Come and celebrate the outstanding talent and diversity of Seattle’s Black culinary community at CD Forum’s 2010 Food as Art at Bell Harbor on Saturday, April 10, with a VIP reception starting at 6:00 and dinner and the auction taking place from 6:30 to 11:00 p.m.

Presented by the Central District Forum for Arts & Ideas (CD Forum) as its primary fundraiser, 2010 Food as Art at Bell Harbor showcases 14 accomplished local Black Executive Chefs and Restaurateurs serving up an elegant evening of food, wine, auctions, and dancing at Seattle’s Bell Harbor International Promenade.

According to the press release, “Consistent with CD Forum’s mission to challenge the definition of what it means to be Black, the spectacular menu features not only the soul-warming Southern cooking historically associated with Black chefs, but a wide array of culinary perspectives, including Mediterranean, Caribbean, French, Vegan, African, Spanish, and Italian.”

“The CD Forum is at the forefront of engaging Blacks and Seattle at-large, through the humanities and performing arts,” said Kumani Gantt, CD Forum Executive Director, “and Food as Art is no exception. It’s a celebration of Seattle’s wonderful culinary talent and true to the CD Forum’s vision to challenge assumptions about Black culture, our chefs present a diverse array of culinary perspectives.”

Food as Art generates nearly $100,000 each year for the CD Forum, a hefty percentage of the organization’s modest operating budget. The proceeds from this event expand CD Forum’s ability to offer inspirational performing arts, readings, lectures, and discussions about the Black experience in America.

Curated by Andaluca’s renowned Executive Chef Wayne Johnson to ensure a wonderfully balanced culinary experience, the 2010 Food as Art lineup includes a pair of “Iron Chefs” as featured on the Food Network – Campagne Executive Chef Daisley Gordon and Osteria La Spiga Executive Chef Sabrina Tinsley.

In addition, featured dishes/cuisines include vegan by Makini Howell (Plum Bistro and Sage Café), Brazilian by Graça Ribeiro (Tempero do Brasil), Caribbean by Theo Martin (Island Soul), Pan-African by Mulugeta Abate (Pan Africa Market), along with several more outstanding chefs.

2010 Food as Art at Bell Harbor also features two guest chefs from the Culinary Wonders USA program, which cultivates minorities in the culinary arts fields. This year’s guest chefs are Erika Davis from The Ponte Vedra Inn & Club in Florida, and Shawn Lightfoot from Liquid Lounge and Restaurant in Washington, D.C.

During the opening VIP reception, Donna Moodie (marjorie) will provide appetizers and cocktails will be conjured up by mixologist David Nelson (Tavern Law). Later in the evening guests can look forward to a special dessert auction is being crafted by executive pastry chef Sachia Tinsley of Wild Ginger, tea samplings by Tea Maven Tracy Knight Shafer of T(ea) Gallery, and coffee generously provided by Coffee Rwanda.

Tickets cost $125 per person for general admission; $175 per person for VIP tickets, and must be purchased by April 2.  Tickets are available online at Brown Paper Tickets, or by calling 206.323.4032, ext. 116. Tickets will not be sold at the door.

Click on these links for a full list of participating chefs and a complete menu of the evening’s dishes, or for additional information about 2010 Food as Art at Bell Harbor.

My friend and Seattle public-relations maven extraordinaire, Louie Richmond, founder of Richmond Public Relations, sent me a batch of a fun new snack–popchips–that I’d seen advertised on the sides of city buses and elsewhere the last month or so.

Culpa mea: I’m not much of a snack-y person. . .I much prefer a glass of wine and piece of cheese or a piece of best-quality dark chocolate to a bag of chips or a handful of pretzels.

But the all-natural (no preservatives, artificial flavors, or colors) crunchy-round beauties quickly captured my heart. Because they are somehow rather miraculously popped rather than baked or fried, their texture is more akin to a crispy rice cake than a more traditional chip.

They’re even healthy, as snacks go, with no cholesterol or saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, and just 100 calories for an entire 0.8-ounce bag, which contains a very satisfying 18 chips.

I liked the plain chips just fine, but the flavored varieties really captured my imagination. Flavors such as Cheddar, Sea Salt and Pepper, Sour Cream and Chives, and Barbecue.

Not only are they good to eat out of hand by themselves or with a dish of tomatillo salsa, but (once gently crushed under a rolling pin or in a Zip-loc bag) they make a nice crumble over vegetarian (or regular) chili or could even be used as a crust for chicken or fish.

Yesterday my article on Emmer Farro, an ancient grain that’s winning new respect in modern kitchens, came out in The Seattle Times Pacific Northwest magazine. The article included a wonderful recipe for Butternut-Squash, Black-Currant and Blue-Cheese Farro Risotto created by executive chef Angie Roberts of BOKA Kitchen + Bar, located at the Hotel 1000 in downtown Seattle.

Today, lamentably, marks just about the halfway point through the wonderful Dine Around Seattle promotion that takes place in Seattle every March and November. And, also lamentably, I’ve only had the opportunity to dine at one of the participating restos so far.

