A Bellingham Foodie Blog Restaurant Reviews Bellingham Washington 98225

March 31, 2009

Chicken Soup a Jewish Grandmother would love

Filed under: Bellingham local,local,Pacific Northwest,Seattle — Bellinghamster @ 10:21 pm

My good friend, Devorah, has been cooking ALOT. This was not always the case. She and I used to go out to eat very often and enjoyed discovering the new. But, after a couple of hospital stints, she has become serious about food and digestion. And in the process, she has become a phenomenal cook and baker! I use to be the one with the recipes, but now I call HER.

A Jewish Grandmother in her bookclub came down with the flu. It’s very disconcerting to see a grandma ill. So what did Devorah do? She made a pot of chicken soup, delivered it to her bookclub friend and neighbor and wished her good health. No sooner was she back home than she received a call of gratitude – Grandma said she has been making the best chicken soup of anyone’s for over 60 years, but Devorah just outdid her. Can she please have the recipe? She gave it gladly. Here it is from The Whole Life NutritionCookbook by Alissa Segersten and Tom Malterre:

To make the chicken broth:

  • 1 whole organic chicken, about 4 pounds
  • 1 large onion, cut onto 1/4’s with skin on
  • 1 head garlic
  • 3 stalks celery, cut into large pieces
  • 1 large carrot, cut into large pieces
  • 2 bay leaves
  • one 4-inch strip kombu
  • 2 teaspoons whole black peppercorns
  • 1/2 bunch parsley, chopped
  • 4 sprigs fresh rosemary
  • 3 sprigs fresh marjoram
  • 3 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 1 sprig fresh savory
  • 1 tablespoon sea salt or Herbamare
  • water to cover, about 10 to 12 cups

1. Rinse the chicken and place into a large 8-qt stockpot. Add the remaining ingredients for the broth into the stockpot. Place pot over medium heat and bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer and cover with a lid. Simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until chicken easily falls off the bone.

2. Next place a large strainer over a clean large pot; pour contents of the broth through the strainer to separate the broth from the vegetable and chicken. Remove the chicken and place on a plate to cool. Discard vegetables and herbs.

There is more to the recipe to make ‘soup’, but I like broth. I will add leftovers from the fridge and get a different combo every time. I like it best made with yellow miso, green onions, brown rice and peas. This is where you get to personalize your soup. Be healthy!

March 29, 2009

Clouds in the Sky

Filed under: Bellingham local,local,Pacific Northwest,restaurants,Seattle — Bellinghamster @ 10:33 pm

There was a giant cloud above Bellingham today and it had a hole in the middle of it. It looked like a big puffy donut! The power of suggestion from veganinbellingham.com and Mighty- O Donuts.

You see, my partner has been out of town for a week and I’m getting a bit frazzled with the brood. So like any normal human being, I’ve been eating treats. A donut is a treat. They look beautiful and I will have very willing companions in the car for the drive down to Seattle Saturday. Heck, I didn’t even have my shoes on before the kids were out the door for Katie’s Cupcakes yesterday. But that’s a different post…

March 17, 2009

Leprechauns, Trolls & St. Patrick

Filed under: Bellingham local,local,Pacific Northwest,Seattle,Uncategorized — Tags: , , , — Bellinghamster @ 2:59 pm

Whiskey and corned beef and cabbage. Slainte! Now that I have your attention…

Did you know leprechauns in the USA are different from the leprechauns in Ireland? I certainly thought they were a cohesive group adhering to one standard of behavior, but I have been educated otherwise. The Irish leprechaun is a short, happy go-lucky guy who loves a party. He’s a cobbler by trade and always carries his little silver hammer. He has much wealth which he accumulated after the Norse raided Ireland (leprechauns snatched up and horded what was left behind). And he always tells the truth. You can get his wealth only if you see a leprechaun and hold his gaze fast and never let it waiver. As soon as you let him out of your site, he disappears along with your chances of getting his wealth.  According to legend, all you have to do is keep a steady gaze on the imp and ask him where his treasure is. He has to tell you.

However, the leprechaun loves riddles, and the trick comes in decoding them. Tom Allen says this is a true story in Ireland and I believe him. I listen to him every day. I think he is originally from NY because he speaks faster than I do) and is in Toronto now.

Tom didn’t elaborate on the USA leprechaun, but I think I can do that just fine having grown up in NYC, NY. And having gone to parochial school for 12 years and marched in the Macy’s St. Patrick’s Day parade for the last 4 of those years. I think I’m qualified.

