Please make your reservations for Fish Tales & Pike Ales, a progressive educational dinner presented by Les Dames d’Escoffier, Seattle Chapter (LDES).

LDES is a group VERY near and dear to my heart; since joining the group in March 2004, I have served as International Liaison, Vice President/Program Chair, Secretary, and President. Starting in October, I will serve on the national board.

Fish Tales & Pike Ales will take place on Thursday, September 27, from 5:30 to 8:30, at the Pike Pub, 1415 First Avenue, in downtown Seattle.

Fish Tales & Pike Ales is designed to “school” both food-professional and consumer “a-fish-ionados” on the virtues of wild seafood, as well as the attributes and advantages of using frozen products. Event attendees will be divided into three groups “schooled” by professional fishers, cookbook authors, and other seafood-savvy experts.

The event’s major donor, the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute (ASMI), will supply a diverse assortment of Alaskan-sourced seafood, with dishes prepared by LDES members. Pike Pub and Washington wineries will provide beverage pairings.

Tickets cost $75 per person and are available through PayPal on the LDES website.

A $500 raffle basket containing a Kindle Fire, a gift card for e-books, and other Dames-donated items will be another exciting part of the Fish Tales & Pike Ales fundraiser.

So please make your reservations now, and plan to attend Fish Tales & Pike Ales!

Our friends at Tourism Vancouver have released a new destination iPad app designed to be an inspirational trip-planning tool and travel companion for visitors from around the world.

The Visit Vancouver app – available for free download from Apple’s iTunes store – is interactive, fun to use, and developed to take full advantage of the iPad platform by showcasing bold video and imagery that inspires travel to Vancouver.

The app includes information on dining, accommodations, activities, transportation, events, and weather. It also allows users to take photo tours of the city, book hotels, peruse online videos, read travel articles, bookmark and share “Favorites,” and search a continually updated calendar of Vancouver events and festivals.

Visit Vancouver is differentiated from other city travel apps in that it is free of advertising and was designed to provide optimized experiences both online and offline. Users who don’t have a wireless internet connection, or who are concerned about data-roaming costs while traveling, will find that the majority of content is available offline.

In addition to this new app, Tourism Vancouver already has a strong online-marketing program that includes the award-winning Inside Vancouver blog, an active social-media presence, and the Vancouver Specialist Program (an online travel-agent training tool). And, the organization will soon launch a mobile website.

Our friends Penny and Will Durant, owners of Red Ridge Farms, Oregon Olive Mill, and Durant Vineyards in the Willamette Valley, are planning an after-hours paella party on Sunday, August 19, that promises to be an extraordinary event.

You may remember the Durants, who were profiled in my seventh book, “Pacific Northwest Wining & Dining: The People, Places, Food, and Drink of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and British Columbia.” Their products have also been featured in Food & Wine magazine, O magazine, and EveryDay with Rachael Ray.

And who could forget the tasty recipe they submitted for my book, Garden-Fresh Gazpacho with Garlic Croutons, that would be perfect to make this time of the year?

During the couple’s first-ever paella party, which takes place on August 19, from 5 to 8 p.m., guests will enjoy authentic Spanish tapas and traditional paella prepared onsite by chef Scott Ketterman of Crown Paella.

Founded in the fall of 2011 by husband and wife team Scott and Emily Ketterman, Crown Paella is an event company focused on traditional Spanish cooking that specializes in giant paella and tapas. Ketterman will prepare a lively outdoor meal on special cookware imported from Spain and utilize fresh, local ingredients including Oregon Olive Mill’s Arebequina olive oil.

Guests can wander through the extensive Red Ridge gardens and take in valley views from the new tasting room as they nibble on tapas and paella.

For dessert, guests will enjoy Salt & Straw’s Arbequina Olive Oil ice cream made with Oregon Olive Mill olive oil, which was featured in the April issue of O Magazine as one of their favorite new ice creams.

Durant Vineyards Estate Wines will be available for purchase by the bottle or glass.

