For the Love of Italy: A Favorite Sandwich

By Matt Galvin

Certain beloved foods trigger memories, transporting us through time and space to a special moment. For me, one of those foods is a mortadella and fresh mozzarella sandwich on focaccia. Like so much Italian food, its beauty lies in quality ingredients and simplicity. The freshly baked focaccia must be golden brown, flavorful and tender with a toothy crust, the mortadella thinly sliced and artfully layered and the fresh mozzarella creamy.

My first taste of this sandwich was in Florence during a college semester abroad. The bakery had a wood-burning oven, and the baker would brush the dough with olive oil and saltwater. With a long flat peel, he’d place the floury dough into the oven, and about 20 minutes later a golden slab of steaming focaccia about four feet long would emerge from the oven. A piece of that savory bread layered with mortadella, fresh mozzarella, was, and still is, a perfect sandwich.

After college, I returned to Italy to teach history and got to know the specialties of different regions. Still, for a quick lunch, nothing surpassed my favorite Florentine sandwich, except maybe a version I had in Rome at the famed bakery Antico Forno Roscioli.

Years later, on return visits to Rome, I always headed to Antico Forno Roscioli for my favorite sandwich. I’d take it to Piazza Navona and find a spot to perch amid the fountains and take in the scene, a sentimental visit that always brought similar memories of times past flooding into the present.

This year, my daughter, Gracie, is spending a semester abroad in Florence. Recently, my wife, Michelle, and I visited her and took her to Rome for a weekend. Guess where we grabbed lunch? En route to Antico Forno Roscioli, we wandered through Campo di Fiori. Then with sandwiches in hand, we strolled over to Piazza Navona. Sitting there, I discovered something better than enjoying your favorite sandwich in a perfect setting—watching your daughter do the same thing for the first time!

Some might say, location, location, location, and they’re not wrong—go if you can. In the meanwhile, enjoy Macrina’s version of my favorite sandwich. It’s served on an Italian-style golden brown focaccia, made fresh every morning and topped with a light sprinkle of rosemary and cherry tomatoes, layered with thinly sliced mortadella and creamy fresh mozzarella. If you close your eyes and use your imagination, the patter of rain outside might just be the fountain splash of Bernini’s Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi. 

Macrina for the Holidays 

De-stress your holiday gatherings by letting Macrina handle the baking. Whether it’s a holiday dinner or brunch, appetizers or desserts, we’ve got you covered. 

Great food and holidays go hand-in-hand. So does stress. You want fresh handmade baked goods, but don’t have time to do all the baking, cleaning, organizing, and decorating. For over twenty years, we’ve helped people gather around the table for fun, memorable meals. Whether it’s a holiday dinner, a festive brunch, appetizers, or desserts, we’ve got beautiful, great tasting items that will please your guests. We make it easy to serve a perfect meal and still have plenty of time to spend with family and friends.

Holiday Dinners 

Holiday Porcini Stuffing Mix, Roll Trays (Porcini Harvest, Buttermilk, Rustic Potato), Raisin Pumpernickel Loaf

Brunch 

Winter Pear Crown, Holiday Quiche, Holiday Brie, Cinnamon Roll Tray, Pecan Sticky Buns, Mini Squash Harvest Loaf, Pumpkin Muffin, Cranberry Apricot Nut Loaf, Panettone, Chocolate Pecan Babka

Appetizers 

Crostini, Holiday Brie, Smoked Trout Spread, Roasted Artichoke Spread, Fig and Olive Tapenade, Sweet and Spicy Nuts

Desserts 

Maple Apple Pie, Pumpkin Pie, Pecan Streusel Pumpkin Pie, Brandied Orange Pumpkin Pie, Pumpkin Cheesecake, Eggnog Cheesecake, Mini Gingerbread Spice Cup, Brown Sugar Shortbread, Chocolate Yule Log, Gingerbread Cookies, German Chocolate Cake, Mocha Almond Torte, Mini Chocolate Peppermint Mousse Cake

Order online for pick-up at one of our cafes! Orders must be placed by noon, two days in advance. Pickup available at the café of your choice.

