Lion's Mane Mushrooms

I was browsing around the University District Farmer’s Market and stumbled across these giant, white mushrooms at the Sno-Valley Mushroom stand. When I saw these white, hairy things, I really didn’t know what to think of them - these are mushrooms? I had to try it.

The guy at the stand explained that the mushrooms are a great substitute for seafood because they have similar flavors and textures. He recommended the following simple preparation:

1. Heat up pan with butter.
2. Cut Lion’s Mane mushrooms into slices.
3. Once pan is hot, gently cook the mushrooms until its moisture is evaporated.
4. Add salt and pepper to taste, then serve.

Mushrooms in general are pretty simple to prepare. Of course, you can dress the recipe up, but I wanted to taste the natural flavors of the mushroom since I was trying it for the first time.

Like the man said, it had a seafood flavor, and the texture tasted quite different from a typical button mushroom. Tasted kind of like crab. I did end up eating it with some stone ground mustard (which was a surprisingly delicious combination) because the mushroom had a slight bitterness to it.

If you ever shop at the University District Farmer’s Market, please check out these mushrooms. Sno-Valley Mushrooms even has a “Grow Your Own” mushroom kit that sits on your kitchen counter! Seems pretty fantastical to me!

Herb Troubles

I always wanted to grow my own herb garden, but never did because a. I didn’t have space, and b. I simply did not know how. Last summer, I bought my first basil plant from Trader Joe’s and realized how great of an investment fresh herbs are! For $4, I had fresh basil for months!

Since then, I bought dill, rosemary, and chives. Unfortunately, I lost my chives to a scale infestation, womp womp; I had to learn to fight off the aphids killing my rosemary (was successful); I bought self-watering pots because I was concerned I would overwater… you should ask Jonathan how much I worry about my herbs, it’s kind of funny/ridiculous.

I would characterize myself as a person with a “black thumb”, but I am proud to say that I am gradually learning how to nurture these babies. It’s difficult growing plants indoors, especially in Seattle. And after seeing my dill flower with pollen and grow as tall as it has, I’m beginning to feel a little more confident. Perhaps one day, my thumb will turn green!

A la Mode Pie Classes: All-you-can-eat pie and one to take home!

Star-Spangled Sour Cherry, Blue Hawaiian, and Strawberry Rhubarb Pie @ A la Mode Pies in Phinney Ridge - Seattle, WA

I attended one of Chris’ pie-making classes at his pie shop for a work function (you can find more on classes here) and made my own Marionberry & Hazelnut pie! Got to take the whole pie home, eat it all on my own, share it, freeze it, and finish it. It was awesome!

Those Portlandia brunch folks would be so jealous… Marionberry pie > Marionberry pancakes any day. :)

Taylor Shellfish: Eating Gonads?!

Seafood is one of Seattle’s highlights: fresh-shucked oysters, fresh-caught salmon, Alaskan king crab… You know those overly-curious diners who want to know everything about their food and where it comes from? This is how the conversation would go down:

"Where do you source your seafood from?"

"Just caught it 20 minutes ago in the ocean."

Yah, it’s that tastily fresh.

Then you have the amazing restaurants and food establishments that make it available to all of us. Enter Taylor Shellfish, one of my new favorite raw bars.

Taylor Shellfish Melrose Market Store in Capitol Hill started as a simple store that sold seafood. The staff got bored of selling shellfish all day, so they decided to turn it into an inviting space to interact with their customers through fresh dining options and lively demos. I had the privilege of meeting Tommy, one of the owners, and he said that none of them had a business background, a plan, or any idea how it would turn out. But everything turned out for the best and they have never looked back since.

Usually, it’s pretty jam-packed, but I was lucky to drop in on a slower day and have a more intimate experience with my food…

Geoduck gonads. Oh yes, we were that intimate.

For those of you who have never heard of geoduck (pronounced “gooey-duck”), it is one of the largest clams in the world native to the Pacific Northwest. If you have never eaten it before, I apologize for ruining your appetite with these photos - it’s definitely not for the fainthearted, but I swear, it tastes much better than it looks. It’s an Asian delicacy, so I’ve grown up eating it from time to time, but I’ve never had to actually prepare it… until I got the complete 411 from Tommy:

Step 1

Boil a huge pot of water and prepare an ice bath.

Step 2

Once water is boiling, drop the whole geoduck into the water and boil for 3 complete Mississippi counts.

Step 3

Remove from boiling water and dunk in ice bath.

Step 4

Remove the outer skin of the siphon (phallus-like looking part) by pulling…

and some more stretching…

…and wallah! It is off!

Step 5

Remove shell by cracking it apart.

Step 6

And now you are ready to slice and dice!

Typically, the siphon area is used for geoduck sashimi (most common way of eating it) and everything else is discarded. But Tommy is resourceful and uses a few other parts in a Geoduck Chowder recipe sold at the store. And then of course, he offers those adventurous enough to try the gonads!

My impression…

I thought the gonads were delicious! Tasted like a seafood version of foie gras, if you can imagine it. Creamy and slightly salty. That’s as far as I am going to go…

Then I got to eat something called the “Crystalline Rod” - beats me on what the heck it is. Tommy didn’t know either. Tasted like a salty spaghetti noodle, but instead, it was in the geoduck.

In addition to the geoduck, Jonathan and I ordered fresh oysters shucked right in front of us and the geoduck chowder. Everything was super delicious and Tommy was awesome. Extremely friendly, welcoming, and taught me so much!

They do live demos from time to time, so definitely drop by and grab some fresh oysters if you are around. They also have a hot Happy Hour deal, so bring your friends and come explore. I’m sure you won’t be disappointed!

Gonads only in Seattle. Oh, how you never cease to amaze me…

Revel Restaurant: A Must Eat in Seattle

Revel in Fremont, Seattle is one of my new favorite places. I love how clearly Korean it is, but with Contemporary elements like pickled raisins. Rachel Yang and Seif Chirchi (husband-wife chef duo) do a great job incorporating their strengths (and I’m sure preferences, too) on the menu. Am a huge fan, and would highly recommend!

And while you wait, Quoin next door does great cocktails. (I ordered the Lazy Gardener - cucumber infused gin, mint, and Rachel’s ginger beer [local brew] - absolutely delightful!) If you truly cannot be patient, Revel’s full menu service is also available there.