Uwajimaya offers amazing selections

Uwajimaya is an Asian grocery store in the International District of Seattle, and it is a magical toyland for me. When my family lived in Nanjing, China, we would occasionally go to the markets and purchase our food. I really enjoyed seeing the amazing variety of ingredients, some of which I didn't know that I would ever see again. Well, Uwajimaya probably carries those ingredients and others. It's primarily a Japanese grocer, but they carry a variety of foods from other Asian ethnic cuisines, like Indian garam masala and Filipino lumpia wrappers. 

Our 1st Quarter Chef Instructor, Gregg Shiosaki, encouraged us to explore the different ethnic grocers. As though I needed another excuse to go to the International District, I made sure to note that Chef Gregg told us to go there.. So, like the good, dutiful student I was, I headed to Uwajimaya  as soon as I could.  

Uwajimaya is pretty easy to find. We live on 5th Ave in downtown Seattle, so for us, it's a straight shot down 5th until it essentially dumps you in the International District. Uwajimaya is a large building with a parking garage. There are residential apartments above the store. Other little stores, including a makeup store and a bank, share the space as well. It's a shorter walk in the rain if you follow the parking lot around the corner and under the store. Be sure to bring your parking ticket with you, because if you spend $7 or $15, the store will validate your parking for 1 or 2 hours, respectively.

The produce section of Uwajimaya is large, comparable to a grocer that boasts a larger-than-most produce section. In addition to the expected fruit, vegetables, herbs, and large bags of produce, unusual vegetables, like fresh lotus root, a wide variety of bok choy, roots, and fruits I can't recall.

The meat department is even more remarkable. Cuts of meat that aren't typically sold in American meat departments can be found in the freezer and in shrink wrap. I found shabu shabu beef, which are thinly cut slices of beef designed for quick cooking. It marinates quickly and cooks in such a short time. It can be served raw to be cooked at the table, as in Hot Pot or shabu shabu.

I've also found different "variety meats" or offal meats, the organs, glands, and parts of an animal that are less commonly eaten. I don't really know how to cook them, so I haven't purchased them, but they're available for when I learn. Our textbook shows that there are a variety of ways to prepare the different cuts of meat. Pork liver is usually made into pates and sausages.

The seafood variety is amazing. Most of the fish sold is whole, and that helps show you how fresh the fish is. You can also ask the fishmonger to prepare the fish for you, if you don't want to prepare it yourself. I have seen such a variety of fish, it's incredible. They had the expected fish, like tilapia, but they also had sole, snapper, rock fish, and lobsters and crabs in tanks. They even had fresh sea urchins, which are brown and spiney.

When you go to Uwajimaya, be sure to give yourself enough time. The store is very large, and there are so many new foods that you'll ant to take the time to go through each aisle and explore. When you enter, go through the produce department first, because there are really great recipes available. You could find the ingredients to one of those items. Be willing to ask for help finding some of the ingredients, because the items in the store are not always placed the way I would have placed them. Some of the condiments are marinades are in different aisles. Some of the bottles are labeled just in the foreign language, so be sure to read the shelf tag to see what the item is.

If you have a healthy curiosity for new ethnic grocery stores and are willing to explore some new foods, then definitely go check out Uwajimaya. While you're there you can also try their food court, or just venture out the doors and try some of the other great restaurants out there.

Uwajimaya

600 5th Avenue South

Seattle, WA 98104
(206) 624-6248
Monday through Friday 8-10 and Saturday 9-9

Chef Confidential, Part 3

Lessons learned at the Chef’s elbow.

Be consistent with your food, with your management

Praise publically, correct confidentially. Never embarrass your staff.

This is business. Don’t be afraid to hire and fire.

Don’t be afraid to correct behavior on the spot, but discuss the correction with the individual later.

Most people want to impress you: let them.

Give your staff a little freedom, but always follow-up.

Keep those connections, and never ever burn a bridge. You may need to cross the bridge later.

This is industry is high risk and high reward. It is high stress, and the workload is heavy.

Old school management is to yell and scream, and women had to fight for their positions. They managed by intimidation. Don’t do this now.

You want your staff to respect you but they don’t have to like you all the time.

Be creative about rewarding your staff. Reward them when they work harder than they normally would need to, but don’t reward them too often. Don’t reward the staff for doing their jobs, but reward them for going above and beyond or by just meeting expectations.

Build trust among your team. You must know that they’ve got your back, and they must know you’ve got theirs.

Negative word of mouth travels faster than positive word of mouth among customers and employees.

One negative experience equals 100 lost customers.

There are lots of things that could go wrong, and they will.

Mistakes: remember what you did and know how to correct it. Think of what the process or the idea was and figure out what went wrong and why.

Look towards tomorrow.

Do damage control: fix the situation and move on.

It’s cheaper to do preventative maintenance than damage control. Make sure you’ve equipped and trained your staff adequately.

You will constantly be making adjustments to your method.

