Mark your calendars now. . .

For the Seattle Wine and Food Experience, the premier showcase for wine and food in the Northwest.

The event will take place Sunday, February 26, 2012, from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Seattle Center Exhibition Hall, 305 Harrison Street in Seattle.

Guests will experience a world tour of wine, beer, and all things culinary, according to a recent press release.

The event benefits The Giving Grapes Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization that assists local charities who provide financial assistance to service industry professionals.

Event features include:

Wines from around the world

Featured Wine Region: Oregon

Beer and cider exhibit

Sip Northwest Distillery Row

20+ chefs preparing gourmet bites

Viking demo stage hosted the “Chef in the Hat” Thierry Rautureau

Fonté Coffee Lounge

Artisan Food “Shop”

Washington Beef Bistro

Live Music

Wineries from a variety of countries as well as Washington State, California, Oregon, and Idaho are participating in the event.

“Our wines have always enjoyed a strong following among Seattle wine lovers, and the Seattle Wine and Food Experience is a premier event,” said Steve Burns, Oregon Wine Board Interim Executive Director. “To be the lead regional sponsor is an exceptional opportunity for Oregon’s top wineries to build and strengthen their following in Washington.”

Tickets are $49.

This is an exciting time for Spencer and me when we both celebrate milestone birthdays in the next two weeks (55 for me, 70 for him!), then our 30th anniversary in December.

To mark the occasion, and since we skipped taking a summer vacation this year, we’re heading off for a few weeks of much-needed r&r.

So during this time, instead of new Northwest Notes content, I’ll be bringing back some of my favorite blog posts from throughout the years.

I hope you enjoy this window back in time as much as I enjoyed re-reading and re-posting them for you.

Happy autumn! Wish us happy leaf-watching as we begin our Fall Foliage cruise up the United States East Coast and down through the St. Lawrence Seaway in eastern Canada.

Back in the saddle late-October!

Have you ever wondered how to make your own fresh mozzarella, goat cheese, or mascarpone?

Then mark your calendars for Saturday, October 29, when you can learn the foundational basics of cheese making and ways to use fresh cheeses from chef/instructor and cookbook author Mary Karlin.

Mary will share tips from her newly-released book, “Artisan Cheese Making at Home,” published by Ten Speed Press.

Students will taste sample cheeses that have been made ahead then discuss the styles and flavors.

Attendees will work in teams to make all of the cheeses,  then share what they’ve made to take home. Some cheese will be finished at home.

Participants gather at 10:30, class starts at 11:00am in the Multi-Use Kitchen at the Art Institute of Seattle.

The class is $200 and includes a signed book.

Call 206-239-2363 to register with a credit card.

Questions about this workshop? Contact Bridget Charters at bcharters@aii.edu.

Local 360 is the still fairly new restaurant in the former Flying Fish space in Belltown. It has a rustic vibe and was packed with a good mixed crowd (young folks sipping cocktails at the bar, two guys taking sports next to us, a couple of families, and older folks like us).

Here are the gorgeous “Small Plate” Mediterranean mussels that Spencer and I shared (we were starving after a movie and small lunch, so quickly devoured them). A French Rosé was a good choice for wine pairing.

This is the intriguing Fried Albacore Tuna Collar that I enjoyed as my entrée. Plenty of meat and very nicely prepared. Something I’d love to eat again!

And Spencer’s more-then-ample “Large Plate” Pork Tenderloin with a hearty Mustard Sauce and plenty of green beans.

For further thoughts on 360 Local, read my colleague and friend at The Seattle Times, Providence Cicero’s, two-star review.

The Pink Door has created an authentic Italian dessert in honor of the bounty of the season, as well as the recent National-Can It-Forward Day at Pike Place Market.

Ball Canning Company’s Canning Across America event showcased some of Seattle’s favorite chefs demonstrating  popular summer canning recipes, including a mixed-berry jam, dill pickles, canned tomatoes, and more with viewers asking questions and sharing tips via live streaming video. An excerpt can be viewed here:  http://bit.ly/mRl3YT

The Pink  Door’s pastry chef (and Pike Place Market native) Kelsey Angell created a delicious Mixed Berry Crostata, inspired by freshly canned mixed berry jam, prepared by local canning expert and gluten-free baker Jeanne Sauvage.

“Crostata is a typical Italian dessert made with jam. The ‘pasta frolla’ or pie dough is spread with the jam and topped with a lattice crust. We are modifying it by adding Northwest blackberries, blueberries, and currants on top of the jam. So the final masterpiece is half Italian Crostata and half a traditional American Pie–just like me!” explains Jackie Roberts, founder of The Pink Door.

You can try your hand with the recipe below (courtesy of The Pink Door), or enjoy it at venerable Pike Place Market restaurant for $8.00.

Mixed Berry Crostata

One 9-inch Tart pan with a removable bottom

Pasta Frolla:

3 Cups All-Purpose flour, Unbleached

1 cup Super fine Sugar (Bakers sugar)

1/4 tsp. Kosher salt

1 Lemon, zest and chop or use a micro-plane

1/2 pound unsalted butter, diced

2 egg yolks

1 egg, whole

Filling:

1 Jar Ball Canning Company Mixed berry Jam

2 baskets mixed berries, such as…currants, blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, gooseberries

Mix dry ingredients, cut in the butter until walnut pieces size.

Add the eggs, and mix just until incorporated.

Divide 2/3rds and 1/3rd . Form into a round flat disc shape between two pieces of wax paper or plastic. Let rest for 1 hour.

Roll each circle, The larger goes into the tart shell, the smaller gets cut into strips to form lattice over the top of the berries.

Fill the unbaked shell w/ 1 jar of mixed berry jam and cover w/ berries mixture.

