Tomorrow, February 11, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., the good folks at the Pike Brewing Company will ask the age-old question, “What beverages go best with everyone’s favorite food: chocolate?”

And for the second year in a row, Pike will pair the best beers, wines, spirits, and mead with an assortment of chocolate that would make Willie Wonka jealous.

According to the company’s press release:

“Pike’s Chocofest, billed as ‘foreplay before the big day’ is a romantic and educational way to discover the wide variety of chocolate treats from here and around the world. Stations set up throughout the Micro Brewery Museum and Naughty Nelly Room feature different chocolate treats, each presented by an expert (usually the chocolate makers themselves). Adjacent to each chocolate table is a drink table staffed with experts to sample and explain their beverages.

“This year more than two dozen different chocolates will be sampled along with more than 20 different beers, wines, mead and spirits.”

Cost is $25 per person, and the tasting will be held in The Pike Pub’s Microbrewery Museum Room. R.S.V.P. to Michael St. Clair at mstclair@pikebrewing.com or (206) 812-6613.

Among the producers in attendance:

Badger Mountain Vineyards and Powers Winery - Seri Sedlacek will pour Badger Mountain Port and Powers Malbec
Carter’s Chocolates - Matt Carter of Port Orchard, WA will present his boutique truffles made with 3 different Pike beers.
Chocolate Box - This neighborhood retailer, located just steps from the Pike Place Market, specializes in Northwest chocolatiers and will showcase Lesley’s French-style artisan chocolates by sampling her “seafoam”, and salted caramels.
Chukar Cherries - Jamen Tyler will bring a dynamite Chukar Cherries - Pike Brewery tasting combo.
Classical Wines - Ole Thompson and Marshall Jorgensen will pour: Bodegas Toro Montilla-Moralles Albalá, Montilla-Moriles (Amontillado Viejisimo - Dry 30 yr. old), Don PX 2004/2005 (unoaked, very rich) and Don PX Gran Reserva 1982 (Great Vintage!) From Bodegas Gutiérrez de la Vega, Alicante: Casta Diva Cosecha Miel 2007 (Sweet Muscat) and Casta Diva Recóndita Armonía 2005 (Sweet Monastrell)
Clear Creek Distillery - Lynn Bauer will represent this producer of Eaux de vie, Grappas, and Pot-Distilled Wine Brandy made with the finest fruit from Oregon orchards using traditional European brandy-making techniques; and McCarthy’s Oregon Single Malt Whiskey made in the Islay tradition of Scotch whisky.
Click Wholesale - Local distributor of fine beer, including Pike, and wines; will present Ommegang Chocolate Indulgence from Cooperstown, NY and Ficklin Chocolate Port.
Claudio Corallo - A “single origin” chocolate company with a compelling story of “plantation to bar” chocolate from São Tomé e Príncipe, the smallest and least well known country in Africa. The North American importer is located here in Seattle.
Confectional - boutique bakery in Seattle’s historic Pike Place Market, offering exquisite, sinfully dense, baked cheesecakes and cheesecake truffles
Fran’s Chocolates - President Obama’s favorite salted chocolate caramels presented by Fran Bigelow
Gelatiamo Gelateria - Maria Coassin and Skyler Locatelli are brainstorming to outdo themselves with another blockbuster Pike and Gelatiamo creation; a tough act to follow on the heels of last years Pike XXXXX Gelato, now permanently on the dessert menu at Pike.
Leonidas Chocolate - from Wallingford’s Bottleworks creamy chocolates from Brussels
Merchant du Vin Corporation - Jhon Gilroy of MdV will present Browerij Lindemans of Belgium and Samuel Smith Organic Fruit Beers
Mount Baker Vineyards - Randy Finley, owner, will pour his favorite wine pairing with chocolate.
Noble Wines - Naomi Smith will pour Scharffenberger Brut and Helix Cabernet
Oh! Chocolate - Stout Truffles made with Pike XXXXX Stout
Pacific Distillery LLC - Marc Bernhard will present his local, Woodinville made Absinthe
Pike Brewing Company - Pike’s menu features local, sustainable foods paired with Pike beers. Desserts include a Chocolate and Ale Pairing with Carter’s Pike infused Kilt Lifter, Tandem, and Stout truffles; and Gelatiamo XXXXX Stout Gelato Floats. A surprise beer or two will be paired with chocolates for Chocofest.
Ritrovo Italian Regional Foods - U.S importer of extraordinary Italian Bru-Co Chocolates.
Sky River Brewing - Denise Ingalls presents Sky River Mead from Sultan, WA
Taste Restaurant - Pastry Chef Lucy Damkoehler’s amazing Pike beer infused cupcakes
Theo Chocolates - In Fremont, America’s first genuine Bean-to-bar Organic chocolate factory making chocolates that compete with the finest of Italy, Belgium and France.
Trevani Truffles - Anne Boyington’s will bring her creative, locally produced Truffles that she sells only at farmer’s markets using many items from local farmers.

