Monday, May 19, 2008

Shameless Plug

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Mexican Chocolate Flan with Spicy Mango and Pepita Brittle

Readers who do not live in the Seattle area will find this post to be pretty boring. Sorry. You can just look at the pictures- which, lets face it, suck. I am just never going to be one of *those blogs* where every shot looks like it came straight out of a cookbook, complete with tea towels to match the food and theme appropriate dishes.
I'm busy.
One of these days I'll get around to reading the information booklet that came with the camera. But until then, the stuck up panel of judges at tastespotting can just bite me.

Unless they take bribes(?)....

I guess that little diatribe has been building up since I started this whole blogging thing. Thanks for listening.

But I did not sign on to be bitter. I come here today to give New Urban Eats a shout out, or "NUE" as the cool kids call it, which I most certainly am. This is the third installment of the Seattle restaurant program, the second go 'round for Betty, which would explain why my back hurts, my elbows are throbbing (my future arthritic sweet spot- looking forward to those good times), and when I close my eyes, all I can see are these flans.
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You can't afford NOT to eat this

Allow me to further explain the NUE concept. For one month, 20 Seattle restaurants participate by featuring a prix fixe menu of 3 courses for 30 dollars. It's a ridiculously good deal, and it's not just some shitty sub-par plate of gruel the chef threw together to sell at a discount. At Betty, every choice presented to you for the prix fixe dinner can be found on our regular menu- same goes for my dessert options. I guarantee you will walk out of the place uncomfortably stuffed with delicious food.

But I am not going to shove just Betty down your throats, There are other really good places playing along with NUE.
I recently ate at Red Fin, a sushi joint downtown also participating in the event. I had grilled crab legs to start, the chef sushi platter for an entree (fucking huge plate of sashimi and sushi), and honey cardamom creme brulee (oh yeah, a bottle or 2 of warm sake, sadly not included in the discount). It was enough food for 2 people, and a 30 dollar tab at red fin is usually unheard of.
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painfully addicting pepita brittle. I get my daily sugar intake 15 minutes after I get to work and start testing this stuff for "quality control"

So in short, Seattleites- get out there and eat! You have exactly 10 days left- well, 8 days- it is not offered on Fridays or Saturdays. We are already having our asses handed to us on weekends. I think we would very likely go insane if we were also offering a prix fixe.
But seriously, times are tough. We all know that. It seems like dining out is one of the first sacrifices one makes when faced with 4$/gallon gas (insert "fuck you dubya" comment here) and a housing crisis, and all the other fretful things going on in the world. But for a brief period, there is some relief from your restaurant bill, should you chose to take advantage of it.

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Looking for a recipe?
Sorry. I kind of have to protect myself when it comes to items on my dessert menu. Especially when it comes to this flan, which took me almost the entire month of April to perfect. I will tell you about it though. I infuse the dairy with orange zest, ancho chile, coco nibs, and cinnamon. Later I add good bittersweet chocolate and kahlua. The mango is simply dowsed in chile infused simple syrup. Pepita brittle is nothing more than cooked sugar and pumpkin seeds.
There. Feel better?

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

Completely awesome looking desert. Your photos aren't bad - and when you food is this good, who the f**k cares?

I still have to get to Betty, and it has been bloody ages since I have been to the crow. Maybe if you guys had highchairs... :D

Glad to hear things are busy for you guys though. You are right, times are tough. Food is expensive these days, and to have this deal is awesome. These were always the most expensive months for us, before Drake - so many good places to go eat for a deal.

michael, claudia and sierra said...

i have just decided that until your tea towels match the dish you're cooking - i just CAN NOT take part in your blog anymore.

now you know.

thank you.

michael, claudia and sierra said...

oh and

when you retire would you then please give me this recipe.

i will pay you handsomely.
twice.

Brittany said...

Yum.

so basically, I have 8 days to fly from Ohio to Seattle to eat until me pants burst.

Sounds like a plan!

Heather said...

