New in the Kitchen

If sharing is caring, then I'm definitely cared for!

Yesterday, I got a delivery from my sister (aka Mango Tomato).  She recently attended Eat Write Retreat in Washington, DC where she was the official photographer for the conference.  As such, she got a pretty fabulous swag bag and generously shared some of the items with me!  Thanks :)  If you are interested, you can read about her experience as a photographer at a conference here.

SoftWorks OXO Stainless Steel LiquiSeal Travel Mug
Mine is actually magenta in color, which is even cooler!  And it's BPA free, double wall insulated and spill proof.  Since I already have a tea mug, this will be dedicated to coffee.

Photo from Amazon.com

Multi-functional Apple-shaped Slicer Jacinth (in red)

Photo from Gadgettown.com

OXO Good Grips Pepper Mill with Pink Peppercorns from My Spice Sage.  I love the fact that you can see exactly how much spice you have in the spice grinder. And having the hand-operated handle makes me feel like I'm using an ancient appliances.  Trying to figure out what to do with pink peppercorns.  Perhaps truffles! Any suggestions from you?

Photo from Amazon.com

And last, but not least, my own purchase!  Hand-painted ceramic bowls from Ross.  Now, there's a story about these bowls that I am not going to choose on line, but if you care to find out what it is, please let me know!  These bowls are not exactly what I was looking for, but they are definitely an improvement from eating out of a plastic bowl.

What's next in the kitchen?  I'm thinking I am in definite need of a food processor and hand mixer.  What's on your list?

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Weekly Hands On Cooking Classes - Whole Foods Market - June 1 - 4th

Summer Cooking on the Budget
Wednesday, June 1st, 6-8pm $15

Cooking doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg to be delicious and satisfying. Let's try together these affordable recipes to keep your summer entertaining light on the wallet.

* Southwestern Couscous Salad
* Grilled Shrimp & Eggplant Noodle Bowl
* Red, White & Blue Fruit Salad
* Honeydew Green Tea with Mint

Say Cheese - Goat Cheese
Friday, June 3rd, 6-8pm $20

Do you love cheese? Come to our kitchen to discover several varieties of goat cheese and learn how to use this versatile cheese in both sweet and savory applications.

* Spinach Salad with Plums & Goat Cheese
* Green Bean Salad with Corn, Tomatoes & Goat Cheese Dressing
* Fusilli with Goat Cheese, Peas & Prosciutto
* Goat Cheese Cheesecake

Simple Asian Dishes
Saturday, June 4th, 12-2pm $20

Learn how to prepare some of your favorite take-out foods right inside your kitchen! We'll have you covered all the way from appetizers to dessert.

* Shrimp & Tofu Spring Rolls with Peanut Sauce
* Chicken & Vegetable Curry Soup
* Spicy Vegetable Chow Mein
* Mango Sticky Rice Pudding

Peach and Apricot Crumble with Almonds and Crystalized Ginger

As a Culinary Director at the Redmond Whole Foods Market, I get to design and teach cooking classes.  When I first started, I wanted to teach a monthly cooking class series called "Cooking with the Season."  In the class, I teach my students how to utilize seasonal, and mostly local produce.  This has been by far one of the most popular classes on the calendar.

A few days ago, I taught the class how to make a Peach & Apricot Crumble with Almonds and Crystalized Ginger.  I got the idea for this dessert from the Peach, Blueberry and Pecan Crumble recipe on the Whole Foods Market website.  Never one to follow the recipe exactly, I made a few changes.  We used apricots and peaches, eliminated blueberries (I'm not a fan of cooked blueberries) and used almonds instead of pecans for extra crunch.  The spicy, crystalized ginger is really fantastic, but be sure to dice it pretty finely to avoid biting into a large chunk of heat.

Peach and Apricot Crumble with Almonds and Crystalized Ginger



Ingredients

4 peaches, halved, pitted and chopped into 1/2"
4 apricots, halved, pitted and chopped into 1/2"
2 tablespoons plus 3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup crystallized ginger, finely diced
5 tablespoons granulated sugar
5 tablespoons brown sugar
1 cup roughly chopped almonds
Pinch of salt
Pinch of ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons lemon zest
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

Directions


1.  Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly butter a 9-inch square baking dish (alternatively, you can bake it in individual ramekins).  Combine peaches, apricots and 2 tablespoons of the flour and spread evenly in the baking dish.

