TASTE Masters

Inspired by the stunning English landscapes and portraits found within the magnificent paintings featured in the new exhibit at SAM, the TASTE Culinary team welcomed the opportunity to create menus featuring hearty English fare. Staying true to the practice of using fresh and local ingredients, the menu is still in many ways a bit of a departure from previous TASTE offerings. With more than 12 new dishes and cocktails, guests will get a good taste of the London bistro.

SAM’s upcoming exhibit, Rembrandt, Van Dyck, Gainborough: The Treasures of Kenwood House, London will be open to the public from February 14 through May 19, 2013.

Within the neoclassical Kenwood House at Hampstead Heath on the outskirts of London, resides a magnificent painting collection known as the Iveagh Bequest. Kenwood is home to an exceptional collection of Old Master paintings, including major works by Gainsborough, Hals, Rembrandt, Reynolds, Romney, Turner, Van Dyck, and many others. The Iveagh Bequest was donated to Great Britain by Edward Cecil Guinness, 1st Earl of Iveagh (1847–1927) and heir to the world’s most successful brewery. Rembrandt, Van Dyck, Gainsborough: Treasures of Kenwood House, London, a selection of approximately 50 masterpieces from the collection, will tour American museums for the first time. Among other treasures, the exhibition provides a rare opportunity to see Rembrandt’s late Self-Portrait (1665), which has never left Europe before.

The Earl of Iveagh’s personal collection was shaped by the tastes of the Belle Époque—Europe’s equivalent to America’s Gilded Age. His purchases reveal a preference for the portraiture, landscape, and seventeenth-century Dutch and Flemish paintings that could typically be found in English aristocratic collections. Since the earl was a newcomer to London emigrating from his native Ireland, he may have selected works that would help him fit in with his peers and elevate his social standing.

The exhibition from Kenwood House will be complemented by a companion exhibition, European Paintings from Seattle Collections. Featuring about 30 works from local collections, the show traces the burgeoning enthusiasm for Old Master paintings in Seattle over the last 20 years.

–Chiyo Ishikawa, Susan Brotman Deputy Director for Art and Curator of European Painting and Sculpture

Below you will find just a little taste of offerings created on behalf of this beautiful exhibit:

From Executive Chef Craig Hetherington | TASTE Restaurant

Bangers & Mash | house bangers, potato puree, grilled vegetable hash, sea salt butter

Roasted Trout | rhubarb cream, brioche & almond gremolata

Deconstructed Pork Pie | guinness pork cheeks, parsnips, carrots, veloute, pie crust

Salt Cod Fritters | house BBQ

From Pastry Chef Will Fausser | TASTE Restaurant & Events

Huckleberry Pie | crème fraiche ice cream, brown butter powder

Apple & Thyme Trifle | pound cake, thyme crème, braised apples, curried pecans

“black & tan” |  bay scented hot chocolate, salted caramel, Guinness ice cream sandwich, cookie crumble

From Executive Chef Paul Rosquita | TASTE Events

Tray Passed Bites

Roasted Potato Tartlet | caramelized onions & winter savory

Beef & Blue Cheese Flatbread Bite | fried parsley, mustard cream

Blackened Tilapia Skewer | pomegranate honey & orange sea salt

Special Exhibit Bite Station

Lamb & Potato Curry | sweet yellow curry, coconut milk, cilantro & paneer

Guinness Braised Short Ribs | maple glazed carrots

Black-Eyed Pea Dip | sharp cheddar, green chili peppers, roasted onions, artisan bread & crackers

 

TASTE Bar

From Lead Bartender Duncan Chase | TASTE Restaurant

“Still Life Sour” | Tanqueray Gin, Crème de Violette, Hiver Amer bitters

From Bartender Inga Walker | TASTE Restaurant

“Ciao, Baby!” | Temperance Trader, Disaronno Amaretto

Sockeye Salmon Capital of the World

Here in the Pacific Northwest, we love salmon, don’t we? Is that salmon you just bought at the grocery store wild? Was the salmon you ordered last night at your favorite restaurant farmed?  Most of us know that wild salmon is the best in every way, but how many of us know where most of our wild salmon comes from? Chances are it came from the “Sockeye Salmon Capital of the World”, Bristol Bay in southwest Alaska.

