認真的女人最美

2009 Food & Wine Events (not your typical festivals)

以下幾個Food & Wine Events可不是一般美國暑假各城市週末的Festivals喔, 它們可是真正有知名大廚和製酒家出席現場, 表演烹飪, 擺盤, 品酒等Real Stuff, 很希望有一天能參加, 滿足一下味覺和視覺上的享受. 

2/19-22 South Beach Food & Wine Festival
The Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival is a national, star-studded, four-day destination event showcasing the talents of the world's most renowned wine and spirits producers, chefs and culinary personalities. Rub lbows with your favorite celebrity chefs and culinary personalities, including Mario Batali, Tom Colicchio, Bobby Flay, Emeril Lagasse, Charlie Trotter and many more t the Festival.

4/4-5 Taste Washington (Seattle)
Hundreds of leading winemakers, chefs and experts will present illuminative seminars and savory tasting.  Survey the remarkable quality and value of award-winning Washington wines, then raise your glass and enjoy the taste of word-class achievement.

4/14-19 Scottsdale Culinary Festival
As the longest running festival of its kind in the United States, the Scottsdale Culinary Festival draws more than 40,000 visitors looking to enjoy fabulous food, fun and festivities (not to mention idyllic weather!) This year's festival will feature a host of events from cooking demonstrations by some the nation's top chefs to a one of a kind James Beard out of the house dinner.  No matter what kind of culinary experience you crave, the Scottsdale Culinary Festival has something for everyone!

4/16-19 Pebble Beach Food & Wine
Pebble Beach Food & Wine is the premier, grand-scale, epicurean lifestyle event on the West Coast, bringing more than 4000 national and international attendees to Del Monte Forest, one of the most picturesque strips of coastline in the world.

Hosted at Pebble Beach Resorts, this 4-day event combines 250 acclaimed wineries with 60 celebrity chefs.  The event offers countless wine tastings, cooking demonstrations, and some of the most remarkable dining opportunities available in the world, transforming Pebble Beach into a playground for food and wine enthusiasts.

Guests can choose from numerous multi-flight vertical and horizontal wine tasting from the world's premier cult producers and multiple multi-course lunches and dinners, prepared by some of today's most acclaimed chefs.

5/21-24 Hawaii Food & Wine Paradise
Come to paradise for four days of the finest in local and national talent in the worlds of food, wine and spirits and the best in entertainment offerings.

6/19-21 Food & Wine in Aspen
Each year, the world's most accomplished winemakers, celebrity chefs, culinary luminaries, afficionados and insiders come together in one breathtaking setting.  This June, the famed Food & Wine Classic in Aspen celebrates its 27th year as the premier culinary event in America. Don't miss the opportunity to experience the pinnacle of goof taste, mingle with the stars, and enjoy a pleasure-packed weekend at the base of spectacular Aspen Mountain.

6/21 Taste Washington (Spokane)
Hundreds of leading winemakers, chefs and experts will present illuminative seminars and savory tasting.  Survey the remarkable quality and value of award-winning Washington wines, then raise your glass and enjoy the taste of word-class achievement.

Trip to Santa Barbara – Market Foray

今天的行程只有一個, 就是參加法國人Laurence Hauben的Market Foray, 當天行程是先參觀Farmers Market, 並採購當天要烹煮的食材, 然後到她家做菜, 一起享用午餐. 我們一早八點先到碼頭和大家聚集, 她帶我們去幾個賣新鮮漁貨的攤販買我們當天要吃的魚, 然後在拿到碼頭另一頭一家提供將魚去骨切片服務的魚店, 然後我們再開車去農夫市場. 


她的Cooking Class以八人為限, 通常在週六 (Santa Barbara每天都有農夫市場 只是地點不同), 因為週六的場面最大 (on E Cota St, Between Santa Barbara & Anacapa, From 8:30 to 12:30), 路邊停車多半是七十五分鐘. 我超愛週六的農夫市場, 不但範圍大, 攤販多, 販賣的產品種類也很多樣, 不但可以試吃橄欖油, 蜂蜜等常見產品, 還可以試吃手工奶油, Walnut Oil (胡桃油), 而且如果攤販上有擺布製豬娃娃 (如圖), 就是"暗示"顧客此攤位當天有新鮮真空包裝的羊肉 (Laurence正在和老闆一起挑選被磅秤擋住, 後方的羊肉).


接著我們再開車去 C'est Cheese, 這家店的號碼牌很有趣, 是大型撲克牌, 一進門就會看見. 這家起士店有上百種Cheese可選, 你可以試吃任何一種再決定要不要買, 右手邊靠牆有一整排的深色木頭櫃, 陳列各種瓶瓶罐罐的油醬類和食譜, 另外還賣artisan salamis, fine cured hams, pates, tasty flatbreads and crackers, artisan olive oils and vinegars, wines, and handmade chocolates, 隔壁的Bakery也相當有名.

