those cocktail onions are strong, even for a mean martini -- the new brine helped those little guys change their tune and not cause faces to contort in disfigured pain every time you bit into one.

But what about the burger, Wasabi? Jeeze, this is supposed to be a hamburger post, after all! I have to say when I make burgers at home, the ground beef is just a vessel for other flavors. I've made burgers seasoned heavily with fresh rosemary, lemon zest and pepper for a fresh tasting patty, and lately I've taken to shoving scraps of cheese in the center for a little surprise. And by 'surprise,' I don't mean e coli, so when adding something extra to the burger centers, you should probably cook it well-done versus medium. I chose a chunk of gorgonzola cheese because it's so good with beef and I fell into the snare of bulk buying at Costco and wound up with a kingly wedge of the stuff and it's being used liberally in a lot of the dinners lately. But as Wallace from Wallace and Gromit would say, "I do love a good gorgonzola!"

As for the toppings -- why provolone and Maui sweet onion mustard? Because I had them handy, simple as that. Any combination of condiments and toppings would work well with a fancy burger, but I think the best mix of flavors are ones that balance sweet, savory and sour. Personally I'm not a fan of ketchup on burgers. Fries, yes. But I think that corn syrup sweetness is just too strong for hamburgers and kind of cheapens it as a whole. If you're going to go through the trouble of making the buns from scratch and making cheese-stuffed burgers, honor your own efforts by making sure the flavors are balanced. I can honestly say, the extra steps are totally worth it. You really feel like you're giving yourself an extra special treat and it's defnitely made me feel more confident about not being a total spaz when it comes to baking bread. As GI Joe would say, Knowing is Half the Battle.

A bit fussy, but totally worth it. Yes, that burger is bleeding cheese - Photos by Wasabi Prime

FoodTrek: Summer... is it Really You?

I've heard tales of  a season where a blazing orb sits in a blue sky, sometimes with a few wispy clouds, shining down warmth and light upon people as they come out from their polar-tec fleece underpinnings and rub the winter sleep from their eyes like little mole people. I think that's what's happening now in the Pacific Northwest, because this last weekend actually felt like that strange season some call "summer." To celebrate the change, Mr. Wasabi and I were very lucky to be invited to Woodinville's DeLille Cellars' Summer Solstice party, and sampling some of their brightly-flavored vintages in the glowing afternoon sun.

Cheers to DeLille's Liquid Sunshine ! - Photo by Wasabi Prime

DeLille must truly be blessed by the Powers That Be, as the day couldn't have been more perfect to have an outdoor party, especially compared to the RIDICULOUS weather that had been drowning Western Washington the week before. I know I've said I manage the grey rainy days just fine with baked goods and stacks of books, but when you do get a truly beautiful day, you really do comprehend the comparision between amazing and rainy-awful-as-hell, and you totally check the "amazing" box, if given the choice.

The dawn of a new rose - Photos by Wasabi Prime

Maybe the weekend weather was blessed by the vino powers of Greek god Dionysus, as DeLille's Summer Solstice party was celebrating their Doyenne 2009 Rosé, which was the perfect pink hue of summertime delight. After going from the chilly winter months of heavier red wines, the fruity blush of a nice rosé, along with samplings of their 2008 Chaleur Estate Blanc, were nice, bright flavors to match the atmosphere. There were two reds, their Doyenne 2007 Aix and their 2007 Harrison Hill. Their Aix is a longtime fan favorite, very much in-tune with Northwest sensibilities towards flavorful reds, with a mix of Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Mourvedré grapes, but I found that I enjoyed the lighter Harrison Hill, with a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, given the day's sunny disposition. It's funny how surroundings can totally affect one's taste for an afternoon. I've always liked their Aix and will continue to do so for cozy nights with a touch of frost. Having the Harrison Hill, I think that would be the perfect red wine to enjoy on a summer day, without it feeling too heavy.

