Kay’s Cherries in Red Wine
Varietal: Dessert Wine (Ruby Port)

Serves 6

Kay Simon, co-owner with her husband Clay Mackey of Chinook Wines, is not only a talented winemaker, but a gifted cook who uses the foods of the season to create inspired original recipes. Here, she marinates fresh summer cherries in a Merlot-Brandy syrup flavored with cinnamon and lemon. The cherries make a lovely topping for sponge cake or chocolate cake, or simply enjoy them with a dollop of crème fraîche and a glass of Ruby Port, whose berry notes mirror the berry flavors in the marinated fruit.

2 cups Merlot or other dry red wine

1 cup granulated sugar

1 3-inch-long cinnamon stick

Zest of 1 medium lemon

Juice of 1/2 medium lemon

2 tablespoons Brandy

2 pounds fresh Bing or sweet cherries, rinsed, patted dry, and pitted

Homemade or store-bought sponge or chocolate cake

Fresh mint sprigs

1. In a small, nonreactive saucepan combine the Merlot, sugar, cinnamon stick, lemon zest, lemon juice, and Brandy until the sugar is dissolved. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the liquid reduces slightly and reaches a light syrup-y consistency, 20 minutes. Remove and discard the cinnamon stick and cool the syrup.

2. Place the cherries in a medium nonreactive bowl with a tight lid and pour the cooled syrup over them. Cover and marinate the cherries at least 1/2 hour and up to 2 hours at room temperature, turning several times. For longer storage, place the cherries in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

3. To serve, slice the cake and position the slices in dessert bowls or wine goblets. Divide  the cherries and syrup over the slices, add a dollop of crème fraîche, and top with the mint sprigs.

Grilled Asparagus with Hazelnut Vinaigrette and Pinot Noir Syrup
Varietal: Rosé or Pinot Noir

Serves 4

This lovely grilled asparagus recipe comes from Holly Smith, chef/owner of Café Juanita in Kirkland, Washington. It showcases several of the Northwest’s iconic items, including asparagus (known as “Yakima grass,” for it grows so quickly in the eastern part of Washington State during the summer months), hazelnuts (Oregon grows 97 percent of the country’s crop), and Pinot Noir. Perfect for summertime entertaining, the dish pairs nicely with either a slightly sweet Rosé or a young, berry-rich Pinot Noir.

2 pounds asparagus, hard ends removed, remaining portion rinsed, drained, and patted dry

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Kosher salt

Hazelnut Vinaigrette (Recipe follows)

Pinot Noir Syrup (Recipe follows)

2 tablespoons toasted hazelnuts, chopped

1. Preheat the grill or broiler.

2. Toss the asparagus in the olive oil and sprinkle with salt.

3. Grill or broil the asparagus, turning occasionally, until just tender (do not overcook!), 3 to 6 minutes (depending on thickness).

4. To serve, divide the asparagus among individual plates. Drizzle with the Hazelnut Vinaigrette and Pinot Noir Syrup, then sprinkle with the hazelnuts and serve warm or at room temperature.

Hazelnut Vinaigrette

Makes 3/4 cup

1 shallot, minced

1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

3 tablespoons sherry vinegar

1/4 cup hazelnut oil

6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Kosher salt

1. Place the shallot, mustard, lemon juice, and vinegar in a large bowl and whisk in the hazelnut oil and olive oil a few drops at a time until the mixture turns thick and smooth, then season to taste with salt. Alternatively, place the first four ingredients in a blender or food processor, pulse a few times to blend, then add the oils in a slow, steady stream until the sauce turns smooth and thickens slightly. Season to taste with salt.

2. Pour the sauce into a bowl or jar. If not using immediately, cover and refrigerate for later use.

Pinot Noir Syrup

Makes 2/3 cup

5 tablespoons organic granulated sugar or regular granulated sugar

1 bottle (750 milliliter) good-quality Pinot Noir or other red varietal, such as Merlot or Zinfandel

1. Melt the sugar in a large, heavy-bottomed, nonreactive saucepan over medium-high heat, without stirring, until the sugar turns golden. This will take 3 to 5 minutes, but watch carefully, since the sugar can burn quickly.

2. Carefully and slowly add one-quarter of the wine, which will bubble vigorously, stirring up the sugar mixture from the bottom of the pan. If desired, wear oven mitts to protect your hands from splatters. Add the remaining wine, bring to a boil, and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened and reduced to about 2/3 cup, 20 to 25 minutes.

3. Remove from the heat, cool at room temperature, and place in a glass jar or bottle. The syrup will thicken as it cools, and can be stored at room temperature for several months.

Cook’s Hint: When making the Pinot Noir Syrup, Holly prefers using organic instead of nonorganic granulated sugar. She explains, “Organic sugar melts and caramelizes quickly because it contains less water, plus it’s a beautiful pale golden color. I find it has a finer taste that’s less sweet in some ways than regular granulated sugar.”

Recipe reprinted from the Pike Place Market Cookbook, Second Edition (Sasquatch Books, $18.95) by Braiden Rex-Johnson.

Wild King Salmon with Macerated Cherries and Smoked Almond Beurre Noisette
Varietal: Pinot Noir

Serves 4
This recipe from Pacific Northwest Wining & Dining was created by Kevin Davis, chef/owner of Steelhead Diner in Seattle’s famous Pike Place Market. It showcases two of the Northwest’s iconic ingredients: fresh, wild salmon and dried cherries and would be perfect to try with the first run of Northwest salmon from the Columbia River. Pair it with another Northwest icon—Oregon Pinot Noir—which mirrors the lush berry, earthy, and smoky flavors in the dish. Some of my favorite Oregon Pinot Noir producers include reasonably priced versions such as Willamette Valley Vineyard’s amazing Whole Cluster Fermented Pinot Noir (which winery founder Jim Bernau characterizes as “Pinot Noir candy”) or luxury-priced Pinots from Domaine Serene and Archery Summit.
Macerated Cherries

1 cup dried cherries (Chukar brand preferred)

1 cup port or Madeira
Four 8-ounce Yukon River King salmon or other wild salmon fillets (center cuts preferred)

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter

1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary, or 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, crumbled

Freshly grated zest of 1 orange

1 cup smoked almonds, lightly crushed (Blue Diamond brand preferred)
1. To prepare the Macerated Cherries, place the dried cherries in a heatproof nonreactive bowl. Bring the port to a boil and pour over the cherries. Cover with plastic wrap and steep for 30 minutes. Cover and refrigerate if not using immediately.

2. Prepare a medium-low fire in a gas or charcoal grill. Brush the salmon with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place the fillets on the grill skin side down away from direct heat. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, turn the fish, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes more (for medium rare) or to the desired doneness.

3. While the fish is grilling, melt the butter in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Cook until the butter turns brown and gives off a nutty aroma. This is called beurre noisette in French, and translates as “brown butter.”

4. Remove the skillet from the heat and add the chopped rosemary, orange zest, almonds, and Macerated Cherries (drained and patted dry) in that order, pausing between each addition and stirring gently to allow each ingredient to render it essence into the butter. Be careful when adding the first two ingredients, as the butter may sizzle and pop. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

5. Place the salmon fillets on 4 dinner plates, top with the brown butter, and serve immediately.

Cook’s Hint: Wild king or Chinook salmon has a very high fat content and will tend to flame up if cooked too fast. It’s always a good idea to have a water bottle handy, just in case. Don’t leave the grill unattended at any time throughout the cooking process. Also, Chef Kevin has an easy way to prevent overcooking your fish. Simply turn the grill off when the fish is slightly underdone; this allows the carryover heat to finish cooking the fish.

