Get the latest Northwest recipes from Group Recipes. http://www.grouprecipes.com/tag/northwest Cherry pie is my absolute favorite pie! I’m not talking about the canned filling cherry pie, no way no how. I am talking about getting your fingers stained and belly full of fresh Bings long before filling hits crust cherry pie. Oh yeah, you know what I mean! The taste difference between fresh and canned is well beyond what you would think possible. One great thing about living in the Pacific Northwest is the abundance of Fresh Cherries in spring. I have a cherry tree in my yard so I get them every year if I can beat the birds and neighborhood kids to them. There are two sayings that have stuck in my mind over the years that have had an effect on my cooking. One was by an accomplished chef who told me “the three most important ingredients in any dish are fresh, fresh, and fresh”. The other was by an old grizzled guy that worked in an auto body shop who was quite fond of saying “you can’t make chicken salad out of chicken $#!t”. The point here is use fresh, high quality ingredients and homemade crust for this recipe and you will be duly rewarded. FYI, I have used Rainer cherries in the past for this recipe, and although it made a good pie, Bings make this pie rock your little pie world. http://www.grouprecipes.com/31404/pacific-northwest-bing-cherry-pie.html From Chef Scott Simpson comes Blue Onion Bistro's signature dish! A rich, velvety macaroni made with blue cheese. From Bon Appetit magazine, March 2003. http://www.grouprecipes.com/23222/blue-onion-bistros-macaroni-and-blue-cheese-with-chives.html We had some beautiful *huge* shrimp and some fresh sausage from Seattle's Pike Place Market that we wanted to cook for dinner, so here's what my husband did with them. He put together a sort of paella from foods we had in the veggie bin and pantry. It was absolutely delicious!! http://www.grouprecipes.com/23220/mikes-pantry-paella.html This basic method of cooking fava beans was taught to me by chef Gabriel Claycamp of Culinary Communion. When I was recently able to get ahold of fresh fava beans, I wanted to cook them in a way that highlighted the taste of the beans themselves, and here’s how Gabriel suggested I fix them. Although fresh fava beans are, as he said, about 70% waste (and the prep time is shelling and peeling), the remaining 30% after you’ve prepared and eaten them are *well* worth the effort! We loved them! http://www.grouprecipes.com/23215/gabriels-sauteed-fava-beans.html My husband's uncle made this spread for us whenever we visited while we lived in Seattle. It has a nice combination of flavors, and even people who aren't particularly fish lovers like this spread. I haven't made this for a while - so when I do, I may tweak the recipe again. - and of course will get a picture to post! ;) http://www.grouprecipes.com/22457/smoked-salmon-with-capers-spread.html Delicious with grilled chicken or fish! Tom Douglas owns and runs some of Seattle’s most exciting restaurants: Dahlia Lounge, Etta’s, Palace Kitchen, Lola, Serious Pie, Dahlia Bakery, and the Palace Ballroom. http://www.grouprecipes.com/21401/tom-douglas-blueberry-corn-relish.html We made these at our "Fish ID" class at Culinary Communion, served alongside the Chiptole Chile Glazed Salmon, and clams, mussels, and other wonderful foods. The fritters were my favorite recipe of the evening! :) Posted with permission. Although they're wonderful with dinner, I have to admit that I enjoy them as leftovers even more for breakfast. *grin* http://www.grouprecipes.com/21201/black-bean-fritters---culinary-communion.html From a Seattle newspaper article comes the recipe for the famous Ivar's Clam Chowder. Ivar, sadly departed, was a longtime icon in Seattle's history. http://www.grouprecipes.com/21136/ivars-clam-chowder.html A great side dish from The Herbfarm Cookbook. The Herbfarm Restaurant is located in Woodinville, Washington. Each week, the award-winning restaurant chooses the best from farm, forest, and sea to create thematic 9-course dinners showcasing the Pacific Northwest. http://www.grouprecipes.com/21126/herbfarm-roasted-asparagus-salad-with-fried-sage.html Almost ridiculously easy to make, this soup is based on a recipe from "S.O.U.P.S. - Seattle's Own Undeniably Perfect Soups" by Michael Congdon of Seattle's Hopevine Pub and is one of my favorite soups. Although it is titled as "southwestern," this soup tastes very much like my favorite Indian dish of Chicken Korma, a mild, flavorful, non-spicy curry. I also use the soup as a baking sauce for chicken breasts, thighs, and cubed tofu - very tasty! http://www.grouprecipes.com/20281/crockpot-southwestern-pumpkin-soup-aka-korma-soup---from-michael-congdons-soups-cookbook.html