just laura

I visited Grays Harbor recently for work and enjoyed exploring the small town.

• Breakwater Seafoods – My favorite meal of the week was their salmon melt meal! A simple, order at the counter place with an amazingly good (and affordable) $10 lunch! Perfectly crispy, savory, and totally worth the gluten!
• Anne Marie’s Cafe – For the first half hour there at lunch, I was the only patron under age 60. Two families eventually came in, lowering the median age. I had the turkey ($8) and enjoyed the waitstaff with big personalities.
• Billy’s Bar & Grill – Multiple people recommended Billy’s as a fun place, which I’m guessing means anywhere you go drink beer with friends can be fun. I went solo and ordered the taco salad (sans beer). Can’t say it was that entertaining to eat a salad solo, but the meal was tasty. They even gave me a free slice of cheesecake as my hotel one of the people recommending it. (Colleagues also recommended it, but that didn’t seem to carry the free cheesecake offer). Mostly I wanted to check it out as everyone assured me it used to be a brothel back in the day… not much left from those days except the legend…
• Mill 109 – I drove up along the Pacific Coast one night and stopped in the new town of Seabrook, WA. Mill 109 had gorgeous waterfront views and a mouthwatering menu. I had the razor clams over a bed of red and black quinoa with a side salad ($19). The quinoa was sadly burnt tasting, but the razor clams were surprisingly big (as long as my hand) and tasted terrific!
• Sadly, the cafe and bakery I usually frequented on previous was out of business with their windows boarded up. No gluten free snacks for me or morning coffee stop. It was just one of dozens and dozens of downtown businesses that has gone out of business and left a vacant storefront with boarded up windows. The economy is apparently growing a tiny bit, but it still looks pretty depressed.

Two weeks ago I dusted off my bike and went for a short 20 mile ride out to the beach at Golden Gardens. It was a beautiful day and fun to ride with friends (Brian, Eric, Heater, Lars, and Claire).

Last weekend we headed up north to Mt. Vernon and biked through the Tulip Festival. It was another glorious spring day and fun as always to see field after field of vibrant tulips, set against the picturesque backdrop of snow capped Mt. Baker. Gotta love the northwest! Great day to ride and picnic with Jess, Caroline, Lee, Kyleen, and a handful of new friends.

This weekend David and I are headed up to Lopez Island for the Tour de Lopez bike ride! We’ll camp afterwards at Today and Nancy’s place so we can party all night before rolling out bikes back onto the ferry to the mainland on Sunday morning. :)

It’s not consistently nice weather yet (it’s currently raining and in the 40s), but we’ve had a few lovely spring days and we’ve opened up the grill a few times already. Last night we has Thomas and Alison over for dinner and we grilled steelhead trout, spicy chorizo, and beet greens. Add in a salad and then gelato for dessert and we truly feasted. :)

Broiled Steelhead Trout With Rosemary, Lemon and Garlic
from food.com
Servings: 3-4

Ingredients:
1 lb steelhead fillet , with or without skin
1 clove garlic , chopped fine
1 1/2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh rosemary
1 lemon, zest of
1/2 lemon, juice of
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil , plus
additional oil , for greasing the tin foil

Directions:
1 Make a baking basket out with foil and brush it with olive oil.
2 Preheat grill.
3 Mix together all remaining ingredients except fish into a well-blended paste.
4 Place fish skin-side down (if it has skin) on to tin foil, then spread seasoning over flesh.
5 Grill fish until cooked through in the thickest portion.

Just finished Unaccustomed Earth
by Jhumpa Lahiri (author of Interpreter of Maladies and the Namesake)
“These eight stories by beloved and bestselling author Jhumpa Lahiri take us from Cambridge and Seattle to India and Thailand, as they explore the secrets at the heart of family life. Here they enter the worlds of sisters and brothers, fathers and mothers, daughters and sons, friends and lovers. Rich with the signature gifts that have established Jhumpa Lahiri as one of our most essential writers, Unaccustomed Earth exquisitely renders the most intricate workings of the heart and mind.”

Then read: Little Bee: A Novel
by Chris Cleave
I’d downloaded it from the library because it was 1. on a “popular” list and 2. was available without a wait. Those were my only criteria. Turns it was a fantastic book and definitely deserves it place on the “popular” list. Cleave weaves the story of a teenage refugee girl from Nigeria arriving in England into the everyday life of a power couple in suburbia. It’s a simple story and a rather heartbreaking reminder of the horrors still happening abroad and the very little we see of them in major news media. Highly recommended.

Just finished: The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake
by Aimee Bender
This book started so slow I almost put it down for good, but the plot picks up once you’re deeper into the book. It’s told as a memoir of a young girl growning up from elementary to high school, as she discovers her special talent/curse: she can taste hidden emotions in food as passed on from the chef. A rather depressing read, perhaps because the average family in the book could be a family in any street in any neighborhood.

