Seattle Tall Poppy

Come to the Table

2011-05-13T12:24:00.009-07:00

Note: This post is in support of Near East brand's Couscous for a Cause campaign. I was already a fan of their products, but thanks to this couscous-inspired post, they're donating 250 boxes of couscous to Washington state's hunger relief agency, Northwest Harvest.

PRIZES! Comment by May 15th for a chance to win a Near East prize pack including products, recipes and another 250 boxes of couscous donated to Northwest harvest.

According to Wikipedia, couscous is a staple food throughout West Africa, Sahel, France, Spain, and the Canary Islands, Portugal, Madeira, Italy (particularly in the western Sicily Province of Trapani), as well as in Turkey, Greece, Malta, Cyprus, the Middle East and India.

Made by hand, it's a lenghty process that involves working semolina-based dough through a sieve, which forms the tiny granules of couscous. The couscous grains are then air-dried in the sun. Preparation involves steaming the tiny grains in a special pot, typically lined with a cheese cloth.

Here in the Western world, couscous is pre-steamed and dried again, which shortens the cooking time considerably--five minutes from boiling water (or stock) to fluffy couscous!

I love entertaining with couscous. When I gather friends, we serve it North African-style with a meat or vegetable stew, spooned over a heaping mound of couscous. (Near East brand's roasted garlic or parmesan are my two favorites.) Served on polished silver trays, it makes a stunning crowd-friendly presentation.

Fresh thyme and green olives are added to the couscous.

Preparing the trays for dinner.

Mounding the couscous for height....enhances the presentation.

Don't you love these trays? I'm an avid thrift store shopper and both of these trays were less than $10. Silver polish and a bit of elbow grease brought them back to life.

Layer the dish with poached artichokes, onion and lemon.

Add a light drizzle of the pan juices...

All natural lamb loin from Ninety Farms, with a beautiful Moroccan spice rub.

Strips of seared lamb crown the dish.

***

More ideas? Check out these recipes by

James Beard Award-winning chef, Jason Wilson:

Summer Couscous Stew

with eggplant, zucchini, and chopped tomato

Couscous Chicken Crunch
with apple, pear, and sage

Pacific Albacore Tuna
with olive and lemon

Espresso and Stout Roasted Flat Iron Steak with Beet Couscous
I'll be making this next!

Smoky Couscous with Cherry, Sage, and Pulled Pork
chipotle chile, balsamic, and beer make up the braising liquid for the pork, and the couscous is tossed with dried cherries and sage. Sounds lovely, no?

***

Photos by food photographer, Rina Jordan.

Obsession #143 and James Beard's County Fair Bread

2011-03-27T08:39:00.012-07:00

There's a Seattle area school that is more Outward Bound than P.S. 52. Its focuses on an experiential education, based on the premise that teachable moments become embedded when they are experienced. That's my kind of school.

I learn by doing. I read obsessively about topics, experiment, and read some more. And then I consult the experts. By that point, I've read and experienced enough to have a meaningful conversation.

Lifelong friends have seen the various incarnations. It began with a horse fetish. At five, I was sneaking out of the house to visit a neighbor's horse, and followed that obsession well into my teens.

My ice cream obsession led to...a professional machine with built-in compressor (to churn batch after batch -- no freezing the bowl between batches) and 100+ tried & true recipes. When my obsession hit a fever pitch, I consulted with food scientist Shirley Corriher and Alice Medrich on the role of starch in ice cream.

You see?

It's like that.

For years, I've been a bread baker voyeur. I've taken classes with experts in the field, traveled to famous bakeries all over the world, toured wheat farms, read textbooks and countless books on baking, and have staged alongside the captain of the world champion baking team.

But I never made my own bread.

I just watched, and read.

A lot.

Last week, I took the plunge and made my first yeasted loaf. Inspired by this hauntingly delicious challah, I attempted my own. The results were passable but nothing like the challah she made. It lacked the depth of flavor that is the hallmark of a slow rise.

I tried again, armed with an intriguing recipe by James Beard. Instead of mixing the water, yeast and a bit of sugar and waiting for the yeast to work its magic, Beard's recipe jumps right in and adds it all together...liquid, yeast and flour. The addition of eggs and milk enrich the flavor substantially, and sesame seeds scattered across the top, toast beautifully.

Already my mind was spinning with possibilities. What if I replaced the water with something more flavorful, like onion stock? What if I chilled the dough between risings? This recipe calls for only two risings, but I have another recipe that calls for four. How would that change the final outcome?

You see? The genie is out of the bottle, and my bread obsession is in full swing. If you find a loaf of bread on your doorstep, that's me...parsing out experiments.

***Many thanks to Charlie for sharing this recipe. As he notes, if you're new to baking, it's a great bread for beginners.

County Fair Bread

Recipe By: James Beard, Beard On Bread

Ingredients:

5 cups all-purpose flour, or unbleached hard-wheat
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1 package active dry yeast
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 stick butter, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 eggs
1 egg white, lightly beaten with 1 tablespoon of water
sesame seeds

Directions:

In a large mixing bowl combine 1 Cup of the flour, the sugar, salt, and dry yeast.

Heat the milk and the butter in a saucepan, just until the milk is warm; the butter does not need to melt.

Add the eggs and the warm milk mixture to the flour mixture. (This, as you will notice, is one of those newish dry-mix processes where you do not proof the yeast first-and it works.)

Mix very well until thoroughly moistened, and beat with a wooden spoon for about 5 min. Then stir in the remaining flour to form a stiff dough.

Turn out on a floured board, and knead the dough until it is quite smooth and elastic, about 5 min. Work into a ball, place in a buttered bowl, and turn to coat with butter on all sides. Cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until light and doubled in bulk, 1 to 1 1/2 hrs.

Punch the dough down and divide into six equal portions. Roll each of these portions into a thin cylinder about 8 to 10 in. long. Take three strips and braid them together. Place the braid on a baking sheet buttered or sprinkled with cornmeal. Braid the remaining three strips and place about 6 in. away from the other loaf. (For a more spectacular loaf, make a braid of three large strips and then a braid of three smaller strips, and put one on top of the other. This takes a good hr. to bake and a slight amount of dexterity to shape.)

Cover the loaves and let rise in a warm, draft-free space until doubled in bulk, which will take another 1 1/2 hrs.

Brush with the egg white and water, sprinkle lavishly with sesame seeds, and bake in a preheated 375 deg. oven for 35 to 40 min. or till golden brown.

Signature Dishes and Tessa's Chickpea, Feta, and Cilantro Salad

2011-03-22T07:43:00.003-07:00

I've always admired women who have been cooking for years. They glide effortlessly through the kitchen, anticipating their next move well in advance. Armed with a killer collection of recipes--tried and true, and terrific crowd pleasers, they exude a "knowingness" that only time and experience can provide.

Over time, certain recipes weave themselves into your identity. When I was growing up, our neighbor, Kay, made the best cakes. I'll never forget the Barbie cake she made when I turned five. Barbie stood proudly erect, skirted by a dome of pink and green frosting. She may have made it for me, but that was Kay's cake, and everyone knew it.

When I think of my friend Kathy, I'm instantly transported to a spot in her kitchen. Deep in conversation about the latest New Yorker, literacy in America, or West Coast restaurant launches, we talk late into the night, buoyed by one of her famous margaritas in one hand, and a crunchy scallop fritter in the other!

And Naomi? Words cannot describe how incredible her food is. While her tamales are the stuff of legend, I've got big love for her empanadas. I leave Naomi's table with such pleasure....it's a dining experience like no other, and one that reverberates with me for days.

Now, imagine traveling around the world, collecting recipes from friends and relatives along the way. In my mind, I picture Tessa's notebook splattered, doodled in from front to back, and barely holding together. Each recipe has a story and transports you back to a particular time and place. Her book, Falling Cloudberries is exactly that, and I treasure it dearly.

My own collection of recipes includes a page from her book.

Tessa's Chickpea, Feta and Cilantro Salad makes frequent appearances both at home and for social occasions. It travels well, is easily doubled, and if there are dietary restrictions in the crowd? I've got it covered. Vegetarian? Yep. Gluten-free? Check!

Simple and yet packed with flavor, this salad has become one of my signature dishes. For an entree version, I line a platter with fresh spinach or romaine, add the chickpea salad, and top it with grilled shrimp or chicken.

Chickpea, Feta and Cilantro Salad
From Falling Cloudberries, by Tessa Kiros

1 (14-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed well
1 cup olive oil
1 large red onion, chopped
5 garlic cloves, very finely chopped
1 or 2 red chiles, seeded and finely chopped
1 2/3 cups crumbled feta cheese*
4 scallions, green part only, chopped
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
Juice of 1 lemon

Heat 3 tablespoons of the olive oil and fry the red onion gently until it is cooked through and lightly golden. Add the garlic and chile and cook for a few more seconds, until you can smell the garlic. Take care not to brown the garlic. Let cool completely.

Add the chickpeas, feta, scallion, cilantro, parsley, and lemon juice and season with pepper and a pinch more salt, if needed. Add the cooled garlic oil and the remaining olive oil and mix very well.

* Fetas can vary in their punch. I toss all the ingredients together, adding the feta last. Rarely do I use the entire amount specified here. Another tip: go easy on the salt until you know how much feta you'll be using.

Confronting My Beliefs

2011-03-13T12:47:00.016-07:00

My photos are embedded with simple date stamp:

April 23, 2010.

Impersonal and detached, it reveals none of the emotions that have smoldered since then....

Last spring, I was invited on a 3 day food and farm media trip and until this stop, I had bucolic visions of lavender farms and cow-to-curd cheese makers. Five of us would pile in the van, and in near unison, agree each stop was more delicious than the last.

While I was raised in the Midwest surrounded by major plots of farmland, my family is several generations removed from this life. I don't pretend to understand the difficult choices one makes to maintain a viable farm. I make no judgments. This is how you choose to run your business. I'm just here to learn.

And yet...on April 23, 2010, my aspirational beliefs...took a swift hit to the gut.

The five of us, plus our hosts, headed into the tasting room.

On this farm, they raise both goats and jersey cows for milk production. An army of toothpick-skewered cheese samples stood before us.

The cheese writer tossed her toothpick in the waste bin, and noted the distinct "off" flavor in their goat cheese. When asked about it, she explained, "When male goats aren't separated from lactating females, the phermones get into the milk and make it taste super goaty." She summed, "It's why a lot of people don't like goat cheese, I think. It's pretty mean."

As our group headed into the barn, I made a mental note.

Baby goats! An attempt to pet them, turned into a suckling fest. Fingers are a poor substitute for milky mama teets, but I was giggling like a schoolgirl here.

The adult goats were extremely curious...and made every attempt to nibble at my notebook. Deep in my baby goat euphoria, it took a moment to register....

What's wrong with this picture?

This goat...has no horns!

As she lunges for my notebook, I get a closer look:

A view from above: the goat's head

I asked about their hornless goats. The farmer tells me, he and his daughter recently removed the horns from his entire herd. Nonchalantly, he explained: they put the goat to sleep, then used a hairpin-shaped branding iron to remove the horns, and cauterize the wound. Cauterizing (burning) the wound does two things: 1. It stops the bleeding. 2. And it prevents the horns from growing back.

I could not get this image out of my mind.

***
Over the course of several months, I began researching this process. Normally dehorning is done early in a goat's life, typically in the first two weeks. (WARNING: Graphic video.)

However, in the adult stage, two nerves and a series of arteries run through the horns. Not only is horn removal in adult goats significantly more painful, it creates holes in the skull, leaving the brain exposed to dust and potential fly larva infestations. The skull eventually heals, but it's a slow process.

The adult dehorning process, as explained by Dan Miller, DMV, PhD:

To dehorn an adult animal, chemical restraint is necessary.

Use either a flexible hacksaw or, preferably, obstetrical wire to remove the horn at its base, including a circle of skin completely surrounding the base of the horn. This allows you to make a cut that follows the curvature of the skull thereby decreasing the chances of entering the brain cavity. Make sure you remove at least a thin strip of skin from all around the base. If any of this germinal tissue remains, it will produce scurs.

In the skin between and slightly behind the horns are the two musk glands responsible for the characteristic buck odor. Unless one wants the buck to smell good to the does, these glands are also removed at dehorning/disbudding.
In removing the horn you will cut several arteries that run within the bone itself. Grasp these arteries with a forceps and pull them until they break off inside the bone. The clot that forms will prevent further bleeding. You will have created a hole into the frontal sinus. Cover or plug the hole with clean gauze that is changed daily until the wound heals.

At the point where the horn is attached to the skull there are two full layers or sheets of bone forming the roof and floor of the frontal sinus. Immediately under the floor of the frontal sinus is the brain cavity. Since the base of the goat horn is so broad, a flat plane that would remove enough germinal tissue to prevent scur formation would also remove a piece of the brain. Therefore, the cut needs to be curved so that only the outer layer of the skull is removed.

This hole will require a long time to heal shut, but eventually it will fill with bone and be covered with skin. For this reason dehorning is best done soon after the fly season is over to prevent fly maggots from appearing on the wound or in the sinus. Another reason to keep it covered is to prevent dust and hay chaff from falling into the sinus cavity and causing an infection.

All evidence suggests dehorning young goats is the preferred method, yet I'm wondering why this is a common practice. Am I just a naive city girl, shielded from the reality of livestock rearing?

I have no problem watching butchers cut animals into edible pieces, and once helped saw a pig skull in half. But these animals were dead.

Dehorning live animals?

It's an acceptable practice...but should it be?

---
This post was featured on Food News Journal's "Best of the Blogs"

Pancetta Wrapped Barbecue Prawns with Cornbread Stuffing

2011-03-12T13:13:00.005-08:00

25 amazing restaurants, countless delicious bites. At the Seattle Food & Wine Experience, remember this one?

Not only did I rave about sous chef John Jadamec's dish, there was some shameless recipe begging going on here!

He quietly reached in his pocket and offered this list of ingredients.

"No, man, I need a recipe!"

We ended the night with a handshake...and a promise.

True to his word, on Friday, this coveted recipe landed in my e-mail. John notes, "The original recipe was for 1,000 pieces and I scaled it down to about 1 dozen for you." I've got big love for this guy!

If you're on the hunt for a showstopper that's packed with flavor...look no further.

Pancetta Wrapped Barbecue Prawns with Cornbread Stuffing
Courtesy of John Jadamec, sous chef, Eagles Buffet at the Tulalip Resort Casino & Spa

Poppy notes: This recipe involves multiple parts but the work is easily divided, and most of it is done in advance. Day 1: Make the sauce, cornbread for the dressing, and marinate prawns in the spice blend. Day 2: Make the cornbread dressing, wrap the marinated prawns in pancetta and quickly cook them. Serve prawns with a drizzle of sauce and top with the cornbread stuffing. In the final moments, this dish comes together in a flash! It's the perfect party dish.

White BBQ sauce:

2 c

mayo

apple cider vinegar

2 Tbl

lemon juice

3 Tbl

black pepper

1 tea

salt

1/2 tea

cayenne

1/2 c

garlic

Mix everything together and chill overnight.

Shrimp Seasoning:

1 TBL

chili powder

1 tea

blackened seasoning

1/2 tea

cayenne pepper

1 tea

salt

2 tea

black pepper

1 TBL

paprika

3 TBL

olive oil

1. Mix all dry spices together.

2. Pour olive oil over shrimp and mix in

3. Mix the shrimp with the dry spices and chill overnight in the fridge.

Cornbread:
1 pound unsalted butter
11 oz or about 1 2/3 cup sugar
8 each eggs
26 oz. creamed corn
1/2 lb. cheddar cheese
1/2 cup heavy cream
11 oz. or 1 2/3 cup bread flour
14 oz. or 1 3/4 cup corn meal
2 oz. or 1/4 cup baking powder
2 tsp. Kosher salt

1. Cream butter and sugar
2. Mix in eggs one at a time
3. Mix in the everything else
4. Line a baking pan with parchment paper or lightly oil, pour mix in to pan until about 1/2 deep.
5. Bake at 350F for about 30 minutes or until it turns golden brown and poke with a tooth pick; it should come out clean.

Corn bread dressing:

3 cups

corn bread crumbles

1/4 cup

fine dice onion

1/4 cup

fine dice celery

1/4 cup

fine dice red bell pepper

3/4 cup

diced raw bacon, smoked bacon is best. I used apple wood smoked

1/4 cup

green onion sliced in thin rings

2 TBL

butter, no salt

to taste

kosher salt

1. cook bacon until crispy in a large sauté pan. Remove bacon from pan and drain the grease out. Don't clean the pan, just drain most of the grease out.

2. melt the butter in the bacon pan then add the onions, celery and bell peppers and sauté for
about 1 minute, I like to keep the veg bright and crisp not over cooked.
3. turn heat off and add the corn bread and bacon then mix in.
4. mix in the green onions.

Pancetta:

This needs to be sliced really thin, about as thick as 3-4 sheets of paper. You need as many slices as shrimp you want to make. If you can have them slice it at the store on a slicer. It sliced best when it's frozen, on a slicer.

