Canlis
Link: http://www.waterfrontbakery.com
You may remember that last August my gals pooled together with a few family members and friends, and they gave me a Canlis gift certificate for my birthday. They all know I have a long list of restaurants in Seattle that I call my 'wish list'; places I really want to go to eat. The list changes and reorders, with only one constant since I was 16 years old: Canlis has always been my number one wish. Canlis is legendary for their food and service, and when I was 16 years old several friends went there for dinner before Junior Prom. I did not, though I looked into the place and learned about it. Since then I have built it up in my mind and somehow it became too big and unattainable, so I didn't even try to go there.
I think Lori was the first one to find this out, or maybe it was Leslie. At any rate they began to plot and they banded together to give me the most incredible gift: a $280 gift certificate! It was so unbelievable, and yet so like them, I still feel overwhelmed when I think about it. Time flies in the restaurant world, and our weekends were booked constantly. Mark and I knew that we needed a full evening for this, and we did not want it to be rushed. Christmas came and my parents gave me an overnight stay at the Inn at the Harbor Steps in downtown Seattle. I knew it had to be combined with our trip to Canlis! I was keeping an eye on the calendar, watching for the perfect time to go, and it kept slipping out of my reach. In mid-January I found out when the Chef's Collaborative annual Farmer, Fisher, Chef Connection day was and decided that we should try to plan our Canlis/Harbor Steps experience around that. After all, it is a rare treat to already be in Seattle when we have an all-day event to attend. I made the reservations at the Inn and hoped I would not have to take advantage of their generous cancellation policy.
It was still too early to make a reservation for Canlis (I was using OpenTable.com) so I waited until it was a month out. I was shocked to see that the only times available were 5 pm and 8:30 or later! I took the 5, and then kept checking. I found a 5:30 and changed it, and never found a later time after that, so we went with it. One friend pointed out that at least we would be able to enjoy the view in daylight and the dark, which was really great. We knew we would have a leisurely meal, though we had no idea just how slow and enjoyable it would be, so we weren't worried about the early dinner time. I did not request the famous 'Table 1', as I felt it would be too...I don't know... too something I am not comfortable with. As the day approached Mark began reading the web site and learning more about this famous institution that I was in awe of, and he was getting excited to go, as well. Lori & Leslie made sure I had a lovely outfit to wear (I wore the purple blouse, girls!) and it seemed that they were as excited for me as I was! That morning one of our favorite customers/friend came in and I knew she had been to Canlis on many occasions, so I was excited to share the news with her that we were going that evening. She gave me a couple of tips for when we were there (be sure to grab a handful of their candies on the way in, and another on the way out! They are carmelly and delicious!) and wished us well.
Saturday was busy at the cafe and Mark and I barely made it out to the 1:45 ferry in time... we arrived as they were boarding and only just got on. We checked in to the hotel and our huge room with fireplace, king bed and soaking tub!! We showered and dressed, then went down to the hotel's afternoon wine reception. The desk called a taxi for us and we were off. The moment I reached for the beautiful door handle on Canlis' front door I knew that my hopelessly high expectations were going to be met. We walked in and I saw the candy dish that Casey told me about, and quickly grabbed a few to put in my purse. (Oh did I mention, I picked my handmade feathered handbag up at a street market in New York City.. oo la la! How chic I am!) For a second it seemed that no one was there, and then suddenly we were amid a whirlwind of activity: someone took my coat, someone took the special bottle of wine we brought, someone else had menus in her hand and was ushering us to our table. Mark told them our name once as we arrived (I was admiring the fireplace) and they used it, with proper pronunciation, for the entire rest of the evening!
