It's an oasis on West Highway 12.  The artfully designed buildings of Waterbrook is a haven for relaxation, whether it is indoors or out.   Waterbrook's Tasting Room is contemporary, but still influenced by the natural setting of the Northwest.  From the many windows and glass walls,  one can soak in the views of the  large ponds,  pastures of native grass and the beautiful Blue Mountains.  If you time it just right you can catch a coral and lavender- colored sunset while sipping a glass of Waterbrook's award-winning wine. There's a lot going on at Waterbrook.  Not only will you find an extensive list of wines for every palate and pocketbook, but on weekends you can enjoy the comfortable surroundings with a glass of wine and  small appetizer plates that are large on flavors.   Also available are goodies-to-go for an impromptu picnic, such as an assortment of gourmet crackers, cheeses, cured meats and local chocolates. Ceil Blaine, Executive Chef of Waterbrook Winery has recently announced Wednesday Night Cooking Classes at the winery's tasting room.  It's all about home cooking that has been kicked up a notch and of course, food that is wine friendly.  From now until June 2, Waterbrook winery will offer a variety of classes from soup, flatbreads, crackers, brunch, Italian, Tapas, Thai, Cioppino and even how to infuse lavender in your menus.  Ceil says ...

Walla Walla's showcase event for food and wine will bring some new flavors to the table this year. Fish tacos, draft beer and hard cider among them. Organizers of foodie festival Feast Walla Walla are getting tongues wagging for the third annual event, signing the largest number of food participants yet. Fourteen food purveyors -- from longtime chefs to culinary arts students -- will serve everything from pub grub to fancy fare at the April 10 event, according to an announcement from the Downtown Walla Walla Foundation. The $45 tickets are on sale now for participants 21 and older. The three-hour event starts at 1 p.m. that Saturday. Here's how it works: Guests at the entrance of a 400-foot heated tent on First Avenue between Main and Alder streets trade their tickets for 10 event tokens and a commemorative wine glass. The tokens are exchanged at stations set up throughout the tent for samples of food and wine. With restaurants and wineries -- not to mention a brewery and cidery this year -- under one roof, the event is a chance to dine from multiple menus and pair the food with Walla Walla's renowned wines. Works from four local artists will also be on ...

The story of John and Rebecca “Becca” Lastoskie’s pilgrimage to Walla Walla reads more like the concept of a new reality television show than the tale of a young couple relocating to the picturesque Valley. After selling their Sacramento home and putting all their belongings in storage, the two packed their infant son, Sam, and an “antisocial” shelter dog, into a Volkswagen van and hit the road for nearly two months. The challenge: Find a new place to call home. After checking out Northwest towns from Billings to Bellingham – with plenty of “quality time” to debrief each other and debate each locale – Walla Walla was chosen as their final resting stop. John, a former teacher, and Becca, a hair stylist, parked their temporary “home on wheels” and began unpacking their new life. Pursuing his lifelong dream of working with food, John launched Graze Catering in September 2006. Since that fateful autumn, Graze has catered nearly 350 events, serving more than 24,000 guests. Ready for more adventure, John added a second arm to his catering business in November, opening GRAZE: ‘a place to eat.’ More than a sandwich shop but less fussy than a café, the compact Colville Street eatery serves ...

Ingredients: Brisket and Brine 1 beef brisket (about 5 lbs) 12 cups water ½ cup + 2 tablespoons Morton’s Kosher Salt ½ cup + 2 tablespoons brown sugar ¾ teaspoon pink salt (a curing salt) 1½ tablespoons whole peppercorns 1 tablespoon dried thyme 2 teaspoons granulated garlic 2 teaspoons whole juniper berries 6 bay leaves 1 tablespoon whole coriander seeds 1 tablespoon liquid smoke Dry Rub 2 tablespoons medium ground black pepper 1 teaspoon ground coriander 1 teaspoon granulated garlic 1 teaspoon liquid smoke 1 tablespoon canola oil Method: Trim brisket of external fat. Bring water and all spices to a boil and then remove from heat. Let water and spices come to room temperature, and then chill in fridge until 40 degrees or lower. Place beef brisket, brine and liquid smoke in a non-reactive container. Make sure brisket is submerged in brine by weighing down with aplate. Place in back corner of fridge and let sit for 20 days. Pre-heat oven to 250 degrees (275 if non-convection). Remove brisket from brine, rinse thoroughly under cold water and pat dry. Place brisket on a wire rack set on a sheet pan. Evenly spread dry rub over the top of brisket, sprinkle with liquid smoke and canola oil, and rub into brisket. Roast in oven for 3½ hours. Remove (try not to ...

The Julia Child Cookoff was co-sponsored by the Downtown Walla Walla Foundation and Lifestyles magazine. Watch video after the break.

They did it again! Tom Maccarone and Chef Jake Crenshaw, co-owners of the popular T. Maccarone’s restaurant in Walla Walla purchased one of downtown's beloved landmarks, the 34-year old Merchants Ltd Deli. Tonight was the premiere opening for the Olive Marketplace & Cafe. It proved to be a grand evening of good food, good wine and visiting with many familiar faces, besides being the first ones to see the new design. Yes Walla Walla Peeps, in many ways it is still the same Merchants LTD but even better with the same casual feel; adding a new paint job, furniture, art, kitchen and restrooms. The balcony area has new furniture and even niches for studying and meetings. In fact, it looks even bigger in spite of the sea of growing people who were there tonight to celebrate. The Olive Marketplace will be opened daily from 6am to 9pm and 10pm on Fridays and Saturdays. Breakfast from 6-11am and the lunch and evening menus will feature their flat bread pizza, sandwiches, soups and other items. I can tell you first hand the flat bread pizza was luscious and so many toppings to choose from. Espresso, tea, local and imported wines and beer on tap ...

