Frantic Foodie

I have Moved

2009-12-01T05:29:00.000-08:00

Hello Readers,
I have moved to wordpress. Join me at www.franticfoodie.com, Please update your links.
thanks
Keren

Train Cakes and Automobiles

2009-11-15T21:23:00.000-08:00

It was his first lick of frosting, ever!

It really was about him. I don't care what anyone says about first birthdays being all about the parents. Come on. When do babies get to shake parachutes, play with bubbles and shove frosting in their face? Yes, on their first birthday.

The cake was a train. He celebrated with two of his buddies so I figured that a train would be something that all the little boys would agree on.

I got the instructions from Betty Crocker. I had to adapt the decorations a bit since the babies were very young and I didn't want any tiny candies for babies to choke on. I also used India Tree natural food coloring which I found on Chef Shop.Com .I went to pick them up since they are located in Seattle. They also have other hard to find spices and imported food products.

I tried to limit the use of artificial flavors except for the licorice, jujubes and mini Oreo cookie wheels.

I love party sandwiches but wanted something a little different and healthy since I knew the babies would be eating too.

I made three different spreads for the sandwiches the night before. This morning I went to Macrina to pick up 6 loaves of bread and I assembled the sandwiches.

The three types:

Tahini-eggplant yogurt sandwiches with roasted peppers

Cilantro-basil pesto with goat cheese
Olive tapenade with mozzarella and arugula

I will leave you with the recipe for the tahini-eggplant sandwiches. It was a hit with the babies and parents. Yogurt adds a special creaminess to this Baba Ganoush.

I used ciabatta but you can use any bread.

The tahini spread recipe is from a Hebrew Cookbook called " The Healthy Kitchen" . "The Healthy Kitchen" is a compilation of recipes from "On the Table" which is a Hebrew food magazine.

Ingredients:

Ciabatta

roasted peppers in a jar

Recipe for spread:

1 eggplant

2 tablespoons of tahini

1-2 cloves of garlic

6 tablespoons of yogurt (I used low-fat)

juice of half a lemon

salt

1. Roast Eggplant (I poked holes in it and put it in oven at 450 for one hour)

2. Scoop out eggplant and mix well with all the other ingredients. Season with salt.

This spread can be kept in the fridge for up to one week.

3. Spread on Ciabetta with roasted peppers.

Webinar with Lou Manna

2009-11-12T17:13:00.000-08:00

Highly acclaimed food photographer and Olympus Digital Visionary Photographer, Lou Manna will share his digital secrets for capturing mouth-watering images in a intensive 7 hour workshop in Coral Gables, Florida on Saturday, November 21 from 10 AM to 5 PM eastern time.

Can’t attend in person? The entire workshop will also be streamed live on the internet and continuously available for repeat viewing after the event.

This comprehensive workshop will guide you through the art of food photography, including lighting, styling, composing and propping techniques plus professional secrets that will make your work distinctive.

You will learn about: SETTING UP THE PHOTO: Lou will conduct a live photo session in the afternoon with the Executive Chef from the Biltmore Hotel, allowing the participants to have an inside look at his method for shooting food!

LIGHTING: Understanding the different lighting set-ups for shooting food on location vs. the studio. Lou will also demonstrate a variety of lights, reflectors and mirrors to help you create memorable and delectable photographs

PHOTO ANALYSIS: Throughout the workshop the day’s images will be viewed on a huge screen in the auditorium and online in the webinar for instant feedback and instruction.

MASTERING YOUR CAMERA: Participants are encouraged to bring their cameras and instruction manuals for lots of tips on appropriate settings for improving your photography.

HANDS ON TIPS: Lou will reveal his personal techniques, approaches and special tricks for photographing different types of foods.

BONUS RAFFLE: Two Olympus Stylus TOUGH Series camera will be raffled off. One to a lucky winner who attends in person and one to a lucky winner who is logged onto the webinar.

Registration Details:

Date: Saturday, November 21, 2009 Time: 10 AM to 5 PM eastern time

Place: Merrick Auditorium at the Biltmore Hotel, 1200 Anastasia Ave., Coral Gables, Florida

Cost: $149 with lunch included and access to the webinar after the event

Webinar: $79 with the ability to view it anytime after the event
Register: http://www.digitalfoodphotography.com/

Or Call: 212 727-2505 by November 18, 2009

A Year Has Gone By, Seriously?

2009-11-09T01:16:00.000-08:00

My son is turning one next week. It was just a year ago when I started saying the word "son" and it sounded funny. It's kind of like when you first get married and you say "my husband". It sounds so awkward. It feels like you are playing grown-up. The fact that I have "a son" baffles me. The fact that

he is turning one, woah la! that just downright scares me.

The way I look at food has changed.

My dear friend Rachel gave me this bagel book and wrapped it in bacon wrapping paper. This is me,

the night before I gave birth. Bagel in Bacon, not an oxymoron at all, that is how Rachel sees things. Here is her blog Jewshi (a Jew in Japan).

I will begin by saying (actually screaming) and happy dancing at the same time " I can't believe I nursed for a whole year". This is one of my biggest accomplishments this year. For some, nursing comes naturally and for many, well, it's like pulling teeth.

Nursing is the deep dark secret of motherhood. It's hard. The reasons are endless. Some babies don't latch on. Their mouths are too small. Some babies get nipple confusion (sounds sick huh?).
I won't go into detail with what happened with us. It's just not that interesting.

I will just say that I found it exhausting and decided that I would take it one day at time. So I did. Here I am. I crossed the finished line. One year was my goal, now I need to decide if I am ready to move on.
Here is a little more about my experience with nursing,

My way of cooking has changed this year. I used to be such a snob. I would never ever buy anything I could make. From the croutons to the bread. I could do it all. Now I understand one thing. You do what you have to do to avoid having crackers for breakfast, lunch and dinner. And now even more, my little one eats everything that I do. And every calorie counts.

We are trying to make the right decisions. We know kids who are deprived of sweets are the first to raid the cupboards at friend's houses. We know that white bread has no nutrional value. We know that if a baby doesn't know what sugar tastes like, he won't know to ask for it. We know that rewarding a child with food is self-destructive. Now what? Choices. Choices.

Here are some of the things that we did for the first year. I don't know if they are rules but more like things we believe in

1. No juice
2. No TV, not even Baby Einstein Videos ( Did you know that Disney wil refund your money if you bought them?)
3. No cookies, cakes or other sugary snacks. (I can count on one hand , the times that we broke this rule)
4. Baby eats on his own when possible, no matter how messy the floor looks. He feeds himself.
5. We never bought baby cereal. It was just a waste of money. We crushed our regular cereal and he ate it that way.

I am sorry to dissapoint all my foodie friends but as much as I let my baby taste most of what I eat, I tried to keep it super healthy. Why ruin the one perfectly white tooth he has (yes, just one)?

Now I need to re-evelauate. His first birthday is coming. He will eat cake. It will probably be colorful and full of frosting. I want him to experience all the foods that we eat. I don't want to deprive him of the joy of food. I also don't want him to fill his tummy with junk.

I am curious to know. What are your rules? Do you offer dessert? How much is too much?

Seattle Food Blogger Events and More

2009-10-23T09:28:00.000-07:00

photo by Ronald Holden

This month I met two inspiring authors. I had a private Seattle Food Blogger event with Langdon Cook, Author of Fat of the Land. We met for coffee at Bustle in the cute little private area. He charmed us with his stories of foraging, showed us some stunning pictures of his adventures and answered every question that came to our mind. He is a great guy; genuine, smart and motivating. Check out Cornichon's post and the picture he took above.

I met Julia Usher, Author of Cookie Swap. I organized another Seattle Food Blogger Event, this time at the Sur La Table in the new Bravern. They set up a cute little area for us and Julia gave us tips on how to get published and on how she got her idea to start her book. It was so inspiring to connect with her and look at all she has done. Julia will be in town for the next week, doing events just about everywhere. With the holidays coming up, it is your chance to learn how to organize a cookie swap and make cookies that will leave your guests drooling. Here is her schedule.

I attended an event demo and dinner for the new Sous Vide Supreme. I was invited to try all different foods in this machine with Chef Heston Bluementhal of Fat Duck. My favorite food Sous-Vide was the salmon.

The texture was so soft. The chiken had a texture that was a little different than what I am used to but I definitely liked that it was almost as soft and moist as the salmon. You can order this on the website or at Sur la Table.

Hope to see you at Foodportunity. I probably won't have too much time to write because I am busy getting all the last minute details together.
Rebekah Denn is having a giveaway on her blog.
Not many tickets left so if you plan on coming, get them soon. The authors of Artisan Bread in 5 minutes a day, Jeff Hertzberg MD and Zoe Francois will be in town and Jeff is coming to Foodportunity. Come meet him.

Check out my post in My Northwest.com for this week's upcoming food events.

Happy Friday

Foodportunity November 2nd

2009-10-01T23:30:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone,
Here is the press release from my next event. It's a really great way to connect with the foodie world.
Tickets are selling fast!

Second “Foodportunity” to Showcase

Local Culinary Success Stories

A new networking event to connect

Seattle's vibrant food community

For Immediate Release:

SEATTLE, WA- September 28, 2009: The second “Foodportunity,” a series of networking events for Seattle food professionals, will take place on November 2nd, 2009, from 6 to 9 PM at Tom Douglas's Palace Ballroom.

Attendees are expected to include local food writers, bloggers, restaurateurs, food producers, PR professionals and other companies from the food and hospitality industry.

Following the sold-out success of the first Foodportunity in July, Seattle event planner and food blogger Keren Brown has invited three particularly successful restaurant entrepreneurs to tell their stories and give tips for succeeding in Seattle's culinary world.

The evening will begin promptly at 6 PM with presentations by the panel:

• Thierry Rautureau (proprietor of Rover's and the soon-to-open Luc, author of "The Chef in the Hat" cookbook)

• Ethan Stowell (with four restaurants— How to Cook a Wolf , Anchovies & Olives, Tavolata and Union)

• Kurt Dammeier (Beecher's Cheese, Maximus Minimus, Pasta & Co, Bennett's Pure Food Bistro and a cookbook, "Pure Flavor".

An audience Q&A session will be moderated by Mina Williams, editor of the online restaurant industry magazine NorthwestStir.com.

Following the panel presentation, Foodportunity participants will enjoy appetizers from several of Seattle's most talked about restaurants, contact with food companies, and, for the first 40 to send email to info@foodportunity.com , a “speed networking” session. "Speed networking is the best way to meet 20 people in 20 minutes," Brown says.

Tom Douglas, awarded National Restaurant of the Year by Bon Appetit magazine and a national James Beard nominee for Restaurateur of the Year, will provide his Palace Ballroom facilities to host the event and serve appetizers along with other local restaurant favorites. Seven additional participating restaurants are: Rover's, Ethan Stowell Restaurants, La Spiga, Lunchbox Laboratory, Joule, Campagne Restaurant and Beecher's Cheese. DiStefano winery will pour its wines, and a wide range of food products from local sponsors will be on display.

Foodportunity is open to food journalists, bloggers, public relations professionals, restaurateurs, farmers and all food-passionate people. Admission is $25 (plus tax and booking fees; $30 after October 7th) which includes bites and a glass of wine. Tickets available through Brown Paper Tickets http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/84687

Palace Ballroom is located at 2100 5th Avenue in downtown Seattle. More information is available online at Foodportunity.com.

About Keren Brown, aka Frantic Foodie, is the founder of the highly popular networking event known as Foodportunity. She also organizes monthly events for Seattle food bloggers, creating lasting contacts and connections. Keren's food events information can be found at Frantic Foodie in the Seattle P-I , FranticFoodie.com and on the events page of MyNorthwest.com

Schedule For Foodportunity

6:00 - 6:45: Panel Discussion and Q & A with Seattle's influential food entrepeneurs

Moderator: Mina Williams, editor of Northwest Stir, Industry news of the Northwest for culinary professionals

Panelists:

Thierry Rautureau (proprietor of Rover's and the soon-to-open Luc, author of "The Chef in the Hat" cookbook)

Ethan Stowell (with four restaurants— How to Cook a Wolf , Anchovies & Olives, Tavolata and Union)

Kurt Dammeier (Beecher's Cheese, Maximus Minimus, Pasta & Co, Bennett's Pure Food Bistro and a cookbook, "Pure Flavor"

6:45 - 9:00: Networking time and bites from restaurants and companies

8:30 - 9:00: (Optional) Speed Networking session

FoodSnap, Lou Manna and More

2009-09-29T11:08:00.000-07:00

Sometimes life just swirls by you. It happens when you wait for something for so long and then it just comes and goes. It passes by so quickly that it kind of tiptoes past you and you don't realize it's gone until it's way too far ahead.

Lou Manna left Seattle on Sunday, I took a cruise to Victoria, relaxed for a week, spent hours in the Jacuzzi, grazed on healthy vegetables and unlimited protein (my idea of foodie heaven) and just jumped back into the working/mom/wife/foodie/ life.

FoodSnap came and went. FoodSnap was an event that I put together with Foodista.com.

Here is the picture of us above (myself in the turquoise shirt, Lou in black and the entire Foodista family).

I had a great time learning from Lou and tasting all the food and displays. We had some amazing people help out . Lara Ferroni along with a long list of talented photographers and stylists.

Chef Wayne of Andaluca provided lunch. Some really interesting local companies provided samples and sets to be photographed. There is a whole contest around it on Flickr. If you go to Flickr and search groups for Foodsnap. There is a list of companies and photos that people uploaded. Check out the pics and tell me what you think.

I would like to thank Siiri Sampson and Mari Osana (Bitter Buiscuit on twitter) for assisting me and helping me out with my event. I feel truly blessed to have met such great people.

Thank you Elise from Simply Recipes for flying in to Seattle. If for some reason, you don't know her website, check it out. Elise has been featured in Time Magazine, Redbook and basically anywhere else where top websites are mentioned.

Thank you to all the bloggers, companies and foodies who attended the event.

The next day we had lunch at Rover's, in which we had a special 2 hour restaurant photography session.
The food at Rover's is a masterpiece.

We then went to watch Lou photograph at Olivar and snacked on tapas with Chef Philippe. I am addicted to the albondigas. If you haven't been there, you have to try the place.

Then we continued to Andaluca which is located in the Mayflower Park Hotel where Lou was staying. Chef Wayne cooked up the entire menu so Lou could photograph it. I did my job as a taster and tasted the entire menu. I love Wayne's food and his personal touch.

The next day Lou taught a class at the Pike Place Market and then later joined me and some friends for some shmoozing at the Urban Picnic, another great event by Chef's Collaborative. The event had a nice list of restaurants and local celebrity Robin Leventhal from Top Chef was cooking. Urban Picnic was a wonderful way to end Lou's trip to Seattle, with lots of nice people, live music and a relaxed warm Seattle foodie atmosphere.

Lou really had a great time in Seattle and got to meet many from Seattle's food community, he dined at all the restaurants above as well as the incredible Canlis and left Seattle with a whole network of Seattle foodie friends.

Lou we miss you, come back! We need your New York charm and flavor!

The Flavor Bible Event, A Sweet Flavorful Memory

2009-09-15T23:07:00.000-07:00

The other day I was telling a friend that one of the my favorite Seattle Food Blogger Events was when I got to meet Karen Page and Andrew Dornenberg. In case you don't know, I have been organizing and planning the Seattle Food Blogger Events for the last few years. Sometimes we meet with cookbook authors, sometimes we have potlucks and sometimes we just get together for a party.

I really liked meeting Karen and Andrew, it felt so comfortable and natural to grill them with questions. They, instead of waiting for us to ask questions, they wanted to ask us first. They really cared about us.
What are your blogs about? How long have you been writing?
They asked in the most sincere way possible. Sometimes when I think back to an important moment in my blog life (a year of blogging is like 10 in real life) blog years are like dog years, I remember how inspired I felt at this morning coffee meet up.

What happens when you start to blog?
Your brain learns to work really hard to turn moments into posts and you never have a free minute again. Every minute is muse for inspiration.

Meeting them was when I decided to push harder (I was 8 months pregnant but I wasn't ready to push just yet). I absorbed inspiration that would give me a little insight on where I wanted to go in life. I can go on with this story forever. I will just say that one year has passed and they are celebrating "The Flavor Bible" 1 year anniversary!

I will leave you with the post I wrote back then. One year ago,

Saturday some of Seattle food bloggers got together to meet up with Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg, the award winning authors of "Culinary Artistry", "What to Drink with What You Eat" and the " The Flavor Bible".

The bloggers were Ronald of Cornichon, Michael of Herbivoracious, Mark of Plate Lunch, Jake of Daily Munch (which I write for too) and Traca of Seattle Tall Poppy.

We met at the Muse Coffee Company, which is wonderful little cafe located in Queen Anne. The kind of place where you can work on your computer (free wifi), grab a coffee and admire the art on the walls. The name really suits the place because you can't leave that place without finding your muse.

