Ever wonder how much the wine industry contributes to the Canadian economy?

According to a press release, the findings of the largest research study ever conducted on the Canadian wine and grape industry–Canada’s Wine Economy: Ripe Robust Remarkable–reveals a prosperous and expanding $6.8-billion-dollar industry.

Commissioned by the Canadian Vintners Association, the Winery & Grower Alliance of Ontario, the British Columbia Wine Institute, and the Winery Association of Nova Scotia, the report confirms the wine industry has become a large and significant contributor to the overall Canadian economy, especially in Ontario, British Columbia, Quebec, and Nova Scotia.

Key findings for British Columbia Wine include:

• BC Wine Economy has 212 wineries and over 864 vineyards on more than 9,800 acres of land.

• The BC Wine Industry’s $2.0 billion economic impact is a significant driver to the BC economy. For every bottle of wine produced in the Province, there is $42 of economic impact generated.

• More than 10,000 people have jobs in BC as a result of the wine and grape industry.

• British Columbians enjoy more than 234 million glasses or 47 million bottles of British Columbia wine each year.

• BC welcomes over 800,000 visitors every year through the wine economy, that is more than the province drew for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

• The BC Wine Industry generates $476 million in tourism and tourism employment related economic impact.

• More than $298 million in federal and provincial taxes and liquor board mark up is generated by the wine industry in BC each year. In taxes alone, the BC Wine Industry contributes $222 million.

For more on British Columbia wines, please refer to my seventh book, “Pacific Northwest Wining & Dining: The People, Places, Food, and Drink of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and British Columbia.”

With our condo perched at the intersection of First Avenue and Union Street, catercorner to the Seattle Art Museum, we’ve been lucky enough to have a bird’s-eye view of the new permanent outdoor art installation during construction and the intense testing process.

Entitled, MIRROR, by Doug Aitken, the huge LED display wraps around SAM’s northwest corner. Digital sensors that monitor the weather, pedestrian activity, and surrounding traffic transmit data that is used to animate LED images taken from digital footage Aitken captured throughout Seattle and other parts of the Pacific Northwest.

The exhibition will be unveiled on March 24. In the meantime, here are some images Spencer and I captured while shooting off our bird’s-eye balcony.

Is locally grown food making an impact on the produce industry?

The answer is a resounding “yes,” according to an article in Restaurant Hospitality magazine.

“So many consumers prefer it [locally grown produce] there’s been a noticeable demand shift in the produce industry,” according to the article.

Giant agricultural lender Rabobank funded a study entitled, “Local Foods: Shifting the Balance of Opportunity for Regional U.S. Produce.” Based on statistics gathered in the study, Rabobank concluded that its core customers–mainly national-scale growers based in California–should adjust their business models and get on the locally grown bandwagon.

We’ve been singing this mantra for years, beginning in 1992 with publication of the first edition of the “Pike Place Market Cookbook.” Nice the rest of the world is finally catching up!

In our last two blog posts, we’ve discussed food and beverage trends for 2013.

Today we’ll hone in on one particular food trend that shows no signs of fading: The Locavore Movement.

In a recent article in Restaurant Hospitality entitled, “How Hot is the Locavore Trend?,” writer Bob Krummert noted that, “A new study finds 70% of consumers are willing to pay more for local food.”

Other interesting statistics brought to light in the A. T. Kearney study are the reasons grocery shoppers largely embrace local-food options:

1. It helps local economies

2. Local food delivers a better and broader assortment of products.

3. Provides healthier alternatives.

4. Improves carbon footprint.

5. Increases natural or organic production.

And subjects in the study aren’t just giving lip service to the Locavore Movement. Thirty-eight percent said they would pay up to 5% more for local foods; 24% would pay up to 10%; and 8% would pay more than 10%.

Attending the Northwest Flower & Garden Show has become a beloved annual tradition in our family. This year, it took place during the last weekend in February, and we scheduled our late-afternoon Saturday visit around a lecture my dear friend and gardening and home-design expert Debra Prinzing was presenting.

