Transitions
November has always struck me as the last true month of fall – that final burst of autumn before winter and the bustling holiday season arrive.
When the summer clothes get tucked away and the cozy sweaters come out. When the kaleidoscope of autumn leaves gives way to ice and winter snow.
When the urge to get outside begins to ease as the desire to nestle in and hibernate gains momentum. When the last of the harvest fills your pantry and the scents of autumn baking fill your home.
Here is this month’s edition of Taste Bytes, a celebration of November’s top tastes.
Washington Apples
With over 175,000 acres of apple orchards under cultivation in Washington, it’s no surprise that six out of every ten apples consumed in the United States are produced here. We’re blessed to have a plethora of local fruit, and when fall arrives, it’s time to stock up on apples.
Farmers Markets…
If you truly want to experience all the best on offer, hit up our local Seattle farmers markets, a few of which are open year round (check out my previous post on Seattle’s Fall and Winter Farmers Markets).
Earlier this month, I spent a gorgeous Sunday morning at the Ballard Farmers Market, and there were so many apples to choose from!
It’s always fun chatting with the farmers, perusing their displays, and loading up my basket with traditional favorites, along with a few new varieties to sample.
Ham, Gruyere, and Apple Panini…
With a pantry full of apples (and a new sandwich press, thank you, Dad!), it was time to get cooking. I devoured more than a few paninis while traveling through Italy last summer, and returned home excited to try and replicate the experience – starting with this ham, gruyere, and apple panini recipe from Giada De Laurentiis.
The ingredient list is impressive – tart Granny Smith apples sautéed in butter and fresh thyme, whole-grain mustard, shredded Gruyere (always a favorite), and Black Forest ham – yum!
There’s nothing like a hot sandwich dripping with melted cheese on a cold autumn day, and this panini definitely hit the spot. Next time I’ll try a sweeter apple and cut back a little on the thyme, but that’s what makes cooking all the more enjoyable…the experimentation, the endless variations, the opportunity to put your own unique twist on a recipe.
Salted Caramel Apple Pie Bars…
I’m not a huge fan of apple pie – sad, but true. However, these salted caramel apple pie bars (recipe by Sally McKenney of the popular Sally’s Baking Addiction blog), might have me rethinking that one.
A buttery shortbread crust, a combination of sweet and tart apples, a sprinkling of cinnamon, and an oatmeal brown sugar streusel. Oh, my!
And the absolute best salted caramel sauce I’ve ever tasted. I was a bit nervous the first time I attempted to make it, but Sally’s instructions are thorough, and it was a breeze. This makes an ample serving, and it’s wonderful drizzled over cakes or ice cream, swirled into your morning latte, or even eaten cold straight from the fridge. Trust me on that one.
I shared these with a few friends and the verdict was unanimous – fabulous. If you’re looking for a quintessential fall treat with a unique twist, these salted caramel apple pie bars fit the bill.
Sit and Stay Awhile Apple Crisp…
This apple crisp recipe by Joy the Baker, whom I featured in a previous Cookbook of the Week post, has been on my must-try list for a while. Every recipe I’ve made from Joy’s cookbook has been top notch – including a few standouts I featured in a 2017 Taste Five post: vanilla bean snickerdoodles, brown butter blueberry muffins, caramel corn, and the best chocolate fudge brownies I’ve ever made.
As much as I enjoyed the apples in this recipe, it’s the streusel that puts it over the top – nutty oatmeal, butter, brown sugar, and toasted pecans – simply perfect. Apple crisp is hands down one of my “go to” autumn desserts, and this one is a winner.
Top it off with a little vanilla bean ice cream and dark caramel sauce – sublime!
Previous Apple Recipes…
Here are a few of my favorites with links to the recipes and the posts I featured them in. Enjoy!