Saying Thank You With Pie

Nancy LaVallee gives away about 100 pies every Thanksgiving 

On the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, on First Avenue in Seattle’s Sodo neighborhood,  Nancy LaVallee stuffs her car with more pies than might seem prudent. She manages to pack in about 50 and a friend piles the rest in her car. They caravan slowly back to Nancy’s Mercer Island home to prepare some hot apple cider and await their guests. Fortunately, there’s never been a fender bender on the way home, which could be messy.

Nancy is a Mercer Island-based real estate agent for Windermere who sells homes all over the city. She started the great Thanksgiving pie giveaway eight years ago. The pies are for her neighbors and clients.

“It’s a big day for me,” says Nancy. “Clients from all over the greater Seattle area come to my home for the pie pickup,” says Nancy. “It’s so fun to see everyone, and to be able to thank them for their support. Everyone loves the pies, and it means they don’t have to bake as much, which helps since everyone is busy over the holidays.”

Before settling on Macrina as her pie baker of choice, Nancy went to eight different bakeries and sampled pies. Some years, she’s gotten pumpkin from one bakery, apple from another. But eventually she settled on Macrina. “Eight years ago, I started out with a small order, but it’s grown,” Nancy says. “Macrina can handle a hundred pies. Not everyone can handle that volume two days before Thanksgiving.”

Nancy is especially fond of Macrina’s Maple Apple Pie. “I call it the high pie apple pie,” says Nancy. “It’s meaty. It’s got a lot of apples. And it lasts. I get my pies early. It tastes great two days later, maybe even better. It’s a great tasting pie.”

Nancy enjoys the ritual of picking up the big order at our Sodo location. “A baker comes out to say hello and they help me load up, which is charming,” says Nancy. “It’s nice to be able to say thank you.”

In 2020, Nancy put a little note in with the pies saying she was collecting non-perishable food items for Leschi Elementary School families in need. “We had over 45 bags of food to donate last year,” says Nancy. “It was quite overwhelming.”

This year she’s doing it again.

We’re grateful!

 

 

 Apple, Pear & Cranberry Crisp with Almond Streusel Topping

A good go-to crisp recipe can be a savior when company is coming and you’re short on time, or on cool fall evenings when you need a comforting treat. This dessert comes together quickly and you can substitute a variety of fruits. You may want to adjust the amount of sugar and lemon juice to suit your preferences. This time of year, we love this combination of apples, pears and cranberries. Cranberries add festive color and their tartness pair well with sweet apples. We have a bounty of pears and apples in the Pacific Northwest, and for or this recipe, you can choose your favorites or use what’s available at your local market. The recipe calls for Granny Smith’s and Bartlett pears, but Braeburn, Gala and Honeycrisp apples all work well, as do D’Anjou and Comice pears. When it comes to toppings, whipped cream is always suitable, but vanilla ice cream is even better. Enjoy!

Makes one 9-inch square crisp

FILLING

2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and sliced into ½-inch wedges
2 Bartlett pears, peeled, cored and sliced into ½-inch wedges
2 cups fresh cranberries
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
½ cup whole almonds, coarsely chopped
¾ cup sugar
1 tsp fresh grated ginger
1 tsp cinnamon, ground
¼ tsp nutmeg, ground
¼ tsp cloves, ground
¼ cup cornstarch

ALMOND STREUSEL TOPPING

¾ cup unbleached all-purpose flour
½ cup thick-cut rolled oats
¼ cup sugar
¼ cup whole almonds, coarsely chopped
½ tsp almond extract
½ cup unsalted butter (1 stick), chilled and cut into ½-inch cubes


FILLING

Position a rack in the center of an oven and preheat to 375°F. Lightly brush a 9-inch square ceramic or glass baking dish with canola oil and place it on a rimmed sheet pan. Set aside.

Place the apples, pears, cranberries, lemon juice and almonds in a medium bowl. Toss to combine well.

In a separate bowl, combine the sugar, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove and cornstarch. Add to the fruit and toss to combine. Pour the fruit mixture into the prepared baking dish.

