Fresh-picked picks from new PCC Cooks catalog - Spring/Summer 2013

Registration opens today for Spring/Summer PCC Cooks classes! Per usual, they have a great line-up of basics, classics, global cuisine, health-focused topics and interesting specialties.

Every time the new catalog comes out, I like to pick the ones I'm most excited about. Here are my top picks!

• Get Cultured: Fermented and Cultured Foods - Why? Because I am trying to get more into fermenting this year. It's healthy and delicious!
• Really Good Risotto - Why? I have always enjoyed risotto, but rarely make it at home and it would be fun to spend some time improving my skills.
• Modern Chinese Vegetarian Cooking - Why? Although Chinese food is the darling of the foodie world, I've never been that crazy about it. Since I mainly eat vegetarian, this might be a good entry point.
• Korean, Quick and Easy - Why? Korean food is the best! And this is another vegetarian-focused class.
• Indian Vegetarian Classics - Why? Indian food is also the best! And again, veggie-friendly!
• Vegan Main Dish Salads - Why? I want to have more outdoor parties this summer and have been thinking I'll make one big salady thing and have people bring their own protein. So this seems like it would have some great ideas.
• Spring Greens - Why? Greens are good for you and again, might have some great ideas to incorporate more into my diet.

Complete class details below! And see the full catalog here

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Fresh-Picked this week: food, free & nature events for week of April 1

Happy Monday! No April Fools in this round-up. All real-deal highlights.

Highlights!

In food: egg-based cocktails, wine-based cocktails, whiskey-based whiskey, root beer, beer beer, shellfish harvesting, Middle Eastern desserts, “Plate of Nations,” “A Place at the Table,” edible gardening, edible books, Swedish pancakes, fruit trees.

In free: yoga, Myanmar, Jennie Shortridge, Jamaica Kincaid, plastics, knit and spin, digital photography for travelers, earthquake retrofitting, and many of the food and nature events above and below.

In nature and outdoors: Cheryl Strayed, camping, mountain biking, woof walking, Audubon drawing, bumblebees and butterflies, salvaged garden gates and “An Inconvenient Truth.”

Enjoy and have a great week!

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King County Library System's "A Place at the Table"

The King County Library System is holding a spring/summer series of events and activities celebrating all things food. Topics include gardening, canning, Ethiopian cooking, “Dining at Downton,” food in art, kitchen design (including feng shui), food literacy, couponing strategies, meal planning, food writing and more. There are also author talks,  film screenings and book groups. Plus check out your chance to share your recipes for possible inclusion in an upcoming KCTS9 Cooks show and book. Best part: it’s the library so of course everything is free!

For more info, see the brochure here, and find many of the events in the below calendar.

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Fresh-Picked this week: food, free & nature events for week of March 25

Hi everyone!

Happy Spring everyone! Hope you enjoyed this weekend and the sunshine.

Highlights!

In food: Passover, omega fatty acids, “Dining at Downton,” soup and salad, wild food, “Super Natural” cooking, vegetarian eating at The Corson Building, edible gardening, raising ducks and goats, “Mixology Mixup,” Easter brunch.

In free: Natalie Goldberg, San Juan island photography, spring cleansing, travel to Rome, Snoqualmie Valley history, Shakespeare, and several of the food and nature events above and below.

In nature: Science on Tap (hydrothermal vents), “battered mussels,” algae, the Salish Sea, “The Drunken Botanist,” map and compass basics, birding, “mole control,” dead trees, an Arboretum walk.

Enjoy and have a great week!

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Fresh-Picked this week: choose your own adventure!

Due to some technical issues this AM, the weekly round-up is going to be a choose your own adventure kind of affair. How to choose your own adventure? Head to the calendar, filter it by your interests and tastes, and have at it! There are a lot of great things happening this week but if I start listing them now, I am choosing the adventure.

So go take a look!

And BTW that book to the left is available as a flowchart, in case that is news you can use.