"The Flavor Bible" is nothing less than a must-have in every creative cook's household.

No, it's not a recipe book, it's a reference book that gives you lists of which foods harmonize well together.

How does it work?

You look up the ingredient that you want to use and then read down the list of foods that pair well with this ingredient. For example: Pineapple has many ingredients on the list such as bananas, brandy, avocado (surprising), black pepper and so many more. There is also a list of flavor affinities...pineapple+ avocado+ watercress, pineapple+ coconut+ honey+ ginger and other combinations that just give you an oomph of motivation.

All the information in the book was obtained by interviewing famous chefs (Andrew is a chef himself as well) and throughout the book there are tips from these chefs and interesting dishes that these chefs make. Since I got the book, I have been carrying it around the house and playing "guess that ingredient" with my husband. He says an ingredient, we look it up and we see who can guess more combinations.

Karen and Andrew were so honest, open and genuine. Leaving each of us with the motivation to keep writing, pushing and cooking. True proof that if you work hard enough, your dreams will come true. I apologize for the sappy ending but there really is no other way to put it.

Thanks Karen and Andrew!

Saving the Last Two Chapters of A Homemade Life

2009-09-06T23:14:00.000-07:00

A week ago, I admitted it on Twitter, I didn't want to read Molly from Orangette's book "A Homemade Life" until I was really ready to relax and give it my full attention because I knew I would love it. I was saving it for a day when I really wanted to read a good book. I was saving it for a rainy day.

Yesterday the rain started.

I have a little story for you about how things change and how people grow.

You see when I first moved to Seattle, I was very lonely. Not for very long, but lonely.

I started my blog and read blogs and back then (almost 3 years ago) there weren't that many blogs. Of course I fell in love with Molly's blog, like every other person in this world. Her wedding was around the same time that mine was. I felt connected to her. That's what blogs do. They make you feel like you know the person.

This is what I wrote her: (found this in my gmail)

Hi Molly,

I really enjoy your blog. I especially enjoy your writing style. I realized by your posts that you probably live in Seattle. I am from Seattle and am always looking for fellow foodies to munch with. I have two blogs. One of them is in the Seattle PI http://blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/franticfoodie/ and one is my own personal one http://savvysavorer.blogspot.com/ . Anyway I was thinking we should have a food blog meeting for some food bloggers in Seattle.

What do you think?

I didn't get an answer. I was upset so I stopped reading her blog. Sometimes I used to sneak a peak but that was it.
Now it makes me laugh because since then I have put together a Seattle Food Blogger Event almost every month.

I know more than a hundred bloggers and many, many people in Seattle.

The thing is that Molly is really sweet, probably one of the sweetest people around. I only met her a couple times but every time she had this big smile and just a genuine attitude. I told her this story the last time I saw her and she apologized and she said she tries to answer most emails but she doesn't always get around to it. She probably missed this email with the hundreds of emails, she gets or she was just too busy to write back, or maybe she thought it was creepy to get an email like this.

I thought I would share this, actually I was debating if I should... But the moral of this story is a) a blog is only a fragment of someone's life, although you may feel like you know them, you know only a glimpse of them and you shouldn't expect to think you know them b) If your lonely, do something about it c) life is busy, sometimes people don't get back to you, even the sweetest, most genuine people don't respond.

Now back to the book. I was right. I got it yesterday and I almost finished the book. I have two chapters left. I am saving them. Saving them like when you save a cookie for when you really want it. I usually skip through books to get to recipes. In this book, I skipped the recipes to get to the stories. Not that the recipes aren't amazing, but I really didn't want to go into the kitchen, I wanted to relax for the first time in 9 months since my son was born.

I can just say that the book will blow you away, it will remind you to enjoy life, to enjoy what you eat, you will laugh, you may cry but most of all you will be inspired, to cook, write or just live life to the fullest.

Molly just opened a new pizza restaurant with her husband Brandon called Delancey. I haven't been yet but heard that the place is really great.

Update: A friend read this post and said that people might not get it. What I really meant to say is that, it's not always about you. Some people are busy and overwhelmed in life and you can't get back to every email. I sometimes miss an email. Especially when I really want to answer. I tag it because I want to think about my answer a little more and then don't get around to it. Now I am not saying I get tons of emails from readers but I do have a lot on my plate, with a business and a small baby at home. And sometimes people ask me to go for coffee and many times, I just can't. When you work at home, people think you can go out for coffee anytime of the day but it's not really like that. You still need to be working when other people are working. You need to make phone calls when other people can answer. Life is busy.

Urban Picnic on September 20th 1-4 pm

2009-09-04T06:10:00.000-07:00

What's a better way to spend a Sunday then at a picnic on a rooftop with Seattle chefs and food people?

Urban Picnic is presented in partnership with Slow Food Seattle, Seattle CityClub and Caffe Vita.

Food, wine, beer, live music and more.

Tickets:

$89 for Chefs Collaborative and Slow Food members

$99 general

Free for kids under 10!

Tickets available at:

http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/78664 http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/78664

Sunday means free street parking but the buses are easy too. And don’t forget Light Rail!

Be Green! Please bring your own plates, utensils and napkins. Glassware provided. Entrance is up the stairs across from 5th Avenue Theater.

Participating restaurants include:

Lark

Canlis

Oliver’s Twist

Elliott Bay Café

Art of the Table

TASTE Restaurant

Tilikum Place Café

Willows Inn (Riley Starks)

emmer&rye (Chef Seth Caswell)

Chef Kären Jurgensen, Quillisascut Farm

Gelato from Poco Carretto (Chef Holly Smith)

And special guest chef, Robin Leventhal of Top Chef Las Vegas - Season 6

Giveaway Winner and FoodSnap Photography Workshop

2009-08-30T22:13:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone,
Just wanted to tell you about Foodsnap. Okay bloggers, if you are serious about blogging then you have to be here. We all know that many bloggers, do not know how to take pictures. Come on, you know who you are. I am one of them. I admit it. With so many blogs these days, blogging has gotten competitive. Sometimes it's not really about competition but time, so many blogs so little time. Pictures help a lot. So that is why I am putting on this event with Foodista. For two main reasons:

A) I really need some help with my pics and while searching online did not find many resources for this.

B) I love Lou Manna's work, after researching many photographers, we decided that we have to fly him to Seattle from New York because he is not only an incredible food photographer but a super charismatic teacher.

This event list is full of serious bloggers. Elise from Simply Recipes is flying in. Nancy Leson from the Seattle Times is there. There is a list on the website, if you bought a ticket and want your blog added, please let me know.

Photo by Lou Manna

So I will leave you with the press release and the winner of my last contest, the winner is Chris! You win a basket of OXO products. Thank you for all the interesting comments and I have to agree with many of you. The microplane is a genius idea.

Buy Tickets Here

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Keren Brown Media and Foodista Present

FoodSnap!

SEATTLE, WA—(August 31, 2009)- Seattle's first of it's kind all-day workshop for food photography, titled FoodSnap! will take place September 18th at the historic Georgetown Studios (inside the former Rainier Brewery) at 5890 Airport Way S.

The event, organized by Keren Brown Media and Foodista.com, will feature New York food photographer Lou Manna, (http://www.LouTheMan.com), the Olympus Visionary and New York Times photojournalist, commercial photographer, educator and author of Digital Food Photography. Lou is an associate professor at the School of Visual Arts in New York and a consultant in the Food Studies Program at New York University. He also teaches digital food photography workshops in his studio, and accepts students for private, hands-on classes.

Lou will lead the workshop with the assistance of food photographer and blogger Lara Ferroni (http://www.platesandpacks.com) as well as Seattle's photographers and stylists, Rina Jordan (http://www.rinajordanphotography.com), Barry Wong

http://www.barrywongphoto.com/, Charity Burggraaf http://charitylynne.com/http://www.charitylynne.com/ and others.

The location, known as Georgetown Studios, is an ideal venue for photography and is often rented for commercials and advertising shoots. It is owned by Kathryn Barnard (http://www.kathrynbarnardphoto.com), a professional photographer whose work has been featured in top publications such as Seattle Magazine, NW Home and Garden,

Ladies Home Journal and more.

FoodSnap! is open to anyone interested in food photography. The target audience of FoodSnap! is food bloggers, food-related social media, food companies and food photographers. Cost is $159 which includes all fees for registration before September 4st. (Price will be $180 thereafter.) Attendance is limited to 75 participants.

Tickets can be purchased at Brown Paper Tickets http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/78774

The sponsors, whose products will be used in the displays to be photographed, include Emily's Chocolates, Frost Doughnuts, Fooducopia, Wink Cupcakes, Red Ticking and Bluebird Grain Farms.

Kathy Casey will be serving a Foodsnap Gelee signature cocktail that will be used as photo inspiration as well.

The organizers will host a photography contest immediately after the event, providing participants with the incentive to upload pictures taken at the event and further enhancing the visibility of the photos and food products.

Please check website periodically for details on contest and where to upload pictures to be reviewed.

The Mayflower Hotel is offering a special rate for out-of-town participants, $139 plus tax for a classic guest room.

SCHEDULE for FoodSnap

No Experience Required

http://www.foodista.com/foodsnap

Georgetown Studios

5890 Airport Way S.

Hours: 10am – 5pm

MORNING

Lou Manna will review and critique each participant's food blog or photographs. He will show his own blog, http://www.digitalfoodphotos.com/blog , and social network site http://www.digitalFoodPhotography.ning.com .

Following that he will use a Power Point presentation to provide an overview of the basics of digital food photography and tricks of the trade. He will review the different features found on most digital cameras, highlighting how they can be used correctly to photograph in any situation.

LUNCH BREAK- lunch will be provided

AFTERNOON

The afternoon will be dedicated to hands-on practice.

Groups of participants will have the opportunity to try their hand at food photography with the help of Lou Manna and Washington State’s own food photographers and stylists.

Lou will demonstrate how to work with each specific light source, how to use mirrors, diffusers and small white cards to create mouth-watering photographs with a simple point and shoot camera.

Participants will utilize new skills learned in the workshop to shoot each set up while Lou and his associates offer individual guidance to optimize each participant’s photographic techniques.

About Lou Manna

Lou Manna is an award winning New York photographer and educator. After shooting for the New York Times for 15 years, he established his own Fifth Avenue studio, where he works with corporate, advertising and public relations clients. His work has appeared in major magazines, national ad campaigns, and more than forty books.

“He has a sense of style, color and composition with an inherent understanding of how to create a beautiful image.” “The ability to make food sparkle like a jewel with his lighting is Lou’s forte.”

Lou recently published his first book, Digital Food Photography, which is to date the only book on the art of food photography devoted exclusively to digital technology

http://www.amazon.com/Digital-Food-Photography-Lou-Manna/dp/1592008208

ABOUT THE ORGANIZERS

Keren Brown Media

Keren (also known as “Frantic Foodie”) has been organizing the Seattle Food Blogger Events for the last two years, a series of monthly meet-ups that help bloggers create lasting contacts and connections. Keren is the founder of Foodportunity, food networking events that connect members of Seattle's vibrant food community: chefs, food writers, food bloggers, purveyors and more. Details at http://www.foodportunity.com. Information about Keren's food events can also be found online at Frantic Foodie at SeattlePI.com, FranticFoodie.com and at MyNorthwest.com

Foodista

Foodista (http://www.foodista.com) is a collaborative project to build the world's largest, highest quality cooking encyclopedia. With http://www.foodista.com/recipe/new user contributions, Foodista is creating a free resource to help millions of people learn “how to cook everything and anything.” Launched in 2008 by a group of Amazon.com veterans, the site features thousands of recipes and articles about foods, cooking techniques, and kitchen tools. Foodista organized the first International Food Blogger Conference in May of 2009, http://ifbc.foodista.com.

Cookbooks and Kitchen Giveaway

2009-08-19T07:13:00.000-07:00

I get a lot of cookbooks. I won't lie. I am not going to apologize either. I spend hours and hours of my precious time writing about things I like on my blog. I am honest. There are cookbooks that I will never write about. There are cookbooks that are gathering dust, there are cookbooks that I will never open again. I will not waste my time writing about a cookbook that I don't like.

I do want to write about some cookbooks that I really like.

The Barcelona Cookbook

by Sasa Mahr-Batuz and Andy Goodbody.

I was skeptical about this book. Another Tapas Cookbook?

Not at all.

A cookbook that has a party menu already planned out for you. Perfect for people like me, who plan to make a million things and then realize how much work it really is. The Albondigas (meatballs) in this book are to die for. They have a secret ingredient, one that I refuse to tell my husband about.... The secret: anchovies. Before you tell me that you don't like anchovies, try this recipe!

Fields of Greens is the ultimate vegetarian cookbook. I am not a vegetarian but always looking for healthy grain recipes. I have been using recipes for this book for the last few years. When I asked blogger Dana from Dana Treat what her favorite cookbook was, she named this one.

Ready Steady Spaghetti is a kids cookbook. The unique part of this cookbook is that the recipes are not kiddie recipes. There are some simple recipes but many of them are actually recipes I use in my home for my husband and myself (the baby has no teeth yet).

Introducing your child to homemade gnocchi, pork and chive dumplings and fresh spring rolls is a great way to make sure he/she is open to different foods.

I admit that I have been using this cookbook to train myself to make quick dinners during these busy hectic days.

I even decided not to make a complicated birthday cake for my husband and chose the chocolate cake in this book. I strongly recommend this book if you are a mom and looking for ideas for cooking with kids.

And Now for the Giveaway...........

A bowl full of OXO products. Everything you need for the kitchen.

Cherry/olive pitters, a mixing bowl , spatulas, whisks and more. You all know what a difference a good spatula makes. I discovered this only in May when I got the goody bag from IFBC. Sur La Table gave away some amazing kitchen stuff including a Shun Knife.

I tossed all my cheap dollar store kitchen stuff and filled the drawers with high quality swag.

Leave a comment with the name of your favorite kitchen gadget and a little explanation. I will make sure you get this bowl of goodies. Limited to U.S.A only. Deadline is August 30th.

Guess the Fruit

2009-08-16T22:59:00.000-07:00

Do you know what these are?

Can you guess what they taste like?

Multitasking, Blogs, Twitter and Mom Life

2009-08-02T20:34:00.000-07:00

When people ask me what I do, I never know what to say. I think that I need to hold a card that lists all the things I do.

_ Founder and organizer of the Foodportunity events (next one coming soon)

- Founder and organizer of the Seattle Food Blogger events

- Co-founder of The Mommy List with Kim Ricketts

- Write a blog in the Seattle PI

- Write a weekly dining To Do list for MyNorthwest.com

- Currently working on the Canvolution, (save the dates, August 29-30, a weekend of canning events that will knock the lid off you)

Public relations and consulting for restaurants

- Avid Breast feeder and mom of a 9 month old baby boy

I have decided to put this down for all of you. Oh and there are a couple more projects that I can't really talk about yet.

The breastfeeding part sounds trivial but it is the most important job I have. It exhausts me and comforts me at the same time. Being a mom is the most important priority and sometimes I have to remind myself of this. I would quit every other job for my baby in a second. Watching my baby grow, wiggle his fingers to say bye bye and giggle when I kiss his thighs is my reminder that life is short (hey didn't I just give birth a few months ago).

The food world tears me into many directions, keeping up with twitter is another job I should add to the list. Should I be at every event? Should I be cupcake walking through the streets, should I be at every food related party in the world and making sure to taste every morsel of fruit that comes anywhere near the farmers markets? No! No! No!

I just feel like sometimes I need to take a step back and ask myself : Do I really want to talk about food right now? Yes, I am a food blogger, but I am also a mom, a wife, a yogi ( even if it's been a while) a friend and many other things.

Don't get me wrong , I have a love-hate relationship with twitter. Sometimes, I really am sick of reading tweets from people boasting about who they know, sometimes the food obsession is a little too overwhelming and sometimes I realize people are losing life's most precious moments (I am talking about you who tweets between every bite of a food). I am probably guilty of doing one of the above although I really try not to.

Sometimes twitter sweeps me off my feet, especially when I bought bottled salad dressing for the first time in 3 years, it was a liberating experience. We try to make most things from scratch at home but I decided that as a mom sometimes you have to let go.

I tweeted about it (felt guilty but still liberating) and tweeted " any chef want to make me salad dressing?" I got one response from Chef Becky of Chef Reinvented and a few days later, picked up a jar of pomegranate molasses vinaigrette that has brought me back to heavenly lettuce land. Now isn't this what twitter is about? Making friends, strengthening bonds and connecting the food community. Did I mention that twitter has been used to schedule play dates between friends such as Alice from Sweet Savory Life and Nurit of Family Friendly Food?

Want to know who to follow on twitter? Check out this article. I can't believe that I am on this list.

Anyway, I don't know what this post is really about but I really wanted to say to some of the people who I want to hang out with but can't, it's just timing.

I also wanted to say to all those moms out there, let go! You can't do everything!

I also wanted to write a post about me, I spend so much time writing about other people's events that I never get the time to sit down and use the blog as my own form of therapy.

