My latest Northwest Edge post for Amazon.com’s Al Dente blog features a review of San Francisco author and friend Laura Werlin’s latest book, “Grilled Cheese, Please!: 50 Scrumptiously Cheesy Recipes,” along with her recipe for Hog Island Grilled Cheese sandwiches. Yum!

Cooking a recipe or three from Laura’s book would be a good lead-in to the Seattle Cheese Festival at the Pike Place Market, May 14 and 15.

We’re embarrassed to admit it’s been a full two months since we had our first tantalizing taste of a fabulous new tequila that’s just been introduced to Washington State and elsewhere throughout the country–Familia Camarena Tequila–at downtown Seattle’s tony Alexis Hotel.

But more than a tasting, this event was billed as a “Home Mixology Happy Hour,” where my fellow journalists and I got to mix it up, as it were, by making our own cocktail.

Each cocktail showcased one of Familia Camarena’s two grades of Tequila–Silver (unaged) and Reposado (aged two months in new and used American oak), made from 100-percent blue agave.

Both are expertly crafted by the Camarenas, a family that’s been in the tequila business in Mexico since the early 1700s, opened its first distillery in 1938, and bottled its first tequila almost 75 years ago.

Today, the family’s pure, smooth (very!), easy-drinking spirits are stylishly packaged and very reasonably priced at $20 for a 750-milliliter bottle.

Just this week I learned that one of the well-crafted cocktails we mixed that heady evening–Copa de Arandas–won the Chairman’s Trophy as the best original tequila cocktail of 2011 at the nationally recognized Ultimate Cocktail Competition held in New York City.

With Cinco de Mayo fast approaching, I thought it would be fun to share the award-winning recipe with you. It will make the perfect party sipper for the big day. . .something that stretches geographical boundaries and taste buds beyond the more-common Margarita.

Copa de Arandas

2 ounces Camarena Silver Tequila

1/2 ounce Blanc (white) Vermouth

1/2 ounce Sweet Vermouth

1/2 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/2 ounce Italian Amaro

3 ounces ginger ale

Fresh mint leaves, for garnish

1. Combine the Tequila, Blanc Vermouth, Sweet Vermouth, lemon juice and Italian Amaro in a highball glass. Mix well.

2. Fill the glass to the brim with ice.

3. Top with ginger ale, and stir gently with a bar spoon. Garnish with mint.

Scandinavian Salmon

Varietal: Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Melon

Serves 6 to 8

I was skeptical when the owners of Panther Creek Cellars in Oregon’s Willamette Valley suggested Scandinavian Salmon could be paired with Pinot Noir, but the earthiness of the dill and in the fish (be sure to use wild salmon not farm-raised!) works well with similar notes in the wine. Pinot Gris and sparkling wine are other suggested pairings, although Melon—the same grape as France’s Muscadet, also known as Melon de Bourgogne—is a more intriguing possibility. According to the winery’s Web site, “The dry, yet fruity wine finds a passionate following among lovers of shellfish and seafood. In the nose of this varietal you’ll often find pear, citrus, and peaches. On the palate, it’s richly textured, with flavors of pear, peach, and apricot, and just a touch of sea salt.” The wine’s slight salinity helps it pair perfectly with seafood, especially the Northwest’s own native fish, salmon.

1 English cucumber

3 pounds wild salmon fillet, rinsed, drained, and patted dry

2 lemons, very thinly sliced

1 large bunch of dill

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.

2. With a vegetable peeler, peel the cucumber in long strokes and save the skins. Cut the cucumbers into thin rounds and reserve.

3. Line a large baking sheet with heavy-duty aluminum foil, placing one sheet of foil crosswise across the baking sheet, allowing enough excess foil on both sides to be folded across the fish. Run another sheet of foil lengthwise, again allowing enough excess foil to fold over the fish. Place the salmon skin side down in the center of the foil. Cover the fish with the cucumber skins, placing the white portion of the skins toward the fish.

4. Cover the cucumber skins with half of the lemon slices and top with half of the dill. Bring the ends of the lengthwise foil up around the top and bottom of the fish, fold neatly to seal the fish, then repeat with the other ends of foil until the fish, cucumber, lemon, and dill are completely enclosed.

5. Place the baking sheet on the center oven rack, and cook 50 to 55 minutes, or until the fish is opaque throughout, depending on the thickness of the fish and the desired doneness. Remove the packet from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes. Open the foil carefully to allow the steam to escape. Scrape off and discard the cucumber skins, lemon, and dill. Using a long, thin spatula, position the side edge of the spatula against the fat layer between the salmon flesh and skin. Move the spatula through the fat layer so that the flesh comes away from the skin. Transfer the salmon to a large serving plate and discard the skin and foil.

6. Just before serving, season the salmon to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish with the reserved cucumber slices and the remaining lemon slices and dill, and serve family style.

Cook’s Hint: If desired, the salmon can also be cooked on a gas grill over medium heat.