Kaiware sprouts, for garnish

1 lb 13/15 shrimp, peeled and deveined

To make the dish:

1. unroll the pancetta the best you can and wrap them around the seasoned shrimp.

2. heat a sauté pan and sauté the shrimp in a pan with just a little oil. Cook the shrimp on one side until the pancetta turns brown then flip it over and cook the other side until it turns brown. Cook for about 2-3 minutes or until the shrimp is cooked through.

3. put the cooked shrimp on a plate, drizzle the white BBQ sauce across, top with warm corn bread dressing.

4. garnish with 2 or 3 Kaiware sprouts

Kathy Casey’s Recipe for Savory Bacon “Cupcakes” with Tabasco Cream Cheese Frosting

2011-03-12T08:43:00.024-08:00

When I spotted celebrity chef Kathy Casey at the Seattle Food & Wine Experience, she was deep in autograph mode. Holding court in the Foster Farms Chicken booth, Kathy was signing copies of her book, The Northwest Table. The line was 50 people deep! I waved a quick hello and decided to come back later. (See my Seattle Food & Wine Experience recap here. Photos galore!)

Later...meant peeling Kathy away from a never ending line of fans. But waiting has its rewards! I happily parked myself over a tray of these Savory Bacon "Cupcakes" with Tabasco Cream Cheese Frosting. Sponsored by Foster Farms Chicken, see the map in the back? The red dots represent farmers under the Foster Farm's banner. As a grocery store staple, I had no idea the bulk of their operation was Northwest-driven.

I've never been on a chicken farm and took an opportunity to request...field trip? Hopefully we'll have a date later this year, and I'm guessing these folks will have a hand in that. At the Foster Farms Chicken booth: (L-R) Ira Brill, Foster Farms Director of Marketing and Advertising Services; Chef/Author Kathy Casey from Kathy Casey Food Studios; Heidi White, Fineman PR for Foster Farms.

Oh, man, these Savory Bacon "Cupcakes" are amazing! Minced chicken and bacon add a hearty flavor, while the batter is uncommonly moist and tender. Kathy shared her recipe and frankly, they should come with a word of warning....

...it's impossible to eat just one. Prepare for raving fans!

Kathy Casey’s

Savory Foster Farms & Bacon “Cupcakes”

with Tabasco Cream Cheese Frosting

Makes about 24

Cupcakes
1 cup small diced Foster Farms chicken raw breast (12 ounces wt.)
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup each 1/8-inch-diced onion, celery and red bell pepper
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
3/4 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 Tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1 Tbsp. Old Bay seasoning
2 eggs
1/3 cup whole milk
1/3 cup sour cream
1/2 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed and drained well
8 strips cooked bacon, chopped fine (about 1/2 cup chopped)

Frosting
4 - ounce cream cheese, at room temperature
1 1/2 Tbsp. milk
1 tsp. Tabasco sauce

Garnish
2 thinly sliced green onions

Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F.

To make the cupcakes:
Spray nonstick mini-muffin tins with cooking spray. Set aside.

Cut chicken breast into 1/4-inch small pieces. In a small skillet or sauté pan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the chicken breast and sauté for about 3 minutes moving around the pan with a spoon. When chicken is three-quarters cooked then add the onion, celery, and bell pepper for about 3 to 4 minutes more, until vegetables are just starting to get tender. Add the garlic and sauté about 30 seconds more. Let cool.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and Old Bay seasoning; set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together the egg, milk, and sour cream.

Once the cooked mixture is cooled, add the cornmeal mixture to the egg mixture and mix lightly. Fold in the drained corn, bacon, and cooked and vegetables. Do not overmix; fold in just until evenly distributed.

Divide batter between the prepared mini muffin cups, fill to the top – you will get about 24 cupcakes. Bake the cupcakes for about 22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in cupcake center comes out clean.

Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for about 5 minutes, then carefully remove them from the pan and let cool briefly on a wire rack before frosting. The cupcakes can be made up to 1 day in advance, covered, and refrigerated before frosting. Refrigeration is imperative if making in advance. (Poppy’s note self: duh! There’s chicken inside. Keep cupcakes refrigerated!) If reheating cupcakes, warm them for minute or so in a 350-degree F oven before frosting.

To make the frosting:
In a small bowl, mash the cream cheese with a fork, then whisk in the milk and Tabasco until smooth and creamy. Top each cupcake with about 1 teaspoon of frosting then sprinkle with green onion for garnish. Serve warm.

Ode to the Emerald City

2011-03-07T17:28:00.007-08:00

Dark days. Endless rain. The mere threat of snow can shut the city down. When Seattlelites gush about their city, it's hard for others to wrap their brain around it.

Ah, but there's more...so much more! If you've never been here on a sunny summer day, you've missed one of life's truly great pleasures.

Fantasize all you want about Paris.

In August?

Seattle's the place you want to be.

Emerald City - A Scenic Short Film from KMP VIDEO Chicago on Vimeo.

Deep Feast Writing Workshop with James Beard Award-winning Author

2011-03-03T06:23:00.003-08:00

Writing is by far, one of the most difficult things I do. I stare at the blank screen and...nothing. I've got nothing. I pop on Twitter, pet the cat, stretch, and force myself back to the computer, praying for inspiration.

And then there are days, the words flow so effortlessly, I mock my self-conscious side, "What's the big deal?"

The dueling sides battle it out on a regular basis, each one fighting for dominance. Fortunately, I've got a set of tools to help me through the process. How?

I've got a mentor.

A list of Crescent Dragonwagon's former students read like a "Who's who in food" -- Julia Child, Alice Medrich, you get the idea. Like them, I've traveled far and wide for her classes--jetting to San Diego for a workshop, visiting her home in Vermont, and attending a class or two here in Seattle. It's safe to say, I'm not sure I'd be writing today if it weren't for her.

Sunday, she's teaching a writing workshop in Seattle, and I hope you'll join us. Space is limited; Register here.

More on her workshop:

DEEP FEAST: Writing the World Through Food

With ever more writers, bloggers and photographers who focus on food as such, those who seek their own distinctive voice in culinary writingmust discover what larger food story or stories they want to tell --- stories that go beyond food per se; stories that they and only they can tell.

find your voice & rhythm in writing about food
expand your vision of what culinary writing is & can be
unearth your inimitable one-of-a-kind point-of-view
stop aw-shucks-ing/dissing yourself ("I'm just a food writer")
use your own singular experiences
discover (& start telling, & writing) your own stories

Like all travel, it's a journey full of surprises, rooted in discovery, connection. It's a deep feast.

A Romp Through the Seattle Food & Wine Experience

2011-03-01T19:47:00.050-08:00

The Seattle Food & Wine Experience has got to be one of my favorite local events. Picture this: under the shadow of the Space Needle, one entry fee gets you access to 25 restaurants, 20 specialty food purveyors, 20 brewery/cider/non-alcoholic vendors, and 85 wine vendors from 10 countries...featuring close to 800 wines. No surprise...this event is an annual sell out.

Is it worth a trip to Seattle? Absolutely!

Seattle Magazine with copies of their latest issues on hand. Doesn't that cover shot look amazing?

Celebrity chef Kathy Casey at the Foster Farms Chicken booth. Kathy signed copies of her book, The Northwest Table, and when I arrived, the line was 50 people deep! She's both a cook and a cocktail master who travels around the world launching upscale cocktail bars for the likes of Marco Pierre White and the Fairmont Hotels. Dubai? Abu Dhabi? Been there, done that!

Good times, people! Good times...

Would you like a taste? Yes, please! {repeat}

Earth & Ocean's sliders: BBQ beef sliders with sesame pickled vegetable slaw. The tangy slaw cut the unctiousness of both the braised meat and buttery brioche. Love the contrasting black sesame seeds. Rustic slate serving platters made the food visually "pop."

Look who I caught up with, walking the floor? Earth & Ocean's Executive Chef, Adam Stevenson (R) and his sous chef, Ben Closson (L). Drinks? Later. For now, it's espresso by Cafe Vita.

One of my favorite bites, served by Taste of Tulalip's Eagle's Buffet. Hey chef! What's the name of this dish?

He grabbed the sign and said, "Here you go!" Pancetta wrapped barbecue prawns with cornbread stuffing. I won't lie. There was some recipe begging involved here.

Tulalip Resort and Casino is located about an hour north of Seattle. (I wrote about them here.) With five restaurants under one roof, they formed their own wing at the Seattle Food & Wine Experience. Here we have Blackfish & Torch's house smoked sockeye salmon with a chevre-caper stuffed cucumber tower.

An event like this takes dexterity...and determination! She's juggling two wine glasses and dessert in one hand. The nosh? This is bit of heaven is Tulalip's warm sticky bacon-toffee pudding cake with Devonshire cream and bacon.

I bumped into Ryan, who's launching a new online magazine. He's sporting a dark chocolate lollipop with house made bacon salt from Tulalip.

Nikol Nakamura, Pastry Chef for Tulalip Resort and Casino

Pastry chef, traveling in style. (That's an immersion blender sticking out of her bag.)

Purple Cafe and Wine Bar's director of marketing and public relations, David Yusen.

Purple Cafe's White chocolate and lemon mousse with raspberry coulis and poppy seed shortbread

Poached marinated Penn Cove oyster with Vietnamese coriander, Thai basil, and lime, offered by Ray's Boathouse.

Salty's mini Maine lobster rolls - house-made buns, lobster aioli, micro veggie bites topped with American Salme caviar.

Chocolate caramel pecan pie by A La Mode Pies. I really liked their display, which showcased both their recent media coverage and examples of their whole 9" pies. They sampled both the chocolate caramel pecan pie and a luscious double-crusted spiced apple pie.

Meet Chris Porter, A La Mode Pie's CPG (Chief Pie Guy). See these beauties? Those are A La Mode's trademarked "LolliePies" or...pie on a stick.

A closer look at A La Mode's LolliePie. This tasty creation is their Blue Hawaiian - Pineapple, Coconut and Blueberries.

Terri Ann Johnson, social media & marketing guru for Bill The Butcher. "LolliePie. You want it, don't you?"

"I've got mine, where's yours?" Rose Ann Finkle of Pike Brewing Company, Northwest microbrew pioneer.

Wild caught Alaska salmon from Finest Kinds Seafoods.

It's all about the flavor, baby!

One of my favorite wine discoveries: Three Sticks, a small-lot boutique winery out of Sonoma, CA. What's the story about their name? The founder is Bill Price, III. Third generation = Three sticks.

I spotted this guy's tattoo from across the room. Curious minds want to know, what's up with your tattoo? Dylan Henrick says, "It's sign language for 'I love you.' " Near the palm are the initials K., D., and A. Dylan tells me, "Those initials represent my siblings: Krystal, Dylan (me), and Angie. All the kids in my family have the same tattoo."

Here's a bit of genius....a leather holster for your wine glass! Note to self: must get one! I was leaving my glass all over the place....

Maybe it's the name...or the straw hats they gave out early in the day, but I was sold on Menage a Trois wines long before we opened the bottle!

A fine bit of eye candy to go with your Menage a Trois....

Generous pours too!

Sliders were very popular this year, but something about these beauties made me pause. Chef had me at "Porchetta sliders with pickled goat horn pepper aioli," but a chat with Bin on the Lake's chef de cuisine, Paul Hyman, revealed a few of his secrets. "The aioli is made with pickled goat horn peppers. For the porchetta, we used whole Kurobuta Berkshire Pigs, deboned and seasoned with fennel and rosemary. They were smoked for 6 hours on alder wood for a mild sweet smoke. Then I slow roasted the pork for 8 hours, let it rest for 1 hour, and hand chopped the meat." Yeah, it's like that!

Show us your love! Chef Hyman is a hard core pig lover...all the way down to his socks.

Chef Paul Hyman from Bin on the Lake in Kirkland. What 'cha got there?

More pig love!

Raising a toast to Ninkasi, the Sumarian goddess of beer and wine.

This tower of goodness deserves more investigation...

Check it out. Frost Doughnut's signature maple bacon long john.

Spotted. Hey there chef Wayne Johnson! He's celebrating 12 years as the Executive Chef at Andaluca restaurant.

By the time I stumbled on Go Girl, I could definitely use a boost. Marketing energy drinks to women, at the top of the can, it says "Beautiful energy." For an energy drink, this was the tastiest I've tried.

Sampling treats from the Cookie Box, a boutique retailer who developed a line of cookie flavors to pair with beer, wine, and cocktails. This deserves further investigation. Read more about that here.

Meet Cookie Box co-founder, Marcia Sisley-Berger. The title on her card says, "Cookie Baker | Magic Maker." Indeed!

Capitol Grille's serving it up! Kona crusted petite tender with shallot butter

Lissa Grumman, the mastermind behind Dine Around Seattle, and PR guru for many of Seattle's top restaurants. (Cafe Juanita and Spinasse, to name a few.)

Look what we have here...Woodchuck Hard Cider made with Washington state apples, shipped to Vermont for production.

Tasting my way through a flight of hard ciders? Perfect for a Sunday afternoon. Brian Halloway, District Manager for Green Mountain Beverage (representing Woodchuck, Wyder's, Strongbow, and Woodpecker brand hard ciders), gave me the lowdown. I was intrigued by the Woodchuck hard ciders, which offer seasonal variations. Amber (my favorite of the ones I tasted) is made with red apples and offers a depth of flavor that was truly memorable. Woodchuck also has a Granny Smith variety.

Watch for Woodchuck's limited release hard ciders:

Spring: maple & brown sugar

Summer: blueberry-infused apple cider

Fall: cinnamon, nutmeg, apple cider

Winter: Oak aged with a hint of vanilla

Brown food is not pretty, but this was one of my favorite dishes: Red wine braised chuck cassoulet with garlic and parsley persillade by Copperleaf Restaurant at the Ceadarbrook Lodge. No wonder I liked it so much. Chef Mark Bodinet spent five years at Thomas Keller's esteemed French Laundry restaurant. Now at the helm of Copperleaf, it's been lauded as one of the "Top 10 New Restaurants in America," by GQ and Gayot.

Copperleaf Restaurant's sous chef.

Science project? At a wine event? That's The Georgian's Executive Chef, Gavin Stephenson, smoking cheese on site.

A closer look at the cheese smoking operation. That silver apparatus on the right is the smoker and the flame is lit from the top. (See the previous picture.)

Crowds flocked around their booth, and snagged slices of this beautiful smoked Pecorino, drizzled in honey.

The hand off. The finished dish: Peppered flat iron steak skewers with savory tomato jam, mounted with a slice of honey smoked Pecorino at the base of the skewer. So good!

(L-R) Brian and Executive Chef Gavin Stephensen from The Georgian restaurant. Do you know The Georgian? It's tucked inside the sumptuous Fairmont Olympic Hotel.

Tom Mehren and Connie Adams of Seattle DINING! magazine. (Sign up for their newsletter, it's terrific!)

Well hello there! Terri from Bill the Butcher and Betty Frost--real estate agent by day, food lover extraordinaire 24/7.

Last but not least, take a look at Coho Cafe's Korean BBQ pulled pork slider. Chef says, "I like texture in my food," which makes sense when you notice elements on this dish: braised kalbi shortrib, julienned green onion, and crunchy pickled cucumber, highlighted by a thick drizzle of aioli.

Ah...another delicious day, preserved for posterity.

Cheers!

Hanging with America's Best Butcher, Tracy Smaciarz

2011-02-25T08:57:00.020-08:00

Tracy Smaciarz [sma-chez] is a barrel chested, second-generation butcher with a ready smile. Conscripted into the family business, by the age of 6, he was stuffing sausages in his father's butcher shop.

Following a detour here and there, Smaciarz had a successful stint in the corporate world. By the time he migrated back to the family business, he was poised for action, and armed with a new vision.

Smaciarz bought a 6,000 square foot converted bus barn, and began the application process for USDA permitting.

Word about Smaciarz spread fast, and before long, his meat was showing up in restaurants across the city. He forged a relationship with long time restaurateurs, the Canlis family, and suddenly, he was appearing at New York's James Beard House and events across the country.

People in the business have an uncanny reverence for his work, and until lately, Smaciarz was one of our best kept secrets. But as you know, a well-kept secret doesn't last long. In the past year, Smaciarz was profiled in two books, Primal Cuts: Cooking with America's Best Butchers and Harvest to Heat: Cooking with America's Best Chefs, Farmers, and Butchers.

In the end, he's a butcher. And he loves cutting meat. Suddenly thrust into the spotlight, Smaciarz quips, "It's funny being recognized for doing my job."

Off-handedly he remarks, "Yeah, I'm in some 6-volume book that supposed to come out soon."

I shriek, "You mean Modernist Cuisine?"

"Yeah, I think that's it."

"Tracy, that's the hottest book in recent memory!" (dubbed 'a game-changing cookbook' by the Wall Street Journal)

His fresh-off-the-farm humility is refreshing, "I don't know about that." He paused, and added, "I'm just me, the redneck butcher."

