just like mom used to make
Everyone has a dish they crave, sometimes with an inexplicable, out-of-the-blue fervor that’s almost terrifying. For some people, it might be a plate of crisp bacon, curling with salt and smoke. For others, perhaps a wedge of chocolate cake, with icing so thick and rich it stands on a spoon.
As [...]

a sunny day in Kitsap, where we ate, drank, and talked books
A little over a year ago, I remember seeing Shauna Ahern and Molly Wizenberg—along with a group of other talented local authors—on the stage at the Palace Ballroom. I’d been a longtime fan of both their blogs: Gluten-Free Girl and Orangette. It is a [...]

Donna offers up the third tray of foie gras and apricot jam crostini
Back when Marjorie restaurant was housed in an eclectic blue-walled space in Belltown, my then-boyfriend (now husband) and I would drop in on late evenings to share a plate of the best roast chicken in the city, a plate of Max’s cheesy noodles, [...]

Lavender Anise-Hyssop Olive Oil Cake
A few days ago, my friend Lara gifted me with a bouquet of herbs and edible flowers from her garden. I decided to use some of them in a cake for a friend who does not eat wheat or dairy, and came up with this lavender anise-hyssop olive oil cake.
I’ve been [...]

welcome to Whidbey Island
This past weekend, my husband and I had the good fortune to join our friends’ at their parents’ house on Whidbey Island. Each morning, we had fruit and coffee outside by the water, and then took out the boats to set the crab traps. By mid-afternoon, we’d take our haul–30 in all–back [...]

darling little beets at the Bayview Farmer’s Market
This past weekend, my husband and I had the good fortune to join our friends Aaron and Charlotte on Whidbey Island. Charlotte’s parents, John and Teddy, own a remarkable beachfront property and were kind enough to open up their home to us for a relaxing three-day adventure. Each [...]

our happy puppy Kimchee
Though I now live in Seattle with my husband Henry, we take off for trips across the border fairly often to visit my family. There, we mostly indulge in Chinese food since that’s the thing I miss most about my hometown. A few weeks ago, I decided to surprise my husband with [...]

Chef John Gorham’s newest endeavor: Tasty n Sons
Back in early 2008, when I first was writing a Portland restaurant piece for Seattle Magazine, I visited Toro Bravo during my six-restaurants-in-two-days schedule. Here’s a snippet of the what I wrote about chef John Gorham’s food:
“…We anticipated a wait, so arrived at 4:50 p.m. on a Tuesday—only [...]

a quiet lunch at Portland’s newest temple of pork

various lunch items displayed in sushi-type cases

table for one, please?
When my husband and I went down to Portland for his birthday a few months ago, one of the restaurants on our list was Olympic Provisions. Unfortunately, due to over-zealous planning (and limited stomach space), the restaurant got [...]