Just 5 More Minutes

A Story about Buck Bay Shellfish Farm and a Clam Soup

Buck Bay Shellfish Farm, Orcas Farms, Orcas Island, San Juan Islands 7 Responses »

Jul 192012

“Monica, you should visit Toni out at Buck Bay Shellfish in Olga. You can pull live oysters, clams, local dungeness crab and island salmon straight from her tanks and coolers and if you wish, shuck them right there while looking out over the bay from where they came.” suggested my friend Jon Kobayashi, General Manager for The Outlook Inn and New Leaf Cafe.

I would like to say, I am very happy that he did because here at Buck Bay Shellfish Farm I had a life changing moment. You see, I would have never considered myself one to seek out oysters but rather “tolerate” them when the opportunity to experience them presented itself.

But now, things are different for me. I am obsessed with them. You can ask hubby. It’s a problem.

When we made our visit to Buck Bay Shellfish farm here on Orcas Island the concept that my mother taught me when I was little about cooking and keeping things simple and fresh, well, that concept rang very true here. Oysters pulled straight out of the clear blue waters of the Salish Sea arrived on my plate and only with a squeeze of lime. That is it.

Simplicity at its best.

In addition to steaming Buck Bay’s clams on the beach over an open fire, I also made a very delicious non fussy soup (I used my immersion blender). Once the soup was finished I took a medium sized sauce pan and added 1 tablespoon of butter over medium high heat and let it melt upon which time I tossed in one pound of clams with a sprinkling of garlic powder, covered the lid and in less than two minutes they were open. I then poured the clams and all of the wonderful juices into the soup. This was amazingly easy and very flavorful. The orange you see garnishing the soup is chili oil. If you don’t know about chili oil, it is very (very) hot.

There are Al and Mark digging for clams :) Mark is third generation here at Buck Bay and with Toni runs the farm. Here he is showing me a huge bucket full of fresh clams! From this bucket came my clams for the soup as well as the clams I used for dinner on the beach. Al is a great guy who really made me laugh :) He’s been helping Mark and Toni harvest shellfish for quite some time. He has lived in many different places but has settled on Orcas Island because, “It just felt right being here.”

That is a feeling I have come to know very well :)

Here is Toni and in the bottom left photo she is holding her prized possessions that I am finding very hard to live without. Farm fresh, organic hen eggs and duck eggs as well. In addition to your seafood you can pick up these beautiful eggs!! If you haven’t had the pleasure of enjoying a duck egg, Doe Bay Cafe on island does an amazing Duck Egg Poached in Olive Oil (scroll down for the picture in the link) atop Cheesy Grits for breakfast. It is to die for!!

Roasted spring garlic from the Orcas Island Farmer’s Market spread on toasted multi-grain bread and topped with cherry tomatoes. I should say not to forget your crunchy and flaky sea salt :) Those little black seeds are basil seeds. I love them. When they touch anything wet they form a membrane around themselves and they become interesting to chew on.

Baby clams :) So cute, wouldn’t you agree? Did you know it takes up to two to three years for these little babies to become full grown? Even then, it may take longer. These little babies arrive much smaller than this and they are called clam seeds. They are then buried in the muddy sand when the tide is out and the top of the clam bed is then covered with a long sheet of flexible netting. The netting helps keep all of the hungry seagulls and other wildlife away from them keeping them safe.

~ Mark securing the netting which covers the clam beds

Here a piece of wood from a harvested clam bed is being removed. The wood served its purpose as a barrier so the clams would not be able to escape by digging deep. Mark told me that once he put a handful of baby clams down on the muddy sand, walked away for a split second and when he returned, they were all gone!! Deep down in the thick muddy sand they went quickly burring themselves. “They are very, very fast Monica!” he told me as he laughed.

Become a master oyster shucker – Toni will teach you how :)

Thank you for the memories Buck Bay Shellfish Farm :) xoxo

{Throwback Thursday} ★ From Oregon’s High Desert to the Sea ★

Oregon Destinations 2 Responses »

May 092013

Last year, this time we were returning from Oregon’s high desert making a stop along its majestic coastline on this beach called Tierra Del Mar. It is a trip that is still very vivid in our minds . . .

Airstream on the Beach

When you spend time in Oregon you begin to realize just how incredible it really is here in all that it has to offer. Dramatic coastlines, high deserts, state parks galore and so much more.