***
Months before his USDA certification, and long before the molecular gastronomy gurus were knocking on his door, I took a group of chefs down to Tracy's shop. Tracy gave us a tour of his facilities, which included a butchery demo...and culminated with a farm visit.

NOTE: If you're squeamish about meat, now's a good time to get off this ride. (Stop reading here.)

Heritage Meat headquarters, 80 miles south of Seattle. While it looks like a prefab church, Heritage Meats was former a bus barn. It's now a 6,000 square foot USDA-inspected meat processing operation.

Amen.

Welcome treats: house-cured jerky

Tracy, leading the tour. See that machine on the right? That's a hamburger patty machine, affectionately dubbed "The Bitch."

Tracy launched into a discussion about the impact of grass-finished beef vs. grain-finished beef. Visually, you can distinguish the two by the color of their fat. White fat = grain-finished meat. Yellow fat = grass-finished meat.

Pork bellies, earmarked for bacon. The silver tag is engraved with a number, which serves as a tracking identifier.

This is a vacuum tumbler. Here's how it works: paddles inside massage the meat, and simultaneously, the vacuum creates a protein extraction. It holds 450 pounds of pork belly. While the exact process is a trade secret, making bacon can take up to 8 hours.

On the hanging hook. That's pork belly in the back, and towards the front? Fresh hams, yet to be cured.

The hanging room at Heritage Meats. Average temperature? "Thirty-two degrees, or less." That's a dressed pig (no entrails) hanging in the middle. On the left and right are cow halves. Some are waiting for processing, others are aging (14-21 days).

A closer look at the tracking identification.

Rancher Mike Parish, lending a hand. Mike cuts, as Tracy explains the process and identifies the different cuts. It's like deconstructing a puzzle.

Work in progress.

See the full length of the ribs?

Piecing the meat out.

Large work space for breaking down meat.

A closer look at Tracy's professional gear. The heavy leather-like apron makes for easy cleaning. Notice the knife holster, secured by a chain link belt? The speed at which he works is mind-boggling. Comparing Tracy's way with knives to a rapid-fire gun slinger? Right on target. (I was surprised to learn Tracy still has all his finger in tact.)

Every time Tracy picks up his knife, he sharpens it.

Captain Hook? No. This is called a "boning hook," enabling him to keep a grip on the meat, which tends to be slippery. Using it becomes second-nature.

Cutting meat is physical work. Look at the position of his knife and arm. That blur on the right is the boning hook, entering the frame to pivot the flesh.

Another look at the knife/hook symbiosis.

Portioned meat is placed in a bus tub on wheels. When the bus tub is full, it's moved to another stainless steel table where the meat is then packaged, and wrapped in plastic.

Bone-in meat is sliced here. The slicing blade is fixed in place, while the meat is positioned, moving along a stainless steel slide. (See the tracks?)

Trimming the bone. (See the dust collected, this side of the blade?)

Heritage Meats has USDA-inspected meat for resale and public consumption, but they also process meat for farmers and individuals who buy whole animals. This leg is earmarked for Gary.

See the muscle structure? This bull has been dry-aged. Moisture loss concentrates the flavor. Average hang time? 14-21 days.

Tracy Smaciaz, America's best butcher

Heritage Meats
18241 Pendelton St. SW
Rochester, WA 98570

(360) 273-2202
http://heritagemeatswa.com/

NOTE: Tracy tells me butcher classes are coming down the pike. Want to jump in on the fun? Call or check the website for details.

The Art in Repetition

2011-02-24T10:06:00.011-08:00

–noun

the act of repeating; repeated action, performance,production, or presentation.

repeated utterance; reiteration.

something made by or resulting from repeating.

a reproduction, copy, or replica.

-------

What separates a home cook from a restaurant cook?

Repetition.

In a restaurant, they make dishes over and over again. Repeating the same dish 14 times a day, you begin to notice subtle things that impact the final outcome. "Hey, where did this beef come from?" The supplier fell through. We subbed meat from another ranch. Chef could tell by the way it performed in the pan.

Repetition makes you aware of nuances. A subtle change here and there, and it becomes evident. Temperature, consistency, new products. Each change is reflected in the final dish.

Unlike a restaurant cook, there are few recipes I've made 14 times. Cherry-picking recipes from cookbooks, it took me years to understand the patterns.

Eventually I learned the basis for soup involves:

- some sort of aromatic (onions, shallot, garlic, carrots, celery)
- a liquid (water, stock, dairy, or coconut milk)
- the main attraction (meat, vegetables, or legumes)
- seasonings (herbs and spices--fresh or dried)
- a garnish (herbs, green onions, sour cream, etc.)

Sure there are variables, but understanding the fundamental pattern was a huge leap forward.

Pam Anderson is a cookbook author and recipe developer whose name I seldom hear, and that's a shame. Her recipes are rooted by the main attraction, followed by a myriad of deviations. A typical recipe includes directions for, say, a basic pork braise. She includes variations for turning that pork into: Mexican, Italian, or French. The seasonings and liquids change, but the basic recipe is rooted in method. Brilliant.

How does a home cook incorporate repetition?

For years, a group of friends cooked together once a month. One day, Tamara said, "I'm in my shrimp phase." I asked her about that. For a month, she cooked nothing but shrimp dishes. She learned everything she could about cooking shrimp. The repetition of cooking it every day--sauteed, sauced, breaded, and baked, eventually, she developed a level of mastery. And there lies the eureka moment.

Last summer, I was hired to cook for a family. One day a week, I'd cook 7-10 dishes, mostly entrees. The family loved braises and I ended up cooking two, sometimes three braised dishes every week. I began to notice patterns. Instead of following recipes by rote, I paid attention to nuances. How does the final outcome change when I use stock vs. beer or wine? What's the difference between braising on top of the stove, vs. braising in the oven? This recipe calls for a 2 1/2 hour cooking time, this recipe calls for 4 hours. Why? Week after week, I honed my skills.

While I'm no longer cooking for the family, it had a major impact on the way I cook. Like then, I now cook the majority of my meals in one day. I'm still in a braising phase, and have expanded incorporate Middle Eastern, Asian, and Latin American influences. I'm intrigued by a touch of cinnamon or star anise with beef. Mint provides an unexpected, yet refreshing element to savory dishes. And I'm learning to distinguish flavor profiles and heat variables in chilies.

It's amazing how limitations--studying one method, or one cuisine, proved to be a turning point. Initially, I resisted the limitations, but now I realize, it was a tremendous gift. Repetition made me a better cook.

Judging COCHON555

2011-02-20T10:50:00.015-08:00

Have you been to COCHON555? The event hits eight cities across the United States and teams 5 chefs, 5 wineries, and 5 heritage breed pigs for a good old-fashioned showdown.

From a chef's perspective, here's what you need to know: there are no rules. When asked I asked about that, COCHON555 mastermind, Brady Lowe, put it simply, "Why would I want to stifle a chef's creativity? Whatever they want to do, is fine with me." That blank slate affords a wide range of creative freedom. I've seen everything from house-cured meats to maple-bacon ice cream sandwiches.

I was a judge for last year's competition and the chefs went over the top. Between five chefs, the average plate consisted of 10 components. Think of a 10-course tasting menu, all on one plate. In the brief time between presentations, it was difficult to taste, analyze each element, and determine the merits.

After the second round of 10+ components, it became even more perplexing. Without menus from the chefs, previous dishes quickly faded from memory. Weighing one contribution against another became a serious challenge. (Fortunately I took photos along the way and reviewed images from chef #1's plating to say, chef #3's plating.)

What also became apparent: of the 10 components, half were be mind-bogglingly delicious, and half were forgettable. How do you assess that?

Reprieve came at the tail end, when James Beard Award-winning Chef Jonathan Sundstrom presented just 3 components. Around the judge's table, there was an audible cheer. While Sundstrom was the winner of last year's competition, were all 3 components a knock out? In my opinion, no. Was he wildly creative? No. In the end, I think his judicious use of restraint tipped the scales in his favor. (Plus, with just 3 components, we stood a chance of remembering them!)

This year, I expect a different a different type of competition. Of the chef line up, Ethan Stowell, Holly Smith, and Jason Stratton are greatly influenced by simple, straight-forward Italian cuisine. Jonathan Sundstrom, winner of last year's Cochon555 is back, and the one possible curve ball will be Rachel Yang. Rachel's food is pure fusion, drawing heavily on French technique and Asian flavors, most notably from Korea. (An example drawn from her current menu, Joule BBQ: short rib steak, sweet chili sausage, and grilled kimchi.)

The Seattle leg of the COCHON555 competition begins today. Since this is my second year judging, it will be interesting to compare the two. Of the five chefs, Holly Smith and Jonathan Sundstrom are regional James Beard Award winners. Ethan Stowell has been nominated for a James Beard Award three times. Jason Stratton is one of the current Food & Wine Top 10 New Chefs in America. And Rachel's restaurants, Joule, and newly opened Revel, are poised for some serious national exposure. The winner? It's anybody's game today.

Worshiping at "The Church of Food" and a Farm Visit with Tom Schultz

2011-02-12T12:54:00.013-08:00

Over the past few years, my culinary experience has expanded well beyond recipes. The business of food has many layers, and it can be a nebulous beast to get your arms around, but as Robert Sietsema says, ‎"The Church of Food is an edifice with many doors and no locks." ...And there's a giant welcome mat right outside the door!

In the course of my travels, I've met with everyone from food scientists, culinary anthropologists; coffee buyers, growers, and roasters; cheesemakers, acquaculture farmers, beekeepers, farmers, ranchers, food activists and chefs. I haven't talked about this process much because it's still ruminating in my mind. But rest assured, I've got stacks of notebooks and thousands of photos. Bit by bit, I'm working through my notes.

Along this journey, I've meet some incredible people who have helped lay the foundation for a new perspective. As a city girl, taking a trip into the field has been a fundamental part of my education.

Curious minds want to know.... so, I gathered some friends for a road trip. First stop, we visited with Tracy Smaciarz, a second-generation butcher who was recently named one of the "Best Butchers in America". We toured his USDA-certified processing plant and then, with blazing speed, watched him break down a couple cows. More on that in my next post.

First things first. Meet Tom Schultz. He and his wife raise lamb on a lush farm 90 miles south of Seattle. Tom's got a ready smile and a boyish hint of mischief. I liked him instantly!

Lamb rancher, Tom Schultz

Spring grass and a watering hole near the barn.

Feeding time at the barn. Notice the lamb in the foreground is loosing his winter coat.

The baby lambs are adorable! This one has blue eyes.

Back in Tom's work space, we talk about his farm and the business of raising lamb.

One of the chefs asked, "Is your meat organic?"

Here is where I learn, consumer ideals don't always line up with the reality of life on the farm. On the Western side of Washington state, our moist climate leads to a number of issues. (We experience 150 days for precipitation/year. Cloudy days: 201; partly cloudy days: 98.) The wet climate leads to a number of challenges, including foot rot.

What is foot rot?

Foot rot, or infectious pododermatitis, is a hoof infection that is commonly found in sheep, goat, and cattle. As the name suggests, it rots away the foot of the animal, more specifically the area between the two toes of the affected animal. It is extremely painful and contagious. It can be treated with a series of medications but if not treated the whole herd can become infected. (Source: Wikipedia)

Tom raises his animals according to organic standards, but because he treats animals that become sick, they are unable to market their lamb as "organic."

Tools of the trade: butchering knives.

Tom's flock, headed out to pasture.

(L-R) The crew: Michelle Clair, Melissa Hogenson, Tracy Smaciarz, Becky Selengut, Tom & his wife, and Chico aka Robert Joice.

Next stop: Heritage Meats. Stay tuned...

Chef Daniel Boulud's Advice to Young Cooks

2011-02-11T20:46:00.006-08:00

Executive Chef Daniel Boulud has a long list of accolades, including the James Beard Foundation Awards for "Outstanding Restaurant," "Outstanding Restauranteur," "Best Chef, New York City," and"Outstanding Chef of the Year." With four restaurants in New York, plus outposts in Palm Beach, Miami, Vancouver, Beijing and London, his culinary style reflects seasonal ingredients, prepared in the French tradition. Chef Boulud is the author of five cookbooks and "Letters to a Young Chef."

One piece of advice I offer young cooks is to choose your mentors wisely. It's probably because mine were so influential in my life. From the start, I worked for the best chefs who would hire me and then gave them my all. In each case, they repaid me by in turn introducing me to yet another great mentor.

As a young chef, I had the privilege of working for the top talents of the day. Georges Blanc in Vonnas, Michel Guérard at Les Prés d'Eugènie and then Roger Vergé at the Moulin de Mougins in the south of France. They had incredible palates and technique. Their cooking reflected their regional roots, applied with respect for tradition but also with modernity. They were more than chefs; they were restaurateurs who attended to every detail of their guests' experience.

Strategies to Battle: “I don’t have time to cook”

2011-02-10T17:37:00.007-08:00

It was a simple question, posed on Twitter: “When people say, ‘I don’t have time to cook’…what do you think to yourself?”

Responses included:

@SonjaGrosset - Probably the same as me saying, "I don't have time to work out." Excuses, excuses....

@HeatherHAL - I think of what I can do in 45 minutes, which is the average wait time for delivery.

@KimRicketts - Lazy and family/health not a priority

@MelRovins - Get creative, good meals don’t have to take time if you plan.

@Jaydeflix - Since I now work 4x10 + 2 hours of gym, + 30-60 minute commute *and* I need to get a good night sleep, I can believe it.

@CookLocal - I don't believe ppl who work full time jobs + commute can cook every night. I think they can cook often.

The truth is, I enjoy the idea of cooking, but until recently, I did very little cooking. There are a hundred reasons why. I was single and would have leftovers for days. 30 minute meals took me two hours. At heart, I’m a baker. I’d rather spend 2 hours making a cake than making an entre. And of course, as a food professional, wasn’t it my job to keep up on the latest restaurants? In a typical week, I ate out 7 to 10 times a week.

I like to cook…for parties.

Cook on a day-to-day basis?

No thanks.

It seems rather ironic. As the food movement was taking shape around me, I was still dodging dinner.

The Twitter discussion continued, with noted food professionals chiming in. (The following Tweets are extrapolated from that conversation.)

@CookLocal - "Anyone can cook any night, not everyone can cook every night."

@RebekahDenn - Anyone can cook (or learn to cook) but commute/kids/

@RebekahDenn - issues of modern city life mean that it is not always #1 priority. A couple times a week = better than none.

@CookLocal - Yes, and when you do and don't is largely about priorities.

@RebekahDenn - I do wonder how much of this debate is about our definition of "cooking"?

@RebekahDenn - If my kids get fried egg sandwich=cooking, but not pasta with jarred sauce.

@KitchenMage - I love frozen food. MY frozen food. I make vats of soup, chili, marinara, double recipes, freeze half.

While I’ve worked with top-tier chefs, I was ashamed to reveal what I really ate at home. It was comforting to know I wasn’t the only person dealing with these issues, even among my peers.

----
For me, the pivotal shift occurred last summer. Friends of mine had extremely busy schedules, but they wanted home cooked meals. Would I consider preparing some meals? (Over the years, I've done some informal catering for them.) The idea was daunting. I wasn’t a real caterer. And yet, this would provide an opportunity to cook on a weekly basis, and line my pocket with some much-needed cash.

After a few weeks and a ton of feedback, we narrowed down the goal. Each week, I made 5-7 entrees and 2 side dishes. They rounded out meals with simple salads or vegetables. I spent weekends trolling for recipes and honing that week’s menu. Mondays, I shopped and prepared food for the entire week.

It was a eureka moment that changed my life.

I began to realize, “I don’t have time to cook” really means: “I don’t have time to cook TONIGHT.”

I dreaded cooking on a daily basis, but carving out one or two days a week, working on multiple dishes at a time? That I can do!

These days, I always have something worthwhile in the fridge.

Here’s my strategy:

Double everything. Freeze half.
With minimal effort, this pays big rewards…and ample variety. Currently in my freezer, I’ve got everything from braised pork to French-onion soup base. In the morning, before I walk out the door, I pull something out of the freezer. At long last, now I look forward to dinner at home.

Stockpile soups and braises
Braises take hours—and most of that is unattended cooking time. Once your recipe is at the braising stage, you’ve got time to make a couple more dishes. Think: soups, stews, or a hearty marinara. You’re in the kitchen anyway. A braise in the oven and marinara on the stovetop? This is efficiency at its best.

Make a hearty grain.
Brown rice, barley, and other grains can take up to an hour to cook. This is a perfect time to make a big batch, and nibble on it all week. Whole grains add a heartiness to soups and stews, provide a welcome partner for braises, and serve as the base for deli-style salads and stir-fries.

Beans
The night before I cook, I soak a bag of dried beans. Like whole grains, beans become the base for a number of my favorite dishes. I use them in soups and stews, or cook them down to a refried bean consistency and top individual portions with a poached egg. Beans simmered with a smoked ham hock or turkey wing? You’ll be fighting for leftovers!