We were escorted past the only kitchen station that is visible from the dining room: the grill station. It is entirely ensconced in warm copper all over the walls, ceiling, and counters. We turned and walked the length of the upper dining room and she pulled a table out for us to slide into the booth. We were seated side by side, looking out at the dining room, and to our left were the wide windows from which we could see the lake and city views. As I was sliding onto the booth she said 'This is table one...' and I gasped! What?? Really?? Mark and I looked at each other in shock... THIS IS TABLE ONE??? (I was only shouting in my head, but I was so shocked! It is the most requested table at Canlis!) "Yes" she replied, "This was Peter Canlis' private table, and the telephone is right there." And it was! An old, black, rotary dial telephone sat unobtrusively on the sideboard next to me. My mouth was agape-THIS IS TABLE ONE! I mean holy crap! Mark looked at me after she left and asked "who did this for us? Someone we know had to have planned this!" There was no one I could think of who would have known about it, and anyway Canlis would not guarantee this table even if someone did try to arrange it. We looked around and were grinning like dopes "Yes, we ARE table one, and you are wondering who we are, aren't you!"... I giggled.
John W. was our server and I have to say I sort of thought service would be a bit standoff-ish, or formal and stuffy. It was absolutely not. I think if that is what you want they would read you and provide that service, but it is not how we are. John read us perfectly and he was very approachable and friendly while offering perfect service, along with the rest of the team. Canlis eschews formal 'captain' or French style service, and the entire front of the house works as a team. It was remarkable to experience and delightful to watch. We had a wonderful view of the entire restaurant (Peter Canlis would watch service and if he saw something that bothered him, or that he felt he needed to comment upon, he would pick up the phone and call the front desk) and we enjoyed watching service all night long. We were there for 3 hours and 15 minutes, so we got to see many tables come and go. It was nothing short of a great show!
John gave us the cocktail and wine menu first (I had already studied it online and I knew what I was going to order) and asked if we knew were at Table One. Yes we knew, and we wondered if he knew how we got this table. He smiled and said we were just lucky, that they always tried to give it to someone special and they knew we were... Mark was still suspicious that it was somehow planned, but I knew it could not have been. I was sure that not even my mom knew about Table One, and no one knew when our reservation was for, anyway. John asked us what type of water we would prefer, and we said just tap water, no ice, and he brought it to us and left a little pitcher on our table, which I never had to touch because every time my water glass got down to half, someone filled it for me. He then brought my glass of Veuve Clicquot Rose Brut Champagne and another server brought Mark's glass of syrah. They were placed on the table at the same moment. We toasted and drank... oh my it was delicious. I informed my husband that from now on I wanted our well filled with this champagne so I never had to drink boring old water again! He said he would be sure to get right on that for me. As we perused the menu (how to decide!) I kept looking over to see if the view was still there. It was, every time I looked.
After we ordered someone came out with the bread service "Would you like our honey butter bread roll, or our salted olive bread roll?" We replied in unison "One of each, please!" so he placed one on my plate and the other on Mark's, assuring us he would be back to offer us more bread later. The butter was a large round that had been cut out with a cookie cutter, and I used only a tiny smidge, and then we realized that the bread was so good it did not need any butter.
Next they brought out the amuse bouche: Sweet Onion Puree in a tiny little cup, placed jauntily on one end of a rectangular plate. It was a delicious opener and I may have clapped a little in my joy. We started by sharing the Canlis Salad: Romaine, Romano cheese, bacon, mint, oregano, and a dressing of lemon, olive oil and coddled egg. They brought us each our own dish of salad, and we could not imagine each ordering our own, they were very large portions. Their croutons were house made and very crisp and of course every detail within the salad was perfectly balanced. They offered us freshly ground pepper, and I said "no thank you, I am certain it is already perfectly seasoned", and it was.
We then shared a plate of Peter Canlis Prawns: Sauteéd in dry vermouth, garlic, red chilies and lime. And yet, that description does nothing to prepare you for the level of deliciousness that is the sauce. I moaned with pleasure and I heard Mark do the same-it was absolutely phenomenal in flavor. Thank goodness the bread guy came back around because Mark was going to be embarrassed when I licked that plate clean...or perhaps he was going to fight me for it. Instead we used our bread to sop up the remainder of the sauce and did not feel the least bit shy about it!
