DaRoo's Pizza - Bagley, MN

I have arrived in the Northwoods of Minnesota!!

I must say, I never thought I'd make the big move to be closer to my family in Northern Minnesota, but I'm finding that I truly love it here! It's a different, slower paced life for sure and there will be adjustments I will have to make. The conveniences I came to expect in Kitsap and in Redmond are not always right at my fingertips... especially my favorite nail artist!! I am starting to wonder if I will ever have my treasured sushi again... but alas, I will have walleye, something I have not had the pleasure of in the PNW.

Last evening I had the great pleasure of experiencing DaRoo's Pizza in the small town I live near of Bagley, MN. I am a lover of pizza and always have been --- if it is of a thin crust, the more thin the better.

DaRoo's is like many small town venues, friendly and a family environment.... video games abound - I am sure it is plentiful with high school kids after sporting events. Tables abound with space for many to accommodate groups both large and small. The service was adequate --- very friendly, but refills not always the fastest... I've learned to adjust my pace for this life however... being out of the city changes things.

As for the pizza.... we tried - cheese, sausage and pepperoni and olive.... no complaints from anyone and salads all around. Wonderful thin crust by my standards with just enough cheese -- too much cheese on a thin crust can be overpowering.

Excellent pizza, good service, fair prices..... we will return!!

Hopefully I'll be reviewing more recipes than in the past... with some scandinavian flair now that I'm in this part of the country.... especially when the holidays roll around! Happy dining everyone and may your adventures be epicuriously satisfying!

Happy Memorial Day!

Anne

Recipe #4 - Glazed Ham

In recognition of my favorite holiday which just recently passed (Easter), I thought I would post and review my favorite recipe for a Maple Glazed Ham. The recipe is as follows:

Glaze
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup maple syrup
2 tablespoons Dijon Mustard
1 tablespoon vinegar
a pinch of nutmeg.

Mix the ingredients for the glaze in a saucepan until smooth. On medium heat, bring the ingredients to a simmer and simmer for two more minutes.

Score your ham with a sharp knife first one way and then crosswise so it resembles a checkerboard. You might wish to garnish the top with cherries or in, slices of pineapple. Bake in a preheated 325 degree oven covered with foil about 1-1/4 hrs. Increase temp to 400 degrees, uncover ham and brush on the glaze. Bake approximately 20 minutes or until glaze is bubbling. Let ham rest for 15 minutes before carving.

This recipe was given to me by a friend who has prepared it for me in the past. As a fan of glazed hams, I have to say that this is the best I’ve tried and highly recommend this glaze. I hope you’ll give it a try for your next family meal.

Poulsbo Woodfired Pizza House - Poulsbo

My pizza adventure began in Montana when I was in junior high I suppose as I discovered how much I truly loved a fine thin crust pizza prepared in a brick oven.  Anyone who has ever ventured across North Central and parts of Western Montana knows of Howard’s Pizza and how people will travel far and wide just to grab a piece of this unique pizza… incredibly thin and cut in squares not pie shaped because of its thinness.  Since then I have been searching for something similar which has a crispy crust, delectable sauce and just the right amount of cheese as not to be overpowering.  I have found as of late that many pizzerias are using multiple cheeses on their pizzas and most purists will tell you (like myself) that pizza is made with mozzarella and only mozzarella and there is no need to overpower the sauce with cheese unless a customer requests it.

This past Saturday, I decided to take advantage of the wonderful summer weather and venture to downtown Poulsbo which is always bustling on a lovely day, especially on the weekends.  It is always such a pleasure to see so many people out and about enjoying their Saturday walking Main Street and dining al fresco and Saturday was a perfect day for this. 

On this particular day, I opted to try (for the first time) Poulsbo Woodfired Pizza House.  From the outside, this looks like any other shop in downtown Poulsbo , the buildings have a German flair with Scandinavian flags hanging in front but the entrance for this building is in the rear with a nice outdoor deck for spring/summer dining such as was the case on Saturday.  Dining on the inside, it is a treat to be able to see the pizza chef flipping his pizzas right before your very eyes as he demonstrates his skills similar to a sushi master.  I quite enjoyed watching the pieces of dough being tossed in the air with such talent.

Pizza is available by the slice or by the pie with the addition of soup or salad or buffalo wings.  PWPH serves non-alcoholic beverages plus beer and wine.  I ordered my pizza without toppings to get a true taste of the sauce, cheese and crust together without an interruption of the toppings.  I was giving the option of ordering a thin crust although the regular crust appeared fairly thin, I was not taking any chances as I had not had much luck finding the thin crust I had been looking for unsuccessfully.

