UnRecipe: Have Party, Will Travel

What...? You're talking about party foods and cocktails?! Shhhh.... I'm still nursing a holiday hangover from 2014, so says your brain as you read this post's title. Yes, I'm sure everyone's still partied-out from the holidays, but save these tips for the next time you're bringing a snack and/or drinks to a friend's party. Food and beverages that travel well is the great thing you never knew you needed! At least until you realize that 7-layer taco dip has now created a 7-layer avalanche all over your car. Whoopsie. Let Wasabi help you out.

Cheers to cocktails that can be brought to a party, ready to enjoy! - Photo by Wasabi Prime

FoodTrek: Eat, Drink, Be Merry - Repeat as Necessary

It's no secret that I've been fully appreciating the fact that my schedule has been freed up considerably. Granted, it's at the expense of a sad loss that still makes my heart heavy -- I miss you forever, Indy! But being out and about, reconnecting with friends and just getting back into the social network of Seattle's food and drink scene has been invigorating to the soul. With no other agenda for this post beyond me going nuts, running around like a madwoman in Seattle, I give you this latest love letter to the Emerald City!

The part of the Pike Place Market Gum Wall that doesn't gross me out - Photo by Wasabi Prime

OMG a Recipe: Adventures in Cocktail Garnishes

Summer, we just CAN'T QUIT YOU. And why should we? It's still lovely outside. The heat has finally calmed to a comfortable warmth, but with just enough coolness in the evening to warrant a cozy blanket while we watch the stars come out. While I've done the typical avoidance of a hot stove/oven for the last few months, it gives me ample time to get my Cocktail-Fu on -- the Way of the Drank. So let's get it on like Donkey Kong, we need to savor these warm Day Drinking afternoons while we can!

The Orange Lady Marmalade - or whatever I'm calling it today - Photo by Wasabi Prime

OMG a Recipe: As Drunk on TV

Two vital things you should know about me --  (Vital I) I like my cocktails and (Vital II) I like my nerdy TV shows. A nicely-balanced drink in one hand, DVR remote in the other... PUT YOUR HANDS TOGETHER. Actually, don't do that. It would be messy. But what you can do, is be inspired to mix up some cocktails and/or get your genre-based serialized drama-watching on! No Spock-ears required, I PROMISE.

Carry on my Wayward Son, there'll be peace when you are done (with this drink) - Photo by Wasabi Prime

FoodTrek: Treat Yo Self - It's the Best Day/Night of the Yeeeeeear!

Kudos to all you For the Glow/health-conscious/clean livin' folks pushing ahead through January and beyond. This is not a post about any of that. This is a post about livin' large (within reason) and celebrating that most wonderful of unofficial self-proclaimed holidays that should be proclaimed as often as possible: TREAT YO SELF: 2014.

Get your disco sparkle jacket -- tis the season! - Image from NBC's Parks and Recreation

OMG a Recipe: Mixing Things Up at the Hobbit Ultralounge

It's a oft-said saying that Nature abhors a vacuum, and that's true for many things, even with food and drink. If you stick with a narrow menu of items, even if they're your favorite things to eat or drink, you're missing out on a world of possibilities. I'm the most guilty of this vacuum, settling into Hobbit-like comfort zones and not always being on top of the latest and greatest things, most notably with beverages of the adult persuasion. But laziness – begone! I've been fortunate enough to take my drinking palate out on the town of late and reminding myself that one should never settle for a simple vodka soda... ever. It's long overdue I mixed things up again.

Feeling inspired by summer and blueberry cocktails - Photo by Wasabi Prime

Mixed Plate: Raising a Glass to the Bowling Ball Named Homer

"Happy Birthday/Anniversary/Commercialized Judeo-Christian Holiday, I got you a bowling ball named Homer." It's a saying we've co-opted from a classic episode of The Simpsons, where for Marge's birthday, Homer buys her a top-of-the-line bowling ball (liquid center... mmmm), anticipating she'll never use it, so he gets his name custom engraved on it. Marge is rightly miffed, keeps the ball and learns to bowl. There's a mysterious Frenchman tutor, an almost-affair, and a great explanation of what a Continental Breakfast is, but the point is, The Bowling Ball Named Homer is the gift you give someone else, that is essentially a gift for yourself, at least for longterm cohabitated couples like us. I gave the Mister a Homer Bowling Ball gift for his birthday earlier this year, a subscription to cocktail-of-the-month club, Julibox, but at least I can say we're equally enjoying this gift!

Clover Club, a delicious Bowling Ball Named Homer gift - Photo by Wasabi Prime

FoodTrek: Skip the Strip, It's Downtown Vegas, Baby

Glitz and glamour, a fortune at the press of a button, the playground for legendary stars like Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr. and the spiritual home of Elvis Presley -- without even speaking the city's name, we know this to be Las Vegas. You would think Nevada would just cease to exist, because its famously infamous city is a place where you don't have to name the region or the state, you simply mention what happens here, stays here. All-night mega-club parties hosted by the latest (pseudo) celebrity. Beers in bong-sized glasses and cocktails with alarming neon hues. Every headline show is Cirque du Something-or-Other. High end luxury shops seeming to have more locations than Starbucks. It's a place that seems literally made of diamonds, which leads one to think, if we're surrounded by such profane wealth, is it even special anymore? I decided to track down my own diamonds in the rough, and stayed away from the Strip for the most part -- my fortune was made in old-school Downtown Las Vegas.

Keeping in real in Las Vegas, Downtown Style - Photo by Wasabi Prime

Mixed Plate: Raising the Bar (or at least up six steps)

Have you ever taken all your glassware out, to reorganize or just take stock of what you had, stashed away in your cupboards? I did that with all our beer, wine and cocktail-related glasses and came to a big conclusion: We Are Such Alcoholics. 

Cheers to reorganization - pour me another while I watch you reorganize - Photo by Wasabi Prime

FoodTrek: Wowie, it's Maui! Getting Onto Island Time

One of the first things I did before heading to Maui on vacation was adding the city of Kihei onto my iPhone's weather app. Oh, the joyful rapture of seeing temperatures in the high seventies to low eighties appear for the week, as compared to our dismal high thirties and mid forties "highs" in the Northwest. Blerrrrg. We have since returned, slightly crisped from sunburn, tired from many activities all over the island of Maui, and with a pirate's treasure trove of good times under our collective belts. And yes, somewhat lamenting the fact that it's cold, cold, cold in our home state of Washington. As I went about trying to organize all our Maui shenanigans (Mauianigans...?), I realized more than any time difference or insufferably long-ass time you spend on a cramped airplane, the hardest adjustment is going from Normal Work-Stressed Mode into Relaxed Vacation Mode.

Breathe in... breathe out... Karate Kid-style. Let's Miyagi-san this vacation - Photo by Mr. Wasabi

I'm not kidding -- the crossing of the International Rat Race Line into Let's Get Lazy for a Week is disconcerting. You're used to being glued to your smartphone, checking email/Twitter/Facebook every fifteen minutes, being constantly connected to your work and home life, but barely living presently in either. Being on a plane over open water helps, as some airlines like Alaska Air shuts down their WiFi when you're soaring over the ocean, so you're in a technology cul de sac, listening to saved-up podcasts or watching movies on your iPad before the battery craps out moments before you find out all there is to know about the Crying Game. It also leaves all the more time for you to make comparisons between you and the Oceanic flight that dumped all those dysfunctional fools on The Island for seven seasons -- could have been an in-flight drinking game, counting how many Lost references were thrown about. Sometimes a 5-plus hour plane ride is a good thing for no other reason than to cut you off from technology and just take a long-ass nap. Beer, wine and mixed drinks help, too, as did the free Mai Tais served right before we landed -- mahalo, Alaska Airlines! 