2.  Combine remaining 3/4 cup flour, ginger, sugars, almonds, salt, cinnamon, lemon zest, lemon juice and butter in a large bowl and mix together well with your hands, breaking up the butter with your fingers.  Make sure the butter doesn't break down completely.  Sprinkle the mixture on top of apricots and peaches.

3.  Cover the baking dish with with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes.  Remove the foil and bake for additional 20 minutes more, or until golden on top and fruit is soft and bubbling.

4.  If you are patient, allow the crumble to cool slightly.  If not, spoon it up and serve with vanilla ice cream.

To quote one of my students "this was the best crumble I've ever had."  Can you imagine how great this would be once the local markets start carrying juicy peaches and aromatic, sweet apricots?

This recipe is very easy to switch up for any season - I'm already thinking of apple and cranberry for the fall.

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Sour Cherry Crustless Cheesecake Cupcakes with Sour Cherry Glaze

"Will you make cheesecake for your grandmother's birthday?" was the voicemail from my mom - short and sweet (kind of like the dessert I ended up making).  I couldn't quite remember the last time I baked a cheesecake.  Perhaps it was back at the Culinary Institute of America.  I consulted the cookbook from the CIA but the recipe in the book was for 8 cheesecakes.  Rather than doing the math and deal with scaling ingredients, I decided to go for something simpler.

Then, I realized that I don't own a spring form pan, nor do I have a proper mixer.  This could be difficult.  Rather than heading out to a local bakery to purchase a cheesecake, I decided to improvise and use my cupcake pan (inspired by so much love from you all for the Sausage & Broccoli Egg Cupcakes) and the whisk attachment from the immersion blender.

My Weekly Kitchen Obsession: Cheese, Crackers & Marmalade

Have you seen Andy Cohen on Bravo TV?  One of his shows is Watch What Happens: Live, where Andy hosts one or few guests from the popular Bravo reality show.  What does this have to do with my blog?  Well...patience!  One of the segments on the show is Andy's list of things he has been obsessed with during the week - it can be an outfit, a particular word, or an incident on one of the shows.  So I thought - why not share my weekly obsessions with you?  Here we go!

While going through a stash of papers, I found a gift certificate to ChefShop that I received last year as a gift from Queen Anne Farmers Market.  At the time, I was working at Kaspars, and Chef Kaspar and I did a demonstration at the market, grilling pizzas - vegetable and rhubarb.  Fastforward a year later, the certificate was to expire the next day, and I had some shopping to do.

I received great service from ChefShop and was opening a box packed with goodies just a few days later.

This weekend I had the perfect occasion to try some of the goodies from the ChefShop box.  A good friend from Dallas was visiting me in Seattle, and as if we weren't already eating and drinking enough, we thought that a cheese and cracker platter would be a lovely snack. 

And now we are getting to my weekly obsession: Yuzu Marmalade, La Panzanella Garlic Flavored Mini Croccantini and Extra Sharp White Tillamook Cheddar (ok, the cheddar came from QFC, but the other two components were from ChefShop).



photo from ChefShop



Yuzu is a Japanese citrus fruit that is said to taste similar to a cross between tangerine and lemon.  Depends on your taste buds, you might pick up different notes.  This Yuzu marmalade has only three ingredients - yuzu, sugar, and honey.  To me, the marmalade taste a bit like orange marmalade, but more floral, with a bit touch of bitterness.  But oh, so delicious!

The La Panzanella Mini Croccantini might be more addicting than potato chips.  They are dry and superbly crisp, with a slight hint of garlic.  Try one, and you'll have a hard time stopping.

photo from ChefShop

The choice of cheese was easy.  I wanted something local, thus Oregon Tillamook, and delicious - Extra Sharp Cheddar.  Creamy and smooth, the sliced Cheddar made a perfect topping for the La Panzanella Croccantini spread with Yuzu Marmalade.

photo from Tillamook

To round up our fruit and cheese platter, we added slices of fuji apple and some Wheat Thins (to be perfectly honest, I couldn't be bothered with Wheat Thins and concentrated completely on La Panzanella crackers).



