For the last several years I've held a Summer/Spring brunch just for the ladies. Although Pacific Northwest weather is not known for reliably sunny days at this time of year I lucked out again this year. ' [...]
For the last several years I've held a Summer/Spring brunch just for the ladies. Although Pacific Northwest weather is not known for reliably sunny days at this time of year I lucked out again this year. ' [...] 
It's finally time. Fresh, local strawberries are arriving in abundance in local markets. How I love local, spring strawberries! You can use them in all the traditional ways and this recipe is a nice little twist. [...] 
I am especially excited about rhubarb season this year. I plant I've had for a few years has really come into it's own and I'm going to get a nice batch this year. I picked a [...] 
If you live in Seattle you may shy away from the tourist spots as many of us do. And that description includes many of the places around Pike Place Market. But there are lots of gems in the [...] 
It's time to start planning your strategy for this year's Seattle Cheese Festival! May 16 and 17 Pike Place Market will be filled with cheese samples and cheese events. At the main event, the tasting tables lining Pike Place, you'll be able to sample more than 200 cheeses! ' [...] 
Whenever I travel I do a little prior research to find places I might like to check out. This goes for local restaurants and bars as well as sites. Sometimes I get so caught by all [...] 
Some days it's hard to keep track of all the restaurant promotions. But then I think, why keep track? Just take advantage of them! So with that attitude in mind I'm gearing up for Urban Eats. Urban Eats highlights 48 restaurants that will offer 3-course meals' [...]
It's that time of year when we get to have a nice night out with friends and do some good at the same time!
Thursday, April 30th restaurants in the Seattle area will participate in Dining Out for Life, a benefit for Lifelong AIDS Alliance, and the [...] 
You may remember that last year I attended a couple of dinners presented by the folks at Outstanding in the Field. This organization works to connect people with food sources, educating them about [...] 
If you live in Seattle you may have heard about onepot.org, a sort of underground dining organization that brings together food, social issues, and conversation at interesting venues in creative ways. Over the years they've become more ground-breaking than underground and their website has become a little slicker' [...]
Well, it took me a little longer to get here than I thought it would. Mainly due to my schedule more than anything else. The good news is that this recipe does not have to be precise. I just [...]
Well, it took me a little longer to get here than I thought it would. Mainly due to my schedule more than anything else. The good news is that this recipe does not have to be precise. I [...] 
I normally take early morning flights out of SeaTac, which means about the only thing I "eat" in the airport is a cup of tea. But last month I had an evening flight to Phoenix and the timing was [...]
I normally take early morning flights out of SeaTac, which means about the only thing I "eat" in the airport is a cup of tea. But last month I had an evening flight to Phoenix and the timing [...] 
If all you really want is a good burger and a beer, and maybe a little trip out of the city to where the air is a little cooler, head to Greasewood Flat in [...]
If all you really want is a good burger and a beer, and maybe a little trip out of the city to where the air is a little cooler, head to Greasewood Flat [...] 
I've been trying to establish an on-going Friday night ritual - one that used to be a regular part of life but somehow got misplaced - of a Friday night Happy' [...]
I've been trying to establish an on-going Friday night ritual - one that used to be a regular part of life but somehow got misplaced - of a Friday night' [...] 
Isn't it odd how our eyes have decided that certain colors mean certain things? For instance purple/blue generally indicates something sweet like blueberries or perhaps plums. But take a closer look at the photo; that's nothing sweet,' [...]
Isn't it odd how our eyes have decided that certain colors mean certain things? For instance purple/blue generally indicates something sweet like blueberries or perhaps plums. But take a closer look at the photo; that's nothing' [...] 
A couple of weeks ago I started a batch of homemade limoncello using Meyers lemons that I found at my local Costco. Today it was time to take a peek at the concoction to see how it was [...]
A couple of weeks ago I started a batch of homemade limoncello using Meyers lemons that I found at my local Costco. Today it was time to take a peek at the concoction to see how it [...] 
One of my favorite Happy Hours in town is at Barolo Ristorante. All food on the bar menu is 1/2 off; pints of beer are $3; and glasses of featured wine are $3.50 or [...]
One of my favorite Happy Hours in town is at Barolo Ristorante. All food on the bar menu is 1/2 off; pints of beer are $3; and glasses of featured wine are $3.50 [...] 
It seems all kinds of products are getting into the habit of modifying colors to align themselves with holidays or seasons, hoping to increase sales. I'd say the tactic probably does work. I know that I find myself' [...]
It seems all kinds of products are getting into the habit of modifying colors to align themselves with holidays or seasons, hoping to increase sales. I'd say the tactic probably does work. I know that I find' [...] 
A couple months ago I noticed that a favorite pot of mine, a 3-qt, chef's pan, was not looking very good. It was an in expensive pot that I'd picked up on a whim one' [...]