The freezing fog/inversion layer we bid farewell to while flying to Hawaii - Aloha, bitches! - Photos by Wasabi Prime

I should preface this whole vacation-a-palooza by explaining that Mister and I traveled with his company, Runic Games, out to Maui for just shy of a week -- a very, very, VERY generous and wonderful show of appreciation for the employees and their game-widowed/widowered families who gave up many months of normalcy over last year to make the very successful video game Torchlight II. This isn't a typical thing, bringing a whole company to a tropical island as a thank-you, but it does wonders for employee morale, so if you're a small company wanting to show your appreciation to your workers for a particularly good year, consider this as an option versus the Jelly of the Month Club. You'll likely have employees for life, willing to give up plasma or even a kidney if you ask real nice.

Welcome to Maui - one of the prettiest islands to fly into - Photos by Wasabi Prime

The best view you'll ever see is the island of Maui appearing like Avalon from the mist -- tall mountains and lush green valleys below, contrasting against the island's iron-rich red volcanic soil. And you can't miss the crystal-blue water made bright and inviting from the shallow reefs below. You see this view and it's the first step towards transitioning into relaxation/vacation mode, so take in every second. The green fields are mostly sugar cane, some of the last few cane fields that the islands have. I remember summers at my grandparents' home "upcountry" in Makawao, driving through the cane fields during harvest, where they burn the cane to reduce the plant for more economic processing, so that the machines aren't doing extra work on unusable plant waste and soil. It literally looks like the island is on fire, it's alarming to see at first, and then you realize no one's in a panic and that it's totally normal. But it wasn't harvest time and the fields were lush and full as we flew in. It had been a few years since I'd been back to Maui and I saw the Kaheawa Wind Farm, right above Maalea Harbor, which became a good visual signpost to know which direction we were heading, and around this time, the humpback whale migratory season was in full-swing and for whatever reason, the deeper waters by that line of windmills were particularly flush with whale activity. Some people think the windmills are a bit of an eyesore, but knowing that it's a sign of the islands moving towards more sustainable energy resources, that's a pretty damn fine view. And clearly, the whales think they're awfully keen.

Checking into paradise at the Makena Beach Resort - Photos by Wasabi Prime

The first thing to do, even before checking into the hotel, is supply-up. Because the second you see a beach, you're going to want to frolic and never stop, and then wonder why you're sunburned from head to toe. There's a Costco within spitting distance of the airport in Kahului, so bring your membership card if you want to pick up perishables and the important stuff like copious amounts of boozeahol. We picked up a second set of snorkel gear and saved our supply-up for a Longs, which is pretty much the Everything Store for the islands. I held back on the Costco-sized handle of vodka, and picked up some of Maui's finest, a bottle of their own locally distilled (and organic) Ocean Vodka, which is good stuff, as well as a sixer of POG -- pineapple/orange/guava juice -- for hotel room cocktail hour POG-tinis! That's another crucial piece of the Vacation Mode Puzzle, have a signature tropical cocktail at the ready, at all times!

Feet in the sand, beautiful views, what more does anyone need? - Photos by Wasabi Prime

By the time we were settled into our amazeballs resort, the Makena Beach and Golf Resort, we were SO READY FOR VACATION. They have a beautifully open upper-level lobby area -- gorgeous vintage outrigger canoe on display, handmade Hawaiian quilts hanging on the walls, an open garden and koi fish pond below. Plenty of comfy sofas set up like a big lanai for just hanging out. We upgraded to the ocean view and it was worth it, displaying a beautiful view towards the north, looking right at Maalea Harbor and the line of windmills. And whales, if you stood on the balcony long enough to see spouts in the distance. But the beach called, and we answered, along with many of the Runic crew scrabbling out onto the sandy shores, pale and confused from the burning ball of light in the sky, hissing like Gollum, wailing, "It burrrrnsss ussss!!!" But then you put your feet into the pleasantly cooling surf, feel the foam of the Pacific Ocean (the warm part of it) swirling around your legs and you've achieved another level-up on your road to Vacation/Relaxation Nirvana.

Break the rules - have the breakfast buffet at least once - Photos by Wasabi Prime

Travel experts/snobs say: Never Eat at the Hotel. Most times I'd agree, but it's hard when you're in the middle of a beautiful resort and can sit out under palm trees and gorge yourself stupid on fresh papaya, pineapple and bacon. Despite the higher markup, we did the hotel buffet breakfast, which was delicious and covered our hunger needs for both breakfast and lunch for one day. I filled my plate several times like a big fat tourist, going for savory eggs, bacon, ham and these cute little shrimp quiches, along with fresh fruit and plain yogurt. Hawaii is the vacation favorite for a lot of Asian tourists, especially Japan, so most resorts will serve miso soup at breakfast, which is traditional. The Mister gave me a funny look, but whatever, I like it. Sure, it was pricier than a typical local-style breakfast, but we were paying for the convenience of having a relaxing breakfast close to our room and no sidelong glances from the staff because I was grubby like a sweathog from a morning workout.

Treat Yo Self - Photos by Wasabi Prime

And that's another thing about being on vacation: Treat Yo Self. Don't go crazy and get a timeshare or a Gucci handbag for every day of the week, but don't be afraid to sprinkle little treats throughout a trip. We splurged on a pricier, but extremely relaxing resort buffet breakfast -- check. We also splurged on one nice dinner out -- we went with a small group to Nick's Fishmarket over at the neighboring Fairmont Kea Lani resort. It was an elegant restaurant, beautifully-plated dishes with as much locally-sourced ingredients as possible. The daily specials were fresh and lovely, and we were with a fun group, so we had a very nice evening. Was everything crazy-to-die-for? No, but I wouldn't say a nice dinner out for at least one night isn't worth it, regardless of where you go. It really put us into the mindset of, "Wow, we are in a really amazing and beautiful place -- let's enjoy every second of it." You're in the middle of a resort-bubble, which is to say it's a beautiful, well-manicured dream of what living in Hawaii is like, and it's wonderfully no-fuss, which was perfect for a large group like ours, with several people who had never been to Hawaii, much less Maui. The convenient thing about this little ghetto of fancy-schmancy resorts and shops around Makena and Wailea is that there's a shuttle that putters around the area, so that makes for an easier (and safer) way of getting from place to place, especially if you're planning on Mai-Tying one on for the night (har har). Makena is a little isolated; Kihei is the biggest city close by, and even that's a few miles up the road, so having a rental car is a must if you're wanting to explore the island. I did a little shopping at the nearby Shops at Wailea, at their Whalers General Store, which was like a slightly fancier ABC Store (which they also have). I picked up some Maui-grown coffee and souvenir-sized jars of local honey, while getting a damn fine cup of Lappert's coffee. It wasn't a shopping spree straight out of Pretty Woman, but I was plenty happy.

