Holiday Weekend Cookout Challenge: Secret Sauce

Dropped my nephew off at college yesterday, but before I sent James down the path for his journey on his junior year, I asked if he'd like to have lunch. His choice.

He picked a Mom-and-Pop burger joint near campus, a drive-thru with a fairly straightforward menu. Why do you like this place? I asked. "They have really good secret sauce," he answered. Funny.

When I want a burger, I search for spots that put the focus on the meat, but for many fans of the ground beef classic, toppings are king. Secret sauce is almost always part of the equation and the secret sauce is the world's worst kept mystery: a blend of mayo and ketchup, maybe with some relish. In other words, a combo that looks and tastes a lot like Thousand Island dressing.

But what if you wanted to elevate that sauce? Give it a little upscale twist.

Before I fire up the grill this weekend and make a bunch of burgers, I'm going to make a batch of traditional remoulade sauce from Tom Fitzmorris' great book, New Orleans Food. It's a mayo-based sauce with scallions, a bit of Creole mustard, lemon juice and Tabasco. Add a little ketchup, maybe a squirt of Sriacha and there you have it, a burger sauce that goes the distance.

What's in your secret sauce?

-- Leslie Kelly

Pumpkin Seed Oil and Ice Cream? Say "Yes"!

I can't say that I've ever cooked with pumpkin seed oil. Have you? But I can say I never expected to put it on ice cream. Thick rich balsamic vinegar, yes. I've eaten it with strawberry ice cream, and it was a revelation. And olive oil ice cream recipes abound. But pumpkin seed oil?

Apparently I missed out on the specialty oil boom, because pumpkin seed oil, with its dark color and deep caramel-like flavor is not a novelty. Though new to me, it's being poured over or mixed through vanilla ice cream in kitchens and dining rooms all over Germany, Austria and swaths of Eastern Europe. Have you given it a try?

Topped with pumpkin seeds, plain or sweetened--caramelized, candied or brittled--and you've got an elegant and sophisticated dessert.

--Tracy Schneider

Bruschetta Goes Global

Photo by B. Schilperoort

It's really nothing more than toasted bread with tomatoes on top. On my German menu it was called a "Toastardo" but most of us know this Italian antipasto as bruschetta. It's tomato season, so now is the time to indulge in this easy yet memorable stand-alone snack, cocktail accompaniment or full-on appetizer.

Toast day-old French or Italian bread, rub with garlic and sprinkle on some olive oil. Top with chopped and drained tomatoes that have been mixed with salt, basil and even more olive oil. Call it whatever you like, but don't miss out.

--Tracy Schneider

Toaster-Oven

Sweet Preservation Launched by Washington State Fruit Commission

Washington State stone fruits are hitting their peak right now, and the Washington State Fruit Commission just launched Sweet Preservation.

Created in order to help cooks preserve these fruits for the winter, the consumer website is a beautiful comprehensive resource that offersdetailed information on how to can or freeze the peaches, plums, apricots, nectarines, andcherries that grow abundantly here in the Evergreen State. Recipes and tips for pulling off a preservation party are included. Plus, there are some charming downloadable labels created just for the site by an Etsy designer.

Washington's stone fruit season will run through the end of September and the fruits are sold nationwide.

Photo by Melissa A. Trainer

--Melissa A. Trainer

Back to School with Nash's Best Carrots!

Did you know that all carrots are not created equal? We learned this elementary lesson in my little kitchen about twelve years ago.

My son was only about two years old at the time, and I happened to buy a BIG twenty-five pound bag of juicing carrots at PCC. My favorite produce guy touted them as very very good. When I peeled one of those carrots and handed it to my son, his eyes kind of lit up. He immediately knew they were different and kept asking for more! That was all that I needed to become permanently committed to buying Nash's carrots.

Nash's Organic Produce farm is located in Washington's Dungeness Valley, and Nash has been farming for well over thirty years now. He's well known for being a pioneer in the industry. Nash's "famous carrots" are sweet, crunchy, and full of beta carotene. The Nantes variety from Europe, the carrots thrive in the alluvial soil of the region.

I find the carrots to be deliciously versatile...they worknicely as a lunch box addition and they cook into soft and sweet nuggets when included in comforting stews. They work great in carrot cake and are very much appreciated in my wholesome carrot and oatmeal cookies.

When I was at Seattle's University District Farmers' Market last weekend, I purchased a five-pound bag of the carrots. I wanted them on deck for the "back to school" week ahead. This morning, I peeled and sliced a few of those beautiful carrots and tucked them into a brown bag for lunch. I'm hopingthey help to sweeten the transition from the lazy days of summer to the jam-packed days offall!

Photo of Nash's Best!Carrots by Melissa A. Trainer

--Melissa A. Trainer

This Season's Fizzy Red Drink

I don't know how it happened, but all of a sudden, Lambrusco, Northern Italy's sparkling red wine is everywhere. Once considered to be too sweet and too 'seventies, the newer, not-so-sweet Lambrusco is appearing on wine cards and wine bars all around Germany. Last week I drank a glass with a large platter of charcuterie, that included cooked ham, prosciutto, salami, soft cheeses and a variety of green olives. It was perfect.

Last month, Eric Asimov, the wine columnist of the New York Times, made a new case for this fun and fizzy wine. He's been a big fan for years, and I'm not the first to notice. Al Dente writer StellaCadente* noticed it 2+ years ago in the post "Going Red". Are you a fan too?

If Lambrusco is new to you, imagine drinking a fruity and frizzy dark red wine. In Italy, Lambrusco is known as a frizzante, a mildly sparkling wine. It's nothing like Champagne, sekt, cava, crmant or prosecco. It's sparkling, but not light, and I love its intense flavor, so unlike other sparkling wines. Chilled, it's turning out to be this summer's sleeper wine. Salute!

--Tracy Schneider

Red Wine Glass

Blended Summer Imbibing!

This week on Kathy Casey's Liquid Kitchen, I make a Blended Peach Whiskey Sour! Using my Vitamix The Quiet One Blender, whole peaches (frozen peaches work well too, if fresh ones are not available) are blended up along with bourbon and apricot jam for this refreshing take on a classic sip. Perfect and refreshing for a hot, summer's day!

