The proud winner of $100 (me!) holding a crisp new Ben Franklin dispensed from the cash machine

On Saturday morning, we decided it was time to get our poor car (which sits in the garage most of the time since we live, work, and play downtown) out on the road.

Amazingly, we’d never made the trek over I-90 to the (relatively) new Snoqualmie Casino, although we’d heard good things from fellow foodie friends (Kathy and John Casey) about its Monday-evening Dungeness crab buffet, and were curious about it’s upscale restaurant–Terra Vista.

Turns out Terra Vista is open for dinner only, but luckily there were several other dining options.

We opted for the lunch-time buffet, although we could also have chosen the good-looking Kindai Sushi and Noodle bar or the more casual Box Car New-York-Style Deli.

Behind the Falls Buffet line, we watched a cadre of Chinese chefs huddled over the Mongolian grill, were tempted by all the usual breakfast/brunch items one could ask for (scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, Eggs Benedict, Belgian waffles), a nice assortment of salads (one quibble–several of the leaves in my spinach salad were wilted to the point of slimy–a BIG no-no in my book!), standard lunch items such as meatloaf and chicken parmesan, and some really good desserts.

We tried the sugar-free peanut-butter cookies and peppermint cheesecake (which were really good and didn’t taste at all artificial), the chocolate torte (several to choose from–ours was dense as fudge and studded with bittersweet chocolate chips), and the swirl-your-own French Vanilla, soft-serve ice cream (which is as much a treat for big kids as younger ones).

After gorging our way through the buffet (reasonably priced at $17.95, especially for the wide selection of offerings and the fact that you can go back as many time as you can “stomach” it), we decided a coupla turns at the slot machines was in order.

The $20 we pumped into the Lucky 7 machine, wasn’t so lucky. But after moving on to a nearby machine, on the third pull, we won $100! After playing that up to $120, then back down to $100, we stepped away, determined to walk away with something in our pockets. A final $20 stop at a penny slot near the Men’s room that I figured would be “hot” wasn’t very. . .

We figured out that after the $60 we put into three slot machines, plus the $38 we spent on brunch buffet ($17.95 per person, plus a $3 tip), we went home with $2 in our pockets.

The handsome dining room at Terra Vista, along with sweeping mountain views outside and a thoughtful regional and seasonal menu from chef Bruce Dillon (King Salmon Trio–Pacific Northwest, Scottish, and New Zealand) piqued our interest, and had us vowing to return SOON!

Things are slowly, but surely (don’t call me Shirley!) getting back to normal as we get reunited and reacquainted with our condo.

I now punch the microwave buttons correctly (the interfaces between the condo’s 1997 model and the studio’s 2007 model were distinctly different), my office is returning to normal (only a few files and books that I haven’t yet unearthed), and it’s more wonderful than ever sleeping in our own bedroom and lounging on the new sofa.

So, just for old time’s sake, here’s one final photo of the remodel. Cheers to it being over and done with!

As much as we enjoy our neighbor right across the courtyard, ART Restaurant and Lounge, curiously enough we’d never been there for brunch until a couple of weeks ago.

On a sunny-bright day, our dining companions and Spencer and I enjoyed these gorgeous-o dishes.

By now, you’ve probably guessed that the dish above is the Smoked Salmon Benedict with Hollandaise Sauce. A beautiful, blushing version of the classic.

I opted for this gorgeous plate of smoked salmon with a plethora of tomatoes and a sesame-seed bagel.

Even a simple fruit plate rose above the rest thanks to its height (circles of fresh pineapple topped by melon “blocks”).

What a lovely way to start the day off right!

A special shout out to all the mothers in the world. Today is your day to shine!

And to commemorate this special day, here’s my latest story for The Seattle Times Pacific Northwest magazine.

It features a very special mother and woman–Food Network star Melissa d’Arabian–cooking with her two twin daughters, Margaux and Ocèane, and was quite a fun one for me to write and for Spencer and Seattle Times staff photographer Ken Lambert to shoot. (These are Spencer’s adorable shots.)

Here’s the beautiful Pain Perdu (Chocolate French Toast) that mère (mother) and the girls whipped up the morning we visited.

And here’s the final product fresh out of the oven with unsweetened whipped cream oozing over the top. Très magnifique!