Cheers to summer grill marks! Photos by Wasabi Prime

To go along with the wine samplings, they put together a nice, light fare of grilled skewers, orzo and cole slaw -- a bit like a fancy barbecue. As always, their event sold out and it was a big crowd of people, so we took to exploring the winery grounds a bit to find some pretty spots to enjoy our lunch and wine. There's quite a few hidden treasure-like spots outside, past the field where sheep were grazing, and beyond the little pond. We took some time to soak up the day's dose of vitamin D -- a light breeze made it perfect to just stand out in their grassy fields and literally feel like your batteries were recharging. Wandering over to the fence, Mr. Wasabi and I observed a goat and some freshly-shorn sheep and had silly thoughts like, do they get sunburned?

Walking along a little gravel trail in back of the pond, there were benches near shady spots and wine barrels set up like side tables, perfect to perch a wine glass and a plate of food. I spied an old chair made into an adorable planter, and a pretty little stream running through some ferns and trees. I think it needs to be noted that I'm glad I wore low-heeled wedges, which lent themselves well towards exploring their great outdoors. If you get a chance to visit DeLille for one of their wine events, defnitely go for flat sandals, so you can fearlessly explore the grounds while balancing a plate of food and a glass of wine.

The hidden natural gems of DeLille - Photos by Wasabi Prime

Much Wasabi Thanks to DeLille Cellars for inviting us to the Summer Solstice event. Keep an eye on their Events page for upcoming celebrations at their winery in Woodinville -- their next big event is a celebration of Bastille Day on July 11 with multiple local chefs. Oui, oui!

Mixed Plate: Kitchen Confidential

Meanwhile, in a laundry room not far from here...

The Wasabi Prime Peanut Gallery Players - thanks, we'll be here all week - Photos by Wasabi Prime

So I'm either going crazy and having a Wonderfalls-like spell of momentary mental derangement, or it's a visit from the Wasabi Prime Peanut Gallery Players, objects from the kitchen who like to throw me under the bus now and then with a dose of truthiness and snyde commentary. I've been so used to snapping photos and clanking around in the kitchen, making stuff for the last year, that I forget what a silly setup I have, and how it's kind of funny to get a behind-the-scenes look at how Wasabi Prime makes food-whoopie every week.

I used to have a bit of ghetto pride over the little Casio point-and-shoot digital camera I was using from Blogging Day One, but I can't complain with the Canon 50d that Mr. Wasabi gave me over Christmas. But beyond that very lovely upgrade, it's still been Wasabi business as usual. My "photo studio" still consists of the south-facing laundry room, which finally gets its chance to shine, as normally I try to keep washing machine dials out of the picture. Thankfully I removed the drying undies and bras that normally hang on the metal rack on the left. With better weather and sunnier days back in season, I will definitely be booking more time in the "studio," between wash/rinse cycles.

The "studio" and the t-fail experience with cookware and sexy oven mitts - Photos by Wasabi Prime

I do have good knives, and that is worth noting, as it makes a world of difference from the Info-mercial set I had, also from college days. I invested in a set of cold-pressed steel awesomeness from Henckels years ago and have never regretted a penny of that purchase, but the cookware remains in a state of flux. Over the holidays and following birthday, I was lucky to receive some very nice new items, a big sautee pan and new pot from foodie-friend, Ms. South Sound Garden. I think she was just tired of hearing how the pans I use are so old, the bottoms are so warped, that I have to roll my wrist as I cook, to make sure the surface gets heated properly. Yes, for reals, this is how I roll, my wrist, that is. These are no longer T-Fal, but T-Fail pots and pans -- I've had them since college. Beyond shameful, but I'm the worst when it comes to replacing things. My socks have holes in them, my cookware has convex bottoms, and god forbid if I have a sniffle, as I'll probably wait until one of my limbs fall off before I go to the doctor. Don't even get me started on my flossing habits and how often I throw out my disposeable contact lenses. Kitchen Confidential or Life Choice Confessional? You decide, but don't judge too harshly as I'm pretty sure you don't floss every day either.

