american boy
Seattle times and November coziness
Hello again, and apologies for the unexpected break last week! I had to adjust my work schedule the week following our trip and just couldn’t find the time, both to write, and to cook enough amid the unending horrors of the news cycle to have something to write to you about.
We got a later start to our journey than expected, our consistent road trip tradition, so although we had virtually no wait at the border we were still hungry for lunch long before we would reach Seattle. We missed the turnoff for the delicious samosa chaat in Mount Vernon that I remembered from my trip with my mom in the summer, so ended up stopping at the McMenamins location in Mill Creek. West coasters may be familiar with this name; they have a bunch of different breweries throughout Oregon and Washington. I always find it a surprise, too, to go to a restaurant in the states and see prices along the lines of what you’d see at a similar place here, considering the exchange rate, until the food arrives and I’m reminded that the portion size is like, 25-30% bigger there most of the time. I got a half sandwich with tater tots as my side, and still took a good amount of the tater tots with me (I reheated them in a pan with breakfast the next day). The food was fairly standard pub fare, neither outstanding nor bad, but the IPA I had was pretty great.
After meeting up with Claire at the place we were staying in Seatac, we went into Burien to get dinner and some groceries. We went to a small trattoria that looked good, and had forgotten it was Halloween until we were greeted by a woman in cat ears and face paint. She was up front about the fact that she was the only server on so it would likely be a little slower, but we didn’t mind. Service rotated between her stopping by the table and offering the most incredible deadpan statements which were made even more outstanding due to the cat ears, and an older Italian man from the kitchen who would come by in his apron to check our drinks and clear empty plates. I had the pasta alla vodka with guanciale which I only ate half of, even though it was delicious.
By the time we were done getting groceries in the downpour at the nearby Trader Joe’s, it was almost time to pick up Lor at the airport. Lor is a friend with whom who I’ve been collaborating creatively for more than a year, and whom I didn’t know when I would ever meet in real life, because she lives in Mexico, so it felt extra special that she came to stay with us!
I won’t say too much about the convention, food-wise, because mostly it was a lot of takeout and grocery store snacks and pastries, but the experience itself was amazing. I don’t know if I can really express what it feels like to be a part of such a special community. Last year this con was online, which was great in its way, but it was truly wonderful to meet in person and interact with people I’ve only known from the internet, some of whom I consider extremely close friends, and others who feel like minor celebrities to me, and, not to brag, but the reverse also seemed to be true, which was a trip. I spoke on two panels and they both went well, including the one I was afraid I would make myself cry in— I didn’t, but I did notice a few attendees who did (sorry, my friends, but also thank you for being moved).
Lor had to leave early on the Monday, sadly, while we stayed a day after the con to decompress and get out in Seattle a little bit. Claire needed a break, so Jeff and I went downtown on our own. We had lunch at The 5 Point Cafe, notable for being one of the first legal bars in Seattle following Prohibition, and also notable for its installation of a periscope above the urinal which allows you to look at the Space Needle. The cafe’s washrooms are no longer gendered, and I did go into the one with the periscope, but found myself unwilling to get close enough to the urinal to look through it. They have an extensive all-day breakfast menu, but both of us went for more traditional lunch items— I was tempted by the reuben, but ended up getting a cup of lovely tomato basil soup with garlic bread, and Jeff had the Caribbean sandwich. The fries were also excellent.
We then spent the afternoon in nerd heaven at The Museum of Pop Culture in Seattle. Long ago this used to be two separate things, the Experience Music Project and The Sci-Fi Hall of Fame, which has since since combined and expanded into a larger museum, and I’d never gone to either before (Jeff had been, before we were together). So it was very exciting for me to see all the original tv and movie props and costumes, pointing to thing like the original Star Trek command chair or Mulder and Scully’s FBI IDs or a script from Alien and gasping theatrically (this happened many times, I couldn’t help it). I was a bit more chill about the hall of guitars and the Nirvana room in the music section, but it was still very cool to see, and I highly recommend visiting— it would not be difficult at all to spend a whole day in here.
On the way out of town on Tuesday, and before dropping Claire off at the train station, we visited Oxbow Bakery in Montlake, which is owned by a college friend of Claire’s, Jesse. Oxbow is focused on bagels, bread, and pizza, so we picked up a bagel each as well as a treat to eat on the road. I got rosemary garlic with veggie cream cheese and sprouts. Oh, and the treats were a giant snickerdoodle and a delicious ginger-pear scone. The bakery space is quite nice, too; apparently Jesse teaches bread making classes there some evenings. I would definitely visit again next time I was in town, or maybe check out their other bakery, Sea Wolf in the Fremont neighbourhood, which is more pastry-oriented.
