Tom Douglas' Seattle Kitchen

Douglas focuses on using fresh, in-season ingredients in all his recipes. "My philosophy is: eat it when you've got it, enjoy the harvest when it's here," he says. In Seattle, that means Grilled Asparagus with Hazelnut-Star Anise Mayonnaise in the spring, Sake-Steamed Sockeye Salmon with Sake Butter with Oregon Pinot Noir Raspberry Sorbet on a summer evening, or the year-round favorite, Dungeness crab. Try Crab Salad with Asparagus, Avocado, and Lime Vinaigrette or Wok-Fried Crab with Ginger and Lemongrass. Use Washington State apples in Parsnip-Apple Hash or Maple-Cured Double-Cut Pork Chops with Grilled Apple Rings and Creamy Corn Grits. Douglas offers plenty of savory vegetarian dishes such as Potato Gnocchi with Roasted Tomatoes and Gorgonzola Cream, Wild Mushroom Ravioli with Arugula Salad, and Tuscan Bread Salad with Fresh Mozzarella and Basil (a perennial favorite at the Dahlia Lounge).

Like a walk through the fish and vegetable stalls at Pike Place Market, Tom Douglas' Seattle Kitchen is fresh, inspiring, and filled with aromatic ideas. His prose is relaxed, colloquial, and encouraging--cook, eat, and enjoy are his basic tenets--and the book is filled with photos of Seattle life and institutions. Whether you live in the Emerald City or the Windy City, Tom Douglas' Seattle Kitchen will spark your imagination and enliven your palate. --Dana Van Nest

Product Description

There's a new culinary melting pot. It's called Seattle. Here you'll find everything from Japanese bento box lunches and Thai satays to steaming bowls of Vietnamese soups and all-American blackberry cobblers. No chef embodies this diversity with more flair and more flavor than chef/author/restaurateur Tom Douglas. And no book does it better than Tom Douglas' Seattle Kitchen.

Tom's creativity with local ingredients and his respect for Seattle's ethnic traditions have helped put his three restaurants and Seattle on the national culinary map. Join Tom and celebrate the Emerald City's rich culinary tradition: sweet I Dungeness crabs, razor clams, rich artisan cheeses, and deeply flavored Northwest beers. Share in the delight of sophisticated Washington wines, coffee fresh vegetables, fruits, and the exotic flavors of the Pacific Rim countries.

Tom Douglas' style is laid-back sophistication with a dash of humor. You can see it in the names of his chapters, "Starch Stacking," "Slow Dancing," and "Mo' Poke, Dadu" (this last title, courtesy of his daughter, Loretta, means "More Pork, Daddy"). And you can taste it in his signature dishes such as Dungeness Crabcakes with Green Cocktail Sauce, Roast Duck with Huckleberry Sauce and Parsnip-Apple Hash, Udon with Sea Scallops in Miso Broth, and Triple Cream Coconut Pie.

Try his hearty Long-Bone Short Ribs with Chinook Merlot Gravy and Rosemary WhiteBeans or spicy Fire-roasted Oysters with Ginger Threads and Wasabi Butter. Relax in the comfort of the comfort foods he prepares for his own family: Loretta's Buttermilk Pancakes with Wild Blackberries, Basic Barbecued Baby Back Ribs, and Five-Spice Angel Food Cake. They're all clear, simple recipes that'll have you cooking like Tom Douglas from the very first page.

But this is more than a cookbook; it's a food lover's guide to Seattle. Join Tom on a tour of his city with his list of top ten best things to do -- and eat -- in Seattle, from his favorite ethnic markets and neighborhoods to where to get the best breakfast.

Why not turn your kitchen into a Seattle kitchen? All it takes is a little help and inspiration from Tom Douglas.

Point number two: Not only does Douglas give you his best recipes in this book, but he has also written what should be considered a mandatory guidebook to visitors and newcomers to Seattle. Douglas generously mentions most of the other great restaurants in town and tells you when to go and what to order. His description of the local markets is so comprehensive, it should be mandatory reading for every new cook who comes to town. Clearly, this man loves Seattle, and he wants to share all the best of it with his readers.


Outstanding!   November 26, 2001
leosam116 (United States)
26 out of 26 found this review helpful

Amazon featured Thanksgiving recipes from Tom Douglas' book last week, and the three I tried made me and my family believers in this man's genius! His Red Bliss Mashers were my sister's fave dish of the day, even though she usually won't eat mashed potatoes made with anything more complex than butter and salt. The Cranberry Chutney with Dried Apricots and Currants was a tangy delight, even for a die-hard jellied cranberry sauce lover like myself. But the star of the meal was the Spice-Rubbed Turkey -- Tom's delectable spice rub that married brown sugar and cinnamon with paprika and cayenne pepper guaranteed that there wasn't much leftover turkey! Excellent recipes with explanations that even newbie cooks like me can follow -- now I'm going to buy the book! Outstanding!


Already my favorite cookbook   January 16, 2001
M. Neilson (Seattle, WA USA)
19 out of 19 found this review helpful

As a huge fan of Etta's & the Dahlia Lounge, I couldn't have imagined being able to create meals as wonderful as the ones they serve. Yet, every meal I have prepared from this book has been incredible and I continue to receive compliments from those I've made them for. The book is chock-full of great preparation, shopping, and other cooking tips. It includes the simple timing and other how-to's lacking in many cookbooks. Further, it manages to fuse various ethnic styles in a way that is actually do-able if you are not a culinary expert.


This man is a genius   March 19, 2001
Dan Taylor (Seattle, WA United States)
18 out of 19 found this review helpful

I first experienced Tom's cooking at the Dahlia Lounge about 3 years ago, and I was completely blown away. Visit after visit, meal after meal, his dishes always suprise and amaze me. His imagination with regards to food is incredible. The menu changes constantly and I think it just keeps getting better. But this is a review of his book... All of the recipes that have made all three of his restaurants famous are here. The thing that suprised me is that he is completely open with his "trade secrets". He's like a magician that can't wait to explain to you how to perform his trick, because he loves the magic that much: he wants everyone to be able to do it. And all the recipes work, too! I've made about 20 different thing from this book, and not one of them hasn't turned out perfectly. His style of writing is very accessable. And for the seattle resident, there is the bonus of a complete list of where to find all the best ingredients. A priceless book.


Best Cookbook ever   September 8, 2003
D. Irvine
13 out of 13 found this review helpful

Now I may be biased because I live in Seattle but there is not a recipe in this book which is not simply perfect. I have tried about 10 recipes including the crab cakes, blueberry coffee cake, Short Ribs with Rosemary white beans and the Lobster and Shiitake Potstickers and not had a bad one yet.

All the recipies are pretty easy to make, use simple fresh ingredients and usually recommend a wine to pair with it. These are not always the types of recipes that you want to whip up in 10 mins when you get home from work but for a weekend dinner where you have 1/2 hr or more to cook, you will be well rewarded. There is definitely a seafood bias for this which is fine with me. In the middle of the book are about 10 pages of pictures of many of the dishes.

I have lots of cookbooks with several good recipes but never one with so many winners and absolutely no losers. I have been to 2 of Tom's restaurants in Seattle but this makes me want to cook at home.