Life's a Banquet
'...and most poor fools are starvin to death!' ~Mame

Link: http://www.waterfrontbakery.com

Did you have a nice Christmas? I always wonder about folks who do not celebrate the holiday. Is it enjoyable down time? Or annoying because you cannot get anything done since the majority of people are off for at least a couple of days if not more. I know that trying to get business accomplished on Christmas Eve was difficult, as I made calls in between getting orders out, I found that almost everyone else was already out of their offices. We did enjoy some nice family time: Christmas Eve at our house with my family, which was perfect because we were exhausted! So we got home and they already had the music on, candles lit, food out and wine opened. Aaaahhh... that was so nice! We got into our pj's and just enjoyed the evening and then when everyone left we crawled into bed. No driving home, or packing anything up... mom and dad even did a bunch of clean up and all we had to do was put some food away and turn out the lights. The rest was attended to later. The next morning we slept in until 6:45! It was fabulous to sleep in and then lounge in bed. Santa came so we checked out our stockings and then got ready to spend the day at the Downen's.

Breakfast, presents, lounging around and visiting, then dinner and home by 7. So nice to get into bed and read! My favorite gift: A photo book of our Italy trip that my mom created online, using Mark's amazing photos. You must come to the cafe and see this! He is a wonderful photographer and mom put together a fantastic rendition of our Food & Wine Tour... it took our breath away. It is really beautiful and I will have it to share with everyone at the cafe.

Saturday was a free day so I read A LOT. Sunday Mark had to go in to work for a few hours to prep up for Monday. It is always a big job when we have more than one day off because we give all the food that won't make it (bread, cookies, sliced veg, soup, salad, etc...) to the homeless outreach program that we work with. So when we go in on Monday we have to start completely over from scratch from nothing, and there is quite a bit of prep work involved. I cleaned up the house and did a little work on the computer-usually a big no on Sunday, but again there is too much catchup to do if I don't at least clean up the emails. I did not have to cook at all over the weekend because we had lots of leftovers! From Christmas Eve we had smoked salmon, cheeses, crackers, grilled radicchio, pasta, braised chicken, roasted beef, bbq'd turkey (dad does it best!), and lots more. No one even noticed that we forgot to bring Christmas cookies home for the family! Christmas day leftovers included steak and turkey and we just ate off the leftovers all weekend.

Our catering went really well on Wednesday and Thursday, and that always makes me so very happy. All the special orders got out and we only screwed up one order (Mark dropped the Key Lime Pie...That Sucked!) and they were exceedingly nice and understanding and accepted the caramel macadamia nut tart that we offered in lieu of the pie. Whew! The tart is worth more than twice the pie, but if I didn't get what I ordered and had counted on, I might still be disappointed at first. Everything worked out and Erin got to her plane on time (as far as I know!) after coming in to bake early, and we all got home safe and sound. I hope you did, as well.

Next up: New Year's Eve! It has always been one of my top favorite holidays and even though I can no longer make it up until Pacific Coast midnight (I celebrate East Coast New Year's Eve!) I still love it. I like to have a special meal with great wine to celebrate the end of the year, and to welcome in the new one. I love the feeling of a fresh new year and this year we want to stay close to home, so we saved up and are going to enjoy the FABULOUS service and food of Brix 25 in Gig Harbor. Unfortunately I waited too long to get a reservation so we have to be there at 5:30. We can draw it out nicely, but that is a bit early even for me. It will be worth it though, and I can hardly wait! We wanted to invite friends and family over to watch the Olalla Polar Bear Jump, but we cannot find out when it will be. High tide is usually the time, and that is at 0635, so I don't think anyone will want to come watch at that hour! It is pretty funny to watch all those crazy people jump into the cold Puget Sound! Brr... they also blast a stupid cannon that I hate (yes, it is really an actual cannon!) so I won't be sad at all to miss that this year if they don't do the jump.