Do your paperwork. Keep notes on everything. Keep your papers organized. Document everything. It will bite you in the ass later. Keep a little pocket notebook with you. Make a small note and follow up later.

Be the first one in the kitchen and the last one out.

Set the example, and lead by example. If you want them to work hard, then you should work hard.

If others respect you, then they’ll do more for you.

Know the others’ jobs. If you can do it, then you can hold them to those standards. And others should see you doing it occasionally so they know you know.

Teamwork is number 1.

Everyone does the same job: everyone washes dishes, takes out the trash, cleans, and organizes.

Promote from within. This builds motivation.

Handling staff: if you constantly get flack or if someone doesn’t want to do a task, then find someone else who will do that job. Replace the weakest link. Don’t sacrifice the team for the individual.

Learn to be a good forecaster and budgeter.

Your budget will make or break you.

Keep tight control over your inventory. Do inventory yourself on occasion.

If you have a problem, eliminate it.

Skills you need to be successful:

Be willing to learn. Be motivated to better yourself. Don’t be set in your ways. Pursue a different way of doing something. Be a sponge. Start with a blank state.

You have got to have a short memory. You will have bad days.

Know what you want and where you want to go.

What motivates him? The instant gratification of putting a smile on a customer’s face when he or she eats Chef’s food. He loves it when his guests go gaga over his food, and it results in residual business.

Chef Confidential, Part 2

Apprenticing Meeting.


Chef Hal Decker sat down with me at Cupcake Royale a few days later and began introducing me to his culinary career and to the knowledge that he has developed over the years.

“A chef is a mother, father, counselor, doctor, confidante, and therapist to the staff,” he states immediately after sitting down. You will get to know your staff deeply, because their lives affect their work. But don’t get too personally involved, he cautions, because personal relationship or friendship can look like favoritism. A perception of favoritism will lead to the development of jealousy and will cause a rift in the team.

“Don’t go out with them individually, but you can go out as a team,” he says. He cautions from individual, private contact. You’ll know them personally, but know them as a manager, knowing what their motivations and challenges are. Know which buttons to push and know how to turn up the heat. Find out what are good incentives for them

He said all of this within the first ten minutes of sitting down together. Clearly, managing personnel is a big role in being a culinary professional.

Then he paused, and looked at me slyly. “Do you still want to get into this field?” I waited, took a sip of my coffee. I thought of my time in the Air Force, working as a Food Service Officer and generally following the NCOs around the kitchen and office. I also thought about my days at Seastar and my observations of the staff and management. “Yes, you haven’t scared me yet,” I said.

“Good,” he said. “Let’s begin. We will have a booth at the Ballard Seafood fest, we’re doing a wedding, and we’ll be serving food at the Kirkland Go Dog Go.” I learned that I would be doing food preparation, purchasing, planning, serving, cleaning, and everything in between. Wow. Chef Hal believes in on-the-job training.

I’ve never had a true mentor whose conversation with me focused on developing my skills and personality to become successful. Most of the time, when he talks to me, while we’re prepping, driving, cleaning, or setting up, he is usually talking about knowledge I should know. Maybe these were skills he saw in himself or developed over time. Maybe these were lessons he learned over time. Either way, I wrote them down as quickly as he said them. Better to file a lesson than to learn it the hard way, I figure.


*Buffet pictures from a wedding Master's Touch Kitchen catered on July 17th in Redmond.  My camera's battery died before I could get the rest of the pictures.

Chef Confidential, Part 1

I have dreamt of becoming a chef for as long as I can remember, and my parents always encouraged my love for food. When I was in high school, I even talked to a recruiter from the Culinary Institute of America. I am not really sure why I decided against a career in food, but I’ve always loved cooking for my friends and for bigger events. I also love doing big events, so even while I was in the Air Force, I worked for a caterer as a server for special events. I also worked as a Food Service Officer, and I spent as much time getting in my staff’s way trying to help them with meal preparation as I did sitting in my grand office signing contracts. When we moved to Seattle, I had a brief stint as a hostess at a fine dining seafood restaurant, Seastar. There I found out that front of house management wasn’t my favorite cup of tea, because I kept longing to be in the back of the house, prepping and cooking. So, when doors opened recently for me to enroll in culinary school, I definitely jumped at the chance.


Over the summer, I’ve been writing and networking full time, preparing for school, and I pretty naturally find professionals in fields in which I would like to work and ask them questions. In June, Seattle’s quicky neighborhood Fremont hosted its annual Solstice Parade and Fair, Josh and I trekked to Fremont to check it out. In addition to the parade, there was a fair with all sorts of booths, including Sabra, a national brand of hummus. Sabra had a chef demonstration showing off the various applications of hummus that go beyond the pita bread. Naturally, I started chatting with the chef, who turned out to be a catering chef starting a new business in Bellevue.

