Video after the break

Stephen Kenyon, Muriel’s father, grew up knowing that his grandfather, James Otis Kenyon, had passed away long before he was born.  To his surprise, Stephen found James alive and well nearly 50 years after he had disappeared from the Kenyon family, with a remarkable story to tell.

James never discussed the incident — when he was convicted of arson — that alienated him from his family.  Stephen and his wife Deborah, however, were able to piece the story together from news clippings.

Read more about the Otis Kenyon story and the Voices from the Walla Walla Valley.

Voices from the Walla Walla Valley – Muriel Kenyon from Walla Walla Union-Bulletin on Vimeo.

Had it been left to Russell Creek Winery owner Larry Krivoshein to learn about his best-in-show win from last weekend’s Tri-Cities Wine Festival in the headlines, things might have been a little tricky.

The longtime-funeral-home-director-turned-winemaker has a hard time seeing the small print these days because of macular degeneration.

But if conventional wisdom holds that the other senses become more acute when one begins to fail, it might explain a bit about Krivoshein’s nose for wine and how he keeps racking up wins for his varietals.

“I don’t know how he does it,” marveled his son, Scott Krivoshein, a Walla Walla financial planning consultant. “I don’t have the nose to tell if something’s going bad or if it needs more oak. But it’s fun to watch him do it.”

Russell Creek’s 2008 Sangiovese was the grand-prize winner during the 32nd annual Tri-Cities Wine Festival, where six West Coast judges awarded 285 medals after judging more than 400 wines. This is Krivoshein’s third best-in-show since 2003.

During a visit Friday at his tasting room on Aeronca Avenue, the 72-year-old winemaker attributed his success to some basic tenets he’s learned since Russell Creek became bonded as Walla Walla’s 14th winery in 1998.

He buys grapes only from established vineyards. “I don’t believe in buying grapes that are on sale,” he quipped.

He tries to replace at least half his oak every year. The barrels that aren’t replaced are used on a rotation.

“If I made a $20 bottle of wine in $400 barrels one year and the next year use the same barrels, then I should reduce the price of the bottle of wine,” he said. “A lot of wineries don’t do that.”

He also believes in sticking, for the most part, to single varietals. His only blend, he said, is the table wine he named “Tributary,” which nabbed him a silver medal, along with a gold for his 2007 Syrah, at this year’s competition.

If all else fails, Krivoshein said a lesson he learned in his more than three decades in the funeral business continues to ring true.

“I’ve always had in my head that the customer is always right,” he said.

“I’m not out there to make a bad wine,” he said. “If you don’t like a wine, you’ll never go back to that winery.”

The commitment to the quality reflects what he describes as a passion for being in business. That also explains how someone who has attempted to retire twice continues to work as what may be Walla Walla’s oldest winemaker.

Though Krivoshein sold his Groseclose Garden Chapel in 1992 – the business is now known as Herring-Groseclose Funeral Home – he mastered his knack for winemaking at home before going back into business with his tasting room.

In the early days of his wine business, his history as a funeral director remained such a huge part of his identity that his first wine was dubbed “Diggers,” a nod to a nickname that has stuck with Krivoshein all these years.

The label included an outline of the state of Washington and a shovel sticking out from where Walla Walla would be on the map. Soviet Union, Canadian and U.S. flags were flying across the top as a tongue-in-cheek reference to Krivoshein’s cultural and economic background.

Incidentally, Russell Creek was the first winery to charge a fee. Guests paid $5 at the door, but got to keep the glass – a tradition that’s since been adopted by numerous wineries.

A couple of years ago it looked like Krivoshein might be gearing up for another retirement. He remained the winemaker but sold a portion of the operation to new owners. He has since returned to the forefront of the operation as owner and winemaker.

The operation has changed a bit over the years, particularly as Krivoshein’s ability to see fine details has deteriorated. The trips he used to take to Seattle with his rig loaded with cases of wine to sell to shops are a thing of the past since he doesn’t drive on those highways.

But one thing that hasn’t changed is his gratitude for the recognition his wines receive.

“It’s just sort of unbelievable,” he said. “They taste all those wines and pick mine.”

A group of wine buyers with very deep pockets visited the area Monday as part of an annual tour aimed at increasing the state’s profile with major purchasers.

The Washington Wine Commission brought 43 buyers from around the country, with more than $750 million of annual wine purchasing power as a group, to the area on a leg of Road Trip Washington Wine, which is in its third year.

