These are my top three things* to bring with me while I head down to Ocean Shores, Washington for the 4th Annual Razor Clam Festival for this weekend!

The weekend starts  off with me hosting a VIP cocktail party at 5:00 pm on Friday March 26th at the Quinault Beach Resort & Casino, followed by the Family Dinner and Coronation Ball (dinner & dance) featuring the crowning of 2010’s King & Queen Clam, at the Ocean Shores Shilo Inn.

This Saturday March 27^th from 10:00 – 6:00 pm, I will be the host and emcee for the day’s events at the Ocean Shores Convention Center, including the Clam Chowder Cook-Off. The Chowder Cook-off has two divisions, Amateur and Restaurant Chef, and offers a year’s worth of bragging rights. I can’t wait to try out all the tasty chowder entries – last year it was a tough competition!

For only $2 (kids under 12 get in free), you can enjoy a fabulous day filled with lots of great clam-tastic events and fun activities for the entire family.

A Firefighters’ All You Can Eat Pancake Breakfast will precede clam fest activities from 7:00 – 9:45 am. For $5, you get your fill of pancakes – but also get to mingle with the hot firefighters flexing their muscles serving breakfast! Zowie!

Events will also include live music all day long, an Artisans’ marketplace featuring northwest artists, contests for the best decorated clam shovel & clam gun (one of my favorites of the event!) and a Kids Zone with lots of face painting, balloons and a visit from the Ocean Shores Pirates. And of course there is lots of great food, Bloody Mary’s (I hope they are there again!) and many a clam chowder to sample!

Keep your fingers crossed …there is also a clam dig scheduled for this year, (pending final approval from Washington State’s Department of Fish and Wildlife). Saturday, March 27, (5:19 p.m., -0.1) Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis, Mocrocks, Kalaloch (check the site for Friday and Sunday digs!)

I’m looking forward to a great weekend of good old fashioned small town fun!
I hope to see you there!

*Other items that I plan on bringing with me: fishing gloves (you’ll thank me later!), clamming nets to hold in our bounty of clams, flashlights, a hat to keep my head warm and to keep me dry if it rains, rain gear, and LOTS of warm clothes. Don’t forget the snacks for the drive to and back from Ocean Shores (3 hours south of Seattle!).

I’m taking part in this month’s Mixology Monday – hosted by Hobston’s Choice

I am thrilled to be one of the 10 finalists for the Tales of the Cocktail – cocktail competition!The challenge? To make a “tikified” Planter’s Punch.

I love tiki drinks – and Pimm’s …and raspberries! So after shaking up a few dozen concoctions, I finalized my entry with a Planters Punch “Berry Cup” … my “Big Easy” twist on Planters Punch.

Author, expert and cocktail judge Jeff Berry said: “Sampling from over 150 of these creative, complex, forward-thinking, often delicious, was pure pleasure, but choosing only 10 was no easy task — there were just too many good ones. Often it came down to the originality of the garnish, or the use of an unexpected ingredient that harmonized particularly well.  But I can confidently say that if I saw these 10 finalists on the cocktail menu of a tiki bar, I would never leave.”

The other finalist’s recipes are online at Tales of the Cocktail – and the winner will be announced on March 31, 2010. Best of luck to us all!!

Planter’s Punch “Berry Cup”

Makes 1 cocktail

5 Driscol fresh raspberries
1 oz 10 Cane Rum
3/4 oz Sailor Jerry Rum
1/2 oz Orgeat Syrup
1/2 oz Pimm’s
1 dash Peychoud’s Bitters

Garnish: long thin cucumber curl, raspberry on a pick

Drop raspberries into pint glass. Measure in ingredients. Fill with ice. Cap and shake vigorously. Line a collins glass with a long very thin slice of cucumber (cut from the mandolin as shown). Pour into glass and garnish.

Recipe submitted by Kathy Casey for Tales of the Cocktail – cocktail competition.

***Checkout Hobson’s Choice for a great cocktail roundup for this month’s Mixology Monday, including my very own Planter’s Punch “Berry Cup” (in the Tropical section)!

It all started with a gala swag bag. You know the ones that I’m talking about, full of stuff you will never use. This particular swag bag held a few tasty morsels tucked within the other “stuff”: pens, gift certificates, flyers and announcements, etc. Some of the hidden treasures includes a tasty organic local sustainable chocolate bar, the old time local candy I just love, and then there was this little clear plastic bag of three little packets of Bacon Salt, all tied together with a simple red string.
 
