The Scene - March 2014

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Arts and entertainment for the Eastside March 2014

The theater of the mind comes to life!

Teatro ZinZanni’s radiothemed circus act ‘On The Air!’ is wowing crowds. | 7

‘The Tutor’

Village Theatre’s latest original explores exploitation in art. | 4

Full-blown ‘Workaholic’

Erik Griffin talks about life on the breakout Comedy Central sitcom and learning to treat comedy like a career. | 9

Inside scoop: lifestyle | dine | wine | arts | music | nightlife

2 THE scene MARCH 2014

TheEastsideScene.com

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Publisher William Shaw

Managing Editor Craig Groshart Assistant Editor Daniel Nash Contributing Writers Linda Ball Eric Degerman Rose Dennis Brandon Macz Gabrielle Nomura

march 2014 the scene 3

Inside story the scene is a publication

Coming up

of Sound Publishing, Inc.

2700 Richards Rd. Suite 201, Bellevue WA, 98005.

425.453.4270

Contributing Writers (cont’d) Heija Nunn Samantha Pak Andy Perdue Josh Suman Graphic Designer Tek Chai Advertising 425.453.4270 Office Coordinator Celeste Hoyt Circulation Manager Brian Judge

Follow us on Twitter @bellevuescene

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Village Theatre’s ‘The Tutor’ and Vogue Knitting Live! at the Meydenbauer.

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The equine delights of Cavalia’s epic stageshow.

In Good Co.

Rose Dennis gives us the latest from high society’s good Samaritans.

odysseo

Cover Story

Teatro ZinZanni’s ‘On The Air!’ brings radio to the stage.

laughs

A publication of

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dine

‘Workaholics’ funnyman Erik Griffin dropped his job and made comedy his career.

The owners of Colcannon share Irish recipes fit for St. Patrick’s Day.

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Compliments easier than a curling match I was endlessly amused, but also concerned his poor reaction had gotten us blacklisted from ever again receiving priority service.

Boy, was I wrong. While My Attorney learned a few important things that day (like our address and the last four of my Social Security number) I was glad to be reminded of an even more lesson during my Heija Nunn important 45 minute phone call with Jose.

I explained our urgent need to access Olympic Curling events. We chatted amiably about the hurdles My Attorney failed to clear in the first phone call and I was surprised to learn we have a Comcast email account and also an associated password. Jose was ridiculously pleasant.

Once the Russian team was safely back online; I said, “Jose, can you take a look at our account and add that new fangled HD thing, keep all of our old channels and make it

loud & about

M

y cell phone rang insistently during my estatesale hunt at a sure-to-be-torn-down Mercer Island view home. I barely had a chance to say hello before My Attorney launched into an exasperated tale.

Comcast/Xfinity had done the unthinkable and blocked My Attorney’s continued access to live streaming video of Women’s Olympic Curling.

If you have watched even one moment of curling, you understand the egregious error Comcast made in denying continued access to adorable frownie faces, strategic sweeping motions and riveting booty-up displays of athletic prowess and agility. The physics alone of rock on rock displacement and movement are enough to make anyone want to break out the popcorn.

When his trial viewing pass expired, My Attorney hurried to call Comcast before the Russia/Canada match only to experience frustration usually reserved for generations of women: he is NOT the primary account holder. He also failed every security test given.

After some discussion, the woman who answered told him with a suspicious tone, “You seem unsure” and then insisted they would have to talk to me instead.

Have Fun Dancing

cheaper?” He did. He then insisted on doubling our Internet speed and setting up a VOIP phone line all for $20 less than we are paying now. Okaaay.

I was impressed and felt that Comcast should know how well Jose represented their brand. I asked to be connected to a supervisor and as is so often the case with technology timing, his computer froze. So I asked for his ID number, hit redial and went through the arduous vetting process again to connect to a supervisor.

She was so shocked that I was calling to compliment rather than complain that she asked me twice to verify.