Chef Hal Decker has been in the culinary industry for 30 years, ever since he graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park. He has worked in research positions and for hotels and large restaurants for his career, but he wasn’t boastful about his background. When he was finished with his work in Las Vegas, he and his wife moved to Seattle, and he began working on his next career plan: Master’s Touch Kitchen. His vision is to build the business into an elegant catering company that serves corporate events and other high end occasions. As we were discussing his vision, he asked me about mine, and I shared with him that I wanted to go to culinary school and become a chef. Almost immediately, he offered to apprentice me this summer and to begin investing time into the beginning of my education. Of course, I jumped at the chance.

I have never been an apprentice before, and I really thought that type of training was lost to technical programs and schools. There are individuals who work their ways through the chains of experience and rise to higher positions, but most of the research I’ve done has revealed that degrees are required now. So, it never occurred to me to really ask a chef if I could follow him or her and to glean from his or her knowledge and skills. Chef Decker has proved that some chefs, even highly educated ones, are willing to take on enthusiastic students who are willing to learn from them.

What is Gluten? Series, Part 4

As you look at the length of the list of foods to avoid, you should be somewhat comforted. Other than basic bread foods, the rest of the items are all processed items, and they’re often higher in sodium, fat, and calories that you don’t need to eat anyway. Look to wholesome, fresh, unprocessed foods, and you’ll see that you have plenty of foods to choose from.

Things you can eat:

Naturally wheatless, rye-less, barley-less foods

Flours made from almonds, rice, corn, and flour

Starches made from corn, potato, and tapioca

Pasta made from rice or quinoa

Quinoa (pronounced “keen-wa”)

Millet

Amaranth

Corn

Rice, brown rice, black rice, jasmine rice, basmati rice, sushi rice

Potatoes

Squash

Fruits

Vegetables

Nuts

Legumes or beans

Meat

Dairy products (be careful of yogurts or thickened foods)

Certified gluten-free foods

Wheat-free foods (if you’re not celiac, then barley and rye might be acceptable in your diet)

The gluten-free diet can definitely seem complicated and scary, but if you’re ill, you’ll probably do anything to get better. I use various sources for ingredients and recipes. They’re listed below.

Pamela’s Products – flour, cake mixes, baking mix for quickbreads

Tinkyada Pasta Joy – rice pasta

Bob’s Red Mill – flours made from different grains

Betty Crocker – cookie and cake mixes

Pacific Foods – soup mixes (check ingredients and labeling, because some contain gluten)

The Gluten Free Girl

The Gluten Free Goddess

Practical tips for living gluten-free

When you switch to a gluten-free diet, consider learning to make more wholesome food rather than simply finding packaged substitutes to packaged foods you already ate. This is your opportunity to improve your diet greatly. Shop for whole, unprocessed foods before looking for packaged foods. This will help you stay within your food budget and will allow you to explore new whole foods. Try a new food each week to keep from boredom.

Whenever a gluten-free food, especially a baked item, goes wrong, don’t throw it out (unless it’s particularly awful). If the bread didn’t rise or if the cookies crumbled everywhere, make parfaits and trifles. Crumble up crackers and bread into breading and crumb mixes that can be incorporated into other dishes. Laugh a lot. Turn to a mix as you become comfortable with cooking gluten free. Throw out a lot of the rules that you knew with dealing with wheat breads, like kneading and stirring, and follow recipes that have already been created to be gluten free.

Look for restaurants that offer gluten-free menus and don’t be afraid to talk to the service staff or manager about your dining options. Educate them about contamination, and simply ask them to use clean dishes, tools, and equipment when they prepare your meal. Call ahead if you know you’ll be dining somewhere, and don’t dine during the busiest times to avoid accidental contamination or mistakes in meal preparation. Find restaurants, cafes, and food service establishments that specialize in gluten-free cooking. You can find a list on the Gluten Intolerance Group and on different gluten free travel websites.

Pictures from these blog posts:
Wheatless in Seattle, Seattle (Iced Chai and grain bagel)
Flying Apron Bakery, Seattle (Cinnamon roll)
Chez Machin, Portland (Fruit and Lemon Crepe, Roasted Bell Pepper Crepe)
Miro Tea, Seattle (Kombucha looks like beer, but it's good for you!)

PCC Cooks classes cook up a storm!

PCC Cooks


Ami Karnosh

What’s For Dinner? Class for 4-6 year olds

PCC Cooks is a popular program hosted at various PCC locations throughout the Puget Sound area, and student ages range from two to 80 years. The purpose is to get people into the kitchen and to showcase some of the premier ingredients available at the stores. Cooking instructors range from chefs to skilled cooks who share a passion for cooking education. The topics range from non-cooking snack planning to elaborate meal and wine pairing. I have recently been contracted with PCC Cooks to teach a holiday baking course for young children over the holiday season. Until my class, I am attending as many classes as I can to learn from other instructors. In June, I attended “What’s For Dinner?” taught by Ami Karnosh, a professional chef, certified nutritionist, and author of Let’s Eat: A Book About Food.

When I walked into the generous classroom, the first thing I noticed was how much fun the students anticipated having in the course. This class was designed for young chefs aged 7-9 years old. They were seated around tables with their adult supervisors, usually a parent or guardian. A light snack was also provided, because this course took place around dinner time.

