JAPANESE-STYLE
William Mueller
Photos by DEAN J. KOEPFLER/Staff photographer
Chef and co-owner William Mueller of Babblin’ Babs Bistro is known for his globehopping menu at the Proctor neighborhood breakfast and lunch cafe he runs with wife Shannon. Mueller’s a big fan of Northwest seafood and also a fan of the flavors of Japan. His grilled oyster recipe combines a wasabi butter with sake marinated fennel that can be grilled alongside the oysters.
ITALIAN-STYLE
ASIAN-STYLE
John Idstrom When in need of something fast and simple, Idstrom turns to the Italian preparation Steak Florentine. It’s a fuss-free preparation and is reasonable for a crowd. “For years, I thought the way you made this dish was go apply lemon juice to steak prior to cooking, but it never came out tasting lemony. When I went to Florence two years ago, I saw them actually squeezing the lemon on at the table. Also, you order your steak for a certain number of people. They bring you the steak cut into large pieces, enough for the people who are eating. You don’t get a whole steak on a plate. This way, they cook up a very large thick cut steak and don’t have to give the whole thing to one person. Those big steaks are easier to cook and taste better,” wrote Idstrom about his recipe, which first appeared on his blog devoted to home cooking, meezenplace.com.
David Lepore BONUS RECIPE
When serving chicken, Idstrom borrows from the sparkling flavors of Southeast Asia in his recipe for a lemongrassginger marinade. “It is light, sweet, spicy, sour, salty … just what I love about Vietnamese cooking in general because it hits the full flavor palate all at once.”
When he’s looking for a speedy grill dish, Tacoma resident Lepore combines two loves — sweet Thai chili sauce with Korean short ribs. After a quick marinade, the short ribs are ready for a quick sear on the grill. Lepore jokes that it’s his “lazy” recipe, but it’s a dish packed with sweet-spicy flavor.
QUICK TIP
You don’t need to make your own chili sauce, you can find it at any Asian grocery store.