Don't let the audience distract you, this is good.

I agree with some of the comments below this video that say that the audience members are too easily impressed and vocal about it, but one thing to remember, this was at a poetry slam where the audience is suppose to react as part of the experience.

Her words are so well chosen. Fantastic imagery and very telling of women and image.

Because happiness takes all forms...here is a nice dose of it today

If you can hold out till the end... you must see the pit bull in the hammer head shark costume...

   

Do you remember your first bowl of Pho?

Courtesy of my brother's phone :)

Pho sure!... And I also remember my second.

The first time was on accident. It was at least fifteen years ago in Pioneer Square, downtown Seattle. The small Vietnamese restaurant isn't even there anymore. I ordered what sounded like a delicious noodle soup, naturally it was cold and raining here in Seattle and it seemed the perfect thing to order. The owner of the restaurant was quite pleased that my friend and I had ordered this specific soup and began to bring out a tray of condiments to accompany our choice. Hoisin sauce, chili paste, a stalk of fresh basil leaves, fresh limes and bean sprouts. It was all quite exciting. When the soup arrived it was dark, brothy and beefy delicious and had the aroma of cinnamon, cilantro and onions. I didn't really think it needed messing with, but the owner was persistent to explain how pho works. With smiles and enough hand gestures, together, my dining mate and I learned how to eat pho.

Second time was a couple years later at the Than Brothers on Broadway. The main reason for going there was because I had heard it was so cheap. Being right out of college- eating something filling for $5 is worth seeking out. Plus, you know a place is going to be okay when they only serve one thing. The Than Brothers are also famous for their mini cream puffs they give you before your soup is delivered to your table, which if you have been to a pho restaurant recently, your soup comes out within a couple minutes of ordering it. This light and airy dessert before your meal is just an added bonus. Cream puffs, baguette Banh Mi sandwiches with pate and pho are actually all a major part of Vietnamese cuisine which we can attribute to French Colonists as far back as the 18th century. The base for pho soup is a consomme, a classic French style soup made clear by a clarifying process using aromatics, egg whites and usually a meat raft. A meat raft sounds pretty gross, but it's like a magnet, collecting impurities and particles in the broth and catching them all into one big aromatic meatball that is discarded once the broth is clear. If you think about it, there is quite the process to make quality pho.

And now, I'm on a quest for just that. My husband loves the tripe and pig hearts you can get when you travel up north on 99. He asks the servers that he wants what they eat when they eat pho, something that's not on the menu. But it's not so much what's in the soup- I'll gladly take soft tendon, fatty flank and meatballs, it's really all about the broth for me. A trip to pho is never complete without a few un-phogettable puns and a reminder to wear your pho-jacket, as you will be wearing it's perfume long after you leave the restaurant.

Feel like making it yourself? Here's a couple awesome recipes, one from Steamy Kitchen and another from Allrecipes.com.

The Seattle sensation, Macklemore also has a fondness for the rice noodle soup- in fact, Bon Appetite just interviewed him about it and who knew that pho was part of the Seattle hip hop culture? Check out

Bon Appetite Magazine's interview of Macklemore's love of pho and this incredible song by Sabzi- another Northwest rapper who loves pho.


 

A life in pictures from summer to winter 2012

Just a small selection of fun pics from last year...I'm sure I'll be adding to them as I find them.

I'm a proud owner of a clam gun.

Long Beach, WA 7 am Easter 2012 "Razor Clam Hunting"

Bull Whip Kelp

Mark and one of the first Razor Clams! 

We caught 19 Razor Clams in two Days

Family photo Long Beach WA

Green lake Celebrity

A romantic trip to Catalina Island, CA

Wrigley Botanical Garden on Catalina Island

My Birthday - We rented a Hot Tub boat! It was awesome.

On our way back from Katy's wedding, we indulged in Yakima's finest peaches

One of my best friend's wedding, Katy and Adam Christopulos!

Two of my favorite people in the world: Aunt Rae and Uncle Steve cruising around in his Chris Craft boat, Mambo

Prunella stretching at our campsite outside Yakima, WA in September

Having fun wine tasting in Zilla, WA I'm sporting a new dress

Hundreds of stacks of apple boxes lined up downtown Yakima

One of my favorite pics. Mark caught a fish within minutes of casting. Taken in September 

And here's one of them! What a hog!

One of the spaces Julien and I discovered while searching for spaces for the ONO Project.  Very Edward Scissor Hands. Not suitable for dinner, but cool.

Here's one of the spaces that we had  Mark Fuller's ONO dinner at- a winery spot in South Lake Union  August

A gorgeous picture of a dish from our first ONO project with Brandon Kirksey, June 

Some really fun heels that I bought. Took this at the office- October

Fermenting Cabernet with oak chips 

Mark and I crushing Cabernet Grapes with the 36th ave Winemakers September

Juice!

Mark and I made fresh pasta in our kitchen...was pretty good!  Fall

At our Friendsgiving Party, we decided to roast TWO large birds. We ate turkey for weeks... November

Christmas Carols at the December Wine Bottling Party with the 36th ave winemakers

Making my mother's licorice caramels.... a Christmas Tradition

Prunella in her reindeer sweater and christmas lights!

One of the best ads/art pieces that I found in Pioneer Square.  November