But that one experience was truly memorable.

On a Thursday morning at 11:30, I met two of my best girlfriends (we call each other “Sis,” even though we aren’t technically related) for lunch at Tom Douglas’s venerable Dahlia Lounge (which celebrated its 20th anniversary late last year).

My sises and I were so busy chatting, I didn’t snag a shot of Tom’s Tasty Tomato Soup with Brown-Butter Croutons or the Mixed Baby Lettuces with Lemon, Sea Salt, and Reggiano, although both tasted great.

But I did get a photo of the Pan-Seared Chilled Albacore Tuna with Buckwheat Soba, Pickled Beets and Daikon, and Green Garlic Aïoli, which all three of us ordered.

Rosy pink and perfectly seared, the generous portion of tuna rested on a bed of flavorful noodles. The beet salad provided a crunchy snap and the creamy green-garlic aïoli a bracing and pungent top note. Asian cuisine à la Northwest at its best.

Here is the Chocolate-Vanilla Bean Custard Éclair (its creamy-sweet custard flecked with real vanilla beans!) and what turned out to be the surprising star among the dessert trio–Lychee-Ginger Sorbet, a sweet (but not too sweet) refresher studded with black sesame seeds. Delish.

Of course, you can’t eat dessert at any of Tom Douglas’s restaurants without saving room for a piece of the Triple Coconut Cream Pie with White Chocolate and Toasted Coconut. One picture worth 1,000 words.

And all this goodness for just $15 per person, plus tax and gratuity, through end of the month.

My colleague Natalie MacLean, 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, has just launched a new mobile application for iPhone, iPod Touch, BlackBerry, Droid, and other smartphones. Developed by Cerado, this app builds on the success of her Drinks Matcher and includes all the pairings in the original app, plus thousands of wine reviews, recipes, articles, blog posts, glossary definitions, cellar journal, and winery directory.

And best news? This fabu new app is free!

According to Nat’s press release:

“With the Nat Decants Mobile App, you can find the right wines, whether you’re in a restaurant or at the liquor store restocking. It’s like having a sommelier in your pocket.”

Features of the new Nat Decants Free Mobile App include:

– Find 380,000 professionally tested food and wine pairings (not generated by computer algorithm)
– Access thousands of wine reviews by an independent journalist
– Search the reviews by winery, price, score, region, grape, vintage, food match
– Track your wines in your virtual cellar and add your own journal notes and scores
– Search a directory of 10,000+ wineries to buy wine or plan a visit
– Find thousands of tasty, tested recipes for every wine
– Get wine savvy with articles, glossary definitions, and blog posts
– Share on Twitter, Facebook, and e-mail with friends

To get the free Nat Decants Mobile App visit:

www.nataliemaclean.com/mobileapp

On the page above, click on the words iPod or iPhone under the iPhone image to go to the iTunes store for the app. The direct link is:

http://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/nat-decants/id353052386?mt=8

For BlackBerry, Droid, Nexus One, Nokia, Palm Pre and other smartphones, click on those words under the BlackBerry phone image. The direct link is:

http://www.nataliemaclean.com/mobile

One of the best parts of going on vacation is taking lots of photos, so that when you get back home, and the pressures of daily life return all too quickly, you can go through your iPhoto collection and relive calmer, care-free times.

Here’s a scene from Cannon Beach on Christmas day, where a father throws practice pitches to his young son, dogs play worry-free in the surf, and the beach’s signature monoliths loom in the distance.

Here’s Haystack Rock up close and personal. At the bakery in town, we bought a loaf of Haystack Bread and enjoyed it with cheese during a Christmas-Day “picnic” on the patio off our room.

Even bunnies are happy here! Several pairs of “wild” rabbits make their home on the bucolic lawns that front the beach. These aren’t common Peter Rabbits, but gorgeous varieties with Siamese-cat markings, lop ears, and blue eyes!

Sunsets don’t get much better than at Cannon Beach. . .

Now–enough with sightseeing. Let’s get on to the food.

Here is the humongous Fried Oyster Sandwich served at the Warren House Pub, across Highway 101 but with peek-a-boo views of the beach. Such a deal!

And here are the Pub’s substantial rack of ribs, along with a pint o’ beer, it makes a classic example of pub grub.

Although this is a dreadful photo, the fried oysters at The Wayfarer Restaurant & Lounge proved a substantial portion, perfectly fried. The sautéed green beans, carrots, and butternut squash made me feel a bit healthier and less guilty about loading up on fried foods more than normal.

Breaking with the tradition of my new blog category, A View From My Office, for today’s post I’m offering up A View of My Office. Note the metal bracing that will be covered with sheetrock beginning next week, god willin’ and the creeks don’t rise.

As of today, March 1, I have started a new section of my blog entitled, A View From My Office.

This is a total rip-off from my darling and brilliant Web-site designer, Christopher Prouty, principal at Studio 99 Creative. Chris, along with his wife, Amy, and their super-talented staff, produce award-winning Web sites around the globe.