ALMOND STREUSEL TOPPING

In a stand mixer bowl, add the flour, oats, sugar, almonds and almond extract. With the paddle attachment, combine on slow speed for 1 minute. Add the cubed butter and mix on slow for another 2 to 3 minutes to create a crumbly texture.

Top the filling with the almond streusel and bake for 60 to 70 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the thickened filling is bubbling around the edges. Let cool for 30 minutes and serve warm or at room temperature with whipped cream or your favorite vanilla ice cream.

The Woodmark: A Lakeside Hotel with Great Dining Options

On the eastern shore of Lake Washington, at the site of what was once a shipyard, an independent, boutique hotel tempts visitors and locals alike. Every half hour, dockside carillon bells ring out their welcome to gulls and boaters alike. Out of town visitors come for a room with a view and all the luxurious hotel amenities, but many Seattle-area residents flock to The Woodmark for food, spa services, and weddings.

Two waterfront restaurants, Carillon Kitchen and Beach Café offer diners fresh, organic, local foods with a backdrop of Lake Washington and, in the distance, the Olympic Mountains. Executive Chef Brian Doherty, formerly of the Fairmont Olympic and The Four Seasons Seattle, oversees both locations. For twelve years, Doherty’s responsibilities included catering events in the Spanish Ballroom, pretty much the gold standard for private events.

Carillon Kitchen is a chef-driven, community-oriented restaurant offering mouth-watering healthy options for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. “Our goal is to make sure everything is fresh and that we’re producing the highest quality product that we can,” says Doherty. “We partnered with Macrina and Olympia Provisions and came up with a beautiful menu.” Other local highlights include Fonté coffee, Beecher’s Handmade Cheese, and Ellenos Yogurt. When Covid-19 shut down other dining options at the hotel, Carillon Kitchen’s grab-and-go concept soared. Locals come in for readily available snacks and meals or order ahead for pickup. Hotel guests enjoy high-quality foods they can eat in their room or take to the beach. Carillon Kitchen is currently open daily for limited dining and takeout from 7:00 A.M. to 2:00 P.M.

Beach Café is a casual dining waterfront restaurant with an innovative, seasonally influenced menu featuring daily seafood specials and signature dishes. “It’s a seafood-driven menu focusing on fresh, local ingredients in a beautiful setting,” says Doherty. The lakeside patio fills up fast in good weather, but many interior tables also offer water views. While specials usually feature fresh catch straight from the docks, signature dishes like the Smoked Akaushi New York Strip or Roasted Rack of Lamb will tempt meat lovers. Currently, the restaurant is open Wednesday to Saturday from 5 P.M. to 9 P.M. Doherty aims to be fully open by the end of the year.

The Woodmark is also one of the top destinations in the state for weddings. Doherty, who has earned the chops to produce high-quality meals for large events, oversees the catering department. “The Banquet Department has taken off,” says Doherty. “We’re booked up almost to the end of the year of Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. Five to six weddings a weekend. It’s a beautiful venue.”

Just fifteen minutes from downtown Seattle, Beach Café and Carillon Kitchen are waterfront dining options for anyone who loves excellent food in an idyllic PNW setting. Whether you’re interested in grabbing a casual lunch to eat by the beach or looking to linger over an elegant meal with a sunset view, head to Carillon Point in Kirkland and check out The Woodmark.

Italian Cream Cake

This Italian Cream Cake has three light, buttery sponge cake rounds layered with vanilla pastry cream and conserve and is frosted with sweetened whipped cream. Choose your favorite jam or conserve. Raspberry and blackberry are two of our favorites. You’ll enjoy this cake the first day, but don’t feel like you need to finish it—it’s even better the second day as the sponge cake moistens absorbing the pastry cream and conserve. Keep the cake refrigerated and it’ll keep for up to five days.

INGREDIENTS

Makes one 9-inch cake

SPONGE CAKE
1⅓ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
6 Tbsp (¾ stick) unsalted butter
⅓ cup water
1½ cups sugar, divided
3 eggs, beaten
3½ tsp pure vanilla extract, divided
1 cup favorite jam or fruit conserve
1½ cups heavy cream
1 Tbsp powdered sugar

PASTRY CREAM
4 eggs
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 Tbsp cornstarch
½ cup + 1 Tbsp sugar
1½ cups milk

DIRECTIONS:

SPONGE CAKE
Preheat oven to 350°F. Brush a 9-inch cake pan with oil and line the base with a custom-cut circle of parchment paper. Dust the oiled sides of the pan with flour. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, sift together the flour and baking powder. Set aside.

