Café De Olla

One of my favorite breakfast drinks is Mexican spiced coffee. This drink is traditionally made in a large clay pot where you simmer warm spices like true cinnamon, cloves, and star anise with coffee. It's name translates to ''pot coffee'' because the clay pot adds an earthy flavor to the drink and only gets better with each batch made. Traditionally, a raw cane sugar cone, piloncillo, is melted down, adding sweetness and caramel notes, similar to brown sugar. Once the water is sweetened and aromatic, my grandma would add a sinful amount of instant coffee and pour us a mug along with pan dulce (Sweet Mexican Bread). I grew up drinking the instant stuff for convenience but you can try both options in the recipe below. This beverage is also known as Café Mexicano and every family has their own version. I'm pretty loyal to the combination of true cinnamon, cloves and star anise. The trio makes the coffee floral, warm and sweet, after every sip you'll taste the best out of the malty coffee.

Learn more

Seattle Honey Mustard Chicken

Back in the day, when we first created our Seattle Salmon Rub, it was a time when most folks were hard pressed to think beyond lemon & dill for Salmon. Yes, we're talking 20+ years ago. We wanted the King of Fish to have a blend worthy of its name and created this incredible pan-Asian power house of flavor to compliment it. Ironically, that pigeonholed this versatile blend! As soon as it was on the table we realized that it was equally good on pork and, of course, chicken - but "Seattle Salmon Rub that is Equally Good on Pork and Chicken" is really too long a name... but in all honesty, it's true. (It's also delicious on sweet potatoes, too!)We call this recipe Seattle Honey Mustard Chicken because we've combined the Salmon Rub and all its toasty goodness with our favorite mustard and sweet local honey. All three flavors come together beautifully. The toasted Tellicherry black pepper, cumin, coriander and fennel in the spice blend are accented with orange peel, star anise and a little brown sugar for a sweet counterpoint. Using stone-ground deli mustard has a fresh, true flavor and a great bite, and the cracked mustard seeds add texture to the chicken thighs as they roast. The chicken comes out sticky and delicious coated with sweet sauce. (To add a hint of smokiness, use our Upper Left Madrona Smoked Honey in the sauce.)Because this sauce is SO good, reserve half for future dipping, or chop the chicken and add it to your favorite greens on a bed of rice for a complete meal. As always, add extra heat if it suits your palate. We sprinkled on a little India Red Chile Flake for the finish.

Learn more

Cascade Turkey Roulade

After years of grilling the turkey, we decided to try something entirely new this year. Inspired by the bounty of the Pacific Northwest, we created a menu to showcase regional flavors with this delicious turkey roulade as the centerpiece. Perfect for smaller gatherings, it is moist and satisfying. As a bonus feature, it is a great hack to safely get the stuffing inside the turkey! The larger the turkey breast, the easier it will be to butterfly and roll. A larger breast gives you more surface area to spreading the stuffing, and it will result in a more impressive pinwheel when you slice the finished roulade. We began by brining the breast with our Northwest Forest Brine, infusing the meat with flavors of the forest, like juniper and California bay leaf. Then, we rubbed it with classic, sagey Poultry Rub. This recipe makes enough for both sides of the breast, but you can dial it down for a half if needed, or double up on the stuffing if, like us, you can eat a whole extra pan.Cornbread and Cascade Mushroom Mix are the foundation of the stuffing, and the earthy flavors are deeply delicious. As an accent on top of the celery and onion, we added in dried tart cranberries, for a little pop of flavor. The mouthwatering presentation of this beautiful roulade made the perfect centerpiece for our Best of the Northwest holiday meal, and the fresh bounty of the region shines through with complimentary spicing.If you've never tied a roast or just want a refresher, here's a sweet clip on How to Tie a Roulade.

Learn more

Huckleberry Gravy

Thickening the gravy can be a hit or miss pinch point on a feast day and this reduction takes the stress out but keeps the flavor in. Once it is simmering, you can leave it largely unattended until the flavors cook down to your desired consistency. Huckleberry Gravy has been a Montana family favorite for years but you can achieve the same jammy results with blackberries or your favorite foraged fruit.

