FoodTrek: Island Vacation in a Day

Cloudless blue skies above a water view... a chilled, frosty beer covered in condensation sweat from the sun... a tall, ombre tropical drink with a wedge of fresh pineapple... I made a summer trip to the Island, but not the one you're thinking of... 

Being on Island Time for a day - Photo by Wasabi Prime

...No, not Hawaii, but Orcas Island! Yes, we stayed within our own state to get a taste of Da Islands. It had been something I wanted to do, visit Orcas Island for a day and just see if it was doable, since the San Juans aren't exactly a quick hop, skip and a jump away. Generally the challenges behind going to the San Juans for just a day is the travel time. You have to drive up to Anacortes to catch the ferry -- that's at least an hour drive -- and then you wait in a long line of cars, hoping you got there early enough during summer's peak season to make sure your car makes it on that boat. The ferry ride varies depending on the island you're trying to get to, Orcas takes about 45 minutes to an hour, depending on conditions. We left early in the morning, so the boat had to slow down when we hit a big fog bank. We thought we would be clever by doing walk-on for the ferry, which loads you super-fast and you don't have to arrive super-early to get your car in position, but the trick is always the ability to be mobile once you're on the island. There's a shuttle bus that goes around Orcas Island, but the problem with that is, if the ferry schedule is off (and it often is), the bus leaves without you and you're stuck for a while, since the shuttle pickups to take you from the ferry terminal to Eastsound are infrequent at best, with wait times being as much as an hour if you miss your pickup. Boo. Despite the good idea of the Orcas Island transit bus, I would say skip it and bring your own car, in case of ferry late-ness. We were stuck renting a car for the day (round trip cab ride to Eastsound was about as much as a car rental), negating the money we saved by doing a ferry walk-on, and it was a grumpy way to start the day, but whatever! I would not let our day trip be scuttled by a morning hiccup!

Orcas Island Saturday Farmers Market - greens aplenty! - Photos by Wasabi Prime

Day trip or not, Orcas Island is amazing year-round. And Eastsound, the most popular city to visit on the island, really blossoms during summer, since that's the busy season. The last time I was here, it was mid-season, so the weather was more unpredictable, rainy one moment, sunny the next -- status quo for island living. In the summers, the Orcas Island Farmer's Market sets up shop on the Village Green in Eastsound, which was a treat to visit for the first time. I was tempted to get a bunch of things, but didn't want to haul fresh produce around for the day. But I did admire the goods -- I saw beautiful little artichokes, plenty of fava beans and sugar snap peas, and over a grill, I saw the most enormous oysters on the planet being cooked up. They were locally harvested and the size of a pro-wrestler's fist. Pretty dang big. But we saved our appetite for an early midday snack at Rose's Bakery and Cafe. I love their baguettes. Not too big, not too small, just the perfect size to get one to go, which I didn't mind hauling around with me in a reusable shopping bag. I got a package of Lesley Stowe's Raincoast Crisps (the cranberry ones), which are pretty much my favorite crackers in the known universe. I know it's a bakery and I could have gotten some of their bread, but to avoid the indulgence of eating a whole loaf of bread in one sitting, I saved our fresh baguette for later and went with a small package of crackers that I shared with the Mister, along with some cured meats freshly sliced from Rose's deli to fuel us for the day.

Allium for a deck-side lunch and cocktails - Photos by Wasabi Prime

One of the nice things about the day trip was being Indy-free. I know that must sound heartbreaking to hear, but as much as I'd love to bring the fuzzy mutt with us everywhere, having a dog with you makes it difficult to browse shops and go where you please. We could tie her up outside of every store, but that makes her whine and be miserable, which in turn makes everyone miserable. Plus it was hot, so tying up a dog in the sun, especially one covered in black fur, would just be cruel. Indy got to spend the day likely sleeping on our bed while we were gone and I took advantage of being Indy-Free and shopped around Eastsound, getting all manner of crafty, beautiful and locally-made jewelry, cards, soaps and the like. Those were all intended as gifts for others, but I picked up a big bag of coffee roasted on neighboring Lopez Island for ourselves, which was a nice treat.

Another nice treat was visiting Allium Restaurant again, and saying "Aloha" to chef and owner, Lisa Nakamura again. Busy as always, especially with ice cream shop Lily downtstairs, we showed up early, before the dinner rush, to have a late lunch from their afternoon snack menu. It's a nice thing to visit a popular place during off-hours -- no waiting, it's late enough in the day to have cocktails without anyone giving you a judgmental stare, and you'll likely have your pick of the best seats. Of course we sat out on the deck. Sunny, beautiful and even more vacation-like when you have a tropical drink. So relaxed, you just wanted to kick back and never leave. All that leisurely wandering got our appetites up, so we had some of the marvelous goat cheese crostini, a hearty salmon salad and the buttery-rich truffled gnocchi that I know would probably make better sense on a chilly day, but their gnocchi is out-of-this-world good. We felt like we were going to roll down to the ferry terminal, we had such happy, full food bellies.