I added a new appetizer to our catering menu based on something I learned from Rima in Florence. I finally found the cherry peppers, although they are already cleaned and pickled, which actually makes my life much easier! I made a tuna mousse by adding our totally fabulous sardines in lemon (everyone who says they hate sardines LOVES these!), some capers, some olive oil... and stuffed the little peppers (which are mostly sweet with just a bit of a kick) and oh man are they good! It is a great addition to our party foods and I can't wait to add them to someone's party. We will serve then up at our Winter Blahs party in January so you all can sample them along with some of our other goodies.

There are lots and lots of new year food traditions around the world, and when I was a little girl the men made our New Year's Day celebration meal. It was called Halusky and if you click that link you can see my blog post about it from last January. I will make my version of halusky again this year because I just plain love to eat it!

Beans and rice are a very traditional dish to serve for good luck at the new year so here is a recipe for you. It uses dried beans, though you can easily use canned if you like, just be sure to rinse them really well so you get the tinny can taste off of them.

1 pound dried red beans, rinsed and sorted over
3 tablespoons bacon grease or olive oil
1/4 cup chopped tasso, or chopped ham
1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onions
3/4 cup chopped celery
3/4 cup chopped green bell peppers
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Pinch cayenne
3 bay leaves
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 teaspoons fresh thyme
1/2 pound smoked sausage, split in half lengthwise and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 pound smoked ham hocks, scored
3 tablespoons chopped garlic
10 cups chicken stock, or water
4 cups cooked white rice
1/4 cup chopped green onions, garnish
Directions
Place the beans in a large bowl or pot and cover with water by 2 inches. Let soak for 8 hours or overnight at room temperature. Drain and set aside.

In a large pot, heat the bacon grease or oil over medium-high heat. Add the tasso and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the onions, celery and bell peppers to the grease in the pot. Season with the salt, pepper, and cayenne, and cook, stirring, until the vegetables are soft, about 4 minutes. Add the bay leaves, parsley, thyme, sausage, and ham hocks, and cook, stirring, to brown the sausage and ham hocks, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the beans and stock or water, stir well, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the beans are tender and starting to thicken, about 2 hours. (Should the beans become too thick and dry, add more water, about 1/4 cup at a time.)

Remove from the heat and with the back of a heavy spoon, mash about 1/4 of the beans against the side of the pot. Continue to cook until the beans are tender and creamy, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and remove the bay leaves.

Serve over rice and garnish with green onions. Serve with some hot sauce for people like me who like it spicy!!

Good luck in the new year!

Link: http://www.waterfrontbakery.com

It's a foggy morning and the quiet morning belies the panic in Erin's eyes. Erin is our morning baker and she had a longer than usual day yesterday. She was here for close to 12 hours helping Mark with special orders and other prep. Mark worked close to 17 hours yesterday so he could finish up the Christmas cookies and Erin was a big help taking care of other things. So Erin was tired and this morning she slept in. Sharon arrived at the cafe close to 6 this morning and the thing we have dreaded since we opened had happened: the baker over slept. Sharon called me and Mark just happened to be on his way out to get back here when I hollered out to him to wait a second. I told him that Erin was not there, so he shot out the door saying 'see ya later'.

I called Erin and she woke up grabbing the phone already apologizing. I said to her calmly 'it's ok, just go now, as fast as you can, and be safe'. I shut down my computer and hit the shower (we will be here until 9 or so tonight, I HAD to take a shower!) and realized that I was not panicked, and neither was Mark when I spoke to him a few minutes after he left. This was simply a thing that we had to adjust to and so be it. We knew what needed to be done and luckily there were no special orders first thing, so it would all get out when it got out. I got here and Erin had beat me, thank goodness. You should have seen the look in her eyes... so disappointed and still panicky, even verging on teary. I gave her a hug, didn't say anything and just got to work. They had worked so efficiently and quickly that there was not much for me to help with (though there will be when the bread has risen) so I am here to blog about it. We have already started teasing her about it (oh yes, there will be merciless teasing!) and she is relaxing and realizing that even when her idea of the worst happened, it wasn't exactly a crisis.

