Eating in Seattle + Vancouver

We just returned from an amazing week in Seattle and Vancouver. We walked the streets, up the hills, around the neighborhoods and into many, many restaurants. I ate salmon and drank coffee every day. We went for local wines and fresh food. It. Was. Delicious. Here’s a snapshot sampling of our food adventures:

At Seatown Snack Bar in Pike Place Market, Seattle. You have 5 types of smoked fish and fresh oysters from a bay nearby.

The humongous apple cinnamon roll from the Russian bakery Piroshky Piroshky, also in Pike Place Market, Seattle.

Espresso, flowers and our number block as we wait to split arugula and spinach lasagna at Oddfellows in Capitol Hill, Seattle.

Voila! Birthday Celebration Cake

Here’s the celebration I told you about earlier this week … a monster cake with retro flare (I kind of love that the freeze frame in the video looks like the cake is my face!):

Here are a few close ups of the cake and that cake box from the ’70s….

and now a close up of that box! (Grandma G, why did you keep this?)

And finally, the cake that stands half a foot high!

For the cake I used the Best Birthday Cake recipe from Smitten Kitchen. Then I melted 4 oz. of chocolate, divided the cake batter in half and added the chocolate to one half of the batter.

For the frosting, I adapted the Instant Fudge Frosting from Smitten Kitchen:
Ingredients
6 oz. unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled
3 cups confectioners’ sugar (no need to sift)
3 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
6 T. half-and-half
1 T. vanilla extract

Directions
1. Put everything in a food processor and whirl away until smooth

Voila!

Voila! Turns 3!

Happy Birthday Voila! Three years ago I sat at a kitchen table in a house in Georgetown where I was living with seven other people and entered the world of blogging.

Like most birthday’s that fall during the week, the celebration will happen this weekend with a surprise cake (and video) like you’ve never seen before! Stay tuned!

Eat a cupcake or your favorite dessert today to celebrate Voila’s! third birthday!

Semi-Hiatus

I don’t believe all good things come to end. Instead, some good things may evolve into something new. For example, this blog has been great. However, I’m starting graduate school today and in order to fully focus on this new journey and career path, I won’t be posting as much. That could mean once a week, twice a week, or once a month, depending on how things shake out.

I’m pursuing a master’s in museum education at George Washington University here in D.C. I can’t wait!

As for my latest cooking challenge: cooking on a graduate school budget. So far this week, we stocked up on granola bars, rice cakes and yogurt. However, I also plan on making vegetarian sushi this week.

The entire archive of the past two-and-a-half years is here so scroll, browse, search, click, sift and sort for your favorite recipes.

Stay tuned!

Voila on Vacation

A long, long time ago, Voila (age 2) put on her first apron with her brother Jeremy (age 4) as they played in the playhouse overlooking the hills of Los Angeles, California.

A meat pounder and spaghetti spoon. I wonder what we were cooking up…

Our family is taking some time off in the North Carolina mountains. Have a great week!

Pittsburgh Culinary Experience

After a weekend in Pittsburgh I have a list of the great – and the worst – gastronomical experiences to share with you. First, you may be asking ‘Pittsburgh has a restaurant scene?’ Indeed, they do! Not only restaurants, but the revitalized industrial city has great, funky neighborhoods. We of course devoured huge sandwiches at the infamous Primanti Brothers, but also savored delicious crepes, ravioli, milkshakes and coffee.

Our first stop was actually at the Big Mac Museum (yes, it exists).It not only holds the world’s largest big mac, but a full exhibit featuring the creator of the most famous sandwich on earth. Factoid: 45,000,000 big macs are sold worldwide every month. Ew.

James made a heart out of vinegar at Girasole in Shadyside. Is there a deeper meaning behind making hearts out of two opposing substances? I hope not. This place also had amazing ravioli.

A night out in Pittsburgh isn’t the same without a late night hot dog at the Original Hot Dog shop right near University of Pittsburgh. James bites into lots of hot dog goodness.

The Strip District is home to Fortune’s Coffee Roasters, Cafe Raymond, La Prima Espresso, great ethnic markets and Penzey’s Spices. This is a spice shop has it all. We walked away with ‘Green Goddess’ and ‘Chili 3000.’ There are of course hundreds more we would’ve been happy to pack away.

Pittsburghians loves their fries, especially on the famous Primanti Brother sandwiches. The sandwiches are a mile high, should be split with other people and savored til the last bite. You can’t visit Pittsburgh without biting into one of these.

A lot of Pittsburgh looks like this. Down the street from here, in the Mexican War Streets district, we went to a coffee shop called Hoi Polloi. The entire neighborhood was deserted. James said the coffee shop would be a great place for a Steven King novel.

Slurping down milkshakes at the Milkshake Factory was a great way to to celebrate our last night in Pittsburgh. I personally got chocolate covered graham crackers, which were also delicious. In addition to their amazing milkshakes, the store sells amazing chocolate. Check it out.

At this point you may be asking, ‘But Emily, you said there were some bad culinary experiences?’ And to that I say, read James’ review on Yelp of the Grandview Saloon. Here’s a preview “The Grandview Saloon was one of the worst culinary experiences of my life. I would rather lick the grease off the tracks of the Duquesne Incline next door than suffer through another meal here again.”

Following that disaster, we feasted on some delicious pizza at the Blue Grotto in southside, followed by those previously mentioned delicious milkshakes.

That’s a wrap!

Brunch Rating

Every month, or two or three or four depending on everyone’s schedule, James and I get together with some very dear friends for brunch. The six of us try to explore different places in the city — especially ones that take reservations. So far we’ve gone to Belga Cafe, Tabaq, Founding Farmer’s and Logan Tavern. It wasn’t until this past get together where I asked everyone to rate it so I can post it here. Keep in mind this is not a scientific rating. The score is based on six fabulous people who enjoy really good food. Since this just started this weekend, we’ll start fresh with our most recent meal: Logan Tavern.

Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5

Greek Cooking Class

I had my first hands-on cooking class experience this weekend. I had gone to Williams and Sonoma’s technique classes and those are fun, but you’re really just watching someone else cook. At Kellari Taverna in D.C. we learned how to make lemon roasted potatoes, lamb benedict (!), french toast, spanikopita and sfugato (I think that’s what it’s called. It’s eggplant with marinara and an egg on top). Everything was delicious!

the table where we ate and the kitchen where we learned

the prep work was done for us!

making spanikopita!
the class with our chef and teacher, Ray

Everything was delicious and the people were fantastic! I met fellow local blogger Claudia of Brunch and the City and several other wonderful women who just jumped into conversation about the recent Pentagon shooting, traveling, work and politics. See how food brings people together?

I just love it. This was a great class and I believe they’re doing this type of cooking class and wine dinners again.

in the restaurant, Kellari Taverna has fish on ice! Ray also gave me a tour of their fish freezer. Think big fish, small fish, red fish, blue fish.