2009 Bites!

Yup, it's that time of year. Even though I've hung up the professional feedbag, there's just something about the end of the year that shoves me into a reflective mood, compelling me to boil 12 months worth of eating into a bite-size list.

It was a hell of a year. The newspaper folded. Our Baby Girl went off to college. And so did Johnny. He's this close to getting a masters in elementary education after putting his 30-year newspaper career to bed on March 17.

Still, this roller coaster ride of 2009 has had a whole lot of thrills, especially when it comes to meals shared around a table filled with friends and family. Here's to 2010 and all the great bites to come!

Some of my favorite morsels of 2009, pictured from top to bottom:

One of everything please at Couchon, New Orleans.

BLT handroll at Do, Memphis.

Walla Walla Sweet Onion taco, Walla Walla.

Claire's high school graduation party on the water at Lincoln Park: BBQ pork sammies, Nana's beans and cake from the same bakery where we got our wedding cake, Borracchini's.

Deep-fried dill pickles at Luizza's On the Tracks, New Orleans.

Go meet the new pastry chef at Barking Frog, Woodinville.

Post-hike bratwurst with my brother Chris at Munchen Haus, Leavenworth.

Duck egg ravioli made by Tom Douglas at the Tom Douglas Summer Boot Camp, Seattle.

Charcuterie and local cheese plate at The Pike, Seattle.

Hitting the snack bar at The Seaview Theater, Orcas Island.

Getting piggy with my barbecue guru at Central, Memphis.

Breakfast at Mother's, Portland.

2009 Bites! Part Two

More incredible/memorable bites from 2009, from top to bottom:

Bacon-wrapped scallops and kale at Black Bottle.

Craig's BBQ in DeValls Bluff, Arkansas.

Roast chicken at Soul Fish in Memphis.

Everything at Pam's Caribbean on the Ave.

Everything at Salumi.

Yellowtail tataki in Whitefish, Montana.

Oysters at Taylor Shellfish Farms, Samish Bay.

I'm dreaming of oysters for Christmas

I'm not sure when it happened, but my daughter has become oyster lover. Baby Girl used to be so dang picky, so parents of persnickety kids should take heart.

When we were working out our holiday menus, she suggested oysters on Christmas Eve. Which sent me into a shellfish fever. What would it be? On the half shell? Fried? Wrapped in bacon? Rockefellered? How about yes to all of the above. I'll make oysters a dozen different ways, I foolishly declared.

Now I'm in a pickle. I can only come up with 10 recipes. What am I missing?

On the half shell
A Bloody Mary shooter
Dredged in a curry powder and flour and fried
Po'Boy
Angels on Horseback
Oysters Casino
Oysters Rockefeller
Oyster Stew
Oysters Bienville
BBQ-ed Oysters

Maybe I should quit fixating on coming up with a dozen. Ten's a good number. Unless somebody's got a savory suggestion.

Pointing my compass toward Northstar!

Heading to Walla Walla this weekend for Holiday Barrel Tasting, snow forecasts be damned.

I've always loved trying wine in its earliest stages. It's a sneak preview of the wonderful things to come. But this fall, I'm particularly pumped because I've been following one wine at Northstar that I think has the potential to be a true superstar.

I've been chronicling the story of the Big Dipper since last summer, when winemaker David "Merf" Merfeld put nearly 300 miles on his pickup showing me some of his favorite vineyards. That journey reminded me how vast and how beautiful this state's wine country is. I know it's often compared with France, given our shared latitude. And many of the sites reminded me of vineyards I saw in Bordeaux, which is cool because Merf's definitely got an Old World state-of-mind about crafting the Big Dipper. He wants to make a wine that will age. A noble aspiration in our instant gratification wine-drinking world.

We won't get a sneak peek at Big Dipper this weekend. I'm bummed, but it's understandable. There's a limited amount of wine from various vineyards tagged for Big Dipper and Merf needs every drop for blending purposes. But super tasters will get to sample sips from other wines produced this year, which should give a good indication the direction they're headed. Can't wait! Will I see you there?

Along with barrel tasting, there's going to be live music Saturday and Sunday, tasting of older wines and a selection of cheese to sample. Find me there on Saturday afternoon and whisper "Big Dipper" in my ear and I'll buy you a drink!

Thanksgiving: The Aftermath

Did everybody have a wonderful Turkey Day?

At our home, it was a Northwest feast: miso salmon wearing purple potato scales, oyster dressing, sauteed kale, curried delicata squash soup, salad dressed in a pear and cranberry chutney vinaigrette. Apple pie for dessert. We were all mighty thankful for the 1999 Cabernet from Woodward Canyon.

Select leftovers were folded into pasta last night, as we sat around the table one last time with friends and family from out of town. They buttered me up with compliments. There were no dramas, just lots of laughs and sillyness.

We went to movies, skipping the Black Friday sales, and did a quick visit to the Seattle Art Museum and hung out at the UW Bookstore. Packed in a whole lot this weekend. I'm not the kind of person who thinks company is like fish. Starting to stink after three days.

I'm happy to see them come and sad to watch them leave. And hope they come back again soon.

Digesting Food Inc.

Finally saw Food Inc. last night and was worried I would have nightmares. It was damn scary.

This morning, I heeded the call to action and started planning an entirely new Thanksgiving menu, sourced entirely at neighborhood farmers markets and my husband said: "You know, sometimes ignorance is bliss."

Yes, that's true. It takes a lot of effort to do the right thing. I know I'm late to the table with this question, but I can't help wondering: How did seeing this movie affect you? Did it bring lasting change to the way you cook/eat?

Most people have good intentions about eating right, but the system's gamed. Cheap food comes from factory farms, that's the bottom line. It costs more to buy directly from farmers, I get that.

I am going to redouble my efforts to support sustainability as much as my super tight budget will allow. Starting on Thanksgiving. Just put in a call to Olsen Farms, asking what was available. Maybe I'll see you at the U-District Farmer's Market tomorrow?

What a great trip!

Sure had a filling trip to Memphis and Oxford, Miss., for the Southern Foodways Alliance Symposium, three days of food, fellowship and big, big fun.

The combination of scholarly discourse and incredible food is what keeps coming me back to this annual event. I've met so many interesting people, all coming together to celebrate food traditions of the South.

This year's focus on music was so perfect, given the depth of musical talent to come out of that region. Serving red beans and rice cooked on a recipe inspired by a gone, but not forgotten restaurant in New Orleans before talking about the way musicians gathered at that venerable place was brilliant.

Sunday morning's Chitlin ballet -- formally called Pork Songs -- was followed by a banquet of baked fish, greens, grits and heaps of bacon and biscuits cooked by John Currence's crew at City Grocery.

That was my second breakfast. I had to go back to Big Bad Breakfast to taste whether the grit cake (pictured with a side of tomato gravy, a biscuit and andouille sausage) was as good the first time I tried it. Heck yes!

Already looking forward to next year.