Marinades
Once I’ve made the braise, a soup or two, and a pot of grains or beans, I turn my attention to marinades. These pack a wallop of flavor and provide an easy solution for weeknight meals. When I cooked for the family, I made the marinade on Monday, and they used it later in the week for a change of pace. I’d leave a note: Toss the marinade in a Ziploc bag, add your protein. When you’re home from work, throw the meat on the grill or, depending on the recipe, bake it in the oven. Couldn’t be easier!

Oven-roasted veggies
I have never been inspired to eat a whole head of broccoli--that is, until I learned about oven-roasted broccoli. Toss broccoli with olive oil, garlic and a pinch of crushed red pepper and roast in a hot oven…I’m in heaven! This became a launching pad for multiple ideas. From there, I started roasting cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, mushrooms, carrots…you get the idea. There are two strategies at work here…delayed and instant gratification. Option 1. [Delayed gratification] On the day you cook, prep vegetables by cutting them into bite-sized pieces. Toss in a Ziploc bag, save for later in the week. This becomes a quick side dish with the bulk of prep already done. Option 2: [Instant gratification] Roast the vegetables on the day you cook. Caramelized in the oven, oven-roasted vegetables provide a terrific depth of flavor when you add them to soups and rice or grain-based salads.

Roasted garlic
While you’re roasting things, consider roasting garlic. Pop roasted garlic cloves from the skin, add to a jar and top it off with olive oil. This is my secret weapon that ends up in everything from soups to marinades and salad dressings.

Compound butters
If you implement just one of these strategies, let this be the one. Compound butters offer incredible versatility. Take a softened stick of butter and incorporate flavor builders like herbs, garlic (fresh or roasted), sundried tomatoes, anchovies, etc. Dump your seasoned butter on a sheet of plastic wrap and roll it like a sausage. Slide the compound butter into a freezer bag and voila! You’ve now got flavored butter to top baked fish, tuck under the skin for roast chicken, or lob off a knob and add it to steamed clams, mussels, vegetables, or pasta.

And you? How do you get food on the table?

One Book, Three Covers

2011-01-22T14:38:00.007-08:00

The publishing world is a complicated beast.

While researching books in International markets, I came across an interesting discovery: one book, three different covers. Why? A myriad of reasons, but I'm guessing it's a combination of marketing, rights and distribution.

While I can't recommend Cleaving, Julie Powell's follow up to her best seller Julie and Julia, I'm fascinated by their promotional efforts. (Reviews for the book have been lackluster; I abandoned Cleaving after the third chapter...)

But the covers are intriguing. Let's compare. From a marketing standpoint, I'm fairly certain that U.K. cover would never fly in America. (The pig trotter between her legs looks rather phallic, eh?)

Personally, I like the cover on the Canadian edition best. You?

American edition

Canadian edition / American edition (paperback)

U.K. edition

Diver Down: Fantasies, Demystified

2011-01-21T12:27:00.005-08:00

The core of my family was reared on the banks of the Great Lakes—massive freshwater lakes that straddle Canada and the U.S. They settled into a comfortable routine: eat, sleep, work, and fish. While fishing was never a career choice, my father would happily spend his days out on the water. “A bad day fishing,” he used to say, “is better than any day at the office.”

Obsessions run in the family.

Though I spent most of my time land-locked in the Midwest, I’ve had a life-long fascination with the ocean. Contrary to family traditions, my interest has always been beneath the waterline. Summers spent on Lake Michigan, I’d stand on the deck and wonder, “What’s down there?”

Back in Peoria, ten minutes outside the city...we were sounded by cornfields. Scuba diving in the Prairieland? Yes. You can dive in abandoned strip mines, long forgotten and stocked with catfish. Did you know catfish, like koi, grow to the limits of their surroundings? Giant catfish and artificial reefs comprised of abandoned school busses? Not the diving of my fantasies.

A move to Seattle in 1995 opened new possibilities. Ocean diving was 20 minutes away, and I launched into diving with a passion. Here, water temperatures hover at 48 degrees year-round and protecting yourself from hypothermia, requires a tremendous amount of gear. Armed with a new credit card, I loaded up: $1,200 dry suit, $400 dive light (it’s dark down there!), tanks--$300 each, custom-designed mask with prescription lenses $500, and on it went.

I dove after work and nearly every weekend. Vacations were spent exploring Canada’s Inside Passsage—Jacques Cousteau’s #2 favorite place in the world to dive. Giant octopus, colorful squid, docile ratfish (part of the shark family) were spotted regularly.

Traveling in other countries, diving was always a major factor. Belize, Thailand, Mexico, Cuba, Canada. If there was water, I went diving.

But it was never quite the same.

The beautiful colors you see in documentaries? Those are achieved by massive lights, with filters that put the color spectrum back in. (Think of the color spectrum, the deeper you go, the more colors get lost. At a normal depth of 30 feet, even the most colorful creatures appear in tones of grey.)In the Northwest, overcast days and dark waters require artificial light—even for day dives. Here, vivid colors were a part of my normal dive experience. Transfixed, I could easily spend an entire dive watching an octopus change colors and textures. It was a major highlight of the dive.

In Thailand, I tried diving with supplemental lights. While the colors were lost due to depth, the water was so clear, the bright natural light made mine useless. Back on the boat, the dive master shrugged and said, “You’re a night diver.”

You want bold colors in the tropics? Night diving is the best approach. Voila! Problem solved.

Last week I watched IMAX's "Under the Sea" documentary. Transfixed by the lush colors and spell-binding cinematography, my tropical dive fantasies swelled into overdrive! Dumbfounded, I kept asking…how did they do that?

The director’s notes provide incredible insight:

Locations: North America, New Guinea, South Australia, Great Barrier Reef, and Indonesia

A minimum of 3 weeks diving at each location.

The team traveld with over 8,000 pounds of gear.

Camera + lights + underwater housing unit = 1,300 pounds (They use an above-board crane to raise and lower it into the water.)

For every shoot, there are 7 divers in the water. “We need all those people to move the camera.”

Off the tripod, the 1,300 pound camera is neutrally buoyant, but it’s unwieldy in current. “You don’t want to be between the camera and a rock.”

Shot with high-resolution film, the camera has a 3 minute run time. To load more film, the entire unit has to go back to the boat.

Why are my dive experiences different than documentaries? I get it now.

Little Things That Make Me Happy

2011-01-13T17:17:00.004-08:00

Reminiscent of Oprah's gratitude journal, Melissa kicked off an interesting discussion, "What makes you happy?" I had been in a funk, but that simple nudge got me thinking.

What make me happy?

- My pink silicone spatula with the silver sparkles, affectionately dubbed "The Magic Wand." Years ago, I gave one to Dana. She's now at cooking at Alinea, but I like to think some of her magic is still with me.

- Sweets: Soul Food Desserts and Memories. One of my favorite cookbooks. Sweets captures the link between one family, and the indelible memories surrounding their family recipes. Peppered with old family photos and grandma's down home wisdom, this book is a gem. And yes, Aint Tee's Luscious Lemon Ice Cream makes me very happy!

- Podcasts. These days I'm cooking more at home, and my laptop follows me in the kitchen. While I chop, whip, and sautee, I catch up on my favorite podcasts. In an effort to stretch my listening time, more than once...I found myself deep cleaning the kitchen! My regular rotation includes: Splendid Table, Cutting the Curd, BBC's World Book Club, Saltcast: The Backstory of Documentary Radio, Fresh Air, TimesTalks and KCRW's Good Food.

- The heady aroma of Market Spice Tea. With orange, cinnamon, clove and a kiss of sweetness, armed with a cup of Market Spice Tea, I almost look forward to our drizzly northwest winters.

- Dishtowels from Anthropologie. Colorful, with a touch of whimsy, these towels make my very happy. Granted, at $24 retail, they're budget busters, but troll the sale tables. Every now and then, I get lucky.

- Letters. Real letters. Stamps and all. I started collecting old school post cards and sending one to my parents every week. The hunt for great post cards--and the history lesson that inevitably follows--is an added bonus. Worlds Fair, advertising for "modern travel by air," and WWII memorabilia are my current favorites.

- Coffee from my Italian stovetop espresso maker. I used one years ago, and I'm not sure why I ever gave it up. Over the holidays, I picked up a Bialetti Moka maker. Ahhh...at long last, coffee is a deeply satisfying experience at home! (Word of warning: God love the Italians, they don't mess with a good thing. It's the same 1933 design, but know this: if you want to maintain the shiny silver finish, handwash yours. Mine took a trip through the dishwasher and it's now ugly as hell. It still makes great coffee, but the luster is gone.)

- Cheers to eureka moments in the kitchen! 1. The secret to moist and flavorful bran muffins? Raisin puree. 2. Bacon? Move over. In soups and stews, smoked ham hocks deliver that lusty flavor I crave. (Who knew?) 3. Four words: Momofuku's roasted brussels spouts. I swear, I'll never be the same again! With a bit of rice and grilled steak tips, I ate them every day for a week. (Recipe here.)

- Love notes, in the form of recipes. My beau and I have been doing the long distance thing for far longer than either of us expected. Phone calls and frequent visits help, but every now and then, he shoots me a recipe. And they come, unannounced, in the middle of his letters: Torta di Pesche with crushed Amareti, Risotto Con Salsiccia, or Salsiccia e Pepperoni Al Tegame -- "a nice side dish for your event." I can't quite explain it, but there's something surprisingly intimate about his recipes.

- Thrift store treasures. Frown on thrift stores if you must, but over the past month, I've picked up a cast iron braising pot, a new lamp and chair for my desk, and the stovetop espresso maker...all for less than $5. I also snagged an original watercolor and an original oil painting, $10 each. Bargains always makes me happy!

And you? What makes you happy?

Feasting at the Bing National Tailgate Championships

2011-01-02T19:15:00.082-08:00

After living here for 15 years, a few quintessential Seattle experiences are missing from my repertoire. I've never been on the Underground Tour; sadly, I've never taken the Clipper to Victoria, B.C.; and despite a major remodel and a noteworthy chef, I've never dined at the Space Needle restaurant.

Rounding out the list of things I haven't done...I've never been to a Seahawks football game. Technically, I still haven't. But last month, I got a taste of the pre-game festivities and I now I know...I've been missing out!

Just before Christmas, I was invited to the Bing National Tailgate Championship tour. Regional tailgate teams compete for an opportunity to attend the national championships, held in Dallas/Ft. Worth in February. Joe Cahn, the Commissioner of Tailgating, led the festivities and rallied a team of judges including local chef Ethan Stowell (Tavolata, How to Cook a Wolf, Anchovy & Olive, and Staple & Fancy) and celebrity judges, former Seahawks defensive end Jacob Green, and rapper Sir Mix-A-Lot.

When the invite came in, I thought, "Tailgating in Seattle? Am I missing something?" I had no idea tailgating was a significant part of our culture. And I learned later, it's not. But based on this event, you'd never know. Pregame festivities were a sight to behold!

Which way to the Tailgate Championships? Quick! Follow these guys.

Hey, good lookin'! Where's the party?

This is our destination: Qwest Field. Notice our rare day of sunshine? It's also worth noting...in a town that averages 155 days of winter rain, the football stadium has an open roof, while the baseball stadium's roof is retractable, weather pending.

By 11 AM, this guy was working up a sweat. What's the deal?

His 11 hour ride is dedicated to military families. (7 hours to go.)

A highlight of the pre-game festivities? The Blue Thunder marching band.

Blue Thunder drum corps

Here's looking at you!

Ah...the fans. Love this guy!

I found the tailgate festivities, and managed to squeeze into the press corps. See the camera guys?

Joe Cahn, the Commissioner of Tailgating, "What 'cha cooking today?" Several teams went all out, "We caught or shot everything we're eating today."

(L-R) Former Seahawks defensive end, Jacob Green and Chef Ethan Stowell.

Smoked salmon platter. Nice touch with the football helmets, eh?

What 'cha got there???

Burgers, fries and yes...jello shooters!

Hey sailor!

Jocob, weighing in on the competition.

Pork and salmon burgers, with a tall & frosty beer.

Go 'Hawks!

Racing to the judges' table.

Smoked salmon with capers and dill.

The Seahawks cheerleaders stop by for a visit.

Good times, people. Good times!

Brent, The Luge Master

"Wanna shot?" Take a block of ice, and carve trails into it. Pour a shot at the top...and as it travels down the luge, it chills. Genius, no?

Yeah, it's like that.

My turn!

I made it on the Pour House RV. Special delivery: baby back ribs.

Kissed with smoke and hot off the grill. "You want some?"

Christmas tree, decked out in Seahawks gear. Love this ornament.

Got tickets?

End of the line for me. I wished the Pour House team good luck, and headed for home. (The winners were announced at half time.)

And the Bing National Tailgate Championship regional winners? Congrats to Hawk One!

Moment of triumph here:

Return of the Swizzle Stick

2011-01-02T10:54:00.009-08:00

I stumbled on a box of swizzle sticks in an antique store, and couldn't resist. I bought the whole case! One part whimsy, one part advertising, swizzle sticks are an important piece of culinary history.

For the uninitiated, swizzle sticks are the ultimate travel souvenir. Riffling through my box, there are swizzle sticks from Maine to Hawaii. According to this LA Times article, the hit TV show Mad Men is sparking a return of these pop icons. Cheers to that!

And now, for a bit of swizzle stick history:

It was a practical invention, born out of necessity. How do you fish an olive out of your glass, without sticking your fingers in? Enter...the swizzle stick!

In 1934, Jay Sindler designed a spear to wrangle the olive, and added a paddle at top for advertising. You see, "after the repeal of prohibition, drinking establishments wanted their names and addresses out in public. Swizzle sticks conveyed the information and were cheaper than a book of printed matches and cheaper still than the vanishing ashtrays that also boasted printed logos. Sindler was granted his patent on Feb. 19, 1935."

Genius, no?

Seventy-five years later, Sindler's company, Spir-it Inc., is still in business. I'm a fan of their custom molded designs and would kill for this Chinese dragon swizzle stick (apparently it's discontinued):

Social Media for Restaurants and Chefs -- Are you missing out?

2010-12-28T18:26:00.026-08:00

Donning my PR and marketing hat, I must admit, I'm a huge fan of social media. Twitter, Facebook, You Tube, and Blogs. They're inexpensive tools that if utilized well, can explode your business.

The problem? Few restaurants take advantage of social media.

According to Jeffrey Kingman, CEO of Chalkboarder.com, out of 1 million restaurants, fewer than 10% utilize Facebook; less than 6% use Twitter; and a mere 2% of restaurants maintain blogs. To me, this signals a tremendous lost opportunity.

Jeffrey is a former chef, who has become a leader in the social media arena. His company manages accounts for large- to medium-sized restaurant chains and large-scale events, including Coffee Fest and the Northwest Foodservice Show.

I asked Jeffrey to share his thoughts on the restaurants and the use of social media. He agreed, and thanks to Facebook's chat feature, this the conversation that transpired:

Why should restaurants care about social media? And what are the advantages to implementing a social media program?

It's a fundamental shift in communication. We've adopted communication tools that allow us to do so much more "on the go" than we could just two years ago.

Yet, the communication methods offered by most restaurants are circa 2005. They have flat, static websites that never change. Customers call to make a reservation, but they have to leave it on the restaurant voicemail. In the smartphone/social media era, these outmoded methods create unnecessary obstacles for customers.

Playing devil's advocate re: social media..."So what? What does that mean to my business?"

Today's consumer, with all these tools, demand much more ease in communicating with businesses.

What does that mean to your business, if you don't take advantage of these tools? You'll loose customers and business volume.

Savvy restaurateurs are taking advantage of today's communication tools, and customers are responding to those businesses that offer ease of entry.

The fastest growing segment of social media and smartphone (mobile tech) adoption is aged 40-65. That's the discretionary income population.

What key things are customers looking for in social media interactions?

1. A much easier time communicating with restaurants, on the customer's schedule--not the restaurant's schedule.

2. Peer reviews -- not reviews by random people on Yelp, but rather, what their friends are saying about restaurants.

3. The backstory for restaurants -- what is unique about the restaurant? Why should I go there?

4. A desire to become part of a community, both online and in store.

Many restaurants are hesitant to embrace social media. What's that mean to their bottom line?

I think a lot of restaurants are missing the mark by "couponing" offered by Groupon, etc. Most customers aren't shopping on price -- they're shopping for experience and community.

What's the bottom line for a restaurant's telephone?

When phones, then fax machines, then computers came out -- we saw the same trepidation by the restaurant industry...what does this new technology mean to my bottom line?

Social media is a communication tool. Yes, it takes time - time to gather the knowledge on how to do it right and time to actually do it. But if the vast majority of your customers can be reached via mobile devices through social media, why wouldn't a restaurant take advantage of that?

Let's face it...do restaurant customers hear about offerings through newspapers anymore?

Do they hear about restaurants through radio or TV?

A website doesn't move; it sits there.

An e-mail address doesn't move; it sits there.

But if a restaurant is producing great content, great stories, and fun video content and sharing that -- now they're dynamically producing messages that can "swim" on their own.

Building the community online not only depends on producing good messaging -- you also have to reach out in-store -- make it easy for your existing and in-store customers to know that you are on Facebook, Twitter, and You Tube.

