I get to wake up to this. La vita bella.

*I’ve got random bits to share with my precioussssesss today so I’ve decided to break it down into three categories: local, national and international. I won’t be a bit offended if you simply scroll to the section that applies to you, since if you don’t live in the state of Washington, for instance, The Taste of Tulalip likely won’t mean much to you. BUT BEFORE YOU SCROLL, I would love it if you would consider casting a vote for me in round 5 of the Project Food Blog contest. The competition is getting stiff- we’re down to 72 bloggers from over a thousand who entered, so at this stage of the game your vote would mean the solar system times infinity to me. You can vote here and you can read my entry here if you haven’t already.

Local: The Taste of Tulalip

a standout from the upcoming Taste of Tulalip

Last week I had the opportunity to attend a media preview of the annual Western Washington event, The Taste of Tulalip. The event will take place November 12^th and 13^th and it’s a don’t-miss. A myriad of courses carefully chosen by executive chef Perry Mascitti complete with expertly paired wines by sommelier Tommy Thompson will have you swimming in culinary ecstasy. Plan to nab extra bites of the Wagyu Beef Shortribs and Angus Beef Tenderloin on a bed of blue cheese potatoes- it’s a world-class dish. Tickets are available here. Consider staying the night, or even make a weekend of it. The (100% nonsmoking) luxurious hotel rooms are spacious, contemporary and well-appointed and the rates can’t be beat. There is also an adjacent outlet mall that boasts a deeply discounted Le Creuset store. Sound like a foodie wet-dream yet?

National: Figs and Quince Abound- Don’t let them get away

I recently had a craving for a seasonal slice of down-home pie, so I looked no further than the prolific produce at the farmer’s market. Both quince and figs are out in full-force, so I made a quince custard tart topped with spiraling figs, jewels of spherified balsamic vinegar, and foie gras Chantilly cream. Yes, that is as down-home as I get, and yes, this “pie” does benefit from international influences. For example, I love me a good pasta frolla crust, which is something I learned to make in Italy. I replace some of the butter for duck fat as an homage to scintillating decadence. While quince are widely used to make the Spanish spread, membrillo, they are quite readily abundant across the US; they are a great baking fruit. They pair perfectly with the figs that are bursting at their sweet seams this time of year, and both taste richer with a light acid touch- hence the balsamic jewels, which are simply spherified drops of balsamic vinegar. I had some leftover foie gras in the refrigerator and I love transforming it for sweet applications, so foie gras Chantilly was a natural light cream selection to top this heady tart.

International: Are you a Food Ninja?

Joan Nova's photo submission (image links to her blog)

I’ve noticed a good deal of internet chatter recently about the unfairness of many online opportunities being available only to US citizens. Well my fellow food ninjas, Bella Ninja, Fuji Ninja and I, Salty Ninja, are doing our small part to alleviate that with our Food Ninja contest. It is OPEN TO ANYONE on this fair planet (sorry to my peeps on Dagobah, we can’t yet ship intergalactically). You have to get your submissions in by October 24^th, and you can read the full details here if you think you’ve got what it takes. Remember, the prizes are off the hook, such as:

  Ninja Chef’s Knife from Ergo

  Ninja Rice Cooker from Zojirushi

  Ninja Spicy Sampler from Marx Foods

  Mark Bittman’s awesome new food ninja book Food Matters

  10″ Frying Pan from Mans Pans

So why are you still reading this? Go get your ninja on, dahlinks.

Wonton wrappers, wonton wrappers, what shall I do with the rest of you?  I am quite certain I’m not alone in this predicament; those packets the size of my pinkie seem to yield a bottomless supply of paper-thin panes and a girl can only eat so many wonton crisps with her Ahi Poke.  As is regularly the case with my culinary creations, I decided to adopt a fused approach.  Wontons are from China, so let’s go with Italian pastry cream infused with Cardamom- primarily an Indian spice (I realize this is debatable).  Throw in some chocolate from Belize and the Dominican Republic packaged by a UK company and you’ve got your next United Nations Convention dessert settled.  Top it all off with Mexican dulce de leche made from goat’s milk called cajeta and garnish the plate with kiwi berries grown in Oregon (of all the places to miniaturize a kiwi!) and you’ve got a dessert that can take you around the world for a lot less than the cost of the plane ticket. 

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