If you are, we’d love to talk to you on the morning show.  Be our man or woman in the field.   Tell us what you’ve seen, what it’s like or if you bumped into Apollo Ohno!  Please email Kiera,  

This morning we were talking to Melissa Allison from the Seattle Times.  She writes a blog called “Coffee City“.  We dove deep into the crazy world of ordering your cup o’ joe.  If you’d like to learn what “harmless”, “macchiato” and “shot in the dark” means.  Click here!

Monday and Tuesday (8th and 9th)

Take the kids to make free Valentine’s Day crafts at the Everett Libraries.  The event is at the Main Library on the 8th and the Evergreen Branch on the 9th from 3-5pm.

Opening this Thursday (the 11th)

Metaphors for Dead Pianos at the Jack Straw New Media Gallery at 4261 Roosevelt Way NE, Seattle

 Discarded pianos are brought back to life via digitization in Hugo Solis’s interactive sound sculpture.

Grab the fam and head out this weekend. 

You can check out Tet Fest this Saturday and Sunday at the Seattle Center.  Celebrate with Seattle’s Vietnamese community at the Têt Nguyên Đán festival and usher in the “Year of the Ox.” Têt celebrates with exhibits, children’s interactive arts and crafts, musical programs and fantastic food.

Seattle’s fire stations will open their doors Saturday for the 16th annual “Neighbor Appreciation Day.”  From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., residents can stop by their neighborhood fire station to meet firefighters, tour the station and learn about firefighting equipment.  Visitors should be aware that firefighters may need to respond to an emergency and close the station to visitors. Firefighters will return after the alarm and re-open the station.  For a list of stations, click here.

Tomorrow (Saturday Feb. 6th)  Molly Moon’s ice cream will be donating all proceeds, all day to haitian relief program Partners in Health.  This offer is good at both their Wallingford and Capitol Hill locations.  Molly Moon herself will be serving up scoops at the Capitol Hill location starting at 9 am (along with very special guest Congressman Jim McDermott).

Much thanks to Teresa Smith with Canyon’s Edge Winery. She has come on board to share her vast knowledge of wine with all of us. Be listening in the coming weeks to learn all about Washington’s wine history, how to pick great wines, fun gadgets and events to get you out there and sampling.

Teresa just sent us this message to share with all.

“Winter is snow with black silhouettes” – Vincent Van Gogh

French onion Soup aux Les Halles

Even if we aren’t having a real winter, French Onion Soup is wonderful this time of year, and I made it this weekend, and enjoyed it with Canyon’s Edge Sangiovese, and had pears and Cougar Gold cheese for dessert. The Cougar Gold was sharp, a nice contrast, a leftover Christmas present.
I substituted Jeremiah’s tawny port rather than cognac, and used Jeremiah’s in the beef stock too. Really, who needs all that water?
All the cookbooks will tell you this originated at Les Halles, in Paris. Les Halles used to be a giant produce market, much the Pike Place Market began. Now, she said shaking her head sadly, it is a bunch of shops.
SOUP
4 tbl. unsalted butter
2 tbl. olive oil
6 cups sliced yellow onions
1 tsp sugar
1/3 cup cognac
thyme
3 tbl unbleached all-pupose flour
3 quarts Beef Stock
11/3 cups dry white wine
salt and pepper

CROUTONS
8 thick slices French Bread
1/2 stick butter
4 tbl. olive oil
3 cloives garlic, minced

CHEESE GRATINEE
8 ounces Gruyere, shredded
8 ounces smoked mozzarella, shredded
4 ounces freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Heat the butter and onions in a large stock pot. Add the onions and cook over high heat, stirring occassionally, for 15 minutes. Add the garlic and sugar, reduce to medium heat stirring occasionally, until the onions are golden brown, about 40 minutes.
Pour in the port, and set some aside for the cook, you have earned it! Good heavens, all that chopping.
Stir in the stock and wine, wine can be substituted with more port. Season to taste and let set an hour.
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Butter the bread with a mnixture of garlic and oil, and toast in the oven on baking sheet.
Combine the three cheeses, or any cheeses similar, comme tu veut, it’s your soup.
Ladle the soup into 8 oven proof bowls, to 3/4 full.
Put a crouton in the center, and cover generoulsy with cheese. Broil 6 inches from heat, until cheese is melted and bubbling, about 5 minutes.