End of post, whew I feel better!

Foodportunity

2009-07-25T22:03:00.000-07:00

When I moved to Seattle 3 years ago, I didn't know anyone.
Not one single person.

It was just me and my husband.

I was one of those people who would talk to people at the bus stop and make conversation with people on the street. I really wanted to meet people. That's when I started blogging.

I started Frantic Foodie so I would have something to do, so I could discover Seattle, perhaps I could have conversations via my blog (and wouldn't have to scare people on the street by trying to talk to them).

Last week was my first Foodportunity event. I have been doing events for the last few years but this one was huge. More than 300 people all in one place. All foodies. All drinking, eating and networking.

The pics in this post were taken by Nate from FarSightedImages.com. He was one of the two extremely talented photographers that took pictures at the event. I will be posting more of Nate's pictures as well as pictures by the other photographer, Jackie.

Just wanted to give you a little taste, more to come.

Tom Douglas brings in this pig and everyone goes wild.

The Chef in the Hat ( Thierry Rautureau of Rovers) multitasking.

Erik Tanaka (Tom Douglas Restaurants), Philippe Thomelin (Olivar) and Jacob (Olivar)

Now I have a little giveaway. I have a $25 gift certificate for brunch at Rover's which will get you a two-course brunch or a discount on any brunch items.

Tell me what you would do with this Foodportunity? The deadline for the contest is Wednesday (July 29th).

Foodportunity, Just a Few Days Away

2009-07-17T17:38:00.000-07:00

Hi Readers,
Foodportunity is just a few days away and I am happy to say it is sold out. If you didn't get tickets I will be having another one in a few months.
Enjoy the Bite of Seattle this weekend, I am also adding a link to my event picks for the week at MyNorthwest.com

Have a super weekend...

Bite of Seattle

2009-07-16T08:18:00.000-07:00

This weekend is the Bite of Seattle. Starting Friday, there is a long list of restaurants to try from, samples from food companies and Seattle's top chef's doing demos.

Don't forget to go to the alley, hosted by Tom Douglas, where for $10, you get bites from Seattle's classiest restaurants

The Enormous Drinking Man Takes Over the Pike Place Market

2009-07-13T09:30:00.001-07:00

Breaking news:
On Tuesday July 14 Seattle Coffee Works, located next to Pike Place Market at 107 Pike Street, will officially fire up its new commercial coffee roasting machine.

The company's 15 feet tall kinetic Coffee Drinking Man will arrive to inspect and greet the crowd.
Come in to Seattle coffee works between 11-3:

The giant Coffee Drinking Man sign will be installed with a boom truck around 1pm
and Seattle Coffee Works Roastery will throw open the doors to the public between 11am and 3pm. The open house will include a give-away of freshly roasted coffee samples and free brewed coffee to all passers-by.
They will also be sampling the new line of sandwiches.

After this event, head to the market for Bastille Day celebrations

My Favorite Week of the Year

2009-07-08T13:32:00.000-07:00

This week is my favorite week of the year. The weekend starts with the Bastille festival at Seattle Center.

The Bastille day festival (this Saturday) is a milestone in my food obsessed world. Two years ago I volunteered at this festival because I was looking to meet new people.
From then on, I kept volunteering at every event that I could find, meeting food people, networking and here I am 2 years later enjoying all the connections that I managed to make.

Saturday night is the Bal des Pompiers (Fireman's ball), an evening of music and dancing in the streets.
Sunday is The Bastille day festival, a festival with chef demos, food and music.
It's free and open to everyone so bring the kids to this family friendly event.

Sunday I will be judging The Chocolate Salon again. Last year was a great experience so I am really interested in seeing the creative choices this year.
I think I still have a blue cheese chocolate truffle with a bite in it from last year in my fridge.
Here is my post from last year.
Bastille Day ,July 14 Events:

Cafe Campagne Bastille Festival:
Live music, food and Burlesque performances

Le Pichet Bastille Celebration
From 6 pm and till late hours
French food and Live Jazz from Absinthe Minded Professors (7pm) and DJ Miss Broadway (11pm)

Maximillian Bastille Day Dinner
Enjoy a $35 3-course meal on the patio, overlooking the water. They have live music too.

I will try to make all 5 events. Will I be able to make it to all of them?

The Mommy List

2009-06-29T08:45:00.000-07:00

The Mommy List

Kim Ricketts of Kim Ricketts Book Events and I are putting together an exclusive membership club for moms. To get on The Mommy List, sign up on our blog.

Opening Event:
An evening with Emily Franklin, the author of Too Many Cooks: Kitchen Adventures with one Mom, 4 Kids and 102 Recipes

One part David Sedaris, one part Julia Child, Emily Franklin’s Too Many Cooks is a happy mix of recipes, memories, and good storytelling. A foodie and former chef, Franklin wants to pass on her love of food and cooking to her kids. Over the course of a year, she introduces her children to new dishes — some exotic, some thrown together with whatever she has in her cabinets — with varying degrees of success, sharing with readers over 100 original recipes. Along the way, she discovers how a delicious (or even disastrous) meal can bring families together and feed the soul.

Emily will share her experience on managing a mom schedule, with tricks, humor and anecdotes on feeding your kids while keeping your sanity.

Join us for snacks, wine and an evening filled with ideas, raffle prizes and inspiration.

July 13, 2009
7pm-9pm
$20
Location: Bustle on Queen Anne
535 W. McGraw St. Seattle
98199
(Ticket price includes wine, snacks and a raffle ticket)
Buy Tickets Here

*Books will be available for purchase at a discounted price.

*Raffle prizes include 5 inspiring books autographed by famous authors and other mommylicious gifts.

More about The Mommy List

The Mommy List is an exclusive club for members only which aims to give moms a fun night out. Membership is free. Once you are on the list, you'll be invited to monthly, sometimes bi-monthly events.

The Mommy List events include meetings with authors, inspirational book events, wine and cheese events, spa events and other motherly outings.

How did The Mommy List come about?

The Frantic Foodie (a fresh new mom) and Kim Ricketts (mother of three) of Kim Ricketts Book Events were discussing life as a mom. They both love connecting people, inspiring others and both revel in the joy of organizing events. Together they created The Mommy List.

Can I bring my kids?

Every event is different. Some events will be with the kids but most events will be for moms only. As much as we love those bundles of joy, we believe moms need a night out in order to replenish themselves and gather energy for the hectic mommy life.

Babe in arms are welcome (little babies who need to be close to mom).

For more info, email us at : info@themommylistseattle.com

Ana Luque at Metropolitan Market

2009-06-24T23:43:00.001-07:00

Ana Luque, author of The Yogurt Diet will make an appearance on June 26th from 4-6 pm at the Admiral Metropolitan Market. She will be talking about her book, the importance of yogurt and signing books. There will be samples of yogurt, courtesy of the Greek Gods Yogurt.

Have you signed up for Foodportunity yet?

This Month at a Glance

2009-06-22T23:04:00.000-07:00

Thank God I have pictures to remind me of what I did all month.

My month started off with one of my Seattle Food Blogger Events.

The destination this time, Beecher's Cheese. We met at the Beecher's headquarters for a mini behind the cheese tour, headed to the Maximus Minimus pork truck and ended with a party at the Sugar Mountain headquarters.
This is Kurt Beecher Dammeier, the owner of Beechers, Maximus Minimus and all the other Sugar Mountain establishments. Here he is talking to the bloggers about how he got started. The Maximus Minimus pulled pork sandwiches were packed with umami flavor which made it hard to believe that no MSG was involved. I am ultra sensitive to MSG and don't eat at many places because of this. I felt great after this meal and have been craving another Max/Min sandwich ever since.

Happy Hour at Ponti

I tried out some of the happy hour items at Ponti. A great place for some happy hour snacks($5-$7 items)and a romantic view of the water.

Tutta Bella Issaquah is now open

We took our baby with us to Tutta Bella Issaquah's new location for a special blessing of the oven ceremony. Tutta Bella is Seattle’s first Vera Pizza Napoletana
certified Neapolitan pizzeria, and with this new location, it is the first one on the Eastside. Each oven was blessed and named by Father Bryan Dolejsi of St. Joseph Catholic Church and School in Issaquah. The tradition was inspiring especially with the people swaying to the music being played live by Michael Gotz, Casey MacGill’s Blue 4 Trio, The Tarantellas and the soloist performances by Jadd Davis and Richard Gray. My baby was enjoying all the people clapping to the music.
He thought that they were clapping for him.

The Winner of the Chocolate Contest is.... Francine

2009-06-22T06:23:00.000-07:00

The winner of the chocolate contest is Francine.
One of the things that I like the most about this blog is getting comments. All these stories have put a smile on my face. Readers, take the time to read the comments and Francine, email me with your last name to claim your prize.

Did you get your tickets to Foodportunity?

Win Tickets to Chocolate Salon!

2009-06-17T07:56:00.000-07:00

Last July, I was asked to be one of the judges at The Seattle Chocolate Salon. So I waddled to the Chocolate Salon event, 7 months pregnant with lots of room for the chocolate. I ate until I couldn't breathe anymore and the baby was doing summersaults in my belly.

This year, the Chocolate Salon is back.
If you like chocolate, you will be in heaven. So many different types of chocolate and unlimited amounts of every kind of truffle, dark, milk possible. There were flavors like blue cheese, tequilla, lime and so many more.

Seattle Chocolate Salon
Sunday July 12th
11:am-5:pm
Bell Harbor Conference Center

You think it's your cup of cacao? Well, I have two tickets to give away to this event. Let me know what your favorite chocolate is or tell me a funny chocolate story?
Add it in the comments section and I will choose the winner by Monday. Tell a friend about it and you have a better chance of winning. If they win, they can take you.

Did you sign up for Foodportunity yet?

Foodportunity and Networking

2009-06-16T00:04:00.001-07:00

As many Foodportunities arise, I just discovered Biznik and joined their community. Biznik, A social networking website for business networking. I need to do more online networking.

Speaking of networking,do you all know Girl Power Hour? Darnell Sue puts on events for women that you won't want to miss.

Foodportunity is a lot of fun. On the way I discovered Mise en Place by Kyle is now helping out with the event. Also I discovered Tours Northwest.

FYI, Washington Trollers Association will be donating marbled chinook salmon to the event, delivered straight from fisherman Geoff.
Tom Douglas Restaurants will be doing something special with the salmon.

Tickets are selling really fast so if you want to get a ticket, get it soon

Click here for more details

Weekend Events and Art of the Table

2009-06-11T23:02:00.001-07:00

Hey everyone,
I posted this week's event list for MY NORTHWEST.COM

Another event to sign up for this week is this One Pot Dinner with Dustin Ronspies from Art of the Table.

I copied the press release because well, the way it's written is part of the charm.

Press release:

the swimmerly dinner next tuesday is getting more interesting by the moment.

expect a lesson in dramaturgy by implied violence that involves sharks (you might have heard of them - they won the genius award last year...), a short chat with randy lewis about the history of fish-ins (randy invaded and occupied fort lawton/discovery park with bernie whitebear in 69), a new piece of slam poetry by matt gano entitled "things that swim" (matt is the reigning grand slam poetry champ), and a couple blistering stories by john boylan (the reigning champ of the roundtable).

and then of course the most delightful watery setting ever... and brilliant aquatic food by dustin ronspies...

3. one pot + art of the table + things that swim = june 16th

dustin ronspies, the chef at the art of the table has been garnering heaps of praise over the past couple years – and we finally have a spare moment to host an evening together. the setting will be unreal – directly on shilshole bay – at the shilshole beach club- overlooking the puget sound and peering up at the olympics. the club is also home to seattle's center on contemporary art (COCA) – and we will have a chance to spend time amongst new work by tracy boyd.

dustin just got back from a mind blowing eating tour along the coast of spain - add in the watery setting – and we decided an evening in honor of those lovely "things that swim" would be perfect. expect a few courses. and a few surprises.

$45/person. cash bar.

Send an email to reserve a spot: onepotorg@gmail.com

Foodportunity

2009-06-08T17:22:00.000-07:00

Hi Readers,
I wanted to tell you about an event that I am putting together. It's called Foodportunity. Details are below, sign up for the speed networking event by
emailing me at info@foodportunity.com

“Foodportunity”
To Connect Seattle's Vibrant Food Community

Seattle, June 8, 2009: The inaugural “Foodportunity,” a networking event for Seattle food professionals, will take place July 22, 2009, from 6-9 pm at Palace Ballroom in downtown Seattle.

Tom Douglas, awarded National Restaurant of theYear by Bon Appetit magazine & James Beard-award nominee, will provide his Palace Ballroom facilities to host the event, organized by Seattle food blogger Keren Brown. It will feature appetizers from Seattle's most talked about restaurants, the chance to network with food company representatives, a panel discussion on the topic of new media, as well as a “speed networking” event for the first 40 people to sign up.

The Q&A session on new media will be lead by editor Mina Williams (Northwest Stir) and will feature several of Seattle's best-known writers and bloggers: Nancy Leson (Seattle Times), Rebekeh Denn (formerly of the Seattle PI), Matthew Amster-Burton (Hungry Monkey) and Ronald Holden (Cornichon).

Appetizers will come from several sources, including Tom Douglas' restaurants along with a line up of Seattle gems such as Rovers, Andaluca, Olivar, Art of the Table, Dinette, Maximus Minimus and Serafina. Columbia Crest and Vin Du Lac wineries will pour their wines and other beverages will be available for purchase. A range of food products will be on display.

Foodportunity is open to food journalists, bloggers, public relations professionals, restaurateurs, farmers and all food-passionate people. Admission is $25 which includes bites and two glasses of wine (plus tax and fees). Tickets are available at brownpapertickets.com. Space is limited. Palace Ballroom is located at 2100 5th Avenue in downtown Seattle. More information at www.foodportunity.com.

Foodportunity Schedule

6:00-6:30 pm: Meet and greet, snacks provided by a selection of food companies

6:30-7:30 pm: Reaching Consumers Through New Media
Learn how to communicate your Message effectively Through Blogs, Twitter and Facebook
Q&A session
Moderator: Mina Williams, editor of Northwest Stir, Industry news of the Northwest for culinary professionals

Panelists:
- Nancy Leson, Seattle Times Food Writer and KPLU food commentator
- Rebekah Denn, James Beard Award winning food writer, formerly from the Seattle Post-Intelligencer
- Matthew Amster-Burton, food writer, author of Hungry Monkey and contributor for Gourmet magazine.
- Ronald Holden, food writer and creator of Cornichon.org, named among the Top 10 food blogs according to GourmetFood about.com

7:30 – 9:00 pm: Networking time, raffle prizes and bites from Seattle restaurants. Food companies will provide booths and snacks as well.

8:30- 9:00 pm: An optional "speed networking" session for the first 40 to sign up led by Rachel Belle, food writer and former KIRO radio restaurant reporter.

Rewind to the Last Month or So.

2009-06-06T07:47:00.000-07:00

I have had a very busy month lately so I will try to summarize it in this post. I went to the James Beard Celebrity dinner,a dinner hosted by the Executive Chef of the Columbia Tower Club, Chef James Hassell featuring James Beard Award Nominee and reknown Chef Ethan Stowell (Anchovies and Olives, How to Cook a Wolf).

The view was breathtaking and the dinner was very well executed with each course plated like a work of art and layers and layers of flavors. The sugar business card in the back was because we sat with the owners of Sugar Bakery. We also sat with Sheri and Barnaby of Foodista, an online encyclopedia that you can edit. Do you remember my little contest? The winner posted about it. I love her blog.

A few days later was my Ruth Reichl Event, which will forever be a milestone in my life. I met one of the people that I most admire in the food world and got to bring 50 other people together for this.

The next thing that happened that week was the I.F.B.C, International Food Bloggers Conference by Foodista's Sheri and Barnaby.
They did a wonderful job at putting it together, with lots of useful information on many diverse topics (you can watch it online on the link above).
It was like summer camp for bloggers. I got to hang out with great people for two full days. After the weekend, I kind of tried to keep a low profile for a few weeks.

It was very intense and when it turned into a claustrophobic cliquy after-party on twitter with people tweeting every minute of the day, I knew it wasn't my thing. I elegantly reminded myself that I have a family, work and my own projects to do and only popped in and out of twitter occasionally. No offense to anyone but I could totally see a Dr. Phil episode happening, where a man had stopped socializing with his family and stopped leaving his room because he had been sucked in by the Twitter hole.
Much more has happened since then, so keep checking back soon. I can't wait to tell you about my experience at Maximus/Minimus.

Sheri and Barnaby

Free Tomatoes

2009-06-04T09:18:00.000-07:00

Do you want free tomatoes?

Free plants will be given away to anyone who would like to become a TomatoFare2009 grower & participant, and to others interested in growing heirloom tomatoes. Send email to:martinringhofer@aol.com
Martin still has some plants here in Seattle so think fast. Email him before Thursday evening.