Brian Cartenuto, chef/owner of Cantinetta in Seattle’s Wallingford neighborhood, will take his “serious, soulful Italian food” on the road when he appears at the James Beard House on Wednesday, February 10, at 7 p.m.

The chef describes his style as “refined simplicity.” He’s wowed critics, including Providence Cicero, my colleague and the food critic at The Seattle Times. Provi describes his cooking as “assured,” saying it combines “a wonderful balance of flavors with an element of surprise.”

Among the dishes he’ll prepare in the JB House’s small kitchen, so small that it requires chefs to prep most of their dishes off site? Among the appetizers you’ll find Pancetta-Wrapped Dates with 50-Year-Old Balsamic, Arancini (Rice Balls) with Saffron and Ricotta Salata, and Bacalao (Salt Cod) with Tomato-Olive Sugo.

With Pork Cheeks with Turnips and Citrus Gremolata as a main course, a hearty Grilled Treviso salad for balance, and side dishes including Brussels Sprouts with Duck Confit for the table to share, this dinner promises to be a winner.

Here’s a lovely blog that posted recently and features my Pike Place Public Market Seafood Cookbook. I am so happy that when I updated the original book in 2005, I chose to highlight only seafood that wasn’t (currently) endangered. Now everyone is paying more attention to the overfishing of our seas, thankfully.

The Pike Place Public Market Seafood Cookbook makes a lovely holiday gift, hostess gift, or stocking stuffer. Loaded with 50 recipes and 50 photos, plus seafood shopping tips, Cook’s Hints, and Fun Facts, it sells for just $14.95, and measures six inches by six inches, so is easy and economical to ship.

My friend, colleague, fellow Seattle Dame, and Seattle celebrity chef extraordinaire, Kathy Casey, is opening her fab Food Studios in Ballard for a holiday open house. There she will sign her latest tome (her ninth!), Sips & Apps, and sell all manner of her delicious specialty foods.

Here are details straight from Kathy’s press release:

“Mark your calendars or leave Santa a note for the Kathy Casey Food Studios Open House on Saturday, December 12th, 11:00 a.m. to  7:00 p.m. Make sure to drop in!

“There’ll be delectable delights to sample plus gift items for sale. And I’ll be signing copies of my latest book, ‘Sips & Apps.’ You’ll have a chance to sample some tasty tidbits from ‘Sips & Apps’ like my Bacon, Blue Cheese & Pecan Cocktail Cookies, Lamb Sliders on Homemade Rosemary Buns, and Croque Monsieur Puffs!

“There’ll be lots of goodies to fill your favorite foodie’s stocking. From delicious oven-pretty packaged little Spiced Apple Cakes, bags of crunchy Fennel-Roasted Walnuts, housemade candies and our always-popular Maker’s Mark “Over 21″ Fruitcake. And that’s not all!

“We’ll also have our Dish D’Lish® specialty products: seasoning salts, Cocktailor® cocktail mixers, and limited-edition preserves, including Fig, Fennel & Orange Chutney, Blackberry Lemon Verbena Jam, and the always-festive Sugarplum Preserves! Well also be offering housemade Hot Buttered Rum Mix, locally made Ballard Bee Honey, and incredible candied pumpkin in syrup from Argentina!”

Kathy Casey Food Studios® Holiday Open House

Saturday December 12th
11:00 am 7:00 pm
5130 Ballard Ave NW
Seattle, WA 98107
206-784-7840

Over a glass of wine late one afternoon at Purple Café and Wine Bar I had the pleasure of meeting Enzo Schiano, a former Microsoft marketing heavyweight turned olive-oil producer and winemaker in Tuscany. Schiano and wife Claire Beliard (a native of France) make Poggio la Noce extra virgin artisan olive oil at their hillside estate in Fiesole, Italy.

Schiano, a native of Naples, Italy, who studied in the United States before joining Microsoft, has been making olive oil in his groves (2,000 trees farmed organically!) situated above Florence since 2001. This year I tasted his “olio nuovo,” or “new” oil that had been pressed just a week or so before he returned stateside.