Recipe reprinted from Pacific Northwest Wining & Dining: The People, Places, Food, and Drink of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and British Columbia (Wiley, $34.95) by Braiden Rex-Johnson.

Vietnamese Shrimp Rolls
Varietal: Riesling

Serves 4 as an entrée; 8 as an appetizer

These healthy shrimp rolls epitomize Vietnamese cuisine, which is characterized by the use of raw vegetables and light sauces—the perfect formula for springtime dining. They make a great appetizer (allow two per person) or main dish if you serve four per person and accompany with a hearty Asian-inspired soup or spicy vegetarian or chicken or shrimp stir-fry. Asian dishes often pair well with off-dry Rieslings. Washington State’s venerable Chateau Ste. Michelle is one of the world’s leading producers of the Riesling varietal, and makes several distinguished versions, including one of my favorites—Eroica—in conjunction with esteemed German winemaker Ernst Loosen. Another top producer is Long Shadows, which makes the always-lovely Poet’s Leap Riesling.

6 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice

2 tablespoons Vietnamese fish sauce (nuoc nam)

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 1/2 pounds pink (bay or salad) shrimp, rinsed, drained, and patted dry

16 pieces rice paper

16 soft lettuce leaves, such as Bibb, red or green leaf, or iceberg

2 cups bean sprouts, rinsed, drained, and patted dry

2 cups shredded carrots

1/2 cup crushed unsalted peanuts

4 green onions, roots and tips removed, cut into 1/8-inch rounds

Fresh basil leaves or fresh mint leaves

Hoisin Dipping Sauce (Recipe follows)

1. In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the lime juice, fish sauce, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Add the salad shrimp and toss well to coat. Cover the bowl and refrigerate.

2. Take out 2 large plates and pour 1/4 inch warm water into one of them. Place 1 piece of rice paper in the water and soak for 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until pliable. Do not allow to soak too long or the rice paper will tear. Remove the rice paper to a dry plate, then repeat the process with the remaining rice paper sheets.

3. Place lettuce leaves around the perimeter of a large serving platter. Put the shrimp in a serving bowl and place in the center of the platter. Put the bean sprouts, carrots, peanuts, green onions, and basil leaves in separate piles around the shrimp.

4. To serve, place the rice paper, prepared platter, and Hoisin Dipping Sauce on the table and allow everyone to make their own shrimp rolls by lining a piece of rice paper with a lettuce leaf and adding vegetables, shrimp, peanuts, and basil leaves and folding or rolling to close. The shrimp rolls can then be dunked in the sauce.

Hoisin Dipping Sauce

Makes about 3/4 cup

6 tablespoons hoisin sauce

6 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar

2 tablespoons soy sauce or low-sodium soy sauce

1. In a small mixing bowl stir together the hoisin sauce, seasoned rice vinegar, and soy sauce. If not using immediately, cover and refrigerate.

Recipe reprinted from the Pike Place Public Market Seafood Cookbook, Gift Edition (Ten Speed Press, 2005) by Braiden Rex-Johnson.

NEWSY NOTES

Pacific Northwest Wining & Dining Update

With Pacific Northwest Wining & Dining successfully launched and selling well, I’m back to full-time writing, with a fresh book proposal in the works and a new writing gig for the Seattle Times Pacific Northwest magazine. About once a month, I’ll write the magazine’s weekly “Taste” column, focusing primarily on the Northwest wine and beverage scene, but also occasionally turning my attention to food and travel. First bylines will appear next month. On May 18, look for “Breathing Room,” in which I compare the new Eisch Breathable Glasses from Germany with Riedel glassware. On May 25, look for “Seductive Summer Sippers,” which highlights a dozen of my favorite summer wines.

Meanwhile, we enjoyed spotting a copy of Pacific Northwest Wining & Dining in the window at the venerable Elliott Bay Book Company in Seattle’s Pioneer Square neighborhood. And a foodie friend reported seeing the book in the giftshop/bookstore at the Culinary Institute of America Greystone campus in the Napa Valley prominently featured in a tabletop display.

And on March 31, the Secret Ingredient Video Blog that I taped in January aired. I chose dried Northwest cherries as my “secret ingredient,” and demo-ed one of my favorite recipes from Pacific Northwest Wining & Dining: Wild King Salmon with Macerated Cherries and Smoked Almond Beurre Noisette, from Steelhead Diner in the Pike Place Market. The Vodcast is available on the Whole Foods Market Web site, YouTube, and iVillage. Here’s the link, as well as a photo from the shoot.

You can watch the Vodcast here.

This month, I’m really looking forward to Taste Washington, where I’ll do a booksigning on Saturday, April 5, from 11:15 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. during Education Day. www.tastewashington.org

And I’ll travel to the International Association of Culinary Professionals International Conference in New Orleans in April, where I’ll appear at the annual Cookbook Expo on Friday, April 18, from 2 p.m to 4 p.m. www.iacp.com

It’s never too early to mark your calendars for the ever-popular Platinum Dinner sponsored by Wine Press Northwest. We enjoyed the fifth annual dinner at the Columbia Tower Club (CTC) in February, where I debuted my Pacific Northwest Wining & Dining slide-show presentation. Next year’s Platinum, also hosted by the CTC, will be on Friday, January 30. Here’s a photo of Spencer and me with Seattle public relations maven Lori Randall at the fifth annual Platinum Dinner in February. www.winepressnw.com

Learn about Braiden’s upcoming appearances here.

To purchase a copy of Pacific Northwest Wining & Dining, please go to your local bookseller or visit Amazon’s Web site, www.amazon.com

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Pike Place Market News

Chukar Cherries 20th Anniversary
Chukar Cherry Company, a family-run business that started in the Pike Place Market, is celebrating its 20th birthday. Fresh and unique Chukar-brand products, such as my favorite Pinot Noir and Cabernet Chocolate Cherries, have become signature food gifts for locals and visitors stopping by the Pike Place Market in Seattle or traveling inland to the company’s headquarters in Prosser, Washington. You’ll enjoy founder Pam Montgomery’s recipe for Hazelnut-Crusted Chicken in Cherry-Wine Sauce, which appears on page 74 of Pacific Northwest Wining & Dining. www.chukar.com

Steelhead Diner in the News
The Market’s very own Kevin Davis, chef and co-owner of Steelhead Diner, was recently announced as a semifinalist for a 2008 James Beard Foundation Award in the category of Best Chef Northwest. Winners will be announced in early June, so stay tuned! www.steelheaddiner.com

Now that spring has officially sprung in the Market, why not pick up a copy of the Pike Place Market Cookbook or the Pike Place Public Market Seafood Cookbook for fresh recipe ideas from the Market’s leading farmers, fishmongers, restaurateurs, and chefs? Here’s a photo of our first salmon dinner of the season (enjoyed on March 22). I kept the preparation of the white salmon fillets, which hailed from southeast Alaska, simple by dusting them with Murray River sea salt (a light-of-flake, pale-pink sea salt from Australia) and Shichimi Togarashi (Japanese seven-spice blend) and grilling them on a stove-top grill. www.pikeplacemarket.org

