Duck Confit…

When it comes to no-frills simplicity with maximum flavor and comfort, duck confit always hits the spot for me. Whether I’m at a casual brasserie or a fancy fusion restaurant, it’s the be-all-end-all when I look at the menu and it pulls me in.

Say what?

Roasted Tomato Basil Soup

Summertime brings certain joys that can only be had during this time. One of them is tomatoes. Gardeners slave over growing tomatoes annually and some years do better than others, for no apparent reason. Seattle’s had a crazy hot and dry summer thus far, but my tomatoes haven’t done very well. I didn’t let that deter me from enjoying a delicious tomato soup. I went to a local farm stand to gather fresh Romas.

Scallops with Roasted Garlic Cream Sauce

Recently it was the wife’s birthday. She loves scallops, and although I worked until 7 as it was during the week, I knew I had to make some of these tasty morsels for her. I paired it with a creamy roasted garlic sauce, which is so good on it’s own, it can be a nice pasta sauce!

Razor Clam Chowder

Razor clamming is a Northwest tradition. And while I’m not a native of the PNW, I do love clamming. There’s something rewarding about going out to the beach when it’s cold, windy, and possibly rainy then digging in the sand to unearth one of the best tasting shellfish around.

Winter Squash Soup

Recently I purchased a sweet meat squash at the produce stand I frequent. Never had this type of squash before. The woman there told me it’s like a cross between a golden delicious and a delicata, both of which I haven’t had either. Basically it’s sweeter and more flavorful than butternut and acorn, the two squash varieties I know well. For $2 I couldn’t go wrong, plus it was a biggie too. She was definitely right, so I turned this sweet meat into a soup.