Blessed with abundant seafood, pristine produce, and bountiful vineyards, thePacific Northwest has spawned a unique culinary culture that's had a major influence on the way Americans eat, drink, and enjoy life today. Propelled by innovative chefs and winemakers and inspired by the region's rich medley of ethnic food traditions—Native American, European, Asian, Latino—contemporary Pacific Northwest cooking is "fusion" cuisine at its most excitingand enticing.

Now, in this dazzling cookbook, Braiden Rex-Johnson takes us along as she visits the region's most accomplished chefs and winemakers, showcasing the dishes and wines that have made the region a gastronomic mecca. From Washington, Oregon, and Idaho to the province of British Columbia, she takes us on a fascinating journey of culinary discovery, stopping off at restaurants and wineries, artisan cheese makers and bread bakers, bed and breakfasts, and even a winemaker/balsamic-vinegar maker to sample the fare, chat with the proprietors, and collect the Pacific Northwest's very best recipes.

Rex-Johnson shows how the region's savvy chefs transform fresh seasonal ingredients into soul-satisfying dishes that could come from nowhere else—Dungeness Crab and Pine Nut Lasagne from the Willamette Valley, Wild Salmon Gravlax Salad from Vancouver, Cream of Morel Soup from the Columbia Gorge, and Idaho Lamb Medallions with Plum-Brandy Jam, to name just a few. And she discusses how the region's wines—from world-class Oregon Pinot Noirs to mellifluous Merlots from Washington State to intoxicating British Columbia Ice Wines—perfectly complement these alluring dishes.

Whether you're a longtime Pacific Northwestresident, a first-time visitor, or an armchair traveler, you'll be surprised and delighted by this evocative look at the region's special culinary character. Brimming with stories and profiles, illustrated with 140 gorgeous color photos, and featuring 88recipes and wine pairings as well as cook's hints, a wine varietal primer, and a listing of Northwest wine-and-food festivals, Pacific Northwest Wining and Dining is a wonderful tribute to this rising gastronomic destination.

A beautiful cookbook and guide to the Pacific Northwest's vibrant wine and culinary scene

Blessed with abundant seafood, wonderful produce, and bountiful vineyards, the Pacific Northwest has spawned a unique culinary culture. In this dazzling cookbook, Braiden Rex-Johnson takes us along as she visits the region's most accomplished chefs and winemakers, showcasing the dishes and wines that have made the Pacific Northwest a gastronomic mecca. Brimming with stories and lore, illustrated with 186 gorgeous color photos, and featuring 113 recipes and wine pairings, Pacific Northwest Wining and Diningbrilliantly brings to life this region's special culinary character.

"On the Northwest edge of the United States and Canada, a quiet revolution is taking place. It begins with the freshest local ingredients foraged or grown in season—morels and chanterelles, clams and mussels, crab, salmon, berries, apples, lamb, pears, lettuces, and greens. These are prepared using traditional cooking techniques, many attributed to Native Americans—smoking, grilling, broiling, and steaming. A mixture of European cuisines (Scandinavian, Mediterranean), often spiced with Pacific Rim flair (Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Vietnamese, Mexican), gives Northwest Cuisine its enticing top notes. These luscious foods are complemented, their simple flavors enhanced, by the products of our emerging wine industry. All of which cooks up into a distinct sense of place, a Northwest Cuisine that feeds mind, body, heart, and soul."

—From Pacific Northwest Wining and Dining

Acknowledgments.

Preface.

Introduction: What Is Northwest Cuisine?

Characteristic Wine Varietal Descriptors. 

Seattle and Environs.

Woodinville.

Yakima.

Walla Walla Valley.

Columbia Gorge.

Portland.

The Willamette Valley.

Rogue, Umpqua, and Applegate Valleys.

Idaho.

Vancouver and Environs.

Vancouver Island.

The Okanagan.

Techniques.

Northwest Wine and Food Festivals.

Index.