Barrels take your mark, get set, go! December 3rd through the 5th is Holiday Barrel Tasting weekend across the Walla Walla Valley. John Abbott, winemaker at Abeja Winery, has a natural affinity to science and creativity, and I love that about this...

I noticed Dayton's organic gardener, Wild Bill, walk­ing down Dayton Avenue this morning. I pulled up alongside of him, and we chatted about Seed Savers, an organization in the Midwest that saves and generates heir­loom vegetable seeds. I ordered s...

Driving back from cooking demos in Seattle this weekend, I was happy to see the Blue Mountains dusted in snow. I love this time of year, when lo­cal kitchens smell like cinnamon, and everyone dresses in layers of Black Watch flannel, Sherpa and... Full story

Somewhere my mother read that actor Vincent Price was a vegetarian and loved wheat germ. My brother and I loved the Goulash actor but hated wheat germ, until Mom made one of her delicious nut bread recipes. This was a hobby of Mom's, trying to get...

I was invited to a local organic grower's harvest party this weekend. She invited several familiar faces, and we all got down on our knees, picking and pulling the last of summer's bounty. We then grilled our lunch of thick-sliced, colorful...

I ran into a fellow chef at the farmer's market this week­end who grows big, voluptuous red chili peppers. We talked of food trends and what's in and out for the approaching fall season. As we parted, he handed me a pinch of chili pepper flakes....

What do MFK Fisher, Angelo Pellegrini and Alice Waters all have in common? Answer: They are 20th century food writers who have contributed to the way we think about and eat food today.Recently I was invited to speak on behalf of the Okanogan Valley...

Onion Salesman Todd Richard of Walla Walla Gardeners tells me the business of packing and selling red, yellow, white and sweet onions is brisk this season. Talk about longevity, Walla Walla Gardeners has been in business for over one hundred years.... Full story