I tucked these in the kitchen drawer with all the other loads of “event spices.” The next day I looked around for a healthy snack and decided upon some 100 calorie pop corn, and as I opened the drawer for a sprinkle of  sea salt those little packets called out to me . . . Ba-con, ba-con, ba-con . . . and that’s how the addiction started. …

Continue reading on the Amazon’s Al Dente Blog.

Seattle Dances! It was fun … and I did not fall on my freaking a!%
I want to personally thank everyone for all their support and votes! I trained hard and danced my heart out Charleston-ing on stage. YES – it was stressful! But I’m happy to say I now know how to do something other than disco down, thanks to my dancing instructor Josh Welter!

Josh and I in our dance outfits!

It all came together this past Sat., Mar. 13th. The event started at 5:30 pm but I was up and getting ready at 11:00 am! I can’t say that I was that nervous … okay, who am I kidding? I was absolutely jittery and panicky! I’d rather shake up a cocktail or cook up a storm in front of thousands than do the Charleston in front of the judges. Sheesh!

The night started off with a signature cocktail called the Lizzie Highfly that my gang shook up in honor of a great 1929 Charleston dancer. It’s fresh raspberries, Pearl Vodka and fresh lemon juice, topped with a lush raspberry foam made with Monin Raspberry Syrup and a sprinkle of edible gold flakes!

The super d’lish Lizzie Highfly cocktail!

Then there was a silent auction and then a live auction during dinner—I wasn’t really sure what went on during this time because I was in the green room getting ready!

The fabulous Marco of Marco Salon giving me
finger-waves for a classic 1930’s look!

The dancers took the stage at around 8:45 and we gave it our all! All the dance sets were incredible. You can watch the event on the Seattle Dances! website.

Because of your help, the other dancers and myself, as well as Plymouth Housing Group raised over $400,000! That’s just truly amazing! None of us could have done it without your amazing inspiration, great encouragement, and wonderful resolve to support the Plymouth Housing Group.

Steven Goldfarb, me, Giuseppe Grazioli (our fabulous costume designer),
and Cathi Hatch minutes before our big performances!

So congrats to all the winners—which in my book we all were! Even though Seattle Dances! is over now, I still want to keep on dancing! West Coast swing dancing anyone?

Razor Clam Lovers Unite!
It’s almost here! Sat., Mar. 27th in Ocean Shores, Washington. I will be hosting the 4th Annual Razor Clam Festival from 10:00 – 6:00 pm at the Ocean Shores Convention Center. It’ll be a clam-tastic event filled with lots of great activities: a clam dance, a clam chowder cook-off, and of course, razor clam digging!

My fabulous clamming boots!

A Firefighters’ All You Can Eat Pancake Breakfast will precede clam fest activities from 7:00–9:45 am. Tickets are $5 at the door. (The breakfast is ok but the firemen who serve it are HOT… and that just makes it better!)

Events will include live music all day long, an Artisans’ Marketplace featuring NW artists, contests for the best–decorated clam shovel & clam gun (CRAFTERS take note!!) and a Kids Zone with visits from the Ocean Shores Pirates. And of course there’s lots of clam chowder, great Bloody Mary’s and plenty of good eats!

Come join me for fun clam festivities! Admission is $2 for adults, and children under 12 are free! A great deal for a weekend trip to enjoy some good salt air and get your fill of clams!

The Buzz is on …
…and the bees will be a lot closer than you think! The Ballard Dish D’Lish and Ballard Bee Honey have plans in the works to install hives in our back garden area. Beekeeper and honey man extraordinaire, Corky Luster, reassures us (and I’m not the biggest fan of bee stings!) that the bees are docile and super–passive. I know because all last summer his bees were zooming around our back garden—especially near our fennel—and didn’t mind me getting in their way at all.

Have you tried Ballard Bee Honey yet? If not, stop in Dish D’Lish and grab a bottle for yourself. It’s mighty delicious! And there is also a Bee Happy for Summer event in the works … stay tuned on Twitter!

Local neighborhood honey that is truly amazing!

Great Reads …
Spring means time to get outside, sit and soak up some rays and read a good book. Or cook from it, shake from it or just get inspired! Here are new books by my favorite friends and authors:

The Modern Mixologist by Tony Abou-Ganim – a must-have for the cocktail enthusiast.

