Beautiful Sushi

Jiro Dreams of Sushi, a film about legendary sushi chef Jiro and his sushi empire, was aired at the Wing Luke Museum, and it was probably the best way to ever have viewed that documentary.

The Wing Luke Museum is a well-maintained museum in the International District, and it appears to be deeply involved in its community. The museum has a special theater room, and they screened the film there.

In addition to the screening, Chef Shiro of famous Seattle restaurant Shiro's and a few other sushi chefs collaborated to make a plate of traditional Edomae sushi for each of the guests. A good thing too, because after watching an entire documentary about the challenges and opportunities of Jiro's business and of the legacy that his sons will carry, the only thing one wants to eat is the sushi that one saw on screen. Shiro came to the rescue and served several of the items that were shown in the film.

Edomae refers to the making of sushi in the style of Edo, now known as Tokyo. Becoming a sushi chef is characterized by the long apprenticeship process that involves years of perfecting. Chef Shiro explained that there are other cities that have other styles of sushi, and Edomae sushi refers specifically to sushi created from seafood found near Edo.

The apprenticeship process requires diligence and dedication. Chef Jiro explained to the film makers that one should never complain and should dedicate oneself to mastering the skill. This belief played out in his own life, because he left home at a young age and could not go home if he felt he failed. So he made sure not to fail. He trains his apprentices and sons the same way, and the level of sushi that they prepare evidences it.

Having watched the film and observed the sushi chefs prepare the sushi samples, I don't know that I will be able to eat deli sushi or conveyor belt sushi again. Truth be told, I'd only eaten those items twice anyway, but still. The art and value of eating sushi made by highly trained chefs makes me want to reward them for their hard work.

If you haven't seen the film yet, watch it. It's very well done and explains an attitude about sushi that is both elitist and realistic. It's an enchanting film. After you've watched it, go eat at Shiro's, because you won't satisfy your sushi craving until you do!

Celebrate Mother's Day

My mom!

Mother’s Day is just around the corner and to help celebrate on Saturday, May 9th from 10am to 1pm Whole Foods Market nationwide will be hosting its ‘Mom-O-Rama’ event.

A bit more information on what this means for you and your readers – The first 50 moms to attend the event will receive a free gift bag filled with Mother’s Day goodies. Additionally, several local stores are really ramping up the celebrations with the following activities:

 

Bellevue Location

·         Mother’s Day ‘pods’ will be located throughout the store to help you really indulge. The four pods include:

o   Indulge
Moms will enjoy sweet treats, including mouthwatering chocolate and made-in-house baked goodies.

o   Comfort
Moms will be treated to a wine and cheese pairing, along with a special dish that has a takeaway “hint hint” recipe card for their family.

o   Pamper
Moms will experience some of our favorite Whole Body body care and beauty items. 

o   Just Because

Moms can get a preview of our Mother’s Day Brunch, and sample some of the tasty dishes along with a mocktail mimosa!

 

Westlake Location

·         A ‘Bites & Sips’ event with Chef Hayden and wine specialist, Terry, featuring ‘Ca del Bosco Mimosa with brunch bites and Moscato with chocolate.

 
Interbay Location

·         Need some inspiration on what to do for mom this year? Demos will be held throughout the store on gift ideas and thoughts on how to pamper your mom this May.

 
Redmond Location

·         Specialists in acupuncture, massage therapy and alternative medicine will be available for complimentary services throughout the store. If that doesn’t relax you enough, there will be a pampering station including soothing tea and mini spa experiences.

 

Feel free to check out the stores’ event calendars (hyperlinks included) for additional information on events, including select Mother’s Day brunches. If you’re also looking for some Mother’s Day brunch recipe ideas see here for some inspiration!

Coffee and Specialty Bakery - My Gluten Free Bakery Indulgence

Four years ago, when Josh and I moved here from Pueblo, CO, we had just started following the gluten free diet due to Josh's severe gluten intolerance. We walked into a neighborhood bakery (then called Wheatless in Seattle, now called Olivia Superfree) and were so excited that we could eat anything we saw! It was a surprising and freeing feeling, and over the years, we built a friendship with the owner and her family. We have been cheering on their move to becoming a wholesale bakery, but we were left without a neighborhood bakery. Until now.

Enter Coffee and A Specialty Bakery, conveniently located on the first floor of the multi-story Pike Place Market main building. It faces Western, so if you're heading to the Market from Pike Street, you need to walk past the Pike Place Fish Company (the guys who throw the fish), down the steps past the Pike Market Senior Center and Delve Kitchen to another pig sculpture, and - viola! - there sits an almost-hidden bakery that serves up pastries done in a classically French technique -- and they're all gluten free!

About two minutes into our walking into the bakery, a customer purchased practically everything from the display. Darn it! Fortunately, the bakery staff were testing a toffee bread pudding and had just pulled it out of the oven. Oh my gosh. That was the first bread pudding that Josh and I have split since 2008.  Rich, creamy caramel sauce covered springy, perfectly moist dough, which was spiked with dried fruit and nuts. It was definitely a bread pudding worth dreaming about!

Coffee and A Specialty Bakery is owned and operated by a fellow Seattle Culinary Academy graduate of the Bread and Pastry Program. The primary baker, Tonya, doesn't have to follow a gluten-free diet, but she decided to develop gluten-free versions of classical pastries as a result of the nutrition project that all graduates of the SCA programs do. She realized that really good gluten-free breads and pastries are hard to find (we in Seattle are so fortunate to have several top quality offerings), so she decided to use her training to create delicious pastries that require no sacrifice or exception to flavor or texture. I was quite skeptical when she explained her story, as I have had few laminated dough pastries that weren't oddly textured when they were gluten free. But, I am a believer!

In addition to incredible pastries costing approximately $2 to $4, Coffee and A Specialty Bakery also serve Illy coffee. It's delicious, and their exploration into some fun and creative espresso beverages is addicting. They offer both dairy and non-dairy beverage options.

Summer is coming, and the bakery is located along a high-traffic area for cruise tourists and Seattle tourists alike. I recommend you go early - and check out their Facebook posts to find out what the lunch specials are. I missed the last Bahn Mi sandwich specials, and I'm still waiting for the fried chicken lunch. Maybe you'll join me sometime?

1500 Western Ave
206-280-7946

Playing Catch-up

"Time flies when you're having fun" is a saying that would run through my head, especially when I wasn't having fun. Lately, I have to agree with the positive perspective of this adage, especially in view of recent months.

My time with Sugar Mountain/Beecher's Cheese has been flying, and I have barely had time to blog. In fact, I haven't. I've had a partially developed blog idea partnership with my friend Katy for months (actually since the MC days) and a collection of gluten free flours amassing in my cabinet for weeks. Woops. Time for some serious planning!

Part of the challenge in having time fly is that I really love my work. It's now a paid version of my play - creating delicious products to share with people. I also find that the co-workers I rely on are of really high caliber - each person from the accounting team to the sales team is someone that I want to work hard for. And yeah, I still think that even now that the honeymoon period is winding down. I'm not so star-struck that I don't recognize opportunities for improvement, gaps, or flubs (and I've had plenty of my own), but I have been impressed that the team of people in the entire company are those who generally strive for the same goal of producing and selling high quality product. It's a feeling I've lacked in a while.

But I digress.

I really have meant to keep up with writing. Even today, I cut out an article that I meant to write about. I ended up checking some work emails and responding to some customers that I hadn't had time to reach on Friday, because I was in the test kitchen strategizing my next projects. Not a shabby day, I must say. Well, I guess I'll work on the blog tomorrow instead.

Procrastination still lives.