So we are all here settling in to serve dinner for 25 upstairs tonight, among tons of other special orders. The group upstairs is having a choice of 4 entrees: Braised Chicken w/Almonds & Mushrooms; locally smoked wild coho salmon & crab in cream sauce over fresh taglietelle pasta; grass fed beef tenderloin roast from Oregon Country, crusted in pink peppercorns; and for the littlest kids fresh raviolis with butter and parmesan. There will be roasted veggies, mashed or roasted potatoes, dinner rolls, salads, and of course dessert as well. My mom and sister and Lori are coming to help with service (thank you!!!) so Mark and I will be exhausted and yet quite satisfied by the end of the day. Tomorrow we have another beef tenderloin dinner for 10, and lots and lots of special order quiche and things. I had to clean, trim and tie those tenderloins and even though I have not had to do that in so detailed a way (in a restaurant) in over 20 years, I did a beautiful job! These are some beautiful cuts of beef.

This holiday season has been a billion times better for us than last year because the snow forced so many cancellations that we never recovered. Our customers are the best in the world and they have truly rallied around us this season! We can tell that they are choosing to support us and I am grateful every moment of each day lately. Every time someone walks through that door I can't help but grin. Thank you thank you thank you is all I can think!

Last Saturday Mark and I went to the Seattle Symphony show of 'Messiah' with my parents and we had a wonderful time! After the show we drove around and stopped in Tacoma for dinner at il Trattoria di Merende and had a fabulous meal. 'Merende' literally translates as 'snacks', and in this case they mean it as it relates to small plates. They have lots of shareable options and boy did we ever share! We tried the risotto and it is the best restaurant risotto I have had in the states, outside of New York City. Most places disappoint me with their risotto and Merende absolutely did not. We also tried the broccolini which had been put on the grill and it may have been everyone's favorite thing. Simply seasoned with olive oil, salt and red chili flakes, the grill gave it fantastic flavor. I had the bolognese and I LOVED it! We all loved our food and we enjoyed some wine and I have to say that they have some of the best Italian food around. And you all know I have very high standards for Italian food!

The next day we headed to Bellevue to the home of Mark's Aunt Dee & Uncle Johnny. It was the annual extended family gift exchange: Mark's mom and her sister and all of their families were there. Someone brought in some Cougar Gold cheese and it is delicious! Sharp and tangy, a bit crumbly with a great salty bite... we were all eating it up quickly. It was a really fun day catching up with the cousins (we missed it last year because of the snow!) and even though Mark and I got there an hour early (we thought it started at one...oops!) it went by really quickly! The annual pictures were snapped and we were all merrily on our way. Dee and Johnny have always given us wonderful gifts for as long as we have known them, and this year was certainly no exception. Johnny has collected wine over the years, buying one to drink and one to cellar for his retirement years. Now that he is retired, fate has conspired against him and he is unable to drink the wine that he so lovingly cellared. (He says 'let that be a lesson for you'!) They honored us with the gift of a bottle of French Cabernet from 1987! Can you believe that?? We were so surprised and thrilled! This will be the most special bottle of wine we have ever had and I have a specific plan for it, with a toast to Johnny being the first part of it! I will let you know how it turns out.

So I need to get busy and start prepping for the dinners tonight and tomorrow. I hope we get some great New Year's Eve parties to do as well, since that is my favorite cooking to do. For the recipe this week I will tell you how to cook the beef tenderloin, in case you have one in your fridge as well. It is so easy, and I think it showcases this mildly flavored cut beautifully. It is based on about a 5 lb tenderloin, already trimmed and tied. (You want it tied with the small end tucked under, so that it cooks evenly without charring any part of it.)

olive oil
salt
peppercorns (a medley of colors is nice; I use just pink, though white and black could easily be thrown into that mix)

Pull the tenderloin out 2 hours before you will cook it, so it can gently come up to room temperature.

