Da Pino

On a semi-seedy strip of Rainier Ave on the outskirts of Columbia City (a pretty newly-hip neighborhood near the International District lies a tiny hole in the wall called Da Pino. Blink and you'll miss it. To help find it keep your eyes peeled for the tagged up Chicken Shack across the street and it's not that far from the gutted out Chubby & Tubby. What we have here is Calabria, Italy native Pino Rogano's tiny charcuterie deli/restaurant.



When you walk in you'll trip over a few tables of old Italian men snacking away at plates of a in-house cured salami and lamb prosciutto. That's right, I said lamb prosciutto. It's what Pino is best known for. The only problem is that he runs out before it even leaves the curing room. Not to say that everything else he makes isn't amazing. His spicy salamino is moist and peppery and makes a kick ass sandwich with a little garlic aioli and arugula. Maybe even on one of the scrumptious sandwich rolls from nearby Columbia City Bakery. Also if you happen to see some of his wild boar salami hanging in the case buy a few because you're likely to eat them before you make it home. Slightly gamey with an amazing richness and a hint of acidity from the wine he adds to it. Thinly sliced with a nice double cream brie and a few glasses of a spicy red wine and I couldn't be happier (well, unless I won the lottery).

Yes, I did mention something about people eating lunch there. He has a small menu of assorted sandwiches, soups, and salads. He also has a few pasta specials up on a chalkboard. I recently went to Da Pino with a friend and we were slightly intimidated by Mr. Rogano. He is a very no nonsense guy. After getting over the butterflies in our stomachs I decided to ask him if we could eat there. He pointed to a menu on the counter and we escaped to confines of a table in the corner. He walked over and said we should have sandwiches with the fresh mild Italian sausage he just made. They were so delicious. Nice crusty bread with fresh marinara and melty mozzarella. Oh god, and the sausages were so moist and flavorful. Amazing.

I know Pino doesn't have a kid on the Food Network but that doesn't mean he isn't one of Seattle's kings of charcuterie. Just be sure to call ahead so you can get some lamb prosciutto.

Spicy clams are good.

A little while ago my good friend Zoe wanted me to cook a dinner party for a bunch of people. Sadly everybody cancelled but I still cooked for a few of us. I made my favorite Manila Clams with Spanish Chorizo and Dry Vermouth. It's probably one of my favorite all time dishes. It's so savory and spicy and amazing. Don't forget the bread to dip into the phenomonal juices. I almost want to shake it with some icy gin and make a martini it's so good. Okay, maybe that would be gross but I'm not lying when I say that you will want to bottle the leftover liquid and drink everyday. Of course you could change around some of the ingredients like say littleneck clams instead of Manila or linguisa instead of chorizo. Use your imagination but until then, use my delicious recipe.

Steamed Manila Clams with Spanish Chorizo

2 lbs fresh Manila Clams
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 lb Spanish chorizo, sliced 1/2” thick on a bias
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 c dry vermouth
1 Tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, stemmed & chopped
kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper

Quickly rinse off your clams in cold water. Discard clams with broken shells.
In a medium pot with a tight fitting lid, over med heat, add your olive oil and saute the chorizo until cooked through (about 3-4 min).
Add the garlic and saute for 1 min. and then add your vermouth and bring to a simmer. As the vermouth begins to simmer add your clams and cover. Let the clams steam 5-6 min. Uncover and remove from the heat and add your parsley and season with salt and black pepper. Serve hot with a fresh baguette and some dry white wine or a martini.

Orzo Risotto with Venison Sausage

I love unusual interpretations of classic dishes. A lot of people get upset when someone messes with the food that is near and dear to their hearts and I understand that. However, if no one ever tried to innovate these dishes then we would all still be eating bland dinosaur dishes like Boiled Beef with Parsley Sauce or scary things suspended in aspic. We should definitely have a sense of history and respect the classics but by being creative and adventurous with food we can keep the arts part of the Culinary Arts relevant.

It's been done before so I'm not claiming the invention of the wheel or anything but I decided to make risotto out of orzo pasta instead of the usual rice. My own twist to it is that I tweaked the cooking method that I've seen on a few other recipes by cooking it more like an actual risotto and I've added the addition of asparagus, asiago cheese, and a local, spicy venison sausage that I purchased at Whole Foods. If you're on a diet stop reading now because just reading this recipe you will gain a couple pounds.

