This is the view from one of Seattle's most enjoyable events, the annual "Cooking With Class" evening.
Cooking With Class has been around for 15 years as a charity fund-raising event under the aegis of SeattleDining.com. The evening starts with freshly shucked oysters on the deck at Salty's Alki with September's full moon rising over the Seattle skyline, while some 20 chefs inside the banquet space prepare to present their favorite recipes. Soon well over 100 curious and hungry attendees will get close-up views of three different chefs preparing signature dishes. Now there's a cookbook to go with the memories: the event's co-founder Connie Adams has assembled 50 recipes across 160 heavy, glossy pages, spiral-bound so it lays flat on the counter-top while you whisk your eggs or chop your parsley.
It's a "celebrity cookbook," but the stars aren't so much the chefs as their recipes. So we have a late-summer Caprese from a gent named Thomas Small, who's currently the exec chef at the Opper Melang restaurant group (Matador, Kickin' Boot, Ballard Annex). And for a recipe that a lot of people think requires neither brains nor time ("What, it's just sliced tomatoes and mozzarella, no?"), well, here you have the whole thing, step-by-step, that will turn this appetizer from "Lord, not again!" to "Yes, there is a God!" People complain that tomatoes taste like plastic; this is true only if you don't season them properly. Mozzarella curds (often imported from Germany, as it happens) can be purchased at stores like Metropolitan Market, or you can turn whole milk into fresh pulled mozzarella in the privacy of your kitchen with the right progression of hot water and ice water, some salt, lemon juice, and a spatula, some liquid rennet and cheesecloth. Indispensable: decent tomatoes, excellent olive oil, and fresh basil.
To go with those oysters from Taylor Shellfish out on the deck, Salty's corporate chef (and co-auctioneer) Jeremy McLachlan came up with three toppings in 2009: raspberry and shallot mignonettes, and a chunky fresh cocktail sauce. Chef John Howie prepared a chilled Thai seafood salad in 2006 with lemongrass and sriracha dressing. Harry Mills, of Heavy Restaurant Group's Purple Seattle contributes a decadent lobster mac & cheese (cavatappi pasta, ½ lb lobster, 1 pint heavy cream, a ton of grated cheese).
Would I have liked an index by chef? Sure, although these guys (and a few gals) tend to move around a bit. Tyler Hefford-Anderson, for example, was at Salish Lodge when he demonstrated his buffalo tartare in 2010; he's now at the Columbia Tower Club. Jordan Mackey was at the Edgewater when he showed off his brown-butter-glazed scallops in 2009; he's now cooking in Boston. But the dish is still terrific. One of this year's most popular dishes was Josh Green's smoked salmon benedict; he's just taken over the reins at Salty's at Redondo Beach.
Speaking of Salty's, Gerry and Kathy Kingen have donated the Alki venue (as well as staff and food) from the beginning. And it's all for a good cause: the Pike Place Market Foundation.
Where to buy the book? Well, it's spiral-bound, so bookstores won't carry it. Gotta go online: http://www.seattledining.com/CWC/cookbook/Default.html. Right, 25 bucks. Yes, add shipping & tax. But here's a thought: while you've got your credit card out, buy an extra copy for Aunt Minnie in Minneapolis. (Book rate postage: $2.61.)
A final note: tt would be poor form (and perhaps even illegal) if I neglected to mention that I write a restaurant review for SeattleDining.com every month. Always looking for suggestions and tips, I am.
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