A couple more places to visit were on our agenda and then our trip would come to a close. On this day we stopped at one of our favorite places to be with our Airstream.

Right next to the sea.

Hubby and B started exploring and I started preparing lunch for us.

Crispy purple potato cakes with salty gravlax and a farm fresh poached egg. There were crunchy beet chips too. Oh and some wild salmon caviar I should not forget.

Here is my recipe for crispy purple potato cakes if you are interested and the recipe for my beet chips here, with once exception — these I made on the beach were fried not baked as the recipe called for.

B, Oregon Coast

Airstream on the beach

Preparing lunch in my silver kitchen at the beach + being with my family = HAPPINESS

Airstream on the Beach

Around and around went B riding his bicycle, all over the beach.

“Mommy! Watch how fast I can go!”

. . . and he did. He rode his bicycle so fast!

He was so happy and well, so was I.

Airstream on the Beach

Sweet Seagull

Beet Chips in the Making

And again, it was time to leave. A crabbing trip was waiting for us and hubby was excited about that.

“Do we have to go now? Can we please stay a little longer?” said B

As we pulled off to leave we took one last drive down the beach . . .

{ Last Night In My Airstream } Dinner & Trips To Come ♥

For Dinner, For Lunch 4 Responses »

Apr 302013

tartine

There is nothing I enjoy more than coming home from corporate America and preparing dinner in the Airstream on these beautifully sunny Seattle days. Except for of course, preparing dinner in our Airstream when we are actually on the road – on vacation, lol :)

As our Airstream sits in our driveway, I climb inside and get started on dinner. With the door wide open, I listen to B and Oliver play in our front yard and for a moment, in my mind, we are glamping :) It’s a good feeling. I also begin to think about the very near future. We have some pretty exciting road trips planned. Some of which I have been waiting to take since I was 13 years old!

We will be visiting Orcas Island again here shortly and I can hardly wait to share more of the beauty that special island has to offer. Do you remember Farmer John and my Farm to Fork experience? Or how about Buck Bay Shellfish Farm and Toni’s Shucking Shack? Let’s not forget Doe Bay Resort with Jon Chapelle now named “Executive Chef” as so rightly deserved. I hope to visit the spectacular landscapes of Turtleback Farm Inn and take a invigorating hike up Turtleback Mountain. We are very excited! Especially since we are bringing our little Oliver along with us!

Oliver

Then not too long after that we take almost three weeks and make a round trip from Seattle to Jackson Hole to Yellowstone and many other stops along the way. Stops to places I have never heard of that offer some pretty exciting outdoor adventures. We will be heading through Idaho, Montana and Wyoming. We will be white water rafting, horseback riding, fishing, gold panning, visiting ghost towns and even “Glamping” in tents (sans Airstream). It will be a trip of a lifetime that I am looking forward to sharing with you.

And this was our dinner. Super simple and SO delicious. A ricotta and cream cheese spread atop crunchy toasted bread with fresh peas, radishes, tomatoes and a delicious thin slice of salty prosciutto. The hardest part was the topping of chive oil. No really – just kidding. I have chives coming out of my ears in the garden (and if you live nearby – or are passing through – please do come over and get yourself some!). I put a handful in my blender along with some oil and just blended away. It’s the perfect compliment to this crunchy tartine :)

I hope you all are having a wonderful start to the spring season ♥ and thank you for following along :) xoxo

Photography by MonicaBennett.com

{ Throwback Thursday } Just 5 More Minutes on Beautiful Orcas Island in Washington State ♥

Orcas Island, San Juan Islands 8 Responses »

Apr 252013

This time, last year we took our Airstream to the San Juan Islands, specifically to Orcas Island where we camped with her at West Beach Resort. This island holds a very special place in my heart and I truly believe that if you visit, she will hold a special place in yours too . . .

Here is a link to ♥ ALL ♥ our outdoor and culinary adventures on Orcas Island :)

Hubby, B and I have been spending much loved time in the beautiful San Juan Islands, specifically Orcas Island.

As we board the ferry each weekend from the mainland and travel through these beautiful archipelagos I am reminded of the many farms (and farmers) of which the Islanders here are so very proud of. From tiny seeds grow the most beautiful big fruits and vegetables that then serve the local islanders, schools and restaurants (to name just a few) of which we have been so honored to have dined at.

