I have this friend… he’s a bit of a renaissance man when it comes to all things edible.  What I mean by that is… he actually goes out to hunt, to forage and to fish for his own food on a regular basis.  He even grows his own food.  Over the years he has shared his adventures via his well read blog Hunter, Angler, Gardener, Cook.

His name is Hank Shaw, and with the pictorial help of his lovely lady Holly Heyser,  he has produced an amazing book.  Now folks, this is not just another cookbook.  This book is a wealth of knowledge that will not just feed the mind, but the belly as well.  Hank walks you through the edible offerings of the seasons and the various places throughout the nation where he has travelled over the years and put it all in to this book.  This really is a must-read for any one who fancies themselves a forager, an angler or a hunter… or any one who just fancies the idea of living off the land.

The thing that I love about the recipes in his book is that they are adaptable.  In some instances, such as his chapter on Beach Peas, he talks about the simplest ways to prepare these short seasoned wild delicacies that easily translate as a useful recipe for something more domestic like an English Pea.  This is the kind of book that I challenge anyone to pick up and say “Yeah I already knew all of that” because the shear breadth of knowledge shared provides an educational and mouth wateringly entertaining read for the novice to the expert.

I like this book so much that I want to give one autographed copy to one of my lucky readers!

GIVE AWAY DETAILS: (1) One lucky reader will win an autographed copy of Hank Shaw’s new book: Hunt, Gather, Cook – Finding the Forgotten Feast, brought to you solely by NommyNom.

HOW TO ENTER: Go to the syndicated version of NommyNom and simply leave a comment and tell us about your favorite food that you either hunted for, fished for or foraged for.  One entry per person, duplicate entries will not be counted.  You must provide a valid name and email address with your entry.

WHEN IS THE CONTEST: Entries will be taken starting now July 27, 2011 and will end Midnight PST on August 4, 2011.  Winner will be drawn at random and announced at 9:00am August 5, 2011.

WHO WILL WIN: The winner will be chosen by random drawing on August 5th and announced at 9:00am PST on August 5th, 2011.  You must provide a valid name and email address with your entry. Winners will have 24 hours to claim their prize, if left unclaimed the prize will go to a runner-up determined by random drawing.

Best of luck to everyone, looking forward to hearing your responses!

More Hank Shaw in person for Seattle Folks:
–Tune in to Q13 FOX Morning News at 9:20am on July 28th, 2011 to see Hank Shaw demonstrate a recipe from his book, live in person with yours truly.

–You can also check out Hank in person at Wine World Seattle July 28th, 2011 at 6pm – Bites inspired by some of Hank’s recipes to be prepared and served by my wonderfully talented friend Chef Robin Leventhal

–And there will be a dinner at the restaurant on nearly every foodies bucket list –  The Herbfarm.  They will be hosting a dinner party called “Finding the Forgotten Feast” on Sunday July 31st, 2011. Seating is limited, please call for reservations.

Full Disclosure:  This giveaway is made possible by NommyNom

RESTRICTIONS: Contest is open only to residents of the United States.  Prize is non-transferrable, non-refundable and may not be exchanged for cash.  PugetHound nor Nommynom shall be held responsible for any content, damages, or loss as a result of this contest.

What is that visage of Burger Heaven you see above?  It is the ***Kelly Cline’s Secret Squirrel BBQ Burger. I can die a happy woman now that I have had the honor of having a burger named after me.

There is a long story behind this burger… it starts back in the Summer of 2010 (I know… that’s like eons ago!)
Let me start out by saying that over the past year I have become friends with the folks at Blue Moon Burgers, it’s a fun place with fun people and they make a damn fine burger – and I’m a bit of a burger snob.

In fact, over a few weeks I taunted them with my own recipe for a killer burger and brought in a jar of my Secret BBQ Sauce.  Now this is a formula that I have been working on and tweaking since I was 20.  We aren’t going to say the amount of decades that have passed since then, but let’s just say that I am pretty confident that I have perfected my formula for the perfect Sweet ‘n’ Smoky BBQ Sauce.   Whenever I make my sauce, I make it 2 gallons at a time because I end up with my friends lined up with empty jars in hand ready for a refill.

So back to the day I brought in the sauce… they took a taste of it and the look of doubt was wiped clean and they sat there with just a spoon and the jar and literally ate it right out of the jar.  It was good.  I was pleased.  Now fast forward… every couple of weeks I would get an email asking for the sauce recipe, requests that I would deny over and over again.  My sauce is special, it’s my baby… the recipe is Super Secret Squirrel!  No one knows the recipe but me!  Asking, turned to begging… and I gave in and gave them the recipe and they asked me to help create a burger to showcase the sauce.
For Blue Moon Burgers side of the story of this burger check out it out here: March Burger of the Month

After months of back and forth and consulting and tasting (it’s a tough job, but someone had to do it!) we came up with the Kelly Cline’s Secret Squirrel BBQ Burger.
5 ounces of grass fed organic beef patty dusted with my Secret Dry Rub on a grilled Macrina bun, housemade spicy pickles (I like having an extra one on my burger), crispy shoestring onions, melted Muenster Cheese all topped off with a smothering of my Super Secret BBQ Sauce.