Party On in the tropics - Photos by Wasabi Prime

I didn't use the pool at our resort (because it feels weird to swim at a pool only steps away from a beach), but I sure as hell enjoyed sitting around it. There were several evenings spent around Makena Resort's pool, sipping tropical cocktails and the Gangs of Runic taking over their lounge chairs and sofas. Cocktail Hour is a must for fully engaging your vacation. Even if it's a mock-tail, even if it's a club soda -- sit out in the open air, enjoy the fact that you're not swaddled in three layers of sweaters and fleece, and watch the sun slip into the ocean in a tirade of color, light and fury.

Give yourself a few hours, you'll thank Yourself for it - Photos by Wasabi Prime

Despite being on a vacation with a bunch of friends, it was good to take a couple of hours for oneself. Even if that means waking up really buttcrack-early most mornings. Hawaii is the place to eschew sleeping off that hangover till noon -- you want to see the morning light creep up across the mountains and churn the skies into warm, dusky hues. The resort had morning yoga (Tues/Thurs) which I wanted to do at least one class. I figured no one would want to meet before 7am for stretchy-bendy times, but the class was surprisingly filled, and with many from the Runic crew, which was great. Doing yoga with a view of the ocean and the morning sky is about as personally indulgent as it gets -- foie gras wrapped in bacon... for the soul. I know this is a food blog, but you have to feed your soul as much as you feed your piehole, and this was my ultimate Vacation/Relaxation Nirvana moment, taking some time to absorb everything. Smell the flowers. Feel the breeze. Realize there is so much more than crap on a computer and a Facebook status. It was early enough to where the beach wasn't yet full of people, so I could do a quick run up and down the sand in peace, and catch the first rays of morning light hitting the rocks and surf. Heaven.

I have much more Maui finds and adventures to share, this was the premiere post that needed to get this blog into an Island State of Mind -- so stay tuned! Despite a little sadness to be back to the daily doldrums, I didn't feel like I left anything behind, I truly feel like I brought so much back with me and I can't wait to share it all with you!

FoodTrek: FEAST (before famine)

I'm pretty sure my going-out habits are like a version of social anorexia/bulemia. And I'm not downplaying the seriousness of eating disorders, they are serious and not to be joked around with, unless you're a witty writer on Arrested Development, then nothing is sacred.  I'm  just saying it's literally Feast and Famine when it comes to my penchant for restaurant-going and cocktail-ing. The month of October has had me on steady 12-16 hour days, 1 day of a Cheeto-binge meltdown of despair, questionable weekends (minus one joyous Oktoberfest, praise the Beer Gods), and me checking off the "bathing optional" box. But at least the month of September was super-duper fun. And the Cheeto binge was so totally worth it - Prozac in a bag, yo.

This is usually meant for AFTER a long day, I had it before stuff went sideways - Photo by Wasabi Prime

 It's called "work" for a reason. Otherwise we'd call it something more pleasant, like "fun," or "sleeping more than 4 hours a night." It's not important what I was working on, simply that we've all been in those situations where for whatever reason, you can't climb over the mountain, you just have to dig through it with a rusty teaspoon, and it was a reminder over why I'd sooner become a hobo than return to Corporate America. I was prepared for a Month of Crazy, and so while I had the energy to do so, I did a Leaving Las Vegas/Dead Wasabi Walking whirlwind for a month, catching up with friends, heading to favorite places and just enjoying what was left of the amazing Global-Warming-is-Upon-Us extended summer. I hate the word Staycation, because it makes you sound like the person who insists on calling appetizers "apps" or says "chillaxin" without even a hint of douchey self-awareness -- but that's essentially what this month-long restaurant/cocktail tour was. It was a genuine treat, I can't even begin to describe how happy I was, and it was all thanks to the good friends and marvelous places we visited, right in our own city.

My ideal summer afternoon, including an awesome photo-bomb at Local 360 - Photos by Wasabi Prime

When people visit Seattle and they want a recommendation for a genuine Northwest food experience, I always tell them: get thee to Local 360. The concept is fantastic, they source as much of their menu as possible from local producers and farmers within a 360-mile radius. And why shouldn't they -- the Pacific Northwest region is bountiful and all that rain helps things grow. The menu changes regularly with the seasons, you can skip the standard menu altogether and just order whatever is on their fresh sheet, and you'll be eating peak-seasonal meals. On my last visit, I kept to liquids versus solids -- their bar has a ton of locally produced spirits. I went with an Old Mischievous Ways, which was like an Old Fashioned on summer break, named aptly for the Fremont Mischief John Jacob rye whiskey they use, along with a spiced simple syrup. I went lighter, trying their take on the classic French 75 - the NW 75, a mix of Voyager Gin from Pacific Distillery in Woodinville, fresh lemon, geranium liqueur and sparkling wine. The rose geranium liqueur is by BroVo, a distillery from Washington I'd never heard of until now, but was quickly charmed by its delicate floral flavor. It reminded me of the St. Germain elderflower liqueur that became very en vogue with cocktail-making. Once my St. Germain is gone, I'm switching to BroVo. The flavor isn't exactly the same, but that fragrant essence is similar, and it's always great to support your local distilleries. They help keep the bad days away, as does Local 360's awesome bartenders. Note to self: totally doing the local liquor flights the next time I Unleash the Kraken at 360 - consider yourself warned.

Delicious nibbles and the most heavenly cracklins (that aren't really cracklins) at  Coterie Room - Photos by Wasabi Prime

I saved my appetite for The Coterie Room, a mere sneeze away from Local 360. It was my first visit to Coterie, but not to the location -- they took over the old Restaurant Zoe space, which is a really pretty little jewelbox corner spot in the Belltown neighborhood. My friend insisted we go for the cracklins. I know, it sounds crazy -- go to this fancy-schmancy darling restaurant and order... fried pork rinds?? But oh these crispy, melt-in-your-mouth creations of Divine Swine! We sat at the little bar, which you should all know, is the ideal place to be at any restaurant -- and not just for the easy access to booze. We chatted with the bartender who was full of menu recommendations and interesting wines to try. He explained why the cracklins aren't even really cracklins -- it's pure pork fat suspended in a tapioca starch mixture, which is then left to set and thin shavings are made from the block, and that's the "skins" that are fried. The tapioca mixture allows it to puff up and crisp like a traditional pork rind, and the flavor is pure, buttery pork fat that if you let a bit of it sit on your tongue, it completely melts down into a bacon-y whisper. I don't need to live forever. I don't want to live forever. I want to be a rockstar young corpse from overdosing on these faux pork rinds. But not before more snacks. Chickpeas/garbanzo bean fries are like the new polenta fries. And I heartily welcome this trend. Imagine fried hummus -- creamy and sweet with a velvety smooth texture. And also three times hotter than the sun's surface, so bite cautiously, but you will be rewarded. We rounded out our dinner of little plates with Coterie's steak tartare. You can't beat a classic, especially at a McCracken and Tough restaurant, as they put such high standards on ingredients and preparation. You could hear the cow mooing, the beef was so fresh. It had the right balance of clean-flavored raw meat, like tuna done sashimi style, seasoned enough to where you savor it but you don't feel like the beef's natural raw flavor is hidden. It took me a while to appreciate raw foods -- I was the hot dog and scrambled egg kid, remember? But it's like a drug, once you get that first good high of something prepared very well, you're always on the lookout for the next flavor hit.

