Just in time for the holidays, the good people at the Pike Place Market are offering free parking on Saturdays from December 5 until January 1,  10 a.m. until 5 p.m., except Christmas day, when the Market is closed.

Here’s how it works: On those Saturdays, park at the Public Market Parking Garage at 1531 Western Avenue. Look for the entrance next to the tattoo shop. There is also an entrance off Alaskan Way across from the Seattle Aquarium. Purchase a minimum of $35 in merchandise from any Pike Place Market merchants, farmers, or craftspeople, and ask for receipts. Bring your receipts and garage-entrance ticket to the Information Booth at First and Pike for validation and a pass for the garage. The pass is good for 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. that Saturday only, one per customer.

“We’re happy that we are able to offer this gift to local shoppers of the Pike Place Market for their holiday shopping,” said James Haydu, Director of Communications & Programs at the Pike Place Market Preservation and Development Authority (PDA), which manages most of the historic public market’s nine acres.

Just about a week ago, I enjoyed my very first oysters of the season at the new Bar Campagne in the Pike Place Market. The bar features a simple, and more lengthy menu than before, with items such as Fried Oysters with Lemon-Caper Aïoli (which I can attest to are plump, crispy, and perfectly fried), Baked Tuna and Anchovy Toast, and Bagna Cauda (fresh veggies with warm anchovy dip).

The briny beauties as crisp and clean as breathing fresh sea air

We stopped by for a nosh and a nip (or three) after a “Tea-up” (tweeting event with tea) at The Perennial Tea Room in honor of the fourth annual Northwest Tea Festival, which runs Saturday, October 2, and Sunday, October 3, in the Northwest Rooms at Seattle Center.

Julee Rosanoff (foreground), who has co-owned The Perennial Tea Room in the Pike Place Market along with business partner Sue Zuege since 1989 and is one of the founding members of the Northwest Tea Festival, talks tea while Anna Li of The Essential Baking Company looks on

It was a truly educational and fun event where we learned that all forms of tea (green, black, oolong) are produced from the same plant (Camellia sinensis). The tastes of tea range from buttery to new-mown grass to fruity to malty–even chocolate!

Two tasty tea breads from The Essential Baking Company, a locally owned artisan bakery

We also learned that The Essential Baking Company was chosen to be the festival’s official food vendor. The locally owned artisan bakery will dish up soups, salads, sandwiches, pastries, and a new product launched especially for the festival–tea cakes–in the Northwest Tea Festival’s Tea Garden Café in the Olympic Room. We were among the first people to try the organic cakes in enticing flavors of Blueberry Orange, Lemon Raspberry, and Carrot Pineapple. . .all moist, full-flavored, and not too sweet. . .just perfect for that morning, afternoon, or evening cuppa!

No to fear. Even if you can’t be among the estimated 2,000 tea aficionados to attend this year’s festival, you can try the tea cakes at The Essential Bakery Cafés in Wallingford, Madison Valley, and Georgetown beginning this weekend.

Mark your calendars for the Portland Culinary Alliance’s second annual “Eat My Words” culinary book event and luncheon, which takes place on Saturday, October 2, from 9:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Cookbook authors signed on for the day include Vitaly Paley and Cory Schreiber (both from Portland) and Ethan Stowell (from Seattle). The trio will offer their insights on cookbook writing from a chef’s perspective, followed by lunch featuring their recipes.