The five-day trip also includes visits to Seattle, Tri-Cities, the Yakima Valley and Woodinville.

The program allows wine buyers from across the country to see vineyards and participate in winemaking activities in Washington. The group visited four vineyards and 11 wineries in the Walla Walla region.

“Road Trip Washington Wine is a very hands-on experience for our guests. In the vineyards, they’ll be picking grapes and examining soil composition and various viticultural practices. In the wineries, they’ll be sorting or crushing grapes and examining different fermentationtechniques, blending and barrel aging practices, and other aspects of the winemaking process,” said Ryan Pennington, the commission’s senior

A group of wine buyers samples wine grapes from the vine as well as bottled wine while on a tour of Figgins Estate Monday morning as part of a four-day trip throughout the state with the Washington Wine Commission.

communications manager.

The Walla Walla-area grape harvest is happening 10-14 days later than usual, lucky timing for the buyers, who can participate in harvest activities.

Four of the 43 guests are members of the Court of Master Sommeliers, professionals who are masters of the art, science and history of wine. There are only 105 court members in North America. Because the guests come from all over the U.S., they can spread the word about Washington wines when they return.

“When these buyers return home, they become ambassadors of Washington state wine, and they’re better able to convey the quality, value, and diversity of Washington state wines to their customers,” said Pennington.

The trip cost the commission about $2,000 per guest. Participants paid for their travel to Washington, then the commission covered everything else for the five-day tour. This price is comparable to other wine tours, Pennington said.

While Washington wine is popular among these wine buyers, Pennington sees the program as an opportunity to increase sales.

Wine colored red leaves sprout up from petit verdot vines at Figgins Estate during a tour of the vineyard for wine buyers on a four-day state-wide tour of wineries and vineyards organized by the Washington Wine Commission.

“The average percentage of wine purchases from Washington state among the buyers not from Washington currently stands at 2-3 percent. This indicates that there is significant room for growth with these high-profile accounts, which is one of the driving forces behind Road Trip Washington Wine. Among the buyers from Washington state, the average percentage of their purchases from Washington is about 40-45 percent, and we believe that there is room for growth in our local market, as well,” Pennington said.

Pennington notes Washington wines have done well even during the poor economy.

“For the most part, Washington state has fared very well through the economic downturn. Washington state wines deliver extraordinary value at all price points, relative to our competition around the world,” he said.

The wine buyers started their trip in Seattle.

“We did a tasting at the Space Needle, which was fantastic, and then flew out here this morning. It was definitely a good contrast to see the overcast, rainy Seattle and then come out here and see the sun and desert environment,” said Patricia Ely, sommelier at Bourbon Steak, a restaurant at the Four Seasons Hotel in Washington, D.C.

Ely said she is excited to learn more about the Walla Walla region. She thinks that having the Columbia River nearby makes Walla Walla a wonderful spot.

“I am really still learning about this area. That is one of my reasons for coming out on this trip, to really be able to learn about all the different wonderful areas,” said Ely.

While Road Trip Washington Wine is only in its third year, it is already very successful, Pennington said.

“In just three years, Road Trip Washington Wine has become phenomenally successful,” he said. “In fact, we now have a waiting list of buyers who want to attend, and participating growers and winemakers have reported a jump in awareness of their brands and increases in sales, as a result of the program.”

Traditionally one of the most popular seats in a restaurant, the Chef’s Table offers the diner an opportunity to talk to the chef one-on-one — to discover his or her favorite local hangouts, predilections and food philosophies — while enjoying a specially prepared dish.

When paul Freeman was a boy, his father, a longtime cattle and timber baron, took to calling his young son “Rooster Rock” in honor of the youngster’s trademark cocky strut. Now a successful chef and caterer with more than 15 years of culinary experience under his shiny belt buckle, this real-life cowboy has combined his boyhood confidence with a grownup passion for food to create The Bank & Grill Catering Company.

I’m meeting Freeman at his latest culinary outpost, a restaurant situated in a historic 1906 bank building on Main Street in Milton-Freewater. The walls of the cozy dining room are dotted with Western-themed artwork created by Freeman’s sister, Patricia Freeman-Martin. It is here that the Pendleton native is taking his catering business to the next, more stationary, level, establishing a new hub for his mobile grilling empire.