Ami, who was wearing a microphone so she wouldn’t have to holler to be heard, began describing the foods we would be preparing. As she talked about the ingredients, she showed us the packages, so when the recipes were prepared at home, the adults would know what to purchase. The ingredients were mostly pre-measured or pre-portioned so that each table could do a few small steps to complete the recipe.

Before the kids made their individual food items, Ami demonstrated the steps they would be following. She encouraged the kids to try new foods, but she didn’t force them to use them. She also provided lots of individual hands-on time, helping each child complete the preparation step before moving to the next step. There was lots of laughter as each young chef put his or her own spin on the step. One student spent extra time making sure that his Caprese salad was exactly even distributed over his plate and had the same amount of cheese on each bite.

We started by making a “chicken” nugget, in which the chicken was substituted out for seitan, a wheat gluten meat substitute. This eliminated the risk of exposing the children to raw chicken, and it introduced them to a new food in a familiar medium. When we completed that food, she gathered up the nuggets and baked them.

There was no sitting around. While the nuggets baked, we assembled our Caprese salads and played a food identification game. The kids gathered around the instructor and took turns putting their hands into a box which was hiding a secret food. Then they had to guess what the food was. Amused adults exchanged looks as kids guessed that the food was brown, orange, or green without even seeing it. Then they worked on figuring out what the food was, based on how it felt. Then we made our dessert – a vanilla wafer and yogurt parfait topped with plenty of fresh fruit.

In no time, the nuggets were done. The class prepared to eat. Another class had ended, and the instructor and her volunteers successfully taught a class of nine 7-9 year olds how to make dinner. In all the excitement, Ami maintained control and focus during the recipes. If the kids became boisterous, she would pause, and she would say, “raise your hand if you can see me,” and would wait until the room settled and all hands were raised. The volunteers continually kept the class room clean by gathering up used utensils and ingredients, and they kept the prep and demo areas clean and uncluttered. The class ran very smoothly.

When I was young, I would have given all my baby teeth to attend a class like this. It was comprehensive, hands-on, and the recipes were designed so that young chefs who were new to knife handling and cooking could participate. The adults probably enjoyed the class, because they didn’t have to do much, other than assisting shaky hands and keeping the kids on task.

I would recommend to participants to eat a little bit of food beforehand, because you won’t really get to eat until the end, about 45 minutes or so into the class. I would also recommend bringing a camera, because the joy on the kids faces really merits photographing to share with family who couldn’t attend. Dress to get messy and have lots of fun.

Look for and sign up for classes at PCC Cooks. Course cost and dates vary, so look online or pick up a catalog. Sign up early, because the classes fill up quickly.

If you like to cook and teach, contact Jackie DeCicco to get an application to propose a class. Courses are quarterly and seasonal, so continue checking back.

What is Gluten? Series, Part 3

How do you treat individuals with celiac disease?

Treatment for celiac disease, gluten sensitivity, and wheat allergy is following a gluten-free diet and avoiding gluten-containing products. The Gluten Intolerance Group, based in WA, publishes lists of foods that are allowed and that should be avoided for your safety. It’s best to look to that list, but here are some basic items.

Things you should avoid

Corn and rice cereals (they could still be made with wheat or made on equipment that touched wheat)

Sauces, soy sauce, salad dressing, marinades

Seasoning mixes

Prepared mustards

Imitation bacon

Breading and stuffing mixes

Gravy and sauce mixes

Soup, soup bases, broth, and bouillon

Meat loaf

Hot dogs

Meat substitutes

Imitation seafood

Baked beans

Rice pilaf (could contain pasta and wheat starch thickeners)

Seasoned potato chips

Chocolate and candy bars

Barley malt

Licorice

Flavored coffee mixes

Beer, ale, lagers

Flavored teas

Coffee substitutes

Breakfast beverages

Communion wafers

Other wheat names, like spelt, kamut, triticale, durum, and semolina

Things made with flour, like wheat bread, pasta, pretzels, waffles, cookies, pastries, and breakfast bars

Ice cream made with cookies or multiple ingredients that include modified food starch, which can contain wheat



Oats are allowed in the diet, but these should be certified gluten free. Contamination from wheat flour and wheat processed foods usually makes regular oats unsafe for the gluten-free diet. Some organizations and food standards allow for pure oats, but some individuals still find themselves reacting to it despite pure processing.

Food allergen labeling in the US mandates that producers label their products that contain common food allergens, including nuts, dairy, and wheat. There is no worldwide definition of gluten-free. Some individuals can handle low level exposure to gluten, but check with your doctor. If you are allergic, you should aim for zero tolerance. Traditional gluten-free labeling allows for up to 20 parts per million, or about 5 or 6 milligrams of gluten total intake.

*Picture credit*
Crepe from Miro Tea, Ballard neighborhood, Seattle
 

What is Gluten? Series, Part 2

What’s gluten? What are the different gluten and wheat allergic or intolerant conditions?