The folks at Blue Moon Burgers came up with a March classic Mint Shake (made with their house made syrup made with REAL mint) and some Old Bay Hush Puppies to saddle up next to that big beautiful burger that bears my name. YUMMY!

So what the heck does all this burger talk this have to do with bloggers?  Well… I’ll tell ya!
Blue Moon Burgers will be hosting a “Meet the Puget Hound Bloggers” event at their Fremont Location where I will be hanging out with fellow Puget Hound bloggers.
Puget Hound is a collection of local area blogs that cover everything from Sports, Crime, Food, Events, Music, Arts, local Travel, Dating and so much more.  Come on down and meet some of the other talented bloggers like the man behind Another Passion and the mixologist behind ThirstQuest.

Meet the Puget Hound Bloggers Event at Blue Moon Burgers
Date: March 10th, 2011
Time: 5:00pm – 7:00pm
Where: Blue Moon burgers in Fremont – 703 N 34th – Seattle, WA 98138
Why: Meet ‘n’ greet the Puget Hound team and have some fun

For more information about Puget Hound and Blue Moon Burgers:
Puget Hound
Blue Moon Burgers

Follow Puget Hound on Twitter: @PugetHound
Follow Blue Moon Burgers on Twitter: @bluemoonburgers
Follow NommyNom on Twitter: @nommynom
Follow me on Twitter: @kcline

***Despite the name, there is NO squirrel in this burger.  The name comes as a reference in homage to an old late 1960’s cartoon.  Everything that has ever been secret in my life since watching this cartoon as a kid has always been referred to as “Secret Squirrel”

Full disclosure: I have received no compensation from any business or organization mentioned for this article, except a free burger or two (which makes my ever expanding hips weep)

Meet my friend, Chef Larry Monaco.  That’s him behind that big beautifully seared piece of filet mignon.  I have nick-named him “The King of Sear” because, as you can see, he can put a mean sear on just about anything.

Chef Monaco graduated with a Culinary Arts degree from Cordon Bleu.  He spent several years in Hollywood as a sought after personal chef and caterer for companies like HBO, New Line Cinema, Lion’s Gate and the Grammy Foundation.  Later he moved to New York City where he worked with famous restauranteur Danny Meyers at Tabla.  His next culinary venture would lead him to work at Gramercy Tavern for two years under Chef Tom Colicchio.  It was on a trip to the Pacific Northwest that Chef Monaco fell in love with Seattle and decide it was time to get back to the West Coast where Seattlites have enjoyed his gorgeous food at places like Il Bistro, BOKA and Veil.  Lucky for us!

Chef Monaco is committed to using the freshest, local ingredients in the dishes he prepares, which is something I greatly respect about him.  He brings out the best of the natural flavors and plates his dishes with the skill of an artist.  He loves teaching people how to prepare the bounties we enjoy here in the Pacific Northwest and has been pairing up with the great folks over at DishItUp.

Dish It Up is a culinary wonderland.  Pots, Pans, Kitchen Tools, Wine, Cook and Serveware and everything in between can be found there.  I often go there to find props for some of my photography because they have such a great selection.  They also offer Culinary Classes.  I have been to several classes taught by others like Chef Robin Leventhal and Chef Lisa Nakamura.  The classes are always a blast, you get to learn some new techniques and sometimes get to join in.  You get to taste the food that was prepared during class as well as complimentary wine that has been perfectly paired.

GIVE AWAY DETAILS: Chef Larry Monaco, Dish It Up and NommyNom have partnered together to give one lucky reader a chance to attend  Chef Larry Monaco’s Market Class presented by DishItUp in Ballard on March 27th.
Chef Larry Monaco’s Dish It Up Market Class – Enjoy a field trip with the Chef as he takes the class on a walking tour of the Farmer’s Market.  Students will learn about the bounty of fresh Pacific Northwest ingredients and will help make the decision about what ingredients are purchased that day.  After your Farmer’s Market field trip you will return to Dish It Up’s enormous demonstration kitchen and Chef Larry Monaco will prepare an off-the-cuff meal made from the farm fresh ingredients the class helped pick out.