Up next: Toast: The Story of a Boy’s Hunger
by Nigel Slater

This weekend was the warmest we’ve seen all year! I tried to make the most of it and spent the weekend gardening, grilling for the first time of 2012, walking to the lake, and hanging out on the back steps at Monkey House. Yesterday my friend took me cross country skiing (also called Nordic skiing). It felt a little funny to pile on warm layers and bring out my snow pants, but it was great being up in the mountains. It was pretty warm too, considering the snow levels… I didn’t need gloves, hat, or jacket. Cross country skiing was impressively easy and it’s a great way to enjoy the quiet, peaceful, and stunningly beautiful mountains. I’d happily go again! Just need to find some ski boots in my exact size and I’ll be doing great!

Just read three good books this months:

• The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, by Rebecca Skloot (interwoven true history of cancer cells, race, and poverty)
• Free Candy, by John Poetzel (a former Seattlite)
• The Marriage Plot, by Jeffrey Eugenides (author of Middlesex, another great book)

I thoroughly enjoyed all of them! Read on!

In January, David and I took off to Thailand and Cambodia to explore a corner of SE Asia that neither one of us had visited before. We visited Bangkok, Chiang Mai, and Siem Reap – three cities I’d highly recommend! I’ve now got 1000s of pictures to sort through and will post some here soon.

David’s starting a new job mid-March and will do orientation in the Bay area. Seems like an ideal time for me to tag along so we’ve got plans to visit San Francisco for a weekend.

Not much else to report… this week has been similar to many others: dinner with friends, a night at the symphony, karaoke, card games at a friend’s place, snowshoeing at Annette Lake, celebrating multiple birthdays… all good things! :)

Last night David and I decided to do a quiet night in. I wasn’t feeling very well, so I wanted an easy recipe and flipped through the Rachael Ray 30 minute meals cookbook I recently found at Goodwill. It was the first time I tried a Rachael Ray recipe and we both thought it was really good.

Chicken Piccata Pasta Toss
Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray

Prep Time: 10 min
Cook Time: 20 min
Level: Easy
Serves: 4 servings (we each had for dinner, and each brought leftovers to work)

Ingredients
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/3 pounds chicken breast tenders, cut into 1-inch pieces
Salt and pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 shallots, chopped
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup white wine
1 lemon, juiced
1 cup chicken broth or stock
3 tablespoons capers, drained
1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1 pound (gluten free rice) pasta, cooked to al dente

Directions

1. Heat a deep nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add a tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil and the chicken to the pan.
2. Season chicken with salt and pepper.
3. Brown chicken until lightly golden all over, about 5 to 6 minutes. Remove chicken from pan and return the skillet to the heat.
4. Reduce heat to medium. Add another tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter, the garlic and shallots to the skillet. Saute garlic and shallots 3 minutes.
5. Add flour and cook 2 minutes.
6. Whisk in wine and reduce liquid 1 minute.
7. Whisk lemon juice and broth into sauce.
8. Stir in capers and parsley.
9. When the liquid comes to a bubble, add remaining 1/2 tablespoon butter to the sauce to give it a little shine.
10. Add chicken back to the pan and heat through, 1 to 2 minutes.
11. Toss hot pasta with chicken and sauce and serve.
12. Adjust salt and pepper, to your taste.

Last night we decided to host a last minute dinner party for 8 people, so this morning before work I threw a pork roast into the crock pot and crossed my fingers. It’s the first time I’ve cooked any kind of roast and it turned out pretty well. It cooked on low for 8 hours and it was incredibly tender/falling apart by the time we ate. Flavor was good, though I think if I make it again I might add something spicier to play off the sweet. Still thinking about what that might be…

Pork Roast over Sweet Potatoes for the Crock Pot
Prep Time: 30 mins
Total Time: 8 hrs 30 mins
Servings: 9

Ingredients
2 teaspoons fennel seeds, crushed (I didn’t have fennel, so used fresh rosemary instead)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 lbs pork loin roast, boneless
4 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed ( 1/2 inch cubes)
1 cup chicken broth

Directions
Combine first 6 ingredients.
Rub into pork.
Put potatoes in the crock pot.
Place pork on top of potatoes.
Pour broth over all.
Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours.

http://www.food.com/13685

We hosted a stop on our neighborhood Christmas Crawl yesterday and had a great time. We were planning for maybe 20 people to stop by, and well exceed that guess! It was great to have such a cozy home full of friends and kiddos! I made a sausage strata and a gluten free spinach and cheese strata. Both turned out great!

Spinach and Cheese Strata
yield: Makes 6 to 8 servings

active time: 30 min
total time: 10 hr

Ingredients
1 (10-oz) package frozen spinach, thawed
1 1/2 cups finely chopped onion (1 large)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
8 cups cubed (1 inch) French bread (I used Udi’s gluten free chia and flax bread)
2 cups grated cheddar
2 3/4 cups milk
9 large eggs
2 tablespoons dry mustard

Preparation
Squeeze handfuls of spinach to remove as much liquid as possible, then finely chop.