Diving in at Blueacre's oyster happy hour - and oh, crab and shrimp tater tots? Yes, please - Photos by Wasabi Prime

My other raw food addiction has become oysters. This mystifies my parents, and rightfully so, given our no-seafood household. But one never questions how one gets to be a shellfish-addled addict, it's just a thing that happens and you're left to wander the streets, a glazed-over look on your face, stalking whatever bivalve you can get your tweeker hands on. For an oyster fix, Blueacre Seafood will be your Dr. Feelgood, especially at happy hour. It's whatever seasonal oyster they have on-hand, a dollar each, and it's shucking awesome. Yes, you could go to some sports bar and get a monster pile of nachos covered with cheese that came out of a jar for like, $3 at happy hour, but honestly -- why would you? That beautiful, saline-fresh flavor of a just-cracked open oyster -- it goes as well with a glass of bubbly or a cold beer, and they're surprisingly filling. It's a pretty good protein base, so I admit, I'll usually have a few oysters if I'm planning on making a night of things. Still not sold on raw creatures of the sea? No worries, have some spicy crab and shrimp tater tots. Of course I had to order them! They were on their happy hour menu, but I'd have an entree-sized pile of these if I could. Imagine if a tender crab and shrimp dumpling made sweet, sweet love to a crispy potato tater tot. This would be their delightful offspring. I don't need to say anything more than that, because I'm sure you're heading out the door right now to have some of these, and don't forget to get some oysters along with it!

Koral and my un-model-like meal for Fashion Week in Bellevue - Photos by Wasabi Prime

My usual happy hour oyster fix when I'm on the Eastside is over at Koral - they have a great happy hour menu that includes a Buffalo Trace Manhattan,which I enjoy frequently. For a while they had oysters, but it's a seasonal item, and they change their menu items up a bit. I was in downtown Bellevue almost every night during this year's Fashion Week, taking runway photos. That was actually a good reason to stay up super late, not so much partying like a rock star, but shuffling home and editing tons of runway photos every night. If you want to take a peek on my Jaunty Magpie blog, I shot the Independent Show, Nordstrom Show and Front Row. I always wonder why I do this every year, the schedule can be pretty exhausting, but when you're in the madness of the crowd, the music, and the models strutting their stuff, the excitement and energy is as much of a drug as oysters and raw steak. It's also fun to visit favorite spots for a bite to eat before the shows. Koral, of course, since it's right in the Hyatt where the runway shows are -- no oysters on this visit, but they had some thick-cut truffle salt Parmesan fries that were calling my name in a most un-fashion model-like way. I had the voice of Emily Blunt's character from The Devil  Wears Prada screaming in my head, "...And you eat CARBS!!!"

Korean comforts at Chan in Seattle, and delicious morsels from the sea at Black Bottle Postern - Photos by Wasabi Prime

I also put in some quality time at Black Bottle Postern's bar, waiting for a fashion show to start. I purposely went extra early to just soak in an extra hour or two of just being a barfly. But a well-heeled one -- I had a new dress and a big sparkly necklace on, I was fancy, dammit. It's not weird to eat and drink by yourself because you can order the dishes you love and don't have to share with anyone. This logic is sound. I chose gluttony as my sin that day and got their crispy salt and pepper squid, and the spicy, smoky Manila clams and chorizo. Sharing might be caring, but I was looking out for Numero Uno that day because I was starving like a model and those nine almonds just weren't going to cover their bases for a long day.

The power of Mine, All Mine! was with me when I had a strong hankering for Korean food one chilly afternoon. I appreciate the new interpretations Chan does, like with their bulgogi sliders or even their cocktails, but that evening, I wanted their skillet bi bim bap. It's a great combination of a classic dish and using a small cast-iron skillet like the hot stone grills some Korean restaurants use. The food comes blazing hot, which is good if you're relaxing with a glass of wine and a kimchee sampler. I really like their daikon kimchee -- it's slightly sweet, I almost thought maybe it was pickled apples or something crazy like that. The heat and flavor are more traditional, not the more Japanese-style vinegar-pickled versions of kimchee you get bottled at the stores. It's got a deeper flavor from shrimp paste and the Korean chilis are like Szechuan peppercorns, a smoky, slow heat that builds as you eat. Total flavor and sensory experience in one meal, my stomach grumbles as I write this, disappointed we're not eating sizzling skillet bi bim bap with kimchee right now.

Closing out the night at Vessel, my new favorite thing to do - Photos by Wasabi Prime

It feels strange to finish off a long night with cocktails, but I've happily enjoyed many evenings getting wrapped up with a drink or two at Vessel. They're in a great spot, right in the heart of downtown Seattle, on the corner of Olive and 7th. It's so close to where the Mister works, the next time I get a spare moment, I'll meet him for a post-work drink. Any excuse to let the bartenders take control and make something amazing, plus have you heard of foie gras popcorn? Because butter is so middle class. Of the last few visits, I've only ordered one drink off the menu, everything else I said, mix up something fun. This is definitely the bar to give whoever's at the rail carte blanche for what you should be drinking that night,  you won't be disappointed. I've been sticking to whiskey-based drinks, but one night I had a Scotch-based cocktail that was incredibly smoky and hearty. It was like Chuck Norris in a glass, it was so manly. And twice as likely to beat the crap out of you, so just one was enough. I like that the bar menu gets changed out based on whoever is working that night, so when you go, you'll see a person's name at the top of the bar menu pages, showing who designed those drinks for the evening. It's like a restaurant, except that instead one chef, you have many. I need to get over to Vessel during the day -- it's not a vampire, this bar and restaurant comes out in the sun and offers a full lunch menu during the weekdays - Chef Cameo McRoberts is at the helm of their very cool open kitchen space, and the menu deserves a proper taste-through.

So, despite my current overworked/under-bathed status, I was, indeed, a Real Girl during the month of  September, enjoying fashion shows, sipping cocktails and knocking back oysters all over town. With any luck, I'll be a girl-about-town again soon, but until then, I'll look dreamily at these photos and remember fondly that thing called a social life.... and maybe play some Barbara Streisand "Memories" a la The Way We Were. 

OMG a Recipe: Great Balls of Drunken Fury

It's 2012! And the last thing you probably want to see is something about alcohol, as the jackhammer crew and expert demolition team are still bomb-voyage-ing your braincells into oblivion from your New Years Eve debacle of a weekend. Or maybe that's just my head, you could all be totally clear-minded and bushy-tailed for the new year. If so, good for you, you bunch of stinkin' goody two-shoes buggers. My gift to you in this bright, shiny two thousand twelve-ty is St. Germain caviar! *Insert hangover zombie-groan here* (Mmmrrrrrrrrrrrghhhhhh!) 

Happy New Year, have your cocktail in a solid form - Photo by Wasabi Prime

This isn't even my recipe, this was something Mr. Wasabi, the Brock-ness, put together when he was supplying-up for his beer brewing upgrade. He bought several bottles of agar agar powder, which is a seaweed derivative that's used as a natural thickener. For beer brewing purposes, it's used to clarify the beer, helping to remove impurities that cloud up the liquid. As it binds to the proteins, it thickens and is just heavier, so it sinks or "falls out" and takes the cloudy junk with it, leaving a tasty clear beer. Neat, right? Agar is basically like gelatin, but vegetarian-friendly, since it's not made of cow hooves. But I'm sure the seaweed screamed in agony as they were pulverized and rendered to a dusty powder form. Oh, the humanity!