HOW TO ENTER: Go to the syndicated version of NommyNom and make a post telling us about your favorite Pacific Northwest ingredient.
Official Contest Site: NommyNom’s Chef Larry Monaco & Class Giveaway

WHEN IS THE CONTEST: Entries will be taken February 15, 2011 until Midnight PST on March 4, 2011.  Winner will be drawn at random and announced at 9:00am March 5, 2011.

WHO WILL WIN: The winner will be chosen by random drawing on March 5th and announced at 9:00am PST on March 5th, 2011.  You must provide a valid name and email address with your entry.  Winners will have 24 hours to claim their prize, if left unclaimed the prize will go to a runner-up determined by random drawing.

Dish It Up will be featuring Chef Larry Monaco in several classes in March.  Here’s the schedule of his upcoming appearances, please contact DishItUp to book your class:

Sunday, March 13, 2011
Farmer’s Market Class
Chef Larry Monaco
Demo/Hands-On in Ballard

Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Searing & Sauteing: Steak, Chicken & Fish
Chef Larry Monaco
Demo/Hands-On in Ballard

Sunday, March 27, 2011
Farmer’s Market Class
Chef Larry Monaco
Demo/Hands-On in Ballard

Here is a list of more classes being offered up by more of our talented and amazing local Chefs:
March  1 – Northwest St Patrick’s day Feast with John Nesby of MorMor Bistro
March  3 – Essential bread Baking with George dePasquale of Essential Baking Company
March  7 – Couples Cooking Together with Sam Crannell and Tracy Stoner-Crannell
March  9 – Northwest Essentials: Cassoulet with Greg Atkinson of West Coast Cooking
March 10 – Tamales & Salsas with Devra Gartenstein of Patty Pan Grill
March 16 – Five Ingredient Thai Cooking with Pranee Halvorsen
March 21 – Art of the Pie with Pie Goddess Kate McDermott
March 22 – Spring Rabbit with Becky Selengut author of Good Fish
March 23 – Latin Flavors with Matt Jones
March 24 – Couples Aphrodisiacs with Karen Binkhorst
March 28 – Chinese Takeout Favorites with Hsiao-Ching Chou
March 30 – Pastry Chef Desserts with Matt Jones
March 31 – Sustainable Sushi with Hajime Sato

Please be sure to visit Dish It Up’s website for more details about class schedules and information.

PLEASE NOTE: Comments are disabled for this post, to enter please visit the official contest entry site and make your comment there:
Official Contest Site: NommyNom’s Chef Larry Monaco & Class Giveaway
One entry per person, duplicate entries will be deleted.

Full Disclosure:  This giveaway is made possible by the generosity of DishItUp and Chef Larry Monaco.

RESTRICTIONS: Contest is open only to residents of the Seattle area and Pacific Northwest. Contest winner is responsible for their own travel to and from the event, and any related expenses.  Chef Larry Monaco, DishItUp and NommyNom are not responsible for any expenses outside of the cost of tuition and food for the event.  Prize is non-transferrable, non-fundable and may not be exchanged for cash.

Have you ever listened to someone speak then been inspired to step up and answer a call to action?  It happened to me this evening at the Green Washington 2010 Awards presented by Seattle Business Magazine.

Those familiar with my words know of my passion for supporting local food producers, restaurants, organizations and markets who support local.   It is not enough to just be local, but to also have a strong ethical relationship with the environment.

I attended the presentation dinner at the Green Washington 2010 Awards by way of invitation from Chris and Lisa Wilcox, the good folks behind locally owned Wilcox Farms.  Their organic egg farm had been nominated for an Agriculture award.  I am happy that I went (and honored to have been asked) as the event gave me a renewed perspective that solidified my resolve to try harder in my own efforts towards a greener lifestyle.

The keynote speaker of the evening was William Ruckelshaus, Co-Chair , Joint Ocean Commission Initiative.  Ruckelshaus was the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s first administrator when the agency was formed in 1970. In 1983 President Ronald Reagan re-appointed him as the EPA’s 5th Administrator.  He has been in this fight for a better environment since the beginning.

Despite his political background Mr Ruckelshaus’ agenda was not about party politics.  The speech was not preachy, dry or negative.  It was empowering, hopeful and positive.  He focused on the progress we  have accomplished thus far and the current progress towards cleaning up the environment, since the formation of the EPA.

He applauded the local businesses nominated this evening.  These ranged from Food/Agriculture to Technology and everything in between.  Ruckelshaus stated that 40 years ago no one was thinking about giving out awards to the environmentally conscious, he then looked around the room and said with a smile “Look at where we are now.”

40 years ago the EPA was in its infancy.  It was put together to measure, monitor, and model the environmental future. Educating the public about the importance of preserving Natural Resources and providing legislation that would place the health of a sustainable environment at the forefront.  So how did this come about 4 decades ago?  Because the people demanded it.  There was a need for it, and we were on a path to self destruction.  That demand raised awareness, which caused the government to take notice, to step up and take action.