Recipe reprinted from “Pacific Northwest Wining & Dining: The People, Places, Food, and Drink of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and British Columbia” (Wiley, 2007, $34.95) by Braiden Rex-Johnson.

Varietal: Syrah

Serves 8

This warm and filling vegetarian soup comes from the award-winning Rogue Creamery in southern Oregon. It uses Oregonzola, a Gorgonzola-style cheese, to add a creamy texture (much like heavy cream or half-and-half in more traditional soup recipes) as well as a distinct salty/tart taste. Oregonzola is aged a minimum of 120 days in the creamery’s caves, which results in a sharp, Old World-Italian flavor and a velvet-like texture. When paired with a simple green salad, crusty bread, and a bottle of hearty Syrah, it’s the perfect wintertime–or any time–repast.

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

3/4 cup chopped white or yellow onion

1 cup peeled, chopped russet potato

1 1/2 pounds trimmed broccoli, coarsely chopped (about 7 1/2 cups)

2 cups vegetable stock plus 2 cups water, or 4 cups water

4 ounces Oregonzola blue cheese or other high-quality blue cheese, crumbled

Freshly grated nutmeg

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Walnut oil, for drizzling

1. Heat the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and potato, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is slightly softened but not browned, 5 minutes. Add the broccoli and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Add the 2 cups of stock and 2 cups of water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, 15 minutes.

2. Strain the vegetables, reserving the cooking liquid. Put the cooked vegetables in a food processor and moisten with a few tablespoons of the cooking liquid. Pulse until very smooth. With the motor running, gradually add the rest of the cooking liquid. Work in batches as needed.

3. Transfer the soup back to the saucepan. Reheat until almost boiling, then remove from the heat.

4. Stir in the blue cheese. Add nutmeg, salt, and pepper to taste.

5. Ladle the soup into 8 warm soup bowls and drizzle with the walnut oil.

Recipe reprinted from Pacific Northwest Wining & Dining: The People, Places, Food, and Drink of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and British Columbia (Wiley, 2007, $34.95) by Braiden Rex-Johnson.

“Home is where the food is” is one top trend for 2011

Allrecipes.com bills itself as the world’s #1 food site since it reportedly receives 515 million annual visits from home cooks who discover and share food experiences through recipes, reviews, photos, profiles, and blog posts.

So I was intrigued when I received the company’s predictions for the hottest 100 food trends for 2011.

Among the hot topics?

#1 Going Mobile

Mobile devices and wireless computing are serving up newfound meal planning freedom. Cooks of all ages are using laptops, smartphones and tablet devices to find recipes, check competitive pricing and make grocery lists whenever and wherever inspiration strikes. In 2010, Allrecipes.com page views from mobile devices surged 340 percent; top food activities among smartphone equipped cooks were finding recipes (63 percent) and creating shopping lists (60 percent).

#2 Shrinking World, Expanding Kitchen

Just a few years ago ethnic cuisine typically involved a night of eating out or ordering in. In a likely effort to save money without compromising variety, cooks are increasingly taking a DIY approach toward satisfying their cravings for favorite ethnic dishes. Consumption of ethnic dishes increased 29 percent in 2010 with the fastest growing cuisines coming from South America, Japan and Korea.

#3 Where the Drinks Are

It can be safely said, the economy is driving consumers to drink–at home. Wine, beer, and cocktails have become part of the make-it-yourself mix. More than half of consumers surveyed are drinking more at home vs. a year ago–top motivations include cost savings, entertaining more at home, and the enjoyment of creating signature cocktails. The fastest growing spirit? Tequila.

#4 Farewell to Fad Diets

Dieting is so 2009. This year, healthy eating is the focus, and the road to health is paved with good eating intentions rather than bizarre diet interventions. Long gone are the days of carb-free, grapefruit only, diet fads. Now “healthy” is considered eating a well-balanced meal with lots of fruits and vegetables, and a limited amount of sugars and processed foods. According to a recent Allrecipes survey, 75 percent of cooks feel they are eating more healthfully today.

The following is a brief overview of the remaining trends Allrecipes has identified for the coming year:

# 5 Local Artisan Shops

Seeking quality, community and variety, everyday folk are increasingly gravitating to locally-owned specialty shops and markets for everyday food items including meat, breads and vegetables.

#6 Pies Take the Cake

Pies of all types–hot and cold, sweet and savory–are picking up in popularity. In 2010, slices of savory pie were as often a part of dinner as sweet pie was the star of dessert. Bucking tradition, ice cream pie was 2010’s fastest growing pie type.

#7 Pre-made Ingredients

Cooks are taking a ‘can-do’ approach for getting favorite dishes on the table in record time. Mixes, cans and refrigerated dough are making supper time a snap.

#8 Small Kitchen Tools Rule

Since a full blown kitchen makeover is likely not in the budget, cooks are snatching up colorful silicone kitchen tools and fun kitchen gadgets to make meal prep more festive and fun.

#9 Countertop Appliances

Adequate storage is always a struggle, but it’s clear that countertop appliances, with their ease of use, are overtaking the stove inch-by-inch.