How do you reach out in-store?

Several ways -- for starters, you could put the Facebook logo on your guest check print out and in the corner of the menu.

If you're a casual spot -- put up table tents.

The Herbfarm (the only five star restaurant north of San Francisco and west of Chicago) just experimented with QR codes on their menu. Customers were able to snap a picture of the code on their smartphone and get the entire backstory of the entree: where the ingredients came from, preparation methods, etc.

It's all about being creative.

What are QR codes?

Quick Reads

A QR Code is a matrix barcode (or two-dimensional code), readable by QR scanners, mobile phones with a camera, and smartphones. The code consists of black modules arranged in a square pattern on a white background. The information encoded can be text, URL, or other data.

Besides the Herbfarm, what other restaurants are utilizing social media well?

Multi-unit, look at Genghis Grill...they're integrating a full matrix of digital/social media into a year-long campaign culminating at South by Southwest.

Tell me more about the Genghis Grill social media campaign.

Genghis Grill is a muti-state, multi-unit operation, located mostly in the Midwest and East Coast.

They're conducting a music band competition (like rock bands), with competitions in 10 metro areas.

The community gets to nominate the bands they want to see compete.

Then there is a band-off.

The ultimate finals are held at the Genghis Grill in Austin, Texas during South by Southwest. Voting happens all the way through social media.

If you want a better description, I'd suggests you e-mail or Tweet Paul Barron -- he structured the strategy for Genghis Grill.

Okay, so that's what a large-scale restaurant operation can do with social media. Who's doing well from an independent restaurant perspective?

Back in the Northwest, Gabriel is doing a great job for Le Pigeon [via Facebook]. He's personal online. He's active, messaging frequently.

All the profile information is updated to include images.

He tells personal anecdotes from his adventures as a chef/restaurateur, while sprinkling in marketing messages of menu changes.

Most importantly -- it's obvious he's having fun.

What other restaurants/chefs are utilizing social media successfully?

Rick Bayless [Frontera Grill and Topolobampo in Chicago] and Ron Zimmerman at the Herbfarm are heavy users of Twitter -- with huge followings.

Rick Bayless and Ron Zimmerman are prolific users of Twitter. While I love their content, I don't want to scare new users by thinking they need to Tweet that much! Who else?

On Facebook, I see a lot of descent messaging by Susan Feniger, David Ford, Floyd Cardoz, and Thomas Keller.

Thomas Keller's on Twitter too. He uses his camera a lot, which I love. How important is imaging in social media?

Harvard put out a study that found messages with images were opened 80% more than messages with no image.

I love it when restaurants show behind the scene images during prep or talk about producers who just dropped off foraged mushrooms, for example.

I'm a food geek [and former chef]. Images of production, and in detail close ups capture me more than a finished plate on a counter.

Can you talk about the importance of engagement?

If I can describe a mentor...I think it will illustrate this answer.

Riccardo Spaccarelli, thirty-year proprietor of a good Northern Italian restaurant in Lake Oswego, OR, builds his village every night.

At 6 PM, he puts two wine glasses and a bottle of wine in his left arm. Then he walks the dining room for the next three hours.

He visits with every customer that comes in, every night.

Those he doesn't know, he gets to know. "Hows your boy at school?" kind of thing.

Social media is the ability to visit your customers "tableside" online.

A restaurateur could visit "tableside" after the dining room has closed, if they're too busy during the shift. Grab a glass of wine, get your pj's on, and talk with your customers for an hour.

For me, two benchmarks for social media are: Humphrey Slocombe in San Francisco and Tidbit Bistro in Seattle. On Twitter, I had people from Germany and New York recommending Tidbit Bistro. "You're from Seattle? Do you know about Tidbit Bistro?" This tiny bistro has 17,000 followers! No Food Network profiles, no national media to speak of. They built a large, loyal following organically through social media.

I haven't followed either of those!

Humphrey Slocombe is a star on Twitter. The person maintaining their account is hilarious!

You know, if the owner or the chef is not an extrovert -- the person doing their social media needs to be. Maybe not in person, but definitely online.

When I was in San Francisco last year, I made a point of visiting Humphrey Slocombe just because of their Twitter account. They have over 300,000 followers! And this is an ice cream shop. I was there on a fall day between 3 - 4 PM and they had a steady flow of customers the entire time.

Damn.

Okay, before I cut you loose, can we talk about what NOT to do on social media?

1. Never disrespect a customer.

2. Minimize bad situations in person or on the phone.

3. Be transparent. If you screw up, don't erase it. Just apologize, correct, and move on.

4. Stay away from "Tonight $1 hot wings" advertising. (Social media is social--it's not the place for old-school advertising.)

5. When someone tags you in a message -- always get back to them with a thank you for doing business.

Who should manage your social media?

If the restaurateur or the Chef has the energy or time (and is extroverted), they should.

If they are too big or too busy, they should delegate -- and not to a 21 year old.

The delegation should go to someone savvy and with great communication skills, who can deal with delicate situations in addition to promoting non-delicate positives.

If a restaurant doesn't feel they have someone on staff for that, a good social media pro can be a great value.

Finding a pro isn't difficult -- just inquire of the local Social Media Club.

Outsourcing social media can be a huge advantage, and extremely valuable. What's the going rate for hiring a social media pro?

It depends on the project -- but here's a good comparison...what would you pay a sous chef or an assistant manager for their hourly time?

You're paying someone to be the public face of your business.

A good sous chef is always learning new skills, techniques, etc. The person handling your social media should be doing the same.

A good social media pro is always staying up on the latest mobile technology and social media theory.

If a restaurant outsourced their social media, ideally, how many hours/week would you expect them to work?

It depends on the project. An independent restaurant, moderately ambitious in social/mobile marketing, that does $1-2 million a year should expect to put in an hour a day.

***

Want to get in touch with Jeffrey? Find him here:

Twitter: @JeffreyJKingman
Facebook: www.facebook.com/jkingman
Linked In: www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreykingman

A Peek Behind the Michelin Guides

2010-12-28T11:42:00.005-08:00

ABC ran an interesting piece on the famed Michelin Guides. (See the clip above.)

Here are a few noteworthy highlights:

- "The Michelin rating began in France in 1900 as a marketing gimmick to sell tires. The Michelin brothers thought their customers would burn more rubber if given a list of hotels and restaurants to explore."

- The guide is based on a maximum 3 star rating. 2 stars: worth a detour; 3 stars: worth a special journey

- Michelin Guides cover 23 countries.

- Out of 45,000 restaurants profiled, only 100 restaurants hold the coveted three stars. As of this writing, 9 of them are in the United States.

- Tokyo has more 3 star restaurants than Paris. Why? Michelin Guide director Jean Luc Naret says it comes down to numbers. There are 15,000 restaurants in Paris. Tokyo, on the other hand, boasts more than 160,000 restaurants.

- What's the background of a typical Michelin Guide inspector? It's no surprise. "Most of them have gone to culinary school or perhaps hospitality school," Naret explained. "All of them have worked in a restaurant as professional chef or in a hotel in food and beverage and, most importantly, all of them are passionate, almost obsessive foodies."

- The Michelin Guide inspector profiled anonymously in this piece eats out an average of 9 times a week, usually alone. "It gives us the ability to really focus on the food and the ambiance and capture the entire experience."

- No notes are taken at the table. After a meal, this inspector takes 2 to 3 hours, writing an extensive report from memory.

- Do inspectors taste food differently than most of us? "We have taste memories because we've eaten thousands of the same thing over and over and over again," she said. "[It] gives you a bit of a measurement to know if this is a good or less good version of something."

- "We're looking for the best in show."

- Naret explains, "There's no different type of cuisine. There's only two types -- the good one and the bad one. We only recommend the good one."

According to the Michelin Guide website, the inspection method involves seven key components. Let's take a look at two:

At the restaurant

"When dining in a restaurant, we try to be as discreet as possible. We dress appropriately and order a complete meal, being sure to observe those items that may be specialties of the chef or cuisine. Many senses come into play during a great meal, and with trained eyes we can evaluate a number of aspects about the cuisine. Does the food’s plating stimulate the palate and is the portion size appropriate? Do the aromas of the dish please and entice, or overwhelm and repulse? Even sound comes into play with a delightful crunch of an item. Whose curiosity isn’t piqued when a sizzling plate is presented to a nearby table? We like flavors to be pronounced or subtle, depending on the circumstance. And there is also the question of value: is our level of enjoyment relative to the price of our meal?"

Star consideration

"People often ask what the qualifications are for a restaurant to be awarded a star. Establishments under “star consideration” serve cuisine that is prepared from excellent quality ingredients, display impressive technical skill, and present a balanced menu of clear flavors with a distinct personality; and it is imperative that they do so consistently. In addition to the menu and cuisine, we also scrutinize the beverage program asking ourselves if the wine, cocktail, and/or sake selection enhances the experience and moreover offers something special."

Battle of the Bookshelves...and Inspired Solutions

2010-12-18T14:02:00.017-08:00

It's a classic battle of two selves. Good vs. evil. Or...in my case, Vagabond Minimalist vs. Unabashed Book Whore.

Beyond the bookshelf, my collection occupies nearly every conceivable space--beside the bed, underneath the bed, back of the toilet, piled like modern art in the living room...you get the idea. In fact, at one point, I had so many books in my car, you'd swear I was running a bookmobile!

The other day, I overheard my five year old neighbor ask, "Why does she have so many books in her car?"

Her fast thinking mom said, "Just like you...she loves to read." Bless her!

In an attempt to regain some control, I ruthlessly culled my collection--four times! Each book endured a mini-audition. "Why should I keep you?" and probing even deeper, I asked, "Fess up. What are your redeeming qualities? You know, a nice cover will only get you so far....."

Gone are the cookbooks I'll [really, and truly] never use.

And I made peace with the one-hit-wonders. Like musicians, the literary landscape is littered with one-hit-wonders. Cookbooks are no exception. Is it worth hanging on to a book for one killer recipe? Nope. I typed up my favorite recipe and tossed the rest.

In my mind, I was ruthless.

And yet, when I was finished, hundreds of books remained. What to do?

GET ORGANIZED.

Let's look at some options:

(Upper left) Bookshelves as stairs?

Skip the over-the-door dormer. How 'bout a bookshelf?

This dining room does double duty as a library.

While this is the more realistic solution, the minimalist in me sees nothing but a wall of clutter. What to do?

Here, a floor-to-ceiling curtain conceals bookshelves, and provides a solid punch of color.

Bright white shelves and plenty of open space minimizes the "clutter" feel.

A neutral color palate also helps minimize the "clutter" effect. But really? Who has books in just white, beige and black? Designer fantasy.

Here, the bookshelf serves as the room's focal point and provides the only visible color/object of interest.

In the end, I went for a riff on this idea: organized by color. Here, the bookshelf lends a strong visual appeal. Notice a sense of order is created, without the need for white space?

Another example of bookshelves organized by color.

A smaller book collection, again, organized by color.

And while I was surfing for images, here are a few more noteworthy options:

{Fantasy shot} My desk: flanked by floor-to-ceiling books, overlooking a quaint arrondissement in Paris. Or...

Imagine casting your gaze out on this charming sokak in old Istanbul. Ahh.....

And as long as we're exploring fantasies, take a look at this pantry! Oooh la la!

Giving Back: Feasting at Fire Station No. 39

2010-11-22T12:08:00.026-08:00

September 11th, 2001.

Where were you?

I first learned of the attacks on the Twin Towers in the pre-dawn hours, waiting for the bus to work. I lived on the beach and the cries of the seagulls overhead, haunting and lonely, echoed my sentiments.

At the time, I worked for a large stock brokerage firm. Post merger, they'd just finished a new office remodel, complete with a flat screen TV. We watched in horror as the towers fell. One of the brokers kept yelling, "It's Al-Qaeda. I swear, it's a jihad." Naively, I turned to him and said, "You're crazy!"

Then, "terrorist" was the stuff of summer blockbusters, not the cause of a national tragedy.

In my job, I routinely worked with folks in New York. They day of the attacks, I was unable to reach anyone. And the following day, in a rare occurrence, they closed the stock market. It was days before I could assess the damage.

My New York colleague at the Depository Trust Company looked up from his desk and watched as plane crashed into the building across from him. By the time I reached Lou, he was still finding shards of glass in obscure places around his desk.

Their offices destroyed, employees working for the Bank of New York were relocated all over the city. When I finally tracked down my contact, he'd been sent to an office two hours away, and routinely fought back tears.

Burned into my consciousness is this documentary by two French filmmakers. Following the life of a young fireman recruit, on 9/11, his station responded to a call at the Twin Towers. Little did they know, this was history in the making. With unlimited access, the filmmakers followed the crew into the building. Their documentary is an uncensored and an unflintching look at the firemen who were first on the scene.

Nine years later, every time I drive by a firehouse, I think about that film. And I'm moved by a desire to somehow give back.

My friend Mindy Bomonti volunteers with the WSCFF Burn Foundation and works closely with the local fire departments. She's the brainchild behind their annual firefighter calendar (a la Chippendale) and coordinates their other fundraising effforts.

In a random conversation, I told her, "I'd like to cook dinner in a firehouse."

Weeks later, she called me back, "I can make your dreams come true!"

For an upcoming auction, we put together a dinner for 12--in the firehouse. Attending the dinner would be the auction winner + 3 friends, 4 firefighters from the calendar, and 4 on duty firemen.

Much to everyone's surprise, the dinner took top dollar at the auction!

As the weeks followed, we settled on a date, selected a menu, and last night, we dined under the shadow of a fire truck.

It's not New York...but this is a start. Giving back:

First step, a site visit to Station Number 39.

This is a brand new LEED-certified station. See the tower on the right? That's used for high-rise rescue training.

Every station is different, but here, an average shift includes four firemen. Downtime at the kitchen table. See the lockers in the background?

I like this guy already!

The new Seattle fire stations are equipped with large kitchens and stainless steel appliances. I kept teasing them, "Why do four guys on shift need two full-sized refrigerators?" Pictured is my pal Mindy, the dream maker.

I poked around the cabinets to determine how much equipment to bring. Fortunately, not much.

The kitchen couldn't accommodate 12 people so I verbalized my fantasy, "Can we have dinner here?"

"Sure! Why not?"

Fireman love?

Check!

Let's take a look around...

Station 39, A shift crew.

Now...on with the dinner....

The dream takes shape...but not without a hitch. Two hours before dinner, we realized the folding tables & chairs were no longer on the premises. Scrambling for a solution, the guys moved the table from the kitchen, we grabbed every available (office) chair, and Mindy raced home to retrieve a card table and chairs.

Hitch number two? Dinner was scheduled at 6 PM. At 5:57 PM, a call came in. The on duty crew took off...and we bought time with a tour of the fire station.

Hitch number three? Surprise! When a crew is dispatched on a call, as a safety precaution, the stove automatically shuts off. It remains disabled until the crew comes back. Fun.

While I chated with an off-duty fireman, I learned that 80% of the calls they're dispatched to...are not fire-related. And fortunately, this call fell into the 80% range. An hour later, we were back in business!

With the guys out on a call, I had time for a few photos. This is firefighter & calendar girl, Tori Shroud

A closer look at the table.

Back in the kitchen, my friend Kris Dews assembled the first course.

Spring greens dressed in red wine vinegar, honey, olive oil and herbs, topped with fresh pears. On the side, warmed crostini duo: (L-R) goat cheese & fig tapenade and cambozola with roasted pears.

First snow of the season called for comfort food. Baked pasta with braised pork sugo and a crusty topping of bread crumbs and Parmagiano-Reggiano. We served it with a side of oven-baked yams, tossed in olive oil and fresh rosemary.

Inspired by the season, for dessert... a luscious chocolate stout cake, pumpkin creme anglaise, homemade bourbon ice cream, topped with a dusting of crushed nuts. (The nuts were a last-minute inspiration, sent in a holiday care package from Starbucks. They're featured in Starbucks' holiday line up: macadamia nuts coated in caramel and dusted in cocoa powder. A perfect finish to this dessert.)

And for the grand finale...a group shot! In uniform are the B crew firemen from Station 39. My buddy Mindy is there on the right. Back row includes the auction winners and 2 of the calendar firemen. That's Tori in the front row.

Harnessing an Element of Surprise

2010-11-19T09:52:00.009-08:00

In a book review about Ina Garden's book, Parties, I discussed her mantra...aim for an element of surprise. In other words, when others expect you to zig...go for the zag.

Taking a cue from Ina, I've had parties in back room prep kitchens, a coffee roasting facility, buildings under construction, and the penthouse of an iconic Seattle building (See the triangle at the top? That's a former boiler room, turned private residence.)

Yesterday I was invited to attend a quarterly meeting. The goal: review objectives for the present quarter, and project for the next one.

Sounds like yawner of a meeting, eh?

Yet I have learned...when Andrew and Shane join forces...expect the unexpected.

I never know who will be there, which keeps thing interesting. Yesterday's meeting included Huffington Post columnist and author Darby Roach, a design guru who obtained his master of architecture at MIT, and a visual designer for Nordstroms.