Entitled, Channel Your Inner Floral Designer: Four Seasons of Beautiful Bouquets, Debra spent her alloted hour showing us inspired and inspiring floral arrangements she had photographed for her latest book, “Slow Flowers: Four Seasons of Locally Grown Bouquets from the Garden, Meadow, and Farm.”

Here are some of the photos I snapped as we made our way around the impressive and expansive, award-winning gardens on the main floor, as well as the numerous vendor booths and two of our personal favorites–the Ikebana and Orchid Society displays.

I love the way food is the focus in these gorgeous metal and acrylic vases. I took home a long, tall version, and can’t wait to start experimenting with new floral arrangements!

How serene and calming is this gorgeous yellow-orchid and dark-wood bonsai?!?! How does the flower get water, I wonder?

Gotta love these rose and celadon Cymbidium orchids!

This baby photographed blue, but it was really a deep purple color.

One of the main reasons I like to go to the Flower & Garden Show is to make use of one of my favorite iPhone apps, Hipstamatic. This shot above, Spiky White Orchids, seems so lace-y and dream-like, thanks to Hipstamatic.

The theme of this year’s show was Hollywood, and we were drawn to this homage to The Hobbit in one of the major gardens. This and all the remaining shots were taken with the Hipstamatic app.

I love the sheer whimsy of  Teddy Bear Tea Party.

This is Green Slippers.

As a writer, I just couldn’t resist this shot. I remember the Smith-Corona my mother gave me right before I left for college. It served me well writing many a term paper, as well as short stories and poems. Thanks for encouraging my creativity, Mom!

Wild-Rice-Stuffed Trout

Wine Varietal: Oregon Pinot Noir

Serves 4

A hearty stuffing studded with walnuts, dried cherries, and green onions goes great with the mild flavor of farm-raised trout, and would be a particularly desirable meal served with steamed or sautéed ruby chard. Pair the stuffed fish and chard with an Oregon Pinot Noir.

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 small white or yellow onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 red bell pepper, diced

1/2 cup wild rice, rinsed and well drained

3/4 cup water

3/4 cup chicken stock

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme, crumbled

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Pinch of ground allspice

1/4 cup toasted walnuts, finely chopped (See Cook’s Hint, below)

1/4 cup dried cherries or dried cranberries, diced

2 green onions, finely chopped

4 whole, dressed trout, 3/4 pound each, rinsed, drained, and patted dry

Additional salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Melt 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat; add the onion, garlic, and red bell pepper. Cook until the vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes. Do not allow the vegetables to brown. Add the wild rice and cook 2 minutes, stirring often to coat the individual rice grains with the oil.

2. Add the water, chicken stock, thyme, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon pepper, and the allspice and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer 45 minutes, or until the rice kernels blossom and the rice is tender. Remove the rice from the heat, drain off any excess water, and stir in the walnuts, dried cherries, and green onions.

3. Ten minutes before cooking the fish, preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly coat a baking sheet large enough to hold the trout without crowding with oil or spray with nonstick cooking spray.

4. Lightly sprinkle  salt and pepper inside the cavities of the fish. Spoon one-quarter of the stuffing into the cavity of each fish and place on the prepared baking sheet. Brush the outside of the trout with the remaining olive oil and cook 18 to 20 minutes, or until the trout are opaque through the thickest part (just behind the head).

5. Divide the trout among individual plates and serve immediately.

Cook’s Hint: To toast the walnuts, place them in a dry nonstick skillet over medium heat, shaking the pan often until they begin to turn light brown and become aromatic, about 3 to 5 minutes. Cool and chop as directed.

Recipe reprinted from the “Pike Place Public Market Seafood Cookbook,” gift edition and e-edition, by Braiden Rex-Johnson, copyright 2005 and 2012. Published by Ten Speed Press, a division of Random House, Inc.