Parked outside the building is Freeman’s modern-day chuck wagon, emblazoned with a logo of grill marks and flames for which he is widely known. Outfitted with a char broiler, stove and most conveniences of a commercial kitchen, the large custom trailer has scented the air at farmers markets, collegefootball games and private events across the region.

“I’ve even done French cuisine, with a maître d’ inside the house, and knocked out some great course work from that thing,” Freeman says proudly.  In addition to opening a new restaurant and continuing his catering business, Freeman will serve up his savory grilled fare inside the Pendleton Round-Up this month, a coveted spot he’s tried to wrangle for years.

“It just so happens to be the 100th anniversary of the Round-Up. I think the stars have aligned for me.”

LIFESTYLES: When did you start this wild grilling ride?

CHEF PAUL: My family was in the beef industry. I mean, we didn’t just have a few cows or something; we had cattle all over the place. … So growing up around such good proteins, I started experimenting with grilling simple steaks when I was in high school. But I guess my culinary story really started in 1985 when I got a job in the kitchen at the Sun Valley (Idaho) Inn.

LIFESTYLES: What brought you out there?

CHEF PAUL: Well, my mother won’t like this, but the Idaho drinking age was 19 at that time and I wanted to get grandfathered in before it changed (laughing). Also, being a rancher’s kid, I got to a certain age where I had a lot of responsibility and I sort of needed a break. I landed a great job that lit a fire under me. I used to cook before, but this just elevated my game.

LIFESTYLES: Trial by fire, huh?

CHEF PAUL: Yeah. I was one of only four prep cooks and we were cooking for thousands of people daily. One day, the executive chef gave me one of his 10-inch French knives and said, “Hey, I can tell you’ve got skills. You’re going to need a good knife.” So from there I just kept learning and eventually got into catering.

LIFESTYLES: How did your mobile catering business begin?

CHEF PAUL: I was working as the catering manager at the University of Idaho at the time, and I got hold of this charbroiler on wheels. … As a side business, I started taking this broiler to the farmers market in Moscow — which is awesome, by the way — and I would grill up chicken, ribs and beef. It took people a while to figure it out, but once they got it, man, I would go through about 400 pounds of meat in a few hours. It all just sort of evolved from there.

LIFESTYLES: Wow. What do you think makes your grill such a hot spot?

CHEF PAUL: I just try and use the highest- quality proteins available and get it to the consumer at a fair price. It’s all really good, local stuff prepared by expert hands.

LIFESTYLES: Will you be grilling inside or outside at the new restaurant?

CHEF PAUL: Both. I have an indoor charbroiler, but we’re going to experiment with some outdoor barbecuing, as well.

LIFESTYLES: What’s the difference between grilling and barbecuing?

CHEF PAUL: In barbecuing, you’re working with low-intensity heat, which imparts some smoke flavor over long periods of time. Charbroiling or grilling is more like flash cooking with higher heat. That’s where you see those fancy hash marks on the steak. It’s quicker.

LIFESTYLES: Well, if your reputation doesn’t get people in here, I’m sure the smell of all that seared meat will.

CHEF PAUL: I’ve actually been trying to figure out which direction my smoke is going to go. It’s like the ultimate “people chum.” A few griddled onions, some oak smoke, and people are just saying, “God, what is that? I need some!”

The Bank & Grill Catering Company

601 N. Main St.

Milton Freewater, OR

509-336-3951

www.getgrill.com

About 15 miles west of town, in what seemed like an oasis in the middle of acres of dry wheat stubble, close to 170 people sat around beautifully landscaped grounds that surround a picturesque pond, enjoying each other’s company and looking a lot like a modern-day version of Georges Seurat‘s famous painting about a Sunday afternoon in the park.

But it was Friday. And instead of a public park, it was Waterbrook Winery. And unlike the painting, the sights, smells, tastes and especially sounds were a real and new experience for the dozens of guests who attended the first Unstrung: An Evening of Unfettered Music.

“It was a different kind of event. Symphony and wine, you don’t see that at a lot of wineries. I think it is a perfect mix,” said Dana Erwin of Walla Walla.

Tasting Room Manager Ron Williams couldn’t agree more, but then again it was his idea to mix classical music with the park-like setting, food and wine.

“Crazy idea. I just wanted to do something that had not been tried before and something that really took advantage of our property,” Williams said.