Learn more

Maple Spiced Carrots

Here's a side dish that indulges your sweet tooth during dinner. With some inspiration from pecan pie and some from our pan-Asian super-spice Seattle Salmon Rub, the dish comes together beautifully. Can you put salmon rub on carrots, you ask???? Heck, yes! The toasted savory base of pepper, cumin and coriander is accented with sweet top-notes to make the perfect seasoning. Add a generous amount of maple syrup and butter and these carrots cook down candied and tender. They'll smell of star anise and orange from the Seattle Salmon Rub as the glaze thickens and coats the carrots to perfection. We did an oblique and festive cut on the carrots and, for a bit of crunch, we added toasted whole pecans. This is a delightful change from candied yams but the glaze will work equally well on both. As always, marshmallows optional.

Learn more

Cranberry Quince Paste

This magical combination brings quince into the spotlight and adds a new level of flavor to the cranberries on your holiday table. Quince is a fanciful fruit, with a bright aroma and a taste of ripe pear and key lime. Ripe quince can be found in Seattle backyards around the early fall. Finding them frozen at a Latin or Asian grocery store is another option too.The key to success is reducing the quince and cranberry paste far enough that the pectin found in the quince will gel up and keep its shape when cooled. This paste will taste nostalgic to those who like the solid sauce, but far from the canned variety you had as a kid. It'll be sharp enough to cut any rich side dishes but also be warm and sweet from the cinnamon and star anise found in the Mulling Spice.If you're unable to find quince, a firm pear with 2 tablespoons of lemon juice will be a good substitute. As the sauce reduces it should cook down thick enough that when you scrape the bottom of the pan with a spoon the jam won't immediately fill in the space again.

Learn more

Black Garlic Standing Potato Gratin

Whether they're mashed, scalloped, fried, or baked, potatoes will always have a special place in my heart and at the holiday table. This casserole does them justice with a show-stopping presentation and a flavor profile that'll have your guests scrambling to discover the secret ingredient. The answer? Black garlic. If you've never had black garlic before, its sweetness and balsamic quality will delight. The flavor is mellow and caramel, but remains decidedly garlic, the best of both worlds. With the accent of savory and powerhouse cheeses like parmesan and gruyere, and a beautiful starchy potato canvas, this dish is a masterpiece. The assembly is easy and forgiving so dig in and enjoy.We first found this recipe in the Food Lab by inspired chef and recent Seattle transplant J-Kenji Lopez. His method of cooking the potatoes hassle back style is genius. You might be thinking the recipe too rich (blasphemy!), but it's surprisingly not too heavy. All the same, we have used oat milk as a substitute when counting calories and the results were delicious in that version too.

Learn more

Duck Confit Mole Tacos

Duck Confit Mole Tacos? Yes, really!! This dish brings together two epic indulgences - duck confit and mole, and the result is a decadent taco that is simply over the top. Both dishes are pretty labor intensive so we figured why not? Go big or get out of the kitchen...this recipe is project cooking at it's funnest.First we cured duck legs in cumin, coriander, and orange to compliment the richness of the mole, and the meat ultimately came out juicy, tender, and caramelized to perfection. Confit is similar to carnitas in that the meat is immersed and cooked in lard, a great companion for mole and great in a taco. The duck legs need to cure in the refrigerator for two days before making the confit so it's not a last minute or even 30 minute meal, but the result is worth the wait.Then onward to the mole. Mole by itself is a labor of love, but our Mole Olé spice gives you a leg up there with pre-blended chilies, chocolate, sesame and more. The sauce has grilled vegetables and more chocolate added in too, for layers of blended flavor to blanket the meat.For the finish, we rounded up all our favorite taco toppings and enjoyed the feast. Check out our video for an overview of this fun and fantastic decadent taco.

Learn more

Chorizo Bomb Stuffed Acorn Squash

Acorn squash is one of my favorites because they can be personal sized and filled with whatever you're craving. This recipe is simple and Chorizo Bomb does all of the work. As the name implies, it is an explosion of flavors with minimal ingredients. We start off by roasting the acorn squash until tender and caramelized to bring out its nutty sweetness. We kept this recipe grain-free by stuffing the squash with ground chicken and sweet peppers. To bring it all together, we added Chorizo Bomb which is made up of ground smoked chilies and oregano, thyme and cumin. In a matter of minutes, your house will smell of Fall chiles. Add a sprinkle of cheddar, then a quick trip to the oven for golden brown deliciousness.

Learn more