Tickets are $35 per person or $30 for Red Ridge club members. Reservations are required and can be made by calling (503) 864-8502.

On the menu:

Tapas

Blistered Padrón Peppers with Oregon Olive Mill Arbequina Olive Oil and Sea Salt

Heirloom Tomato Tarta with Moroccan Olives, Basil, and Manchego

Lamb Meatballs in Romesco

Paella

Crown Royale Paella: Rabbit, Mussels, Clams, Prawns, Chorizo, Saffron, Piquillo Peppers, and Sofrito

Verdura Paella: Artichoke Hearts, Sweet Peppers, Foraged Mushrooms, Green Beans, Saffron, Garrafón Beans, Sofrito, and Fresh Herbs

Vino (Durant Vineyards Estate Wines)

2011 Pinot Gris $6/ glass $18/ bottle

2010 Chardonnay $7/ glass $25/ bottle

2009 Pinot Noir $9/ glass $28-$35/bottle

El Postre (Dessert)

Salt & Straw’s Arbequina Olive Oil Ice Cream: As the ice cream melts and the rich and spicy Arbequina Olive Oil settles on the palate, the spiciness of the oil, sweetness of the cream and faint hints of salt all contribute to a complex flavor experience.

Olé!

Every now and then I get a hankering for Dungeness crab. And one of my favorite places to indulge my craving is at Shuckers in The Fairmont Olympic Hotel in downtown Seattle.

I love the restaurant’s ambience, the kind of bustling, clubby sort of place place you’d want to claim as your own personal watering hole. Rather surprising to learn that the space–all beautifully carved oak paneling and pressed-tin ceiling–served as a haberdashery in the 1930s.

Shuckers is a good choice for just about any type of seafood–oysters on the half shell, the superlative Lusciously Loaded Louis Salad with shrimp or crab, daily-changing catches of the day that are simply, but perfectly, grilled. (Ruby trout and steelhead are two of our particular favorites).

But the Whole Roasted Dungeness Crab with Rosemary Potatoes and Grilled Asparagus truly stands apart from any other seafood dish in town.

The thing that sets this crab apart is the use of fresh sprigs of rosemary in the roasting process. It’s a truly brilliant use of this aromatic, pine-y herb that works a particular magic, making the crab more hearty and savory tasting than it usually is.

A bit of butter gives the dish richness, but not enough to overwhelm the crab. The dish usually comes beautifully roasted potatoes; since I’ve been trying to follow a low-carb diet lately, I asked for extra asparagus and was entirely sated (and even took half my and asparagus crab home for next-day nibbling).

Whole Roasted Dungeness Crab is a Fairmont Lifestyle Cuisine option–“dishes created using fresh and nutritionally balanced ingredients that are natural and organic so that they contribute to optimal health and wellness”–so you can feel good about eating it while you pick and pile the sweet crab nubbins.

For all of these reasons, Shuckers Whole Roasted Dungeness Crab more than merits our Dish of the Day.

There’s nothing like a good tour to get the travel juices flowing.

And food- and fine beverage-loving visitors to Vancouver have it better than ever, thanks to a plethora of tours that offer a “taste” of this glorious city.

Whether you prefer to tour and taste under the guidance of a professional chef or catch and cook your own meal, Vancouver’s diverse array of culinary tours offers something for everyone.

• Experience Vancouver’s world-renowned street-food scene on the Tour Guys’ Eat Your Cart Out Tour. Sample tasty bites like southern pulled pork barbecue, Japanese-inspired hot dogs, pan-Asian tapas and more. The two hour tour costs $35 per person (plus tax).

• Don your headset for Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts’ “Plugged In” Market Tour of Granville Island. Led by a chef-instructor, guests explore and taste what’s been grown, fished, and cooked fresh in this bustling public marketplace. Participants learn historical tidbits and recipe tips along the way. The 1.5-hour tour costs $40 per person (plus tax).