Growers get free plants, keep all they grow except one week's worth the week prior to TomatoFare2009 . Event will be held in Quincy, WA on labour day weekend.

Macaroni and Cheese

2009-06-01T23:35:00.001-07:00

I found this on the Cook's World website. Let me know if you win.

***SPECIAL EVENT: MAC 'N CHEESE COOKING Contest:
Novices, serious foodies, basic home cooks and Iron Chef wannabes are all invited…'cause if you're passionate about Mac 'n Cheese (and who isn't !) we wanna taste it! Put your best 'whisk' forward and register to WIN! 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners will be rewarded with Cook's World gift certificates and store merchandise. Rules: Bring your finished Mac'n Cheese entry (entrée) to serve 8 people. Also, bring the recipe to share with fellow competitors. Judging will begin at 7:30 pm then we all sit down to enjoy eating everyone's entry (entrée). Wine included. Thursday, June 11. 7-9:30pm $10.00 registration fee and limited to 14 competitors.
Details: Mac 'n Cheese must include: 1. Pasta (of any kind), 2. cheese (of any kind), 3. milk or cream. We invite to you get as creative as you like with any other ingredients...go for it!!!!
Who: YOU and a 'special' panel of judges
When: Wednesday June 17, 7-9:30PM
How Much: $10.00
How: Call us at 206-528-8192 or email us here to enter

Weekend Events

2009-05-30T08:53:00.001-07:00

What a special day! The Pike Place Market Street Festival is today, click here for more

Also today, Rosanna Warehouse Table sale, Click here for more

Ruth Reichl Meets the Bloggers at Olivar

2009-05-20T12:26:00.001-07:00

This month's Seattle Food Blogger event was a Q.A session with one of the culinary world's most influential writers, Ruth Reichl.
The event took place at Olivar on Capitol hill in Seattle. Chef Philippe prepared some wonderful appetizers and Vin Du Lac Winery served three fabulous wines.

Ruth started off by clearly reminding us that her new book " Not Becoming My Mother" is not about food. She went about saying this, somewhat apologetically as if food is all you would expect of her. Within a few seconds the group was mesmerized, each blogger intently leaning forward to hear more about Ruth's life journey.

The pictures at this event were taken by Lara Ferroni of Cook and Eat and Rina Jordan of Rina Jordan Photography. These two photographers did a wonderful job at capturing the intense moments that filled the room.
The photos on this post are by Lara Ferroni.
Rina Jordan's gallery can be seen by clicking on this link.

Thank you Ruth for meeting with us.
Thanks to everyone for coming! Thank you Chef Philippe from Olivar and Larry from Vin du Lac.
Thank you Lara and Rina for all the photos.

Photos by Lara Ferroni

Photos by Lara Ferroni

Photos by Lara Ferroni

Chef Philippe Thomelin of Olivar

Photos by Lara Ferroni

Matthew-Amster Burton contributing writer for Gourmet and author of Hungry Monkey with Ruth Reichl editor of Gourmet

Chef Philippe's appetizers. His signature albondigas always win the crowd

Photos by Lara Ferroni

Photos by Lara Ferroni

Photos by Lara Ferroni

Ruth Reichl and Jaden of Steamy Kitchen

Ruth Reichl Meets the Bloggers

2009-05-18T07:56:00.001-07:00

I put together another Seattle Food Blogger Event this friday. We met exclusively with Ruth Reichl. I will put up pictures soon but for now, Leslie Kelly posted a nice post on her blog. This is the video she took.
Rachel Belle of The Examiner posted about it too, click here.

Hungry Monkey

2009-05-16T22:14:00.000-07:00

Not too long ago, I attended a food event by Kim Ricketts. What We Talk About When We Talk About Food: An Evening with Seattle Writers”.

Matthew Amster-Burton,read a passage from his book, Hungry Monkey and I was hooked.
I will explain why.

I am obsessed with breastfeeding. I love it. I am drained, exhausted, I feel like an old cloth but I love it. I love the feeling, I love the cuddling. I can't believe milk comes out of there. I hesitate to talk about breastfeeding because I know some people have a hard time with it. I did too. It took me 3 weeks to teach the little rascal how to do it. I finally got it and I love it.

Then Matthew comes along, reading a passage from his book about how breastfeeding is not what they make it out to be. He explains how colostrum, the first milk is really nasty. He talks about how gross it is. How babies hate it. That was it. I was hooked.
Breastfeeding is known to create a bond between moms and apparently it bonds dads too. Even if you hate it, you are in the same boat, it's like a parent cult.

I finished Hungry Monkey in 3 days. Another reason to breastfeed, you have no choice but to sit on your butt and relax( and in my case read!)
The book talks about a dads journey into the food world with his little girl. The smart choices, the stupid choices. Who in their right mind feeds their 6 month old a doughnut, Matthew?

The true star of the book is Iris (Matthew's daughter), the comments she makes, the father daughter activities they do together. The book reminded me to enjoy the simple things in life, it also reminded me of all the ingredients that I forgot existed and how much fun it is to shop at Uwajimaya.
Matthew is funny and sarcastic and all this comes through in his book with a snazzy city boy attitude. The kind of attitude that people trade for suburbia when they have kids. It's nice to see that you can have kids and live the city life.
(I wish my husband agreed but for now I am winning the battle)

To all my obsessive mommy friends, get the book and lighten up!

Events this Weekend

2009-05-15T11:36:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone,
Just stopping by to tell you about my weekly event update on My Northwest.

Frantic Foodie

And the Winner is...............Alice

2009-05-12T00:10:00.000-07:00

I wish I could write more but my hungry baby woke up to eat. I wrote all the names on a piece of paper and Alice is one that got chosen. Alice, please email me to claim your prize.

The stories are hilarious so take the time to read them because they will really make you laugh,
click here and scroll dowm

good night!

Maximus Minimus, From the Makers of Beecher's

2009-05-11T17:04:00.000-07:00

One day I just happened to be at the right place at the right time. I walked into the Sugar Mountain offices (the creators of Beecher's, Pasta and Co. and Bennett's Pure Food Bistro) while they were tasting some recipes.

Pork Quoi? You ask. What were they tasting? I was sworn to secrecy.

.

They were tasting pulled pork. There were ultra spicy pork sauces, sweet sauces and all this for their new venture a huge truck that is shaped like, guess what? Yes, a huge pig!

This new restaurant will be in the pork truck you see. Come up to the window and order your pulled pork sandwich to the maximus or minimus. Maximus is the spicy one or Minimus for the sweet one. They will also have homemade veggie chips.
Are you a vegetarian? No worries, they have a grilled vegetable option too.
The sandwich will cost 6 dollars and you can catch the truck this June.

Updated News about Location: southeast corner of 2nd and Pike

Genius idea!

Win Tickets to Celebrity Food Event

2009-05-08T09:10:00.000-07:00

Want to win tickets? Keep Reading.

The Celebrity Chef Tour benefiting the James Beard Foundation is coming to Seattle on
May 14th at the Columbia Tower Club.

The Celebrity chef tour recreates the James beard experience with culinary artists from all over the U.S. The event will include a reception and multi-course dining experience complete with premium wine pairings. The host of the dinner is Chef James Hassell and Seattle's own Ethan Stowell who will be cooking up a unique menu. Ethan Stowell owns Anchovies and Olives, How to Cook a Wolf and Tavolata just to name a few.

From Press Release:
As such, the Celebrity Chef Tour dinner at the Columbia Tower Club on May 14th promises to delight the palates of the most discriminating epicureans. Chefs Ethan and James will begin the evening with an elegant reception, featuring unique hors d'oeuvre creations served with a complementary wine selection. An innovative, one-of-a-kind dinner will follow, throughout which the chefs will engage the audience and share their insights in an intimate and exclusive setting, as guests enjoy several meticulously crafted courses paired with an assortment of carefully selected wines.

Tickets are $175 (plus state sales tax).
For more information and to
purchase tickets, please contact Jeff Black at 720-201-1853 or jeff@innercirclecompanies.com.

Okay Guys..I have two tickets. Who wants them?
Tell me about your most embarrassing kitchen moment. I just want to laugh a little.
Leave a comment and be sure to check back to see if you won. I will choose the winner on Monday ,the 11th at midnight by random number.
Good Luck
Keren

James Beard Awards

2009-05-05T20:30:00.000-07:00

Once a year, the food world stops. All the chefs and the foodies gather to hear the winners of the James Beard Awards. Here is the complete list.

I was excited to see that Outstanding Restaurant went to Jean Georges (Chef/Owner: Jean-Georges Vongerichten, Owner: Phil Suarez, New York, NY). I got the pleasure of having a wonderful lunch at Nougatine, the less fancy version of Jean Georges (we brought our baby with us), same kitchen but different style. Beautiful view of Central Park, exquisite food and if that isn't enough. They had a lunch special with three courses for 24 dollars.
If you are in NYC, don't miss this gem.

Surprise, Surprise (actually no surprise at all) : Momofuku Ko got the best new restaurant. I am kicking myself in the butt for not making it to the Momofuku milk bar. Oh well, I guess I will have to plan another trip.

As for Seattle, everyone knows Seattle rocks.

Seattle's Maria Hines of Tilth took the award for best chef in the Northwest and the PI's Rebekah Denn got an award for her article .

Carmel Market, Tel Aviv

2009-04-28T05:58:00.000-07:00

I love markets. Here in Seattle, Pike Place Market is where I go when I am feeling stressed or just in need of a little motivation.

In Tel Aviv, the Carmel market is where my passion for life is ignited.
The night before I went to the market, I tossed and turned in bed, imagining what I would find. I dreamt of the endless piles of candy. The piles make you want to jump in the candy and roll around. I dreamt of the plastic cups filled with freshly squeezed pomegranate juice. I dreamt of the lady who stands around filling your bags with freshly baked pita. Then I woke up, fed the baby and ran to the market.

It was 8 am. I had candy for breakfast. I had fresh roasted nuts. I walked through the market and let the scents of the foods take me away. I took pictures. I forgot all my jet lag, my stress, my tiredness. I immersed in the colors, the foods, the fruit, the vegetables. No guilt here, I tasted everything and for a few hours I was happier than Willy Wonka.

I was in foodie heaven and I wasn't ready to come back to earth.

Candy Piles

Halva, Halva

Baklava

Urban Eats- Nosh- a -Thon Party.

2009-04-14T15:42:00.000-07:00

Urban Eats is a 3 -course- for -$30 dining program presented in May. The launch party will include a meet -the -chef's benefit event for Farestart.
Get a chance to eat, drink and socialize with other foodies. The proceeds benefit Farestart's culinary job training for the disadvantaged.

Date: April 25th, 1-4 p.m.
Location: Basco Kitchen Design Showroon, 6750 South 180th Street Tukwila
Donation: $30 per person, includes all food and beverages. Donations will be collected at the door. All proceeds benefits FareStart

For more information, click here

For more about Urban Eats, click here

Food For Baby

2009-04-11T00:16:00.000-07:00

Since becoming a mother, my eating has changed drastically. I have become more of a purist. Just knowing that my babies nutrients pass through my breast milk makes me a lot more conscious.
In a few weeks, I will be giving Baby E his first taste of solids. We have been sitting him at the table with us and showing him the foods we eat. We want him to look at all the different colors; the green lettuce, the vibrant yellow beets and the round red tomatoes. We want him to get excited about food, enjoy it and share the enthusiasm for healthy foods that we do.
Our bodies have already succumbed to the abuse of too many overstuffed meals, countless chicken mcnuggets, and endless color-dyed pieces of sugar. I am sure after he turns two, I won't have as much say about the food that he eats but the thought that he gets to start his life with a fresh clean slate really excites me.

Nina Planck, the author of REAL FOOD FOR MOTHER AND BABY, will be holding a discussion as part of the Good Life Series, another one of those wonderful events hosted by Kim Ricketts.

Nina Planck sets out to find out what is true about feeding a pregnant mother and new baby in the most healthy and delicious way. Planck addresses fertility, pregnancy and baby's first foods with surprising answers to a parent's food questions.

The event will take place at The Palace ballroom, April 22 at 6:30 pm. The cost of the event is $25 per person, which includes a copy of book, appetizers, and a bit of chocolate.

For more info about Kim Ricketts Events, call 206.632.2419 or click here

Grand Cru, Bellevue's Hip New Wine Shop and Bar

2009-04-09T00:54:00.001-07:00

When we first moved here, I lived in dowtown Bellevue. Every time friends would come visit from Seattle, we had trouble finding places to go out. In the last year Bellevue has been booming with new bars and restaurants. The newest addition is the
Grand Cru Wine Bar and Wine Shop

The wine shop has already opened and the bar will open May 1st.
Grand Cru Wine Bar will serve a wide assortment of wines along with seasonal, small plates, large plates, desserts and a French (Alsatian) specialty called a Tart Flambe, a French Pizza served in many wine bars in Strasbourg, Ribeauvillé, and Colmar.

What's happening at Grand Cru?

Thursday Night Walk-In Wine Tasting
(sample new offerings in a casual atmosphere)

TGIC Fridays: Thank God It's Champagne
(16 different sparkling wines offered by the glass)

Custom Regional Wine Dinners
Guided travel to wine producing regions of the world

Wine Appreciation Seminars
(for all experience levels from the novice to serious collector)

Formal, Sit-Down Wine Tastings
(a wide range of topics including new releases, library wines, food pairing and verticals)

What's your favorite wine bar?

Sam's Club Event

2009-04-03T03:20:00.000-07:00

Sam's Club is having a taste of spring event this weekend on April 3, 4 and 5. Everyone is invited to shop, member or not. There are samples and cooking demonstrations to celebrate spring.
For Sam locations and more about Sam's club, click here

Seastar's Deviled Eggs

2009-03-29T01:49:00.000-07:00

I have been travelling for the last few weeks and can barely get an internet connection.
My four month old is having a lot of fun but I had no idea that babies get jet lag. We are up with him all night and I can't find time to write. I will try to write whenever I get a chance.
Right before I left I dined at the new Seastar in Seattle. I had not been to the Bellevue location but was very excited to try the Seattle location ( 2121 Terry Ave, Suite 108), right next to the Whole Foods.

The experience was fantastic and I am looking forward to trying the restaurant again.
On dish intrigued me and motivated me at the same time. The deviled eggs.

They sound simple. Deviled eggs are deviled eggs, right? Not when they come with toppings. I was blown away by the flavorful toppings.
One was topped with truffled ahi tartare and the other with citrus salmon gravlox.
The creaminess was enhanced by the tang of the toppings. I keep thinking about the toppings I will put on my deviled eggs, the next time I have guests.

I would have loved to say that I ran home and started boiling the eggs and playing tasting games with all the toppings in my fridge. The truth is that I left two days later for my trip and didn't get a chance.
A new take on deviled eggs is stirring in my mind and slowly climbing the ladder to ideas for my next dinner party.

What kind of restaurant dishes have inspired you? Which restaurants motivate you to get cooking?

Kids Chocolate Tasting Hosted by Urban Play and Chocolopolis

2009-03-11T21:42:00.000-07:00

Kids Chocolate Tasting with Urban Kids Play and Chocolopolis
Date: Saturday, March 21

Time: 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm at Urban Kids Play.

Lauren Adler, Chief Chocophile of Chocolopolis, will lead the children in a short tasting that encourages them to use all five senses to enjoy and compare artisan chocolate made with cacao from different regions. They will learn facts and other intriguing chocolate information.

Tastings will happen continuously between 1:00 pm and 3:00 pm.

Urban Kids Play
1805 Queen Anne Avenue North
Seattle, WA 98109
206.285.PLAY

Seattle Food Blogger Event at Theo Chocolates

2009-03-08T20:59:00.001-07:00

The last Seattle Food Blogger event was a chocolate lover's dream We met at Theo for a ganache demo, tastes of everything Theoretically possible and we pranced around the factory in the late hours of the evening.

Check out the video of the ganache demo here.

Click here and scroll down for upcoming Theo chocolate education classes.

photos taken by Ronald of Cornichon

Don't leave home without them, I mean the kids

2009-03-04T16:26:00.000-08:00

Kids should come with a warning: Mom, you will never sit down to eat again. Mom you will eat with a screaming baby in one hand. Mom you will eat millions of many bites and imagine they don't have calories.
Mom, you deserve a good dinner too. For this there is Future foodies of America, a social network that lets you enjoy great food in the company of your kids. When your done making reservations, sign up for Red Tricycle for free updates on kiddie stuff.
Upcoming events:

MARCH·
March 17: Monsoon Capitol Hill, 615 19th Ave. E., 206-325-2111, dinner reservations start at 5 p.m.·
March 24: Osteria La Spiga, 1429 12th Ave., 206-323-8881, dinner reservations start at 5 p.m.
APRIL· April 5: Monsoon East, 10245 Main St. (Bellevue), 425-635-1112, dinner reservations start at 5 p.m.
MAY· May 4: Monsoon East, 10245 Main St. (Bellevue), 425-635-1112, dinner reservations start at 5 p.m.· May 5: Monsoon Capitol Hill, 615 19th Ave. E., 206-325-2111, dinner reservations start at 5 p.m.· May 10: Lark, 926 12th Ave., 206-323-5275; Mother's Day steak-and-eggs brunch, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., $40 per person (3 courses for adults), children 12 and under, $12.

