I don’t eat fried foods very often, so when I do I want to really make it count. These Zeppole–Lemon Donuts with Powdered Sugar–from chef/owner Ethan Stowell’s tantalizing Tavoláta in the Belltown neighborhood of downtown Seattle are the perfect reason to fall off the healthy-eating bandwagon.

They’re light and lemon-y and utterly addictive. Just don’t breathe in the powdered sugar while conversing over the dinner table, or you might choke!

These Lemon-Sugar Donuts join the Made-to-Order Doughnuts at Dahlia Lounge (where they’re served in a paper bag for shaking the sugar, alongside seasonal berry jam and vanilla mascarpone) and the Vanilla-Dusted Donuts for Two at ART Restaurant and Lounge in the Four Seasons Seattle Hotel (which come in a box with sides of Fromage Blanc Sorbet and Northwest Rhubarb Compote) as very-sweet finales to any meal and our Dish of the Day.

To me, this simple scene of stained-glass window, bottle of Albariño, fresh flowers in a simple vase, and streetscape outside sets the tone at Olivar, a Spanish restaurant located in the historic, and atmospheric, Loveless Building just off Broadway in Capitol Hill.

Here’s the Spicy Mixed Greens with Oven-Roasted Tomato, Croutons, and Aged Sherry Vinaigrette, a beautiful symphony of colors, textures, and flavors.

And here’s the fresh arugula salad with tender baby beets (in jewel tones of red and yellow), Caña de Oveja (semi-aged goat cheese), and balsamic drizzle.

A daily special of octopus with giant white beans, slender green beans, and a tomato filled with ratatouille didn’t disappoint, either.

But the star dish, among many, was listed as a “small plate” on the menu, although it was plenty enough as an entrée for me: Sea Scallops with Grilled Corn & Artichoke Relish, sauced with spicy, piquant Romesco.

Spencer’s choice–a large plate of Grilled Leg of Lamb with Nectarines, Roasted Garbanzo beans, and Spinach was chewy (in a good way) and flavorful.

That afore-mentioned bottle of Albariño was fruity, yet elegant, with crisp acidity that worked well with the peppery green olive oil and brilliant flavors of all our dishes.

My latest article for The Sunday Times Pacific Northwest magazine features Alicia Comstock Arter, a prize-winning baker, who shares her recipe for Cool-as-a-Cucumber Snack Cake. It’s a spicy, perfectly textured treat similar to a really good coffeecake with a streusel topping.

Serve it as is (the way Alicia and her family like it) or top with a dollop of crème fraïche or slightly sweetened whipped cream. A scoop of vanilla frozen yogurt forms a healthful choice, while a scoop of really rich, eggy, French vanilla ice cream is the ultimate decadence. Alicia’s tips on winning the big prize at the Puyallup Fair also make for fun, informative reading.

There’s nothing more comforting than a good fried-egg sandwich. And the French (as they do in so many culinary endeavors) take this classic to new heights in the guise of the Croque-Madame.

Here is Maximilien Restaurant’s Croque Madame served on the weekend brunch and weekday lunch menus at the restaurant’s waterfront location in the Pike Place Market. It’s made with Black Forest ham, béchamel, and cheese, all topped with two sunny-side up-eggs. You get to choose between hand-cut French fries or green salad.

For more than you ever wanted to know about the Croque Madame (and variations–such as the Croque Monsieur, which is the same sandwich sans the fried egg) here’s a link to WikiPedia.

Turning to a more heart-healthy option on the Maximilien midday menu, here’s my Salmon Caesar, properly called Saumon Grillé sur Salade Tiède. It features grilled salmon (sadly slightly overcooked on our last visit–be sure to ask for medium-rare if you like your salmon that way) atop meltingly tender butter lettuce (that wilts slightly under the heat of the fish), perfectly steamed new potatoes, pear tomatoes, a bit of red onion, walnuts, and Dijon vinaigrette (which I asked for on the side so I could sauce the salad myself). Think of all the heart-healthy Omega-3s in this main-dish salad, thanks to the salmon and the walnuts. I could eat it every day. . .