But the real surprise?

Check out the location for our design-focused discussion:

It doesn't get better than this...the TESLA showroom in Seattle. Have you seen the TESLAs? This is an all-electric sports car.

Forget fossil fuels. This car is powered by an outlet.

Who knew going green could be this sexy?

Modern art display? No. This is an innovative use of color samples.
Pick your pleasure.

The TESLA Roadster

Invite only meeting, with a focus on design.

Many thanks to my buddies at Sahale Snacks, who provided the nosh.

A Guide to the Best Books on Entertaining

2010-11-18T14:59:00.004-08:00

These days, I need little inducement to throw a party, but let's be honest, my early efforts were...abysmal. Full of good intentions, I worked like crazy and the results fell far short of expectations. Frustrated and more than a little discouraged, I took a long hiatus before attempting another party.

But I came around. With practice and advice from a few good books...eventually, my parties began to mirror my original vision.

In the weeks before a party, you'll find me on the couch, surrounded by a mountain of books. Fishing for both recipes and aesthetic ideas, I spend hours...sometimes days, paging through books. While I've managed to assemble a massive book collection...when it comes to party planning, I turn to the same books over and over again.

With holiday entertaining on the horizon, here's where I turn for inspiration:

Entertaining Simple: Recipes, Menus, Party Ideas for Every Kind of Gathering

by Matthew Mead
John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2008

If you buy just one book on entertaining, make it this one. Many entertaining books are long on fantasy, short on reality check...and the pressure to throw the "perfect" party keeps folks from hosting anything at all. Whether you're a novice or a seasoned party pro, you'll be culling ideas from this book for years to come. First chapter, Mead makes it clear: you don't need everything, you need the RIGHT things. Page 28 is your guide to a smart entertaining pantry: 12 place settings, 12 wine glasses, 1-2 large platters, 1 set of nesting mixing bowls, etc. Based on that list, Mead is a master at making every piece in his collection do double duty. The premise behind Entertaining Simple is about making the most with what you've got and then provide loads of inspiring ideas. Glass votive holders become: small dessert cups, handleless after dinner espresso cups, and vessels for everything from olives to candies. Drool-worthy images by Quentin Bacon are far from just pretty. I find myself studying these images, wondering, "Why didn't I think of that?!" Follow that up with Mead's thoughtful, well-chosen recipes and you'll discover....you can host a party and have time to enjoy it!

Southern Cocktails: Dixie Drinks, Party Potions, and Classic Libations
by Denise Gee
Chronicle Books, 2007

Who's thirsty? The minute I saw those frosty mint juleps, I was sold! Fortunately, this book delivers more than just a pretty cover. Cocktail recipes -- both single servings and drinks for a crowd -- are interspersed with fun stories of lore. Informative headnotes provide everything from recipe alternatives, serving suggestions, or point to the perfect tequila for The Ultimate Margarita (Tequila National from Jalisco.) With a decidedly southern spin, the fun begins long before you reach for a glass. In the Classics Chapter, Gee notes: "Traditions keep the fabric of the South richly woven, and the region's tried-and-true cocktails are decidedly its liquid assets." Not to miss is the handful of nibble recipes in the back offering Southern party favorites like Spiked Pimento Cheese, Freddie Lee's Cheese Pennies, and Vidalia Onion Cheese Toasts. This is one book I reach for over and over again.

Cocktail Parties with a Twist: Drink + Food + Style
by Alexandra Angle, Eliot Angle, Ericka McConnell
Stewart, Tabori & Chang

A surprising gem, Cocktail Parties with a Twist covers topics other books don't--got a microscopic apartment in the city? Set up a bar in the closet. The night is winding down and yet guests still haven't gotten the clue the party's over? Take a cue from the restaurant biz: close the bar down, turn off the music, and "stop being so damn exciting--let the conversation lull." This book covers food & cocktails for the fashionista sect. Minted shrimp canapes on a bed of pea and sorrel puree; cucumber cups (square, hollowed out cucumbers) with sweet pepper coulis; and precious jicama slices with avocado and crab salad. While several recipes are fussier than I care to bother with, there are plenty of recipes that are long on style with minimal work -- cheese crisps with white bean puree, for example. Chapters are divided into themes: the Urban Loft; Impossibly Small Apartment; Dock at Sunset; Glamour by the Pool's Edge. Here again we see captivating images with lifestyle shots a la Vogue, and I'm grabbing ideas all along the way.

Finger Food: Bite-Size Food for Cocktail Parties
by Elsa Petersen-Scheperlern
Ryland, Peters & Small, 2002

While I lean towards family-style or plated presentations, occasionally I need a go-to resource for finger food. I have ten or more books that cover the topic, but this is the one I actually use. Stunning photography and modern presentations lend an excitement long before the party begins. Chapters are divided into serving suggestion-formats: Spoons, Cups, and Quickies; Toasts, Buns, Tarts, and Cones; Pizzas and (puff) Pastries; Wraps and Pockets, etc. The outstanding photography, teamed with a layout that offers a clean presentation and plenty of white space, for sheer visual presentation, I'm constantly reaching for this book. The recipes themselves are a hit parade of familiar offerings, with a fun spin. Mini crabcakes showcase Thai flavors with a chili dipping sauce; meat balls are Vietnamese-style, redolent of lemongrass, cilantro, red chilies, and fish sauce; and a variation on pita pockets includes tea-smoked Chinese duck. You get the idea. Bloggers & food photographers take note: from a photography perspective, there's a lot to admire here.

Fandango: Recipes, Parties, and License to Make Magic
bv Sandy Hill
Artisan, 2007

In all the best ways, this book is pure fantasy. Should you find yourself flush with cash....why not to rent a helicopter for your repelling bachelor friends? The Indian-themed dinner on the cover includes live elephants and guests decked out in saris. Sumptuous themes look straight out of a movie (or life for the Paris Hilton sect), for me, this book provides loads of inspiration, taken down a notch. As you'd expect, the menus utilize sophisticated ingredients and yet, the presentations are entirely approachable for gilding the lily occasions. While I'm not likely to make the nasturtium mayonnaise, the accompanying steamed salmon wrapped in a banana leaf is a great way to accommodate a crowed for a plated meal. Getting into the mind of a top-tier caterer helps streamline your own events, which is why the event notes in the back of the book are especially valuable. This is a showstopper look at the luxe life but the presentations, props, and jaw-dropping photography keep me coming back for more.

Barefoot Contessa Parties! Ideas and Recipes for Easy Parties That are Really Fun
by Ina Garten
Clarkson Potter, 2001

This book is a classic. As many of you know, before Ina was a Food Network staple, she owned a legendary catering company in the posh Hamptons. Ina is famous for paring recipes down to their simplest and most flavorful. Parties is divided into themes--from Sunday breakfast to football parties and afternoon tea. What I found almost more useful than the recipes, were the insights from Ina's most successful--and disastrous parties (omelets for 20? Forget it!) One tip I've relied on over and over again, "Keep an element of surprise." I'm always on the lookout for a special spot or a fun twist to an evening, whether we dine in a back room prep kitchen or a coffee roasting facility. Recipes? I've made nearly all of them, but take my word for it...the recipe for Ina's Chinese Chicken Salad is worth the price of the book! Hands down, this is one of my top 10 favorite recipes and it never fails to please. (When asparagus isn't in season, I substitute green beans. Another variation, I cut the ingredients smaller and serve the salad in lettuce cups for a light and flavor-packed appetizer.) Studying Ina's menus, I've learned to minimize the selection, but serve the very best.

Food to Flowers: Simple, Stylish Food for Easy Entertaining
by Lulu Powers and Laura Holmes Haddad
William Morrow Cookbooks, 2010

Occasionally a book comes along that ups the ante and sends a ripple effect throughout the genre. This is it. Los Angeles-based caterer Lulu Powers has an approach that is simple, yet stunning. Dubbed the next Martha Stewart, Lulu is less about craft and long on style. Her book is jam-packed with tips (Lulu's Entertaining Cheat Sheet -- are your iPod playlists ready? The Twenty-Two-Minute Countdown: candles lit? Wine uncorked? Music on? Outdoor lights on?) And take note, when a pro gives up her source list, I couldn't be more thrilled. Four pages of contacts call out everything from housewares to specialty food & beverage companies. Smart examples of her parties range from Houseguest Breakfast to The Bowwow Bash dog party and "Shaken, Not Stirred": A Guys-Only Dinner (the usual suspects: bridal/baby showers, kids parties, and picnics are covered too.) Gorgeous photos are shot in a lifestyle fashion, drawing you in with an intimacy that makes you feel like guest at the party. And like my own pantry, Lulu mixes flea market finds with carefully chosen newer pieces. (Thanks to her, I instantly began a vintage champagne coupe collection.) Frankly, I've culled so many ideas from this book, there is a distinct marker: life before Lulu (black & white), and after Lulu (full on color!) This is a great book I'd welcome anytime, but if you're looking for a special gift, look no further.

Food for Friends: Simply Delicious Menus for Easy Entertaining
by Fran Ward
Ryland, Peters & Small, 2005

Australian chef Fran Ward offers a recipe-driven entertaining book that shares a culinary aesthetic with Donna Hay. What I love about this book is that the recipes are all extremely approachable and instantly put me at ease. Each of the twenty-five menus feature a work plan, divided into work that can be done the day before, on the day, and just before serving. A wide-range of flavor profiles span the globe from BBQ to the Mediterranean and Middle East. Photos take center stage in Food for Friends. A typical menu spans five pages, and as an example, the Weekend Dining menu includes eighteen photos. Visual attention covers all the bases--the table scene, individual dishes, and preparation steps.

Sips & Apps: Classic and Contemporary Recipes for Cocktails and Appetizers
by Kathy Casey
Chronicle Books, 2009

Kathy sums it up in the intro, "My philosophy in entertaining is simple: don't overdo it. Pick one or two signature cocktails for your get-together, select a few appetizers--being sure to have a variety of hot and cold--and make as much in advance as you can." I have nearly worn out my copy of this book. The Roasted Pear Crostini with Gorgonzola is my go-to recipe for fall. All the components can be done in advance and with a quick warming in the oven just before serving, I'm in heaven! The Sake Teriyaki Sticky Chicken Wings are another hit. And you won't believe how fast the Bacon, Blue Cheese & Pecan Cocktail Cookies disappear! Kathy's cocktail recipes offer refreshing twists on old favorites....and more than a few new innovations. Fresh herbs, for example, elevate cocktails with a sophisticated spin. One of my favorite recipes...Ginger Sake Cocktail "Sushi" is adult riff on jello shooters. Light and refreshing, they are a perfect blend of surprise and nostalgia. Photographers, take note: Angie Norwood Browne's stunning images will provide tons of inspiration.

Raising the Bar on Cocktails: The Joey Cosmo

2010-11-04T13:33:00.009-07:00

I spied this cocktail from across the room. "What's that?"

An enthusiastic server replied, "That's our signature cocktail."

"Let's try it!"

At first sip, I was hooked! Geoff Boyd, Director of Bar Development for the Canadian-based Joey Restaurant group, designed this beauty. Think of it as a Cosmopolitan, with a twist.

What catapults this Cosmo into a truly sublime cocktail is....muddled cucumber. Cool, refreshing cucumber cuts the sweetness and adds a welcome layer of flavor.

I must admit, there's something seductive about this cocktail. I wandered around a media event, offering sips to everyone. "Here, try this! It's incredible." And I asked...some say begged...for the recipe four times! The next day, the recipe landed in my e-mail, courtesy of Joey's PR guru, Britt Innes. (Thanks, Britt!)

Whip up your own batch, or head to a Joey's near you, but word of warning: line up your designated driver in advance. They go down e-a-s-y!

The Joey Cosmo
courtesy of Joey Restaurant Group

In a martini shaker, muddle:

4 cubes cucumber (one ½ thick slice of cucumber, cut into four quarters)

Add:

1.25 oz citrus vodka
1.25 oz Cointreau
2 oz cranberry juice
1 oz sweet & sour mix

Fill shaker with ice

Shake vigorously!

Strain into a chilled martini glass.

Back of the House

2010-10-25T13:22:00.028-07:00

I've spent over 20 years working in the restaurant industry and for me, the kitchen is an undeniable lure. Thomas Keller, executive chef of culinary bastions including The French Laundry, Bouchon, Per Se, and Ad Hoc, calls professional cooking a "dance." To me, it's a physical and creative battle that when done well, is more like poetry in action. Whether I'm working or not, when I get the chance, the kitchen is the pace I want to be.

While you may not live in Washington...or in the U.S. for that matter, I hope you'll cull universal elements from this photo essay.

November 13 -14th, 60 Washington state and 20 Napa Valley wineries will be featured at the Taste of Tulalip. It's a jam-packed 2 day event and in addition to the wines, Tulalip's award-winning chefs will be strutting their stuff. (See menus below.)

Earlier this month, a group of writers and food bloggers were invited to preview the menus.

Yes, that's right.

Menus.

We were served two tasting menus--plus wine flights--back-to-back. (You're feeling sorry for me, right?) The food was incredible, but even better? They gave me kitchen access. So instead of tweeting most of the night (it was a Tweet-up, after all), I was hanging out with the staff.

Wanna peek in the kitchen? Come along with me....

This looks promising, doesn't? Surprise! More wines to follow with the second tasting menu. Good thing I stayed over night!

Commemorative plate preview.

While the other guests were engrossed with electronic devices, I took a peek in the kitchen.

Meet Raja. If you think of the kitchen as theater, this guy is the director. He heads off any potential problems and paced our multi-course dinner. A big, heartfult thank you to Raja, who gave me carte blanche kitchen access.

With a name like that, he was destined to rule, eh?
Raja = East Indian prince or monarch. Julius = Roman ruler.

Tulalip Resort has five restaurants and for our meal, the chefs alternated courses. Here's the Excecutive crew.

Salad prep, with a chive garnish

Here's the chef in charge of our 1st course.

1st course, waiting in the wings--an expansive hallway between the kitchen and the ballroom.

Dungeness & Alaskan Crab 'Sushi' with wild rice, sesame lavash and avocado wasabi foam (Notice the layers? King crab, wild rice, and dungeness. I wasn't a fan of the wild rice component. The firm rice + crab = odd mouth feel. I kept thinking I was stumbling on crab bones and the rice did little to show off the crab. Otherwise, stunning presentation.)

To the dining room...

Between courses.

Plated and and headed to the holding station.

Server down time, taking in the kitchen action.

"Here, have a taste!" This salmon eventually made it's way onto the white & red Miso salmon with Miso rice, lemon butter tamari mushroom medley and inari-nori slaw course.

Plating the apple lacquered Pacific halibut over savory fennel-butternut squash bread pudding

Hotel kitchens are huge! Here's a look inside the walk in.

Skull Syrah from the Charles Smith vineyard

Chef Dean Shinagawa redies a plate for presentation.

His course...my favorite of the night: Wagyu beef short ribs and certified Angus beef tenderloin with blue cheese, potato, shiitake, sun dried cherries and cabernet demi-glace, topped with those crispy fried onions.

Voila!

Exquisite butter-poached scallops.

Overhead look at the assembly line.

A final drizzle of butter topped these succulent butter poached sea scallops, garnished with crushed toasted pine nuts.

Behold, dessert for 50. Each plate had multiple components, yet much of the work was done in advance. Last minute finishing touches included garnishes for the baby fondant cake (on the left) and the milk chocolate cremosa (2nd from the left).

Work in progress....

“A study in chocolate” with white chocolate cream, milk chocolate cremosa, 55% chocolate ganache filled raspberries and 72% dark chocolate baby fondant cake.

###

For tickets and scoop about the 2nd Annual Taste of Tulalip, click here.

The menus:

Surprising Delights at the Tulalip Resort and Casino

2010-10-14T09:36:00.007-07:00

The Tulalip Resort and Casino is an easy jaunt just 45 minutes north of Seattle. Nearby outlet malls lure folks just as much as the gambling on site, but there's much more than that. Like Vegas hotels, there's nightly entertainment that frequently lures big name acts like BB King. The food? I'll throw down the gauntlet and say, to date, Tulalip's award-winning food and wine program trumps every hotel I've tried.

Now when you say "tribal casino," that is not my idea of a good time. But I was invited to preview the Taste of Tulalip festivities happening on November 12th, and I'll be the first one to admit, I was blown away! I never set foot in the casino, but I will definitely be back. Both the food and the wine program were impressive. Within the hotel, the Tulalip Bay restaurant has Chef Dean Shinagawa at the helm, and his food was a major highlight. Shinagawa's Wagyu Beef Shortribs and Angus Beef Tenderloin on a bed of blue cheese potatoes topped with shiitaki mushrooms had us crying for more. And his butter poached sea scallops with toasted pinenuts was a model in restrained perfection.

Side note: While there are five restaurants on site, the Tulalip Bay restaurant has some mightly fine national accolades: Winner of the prestigious Wine Spectator Award of Excellence and the coveted DiRoNa Award granted to the most distinguished fine dining establishments in North America.