Brock is a pretty savvy food guy and definitely appreciates the legacy of Ferran Adria and the molecular gastronomy movement, so of course when you have bottles of agar powder, you have to play around a little. He decided to make "caviar" from one of our favorite liqueurs, St. Germain, a sweet little number made from elderflowers, in probably one of the prettiest bottles you'll ever see. Why St. Germain? It has a light flavor, not too acidic so that it would react with the agar and be difficult to gelatinize, and mostly because it's high in sugar. This is why Brock does this stuff and not me, he's much more aware of things like volume, density, and all the stuff I fell asleep to in chemistry class.

About maybe a cup's worth of little gelatinized spheres of St. Germain were made from his experiment. Not a lot, but you're not eating them like a bowl of oatmeal. You could, but it would be weird. They're solid spheres, not like the jelly-skinned spheres that keep a liquid center -- he does want to play with that option, but this was a good first-time attempt playing with the new ingredient toys. The nice thing about making fully gelatinized spheres is you can make them ahead of time and keep them in the refrigerator for a day or two. Since these were made from St. Germain, they were sweet and fruity -- they were really good spooned on fresh pear slices. They would make a nice accompaniment to a salty cheese, almost like a drizzle of honey but a more fun shape. I thought they would go well in a fizzy drink, like champagne, but their weight made them sink like a stone, so it's probably not worth putting them in a cocktail unless you have a straw to go with it, drinking your booze like bubble tea.

Playing with the Mister's balls. You knew I had to say it - Photos by Wasabi Prime

If you would like to make your own balls of drunken fury (not that furious, some of the alcohol has the potential to burn off in the process), here's the info I pulled from Brock's notes. Thank Mr. Wasabi kindly for sharing!

2 grams of agar powder (about a half a teaspoon's worth)
1.5 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
2-3 cups vegetable/neutral-flavored oil, enough to mostly fill a tall glass
3/4 cup of St. Germain or whatever liquid you're trying to gelatinize
special tools needed: small glass eyedropper, tall clear drinking glass, metal sieve/strainer to drain and rinse finished spheres
First thing - fill the tall drinking glass with the oil and put in the freezer; let it chill for a good 20-30 minutes. Needs to be super-cold to quickly chill the mixture as it's dropped in.

On the stove, combine the agar powder, water and sugar in a small pot and bring to a boil. If the liquid you're wanting to gel-up isn't alcoholic, you can add now. If you put the St. Germain in early, you'll burn off a lot of the alcohol in the boiling process. Let the water/agar/sugar boil for about two minutes. Take it off the stove and mix in your St. Germain in -- it'll start to thicken quite a bit, so now comes the speedy part.

Have your eyedropper at the ready and take your chilled oil from the freezer. Start dropping the warm mixture one droplet at a time into the oil. The cold from the oil and its viscosity will help form the sphere, plus the height of the glass will give it time to cool before sinking to the bottom. Just keep drop-drop-dropping until your hand cramps up and you just pour the remainder onto a Silpat and chop up into shards because you don't want to keep eyedropping all that liquid one at a time. Yes, we did this.

NOTE: I asked Brock why he added the sugar -- it's not just for additional flavoring, it's to help add weight to the mixture, so that it's heavier than the oil. He said if the mixture isn't heavier than the oil, it'll just spread out along the surface of the oil and make a slick on top.
 When you're done eyedropping your spheres, use the strainer to separate them from the oil and rinse gently with water. The residual oil should keep them from sticking. Can make a few days in advance, just keep them chilled, covered with plastic wrap in a bowl. It's basically little blobs of Jello, so they'll keep for a few days in the fridge.

FoodTrek: Christmas in Seattle

I know we're not supposed to say "Merry Christmas," because we're supposed to be nondenominationally-sensitive to all cultures, religions, etc. At the risk of turning the holiday spirit upside down - forget that noise, Christmas is here, and I'm ready to jingle bell rock-it all the way till December 25th.

Grrrawwwwrrr - It's Christmas, so deal with it, Political Correctness Police! - Photo by Wasabi Prime

The holidays have a special place in my memory because over ten years ago, my first view of Seattle was right around early December, touring the city with my mother, wondering if this would be the place I would call home. The Space Needle had the string of lights atop, making it look like a big Christmas tree, and Macys hadn't co-opted the local department store yet and it was still the Bonmarche Star that continues to hang all bright n' twinkly on the building corner in Westlake Center. All the halls were decked, all the streets were merry with holiday decor, and it really felt like a city ready for festivities. And it was a welcome sight for someone who was parting ways with family, off to a strange new place with an unknown economic future. Not too far from where a lot of us are today, I suppose.

A very sweet and edible Christmas in New Zealand - Photos by Wasabi Prime

But current affairs notwithstanding, Christmas in Seattle continues to hold a little piece of my heart, so despite the total stressball I become during the holidays, I try to take a day to at least enjoy some of it, walk the main downtown blocks to relive some of those decade-old memories and take in the city's way of celebrating. I recently used an afternoon to join the masses of holiday shoppers and muster up some Christmas Spirit patience as I dove into the fray. If you're unfamiliar with Seattle's main downtown area, there's a pretty concentrated block of shopping and large retailers, all near the Westlake Center area, pretty much smack-dab in the middle of the Needle and Pioneer Square/South Downtown. I mostly wanted to admire the store window displays and see the special decorations that come out for Christmas, like the gingerbread house displays at the Sheraton Hotel on 6th Avenue. This year's theme was trains and railroads, with each of the gingerbread structures representing stations from around the world, as well as imaginary ones. The display is open to the public, benefitting a local charity, so do remember to drop a few bucks into the collection box, as it's all for a good cause.

If only travel by rail could be this sweet... Photos by Wasabi Prime

The one from Britain had, of course, a Harry Potter theme. And then some were just too cute for words, like the New Zealand station swarming with adorable wide-eyed kiwi birds wandering around, and little lambs singing carols at the doorstep. For whatever reason, Grand Central Station had been overrun by the weird little cyclops creatures from that animated movie, Despicable Me. Maybe if I'd seen the movie, I'd have gotten the reference, but hey, the kids seemed to love it, and the cyclops creatures were cute, so who am I to complain?

I get a sugar high just looking at it - Photos by Wasabi Prime

It was a lot of walking about, and looking at all that sugary sweetness helps towards building an appetite, so it got me thinking about nearby spots to get a holiday nosh or two. I wound up at Sullivan's Steakhouse on 6th and Union, really close to the shops, but not right in the thick of it to where it's too busy to get a seat. They're in a great location since they're close to the retailers but also nearby the theaters, so it's a good spot to drop by before or after a show. The Mister and his workmates have dropped by here for happy hour before -- they do these crazy-good specials every Thursday, where their signature cocktails and bar food is $6 each. The place gets super-packed, but they run the special until closing, so if you're a happy hour-crawler and work in the area, you need to put that on your list of places to visit on a Thursday.

