On the Road with a Foodie
EAT THIS! 1001 Things to Eat Before You Diet by Ian Jackman arrived in my life at just the perfect moment. I am planning a road trip from San Francisco to Seattle this fall and, of course, want to enjoy as many regional specialities as possible along the way. While I am conversant in the food ways of Northern California, I am a total neophyte when it comes to Oregon and Washington. The regional index in back of the book sent me to several citations for these areas. I am happy to note that page 23 revealed what I should look for in Oregon in the fall: apples, pears, oysters, mushrooms and hazelnuts. Also included was a list of Portland restaurants - Caprial’s Bistro, Higgins and Wildwood - that work with seasonal, regional products. Chapter Five on Fish and Seafood seems to have been written just for me with its emphasis on the Washington area. Even if I am going to miss the spot prawn season I should be able to console myself with petit Olympia oysters and reef-net-caught salmon. That is if I ever leave Salumi Artisan Cured Meats, an artisan’s factory equipped to produce gourmet cured meats inspired by the traditional Italian Salumeria. The factory is owned by Armandino Batali, Mario’s father, who spent time in Italy learning how to make salumi. Their website says that they sell retail their salami and cured meat products, sandwiches, soups and pastas. Phone orders only. Hmmmm. Does this mean that I will be sitting on a park bench outside calling in my order via cell phone? I will let you know.
With his emphasis on locally grown food and neighborhood restaurants, Ian's fun book is indispensable as both a culinary reference guide of America’s biggest food hits and as the ultimate foodie travel planner.
