Eha! Grab a hat and head to Leavenworth’s Oktoberfest

by admin on Sep 8, 2011

 

 

 

By Erick Peterson • Photos by Stephanie Fry

When visitors describe Leavenworth’s annual Oktoberfest, they often use the word “magical.” And when 30,000 visitors overrun a town of 2,000, many of them donning crazy hats, you know there’s magic in the air. People are having fun.

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Style Freak: Seduced by Color

by admin on May 6, 2011

By Pamela Edwards

Photos by Stephen Stokesberry

I’m pretty sure I was in primary school when I became aware of my fascination with color. Mrs. Evans was passing out the solid sheets of colored poster paper and the last sheet had a cloudy effect of all the colors blended together. Right then and there I was transported. Fortunately, she was a tenderhearted soul and gave me the sheet, but I wouldn’t fulfill the required craft project and ruin such perfect beauty. Needless to say, I was profiled “day dreamer” on that tiny report card.

Fast-forward to charming, sunny Yakima with my husband, Stephen, of 25 years and I’m still a day dreamer. The view outside my window is the chicken coop that Stephen is building for our four very fat hens. There, a shocking yellow forsythia branch bends gracefully toward a weathered blue window. The two colors complement one another and I grab Stephen’s camera. He has a knack for finding and fixing all sorts of things and I take full advantage of his many talents. Part cabinetmaker, part artist, part historian and photographer, I thank the fates daily for pairing us. We feed each other’s need for creativity.

Born scavengers, we can be serious junk-yard and salvage hunters. For six years we ran an antique and home décor store in Seattle. We learned together and still cherish that stage of our lives. It was exhausting, exhilarating and the learning curve was steep. We were featured in a national magazine, won awards and made many new friends. I fine-tuned my furniture placement skills, played with color and learned that retail is a tough and exciting business.

A student of color, I never cease to be amazed by its many ranges. How many shades of green are there, anyway? I googled that and the answer is: infinite. Green, blue and yellow are my current favorite “neutrals” along with their parents, cream and ivory. Just don’t be too shocked by the coral and hot pink pillowcases peeking out under a mountain of my neutrals. I am so easily led astray …

My workweek allows me creative diversity as I have the pleasure of managing the Gift Shop at Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital. There I can play with product and color, creating small vignettes, one of my favorite pastimes. When customers ask me what style and colors I use in my home, there is no easy answer. The whole house is a “studio” where I stage collections. I start out creating a minimalist, modern country corner and in creeps layers of fabric, pillows and paintings in a riotous mix of color.

Understated and serene, modern country is one of my favorite styles, and I try to have a couple of areas in the main living spaces where this is achieved. It gives the eye a chance to rest before scanning up to the new accent color adorning the stairway wall. The real beauty of modern country is its simplicity. An old dresser with beautiful lines holds a vase. No catchall for coins, keys or crammed with family photos; the dresser takes center stage and the opposite wall can be festooned with the botanical prints you adore. Certain pieces of furniture need space and breathing room. Why can’t that pine dresser with hand-carved details (hiding in the basement) live upstairs? Just remember that this look is all about keeping it simple and comfortable. Modern and country live together harmoniously with a turquoise dresser found somewhere in Iowa, if memory serves me right!

Color can and will enhance your mood. Find the colors that “transport” you and you will have found what I like to call, your “color core.” It takes time, patience and a quiet place to reflect about what truly makes you happy.

I’m not an expert on design or color; but more like a student. I have the oil pastels but lack the discipline to read the book on blending colors. Darn daydreamer! Darn report cards!

Photo by Jennifer Dagdagan

Style Freak is a new column — devoted to home and fashion that’s beautiful and trendy — that will publish in every other issue of Yakima magazine.

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Manic Thunder Improv

by admin on May 6, 2011

By Scott Klapach Jr.

Photos By Chad Bremmerman

For many, one of life’s greatest fears is public speaking.

But imagine performing without the benefit of a script, notes or direction. Oh, and you have to be funny.

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Two Mountain Winery: Spring Recipes and Wine Pairing Suggestions

by admin on May 5, 2011

Established in 2002, Two Mountain Winery is a family-owned operation nestled in the Rattlesnake Hill.  Brothers Matthew and Patrick Rawn own and operate the winery and estate vineyard, drawing on the experience of three generations who have farmed in the Yakima Valley.