Cheers! -Kathy

Super Quick Short Ribs in the Kuhn Rikon

While at the Nordstrom Cafe recently, my daughterenjoyed a fabulous luncheon dish that featured braised short ribs simmered in tomatoes and served over pappardelle pasta. Before we ordered the dish that day, we inquired about it...Was it a new item? Was it good? Was it worth $14.95 for what is basically a pasta dish? The server nodded enthusiastically and replied that it was really good and that they had just tweaked the recipe considerably, adding red wine and marinatingthe ribsovernight. The "tweaking" aspectpiqued our curiosity and sealed the deal. Carolyn ordered it.

She enjoyed the rich boneless meat sauce and asked me if I couldreplicate it at home. I took a fewbites and made some mental notes for my taste memory. It was excellent.I've sincebeen doing some research and this morning stumbled upon this Kuhn Rikon recipe for Short Ribs Braised with Cipollini Onions. The recipe looks quite similar, but what I really love about this version is that it can be made in under35 minutes in the pressure cooker!

I write about the Kuhn Rikon pressure cooker quite often here on Al Dente, but I have to admit that I've never used mine for short ribs. It sounds like a perfect solution for tackling a cut of meat that normally takes a few hours to cook on a low simmer.

Have you ever cooked short ribs in a pressure cooker?

--Melissa A. Trainer

Getting Fresh, With Herbs That Is. This Week: The Finale

Today is the last of our Tuesday herb conversations, a summer series that has spurred me on not just to grow herbs in my garden, but to use them in my kitchen as well. What herbs have you been growing and cooking this summer?

This week I came across a packet of herbs at the local market that had been grouped together to make Frankfurt's famed Green Sauce. Included were borage, parsley, sorrel, salad burnet, dill, chervil and chives, and on the paper wrapper was a simple recipe, calling just for cream, yogurt, salt and lemon juice. So I used my handy mezzaluna to mince the herbs, mixed in the other ingredients and then ate it with hard boiled eggs and boiled potatoes. It tasted even better thanthe meal that I ate in Oberrad, the home of Green Sauce.

As I have learned, even though Green Sauce is made with seven different green herbs, there's a lot of latitude as to which herbs to include. So at the end of the summer, when you've got lots of extra greens around, this is the perfect way to make use of them. And even though this dish is typically a spring meal, I think that it makes a great summer finale.

Here's a last look at the herbs we've grown and eater together:

Tarragon
Basil
Cilantro
Thyme
Sage
Rosemary
Dill
Parsley
Salad Burnet
Mint
Chives
Oregano

--Tracy Schneider

Two-Handled
Mezzaluna

The Easiest Party Platter Ever

When it's hot and humid, my appetite takes a dive, but that's nothing compared to what happens to any motivation I might have. It completely disappears. On those days, there's nothing tastier or easier to prepare than a platter of charcuterie. When I'm making this at home, it's alwayssimple, maybe prosciutto with melon. But when I'm out on the town, I'm always inspired by the innumerable combinations.

This charcuterieplatter arrived at our table one Saturday afternoon outside of Sdlandhaus. Food and drink is eaten in the open, standing up. And what a feast it was! Raw and cooked thinly sliced ham and a hazelnut-studded salami made up the meats. The cheeses were soft and spreadable and unknown to me. Rounding out the platter were two varieties of olives and several slices of hearty farmer's bread. We ate it all up.

This charcuterie plate, elaborate as it was, is certainly easy enough to reproduce at home. And what a party platter it would make!

--Tracy Schneider

Serving Platter

Top 5 Things I've Learned Judging Cooking Contests This Summer

It's been a mighty filling season! Lucky me, I've been invited to judge a whole bunch of cooking contests this summer, starting with a rhubarb roundup at a farmers market to a fancy chef lamb throwdown. Whether the competitors were home cooks or pros, they all brought their A game for what basically amounted to bragging rights.

At each one of these fun, food-focused events, I had the pleasure of tasting some truly wonderful dishes, but there was also some delicious take-away lessons. I've been inspired to try re-creating many of these clever preparations at home. Yes, somebody's effort came out on top -- or, in a controversial dead-heat, ended up in a tie -- but all the contestants who took the time and made the effort were winners!

No. 1: The rhubarb contest at the Columbia City Neighborhood Farmers Market invited both sweet and savory recipes. I sure do love this plant's versatility. Contestants brought cakes and pies and a gorgeous rhubarb spritzer. The dish that caused my jaw to drop (so I could shovel more in!) was a rhubarb chutney made with rosemary. Such a great combination. The winner sent me a link to her recipe.

No. 2: When the rules toss you a curveball, make puffed rice crispies. At the annual Ready, Set, Go... Cook competition at the University District Farmers Market, two fiercely competitive chefs were given the challenge of purchasing products at the market with $20 and then creating two dishes. But, that curveball was a doozy: a grab bag of ingredients from the U-District Food Bank. Stuff like lentils and soy milk and generic Rice Krispies. The idea was to demonstrate that you can make supremely delicious farmers market meals even when you're on a budget. The chefs created some gorgeous plates in just an hour, and both toasted the puffed rice to add a note of crunch to their off-the-cuff creations. The verdict: A tie! Watching Dezi Bonow from Palace Kitchen and Josh Green from Serafina do their respective things was thrilling and reinforced my desire to take full advantage of summer produce at the farmers markets.

No. 3: At an American Lamb Board throwdown yesterday in Seattle's Ballard neighborhood, chefs were charged with wowing judges and consumers by preparing dishes featuring leg and shoulder. The entries were remarkable simply because you could see the incredible thought put into the novel presentations. A banh mi made with a lamb shoulder sausage? Yes! Leg of lamb pho? You bet! Lamb that tasted like pastrami? Mmmm! The amazing sausage -- made by the crew at Bastille Cafe & Bar -- really stood out. So spicy and such a terrific snap! It immediately moved my fall sausage making project to the front burner. That, and the fact that I just bought a half a pig!

No. 4: When it comes to pies, there are no losers. I rarely make them at home -- because if I had pie around, I'd eat slice after slice -- but when I have them made by others, I so admire these sweet treats. That's what made it tough to pick a winner at a pie contest at the Phinney Ridge Farmers Market a few weeks ago. There were peach pies and tender crusts filled with berries. But it was an apple pie topped with an oatmeal crisp that rose to the top. Definitely a non-traditional pie, almost a cross between a pie and a brown betty. And I'm making one tonight.

