So a few days back, Bon Appétit magazine contacts me with a list of recipes that our guests had asked them to get. I was surprised--and a bit humbled--by how many of our dishes people want to recreate in their own kitchens. So I sent the recipe for "Pucker Power," a perennially favorite dessert, which you can find here. Beyond the magazine, I'm often directly asked by guests for the recipe to a favorite dish or two. While I'm not able to accommodate every request, there are a number of them on the website and I do share others in my cooking classes.

Admittedly, these latest requests and discussions have made me push one particular project back onto the front burner--a cookbook of favorite recipes old and new. Since I'm including my own hand-drawn watercolor illustrations, this is becoming quite the project--yet another creative outlet in a thoroughly busy life. Right now, we're expecting a fall 2009 publication date. Stay tuned.

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People always ask me where I got the idea for Cascadia's Bubble Menu--that's the Valentine-esque menu we offer all February long. Like many couples, Heidi and I are always looking for that perfect romantic dinner. In February, everyone automatically thinks of Valentine's Day. Which is all fine and good if you don't work in the restaurant business. After all, what chef can afford to be away from his or her kitchen on one of the busiest nights of the year?

So we've always celebrated on a different day. Turns out a lot of other couples had the same idea--a grown-up place, lively but not noisy, with great food and drink. Oh yes, and one that takes reservations--the only way to dine out when you're working with a babysitter's schedule as well as your own. With all that in mind, we created the Bubble Menu, which is available at Cascadia throughout February. Why February? Beside the obvious connection to Valentine's Day, February is also the month that Heidi and I met (19 years ago!), and it continues to bring up many wonderful memories. Why Bubble? Because there must always be champagne, of course.

And speaking of champagne, during February 2008, we're offering two champagnes by the flute:

NV Billecart-Salmon Brut RosÈ Champagne at $30 per flute
MV Krug Grande CuvÈe Champagne at $40 per flute

So if you're wanting to feel the love during February but not the crowds on Valentine's Day, the Bubble Menu is yours for the asking. And so is the champagne.

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The holidays are over and for some January in the Northwest can be a ornery month with its short days, long nights and lots of rain. At Cascadia, however, there's a whole new reason to celebrate: our annual Cascadia Food + Wine Month. In addition to a great view, a warm fire and plenty of good friends, all through January we're offering a $30 three-course set menu as well as 20% off every bottle of wine, sparkling wine and champagne on our list.

Why? Recently, we ventured deep into our wine cellars to inventory every label, every case, and every bottle. Call it a New Year's thing to do--taking stock, planning for the future, you get the idea. What we found is more than 10,000 amazing bottles of wine, some of which are reaching full maturity right now. We couldn't think of a better way to celebrate these finds than to share them with you. At 20% off, of course.

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The day after tomorrow (Wednesday the 21st), I'm back on the radio with my friends at KUOW--this time on the station's Weekday show, live from 9 am to 10 am. Obviously, since it's the day before Thanksgiving, we'll be talking food. But more than that, we're hoping to alleviate some of the trauma associated with cooking such a big meal for a handful or more of hungry people. We've all been there, so call or email with questions and we'll work through the answers as well as dish out some ideas for easier items to cook. After all, not every table needs a 20 lb. turkey.

And it's not just questions--the show wants to hear about your cooking catastrophes. So if you have one of those stories that gets told year after year--and we all do--call in or email, and share it on Weekday. I might even share one of mine.

KUOW (94.9 FM)
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
9 am to 10 am

Call in live: (206) 543-KUOW
(800) 289-KUOW

Email the show:
weekday@kuow.org

UPDATE: Listen to the Weekday Show, The Trauma of Holiday Cooking, online at the KUOW Program Archive.

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Seems like only a summer ago when I first traveled with a very pale fiberglass pig from her downtown "pigsty" up Queen Anne hill to our home, all to decorate as part of the 2007 Pigs on Parade fundraiser. Some called her Eva. I liked Veggies & Pork. (Actually, both are correct.) And once completed, she stood guard first at Pike Place Market and then outside the restaurant, welcoming one and all, and thoroughly enjoying the attention. But, as we always knew, she'd be going to a more permanent home in the fall. And so it was.