The manager’s reaction was an important reminder to me to try to always act on the impulse to give feedback, especially the good kind, immediately.

Picking up the phone to compliment excellent service doesn’t burn as many calories as Olympic curling, and thankfully it requires far less training. And while we will likely never know if our words made a difference, the effort alone imparts a warm and fuzzy Gold Medal glow.

Follow Heija on Twitter (@Heija), friend her on Facebook or silently judge her life at her blog The Worst Mother in the World (www.Heija.com).

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4 THE scene MARCH 2014

COMING UP

Pardon our knitpicking

The Tutor’s novel idea

BY JOSH SUMAN The one-of-a-kind chance to experience everything knitting is coming back to Bellevue.

Vogue Knitting LIVE — including dozens of vendors, demos and classes from experts, and a fashion show featuring knit-couture pieces — returns to Meydenbauer Center March 14-16. Last year’s first event in the region drew more than 5,000 people.

“We’re excited to come back and share knitting with all of the Northwest,” said Marketing Manager Beth Ritter.

Not only does the event offer the chance to sample and purchase unique yarns and knitting accessories, but there also is a beginner lounge where those just getting started can learn skills in a low-pressure, friendly environment.

Teachers include a number of best-selling authors on knitting and experts in the field from around the country who will offer tips, tricks and industry secrets aimed at opening up more possibilities with a pair of needles.

The fashion show is always a fan favorite, with the chance to see models sport the latest trends that incorporate styles explored in classes and by knitters in attendance.

The event begins Thursday, March. 13 with a threehour classroom session and continues through Sunday with classes and the marketplace, which features vendors from around the world selling needles, hooks, books, finished garments and yarn.

And it isn’t just the traditional wool and cotton that are available, with exotic fibers like bison and mohair.

Registration for individual classes and tickets to the marketplace, as well as a complete list of vendors, are available online at vogueknittinglive.com or by calling 866-700-2262.

Katie Griffith plays surly teenager Sweetie, who is exploited for literary ideas by her tutor Edmund (Eric Ankrim).

Preproduction photo copyright Mark Kitaoka; courtesy of Village Theatre

BY LINDA BALL Each year Village Theatre introduces a new, original musical to its patrons, and this year is no exception.

“The Tutor,” opening March 20 in Issaquah, is a brandnew musical with its roots going back to 2004 when it was performed as a reading at the children’s theatre.

Now “The Tutor” has come to full fruition. With a pop score, the book and lyrics were written by Maryrose Wood, with the score by Andrew Gerle, both of whom live in New York.

“The Tutor” stars Eric Ankrim as Edmund, the tutor, and Katie Griffith as Sweetie, the reluctant student.

Griffith, a senior at Issaquah High School, grew up on the kid’s stage and has performed once before on the main stage. This is her first leading role on the main stage.

Ankrim just returned from Broadway, and has followed this show since 2004 when he was one of the actors in the reading.

The story follows Edmund, an aspiring young novelist working on his first novel. To pay the bills, he works on the side tutoring students of wealthy families, who have Ivy League aspirations for their children.

Enter Sweetie, his latest pupil, who would rather spend

the afternoons with her boyfriend, Bo. Edmund has impressed Sweetie’s parents, Richard and Esther, by telling them he was educated at Princeton, when he actually attended a community college. Sweetie figures this out, so in order for her to not tell her parents the truth about his education, he agrees to let her spend her afternoons with Bo. Edmund is experiencing writer’s block, with the main characters of his book, Sean and Hildegarde, drifting in and out of the play. He agrees to let Sweetie read his manuscript, and she reads the “sex part” she proclaims that “it sucks” and that he’s made sex sound like exercise.

Edmund is inspired and soon Sweetie has become his muse, helping him with his book. But when she offers to type a chapter, he accidentally hands her his journal.

There, Sweetie discovers that he has referred to her as “cash cow number three,” when they first met.

