It's been a month. My incision is almost healed, I walk my mandatory eight blocks a day easily with a cane, I'm up to 30 reps on my exercises and can put a load of wash in. Next big hurdles are sleeping on my "bad"side, ditching the cane and the elevated toilet seat, serious cooking, driving, and going down to the garage to sew.

Yesterday was my first social venture. Bob's cousin Kyle is in Seattle for a convention so the Allens met at Tom Douglas'  Palace Kitchen for dinner. Tom Douglas is the go-to guy in my mind for a Seattle food event. Bob's brother Tom, wife Allie, and sons Nick and Baxter, brother Norman, and sisters Barbara, Kathy, her daughters Amy and Alysia and Alysia's baby met for a group gather at Tom Douglas' Palace Kitchen.

The Allen family is an exuberant, unpretentious group famous for spontaneity and high drama, with a serious ability to enjoy each other and a good get-together. With these traits in mind, clock-like precision doesn't immediately spring to mind. But clock-like it was: everyone seated together in a busy restaurant on the appointed time, minds at the task of ordering, baby being passed around the table like a new toy, seat-mates catching up on family news. Unbelievable how disparate units can come together precisely at the same time: from Olympia, Auburn, Bellingham, Bainbridge, Everett, Minneapolis, and Tacoma. Boggles the mind.

I've yet to have a bad dining experience at one of Tom's places and last night fit right in. Burgers were popular—don't even talk about those French fries—roasted pork loin, apple-wood grilled chicken and hangar steak, Coho salmon, stuffed pasta. Then we somehow managed to wedge in tastes of coconut cream pie. Altogether a wonderful event, worthy of celebration.

Here's a link to the Douglas empire http://www.tomdouglas.com/ , a few pictures, an on-line menu, and a recipe for Tom's famous Coconut Cream Pie.

Appetizers
seared scallops roasted plums, basil and sweet corn 15
palaceville bratwurst apple-cabbage choucroute 8
sautéed coastal chanterelles cherry tomatoes and grilled bread 10
palace olive poppers with herbed sour cream 7
wood grilled chicken wings coriander cream 9
"plin" a piedmontese style ravioli filled with roast pork and chard 14/18
penn cove mussels roasted in the fire bavarian meats bacon, leeks, apples 14
local oysters picked celery and tobasco 3 each
goat cheese and lavender fondue grilled bread and apples 10
semolina fried oysters lemony tartar sauce 10
 
Salads and Soups
newaukum valley beets sheep's milk feta and pistachios 7
enormous garlic crouton and romaine lettuce with parmesan dressing 8
roasted parsnip soup bacon, frisee and chive 7
Hand Crafted American Cheese
Cheeses
camellia
great hill blue
mad river roll
schloss
thomasville tomme
$5. to try one cheese ~ $20. to try all five

Entrées
martha's telme cheese and potato ravioli with cherry tomatoes and walla walla onion 18
sautéed alaskan halibut summer squash, cranberry beans and parmesan - leek broth 28
palace burger royale wood grilled oregon country beef with nearly traditional accompaniments and fries 15
roasted cauliflower gratin caramelized onions, gruyere, bartlett pear 18
 
From The Apple Wood Grill served with lacinato kale and yukon gold mashed potatoes
grilled alaskan king salmon fresh corn grits, roasted chanterelles, basil croutons 28
oregon country beef hanger steak chanterelle mushrooms 26
washington chicken cascade huckleberries 21
whole idaho trout meyer lemon and sea salt 23

Tom Douglas' Triple Coconut Coconut Cream Pie

Coconut Pie Shell
•   1 cup plus 2 Tbs. flour
•   ½ cup sweetened shredded coconut
•   1 stick cubed, cold unsalted butter
•   2 tsp. sugar
•   ¼ tsp. salt
•   1/3 cup ice water

In a food processor, combine the flour, coconut, cubed butter, sugar, and salt. Pulse to form coarse crumbs. Gradually add the ice water, one Tbs. at a time, pulsing each time. Use only as much water as necessary for dough to hold together when pressed between your fingers.

Dump dough on plastic wrap and form it into a flattened disk. Chill for one hour before using. Roll dough and trim to fit pie pan. Chill for one hour. Place round of foil on bottom of crust and fill with beans or pie weights. Bake in pre-heated 400 degree oven for 20 minutes. Remove foil and beans/weights and return crust to oven for 10 more minutes

Coconut Pastry Cream
•     2 cups milk
•     2 cups sweetened shredded coconut
•     1 tsp. vanilla
•     2 large eggs
•     1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
•     3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
•     1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened

Combine the milk, vanilla, and coconut in a medium saucepan. Place the saucepan over medium-high heat and stir occasionally until the mixture almost comes to a boil.

In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, and flour until well combined. Temper the eggs (to keep them from scrambling) by pouring a small amount (about 1/3 Cup) of the scalded milk into the egg mixture while whisking. Then add the warmed egg mixture to the saucepan of milk and coconut.

Whisk over medium-high heat until the pastry cream thickens and begins to bubble. Keep whisking until the mixture is very thick, 4 to 5 minutes more. Remove the saucepan from the heat. Add the butter and whisk until it melts.

 Transfer the pastry cream to a bowl and place it over a bowl of ice water. Stir occasionally until it is cool. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the pastry cream to prevent a crust from forming and refrigerate until completely cold. The pastry cream will thicken as it cools.

When the pastry cream is cold, fill the pre-baked pie shell with it, smoothing the surface.

In a mixer with the whip attachment, whip the heavy cream with the sugar and vanilla on medium speed. Gradually increase the speed to high and whip to peaks that are firm enough to hold their shape. Top coconut cream with whipped cream. To garnish, shave white chocolate with vegetable peeler over the top of the pie.