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RESTO REVIEWS

Union
While wunderkind chef Ethan Stowell’s newer restaurants, Tavolàta and How to Cook a Wolf, capture most of the media buzz, a recent dinner at Union proved that Ethan’s flagship resto still shines supreme, with many menu items that easily trump those we sampled in New York City in December. I skipped over appetizers and went straight for the Pasta section of the menu, and wasn’t disappointed. Housemade chitarra was simply tossed with sweet sea urchin, chilies, and garlic. Like many of the dishes here, this combination of a few ingredients treated with respect in the kitchen rose above the sum of its simple parts. Potato Gnocchi turned creamy thanks to mascarpone cheese and extra flavorful thanks to a small forest full of black trumpet mushrooms. A beautiful rendition of Ocean Trout with Rice Beans, Manila Clams, and Speck (an herb-flavored cured ham from Italy) made for the most photogenic entrée we sampled, pictured below. www.unionseattle.com

TASTE Updates a Classic
A grilled cheese sandwich and a bowl of tomato soup instantly takes me back to childhood, when Mom mixed the Campbell’s Condensed variety with whole milk (gasp!) before slow-simmering. Next she stacked slices of plain white bread (yes, Wonder Bread!) with bright-orange Kraft Cheddar (yes—full-fat cheese!), broiled the sandwiches open-face style, and sprinkled them with granulated sugar (yes, white sugar!) before proudly serving it to my hungry little brother and me. TASTE Restaurant at the Seattle Art Museum goes Mom one better, serving up its sophisticated “griddled cheese” on potato bread and serving it alongside a bowl of “roasted tomato soup” at the bargain price of $8. www.tastesam.com

The Capital Grille is “Capital!”
Except for a long wait for our table in the bar during a busy holiday week, everything was “capital” at Seattle’s newest meat-lover’s mecca, the Capital Grille. While the Grille specializes in dry-aged steaks, I found much to love in the Chef’s Daily Seafood Feature—perfectly seared, medium-rare sea scallops surrounded by a citrus-rich reduction sauce and centered with a generous amount of shaved asparagus salad. It was the essence of spring on a plate, as shown in the photo below. The wine list is equally impressive, with more than 400 bottles, including 55 Washington-State reds and about 10 whites and almost a dozen Oregon Pinot Noirs. We enjoyed a bottle of Dusted Valley Old Vines 2006 Chardonnay ($50), a refreshingly unoaked version of the varietal, that paired equally well with both scallops and a VERY generous and perfectly roasted whole chicken. Ambience for the Seattle outpost of this East-Coast chain is club-like and masculine, with dark wood, Tiffany-style lamps, and leather booths and chairs. Everything seems to be a cut above competitors such as Morton’s or Ruth’s Chris, and certainly much better than The Daily Grill, located in the recently renovated Sheraton Seattle Hotel & Towers a few blocks away. www.thecapitalgrille.com

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SHORT TAKES

Dine Around Seattle Update
One of the joys of dining around Seattle in the months of March and November is taking advantage of the 30 for $30 (formerly known as the 25 for $25) program. With many options for a three-course meal at a reasonable price, it’s a great way to check out a new restaurant, or get reacquainted with an old favorite. In March, we stopped in at BOKA and The Oceanaire Seafood Room for dinner, and Barolo for lunch. Across the board, portion sizes were generous, offerings were inventive, and selections offered something for everyone, be they carnivores or vegetarians. Here’s a photo of the rich, satisfying, truffle-oil-drizzled Filetto di Maiale from Barolo—Pork Tenderloin with Sicilian Wine Reduction, Thyme, and Gorgonzola. www.dinearoundseattle.org

Tom Black Joins 35th Street Bistro
Long-time Seattle chef Tom Black has taken the reins in 35th Street Bistro in the Fremont neighborhood of Seattle. Chef Tom has a recipe for Arugula Salad with Lemongrass Vinaigrette and Goat Cheese in Pacific Northwest Wining & Dining (page 39) and has cooked his way around the region at distinguished restaurants such as Fullers, Barking Frog, and Alderbrook Resort & Spa. www.35bistro.com

Oceanaire Revamps Lunch Menu
In a bid to attract more lunchtime traffic, the Oceanaire Seafood Room has added several new items to its menu. Among the new favorites are the Chicory Barbecue Pulled Pork Sandwiches, served with Chef Eric Donnelly’s Chicory Barbecue and Sweet Chili Slaw. Meanwhile, on the dinner menu, the U-10 Diver Scallops and Duck Confit entrée with flageolet beans, bacon, parsley, and saba (a sweet-tart syrup made from ripe grapes) offers the best of both earth and ocean, as shown in the photograph below. www.theoceanaire.com

Updated Abbey Road Farm B&B Opens for 2008 Season
Abbey Road Farm, which is featured in Pacific Northwest Wining & Dining on page 142 with a recipe for Goat’s-Milk Cheesecake, opened for the 2008 season on March 1. The Willamette Valley bed-and-breakfast inn and 82-acre working goat farm is truly unique, for guests stay in luxurious guest suites converted from three working grain silos! Visitors can enjoy breakfasts in the original farmhouse kitchen, sip a glass of local wine around the outdoor fire pit, relax on the new deck overlooking vineyards and rolling hillsides, or visit the new AgriVino Wine Center. More adventuresome types can even try their hand at milking a friendly goat from the resident herd. www.abbeyroadfarm.com

Tilth Receives Top-10 Ranking
In late February, The New York Times announced that Tilth restaurant was among the top-10 best new restaurants across the country. Restaurant critic Frank Bruni extolled chef Maria Hines’ exacting approach to sourcing local foods and her deft hand at building complexity from simple, albeit exquisite, ingredients. Bruni used the word “inspired” to describe chef Hines, and we agreed after sampling her Croque Monsieur. Topped with a perfectly poached egg fresh from the nest, this deluxe version of the French ham-and-cheese sandwich appears on Tilth’s brunch menu. Don’t miss Maria’s lovely recipe for Golden Beet Carpaccio, which you’ll discover on page 20 of Pacific Northwest Wining & Dining. www.tilthrestaurant.com

Martha Dines at C Restaurant
During a recent visit to Vancouver for a speaking engagement, the one-and-only Martha Stewart and three associates dined at C Restaurant, which I describe in Pacific Northwest Wining & Dining as “simply one of the best restaurants in the world” (page 204). Martha and company sampled the new “Ethical Luxury Tasting Menu,” created by Chef de Cuisine Quang Dang. This menu featured Bamfield Pinto Abalone (C Restaurant is reportedly the only restaurant in the world to serve this product), Qualicum Beach Scallops, and Queen Charlotte Island Dungeness Crab, among other delightful, and sustainable, fare. www.crestaurant.com

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DISH OF THE MONTH

Zarzuela Shellfish Stew, a lovely, Mediterranean-inspired medley of Northwest shellfish (prawns, clams, mussels), finfish (salmon and halibut), and fingerling potatoes swimming in a tomato-y broth swirled with saffron aïoli, has been on the menu at Andaluca, in downtown Seattle’s Mayflower Park Hotel, since the restaurant’s early days. I return to it time and again when I want a warm, comforting bowl of yumminess. www.andaluca.com

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SUPER SIPS

Willamette Valley Vineyards Named Hottest Small Brand in 2007
Willamette Valley Vineyards has earned the coveted “Hottest Small Brand” of 2007 from Wine Business Monthly, the industry’s leading trade publication for wineries and growers. Cyril Penn, the Editor of Wine Business Monthly (WBM) wrote: “Willamette Valley Vineyards is one of those wineries demonstrating that you can increase quality while increasing production; the two aren’t mutually exclusive.” Each year, the publication selects the top-10 Hottest Small Brands of the Year. The criteria for being included on the list include, “wines that deliver value and execute their vision particularly well,” Penn noted. www.willamettevalleyvineyards.com