It is very exciting for me to be able to share everything you can do here on the Islands. Our outdoor and epicurean experiences thus far have been nothing short of amazing from staying at beautiful West Beach Resort and Doe Bay Resort with our Airstream to whale watching with Capt. Beau and Outer Island Expeditions, fishing with North Shore Charters with Marty, Amanda and Jake, dining at the New Leaf Cafe (home of The Outlook Inn) where Chef Steve Debaste prepared our chosen items from the “very hard to make-up-your-mind,” menu and of course I won’t forget the sunset dinner cruise we had with Cruise Control complete with knowledgeable Capt. Robin and crewmate, sweet Olivia – both of whom are incredible cooks and the scenic, quiet (and peaceful) Inn at Ship Bay with Geddes and his talented team of chefs.

In addition we will be joining a wooden sail boat race around Yellow Island with Northwest Classic Daysailing, zip lining with Zip San Juan, cruising around the islands on our own thanks to Orcas Boat Rentals, sunset kayaking, shellfish gathering and exploring the outer islands here in the San Juan Islands as well. Of course the wildlife will always be a continuing story :)

Each of our outdoor & epicurean adventures will have their own story here on J5MM for you complete with photography and recipes so please do check back often to read about our journeys we have been so lucky to have taken. I do my very best to post twice a week :)

I am very happy to have you along :)

Here is a link to ♥ ALL ♥ our outdoor and culinary adventures on Orcas Island :)

Photography by Monica Bennett

{Throwback Thursday} ★ The Wonders of Smith Rock ★

Oregon Destinations, Rock Climbing No Responses »

Apr 182013

Oh beautiful Oregon. How I love you and how much I realize a trip back is in order. Our trip visiting with you last Spring was one we will never forget . . .

We were sad to be leaving Kahneeta. We had such a wonderful time spending our days hiking, swimming, golfing and just relaxing. We will forever remember the good times we had there.

Like anything else in life, it was time to move on. We had a schedule that we needed to stick to if we truly wanted to visit all of the places we had in mind in Oregon.

So off we went. Our next stop was Smith Rock State Park in Terrebonne where we would be able to see some rock climbers in action.

When we arrived We pulled the Airstream into a nice big spot and had a picnic lunch of prosciutto, feta and tomato tartines accompanied with Burrata.

Oh that Burrata.

Before our trip, a coworker of mine told me all about it and after her good ten minute, mouthwatering and awe inspiring Burrata story that took place in Italy, you can imagine how eager I was to get my hands on some of this cheese to take along with us on our trip. Apparently it is not an easy cheese to find but luckily my local Whole Foods carried it.

I’ve been waiting for the right time to serve this divine, buttery, fresh cheese. It has been waiting for us in the Airstream fridge and as each day passed I could feel it taunting me but I was patient and waited for the right moment. I wanted the time that we enjoyed this cheese to be special. Now was the time. Here we were in this beautiful park, it was so peaceful and quiet outside.

Burrata is the most amazing cheese I have ever tasted in my entire life. It is fresh mozzarella and inside of it you find that it is stuffed with even more delicate, stringy mozzarella that has been soaked in fresh sweet cream. It was divine. Oh and did you know that Burrata is Italian for “Buttered?” Well, there you go :)

“Look mommy! I can see someone climbing . . .” B shrieked with excitement.

Wow, and there they were, the rock climbers. So many of them and so high up. I could never do it. Never. I am always envious of people who are not affected by heights. For me, I am terrified.

Rock Climbing Smith Rock State Park, Oregon

The rock climbers were amazing to watch. Carefully eyeing each place they will put their hands and feet and then slowly getting higher and higher. Then when they came back down they were so happy and were talking about what a fantastic time it was.

It was a fantastic time for us too. Smith Rock State Park was incredible. We felt like we were on a different planet with the dramatic rocky landscape that surrounded us. I took many pictures here. I just couldn’t stop snapping away. It was so beautiful. I wanted to make sure it was all captured. Every last bit of it.

What a wonderful trip we were having so far. We just love Oregon, what a beautiful place to visit.

