Slow Food Skagit  is presenting Skagit County's first Eat Local Week, September 14-20, and The Market at Anacortes will be among the participants.

This event, which joins chefs, restaurants, fishermen, farmers, producers, retailers and hungry consumers, is an opportunity to enjoy the flavors and riches of the Skagit River Salish Sea region.  The group plans to celebrate the wealth of local food in the Skagit Valley, and spread the awareness of the economic, cultural and environmental benefits of eating local.  Slow food is a way of eating: savoring your meals and building on the base of food from close to your home.

There will be foodie events in the Skagit communities, including Anacortes.  At our store, we will be featuring products with our "locally produced in Skagit County" signs. These include glass-bottled milk products, farmstead butter and cheeses from Golden Glen Creamery in Bow, artisan breads from the Breadfarm in Edison, and freshly picked basil from Ustalady Farms on Camano Island. 

As a state certified organic produce handler, we offer the best of the Skagit Valley in our fruits and vegetables. 

So, visit us at The Market, check out our local shopping list, and let us know what you think about eating locally the week of September 14.  We're pleased to join in this ambitious effort, one that educates all of us on the delicious food that comes from our bountiful area.  More information is available from www.slowfoodskagit.org

New York City is the origin of many food trends, and I was pretty excited to see one of them on a recent visit to that big, hot, humid city.

Clever chefs have taken the concept of an ice cream truck --- the ubiquitous visitor to suburban neighborhoods in the summer --- and done it one better.  Rather than offering the usual fare, rainbow-colored popsicles, drumsticks, creamsicles and Cap'n Crunch bars (I swoon for those), these are dessert trucks.

There are half a dozen of these trucks trolling the streets of New York City.  One offers artisan ice creams in flavors you don't find from Mr. Softee.  Another does mini creme brulees and small bundt cakes.  I heard about chocolate mousse with a caramel corn topping.  Old-fashioned favorites stock one truck, with butterscotch bars and warm chocolate chip cookies.  If you're more adventurous, there's a truck for you, too:  one that features items like rhubarb and lemongrass soup, served cold, of course, or a chocolate bread pudding with a bacon-scented creme anglaise.  (I am not sure about that one.)

The trucks post their locations on their web sites.  Regular hours and sites are iffy, depending on finding parking spaces on crowded side streets and trucks that don't  suddenly break down.

In any event, I ran into the Wafels and Dinges truck, bright yellow and staffed by two enthusiastic men who dispensed hot Belgian waffles with all kinds of toppings.  There was a small line of eager customers on a very sultry afternoon.

Do you think a dessert truck might catch on in your locale?  In New York, part of the thrill is the chase: coming upon a dessert truck when you didn't even know you were hungry for something sweet.  In smaller communities, maybe a dessert truck or cart that is stationary and keeps regular hours would be a fun addition to a standard food scene.

In any event, having seen and heard all about dessert trucks leads me to wanting to bake up a storm, and put together some amazingly rich, creative and delicious desserts.  I love street food anyways, but dessert street food is a completely new and much desired category! 

What is the new etiquette for eating food on an airplane? 

On several flights recently, I observed plane food in all its glory.  On a very early morning flight (leaving at 6 a.m., which is beyond the pale), there were fellow passengers eagerly munching on traditional morning foods, like bagels and cream cheese.  But there were others who unwrapped giant sub sandwiches, and more than a couple with cardboard boxes loaded with hot cheesy pizza.  Coffee, of course, but more than a few people chugged down sodas.  From another class of service (not mine), came the compelling and not-so-inviting smell of something chili and salsa-like.  For me, that's just too early in the day to contemplate anything that savory.

On a long evening flight that stretched well beyond the dinner hour, my fellow passengers compensated for the lack of sustinence with creativity.  There were people with cheeseburgers and soggy fries, some that packed plastic containers full of intriguing caprese salads and cold pastas, others that gamely held on to a full plate of Asian noodles slushing a bit with soy sauce.  To each his/her own.