No. 5: Finally, all things in moderation! This mantra preached by the late, great Julia Child has been floating around in my brain a lot this summer, with all the feasting and critical eating and food judging I've been doing. I really do try to take just a bite or two of everything, but that's often impossible to do when something tastes so darned good. So, to balance out my occasionally over-the-top eating schedule, I have redoubled my efforts to walk and swim. It has helped, but as August winds down, I'm finding myself reaching for those elastic waistband shorts a whole lot more.

-- Leslie Kelly

A Plum By Many Names

After several days of 95 degree weather, it was cool enough today to wear a sweater. Has fall arrived too soon? Everyone at the bakery must have been thinking fall, because the Zwetschgenkuchen (plum cake) quickly sold out, and all that was left by early afternoon were cakes loaded with whipped cream or chocolate mousse, typical Sunday cakes.

Zwetschgenkuchen is an Autumn dessert. You'll find it on seasonal menus and or as a daily blackboard special. It's made with plums, but not Pflaumen(plums) as I used to think, but rather with Zwetschgen (plums). What's the difference between one plum and another? I asked that question myself and here's what I learned: Pflaumen have a cling pit, while Zwetschgen have a pit that easily separates fromthe flesh of the fruit. And it's Zwetschgen that are used in Germany's traditional plum cake.

Zwetschgenkuchenis made with Italian plums--small, oval, purple plums--layered on a yeasted dough and is typicallyserved with a whole lot of whipped cream as shown in the photo above. It's one more sign of the changing seasonshere in Germany.

--Tracy Schneider

A Sensible Space Saving Pitcher from Luminarc

Is refrigerator space at a premium in your household? It certainly is in mine.

With two teenagers in the house, I find that my refrigerator gets quite full and that I spend a fair amount of time juggling bits and bobs to make more space and avoid waste. One item that is particularly challenging to manage is the juice container!

We don't drink a ton of juice, but Ioftenkeep orange juice in the house and the containers can be a hassle to store. I've tried the gallon containers, which are beasts to stash on the shelves. Then I went back to the quart containers...those are easier to deal with but not all that convenient. Now, I'm thinking of getting one of these slim glasspitchers from Luminarc. They have received some good reviews and easily fit into the shelves on the refrigerator door. They look nice and apparently wash easily. I figure that I could transfer the juice into these pitchers or if I use the more reasonably pricedconcentrated juice, then I could just mix the juice right in the pitcher as well.

Do any of our readers use these pitchers? Or do any ofyou have a favorite space saving pitcher for your fridge?

--Melissa A. Trainer

Beautiful Wild Blackberries!

The wild blackberries are ripe! At long last, the plethora of wild blackberries found out here in Seattle are plump and ready for picking. On trails and in parks it is common to see berry enthusiasts braving the thorns and picking berries!

I have loved wild blackberry season ever since I moved to Seattle in 1995. I was astonished that so many plump berries were easily found and free for the picking! Back then, everyone seemed to take my enthusiasm with a ho-hum sigh. No one seemed particularly impressed by the glossy fat berries or they simply took their existence for granted. Many of my gardening friends reminded me that they were an invasive nuisance! I was sort of baffled by the lackluster enthusiasm for such a sweet wild treasure. Having been born and raised on suburban Long Island, I can assure you that I didn't grow up with berries growing so wild and free!

I braved the thornyhedges last week and gathered my first five pounds. The berries were just starting to ripen after a brief heat wave. A pound of those berries were turned into an unstrained berry syrup suitable for ice cream or yogurt. The rest of the berries were frozen on a tray and transferred to a heavy duty freezer bag. They will be turned into cobblers and crisps in the off season.

Are you a wild berry fan? Do you gather berries, such as huckleberries, salmonberries, cranberries, or blackberries in your region?

Photo by Melissa A. Trainer

--Melissa A.Trainer

A Simple Stand Hides a Garden of Delights

The sign read "Bohnen", and I couldn't resist stopping to pick up a bag of the freshly picked green beans. This simple stand, just a card table really, has been selling a small sampling of garden produce all summer long, strawberries, raspberries, and now green beans.

As I was paying for my Bohnen I noticed a perfect path behind the stand that led straight through the garden, and I couldn'thelp but ask to see this prodigious plot. It was narrow and deep and filled with beds of asparagus, strawberries, tomatoes, currants, squash, raspberries adn pumpkins. There were apples, grapes and quince. And those green beans.

I learned that the space had also at one time housed twenty rabbits, but over the years they became too much work--and ate as much as a cow. I can't imagine just how much work this perfect-looking garden requires. Clearly it is a labor of love.

--Tracy Schneider

Got A Bone To Pick With Modernist Cuisine's Nathan Myhrvold

Like lots of food junkies, I get my daily fix by subscribing to various Web sites that fill up my email inbox with regular missives, touting the latest, greatest trends. This week, I devoured the Genius Recipe column on Food52.com, which shared the Modernist Cuisine's one-ingredient ice cream. Frozen bananas whirred in a food processor! Brilliant!

But reading the text, I spotted a rare gaffe from the big-brained inventor/culinary pioneer (whose Modernist Cuisine At Home--co-authored with Maxime Bilet --comes out in October). In the Food 52 post, he suggested that bananas had so much pectin,"So much so that if you add them to strawberry jam, you can omit the pectin you would otherwise need to add."

Tsk, tsk, Dr. M. You DO NOT need to add pectin to jam.

WHAT? Why would you skip pectin? What's wrong with it? Isn't it a natural product?

That's the reaction I get from family and friends when I tell them I've kicked the pectin habit. Yes, pectin is derived from apples, but most of the commercial pectin available is pumped full of other stuff with long, chemical-sounding names like fumaric acid and dexdro-something-or-other. Besides, if you choose to skip pectin, you don't have to use as much sugar. Which means you taste more of the fruit.

One of my favorite jam-making guides is The Joy of Jams, Jellies and Other Sweet Preserves: 200 Classic and Contemporary Recipes Showcasing the Fabulous Flavors of Fresh Fruits. (With an emphasis on that last little bit!)

Author Linda Ziedrich includes tips for getting jams just thick enough, starting with a list of fruits that are naturally high in pectin. Blackberries fall in the medium category, though you'd never believe it based on the jam I made just yesterday from a huge haul of foraged berries in our neighborhood.

I made the small batch recipe and doubled it. (Even though Linda warns against that because of the jam's propensity to boil over.) It turned out beautifully! (Pictured here.) A little liquidy going into jars, but it firmed up nicely. No pectin needed.

