Heat Wave Entertaining

Set a pretty table for hot summer night entertaining — with or without candles.

Cookbooks, seasonal menu, summer menu, party food, Portland Oregon, restaurants, rotisserie cookingKaren TripsonJuly 31, 2022summer menu, watermelon salad, pok pok portland, pok pok hens, ike's wings, Ike's Vietnamese Fish Sauce Wings, Kai Yaang, Thai hens, Pok Pok, pok pok cookbook

Waz Japanese Kaiseki Menu

The Japanese restaurant Wa’z in Seattle is a unique tasting menu experience. Chef Hiro Tawara delivers a new menu every month to keep you coming back.

Seattle WA, Kaiseki menu, JapaneseKaren TripsonJuly 10, 2022tasting menu, japanese omelet, wagyu, shishimi, nigiri, sushi, dashi, sake, eel, urchin, shishito peppers

My Favorite Ottolenghi Jerusalem Cookbook Recipes 2022

For anyone who wants to try Ottolenghi recipes, go ahead and dive in! There is no reason to live without him because you don’t have the book yet.

Cookbooks, entree, WritersKaren TripsonJune 22, 2022dinner party, Yotam Ottolenghi, cioppino, Jerusalem, ciopppino

Cioppino at Home

It’s easy to make cioppino at home. Follow the pro chefs for a luxurious result with many varieties of seafood and Ottolenghi’s technique to give the host a few extra minutes.

Cioppino, entree, Italian restaurant, Ottolenghi, party food, restaurants, seafood stewKaren TripsonApril 25, 2022cioppino, Ottolenghi, fish stock, fish soup, Nicks Laguna Beach, Alaska fish, Alaska fishing trip

Nancy Pearl Recommends Books for 2022

Nancy Pearl hits the road after the pandemic lifts. After too much zoom, Nancy Pearl spoke at the Womens University Club in Seattle.

L'Oursin Seattle is Stellar

When you’re lusting after French food go to L’Orsin Seattle.

appetizer, bistro, French, Seattle WA, restaurants, restaurant reviewKaren TripsonMarch 12, 2022foie gras, canard, sweetbreads, ris de veau, armagnac, kuri squash, northwest salmon, northwest sturgeon, Loursin seattle

The Food Explorer Presentation

David Fairchild is the impressive star of the book The Plant Explorer by Daniel Stone—a wild adventure of a life devoted to plants and increasing the number of crops grown in the U.S.

Vero Beach FL, book review, David Fairchild, tropical plants, garden design, landscape designKaren TripsonFebruary 16, 2022David Fairchild, Daniel Stone, Barbour Lathrop, Frank Meyer, charles Marlatt, Alexander Graham Bell, McKee Garden, Fairchild Gardens, Waldo Sexton

Holiday Vacation in PDX

The week before Christmas is one of my favorite times to visit Portland-PDX-in travelers’ parlance. PDX has ambiance and a lively restaurant and bar scene.

Basque, Basque Cuisine, vintage cocktails, Japanese cuisine, Portland Oregon, travel, bar hop PDXKaren TripsonJanuary 9, 2022takibi, Jim Meehan, The PDT Cocktail Book, urdaneta, silvercloud, Portland, portland art museum, PDX, The Chinese Gardens

Enological Society Veterans Gather

Everyone had a grand time reminiscing about the Enological Society where we learned so much about wine and put on so many great wine tasting events.

Karen TripsonDecember 4, 2021

Charlottesville VA

The rolling hills of Virginia are a great destination for touring, hiking and dining.

Culture, French, Thomas Jefferson, Charlottesville VA tourKaren TripsonNovember 9, 2021Fleurie Charlottesville, The Whiskey Jar Charlottesville, Ivy Road House Charlottesville, Pippin Hill Winery, Peo Re Nata Brewery, Monticello, Nailery Monticello

Gustav Klimt in the Arts and Crafts Era

A research project on one of my favorite artists, Gustav Klimt. The painting is Birch Forest and was purchased by Paul G. Allen. It was part of the exhibit Seeing Nature which went on a national tour and was included in the book about the exhibition of the same title.

Il Terrazzo Carmine - Italian Fine Dining in Seattle

For a special occasion in Seattle, Il Terrazo Carmine offers excellent food, wine, atmosphere and service. The gnocchi, cioppino and ossobuco are recommended.

restaurants, seafood stew, Seattle WA, sparkling wines, Italian restaurant, Cioppino, classic method sparklingKaren TripsonJuly 15, 2021fine dining, italian food, Contratto blanc de blanc, Loire Valley cremant, Alta Langa Appellation, Piedmont Italy.., Seattle italian restaurant, the cooking class in Budapest, ossobuco, gnocchi, ravioli pesce

Hot Weather Cooking

When it’s stupid hot outside, cook ahead so you can enjoy cold food whenever you’re hungry. Roast chicken, chopped vegetable salad and ranch potato salad.

do in advance, make ahead, Seattle WA, summer menu, hot weather foodKaren TripsonJune 25, 2021ranch dressing, hidden valley ranch dressing, oven roasted chicken, ranch potato salad, Mike Vrobel, Dad cooks dinner

The Ottolenghi Wedge Joins the Best Ottolenghi Recipes

The Best of Ottolenghi List receives an addition that will likely become your favorite buffet salad.

Ottolenghi, party food, salad, sous vide, side dish, traditional, make ahead, do in advanceKaren TripsonMay 4, 2021wedge salad, iceberg lettuce, aubergine, aubergine cream, eggplant, radish, avocado

Snapshot of Hungarian Cuisine

The history of Hungarian cuisine is very long. Here is a small excerpt from about 1350 to today.

Budapest, Hungarian cuisine, Hungary, Author Mor JókaiKaren TripsonApril 27, 2021Jókai, Jókai Bean Soup, Hungary, Tokaj, The Cooking Class in Budapest

Zoom Cooking Class for Mushroom Paprikash

A new Paprikash recipe from the classics.

Budapest, Hungarian cuisine, Hungary, main entree, party food, vegetarian option, George LangKaren TripsonFebruary 19, 2021Hungarian paprikash, Hungarian, paprikash, mushrooms, vegetarian

Budapest Duck Breast

Medium rare duck breast with a wine reduction sauce is easy to prepare.

Karen TripsonJanuary 18, 2021

The Cooking Class in Budapest

Budapest inspires a love story and adventure looking for hidden art.

Ottolenghi and I love French Onion Soup for the Lockdown!

Yotam Ottolenghi and I make French Onion Soup our own way for the lockdown. He personalizes his with a Yemeni spice blend, hawaij. I personalize mine by making it fast.

French, wine tasting, Ottolenghi, Yotam Ottolenghi, onion soupKaren TripsonJune 3, 2020French Onion soup, onion soup, Ottolenghi, Ottolenghi's onion soup, hawaij, hawaii onion soup

How to Make Armenian Jingalov Hats from Lavash the Cookbook

Here’s a fun, easy and inexpensive idea for an appetizer or snack, Jingalov Hats.

appetizer, Cookbooks, crowd, party food, vegetarian option, ArmenianKaren TripsonMarch 12, 2020Lavash, jingalov hats, armenian, greens, mixed greens, neutral greens, herbal greens, sour greens