Flavor of Seattle Giveaway

2009-02-20T10:52:00.000-08:00

I am having a giveaway and this time it's a restaurant card. Yes, do you want to win a card that
will get you free restaurant food.

Have you heard of the Flavor of Seattle Card? Flavor of Seattle is an association geared at preserving the experience of dining at local, neighborhood restaurants. It is a unique membership card for those who like to eat out. How does it work? A restaurant card costs 50 dollars and can be purchased at any of the restaurants printed on the back of the card. When you spend over 50 dollars at any participating restaurants, you get 25 dollars back (Not including tax). Basically, you get to try every restaurant on the card once and save 25 dollars each time. Note: You can't use it to pay for dinner at the restaurant that you purchase it at on the same day of purchase. Restaurants include: Olivar, Paragon and many more.

Just comment and tell me why you want to go out to eat. The winner will be chosen
at random. Make sure to leave me a link to your blog or send me an email with your email address so I can notify you that you have won.
kerenlovestocook@gmail.com

Be sure to join my Frantic Foodie Friends group on facebook and win prizes too

Pagliacci Anniversary

2009-02-19T04:25:00.000-08:00

Anniversary means crazy prices......
Cheese Slice – $0.85 Pepperoni Slice – $0.95 Canadian Bacon & Pineapple Slice – $0.95 AGOG Primo Slice – $1.05
click here for details

Cafe Appassionato

2009-02-19T04:24:00.000-08:00

Cafe Appassionato in Queen Anne is celebrating their 10 year anniversary on Friday, Feb 20th
There will be free espresso, coffee and pastries all day Donations will be collected to support Queen Anne Helpline.
Cafe Appassionato1417 Queen Anne Avenue North(Corner of Galer & Queen Anne Avenue)

Muse and Chocolopolis

2009-02-18T23:13:00.000-08:00

When: Feb 19th, 7 pm
Where: Muse Coffee
1907 10th Ave W.
Seattle, WA 98119
Phone:(206) 282-2711
Price: $25

Muse Coffee and Chocolopolis, are teaming up for a decadent evening.Learn all the insider tips on coffee and cacao (roasting, processing and everything else) while cupping away and tasting a variety of chocolates. A valentine night of fun at the inspirational Muse cafe.
For this event only, there will be special pricing for .25lb, and .5lb bags of each single origin coffee. A variety of chocolates will be available for purchase as well. Spaces are limited, reservations (206) 282-2711
Join my facebook group, Frantic Foodie Friends for more events Check out my other blog at Franticfoodie.com

Shrimp and Grits and Tom and Thierry

2009-02-13T22:10:00.000-08:00

I attended the Tom Douglas and Thierry Rautureau 5th anniversary party of their radio show on Saturday. I love their show because they always make me laugh and they seem to be having so much fun on the show.

I got to meet George Giles, the winner of the Best Dish recipe competition and convinced him to give me the winning recipe.

Click here to watch video. You can also spend Valentine's day at the palace ballroom. Click here for more details.

George's World Famous
Spicy Sausage, Shrimp and Creamy Grits
with Smoked Ham Gravy

SAUSAGE AND SHRIMP MIXTURE

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, finely diced
3 cloves medium garlic, finely chopped
1 pound bulk hot Italian Sausage
12 oz. package Andouille sausage links cut into ¼ inch rounds, some rounds cut in half
1/2-cup all-purpose flour
3 cups Smoked Ham Shank Stock (recipe follows)
1-cup chicken stock
2 bay leaves
1 1/2 pounds raw shrimp (31 – 40 count) peeled and deveined
1/8-teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ lemon, juiced
2 tablespoons minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
6 green onions, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon Tabasco
Salt and Pepper to taste

Break down the Italian sausage and brown with the Andouille sausage in a large deep skillet in the olive oil and set aside. Remove all but 2 tablespoons of the accumulated oil.

Sauté the onion until soft (3 to 4 minutes). Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute.

Add the flour and stir to create a roux.

Slowly whisk in the Smoked Ham Shank and chicken stock. Add the Bay leaves and browned sausage. Simmer for 10 minutes stirring occasionally.

Add the shrimp. Cook the shrimp until done, about 2 to 3 minutes.

Reduce heat to low. Stir in the cayenne, Tabasco, lemon juice, parsley and green onions. Salt and pepper to taste.

Spoon a mound of the grits into a soup plate. Ladle the sausage and shrimp mixture over the grits and serve immediately.

SMOKED HAM SHANK STOCK
(Prepare a day in advance)
1 celery rib, coarsely chopped1 medium carrot, coarsely chopped½ medium onion, coarsely chopped1 bay leaf6 – 8 pepper corns1 1/2 – 2 pounds smoked ham shanks1-quart chicken stock1-quart water
Place all ingredients in a 4 qt. stockpot. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer gently uncovered for 2 – 2 1/2 hours or until liquid reduces to 4 cups.
Remove shanks and set aside. When cool remove meat from the bones and save for other uses.
Strain out solids. When stock cools to room temperature place in refrigerator covered overnight. The next day skim fat off the top.
CREAMY GRITS
1 ½ cups quick grits3 cups milk (or half and half)3 cups chicken stock¾ teaspoon salt2 tablespoons butterDash of pepper
Bring the milk, chicken stock and salt to a boil in a large pot.
Whisk in the grits. Cover the pot and reduce heat to low.
Cook until grits thicken, stirring occasionally. (5 to 10 minutes)
Stir in butter and pepper.
NOTES
Start the grits before you add the shrimp to the sausage shrimp mixture. When the grits are almost done , add the shrimp.
Serves 6 with leftovers.

Join my facebook group, Frantic Foodie friends and hear about cool events and win prizes

Seattle Food Blogger Events, Seattle Food Blogger Events, First year Anniversary

2009-01-29T17:44:00.000-08:00

A year ago I started the Seattle Food Blogger Events. I really wanted to meet more people who like to ramble on about food. I never thought I would meet some of my closest friends.
The first event was last December at Quinn's. The place was relatively new and we all wanted to check it out together. Some of us instantly clicked, some of us took some time to get used to each other but we all stayed in touch. From that moment on, we started helping each other, we sent each other emails and we forwarded food events to each other.
A year later the group has expanded to more than 50 bloggers. Each event has a different dynamic and each event brings something unique to the table.

Our one year anniversary, we celebrated just a month late at Vermillion.
Vermillion is an art gallery and bar in Capitol Hill. The place is beautiful, cozy and just one of those places you wish you would have known about sooner.
We had a bar snacks competition (Salty or Sweet, Bar Snacks Compete!) where all the bloggers brought their favorite bar snacks, either store- bought or homemade. Some of the winning snacks were Mina's crab cakes (Northwest Stir) ,Secret Stash Roasted Almonds, Thyme and cheese cookies by Nurit and California Rolls by Fumiko.

If you have a food blog (at least 3 months old) and would like to be invited to Seattle Food Blogger Events, please email me:
Kerenlovestocook@gmail.com
or join one of my facebook group: Seattle Food Bloggers or Frantic Foodie Friends

My other blog can be found at Franticfoodie.com (please note : now a .com and not only a blogspot)
Kerenlovestocook@gmail.com

Pictures taken by Ronald of Cornichon, one of the bloggers that has helped me continously since the first blogger event and also the genius behind one of my most favorite food blogs.

Farmer Chef Connection Food Event

2009-01-21T10:10:00.000-08:00

Good Morning everyone, check out this event:

Monday, February 9, 2009
Time: 8:00am - 5:30pm
Location: Herban Feast Sodo Park
Street: 3200 1st Avenue South
City/Town: Seattle, WA

Phone: 2066691387
Email: seattle@chefscollaborative.org

The Farmer Chef Connection is a unique annual gathering that brings together food producers (principally farmers, ranchers and artisans) with food buyers (chefs, retailers, processors, distributors, and institutional purchasers) for what is first and foremost a business-to-business networking event. http://seattle.chefscollaborative.org

8:00am to 9:00am - Registration and Continental Breakfast

9:00am to 10:00am - Keynote Address featuring Chef/Author Tom Douglas & Farmer Luke Woodward: A Conversation between a Chef & Farmer

10:00am to 11:00am - Panel Discussion moderated by Chef Instructor/Author, Greg Atkinson: Food Certifications & Labels - the Next Generation

Breakout Topics will include:
• Meeting the Challenge of Local Distribution
• Branding/Marketing of Local Products and Menus
• Meat 401--Rules and Regulations for 'In-house' Charcuterie
• Meat 402: Mobile Slaughter Units in Washington State

11:15am to 12:15pm - Breakout Session I

12:30pm to 1:30pm - Lunch featuring locally-grown foods

1:45pm to 3:00pm - Networking: Connecting Producers and Buyers in the Marketplace

3:15pm to 4:00pm - Breakout Session II

4:00pm to 5:30pm - Happy Hour networking

Tickets will be $35 for producers & buyers/$40 all others if registered by Jan. 25th and $45 - until Feb. 5th, on sale at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/50630

Registration will close Feb. 5, 2009; earlier if sold out. To receive a print invitation with more information, please email seattle@chefscollaborative.org with your name and mailing address.

For more food events, click on Frantic Foodie

Follow my Facebook group Frantic Foodie Friends and find out about more events with foodies

Trivia with cash prizes

2009-01-19T15:36:00.000-08:00

When:
Every Monday at 8pm

Where: Mulleadys Irish Pub & Restaurant
3055 21st Ave West, Seattle WA
98199
206-283-8843
www.mulleadyspub.com

What: Traditional Pub Quiz, hosted by Henry Garnes. $2/person, teams are allowed to be up to 6 people.

1st place gets a pot of money (depends on amount of people)
2nd place gets $40 gift card to Mulleadys, 3rd place gets $25 gift card to Mulleadys.-

Tonight is general topics over three rounds, of which one round is a wild card (i.e. blind taste quiz on candy bars, or picture round, sitcom theme music, etc.)

Last Monday of every month is themed, January's theme will be Harry Potter

Read about the trivia on Seattlest

Food Internship

2009-01-12T22:44:00.000-08:00

I got an email from Diane of Diane's Market Kitchen, the urban cooking school. She is looking for an intern to do all kinds of tasks such as marketing and even help out with the cooking classes.
Email Diane at diane@dianesmarketkitchen.com

People are always asking me how I got started with cooking and I have to say cooking classes were one of the major steps I took to expand my horizons in the food world.
I also volunteered at many food events which gave me the chance to meet people from the food industry.

If you are too busy to be an intern but would like to try out a cooking class, check out Diane's wonderful website.

My Cravings: Volterra, Top Pot and Kukuruza

2009-01-11T19:24:00.001-08:00

We took our newborn to dinner the other night. Everyone keeps telling me to enjoy the baby while he is young and sleepy.
We went to Volterra.
We loved the exceptional selection of fresh pasta, impressive selection of meats and the reasonable price for high quality Italian food. I recommend Volterra, we went twice in two weeks. I am already planning my next visit there.

During a dinner at friends, we had Top Pot Doughnuts for dessert. I am in love, love, love. I have been craving them all week.

On a recent stroll to the Pike Place Market, I discovered Kukuruza gourmet popcorn (215 Pike St) on the way. You can sample many flavors in the shop, I fell in love with the Rocky Road but ended up taking home the cheese popcorn because I felt less guilty.
This is not the icky popcorn that leaves crusts of preservatives on your fingers. This one tastes wholesome and natural. They have a selection of gift ideas so next time you are debating on what to send to a friend, think KUKURUZA.

Add your cravings in the comments section

New Year's Eve, 2008

2008-12-27T11:23:00.000-08:00

I put together a round up of some restaurants with New Year's Eve specials. I know it is a little late but I figure it is better late than never.
Also, if you know of other options, please post them below in the comments section. Since basically every restaurant in Seattle has a special menu or some kind of special, I only posted a few.

Volterra
5411 Ballard Avenue NW across from the Bell Tower.
206 789 5100

Three Seatings in the Volterra Main Dining Room
5pm, 7:30pm and 10pm
(live Jazz Guitar at the 7:30pm and 10pm seating)

At the 5pm and 7:30pm, 5 course menu for $60 per person (excluding beverages, tax and gratuity).
For the 10pm seating, 6 course menu (excluding beverages, tax and gratuity) plus a prosecco toast at midnight and party favors for $85 per person

New Year's Eve Gala Menu
10pm Seating
($85 per person + Tax + 20% Gratuity)
Antipasti Assortiti
An assortment of festive little bites

Tortellini in Brodo
Wild Mushroom and Cheese filled pasta floating in mushroom broth

Cauliflower Custard
with pan fried prosciutto and baby greens

Olive Oil and Saffron Poached Lobster
with Risotto Nero

Choice of

Duck Confit and Housemade Duck Sausage
with Corona Bean Ragu
-or-
Veal Tenderloin
Pan Seared Veal Tenderloin on toasted brioche, grilled asparagus, fried prosciutto, and fontina fonduta
-or-
Beef Short Ribs
with Goat Cheese mashed potatoes and seasonal vegetables
-or-
Seared Sea Scallops
Seared Sea Scallops in a saffron cream with potato gallette and wilted greens
-or-
Chef's Seasonal Vegetarian

Panforte di Siena
Tuscan fruit and nut cake

Chef's New Year's Eve Dessert Creation

Prosecco at Midnight

Spinasse
1531 14th ave.
206.251.7673

MENU:
Cappo D ' Anno, 31 Decembre Due Mille Otto a Cascina Spinasse

Apperitivi

Champagne

Crostini with pheasant liver pate

Crostini with pickled foraged mushrooms

Virginica oysters with Ligurian extra virgin olive oil

Antipasti

Assorted salumi with house made grissinni

Piemontese style beef tartar of local grass fed beef with Alba white truffle

Salad of chicories, marinated pheasant, pomegranate, walnuts, and parmigiano reggiano

Cauliflower with bagna cauda and toasted bread crumbs

Sformatto of leeks with fonduta and black truffles

Primi

Piemontese agnolotti in broth

Fine hand-cut pasta with sauce of yellowfoot mushrooms

Secondi

Poached homemade Cottechino, Veal tongue, and Capon with five sauces

Contorni

Lentils, Turnips sautéed in farmstead butter, Dandelion greens

Dolci

Moscato Zabaglione

Hazelnut merengue cookies

Il Vino della sera

I vini di Alfredo Roagna

2007 Dolcetto d'Alba

2001 Langhe Nebbiolo

2000 Barbaresco " Paje"

Champagne at midnight

Caffe, Grappa, Digestivi

Olivar
Loveless building, 806 E. Roy
206 322-0409

New Years Eve menu
Amuse Bouche:
Oyster, American Caviar and Cucumber
1st course:
Truffle Oil Potato Gnocchi and Cabrales with Roasted Cauliflower
2nd course:
Sea Scallops with Celery Root Puree, Pork Belly Confit
3rd course:
Rosemary and Thyme Marinated Lamb Cutlet with Almond and Garlic Flan
4th course:
Quail stuffed with Bomba Rice, Foie Gras and Brussel Sprouts
5th course:
Tarta de Navidad, Nuts and Caramel Tart with Sherry Ice Cream

The dinner is 65 dollars per person (not including tax and gratuity).

Blue Water Bistro
Live Jazz, Party favors and champagne at midnight
Dinner Special:
6-ounce lobster tail and 6-ounce filet mignon for $20.09

Free Jones Soda and Pizza at Zaw

2008-12-19T21:32:00.000-08:00

Zaw will be providing free half size pizzas and Jones Soda to their first 100 visitors at their Ballard location beginning at 4:30 p.m. on Monday, December 22 and Tuesday, December 23.

Ballard Zaw
5458 Leary Ave. NW
206-297-1334

Zaw Pizza serves pizza made from organic, local and seasonal ingredients.
Made to order with traditional, whole wheat, or gluten-free crusts made with organic flours from Bob's Red Mill in Portland.

For more info, click here

Note: They deliver pizza by bike. How cool is that?

Now my own question to you: What is the weirdest thing you eat on your pizza?
My favorite pizza topping is canned tuna. I like to add it when I make pizza at home.
Has anyone tried this?

Chef Demos at Delaurenti

2008-12-17T21:15:00.000-08:00

Chef Demos at Delaurenti- Mark your Calendar
DeLaurenti Specialty Food & Wine is celebrating the arrival of olio novello – new oils – from some of the best extra virgin olive oil producers in Italy. To celebrate this, there are chef demos from Dec 19th-22nd.

Dec. 19, 2-4 p.m.
Garrett Abel, of DeLaurenti, will prepare cannellini bean soup with bruschetta using Umbria's Ponticelli Olio Novello.

