Seattle Bon Vivant

28th Annual Lake Union Wooden Boat Festival

"The Center for Wooden Boats holds a 3-day Fourth of July festival on Lake Union each year that attracts some 15,000 participants.

The theme is heritage wooden boats. The ambiance is that of an old-fashioned, down-home waterfront festival where everything is fun, almost everything is free and nothing much is fancy. It's as authentically grassroots American as you can get and has been for the last 27 years.

If it's at the festival, you can probably touch it, try it or do it. Experience maritime culture first hand. It's a hands-on festival right in the center of the city, in the summer, on a bustling lake.

Families come down in droves because everything can be done by young and old together - toy boat building, sailing model boats on the pond, boat rides and races, picnicking, clambering over boats big and small, festive food and music, and general joy.

Over the last 27 years, the festival has developed into a gem of the Seattle Summer. We hope you'll join us."

28th Annual Lake Union Wooden Boat Festival
"Experience the Craft"
July 3, 4 & 5, 2004 (Saturday - Monday)
10 a.m. - 6 p.m. each day

Center for Wooden Boats

Regatta Tuesday

On our way to Paseo Caribbean Restaurant in Fremont, a chance to stop and enjoy the sight of the sailboats on a stunning Seattle Tuesday off one of the many Westlake Avenue Marinas. Aren't we lucky to live here?

Center for Wooden Boats - Races and Regattas Calendar

Williams Sonoma Authentic Bundt® Double Chocolate Cake

Last night we were invited to dinner. Our friend and neighbor Ms. F, an accomplished cook and fellow foodie, off from work for the day, was celebrating her new All-Clad Slow Cooker's "Maiden Voyage" with a recipe for Beef Burgundy from Lynn Alley's The Gourmet Slow Cooker - Simple & Sophisticated Meals from Around the World

I promised to bring dessert and this was it. Mind you, my cake came from a box. I had it in my pantry, ready for a lazy day, when I was too tired to bake from scratch. I used my lovely Rose Cake Pan and crossed my fingers.

The Burgundy Beef (page 50) was the best I've ever had and the cake was quite good too. The Double Chocolate all natural mix is made with Guittard artisanal cocoa and Nielsen-Massey vanilla. Dense, with delectable Belgian chocolate bits. Moist but not fudgy. We had it with cold milk and were happy as clams. :-) These mixes (they also have Double Lemon, Strawberry and Vanilla) should be in everyone's pantry. Just in case.

Williams Sonoma Bundt® Chocolate Cake

You will need:
A box of Williams-Sonoma Bundt® Double Chocolate Cake Mix
A Bundt® Cake Pan
16 Tbs. (2 sticks) unsalted butter
4 eggs

Follow the instructions on the box for buttering and dusting pan and to prepare the batter. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, spreading the batter so the sides are about 1 inch higher than the center. The recipe says to bake at 325F but I prefer baking it at 350F, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, 60 to 65 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and cool the cake upright in the pan for 10 minutes. Set the rack over a sheet of waxed paper, invert the pan onto the rack and lift off the pan. Use confectioners’ sugar for a simple dusting or make a glaze of 1 cup granulated sugar,  1/2 cup water and 1 Tbs. chocolate liqueur. Or try a Kahlua Glaze made of 2 Tbs. Kahlua, 3 Tbs. water and 3/4 cup (185g) granulated sugar. Serve with whipped cream or crème fraîche and garnish with berries (red currant or red raspberries are especially lovely now) Serves 16.

Nigel Slater Toast

Nigel Slater, one of my culinary heroes and cook book author has published his memories. Toast: The Story of a Boy's Hunger is a must have for Nigel Slater fans. The book is not yet published in the US (will be released on October 7, 2004) but it is already available from amazon.co.uk.

Bellevue Whole Foods Market opens tomorrow!

Tomorrow, at 9 am, Whole Foods Market will be opening the doors to their new Bellevue store. Drove by this morning as they were putting the finishing touches. The store looks great and has plenty of parking. The first 1,000 customers who spend $25 or more will receive a Whole Foods Canvas Bag as a gift with purchase. There will be in-store specials and sampling galore. Be there!

