Hello Canada, Again

Up at 3AM and puttering in the apartment as I am trying to get the whole place in order before leaving for Canada. We are due to be on the 7:55am ferry to Bainbridge Island. We get there in plenty of time and the ride is quiet. Then on to Port Angeles where we arrive two hours prior to boarding. What to do? How about a coupe of Bloody Mary's and some clam strips at the local restaurant. Service sucked, but the food and drink were a delight. Did a bit of a walk about and this is a picture from where we parked the car awaiting the arrival of the Blackball Ferry.  Note both country flags.

Hey, is that the ferry coming into port?  Yes indeed and I caught the Blackball ferry arriving from it's first run to Victoria.  Amazing to see how many cars were in the lot on standby.  That $15.00 for a reservation was SO worth it.

And the ferry draws all the closer.  A quick call to the office at the port let's me know that there is no elevator and I will have to attack the 20 steps on my own and hey, I did it with only pausing twice.  On the way back down, no problem.

It was a nice ride, but boy is it crowded during the summer.  No wonder I enjoy it so much in the winter.  We were off on our adventure and spending the night in a two bedroom suite at the Worldmark which is right on the inner bay.  Below is a shot of the Blackball departing to give perspective on just how close we are to the water. 

Why are we so dazzled by the ferry traffic and the seaplanes coming and going.  Truly a moment of pause and relaxation.  This has to be one of my favorite places to spend time in the world.  Sadly, London is still my favorite, sorry Victoria!

 After a refreshing nap, complete with CPAP machine in tow, and Markie back from grocery shopping, a dinner party for 6 was on tap.  Appies (as Canadians call them) were liver pate, cheese, and crackers.  Cocktails flowed and much laughter.  Below, CrowDog and RobynHood arrived just before six with Royce and Tyson in tow.  They brought three bottles of wine, salad fixings and a HUGE bag of fresh blueberries from their vines on Salt Spring Island.

This would be Royce who goes by the faerie name of Pussin' Boots.  Cute kid who has a bit of history to learn.  But we did have a lively discussion and I do think he understand gay history a bit more now.

Took a moment to snap a shot of the first round of wonderful dinner.  A shrimp cocktail complete with Key Limes and grilled Ahi Tuna and festive salad complete with heirloom tomatoes from their garden.  Have you said yum yet?  Grilled salmon was to come next.

This would be Tyson.  He is a gentlemen who is deciding whether he is off to Breitenbush.  His boyfriend is off in Europe and he is just a cutie to be sure.  As you will see, he does not take a bad picture.  Can you guess his cultural heritage?  I know I was off by a few hundred miles.  Yes, I guessed Italian.

 Below is a close-up of the broach that Royce wore with the ascot and velvet vest.  He was quite pleased with himself and a whole lot more fun before a few too many beverages to be sure!

Wanted to get a picture of the lovely flowers.  Markie found the sunflowers at the store and the peach colored Glads were brought by Tyson.  A lovely bouquet even with Markie trying to make a scene behind it.  But seriously, what's new?  Yes, the boys flanked Markie, like that was a huge decision, NOT!

And like I said, Tyson does not take a bad picture.  This is the third of three and he has not had a bad shot yet.  Oh and he is Swedish and German, go figure!

They all hit the hot tub after dinner, while I went to my room to enjoy some of the wonderful Canadian Olympic coverage.  It had been a lovely dinner with a finale of blueberries and clotted cream, but I needed some alone time and well, they were all in a bit of overdrive.  And that was our first day in Canada, a good time for all.

Monday Miscellaneous

There are times when you have little bits of this and odds n' ends that don't quite make up an entire entry, but you want to share.  Well, this day is all about those items hanging around that I want to mention so here we go.  First up is Seattle Light Rail.  Finally, it is being extended and is currently running from downtown out to the airport.  Here is a picture of one of the trains as it makes the crossing before plunging into the tunnel to take it through downtown.

And here is another coming out of the tunnel.  It was fun to get one coming and going in one sitting. I do believe people are taking to riding it and the other mass transit option in the Emerald City, but still lag far behind Portland's mass transit.

Below is a fountain sculpture that I drive by every time I drive home from Markie's house.  It is a gear factory and the fountain is made of these massive boulders and water cascades down.  Quite stunning.