一切採購完畢後就到Laurence佔地14000 sqft, 室內外油漆顏色和室內擺飾都非常法國味的家, 房子本身不算大, 但是前後花園很大, 有許多果樹和香料, 還有橄欖樹和Bay Tree. Laurence給每個人一份手冊, 裡面有如何挑選各種魚肉蔬果的方式, 冬季常見的食材, 以及當天菜單的食譜.

1. Mini Gougères (法式泡芙)
2. Fresh Chervil Soup (當天沒買到 Chervil, 所以改成Nettels Soup)
3. Fresh baked bread with local hand-made butter (那奶油真好吃)
4. Paired local wines
5. Crispy Skin-On Local Rockfish with Fresh Citrus Reduction, Sautéed pea tendrils, and Roasted Kabocha Squash puree (Citrus Reduction 的味道很清新, 配上新鮮的魚, 真是人間美味, 而且易做; Kabocha 這瓜的口感比馬鈴蜀要厚實, 不用吃太多就飽了)
6. Hearts of butter lettuce with sliced apples, walnuts, and Roquefort cheese,
La Nogalera Walnut oil vinaigrette (這沙拉醬汁很簡單, 就將 Walnut oil, wine vinaigrette, Dijon mustard混在一起)
7. Cheese Plate
8. Angel Cheesecake with fresh mandarin zest, topped with fresh mandarin slices and raspberries (她的蛋糕底層並沒有烤, 只是放進冰箱冰而已, 感覺較順口)
9. Coffee or Tea

不知是因為年底是淡季, 還是因為景氣差, 當天只有我們一對夫妻和一位曾經參加過Market Foray的當地人.  Laurence告訴我們, 在開始動手之前, 先把當天的菜單和食譜看一遍, 先從最花時間開始做 (烤瓜), 做蔬菜湯底, 煮湯, 做泡芙, 沙拉, 最後才煎魚 (起士蛋糕是她前一天就做好, 不過當天我們還是又做一個學步驟). 別小看這份菜單, 這午餐吃到三點半, 每個人可都是解皮帶解扣子, 只差沒去她的花園跑幾圈回來.

我們在廚房討論有關烹飪器材 (上哪買), 料理方式, 在餐桌上討論文化差異, 飲食習慣, 旅遊經驗等等, 非常有意思. 她和我們分享她的最愛 - Cast Iron pans, 她讓我們摸一摸老式和新式Cast Iron pans在觸感上的不同, 然後解釋為什麼我們應該去跳蚤市場找老式的Cast Iron pans (B&B的主人Marie也一樣讚賞祖母時代的 Cast Iron pans).

豐盛的午餐加上傍晚的小點, 我和老公實在飽到不行, 結果晚餐就省略了.

註: 這裡列舉幾個其他當地的私人烹飪課程: Montecito Country Kitchen, Roblar Winery, The Chef’s Touch.

想看更多的相片, 請上My Flickr - Market Foray.

Instant Shrimp Wonton Soup 微波蝦仁餛飩湯

 
有時候晚上我會突然想喝點熱湯; 有時候中午有點餓, 但不想出去買便當, 家裡冰箱又沒東西吃; 有時候出外拍照, 旅館附近沒什麼好吃, 但是房間內有冰箱微波爐和簡易的小廚房和鍋具, 以上情況, 若有不錯的微波爐食品,是蠻不錯的替代方式.

我在Costco的冷凍食品區找到一個微波蝦仁餛飩湯, 很簡單的一個湯 (如果你愛下廚, 你可能覺得自己煮就好, 幹嘛買冷凍食品), 這個微波蝦仁餛飩湯是給像上述情況發生時的一個折衷替代方式, 一盒有六碗, 每碗有五個全蝦仁餛飩, 加水微波就可以馬上享用, 好吃又方便 (來美八年半, 對方便菜的要求真的降低很多了). 

Roti Paratha 印度煎餅

前幾天我去Cupertino的永和超市 (Marina Supermarket)買菜, 我站在冷凍蛋餅處買蛋餅, 剛好看到旁邊的那位印度人買了五六包印度煎餅, 他走後, 我也順手拿了一包回家試試, 結果還真的蠻好吃的.

不用解凍, 直接從冷凍庫拿出來就可以放在平頂鍋上煎, 它會膨脹, 所以口感很airy. 我現在知道為什麼那位印度人一次就買了五六包, 因為一包有五片, 每片大概只有男生手掌那麼大, 而且又薄, 我一次就可以吃二三片.