I stayed in a deluxe king room and with a $145/night rack rate, I went in with few expecations. While that's an average hotel price in Seattle, what that affords you just outside the city is so much more. The room was large with modern furnishings, a huge flat screen TV, and a bathroom so elegant, it trumps even the Four Seasons. There's something about the room that instantly put me at ease. It's like home...only better.

Tulalip Resort highlights:

- Free wifi throughout the hotel
- Wifi is easy to access, no registration or other hoops to jump through
- Noteworthy food & beverage program
- Indoor pool & hot tub with nature-driven rock wall features
- Free valet parking
- The bathroom is equipped with an oversized shower, double sinks, and bonus! A separate vanity.
- The bed--linens, mattress, and pillows-were exceptionally comfortable (Yes, I lifted up the sheets to find out who made that mattress. It's a Simmons "HealthSmart." And get this, the pillow top unzips from the mattress so you can wash it. Genius!)

Note to event planners: I kept thinking...if there were a corporate event or conference scheduled here, I'd be very happy here.

Staycation? Definitely.

Details:

Tulalip Resort and Casino
10200 Quil Ceda Boulevard
Tulalip, WA 98271
(360) 716-6000

http://www.tulalipresort.com/

My stay was sponsored by Tulalip Resort, courtesy of Richmond PR.

Exploring Wheat with Shepherd's Grain

2010-10-11T12:48:00.024-07:00

What's the opposite of gluten-free?

Yeah, that's me. Gluten glutton.

I could write a soliloquy about William's twice-baked almond croissants. And if you get a chance, you must try Ethan's pan-fried gnocchi--pillowy on the inside, crispy on the outside--they're a strong contender for my last meal on earth.

Earlier this week, I was thrilled to see Columbia City Bakery announce their new CSB program. What's that? Think: Community Supported Agriculture...in the form of artisan bread. (Community Supported Bakery). A weekly ration of artisan bread....Genius, no?

So, you see, my love for wheat runs deep.

When wheat cooperative Shepherd's Grain invited me to come out and meet their farmers, I jumped at the chance! Before this trip, I knew very little about growing wheat (read: nothing). I took pages of notes and frankly, my mind is still swimming. One part travelogue, one part brain dump, this post is an attempt to compile notes from a life changing experience.

Long before dawn, I boarded a bus full of bakers and settled in for the 4 hour trek to Eastern Washington.

On the ride over, Shepherd's Grain co-founder Fred Fleming gave us the lay of the land. As the miles stretched on, the type of crop shifted from irrigation-dependent crops like corn and potatoes to dry land crops, including wheat, barley, mustard, and canola. A stunning piece of environmental trivia: in the valley, every 10 miles, annual rainfall increases by 1".

While Seattle is famous for rain (155 days a year), east of the Cascade Mountains, you'll find a high desert. Rainfall is scant and crops near the mountain range rely on irrigation. (Arms of the irrigation apparatus stretch across the entire frame of this photo.)

Hay harvest, drying in the sun.

This hay has already been baled. Note: The hay must be absolutely dry. In a rush to store the hay? Bad idea. Not only is spontaneous combustion is a very real risk, rising heat levels cause a significant loss of protein. How does hay spontaneously combust? Chemical reactions and microbial growth in hay occur because of the change in availability of moisture, oxygen, and pressure to create heat to the point of ignition and fire. (Read more about that here.)

Winter wheat, already in the ground. Tiny shoots surface before the first snow fall. An unusually cold summer meant an overlap between harvest and planting. Farmers on the western side of the Columbia River had their crop in the ground, while on the eastern side, farmers were still bringing in the harvest.

Crossing the Columbia River. Multiple dams on this river provide cheap hydro-electric power to Washington state residents and irrigation to surrounding farmland. The dams are also responsible for the significant loss of salmon, which historically, migrated up the Columbia River to spawn. Migration routes are now blocked by dams and poorly designed fish ladders, driving many salmon runs to extinction.

Of all the factors involved in farming, one element I never considered was wind. With few trees to shield the momentum, fierce winds whip across the dry plains. Annual fires spread rapidly under these conditions and during the wrong time of the year, a hard rain and violent winds can wash priceless topsoil into the Columbia River. (It's dredged frequently for this very reason.)

Wheat is harvested 8 inches from the ground, leaving fields of "stubble." Between harvest and the next planting season, "stubble" keeps the topsoil intact.

The distant mountains beckon in shades of purple. In this area "wind" is a four-letter curse word and now I know why. Wind drowned out any reasonable attempt at conversation and erratic gusts whipped my skirt to the point of indecency.

Shielded by a knoll, I took advantage of a welcome respite and succumbed to the hypnotic tango between wind and wheat. Immersed in a rhythmic ocean of grain swaying in the wind, I paused just to listen.

Bit of trivia: As humans shifted from a hunter-gatherer society, wheat provided an important and stable food supply. By 4,000 BC, wheat farming had spread to Asia, Europe, and North Africa.

Innovation is at the heart of Shepherd's Grain. Their direct seed program is a game-changer Western Washington wheat farming. They tell it best:

By direct-seeding we no longer have to invert the soil with a plow. Our plants are seeded directly into the residue of the crop that came before it. Direct seeding is a complete change in the way a farmer grows his crops. The change from conventional seeding to direct-seeding is a major change requiring new equipment as well as a new approach to weed and disease control. Although the direct seed system has many challenges that the farmer must deal with it also has many advantages.

Soil erosion is reduced, reducing soil runoff into streams and rivers.

Less fuel is burned than conventional tillage. Reducing the amount of exhaust fumes being released into the air.

The amount of carbon in our soils is increasing. Conventional tillage releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere where direct seeding traps the carbon in the soil, increasing organic matter and building a healthier soil structure for creatures that live in the soil such as earthworms.

By direct-seeding we've taken a more holistic approach to crop disease and pest management. We use different crops in a rotation so that diseases and pests don't build up in the soil and have to be treated by using chemicals.

Commodity wheat prices, 2005 - 2010. (Source: International Monetary Fund)

Opting out of the commodity grain market is another important factor in the Shepherd's Grain business model. Crop prices are driven by market demand, which can create wild price fluxuations, as seen in this graph. Life was good if you sold your crop at the peak of the market in March 2008, yet just 1 year later, the prices had dropped a whopping 47%. (Click here for a closer look at the graph.)

Not only are farmers impacted by commodity price turbulence, but for large-scale buyers of wheat--commercial bakeries, hospitals, and supermarkets--wild price fluxuations wreak havoc on budgets.

As an alternative, Shepherd's Grain locks in the price for a period of 6 months, guaranteeing a more stable cost structure for both farmers and customers.

Wheat farmer Tom Zwainz and Shepherd's Grain co-founder Fred Fleming.
Pictured at Tom's farm, Davenport, Washington.

Our tour stopped at 4 different farms. We learn that profitable modern farms rely less on labor and more on technology. This combine costs $400,000. Data is downloaded into a laptop on the rig, and a GPS ensures straight, even rows. GPS efficiency eliminates planting gaps and overlap, saving on fuel and seed cost.

Once the wheat is harvested, it's stored in these silos until it's sold and shipped to a mill. The wheat can be stored for up to a year. At this point, it's important to monitor moisture content to prevent mold and other issues.

Learning about different grains: hard wheat, winter wheat, spring wheat, etc.

Portland, OR chef, Cathy Whims. Her James Beard-nominated restaurant, Nostrana, makes fresh bread in house.

Distinctly different: soft white and hard white spring wheat.

While the bulk of Shepherd's Grain flour is sold comercially, their retail product is packaged under the banner of Stone Buhr's All-Purpose Flour. (Other flours in the Stone Buhr line are sourced elsewhere.)

Want to learn more?

Check out their website: http://www.shepherdsgrain.com/

The Best Bread: Shepherd's Grain Flour (via @Gastrognome)

Find the Farmer (via Food on the Brain)

7 Questions for Baking Guru Alice Medrich

2010-10-10T18:48:00.008-07:00

Cookbook author, Alice Medrich

Oh, Alice. I've got big love for you!

Dubbed "The First Lady of Chocolate," Alice Medrich is an award-winning baker with deep understanding of ingredients, and how to coax the very best out of them. Her clear, thoughtful recipes yield memorable desserts. Pros-in-the know point to Alice as a guiding influence in their work. More than an author, she is a mentor...of the very best kind.

The launch of Alice's new blog traveled like wildfire and no wonder. This post on her creative process still resonates with me.

On a personal note, Alice was my very first interview. Over the phone, she patiently guided me through art of tasting chocolate. Before long, our conversation touched on everything from molecular gastronomy to sources of inspiration and artisan foods in Europe.

Alice has a new book coming out this fall, Chewy Gooey Crispy Crunch Melt-in-Your-Mouth Cookies, which is organized by texture. Got a love for chewy cafe cookies? Or do you like your cookies on the crispy side? This brilliant book has it all.

In preparation for my upcoming interview, I asked folks on my favorite chat forum..."Got any questions for Alice Medrich?" Responses ran the gamut--from tweaking a favorite recipe to swapping out chocolates with different cocoa fats. Alice surprised me with a lightening fast response, so here goes:

1. (Sandi in Hawaii) Sometimes, when I make a brownie with melted butter, the batter seems to separate during baking, as if the butter is oozing out, and pooling around the edges of the pan. The brownie ends up being dry and crumbly, instead of fudgy and chewy. What causes this?

This "butter leakage" also happens sometimes when baking cookies. The cookies start to spread like crazy, and end up being flat and greasy, instead of buttery and crunchy. It happened with a cookie recipe that called for melted butter, but it's also happened to other recipes that don't call for melted butter.

I can't predict when it happens - most times it doesn't. It only happens when I'm short on time, and have to take something somewhere!

I know the problem well, Sandi. Brownies batters (and cookie batters too) that have loads of chocolate and melted butter but not too much flour in them must be mixed vigorouly enough to emulsify the batter in the first place, before you pour it into the pan--otherwise the butter weeps out, exactly as you described. I have a couple of tricks to help the emulsification process, first, when making brownies, I usually add my eggs cold. Don't worry if the chocolate and butter mixture is hot; after you stir in the sugar, it's safe to add the eggs, stirring vigorously after each one. But, the most important tip is about mixing: after you add the flour, stir vigorously until the batter comes together into a smooth mass and actually pulls away from the sides of the bowl. If you are not strong enough to stir a heavy batter by hand, use a mixer. I write all about this problem in the new book...I hope you'll have a look.

2. (Sandi in Hawaii) How do you create a "new" recipe? Or are they all variations on old ones?

Someone once said that there is nothing new under the sun. The implication is that everything new had probably been done somewhere by someone...so it is quite possible that a bright new idea you might wake up with one morning, or even something you "discover" in the kitchen might have been thought of or dicovered by someone else as well. That being said, why worry about it? For me, sometimes new recipes are simple or elaborate variations on other recipes and sometimes they seem like brand new ideas discovered through experimenting or even (sometimes) by making a mistake. Voila! Something new and interesting.

For, example, in the new book, "Chewy Gooey Crispy"......., I include a recipe for Coconut Sticks, which I invented several years ago, but I've added several fantastic flavor variations, one with sesame seeds, one with coffee, one with hazelnuts. A great recipe deserves to be used as inspiration. Similar, I experimented with adding peanut butter to meringue and the result was so divine that I created several more "new" recipes by riffing on the concept, substituting almond butter, or tahini for the the pnb. That lead me to think about adding other flavors to meringue, such as pulverized freeze dried bananas....I even got a great recipe for fruit filled cookies called Meneinas, from a Facebook friend. I loved it so much that I created some brand new fruit fillings for it. They are in the book as well. One thing leads to another. New recipes are born...I hope you'll check out the book,

3. (MarilynFL) How do I adjust a recipe based on chocolate percentage? Say I want to make a recipe that calls for unsweetened chocolate. That recipe calls for "x" amount of unsweetened chocolate and "y" amount of sugar.

If I only have 55% semisweet chocolate or 70% bittersweet chocolate, how do I adjust the amount of chocolate AND sugar to make the recipe? I know the sugar amount has to go down. Does the fat (butter) amount change? Is there a basic rule of thumb?

Honestly Marilyn, and I don't mean to be self serving, the only book with this kind of information, charts, and discussion about percentages is my book "Bittersweet: Recipes and Tales From a Life in Chocolate". Check out the back of the book and the section on brownies where I address the very thing you are talking about...It's exciting information and once you get the hang of it you will love being able to switch from one percentage chocolate to another....

Just to give you a clue: 70% bittersweet contains 30% sugar, about 40% fat (this varies from brand to brand) and thus 30 percent dry cocoa solids. 55% semisweet chocolate contains 45% sugar, maybe 35% fat (again it varies) and only 20% dry cocoa solids. Unsweetened baking chocolate is approximately 50% fat and 50% dry cocoa solids and not sugar. If you are good at math, you can make some calculations about how to modify the sugar and butter in the recipe....! Otherwise, check out my book!

4. (MarylinFL) I actually ran into this problem [substituting chocolates] when I wanted to make chocolate fudge; the result was Dyslexic Chocolate Sauce. I had looked in both Alice's "Cocolat" and Fran Bigelow's "Pure Chocolate" books first to see if there was a chocolate conversion table.

"Cocolat" came out at a time before we had percentage chocolate in this country...most all of the bittersweet and semisweet chocolate available to us was contained only 50%-60% cacao, except of course for unsweetened baking chocolate. So, while "Cocolat" is still a great book and great reference, you shouldn't try making the recipes with chocolate that exceeds 60% cacao (or sometimes 62% ) without making some adjustments, or your results may not be quite what they should be. Some of the Cocolat recipes are updated in my book, "Bittersweet" and there is tons of info about making adjustments for chocolate in that book as well.

5. (Sandi in Hawaii) Will you start adding weight measurements in your cookbooks? I just love my scale, and wish more books had weights.

Some of my books already have weights in them, but I assure you that any new book that comes out from me will definitely include weights! Thanks for asking; I hope you'll encourage every baker you know to get a scale!!!

6. (Sandi in Hawaii -- obviously a big fan!) Any chance you'll reprint "Chocolat"?

No chance! I'd rather do new work. But I will give you a tip: many of the recipes from "Cocolat"appear again in "Bittersweet: Recipes and Tales from A Life in Chocolate", updated to reflect new chocolates and percentage chocolates, and new information. I suggest you check it out.

7. (cheezz) Why do these (otherwise yummy) macaroons 'weep'? They are oozing even before going into the oven and often make very unsightly looking bottoms.

You'll see Alice recommends:
- Amount of coconut is now cups
- Lower the amount of sweetened condensed milk
- Let the batter sit for an hour before baking
- Mound your batter in 2 tblsp portions
- Notes about the chocolate (a double boiler works, and it's likely you'll have some left over)

Original recipe + Alice's adjustments:

Jumbo Black Bottom Coconut Macaroons
From Big Fat Cookies by Elinor Klivans
Makes 16 small cookies or 10 large cookies

Cookies:
One 7-ounce bag (2 2/3 cups) shredded sweetened coconut
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk [use 1/3 cup]
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoons almond extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg white
Pinch of cream of tartar

Chocolate Coating:
9 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

Position a rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and butter the paper.

Make the cookies. In a large bowl, use a fork to stir the coconut, condensed milk, salt, almond extract and vanilla together. Set aside. [note: let this sit for about 1 hour to meld well]

In an impeccably clean medium bowl, use a whisk or a hand-held mixer on low speed to beat the egg white with the cream of tartar until they are foamy and the cream of tartar dissolves. Whisking vigorously or beating on medium-high speed, beat until soft peaks form. Whisk or beat in the sugar. Use a rubber spatula to fold half of the whipped egg white in the coconut mixture, then fold in the remaining white.

Scoop mounds of the coconut batter (about 2 tbl. size) onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing the macaroons 2 inches apart.

Bake until the bottoms of the cookies and the tips of the coconut shreds are light brown, about 20 minutes. Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then slide a metal spatula under the macaroons to loosen them from the parchment and transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Make the chocolate coating. Put the chocolate in a heatproof container or the top of a double boiler and place it over, but not touching, a saucepan of barely simmering water (or the bottom of the double boiler) - or heat in microwave oven for about 1 min. Stir until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Remove from water and let cool to thicken slightly, about 10 min.

Scrape the chocolate coating into a small bowl. Dip the bottom of each macaroon in the chocolate and place the cookies, chocolate bottoms up or on the sides, on a wire rack. (You will have some chocolate coating left over for another use or to pour over ice cream. It's easier to dip using a larger amount of coating.) Let the macaroons sit at room temperature until the chocolate coating is firm, about 1 hour. Or, to speed the firming of the chocolate, refrigerate the macaroons on the rack for about 15 minutes. Serve cold or at room temperature.

The cookies can be stored in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Food for thought

2010-10-06T15:07:00.002-07:00

Thought-provoking video, produced by The University of Minnesota's Institute on the Environment. How do we feed the world, without destroying it?

