DIY: Magazine Bows

by Heather Caro on May 5, 2011

For those of you who, (like myself), may be slightly intimidated by the Martha Stewart’s of the world – speaking here of super crafty, perfectionism and not illegal activities – rest assured.  We found a so-easy-it’s-nearly-impossible-to-mess-up DIY project inspired by the glue-stick wielding geniuses at How About Orange (howaboutorange.blogspot.com)- that happens to be made entirely out of something we have a lot of:  magazines!

Gift giving turns eco-glam with this idea for recycled magazine bows.

Step 1:  Dig through the recycle bin for an older copy of a favorite magazine.  Separate a page (think color!) and cut it into nine equal strips.

Step 2: All About Orange gave very specific length instruction – but the main idea is that the strips should gradually get smaller in order to be layered.  Here are there instructions: Leave three strips full length.  Cut one inch off of three of the strips and cut two inches off two strips.  Cut the last strip to three 1/2 inches.

Step 3:  Next, carefully turn the strips to make a loop at each end and secure with a staple.  Using a dab of glue, shape the shortest strip into a circle.

Step 4:  Begin layering the strips biggest to smallest using staples to secure.  Any “mushed” petals can be fluffed up once the bow is complete.

Step 5:  Glue the smallest strip to the center of your bow and Voila – a customized, recycled bow that would give Martha Stewart some competition.  Well, maybe.

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Interview with Brad Johnson

by Heather Caro on Mar 4, 2011

Name & Age:

Bradley Allyn Johnson, 33

Occupation/Years in the field:

Chef/15 years

Executive Chef at Creekside West

Personal:

Single, no kids

Hometown/Years in Yakima:

The Dalles, OR and Stevenson, WA … I consider the Columbia River Gorge my home.  I have only lived in Yakima for about seven years; I love the sunshine and long summer days.

Did you cook growing up?

Yes, I was always interested in what was going on in the kitchen. I was once badly burned by a pressure cooker as a child, because I had a chair next to the stove so I could watch my mom cook.

What is your first food memory?

Going to stay with my grandparents in the summer, who lived in Depoe Bay, OR…stopping at fresh produce stands throughout the Willamette Valley to pick up fresh-from-the-farm produce that my grandmother would prepare during my vacation…picking wild blackberries with my grandfather.

Where were you trained and how difficult was your training?

I did not go to culinary school and actually have no formal training in the culinary business.  I have worked my way up the old-fashioned way — with hard work and dedication to my craft. I have had the opportunity to work under some great chefs and sous chefs, who were willing to take the time to share their knowledge of the restaurant business with me, which I in turn combined with my experience to reach the point I’m at now.

What were your biggest inspirations for your career?

My grandmother — she was an amazing cook and loved to go out to enjoy a great meal … And David (Doc) Holliday, who was a great influence on me as a young man just starting out in this business.

Describe your culinary style/philosophy:

Still trying to figure this one out …. Sometimes simple, sometimes elegant. I have worked in everything from fine dining to cooking hot dogs, but I love the flavors of the Pacific Northwest. From fresh seafood to wild mushrooms to grass feed lamb, farmers markets are the way to shop.

Do you have any cooking tips for the novice?

Go the Health Department and get a Food Handlers card. It requires watching a short video and then taking a test that just might save your life. I don’t how many times I’ve seen people in their homes mishandling food with cross contamination and improper storage.

What is Creekside West’s signature or most popular dish?

The fried Oyster mushrooms and the hazelnut chicken breast with oven dried tomatoes.

Where do you see you and your restaurant in five years?

As we are so new, five years seems so far away, but I could see an expansion with a banquet facility in the future.

What do you enjoy most about your work?  Greatest stressors?

The camaraderie that develops between a kitchen crew—in most cases you spend more time with them then your own family. And getting to try so many different types of food and wine and actually getting paid for it.  Stress? Long hours and meeting people’s demands.

Who are your role models?

My mom who battles with Multiple Sclerosis every day.

Would you choose the same career pathway if you had it to do over again?