Tastebuds are partying it up at Sullivan's - Photos by Wasabi Prime

It was totally cocktail-o'-clock for my friend and I, so after a day of holiday wanderings, imbibed several of Sullivan's holiday-themed offerings, along with a big plate of their spicy-sweet calamari, which is one of my new favorite snacks. I have to say the most refreshing was the pineapple-vodka Knockout, and the Merry Berry, which had several different fruit juices like strawberry, pomegranate, lemon and lime juice, with Chambord. The most rich and holiday-decadent was the Chocolate Christmas, which is a perfect Seattle cocktail with its use of espresso liqueur. With the cream and chocolate syrup-decorated glass, it's dessert in a glass, to be sure. It was an indulgent way to spend the day, since these aren't drinks I'd normally have outside of a party, but hey, it's the holidays, and sometimes the best gifts are the ones you give yourself. In my case, it was a day to enjoy the pretty decorations and time to enjoy some pretty cocktails. Consider this your list of to-do's the next time you're on a holiday shopping mission in downtown Seattle.

What about you? What are some of your favorite things you like to do when the holidays come a-calling?

UnRecipe: Date Night (at Home)

If you've been in a longterm relationship, you know that you can't live in the honeymoon stage forever. Nor would you want to -- trying to be Mr. or Ms. Perfect, hiding your weird habits like tweezing eyebrows (yo, they don't just shape themselves!), and sometimes you just want to be comfortable and lounge around in your stretchy drawstring pants all day without worrying that you're not made up to the hilt. But that doesn't mean you don't make it a point to have regular meals together now and then -- enter Date Night at Home!

Date Night, supplied by our CSA delivery box - photo by Wasabi Prime

Date Night is different for everyone. Plenty of people like going out, and who can blame them -- no dinner prep, no dishes to wash, and there's likely enough time to catch a movie afterwards. Mr.Wasabi and I like going out, don't get me wrong, it's just one of those situations where the work week has consistently kicked our collective booty-hinds and by the time it gets to be the dinner hour on a Saturday night, quite frankly, we're ready to pass out on the couch, we're so tired. Weekends have become a sacred 48 hour period -- two days where there's no work (if we can avoid it), recharging the human batteries is a must, spending some quality time with Miss Indy the dog and quite honestly, doing as little as possible. God has one day of rest, we take two. We're certainly not the Almighty and dangit, we're just tiiiiiiired and want the weekend to be as low key as possible.

But we still try to have a special meal together on weekends, even if it means enjoying it in our favorite t-shirt and jammie-pants, and seeing whatever Netflix thinks we'll enjoy. I feel even more inclined to stay at home, given our bar-like collection of alcohol and the constant supply of fresh fruits and veggies with the CSA deliveries. Even though we're only doing a once every two week delivery, that box is filled to the brim and we rarely go through everything in a week's time. The bounty of stone fruit and summer squash gave rise to a simple pork tenderloin dish on an at-home Date Night not so long ago. I seared little medallions of pork, then deglazed the pan with some wine and threw in some chopped fruit and onions to make a chunky fruit salsa to finish the pork. Nectarines, plums and apricots all go really well with pork -- a nice mix of sweet and sour. Some roasted squash and mushrooms made for an easy side dish. Mr. Wasabi got experimental with the booze and mixed some drinks, and we had a nice cocktail hour before our meal.

Who needs to go out when you've got a bar/restaurant at home? - Photos by Wasabi Prime

Fancy? Not really, but a nice reminder to make sure we don't get too caught up in our schedules, nor should we get caught up in making a dinner so complex we're too wiped out to enjoy it afterwards. It's easy to get lost in the weekday jungle and lose sight of the partnership at home, so having dinner with the one you love is most certainly a worthwhile priority.

Mixed Plate: Great Balls of Ice

There's a lot of obscure, obsessive niches in the food and drink world -- no edible stone goes unturned or unexamined with a fine-toothed food-a-phile comb. Not even ice. Yes, you heard it correctly. Even the lowly cube of frozen H20 can't escape the high-powered microscope of people with waaaaaaay too much time on their hands.

Ice sphera obscura - Photo by Wasabi Prime

When you talk to hardcore bartenders, they'll kick the cocktail nerd drive into overtime to get that perfectly crystal-clear cube of ice. Why should it be perfectly clear? They'll say it speaks to the purity of the water, that the cloudy haze in the center of the ice reflects the water's impurities and mineral content. It sounds so apocryphal, but sure sounds good when a nattily-dressed bartender tells you the tale while handing over a perfectly-made Old Fashioned with a hand-carved sphere of ice keeping the drink perfectly chilled. And yes, there's some incredibly talented folks who can do that.

Ice gems and baubles - Photos by Wasabi Prime

I have not the Jedi skill to carve a chunk of ice into a perfect sphere freehand -- I wish to keep my hands intact and palms un-skewered by sharp objects, so I went for gimmick ice molds. I didn't even need to buy these -- I received the plastic spheres as a gift and already had the silicone "jewel" mold which was also a gift. I had been looking for a reason to try these out and the summer weather and the need for a cool beverage was reason enough. I don't usually do product testing, and this isn't really official "testing," but I did want to see how novelty molds would work.

I boiled some water that had first been run through a filter pitcher, to remove as many of the impurities as possible. I then let the filtered boiled water cool down a bit in a coffee press carafe -- the glass is heatproof, so it was a good holding spot. I filled the molds most of the way up, accounting for a little space for the water to expand when it froze. I let them sit in the freezer overnight before unmolding. I have to say the silicone jewel tray was somewhat pfail -- the open top probably contributed to it, but the little gems had a lot of cracks which made for unsuccessful removal from the molds. Imperfect gems, to say the least, even for the ones that weren't fractured into several pieces. The circular sphere molds worked surprisingly well, in terms of holding their seal -- you fill it from the top but it's a snap-together mold of two halves. I wasn't sure if the water would leak, but they seemed to hold up while freezing. I was able to unmold a sphere for a drink without issue. There were still a few cracks and despite the boiling/filtering of the water, I think at-home freezers just do the job too quickly. I've heard bartenders mention freezers that chill and freeze slowly do a better job of keeping purified water clear during the freezing process. But I'm not going to split hairs on that -- I will say the notion of a large piece of ice that has plenty of surface area to chill a drink does wonders. It melts slowly, keeps the drink very cold and at the end of the day, that's all we want right? Novelty shapes, optional.

Cold drinky? Wasabi likey! - Photo by Wasabi Prime

UnRecipe: Suddenly Tacos

You know what rhymes with hasty? Why, tasty, of course. Another whirlwind meal was chalked up to random ingredients delivered in a CSA box and scrounging through pantry and freezer staples. Despite its scrappy beginnings, it was still quite a fiesta to behold. Viva la UnRecipe!

The CSA box said, it's Taco Night - Photo by Wasabi Prime

The truth of the matter is, I just don't know what the hell I'm doing from week to week. Blame it on a combination of doing too many things and too few hours in the day, but I'm never going to have the bandwidth to be a fancy food blogger who regularly spends several days preparing a specialty meal. I'm all about quick-prep foods so that I can spend more time enjoying the meal versus fussing over it. This is compounded by our CSA delivery, which makes for a delicious mystery every two weeks. One of the boxes included a whole mix of random things like radishes, corn, tomatoes and a mango or two. Based on what shows up in the box, I go with my gut instinct, and that day, the gut said: tacos with mango salsa.

