Frequently Asked Questions

How long did the cookbook take to produce?

In the summer of 2013 I began developing the list of chefs and venues to include in the book and began contacting them. It took about a year (fast for a cookbook!) to gather all of that information, test, edit and photograph the recipes, write the book, and produce it.

How did you decide which chefs and venues to include?

We wanted the book to represent all of Washington state, so to include recipes from around the state, not just the denser area around Seattle, although since so many great venues are based in the Seattle area. you’ll see many of the recipes from here. It was fun for me to explore options beyond Seattle, and I think you’ll enjoy the mix of hotels, restaurants, and B&Bs from not just the Puget Sound area, but also the Olympic Peninsula, the many great islands, eastern Washington, Tacoma, Spokane, the mountains, and the wine country.

Were the chefs willing to just turn over their recipe?

The wonderfully creative chefs all around the state were incredibly generous and supportive. Not only did they willingly participate by contributing recipes, in most cases they shared several recipes so I’d have backups if needed, answered my phone calls about ingredients and techniques, and sent kind notes of encouragement. I’m so grateful to all of them for the support, and the result for the reader is a wonderful collection of recipes!

Are you from Washington?

I live in Colorado, but working on the cookbook I learned that chefs and produces in our both states are very similar – committed to wonderful foods, farm to table principles, and incredible creativity in the kitchen. What made this project really fun for me to work on was the opportunity to work with a different ingredient set than you find in Colorado. I have friends in the seafood business who were able to fly me in all the fresh choices of clams, mussels, fish, octopus, and geoduck clam I needed for testing all the recipes in the book.

When was the cookbook released?

I received my advance copy in July of 2014 and the books were available for purchase shortly after that.