Braiden Rex-Johnson's new book, Pacific Northwest Wining & Dining, is a fine complement to Kurt Dammeier's Pure Flavor (reviewed back in August). Affectionate portraits of leading players: wine makers Bob Betz Kay Simon, Harry McWatters; unique restaurants, cooking techniques, recipes. Rex-Johnson, a familiar name whose previous books include the iconic Pike Place Market Cookbook, writes a food & wine column for Wine Press Northwest and served as food editor at Seattle Homes & Lifestyles.
This volume, part of a series of regional books published by John Wiley, doesn't quite come together: a two-page introductory essay, “What Is Northwest Cuisine?” reads like it was written by an editorial intern in New York (“emerging wine industry” my foot); the table of contents is limited to twelve sub-regions (Seattle & Environs is one, yet Woodinville is separate); the index includes a “Wineries” heading but no “Restaurants.”
To make up for the lapses, there are heartwarming stories like Earl and Hilda Jones's quest for the ideal tempranillo grape, the primacy of climate, and the amazing results: Abacela Winery.
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