Probably not … I love to cook and have always had a passion for food, but if someone had told me that I would always have to work weekends, holidays, and sacrifice so much of my own personal time for my career, I might have left the door open to other options.

If you could retire tomorrow – what would you do?

Start a family. The restaurant business is tough on relationships and being a dedicated parent.

What do you consider your greatest success so far?

Working my way up to chef without any formal training.

What is the best advice you’ve ever received?

Keep it simple, concentrate on the flavors — not the ingredients.

If you could boil down to one sentence your life philosophy, what would it be?

The price of anything is the amount of life you exchange for it. -Henry David Thoreau

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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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Baby, it’s cold outside!

by admin on Jan 7, 2011

Located downstairs in Yakima’s Glenwood Square, Bert’s Pub can be a great place to share a pint – or a Wednesday night trivia game – among friends.  But with this season’s chilly temperatures, patrons may also enjoy a cold-weather cocktail – like a piping hot “Ski Lift.”  Velvety hot chocolate blended with peppermint schnapps and topped with whipped cream could warm even the coldest toes – lift pass optional.

Bert’s Pub

5110 Tieton Drive, Yakima
509-972-4557

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Anatomy of a Bar

by Heather Caro on Nov 5, 2010

The Greystone Restaurant and Bar * 5 N. Front St., Yakima

Liquor Selection: A large variety of spirits and liquors including more than 40 varieties of scotch, along with an extensive wine list.

Specialty Cocktail: Candied Apple Martini

Vibe: Vintage downtown Yakima charm with a classic bar experience.

Appetizer/cocktail suggestion: Deep Fried Calamari with a Mojito

Winter cocktail highlight: Chocolate Martini

Located in the heart of Yakima’s historic district, The Greystone Restaurant and Bar has long been a staple to local fine dining.  Vintage tin ceilings and an ornately carved wooden bar invites patrons to belly-up and enjoy a cocktail or specialty vintage.  Service is unassuming but quaint and staff members are readily available with culinary and beverage recommendations. Visitors may enjoy the informal Bistro atmosphere or for a more formal feast (Greystone is well known for its Marinated Rack of Lamb) – be sure to check out the cozy dining room.

Hours: The Bistro opens at 4pm, Monday through Saturday, with dinner served at 5pm.

The Greystone Restaurant and Bar

5 North Front Street Yakima

(509) 248-9801

greystonedining.com

The Barrel House * 22 North First Street, Yakima

Liquor selection: Primarily known for its wine selections, over 100 vintages are available with an emphasis on local wines, as well as a large selection of spirits.

Specialty Cocktail: Classic Lemondrop

Vibe: Contemporary bistro dining with casual appeal.

Appetizer pairing suggestion: Portabello pear sauté with Pacific Rim Riesling

With a classic brick storefront, vintage tin ceilings (and of course the much talked-about original ceramic  in the men’s bathroom) it’s no surprise the Barrel House location on First Street once housed a 1907 brothel and saloon. Today, thanks to a contemporary face lift, Barrel House boasts a casual yet modern bistro lunch and dinners as well as informal bar. Known for its extensive wine offerings and cheese selection, diners can munch in style – within walking distance of Downtown Yakima events.  The Barrel House menu offers casual treats like the PBC Panini – with pear, bleu cheese and chicken to sophisticated culinary delights such as Scallops Flourintine.

Hours: Monday-Thursday 11:30 am until 8:00 pm Fridays 11:30 am until 10:00 pm, closed weekends except by special banquet arrangement.

The Barrel House

22 North First Street, Yakima

509-453-3769

thebarrelhouse.net

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InterVIEW: Sajal Kumar

by Heather Caro on Nov 5, 2010

Name:  Sajal Kumar, MD

Age:  36

Occupation:  Nephrologist

Years in the field:  I joined the Nephrology fellowship in 2003 at University of Texas, Galveston.

Hometown:  Varanasi, India

What is your favorite Yakima “find” so far? The Yakima Farmer’s Market and Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences where I teach about kidney problems at the medical school.

What do you see as the greatest challenge our community faces? The rise of obesity and chronic health problems like diabetes which are associated with it.

Greatest strength? The simple, hardworking people you meet every day here.

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