Hosted by cookbook author Diane Morgan and chef/owner Adam Sappington of The Country Cat Dinner House, this year’s event will include renowned Portland and Seattle chefs and culinary entrepreneurs, including:

Vitaly Paley and Robert Reynolds, “The Paley’s Place Cookbook: Recipes and Stories from the Pacific Northwest,” Ten Speed Press

Cory Schreiber and Julie Richardson, “Rustic Fruit Desserts: Crumbles, Buckles, Cobblers, Pandowdies, and More,” Ten Speed Press

Ethan Stowell, “Ethan Stowell’s New Italian Kitchen,” Ten Speed Press

Piper Davis and Ellen Jackson, “The Grand Central Baking Book,” Ten Speed Press

Mark Bitterman, “Salted: A Manifesto on the World’s Most Essential Mineral, with Recipes,” Ten Speed Press

This accomplished panel of author/chefs will each discuss their unique experience in cookbook writing, including such topics as:

· Conceptualizing the book idea

· Landing a book deal

· Working with a professional writer

· Balancing the hectic schedule of running a thriving business while tackling a book project

· Recipe development, writing, and testing

· Formatting restaurant recipes for home cooks

· Photography and design

· Promoting the book

Following the discussion, the audience is encouraged to participate in a question-and-answer session in which the authors will “tell all” about the book-writing process. Then, Gracie’s Chef Mark Hosack and team will prepare lunch featuring recipes from the featured authors’ books.

Eat My Words will draw chefs and culinary entrepreneurs interested in having their own book published, as well as writers, cookbook collectors, and fans of the Pacific Northwest epicurean scene.

The event will be held at the Hotel deLuxe located at 729 SW 15th Avenue in downtown Portland.

Tickets are $65, or culinary professionals are invited to become a member of the Portland Culinary Alliance and receive a discounted ticket price of $50. Price includes morning coffee and pastries provided by Piper Davis of Grand Central Bakery, admission to the symposium, and lunch featuring recipes from the chefs’ cookbooks. To request more information, visit pdxca.org, or e-mail Andrea Slonecker at info@pdxca.org.

Extra-virgin martinis, a four-course menu, and a decadent dessert duo are just some of the highlights of The New American Olive Oil dinner that is coming to the Seattle Art Museum’s TASTE Restaurant on Saturday, October 2.

This very special evening commences with a reception during which guests will enjoy an olive-oil cocktail dubbed the Extra Virgin Martini. Created by TASTE mixologist Duncan Chase, it’s a clever combo of craft spirits and dehydrated olive-oil powder (to avoid oil slicks on top of the cocktail).

The dinner menu, a collaboration between Fran Gage, author of “The New American Olive Oil” (Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 2009); Danielle Custer, director of TASTE Restaurant; and TASTE executive chef Craig Hetherington, is made up of recipes from Gage’s cookbook and Hetherington’s original creations. All feature a specific type of California extra virgin olive oil.

Sponsored by Les Dames d’Escoffier, Seattle Chapter in partnership with TASTE Restaurant and San Francisco Dame Fran Gage, The New American Olive Oil dinner takes place at TASTE Restaurant at the Seattle Art Museum on Saturday, October 2, starting at 6 p.m.

On the menu? Lamb and Bulgur-Wheat Meatballs, Foraged Chanterelles with Poached Farm Egg, Fresh Ricotta Gnocchi, and Fish Stew.

And let’s not forget dessert. TASTE executive pastry chef Lucy Damkoehler plans to pair Olive-Oil Ice Cream with Grape & Rosemary Focaccia and Beecher’s Honey Blank Slate cheese. Gage’s offering? Almost Flourless Chocolate Cake.

With olive oil generously donated by the California Olive Oil Producers and wines by Seattle Dame Susan Neel (McCrea Cellars Grenache and White Grenache), the evening promises to be both lively and educational.

Cut-off date for reservations is fast approaching. . .Monday, September 27. Reservations can be made by calling TASTE at 206.903.5291 or e-mailing tasterestaurant@tastesam.com.

Schedule of events for The New American Olive Oil Workshop, Book Signing, and Dinner taking place on Saturday, October 2, 2010, includes:

3:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., The New American Olive Oil Workshop: Dame Fran Gage presents a workshop and olive-oil tasting of California extra-virgin olive oils at SAM’s Alvord Boardroom, $45 per person.

4:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., The New American Olive Oil Book Signing: Book Signing with Dame Fran Gage at TASTE. Free to attend; books for sale (for $29.95 plus tax) at TASTE.