Orzo Risotto with Asparagus and Venison Sausage

2 cups orzo pasta
3 cups chicken stock
1 bunch fresh asparagus, hard ends removed, cut into 2" pieces
1/2 lb venison sausage, no casings
1/2 cup finely grated asiago cheese
2 tbsp high fat European style butter
1 Tbsp chopped parsley
kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper

In a pot of boiling salted water, blanch the asparagus 3 minutes.

Saute the venison sausage in a pan with a little olive oil over medium high heat until fully cooked. Season if needed.

In a large pot cover the orzo with chicken stock and cook over medium heat, adding stock as needed until just cooked through. Stir every few seconds. It should be cooked through in about 10 minutes and the remaining liquid should have a creamy consistency. Stir in the cheese, butter, asparagus, venison sausage, and salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with parsley and serve hot.



Stir in cheese, butter, salt, and pepper and serve immediately.

It's the cheesiest!

So things are starting to finally settle down with our move and all. We're all moved in and unpacked and my kitchen is starting to finally be workable. I could use a little more counter space but for now it'll have to do. Now if I could only shut up my lousy upstairs neighbors. I swear they run laps up there with metal shoes on 24 hours a day. Anyways, before I work myself up, remember when you were a kid and all you wanted to eat was hot dogs and macaroni and cheese? Well that's usually what I wanted to eat. Even today I find myself craving the best of all kid's feasts. So there is an awesome cheese maker in Pike Place Market called Beechers and they make an amazing mac n' cheese using their cheddar style Flagship cheese, penne, and fresh cream and they also make a Mexican style one with corn and spicy salsa. They are so good I could eat them every day for every meal. Now for the hot dog part I decided to have an amazingly juicy brat from Uli's Sausage who also happens to live in the market. That topped with some Mama Lils goathorn peppers and spicy German mustard and I'm set. That's right, no powdered cheese or hooves in my meal. Just good fresh and local food that reminds me of being a spoiled little brat.

When it rains, it pours.

In my life, when It rains, it pours. The month of February has been a whole lot of bad. Everything I needed to work properly was broken or in the process of breaking, my body was falling apart (adult chickenpox and sprained ankles, yay!), the move to our new apartment was traumatic and never-ending, and the money gods decided that we shouldn't have any. March has begun much the same way, minus the moving part. We narrowly averted severely flooding our new apartment and the five floors beneath us (a screw broke in our shower faucet and the tub was filling up faster than It was draining and so we bailed water into our sinks for two hours until the emergency plumbers arrived). After burning some sage and whatever other spiritual stuff we could think of, we're hoping our luck turns a corner. If you have any good luck to spare, please send it my way. Now on to some food.



Lately I'm trying to focus on good things so to start off my day I love a good breakfast. Delicious venison sausage from Montana that we purchased from Whole Foods, fried local organic eggs, and some English muffins with double cream butter. Yum! The sausage was firm with a nice meaty and slightly gamey flavor. They were so good I could've had ten of them. And nothing beats a good fried egg with just a little kosher salt and fresh black pepper (plus a few dashes of Tapatio hot sauce). This is the kind of breakfast that gets me in a good mood at the beginning of the day. Not to say that I'll stay in a good mood but at least it gives my day a chance. Not only that but check out my view as I eat this tasty meal. Here's what I see out my window everyday. Be jealous.


Or This...

I used to not really care about views or anything like that but now that I have one I have to say, it rocks. There's nothing better than having a delicious meal with an amazing view. Now if I can only convince K to give me a foot rub at the same time I would be set. Oh, and I want to win the lottery.

The fish with wings.

Have you ever heard of skate? Or maybe you know it by it's other name, the ray (as in stingray). Only the wing fillets are worth eating and they are separated off by a sheath of cartilage which make eating them a small adventure. However, once you brave the unusual anatomy of the creature, you get firm succulent white fish at a reasonable price. They are boneless and fairly easy to fabricate. Sometimes the flesh can give off a slightly chemical smell but that can be dealt with by soaking the fish in a little acidulated water (water with some lemon juice in it). Don't be scared. Try something new, it won't kill you. Unless of course someone is trying to poison you. In which case, don't eat anything you don't make yourself. Good luck.