這牌只有原味, 它旁邊還有其他牌子則有青蔥, 也有紅豆夾心口味.

October Wine Friday: The Scariest and Funniest Wine LABEL

十月份的品酒會因應時令, 所以這個月的酒題是: 最可怕或最幽默的酒標. 其實當我們定下這主題時並不知道有多困難, 事後來當我們自己再找的時候才體會到, 因為一般的酒標不是中規中矩的英文字標上酒名產地和年份, 就是美美的風景圖, 很少酒莊會換上不同的酒標應景, 好加在我們找到二瓶還算可怕的酒標, 加上來客帶來的酒, 當天共有六瓶不同的可怕酒標, 目的完成. 你覺得哪一個酒標最可怕呢? (點圖可看放大景)

2006 Zombie Zin
2006 Gnarly Head Zin
2006 Fish Eye Cabernet Sauvignon
2006 Jester Shiraz
2005 Cirque de Vin -- Cabernet Blend
2006 Coppola Director’s Cut Pinot Noir

當天的菜色以顏色和當令食材應景, 一共有六道菜, 全是從網路上找來的食譜, 也是第一次試做, 但是當晚都廣受歡迎, 接下來幾天將分篇介紹:
1. Mint, Apple, Pomegranate, Persimmons Salad
2. Ravioli di Zucca (Squash Ravioli) Topped with Browned Butter & Sage
3. Gnocchi with Pumpkin Sauce
4. Miniature Gougeres (Cheese Puffs)
5. Grilled Mango and Steak with Lime Dressing and Basil, Mint and Cilantro
6. Cornmeal Blini Bites

台式YouTube

YouTube大受歡迎有其道理, 你可以在上面找到任何主題的影片, 尤其是教學和DIY類的, 大概都有人自行錄製教學影片上傳, 品質不一, 但是有許多很具水準的影片. 我不常使用YouTube, 一來是我自己還沒有進入到錄製影片的領蜮, 二來是沒時間坐在電腦前看影片, 但是今天我在網路上找中式食譜, 不經意找到台式YouTube的線上烹飪教學yTower, 不但所有的食物相片都拍的很美, 光看就流口水, 更有影片可以看烹飪過程, 比看食譜更有意思.

你是否也知道一些有趣的影音網站, 歡迎你留言分享連結喔!

Satura Cakes is coming to Downtown Campbell

  幾年前我就預測Campbell是一個很有發展潛力的新社區, 它和Mountain View一樣有Light Rail Station, 週末有Farmer's Market (農夫市場), 近年來也有越來越多餐館進入, 還有各種風格的畫廊, 是個後起之秀, 但是房價要親和多了. 原本只有Los Altos & Palo Alto二家店的Satura Cakes, 今天在Downtown Campbell的新店開幕, 住在南灣的朋友有福了, 因為再也不用老遠開車北上了. 更棒的是, 它們在免費的The Wave Magazine裡有登一則20% OFF折價卷 (9/30止), 官方網站上有三個促銷活動: Buy 5 Cupcakes Get 1 Free, Buy 5 Brioche Donuts Get 1 Free, 10% discount is applied to any order that amounts to $30 or more. 有空記得找我去喝下午茶啊.

Satura Cakes  199 E. Campbell Ave, Campbell 408-370-2600

西雅圖 (Seattle)

六月份到西雅圖拜訪幾位友人幾天, 第一天和友人約在Olympic National Park的Port Angeles會合, 我事前沒將Google Map查好, 因為以為有GPS 應該不會有問題, 友人也忘了提醒我從機場到Port Angeles有二個走法: 第一個是走 Highway 5 South, 經Tacoma過橋, 第二個是走Highway 5 North, 在Edmonds坐Ferry過去, 結果我的GPS帶我走後者, 讓第一次連人帶車坐渡輪的我, 有點緊張. 坐渡輪的方式, 從事前購票的等待, 到實際上渡輪, 到抵達對岸就要一個半小時, 而且要十四塊五, 要是我事前知道, 我想我會選澤走第一個方式, 因為從機場到坐渡輪到Port Angeles一共花了我五小時, 所以回程我改從Tacoma過橋, 過橋費三塊, 時間差不多, 但費用較省.

五小時的開車經驗, 第一印象是西雅圖外郊真是綠油油, 應該是雨下得多的關係吧. 第二印象是駕駛人很遵守時速限制, 高速公路時速六十, 大家就開六十或更慢, 一看到時速標誌從六十變到五十, 就會看到前面一堆車開始踩煞車, 讓我開的很想睡覺, 據當地友人說那是因為抓超速的警察很多, 所以大家多半不敢掉以輕心.

