Hello friends!
We promised ourselves more adventures in 2024, and so far we’re keeping that promise! We just returned from our Woolcraft Retreat at the stunning Saltwater Farm on San Juan Island, and we’re still glowing from a long weekend spent chasing sheep, spinning and dyeing yarn, knitting, and weaving with new friends. It’s been hard to settle back into normal life, and we’re anticipating our return to the island for our Wood-Fired Cooking Retreat with Restaurant Homer in May, and then Quillisascut Farm Camp in July. We’re thrilled to be taking these field trips out of Seattle, and would love to hear ideas for trips that you’d like to take with us!
In the meantime, we’ve just posted our May & June dinners! This spring we’re setting aside two weekends for Jay Guerrero to take over our kitchens for a Family Dinner: Taste of the Philippines. Over many years at the Pantry Jay has shown that he can cook any cuisine he sets his mind to, but for this series he’s diving deep into the sweet, salty, sour, and umami flavors that distinguish Filipino cooking. The dishes may not be traditional, but the inspiration definitely is — the menu includes rockfish kinilaw (a cousin of ceviche) with avocado and burnt coconut; short rib kare kare with peanuts, charred long beans, and eggplant bagoong butter; and halo halo, a frozen masterpiece of ube ice cream, macapuno coconut, and pandan pate de fruit drizzled in sweetened condensed oat milk.
We’ve also got a pair of Cookbook Club Potluck Suppers lined up — you pick a recipe to cook, and we pour the wine (and wash the dishes!). On May 26 the book of honor is Rooted Kitchen: Seasonal Recipes, Stories, and Ways to Connect with the Natural World by our friend and fellow kitchen witch Ashley Rodriguez; on June 23 we’ll be cooking from Family: New Vegetarian Comfort Food to Nourish Every Day by Hetty McKinnon.
April is chock full of fun as well! On April 13, in honor of Arab Heritage Month, Nadia Tommalieh is cooking hummus, pita, and pistachio halva at the Highline Heritage Museum, and leading a conversation about Arab cuisine. Spots are still available on April 19th and 20th in our South Indian Supper with Shri Repp, and on April 27th in our first ever Passover Meal with Jonathan Silverberg of Schmaltzy’s Deli. And our friend Darin Gagner from Valley Sharp is back on April 23rd for his monthly knife sharpening services — all live now on our website.
Thank you all for being a part of our community!
Brandi and the Pantry family