Maybe I should send some to Nathan?

-- Leslie Kelly

A Potato Primer for Back to School

Did you know that all potatoes are not created equal? Without a doubt, some varieties are better for some things than others. For example, starchy potatoeswork better for fluffy comforting mashed potatoes, while the waxier varieties are better for salads because they hold their shape during cooking.

During the fall months, I always stock up on locally grown organic potatoes purchased from a fabulous Washington farmer. The spudsare priceless when it comes to crafting dinners off the cuff. I've been doing this every fall for at least 15 years and on many days, my potato stash has dug me out of the dinnertime ditch! For my "root cellar" stash, I usually stock up on Buttes, Yukon Gold,or German Butterballs. I also always have Russets on hand. We also grow fingerlings in our garden so I usually have a basket of those on deck too.

If you aren't familiar with how to judge and use the different varieties found at markets and grocery stores, check out this useful resource from the United States Potato Board. The primer clearly shows the basic types of potatoes (Fingerlings, Petites, Purples, Russets, Reds, and Whites)and explains whyeachvariety isbetter for some dishes than others. And, in their recipe section, you can easily search the database by potato type.

So, with school starting and schedules ramping up again, it's worth taking stock of your potato know how. Potatoes are affordable, versatile, nutritious, and easy to store!

It's Mushroom Season!

We're getting into the latter part of August, but here in Germany children have only been out of school for a month, the weather has been hovering in the 90s, and we've been eating our fair share of ice cream,so it hardly seems like the end of summer to me.

But the seasons, they are changing, and it's easy to see that in the markets and at the restaurants. Local produce is moving on from asparagus (none) and strawberries (few) to boxes and boxes of mushrooms. Restaurants are touting dishes with Chanterelles (Pfifferlinge in German), be they with noodles, with rice or with dumplings.

This blue plate special from an outdoor cafe at a nearby town included pork in a creamy Chanterelle sauce, sauteed vegetables and ribbony egg noodles. I'm on the prowl for menus loaded with Chanterelles. How about you?

--Tracy Schneider

Local Food and Fun at Regional Fairs!

Now that summer is starting to wrap up, we are seeing and hearing more about local state and county fairs.

Here in Western Washington, the excitement is starting to mount for the annual Puyallup Fair. My children look forward to this fair each year, and I must admit that I don'tsavor the crowds but I DOlove looking at the livestock, the 4-H exhibits, the food and agricultural displays. The fair runs from September 7-23 and some of the new foodoptions on deck this year willinclude Monster Yard of Lemonade, Bacon-Wrapped Hot Dogs, Slush Ice Cream, and the Cowgirl Candy Cones. I haven't had any of these items yet, but I just might have to put them on my Puyallup Fair "to do list."

For more information on events, competitions, discounts, parking, concerts, rides, and rodeos, check out the official website here.

Do you have any favorite fairs in your region?

Photo by Carolyn Trainer

--Melissa A. Trainer

Ice Cream or Whipped Cream? I Scream for Both Creams!

Ice cream shops are everywhere in Southern Germany. In my small town alone there are two sit-down ice cream parlors, not to mention several cafes that serve an expansive selection of ice cream treats. And then there is the ice cream truck that scoops up my favorite flavors and comes down my street every afternoon.

My daughter and I have our favorite ice cream spots, but the one we frequent most often is in Heidelberg where we order the hard-to-find mint chip. You can get rum raisin or rhubarb easily around here, but mint chip seems to be a rather exotic flavor.

What isn't hard to find here in Germany is Schlagsahne, or whipped cream, and it is the real deal. It's real cream, thick and not too sweet. We like it swirled on top of our ice cream cone. Especially when it comes with a spoon.

I like Schlagsahne with everything: apple strudel, hot cocoa, and most especially ice cream, but I'd never seen it atop an ice cream cone until I got to Europe, where it's a frequent sight whether you're in Germany, France or Italy.

Are you a whipped cream fan too? And have you come across ice cream cones like these, with whipped cream on top, in the U.S?

--Tracy Schneider

Not the Perfect Tomato. Better.

It's my daughter's favorite tomato right now, the Coeur de Boeuf. First, there's its arresting shape, which for whatever reason, makes me think of Buddha's hand lemons. (Do you see fingers in the Coeur de Boeuf too?) Then there's the Coeur de Boeuf's fleshy interior, not juicy, but delicious just the same.

Coeur de Boeuf ("cow's heart" in French) tomatoes are all over the open-air markets here in Southern Germany, but I can't say I have ever seen them in the U.S. Have you seen them? Have you tried them? Have you noticed that the Coeur de Boeuf ripens from the inside, so that even a greenish tomato can be brightred on the inside?

Fresh sweet corn withbutter and thickly sliced tomatoes with salt, nothing more, aren a favorite summertime meal of mine. And that's what I was serving for dinner a few weeks ago, when my daughterdeclared the Coeur de Boeuf the best tomato she'd ever eaten. What's yours?

--Tracy Schneider

Another Day, Another Kndel

Photo by B. Schilperoort

When I saw Semmelkndel mit Pfifferlinge, (bread dumplings with Chanterelles), on my menu yesterday, I just couldn't pass it up. Only days ago I wrote about another traditional Kndel, Leberkndel, and I have been on a mission ever since to try as many kinds of German dumplings as I can. The fact that this Kndel was served with Chanterelle mushrooms was just icing on the cake. I love the seasonality of food here in Germany, and mushrooms have now moved into the forefront of seasonal cuisine.

Last fall, when we moved to Germany, every menu touted something (or more often many things) made withpumpkin. Then roast goose appeared just before the holidays and lasted throughout the winter months. Chestnuts appeared too, and then they were gone. White asparagus was everywhere in spring. Most restaurants even had a special asparagus menu that ran from the end of May through June. Strawberries appeared, and then disappeared. Now it's the mushroom's time to shine. Boxes of Chanterelles, beautifully displayed, are a common sight right now at the open-air markets.

TheSemmelkndelpictured above tasted like Thanksgiving bread stuffing, only this stuffing had been formed into a ball. What's not to like? Sauced with sauteed Chanterelles, onions, scallions and cherry tomatoes, it was the perfect precursor to Autumn weather. And though I ate it in 95 degree fahrenheit weather, I didn't mind it at all.

--Tracy Schneider

Le Creuset Barbecue Pot for Labor Day Weekend

Are you heading to a friend's cabin or beach house for Labor Day weekend?

