Langdon Cook's Blog, page 3
May 19, 2017
New Book on May 30!
I'm pleased to announce that my new book, Upstream: Searching for Wild Salmon, from River to Table, will be released on May 30. The official book launch will be at Town Hall Seattle on June 5. The night before, on June 4, I will host a four-course salmon dinner at La Medusa restaurant in Seattle with the Field Trip Society, featuring Copper River salmon freshly caught by my friends at Drifters
April 29, 2017
Wild Ramp Aioli
Every year for Memorial Day weekend our family goes camping with several other families in a beautiful canyon in the rain shadow of the Cascades, where we have a decidedly better shot at some sun.
The food is always over the top. In past years we've barbecued a whole pig, grilled Copper River salmon over the fire, dug holes in the ground for Dutch ovens to make Chicken in the Dirt, and
The food is always over the top. In past years we've barbecued a whole pig, grilled Copper River salmon over the fire, dug holes in the ground for Dutch ovens to make Chicken in the Dirt, and
April 22, 2017
Licorice Fern Liqueur
As I wrote in a recent issue of Seattle Magazine, now is the time to seek out one of the Pacific Northwest's most striking ferns for your summertime mixology needs—before it retires for the year. The licorice fern is a beauty that lives in colonies in mixed lower-elevation forests, often well up in the tree canopy.
I typically see it adorning mossy big-leaf maples, where its roots, known as
I typically see it adorning mossy big-leaf maples, where its roots, known as
March 7, 2017
This Must Be the Place
I had the pleasure of sitting down recently with Eric Parkinson, of This Must Be the Place, a podcast that seeks to reveal "the unique physical, cultural, and emotional layers of places."
We talked about foraging in the deep emerald forests of the Pacific Northwest, the tenets of slow food, and the myriad charms of nature in its many guises, among other topics.
Eric is a curious and
We talked about foraging in the deep emerald forests of the Pacific Northwest, the tenets of slow food, and the myriad charms of nature in its many guises, among other topics.
Eric is a curious and
February 17, 2017
Spring Foraging Classes
I've partnered once again with both Bainbridge Island Parks & Rec and The Field Trip Society in Seattle to offer a variety of spring foraging trips, from short wild edible ID walks in a Seattle park to all-day shellfish extravaganzas.
Below are the classes and dates (plus one special dinner). Check back for additional classes.
Spring Foraged Dinner, March 19, La Medusa, Seattle
Wild Edible
Below are the classes and dates (plus one special dinner). Check back for additional classes.
Spring Foraged Dinner, March 19, La Medusa, Seattle
Wild Edible
February 14, 2017
Candy Cap Custard
This winter, mushroom hunters in California are crying Hallelujah! Unless they happen to live below Oroville Dam...
The Golden State hasn't seen rain like this in several years, and the fungi have responded in kind. But with so many storms rolling in off the Pacific, the mushroom patches have also taken a beating, so timing is still everything.
I was able to thread the needle earlier this
The Golden State hasn't seen rain like this in several years, and the fungi have responded in kind. But with so many storms rolling in off the Pacific, the mushroom patches have also taken a beating, so timing is still everything.
I was able to thread the needle earlier this
November 3, 2016
Wild Mushroom Bread Pudding
I've been cooped up this fall, finishing a new book. (More on that later.) Meanwhile I get the usual texts and emails from friends in the patch, scoring hauls of chanterelles and porcini, sparassis and matsi. So it was a relief to finally get out the other day.
Hopeful forecasts for a good ski season seem to have some merit. Above 1,500 feet the thermometer was in the low 30's, and above 4,000
Hopeful forecasts for a good ski season seem to have some merit. Above 1,500 feet the thermometer was in the low 30's, and above 4,000
September 26, 2016
The Field Trip Society
The Field Trip Society is a new Seattle-based business offering a wide range of hands-on experiences for the adventurous learner, from outdoor excursions to cooking classes. I've partnered with FTS to teach foraging and wild foods workshops.
Here's my fall lineup:
October 6: Wild Edibles of the Cascade Foothills. We'll take three-mile hike through forest, not far from Seattle,
Here's my fall lineup:
October 6: Wild Edibles of the Cascade Foothills. We'll take three-mile hike through forest, not far from Seattle,
August 9, 2016
Chokecherry Jelly
Last week Martha and I spent a couple days mountain biking near Winthrop, Washington, not far from North Cascades National Park. On our way home we couldn't resist stopping off at a few roadside patches bursting with fruit. Elderberries were already ripening, and chokecherry trees hung heavy in the sun.
The chokecherry (Prunus virginiana) is a shrub or small tree native to much of North
The chokecherry (Prunus virginiana) is a shrub or small tree native to much of North
April 29, 2016
Shellfish Foraging & Cooking Class
PULL ON YOUR rubber boots and grab a bucket! There's still time to learn how to forage and cook Puget Sound shellfish. A new class has been added to this spring's roster after the other two classes sold out immediately. Currently there are eight open spots.
We'll learn how to dig for clams, shuck oysters, and cook our catch. The class meets at Hood Canal's beautiful Dosewallips State Park on
We'll learn how to dig for clams, shuck oysters, and cook our catch. The class meets at Hood Canal's beautiful Dosewallips State Park on