Gourmet Game Night by Cynthia Nims – if you like playing games, eating and sipping then this is the book for you. Hey! I even got to be a taste tester when she was writing this book. I give it a full D’Lish recommendation!

Discover Cooking with Lavender by Kathy Gehrt – now you’ll know what to do with this beautiful flower—from appetizers to drinks.

Egypt – Yes, I am jealous I didn’t go!

But, hey, I’ve been to Miami for the Cheers Beverage conference … Vegas for the Night Club and Bar Show … BUT Keith Waldbauer, my Sr. Mixologist Associate, did get to go to Egypt, where he opened the new Fairmont Nile City’s bars and trained all the bar staff. Keith had an amazing trip. As you can see, he did squeeze in a little time for an adventure to the Giza Plateau … Keith how did you reach the top of that pyramid?!

When Keith says reach for the top, he means it!

That’s it for now. Wishing you a happy spring. Don’t forget to check out my blog for the most up-to-date recipes and foodie and cocktail news, or follow my adventures on Twitter.

– Kathy

The Modern Mixologist by Tony Abou-Ganim

A “Must Have” fantastic new book by friend and internationally celebrated cocktail guru Tony Abou-Ganim.

The Modern Mixologist, book combines 60 of Tony’s very best recipes with practical tips, cocktail history, and quotes from famous cocktail enthusiasts and authorities. An introductory guide to home mixology takes readers step by step through basic and advanced techniques, from how to cut a twist to how to prepare your own infusions – but will also have professionals pouring over the pages! And the beautiful and striking photography will make you want to pick up and drink the pages!

Whether you’re a mixology aficionado or merely curious about the cocktail craze, Tony’s drinks will dazzle your palate and impress your friends.

Since I am a total lover of (ri)1 this is the first drink I will be stirring up from Tony’s new book … and I love the story of how the drink was created.

An Excerpt and Drink from the Modern Mixologist:

Just For Mary
Inspired by the Manhattan—a classic and rather serious cocktail hour libation—and by the qualities expressed in my dear friend and writing partner, the Just for Mary emerged with ease. (ri)1 straight rye whiskey (pronounced “rye one”) is made for mixing. Light among its rye brethren, pleasing, with both fruit and spice flavors at its center, it is tantalizing, friendly, and “easy on the tongue.” I combined (ri)1 with Lillet Blond and presented it to Mary. She smiled but I could tell something was missing. Back to the liquor cabinet for a measure of Cherry Heering and some orange bitters, then finished with burnt orange twist essence and a brandied cherry. This time a big smile. It may have been “just for Mary,” but thankfully there was enough for two. I think you’ll agree that this is a perfect cocktail hour elixir. – Tony

2 oz (ri)1 straight rye whiskey
1/2 oz Cherry Heering
1/2 oz Lillet Blond
2 dashes Regan’s Orange Bitters No. 6

In an ice-filled mixing glass, add rye whiskey, Cherry Heering, Lillet, and orange bitters. Stir until very cold. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Finish with the essence of a burnt
orange twist and discard.

From The Modern Mixologist: Contemporary Classic Cocktails, Agate Surry – $35.00

Meet some of the world’s bestselling wine authors and leading-edge innovators at “The World’s Largest (and Smartest!) Wine Book Signing” at The Wine Library in Springfield, New Jersey, on Saturday, March 27th, from 1 to 4 pm.

Celebrating the launch of the new book Wine Drinking for Inspired Thinking: Uncork Your Creative Juices will be:

• New York Times bestselling author Gary Vaynerchuk, host of Wine Library TV (aka “The Thunder Show”), will sign copies of his books Crush It: Why NOW Is the Time To Cash In On Your Passion and Gary Vaynerchuk’s 101 Wines: Guaranteed to Inspire, Delight, and Bring Thunder to Your World
  
• Former Washington Post wine columnists Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg, who will sign copies of their IACP “Cookbook of the Year” What to Drink with What You Eat and their 2009 James Beard Award winner The Flavor Bible
  
• Creativity and innovation expert Michael J. Gelb, author of the New York Times bestseller How to Think Like Leonardo da Vinci and Innovate Like Edison: 5 Steps to Breakthrough Business Success will sign copies of his new book Wine Drinking for Inspired Thinking: Uncork Your Creative Juices.

Enjoy a complimentary wine tasting, chat with the authors, and learn how they’ve parlayed their love of wine into their respective empires.