• Taste your way through Vancouver’s Chinatown neighborhood – the third largest in North America – with Edible Canada’s Chinatown Tour. During this two-hour tour, guests learn about the neighborhood’s rich history, while sampling authentic eats like barbeque meats, exotic fruits, teas, and baked goods. Tour costs $40 (plus tax). Add on a mouthwatering dim sum lunch for an additional $25 (plus tax).

• Thirsty? Explore Gastown’s explosive craft-beer scene on the Gastown Craft Beer ‘n Bites Tour, hosted by Vancouver Food Tour. Led by a passionate beer educator, the tour allows beer aficionados to enjoy tastings at four destinations – each offering a unique aspect of beer – along with tasty, hand-picked food pairings. The three-hour tour costs $75 (per person).

• Swallow Tail Tours’ Catch and Cook Crab Tour is the perfect option for those who want to catch their own dinner. Led by a fishing guide and chef, guests learn how to catch and cook Dungeness crab and are rewarded afterward with a mouthwatering beachside lunch. The three-hour tour costs $139 (plus tax).

• Tantalize your taste buds on Taste Vancouver Food Tours’ Gastown Tour. Led by “Gassy Jack,” guests learn about the history and culture of this historic neighborhood while visiting 10 of Gassy’s favourite eateries. Highlights include lobster mac-and-cheese, West Coast crab cakes, pulled pork, and more. The two-hour tour costs $39 (plus tax).

• Taste your way through Vancouver’s diverse neighborhoods by bike with Cycle City Tours’ Food Tour. Highlights include tasty eats and historical tidbits in neighborhoods such as Granville Island, Yaletown, Chinatown, Gastown, and Coal Harbour. The four-hour tour costs $99 per person.

• Experience five of downtown Vancouver’s popular eateries with Vancouver Foodie Tours’ Guilty Pleasures Gourmet Tour. Led by a passionate foodie, the tour includes gourmet tastings accompanied by wine, beer, and sake pairings. The three-hour tour costs $69 (plus tax).

The Pike Place Market’s Sunday chef’s demo line-up is one of the strongest I’ve seen in recent years, with such Seattle icons as Ethan Stowell (Staple & Fancy Mercantile), Melissa Nyfeller (Dinette), and Nathan Lockwood (Altura) all cookin’ along the cobblestones Sunday at noon or 2 p.m. during the months of August and September.

On Sundays, Pike Place is closed to car traffic from Stewart to Virginia to create a lively pedestrian plaza of shoppers, farmers, and chefs. It’s a fun time for both locals and tourists to get a real “taste” of the granddaddy of all farmers’ markets.

Open up your calendar and mark the following dates for an unforgettable way to meet the chefs and pick up helpful shopping, cooking, and plating techniques.

Here’s the complete chef-demo line-up through the end of September: 

August:

Aug. 5 Anthony Polizzi – Steelhead Diner Noon

Aug. 5 Nathan Lockwood – Altura 2 p.m.

Aug. 12 TBA* Noon

Aug. 12 David Sanford – Belle Clementine 2 p.m.

Aug. 19 Brent Harding – Le Pichet Noon

Aug. 19 Melissa Nyffeler – Dinette 2 p.m.

Aug. 26 Ethan Stowell – Staple & Fancy Mercantile Noon

Aug. 26 Jacob Wiegner – Blackboard Bistro 2 p.m.

September:

Sept. 9 Pranee Kruasanit Halvorsen – I Love Thai Cooking Noon

Sept. 9 Seth Caswell – emmer & rye 2 p.m.

Sept. 23 Simon Zatyrka – Cutter’s Crabhouse Noon

Sept. 23 Jeff Maxfield & Ivan Szilak, Collections Café 2 p.m.

Sept. 30 Phyllis Rosen – Catering by Phyllis Noon

Sept. 30 TBA*

A Touch of Europe Bed & Breakfast and Fine Dining Establishment in the Yakima Valley 

Ever dreamed of owning and operating a bed-and-breakfast inn?

Our friends Erika and Jim Cenci are approaching retirement. And just last week they sent me an email with details of their gorgeous property–an historic bed-and-breakfast inn and restaurant located in the heart of downtown Yakima’s Mansion District–that they have put up for sale.