She is very upset, Edmund loses his job tutoring and Sweetie runs away from home.

The play also has a secondary plot of Richard and Esther’s marital problems.

“The Tutor” is directed by David Ira Goldstein, who directed “Fiddler on the Roof,” from the 2012 season and “Xanadu” from the 2013 season.

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MARCH 2014 THE scene 5

IN GOOD COMPANY

In good

company

PRESENTS

BY ROSE DENNIS

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1

An Evening of Hope

Seattle Hotel Association’s 17th annual “Evening of Hope” Gala was held on Saturday, Feb. 8, at the Fairmont Olympic Hotel’s Spanish Ballroom. More than 350 guests, adorned in their finest '20s attire, raised $495,000 for the Seattle Police Foundation’s mission and the Seattle Police Department’s efforts to combat domestic and family violence in Seattle.

An elegant four-course dinner was created by the hotel’s Executive Chef Gavin Stephenson.

The Ballroom shimmied with frivolity and grandeur, setting the backdrop for an evening of “Who Done It.”

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5 1. Tim and Andrea Barber 2. Mike Sotelo (center), board chair of the Seattle Police Foundation, pictured with his daughter Andrea (left) and his wife Patty (right) 3. Bonnie and Jim Towne 4. Charlene and Jerry Lee

PHOTO BY: MIRASTORIES.COM (VIRGINIA INN, PICTURED)

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BALLARD Ray’s Boathouse • Ray’s Café • Skillet Diner • Volterra BELLEVUE Cantinetta • Monsoon East BELLTOWN icon Grill • Local 360 Cafe & Bar • The Lost Pelican BOTHELL Preservation Kitchen CAPITOL HILL Coastal Kitchen • La Bête • Manhattan Seattle • Monsoon • Olivar • Skillet Diner • Tango Restaurant • Restaurant Zoe DES MOINES The Scotch and Vine DOWNTOWN Andaluca • Barolo Ristorante • Blueacre Seafood • BOKA restaurant + bar • Chan Seattle • Lecosho Steelhead Diner • Trace Seattle • The Virginia Inn & Bar EASTLAKE Cicchetti FIRST HILL The Hunt Club FREMONT Chiso Sushi GEORGETOWN Brass Tacks GREEN LAKE/WALLINGFORD Eva Restaurant GREENWOOD The Olive and Grape KIRKLAND BeachHouse Bar+Grill • Le Grand Bistro Americain • Ristorante Paradiso• Volterra LESCHI Daniel’s Broiler MADISON PARK nishino MAGNOLIA Palisade • SZMANIA’S PHINNEY RIDGE Stumbling Goat Bistro PIKE PLACE MARKET Cutters Crabhouse PIONEER SQUARE Delicatus QUEEN ANNE ten mercer • Peso’s • Ponti Seafood Grill • Toulouse Petit SOUTH LAKE UNION Chandler’s Crabhouse • Row House Café • Shanik UNIVERSITY DISTRICT Mamma Melina Ristorante WALLINGFORD Cantinetta WEST SEATTLE Fresh Bistro • Phoenecia WOODINVILLE Barking Frog

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5. Carla Murray, guest Anthony Horton as Charlie Chaplin, Tom Robinson Photos: Team Photogenic ©2014

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Cavalia rounds up its horses in latest show

6 THE scene MARCH 2014

ENTERTAINMENT

BY SAMANTHA PAK

Photo copyright 2014 © Cavalia Inc. All rights reserved.