P.S.
If you are interested, here is a Smith Rock State Park Brochure for your reading pleasure :)

{ Recipe } ★ Brown Butter Tomato Salad Japanese Style ★

Uncategorized 4 Responses »

Apr 142013

Close to where I live there is a grocery store called Uwajimaya. Inside you can find the widest variety of Asian groceries, meat, seafood and produce. Whenever I go, I have a very specific list as to what I am in need of. This is of course when I’m about to embark on cooking up an Asian meal for Hubby and B.

So many times, however; I find myself intrigued by all of the groceries that sit before my eyes on those shelves. Sauces, one after another — labels are written in Asian and I have no clue what they are or what they are used for. Then there is the tofu section and even DRIED tofu as I discovered in these big blocks and oh those glorious pink puffy rice cakes filled with so many things — how do you eat them? And with what? It’s so interesting to me! But for whatever reason, I am too shy to ask the people working there if they could help me figure out what some things are (is that strange?). So off I go, reading one product after another only imaging what it could be used for.

Luckily for me, I feel very fortunate to have met so many wonderful people through the sharing of my Airstream travel stories here on J5MM. One couple in particular has a very special place in my heart. They reached out to me asking my varied opinions on certain types of Airstreams, etc. and through that, our friendship developed into something very special. I shared with them my interest and admiration of the Japanese cuisine and culture and in return, they have taught me (and B) so many wonderful things about Japanese life that I was so happy to have learned.

On my door step a couple of weeks ago, there was a package waiting for me. When I opened it up, this is what I found inside:

A beautifully hand written card from my friend and goodies from Japan. For now, I will focus on the bottle to the right of that card and what is inside. It is called Yuzu Ponzu and like my description reads in the very first photograph in this blog post, it is AMAZING, AMAZING, AMAZING stuff. Salty yet sweet with a tang like you have never experienced thanks to the yuzu fruit. I have about half of the bottle left and you can bet that when I run out I’ll be making a trip to Uwajimaya with that empty bottle in hand asking to see if they carry it :)

My friend suggested pouring some on top of sliced tomatoes and sweet onions – which I promptly did for dinner that evening. We were all blown away by the delicious simplicity of this salad.

This afternoon, in the Airstream I made this salad (again) after some spring cleaning but added a little twist to it. Brown butter.

It definitely took it to the “decadent,” level that was for sure. Instead of the onion I went with radishes, sliced green onions and a sprinkling of sesame seeds as you can see in the picture below. Honestly, the possibilities are endless but I believe with this a “less is more” approach is perfect.

If you make this salad, the brown butter style — pour the butter over your salad just before eating and listen the tomatoes “sizzle,” then promptly devour.

yuzu6

I feel so happy to be able to share this recipe (if you can even call it that — it’s so simple) with you thanks to my sweet friends. If it were not for them, I would have never learned about this most amazing Japanese ingredient, sauce, miracle?

Just three ingredients and you are set — I think this is the perfect spring/summertime salad to add to your Airstream dining repertoire.

If you try it — let me know!

xoxo
Monica ♥

{ Recipe } ★ Loaded Baked Potato Muffins ★

Recipes 9 Responses »

Apr 072013

Today was a rainy (and chilly) day in Seattle. Shocking, I know :)

With the sound of the heavy raindrops outside, I always get the urge to bake and today was the perfect day! I’ve been inspired now for quite some time to bake since our recent trip to McCall, Idaho. During our trip I met many people who raved over “Stacey Cakes,” which is a sweet little bakery run by Stacey Kucy. I couldn’t visit because I became sick but she was so thoughtful to send me some goodies in the mail wishing me well because she heard just how badly I wanted to visit.

While perusing Stacey Cakes Facebook page I spotted a picture of “Loaded Baked Potato Muffins,” and I knew immediately I wanted to try and make these myself. Honestly — what could be better than a savory muffin packed full of salty bacon, crisp green onions and cheddar?

So off into the Airstream I went and gave these muffins my best shot. Little Oliver followed behind me and kept me company – love my little puppy . . .

Felt awesome to be back in my tiny kitchen, cooking . . .

Oliver in slumberland . . .

What dreams are made of :)

I truly hope that you do give these a try. If you happen to have left over mashed potatoes, this would be an excellent way to use them up!

