Olympians often make the short drive to Seattle to celebrate special occasions. It's not that Olympia doesn't offer up amazing eateries -- it most certainly does. But sometimes there's something extra-special about venturing north to the "big city" for a full-on culinary pampering.
But what if you want to enjoy a romantic evening in: no driving, no parking headaches, and no added credit card debt? Grab a copy of the Dining in Seattle: Past & Present Cookbook, and you can whip up some of your favorite Seattle specialties right at home.
Love the tiramisu at Il Bistro? It's in here -- along with recipes for steamed Penn Cove mussels, risotto, and rack of lam with roasted fingerling potatoes, which have all been served at the illustrious 30-year-old restaurant tucked under Pike Place Market's popular fish-tossers.
Does Tom Douglas's Dahlia Lounge top your list of must-eat-at Seattle spots? Recreate one of his mouthwatering concoctions in your own kitchen, from Mt. Townsend Sea Stack goat cheese and sautéed mushroom crostini to pine nut tart with fresh raspberries and Pinor Noir syrup.
More than just a cookbook that gives you a glimpse into 21 of Seattle's most acclaimed restaurant kitchens, Dining in Seattle: Past & Present is also a nostalgic look back at some Emerald City favorites that have since been shuttered.
From Gerard's Relais de Lyon and Le Tastevin to The Palm Court and Trader Vic's, the book serves up descriptions of several now-but-a-memory eateries, images from the original menus, plus recipes from the "Dining In" series, which ran in the 1970s and 1980s and published 38 volumes in 30 cities.
Dining in Seattle: Past & Present entered a second printing within a month of its July 2010 release. Follow-up volumes in the works include Portland, Sun Valley, Vancouver B.C., San Francisco, Monterey, and Napa.
At 300 pages and with more than 200 recipes and 200 cooking tips, the book is available on Amazon.com, and at all major bookstores, as well as area retail and kitchenware stores. You can pick up a copy at all "Present" restaurants included in the book. It may also be purchased online at www.diningincookbooks.com.
Featured "Present" restaurants are: Barking Frog, Cafe Flora, Café Juanita, Campagne, Canlis, Chez Shea, Dahlia Lounge, El Gaucho, Flying Fish, The Harvest Vine, Il Bistro, Il Terazzo, The Inn at Langley, Kingfish Café, Lark, Metropolitan Grill, Monsoon, Purple Café and Wine Bar, Shiro’s, Waterfront Seafood Grill and Wild Ginger.
Comments