#10 Men in the Kitchen

More men are cooking, and appear to be the primary cook when the family hosts a crowd. Male cooks are feeling just as comfortable in the kitchen as behind the barbeque–particularly the 20-somethings.

#11 Home is Where the Food is

While potluck dinners and formal sit down dinners have traditionally been the most popular forms of entertaining, the casual sit-down dinner – a mash-up of the two – will be the entertaining format of choice in 2011.

Allrecipes Measuring Cup Reports are derived by analyzing the site behaviors, and search data from over 515 million annual visits to Allrecipes.com, along with survey data from dozens of surveys conducted throughout the year.

Good news! There’s still time to enter what’s being billed as the first-ever Wild Alaska Fish Taco Contest sponsored by (as you might expect) by the good folks at the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute.

The contest runs until midnight on Monday, January 31st. So put on your thinking caps, fire up the grill, and figure out a recipe for your favorite fish taco made with fabu Alaska seafood!

Grand prize is a three-day/two-night trip to sunny Santa Monica, California. The lucky winner gets lots of other bells and whistles as part of the package, but perhaps coolest among them is that he or she gets to ride along and serve the winning taco from the Border Grill Taco Truck with Food Network stars Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger!

Here are some recipes from the contest Web site to get those creative juices flowing. Alaska Crab and Zucchini Quesadillas, anyone?

Right before we left on our nine-day odyssey through Carmel and San Francisco, I made a pilgrimage to Pacific Place shopping center in downtown Seattle–specifically the Williams Sonoma store there–to look at some interesting items I’d marked in the venerable company’s December (holiday) catalog.

Now Spencer and I have a weakness for fried-egg sandwiches. And so here are the Heart-Shaped Egg Fry Rings (nonstick, no less!) that I just couldn’t resist. Of course, being married (for 29 years!) to a great guy like Spencer, I love anything romantic, especially when it perks up breakfast.

Here’s what the eggs looked like once I’d lightly buttered the inside of the rings and broken the eggs into them. (Love the little wood-tipped handles that stay cool for easy handling!)

And here’s what the heart-shaped eggs looked like once released from their holders. A little rough around the edges–I’ll use this as an excuse to use more butter next time.

Since I didn’t have any English muffins on hand, I placed the eggs atop leftover latkes, topped them with chunks of Pure Food Fish’s  smoked salmon (best in the Pike Place Market!), and made a “heart”-y salad of assorted bibb lettuce, carrot coins, and Thompson pears.

A bottle of Champagne, and we were good to go for Sunday brunch!

Last week, a dear friend of mine (we are so close, we call each other, “Sis”) sent an e-mail to me and a handful of other culinary types with the following question that really piqued my interest.

Sis was trying to find the most indispensable cookbook to give to her daughter for Christmas. And she wanted our opinions!

Her daughter had already asked for three good excellent tomes, including “The New York Times Cookbook,” “The Joy of Cooking,” and “Mastering the Art of French Cooking.”

But Sis knew there were others, so turned to us for help. Here’s how the e-mail string went that day:

From Braiden:

What a fun question to begin the day with. Of course, I turn to my own books quite a lot (J) and don’t really use a lot of cookbooks any more.

That being said, earlier on I relied on “The New Basics Cookbook” (Julee Rosso annd Sheila Lukins) quite a bit!

From Friend #2:

I turn to cookbooks more for ethnic cooking such as Indian or Thai food. II use” Joy” as a basic reference, but not as inspiration! I cooked many recipes from “Mastering the Art”…as a teen but don’t cook that way today. Since your daughter is living in California, she might enjoy the new Sunset cookbook. For years, the recipes in Sunset magazine represented California’s evolving approach to food and entertaining and informed culinary trends.

From Friend #3:

Hmmm…. I don’t use a ton of cookbooks anymore either. I just recently was very excited to buy “The America’s Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook,” after talking a hiatus from most of them. I have truly enjoyed every recipe I have tried and find the layout, recipes, and food photos to be very appealing and user friendIy. I also love their approach to healthy cooking, complete, of course with the nutrition analysis. It’s my new fave.

I always love low-fat cooking hints, but they’re especially welcome this time of the year when we are all tempted to eat and drink just a bit too much!

The good people at American Roland Food Corp., a leader in specialty foods for more than 76 years, sent along the following tips for adding flavor with Dijon Mustard, a sometimes overlooked condiment with just 10 calories per teaspoon, zero fat, and less sugar than ketchup.

*Spice up traditional mayonnaise and cut the fat by simply mixing in a bit of Dijon before adding to those leftover turkey sandwiches.

*Brush Dijon mustard over chicken breasts before grilling for a spicy twist; add a touch of honey to the mustard before you brush, for sweetness.

*Top baked potatoes with Dijon vinaigrette–a lot less fattening than sour cream.

*Brush salmon with Dijon and a bit of olive oil before roasting.

*Adding a teaspoon of Dijon to your vinaigrette adds balance and a bit of zing.

*Take barbecue sauce up a notch with a touch of Dijon.

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.