Tell me about the rabbits, Orcas Island - Photos by Wasabi Prime

Speaking of the ferry terminal, in my best Lenny impersonation from Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men, I have to say: "Tell me about the rabbits, George." We made sure to leave Eastsound and return the car in time to wait for the late afternoon ferry to slowly whisk us back to Anacortes and we were met with Late Afternoon of the Lepus. Seriously, the grassy park near the ferry terminal was rabbit-palooza; I had never seen so many bunnies lounging since the Playboy Mansion. They were adorable wild rabbits, all looking fairly healthy and well-fed, just lounging in the shade of a tree. A flock? A warren? I had to consult Mr. Google to find out it's just called a herd, which is boring. I was rather hoping it would be more poetic and exciting like an obstinacy of buffalo, or a flamboyance of flamingos. Nope, a herd. Well, the herd of rabbits were chillin' much like the rest of the people waiting on the late ferry, its lateness just being compounded from the morning's fog slowdown. But you don't visit the San Juans with a precise military-like schedule. You really are on Island Time, and "whenever" should just be added to timepieces everywhere. We didn't bring Indy, but judging from a very sleepy retriever snoozing in front of one of the stores, not even batting an eye when I took its photo, everyone is just super mellow and laid back.

By land or sea, it was a pretty nice way to spend a summer day - Photos by Wasabi Prime

We caught our "whenever" ferry back to Anacortes, enjoying the very pretty sights on the way back as the sun started to set. And we were still in that lazy Island Time frame of mind on the drive back home, and I think that was probably the best souvenir we could have had from this whole trip, just that sense of Letting Go. We arrived with a schedule in mind, it got sort of blown to bits, but we made things up along the way and still had a really nice day trip. I'm looking forward to going back to Orcas Island again before the summer's over, this time for a full weekend, but at least it's nice to know visiting for a day isn't impossible. And dude, what is up with those rabbits? A second trip will have to determine if that's a regular thing with the ferry terminal.

UnRecipe: Asparagustatory Story

Good Taste. Bad Taste. What does it really mean to have a skilled palate? For some the answer is a culinary education background, learning about ingredients in a classic, academic environment. For others it could mean a willingness to at least try everything, no fear, with the understanding that having eaten something enough times, you'll develop an appreciation for it. Maybe it's a combination of both. I got to thinking about how we process flavors when I had a craving for asparagus, a tricky flavor all on its own, with a unique ability to tell a little something about ourselves.

Asparagus and egg pizza, it's what's for every meal - Photo by Wasabi Prime

My mind is fixated on flavors lately, as I'm in the middle of reading Barb Stuckey's Taste What You're Missing, about the wild and untamed science of savoring food. Likely more mild than wild for most bedside reading, there's no explosions, fast cars or girls in bikinis (at least not yet); instead, it's a pleasant stroll through the breakdown of how the human senses translate food to our body and mind, and why we adore some flavors but can't quite wrap our tastebuds around others. 50 Shades of Gray, it's not, but you'll be better enriched for it and not have to hide your shame behind another book jacket when reading it in public. 

One of the points that Stuckey makes in her book is about asparagus, and that it's an unusual litmus test for human senses. I cackle perversely over the fact that one of the amusements of asparagus is that it makes your pee smell. Maybe there's more 50 Shades of Gray going on than I thought. But honestly, it stinks and asparagus has made it abundantly clear that it's a vegetable that will not be ignored. Some people claim they don't have that pungent side effect after eating asparagus, but recent scientific discoveries point out that it's not whether that smell is present, but that it's a genetic difference in people's olfactory receptors that allow them to recognize it. It doesn't necessarily mean someone is a superhero with super-spidey-senses if you pick up a whiff of asparagus post-potty break, but it does make you think about the innate sensitivities people have, which apparently go as deep as our DNA. If only some people can sense certain things, how does that translate towards the ability to enjoy food? Granted, I'm not done with Stuckey's book yet, maybe there will be some revelation that when eating a candy bar, men just taste chocolate and sugar, but a genetic switch in the female genome is suddenly triggered by cacao, tapping into a primal endorphin rush that releases feelings of  rapturous bliss and a compelling desire to curl up on the couch to watch John Hughes movies starring Molly Ringwald. What, you don't get that after eating a chocolate bar?

