Not-so-extravagant 400th episode

Hundred-multiple episodes of UaKS have traditionally featured some kind of contest and giveaway to celebrate, but this time I'm going to rely on our recent trip to Seattle as the "extravaganza." We loved seeing Dylan and Moriah's house, with all of the amazing work they've already done on it. They are in a great location, less than 1½ miles from Green Lake. There is a 3-mile path around the lake, which I took full advantage of on several early-morning runs in Seattle's amazing summertime weather (mid-50s overnight, with daytime highs in the 70s, and a gloriously low dew point). They are within walking distance of all of the most important things in life: good grocery stores, bakeries, restaurants (including Zouave, a wonderful Mediterranean restaurant we really enjoyed), and even a solid bookstore and cafe (Third Place Books). On this trip we discovered, within just ¾ of a mile of Dylan and Moriah's place, Grateful Bread Bakery & Cafe, which had some of the best bagels we've tasted outside of C'ville, and Top Pot Doughnuts, which had some really good donuts and even better apple fritters.

 

 

There was lots of laid back game and card playing but also a number of great outings. One day we reprised last year's trip to Pike Place Market and Chihuly Garden and Glass, which is pretty incredible.

 

The highlight for me, though, was our hike at Mount Rainier, which I finally got to see up close and personal after all these years, on a crystal clear day. Starting at the Sunrise Visitor Center (at an elevation of ~6,400 feet), we did a four-mile loop on the Sourdough Ridge trail and a connecting trail, both of which were still about 40% covered in snow. There was lots of slipping and sliding to go along with the views, which got more and more awe-inspiring as the hike progressed.

 

Seven happy, smiling people all in one photo, how often do you see that?! That tells you everything you need to know about our trip. We can't wait til next year!

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A while ago, I saw an article in Cook's Country about the "Titan of Teriyaki," Toshi Kasahara, who happens to be a Seattle "legend." The accompanying recipe for grilled chicken teriyaki is ridiculously simple: blend up a few ingredients, marinate the chicken for 1 to 24 hours, then grill away. I sent the article and recipe to Dylan, who loved the chicken. But I hadn't ever tried it myself, so we made it with Dylan while we were in Seattle. And it was as good as advertised. The chicken is lightly charred, with a lacquered exterior (according to the article, teriyaki roughly translates from the Japanese as "shiny grilled"). I think JC and I ate about half of it ourselves. Yum-o!

The grill master at work

Seattle Chicken Teriyaki

Adapted from Cook’s Country (June/July 2020), which adapted it from Chef Toshi Kasahara

Dylan says not to bother reserving any of the teriyaki sauce, but I think it would be good to have some sauce to dip the sliced chicken into, as well as to serve over the plain white rice.

 

1 cup soy sauce or tamari
100 grams (½ cup) sugar
2 tablespoons mirin (see here for substitutions)
1 (2-inch) piece of ginger, peeled and sliced thin
5 garlic cloves, peeled
3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed

    1. For the teriyaki sauce: Place the soy sauce, sugar, and mirin in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat and cool completely.
    2. For the marinade: Measure out ¾ cup of the teriyaki sauce and pour into a blender. Add the ginger and garlic, and blend until smooth. Reserve the remaining teriyaki sauce (~½ cup) for serving (see note).
    3. Place the trimmed chicken into a 1-gallon zip-lock bag. Add the marinade. Zip the bag, pressing out as much air as possible, then turn to coat the chicken. Park in the fridge for at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours.

    4. When you're ready to cook, light and preheat a charcoal or gas grill. Scrape and oil the cooking grates. Grill the chicken (covered if using a gas grill) until the chicken is caramelized and lightly charred and registers 175 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, about 6 to 8 minutes per side. Move to a cutting board, tent with aluminum foil, and set aside for 5 minutes. Cut crosswise into ½-inch slices. Serve over white rice with the reserved teriyaki sauce. Serves 6 to 8.