[.ca] Tom Douglas' Seattle Kitchen (ISBN 0688172423)

From Amazon.com:
Tom Douglas loves Seattle and Seattle loves Tom Douglas. The owner of and force behind three popular restaurants (Dahlia Lounge, Etta's Seafood, and Palace Kitchen), Douglas has made an in-depth study of Pacific Northwest foodstuffs and culinary influences--basically the man has happily eaten his way through the city for the past 25 years and then, to Seattleites' delight, has applied his knowledge to his restaurants. "With this book, we hope to communicate our experience of Seattle," says Douglas. "We want to share our thriving food scene with you--you can get on a plane and come see us or you can use this book to create your own 'Seattle' in your kitchen." Douglas focuses on using fresh, in-season ingredients in all his recipes. "My philosophy is: eat it when you've got it, enjoy the harvest when it's here," he says. In Seattle, that means Grilled Asparagus with Hazelnut-Star Anise Mayonnaise in the spring, Sake-Steamed Sockeye Salmon with Sake Butter with Oregon Pinot Noir Raspberry Sorbet on a summer evening, or the year-round favorite, Dungeness crab. Try Crab Salad with Asparagus, Avocado, and Lime Vinaigrette or Wok-Fried Crab with Ginger and Lemongrass. Use Washington State apples in Parsnip-Apple Hash or Maple-Cured Double-Cut Pork Chops with Grilled Apple Rings and Creamy Corn Grits. Douglas offers plenty of savory vegetarian dishes such as Potato Gnocchi with Roasted Tomatoes and Gorgonzola Cream, Wild Mushroom Ravioli with Arugula Salad, and Tuscan Bread Salad with Fresh Mozzarella and Basil (a perennial favorite at the Dahlia Lounge). Like a walk through the fish and vegetable stalls at Pike Place Market, Tom Douglas' Seattle Kitchen is fresh, inspiring, and filled with aromatic ideas. His prose is relaxed, colloquial, and encouraging--cook, eat, and enjoy are his basic tenets--and the book is filled with photos of Seattle life and institutions. Whether you live in the Emerald City or the Windy City, Tom Douglas' Seattle Kitchen will spark your imagination and enliven your palate. --Dana Van Nest

Outstanding!:
Amazon featured Thanksgiving recipes from Tom Douglas' book last week, and the three I tried made me and my family believers in this man's genius! His Red Bliss Mashers were my sister's fave dish of the day, even though she usually won't eat mashed potatoes made with anything more complex than butter and salt. The Cranberry Chutney with Dried Apricots and Currants was a tangy delight, even for a die-hard jellied cranberry sauce lover like myself. But the star of the meal was the Spice-Rubbed Turkey -- Tom's delectable spice rub that married brown sugar and cinnamon with paprika and cayenne pepper guaranteed that there wasn't much leftover turkey! Excellent recipes with explanations that even newbie cooks like me can follow -- now I'm going to buy the book! Outstanding!

Get the Book:
It has taken me awhile to write a review for this book due to the fact that I have been testing as many recipes as possible and while in Seattle compared the restaurant version with the home version. The verdict is: Get the book. The recipes are very easily done in a standard home kitchen and they are the recipes of the restaurants in question. If there is a flavor difference it is easily explained by the author such as, the restaurant version of the salmon rub uses smoked paprike (very hard to get) while the home uses the sweet variety. The book reflects a deep love of Seattle and is informative in a chatty way. I think though, for the Asian food information sections you may want a little more depth with Bruce Cost's book on Asian ingredients. For the experienced cook this is a great book to have on the shelf showing a fusion of traditional and international influences in the menu. For those looking for soemthing in between a beginner's and a hardcore pro level this book is excellent. People at my various parties and catering gigs have loved the food prepared from this book and it has achieved the status of favorite on the shelf. It is approachable in tone, style and technique. It is also helpful that he provides a supplier section for those hard to get items like kazu. The fish section maybe a no go for some people due to freshness issues but the section on grilling/barbecuing is nice and the dry brine method for roast chicken was very reliable. All the side dishes were easily done as well with a standard grocery store available. Recommended highly and I look forward to his next work.

Best Cookbook ever:
Now I may be biased because I live in Seattle but there is not a recipe in this book which is not simply perfect. I have tried about 10 recipes including the crab cakes, blueberry coffee cake, Short Ribs with Rosemary white beans and the Lobster and Shiitake Potstickers and not had a bad one yet. All the recipies are pretty easy to make, use simple fresh ingredients and usually recommend a wine to pair with it. These are not always the types of recipes that you want to whip up in 10 mins when you get home from work but for a weekend dinner where you have 1/2 hr or more to cook, you will be well rewarded. There is definitely a seafood bias for this which is fine with me. In the middle of the book are about 10 pages of pictures of many of the dishes. I have lots of cookbooks with several good recipes but never one with so many winners and absolutely no losers. I have been to 2 of Tom's restaurants in Seattle but this makes me want to cook at home.

Amazing kitchen resource as well as a great guide to Seattle:
Point number one: As a Seattlite, Tom Douglas' three fabulous restaurants have always been among my favorites. I'm thrilled to have the recipes for all my favorite dishes - Lobster Potstickers, Tuscan Bread Salad and Cornbread Pudding, just to name a few. And then there is the world's most amazing dessert: Triple Coconut Cream Pie. I don't particularly care for coconut, but I'd walk miles for a bite of this marvel. Whenever visitors come to town, we inevitably take them to the Dahlia Lounge and insist, no matter how loud their protests, that they at least try a bite. Without fail, they, too, become converts. Trust me on this. Douglas' recipes are well-written and adapted for the home cook. He does a great job of explaining off-beat ingredients and preparations. Where appropriate, he even includes photos of how to tackle some of the more unusual preparations that make his recipes even easier to follow. Point number two: Not only does Douglas give you his best recipes in this book, but he has also written what should be considered a mandatory guidebook to visitors and newcomers to Seattle. Douglas generously mentions most of the other great restaurants in town and tells you when to go and what to order. His description of the local markets is so comprehensive, it should be mandatory reading for every new cook who comes to town. Clearly, this man loves Seattle, and he wants to share all the best of it with his readers.

Grung gormet:
This was a gift to my husband, but has only been opened twice. The recipes look somewhat interesting, but the ingredients are not generally available to most areas. It would be helpful in a coastal area where FRESH seafood was more readily available AND was more cost-effective to use. We are intrigued by some entrees, but again, most are not user-friendly (or kid- friendly) which is important in our busy home! I good gift for the hobby gourmet, not useful in everyday life...at least not in our busy (and filled with picky kids) home!