The Bristol Bay basin supports one of the largest commercial salmon fisheries in the world and is now threatened by the proposed Pebble Mine project.  This mine would be the largest copper mine in North America and one of the largest gold mines in the world…and unfortunately, this mine would be lethal to the fish of Bristol Bay and all of the ecosystems of that beautiful and naturally productive community. According to the Wild Salmon Center in Portland, OR, should this project be allowed to move forward, the mine would produce up to 10 billion (yes, that’s billion) tons of waste rock. Up to nine miles of dams reaching over 700 feet high would be required to impound the billions of toxic waste produced. This is just a sampling of the long list of disastrous consequences of this project.

Our very own Executive Chef, Craig Hetherington, spent some time working in Naknek, Alaska, a borough in Bristol Bay. The community, land and fisheries are very dear to him and he feels very strongly about the importance of getting the word out about this critical situation. Needless to say, it’s a political one.

There’s so much more to be said about this issue, but we just don’t have time to pass along here. But here’s Chef Craig’s take-away, “Buy and eat wild salmon.  Support restaurants that serve wild salmon.  Contact your US Senators and voice your opinion. When you buy salmon products, read the label! If it’s canned, it’s probably farmed. If it smoked, it’s probably farmed. “

Please share this with your friends and family. We don’t want to have farmed salmon as our only option and more importantly, it would be terrible to lose the irreplaceable fisheries and community of Bristol Bay.

For more information:

http://www.savebristolbay.org/

http://www.wildsalmoncenter.org/programs/north_america/pebblemine.php

Holidays in Seattle

Each year Seattle’s holiday traditions serve as an important driver for Downtown’s retail stores, hotels, restaurants and cultural and performing arts. This year’s celebrations kicked off today with the annual Macy’s Holiday Parade and will continue throughout the day, ending with the lighting of the giant tree at Westlake Center.

Whether you’re interested in a ‘quick, get the shopping out of the way’ adventure, excited about the 5^th Avenue Theatre’s production of “Elf” or feeling competitive in the Seattle Holiday Goose Chase contest, there’s something for everyone.

So let us be the first to say “Happy Holidays” to you! We’re cooking up some yummy, creative dishes and invite you to stop by, say hello and enjoy some of the deliciousness coming out of our kitchen.

Happy Holidays!

Chef Craig at FareStart – November 1st

 

Chef Craig Hetherington once again  joins the ranks of well-known and philanthropic chefs at FareStart’s Guest Chef Night on November 1st!

Enjoy a delicious three-course meal from Chef Craig Hetherington for just $29.95, all while supporting FareStart – a culinary job training and placement program for homeless and disadvantages  individuals. Over the past 20 years, FareStart has provided opportunities for nearly 6,000 people to transform lives, while serving over 5 million meals to disadvantaged men, women and children. Attending  Guest Chef Night is a great way to support the cause. To learn more about Guest Chef Night, FareStart, or to make reservations, visit www.farestart.org or call 206.267.7601.

Starter

Farro Carbonara |  pancetta, swiss chard, smoked quillisascut curado, pink lady apples, egg yolk

Entree

Grilled Hangar Steak  |  cauliflower gratin, marinated kale, coco nibs, carrot demi, oregon sea salt

Sweet

Orbit Cake  |  bay scented chantilly, candied red beets, toasty hazelnuts

New Artist Series at TASTE

TASTE and SAM Gallery is thrilled to present the newest exhibit at TASTE Restaurant!