“I do the rotating Chinese pole, aerial hoop and flying fabric,”... that flying fabric act is powered by horses. There’s something about a human with a bunch of beautiful animals...” ~ Andrea Legg

“Odysseo,”

T

a $30 million theatrical production, is under the White Big Top at Marymoor Park at 6046 W. Lake Sammamish Pkwy N.E. There are both matinee and evening performances and tickets are priced from $34.50-149.50, plus applicable taxes and fees. A RendezVous package offers the best seats in the house, buffet-dining before the show, open bar, desserts during intermission and an exclusive visit of the stable after the show. Rendez-Vous package prices range from $154.50-229.50, plus applicable taxes and fees. Performances continue through March 9.

wo years ago, “Cavalia” came to town for a run of soldout shows at King County’s Marymoor Park just between Bellevue and Redmond.

Based on this success, creators decided they should make the area one of the first tour stops for the company’s second show, “Odysseo.”

“We knew we had to come back here,” said Duncan Fisher, vice president of operations for the show.

Although the show features equestrian arts, stage arts and high-tech theatrical effects like “Cavalia,” creator Normand Latourelle said that is where the similarities end. He said even if people have seen “Cavalia,” they will still enjoy “Odysseo” because it is so different.

“It’s a different world,” he said. “It’s totally different in every aspect of it.”

The production’s set is twice the size of “Cavalia” and follows a journey with horses and humans as they travel all around the world. Latourelle said the show’s settings range from a desert to an ice world to a forest. One of the main highlights of “Odysseo” is the finale in which the set becomes flooded to become a lake containing 80,000 gallons of water.

“We have pushed the limits of what could be achieved in a touring show,” Latourelle said.

“Odysseo” features 66 horses. Artistic director and choreographer Darren Charles, who rode a bit when he was a child, noted “that was one horse,” adding it took some getting used to being in close proximity of the animals on a regular basis.

“I was surrounded by them,” said Charles, who has been with the show since it began about three years ago. “You’re sort of blown away by the power of them.”

He added that at “Odysseo,” it is not uncommon to be backstage and see a horse or two just walking by, “whereas in the real world, that’s not normal.”

A show for everyone

In addition to the 66 horses, “Odysseo” features about 50 artists.

Among them is rider Dorian Escalon, who has also been with the show since the beginning and was part of the creative team. As a rider, Escalon said it is important for them to create a relationship with the horses, see how they react to the humans and other horses and make sure they are happy.

“The horses are not talking,” he said about the importance of paying close attention to them.

In addition to riders, “Odysseo” features artists like aerialist Andrea Legg, who works more indirectly with the horses.

“I do the rotating Chinese pole, aerial hoop and flying fabric,” she said, explaining that flying fabric act is powered by horses.

Before this, Legg said she had never worked with animals and she was in awe of the them when she first joined the show. She said one of her favorite parts of the show is a scene in which a single performer is on stage with a group of horses and is directing them using various calls and cues.

“There’s something about a human with a bunch of beautiful animals,” she said. “There’s something very stunning about that.

You can see the relationship there that’s fostered every day.”

Although the horses play a large role in “Odysseo,” they are not the only stars of the show. Latourelle said there is something for horse lovers as well as those who are interested in the more theatrical side of the show.

“Whether you are 2 or 102 years old, you will enjoy the show,” Latourelle said. “This is the type of show that will touch everyone.”

Samantha Pak is a staff writer with the Redmond Reporter.

She can be contacted at or 425-867-0353, ext. 5052 or spak@redmond-reporter.com

MARCH 2014 THE scene 7

ENTERTAINMENT

The circus is

on the air!

BY GABRIELLE NOMURA PHOTOS BY KEITH BROSFSKY

Drag queen Kevin Kentnever (top center) ruled over a colorful cast of characters in Teatro ZinZanni’s radio-themed showcase.

Teatro ZinZanni’s “On The Air!” brings the theater of the mind to the stage.

W

ith acrobats flying above audience members’ heads, and magic seeming to happen at every turn throughout the duration of a five-course meal, it would have been easy to conclude that Seattle’s Teatro ZinZanni had already pulled out all the stops in creating memorable experiences.