650-Acre Wallula Vineyard Purchased
In March, Allen Shoup, founder of Long Shadows Vintners, along with members of a small investor group, purchased the acclaimed Wallula Vineyard in the Horse Heaven Hills of Washington State from the Den Hoed family, which has farmed Washington wine grapes since 1978 and purchased the property in 1997. The purchase price was not disclosed, but it is believed to be the highest price ever paid for a contiguous vineyard in Washington State. www.longshadows.com

James Beard House Welcomes the Northwest
This month and next, the Northwest will be well represented at the venerable James Beard House in New York City. On April 28, Portland’s Andina restaurant will prepare a “Novo-Peruvian Dinner” for James Beard attendees. A special out-of-House event will take place in McMinnville, Oregon, on April 2, in conjunction with the Portland Indie Wine Festival Celebration. Next month, chef Bobby Moore of Barking Frog restaurant in Woodinville travels to the Beard House to present his Taste of Washington Wine Country dinner on May 29. Bobby has a wonderful recipe for Petite Lamb Burgers in Pacific Northwest Wining & Dining (page 48), and I enjoyed doing a booksigning with him last fall, as shown below. www.jamesbeard.org

Top Table Restaurants Collect Top Honors
During the 30th annual Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival, Araxi, Blue Water Cafe, CinCin, and West each received a prestigious award in recognition of establishing one of the Festival’s top wine programs. Blue Water Cafe and West were among only three restaurants overall to receive the top honor of the inaugural Platinum Award. CinCin and Araxi are among a distinguished group of 17 restaurants adorned with the Gold designation. You’ll enjoy recipes from both Araxi (page 200) and West (page 202) in Pacific Northwest Wining & Dining. www.toptable.ca

Walla Walla Wines Taste Great
In early March, Taste Walla Walla Seattle took place at McCaw Hall in Seattle Center. More than 400 consumers enjoyed wines from almost 60 Walla Walla Valley vintners. Call me crazy, but in this sea of legendary red wines and venerable wineries, I tasted only white wines and Rosés as research for my summer wines article. Among my favorites were the à Maurice Cellars 2006 Chardonnay (Columbia Valley), Dunham Cellars 2006 Four-Legged White (Columbia Valley), JLC Winery’s 2005 The Muse Rosé (Walla Walla Valley), and Sleight of Hand 2006 The Magician (Gewürztraminer) from the Columbia Valley. www.wwvwa.com

Vintners-in-the-Vineyard Dinner Series
On April 3, May 15, and June 5, the Willamette Valley’s Ponzi Vineyards will celebrate the vineyards, and the long-standing grape-growing partnerships behind them, with special four-course wine dinners prepared by Jason Stoller Smith, partner/chef of The Dundee Bistro. You’ll enjoy Chef Jason’s recipe for Tuscan Pork Ribs, which are found on page 150 in Pacific Northwest Wining & Dining. www.ponziwines.com

WSU Offers “Vine to Wine” Workshop
On April 12 and 13, Washington State University Extension viticulturists and enologists, in collaboration with wine-industry professionals, are offering a two-day intensive workshop. The workshop is designed for anyone considering planting a new vineyard or establishing a winery. On day one of the workshop, participants learn how to start a vineyard. On the second day, Washington winemakers and wine educators address what to look for in grapes, the intricacies of fermentation, the science of red and white winemaking, designing your winery, what equipment to purchase and how to clean it, and the economics of establishing and running a winery. http://winegrapes.wsu.edu/workshop.html

NEWSY NOTES

Pacific Northwest Wining & Dining Update

Exciting news. Wine Enthusiast chose Coriander-Crusted Albacore Tuna with Spicy Buckwheat Noodle Salad as its March Recipe of the Month! The recipe, along with a four-color plate shot, appeared on page 17, and included a photo credit for the book’s talented photographer, Jackie Johnston.

On February 1, I debuted a slideshow presentation based on text and photos from Pacific Northwest Wining & Dining at the fifth annual Platinum Dinner. Sponsored by Wine Press Northwest (where I’ve been food-and-wine-pairing columnist for the past eight years!) the dinner took place at the venerable Columbia Tower Club. I also presented the show at Molbak’s garden center, the Bellevue Regional Library, and to the Seattle Chapter of Les Dames d’Escoffier.

On March 31, the Secret Ingredient Video Blog that I taped in January will air. Theme of the weekly-changing series of Vodcasts is a chef’s “secret ingredient,” and I chose dried Northwest cherries as my secret ingredient. I used the cherries to demo one of my favorite recipes from Pacific Northwest Wining & Dining: Wild King Salmon with Macerated Cherries and Smoked Almond Beurre Noisette, from Steelhead Diner in the Pike Place Market. The Vodcast is available on the Whole Foods Market Web site, YouTube, and iVillage. I’ll post the actual link in next month’s edition of Northwest Notes. Here I am on set prepping the recipe (photo below).

While I don’t have any appearances scheduled in March, I’m really looking forward to Taste Washington (April 5 and 6), where I’ll do a booksigning or two, and the International Association of Culinary Professionals International Conference in New Orleans in mid-April, where I will appear at the annual Cookbook Expo.

With the book successfully launched, I’m back to writing, with a fresh book proposal in the works, and a new writing gig for the Seattle Times Pacific Northwest magazine. About once a month, I’ll write the magazine’s weekly Taste column, focusing primarily on the Northwest beverage scene (wine, beer, hard cider, etc.), but also occasionally turning my attention to food and travel. First bylines will appear in May.

To purchase a copy of Pacific Northwest Wining & Dining, please go to your local bookseller or visit Amazon’s Web site, www.amazon.com

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Pike Place Market News

March signals the start of spring in the Market, and nothing epitomizes this more than Daffodil Day. On Thursday, March 20, look for dozens of Market employees around downtown and in surrounding neighborhoods passing out 30,000 bright yellow daffodils to wish shoppers and pedestrians a “Happy Spring!”

Other Market-related activities are picking up as well. The fourth annual Care for the Market luncheon, which benefits the Market’s four human-service agencies, will take place on March 6 at the Paramount Theatre. Beloved Seattle celebrity chef, cookbook author, and radio host Tom Douglas is the keynote speaker. Tom Douglas Catering will prepare lunch, with a minimum suggested donation of $150 per person.

Speaking of charity, Starbucks, whose first store is located in the Market, generously donated $5,000 per year for the next five years, earmarked for the Market’s Farmer Relief Fund. The Farmer Relief Fund was created in 1999 after a hailstorm struck the Puget Sound area, destroying the crops of many Pike Place Market farmers.

On March 30, barbecue experts will once again invade Pike Place for the annual Pike Place Market Barbecue Competition. This year’s event is a state competition, and will draw the best cooks from all around the region. Come around lunchtime and chow down on a pulled-pork sandwich! All proceeds from food sales benefit the Market Foundation. www.pikeplacemarket.org

Now that spring has officially sprung in the Market, why not pick up a copy of the Pike Place Market Cookbook or the Pike Place Public Market Seafood Cookbook for fresh recipe ideas from the Market’s leading farmers, fishmongers, restaurateurs, and chefs?

