Writing EAT & DRINK in the Northwest Book 3

I've decided to be a bit disciplined and go to an establishment with WiFi and start finalizing some recipe notes. It's Saturday night, I've got my laptop and a glass of Pinot Noir in a bar in Fremont. If I was at home, I would clean everything in sight just to keep me from focusing on the task at hand. It has to get done though and what a better way to start finalizing a Northwest wine and food book than with a glass of Oregon Pinot? I suppose a plateful of homemade wild mushroom raviolis topped with herbs and sauteed chanterelles could help.

A Favorite Recipe from EAT & DRINK book 2 Morels with Duck Egg and Asparagus

Seattle's weather can be like a moody girl; one day it's all smiles and sunshine and then it's out of the blue cold and gloomy. Yes it's late August and it's raining...a lot. The very last thing I can think of is changing leaves and Halloween costumes (although I think about those all year round). I'm just not ready to wear scarves, I barely put them away, thanks to the frigid temperatures of June-uary. I'm thinking happiness and thinking sun.
Back in July, I made regular trips to the "Duck Egg Guy" at the Ballard Farmer's Market to get fresh duck eggs- if you haven't tried duck eggs, I invite you! One of my favorite recipes in book 2 of EAT & DRINK in the Northwest is the Soft Boiled Duck Egg with Morels and Asparagus with Parmesan Crostinis- I can't even take credit for it's deliciousness- the ingredients naturally put on their own show and we just get to enjoy. A little butter, a little salt and the richness of the duck egg yolk wrapped around the earthiness of fresh morels on a crunchy bite of Parmesan crostini is a show I could dream about again and again. All of these delicate and yet deep flavors all paired with Marcus Pape's suggestion of Raptor Ridge 2005 pinot noir and there would be nothing that could please me more. So, you are probably thinking- okay, but morels are going out of season- I say to you, my creative readers, guess what season is coming up!? Chanterelles! Bon Appetite!

China's Volunteers For The Beijing Olympics are Given Free Big Macs For Their Time

I'm not one to publicly voice my opinion about my distaste for McDonalds and its world corruption, but I have to say something about what I recently read about the millions of Chinese volunteers who are going without pay for 5 weeks to help with the Beijing Olympics.

-Taken from a Seattle Times article:
"{John Marshall} Wu, who has dreamed of becoming China's foreign minister to Russia, doesn't mind working long hours without pay. After all, he enjoys a free Big Mac — McDonald's is an Olympic sponsor — every day."

A McDonald's Big Mac everyday! I don't know what to say....except the fact that the next sponsor for these volunteers will probably be a cholesterol reducing pharmaceutical drug or insulin medication. That's nice of McDonalds to give these humble volunteers 540 calories of white sugar and trans fat junk, (every day!) What's laughable is that Olympics are about celebrating the human body in it's most healthy form. I don't believe any Olympic athlete has a Big Mac a day as their prescribed diet. I'm embarrassed and sickened to an American living in a country where McDonalds is from, who thinks that this is an okay form of nourishment. Are we going to give these giving volunteers cigarettes next to pass the time?

Endless List, Whiskey and Food Pairing Dinner and 2 Woodinville Wineries

Another busy weekend! Tomorrow night I am catering for 12 people who won a whiskey and food pairing dinner through the Seattle Works event. Myself and Ari, the Whiskey Master are taking the diners on a 5 whiskey and 5 course flavor adventure. I believe I am going to learn a ton myself!

<----(This silly whiskey picture just cracked me up, so I had to add it)

Saturday I will be at DiStefano winery representing EAT & DRINK in the Northwest from 10am-12pm and then heading over to Alexandria Nicole for another book event. If you are in the area- come on over and swirl and sip. I have written myself a reminder list of recent food adventures I currently was apart of: from grazing in lush, summer gardens smelling of tomato vines and ripe raspberries to BBQ'd lobsters made by Mark for our 4-year wedding anniversary.

Happy 4-year Anniversary

Back in July, Mark surprised me with live lobsters for our 4-year wedding anniversary. I think traditionally we are suppose to give each other "fruit and flowers" for 4-years, but guess we are not that traditional. After boiling them he split them open and barbecued them with two different butters, a chipotle butter and a green onion cilantro butter. They were quite the treat.