Just in time for spring’s arrival, my colleague Natalie MacLean has compiled a thought-provoking list of wines for  “green” foods, such as asparagus, peppers, and peas, not to mention other fresh vegetables that we’ll enjoy in the coming months. Natalie is an independent and award-winning journalist who is author of the bestselling “Red, White, and Drunk All Over,” and also edits one of the largest wine sites on the Web,

“Green foods are the problem children of the wine world,” Natalie says. “But as a stubborn hedonist, I’ve found some terrific wines to drink with them.”

So forthwith, here are Natalie’s suggested “green” food-and-wine matches.

•Spring Asparagus: Gruner Veltliner

•Field greens salad: Riesling

•Tomatoes: Pinot Noir

• Green peppers: Sparkling Wine

• Grilled veggies: Rosé

•Green peas: Sauvignon Blanc

•Spinach-and-bacon salad: Merlot

•Artichokes: Verdicchio

Thanks, Nat!

In a culinary sense, Portland has recently become known as one of the United States’ most cutting-edge cities. Of course, we Northwesterners have known that all along.

In late April, our neighbors to the south proved their expertise to the rest of the world when they pulled out all their food, wine, and hospitality stops as they welcomed the International Association of Culinary Professionals 32nd Annual Conference.

Among many memorable moments was a tour of biodynamic and sustainable vineyards in the Willamette Valley. The vines were just undergoing bud break (pictured above) and the air was full of fresh scent of the earth reawakening after a long winter.

The wines we sampled–Oregon’s famed Pinot Gris, Blanc, and Noir, as well as Dijon-clone Chardonnay–were all drinking exceptionally well even in spite of negative early-on reports by national wine writers about the 2007 vintage. The photo above shows the dried herbs (such as stinging nettle and valerian) as well as the cow’s horns filled with compost that biodynamic farmers plant in the fields during certain times of the year (depending on the moon’s cycles) to create healthy soil.

In addition to outstanding wines from Soter Vineyards, Montinore Estate, and Anne Amie Vineyards, we were treated to a “snout-to-tail lunch” offered up by Thistle restaurant located in nearby McMinnville. This über-local “Modern American resto” (which sources most everything it serves from within a 35-mile radius and changes its menu daily) was a delight for some, while somewhat of a nightmare for non-pork eaters in the crowd (including yours truly).

Here is the poor animal’s head just waiting to be devoured.

And here’s its heart, blithely draped over the most beautiful farm-fresh local eggs (I ate two of those sans the pork!).

Luckily, in addition to the carefully coddled eggs, there were slabs of a nummy triple-cream cheese on the table, as well as a perfectly dressed salad of baby greens and a platter of pickled veggies and cornichons, so the more faint of heart of us among didn’t go hungry.

Here’s a shot of the complete groaning board, which one of the hosts described as a spread “like something from King Henry the VIII’s table.” You can see all my fellow foodies scurrying around the table trying to find the best camera angles. No doubt some of them, like Spencer, had been in Delores Custer’s food-styling class earlier in the week.

Dessert was the coup de grace for all to enjoy. . .a dense almond polenta cake with a crown of unsweetened whipped cream. Wish I’d saved enough room for two slices of that.

Sticky Chicky (Coconut Chicken with Chili Glaze)

Varietal: Riesling

4 servings

Susan and Scott DeSeelhorst own Snake River Winery and Arena Valley Vineyard in Parma, Idaho. Scott, a trained chef and former restaurant owner, enjoys creating new dishes to pair with his wines, such as a dish he and Susan affectionately call Sticky Chicky. The Thai-style chicken dish is similar to satay, with a glossy, complex glaze reminiscent of a good-quality Chinese barbecue sauce. As far as wines go, Snake River Winery’s Riesling is an excellent pairing with most foods, thanks to sufficient alcohol (12 percent) and well-balanced acids and sugar. The exception, Scott notes, is red meat and similar strong proteins. The chef/winemaker recommends Snake River Riesling as a match with Asian, Southwestern, and spicier foods; with dessert; or even as an after-dinner cordial.

Chili Glaze

3/4 cup unseasoned rice vinegar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

3 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Coconut Chicken

1 1/2 cups regular or “light” (reduced fat) coconut milk (shake the can before opening and stir well before measuring)

3 tablespoons minced fresh ginger

2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs or boneless, skinless chicken breasts (See Cook’s Hint below)

2 cups cooked jasmine or long-grain white rice

2 tablespoons sliced green onions, for garnish

1. At least three hours before you plan to cook, in order to allow the flavors to meld and the glaze to thicken, make the Chili Glaze.