Gluten is the name for a group of prolamine or storage proteins. It occurs in wheat, rye, and barley, and in grains related to wheat. Toxins produced by the gluten can cause a reaction. When the body encounters gluten, it will attack it like it would attack a pathogen. When this happens, tissues exposed to the gluten can also become damaged, like the small intestines. When the small intestines react to the gluten, they swell up, affecting the functioning of microvilli, tiny brush-like extensions along the intestinal surface that grab nutrients as the float by.

Celiac disease, Shelly says, is an inherited autoimmune disease that causes the body to attack normal tissues when gluten is introduced into the body. Oftentimes, these tissues are the organs of the gastrointestinal tract, specifically the small intestines. The small intestines are responsible for the absorption of all of your nutrients, and when these become damaged, your ability to obtain nutrition from your food is compromised. Malnutrition, nutrient deficiencies, and poor health can result. Iron, folic acid, vitamins A, B, E, and K, and calcium are greatly impacted by insufficient absorption.

Celiac disease can affect other organs of the body as well, and these can include your skin. Symptoms vary greatly from individuals from the typical bloating, diarrhea, vomiting, dizziness, wasting or thinness, and lethargy to symptoms that are usually associated with other conditions, like muscle aches, poor skin health, mood disorders, inhibited growth, and nerve damage like tingling hands.

The average amount of time it takes to diagnose celiac disease is twelve years, because the tests are quite involved. Often times the condition can be confused with fibromyalgia and irritable bowel syndrome. Testing for celiac disease includes a blood test checking for antibodies that react to gluten and a small intestine biopsy checking for damaged tissue.

Non-celiac gluten sensitivity is a gluten reaction that is not actually an autoimmune disease. The GI tract does not become damaged, although individuals report uncomfortable symptoms similar to celiac disease. They do not have a strictly allergic reaction, and so they will not show the gluten antibodies like someone with celiac disease would. Those with diarrhea-IBS and gluten ataxia (mental health challenges) may benefit from a gluten-free diet but are not gluten allergic.

A wheat allergy is specific to the wheat family and is not focused on gluten. Rye and barley can be included in a wheat-avoidance diet. In this allergy, the antibodies attach to mast cells, which produce histamines when exposed to wheat. Histamines cause swelling and flushing, and when this occurs in the throat and mouth, anaphylaxis can occur. This is extremely life threatening.

*Apricot shortbread cookie from Flying Apron* 

What is Gluten? Series, Part 1

This year, I joined the Food and Culinary Professionals group in the American Dietetic Association, and I’m so glad I did. Recently, the FCP hosted a webinar in collaboration with the Almond Board of California and the Living Without Magazine, and registered dietitian Shelley Case, a well known gluten-free and celiac disease nutrition expert, was the keynote presenter. She offered practical and current information about celiac disease, gluten sensitivity, and wheat allergies.


First, Shelley talked about the application of this seminar to food professionals, and she said that sales of gluten-free food reached $1.56 billion, and it is expected to reach $2.7 billion by 2012. This is a large chunk of the food industry market, and companies that were previously not gluten-free are introducing gluten and wheat-free lines. Buyers of gluten-free food include individuals with celiac disease, non-celiac gluten sensitivity, wheat allergy, and other diseases, including autism. Some celebrities have popularized gluten-free food as a way to lose weight, but Shelley cautions that the foods have as much sugar, salt, and fat as gluten foods. Even so, it’s a growing market, and the food industry needs to sit up and take notice.

Bastille Day Snack

I meant to prepare a lavish French dinner tonight in honor of Bastille Day, which celebrates the French Independence and storming of Bastille. But with writing articles and obsessing over my "touring Seattle" novella yesterday, I forgot all about it.

Yesterday, Josh and I went for a walk in Belltown. We wandered into Boulangerie Nantaise, an organic French Bakery on 4th Ave. I have no idea how I missed it all the other times. It's cute, trendy, and smelling richly of yeast and bread. And the baker was so friendly.

Since it was the end of the day, the baker gave us some bread because she couldn't keep all that bread in her freezer and can't sell it the next day. So she sent us home with a giant focaccia, 3 crusty mini baguettes, and a delicious country French loaf topped with sesame seeds. Josh can't eat any of it, but I thought I'd take some pictures of it anyway. Ah, crusty, chewy French bread. I miss it. I admit it.

Here is my lunch in honor of Bastille Day. Crusty French bread with an assortment of cheeses. And cherries for good measure.

If you want to check out the bakery, they're open 7-5 Monday through Friday and 8-4:30 on weekends. They have coffee drinks and incredible breakfast combos -- Homestyle Petit Dejeuner of baguette, butter and jam with any 12 oz espresso drink for just $4.95. Pretty good deal. Have at it, my gluten friends! 

Gluten-free friends, you can check out Wheatless in Seattle for a pretty decent baguette. 

They also have croissants (chocolat, marionberry, almond; $2-2.65), sweet buns ($1), rolls ($3.10), and authentic soup ($5.27-7.27) and quiche ($5.86) offerings for lunch. 