The Decisive Moment

2010-10-03T15:44:00.011-07:00

Two years ago, I was standing in the back of a busy bakery. Knee-deep in conversation, eventually we began to discuss another local bakery. They had a ton of media buzz and were long on razzle-dazzle but for me, it didn't add up.

Every visit, I struggled to make the connection:

Beautiful? Yes.

Inventive? Absolutely.

Delicious? No.

With the earnestness of a Catholic school girl confession, finally I admitted, "I don't get it." The dissappointment of a recent visit was fresh on my mind. And yet, the hype was so prolific, I began to wonder if my palate was out of whack. "Is it me?"

Chef lowered his voice and leaned in. Within of earshot, he said, "She doesn't understand her ingredients."

A chill washed over me. I thought about the tasteless cakes, enrobed in chocolate and garnished with adorable Japanese-inspired fondant flourishes. Cute? Yes. Delicious? Far from it. The elements worked, in theory, but on the whole, it came up short...every time.

Drawing a parallel to photography, I thought about lessons learned from Henry Cartier-Bresson. Breathtaking photography is anchored by the "decisive moment"-- that critical instant when a shutter click suspends an event, seizing the eye and heart of the beholder. While photographer Henry Cartier-Bresson is credited for coining the phrase, life itself is hinged on hundreds of these "decisive moments."

She doesn't understand her ingredients.

This was my decisive moment.

Succinct and to the point, it conveniently solved one riddle, while opening up a Pandora's box full of new questions.

Pointing the finger back at myself, I began to wonder, how well do I know my ingredients?

Baking is just butter, flour, eggs, and salt, right?

When I began to examine each ingredient, I tapped into a phrase cooking instructor Hope Sandler repeated over and over again in class. Reading through the recipes together, she'd point to an ingredient and challenge us to think, "What's its job?"

It's like zooming on the freeway at 60 miles an hour and then bam! You suddenly stop. Details and subtle nuances you never noticed, finally come into focus.

Recipes weren't just recipes anymore. They were gateways into new understanding. Comprehension...on a much deeper level...was beginning to take hold.

So I got cozy with my ingredients:

"Okay, butter, what's your job here?"

Cold and left in pea-sized pebbles, once the dough hits the hot oven, that cold butter creates steam. This, I learned, is one of the secrets behind flaky biscuits, pie crust and croissants. Eureka moment number 1.

Melted butter vs. room temperature butter in cookies? It's all about texture in the final product. (Melted butter + timing = chewy.) Eureka moment number 2.

And on it went.

Over the past two years, I've become obsessed with ingredients...and my enthusiasm has extended well past the kitchen. I read books on the "third wave" of coffee, and the cultivation of cacao. I've explored the vast differences between grass-fed and grass-finished beef, and the impact of terrior on beef. And I've walked through the muck at low tide, exploring Pacific Northwest acquaculture (oyster-, clam-, and mussel-farming).

I'll never forget:

My first taste of raw milk. It doesn't get more locavore than that. Cow to cup? 3 feet.

At Stumptown, I spoke with Panamanian coffee producers who described the impact of microclimates. On a single farm, variances in terrain and temperature can create multiple growing conditions. Harvested by hand, beans picked just a few hundred feet from each other...can vary dramatically.

On a visit to a goat farm, I was startled by an "off" taste in their cheese. Julia Wayne enlightened me. "That's because the lactating females weren't separated from the males." Taking notice of my befuddled look, she continued, "If a strong-smelling buck isn't separated from the lactating does, his scent will affect the milk." And she added, "It's the pheromones that get into the milk and make it taste super goaty. It's why a lot of people don't like goat cheese, I think." That pheromone-laden milk has a startling impact on the final product, and in my opinion, ruins the cheese.

Then, in a frigid cold meat locker, USDA-certified butcher Tracy Smaciarz walked me through the various sides of meat. Hanging on the rail, he grabbed a side of beef. "See this one?" We compare two sides, hanging next to each other. Pointing to one with yellow fat, "This one was grass-finished." It's counterintuitive, I know. Grass fed =yellow fat; grain fed=white fat. (The next time you're at the grocery store, check out the fat in their meat. Good luck finding yellow fat.)

Fascinating, right?

Over the past few months, I've intensified my efforts to learn all I can. A classic example: My ears perked up when baker Heather Earnhardt said, "I hate their eggs...they're so watery." Until that moment, I never noticed. I reached for the homesteader's bible, the Encyclopedia of Country Living (Sasquatch, 2008), and tried to figure it out. Is it the age of the eggs? The feed? The breed? And ultimately, what impact did "watery" eggs have on the final product?

As you can see, that "decisive moment" has sparked many new adventures. And in the quest to get closer to my food, you'll be seeing more farm tours, producer visits, and chef interviews.

It's been a busy summer, and I've got lots to share! Stay tuned...

Farmer Jane Dinner: Celebrating Women in the Food Movement

2010-09-27T15:09:00.021-07:00

It's amazing what can happen with two degrees of separation, and a willingness to provide introductions. Temra Costa, longtime friend of my buddy Shango, is a force in the sustainable food movement . She is also the author of a new book "Farmer Jane: Women Changing the Way We Eat." With Seattle as a prominent stop on her book tour and intro by Shango, "We should meet!" quickly evolved into a dinner at one of my favorite restaurants.

A thoughtful approach to food, teamed with a commitment to building community, there was no better place than the ever-so-charming Volunteer Park Cafe. Owners Ericka Burke and Heather Earnhardt jumped on board, and brought with them Full Circle Farm's Wendy Munroe. From there, like an old-fashioned barn raising, the list kept growing...

When you gather a dynamic group around the table, the conversation is rich with meaningful connections. As we wound our way around the table with introductions, it was startling to see who was there. Farmers, ranchers, restauranteurs, Les Dammes Escoffier members, a buyer from Whole Foods, a butcher, a Slow Food Board Member, and on it goes. Throughout the meal, seats shift, and conversation stretched long across table.

Temra's book rivals the ideal cocktail party. Chapters in "Farmer Jane" pay tribute to the women who have shaped the modern food movement. While some names may ring familiar like chef/author Deborah Madison and "Farm City" author Novella Carpenter, others...are women you want to know. Above all, their stories provide valuable insights to the journey that's been taken, and the road that lies ahead. With a thoughtful approach, Temra showcases inspiring women who are leading the way as advocates for social change, promoting local & seasonal food, and the next generation of sustainable farmers.

Now, come along with me....

Charming Volunteer Park Cafe on Seattle's Capitol Hill (corner of 17th and Galer)

The patio behind Volunteer Park Cafe.
(Then it was still under construction. It's finished now.)

Nothing like a hearty welcome & a glass of bubbly!

Note to self: pick up a case of this Prosecco.

Volunteer Park Cafe co-owner, Ericka Burke

How cute is this? Aprons at VPC are custom made.

Love these garden tags.

Served fresh from the garden.

Heather Earnhardt, co-owner of VPC. She's responsible for those beautiful pastries & cakes.

Tracey Baker, fifth generation cattle rancher at Gleason Ranch.

(100% grass-fed, grass-finished beef)

(L-R) Evergreen Escapes adventure guide Kieron Weidner and Full Circle Farm owner, Wendy Munroe

Guest of honor: "Farmer Jane" author Temra Costa

Meet Zoe Meats (charcuterie) co-founder, Charlie Hertz

VPC's Ericka Burke kicks off the dinner

Gathered around the communal table

During the course of the night, Full Circle Farm's Wendy Munroe described her own farm's evolution. Not only do they have a thriving farmer's market presence, Full Circle Farm also supplies Seattle-area restaurants and thousands of Community Supported Agriculture subscriptions (4,000 of those are shipped to Alaska!)

This photo album (pictured above) is a tribute to the unsung heroes at Full Circle Farm.

The caption says, "Our humble beginnings, North Bend 1996"

"Wendy [pregnant] with Claire, 2004"

(L-R) "Aviva - Our 1st field manager, 1998" and
"Erne, one of our first interns, 1998"

Asparagus with shaved radish

Bean salad

A break between courses

Organic greens with Green Goddess dressing and edible flowers.
(Don't you just love this enamel pot?)

Roasted fingerling potatoes

Roses and rosé

Salmon with shaved onion, cabbage and herbs.

Ropa vieja, served with a side of chimmichurri

Grand finale: autographed copies of the book!

P.S. If you're wondering where the dessert shot is...I was gabbing and completely missed that course. :)

Entertaining Tips from Coastal Living's Premier Party

2010-09-26T16:46:00.011-07:00

Earlier this summer I had an opportunity to attend Coastal Living Magazine's Premier Party for the Ultimate Beach House. Situated on the rugged Washington coastline, the house was chocked full of inspiring ideas. (Read more about that here and here.)

Elements of a great party range from the venue (windswept beach. Check!), the guest list (A party full of designers, artisan craftsmen, and media-industry folk. Check!), and memorable food (oyster bar by Emmet Watson's Oyster Bar and catering by Gourmando. Check!).

Months later, it's the special touches provided by Gourmando Catering that's still on my mind. I do a little cheer whenever I see them at events. Thanks to their full-flavored food and innovative ideas, over the years, Gourmondo has become one of my favorite caterers.

With the full force of holiday entertaining fast approaching, I'll share a few of their special touches. Keep in mind: the goal for great party food is quick or advance preparation (assemble onsite), teamed with an elegant presentation. Take a cue from the caterers on that one. Entertaining at home is less of a hassle when you're not tied to the kitchen.

Destination: The Coastal Living Premier Party at Seabrook, Washington. See the tent? It's situated on a lot near the water.

This is my favorite style of tent. Side flaps lift up during great weather, or, in this case, come down...creating a wall against the wind. The see-through "windows" add a welcome touch.

The tent is perched on a bluff overlooking the beach. (The tide is out!)

First house on the right is Coastal Living's Ultimate Beach House. Photos of the house, inside and out, are here.

Tying in the beach theme are these adorable clam buckets, which served as passed appetizers.

Ready in minutes: steamer clams and crostini.

Main table for food. Love the risers and colored linens. Buckets with beach grass tie in the theme, along with driftwood, hollowed out and serving as a platform for votive candles.

Table-side presentation.

Chinese "to go" boxes are great for portable food...and keep the line moving. Here we have roast chicken fettuccini with spinach pasta and tri-color peppers. (Loads of color = visual appeal) Adding a bit of branding glam, placed on the front of the box is a gilded sticker commemorating the Coastal Living's 2010 Ultimate Beach House.

A bevy of Washington state oysters and jumbo shrimp. Sauces were served on the side. (Raw bar courtesy of Emmet Watson Oyster Bar.)

Roast beef sliders. Rolls baked in-house provide a rustic touch with yellow & black sesame seeds. Tomato tends to get watery and doesn't hold up well on bread. Here, Gourmondo has skewered the slider, topped with a cherry tomato, cut side up. (The tomato's skin keeps it from bleeding on to the bun. Smart, eh?)

Party guests. Notice the string of lights around the perimeter of the tent? When the weather suddenly turned cloudy, these were crucial. The beauty here? The lights are on dimmers, which makes it easy to adjust when the weather turned inclement.

Of course, a great location is always a plus. Sunset over the Pacific Ocean.

Traveling Coca Cola and Melinda Gates at TEDxChange

2010-09-25T14:07:00.015-07:00

Proudly offering my unblemished passport for the first time, I flashed the border guard a broad smile that rivaled a Miss America pageant. Giddy with possibilities and adventures yet to be lived, I was embarking on a month-long whirlwind trip to Europe. No longer the daydream of a Midwestern girl with visions of 19th century Grand Tours, I was finally on my way.

From the beginning, I was no ordinary traveler. People were more important than landmarks. Months before I left, I joined Hospitality Exchange (like SERVAS) in an effort to meet the locals, and stretch my budget. The idea works like this: travelers with roots, offer to host other travelers...for free. Now, hospitality means different things to different people and this means, you could be sleeping on an air mattress with a blind cat circling your bed, moaning for hours, or you could be treated to a guest house in the back of a rustic estate. Meals provided? Sometimes. A place to sleep and a shower? Definitely.

And so it was. With an envelope full of phone numbers and confirmations, I embarked on my first trip out of the country...heavily invested in the kindness of strangers. To this day, it's the people who have had a lasting impact. I stayed in Berlin with a contentious objector and toured newly liberated East Berlin, stepping in abandon buildings, trying to envision a life in the former communist bloc. In Amsterdam, I met a husband and wife duo who ran an illegal B&B business. I'd get up early in the morning and head to the local bakery, buying a loaf of bread, fumbling badly in Dutch, and was startled by a response in perfect textbook English. Breakfast at the B&B was served in your room, on a tray laden with soft-boiled eggs in tiny egg cups, and toast batons with jam. And in Brussels, I met a French woman who worked for the European Union. Within minutes, she assessed my travel fatigue. Once I was in bed, she left a key on the table and said, "I'm working tomorrow. Feel free to take a bath, do laundry, whatever." The next morning, I lingered over my journal and a hot cup of coffee while the whir of the drier droned on.

That trip set the tone for my travel style today. I arm myself with a pocket full of possibilities and a willingness to rearrange plans at the slightest inducement. "I was going to leave the island tomorrow," I say to a buff dive master with a tousle of jet black hair and an easy smile. He did double duty, working as a fly-fishing guide off the coast of Caye Caulker, Belize. Downing the last of my beer, I tell him, "But if you want to teach me how to tie flies, I'm in." The next morning, he spreads out his materials on a wobbly metal card table...exotic feathers, brightly colored strings, and a kit full of pliers and pinchers. The feathers, he tells me, mimic insects in the water, and your choice, depends on how it moves through the water. We tie flies, talk about his clients, and explore the many jobs he's had in the off season (cab driver in Norway? Yep!)

With an intense focus on international travel and a commitment to the people I met, in college, I studied International Relations and Political Science. Locally, I interned with think tanks and politicians, wondering how the pieces fit together. But soon I discovered, many of these organizations are bogged down with internal and external politics. An inordinate amount of energy is dedicated to fundraising, not tackling causes. Responses to critical issues were slow, if they ever came. Realizing the vast gulf between good intentions and action, it was a humbling and deeply frustrating experience.

And yet commerce was alive and well. Private business was far more effective in reaching their target market in developing nations. Why?

I remember a 17 hour trip from Seattle to Bangkok, then boarding a 4 hour bus out of the city, followed by another 6 hour bus to a small town on the boarder of Thailand and Cambodia. The next morning we hit the local day market. There, among the live fish flapping in shallow buckets and stir fried grubs, resting next to a heaping table full of fresh produce, was a box brimming with Washington State apples. I laughed, thinking, I've been through hell, still woozy from over 24 hours of travel. What have those apples been through?

In the backwater towns traveling through Central America, Coca Cola signs are everywhere. In fact, it's so ubiquitous, in Mexico a remote tribe has incorporated Coca Cola as an integral part of their religious practice. I remember thinking, "Coca Cola can get here, but vaccines for preventable diseases are still years away. Why?"

On Monday, I had an opportunity to attend TEDxChange, sponsored by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Through a satellite feed from New York, Melinda Gates delivered a compelling talk about the third world, the effectiveness of Coca Cola's penetration, and the lessons development organizations can learn from them. It's a heady topic, for sure, but it's the kind of message that has left me pondering for days.

Global citizen? Impassioned traveler? I encourage you to take a look:

Seattle Tall Poppy

Come to the Table

Obsession #143 and James Beard's County Fair Bread

Signature Dishes and Tessa's Chickpea, Feta, and Cilantro Salad

Confronting My Beliefs

Pancetta Wrapped Barbecue Prawns with Cornbread Stuffing

Kathy Casey’s Recipe for Savory Bacon “Cupcakes” with Tabasco Cream Cheese Frosting

Ode to the Emerald City

Deep Feast Writing Workshop with James Beard Award-winning Author

A Romp Through the Seattle Food & Wine Experience

Hanging with America's Best Butcher, Tracy Smaciarz

The Art in Repetition

rep·e·ti·tion

Judging COCHON555

Worshiping at "The Church of Food" and a Farm Visit with Tom Schultz

Chef Daniel Boulud's Advice to Young Cooks

Strategies to Battle: “I don’t have time to cook”

One Book, Three Covers

Diver Down: Fantasies, Demystified

Little Things That Make Me Happy

Feasting at the Bing National Tailgate Championships

Return of the Swizzle Stick

Social Media for Restaurants and Chefs -- Are you missing out?

A Peek Behind the Michelin Guides

Battle of the Bookshelves...and Inspired Solutions

Giving Back: Feasting at Fire Station No. 39

Harnessing an Element of Surprise

A Guide to the Best Books on Entertaining

Raising the Bar on Cocktails: The Joey Cosmo

Back of the House

Surprising Delights at the Tulalip Resort and Casino

Exploring Wheat with Shepherd's Grain

7 Questions for Baking Guru Alice Medrich

Food for thought

The Decisive Moment

Farmer Jane Dinner: Celebrating Women in the Food Movement

Entertaining Tips from Coastal Living's Premier Party

Traveling Coca Cola and Melinda Gates at TEDxChange