The meal was timed and spaced out nicely and I was paying close attention to being able to taste every morsel. I put my fork down after each bite and really took my time with my enjoyment. I kept making sure that I stayed as much in the present moment as possible, trying to remember every detail to share with you. We watched a table celebrate a gentleman's 90th birthday. He was joined by what appeared to be his wife, grandchild and spouse, and 3 great grandchildren. You may think that Canlis is not the place to take children, and you would be surprised at how wonderfully accommodating and respectful they were of those very well behaved kids. They were probably 8, 10 and 12 years old, or close to it. They had 'cocktails' and enjoyed every course as the adults did. The servers engaged them and made them feel fully a part of the meal, which was fun to watch. They even got a tour of the kitchen (I tried to follow them in but Mark stopped me) and some sort of party favors at the end.
As I was mourning the end of the prawns John asked if he should send our bottle of wine out to be decanted. "Yes, please" and so the wine captain came over with our bottle of 2001 Kirralaa Shiraz (thank you, Manny! We love this gift!) and asked us about it as he opened and decanted it for us. We told him about Robert Mondavi going to Australia and 'trading' wineries with the wine-maker from Kirralaa. We asked if he would taste it with us and he seemed to enjoy it, noting that he thinks it will go another 10 years or so. Luckily we have another bottle at home to see how that goes! That wine is so good, and as the meal progressed it really smoothed and mellowed in the decanter.
We watched all kinds of people enjoying their time at Canlis, and every single one of us was treated as if we were the most important guest of the evening. Even including the person we overheard ordering a fillet mignon (easily the most common dish we saw served) "Well done and butterflied". I understand wanting your meat well done, but why pay for Wagyu tenderloin if you are going to do that? It did not matter to the staff at Canlis, they simply smiled and treated her as well as everyone else who walked in that night. And let me tell you, I have seen restaurant staff treat people very poorly for ordering catsup with a fillet mignon, so I was impressed with the level of class throughout.
My main course was Mushroom Ravioli with Black Truffles and Mark had a NY steak, cooked perfectly and oh so tender. The fresh pasta was so perfect I cannot say I have had better in Italy! We also ordered all three accoutrements (this was a once in a lifetime event, after all! Never again would it be our first time, and we would probably never again have this amazing gift certificate, either) which included: Truffle Fries (mmmmmmmm, so perfectly salty and crisp-tender), Forest Mushrooms sauteed in sherry, garlic & thyme, and their famous Twice Baked Potato. We shared everything and slowly enjoyed every single bite. We brought some of the steak, mushrooms, fries and potato back with us to reminisce over later.
The tables were padded under the cloths, which added a layer of comfort, to be sure. We watched a couple of tables turn and when the server assistant changed the cloth it was amazing to watch. He never exposed more than a few inches of the table, and that was only in the very beginning of the ritual. He lifted up the cloth and folded about 1/4th of it back. He then laid the new cloth on the table and as he removed the old cloth, he somehow laid out the new cloth in it's place almost seamlessly. (It reminded me of when a girl will remove her bra from under her shirt, never exposing herself for a second.. it's a trick we can all do!) He placed the old cloth under his arm, then folded part of the cloth that drapes over the front of the table, back up onto the table, and disappeared for a minute. When he returned he had a cordless steam iron and he proceeded to iron the cloth right on the table. It was clearly a well-practiced, choreographed ritual that you could easily overlook if you were not inclined to watch the service on the floor. In fact every move they made, from the synchronized placement of plates on tables, to how they walked through the dining room, was well practiced, graceful and intentionally graceful and subtle.