Dec. 20, 12-2 p.m.
Ethan Stowell, of Union, Tavolata, and How to Cook a Wolf, will prepare mozzarella bruschetta, handmade spaghetti with Parmigiano Reggiano, and hamachi crudo with lime and chilies. He will feature Sicily's Olio Verde.

Dec. 21, 12-2 p.m.
Jeff Bergman, food consultant and chef, will prepare slow-cooked gigante beans with sage, using the Laudemio Frescobaldi oil from Tuscany.

Dec. 22, 2-4 p.m.
Armandino Batali, of Salumi, will prepare whitefish with Meyer lemons and Salumi cotecchino with lentils. He will feature Tuscany's Tenuta Capezzana oil.

For more information about DeLaurenti (1435 First Ave.; 206-622-0141), click here

Baby Has Arrived

2008-12-06T21:36:00.001-08:00

Just popping in to say that I haven't written for a while because I just gave birth to my first baby boy. I thought I would have time to write between feedings and poops but I am taking everyone's advice and sleeping when I can.

I will soon return to foodie land after I catch up on my sleep and finally sit down for a meal (instead of munching on granola bars while feeding).

Thanks to all my readers for reading my blog (my other baby) and sorry if the email responses are a little slow.

Frantic Foodie

Andrew Carmellini is Coming To Seattle to Promote His New Book , Urban Italian

2008-11-13T23:36:00.000-08:00

When: Wednesday, Nov 19th
Who: Andrew Carmellini and his co-author wife Gwen Hyman
Where: Tavolata

More Details: Chef Ethan Stowell of Tavolata will be creating a multi-course Italian feast inspired by the recipes found in URBAN ITALIAN. Dinner begins at 6pm and cost to attend is $100/person (excluding tax and gratuity), which includes all food, wine, and a signed copy of the book. Reservations are required
Tavolata (206) 838-8008

For more about the book, click here

Andrew Carmellini's Urban Italian is that rare breed of cookbook: written by a skilled, top-tier professional, yet at all times accessible, unintimidating, and inspiring to the home cook. In short, it's everything a cookbook should be. The conversational style provides both a thrilling introduction and the feeling, while cooking, that the chef is standing next to in the kitchen, forgiving your mistakes, urging you along, painlessly expanding your reservoir of knowledge. In a world awash with Italian cookbooks, this one's a must-have."--Anthony Bourdain

This is a Kim Ricketts event, for more info,

What the Heck are You Yelping About?

2008-11-05T11:53:00.002-08:00

The New York Times published an article about the Yelp phenomenon.

I myself am a yelp reader. I admit it. I look everything up on Yelp.
Do I believe what I read? Nope, most of the time I don't. So why do I read it?
I ask myself the same question.

First of all, most of the people who write on Yelp are under 40, like stated in the article above. Yes, I am 29 years old but I actually seem to think that most of the people are under 30 or mid- twenties from the way they spend. I have seen Yelpers call 'reasonably priced" restaurants, "over-priced" time and time again.
No I can not afford to eat at restaurants that charge between 12-18 dollars an entree every day but they are by far not over-priced in my book. Sure it's nice to have a Vietnamese pho dinner for under 10 dollars, but that's just what it is.

There is no reason to compare an everyday eatery with a restaurant in which a chef has a full menu of different dishes all made from scratch, a higher standard of food and seasonal ingredients. If you are going to review a restaurant, make sure you review it with other restaurants of the same status in mind.

Yelpers have no mercy.
I will use Seattle's newly opened Poppy as an example. I chose Poppy because I have not tried it yet and have no opinion on the place.

The day after it opened there were so many reviews. Many of them on the " I am disappointed" side. It was the opening night. Have Mercy. No restaurant reviewer in their right mind would go in to a restaurant on the first night and criticize the wait staff for not knowing their stuff. Everyone knows that a restaurant needs a few days to figure out how things go. If you want to be the first to review a restaurant, that's fine but take everything into consideration. That's like calling a writer unskilled while reading their rough draft.

I have to admit there is one thing about Yelp that I love. That is the events page.
Whenever freebies are being given out, the yelper will be happy to yelp it to the world from the top of their whiny little lungs. I appreciate that.

So yes, I will continue to read Yelp but the restaurant reviews, I will continue not to take them too seriously. I might use Yelp as an indication of what to order, if everyone loves the duck maybe it is worth a try. I will use Yelp to find out the address of a place. I won't use Yelp as a strong opinion. Yelp won't prevent me from trying a restaurant.
Yelp has taught me one thing.
Every little Pisher can find a place to exercise power.
Any thoughts?
What do you think?

Theo Chocolate Events

2008-11-03T08:02:00.000-08:00

I got this email yesterday from Theo Chocolate with chocolate events for November. After trying to decide which chocolate events I would like to post about it, I came to the conclusion that I would post the whole list as is and make sure you don't miss out on any chocolate. I couldn't live with the guilt if you missed out on chocolate because of me.

The list as is....

NOVEMBER 7 @ 6:30 – 8pm
Cheese & Chocolate
Who knew? These two decadent foods are
complex and wide ranging in flavor profiles but
we have discovered some pairings that will inspire
sensory shockwaves. The experts from Delaurenti's
superb cheese department will help guide us
through a revelatory tasting.
$25 per person (call 206.632.5100 for reservations

NOVEMBER 14 @ 8pm
Cozy Movie Night
We will be showing the sexy movie, Chocolat,
and serving up hot chocolate and snacks. Bring
some pillows to curl up by the fire.
$15 per person (call 206.632.5100 for reservations)

NOVEMBER 15 @ 11am
Ganache Demonstration
Have you ever wondered what ganache is or how it is
made? Then this demonstration is for you! Our head
chocolatier Autumn Martin will steward you through
the entire process of our ganache making from flavor
development to decorating!
$20 per person (call 206.632.5100 for reservations

NOVEMBER 20 @ 6:30 – 8pm
Wine & Chocolate
Come and taste amazing wine & chocolate pairings
with an innovative approach presented by Pike and
Western Wine shop. Please call Pike & Western
206.441.1307 for reservations.
$40 per person

DECEMBER 6 @ 11am – 4pm
Confection Workshop
Have you been interested in making your own
chocolate confections for holiday gifts or as a treat
just for you? We invite you to spend the day with
our head chocolatier, Autumn Martin for a
hands-on confection making class. You will learn
how to make ganache, temper chocolate and enrobe
the fillings! We will explore different methods for
decorating and wrapping your delicious creations
and you will walk away with the fruits of your labor!
All materials and light snacks are included.
Space is limited so make your reservation soon!
$125 (call 206.632.5100 for reservations)
DECEMBER 12 @ 6:30 – 8pm

Port & Chocolate
Come and enjoy port and chocolate by candlelight.
This evening will bring a warm glow to your cheeks
and tummy as we enjoy 4 styles of this wintry
favorite: Ruby, Tawny, Late Bottled Vintage and Vintage.
$40 per person (call 206.632.5100 for reservations)
DECEMBER 15 @ 6 – 9pm
Theo Social & Sale
Theo will be staying open late to accommodate
your last minute shopping needs. Come and take
advantage of some very special sale prices, while enjoying
complimentary samples of our signature
sipping chocolate. No reservations necessary, just
come on by!
JANUARY 3 @ TBA

Chef Ethan Stowell to Open New Restaurant Soon

2008-10-27T18:00:00.000-07:00

Chef Ethan Stowell of How to Cook A Wolf, Union, and Tavolata is opening another restaurant called Anchovies and Olives on the corner of 15th Avenue and Pine in Seattle's Capitol Hill.

The kitchen will be completely open with only a large-scale butcher block separating the dining area and kitchen. A bar will provide seating for eight and the dining room will accommodate 36 guests. Anchovies & Olives will be open from 5pm to 12am seven nights a week.

Anchovies & Olives will have a daily menu ($5 to $18 items). Every dish will have a seafood item. Some menu examples are Grilled Octopus with Chickpeas & Parsley Pesto ($12), Grilled Porcini Mushrooms with Bottarga, Parmigiano-Reggiano & Rosemary ($11). Spaghetti with Anchovy, Garlic, Chilies & Herbed Crumbs ($14) Grilled Branzino with Artichokes, Lemon & Celery ($18) and Baked Ocean Trout with Farro, Fried Cauliflower & Prosciutto ($15).

This is exciting since "How to Cook a Wolf" is a favorite of mine. It always makes me laugh when friends call me asking me the same question each time. " Keren, do you know a place called How to Eat a Wolf or something?".

Macrina Bakery

2008-10-24T08:57:00.001-07:00

I first heard of Macrina bakery two and a half years ago on a Rachel Ray show on Seattle ( yes, Rachel Ray). Since then I have been to Macrina many times and it has become one of my favorite bakeries.
My favorite is the Challah Bread. It's soft, sweet and just perfect. I figured out a trick. A good way to keeping it looking untouched is if you pull some out of the bottom and put it back laying flat. No one will know the difference. It worked on my husband.

Macrina just opened a new bakery in the Sodo District.
The SODO location is now home to a cafe, bread kitchen, wedding cake production, wholesale production and Macrina's main office. The place is beautiful!

Macrina Sodo
1943 First Avenue South
Seattle, WA 98134
Phone: 206.623.0919
Catering Phone: 206.448.4089

God in a Cup, Michaele Weissman in Seattle

2008-10-20T07:34:00.000-07:00

Yesterday afternoon, I organized another Seattle Food Blogger event. Thanks to Traca,
from Seattle Tall Poppy who introduced me to the author and made all this possible (you foodie matchmaker you!)

The Seattle Food Bloggers met up with Michaele Weissman, the journalist and author behind the captivating book that everyone is talking about, God in a Cup.

In God in a Cup, Michaele heads on a journey with young coffee buyers Peter Guliano of Counter Culture Coffee and Geoff Watts of Intelligentsia Coffee to Nicaragua, Rwanda, Burundi and Ethiopia chronicling the journeys in a book revealing many aspects of the coffee world. One of those books that reads so smoothly; by the time you actually take a break you realize that you are half way through (I read half of it last night).

We met at the Muse coffee and Brent the owner gave us his own take on the coffee world. As we sat around the comfy couch at this cozy cafe, we talked and sipped and got all the answers we were looking for.
Some topics of discussion were the comparison between wine and coffee. What is it that makes coffee tasting more complex? Why is it easier to taste different nuances in wine? Another important point was the effect that milk has on coffee and the fact that many cafes are opting for organic milk despite the difference in price.

None of this would be complete without the list of bloggers and writers who attended (by cruising the blogs you can read more about the experience).
The bloggers that attended were Traca of Seattle Tall Poppy who turned Michaele into a Seattle enthusiast. After a tour with Traca, how could you not love the place?
There was Jake of Daily Munch (I write there too), Mina and Bruce of Northwest Stir, Joann, freelance writer and also a part of Daily Munch and Dawn and Eric of Wright Eats.

You can catch Michaele this week at a One Pot dinner with Cafe Vita Coffee and Scott Emerick of Cremant in the Kitchen (a Kim Ricketts event)
Time: 6 p.m.
Date: Oct 21
$ 40
hebberoy@gmail.com to make reservations

For Michaele's website and blog, click here

If you have a food blog (that is at least 3 months old) and would like to be invited to food blogger events, please contact me at: Kerenlovestocook@gmail.com

Brunch It Up Bistro-Style at Cremant

2008-10-12T15:23:00.000-07:00

Cremant is now serving brunch on weekends as of yesterday. Brunch hours are 10:00 A.M. 2:00 P.M. Saturdays and Sundays. I have my eye on a few things I can't wait to order; bacon and egg pasta ($12), Brioche French Toast with Hazelnut Praline and Creme Anglaise ($10) and Chocolate Clafoutis ($6) because brunch is a the perfect excuse to eat sweet desserts early in the day.

For Halloween (oct 31) and All Saint's Day (Nov 1), they are offering "Bones and Blood" on the Menu: Roasted Marrow Bones with Fleur de Sel and grilled bread and Choucroute Garnie (Sauerkraut with blood sausage, bouding blanc and porc loin).

They have a beautiful private dining room that seats between 18-20 people so if you are looking for a place to have a party or event, you should check it out. There is no fee to reserve the room. You can order of the menu or have a special menu put together by the chef.

Cremant
1423 34th Avenue
(34th and Union)
Seattle, WA 98122
206-322-4600

Chef Geary at Sizzleworks

2008-10-07T08:39:00.000-07:00

Chef Geary, Chef and author of The Complete Baking Book is coming to Sizzleworks in Bellevue.

Click here for more details.....

When: Oct 20 th , 6:30 PM
$ 95

The Flavor Bible, Culinary Genius!

2008-10-02T12:59:00.000-07:00

Picture Taken by Jake Ludington from Daily Munch

Last Saturday some of Seattle food bloggers got together to meet up with Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg, the award winning authors of "Culinary Artistry", "What to Drink with What You Eat" and the " The Flavor Bible".
The bloggers were Ronald of Cornichon, Michael of Herbivoracious, Mark of Plate Lunch, Jake of Daily Munch (which I write for too) and Traca of Seattle Tall Poppy.

We met at the Muse Coffee Company, which is wonderful little cafe located in Queen Anne. The kind of place where you can work on your computer (free wifi), grab a coffee and admire the art on the walls. The name really suits the place because you can't leave that place without finding your muse.

"The Flavor Bible" is nothing less than a must-have in every creative cook's household.
No, it's not a recipe book, it's a reference book that gives you lists of which foods harmonize well together.
How does it work?
You look up the ingredient that you want to use and then read down the list of foods that pair well with this ingredient. For example: Pineapple has many ingredients on the list such as bananas, brandy, avocado (surprising), black pepper and so many more. There is also a list of flavor affinities...pineapple+ avocado+ watercress, pineapple+ coconut+ honey+ ginger and other combinations that just give you an oomph of motivation.

All the information in the book was obtained by interviewing famous chefs (Andrew is a chef himself as well) and throughout the book there are tips from these chefs and interesting dishes that these chefs make. Since I got the book, I have been carrying it around the house and playing "guess that ingredient" with my husband. He says an ingredient, we look it up and we see who can guess more combinations.

Karen and Andrew were so honest, open and genuine. Leaving each of us with the motivation to keep writing, pushing and cooking. True proof that if you work hard enough, your dreams will come true. I apologize for the sappy ending but there really is no other way to put it.
Thanks Karen and Andrew!

Karen Page & Andrew Dornenburg , The Flavor Bible

2008-09-26T08:56:00.000-07:00

For those of you who have been dreaming of going to the Corson building for dinner.
Sunday is a good time because Karen Page & Andrew Dornenburg, authors of the The Flavor Bible will be there.

Karen Page & Andrew Dornenburg
THE FLAVOR BIBLE
September 28, 2008
6pm (sold out) & 8:30pm
$125/person (including book)
THE CORSON BUILDING with dinner prepared by chef Matthew Dillon
5609 Corson Avenue South, Seattle, WA 98108
(206) 762-3330 for reservations

The book is not a cookbook but a book about combining interesting flavors. It organizes many ingredients and explains how to cook intuitively using these ingredients. It will teach you how to pair flavors. It has been called a thesaurus for writers, a reference tool that will make you a better cook.

To listen to the duo on the radio show " In the Kitchen with Tom and Thierry," click here

Flavor of Seattle, Flavor Flav

2008-09-25T15:18:00.000-07:00

Have you heard of the Flavor of Seattle Card?

Flavor of Seattle is an association geared at preserving the experience of dining at local, neighborhood restaurants. It is a unique membership card for those who like to eat out.

How does it work?

A restaurant card costs 50 dollars and can be purchased at any of the restaurants printed on the back of the card.
When you spend over 50 dollars at any participating restaurants, you get 25 dollars back (Not including tax). Basically, you get to try every restaurant on the card once and save 25 dollars each time.

Note: You can't use it to pay for dinner at the restaurant that you purchase it at on the same day of purchase.

Restaurants include: Olivar, Saffron, Austin Cantina , Paragon and many more. For a complete list, click here

Blueberry Recipes from Madison Park Cafe

2008-09-23T19:02:00.001-07:00

Sometimes a recipe is just a recipe but sometimes recipes come with a story. The recipe can make you giggle to yourself, remind you of something or just remind you of a place. I was excited to see that Karen Binder, owner of Madison Park Cafe will be the new food columnist for the Madison Park times. Karen, a former molecular biologist, started the cafe 29 years ago. Now she will be sharing her stories, her recipes and tidbits of her food world.

Read her article , The Dark blue Jewels of the Berry World and learn how to make blueberry clafoutis from
Ruth Coffey, the Madison Park Cafe pastry chef. Find out where to pick blueberries for a really good price too.

Now I really wish I hadn't polished off all those blueberries in my cereal, guess I need to get some more.