After a radiant, show-stopping performance of the radio-broadcast themed “On The Air,” it’s clear that the dinner theater’s gorgeous Moulin Rouge servers, acrobats, drag-queens and versatile funnymen are capable of taking patrons even deeper down the rabbit hole.

Contortionist Vita Radionova wowed the crowd with her stilettoed acrobatics.

Highlights included a sensual, glitterlipped contortionist, Vita Radionova, who wowed the crowd doing acrobatics in stiletto heels; a cheeky Australian, Joel Salom, who defied the limits of juggling: three bowling pins seemed to literally hover in the air as he somehow managed to take off his coat and put on his pants.

And, of course, the ultimate “queen” of the circus tent: gender-bending drag and improvisational performer Kevin Kent never fails to disappoint. Kent’s personas in the show

ranged from a southern salesman spreading the gospel of a magic tonic; to a petulant, and pompous queen of hearts; to a German undercover spy complete with lederhosen.

A new menu from Chef Erik Carlson features an entrée selection of all-natural flank steak, Dungeness Crab and fresh herb-stuffed scallops, or a delicious vegetarian option of flakey filo sheets with roasted sweet corn.

ZinZanni is famous for its audience participation, but never fear, it’s impossible not to have fun under this vintage tent, especially with a few glasses of wine or champagne.

This dinner theater will always appeal to newcomers and returners alike, but this energized ZinZanni performance was truly something special. At points, visually stunning and at other times just downright silly in the best way possible — even the critics and in the house were raising a ruckus.

“On The Air” runs at Teatro ZinZanni (222 Mercer St., Seattle) from now until June 1 (and is totally worthy of a $100-plus ticket splurge). For tickets and more information, go to http://zinzanni.com/seattle/.

Gabrielle Nomura is a former staff writer for the Bellevue Reporter. She lives in Seattle.

8 THE scene MARCH 2014

WINE

Gallo's new Columbia wines

BY ERIC DEGERMAN AND ANDY PERDUE Columbia Winery has had a trying dozen years. The longtime Washington winery has changed hands three times since 2001 and now looks like it will enjoy some much-needed stability.

Columbia was launched in 1962 by several University of Washington professors and was known as Associated Vintners until the 1980s. It was the first winery in the state to focus exclusively on European wine grapes. After changing hands several times, E&J Gallo of Modesto, Calif., purchased the winery in mid-2012 from Ascentia, a wine company that's no longer in business.

Winemaker Sean Hails came from California in 2012 to take over Columbia's production. The Ontario, Canada, native worked in British Columbia's Okanagan Valley before going to Gallo Under Gallo, Columbia looks like a much different winery. It still resides in its beautiful tasting room in Woodinville, across the street from Chateau Ste. Michelle. But it has narrowed its

focus to four wines that have been released in the Pacific Northwest and will go into national distribution this summer and all are broadly distributed in the state. Here's our take.

Columbia Winery 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley, $14: A luscious and classic Cabernet Sauvignon that opens with aromas of black cherry, black currant, black walnut and dark chocolate, followed by rich flavors of cocoa powder, pomegranate and black pepper. It's all backed with moderate tannins, making this a great wine to pair with grilled meats or midweek pizza.

Columbia Winery NV Composition, Columbia Valley, $14: This nonvintage blend includes wine from 2010 and 2011. It leads with Cabernet Sauvignon (41 percent), followed

by Syrah, Merlot, Malbec and Petit Verdot. It's rich and bold, with aromas of roasted coffee, boysenberry, dark chocolate and ripe plum, followed by deep, bold flavors of huckleberry, oak and rich spice. It has

terrific length and should pair nicely with mushroom risotto, lasagna or spaghetti and meatballs.

Columbia Winery 2012 Chardonnay, Columbia Valley, $14: If you enjoy California-style Chardonnays, this is your wine. It's a big, rich, buttery white with aromas of saffron, baked potato skins and cream, followed by bold flavors of ripe pineapple, pear, buttered toast and white pepper. Enjoy this as a cocktail wine or with eggs Benedict or butternut squash ravioli.