Boulangerie Nantaise
2507 4th Ave
Seattle, WA 98121
206-728-1874
206-728-5999 (wholesale orders)

If You Only Have Three Days in Seattle...

One of my college roommates is visiting Seattle, and she (wisely) asked me for some thoughts about her trip. I was pretty thrilled to give her some ideas, but naturally, since I'm a writer, she has to read the blog for my thoughts.  Seattle is a city of art, culture, food, music, fine dining, small dining, family, friends, and quirky-ness. I've traveled a fair bit, and I believe it's my favorite city for my personal fave: classy, delicious, affordable food. So, here is my ideal three-day tour of Seattle that allows you to hit the major sites and the delicious foodie spots. Feel free to abandon the list or substitute higher or cheaper end restaurants and visits, but since I'm a freelance writer, the budget is what it is.

Dinner:
Visit Dahlia Lounge for happy hour. The menu is pretty generous, and the happy hour prices make the restaurant a little more accessible for my budget. If you feel like going all-out, then definitely stay for dinner. Remember to save room for the Coconut Cream Pie. It really is as good as they say - rich, creamy filling and a firm but crumbly crust.

You can also visit the Palomino Restaurant for their late night happy hour. They have fantastic pizzas on their happy hour menu. I didn't care for the lavender drinks, but some people do. The Manhattan was pretty tasty, according to Josh. It's a classy restaurant, and you would fit in wearing nice jeans or even a summery cocktail dress.

If you want to stay up later and check out a more quirky restaurant, then trot over to the Pink Door in Post Alley next to the Pike Place Market. They have Cabaret performances on Monday nights and Burlesque performances on Saturday nights. There is a $15 cover charge for the Saturday performances. Be sure to call the concierge ahead of time to get details and to make reservations.

The next day is dedicated to touring the major sites of Seattle.

Have breakfast at the Pike Place Market around 8:30 or 9:00 am. This way, you can watch the market come to life and watch all the vendors set up. It's usually less busy until 11, but after that, the rest of the tourists will arrive.

Get a cup of coffee at Seattle Coffee Works, which is on Pike between 1st and 2nd Ave. If you like single origin coffees (coffees that come from one country and are not a blend of beans) you'll love the selection that Seattle Coffee Works has amassed. They also offer at least three different brewing methods for making coffee, so splurge and have your selection of coffee brewed in two ways. They are the owners of the Northwest's only Trifecta coffee machine, which rivals Starbucks' Clover coffee machine, and a cup of coffee has never tasted so alive until you've had it brewed there. I like their South American blends, because they're bright and citrusy, a great way to start my day. Talk to any of their talented baristas, and you'll find a coffee that suits you. On Monday afternoons, they offer free coffee cuppings in which they feature 7-9 coffees that you can slurp and sample to your heart's content. On Thursdays, they offer a vertical coffee cupping in which one or two selections of coffee are brewed in different ways. These are great ways to expand your coffee knowledge in a fun environment.

Have breakfast at The Crumpet Shop, which is next to the Pike Place Market on 1st Ave. Crumpets are prepared daily in an open-window bakery to the side of the counter, so you can watch them prepare crumpets while you nosh on yours. I like the almond ricotta honey crumpet myself, but they also offer crumpet sandwiches, open-faced pesto crumpet caprese sandwiches, and a Nutella chocolate crumpet. Grab a fork and knife, and sit outside while you eat.

Now that you've eaten and had some coffee, begin exploring the Market itself. Everyone starts at DeLaurenti Specialty Food at the south end of the Market. Here you can buy wine, bread, and specialty items. Just outside their door, going west, you will see the famous Pike Place Fish. These fishmongers are famous for throwing their fish. They put on a great show. Stand around and talk to them, and they might let you try catch a fish. They package their fish to go, if you want to lug around a salmon all day. Locals usually buy their fish from Jack's Fish Spot, but Jack is closing after the holidays, because rennovations will be taking place in that building next year. Wander through the stalls and feel free to buy items from the artists and businesses that occupy the stands in the Market. Be prepared for a leisurely stroll, and don't walk too closely behind someone, because you might get into a pedestrian collision.

Have lunch at Lowells, which is in the middle of the Market as you walk north. You can also dine at the Athenian, which is right next door. The Pike Place Market News paper, for which I write some articles, covered a piece about the best clam chowder, and I voted for Athenian this year. So, that's my pick for chowder. They also have a generous salmon pita that shows off the salmon obsession we have in Seattle.

As you walk through more of the Pike Place Market, get a snack at Piroshky Piroshky, which is on the east side of the Pike Place street. Watch out for cars as you dash across the street. You can't miss the bakery; you can smell the sweet dough baking for about half a block away. They offer both sweet and savory piroshky, and the pastries are large enough to split as a snack. Be sure to stop by La Buona Tavola and sample some delicious wines and truffle oil products and meet the owner Rei.

