Many of us bloggers wrestle with the amount of time we spend cooking, photographing, writing, and promoting ourselves. Often we arrive at a crossroads- is it worth it? Should I quit? The fact of the matter is, I couldn’t quit if I tried. I would feel like my child had been ripped from my useless arms without this blog. Read more

Just when I think it might be nice to gnaw on a simple roast and gaze contentedly out the frost-paned window whilst puffing on a pipe wearing a sweater with elbow patches, THE DARK SIDE CREEPETH FORTH. The Dark Side has a voice and it sounds suspiciously like James Earl Jones. I’m at the butcher shop, fingers fondling an enticing slab of chuck, and The Dark Side says, “How the hell are you going to modernize a roast, Salty? You have a reputation to uphold- go buy some sustainable Ahi tuna and update Ahi Poke. It’s so tired with those boring wontons and gloppy salsa. Make it new, fresh and hip or I will chase you down the street with the giant roast you’re clutching and I’ll throw it at your head and it will land on your face and you’ll hereto forth be known as Roast Face rather than Salty Seattle.  Do you really think Roast Face would be a good name for a blog? I didn’t think so. Now take off that nubbly sweater and those hideous rain boots, put on your big girl panties and a pair of stilettos, and feed me something clever.” Read more

*If you live in the Seattle area and you want to see me make these gnocchi live this weekend, you’re in luck. Sunday January 23^rd at 2:00pm I will be demonstrating beet gnocchi technique on the cooking stage at the Bellevue Home Show. I welcome hecklers and supporters alike, but what I’d really love is for someone to throw a sweaty bra at me. If you can oblige, by all means, meet me at the home show.

A few weeks ago I made a promise to y’all and lookie here, my pretties, I’m keeping it! I posted a recipe for goose bourguignon that I thought was genius, if I do say so myself, and as an afterthought I nested it on top of some beet gnocchi so the pictures would pop. Well lo and behold, you thought the goose bourguignon was dandy, but what really pinched your panties was the gnocchi. I am nothing if not benevolent, so I’ve spent the last few weeks dialing in this recipe and actually trying to measure ingredients since before I just tossed a little of this and packed a bit of that in until I had something resembling gnocchi.

I am feeling extra proud of myself because it’s late January, which means the hopeless romantics amongst you are no doubt fretting over what exuberant display of love you wish to bestow upon your betrothed for the impending sapfest otherwise known as Valentine’s Day. Can you think of anything better to serve than tufts of tender gnocchi naturally-dyed the hue of amore itself? I say screw the reservations at your local Steak n Skanky where you’ll be treated like a lemming and offered a choice between CAFO tenderloin or hatchery-mad salmon. Instead, go out on a limb and create a platescape with the added bonus that your bedroom is mere slipper steps away for a little after dinner consummation to accompany your snifter of sauternes. Read more