Time for recipes that call for blueberries of happiness

The cool wet spring might have slowed the ripening of Oregon blueberries this year, but the appeal of the tasty fruit is picking up steam locally and internationally.

The arrival of warm weather is heating up the harvest of what could be a record-setting crop this year, allowing the industry to keep up with growing demand. Fresh berries are still a hit in Japan, but have great potential in the fast-growing economy of India and possibly South Korea.

“Blueberries remain the popular superfood in Asia,” said Amanda Welker, international trade manager with the Oregon Department of Agriculture. “The health benefits are notorious and the flavor profile fits the Asian palate well. While blueberries have been popular in eastern Asia for quite some time, Indian consumers are … Continue Reading

A Sense of Place: Marcus Whitman Hotel

If you have ever read any articles about wine, you may have come across the word, “terroir.” Terroir is a French word that loosely translates into “a sense of place.”

The word acknowledges agriculture sites in the same region that share similar soil, weather and even farming techniques that contribute to the qualities of the crops.

Chef Bear Ullman has created his “sense of place” that is unique to the historical corner of Second Avenue and Rose Street in downtown Walla Walla. The Chef’s Table at the Marcus Whitman Hotel is where Chef Bear can be found sharing his very special terroir with others. It is a culinary adventure as Chef Bear’s guests make a connection to the terroir and terrain of the Walla Walla Valley through his “Sense of Place” dining event.

This epicurean experience offers an opportunity to learn about the innovative local partnerships that bring the best of … Continue Reading

The Chef’s Table – ‘Some Like it Hot’ at Thai Ploy Restaurant

I’m a big fan of Thai food. While living in Seattle, I found a certain comfort in always being just a few steps away from the sweet, savory and fresh flavors found in the city’s countless Thai restaurants. Now that I’m a full-time Walla Walla resident, you can probably guess how I feel to have, once again, a choice of Thai cafés in my own backyard. Who says you can’t have it all?

Behind the walls of its unassuming brick facade, Thai Ploy restaurant consistently serves a variety of traditional Thai dishes in a large, colorful dining room adorned with rich wood paneling and traditional Thai artwork. From exotic soups, salads and noodle dishes to spicy curry and seafood entrees, Thai Ploy’s menu conveniently bridges the nearly 8,000-mile divide between … Continue Reading

RECIPE – Thai Ploy’s Pad Thai

You can create this Thai noodle dish at home in less than 10 minutes.  Most ingredients can be found in the ethnic food aisles at Walla Walla’s  larger grocery stores.

Pad Thai Sauce

• 1 cup tamarind juice
• 1 cup palm sugar
• 1 cup water
• 1 teaspoon salt

Additional Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons garlic oil
• ½ pound prawns, thinly sliced chicken,
• or cubed tofu
• ¼ pound rice noodles
• 1 to 2 beaten eggs

Preparation
In a medium-sized bowl, combine Pad Thai sauce ingredients  and … Continue Reading

Wine Bloggers Conference Walla Walla wrap up

The 2010 Wine Bloggers Conference has wrapped up and now we take a moment to sift through the various Tweets and blog posts to bring you a post-conference collection of thoughts and impressions of our lovely little town.

The Walla Walla Union-Bulletin had this post-conference story:

Michael Davidson, Tourism Walla Walla executive director, said today he was very impressed with organizational work done by the Walla Walla Valley Wine Alliance.

Overall the event “was just phenomenal and it was just a great showcase opportunity for us,” Davidson said. “I think it was a great opportunity for Walla Walla and a great opportunity for Washington state.”

The Wild Walla Walla Wine Woman, Catie, of Through The Walla Walla Grapevine:

Most of all, I am overwhelmed with spirit and friendship. It is the energy from the collaborative spirit and … Continue Reading

Big John Bates and the Voodoo Dollz and DJ Howie Pyro to mix it up at Charles Smith Wines

MAKE SURE YOU CHECK OUT THE VIDEO AFTER THE BREAK

K Vintners & Charles Smith Wines will set the stage for a one-of-a-kind evening of music and wine tasting Friday.

