Archives for category: Food & Drink
In a recent blog, we shared about German beers being hard to find in Grays Harbor County.
Just back now from a road trip to Kitsap County. Happy to report that a good selection of German beers are available at the Silverdale, WA BevMo! store. Friendly staff too!
Dining out report:
We enjoyed dining out before COVID and have had mixed experiences since restrictions were lifted.
Happy to report that we found a nice Thai restaurant on our trip.
Quiet, uncrowded, nice atmosphere, attentive/good service and really enjoyed the food. We would try to dine out more if this was the sort of experience we could expect.
10404 Silverdale Way NW.
Ste#E-102
Silverdale, WA 98383
Back home.
Image above: Brine is complete. Out of the fridge, rinse, pat dry and leave out while doing grill prep.
Image above: After four hours on very low fire/coals with apple wood for smoke.
Notes: Used traditional Weber kettle with no temp gauge. Did not use temp gauge for fish.
Areas to improve: Turned out salty. Use less salt next time? Leave in fridge to brine for a shorter period next time?
Forgot to turn fish during smoking, color on bottom does not match top.
Areas that went well: Was able to keep fire/coals very low and smokey. I could touch the metal pan with a bare hand as I was bringing it in from the grill.
No stick spray worked well to prevent any sticking on foil.
Some would recommend various smokers to purchase and make this an easier job with less variables to watch over. I am looking for the satisfaction of trying to learn the ways with minimal gear. I lack storage space for more appliances. Some people have a very nice can opener on the kitchen counter. I have always been good with this:
Here are three videos I liked. The salt ratio recommendation does not match up. I went with the more salt method. Next time I will go with the less salt method and maybe less brine time in the fridge.
Less salt: 1 cup brown sugar with 1/4 cup kosher salt. Brine for 4-8 hours.
More salt: 1 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup kosher salt. Brine overnight.
7:07
How long to brine:
I have lived in 4 Washington State counties over the past 20 years: Kitsap, Jefferson, Island, and Grays Harbor.
Grays Harbor has the most limited selection of beers. German beers are always the most difficult to find, but I have not seen them at all in Grays Harbor County. Ditto for Tsingtao beer. All of the above were purchased in Kitsap County this week. Recently, I have not been able to find Heineken in Grays Harbor County.
This update provided as a public service from Oak Bay Starfish.
The best beer is the one you enjoy the most.
Possibly of interest:
Green/Clear Beer Bottle Myths?
A small pork roast, headed for soft pork tacos.
A little honey added towards the end of grilling the pineapple.
Another try, this time without the skewers, as they did not hold up.
Two images above:
Crescent Beach is a nice spot for camping, about 12 miles west of Port Angeles.
Family lantern from the 1970s
Food prep and storage for a group. Thinking this was at Fort Flagler.
Driftwood fetish
A light lunch at Fort Worden
A lonely night at Falls View
With Willie at Salt Creek
Same trip?
The view at Salt Creek
Be prepared
Fort Flagler
Views near our campsite – Kilisut Harbor side of Fort Flagler
Day is done.
Looking over the beach towards Port Townsend.
Upper campground area closer to Marrowstone Point at Fort Flagler
Shannon brought steaks:
Old dock at Fort Flagler
Sometimes wet – Kalaloch area
Sometimes dry – Ocean Shores
Our buyers inspect and select only the leanest cuts of meat for the grill – Seal Rock
If the plane crashes and the search party does not arrive for 3 or 4 days, you may be tempted to eat this:
Moran State Park with Mike & Sherry
Turkey on the Weber at Moran State Park:
Camping at Fort Flagler in 2000.
Possibly related:
400,000 Mile Club – Trivia Report
Just a light breakfast for me, please.
Fried Oysters at Seal Rock
Back Home
In the Oven – tater tot casserole
Pie Iron
Dessert Too
On the grill
Can of hash
Homemade tortilla chips and two kinds of homemade hummus.
Recipes for several excellent versions and varieties are available to try.
The recipe I saved is for the Black Bean Hummus.
You can find it here.
This has become a favorite over the years.
Heavy on the garlic and lime juice. Drain the beans and save the liquid to mix in if what you have is too thick.
Old photos here from the Port Hadlock days. Several good clamming beaches were close by.
I did not save, or have lost the recipe. There must be several excellent versions available to try.
These guys put together a good video on how to cook and clean the clams:
16:43
We have had a tradition over the years, where we invite people over and cook a turkey a week or more before Thanksgiving. People may be more available this way, because they can visit with us, but still get to their own family gatherings on Thanksgiving Day. Picking an off day/week also allows for less crowded stores, roads, ferry and air terminals, etc.
We were on the road to visit family last week. Today, it’s just the two of us and a decent weather day in our area. A turkey on the weber is a family tradition. We are always happy with the finished product.
Along for the afternoon: Classic Deep Cuts
Several years ago, we lost a chunk of a plum tree. Much of this was set aside for a future BBQ project.
Today was the day to use this aged wood for smoking on the grill.
Pork steak can be sliced/cubed and used for tacos or added to stir-fried asian noodles.
This is the plan for tonight.
Along for the afternoon: Classic Deep Cuts
B.I.L. rolled up after spending the winter in Yuma.
Feels like a sunny & wintry day on Whidbey.
Pork & chicken with apple wood smoke on the grill.
A decent IPA:
Less ABV:
It’s been a good week around here.
Photo above:
Working to support local recycling efforts.
This was me 15 years ago. Maybe more quantity, less quality.
Today, my two favorite styles are NW or West Coast IPA and German Pilsner.
German beer is hard to find at the grocery store where I live.
Two lessons that we at Oak Bay Starfish cling to:
Maybe the best beers require the least advertising.
The best beer is the one you enjoy most.
It’s Thanksgiving today.
Over here, we are going with:
I’d have this guy over any time, to help me get it right:
Along for the afternoon: Classic Deep Cuts
Years ago, we did some sprouting at home. We got away from it as other projects came along.
Thinking about growing some sunflowers this year, and came across this really nice video:
We are ready to get back at it.
In the past, we tried alfalfa, clover, & lentils.
Alfalfa at top of page and below:
Whidbey Island has been blasted by wind & rain storms in recent days. The Keystone ferry route has been shut down due to high winds off & on.
We’ll take a winter short cut on the BBQ. We are headed towards soft pork tacos.
We’ll start start the Weber using the chimney method. Make a not too big pile of coals and place them all the way over to one side. Add a pork roast as far away from the coals as possible. We place a good handful or two of apple wood chips over the coals and cover with vents open for a good 45 mins. Maybe longer.
We don’t want to be tending the BBQ in bad weather, or running late with cooking on Sunday. After the roast has had time to take on the smoke flavor, we are done with the BBQ. We are not working outside to cook the pork roast, only to give it a smoke flavor.
After 45 mins to an hour, we bring the roast in and place it in a crock pot.
Add onions, jalapeños & spices to your taste. Set the crock pot to low and let it go overnight. The apple wood smoke flavor will fill the house & we don’t care anymore about winter storms outside.
Enjoy a beer and some cozy time inside.
The bend test
These guys know how to take care of business:
Southern Comfort & Tonic with Lemon
Enjoyed working on an October afternoon project.
Thanks for the apples Carl.
Along for the day: Classic Deep Cuts