西雅圖的地形很像舊金山, 差別是他們過去曾將2/3山坡剷平, 所以他們的道路不如舊金山的斜.  這回在西雅圖我是住在Quality Inn, 離Space Needle很近, 這附近還有Holiday Inn Express, Travelodge, Best Western. Quality Inn門口就有二班公車到市區, 走路也只需要二十分鐘, 而且飯店前方轉角就有Starbucks和Shell加油站, 很方便, 不過所在的Aurora Ave車流量很大, 要記得跟櫃台要靠裡面較安靜的房間. Quality Inn附設泳池, 健身房, 投幣洗衣機和烘乾機, 無線網路, 吹風機, 二張床的房間比一張床的要大很多, 而且有微波爐和冰箱.  早餐選項還算多樣, 但就台灣人偏好熱食的喜好, 可能吃不慣 (我看到另一桌二位台灣年輕男性吃泡麵). 

西雅圖市中心的巴士是免費的, 從飯店到市中心的單程公車票價是一塊半. 以Pike Place Market為中心的話, 大多數的觀光景點和商店都是走路十五分鐘就會到, 所以我在西雅的那三天全靠十一路公車 (雙腳). Pike Place Market後面有公共停車場, 早上九點半前進入的話, 整天只要九塊錢, 而且停車場的電梯直達Pike Place Market. Pike Place Market主要入口旁有一個Information詢問台, 也賣當天表演活動的票, 而且是半價, 如果你的時間彈性, 可以試試.  想住得離Pike Place Market近一點的話, 可以考慮Inn at the Market. 這家飯店的門口有一個Courtyard, 有一家餐廳和幾家商店.

一早和一位去年因Photo Workshop結識的美國友人Dave約在Pike Place Market, 他給了我一個Mini Market Tour, 然後就到位在市場裡面, 名叫Lowell的餐廳吃早餐. 這間餐廳一共三層樓, 面向Elliot Bay, 坐在一樓和三樓的客人要在一樓先點餐, 拿號碼牌後入座, 服務生會送餐到你桌上; 二樓可以直接點, 我相信天氣若好, 那景色會很美, 可惜當天很陰, 不過我和朋友顧著聊天, 也沒太注意風景就是了. 我點Dungeness Crab Omelet (Dungeness Crab, Chopped Fresh Tomatoes and Parmesan Cheese Wrapped into a Tasty, Thin "Flat-Top" Omelet.  Served with Additional Parmesan on Top, Hash Browns and Choice of Toast with Jams)和拿鐵, 蟹肉新鮮大塊, 份量很夠又好吃, 不知道灣區那裡也有這種品質的早餐.  

吃完早餐就開始西雅圖的第一個行程: 坐渡輪到Blake Island的Tillicum Village (有點像九族文化村). 成人票價八十塊, 行程說是四小時, 但是扣掉渡輪來回就將近二小時, 實際真正待在島上的時間只有二個小時吧. 雖說是Village, 實際上不過是一棟用木頭蓋的大房子, 入門左手邊是紀念品區, 右邊是簡單的木雕展示間, 左後方是用餐及表演場地. 一下船, 工作人員就盛好一碗碗的蛤利湯給大家, 別期待太高, 因為我覺得很普通. 進了Village 就排隊用印度安人式自助午餐: 就沙拉, 馬鈴薯, 飯, 烤鮭魚, 然後進入用餐區看舞蹈表演, 桌上有冰水和檸檬汁, 老實說, 午餐不怎麼樣. 就四小時的行程內容和午餐品質, 我覺得不值八十塊和我的時間, 所以我不推薦這個行程.

晚上和二位今年初到Napa上課結識的美國女性友人PJ & LoMae 到Flying Fish用晚餐 (可惜Kelly遠在D.C.無法加入, 不然可重溫Sex and The City情節), 這家餐廳已有十二年的歷史, 菜單按節令變化, 所有的食材全由Pike Place Market提供, 以新鮮當季為主, 還好我二週前就已經訂位, 因為這家餐廳生意真好, 願意久候用餐的人還不少. 菜單上的選擇蠻多樣, 我們當晚點Tuna Poke (chukka salad, onion, spicy tobiko marinade, crispy won tons), Seared Black Cod (celery root puree, kohlrabi, orange, parsley coulis), Crispy Calamari (honey jalapeño mayonnaise, cilantro oil), Asparagus Tempura, Wild Mushroom Risotto (shaved parmesan, bacon wrapped monkfish), 甜點選Rhubarb Tart (Ginger Cream Bulee with Rhubarb). 這家餐廳上菜速度超快, 大概是因為等候的人很多, 所以希望大夥吃快點, 加上我們的服務生頻頻詢問How’s everything? Do you need another drink? Need anything Else? 而且收盤子的速度超快, 這是唯一我們略有抱怨的地方, 因為我們覺得無法放鬆, 暢快聊天, 不過食物很好吃, 裝盤也很美, 每道菜都是吃光光, 顧聊天就忘了拍照, 抱歉啦.  下回我要是又到西雅圖, 這家餐廳肯定在我的名單上.