FARM to FORK" Shopping Guidelines

2008-09-15T14:15:00.000-07:00

This morning, I received a newsletter from Cook's World Cooking School with a list of upcoming classes. This is what I do for fun. I check out the cooking classes available.
Correction: This list happens to be an abridged version of a list posted by Cuesa, the center for urban education about sustainable agriculture. This is a non-profit that runs the
Ferry Plaza Farmer's Market in SF. For the full version , click here. While you are checking out the site, be sure to check out the recipes.

FARM to FORK" shopping Guidelines for our Food Friends at Market

Sustainable Agriculture: Agriculture that is socially just, humane, economically viable, and environmentally sound.
Conventional: Refers to standard agricultural practices widespread in the industry. Can include use of pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, "mono-cropping," antibiotics, hormones and other agribusiness approaches. Conventional farming in the U.S. may also include the use of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs). The Ferry Plaza Farmers Market prohibits the sale of any products known to contain GMOs.
Transitional: Farmers need to practice organic methods for three years on a given piece of land before the products grown there can be certified organic. "Transitional" means that the farmland is in the midst of that transition period towards organic certification.
Organically Grown/Certified Organic: All products sold as "organic" must be certified. Certification includes annual submission of an organic system plan and inspection of farm fields and processing facilities to verify that organic practices and record keeping are being followed. Certification is carried out by organizations accredited by the USDA. Organic farmers are not allowed to use synthetic pesticides or fertilizers, genetically modified crops, growth hormones, or antibiotics. Organic meat and poultry can be fed only organically-grown feed.
Heirloom: Heirloom crop varieties, also called farmers' varieties or traditional varieties, have been developed by farmers through years of cultivation, selection, and seed saving, and passed down through generations.
Vine-ripened/Tree-ripened: These terms are applied to fruit that has been allowed to ripen on the vine or tree. Many fruits that are shipped long distances are picked while still unripe and firm, and then sometimes treated with ethylene gas to "ripen" and soften them
Artisan/Artisanal: The terms "artisan" and "artisanal" imply that products are made by hand in small batches.
Free range: Free range (or free roaming) implies that a meat or poultry product comes from an animal that was raised out of confinement or was free to roam. Its use on beef is unregulated and there is no standard definition of this term. USDA requires that poultry have access to the outdoors but for an undetermined period each day. "Free range" claims on eggs are not regulated.
Grass-fed: The diet of grass-fed animals consists of freshly grazed pasture during the growing season and stored grasses (hay or grass silage) during the winter months or drought conditions. Grass feeding is used with cattle, sheep, goats, and bison. (Other terms for "grass-fed" products include "pasture-raised," "pasture-finished," and "grass
Humane: If an animal product is labeled "humane," it implies that the animals were treated with compassion. "Certified Humane" means that the animals were allowed to engage in their natural behaviors; raised with sufficient space, shelter and gentle handling to limit stress; and given ample fresh water and a healthy diet without added antibiotics or hormones. Not all "humane" claims are regulated.
No hormones: Hormones are commonly used in the commercial farming of animals such as cattle to increase the size of beef cattle or to increase the production of milk in dairy cattle. Some of these hormones are natural, some are synthetic, and some are genetically engineered. If a ranch or product professes "no hormones," this means that they do not engage in this practice.
No antibiotics: Antibiotics are given to animals such as cows, hogs and chickens in order to prevent diseases that run rampant in the cramped conditions in which many food animals are kept. When a ranch or product professes "no antibiotics," this means that they do not engage in these practices.
Naturally grown/all-natural: USDA guidelines state that "natural" meat and poultry products can only undergo minimal processing and cannot contain artificial colors, artificial flavors, preservatives, or other artificial ingredients. The claim "natural" is otherwise unregulated
Raw milk cheese: Cheese and other dairy products made from milk that is not pasteurized say "raw milk" on the label. In the U.S., raw milk cheeses are required to be aged for 60 days as a safety precaution.

Black Bottle Baby

2008-09-13T08:21:00.000-07:00

Black Bottle Does Lunch! This Belltown Gastro-Pub is just the place to go to get some drinks and some snacks with some friends at night. I know about the lunch menu for a while, read about the Pho-bulous soup on Cornichon a while back,
but only lately did I drop by for lunch.

Prices from 7- 11 dollars with options like hot pastrami bomber, hanger steak on greens and lemon caper squid salad. Check out the lunch menu

I loved the leek and emmenthaler tart!

As I was looking around I noticed that they are expanding and opening a room for private events.

I am kicking myself for not going for lunch earlier,ouch!

Sizzleworks Grand Opening, Friday September 12

2008-09-07T09:38:00.000-07:00

If you love cooking and want to learn more, Sizzleworks is just for you.

Sizzleworks, formerly known as Rain City Cooking School is celebrating it's recent growth and success with an open house from 6 p.m-8.pm on Friday September 12.

Get a chance to meet Chef Carol Dearth and Missy Will, the new executive chef of operations. Learn about the classes coming up, the guest chef series, the basics series and other cooking classes. Sample culinary delights and interesting wines.

"Cooking should be fun as well as instructional, and we want all our participants to experience the joy of cooking as well as sampling delicious cuisine from all over the world, especially prepared by Carol and her chefs,"
Missy Will

Sizzleworks is located in Bellevue at 14111 NE 24th. If you are interested in attending, please call 425-644-4285.

Philippe Thomelin of Olivar will be teaching a Spanish class in October, sharing his recipes and secrets on making Spanish food. Each course will be paired with Spanish wines.
For more on this class and other cooking classes, click here

Food Blogger Dinner at Olivar

2008-09-03T14:00:00.000-07:00

Some time has passed but I still want to talk about our last food blogger dinner at Olivar. It was so nice, some new people attended and we had a whole little area of the restaurant to ourselves. We had an elephant gift exchange and this time the gifts got a little more interesting. A bag of saturn peaches, olive picks since the place is called Olivar and homemade jams.

Some of the blogs and writers: Candace from Italian Woman at the table, Ronald from Cornichon, Dawn and Eric from Wright Eats,Jake from Daily Munch, Charlyn from Duecy Plate
food writers Annie Beckman, Joann Natalia Aquino and Larry +Michaela from Vin
du Lac Winery.
Some of the dishes we enjoyed were homemade canneloni,the famous OlivarAlbóndigas de Cordero (Meatballs made of Ground lamb, cilantro, eggplant, herb sea salt),Flamenquín de Cerdo Con Jamón y Queso(Stuffed pork loin with Serrano ham and Manchego cheese(my favorite).
If you are not familiar with Olivar, they have small plates, daily specials and prix fixe menus. Chef Philippe has a chalkboard with specials, every day there is something new to try.

We had a great time, now I have to go and plan the next one.

If you have a food blog in Seattle and would like to be invited to join us. Please email:kerenlovestocook@gmail.com

Maximilien Happy Hour

2008-08-30T22:13:00.000-07:00

I have been going out a lot lately, trying to enjoy the summer while I can.

I am a sucker for happy hour food. There is one place I just have to tell you about.
The happy hour at Maximilien is just wonderful. Maximilien is the French restaurant located in the Pike Place Market behind those guys who throw the fish. Let me translate this. They have a patio that overlooks the water!

The happy hour is Monday- Friday from 5 to 7pm and Saturday from 8pm to 10pm.
For 2.95, you can choose from a whole bunch of items like Mussels, Belgium Fries,
Tarte Flambé with Brie, Tomatoes and Herb and others. The food is delicious and the atmosphere is " tres Francais". J'adore!

My only regret is not trying the happy hour earlier in the summer. All those beautiful warm days have slipped away. Oh well, the view is just as gorgeous in the fall.

For the happy hour menu, Click here

Tomato Fare this Weekend

2008-08-29T13:33:00.000-07:00

Looking for something to do this weekend?
How about the Tomato Fare?

Go for a drive to Quincy, Washington and taste over 100 different kinds of organic, locally grown, Heirloom tomatoes. There is live music, wine tasting and a lot more.

For more info, click here

Wonderful Salad with Feta, Pears and Walnuts in Baguette Cups

2008-08-28T10:09:00.001-07:00

I feel very lucky to know a few languages. I speak English, French and Hebrew. I know a lot of phrases in other languages but I would not say I come close to knowing them.
Knowing how to count up to 50 in Vietnamese just gets the Vietnamese ladies to crack up.
Reading cookbooks in other languages is a lot of fun. I always get introduced to new ingredients and unique food combinations. There is also a downside to using a foreign recipe; many times the temperatures are different and sometimes the ingredients vary widely in taste, especially milk products.
I got this recipe from a Hebrew Cookbook Called "The Treasure of Al Ha Shulchan" which means "The Treasure of On the Table". "On the Table" is a Hebrew food Magazine filled with recipes and ideas. The treasure is a book with all the most popular recipes from
the series.

Wonderful Sweet Salad with Feta, Pears and Walnuts in Baguette Cups

I adjusted the recipe quite a bit. Here is my version.

6 pears (peeled)
1/2 a cup of vinegar
1/2 a cup of sugar
1 tablespoon of salt
1/2 a cup of water
1 stick of cinnamon
A pinch of cardamom
6 slices of baguette.
1 endive (broken into pieces)
A few handfuls of lettuce (I used a regular mixed greens)
1 carrot (cut into strips)
120 grams of feta cheese
1/2 a cup of walnuts

1. Bring pears with vinegar, sugar, salt, water, cardamom and cinnamon to a boil.
Cook for about 3 minutes. Turn off the heat and let cool. Cut pears into sticks.
Keep sweet dressing for later.

2. Heat oven to 400 degrees.

3. Pull out the insides of baguette slices (the soft part) Toast in oven for 5 minutes.

4. Mix all the rest of the ingredients (including pears) except for the nuts and cheese. Pour 1/4 of a cup of dressing on top and mix.
5. Fill baguette cups with salad and top with feta and walnuts.

The recipe calls for pomegranate seeds as well. You can use some if you find them.
I didn't use them.

Note: I usually have extra salad left over and I just eat it with the leftover dressing.

If You Live In Seattle, You better Love Chocolate!

2008-08-26T08:22:00.001-07:00

Lately it seems like chocolate is becoming the new Seattle choice for foodies.
New chocolatiers are everywhere and the selection is getting a little overwhelming!

Some new chocolate venues......
You can try Chocolopolis in Queen Anne or Claudio Corallo
in Ballard.

The other day I was strolling through The Chocolate Box when I noticed that they had some beautiful, yet familiar chocolates. They looked like Cosmic chocolates to me but
I wasn't sure. Could it be? Cosmic chocolates in Seattle? Oh and yes, they are here.......
Read more about Cosmic here.

Now my last tidbit of chocoinfo is that I got a little sneak peak at what Theo is offering for the holidays. Yes, I know it is early but winter is on the way in.
Flavor combinations like milk chocolate covered peanut butter and vanilla caramel graham, dark chocolate covered peanut butter with vanilla caramel graham, milk chocolate covered marshmallow with vanilla caramel graham, and dark chocolate covered marshmallow vanilla caramel graham.... I love the milk chocolate peanut butter one....

Theo will be selling S'mores from August 21-August 23. For 3 dollars a hit you can choose your own chocolate combination. The hours are from 3:00- 6:00 PM.

What is your favorite chocolate flavor? Where do you buy your chocolate?

Pappa Al Pomodoro

2008-08-24T21:18:00.000-07:00

My version of Holly Smith's recipe

Holly Smith of Cafe Juanita is an inspiration for so many chefs.
She has her own highly successful restaurant, her own James Beard award for Best Chef in the Northwest 2008 and even has a son.
For those of you who don't know what the restaurant world is like; many long hours, hardly any free time on the weekends, strenuous physical labor in hot kitchens.
A women that can mother a child while doing all this must be some kind of super hero.

Last week Chef Holly Smith did a cooking demonstration at Whole Foods. She showed some foodies how to make Pappa Al Pomodoro. It was one of those times when a recipe isn't necessary because you actually remember all the ingredients just from watching. Not complicated just mouthwatering.

I am not exaggerating when I say that I lay in bed the next day and thought about how I was going to make this soup. Plotting how I would choose the juiciest tomatoes and squeeze them liberally while waving olive oil into the bowl like a genie with a magic wand and dabbling basil into the bowl like a fairy does with her fairy dust.
I made a lot of soup the next day and fought with my hubby over the last drop.

I will link to Rebekah Denn's PI Blog where she posted the recipe. Do not hesitate.
Holly Smith made it with heirloom tomatoes and she didn't use any canned tomatoes in her demo. In the recipe, she adds a can of San Marzano tomatoes. I am sure this has to do with the high cost of heirloom tomatoes.

Oh and as if Holly doesn't do enough already, you can find her Pocco Caretto Gelato at the neighborhood farmers markets.

Judging Ekal Vidyalaya Contest

2008-08-13T05:21:00.001-07:00

I have been running late on my posts with so much to tell my readers and so little time.
I told you a few weeks ago that I would be judging a unique contest for the Ekal Vidyalaya Foundation.

Ekal Vidyalaya is a charitable trust that initiates, supports, and runs non-formal one-teacher schools (popularly known as Ekal Vidyalayas) in remote tribal areas all over India. It promotes literacy and education to those who otherwise would not have the opportunity.

Almost all the food was Indian food and since we had to judge on creativity, I had the assistance of Ava, the lady who put together this whole event. She explained what the dishes were supposed to taste like (since I wasn't familiar with every single Indian food) and then I had to give it a mark on creativity, taste, health factors,
and appearance. It was such a fun thing to do.
The other judges were Jay from Gastrolust and Sunita Shastri, creator and distributor of Meghana foods.

Dessert was my favorite choice, the winner was Vijayalakshmi Ramaswami, with Tomato Coconut Halwa. In the appetizer category, the first prize winner was Vaishali Jadal with Watermelon Soup.

Later they had an auction and the prize that I contributed was a foodie tour in and around the Pike Place Market with me. Last Saturday I met up with the winners (my new friends) and we trekked around the market to all the specialty stores, discussing our favorite foods and spices.

For a peak at my favorite places in the market, click here for part 1
Click here for part 2
Click here for part 3

Thanks Ava for putting together this event. Does anyone have any Indian recipes that I should try. Please send to kerenlovestocook@gmail.com

August Foodie Events in Seattle

2008-08-06T09:40:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone,
Just a few things that you might want to check out this month!

Washington's largest outdoor wine event, the Prosser Wine & Food Fair, takes place at Art Fiker Stadium from 3 to 9 p.m. Over 30 wineries and 20 food vendors will provide guests with some of Washington's finest food and wine. Wine: Olsen Estates, Vin du Lac Winery, Snoqualmie Vineyards and many more. For the list of food and wine, click here.
Tickets : $ 20
For Tickets: (509) 786-4545 or 1-800-405-1517.

Sunday, August 10th Purple Cafe Garage Sale
Purple Cafe and Wine Bar, 14459 Woodinville-Redmond Rd., Woodinville(425) 483-7129
From 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., wines from Purple's shelves will be sold at garage sale prices. Great bargains on the same fine stemware used in the restaurants and Purple Cafe's signature wrought iron furnishings will also be available for purchase.

Thursday August 14th, Meet Jason Mesnick of The Bachelorettette at Waterfront Seafood Grill
Waterfront Seafood Grill, 2801 Alaskan Way, Pier 70, Seattle.
Chat with Women hosts a cocktail party with Jason Mesnick, finalist from the latest season of The Bachelorette.The event begins at 5:30 p.m. on Waterfront Seafood Grill's beautiful outdoor deck.
Tickets are $125 and include three drink tickets, appetizers and a chance to win a private drink and dessert with Jason at the restaurant after the event. Additional chances to win will cost an extra $25. A portion of the evenings proceeds with benefit the Kirkland Boys and Girls Club. To reserve tickets to this event, contact Waterfront Seafood Grill at (206) 956-9171.

Friday, August 15th Celebrate Pike Place Market at the Annual Sunset Supper
More than 50 restaurants, breweries and wineries serve their dishes along with live music and a chance to win prizes.
Pike Place Market, 1501 Pike Place, Seattle (206) 682-7453
For admission price and details, click here

August 24th, The Incredible Feast, Where the Farmers are Stars!
Support the farmers and raise money for disaster relief for farmers in need.
Seattle's top chefs, lots of farm fresh food, music and a wine and beer garden.
Sunday, August 24, 4:30 - 7:30 pm, outdoors at the Phinney Farmers Market site (67th and Phinney Ave N). Tickets are available at brownpapertickets.com ($65 adults, $10 kids), or at any market info tents.

Sunday, September 7th, Gig Harbor, Sacrificio
Sacrificio at Culinary Communion, a day for families to come together to slaughter a pig. Learn about charcuterie or just be more in tune with what you eat.

Chef demos at Metropolitan Market

Chef Gabriel of Culinary Communion will be demonstrating Peach & Black Truffle Jam with Seared Foie Gras on Thursday, August 7, from 4-6pm at the Admiral store; Chef Katie of Culinary Communion will be demonstrating a Peach & Duck Fritters recipe on Thursday, August 14, from 4-6pm at the Queen Anne Store.

Many of you have been writing me asking about cooking classes......
Here are two places, you can get your cooking fix.