Anyway, here’s a photo from my office in early-February, when things were still normal (above).

And here’s one about a week before the construction crew came in (notice there are no photos on the walls and nothing on the granite countertops!).

Here’s the condo with wooden floor and granite countertops all covered.

Sawhorses and tall ladders are our new accent pieces. LOL.

And here’s the job manager, Rick, checking his drawings one last time.

Here’s a view looking into my office (where the light is coming from) after Rick and Ronnie built a “door” and put up Zip Walls (like giant pogo sticks) with Painter’s Plastic attached to keep out the construction dust.

And from inside my office. . .just call me “Bubble Girl.”

A darling friend of mine calls these “uptown problems,” when we lucky types _itch and moan about our therapists or psychoanalysts or remodels while other less-fortunate people in the world are starving or in the Chilean earthquake.

And this is all long overdue. . .we bought our condo in 1992 and have remodeled it twice since. . . in 1992 and 1997. In this go-round we are adding ceiling beams and new lighting, wine storage, and painting the entire unit stark white.

Nonetheless, this is my rather stark reality for now. . .as a writer who craves solitude and quiet, I want to share it with all of you. . .and I totally appreciate your understanding and good, positive thoughts moving forward. And if I don’t answer your e-mails as quickly as usual, you’ll know the reason why!

Sea Scallops with Fennel-Orange Marmalade

Varietal: Pinot Gris

Serves 10 to 15; makes 30 appetizers

This plush dish, which hails from Bethel Heights Vineyard in Oregon’s Willamette Valley, invigorates the taste buds by pairing the sweet-musky flavor of scallops with the bracing edge of orange and the astringency of fennel. Pair it with a good-quality Pinot Gris (such as Bethel Heights) and notice how the light aromas and flavors of tropical fruit, orange, and stone fruit, topped off by a hint of minerality, along with a crisp, dry finish complement the flavors in the marmalade. You will have about a cup of marmalade left over; it keeps in the refrigerator for up to a week or freezes well for later use. It is excellent paired with a small block of cream cheese and crackers as a quick appetizer, as a dipping sauce for shrimp, or as a chutney or salsa with pork tenderloin. If serving the marmalade with pork tenderloin, pair the dish with your favorite Oregon Pinot Noir.

1 fennel bulb, diced (about 2 1/4 cups), plus the feathery green tops, minced, for garnish

2 tablespoons diced shallots

2 oranges, peeled, segmented, and diced, plus any juice that accumulates

1 tablespoon freshly grated orange zest

4 cups freshly squeezed or store-bought orange juice

1/4 cup white wine

l/4 cup firmly packed light or dark brown sugar

1 tablespoon whole fennel seed

1/4 cup Cointreau or other orange-flavored liqueur

Granulated sugar

1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil, plus extra as needed

1/2 teaspoon unsalted butter, plus extra as needed

30 fresh or thawed untreated (dry pack) sea scallops, rinsed, drained, and patted very dry
(see Cook’s Hint, below)

30 good-quality whole-wheat crackers

1. Heat a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the diced fennel, shallots, orange segments and their juice, zest, orange juice, white wine, brown sugar, and fennel seed and stir well. Bring to a rolling boil, reduce the heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the liquid is reduced to about 2 cups, 30 to 35 minutes. At the beginning of the cooking time, watch the pan carefully so the orange juice does not boil over.

2. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the Cointreau. Taste the marmalade; if it is too tart, add sugar to taste. Return the pan to the heat and cook, stirring often, until it reaches the consistency of chutney, 3 to 5 minutes. In the last minutes of cooking, watch carefully and stir often so the marmalade doesn’t burn. Transfer half of the marmalade to a small nonreactive bowl or jar, allow to cool completely, cover, and save for another use (see headnote). Keep the remaining marmalade warm until ready to serve.

3. In a large heavy-bottomed skillet (nonstick works best for this), heat the olive oil and butter over medium to medium-high heat until the butter foams. Working in batches, add the scallops without crowding. Cook the scallops, turning only once, until golden brown on the outside and still translucent in the middle (see Cook’s Hints, below), 1 to 2 minutes per side. Add more butter and oil if needed.

4. To serve, place a cooked scallop on a cracker and top with a scant teaspoon of marmalade. Garnish with the minced fennel greens.

Cook’s Hints: (1) If you can’t find fresh scallops, it is important to use previously frozen untreated or “dry pack” scallops instead, or the scallops will not brown (caramelize) properly, and will instead steam in their own juices. Previously frozen scallops that have been treated with phosphates during processing absorb water. Not only do they not cook properly, they lack the fresh, sweet, and briny sea flavor of their dry-packed cousins. Sea scallops that are uniformly white in color, or that are displayed surrounded by juice, are most likely treated. (2) Scallops (like many types of seafood) are delicate and will continue to cook even after they are taken off the heat. It is always preferable to undercook rather than overcook scallops so they don’t become tough and rubbery. When using the sauté method described above, many chefs prefer the scallops cooked medium rare (still translucent in the middle).

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.