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RESTO REVIEWS

Treasurable Txori

I’ve dined twice at Txori (pronounced CHOR-ee), Joseba and Carolin Jimenez de Jimenez’s smaller sibling to the Harvest Vine, located in Seattle’s trendy Belltown. And each time I’ve had one of the most joyful experiences of my life! Perhaps it’s because, during my sophomore year in college, I was an exchange student in Madrid. Txori immediately whisks me back to open-air meals in student cafés, where I inevitably ordered jamón con queso (a ham-and-cheese sandwich) while sipping agua tónica con hielo (tonic water with ice) and discussing how best to save the world with my Spanish counterparts in my sloppy Spanish. At Txori, the “small plates” are truly that, perfectly imagined and crafted nibbles presented on a lovely array of ceramics and glassware. Pulpo a la Plancha (Grilled Octopus) is a tender tentacle or two drizzled with fresh olive oil and sprinkled with sea salt. Piquillo con Brandade is one smoky, scarlet piquillo pepper stuffed with creamy salt cod and potato. Be sure to order anything containing gulas (baby “eels” that are somehow, almost magically, made out of hake, a traditional Spanish finfish). The version with garlic and olive oil is reminiscent of Baked Escargots, but a lot healthier. Either the coffee flan or nut tart makes a lovely choice for a sweet finale. Or order both, along with extra spoons, for sharing. www.harvestvine.com

Toast for Two

Melissa Nyffeler’s heartfelt venture, Dinette, located in Capitol Hill, is a welcome roost on a cold night, for it offers a selection among nine different grilled toasts, which may be the world’s most delicious comfort food. A couple of toasts we enjoyed on a recent Sunday evening included Gorgonzola Dolce (blue cheese with toasted walnuts and balsamic syrup) and Broccoli Rabe Pesto (pesto with Fontina cheese and Tuscan salami). Bowls of Steamed Mussels with Green Apple, Smoky Bacon, Mushrooms, and Calvados Cream and Handmade Ricotta Gnocchi with Braised Beef Short-Rib Ragu sent us back into the cold air with warm, happy tummies. www.dinetteseattle.com

Only in Seattle!

We were so happy to share the long-running party that is the Pike Place Market’s Pink Door restaurant with our good buddy Debra Prinzing, a garden and design writer from Los Angeles, when she flew in for the Northwest Garden & Flower Show in February. Our langorous dinner included two bottles of Northwest wine (Novelty Hill Sauvignon Blanc and an Oregon Chardonnay), sautéed calamari, perfectly cooked risotto with pancetta, a whole grilled branzino, and the fish of the day—striped marlin. Another bonus of eating at the Pink Door is the daily entertainment. On Sunday and Monday evenings, you can watch the gorgeous trapeze artist twist and twirl overhead while you enjoy dinner, as attested to in the photo below. www.thepinkdoor.net

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SHORT TAKES

The Farmer-Chef Connection
In early February, a crowd of 150 people attended the fifth annual Farmer-Chef Connection, a conference sponsored by Seattle Tilth. The conference seeks to join local producers (such as farmers and fishers) with buyers (such as chefs) so that they can conduct business face to face. Agri-culinary tourism was a hot topic, explored by a panel of experts including Fernando Divina (chef at Tendrils restaurant at SageCliffe), Susan Ujcic (Helsing Junction Farm), Charles Finkel (The Pike Brewing Company), Janet Leduc (Washington Wine Country), and Fred Fleming (Shepherd’s Grain). Conference organizers wisely waited until after the gourmet lunch (featuring dishes devised from many of the participants’ fresh fruits and vegetables, grain products, shellfish, and finfish) to schedule Chef Tamara Murphy’s demonstration on how to break down a whole pig (see photo, below). Attendees also learned about winter crops and value-added products, and how to conserve and share precious water resources. During the late-afternoon closing reception, conference-goers mingled and networked while sampling local cheeses, smoked seafood, and beverages, such as Pike Pale Ale, Red Barn Cider, and wines from Kiona Vineyards and Winery. www.seattletilth.org

Dine Around Seattle in March
Dine Around Seattle, formerly the 25 for $25 promotion, is back on the menu March 2-31. All month long, Sundays through Thursdays, 30 select Seattle-area restaurants will offer prix-fixe dinners for $30, and many will also offer prix-fixe lunches for $15. This price will not include beverage, tax, or gratuity and menus will not be available on Easter Sunday, March 23. One exciting change for March will be the addition of the Pike Place Market’s own Steelhead Diner, which replaces Cascadia Restaurant in Belltown. www.dinearoundseattle.org

Kudos to Mission Hill’s Terrace Restaurant
In the February 2008 issue of Travel + Leisure magazine, Mission Hill Family Estate’s Terrace Restaurant was named one of the top five winery restaurants in the world. In an article entitled “Top Winery Restaurants,” the publication refers to Mission Hill Family Estate as “the centerpiece of the Canadian wine tourism industry” and the Terrace as “one of the most glorious dining experiences around.” Terrace Chef Matt Batey, under the direction of Winery Chef Michael Allemeier, has developed a signature cuisine de terroir which highlights the palette of flavors and ingredients unique to the Okanagan Valley. Guests at the Terrace enjoy culinary creations al fresco with breath-taking views of the winery’s courtyard and vineyards and the spectacular Okanagan Lake. You’ll find Chef Allemeier’s recipe for Roasted Halibut with Shellfish Cioppino in Pacific Northwest Wining & Dining, page 245, and a photo of the Terrace graces the book’s cover. The photo below shows Chef Allemeier’s ode to spring—Scallop and Spring Ragout. www.missionhillwinery.com

Photography by Hamid Attie

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DISH OF THE MONTH

Trellis, in the new Heathman Hotel in Kirkland, Washington, hits the mark on many levels, thanks to the dedication of long-time Seattle chef Brian Scheehser (The Hunt Club), who grows many of the baby greens and herbs featured on his menu. We loved his beet, sliced orange, and frisée salad, kaleidoscope spheres of red and orange beets with a ruff of curly frisée and fried leeks; the impressive Grilled Flat-Iron Steak; and the silky peanut-butter cookies on the Trellis Cookies plate. But of all the dishes we sampled, most warming was his Pacific Seafood Soup, served in a sturdy Staub cast-iron pot, and brimming with fresh shellfish of the season (clams, mussels, and prawns), along with salmon and whitefish, and a not-too-saffron-y, not-too-tomato-y herb broth, as well as crostini and rouille, for a combination that let the simple goodness of the seafood shine through and through. www.trellisrestaurant.net

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SUPER SIPS

Washington Wine Month Special Events
Throughout the month of March, several Seattle restaurants will honor Washington Wine Month with special dinners and wine pairings. Started in 2000 by the Washington Wine Commission, Washington Wine Month helps foster connections between the state’s culinary community and wineries.

From March 4-28, Tuesdays through Fridays, Rover’s, located in the Madison Valley neighborhood, will serve a four-course tasting menu paired with Chateau Ste. Michelle wines. Rover’s celebration of Washington Wine Month culminates on March 26, with an exclusive wine dinner co-hosted by Rover’s chef/owner Thierry Rautureau and Chateau Ste. Michelle CEO Ted Baseler. Last September, we enjoyed my birthday dinner at Rover’s. Here’s a shot of one of the memorable seafood dishes from Chef Thierry’s nine-course tasting menu. www.rovers-seattle.com

Qube, located in downtown Seattle, is launching a “Candlelight and Wine” series during Washington Wine Month. On Saturday nights in March, from 9:30 p.m. to midnight, fusion-style hors d’oeuvres and a flight of four wines will be served in the wine bar and lounge. Leading Washington winemakers, such as Brian Carter of Brian Carter Cellars, will be on hand to discuss their creations. To reserve, call (206) 770-5888.