I always feel recipes are a suggestion, not a rule book, and can be adjusted to taste, ability, upbringing, and education.

I have noticed the French onion soup bowls in second hand stores, I borrowed my mom’s. Shhhh.

EMP|SFM is proud to present
Taking Aim: Unforgettable Rock ‘n’ Roll Photographs Selected by Graham Nash.

This exhibition showcases some of the most memorable photography in the history of popular music, as chosen by legendary musician Graham Nash, who is also well-known as a photographer, collector and pioneer in digital imaging and printing.

As guest curator, Graham Nash, brings his rich musical history, keen eye and storytelling skills to an exhibition of 98 rock ‘n’ roll images taken by 40 of the world’s greatest music photographers.

For more information click here!!  (BTW, if you were wondering, the picture is Elton John in 1973!)

We saw this and wanted to pass it along.

Dessert Wine Tasting and Chocolate Truffle Workshop
At Blue Ribbon Cooking & Culinary Center

Saturday, February 13, 2010
9:30 – 11:30 pm
$70 per person

You can’t get more decadent than handmade fine chocolates and exquisite dessert wines! Get elbows deep in chocolate with your sweetheart as you create delicious handmade truffles. (Each couple will take home a box of one dozen handmade truffles that they create in class.) After your truffle escapade, you’ll adventure together into a dessert wine tasting, pairing different chocolate grades with a variety of dessert wines.

1. Best Picture: “Avatar,” “The Blind Side,” “District 9,” “An Education,” “The Hurt Locker,” “Inglourious Basterds,” “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire,” “A Serious Man,” “Up,” “Up in the Air.”

2. Actor: Jeff Bridges, “Crazy Heart”; George Clooney, “Up in the Air”; Colin Firth, “A Single Man”; Morgan Freeman, “Invictus”; Jeremy Renner, “The Hurt Locker.”

3. Actress: Sandra Bullock, “The Blind Side”; Helen Mirren, “The Last Station”; Carey Mulligan, “An Education”; Gabourey Sidibe, “Precious: Based on the Novel `Push’ by Sapphire”; Meryl Streep, “Julie & Julia.”

4. Supporting Actor: Matt Damon, “Invictus”; Woody Harrelson, “The Messenger”; Christopher Plummer, “The Last Station”; Stanley Tucci, “The Lovely Bones”; Christoph Waltz, “Inglourious Basterds.”

5. Supporting Actress: Penelope Cruz, “Nine”; Vera Farmiga, “Up in the Air”; Maggie Gyllenhaal, “Crazy Heart”; Anna Kendrick, “Up in the Air”; Mo’Nique, “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire.”

6. Directing: James Cameron, “Avatar”; Kathryn Bigelow, “The Hurt Locker”; Quentin Tarantino, “Inglourious Basterds”; Lee Daniels, “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire”; Jason Reitman, “Up in the Air.”

For a full list click here

I normally don’t write about stuff unless it profoundly affects me or my friends.

Stuff that has profoundly affected me include seeing Springsteen live in ‘76 for two nights at the Santa Monica Civic.  Johnny Marr’s guitar on How Soon Is Now by the Smiths in ’85.  Buying my first iMac in 1985.     Marrying my wife Jenn in ‘89. Hearing the Verve’s Urban Hymns for the first time in the mid 90’s.  Kayaking around the San Juan Islands several Summers ago.   Hiking the Kukui trail in Kauai to the sound track of Death Cab for Cutie on my iPod…

Add a new one to the list. 

I spent a weekend at the Salish Lodge with the wife.  I’ve stayed at some really nice places and have eaten some really good 5 star meals over the years… but nothing (nothing) compares to this.

My point… If you need a reaffirming experience… what I mean by this is a period of time where everything is perfect and you’re pampered… do a weekend at The Salish Lodge and Spa.  Amazing renovated rooms, the spa rules, get massage and for God’s sake don’t forget to eat something there. 

OK I’m done here.  I just needed to share.  I’ve been in a good mood every day since spending a weekend there.

Check out more about Salish Lodge & Spa here – http://www.1037themountain.com/pages/6201753.php