Free Concert at the Emerald Queen

The Spinners will be performing at the Emerald Queen Casino on New Year's Eve 2011. The concert will be free, but admission will be on a first come -- first serve basis. The show will start at 8 p.m., but come early because if too many people come, you might get turned away. All guests must be over 21. For further information, contact www.EmeraldQueen.com.

Owned by the Puyallup tribe, the Emerald Queen Casino brings top entertainment to the Pacific Northwest.

A Night of Soul and Funk

     On Saturday, October 22, 2011, the legendary Commodores performed at the Emerald Queen Casino. Enormously popular in the 1970's and 1980's, the Commodores are an American soul/funk band that branched into disco. Lionel Richie is long gone, but his former band performed so well that his absense was barely noticeable.

     The show opened with the rhythm of a human heart to demonstrate how excited and happy a person becomes when listening to the Commodores' music. Their sultry rendition of "Too Hot ta Trot" grabbed the audience's attention. This was followed by the soothing ballad entitled "Easy." The upbeat "You Bring Me Up when I'm Down" showcased the band's ability to dance as well as sing and play.

As the show progressed, the band played their greatest hits, including "Sail On" and "Three Times a Lady." In 1985, the Commodores received a grammy for "Nightshift," their moving tribute to Marvin Gaye and Jackie Wilson. I enjoyed hearing the original version of "Nightshift," but I've read that they recently remade this song as a tribute to Michael Jackson. This is fitting because the Commodores first caught the public's eye when they performed as the opening act for the Jackson Five in 1971. Unfortunately, the band did not play the remake.

The entire audience rose and danced to the Commodores' finale, an energetic version of "She's a Brick House."

Owned by the Puyallup tribe, the Emerald Queen Casino is located in Fife, Washington. The casino is famous for bringing world-class entertainment to the Pacific Northwest.

How to Make Old-Fashioned Apple Cider

     On Sunday, October 2, 2011, the Steilacoom Historical Museum hosted its annual fall festival, the Apple Squeeze.The city's main streets were closed to accommodate the crowds who come to make apple cider using twelve antique apple presses. Crates and crates of apples were purchased for this event. The Apple Squeeze has become so popular that, for the last few years, the organizers have run out of apples.

    My daughters and I paid $6.75 to make one gallon of apple cider ourselves. We were assigned to Apple Press C. This antique press was built in the 1890's in Portland, Oregon. It once belonged to a Steilacoom resident known as Grandma Teevin. The press has been passed from one generation of the Teevin family to the next. Grandma Teevin's children participated in the early Apple Squeezes. Her grandsonshave been helping people make cider at the Apple Squeeze for 38 years. Twenty years ago, the Teevin family paid to replace the old press's wood to keep it in good condition.

     Someone donated an old apple press to the Boy Scout Troop for Steilacoom and Dupont. For 11 years, Boy Scout Troop #71 has been making cider at the Apple Squeeze for those who can't make their own.

     It is best to combine several varieties of apples when producing cider. Some apples are sweet. Others are not.The flavor and color of cider depends upon the varieties of apples used. Combine several varieties to get a blended taste. The four types of apples used at the Apple Squeeze are Granny Smith, Yellow Delicious, Red Delicious and Fuji. After pressing about 20 apples, use a bag to separate the cider from the pulp. Pour the cider into a container, such as a milk carton. To prevent it from fermenting, loosen the cap when you get home. Store the cider in the refrigerator because it is not pasteurized, but it tastes so much better than the juice you buy in stores.

     Steilacoom's first Apple Squeeze was held in 1971 when several residents who owned apple presses decided to get together to make cider. The Apple Squeeze became an organized event circa 1973. In the early days, people brought apples grown in their yards to be pressed. About ten years ago, the health department advised the event's organizers to purchase apples from stores. That way, the health department could trace where the apples came from if people became sick. Because the Apple Squeeze is an outdoor event, the health department requires that the presses be kept under canopies so that birds can't poop on the equipment.
    
      At the fall festival, vendors sold everything from jewelry to candles to apple fritters. Coffee, hot cider and apple pie a la mode were served in Steilacoom Town Hall. Children enjoyed pony rides and the antiques in the Wagon Shop. The petting zoo featured turkeys, llamas, a horse and a seven day old dairy calf.

                                   

An Evening in Morocco

     Last Saturday, after we visited the Nirvana exhibit at the Experience Music Project, Kate persuaded me to take a walk with her around the Seattle's city center. Bored with our usual pit stops, she wanted to explore the quaint coffee shops and exotic eateries in Belltown. A few blocks away from the Space Needle, we discovered one of Seattle's best kept secrets -- the Marrakesh Moroccan Restaurant.

     Located at 2334 Second Avenue in Seattle, the Marrakesh Moroccan Restaurant gives visitors an opportunity to enjoy a traditional Moroccan feast without spending thousands of dollars to fly to northwest Africa. The maitre de wears a red fez to greet guests at the door. To create the illusion that you are sitting under a tent, a cloth canopy is suspended from the restaurant's ceiling. Brightly colored rugs stretch across the floor. Guests sit at low tables on floor cushions. A server dressed in a long, flowing gown uses a silver urn to wash your hands.

     The restaurant offers a delicious five course meal for $18.50 per person. Guests drink lentil soup from their cups and use broken bread from a basket to eat a tomato-zucchini salad. B'stilla Royale, a pastry made of phyllo dough, chicken and almonds, is served next. Guests choose their main courses from a number of authentic Moroccan dishes. I chose Tagine of Lamb M'Rouzia, a sweet entree in which onions and raisins are simmered in a light honey sauce. Kate chose CousCous Marrakesh --steamed semolina grains topped with lamb and seven vegetables. Coconut custard and mint tea complete the meal.

     Although Kate and I thought the food was superb, we didn't think her younger sister would eat anything on the menu. Children can be finicky eaters. They might not like the foreign flavor or vegetables.

     We thoroughly enjoyed the belly dancer's lively performance, especially when she encouraged guests to try it. Kate liked dancing with her so much that she wants to take a class in belly dancing.

     Open daily from 5  to 10 p.m., the Marrakesh Moroccan Restaurant has been in business since 1989. A belly dancer performs Wednesday through Sunday evenings. There is also a second restaurant located at 1201 NW 21st Avenue in Portland, Oregon.