And if you couldn't tell by now, I'm also obsessed with orange and turquoise colors, and often put the two together.

Now that I've shared my weekly obsession with you, won't you share yours?  Let's try to keep it to the kitchen theme :)

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Weekly Hands On Cooking Classes - Whole Foods Market - May 23-30

Cooking with the Season
Thursday, May 26th, 6-8pm $20

Let's celebrate seasonal cooking and all it has to offer! Once a month, we'll gather in the kitchen and cook with seasonal produce. May in the Northwest puts a spotlight on salmon, spinach, radishes, kale, and chard. If we're lucky, we might get some ripe fruit stone - if not, we'll borrow it from our neighbors in the south.


* Radish, Avocado & Spinach Salad
* Sautéed Kale with Swiss Chard, Sundried Tomatoes & Feta
* Roasted Spiced Salmon
* Easy Fruit Crumble

Knife Skills 101
Saturday, May 28th, Noon-2pm $15

A great class for a new or a seasoned cook! Learn proper cutting technique that will save you time in the kitchen. We'll also save you some tears and cuts while teaching you how to slice, dice, chiffonade and julienne. Guest Eric Rose of AAA Sharper Edge will talk about taking care of your knives and keeping them sharp.

I teach the classes at Whole Foods Market in Redmond, WA and privately.  Please contact me for more information.  cia007girl at gmail

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Five Ingredient Dish - Sautéed Vegetables with Soft Eggs & Pesto

Love to cook but intimidated by a long ingredient list?  I have just what you're looking for - a complete, delicious  recipe with just five ingredients - thus, the Five Ingredient Dish.  This is also perfect for Cooking for One, but can easily be multiplied to feed a family.

Before we get to the recipe, let's just decide that salt, pepper, and oil are not counted as ingredients.  Capish?  Bueno!  Let's move on.

This is actually the second time I'm making and enjoying this recipe this week.  First time, I made it for breakfast.  Tonight, I had it for dinner.  Lunch next? 

Ingredients
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
5 mushrooms, diced (pick the variety you like)
1/2 small onion, diced
1/2 zucchini, diced
salt & pepper to taste
2 eggs
1 tablespoon pesto

Directions
1.  Heat vegetable oil in a medium size sauté pan.  Add vegetables and sauté, stirring occasionally for 7-10 minutes, or until vegetables are tender.  Season with salt and pepper.

2.  Carefully crack 2 eggs on top of vegetables.  Cover the pan with a lid and lower the heat.  Cook until the egg white is completely set and the egg yolk is still runny, about 4 minutes.

3.  Transfer the eggs and vegetables to a bowl.  You don't have to worry about breaking the yolk in this recipe.  In fact, you want to break the egg yolk and mix the vegetables and the egg together - the egg creates a creamy, delicious sauce.

4.  Add pesto and mix again.  Time to eat!

Have a favorite 5 Ingredient Dish?  Please share!

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Hands on Cooking Classes - Week of May 16th - Whole Foods Market

Here are the classes I'm teaching this week at Whole Foods Market in Redmond, WA.  Please call to sign up for the class.

Monday, May 16th
Health Starts Here: Dress Your Salads - No Oil Salad Dressings
6-8pm $15
Salads are healthy, unless they are covered by ladles of Ranch or Creamy Italian dressings. Find out about healthy alternative ways to dress your salads that include nuts and fruit.

* Strawberry & Arugula Salad with Avocado Citrus Dressing
* White Bean & Spinach Salad with Apple Cider Dijon Vinaigrette
* Broccoli & Pepper Salad with Almond & Chile Dressing
* Rainbow Kale Slaw with Balsamic Mustard Orange Vinaigrette

Wednesday, May 18th
Mediterranean Tapas Lunch12-2pm $15
Host a Mediterranean style tapas party for your next gathering with friends and family. Enjoy these bright, fresh flavors in your own kitchen.