6:00 p.m. to 8:30, The New American Olive Oil Four-Course Tasting and Dinner: The four-course California extra-virgin olive oil-themed dinner features Gage’s and Hetherington’s recipes and takes place at TASTE, $85 per person, tax and tip inclusive.

SAM is located at 1300 First Avenue, Seattle, WA 98101. The entrance for SAM is on First Avenue and Union Street; entrance for TASTE Restaurant is on First Avenue between Union and University Streets.

Partial proceeds from each ticket sold will go to Les Dames d’Escoffier, Seattle Chapter to help provide educational opportunities for women in Washington State pursuing careers in the culinary arts, beverage, and hospitality industries; support community outreach programs; and promote sustainable-agriculture projects.

About Fran Gage: Fran Gage tastes olive oil for the California Olive Oil Council, for two University of California taste panels, and judges olive-oil competitions, including the prestigious Los Angeles International Extra-Virgin Olive Oil Competition. Her latest book, The New American Olive Oil (Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 2009, $29.95) includes profiles of artisan producers and 75 recipes. www.frangage.com

About TASTE Restaurant: TASTE Restaurant nourishes its community of guests with great food made from the best local ingredients in an inviting atmosphere while minimizing the impact on our environment. To see menus and learn more about TASTE, visit the restaurant’s blog at http://tastesamblog.wordpress.com or visit www.tastesam.com.

About Les Dames d’Escoffier, Seattle Chapter: Les Dames d’Escoffier, Seattle Chapter, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit charitable organization, is an invitational society of professional women of high achievement in the fields of food, beverages, and hospitality. Its mission is educational and philanthropic, and it provides and supports opportunities in these areas. During its 21-year history, the organization has disbursed in excess of $275,000.

Mark your calendars for September 25th and 26th, when the first annual Pike Place Market Artisan Food Festival hits the cobblestones alone Pike Place!!!

The festival celebrates local food, sustainability, and biodiversity with tastings, seminars, chef demos, live music, a busker stage, and a beer-and-wine garden.

The Artisan Food Festival replaces the long-running Pike Place Market Street Festival that was traditionally held in June, and benefits the Pike Place Market Foundation.

Here’s a list of the chef scheduled to appear on the Chef Demo Stage:

11 a.m. – Café Campagne: Daisley Gordon
12 p.m. – Steelhead Diner: Anthony Polizzi
1 p.m. – Le Pichet: Brent Harding
2 p.m. – Sur La Table: Anne Haerle
3 p.m. – Lowell’s: Mark Monroe
4 p.m. – Matt’s in the Market: Chester Abel

The 2010 Artisan Food Festival sponsors include the Pike Brewing Company, Charlie’s Produce, Caffe Vita, The American Lamb Board, Mahatma Rice, Clockwork Studios, and CWP Music Productions.

Marci Adelsman of Kent, Washington, and Monica King of Vancouver, Washington, will vie for a grand prize of $10,000 and a one-year supply of fresh Foster Farms chicken after both were declared regional finalists in the first-ever Foster Farms West Coast Chicken Cooking Contest held at Kathy Casey Food Studios in Seattle.

Each of these Regional Finalists won a $1,000 cash prize and will now compete at the finals in person on September 17, 2010, at the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone, in California’s Napa Valley. A $10,000 grand prize and one-year supply of fresh Foster Farms chicken will be awarded to the contest’s grand-prize winner.

During the regional competition, judges Kathy Casey, celebrity chef and cookbook author; Cynthia Nims, contributor to Seattle Magazine and Cooking Light; and Jamie Peha, host of Table Talk Radio, selected Adelsman’s Brown Rice Chicken Salad and King’s Balsamic Mushroom Chicken with Honey Goat Cheese as their top picks based on their recipes’ use of fresh, local ingredients, including Foster Farms locally-grown chicken.

Adelsman and King beat out more than 2,000 home, amateur, and professional chefs residing in California, Oregon. and Washington who submitted their original chicken recipes for consideration.