For dessert we decided to share the Chocolate Covered Chocolate: molten chocolate cake, cocoa nib shortbread and chocolate-covered salted caramel ice cream. Yes, it was amazing! They took what could be 'so 10 years ago', a molten chocolate cake, and raised it to a new level. The top was bruleed and the dark chocolate was perfect. I enjoyed it with a glass of vintage Port (hooray for the port tasting we put on! I was able to know what I was ordering!) and Mark had Sauternes. The presentation of every dish was perfect and not too fru-fru (I don't like fru-fru) by any means. The portions were perfect, not too little and silly and not ridiculously large. Every dish we had was worth every penny they charged.
At one point John asked us if we were there celebrating a special occasion, and I told him the story of how I had spent 26 years wanting to come there, and our gift certificate, and he also picked up that we were in the trade. He passed our story on to Brian Canlis, the grandson of Peter, who now runs the show along with his brother as the third generation of the restaurant. Brian came over and introduced himself and I tried to keep my composure. Are you kidding me? This was Brian Canlis, at our table, chatting us up like we were old friends! Making me feel as comfortable as I could be, except that my brain was screaming "HOLY CRAP" and I was trying not to make a fool of myself. He stopped by a few of times throughout the evening, we got our picture taken with him, and he even called the telephone from the maitre d's stand up front! The phone started ringing and I realized I should answer it, and when I did he asked how everything was going! I cracked up when he said he thought it was fun to call the table from the podium! As the evening progressed we watched him perform every job at the front of the house in unison with the rest of the team, including clearing and resetting tables, serving food, and chatting with the customers.
As the night darkened, so did the room, and I noticed the bar as I was looking around for the piano player that I could hear. You can walk in and sit at the bar to enjoy appetizers or even the full menu. The piano player is in that area, though the entire place is so open that you can enjoy the music throughout the restaurant. The noise level was perfect, we could hear the murmur of conversations all around, though generally nothing stood out or called attention to itself. The music was in the background, loud enough to enjoy and subtle enough to not interfere. The service was silent and no noise came from the kitchen at all. I did not see the upstairs area, though I did see a bride walking up the stairs in her gown, so I know there was a private party up there. Can you imagine? Booking a private party for your (or your daughter's) wedding at the Canlis? What a cool customer.
As we were nearing the end of our meal, with coffee and tea (they brought out a box of tea leaves for me to sniff and choose from), Mark enjoyed one last liqueur and John brought out their parting gift. A sort of amuse bouche to end with, or perhaps I should call it an au revoir bouche. For each of us a little hazelnut cookie, with a kiss of chocolate custard on top. We asked John to have them call for a taxi as we took it all in one last time. As we made our way to the front door: Brian shook our hands and said goodbye, then John did, another service smiled and wished us well, a valet told us our taxi would be here momentarily, the maitre d' got my coat (no claim ticket, he just knew which one it was) and murmured goodbye as he held it for me to put on, we waded through the line of people waiting (it was 8:45 and they were waiting to be seated) and I did remember to grab a few more candies on the way out. The cab was there and we were off. I was on top of the world and so was Mark. We had such a thoroughly enjoyable time, we are hoping to make it an annual event. Dining at Canlis is an amazing experience and it should definitely be enjoyed by everyone.
I will post pictures on facebook in the next few days (or rather, Mark will) and fill you in on the rest of our weekend as well. We are on our way to the Chef's Collaborative event this morning and that will be a great post, too! Have a wonderful day everyone!
I love cookbooks!
Link: http://www.waterfrontbakery.com
Do you love cookbooks? I do! I love to read them cover to cover, like I am reading a novel. I don't necessarily read every single detail of every single recipe, though I do for many of them. I love to know what the author uses for salt, and the good ones include stories or background on at least the author, if not many of the recipes as well. I have lots of favorites, though there are a few that I always come back to both at home and at the cafe. One of my favorite places to get cookbooks is an antique store. I have found several unusual, fun and well-loved cookbooks at various 'junk' stores, especially up on Vancouver Island, in Sidney, BC. That tiny town has tons of old book stores and I have picked up some treasures in them.