Jason Wilson, chef/owner at Crush, located in Seattle’s Central District, is offering a five-course tasting menu and wine pairings. In a twist on the norm, Wilson is serving one set of wine pairings for the first two weeks of the promotion, and another for the latter two weeks. His rationale? To expose diners to “more excellent Washington wines,” according to a press release. Meanwhile, on March 9, Crush hosts Mark McNeilly of Mark Ryan Winery and Trey Busch of Sleight of Hand Cellars for an “over-the-top” winemaker dinner. www.chefjasonwilson.com

Northwest Wine Academy Spring Release
On March 21 and 22, South Seattle Community College’s Northwest Wine Academy will hold its Spring Barrel Tasting, which is open to the public. The Academy’s 2007 Rosé and 2007 Riesling will be released; the 2006 Petit Verdot, 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon, and 2006 Late-Harvest Sauvignon Blanc will be for sale; and several barrel samples will be available to taste. www.southseattle.edu/programs/proftech/wine.htm

James Beard House Welcomes the Northwest
In the next two months, the Northwest is going to be well represented at the venerable James Beard House in New York City. On March 3, Nick’s Italian Café, a long-time Northwest favorite located in downtown McMinnville, Oregon, will pair with award-winning Oregon winemaker Rob Stuart for an Oregon Winemaker Dinner. Chef/Owner Nick Pierano’s recipe for Dungeness Crab and Pine Nut Lasagne appears in Pacific Northwest Wining & Dining on page 138. And Joie Wines, whose recipe for Claybank Farm Lavender Biscuits appears in the book on page 232, will partner with Chef Angus An of Vancouver’s Gastropod Restaurant for dinner at the Beard House on March 15. The dinner is entitled, “Modern Canadian Gastronomy.” Next month, Portland’s Andina restaurant will prepare a “Novo-Peruvian Dinner” for James Beard attendees on April 28. Finally, a special out-of-House event will take place in McMinnville, Oregon, on April 2, in conjunction with the Portland Indie Wine Festival Celebration. www.jamesbeard.org

GoldLeaf Breakfast
Varietal: Pinot Gris or Sparkling Wine

Serves 4
I first enjoyed this light, yet elegant breakfast dish during a Christmas-time train ride from Vancouver, British Columbia, to Banff, Alberta, aboard the Rocky Mountaineer. While a winter wonderland passed by our windows as we traversed the Canadian Rockies by rail, we sipped Sumac Ridge Pinot Gris and savored our lightly scrambled eggs wrapped in wild British Columbia smoked salmon, drizzled with dill crème fraîche, and topped with paddlefish caviar. Finely crafted British Columbia sparkling wines, such as Sumac Ridge Steller’s Jay Brut, Summerhill Pyramid Winery Cipes Brut, or Blue Mountain Brut Sparkling Wine, would also make for festive pairings.
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons buttermilk
2 tablespoons minced fresh dill, plus extra sprigs for garnish
1/2 pound thinly sliced cold-smoked salmon (Note: Use cold-smoked, as opposed to hot-smoked, salmon for this dish.)
12 large eggs
Pinch of kosher salt
Pinch of freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 ounce domestic (trout or paddlefish) caviar
1. At least 1 day before you plan to serve, mix the cream with the buttermilk in a small, clean glass jar with a lid. Let stand at room temperature (about 70°F) without disturbing for 8 to 24 hours, or until the cream thickens. Stir well, cover, refrigerate, and use within 10 days. Ten minutes before serving, remove the crème fraîche from the refrigerator and stir in the minced dill.
2. Line the inside of 4 small ramekins or custard cups with plastic wrap. Line each bowl evenly with the smoked salmon, covering all areas completely, but being careful not to layer the salmon too thickly. Cover the ramekins loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
3. Whisk the eggs, salt, and pepper together in a large mixing bowl. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat until it foams. Add the eggs and cook, stirring frequently to allow the eggs to cook, until medium-firm, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from the heat. Immediately fill the salmon-lined ramekins with the eggs, pressing down firmly to mold the eggs.
4. To serve, place a dinner plate over each ramekin, hold the plate firmly over the ramekin, turn it over, and unmold, removing and discarding the plastic wrap. Drizzle each with 1/4 cup of the crème fraîche and 1/4 ounce of the caviar. Garnish with a sprig of dill and serve immediately.
Cook’s Hint: If you do not want to make your own crème fraîche at home (although it is a fun “science project” that every curious cook should try at least once) simply substitute the store-bought variety.
Recipe reprinted from Pacific Northwest Wining & Dining: The People, Places, Food, and Drink of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and British Columbia (Wiley, $34.95) by Braiden Rex-Johnson. Available at Amazon.

NEWSY NOTES

Pacific Northwest Wining & Dining Update

Early in January, we received the very welcome news that Pacific Northwest Wining & Dining had gone into its second printing after only nine weeks, a truly thrilling development. Also early in the month, we enjoyed a 35-minute ferry ride across Elliott Bay for a book signing and my presentation of a new speech at the venerable Eagle Harbor Book Co. on Bainbridge Island. In business for 40 years, this independent bookseller supports the island population’s book needs, and offers an impressive line-up of author appearances.

In mid-January, I spoke with Liane Hansen of National Public Radio in Washington, DC. Situated before a microphone in NPR satellite station KUOW in Seattle, I spent a very enjoyable 30 minutes discussing the wonders of the Pacific Northwest food-and-wine scene for a segment that was ultimately condensed into 8 minutes and 59 seconds. After Weekend Edition Sunday aired multiple times on Sunday, January 13, I received congratulatory e-mails and phone calls from all over the country (thanks, family and friends!).

That Sunday afternoon, the Amazon ranking for Pacific Northwest Wining & Dining soared from 135,000 to 180, and the ”bump” from the NPR interview, NPR’s subsequent e-mail blast about the interview, and the popularity of the interview link on the Internet helped boost the book’s Amazon ranking for weeks afterward.

The same day as the NPR interview aired, I taped an episode of the Secret Ingredient Video Blog at Whole Foods Market in Seattle. Theme of the weekly-changing series of Vodcasts is a chef’s “secret ingredient,” and I chose dried Northwest cherries as my secret ingredient. I used the cherries to demo one of my favorite recipes from Pacific Northwest Wining & Dining: Wild King Salmon with Macerated Cherries and Smoked Almond Beurre Noisette, from Steelhead Diner in the Pike Place Market. I’ll keep you posted on when the weekly-changing Vodcast is available on the Whole Foods Market Web site, YouTube, and iVillage—sometime in February, March, or April. Here I am chatting up the book with host Scott Simons (photo below).

February promises a fresh crop of appearances [appearances link], including booksignings and slideshow presentations at one of my favorite events of the year—the Columbia Tower Club Platinum Dinner (sponsored by Wine Press Northwest) on February 1; Molbak’s on February 9; and the Bellevue Regional Library on February 22.