For some sweet treats, head to Post Alley, which is a quarter or half block east of Pike Place. You would have found it if you dined at the Pink Door the night before. While checking out the boutiques in Post Alley, be sure to stop in for a chocolate truffle at Rose's Chocolate Treasures, a truly remarkable little shop hidden away.

Then head to Beecher's Cheese and get your wine matched to some of the flagship cheeses. They will let you sample most of the cheeses, and they have a window open to the cheese making side of the house. It's mesmerizing to watch the curds and whey be stirred and separated. My personal choice is the smoked flagship cheese, but see what you like. Then walk a little bit north to an open area that overlooks the Puget Sound. Lay a picnic blanket down and enjoy your cheese with a stunning view of West Seattle and Alki beach across the sound. You can also continue walking two blocks west to the Waterfront and walk along the docks.

At Pier 55, you can ride the West Seattle water taxi to Alki beach (last boat back is at 7 pm but check the schedule to be sure). On the Seattle side's waterfront, there are shops along the docks to check out, and you can stop anywhere for great views of the ferries, commercial ships, cruise liners, and yachts sailing through the Sound. If you continue walking several blocks north, you'll be in the Olympic Sculpture Park, which is a vast area dotted with various works of art. The area is hosted by the Seattle Art Museum and is free to walk through.

If you have more time in your day, walk to 3rd Avenue and catch the #358 bus to Pioneer Square. Be sure to jump off the bus around Yesler (just ask the driver) and walk around the Pioneer Square plaza and shopping areas. Be sure to check out Salumi, which is Chef Mario Batali's family's charcuterie and cured meats deli. If you still have some Beecher's cheese, then you'll be set for a low tea in downtown Pioneer Square.  Once you've shopped til you've dropped and peeked at the cute galleries in Pioneer Square, jump on the #358 again (going the other direction), and ride back towards your hotel.

For dinner, wander over to Long's, an uptown Vietnamese bar based on the popular-but-challenging-to-find Tamarind Tree restaurant in the International District. They offer higher class Vietnamese food in portions large enough to share. The bar drinks are also pretty tasty. The glowing jelly fish tank is an unusual decoration, but it helps create the jazzy bar feel that complements the menu satisfactorily.

After dinner, walk over to the Westlake Center and the plaza right in front of them. Occasionally, they host events for the community like live music performances. In the summer, it's light until 9 pm, so be sure to take advantage of walking around outdoors. The Westlake Center is in the center of some great shopping, and you'll find many of the big brand name stores in a three block radius.

The next morning, ride the bus or walk to the Seattle Center. It's in the northern end of the Seattle downtown neighborhood called Belltown, my neighborhood. Get off the bus at the Seattle Center on 5th and Denny and walk around the corner to 5th Ave. Pop into Caffe Bella and snack on the gluten free pastries (made by Wheatless in Seattle) or the wheat pastries and grab a cup of coffee on your way to the Seattle Center. Wander around the Seattle Center and be sure to splurge on the ride up to the top of the Space Needle. The panoramic views of Seattle are pretty impressive. You can also walk into the Experience Music Project and Science Fiction Museum, which are both adjacent to the Seattle Center. Belltown has some great places to eat, and I would have brunch at Tilikum Place Cafe. If you're visiting Seattle on a weekend in the summer, then check the Festal events at the Seattle Center. Different cultural groups put together events at the Center and usually have food, music, and shopping stands that offer items from that culture.

If you don't want to pay festival prices for food, then walk back to Denny and 5th Avenue and wait for the #8 bus (details and schedule here). It's not free in that area, and it will cost about $2, so be sure to bring cash. Ride the bus to Westlake, about 4 stops east of where you are.

When you dismount at Westlake, walk towards the Whole Foods Market plaza. In the upper level, you'll find both the Seastar Restaurant and Bar and Tutta Bella. Tutta Bella is a popular pizza restaurant that offers Neopolitan style crusts. Seastar offers freshly rolled sushi and delicious entrees. It's a little more expensive, but the lunch and happy hour prices are quite acceptable. The truffle fries complement the sandwiches, and the salads are generously portioned. The sushi is what I return for, and I really enjoy the spicy tuna roll, which sounds run-of-the-mill, but the tuna filling is actually spicy and very fresh. They are well-known for the cedar-planked salmon, which is beautifully executed. Ask about the smoked broccoli, too, because you will enjoy the cedar flavor and find that you've polished off your broccoli without much thought.

From the Westlake and Denny intersection, you can also ride the #17 bus (not free) to Ballard, another neighborhood in north Seattle. Ask the driver to drop you off at the Ballard Locks, an area where boats and small ships traveling between Lake Union and the Puget Sound. Although the concept is very simple today, it's interesting to watch the technology in action, as the boats are ushered to and from higher levels of water to lower levels of water. The boats don't seem to mind all the people milling around to watch them travel through the locks, so it makes an interesting few minutes and is a great teaching point for younger tourists.