I also enjoy watching certain cooking shows, too, and I get lots of inspiration from Ina Garten, Sara Moulton, Jacques & Julia, and others. For Valentine's day my dad bought me a cookbook that I have wanted for a couple of years. I had not purchased it for myself because it was over $40 and I was not able to find a way to 'need' it for that much money. The book is 'The Gourmet Cookbook' which is edited by Ruth Reichl, whom you all may know I love and admire! I have read all of her books and her writing style shines through in this cookbook. The book was on sale for $10 and now I see that it is only $7.22! I just bought some for gifts because... and hear this: I! LOVE! THIS! COOKBOOK! I just about slept with it the first night, as I fell asleep with it in my lap. Ms. Reichl adds so much to it, and the fact that many of the recipes are as old as Gourmet is, well it is just special. The stories are good, the food is fabulous, and I think it is an essential for any kitchen. (ps Linda, If you don't have this one, I have you covered, no need to buy it!)
I can sing the praises of many cookbooks, and if you are interested I will share with you some of my favorites, though I most certainly have not read them all. In fact my cookbook wishlist on Amazon has 106 items on it and grows all the time. I have about 6 shelves worth between home and the cafe, and that is pared down... Hi, my name is Monica, and I am addicted to cookbooks. The good news is that I don't purchase them if I don't think I will absolutely love and use them, and if it turns out that I don't use them, I pass them on to someone who will. And then there are the books about food... I shouldn't even get started there. I just had to share with you how much I love this cookbook so that you can pick one up while they are this fabulous price. I imagine they are getting rid of it, since it is a couple of years old. It was totally worth the wait! It makes me smile every time I see it sitting on the table, waiting for me to read some more.
Last Saturday after a long day of catering, one of our gals (Lori!) bough Mark and me each a shot of Patron tequila. We had never had it before and I must say: SMOOTH. It was indeed the nicest tequila I have ever sipped, and that was just the silver, so someday I will try the repisado, since that is my favorite style. I don't drink enough tequila to warrant rushing out and buying a bottle, but I will put it on my Christmas list! If you haven't had it, and you enjoy sipping tequila (this is not a party shot!) I highly recommend tasting it.
On Sunday Mark and I went to the Ballard Farmer's Market with Erin and a couple of friends. I have been wanting to go there for so long and it is truly amazing! With nearly 100 stalls (I think they said 97?) it is very much like the European markets that we see in Italy. A wonderful variety of locally grown and produced food items, along with art and crafts, and other household necessities. It was pure pleasure checking it out, and of course it was a sunny, albeit chilly day, which made it even better. We all had a great time and I must say if you haven't been, go. They take EBT at the market booth, and many vendors can take credit cards as well.
After we were done wandering the market we went into Bastille for cocktails and a little something to eat. My favorite cocktail, especially for brunch, is a Bloody Caesar, which is really difficult to find around here, unfortunately... (They are prolific in BC.) Another favorite is a Kir Royale, which is just sparkling wine with a splash of Creme de Cassis, a currant liqueur. I was about to order that when I saw they had a special cocktail called 'La Muse': Vodka, grapefruit & Cassis with a splash of Crémant, served on the rocks. Oh yes! It was so yummy! It went nicely with the best fries I have ever had! Unfortunately we were there at the tail end and they were out of several dishes, but the food that came was delicious and well-prepared. The interior of the place is remarkable and I loved looking around in there. It felt a little like a New York restaurant, which I consider a compliment... maybe it was the subway tiles on the walls. (Such a comedian, I know!)
It is finally snowing after threatening to all day. I am working really late because I was feeling really behind, and then I got the urge to check in with you to say hello. This weekend we are in for a huge treat (actually many treats) that I will share with you next week. Meanwhile, I hope we all survive the 'asnowcalypse', no one loses power and everyone still comes to the cafe for lunch! Would you like a recipe? How about Ina Garten's mustard-roasted fish. It is so easy and delicous, and it uses things that I always have in my pantry. When I go to buy the fish I would get the creme fraiche and be good to go:
4 8-ounce fish fillets (snapper, tilapia, etc...)
salt and pepper
8 ounces creme fraiche or sour cream
3 TBS dijon mustard
1 TBS whole grain mustard
2 TBS minced shallots (or onion if no shallots)
2 tsp drained capers (or caper berries)
Preheat the oven to 425 and line a sheet pan or baking dish with parchment (or cooking spray)
Place the fish fillets skin side down and sprinkle with salt and pepper, to taste.