Please enjoy the regional finalists’ winning recipes, below. Cluck, cluck.

Brown Rice Chicken Salad

Marci Adelsman

For the Salad:

1 1/4 pounds Foster Farms chicken tenders
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
4 cups cooked brown rice
1 cup diced celery
1/2 cup diced red onion
1/4 cup chopped green onion
1 cup diced red bell pepper
1/2 cup toasted almonds, chopped
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
1/3 cup chopped Italian parsley

For the Dressing:

1/2 cup olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons Dijon Mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper

1. In a medium skillet over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper, add to the pan, and sauté for 4 minutes per side or until cooked through. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside. When the chicken is cooled, dice into 3/4″ cubes.

2. In a large serving bowl, combine the brown rice, celery, red onion, green onion, almonds, Parmesan cheese, cranberries, basil, and parsley. Stir well to combine. In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, garlic, apple cider vinegar, honey, and mustard. Stir well to blend.

3. Add the chicken to the rice mixture. Slowly add the dressing to cover, tossing to coat well. Sprinkle with salt and pepper; toss again to combine.

Balsamic Mushroom Chicken with Honey Goat Cheese

Monica King

For the Chicken:

6 Foster Farms chicken breast halves, boneless and skinless
1/4 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup goat cheese (one 4-ounce package)
1 teaspoon honey

For the Mushroom Topping:

2 tablespoons canola oil
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

1. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, warm the canola oil. Add the mushrooms, salt, and pepper and sauté, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms have given up their liquid, about 7 minutes. Remove the mushrooms from the skillet and place in a medium bowl. Add the thyme, stir well, and cover with aluminum foil to keep warm.

2. Prepare the chicken by warming the canola oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the chicken on both sides with salt, pepper, and fresh thyme. Place in the skillet and cook, turning, about 7 minutes per side, or until cooked throughout. Remove from the pan and place on a large plate; cover with aluminum foil to keep warm.

3. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the balsamic vinegar to the skillet; deglaze the pan, scraping up the browned bits. Reduce the heat to low and cook until the vinegar reduces, about 3 minutes. Stir in the butter. Pour the glaze through a strainer and into a small bowl. Break up the goat cheese into small crumbles, add the honey, and stir to combine.

4. To serve, place the chicken breasts on a clean platter and top with the mushrooms. Drizzle the balsamic glaze over chicken and add the honey goat cheese crumbles on top of the mushrooms.

The ninth annual Cooking with Class fundraiser promises to be better than ever.

With each of 22 chefs teaching three, 30-minute classes to 176 guests, knives will flash and flames will fly!

Lucky guests attend three hands-on classes each, with wine donated by Northwest wineries.

This unique way to teach cooking classes has been such a hit, the concept and name have been trademarked.

The fundraiser also includes a raffle of culinary-related items as well as a small live auction with John Curley (formerly of Evening Magazine) and Jeremy McLachlan, exec chef at Salty’s on Alki, acting as the auction tag team.

The event benefits two of Providence Senior & Community Service’s programs–Providence Heritage House at the Market and Providence ElderPlace-Seattle. Both programs assist frail elderly people in King County.

Each year, many of the same chefs and guests return. Unlike more formal fundraisers, Cooking with Class is fun and casual. It even includes the annual auction of Wayne Johnson’s (executive chef at Andaluca)  wildly printed chef pants.

Details:

Event: Cooking with Class Fundraiser
Date: Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Time: Check in begins at 6 p.m., guests must be pre-registered
Location: Salty’s on Alki, 1936 Harbor Ave SW, Seattle
Website: www.seattledining.com/cwc (information, registration, payment)

Kurt Beecher Dammeier, founder of Beecher’s Handmade Cheese, at his shop in the Pike Place Market

Media types were invited to “Say cheese!” at the recent Cheeseup Tweetup held at Beecher’s Handmade Cheese in the venerable Pike Place Market.