You may remember the Cencis, as they are prominently featured in my book, “Pacific Northwest Wining & Dining: The People, Places, Food, and Drink of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and British Columbia.” (PNWD).

I adored Erika’s recipe for Chilled Yellow Watermelon Soup with Dungeness Crab and Watercress Coulis when I dined at the inn while doing research for PNWD, and reprinted in in my book.

And I enjoyed writing a profile of A Touch of Europe Bed & Breakfast and Fine Dining Establishment. This property dates back to 1889, and is on the National Register of Historic Places. Erika and Jim have operated the property since 1995.

In their email, they said, “It is hard to believe that we now have entered our 18th year as a successful B&B in Yakima. And, with our ages nearing 75, it verifies that time really does fly by quickly. So now we’re looking forward to moving on, perhaps to Arizona.”

The Cencis will continue to operate their business as usual until they find a suitable buyer. The buyer can purchase it for use in the following three ways: as a turn-key, active, fully furnished/equipped-throughout bed-and-breakfast inn; as a vacation rental; or as an unfurnished residence (some furnishings could possibly stay if sold as a residence).

If this sounds like your dream come true, please contact the Cencis for further information and/or a tour of the property at:

1-509-454-9775/888-438-7073 or atoeurope@msn.com.

Brennon Leighton, Efesté winemaker at The Last Salmon Dinner at Blueacre Seafood

On July 11, Spencer and I were lucky enough to attend a dinner that every Northwestern resident–heck, every American–should know about.

Held at Blueacre Seafood in downtown Seattle, The Last Salmon Dinner was hosted by chef/owner Kevin Davis and his wife and owner Terresa Davis. The couple’s aim, in addition to feeding a five-course, salmon-centric meal to an enthusiastic crowd of 70 people, was to expose the proposal by Pebble Limited Partnership, a consortium of the world’s second largest multinational mining corporation, to build an open-pit mining complex at the headwaters of Bristol Bay, one of our nation’s last great salmon fisheries.

The proposed mine will span 20 square miles, with containment ponds that will hold between 2.5-billion and 10-billion tons of toxic mine waste.

Needless to say, the environmental impact of the proposed Pebble Mine on the surrounding waters of Bristol Bay would be immeasurable, and irreversible.

So much so that chef Davis, a life-long fisher, posed the question: Will the last wild salmon to leave Bristol Bay please remember to turn off the lights?

Efesté (pronounced F-S-T), was the wine partner, and winemaker Brennon Leighton said he was honored when chef Davis chose his wines to represent this event.

But the dinner was not all environmental hand-wringing and finger-pointing. Chef Davis outdid himself with cooking and presenting Bristol Bay salmon at its finest.

Chef Davis’s Assorted Delicacies of The Sea included crispy smelt, albacore tuna poke, chilled oysters, and geoduck ceviche, paired with Efeste Feral 2011 Sauvignon Blanc. This wine is special because it’s fermented using native, wild yeast–no commercial yeast is added–then it’s aged in two-year-old French Oak barrels.

I’ve rarely had such a creative (and beautiful) rendition of gravlax as Davis’s Horseradish-Cured Bristol Bay Sockeye Salmon with lovage salad (its lively notes of anise reminded me of fresh shiso leaf), pickled rhubarb, baby yellow and pink beets, and Austrian pumpkin seed oil paired with Lola 2010 Chardonnay, made from 100% Chardonnay and also fermented with native yeast and (refreshingly) not heavily oaked.

A zippy cup of Rainier Cherry Gazpacho with balsamic croutons, lavender goat cheese, and a flurry of edible flowers made a perfect (summery!) pairing with Babbitt 2011 Rosé, made from 71% Syrah and 29% Cabernet Sauvignon, and normally available only at the winery.

A Roulade of Bristol Bay Salmon, morel mushrooms, summer truffles, and sauce cardinal was a mellifluous melding of earth and ocean. It went “swimmingly” with Ceidleigh (pronounced Kay-Lee) 2009 Syrah, a rich, ripe Syrah rife with dried cherries and plum notes.