One of the other items I always use beyond the realm of good sense is this old pair of oven mitts printed with -- I swear -- fornicating penguins. My aunt gave me these right before I went away to college and a friend noticed it later saying, Hey, the penguins are doin' it. I was like, No, they're not. My aunt would not give me something with penguins 'doin' it.' But apparently I was wrong, as they are indeed getting to know one another in the Biblical sense, but in an artful, line drawing way. If Missoni can put out a line of naked ladies printed on  dresses this season, it's en vogue to have a pair of oven mitts with penguins doing the humpty-hump. They're fine oven mitts, but I've managed to set them on fire with my hand still in it, after brushing them against the top of the broiler. That's always a crowd pleaser at a dinner party, the host setting her hand on fire. Having meals at Casa de Wasabi, we spare no excitement or threat to bodily harm. So there's a hole in one of the mitts and I continue to use them on hot plates, slightly burning my hand every time when my exposed fingers go through the charred hole. Seriously, someone give me the number of a behavioral specialist, as there is clearly something wrong with me. This isn't a blog post, it's a desperate cry for an intervention of some sort.

Start spreadin' the news - it's time for jello molds! - Photos by Wasabi Prime

I also have a small collection of cheesy cookbooks. And yes, I do cook from them sometimes. For as much high-horse-ing that's said about organic, sustainable, farm-fresh whatever, sometimes you just want a weird Jell-O mold dessert with canned fruit bits suspended in it like fight scenes from The Matrix. My mom gave me her copy of the Philly Cream Cheese cookbook, from which I have a lot of fond childhood memories of her making layered gelatin desserts. I don't think about gelatin being made from cow hooves, the food dyes that most likely caused a tumor from which Mothra will spring forth from any day now, or the fact that Cool Whip was neither cool nor whipped cream, yet we ate copious amounts of it with abandon. Sometimes the best-loved food memories are perfectly captured... due to the level of preservatives.

As for my Crockery Cookery book -- it was a gift from a friend who found it at a used bookstore and it must have been like finding the Holy Grail, because the photo on the back is freakin' priceless. It kind of makes me wonder what future generations will think of the Martha Stewart cookbooks, wondering how crazy those will look years from now. I'm pretty sure Martha wouldn't have the fashion stones to wear something as totally fabulous as that printed dress that perfectly matches the colors on the crock pot collection.

What a crock. - Photos by Wasabi Prime

FoodTrek: You Had Me at "Plate O' Bacon"

The passion for the Magical Animal will never die, so don't be hatin' on my love of bacon. That sorta rhymes, right? I don't care how many food magazines and trend lists say how bacon is "so over." Don't be sending a quarrel betwixt this aortic doomed love affair of Montague and Capulet proportions (extra crispy, if you please). I had the chance to sample some truly tasty things at new Bellevue restaurant LOT No. 3, and along with a menu item literally named Plate O' Bacon, I went to carbohydrate nirvana and back -- and I'm ready for seconds.

Bacon, Panzanella and Pretzel - the perfect meal!  - Photos by Wasabi Prime

I was very grateful to have a chance to sample all these lovely dishes, which had "comfort food" written all over them. Seriously, menus like this make me so happy, only because I feel like food's gotten rather fussy lately and it's nice to see food getting back to basics. I appreciate the ooh-aahhh factor of nouvelle cuisine and the gastro-science of making olive oil foam, but at the end of the day, with the world in its current state of turmoil, people are just looking for something safe that will make them feel like they really can go home again. Not to say that my mom would bake amazing pretzels from scratch that took six weeks to perfect the recipe -- much props to the kitchen ninjas at LOT No. 3 for taking the time to make so many things from scratch, from all the breads to the butter and mustard that gets spread across it. I don't often break down and indulge in bready baked goodness, but here, I gladly welcome the indulgence.

