Does bacon really make everything better? My not-so-fashionably late entrance to Gluten-Free Girl's Pie Party

Those who know me shouldn't be surprised about my tardiness. Try as I might, "prompt" is not a characteristic I'm often called. So, is it any shock that I show up late to a party, even if it's a virtual one?

Virtual party? Yes. Shauna Ahern, notably known as the Gluten-Free Girl "hosted" a virtual Pie Party so she and some of her friends could share tales of their pie-making adventures and invited everyone and anyone. I'd been looking for an excuse to practice making this special pie and this seemed to be as good as any. Unfortunately it required a particular ingredient that I didn't get until last week when Josh and Greg from my favorite Seattle food truck, Skillet Street Food, came to DC to showcase their yummy Bacon Jam -- er, Bacon Spread (thanks USDA) for the Fancy Food Show. Timing couldn't be more perfect (well, unless it were BEFORE the pie party), but at least the bake sale to benefit the DC State Fair was coming shortly.

I first came up with this recipe a couple of years ago in Seattle when my friend, Jenise, who was the Chef Event Manager for the Queen Anne Farmers Market asked me to enter their inaugural Blue Ribbon Pie Contest. The rules were simple, it had to be a fruit pie and it had to be entirely from scratch, including the crust. Eeek!

I'd never participated in such a competition before. I'd never even baked a pie. Hell, I don't even like fruit pies! Yet, I felt compelled to challenge myself -- that, and Jenise is a very persuasive friend, so I decided to make mine with bacon out of spite.

After several trials and errors, and very patient colleagues and neighbors who tasted and offered input, this is a rough guide (not a recipe) to my current iteration. If you're interested in tasting future attempts, please let me know.

Down for DC

After a month of being offline in my own private Idaho (more details in a future post), I'm thrilled to not only wake to a weekend with wireless internet, but in of all places, Washington, DC. Long-term readers may recall my love for this city, only exacerbated by my surprise trip last May ominously timed as a great birthday present, and during the weekend of the event that has topped my Bucket List, the White House Correspondent's Dinner. Even though I was not able to score a last-minute ticket seat to the event, I still had an incredible time in DC and am honored it has welcomed me back so soon.


Culinary highlights so far include a newly "discovered" weekday breakfast & lunch spot called Port of Piraeus which offers Greek food. I had to have the Delaware Destroyer, a unique take on a breakfast sandwich which included a 3-egg omelett with lettuce, tomato and pickle on a sub. I was about to grab a small fruit platter to help healthify my breakfast, but as my companion warned me, the sandwich was about the size of my arm. And, I must admit, much tastier. The only thing missing was some scrapple or better yet, some Spam. My savior ordered the Miami Hammy which was a toasted bagel with ham, cream cheese, and sweet pepper strips. I have to say that bagels will no longer be the same again. I can forgo the ham, but sweet pepper strips are now mandatory for my bagels and cream cheese. And I am so excited to learn that their daily special on Thursday will be Pastitsio. I am SO there next week!

Thursdays also mean Penn Quarter Farmers Market, and this week's did not disappoint. Now that things are coming into season, there was a plethora of yumminess. Food writer, Monica Bhide, was there promoting her latest book, Modern Spice, and offering tasty samples of her roasted beet salad and yogurt dressing. And I was thrilled to find white and yellow peaches make their season premier. It's their first weekend and although the white peaches still needed a touch of ripening, I can't wait to grill them this afternoon at a friend's barbeque and drizzle them with the raw honey I also purchased at the market.


Afterwards, I took the Metro to Alexandria, VA and met with a couple of friends at La Tasca for a quick drink. I couldn't help but notice some beautiful jars of liquid yumminess at the bar that turned out to be sangria. You didn't have to blink to hear me quickly order a pitcher. Our only debate was the red, white or rose. We chose the rose which included beautifully marinated blueberries, what an appropriate way to kick-start the 4th of July weekend. I could have drowned in a happy death drinking that entire pitcher, but alas I had another stop that evening.


