Langdon Cook's Blog, page 21
May 6, 2011
Good Book
When it comes to stewardship of the seas, we've been greedy, irresponsible, and just plain stupid. We take too many fish, wreck habitats in the process, and feign ignorance when it suits us. Really, we could use a few old-fashioned whacks on the bottom from Sister Nature.
But being human, we don't like being lectured to or ordered around. This is why Becky Selengut, the author of Good Fish:
But being human, we don't like being lectured to or ordered around. This is why Becky Selengut, the author of Good Fish:
April 30, 2011
Sichuan Dry-Fried Fiddleheads
Some of our wild foods get points for style. Fiddleheads, f'rinstance. They're just so cool to look at.
In my neck of the woods it's fiddlehead time right now. In fact, those at sea level have already unscrolled their lovely coiled shoots, but several hundred feet higher in the lower foothills of the Cascades the fiddleheads are just now awaking to spring (even though they got hailed on the
In my neck of the woods it's fiddlehead time right now. In fact, those at sea level have already unscrolled their lovely coiled shoots, but several hundred feet higher in the lower foothills of the Cascades the fiddleheads are just now awaking to spring (even though they got hailed on the
April 22, 2011
4 Courses
Literature is sustenance—we all know that—so why not pair writers with dinner? Join me on Wednesday, April 27, at the Richard Hugo House for an evening of food and words with myself and three other Seattle writers. Food will be provided by Tom Douglas, Taylor Shellfish, and High 5 Pie.
Four courses, four readings. I'll be shucking metaphorical oysters to accompany the real thing. The other
Four courses, four readings. I'll be shucking metaphorical oysters to accompany the real thing. The other
April 18, 2011
Bay Area Mini Tour
Dear Bay Area Foragers, Cooks, Outdoors Enthusiasts & Readers:
I'm happy to announce I'll be visiting your lovely habitat (and my former stomping ground) April 19 thru 21 to read at local book stores and give a slide lecture at the Sonoma Mycological Society. Come by and say hello. You can find me:
April 19, Omnivore Books, San Francisco, 6 p.m.
April 20, Copperfield's Books, Sebastopol, 6 p.m.
I'm happy to announce I'll be visiting your lovely habitat (and my former stomping ground) April 19 thru 21 to read at local book stores and give a slide lecture at the Sonoma Mycological Society. Come by and say hello. You can find me:
April 19, Omnivore Books, San Francisco, 6 p.m.
April 20, Copperfield's Books, Sebastopol, 6 p.m.
April 13, 2011
Beginner Shellfish Foraging & Cooking Classes
In association with Bainbridge Parks and Recreation, I'll be teaching three shellfish foraging and cooking classes this spring. Two classes will focus on steamer clams and oysters, while the third will be in pursuit of the legendary geoduck, world's largest burrowing clam.
May 1: Shellfish Foraging & Cooking. Bring your rubber boots and bucket. We'll learn how to dig for clams, shuck oysters,
May 1: Shellfish Foraging & Cooking. Bring your rubber boots and bucket. We'll learn how to dig for clams, shuck oysters,
April 8, 2011
Environmental Writers Workshop
Seattle's Burke Museum is sponsoring its third annual Environmental Writers Workshop on Saturday, April 23, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Award-winning authors and journalists Carol Kaesuk Yoon (Naming Nature) and Bruce Barcott (The Last Flight of the Scarlet Macaw) will join me in leading both class-based and field-based sessions in this all-day workshop. Enrollment is open to 40. We'll divide into
April 4, 2011
New Foraging Classes
By popular demand, I've added a new roster of foraging classes. These are in addition to the classes being offered by Bainbridge Island Parks & Rec. We'll meet in the Cascade foothills east of Seattle for a narrated 3-hour walk through a variety of landscapes. The class will focus on the identification of numerous edible plants and fungi, their life-cycles, and habitats. We'll also discuss proper
March 28, 2011
Geoduck Recipes
I came into a geoduck windfall the other day. A photo team was in town to shoot some clam digging action, and to supplement the razors and littlenecks we dug at the beach, they picked up a few photogenic 'ducks from the market.
By the end of the weekend I was in proud possession of four live geoducks. What to do? If morels were popping (they're not), I'd consider my Sichuan surf 'n' turf, or
By the end of the weekend I was in proud possession of four live geoducks. What to do? If morels were popping (they're not), I'd consider my Sichuan surf 'n' turf, or
March 22, 2011
Italian Nettle Sausage Pie
And I always thought baking was for control freaks. Silly me. Kate McDermott—aka the Pie Lady, dubbed "the rock star of pie" by Seattle Magazine—is not your typical baker. She doesn't worry about humidity or get hung up by exact measurements. She goes against the grain, which is her way. It's more of a Zen thing. "Feel the dough," she likes to say, only half-kidding.
The evening began with a
The evening began with a
March 15, 2011
Announcing Beginner PNW Foraging Classes
Sign-up is now open for three beginner foraging classes this spring in the Cascade foothills near Seattle. Each class will be a three-hour trail walk (2 miles, easy terrain) with an emphasis on identification and food preparation. We'll examine dozens of wild plants and fungi that can be used in the kitchen. Trailside discussion will include notes on life cycle, habitat, season, harvesting
