Seattle- family and fresh food

Here I am again, back in DC after a weekend trip to my favorite place on the west coast: Washington State. Nothing is better than ocean views and amazing fresh seafood! It was unfortunately not all fun and games while visiting the family... the reason for my trip was truly to say goodbye to my sick grandmother- never an easy thing to do. Sadly, as soon as I got off the plane I learned she had passed that morning. I tried to keep the weekend light and remember she would have wanted me to have a fun time in my favorite city.

My first real meal was with the rest of my family the following evening, Salmon with a peach sauce, curried cauliflower, and fresh homemade white bread. I have to say the home cooked meal was probably the best of the whole trip. We talked about green ideas- my uncle's solar paneled garage roof, Grandma's adventures and laughed, probably a lot more than you would think one should at a time like that. Its amazing how a good meal with family can really lift every one's spirits.

There were a few good lunch and brunches there too, but not nearly as notable as Pike's Place Market in downtown by the waterfront. It is a food lover's paradise. Fresh fish, fruits, flowers, pastries, galore! Its best known for the fisherman yelling and tossing the fish around but I think my new favorite was a little shop called Piroshky-Piroshky, a Russian bakery just outside the market. Just walking by it was almost unnoticeable... but as soon as you walked past the scent would bring you to a halt. What was a Piroshky anyway? The word Piroshky comes from the Russian word Pir which means fast. I soon learned it is a little hand pie with different contents.... meat, vegetables, or sweets. I thought about getting one but the line was down the street. Of course after we had walked alittle past the sky opened up, in Seattle fashion and it rained cats and dogs. I took it as a sign that the store front was covered and decided to wait in line after all. It was worth the wait!! I of course had a vegetarian one: a potato, mushroom and onion Piroshky. Buttery outside and yummy gooey filling. I have to say though, I was grateful after two Piroshkys I had gone to a local yoga class to afford all these extra calories.

The second notable stop was Beecher's Handmade Cheese. The name really says it all. You can't really go wrong with fresh, homemade cheese. The shop even has a menu of cheesy items you can order using their wonderful cheeses! I haven't really had cheese in a few years (my stomach is happier this way) but this was a time where one must break down and try everything. Three blocks of cheese later and a bag of house made honey and almond crackers, we were set to go. Worth every penny.