Held on October 12th, the Pigs on Parade Auction was a spectacular success. 100 pigs did their porcine best down the runway while "Hogtioneer" John Curley kept track of the bids. When all was said and done and paraded, a record $258,000 was raised, which will all go to the Market Foundation to help support the Pike Market Child Care & Preschool, the Pike Market Senior Center, the Downtown Food Bank, and the Pike Market Medical Clinic.

As for Eva/Veggies & Pork, she brought on some seriously competitive bidding and topped out at a whopping $4,000! As for her new home, she'll be residing with friends of Cascadia over on the eastside. We're told we can visit her whenever we want.

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I spent the morning yesterday and the studios of KUOW, the NPR station here in Seattle, talking with Marcie Sillman and a couple of other chefs about the fall harvest. You can listen to the Podcast here. Many of you have called asking for my recipe for Carrot Ginger Soup. It's very easy and one of my favorites. The secret to making the soup great is to use the freshest, crispest, sweetest carrots you can find.

Cascadia Carrot Ginger Soup

4 cups carrots peeled and diced
1 cup onions peeled and diced
1 cup Yukon gold potatoes peeled and diced
1 tsp fresh ginger peeled and chopped
2 pints vegetable stock
2 T grape seed oil or butter
Optional: 1/4 cup whipping cream

In a large saucepan over medium heat add the grape seed oil or butter. Add the carrots, onions, potatoes and ginger. Continue stirring to sweat the vegetables. Do not brown. Add the vegetable stock and bring to a boil and then turn down to a simmer. Skim off any foam. Continue to cook until the vegetables are soft and remove from the stove. If you choose to add whipping cream add it now and return briefly to the heat. Blend in a food processor until very smooth. Strain through a sieve. Garnish with choice of whipped cream, sesame seeds, ginger oil or honey.

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A mere 1.5 hours on the superfast TGV train and we found ourselves in the Burgundian town of Dijon and a world away from Paris. Wasting no time, we hopped into our rental car (a diesel--incredibly fuel efficient!) and drove west then south to the tiny village of La Bussière-sur-Ouche, which means "place covered with box trees." Here we found, yes, box trees plus the charming farmhouse that was recently renovated by friends and generously loaned to us for our visit. Located on a peaceful, deep green canal, the farmhouse included a stone terrace and a lush lawn, both perfect venues for our nightly games of pétanque. When not playing, we would walk along the canal and watch the slow moving barges. Every morning we'd venture into the village for croissants, bread and quiche--La Bussière is so small that the only shop open daily was a boulangerie complete with a friendly baker--and every evening we built a fire to take the chill out of the cool summer air. We toured the surrounding towns and castles, and admired the small farms with their famous pure-white Charolais cows. In this lovely place, our pace began to slow.

ADVENTURES IN SHOPPING

Of course, the best times for us were spent foraging for fine foods throughout the region's many shops and markets, and then cooking it all up in the kitchen of our adopted farmhouse. At the weekly market in Dijon, we found an amazing assortment of ingredients including olives, summer vegetables and vegetable purees, locally raised trout, unique cheeses from various farmers, and wild asparagus--a real find and something we rarely get in our own farmers markets in the Pacific Northwest. Of special note was the market's charcuterie selection: think sausages made of everything from game to rabbit to donkey. Day after day, the market gave us everything we needed for our simple, seasonal evening meals. Which isn't to say that we didn't eat out because, of course, we did. For lunch one day, we ate at the much lauded L'O Restaurant across from the Market Hall. L'O's trendy space and menus were fun if not a bit challenging at times. In fact, one of our salads was served in a tall, clear vase with the dressing served separately--tongue-in-cheek, I'm sure--in a beverage glass complete with a straw. Definitely fun, but difficult to eat!

WINE AND CHEESE AND SALT, OH MY!

Just south and slightly west of Dijon, we rediscovered one of our favorite places: the wine capital of Beaune. At the center of the beautiful Côte d'Or region, where some of the world's most prestigious wines are produced, this prosperous town enjoys many fine shops and has managed to mix old and new, to maintain the feel of an ancient French town while providing for its bustling, international tourist trade. For his part, Sebastian was enamored with the town's carousel. So, while one of us watched him go round and round, the other would tour the shops with Oliver for whom, evidently, the carousel was not as strong an attraction. Go figure. A favorite shop was Alain Hess for cheese and gourmet products, and Madame Hess was very helpful as we selected cheese to accompany our evening meal. And of course, it was quite impossible to leave without a few other items, namely the red wine flavored salts Fleur de Pinot and Fleur de Cabernet. Nearly every shop we ventured into had such an amazing array of wines and products that it's probably a good thing the airlines impose a 50 pound weight restriction on baggage! With our temptations to purchase subdued, we toured the museum of wine and found ourselves in awe of the giant ancient presses.

