Langdon Cook's Blog, page 10
June 20, 2013
Thinking Outside the (Recipe) Box
When friends from out of town come to visit, I often take them to Lark, John Sundstrom's Seattle restaurant, which is celebrating a decade of good food this year.
I've been eating at Lark since it opened in 2003. The launch party for my first book, Fat of the Land, was at Lark. John made a porcini crostini (photo here, at top) that night that continues to be one of my go-to apps for dinner
I've been eating at Lark since it opened in 2003. The launch party for my first book, Fat of the Land, was at Lark. John made a porcini crostini (photo here, at top) that night that continues to be one of my go-to apps for dinner
June 19, 2013
New Web Site
Dear Readers: Please visit and bookmark my new web site, LangdonCook.com.
The site, though still in its first iteration and without any fancy design, is a big improvement on the blog in several respects. It now gathers together in one place information on foraging and cooking classes, writing workshops, talks and lectures, books, and other stuff—plus it has a complete archive of the Fat of
The site, though still in its first iteration and without any fancy design, is a big improvement on the blog in several respects. It now gathers together in one place information on foraging and cooking classes, writing workshops, talks and lectures, books, and other stuff—plus it has a complete archive of the Fat of
June 11, 2013
Marvelous Morels
It's been a good year for morels throughout much of the country, though your own mileage may vary. I picked my first "naturals" in the third week in April and the action in Washington State hasn't slowed since.
Mushroom hunters across North America have had a chance to put new names to several familiar faces this spring. Last year, in the September-October issue of Mycologia, Michael Kuo
Mushroom hunters across North America have had a chance to put new names to several familiar faces this spring. Last year, in the September-October issue of Mycologia, Michael Kuo
June 3, 2013
Salmon Head Curry
A hard-won spring chinook salmon is so tasty it would be a crime to leave any scraps of meat uneaten. This spicy Indian curry will have you reconsidering what you do with those leftover salmon heads. Crab bait? I think not...
Salmon heads of all species have plenty of choice bits, including the cheeks and collars. Soup is a popular way to use them. Like whole spot shrimp in the shell, salmon
Salmon heads of all species have plenty of choice bits, including the cheeks and collars. Soup is a popular way to use them. Like whole spot shrimp in the shell, salmon
May 28, 2013
The King of Salmon
A few weeks ago I made a pilgrimage to the Columbia River to pay my respects to the king of spring.
Not to be confused with those porcini mushrooms also called "spring kings," Columbia River spring Chinook—or springers—are some of the first returning among the Pacific salmon, and many piscivores consider them the best tasting of all the many races and runs of salmon.
Taste is largely
Not to be confused with those porcini mushrooms also called "spring kings," Columbia River spring Chinook—or springers—are some of the first returning among the Pacific salmon, and many piscivores consider them the best tasting of all the many races and runs of salmon.
Taste is largely
May 19, 2013
Soondubu Jjigae with Spot Shrimp
Jjigae is Korean for hot pot or stew. Soondubu means silken tofu. This is Korean comfort food at its best, even more than the Bibimbap of an earlier post.
The key is finding quality Korean pepper flakes. I also like to goose mine with an added jolt of pepper paste, gochujang. Look for both at a Korean market such as H Mart, along with the extra soft and silky tofu that comes in a tube-shaped
The key is finding quality Korean pepper flakes. I also like to goose mine with an added jolt of pepper paste, gochujang. Look for both at a Korean market such as H Mart, along with the extra soft and silky tofu that comes in a tube-shaped
May 13, 2013
Spot Shrimp on the Menu
Puget Sound's recreational spot shrimp season opened earlier this month. If you've read Fat of the Land, you know how I approached this hotly anticipated fishery in my younger, stupider days. I've taken some grief for the canoe thing, and I'll admit it's not the safest way to get a limit of sea insects—in fact, it's downright dangerous. This year caution got the better part of valor. I joined
May 7, 2013
The Mushroom Hunters
Dear Readers:
I'm pleased to announce the forthcoming publication of my new book, The Mushroom Hunters: On the Trail of an Underground America. The book goes on sale September 10—but it's now available for pre-order at a bookstore near you, including Amazon, Apple, Barnes & Noble, and Indiebound.
Some of you may have guessed what I was up to with all the mushroom-related blog posts in recent
I'm pleased to announce the forthcoming publication of my new book, The Mushroom Hunters: On the Trail of an Underground America. The book goes on sale September 10—but it's now available for pre-order at a bookstore near you, including Amazon, Apple, Barnes & Noble, and Indiebound.
Some of you may have guessed what I was up to with all the mushroom-related blog posts in recent
May 3, 2013
Wild in the City
Becky Lerner's foraging education kicked off with a failed, week-long challenge to eat only what she could find around her Portland home. A few days into it, hungry and exhausted, having burned more calories than she'd taken in, Lerner accepted defeat and ordered a Thai dinner. Lucky for us, this was just the beginning and not the end of her foraging career. Dandelion Hunter: Foraging the Urban
April 26, 2013
Wild Bibimbap
I've been on a Korean comfort food kick of late, and comfort food doesn't get much more Cadillac-like than a big steaming bowl of bibimbap.
The translation is "mixed rice"—it's basically rice covered with dollops of prepared dishes, or namul, which are then mixed together at table. The rice is heaped into a large bowl (all the better if it's a heated stone bowl, or dolsot, unlike the cheap
The translation is "mixed rice"—it's basically rice covered with dollops of prepared dishes, or namul, which are then mixed together at table. The rice is heaped into a large bowl (all the better if it's a heated stone bowl, or dolsot, unlike the cheap