 This is the cover of a cook book that Markie gave me recently.  It is from his Mother's collection that she let go of as his parent's moved into an assisted living facility and they needed to downsize big time.  It was assembled by the Kansas City Junior League.  I was more than amused to see notes throughout the book saying whether recipes were good or poor or needs something extra.  You can't replace these kind of books.  I really felt honored to get it and look forward to trying some of the recipes.  While I am going to be releasing a good chunk of my books, there are two categories that are just too hard to let go of any at this time...cook books and over sized art books.

And finally, this is a huge bed pillow that my friend Jodie made for me several years ago from a quilt made in Fiji and I acquired on Fire Island years ago.  Loved the pattern and yet there were so many tears all over it was time to let it go, but I found a nice panel of squares that I was able to cut out and will have it framed so that the memories will live on.  Another item reduced in size as I am taking steps to reduce my belongings by 20% before I move next April.  Yes, I am living by the motto of living simple.  It is a really great feeling.  In fact, most of my gift giving between now and then will be recycling items that I think others will enjoy.

Sunday Rewind ~ Birthday Dinner 2011

As many of you know, I took a break from the blog for a while.  During that time several wonderful life experiences happened and I've decided to share them with you from time to time and they will be called Sunday Rewinds.  Not every week, but between now and the end of the year I hope to get in a few of the more colorful memories.  One that stands out was my birthday dinner at Rovers.  Considered one of the finest restaurants in Seattle, four of us gathered to enjoy the Grand Menu Dégustation with wine pairings.  The restaurant was decked out for the holidays in festive decor. 

Their menu is best described as the cuisine of the Pacific Northwest refined by a French accent. The Chef in the Hat provides the French accent while the bounty of the Pacific Northwest provides the raw ingredients. They do not serve classical French food. Instead, they use traditional French techniques to tease out the many flavors of the region’s best ingredients. Chef Thierry Rautureau is passionate about sourcing ingredients that are local, sustainable, organic, and seasonal.  Michael, Jodie and Rob joined me for a fun night that will not soon be forgotten.  Yes, we did have a limo for the night, no way were we going to drive.

So enough pre-babble, let's get on with this grand dinner.  The following pictures show the first, and second courses.  The first was an Amuse-Bouche.  Amuse-bouches are different from appetizers in that they are not ordered from a menu by patrons, but, when served, are done so for free and according to the chef's selection alone. These, often accompanied by a complementing wine, are served both to prepare the guest for the meal and to offer a glimpse into the chef's approach to cooking.  The term is French, literally translated to "mouth amuser".

The months have passed and I do not remember exactly what the trio was, but it is safe to share that it was a festival of flavors for the mouth.  I do not remember a time we all shared so many oh's and yum's during a meal.  Below is what has become a signature dish at Rover's and was our second course.

Above and below is an amazing experience in that it is a Scrambled Organic Egg placed back in the shell and topped with Lime Crème Fraîche & White Sturgeon Caviar.  Yes, let's whip up a dozen for a party!  And to think there was hours of fun still to come.

The third course was a trio of Coffee Cured Salmon then a Sherry Soda to cleanse the palette and finally Citrus Chevre with shaved Salmon.  How do you properly describe such mouth bursting flavors.  Really, we were in heaven.

And so we go through the evening having a grand time.  Heck, even our neighbor diners were having a good time with us as you can see.  It was her birthday celebration as well.

Below was a flash blend of flavors that had us swooning.  It was Foie Gras Mousse with a Brown Butter Praline and Cranberry completed with a red wine Crème.

We were just having too good of a time as we continued enjoying the wine pairings with the fabulous food.  The evening was one that you just did not want to see end.  And at this point it was far from over with surprises still to come.

 Above and below is our next course which was a seared Scallop, mushrooms, squash and finished off with a Seafood Nage, and what exactly is a Nage?  A Nage is a flavoured liquid used for poaching delicate foods, typically seafood. A traditional nage is a broth flavoured with white wine, vegetables, and herbs, in which seafood is poached. The liquid is then reduced and thickened with cream and/or butter.  Cooking something à la nage translates as “while swimming” and so now you know!

As you can see the tables groan with all the glassware, flatware and dishes coming and going.  And up next was Sweetbreads with parsnip, almonds and arugula.  Such a fantastic combination of flavors that you would never think of and yet so perfect.