In a small saucepan, melt the butter. Add the water, mix, and let cool.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, add 1¼ cups sugar. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the eggs and 2 tsp vanilla. Whisk at high speed for 5 minutes. The mixture will be light in color and frothy.

Remove the bowl from the mixer. Using a spatula, fold in the flour mixture in 4 additions. With the last addition, add the butter mixture and stir until just combined, ensuring there are no lumps.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake on the center rack for 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool for 30 minutes. Run a paring knife around the edge of the cake. Invert the pan to remove the sponge cake. Let cool to room temperature.

PASTRY CREAM
In a medium bowl, crack the eggs and whisk together with the vanilla, cornstarch and sugar. Ensure no lumps remain.

In a medium saucepan, scald the milk (bringing it just to a boil). Remove it from the heat and slowly ladle the hot milk into the egg mixture, whisking constantly. Transfer the egg mixture back to the saucepan when you have three-quarters of the milk whisked into it. Over medium-low heat, whisk the mixture to prevent it from sticking or curdling. When the mixture has thickened to a pudding-like consistency, pour it into a clean bowl. Cover the top of the pastry cream with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour. Note: If you spot any lumps in the pastry cream, strain it through a fine-mesh sieve before cooling it.

ASSEMBLY
Using a serrated knife, cut the cake horizontally into 3 equal layers.

Place the bottom layer on a prepared cake board or plate. Spread the conserves over the first layer. Top with the second layer. Spread the chilled pastry cream to the edges. Top with the remaining layer and gently align the edges. Refrigerate the cake for 15 minutes to firm it up.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk the heavy cream, remaining 1½ tsp vanilla and remaining ¼cup sugar. Whip to medium-firm peaks.

Cover the top and sides of the cake with the sweetened whipped cream. Use a wet spatula to smooth it out. Garnish the top of the cake with a dusting of powdered sugar and fresh berries if you’d like.

Enjoy!

Going (and Staying) Viral: Market’s Lobster Roll is the Hottest Sandwich Sensation in Town

The Edmonds Fishmonger and Eatery just opened an outpost in the Seattle Art Museum. 

Last October, amid the pandemic and the election swirl, Market, Edmond’s revered Fishmonger and Eatery, introduced their warm Lobster Roll (Connecticut Style). At $29 per sandwich, it seemed destined to be a niche item behind mainstays like their more modestly priced Fish & Chips, Market Fish Tacos, or Crab in a Bag. Then people began lining up—by the hundreds.

What’s maybe craziest about the sensation is that nearly a year later the craze hasn’t abated. The hole-in-the-wall fishmonger still sells hundreds of lobster and crab rolls every week.

Chef Hans Korompis, raised in Singapore and trained at several fine restaurants, including TanakaSan, a Tom Douglas restaurant, says, “We caught wind when we introduced the warm lobster roll. That’s when it got crazy.”

With lobster being flown in daily by Inland Lobster, located in Portland, Maine, it wasn’t easy keeping up with demand. “We would run out in the beginning, and we had to eighty-six the sandwich,” says Hans. “But now we know about how much we need for each day.”

Having consistent demand on both weekends and weekdays makes that much easier. There are fluctuations, like the Tik-Tok video last March that amassed over 200,000 views, or the post to Seattle Foodies on Facebook with its 26,000 members. But for the most part, demand spiked and never subsided.

Market’s lobster rolls are served two ways, cold (Maine) or warm (Connecticut). The essential ingredient, in both cases, is a healthy portion of really fresh lobster, including both claw and tail meat. The roll is Macrina’s Brioche Roll, brushed with house aioli and crisped. The warm version features lobster warmed in garlic butter, Old Bay Seasoning, and fresh chives. The cold version has a cold lobster salad with brown butter topped with chopped celery, gherkins, and Old Bay Seasoning. Both are served with fries and housemade tartar sauce.