Columbia Winery 2012 Merlot, Columbia Valley, $14: It is smooth and easy going, with aromas of cherry, blueberry and vanilla cream candy, followed by fresh, bright flavors of high-toned red fruit, including cranberry, pomegranate and cherry.

The sumptuous mid-palate leads to a bright and luscious finish.

Eric Degerman and Andy Perdue run Great Northwest Wine, a news and information company. Learn more about wine at www.greatnorthwestwine.com.

Sean Hails is the head winemaker for Columbia Winery in Woodinville. He arrived in 2012. COURTESY PHOTO

Add pizzazz to your Oscar party this year Awards season will soon come to a crescendo with the airing of the Oscars March 2. Celebrities are gearing up to hit the red carpet and crossing their fingers that they come home with an award.

In keeping with traditions of years past, people across the nation will gather with family and friends to see who’s with who, who’s wearing what on the red carpet and to see the stars collect their trophies.

These party prep and hosting tips from national best-selling author Ross Mathews, host of E!’s hit talk show “Hello Ross,” will help you take your party from simple to sophisticated in just four steps.

Not only will you impress your friends with your pop culture knowledge, but you’ll create a star-studded night they’ll never forget.

■ Catch up on the nominees. If you haven’t seen “American Hustle” or you have yet to experience the wonder that is Best Supporting Actress nominee Lupita Nyong’o on screen, try to watch the most-nominated movies in advance of the awards show. It will greatly increase your enjoyment when it comes time for the statues to be handed out.

■ Do your homework. Doing an Oscar

ballot pool at your Oscars party? Prepare ahead of time by searching online to help predict the winners using past awards shows, news and buzz as a guide.

■ Get your glitz on. If there’s any time of the year to go glitz and glam, Oscars night is it. Take your party to the next level with a black and gold glitter theme. With so many do-it-yourself sites and easy crafts, there’s no excuse to skip creating some awesome decorations for the bash – get out your glue gun and glitter.

■ Dine like the stars. Go beyond just the chips and dips and add some pizzazz to your party. Search out some fantastic recipes for appetizers, entrees, desserts, custom cocktails and more. Your guests will feel like stars themselves with the right menu and libations.

Whether you’re one or 1,000 miles away from Hollywood, you can still create your very own red carpet experience in your own home. Follow these tips from Mathews and visit Bing.com/awards for all your Oscars needs and you’ll be well on your way to creating a night to remember for you and your friends.

– Brandpoint

LAUGHS

U nr ep e n t a

nt

wo

c i l o h a k r

Ten years ago, Erik Griffin quit his day job to make standup his

career. Now the high-energy comic books sets across the country and hams it up as Montez Walker on Comedy Central’s Workaholics. INTERVIEW BY DANIEL NASH

SCENE: On a scale of one to 10 — one being not at all like

them from what they really want.

him, 10 being exactly like him — how close would you say you are in personality to Montez?

SCENE: Were you focused entirely on standup or did you

or three. In terms of energy, I would say it’s high. Higher energy than me on an everyday basis. It’s almost three different personalities: There’s the Montez personality, then me on stage, then there’s the personality that’s just me.

wanted to do standup, I’ll always want to do standup.

I enjoy acting too, but they’re not the same. They have similarities in the sense of how there are similarities between professional football and professional basketball, but there isn’t all that much that’s the same.

life, where do you get your energy from?

SCENE: What’s the difference between acting and standup?

GRIFFIN: With acting, it’s not your material necessarily.

do things like the Groundlings or Upright Citizens Brigade?

Or sketch in any capacity?

GRIFFIN: Oh God, I don’t know. I have my moments. 4.5 maybe?