In our last blog post, we cited our 13 top culinary trends  for 2013.

Today we cover the top-10 drink menu trends for beverages, gathered from members of the United States Bartenders Guild.

United States Bartenders Guild Top-10 Drink Menu Trends for 2013

1. Onsite barrel-aged drinks.

2. Food-liquor/cocktail pairings.

3. Culinary cocktails using fresh, savory ingredients.

4. Micro-distilled/artisan liquor.

5. Locally produced spirits.

6. Locally sourced fruit, berries, and produce.

7. Beer sommeliers (cicerones).

8. Regional signature cocktails.

9. Beer-based cocktails.

10. Locally produced beer.

Source: National Restaurant Association

While I’m working out on the elliptical trainer at the gym, I like to read food- and beverage-related articles I’ve clipped from magazines or printed from the Internet.

Of special interest is anything having to do with culinary trends. These articles tend to come out at year-end or early in the New Year. So this year I began saving them early on and then read them en masse.

Below you’ll find my compilation of a baker’s dozen of the top trends that I see on the horizon for the coming year.

My trends are taken from a variety of sources including Nation’s Restaurant News, Restaurant Hospitality, AllRecipes.com, Associated Press, the National Restaurant Association, Sterling-Rice Group, Technomic, The Chicago Tribune, and the Food & Beverage Specialty Team of MSLGROUP North America.

Will any or all of these trends move into the mainstream in 2013? Stay tuned!

Northwest Wining and Dining 2013 Top Culinary Trends  

1. Locally Sourced and Grown Meats, Seafood, and Produce: Locavore Movement still white-hot. Hyper-local (restaurant gardens and rooftop beehives) even better. Wild crafting (rescuing heirlooms from obscurity or extinction) becoming important to some chefs. Environmentally sustainable as a culinary theme.

2. Healthy Restaurant Items: Gluten-free menus; chefs add brown rice, high-fiber grains, and vitamin-rich vegetable broths; chefs are more willing to accommodate special dietary requests from diners.

3. Vegetarian Dishes: Meatless meals, flexitarians, vegans, innovative salads, steamed and roasted vegetable dishes. Use of “new” and gluten-free grains including quinoa, amaranth, and millet. Kohlrabi Bourguignon an entrée at AQ restaurant in San Francisco. Vegetables serve as main dishes, not just supporting players. Millet may be the next quinoa.

4. Casualization of Dining: Food trucks, pop-up restaurants, “The Food Truck Handbook.”

5. Food in Small Packages: Cake pops, chicken bites, mini cinnamon buns, mini milkshakes, mini corn dogs, cheesecake bites, sliders. Small plates meant for sharing are being replaced by small plates designed for one person only, which leads to a truly customized dining experience.

6. Snacks as Meals: Snacks are now accounting for one in five “meal occasions,” bar food and happy hour remain wildly popular, along with tapas, mezze, upscale bar bites.

7. Asian Food Popular: Noodle dishes, pho, ramen, layered noodle bowls, fragrant soups, mixed-texture salads, Thai, Vietnamese, Korean, Sriracha sauce.

8. Bold Flavors: Spicy food, real ethnic food, South American (Brazil, Argentina, Peru) foods including South American-style grilled meats and ceviche, and drinks such as the Caipirinha and Pisco Sour.

9. New Cuts of Meat: Cuts from seldom-used pieces, e.g., Denver steak, pork flat iron, teres major. Sustainable use of the “whole animal.”

10. Cocktail Craze: Bars dictate future flavors, craft cocktails, barrel-aged cocktails, micro distilleries, “girly” liquors (cake-flavored Vodka, Skinny Girl products).

11. Bitter and Sour Flavors: Fermented cherry juice, varietal vinegars, homemade bitters, sour beer, kefir (naturally fermented milk).

12. Trendy Preservation: Cured, brined, pickled, dried, dehydrated, salted, and fermented foods, kimchi (Korean pickled vegetable).