Etsuko Ichikawa

October 10, 2012 – February 10, 2012

Ichikawa’s work is continuing the investigation for what lies between the ephemeral and the eternal. Her Pyrographs and Aquagraphs are drawings made by fire and water, capturing and eternalizing the immediacy of a moment.

For this Artist Series, we asked TASTE Bartenders Duncan Chase and Inga Walker to create a specialty cocktail, celebrating the Artist’s work. Here’s what they came up with: 

Wabi Sabi

1/3 ounce Balsamic Gastrique
1/4 ounce Pomegranate
1 bottle Zipang  Gekkeikan

Draw design on the side of a wine glass using Balsamic Gastrique.
Pour Pomegranate into bottom of glass.
Pour Sake into the center  of the glass.

TASTE Responsibly!

We’re Celebrating the 35th Anniversary of SAM’s Film Noir Cycle!

 

Next week, SAM celebrates the 35th anniversary of the world’s longest-running film noir series, and the upcoming exhibition Elles: Women Artists from the Centre Pompidou, Paris, with a salute to some of the most powerful female characters, and actresses, to ever scorch the silver screen.

To  honor the celebration, TASTE Lead Bartender Duncan Chase has created the perfect craft cocktail to compliment this one-of-a-kind series: the 35 mm Manhattan. 

This is a simple twist on the classic cocktail, using Bulleit Bourbon as the base combined with some dark exotic flavors. Every good film noir has a bullett.

35 mm Manhattan

2 ounces Bulleit Bourbon

1/2 ounce Lustau East India Solera

1/2 ounce Noilly Pratt Dry Vermouth

2 dashes of Fee Brothers Aztec Chocolate

Combine with ice cubes, stir and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with an orange slice.

 TASTE Responsibly!

TASTE Women Are Taking Over the Kitchen!

The Blue Room (La chambre bleue), 1923, Suzanne Valadon (French, 1865-1938), oil on canvas, 35.4 x 45.7 inches, Centre Georges Pompidou, Musée national d’art moderne, Paris.

TASTE Women are taking over the Kitchen and Bar for SAM’s upcoming exhibit, Elles: Women Artists from the Centre Pompidou, Paris at the Seattle Art Museum beginning October 11 2012 through January 13, 2012.

This landmark exhibit more than 130 works of art made by 75 women artists from 1907 to 2007. Organized by the Centre Pompidou in Paris, home to the Musée National d’Art Moderne—on of the largest collections of modern and contemporary art in Europe—this exhibition is an unforgettable visual experience that will challenge visitors’ assumptions about art of the past century. This ambitious survey of daring painting, sculpture, drawing, photography, video, and installation by innovative women artists offers a fresh perspective on a history of modern and contemporary art. With vision, humor, sensuality and ambiguity, these women represent the major movements in modern art—from abstraction to contemporary concerns, including identity politics.

Artists include Sonia Delaunay, Frida Kahlo, Dora Maar, Diane Arbus, Marina Abramović, Louise Bourgeois, Atsuko Tanaka, Cindy Sherman, Sophie Calle, Hannah Wilke, Nan Goldin and Tania Bruguera, among others. An exhilarating exhibition that has already become a milestone in the history of exhibitions, Elles will excite the casual viewer as much as the hardboiled expert.

       -       Marisa C. Sánchez, Associate Curator, Modern & Contemporary Art

The TASTE Culinary and Bar Teams were challenged to create complimenting menu items inspired by the pioneering women artists featured in this bold, provocative new exhibition. We empowered our female chefs and bar team to create special menus featuring women farmers, food artisans, winemakers and distillers while focusing on the strong feminine force at that is taking over SAM. The menus that were created embodies the power and finesse of women in the food industry and we’re thrilled to share it with our guests.