~ Monica xoxo ♥

Loaded Baked Potato Muffins

Print recipe

Ingredients

2 eggs
3 cups mashed potatoes
1/2 cup grated onion
1 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup cooked, chopped bacon (reserving 2 tablespoons of bacon fat)
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup sliced green onions
2 tablespoons reserved bacon fat

Directions

Step 1
In a large bowl, stir the eggs into the potatoes.
Step 2
In a separate (smaller) bowl mix flour, salt and baking powder and add this to your potato mix.
Step 3
Fold in the bacon fat, bacon, cheese and green onions.
Step 4
Spray muffin tins with cooking spray and fill almost to the top (they won't rise much).
Step 5
Bake at 400 degrees F for about 25-30 minutes if you are using large muffin tins or for 15-20 for smaller tins.
Step 6
Bake until the edges become a beautiful golden color :) Serve warm or cold - delicious either way xoxo

When We Dined In ♥

Food Trucks and Trailers, Seattle 3 Responses »

Apr 022013

Below you are witnessing some of the culinary magic that Skillet Street Food (based here in Seattle, WA) creates out of their Airstream. I pulled the next three photos off their Facebook page that you should really visit (unless you are starving of course – be warned) and LIKE if you love Airstreams because these guys really know how to cook good food, Airstream style and they do it well!

Fennel crusted fried chicken, chipotle mac & cheese and collard greens with tasso ham ♥

BBQ pulled pork with pickled mustard seed slaw on a potato roll ♥

Chicken and Waffles ♥

Not only can you find them cooking away at select locations in Bellevue and Seattle — you can also come visit their brick and mortar diner located at 1400 East Union Street in Seattle as well as at their new addition, “The Counter,” located in the armory at the Seattle Center. They also cater as well – weddings, birthday’s — you name it. How sweet is that? Having an Airstream cater your party? I love it.

Additionally – Skillet also DELIVERS via Amazon Fresh or you can place an order to be picked up and re-heat in the comforts of your own home.

“Perfect,” I thought to myself as I perused their website before we left on our trip to McCall. This was exactly what I was going to do. Pick up a couple dinners and we would be set.

Afterall, this trip of ours to McCall was one that was full of hour-by-hour adventures that would bring us back to the Airstream late in the evening. I knew I wouldn’t be in the mood to cook, even if it were simple. Having Skillet in the picture during our trip was a HUGE help.

So the day before we left on our trip I B lined it to their location in Bellevue to pick up the goods (and a recipe book!) and say hello to the Skillet crew :)

We enjoyed their most awesome mac ‘n cheese with a kale Ceasar salad that was out of this world. Hello? Kale Ceasar? I did say that and it was delicious! One of our other dinners consisted of chipotle pumpkin bbq pulled pork that we devoured alongside Brussels sprouts covered with Skillet’s very own bacon jam. There was enough left over to enjoy the pulled pork over the left over mac ‘n cheese the following day. Skillet packages their goods to go in oven ready containers and two of them fit perfectly side by side in the Airstream oven. Worked out perfectly and oh so delicious :)

So whether you are heading out of town like we did and won’t have much time to cook, pick up some dinners from Skillet to enjoy on your trip. Super easy to re-heat and prepare and oh so delicious!

Here is their menu from their Diner too.

Now do you believe me when I tell you their food is out of this world? Simply outstanding culinary creations if I do say so myself!

That awesome shot of their Airstream above was taken in Seattle and is from Skillet’s Facebook page :) LOVE that shot, so much ♥

A Beautiful Start to Spring in Seattle and an Update

Uncategorized 5 Responses »

Mar 252013

It has been a little over three weeks since our return from McCall, Idaho.

In the next week as I wrap up our trip with you, I will be sharing some epic cat skiing adventures hubby went on as well as the Christmas/Pancake House that we dined at one evening. Also I am excited to share with you everything about Skillet — the Airstream food truck that frequents Bellevue and Seattle with some of the most delicious, scrumptious food we have tasted. Thanks to Skillet I was able to quickly and easily prepare some fantastic dinners with the help of my Airstream oven. It was nice after long days filled with adventures to be able to retreat into our Airstream and pop dinner in the oven.

For now I wanted to share with you this glorious day we had in Seattle today (in addition to a few modifications I did inside the Airstream).

It hit 65 degrees outside and the sun was shining and everyone was happy!

Just some more things I have done in our Airstream – I “washi” taped our electrical outlet with some cool map tape :)

On a recent trip to Anthropologie on my lunch hour in corporate America, I found these adorable oven mitts and cloth napkins that were on sale. I knew they’d be perfect for the Airstream. (note the silver “switch” in the background – painted the original black cover with silver paint).

