The Cuisine of the Pacific Northwest

Chapter 10 The Cuisine of the Pacific NorthwestAmerican Regional CuisineThe Pacific NorthwestAlaska- America’s last frontier and “Land of the Midnight Sun,” shares the bounty of the Pacific Ocean, and by an extraordinary combination of environmental and human factors, it produces vegetables that grow to enormous sizes in the Alaskan floodplain.  Oregon- “The Beaver State,” where the state flower is the Oregon grape, the state fish is the Chinook salmon, the state nut is the hazelnut.Washington- “The Evergreen State,” where the state fruit is the apple; the state fish is the steelhead trout.The railroads did not reach the Pacific Northwest states until 1883. The offers of work building the railroads brought people from China, Italy, and Greece. Large numbers of Chinese settled in Oregon and east of the Cascade Mountains. Immigrants from southern European countries—mainly Italy and Greece—settled in the Portland area during the late 1800s. German settlers established their farm traditions in eastern Washington Mountains. They were the first to grow the nation’s supply of hops and barley, and to initiate the beer industry. A beer-making tradition termed microbrewing began in the mid-1800s. Scandinavian settlers brought their dairy-farming expertise to the area and continue to produce large amounts of milk. They reproduced the distinctive cheese-making processes developed in Europe. The History of the Pacific NorthwestPacific Rim CookingIn the late 1800s and early 1900’s a number of Japanese immigrants arrived to work on small farms. They established the first berry and vegetable farms in Washington’s Puget Sound area. They also brought their native Pacific and Kumamoto oysters and Manila, or Japanese Littleneck, clams to the coast.The Asian influence in the Northwest has been strong, and most major cities in the Northwest have flourishing Asian communities.They used the ingredients native to the Pacific Northwest but prepared them using the cooking styles of their homeland. The first to populate open-air markets, the Asians brought fresh coriander, colorful basils, ginger, bitter melon, and exotic greens. Seattle’s Chinatown is known today as the International District owing to the influences of its Filipino, Thai, Korean, and Vietnamese communities.AlaskaA considerable percentage of the population has come from countries. Many whose ancestors were Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, English, German, Russian, or Finnish now call themselves Alaskans. Alaska suffered during the Great Depression of the 1930s. President Franklin Roosevelt had the idea that if people moved to Alaska, they could start over again in a new place where they could farm and make a living. About 1,000 people moved from northern states like Michigan and Minnesota to Alaska during this time.Every year at the Alaska State Fair the giant vegetables are the main attraction. The challenge was begun during the Great Depression of the 1930s, when the government-relocated farmers discovered that, while the growing season is short there is nearly 24 hours of sunlight. The giant vegetable competitors carefully germinate their seed, monitor moisture, and prune strategically to direct all the plant’s energy into a single vegetable. This results in vegetables like Swiss chard. that grows 9 feet tall, broccoli 3 feet tall, and 7-foot-wide, 98-pound cabbages, and 25-pound mushrooms.Pacific Northwest LandscapeThe Pacific Northwest regional cuisine is defined by the native ingredients that flourish in this diverse landscape.PALOUSEAlong the edge of eastern Washington and western Idaho lies a region is generally considered to be the best in the world for growing lentils, peas, and chickpeas YAKIMA VALLEYWest across the extensive Columbia River plateau is an active agricultural area often called the “Fruit Bowl of the Nation. The first commercial apple orchards began production in the Yakima Valley. The availability of water has transformed this area into one of the largest and most productive wine regions in the Northwest. The cool temperatures also allow for an exceptional harvest of asparagus.Pacific Northwest Landscape Cont.THE HOOD RIVER VALLEYRunoff from Mt. Hood’s volcanic slopes enriches soil in the valleys below, famous for their production of pears, peaches, plums, sweet cherries, apricots, and apples.  