A couple months ago I noticed that a favorite pot of mine, a 3-qt, chef's pan, was not looking very good. It was an in expensive pot that I'd picked up on a whim' [...] 
The first (and last) time I tasted a canelé de Bordeaux was while visiting Saint-Émilion in September 2007. When we arrived in the village a parade and celebration were in progress, much to [...] 
Check. One more off the list. I keep a list of restaurants and bars, mostly that have newly opened, that I want to try out. I generally strive to get to them within three months, at the [...] 
Tuesday night I spent a wonderful 90 minutes tasting and learning about chocolate. I attended one of the Little Tastes of the Dahlia, a series of educational (and fun!) programs held at the [...] 
Dine Around Seattle starts March 1 and runs through the end of the month. Sunday through Thursday, 3-course meals are available for $30 at 30 restaurants in the Seattle area. Some locations also offer 3-course lunches for $15. For all the details, including sample menus, check out [...] 
Costco has been carrying Meyer lemons the last few weeks. We don't normally see the tart-sweet fruits in this area. Meyer lemons are sweeter than other lemons, and they have a much more floral scent. Their color is somewhere' [...] 
One of my favorite places in Seattle is Ray's Cafe. It was one of the first nice places I went to when I first moved to Seattle and throughout the years I've spent many a sunny [...] 
Last night I made a stop a bit closer to home for my Friday night foray. A new place opened in the Wallingford area in January. And I was especially looking forward to it because I know [...] 
I love to braise at any time of year but it's especially great in the winter. Since most braises need around three hours, having your oven on for that long adds warmth to the house and the beautiful fragrance fills the' [...] 
I had a hankering for pancakes this morning. Blueberry pancakes with maple syrup to be precise. Served along with a couple of crispy pieces of bacon and you have a great start to [...] 
At last week's trip to the Farmers' Market potatoes were in great abundance. All colors but mostly smaller types. Some of them claimed colored flesh as well as colored skins. I brought home some red potatoes that were in' [...] 
One of my all time favorite meals is simply buttered pasta topped with grated Parmesan cheese. Sometimes I get "fancy" and add a chopped herb of some sort or occasionally I'll add chopped green onions, but more often than not' [...] 
After you bring home all the lovely market produce you get to find something fun and tasty to create with it. As soon as I spied the mushrooms, I knew a lovely chicken noodle soup was in my [...] 
Also in abundance at the Seattle area Farmers' Markets are carrots! Beautiful, sweet, baby carrots. Just a quick rinse to remove the last of the soil they were grown in and they are ready to eat. No' [...] 
It's a gorgeous day here in Seattle. Crisp and sunny, although darkish clouds temper a completely blue sky. I made my way to the U-District Farmers' Market this morning. I'm very bad about winter vegetables. When fall first comes I'm excited' [...] 
Friday night was the Dinner Club's first gathering of 2009. The first of year number seven. The 41st gathering.
I have to stop and ponder that for a minute. When we started I had hoped it would be successful and that [...] 
Inviting friends for dinner or a cocktail party is a pretty common occurrence. Having a weekend brunch is probably the next most popular entertaining option. Lunch, however, is often overlooked as a meal suitable for entertaining and that's a shame. [...] 
Sometimes being known as a foodie is kind of hard. People expect that all your dining out decisions are based on selecting the best, newest, coolest, etc place to go. And often that does influence [...] 
New Year's Eve eve found a few friends and I gathered at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse for a holiday celebration. Although they do not publicize it on their website, Ruth's Chris has a nice little Happy Hour with specials [...] 
My friends EE and BR had a New Year's Eve gathering this year and it was a great way to ring in the new year! Having been instructed to each bring a tapas-style dish and if possible to plan to do [...] 
The last few weeks have been crazy, to say the least. Work was super busy and then the snow hit. And hit again. Many people think that with Seattle being as far north as it is that snow is [...] 
Buddha Ruksa is a little hard to find as it sits just past the intersection of 35th and Fauntleroy as you cross the bridge into West Seattle on an unmarked section of Genesee. But once you find it [...] 
Breakfast is the one meal for me that I really prefer good, solid, basic food. Don't get me wrong - I can enjoy creative and interesting presentations or ingredients but more often than not, when [...] 
I recently spent an early evening at Soif Wine Bar & Restaurant in Santa Cruz, California. The wine bar (with attached wine shop) is in the heart of "downtown" Santa Cruise, just 1/2 block [...] 
One of my favorite places to find interesting and affordable snacks is Trader Joe's. The selection varies and they often swap out one thing for another - so don't expect to find [...] 
I love hash browns, yet I hardly ever make them. I'm not sure why. Probably because the first few times I tried them they weren't great and it always seems like a lot of work to make them while [...] 
Over the weekend I attended a potluck pasta party. The host made fresh pasta (yum!) and the rest of us brought items to fill out the meal. I decided to make a soup, Shrimp Bisque specifically. I'd come across [...] 
