Some Sights!

This is a restaurant! Where they got these awesome meals!

Awesome Information

I just read an awesome article on why sea salt is good for you!

Read it here.

Don't forget, we have tons of flavored sea salts in store. My favorite for summer is the Yakima Applewood Smoked salt. It is just perfect for grilling season. Or cooking inside, pretending you are grilling season.

Zesty Onion Hero

A Hero. This memorial day, go thank one!

Maybe with this hero. The sandwich. Which was supposed to be all grilled, but it was raining, so it's roasted instead. Oh well.

My favorite thing about cook outs is the grilled vegetables. Nice and caramelized, little crisp bits on the ends. I am not a vegetarian, but a grilled veggie sandwich is heaven. The best thing about this is that you can modify this for however many people you need to feed.


Zesty Onion Hero
serves 2

Long rolls
1 bunch scallions
1 bell pepper
1/2 an onion
1/2 an eggplant
1/4 cup fresh salsa
Zesty Onion Olive Oil
cumin
salt and pepper
4 slices pepperjack cheese

Slice the veggies very thinly. Just trim the hairy bits off the scallions. Toss with a couple tablespoons of olive oil and a pinch salt. Set aside to marinate for at least ten minutes. You will need a grill basket for the best results, but a bit of folded tin foil will do the job in a pinch.

Heat your grill, this doesn't have to be super hot just for veggies. Do this while you are doing other things. Keep this off the direct heat unless you want truly crispy vegetables.

Brush the bread with oil and lightly grill. Just a little. Set the veggies down on the grill and sprinkle with a bit of cumin and black pepper. Depending on your heat level, it shouldn't take more than 5 to 10 minutes to finish off. Toss them around with tongs to keep the scallions from burning. Everything should be well browned.

Top your roll with cheese and pile on the veggies. Scoop on a tablespoon or two of fresh salsa and bite into spicy, crisp, cook-out heaven.

Other good add ins are portobello mushrooms. asparagus, green beans, broccoli rabe, spinach or watercress. And of course, bits of chicken if you want it. But don't leave off the scallions! It sounds odd, but it is the best! Just ask Greg at Sippity Sup. (He gave me the first idea to grill scallions, waaayyy back in February.)

So thank a hero and eat good food. Happy Memorial Day all!

And sign up for our newsletter to get our coupons in your email! Just fill in your email where it says follow by email and we're good to go.

Pride Parade 2013

This year's parade was so much fun! I hope that everyone else had as much fun as I did!

And a dog. Who was giving a parrot a ride. 

The Bottle Has Some Fun!

The bottle is having some good fun in Italy.

Watch it do some laundry.

And have a spa treatment!

And hanging out on the beach....

But fun things are happening at home too! The annual Pride Parade is today. I'll take some pictures of that and give them to you tomorrow!

It's not relaxing on the beach, but its so much fun!

The Leaning Tower of Pisa!

So Pisa is cool. Still standing.

From the balcony....

The food! Wonderful fresh food...

On the way to that town!

Mother's Day Closing Early

Closing early tomorrow.

Get in before 2:30 and get your mom something nice!

Totally NOT Vodka Sauce

Now this is the only think I've cooked this month. It fills the need, but PB&J does not count as cooking.

I've just been too tired to cook. Sleepy cooks burn things. And forget to buy ingredients. Which is great for this recipe, because I had everything I needed somewhere in my cabinet. (or the store here...)

So I needed something that would be fast, tasty, and above all, something that would produce enough leftovers that I wouldn't go hungry at work again today.

This pasta came together so fast. And it ended up looking like vodka sauce. But vodka sauce only wishes it is this good!

Totally NOT Vodka Sauce (even if it's pink)

8oz fettuccine
1 can peas
1 cup milk
3/4 cup jalapeno cheddar cheese, shredded
1/4 cup Piquillo Pepper Tapenade*
4 tbsp Spanish Olive Oil
Black Pepper
1 tbsp crushed garlic
pinch of powdered ginger

Cook the pasta. Drain and put back in the pan.

Heat the olive oil in a small sauce pan and add the garlic and the ginger. Stir around, about a minute. Add the cheese shreds. If you can't find Jalapeno Cheddar, feel free to use regular. But then sub in the Jalapeno Olive Oil for the Padilla.

Stir the cheese around until it starts to melt. Add the milk to keep it from burning and increase the heat to medium high. Stir it occasionally, scraping the sides. Simmer for about 5 minutes. Add in the Piquillo Pepper Tapenade (* available in our store) and the black pepper.

Stir into the noodles.

This sauce really ends up pink. Really. Egg noodles suck sauce right in, those pale bits are where the sauce didn't stick!

Mother's Day coupon

I thought I would post this here too. My mother is in Italy right now so I don't have to worry, but you should get your mother a gift!

Rome no more!

They are leaving Rome this weekend. Taking a car and driving down to Florence.... Next year I think I'll go on the buying trip and leave them at home!

I want to be a column!

And you know there had to be food... Mixed seafood pasta. Really fresh!

First Day

Some nice views and fun people.

See, Italian's do drink Olive Oil!

Almost there!