Theo chocolate factory

Today Dom and I went for a walk on the Burke-Gillman trail from the Cold Stone in Fremont well into Ballard and back. On our walk we stumbled upon the most awesome thing that I've experienced in awhile: a chocolate factory. At first we just saw the sign for a chocolate shop, and of course we had to go in. What we didn't expect was that they would offer free samples of every kind of chocolate bar.

Theo Chocolate is also the only certified fair trade and organic chocolate factory in the United States. This means their chocolate is more expensive ($3-$5 per bar), but it's definitely worth it. My favorite flavor was chai milk chocolate, but the dark chocolate chili was also delicious. There had been some cancellations on the factory tour, so we got to tour the factory for $6 each, which also meant more free chocolate, including a free confection.

By the time we left, we probably ate enough chocolate to cancel out anything we might have gained from our three-mile walk. But oh, it was worth it. We came home with chocolate bars for ourselves and Dom's family, as well as a box of confections:

On the left is a chili pepper-caramel, then peanut butter and jelly (which really did taste like a bite of pb&j - you almost couldn't taste the chocolate!), then Earl Grey (yummmm) and Scotch. We are definitely looking forward to going back enough times to sample all of the confections... but we're going to try to limit ourselves to once a month.

A Mexican food-inspired week

This week was all about Mexican food, which is probably my favorite kind. I could eat it every day, and indeed, this week I did. This first meal was inspired by a similar entree at Red Robin.

Dish 1: pico de gallo grilled chicken breast

First off, I made fresh pico de gallo. It was the first time I've ever made salsa, and everything was to taste. Here's a rough recipe:

• 2 off-the-vine tomatoes, chopped
• 1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped
• 1 red pepper, chopped
• lime juice from 1 lime
• cilantro to taste

Mix everything together and enjoy!

After that was done I sprinkled two chicken breasts with chili powder and cumin and grilled them on my George Foreman grill, which literally takes about five minutes. I cooked a box of Spanish rice as a side dish, and served the chicken breast with pico de gallo over the top, crushed tortilla chips, and extra lime juice.


Dish 2: beef taco salad

My mom has a friend who raises cows, and every year she buys part of a cow from her. The beef we get is the most delicious I've ever had. This year my mom gave me some ground beef, which I used to make taco salad, and then had in tacos for the next couple of nights.

I cooked the ground beef with half an onion and liberal amounts of chili powder and cumin. When it was done I dished it out on top of a bed of lettuce and added crushed tortilla chips, shredded Monterrey jack cheese, and leftover salsa. I also had leftover Spanish rice.

St. Patrick's Day

This is the first year I've done anything special for St. Patrick's Day. I made the traditional corned beef and soda bread.

The corned beef was a 4lb brisket from Fred Meyer. It barely fit into my crockpot. I cooked it for nine hours with two potatoes, several carrots, and an onion. Most of the pot was filled with Guinness, and I topped it off with water. The meat was delicious and tender, but for some reason the potatoes and onions never fully cooked - I have no idea why.

I got the soda bread recipe from Allrecipes, as usual, and it was amazing. I have to make it again.

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons white sugar
• 1/2 cup butter, cut into pieces
• 1 cup raisins
• 1/2 cup cranberries
• 3/4 cup milk
• 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease 2 baking sheets.
2. Stir together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and sugar in a large bowl until evenly blended. Cut in the butter using a pastry blender or your hands until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Stir in the raisins and cranberries, then make a well in the center and pour in the milk and vinegar. Stir with a spoon until the dry ingredients are moistened.
3. Turn the dough out onto a well floured work surface, and knead gently 8 to 10 times. Divide the dough into two balls, and place onto the prepared baking sheets.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 375 degrees F, and bake until the top of the bread is golden brown, about 15 minutes more.

Happy St. Paddy's Day!

Meat Pie

Several weeks ago now, when the weather was typically Seattle dreary, I decided a warm hearty dinner would be just the thing. I made a meat pie for the first time ever, and it was delicious. I definitely have to make them more often. I even made the pie crust from scratch! I found the recipes for the pie crust and the pie online, and I made some changes to the pie recipe. Next time I make it I'll use three potatoes instead of two.

All-butter pie crust

• 2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp granulated sugar
• 1 cup cold unsalted butter
• 3 to 6 T ice water

Combine flour, salt and water in a medium bowl. I found that it worked best to grate the butter into the bowl with my cheese crater and turn until combined. Sprinkle 6 T of ice water over the mixture and, using a rubber spatula, fold to mix. [Note: I could not get it to mix well enough this way, and ended up having to knead it with my hands to get it to come together]

Flour your hands and rolling pin generously. Divide the dough into two balls and flatten each into a 4-inch disk. Wrap both separately in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour before rolling.

This crust was extremely rich and delicious, and though it cracked at the edges when I rolled it out, I was still able to fit it into my 9'' pie pan.

Savory Meat Pie

Ingredients

• 2 medium potatoes, peeled and quartered
• 1/4 lb ground beef
• 1 chicken breast
  
• 3/4 cup sliced green onions
• 1 large carrot, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon rubbed sage
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon celery salt
• Pinch ground cinnamon
• 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
• 1/4 cup chili sauce
• 1 Pastry for double-crust pie (9 inches)
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon milk

Directions

1. In a saucepan, cook potatoes in boiling water until tender; mash and set aside. Meanwhile, in a skillet, brown the beef; drain. Stir in the next nine ingredients. Simmer for 4-5 minutes. Stir in potatoes, parsley and chili sauce; remove from the heat. Place bottom pastry in a 9-in. pie plate; brush with mustard. Add the meat mixture. Top with remaining pastry; seal and flute edges. Cut slits in the top crust. Brush with milk. Bake at 450 degrees F for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees F. Bake 25 minutes longer or until golden brown.