這次我報名參加二家不同公司的Food Tours, 因為從網站上的資料看不出差異, 所以只好親自體驗啦. 先參加 Seattle Food 公司二個半小時的Belltown & Pike Place Food Tour, 整團共有十六人. 創辦人Bronwyn住在西雅圖四十年, 對當地的環境相當熟悉, 她的Food Tour已經開辦好幾年. 我們先在一家糕餅店門口集合, 分發印有公司Logo的黃色手提塑膠袋, 瓶裝水, 潔手巾, 餐廳明細 (名單上列有四十家, 講解二十家, 試吃七家), 然後活動開始. 帶團人先從我們聚集的那家糕餅店的歷史開始講, 然後講Belltown的由來和演變, 每經過一家在名單上的餐廳就會停下來解說, 然後每隔幾家就會有食物吃, 二個半小時的行程是走走停停吃吃喝喝 -- 先是集合點的糕餅店有名的蘋果派, 巧克力, 知名餐廳的迷你漢堡, 講究的手工咖啡, 全美比賽冠軍的Chowder, 鮭魚, Tom Douglas糕餅店的椰子派, 不但樣樣有特色, 好吃, 而且份量都不小, 行程結束後基本上是不需要吃午餐了. 這家公司的行程每週五天 (週二到週六), 每天僅有早上10:15一個梯次, 由Bronwyn親自帶領, 非常單純不花俏. (提醒台灣遊客, 在所有觀光行程結束後, 請記得給小費)

接著是參加Show Me Seattle公司的西雅圖三小時市區觀光活動, 這家公司用的是小巴士, 即使坐滿也只有十四位 (我這團這次只有五位), 司機兼導遊, 當天的司機還算風趣, 基本上就是開車逛大街, 多半在車上聽司機說故事, 下車的次數不是很多, 是比較可惜的地方, 但是對第一次到西雅圖的我, 對其地理位置和背後歷史很有幫助.  我沒機會參加別家的行程, 所以無從比較, 如果你參加過其他家的行程 (例如: Gray Line, Ride The Ducks, Seattle City Tour, Underground Tour, etc), 歡迎分享經驗.

今天終於看到太陽, 所以當巴士行程結束約下午六點, 決定再去西雅圖的地標Space Needle. 一樓是禮品區, 佔地很大, 提供各式各樣的伴手禮供遊客購買, 其中有一張海報是列出世界各地的高樓圖, 而Taipei 101則是其中之一. 頂樓的觀景台可眺望360度的西雅圖市景, 沒看到Mt. Rainier是有點遺憾. 觀景台裡有幾台觸控式螢幕做各地區的說明, 牆上掛有大型建造過程的看板, 歷史由來, 與其他建築高度的比較等等, 觀景台內有咖啡吧, 紅白酒和啤酒及一些桌椅.

最後一天的市區行程是參加 Savor Seattle 公司二個小時的 Pike Place Food Tour. Pike Place Market始於1907, 裡面有190家獨立商店, 50家餐廳, 200個攤位, 許多都大有來頭, 而且每家賣海鮮的攤位都提供免費市區飯店宅急便以及外州的UPS快遞運送服務. 當天整團共有十六人, 先在Pike Place Market對面的那家西雅圖咖啡店內集合, 分發餐巾紙 (因為待會需要), 瓶裝水, 當天活動資料 (五頁的資料中有市場地圖, 各類商家的位置, 九家我們會試吃的商家連絡資料和簡介, 其他用餐地點推薦, 五項季節性食譜), 無線耳機 (所以我們不用擠在前面就可以聽的很清楚), 然後活動開始. 帶團人會介紹市場的歷史由來, 然後就各家試吃的攤販來解說其由來以及食物特色. 另外我還學到茄子不但有分性別, 而且雄性茄子因為籽少而比雌性茄子好吃喔. 我們當天吃了甜甜圈, 風味茶, 二種不同做法的鮭魚, 水蜜桃和梨子, Chowder, 乾躁水果和巧克力, 二種手工起士, 俄國鮭魚麵包, 椰子派. 活動結束後他還發給大家一張折價卡, 為期十天, 如果你持卡到試吃的九家店購買商品享有九折. 這家公司於七月初將有一個新的Food Tour在西雅圖市區, 三小時的行程中, 包括品嘗當地的葡萄酒, 啤酒, 咖啡和巧克力, 義大利冰其淋等更多的美食, 團員人數減少, 但費用增加, 這是我下回又到西雅圖的時候, 肯定要參加的. 他們未來也有計畫增加Belltown 和 Pioneer Square & Chinatown二地.  這家公司比 Seattle Food Tours要新 (大概一年多), 但是頗具商業頭腦和計劃, 因為創辦人Angela Shen不但自己帶團, 也訓練其他人帶團, 所以他們每天有三個時段 (10:00/10:30/1:00), 未來還會繼續擴展Tour Area, 他們的網站也做的比較美, 網站上有一個一分半的Video供讀者觀賞, 另外還販售印有Savor Seattle Food Tours字樣的T-Shirts, 粉紅色雨傘, 帽子和圍裙.