Drinks so pretty, my liver thinks it's going to Prom - PHotos by Wasabi Prime

I have to give props to a place that eschews the sugar-rimmed, Barbie pink drinks that's more sugar than alcohol, in favor of well-balanced cocktails. There's a menu written on the chalkboard for making your own Manhattan, which I did so with a beautiful 6 year old Sazerac and chocolate bitters. The fire alarm flasher is right by the "Make Your Own Manhattan" chalk writing, and I think it would be funny if it flashed every time someone ordered one, but then I realize it would probably drive people crazy after the third or fourth time.

I've sung the praises of the bartending talents of Mark Sexauer before, and this is yet another place he mixes drinks and schools the masses on why one should just say "No" to crappily-made frosty beverages with processed juices and weird fake dyes. Their bar goes au naturale, using fresh-squeezed juice from an actual fruit, not a carton with a fruit drawn on it. There's a whole crew of bar-tisians (I totally just made that up) at LOT No. 3 who I look forward to having them decide for me what to drink.

Provoking my klepto tendencies - the Precious! We wants the Precious Chairs!! - Photos by Wasabi Prime

On a side note, they have the coolest chairs in the world. Sounds like a weird thing to note, but seriously, can anyone truly doubt the power of BA-Barracus behind these barstools and high bar chairs? Consider yourself warned, LOT No. 3, lest I'm unable to keep my Mr. Hyde-like alter-ego from kletomaniacally whisking off one of those amazing chairs, because they would look fantastic against our concrete countertops in our kitchen!

Get more details over my adventure at LOT No. 3 with the article I wrote for the Downtown Bellevue Network. But I leave you with a parting glance at the overall coolness of what I believe will be a new favorite happy hour haunt.

Yes, someone has to rubber stamp every one of those coasters - Photos by Wasabi Prime

Much Wasabi Thanks to the team at LOT No. 3 for letting me om-nom-nom and snap lots of photos. Looking forward to seeing you guys soon!

Mixed Plate: Radishes and Gettin' My Root Down

You may have seen the latest report on Wasabi Gardenwatch 2010, with the epic harvest of radishes I'm getting. Well, more like a handful here and there, so I still picked up a little bouquet of purple radishes when I was at the Bellevue Farmers Market, along with a couple of leeks. I've developed a fascination with radishes lately, mostly because they're growing in our garden and I'm trying to find different ways to use them beyond the obvious salad. Especially since the totally cracked-out weather we've been having is forcing a lot of my rooty veggies to bolt and turn into just greens and no roots. Umbrage! As the Beastie Boys would say, I wanna get my root down, yo.

Roasted radish and leek frittata - the cure for all troubles and lack of meal ideas - Photo by Wasabi Prime

When in doubt, make a frittata. I think that could be the title of my cookbook, if I were ever to write a cookbook. Book publishers out there, if you're listening, this would be a great recipe book for the kitchen-challenged. Refrigerator crisper drawer full of random crap on the stage of wilting into a dirty, brown sludge? Make a frittata. Or the opposite -- bare fridge save for a few eggs and maybe some random sticks of string cheese? Make a frittata. It's the perfect answer for everything. Socio-economic troubles amongst the nations? Meteor hurtling towards the planet? Make a frittata. It's better than what the Magic 8 Ball would say, that's for sure.

But back to my umbrage with my radishes bolting. Can you not tell I'm unhealthily fixated on this? So the crazy weather that's been happening, which includes ten minutes of sun, then ten minutes of rain, is clearly giving my vegetable garden a case of the Whatchoo Talkin' Bout Willis?! We're beyond winter's frost, which is good, but we're on that weird cusp of chilly spring and somewhat warm early summer. I put in radishes early and was able to get a few nice ones, but lately I've been using them more for greens -- which are totally edible, even if they're a bit fuzzy and pokey. Again, the cure for the world's problems come in and I chop up the greens and cook them down in a frittata.