Oliver this afternoon after I asked him if he was hungry and “ready for dinner?”

He’s a smart one . . .

Wishing you and your loved ones a happy Spring :)

xoxo

~ Monica

McCall Trip Roundup:

Part 1: Arriving ♥
Part 2: McCall Town Guide ♥
Part 3: Skiing Brundage Mountain and Apres-Ski at the Shore Lodge ♥
Part 4: A Snowmobile Adventure to the Burgdorf Hot Springs and Beyond ♥
Part 5: A Day at Tamarack Resort ♥
Part 6: Apres-Ski at Rupert’s in Historic Hotel McCall ♥
Part 7: A Culinary Adventure in the Forest ♥
Part 8: Brundage Cat Skiing Adventures & Apres-Ski at the Pancake House ♥

{McCall, ID} Part 7: A Culinary Adventure in the Forest ♥

Idaho, McCall, McCall Dining, McCall Parks, snowshoeing 12 Responses »

Mar 192013

set 1

Just a little over one mile, deep in the wintry forest of Ponderosa State Park is where you will find the Blue Moon Yurt along Lake Payette. Here is where you will have an experience like no other as a four course culinary adventure awaits.

Only accessible via snowshoeing or nordic skiing, B and I strap on our snowshoes while hubby clips into his skis. Lisa, co-owner of Blue Moon Outfitters of McCall greets us at the trail head before we begin our journey.

“Take your time, enjoy yourselves and once everyone arrives at the yurt is when the party will get started,” she tells us.

Freshly covered with powdery snow, the winding trail introduced us to towering Pondersoa pines, wildlife and a feeling of pure contentment and excitement at the evening ahead of us.

As we arrive at the yurt, we remove our snowshoes and ski’s and slip into the comfortable slippers that we brought along with us in our packs. Stepping into the yurt we could hardly believe our eyes.

yurt

Persian rugs grace the floor of this yurt and the family style tables are decorated with beautiful glowing candles and fine linens. The warmth from the wood burning fireplace is immediately noticed and we are greeted by smiles from everyone in the yurt. With rosy cheeks and all, we make our way to the big pot of hot spiced mulled wine and help ourselves while B settles down with his hot cocoa.

“This is delicious mommy,” he tells me smiling from ear to ear.

set 2

set 8

We sit down at our table and introduce ourselves to our soon-to-be new friends. We are all very curious about one another and this is the magic behind the yurt experience. The friendships that come from here can last a lifetime. We learn that our friends are going to be going on a trip to Croatia in the coming summer. I become very excited because one of my best friends regularly visits Croatia so I am able to share a little bit of insight with them. We continue to laugh, tell stories about our day and before we know it, Lisa asks all of us (26 to be exact) for our attention.

“Welcome everyone to the Blue Moon Yurt! We are very happy to have you with us tonight!!”

Lisa introduces us to the evenings menu and we are all silent and listening carefully. We begin with crunchy starfish calamari with a sweet ginger sauce and then come the sesame asparagus spears that disappear within minutes. Luckily the plates keep coming and we all help ourselves endlessly. We do try to keep mindful about saving our appetites for the main course, but it is hard!

Then comes one of my most life changing moments. The SOUP. Oh my goodness, this soup. We are home from McCall now for a couple of weeks and not a day goes by that I do not think about this soup!

Lisa tells us the story behind the soup:

“Tonight you will be having “Somai’s Soup.”

We are all listening carefully and she continues . . .

“Not too long ago my friends and I took a trip to Anchorage Alaska and Somai was this beautiful tiny Thai woman cooking in a place called the Thai Market. I don’t know if it’s still there, but when you walked through the doors you headed to the back of the place and there were just a few tables and chairs for patrons. Somai was cooking off of two funky burners pumping out the most amazing food. When we first tasted the soup we thought we had all died and gone to Thai heaven. We were in Alaska for three weeks and we went every other day (if not every day) to have her soup. We were completely addicted! Somai did eventually share her recipe for this soup with one of my dear friends who in turn, shared it with me. I am happy to be able to cook this soup for you here, in the Blue Moon Yurt. Full of flavors from the galanga root (a cross between ginger and eucalyptus), lemongrass, chilies, kaffir lime leaves, coconut milk, chicken, straw mushrooms, topped with cilantro & green onions. It truly is a bowl of love. Enjoy!”

set 6

set 4

set 3

set 9

Our main course arrives and it is sesame grilled salmon with jade sauce that upon first bite was so juicy on the inside and crispy on the outside. Incredible. I’ve never had salmon so good. Ever. Alongside was a crunchy salad of shredded Napa cabbage with spicy peanut sauce and a sweet cooling cucumber salad with tri-colored peppers.

set 5

set 10

We finish off the evening with coffee and a desert of toasted coconut ice cream with a killer rum sauce. B is not a fan of coconut and I will tell you, he ate his and mine.