GRIFFIN: Yeah, I was in a bunch of sketch groups and I SCENE: How about your stage persona? actually took the Groundlings class. All those little things GRIFFIN: Oh, wow, I wouldn’t say at all. Maybe like a two help enhance your performance. I love stand up, I always

SCENE: So, that’s interesting. If you’re pretty sedate in real GRIFFIN: I think it’s just part of the experience of

performing. For comics, you always want to be heard. I understand it’s a performance you’re doing. You’re not there just talking, you’re actually performing. When I’m energized, I project my voice and really take over the room.

I’m low key off stage, so when I get on stage I’m ready for all that pent up energy to explode out.

SCENE: Back in 2003 you dropped everything to become a

comedian. What did your life look like at the time? What did dropping everything entail?

GRIFFIN: Well you know, I’d been doing the open mics here and there, but I wasn’t really doing comedy. I didn’t really think it could be a career, and that’s one of my big regrets.

People don’t fail in the entertainment industry, they give up, you know what I mean?

I had this really awful boss and he taught me the difference between a job and a career. I didn’t really like what I was doing and I wanted to really give comedy a try.

SCENE: What was your job, if you don’t mind my asking?

GRIFFIN: I was working at a school. I wasn’t even going

to school to finish my teaching degree. I didn’t know what I wanted to do with it. I just wanted to be happy. I made a tough choice. There just comes a point in your life where you can’t really ask it. You have to know what you want to do. You have to believe you can do it. And when you get that zen quality in your head, boom. You’re going to make it happen somehow. But people get scared … it separates

Other people’s vision are involved in it. It’s a much longer process. You don’t get immediate gratification. You have to wait for the final product as other actors’ scenes are shot and everything goes through the editing guys and everyone else who needs to see it before it’s done. So much goes into seeing what’s on TV. There’s so much that goes into that, so many people are involved in that. That’s more of a team effort. But with standup it’s just you. It’s just your thoughts, you have to back up what you say and you have to weather the crowd.

SCENE: OK, so in the age of the Internet we’re living in now, where everything’s right there, instant-instant-instant, what do you think of situations like, say, the backlash against Tracy Morgan a few years back for his joke about how he’d react to having a gay son?

GRIFFIN: That’s exactly what I mean. People want you

to think the way they think. They take a statement by a performer and say “this is exactly what he means,” without knowing the person or the context. Here’s a guy, he made a statement, we don’t know where he’s from or what that’s about, but we’ve decided we know what he means. That’s where we’re living now, where everything you say is going to be analyzed. You don’t know whether something’s going to be taken the wrong way or if it’s going to be taken at all.

If you offend people … I’m just not a believer in apologizing for things because people got offended.

MARCH 2014 THE scene 9

10 THE scene MARCH 2014

FOOD

Be a saint;

cook Irish

BY BRANDON MACZ

Two years ago Eileen Foley and Michelle Devaney tested the waters at the Issaquah Farmers Market to see if there was any demand for the Irish cuisine they’d brought with them from their homeland and improved upon since when they were children.

“I think both of us came out of there saying, ‘Yes, absolutely,’ “ said Foley, who emigrated from Ireland to Bellevue five years ago. She found the Irish population here was greater than expected. “It’s massive here. It’s actually getting really big here.”

They named their business Colcannon, after a traditional Irish dish consisting of potatoes, cabbage and kale all mashed together, offering fresh foods made by hand, the way their mothers taught them living in the country.

“The reason we gave it up was we just couldn’t keep up with the demand,” said Devaney of Issaquah. Both women have husbands who work

for Microsoft and six children between them to contend with. “We baked all night, we sold all day.”

As much as food is part of the Irish culture, so too is a strong sense of community and desire to socialize, said Foley, something they experienced selling to a loyal following at Colcannon. When you’re Irish, she said, your home is always open.

While they are no longer cooking for the masses, the Irish roses behind Colcannon agreed to share their recipes and menu for a wholesome St. Patrick’s Day meal. Foley said it was difficult finding the right ingredients to authenticate the dishes after arriving in the United States, but the Irish are

used to being resourceful.