Mole flan with pepita praline. Fucking brill. We need to have a PNW foodie thing, btw. I just decided that when I saw your dessert.

Emily said...

I wish I could ride my bike everywhere. Gas prices are killing me.

This looks amazing! Maybe someday you will reveal your secret recipe.

A lot of blogs do have matching tea towels and dishes and stuff. I don't have any of that crap. Everyone is always tying a ribbon around a stack of cookies, too. Who eats a stack of cookies like that?! Not me.

Susan from Food Blogga said...

Oh, what a spectacular recipe this is, Brittany. Creamy flan and crunchy brittle is a truly exciting blend of textures.

peter said...

Tastespotting just took the shot of my half-assed amateur rhubarb pie that I spent the hour of 5 PM perfecting. There's no justice.

If I ever get out there, I will require one of those flans. If it's not too much trouble, maybe you can meet me at the airport pushing it on a little cart with a matching tea towel.

Thistlemoon said...

Can you just please send me one in a to go box! I am not tastespotting, but I do take bribes! LOL! Just Kidding..well, maybe...
I hear ya on the prices/politicalunrest dealybob. But I am telling you if I lived in Seattle, I would be going out every night this week! You rock, girlfriend!

Cakespy said...

I'd be OK with having Betty shoved down my throat. OK, that sounded crass. I apologize :-)

But most importantly, what a dessert! We've got to walk up the hill-- soon!

Brittany said...

Matt- Yeah, Betty and Crow are kind of kid un-friendly. Maybe I can babysit some night in exchange for a photography lesson.

Claudia- Aw Man! Well, I guess it's time for me to book my ass to Ikea for 12 different sets of assorted demitasse cups and napkin props. I totally have the time and money for all that crap. Not to mention the storage space....
Being that all of this will cost me a pretty penny, I may not be retiring until I'm 78. You OK with waiting half a decade for a flan recipe?

Brittany (your name is so awesome)-
I hear elastic waste pants are coming back this summer.

Heather- A PNW foodie thing excites me to no end. Matt? Peabody? Mallow? You in? Pac-Northwest food is pretty much the best in the world, I think it's time we brag about it in a more public fashion.
...But then, more people might move here. I don't know how Ok I am with that...

Emiline- Woah! You changed your picture. Very chic.
I'm totally guilty of the ribbon thing. I was taking pictures of cookies at my mom's house and I couldn't help myself. She had the cutest cranberry colored raffia. If it helps, I felt like a stupid asshole the whole time.

Susan- Crunchy/creamy is second only to cold creamy/hot chewy on my list of favorite texture combos. And it's a very close second.

Peter- I sent them a few pics from this very post, and oddly enough they didn't take them. I wonder if it had anything to do with me dropping the f-bomb once or twice, ripping on the president, and calling their judges "stuck-up" ?(which was toned down from what I wanted to call them).
I hear they are uptight like that. I guess I should just return the the writing style of this blog's infancy, like I'm giving a nervous speech to the elderly. Then they'll take any blurry piece of shit I send them.
...And "scene"...

Jenn- I dunno. This flan could be a little funkified by the time it reaches Florida...
Thanks for saying I rock. Sometimes a girl needs to hear that to get through the day.
You rock too!!

Cakespy- why you dirty girl, you!
Yeah, get your butt in to Betty. Didn't you used to work at Crow? You might even still get a discount!

Brittany said...

Everyone-
Oh my god! I take it all back! Tastespotting judges are kind and noble people. They took my shot of pepita brittle, even though the post containing it insulted them.

I'm sure I'll go back to hating them soon when they deny my next picture.

Anonymous said...

Mmmmmm, this looks like I hope its being served at Betty....Mmmmmmm...
Mom

Brittany said...

Mom- yes, it is at Betty. You and your dinner club can order as many as you like.
Trevor is standing over my shoulder looking at the picture and says it looks like cat food.
Your son-in-law is a really encouraging guy.

Peter M said...

Ya big tease! If I lived in Seattle I'd come sample it and make a knock-off recipe! lol





Thanks Norm!