Dick Stein

This is an encore episode of Food for Thought.

I blame my mother. 

I don't expect you to forgive me for that headline. To paraphrase Tammany Hall "Honest Grafter" George Washington Plunkitt, I saw my opportunity and I took it. But I digress. In this week's Food for Thought we come to praise Caesar salad.

Some smells always bring back fond memories. Seattle Times food writer Nancy Leson says one whiff of mint, and she's suddenly 6 again. 

Two of my favorites are  flame-broiling meat in a highly air-conditioned room, and the aroma of onion soup on a freezing Quebec day. I guess I just like the memory of warm food smells in a cold environment. Not always, though.

These look like some nice beans. And there's a story behind them, too. In this week's Food for Thought, Nancy and I chatted about what we're putting into the ground this spring, and what we hope to get out of it—including something I never knew could be grown around here.

One night in New York City a long time ago I was in search of a last gasp of civilization before a taking up a year’s exile at an Air Force radar site in the Bering Sea. I found it – and more — at The Dom, an East Village Jazz joint where pianist Jaki Byard’s quartet was playing.

So says the Hostess company of its frozen food saw. I hadn't known there even was a tradition for frozen food saws. I do know that the Hostess company would never exaggerate, so probably the tradition they mean is that of medieval surgical tools. 

Nancy Leson surprised me when she said she was using cake flour and plain cold water for her dumpling wrapper dough.  I've been using all purpose and just-boiled very hot water. 

Nancy got the recipe from Judy Fu of Seattle's Snappy Dragon restaurant fame and wrote about it recently.  There's something I like about her method. And something I don't.

My friend and fellow–though fancier– eater,  Seattle Times food writer Nancy Leson is just back from the Windy City, and telling wide-eyed tales of exotic dinners.  Nance and her fellow Times gastro-journalist Providence Cicero lucked into reservations at two of the top restaurants in the country, if not the world.

I would. And so would Nancy. She calls Michael Sanders' loaves "perhaps the best bread in town" and says she'd happily pay twice that.  

Only about 50 of these beauties come out of Sanders' oven each day and most of those are going to a Matt Dillon restaurant. But if you get to Sitka and Spruce in Melrose Market early enough, you just might be able to score one.

5.  Celebrating a super Seattle sushi chef

Seattle's own Daisuke Nakazawa was featured in the sushi documentary, Jiro Dreams of Sushi.  

Speaking of sushi, Nancy expressed surprise that I'd never eaten sushi before she offered me some. It wasn't really any big deal. We were leaving the Tacoma Pal Do World supermarket with a car full of Asian cooking supplies, and she'd picked up a container of the little rice rolls to eat on the way home.  

There are Peeps diorama contests held all across the nation, not least of which is that sponsored by the Seattle Times. Here, take a look.  This year's contest attracted hundreds of entries. As Nancy pointed out, it's perfectly possible that these Peepsle have too much time on their hands. Some fun, huh?

Run wild!  Sure, if you've never made something before, it's a good idea to follow the instructions. But if the instructions look weird or include ingredients you really don't like, that's another story.

Recipes come from all-too-fallible humans. Take it from me that some of them can haul you right over the Foodscal Cliff. I speak from bitter experience.

This week's discussion was inspired by the TV comedy Portlandia  and its Brunch Village episode about an endless line of would-be brunchers. 

I have lurked in the lobbies of dim sum joints waiting for tables.  And once in a while I've been been willing to wait in the bar.  But queue up out on the sidewalk?  Uh-uh.  I've stood on all the chow lines I care to, thank you. 

You don't need an oven to make great flatbread.  You can do it all in a skillet right on top of your stove.  Here's how:

I can't believe that Leson got that "natural" style starter to work.  I've tried over and over again with no success.  Her success encourages me.  Maybe I'll try again.