Do not listen to the naysayers.  Your voice really does matter.

“Restoring nature to its natural state is a cause beyond party and beyond factions” quoted from the January 22, 1970 State of the Union Address.  That was as true 40 years ago as it is today.  This is not about Party Politics or conspiracies.  This is about preserving the environment for future generations, while we have the chance.

“Green” is not a fad or phase.  It is an ongoing, never ending process.  It is like a sinkful of dirty dishes, they are not going anywhere and the mess piles up getting worse the longer you neglect it.  Soon it smells bad and molds, creating an unhealthy living condition for you.  So what do you do?  Get in there and do your part to clean up the mess.  Do it daily to avoid creating an unhealthy environment for yourself.  Our Earth is no different than dirty dishes piling up, someone’s got to get in there and get cleaning.  Why not us?  Why not now?  Why not for the future?

In my opinion, tending our environment means making an effort. That effort can be as complex as installing a wind farm for energy or a simple effort such as composting, recycling or simply reusing or repurposing the resources we have at hand.  We are the custodians of this planet, no effort is too small.

We are still digging out of the hole dug by previous generations, damage that has carried over to present day.  So is the EPA and it’s legislation really making a difference?  According to Ruckelshaus it is. He stated that our Air & Watersheds are cleaner now than 40 years ago when the EPA first put legislation in place.  But we are still a ways off from repairing the damage done by generations past.

Seeing a multitude of local businesses who are engaging in greener practices by choice gave me hope for the future.  Small business or big business, Democrat or Republican.  It did not matter your wealth, social standing or political viewpoint because everyone in that room tonight shared one common and noble goal – the push for a better, cleaner and greener world.  Sustainable solutions that are environmentally acceptable, sufficient, reliable and efficient.

“Green” is an untapped enterprise that is ripe and ready for the picking.  Not only could this be a potential boon for our environmental health, but for our economic health as well.  “Green” has the power to take the world in a new direction. Green can create jobs and bolster an economy. It can provide the security of self sustainability.

“Washington State is a pioneer in the green movement.” Ruckelshaus said of Washington’s conservation efforts “We work on our problems, we do not just sit idly by and wring our hands.”
As I looked around the room filled with “Green People” I knew that Ruckelshaus was right on the money with that statement.  No one in this room has been sitting idly by.

Tonight, it was a pleasure to see those  who were being recognized and honored for their efforts.  They are the ones who are innovating, practicing, educating and pioneering a path to a greener future for all of us.  Their work is inspirational and I am thankful for what they are doing.

Let’s not leave them to do this alone.
A call to action was issued, and I am passing this call on to my readers.  Note: there is no political agenda, biased slants or bogus science involved to be debated here.  It is not a discussion about conspiracies, or the fact that you don’t like so-and-so in this or that particular political office, or whether or not global warming is real.  It is only about our own role and responsibility as inhabitants of this planet to care for it.

The Call is to stand up and make your voice heard for a change and a solution to sustainability.  Get involved.  Together we can support the people, ideas and businesses who are embracing the movement.  We can get behind the technology, greener practices that lower our carbon output and laws put in to place to protect the goal that we have been working towards for nearly half a century.  A goal for a cleaner, greener and more sustainable existence.

I am happy to report that Wilcox Farms did receive the Green Washington Award in Agriculture.  Wilcox practices recycling of things such as water from egg washing to water their crops, as well as repurposing chicken waste to fertilize those crops. They are certainly doing their part.  Wilcox Farm has been a family owned business for over 100 years, they support the humane treatment of animals and have pledged to utilize green practices where ever possible.  Tonight they were deservedly rewarded for their efforts.

Congratulations to ALL the winners and nominees this evening, your efforts will lead us to a change for the better.  Thank you to Seattle Business Magazine for recognizing the efforts of those who have made the commitment to greener practices.

Want to read more?  Check out some of these folks who are writing and talking about the environment, green practices and sustainability:
Seattle Business Magazine – Seattle
Growing Up Green – Seattle
The Sustainable Plate – Seattle
Grist – Seattle
Mother Nature News – Atlanta
Green Options – San Francisco
The Daily Green – New York
Web Ecoist – Minneapolis

This commentary is nonpartisan and has no political agenda so please refrain from political angst and party bashing.
Play nice and keep comments civil and on point.

Full disclosure: I have received no compensation from any business or organization mentioned in this article.

Images by Kelly Cline ©2010 All Rights Reserved
All content, text and images are  ©2010 All Rights Reserved and may not be used or reposted without express written consent.