Eating my greens, along with the glorious golden yellow hue of a gooey egg yolk - Photos by Wasabi Prime

In this process of reading Stuckey's book, I do find that I'm thinking more actively about food cravings and why something may feel so compelling to cook and eat. I was completely struck by the desire to make something with asparagus after seeing Chef Lisa Nakamura's asparagus and chevre crostini demo on a Q13 local news segment a little while back -- you can see the video here. Maybe it was because I really like asparagus and goat cheese, and don't need much convincing, but I remember having a very clear image in my head over what I wanted to eat, which was a variation on her recipe. Instead of putting the chevre and seasoned asparagus on a toast slice, I piled them atop thin pizza dough, with a big egg baked in the middle. Asparagus is a strange food. There's a reason why sommeliers are confounded by this funky green stalk -- it's grassy and bitter, and can bring out the bitterness in other things like an evil mother-in-law. But when paired with rich things like a creamy cheese or a runny egg yolk, somehow the flavors, much like The Force, is balanced in the universe, no stupid mitichlorian mythology required.The bitterness helps to cut through the rich yolk, the asparagus retains every fresh bite, despite its time in a hot oven. Somehow all these things work, and once you've had that balance before, maybe in the form of a platter of steamed asparagus with a healthy drizzle of hollandaise sauce, your brain just recognizes the pieces fitting together and you want it again and again.

Aspara-Egg-and-Chevre Pizza anyone? - Photos by Wasabi Prime

As I read more into Barb Stuckey's book, about how the sensitivity of tastebuds can be manipulated -- which I'm sure that's what happens with this combination of ingredients on the aspara-egg-and-chevre pizza -- it still feels like a bit of food magic. Even when something is complex with varying textures and uniquely-paired ingredients, and we may not be able to reverse-engineer what we're experiencing, it's like it just encourages our sense of taste even further, to continue staying hungry for something new.

Mixed Plate: You Can't Eat Bucky, But He's Food for Thought

If you didn't already see on the Facebook-Twitter-Internet-iverse, there's a nifty new children's book that just came out, written by Lisa Nakamura and scribble-doodles by Yours Truly. Lisa wrote this charming story of how one dollar bill can truly change the fate of so many others, and it came together in the book, Bucky the Dollar Bill. Rebekah Denn wrote this great article about Lisa and the book in the Seattle Times early last week, and you can just hop on over to Amazon.com or Bucky's book site to get yourself a copy or twelve. Go do it. Right now! Hurry!! 

Is the book about food? Well, Bucky was very fortunate to have the amazing Thomas Keller write a heartfelt foreword for the book. And Lisa's restaurant, Allium on Orcas is a delicious destination that you must experience. But no, the book is not about food. So why is it on the blog? Aside from me wanting to toot my own horn (toot-toot), I really felt lucky to be a part of this project. I was long overdue for a serious kick in the pants by my terribly empty sketchbook, and frankly, the message behind Bucky the Dollar Bill is something that makes a lot of sense, not just for the current state of the economy, but from a food perspective. When you visit a neighborhood restaurant, enroll your household in a community supported agriculture program or buy your fancy truffle oil from that cute little shop you love, you are supporting your community. The dollar you spend in those small businesses has a much more direct route to the people who are operating that business, ensuring that favorite restaurant/shop/farm stays open and everyone's happy.

There's nothing wrong with big businesses. I'm the queen of bulk buying at big-brand stores, and I have the Hoarder-like towers of toilet paper to prove it. The message behind Bucky is to simply do what you can when it comes to mindful spending, because every little bit helps. And it's not just about buying local, it's also supporting local nonprofit organizations and causes close to your heart. None of this is breaking news, but how about teaching these ideas to your little ones? If they're old enough to spend money, they're old enough to understand the value of purchase power. Enter Bucky the Dollar Bill. He goes on adventures! He's dressed like a superhero! He's got big soulful eyes! The book is as much for adults as it is for children; even through cute, colorful drawings, the message is a reminder for us to step up and be involved with how our communities function, even if it's as simple as eating one meal at your neighborhood restaurant per week -- having someone else cook for you, come on, how hard is that?

Don't just consider Bucky the Dollar Bill a book, it's a mindset that deserves to be shared and spread around. Parents with children would love it for the meaningful message. Friends who own and operate a small business would get a kick out of it. Working on this book was a true pleasure and Lisa literally put her heart and soul into this story, both as a writer and a small business owner. I hope you enjoy the experience of reading Bucky's story and that it stays with you. As the book so rightly puts it: Generosity breeds prosperity.