Wonton wrappers, wonton wrappers, what shall I do with the rest of you?  I am quite certain I’m not alone in this predicament; those packets the size of my pinkie seem to yield a bottomless supply of paper-thin panes and a girl can only eat so many wonton crisps with her Ahi Poke.  As is regularly the case with my culinary creations, I decided to adopt a fused approach.  Wontons are from China, so let’s go with Italian pastry cream infused with Cardamom- primarily an Indian spice (I realize this is debatable).  Throw in some chocolate from Belize and the Dominican Republic packaged by a UK company and you’ve got your next United Nations Convention dessert settled.  Top it all off with Mexican dulce de leche made from goat’s milk called cajeta and garnish the plate with kiwi berries grown in Oregon (of all the places to miniaturize a kiwi!) and you’ve got a dessert that can take you around the world for a lot less than the cost of the plane ticket. 

Read more

In Seattle, it’s a well-guarded secret that September and sunshine go hand in hand.  This is how I manage to sneak in a few final al fresco dinners before the need for simmering stews and hot hearty fare takes over completely.  September is also one of the best times of year to visit Uwajimaya, Seattle’s premier shopping destination for arcane Asiatica.  Since it is harvest time all over the Northern Hemisphere, Uwajimaya has some crazy unheard of produce on-hand, from yama-imo (Japanese mountain potatoes) to Vietnamese nubbly Jackfruit. 

Go in with a camera and a translator and you’ll come out all the richer for it.  In fact I nominate Uwajimaya as one of the best “stay-cation” ideas of the year.  It’s one of the only places in town where you can immerse yourself in a uniquely interesting culture without buying a plane ticket.  Read more