On another occasion, we took a day trip on the Route des Grands Crus, which connects the region's many famous wine villages. Along the way, we saw a number of cycling enthusiasts and Tour de France fans enjoying the same journey by bicycle. On the way to Château de la Rochepot, we stopped in Puligny-Montrachet. Cave Montrachet is a small wine bar and tasting room run by a father and son. Our host, the son Julien Wallerand, was extremely knowledgeable and entertaining, and has quite a few Seattleites visit him on a regular basis. (Look for him to visit Cascadia in 2008 as we're planning a wine dinner featuring his favorite wines.)

875 YEARS IN THE MAKING

Next up on our many discoveries and adventures (and located not far beyond the large stone walls near our farmhouse), we found the newly renovated Abbaye de la Bussiere, former home of the Cistercian monks and founded in 1131. The hotel, which opened in 2006, is set in a six-hectare park with formal gardens and the building itself has a wonderful atmosphere heightened by medieval fireplaces and deep velvet sofas. The gastronomic restaurant headed by Chef de Cuisine Oliver Elzer was awarded a Michelin star this year and on one of the last days of our holiday, he created a wonderful, light lunch for us. Among our favorite dishes was a mousseron mushroom bisque with a quail egg and foam. With Sebastian and Oliver behaving perfectly, we imagined that the serenity of the Abbey worked its magic on them as well as on the two of us.

SEATTLEITES UNITE!

Just before our trip ended we met up with fellow Seattle resident Ronald Holden at the Beaune Saturday market. Ronald is the award-winning writer of our favorite food blog, cornichon.org (he mentions our surprise meeting here). A regular visitor to France, Ronald is an expert in all things French relating to food and wine, and we had a good time touring the busy market together. All too quickly though, we flew home to enjoy the rest of our summer in Seattle. With us we brought many fine memories of time spent with friends, lovely meals enjoyed and above all, an appreciation of life as only the French can live. And the adventure continues . . .

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With school out and the summer holidays upon us, we (Heidi, Sebastian, Oliver and myself) set off to France for two weeks of family adventures. The first week was spent in Paris. Think about it: Two adults. Two boys under six. And all of Paris before us. As those with children already know, traveling with little ones is an adventure unto itself and the key is keeping it simple and comfortable. Thus, Air France's non-stop Seattle to Paris flight. While just long enough for dinner and some sleep, the trip time was also short enough to keep everyone in good spirits -- less than 14 hours from Seattle home to Paris apartment. And speaking of apartments, our rented space (www.parisperfect.com) exceeded all expectations. Plenty of room? Yes. Beautifully decorated? Yes. A fully equipped kitchen? Of course. And a staggering top-to-bottom view of the Eiffel Tower? Vive la France! We were off to a very good start.

After a short nap, we immediately set out to explore, discover and enjoy the first of many fine meals. Joined by my sister and niece, who flew in from England, we walked to Café de Flor, a favorite dinner spot on Blvd. St. Germain. Here we enjoyed the classic art deco interior, a beautiful patio, much conversation, some serious people watching and, of course, a terrific brasserie meal.

LIVE LIKE A LOCAL

Our apartment was in the 7th arrondissement and the immediate neighborhood was a foodie's dream. With patisseries and boulangeries on every block, we tried a different place for croissants every day. By the end of our stay, the winner was Le Moulin de la Vierge on Rue St. Dominique. The chef had a unique touch with his pastry -- light in texture, dark in appearance and with a caramelized taste. Another of our near-daily visits was to the famous Rue Cler pedestrian market street, which was one of the reasons we chose to stay in this neighborhood. There we found an excellent fromagerie packed with local butter, eggs and cheese. We also found a Lenotre charcuterie open late and several shops with truly beautiful produce including in-season alpine strawberries. On Rue Cler, it really is all about food and each time we shopped, we couldn't wait to return to our apartment and create something wonderful.

