Discovering Georgio's Subs in Tumwater

First full day in Tumwater Washington and we are hungry, not just for food, but for the sites and sounds of a new place. Everything feels fresh, as if we're on vacation. Mount Rainier rises up as we take a hill and we all stop to gawk at what everyone else seems to take for granted. It's good be new.

Slipping through the trees and buildings of Tumwater like hunters in search of prey, or at least a nice place to eat, we come upon a newer addition to the small town, a glorious hole-in-the-wall type sub sandwich place called Georgio's. My wife groans, she was hoping for Japanese, but we have no idea where to find a Japanese place, so Italian subs will have to do. Her feelings change instantly as we enter the small shop. The main wall is made of chalk board. Colored chalk art created by both customers and local artists scroll along its green veneer. Neil Gaiman's Coraline is playing on the television, and toys from the 80's line small shelves. My wife notices a 3" Skeksi from The Dark Crystal haunting the counter top and she is sold on this place without even trying the food. Anyone who has a Skeksi in their possession, let alone on display, is worthy of some consideration in her book.

The menu is not typical, as expected. The bread is made fresh daily *YAY*. There are a few standard items, but the twists are refreshing; sandwiches with horseradish mayo or BBQ sauce in place of the old mayo and mustard fare are just the tip of the iceberg. The master chef, a high energy sort of dude with heavy gauge rings stretching his earlobes and tattoos decorating his arms, suggests which subs are the best of the best along with their traditional preparations. He is passionate about what he does, and I immediately like this guy.  For something really different my wife jumps on the Mohawk sub. The Mohawk is a roast beef sub on sourdough bread topped with warm chicken salad and served with au jus. It sounds odd but tastes AWESOME! She also snags a bowl of clam chowder which is wonderful. My daughter chows down on ham turkey and cheese with BBQ sauce, and I get a simple steak and cheese. Everything is amazing, but the Mohawk wins the day; hands down it is one of the best subs I have tasted in years.

The menu at Georgio's is worthy of, at the very least, a monthly visit. I have so many more subs that I must try there. The vibe is perfect. All and all it's a good first day in Tumwater. My belly is full, my senses are on overload, and the weather is pristine. Let's hope everyday is this good.

If you would like to visit Georgio's, here is the address.

Georgio's Subs

 

5765 Littlerock Rd SW
Tumwater, WA 98512

(360) 350-0255

Georgio's On Facebook

Simply Refried Beans

Making your own refried beans is so easy. Not only is it delicious, versatile, and inexpensive, it’s also good for you.  The best thing about this recipe is that you can easily make it organic, vegetarian, and by removing the cheese, vegan.  Once you master this dish, you will be well on your way to leaving Taco Bell behind forever.

Ingredients

• 1 pound of dry pinto beans
• 2 teaspoons of salt
• ½ of a white or yellow onion
• 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• 4 cups of water
• 1 cup of mild cheddar cheese – optional
• ½ teaspoon cumin – optional

Directions

I prefer to cook the beans in a crock pot or slow cooker, but if you prefer a good old fashion pot, or pressure cooker be my guest. Just remember that if you use a pot, keep a close eye on the beans because you don’t want a pot of burnt beans on your hands. And if you choose to use a pressure cooker remember that your cooking time will be drastically reduced.