*Honey-mustard glazed salmon with endive and green apple salad from Ellie Krieger’s Weeknight Wonders cookbook – refreshing, unique, and healthy to boot
*My Favorite Green Salad from the Cookie and Kate blog – simple, seasonal, and tasty
* Homemade spiced cider doughnuts – a fall rite of passage in the Pacific Northwest
*Gingered applesauce cake glazed with caramel sauce from Ruth Reichl’s My Kitchen Year – a cookbook that’s a joy to read
Rockridge Orchards Cider 
Spiced Apple Cider
*Rockridge Orchards & Cidery handcrafted sweet apple cider – a must-buy when I hit the farmers markets
* Warm spiced apple cider – oh, the smells that will be wafting through your kitchen
*Smokey harvest apple cider margarita – apple cider, tequila, maple syrup, and a delicious salt and sugar rim
* Cinnamon cider whiskey sour – this one will warm you right up
Taste Trips
Weekend Drives
Seattle Restaurant Week 
Skookum Brewery 
Thanksgiving Ice Cream
Seattle Restaurant Week…
Three years ago I discovered Seattle Restaurant Week, and it’s still one of my favorite outings on our culinary calendar of events. Every fall and spring over 165 restaurants in the Seattle area offer special three-course menus for only $35. It’s a unique opportunity to check out some top restaurants and sample creative seasonal dishes, many of which aren’t available on the regular menus.
This year I decided to approach it a little differently, and I ventured outside of Seattle itself to visit restaurants located in the surrounding areas of Bellevue, Woodinville, and Edmonds. And what an adventure it was – here are three that absolutely blew me away, along with a few of our top tastes.
Seastar Restaurant & Raw Bar
John Howie’s restaurants are renowned for their food, and his Seastar Restaurant & Raw Bar in Bellevue is one of the best around. We secured an early reservation and were surprised to find they offered the Seattle Restaurant Week specials in the bar as well, so we spent a memorable night watching Thursday Night Football while devouring some extraordinary food. Not a bad combination!
*Cocktail hour – an Elderflower Refresher (vodka, elderflower syrup, lemon juice, and soda) and a Kentucky Buck (bourbon, ginger beer, cranberry juice, and lime)
*Even the bread basket is special at Seastar – Macrina onion rye & Giuseppe rolls, house-baked crackers, and EVOO Sea Salt butter
*Porcini mushroom soup with black truffle crème – the best I’ve ever had!
*Smoked salmon linguine with roasted scallions and garlic-parmigiano sauce
*Herb-roasted organic chicken breast with cheesy risotto cake, pesto aioli, and toasted pine nuts – oh, wow!
*Flourless chocolate cake with crème anglaise and warm salted caramel
*White chocolate coconut cream pie – perfection!
Purple Cafe and Wine Bar
I’ve been to Woodinville’s Purple Cafe and Wine Bar many times, and it’s always a sure bet. Located in the heart of wine country, the restaurant has a fun and relaxed atmosphere, consistently outstanding food, and an impressive wine list.
*Salumi toast with whipped house-made ricotta, caramelized honey, pickled onions, and arugula salad
*Seared albacore with a maple-mustard glaze, braised greens, and celery root mash
*“Red Trio” wine flight featuring select wines from France, Italy, and Spain
*Sea salt caramels – a popular classic that you can also get on the regular menu
Salt and Iron
This was my first time visiting Salt and Iron and every course was excellent. I love spending an afternoon or evening wandering Edmonds, and this restaurant, in the heart of downtown, just gave me one more reason to return!
*Homemade potato chips with spicy aioli
*Taylor Shellfish oysters on the half shell with shaved ice mignonette
*Fig toast with chevre, candied spiced pecans, figs, pomegranate seeds, and olive oil – a fun combination
*Gumbo with whole prawns, chicken, andouille, okra, jasmine rice, peppers, and micro greens
*Pumpkin risotto with arborio rice, shallots, wine, Grana Padano cheese, and herbs – absolutely wonderful and my favorite entree of the week!
*Apple cranberry crisp with caramelized apples and cranberries, oat streusel crumb, vanilla gelato, and sage caramel
*Spiced carrot cake with cream cheese frosting, vanilla anglaise, graham cracker crumble, and carrot sorbet
Top Taste…
The honors for top taste from this fall’s 2019 Seattle Restaurant Week goes to….this white chocolate coconut cream pie from Seastar. Creative, beautifully presented, and every bite a joy.
And if you missed this year’s event, never fear, the spring 2020 Seattle Restaurant Week runs from March 28-April 9… and then there’s always next fall’s which will take place from November 8-19. Bon appetit!
Weekend Drives…
One of fall’s greatest pleasures is simply getting in the car and driving. From the orange and crimson foliage on display as October fades, to the steel-grey and white that appears in the foothills as December dawns, our local valleys and Cascade Mountains offer incredible vistas and an ever-changing show throughout the month of November.