13. “Hot” Ingredients and Flavors: Hibiscus, pomegranate, anything coconut (coconut water, coconut nectar as a sweetener, even coconut oil which was once demonized as a “bad fat), stevia, Greek-style yogurt. Leafy greens including kale and chard, plus beet, turnip, and mustard greens. Arugula a main salad component.

Thrilled to share the news that Lisa Ekus, my longtime literary agent and dear friend, who’s also founder and president of  The Lisa Ekus Group, will be awarded the honor of 2012 Outstanding Career by the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards.

The Gourmand World Cookbook Awards were founded in 1995 by Edouard Cointreau with the goal of recognizing and rewarding international culinary talent. Awards are given to cookbooks of excellence and culinary professionals from all over the globe.

The award will be handed out on February 23, 2013, in Paris, France, at the Gourmand Awards Gala event. Past winners of the Outstanding Career Award include Chuck Williams, Richard Grausman, and Dun Gifford.

From the press release I learned that, in her more than 30 years in the culinary industry, Lisa has cooked dinner for Julia Child; media trained Emeril Lagasse and Padma Lakshmi; secured book deals for more than 150 authors (me included–thanks, Lisa!); created culinary partnerships with leading manufacturers such as Lipton, Del Monte, Keebler, General Mills, Kraft, and Williams-Sonoma; and represented numerous restaurants, books, and food companies for public relations, including American Roland Food Corp.

Lisa’s cookbook collection numbers more than 7,000 volumes (and counting!). She also works closely with a number of charitable organizations, including The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts, PeaceTrees Vietnam, and The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

The Lisa Ekus Group began as a public relations agency—the first of its kind in the United States devoted entirely to cookbooks, chefs, and food products. The company has grown into a full-service culinary agency providing media training, public relations, consulting, talent representation, and literary-agency services to a world of culinary talent.

In 2000, The Lisa Ekus Group began offering Literary Agenting services and has since negotiated more than 350 book deals with such publishers as Andrews McMeel, Running Press, Artisan, Chronicle, HarperCollins, Penguin, Robert Rose, Simon & Schuster, Sterling, Ten Speed Press, and my personal favorite, Wiley, publisher of “Pacific Northwest Wining & Dining: The People, Places, Food, and Drink of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and British Columbia.”

Congratulations to Lisa for being such a pioneer in the culinary world. And personal thanks for all you have done to further and enhance my career.

Smoky Clam Chowder

Wine Varietal: Pinot Blanc or Pinot Gris

Serves 4

The addition of salmon jerky gives this rendition of clam chowder a hearty flavor and a real Northwest flair. Salmon jerky is available at the four fish stands in the Pike Place Market, although I am especially fond of the version made by Pure Food Fish.

2 tablespoons butter

1 1/2 cups 1/2-inch cubes boiling potatoes

1/2 cup chopped celery

1/2 cup chopped white or yellow onion

1 (8-ounce) bottle clam juice

2 cups milk

Pinch dried thyme, crumbled

Pinch crushed red pepper flakes

2 (6.5-ounce) cans chopped clams, with juice

1 cup heavy whipping cream

2 to 3 tablespoons diced salmon jerky

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat and add the potatoes, celery, and onion. Cook until vegetables are tender-crisp, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes.

2. Add the clam juice, milk, thyme, and red pepper flakes. Stir well and bring to a simmer. Simmer gently until potatoes are tender, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes.

3. Add the clams, whipping cream, and smoked salmon, and stir well. Cook several minutes more, or until the mixture is warmed through. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.

4. To serve, ladle the clam chowder into soup bowls and serve right away.

Cook’s Hint: For informal croutons, lightly butter Saltine crackers, place them in the bottom of the soup bowls, and pour over the chowder.

Recipe reprinted from “Pike Place Public Market Seafood Cookbook,” by Braiden Rex-Johnson.