Are you stumped as to what to bring for a hostess gift? Well, this little Le Creuset barbecue pot with silicone brush will fit the bill. Labor Day weekend is traditionally the last big barbecue weekend of the year, so why not go out witha little style? The chubby little pot features the signature Le Creuset logo and an embossed pig on the front. The lid will keep pesky flies out of the sauce, and the jar is easy to clean andmicrowave safe as well.

If you really want to impress your hostess, bring some special barbecue sauce or be brave and make your own to go with the barbecue pot!

--Melissa A. Trainer

Smitten with Summertime Sipping!

This week on Kathy Casey's Liquid Kitchen: I shake up a Smitten cocktail! Fresh muddled in-season watermelons adds a great "cool" taste to the tequila's bite while the dash of hot sauce adds a lil zing to the flavor. The Citrus Salt rim completes the sipping experience and works great as a garnish.

Remember: the hot sauce should be used sparingly and should enhance the flavor, not overpower it!

Salud! -Kathy

Getting Fresh, With Herbs That Is. This Week: Tarragon.

Another week, another herb! We'll be wrapping up our Tuesday herb conversations next week. What have I forgotten? Have we missed your favorite herb?

In the meantime, I've been seeing lots about tarragon, and though I didn't grow it this year, I'm thinking that was a mistake. Tarragon vinegar, anyone? And what about Tarragon Chicken? Everybody seems to have a recipe for it, from Rachael Ray to Jamie Oliver to NIgella Lawson.

And what makes Barnaise sauce, Barnaise? Well, that's right, tarragon. Barnaise sauce is made with butter, egg yolks, vinegar, white wine, shallots and tarragon. Have you made this relative to Hollandaise sauce? Or have you eaten it? As Steak Bearnaise? With Halibut? Or hard boiled eggs? Sounds good, doesn't it?

As I understand it, if you're growing tarragon, it's French tarragon that you're looking for, which has a stronger flavor than the Russian or Mexican variety. Buy the plant, because it is hard to grown from seed.

All I can say is, "What are waiting for?"

--Tracy Schneider

Country Pate at Cafe Campagne in Seattle

I recently managed to sneak away from my desk and my little kitchen in order to meet a fellow writer who was in Seattle and had just disembarked fromthe Oosterdam, aluxurious Holland America seven-day cruise through the Inside Passageof Alaska!

Georgette Diamandiswrites for Johnny Jet and we first met last fall. When I heard she was going to be free forbrunch I suggested we try Cafe Campagne in the heart of Seattle's Pike Place Market. I am a loyal fan of this fabulous French restaurant but it was Georgie's first visit.

As usual, I opted for their country pateand a simple salad on the side. Without fail, this is what I always order! I know, I should be a little more adventurous, but sometimes it's the tried and true French classics that always win hands down for me! Served with pickled red onion, cornichons, two different mustards and a big hunk of French bread, this country-style pork and chicken liver pate always meets the mark.

Photo by Melissa A. Trainer

--Melissa A. Trainer

Leberknoedel at the Kerwe

I went to the town's Kirwe or church fair, last weekend, a small affair with a few rides for the younger children, a booth of games, lots of sweets and a beer tent. Of course I was there for the food. One day the featured meal included Leberknoedel with Kraut, which turned out to be liver dumplings with sauerkraut and a slice of dark bread.

I've eaten small liver dumplings in soup before, but this was a full meal, and it was delicious. I cleaned my plate (pictured right). Dumplings are immensely popular in Germany, be they made from flour, potato, bread, or meat. I'm hoping to learn how to make a few of them, but it you already do, please feed me some insider tips on the best way to go about it.

In the meantime, as they say in Germany, Guten Appetit!

--Tracy Schneider

Back To School Lunch Box Shopping

It's been a long time since my kiddo begged me for cute containers to pack her school lunch. Hello Kitty was always a hit!

This fall, her Dad, my husband, is going back to school, working in first grade. Yay Mr. Nelson! He's going to be taking his mid-day meal to accomodate his action-packed day and I'm on the lookout for something that will fit in his pack, but won't be so soft his sandwich gets squished.

The options seem endless. We've come a long way from the utilitarian lunch pail with the hefty thermos. There are even bento boxes designed for men! Not sure if he'd appreciate a box adorned with super heros or characters from the latest video game, but I bet the students would get a kick out of it.

-- Leslie Kelly

Are You "Wild About Greens?"

Ever wondered what to do with the glorious array of dark leafy greens that fill our farmers' markets, local produce stands, and supermarket produce departments this time of year?

Then you'll want to pick up a copy of author and illustrator Nava Atlas's latest book: "Wild About Greens: 125 Delectable Vegan Recipes for Kale, Collards, Arugula, Bok Choy, and Other Leafy Veggies Everyone Loves."

I got hungry just "leafing" through this sturdy, 226-page tome, turning down page after page among its 125 recipes and cooking tips that I wanted to cook at home and refer to time and again.

The introductory chapter, a primer on leafy greens from arugula to watercress, sets you up with the knowledge to choose what to cook.

Subsequent chapters include recipes for simple sauts, classic stir-fries, greens with grains, greens in salads, and greens in soups and stews.

Who knew you could massage fresh kale and then use it in eight different salad recipes? (Kale Salad with Dried Fruits & Nuts sounds super-healthy and delicious.)

"Wild About Greens" wraps up with a chapter on green juices and smoothies, healthy beverages that pack a punch of vitamins, minerals, and fiber.

These green beveragespromise to boost your vitality, while helping you to feel clean and radiant both inside and out.

Green Velvet Smoothie with Banana & Avocado

Two 12-ounce servings

Hemp seeds are one of the best, most concentrated sources of omega-3sbetter (and tastier) than flaxseeds. They make a great addition to this creamy smoothie. You can find hemp seeds and hemp milk at most natural foods markets.

2 medium curly kale or collard leaves, torn

1 medium banana

12 medium ripe avocado

2 cups vanilla nondairy milk (try almond or hemp milk)

2 tablespoons hemp seeds, optional (but highly recommended)

Lemon juice to taste

Agave nectar to taste

1. Combine the greens, banana, avocado, nondairy milk, and hemp seeds (if youre using them) in a blender.

2. Blend on high speed until completely smooth.

3. Pour into a 12-ounce tumbler and add a little lemon juice and agave nectar to taste. Drink at once at room temperature or add an ice cube or two.

