A few weeks ago I got an urge to look up French cafes in downtown Seattle. I found out about Entre Nous on Steward Street, and was intrigued to find reviews that mentioned good prices, old movies that play on the ceiling, and an unpretentious vibe. I also saw a cheese fondue for 2 listed on their online menu at $22, so I figured it would be the staple of a not-so-expensive evening out.

After work one night Mike and I ventured over, and attacked the fondue with ripped pieces of baguette. It was rich, flavorful, and perfect. However, after about 20 minutes of this dreamy blend, I was left with a desire for something slightly acidic and fresh after all that cheesy goodness. I ordered their salad, a mix of various tiny veggies with shredded spinach that looked deceptively simple. I was surprised at how well the flavors blended for this salad. It’s refreshing, salty, and sweet, and rich all together.

* Salad Confetti * (adapted from salad at Entre Nous):

1) Dice the following:

- Red bell pepper

- Fennel

- Red onion

- Semi-soft white cheese (I used havarti)

2) Create a balsamic vinaigrette. I’m usually not fussy with proportions when I make dressing because I keep adjusting the flavors as I add them. The base of my dressing was balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, dijon mustard, some olive oil, salt and pepper.

3) Gently toss the vegetable mixture with dressing and either baby spinach or mixed greens.

The Breakfast Special at Le Fournil

Last Saturday before the movers came, I walked down the street for the last time to Le Fournil, the local bakery and patisserie that was a weekend habit for the past year. It’s not often that I repeatedly order the same thing off the menu, but ham, cheese, and egg on a perfect croissant is possibly the perfect breakfast. This is especially true when paired with a mocha strong enough to fuel a number of 2 hour walks around Lake Union.

I had a memorable time living in Eastlake. I loved watching the sea planes take off every few minutes during our first May in Seattle, against a backdrop of unseasonably blue skies and the rusting towers of Gasworks Park. We never felt like we lived right next to a highway, even though it was only a block away. The local coffee shop had great coffee and food, but was unfortunately furnished with chairs reminiscent of old shopping carts. The Zoo Tavern even had a dull knife in the back, lying conspicuously on a table, waiting for the next young bar-goer to either angrily chip away or feverishly carve into one of the old tables.

Now I’ll be living a just a mile north, but the main reason I’ll go out of my way is for my favorite French spot. Besides, where else can you have brunch for two for $10? Denny’s? Oh man, that comparison makes me shudder.

I’m very excited that I’m ready to cook again. I started off this having-a-kid metamorphosis 4 months ago with a bedtime of 8 pm almost every night for 3 months, which put all thoughts of cooking at home into the realm of dreams. Now that things are evening out, I’m happy that both my appetite and energy has returned in almost full force.

I took the photo above last summer after going to the University District farmer’s market. Just coming into contact with fresh ingredients gets me inspired to try new recipes and find others that feel just as excited about gardens, farms, and good produce.

So then, back to basics – what is my cooking style? Some people are born into a family with a great cooking tradition, where secrets are passed down for generations and the table is filled every holiday with friends and family from across the land. Other families – like mine – are a bit more kiss and tell about new experiments in the kitchen. My mother’s home cooking was regularly interlaced with prepackaged frozen foods and chips, and my Dad still follows his hunter-gatherer instincts by bringing desserts at the local stores home for anyone who will share with him.

In college and immediately afterwards, I experimented.

.. with food.

Those experiments were originally all vegetarian, a diet and lifestyle I still have a lot of respect for but that I’ve since moved away from. Now I’m more interested in eating locally, using good ingredients, and most of all cooking with love.

So while I’m in the midst of figuring out my goals, my food lusts currently swirl between pad thai, samosas, vegetarian nutburgers and heaps of pasta.

As my sister would say, Samosa Hugs!

Cardamom is a spice that makes me think of Jersey City in the winter. There is a falafel place on Grove Street called Ibby’s, and there I had my first amazing baba ganoush, hummus, and Middle-Eastern style tea. The tea occasionally had a cardamom pod floating on the top, and its earthy, velvety scent would linger in my head while the sharp winds from the Hudson River cut past my layers of wool and cotton on the way to the PATH.

Tonight is a cold night in Seattle, unequal to the full-body shudder of a New Jersey night in the ‘teens but still uncomfortable. I’m not sure what possessed me to want ice cream, but I think it may have involved the delicious caloric glory of halibut-n-chips from Ivar’s. (Keep clam! Does the joke ever get old?)

Upon arriving at Molly Moon’s in Wallingford, there was a small crowd inside. It wasn’t very late yet and the smell of waffles was in the air. The flavors of the moment up on a blackboard were a combination of comforting and exotic choices. I decided to have a taste of the cardamom ice cream as soon as I saw it, and I was riveted to my spoon as my thoughts froze in time. Then, in an instant, I decided that the one small tasting was perfect, and freed from my curiousity I moved on to a sundae. “Gigante Elegante” was my pick, a small scoop of chocolate ice cream topped with vanilla bean caramel, whipped cream, and a dash of cinnamon.

Mike had no delusions of subtlety with the flavor he picked – “Birthday Cake”. You can see the sugar rushing to his brain in this photo:

While driving around with Mike one rainy night, we kept passing the darkened windows of coffee shops. Where are the night owls to go? Here’s a list I came up with – please comment if you know of others!

The main criteria here is a closing time of 10pm or later. These guys are listed in order of lateness.

2am : Café Presse – Capitol Hill | 1117 12th Avenue Seattle, WA 98122

1am : Bauhaus – Capitol Hill | 301 E Pine Street Seattle, WA 98122

1am : Barnes & Noble – U District | University Village SC 2675 NE University Village Street Seattle, WA 98105

12am : Trabant Cafe – U District | 1309 NE 45th St, Seattle, WA 98105

11pm : Caffé Vita – Capitol Hill | 5028 Wilson Avenue South, Seattle, Washington 98118

11pm: Cafe Ladro – Fremont | 452 N 36th St.