Lay out the beef on an oversized piece of plastic wrap. Rub it all over with the olive oil.
Sprinkle salt on all sides and then press in the peppercorns. Pull up on the sides of the plastic wrap to help pick up all the dropped spices, and be sure they get pressed into all sides of the beef, even the bottom.

Lay the beef on a cooking rack, on top of a baking sheet and set aside until time to cook.

Preheat the oven to 350 (325 convect) and when it is ready place the beef in the center of the oven. Turn it at 20 minutes. It may cook upwards of 40 minutes, though you should start checking the temperature at 30. If you are eating a cut this expensive, I am assuming you will not cook it past medium rare-medium, and therefore you want the internal temperature to be around 125.

Pull it out, tent some foil over it, and let it rest for about 30 minutes (20 minimum) before you slice it.

We like to slice it about finger width, and then lay it all out on a bed of arugula, surrounded by tomato slices or cherry tomatoes. We offer a little horseradish on the side, and I do even that with trepidition. This cut of meat is not the most flavorful, and you could even sear it all around before baking it to get a bit more flavor, though I think this presentation is perfect. Tender and juicy and perfectly cooked; you can't go wrong.

Have a Merry Christmas everyone!

Link: http://www.waterfrontbakery.com

I am so happy our real winter is back! I know it is not the popular view: I love the rain for many reasons. It is cold but not too cold, and when I walk out the door I smell the trees, the sea, a whisper of smoke from someone's fireplace... I can smell the place we live and I love that! I also love the sound of the rain and the only thing I don't love is the cold rain hitting my head and face. (Sidenote: We really need a breezeway from the back door to the walk-in door at work, if anyone has some spare time and that sort of talent!) Plus, when we do have one of those gorgeous, sunny and cold days, I appreciate the beauty of it even more. This time of year I want stews and soups and one-pot dishes like risotto more than anything. Comforting, warm, simple and hearty.

Last Saturday was two of my favorite holiday traditions: Story time with Mrs. Claus at the cafe (Mrs. Claus is phenomenal!) and the Gig Harbor Lighted Boat Parade. For the past few years we have been invited to watch from the yacht club at Arabella's Landing. We all bring food for a potluck, some wine to share, and we can watch from the warmth inside, or step out onto the deck for a chillier, albeit livelier view. It is the only non-family holiday party that we are always invited to and we thoroughly enjoy! I was disappointed though because we never did see a real Santa out there. I don't think they had one this year, because I waited out there in the freezing cold and he never went by. I was very pouty about it! I admit to being a Santaphile (did I make that word up?) and ever since he stopped his route in Olalla every year I really miss him! sigh.

Ok so I have to sidetrack here and ask if you have seen the Travel Channel show "Meet the Natives"? It is about 5 tribesmen from a remote South Pacific island called Tanna. They are traditional hunters and farmers, wearing grass skirts and penis sheaths. Per the show: "They have no electricity or TV, and a very limited idea of the world beyond their tiny island until now." ... I guess someone with lots of money and time convinced them to come to the US and stay with different people across the nation. Mark and I stumbled across it and we could not stop watching. It is tabloid television, to be sure, and yet these men have a mission to learn about the state of our nation, and they truly want to help us find a better way of life. They speak of peace and mutual care. They think it is odd when in Peoria the food for Thanksgiving comes from cans. They look at the canned yams and whisper 'does she know this food has no life?' They are shocked to find a homeless man in Central Park, and do not understand why the rest of us do not build him a house. That is what they would do on their island, after all. What a ridiculous notion to go homeless when there are plenty of people who can help you out. If everyone would work together and respect each other, treating each other at least as well as we treat our pets, the world would be a more peaceful and more advanced place. I think they consider themselves more emotionally and spiritually advanced than we are in general, because we refuse to see how easy it is to take care of each other and set aside, or even celebrate, differences. Hmm. I have heard some say that their way of life would be Socialism. I disagree. The definition of Socialism is generally having to do with economics and government, while the definition of Democracy generally has more to do with power coming from the citizens (or our elected officials) and majority rule. So actually I think they are a better example of Democracy than we are at times. If you watch the show, focus on the tribesmen and their questions, as well as their answers. It is an interesting insight into their culture, as well as our own.