Catch the #17 bus back to downtown Ballard at Northwest Market St. and Leary St. and grab a snack at Cupcake Royale. They offer some really creative cupcakes and sweet speedy coffee drinks. Miro Tea is around the corner on Ballard, and they offer crepes, including an all-buckwheat crepe for wheat intolerant guests (but they cook the crepe on the same equipment as standard crepes, so don't get them if you're allergic to gluten). They also offer a wide assortment of loose-leaf teas, kombucha, and sandwiches.

Catch that same #17  bus, and ask the driver to drop you off as close to Fremont neighborhood as he or she can. You should see a large bridge just west of the bus stop. Walk over the Fremont bridge and you'll be in one of the quirkiest neighborhoods in Seattle. A 15 minute walk up Fremont will bring you to the Lenin statue in the middle of Fremont. All along that neighborhood is good shopping and good eating.

In Fremont, we eat at the Flying Apron bakery, but it's a vegan, gluten-free bakery, so be sure to eat with that in mind. It's delicious, but the flavors are just a little different than traditional, wheat-based foods. You're pretty safe eating anywhere in Fremont for dinner, but we hear that Chillies Paste in Fremont is great for Thai food. Wander into the PCC Natural Market as well, because that's a local chain that is part co-op and all health food store. Certain PCC stores offer cooking classes in specialized classrooms adjacent to the stores, and the staff is knowledgeable about good grub in the area. If you feel up to it, walk east on 35th to Gas Works Park (turn south onto Stone and then walk east on Northlake Way for about 15 minutes). This gives great views of Lake Union and Downtown Seattle. Then you can catch the #26 bus from 35th and Wallingford Avenue and ride back to Downtown.

On your third day, you'll visit Capitol Hill and the University District, two significant areas in Seattle. Ride bus #49 to Capital Hill's Broadway Avenue. You'll dismount the bus in front of Seattle Central Community College. Then walk east and south to Elliot Bay Book Company and spend some time wandering the shelves. This large bookstore used to be located in Pioneer Square but has consolidated and is now hiding behind Broadway on 10th, between Pine and Pike. Just south of the bookstore down Broadway is the home of Seattle University, a private Jesuit university. The campus is lovely and worth wandering through. Have lunch at Dilettante Chocolates on Broadway, north of Seattle University. Definitely be sure to save room for the chocolate martinis. This class, small cafe is trendy, and the food staff is friendly. They offer local favorites and seasonal specials. Happy Hour is 5-7 pm.

Catch the #49 from Broadway and ride it to the University of Washington. Get off the bus at the Henry Art Gallery and stop in to see the students' work. On the first Thursday of each month, the museum (and several others in the city) is free. You can also walk north up 15th Ave (or Memorial Way) on campus to the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture. Both museums are relatively small, but the spaces are well used. Then continue north to NE 45th and walk two blocks west to University Blvd. That's the Ave, and there are a multitude of eateries and restaurants lining both sides of the street. Inexpensive Vietnamese, Thai, and Italian restaurants offer a variety of food. Bubble (or Boba) tea can be found at WOW Bubble Tea, and you can sit in the cafe and take advantage of the wi-fi or take it to go and continue wandering.

For dinner, dine at Cedars Restaurant on NE 43rd and Brooklyn. The Indian food there necessitates reservations, and during the summer the patio makes for a fun dining experience. You can also check out Pagliacci pizza, which you'll have to pass in order to walk to Cedars. Their pizza features locally procured and seasonal ingredients. As far as creativity is concerned, Pagliacci rates high with its toppings. They also serve gelato for dessert. You can catch the #73 bus back to downtown Seattle.

It's a whirlwind trip of Seattle, but you've seen a few major neighborhoods in Seattle and had a chance to taste some of the fine cuisine of the area. Of course, you'll notice I only talk about a few Seattle neighborhoods. There are many neighborhoods, including Greenlake, Wallingford, and the Central District that also offer delicious food and great sites. I totally missed the east-side cities of Bellevue, Redmond, Issaquah, and and our northern neighbor Woodinville as well. There are also dozens of small cafes that I like to frequent that I couldn't squeeze into the itinerary, including Bell Thai, Top Pot Doughnuts, and Kukuruza.

For as many people as there are in Seattle, there will be different recommendations. But those are my ideas for an initial teaser tour of Seattle. Naturally, you'll have to return for another visit or five.

If you've been to Seattle and are reading this post, what would you suggest or mandate in a visit? Let me know in the comments below.

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I write for both Livestrong.com and Examiner.com.

As a Livestrong writer, I cover food and nutrition articles, usually focusing on the health of a topic. Here are some of the latest articles.

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As an Examiner writer, I cover Seattle Gourmet Food. The topic is pretty open, and I've planned articles about gourmet restaurants and cafes, food and ingredients, recipes, and food service professionals. I also plan on writing a few gourmet food tour itineraries. Recently, I've written about Starbucks' Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee, which I had the rare opportunity of tasting before the general public tasted it. And the event organizer found me through Examiner! So, I'm working hard on that journal.

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Enjoy the reading, and if you have topics you'd like me to research, just comment below!