TOUR LIKE A FAMILY

Early in our Paris stay, we rendezvoused with our Toronto-based friends and their two boys. Despite what some might think, Paris is a great city for families. From parks to museums to ice cream, there was always something around the next corner to entertain the boys (four of them now, all under six). The Eiffel Tower impressed them. The daily marionette shows at the Luxembourg Gardens entertained them. And the freshly made crêpes (located just about everywhere) delighted all of us. Other events included a trip down the Seine in a "hop-on, hop-off" Batobus, feeding the pigeons at Notre Dame, and a visit to Ile St. Louis and the legendary les glaces Berthillon where we sampled fresh-made cassis, peach and "chocolate noir," a very dark, very rich chocolate ice cream. On a day-long trip to Versailles, we were also treated to a rare event: all of the castle's fountains, circa 1800 plumbing intact, were turned on. As this happens only two days a year, we felt rather privileged. And with the classical music in the background, the overall effect was spectacular. Just ask the boys! (A generous hat tip to Rick Steves and Steve Smith for their Paris travel book -- see www.ricksteves.com. Its hints and tips helped us make the best of our boys' trip to Paris, including the Louvre on a Wednesday night! No crowds meant fewer hassles and getting up close and personal with the Mona Lisa.)

EAT LIKE A KING

In between museums and cafés and plenty of wandering, I was able to spend some time with a few former colleagues at the Four Seasons George V Hotel (www.fourseasons.com/paris). The George V is every bit as glamorous as you might imagine -- the flowers alone defy description -- and is the discreet host to many a celebrity as well as the royalty rumored to be in residence during our visit. For his part, Sebastian was impressed by the gold faucets in the bathrooms and pronounced that they were, indeed, fit for a king. Spending some time in the kitchens, I observed the preparation of the restaurant Le V's classic foie gras dish, which is cooked "sous vide" for no less than 18 hours. (The sous vide method allows ingredients to retain their flavors and nutrients by sealing them in vacuum-packed plastic bags and cooking them over low temperatures for long periods.) After my visit to the back of the house, I joined family and friends in the front of the house at Le Galerie, a perfect place to spend a rainy Paris afternoon. The staff was great and not at all fazed by the boys, who were convinced that they should be on their best behavior should the king decide to drop by. Of note food-wise was Heidi's lettuce and watercress gazpacho served in an ice bowl. Royalty, indeed.

THE NEW FRENCH FORMAL

And now, for a bit of pure indulgence: a late-night dinner sans family at L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon (www.hotel-pont-royal.com/hotel-Pont-Royal-restaurant-bar.html) on Rue de Montalembert. No chairs. No tables. No reservations. Just counter seating for 45 guests. (They do take limited reservations for the first seating at 6:00 p.m. Personally, I'm not a fan of no reservation policies. To be sure, reservations are an expensive hassle for any restaurant, but from the guest's perspective, who has the time to wait?) L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon is designed like a sushi bar and is completely done in red and black. I counted at least 14 chefs in the kitchen and each item was prepared in meticulous fashion. My favorites? L'asperge verte en fin velouté, façon cappuccino, which was a light asparagus bisque with wild sorrel and asparagus foam -- clean flavors, stunning color and beautifully presented. I also enjoyed the chartreuse soufflé, a light hot chocolate soufflé with pistachio sorbet and served on an irregular slab of concrete. (The idea is to be able to order as much or as little as you like.) Admittedly, the portions were petit and for one person with two glasses of wine, expect to pay $200. But the food was excellent, the service was friendly and impeccable, and the experience was truly memorable. One note: it's not as casual as some might think. In fact, I'm of the mind that L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon might best be described as the new French formal.

VIVE LA MACAROONS

Of course, one of our principal goals while in Paris was to find, eat and enjoy some great desserts. This we did to excess with the beautiful cakes, chocolates, ice creams and yes, macaroons at Pierre Hermé (www.pierreherme.com). A wonder simply to look at, his desserts also have a delicate taste that justifies the lineups outside his boutique at 72 Rue Bonaparte just off Blvd. St. Germain. In fact, we waited several times for Macarons d'Éte, his summer collection of macaroons. Three of the best were the Ispahan (crème au letchi à la rose, compote de framboises) and Mandarine et Baies Roses (crème mousseline à la mandarine et aux baies roses) plus our favorite from his Les Classiques collection, Caramel à la Fleur de Sel.