Vanilla Pound Cake with the season’s best Skagit Valley strawberries and raspberries, mint syrup, and house-made “cool whip” pulled up the rear in grand style.

I left with pages of notes and much to think about, both in regards to the proposed Pebble Limited Partnership Mine, Davis’s culinary prowess with prized Bristol Bay salmon, and winemaker Leighton’s outstanding wine pairings.

Even if you weren’t able to attend The Last Salmon Dinner, YOU CAN HELP!

Write to your local congressman to STOP the building of the Pebble Mine at the mouth of Bristol Bay. And visit the Save Bristol Bay and Bristol Bay Sockeye websites for more information.

Our friends at the James Beard Foundation recommended the “Best Books for the 14 Weeks of Summer,” (ranging from Memorial Day to Labor Day) in the July/August 2012 edition of JBF Events.

The 14 great reads designed for foodies run the gamut from memoirs to fiction, and even natural history. Writers are as current as Gabrielle Hamilton, or as venerated as A.J. Liebling and M.F.K. Fisher.

Selected by an array of culinary experts from the James Beard Foundation Book Awards Committee, this essential list was inspired by the popularity of the Book Committee’s 2010 “The Baker’s Dozen” list, a compilation of 13 essential baking books that spanned almost four decades, from 1973 to 2010.

Here are the 14 selected tomes:

1. The Art of Eating by M. F. K. Fisher (John Wiley & Sons)

2. Between Meals: An Appetite for Paris by A.J. Liebling (North Point Press)

3. Blood, Bones & Butter by Gabrielle Hamilton (Random House)

4. Day of Honey: A Memoir of Food, Love, and War by Annia Ciezadlo (Free Press)

5. A Debt to Pleasure by John Lanchester (Picador)

6. An Everlasting Meal: Cooking with Economy and Grace by Tamar Adler (Scribner)

7. The Fortune Cookie Chronicles: Adventures in the World of Chinese Food by Jennifer 8. Lee (Twelve)

8. Heat: An Amateur’s Adventures as Kitchen Slave, Line Cook, Pasta-Maker, and Apprentice to a Dante-Quoting Butcher in Tuscany by Bill Buford (Vintage)

9. Home Cooking: A Writer in the Kitchen by Laurie Colwin (Vintage)

10. The Man Who Ate Everything by Jeffrey Steingarten (Vintage)

11. Oranges by John McPhee (Farrar, Straus & Giroux)

12. The Oysters of Locmariaquer by Eleanor Clark (Ecco Press)

13. Simple Cooking by John Thorne (North Point Press)

14. The Tummy Trilogy by Calvin Trillin (Farrar, Straus, & Giroux)

And please don’t forget to tuck a copy of my very own “Pike Place Public Market Seafood Cookbook,” into your beach bag, or read the new e-edition on your Kindle, Nook, or iPad.

Ch

Since its inception on April 1, 2009, we’ve been very proud of the reliable performance and sheer usefulness of the Puget Sound Cam.

The PSCam documents the activity in Seattle’s Elliott Bay, which is part of Puget Sound. Through an intricate set of waterways, this “inland sea” runs about 50 miles to the Washington coast and the Pacific Ocean.

The PSCam is located in Spencer’s studio/office just five floors from the condo in which we have lived for the past 20 years. We’ve watched the landscape along the Waterfront change over the years, but never as dramatically as recently thanks to building of the Seattle Great Wheel.

We’ve been watching with bated breath as the Wheel takes shape, and welcomed it once it was spinning.

The Wheel is so pretty at twilight. . .

And dramatic at night.

I love this shot with the ferry boat heading toward its berth in the background. . .

Getting closer. . .

The Wheel almost looks like a band of sapphires in the nighttime sky. . .

Fiery and dramatic here!

All dressed up for a special light show to celebrate July 4 in this one! (Photo courtesy of Seattle’s KIRO, Channel 7, website.)

One final spin before the Wheel says “goodnight!”