Bars around Pullman!!

Pullman Bars

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By Ben and Amanda

Incorporate Wine into Your Halloween Party Plans!

Everybody loves a good Halloween shin-dig, so make yours extra special, or bring a killer gift for host, by brining in some Halloween-themed wine.

Signature Wines allows you to create custom Halloween labels, and is easy to use. However it is a bit pricey. First, you pick the type of wine they offer from a list they provede, and second, you customize one of their Halloween labels for your chosen wine. The cost ranges from $125-300 per 12-bottle case.

Wicked Wines Online and Vampire Wines offer sppoky wines directly from Transylvania. These wines come with vampire wine labels and are sure to be the hit of the party. The Vampire wines are very reasonably priced and are for sale for about $10 per bottle.

Here is a great Mulled Wine recipe I found online, sure to warm anyone up after a chilly night of ghosts and ghouls:

Simmer the following ingredients for 20 min. It’s better if you steep in the refrigerator overnight, but if you prefer, strain & drink right away. Serve warm.

1 bottle of fruity red wine (Spanish wine is a good choice)

1 cup sugar

2 cinnamon sticks

3 whole cloves

1 tsp grated nutmeg

1/2 tsp toasted whole black peppercorns

1/2 tsp whole allspice

1/2 vanilla bean

1 star anise

1 sliced orange

1 sliced lemon

1 cup cognac or brandy

Budget Bytes

I love food, but I hate spending all of my hard-earned cash on it. Thankfully, I recently came across Budget Bytes, a blog that aims to save home cooks money without sacrificing great taste or quality. Blogger Beth M. encourages readers to make excellent food at home instead of settling for mediocre takeout or fast food. Beth outlines how to stock your kitchen on a budget to make cooking a breeze. One neat feature about Budget Bytes is how approximate costs per recipe and serving are calculated for you! I like Beth's inclusion of seasonal recipes, like this pumpkin soup that would be perfect for Halloween ($1.07 per serving - awesome)!

Cheese Fest!

The Moscow Food Co-Op will host its second annual Cheese Fest this Saturday from 1 to 4 in the co-op's deli. Cheese Fest will feature dozens of cheese samples from seven local cheese makers, including the WSU Creamery. There will be a variety of cheeses from cows, goats and even sheep.

Read more about the event at www.dailyevergreen.com/story/29858.

Black Cypress brings a taste of Greece, Italy, and France to rural Pullman

As you walk into the Black Cypress, you might think a crazy person was in charge of the décor.

Between the Burlap hanging from the ceiling, the multitude of mirrors on the walls and the naked light bulbs hanging just above eye-level, the whole place comes off as a bit of a mad-house. And it fits, owner and head chef Nick Pitsilionis is crazy—about his food.

“I was looking forward to a lazy summer,” Pitsilionis said. “…A week after I had made this arrangement where I was just going to chill, I ran into Mike (Yates) who told me that this (location) had opened up.

“I took a week to think about it, and just made the jump and said ‘Let’s do it,’” Pitsilionis said. “I signed the lease a week after I found the opportunity was here, and then two months later we have a restaurant.”

You’d have to a little insane to open a restaurant right now—the economy is suffering, tuition at WSU is up, many Palouse residents are looking for new ways to save money and prices at Black Cypress are not cheap due to the local organic produce Pitsilionis uses.

In spite of the good location, building owner Mike Yates said the Black Cypress is the third restaurant to occupy 215 E Main Street in as many years.

When Yates bought the building in 2004 a French restaurant called Combray was on the first floor. After Combray went out of business, Yates renovated the building and split the bottom floor into two units.

In 2005 an Italian restaurant called Bella Dolci moved in. It lasted until 2008, when the husband and wife owners decided they wanted a lifestyle change.

Then Cooky’s, a European deli and grocery moved in. Cooky’s only lasted a year before family issues forced the owners to close up shop.

Pitsilionis said that although the local economy is slightly sheltered by the university, local businesses have been hit hard. Despite this, he said he still thought there was room for another fine-dining establishment in Pullman.

“My impression is that if people are getting value and food, they’re going to come out and eat,” he said. “I don’t think that the economy is that bad that we’re not going to be able to succeed if we’re providing good food and good service for people, which is our intent.”

Despite all of his optimism, and his intense passion for cooking and hospitality, Pitsilionis never actually wanted to open his own restaurant. He wanted to avoid it at all costs in fact, but eventually the draw was just too strong.

“Opening a restaurant is pretty much the last thing I’ve wanted to do my whole life,” he said. “It’s what I was trying to run away from forever. I never had any illusions about what it entailed.”

A lot of people have romantic notions of what they think a restaurant is—it’s a constant dinner party—and it isn’t, Pitsilionis said, it’s a lot of hard work, a lot of hours and the money can be alright, but there’s a lot easier ways to make money.