* Chicken, Olive and Roasted Pepper Tart
* Eight Layer Mediterranean Dip
* Italian Tuna Sandwiches

Thursday, May 19th
Supper Club
6:30pm $15
Our Healthy Eating Supper Club is back! Enjoy a delicious and healthy meal prepared just for you! During the meal we will talk about how the dishes were prepared, why we chose certain ingredients and have a discussion around healthy eating topics. Bring your appetite and your questions!

* Cucumber, Radish & Seaweed Salad
* Beef Stir-Fry with Bell Peppers, Carrots & Snow Peas
* Miso-Ginger Wild Rice with Carrots & Cabbage

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Indian and Mediterranean Feast at Saffron Grill, Seattle, WA

I have a lovely group of friends in Seattle that I call "My 4th of July Russian Girls." The nickname for the group was born last year over the 4th of July weekend that we spent together.  I felt as though I was initiated into the group that weekend.  Thanks ladies!

We spent most of that weekend eating and drinking and hanging out.  We continue to eat and drink together.  I'm not going to go into details of our particular taste buds, but let's just say that sharing a dish containing cilantro and onions will never happen.  Deciding where to eat can be highly challenging and usually leads to heated discussions (slightly over exaggerated).  Our safe places tend to be Pho or Thai.

The last time we got together, I attempted to push our boundaries and suggested we try something a bit more exotic.  Following a 4-way back and forth chat on gmail, we agreed on Saffron Grill -a Seattle restaurant located in Northgate offering "inventive fusion of Indian and Mediterranean cuisine."  I have shared several meals at the restaurant before and was looking forward to coming back.  I was also very excited to introduce Indian cuisine to one my friends.

When it came to ordering, let's say we went slightly overboard.  The menu offers plenty of traditional Indian items (curries, tandori, etc), Mediterranean items, and some American options (we couldn't refuse an appetizer plate of garlic fries with Ranch dressing).

Let us start with tea - there was quite a selection, artistically organized by color!  I ordered a virgin Mojito, and the drink order was completed with a beer and a gorgeous Tropical Sunrise (layered drink of strawberry puree, orange juice and pineapple juice).

The appetizers began to arrive - vegetable samosas (with potatoes and peas), baba ghannoj (smoked eggplant pureed with tahini sauce - by far one of my favorite items of the evening), garlic fries with Ranch dressing (don't judge), and a complimentary order of garlic naan (hot, fresh out of the oven, fluffy pillow of dough with garlic and ghee).

(Somehow the fries didn't make it into the photo)

Our entrees ranged from a house salad, to a Mediterranean falaffel platter, Mediterranean Lamb kabob, and two Butter Dishes - vegetarian and lamb.  The Indian virgin of the group, bravely tasted the Indian delicacies, and to her (and my) surprise liked a few!  There's hope :)

How we managed to find room in our stomachs for dessert, is honestly beyond me!  But we did order a plate of mango ice cream with pistachios that was devoured in record time.

Looking forward to many future adventures with my Russian 4th of July Girls.  Ethiopian next time? :)

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Saffron has a daily happy hour 2-7pm-one more reason to visit.

Roasted Salmon with Lemon and Dill

Do you want to hear my favorite fish joke?  I heard it on Jay Leno years ago, and haven't stopped telling it since.  Ok, here we go - "What's a fish without an i/eye?"  It is .....fsssshhhhhh :)  Ok, you had to be there.

Whether you love fish or a bit skittish about eating it, this is a lovely recipe for you to try.  The fish lover in you will appreciate the simple, unobstructed flavor of salmon that is gently enhanced with the acidity of lemon and white wine (the acid works quite well against the natural oily flavor of salmon).  Dill is the traditional accompaniment for salmon, and honestly, it looks quite pretty against the fish' pink flesh.

Ingredients

Olive oil
1.5 pounds salmon fillet
salt and pepper to taste
4-6 sprigs fresh dill
1 lemon, sliced into 1/4"
1/2 cup white wine

Directions

1.  Preheat the oven to 375.
2.  Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly coat with olive oil.  Place the salmon, skin side down, on top of the foil.
3.  Season the salmon with salt and pepper.  Lay dill sprigs on top of salmon and cover with lemon slices.  Lightly drizzle with olive oil.
4.  Pour wine around the salmon.  Fold the foil around the salmon, forming an envelope.
5.  Roast salmon until desired doneness (about 20 minutes for medium).
6.  When serving, use a spatula to separate salmon from its skin and serve with wedges of lemon.  Garnish with fresh chopped dill.