Two Mountain Winery
2151 Cheyne Road, Zillah
509-829-3900
twomountainwinery.com

Perfect Pairings: Two-Mountain Winery’s “Lemberger Marinated Grilled Lamb Sandwiches”Lemberger is a lighter-bodied peppery wine that pairs beautifully with grilled lamb (or anything off the bbq). These sandwiches may be a perfect addition to any high school graduation or Father’s Day celebration.

Two-Mountain Winery’s Lemberger Marinated Grilled Lamb Sandwiches

Ingredients:
• 1 4-5lb boneless leg of lamb
• 1 cup Two Mountain Lemberger
• 3 cloves garlic, sliced
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh thyme
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
• 1 tablespoon brined green peppercorns, rinsed
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• ∏ cup extra virgin olive oil plus 2 tablespoons extra
• 2 French-bread baguettes, each cut crosswise into 4-5 inch pieces, and sliced lengthwise.
• 5 bunches green onions
• Prepared olive tapenade
• cup herbed aioli (recipe follows)

Place trimmed lamb into large sealable plastic bag. Put all marinade ingredients into blender container and puree until emulsified. Pour marinade over lamb. Marinate at least 4 hours (overnight makes things easy!).

Remove lamb from marinade (discard marinade), and grill over medium-low heat on grill until desired doneness — about 35-40 minutes.

While lamb is resting, drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil over trimmed green onions. Grill onions on bbq until slightly charred and limp. Coarsely chop green onions. Brush baguettes with remaining olive oil and toast lightly on the grill.

For sandwiches:

Put out bowls of olive tapenade, herbed aioli and chopped green onions. Thinly slice lamb and serve on a platter. Invite guests to create their own sandwiches, mounding green onions, lamb and sauces on toasted baguettes.
Herbed Aioli ingredients:
• 1 cup mayonnaise (homemade or good quality store bought)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, minced
• 2 slices roasted red peppers (canned)

Puree all ingredients in blender until smooth.

Seafood with Curry/Coconut Milk

Serve with Two Mountain Winery Riesling
•        1-1/2 cups lite coconut milk
•        1-1/4 pounds fresh cod or monkfish
•        1-1/4 pounds fresh mussels, scrubbed & debearded
•        1-1/4 pounds tiger prawns, shelled & deveined
•        cooked Thai (jasmine) rice or fresh pasta noodles
•        1 red Thai Chili, deseeded & sliced (substitute dried red pepper flakes – about ½ tsp)
•        1 green Thai chili, deseeded & sliced (jalapeno may be substituted)
•        3 stalks lemon grass
•        2 – 3 tablespoons chopped cilantro

Also Required:
•        Deep pot or Wok

Cut the lemon grass in half lengthways and then into 3 inch pieces; bruise it by smashing with the back of a heavy knife.

Bring the coconut milk to the boil in a wok or deep pot and add chilis. Add the mussels to the wok and cover. Steam the mussels and remove as soon as they open. Reduce the coconut milk to a simmer and add the fish & prawns. When fish is opaque and the prawns are bright pink, remove them from the wok and set aside with the mussels.

Return sauce to the boil and reduce quantity by half. Return all seafood to the wok and heat through.

Serve with fragrant Thai rice or Tagliatelle pasta – garnished with cilantro

(Seafood should be barely cooked to keep it tender).

Serves 4

Chinese Chicken Salad

A Delightful Summer Meal Served with Two Mountain Winery Riesling

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Olive oil

Dressing:

1 tsp finely minced fresh garlic

3 Tbsp. finely minced fresh ginger

2 Tbsp. hot mustard

1 Tbsp. sugar

2 Tbsp. light soy sauce

2 Tbsp. rice vinegar (not flavored).  Substitute white vinegar

2 Tbsp. Asian sesame oil

1 ½ cups vegetable oil (canola, peanut or grapeseed)

Salt to taste

Salad:

1 large English cucumber, peeled, seeded and cut on the diagonal into ¼ inch slices (jicama is a wonderful substitute)

½ cup thinly sliced radishes

2 small heads Romaine lettuce, torn into small pieces

1 cup bean sprouts, washed and patted dry

4 green onions, minced

¼ cup minced cilantro leaves

2 Tbsp. toasted sesame seeds

Lightly pound the chicken breast halves between sheets of plastic wrap to an even thickness – about ½ inch.  Season with salt and pepper.  In a large saute’ pan, heat enough olive oil to lightly cover the bottom, over medium-high heat.  Add the chicken breasts and cook, turning once,  until no longer pink in the center  (4-5 minutes/side).  Cool on a plate lined with paper towels.  When the chicken is cool, shred into a large bowl.