Let the season guide your meal - Photos by Wasabi Prime

You should listen to your gut. Aside from the occasional stomach growl and gurgle, it can make for some inspiring conversation. I think my gut was also aware that I always keep dried beans in the pantry and corn tortillas in the freezer. I'm a sucker for bulk buying and I knew I'd never use the five million tortillas in a single dish, so I divided them up into smaller stacks and froze accordingly, knowing I'd have a few stacks ready for future meals. The dried beans were soaked and mixed into a spicy seasoned rice with the fresh corn as a side dish. A bunch of fresh breakfast radishes were the perfect crunch for a spicy taco. Radishes are definitely my favorite for taco toppings; much more character than shreds of iceberg lettuce.

Botannical summer booze - Photos by Wasabi Prime

I couldn't enjoy a summer taco banquet without a frosty beverage, and no I did not waste away in Margaritaville. The CSA box had some oranges and a cucumber. My gut was still ruminating over tacos, but my brain immediately went to fruit/vegetable-infused vodka. The cucumber was a thicker-skinned pickling variety, so I didn't feel bad sacrificing it to the liquor gods. It got pickled all right -- in a glass carafe of booze. I mixed the cucumber slices with orange wedges and let them soak in vodka for a few hours. Using a French Press is great, as you've got a strainer built-in that helps press all the flavor from the fruit that's been soaking away. I took some gin and steeped some Earl Grey tea bags in a separate glass for a short time. It only steeped for about a half hour, as tea can get bitter if it's left to sit for too long. I didn't have a defined idea in mind for these cocktails, except that I mixed the cucumber/citrus vodka with some St. Germain and seltzer for a light-tasting fizz, and mixed the tea-steeped gin with Luxardo maraschino liqueur, some simple syrup and seltzer for a more rich-tasting fizz. Lately my at-home cocktails often look like this -- favorite liquor, a fruit component, light bitter or sour element, simple syrup and fizzy water to liven it all up. I could add more things to it, but that may require more dishes or utensils to wash, and I'm a lazy bartender.

Summertime fiesta at home - Photos by Wasabi Prime

So even though I'm not throwing any wild sexy summer parties at Casa de Wasabi, we manage to eat and drink well enough in the warm, sunny evenings. The fresh produce deliveries keep us on our toes and a well-stocked freezer and pantry shore up whatever we're missing. If I'm very lucky and wish to fully celebrate my laziness, I manage to get away with skipping a trip to the grocery store for a week!

OMG a Recipe: Rum 1-2-3-PUNCH

Like the saying goes by cheesy actors, "I'm not a doctor, but I play one on TV," I can say, "I'm not an alcoholic, but I sure do talk about liquor an awful lot on this blog."  I freely admit to my own Shameber-worthy activity of Unleashing the Kraken now and then, but I think it's safe to say appreciating good, quality distilled spirits is no different than appreciating a well-made beer or fine wine. Someone put a lot of thought and effort to that lovely liquor in the glass (yes, glass -- if it's in plastic, you might be an alkie after all). And there's the added icing to the tipsy cake, knowing you can enjoy spirits on their own or mixed in cocktails. It's still summer, so let's celebrate the sweet life with rum!

Getting punchy with Chairman's Reserve Rum - photo by Wasabi Prime

I was very pleased to attend an Eastside Bartenders Association (EBA) gathering on a sunny Sunday, over at Milagro Cantina in Kirkland. It was a rum tasting event, spotlighting three Chairman's Reserve Rums from St. Lucia Distillers in the Caribbean. I openly admit I'm normally not a rum drinker. Much like my trial-by-fire initiation(s) with tequila many moons ago, I think we've all had our share of Epic Regret with lousy cheap liquor, but thankfully it only takes one really good experience to rehabilitate a relationship with a particular spirit. With the cocktail-smart folks behind the EBA organizing these events, it's like liver therapy, mending old wounds with an evil past and learning to love again with a liquor that will love you back and say you look pretty.

The Chairman's Reserve tasting was presented by the honorable Rocky Yeh of Cooper and Sons, a spirits brokerage company that focuses on distinctive, well-made liquor. He did a fantastic job of presenting the past and present of rum, going through its history as one of the oldest spirits that literally built empires, weaving a complex past that included the boon of the sugarcane industry, military might, economic development, slavery and piracy. Made with molasses, a byproduct of sugarcane, rum was a commodity, highly valued and enjoyed throughout history, paired well with tunes that start off with, "yo-ho-ho and a bottle of..." The term "proof" was derived through the rum-soaked days of the Royal Navy, where the percentage of alcohol needed to be high enough to where if it spilled on a ship's supply of gunpowder (occupational hazard, no?), it could still successfully light. No one wants to lose a seafaring battle because some dope couldn't keep their liquor upright. And to ensure the strength of the rum was sound, as well as to test whether or not a distiller was watering-down the batches, a bit of gunpowder was soaked and lit as "proof" the rum was enough to get both the cannons and the sailors properly lit.

A trio of rums presented by Rocky Yeh - Photos by Wasabi Prime

As to the present-day status of rum, it's less about strongarming an empire and more about just enjoying the flavor. Unlike those annoying pirate movies (OK, Depp's the only thing good about those), one of the best things to come out of the Caribbean is Chairman's Reserve Rum. Three different styles were sampled during the EBA event (silver, aged and spiced), and then mixed into cocktails to show how they make darn fine frosty beverages. Overall, the rum has a rich, true flavor -- you get a nice oak flavor from the aged rum, and the spiced rum is good enough to just enjoy on its own, like a Scotch. Leave it to Cocktail-Whisperer Mark Sexauer of Milagro Cantina to rehabilitate my relationship with rum the same way he did with tequila; he mixed up a couple of drinks using Chairman's, including a daquiri and a rum punch. Both are classic uses for rum, but I think they're also the most notable offenders for drinks that wind up getting you crunked off your face. And not in a good way. A true daquiri -- not the slushy 7-11 drink -- is simply made with a lot of fresh lime juice, sugar, and a good silver rum, served ice-cold. The cocktail that won raves was Mark's rum punch, made with the aged Chairman's and a mix of citrus and fresh pineapple. He was very kind to share the recipe via Sharpie marker on an old receipt. It kind of felt like getting a pirate treasure map. No pegleg or eyepatch required. Yarrrr.

Mixologist Mark and rum with snacks at Milagro Cantina - Photos by Wasabi Prime

So the big test was to try and recreate the drink at home, or rather, a friend's home. I met up with my cocktail-mateys, Miss SJBe and Miss Shutterbug, convening in SJBe's kitchen to punch up some rum. We used the aged rum, per Mark's original mix. The Chairman's silver rum is nice, but the light flavor would likely be lost in the fruit-forward mix, and the spiced rum would probably clash with the fruit -- the five year-aged Chairman's is like the porridge that's just right. Drink up, Goldilocks.