Combine the rest of the ingredients in a small bowl, along with 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper.
Spoon the sauce evenly over the fish, making sure each fillet is completely covered.
Bake for 10-15 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish, until it is barely done. The fish will flake easily at the thickest part when it is done. It is easy to over cook, so be careful or it will dry out.
Serve it hot, right away, with the sauce from the pan spooned over the top.
I would serve this with roasted potatoes and green beans, both of which will be great if the sauce gets on them!
Ciao for now!
Happy Valentine's Day. A Love Story.
Link: http://www.waterfrontbakery.com
Hi there! I know it's been awhile and I thank you for being patient with my break from the blog. I did not stay away because I was avoiding you, honest! January was an emotional month, with the loss of an old friend and the usual January Business Anxiety, though I must admit that this was our best January yet for the cafe. I missed talking with you and I do have some things to report, but today is Valentine's Day and I think it is a good time for a love story. I don't mind telling you that I love the movie An Affair to Remember, and still get teary when Terry McKay (Debra Kerr) says to a bewildered Nicky (Cary Grant) "It was my own fault, I was looking up. You were there... it was the nearest thing to heaven!" I think that the greatest love story in movie form (ever to exist in the universe!) is Robert Bernigni's 'La Vita e Bella' and I still smile each time I am in Cortona Italy and see the theater from the movie.
Led Zeppelin's 'Thank You' and The Beatles 'In My Life' are my top two picks for love songs, and I find it appropriate that they were both written by famous couples, even if they were not romantic couples. I do not have a favorite love story in book form (too many! I love them all!) though right now I am reading Elizabeth Edwards' book 'Resilience' and I am falling in love with it! So many forms of love, so few ways to express them... Love is the answer. Love opens all doors. Love, love, love. And we all have many love stories throughout our lives, romantic love, familial, love of friends, work, food, travel; love of fun, nature; spiritual love, physical love, emotional love... we can go on all day. I am going to tell you a love story and it is my love story with Mark, and there is not a happy ending, or rather I should tell you there is no ending at all, because we are still living our story. I have been told it is a good story and I certainly think so, though perhaps mainly because I seem to benefit more than anyone else from it. Mark may disagree with me there, though I think he is the only one who could challenge that statement.
I was 14 years old when I was a freshman in high school. It was a new school, new neighborhood, new everything and of course it was all very confusing. I made a few friends and this one boy, Chris, had the CUTEST older brother who was a senior. He had a curly red afro and even though he didn't really know who I was, my stomach fluttered when he looked at me. At the age of 16 I was a junior and ready for my first job. I worked at the Renton Sheraton after school and on weekends, in the restaurant as a 'bus girl' and in room service. Chris' older brother Mark was my trainer and so here I was, 2 years later, working with this cute guy! He was quiet and not interested in a high school junior, after all he was 20 years old, but he was very nice and taught me how to do a good job. This was in 1984 and long before caller ID, and as young goofy girls we would get together and call boys. When they came to the phone we would giggle and hang up and then scream with nervous laughter at each other for not having the nerve to talk to him. Mark got his share of giggly hang up calls, to be sure.