L.A. DJ Howie Pyro will spin vinyl at the wineries’ 35 S. Spokane St. location downtown. The evening’s entertainment also includes Vancouver, B.C., rockabilly band Big John Bates and the Voodoo Dollz, a library wine tasting, food and wine.

The doors open at 7:30 p.m. with spins from Howie Pyro. The live rockabilly starts at 10 p.m. Tickets are $30 in advance or $35 at the door. Admission includes the library wine tasting and appetizers while … Continue Reading

Trio Vintners first to move out of Walla Walla winery incubator

The two places could not be more different for a winery.

One: a bare-bones building constructed with just enough square-footage to produce wine, but little space for a tasting room. The other: A relic from a historic hardware store perfect for a tasting room but no space for production.

Neither is the estate vineyard Trio Vintners co-owner Denise Slattery would inhabit if money were no object. So as the first tenant of the Port of Walla Walla’s winery incubator complex to leave the proverbial nest this month, the move is bittersweet. She and her husband and Trio Vintners co-owner Steve Michener leave behind the familiar but stripped-down incubators surrounded by friends for a new space downtown filled with unknown possibilities.

For the Port of Walla Walla and the wine industry, as a whole, the move is just plain sweet.

“This is exactly what the commissioners had hoped would happen when the … Continue Reading

Tweets from the 2010 Wine Bloggers Conference.

As a few hundred wine bloggers descend on Walla Walla, you can keep track of what’s going on from the comfort of your home or work or wherever you are.

We’re tracking the Twitter conversations using #WBC10 hashtag. Even if you don’t have a Twitter account you can visit this page frequently to see what happens when you mix 300 or so wine bloggers with small town Walla Walla.

… Continue Reading

Sear Away: The Bank and Get Grill Co.

The formula for good food is easy if you have a hot grill and a burning passion to serve the freshest vegetables and proteins. Chef Paul Freeman has definitely found the formula. Paul is an experienced French trained chef with over 15 years of catering experience. A fine balance of charisma blended with skill, and professionalism for his craft, equals a pleasurable meal. Watching Paul at the grill adds to the dining experience as he talks to his food and his guests using his own positive colloquialisms mixing greetings with kitchen terms such as “Sear Away.”

Growing up around agriculture, it was a natural for Paul to take his knowledge and perfect his grilling by using the finest meats and adding his “twist.” He also confides that when you are 19 years-old you discover that learning how to cook is a sure way to get a date.

Chef Paul would later introduce his cooking skills and his own twist on grilling while growing his business, Get Grill, at the Farmer’s Market in … Continue Reading

Discover Cooking with Lavender at Local Wineries!

The goddesses of wine and herbs must have stayed with me throughout the day as I later discovered two local Walla Walla wineries will be featuring Seattle author, foodie, gardner and lavender enthusiast Kathy Gerht this holiday weekend.

Kathy will be introducing her new book, Discover Cooking with Lavender at Isenhower Cellars and Three Rivers Winery this weekend. Kathy will have … Continue Reading

Waterbrook Winery offers a little fly fishing with your wine

The centuries old adage, “A flask of wine, a book of verse and thou …,” had to be rewritten to something more like a taste of wine, a wooly bugger and us and the kids, as Waterbrook Winery hosted its second annual Fly Fishing Fair on Saturday.

Last year the event brought in about 100 people, and by noon on Saturday it looked like there would be more than 100 adults and children this year.

“It’s a winery, it’s not about kids,” Waterbrook tasting room manager Ron Williams said, making it clear that the winery’s primary goal is to cater to adults.

But sometimes adults have kids in tow. And when that is the case, it helps if the winery has a nice pond with a walking path, a bocce court, a large patio with fireplace and a wide-screen TV where they will gladly put on Sponge Bob. It’s what Williams likes to describe as a “family friendly” winery.

“The goal is to keep the children entertained while the adults taste wine,” he added.

Not only were kids entertained, but they got to learn about fly fishing, as members of the Walla² Fly Fishers club answered … Continue Reading