Firsts at Coastal Kitchen.

Our first date was at Coastal Kitchen on Capitol Hill, and I can’t believe how quickly time flies. After one blissful year together, we made it a point to revisit the place of our first formal meeting. I say “formal” because we had met a few times before, but these occasions were not what David considered to be good and “proper” introductions. Although this date was a little shorter than our first, when we talked at the bar for an entire afternoon, the night was still a beautiful reminder of how important first dates can be :)

Apologies for the blurry photos >

Deep fried oysters. The portion size was too modest, but it was delicious.

Celebratory drinks.

Mahi Mahi.

The “Shipwreck.” Delicious.

Our seats where I realized one date wouldn’t be enough.

Around.

The view from my go-to lunch spot at Assembly Hall. You can find me up here on weekdays watching some Netflix on my phone.

A rare weekday lunch with David.

The insane selection of sauces and condiments at Home Remedy (Assembly Hall – Via6).

Amidst all of our croughnut noshing, we still find time to snack on these classics from Top Pot.

My shiny new birthday mugs.

Lone album found in the dirt.

Cafe Presse with my dear friend Steph.

Croque Monsieur and Grilled Sardine Sandwich.

In line with the masses at Sur La Table.

Presents.

Christmas Coffee at Stumptown.

Philosophy skincare favorites from David :)

Pike Place at night.

Sweet and sour pork ribs.

We wanted to make something hearty for Thanksgiving, but still Asian “inspired.” After looking through my favorite food blogs, we decided to make Pig Pig’s Corner “Sweet and Sour Pork Ribs.” The end result was a fall-off-the-bone meat dish with rich flavors that satisfy both sweet and savory tastes. See below for photos and little “tweaks” we would like to try next time.

Tweak: half the amount of dark soy sauce and double the rock sugar.

Tweak: Pig Pig’s doesn’t mention this, but we blanched the pork in boiling water for about one minute to rid of the “porky” smell.

Adding the aromatics.

Tweak: The recipe asks to cover all of the meat with water, but I suggest only filling the pot until the 3/4ths of the meat is covered.

It took about four to five hours for all of the water to cook down into a sauce, and given the tenderness of the meat, I think the end result could have been accomplished with less water and an hour’s less cooking time.

Still simmering, about three and a half hours in.

Simple and delicious.