The stormy November weather along with the switch back from daylight time has been hitting hard lately, so I’ve been gravitating toward cozy, familiar meals. I make dinner whenever I get hungry, whenever it feels right to make it; in the height of summer, sometimes I don’t eat until eight or later, but recently I’ve been clearing my empty plate at 6:30. I made a creamy vegetarian ramen that, once upon a time, had a recipe, but I make it by feel now: a two-to-one ratio of broth to milk, with some tahini or peanut butter, soy sauce, rice vinegar, chili oil or doubanjiang, sesame oil, and a pinch of sugar. The toppings vary. This time it was pan-fried tofu and broccoli with egg, but sometimes it’s fried mushrooms and tofu puffs, or egg and nori and frozen corn, or whatever else I’ve got to use. I keep swearing I’ll make it using a nicer noodle than instant ramen, but the thing is, instant ramen is always in the house, waiting to be turned into an easy meal.
Another instant ramen classic is something that uses a lot of the same ingredients as the soup base above, but it’s a noodle bowl rather than a soup. I like making this on days when I’ve just gotten home from work or the gym and am very hungry and tired. Tahini, peanut butter, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and chili oil with grated ginger and garlic to make a creamy sauce. Toss the noodles in the sauce once they aren’t too hot (so the peanut butter doesn’t get pasty). Add some thin cucumber slices, shredded carrot, steamed broccoli or kale, anything that’ll work with the sauce to add a little crunch or something fresh. And a little chili crisp on top, of course. It takes less than twenty minutes and it always hits.
One good thing about having to leave the house for work is that it’s a ready-made excuse to eat things without cooking them, too. I had the happy realisation this week that my job is within walking distance of Mello donuts, which always look so good. I got a tiramisu flavour for myself, and peanut butter & jelly for Jeff, and both of us were pleased with these choices. I’ll have to try not to go there every week.
Also nearby is Virtuous Pie, which I hadn’t been to in awhile. We went last week when we’d just gotten back and hadn’t gone grocery shopping yet. For possibly the first time ever, Jeff had made his choice before I was ready to order, but after a moment of indecision I realised I was in the mood for just a pepperoni pizza, something I often find overwhelmingly cheesy with non-vegan pizza, and this satisfied the craving flawlessly. Jeff got the Ultraviolet which was very good too: walnut pesto, kale, oven-dried tomato, and caramelized onion jam. I also got a side of their ranch, because loving ranch dip is my whitest trait, and it’s hard to find a vegan one that actually tastes like ranch (this does).
I had half a cabbage in the fridge from before our trip that I needed to use up, so I got a little fennel sausage and made a sheet pan roast with potatoes, carrots, and the cabbage sliced into wedges. Halfway through, I tossed everything with some grainy honey mustard, saving a bit to drizzle over when plating. I love a sheet pan roast because it’s no more effort than making, say, a pot of minestrone, but it fulfills a different sort of comforting vibe instead. Of course, every time I make this particular thing I am forced to remember when shortly after we moved in I made this and dropped the entire pan into the bottom of the oven, which is not very comforting at all. But at least I’m always sure to use two hands when I put it on the rack these days.
Over the weekend, I needed a break from a day of writing, and had a nice time working in the kitchen to make a big, satisfying dinner of spaghetti and tempeh meatballs. While the tempeh was boiling, I made a pot of spicy marinara sauce, since the tempeh needs a couple of minutes to cool afterwards before you can touch it with your hands, and then by the time the meatballs are formed, the sauce will be nearly ready. I just use a can of crushed tomatoes (or whole ones blended with a hand blender), some onion and garlic fried with a little brown sugar, some dried or fresh thyme, basil, and oregano, and plenty of salt, maybe some chili flakes if I want it spicier.
When I’m doing all three at once— sauce, noodles, and meatballs from scratch— I prefer to cook them in the oven (I don’t know why it feels overwhelming sometimes to have a bunch of burners going at once). I just heated the cast iron in the oven while it preheated, and it got the meatballs good and brown in about 15-18 minutes. Making them is pretty fun; mine were a bit fragile this time, but I made a half batch and eyeballed most of the measurements, so maybe I had slightly too much liquid, or not enough breadcrumbs. Anyway, I find these meatballs very filling, and half a pound of tempeh made eight pretty good-size ones, which in my opinion was plenty of food for two people.
Also recently: dal makhani in the instant pot (I’m still working on a spice combination that tastes the way I always want this dal to taste, but it’s always satisfying regardless. A quick miso soup with some shiso miso paste I keep forgetting I have. Egg and rice and chili crisp. Green curry with tofu and broccoli and carrot: cook the tofu first and set it aside, then sear the vegetables for a couple of minutes. Add coconut milk, soy sauce or fish sauce, and green curry paste, bring to a simmer. Add the tofu back in once the vegetables are tender but still have some bite. Finish with lime and cilantro and eat with jasmine rice (or coconut jasmine rice if you’re feeling fancy).
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