這二家Food Tour的風格和試吃的商家其實完全不同, 當中只有 Chowder 和 Tom Douglas的椰子派是二個Tour都有吃到 (不過椰子派是在二家不同的Tom Douglas的餐廳吃的). 如果真要比較, 我可以列出幾項差異性給你參考: Seattle Food Tour試吃七家, 份量不少; 提供舊照片來比照過去和現在, 可讓遊客加深印象, 但參考資料做的沒有另一家的仔細, 要靠自己做筆記; 雖然沒有無線耳機, 但由於去的地方和另一家不同, 沒有影響; 沒有折價卡.  而 Savor Food Tour試吃九家, 雖”號稱”試吃了二十六種, 不過許多項目的份量只有一口 (其中沒有喝到咖啡); 由於市場人多, 無線耳機很有必要; 其網站和參考資料做的詳細; 對於Pike Place Market的歷史和試吃商家的背景解說的詳細. 因為這二家並不完全一樣, 而且各有特色, 實在很難取捨. 如果你時間足夠, 不妨二家都參加, 因為你可以試吃共十四家的食物, 二天的午餐就省了 (因為它們的行程皆在上午). 別忘了說是我推薦的喔!

另外推薦一本由Kaie Welman所寫有關西雅圖美食及商店的手冊 (6x6 inch 大小; 另有Austin, NYC, SF, Portland): eat. shop seattle. 這是第三版,  裡面有地圖, 38家, 52家酷店, 全彩照片 (每家店有二頁介紹: 商家連絡資訊, 簡介, 相片), 可惜我是在一家商店裡看到這本書, 所以這次沒機會用上. 

想看更多有關這是西雅圖之旅的相片, 請上Flickr.

如果你未來有計劃去西雅圖, 以下幾個網站供你參考:

Tour Map 
Visiting the state of Washington   (Japanese Garden in Washington Park Arboretum; Manito Park in Spokane; Museum og Glass in Tacoma)
Visiting Seattle 
King County Metro Trip Planning
Taste Pike Place Market (另外一家Food Tour, 但我沒機會參加)
Market Heritage Tour
Gray Line 
- Flavor of Seattle Culinary Arts Tour
- Diane's Market Kitchen Pike Place Market Tour and Tasting (這是由廚師Diane帶領) 
Sightseeing of Seattle    
Tours of Seattle 
Argosy Cruises 
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/visitorsguide/
Bon Vivant Wine Tours  （only Fri, Sat, Sun）
Washington Wine Country 
Theo Chocolates Tour  They offers a 1-hour tour of their entire chocolate-making facility.  You get to see the entire process from bean to bar!  And lots of great tastings along the way.  It’s just $5.00/person, which is a steal.  Theo Chocolates is the only fair trade and organic chocolate maker in the entire country.    
Riverfront Park 

