The Best Things Eater Seattle's Editor Ate in May
At Eater Seattle, we have to eat out a lot — it's right there in the website name, next to 'Seattle.' Sometimes, this research shows up in the articles and maps we publish, but sometimes, we eat something so good that we have to tell everyone about it. This running monthly column is a place for us to share especially good dishes with you. Find April's edition here . Peanut butter shoyu icebox pie at the Wayland Mill
The Wayland Mill is a new cafe and restaurant from Yasuaki Saito, who owns or co-owns Saint Bread, Post Alley Pizza, and Tivoli. So naturally, there's a lot of hype around the place, even though it's still in soft-open mode and serving just breakfast and baked goods. The peanut butter pie is already a standout — it's reminiscent of an upscale version of a Reese's-based pie you might find at Chili's. There are peanut butter and chocolate notes, but the pie filling manages to stay light and fluffy, with a sesame-chocolate crust providing a bit of heft. I'm not usually a fan of roasted nuts, but the ones that top the whipped cream are gently roasted and caramel-coated, yet not too sweet. Bicerin at Ancient Gate
There are a lot of coffee places in the University District but precious few serving good coffee. Ancient Gate, on the Ave, is the exception that proves the rule —it serves high-quality single-origin beans, and its small menu of speciality drinks is consistently interesting. Case in point is this bicerin, an Italian drink that combines hot chocolate with espresso. Richer, darker, and creamier than your garden-variety mocha, it also has an intriguing edge of bitterness from the combination of the dark chocolate and the espresso. It's a chocolate drink for adults. Pastel de nata at Nata Seattle
A while back I wrote a story about egg tarts, which can be found all over Seattle in Chinese bakeries and restaurants; the pastry originated in Portugal before spreading to Hong Kong and Macau during the colonial era. Not long after I wrote that story, a Portuguese baker named Ricardo Fernandes reached out to me to say that he had started a egg tart speciality bakery called Nata that was operating out of a commissary kitchen in West Seattle. Now he's selling them at farmers markets, and you should make a plan to get a half-dozen. These are killer egg tarts — a flaky but still chewy crust that cradles a cinnamon-scented custard. It's so light and airy you'll have eaten two before you realize what's happening. Nata does rotating special flavors (including pandan and pear blue cheese), but the 'original' is what you should get to start. Firefly squid at LTD Edition Sushi
When you eat a 20-or-so-course omakase meal often the individual dishes go by in a blur. But these tiny little fellas, from the spring menu at Capitol Hill's LTD Edition Sushi, stick in your mind. That's largely because of the texture — the tentacles are intriguing crunchy, but the head (body? whatever) is creamy and smooth, almost eggy, thanks to the squid's liver. A big draw at LTD is delicacies like firefly squid (or sea snails, or baby eels, or monkfish liver, all part of the meal when I ate here) served without pretension, though not without flair. These squids might be off the June menu, but they'll surely get swapped out for something just as intriguing.