Photo Credit: Susan Voisin

Impromptu Pancake Party A Grand Slam

My grownup daughter sent me a text this morning, asking if I wanted to meet her and some of her friends for brunch. Translation: Mom would be picking up the check.

I texted back: Why don't you come over for pancakes? Her Dad flipped when she said yes, there will be six of us. Really? my husband said. Yeah, why not?

While he ran to the supermarket to pick up a few things -- OJ, some fruit, maple syrup -- I quickly mixed up three batches of my favorite buttermilk pancake recipe, which I've got bookmarked on AllRecipes.com. It goes together lickety-split in a blender.

The bacon was baked on a broiler pan -- at 375 degrees for about 20 minutes, turning once at 10 minutes -- and it comes out nice and crispy. Now, I decided to make the flapjacks ahead of time. Not ideal, but I only have a couple of pans suitable for making them. I tossed my old griddle a while back and this meal reminded me how much I missed it. Yes, I need a new griddle!

Not long after I had finished, the hungry crew showed up and devoured all but one of those plate-size pancakes. Of course, I love going out to breakfast, but it sure was fun to play host to my kiddo and her very nice friends, to listen to them chatter about what's going on in their lives and accept their gracious compliments. A pretty good way to start a Sunday morning!

-- Leslie Kelly

Stocking Up on Classic French Demi-Glace

If you enjoy creating classic sauces at home, then you might be interested in the Classic French Demi-Glace from More Than Gourmet. Rich in color and taste, this concentrated base easily transformsbasic ingredientsinto rich foils for meats and other savory creations.

Last night, I was inspired to buy a package because I was testing a dish that I tried at the Southside Bistro while in Anchorage, Alaska. At the suggestion of a friend while dining at the lovely restaurant, I ordered their Blue Cheese Custard. Baked in a bain marie and served with aPortwinereduction and housemade Norwegian-style flatbread, the dish wowed me. After some schmoozing with the waiter, I convinced them to give me the recipe. (He probably just got tired of answering my technical questions as to how they made it! In a blender? In a food processor? How did they get the flatbread so flat? In a bain marie? Isthe dishpopular?) Eventually, the very simple custardrecipe was graciouslyhanded to me that evening. Itis writtenin restaurant proportions, so I am in the process of testing and tweaking it. One thing that had me a little baffled was how to make the Port wine reduction. Clearly, it was an important component to the dish, but I knew I wasn't going to start creating my own.

So, when I saw these little packets near the cheese section at Shoreline's Central Market last night, I was inspired to grab one and make the dish with those. The demi-glace was soooo easy to use. Per the instructions on the package, I took a little scoop and added four times the amount of water. In my Le Creuset saucier, I simmered the mixture, whisking, and then reduced it to thicken it a bit. Much to my delight, it worked perfectly with theblue cheese dish! On my next testing session, I think I'll add a little Port to the mix, too.

It might still be a little too warm in your region to start thinking about rich Frenchsauces, but if you like to concoct such things during the colder snowiermonths of the year, add this demi-glace to your shopping list. At the supermarket here in Seattle, I paid $5.99 for a 1.5 ounce package. Here on Amazon, you can purchase six 1.5 ounce packages for about $19. A significant savings for sure.

--Melissa A. Trainer

A Kitchen Essential for Back to School...

So, are you ready to send your children back to school? Some students have already started. Others are simply sitting on the sidelines groaning and counting the days...Of course, there's lots to do before the school bell rings again. For weeks now, we have been bombarded with the back to school flyers featuring backpacks, lunchboxes, shoes, books, and supplies.

However, there is one big arena that gets very little attention when school starts--it's the kitchen arsenal! Every year before my children head back to school, I try to take stock of my kitchen equipment and ready those tools that help me crank out meals with a minimum of effort. Afterall, once school starts the homework, the paperwork, thevolunteer commitments, andthe sports schedules ramp up, too.Without a doubt, my All-Clad Slow Cooker is one of my top picks for a back-to-school kitchen essential.

I purchased mine about three or four years ago and it's been an amazing investment. It is high-quality and cooks evenly. On any given day, I can load that cooker with basic ingredients that are transformed into something more by the afternoon. I have found this cooker to be immensely helpful because if I make a soup, chili, stew,or even a lasagne in it earlier in the day, there is often something warm and comforting ready when my children come crashing in the door afterschool. My teenagers happily self serve while life revolves around them.

With afternoon schedules heading into a tailspin after Labor Day, I am once again relying on my All-Clad to act as my quiet and dependablelittle kitchen assistant!

--Melissa A. Trainer

Preserving Dungeness Crab with the FoodSaver

As I mentioned in a prior post this week, we have had quite a bit of Dungeness crab in our kitchen this summer. I've used it in everything from Lime, Ginger, and Crab lettuce cups to Fresh Corn and Crab Chowder.

Last weekend, however, I was too pressed with deadlines to pick all ofthe meat on Sunday evening.Time was limited! Hence, I did some poking around on the internet and decided to take another route entirely. I decided to vacuum pack the cleaned, halved, and cooked crabs. I had read that you can freeze the crab legs and then use them within a couple months after they have been frozen. This sounded like a great way to stretch my bounty and it also appealed to me because I would then be able to add the beautiful meat and claws to soups such as cioppinos! Afterall, who doesn't love a warm seafood soup ona cold rainy day?

So, I extracted my FoodSaver from the cupboard and went to work. I started by snapping the pointy tips off eachcrab leg in order to prevent the legs from poking holes through the FoodSaverbags.(You can see one of the thin sharp tips in the photo.)My first few sealing attempts didn't work that great because I loaded the bags with four halves or two whole crabs. Basically, I determined that the abundance of the irregularly shaped crab prevented the bag from sealing properly. I then simply took two crab halves and positioned them to look like a whole crab. I loaded this into the bag and sealed. It worked great! I now have about eight "whole crabs" vacuum packed and frozen. The vacuum packing really extracted the air and will prevent freezer burn, so I'm excited to see how the operation works out.

Are you a FoodSaver fan? Even if you don't have Dungeness crab that needs to be frozen, you can use these amazing machines for hundreds of other seasonal items. For additional inspiration, see their website.

Photo by Melissa A. Trainer

--Melissa A. Trainer

My Favorite No-Cook Tomato Sauce

Hot dang! We're having a rare heat wave in Seattle, which gives everybody the chance to grumble about the constant need to wipe their damp brows. But not me!