1. Place beans in a medium sized bowl and wash them thoroughly, also pick out any rocks that might have made it through accidentally.
2. Pour the beans along with 4 cups of water into your pot and add 1 teaspoon of your salt.
3. Cover beans and set crockpot to high.
4. Cook for 2 hours and then stir. Make sure you have enough water. By this time the beans should have absorbed a lot of the water, but you should still have quite a bit left. If you feel like it is looking too dry just add some extra water.
5. Check your beans at the four hour mark. If they are tender then turn off the heat and let them hang out while you start the onions.
6. Heat up a heavy bottom pan over medium heat, do not use nonstick if you can help it.
7. Add all four tablespoons of your olive oil to the pan
8. Chop up the onions. No need to be fancy here, just give them a quick once over.
9. Place the onions in the olive oil and sprinkle them with a teaspoon of salt, then stir them a few times making sure the onions are coated with oil.
10. Put a lid over the pan and let the onions cook until they become soft, translucent, or even a little brown.  The most important thing is that they are soft, since they need to mash into the beans.
11. Once the onions are ready add your beans to the pan along with about a cup of the water you cooked them in.
12. Stir the onions and beans together.
13. At this point you have a couple of options. You can either mash the beans and onions together with a mashing tool. Just pretend like you are making mashed potatoes. Or you can do what I like to do, which is pull out the handy dandy blender stick. The blender stick really does the job.
14. Once the beans have the consistency that you are looking for, give them a taste. You may need to add some salt. I will usually stir in a cup of mild cheddar and add a teaspoon of cumin. It is up to you. If you wanted to make this recipe organic simply using organic beans, onions and oil, would just about do it. If you want vegan then do not add the cheese.

In my family we like to make a bowl of Pico de Gallo, heat up some tortillas and chow on homemade burritos, but I'm just as happy with a bowl of beans and a spoon.

I'm including these pictures to help those who are visual learners. It helps when you are wondering if you are going in the right direction.

Make Perfect Organic Thin Crust Pizza

This is an amazingly simple recipe. My family has been using it for awhile and it works every time.

Living in a town where organic food is rarely offered up at the local pizzeria, or from the local anywhere for that matter, it is nice to find ways to enjoy our favorite foods without all of the pesticides. It also helps for those looking to reduce the amount of meat that they consume. In fact making your own pizza is a wonderful step towards taking control of your diet, and your life.

Making pizza is inexpensive, easy, and fun, so give it a shot already!

Makes one Pizza

Dough:

• .25oz packet of Bob's Red Mill - Active Dry Yeast


• ¼ tsp. granulated sugar


• 1 ¾ cups of Gold Medal Organic All Purpose Flour


• ½ tsp. salt

Pizza Sauce:

• 1 8oz can of organic tomato sauce


• 3 tbsp. Italian seasoning (the seasoning is to taste, try 2 and then add)


• Mix the tomato sauce and seasonings together for awesome pizza sauce. You can also use tomato paste for a brighter flavor.

Toppings

• Shredded cheese of your choice, I like to use an 80% organic mozzarella, 20% organic mild cheddar mix.


• Top the pizza with whatever you like.

Directions

1. Pre-heat oven to 500 degrees


2. Dissolve yeast and sugar in water, let stand for 8 minutes


3. In a separate bowl combine the flour and salt.


4. Combine yeast mixture with flour mixture and stir well. (A heavy spoon is helpful, but not necessary.)


5. Turn dough onto a floured surface and knead for 2 minutes


6. Roll the dough from the center out forming a rectangle that will fill the base of your cookie sheet. You can make your pizza circular if you prefer, but I have found that it is much easier to make a square pizza.


7. Lightly grease your cookie sheet and coat with a thin layer of organic corn meal.


8. Lay your dough in the pan and stretch to the edges if needed. If your dough overlaps the cookie sheet simply trim the excess with a small knife.


9. Spread the sauce over the crust and top with cheese. Add whatever toppings you desire.


10. Bake pizza for 8-12 minutes, or until edges are golden.

Suggestions:

BBQ Chicken Pizza

• 1 breast of organic free range chicken


• Shredded cheese of your choice, I like to use an 80% organic mozzarella, 20% organic mild cheddar mix.


• 4 to 5oz of your favorite organic BBQ sauce


• 1 cup organic cilantro


• ½ of an organic purple onion

Directions:

1. Grill the chicken breast with salt and pepper then chop onto small bite size pieces.


2. Spread the BBQ sauce over pizza crust


3. Sprinkle cilantro over sauce


4. Sprinkle cheese mixture


5. Add chicken and onions


6. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until crust is golden