The Julia Child Boeuf Bourguignon Cookoff Contest is Friday, Feb. 5 from 5-7 pm at Someone's In the Kitchen, located at the corner of 4th and W. Rose, downtown Walla Walla. This event is co-sponsored by Walla Walla Lifestyles Magazine and the Downtown Walla Walla Foundation. It was inspired by the movie "Julie & Julia." If you are not familiar with the movie, "Julie & Julia", it depicts events in the life of chef Julia Child in the early years of her culinary career, while contrasting her life with Julie Powell. In 2002, Powell aspired to cook all 524 recipes from Child's cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking during a single year. Powell also shares her experiences online about her experiences cooking the recipes in a blog named, The Julie/Julia Project which led to a book and of course, a movie. The movie itself is a must-see for foodies, wine lovers and of course, wine and food bloggers. I left the theatre with this need to cook Boeuf Bourguignon, chocolate cake and omelettes. In fact, I swung open the door to my house and greeted my dog and two cats singing in a high pitched voice, "Bonjour!" Now, here is how ...

Jennifer Northam talks with Tom Maccarone about Olive Marketplace. Get a sneak peak at the new digs before it's open. Only on the Downtown Buzz, sponsored by the Walla Walla Downtown Foundation.

Halloween may be just around the corner, but owners of a local bed-and-breakfast are partnering with a new downtown Walla Walla winery to plan Thanksgiving dinner. Chef Charles Maddrey of the Fat Duck Inn will prepare a family-style Thanksgiving feast to be served at Walla Faces, Walla Walla's new tasting room at 216 E. Main St. The event is limited to 50 guests, so reservations are required. The cost is $65 per person and includes dinner and one bottle of Walla Faces wine per couple. ••• Canoe Ridge Vineyard will toast its 20th anniversary when it opens its doors for Fall Release the first full weekend of November. The winery, 1102 W. Cherry St., will open Nov. 7 and 8 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. One of numerous wineries to participate in Fall Release, Canoe Ridge planted its first grapes in 1989. In celebration, the winery will release its 2007 Cherry Street Red table wine, 2007 syrah, 2006 reserve merlot and 2006 reserve cabernet sauvignon. A tasting of library wines will also be offered. A $5 tasting fee is reimbursable with a wine purchase and waived for active wine club members. Guests can pay $5 and enter to win an etched collectors magnum. Light hors d'ouevres ...

Ingredients 2 cups olive oil 2 cups peeled zucchini cut lengthwise and into 1-inch pieces 2 cups carrots chopped into 1-inch pieces 2 cups peeled red potatoes cut into 1-inch cubes 1 large Walla Walla Sweet Onion coarsely chopped 1 clove Italian garlic coarsely chopped 1 cup fresh parsley chopped 1 cup fresh basil chopped 2 cans Sclafani whole tomatoes strained and coarsely cut, juice set aside 2 large eggplants sliced and cut into eight triangles 2 cups chicken stock 2 cups beef stock 1⁄2 cup parmigiano reggiano 1⁄2 tsp. pepper 1 tsp. chile flakes 1⁄2 tsp. sage 1⁄2 tsp thyme Meatballs 1 lb. ground beef or Italian bulk sausage 3 eggs 1⁄2 cup Italian bread crumbs 1⁄2 cup parmegiano reggiano cheese 1⁄2 tsp. chile 1⁄2 tsp salt 1⁄2 tsp pepper 1⁄2 tsp onion powder 1 clove Italian garlic, chopped fine Mix thoroughly, roll in to 1⁄2 ounce balls and place on oiled cookie sheet. Bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes. Soup preparation Heat two cups olive oil on medium to high heat in a large boiling pot, fry eggplant for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. Remove eggplant from oil with a slotted spoon and place in a paper towel-lined strainer and set aside. Add onions and garlic to hot oil, fry until translucent. Add salt, pepper, chile, sage , thyme, basil and parsley and stir for one minute. Add ...

The morning I met Chantelle Martuscelli, I had to break the news to her, over a stiff cup of coffee and an episode of “Wonder Pets” (which her two children were watching in the background) that she is, in fact, a chef. What’s more, her name was to be subscribed in print as such, despite her insistence she “just cooks food” and has no formal training. But to say Chantelle is self-deprecating would be misleading — she has the prowess of Mario Batali trapped in the petite body of a Disney animation character — think “Little Mermaid” without the tail. Indeed, Chantelle serves as the long-locked, doe-eyed heroine of Cugini. Not that she needed to save the place. Don and Jerri Maiuri renovated a run-down shoe shop to open Cugini Import Italian Foods in 2004 and have had a loyal following from the all’inizio (very beginning). Enter Chantelle a few years ago. Hers is a recurring successful theme: starts as a dishwasher, moves up quickly to cook. Her last stop before Cugini was Creektown, which she credits as the place she “learned almost everything” — another recurring theme among chefs in town. At Cugini, Chantelle started out a few hours a week ...