Paris is magnificent, truly one of the world's great cities. It had been some time since our last visit and we were impressed by its cleanliness and beauty. Despite the challenges of traveling with young children, everyone we encountered was friendly and helpful. Overall, it was a great experience for all four of us -- we savored every moment and can't wait to return. Before returning home to Seattle, however, we ventured into the French countryside for a week in Burgundy. More on that next month.

And the adventure continues . . .

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Recently, quite a few people have asked me about my relationship with the Pike Place Market. I suppose it has to do with the Market's 100th anniversary (or should we call it a birthday?). But I'm always glad when people ask because my fondness for the Market goes back to my first days in Seattle.

Before Cascadia opened, I remember venturing to the Market and using it like so many other locals -- as a resource for the home pantry. In fact, it was a great way to become a local (or at least feel like one). Almost since day one, and as my family has grown, supporting the Market has been a family affair. Today, the Market plays a big role in the success of Cascadia and my job as chef. When we first opened, we received deliveries to our back door, the same as most other restaurants. But over the years, and especially since I started hosting our Market Tours (now on selected Farm Fridays and Organic Wednesdays), I've been able to build up many relationships and friendships there. And now, we get much of our product directly from them. Think about it: On any morning, the earlier the better, I (or you!) can walk a few blocks to the Market, talk to the vendors and the growers, and see and touch and smell the product. It's certainly better than ordering via fax and the Internet! To me, the Pike Place Market is a barometer of local and national seasonal product, and Cascadia has become a true reflection of the Market.

As for helping to celebrate the Market's centennial, other than sponsoring and painting a pig for Pigs on Parade 2007 (which we did -- you can see "Veggies & Pork" outside the restaurant), I can't think of a better way than mentioning that when someone asks where we get our lamb for Cascadia, I direct them to Fero's at the Market. Just ask for Semsi!

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It is a great time of the year and the restaurant's July menu is proof. Recently, I had an excellent meeting with our sous chefs. It's always good to get the crew together to throw around some ideas, see what everyone is thinking about and get inspired. Every one of us has different backgrounds and interests: Brandon is experienced with sushi, sashimi and Japanese preparations. Zachary, who came to us from Bradley Ogden in Las Vegas, worked in that creative and competitive environment for three years and is now rediscovering the Pacific Northwest. James has a personal love of pan-Asian cuisine. Me? I like it all.

Some of the things we're all excited about on our new menu for July include the Rainier Cherry Granita, which will be on our Here Today tasting menu. It has a unique candied turnip garnish, sort of sweet and peppery. We're also getting a whole goat once a week from Semsi of Fero's at Pike Place Market. Semsi hand selects each free-range goat for us; we do the butchery and breakdown. The New York Times recently said that goat is the new popular meat, and we've sure found this to be true. We serve ours with an organic herb rub, lentil parsley salad and British Columbia blueberries in a honshimeji broth. Also on the way are watermelon, yard-long green beans, honshimeji mushrooms, squab, New Bedford scallops, king crab and, oh yes, plenty of blueberries. It's impossible not to be inspired! And lest I forget, heirloom tomatoes are starting to come in as well: Black Russian, Green Tiger Stripe, Brandy Wine, Little Gems. You'll find two dishes on our menu with these amazing tomatoes: For purists, a Caprese-style salad with pearl mozzarella. For others, a cool gazpacho served with a mozzarella tart.

To quote a very proper gentleman I overheard in a very smart London restaurant (assume posh accent here), "I dare say, it's the first gazpacho of the season!" Indeed, and the first of many more to come.

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For something new this summer, drop by Cascadia and ask for a glass of Volazzo. It's chocolate beer and it's brewed as needed in small batches outside Seattle and down south in Portland. (Note: Most of the time, when you hear about "chocolate" in reference to beer, it means dark roasted malts. In the case of Volazzo, however, it's all about real chocolate.) Now I know what you're thinking, but Jeff (Cascadia's sommelier) and I gave it a go and it tasted great--refreshing with a touch of caramel. After hearing our reviews, the rest of the Cascadia crew gave it a taste as well and were in full agreement.

