Eat | Drink | Breathe - Page 42 of 62 - Recipes and Reflections from the Westcoast.

Spring Beauty

May 15, 2014May 15, 2014 Shawn 4 Comments

Spring Beauty 1 It’s May and the green belt behind our house is just that. Green! A chlorophyll wonderland of shimmering leaves, budding tree branches and ferns studded with tiny little purple flowers that I can’t identify but look so freakin cute! Viewed from my kitchen window the scene overwhelms the senses. So much is growing and moving. So much is green! My eyes focus and unfocus wildly, trying hopelessly to impose some order on all this chaos, this emerald leviathan, this explosion of life.

And the edibles! Dandelions, fiddleheads, salmonberry shoots, nettles and everything else I’ve been gushing about for the last three or four posts. It’s a forager’s paradise! And now, I can add Miner’s Lettuce (aka: Indian Lettuce, Winter Purslane and Spring Beauty) to my growing list of spring pickings. Read More

Adios Amigos!

May 12, 2014May 12, 2014 Shawn Leave a comment

Goodbye Wasabiya Working in a restaurant isn’t like working anywhere else. The heat, sweat, furious speed, constant pressure and never-ending workload can really take a toll on the human body and mind. It’s an environment that makes people crazy. I’ve witnessed this first hand over many years stalking this dimly-lit wasteland of sauté pans, cigarette butts, swear words and thousand-yard-stares… And maybe I’ve been a bit damaged in the process as well…. Maybe I’m just being really melodramatic.

The people who subject themselves to this, who willingly march into the meat grinder are an interesting breed. They come from every background, every culture and every level of psychological/emotional stability you can imagine. They are amazing people, my people. Read More

J. R. R. Tolkien Quote

April 20, 2014April 20, 2014 Shawn Leave a comment

If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.

-J. R. R. Tolkien

Stinging Nettle Goma-ae

April 20, 2014April 20, 2014 Shawn 5 Comments

Nettle Gomaae 1 It’s that time of year again! The nettles are back! Grab some gloves and a bag (make sure to brush up on nettle safety here) and get picking! I was able to fill half a plastic bag full of nettle tops in a couple of minutes, the perfect amount for a light lunch. Read More

Dandelion Omelette with Spring Herbs and Smoked Asiago

April 12, 2014April 12, 2014 Shawn Leave a comment

Dandelion Omelette 1 For some reason, every time I make an omelette I think of Neil Gaimen’s Sandman comic. There is this scene where Morpheus (the titular character) is asked what he wants to eat. He responds: “An omelette, a light salad and a glass of white wine…”

This, to me is the essence of brunch: A couple eggs, something green and restorative and a bit of the ‘ol hair of the dog. The perfect thing for that weird, still-dazed, what the hell am I doing with my day? feeling that comes from waking late and piecing together the night before. Food’s got to be nourishing, light and easy… With bite. Read More