At last, my pizza arrived!  It looked wonderful.  Crust appeared crispy, not too much cheese (as I watched the preparation, just one cheese as well) but still adequate and right amount of sauce but the true test is always in the taste of course.  Patrons around me were asking the pizza chef where he trained so I was pretty sure I was in for a treat.  Yes, the crust was very thin!  At last I had found the ultra crust I had craved for so very long.  One must realize – I am a pizza lover and will try a million pizzas just to find the perfect one.  Everyone has a preference for what they think is the ‘perfect pizza’.  My daughter and I used to argue this fact constantly when she still lived at home because she liked a thicker crust and I did not – but then again – she did not grow up on that wonderful thin crust pizza I did in Montana – such a shame it is for some to be deprived of such wonderful foods!  But I digress --- back to my pizza at hand.  Everything about Poulsbo’s pizza is incredible in my opinion.  If you are a pizza lover like me, you owe it to yourself to at least try one slice!

As for the service – there is a cashier behind the counter that does everything (or was on Saturday) and she definitely scored with me by never missing a beat!  She helped me order my pizza the way that I wanted it so the crust would be thin and told me how to order it in the future to insure the same but also checking on me at the table while keeping an eye at the front --- definitely not an easy task on a busy Saturday!  In my opinion, good service makes my meal even better and should not go unrecognized – never forget your server!

Der Blokken Brewery - Bremerton (Manette)

Last night I attended my first Grand Opening at Der Blokken in the Manette neighborhood of Bremerton.

Der Blokken is a new brew pub located at the intersection of 11^th and Perry Ave. in Manette and makes one of its own brews which is a ‘light stout’ by their terms. Not being a stout drinker, I didn’t have an opportunity to sample this brew.

The grand opening was the past Friday and Saturday from 4-11 pm and was quite well attended when I visited on Saturday. There is a good size dining area in the bar area and away from the bar as well for over flow. The interior has been given a new look according to one of the owners I spoke to from the stark white interior they were faced with upon arrival. Adding punches of color, a new bar area and the large visible vats of beer give Der Blokken a definite feel of a brew pub. I was reminded of a similar brew pub about the same size from my time on the eastside that is located in Issaquah.

My friend and I sat at the bar on this particular evening and tested a couple of beers to start off our evening. Our first go round was an amber ale – Boont – which I was not too fond of but thought I would be. I’m generally not a beer drinker and neither is my friend but, when in Rome. The patron next to me however, thought the same beer was wonderful; in fact, he had two I believe because he enjoyed it so much. I also tried the Allagash White – which is similar to a Heffeweizen and I quite liked this one, however my friend did not care for it so much and returned to the amber.

As for the menu – typical bar food – some sandwiches, chowder, spinach salad, fish and chips – seem to have a bit of a German flair but not entirely. I tried the chowder in a bread bowl and found it to be quite good. The sourdough is not made on site but was very fresh and made the soup more appealing I think. One of the better chowders, but then again I do believe this is an Ivar’s chowder if I recall the menu correctly and that is hard to beat! My neighbors at the bar were raving about their meals as well and they had 1) Pastrami Reuben with fries 2) spinach salad with feta and strawberries (I was told this was a 10!) and 3) German sausage sandwich with fries.

Not being a beer drinker per se and the fact that this establishment does not serve hard alcohol, I don’t know if I will return – however, for the beer drinker in the crowd I would strongly recommend, we had a fun time and it was a privilege to chat with one of the owners as he tended the bar as well.

Der Blokken is located at 1100 Perry Ave., Bremerton, WA

Blazing Onion Burger - Gig Harbor

The Blazing Onion Burger Company has 3 locations – Mill Creek, Snohomish and Gig Harbor.

This past Saturday, I decided to take advantage of the wonderful weather and take a drive to see what the Blazing Onion was all about as I had heard their burgers were quite good and I have been known to take a drive for an excellent burger.

The Blazing Onion uses ground chuck and all patties are made on premises. For the more ‘adventurous’ appetite, they offer buffalo and wild boar burgers on the boar but you will have to try that yourself, I stop at antelope and have experienced that already. Although most burgers list ground chuck, there is the option to have chicken or veggie instead on the same burger.

The Blazing Onion offers an ‘upgrade’ for the heartier appetite --- upgrade your 1/3 burger to an XL (2/3 lb.) or a Pounder or a Triple XL 2 Pounder (6 patties). I do know someone that tried the Triple XL and survived so if you have the appetite for it, go for it!

The Blazing Onion in Gig Harbor is located off of Pt. Fosdick Drive --- I recommend you know where you are going however, it is not listed in directory (411) and not being too familiar with the area, I had to call another location to get the phone number for directions. They are directly across from Borders if you are familiar.