I don't remember who left the Sheraton first. We each went on our way, I went to college and Mark eventually joined the Marine Corps. When I was a senior in high school I had a boyfriend for 8 months whom I loved as much as any 17 year old girl loves her first boyfriend. One of my college jobs was at the Maple Valley Golf Course, at Charlie's Bar & Grill, where I learned the ropes in the kitchen. My first chef was an ex prison chef and while he was a mean SOB, I learned a ton from him about making everything from scratch. This restaurant was not fine dining, though we had the best food around because we even cut and breaded our own cheese sticks; everything tasted great there because we made it ourselves. The other chef that I worked under at Charlie's was Greg Rooter and he introduced me to the world of catering (from the kitchen perspective, I had done lots of catering as a server) and BBQ. Greg built a BBQ pit in the back of our kitchen so we could smoke all kinds of meats... sorry, I am digressing to a different love story: the love of cooking great food! So while I was at Charlie's we hired my old high school friend Chris and I was working with him. I counted Chris as a good friend and one day he invited me to a big party down at his house for his brother who was coming home from boot camp.
I went to the party where I saw lots of old friends from High School and there was Mark. He was fresh out of boot camp and looking really good! My insides did that floppy thing again and I tried to hang out near him that evening. I didn't see him again until December, when he came 'home' on leave. I began hanging out at Chris' house with all the guys, hoping he would notice that I was a fun gal to be around. I let him borrow my car to go visit friends and I took him places when I needed my car. I worked at a different restaurant kitchen then and brought food from work when I could. Finally, when it seemed he would never get the clues and there were only a couple of days left before he went back to California, I asked him out. I was pretty excited when he said yes! I don't remember everything we did on that date, though we visited some friends and he taught me to play pool, which is a very good first date thing to do! We were together until very late because he was leaving the next day and I did not know when I would see him again. My mom tells me (and I truly have no recollection of this event) that when I got home from that date I told her that "I was with the man I am going to marry" and she about fainted.
You see, I was never a girly girl and I did not fall in love easily. I never dreamed about my wedding day, or wished for a prince charming and I did not page through bridal magazines fantasizing of the dress I would one day wear. That was never me, and in fact I had written essays about why marriage was not for me. I had well researched, intellectual arguments against marriage as a result of our culture and societal refusal to evolve our thinking around the marital institution. So when I told her that I was with the man I was going to marry, my mom was aghast. I did not say things like this lightly, and I still do not remember saying it at all, though I know she did not make it up. I went 3 weeks without hearing from Mark and then one day Chris says to me in passing 'oh by the way, Mark has been asking for your address and phone number, and I keep forgetting to tell you'. Oh by the way, I almost killed Chris that day, but I was so relieved and excited that I forgot to! I had to call his mom for Mark's address because Chris didn't have it and that was nerve-wracking! I am sure she just rolled her eyes at the little twit calling to get her son's mailing address, but she gave it to me anyway.
Mark and I began a correspondence and telephonic relationship, and then he came home for an entire month in May. We spent every moment possible together and if I had any doubts prior to that, by the end of the month I was very confident in my love for him. He took a little convincing, but I was not worried because I knew we would have the rest of our lives together. He called my from Japan on my 21st birthday and every Sunday after that. On one of those calls he told me he loved me. I remember the feeling that came over me as we hung up the phone and I began squealing with excitement and jumping up and down on my bed. My roommate ran in to see what was going on and I exclaimed "HE SAID 'I LOVE YOU'! HE LOVES ME! HE LOVES ME!"... I visited him in California twice and he came home a couple of times to see me when he saw his family. In 1990 he decided against renewing his enlistment and came home for good, just 2 months before I graduated with my BA in Criminal Justice. He moved in to my little studio apartment and then we got a 1 bedroom together after that. He got a job at his godfather's auto service station and over 16 years became manager. I became a police dispatcher (among other things) and we rented a house, and bought our first house. We got married in 1991 with a few family & friends around us at Lake Tahoe, then came back and had a big party/reception.
That first year of marriage was really difficult; Mark was laid off while upgrades were made to the station and we bickered a lot. My grandmother died within days of his, and the funerals were on the same day, which is what snapped us back into sync since we needed to really support one another. We worked different shifts with different days off and took 2-week and month-long vacations together. Just like everyone does, we had our ups and downs and ins and outs, all with the calm knowledge in the back of our minds that nothing really matters in the end because we have our whole lives to figure it out.