To purchase a copy of Pacific Northwest Wining & Dining, please go to your local bookseller or visit Amazon’s Web site, www.amazon.com

Pike Place Market News

January and February are historically quiet months in the Market, when farmers take well-deserved holidays, and farmland lies fallow until spring. During these quiet months on the farm tables, make time to revisit the highstalls (the Market’s seven permanent fruit and vegetable stands), fishmongers, and specialty-food shops (such as DeLaurenti Specialty Food & Wine, The Souk, and Oriental Mart). Get to know the owners, ask questions, and discover some new, exciting ingredients to brighten your winter menus. Or pick up a copy of the Pike Place Market Cookbook or the Pike Place Public Market Seafood Cookbook for fresh recipe ideas from the Market’s leading farmers, fishmongers, restaurateurs, and chefs. www.pikeplacemarket.org

You can also turn winter blahs into winter “aaahs” with greenhouse-grown flowers now available on Market farmtables in the North Arcade. Alm Hill Gardens, a family-run operation that has been selling at the Market for more than 30 years, offers mix-and-match tulips in rainbow shades, along with aromatic hyacinths in stark white, vibrant pink, and periwinkle. Market farmer Ted Jonkheer of Jonkheer Greenhouses brings his tulips and other flowers from the fertile Skagit Valley, where he’s farmed since 1963. Winter bouquets add brightness to any desk or table, whether for a special occasion or daily “pick-me-up.” And fresh-cut flowers form the perfect solution for what to get your sweetie for Valentine’s Day!

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RESTO REVIEWS

Joule is a Jewel

Chefs Seif Chirchi and Rachel Yang have been on the radar screens of local foodies since serving as opening chefs at Coupage restaurant in Seattle’s Madrona neighborhood. During their first three months in the kitchen there, they garnered three-star reviews from both the Seattle Times (January 2007) and the Seattle Post-Intelligencer (January 2007). Due to “creative differences” with Chef/Owner Tom Hurley, the couple departed Coupage in May 2007. In November, they realized a long-held dream—to open their own restaurant—and christened it Joule, named after the scientific unit of energy. This warm, small (35 seats in the restaurant and eight seats at the bar), darkly inviting restaurant is located in the Wallingford neighborhood of Seattle on North 45th Avenue, which is quickly becoming something of a mini-Restaurant Row, with Tilth (see “Tilth Brunch” article, below) and Smash Wine Bar just down the street.

Yang is a Culinary Institute of America (Hyde Park) grad and cooked her way around New York City at white-tablecloth places such as Per Se and Alain Ducasse at the Essex House, where she and Chirchi met. They tag their resto as “eclectic American,” with heavy influences of Korean and French ingredients and techniques. The menu is divided into sections such as Tossed (Salads), Crisped (Small Appetizers), and Sparked (Entrées). We enjoyed a delicately flavored salad of chilled seafood with daikon and sweet chili vinaigrette that was poetry on the plate. Joule already has a steady following for its Spicy Beef Soup with Tender Leeks and Crème Fraîche (listed under the “Simmered” section of the menu), although we opted for the AMAZING Cornbread, Preserved Garlic, and Smoked Gouda appetizer (save your calories for this one—it’s worth it!), as well as the Crispy Kalamata Olive Gnocchi with Toasted Almond and Sweet Pepper. Appetizers are visually stunning, arriving in small ramekins, iron pots, and glass bowls composed over large plates and serving vessels.

Seafood lovers will thrill to the choice among THREE whole fish of the day, such as Branzino, Mackerel, Anchovies, or Dourade on the Bone, specimens whose flesh falls sensuously off the bone thanks to perfect oven roasting. Among other enticing entrée choices are Bison Hanger with Garlic Chive Chimichurri and Preserved Garlic or Veal Sweetbreads with Tomato Sauce and Pickled Sweet Pepper. Don’t forget to order something from the “Pickled” section of the menu, such as the Cucumber Kimchi with Shiitake Mushrooms, which arrives in its own miniature Mason jar.

The small, well-thought-out wine list includes reasonably priced selections from Washington, Oregon, and around the world, as well as sake and beer. We were particularly impressed to see beverages by the glass such as Viento Riesling from the Columbia Gorge, Wash., and Hou Hou Shu Sparkling Nigori Sake. www.joulerestaurant.com

Tilth Brunch

Tilth restaurant, the heartfelt operation of long-time Seattle chef Maria Hines, started offering brunch on Saturdays and Sundays a few months ago, but we didn’t have a chance to sample it until early January. I’ve always love the sunny-bright dining room, located in a small house decorated with light and airy furnishings. I enjoyed a simple lunch of Butternut Squash Bisque and Baby Red Butter Lettuce Salad with Blood Orange, Blue Cheese, and Hazelnuts (photo below). Spencer loved the Croque Monsieur. The ham and Gruyère sandwich was napped in creamy Béchamel sauce and topped by a still-quivering, perfectly poached egg fresh from the nest. A glass of Sparkling Beaujolais tempted the taste buds and perked the palate. You’ll find Maria’s recipe for Golden Beet Carpaccio with Herb Vinaigrette in Pacific Northwest Wining & Dining on pages 20-21. www.tilthrestaurant.com

Flying Fish

Owner/Founder/Chef Chris Keff keeps dishing up her long-time menus standards, along with new delights, at Seattle’s venerable and ever-popular Flying Fish. Tried-and-true favorites, such as Fried Oyster Caesar Salad and Grilled Fish Tacos with Charred Tomato Salsa, Guacamole, and Hand-Made Tortillas are always a comforting delight—classics we love to revisit time and again. Meanwhile, an entrée of Neah Bay Steelhead with Five-Spice Marinade, Noodles, Mushroon Stir-Fry, and Black-Bean Vinaigrette (photo below) shows off Chris’s prowess with southeast Asian/fusion cuisine. With its spicy components and rich textures (soft wood-ear mushrooms, steaming noodles, and lush salmon-like steelhead), this dish made a perfect pairing with the 2005 Holloran Vineyard Wines Chehalem Mt. Vineyard Riesling from Oregon’s Willamette Valley. The wine exhibited lovely petrol notes in the nose and fresh pear and tropical-fruit flavors in the mouth along with a slight sweetness, all backed by just the right amount of acidity and a resounding finish. www.flyingfishrestaurant.com

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SHORT TAKES

West Taps New Exec Chef

Warren Geraghty, one of London’s leading chefs, will make his Vancouver, BC, debut at West restaurant in South Granville early this month after the departure of Chef David Hawksworth last December. Geraghty was most recently chef at L’Escargot restaurant in Soho. Prior to that, he manned the stoves at Aurora, The Orrery, Chez Nico, and Pied à Terre in London. In Cannes, he worked alongside master chef Richard Neat as head chef at Restaurant Neat. While there, the London Evening Standard noted that Geraghty was “instrumental in obtaining the Michelin star.” You’ll find my thoughts on West, and a recipe from former chef Hawksworth, in Pacific Northwest Wining & Dining (page 202). www.westrestaurant.com

Salty’s Good Ciao Dinner

In mid-January, under piercingly clear skies, and with the skyline of Seattle as a backdrop, a room full of foodies and wine lovers welcomed Italian chef Roberto Russo to Salty’s on Alki’s third annual “Under the Alki Moon” dinner. Rosso was in town to debut his new cookbook, Good Ciao: Recipes Embracing the Flavors of Tuscany, Umbria and the Pacific Northwest. Co-written with Salty’s co-owner Kathryn Kingen, the book is a beautiful four-color production containing 57 recipes from Russo and 12 from the chefs at the three Salty’s locations in Seattle and Portland. Recipes we sampled that evening included Chef Russo’s Tagliatelle with Chickpeas and Shrimp (paired with Alexandria Nicole Viognier) and Tuscan Soup (Fielding Hills Merlot). Salty’s on Alki Chef Jeremy McLachlan gifted the crowd with an outstanding Orange-Flavored Duck with Brussels Sprouts Salad, which award-winning Sommelier Tim O’Brien paired with Walter Clore Reserve Red. Sea Bass Three Ways (in the styles of three of Salty’s top toques) paired nicely with Chelan Estate Pinot Noir, and Chocolate Surprises by Salty’s on Alki über pastry chef Jane Gibson made a sweet match with Barnard Griffin Syrah Port (dessert pictured below). www.saltys.com