So on Friday afternoon Williams was busy readying the grounds for a series of concerts by 25 members of the Tri-Cities-based Mid-Columbia Symphony, who would be performing in smaller groups later that evening. But what they would not be performing in front of would be rows and rows of seated people.

“What we really didn’t want was to set this up as a sit-down concert. So we are not bringing in theater seating for sure,” Williams said. Though he did bring in some of his own furniture to add to the quaintness of the experience, he added.

The atmosphere that Waterbrook and the Mid-Columbia Symphony attempted to create was one where people could leisurely walk about, eat a catered gourmet box dinner, drink a glass of wine and listen to one of four performances taking place at the same time for three hours Friday evening.

The cost was $50, and they sold close to 170 tickets. That included a ticket to Scott Peters, who enjoyed the fact he didn’t have to sit in one spot.

“I like the idea. I am going to get tired of sitting in a comfortable chair for a long time. And it will be nice to get up and go to a different spot and do a tour,” Peters said.

And he did get up out of his lawn chair after finishing his dinner and went inside the lobby to listen to three string players and a pianist play Mozart.

Outside, near the west end of the pond the harp soloist performed to a smaller gathering on the lawn by the water. Across the way, a trio of woodwind players set up near the main path. At the patio, where the majority of the people sat and listened, there was opera among the crowds, literally.

At one point, opera singers with the company spread out through the patio and began performing famous arias, as the guests ate their dinners, drank their wines and conversed and laughed with each other.

“We played in small ensembles before at events where we are background music, where people walk and talk around and behind you. We are kind of use to that,” said bassoonist Adella Hammerstrom of Richland.

Some of the guests admitted it was a little hard to get used to the idea it was OK to talk and move about while the musicians performed. But Symphony Manager Justin Raffa explained that the musicians look forward to the chance to perform outside at a picturesque setting where people were free to be casual.

“They are thrilled because it is such a unique outside-of-the-box event, and at any event they enjoy the opportunity to form smaller groups because there is a lot more concentrated playing time for them when they can be featured. The flute player doesn’t always get the chance to shine, but in a flute trio she does,” Raffa said.

So just how out-of-the-box was Friday’s Unstrung?

All the musicians who were asked said they had never performed at another event quite like it. Even Mid-Columbia Symphony Composer Nicholas Wallin, who is from the Windy City, agreed.

“For one thing, there are no wineries in Chicago,” Wallin joked. He noted that though he had been to classical music festivals where musicians performed in parks at different areas at the same time, those events just weren’t the same as Unstrung.

“I have actually never heard of an event quite like this. It is not unheard of, but having it at a winery and having different groups playing I think gives it a different twist.”

It is also an event that event coordinator Brooke Williams said Waterbrook will do again.

“Absolutely. The local response is that it was unique. It was fun and exciting for people who are lovers of wine and music … just seeing that come to life, to see 160-plus people from Walla Walla coming here is exciting,” she said.

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 just learning about the fruit and its health benefits.”

India is a very small niche market right now, Welker said in a news release, but has room for exponential growth as that county’s market matures.

“The benefit for Oregon is the timing of our season. We can offer a fresh fruit in the middle of India’s hot and muggy summers when there is a lack of local fresh fruits in the market place,” she said.

Fresh cultivated blueberry exports from the U.S. in 2009 reached 14,391 metric tons with a value of $64 million. Specific data for Oregon blueberries is not available, but export markets remain a key point of sale.

Oregon’s blueberry production is predominately in the Willamette Valley, with Marion and Washington counties both having plantings in excess of a thousand acres, said Bruce Pokarney, ODA spokesman.

“In fact, more than 4,300 of the 5,700 acres in blueberry production are in the Willamette Valley,” Pokarney said. “There is smaller production along the coast and Morrow County reports 400 acres in blueberries.”

Umatilla County also has at least two farms growing blueberries with the closest to Walla Walla being Lampson Farms on Day Road near Milton-Freewater. The second is Golden Valley East in Stanfield, Ore.

Per capita consumption of blueberries has increased in recent years not only in North America, but in Europe and Asia largely because of the health benefits blueberries offer for both young and old.

In the 1990s, a Tufts University study showed blueberries to have higher antioxidant activity than all other fruits and vegetables. Antioxidants neutralize the effects of free radicals, those unstable compound molecules that can attack human cells and damage DNA. Additional studies and reports in the last decade continue to reinforce the berry’s health value.