Food Related

Food Blogs

101 Cookbook  SF
An Obsession with Food  a professional food writer who also blog about food-related events, restaurants, and wine.
Baking & Books  Connecticut
Becks & Posh  SF
Bon Appeqeek  Korean-American in Illinois
Bron Marshall  New Zealand
Café Fernando  Turkish food enthusiast from Istanbul.
Cheers 2 Wine  California Wine
Chez Pim  SF
Chocolate & Zucchini  French who worked two years in the Bay Area, lives in Montmartre now.
Chubby Hubby  Singpore
Cookbook Catchall  New York
Cooking with Amy  SF
Cupcake  SF
Dan Lepard London
David Lebovitz  Paris
Dessert First SF
Eating Asia 
Egg Beater  SF
Fer Food  LA
Food & Thoughts  Denmark
For the Love of Baking  Indonesia
Gastronomie  SF, critiques of restaurants, recipes, food stories, and wine notes. 
Hooked on Heat  Modern Indian Cooking for the everyday home cook
In Praise of Sardines  Brett Emerson is a pro chef who wanders the Bay Area in search of inspiration.
Kuidaore  Singapore
La Tartine Gourmande  Boston
Le Carrefour  French-Canadian in LA
Meat Henge  All meat, all the time is the promise at this blog
Nikas Culinaria  Texas
Nordijus  Japanese in UK
Pinch My Salt  Americans living in Sicily, Italy
Simply Recipes  Bay Area
Smitten Kitchen  New York
Steam Kitchen  Modern Asian Cooking
Still Life With  Seattle
Sweet Paul  Food and Interior Stylist in New York
The Food Section  New York
Tomatilla  Blogger Owen Linderholm posts recipes and runs his own version of the Iron Chef competition.
Well Fed Network
Delicious Day  Munich
Julie’s Blog
Matt Bites  LA
She who eats  Japanese
Wine Blogs and Forums
Manjula's Kitchen  Simple Indian vegetarian cooking

Cooking Schools/Classes

Back to Earth   Berkeley, Organic Catering
Bruce Cass Wine Lab   SF, begin teaching wine in 1972
Cook & Eat    
Cookbooks   
Diabetic Recipe Finder   
Epicurious  Recipes, Menus, Cooking Articles & Food Guides
Food Fanatics  Food Styling  in LA
Patricia Wells  Cooking classes, Cookbooks and Restaurant Reviews
SF Baking Institute   
Straight from the Farm   
The Cheese School   SF
The Culinary Schools 
The Wine Schools   
The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) 
The Food Section   
The French Culinary Institute   New York
VIVA   Italian Cooking in Sebastopol, CA
Viking Cooking School 

穀研所   
KC 廚房   
學學文創   
味全家政班
天母廚藝雅集   
法國廚藝教室   
楊桃烹飪學校 
孟老師烘培園地   
中華小吃傳授中心   
克萊兒的點心小棧   
台北西華烹飪教室  先上西華網站> 選"中文" > 選下方的"最新消息" > 選"餐飲" > 選倒數第二項"西華烹飪教室" > 就可以看到課表! 或直接打電話給西華飯店Toscana義大利餐廳 2718-1188 #3001
周老師的美食教室   
幸福的滋味在廚房   
La Marche 圓頂市集

Gardening

P. Allen Smith   
The Ruth Bancroft Garden   Walnut Creek, CA
Tomato Seeds  Organic Heirloom Tomato Seeds and Tomato
The Dirt   The Mercury News gardening blog by Holly Hayes
Love Apple Farm 

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

                  

Extra Virgin EVOO-lution - Not all olive oil is as pure as it seems; here’s the lowdown on discerning the fine from the fake.

                  

By Cynthia Liu, The Wave Magazine (Nov 07 - Dec 07)

Even before Rachael Ray coined her perky catchphrase “EVOO,” extra virgin olive oil’s popularity was skyrocketing. The international olive oil industry has become bigger and more profitable than the wine industry, according to Armando Manni of Manni Extra Virgin Olive Oil. The figures support his assertion – according to the International Olive Oil Council, the US imported 90,000 metric tons of EVOO in 1990. By 2006 that figure had risen to 240,000 metric tons.

Nowhere is the industry’s growth more apparent than in the restaurant and retail sector. At the Four Seasons Silicon Valley, executive chef Alessandro Cartumini treats oil with a reverence usually reserved for a fine wine or liqueur: his menu at Quattro offers a variety of Manni olive oils for three dollars a pour. Shelves in the olive oil aisles of Whole Foods Markets are packed full with bottles, while customers at Draeger’s gourmet markets can select from over 70 olive oils.

So which oil to choose? Do you buy the brand that claims to have won awards, or the oil that hails from the most alluring locale? Perhaps the bottle with the bonus pouring spout, the one that’s an olive-y green, or the sleek glass flask that matches your Method dish soap dispenser? Those who judge an olive oil by its bottle, take note: heat and UV rays break down some of the oil’s healthful properties, so don’t display it on the counter. Stash it instead in a cool, dark place away from the stove.

At the recently opened The Olive Bar in Campbell, customers can sample up to 16 EVOO varietals. Proprietor Ed De Soto was a food broker for years, but wasn’t educated about olive oil until a year ago. “I had olive oil in my garage for two to three years. I thought rancid was a flavor,” he recalls.

“Rancid products are pathogens and sources of free radicals,” says Mike Bradley, president of Veronica Foods, the De Sotos’ supplier. Free radicals contribute to aging, heart disease and cancer – things that polyphenols, a type of antioxidant found in good quality, well-stored olive oil, should fight and protect against. Polyphenols are a relatively recent discovery – in the past, the focus of olive oil’s health benefits was on how its monounsaturated fats help lower LDL, the bad cholesterol, without lowering HDL, the good one.

