Not to be outdone by a list of favorites from our old stomping grounds, we here in the Puget Sound region have our own list of fine foods to celebrate. With one exception, we had not encountered these treats before 2006.
1. Fish Brewing Company’s Winterfish: This seasonal, organic beer from Olympia - well […]

Chipotle Gloria requested by email: “Can you point me to any resources that will help me learn more about the ethical and environmental considerations surrounding fish as food?”
The approach depends on which of us you ask. The Butter Bitch loathes all foodstuffs that come from water, with the exception of seaweed. She […]

New York Times: The FDA says meat and milk from cloned animals is safe, but don’t panic — yet. The technology will make cloning too expensive just for making burgers and milkshakes, more likely being used to clone a prize stud steer. And, if not banned from using it, organic producers say they would shun […]

Our motto was, “Spit and go!” Our task was monumental: Ten wineries, two livers, and eight hours until our dinner reservations. This was our 2005 Oregon wine tour.

Inspired by Omniho’s post on broth, I decided to confess to some fruitful cooking about which I have little clue. I’ve been making sauces lately without really knowing what I’m doing, but the results have been tasty.
Yes, I have cookbooks that discuss sauce-making, not to mention Sokolow’s The Saucier’s Apprentice, which I have yet […]

The fine folks at The Gawker have skewered the language of bloggers. The list was shared around our virtual newsroom, eliciting a few chuckles and snorts. After brief examination, we find ourselves guilty of using a few of the clichés. Oy.
We may drop one or two, but give up the -y affix […]

Curious asks: “Does Washington state have special rules for selling raw dairy products in state? I thought the FDA put the ax to selling raw milk awhile ago….”
Broadly speaking, the FDA has jurisdiction over food safety that involves food that crosses state lines. Individual states have jurisdiction over the in-state sale of raw milk, […]

I’ve lost track of the post where the local mushroom CSA was discussed - oh, there it is, but I’ll give this topic a full post just the same.
Provisions Mushroom CSA is piggy-backing on Helsing Junction CSA Farm’s delivery system to provide mushrooms. Their information is not available on Helsing Junction’s web site, nor […]

If you could give a homeless person a gift card, would you? Would it make you feel better?
I know - giving money directly to homeless people is likely to feed their addiction to booze, drugs, or warm shelter. It takes a lot of courage to do what a friend’s father did, which […]

Scientists have declared the white dolphin, also known as the goddess of the Yangtze, to be extinct. The dolphin is a victim of China’s rapid economic expansion and the increased river traffic on the Yangtze river. The species was thought to be 20 million years old.
In related news, Asia’s greenhouse gases are expected […]

Is it me, or has Taco Bell stepped up its television ads in the wake of the E. coli outbreak, which has affected dozens of consumers in six states? The ads do not mention the outbreak, the fact that the problem has been traced to one of their suppliers, or that they are trying […]

“Guess what I found at the farmers market?” the Butter Bitch announced last Sunday. “Lettuce!”

Indeed she had, and she brought a head home as proof. The farmers cover the lettuce in the fields to protect their crop from the late autumn cold in the north. I’m surprised that the trick worked, but […]

About two weeks ago, I used some Cooper Mountain Pinot Gris for a leek recipe, with the plan that the Butter Bitch would use the rest to make risotto the following night. Our plans went awry, and by the time we returned to the wine, it had gone vinegary and was not fit […]

Pomegranates are not native to the Pacific Northwest, but here is a good sauce I made by once upon a time. The recipe comes from memory. The sauce goes well with lamb and that Oregon staple, pinot noir. Warm weather natives, rejoice.
Ingredients:
2 pomegranates, or 1 cup of pure pomegranate juice
2 tablespoons of […]

Visitors to the Emerald City who read the Seattle P-I’s Getaways section must think that Seattle hates itself more than an angst-ridden teenager. Once or twice a month, the section reminds Seattle residents that everything is better in Portland. The Rose City does feature a superior brewpub scene, a thriving coffee culture, and […]