Award-Winning Hotel Vintage Plaza

Portland’s Hotel Vintage Plaza, which hosted me during my book-launch tour of the Rose City back in November, made the top-500 list in both Travel + Leisure’s 2008 World’s Best Hotels and Condé Nast Traveler’s 14th Annual Gold List. Not only was the hotel selected as one of the world’s best hotels by both publications, it was the only Portland hotel to make both lists. Known for its wide variety of unique luxury suites – including two-story townhouses and garden suites with outdoor hot tubs – the Kimpton-managed Hotel Vintage Plaza is an Oregon wine-themed boutique hotel that evokes the romance and adventure of wine country, offering packages like “Pinot in Portland” and “A Love Story.” www.vintageplaza.com

Be Chef-for-a-Day at Salish Lodge

Salish Lodge & Spa, located in Snoqualmie, Wash., has introduced a new component to its Culinary Adventures program: the Chef-for-a-Day series. These events enable guests of the luxurious hotel and spa to experience the craft of winemakers, cheese makers, and foragers by “walking a day in their shoes,” then creating their own artisan products. Each “adventure” promises to be an exhilarating and unique experience, a good way to get up-close-and-personal with local food and wine producers to taste of the bounty and rich beauty that is the culinary side of the Pacific Northwest. www.salishlodge.com

Saint-Germain Becomes La Côte Crêperie

February 18 is the debut date for La Côte Crêperie, in the former Saint-Germain space in Seattle’s Madison Park neighborhood just outside of downtown. Owner Laurent Gabrel, who also runs Voilà! Bistrot a few doors down, announced that his casual crêpe-themed resto will be open for lunch and dinner every day except Monday. The menu includes soups and salads, in addition to savory and dessert crêpes. I’ll be ordering La Baltique, which is stuffed with smoked salmon, crème fraîche, and scallions for dinner, and La Madison, brimming with vanilla ice cream and chestnut spread, for dessert. Suggested beverage pairings? Les Cidres—hard cider. Mais oui! You’ll enjoy reading more about Voilà Bistrot in Pacific Northwest Wining & Dining, pages 6-7, and trying Gabrel’s sumptuous recipe for Blue Cheese Mussels. Or check out La Côte’s menu at www.voilabistrot.com/menu/CoteMenu.pdf

Dishing on UrbanSpoon

Seattle-based Urbanspoon.com offers users basic information about restaurants in major North American cities, along with interesting features such as the ability to compare reviews from mainstream restaurant critics alongside those of bloggers; maps of host cities at night, lighted by pinpointed restaurant locations; and the ability to create a list of friends to compare respective restaurant likes and dislikes. Among the cities on the UrbanSpoon network are Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, Portland, Seattle, and San Diego. The site, which celebrated its first anniversary in October, gets over two-million page views per month. www.urbanspoon.com

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DISH OF THE MONTH

Frank’s Veggie “Meatloaf,” one of chef/owner Kevin Davis’s signature dishes at Steelhead Diner in the Pike Place Market, appeals to vegetarians and meat-lovers alike thanks to its bold flavors, “meat-y” texture, and wide array of perfectly cooked eggplant, tomatoes, and several types of squash. The picholine olives, warm goat cheese, and broken tomato vinaigrette add additional enticing flavors and textures. Pair with a lighter, less tannic red wine, such as Shooting Star 2005 Blue Franc (a.k.a. Lemberger), from Washington State. Chef Kevin describes this wine as, “light, soft, and slightly fruity, which will compliment the acidity and richness of the dish.”

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SUPER SIPS

Mission Hill Family Estate Named as Top Canadian Winery

In December, one of the Northwest’s most beauteous wineries, Mission Hill Family Estate, was awarded 2007 Canadian Winery of the Year by Wine Access Magazine, Canada’s most respected wine publication. Mission Hill beat out 300 competitors for this honor. There is a lengthy profile and several dramatic photos of Mission Hill in Pacific Northwest Wining & Dining, pages 242-246. There you will also discover winery chef Michael Allemeier’s recipe for Roasted Halibut with Shellfish Cioppino. Chef Allemeier is a Chef de Cuisine, Canada’s highest culinary honor. www.missionhillwinery.com

Wine Perception Linked to Price

In mid-January, Randolph E. Schmid, a writer with the Associated Press, reported that, “Apparently, raising the price really does make the wine taste better.” In his article, he goes on to suggest that, “The part of the brain that reacts to a pleasant experience responded more strongly to pricey wines than cheap ones—even when tasters were given the same vintage in disguise.” This comes as no surprise to this writer, because when wine writers are blind-folded or use black tasting glasses, they are sometimes unable to guess even if the wine is white or red! Read the article here.

Only in Seattle!

The “Insider” column on the Business page of the Seattle Times recently reported a story that is so “Seattle,” I had to share it with you. For only $89,000, EA Brevita Cooperative Association, based in Camano Island (about a 45-minute drive north from downtown Seattle) will sell you an eight-foot-by-14-foot drive-through coffee stand that the company will deliver on a flatbed truck anywhere in the lower 48 states. Presto-chango. Your own instant business! And good news, you can purchase your own coffee stand—lock, stock, and barrel—on Seattle’s own Amazon.com. There, the Web-site page promises, “Complete, self-contained business. Just pick your site and we’ll provide everything else you need to start your own espresso business.” Sign me up! www.amazon.com/EA-Brevita-Branded-Drive-Thru-Unit/dp/B0012OH7UE

Chipotle Chocolate Cake
Varietal: Lemberger

Serves 8 to 12

This intensely chocolate-y cake will remind you of the ones your mother and grandmother used to whip up at a moment’s notice, it is so easy to make and foolproof. Serve it to your sweetheart on Valentine’s Day with a bit of crème fraîche and extra cocoa powder sprinkled on top. And of course, don’t forget to crack open a bottle of Lemberger, whose bright fruit and spicy finish pair so well with the red wine, chipotle pepper, and cinnamon in the cake. Leading Washington producers of this rather obscure wine varietal include Paradisos del Sol (whose winemaker/owner Paul Vandenberg shared this recipe for Pacific Northwest Wining & Dining), Kiona Vineyards, Latah Creek, Covey Run, and Thurston Wolfe.

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup Dutch-processed cocoa, plus extra for sprinkling on the cake
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 cups water
3/4 cup canola or vegetable oil
3 tablespoons red wine
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
Confectioners’ sugar, for sprinkling on the cake

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, salt, chipotle, and cinnamon. In a small mixing bowl, mix together the water, oil, red wine, and vanilla.

2. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, add the wet ingredients, and stir just until combined. Do not overmix, or the cake will be tough.

3. Pour the batter into an ungreased 9 by 12-inch baking pan and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick or wooden skewer inserted in the middle comes out with just a few crumbs remaining.

4. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes, loosen the sides of the cake with a knife, and turn the cake out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar and additional cocoa just before slicing and serving.

On Wednesday, January 28, Crystal Corbin, executive chef of The Stephanie Inn in Cannon Beach, Oregon, will present The Bounty of Oregon dinner at the venerable James Beard House in New York City. Dinner is $125 for JB members; $165 for the general public.