And while getting off the beaten path might mean a few bumps along the way…
…it’s totally worth it! (And pretty nice when you have someone who can crawl under the truck and fix it.)
Skookum Brewery & Tap Room…
It’s always a highlight discovering new restaurants and breweries while on a road trip, and on our last venture over Mountain Loop Highway, we checked out Skookum Brewery and Tap Room in Arlington.
Founded in 2007, Skookum produces three mainstay beers and over 100 seasonal/one-offs, including ten rotating taps.
We sampled several tastes, all of which were fantastic, before deciding on this “Murder of Crows,” an American stout finished on old crow whiskey oak cubes. The brewery’s description was spot on with its notes of bitter chocolate, oak, dark fruit, and a subtle smokey char – outstanding.
Skookum’s taproom is huge with a relaxed vibe and friendly crowd, and it was packed on a Sunday afternoon with a spirited backgammon tournament in progress.
And there’s even a friendly brewery dog to boot!
It’s one of our new favorites, and the perfect stop at the end of an afternoon drive. Check it out – you won’t be disappointed.
Salt and Straw Thanksgiving Celebration…
I look forward to the first of each month when Salt and Straw Ice Cream announces their monthly line-up of seasonal flavors. They’re always unique, always interesting, and always fun to try. Not to mention you can order the pints online and have them waiting on your doorstop the next day.
Their Thanksgiving Celebration, offered each November, is definitely one of their most creative – a full Thanksgiving meal reinterpreted as five ice cream flavors.
*Blood orange cranberry sauce – Pacific Northwest cranberries, blood oranges, and coconut cream
*Sweet potato casserole with maple pecans – baked yam ice cream with brown sugar and cinnamon, whipped maple fluff, and crunchy pecan praline
*Salted caramel Thanksgiving turkey – caramel ice cream with crispy turkey skin brittle
*Roasted peach and sage cornbread stuffing – sweet ice cream infused with fresh sage, dollops of tart peach jam, molasses crumbly cornbread cookies
*Spiced goat and pumpkin pie – goat cheese ice cream spiked with ginger, cinnamon, and swirls of pumpkin puree
And the verdict? They nailed it! I especially enjoyed the roasted peach and sage cornbread stuffing, with its unique combination of cornbread cookies, peach jam, sweet cream, and subtle notes of sage. While one bite of the turkey ice cream was enough for me, I could have eaten the entire pint of the goat and pumpkin pie. A fun way to celebrate an early Thanksgiving meal and kudos to Salt and Straw for their ingenuity!
Being Present
And speaking of Thanksgiving…this year it sort of crept up on me. The month flew by and suddenly the holiday was just days away. On the last Sunday of the month, I started to panic – I hadn’t finished my recipes for this blog, hadn’t done my Thanksgiving baking, hadn’t completed my November post.
My boyfriend took off hiking for the day, and I stayed home to work on this post, feeling a little overwhelmed by all I had to do before we left for a four-day Thanksgiving holiday in Eastern Washington.
When he returned, excited to share the details of an epic hike, I still wasn’t done, and I regretfully informed him that I was going to have to work through the night to finish.
But as I prepared to get back to work, it just felt wrong.
And then it hit me. The recipes could wait. The blog could wait. The “to do list” could wait.
What couldn’t wait? Listening and sharing in someone’s excitement. Spending time with someone you care about. Being totally present in the moment.
So, I put the phone away, put my computer away, put the lists away, and spent the next week focusing on being totally present.
And I didn’t regret it for a moment. It was a beautiful Thanksgiving filled with wonderful people, incredible food, and special memories.
On our way back home across the mountains, we stopped at the top of Steven’s Pass for a snow-shoeing hike.
Clear blue skies, towering mountains framed with evergreens, fresh snow on the ground – the stillness, the beauty, the space for reflection.
I couldn’t think of a better way to spend the last day of the month. Feeling blessed, feeling connected, feeling present.
And while I’m publishing this November post a little late, I’m okay with that. More than okay, actually. I’m grateful.
Grateful for a full life, for lessons along the way, and for family and friends who make it all worthwhile.
Wishing you a belated, but heartfelt, Happy Thanksgiving. -Kimberly
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