We said our goodbyes to everyone and headed outside. We strapped our snowshoes and skis on and began to head down to the trail that was lit with tiki torches helping guide us back.

I looked up at the night sky that peeked through the towering Ponderosa pines and noticed how bright the stars were tonight. And then a shooting star!

“Mommy! A shooting star! Quick, make a wish!” B commands

That was easy, I thought. We are coming back here and that will be a wish come true, for certain!

end

And as for that soup? Well, unfortunately it is under lock and key which is completely understandable. But I did try to get it for you, really :) You’ll just have to make your way to McCall to experience it because I can guarantee you that it will be well worth the trip, in and of itself!

xoxo ~ Monica

McCall Trip Roundup:

{McCall, ID} Part 6: Apres-Ski at Rupert’s in Historic Hotel McCall ♥

Idaho, McCall, McCall Accomodations, McCall Dining 8 Responses »

Mar 172013

chef gary congratulations

You know you are about to embark on an amazing dining experience when you catch wind from the locals that the beloved Chef of Rupert’s Restaurant , Chef Gary Kucy — has been selected as a semi-finalist as “Best Chef: Northwest” for the 2013 James Beard Foundation Awards.

I will not hesitate to tell you that upon hearing this news, I was not only thrilled to dine at Rupert’s and go straight to epicurean heaven, but I was very nervous as well. I had previously asked the owner of Hotel McCall, David Carey if he would mind if I had a few minutes of Chef Gary’s time prior to our dinner reseravations. I wanted to meet him so badly and get to know this person that everyone in McCall had spoke so highly of.

Chef Gary was busy in the kitchen prepping for the evening dinner menu and while he was finishing up, David Carey took some of his time to sit down and chat with us.

I immediately congratulated David on Chef Gary’s James Beard Foundation nomination and semi-finalist placement.

“We are completely thrilled Monica,” David tells me as we settle down into our seats.

I then ask him how they found out about the big news.

“The phone started ringing off the hook and our email box was getting full. People were congratulating Chef Gary and we had no idea how (or who) nominated him. I mean, we even asked Gary’s mom if she nominated her son and her answer was no.” we all laughed at that . . .

Then Chef Gary comes out to say hello and I can hardly wait to shake his hand :)

I ask him if he could please share with me a bit of his history and how he came to McCall.

“I was working in Jackson, Wyoming and it was wonderful! But Stacey (his wife – Stacey Cakes!!) and I knew that we wanted to settle down somewhere else. Somewhere where it felt right and that was McCall. Stacey spent time here with family growing up and when she introduced me to McCall, I just knew this was the place for us.”

He tells me that at the time when they arrived in McCall, Tamarack Resort was just beginning to be and everyone was talking about it. He eventually helped open up the restaurant “Morels,” (as well as designing the kitchen) located in the Lodge as Osprey Meadows right in the heart of the Tamarack Resort. But before that– long before Morels — Gary was one of the first people to work at Tamarack 24/7 and witnessed the evolution of the resort.

Back then when Tamarack was in its infant stages, Gary tells me it was just him and a few other people.

“I was the kitchen Monica and Tamarack was in full marketing swing. Food was the center of everything and it brought everyone together. I would cook all day (from a kitchen trailer in the woods – it was all that there was in the beginning of Tamarack’s marketing – and the food was served in a cozy yurt to prospective buyers after a day of skiing the slopes and exploring the area) and it was fun to meet so many different people who were coming to the resort to check things out and explore opportunities. One year I even had the honor to cook for President Bush.”

“Wow, really!?”

“Yes and his plane made it’s landing right on the Tamarack Golf Course. It was pretty amazing.”

“How do you decide what to cook for the President?”