I am going in this morning and I have a couple of new things I want to make-hopefully I have time to get those recipes in! I will 'twitter' when we put them out so you can get them fresh (hint: one project is soft pretzels!) Next Saturday we are joining my parents at Benaroya to see Messiah, which I have wanted to see there for years so I am very excited! After the show we will probably go get some great Italian at Via Tribunali (I have yet to get there and hear so much about it!) or Trattoria Merende and I can't wait to report back about that food! On Sunday we have Mark's extended family (maternal side) Christmas party, and then on to the holiday! So fast! We have the tree up and even decorations out, though I did only about half of what I used to do. We don't have the time or the energy to set it up OR take it down these days. I know I will get back to my Holiday House some day, where I clear out almost every room and decorate with Christmas, Hanukkah and Solstice decor. It is fun, and it takes a lot of time! Most of my Santas are out, and they are my favorites. Do you have a favorite holiday decoration? I would love to hear about it or see it!

So what recipe would you like this week? How about a comforting breakfast dish that you can actually mix up the night before, combine in the morning and bake to keep it super simple. It will work for guests as well as a warm weekday breakfast. Here you go:

BAKED OATMEAL

4 cups rolled oats
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2/3 cup chopped almonds
2/3 cup raisins or other chopped dried fruit
2 apples, chopped
3 cups whole milk
4 large eggs
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
4 TBS canola
4 TBS honey
1 tsp ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 325 and butter an 8 inch baking dish.

Mix together oats, baking powder and salt. Stir in nuts, fruit and apple (you can do this the night before and set it aside)

In a separate bowl pour in milk, whisk in eggs, brown sugar, oil, honey and cinnamon. (you can do this the night before and put it in the fridge.)

The next morning, or whenever you are ready to cook the dish: Combine dry ingredients with wet and stir together. Poor into the baking dish.

Bake until liquid is absorbed and top is golden brown (about 45-1hr?) Serve warm in bowls.

Maybe we will offer this at the cafe... what do you think?

Link: http://www.waterfrontbakery.com

As you all know, last week 4 Lakewood police officers were ambushed and executed by, for lack of a better word, a psychopath. We have all seen the anguish of the community and the incomprehensible grief of the families. We have seen the police family rally and encase the families and community in love and support. We have even heard about the trauma of the employees and other customers who were at the Forza Coffee Co that morning. What we have not seen is the communications staff who was behind the scenes of this event. I imagine this so clearly, after having done that job for 15 years in King County. There was at least one 9-1-1 operator who took a call about the shootings while it was happening. She probably stood up and called out to the dispatcher to check on her officers who were at Forza just before she wrote the call into the system. Adrenaline was kicking in, though denial was at the forefront to begin with. The dispatcher probably called for her officers on the air. I am sure the radio silence made her blood run cold with terror. All she could do was stare at the radio and try willing them to answer; willing backup to GET THERE NOW and say it was ok. Willing someone, or something, to fix this and let it not be true. Not on her watch. Not 4 of them. She had to remain calm and professional so that she could reassure the other officers out there that she was there for them. These are the stories we will not hear and I can only hope and pray that those call receivers and dispatchers are getting as much help and support from admin as they can possibly stand.