Puree the garlic and ginger in a small food processor or blender.  Add the rest of the dressing ingredients, except the vegetable oil, and pulse to combine.  Very gradually, beat in the vegetable oil, until the mixture emulsifies.  Season to taste with salt.

Add the cucumber and radish slices to the chicken in the bowl and toss with ½ cup of more of the dressing, to moisten.  Combine the lettuce, bean sprouts, green onions and cilantro in another bowl and toss with ½ cup of the dressing.  Evenly distribute the greens among 4 salad plates and place the chicken mixture on the greens.  Drizzle with some of the remaining dressing if desired.  Garnish with toasted sesame seeds and serve.

Serves 4

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InterVIEW with Ricardo Chama

by admin on Jan 7, 2011

Name: Ricardo Chama

Age: 61

Hometown: Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina

Occupation/Years in the Business: Spanish instructor: Seven years at Ike and Davis. This is my 21^st year at YVCC.

Which countries have you traveled to? Too many: I’ve been taking groups since 1992. Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Peru, Spain, Turkey, Greece, South Africa, Namibia, zambia. Last summer we sailed eight days in the Amazon River from Manaus, Brazil. We are planning to to go to Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. My favorite destination is Buenos Aires.

How would you describe your travel philosophy? How has it changed over the years? When I started, the whole purpose was to immerse people in a different culture and have a feeling of what people really are. As time has passed, I enjoy looking and learning from others and the way they see the world. We are just different, not better or worse.

How do you make your traveling experience authentic, so you feel less like a tourist? It’s difficult to avoid being seen as a tourist. At the moment we arrive, we try to connect with all kinds of people, people of different backgrounds and experience. It’s that ability to connect that makes a difference. Buber said “Existence is an encounter.” I really believe in that. We also try to get on a different path; we might find places where tourists go, but also we try to get off the tourist path. The sense of adventure and discovery is what makes any experience a learning one.

What’s in your carry-on bag?  I don’t like to take a lot. I travel most of the time with my carry on. I have four shirts, three pairs of pants, underwear, light sweater, flip flops, three books, transformer, detergent (for my daily wash after my shower), video camera, notebook for notes and a net book.

If you could be anywhere in the world right now – where would you be and why? I would like to live for some time with indigenous people and learn about their way of life.

What makes Yakima home for you? My family, my friends and my students I love dearly.

Scariest moment in another country? Argentina in 1976: a military government ruled and 30,000 people disappeared.

How has traveling changed since 9/11? It has changed at airports, but people are still the same in other countries. As long as we show we care and we love, they are able to perceive the difference between people and their government.

Tell us a little about yourself.  What were you like as a child?  What did you want to be when you were older?  What/who inspired you to travel?

I lived in the outskirts of the city of Buenos Aires. It was fun, unstructured, and my parents played an important role in providing the freedom to discover the world around us. We used to meet with friends and decide our games. I remember when my mom said, “Come before it gets dark and let me know where you are going to be.” …That was all. We used to  play in empty lots, build toys and huts and made our small world out of what was available around us. At the age of 18 I was studying law, got tired of it and told my parents I wanted to have an adventure. They told me, “Why don’t you go to Israel?” (I was raised in Jewish family.) They threw a party for me and asked people to bring money. This is how traveling became my addiction.

What has been your most interesting international culinary adventure?

I believe every country has their own culinary delights, and I enjoy any  kind of food. Tapas in the Basque region of Spain is what I really enjoyed a lot.

Best travel advice? Forget who you are when visiting another country and immerse yourself in the culture. This will allow [you] to be open to the experience without being judgmental. Once we judge, we can’t love, and therefore, we can’t learn from others.

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