Sunday, June 10, 2007








We’re watching the eagles fish in the ocean in front of our cabin this morning, having spent 10 days here at Kalaloch in the Olympic National Forrest. People whine about the rain, the sodden skies and the cold water on the Washington coast but if we’re being perfectly honest, outside of British Columbia, the Washington coast is the only place in the universe where you can walk your dog on the beach and watch the ospreys’ nest in the old growth timber 100 yards off the surf as eagles soar overhead. Let Southern California have Laguna and Huntington, here we wear fleece on the beach instead of bikinis, drink coffee not beer as we barbecue, and avail ourselves of all the culture Aberdeen, Washington has to offer.

We were in Aberdeen last night, not being the kind of people that would ignore the opening of Oceans’ 13, despite our remote locale. In a wildly ill-advised move, we headed to the King’s Wok Buffet (New York Style) for Chinese food. Oh my. Did we have the plastic deep fried chicken and shrimp in the sweet sauces with 25 grams of trans fat in each bite? We did. We had egg foo yung with the brown gravy, kept hot with a light so as not to congeal right before our very eyes. We drunk called our friends, that party tradition dating back to the days at IDAHO when friends went home from the bars after they closed and called each other at home to say a special good night. Our friends in the new millennium showed proper respect at hearing from Kurt Cobain, Courtney Love and someone named Louise Cobain, whom we don’t really know but who is wickedly funny. Whew. None of us have eaten such bad, naughty delicious food in years and years.

And for culture, there might not be more anywhere at all, block for block, than in Aberdeen. And it’s readily accessible. We walked right into the movie, no lines, no pre-purchase, sat down and waited for the locals to come to this highly touted summer movie event. All seven of them did come at the last moment, but never fully appreciated our take at the movie, particularly when we all went horizontally hysterical over the line “Danny, Cars are driving in and out at all hours. Doors are slamming. Linus is downstairs crying. Tell me what everyone else seems to know.” We thought it was funny.

We love Aberdeen. We love the saw shops, pawn shops, two Les Schwab truck centers, and are pretty blown away at the diversity of the camou. Completely remarkable. As the sign says on the way into town, “Come As You Are.”

So here now is the good bye fete from the beaches of Kalaloch, a family specialty cooked in the dutch oven over a fire on the beach

Heart Attack Mac

8 oz elbow macaroni

8 oz sour cream

2 c cottage cheese

8 oz cream cheese

1 small onion, chopped

S & P

8 oz sharp cheddar cheese, grated

Cook macaroni as per directions on package. Drain. Combine with other ingredients, except cheddar, in same cooking pan and season to taste. Line dutch oven with foil and spray foil with non-stick pan preparant. Spoon the macaroni mixture into the dutch oven and top with cheddar cheese.

Bake in covered dutch oven with 10 gray coals under the oven and 20 gray coals in the lid. When fully cooked, macaroni will bubble around the edges and soufflé. Don’t undercook. Serve with Pollock salad.


Pollock Salad

1 bag iceberg lettuce mix

1 bottle Kraft Zesty Italian Salad Dressing

2 good handsful feta cheese

2 good handsful croutons


Cut top off bag with knife. Combine all ingredients, using full bottle of salad dressing under advisement. Mix well with hands. Serve with icy beer to mitigate effects of dirty hands. If you are celebrating wildly, serve Heart Attack Mac and Pollock Salad with grilled hot dogs. It’s a 100% impressive meal.


Louise Cobain
On Location
Forks, Washington

16 comments:

Idaho Dad said...

I'm salivating... Not over the recipe, but over TEN DAYS at Kalaloch! We were there for three, but could've stayed for thirty.

Mommy Dearest said...

I am a sour cream and cheese freak. I am so making this Heart Attack Mac. And I will go all out. Oscar Meyers, too.

Mommy Dearest said...

Oh, and glad you're back :)

MarmiteToasty said...

((((((((JBelle)))))))))) sounds like you all had a much needed rest bite :)....... Jebus am I envious....... lol....... but in a nice way, in a love way........

Welcome back matie....... love ya xxxxxx

Christy Woolum said...