I served the salmon for Mother's Day with Mushroom & Dill Risotto and a side of Roasted Asparagus.

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Mushroom & Dill Risotto Recipe

"I'm going to make risotto for mom!" I told my sister.  It was Mother's Day, and I wanted to make dinner.  "Risotto?  Mom thinks it's like a rice porridge." she said.  "Really?  Well, I bet she just didn't have a good risotto yet.  Perhaps I can change her mind."  I was ready for a challenge!

I'm not sure if I changed her mind, but she did enjoy the risotto, and my dad went for seconds.

I'm not sure if I changed her mind, but she did enjoy the risotto, and my dad went for seconds.

Ingredients
 1 tablespoon olive oil + extra if needed
1 small onion or 2 shallots, diced
1 cup shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
1 cup button mushrooms, quartered
4 cups chicken broth
1 cup arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine (I used Lone Birch - the name reminded me of Russia where birches grow free and wild)
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons chopped dill

Directions



1. Heat olive oil in a medium size heavy-bottom pot, over medium high heat. Add onion, mushrooms and saute for 7-10 minutes until the onions are soft and mushrooms have browned. Remove from the pan, and set aside.

2. Bring chicken broth to a boil, lower to the heat, and keep the broth at a low simmer.

3. Add rice to the medium size pot (where you cooked onions and mushrooms). If needed, add more olive oil. Toast rice in oil for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the wine and cook until the wine evaporates.

4. Time to add the hot broth! (You really do want it hot - that will help the risotto to cook more evenly and quicker). Add only about 1 cup of broth at a time, waiting until the liquid almost evaporates before the next addition.

5. Test the rice - taste it. You want it to remain its bite, but not be crunchy. Don't feel like you have to use all of the broth.

6. Once you are happy with the risotto consistency, add the mushrooms, cheese and dill. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve immediately!

What are your favorite risotto stir-ins?
 
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What's Cooking This Week - Hands on Cooking Classes

Join me and learn how to cook in a fun, casual atmosphere!

Springtime Soups
Thursday, May 12th, 6-8pm $20

We had so much fun this winter making 4 soups in one class, I thought we should do it again. Let's take our winter-favorite heart warmers into Spring with lighter, yet still filling and delicious options!

* Spring Minestrone
* Shrimp and Fish in Aromatic Coconut Broth
* Rustic Potato Leek Soup
* Creamy Spring Asparagus Soup

Moroccan for Beginners
Friday, May 13th, 6-8pm $20

Discover the flavors of Morocco in this introduction class. Bring your appetite and questions!

* Carrot and Date Salad
* Chickpea and Lentil Soup
* Stuffed Peppers with Lamb
* Mint Tea & Dessert

Spanish Tapas
Saturday, May 14th, 12-2pm $25

These small delicious plates are perfect to share with your friends and family. Full of flavor, they'll satisfy even the pickiest of eaters.

* Prosciutto-Wrapped Manchego-Stuffed Dates
* Roasted Olives with Lemon
* Tomato Gazpacho
* Spanish Chickpeas & Chorizo
* Pork Meatballs with Piquillo Sauce
* Spanish Potato Tortilla

Please email me if you are interested to sign up cia007girl at gmail.com  Classes are taught at Whole Foods Market in Redmond, WA

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Celebrating Mother's Day 2011 with Dinner

Last year, for Mother's Day, I made my mom mini frittatas with sausage, broccoli and cheese, baked directly inside a muffin tin.  These individual servings of eggs were a big hit with my mom and many of you out there have liked the recipe as well (thank you!)

When this Mother's Day approached, I asked my mom what would she like me to cook for dinner.  Surprisingly, she had something else in mind - she wanted me to clean her refrigerator.  As glamorous as it might be, this wasn't exactly my idea of fun, but since I asked, I could hardly refuse her.  