Mark and I were honored to be offered a ride in the funeral procession by a King County detective who I used to work with and remain friends with. It felt important to be able to show our support and quietly honor all those involved in This Inconceivable Loss. This was not my first police funeral procession, though it was certainly the biggest. The biggest any of us have ever heard of. We rode in honor of the fallen, their families, and certainly I rode to honor the valor of those communications specialists who go to work every day hoping for the best. You can see some pictures that Mark took, including car shields from many of the different agencies there, though I bet he didn't even get half of them. Some of my friends who are still on the job went down to the Pierce County communications center and worked for the call receivers and dispatchers so they could attend the services. (Sidenote: When I learned they were doing that, it was the only time since I quit 5 years ago that I actually wished I was still certified so that I could help.) Law enforcement communications specialists go in each day to be there for the community and to be there for the cops who need them, whether they know it or not. In my experience there is no where near the level of administrative support for communications, as there is for the officers, even though they are a part of every call. Yet they continue on. It is a call to duty no less strong than any other, and we are very lucky that they show up to fulfill that call every day. May blessings shower upon every one of them, and may they never know the terror of that radio silence when they call one of their units.

Mark and I did not go in to the funeral, as we knew space was limited and we did not want to take up 2 seats that could go to officers who traveled across the country to be there. Instead, we hopped on the LINK train with the intention of catching a bus back to the park and ride where we left our car. We ended up near the Pacific Grill and we went in to enjoy a happy hour. We could see the King County helicopter circling the Tacoma Dome and it somehow felt right to stay nearby during the service. We were able to relax a little and get distracted by some fabulous food while we processed the day's emotions. Pacific Grill has a phenomenal happy hour (as do a few of the downtown Tacoma restaurants) as nearly everything on their extensive bar menu is 50% off, and they have drink specials as well.

What we had was all really great, though we did not have much. Gorgonzola tater tots are awesome! I loved them more than Mark did and he thinks it is because they were hush-puppy like, and I love those. I think it was the gorgonzola sauce that got me. We shared the cheeseburger sliders-which sound so simple and yet were the best little burgers I have ever had. Remember, I don't love beef unless it is grass fed and even then only in small amounts. Whatever this was it was tender and had excellent flavor. They came with 'fries'... very thinly sliced and heavily seasoned (just the way I LOVE them!) and then tossed with roasted garlic cloves and fried sage and rosemary. Oh man were those awesome! We also shared the Vietnamese "Bahn Mi" pork sandwich and coleslaw. It was the best coleslaw I have ever had and possibly the favorite thing I ate that day. The sandwich was tangy and zingy and flavorful, and just a little messy which is always a good sign. I enjoyed a glass of house red wine which turned out to be something worth looking for in the stores. The waitress said it was 'Gladiator Cabernet Sauvignon' and the only thing I am finding that might be it is Cycles Gladiator. We are going to check out the wine shops to see if they have it as we both thoroughly enjoyed it.

We felt a little better, or at least a little calmer and fortified, after sharing that food, and I know that the comfort comes from both the sharing, and the excellent food. We watched the helicopter make protective circles over the dome, until the bus came to take us out to Purdy, wishing peace upon every soul in and near that arena. When we got home we watched it on the news channels and I cried some more. I hope that as you watched the proceedings you had someone to share your thoughts and emotions with, or at least to hold hands with while you watched. Business was slow all day and I have a feeling many of you were glued to your tv's and radios, showing your support the only way you could. Now it is time for all of us to move forward a little bit and breathe together a sigh of determination. We must be determined to support each other and let pettiness pass. We must be determined to make the best of what we have, and share it whenever we can, with everyone that we can. We must be determined to work through our grievances and to show respect for ourselves, as well as those we come into contact with, even when they annoy us. And when we are not able to resist a burst of anger or frustration, we must be determined to take responsibility for it and do what we can to make it right. We do need each other, and we all need a little help now and then, no matter how much alone time we might cherish.

We are working on lots of catering and special orders this month, which we are abundantly grateful for, as well as some extra goodies that we hope are appealing to all of you as great Hanukkah, Solstice and Christmas gifts. Next month, which is next year by the way, we are going to start a new tradition of once a month offering diner classic comfort meals. Things like chicken and dumplings, corned beef brisket and braised cabbage, lamb shanks, and so on. We will make our own fabulous version of these dishes and offer them as a special until they are gone, then move on to the next item. I am hoping the comfort of 'down home goodness' will work its magic and help bring us together in ways that only great food can. We want to be a cornerstone for our community and in feeding and nourishing your bodies, we hope to be feeding and nourishing your hearts and minds, as well.