The Dungeness Crab Roll, also $29, is nearly as popular as the lobster rolls. Local Dungeness crab meat is tossed in brown butter and served on a crisped Macrina Brioche Roll and sprinkled Old Bay Seasoning and chives.

Market’s Fish & Chips may not be the item everyone is talking about right now, but they’re worth seeking out. Local rockfish is beer-battered and served perfectly crisped and not at all soggy with oil. They’re served with fries, lemon, housemade tartar and minty mushy peas. “We make them the traditional British way on that fish,” says Hans. “They’ve been doing it for a long time. We respect that, and it makes sense.”

Seattle-based seafood lovers can now skip the drive north and head to their new outpost in the Seattle Art Museum. Located in the space formerly occupied by Taste, Market Seattle serves a very similar menu but has added banh mi served on Macrina’s Bui Buns, and Macrina pastries, among a few other new offerings. There is also a full bar featuring both draft beer and wine. The restaurant seats approximately 60 people.

Market is part of the Feedme Hospitality and Restaurant Group that includes, among others, the celebrated Edmonds restaurants Salt & Iron, Fire & the Feast, Bar Dojo, and SanKai Sushi. In addition to the restaurant, Market Seattle provides catering services at the downtown museum, the Olympic Sculpture Park and the Asian Art Museum.

Macrina in the Community

St. Macrina, our patron saint, was known for working to improve the quality of life for people in her community, and we strive to do the same. On our first Thanksgiving, back in 1993, Leslie brought some extra loaves to the Noel House, which was located in a nearby alley. “The ladies there were so appreciative of the fresh baked bread it brought me to tears,” says Leslie. Our mantra became that of St. Macrina.

We enrich our communities through the joy of artisan baking, but we also donate directly to non-profit organizations that do outstanding work supporting members of our community. Our employees frequently join us in donating, and we match each of their donations.

As part of our celebration of Juneteenth, we donated $2,500 (including matched donations from employees) to Community Passageways. In September, we are donating $2,000–$3,000 to three additional local community organizations including: Helping Link, Plymouth Housing, and St. James Cathedral Kitchen. Here’s a bit more about these incredible organizations:

Community Passageways

This community-based, black-run, black-owned organization was founded in 2015 by Dominique (Dom) Davis. They work primarily with court-involved young people of color and help break the school-to-prison cycle with a school-to-life pathway by restoring lives, nurturing dreams, and developing life skills. In the last five years, Dom and his team have helped divert over 120 years of prison sentences.

Helping Link

Since its founding in 1993, Helping Link has supported our local Vietnamese community with free services and programs such as citizenship classes, a computer lab, English classes, and much more. They help foster cultural resilience and empower members to celebrate their histories and traditions.

Plymouth Housing

Since 1980, Plymouth Housing has helped Seattle break the cycle of chronic homelessness by providing adults experiencing homelessness with opportunities to stabilize and improve their lives. Plymouth follows the “Housing First” philosophy, operating on the principle that people cannot improve their lives until they have a safe, stable place to live. Plymouth owns and operates 14 buildings, both renovated historic properties and new construction, from South Lake Union to the International District. In the coming years, Plymouth plans to build an additional 800 apartments.

St. James Cathedral Kitchen

The Cathedral Kitchen feeds a nourishing, hot meal to 150 guests on Seattle’s First Hill every weekday. They serve anyone in need, regardless of age, gender, or creed. Throughout the pandemic, out of concern for their guests, they switched to to-go dinners and a bagged lunch their guests could eat the next day while still providing a limited number of physically-distanced tables for those needing a moment of shelter.

In addition, Macrina donates thousands of pounds of bread and pastries to local organizations that help feed those in need, including The Salvation Army, Alma Mater in Tacoma, El Centro de la Raza. Over the next few weeks, we’re also donating over 300 meals to Helping Link and St. James for fundraising events.

“Donating to these organizations is just one way Macrina supports our communities and works to better achieve our mission,” says Scott France, Macrina’s President.

Pecan Sticky Buns

Perhaps no pastry requires more napkins or inspires cravings more than homemade pecan sticky buns. They’re warm, gooey and soft in all the right places—and absolutely delicious.

