The Essential Northwest Essentials

When I heard that our editorial team wanted to create a new edition of Greg Atkinson’s classic cookbook, Northwest Essentials, I was a bit giddy. As head of the Sales and Marketing department, I knew Greg’s book would be a big success, since the original edition sold over 12,000 copies.

Original book cover, 1st edition, 1999

And as an avid home cook, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on the new Northwest Essentials. (Because the original edition was so popular, we sold every last copy years ago, and before I knew it, there wasn’t even one to spare for my personal cookbook collection.) Senior Editor Susan Roxborough envisioned a simple and elegant visual look for the new edition and brought on the talented food photographer Clare Barboza to shoot color photographs for the book. Our former designer, Rosebud Eustace, designed the book, including this lovely cover, and now I finally have my very own copy. Cue my big smile.

New edition of Northwest Essentials, published October 2010.

The beautiful new package of Northwest Essentials is a perfect reflection of Greg’s cooking style: simple and elegant. I reach for Greg’s recipes time and again because they are always delicious and easy at the same time. His ingredient lists are usually short, playing a few flavors to their best expression, which is something I really appreciate when I come home hungry after work and want something that satisfies but doesn’t require elaborate or fussy preparation.

As the title suggests, Atkinson focuses on the Pacific Northwest’s essential ingredients like salmon, berries, wild mushrooms, and hazelnuts. One of the region’s early proponents of cooking in season, Atkinson provides more than 140 recipes for enjoying the best of our local foods. So far, everything I’ve tried from this cookbook has been a winner, including:

Filet of Salmon, Sautéed with Granny Smiths and Cider
Perfect Grilled Salmon with Blackberry Butter Sauce
Fettuccini with Smoked Salmon and Cream

Can you tell that I love salmon? I’ve also made:

Chicken Baked with Plums and Olives
Dream Enchiladas with Bacon and Orange Sauce
Mushroom Ravioli
Hazelnut Tart

Everything has turned out beautifully and gone immediately onto my mental “make again” recipe list. The Hazelnut Tart has already gone two rounds in my household and is on tap for round #3 on our family’s Thanksgiving dinner. Last night I served it to an old friend and left the pie plate on the table as we talked into the night. Every now and then one of us would reach back to the pie plate and slice another sliver as we lingered over the table. These are recipes that make you grateful for all that you have and still keep you wanting more.