It has been so icy cold outside that soup seems to be the recipe I should share this week. I have had a lovely head cold and so I am thinking something to boost our immune systems would be nice. How about some Spanish spicy garlic soup? mmmm...

Sopa da Ajo (about 10 servings)

olive oil
10 garlic cloves
1 large onion, chopped
10 slices of day old, peasant style bread (1/4 inch thick) OR even better would be our croutons
2 TBS smoked paprika (I use the piquant, or spicier version)
12 cups water or broth (at home I use chicken broth; at the cafe I would use our veg broth)
1 tsp cumin seeds, toasted in a pan and then crushed in a spice grinder (or 1/2 tsp ground cumin)
salt & pepper
chopped parsley
1 egg per serving if you want to do this part

Put a good amount of oil in a heavy bottom pot over medium high. Drop in the garlic cloves and saute, stirring frequently, until they are a lovely, golden brown. Keep them moving so they do not burn or they will get bitter. They will be soft and puffy and a rich golden color, then you will remove them with a slotted spoon and set them aside.

If you are using bread lay in the slices and toast them on both sides in the oil. Left them out and set them aside.

Add a little oil if you need to and get it hot, then drop in the onions and saute them until they begin to caramelize. Reduce the heat a bit so you can take them as far as you like, of course the more you cook them the sweeter they will get.

Stir in the paprika, which will absorb the oil and become sort of a paste. Pour in the water or broth, and add the cumin. Crush the garlic cloves with a fork and add them to the soup. Salt and pepper to taste. Add the parsley.

Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer and cook for about 8-10 minutes total.

You can stop here and serve the soup with the bread placed in each bowl, or garnish with the croutons instead. This is a very brothy, comforting soup, a little sweet from the onions and garlic, and a little spice from the paprika and cumin.
OR
You can do the egg thing. There are a few different ways to do this, you get to choose. You can dish the soup into oven proof bowls, then break an egg into each bowl. Place the bread or croutons over the top (gently so as not to break the egg) and bake in the oven for about 4 minutes, until the egg is set.

You can use the casserole you cooked the soup in and 'poach' the eggs in the soup on the stove top.

You can use the casserole and place one egg per person on top, then top it all with the bread/croutons, and bake it all at once in the oven for about 4 minutes until the eggs are set.
No matter which of those methods you use the egg yolk should be soft, so as to blend with the soup when it is stirred in.

You can beat the eggs (use 1 egg for every 2 servings) and cover the top of the soup with them, then place it under the broiler until it is set.

Any of these ways would be super yummy and you can make this soup for me any time!

Link: http://www.waterfrontbakery.com

Can you believe Thanksgiving was just last week? Truly, it seems like a long time ago. So much has happened in our region, and in our neighborhood, and my little mind has been whirling and twirling like crazy. There are good ideas coming out of there so stay tuned! I hope you all had plenty of good food to eat on your holiday and I hope that at least one thing you ate this past week was locally produced. You know me, I cannot-or perhaps will not- get off that Think Local First soapbox. I am tenacious when I feel something is this important and just!

We had a wonderful time with Mark's family; we do not get to see them as often as we would like to. You may be as shocked as I was to find out that our nephew Travis has grown about 3 inches and 1.5 shoe sizes since he left us for home in August! His voice is deeper and he has been running cross country so he is long and lean. I think this cross country is really good for him! He is a quiet kid and now is more relaxed... it seems that he has gained some self confidence, or maybe just a certain amount of comfort in his own skin. Do you remember 15 years old? It was pretty uncomfortable! So we enjoyed him even more than usual, if that is even possible. We are keeping our fingers crossed that he comes back to work with us again next year, though he will be driving and I do not look forward to the year that he decides to get a job closer to home. Of course we will give him a great reference, even if we do miss him like crazy!