“Health benefits are the overriding reason for our market success,” says St. Paul grower Doug Krahmer, member of the Oregon Blueberry Commission and State Board of Agriculture. “But health benefits alone won’t sell fruit. Taste, convenience, and quality must be high for us to continue selling our fruit at a profitable price.”

Prices have strengthened this year, compared to 2009. The demand is high, but so should be the supply.

“Barring unforeseen circumstances, we should easily break the 50 million pound mark for production, which would be a new record for Oregon blueberries,” says Bryan Ostlund, administrator of the Oregon Blueberry Commission. “Fortunately, I think we have the markets to support that production.”

Find a farm

Oregon blueberry farm locator: www.oregonblueberry.com/index.html

Lampson Farms, Milton-Freewater: www.lampsonblueberries.com

Washington blueberry farm locator: www.superblues.net

Recipes
Blueberry Waldorf Salad

• 1 cup fresh or thawed frozen blueberries, divided
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons orange marmalade
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 cups (about 4 ounces) baby spinach
• 1 tart apple (e.g. Granny Smith), cored and thinly sliced
• 2 ribs celery, cut into 1-1/2-inch matchsticks (about 1 cup)
• 1/3 cup pecan or walnut halves, toasted

To prepare dressing: In a blender container, combine1/2 cup of the blueberries, oil, marmalade, lemon juice, mustard and salt; blend until a smooth, thick dressing forms. In a bowl, toss spinach with apple slices, celery, pecans and remaining 1/2 cup blueberries. Arrange equally on four serving plates. Just before serving, blend dressing again until smooth; drizzle over the salads. Serve immediately.

4 servings

Blueberry Cheesecake for Calorie Counters

• 3 tablespoons graham cracker crumbs
• 2 containers (6 ounces each) low-fat vanilla yogurt
• 1 cup fat-free cottage cheese
• 4 ounces fat-reduced cream cheese
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1/2 cup egg substitute
• Blueberry Sauce, recipe follows

Preheat oven to 350¬?F. Spray bottom and side of a 9-inch pie plate with vegetable cooking spray; sprinkle with graham cracker crumbs, and tilt to coat evenly. Place a coffee filter or two layers of paper towels in a strainer; stir 1 container of the yogurt and spoon it into the filter; set aside to drain, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, in a food processor, blend the remaining container of yogurt, cottage cheese, cream cheese and cornstarch until smooth. Add the eggs and pulse until combined. Carefully pour into the crumb-coated pie plate; smooth top. Bake until set in the center, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the Blueberry Sauce. When pie is set, spread the drained yogurt over the top; bake 5 minutes longer. Cool to room temperature on a wire rack. Chill until cold. Serve with Blueberry Sauce

Blueberry Sauce:

• 2 cups blueberries
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon water

In a medium-size saucepan, over medium heat, stir blueberries with sugar (or granulated non-nutritive sweetner), lemon juice and water until berries are soft, about 5 minutes; chill.

8 portions

Per Portion: Including 1-1/2 tablespoons blueberry sauce: 152 calories; 19 g carbohydrate; 4.5 g total fat (2.6 g saturated fat); 1 g fiber

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 the Valley right to the table. It was an experience I knew I had to indulge in and also share with friends. Jaime Chalk, wine club manager from L’Ecole Nº 41, joined our intimate gathering and

Chef Bear Ullman

added to the evening’s combination of great people, food and wine.

Our “Sense of Place” package included lunch with Chef Bear at the Chef’s Table, Q&A session with our chef, cooking demonstration, tips on wineries to visit during our free time before dinner and the seven-course, wine-paired dinner.

In this package, special hotel room discounts are available, so one can dine well and be safely guided by the elevator to a well-appointed room.

We started our experience with lunch and were presented with a plate full of spring colors, from the perfectly grilled, moist salmon to its bed of fresh- picked local asparagus, spinach and bite-sized, roasted fingerling potatoes. We watched Chef Bear prepare, at our table, a sauce verte to be enjoyed with the salmon. It was an herb-infused sauce made with aioli, crème fraiche, whipped cream, a green “juice” of macerated herbs, freshly squeezed lemon juice and fresh ground pepper from a pepper mill that Chef Bear had handcrafted from dark hardwood. This fragrant mixture was then hand-whipped into a light and airy emulsion, and once on our plates, it was sprinkled with purple chive flowers. I couldn’t think of a better wine with which to pair our lunch than what was already in our glasses, L’Ecole Nº 41 Fries Vineyard Semillon.