As you might expect of a just-pressed extra virgin oil, it was a vivid green color, redolent of aromas and flavors of new-mown grass, fresh herbs, and a bit of pepper, yet still smooth and satin-y. Yum!

The oil, which sells for $24.99 for a stylish 500-ml bottle, is sold at Whole Foods Market, some Metropolitan Market locations, DeLaurenti Specialty Food & Wine, QFC, and online at the Poggio Web site, so you should have no problem finding it.

Enzo is also a winemaker, and his delightful Gigiò wine, a Sangiovese blend, is available locally at McCarthy & Schiering Wine Merchants (which also carries the olive oil). I’d buy it for the whimsical label alone, not to mention the lovely wine inside.

This time of year, these Italian treats with a Northwest tie would make lovely holiday or hostess gifts.

In mid October we were lucky enough to be among a cadre of local media, trade, and restaurateurs who were invited to experience a Spanish olive-oil tasting and dinner at Spur Gastropub in Belltown.

There we learned that Spain claims to be the first producers of olive oil in the world, and that Spain produces 25 percent in the world, with production of 1.2 million tons of the extra-virgin variety.

Southern Spain is home to 300 million olive trees (!), and 24 varieties are used to make Spanish olive oil.

Here’s a shot of the four oils we sampled (left to right). They included Arbequina, which is described as “clean and green with fresh-mown grass, green apple, and green almond notes.” The soft, delicately flavored oil produced from this variety is lovely with boiled potatoes or roasted fish or salads garnished with orange segments.

Hojiblanca extra virgin olive oil looks cloudy because it is unfiltered. It has “dry-grass and hay notes reminiscent of a summer day.” It works well in pastries, pasta, and for bread-dipping, as well as for frying.

Cornicabra (a.k.a. “the heart of the goat”) is more bitter and peppery–a more rustic-style oil than the others in the group. Try it with barbecue.

Picual is the most produced oil in Spain, as well as the most intense of the four we sampled. Use it to add a distinctive flavor atop vegetables, soups, and stews.

Spur chef/owners Brian McCrackena and Dana Tough created a six-course tasting menu highlighting each of the four oils. Pictured above is our first course of Slow-Cooked Butterfish (a.k.a. Black Cod or Sablefish) with Potatoes, Pearl-Onion Confit, and Hojiblanca Olive-Oil Foam.

I’m not much of a meat eater, but the Poached Pork Loin won me over with its buttery texture, wilted arugula, thin crostini, and Picual Mayonnaise. Truly a perfect dish.

Even dessert featured olive oil–the Arbequina variety in Olive Oil Ice Cream with Sponge Cake and Lemon. While you might not think of using olive oil in baking, it can make cakes lighter and more healthy than butter-based versions.

Spanish Albariño and Verdejo wines paired perfectly with these outstanding dishes.

Mark your calendars, one and all!

On Friday, December 11, from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., I’ll sign all my recent book titles, including “Pacific Northwest Wining & Dining,” at Parkplace Books’ Annual Holiday Bash in Kirkland, Washington! As the press release says:

“Mingle with some of our favorite children and adult Pacific Northwest authors, imbibe in holiday wassail, sample delicious holiday treats. . .and get a jump on your gift-buying.

“This has always been a fantastic time to come together with friends, family members, and others from the Kirkland community. As in the past, we will be accepting donated food items, and our sleigh is waiting for donations of children’s books that will be given to Kirkland Interfaith Transitions in Housing (KITH) to be handed out to children in need.

“So join us for an evening of Holiday Cheer and Good Conversation that also benefits our neighbors in need.”

From November 1 through December 1, Ryan Witcher, pastry chef at ART Restaurant and Lounge in the new Four Seasons Hotel Seattle accepted recipes for The Ultimate Holiday Cookie Recipe Search and Showdown. Purpose of the Showdown? To choose three recipes for the best holiday cookie to be served in the restaurant and hotel during the holidays.

Happy to report that I’ll be among the judges to choose the winning cookie (from among the top three entries) on Sunday, December 6, at the first annual Holidays with HeART, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Holidays with HeART is a family event with a lunch buffet, cookie decorating, and judging of the Ultimate Holiday Cookie recipe, with proceeds benefitting Treehouse.

Here’s a photo of ART’s executive chef Kerry Sear manning the grill at Party on the Plaza, another fun holiday event that was held on Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, to welcome holiday shoppers and guests.