I'm absolutely not a bartender, nor would I consider myself any good at mixing drinks, but from what little trials and Kraken-unleashing times I've had in my own kitchen, I hazard this little bit of experience: mixing drinks is a bit like cooking. I say "cooking," not "baking," because I realize baking more or less needs to be fairly exact with  measurements, but cooking you can push-pull flavors, spices and ingredients on the fly to balance out a dish. The same could be said with cocktails. Too much sweet? Balance it with something sour or bitter, and vice-versa. Too much liquor? Well, make it a bigger batch or be ready to not get behind the wheel anytime soon. With the exception of bad liquor, most drinks can be repaired and rebalanced. Rum punches are deliciously basic, as it's just rum with a mixture of sweet and sour fruit, plus a few dashes of bitters, but with the caviat that all fruits are not made equal, so it's good to taste the fruit as you go. Sometimes you get a candy-sweet orange, so you can lighten up on the adding of sugar. And sometimes you get pineapple that's just too acidic and not enough richness of flavor, so go ahead and mix in some sugar to heighten the flavor. I had to do that in this case, sprinkle the pineapple with a little extra sugar, plus hand-crush to extract as much of the flavor as possible, since we didn't let the mix sit for a while to really let the flavors develop. We went a little lighter on the pineapple, so the final color was more reddish from the pomegranate juice, but no harm in a berry-hued rum punch.

Treasure map to Rum Punch Island - Photos by Wasabi Prime

The final recreation of Mark's rum punch went as follows -- I went a little lighter on the rum, just because it was Sunday and a "school night." This is a little more sweet; if you want to control the sugar, mix the fruit juices and rum, and then add sugar to taste as the last ingredient.

2 cups of aged Chairman's Reserve rum
1.25 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
1 cup crushed fresh pineapple, with juice - add sugar to taste if fruit is particularly sour or acidic
1 cup pomegranate juice
.5 cup fresh squeezed lime juice
5 splashes of Angostura bitters
2/3 cup of sugar

Mix all ingredients in a large pitcher or bowl and use a large block of ice to keep the mixture super-chilled. Mark recommended freezing water in a mold, like a bunt cake ring, and using that to keep the punch chilled. If you want to be geeky with the ice, run the water through a filter and then bring to a boil on the stove. Let water cool enough to pour into the mold and freeze, if you want to try to have clear ice. I have yet to get totally crystal-clear ice using this method, but it's likely because our freezer is just too cold. No matter, the punch is still damn tasty.

FoodTrek: Eastside Love for Eastside Bartenders Association

I've got a cocktail glass in my hand and I'm announcing in a slightly buzzed, but ever-jovial manner, "This one's for my Eastside Bartenders Association homies." And no, I'm not spilling some onto the ground as a ceremonial gesture because the EBA would be like, "Don't waste that, you moron, that's good booze."

Calling the first meeting of Eastside Bartenders Association to order, in a totally rad way - Photo by Wasabi Prime

There's a new social group on the horizon, pard'ners, and it's one you should acquaint yourself with, if you spend any amount of time east of Seattle, which is quite a large group of people if you think about it. Seattle is a fantastic place to live and play, but the truth is a lot of jobs are located "Eastside" of the 520 Bridge. Plenty of folks have to make the trek every day across Lake Washington and do their cubicle duty, and the spreadsheets and TPS reports trail as far as the day is long. But where to go and what to drink while waiting for that unholy traffic to die down? You don't want to spend your hard-earned Benjamins on anything short of top-shelf, as you need some quality decompression time. Well, now there's a new group of cocktail-smart experts to help guide your way towards spending that time with a quality frosty beverage -- get to know the folks associated with the Eastside Bartenders Association (EBA) and let them guide your way to libation liberation. *cheers!*

Raise a glass to the talented folks behind the bar -- liquid happiness, yo - Photos by Wasabi Prime

News Flash: I'm not a bartender, and Duvall is so east of Eastside, I hesitate to even say I live in the area, given our BFE status, but that doesn't mean I can't be a big ol' cocktail groupie and support cool new associations put together by incredibly passionate, talented people. I was very pleased to attend the inaugural EBA event over at Lot No. 3 in Bellevue. It was a combination of too many things I dig the most -- amazingly talented bartenders, a bar/restaurant I love to bits and the opportunity to meet and chat with half a dozen distillers who make some rock-your-socks-off craft spirits.

You don't necessarily have to be a bartender to be a part of the EBA, just the basic requirements of: appreciate a quality cocktail (if you ask for a Lemon Drop, I'm gonna have to smack you), respect the skill and talent of a bartender who knows their craft, and an enthusiasm and willingness to appreciate all the amazing things distilleries are doing in this wild and crazy world. Do you fit these basic requirements and live within the area? Then sign up here, on EBA's "Join" page to be on the mailling list for future events.

Lot No. 3, you had me at "maple bacon." - Photo by Wasabi Prime

Does it bring a little tear of joy to your eye? The sweet and savory bacon offerings, along with creamy deviled eggs and other salty goodies graciously put together by the lovely folks at Lot No. 3 were an excellent pairing to the gauntlet of tasty samplings from a gaggle, nay, a parliament of local distillers presenting samples of their craftily-made spirits. I was, as always, very pleased to see some of my favorite folks like Orlin Sorensen from Woodinville Whiskey Company, as well as Evan Martin with Novo Fogo, and equally pleased to meet so many new people.

Whew... getting a buzz just looking at these pictures - Photos by Wasabi Prime

I finally got to meet and chat with Steven Stone of Sound Spirits in Seattle, who created the Ebb + Flow vodka and gin. My Graphic Design-Self had been drawn to them from the get-go, as I think everything about their brand is incredibly well-designed and clever, so extra super-duper props that the product is pretty darn tasty! Pacific Distillery was also there, one of the early craft distillers to set up shop in Woodinville and help rally the call to cocktail arms, showing quality small-batch liquor is market worth supporting.Their Voyager Dry Gin is one of my absolute favorites -- pick up a bottle or seven. I had the pleasure of meeting the folks at Woodinvlle-based Project V Distillery, who make a really clean, grain-sweet vodka called Single Silo; reminds me a little of a reposado tequila, the natural sweetness is that apparent, and they had a chai-infused vodka that was winning fans. Another vodka maker, Skip Rock Distillers, over in Snohomish, is making a super-flavorful potato vodka. It's got a really hearty, creamy flavor, an intentional nod to the potato, and I was telling them that it would be really good with some mac n' cheese! For those with a sweet tooth, a berry-hued gem is Sidetrack Distillery, out of Kent. They've got several berry liqueurs that include strawberry, raspberry, blueberry and blackberry. It's an intense flavor and it's something that would shine in a mixed cocktail, but even on its own, it's sweet, but not a fake candy-syrup flavor. It's like a whole berry patch was squeezed into a single bottle, sunshine and all. I also met distillers who weren't necessarily presenting at the event, but showed much promise -- check out Wishkah River Distillery out in Aberdeen; much like all these distilleries, these guys are making products that are a labor of love and they're eager to meet thirsty fans!

You'll notice if you click on a lot of these websites, it's a lot of "coming soon" or primarily Facebook pages -- consider this your ground-floor opportunity to get on board with these distilleries as they move forward towards a very hopeful future for small-batch local craft distillers. These are small, family-run companies who have local roots and want to bring a quality product to the people. With groups like the Eastside Bartenders Association, I hope it helps get the word out to encourage people to support local businesses, whether it's the folks mixing the drinks or the ones putting the drinks in the bottle.