Whole Foods Market
888 116th Ave. N.E.
Bellevue, WA 98004
8 a.m. to 10 p.m.
seven days a week.
Cafe opens at 7 a.m.
425-462-1400

Seattle Wine Society's 30th Anniversary NW Wine and Food Festival

"Come celebrate three decades of excellence at Seattle Wine Society 30th Anniversary NW Wine and Food Festival . The longest running local wine competition, this annual event features up to 200 wines, dinner, and dance band entertainment. Every entered Washington, Oregon, Idaho and British Columbia wine will be available for tasting.

Ticket prices have remained unchanged for three years. And unlike other events where food is minimal or must be purchased separately, admission includes all wine tasting and a four-course meal. Also free specialty food samples, souvenir program, commemorative wineglass, award list and on-site parking.

An optional Flavors and Flaws wine education seminar at 2:30 preceding the Festival will be an interactive and entertaining approach to learning the basics and beyond of recognizing the most important components in wine. This is an opportunity for you to become more aware of how these elements interact to flavor wine. What a great way to prepare for the Festival! Cost is $30 ($25 Wine Society members). Reservations required for both events."

Click here for a Festival brochure with reservation forml

30th Anniversary Northwest Wine & Food Festival
Saturday, August 7, 2004
5 to 9:30 p.m.
South Seattle Community College Plaza
$60 Wine Society Members
$70 Non-members
Festival limited to 600 attendees.
Contact Gail Meldrum, 425-775-7168

Bill Clinton's Seattle book signing

"We must make a world with more friends and fewer enemies – with more partners and fewer terrorists"

William Jefferson Clinton, 42nd President of the United States (January 20, 1993 to January 20, 2001) makes a local stop as part of his "My Life" tour next Wednesday June 30th. He'll be signing books at both Issaquah's Costco and Elliot Bay Book Co in Pioneer Square.

On today's Seattle Times: Clinton to promote his "Life" at Issaquah Costco

Issaquah Costco, 1801 10th Ave. N.W., Issaquah, 1-2:30 p.m. Wednesday. Customers can buy or bring book and must have receipt present. Costco members only. One signature per membership. No signing of memorabilia. 90 minutes (425-313-0965).

Elliott Bay Book Co., 101 S. Main St., Seattle, 8 p.m. Wednesday. Must buy book there to get free ticket for autograph. The 1,500 tickets already have been distributed, according to the store's Web site. One signature per customer. No signing of memorabilia. (206-624-6600).

On the importance of buying local, "Grown in Washington"

On today's Seattle Times: Foreign agriculture bruising "Grown in Washington" label

Record temps for 'Fahrenheit 9/11'

'Fahrenheit 9/11' Tops North American Box Office

Moore's `Fahrenheit 9/11' Is No. 1 at the Box Office (Update1)

'Fahrenheit 9/11' sets documentary record

'The Political 'Fahrenheit' Sets Record at Box Office

Mojito Lemonade

It was another incredibly beautiful day in Seattle. We went to the market, had Snoqualmie Gourmet Ice Cream's Pistachio while people watching, purchased armloads of produce (morels, red currants, figs, peppers, more Zucchini blossoms, early Yukon Gold potatoes, Lemon Basil and Chinese Spinach among others) took a drive across I-90 to Bellevue and then returned home to a beautiful building wide outdoor party with lovely food and neighbors galore.

To beat the heat while the food was ready and the band played on, I made a pitcher of Mojito Lemonade, my own, very lazy person's alternative to the traditional Cuban Mojito (made with simple syrup) we usually order at Mojito Cafe , Mamey's Cuban Bistro or Thai Ginger

I had Caribbean Key limes, gorgeous lemons from Bill Pace at Mercer Slough (picked up this afternoon on a quick run to see the blueberries at Overlake's Blueberry Farm ), and a bunch of the most incredible mint, purchased this morning at the market. It was a breeze to make, refreshingly cool and very tasty indeed.

Mojito Lemonade

White rum (Ron blanco) (Bacardí or Don Q Crystal)
Lime-Lemon (sweetened) lemonade  made with cold Sparkling Water
2 fresh mint sprigs
Cruched ice

In a pitcher combine the lemonade (or limeade) with the rum, ice and mint (crush with spoon as if making Mint Juleps) . Garnish with lemon or lime rounds.