Below you will find just a little taste of offerings created on behalf of this daring new exhibit:

Executive Chef Craig Hetherington | TASTE Restaurant

Inspired by the vintage cookbook, The Way to a Mans Heart, The Settlement Cookbook from 1930, Executive Chef Craig was excited to take a tongue and cheek approach to his menu creations for this female driven exhibit. We all crave traditional American home-style cooking and with Chef Craig’s unique  and contemporary approach he  proves once and for all the that they way to a man’s heart still is through his stomach.

“I really  liked the idea of taking traditional menu items, such as the standard  pot roast and potatoes, and putting a more modern spin on them. By using  seasonal ingredients available throughout the Fall and Winter, I look forward to purchasing our food items from our local women producers, such as Linda Neunzig of Ninety Farms in  Arlington, WA”

A Few  Menu Items:

Braised Short Ribs | chanterelles & potato puree                                                           

Ninety Farms Grilled Lamb T- bone | cauliflower gratin & marinated lacinato kale                    

Parisian Gnocchi  | spiced autumn squash & brown butter 

Stokesberry Farm Rabbit Bolognese | tomato demi & crème fraiche

Pastry Chef Will Fausser  | TASTE Restaurant & Events

Inspired by the warmth and depth of flavors found in the Fall and Winter, Pastry Chef Will is excited about having the opportunity to support the finest female producers in the area, including supporting the partnership with Theo Chocolate and the Jane Goodall  Institute.

“I’m proud to not only incorporate fare trade chocolate into my desserts, but also to be supporting such a good cause – all proceeds of the Theo & Jane Goodall Chocolates go to benefit the Jane Goodall Institution. I’m also very excited to be working with great female producers of the Pacific Northwest and to showcase their delicious  seasonal produce.”

A Few  Menu Items:

Theo “Jane Goodall” Brownie Bite

Huckleberry Thumbprint Cookie

Ennis Hazelnut Shortbread

Spiced Pear Cheesecake

 

Sous Chef Josie Urbick | TASTE Events

Spicy, Caliente, Sassy, Provocative, Daring, Sensual, Feminine – The words Sous Chef Josie focused on while creating her female inspired catering menu for TASTE Events.

“When I was creating the Catering menu, I first thought: What would a daring woman do? They would do things a little bit differently. My number one focus was creating menu items that are crisp, clean, delicious and  representative of food I enjoy, but with a strong and interesting twist.”

A Few Menu Items:

Tray Passed Bites

 Tomato Jam Tartlet |  herbed goat cheese & skagit candied bacon crumbles

Asian Meatloaf Slider | kimchee, grilled scallions & sesame aioli

Baked Spinach Bites | preserved lemon and soy mustard dipping sauce

Special Exhibit Bite Station

Ancho Spiked Beecher’s Flagship Fondue 

Curried Red Lentil & Olive Oil Dip 

Mac & Cheese | cayenne roasted butternut squash & browned butter kale 

Grilled Zucchini “Steaks”  | ginger jalapeño chimichurri & toasted pine nuts 

Maple Glazed Sable Fish  | whipped sunchokes & tamarind coconut 

Painted Hills Hangar Steak  | grilled & marinated, fresh herbs & fig gastrique 

 

TASTE Bar

Gellhorn’s Daiquiri (by Tiffany Friday)

“Martha Gellhorn was a war journalist for 60 years. She was married to Ernest Hemmingway from 1940-1945 and could match his drinking when she chose. My inspiration was to create a feminine version of the ‘Hemmingway Daiquiri’”

11/2 oz Appleton White Rum
1/2 oz Rosemary simple
1/4 oz Luxardo Marachino
2 oz Grapefruit Juice

Pour all ingredients into a mixing glass, shake and strain into a highball glass filled with crushed ice. Garnish with a sprig of fresh rosemary.

New TASTE Restaurant Hours during the Elle  Exhibit at the Seattle Art Museum:

Tuesday: 11am- close    |     Lunch, Happy Hour

Wednesday – Saturday: 11am-close   |     Lunch, Happy Hour & Dinner

Sunday: 11am-5pm    |    All Day Brunch

Closed Monday