Getting to the etiquette part:  I think you can't be too fussy about aromas or smells from other passengers' foods.  After all, we are stuffed together for a finite period of time, and no sense getting all excited about someone else's mondo beef burrito or jar of kim chee.  I think the etiquette is being considerate of your seatmate, and taking care of your own discards, so you aren't expecting the flight attendants to deal with your leftovers.  I think it's rude to stuff old food into the seat pockets, too.  Bring your own bag for your waste, and package it up carefully so it doesn't leak for the next group of passengers.

If I sound a little cranky, I'm not.  I alternate between telling myself I won't starve if I don't eat for a few hours, but then I recall the time we sat on a runway for over five hours, and all I had to eat were some Combos (pepperoni flavored).  I devoured them over the course of endless starts, stops, delays and finally the flight home, and was grateful for every last bite.

Now I pack food that isn't too smelly, messy or visually unappealing.  That usually means things like apples, crackers, cheese, water or juice, granola bars,almonds and the not-to-be forgotten standby:  junior mints.  There have been times when I've had to rely on these when I have arrived somewhere when there's no food to be found on the other end.

Finally:  a confession.  Just last week, I flew home with six of the most delicious, icing-loaded vanilla and chocolate cupcakes, secured in a box with little holders for each one.  My fellow passengers' rollaboards, placed inj the overhead bin, did not crush the cupcakes, and I'm happy to report I enjoyed them immensely.  Plane food?  Not so plain, but what a treat!

Whatcom County customers and our store teams reached into their hearts...and pockets...to raise over $6,000 this summer for the Whatcom Boys and Girls Club. 

The fundraising campaign, called Round-Up, asked customers to let their spare change make a big difference in the lives of kids in our communities.  From July 31 through August 17, customers at the checkstand were asked if they wanted to "round up" their total bill to the next dollar (or more) to benefit the clubs.

There are 5,400 kids and teens who take part in Club activities in Bellingham, Birch Bay, Blaine, Ferndale, Lynden and Lummi Island.  The need is great, and the community responded in kind.

This is the second year The Markets have joined together with the Clubs to lend a hand to kids, and we're proud to be able to partner with them for such a valuable cause.  Special thanks go out to all our front end teams, who asked customers if they wished to donate, and to our generous customers, who joined with The Markets' own donation to the Clubs this year. 

By the way, if you see the following checkers, please thank them for their efforts on behalf of the Clubs: each of them raised the most money in their respective stores.

Lynden Food Pavilion:  Mary Cook

The Market at Birch Bay: Anthony Jones

Blaine Cost Cutter:  Andrea Meaker

Meridian Cost Cutter: Rhonda Storms

Ferndale Cost Cutter: Viki Gillis

Sunset Cost Cutter:: Cheri Smith

Everson Market:: Cheryl Maxwell

Lakeway Cost Cutter: Christine Hodson

Southside Food Pavilion: Elena Gonzalez

A group of us were enjoying another leisurely summer lunch under a bright blue sky.  Someone ordered a Thai chicken ginger soup, another had a chicken pot pie.  There were lattes and hot cocoa, and everyone ended up too full for dessert.

Then somone made an observation:  "I have never been hungry for one day in my life."  We thought about it. Profound.  There have been times when we've been hungry, after skipping a meal or being late for a snack, but how many of us have experienced true hunger, the kind where your cupboard is truly bare, the refrigerator empty, the prospects dim to nonexistent?

We love food, and we love having choices on the kinds of food we eat.  In the season of plenty, summer is a good time to reflect on hunger, and how easy it is to alleviate some of this right where we live.

Each of our stores has Helpful Harvest bags set up.  For $10, you can purchase a bag with nonperishable items that go to the food bank in your community.  It's enough for a few meals, and maybe it arrives at that time when someone has no options for eating. 

We donate our perishables on a daily basis to food banks, too.  The need is great, and there's never enough.  Maybe you will never experience hunger like people do that have no food.  Maybe you can make a donation so someone doesn't have to.  Food is pleasure and food is fun, but it's also sustinence, and that's where each of us can make a difference right in our own neighborhood.

Like many other facets of life in the 21st century, there is an online survey for any topic you find interesting. In this case, the Center for Culinary Develoment and Packaged Facts produced a national survey to determine if there is a generation gap when it comes to comfort foods.