“If you’re doing it for the money it’s probably not the smartest thing to do. You’ve got to like food and hospitality, and you’ve got to care about people, and I do like those things.

“Doing it constantly, day after day, all this stuff is demanding,” Pitsilionis said. “So I finally made the decision that: I’m good at it, I like doing it, I like the people and I’m ready, at this point in my life, to devote myself to it.”

Despite the stress of opening his own restaurant, or maybe because of it, Pitsilionis maintains a relaxed atmosphere in the kitchen. In between teaching his new cooks and making sure dishes are served correctly, he finds time to crack jokes and learn about his employees—all the while cooking his ingredients to perfection on his new hardwood grill.

“You've got to be kind of bat-**** crazy to want to open a restaurant,” cook and WSU student Will Henderson said. “But (Nick's) crazy in a good way.”

A review of Black Cypress' food can be found here.

Sound Slides: Hello, Cupcake!

Cake Wrecks

You don't have to be into baking to laugh at others' misfortunes on Cake Wrecks. The site is best described by blogger Jen Yates:

"A Cake Wreck is any cake that is unintentionally sad, silly, creepy, inappropriate - you name it. A Wreck is not necessarily a poorly-made cake; it's simply one I find funny, for any of a number of reasons. Anyone who has ever smeared frosting on a baked good has made a Wreck at one time or another, so I'm not here to vilify decorators: Cake Wrecks is just about finding the funny in unexpected, sugar-filled places."

Also check out the article on Cake Wrecks in the New York Times.

Sizing up the competition

The Daily Beast recently released its list of top 15 colleges and universities for dining food. I was eager to see if perhaps WSU made the cut. Here's what they decided:

1. Oregon State University
2. Virginia Tech
3. St. Olaf College
4. Wniversity of Massachusetts at Amherst
5. Bowdoin College (hello, Maine lobster)
6. Washington University in St. Louis
7. Grinnell College
8. Mills College
9. Stanford
10. Boston College
11. Colorado College (dining services provided a loan to the student garden in exchange for fresh produce!)
12. Wheaton College
13. College of William and Mary
14. University of California - Berkeley
15. Illinois Institute of Technology

GO OSU!

I was bummed to see we didn't impress the judges this time around, but to be fair, I didn't think some of these other schools had much more to be proud of than we do. Want to see the reasoning? Check out the list HERE.

What do you think of our WSU dining services? Which dining center do you prefer most? And if you could add one thing to the menu or change one thing in terms of opperations, what would that be?

A cookie-a-day keeps the doctor away

I just received my Nov. 2009 Real Simple Magazine in the mail and, in addition to being floored by the new layout and design, I picked up a few new ideas and tips for the fall and holiday season.

I'm happy to pass on one of my favorites to you:

Sign up at www.realsimple.com/newsletters for the Cookie-A-Day Newsletter, which will deliver a cookie or dessert recipe to your inbox every day fom Nov. 1 until the new year begins.

Want to see all of Real Simple's recipes at once? Click HERE

I've been thinking. Since I'm especially strapped for cash this holiday, perhaps I'll invest some time - rather than money - in making some yummy holiday gifts for friends and family.

What are some of your favorite holiday recipes? Any Thanksgiving treats you'd like to share? I promise to give you credit at my turkey table.

Arbor Crest Winery- A good taste of local wine

While shopping at River Park Square in Spokane on Saturday, my fiance and I decided to try a glass of wine from Arbor Crest at the food court. We decided to try the 2006 Sauvignon Blanc (which is on special right now for just $11 for a bottle) and it was great. It offered a lot of fruity flavors and was very fresh tasting and lively.

Although the lady assisting us was a bit eccentric, she was very knowledgeable and gave us some good tips:

1. when smelling a wine, leave the level and bring your nose all the way into the glass, even going so far as to bring your cheeks to the glass.

2. swirl the wine so that it gets as thin to the glass as possible for approx. 25 seconds to allow as much air into it as possible and then smell it again. This time it should smell much more fruity.

Arbor Crest Winery is located in Spokane and offers a large variety of wines. The actual winery is a great place to go wine tasting, have a wedding, and to host many other events. Check out their website at http://www.arborcrest.com/ for more information!

Chicken and Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta

Just one word... Delicious!
Pasta is topped with chicken in a wine sauce flavored with sun-dried tomatoes, vegetables, and fennel. The recipe says that it takes about 30 minutes to make, but for newbies to the cooking world, such as myself, it took about 45 minutes. But it was worth it!