I’m off to my big wine event this evening at 7 p.m. at The Grape Choice in Kirkland. We’ll sample four NW wines, I’ll lead a discussion of my book and q/a, with a book signing afterwards. Hope to sell a lotta copies!

A few seats are left if you are looking for something fun to do this evening, but reservations are required. Please call Parkplace Books (this evening’s bookseller) to reserve: 425.828.6546.

A couple of weeks ago, in preparation for my “Taste” column that will be published this Sunday, September 13, in The Seattle Times Pacific Northwest magazine, I tested Cool-as-a-Cucumber Snack Cake, which won for both best cake in the vegetable category, and best overall cake submitted, in the 2008 Puyallup Fair.

The recipe was devised by my friend and colleague Alicia Comstock Arter, who’s Washington editor of the Zagat Guide, regional editor of Northwest Palate magazine, a blogger, and on Twitter (@AliciaArter).

Here’s a preview of the light, coffee-cake-like treat, rife with sugar-glazed pecans and a crunchy streusel topping. The recipe will appear along with the article, and the cake would make the perfect bake-sale item or as a treat in children’s lunch boxes this fall. Thanks for sharing the recipe, Alicia!

Roasted chicken is one of those benchmark dishes that Spencer and I love to try at various restaurants because such a seemingly simple dish can really show a chef’s mettle.

The Whole Roasted Chicken pictured below (Note: This very generous serving is meant to serve one person, not two!!!) is one of the best renditions about town, available at Le Pichet in the Pike Place Market, but only with one hour’s notice. And you have to be in the restaurant in person to order it–no phoning ahead!

Butter-basted to order, this Washington-raised chicken from Don & Joe’s Meats in the Pike Place Market has a crispy skin, moist and steamy interior, and tantalizing texture. The evening we enjoyed it, its chicken broth was swimming with fresh English peas, dandelion greens, and bite-sized bits of ham hock.

Half a chicken is way too much for me (especially after the Salade Verte–Butter Lettuce and Hazelnut Salad with Mustard-Hazelnut Vinaigrette–plus an interesting appetizer, such as Friture de Calamars Sur Salade Aux Pois-Chiches et Frisée–Fried Calamari and White Bean-Frisée Salad, pictured below).

Luckily for us, roasted-chicken leftovers make for a glorious soup or stew the next day.

This just in from Parkplace Books in Kirkland:

Friday, Sept. 11, 7 p.m.: An Evening of Wine Tasting and a Super Wine Book!

Join us as The Grape Choice and Parkplace Books host Braiden Rex-Johnson, author of Pacific Northwest Wining & Dining: The People, Places, Food and Drink of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and British Columbia. Sip, taste, and peruse some super wines as you hear from the author of this beautiful and informative book on wines of the Pacific Northwest. A definitive quality gift for the holidays!

This special evening will be held at The Grape Choice located at 7 Lakeshore Plaza in downtown Kirkland, facing the Marina area. Pacific Northwest Wining & Dining, along with the author’s other books, are currently available at Parkplace Books and will be available for purchase that evening. Seating is limited, so reservations are necessary. Please call or e-mail the bookstore at (425) 828-6546 or parkplacebooks@integra.net for reservations or questions.

A new (at least new to me) product that I discovered in our local downtown Seattle grocery store, the IGA/Kress Supermarket, makes baking a lot easier.

Land O’Lakes Butter now comes packaged in a convenient 1/2-pound size, with four half sticks of 1/4 cup each. At our store, I only (sadly) found the butter in the salted variety. I prefer unsalted for baking and most other uses so I can control the salt myself. Still, this is a good start for infrequent bakers such as me!

I love the stark elegance of calla lilies, the graceful way in which their ivory flowers curl and their stems droop slightly. Here’s an Asian-inspired arrangement I dreamed a few months back.

And here’s the same vase, radically different flowers. I love the bold vermillion color of the flowers, their vibrant green leaves, and their graceful height. So zen!

Here’s a beautiful bouquet we snapped in the lobby of the Pan Pacific Hotel in Vancouver. It’s scale and grandeur were truly majestic, on a scale that can’t be matched on our little condo stand!