They break the results down by female-male, Gen.X and Gen. Y, and Boomers.  No surprise, regardless of age, almost half the respondents prefer sweets for comfort.  Entrees, salty snacks, side dishes and breakfast foods  lag far behind.  Women prefer sweet things more than men.  Break it down a bit further, and top sweets are ice cream, then chocolate, and finally brownies. (what: no cookies?)

For entrees, roast meats come in tops, mac and cheese and potatoes tied for side dishes in popularity, and with salty snacks, chips reign supreme, followed by popcorn and cheese.  (there are nuances, too...for example, Boomers like artisan cheeses, hand-crafted gems like Humboldt Fog, while Gen.X goes for cheese crackers.)

Boomers like classic comfort foods, like braised meats, casseroles and ice cream, and crave childhood favorites, like peanut butter, hot oatmeal and foods made from canned tuna or chicken noodle soup.

Gen. X likes commercial fare and fast food, especially burgers and burritos.  They gravitate to branded foods, like favorite name brand packaged cookies and snacks.

Gen. Y likes burritos and ramen noodles, but also favor more healthy foods, like sushi and fruit. 

Are you interested in comfort food trends?  Well, they have an answer for that!  How about breakfast for dessert, using boxed cereals as the basis for baked goods and desserts, as well as glamoured-up versions of doughnuts and French toast?  It's the old standby, Rice Krispy Bars, gone upscale.

Meatloaf is back, but it's been gussied up with leaner meat blends and bigger tastes. (Sorry:  I still won't eat it.  Ever.  Bad times.)

Artisan pies, once only seen in little pastry shops and cafes, are being featured in restaurants with intriguing fresh fruit blends and good-for-you ingredients.

Pacific Rim cooking is stronger than ever, with pho, the Vietnamese noodle and beef soup , spreading like wildfire.  Fresh in flavor and a quick snack, pho is  also pretty simple to whip up at home.  A similar soup is miso, which ranks big on my comfort food list in the cold wet months.

Asian curries  are growing in popularity, too, and there are many kits on our shelves that help put these together quickly and inexpensively.  I wonder if hot foods are more comforting than cold foods?

Finally, good old mac and cheese can have all sorts of variations, but it's easy to make and exceptionally soothing to eat when you want to feel like you're being taken care of by Mom.

This brings us to the big question:  what is your ultimate comfort food?  Does it depend on the season or the weather or the mood?  Does it differ if you are by yourself?  Does it always satisfy, or do you need to change it up from time to time?  And...are there foods that offer no salve or comfort?  I can reveal that when I want to feel well-cared-of and need a food equivilent of a hug, it will never be eggs...but that's me.  I'm going to be reaching for a big slice of toast, preferably on a piece of big-flavored bread, topped with my old friend, peanut butter.  There...feeling better already!

Our Sedro Woolley Food Pavilion will host the first annual Skagit Valley BBQ Championship on Saturday, August 15 and Sunday, August 16...and you don't want to miss  the action, the competition, and most of all, the incredibly delicious barbecue!

Over 20 championship level teams will compete for the opportunity to quality for the national championships, and $10,000 in prize money.  If you've never seen a barbecue team in full action mode, you're in for a real experience: these folks take their cooking seriously, but also have a lot of fun with it.

On Saturday, from 11 to 6,  come watch the teams set up their grills, decorate their booths and talk with the grilling experts.  You can buy a great BBQ lunch for your family, featuring favorites like pulled pork and barbecued chicken.   This sneak preview leads right into Sunday's big events.

On Sunday, competition begins at 10 a.m. with pork butt at 11, brisket at noon and chicken at 1, followed by ribs at 2.  The big award ceremony takes place at 4 p.m.  Buy a bracelet for $5 and sample the master level BBQ.  Barbecue is cooking in a closed oven or container, over very low heat to meld the flavors.  Experts concoct their own secret sauces, and you'll have to choose your favorites from regional styles.  Be it traditional or wildly innovative, barbecue can appeal to just about everyone...and this is your opportunity to see which you like best.

For more information, check out www.pnwba.com  (and get ready to eat some of the best bbq you've ever tasted!).