In May, I enjoyed two Savor Seattle Food Tours so much that I wrote about them for The Seattle Times Pacific Northwest magazine’s Taste column, to which I’m a regular contributor.

Today the article was published–so you can relive my experience and enjoy a photo of Savor Seattle Food Tours founder Angela Shen. Here’s the link to “Market Fresh.”

Please read my latest Taste column in today’s Seattle Times Pacific Northwest magazine. It highlights the contributions made to the local cocktail, restaurant, and bar scene offered by two amazing women: celebrity chef, cookbook author, and “bar chef” Kathy Casey and restaurateur/bar owner and “soothsayer of the city’s zeitgeist” Linda Derschang.

Kathy’s recipe for Sake Sangria is also a keeper. Wish I had a pitcher right now!

Since its debut two years ago, I’ve been a big fan of DRY Soda’s savory beverages in flavors that include Kumquat, Lemongrass, Rhubarb, and Lavender. Good news is that last month, founder Sharelle Klaus introduced two new (yummy!) flavors–Juniper Berry and Vanilla Bean. Here are shots of the newest offerings.

You can read the article I wrote about DRY Soda in The Seattle Times Pacific Northwest magazine. 

My November 2 Taste column for The Seattle Times Pacific Northwest magazine described the exciting Lake Chelan wine region, which is up for American Viticultural Area (AVA) designation in early 2009. When this occurs, Lake Chelan will become Washington state’s 10th AVA. In the article, I cover the young region’s 14 wineries, and a bit about the people behind them.

Here’s a view off the patio at the beautiful Tsillan Cellars, the region’s largest (7,000 cases per year) winery. (Spencer Johnson Photo)

Insidebayarea.com posted a lovely review of Pacific Northwest Wining & Dining on November 11. It was interesting to me that this Web site offers new cookbooks it receives for readers to review. My book’s reviewer, Contra Costa Times correspondent Laura Graham, enjoyed the recipes and wine pairings. She chose to reprint the recipes for Butternut Squash Bisque, Sticky Chicky, and Black Forest Pork Tenderloin. 

I had the pleasure and honor of writing the cover story for the 2008 Wine & Spirits issue of The Sunday Times Pacific Northwest magazine. The magazine’s editors, a wonderful young staff photographer, and I chose Six Young Wineries to Watch. In the same issue, I also wrote my usual Taste column, which featured the Women of Walla Walla–women winemakers and winery owners. Finally, I penned the Portrait column about A.J. Rathbun, who toils as senior editor at Amazon.com’s Kitchen Store by day, but mixes a mean cocktail (and writes authoritative and fun books on the subject) for The Harvard Common Press.