So there I was, over at my parents' house, cleaning the refrigerator after spending 6 hours working in a busy bakery on Mother's Day.  But the story doesn't end there.  Afterall, I showed up to the house with a bouquet of flowers and a bag of groceries - there was dinner to be made!

I decided on Mushroom and Dill Risotto, Roasted Salmon with Dill and Lemon, and Roasted Asparagus.

(Photographing risotto turned out harder than expected).

What did you cook or eat this Mother's day?

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What to do with wine corks?

In the last few years, I've lived in 4 states (I promise, I'm not running away from law).  Each time I moved, I packed my car to the bream with my most valued possessions.   One of those possessions was a large box of wine corks - saved over the years from wine bottles.  The box also contained a few champagne corks, a few corks from good bottles of balsamic vinegar, and some corks donated by friends.  Each time, I would look at the box of corks and wonder - what am I to do with it?

Making a cork board, a trivet, or even a reef has crossed my mind, but I just haven't gotten to it.  At least not yet.  So for now, I came up with this idea.

I recently finally invested in some furniture, and the coffee table arrived yesterday!  I love the extra storage that it provides and decided to take advantage of the glass top for display purposes.  Using a wooden tray (recycled from a catering gig), I filled it with the corks and voila!  

Glass of wine now? :)  If you have any extra wine corks and would like to donate them, please let me know!

  

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You want a burger? I think you need a burger - Uneedaburger - Seattle

Once a burger, always a burger?  I don't think so!  I've had my share of killed, dried out patties, served on soggy pieces of "bread" with nothing other than mayo and ketchup to hold them together.  Though, let's be honest, I've never had that horrific version, but some of burger wanna-bees have come pretty close.

The burger wasn't on the menu tonight.  In fact, I was craving sushi, Indian, or perhaps a baby burrito from Gordo's.  That's where my triplet entered with a brilliant idea "Let's have a burger!"  "You want a burger?" I questioned.  "Well, then you need a burger."  As the phrase escaped my lips, I thought there was something familiar.  I almost sang songed it to myself.  "Youuuuuu neeeeed a burgeeeaaaaahr."  And that's when it hit me (like a buttered bun hits the hot grill) - we need to go to Uneedaburger!

 

Conveniently located just a few miles away (4302 Fremont Ave. N. in Seattle, WA), Uneedaburger was our dinner destination tonight.  From the first sight, this Fremont neighborhood location had promise.  With large garage doors and outside seating, it reminded me of summer (something we don't see here too often).  

We walked in and considered the menu.

Working backwards, we first chose Empire Ice Cream hand dipped shake (in chocolate)-- $5.00 and Chili & Cheese Fries:-- $4.50 first, it was time to decide on the burger.  My triplet went for a 1/4# with a fried egg and cheddar.  I decided to go along with the chili theme and selected #5: Sonora burger with roasted chili relish, jack cheese and cilantro (medium rare please!) $8.

While waiting, we re-discovered our childhood with the help of crayons and Hangman.

Dessert arrived first.  I'm not sure how people attack these milk shakes by themselves.  We had a hard time finishing up our shared milkshake.  But, boy were they good!  Rich, decadent, sweet and cold (Summer, where are you?  This would be your perfect accompaniment).

And then the main attraction of the evening arrived!

Here's Anna's burger, up-close-and-personal, with the perfect fried egg - the yolk oozing out.

I can't speak for her burger, but mine was perfect.  Medium-rare, just like requested, the burger wasn't overloaded with unnecessary toppings, which allowed each topping to play its role.  (Although, I actually couldn't taste the cilantro - pity).  The burger had a nice surprise - matchsticks of pickled radishes.  

Remember the buns I spoke of in the beginning of the post?  Well, I'm happy to say the Uneedaburger got their buns right.  I bet they butter them up and slap them on top a hot griddle.  The end result is "soft of the inside, tough (crunchy) on the outside" - sounds like someone you know?

We probably should've walked back home to work out at least one single sip of the milkshake or a waffle fry covered with chili and melted cheese.  Instead, we rolled into the car and drove back home for tea with ginger and lemon to soothe our overextended stomachs.

And I have to give two thumbs up to the service - courteous, efficient and friendly!  Thank you. 

This is not how our service went :) 

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