I had the honor of dining with a lovely couple I will refer to as the JWs at Restaurant Eve in Alexandria, VA. We met last May at Minibar and their glowing recommendations about this restaurant left me intrigued. Upon walking in, the place did not disappoint. In fact, I even remember being curious about this place when I had shopped at the consignment store next door when I was here last May. Perhaps it was meant to be and I am so grateful. We started with small and powerful Maryland Blue Crabcakes surrounded by a tangy slaw that enhanced their flavor. I'm grateful we ordered a second plate because they were so good. Our entrees included the two specials, hanger steak and king salmon from the Quiet River in Washington state. I've never heard of the Quiet River, but I'll have to find it because the salmon was so good. I ordered the pork belly (shock) which was artfully braised and confit'ed. One of the (many) things I really enjoy about dining with the JWs is together, we are not shy about ordering each of our own desserts. My friends back west and I are notorious for sharing one dessert (usually due to my insistence) and then leaving just that little tiny last bite to help alleviate their semblance of guilt for indulging. Oh heck no, not last night. We got the creme brulee, tart, and "Butterfinger" style napoleon with 2 of my favorite flavors, dark chocolate and peanut butter. Happy endings indeed!

Ah, My Beloved Ballard - Sunday Farmers Market

(A weekly progress)

I've been back in Ballard almost 3 months now and I am even more enamoured with the Seattle neighborhood as ever. And what's better is it's not even yet summer yet when everyone unsheds their winter coats, music fills the streets, and children dance around (and through) the water fountains at the park by the library.

One of the first things I looked forward to most was the year-round Sunday Farmers Market. Not only is it an opportunity to taste culinary creations from Mother Earth and innovative cooks, it's a great way to socialize. I've been blessed with running into friends old and new, and have found myself developing a bit of a ritual on how I spend my Sundays lately. Or at least like to.

It starts with setting up my victim -- er, my date -- for the day. One was a friend who was taking a rare Sunday off from her practice to celebrate her birthday, one was a client while we made it a walk-and-talk-and-taste session, and others have been dear friends that have been curious about learning about the neighborhood I love so much and this quintissential event that helps make this my foodie paradise. That, or it's the only time we happen to both be available. Or, sometimes, I just go on my own.

We meet for coffee (not too early) at Nervous Nellie's, a great cafe that is ideally located practically rolling distance from my bed. Depending on how awake we are, we may even sit down and chat while the caffeine courses through our veins. They use Lighthouse Coffee, a nearby roaster that I find makes the best coffee next to my beloved Peet's. If we're super-hungry already, Nervous Nellie's is known for their Swedish-style toast. My favorite combination is the butter, jam and cheese, but if you're really adventurous, go for the tracitional hard-boiled egg and caviar. Swedish caviar isn't the straight-up fish eggs that one would be used to, but is smashed and smoked and then comes out of a tube. Since I am such a lover of taramasolata (Greek style caviar), I was hoping it might be similar. It wasn't. Again, I stress that this might appeal to you if you are adventurous. But this does remind me, I should add taramasolata to my Last Supper Buffet, especially the one from Kokkari in San Francisco. And their vegetarian pastitsio while I'm at it.

Back to Ballard. Off we walk, west on Market and then down south on some random street to hit the Farmers Market. If we want something eggy for breakfast, we may go down 20th Ave. and stop in at GreenGo Food for their organic, locally made breakfast sandwiches. Otherwise, it's easy enough to walk around the market and eat our way around. While the samples from the vendors tend to be generous, I do need more food for the day. If I want to eat healthy, I get Patty Pan Grill's side of veggies with lots of Zane & Zack's honey chipotle hot sauce on top. If I want pizza, Veraci is there with it's wood burning oven (yes, the oven is there, too). And there are innumberable storefronts to get my nosh on, too.

Aside from the food stuff, there are great stalls and storefronts to pop into, handmade jewelry, books, Asian decor, herbs, etc. But usually after a round or two around the market and a hearty brunch, it's off to home to unload my bags and cook up or better yet, take a nap.

Sundays in the Market w/ Daphne

Now that I'm back in Ballard, I look forward to spending Sundays, after my pundit shows, at the Ballard Sunday Farmers Market. Today, I was lucky enough to spend it with a dear friend who normally works on Sundays as a nutritionist near University Village, and it was a very special day -- her birthday -- and I'm so touched she decided to spend it with me. We got to browse and taste through some wonderful vendors who make my weekly trips so worthwhile.


One of my favorite stops every week, Taylor Shellfish. This week,
looks like Bill's got geoduck. Sigh, if only I knew how to cook it.



As always, a long line for Veraci Pizza.
It's amazing to me that they bring their stone oven with them every week

Artisan-made bowls for the Empty Bowls Fundraiser to benefit the Ballard Food Bank

Of course a nutritionist would be looking at the fresh produce

Tasting some seasoned nuts

Yes, this guy gives architectural advice for 5 cents.

A great way to spend an afternoon, tasting wines at Portalis