THE WILLAMETTE VALLEYThis area is best known for its diverse agriculture, which includes a wide variety of fruits, dairy, vegetables, and hops.This is also Oregon’s top berry-growing region, with blackberries, loganberries, raspberries, and strawberries found in the region. Over 90 percent of the country’s hazelnuts are produced here, and the hazelnut takes the place of pecans in many of the regional recipes. Today, the valley’s wine country is gaining worldwide attention as one of the Pacific Northwest’s finest wine appellations, consistently turning out internationally acclaimed Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, and Riesling.The high precipitation in this region supports coniferous forests along the coastal inlets, and many varieties of mushroom thrive in these conditions.High prices are paid at market for matsutakes, morels, and porcini. The region is also known for its native truffles.White truffles and two varieties of black truffles are found in the undergrowth of the Douglas fir trees during the early fall through early spring.The Coastal RangesRivers and inlets lend their names to the region’s trademark fish and shellfish.Pacific oysters are also known by their places of origin such as Yaquina, Wescott, Shoalwater, Quilcene, and Canterbury. Shrimp, scallops, geoduck, clams, and crabs flourish along the Washington, Oregon, and Alaska coasts. The nation’s oldest mussel farm, Penn Cove Mussels, is found on Whidbey Island in Washington’s Puget Sound. The Olympic Peninsula is home to the popular Dungeness crab. Pacific cod, lingcod, black cod, halibut, and petrale sole are some of the fishes found along the coast. The Columbia, Rogue, Copper, and Yukon rivers flow into the Pacific, and these rivers are an important thoroughfare for the five varieties of wild salmon, the river smelt, and the mild white sturgeon.The Pacific CoastlineSeattle’s Pike Place Market was founded on August 17, 1907 and allowed consumers to purchase foods directly from growers. In 1971, the citizens of Seattle voted to place the market under public ownership and preserve and restore it to its place as the “Heart and Soul of Seattle.”The first Starbucks store was opened in Pike Place Market in 1971, and this company reflects Seattle’s passion for coffee and the city’s influence on coffee trends around the country. Artisanal products and specialty foods including smoked Pacific salmon, “handmade” and “farmstead” cheese, wild mushrooms, dried cherries, organic produce, and rustic breads reflect the passion of the region.Pike Place MarketSpawned in freshwater streams, the young salmon travel to the ocean where they live and grow for three or four years. In the spring, after they reach maturity, the adult salmon return to their native streams to spawn. As the salmon return home, they stop eating and live mainly on the oils stored in their bodies. They travel great distances and are able to return to the exact spot where they were hatched. The salmon were once so plentiful that the Indians would spear or club them from the river banks, and the fish would be eaten fresh, air-dried to create jerky, or smoked. Today, wild salmon are threatened and the health of the salmon runs influence the health of the area’s economy.SalmonSalmon are caught two ways: In nets:Netted salmon are caught in larger quantities, thus making the fish less expensive to purchase. However, the flesh can be damaged in the process, resulting in lower quality fish. On hooks during trolling:Trolling for salmon results in the highest quality fish, as only one fish at a time can be caught on each hook. Typically, salmon caught by trolling are labeled as such and bring a higher price at market. It is said the Alaskans have as many preparations for salmon as people in the lower 48 have for beef. Salmon Cont.Descriptions of salmon indigenous to the region include: Chum- Weighing about 7 pounds with a pale flesh, moderate fat content and mild flavor. It is commonly used to produce smoked salmon via both hot and cold smoking techniques. King- The largest, weighing between 15 and 20 pounds. Also known as Chinook salmon, with a high oil content and a rich, full flavor, making it excellent for grilling.  Pink- This is the smallest, weighing only 3 to 5 pounds each. Also referred to as humpback or humpy salmon their flesh is light and moist and more delicate than that of other types of salmon. Most pink salmon is canned and used much like canned tuna.Silver- Generally weighing 7 pounds and also referred to as coho or hooknose salmon. It has a red flesh, similar to the king salmon, but a much lower fat content, making it not quite as flavorful as other salmon. Silver salmon are often canned and used much like canned tuna.Sockeye- Generally weighing 6 pounds and have an intensely red-colored flesh. The Japanese purchase the majority of the sockeye catch, as red is the color of celebration in Japan.Salmon Cont.Red Lentil Soup with Walla Walla Onion MarmaladeGrilled Lamb Blade Chops with Prune Plum RelishLamb Shoulder blade chops are cut number 1207 B from the NAMP Meat Buyers Guide. Blade chops are cut from the blade portion of shoulder and contain part of the blade bone and backbone. Lamb should arm chops may be substituted. Mussels in Thai Coconut BrothPear and Hazelnut Salad with Oregon Blue CheeseSeared Halibut with Ginger and Wild MushroomsBlackberry Barbecued Chicken with Walla Walla Onion RingsSpicy Thai Chicken WingsPeek Gai Nam DaengLamb Keema Paratha with Green Chutney