Sauteed Skate w/ Pickled Lemons and Beurre Noisette

4 skate wings, rinsed and patted dry
1 Tbsp canola oil
4 Tbsp butter
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup pickled lemons (recipes below)
Juice of 2 fresh lemons
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1 Tbsp capers, drained
3-4 slices of french bread, cut into 1" cubes
2 tsp garlic powder
kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper


First make the croutons. Preheat oven to 400F degrees. Toss the cubed bread with the garlic power and salt. Drizzle them with canola oil. Spread onto a baking sheet and bake until golden brown (about 6-8 minutes).

Over medium high heat add 1/2 Tbsp canola oil and 1 Tbsp of butter to a large saute pan. If the skate wings are too large, cut them in half. Salt and pepper the flour. Dust the skate wings in the flour, shaking off the excess and add the skate wings to pan. Saute for 4-5 minutes on each side, or until cooked through. Remove the skate from the pan and keep warm.

In a the same, melt the rest of the butter over a medium low heat. Once the butter starts to turn golden brown add chopped parsley, lemon juice, and capers. Remove from heat. Pour evenly over cooked skate and serve with slices of pickled lemons and croutons.

Serves 4


Pickled Lemons
8 lemons, thinly sliced
32 fl oz lemon juice
1 cup kosher salt
1 cup sugar
1 Tbsp pickling spices

Mix the lemon juice, pickling spices, salt and sugar in a pot. Bring to a boil, and cook 3-4 minutes until sugar and salt dissolve. Add the lemon slices to a sterile container, and pour the brine over them and tightly cover. Will last refrigerated about one week.

A Twin Peaks kind of day.

To most twisted Pacific North-westerners, David Lynch is somewhat of a local icon. Born and raised in Missoula Montana, he would later bring our mysterious part of the country into homes across America with his cultish hit show Twin Peaks. I am a huge Twin Peaks fan. I am a huge David Lynch fan for that matter. I love the way he uses non-linear storylines and finds a darkness in nearly everything wholesome. With Twin Peaks he showed the world that the beautiful green state of Washington is in fact the UFO spotting, Bigfoot stalking, serial killer raising, suicide capital of the states. It is a great state but it does have a serious dark side.
So anyways, a few weeks ago K and I went sledding with our friends Rod and Shannon. On the way out there we made a pitstop in Issaquah to grab some lunch at the famous XXX Root Beer. More of a fun kitschy experience than great food. They are a fifties style burger joint crammed to the rafters with with 50's car memorabilia. They have car shows in their parking lot almost every week. While everybody else played it pretty safe with the menu (although Shannon's Ford Roadster chili burger was a giant tasty looking monstrosity) I decided to get XXX's infamous, bigger than your torso Cutlass 442 burger. It was a very large burger with grilled ham, hamburger patty, bacon, roasted hot dog, grilled onions, mayo, XXX dressing, lettuce, tomato, pickles with curly fries. My gripe was that there was too much bun. It wouldn't be nearly as hard to finish eating if there was less bread in the equation. After eating, we waited a few minutes to see if I would have a heartattack, and then off to the snow we went. We drove out to Snoqualmie Pass and had a great time sledding and snowboarding. Though I could've done without the few times we bashed into each other at breakneck speeds. So after a few hours of playing in the snow we decided to head over to the town of North Bend, the famous setting for Twin Peaks' own Twede's Cafe where Special Agent Dale Cooper get some "cherry pie and a damn fine cup o' coffee". I'm not big on coffee or pie so I had a Cola float. Everybody else had cherry pie and apparently a pretty damn okay cup of coffee. I did try the cherry pie and it was pretty tasty. After filling our bellies even more we then drove up to the Snoqualmie Falls and Salish Lodge, where even more of Twin Peaks was filmed. The falls are so beautiful and awe-inspiring. That photo up at the top are of the falls and Salish Lodge. It was getting dark and after staring at the scenery for a while we went inside the lodge for some wine and cognac. It was a perfect day in the strange, creepy Northwest.