In 1997 I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia and began a 2 year education to become a Certified Nutritional Herbalist and Reiki Master, and Mark said 'ok honey, whatever you need to do for you I support'. I dabbled in that as a business, but it wasn't right for me. I still use the skills and knowledge that I gained for my own health management, as well as for family and friends, and I owe it to Mark for supporting me when I needed it. That same year we were on SR 16 through Gig Harbor, driving home from Hood Canal after scattering the ashes of my great-grandmother. Mark sighed and said 'I wish we could live in a place like this' and I said 'WHY CAN'T WE??' If that is both what we want, then we should move here! Mark balked for a moment and then slowly said 'ok honey, if you think we can do it then we can! We will both be happier over here so let's move'. We eventually bought some property, lived with my parents, rented an apartment, and then bought another house, and we love it here. Mark commuted to Bellevue 4 days a week and I went to Seattle, then Renton, 5 days a week on swing shift.
After 15 years I decided that I needed a career change and I quit my job with no real plans as to what I would do. Mark said 'ok honey, you not working makes me nervous, but I trust you to do what is best for us.' Can you believe that? And then when I decided not only that I wanted to have a restaurant, and then figured out that I wanted this restaurant that was also a bakery, and also that in order for it to work he would have to quit his job and work it with me, he only hesitated for one minute. One minute! Then he said 'ok honey, this scares the crap out of me, but I trust that we will do the best for us and that you are planning this out as best you can'. So we both took that leap of faith and we haven't landed yet! 5 years ago today I did not know what was going to happen. The previous owner had been afraid to commit so I had stepped away and told her to call me when she was ready. I was running errands when I ran into my dad and his friend Mort as they were going to lunch at a Chinese restuarant in Gig Harbor, and they invited me to join them, so I did. I still have the fortune that came out of my cookie. It reads: "Don't lose sight of what you want" and I look at it almost every day. I never do lose sight.
So that is the reader's digest version of our love story. Every time I have a new idea for the cafe, or our lives, no matter how nervous it makes him, Mark always supports me. He expresses his fears and concerns and when I confidently say 'I don't know the answers, let's just try it!' he always supports me. I would not be here without him and I wouldn't know where to go if he were not here with me. Our love story continues to unfold and even these days when we are too tired and broke to go out on dates, I know he is here for me. When we say 'I love you more' it is not a contest with one another, it means more than yesterday and more than ever and more than anyone else. And I do, Mark. I love you more.
A recipe? After all that? Ok, I will tell you how to make Spaghetti Carbonara, which after being in Rome I found out I make pretty darn well.
1 lb dried spaghetti and a huge pot of boiling water to cook it in.
salt
olive oil
1 lb pancetta or bacon, diced
5 eggs, well beaten and set aside
1 or more cups grated parmesan, or pecorino romano, or asiago, or a combo
1 or more TBS ground black pepper
In a large saute pan render and crisp up the pancetta or bacon in the olive oil. Meanwhile bring the water to boil and salt it well; salty like the sea is a good rule for cooking pasta.
Cook the pasta 1-2 minutes less than what the package recommends, then drain it but reserve 2 cups of the liquid.
Toss the pasta in with the pancetta, pour the eggs and cheese and pepper over it and stir it, off the heat, until it is all incorporated and a creamy sauce has formed. If it seems a bit dry or stiff, add in some of the pasta water and keep stirring.
The residual heat will cook the eggs all the way through, and there should be a very good amount of black pepper throughout the dish. Stir it up well and toss it until it is all incorporated, then serve it up! Top with more cheese and pepper if you like it! This is the perfect dish to make for someone you love. It will feed them well and it is comforting to boot!
I will admit that I also saute onions and garlic with the pancetta, though that is not traditional and not necessary, I just can't help it!