Culinary Communion
Sizzleworks (formerly Rain City Cooking School)

Here is a post I wrote a really long time ago about where to cook in Seattle

I love getting emails so keep them coming!
Kerenlovestocook@gmail.com

NY Times Chocolate Chip Recipe

2008-08-02T09:49:00.000-07:00

Have you heard of the New York Times best chocolate chip cookie recipe?

Last night I was talking to a friend who said she hadn't heard of it. I wasn't going to share this experience until I realized that there were still some people missing out on the big secret.
Have they found the secret to a perfect cookie? Last Friday I made the dough. I baked some on Saturday, I baked some on Sunday and the bittersweet part is that they still taste amazing nearly a week later. Bittersweet because I can't stop breaking off little bites and I am not too sure my body needs it.

I had to make changes to the recipe, because of convenience. I notice that I am not the only one who is using chocolate chips and not chocolate discs, Orangette blogged about her experience.
I also used regular flour in recipe and not bread flour with cake flour.

So the thing about these cookies that was interesting to me............

1) Sea salt is added on top. This brings out the sweetness in the cookie.
2) The fact that the batter has to sit in fridge for a very long time. This really develops the flavor.

I always read recipes until the end but this time I missed something and baked them 12 hours later instead of 24 hours later. Then I made a dozen the next day and a dozen two days later.

Batch number 1 (12 hours later)
The first batch I sprinkled with sea salt and brought some cookies to a chef friend to try.
They're good, they're brown, they're moist but I think you should add coarse sea salt.
Batch number 2 ( 24 hours later)
I added the coarse sea salt on top and brought them to a few of my friends. They loved them.
The cookies really tasted better after 24 hours of mingling in the fridge. I could imagine how the chocolate chips felt. They were squished between the thighs of the heaps of dough. The chocolate chips needed to be hugged in this chilly weather.

Another thing I have to add is the baking time, 18- 20 minutes is a long time. Next time I will try to bake them a little less. I was doing a million things at the same time so my timer was the indication that the cookies wanted out. Everyone loved them but I would have wanted a softer cookie.

Try them and you will be hooked. Please let me know what you think.

Note: I have a little thing I do when I make cookies. I save some of the chocolate chips on the side. This way I put some chocolate chips on top, right before they go into the oven. This makes sure that the chocolate chips are on the top of the cookie.

The recipe

I love Lasagna............

2008-07-30T14:00:00.000-07:00

This is Mama Enza. She makes everything from scratch.......

Although my taste has changed a lot in the last two years, lasagna has still stayed on my top 10 list........

I don't know what it is .....maybe the fact that you get everything in one bite, layers of pasta, layers of cheese, sauce and meat.........

I heard Sorrentino has a new lasagna trio............ yes, 3 lasagnas on one plate............lasagna bolognese, lasagna vegetariana, lasagna ai fruitti di marre............
Sampler portions of 3 for 20 dollars...........

Guess who needs to go visit Mama Enza to check out the new menu at Sorrentino.

Seattle Chocolate Salon

2008-07-29T06:02:00.000-07:00

In picture, Cosmic Chocolates

A few weeks ago I told you that I would be a judge at the Seattle Chocolate Salon and that is exactly what I did.

All my friends seem to have the same things to say about me judging the chocolate salon.
Here are some of the things people said................

1) You must be so sick of chocolate.
The truth is that I have been eating more chocolate since. I had Nutella for breakfast the next day.
2) You probably had just a bite from each one.
The companies were giving out some big pieces of chocolate. I could not imagine spitting out or throwing out the rest of the piece I got. Some of these were very expensive chocolates.
3)You probably love dark chocolate. You are a foodie
Truth is that dark is nice but that was not my choice that day. I was more into the unconventional fillings, like basil, beer and potato chips (which other judges thought was weird) and banana foster just to name a few.............
4) You must have been nauseous/ I wasn't nauseous. I was totally fine. What is wrong with me?

The chocolate salon sent out the list of winners and here is the list.

Best Dark Chocolate: Amano Artisan Chocolate
Best Milk Chocolate:Theo Chocolate
Best Truffle: Posh Chocolat / Cadeaux Chocolates
Most Gift Set: Petits Noirs
Most Artistic Designs: Cosmic Chocolate
Best Organic or Fair Trade Products:Theo Chocolate
Most Gifted Chocolatier:Fiori Chocolatiers / Cosmic Chocolate
New Product Award: Kekau Chocolatier / GrendelSweets Handcrafted Chocolates
Chocolate Pioneer Award :Dilettante Chocolates

Now here are my winners.........

My favorite was Cosmic chocolate.They have some really interesting flavors and incredible designs. This is one gift that I would love to give. The website is so fun!

Another favorite was Theo chocolates. I love their unique flavors...chocolate with chai, chocolate with curry and the dark chocolates are amazing.

I love Kekau Chocolatier. I didn't try the blue cheese flavor but everyone said it was interesting... I love the spiced berry (strawberries are infused with Chinese cinnamon, black cardamom, and Balsamic vinegar and paired with a 64% dark chocolate from Guayaquil and molded in a 35% Ivoire.) I also loved the kalamansi coconut (Kalamansi lime is blended with coconut milk to create a unique pate de fruit. It is then paired with a 64% Tainori from Valrhona that is infused with coconut milk and bitter peanut oil. )

Honorable mentions:

Amano chocolates, by far one of the best tasting dark chocolate bars.

Intrigue chocolates, with flavors like Jamaican Hot chocolate...mmmmmmmmmmmm

Emily's chocolates for a nice gift at an inexpensive price. For those days when you just don't feel like spending too much.

I really can't talk about every chocolate that I loved because there were so many.

Now I have to add to this chocolate post with some of my favorites that were not in the salon.....Hershey's kisses filled with cherry. I recently discovered them while buying my husband some kisses for his birthday... gag, I know it's cheesy. We have been eating them frozen ever since.

Another great chocolate (especially for vegans) is my healthy alternative to Nutella
100 percent organic vegan coconut chocolate spread sweetened with agave nectar
by Love Street Living Foods
I love that stuff!

Okay, that's enough.... I need my chocolate fix. Going to eat a frozen kiss!

Ekal Vidyalayas Recipe Contest!

2008-07-24T12:19:00.000-07:00

It is for a great cause: The Ekal Vidyalaya Foundation is a charitable trust that initiates, supports, and runs non-formal one-teacher schools (popularly known as Ekal Vidyalayas) in remote tribal areas all over India. It promotes literacy and education to those who otherwise would not have the opportunity.

There are two recipe categories: Appetizers and Desserts. Contestants will bring the food to be judged by the judges (moi being one of them) and then people are invited to come in and taste all the contestants' recipes for 5 dollars per person (free for kids under 10). There will also be additional catered Indian food as well.

I will be there this Saturday at 5 PM at Old Redmond Schoolhouse Community Centre in Redmond.

Rumor has it that a good amount of the food will be Indian food which is quite exciting.

There will be raffles every 20 minutes and some interesting prizes.................

To register or get more information, click here

Olivar Restaurant Grand Opening Tonight

2008-07-22T12:39:00.000-07:00

Olivar, the Spanish word for "olive grove", is the theme of this cozy new spot reminiscent of a quaint bistro that one would discover while exploring France and Spain.

Olivar combines Chef Philippe Thomelin's deep roots from growing up in the Loire Valley of France, the influence of his Catalan grandmother and his love of all things Spanish. Chef Philippe creates dishes that reflect his philosophy of using the freshest, most seasonal seafood, meat and produce, using organic ingredients whenever possible.

For the Grand Opening, a special prix fixe menu will be available as well as an assortment of small plates and a complimentary tasting plate for each party of guests.

Olivar is located at 806 E. Roy St. in the Loveless building on Capitol Hill. Olivar will be open for dinner nightly except Monday, from 5:00 pm-10:30 pm, Friday and Saturday, 5:00 pm -11:00 pm (subject to change). For reservations, call (206) 322-0409. For more information about Olivar, visit www.olivarrestaurant.com

Seattle Events

2008-07-19T07:51:00.000-07:00

Bite of Seattle is Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Lots of restaurants are offering small portions at small prices, top chefs will be doing demos at the Bite Cooks ( hosted by Thierry Rautureau, the Chef in the Hat) and a special alley hosted by Tom Douglas with some more upscale restaurants (9.50 a person for a tasting of seven restaurants, portion of proceeds goes to Food Lifeline)
For more info, click here

Also this weekend......... Sequiem Lavender Festival
Click here for more details

Be sure to check out Cedarbrook cafe at the Cedarbrook lavender and herb farm. Last year we went to visit the place. The cafe wasn't open yet if I remember correctly but the farm was beautiful. Here is my post about it.

On Tuesday, the 22nd, Olivar, the new Spanish Restaurant will be opening on Capitol Hill.
There will be small plates, a prix fixe menu and a complimentary small plate for each table. Reservations recommended
For more info, click here
This place is going to be great!

The murals at Olivar date back to 1929-1930.

Rhubarb Jam

2008-07-15T19:21:00.000-07:00

Life has been hectic. I recently moved to a new place, my in-laws stayed with me for 3 weeks and I have been running around a lot. It took a little while to get settled in my new kitchen but I have finally started cooking again. The recipe here is for rhubarb jam, I made this with many other brunch items when I had my family over.
I have to say that I made it as simple as I can. I didn't peel the rhubarb nor did I add anything fancy.
As simple as life gets..........

Rhubarb Jam

2 cups of rhubarb, cut into small pieces
1/2 cup of honey
1/4 cup of orange juice ( I used Tropicana)

1) In a small saucepan, bring ingredients to boil.
2) Cover and cook over low heat for 20 minutes.
3) Puree in food processor and let cool.

The consistency is a bit like apple sauce. It is so tasty! I made warm rolls to go with it which I will post about soon. I want to make them one more time so I can make sure that my recipe is exact.
The next day I ate the jam on Ritz crackers, not the best choice but definitely hit the spot.

Bastille Day

2008-07-12T08:31:00.001-07:00

This weekend is going to be exciting!

First there is the Bal Des Pompiers on July 12. Thierry Rautureau (The Chef in the Hat) will be putting together a beautiful dinner, followed by an evening of dance, French music and International hits.
For my interview with the chef in the hat, click here

The next day will be the Bastille Day Celebration, Sunday July 13. Last year I volunteered and had a wonderful time! The cooking demos were excellent and who could resist a French baguette?
Last year I met Chef Philippe Thomelin and interviewed him.
You can catch Chef Philippe's cooking demo at 12:00 P.M.
He is opening a Spanish restaurant called Olivar in the Loveless building on Capitol Hill. Details will come soon.

Don't forget to get your chocolate fix at the Chocolate salon. I will be a judge there.

Where will you be this weekend?

Quinoa and Corn Summer Salad

2008-07-04T08:21:00.000-07:00

The corn at the market was yelling "Keren, rescue me! Take me Home!" I couldn't look away. I took it home and experimented with some flavors.
This is the salad that saved the corn.
I just couldn't stop eating it!

Quinoa and Corn Summer Salad

2 cups of cooked quinoa (just cook according to package directions)
2 ears of corn
1 onion (diced)
1 jalapeno chili, seeded and thinly sliced
Juice from 1 lemon
Juice from 1 lime
1 tablespoon or more fresh sage
Salt

1. Shave the corn of the cob (just cut off with your knife)
2. Heat some oil in a pan and saute corn for about 5 minutes
3. Add onion and continue to sauté until corn is cooked. Add salt.
4. Take of the stove and mix with quinoa. Add all other ingredients and
taste. Add more salt if needed.

How to Make Pita

2008-06-28T10:16:00.000-07:00

If you have a standing mixer, pitas are really easy to make. We make them and I freeze them. These pitas actually have pita pockets. The first time I made them, the pockets weren't very puffy but they tasted just as great. If you get a flat pita, don't fret. The taste is the same.

Ingredients:

3 and 1/2 cups of flour
1 pack of yeast (I used a pack and a tiny bit of the next for better results)
1 and a 1/2 cups of water
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 a tablespoon of salt
2 tablespoons of olive oil

1. Put flour in mixer with dough hook and add yeast.
2. Add water, sugar, salt, and olive oil . Mix until you get a slightly sticky, shiny dough.
3. Place a tiny bit of oil in the bowl, roll the dough in the oil and let dough rise until doubled in size.
4. Heat oven to 500 degrees.
5. Divide into balls and let rest for 10 more minutes.
6. Roll into flat discs and place in oven for 5- 7 minutes. Stay close to the oven and keep checking until the pitas have little golden areas.

Pitas can be frozen and heated in microwave.

The Corson Building is Open

2008-06-21T19:56:00.000-07:00

Chef Matthew Dillon of Sitka and Spruce and Wylie Bush owner of Joe Bar finally opened the Corson building restaurant/communal dining venue last week.
It will change how Seattle foodies unite.
Basically the concept is that the menu changes spontaneously. The food comes from local purveyors, artisans, farmers, farmers markets and their very own garden. They even raise their own chickens. To be in the foodie know, you sign up on the website.

The Setting is a beautiful old building in South Seattle's Georgetown Area.

The details: A Multi- course family style dinner for 30 guests, two-three nights a week
Thursday- Saturday
The other nights it will be available for private parties, events, cooking classes, butchering workshops or any other events
Dinner starts at 7 PM, 80 dollars per person
110 dollars with wine pairings
Reservations required: 206 (762-3330) or by visiting the Corson Building Website
Guests will receive a phone confirmation and may advise of any food allergies at that time
Visa or Mastercard accepted

Dates Available for now: June 20, June 21, June 27, June 28, July 3, July 5, July 10, July 11, July 18, July 19, July 26

Seattle Food Blogger Potluck

2008-06-10T09:20:00.000-07:00

It was that time of the month.
The time when all the food bloggers get together to gossip about food. Every month, I organize an event for Seattle Food Bloggers and this month it was a potluck!
The list this time was composed of many: (in no particular order)Lara from Cook and Eat, Ronald from Cornichon, Michael from Herbivoracious , Naomi from Gastrognome, Candace from Italian Woman at the Table, Katrin from Simply Culture, Eileen from Mintz her Words, Layla from Laylita, Jay from Seattle Sound Magazine and Seattlest, Peabody from
Culinary Concoctions and last but not least Mina Williams from Nw stir. Many bloggers also brought guests. What do you expect us to do with so much food?
We started off with some shmoozing and then Lara from Cook and Eat gave a wonderful presentation with photography tips. She talked about how to use lighting when taking pictures and showed off some of the props she used. Everyone was mesmerized by the information she was giving. One of the tips she gave was to use tiny props(shot glass, mini plates). Thank you Lara, It was a great opportunity to get to hear your advice.
The evening continued with an elephant gift exchange, a raffle and lots of foodie talk.
Lilach from Lilach photography took pictures at the event, check out her site to get a glimpse of Lilach's photography.
See you all at the next one.

Pics above:
1 from Herbivoracious
2 from Culinary Concoctions
3 is what I made: a chocolate cookie, white cream filling and chocolate outside. I will post the recipe in the next few days.

Are you a food blogger in Seattle? Send me an email: kerenlovestocook@gmail.com

Tonight Jazz with Shiri Zorn

2008-06-06T12:46:00.000-07:00

If you are into jazz........
tonight jazz vocalist Shiri Zorn will be playing at Marson's restaurant.

June, 6 2008 at Marson’s Restaurant with pianist Karin Kajita
620 SE Everett Mall Way, Everett, Washington 98208
For reservations please call: 425-212-2266
Listen to Shiri

Natural Bacon Salt has arrived!

2008-06-03T16:08:00.001-07:00

I am happy to let you know that Bacon Salt has finally come out with a natural version and it tastes just as great!

Okay so you don't know Bacon Salt. It's everywhere. I mean everywhere and it has been for a while. Just lately the natural version came out and that is what I am excited about!

So what is the point of natural bacon salt? Duh! It makes everything taste like bacon. I like it on my eggs. It's kosher, has zero calories and is gluten free. I recently gave it to a friend who eats kosher and she said " oh that is what bacon tastes like". So thanks, bacon salt for taking my friends bacon virginity.

There is one more thing that I love about bacon salt. The creators are actually smart Seattleites. You can read the story about how they made it big using facebook as a tool right here.

Bacon salt is a blogger!

Indulgent Discovery: Chocolate Pasta

2008-06-02T21:37:00.000-07:00

This week while strolling through the fabulous Pike Place Market, I discovered long strands of chocolate pasta. Could it be? Yes, Pappardelle's sells chocolate pasta by the pound. Strands of pasta infused with dark chocolate to be eaten for dessert.
I think I can trick myself into having a bowl of this for dinner instead of dessert.

The pasta comes with a recipe for pasta with raspberries, ice cream, chocolate sauce and whipped cream.
Indulge! Come On! You know you want it!

Papardelle's Pasta found at the Pappardelle stand in the Pike Place Market
Price: 4.50 per half a pound/ 9 dollars for a whole pound