This native Californian soaks it up (while sipping iced tea, sangria and all sorts of chilled bevies) because I know cold weather and gray skies are just a few weeks away.

Fortunately, the sizzling temps coincide with the welcome arrival of summer tomatoes and that means batches and batches of my no-cook tomato sauce, a cross between gazpacho and bruschetta topping. It's inspired by a recipe I made many years ago, not even sure what the origin of it is. But over the decades, I've tweaked it enough to make it mine. This is so easy and gets even better if you let it sit for a while before serving. Pour it over hot pasta, or treat it like an Italian salsa, scooping it up with crostini.

No-Cook Tomato Sauce

2 pounds summer tomatoes (in the winter, you can fake it by using grape tomatoes)
1 clove garlic
3 scallions
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes
salt and pepper, to taste

Quarter the tomatoes and set aside. With the blade running on your food processor, drop the clove of garlic in and let the machine run until it's minced. Add the scallions, including the green parts and pulse 3, 4 times until chopped. Add the tomatoes and pulse until roughly chopped. Then, with the machine running, dribble in the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Top with additional chopped basil and shaved Parm or crumbled feta.

Serves 4.

-- Leslie Kelly

Go Green with Smoothie Recipes from Vitamix

Are you interested in pumping more green vegetables into your system? Well, admittedly, this can be a challenge if you have to chop and cook them.

However, if you have a Vitamix or another high powered blender, then you might consider this Going Green Smoothie from the Vitamix website. Featuring grapes, pineapples and about two cups of fresh spinach, it's a quick and powerful concoction that will easily help fulfill the goal of "Five A Day."

Are your smoothies going greener these days? I plan to push mine in that direction this fall...I have planted a lot of arctic lettuces, beets, kale, spinach, cabbage,and chard in my winter garden so stay tuned...

For additional Green Smoothie recipes from Vitamix, click here.

--Melissa A. Trainer

Coffee and Cognac

It appears that a coffee, specifically an espresso, and a Cognac, together, are the drinks of choice on Saturdays, after lunch in Alsace. The area is famed for its long winding road that travels through the vineyards, with pit stops and dozens of wineries and tasting rooms. But a lunch time, after the aperitifs and de rigueur glasses, carafes or bottles of wine, out comes the Cognac and coffee. It's a ritual.

Originally I thought that this early afternoon imbibing was geared only to tourists, as there are many who flock to the quaint towns of Alsace. But in fact, the tourists hop back into their cars and race to the next town while the locals, the families at enormous tables who are catching up for the week, the workers, who gather still in on-the-clock garb, are all talking and eating and then wind down with a coffee and Cognac.

What are you drinking today?

--Tracy Schneider

Breakfast of Champions in Under Three Minutes...

The American Egg Board is gearing up for back to school and this week they are reminding us that a good breakfast plays acrucial role in school performance. Without a doubt, protein plays a key role in a good breakfast, and the American Egg Board wants to make sure that their product takes center stage. Hence, they are highlighting quick microwaveable egg dishes that can be cranked out in less than three minutes.

We usually just enjoy a basicfried egg for breakfast, but I have to admit that their collection of three-minute egg recipes looks pretty interesting. The Microwave 1-Minute Ham and Egg Breakfast Bowl looks easy enough. And, the Microwave Coffee Cup Scrambleappears simple enough for even the crankiest sleepyhead.

What is your best back to school breakfast? Do you think breakfast makes a difference in your children's performance?

Photo by Melissa A. Trainer

--Melissa A. Trainer

Time for Trout

The lakes around Alsace are filled with trout, my server told me, when I asked with the fish was fresh and local. So I couldn't pass up the opportunity to give the restaurant's lunchtime special a try. Fish isn't fussed up when it's served in France. You get the head, the tail, the bones, and though I was out of my element when it came to deboning, the server came to my rescue to show be just how to do it. First she slice off the head and put it in a separate plate, just for bones, then she sliced through the back of the fish, lifting the skin and meat away from the bones. I'm certainly not yet an expert, but I did expertly remove the backbone of my second trout and cleaned my plate. Any tips can you offer me for deboning fish?

--Tracy Schneider

Three Cheeses in One! Toma Della Rocca

I can't imagine a week without a visit to see my favorite cheesemonger. He's friendly. He's informed. Clearly he loves what he does. As always, I peppered him with questions, and as always, he was up for the task.

It was hot and even a little bit muggy today, so when I sampled Toma Della Rocca, a cheese that's much milder than I typically go for, it was just right. Made from cow, goat, and sheep milk (yes, a trifecta!) it had a soft, almost stringy rind, and a bright white grainy interior that was soft, by not gooey. It was one of those cheeses of which you could eat large quantities in a single sitting, and that's exactly what I did.

I had no idea that there was such a thing as a triple-milk cheese, but now I want to know more. Do you have a favorite made from cow, goat and sheep milk?

--Tracy Schneider

How Do You Build a Burrito?

So, I'm doing some research and looking for advice on how to build a burrito. What type of tortillas do you prefer? What are some of the fillings and how do you load the burrito? Do you brown the burrito in a pan after it has been filled and before itis served? Or, do you justload it, wrap it and hand it off?

I'm sure there is an authentic approach to burrito building, but I haven't exactly discovered that yet. I do know that burritos are very handy to have around when a teenage boy goes through a growth spurt. We've been going through a lot of tortillas and fillings in my house lately. Yesterday, I spontaneously decided to do a little off site burrito research.

At Home Depot there is a Mexican food truck called El Camion. I've passed this immaculate black truck many times while getting supplies, but yesterday I decided to power up my son with a burrito before he tackled his to do list for the day. When we got up to the window at El Camion, I was impressed at how tidy and immaculate the interior of the kitchen was. We surveyed the menu and could have ordered tacos, gorditas, or tortas, but my son opted for a vegetarian burrito. (He normally opts for meat, so I had to do a double take on the order.)

Wow. The foil-wrapped burrito was massive, and my son was immediately impressed by the mere heft of the package. After a single bite, he declared it the best burrito ever! Stuffed with rice, black beans, roasted peppers, onions, cheese and fresh cilantro, it was indeed excellent and incredibly filling, fresh,and nutritious for a mere $6. El Camion has received high praise from folks around town. I can see why.

So, this brings me back to my questions. How do you build and judge a burrito? For me, I think the first step is finding the massive tortillas that they use at El Camion...

