Summer is over...

A year has passed since I got off the plane from Rome. I remember the day quite clearly as I was standing in front of SAFECO field with my huge bags on the corner waiting for someone to pick me up. It was kind of like a scene from Coming to America – except I’m not nearly as funny as Eddie Murphy. I was excited with the new possibilities of what Seattle would have to offer. A chance to start anew – see what the West Coast was all about.

Since then there has been a few ups and downs – a new restaurant, critics, smiles and a lot of good food. I have fallen in love with what the city and region has to offer a chef. We’re in the final days of summer now and I could not be more excited. No really, I do hate summer, and since I’m not native to this area I feel I can say this without people getting too angry over my love of all things cooler. I would much rather be cold than hot and bundled in sweaters, but I DO love summer for its abundance in the flavorful things that come from the earth. The abundance is almost at the point of excess – tomato plants over grown and leggy, doubled over and weighty with loads of fruit, previously plump berries now shriveled on their canes, and once-tender lettuce shoots now going to seed.

Summer is great, I will not deny that, but with the advent of Fall I am as excited as a kid on the first day of school. Fall brings a new kind of cooking, one that takes time and a bit more finesse. A finesse that will take a pork cheek paired with young root vegetables to remind you that things under the earth are just as great as things that grow above. That a slow braise is just as sexy as manning the grill with a tall boy. Fall brings hot days and cool night, hay rides and huge feasts, nights warmed up to a loved one while watching a movie or the stars. I am super excited for fall and you’ll see a few recipes and a menu that will reflect that.