When the Irish first came to the United States, they found there was no cured ham as traditionally used for a bacon and cabbage dish eaten on St. Patrick’s Day. The cut was hard to find, as was the correct brine. The solution was to start using cured beef. Corned beef and cabbage is now commonly associated with the holiday in the United States.

There isn’t going to be any corned beef and cabbage recipes to follow — it’s as American as apple pie — but plenty of bestsellers from Colcannon, including a Beef in Guinness Stew that’s sure to please, said Foley. She added it should be made the day before for a better, stronger taste.

Beannachtaí na Féile Pádraig oraibh (Happy St. Patrick’s Day to you all)

St. Patrick’s Day Menu Beef in Guinness Stew

Colcannon Ireland’s best known traditional potato dish, Foley recommends using Kerrygold butter.

Ingredients: 3 lbs potatoes – Russet or Yukon gold 1 small head of savoy cabbage or kale or a mix of both 1 cup of boiling milk 2 spring onions, finely chopped 4 tablespoons butter Salt and pepper Method: Scrub the potatoes, put them in a large saucepan of cold water and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until tender. Drain and return to the pan, then cover with a tea towel for 5 minutes to dry off. Leave to cool slightly. Remove the outer leaves from the cabbage. Wash the

rest and cut into quarters. Remove the core and cut each quarter finely across the grain. Blanch in a little salted water till cooked. Drain well and refresh under cold water. Season again and add a knob of butter.

Pour the milk in a saucepan, add the butter and spring onions. Warm gently for a few minutes without boiling. Peel the cooked potatoes, mash well. Gradually add the milk mixture beating continuously with a wooden spoon to combine. Fold in the blanched cabbage and then gently reheat, stirring continuously.

Season to taste. To serve, place the colcannon in a warmed bowl and enjoy.

It can be made ahead of time and reheated in a moderate oven at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

Ingredients: 2 lbs lean stewing beef 3 tablespoons oil 2 tablespoons flour Salt and pepper Pinch of cayenne 2 large onions 1 large clove of garlic 2 tablespoons of tomato puree dissolved in 4 tablespoons of water 1 1/4 cups of Guinness 2 cups carrots Sprig of thyme Method: Trim the meat of any fat or gristle. Cut into cubes of 2 inches and toss them in a bowl with 1 tablespoon of oil. Season the flour with salt, pepper and

Eileen Foley

Michelle Devaney

White Soda Bread cayenne. Toss the meat in this.

Heat the remaining oil in a large pan over a high heat. Brown the meat on all sides. Add the onions, garlic and tomato puree to the pan. Cover and cook gently for about 5 minutes. Transfer the contents of the pan to a casserole.

Pour some of the Guinness into the pan to deglaze by bringing to a boil. Pour onto the meat with the remaining Guinness.

Add the carrots and the thyme.

Cover with a lid and simmer very gently 2-3 hours. The stew may be cooked on the stove or in an oven at 300 degrees. Scatter with lots of chopped parsley and serve with colcannon. This dish can be accompanied with some freshly boiled potatoes or with the colcannon dish provided.

Ingredients: 4 cups of plain flour 1 tsp salt 1 tsp baking soda 1 tsp sugbar 2 cups of buttermilk or sour milk Method: Sieve dry ingredients into a large bowl.

Scoop up handfuls to aerate the mixture.

Add enough buttermilk to make a soft dough. Now work quickly as the buttermilk and soda are already reacting. Knead the dough lightly. Form a round loaf about as thick as your fist. Place on a lightly floured baking sheet and cut a cross in the top with a floured knife. Bake in a preheated oven at 450 degrees for 30-45 minutes. When baked the loaf will sound hollow when rapped on the bottom with your knuckles. Wrap immediately in a clean tea-towel to stop the crust hardening too much.

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