We were encouraged to tweet the news (hashtag #festivalofcheese) as founder/owner Kurt Beecher Dammeier sampled us through ACS award-winning cheeses from the Pacific Northwest and told us about the upcoming American Cheese Society (ACS) Annual Conference & Competition, aka Cheese-a-topia, which will be held in our fair city August 25-28.

Dammeier is co-chair of the conference, and was instrumental in convincing cheesemakers from around the world to convene in Seattle. The ACS Conference & Competition will feature more than 1,000 of the country’s best cheeses, in events such as the “Festival of Cheese” cheese extravaganza at Benaroya Hall.

The Festival of Cheese event is open to the public, and tickets ($85) are available through Brown Paper Tickets.

Beecher’s Flatiron Cheese, named for the historic Flatiron Building in New York City, which will be a signature offering the company’s new Big Apple store

A display of ACS cheeses (Photo Courtesy of the ACS)

Earlier this week, I was lucky enough to be interviewed by Toni Reece of the Get Inspired Project. We chatted a few minutes before the interview and immediately clicked. . .two professional women trying to grow new Web sites and businesses.

Her twist is that the Get Inspired Project has a fast-approaching deadline of one year. I feel very fortunate she chose me for Day 323.

Here’s the link to the resulting transcript and audio of the interview in which she picked up on these key words as far as inspiration in my life: “Be aware. I think that that’s really important. Live in the moment. Don’t be thinking about the past or the future too much. Live in that moment and savor it, and then you can communicate your joy to others.”

Just got the good word that Pike Place Market’s venerable Pike and Western Wine Shop will expand its usual free Friday tasting on August 20, 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., to welcome best-selling cookbook author, award-winning television cooking show personality, chef, and restaurateur Lidia Bastianich.

Bastianich will sign copies of “Lidia Cooks From The Heart of Italy,” while guests sip complimentary tastes from Lidia’s own winery: Bastianich Vineyards. Bastianich Vineyards, which Lidia opened with her son, Joseph, is located in the Colli Orientali region of Friuli in Northwestern Italy, an area widely known for its wine production, terroir, and grape varieties such as Tocai Friulano, Schiopettino, and Refosco.

A limited number of cookbooks will be available for sale for $35, and a selection of wines from Bastianich Vineyards will also be available. The event is free and open to the public.

The book signing is in conjunction with Pike and Western’s weekly Friday tasting, usually held from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Wine-shop owner Michael Teer will be pouring tastes from Bastianich Vineyards, and Pike and Western’s knowledgeable staff will guide guests through the unique and informal tasting.

Lidia’s latest cookbook, “Lidia Cooks From The Heart of Italy” (Knopf, 2009), profiles 175 regional recipes from 12 regions of Italy. The featured regions include many lesser known parts of Italy including Molise, Liguria, Umbria, Abruzzo, Calabria, Valle d’Aosta, Le Marche, Trentino Alto Adige, Basilicata, and Sardinia as well as the famed Lombardy and Emilia Romagna.

Lidia herself has garnered much acclaim for the past two decades for her best-selling Italian cookbooks, six restaurants, entertainment company (Tavola Productions), and various cooking shows, including the Emmy-nominated “Lidia’s Italy” series. She also founded a second winery, La Mozza, with Joseph Bastianich and Mario Batali. Other cookbooks include “Lidia’s Family Table,” “Lidia’s Italian-American Kitchen,” “Lidia’s Italian Table,” and “La Cucina di Lidia.”

For more information on Lidia Bastianich, please visit www.lidiasitaly.com.

Located in Seattle’s historic Pike Place Market, Pike and Western Wine Shop has been pairing customers with the perfect bottle of wine since 1975. A local wine shop with a world view, Pike and Western has supported the local wine industry since its inception and also stocks an extensive selection of wines from around the world. In-store wine tastings are offered every Wednesday, 4-6 p.m. ($5) and every Friday, 3-6 p.m. (free). Visit online at www.PikeandWestern.com, follow on Twitter @PikeWesternWine or phone (206) 441-1307.