--Melissa A. Trainer

Getting Fresh, With Herbs That Is. This Week: Basil.

It's hard for me to believe that we've talked about fresh herbs for ten Tuesdays already and yet I didn't get to basil until today. Perhaps that's because basil has been a staple in our garden for years. I can't imagine a summer without it. And what's a summer without a Caprese salad or two or three? If you're a die-hard Al Dente reader, you know that I ate aCaprese to die forjust a few days ago, made with fresh Mozzarella di Bufala, sun-warmed, homegrown tomatoes and basil straight from the herb garden. What a revelation!

What are you doing with basil?

If I have a lot of basil on hand, which rarely happens, I will make pesto. I like this Martha Stewart's recipe, which freezes well because it leaves out the Parmesan cheese. I've only made pesto with pine nuts, but these days I've begun to hear about it made with walnuts, almonds or pistachio nuts. And then there is pistou. You might say that pistou is a French pesto, made without nuts but with the addition of a tomato or tomato paste. Traditional Soupe au Pistou is a broth made with summer vegetables and served with a dollop of pistou. Have you tried it before?

--Tracy Schneider

Julia Child Remix: It's Meltingly Addictive!

On the eve of The French Chef's 100th birthday celebration, PBS has released its latest remix, this time featuring the woman who was a pioneer of the small screen. It's particularly fitting her protege Jacques Pepin has a cameo, as his addition pushed Julia's legacy forward, making those shows fresh once again in the 1980s and '90s.

Nobody can really explain why somebody has that unmistakeable charm called charisma, a quality that so many viewers connect to. But Julia certainly had it going on, from those early, awkward black and white shows to the polished performances later. What made her so much fun was her absolute authenticity. She was interested and engaged. (She was the only celebrityI've interviewed over the years who asked me questions and then actually listened to the answers!) She was also willing to be silly. Bet she would have loved this remix.

Hope you get a kick out of this video tribute from PBS:

French Wurst in Alsace

You might think that this lovely platter of wrst was a dish I ordered in Germany. But it's not. In fact, it was the charcuterie platter that I was served in France. In Alsace to be exact, a region of France that has been at various times a part of Germany.You see the German influence in the names of towns, the type of architecture, and of course in the food. Alsatian specialties like sauerkraut, sausages and pretzels are common foods in Germany.

This charcuterie platter was the first course of a lovely meal I ate at a family run restaurant in the wine region of Alsace. Charming small towns are peppered up and down this part of France, with wineries and sample rooms, cafes and restaurants. I have to admit that the charcuterie I was served, was not at all what I expected. I had envisioned thin slices of sausages and thick slices of pat, not cold cuts. But that is the specialness of Alsace.

--Tracy Schneider

A Very Retro Hot Crab Sandwich

Thanks to my husband's determination to catch Dungeness crab this summer, I have enjoyed an embarassment of crabby riches in my kitchen. Each weekend, we set the traps and then pull the haul.

We have been experimenting across the board with how to cook the crab, how to pick it, how to freeze it, and ultimately how to use it. Every Sunday, after we are done with the messy task of picking the crab, I stash a container into my fridge and then work with it during the week.

Last week, I decided to make myself some hot crab sandwiches for lunch! I was inspired by a taste memory that has stayed with me since last September when I had a fabulous hot crab sandwich made by Mona Stone at the Fishermen's Fall Festival here in Seattle. Mona is married to an Alaskancrab and scallop fisherman and together they run Alaska Weathervane Seafood.She is asuper cook who is well known for herluscious scalloritos!

When I purchased Mona's hot crab sandwich that day,I was dumbfounded. It was a simple mixture of Alaskan crab, mayonnaise, onion, a little bit of cheese. It was served on basic white bread that was toasted just right. I didn't buy one sandwich that day. I bought two!

So, when I started to craft my own hot Dungeness crab sandwich last week, I consulted a few cookbooks and decided to keep things pretty basic. On my first attempt, I used a high-quality locally made sourdough bread, but believe it or not the flavors didn't balance out. The bread was too sour and assertive for the sweet crab. I gave that version a thumbs down.

When I went back to the drawing board thenext day, I simplified even further. I mixed about two ounces of dark and white crab meat with a small dollop of mayonnaise, some chopped green scallion, a bit of shredded Tillamook cheddar, and salt and pepper. I then reached for two basic pieces of white buttermilk bread. I smeared some softenedbutter on the bread, loaded the filling on top, and heated my cast iron skillet over medium heat. I let the sandwich brown and heat through,flippingit once or twice andmaking sure that the cheddar cheese was melted.

When I tucked into that crab sandwich it was amazing and almost as good as Mona's!The simplified version hit the mark. When I sat there and savored my sandwich, I was reminded that a fancy pants production was definitely NOT needed for such fresh amazing seafood!

Photo by Melissa A. Trainer

--Melissa A. Trainer

Gas Or Charcoal? Sometimes, You Can't Beat A Campfire

One of the best things about travel is the anticipation. I love planning and scheming about what to do and where to stay in an exotic destination. Of course, it's fun when you arrive, but the looking forward part gets me through a lot of gloomy days of winter.

Yet, this week, I took a completely spontaneous trip -- an overnighter to Lopez, in the San Juan Islands -- and it was a complete blast, from walking onto the ferry to our friends cooking up a feast at our beachside campground on Spencer Spit.

My husband got a call on Thursday morning. Our best buds were up on Lopez Island and had the coolest camp site and there was plenty of room if we wanted to jump in the car. Yes, there was work, but nothing with a pending deadline, so why not seize the beautiful summer day? A few hours later, we were at the water's edge, drinking in the fragrance of the sea. (Salty, dried kelp, a teeny bit stinky, too.)

Not long after we arrived in the late afternoon, dinner prep began. Our friends are seasoned car campers, having just spent a month traveling around Alaska, and they had provisioned at some of the small farms around this friendly island (drivers routinely give you a wave when you pass). The new crop potatoes were wrapped in foil and nestled into the coals of the campfire. Ripe, juicy tomatoes were tossed with greens and salmon steaks were grilled over the embers, where it picked up a nice char, but was still plenty moist and flaky.

It was one of the most memorable meals of the season, especially because it was enjoyed at a rustic wooden picnic table with lots of good conversation and giggles and a stellar bottle of Betz Family wine from Washington state. I couldn't have planned it any better if given months to prepare.

-- Leslie Kelly