What came next was not only the 2nd course to include Foie Gras, but it was so good, I totally spaced taking a picture before it was all gone.  How sad for all of you!

 But wait, our server Shawna heard our cries of sadness and shared this with the chef who decided to send out another to allow for a photo opportunity for the blog.  Seriously, it was just as fabulous the second time around.  It is Hudson Valley Foie gras with Paine d'Epice and Balsamic Crème.

And let me tell you that several at the table thought they would help me eat the second round of Foie Gras heaven.  Oh they were so wrong!  Yes, I totally enjoyed it all myself.  Oink, Oink!

Here is our wonderful server who never stopped by without a smile.  Yes, she was having as much fun as we were.  And why not, it was a festive evening that was still going strong.  And what came next?

Why that would be the Poached sole with a confit lemon and Moroccan Olive Tapenade.  And it was just divine and a nice light touch to the heavy double course we had just enjoyed.  But don't think the evening is over, far from it.

A sweet onion Gelee with a green Peppercorn syrup was our next course and it was a delight.  Simple and clean and sorry for the picture being a tad bit out of focus.

By the way, behind every good server is a great busier and he also happens to be a cutie as well.  Oh and how could you not enjoy someone by the name of Chris!  Seriously.  He always had a smile for us, but oh did he take his job seriously and did it with a flair.

Our 10th course, yes 10th, we went beyond the 9 courses and in the end had 12 plus a special treat.  But for the 10th course, it is Wagyu Beef with Black Truffle and Salsify with a glorious Pomegranate Sauce.

I presented gifts to all which was a over-sized bottle with "Gluttony" etched on it and even presented one to the chef.  He was so touched.  By the way, he is beside me and is known as The Chef In The Hat and is Thierry Rautureau.

European and Local Cheese Assortment was our next course and as you can see we wasted no time in attacking the plate.  You would never know we had been grazing for hours.

Yes, the cheese course was history in a matter of minutes, but hey it only meant that we would be greeting the finale course and soon be calling the meal history.  Oh and see the white domed item in the upper right of the picture?  That is a candle and it glows and a beautiful french scene glows through.  We all got to go home with one at the end of the evening.

The Symphony of Desserts arrived and mine was even personalized to celebrate the occasion.  What a grand way to end a grand meal.

Can you tell I am having a good time or what?  Michael is being just a tad serious about something, but hey, this dinner was all about me so no worries.

 Here's one more close-up of the dessert presented complete with candle and greeting.  A night that will not soon be forgotten to be sure.

And what better way to close out this gastronomic adventure than a photo with the chef himself, Thank you so much for making it a night that will never be forgotten.  Oh and by the way, he is one of the chefs on the current edition of Top Chefs on the Bravo network.  Hope he wins.  Cheers!

Well folks, that is it and this has got to be one of the longest posts I have done in a while, but hey, in the end it is so worth it to be able to relive this amazing evening of good food and friends.  Now back to our regularly scheduled blog postings.

Festive Faerie Food Feasts

Today is the calm before the storm.  We are due for a heat wave (in Seattle terms that would be oh, two days!) where we are to have the hottest temps since 2010.  Drove home from work early due to the Blue Angels being in town for Seafair and they shut down I-90 for their practice sessions.  Not fun!  But arriving home got a text from Uncle Markie asking if I had dinner plans.  Since I did not, accepted, with the promise I would eat this time since last time I was just not in an eating mood.  Arrived and got to see several projects completed.  First is his new kick plate on his stove - it speaks for itself.

Next, he often finds treasures in my recycle room when over, more often it is Coke rewards points, but one time it was a diving belt.  What could he do with it, but of course, have custom flasks made to pour drinks on the go.  But, he had too many different flasks made and so he needed a bandoleer to hold the others.  So call him Captain Flask. 

And of course, there is the scooter.  He bought an electric scooter to make neighborhood runs, but it has to be customized to meet his needs, and this included the beverage holder and there is a basket that is going on the back as well.  He is not one to let idle time go wasted.

So after our news time with cocktails, it was time for dinner al fresco.  A bit bright and warm for my tastes, but I was the guest.  So we sat down to a delightful dinner of pan-fried pork loin chops with a salad of romaine, crumbled bacon and Roquefort.  He had me try a very nice Rose which was perfect with the warmer weather and the pork.

