Edible Seattle: The Cookbook

Lightner, editor of Edible Seattle magazine, celebrates the treasured food traditions, dynamic people, and regional ingredients in this slim though wonderful collection of 100 recipes, tips, and techniques culled from the local chefs, bakers, bloggers, foragers, and gardeners who make up Seattle’s food community. Recipes are relatively simple, allowing natural flavors of the ingredients to remain dominant, and all take advantage of seasonal bounties, including rhubarb bruschetta, chanterelle puffs, and celeriac and chestnut gratin with amaretto-truffle cream. Each dish is labeled as vegan, dairy-free, vegetarian, and/or gluten-free, as appropriate, which is helpful for those on restricted diets. Lightner also highlights local purveyors such as James Hall at Taylor Shellfish and Georgie Smith at Wildwood Farms, which helps paint the culinary landscape of the city. Appealing side and main dishes abound, especially garlicky greens, simple braised brussels sprouts, brown sugar–brined pork chops with bacon and maple jus, and mushroom stroganoff. Sandwiches, snacks, and desserts are also plentiful and appetizing, made more so by the vibrant and palpably delicious color photos. (June)