Prep Time: :15

Cook Time: :15

Ingredients:

1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon ground sage

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper

2 boneless chicken breast halves, cut into 1-inch cubes

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 medium sweet onion, diced

1 carrot, peeled, cut into matchstick-size pieces

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup white wine

1 teaspoon fennel seeds

1/4 cup finely chopped oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes

1/4 cup chicken broth

1/2 pound linguine(or other favored pasta)

1/4 cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese

Preparation:

Place flour, sage, salt, and pepper in a large zip-top bag. Squish to combine. Add chicken cubes and toss to coat.

Place a large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil to the hot pan and swirl to coat. Add onions and carrots. Saute for 2 minutes, stirring often. Stir in garlic and cook 1 additional minute.

Increase heat to medium-high. Add the chicken to the skillet cook until lightly browned. Carefully pour in the white wine. Cook for 2 minutes, then stir in the fennel seeds, sun-dried tomatoes, and chicken broth. Cook an additional 2 minutes.

Add chicken and vegetables to the cooked pasta along with the Parmesan cheese. Toss to coat. Serve hot.
Yield: 2 large servings

Apple-Cranberry Sauce

Thanksgiving is just around the corner (sort of), and I think it's high time that I contribute to meal instead of just feasting all day. I found a great recipe from Real Simple for Apple-Cranberry sauce. Cranberry sauce is one of my favorite parts of Thanksgiving dinner (I put it on top of everything!) and this recipe is a fun variation on the traditional sauce.

Ingredients

• 1 pound cranberries, fresh or frozen
• 1 cup apple cider
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar

Directions

1. In a saucepan, combine the cranberries, cider, and sugars.
2. Simmer until the cranberries begin to burst and the sauce thickens, 12 to 15 minutes.

When I was at the grocery store this weekend, fresh cranberries weren't available, so I picked up a bag of frozen. It weighed 10 ounces, which is six ounces less than a pound, so I adjusted the amounts of apple cider and the sugars accordingly. I decided to buy a spiced apple cider to add an extra kick to the recipe. When the sauce starts to heat up, it the cranberries start to pop, so don't be alarmed!

Pullman Farm Fresh Market

WSU to participate in greenhouse gas study

A common concern of vegetarians are the possibly pernicious environmental effects of industrial farming. In 2006, a UN report on the environmental effects of industrial farming found it to be one of the leading contributors to greenhouse emissions, calling it "one of the top two or three most significant contributors to the most serious environmental problems, at every scale from local to global," (www.goveg.com/environment-globalwarming.asp).

WSU will participate in a stinky new study that will look at the levels of greenhouse gases released from cow manure and flatulance. Here is the full article: www.suntimes.com/news/nation/1806649,CST-NWS-cowgas05.article

Hummus

Hummus is by far my favorite dip. It is a Middle Eastern dip made from garbanzo beans, often served with pita bread. It is a great snack to munch on while you are studying, or to serve at get-togethers. Homemade hummus is incredibly quick and easy to make. A key ingredient is something called Tahini, which is roasted sesame butter. I could not find any tahini at Safeway or Dissmore's, but did find some at the Moscow Food Co-Op. Here is the recipe, which I found at http://www.about.com/. You can also play with the recipe by adding things like roasted red pepper or cayenne pepper for a spicier hummus.

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

• 16 oz. can of chickpeas or garbanzo beans


• 1/4 cup liquid from can of chickpeas


• 3-5 tablespoons lemon juice (depending on taste)


• 1 1/2 tablespoons tahini


• 2 cloves garlic, crushed


• 1/2 teaspoon salt


• 2 tablespoons olive oil

Preparation:

Drain chickpeas and set aside liquid from can. Combine remaining ingredients in blender or food processor. Add 1/4 cup liquid from chickpeas. Blend 3-5 minutes on low until thoroughly mixed and smooth.

Serve immediately with fresh, warm or toasted pita bread, or cover and refrigerate.

Hummus can be refrigerated for up to 3 days and can be kept in the freezer for up to one month. Add a little olive oil if it appears to be too dry.

Calling all meat-eaters

I have been meat-free for a total of 3 1/2 years. Technically, I am what is called an "ovo-lacto vegetarian". That means that I avoid meat products and meat by-products, such as dehydrated chicken fat, which is commonly found in things like Top Ramen, but I do eat eggs and dairy products. I do not eat fish either, but mainly because I do not care for it. So, naturally, the primary focus of my post will be vegetarianism. However, my posts will not be targeted just to vegetarians. Rather, I hope to convince my carnivorous comrades that just a reduction in meat consumption can be very beneficial to human health, animal health, and environmental health, and that replacing your favorite meat dishes with vegetarian or vegan dishes does not have to torturous to your taste buds.

I will include information about all things related to vegetarianism, some delicious vegetarian recipes and recommendations for good places to eat around town if you are avoiding meat, so check back often.