2. Place the rice vinegar, sugar, soy sauce, ginger, and red pepper flakes in a small saucepan and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Bring to a rolling boil over medium-high heat.

3. Reduce the heat to medium and cook until the glaze reaches the consistency of maple syrup, 20 to 25 minutes. (It will thicken a bit more once it comes to room temperature or is refrigerated.) Be careful not to cook at too high a temperature or for too long, or the glaze will harden before you can drizzle it over the chicken. Set the glaze aside and re-warm it when ready to use.

4. Combine the coconut milk, ginger, black pepper, and red pepper flakes in a small bowl and stir well. Pour 1/2 cup of the marinade in a small glass mixing bowl, cover, and refrigerate until needed.

5. Pour the remaining marinade into a large, resealable plastic bag. Add the chicken and turn to coat on all sides. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours or, preferably, overnight, turning occasionally to redistribute the marinade over the chicken.

6. Ten minutes before cooking, preheat the broiler. Prepare a broiling pan with a rack and oil the rack lightly or spray with nonstick cooking spray.

7. Remove the reserved marinade from the refrigerator. Arrange the chicken pieces on the rack without crowding and cook for 3 minutes.

8. Remove from the broiler, brush with the reserved marinade, return to the broiler, and cook for 3 minutes more. Remove from the broiler, turn the meat, brush with the reserved marinade, return to the broiler, and cook for 3 minutes more.

9. Continue this process one or two more times, for a total of 12 to 15 minutes, or until the chicken is opaque throughout. Do not brush the chicken after it is out of the oven and completely cooked through, and discard any unused marinade.

10. Divide the rice among six dinner plates and arrange the cooked chicken on top of the rice. Drizzle with the re-warmed glaze or serve the glaze in separate small dipping bowls. Garnish the chicken with the green onions.

Cook’s Hint: Susan and Scott DeSeelhorst prefer chicken thighs to breasts in this recipe because the dark meat retains its moistness and is more flavorful. The chicken can also be grilled on the stove top, although it tends to splatter and be a bit messier than cooking under the broiler. Be sure to oil the grill pan well before cooking the chicken to avoid tough cleanups. The Chili Glaze can be made up to two weeks ahead. Allow the glaze to cool completely at room temperature, transfer to a nonreactive container, and refrigerate until using.

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.

The painter’s plastic is down; the floors are sanded and refinished; the beams in the ceiling are boxed in, drywalled, and painted; the new low-voltage lighting is in; and the walls are freshly painted.

Here’s the view from my office (still sans new desk, so still not quite technically my office) but we’re makin’ great progress.

New desk will be delivered tomorrow or Monday; new sofa on Monday or Tuesday. We are slowly but surely unpacking boxes, finding “new” treasures and glad to see old familiar items again.

And, as of Tuesday, we started sleeping and cooking here again, and it feels so good to be back.

Cheers to our wonderful contractors, MODELREMODEL (especially Rick and Ronnie) for all their hard and expert work, and putting up with us throughout these past six weeks.

If one picture is worth 1,000 words, then this photo of Cactus’s excellent Spiced Caesar with Grilled Chicken Salad with cojita croutons, black beans, roasted corn, and lots of beautifully grilled chicken takes the cake.

We snapped it one Saturday at lunch at the glorious West Seattle branch of the Cactus trio of restos, overlooking Alki Beach. Margaritas were strong and refreshing, just what we needed that cool spring day.

Chukar Cherry Company has been a popular fixture in the Pike Place Market’s Main Arcade for many years. Happy to report that the good folks at Chukar (including the company’s founder and fellow Seattle Dame Pamela Montgomery, a.k.a., “Ma Chukar,” and husband J.T.)  have just completed an upgrade that makes the venerable permanent stand feel even more warm and cozy than before.

Here’s a photo snapped late afternoon on a busy Saturday as the lovely ladies behind the counter are working hard, giving out loads of free samples to tourists and locals alike, as always.

Note the new signage and warm cherry cabinets behind the sales clerks. Very nice!

And here’s a more straight-on shot provided by Pam and J.T. Congrats and “cherry cheers,” dear friends!