Volazzo is available on draught now. The brewers describe it as an after-dinner ale (and I agree), but you can enjoy it whenever you want. And for a time, you'll also find it on the Cascadia dessert menu. Just look for "My Little Cupcake": a triple chocolate cupcake and bitter chocolate soup paired with a shooter of Volazzo. Cheers!

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How is it that something that happened in mid-May is still drawing comments now? I imagine it's because it was on the TV. (After all, I'm still hearing about the visit to Cascadia by the Food Network's Giada De Laurentiis and that first aired in January!) So if you didn't see the King 5 story where I visited a viewer's home to prepare something tasty (hopefully!) using only the food and tools available on site, here's my take:

In late April, King 5's Tim Robinson (an acquaintance of mine from a few years back) emailed me with an idea and a request. The idea was to get a local chef to "invade" a viewer's home, forage for whatever's available in his/her kitchen, then prepare something "fabulous" (Tim's word!) using only those ingredients and tools (pots, pans, etc.) on hand and serve it up for all to enjoy. The request was that I be the chef.

To be honest, this sounded like fun and a break from the usual, so I agreed and a few days later, we're knocking on the Capitol Hill apartment door of one Tendai — King 5 viewer, employee of a local non-profit and soon-to-be guinea pig. Of course, I wasn't supposed to shop beforehand and neither was he. And after an initial look in his kitchen, I can safely say that Tendai absolutely kept his end of the bargain!

My hunt began in the refrigerator where I found oysters and clams (a nice surprise) plus bell peppers, green onions, a white onion, coriander (a bit yellow as it had been in there for quite some time) and Bud Light. Tendai also had lots of garlic. There's potential here, I'm thinking. In the freezer he had vanilla ice cream and a bunch of chicken wings so old and frozen they were more a solid block of a chicken-like substance than a bunch of individual wings. Okay, not as good. In the cupboards? The ubiquitous jar of peanut butter plus vegetable oil, a can of tomatoes and some mystery cereals better left to mystery. As for tools, Tendai managed with a couple of pots and pans but no oyster knife, no cutting knife. (Full disclosure: I was allowed to bring one essential tool ó my chefs knife, which I gave to Tendai as a thank you for letting me ransack his kitchen that morning.)

On to the challenge! Without a serious oyster knife — and never try to open an oyster with anything but! — I opted to bake the oysters whole, which would cause them to pop open in the oven. In one of Tendai's pots, I heated the oil, then added some chopped garlic. Just as the garlic started to turn slightly golden, I added the onions (chopped), the tomatoes with the juice and some of the coriander. A little stirring, a little sautéing, and then in went the clams and prebaked oysters. To make a stock, I peeled back the chicken wings (less freezer burn underneath) and added them plus the beer. To add some richness to the entrée, I would have normally added butter or cream, but with none to be found in Tendai's kitchen, the vanilla ice cream would have to do the job. And so it did. Elapsed time? 40 minutes. The result? A shellfish and chicken stew braised with beer and tomatoes that presented beautifully on a very nice blue platter Tendai had in another cupboard. And the taste? I deferred to Tendai and Tim, and they said it tasted great. Success!

Now if you think this only happens on TV, just know that I'm often told that we have nothing to cook at home. But a quick check through the pantry, a glance in the refrigerator and freezer, maybe a glass of wine for fortitude, and dinner is soon in the offing. It's a great way to avoid an extra trip to the store and an opportunity to experiment and use up ingredients that might otherwise go to waste.

So I'm often asked what basics I would recommend for any kitchen. Here are a few ideas:
- Knives (4 sizes including an 8" chefs knife, a paring knife, a serrated knife for bread and fruit, and a pallet knife)
- Ladles (3 sizes)
- Fish spatula (many a delicious fillet has been lost without one)
- Cast iron frying pan/skillet (ask your grandma why)
- Sauce pans (good quality, heavy bottom)
- Whisks (2 sizes)
- Vegetable peeler (your fingertips will thank you)
- Grapeseed oil (has a higher flashpoint than olive oil, neutral flavor)
- Garlic (makes just about everything taste better)
- Ginger (see above, good for digestion too!)

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