Once you step into the restaurant you are given the option of ordering at the counter and seating yourself in the restaurant or sitting in the bar and being waited on (this was my choice). When dining alone, I almost always eat in the bar when there are children present… just my preference. I’m a mother, it’s true but my child is grown and I’m finished with that stage of my life. I have found that not everyone handles their children as I do and I’d rather not be frustrated by that fact while I’m eating.

My server was Miranda – who turned out to be an excellent server by the way!! I told her where I was from and she wished me a safe drive home in fact, excellent touch. The restaurant was quite busy on this day (due to the weather in part I’m sure and being Saturday) and she never missed a beat.

I had the All American Burger – the burgers can be served with regular fries, onion rings or sweet potato fries… I chose regular fries. This was an incredible burger, juicy but not greasy. Blazing Onion uses its own burger sauce and will be bottling it soon and it is quite delicious – not quite like thousand island but very good. Fries are endless and my server did make a point to ask me if I wanted more… I opted for dessert instead!

The dessert I chose was Blazing Onion’s Chocolate Cake ---- layers and layers of thick, rich, fudgy chocolate cake topped with a fudge frosting, drizzled with fudge over the top. This was hands down the best chocolate cake I’ve ever had. A very large slice of cake however, plan on taking it home or sharing with a friend.

All in all, although Blazing Onion in Gig Harbor is outside of Kitsap County and a bit of a drive --- 40 minutes for me from Silverdale --- it was definitely worth the drive and I would consider returning!

http://www.blazingonion.com

Recipe #3 - BBQ Spareribs

This is another favorite recipe of mine, this time for BBQ Ribs. When weather does not permit making ribs on the grill or it is just more convenient to prepare them in the oven, this is an excellent option. Please note that there is a recipe for a rub or you can use a commercial rub of which there are many varieties depending on your personal choice. For those that prefer the smoke of the grill in your ribs, simply rub a bit of liquid smoke on your ribs prior to preparation of this recipe to get that smokiness desired. I hope you enjoy as much as I do – all year round!

Barbecued Spareribs – James Beard

1 slab of spareribs or baby back ribs

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Barbecue Sauce – James Beard

1 stick butter (1/2 cup or ¼ pound)

1 cup chopped onion

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

½ cup catsup

¼ cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1-1/2 teaspoons freshly ground pepper

¼ teaspoon Tabasco

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon basil or 2 tablespoons fresh basil

1 tablespoon chili powder

Sauté the onions and garlic in butter till they are just tender. Add the remaining ingredients for the sauce. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. For spareribs, bake uncovered at 325 for 3 hours.

Salt and pepper the ribs:

Rub for ribs

¼ cup paprika

¼ cup paprika

1 tablespoon salt

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 tablespoon garlic salt

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (Adjust the cayenne for a hotter rub)

1 tablespoon black pepper

Mix the rub ingredients together and sprinkle on ribs or use a commercial rub of your choosing.

It’s best to stand ribs on a rack with small ends of the ribs standing up. Bake for 90 minutes for baby backs and 3 hrs for spareribs. Meat will shrink 3/8” away from the bone about when ready. During the last 30 minutes or so start basting the ribs with the prepared sauce from above. Start basting on the meat side (lay the ribs flat for this process) and then baste in 10 minutes on the bone side, in 10 min. on the meat side, etc.

Asparagus Delight

This is my favorite recipe for asparagus. I have discovered a newfound love for roasted asparagus and the thinner the stalk, the better it is in my opinion. The herbs you choose can be varied, but no matter the blend, I just can’t get enough of this side item! If you ever have had trouble getting your kids to eat their veggies, try this one – I know my daughter fell in love with asparagus the first time I made it for her. Enjoy! Bon Appetit!

Asparagus Delight

1 Bunch Asparagus (thin stalks)

1 tablespoon lemon juice

3-4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Herbs (personal choice) or lemon pepper

Parmesan cheese

Wash and trim one bunch of asparagus (smaller stalks are best). Place asparagus on foil lined baking pan. Sprinkle with lemon juice (personal taste or about 1 Tbsp). Pour approximately 3-4 Tbsp of extra virgin olive oil over the asparagus (making sure to cover all of the stalks). Sprinkle a blend of your favorite herbs or use lemon pepper. An all purpose herb and spice blend works well. Sprinkle parmesan cheese liberally over the asparagus and roast in the oven for approximately 10-12 minutes at 350 degrees. You can also broil the asparagus, adjusting the time to approximately 6 minutes. Serves 2 asparagus lovers or 4 ‘less enthusiastic’ asparagus eaters.