I believe a USA leprechaun is happy, short and stout. He smokes a pipe and drinks alcohol (except in my daughter’s kindergarten classroom) and hides a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. He is truthful and loves to speak in riddles. He is very good at keeping out of human site. He has to be, because if you see him and catch him and not let go, he has to show you where his gold is. Yes, the USA leprechaun has GOLD not just wealth. His bling GLITTERS. But there is a way to know if he’s crossed your path: he leaves a trail of green glittering shamrocks. So unless you happened to be in my daughter’s kindergarten classroom this morning, or any other place with glittering green shamrock’s strewn about (like my livingroom carpet), you are out of a pot of gold.

Now you ask: How do trolls figure in? Trolls are Norse GIANTS (remember the Norse plunder of Ireland?). Trolls are carnivorous and ferocious. Trolls have accumulated wealth from stealing. They will even steal a baby and exchange it with one of their own (changeling). Don’t try to catch a troll like you would a leprechaun to get his wealth. Don’t feed the troll. The only way known to keep them away is to be Christian. Church bells and a cross will do you just fine because trolls are heathens. They live underground because they fear the light of day. Why? Because it will turn them to stone. And that, my friend, is the only way I know of to get troll’s gold. Shine the light of day on them.

Which brings me to St. Patrick, the point of the day’s celebration. He was a boy from Wales whose father was a deacon, his grandfather a priest. He was stolen and sold into slavery in Ireland when he was 16 years old. He worked in captivity as a herdsman for about 6 years until he escaped. During his time in captivity, he prayed and prayed to go back home to his family. He escaped and found his way back home. From there, he entered the Church and became a successful missionary. He took his faith back to Ireland and preached the trinity (using the three leaves of the shamrock) to a people considered pagan. He was so respected and revered by the Irish, that they made March 17th, the date of his death, his feast day.

So whether it be gold or God for you, Eirinn Go Brach.

January 21, 2009

A pizza too big for your oven?

Filed under: Bellingham local,Bellingham Restaurants,local,Pacific Northwest,restaurants,Seattle — Bellinghamster @ 3:13 pm

Everyone knows what Costco is. It is a bulk retailer as in “bigger is better”,  “more is better”,  “gimme gimme gimme” + “consume consume consume”. It just follows a typical American consumer pattern. It is the same as a diner meal. Low cost for mega servings.

I really got my money’s worth there!’

For instance: have you ever purchased a Costco pizza? How about their sicilian (square) style? Does it fit into your oven completely without touching the sides? Well, it didn’t fit into Wendy’s oven, so I cut it in half (and forgot to put a pan underneath to catch the dripping cheese – I’ll never live that consequence down). Almost had to call the fire department for the smoke during the oven cleaner cycle (just ask Kevin).

Someone I just met offered the obvious solution: the oven should have been purchased at Costco! Bigger is better!

How about Papa Murphy’s pizza? Does the family size pizza fit into your oven without touching the sides? The directions for baking a Papa Murphy’s pizza says to place it in the oven making sure the paper tray does not touch the oven walls. Why is that? Will it catch fire? or is it so the air can flow all around it?

I want to know why, not just how.

BTW, I have passed on buying another Costco pizza – the Wendy memory haunts me ( I think they had to clean the oven more than once – I’m afraid to bring it up). And I am forbidden to bring pizza to their house ever again. I do buy Papa Murphy’s pizza and the family size does fit into my oven. No, I did not buy the oven at Costco. But, if I was in the market for an oven…

January 13, 2009

How do you say…?

Filed under: Bellingham local,local,Pacific Northwest,Seattle — Tags: , — Bellinghamster @ 9:42 pm

I grew up in NYC. Queens to be exact. Yes, I USE to have a Queens accent, but I wanted to make money on Wall Street so I opted for more of a New England accent. It worked. However, in the Northwest everyone knows I come from the Northeast because I talk fast. What does this have to do with food? Nothing, I am ranting.

I met a woman recently who introduced herself as Don. She said it quickly, so I asked her to spell it…D-a-w-n. In NYC, that would be pronounced Dawn as in AW-ful. I think it should rhyme with fawn. She pronounced it Don as in Don Quixote. Ok. Here’s what Merriam-Webster says: dawn.

I met a man recently who gave me directions to Squalicum HS. He said to make a right from Sunset onto McCloud. McCloud pronounced like the word “loud”. Ok. I passed McLeod 2x and decided I ought to call. Why is McLeod pronounced McCloud? The sheeple strike again! Why not McDawneold’s?

Here’s another one. Gyro. In NYC, it is pronounced jeye-row. On the west coast, it is pronounced yee-row. Merriam-Webster is from which coast? The mysteries of phonology.

I’m done now. Thank you for your payshins.

« Newer Posts — Older Posts »

Powered by WordPress