After years of customer requests, we’re launching our own based on Leslie’s recipe for her homemade brunch favorite. We make them by layering our slightly sweet and pillowy brioche dough with toasted pecans and cinnamon sugar, tightly rolling it, then baking it upside down on a rich brown sugar and butter caramel with orange zest and vanilla. We invert the rolls while still warm, causing deep swirls of caramel to run through the bun leaving the pecans gooey and proud on top.

The silky not-too-sweet roll has a light, tender crumb that provides a divine contrast to the toffee-like caramel and crunch of toasted pecans.

The Pecan Sticky Buns are available individually in our retail cafés and as a four-pack. They are best served warm (5–8 minutes in a 325°F oven).

Spice Blade Steak & Cauliflower Salad with Tzatziki Sauce & Grilled Olive Bread

During the long PNW summer days, our favorite cooking method is outdoor grilling. Cut from the chuck (shoulder), the blade steak has excellent marbling and is flavorful and tender. A line of gristle runs down the center, so it’s important not to overcook it, otherwise it will get chewy. If you use an instant-read meat thermometer and are attentive, you’ll fall in love with blade steak. In this recipe, we prepare the steak with a Shawarma spice dry rub a day in advance. Since you can prepare the rest of the meal ahead, you only need to grill the steak and bread and assemble the plates when it’s time to eat. If you can, enjoy the meal with a glass of your favorite wine, a few friends and the rich light of a long summer evening.

INGREDIENTS

Serves 4

BLADE STEAK
2 Tbsp Shawarma Spice Blend, ground (available at worldspice.com)
1 Tbsp brown sugar
2 tsp kosher salt
1½ lbs top blade steak (or sub flat-iron steak)
3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

CAULIFLOWER SALAD
1 head cauliflower
2 bunches scallions, ½-inch slice
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
3 tsp garlic, finely chopped, divided
½ cup tahini
½ cup water
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp + 1 tsp pomegranate molasses
1 Tbsp fresh mint, finely chopped
¼ cup fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped

TZATZIKI SAUCE
2 cups Greek yogurt (preferably low-fat)
1 English cucumber, finely diced
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp lime juice
4 cloves garlic, finely diced
½ tsp kosher salt
¼ tsp white pepper, ground
1 Macrina Greek Olive Loaf, sliced ½-inch thick (8 slices)

DIRECTIONS

BLADE STEAK
Combine the dry ingredients. Rub the mix into both sides of the meat. Drizzle with olive oil and use your fingers to rub it over the meat. Place the meat in a covered container and refrigerate overnight.

CAULIFLOWER SALAD
Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

Halve the cauliflower and remove the core; coarsely chop or break it into 1 to 2-inch florets. Place the florets in a large bowl and toss with the scallions, olive oil and 2 tsp garlic. Spread the florets on the prepared baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper and roast for 35 to 40 minutes, or until tender. Let cool.

In the same large bowl, add the remaining 1 tsp garlic, tahini, water, lemon juice and pomegranate molasses. Whisk to combine.

Add the roasted cauliflower, mint and cilantro to the dressing. Toss well.

If you wish, season to taste with salt and pepper. Once dressed, allow the salad to rest at room temperature to marry flavors before serving.

TZATZIKI SAUCE
In a separate bowl, add the yogurt, cucumber, olive oil, lime juice, garlic, salt and pepper. Whisk to combine. Refrigerate until needed.

GRILLING THE STEAK
Preheat your grill to 500°F. Brush a bit of oil on the hot grill to help prevent the spice rub from sticking.

Grill the blade steak for 5 to 6 minutes on each side. Use an instant-read meat thermometer to monitor the temperature. Remove the steak from the grill at 130°F for medium-rare. Let the steak rest for 5 minutes, then slice thinly.

While the steak is resting, grill the bread. Brush both sides of each slice with olive oil and grill until lightly toasted and marked with grill lines. Place 2 slices on each plate. Divide the cauliflower salad among the plates, top each with a portion of the sliced steak and a generous dollop of tzatziki. Enjoy!