Lattice over top. Brush w/ egg wash. Sprinkle w/ turbanato sugar.

Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes or until the crust is golden and the fruit is bubbly.

Let rest to room temp. serve!

In honor of Cinco de Mayo, I wrote a blog post about the launch of a tasty new brand of tequila–Familia Camarena Tequila–in Washington State.

And now the 100-percent Blue Agave tequila is back–taking the taste of Mexico to the streets with a mobile taco truck blitz across Seattle!

Featuring a free Familia Camarena Tequila-infused gourmet menu created by Seattle-based Chef Yajaira Carreon, the Camarena Taco Truck will spend one month in Seattle, making stops at the city’s hottest venues, events, and street corners.

The Taco Truck has already enjoyed successful runs in Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Chicago, and Austin. Seattle is the latest stop on the Camarena Taco Truck’s national tour.

In each city, a local chef has been chosen to execute an authentic menu of Latin street fare, utilizing Familia Camarena Tequila. In Seattle, Chef Yajaira Carreon, resident chef at one of the Maple Leaf neighborhood’s hottest new Mexican eateries, was up to the task. Born in Durango, Mexico, Chef Yajaira Carreon credits her creativity and inspiration in the kitchen to her family’s enthusiasm for preparing, sharing and enjoying delicious food.

For the latest Camarena Taco Truck updates, visit Familia Camarena Tequila on Facebook or on Twitter.

If you haven’t already, you need to buy your tickets for one of the best parties of the year: Sunset Supper at the Pike Place Market.

Enjoy food from Seattle’s best restaurants and the region’s premium winemakers and microbreweries.

Dance under the stars and buy a raffle ticket or spin the wheel for great prizes to support the Pike Place Market Foundation and all the good work they do.

Other upcoming dates of interest to Market lovers include:

Market Anniversary Celebration: Tomorrow–August 17

Downtown Home Tour: September 18

Second Annual Pike Place Market Artisan Food Festival: October 1-2

One of my favorites dishes–something that I get a fierce craving for from time to time–is the vegetarian chili at the Steelhead Diner in the Pike Place Market.

Here’s a gorgeous cup of Alex’s Vegetable Chili, the thick, spicy stew topped with a melt of oooey, gooey Pepperjack cheese; a BIG dollop of sour cream; cilantro; and pico de gallo; and accompanied by a rakish raft of crispy cracker.

For being so warm, comforting, and downright satisfying, Steelhead Diner’s vegetarian chili more than deserves my Dish of the Day.

Very sad to see two more businesses in the Belltown neighborhood of Seattle shut down. Here are workers taking debris out of Twist Restaurant and Lounge. . .

And Ventana Restaurant a few doors down already cleared out.

Both establishments are right across the street from La Taberna del Alabardero, which called it quits a few months ago.

Truth to tell, Spencer and I try to avoid this stretch of downtown after nightfall as it seems to have fallen into the hands of heavy party-goers and club aficionados.

A couple of weekends ago, during Seattle’s all-too-brief week or two of summer, we wanted to try a restaurant we hadn’t experienced in a long time, so drove over to a long-time favorite: the Montlake-neighborhood Italian restaurant, Cafe Lago.

Here’s the gorgeous, handmade Beet Pasta I enjoyed as my main. It was as light and lovely as the sunshine outside.

But the star of the show that evening was Cafe Lago’s Roasted Half Chicken–truly divine–with a very crispy and spicy skin (thanks to roasting in a charcoal Josper oven), tender meat and loads of flavor. Also a VERY generous portion. When we go back, I’ll urge Spencer to share with me (probably NOT gonna happen!) or simply order my own and take half of it home for later enjoyment.

Good news is, that Cafe Lago is currently offering a series of classes on various aspects of Italian food and culture.

Even better news is that each class (for up to 20 people) is free with dinner!

Upcoming Wednesday-evening lesson topics include, Why Seattle’s Best Gelato Comes from Ballard, Opera and Drink, and Italian Bombshells.

Class participants are asked to arrive at 6:30 p.m, pick a spot, and get to know their neighbors over complementary Prosecco and antipasti. Dinner orders are then taken and the class begins at 7 p.m. Dinner is served during the class and the nights’ lessons wrap up around 8:00.

Those interested in attending are encouraged to make reservations, although walk-ins are accommodated as space is available. To make a reservation, call 206-329-8005.

Here’s the schedule of upcoming classes:

· Wednesday, July 27, 7 p.m. – Why is Ballard a Hotbed for Gelato? w/ Marco D’Ambrosio, owner of D’Ambrosio Gelato in Ballard

If gelato is the royalty among ice creams, then D’Ambrosio Gelato in Ballard is the King. But what makes this creamy treat so special? It could be the cute little plastic shovels, but we’re sure there’s more to it than that. Fresh off the plane from his most recent trip to Italy, Marco will teach us how to make fantastic gelato, how it differs from ice cream, and some delectable gelato cocktails.

· Wednesday, August 3, 7 p.m. – TBD

· Wednesday, August 17, 7 p.m. – Romance, Scandal & Drinking at La Scala

When it comes to Italian opera, passion, revelry and mischief usually take center stage. And more often than not, a plentiful supply of tasty beverages moves the plot along—from the insatiable thirst of Sir John Falstaff, to the ode to drinking sung in La Traviata, to the mere illusion of inebriation in The Barber of Seville.

· Wednesday, August 31, 7 p.m. – Italian Mamas and their Power w/ Cecilia Strettoi, Associate Professor of Italian at the University of Washington

According to an Italian proverb, behind every great man is an even greater woman. A rare combination of strength, beauty, and nurture, Italian women range from the matriarch to the bomb shell; they are the multi-faceted jewels of Italian culture. Cecilia will entertain and educate diners on the nuances of true Italian women.