Erin's birthday dinner at Indochine was as good as always, and we were glad she asked us to join her! If you go to Tacoma, that is definitely a good place to go. After dinner we walked with her and her dad across the Chihuly bridge, which neither of them had ever seen, and that is a fantastic way to end an evening! If you haven't been to the Museum of Glass in Tacoma you are missing out on some amazing art. The outdoor exhibits are always up and always free, and the Dale Chihuly glass art that lines and covers the bridge over the freeway is absolutely beautiful. I would love a ceiling like that in my bedroom! Very often when I have trouble quieting my mind for sleep I imagine/remember snorkeling in Mexico. I envision the colors and textures as clearly as I can, focusing on details, so my mind can stop and relax. A ceiling like that would be wonderful to relax to. Now you know what to get me for Christmas! and please don't forget the backlighting, it is crucial to the experience!

So this Saturday there is a great event called Stockings For A Cause in Silverdale, at Judy's Junk & Java, from 2-5 pm. Our beloved coffee roasters, Paul & Dean, own this lovely vintage items store, and it is right next door to Lisa Stirrett's Art Glass Studio. This silent auction and festive event has proceeds going directly to benefit families and individuals living with HIV AIDS in Kitsap County. Come on out and join us for a fabulous cup of coffee and some fundraising fun!

Then boom we are into the Hanukkah, Solstice and Christmas season! Decorated cookies, red envelope prizes, specialized goodies, gifts and our now famous chocolate dessert wine will all be in full swing next week! Let's hope the weather stays mild and even beautiful like it has been so we can all get out and enjoy our community this season. Art Walk is next Friday and we are combining that with the Old Town Ladies Night so it should be very festive and fun. Then we have Mrs Claus, lots of catering going on and Christmas is 3 weeks away. Sheesh! I will go into those things more next week, this is just a teaser.

I had a long and arduous day today (read: I had to think about numbers a lot so I am tired and would love a glass of wine!) so I will bid you adieu a bit early. However, I know you must have frozen your Washington grown turkey carcass and are wondering what you should do with it now. Here is what I did to make a great broth that I have yet to strain and get into the freezer:

Pulled out the giant Le Creuset stock pot/dutch oven that I bought on ebay a few years ago for a steal!!

Broke up the turkey carcass and threw that in with a chicken carcass I had in the freezer as well.

Layered in a bit of olive oil, layed out some onions (with skins on) on their flat sides in the olive oil, then threw in some: peeled carrots, a few ribs of celery, a few bay leaves, a handful of pepper corns, a bundle of thyme, a scant handful of salt, a bunch of Italian parsley, about 20 cloves of garlic with the skins on, a bit of freshly grated nutmeg, and a round of panchetta that was loitering in the freezer and would add some body to the broth.

I turned up the burner and let the olive oil get hot and the onions start to sizzle a little bit.

I covered the whole lot with water, put the lid on and lit the fire on high. When it came to a boil I turned it down, tilted the lid and let her rock and roll for about 4 hours.

Then I strained out the solids, pressing on them to get out all the good stuff, and strained the broth again just to be sure. I put it in the fridge and it is now awaiting a nice skimming of the fat that I will do with some cheese cloth over a 'spider' (a Japanese strainer with a long, bamboo handle) to be sure to get the icky stuff out. Then I will freeze it in quart containers to use in risotto and soups for the next few months. YUM.

Notice I said a scant handful of salt. I like to salt things pretty well and I use good salt, though every dish calls for a different amount. Therefore I just gave it a nudge and will salt each dish appropriately as I use the broth up. It is difficult to take back a heavy dose of salt and usually even if you can adjust it the balance of other flavors is thrown off irreversibly. So go easy on the salt, just give the broth a taste of it, so it can see it's own great potential!

Now. What will you do with your broth? Let me know if you want ideas!