Wild Chanterelles are in season right now. That means two things: they are in abundance at the moment and the prices on them are really reasonable. My local market is selling them for $5.99/lb. I love them [...] 
Any trip to Canada requires at least one trip to a grocery store to pick up one or more boxes of Maple Cream Cookies. I am addicted to these things. This time I [...] 
I make a lot of stuffed mushrooms as party appetizers. Some recipes for stuffed mushrooms use the stems as part of the stuffing but the recipes I generally use don't. So I end up with lots [...] 
The nice thing about having a gas grill is that if you have it in a protected area you can fire it up any time of year. Even if you just use a charcoal grill it's nice [...] 
Last week a couple friends and I pointed our car southwest and took a little after work excursion to West Seattle. Our goal was to try a couple of new (to us) restaurants, eating a few light bites at each in sort [...] 
Some friends had been begging me to go to Bakery Nouveau in West Seattle for about year now. I just hadn't seemed to be able to get over there for one reason or another. Last week I was in the area for [...] 
Last week my dinner club met and I had responsibility for dessert. The theme was "fresh from the farm". The host was making a main dish that included pears or [...] 
First, for those of you outside of Washington state, the name Leavenworth may make you think of a high security federal prison but that's not what comes to mind for Washington staters. No, we [...] 
Twisted Cork is the name of the bar in 0/8 Seafood Grill. They have a large selection of wines by the glass or flight; an interesting list of specialty cocktails; Happy Hour from 3:00pm - 6:00pm [...] 
Okay, invention is probably not quite the right word but necessity definitely is. I've had a little issue with fruit flies lately. As the tomatoes sitting on my counters have ripened to nearly too ripe, the number (and size!) of the fruit [...] 
I know this is hard to hear right now. And even harder to think about, but Monday was the first day of fall and that means before long we'll all be deep in the parade of holidays. [...] 
Last week I had my second opportunity to try my hand at wine blending. This event was also held at El Gaucho in Seattle. The first event featured the wines of Spring Valley Vineyard, this one [...] 
Dad Watsons in Fremont is one of the many McMenamin pubs here in Seattle. Wooden booths and long tables greet you was you enter, and if you wander all the way to the back [...] 
A friend of mine on Flickr started a new group called "Happy Cookie Friday" so we could post photos of our Friday pick-me-up treats. Last week I made cookies but today I had to drop my car for service and [...] 
Elliott's Oyster House is located on the waterfront in the heart of tourist zone. Because of that I think it is often overlooked by locals which is a real shame. They do [...] 
It was another Monday morning with a 9:00 am meeting in a coffee shop. This time at Fremont Coffee Company located right on 36th as you make your way into the heart of Fremont from the [...]
While reading the July issue of Bon Appetit I came across a cookie recipe that sounded great! The recipe is originally from Icing on the Cake, a bakery in Los Gatos, California.
When [...]
Those of us in the U.S. are finally getting around to really taking waste more seriously. We've decided it isn't enough to just reuse or recycle, we really need to start putting the idea of reduce in our daily activities. And if we won't do it ourselves the government [...] 
My tomato plants are loaded with fruit. But just when they should have started ripening like crazy our weather turned cold. Unseasonably cold. Even for Seattle. I've been watching the little guys as they seemed to hunker down and suspend all [...] 
This is the perfect time of year to enjoy the summer evenings outside. It's not too hot and we all know the opportunities to be outside in the evening [...] 
A few days ago I happened to mention this drink, called an Apple Manhattan, to a friend of mine. Last night as I was winding down my "chores" I thought, "And why haven't I made one for myself lately?". I [...] 
I'll take a chance that I'll sound like a broken record - I know I've said this many times before and you know you'll hear it many times in the future - now is a great time to visit [...] 
The mornings are dark now, and autumn is creeping in around the edges. When I go outside in the morning I have to look for the webs the spiders built overnight to ensure that I'm not what becomes entangled in [...] 
Last night the photography group I belong to had one of our monthly meetings at a local pub. We met at King's Hardware in Ballard, one of the many new places that have been popping up [...] 
As a native Pacific Northwesterner I have always been aware that summer is fleeting and every gorgeous day must be enjoyed to the fullest. Like many who live in this area, I generally spend as much time as possible outdoors, [...] 
Of all the things that were passed down to me by my parents, grandparents, and aunts one of my favorite things is the art of preserving. It's just so useful! But even more than being useful, when I'm in [...] 
We've had such an up and down summer here in Seattle that it's been a bit hard to get the real feel of the long, lazy dog-days of summer. And that has made it twice as important [...] 
Monday night I participated in a new type of event being offered at El Gaucho in Seattle. In my quest to learn more about wine I attended a "Wine Components" class. As we arrived we were presented with [...] 
I've been holding back on writing this post but have finally decided to go ahead with it despite my reservations. We'll get to those in a moment.
I'm sure most of you are aware that [...] 