“I love to use local Idaho flavors! So that is always a hit when we have people from out of town.”

My conversation with Chef Gary was one that I will never soon forget. Not only is he one of the most down to earth people I have ever met, I felt a true connection with him through his inspiration of cooking. I asked him how he came up with his ideas for his menus and I learned that Chef Gary has been fortunate to travel the world experiencing flavors from afar, and with that, he brings to Rupert’s his culinary magic for the lucky patrons to enjoy.

Including us. Just have a look at what we had for dinner :)

I would love to take a quick moment here to thank David from the bottom of my heart for being so warm and welcoming to us and truly sharing his in depth knowledge of McCall and all that it has to offer not only to its fortunate residents, but for visitors like us. As he spoke, it was quite evident the love that he has for this town and that feeling rubbed off on us immensely. Our eyes were opened up by his stories of this sweet town and as I sit here in Bellevue, Washington writing this, I feel very emotional. I miss McCall, immensely.

“You know Monica, one of the overriding factors that sits for me, over everything that happens in the valley, is how modest the population is here. To me, it’s what makes it so wonderful here. There are literally over two million acres of forest land waiting for people to come and explore. Gary and I will go on a mountain bike ride and when you see another soul on the trail, you get excited and want to share how awesome the trails were!”

“And I come back with five pounds of Morel mushrooms,” Gary chimes in…

No joke here.

Kind of like your own private Idaho, I thought to myself.

Here is the inside of Rupert’s restaurant before it is open (and at night, wow, this place is busy as we learned!). Rupert’s is located in the historic Hotel McCall, along the shore of Payette Lake. You will have to take my word on this that the view of the lake is purely spectacular. Luckily for us and many others, it was dumping outside when I took these pictures which meant for yet another epic skiing experience the next day (Cat Skiing at Brundage Mountain was on our list!).

{ Main entrance / lobby to Hotel McCall }

David also tells me:

“Monica, everything is just right here in McCall. You can ride your bike from downtown into the mountains in the summer and have the ride of your life. In the winter, people head up to the mountains to ski on their lunch hour — it’s incredible! Plus you have a town that is a “BIG” little town. You’ve got your Rite Aid, you’ve got two great grocery stores, the schools are excellent. All of our kids were born here. You can walk to the hospital and everyone there knows you.”

“That’s right, our doctor who delivered our kids is also our neighbor,” mentions Chef Gary.

McCall has definitely won our hearts over. That is for sure.

It was my very first visit to Idaho and I am so happy that we chose McCall. From the sweet, kind and welcoming people to the many outdoor and culinary adventures one can find here. We are smitten with this town of just over 2,000 people and can hardly wait to come back :) ♥♥♥

A huge thank you to Chef Gary for sharing with me (and you) his recipe for his Sake Steamed Clams. They were so delicious!

Sake Steamed Clams with Ginger-Soy Butter

Print recipe

Sake Steamed Clams with Ginger-Soy Butter

Thank you to Chef Gary Kucy of Rupert's restaurant in downtown McCall for sharing this recipe with us! This will serve two - double the recipe to serve 4, etc. You can find the rice paper sheets at your local asian market.

Ingredients

1lb Fresh Manilla clams
1 tablespoon Green Onions (minced)
2 tablespoons Ginger (minced)
2 tablespoons Garlic (minced)
2 tablespoons Soy Sauce or Tamari
3 tablespoons Butter (softened)
1/2 cup Sake
3/4 cups Mixed Julienne Red Peppers and Carrots
2 tablespoons Cilantro Leaves (picked)
1 Rice Paper Sheet (crispy fried (1 each per person))

Directions

Step 1
Pre soak clams in cold water for at least one hour to clean, rinse well and set aside.
Step 2
To make butter; saute green onion, garlic and ginger in a small amount of oil until fragrant. Deglaze with soy sauce and cool. Cream soy ginger mixture into butter and set aside.
Step 3
Heat a large (6-8 qt) sauce pot over medium high heat, add clams and a small amount of oil. Allow clams and pot to heat, add sake and cover to steam.
Step 4
After being covered and cooking for approximately 4-5 minutes, check and see if clams are starting to open. Once they begin to open up, add vegetables and ginger-soy butter and cover for another minute. Remove cover and mix in fresh cilantro leaves just before serving. Garnish with crispy fried rice paper.

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