After lunch, we did what any tourist would do: checked into our rooms, jumped up and down on the beds (No, not really. Just checking to see if you were paying attention), opened drawers and cabinets and tried on the monogrammed robes. Eventually, we settled in, went downtown to shop, took many photos and then a nap so we could be vibrant for what was yet to come. Later, we met at the hotel’s Vineyard Lounge for cocktails.

Once again, we were swooped away to the Chef’s Table, which faces a stainless steel inner sanctum — a well-oiled machine of skills meeting flavors. It is a view of the “behind the scenes” where a guest of the hotel can actually see how their food is prepared. Chef Bear gave us a tour of his microgreen garden in the kitchen. Those intense and compact flavors of freshness would later be incorporated into our dining experience.

We were seated at our table and given our menu, which was met with “oohs” and “ahhs.” Some of Chef Bear’s food and wine pairings seemed bold and not traditional, but with the first bite and the first sip, we knew these pairings were well- thought-out — perfection.

You quickly realize some of the foods, such as California Meyer lemons and Spanish Marcona almonds, do not grow in the Walla Walla Valley, and Maine lobster is not plucked from Mill Creek. These items may not be part of our local terroir, but Chef Bear had a vision for these exotic foods, and he artfully combined these non-native foods with our local food and wine and made them part of his own terroir.

We left the Chef’s Table and journeyed to our rooms. Our evening left us feeling giddy, satisfied and overwhelmed. We didn’t have to go around the world or even to the nearest metropolis — an epicurean adventure was just around the corner.

On the Menu

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 Walla Walla and Bangkok.

Song Suriyo and Ploy Noisri

Owned by Ploy Noisri, with manager Song Suriyo busily overseeing the front, back and sides of the house, Thai Ploy is open seven days a week for lunch and dinner. Take-out orders and medium- sized caterings are gladly accepted by phone.

Between afternoon and evening rushes, Suriyo sat down with me to talk Thai food, foreign spices and good old lady luck.

LIFESTYLES: Are you originally from Thailand?

SURIYO: Yes, I’m from Bangkok. I lived there for a really long time. Actually, almost everyone who works here is from Thailand.

LIFESTYLES: Do you get back to Bangkok very often?

SURIYO: Yes. We still have a house there, and I go back to visit family and friends about once a year. Some of our family comes to visit us here too, which is nice.

LIFESTYLES: Is Thai Ploy’s menu pretty traditional, or is this the “American version” of Thai food?

SURIYO: No, it’s very traditional, but we do have to adjust the spice a little bit (grinning).

LIFESTYLES: What do you mean?

SURIYO: We have to make things a little less spicy than we would in Thailand. Back home, they want to make you sweat, but here we received feedback from customers that some dishes were too hot, so we adjusted the recipes. We try to make each dish as spicy (or not spicy) as they want it.

LIFESTYLES: It’s on the star system, right? With one star being the mildest and five stars being extra hot?

SURIYO: We actually do one to four stars … but if you want five stars, we can definitely do that, too.

LIFESTYLES: What about seven? Can I get seven stars?

SURIYO: (Laughing) If you want seven stars, we’ll probably just give you the extra spice to add in yourself. We don’t want you throwing food away because it’s too hot to eat.

Red curry with chicken

LIFESTYLES: Good thinking. So what’s behind all that heat?

SURIYO: Here, I’ll show you (retrieves a large tray of spices and herbs from the kitchen). We use chili powder, fish sauce with fresh chili peppers and several types of curry pastes.

LIFESTYLES: Looks like you use a lot of herbs too.

SURIYO: Right. We use fresh cilantro, sweet basil, tamarind, ginger, galangal …

LIFESTYLES: What is galangal?

SURIYO: It’s a larger ginger root, and it’s a little sweeter and spicier than regular ginger. It’s a main ingredient for most Thai dishes.

LIFESTYLES: What’s your most popular dish?

SURIYO: Almost every table orders the Restaurant Pad Thai and some type of curry.

LIFESTYLES: What’s your favorite dish on the menu?

SURIYO: I like a lot of spice. The basil beef is probably my favorite.