Cook onion in butter in a large heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring, until soft, 4 to 5 minutes. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and nutmeg and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Stir in spinach, then remove from heat.

Spread one third of bread cubes in a buttered 3-quart gratin dish or other shallow ceramic baking dish and top evenly with one third of spinach mixture. Sprinkle with one third of each cheese. Repeat layering twice (ending with cheeses).

Whisk together milk, eggs, mustard, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl and pour evenly over strata. Chill strata, covered with plastic wrap, at least 8 hours (for bread to absorb custard).

Preheat oven to 350°F. Let strata stand at room temperature 30 minutes.

Bake strata, uncovered, in middle of oven until puffed, golden brown, and cooked through, 45 to 55 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Spinach-and-Cheese-Strata-107754#ixzz1guYgdaPi

This recipe was the lightest gluten free cake I’ve ever made. Seriously. Not dry, crumbly, or heavy like many GF concoctions. I love that it uses all of my normal flours… I didn’t have to go buy specialty ingredients to make this turn out perfectly.

Gluten Free Apple Cake
By GlutenFreeGirl on food.com

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 1 hr
Serves: 9-12, Yield: 1 cake

Ingredients
3/4 cup rice flour
1/2 cup potato starch – Swan’s Blue Box or Red Mill, etc. ( NOT potato flour)
1/4 cup tapioca flour
3/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup white sugar
3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 eggs
3 tablespoons milk
1 1/2 cups apples, peeled, cored, and shredded ( about 2 apples)
icing sugar, for dusting (optional)

Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F; grease either 9 inch round springform pan, or 8
inch square cake pan, and dust with rice flour.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour mix, xanthan gum, baking
soda, baking powder, and cinnamon; set aside.
In the bowl of your mixer, cream the butter for about 1 minute or
until softened.
Add both sugars,and beat for about 2 minutes.
Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat until well incorporated.
Blend in the milk.
Then turn mixer to low and add the dry ingredients half at a time,
beating after each addition, until they are well absorbed.
Remove the bowl from the stand and gently fold in the shredded apples.
Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 40-45 minutes, or
until toothpick inserted tests clean and the cake pulls away from the
edge of the pan.
If serving from the pan, cool at least 10 minutes before removing.

I got lucky with work and got an entire week in Austin in August, and then booked another long weekend in Austin in Sept. Both times I got to spend lots of time with family, including my awesome niece and nephew.

I thought these black and white photos, taken in an outdoor tent, were a fun experiment at Seattle’s decompression event back in October! Done by someone named Josh who I met for the 60 seconds it took to photograph my earrings. :)

You can check out my fancy earrings.

This year at Seacompression, we setup a booth. The idea was to set up a enlarger and do exposures of people’s things, While they could choose anything, the best exposures were lacy undergarments. Also included were keys, glasses, clothing, jewelry and whatever was interesting in reverse (white on black). Each participant got to arrange their own image and name the portrait as it was completed.

Once developed, we hung their “laundry” on the clothes line outside. Half of the fun was the spectators who tried to determine what each portrait was or who it belonged to. Or the women who slyly pointed out their own “pantie portrait”.

I love the traditional process of creating Silver Gelatin prints. This booth allowed me to share the magic of this technique and capture a bit of the community involved and moment in time. This was so much fun!!! We really loved meeting all the people who volunteered their time and items to make the prints something special. Thanks to everyone involved!!

A belated jotting down of the bands I saw at the Austin City Limits Musical Festival resulted in this list. I’m not entirely sure it’s a comprehensive list of the bands I saw, but Chris, Alyssa, or Beal might be able to correct me! It was great to hang out with them, get some sun, and see some terrific live music at beautiful Zilker Park!

ACL Fest 2011
Brandi Carlile (who did some choice 80s covers like Tiffany, Bonnie Tyler’s Total Eclypse Of The Heart, and Alphaville’s Forever Young)
James Blake
Young the Giant (so mesmerizing!)
The Cave Singers (totally rocking and totally enjoyable)
Foster the People (crowded but fun)
Bright Eyes
Kanye West (I was so close to him… quite an epic production!)
Iron and Wine
Fitz and the Tantrums (hard working and seemed like honest and good people)
Cee Lo (with some choice chatting between songs, like “I know how you like it. You like it from the back when I pull your hair. I’m 323 pounds of raw sexuality. Where are all the nasty ladies at? Love is in the air! How many of you are single and ready to mingle?”)
TV on the Radio
Stevie Wonder (hard to hear)
My Morning Jacket (more enjoyable than I used to find them)
The Head and the Heart (so great!)
The Airborne Toxic Event (one of my surprise favorites of the weekend!)