Manni, who sells to some of the finest restaurants in the world, including Napa’s The French Laundry, is manic about polyphenols. He works with the University of Florence to analyze the best time to harvest his olives, pours his oils into 3.4oz bottles of dark, UV-filtering glass, and tops them with inert gas to protect these antioxidants. Polyphenol levels of 250mg per liter are considered high; Manni’s oils contain levels as high as 450mg per liter. These meticulously produced oils cost over $300 for 10 bottles.

Veronica Foods, which produces Delizia olive oil, holds its oil in stainless steel tanks to minimize exposure and deterioration. The De Sotos then transfer the oil into stainless steel drums, and dispense it in dark glass bottles. Ken Manley, the head gourmet buyer for Draeger’s, lauds such methods. “The oil lasts so much longer. You can taste the difference.”

While dark glass is better for the oil, many producers insist on using transparent bottles, often considered more visually appealing. “We buy some clear bottles because they sell quickly,” says Manley. “I’ve talked a dozen companies into changing their packaging to the dark bottle, but it’s a double-edged sword, because producers want to show off their oil color.”

This, despite the fact that color not only has no bearing on the oil’s flavor, but can even be the sign of an inferior product. Some producers crush olives with leaves to make the oil greener. Bradley says with soybean oil fetching 40 cents a pound, compared with five dollars a pound for olive oil, unscrupulous producers may blend olive oil with soybean oil and green dye.

So, unless you want to take home an extra virgin oil that’s about as virginal as Paris Hilton, be sure to read the label carefully. “Citrus Olive Oil produced in Italy” tells you nothing. Ideally, the olives were crushed with citrus, but it could just as well be older Italian oil infused with citrus to disguise the rancid taste. Or Tunisian olive oil blended with citrus flavoring and bottled in Italy. “It’s legal to put ‘Product of Italy’ if it’s the last country of handling,” explains Patty Darragh, executive director of the California Olive Oil Council (COOC).

Bradley also warns buyers to be wary of misleading labeling such as “pure olive oil” and “light.” These products can consist of as little as five percent virgin oil, with the rest consisting of refined, inferior oil. As a result, the polyphenol levels are miniscule.

“A lot of imported oils are mislabeled or adulterated,” cautions Darragh. “Currently there are no federal standards for imported oils, so it’s buyer beware.”

The word “handpicked” on a label implies a superior, artisan product. Handpicked olives cost more ($500 per ton, versus $80 to $120 per ton for those picked by machine) and are better than the machines, which “bat the heck out of olives,” according to Albert Katz, whose Katz & Company makes the award-winning Rock Hill olive oil. But handpicking doesn’t guarantee good oil. “You can handpick and still screw up your olives if you don’t press right away,” he says.

While deceptive labeling is common Bradley insists, “These frauds eriphery. What’s hurting the industry is the ridiculously low standards and lack of understanding by the public, which includes the retailers.”

A good olive oil label should read like that of a fine wine: “Abbae de Queiles, 0.1 percent acidity, organic Arbequina olives, harvested November 2006,” with additional details such as “grown in the Navarra region of Spain, crushed within two hours of picking.”

When you get past the bottling and labeling, be sure to taste the oil. The peppery tasting EVOOs tend to be higher in polyphenols. Just like wine, other variables can affect antioxidant levels and flavor, including terroir (climate, soil and altitude), dry farming, harvesting and storage, says Bradley.

Once you get your chosen EVOO home, use it within a couple of months. “If you don’t have use-by dates, you get a false sense of how long the product will last,” said Manley.

“A lot of olive oils are just sitting in a warehouse, but they need to be consumed within two years,” agrees Darragh.

While there may be varying levels of quality, Bradley is adamant that good olive oil shouldn’t be too hard to find. “If your trees are healthy, you pick it on time at its peak of ripeness and you crush it in a timely fashion, it’s hard to make bad olive oil.”

在Downtown Campbell有一家專賣各式各樣橄欖油和陳年黑醋的店, 那家店叫The Olive Bar, 每一種油或醋都是裝在大鐵桶裡, 你可以倒一點在小碟上試吃, 在決定要不要買. 它不但有賣純的橄欖油和陳年黑醋, 也賣加了風味的橄欖油, 像是大蒜, 檸檬, 九層塔, 白松露, 而加了風味的陳年黑醋的選擇更多, 像是無花果, 梨子, 草莓, 橘子 等等, 有機會不妨去看看吧. 232 E Campbell Ave, Campbell