Roasted radishes - crazy? Possibly.  - Photo by Wasabi Prime

I wanted to see how the radishes would do being roasted down, wondering if they would develop sweetness or anything interesting. I cleaned and halved the radishes, tossed with melted butter and salt, and put them into the oven, along with two split leeks to get roasty-toasty. They looked great when added to the final cook-off stage of the frittata when I let the broiler add a final bit of char to the top. As for taste, it was very subtle, even with the roasting which I know is supposed to heighten flavor. Brock mentioned it was more about texture than anything else, but they do well with the eggs, since both the greens and the radishes themselves provide an overall peppery flavor.

In general, I'm looking forward to a dual effort on the part of whatever our garden does produce this year, as well as being more of an active participant in shopping our local farmers markets. We've done CSAs in the past, and while they were great ways to get one's greens every week, I always felt this crazy pressure on delivery days, a little afraid over what was in the box (random obscure Dune moment: what's in the box? Answer: pain!). I always felt this pressure to use every little bit, which for the most part, we were successful, but due largely to the power of frittata-making. And meatloaf-making. There were many a green or purple-colored meatloaf, heavily doped with chopped greens or an excess of red cabbage.

Farmers market goodies -- all good with eggs! - Photos by Wasabi Prime

UnRecipe: Where's the Beef? With the Broccoli.

When I was at the store, I saw a package of pre-cut, bagged broccoli that was called "Broccoli-Wokly," which made me laugh because I thought of Brock, aka, Mr. Wasabi, and the fact that they used to call him Brock-oly when he was a kid, but then I kind of sighed and shook my head because I thought, how lazy do we have to be to buy pre-cut broccoli? Of all the veggies, it has the least hassle in preparation, plus you're not trimming off much, and it's cheaper than cheap, so buying it prepackaged probably triples the cost. I picked up my supply of plain old crowns of cruciferous goodness and brought them home to make a simple stir-fry with flank steak, which I paired with a little spring salad, courtesy of a farmers market trip.

Getting beefy and eating one's greens - Photo by Wasabi Prime

I hadn't actually had beef broccoli in a long time -- it was another one of those quick weekday meals my mother would prepare, as it's pretty much just that: broccoli, thin slices of beef, a bit of ginger and garlic, and soy sauce thickened with corn starch. It's always a mainstay at fast food/generic Chinese restaurants, swimming in a mysterious sauce and sweating it out under heat lamps all day, waiting for its special purpose as a #3 Lunch Special.  I think for something as simple and nostalgic as beef broccoli stir fry, it's worth more than prepackaged, precut veggie status and grocery store deli counters.

On my last visit to the Asian market, Uwajimaya, I picked up a giant jar of black bean paste, which gives food such a great depth of flavor and you inevitably wind up with more than you know what to do with, so I've been putting it in everything possible. It gave a nice sweetness to the sauce, but not a sugary-sweet flavor, which a lot of fast-food Asian restaurants do with their sauces. Ugh -- isn't that just the worst, where you have some sort of teriyaki dish and it's like having meat with corn syrup? Bleah. I can definitely give a thumb's up to adding black bean paste into sauces for beef, as the flavor is nice and rich, plus it's nice to have around if you're making a barbecue dish and want to give it a bit of an Asian twist. Heaven knows you'll be eager to find ways to use it, as there's no such thing as buying a small jar of the stuff.

Goods from the farmers market - Photos by Wasabi Prime

As for the side dish, I made an asparagus salad with some tomatoes and red onion. This was a twist on my mom's warabi salad, which of course uses warabi, baby ferns that are plucked from the rainy lands of Hilo, Hawaii. While we have the rainy lands of Washington State, I was pricing the fiddlehead ferns at the Bellevue Farmers Market and $10 a pound for the cute little swirls was a little steep, so I went on the cheaper side and bought a bunch of thin asparagus for $5. Same idea and actually, the asparagus was pretty close to the same flavor as the warabi. Yeah, yeah,  I know what you're thinking: "Tomatoes aren't in season yet, you fool." The ones I got were clearly hothouse grown, but the vendor had a "clearance bin" of odd-shaped overripe tomatoes, and lord knows I can't resist a sale.