LIFESTYLES: Best dessert on the menu?

SURIYO: (Pauses to consider) I like the sticky rice with mango. It’s a very traditional Thai dessert and the mango is really sweet.

LIFESTYLES: What kinds of foods do you enjoy when you’re not at the restaurant?

SURIYO: Well, I eat Thai food almost every day. But I do eat a lot of American food, too. I’m here so much that sometimes I just want something different, you know?

LIFESTYLES: Like a hamburger and fries?

SURIYO: (Laughs) Yeah. Sometimes.

LIFESTYLES: Before I go, I have to ask about that shrine with the three little statues … (Smiles) Well, those are lucky ladies from different parts of Thailand. We give them offerings of rice, fruit and grape juice.

LIFESTYLES: Have they brought you any luck?

SURIYO: Oh, yes. A lot of luck … A lot.

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 these friendships that I realize that I would not be where I am with my wine blogging, if it weren’t for these valuable friendships. I have never been involved with a group of people before who could come together so quickly in the last three years through online social media tools and embrace each other face-to-face as if we had been long-time friends forever.

Nicky Vallee of the Vino Chick blog:

One of the most fulfilling aspects of my trip was meeting so many of my fellow wine lovers and bloggers. I received tremendous feedback about my site, and was surprised and honored to learn that some of these oenophiles had already heard about Vino Chick! The power of social media should NOT be underestimated.

William Pallard of Wild 4 Washington Wine at the Marcus Whitman Hotel & Conference Center during the three-day wine and bloggers conference.

Josh Wade of Drink Nectar left the conference with some ideas of how to improve his blog:

5 Actions Items from WBC10

• SEO – Search Engine Optimization: I know it’s important but it’s an area that I need further help with. If you know of good tools, classes, sites, please share.
• Improve the quality of my video: Starting with video 100 I’ll be moving to HD, investing in better editing software, paying attention to audio quality and planning shots / scripts in a more thoughtful way.
• Improve the quality of my writing: I like to write. I feel I write good engaging pieces. I understand my voice, but I don’t pay enough attention to the mechanics of the writing. I need to start waiting to post and reading out loud. Just because this post is done now, I’m not going to post it until later.
• Reorganize content: I’ve written 200 pieces that include sexual wine 101 courses, social media tips, wine business opinions and wine reviews. Now that I have established a more clear direction I need to better organize the content so it makes sense to the reader and is easy to find.
• Improve wine reviews: Some say wine reviews are dry and boring and don’t get read. Many disagree with the practice of scoring wines. I disagree. Scores help educate consumers and make better informed decisions. It’s my blog, so I’ll do what I want. I’m going to modify my scoring format a hair and create a more reproducible graphic / summary that more succinctly wraps up the review.

The folks over at Wine Press Northwest share this gallery of photos form the conference:

http://www.winepressnw.com/2010/06/27/5092/gallery-2010-wine-bloggers-conference.html

Joe Power of Another Wine Blog:

It has been a lot of fun, but I think my liver will find a way to rip itself out of my body and check into a detox center any moment now if I don’t give it a break. Damn, they make some

fine wine up here in Washington!

We had the opportunity to meet so many amazing, dedicated, and talented wine makers, who not only shared their wine with us, but also vast amounts of knowledge.

Tamara Belgard of Sip With Me! came away with Top 10 Things I Learned at Wine Camp :

8. Remember to use all of your sensory experiences when tasting wine. See it, smell it, feel it, taste it. (Meg Houston Maker, MakersTable) Shhhh, be vewy, vewey quiet… Can you hear the wine?

9. Walla Walla can mean water water in the native american lanaguage, but more traditionally it’s defined as “Many Rivers.”

10. What happens at Wine Camp, stays at Wine Camp.

Ricardo Villarreal (@skovi) of Travel + Wine:

We’re leaving Walla Walla and already missing this beautiful, charming town full of friendly people (and excellent wines). #WBC10

@KVintners

Thanks #wbc10 for kickin it in W2 all weekend. We loved having you here! Rock on…

@Catie

I was really impressed with those from East who attended #WBC10 Thank you for being there!

This is only a small sampling of what has been written about #WBC10. It’s only the day after and I’m sure many of the attendees need a few days to digest all they saw, heard and tasted. And few days to let the body recover from all that great Walla Walla wine.

If you were there, what was your experience? Post photos and links.

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.