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Business Insider
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Chefs share the best and worst meals to make with ground beef
We asked chefs for some of the best and worst ways to use ground beef in meals. Tacos, soups, and meat-based sauces can be filling and easy to prepare. They said you should avoid using prepackaged ground beef to make burgers or beef stroganoff. Ground beef is a popular base for many meals, but they aren't all created equally. So, we asked chefs for some of their favorite things to cook with ground beef and a few recipes they'd probably skip. Bolognese sauce with pasta is simple and delicious. Palak Patel, a chef with the Institute of Culinary Education, told Business Insider that one of her favorite easy weeknight dinners is a hearty Bolognese or Italian meat sauce served over pasta. "It's very easy to make a small or large batch to freeze for later," Patel said, "because all you have to do is combine ground beef with herbs and tomato. You can cook it slowly on the stovetop, slow cooker, or even an Instant Pot." For a lighter version of this dish that's perfect for warmer months, use fresh tomatoes instead of canned for the sauce. Ground-beef tacos are easily customizable. Jessica Randhawa, a chef with The Forked Spoon, told BI that ground beef can be a scrumptious taco filling. "Ground-beef tacos are easy to make at home and can be full of flavor," she said. "Plus, you can control the fat content based on your personal needs by choosing leaner or fattier ground beef." You can make an easy taco filling by simmering ground beef with tomato sauce and spices like paprika, garlic powder, and cumin. Add chopped vegetables or shredded cheese for extra flavor. Cajun rice is a cheap and filling way to enjoy ground beef. Cajun rice, also known as dirty rice for its color, is a traditional Louisiana Creole dish made with seasoned rice, chopped peppers, and spiced meat such as ground beef. "Cajun rice is a great way to use ground beef," Randhawa said. "Though it's usually known as a spicy dish, you can omit spicy ingredients like jalapeño if you're sensitive to heat." In addition to being a versatile meal that can easily be scaled up or down to feed groups of different sizes, Cajun rice is an ideal way to use up different cuts of meat — toss in leftover steak, sausage, or even chicken gizzards. Meatballs are a classic way to showcase quality ground beef. Mila Furman, a private chef and recipe developer with Girl and the Kitchen, told BI that meatballs are an ideal way to use high-quality ground beef. "Meatballs are one of the most versatile meals to have in your [arsenal] as a chef," Furman said. "They're super simple to put together and will always be a hit for the whole table." Whether you're making classic meatballs with tomato sauce or whipping up a batch of creamy Swedish meatballs, using ground beef with a slightly higher fat percentage will keep them juicy and tender. Add ground beef to soup for extra protein. If you're struggling to think of ways to use up a small portion of leftover ground beef, putting it in a soup may just be the answer. "Using ground beef in soups isn't just for chili," Furman said. "Add ground beef — especially in the form of leftover meatballs — into soup with plenty of hearty vegetables for a complete meal." Lasagna can keep ground beef from tasting dry or overcooked. A great way to infuse prepackaged ground beef with tons of moisture and flavor is to bake it into a lasagna. "Lasagna is a versatile ground-beef meal because it's very hearty and works well with all kinds of veggies, like mushrooms, squash, or corn," Patel said. "Plus, you can add a fried egg on top to turn leftovers into a weekend brunch." On the other hand, you shouldn't use a typical package of ground beef to make burgers. Patel said that using an average grocery-store package of ground beef to make burgers is a mistake. "It is important to know the type of beef that you're buying," Patel said. "Prepackaged grocery-store ground beef is not processed daily or in-house, so the resulting burgers tend to be dry and chewy." Instead of grabbing a package of ground beef, ask the deli or butcher to grind a portion of quality beef for you. Cuts such as chuck steak usually have a better ratio of fat to lean meat, which makes for a juicier burger. It can be difficult to make good beef stroganoff with ground beef. Beef stroganoff is traditionally made with sautéed pieces of whole beef, but some recipes call for ground beef instead. Unfortunately, this variation is hard to get right. "This is a very classic recipe for ground beef, but often the beef is left bland and dry while the delicate egg noodles are overcooked," Patel said. Patel added that if the ratio of cream to beef is not balanced, this dish can become overly creamy and even soggy. Steak tartare is tricky to prepare at home, and it isn't always safe to eat. Steak tartare is made with lightly seared or raw ground beef, usually served as a patty topped with a raw egg yolk. Randhawa said home chefs — and restaurant diners — should generally avoid steak tartare for safety reasons. "Unlike other raw-meat recipes from around the world, steak tartare does not include an acidic citrus juice," Randhawa said. Acidic citrus juice can cause meat to seem somewhat cooked, but it doesn't actually make it entirely safe to eat. "Uncooked meat can have both dangerous parasites and potentially life-threatening bacteria," Randhawa added. You may want to avoid adding warm ground beef to chilled salads. Some salad recipes call for ground beef as a topping. But the temperature difference between warm ground beef and a cold salad can cause the melted fats in the meat to solidify. "Do not put ground beef in your salads if you can help it," Furman said. "You often end up with a situation where beef fat leaks down through the greens and congeals." You could avoid this stomach-turning scenario by chilling the cooked ground beef beforehand.


New York Post
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Yahoo
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54 migrants rescued from oil platform, where one woman gave birth
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