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Share a seasonal recipe with us...and a tip for a local restaurant?

Late summer/early fall is my favourite time of the year in the Pacific Northwest. Everything about it radiates beauty. There is a slight chill in the air stirring excitement for the new season that is around the corner. The local farms are bursting with produce like tomatoes, eggplants, squash, pumpkins, stone fruits, grapes and so much more.

This year, to celebrate the bountiful harvest, we frequently ate ratatouille. Although it is considered a peasant dish I felt like royalty eating this simple and hearty meal. My favorite way to eat it is with a generous portion of goat's cheese on top and a gently poached egg.

Local restaurant tip... In the University District of Seattle there is a tiny eatery, Thai Tom, that in no way would cause you to give it a second look if you didn't know the secret that was inside the doors. The music is deafening and there is often a wait so long that you will be left with enough time to enjoy some Boba from the overtly Christian Bubble Tea cafe a few doors down.

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Thai Tom seats no more than 20 people. Ten at the bar (where I recommend sitting) and five tables of two crammed together. Behind the bar there is a six burner stove surrounded by stainless steel containers holding the most exquisite Thai sauces I have ever tasted. Tom is an unassuming man who puts on a show. His movements appear as if they have been choreographed for the finest ballet. His experience is unmistakable by his speed and of course the final product.

Tell us something about food from your part of the world?

Coffee. OK, the coffee I am talking about is esteemed as an art form, not a single ingredient in a double-grande soy no-foam two-pump hazelnut latte. From Portland to Vancouver, there are more than 250 micro roasters with that number growing almost on a daily basis. Just in our house we have four methods of brewing the black gold. And we are currently looking into purchasing a home roaster as purchasing green beans (essentially unroasted coffee) is becoming more and more feasible. It's what gets us up in the morning.

What would you eat for your last supper?

I really hope that my loyal followers will forgive me for the answer I am about to give. But for now I am going to say a cheeseburger, fries and a chocolate milkshake. I know, I know, how utterly American of me. But for some reason I am on a burger kick lately. If it makes you feel any better I am very particular as to how I want my burger: the bun is soft, fresh and white. Very white. The patty itself is roughly 20 per cent of the entire equation. The rest is made up of shredded lettuce, pickles, tomatoes, cheese, mayonnaise, mustard and a generous portion of "secret sauce," which is usually some sort of tangy, creamy pickle-studded concoction. It is so abundant that when you take a bite of the burger and it spills out the back onto the fries it creates a perfect dip for the skinny, crisp and very salty fried potatoes. Said burger is also crowned with a perfectly fried egg, so that the yolk itself becomes a bonus "secret sauce." And since it is my last meal after all let's throw some bacon on this burger too.

Which other food blogs do you read regularly?

Time is something that I don't seem to have a lot of these days. As a mother of two boys (aged 3 and 1) the majority of my day is consumed with meals, Lego, trucks, superheroes, bumps, bruises, hugs, kisses, books, coffee and sleep. So when I do find my way to the computer I mostly use that time to write and update my own blog. Having said all that, I do make the time to read Orangette, David Lebovitz, MattBites, smitten kitchen and Delicious Days. Also, I find Twitter a very useful tool when trying to keep up to date on all the latest happenings in the food blog world. Using only 140 characters at a time it is easy to keep updated.

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