Now I am convinced I need to get over to the Washington coast again. As always, thanks for the recipes. I don't know if I can manage the cooking over the coals stuff, but it is worth a try. I am glad you are back also. I am eager to see and hear stories from the gardens. I can only imagine how lovely your roses are.

Anonymous said...

Well, I would agree with you on Huntington, but not Laguna. Have you ever walked the (quite literally) squeeky sands of the beaches at Carmel? Very often we wear fleece there as well. However, it is spectacular!

Yet another delicious mac and cheese recipe. I shall simply have to double up on my statin intake!

mamaJD said...

JBelle- I have been missing you and glad to hear you are back. Thanks for the recipe and will let you know when we use it. I need to introduce to the brother-in-law. Prank calls are spectacular when he dials.

The Fool said...

It all sounds like bliss...and my kind of beach. Welcome back!

JBelle said...

Phil, we went there completely on your recommendation! Not one second of it did disappoint. We made reservastions for Labor Day 2008....

T! I LOVE that haircut. Love it. This Mac and Cheese recipe is fabulous with sweet onions, too. And with those Ballpark franks, it's about 8000 grams of fat in each bite. But what a way to go.

Melsie, when you come visit we'll go there. You will not believe the eagles. They walk you up and down the beach, cruising high overhead. I think they were actually looking at the Chows, thinking, Dude, there's a feed.


Gardener Girl, oh oh oh. If you have never cooked Dutch oven, this is the summer to learn. Unforunately, my HP software still wont' let me publish pictures but as soon as I can I will post the pictures so you can see. Dutch oven cooking is real convection oven cooking and the result is fabulous. The cakes are to die for!

Wondering, Carmel is one place that I've literally been to once or twice but it sounds the same. The Washington coast is majestic and spiritual in every step. A walk on the beach in prayer in the temple. sigh. By the way, I'm neutral on Huntington Beach but if it's the GARDEN at Hungtinton, you're talking about, well then that's a completely different matter!

MamaJ: you'll love this recipe and for camping, it'll make you a superstar. In fact, my book club is coming in a week or so and I'm going to do dutch in the driveway because it's unique and sensational. You drunk called your friends after the bars closed right??

Ford, are you out yet? when do the roadgames begin?

Mommy Dearest said...

Thanks J. All I did on the blog was add a photo header. I took a photo, opened it in photoshop and put the words right over the top. Then saved it and uploaded it. The blogger help section has advice on the technical side of it. Good luck :) If you need help, lemme know.

... said...

Drunk calling friends? Ah... so that was YOU!!!

The Fool said...

I'm doing a morning summer school stretch through June...only 4 mornings a week. I've been putting the miles on during the evenings and on weekends. Bigger happenings planned for when time opens up.

Welcome back!

PDX Pup said...

Kiddies-
I had the leftovers of the Heart Attack Mac last night, and that was enough to bust me out of my leftover Aberdeen Depression. I am going to talk to the owners of Nobu and see if they can add it to their menu. The last time I saw Wolfgang Puck, he was trying to come up with a good Mac n' Cheese recipe, so I might pass this along. It's a good thing I'm headed back to LA (via Portland), because I don't know how long I could stay sober in that sawdusted soggy town of Aberdeen (FYI flannel and camou is NOT a fashion statement, boys and girls...wear one or the other, but not both at the same time, please.) No wonder Kurt had issues.
Smooches!
Courtney Love
(on PDX Pup's computer)

JBelle said...

T. Horsey, your new blog is fabulous. Like your haircut. I wants one. Or more.

Toad, it WAS us! well, if was Cobain et all who called. :)

Ford, bigger happenings indeed. INDEED!

Courtney.

Courney. xoxoxoxo who parties better than you? 'cept me. and together there is nothing...no one...can compare. Make Wolfgang pay for that damned macaroni, k?

JBelle said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
sparrow said...

The heart attack Mac worked here at home... but I forgot the cream cheese so I used feta instead, LOL. I figure if I'm gonna fake it in pyrex, I can fake an ingredient.

It is awesome.

Thank you.

<3