Headed home afterwards, and tried to ring Mick a second time to confirm time for breakfast the next morning.  Sometimes modern technology is not all that it is cracked up to be in that I arrived at his home at 8ish after three attempts to reach him (and leaving 3 messages) to find them a bit surprised I was about 30 minutes early.  Letting them know I could not change the delivery time of my grocery order, the boys kicked into overdrive making an amazing southern breakfast.

Above, Mick is hard at work making sausage gravy while in the skillet to the left is freshly minced hash browns by Brett.  They cooked away as homemade chicken friend steak warmed in the oven.  There was room for them after pulling the biscuits out.  And as if this was not enough, the crowning jewels was fried eggs.  As you can see below, it was a feast fit for a king, or a queen, but we won't go there...oh yes we did!  Again, it was dining al fresco and the back yard is in great shape. 

Home after just in time as Amazonfresh was at my door when I arrived.  Got groceries put away and did some other chores before letting a nap take over to get refreshed to enjoy more Olympic coverage.  It is hard to believe that today is the halfway mark.  We now move from the focus on swimming and gymnastics to track & field.

Happy Birthday Butterfly Brain

Judy is no longer with us, but she will never be forgotten.  She was one hell of a women who was strong and a fighter.  Here is a picture of her on the right with Sandy when we were over in Long Beach for her induction to the Ya-Ya's.  Even then, she was fighting brain cancer and she loved butterflies and thus she took the Ya-Ya name of Butterfly Brain.  I first met Judy through Events & Adventures.  While a member first, she also worked for the club for a while.  We shared a mutual disdain for a fellow co-worker which brought hours of humor and laughter.  But, one of my favorite memories of Judy was our trip to New Orleans for Halloween.  It was a hell of a good time!  As time passed we became great friends and then fellow Ya-Ya's.  I sure miss you girlfriend!

A Plethera of Packages

Arrived home early due to the shutting down of I-90 for the Blue Angels practice show as they will be performing over the weekend at Seafair.  Working away on several projects and the phone rings.  It is my property manager telling me a box had just arrived with cheese and should she put it up in the apartment as it needs to be refrigerated.  I left her know I was here and she mentioned she would be happy to bring it up and oh, there were two other packages for me. 

 So the above photo shows the gift box of cheese sitting on my "Big Easy Chair" which I love.  It was a birthday present to myself last year.  Sitting on the ledge on the right is a tin of The Portland Building that Meier & frank put out when it opened.  I use it for CD storage.  But back to the gift box, here is a closer view of what was inside.

 It was a selection of four different types of blue cheese.  Smokey Blue, Oregon Blue, Crater Lake Blue & Oregonzola.  They tossed in a small jar of honey to help accent the cheese.  Additionally, there is a set of cheese markers and a cheese bag.  Seriously, who knew there is a bag made just for carrying cheese.  Go figure.  The next box was large but it was deceiving in that it was four pairs of pants.

 Yes, they are one size smaller and quite excited about that.  Also, on the right is a pair of jeans.  I have not had a pair of them in years.  It will be interesting to see how I like wearing them.  But hey, you need to try new things as life changes.  Finally, the third box was a small box shipped from England.

Yes, it was a beaker in honor of the Queen's Jubilee.  A beaker in England is a coffee mug to the US, but just has a tad more elegant look.  On the front which is visible is a picture of the Queen actually smiling and a whole crest thing going on.  The back reads "To Celebrate The Diamond Jubilee of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II  1952-2012."  You might notice that behind the beaker is a lovely violet along with two other plants that were in a basket Janet gave me for Easter...yes folks, they are still alive after 4 months!

Rabbit, Rabbit, Rabbit

What do you call a group of rabbits?

There are several correct answers:

A bury of rabbits; A colony of rabbits;
A trace of rabbits;

A trip of rabbits; A warren of rabbits

So what brought on all this rabbit talk?  Well, for years we have always started the first day of the month by saying "Rabbit, Rabbit, Rabbit" and were told that it brings good luck for the next month.  Now, do you believe in this?  That is for you to decide, but I can tell you that my siblings still acknowledge it each month as do I.